The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men

Chapter 1 - The Grab

Christmas. All December really, was a season when Gibbs spent even more time than usual in his head. Thinking about the year, all that was accomplished, all that was lost. Those close to him. He'd damn near sanded through more than one strut on the Kelly. The last two years the team had lived through, from Jen's death, to the team being divided, the mole, to the death of Lee…well, it was more than anyone should have to put up with. God. Before that Tony had almost been lost, Ziva nearly killed, Abby attacked in her own lab, Gibbs stupid enough to place himself and an innocent young woman in danger. The year prior…well, Gibbs did not even want to go there.

Although Gibbs took pride in being a hard-ass marine, deep down—really deep, where he didn't always have to look at it—he appreciated each member of his team. He was reasonably sure that each of them, Dinozzo, McGee, Ziva, Abby, Ducky and even Palmer knew how important they were. Pretty sure.

As he stepped off the elevator Gibbs mentally quizzed himself, 'how do they know?' He wasn't a Christmas-card type guy. Hell, he wasn't even a thanks-for-saving-my-life, nice-work kind of guy. He conceded that there might be times when his team didn't know, not for sure, how important they were. How damn proud he was of them. A ghost of smile lit his face at the thought. He really was proud.

'Dinozzo!'

'Boss.'

'Coffee.'

'On it boss, back in five.'

'Not what I meant Dinozzo. We're going together.' The gruffness of Gibbs expression as he marched towards the elevator was not completely convincing. Tony's face lit up with a smile

'All right! Can I drive?'

One look was enough for Tony to know he should stop pushing or he might not even get coffee. 'You're driving, got it. On your six.' The two men squeezed into the elevator just as it was closing.

Tony was still looking at Gibbs with a goofy grin on his face as Gibbs reached over to give him a gentle cuff. The 'head-slap', Gibbs realized he hadn't even been giving out enough of those lately. Must be slipping. As Tony opened his mouth to protest, a small puck dropped from the ceiling. As the two men glanced down, smoke quickly began rising from it and before Gibbs and Dinozzo had time to do anything more than cover their noses, they were sliding to the floor.

Like shooting fish in a barrel really. It couldn't have been more convenient for the man in the parking garage. The elevator opened, the agents were dragged out, relieved of their weapons and phones, and loaded into the back of the van. He wasn't particularly worried about the cameras. This was a catch and release plan, the men would find themselves calling for a ride long before anyone would be able to track their location.