Fic: Always Faithful Outtake
Note: I hope you'll enjoy this little outtake, I think it can stand on its own. I'm not really clear on what the official rules say about inter-team romances or marriage but in this case... I don't care^^
Somewhere between Chapter 18 and the epilogue
Outtake Always Faithful
“You now that I didn’t understand it for a very long time. “ Leon Vance sat there with his fingertips pressed against each other. The big man had positioned himself with the window in his back and his grand desk between himself and the two agents he had cited to his office. Agent Gibbs and DiNozzo had sat down in the provided visitor chairs and were both neutrally looking back at him.
“I worked with Tom Morrow on more than one occasion, developed a healthy respect for his effectiveness and common sense. Then I got his old position here at NCIS and could not understand why he would tolerate having someone like Anthony DiNozzo in his employment. Or why someone like you, Gibbs, would want him on their team.”
At least he didn’t accuse Gibbs of keeping him on the team as a boy-toy. Probably because the gray haired agent would bite his head off if Vance dared to.
“Gibbs, what you lack in diplomacy and respect for protocol you compensate with good instincts, loyalty and unmatched interrogation techniques. But-“ the director’s gaze wandered to the younger man of the pair before him. Vance had the good taste to not voice his widely known opinion about Tony DiNozzo’s qualities but his stare brought his point across well enough.
“Director-“Tony couldn’t stand people who loved to hear themselves speak. If the situation hadn’t been so precarious he would have told the director where to stick it. All those rhetorical questions, how quaint. Why hadn’t he asked Morrow directly if he wanted to know so desperately and respected the former director? Practical over saving face for the win, at least in Tony's books
“I told you to sit and listen, do me and yourself the favor of following instructions to the letter for once!” One of Vance’s palms met the shiny surface of his desk and it produced a satisfyingly clashing sound.
Tony wasn’t impressed. He was daily exposed to someone who could do this trick much better. His lover shifted beside him. Strong fingers stretched and subsided after rubbing lightly over one stain on the ostentatious desk of doom. It made Tony relax. He had seen that gesture a dozen times when Gibbs inspected the shine of his shoes and found them lacking.
“I sent you away as an Agent Afloat and hoped that being at sea would curb some of your less desirable tendencies.”
Why was the man warming up old tales, they were here because Sam had let it slip that the relationship between him and his boss wasn’t solely professional anymore. If the man wanted to fire him he didn’t have to roll up every negative incident in his employment history with the agency. He wouldn’t touch Gibbs, Gibbs was a boon to NCIS but Tony was fair game. Tony hoped that his attentive expression wasn’t slipping but it was hard for him.
“In fact I did ask Morrow some questions after I recalled you from the Seahawk.” Vance made a big production out of selecting one of his beloved toothpicks. “He likes to keep track of his old contacts at NCIS. Do you know what he told me?”
Another rhetorical question. Tony let his legs fall open a little bit so his knee touched Gibbs’, just a little bit, and waited for the director to end the self induced dramatic silence. Vance’s teeth had to be the cleanest pearly whites in DC.
“He told me to look at statistics and compare.”
Statistics. Leon Vance, desk jockey extraordinaire. Tony hated, hated, hated paper pushers. He couldn’t understand why the first director would give this piece of advice; Morrow had been a great director. Maybe one had to sink to Vance’s level to make sense to him.
“In the months during your assignment as Agent Afloat the complaints about Gibbs running rough-shot over everyone tripled. The solve rate of the MCRT stayed the same but- There was a 21% increase in official reprimands for bad inter-agency diplomacy. 17% increase in suspects citing rough treatment and nearly doubling figures for damaged equipment, especially cell phones. The overall agency statistics were affected as well.
“The administrative personnel noted a rise in sick days and people complaining about stress. Well, there were fewer complaints about sexual harassment, on the positive side.” Vance glared at Tony.
Tony stared back blankly. He would take bets that the only people who didn’t complain where the coffee shop vendors. McGee had told him that Gibbs had practically mainlined the black brew while Tony was away. It had tickled Tony pink to hear it. Great, now they could draw diagrams to illustrate that Agent Gibbs was making nearly everyone more miserable and acted like a bear with a sore head when he missed his second in command of choice. What did it have to do with them getting outed as a couple?
“Director?” Gibbs was smiling.
Smiling! And it wasn’t the dangerous smirk that promised a world of misery as soon as it could be arranged. Tony was aghast because it got worse, Leon Vance was smiling back, like an indulgent grand father.
“I could reassign Agent DiNozzo to another team easily; one far away and I won’t say that I wasn’t tempted.”
That implied that he wasn’t going to do it. If the man tried to blackmail them into toeing the line he would be disappointed because Tony would rather- Warmth and a heavy weight made him look down. Calloused fingers gripped his tight, pressed down and released again. Jethro didn’t pull back, his hand stayed where it had been put, like it was the most natural thing in the world to do. So Jethro knew something Tony didn’t, and asked to trust him.
