Tap. Tap. Tap tap. Tap. Tap. Tap tap. Ta�"
"Enough!" She declared, her tone clipped as she dropped her own pen to the desk in disgust and pushed herself to her feet. Behind her, the chair hit the partition with enough force to catch Pacci's attention, though the slightly older man simply shook his head and returned his attention to his report. He was used to Kate's outburst.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Was that bothering you?" The response seemed innocent, though if the smirk was any indication, the sincerity was questionable.
Leaning back in his own chair, Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo snuck a quick glance at the clock on his computer and gave a silent cheer. Thirteen minutes and fifty seven seconds into the work day and he'd already managed to irritate the former Secret Service Agent.
That was a personal best.
Beside him, McGee merely shook his head, already annoyed with the pair's antics. He'd been assigned to the DC office temporarily, and while he was grateful for the opportunity to work under Special Agent Gibbs, on most days, he could do without Tony and Kate. Especially Tony.
All around him, the other agents pretended to not notice the ridiculous bout of sibling rivalry that plagued Gibbs' team, but the junior agent was certain that it was more out of fear of Gibbs than anything else. He'd be willing to bet an entire month's paycheck on that. While Gibbs didn't seem to really like the pair on most days either, they were his people and McGee had quickly learned that no one bothered his people.
Across the room, Tony and Kate had started bickering over something or another, but he tuned them out. It hadn't been easy at first; they were usually so loud. Especially Tony. He had a voice that demanded to be heard and an ego that refused to be ignored, though while he was fixated on harassing Kate, McGee was sure he was safe.
"Probie!"
Spoke too soon, he thought, cursing inwardly as the other man pushed himself to his feet and closed the gap between them.
"What?"
"Is that any way to speak to a superior agent, McGoo?"
"What sir?"
"Much better," Tony smirked, moving behind McGee to peer over his shoulder. "What are ya workin' on so diligently over here?"
"Big word," Kate snorted, still looking offended and harassed as she glared at DiNozzo.
"You know what else is a big word, Katie?"
"Headslap?"
"Is that technically one word? Or would�""
The sound of Gibbs' hand connected with the back of Tony's head reverberated throughout the small space. Kate could barely contain her giggle as he jerked forward, his hand coming up to rub the spot that was no doubt sore.
"Right. One word. Thank you, Boss."
Despite the former Marine's gruff demeanor, McGee could see the slightest hint of a smile as he made his way over to his desk, cup of coffee in hand.
"Gear up."
"Boss?"
"Got a hit on the BOLO for Jameson's car. Let's go."
Almost simultaneously, the three agents were in motion, grabbing their badges and weapons from their respective desks before the followed after their leader, with Tony hot on his heels.
The elevator doors opened with a quiet 'ding', allowing Gibbs and DiNozzo to slip through the doors, followed closely by Kate.
"Sometime today, Probie!" Tony called, that smirk still in place. McGee wondered briefly if any amount of headslaps would ever wipe it off of his face, though he seriously doubted it. Nothing could bring Tony down.
Releasing a sigh born of irritation and annoyance, McGee slipped in through the heavy metal doors, a quiet gasp escaping him when his elbow bumped Gibbs'. He watched in horror as the cup of coffee slipped out of the older man's hand, splattering all over the elevator and his co-workers.
"McGee!" Kate squealed, stepping backwards as she glared down at the hot brown stain seeping through her tan colored pants.
"Good going," Tony grumbled, attempting to mop off some of the excess coffee with his hand.
"I… I'm… I…"
The silver-haired agent fixed him with an angry stare, his jaw clenched just seconds before his eyes dropped to survey the mess than the junior agent had caused.
"Boss, I'm really, really so�""
"Apologies are a sign of weakness," Kate reminded him, though her tone was still disgusted.
"Not when it comes to my coffee," Gibbs grunted, returning his gaze to the young man. "You're on the clean-up crew when we get back," he muttered. "Your mess, you can clean it."
Swallowing hard, McGee nodded and backed away from the older man, avoiding the three pairs of eyes that he could feel staring him down.
All in all, not a great start to the morning.
