Work Text:
The day was starting to wear off, the lights of the city had long been lit, the one in her office now insufficient to be comfortable for her tired eyes. Finishing what seemed to be the umpteenth report for today, she sighed. She couldn't wait for the week to end, and right now dreamed only of her bed. A soft knock on her door made her jump. There wasn't a lot of people who could still be there at this hour. Maybe her bed wasn't the only good prospect to finish the day.
“Hey.
She realized as he entered that she had missed his voice. After about a week of cases piling up her desk from everyone but his team, she had barely seen any of them.
_ Thought I might find you still here.
She smiled softly at his admission and the kind smirk that adorned his face. She was about to retort back something about him being still there too, when her eyes fixed themselves on the file he held in his hands, she barely retained the tired groan that escaped her lips. Of course it was about work.
_ I only seek a counsel, he promised, raising his hands in a gesture of defense. And I buy you dinner.
_ Are you trying to bribe me ?
He shrugged, only half apologetic.
_ Does it work ?
She laughed softly, dropping her head in her hand. Looking at the reports in front of her and what she still had to do, she sighed loudly.
_ I get to choose the take out, and I hope you have sugar !
_ For you, always, he laughed as he grabbed her coat from the rack while she gathered her stuff, giving up on taking any files home tonight. Sorry for taking you away from your new favorite team, he jabbed when she let him put her coat on.
_ Don't be jealous, she huffed. You're still my favorite. None of them offered to buy me dinner after all.”
She patted his arm as he laughed, following her out of her office.
One hour later, she sat crossed legs on his couch, surrounded by papers while he took care of the coffee. The team had hit a dead end with their case, too many names on a list of suspect that didn't seem to want to reduce itself. The frustration of what appeared to be an open-shut case and the lack of a certain psychologist had drove everyone nerves to their last point. He had send everyone home at five today, so they could start fresh in the morning. If he was being totally honest, he knew it was also to avoid an argument with a tired Torres who had had enough of his grumpy boss.
“Here you go.
_ Ah ! Thank you, she softly said letting the smell relax her. Perfect, she added after taking a sip.
_ What do you got ?
_ So eager. Calm down Cowboy, I have just started looking at it. How many suspects did you need ? She joked.
He shrugged, letting her look at everything she needed. The week had started slow, but the murder of a young petty officer had put an end to that illusion quickly, turning their quiet week into a flurry of angry parents and a perfectly nice boy that nobody wanted dead, yet everyone seemed to have a reason to, splitting the team with their favorite suspect each. The fact that Jack had been busy with other teams hadn't simplified the whole affair. He hadn't realized the sanity and solace she brought to the bullpen, putting the tension at ease, her reason and pointed analysis always what was needed for everyone to think straight again. The case had been half the reason he had found his way to her office, the perfect excuse to steal her away from what kept her from him.
_ It seems like you have something here with the other petty officer. With Palmer's report about the beat up. It fits a hate crime...
_ Why do I feel a “but” coming here ?
_ But, the strangulation indicates a crime of passion.
_ I'm not sure I'm following.
_ What about the lawyer ?
_ McGee's idea...
_ Ah ! You don't think he's worth examining, huh ?
_ I see no reason why, no...
_ He's everywhere ! She argued.
_ He's the family lawyer. There's a good reason he's everywhere...
_ Right, okay. What about this ?
She looked for a paper in a stack in front of her before handing it to him. It was the recruitment form from Andrew Sheffield, their victim.
_ Here, she pointed at the name of the lawyer filed as the emergency contact.
_ His parents were against him enlisting. It makes sense to me...
_ Why not a friend then ? If you're going against your parents wishes, it doesn't really make sense to pick someone that work for them to help you with it... And here, on his last permission, his crew mate said he had a fight with his boyfriend, but there's no indication of a boyfriend in your report, or that his parents knew about it. Yet, they're very supportive of his sexuality so there's no reason for them not to know. Even more considering his crew mate said they had been together ever since he could remember.
_ You've got a point to make Sloane ?