Tony couldn’t tell if the director had caught on to the interaction, he was still smiling at them.
“I say I could, but I won’t.”
Pompous asshole. Dramatic pompous asshole. The man clearly enjoyed making them squirm.
“Terrorism is escalating, we need our fighting forces in prime condition. I will not cripple the effectiveness of my best team working on maintaining this condition just because the leader of said team and his second in command have a private relationship with each other.” The steepled fingers were back, most likely to provide the right props for the patriotic display of the director addressing his minions and being merciful. Did Vance expect them to applaud him?
“But there will be conditions.”
Gibbs cocked his head and nodded. “Of course.”
“Clandestine affairs-“ Vance stressed the phrase. “between Agents are heavily frowned upon, they are bad for morale. Gentlemen, I hope you aren’t having an affair? I got the impression that it is something far more serious.”
Jethro sent one of his message heavy looks at Tony. His lover wanted to handle this situation. Good diplomats convinced people to do something and made them believe that it had been their idea in the first place. Vance had remarked upon Agent Gibbs’ famous lack of diplomacy but the man was damn good at making people do what he wanted them to do. They just didn’t like it most of the time. Hopefully Jethro could work his magic here too.
“You don’t believe we would endanger our careers for a casual tumble in the hay? And let ourselves be caught by a little girl while we’re at it.”
Vance beamed and shook his head. “So not casual at all. See, that’s what I thought.” He huffed, rolled his chair further away from the desk and relaxed visibly. “So, I take it that the partnership paperwork just hasn’t found its way to Human Resources yet. Stay discreet, don’t make anyone raise accusations about favorism, keep up your solve rate and don’t taunt the general populace into a lynch mob with your methods and we wont have a problem at all. I think that’s all.”
The director stood up and his agents followed his example. “And next time, gentlemen, inform me about new important developments first. I do not want to be caught blindsided by hearing it from someone else again.”
Had they just, in a roundabout way, been ordered to … well, marry? Tony closed his mouth, not even tempted to make a smart assed remark, blinked and then shook the offered hand. He didn’t have anything against the idea per se, he loved Jethro and expected to stay at his side as long as nature and fate allowed it. They hadn’t talked about making it official though, it wasn’t necessary, it was enough that they knew what they meant to each other. But Vance made a good point, the stigma for life-partners working on the same team was minuscule in contrast to the ruckus a love affair could cause.
“Keep it discreet. No hanky panky at work DiNozzo.”
The last comment made Tony pout. It was unfair that he was painted as the frisky one but he doubted that the director would want to know about his best team leader’s sex drive. Jethro was no slouch when it came to initiating play.
Vance opened the door for them. His assistant Cynthia waited on the other side. Like any good assistant she would know what had gone down inside the office within minutes and her already indulgent smile made Tony do a double take. It seemed as if the woman didn’t need an update. At this rate they could as well make an announcement on the office network. Ah well.
The corridor outside Vance’s office was silent and abandoned. Tony turned to Jethro and chanced a short contact, he leant his forehead against his lover’s broad shoulder. He chuckled helplessly and enjoyed the tap against his neck before they separated again.
Jethro’s smile created small wrinkles in the corner of his eyes. “You heard it DiNozzo, no hanky-panky at work.” he growled.
Tony couldn’t resist the temptation to taunt back but kept his voice low. He was feeling like he could fly and they were relatively unobserved. “But boss, I looked forward to you bending me over the table in the interrogation room.”
His lover laughed out loud and strode down the corridor, sure that Tony would be on his six. “Ah, keep it up and I will.”
The comment made Tony stumbled and his boss - still his boss, Tony hadn’t been reasigned!- turned around, eyes sparkling and full of mischief. “Boss?”
‘Would be an ideal position to- ‘ Jethro signed the words instead of speaking them aloud, pressed the button for the elevator and stepped into the tiny cabin after it arrived. As soon as the doors closed and shielded them from curious eyes and ears, electronic and natural alike, he continued aloud in his best pissed Gibbs voice. “-spank your sexy ass cherry red whenever you fuck up. Nice alternative to head slaps, doncha think?” His twinkling eyes belied the tone. Jethro was relieved about the outcome of their visit to the director.
‘That’s mighty -‘ Tony began to sign and then stopped. “Eh boss? I don’t know the sign for kinky.”
Jethro snorted and just as the doors opened to the squad room he delivered a resounding head slap.
McGee and Ziva were waiting for them, Tim with a folder in one hand and his ringing cell phone in the other. “Later DiNozzo, I’ll show you later.” He strode across the room to the waiting team members “What are you waiting for DiNozzo? We’ve got work to do.”
