Chapter Text
"Good morning," Gibbs said to Zach as the boy walked in, still half asleep into the kitchen.
"Hmm, morning. Too early," Zach said and put his head on the table.
"Hey, Zach, this weekend our team has to work the hotline, you want to tag along?" Gibbs asked.
"Will Jenny be there?" he asked.
"I don't know. Call her," Gibbs said and walked past Zach, setting his cellphone on the table.
He lifted his head enough to look at the phone. He picked it up and searched the numbers. He found her in speed dial #1. Smiling he pressed the button and waited.
"Morning Gibbs," Jenny said over the phone casually.
"Morning Director," Zach said.
"Zach! Good morning. How did you sleep?"
"Short. Are you going to work today?"
"It's Saturday."
"I know, but Gibbs is working and if you're gonna be there I'll go," Zach clarified.
"Well, I am going to work," Jenny said.
"Jenny, does Gibbs have a laptop?" At this he heard her laugh.
"No, Zach, he doesn't. Do you want me to bring my personal laptop with me for you?"
"Yes please. Does NCIS have wireless internet?"
"Of course it does."
"I assume Gibbs house doesn't?"
"Correct," Jenny said with a laugh.
"Okay. See you later, Jenny," Zach said.
"You too, Zach." Zach clicked the red button on the cell phone and reluctantly got up and went up the stairs.
"Zach, you ready?!" Gibbs yelled up the stairs.
"NO!" he yelled back, making Gibbs go up the stairs and into his bedroom. He saw the bathroom door open and saw Zach standing on a step he had placed there, brushing his teeth.
"Is your bag ready?" he asked and the boy nodded.
"Is Jenny working today?" Gibbs asked and the boy inwardly smiled. He shrugged and looked at Gibbs through the mirror. The man came to stand right behind him.
"Yesh," he said his mouth full of toothpaste, before he spit it out and rinsed his mouth. He smiled wide in the mirror to inspect his teeth and then determined they were good. Gibbs walked into the bedroom and held his bag up.
"Zach, what do you have in here?" He doubted the boy could walk straight at the weight of the backpack.
"My iPod, a CD, the DS and a few games, some clothes, a sandwich, a pair of shoes, my wallet, a few movies and a bottle of water," he said as if it was the most normal thing in the world.
"Why clothes?" Gibbs asked, intrigued. Zach passed his arms through the loops of the bag and walked straight as ever out the room.
"Because I know you Gibbs. You're gonna catch a case and we're gonna be there late. And then I'll have clothes and shoes to change into. It's good to be prepared Gibbs. Is also why I have a sandwich and my wallet for goodies from the breakroom."
Gibbs smiled at this. The walked down the stairs and not once did Zach lean forward. Gibbs looked on surprised.
They sat in Gibbs truck, stuck at a red light that had been that way forever, when Zach bent forward and fiddled with the radio.
"It doesn't work, it's broken," Gibbs said, but Zach just kept fiddling with it.
"Never believe what you're told. Always double check," Zach said and Gibbs turned to look at him. This kid was a mini-him, just like Abby had said.
"Well, it's broken," Zach stated after a while making Gibbs smile. "Luckily, I have my iPod." Zach held his iPod up triumphantly. He searched in the front of his bag and produced a wire. He stuck it somewhere in the radio, pressed play on his device and suddenly music blared from the speaker, making Gibbs jump.
"Oh, that's a little loud." It wasn't Abby's type of music, it was some softer rock, but still, being that loud, he couldn't help it.
"No, Zach, just stick those wires in your ears," Gibbs ordered. Zach shrugged unplugged the thing and put the earphones in his ears.
They drove further in silence.
"Zach... Zach, Zach!" Gibbs tried to call out, but the boy wasn't listening. Gibbs pulled one of the earphones out of his ear.
"Zach we're here," he said in his ear and that seemed to work. He opened the door and hopped out, grabbing his backpack in the process. They walked through the parking garage to the elevators.
