For cutsycat.
Work Text:
"DiNozzo!" Gibbs was clearly irritated.
"You bellowed?" Tony quipped taking photos of their latest victim.
"Get that out of my crime scene!"
Tony followed the line of Gibbs finger to the area around his feet. "Oh, geez. McGee..."
"Is taking witness statements. Now, DiNozzo!"
"Boss, please..." DiNozzo stared in horror at his feet. "I can't."
Whap!
"Now! Before it contaminates my entire crime scene." Gibbs demanded.
Scowling, Tony gingerly leaned over and picked it up by pinching the fur between two fingers. Holding the nape of its neck, he looked into his nemesis' eyes. "If you even think about scratching me..."
"Get a move on, DiNozzo."
"What do I do with it now?" Tony stood looking at the mewing lump of fur apathetically batting its paws in the air.
"Secure it, it may have picked up trace evidence."
"Aye, aye, boss. Bagging ang tagging."
Whap! "It's a kitten, DiNozzo."
"It's evil." DiNozzo rebutted. "They scratch and hiss. Besides, I'd have punched an airhole. Maybe..." DiNozzo grimaced. "What am I supposed to do with it?"
"Put it in your pocket for now."
"This is a Hugo Boss jacket." DiNozzo protested as Gibbs simply glared. "Fine." Holding the kitten at eye level Tony glowered at it. "If you use my pocket for a litter box, we will have an issue."
"If you don't get moving, we will have an issue." Gibbs declared.
Tony reluctantly put the tiny kitten in his left outer pocket grumbling quietly. He looked up to see Gibbs glowering and went back to snapping photos. Every time his burden shifted in his pocket, Tony winced expecting to feel warmth or wetness. "DiNozzo."
Tony looked up to see one of the locals motioning unobtrusively. Tony wandered over pretending to continue snapping pictures. Stopping in front of the LEOS, Tony held his camera at chest level and pretended to be working on it. "What's up, Tergeis?"
"Polt has a new toy. He's be looking around and he's picking up a heat signature in the area of those bushes."
"Polt?"
The other officer discreetly displayed a thermal camera. Tony was impressed. "Department issued?"
"Polt's a ghost hunter." Tergeis laughed.
"Laugh, all you want. There is a definite human shape in those bushes. Temperature not wavering."
"Can you show me?" While the officer zeroed in on the target, Tony pretended to fumble the batteries. "Got it." Tony used his hand to signal them to hold. "Crap! Batteries are shot." Tony muttered loudly. "Probie, you forgot to put new batteries in the equipment. Get your rear over here." Tony made his way to the truck.
Following the conversation with his eyes, Gibbs felt his gut clench. He watched both of his agents approach the car. Gibbs leaned nonchalantly against the bumper sipping on a coffee that had appeared from nowhere.
"McGee, look like I'm chewing you." Tony whispered. He was moving his hands as if gesturing to the camera. "One of the locals has an infrared. There is a full body signature in the bushes over there. Not another victim. Temperature steady."
"Okay, McGee. Head over to van. Pretend you're borrowing batteries. Let Palmer know to get himself and Ducky down." Gibbs murmured as he appeared to take a sip of coffee. "Tony?"
"Going around the front and working my way along that pathway. Then I'll drop in behind the area, flush him out straight at you, boss."
"Negative. Need back-up."
"I'll take Tergeis. We'll talk about my blind date with his brother."
"Don't you mean sister?" McGee spoke up.
"I mean what I say and I say what I mean." Tony winked and then raised his voice. "Find some now, even if you have to lay them yourself." Tony raised his voice. "Probies." He walked away grumbling. "Hey, Tergeis! Got a camera I can borrow? Our probie screwed up again."
"Can't loan it but I can shoot and you can point. Isn't that how you big dogs do it?" Tergeis made a point of holding up the infrared camera.
"So, what did Alec say about our date?" Tony lead the conversation as the two started to meander up the pathway talking idlily.
While Gibbs worked himself into a position that gave him partial coverage, McGee spread the word to Palmer. He watched his senior field agent making his way along the upper path wishing DiNozzo was wired but then mentally shook his head. DiNozzo had been his agent long enough Gibbs could almost read his thoughts. He was the best agent Gibbs had ever trained. Critically he eyed the pathway above their target. There was a large tree just a few paces ahead, DiNozzo was sure to use it for cover to make his move.
Tony moved behind the tree. "Okay, stop just past this tree. Turn and stop like we're talking. I'm going down this side.
"I'll watch the camera if he shifts, I'll whistle. If he makes a sudden move, I'll cover you."
