"Don't go breaking your neck"

Chapter Five: Wedding Bells
14x23: Something Blue

*Trigger Warning*

"All right. How about this one?"

" Is that different from the last one?"

" Yeah, this one is onyx, the last one was midnight. So, what do you think?"

"It's nice."

"That's it? Nice?"

" Honey, it's your tux. I'll love whatever you choose, but you need to make a decision. The wedding's in less than two months."

"Yeah, I know, it's just.."

"Oh, hon, got to go.Caterer's calling. Talk later."

"Ah, well, I guess that's that. Hey, decision made." Bishop speaks up from next to Isana they were there to support Timothy but the free champagne didn't help.

"Oh, no. What's with the long face?" Quinn says.

"Delilah. She hated it. She hated the tux."

"Hmm-mm what? No, no, no. No, she didn't."

"That was her fake smile." Mcgee sighs.

"No, you're crazy. Seriously, McGee, this is classic."

"You mean boring."

"Yeah, baby. Huh? That's what I'm talking about." Nick walks out of the dressing room in a nice suit that had no Tie or anything all black. "Please, no pictures. Nah, go for it." he spins around as Quinn laughs

"Woof." Isana mutters before wincing. "Was that out loud?"

" Mm-hmm."

"Mm." She hums sitting back in her seat.

"You know, that's the kind of reaction that I want to get just once, just not, you know, "You look nice."

" Then lose the dated threads, man. It's not your prom, it's your wedding. Nobody wears cummerbunds anymore."

"How about something like this? Modern tuxedo for the modern man?" Clayton walks out in a hwite suite with a black bow tie.

" Hot damn." " Wowza." "mira que te ves todo caliente" (Look at you looking all hot) all three women say at the same time.

"Oh, come on."

"Sorry, Nick. I didn't mean to steal your thunder. Actually, I'm not sorry." Clayton straightens up.

Torres laughs. " Anyways, you look like a waiter."

"Yeah? Well, you look like Johnny Cash."

"Okay, I'll take that." Nick replies as Isana rolls her eyes.

"All right, enough, boys. Play nice children," she sasses as Quinn and Bishop laugh.

"It's a nightmare. Everyone at my wedding is gonna look better than me."

"It could be worse, McGee. Could be flying over the Atlantic with Gibbs right now." Nick explains.

"I don't know, transporting a dead body may be more fun than this, actually."

"Come on, mate. Look at you. You look dashing." Clayton speaks up as Mcgee turns to look at himself in the mirror again.

"Yeah? Really think so?"

" Yes. Showstopper." "Mm-hmm." Everyone was praising Mcgee all at once.

"Did someone say showstopper?" Abby walks out in an all black Tux and a Bow tie.

" Wow."

"Mm." Everyone nods as Isana takes off her sweater, she walks over to Mcgee removing the cumberbund before adjusting his shirt a bit and stepping out of the way.

"Ooh" everyone says as he nods.

"You're welcome." she replies as he kisses her on the cheek.

//

"I jinxed us, didn't I?" Mcgee mutters as they hop down out of the jet.

" So much for a quiet day at the office." Quinn says as she hops down after then there Nick and lastly Isana who is adjusting her hair in the ponytail, Nick extends a hand for her as she gives a weird look but takes it hoping down only for Nick to move his hand away last minute causing her to trip and fall she collects herself before straightening up and glaring at Nick who was laughing.

Isana and Quinn were inside the freezer where the body was supposed to be. It had gotten stolen, so they were called to investigate where it was and also figure out why it was stolen and what not. The two friends were shivering as they snapped photos they stepped outside the freezer hearing the but end of Torres and Mcgee's convo.

"You know, you're so lucky my hands are freezing right now 'cause I'll smack you."

"Oh, really? You're cold? Try being stuck in there." Quin sasses as her and Isana are visibly shaking.

"Did you find anything?"

" Frostbite count?" Isana sasses

"Nope." Gibbs comes into view as Isana is shaking rubbing her arm with her free hand,

"Then we got nothing."

"Where's Bishop?"

" She's talking to Petty Officer Jones division officer, Ensign Stoddard."

"What do we know?" gibbs opens his notepad.

" The victim is Petty Officer Third Class Gregory Jones, 22.He's from Overbrook, Pennsylvania.Worked on board as a culinary specialist."

