Thanks so much for the reviews!

XXX

One morning, thirty five days after the team was disbanded, Gibbs walked into the office with a splitting headache that had started the previous evening and worsened during the mostly sleepless night.

His eyes posed longingly on Tony's desk and for a moment he imagined his lover giving him that secret smile he gave when they saw each other in the office after having spent the previous night together, and that alerted Gibbs the younger man was about to brag about his nightly exploits with the rest of the team. Exploits that, in his tale, involved one or more women, the younger the better, and not his cranky older boss.

In the beginning Gibbs hadn't appreciated it, although he understood Tony's need to keep up with his cover and "date". Later, he had learned to be amused by Tony's inventiveness, especially when he had realized every time his lover complimented or expressed appreciation for one of his made-up dates, in reality was complimenting Gibbs…It was another way to say 'I love you'.

But Tony wasn't there, hiding behind his monitor, and the most Gibbs could hope for was to find an email from his lover waiting in his mailbox.

He sat at his desk and had just switched on his computer. A bout of a feeling so strong and dark he could only call desolation washed over him when he saw there was nothing in his mailbox by Tony. He felt like the world had crashed over him and he wondered how the hell he would make it to the end of the day.

The desk phone rang, the noise terribly loud for his pounding headache. He quickly picked up the receiver to avoid it would ring again.

"Yeah, Gibbs," he said roughly, as he rubbed the bridge of his nose.

It wasn't dispatch, but the director's assistant. Vance wanted to see him at once.

Gibbs groaned inwardly, wondering how Vance knew he was already in and what the hell he wanted so early in the morning.

Climbing the stairs to the upper floor left him breathless, sore and lightheaded and, added so his persisting headache, it made him wonder if he had caught something. While it was true he had never been sick in his whole life, he had no illusion he was really immune from bugs, and he felt like shit. There was no other way to describe it. Maybe he could go to see Ducky later…

Gibbs walked inside Vance's office without knocking or waiting for the assistant to announce him. "Director," he greeted.

"Gibbs," Vance answered, sitting behind his desk. "I was looking at these folders. Where is the report about the Davison case?"

"Lee is still working on it."

"It's almost ten days since you closed the case," Vance commented.

"Well, yeah, Leon, it's not my fault if she isn't even able to write an investigation report and I had to correct it and have her rewrite it. Told you she would do better back in the legal department," Gibbs answered, clenching his fists at his sides to stop himself from rubbing his temples. It felt like someone was drilling a hole in his head, and he was aware his heartbeat hadn't yet slowed down after the stairs.

"Are we going to have that discussion again, Gibbs?" Vance asked, rising to his feet.

"No Leon, you made pretty clear you aren't gonna discuss anything. I'm just telling you what I think."

The pounding in his head increased even more, as nausea was added to his general feeling of sickness.

Gibbs raised his hands and rubbed his fingers against his temples, barely aware Vance was talking, something about not liking being called by his name with that tone. He was only aware of the pounding of his heart, of the cold sweat bathing his brow, of the room that had started spinning around him.

He had just the time to think, "Hell, I'm gonna faint," before his legs crumbled under him and everything went black.

XXX

When Gibbs opened his eyes, the first thing he saw when he was able to focus his vision was an anonymous white ceiling and a neon light. Frowning and not knowing where he was, he turned his head and saw Ducky. A very concerned, tired-looking Ducky, sitting by his side. He knew at once he was the cause of the fatigue and worry on his friend's face, but why?

"Duck…" he croaked, idly wondering why his throat was so dry and his voice so raspy, as if he hadn't used it in days.

Ducky's whole face brightened as he smiled and straightened on the chair. "Jethro! Welcome back, my friend! You gave us quite a scare—again!"

"What happened? Where I am?" Gibbs asked, his voice now sounding stronger.

"You are at Bethesda Naval Hospital. You were taken here after you collapsed in Director Vance's office and couldn't be roused."

Gibbs nodded, as memory returned. He remembered going into Leon's office and talking about a report. He remembered feeling like shit and then thinking he was about to faint…and then nothing, until a few minutes ago.

"How long?" he muttered.

"Two days," Ducky answered, patting his arm. "But you must not worry. The doctors ascertained there is nothing really wrong with you. You are just exhausted and undernourished." The ME's eyes lost their spark and turned sad. "When was the last time you had a full meal and a whole night of sleep?"

"Don't know," Gibbs answered, since it was rather pointless to try and lie given his condition. "Before Jenny left for Los Angeles, maybe."

Ducky's eyes softened, as he patted his arm again. "Jethro, I know her death has been a hard blow for you, but Jennifer wouldn't want to see you ruin your health for her." A pause, then, "I had no idea her death effected you so much…I thought you had got over her long ago."