“Yes Boss, sorry boss… on it boss”
End Outtake.
Somewhere between Chapter 18 and the epilogue
Outtake Always Faithful
“You now that I didn’t understand it for a very long time. “ Leon Vance sat there with his fingertips pressed against each other. The big man had positioned himself with the window in his back and his grand desk between himself and the two agents he had cited to his office. Agent Gibbs and DiNozzo had sat down in the provided visitor chairs and were both neutrally looking back at him.
“I worked with Tom Morrow on more than one occasion, developed a healthy respect for his effectiveness and common sense. Then I got his old position here at NCIS and could not understand why he would tolerate having someone like Anthony DiNozzo in his employment. Or why someone like you, Gibbs, would want him on their team.”
At least he didn’t accuse Gibbs of keeping him on the team as a boy-toy. Probably because the gray haired agent would bite his head off if Vance dared to.
“Gibbs, what you lack in diplomacy and respect for protocol you compensate with good instincts, loyalty and unmatched interrogation techniques. But-“ the director’s gaze wandered to the younger man of the pair before him. Vance had the good taste to not voice his widely known opinion about Tony DiNozzo’s qualities but his stare brought his point across well enough.
“Director-“Tony couldn’t stand people who loved to hear themselves speak. If the situation hadn’t been so precarious he would have told the director where to stick it. All those rhetorical questions, how quaint. Why hadn’t he asked Morrow directly if he wanted to know so desperately and respected the former director? Practical over saving face for the win, at least in Tony's books
“I told you to sit and listen, do me and yourself the favor of following instructions to the letter for once!” One of Vance’s palms met the shiny surface of his desk and it produced a satisfyingly clashing sound.
Tony wasn’t impressed. He was daily exposed to someone who could do this trick much better. His lover shifted beside him. Strong fingers stretched and subsided after rubbing lightly over one stain on the ostentatious desk of doom. It made Tony relax. He had seen that gesture a dozen times when Gibbs inspected the shine of his shoes and found them lacking.
“I sent you away as an Agent Afloat and hoped that being at sea would curb some of your less desirable tendencies.”
Why was the man warming up old tales, they were here because Sam had let it slip that the relationship between him and his boss wasn’t solely professional anymore. If the man wanted to fire him he didn’t have to roll up every negative incident in his employment history with the agency. He wouldn’t touch Gibbs, Gibbs was a boon to NCIS but Tony was fair game. Tony hoped that his attentive expression wasn’t slipping but it was hard for him.
“In fact I did ask Morrow some questions after I recalled you from the Seahawk.” Vance made a big production out of selecting one of his beloved toothpicks. “He likes to keep track of his old contacts at NCIS. Do you know what he told me?”
Another rhetorical question. Tony let his legs fall open a little bit so his knee touched Gibbs’, just a little bit, and waited for the director to end the self induced dramatic silence. Vance’s teeth had to be the cleanest pearly whites in DC.
“He told me to look at statistics and compare.”
Statistics. Leon Vance, desk jockey extraordinaire. Tony hated, hated, hated paper pushers. He couldn’t understand why the first director would give this piece of advice; Morrow had been a great director. Maybe one had to sink to Vance’s level to make sense to him.
“In the months during your assignment as Agent Afloat the complaints about Gibbs running rough-shot over everyone tripled. The solve rate of the MCRT stayed the same but- There was a 21% increase in official reprimands for bad inter-agency diplomacy. 17% increase in suspects citing rough treatment and nearly doubling figures for damaged equipment, especially cell phones. The overall agency statistics were affected as well.
“The administrative personnel noted a rise in sick days and people complaining about stress. Well, there were fewer complaints about sexual harassment, on the positive side.” Vance glared at Tony.
Tony stared back blankly. He would take bets that the only people who didn’t complain where the coffee shop vendors. McGee had told him that Gibbs had practically mainlined the black brew while Tony was away. It had tickled Tony pink to hear it. Great, now they could draw diagrams to illustrate that Agent Gibbs was making nearly everyone more miserable and acted like a bear with a sore head when he missed his second in command of choice. What did it have to do with them getting outed as a couple?
“Director?” Gibbs was smiling.
Smiling! And it wasn’t the dangerous smirk that promised a world of misery as soon as it could be arranged. Tony was aghast because it got worse, Leon Vance was smiling back, like an indulgent grand father.
“I could reassign Agent DiNozzo to another team easily; one far away and I won’t say that I wasn’t tempted.”
That implied that he wasn’t going to do it. If the man tried to blackmail them into toeing the line he would be disappointed because Tony would rather- Warmth and a heavy weight made him look down. Calloused fingers gripped his tight, pressed down and released again. Jethro didn’t pull back, his hand stayed where it had been put, like it was the most natural thing in the world to do. So Jethro knew something Tony didn’t, and asked to trust him.