"His parents were on vacation in New Zealand.They're catching the next flight back to D.C."

"Jones got a sister, Regina, freshman at John Hamilton. She's also been notified of her brother's death." Mcgee continues.

"And it didn't take a criminal mastermind to break in. The padlock on the freezer's just flimsy." Quinn explains.

"How do you steal a body on board a ship full of people and nobody saw anything?"

" Maybe someone did."

"You two Finish up there and go find out." Gibbs nods to Isana and Quinn who are trying to prepare themselves for going back into the freezer. " You two, back to D.C.

Talk to Jones' sister.What does she know?" He nods to Mcgee and Torress as they walk away and Quinn slowly trudges to the freezer as Isana stands there.

Gibss sends her his signature "what the fuck are you doing look?"

"What, I just thawed myself and now you want me to freeze like a damn popsicle again. I am savoring this for a few more minutes." she sasses as he chuckled before she groans waking into the freezer again.

//

Isana and Quinn decided to split up and look for compartments on board that could hold Jones's Body. Isana was searching somewhere near the bunker rooms when she felt eyes on her she turned not seeing anyone before walking down the hall, she continued down another hall scratching her head she was completely and utterly lost, she taps her pen on her nose looking at the numbers on the wall to try to get herself back, her anxiety was high, of course it would be she was on a boat and was lost in the middle of a hall way away from her team and Gibbs she could end up like Petty officer Jones too if she wasn't careful.

"Are you lost Ma'am?"

The voice was deep, full of rasp she turned to see a tall guy not too tall, with green eyes and shaggy light brown hair, he was very handsome with a slight plumpness to his lips.

"Uh...yeah you caught me, I am just trying to get to the conference hall." she opens the map in her hands letting out a sigh as the guy clears his throat, he turns the map around causing her to laugh a bit, he smiles at her amazing laugh, she was truly a sight.

"You are all the way over here," he points across the map and you want to go "Here." he points a ways away from where they were on the map,

Isana lets out a laugh again before pulling the map back and kissing her teeth."How did I get all the way over here?" she asks, looking down at the map again.

"This ship can turn people around, I remember one time I was looking for the showers and found myself standing in the mess hall half dressed with a towel no shower in sight." he explains as Isana laughs again, it was genuine he was genuine and cute, extremely cute.

She sighs before looking around. "Well, I guess I better get going," she steps a bit tripping over her shoe string, the man in question quickly catches her with both hands steadying her, by her elbows.

"You shoe is untied Ma'am." he looks down at her feet seeing her laces in a mess on the floor, she curses at herself for sticking them in her boot rather than tying them. She was in a rush and was being lazy.

He kneels down looking at the untied shoe as Isana pulls her foot back a bit.

"I can tie it when I get back to the conference hall." she says simply as Dean shakes his head.

"Tsk tsk,tsk, that won't do, you almost damn near broke your neck a few minutes ago so give me your foot." he grabs her foot as she laughs he ties it before sighing. "Really you just tucked the laces in her boot?" He gives her a pointed look trying to show displeasure with a sly smirk as she laughs harder. He grabs her other foot, taking the laces out of the shoe and tying them properly.

"See? now you wont go breaking your neck." he says as she chuckles a bit, her cheeks already hurting from the laughing, her phone beeps and she looks at it seeing a text from Quinn, it reads how Mcgee called Gibbs and they found Jones's body on land and that they were Headed back home and bring her ass Gibbs was getting worried and was about to put out an alert over the ships intercom system if she didn't return or respond to her text. She types a quick reply before steadying herself as the ship rocks a bit.

"Well, I have to get going, Ncis is all done here for now, I will be on dry land in thirty minutes."

"Oh no and here I was already getting to like you and you go on up and leave." He feigns hurt as Isana laughs his southern charm was nice.

"Mhm Petty officer?" She was looking around for a name on her dress slacks.

"Wallace, Dean Wallace." he smiles all big as she just giggles.

"Okay tell you what, she takes her pen and writes down half her number on his hand. "You help find the fastest way to get to the conference hall and I'll give you the rest of that number." she smirks as he nods.

