Meeting Gibbs
Special Agent Gibbs got out of the elevator with his steaming hot black coffee in hand. Walking briskly to his desk, he observed the members of his team running back to their desks to get the evidence they gathered during his brief outing for coffee.
"Sit rep" He barked.
"Petty Officer Louis Philips, 26," Special Agent Anthony ´Tony' DiNozzo piped in struggling with the remote for the screen showing a pictured of the deceased "he is a radar specialist in the Gato, submarine currently in war exercises in the Mexican Gulf. He had been on extended shore leave for medical reasons for the last three weeks, and he had an appointment to clear him for duty last Tuesday." Tony clicked on the remote and a picture of the deceased appeared "He never made it".
The picture was horrific. The body showed lacerations made by fists, mixed with the blood coming out of several stab wounds.
"Petty Officer Phillips was in good shape" interrupted Special Agent Ziva David, former Mossad officer who was part of team Gibbs "even after his minor surgery".
"What type of surgery he suffered?"
"He suffered from a very severe case of ingrown toe nail on his left feet" Said McGee. "The toe got so infected that he had to request leave and have it surgically removed."
"And of course the closed boots mandatory for Navy uniform would hinder his post operatory" Said Tony with a sarcastic smile.
Gibbs, Ziva and McGee turned to stare at Tony, who lost the smile very fast and tried to justify himself.
"That's why he requested three weeks." Stammers DiNozzo.
"Finances"
"His finances are clean" said McGee, "his account only registers the entry of his monthly salary, no suspect deposits at least in the last twelve months. The debits are just normal bills, rent, pay per view, and a steady list of alimony checks for his ex-wife".
"He has an ex-wife?"
"Ex-wife's name is Emily Jordan, 23, divorced him only six months after tying the knot. That was three years ago. They've had an amicable divorce, he pays the alimony, and she stays in the other side of the country in Oregon." Says Ziva.
"Any chance she is involved? Motive?"
"Her alibi checks out, she was on a date with her current boyfriend, who happens to be the sheriff of her town at the same time our Petty Officer Phillips met his Maker." Says Tony.
"We checked with him, she is ok, boss." Says McGee.
"Any enemies?"
"It was difficult to establish a live link with the Gato, but we had the opportunity to question his Supervisor and some of his colleagues. He was well liked between his peers, nobody had no complains about him." Says McGee
"Except …"interrupts DiNozzo. Gibbs look at him "… how horrible and smelly his toe was."
"So we have a dead petty officer, with an ex-wife with no motive to kill him and colleagues with no complain about him except about his…"
"… smelly feet." Adds McGee.
"Smelly feet."
"Hardly a motive for murder. " says Ziva.
"However he still got himself stabbed and beaten to death on an alley five blocks from his house. How do explain that?"
"We can't…"
"Not good enough. Dig deeper! " Barks Gibbs reaching out his hand to answer his phone which is ringing on the table.
Ziva, Tony and McGee scurry like scared mice to their desks to keep on investigating.
"Director Vance would like to meet you on his office".
"I'll be right in."
He puts the phone down and climbs the stairs two steps at the time.
"I want answers when I come back" He shouts from above the squad room.
Gibbs approaches Vance door and barely acknowledges the secretary before barging in the room. He is surprised to see that the director is not alone. Sitting primly on the chair before the director is a woman in business suit, and she immediately stands up to attention upon his entry.
Gibbs acknowledges the woman with a nod and gives a light smirk when he notices she faintly struggles not to salute him. She must be from a military family.
"You wanted to see me, Director?"
"This is Special Agent Joy Buchanan, she is a transfer from NCIS LA Office. She was just assigned to our office here in DC."
"Congratulations"
"Thanks sir" Gibbs cringes a little.
"Prior to her short stay in the NCIS LA Office, she was one of the key members of the BAU team of the FBI office in the same city. She is an expert profiler with a very high closure rate."
Gibbs smiles. "That's all very good, but why are you telling me this, Leon?"
"Because I'm assigning her to your team" Gibbs' smile drops immediately "She is a good agent, but she needs guidance on how things work here in NCIS. She is used to another rhythm and types of cases. She would be greatly benefited from your expertise."
"Come on Leon, you know that I don't babysit nor coddle probies, you can't push one to me, I…"
"She is not a probie, she is an experienced agent." Answers back Vance. Gibbs looks at the woman and the expression of mild curiosity that was on her face is gone, a veiled mask of disinterest is in its place instead.
"It is only a temporary solution. Once we find a better opening for her skills here in DC, she will be relocated for a different team where she will set up a training program for profilers-to-be. McGee never had a partner fulltime; she may be allotted to him in the meantime."
"Vance…"
"My decision is final" said Vance on his best director's voice. Gibbs looks at the woman and her eyes are staring at a point of the wall, somewhere above his shoulder, with the most uninterested expression on her face at the discussion deciding her fate.
"Fine" Gibbs turns around, opens the door and stops. "Are you waiting for an engraved invitation?" The woman gets her notebook backpack from the floor; gives a brief headshake to the director and follows Gibbs out of the room silently.
Once in the corridor he takes the time to study his new teammate. Soft curly waves molded a squared jaw face, which in someone else's face would be ugly but for some reason adds character to her, mocha tanned skin and deep brown eyes study him with the same care that he studies her. He stops on the corridor, and turns to her to lay down the works.
"My team, my rules."
"Yes sir."
"Don't call me sir, I work for a living"
"Yes, … "she leaves it hanging, waiting for Gibbs to finish it for her.
"Call me Gibbs, or Boss, I don't care, but never call me sir."
"Yes, Gibbs" She tries it for the first time.
"Don't piss me off, don't screw up, and don't bother me with stupid questions." He turns and keeps walking to the squad room. "If you do any of the above, stay out of my sight." He shots back at her.
She follows him silently, and he wonders how she can run on those shoes. "I have a set of rules that my team obeys above all, you will also learn them."
"Are they written somewhere?"
"No" He smirks.
"How am I supposed to learn them?"
He stops and stare her down. She stares right back at him, without backing down. He is impressed, she is not easily intimidated. "I'm supposed to teach you" They start walking again until they are at the top of the stairs and go down to the squad room.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Buchanan meets Gibbs