Chapter 4 – Meeting the Team
Jon followed Agent Gibbs into the building, taking in everything. The neat cubicles were packed into the bullpen area with all sorts of audio-visual equipment scattered about. It was a far cry from a windowless conference room under a mountain, but it was still closer to the action than he had been in years.
Sure, he still did the odd job at Jack’s request, but it was different than being in the thick of things. His only consolation was that Jack was as far from the action as he was these days.
When Jack had asked him to take on this assignment, he had been skeptical at first. After all, what did he know about investigating a missing Marine? Nothing. Nada. Zilch. Zip. But then Jack had pointed out that it was simply a matter of gathering intelligence and interpreting it, just on a smaller scale. Besides, no one should get left behind. If it was possible, Jon would bring Lt Ford home.
Jon had to admit that he was looking forward to it. He would even get to go to Atlantis before Jack, a fact that he had rubbed in his elder half’s face. His recent years as an American teenager had been less than exciting. Of course, blending into the teenage angst hadn’t stopped Ba’al from finding him. But it had given him a unique perspective on American culture.
“DiNozzo,” Gibbs’ voice rang out. “Gather everyone in the gym.”
“Sure thing, Boss,” Tony answered with a fake happy smile.
“O’Neill with me,” Gibbs said as he stalked up the stairs to the director’s office. Jon followed him smirking at the confused faces of the NCIS team.
“All right boys and girls, you heard the boss, gym time,” Jon heard DiNozzo say just as he stepped into the director’s office.
“Special Agent Gibbs,” the secretary greeted them. “Director Sheppard said to go right in.”
Gibbs grimaced and walked past without saying a word. Jon shrugged and gave the secretary a cheeky grin, “Thank you, Ma’am.” Jon followed Gibbs into the inner office.
“Jethro…Agent Gibbs,” Jenny changed mid-sentence as she noticed the young man following Gibbs. “How was your lunch?” she asked politely.
“Interesting. I’ll be leaving in 3 days for several weeks at the request of the President,” Gibbs started carefully.
“What?!” Jenny exclaimed. “He can’t just…”
“Yes, actually, he can,” Jon interrupted smoothly. “NCIS is a DoD organization that ultimately reports to the President. That means that he can, and has, redirected his assets.” Jon pulled out a copy of the orders he had been carrying, “As of right now, Special Agent Gibbs and Ms. Sciuto are under the direct authority of the President.”
Jenny’s eyes narrowed as she focused on Jon. She snatched the orders from his hand, “And just who are you?” she asked with venom.
“Jon O’Neill. I’ll be assuming a cover ID as a NCIS Probationary Agent and have been assigned to Special Agent Gibbs for the duration of this transfer,” Jon said staring her down. He may look 18, but he was far older and wiser on the inside.
She glared at him before finally turning her glare on Gibbs, “Explain…now.”
Gibbs sighed, “Abby and I are needed for a special, classified investigation. O’Neill…” he gestured to Jon, “…was cleared by the President because the rest of my team failed to get the necessary clearance. And before you ask, all I know is that I’ll be gone for at last 3 weeks and I’ll be out of contact the entire time.”
She returned her glare to Jon, “I’m not in the habit of lending out my Senior Field Agents and Expert Forensic Technicians to young, inexperienced members of other unspecified governmental organizations…”
Jon’s abrupt laugh stopped her rant, “Let me make it easy for you. I don’t belong to any governmental organization. Call me…a civilian contractor. And you aren’t lending Special Agent Gibbs to anyone. He is leading the investigation. I’ve been assigned to him, not the other way around.” Jon’s smile changed into a leer as he leaned suggestively on her desk and gave her an obvious once over, “And as for experience…well, lets just say, I could show you a thing or two.” He cheered silently as she backed off, uncomfortable.
“That’s enough, O’Neill,” Gibbs barked.
Jon’s whole demeanor changed as he straightened, his eyes never leaving the director’s, “Sure thing, Sir.”
Jenny re-scanned the orders as an excuse to regain her composure, and then looked up at Gibbs and sighed, “Do you know how much I don’t like this, Gibbs?”
Gibbs snorted, “I think I have an idea.”
She glared at Jon once more, before turning back to Gibbs and silently asking a question. His lips quirked in a suppressed smile as he replied, “We’ll be fine.”
Her eyes narrowed and then relaxed, “Good. Then, I’ll expect to see you back here as soon as your assignment is complete.” She leaned back in her chair before turning a concerned look on Gibbs, “If you need anything, please let me know.”
Gibbs smiled as he stood. “I will,” he said smoothly as he walked out of the room without saying good-bye.
Jon smirked and gave the director a cocky salute, “Don’t worry, Ma’am, I’ve got his back. We’ll be home before you know it.” Then he strode out after Gibbs.
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“So,” Ziva said quietly as she stretched on the big mat, “what do you think is going on?” The team had changed into their sweats and were currently waiting for Gibbs to arrive.
