Disclaimer : If you recognize it, I still don't own it. All characters remain intellectual property of CBS and their creators
Author's Note : Thank you to everyone who read, favorited and followed so far. I'm glad to hear you guys are enjoying the story thus far. It is posted over on AO3. So if you can't to read it in its entirety, it is already over there. There is also a ton of art.
Enjoy.
-oooooooo-ooooooooo-ooooooooo-
Mid-morning the next day, Tony quietly arrives at NCIS. He plans it out just right: showing up sometime during Gibbs' third coffee and second trek to Abby's lab. Even though he knows he should, Tony isn't ready to face his boss quite yet. At the scene last night, they didn't speak a word to each other. Gibbs just jerked his head at Tony and the senior agent was up all night trying to figure out what the hell that meant. It could've been anything from Get some sleep, DiNozzo to Good job outing yourself, I might not be able to fix it and every variation in between.
And that didn't particularly help get Tony back in working order. The migraine continues to ravage his brain like an untamed wildfire. At the elevator's ding on the fourth floor, he gently massages his temples. Releases a tired, ah. Taking a steadying breath, he hoists his backpack higher and heads into the bullpen. He keeps his Aviator sunglasses on to help ward off the bright, fluorescent lights.
Tony heads to his desk on auto-pilot. He drops his backpack to the ground, then slips his gun and cred into the top drawer. When he plops into his chair, he notices someone staring at him.
Kate Todd sits at her desk. Her concerned eyes watch him cautiously. He nods as though to say he's fine, that everything is fine. She half-smiles right before she digs in.
"What's with the glasses, Tony?" she asks, tilting her head.
"I figured if Tom Cruise could rock them in Top Gun, I can too." He smiles cheekily, but it makes him wince. "Maybe I should get people to call me Maverick."
Kate rolls her eyes. "There's a lot of things I could call you, Tony. And Maverick sure isn't one of them."
He raises his eyebrows lasciviously. "So you spend time thinking about what you'd like to call me. Hm, maybe I'd like to hear a couple of them."
Kate starts counting on her fingers. "Creep. Skirt chaser. Womanzier." She lifts her chin, studying him. "Should I keep going?"
Without a good comeback on his mind, Tony lets their conversation slip into silence. He fires up his computer. The normalcy in their banter takes the edge off the migraine. It helps remind Tony that his life hasn't changed, that he is still human.
As human as society considers me anyway.
Tony filters through his most recent e-mails. Abby's middle of the night musings about their missing petty officer, Ducky's psychological reports about why a petty officer would steal four kilos of heroin, and some summons for court dates from JAG. One that catches Tony's eye is a letter sent to the whole agency from the conspiracy nut in the armory. Mutants are starting to infiltrate our agency. Meeting at lunch on Thursday to discuss. With his heart in his throat, Tony deletes that one.
Kate's voice pulls Tony out of his thoughts. "Did you hear anything I just said, DiNozzo?"
"Yeah, definitely," he says. "That's great."
"Since when is Internal Affairs coming a good thing?"
Tony's head snaps up. "IA is coming? Here?"
Kate nods carefully. "Yeah, you know that anything several dead civilians automatically triggers an investigation." She shrugs like it isn't important. At all. "It'll blow over."
And that's when Tony starts casing the exits. He rechecks his go-bag for a quick escape. MSM magazines, back-up suits, and candy bar stash in there, creds and gun in his desk to be ready at a moment's notice.
The quiet is enough to draw Kate over. "Did something else happen last night?"
Tony doesn't know what to say.
"It will blow over, right?" she asks.
"Of course," Tony says more for her benefit than his.
Nodding, she glances back to the elevators. "You know, McGee wouldn't tell me what happened either. All I know is we've got three bodies to process and Abby is already climbing the walls."
"That's what happens when she skips her morning Caf-Pow."
Kate shifts her weight. "When I went to see her, she was already on number four."
Tony winces. "Has Gibbs been here?"
"Yeah, he left a little while ago. After he told me to stay put."
"And you haven't left?"
"If you promise not to rat me out, I went to the lobby for coffee. Then, I went to get groceries and home for a nice, long bath." When Tony doesn't take the bait, she purses her lips. "I haven't even gone to the bathroom because Gibbs will kill me if he finds out."
Tony just nods. "He will know."
"It's almost like he can read our minds sometimes. Especially…" She lets her voice trail off.
Even though she doesn't finish the thought, she is talking about that Israeli superspy—the one hell-bent on a revenge mission against Gibbs—tried to gun the team down a few months ago. They were on a rooftop when Kate caught the sniper's bullet to the chest. Just as she stood, Gibbs dragged her straight back down to the rooftop again. A second bullet ripped a nice hole in the AC unit behind them. In some alternate universe, Tony is pretty sure that bullet ended her life.
"Yeah," he says in agreement.
She unconsciously rubs the middle of her forehead like she does whenever they discuss that moment. Her body goes rigid at the thought.
