Previously on NCIS.
Relations were still strained between McGee and Gibbs following the altercation which had left Jimmy injured. Tony felt caught in the middle, but his relationship with Gibbs was a little more stable as a result of counseling. Jimmy was setting up for an Autopsy when Ducky phoned with the news that Mrs. Mallard had just died.
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[10]
Gibbs punched the elevator call button...hard. He cursed under his breath as the doors failed to open, even as he plucked at the rubber band around his wrist. Today was not being a good day. The case his team was working on had hit a dead end. He'd sent Tony and McGee out to re-interview some potential leads, but at this point he didn't hold out much hope for a breakthrough. He'd just been notified that one of the dirtbags he'd put away a few years ago was filing an appeal and the Prosecution wanted to re-interview *him*. There was a mountain of paperwork on his desk, including an application for parental leave that he was going to have to file before too long. All in all, things weren't going the best, and there was a welt on his wrist from where he'd been snapping his rubber band.
Finally the elevator doors opened. Gibbs was about to step inside when he saw the occupant. The rubber band broke.
"Ag...Agent Gibbs!" stammered Jimmy when the doors had opened. He automatically stepped aside, to leave space for Gibbs to enter the elevator car.
"I'll wait for the next one," said Gibbs.
"I...I...Doctor Mallard's mother died," blurted out Jimmy, just as the doors started to close.
Gibbs stuck his hand in them, forcing them to open again.
"When?" he barked.
"I...he...she..." Jimmy took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. After a few seconds he managed to get himself under control and said calmly, "Doctor Mallard phoned a few minutes ago...he said it must have happened during the night. I was just going to inform the Director."
"Cause of death?" asked Gibbs, automatically.
"I couldn't say without seeing the body," answered Jimmy, instinctively. He blushed a little as he saw a slight smile appear on Gibbs's face. "I...I didn't mean...I'm sorry, Agent Gibbs, force of habit."
"You're sounding more like Ducky every day."
"Thank you," said Jimmy, quietly. He took a few seconds to collect his thoughts. "Doctor Mallard seemed to think it might have been a heart attack...or maybe it was just old age. He...he said she seemed very...peaceful." Jimmy sighed, "She was a lovely woman."
"That she was," said Gibbs, as he finally stepped into the car. Jimmy looked at him a little warily as he added, "I have to see the Director as well."
Gibbs hit the button for the Director's level.
"Oh, I already did that, Agent Gibbs..." Jimmy's voice trailed off as Gibbs glanced in his direction. He kept silent for a few seconds...just as long as it took for the elevator car to come to a screeching halt...and the lights to go out.
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"Agent Gibbs?" Jimmy's voice had a note of fear in it.
"It's okay, Palmer," said Gibbs, "Emergency lights sometimes take a few seconds to come on..." The lights came on just as he finished talking. "What did I tell you?" He turned round to see that Palmer was looking pale...and not just the way most people looked under the emergency lighting. "Hey, you okay there?" he asked.
"I...I...we...we've stopped moving..." stammered Jimmy, "Why...why aren't we moving?"
"Could be a power outage," said Gibbs. "Emergency generators should kick in, won't be more than a few minutes."
Jimmy backed himself into the corner of the car, his hands clutching tightly at the safety rails.
Gibbs looked at him for a few seconds before grabbing the emergency phone. "This is Special Agent Gibbs. I'm in Elevator C, stuck between floors. What the hell's going on?"
He listened for a few seconds before continuing, "Two people, me and Jimmy Palmer, Autopsy Technician."
"No, that's *not* an option"
"Well how long do you think it *will* take?"
Gibbs finally slammed the phone back into its slot, making Jimmy jump. "Stupid morons," he growled. "Somebody flipped the wrong switch when they were testing the backup generators. Took half the building offline. Now they have to reset the whole thing manually." He waved his hand dismissively. "Could take them a couple of hours."
"So...so we're trapped?"
"Unless we want to try climbing through the ceiling hatch which is what that idiot suggested."
"You...you could get out that way..."
Gibbs noticed how Jimmy was shaking and he said gently, "Do you really think I'd just climb out and leave you here, Jimmy?"
Jimmy shook his head; his breathing was starting to become more rapid.
"I think you should probably sit down," said Gibbs. He took off his jacket and draped it on the ground. "Here, let me help..."
Jimmy took Gibbs's outstretched hand and allowed himself to be helped to a sitting position. Gibbs sat down beside him. "Just take nice and gentle breaths," he said slowly. "In and out, that's it Jimmy, in and out. Think of being in a nice quiet, safe place. Some little corner that's yours and yours alone...just focus on that spot and breath in...and out..."