“I don’t know. But Gibbs was upset about something this morning. I wonder where he went at noon?” Tim said self-consciously. He had passed all the physical tests to achieve his Agent status. But he was all too aware of how he wasn’t the strongest or the fastest and group training sessions only seemed to illustrate that point. He was confident in his strengths, but this wasn’t one of them.
“Yeah,” Tony agreed, bouncing in place to loosen up, “Did either of you see that kid with him?”
“Kid?” Ziva asked, confused. “Why would Gibbs bring a kid here?”
“I saw him, but…I don’t know…He looked familiar, but I don’t think he’s a kid. He just looks young,” Tim said while starting his stretches.
“I know what you mean. He definitely has the baby face. But, I could swear that I’ve seen him before…I just can’t remember where,” Tony agreed, starting his own stretches as well.
Just then, Gibbs and the kid in question breezed into the gym. Gibbs hadn’t bothered to change, but the kid in question was wearing a set of baggy sweats that were obviously too large for him. Ziva’s eyes widened in surprise. She recognized the kid as the gunshot victim from only a few months before. “Isn’t that…”
“Circle up,” Gibbs interrupted as he walked to the center of the mat. He glanced around at his team and gave a stern glare. “This is Jon O’Neill. O’Neill, this is my team; DiNozzo, McGee, and David,” he said as he pointed each of them out.
Ziva watched as Jon gave each of them a confident grin, “Howdy.”
Gibbs turned back to Jon and gestured to the large mat, “You said that you can defend yourself…so prove it.”
Jon stepped forward cautiously and he turned a wary look at Gibbs, “Are you sure about this...Sir?”
Gibbs returned his look, “I need to know what you can do, but…I want to keep them in one piece.”
“Understood, Sir,” Jon glanced around the room. He dismissed Tim and Tony almost immediately, before focusing on Ziva. Jon nodded at her and they squared up on the mat.
“Ah...rookie mistake, Probie,” Tony said with a grin. He was looking forward to Ziva teaching the new guy a lesson in making assumptions based on size and sex.
Gibbs just nodded. The kid passed his first test by finding the most skilled fighter in the room and choosing them first. “Begin,” he said, carefully watching the match.
Jon bowed to Ziva and then began to circle. Ziva probed his defenses and slowly gained a better understanding of his skill. She remembered the kid from the hospital and how easily he had overcome her. She wouldn’t be caught by surprise again.
Suddenly, she struck with several lighting quick blows and a follow-up kick to his injured shoulder. Even with rehab it should be weaker and less defensible. John carefully blocked each blow and caught her foot surprising her before twisting and throwing her to the ground. Using her leg as leverage, he flipped her over and pinned her to the mat. He held the position for several seconds before releasing her and backing up.
“Whoa,” Tony said in wonder, as Ziva jumped up angry at having been bested so quickly.
“Again,” she said with barely concealed rage. His shoulder should not be strong enough to have pulled off that maneuver yet. Not so soon after being injured.
“As you wish,” John said simply and began they began circling again.
Ziva attacked without waiting for an opening. She rained down blows on John with all her force and anger. But few if any connected. She continued to get angrier as John maintained his defensive posture and failed to return her hits.
She paused as she considered him through a red haze. He was watching her carefully, a bruise forming on his cheek where one of her fists had gotten through his defenses, but he still wore that damnable grin. “Fight, damn you,” she swore before she attacked again, holding nothing back.
Jon’s eyes narrowed in acceptance, “If you insist,” he replied. Then he began to return her blows, soon she was on the defensive as his punches and kicks battered at her own defenses. Finally, he backed her to the edge of the mat and feinted a punch, before he swept her legs out from under her and then pinned her to the mat again.
John quickly released her and backed up to the edge of the mat next to Gibbs, “Happy?”
Gibbs replied evenly, disguising his surprise at the kid’s skill, “So…I guess you weren’t lying about that.”
“Nope,” Jon replied in the same tone.
“Weapons?” Gibbs pressed.
“Proficient in both short and long knife and I haven’t met a ranged weapon yet that I can’t qualify on,” Jon stated seriously.
“Hand to hand?” Gibbs continued while watching John closely, trying to detect anything that rang false.
“Level 4 Instructor,” Jon replied evenly.
Gibbs let out a soft sigh, “Go get changed. I’ll join you in a minute.”
“Yes, Sir,” Jon replied, his cheeky grin back in place as he sauntered back to the changing rooms.
“Boss?” Tony asked, breaking the silence. “What’s going on?”
Gibbs glanced around at his team. Tim and Tony were openly confused, but Ziva was suspicious and concerned. He shook his head and addressed them sternly, “I’ve got a case that is going to take a few weeks to investigate, and since none of you bone heads could pass the clearance check, O’Neill is my new backup. You have 3 days to get him up to speed on investigative procedure. Enough to assume a cover ID as a NCIS Probationary Agent. Don’t disappoint me.” Gibbs stared down each of his agents before turning to leave.
Ziva returned his gaze calmly. She had been born and raised in the Israeli intelligence. Cover ID’s were second nature to her. She would do her best to ensure that John’s cover was fleshed out enough to not give him away.
Gibbs nodded curtly and strode out of the room.
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TBC
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