Title: Sweet Tea
Fandom: NCIS
Genre: Contemporary, Crime Drama
Pairing: Gen
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Canon-typical shenanigans
Author Note: Another variation on Dead Air because I can.
Note 2: Despite this being for Bad Things Happen bingo, this is honestly just a fun little bit of fluff. It’s not designed to go anywhere or be continued; it was written to amuse me. This isn’t really the Gibbs we see in season 8… Author handwave of I do what I want.
Timeline: Season 8, Dead Air
Challenge: Just Write Create Your Own Bingo – Bad Things Happen card, Prompt: Betrayal
Word Count: ~2,200
Summary: Tony realizes his backup isn’t paying attention to him, so he goes out on a limb and calls in the procedural violation.
Sweet Tea
Tony DiNozzo stood in the shade of a tree and considered the phone call he was about to make.
It would change a lot of things one way or the other.
Either it would be taken seriously, acted upon, and the fallout would be immense.
Or…
It might be ignored or swept under the rug, and the fallout would still be immense, though perhaps only for him.
He’d already been standing under this tree, next to a weird little gnome, for half an hour. A half-hour of silence that should have been suspicious yet didn’t seem to have raised any flags for his team. It was mildly suspicious that he was lurking under this tree, but the homeowners were on vacation, and Tony had spoken to the neighbors on both sides. One of them had even suggested he take a break in the shade of this very tree if he got tired of house hunting since the homeowner was away and wouldn’t mind.
He pressed the first favorited number on his phone and lifted it to his ear. He made no attempt to turn off his mic, so his side of the conversation could easily be heard, assuming anyone was listening.
“What is it, DiNozzo?” Gibbs barked.
“I need you to hear me out.”
There was a brief pause. “I’m listening.”
“I’m getting voice prints at Royal Woods, as we discussed. I’ve been talking to people for three and a half hours, and I’ve made several comments that should have engendered a response or a text from my backup, but there was nothing.” He had to stop and clear his throat, because his throat felt like sandpaper. “When I didn’t get a response, including to a request that some information be texted to me, I planted myself in one location, and there’s been complete silence over my comms for the last thirty. Did you get a distress alert?”
“I suspect you know I didn’t.”
“No, because I’m standing in the shade of a tree, out of their view, watching them reading and not even looking around. They haven’t even glanced up in the thirty minutes I’ve been standing here. My mic is still live. They should be hearing every word I’m saying to you, Gibbs, but they aren’t even reacting, which means…”
“The sound is off,” Gibbs concluded, then he started swearing. “If your location is secure, stay where you are. If it’s not, get secure. I’ll be there in thirty. Do not engage with any more residents, and I could not mean that more sincerely, DiNozzo.”
Tony considered that. “The lady in the house next to where I am—I’ve already been there. She’s eighty if she’s a day, lives alone, has a poodle. Offered me tea.”
“Yeah, do it. If you believe it’s safe to lie low, get in there and wait for me. What’s the house number?”
Tony rattled off the house number. “Gibbs, what are you…?”
“There’s no question, Tony. I have the first rule for a reason.” He blew out a breath. “I can’t say what the director or the agency will do, but they’re not on my team anymore.”
“And if the director doesn’t agree with your choice?”
“He can’t make me keep them.”
“Pretty sure he can.”
Gibbs scoffed. “Then we leave.”
“We?”
“Don’t be thick. You may have more options than I do, but I’m not without choices. We’ll figure it out. We get through this case and then see what’s next.”
“And what about this case?”
“Who do you recommend TAD?”
“Balboa and Nate?”
“Call ‘em while you’re having tea with the poodle lady. We solve the case, and we figure out the team next. I’m not leaving you hanging in the wind. Don’t even think it for a second.”
“Okay.”
“Tony?”
“Yeah?”
“Good job.”
“Thanks, Boss.”
~*~
Agatha set a cup of tea down in front of Tony. “People always assume chamomile is only for sleepy time, but it has anti-inflammatory properties that help with a sore throat. There’s also honey in there, and even if you don’t like your tea sweet, you need the honey. You talked entirely too much, and your throat isn’t going to thank you for it later.”