::::::
Pulling up in front of the large Cape Cod, Tony found himself snickering quietly when McGee practically fell out of the car, his face a shade greener than his tie. It wasn't easy getting used to Gibbs' driving; Kate was a testament to that. She'd been with them longer than the Probie but every now then, he caught her gripping her seatbelt for dear life when Gibbs made a particularly erratic turn.
A more mature agent probably wouldn't have found it funny, but to him, it was hysterical and in some ways, even made him feel a little superior. He'd never gotten sick from a car ride with the Bossman.
Pushing the car door open, Tony climbed out, that same smirk still on his face as he rounded the vehicle to find McGee hunched over, an arm wrapped around his stomach as he swallowed hard in an attempt to keep the nausea at bay.
"Suck it up, McBarfbag," he laughed, pausing at the trunk. "If you can't handle Gibbs' driving, maybe you should stay back at the office next time."
The junior agent glared at him.
"Leave him alone, DiNozzo," Kate responded, though there was a smirk on her face to match his as she pushed him out of the way, lifting the trunk lid. "He can't help that he's still�""
"Both of ya, knock it off," Gibbs called. Glancing over at McGee, there was a slight look of irritation in his icy blue eyes, though he said no more.
Grabbing the bags out of the trunk, a quiet snicker escaped Kate as she passed McGee, following after Gibbs.
"Is he ever going to forgive me for spilling his coffee?" McGee asked as he straightened up, wincing slightly as his stomach turned again.
"In my experience… probably not," Tony responded, clapping the younger man on the shoulder. "Of course, Kate and I have never been dumb enough to do it," he said, offering McGee a wide grin.
"Great. Just great," he muttered bitterly.
"Cheer up, Probie. It's not like he's gonna kill ya… at least not if you're wearing this," he said, grabbing one of the bullet proof vests from the trunk before shoving it into the younger man's hands. "Watch out for the headshots though."
McGee watched Tony broke into a jog, catching up easily with Gibbs and Kate as they approached the front of the house. Shaking his head, he glanced down at the vest before pulling it over his shirt. "Can't hurt," he muttered to nobody in particular as he slammed the trunk lid shut and following after his coworkers, reminding himself that he only had another week with them.
He rushed to catch up with them as they approached the front door, startling slightly when he saw them pulling their guns. He followed suit, standing behind Tony as Gibbs motioned to them, silently issuing their orders.
"C'mon," Tony whispered, elbowing the junior agent roughly. "Upstairs."
Swallowing hard again, McGee nodded and slipped into the house, his hand trembling as he tried to hold his gun steady. For a brief moment, he envied the way Tony moved quickly and confidently through the hallway and toward the stairs. Though he had passed all of his tests and qualified as a field agent, he hadn't actually had too much experience with this sort of thing.
As they ascended the stairs quietly, he could hear Gibbs and Kate on the floor below, clearing the rooms one by one. His breath was coming out in harsh spurts as they came to the landing at the top of the steps.
"I'll clear this bedroom," Tony whispered, motioning with his head. "You take the one at the end of the hall."
He could only nod, unable to find his voice as Tony turned away and headed for his designated room. Reaching up to swipe at the sweat beads forming on his forehead, he made his way to the end of the hallway, wincing inwardly when the floor board creaked loudly under his foot.
Pausing briefly, he glanced back at the other room, listening as Tony rummaged around before he turned back to the end of the hallway. The door was sitting wide open and from where he was standing, the room appeared to be empty. Poking his head inside the doorway, he glanced around, releasing a sigh of relief when he realized there was no one in the room.
"Clear!" He called out, lowering his weapon to his side as he made his way over to the window, pulling the curtain back as he peeked outside. He could see Jameson's little red car sitting at the edge of the driveway, unoccupied.
"All clear up here, Boss!" He heard Tony call, the sound of footsteps reaching his ears as the slightly older agent approached. "See?" He smirked, leaning against the door frame as he holstered his weapon. "All worried over nothing."
"Shut up, DiNozzo. I was not worried."
"I saw the way your hand was shakin'. You ever even held a gun before, Probie?" He asked with a snort as he pushed himself off of the wall.
He glared at the Italian, looking around the small room for anything that looked to be out of place. "Of course I've held a gun before. I am a certified field agent."
The Italian chuckled, stepping further into the room. "Uh huh. Sure thing." His eyes narrowed suspiciously as he noticed the closed closet door before he turned back to McGee. "Hey."