"Well alright, right this way m'lady." he bows as she laughs before taking the lead he strides through each hall quickly eventually grabbing onto Isana's hand dragging her along in under five minutes they make it to the conference hall.

"Here you are at the conference hall." he says as she gives him a sly look before grabbing his hand and writing the rest of her number down on it.

"I will be waiting for a text from you sailor." she says as he nods eagerly. She slips into the room with a shit eating grin plastered on her face as everyone is staring at her, she stops in her tracks locking eyes with everyone.

"Where were you?"

"Looking for Petty Officer Jones's body like you." she nods to Quinn.

"Yeah but I wasn't as happy about it as you are."

"I am not happy, he is dead that's sad," she plays it off as Bishop shakes her head at her not believing it.

"You meet a cute Sailor on your search?" Quinn quipps the two colleagues now staring at her she simply shrugs it off.

"No, I got lost and a lovely person guided me here." She says as Quinn and Bishop just squint at her Gibbs was too busy on the phone he finally notices Isana thought moving the phone from his ear to inspect her for bruises which she just simply rolled her eyes about.

//

"Ah, it's Ginger, Bunny, and Mary Ann. Welcome back." Torress jokes as Isana rolls her eyes as the trio of women walk to their desk bags in their arms. "How was your three-hour tour?"

" I have never been so happy to see these orange walls." Quinn sighs as she drops her bag on the floor.

"All right, the ship wasn't that bad."

"Huh? What? Maybe to you.I was in the freezer. My body temperature still has not gotten back to normal."

"What about the crew?"

"Yeah what about the crew, Izzie?" Bishop looks at the woman as she rolls her eyes. "Izzie was lost for like thirty minutes and just magically returned with the biggest grin on her face."

Isana scoffs. "I got lost and someone helped me that is it."

"More like you got lost and fell into their arms where they whisked you away." Quinn feigns hurt and injured as Bishop plays along Isana throws an eraser from a jar on desk at them.

"Tell us about the crew?" Torres speaks up as the two women look at Isana who rolls her eyes.

"Well, the ship is on lockdown, so no one's going anywhere." she says simply.

"Which gives us the perfect time to solve this case and figure out who made you all giddy." Bishop says as Quinn nods eagerly, Unbeknownst to them Torres was swelling with jealousy, he didn't know why he didn't really like Isana, sure, she was pretty, and smart, and really sweet, and always smelt like vanilla or freshly baked cupcakes, and her dog was the sweetest thing ever and she loved animals and baked goods. And sure she was basically a woodland pixie.

The pencil in his hand snaps and everyone looks at him as he laughs it off.

"Damn Nicky what did that pencil do to you?" Isana laughs as he growls practically and rolls his eyes.

"Anything on Petty Officer Jones?" Quinn takes a seat in her chair.

"Nothing. The kid was squeaky-clean. No police records, no debts. The guy's credit score is better than mine." Torres picks up the remote for the tv showing the trio the info.

"Hmm, no previous drug issues?" Isana asks, stepping closer to him, she shakes her hair around a bit, loosening the stiffness from the ponytail as the scent of coconut tickles his nostrils.

He was in a trance for a second before continuing. " No, his sister was adamant that he just wasn't into drugs."

"Siblings don't always tell each other the truth. Maybe he was ashamed to tell her." Bishop explains as Isana nods in agreement.

"Except Jones was so hyper-aware of his blood-pressure medication that he wouldn't even drink coffee."

"I mean, he avoided caffeine, and he decided to dabble in ecstasy? Does that make sense to anyone?" Quinn asks as the group starts thinking.

//

Quinn Torress and Isana were assigned to check out any bunks after getting from Abby that he was drugged with the Ecstasy and then finding out from Gibbs that it was meant for the captain of the ship, everyone was on High alert luckily for them the ship was docked.

"Talk about a needle in a haystack" Quinn mutters as they check the bunks she is digging her hands under a mattress.

.

"I don't know, maybe not." Torres smiles, shaking a bottle of aspirin around.

" So sailors get headaches?"

" Don't be so naive, Ana." Torres mutters before opening the bottle he pours some in his hand.

"Oh. ahh" he groans, seeing just aspiring and pours the pills and now empty bottle onto the bed. As the two women chuckle. "All right, if you had ecstasy, where would you hide it?"