"It's not because of Jenny," Gibbs murmured, looking away.

"No? Then what, Jethro?"

The door of the room opened before Gibbs could answer, and Vance walked in, with a thunderous look on his face that promised nothing good. He stopped by the bed, exchanged a nod with the ME and then faced Gibbs.

"Can I know what the hell is going on?" he began. "I just got a call from the USS Ronald Reagan: Agent DiNozzo collapsed while talking with the Captain, and cannot be roused. It happened two days ago, roughly at the same time you collapsed, Gibbs. The cause? Exhaustion and malnutrition."

Worry rushed in Gibbs as he heard about Tony. He pushed himself up to a sitting position and urgently asked, "How is he? Is he okay?"

"Don't know yet. They are transferring him here." Vance checked his watch. "He should arrive this evening."

"I'll make arrangements to have Anthony settled in the bed beside yours, Jethro," Ducky said gently. "You won't be away from him a moment more than necessary now that I know."

Vance frowned and asked, "What do you know, Dr. Mallard?"

The ME ignored the question as he continued to talk to Gibbs. "Why didn't you tell me it was him?"

"Ducky?" Gibbs asked, confused.

"You came to me years ago, asking for advice for a rather personal matter, remember? When you never touched the topic again, I thought things hadn't worked out between you and the lad. I never imagined it was Anthony and that you two are now so much more than coworkers." Ducky explained, his eyes never leaving Gibbs'. "Why did you never tell me he was the man we talked about? Had I known, I would have blocked his reassignment for medical reasons." He then turned to face Vance, who looked like he was about to explode and asked, "Are you aware of the people called Perfect Matches, Director?"

Vance nodded. "I've heard of them, yes."

"Agent DiNozzo is a Perfect Match, while Agent Gibbs is his match."

"Ducky…" Gibbs growled softly, not liking the idea of sharing his personal life with Vance.

"I'm sorry, Jethro, but this is something the Director needs to know, since it has so obviously affected both you and Anthony. This must go in your medical files, so you won't be separated again."

"But Ducky…We have been separated for four months when I was on leave in Mexico—and nothing like this happened," Gibbs tried to reason with his friend.

"You were indeed separated, but I clearly remember Anthony phoned you every day. That gave you enough personal contact to prevent the reaction you had this time. Have you heard from him since he left?"

Gibbs shook his head, "Just a couple of emails."

"Which I bet did nothing to ease the loneliness both of you are feeling…Jethro, recent researches have demonstrated Perfectly Matched pairs, those fully bonded, where the love is fully reciprocated by the "normal" partner, become emotionally dependant on each other. They live in symbiosis…like two valves of a same being… and cannot be separated," Ducky explained.

"We didn't know…" Gibbs murmured.

Vance, who had been listening intently, took advantage of the ensuing silence to ask, "When did you… bond? I think that's the word."

Gibbs sighed. He hated to talk about his private life, especially to a person he didn't trust, but he had no choice. Besides, it would ensure he and Tony couldn't be separated again, and this was worth every ounce of embarrassment he will feel.

"We bonded in 1993… by mistake. We didn't see each other for the next ten years, when Tony joined the NCIS. We have been in a relationship since 2004—and it has never affected our jobs," Gibbs stressed the last like as he looked at Vance.

"It has affected them now!" the Director retorted before walking away.

Once they were alone, Ducky returned to face Gibbs and asked softly, "Why didn't you tell me, Jethro?"

"Rule Four, Duck: 'the best way to keep a secret is keep it to yourself. The second best way is tell one other person... if you must. There is no third best'. We didn't want the news to accidentally spread and cause troubles in the office or when we work with other LEO's. I guess it no longer matters. It will become common knowledge within hours after you update our medical files."

Ducky shook his head and admonished, "Don't be so negative, Jethro. I'll find a way to keep it hush-hush." He smiled and continued, "As for our Director, he is more than a little annoyed with you at the moment, but he is intelligent enough to keep such news to himself. The only thing you should think of now, is that young Anthony will be soon here, and that no one will be able separate you two again. I would not, of course, expect Vance to reassign him to your team. I think we both know it's highly unlikely – but I fully predict Tony will be given a job in the HQ. I believe this a very good thing, don't you?"

Gibbs nodded, and reclined back on the mattress. The conversation had exhausted all the strength he currently had, and he was struggling to keep his eyes open.

"Wake me when Tony is here...please..." he mumbled.

"I will, Jethro. Now sleep...that's exactly what you need now."

And Gibbs did, falling asleep with a small smile on his lips.

Tony was coming home.

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Well, I guess you will be happy Tony is coming home so soon...Let me know, OK?