"Gibbs? How do you activate the elevator? There's no button," Zach said and Gibbs leaned forward. The laser came out and scanned his eye and the elevator opened.
"Wow, that is cool," Zach said, making Gibbs chuckle. Gibbs looked at the boy whose head was bobbing to a beat and occasionally he would bust a small move, making Gibbs smile.
They entered the bullpen and found Ziva and McGee at their desks, but Tony nowhere to be found.
"Good morning, Gibbs," Ziva said not looking up from her paperwork.
"Morning boss," McGee said.
"Where is DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked, looking at Ziva, then McGee, who both shrugged.
"And what am I, invisible?" Zach said.
"Good morning Zach," Ziva said with a smile. "I really didn't see you, you were hiding behind my cubicle wall."
"Oh," Zach said and moved a bit to the side so she could see him.
"Good morning Zach," McGee said.
"Morning Tim. Morning Ziva," Zach said. Gibbs steered Zach towards his desk.
"Sit," he said. Zach dropped his backpack next to the desk and sat in Gibbs chair. "Now, I don't want you to cause any trouble. I'm going out for coffee."
"Ok," Zach said.
"Also," Gibbs said and moved closer, so only Zach would hear. "When DiNozzo comes in, slap him for me and whenever it's necessary."
"Up the head?" Zach looked excited that he was allowed to.
"Yes." Gibbs straightened. "I'm going for coffee." And with that, he walked out of the bullpen onto the elevator.
"I'll be right back," Zach said and walked up the stairs to the catwalk that led to the Director's office.
He walked past Cynthia's desk and burst into Jenny's office. He stood there a second, and Jenny watched with an amused expression as he frowned and walked back out, then came back in.
"No Cynthia?" he asked.
"Nope," she said, shaking her head.
"Then what's the whole point in even bursting in here?" Zach asked.
"You should ask Gibbs," Jenny said and watched as he made a mental note to do so.
"Good morning," Zach said. He walked over to her and stood on his tiptoes to kiss her cheek.
"Morning, Zach." He walked back over to stand in front of her desk and smiled. Jenny reached behind her and held up a laptop bag.
"Is this what you're here for?" she asked and handed it to him.
"Yes." Zach smiled triumphantly. "Is it okay if I let Abby install a program on it?"
"What kind of program?" Jenny inquired. She really didn't mind, but she wanted to at least know what it was.
"It's called iTunes. It's so I can put songs on my iPod," Zach said, holding up the device.
"Okay, go ahead, Zach. Where's Gibbs?"
"Coffee run," Zach said and then turned to walk out of the door. "Thanks Jenny."
"You're welcome Zach," Jenny said as he left and closed the door behind him.
Zach went back down the stairs and sat in Gibbs chair, but he turned it so his back was to the team. The elevator dinged out and listening to the footsteps, he discerned that it wasn't Gibbs.
Tony let out a sigh of relief. Gibbs wasn't here. Even with the chair its back to him, he could usually see the top of Gibbs head. Thank God the boss wasn't here, he thought.
"DiNozzo! You're late!" Zach yelled and Tony froze, making Ziva chuckle. Zach turned the chair and set his elbows on the desk in front of him.
"Care to explain why?" Zach said in a Gibbs-tone.
"Uh, well, last night I was up 'til late and then this morning I overslept and there was traffic..." Tony rambled on, but Zach didn't miss the look that Tony gave Ziva, and Ziva smiled.
"DiNozzo!" he yelled to shut him up.
"Shutting up, mini-boss." Tony turned to go, but Zach stopped him.
"Where are you going? We're not done."
"McGee, can I stand on this desk? Is it gonna break?" Zach asked.
"Uh, no Zach, it won't break." Zach crawled on top of the desk and stood tall in front of Tony, making the older man look up. He slapped the upside of Tony's head.
