I just finished watching Extreme Prejudice again, and found myself wondering how the rest of the night played out for Gibbs and Fornell when they were at Gibbs' house. This is one way it could have happened. NOT SLASH! Friendship pairing. I do not own NCIS...
We All Need Somebody To Lean On
"You never dress up for me anymore." Tobias said as he set two beers down on the table and took a seat next to Gibbs. Gibbs twisted the cap off of his beer and flung it across the table. His eyes were cast downward and his shoulders slumped. He bored holes into the phone he held in front of him. He was staring at the time on his phone as if his life depended on it.
"You hungry?" Tobias asked.
Gibbs continued to fix on the time and remained silent until all of the tears that were threatening to burst forth from him were pushed back down.
"You call your old man, tell him you're ok?" Gibbs finally lifted his head and looked at his friend briefly, before once again fixing his eyes back onto the phone.
"Yeah." Gibbs whispered before finally setting the phone down on the table next to him. He looked like a man defeated. It was not a look that suited Leroy Jethro Gibbs. He added his signature to the statement in front of him, trying to focus his mind on anything else he could besides the tears that continually threatened him.
"Will you take a break, Jethro? You're home now."
"The Navy Yard is my home, too. That didn't stop him, Tobias." Gibbs opened his mouth, and then hesitated as the words which he was getting ready to speak struck him in the gut. "He hurt my family." It was something that he'd never wanted to say again, but the truth was painful and ugly; and the truth needed to be told. Gibbs leaned back in his chair and was again silent, anguish written into his features.
"I know..." Tobias said softly. He took a sip of his beer and took Gibbs' silence as an opportunity to get him to eat. "Brought cannoli..." he said as he pushed the pastry in front of him. Gibbs shook his head slightly and leaned over the table, clutching his beer in both hands.
"What's next, huh... What if Dearing's done?"
"Can't just walk away..."
"Oh yeah, he can. Sure he can. He can go under..."
"No... No." Tobias said, refusing to believe that this crime would go unpunished. "Every federal agency is on alert." He leaned over the table waited until Gibbs made eye contact with him. "Will you let me take the reigns on this one, Jethro?" Tobias asked softly. Gibbs looked away, hurt in his eyes at the realization that he was no longer the lead on this. Gibbs' whole team needed recovery time, and he and Tobias both knew it. Tobias continued, "The President said to proceed with extreme prejudice. I'm proceeding."
Gibbs scrubbed a hand over his face and nodded. He silently got up from the table, grabbed a new bottle of bourbon out of the cabinet and practically ran to the basement. Tobias sighed and started putting the containers of food in the refrigerator. Then he quietly made his way down the steps into the basement where Gibbs was standing at his workbench and staring at the still unopened bottle of bourbon. Tobias emptied two mason jars of screws, pulled the bottle out of Gibbs line of sight and started pouring. He held up a jar to Gibbs, but Gibbs just continued to stare, his fists balled and his jaw clenched.
"Jethro..." Gibbs looked up and saw the bourbon his friend held out to him. He took it with a sigh, downed it in one shot and threw the jar at the wall. Tobias didn't flinch as the glass shattered. He saw this coming hours ago. Gibbs turned to face him, red with anger and his hands clenched into deadly fists. Tobias watched as two fat tears finally rolled down Gibbs' cheeks.
"We'll get him, Jethro. I promise we will." He placed a hand gently on Gibbs shoulder, and that's when the dam broke. Tears streamed down Gibbs face. He let out a shuttering breath before putting his hand on Fornell's chest and shoving him away roughly. Tobias landed on his ass with a thud on the floor, and could only watch as Gibbs finally released the rage he had boiling inside of him. Gibbs threw his fist onto the wall in front of him, cracking the peg board and sending tools and jars of small parts clattering to the floor. Tobias jumped to his feet and waited quietly while Gibbs continued to assault the wall in front of him.
By the fifth punch, Gibbs let out and anguished cry and felt his knees begin to quiver. Tobias grabbed him under the arms and guided him gently to the floor as his knees gave out. Gibbs body was racked with sobs, and Tobias immediately knelt in front of him and embraced him. He was not about to watch his best friend cry onto the dusty basement floor. Tobias' shirt was becoming wet with tears, but he did not let go of his friend.
"I got you, Jethro. We'll get him. He won't get away with this." Tobias said as Gibbs clenched his shirt into both hands and cried until he was out of tears. After Gibbs' tears subsided and his breathing evened out, he finally let go of the shirt.
Tobias immediately began helping him to his feet and said, "Come on, let's get you upstairs. Your hand is probably broken. I'll get the first aid kit and clean you up, then take you to get it checked out."
"In the morning," Gibbs interjected. "Patch it up for tonight and I'll get it looked at tomorrow."
Tobias nodded and led him upstairs, then proceeded to clean all of the cuts on Gibbs hand. "You're gonna need a few stitches. I'll wrap it up for tonight, but make sure you have someone look at it tomorrow." Gibbs just nodded and closed his eyes as his hand was wrapped, and Tobias put the last piece of tape over the bandages. "All finished. Now let's get you to bed."
Gibbs raised an eyebrow and, to Fornell's great relief, offered a smile.
"You gonna tuck me in too, Tobias?"
Tobias grinned at Gibbs and patted him on shoulder, "Not on your life, pal." They both laughed and Gibbs collapsed onto the couch, exhausted.
"Food's in the fridge when you get hungry." Tobias said as he put on his jacket and opened the door to leave.
Gibbs ran a hand over his face and opened his eyes. "Tobias... Thank you."
"Anytime, Jethro."
The End :)