"Bad Dreams"
Chapter One---
It was dark out, except for the lights emitted by the law enforcement vehicles parked all around the scene. The fact that it was a new moon out meant that it was even darker than usual.
Gibbs stepped out of his car and stared at the dinky little roadside motel that sat just a few yards away.
He wasn't in the best mood ever, but that was probably due to the fact that he had not had his morning coffee yet.
He proceeded to make a mental note as his eyes scanned over the small crowd of people that had gathered--most of which were probably motel guests--before taking another step.
The rest of the team had arrived before him so it was a fair assumption, Gibbs thought, that they would have most of the work done already--wrong. He found Tony and Kate standing around doing absolutely nothing at all. McGee was the only one actually doing something work-related.
The probie agent was off to the side busy talking to the two officers who had responded to the 911 call first.
As he walked toward his team he could tell, even in the dim-light, that the Senior Special Agent looked like hell. Kate looked as though she might be her usually bright self, as she always was, no matter what time of day.
"I hate this." Kate said, shaking her head, in a whinning voice.
Tony couldn't help but grin slightly at his partner's displeasure.
"Okay, maybe not." Gibbs thought to himself.
"There a reason why you two are just standing around?" Gibbs asked, in the usual flat tone he used.
Tony shrugged his shoulders unsure of what to say.
"McGee seemed to have everything under control." Tony offered, his tone quieter than usual.
Gibbs' gut churned slightly at the sound of Tony's voice. Now he *knew* something was off--Tony was off.
His thoughts wandered, momentarily as to the reason why, but then he shook it off--dismissed it to the fact that they were all just tired.
"Besides, Gibbs, its two in the morning," Kate chimed in, her exhaustion showing in her voice. "The least you could do is cut us a little slack."
Gibbs offered an amused grin at Kate's proposal.
"Ducky inside?" he asked, nodding towards the motel room with the yellow crime scene tape stretched across the opened door.
"Yeah, he's-" Tony started.
"Good." Gibbs said, interrupting Tony abruptly.
Several feet away, McGee finished interviewing the two police officers, closed his miniature notepad, and waved them away.
He quickly made his way over to join the rest of the team, and to Gibbs he did not look the least bit tired.
"Morning Boss," McGee greeted Gibbs. "I got statements from both of the officers who responded to the motel manager's 911 call--first." McGee informed his boss.
"Good." Gibbs replied, reaching for the probie agent's pad and pencil.
"Wh-why?" McGee stammered, almost in total shock.
"You're coming with me." Gibbs said flatly.
"DiNozzo, statements--everyone." Gibbs said, as he shoved the pad and pencil into his Senior Agent's hands.
Tony was taken aback by the sudden forcefulness of his boss.
"But Boss-" Tony started to protest, but then shook it off.
He really did not have the strength to argue with Gibbs this morning. He had not gotten much sleep, and it wasn't just because he'd been awakened at two o'clock in the morning.
"On it." Tony said, with a defeated sigh, as he turned and headed off towards the crowd of people.
Kate started to giggle, and though she had clamped her hand over her mouth to stifle the sound, Gibbs still heard it.
"Agent Todd, bring your camera." Gibbs ordered, as he pushed past her and headed for the crime scene.
McGee glanced at Kate, quickly, and then sped off after Gibbs.
"But Gibbs, I left my stuff in the truck." Kate called after her boss.
"Then go get it!" Gibbs called over his shoulder, without stopping.
Kate rolled her eyes in disgust as she headed to retrieve her pack and camera gear from the truck.
Gibbs ducked under the yellow tape, McGee following close behind, and entered a very dimly lit motel room.
The room was tacky looking to say the least. "Why anyone would want to stay in a dump like this is way beyond reasoning," Gibbs thought to himself.
In the center of the room, laying across the bed, was their dead body.
"McGee, start baggin'." Gibbs instructed, plainly. "Everything."
"On it boss." McGee replied, heading towards the room's single, small bathroom.
