Chapter Four: Wanted

Wednesday morning was awkward to say the least. Gibbs was the first one out of bed. He showered and got the coffee going while Tony remained on the couch pretending to be asleep when in reality he was deep in thought. To say he was confused was an understatement.

He'd had countless one night stands in the past but that was with people he knew he'd never see again. LJ was his new partner. He couldn't avoid him. For at least the next six months the two of them had to share the house. Maybe Gibbs had been right to walk away. What did he expect to happen if they'd gone all the way the night before? What did he want? Why couldn't he get the guy out of his head?

Gibbs walked into the living room and stared at Tony still lying on the couch under his quilt. He knew Tony was awake. The sun was pouring in the windows and it was getting late into the morning. His internal clock was still getting him up before dawn and he knew Tony was still adjusting to the time change as well.

"Scoot," he said softly as he patted Tony's leg. "I know you're awake."

Tony pulled his knees up and rested his feet on the middle cushion giving Gibbs a place to sit. There were two other cushions on the shorter side of the sectional. Tony didn't understand why Gibbs couldn't just sit there but he didn't say anything. He found he was actually quite angry about the previous night but he wasn't completely sure why.

"I'm sorry about last night," Gibbs said putting his coffee on the end table next to him. He tugged the quilt away from Tony's face so he could look at him.

"About what?" Tony asked not intending to sound so angry. "Leaving me all hard and unsatisfied?"

"For leading you on," Gibbs answered patiently. He didn't blame Tony for being angry. After all, he had been the one to initiate the kiss. Tony might've provoked it but he could've ignored him.

"Thought apologies were a sign of weakness," Tony replied, unsure of what else to say.

"They are," Gibbs said, "but not between friends. I shouldn't have messed with your emotions like that."

Tony pulled his arm out from under the quilt and rested it across his forehead as he released a deep sigh. "I'm confused, LJ," he admitted, all the harshness gone from his tone. "I wanted you so bad last night. I've spent all morning trying to tell myself it was the alcohol or it was because I haven't been with anyone in awhile but I'm just lying to myself."

"Tony, it can't happen," Gibbs said. "When we're out in the field our focus has to be one hundred percent."

"I'll still have your six," Tony insisted. "Work is work. Play is play."

"Damn it, Tony, what do you want?" Gibbs asked. He couldn't help the frustration in his voice. He didn't want to stop last night either. He'd been thinking about that kiss ever since but there was a reason for rule twelve, a damn good one. "Am I just convenient? Are you gonna try to tell me you love me? Is it just to take the edge off?"

"I don't know!" Tony said, his tone matching Gibbs'. "I don't believe in love at first sight. I'm not trying to use you as some easy, convenient release. I don't know! That's why I said I'm confused. I'm confused, LJ! I've never been so… messed up like this before."

Gibbs watched as Tony calmed and waited for him to continue.

"People have been walking in and out of my life ever since my mom died when I was eight," Tony said, "nannies, schoolmates, friends. I was bounced around so much I never knew if I was coming or going. My dad only values people for what they can do for him. He takes and takes and takes and never gives. The only solid thing in my life was the SEALs—you complete your mission, you protect your brothers and that's it. Black and white. Now there's all this gray area and I don't understand it."

Gibbs' pager interrupted their conversation. His eyes didn't leave Tony's as he pulled it off his belt. "It's Bryce," he said. "Get up. Put some clothes on. We'll talk to him in the war room." He stood and paused to rub his hand over Tony's head on his way by. A simple touch just to make sure Tony knew he cared.

"How are you guys settling in?" Bryce asked staring at them through the large screen they'd mounted to the wall the night before. "Do you like the house?"

"It's very nice," Gibbs said. "Not what we expected."

"Just one question," Tony said, "why do we have a cupboard full of spam?"

Bryce chuckled as he leaned back in his chair. "Spam is a delicacy in Hawaii," he said. "It's sometimes referred to as the Hawaiian steak. It's so popular you can order it at McDonalds and Burger King. Consider it a housewarming present; a welcome to Hawaii gift."

