The next few months passed in a blur. Abby, hoping for Ducky to have an idea about what the virus was, had filled him in on what she knew. Not having a clue but worried about Tony, Ducky called Gibbs down to talk about any oddities the other man had noticed.
"Perhaps any physical symptoms would shed some light on Anthony's ailment. Have either of you observed anything?" Abby was the first to shake her head before she reconsidered.
"Well sometimes if he's been working extreme hours because we've got a nasty case he'll be kinda pale, and get really cold, like almost frigid. But he always has some explanation for it, so I don't know if it's really a symptom or not you know? It could just be Tony neglecting his blood sugar. Everyone's blood sugar gets a little hinky if they work a lot without stopping for a good meal. That's why I drink CafPow!. It keeps everything functioning in Abbyland. Maybe I should share some with him the next time he looks all pale. But if it's blood sugar then we aren't any closer to knowing what the virus does!" Abby made a frustrated sound at the end of her rambling train of thought, pacing around Ducky's office as she spoke. She still didn't like autopsy, but she was too worried about Tony to care at the moment, though she was sure she'd shudder about it later.
"Unfortunately we won't be able to tell the difference between virus and natural occurrence without taking blood, and that is not an option if we are trying to remain under the radar. I assume that the reason we are meeting like this is because we do not want Anthony to know that we're onto him if he is aware of the virus and is attempting to keep it a secret. Have you thought of anything Jethro?"
Here Gibbs was torn. He knew there was something off about the behaviors of his senior field agent. First, when Tony was recovering from the plague, he healed much quicker than the doctors said he should have, more quickly than even he said he was. Gibbs had watched him from reflections in kitchen appliances when he was upstairs, and when his back was turned Tony would shift positions quickly enough that he should have been rendered breathless by the strain on his lungs with how solid he was. There was also that whole business with his 'friends' and that lipstick. He had never seen the smudge of a missed kiss that closely before, he knew that there was something decidedly unlike a kiss print about it. There was also the fact that he hadn't liked the thought of anyone getting close enough to kiss his injured agent, but at the moment that was neither here nor there. It was also completely out of left field so he didn't know anything else to do but bury it deeply back into his subconscious mind.
The second thing that didn't sit completely right with him was that Tony did not appear to have any kind of scar on him. The unhindered view in MTAC had allowed Gibbs to do a damage check on the other man, to catalog any scar tissue that could have, or rather - should have, built up from the various stabbings and shootings from his time as a cop in Baltimore, Philly, and Peoria. At least that would be the story if anyone bothered to ask, like their director. What had started as a cursory glance at the man out of amusement had turned into him scanning every inch of the younger agent, taking in each ridge of bone and slight dip between the muscles, the fact that he was flushed, but not overly so, the way he seemed proud of the fact he was flashing not only his boss and a bunch of tech personnel, but the head of a government agency. He stuck to playing the amused parent role with this although he knew that the images would haunt him later. Unfortunately he would never be able to act on those feelings with the agent for several reasons: A) There was no chance of Tony reciprocating, B) They were both men and even if the sexual expectations of military personnel were becoming less stringent, there was no way in hell this would go over well - not that that one was particularly important, it still had to be included for completeness though, C) Rule twelve, and perhaps the most important thing, D) He was straight damn it! He had been married more than once and had a daughter, not to mention there were absolutely no problems in the bedroom department with any of the women he slept with, or even alone for that matter. So there was nothing else to do but chalk the attraction down to the fact that he had recently nearly lost Tony and lost Kate, and as a result he was being unduly attentive.
However there was nothing out of the ordinary on Tony's body, at least to Gibbs' notice. Nothing except a clear expanse of tanned, toned and - if the lack of hair on his chest was anything to go by - waxed flesh. It seemed that no matter how much junk food Tony ate, he was always ready to go, never seeming to be slowed by a meal, apparently never gaining an ounce either. That realization made the fact that he had never seen Tony actually finish a whole meal in one sitting stand out as if put under a spotlight. Maybe he couldn't eat that much at once due to the virus, or maybe he just didn't like junk food that much.
"Jethro?" A voice cut into his musing, causing him to blink and shake his head.
"I don't have anything that could help Duck." He admitted, not wanting to share his speculations and admit just how much attention he paid to his agent. Not until he had something more. He was saved from any further questions by his cell phone ringing. Hoping that it was something mundane that he could play off as important, he answered only to find out that a Petty Officer had been found dead in the upper level of a club. "Better get Palmer, Ducky. We've got a crime scene." Picking up a pen and paper, Gibbs wrote down the address of the club before motioning for Abby to follow him and heading toward the elevator.
"Abby, I need a favor." The words were out of his mouth as soon as the elevator doors closed, hand reaching out to flip the killswitch so they would stay put and have a moment to talk alone.
"Name it Bossman."
"I need you to find me a replica of what Cherry Crush lipstick looks like when a kiss was off center. It needs to be partially wiped off so the only bit that's left is here." he swiped his thumb down from the corner of his mouth, where the stain on Tony's face had been. Sensing that this had something to do with their Tony puzzle she nodded.
"Think the virus is transmittable?" she asked as Gibbs flipped the switch again, setting the elevator back into motion.
"Something like that." He replied, as the elevator doors opened and Abby stepped into her lab. Gibbs rode up to the bullpen to see the team actually doing work for once, although Tony was explaining the importance of idioms in a movie that nobody aside from the videophile had never heard of much less seen. He paused, watching how animated his second in command was as he explained the movie, deciding that the enthusiasm was definitely part of his charm.
He began walking again, striding through the bullpen and grabbing what little of the gear he didn't carry on him off of his desk. "Gear up, there's a dead petty officer in the top room of a nightclub." He didn't wait for their responses before striding off to the elevator that would take them to the garage, though a chorus of 'On it!'s rang out, as a shuffle of canvas signaled the team grabbing their gear and jogging to follow before the elevator doors closed, forcing them to take the stairs.
The fairly short ride was silent, aside from one 'So where are we headed?' from Tony, which was only answered by a shake of the head. He had recognized the club owner's name, and wanted to see Tony's reaction when they showed up to see her standing and waiting for them.
Soon enough they pulled up behind a warehouse where the redhead was waiting. It took Tony getting out of the van with some gear, nearly bumping into her in order for him to recognize where they were. When it hit him he nearly dropped the bag he was holding but recovered it fairly easily. How he had not noticed the neighborhood, or even the route, was beyond him.
"Hello Tony." She stated pleasantly, "And a good morning to you as well Agent Gibbs."
"Hey Ami..." Tony responded, still a little shell-shocked that they were at Night Delight.