Gibbs strolled over to the bed where Ducky was examining the body.
"Whatcha got Duck?" Gibbs asked, as he leaned over next to the medical examiner's face.
Ducky jumped, nearly toppling completely over the opposite side of the bed, startle by his friends' sudden entrance.
"Dr. Mallard!" Jimmy Palmer exclaimed, jumping to catch his mentor.
He managed to catch the aging medical examiner under the arms, his own balance now compromised by the action.
"Steady there Jimmy." Ducky said, as he struggled to regain his balance.
"There we go--good lad," Ducky said, as the two of them finally regained their balance. "Now, if you will be so kind as to run and get the gurney we'll be in goo shape."
"Yes Doctor." Jimmy said, with a nod, as he headed for the door.
Ducky turned to Gibbs.
"You gave this old man quite a fright there, Jethro." Ducky said, with a grin.
"Sorry Duck." Gibbs replied, hiding his own grin.
Ducky chuckled heartily.
"So whatcha got?" Gibbs repeated his earlier question.
As the two men talked details Kate slipped in under the yellow crime scene tape behind them.
"Well, as you can see, there's quite a bit of blood covering a sizeable portion of the bed." he began, motioning with his hands. "The loss of blood, most likely, caused by the series of gunshot wounds that I found scattered all over his upper torso."
"Sounds like overkill to me." Kate mused, stepping up beside Gibbs--camera in hand.
"Yes, my thoughts exactly Caitlin." Ducky agreed.
Gibbs studied the body laying across the bed, silently, for a moment.
The man was well-built and looked as if he might have stood, Gibbs guessed, at probably 5'10"-5'11", and had his light brown hair cropped short--as was expected of any Marine in the Corps. His green eyes were slightly clouded over, and the expression on his face was one that Gibbs knew would stay in his mind for a long time.
Gibbs flinched, slightly, as the flash from Kate's camera caught his eye unexpectedly as she moved around snapping photos of the dead marine's body.
The man did not appear to be wearing a uniform of any kind, at least that Gibbs could see, and was dressed in only a white t-shirt and a pair of red, polka-dot boxer shorts.
"How'd they know this man was a marine?" Gibbs asked.
Ducky reached into his pocket and pulled out small plastic bag with a brown leather wallet inside, and handed it to Gibbs.
"The manager said he checked or dead marine's ID before calling 911." Ducky informed his friend. "I took the liberty of taking it from him, and bagging it as soon as I got here."
Gibbs flipped the bag over and started to open it when Jimmy appeared.
"Corporal Flint Thompson, 25 years old, stationed at Quantico, and-" Jimmy quoted the things that he had memorized off of the dead marine's ID when he and Ducky had examined it.
Gibbs looked over his shoulder at Jimmy, quietly, shooting him the stare.
"You know what--i-it doesn't really matter--really." Jimmy said, coughing out of nervousness.
"Mr.Palmer--our gurney?" Ducky asked his assisstant.
"Um, oh right--right, its right outside the door, ready when you are." Jimmy said, stumbling over his words.
Gibbs caught another flash of light from Kate's camera.
"Finished yet, Kate?" he asked.
"Almost." she replied, from the other side of the room.
"McGee, catch!" Gibbs called out, tossing the plastic bag containing the wallet, as the probie agent walked nearby.
"Whoa." McGee groaned, as he reached out and jus barely caught the object.
Gibbs turned back to face his medical examiner.
"When Kate gets finished-" he started to say, but his aging friend cut him off.
"Yes, yes I know--don't worry Jethro, Mr. Palmer and I will be right behind you." the older man said, finishing Gibbs' sentence.
Gibbs grinned, nodded, and then headed for the door.
As Gibbs stepped back outside, to his left, he heard shouting coming from several yards away.
"I told you no!" the hotel manager shouted at Tony. "No means NO!"