It took a few minutes, but finally Jimmy started to calm down a little.
"So how long have you been claustrophobic?" asked Gibbs.
Jimmy wrapped his arms around his knees. "Since I was a kid...my brother...one day he found a key that fit our bedroom door...he thought it'd be neat...he thought it'd be fun to lock our Mom out..." He started shaking again. "Only when she called us for supper...and he tried to unlock the door and the key broke and...and I thought we'd be stuck there forever...I thought we'd never get out...and we were on the tenth floor..."
Gibbs put his hand on Jimmy's shoulder. "Everything's going to be fine, Jimmy. It might take an hour or so, but they *will* get us out. I give you my word."
"I...I...thank you, Agent Gibbs," said Jimmy, starting to calm down just a little.
"Jimmy, there's something I've been meaning to say to you, ever since...well ever since I hurt you." Gibbs took a deep breath, "I am sorry for losing my temper that day...sorrier than you'll ever know. And to have lashed out at you like that, regardless of your condition...that was just unforgivable on my part. I know that I'm a moody bastard, I know that my temper has gotten me into more trouble than I care to remember, and I'm just sorry that you were caught in the middle." Gibbs took a deep breath before continuing, "If I had hurt you...or your baby...I'd never have forgiven myself. I know I should have said this to you sooner, but..."
"It's okay, Agent Gibbs," interrupted Jimmy. "I'm fine...the baby's fine...I know you didn't mean to hurt me..."
It was Gibbs's turn to interrupt, "And I would never have hurt Tony either. I need you to believe that."
"I do believe it," said Jimmy. "I've seen you with Tony...when you think nobody's watching...there's no way you would have laid a hand on him in anger. I..." Jimmy gasped suddenly, clutching his belly.
"Is something wrong?" asked Gibbs.
"No," said Jimmy, a smile of delight on his face. "Everything's fine...it's just that Junior's on the move again!" He saw the look of awe on Gibbs's face. "Would you like to feel, Agent Gibbs?"
"I...may I?"
Jimmy nodded, and took Gibbs's hand, placing it on his abdomen. "You might have to wait a bit...wait, there it is..."
"Thank you Jimmy," said Gibbs, softly. "And I think...I think you should probably start calling me Gibbs."
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"I should never have gotten in the car with you," grumbled Gibbs an hour or so later.
"Why's that?"
"It's bad luck...getting in an elevator car with somebody pregnant. That or a taxi. Don't you watch the movies? Any time somebody pregnant gets in an elevator, they almost always end up giving birth."
"I'll be sure to remember it next time," said Jimmy. He looked at his watch again, "Do you think they'll be much longer?"
"Don't think so...you want to try your breathing exercises again?"
"No, I'm fine. I didn't know you and Tony had started Lamaze already."
"We...we haven't," said Gibbs. "I had a book...I *bought* a few books on it, figured it'd be less embarrassing than sitting in a room full of pregnant guys listening to somebody tell me how to breathe. Besides, DiNozzo learns best from *me*."
"I'm sure he does." Jimmy was about to say more when the emergency lights flicked off...but before he could get worried, the normal lights came on and the elevator started moving. "We're moving!" he said, delightedly.
"Yes Jimmy, I had noticed," grinned Gibbs. He stood up and reached out to give Jimmy a hand.
"I can manage," said Jimmy, trying to push himself up.
"Don't worry, I won't tell Ducky you needed to be pulled up...we'll be needing you out in the field for a little while yet."
The grin faded off Jimmy's face as he took Gibbs's hands and stood, "How could I forget," he said, glumly. His legs were stiff from sitting so long and he stumbled slightly.
Gibbs caught him, "It's okay, Jimmy," said Gibbs, his arm around Jimmy as the elevator came to a stop.
The doors opened to reveal a crowd of worried faces. Abby's, Ziva's, Tony's...and McGee's.
The expression on McGee's face changed to anger as he saw the pair.
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To be continued
Author's Chapter Notes:
Relations were still strained between McGee and Gibbs following the altercation which had left Jimmy injured. Tony felt caught in the middle, but his relationship with Gibbs was a little more stable as a result of counseling. Jimmy was setting up for an Autopsy when Ducky phoned with the news that Mrs. Mallard had just died.
Chapter End Notes:
I wrote a fic called Reality Check, which featured an M-Preg dream. Feedback was so positive that I decided to do the real thing.