McGee slumped over his desk and groaned loudly, prompting a slew of muttered profanities from Abby, who had been leaning on him, soundly asleep.
“McGee? Abby? You guys okay?” Kate asked as she entered the bullpen.
She was neatly dressed in grey dress pants and light blue quarter sleeve v-neck sweater with a grey tank underneath. More appalling to the junior agent and forensic scientist was that Kate was awake, and seemed almost happy to be returning to work a mere eight hours after they left. The pair grunted half hearted replies to Kate’s greeting and resumed their sleeping positions.
“How about some caffeine?” Kate said, holding up a coffee and a Caf-Pow. McGee and Abby shot up suddenly and lunged for the drinks. “Wow, the things caffeine can make you do.”
“Kate?” Abby asked between gulps of Caf-Pow. “It’s five am, why are you so chipper?”
Kate smiled and held up her own large cup of coffee. “This is my fourth.” She sat down at her desk waiting for the imminent appearance of Gibbs. He had called them an hour earlier than originally agreed, eager to get started on Tony’s lead.
McGee, now fuelled with coffee, began furiously typing away at his computer trying to gain access to Norfolk’s security system so he could track Robert Havener’s movements on the base. Abby sat by him, sipping her Caf-Pow and occasionally directing McGee.
Kate sat back while her computer started up; she stared at the empty desk across from her. Tony was late as usual, and instead of coming up with the obligatory list of ways she could get on his case about it, she found herself composing an apology in her head. “What’s the point, I doubt he’ll listen to me”
A ding from the elevator pulled her away from her thoughts and she watched as Tony appeared in the bullpen. He was wearing the same things he’d worn the day before. His shirt and pants were wrinkled from sleeping in them. His hair was mussed and Kate could see where he’d nicked himself shaving. Overall he looked like hell. He shuffled over to his desk without so much as a glance at Kate and fell into the chair with a groan.
Kate watched from behind her computer monitor, trying to decide if now would be the best time to talk. She picked up the third cup of coffee she’d brought and a file and headed over to Tony.
“Hey. Coffee?” she asked, holding out the large Starbucks cup.
He glanced up at her for a split second with a look of total exhaustion and hurt. “No thanks,” he muttered and reached down to turn on his computer.
“Oh, okay. Well here’s the file you brought over last night,” she said, putting the file on his desk. When he stayed silent she walked slowly back to her own desk, feeling guiltier than ever.
The team worked quietly on gathering more information about Seaman Havener while they waited for Gibbs to appear.
“Tell me what you’ve got!” Gibbs commanded as he rounded the corner into the bullpen. It was almost six thirty am; he was more than an hour late.
“How ‘bout you tell us why you were late, Boss,” Tony countered, the first DiNozzo like thing he’d said all morning.
A quick glare and a raised hand sent Tony rattling off facts on Seaman Havener. “Twenty-three years old, joined the Navy six months ago and worked as a mail boy in the publicity office. Was promoted to be the assistant of Lieutenant Peyton’s replacement three days after Peyton was found dead and four days after Petty Officer Cohen’s murder. He has one bro...” Tony was cut off by a smart smack to the head from Gibbs.
“I read the file DiNozzo, tell me something I don’t know.”
“Is there anything you don’t know, Boss?” Tony asked carefully and received another glare.
“I know something you don’t, Gibbs,” Abby piped up, a mischievous smile playing across her lips. Gibbs looked at her expectantly. “Aw Gibbs, you don’t expect me to give it up with no promise of compensation, do you?”
“Lunch...and two Caf-Pows,” he said gruffly, appeasing the Goth.
“The fibers found at each crime scene match the color and fabric of the Standard Summer White uniform of the Navy; specifically it was a fiber from the scarf.”
Gibbs sighed audibly and Abby looked upset. “That only narrows it down to the entire population of Norfolk, Abby.”
But as Gibbs spoke, Kate’s mind turned back to the day of the interrogations. “Wait, Gibbs,” she said, interrupting him mid speech. “None of the suspects we interrogated were wearing their summer whites, and if I remember correctly, I don’t think I saw one other person at Norfolk in white besides our victims.”
“Good work, Kate,” Gibbs said as he collected some files from his desk and headed out of the bullpen. “Come on! Let’s go!”
Kate and Tony rushed after him leaving McGee and Abby in the bullpen. “I should get going too, I guess,” McGee said, and moved to get up, but was caught short by a yell from the elevator.
“Not you McGee!” Gibbs yelled as the doors shut.
“So where are we going, Boss?” Tony asked as the elevator headed down. “To Norfolk to bring this guy in?”
“Nope.”
Kate and Tony looked at Gibbs, confused.
“To his house to find more evidence?” Kate tried.
“Nope,” Gibbs said again as the elevator stopped a couple floors down from their office and opened onto the interrogation floor.
Kate and Tony looked around, still confused. “But, he’s not...” they both started in unison, then trailed off at the realization of where Gibbs had been that morning.
“Gibbs, we didn’t have enough evidence to bring Havener in,” Kate said, as they moved down the hall.
“Didn’t is the operative word here Agent Todd. I knew you’d have something by the time I got back from waking Havener up that would warrant bringing him in.”
Kate and Tony both shook their heads at the continual reminder that Gibbs didn’t play by the rules. The three agents rounded the corner and within moments had arrived at Interrogation Room Three. They stood outside the door as Gibbs downed the rest of his coffee. He threw the cup into the garbage bin next to him and started down the hall away from the interrogation room.
“I’m going to get another cup before we start this thing, watch him, see if he fits the profile,” he called back to his agents.
Kate and Tony nodded and entered the observation room. Tony strode over to the table and immediately sat down, his back to Kate. She stopped at the door, closing it behind her before standing awkwardly against it, unsure of what to do or say.
“Can we talk, maybe?” Kate said, moving toward the table.
Tony looked back at her and paused before saying anything. He wanted to talk with her, to try and at least get things back to the way they had been before, but his anger and sadness stopped him short. “We should get to work,” he said instead, getting up and walking to the glass that separated them from the suspect on the other side.
Kate sighed and followed cue. She opened Seaman Havener’s file, then peered through the window into the other room.
“Uh...Kate,” Tony said, all anger gone from his voice replaced by confusion. “Did Gibbs pick up the right guy?”
Kate looked at Tony and nodded in agreement. The man on the other side of the glass did not look like he was able to kill a fly, let alone two strong women.
Chapter End Notes:
Sorry this has taken so long. I actually have up to chapter 8 done but forgot to post on here. Hope you like it!