" I wouldn't have ecstasy." Quinn replies bluntly as Isana agrees

"Hey, speaking of headaches, are you two gonna take a plus-one to McGee's wedding?" Nick asks, scratching his head.

" No, no. You mean like a date?" Isana speaks up/

" Yeah."

"No,"

"Hard pass." Isana mutters.

"Weddings are weird enough without the extra pressure."

"Oh, man, I totally agree. I'm right there with you."

"Besides, it's way more fun to watch all the creepy guys troll the wedding, looking for single women to hook up with. You know the type." Quinn nods to Isana who nods back.

"Oh the creepy guys with bad breath and only last five minutes in bed yeah. Trust me I know the type."

"Uh, sure. Yeah. I mean, I just know that sometimes real relationships come out of those hookups." Nick mutters as Isana puts a hand on chest.

"That's honestly so cute." Isana smiles which causes Nick to smile at the fact that he got her to smile.

"Really? I don't think so. Anyone going after such low-hanging fruit, they're not really interested in a relationship. It's actually quite pathetic."

"Uh, I wouldn't call it pathetic. I don't know, but maybe I'm just the romantic type." Nick continues as Quinn is digging under another mattress.

"Oh What is this?" She holds up a ziplock bag with blue pills in it.

" Not aspirin."

"Whose bunk?" Quinn asks, looking at the bag.

" Petty Officer Haring. So much for our innocent buddy."

//

"Hey, Haring? Sing me one of them old classics. You know, the one called, uh, "Those aren't mine." Nick points to the evidence bag full of pills on the table. They were interrogating Petty Officer Haring

" They aren't mine, I swear. Someone must've planted them there."

"Oh, that's my favorite. That's the one. Now, why would someone do that?" Nick asks as Isana stays silent, she leans against the wall a bit smiling while she chews on some gum.

" I don't know. Look, you got to believe me. I told you, I have no beef with Jonesy.

Hmm."

"What about your C.O.?" Isana asks

"Whoa, what? What does the commander have to do with this?"

" Bowline, Haring. Tie me one. Go." Gibbs walks in slammin a blue rope on the table

"Bowline?"

" The knot. Go." Gibbs orders as Haring gets to work.

"Are you checking to see if he was a Boy Scout or a good sailor?"

" I've been both." Haring rolls his eyes towards Isana and Nick before showing his wrist.
"Bowline." he smirks

"Clove hitch. Go."

"You gonna tell me why I'm being tested?'

" Tie the damn rope, Haring." Nick rasp out.

"Okay" he ties the rope again, slamming it down on the table. "Clove hitch." he mutters as Gibbs motions with his head for everyone to go outside. They leave the interrogation room as Quinn steps out of the viewing room.

"Well, so what's next, Gibbs? You gonna have him knit you a sweater?"

"He's not our guy."

"How do we know that?" Quinn asks, leaning up against the wall.

" The rope around the body was tied in a granny knot. It's amateur, it's sloppy.

It's all wrong for weighing down a body."

"Unlike this perfect clove hitch."

"Like you would know an imperfect one?" Isana sasses.

" I passed basic seamanship, sister."

" Not every sailor has." Gibbs shrugs.

"All right, so we go back to the ship, and we perform this test with the whole crew." Quinn explains as Gibbs phone rings.

"It might not tell us who the killer is, but it might narrow down our suspects." Isana nods.

"Yeah, McGee.What? Where? Whoa, whoa.Slow, whoa Slow down.Slow down." Gibbs was now jogging down the hall, the others following behind him. Apparently Deliah collapsed last night, Mcgee was a mess and of course Isana being there would've been great but they needed all hands on deck. They found a supplier and a name for the pills called Blue Burgers and some guy named Vernon supplied them. Nick, Isana, and Quinn found themselves back on the Navy ship with Gibbs who returned to say Deliah was okay and that they were running tests.

"Been through half the crew so far and only half of them know how to tie Navy knots"

"Uh, your rope trick is great for eliminating suspects, but not exactly finding them" Quinn mutters as Gibbs leans over the railing with his phone open.

"You' re on speaker, Bishop, how'd it go?"

" And then there were three, Gibbs."

"Three crew members from the McGuire that our dealer Palumbo thinks he may have done business with." Clayton's voice comes into a play.

