Chapter 1: Chapter 1
“Why the hell are the air conditioners down again?! McGee?!” Gibbs growled walking into the bull pen with his ever present cup of coffee.
McGee closed his eyes, silently praying for salvation. “The heat wave overwhelmed the central compressors. I already called maintenance several times and they confirmed that the technicians are working on it,” he answered tiredly, barely able to open his eyes from the heat.
Gibbs stopped in his tracks and looked around at his team. Their computers were off, as was his own. “And the computers? You three could be doing reports while you sit there doing nothing,” he ordered taking a resounding sip of his drink, sparking Tony to speak up.
“How can you drink that stuff when it’s so hot?!” he asked as he was leaning back in his chair, the latest Maxim magazine open to its latest centerfold celebrity girl, covering and sticking to his face.
“It keeps me cool,” Gibbs said, narrowing his eyes. DiNozzo was lounging out. McGee was idly tapping keys on the dead keyboard while leaning his head on his hand. Ziva had her own head down on her desk, face flushed from the heat as well. Letting out a breath, he knew that if even his Mossad assassin was out for the count, the team was not going to work – at all.
Taking another sip, he silently walked out and headed for the elevator, pressing the button for the main floor.
“Tell me he wasn’t drinking his coffee again,” Ziva mumbled from her desk, face down.
“When isn’t he,” Tony responded, in his same position.
“You know, we could go visit Ducky…”
“NO!” Ziva and Tony replied together, still unmoving.
“It was just an idea. His temperature controls are their own network because of the morgue,” McGee tried insisting.
Abby, walking in and catching the end of the conversation easily picked it up, “Yea but suffer the heat? Or suffer through another one of his stories? At least it’s quiet up here!” She fell back into Gibbs’ chair, letting her head rest on the back as she swung around in half circles.
“You made your point,” McGee said grimly before letting his own head fall to his desk, continuing to play with the keyboard keys.
Fifteen minutes later, Gibbs returned, Ducky in tow with their hands full. They shared a knowing smile as they stepped out of the elevator, quietly placing cups on each of the desks in front of their friends. McGee and Abby were the first to lift their heads to see what surprise Gibbs had brought in.
“Boss?” McGee questioned, eyeing the recognizable cup.
“McGee?” Gibbs countered looking back at him, a ghostly smile on his lips.
“Thank you!” McGee said, speechless as he reached for the spoon and dug into his ice cream before matching Abby’s sigh of pleasure.
“This – is – good,” Abby said around a mouthful of vanilla ice cream and peanut butter cups.
All McGee could do was nod in agreement, as the smell of the peanut butter and sweet cream finally reached Tony and Ziva’s noses. Ziva’s head slowly picked up and her eyes grew wide at the treat awaiting for her. Glancing to Gibbs, she saw that even he had one and was smiling as he leaned against his desk while Ducky silently stood nearby enjoying his own.
Grabbing one of Tony’s little nerf balls that she eventually collected in her bottom desk drawer, she aimed for DiNozzo, causing him to jump.
“FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!” he yelped, jumping up, the magazine falling, one side still sticking to his face when his eyes fell on his desk. “Ooh ice cream!”
For the first time that Gibbs could think of, his team was conscious and in the same room, together, and quiet as they slowly came around and shared child like smiles around spoonful – or mouthfuls, in Tony’s case – of ice cream and friends.