"That's uh, kinda crazy, Sir," Tony replied glancing over at Gibbs to see what he thought.

Gibbs just raised his eyebrows at his partner. He definitely preferred real steak and there was no way spam would change that.

"Listen, I know we said we'd give you guys ten days to settle in but we just got word a dangerous felon's been spotted in San Quintín, Mexico," Bryce said. "A vacationing tourist recognized him from a news broadcast and called us. Are you guys operational?"

Gibbs glanced over at Tony, a gleam of excitement in his eyes. "You ready?" he asked.

"Let's do it," Tony said with a smile.

"I'll fax you the information," Bryce said. "Watch your backs. Make us proud, boys."

"You got it, Sir," Gibbs said.

After a quick call to Ace, their pilot, Gibbs and Tony packed then headed to the small airfield across the street from the command post. It was mainly used for sky diving lessons but was fairly vacant most of the time. They'd been granted free use of the property and rented a hangar to keep their plane in. Ace already had the plane out and was doing his preflight check.

"A gulfstream, nice," Tony said.

"She's a beaut!" Ace said wiping his hands on a rag then extending his arm to the men. "Aloha, name's Ace."

"Tony," Tony said as he shook the man's hand.

"Gibbs," Gibbs said also shaking Ace's hand.

"Well, you guys are in good hands," Ace said. "Been a pilot all my life and I've flown all kinds of aircraft. I flew for the Army during Nam. I've flown fruity tooties to their private islands and I fly for personal pleasure as well."

"Fruity tooties," Tony repeated with a laugh.

"You know," Ace explained, "those highfalutin types who think they rule the world."

"Oh, I know alright," Tony said with a nod. His father was one of them but Ace didn't need to know that.

"Welcome aboard," Ace said. "I'm just doing some last minute checks right now. We should be airborne in about twenty minutes."

Like their new house and cars, their plane was also quite impressive. The seats were two-tone leather and more the size of a recliner than an average airplane seat. As they walked into the cabin there were two seats facing each other on each side of the aisle with a table in between. Behind them, on one side of the plane there were two more seats facing each other but without a table between them. On the other side there was a couch.

Behind that there were two loveseats facing each other with a table in between and on the other side there was a cabinet with a couple laptop computers and a flat screen TV that could be used for entertainment or communication purposes. Just past the seating area was the kitchen and bar and beyond that was the lavatory. They were going to be traveling in style.

"Nice, huh?" Ace asked walking up behind them.

"Nice is an understatement," Tony said. "I need to send a thank you note to whoever bought this baby."

"Don't have much need for notes," Ace said.

"You bought this?" Tony asked.

"With the government's money of course," Ace clarified. "The billionaire who'd originally ordered this wanted a black and tan interior not the medium and light tan that was put in. I just happen to know his pilot and got this baby for a steal. It's always good to have connections otherwise we'd be putzing around in a tin can."

"We appreciate it," Gibbs said. He knew they'd be spending a lot of time on the plane and was grateful to have such a cozy atmosphere.

"Mahalo," Ace said. "Glad you approve."

Thirty minutes after leaving their house, they were airborne. Normally it would've taken that long just to get through airport security. Both men were impressed. They settled in opposite of each other in two of the chairs and got to work. There were maps and paperwork spread out on the table between them, Tony had one of the laptops out and Gibbs was reading the police report that had earned their suspect a spot on the Marshals most wanted list.

Bradley Shea wasn't an average criminal. He was fearless, brutal; it seemed he had no weaknesses. He'd secured a spot on the most wanted list by killing two US Marshals with his bare hands after he'd tortured them for nearly twenty four hours. Their deaths were slow and painful and the Marshals were eager to bring him to justice.