Before she retreats to her desk, someone heads into the bullpen. At the sight of Tony, Tim stops dead. Dark circles hang under his eyes, his skin turned ashen overnight. He must've tried to hide the hide the dark black bruise on the left side of his head because his hair is styled different. However, he missed the one on his right cheek. He fumbles with his tie mumbling something before he is on the move.
"McGee!" Kate calls after him.
He doesn't turn back. "I need some air!"
Then, Tim bolts for the elevator. Without a second thought, Tony abandons his go-bag to follow Tim. He darts through the cubicles, but somehow, Tim is faster than Tony thought.
"DiNozzo! McGee! Where are you going?" Kate yells.
"I don't know!" Tony shoots back.
"I'm telling Gibbs you left!"
Tony can't even decide whether that matters right now because he has to talk to Tim. He must look the younger man in the eye and tell him—despite what the media and public opinion say about mutants—he is still human. He is still Tony.
By the time Tony reaches the elevator, Tim is pounding on the Door Close button. Tony doesn't bother with sticking his hand in the doors because they don't stop anymore. Instead, they will just will smash your fingers. Instead, he rabbits for the stairs. Over his shoulder, he notices Kate watching with her hands on her hips and angry eyes.
"Gibbs is going to kill you!" Kate yells. "Both of you!"
And that's a risk Tony decides he is willing to take. As he sprints down the stairs, he clears his mind and tries to focus his attention on slowing the elevator down. He doesn't know whether it will work. He never tried it before. He never even practiced it before. But if he doesn't get to Tim before IA, G-d only knows what could happen.
Somehow, it works—or Tony is just quicker than he thinks. He beats Tim to the lobby. As soon as the doors open, Tim bolts out of the elevator. Head down, he strides briskly towards the exit.
Tony heads after him. "Hey McGee."
Tim doesn't look back.
"I need to talk to you, Tim!" Tony shouts.
When Tim still doesn't acknowledge him, Tony bolts after him. He catches up, grabbing the younger man's arm. Tim sucks in a breath, his entire body turns to stone under Tony's touch. He recognizes that emotion from people who learn what he truly is: raw fear.
"We need to talk," Tony says quietly.
Tim nods like Tony is holding a gun to his head. Tony guides him to a little nook by the guard station where they'll have some privacy. Tim looks anywhere, everywhere except at Tony.
"Come on, McGee." Dropping Tim's arm, Tony straightens his suit. "I'm still me."
Tim stares at him for a long time. "Are you really Tony?"
Tony is taken aback. "Who else would I be, Probie?"
At the nickname, Tim seems to settle slightly. He scrubs his hands over his face. Runs his hand through his hair. Looks back at the elevator as though he is planning his escape route.
"I thought a shapeshifter took your place," Tim finally replies.
Tony snorts. "You know, shapeshifting mutants are just stories. They don't really exist. They're kinda like mutant boogeyman."
Tim's face pales considerably. "And you'd know because you're one of them."
Tony turns deadly serious. When he leans in, he hisses, "A shapeshifter, no. A mutant, yes."
Tim flicks his lower lip between his teeth as he seems to consider his next step. Whether he should run to the security guards, screaming and pointing, or stay to hear Tony out. If only he knew the consequences Tony would suffer for being a mutant in a federal agency. Well, Tony wonders whether that would change his mind.
Tony grabs his arm. "I wouldn't tell you unless I trust you, Tim."
Tim half-nods. "Did you mean what you said last night?"
Tony tilts his head questioningly.
"When you called me a friend," Tim says.
Tony's brow furrows as he steps back. "Yeah, we're friends. I mean, as close as you and I could ever be."
"You mean as close a nerd and jock could be," Tim grouses.
"No, I mean as close as two people with completely different lives could be. I know jack shit about computer games and your taste in movies is like, what? 2001?"
Tim shakes his head. "I don't remember what movies came out that year, Tony."
Tony wrinkles his nose, but Tim misses the point. "I bet you liked the remake of Planet of the Apes."
"Actually, both versions are on my To Watch list," he says.
Tony grasps at straws. "Star Trek?"
"That was were several great television sseasions before they made some lame movies." Tim tries his switch gears. "Well, you had to have heard of Fall Out?"
Tony shakes his head.
"Everquest?"
Tony raises his eyebrows, presses his lips together.
"Anything from The Legend of Zelda series?" When Tony shakes his head again, Tim's mouth gapes. "Not even Ocarina of Time?"
Tony holds his hands out as though to say See what I mean? That earns him a half-hearted smile. Tim visibly relaxes and stuffs his hands in his pockets.
"You said you wanted to talk," Tim says. "Then, let's talk."
Tony nods. "IA is coming to interview us. And I just – "
"Wanted to see what my story was going to be," Tim interrupts.
Tony glances around. "Maybe we should talk about this somewhere more private."
After giving it some thought, Tim reluctantly agrees. They head outside into the beginning of the lunch rush. The sun hangs overhead, shining merrily despite the near freezing temperatures. Even though no bothers them—even though he looks just like everyone else—Tony feels as though all eyes are on him.