A/N This is the Sequel to Keep them close. If you haven't read it, it might be a good idea or this won't make much sense. don't worry that, like this is a one-shot. Also there is an episode tag to Season 12 episodes 11 and 12.

Thank you to all who read and reviewed Keep them close.


And your friends closer.

Tony had looked worried as Gibbs took the call from Fornell and left the room.

He turned to Ellie and Tim who were looking at him strangely.

"Bag and Tag Bishop, Tim, call Ducky." he said following Gibbs out to the hallway.

Tim waited until Tony had left the room and turned to Ellie, "Did you see that?" he asked.

"He looked really concerned." Bishop said as she started to bag up spent shell casings.

Tim took a few photo's of the bodies and the evidence before Bishop collected it.

"No...I mean...Gibbs...Tony...there was….I dunno…" he trailed off.

Ellie looked at him, "You mean you think they are…..no...NO!" she exclaimed in disbelief, "I mean it's...it's Gibbs...and Tony...well ok maybe Tony...but Gibbs?"

Tim gave a small laugh, "Yeah, maybe...maybe I'm going crazy, but did you see the way Gibbs looked at him."

"He was concerned Tim, and probably concussed." Bishop said as she sealed and signed another bag.

"Oh my…" Ducky said as he walked in the door with Jimmy behind him, "I had better get some more bags. Mr. Palmer, if you wouldn't mind seeing to our first victim." he turned and walked out of the room.

"Hey Jimmy, how are you doing?" Tim asked.

"Ok, I guess," he replied opening the body bag for the first body.

Tim looked at him concerned, "I heard about autopsy." he said quietly so Bishop couldn't here.

Jimmy turned sadly to Tim, "I liked Diane, she was always nice to me." he confided in him. "Nicer to you I heard."

Tim shot him a slightly annoyed look and then he smiled, realizing that Jimmy was trying to diffuse the tension.


Ducky walked down the hallway to where he could hear voices.

Turning the corner he saw Gibbs leaning in towards Tony.

"Jethro, how are you, I heard you were injured." Ducky inquired.

"I'm fine Duck." Gibbs replied.

"I think J has concussion, and he isn't fine." Tony told their friend.

Ducky nodded in understanding. "Take him back to headquarters, make sure he gets some coffee."

"He can't...his doctor said…" Tony stopped, "He's not going to miss that blood test Ducky."

Ducky saw the concern, "I will call his doctor, swing by on your way back, take him for that test, then he can have a coffee and make sure he eats something."

Tony smiled, "I will Ducky." he put a hand on Gibbs' shoulder, "J...we gotta go." he said softly.

"I want him dead Tony." Gibbs said not focusing on who was there or where he was.

"I know J. You need to come with me now." He guided him to the door.

"Anthony." Ducky put a hand on Tony's arm as they went to leave. "Your colleagues have been discussing the fact that there may be a more deeper relationship between yourself and Jethro."

Tony stopped and turned to the older man, "They know?" he asked worried.

Ducky shook his head, "They suspect, and while they suspect they will keep digging."

Gibbs started to walked down the hallway as Tony moved to follow him, "Would it be a bad thing Ducky?" he asked as he stopped.

Ducky shook his head, "You both shouldn't have to hide who you are, but I understand why you do. They are trained investigators Anthony, they will figure it out just as I did."

At that Tony broke into a full on smile, "I hope they don't find out the same way you did." He laughed remembering that Ducky had found out by walking in on them in the middle of a full blown make out session.

"I hope they don't my boy." Ducky agreed. He looked toward where Gibbs was walking towards the exit. "Go...take care of him, I'll let them know you're heading back with him."

Tony followed Gibbs to the car making a phone call of his own along the way.


Finally Tim and Ellie made it back to the office.

Fornell was standing talking to Gibbs and Tony was…..where was Tony?

Tim and Ellie stared open mouthed as they looked towards the stairs, Tony was standing with his arms around Agent Keates.

She leant in and whispered to him and he smiled.

"Really?" he asked lifting an eyebrow suggestively.

"Really." she confirmed and leant in again as both the other agents jaws nearly hit the floor.

"I may turn you around so you can see," she breathed in his ear, "They look like they just caught you and Jethro making out naked in the bullpen." she smiled and kissed his cheek, "He'll be fine spider, get yourself together and we'll head back to it."

