Disclaimer - I do not own NCIS

"Get it away! Tony! TONY! GET THAT AWAY FROM ME NOW!"

Tony beamed a huge smile as he held a butterfly carefully in the palm of his hands.

"You have got to be seriously kidding right! You're a trained assassin, can withstand torture and you're scared of an iddy biddy little butterfly!"

"Tony, I swear if you come near me with that thing I WILL kill you!" Ziva screeched.

As he continued to snigger McGee looked up from his computer screen.

"Come on Tony, if Ziva's frightened of butterflies its not fair to tease her, you'd be the same if Ducky was coming at you with a syringe."

Tony narrowed his eyes and scowled at Tim, "When Ducky sticks that huge shard of metal into your arm or...if you're extremely unlucky your backside...it's like the force of twenty headslaps when Gibbs is extremely pissed...it...frickin' hurts!"

Tony stuck his tongue out at McGee, "A butterfly doesn't hurt!"

"I'm just saying that it's not fair to tease someone over their fears."

Huffing loudly, Tony went over to the window and released the butterfly and then wiped his hands on the front of his shirt.

"Okay, are we all happy?"

Ziva frowned and then slapped him hard on the chest.

"Haaaoooww...Hey!"

"You are intolerable!"

Tony stood in the centre of the bullpen and rubbed the tender area on his chest.

"So, if Ziva's afraid of butterflies, I don't like needles and McGrumble here is afraid of his server going down."

He stopped and giggled, "Hee...hee...his 'server' going down. I actually meant a real server, but when you think about it, it's probably his 'server' going down!"

Tim frowned, "I have totally lost you Tony, what are you talking about?"

Tony continued to giggle, "...haaa!...okay...so where was I, yeah, Ziva's butterflies, my needles and McGee's server...who want's to take a guess at what Gibbs is afraid of?"

Ziva chuckled loudly, "Gibbs is afraid of nothing, he is like one of those Volcanos from Star Trek, the aliens who do not show their emotions have pointy ears."

"Uh...that's Vulcans Ziva...Mr Spock...he's a Vulcan," Tim corrected her.

Tony placed his hands behind his head and bit his bottom lip, "The mans' gotta have an Achilles heel."

"Was he wounded in action?" Ziva asked with wide eyes.

Tony frowned in confusion, "No, no, no, Ziva! An Achilles heel is a weakness or fear, everyone's got one."

"Not Gibbs!" Tim added sharply.

"Red heads," Ziva snapped, "he has a weakness for red heads!"

Tony shook his head, "No, we are talking fears here Zee-vah! What makes the bossman turn a whiter shade of pale, what makes him quake in his boots, what turns that steely stare of his into wide horrific eyes, what...he's...uh...standing behind me, isn't he?"

Tony froze.

"Just...uh...talking fears...boss."

"And?" Gibbs said firmly.

"My fear is of needles, Ziva's is of butterflies and I reckon McGee's is...uh...something technical..."

Tony gulped, "...and we were just wondering...what you're...fear...was?"

"Turn around Tony."

Tony turned slowly to face the stern face of his boss, but was surprised when he was greeted with a gentle smile.

"My biggest fear is that one day, you'll loose that sense of fun you have DiNozzo."

Tony beamed with pride, "really boss?"

THWHACK!

"Ouch!"

"No, it is not, I'm a marine Tony, I have no fear! But I do have a boot which I'm about to stick up your ass if you are not behind your desk within the next five seconds and getting on with your paperwork!"

Tony rubbed his head as sprang into action, heading for his chair.

Ten minutes later Gibbs phone rang.

"Gibbs!"

His face paled and his eyes grew wide. He lowered his voice to a whisper.

"Aw, come on Duck, does it have to be today?...I'm busy!...No...NO!...that will not be necessary!"

Gibbs momentarily closed his eyes and ran his free hand around the back of his head.

"Okay, okay, Dr Mallard, I'll be down in...ten minutes...I did not do that last time!...I'll be there...yes Doctor."

Gibbs put the phone down sharply and grumbled to himself, "Damned, Doctors!"

He immediately reached for his coffee cup and down the entire contents in one go. He stood up and sighed heavily,

"I'll be in autopsy for the next hour!" he growled.

"Ducky got something on a case boss?" Tim responded expectantly.

"No McGee, the only thing Dr Mallard's got on his mind is my...annual physical!"

There was immediate silence in the bullpen, till Gibbs was out of earshot.

"As I said we all have our fears and I think we've just found Gibbs' butterfly!" Tony beamed a wide smile.

THE END