Chapter 1: Chapter 1
It had been a long investigation. The team had wrapped things up finally, Tony complaining about missing out on his date. The complaining had escalated when Gibbs had okayed Ziva’s early departure for the night. Slamming the drawer with the case file shut. He turned and looked around the bullpen. Their fearless leader sat at his desk, staring at something that was obviously uninteresting on the computer. To his left, he frowned as McGee stared just as hypnotically at his typing away.
“Hey McGee, when you’re done there, what you say about a boys’ night out? Something fun to get our heads out of this case,” he said, sauntering up to his friend’s desk.
McGee continued typing, his lips pursing in concentration before looking up at Tony in thought. “Well, I did have plans but cancelled them when the case came up. I’m in. What did you have in mind?” he asked warily.
“Oh, I don’t know. I’m sure I’ll come up with something brilliant. How about you Boss? You comin’ along?” Tony asked, hopeful.
Gibbs stared at the computer screen, much as he had been for the last half hour or so – Tony couldn’t be sure. “Boss?” Tony repeated, trying to get the man’s attention.
Not moving, but only shifting his eyes to look up at his senior agent, Gibbs considered the invitation. “As long as it doesn’t involve movies, DiNozzo,” he replied.
Grinning, Tony puffed out his chest in approval. “Great! I think I know just the thing too! If you two are done, then meet me in the garage. I’ll drive,” he said cryptically, pulling his keys out of his pocket and headed for the elevator.
McGee narrowed his eyes at his friend’s retreating back. “I don’t know if we should be scared,” he commented.
Gibbs smiled, shaking his head. “With DiNozzo, you never know,” he replied. He stood up, collecting his jacket blazer and waited for Tim to finish his report to send. Together the two went to meet Tony at in the garage.
About a half hour later the three arrived at the shore. Bright lights and music blared out for a distance. McGee looked out of the back window in wonder, a smile growing on his face. This was certainly not what he had expected. Gibbs laughed lightly, surprised, and not at the same time.
“We’re here!” Tony exclaimed, finding a parking space very easily – after the flash of a badge and a bright smile to some pretty girls that were in charge of parking enforcement.
The trio made their way to the boardwalk. All around them, just screamed out FUN. Games of all sorts set up, miniature rollercoasters and assorted rides, and junk food as far as the eye could see.
“When you said ‘Boys night out,’ Tony, I was almost expecting a strip club or something from you,” Tim commented as he stopped at a stand to buy a deliciously powered funnel cake.
Gibbs walked up to Tim and Tony, a bag of popcorn in his hands. “I like this idea better than a strip club,” he commented, tossing a handful of the fluffy treat in his mouth looking around.
Tony, like a child, reached over and tried to steal some of Gibbs’ popcorn, but his mentor was able to keep him at bay until the man began to pout. Sometime Tony could really be a child.
Laughing freely, more relaxed than he’d been in awhile, Gibbs threw a small handful of the kernels at Tony before passing the bag over to share.
“A carnival is for everyone. Adults and children,” Tony said, as he eagerly accepted the popcorn and picked out a kernel or two out of his hair.
“That I must agree with you DiNozzo, you could never be too old for places like this,” he said as they passed a game involving water guns. Looking back at his friends, Gibbs rose an eyebrow in challenge.
All McGee and Tony could do was gulp their nerves and step up to pay their fare for the game.
“Loser must eat the carnival popcorn everyday for a week for lunch,” Gibbs said, grinning as he picked up and tested the weight of the toy gun.
The terms of the challenge caused pause in the younger men. They looked at each other and quickly claimed their positions as the game began, a smile clearly displayed on Gibbs’ face.
oOo
The next day, when Ziva walked into the bullpen, she frowned, her eyes darting around at the presence of the men of her team. A huge bag of … popcorn? … sat on two desks, and Gibbs at his own, smiling like he knew something big.
“Gibbs? Do I even want to know?” she asked, waving her hands to Tony’s and Tim’s desks.
Smiling, he just looked up at her. “They lost a game.” A short, succinct explanation. Ziva simple nodded, pretending she understood and went to her desk and began checking her messages to prepare for the day.
McGee and Tony walked in together and frowned at the popcorn covering their desks. McGee’s face immediately went green as he did a quick turnaround for the men’s room. Tony patted his buddy’s fleeing back sympathetically as he went to sit, sighing at the sight before him.
“Tony?” a question in itself, and a greeting from Ziva. She looked at him, curious.
Smiling brightly, one he used often enough on cases where his limits were met, he replied simply, “We lost a game.” He sat down, grabbing a handful of the seasoned popcorn, smiling as if he enjoyed it, back at Gibbs. He slowly started to devise his plan of revenge but thought better of it…it was Gibbs, the man, the legend…after all.