"Sir, I'm warning you for the last time--you will be arrested for obstructing justice." Tony countered, trying his best to remain calm, and really not wanting this confrontation to go any further than it already had.
"No, you look here--I'm already losing enough business as it is with all you cops out here." the motel manager said angrily.
"If I had known you guys would take this long--I wouldn't have called the cops here in the first place." he fumed.
Gibbs walked toward the sight of the commotion, muscles tensing with every step he took.
"Sir, please--I just need a statement and your fingerprints and then I promise you, we'll leave." Tony pleaded with the man.
"For the last time kid--No!" the man said, as he turned and headed back inside to his office.
Tony followed after him, whipping out his hancuffs, and reaching for the man's right arm.
"Then I have no choice, but to place you under arrest for-" he didn't get a chance to finish his sentence.
The man, feeling Tony pull his arm back around behind his back, elbowed him in the face with his other arm.
"Augh!" Tony groaned as he went sprawling backwards onto the floor.
The man turned and stepped towards Tony who was trying pick himself up.
Gibbs stepped through the door, saw Tony, and made a bee line for the motel manager.
The man reached out a hand to grab Tony, but Gibbs caught it mid-way.
"What the-" the man gasped, in shock.
Gibbs twisted the man's arm, pushed him back slightly, and then shoved his own hand upwards against the man's nose.
The man stumbled backwards into the opposite wall, hands grasping at his face.
"Damn!" she shouted. "Bastard--you broke my nose--you son-of-a-bitch!" he spouted off at Gibbs.
He tried to stand, but Gibbs was just too fast for him.
Gibbs snatched him up by the collar of his shirt, spun him around, and slammed up against the wall.
"You're under arrest for assaulting a federal agent," Gibbs growled, as he handcuffed the man. "And we will press charges."
Gibbs lead the man over and pushed him down into a chair that sat directly in front of a desk setup. "Sit." he growled, angrily.
He walked over to aid his Senior Special Agent, who was still struggling a bit to get up.
"You alright DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked, as he pulled the young man up to his feet.
Tony held his hand over his nose and part of his mouth, tightly.
"I-I think so." he replied.
Gibbs leaned out the door, quickly, and looked around until he spotted walking away from the crime scene.
"Kate!" Gibbs yelled out.
It didn't take Kate long to reach her boss' side.
"Whatcha need?" she asked, before she saw Tony.
"Oh God, what happened?" she asked, reaching out for her partner.
"The short version?" Tony asked, trying his best to mask how he really felt.
Gibbs rolled his eyes.
"Take him and let Ducky check him out." Gibbs instructed, motionng to the door with his hand.
"Come on let's go see Ducky." Kate said, reaching out a hand to help Tony.
Her hand landed on the arm that he was using to put pressure on his nose, and a sharp pain shot through him.
"Ouch!" Tony groaned.
"Oh oh, sorry--sorry, my bad." Kate replied, sympathetically, grimacing at her partner's pain.
"Watch it will ya!" Tony snapped, though he didn't really mean to.
Kate led Tony outside slowly and carefully.
Gibbs turned to the man sitting in the chair nearby.
"Get up!" Gibbs said, coldly, snatching the man up. "Let's go."
Chapter 2---
"Ouch!" Tony yelped, as Ducky snapped his nose back into place.
"Now there--wasn't that bad now was it?" Ducky chuckled.
"About as bad as your bedside manner." Tony replied.
Ducky couldn't help but laugh at Tony's humor.
Autopsy looked the same as it always did at almost 6 o'clock in the morning.
Once Ducky had him cleaned and bandaged up, he hopped down off of the slab.
"Sorry to say you won't be able to breathe your nose very well for quite some time, but at least its not crooked anymore." Ducky said.
"Good." Gibbs said, walking through the sliding door(s) into autopsy.
"I'll take him from here, Duck." Gibbs said, grabbing Tony's arm.
"I'll call when I finish the autopsy." Ducky called after the two men.
Gibbs drug Tony all the way to the elevator.
