Work Text:
response to clique rant
by Annsan
Gibbs' phone rang incessantly, which annoyed him since he really wanted to catch up on all the backlogged paperwork he had. No one, no criminal or victim, seemed to understand how much damn paperwork was generated every time he or a member of his team cuffed someone or, even worse, fired their weapon. Ziva was a special nightmare because paperwork for her had to go thru NCIS then to the diplomatic corps before copies were also filed with Mossad & the Israeli embassy. What a clusterfuck!
He grabbed the phone and nearly snarled into it. "Gibbs."
"Yes, you are here! Good. Gibbs, I need you in my lab. Pronto! & Bring McGee! Bring Tony! Now! It's an emergency - a crisis of major proportion!"
The call was ended before he could respond. Incredulous, he stared at the handset. Abby had hung up on him! On him? He was almost stunned speachless. But alas he was Gibbs...
"DiNozzo, McGee, with me."
The senior field agent tripped over his shoes as he struggled to keep up with the older man while the computer expert rambled. "Boss, what is it? A case? Where are we headed? Should I gas the truck?"
In the elevator,Gibbs held up his hand to silence the sputtering. "Stop, McGee" He turned and jabbed the button that would take them to Abby's lab and then in one fluid motion, turned and head slapped Tony. The two younger men were quiet & still until the doors opened on the lab.
Bursting into the lab with his entourage, Gibbs demanded. "What have you got for us?"
"A TRAVESTY! I mean this is major, Bossman!" She glanced behind him. "Ooooo, Tony,nice shirt there. Like the hint of chest hair, too..."
"Focus, Abby," Gibbs growled.
"Sorry, Gibbs. There's this list, see & it's got like, oh well over 1,000 people on it from all over the world. But most of them don't talk much - which is no big deal since you really don't have to & people just drop in & out all the time and...well, now they keep sniping at each other & there's a couple that post stories & stuff all the time & those who don't post much are complaining and then it all quieted down. But now it's starting up again & now they keep accusing some of them of being too cliqueish and now..."
"Wait a second, that's not that computer list you look at every now & then is it, Abby?"
She turned to McGee, shaking her pigtails vigorously. "Yeah, that's the one - you know 'Death by Chocolate & Sex'. I showed it to you that one night you slept in the coffin, Timmy."
Gibbs glared at DiNozzo who had obviously perked up at the mere mention of sex. He immediately shrank back. McGee stepped forward & put his hands on the forensic expert's shoulders.
"Abby, we've looked at this already. Talked it out to death just a little while ago, remember?"
She shook her head again.
"And what conclusion did we come to?"
"That there are cliques everywhere. That there have been cliques there before & there's probably way more than just this one there now & that I need to not worry about it. But Tim, they're going to get mad at each other & leave!!"
"Abby, that's part of life. People leave."
"But they're my friends!!"
"Abby, you do not know all thousand & something of them!" Gibbs growled, just a bit annoyed at having his time wasted over this. He wanted to get the paperwork done so he could get out on time. He had a red-eye flight to catch at the airport and with luck would be in El Paso for his rendezvous with an old friend before midnight.
"Abby, quit whining and repeat after me." McGee spoke slowly. "There is no exclusive little club." He waited while she did so. "Good. Now...think about this - just because some people post a lot & to each other doesn't make them a clique. All people will not agree all of the time & without the freedom to say so, there is no point in communicating on lists & in groups the way the computer enables us."
While the two tech geeks were talking, DiNozzo moved closer to Gibbs.
"Umm, hey Boss, think I can go finish the report? Was kind of hoping to cut out on time today. "
"Hot date, Tony?"
DiNozzo blushed instead of answering but was relieved when Gibbs nodded & nudged him towards the door. Both couldn't help but notice that neither McGee or Abby saw them leave as they were too caught up in their discussion. Soon the two were in the safety of the elevator.
"They didn't even see us leave, boss."
"Not a bad thing,Tony. So you never said - hot date?"
Dinozzo turned red again and quickly clammed up. Gibbs nearly laughed. His senior field agent was good but not good enough and Gibbs wasn't quite ready to reveal that he knew about Tony's torrid affair with Jimmy Palmer. He thought about what Tony would do if he knew what Fornell had told him one night while they drank bourbon next to the boat. Nope, DiNozzo wasn't ready to learn that FBI agent Sacks really wanted a go at him.
The elevator doors opened and DiNozzo got out, nearly sprinting for his desk. Gibbs chuckled as the doors closed again. He turned & flipped the off switch before opening his cell phone. He needed to confirm that Franks was going to be on time this weekend - not like last month.
end