Tony had already texted Balboa to bring his SFA to Royal woods, where to park, and to text when they arrived. Fortunately, they were doing follow-ups and only had a lower priority case, so they were able to jump in and assist the MCRT on a domestic terrorism case.
“Thank you, Ms. Agatha.” The poodle, named Sir Eric Idle—and he apparently had to be addressed by the entire thing—was content to sit in Tony’s lap, which was all Agatha needed to think Tony was a decent human being deserving of her tea service. She was a British ex-pat who’d lived in the US since she was a teenager when her parents had moved to New York for their work.
“It’s quite all right, dear.” She sat across from him. “Did you get what you needed for your investigation?”
Tony’s brows shot up.
“Oh, give an old girl some credit. You weren’t checking out the neighborhood all day in that suit. The kind of money that suit implies has someone else checking into schools for them. They don’t trot about for hours asking questions. Took me a bit to sort it out. Voice prints? It’s a fun bit of intrigue for an old broad to get to watch.”
“Ms. Agatha, I’m sure you know I can’t tell you anything,” he said with a sigh.
“Pish. Show me your badge, darling. Pretend like I need the reassurance since you’ve got Sir Eric Idle on your lap, and I need to be sure my darling is safe.”
“This is going to come out so strange on the comm log,” Tony muttered, scratching the poodle behind the ear, but he dutifully pulled out his badge.
She took one look at it and frowned. “NCIS? That’s some interesting business.” Her brow puckered briefly. “You must be after those Military at Home whackadoos. Is this about that man killed on the radio? Well, how interesting!”
“Ms. Agatha!” Tony protested.
“Oh, you do have to look into the Haskells. There’s entirely too much going on with them. Too many comings and goings, and they took Haylie’s death very hard. People become radicalized much too easily these days. A little goes against them and they’re willing to let everyone burn.”
Tony cocked his head. “Ms. Agatha, are you the neighborhood spy?”
“I watch everyone, son. I see what matters.”
“You didn’t tell me anything when I came by earlier.”
“You asked me about schools. It’s important to ask the right questions in life.”
“Indeed.” Tony continued to pet Sir Eric Idle and thought about the case but also about how he’d come to be sitting with their best source of information.
“Why are you here, kid? Where are your partners?”
“I’m waiting for them to arrive…?”
“They sent you out here alone?”
“Not exactly.” He frowned. “I didn’t come out here alone, and when it mattered, I had the backup I needed.”
“That’s important in life…to know who you can trust to back you up.”
Tony huffed a laugh. “Truer words, Ms. Agatha, truer words. Some days put that trust to the test, and it’s reassuring to know when our trust is well placed.”
“Mm.” She gave him a narrow-eyed look. “Screwed you over, did they? The two out there in the intentionally non-descript sedan?”
“Ms. Agatha,” Tony sighed.
“I figured they couldn’t be with you. They’re reading.”
Tony rubbed his forehead.
She patted his other hand where it was resting on Sir Eric Idle. “It’ll be all right, dear.”
~*~
Gibbs climbed into the car and handed Tony a container that was sloshy then began to unwrap his own burrito.
“You get a burrito, and I get…soup?” Tony whispered. Via phone, Ducky had advised whispers only until Tony could get seen by someone since it was likely a combination of allergies and vocal stress had given him some form of laryngitis.
“Nothing wrong with my throat,” Gibbs remarked dryly. He made a vague gesture to the hot flask of tea Ms. Agatha had sent along with them at the end of the investigation, which Balboa was wrapping up along with the bomb squad since she’d been dead on about where the Military at Home nuts were operating out of.
“Agatha offered us soup. We could be sitting at a nice table instead of fumbling our food in a parking lot in front of this dive.”
“Looks like a dive, makes great pozole. Fix you right up.”
Tony opened the soup and began eating. It was nice, though his taste buds seemed a little on the fritz. “You hustled us out of there because Ms. Agatha was flirting with you.”
