Blind adventure

1.

That case had brought back memories from a time Gibbs was trying to forget. There were times he believed in what he did and then, there were times he wondered what they were doing in a place so far from home, so far from their families. When the Navy Officer was killed in Baghdad he briefly wondered who was to be blamed and immediately after that Gunny Gibbs hit in full mode determined to find the murderer.

The exchange that took place in the bullpen would have been amusing if he hadn't seen Tim's look of utter betrayal when Vance informed him he had been disappointed in him and the younger man realized the trick DiNozzo had played on him. Gibbs himself was content to have his senior agent going in the war zone and not his probie especially since Nikki Jardine was the other agent, but still that didn't diminish the ache he read in McGee's eyes.

The moment they were alone, the three of them, in the bullpen he decided to take matters in his own hands.

'McGee! With me!' He indicated the elevator. Ziva looked up from what she had been watching on her monitor, and Gibbs was pretty certain it had something to do with Iraq but he didn't pay any attention. Tim got up and followed him in the elevator. He hit the stop button and turned around to look at the other man.

'Spit it out McGee!' Tim had the bad habit of burying everything and Gibbs knew that bad feelings always found a way out, most of the times playing havoc at the worst possible time. Making Tim talk now would probably help if not solve the problem.

'I haven't settled upon a decision yet Boss.' Tim said, not a sign of confusion in the green eyes. Tim knew what Gibbs was looking for and was ready to give it.

'What decision?'

'I'm not certain if I can continue working under these conditions any longer, Boss. One of my primary fears is not to be able to trust my partner and DiNozzo is taking that trust little by little with every new action. Until now I've been stupid enough to believe that his joking was part of camaraderie. Today I realized he's ready to walk over me if it helps his reason and his career. And I have to think about mine.' Tim looked Gibbs straight in the eyes and his team leader so determination and self loathing. 'I can't believe I permitted DiNozzo to play me like that. And then, I had to see the Assistant Director's disappointment. I'm sorry Boss, but there's no way I can trust him.'

'Are you sure you could have pulled it over in Baghdad McGee?' Gibbs tried for a different method of approach, but that angered McGee more.

'I don't believe this! You're also using my insecurities against me…' He said and reached over to re start the elevator only to be stopped by Gibbs.

'I didn't say that, McGee! Two inexperienced agents…' Gibbs started but instantly saw that it wasn't helping his case so he stopped mid sentence. Tim raised a hand to delay anything his Boss had to say.

'Do you trust me?' And Gibbs didn't have to think about it.

'Of course.'

'It's not that I don't want to work here, Boss, but DiNozzo makes it hard sometimes. This time he got too far.'

'Did it occur to you that he did it to protect you?'

'No. And that wasn't why he played me. He could protect me with many different ways without jeopardizing my career. But that's OK. I let him do it. It was the last day I let him walk all over me, Boss.' Gibbs could accept that for now. After all, McGee had a good point at being angry and would do him good to not believe everything DiNozzo said to him.

'Works for me, McGee.' He said and re started the elevator.

Next year –mid December

All members of Gibbs' team were gathered at the Director's Office, some of the doubt about said Director showed in their faces. Vance didn't seem to care. DiNozzo was bickering with Ziva, Gibbs was standing drinking his coffee and McGee was wrapping his coat tighter around his body. Leon took a better look of the younger man and considered asking him about his diet. He dismissed the thought as inappropriate making a mental note to do ask Tim when they were alone.

'Leon is there any reason we are all here or did you just miss us?' Asked Gibbs while inhaling his coffee.

'Actually, despite your charming personality Jethro, there is indeed a reason for you being here…' Gibbs raised an eyebrow waiting for an explanation. Looking at his agents he wondered what was wrong with McGee. Seeing the younger man covered in his coat was unnerving

'McGee, are you sick?'

'No, Boss.' Tim rubbed his hands together and looked around to see that everyone, Vance included, was staring at him waiting for something. 'I got wet on my way here and didn't have the time to change before Director Vance called us.'