"Tell Alec he owes me a movie. No crime dramas." Taking a breath, Tony moved covertly. Each step brought him closer. His gun was down by his side and ready. At a sharp whistle, Tony broke cover and moved quickly. "NCIS. Hands up."
Gibbs was moving by the whistle. His gut knew the op was going south. "NCIS. Come out with your hands up." The suspect burst out handing towards DiNozzo. "NCIS. Do not..." Shots rang out and Gibbs stopped and took aim. His shot struck the back of the suspect's gun arm; but Tergeis' shot took the suspect down.
"DiNozzo!" Gibbs sprinted towards his senior field agent. Tony was also down. Blood stained his Boss jacket. "Get an ambulance."
"Already on its way." Tergeis made his way to the suspect. He pushed the button on his radio. "We also need a hearse."
McGee and Palmer emerged from the ground cover. At Gibbs' motion, McGee diverted to the suspect and began securing evidence. "How's he doing, boss?"
Palmer opened the bag and grabbed scissors. He immediately began to cut the bloody cloth away trying to expose the wound.
"DiNozzo." Gibbs tapped Tony's cheeks feeling a wave of relief when his agent moaned.
"Ow." Tony struggled to focus. "Boss..."
"What, DiNozzo?"
"I think it peed in my pocket."
"Hey, DiNozzo. Got a little something there..." Pitt gestured at his chest.
Tony forced his eyes open and looked down at his jacket. "Boss..." He whined. "Get it off of me." Gibbs was standing at the end of the cubicle. He had watched the kitten determinedly make his way of the pocket and start to climb his dozing agent's chest. The older man thought he'd wait and see where it ended up.
"So, let's see what we have." Ignoring the kitten, Pitt removed the pressure pad from the wound. The kitten hissed at the doctor when Tony winced. Then the tiny feline determinedly continued its journey towards the hand that was extending from a sling.
"All the real doctors off today?" Tony joked.
"We drew lots..." Pitt poked at the wound. "I lost." He hit a button on the command panel behind the bed. When the nurse's desk responded, he requested a suture kit and some other items. "Here's the good news, I checked it doesn't appear the bullet hit anything vital. However, it is still in there. You have a choice. Option one, I can get a surgery consult and have an operating room booked."
"Option two." Tony said quickly.
"Figured that." Pitt grinned. "Local, it is."
"Don't I still get a real doctor?"
"They're working on the real patients." Pitt retorted.
"Busy here today."
"Tour bus of teenagers on a senior trip to DC and a service van got together on the beltway. Turned into a multi-car pileup. All available hands were called in."
"Casualties?"
"Several. Bus turned over and most weren't wearing seatbelts. Somehow the bus driver managed to flip the top into oncoming traffic."
"Usually rolls the other way." Gibbs observed. "That put the teens right in the line of fire."
"Lots of head injuries and upper body trauma. Broken legs, pelvises. The whole gamut."
"Drivers checked for substances?" Tony asked.
"Van caught fire and it spread to the bus. Neither driver made it out."
Conversation stopped while a nurse arrived delivering the requested equipment. "Will you need assistance, doctor?"
"I've got it, Cece. I know it's still a zoo out there."
"Parents are starting to arrive. They're hysterical. I better..." The nurse stopped. "Is that a kitten? Animals are not permitted."
"It's not a kitten, ma'am. It's evidence." Gibbs said solemnly. "Agent DiNozzo is currently responsible for it, until it is signed over to our lab technician."
The nurse gave him a "I wasn't born yesterday" look.
"These gentlemen are NCIS agents." Pitt reassured her. "I'll take responsibility." With a last chiding look, she left the cubicle. "Let's get you numbed up and we'll see about getting that bullet out."
"Ouch!"
"I haven't touched you."
"It bit me." Tony grouched as the kitten mewed in complaint as Tony pulled his fingers inside the sling.
Gibbs snickered. "It didn't bite you; it's trying to nurse."
"Get it away." Tony demanded.
Gibbs stepped forward taking ahold of the nape of the kitten's neck. "You can pick on Tony more later." He assured the forlorn ball of fur. "So, we can't keep calling you 'it'. Let's see what we have here. Should have known, another female under your spell."
"Very funny, boss."
"So, what are you naming her?" Pitt asked as he began injecting the local anesthetic around Tony's wound.
"Oh, no!" Tony exclaimed. "As soon as I pass it off to Abby; my duty is clear."
"About that," Gibbs started. "McGee called earlier. It appears as if we may not have a case to investigate. The suspect had the same make of gun. There was dried blood on his outfit. Traced him to a car in the area. Looks like the people who reported the shot were in the area too quickly and he tried to hide and wait it out. If it weren't for your police buddy, he might have got away. Abby's rushing the blood and ballistics. If they match, case is over. No other evidence will be handed over." Gibbs smirked as he put the kitten down on Tony's leg and watched it begin crawling up his senior field agent again.