Gibbs tilted his head, but didn’t deny it.
“What now?”
“Case is almost wrapped; Balboa is going to finish it out since you’re on medical for the rest of the week and then on desk duty.”
“You know what I mean.”
“I know.” Gibbs took an aggressive bite of his burrito. “Depends on what Vance does. If he does the right thing, we find a couple new agents and move on. If he acts like an ass, we get set for some uncomfortable conversations with the Inspector General. More me than you.”
“Oh?”
“I let it get like this.” Gibbs offered nothing else on that thought, and Tony didn’t press. “After that, we probably have some interviews with other agencies. Not the FBI. Maybe reach out to Morrow.”
“Yeah.” Tony stirred his soup moodily.
“You’re too old to play with your food. Eat. I start driving in five minutes.”
There was no way Tony was going to try to eat soup while Gibbs was driving, so he put serious effort into getting the soup down. The pork seemed like more than his throat wanted to deal with, so he focused on the rest while considering what the days ahead might bring.
“What’s going through that mind of yours?” Gibbs prodded. “You missing the poodle already?”
Tony sighed. Sir Eric Idle seemed inordinately fond of Tony and had whined every time Tony set him down. Agatha found it charming. “It’s a poodle. Very fussy and high maintenance.”
Gibbs cocked a brow at him.
“Did your eyebrow just compare me to a teacup poodle?” he yelped in indignation and then started coughing.
Gibbs shoved the tea in his hand while laughing. “If the fussy hairdo fits.”
As soon as he’d gotten back to normal with his throat, he scoffed at the comparison of himself to a poodle.
Gibbs gave him a considering look. “Agatha tell you about her cancer?”
“Yeah, she mentioned it while we were sitting in the bay window watching the bomb squad. She has a thing for thigh holsters, and you wouldn’t let me work.”
“Ducky said no more outdoor work.” Gibbs hesitated. “She’s pretty far along.”
“I know. She mentioned she’ll be having a full-time nurse move in starting next week.”
“I’ll be running a background check.”
“Gibbs,” Tony chastised. “That’s intrusive.”
Gibbs waved it away. “Agatha encouraged it. Wants to see the report.”
Tony rolled his eyes. “Of course she does.”
“She’s leaving you the dog.”
Tony choked on his honey-sweet chamomile tea. When he’d recovered his equilibrium, he stared at Gibbs wide-eyed. “Say what?”
“She said the fussy little thing has never taken to anyone before. She’s leaving him to you.”
“Gibbs! I can’t have a dog!”
A shrugged shoulder was the only response.
“Cats are somewhat self-sufficient. A fussy little poodle is not.”
“He’s barely out of the puppy stage, so he’s got a good few years. She wants him to have a good home.”
“Gibbs… Not with the guilt.”
“You planned to visit her anyway.”
“Ugh. You’re the worst.”
The trademark Gibbs’ grin made an appearance as he rounded up the lunch detritus and hopped out of the car to throw away the trash.
When they were on the road, Tony decided to deal with more exigent matters than his future fussy little dog. “Vance will help them find another team.”
Another shrug. “It might not be easy for them to find a team.”
Tony shot Gibbs a curious look.
“It could be that when I emailed my dereliction of duty report that I copied the entire agency by accident.” Gibbs sipped his coffee. “Everyone knows I’m terrible with technology.”
Tony blinked in astonishment, then burst into laughter that was a huge release of tension until it devolved into a coughing fit. Even though he was supposed to be focused on driving, Gibbs patted him on the back hard enough to dislodge his entire rib cage.
Eyes watering, Tony knocked away Gibbs’ helpful hand and sipped at his tea.
When they were almost back to the Yard, he whispered, “Thanks for having my back.”
“That’s what partners do.”
The End
Sir Eric Idle
Oh Gibbs, you wonderful man… BWAHAHAHA
I loved everything this about this. 😁
I love this so much! Tony deserves to be treated so well by Gibbs and those two idiots deserve all the consequences that can possibly come their way. I always love how you write these characters and you never disappoint! Thank you for a new story!