"Anyone we know?"

" Matter of fact, Clayton's texting over the one we know right now." Bishop says as Isana feels her phone ping from her pocket.

"Stoddard, the food service officer. Is Agent Pachelecki with you?"

" Yeah, Clay, I'm here and, uh, just received your text." She replies holding out her phone for everyone to see.

"Wait, isn't he the guy who found Jones dead in the first place?" Nick says as Gibbs says nothing, they of course go location Stoddard planning to confront him.

//

Gibbs sniffs dramatically. " Mm-mm! Sure does smell good. I hope you don't mind." He scoops some food into a bowl.

"Actually, you're violating quite a few regulations. Tell me you washed your hands, at least."

"Oh, yeah, mine are clean. How about yours?" Gibbs continues eating off in the corner.

" I scrub in like a surgeon for every meal. Now, if you don't mind, lunch isn't for another hour."

"These regulations, they meant to keep anybody from wandering in here and messing with the food?"

"That's the basic idea, yeah."

"Hmm. Only authorized personnel like yourself have access to everything that comes out of this place?"

"What are you getting at, Agent Gibbs?"

The toaster pops up and Nick grabs the biscuits from it. " He's getting at whatever problem you have with the commander. You know what this needs? Grape jelly."

"I don't have a problem with the commander, but I'll have him on both your asses in two seconds if you don't get the hell."

" There really is nothing to eat here. I just want a burger. You know, really rare, almost blue.

Do you have anything like that?" Quinn and Isana step up as Stoddard looks around.

"I don't know what you think I did..."

" We don't think, Stoddard." Isana cuts him off as he sighs.

"It was an accident, okay? Just a prank. I didn't mean for anybody to get hurt."

"You did way more than hurt Jonesy."

"It was meant for the commander. Not to kill him, just to get him back for busting our humps.Jonesy eating his food was a fluke."

"Like throwing his body overboard?"

" And planting the drugs in Haring's bunk?" Quinn folds her arms over her chest.

" That a fluke, too?"

" No. I was just stupid. When I saw the commander's empty plate next to Jonesy's body, I-I just thought it was gonna come back to me.I guess I panicked. Okay? I'm sorry. I really am."

//

It was back to the bullpen wherever everything was back to normal, well almost, everyone was gathered around Bishop's desk.

"It's a little late for an apology."

"Yeah, he kept calling it, uh, an accident, a total fluke" Nick laughs a bit.

"Seems like him and our ecstasy dealer are made for each other." Clayton mutters as Abby walks in with a big smile on her face.

"Hey, you guys got the good news, right? Delilah's okay?"

" Yes, uh, thank goodness." Isana speaks up as Abby bounces two and fro.

"Yep. Just a fainting spell. Probably just stress, you know, from planning the wedding and all, but she's okay now."

"Well, that's great."

"Anything else?" Quinn asks, seeing how jittery Abby was.

"What? No, no.No. Why would there be something else? Heh. I mean I mean, that good news, that's enough good news, right?" Abby grins again, bouncing up and down.

"Okay Abbs, did you drink too much caffeine again?"

"No, yes" she nods quickly. "But it's still really great news." she nods as the gears in Isana's head is spinning

Vance walks into the bullpen. "That's very good news indeed, Miss Sciuto, but I have a question. Actually, questions for you, Agent Gibbs." he leans forward over Gibb's desk." Do you have any idea why McGee would invite me to his home for dinner tonight?"

"Why? Why Not?"

" Well, it's not the invitation, it's the wording of the e-mail. He marked it "personal" and I was asked not to tell anybody." Vance tries to whisper.

"Yet you're telling me."

"Well, you're not anybody. And-and it's just odd. Short notice, the secrecy."

" Well, if it makes you feel any better, they invited me.I'm gonna be there." Gibbs speaks up as Vance straightens up.

"You will? Mm-hmm."

"Uh, me, me too." "Same invitation?" " Yeah, I got one too." " Me, three." "Guilty." Everyone else in the room speaks up all at one.

"Well, not much of a secret then, is it?"

" Huh, why now? Why tonight?"

"I know, so suddenly." Bishop speaks up.

"So soon after Delilah passed out." Nick says

"Abby?" Everyone turns to look at her.

"Holy fucking shit." Isana pieces everything together. "Abbs?" She looks at her as Abby nods and Isana squeals the two hugging each other, Abby whispers in her ear and she nods. Before everyone is just looking at the two women.

"I have been sworn to secrecy." Isana zips her lips and throws away the key.

//

"Wow, the place looks good as new." Bishop takes in the sight of Mcgee and Delilah's place.

"Doesn't it? I mean, you'd never know the awful things that happened here."

"But we know." Isana speaks up. As everyone nods,

"I still wish I didn't." Nick grimaces.

"Hey, everyone, it won't be much longer."

"Sorry to keep you all waiting. Dinner is almost ready, I promise."

"Actually, dinner is ready, but, uh, we're just keeping it warm until we can tell you all something.

We have a little announcement to make.Some good news to share.Because you're all so special to us, we wanted to tell you all together, at once."

"They already know." Abby blurts it out.

"What? Abbs?"

" I'm sorry. I got really, really excited and then I totally blew it."

"Technically I figured it out but." Isana shrugs simply.

" And I'm sorry." Abby continues.

" It's all right, you didn't blow it. Actually, no, she did kind of blow it."

"Hey, I got a hold of my mom this morning, so our families are covered; it is all good." Delilah says simply.

"It's not all good, it's all wonderful!"

" That's right. Congratulations." Everyone claps for the couple.

"Thanks, guys. But that is not the only reason you're here."

"There is one more piece of business, and it is actually the real reason we asked you to be here tonight."

"As you know, we've been planning our-our big summer wedding, but with a baby on the way, we didn't want to wait."

"My mom found out she's gonna be a grandma, so the wedding somehow took a back seat." Delilah continues.

"In a few weeks, we'll have a party for out-of-town family, but right now, we want to share something with our other family. One that means more to us than we could ever tell you guys."

"Mm-hmm."

"So with you all of you here, we'd like to get married."

"But-- what for real? You mean, like, like, right now?"

" Like, right here?" Nick quipps as Isana hits him she was trying her best not to cry.

" Right here in Tony's creepy old apartment, Nick. Just replace bad karma with good."

"Abby, you're still my best person."

"Unfortunately, we had a bit of a problem getting Delilah's sister on a flight out to London, so"

" What do you say, Gibbs? Be my man of honor?"

" Be my honor." Gibbs says simply

"Well, in that case, may I be the one to give you away?:

" My father's looking down right now, and I am sure he would approve, Ducky." She kisses him on the cheek as everyone smiles.

"Well, then, all you need now is a priest or a rabbi or..."

"Or a really bad ass minister who has great hair and who has been waiting to do this for like ever. Hi, that's me guilty." Isana speaks up as everyone laughs. "It took 20 minutes online and, thanks to the Interfaith Inspiration Church, you can now all refer to me as "Reverend Izzie."

"Let's get this show on the road, people." Jimmy speaks up as everyone starts bringing in supplies like chairs and such.

The world while it was crazy, and their jobs while it was crazy, it made them forget sometimes. That they were people too, with feelings and emotions, not people who were here to save the world. They were a family as chaotic as it seems it was a family. The night continues with Isana wiping tears away as she and Bishop help her get into her wedding dress, she stands next to Mcgee who hugs her, they had been bestfriends since forever it was only right that she marry them, watch them grow old together, spread love and joy.

" Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to lovingly unite our good friends Timothy and Delilah in the joyful bonds of holy matrimony.

Now, Tim, repeat after me: "I, Timothy McGee"

"I, Timothy McGee "take you, Delilah Fielding"

"take you, Delilah Fielding"

"to be my lawfully wedded wife."

" to be my lawfully wedded wife."

"I, Delilah Fielding"

'I, Delilah Fielding"

"take you, Timothy McGee"

"take you, Timothy McGee to be my lawfully wedded husband"

"to be my lawfully wedded husband"

"in sickness and in health"

" in sickness and in health

"in good times and in bad"

"in good times and in bad "

"for as long as we both shall live."

"for as long as we both shall live."

"Now, by the power invested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife.

You should Definitely kiss." Isana says as the two kiss and everyone is whooping and whistling. Isana can't help but smile, a few tears escaping her eyes.

She loved how much these people meant to her and would do anything and everything for them.

Word count: 5100