Disclaimer: I own nothing related to NCIS whatsoever. Just having a little fun with Tony DiNozzo.

George

By: Vanessa Sgroi

It wasn't yet dawn but Tony DiNozzo found himself walking through one of the parks near his apartment building, inhaling the damp, frigid air, thinking, and occasionally quietly talking to himself. He and the rest of the NCIS team had just wrapped up a case—a difficult and emotional case—in the wee hours of Christmas morning with Gibbs dismissing them around 3:00 a.m. with mumbled Merry Christmas and orders to get some sleep.

Tony had gone home but he was still keyed up—too keyed up for sleep. Too keyed up even for some mindless TV. And too down in the dumps to even plug in the Christmas tree in the corner, which had been lit precisely once since he'd erected it weeks ago. His restlessness quickly drove him from the confines of the apartment to this nearby park, expending the excess faux energy on a brisk walk in the pre-dawn peace and quiet.

Having walked a good distance, and feeling the first waves of fatigue ripple across his body, Tony stopped and turned around to head home. Before he moved more than a couple of steps, however, a soft sound caught his attention.

Cocking his head, DiNozzo listened closely to see if he could hear the distressed sound again. A few heartbeats later, it came again. By the third rendition, Tony was able to pinpoint the location to a small stand of bushes behind a trash can. Bending down and pushing aside a snarl of branches, the NCIS Special Agent came face-to-face with an orange tiger kitten, its golden eyes enormous in its little face.

For a split second, Tony considered letting the branches go, obscuring his discovery, and simply walking away. He wasn't good with animals—never had been. Oh, he loved them, but the feeling was never mutual. The special agent certainly didn't want to deal with a stray anything in his current mood. He actually stood and readied himself to walk away.

Then it mewed up at him in a treble greeting and raised a tiny paw.

Sighing, Tony knew he was lost. Reaching down amongst the branches, Tony's hand closed around the kitten and he lifted upward. "Well, hey there, little buddy. C'mere." He could feel the kitten trembling beneath his touch. Tony ran his thumb gently across the kitten's snout. "Hey, now—it's okay. Don't be afraid. I gotcha." The agent cradled the kitty to his chest and started walking toward home. "Okay, here's the deal. I'll take you home—get you cleaned up a little, you know. Then I'll get you to a shelter in a few hours, okay?"

The walk home passed in a blur as DiNozzo continued to sooth the kitten he carried, talking non-stop about a number of nonsensical things. By the time he was unlocking his door, the baby cat was beginning to doze in his arms.

Entering the apartment and shutting the door softly behind him, Tony moved to put the orange tiger on the floor. He winced as little needle-sharp claws suddenly pierced his skin. "Ow! Hey!" he scolded, "watch it." The kitty continued to cling to him. "Okay, okay—I get it; you don't want to get down." Tony tried again without success. "C'mon, little guy, I need to put you down at least long enough to get out of my jacket." The kitten clung harder. Tony surrendered. With the mastery of a skilled ninja, DiNozzo managed to hold on to the kitten and slip out of his jacket at the same time. He tossed his jacket on a nearby chair and moved the kitten up to his shoulder.

"All right. Let's get you cleaned up—I'll get cleaned up and we'll go find that—" As he spoke, Tony caught sight of the unlit tree in the corner and he remembered what day it was. "Well, hell. It's Christmas. There aren't going to be any shelters open." He glanced sideways at the little animal perched on his shoulder. "Looks like you're stuck with me—at least for today."

Wetting a washcloth with warm water, Tony quickly wiped his new-found friend down, laughing at the disgruntled look on the kitten's face. "Hey, someone's got to do it." When he finished, the kitten mewed his displeasure and clawed its way back up to Tony's shoulder.

After muttering a few curses under his breath at his now stinging arm, Tony sighed. "Well, that went well." He flipped off the light and left the bathroom.

Back in the living room, DiNozzo found himself humming a Christmas carol as he plugged in the Christmas tree then turned on the television. Settling into the corner of the couch, he gazed for a moment at the lights, enjoying their sparkle for the first time all season. Turning his attention to the television, Tony found one of his favorite movies and ticked the volume up a notch or two. The kitten nudged its way under his chin and curled into a ball. Within seconds, a sawing purr emanated from the tiny body as the kitten dropped into slumber. It wasn't long before Tony DiNozzo followed.

** NCIS ** NCIS ** NCIS **

A couple of hours later, Tony woke with a start. Someone was tapping at his face. "What the…?" Coming fully awake, he realized it was the kitten hitting at his face with its paw. "Well, hello to you too." He rubbed at his eyes then squinted at the clock. A couple of hours had passed but it was still fairly early. Tony's stomach growled and he patted it. "Man, am I starving!" He moved his fingers to the kitty's belly and he rubbed rhythmically. "Now that I think about it, I bet you are too, huh? Problem is I don't have anything to feed you. Or me for that matter. Guess that means a trip to the store is in order."

An hour and a half later, Tony and the kitten returned triumphant with a litter box, litter, and food—both cat and human—in hand. Tony was grumbling under his breath. "Did you have to go in the car? I mean, really? I told you I was buying you litter. I even bought you a bunch of toys!" After quickly getting the litter box set up in the bathroom, DiNozzo found a paper plate and set out some food, watching as the ravenous little beast tucked in. While the cat ate, Tony made himself a pot of coffee and downed the breakfast sandwiches he'd bought at the drive-thru on the way home.

Sipping his first cup of coffee, he watched the kitten finish his meal and begin to awkwardly bathe his face. Bending down, Tony scooped the kitty up and held him so that their noses were touching. "You know what? You look like a 'George' to me. What do you think—should I call you George?" A trill from the kitten seemed to say yes. Tony, suddenly feeling oddly content, nuzzled the little orange striped head. "You know, fifty dollars isn't bad," he mused. "I mean, paying $50 extra in rent a month to have a pet just might be worth it."

George rubbed his face against Tony's chin, a purr exploding forth. A tiny pink tongue darted out and made a drive-by swipe at his skin.

Tony cleared his throat. "Yep. It just might be worth it."

DiNozzo pulled his cell phone from his pocket. Choosing the first speed dial number, he hit send and walked toward the living room, waiting for the other person to pick up. "Hey, Boss—no, no nothing's wrong. I just wondered what you were doing later today. Thought maybe you'd like to come over and…uh…meet my new roommate." After getting an affirmative answer along with a promise of beer and food, Tony hung up and tossed the phone aside.

Steadying George, who was again riding on his shoulder, DiNozzo walked toward the tree, another seasonal carol filling his head. "C'mon, George, let's open some Christmas presents. You can help."

FIN