'Why not? You've been here for over an hour McGee.' Tim didn't like being in the centre of questioning and a deathly stare he shoot at DiNozzo showed everyone, included Vance, that the senior agent had something to do with the state McGee was in. The director cleared his throat.

'The sooner we finish here the sooner Agent McGee will go change.' Gibbs sighed waiting –not very- patiently.

'I am sure some of you know the strain in family relationships when the father or mother is in military, and only gets to see his or her family sporadically. Some relationships between parents and children are never salvaged.' Tim and Gibbs did know. Gibbs often wondered how his relationship with Kelly or even Shannon would have been if they hadn't been murdered. He had seen and heard some older Navy Officers or Marines talking about their family problems. Tim on the other hand, remembered feeling angry at his father for not being there in all the important events of his childhood and puberty. He remembered Sarah crying in his arms when Dad wasn't there on her birthday despite his promise for the opposite. Both men nodded at the same time at Director's words while he continued talking.

'About half a decade ago, some government members decided to create a Institution here in DC, with lodgings of the best quality, offering two week vacation time to members of the same family whose relationship is slowly breaking…'

'I think I've heard something about it…'

'Until now Agent McGee, it was only known to a few people until they could show results. You know, that it is actually working and they're not spending the taxpayer's money for nothing.

'And does it work, Leon?' Vance opened a folder and pretended to be reading before giving an answer to Gibbs.

'So far, they have no clear results. Psychologists that volunteered to work there have something to show, some cases being successful others not so…'

'What this got to do with us?' Tony asked.

'In the last year, three pairs of Navy Officers or Marines who partook in the experiment were killed. The first two were seemed to be accidentally, but the last one was murder and that made them to open the other cases as well.

'Someone's been targeting them.'

'Exactly Agent Gibbs. I asked Ducky to exam the bodies and find autopsies for the other two cases, but I haven't been informed if there were indeed performed autopsies on those bodies. The pairs being targeted are fathers and sons who seem to have the better kind of relationship of all; not a good one, they wouldn't be there if they had a good one, they just civil to each other showing no indication that they want their relationship to work.'

'Alright, you give us everything you got and we'll be heading over there as soon as Agent McGee changes his clothes.'

'No.'

'What?'

'You're not investigating this as NCIS Agents. At least not all of you. You're going undercover.'

'As father and son?' Tony kept up with the Director's thinking as soon as the words came out of his mouth.

'Yes.' Gibbs put his coffee cup on Vance's desk ignoring the glare.

'When are we going?'

'We need to prepare you papers, history and background… I'd say by tomorrow midday.'

'Alright.' Tony said looking at Gibbs. Tim looked at his Boss as well and then at Vance.

'Who's going?' He asked and Tony's stare travelled to Tim and then to Leon believing he knew the answer already.

'Agent Gibbs and you Agent McGee.'

'What? Why?' Tony asked, his voice a tone over his usual one.

'Because it is my decision, Agent DiNozzo…'

'Don't we have anything to say about this Director?' Gibbs interrupted him.

'Actually no you don't, Agent Gibbs. All fathers were at their fifties while their sons were in late teens, early twenties. And Agent McGee is the best possible choice.' Vance wouldn't accept any objections. It was a good thing that none came. They heard a knock on the door and Ducky came in.

'Ah Doctor Mallard, just in time. Have a seat. Gibbs, McGee, Dr. Mallard will also be in the facilities as the new psychologist. And he'll be the one treating you too. Of course you'll also get to meet the two other psychotherapists and make sure they have nothing to do with the murders.'

Ten minutes later they were descending the stairs when Tony interrupted the silence.

'Boss, for this to work, Probie here must be at the very least indifferent at what his 'Dad' says and does or even rude. Will he be able to do it?' Everyone had seen how Tim reacted to his Boss and had their doubts but Gibbs remembered Tim's attitude and behaviour when his sister had been in danger.

'Oh he can do it Tony.' With one of his usual Gibbs' smirk headed to his favourite coffee shop wondering what kind of coffee he would be drinking for the next days until they had the case solved.