_ My point is why haven't you found anything about that boyfriend yet ? Clearly he wasn't ashamed of it, or he wouldn't have told his shipmates, but at the same time he wouldn't share the details nor have anything pointing a long term relationship to his own parents. Maybe Andrew and Mark Ribes met when Ribes where appointed by his company to the Sheffield family and fell in love while Andrew was still in college. They're young and fear the backlash so they decide to wait and tell Andrew's parents once he's graduated. Plan changed when Andrew decided to join the Navy before taking over the family business. Ribes helps him, against the parental advice. He'll only serve for a couple of years. Except he loves the Navy, and finds something bigger than what he first imagined. There he could make a real difference. He felt useful fighting against discrimination and a better recognition of the LGBT community. It got him in trouble with his superiors and certain crew mates, but he was making progress. On his last permission he tells Ribes about his decision to stay, even though his previous tour was supposed to be his last. It explains the fight with the boyfriend.
_ Doesn't explain why he waited to kill him.
_ Maybe he hoped Andrew's parents would convince him otherwise. Maybe he didn't expect them to be so comprehensive when Andrew told them, and that they would remind him of his promise...
_ But instead of that, they said they would always support him...
_ Exactly. With his parents finally at peace with his life choices, Andrew was never going to come back and be the rich businessman he was supposed to be. I don't think that's what Mark had expected for them.
_ You think it's about money ?
_ Not sure... McGee seems to think so. But it doesn't fit. The Sheffield are rich but so is Ribes. He is an established lawyer at a big company. You don't get to be the lawyer of a big family at such a young age without talent and ambition. He doesn't need money. No, I think he really loved him, and he wasn't ready to lose him for the Navy... For what we know, he probably waited five years to show the world he loved Andrew. The prospect of having him always away wasn't what he hoped for. Maybe he gave him an ultimatum and Andrew chose the Navy...
_ So... You say if we were to look for our crime scene, we should look a little more at Ribes' place ?
_ It would be a good start...
_ Doesn't get us any closer to prove anything. Jones never hid that he hated Andrew. For his sexuality, his convictions or the fact that Sheffield was getting promoted faster. He has motives and opportunity.
_ But he has an air tight alibi. Besides, if there's one thing Jones respects, it's the Navy. Sure he hated Andrew, but he was part of his crew and I don't think Jones would ever betray the oath he took because of a disagreement over political views. And your lawyer boxes, she added sliding a paper with McGee's writing all over. Jones didn't have any obvious marks of beating someone. While Ribes always has a perfect excuse to have ones on his hands.
_ He convinced you pretty good, didn't he ?
_ He's a very good agent. I read what Bishop and Torres compiled on their suspect too. You all have good points, but the lawyer is the one you dismissed quickly. Too quickly. Even McGee doesn't seem to understand really why he would do it. Apart from the money. But love. Love makes you do crazy thing... like working extra hours after an already long day, she finished mumbling.
He looked up from the notes of his senior field agent, not sure he had heard correctly.
_ I should be going, she continued, getting up and stretching. I still need to get home and get some rest.
He froze, for a bit he had forgotten that she didn't belong on his couch, helping solving murders like some weird domestic after-hour hobby they could share. She had been nice enough to accept his lame excuse to spend time with her, and probably solved his case in two hours time, and he had no right to try and keep her there, and yet...
_ What did you say ?
It was her turn to freeze, looking at him warily. He got up and rounded the coffee table to join her, subtly getting in the way between her and the door.
_ That I need to go home. I have more reports to catch onto tomorrow, since a certain someone needed a little help with his own homework. Besides, I think we both need rest.
_ Is that so ?
_ I heard someone got a little too grumpy at work this week.
_ How do you know ?
_ I have my sources. Don't ask, I will not tell you who, she prevented.
_ Really huh ? Maybe I should remind a certain someone to mind her own business.
She smiled sweetly at him, not fooled at all by his feigned annoyance about his youngest agent propensity to gossip.
_ So you asked about me ? Did you miss me Jack ?
_ No... she flushed. It was just a simple situation report. Taking news, like people do. You would know that if you were properly educated to the social world.