Gibbs and Tony felt like they had the advantage over the fugitive. They had the element of surprise on their side and with any luck Shea had settled into his life south of the border and grown complacent. With what little information they had, there wasn't much they could do to plan. They bounced a few ideas around, looked at a map of the area and secured themselves a rental car.

Both familiarized themselves with Shea, looking over all the information they could find on the thirty one year old fugitive. He'd served time for drug possession and assault. Like most criminals, his crimes were getting progressively worse as time went on. His mom had died when he was a teenager but had been ill for years prior. His dad was a workaholic, just trying to keep up with the medical bills. Bradley had worked at a construction site for a short time giving them a clue about where they might find him.

By the time the plane touched down they had a good idea about where to start and how to proceed. They picked up their rental car and headed for the police station to let them know what was going on.

"We've seen him around town," Miguel, the lead officer told them in Spanish. "We don't know much about him. He's never caused any trouble. We'll keep an eye out for him."

"He's dangerous," Gibbs said also speaking Spanish. "Approach with extreme caution."

"We'll call you right away," Miguel said. "We don't want your fugitives hiding out in our town. It's peaceful here. We want to keep it that way."

"Thank you," Gibbs said. The three men shook hands then Gibbs and Tony headed out. It was time to head for the bar Shea had been spotted at and hope he showed up again.

Gibbs and Tony's casual dress helped them fit right in with everyone else at the bar. They found a table near the back where they could see everything that was going on and ordered cheeseburgers and beer for dinner. The beer was more for show but a few sips wouldn't hurt their primary objective.

They watched and waited, taking everything in as they ate their dinner. Tony had the drunk act down perfectly without overdoing it. He cheered loudly at the soccer game on the TV, laughed occasionally at something Gibbs said and made frequent trips to the bathroom although that was more to get a closer look at the other patrons than relieve his bladder. Gibbs was much quieter and more subdued. He played the part of the tough guy. He had bad ass written all over his face, warning anyone against messing with him. Together they were the perfect team.

After their meal they chatted with some of the other patrons. Both spoke Spanish and had no problem communicating with the locals. The two played the part of tourists passing through town on their way to Cabo and no one questioned it. A younger female seemed to take a special interest in Tony and Tony played along, buying her drinks and flirting with her.

Gibbs watched out of the corner of his eye as he played pool with one of the other patrons, not liking what he was seeing at all. He tried not to show the jealousy he was feeling but was having a difficult time hiding it as he watched the young woman grind against Tony on the dance floor and trail her finger across his chest at the bar.

Tony quickly picked up on Gibbs' jealousy. Originally he was just being nice to the woman, doing his job and playing the part but making Gibbs jealous turned out to be an added perk. Perhaps he was just getting back at the man for leaving him hanging the night before or maybe he enjoyed the possessiveness he saw in Gibbs' eyes. Either way, Tony couldn't help but feel like he had the upper hand in the little game they were playing.

They stayed at the bar until after 10:00 that night, snacking on appetizers, pretending to drink a lot more than they actually were, listening carefully to everything everyone was saying and talking to the others. When it became obvious Shea wasn't going to show up they headed out. They hadn't learned much but Tony's new friend had certainly soured Gibbs' mood.

"I was hoping we wouldn't have to spend the night in this dumpy town," Tony grumbled as they got in the car. "Not looking forward to sleeping in a roach motel."

"I got a friend about an hour south of here," Gibbs said. "We can stay with him." He didn't want to spend the night in a rundown motel any more than Tony did. Mike's place would be quieter, nicer and safer. It was worth the time it took to get there.

"Awesome," Tony said.

The ride down the coast was very quiet. As the miles passed, Gibbs started to calm. He reasoned that he'd been the one to turn Tony away so he really had no reason to be jealous if Tony was flirting with that young woman. It wasn't like he was ever going to see her again anyways but Gibbs couldn't seem to get past that possessive streak he felt.

