“You know how Uncle Gibbs knows everything?” Maya asked. “Well did he know about your relationship with Megan?”
“Umm…Maybe…I never asked him.”
“I might one day. Anyway what happened next? Did you and Megan have another sleepover?”
“Well…I did need her help with something else that week.” Tony admitted.
“Oh no what happened? Did someone try to kill Aunty Abby or Ziva?”
“No. nothing like that, I had an important ceremony to attend and needed help with-”
“With what?”
“Shopping for an appropriate outfit.” Tony admitted.
Maya laughed. “Shopping?”
“Yes shopping as I said I had an important ceremony to attend and I needed her opinion.”
Tony sighed as he tried on the latest shirt Megan had picked out for him to try on. They had spent most of the night searching for the perfect shirt for Tony to wear to tomorrow’s award ceremony.
He put the latest shirt on and opened the changing room door to show Megan who tried to hide her laughter in her hands when she saw him.
“What?” He asked.
She didn’t answer him but motioned for him to turn around and look at himself in the mirror.
Tony slowly turned around to look at what he had put on and gave a gasp of horror. Sure it was late and he was tired but he should’ve paid more attention to what he was putting on. The shirt was white with frilly sleeves and looked like something out of the 80s.
“You know, it really isn't so bad.” Megan told him as she walked up behind him and wrapping her arms around him.
“You know what the funny part is? It’s a thousand dollars.” Tony laughed as he turned around to face her.
“I think it suits you.”
“I think it would look better on the floor.” He replied moving closer to her.
“Of course you do.” She said as she leaned forward to kiss him.
* * *
“Nice shirt.” Ziva whispered to Tony as they watched their colleges get there awards. The Director’s assistant Cynthia announced the next award, the Meritorious Civilian Service medal, and the Director called for Leroy Jethro Gibbs.
“Where is Gibbs?” Ziva wondered.
“Gibbs never comes to an award ceremony.” Ducky told her.
“Even if he's the one receiving?” Ziva asked.
“Especially if he's the one receiving,” Ducky assured her.
Cynthia called Gibb’s name again as Tony saw McGee hand $20 to Abby which disappeared up her sleeve.
Tony sighed as started to walk up to the podium.
“Where is Special Agent Gibbs?” Director Sheppard asked him as he reached for the medal.
“He had to work.” Tony lied as Cynthia announced he would be accepted the award on Gibb’s behalf. He turned to his audience and held up the medal. “It’s an honour to accept this on my boss’s behalf. I know he’d have liked to thank all of us on his team including Doctor Mallard and Ab-”
“Thank you Agent DiNozzo and thank you all for coming here today.” Director Sheppard interrupted him.
Tony’s grin faded as people took that as their cue to leave. Abby rushed up to him and gave him a hug, thanking him for almost mentioning her.
“Aww why didn’t Uncle Gibbs go to get his award?” Maya asked. “Didn’t he think he deserved it?”
“You know your Uncle Gibbs never goes to award ceremonies.” Tony reminded her.
“But he got something. He should’ve been proud of himself.” She insisted.
“We did have an important case that he was probably working on.”
* * *
“So you accept all of his medals for him?” Ziva asked as they were unpacking the van at the crime scene.
“Yep and then I dispose of them like he asks me to.” Tony replied.
“I expected to see your mysterious caller at the ceremony today?”
“They were busy.” Which was true, Megan had to work or else she would’ve gone with him.
“Who was busy?” McGee asked as he joined them.
“Tony’s new girlfriend,” Ziva explained as she eyed Tony, “Or boyfriend.”
“Ziva!” Tony exclaimed outraged before turning to look at a very confused McGee. “It was no one Probie, Zee-Vah doesn’t know what she’s talking about.”
Ziva looked at Tony curiously. “Yes I believe I do I was refering to the person you have been call -”
She was interrupted by the sight of a mob of reporters at the gate to Quantico and Gibbs, out in front of the team, striding towards them, coffee cup in hand.
“Wait!” Maya interrupted. “Why were there reporters at the crime scene?”
“Because the modal that was killed was on a reality TV show.”
“Oh…So were you on TV?”