Tony couldn’t tell if the director had caught on to the interaction, he was still smiling at them.
“I say I could, but I won’t.”
Pompous asshole. Dramatic pompous asshole. The man clearly enjoyed making them squirm.
“Terrorism is escalating, we need our fighting forces in prime condition. I will not cripple the effectiveness of my best team working on maintaining this condition just because the leader of said team and his second in command have a private relationship with each other.” The steepled fingers were back, most likely to provide the right props for the patriotic display of the director addressing his minions and being merciful. Did Vance expect them to applaud him?
“But there will be conditions.”
Gibbs cocked his head and nodded. “Of course.”
“Clandestine affairs-“ Vance stressed the phrase. “between Agents are heavily frowned upon, they are bad for morale. Gentlemen, I hope you aren’t having an affair? I got the impression that it is something far more serious.”
Jethro sent one of his message heavy looks at Tony. His lover wanted to handle this situation. Good diplomats convinced people to do something and made them believe that it had been their idea in the first place. Vance had remarked upon Agent Gibbs’ famous lack of diplomacy but the man was damn good at making people do what he wanted them to do. They just didn’t like it most of the time. Hopefully Jethro could work his magic here too.
“You don’t believe we would endanger our careers for a casual tumble in the hay? And let ourselves be caught by a little girl while we’re at it.”
Vance beamed and shook his head. “So not casual at all. See, that’s what I thought.” He huffed, rolled his chair further away from the desk and relaxed visibly. “So, I take it that the partnership paperwork just hasn’t found its way to Human Resources yet. Stay discreet, don’t make anyone raise accusations about favorism, keep up your solve rate and don’t taunt the general populace into a lynch mob with your methods and we wont have a problem at all. I think that’s all.”
The director stood up and his agents followed his example. “And next time, gentlemen, inform me about new important developments first. I do not want to be caught blindsided by hearing it from someone else again.”
Had they just, in a roundabout way, been ordered to … well, marry? Tony closed his mouth, not even tempted to make a smart assed remark, blinked and then shook the offered hand. He didn’t have anything against the idea per se, he loved Jethro and expected to stay at his side as long as nature and fate allowed it. They hadn’t talked about making it official though, it wasn’t necessary, it was enough that they knew what they meant to each other. But Vance made a good point, the stigma for life-partners working on the same team was minuscule in contrast to the ruckus a love affair could cause.
“Keep it discreet. No hanky panky at work DiNozzo.”
The last comment made Tony pout. It was unfair that he was painted as the frisky one but he doubted that the director would want to know about his best team leader’s sex drive. Jethro was no slouch when it came to initiating play.
Vance opened the door for them. His assistant Cynthia waited on the other side. Like any good assistant she would know what had gone down inside the office within minutes and her already indulgent smile made Tony do a double take. It seemed as if the woman didn’t need an update. At this rate they could as well make an announcement on the office network. Ah well.
The corridor outside Vance’s office was silent and abandoned. Tony turned to Jethro and chanced a short contact, he leant his forehead against his lover’s broad shoulder. He chuckled helplessly and enjoyed the tap against his neck before they separated again.
Jethro’s smile created small wrinkles in the corner of his eyes. “You heard it DiNozzo, no hanky-panky at work.” he growled.
Tony couldn’t resist the temptation to taunt back but kept his voice low. He was feeling like he could fly and they were relatively unobserved. “But boss, I looked forward to you bending me over the table in the interrogation room.”
His lover laughed out loud and strode down the corridor, sure that Tony would be on his six. “Ah, keep it up and I will.”
The comment made Tony stumbled and his boss - still his boss, Tony hadn’t been reasigned!- turned around, eyes sparkling and full of mischief. “Boss?”
‘Would be an ideal position to- ‘ Jethro signed the words instead of speaking them aloud, pressed the button for the elevator and stepped into the tiny cabin after it arrived. As soon as the doors closed and shielded them from curious eyes and ears, electronic and natural alike, he continued aloud in his best pissed Gibbs voice. “-spank your sexy ass cherry red whenever you fuck up. Nice alternative to head slaps, doncha think?” His twinkling eyes belied the tone. Jethro was relieved about the outcome of their visit to the director.
‘That’s mighty -‘ Tony began to sign and then stopped. “Eh boss? I don’t know the sign for kinky.”
Jethro snorted and just as the doors opened to the squad room he delivered a resounding head slap.
McGee and Ziva were waiting for them, Tim with a folder in one hand and his ringing cell phone in the other. “Later DiNozzo, I’ll show you later.” He strode across the room to the waiting team members “What are you waiting for DiNozzo? We’ve got work to do.”
“Yes Boss, sorry boss… on it boss”
End Outtake.