He quickly but gently shut the aged and precious lunchbox when the stealthy stride of footsteps caught the corners of his sharp ears. Breathing out slowly and getting himself together, he placed the box into a trunk at his feet and promptly shut the lid. There were just some things he wasn't willing to share with anyone and that was one of them. That had been one of the last things her little hands had touched, her little heart had loved. Turning on his heel, he felt tiredness stab at him as he opened his mouth. He usually had a strict open door, physically and metaphorically, policy. But tonight…he just needed to be by his damned self. "DiNozzo, no offence but I'm not really in the mood for a v-"
"Not young Anthony, Jethro. Merely myself and my shadows."
Feeling his heart sink, Gibbs reached behind him and pulled a chord that filled the dusky basement with a thin light. Ducky took full advantage of the sudden vision and clambered down the rest of the stairs quickly. He shook his head when Gibbs reached up for a mason jar and there was something about the line of the man's mouth that let the agent know this wasn't a social call. His heart sunk even further. "What can I do for ya, Duck?" he asked casually, hoping his old friend would sense his tone and save him the agony of an unwanted counselling session. He knew the man just wanted to make him feel better, to mother him as he did, but he just didn't have the stomach for it. He'd sit and allow Duck to coddle him tomorrow, but not tonight.
When the doctor opened his mouth he found the urge to stem the onslaught before it even started, irresistible. The trick with Ducky's well meaning psycho-analysis sessions were to stop them before they could gain any traction. "Look, I appreciate you coming round here to see how I am. But I'm fine and I don't need to talk about anything, alright? I'm all good. There's no need to coddle me, I'm-" A sudden and very decisive snort of derision caught him off and he stared.
"Is that really why you think I am here?"
Gibbs stared for a moment more, suddenly confused by the hard look in Ducky's eyes.
"Well… yeah? You always drop by after there's been a tough day, seeing how I am…"
The hard look suddenly became glacial and Gibbs' confusion sky rocketed.
"Duck, what's the-"
"I am not here Jethro, to fluff your pillows and make sure you don't develop a nasty cough. Nor am I here to tend to the perfectly impenetrable maze that is your mental health. I am here on quite a contrary mission. Which is merely to find out just what you think gives you the right to be such a selfish, irresponsible… I'm afraid you'll have to forgive my language, but such a selfish, irresponsible arsehole?"
Gibbs' jaw dropped as he stared at the sudden tongues of anger flaming in the doctor's eyes.
He swallowed and did his very best to find something intelligent to say.
He failed the intelligence test miserably and went with a more caveman like dialect.
"Huh?"
…
A/N: I've had a few requests to cover the Requiem episode and I also found it a pretty interesting one! There'll be no CP in this cos' I just can't agree with many other authors/readers that Ducky and Gibbs' relationship would suit it. Going to go down a different road instead! Hope you enjoy. Just be a two or three chapter one, not a long fic! – Inks
…..