Chapter Text
Chapter One
Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo sat back in his chair and looked at the files of cold cases covering his desk. Their last case had been particularly difficult, involving the death of a young Petty Officer and his family in what was later determined to be an accidental case of carbon monoxide poisoning. Even though there was no foul play involved, watching Jimmy Palmer reverently carry the body bag holding a beautiful 8-month-old girl had affected everyone on the team, including the usually stoic Ziva David. Kate Todd had openly wept at the sight.
The squad room was uncharacteristically quiet, as each agent took the downtime to settle their emotions. McGee was down in the lab with Abby, helping her review evidence from a case involving a missing computer tech; Ziva was lurking somewhere on the floor, probably planning a way to startle another year off Tony's life; Kate was going through cold cases; and Gibbs was in a meeting with the Director.
Tony snorted, the Director had been calling more and more private meetings with Gibbs, much to the senior investigator's annoyance. She had been particularly "concerned" about Gibbs' state of mind after their last case, and had been hovering around him, clucking like a mother hen. For his part, Gibbs barely kept his temper in check, but each time his phone rang, the vein in his forehead stood out a little more. Tony agreed with Madame Director that Gibbs should take a few days off, but he also thought the rest of the team needed a break as well, and was a bit insulted that she had no concern for the welfare of the other agents.
Gibbs stalked into the squad room, scowling, looking as if he'd deck the next person who said a word to him. Naturally, Tony decided to be that person.
"Hey, Boss," he said cheerfully. "How's the director?" He gave Gibbs a bright smile.
Gibbs paused, then turned his scowl toward the younger agent. "Fine, DiNozzo," he growled. "Why do you ask?"
"Oh, no reason. Just wondering. You do seem to spend a lot of time together." Tony ignored Kate's shocked stare. He wanted to get a reaction from Gibbs, anything to get him to blow off some steam. He could tell that the older agent was getting agitated as the days went by, and Tony thought that if he could get Gibbs to lash out at him, the pressure would be relieved and Gibbs could go back to being a bastard, instead of a quiet, bomb-waiting-to-explode.
Gibbs stared at him for a minute, then turned and left the squad room.
"What are you doing?" hissed Kate. "You're lucky he didn't take your head off!"
"I wish he had," Tony replied. "There's too much anger building up inside him, it's gotta be killing him."
"He does seem to be a bit tense." Tony jumped as Ziva appeared around the corner of his cubicle.
"How many times do I have to ask you to please, stop doing that?" Ziva shrugged, completely unapologetic.
"Maybe if we got another case," Kate said, thoughtfully. "He'd be able to channel all his energy into solving that."
"That's a great idea, Katie, maybe you can go out and find someone to rob the PX." Tony grinned across the aisle at his teammate.
Kate glared at Tony's use of the nickname. "Well, it's as good an idea as trying to provoke him into slugging you, Sex Machine."
Standing, eyes narrowed, Tony leaned over his desk. "We had a deal..."
"What deal?" Gibbs, armed with a fresh cup of coffee, came striding back into the squad room.
"Nothing, Boss, it's personal." stammered Tony.
Kate stepped in, "Yeah, nothing you need to worry about, Gibbs."
Gibbs looked at the two for a moment, then shrugged. "We've got a case." He pretended he didn't notice Tony and Kate's silent 'yes'. "Report to the director's conference room for a briefing in 10 minutes. Tell McGee." Giving his agents one final glare, he turned and headed up the stairs to the director's office, hiding a smile as he left.
~0~0~0~0~
The reaction to the assignment was mixed. NCIS had received a tip that drugs were being smuggled onto bases via Navy wives unknowingly serving as mules for the drug runners. The vehicle for the drugs was a home-based make-up company, Vera Sue. Vera Sue employed housewives and working women to sell their products to friends and neighbors. Some women made a very good living, creating a client network of friends, neighbors and acquaintances. The plan was to get someone in undercover, find the source and expose them. The method was what was not going over well with some of the agents.
It was decided that Ziva David and Kate Todd would pose as sisters-in-law whose husbands were stationed in Iraq. Ziva was to be married to Kate's brother, who was home after being injured. That role went to Tony DiNozzo. Ziva was not thrilled at having to play a stay-at-home wife who obsessed over grooming products. Kate wasn't thrilled to have to stay with her "brother and sister-in-law" while her "husband" was away, living under the same roof with Ziva and the X-rated Peter Pan. Tony was thrilled to be sharing a house with two beautiful women.
They were all gathered in Abby's lab as she outfitted them with their new identities. Tony was being fitted with a brace that immobilized him from the right hip to his ankle. A breakaway cast was also being fitted to his left arm. His joy at the living arrangements was blown away when he found out he was not allowed to remove either of the devices, upon pain of death at Gibbs' hand.
"But, Boss," whined Tony, "what about at night, when I'm in bed?"
"You never know if someone is watching, DiNozzo," came the sharp reply. "You will remain a 'disabled' soldier unless a situation arises where you need to get involved in a physical pursuit. Is that clear?"
Grumbling under his breath, Tony muttered, "Yes, Boss." He looked to Abby for some sympathy, but she was busy trying to suppress a grin.
"I don't think this is a good idea, Gibbs," complained Ziva. "I know nothing about beauty products, and even less about smoothing with housewives."
"I'll say," whispered Kate to Abby, who giggled.
Tony smiled tolerantly at Ziva. "That's 'shmoozing', not 'smoothing'," he explained.
"I know the word, Tony, it's derived from a Hebrew word," snapped Ziva. "I'll stick out like a sore..." she looked over at McGee, who held up his thumb, helpfully, "...thumb. Like a sore thumb."
Gibbs didn't even look at her. "That's why Kate is going to be the wife with experience in beauty products. She's going to bring you along to introduce you to the whole concept. You'll follow her lead with the other women."
Kate smiled sweetly at Ziva, who narrowed her eyes and glared back.
"Gibbs," Kate's voice was sickeningly sweet. "Who's the agent in charge of this operation?"
"Tony's the senior field agent," replied Gibbs.
Kate's face fell. "But Gibbs, if Tony is hampered physically and Ziva's not even a real NCIS agent, shouldn't I be the one in charge?"
Cutting off Tony and Ziva as they started to argue, Gibbs said, "Tony is the senior agent, he'll be running a command center at the house while you two do the legwork. He'll be in constant touch with us at MTAC and you'll be in constant touch with him."
Tony grinned at Kate, mouthing 'I'm in charge' at her. She replied with an obscene gesture, causing him to gasp in mock horror.
Gibbs, seeing the school-yard exchange between his agents, shook his head and walked out of the lab, hiding a smile as he left. His team was the best in the agency, but sometimes he felt like he was running a daycare center.
To be continued...