"Whoa, hold on there big guy." Tony said, planting his feet just in front of the elevator. "Where are we going?" he asked.
"Coffee." Gibbs replied plainly, as he slapped the up button on the wall.
"Oh." Tony said.
"By the way--thanks for saving my butt back there boss." Tony said, quietly.
"Don't mention it." Gibbs replied.
The elevator door opened, and Gibbs pushed Tony inside, and then followed.
After the elevator door closed behind them there was a brief, awkward silence between the two men at first.
Gibbs heaved a sigh, and then slapped the halt button bringing the elevator to a sudden stop.
Tony turned away from Gibbs not wanting to face him directly.
"What happened out there?" Gibbs asked.
"I don't know what you mean." Tony said, quietly, shrugging his shoulders.
"You didn't even try to fight back." Gibbs pointed out, quietly.
"I guess he just caught me by surprise, that's all." Tony replied.
Gibbs folded his arms across his chest. He knew something was wrong, and he had a feeling about what it was--but he wasn't one to just jump to conclusions.
"Don't lie to me." Gibbs said.
"I'm not-" Tony started to say, suddenly becoming defensive, as he turned to face Gibbs.
Gibbs' piercing blue eyes cut deep into his soul like the world's sharpest knife.
Tony stood unable to speak as Gibbs stared at him for what seemed like the longest time to him.
"Its the dreams--isn't it?" Gibbs said, finally, in a soft voice.
Tony could feel the tears burning behind his eyes, and he fought them with everything that he had in him.
Gibbs stepped closer to Tony which made the younger man sway on the spot.
"Tony, talk to me." Gibbs said, softly.
"I-I--yes--it was the dreams." Ton said finally, breaking down a little bit.
He leaned back against the opposite wall, and bent at the waist placing his hands on his knees.
"I've been having them all weekend." Tony admitted, quietly, his voice cracking a little bit.
Gibbs dropped into a squat in front of the younger man, a sympathetic look spread across his face.
"Tell me about them." Gibbs pressed him, with a thoughtful look.
"I-I keep seeing my old man," Tony started, slowly.
"I can hear his words in my head, over and over again."
Gibbs reached out and gently brushed away a couple of tears from the younger man's eyes.
Tony sank all the way to the floor--his knees drawn up slightly.
"You said you weren't having these dreams anymore," Gibbs remembered, from a conversation they'd had just a few months ago. "What triggered these?"
"My mom called, about three nights ago," Tony said, in a solemn voice.
Tony looked up at Gibbs with a face full of pain and deep rooted fear.
"She said the doctors have given my father less than two months to live." Tony said, a slight quiver in his voice.
"The way he drinks, its amazing he didn't die years ago." Gibbs said quietly.
That little bit of humor from his boss seemed to make Tony feel a little better. Gibbs could see the grin tugging at the edges of Tony's mouth, and it made him grin a little.
They both remembered Tony's last encounter with his father. It had been only 2 or 3 years before, and it had opened Gibbs' eyes to what his Senior Special Agent's life was really like. He had learned that Tony's womanizing ways were just part of a mask that he used to hide many years worth of wounds and scars.
It was also during that time that the two men had developed a relationship beyond that of a boss and co-worker.
"My mom wants me to come home," Tony said finally. "In three days."
"She seems to think that the whole dying thing might have changed him." he continued.
"She still chooses not to see what's really there." Tony added.
Gibbs gave a sigh, and then patted the young man on the shoulder.
"Come on." Gibbs said, softly, holding his hand out to Tony.
Together the two men stood up.
"Here take this, get yourself cleaned up." Gibbs said, fishing a tissue out of his trouser pocket and handing it to Tony.
Tony wiped the tears from his eyes with the tissue, and dabbed a little bit at his sore nose as well, as Gibbs reached out and flipped the halt switch back off.
The elevator resumed its movement taking its passengers to their desired destination.
