Alice Story part 2

Light Sleeper

"I don't understand, McGee. Sensitivity training?" Ziva asks in confusion as we leave the squad room and begin walking up the stairs behind Tony's desk.

"Yeah, it's a seminar covering the basics of communication and understanding in the workplace," McGee explains to Ziva as we walk up to the room.

"I know what sensitivity is. I'm asking why we have to spend the whole afternoon studying it."

"Professional development?"

"If it were survival training, advanced demolitions, perhaps..."

"I don't think that sympathetic seminars, Inc. offers those classes."

"I'm simply saying that skilled investigators should already be well-versed in the subtleties of inter-human communication."

"I like Italian women. You're Italian, right? I like Irish women, too," Tony says to the poor women he has hold up, as we step off the top step onto the runway outside MTAC and the director's office.

"I stand corrected."

"You three better hurry up, don't want to miss out on all of the fun," Tony teases us while letting the women go.

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Where are you going?"

"Prior engagement. Take notes for me."

"You do understand the meaning of the word mandatory, don't you?" McGee asks him.

"Better yet, take me with you. I wouldn't sit through this again," I beg of Tony while grabbing his jacket in desperation.

"I have been ordered to inspect the secure file room, probie. Sadly, that conflicts with your exciting seminar today," Tony explains while holding up a piece of paper that Ziva snatches from him.

"No, it doesn't. This order is for next Wednesday," Ziva corrects him making him snatch it back and check it himself.

"What?"

"Look on the bright side, Tony."

"It should only take five to seven hours," McGee informs Tony as we begin walking towards the room.

"There's got to be some way out of this. Maybe I could injure myself," Tony mumbles making Ziva bends his fingers back making him exclaim, "Ow!"

"What? I was only trying to help," Ziva explains while Tony pulls his hand way from her and glares at her.

"I was only kidding."

"Sensitivity training is going to have to wait. We got a double homicide at Quantico. Marine wives. Grab your gear," Gibbs orders us.

"Ye-ow!" Tony begins cheering but Gibbs hits him on the back of the head.

"Inappropriate?" Ziva asks McGee as I walk out of hearing range with Gibbs.

"I'm glad we don't have to sit through that sensitivity training. I might have to shoot Tony to get out," I explain to Gibbs as we get our gear.

"Maybe latter," Gibbs says to me before calling to his children, "Today."

"On your six, bass," Tony calls as they all catch up to us at the elevator.

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"You know, this kind of reminds me of my cousin's house... minus all the bloods. Unless you count that Thanksgiving back in ninety eight," Tony comments while taking photos of the victims' living room where they are lying dead on the couch.