"Oh, no." Tony proclaimed. "Hey..." He turned to glare at Pitt.
"I've got a hold of it. On the count of three... one..."
"Ouch!" At Tony's exclamation, the kitten moved quicker hissing as she climbed.
"Sorry, I lost count." Pitt grinned unrepentantly; as he held pressure on the site. Gibbs held out a bag and Pitt dropped the round into it. "Let me get a few stitches in here and you'll be good to go." He lifted the gauze to peek at the wound and Tony winced.
"Ouch!"
Gibbs couldn't help it. He laughed. The kitten was standing on Tony's chest hair all fluffed out. When Tony had winced, the kitty had taken a swipe at the distracted Pitt's hand. "I don't think she likes you hurting her Tony."
"Hey, I vouched for you." Pitt grumbled as he struggled to remove his glove without relieving pressure on the gunshot wound. The small ball of fur hissed again. Her paw with nails extended raised in warning.
Tony looked at the kitten in shock. Carefully, he used his uninjured hand to pick her up by the nape. "Stop that. Pitt's helping me." He put her down on the bed beside him and she used his clothing to climb back onto his leg. "Tell me, I wasn't talking to that thing. Boss, I blame you."
"She blames Pitt." Gibbs gestured at the ball of fur glaring malevolently at the doctor.
"Cats hate me," Tony whined.
"Apparently not that one."
"Keep her on the other side." Pitt demanded showing a tiny scratch on his hand. He struggled into another glove. "I don't want scratched every stitch."
Sure enough, the kitten watched every move Pitt made. When Tony whined about the state of his clothing, she advanced on Pitt evidently blaming him for Tony's upset. Leaving the cubicle, Pitt tried to pat the kitten, but she stood up and snarled with a tiny mew. Minutes later a shirt came sailing over the curtain. "Keep using the sling. Take your meds and I'll see you in a couple days, after you get rid of the attack kitten."
Gibbs came over to help Tony change. "The shirt?"
"I asked the ER nurses if I could leave a couple. Since they are so used to seeing me..." Tony shrugged his shoulders wincing.
"Ready to go?"
"More than." Tony stood slowly and waited for the light-headed feeling to pass. It sucked that he was injured often enough to know the symptoms by heart.
"Aren't you forgetting something?" Gibbs pointed at the hospital bed.
"Aw, Gibbs..." Tony protested. It may have been a little less vehement than earlier but that had to be due to the blood loss, Tony concluded. The small ball of fur was picking its way to the foot of the bed mewing pathetically.
"Your responsibility."
"Fine..." The kitten had come close enough that it was able to evade Tony's hand and instead managed to snag hold of his slacks. With determination it began the long climb. "What'll I do with it? I don't have a pocket."
"I think it has that solved." Gibbs watched the kitten sink one paw into the cloth of the sling and then began to crawl inside.
"I hate cats. They hate me. It could belong to someone." Tony whined. He could hear a tiny purr as the feline made itself comfortable lying along his arm. He could feel tiny claws kneading making holes in his Brooks Brothers shirt but couldn't summon up the urge to protest. He smirked a bit remembering the kitten taking on Brad. "I don't know anything about them. What they eat or anything."
"No collar. Roaming the park. She's abandoned. Probably starving. We'll stop at the pet store and pick up some kitten formula." Gibbs declared leading his agent through the maze of the ER.
Tony surreptitiously slid his good hand up far enough that he could slip a finger into the sling. He peeked down and gently touched the nose. A soft, textured tongue licked his finger and then tried to wrap a paw around it. He looked up and meet Gibbs' amused eyes.
"Problem?"
"Just checking to be sure that it hadn't made a mess." Tony improvised.
"Uh-huh." Gibbs agreed dryly.
"Wonder what kind of cat she is. Can't really tell for the dirt and the blood. Maybe we should pick up a bottle of shampoo at the pet store. She's so fuzzy."
"She looks to have a lot of gray. With all the hair she must have a bit of Persian in her." Gibbs contributed. "Might need a brush to get the tangles out."
"Yeah," Tony said absently. "She should have a collar. Feeding dish. Bed. Just till we find her a home." His finger again found his way into the sling. This time it rubbed under the chin making the kitten squirm.
Gibbs grabbed his arm as the agent almost walked past the car. "You're riding with me." The older man said guiding him to the passenger door. He helped Tony in and went to shut the door. As he did, Tony looked up at him with a smile. "Hey, did you see how Athena took on Brad?"
Kitten 1, Tony 0.