Gibbs pulled a twenty dollar bill and a ten dollar bill out of his wallet and handed it to Tony.
"What's this for?" Tony asked, as the elevator door opened up to the squad room.
"Coffee." Gibbs replied, as he punched the button for the parking garage before stepping out. "For the team." he said with a grin.
The elevator door started to close once again on a somewhat shocked Tony.
"I like mine strong, DiNozzo." Gibbs reminded Tony, as the elevator door closed hiding his Senior Special Agent from view.
Gibbs paused for a moment, sucked in a deep breath, and then turned on his heel and headed around the corner.
He rounded the corner into the bullpen, and found Kate slumped over her desk--fast asleep.
He smiled, chuckling to himself at the sight of the female special agent.
Gibbs strolled around behind his desk and pulled the heaviest book he owned off of the bookshelf. He carried it, under his arm, back over to Kate's desk where he stopped in front it--facing the slumbering special agent.
He grinned slightly, and then dropped the book--giving it a little extra push--to the floor The heavy book hit the floor with a loud THUD!
"What-hunh!" Kate mumbled, as she sat bolt upright, arms flailing in front of her face, startled by the loud noise.
Gibbs grinned from ear to ear, but then quickly shook it away as he headed back towards his own desk.
Kate rubbed her eyes, breaking up the sleep that had fallen over her.
"What time is it?" she asked, in between yawns, as she stretched in her chair.
"Time for you to get back to work." Gibbs replied, flatly, as he dropped down into his own chair behind his desk.
Kate began running her fingers through her hair trying to straighten it back out--knowing that it had to look like crap after a nap like that.
"But first you can pick up that book." Gibbs added.
Kate uttered an irritated blow, rolling her eyes, as she walked around her desk and picked up the boook.
Gibbs checked his e-mail. It was nothing but junk mail and a load of spam, so he hit the delete all button, chucking the whole lot into the virtual garbage bin.
Kate dropped the heavy book onto Gibbs' desk with a thud.
Gibbs looked up at the former Secret Service Agent--undisturbed by the loud sound the book made.
"Thanks," he said, sliding the book back onto the shelf without looking.
"So much for cutting us some slack, hunh?" Kate remarked, in that sassy tone of hers.
"I let you sleep didn't I?" Gibbs replied.
"Yeah, for less than a hour." Kate replied, sharply.
Gibbs stood up behind his desk retrieving his side-arm and badge from his belt, and stowed them in the top right-hand drawer of his desk.
"Some is better than none." Gibbs replied, plainly.
"You can be a real ass sometimes, you know that Gibbs?" Kate spouted off.
"Really, I thought I was just a bastard." he replied, walkng around out from around his desk.
Kate rolled her eyes at her boss, as she turned for her desk.
"When I get back I want Corporal Thompson's service record, and a list of his closest kin on my desk." Gibbs said sternly, as he headed for employee lounge.
Kate turned by her desk, and looked in Gibbs' direction.
"Where are you going?" she called after her boss.
"To get a Caf-Pow!" Gibbs called back, over his shoulder.
Gibbs strolled into the lab, a few minutes later, holding a Caf-Pow in one hand.
Abby had her music going just as loud as ever, and even though Gibbs wasn't really into the kind of music that Abby was into--she just wouldn't be Abby if she didn't play it.
Abby stood at her workstation watching her computer screen, and bobbing her head to the music.
Just a few feet away sat McGee working on something, but what Gibbs wasn't sure.
"Abby!" Gibbs tried to yell over the music.
Neither one of them could hear him over the music though.
"Abby!" he yelled again, this time a little louder.
Still nothing. Gibbs rolled his eyes, and let out an exasperated sigh as he stepped a little closer.
Gibbs put his lips together and let out an ear-splitting whistle that would most assuredly deafen anyone who happened to be standing to close.
Abby spun around, quickly, and after spotting her boss grabbed the stereo remote off of the table behind her, and hit the mute button.
