Chapter 10: The bee's knees and the pecking order

The drive was short, full of stops and sudden accelerations, which would bring moans and hisses from the backseat. Deputy Clark would just smirk lightly and glance at Gibbs with eyebrows raised, just waiting for him to comment on his driving style.

But Gibbs kept quiet, just studying him back, so Deputy Clark simply drove like a maniac, to the despair of those squeezed in the backseat.

Finally they arrived at the main PD and when the door was opened they literally spilled out of the car, not very graciously.

"Ziver, I think it's time for you to admit that you need to lose some weight." Tony said stretching his legs which were almost dormant thanks to their hellish trip towards the precinct.

Ziva glared at him with burning eyes, while McGee and Joy took a step back, both gulping and mentally getting prepared for the bloodshed. A wise man never - ever - comments on a woman's weight and expects to live to fight another day.

Especially one capable of killing you twenty eight ways with a paperclip.

"Really, Tony? But it was so cozy to sit on your lap. It was so well... padded." Ziva said between clenching teeth.

Tony, finally aware of his faux pas, looked at Ziva scared as she slowly approached him, stalking him as a predator circles weaker prey, forcing him to backup until he had his back glued to the side of the car.

"I think that these" she poked Tony lightly on his stomach, "muscles are not very hard to be considered a proper six-pack, are they?"

"Ah, but I … I..."

"Are you freaking serious?" Detective Snarky glared at us, before walking in hard steps towards the door of the precinct, a historical home in traditional southern style which once - a long time ago, in a galaxy so far away - had been white, but now was covered with green ivy all over the front.

"That's what you get when you get these Grand Beedes from up north."

Gibbs started following both Deputies into the precinct, not without throwing a withering glare to his younger agents who soon sobered up, grabbed their gear and go bags and followed in a more sedate pace.

"Oh, any idea what does Grand Beede stand for?" McGee asked as soon as he was in hearing distance from Joy.

"Believe me, you don't wanna know." Joy muttered.

The agents entered an ample area which had light beige walls, with the usual busy murmuring of a precinct in full activity. The two deputies approached a tall broad chested man, whose badge hanging from his belt loudly proclaimed him as the sheriff and the lord of the manor. Their entry was noticed by most of the deputies, who glared with resentment at the newcomers.

They had a serial killer on the run in their hands and having Feds in their territory was the ultimate insult for them, especially considering how bad things had turned out the last time.

The tall man studied the newcomers, his eyes squinting when they stopped at Joy before gliding back to Gibbs, who was measuring him up the same careful way he was being watched. The guy smiled a crooked fake smile and stretched his hand, "I'm Detective Bill Rowlings, chief of the task force responsible for the hunt for Lizzie Boyd."

"I'm Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs from NCIS."

Detective Rowlings smiled a reptilian smile and squeezed firmly the hand in his reach, but he was surprised for the equal pressure he received from the cold eyed agent studying him. Finally after both were satisfied by the little force demonstration, both let go and took a step back, making a clear separation between the fields.

"Navy cops. I have to admit that I'm surprised you've even bothered to come. You're not needed here. My men are more than enough to catch that ..."

"You couldn't be later if you were the prom queen in June!" A strong voice echoed from the back, making all agents turn around to look at a familiar figure approaching in hurried steps the agents.

The tall wiry man in weathered down clothes and polished boots hurried between the desks, his hat nervously going from one hand to the other. His appearance brought a little smile to Buchanan's face and a scowl to Rowling's, whose skin became red with anger at each step those alligator clad boots made.

"Who's pluckin' this chicken, me or you, Cole? Man, this ain't my first rodeo! You had no right to plunder your way over me."

"Your bucket's leakin' water, Bill. You've lost another chit and you ain't got a clue on where she might be. We need the little Shugah here."

Cole approached the agents, saluting each with a small movement of his head, before stopping before Buchanan and showing a small smile, as big as his weathered face could give.

"Well, if it ain't little miss muffin." He said, receiving a smile as his answer.

"It's good to see you too, Detective Cole."

"What these Navy Cops can do that we can't? We've already put roadblocks in all roads and highways from here all the way to the Town. All our men are on the road in alert ready to catch this vielle fille and we ain't gonna stop until we do it." Rowlings complained, glaring at the fidgeting agents and their leader.

"We're not here to stop or hinder your investigation in anyway." Gibbs said, taking a step further and looking down to the red faced man, who glared at him with anger in his eyes.

"We're here to offer assistance to the best of our abilities and ensure that this maniac is put away for good. One of our team members was essential to her capture the first time around and we're here as her backup. So now, where can we set up shop?"

Tony, Ziva and McGee looked surprised at Gibbs, as that was the longest speech he gave to another police officer - hell, another person - in a long time.

Joy simply did her best to hold back her smile, but she was deep down enjoying the marine giving hell to the pompous ass of detective.

After a long staring contest, Rowlings moved his head, pointing to a room down in the back of the precinct, which was empty and had only a whiteboard in it.

Joy glanced at Cole before grabbing one of the go bags, touching McGee's arm to make him move to their assigned room.

"Now that you are officially introduced to each other, are you going to start comparing your private bits too?" Gibbs and Rowlings glared at Joy, who simply smirked at both older men and continued. "Because if you are, Rowlings, I assure you that my Boss will win."

McGee blushed five shades of red while Ziva and Tony only looked open mouthed at Joy, who simply smiled saucily before walking towards their assigned room. They were surprised when a rolling laughter exploded at their side, making everyone look at Cole who was laughing a full belly laugh as he held the hand with the hat against his chest.

"Oh my, if that ain't just the bee's knees!"

The agents looked from Cole to Joy, who had a smirk on her face before disappearing in the room.

"What does the bee's knees have to do with it?" Ziva asked confused, receiving equally confused glances from Tony and McGee before they followed Joy into the room.

Rowlings glared at them and muttered angrily, walking away towards his own room and letting them work on their own. Cole and Gibbs entered the room, looking around the place they were supposed to set up.

Cole was still chuckling as he glanced at Joy, who had a placid smile on her face as she took her laptop out of her backpack and started getting files out of boxes.

"What was that about?" Gibbs asked, standing beside Buchanan who just glanced at him before unpacking another folder from their evidence box.

"We're in a man's little club in their own territory, Boss. Testosterone flows so strongly here that we could swim in it. I was just establishing the pecking order."

Gibbs just glared at her while Cole could barely contain his mirth.

"And how did you know your..." Cole pointed to Gibbs and exploded into another bout of laughter at the aggrieved glare he received from the gray haired marine.

She sat down and smiled brightly at Gibbs, "I'm just following the empirical evidence, Boss."

"What?" McGee, if he could, would have blown a gasket. He stared at Joy who kept smirking.

"He was married four times. Divorced three. That's enough evidence."

Tony and Ziva sat down at the desk and started sorting out their files, at the same time they looked at the smiling profiler.

"How? Wouldn't that be only evidence that he's a lousy husband?" As soon as the words left Tony's mouth he looked frightened to Gibbs, who almost growled at him. "Not that you were a lousy husband, Boss... I mean... ah..."

"Tony!" Ziva hissed, before looking at Joy who was barely containing her laughter. "I still don't understand."

"Ah come on!" She looked at Ziva, shaking her head. "Those three who walked away must have found something fascinating about him..." She glanced at Gibbs who was still fuming, "... and it wasn't his charming personality."

Ziva gasped as she figured out what Joy was talking about, looking at Gibbs with new eyes. He noticed it and barked at her, "Mind out of the gutter, Ziver."

They settled down to check their files, but the atmosphere was definitely lighter than before their flight to the south.