Tony also pondered what was going on between them. Usually if he got turned down he'd just move on to the next person but there was something about Gibbs. The more he thought about it, the more he realized he wanted Gibbs. There was still some confusion in his mind about why he wanted him so bad but he was done questioning it. He wanted Gibbs, period. He was pretty sure Gibbs wanted him too. He just had to figure out a way around those damn rules.

The sun was long gone by the time Gibbs parked the rental car at the small beach house but a light coming from the living room window told him Mike was still up. He and Tony grabbed their things and headed for the house.

"Mike," Gibbs called out as he walked into the house.

"Probie," Mike greeted happily, "wasn't expecting you. Welcome."

"This is kind of an impromptu trip," Gibbs explained. "This is Tony, my partner. Tony, this is Mike, my former boss at NCIS." He dropped his bags and sat down on the couch. Tony followed his lead while Mike sat back down in his rocking chair.

"You guys working a case all the way down here?" Mike asked.

"Kind of," Gibbs said. "I'm not with NCIS anymore."

"Oh, who ya with?" Mike asked.

"Secret government type thing," Gibbs answered vaguely. "It's a baby program."

"Ah," Mike said, "I won't ask any more questions."

"Thanks," Gibbs said. "You mind if we stay with you for a day or two?"

"My door's always open to you, Probie," Mike said, "and any friend of yours is a friend of mine. The guest bed's all made up. One of you'll have to sleep on the couch."

"I will," Tony volunteered quickly.

"He sleeps on the couch at home anyways," Gibbs said, "and he's got a bed there."

"If that's where he wants to sleep I'm not gonna judge," Mike said. "There's beer in the fridge. You two are welcome to it but I'm gonna be a bad host and make you get it yourself."

"We actually just came from the bar in San Quintín," Gibbs said.

"Are you telling me you drove down here drunk?" Mike asked with a wink and a grin.

"Just had enough to make it look good," Gibbs said.

"Your mark didn't show?" Mike asked. They may have been tightlipped but Mike had been an investigator long enough and worked enough cases to make an educated guess about what was going on.

Gibbs shook his head.

"You got a TV around here anywhere?" Tony asked looking around the living room.

"Nope," Mike said, "and even if I did you wouldn't get any reception out here."

"You'll survive," Gibbs said. He knew having the TV on helped Tony sleep but he'd have to do without while they were there.

After a short visit, both Gibbs and Mike headed to bed leaving Tony alone in the living room. He felt a little lost without a TV but he'd done without before. He was worried that without that background noise to focus on, his thoughts would start getting away from him and he'd end up lying awake all night thinking; remembering things he wished he could forget.

He stripped down to his boxers, stacked the two pillows he'd been given on one end of the couch and spread out the sheet and blanket then laid down. The little shack on the beach was far from the city lights but the moon illuminated much of the living room and the windows were open providing a nice breeze and filling the room with the fresh night air. Tony realized how lucky he was that Gibbs had a friend they could stay with. Mike's place was small but it was clean and felt a lot homier than a cheap motel room.

As Tony let his body relax he thought back to their evening at the bar. He replayed every single one of the jealous glances and possessive looks Gibbs had given him while he and Selena danced and talked and it made him smile. Jealousy meant Gibbs cared. It gave him something to work with which gave him hope.

It took a split second for his thoughts to turn dirty. As he straightened his boxers and made himself comfortable, he found himself wondering what Gibbs wore to bed. Their first morning in Hawaii, Gibbs had come out to retrieve his forgotten duffel which meant he must not wear pajamas otherwise he would've come for his things the night before. He seriously doubted the man had slept in the jeans and polo he'd worn on the plane trip from DC which only left his underwear. Just for the hell of it Tony decided Gibbs probably didn't sleep in his underwear either, that way he could picture him naked.

The thought alone was enough to arouse him. He knew he wasn't going to get any sleep if he kept picturing Gibbs naked. He rolled onto his side and sighed heavily as he stared out at the starry night sky. The gentle waves rolling in were almost like a sweet lullaby. He started counting the stars in the sky and drifted off much quicker than he thought he would.