I love your takes on Dead Air. I also love the dog that Tony is going to end up with.
Thank you for this wonderful story, it made my day.
Very good story
Dead Air has to be one of my favorite points to diverge. I was so irked by how it was handled.
This was the most enjoyable story.
Just hilariously perfect. Everyone needs a Miss Agatha in their life.
And I’m always a sucker for Gibbs acting like a true partner.
That pup is too adorable for words! Tony deserves this!
Loved this, I almost always enjoy Dead Air fics. I don’t know what happened with McGee and Ziva but I’m picturing them still sitting in their car reading without realizing anything has happened as the case is wrapped up and Tony and Gibbs leave.
OMG. I love the poodle. Also, YEAH GIBBS! excellent use of his luddite reputation!
Poodles may be fussy but they are also highly intelligent, brave, and excellent judges of character. Tony could get his fluffy companion certified as a drug or bomb sniffing dog and bring his Lordship to work with him.
Great fic Jilly!
Okay, that puppy is adorable… and Tony could use more than a little unconditional love in his life.
Thanks for phenomenal tale, Jilly (I love me some Dead Air fic).
That is a cute story to go with a cute dog picture. Thank you!
I loved this. So nice to see you back writing . Don’t forget to continue to take care of yourself
I could read a million Dead Air stories. This is a gem. Love Miss Agatha and Sir Eric Idle.
Thank you
This was a really great take on Dead Air. I love that Tony is going to end up with Sir Eric Idle, lol.
This was great! I love a supportive Gibbs & that puppy is freaking adorable!!
OMG!! Loved this fic. I want a puppy now so I can steal the name.
How is this story soo good!!
Very sweet story. I’ve watched to many YouTube dog videos I can just see the pup having the zoomies in Tony’s apartment and Tony trying to catch him. Strikes me as funny.
LOL, puppy!
I have had 2 small poodles in my life, & I can verify the truth in Tony’s description of them. XD
This was wonderful, JJ, thank you!
You are a gem and you keep turning out sparklers! Loved it.
I’m sorry that we are going to lose Miss Agatha. She is just the sharp witted grandma that Tony needs. And Sir Eric Idle is the cutest lap warmer ever. Thank you for the story. 🏵
I would die for Sir Eric Idle.
Loved this!! And that pic is just too cute! Just when I needed a little pick me up before work this did the trick delightfully!
Aside from the fact that this whole thing was lovely, the ending was just perfect, I could picture it so easily! 😍
(Also, I adore that certain characters didn’t even appear onscreen, because I am a deeply petty person and entirely unashamed by that. After reading your last post, it was just *chef’s kiss*)
That was wonderful thank you. So rarely we get to read Gibbs doing the right thing for Dead Air. Love a good NCIS story thank you again.
This was delightful. Gibbs is such a troll and Tony absolutely needs a fussy little poodle in his life lol!
Love it love. Hope 2025 goes well for you
Sir Eric Idle is Adorable!
Great story. If it had only happened like that in canon. Love Ms. Agatha and Sir Eric Idle. I’m sorry to hear about her cancer diagnosis. She sounds like she would have been a great aunt figure to Tony. Even if she was flirting with Gibbs.
That was an absolute treat ❤️
Ohh I love it love this version of Gibbs thanks for sharing
Fantastic! Just as it should have been.
Loved all your Tony/NCIS stories . Thank you. It was just what I needed today.
I like your hand waves. I myself have used the term hand wave of convenience ever since you introduced us to the term. I am getting many a chuckle out of imagining Tony and his dealings with Sir Eric idle.
I love this.
Gibbs doing the right thing and not letting Vance sweep it under the carpet. Using his well known ineptitude with computers to shaft the betrayers. And Sir Eric Idle. I can just see Tony having to bring him to work because he doesn’t want to be home alone.
Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for sharing Jilly. That was great! Love DiNozzo stories and what a simple Dead Air solution!
Wishing you a happier, more settled year ahead.