"Sorry about that." she said, apologetically.
Gibbs waved it off casually--letting her know that it was okay.
"Who're you talkin' to-" McGee started to say, as he spun in his seat.
He came face to face with his boss.
"Uh, B-boss--s-sorry I didn't hear you come in." McGee stammered.
"I'm surprised you can hear anything McGee." Gibbs replied.
Abby giggled, and it made Gibbs start to grin--but then he shook it off quickly.
"I-I was just helping Abby check Corporal Thompson's-"
Gibbs stopped McGee mid-sentence not letting him finish.
"Well now you're done," Gibbs informed McGee, sternly. "Go help Kate." he added, nodding towards the door.
"R-Right Boss--I'll get right on it." McGee stammered, as he rushed out the door, nervously.
Abby giggled again, and this time Gibbs didn't mind laughing a little bit himself.
"You're really mean to him sometimes, you know that Gibbs." Abby said, with a devilish grin.
"Yeah well, he'll get used to it." Gibbs replied, plainly.
"So how's Tony?" Abby asked, sincerely. "I heard from McGee about the fight at the crime scene earlier this morning."
Gibbs nodded. "He'll live." he said, plainly.
Abby noticed the Caf-Pow in Gibbs' hand, and pointed at it excitedly.
"Is that for me?" she asked, stepping forward.
"Yep." Gibbs replied, holding out the over-sized drink cup.
Abby took the drink from her boss, and immediately swallowed a huge gulp of the red, highly-caffeinated beverage.
"Aaahh." she sighed, apparently satisfied--at least for the moment. "Thanks Gibbs, I needed that." she said with a smile, as she hugged her boss.
Gibbs patted her on the back, and then gave one of her pigtails a playful little tug.
Abby pulled away, with a smile on her face, and stared at her boss.
"Gibbs," she said in a playfully seductive voice.
Gibbs threw his forensic specialist a special little wink that made her giggle.
She took another few sips from her big gulp, and then set the cup down on the table behind her.
Abby stepped, slowly, closer to her boss until she was right almost up against him. She threw her arms around his neck and stared into his eyes for a brief moment before tracing a line, with one finger, down his chest.
"Is there something you want, Mr. Gibbs?" she asked, trying to make her graveley voice sound somewhat seductive.
Gibbs chuckled, and it made a shiver run up and down Abby's spine.
"No Ms. Scuito, I think its more what you want." Gibbs countered, speaking in a low voice.
Abby's whole body shivered once again. Gibbs took both of her hands into his own, and held them tight. He leaned his head down close to her ear--the feel of his breath on her skin iniating yet another shiver.
"Tonight," he whispered, in a low voice. "If you're a good girl."
Abby struggled, once, playfully against Gibbs' strong grip giggling as she did so. After a moment or so he finally released her, and she hopped backwards a few feet--saluting Gibbs as soon as she came to a halt.
"I'll be the best Sir." she said, trying not to sound too excited.
Gibbs nodded, and then with a light throat clearing sound the two of them resumed their former roles--behaving almost as if the latter had never really occured.
"Whatcha got for me?" he asked.
Abby turned back to her workstation, and began punching keys on the keyboard.
"I'm still running the unidentified prints that were collected from the crime scene--so far nothing, but these things do take time." she explained.
"I am also gonna see what I can get off of this cell phone McGee found in the victim's bathroom." she added.
Gibbs nodded. "How long?"
"Three hours--4 hours tops." she replied, turning to face her boss.
"Make it two." Gibbs replied, sternly.
Abby rolled her eyes at the silver-haired man standing before her.
"I'm good Gibbs, but I don't think I'm that good." she joked.
Gibbs grinned slightly, and then turned and headed for the door.
"I have faith in you Abs." he called over his shoulder.
---------To Be Continued In "Potentially Problematic"---------
Author's Chapter Notes:
Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo has been hiding a dark secret for years--a secret that only his boss, Gibbs, knows about...