"What now, Tony? Gonna make fun of me some more?"
"Watch it, McSensitive. Wouldn't want you to get tears on your starched shirt. You check the closet?"
The younger man turned around to see what he was talking about when he heard two gunshots ring out, the sound deafening in the small room. Time seemed to slow to a stop as he watched his partner fall to the floor, gripping his knee as his bright red blood began to seep through his light blue button-down shirt.
His brain screamed at him to hurry to his friend as the destroyed closet door was kicked open, depositing Jameson into the room. Their suspect took one look at his latest victim before he leapt for the window, throwing his fist through the glass and effectively shattering it.
Raising his gun in his shaking hand, McGee attempted to get a shot off, but he found that he couldn't even squeeze the trigger. Dropping the weapon to the floor, the junior agent turned back injured man as Gibbs and Kate burst into the room, their eyes wide at the sight.
"Call�""
"On it!" Kate responded, already dialing as the older man dropped to his knees beside Tony, pressing his hands against the stomach wound.
"McGee," he called, motioning him over as he attempted to stop the bleeding. Though McGee heard his boss' voice, he couldn't make his legs work. "MCGEE!"
"B…Boss…" Tony tried, though his voice was muffled by the blood that began to trickle down the side of his mouth.
"Shut up, DiNozzo," Gibbs ordered, though there was no gruffness in his voice.
"Ambulance is on its way," Kate said, her voice wavering slightly as she ripped the sleeve from her jacket and dropped to her knees, using the fabric in an attempt to stop the blood flowing from the agent's shattered leg. "Only you, Tony," she accused, though even from where he stood, McGee could see the tears forming behind her eyes.
"G… Gibbs…" He attempted again, though this time, he began to cough, the blood spraying from his lips.
"Oh God," McGee whispered, his eyes wide and horrified.
Glancing up at the sound of his voice, Kate blinked back her tears. "Tim," she called, attempting to keep her voice steady. "Go downstairs and wait for the paramedics. They'll need you to show them where to go."
"J… Jameson… He… I… The window…"
"That's not important right now!" Gibbs roared, his voice louder and angrier than McGee had ever heard it. "Get the hell outta here!"
Kate flinched at the sound of the older man's voice as McGee snapped into motion and hurried from the room, the sound of his harsh breathing reaching her ears. She eyed Gibbs carefully, though wisely said nothing as she turned her attention to Tony, grabbing his hand in hers as she squeezed reassuringly.
"I suppose we'll be hearing about this one for the next five years, huh Tony?" She asked, trying to keep her voice light. Despite his obvious pain, he managed a weak smile for her as he squeezed her fingers lightly.
"'S… 's a goo' one," he managed as he closed his eyes.
"No time for sleepin' DiNozzo. You stay with us," Gibbs commanded, his voice firm, though the Italian didn't respond. "Tony?"
A quiet sob escaped the woman as she glanced at her boss for reassurance. "Gibbs…?"
"God dammit!" He growled. "Get me an ETA on that ambulance. Have 'em expedite."
Her hands were trembling as she pulled them away from his leg wound and pulled her cell phone from her pocket, smearing her coffee stained pants with her partner's blood. She could feel the tears sliding down her cheeks against her will as she hit re-dial and waited for dispatch to answer.
"You do not have my permission to do this, DiNozzo. Not today," Gibbs snarled, though Kate could see the concern behind his blue eyes as the blood continued to seep through his fingers, pooling under his hands.
She could hear the sirens wailing in the distance and after muttering a silent prayer, she hurried to the broken window and peeked out, breathing a sigh of temporary relief when she spotted the flashing lights approaching rapidly.
"They're here," she said over her shoulder, snapping the phone closed between her fingers. Returning the device to her pocket, she turned back to Gibbs and Tony, though she paused when she spotted McGee's gun where he'd dropped it. Dropping into a crouch, she lifted the weapon carefully, her eyes widening when she spotted the safety still firmly in place.
::::::
The waiting room was silent save for the sound of Kate's foot tapping nervously against the linoleum floor. Gibbs had disappeared almost an hour ago, though McGee was grateful. The older man hadn't actually come out and blamed McGee for Tony's life threatening injuries, but he hadn't had to. He'd heard the accusations in the older man's voice, had seen the blame in his cold blue eyes.