They parted and Zoe, just for the fun of it made a show of tucking her shirt back in, then they headed for the bullpen as both Tim and Ellie scrambled for their seats.

Coming around the corner, Tony took his seat and Gibbs looked up at him, "Agent Keates." he nodded in greeting.

Fornell got up from behind Gibbs' desk and walked over to where the group were standing.

"You got anything Keates?" he asked.

"I think so, I was talking to Abby, she said there might be an American working with Michev on the inside, maybe an Agent…" she trailed off as the implication became clear.

"Someone here?" Gibbs asked, "I can vouch for all my people, none of them would do anything to help that scum."

Keates gave Tony a slight kick under the table.

"Spider?" she said as he jumped.

Gibbs shot Tony a look and he stood up.

"You can't go blaming agents like that Zoe, you don't know anything!" he snapped.

"I'm not blaming agents spider, just you." she said turning to him with her hands on her hips.

"Me?!" Tony looked gobsmacked.

"No one knows more about Gibbs than you, no one knew who wife number two was, yet apparently you knew all about her, no one else knew the in's and out's of Director Sheppard's death, but you were there."

"Son of a …." Fornell lept across the bullpen at him.

Keates slammed him up against the wall and slammed the handcuffs on him, "I'm arresting you for collaborating with a known terrorist."

"I thought you...and I…" Tony stammered.

Keates laughed "I don't think so DiNozzo." she turned him around and took him towards the elevator.

"Take him back to headquarters, I wanna sit in on his interview," Fornell snapped.


Tim and Ellie looked amazed, "Boss?" Tim said worried.

Gibbs looked like he was going to yell, he nodded to Fornell, "Office." he snapped.

As soon as the elevator door closed Gibbs hit the switch to bring the car to a halt.

He turned to Fornell.

"You think she brought it?" he asked.

"Hook line and sinker," Fornell said, "I have people on her, as soon as she drops DiNozzo in holding we'll see if she leads us to Michev."

"We will fill Bishop and McGee in on it as soon as we can, right now we need them to act normal,"

"This whole thing sucks, but I want it wrapped up before I tell Emily, I want her to know the son of a bitch that killed her mother is either dead or in jail, and everyone that helped him too."

"This has to be kept quiet Tobias, we can't let Keates know we are onto her." Gibbs said.

Fornell nodded, "You deal with your guys and I'll go down and see about springing DiNozzo as soon as Keates is out of the way."


The doors opened and Gibbs stepped off the elevator and headed towards his team.

"Gibbs!" Abby called running up, "I never said it was Tony….It can't be, it has to be a mistake."

"We'll see," Gibbs growled.

"Boss?" Tim stood up and walked towards him, "You can't think Tony would be guilty of this...I mean...he's not that sort of person. He's always had your back Boss, are you going to turn on him now he needs you?"

Gibbs had to turn away to bite back a grin, 'the kid is getting balls' he thought really wishing for a moment Tony was here to see it.

He took a gulp of the coffee Tony had bought for him on the way back from the blood test he had had to take and he turned to McGee.

"You really think he's innocent?" He barked.

"You think he isn't?" McGee countered, Bishop stood there mouth agape.

"Prove it." He said and watched as the team scrambled to their task.

Fornell was beyond pissed, There was no other word for it, Keates had taken the bait, which was brilliant, but she had thrown DiNozzo into a holding cell and told everyone she met that he was responsible for the death of his ex-wife. This had not been the plan.

Tony sat in Fornell's chair an ice-pack on his head and the first aider had put a splint on his wrist. "I swear to God Tobias this is the last time I let you set me up for a crime I haven't committed." he snapped.

Fornell nodded sadly, he understood, this wasn't the first time DiNozzo had been screwed over by the FBI.

"The team is following Keates now, you want in on the take-down?" he offered.

Tony, carefully, shook his head, "I just wanna go home. you make sure she pays for this, her and Michev. Make sure Emily knows her mom didn't die in vain, that she was a hero, like her father."

Tobias smiled at that, "Thanks Tony."

The first aider got up and let him know she was finished and that he should go to ER to get the wrist properly x-rayed.

He thanked her and headed to the door calling a cab as he left.

Fornell followed him down and out the door.

"I'll come over soon, I'll bring Emily." he promised.