He raised a perplex eyebrow and his jaw in amusement, looming over her, enjoying the flush that was spreading on her neck.
_ Besides, you're one to talk ! I'm not the one who barged on with an offer to dinner and more work to fill the evening.
_ Never thought I was being subtle...
His gruff voice had attained a new low, their closeness preventing the need for them to speak at a normal volume. The shift in the air had been quick. Too close to be proper, too far for his liking, he could feel her breath on his mouth. Almost a week without seeing her was too much, his mood had been the proof of that, and the fact that she had heard of it was testament that his team knew what caused it. He leaned a little more, unable to fight the way she drew him in. He caught her staring at his lips and smirked, bringing her shiny brown eyes to his own blue one.
_ I had to find something to get you out of your office. You've been avoiding us all week.
_ Don't be a smart ass.
She punched his chest in an attempt to diffuse the situation and get away from him, but his hands were too quick and caught her before she could make her escape.
_ I'm always a smart ass, he whispered against her lips before kissing her.
His hands found her hips as he drew her closer, the kiss slow and easy. A revelation as much as a coming home, proof that he wasn't as smart as he might have imagined since he had denied himself her softness for that long.
_ I really should go, she said in a breath, her hands nipping at the base of his neck.
_ Hum...
He brushed his nose against hers, reveling on the soft smile that it got from her. He kissed her again, nothing capable of stopping him now that he had started. Nipping at her bottom lips, she granted him access and soon they lost themselves into a more heated match. His arms encircled her in a tight embrace, while she rose to her toes, her hands in his hair. He moaned at the scrap of her nails on his scalp, which made her chuckle as she withdrew from him to catch her breath. Chasing her mouth, he settled on trailing a path to her ears.
_ You've got a killer to catch.
_ There's something else I want to catch tonight, he whispered in her ear, which made her shiver.
_ Catch him first, and then we'll talk Cowboy.”
She pushed him gently, giving him a kiss when he pouted. She gathered her thing under his unwavering gaze, laughing when he caught her before she left for good, kissing her deeply, full of promises.
McGee was surprised when he found his suspect on the screen when he arrived at work the next day, Gibbs already working on him.
“Boss ?
_ Get me everything you got on Mark Ribes.
_ The lawyer again, seriously ? Whined Torres as he followed. I thought we talked about this ? The guy has no motives !
_ Start to work Torres, Gibbs growled, trying not to unnerve his agent before his second coffee. Sloane thinks he's the boyfriend the other crew members talked to us about.
_ When did Jack got in the case ?”
The glare Gibbs gave him was enough to cut his inquiries short, his curiosity less important than his health. McGee, too happy to dig what he hadn't been able to do thoroughly, started to gather his notes. Little by little, the pieces of the puzzle started to assemble under the theory Jack had emitted. It took them less than the day to shut the case, the lawyer cracking in interrogation under McGee impassible questions, after they found their crime scene in his living room as much as he had tried to clean it up.
The knock on her door startled her a little. She looked at the clock who had yet to hit six. Saving what she had been writing, she stretched as he entered the room with a warm smile.
“Caught your killer ?
He nodded, his silent smugness making her feel warm.
_ What are you here for, Cowboy ?
_ Dinner ?
_ Is it all ?
_ Probably can dig up an old case to look out, he shrugged.
_ Such an ass, she laughed as she started gathering her stuff.
_ So easy to bribe, he said in his low voice, sending a shiver down her spine.
Catching her as she tried to pass him, he kissed her with a smile.
_ McGee says thanks for the help. Torres expects coffee on Monday as an apology for avoiding us all week.
_ I didn't avoid you !
_ Huh huh...
He kissed her again when she slapped his chest.
_ Take out or restaurant ?
_ Feeling fancy, I see.
_ Figured you deserved a little celebration.
_ Take out is fine, I don't need an audience to celebrate.”
She kissed his cheek as he blushed slightly, getting her coat while he was still gobsmacked. She celebrated her triumph on his couch, into his compliant and eager arms, and he felt he could really get used to be wrong more often.