"That was for coming in late." And then slapped him again. "And that is for lying about it." Zach sat back down in the chair. Tony walked to his desk and sat down. Zach smiled to himself and picked up Jenny laptop case. He put the strap around his neck and then left.
On the way to Abby's lab he had an epiphany. What if Abby wasn't working today? But then the elevator doors opened and he heard music blaring. Yup, she was working today.
He walked into her lab and poked her, making her jump a foot in the air.
"Oh God! Zach! Good morning. Don't ever do that again! You scared me!" At his guilty look she softened.
"Sorry," he said and looked down.
"Aww, kiddo. What's up? What brings you to my neck of the woods?"
"Can you help me?"
"Sure, whaddaya need?" Zach took the strap from his neck.
"Could you install iTunes for me?" Zach asked and put the laptop case on the table.
"Of course. Hold on," Abby said and walked to her office, returning with her chair for him to sit on. Zach gladly sat in the chair. Abby took out the laptop and turned it on.
"Whose laptop is this?"
"Jenny's."
"And you're allowed to put iTunes on it?" She turned to Zach who nodded. "Okay." Abby shrugged.
Ten minutes later, the program was installed.
"Zach, do you want new music on your iPod?"
"Yes." He handed over his iPod, a white wire and a CD. "Can you put this CD on my iPod?"
"Of course I can. Piece of cake." Abby inserted the CD and waited for the songs to save.
Gibbs walked in, Caf-Pow! in one hand, two cups of coffee in a transport carton in the other.
"Morning Abs," he said and kissed her cheek, handing her the Caf-Pow!
"Good morning, Oh Great One." She took a long sip of her drink and sighed. Gibbs smelled both cups of coffee and handed one to Zach.
"Coffee?" he asked, making Gibbs chuckle and shake his head.
"No. Hot chocolate." Zach took a small sip of the drink and smiled.
"Thank you Gibbs," Zach said but Gibbs was already gone. "Abby, what's that?" He pointed to the Caf-Pow!
"It's Caf-Pow! You've never tried it? It's highly caffeinated, but, oh well, just try it." She handed the drink to Zach who took a peek inside and grimaced. He took a gulp but spurted it out almost immediately.
"Eww!" he said with a frown, quickly taking a sip from his own drink, willing the taste to go away.
"Oh well, less for you, more for me," Abby said and took a long sip. "Oh look. Your iPod's all done."
"Thanks Abby." Zach unplugged the iPod and wire and closed the laptop, placing it in the case and putting the iPod in his pocket.
"You know, I've always wondered why barely anybody knows about Caf-Pow! because it's really delicious, though clearly not everybody likes it, well maybe just you and Gibbs, but still a lot of places don't..." she trailed off when she realized Zach was gone. She shrugged and went back to her computer.
Zach was walking towards Gibbs' desk, and passing in front of Tony and Ziva's desks he just managed to dodge a spitball that came his way.
"Gibbs?" he asked permission.
"Go ahead." So he walked over to Tony, stood on his tiptoes and slapped the back of his head. He walked to Gibbs desk and pulled the laptop out of the case and opened it on Gibbs desk. He rummaged through his backpack and finally found what he was looking for: a DVD movie. He opened the case. He pressed the eject button and took the current disc out and put in the DVD. He took a chair from the empty desk and sat on it, watching the beginning credits roll.
Ziva was at her desk, fixing her nails with her knife, when she heard the opening song of the movie Zach was watching.
"Wall-E?" she asked and the boy looked up, nodding with a smile. "That movie is adorable!" She stood up. She walked over to where Zach sat and went to squat down when Zach patted on the space next to him in the oversized chair. Ziva squeezed in and took the boy onto her lap.
"That movie is cute," McGee said and stood up from his desk. He kneeled down next to the chair. Tony got up and stood behind the chair.
"This is an animated film!" Tony said. Ziva slowly turned to him.
"Tony. Have you not seen this movie?" Ziva asked astonished.
"No."