“Well…”
“Look there’s Ducky, looking sharp as always, followed by the autopsy gremlin.” Tony said as they watched the latest news report on their case. “Look! There! Right there! My jacket!”
Ziva laughed and flicked Tony’s ear lightly. “I recall that being McGee.”
Tony couldn’t believe it the camera had shown everyone else in the team but him. How was he supposed to go back to his girlfriend and tell her he was on TV? “No. I’m telling you that is my jacket!” He insisted. “They have to have some footage of me!”
“You’re lucky Tony. The camera added at least ten pounds to me.” McGee complained.
“Are you sure you’re not confusing the camera with your refrigerator Probie?” Tony asked him sarcastically. “I wonder if Gibbs has seen this.”
“I do not know but I am positive the Director has since Gibbs has been up in her office for the last half an hour.” Ziva replied.
“Does anybody else think that they were more than partners back in the day?” Tony asked but by the looks on their faces he realised that Gibbs was standing behind him. “Boss…Ummm…I didn’t mean you and the Director I meant…Cagney and Lacey.”
Not fooled at all, Gibbs slapped the back of Tony's head and asked for a report from the team.
* * *
Tony walked into Abby's lab where the music is blaring. He called out to Abby several times, getting louder each time to be heard above the music.
Abby leapt out from behind her computer monitors saying "TA DA" and holding a bouquet of black roses. “They’re for you.” She told him.
“Umm…Thanks…They’re quite…black.” He replied as he carefully took them and read the card that was attached.
“That’s cool. The card says get well soon because they didn't have a ‘sorry I almost sent you to prison’ card.” The Goth explained.
“Abby it wasn’t almost; you did send me to prison!” Tony reminded her.
“Not for good.” Abby sighed. “You hate me don’t you?”
"I could never hate you. I don't think anyone could ever hate you," Tony assured her.
“I don’t know Billy Bob. But there was this one guy I knew and he…well he was pretty weird…wanting me to kiss places that a human mouth should never go…anyway here.” She said as she presented Tony with the vase and reminded him to water them so they don't die.
“I thought they already were dead.” Tony replied.
* * *
Tony walked into the bullpen bearing his vase of black roses to find Ziva watching Boot Camp Babes.
“It is called research, Tony” Ziva explained. “I am searching for a lead.”
“Before you know it you'll be sitting at home eating a large box of chocolates, watching the Food Network on your 50-inch plasma.” Tony warned.
“No. I have other interests to keep my mind occupied.” She replied slyly. “Not everyone in America watches so much TV. Look at McGee for example.”
“Yeah,” McGee agreed. “I watch 20 minutes of TV here and there.”
Tony laughed. “Yeah but tell her what you do the rest of the time you insist you aren’t watching TV. He pretends to be a fairy in an online computer game,” Tony told Ziva.
“It's an Elf Lord,” McGee protested.
Tony made a W with his hand “whatever.”
Gibbs stormed into the squad room and told them that Keller didn't commit suicide, he was murdered. The team looked at Gibbs as he sat down at his desk. He half-stood and asked Tony and Ziva what they are doing still there. They are to find out why. McGee walked over to Gibbs desk to tell him he may have something. Gibbs looked up and said “Are you waiting for me to guess, Elf Lord?” Tony stifled his laughter. McGee tells Gibbs that the night before he was murdered; Keller received two calls from his business manager and a third call, from Hannah.
* * *
“Where is Gibbs?” Ziva asked Tony for what seemed the millionth time as they waited in the observation room for Gibbs to interview their latest suspect, the dead girl’s boyfriend.
“It’s one of his many techniques, ‘Rock the baby’, I promise you Gibbs will bust in there any moment now and that big bad Marine will jump like a little girl.”
The door to observation suddenly burst open making Tony jump as Gibbs walked in. “I’m not interviewing him.” Their boss told them.
Tony moved towards the door. “Thanks boss I haven’t done this in ages.”
“Ziva is.” Gibbs said simply.
“I’ve never interrogated anyone without inflicting some form of pain.” Ziva reminded him but Gibbs just looked at her, holding out the file. Ziva took it hesitantly and went into the interrogation room.