"I am sorry for your loss Tobias." Tony said honestly. "She was a hell of a woman."

Fornell smiled sadly, "Yeah...hell of a woman." he agreed.


Gibbs sat in his house awaiting Tony's return. He had had to put up with Abby crying about the unfairness of Diane's death and Tony's albeit short incarceration. McGee's snappiness at his apparent disloyal behavior towards Tony and Bishops compulsive eating as she tried to find a link between Keates and Michev.

He looked up as the door opened, "Gibbs?" Abby called as she came in with McGee and Bishop in tow.

"What are you doing here?" Gibbs asked.

Bishop looked apprehensive, "We...err...Abby said that Tony would probably come here, we wanted to welcome him back."

"I don't think he is, Fornell said he left the Hoover building three hours ago, did you think to check his house?" he asked acting nonchalant and trying not to let them know how tied up in knots his gut was.

"We just came from there Boss, we got him pizza. It's a little cold. can we use your oven?"

Gibbs grunted and nodded in the direction of his kitchen.

They went in there together to warm up the food and to open the drinks.

Gibbs looked up as a cab pulled up outside his house.

He got up to answer the door as Tony reached it.

"Hey babe." Tony smiled.

"What the hell happened to you!" Gibbs said looking at his battered and bruised lover, all thoughts of his house-guests going from his mind.

"I had a difference of opinion with the FBI." he smirked.

"A difference of….Dammit Tony, stop smirking this isn't funny." Gibbs yelled.

In the kitchen all noise ceased.

Tony shrugged off his jacket and shoes and hung them up in the hallway.

"Come on J it wasn't that bad, my wrist is only sprained and I have some of the good painkillers. you could always kiss it better," he said his voice dropping an octave.

Gibbs smirked and pulled him in for a kiss.

A second later the pair of them jumped back as if burned as they were interrupted by a squeal, a gasp and a bang from the kitchen.

"What the hell?!" Tony exclaimed.

The pair of them turned to see Abby, Tim and Ellie standing in shock at the entryway to the kitchen.

Gibbs chuckled, "Shit, I forgot we had guests."

Tony raised an eyebrow in disbelief at him, "You forgot?" even he had to smirk at the look on his friends faces, "Sure you forgot." he said sarcastically. He swayed for a second as the painkillers started taking effect, "I need to sit down J." he sighed.

Not caring that the other three were still staring open mouthed he wrapped his arm around Tony and helped him to the couch.

He sat him down and helped prop his feet up on the coffee table.

"Why'dya do that, it's my arm I hurt not my leg." Tony whined.

"Shut up T, let me take care of you." Gibbs reached behind him and pulled a blanket over his legs and kissed him on the forehead.

"I smell pizza…." Tony smiled at the others, "Or did you eat it all in shock."

At that the others moved, "Oh my God...Tony...you...you and Gibbs?"

"Yes Abby me and Gibbs. Now Pizza?" he asked hopefully as Abby squealed and ran over to hug them both.

Tony winced but said nothing as she hugged him.

"Abs…" Gibbs said pulling her off him and into a hug as Ellie and Tim came in with the Pizza and beverages.

"Sweet. Thanks Tim." Tony said as he was handed a slice of pizza.

Tim sat down on the couch, "So how long?"

"About three weeks if I rest it, it should be better by then," Tony said looking at his wrist sadly.

Tim nudged him gently. "No….you and Gibbs."

Gibbs laughed as he took a slice of Pizza, "About a year."

"Fornell ok?" Tony asked instantly sobering the mood.

"He's talked to Emily, she's about as good as can be expected, they'll be over in a few days." Gibbs said.

"Poor Emily," Bishop sighed, "Gotta be hard losing a mom so young."

"It is…." Tony said. Abby stood up and walked behind him wrapping her arms gently around his neck.

"She's a tough kid," Tim said, "She'll be ok."

Tony said nothing knowing how hard it was for someone to lose their mom so young, Gibbs shot him a knowing look, they had both been there.

They sat talking, some reminiscing about mom's, about Diane, about how Gibbs and DiNozzo had gotten together in the first place, they had laughed as Tony told them the tale of how Ducky had found out about them about eight months ago.

Basically they were bonding and becoming a family again, Gibbs watched them all laughing and joking. This had been a trying few days but he knew that they would come back stronger than ever.