"That's a first," McGee said.
"Shut up, all of you!" Gibbs said. "Paperwork. All three of you."
"I am done, Gibbs, I already delivered them to Jenny," Ziva said.
"So did I," McGee said, but Tony simply groaned and went to his desk.
"Could you take this over there," Gibbs said and motioned to McGee's desk. "It's distracting." Zach shrugged and got up, taking the laptop and putting it on McGee's desk. McGee sat down in his chair and Ziva brought the other chair with her. Zach sat in her lap and the three continued watching the movie.
Jenny rubbed her eyes. The letters on the paper she was reading were getting blurry. She hadn't slept well, memories of the kiss the main cause of her insomnia. She needed coffee and she needed coffee fast. Her accidental little action caused inner turmoil. But really, since when does he give her a kiss on the cheek? She kept thinking about how her lips had burned for hours after, and how she could still taste bourbon on her tongue, even though she hadn't been the one drinking it. Okay, Jenny, enough. She resolutely got up and shoved her chair from under her, perhaps a little too rough. She walked out of her office and down the stairs, past empty desks, but she stopped at Gibbs' section and took in the scene.
Tony was bitterly typing something up, probably paperwork. She silently laughed to herself. When Ziva and then McGee had brought up their paperwork, she knew Tony was gonna suffer. She saw Zach, Ziva and McGee bent over her laptop, laughing about something. They were probably watching a movie. She allowed herself a small smile at that. And then she turned to Gibbs only to have him looking right back at her.
He stood up and grabbed his coat.
"Going for coffee?" he asked and stood in front of her. Great, she thought. This was exactly what she needed right now. Coffee with the man she was trying to forget.
"Yeah."
"I'll join ya." She was holding her coat in her hands, and it was then that Gibbs noticed that she wasn't in her usual office attire. Nice, he thought. She was wearing a pair of jeans and a simple dark-green V-neck sweater, that made her eyes sparkle, and of course her usual heels.
She saw his gaze and blushed a bit, happy that he was looking at her shoes so he wouldn't see her flush.
As they walked down the street in silence, the tension was palpable. Gibbs knew he didn't regret the kiss, and she couldn't use the excuse that it was accidental, because the moment she kissed back it was more than that. And she knew he wouldn't see the kiss as accidental.
He held the door to the coffee shop open for her and let her pass by him.
Jenny walked up to the counter, Gibbs right behind her. It was unusually quiet for a Saturday. The kid behind the counter recognized Gibbs almost immediately.
"Agent Gibbs!" He looked at his watch. "I wasn't expecting you for another hour, your usual isn't ready." He looked a little panicky, undoubtedly having been a victim to the Gibbs glare on more than one occasion.
"It's okay, Mason, we'll wait. Make it two of the usual," Gibbs said and led Jenny to one of the many empty tables.
"So, you have a regular time that you come, every hour and a half?" Jenny asked with an amused smile.
"Yes. Hell, I even know the kid's name."
"And he knows your usual. How sweet," Jenny mocked. She put her hand on his arm in her mockery, but he grabbed it and held it in his own.
"No mocking," he said. He gently set her hand down. "We need to talk."
"'Bout what?" she feigned ignorance, making him frown.
"You know what," he all but growled.
"Can we not discuss this here?" she asked, unconsciously leaning closer to him.
"Okay," he said, way too easily. "My place, tonight. Bring food, we'll be hungry."
"Agent Gibbs, it's ready!" the kid said from behind the counter. Gibbs stood up and accepted the two coffees.
"Put it on my tab," Gibbs said and walked to the door. Jenny sat rooted to the spot.
"You comin' Jen?" That seemed to spur her into action. She hastily got up and walked past him, taking a coffee in the process.
As they were walking back to NCIS in silence one thing went through Jenny's head.
I am not looking forward to tonight.
As they were walking back to NCIS in silence one thing went through Gibbs' head.
I am looking forward to tonight.