"Kate, get his file. Tony, check phone records."
"Got it, boss."
"I'm on it." Kate's fingers flew over the keyboard as she pulled up the victim's personnel file. Or tried to. Glancing quickly at Gibbs, who was hunched over his own computer, she tried again. Same result. "Um, Gibbs? I've got a problem."
"What?"
"My, uh, clearance isn't high enough," Kate mumbled, embarrassed.
"What is your clearance?" Gibbs' face showed nothing.
"Well, um, that's the strange part. It's saying I don't have any clearance."
"Did you pull a DiNozzo, Kate?"
"Hey!"
"No! I...don't know what happened. This is really weird."
"Tony, get the file."
"Yes, boss." Tony hid his grin as he found the file. This is going to be good!
----------
The three stepped out of the truck and headed for the house. A hand reached out and stopped Kate.
"Kate, your clearance isn't high enough to see the crime scene. You go through the trash out back," Gibbs stated matter-of-factly.
"But Gibbs – " Kate started indignantly.
"Did that sound like a suggestion?"
Kate glared at him before stalking off sullenly to sort through the trash. As soon as she was out of earshot, Tony turned to Gibbs.
"This is great, boss! Yanking her clearance so she gets the dirty work," Tony sighed happily. "It's genius."
"Great, DiNozzo. Now go help her," Gibbs replied without skipping a beat.
Tony laughed. "That's a good one, boss. 'Go help her'. Ha!"
"Do I joke often, DiNozzo?" Gibbs lowered his voice dangerously.
"No, boss."
"Then what makes you think this is a joke?"
"Oh. Right. On it, boss." Tony scampered off to join Kate.
Gibbs watched with a raised eyebrow. Chuckling slightly after Tony was out of sight, he snapped on a glove and walked into the house.
"Peace at last."
"Got it, boss."
"I'm on it." Kate's fingers flew over the keyboard as she pulled up the victim's personnel file. Or tried to. Glancing quickly at Gibbs, who was hunched over his own computer, she tried again. Same result. "Um, Gibbs? I've got a problem."
"What?"
"My, uh, clearance isn't high enough," Kate mumbled, embarrassed.
"What is your clearance?" Gibbs' face showed nothing.
"Well, um, that's the strange part. It's saying I don't have any clearance."
"Did you pull a DiNozzo, Kate?"
"Hey!"
"No! I...don't know what happened. This is really weird."
"Tony, get the file."
"Yes, boss." Tony hid his grin as he found the file. This is going to be good!
----------
The three stepped out of the truck and headed for the house. A hand reached out and stopped Kate.
"Kate, your clearance isn't high enough to see the crime scene. You go through the trash out back," Gibbs stated matter-of-factly.
"But Gibbs – " Kate started indignantly.
"Did that sound like a suggestion?"
Kate glared at him before stalking off sullenly to sort through the trash. As soon as she was out of earshot, Tony turned to Gibbs.
"This is great, boss! Yanking her clearance so she gets the dirty work," Tony sighed happily. "It's genius."
"Great, DiNozzo. Now go help her," Gibbs replied without skipping a beat.
Tony laughed. "That's a good one, boss. 'Go help her'. Ha!"
"Do I joke often, DiNozzo?" Gibbs lowered his voice dangerously.
"No, boss."
"Then what makes you think this is a joke?"
"Oh. Right. On it, boss." Tony scampered off to join Kate.
Gibbs watched with a raised eyebrow. Chuckling slightly after Tony was out of sight, he snapped on a glove and walked into the house.
"Peace at last."
