TRUTH IS A DOUBLE EDGED SWORD
A/N: This is a tag to Truth and Consequences. This probably has been done before, but I'm going to put my personal spin on what happened between The Rescue and The Closing scene.
Summary: Gibbs, Tony, McGee and Ziva go to the safe house to await pick up to be taken to Extraction. Tony's still feeling the effects of the truth serum he'd been given. So, it's time to find out some home truths in the meantime.
A/N 2: I don't know much about Sodium Penathol, like how long it lasts. But judging by Tony's actions and speech while under the influence, it might've been a chemically enhanced dose and perhaps more than the recommended dosage. So it'll take longer to work out of the system.
Gibbs looked over his team. Tony, McGee and Ziva looked like the walking wounded. Ziva could hardly stand but she'd never say anything. McGee looked sore and pretty beat up, but wasn't about to say anything... And Tony looked pretty out of it and Gibbs was sure he wouldn't say anything about his health.
"I'll check the back," McGee said as he and Tony eased Ziva onto the couch.
Gibbs nodded as he looked out the window. They went in with the minimal amount of manpower as to not raise any alarms. Now they had to play the waiting game. Gibbs checked the window and sighed slightly to relax as he noted that nobody had followed them. But the area was deceptively deserted. They could be just around the corner. "Grab a weapon from the room. Beneath the table," Gibbs said to McGee.
"Got it, Boss," McGee answered quickly.
"DiNozzo. You okay?" Gibbs asked his senior field agent.
Tell them you're fine... You're fine, you're fine, you're fine. Tony tried to convince him self that that was true. Then perhaps those were the words that would come out of his mouth. "I feel awful," his words betrayed his mind. "I need to sit down," he said.
Gibbs' attention turned away from the window and on Tony. He watched Ziva ease Tony on the couch and check the pupils. "He is still feeling the effects of the sodium penathol," Ziva said to him. "Judging by his reaction time and speech he was given a large dosage. It's probably a special blend as well and therefore making it impossible to determine how long he will be like this," she painted as much of an accurate picture as she could.
"What problems could it cause?" Gibbs asked. He noticed Tony's eyes look him over in an uncomfortable way.
"Full desert cammo looks good on you boss. Really suits you," Tony commented before looking away. Gibbs rolled his eyes.
"As the drug works through his system he will feel sleepy and hungover. But there should be no lasting effects," Ziva assured Gibbs.
"There's nothing on the outside," McGee came back in. It looked clean but also knew that could change in an instant. He looked at Tony and, then at Ziva before looking at Gibbs. He had just managed to hear the odd comment. "Is he alright?" McGee looked concerned.
"Yeah," Gibbs answered.
Being a Mossad Officer, she was taught how to make the best of any situation. Ziva could work things to her advantage even if it was considered underhanded. "Can you leave us two alone?" Ziva asked without looking at the others.
Tony's eyes snapped open at that thought. "No boss. She's going to find out all my secrets," his eyes pleaded. It didn't matter how hard he tried, the truth seemed to find it's way to the surface.
"What secrets could you possibly have, Tony?" McGee asked. It wasn't something he really wanted to know. But it was just an automatic response to Tony's reaction.
"I drilled a hole in the girl's locker room in first year as a wolverine. Guys thought it was a blast until we almost got caught. Think the girls liked it," Tony said. That's it... One secret. You gave them one secret. But wait, it was plural. More than one... Shut up Tony. "Honey Dust! Every year, just to confuse people, I send them Honey Dust. That's two, that's plural... More than one," Tony reasoned for himself so that he could shut up.
Gibbs shook his head. So that was how he ended up with a box of honey dust one Christmas. That explained it and confused him even more. "DiNozzo, shut up!" Gibbs said to him. He knew that Tony would kick him self if he said anything that was too deep.
"Tony," Ziva got his attention. "When you said you couldn't live without me... What did you mean and you did mean it," Ziva queried. Before she stayed in Israel, their relationship was shot to hell.
"I told you not to ask any questions you do not wish to know the answer," Shut up, shut up, shut up! Tony tried hard to block the question. He thought that maybe if he could pretend the question didn't exist, he wouldn't answer it. "Get out of my head, Jobe," Tony chuckled. He could picture Pierce Brosnan trying to block at Jobe and knocking off his glasses.
"Jobe?" Gibbs asked.
"The Lawnmower Man. A movie about a simpleton who mows lawns, but Pierce Brosnan... Famous for playing Bond was experimenting with Virtual Reality to increase intelligence in monkeys until the project gets shut down. He then experiments on Jobe and Jobe becomes godlike and gets all these neat little powers and uses them to wreak havoc on The Shop and tries to enter the mainframe. You know it was supposedly based on a story by Stephen King but King got pissed that the movie virtually had nothing to do with the short story. You know, he wrote Pet Semetary, Cujo, IT, Carrie..." His eyes began scanning the room while he rattled off a few names of movies that were based of his novels.
"Tony..." Ziva prodded as she fought to remain calm. "The question."
"Oh yeah... The question," Tony responded. He had tried to confuse the issue. "Why would I say that? I meant that, yeah... Hey, you know I'm truly a fuck up when it comes to female relationships. But you were a constant, a turning point... I could have lived with the secrets and the lies... But now, right now... I do not like you at all. You betrayed..." Tony leaned forward as he answered. His glassy green eyes didn't waver this time.
