The Blue Guitar (NCIS fanfic)

Boat in the Basement

My eyes were closed, the room smelled new - like no one had been in there before. It was unfamiliar, but I kind of liked it. Slowly, I opened my eyes and they adjusted to my surroundings. The walls were painted pale blue, with a white ceiling and a darker blue carpet. It looked as though Gibbs had painted it quite recently. With a grunt, I pushed myself with one arm to a sitting position. My shoulder ached like mad and my head throbbed. Nevertheless, I struggled out of bed and into the hallway. I found my way down the stairs and into the living room. To my left there was a door stood ajar, and clunking and clicking coming from behind it.
"Gibbs? You there?" I called down.
"Yup, come on down!" He called back. I grinned as I opened the door and peered down to see Gibbs standing in the middle of an unfinished boat.
"Nice boat." I noted, "you ever going to use it?" Gibbs didn't reply, he just chuckled, and shook his head. I made my way down the stairs, they creaked on every step, and sat at his workbench.
"Gibbs?" I asked again, feeling more like a hindrance.
"Ahuh?" He grunted.
"How'd you get the boat of the basement?"
Gibbs turned to look at me, a small grin tugged at his lips.
"That is a good question, Blue." I nodded, and decided to let Gibbs get on with his boat, but as he turned back to the boat, he put down his tools and motioned for me to follow him out of the basement.

We got into Gibbs' car and headed back off to NCIS. There was silence in the car, but I noticed myself taking in the exact route back to NCIS from Gibbs' house, as though plotting a map in my head. Questioning why I'd do that, I glanced to Gibbs to see him frequently glancing from me to the road. It seemed that he knew what I was doing. I tried to ignore him, but eventually, as we got caught up in traffic, I turned to face him.
"Lost something over here, Gibbs?" I asked.
"Nope, just want to know why you feel the need to memorise the route we're  taking. Not planning on making any quick trips are we?" That man was a mind reader.
"Not that I'm aware of. I don't know why I'm doing this, it must be my training or something." I replied, straining my brain for answers. Though none appeared.
"Ya think?" Retorted Gibbs. "We're here." He continued as we pulled up to the gate. I shook my head with annoyance as Gibbs flashed his badge at the guard and drove through into the car park.

The elevator pinged as we entered the bull pen. Ducky was stood with Ziva, Tony and McGee, apparently awaiting our arrival.
"Ah, Jethro, I need to show you something." Called Ducky as Gibbs put his badge and gun in his desk.
"OK Duck." He replied. I made to follow him, presumably down to autopsy, but he turned and shook his head.
"Stay here." Gibbs commanded.
"But Gibbs - " I started.
"No. Stay."
"But - "
"Do I have to cuff you to my desk? Because I will." He asked, and he wasn't joking. I shook my head and sat at his desk, doing my best to not scowl at him. "Good. Now, stay."
"I'm not a dog, Gibbs." He smirked at me before following Ducky to autopsy. But I wasn't going to go down without a fight. Whatever Ducky was showing Gibbs, was about my kidnapping, and I needed to know what. I knew that I was a suspect, and I was technically in custody, but this was just as much about helping me remember as it was solving the actual case.

Tony, McGee and Ziva were all working away, not one of them noticed when I stood up and made for the stairs. I'm not stupid, Gibbs would've heard me using the elevator. I just got to the stairwell, through the door. I tried to close the door as quietly as possible, I was concentrating so much on that, that I didn't notice someone stood right behind me until I turned and looked up into the face of a particularly angry Leroy Jethro Gibbs.
"Hi Gibbs, the toilets are this way, right?"
"I thought I told you to stay?" He said.
"You know what they say, 'can't teach an old dog new tricks.'" I replied, smirking at my own joke. Big mistake.
"I thought I also told you I would cuff you to my desk if you didn't stay?" Gibbs stated.
"You wouldn't... Would you?"

"Gibbs, it won't happen again, I'm sorry! Come on! Don't walk away, my shoulder hurts!" I called. Being sat on the floor was uncomfortable. Especially with my hands cuffed behind my back around the leg of Gibbs' desk. My shoulder didn't hurt, I lied, he made it so my shoulder sat as it should. I would have to remember that he doesn't joke. Ever. It looked like Gibbs was heading off to the Directors office, guess I'd have to wait and see what she said.

"Hey, wake up." Tony whispered to me. "Gibbs is coming back down with the director."
I opened my eyes and nodded in thanks to Tony.
"I see agent Gibbs has found an effective way of stopping you from wandering around the building." The director stated. I didn't reply, just gave my best sarcastic smile. "Ducky has found evidence to suggest you did not kill Mr and Mrs Mills. As of now you're out of Gibbs' custody and into Gibbs' protective custody. You've gone from a suspect to a witness, if you ever manage to remember." I nodded at her then directed my question to Gibbs.
"So, you can take these off now?" I asked, indicating the hand cuffs.
"Oh no, I think it'll be better if I know where you are, for now." He replied, earning a smirk from the team and the director and a scowl from me.
"Stay comfortable, Blue." Said the director.
"Thanks Jenny, I love sitting on the floor, my favourite pastime actually."