This just revived ALLLL my Gibbs and Tony comfort vibes. I need to go reread everything now. I’m in love. Thank you!!
This made me smile. 😁
That fluffy little fuzzball deserves all the star studded hearts that I can’t attach. Always a delight and exactly what I needed as I recover from some kind of cold/allergies/runny nose/achy joints mess. I’m currently a hot mess and hating that it hit while it starts to warm up here in CA. [eyes Jilly’s other stuff as well as Keira’s for feel good fics]
I really love this😘
Yessssssss. Also this is hilarious given what you wrote in your update. I love this.
Fantastic and adorable!
I will never be tired of Dead Air variations. And I love Agatha and am glad she has the reassurance of a good home for her darling poodle.
This was short & lovely. Just the thing I needed to read. Loved the automatic backup from Gibbs, something we were missing desperately in the show. And a wonderful OC in Miss Agatha. Thank you for sharing this.
That was just amazing, serious yet funny at times and heartfelt and heartbreaking.
I loved Ms Agatha, who either watches a lot of crime drama (with thigh holsters!) or worked in some form of law enforcement, maybe spying. She could be one of those British women whose career choices expanded in wartime and she was so good that they kept her on afterwards.
Gibbs teasing Tony was the vibe they should have had, but lost by season 8, but Gibbs’ instant reaction to the phone call was awesome and appropriate for his military background.
Great take on Dead Air! I always love seeing Gibbs doing the right thing and being a good partner, but the teasing about Tony being the future owner of the fussy little poodle is fantastic! That little furball is adorable and I can see Tony spoiling him SO badly. Gibbs sending the DoD email to the whole agency was perfect! Thanks for sharing!
This was fun…and I sort of want to adopt Sir Eric Idle and Agatha. Gibbs really does have plausible deniability because he is awful with technology. 😉
I would read a million variations of Dead Air. This one was a lot of fun!
EVERYTHING about this is amazing! Thank you so much for sharing!! xxx
Love it.
I’m not sure even Gibbs could resist Sir Eric Idle. Love Dead Air stories. Thanks
Very satisfying read. Gotta love it when the dasterdly duo takees in the shorts. the dog. I LOVE the dog.
As always, brilliant story telling. Your take on dead air is always my take on dead air. Thanks
For once Gibbs did the right thing. Nice.
Miss Agatha has a thing for tigh holsters. 🤣🤣 I imagine Miss Agatha and Tony looking at the bomb squad and greatly appreciating the view… 😋
Thank you !
I’ve read this twice in as many hours because, LOVE LOVE LOVE!!! From sassy Ms. Agatha; to Gibbs doing the right thing, more than once even; to Tony and his future furry BFF. LOVE! <3 And nothing says 'I've lost what respect I might of had for ya' like accidentally, on purpose, outting those faithless jack wads to the whole agency.
I hope Tony and Gibbs both spend as much time as they can with Ms. Agatha, hearing her stories and just taking in the sassy old lady vibes!
Here is hoping that 2025 returns to you the joy you bring to so many others. You deserve it! <3
I love Eric! He’s so cute!
Gibbs in this is a true-blue partner!
Thank you for the story.
👌💯❤️😊
This was a lovely story.
I adore both Miss Agatha and Sir Eric.
I fervently applaud Tony’s decision and Gibbs’ response.
I am whining with joy about the accidental mass email.
Thank you for the story.
I love when actions have concequences.
Thanks for sharing!
Ms Agatha and Sir Eric Idle are amazing. Thank you for sharing this with us! Your writing is always amazing
Well, I don’t have anything *original* to say, just cheers for Gibbs actually living up to the supportive role he should have had, and (as a bonus) weaponizing his tech-dinosaur rep; love and bit of sadness over Ms Agatha, a delight we (and Tony) get for too short a time; and coos for that ADORABLE fluffy puppy. Oh, and yep, extra kudos for leaving the toxic twins without a clue, or a single line of dialogue! 😈
This was honestly adorable and I love Agatha and her sweet pooch.
Thanks
Calia
wonderful, just wonderful, love it.
Thank you