"What? How have I betrayed your country. My alliance must always be to Israel and Mossad first and foremost," Ziva stated firmly.
"I can live with you betraying the US... But you... You betrayed Gibbs. That's inexcusable," Tony said quietly. "Worse than that... You made him choose," Tony raised his voice slightly.
"Tony," Gibbs stepped in.
"You really think we didn't know? McGee's smart... I'm close behind and we know that she tried to make you choose... You ever think you could make Gibbs choose... Let's say choose between Shannon and Kelly? I say you're a fool if you believe you could... We're his kids and you do NOT make him choose," Tony made sure to get his point across. "You maybe an experienced Mossad Officer, but you're a spoiled little brat," he said.
"DiNozzo," Gibbs got his attention. McGee couldn't believe that Tony had talked to Ziva like that. "Ziva. Next room now." Gibbs said in clipped words.
"Gibbs," Ziva responded.
Gibbs grabbed her by the arm and took her into an adjacent room and shut the door. This left McGee and Tony alone in the room. "You did really good McGee," Tony said to him. "You held your own out there."
"Thanks," McGee said as he looked out the window.
"Alright... Alright McGee. I'm going to regret this," Tony said as he rested back into the old couch. "I know you want to ask me something... Tony on Sodium Penathol... Free shot, I'll give you a free question McGee," Tony said. The kid had did great in the field. Tony had enlisted McGee's help to go into a lion's den. McGee joked around but he came along without thinking about the dangers. McGee had his back.
"I don't know," McGee said. Of course he wanted to, but taking advantage of the Senior Field Agent while drugged could be detrimental to his own health in the long run. Then again, Tony gave him the opportunity, so this could be his only chance at finding out something that had always bothered him. "This may seem childish... But what's with all the name calling? And the seemingly constant effort to belittle me at every turn?" He asked.
This time Tony didn't fight the effects. Of all the questions the younger agent could've asked, that was the best he could hope for. "What has this adventure taught us, McGee? We're brothers in arms you and I... Are we not? I mean we have been for years... I never had a younger brother growing up. I had nobody to look out for, to teach the ways of the world to... But don't brothers also rib each other? They make fun of each other," Tony said. That's what he'd seen in old movies and television shows. TV families teased each other excessively, but when it came to the fight, they'd rally together and form an unbeatable team.
"Not all the time Tony," McGee said as he shook his head. He wasn't prepared for that answer. He thought that Tony didn't think much of him. Maybe Tony wanted him to quit or something like that. Always belittling him around every turn.
"I never meant to overstep the boundaries. I'm sorry Tim," Tony said earnestly.
"I never realized. I mean I should have noticed it... Hey Boss," McGee straightened up when Gibbs and Ziva re-entered the the lounge. "Still no sign of anybody," he said.
"We should keep an eye out," Tony said as he stood up. Gibbs followed him into the kitchen area and watched his Senior Field Agent reach into the hole in the floor and pull out a shotgun. Tony checked to make sure it had ammunition.
"Are you alright to handle that?" Gibbs asked him.
"Yes... I'm honest, not out of my mind," Tony said with a smile. But kept his eyes lowered for a moment and he remained silent.
"What is it?" Gibbs asked him. Perhaps things had suddenly caught up with the younger man. Gibbs understood that feeling after an operation and the body just wants to shut down.
"I feel like Elliot Ness in the Untouchables... You know, going to enforce prohibition. I like Kevin Costner's Elliot Ness than Robert Stack. But they're all the same character right?" Tony said. He could imagine busting down doors and announcing that this was a raid. "Hey Boss," Tony got Gibbs' attention again.
Gibbs turned around. "Yes?" He asked.
Tony found him self unable to stop his words again. "I'm sorry I've disappointed you Gibbs. I've lived to make you proud," he said. "But the reason I was able to do all this was that I knew you'd have my back. You'd back me up and you did," Tony said to him.
Gibbs had often thought that Tony placed way too much faith in him. "You and McGee did the hard yards Tony and you haven't disappointed me," he said.
"I can't believe that. I've fallen out of favor. I've screwed up lots of times... That's why you had me sent away," Tony said. It's what he had always believed. He shook his head. "I know you didn't personally send me away but you allowed it," Tony said in a small tone. His eyes still were still lowered.
"Tony... I will only say this once. The only reason I allowed that to happen was that I was lost in my own grief. I don't blame you for what happened. Things snowballed before I could stop it," Gibbs said with a hint of regret. "I don't know how to convince you that I tried and tried to get you back," he said.
"You don't need to say that you don't or do blame me... I blame myself enough for everybody," Tony said. It was no use fighting anything. "I'm confused," Tony suddenly changed his tone as they peered outside again.
"About what?" Gibbs asked.
"Ziva's a damn fine NCIS agent but McGee you and me, it's been like old times. I don't want her back. I don't want her to spoil our team dynamic," Tony said. It was easy to let him know once he let the effects just flow.
"She might not want to come back, DiNozzo," Gibbs responded. Things had felt like old times. But they weren't even sure what all this was going to lead to. "I'll fix things," Gibbs said.
"I know boss," Tony said. His mind felt more at ease.
"How?" Gibbs asked.
"You said you'll fix this. So you will," Tony answered. He knew Gibbs always came through in the end. It didn't matter how bumpy the road got. They were relieved when the sound of the jeep pulled up to take them to the extraction point. Soon they'd be safely on their way back to US soil.
A/N: End of Chapter 1: