Work Text
"Hey...uh, boss?" Gibbs looked up as Mcgee slowly stood up at his desk. He raised an eyebrow and waited. Mcgee looked at his phone and hesitated. "Well? Spit it out, Mcgee." He said calmly. He jumped. "Reception is calling. There...there's a kid? Asking for you? I told them you were busy-" "No. Never tell them that. Not for this." He paused in standing and grabbing his blazer. "Why didn't they call me directly?" He winced. "Said your line was busy. Sorry, boss - I'll look at it right away-" Gibbs glanced down at the phone that was lying off the hook, and finished pulling on his jacket as he strode out of his cubicle. "Nice work, Mcgee." Mcgee looked at Tony in confusion, who just shrugged back when he thought Gibbs wouldn't see him. Gibbs walked quickly to the front entrance of the building. "Hey, Rose." The receptionist turned and smiled when she saw him. "Hello, Gibbs - she's over with Frank." He glanced over where she pointed and relaxed when he saw the little girl with the old janitor. "Thanks, Rose." He said softly, turning to walk away. He stopped when he felt her grab the sleeve of his jacket, and turned back. "Yeah?" "This one - she asked for you personally. Said to tell you her name is Emily." She searched his face. He blinked. "Thanks." He said again before leaving. He walked over to the janitor, nodding in greeting before crouching down. "Hey." The girl turned and her face lit up. She screeched and threw her arms around his neck. "Uncle Gibbs!" He smiked and hugged her tightly. "Hey, Emily." He went to ask her what she was doing here - but she was already talking. "I got lost on the field trip and couldn't remember where to go, but Daddy always talked about you and NCIS - and I can write that now! I'll show you!" She let go of him and started shrugging off her backpack. "How about you tell me how you go here first." He said gently. "Oh. Right. So I got lost, and there were lots and lots of people - so I found a LEO and told him I had to come here and he took me here!" She finished triumphantly. He hummed and nodded. "And why didn't you go to your Dad's office?" "Dad doesn't talk about it as much as he talks about you." She said simply. He smiled a little and stood, picking her up. "Thanks, Frank." "Nothing to it." The old man said, returning to his cart. "How would you like a tour of my office?" She gasped. "Really? Really really?" He laughed a little. "Yeah. Really. Hey, Rose. Did you-" She passed him a card and waved at the little girl. "Got the cop's info right here for you." "Thanks." He slid the card into his pocket and started walking back to the bullpen. "Alright. We're gonna go to my office first and let my team know what's going on." She nodded, listening with rapt attention. "And then we'll visit Abby and Ducky." "Abby!" She threw her hands up. "Hey, be careful." She sobered and nodded, holding onto his neck again. He carried her into the bullpen, hitting his badge on the door and letting them through. He saw Tony and Mcgee trying not to look like they were peering over the walls, and he knew Kate was probably just as curious - if able to hide it better. "Daddy will be so happy to hear about this!" She chattered. "I get to see your work!" He laughed quietly. "He'll be something..." He felt all three of his agents lock eyes on him as he walked to his desk pretending nothing was wrong. He set Emily down in his chair and gave it a spin before he bent over his desk and hung his phone up. He picked the phone up again and started dialing. She tried to scoot the chair closer, and he reached over and dragged it to him before she could get frustrated. "Are we gonna call Daddy?" She stage whispered. He made a noise of affirmation and his his smile at how hard his agents were trying not to look like they were eavesdropping. She wiggled closer and rested her chin in her hands, propping her elbows up on the desk. "Can I talk to him?" "Sure." He rested a hand on her back and waited for the call to connect. Fornell answered at the second ring. "...Gibbs? Aren't you at work?" He hummed affirmatively again. "Found something you lost." "Daddy!" Emily shrieked. Gibbs winced at the volume. There was silence on the other end as Tobias processed. "Gibbs. Jethro. Tell me you grew a fucking funny bone and decided to prank me." He hissed. "Emily got lost on a field trip." He said calmly. "Emily got - Emily got lost?" He nodded even though Fornell couldn't see him. "Hi, Daddy! I couldn't remember where you worked but you always talk about Uncle Gibbs so I found here!" She cheerfully explained. Gibbs chuckled. "No. Don't you - don't you dare laugh. She..." "Breathe, Fornell." He said, listening to his partner start to hyperventilate. "She's fine, she's safe. She did everything right." Emily waved excitedly at Tony who ducked back behind his monitor and hit random keys. Gibbs rubbed her back. "Coming over?" "Coming - is that even a question?" Fornell snapped, the sound of him rushing to get his things together audible even over the phone. "Hey! I've got to go get my kid!" He yelled at someone. "Hey." Gibbs said. "What?" He snapped. "Drive safe." He said before hanging up with a chuckle. He could imagine the blue streak Fornell was yelling at him and he turned Emily away from the desk. "He's on his way - let's go see Abby. Ducky can meet us there." She slid off the seat, nodding. "Abby is the coolest. She told me she has pet bats and sleeps in a coffin - but no one really sleeps in a coffin, do they? Grandpa Ducky says those are for dead people and she's not dead." Gibbs took her hand and smiled, listening to her chatter all of the way to Abby's lab, where Abby took over the squealing for both of them. "So.""Don't go there, Gibbs."He hid his smile behind a drink of coffee. "Go where?"Fornell glared at him."So.""I am fucking warning you, Jethro...""You talking about me?"He sifhed and rubbed his forehead. "You fucking went there...""Enough that your own daughter asked to go to NCIS instead of the FBI?""Fuck you." He muttered."Nah. Not tonight. Think I want to fuck you."His ears turned red and he got off the sofa with a huff, stomping towards the kitchen while Gibbs chuckled behind him.