Once in interrogation Ziva took her chair and pushed it over to the wall away from their suspect. “That’s a new technique.” Tony commented.
“She’s removing herself from the temptation of touching him.” Gibbs explained.
* * *
“No way! Tony exclaimed when the ex Marine admitted that he was in love with their victim, a super model. “The idea of a super model falling in love with a guy like that.”
“Why is that so hard to believe DiNozzo?” Gibbs asked.
“Super models date guys like George Clooney, or guys with bank accounts like George Clooney's, or the actual George Clooney, but they do not date guys like this one.” Tony explained.
“Meaning Marines, DiNozzo?” Gibbs asked.
Tony gulped. “Well…Umm…I didn’t mean…Marines…like you boss…I meant…” Fortunately, Gibbs' phone rings just then. It is Abby and she has something for him.
Once Gibbs left Tony turned back to watch Ziva. Suddenly their suspect started coughing and gasping for breath even though Ziva hadn’t touched him. Tony rushed in to help her but by this time the suspect had turned over the table. He threatened them before throwing a chair at Tony before he smashed him into the wall. He then started towards Ziva.
Maya sat up abruptly. “Oh no! Where was Gibbs? What did you do?”
“Hey calm down, we were fine just as we pinned him down Gibbs came to warn us that our suspect was over dosing on PCP the drug we found in our victim’s system and then Abs lifted a print on a snuff can matched a print lifted from the second victim’s syringe so whoever killed Taylor also killed Noah and tried to kill McMannis.”
* * *
Tony and Gibbs fingerprinted the other two modals on the TV show. The manger accuses one modal saying she was always jealous of their first victim. They cleared the modals because they both have records.
“I didn’t kill her!” The manger Cranshaw denied. “I loved her!”
Gibbs roughly grabbed him and cuffed him while Tony took his hand and fingerprinted him.
“I demand my lawyer!” Cranshaw demands.
“We don’t need permission to take your prints.” Gibbs told him. “You’re under arrest for the murders of Taylor Shane, Noah Keller and the attempted murder of Staff Sergeant McMannis.”
“You didn’t want Taylor to give up her career to marry a Marine, but he couldn't stop her. But you knew about her addiction to nicotine. You killed your own daughter.” Ziva said to Cranshaw.
“It was an accident I didn’t mean to kill her but what was I supposed to do? She was going to throw her life away. Be some, some jarhead's housewife,” Cranshaw protested as he was hauled away in cuffs.
“You really find them attractive?” Ziva asked Tony as they walked away together. She was refering of course to the ditsy modals starring in Boot Camp Babes.
“Oh yeah!” Tony told her.
“Well, I want to shoot them.” Ziva said.
* * *
“I can’t be wrong when it’s my opinion Tony.” McGee pointed out.
“You’re wrong Probie because it’s the wrong opinion!” Tony shot back.
“Can you two just agree to disagree? You are giving me a head hurt.” Ziva told them.
“It’s head ache Zee-vah.” Tony replied. “What do you think boss?” He asked Gibbs who was sitting at his desk.
“About what DiNozzo?” Gibbs asked.
"Never mind," Tony said as he leant back in his desk chair. McGee glared at him as he left for the day. Ziva shrugs her shoulders and also left for the day.
Gibbs turned off his desk lamp as he started to leave as well.
Tony pulled a box out and asked “I don't suppose you want this” he said as he showed Gibbs the medal from the awards ceremony.
Gibbs looked at the medal and then away without answering. "I'll get rid of it" Tony assured him and snapped the box shut.
“Go home Tony.” Gibbs ordered him.
“I’m just finishing up a few things boss.” Tony assured him.
“Your flowers are dead.” Gibbs said as he noticed the black roses before he headed towards the elevator.
Tony turned to look at the roses as he unlocked his desk. He paused to admire the medal before he put it in a locked box in his bottom drawer.
Author's Chapter Notes:
While filming a reality show on a Marine base, a supermodel dies and the NCIS team must discover who the model’s murderer is. They discover a love triangle between the model and three other men, all suspects. Meanwhile, Jenny is disturbed by Gibbs when he doesn't want to attend an award ceremony in his honour.