And the worst part of the whole thing was that McGee knew he was right. He'd screwed up and because of his rookie mistake, there was a good chance that Tony wouldn't even make it out of his surgery.
Though Tony had been alert when he'd been banished from the room at the house, he'd been unconscious by the time the paramedics arrived, his skin looking waxy and grey under the mid-morning light that filtered in through the broken window. They hadn't been able to stop the bleeding and the Italian had been rushed into surgery as soon as they'd reached the hospital.
Dropping his head to his hands, he released a shuddery breath, jumping when he felt a gentle hand against his shoulder.
"McGee," Kate said quietly, her voice carrying in the empty waiting room. "I know what you're doing, and you have to stop."
"You don't know anything," he mumbled, unable to bring himself to look at her.
"I know more than you're giving me credit for. What happened in that room�""
"�"Was my fault, for a whole variety of reasons, Kate! Go ahead and take your pick! I didn't clear the room properly. I let Jameson get away. I couldn't even pull the trigger in an attempt to stop him!"
"Anybody could have made those mistakes, Tim."
"But I'm the one who did. And because of my stupid rookie mistakes, there's a very good chance that he's not gonna come out of that room."
Kate sighed quietly, looking over him carefully. "Look, there was nothing you could have done, okay? No one blames you for what happened."
"Gibbs does," he scoffed, dropping his head to his hands again. "I'll be lucky to still have a job when he's done with me."
"Gibbs doesn't blame you. Not entirely, anyway. He's just upset because he's worried about Tony," she explained, though she knew her assurances wouldn't help.
McGee didn't even attempt to respond, and when she reached out to touch his shoulder again, he pulled away as though he'd been burned.
Releasing another sigh, Kate slumped in the chair, dropping her head back against the wall as she closed her eyes. It wasn't long before she sound of footsteps and when she forced her eyes open, she spotted Abby and Ducky making their way into the waiting room, the Goth's cheeks streaked with tears.
"How is he?" She asked, making a beeline for Kate and McGee. "Any news yet?"
"He's still in surgery," Kate responded, pushing herself to her feet as she accepted the change of clothes that her friend offered. Her own clothes were completely covered in Tony's blood, as were Gibbs'.
"That's all? They haven't… no one has even been out to talk to you yet?" Abby asked, sniffling slightly as she sank down into the chair beside McGee, reaching for his hand.
"That is nothing to be alarmed about, my dear," Ducky assured her. "I am sure that we will know something as soon as Anthony is out of surgery."
"He's out."
Four heads snapped up at the sound of Gibbs' voice as the silver-haired man stepped into the waiting room, his face set in an angry scowl.
"How is he?" Abby asked, her voice cracking slightly.
"Still critical. He lost a lot of blood before they patched him up and it's gonna take extensive reconstructive surgery to fix his leg."
A quiet gasp escaped Kate as she sank back down into her chair, covering her mouth with her hand. "But he… he'll be okay… right?"
"Perhaps I should go speak to his doctors," Ducky offered.
"Won't do any good, Duck," Gibbs sighed. "He's bein' moved to recovery but until he's outta the woods, no visitors allowed. They don't wanna take a chance with those wounds gettin' infected."
"So what do we do now?" McGee asked, his voice wavering.
Across the room, Gibbs fixed him with a blank stare and for a moment, he did not speak. When he did, however, his voice was hard with a tinge of anger. "Now… we wait."
Story Notes:
A/N: Hello hello! I am back with a new story, people! I'm not totally sure how I feel about this first chapter, but I'm excited to finally be working on something new! This (obviously) has nothing to do with my McTony stories though I hope you'll enjoy them all the same! Please don't forget to read and review, as everyone knows I live for my reviews!
Author's Chapter Notes:
A "rookie mistake" leads to darker consequences than any of them ever imagined. Lists Tony and McGee as the characters, but the whole team is involved. Rated for later chapters.
Chapter End Notes:
A/N: Hello hello! I am back with a new story, people! I'm not totally sure how I feel about this first chapter, but I'm excited to finally be working on something new! This (obviously) has nothing to do with my McTony stories though I hope you'll enjoy them all the same! Please don't forget to read and review, as everyone knows I live for my reviews!