"You awake yet, Harris?" Tony asked.

"Are we still in the jungle, DiNozzo?" Callie replied, her eyes tightly shut.

He smiled, "Fraid so, Agent Harris."

"Damn! I was hoping it was a dream."

"What?" Tony feigned mock hurt, "You don't like waking up in my arms?"

She sat up and smiled. "No, that part's not so bad. It's the 'still in the jungle' part that sucks."

"C'mon," Tony stood, pulling Callie up with him, "Let's get started."

Tony took a step away from Callie, releasing her as he did. Not thinking about the stiffness that would have set in during the night, Callie took her first step on her injured leg (that she had managed to forget) and promptly fell on her face, cussing on her way down.

Tony squatted beside her as she rolled over on her back, looking up, "Guess your leg hurts?"

"Just help me up and don't let me fall again, please?" Her tone full of exasperation.

He pulled her up again and this time walked with her until the stiffness had eased and she could move on her own.

"Guess you never had these kinds of problems with Ziva, huh?" Callie ventured.

Tony gave her a glance and continued walking beside her. "No, not these kinds of problems with Ziva. With Ziva, I had other kinds of problems."

Callie thought the remark both cryptic yet telling and she persevered, "I'm going to play tit for tat with you, DiNozzo."

He stopped and looked back at Callie, his expression unreadable, "Yes, Special Agent Harris?"

The tone left no doubt as to what he thought about her continued questioning on this line.

"Hey, DiNozzo, you didn't hesitate to quiz me about where I stood with Gibbs. If you want to start something when we get back to the States, I need to know what kind of baggage I'm dealing with."

He straightened at her tone, knowing that she'd been forthright with her answers about Gibbs. Callie deserved the same from him about Ziva. He sighed in frustration and raked a dirty hand through his sweaty hair.

"I think we were both interested, at one time or another, but it didn't pan out. I suppose, if she came back tomorrow, I would still be interested in something with her. But, given what's happened between us, I don't think that's a possibility."

"Her coming back tomorrow or starting a relationship?"

Tony's smile wasn't quite real, "Both." And he turned his back on his partner and continued walking. Callie half-limped, half-ran to catch up, knowing that this discussion was finished.

As they continued to walk, Callie started listening to Tony's breathing. She hadn't noticed yesterday but now it seemed labored and, sometimes, slightly shallow, as if taking a full breath was difficult. They weren't high up and Tony had always seemed quite physically fit so she was a little surprised.

They stopped for a few minutes, trying to get their bearings as the rutted trail was lighter in this area.

"Are you wheezing?" Callie finally asked.

Tony smiled, "Noticed that, did you?"

"Then, you are."

"Uh huh." And he started walking again, only to have Callie grab his arm and stop him.

"You don't get to just leave me hanging on that one. I let you get by with it on Ziva, but not this time. Is there a problem here, Special Agent DiNozzo?"

He sighed, something else he REALLY didn't like to talk about. "If I tell you, can we keep walking?"

She realized the slight dig and nodded. Beginning again on their journey, Tony finally said, "So no one's told you I got the plague?"

"Plague?" Callie's voice was skeptical. "You mean, like medieval, middle ages, plague?"

"Uh, yeah, that's the one."

"No, can't say that that's ever come up in everyday ordinary conversations about you Mr. DiNozzo."

"Yeah, well, I opened a letter I shouldn't have and managed to get the plague. Problem is, it scarred my lungs. So sometimes, if I'm doing a lot of extraneous running or walking or if I sleep on damp ground, it can get into my chest."

Callie was immediately concerned. They were walking what was going to be eight to twelve hours a day until they reached something that looked like civilization. At night, they had no choice but to sleep on ground that, by nature, accumulated moisture. Both of these situations created a problem for the other agent.

"What happens?"

"I'll get a wheeze, first and then, it'll eventually creep to a cough."

"Hello, Houston, we've got wheeze." Callie tried to be funny.

Tony smiled, "Look, it's not a problem so long as I don't lay flat. It's only if things start to build up in my lungs I can basically just drown in my own body fluids."

"That's appealing, Tony. Thanks for the mental image."

He put his arm around her shoulders and got her moving, again. Tony teased, "You know, you stop and start like this old car I used to own."

She poked him in the ribs and they continued their trek into the jungle.


A couple hours after their plague discussion, they heard it. This time it was Tony who stopped. Turning back to Callie, he asked, "That sound like water running to you?"

She stopped to listen and pointed to a spot slightly off and left from their rutted trail. "Yeah, definitely."

"Come on," And Tony led them a little deeper into the jungle than they had gone the night before. After about fifteen minutes, they finally found the small, running stream. It wasn't completely clear but it did appear deep enough to possibly swim. Tony started to slip off his shoes and go in when Callie stopped him.

"I really wouldn't do that."

"And why not? It's hot and the water at least looks cool."

"Because, water like this sometimes has creepy crawlies."

"Creepy crawlies?" Tony's voice was flat.

"Yeah, things that creep where you don't want them to and crawl where you don't need them to." He shuttered at the thought.

"What do you suggest?"

"Use your shirt. Get it damp and draw it that way. It's still not good and clean but it's better than nothing."

Tony nodded, stripping his shirt to reveal a white wife-beater t-shirt underneath. Callie chuckled, "Now, see, I figured you for the Clark Gable no undershirt type."

Tony loved the movie reference, "It Happened One Night. Great flick. His only Oscar and for a studio that he didn't really even work for. He was strictly on loan for that one."

Callie had eased herself down against a nearby tree. The chills had come upon her suddenly while they had traipsed through the jungle. She now wiped sweat from her brow. Tony brought his wet shirt to her so she could try to clean up. It was then he noticed how flushed her cheeks had become. Kneeling before her, DiNozzo touched Callie's forehead like a parent checking a sick child.

"When did this start?"

She swallowed and looked up, "Probably an hour or so ago."

"And you didn't think I might need to know this?"

"What were you going to do? Whip out two aspirin and a blanket?"

He stood back up, agitation in his demeanor as he stomped back to the water. Wetting the shirt down completely, he brought it back to wipe off her face. It was then he noticed Callie's leg. The entire area around the scratch was a fiery red. It was also puffy and roughly the same size from her knee down to her ankle. She saw his look and spoke again, "Yeah, I think it's pretty well infected."

"Geez, Callie, you think?" Again Tony was frustrated.

"You probably need to lance it," She supplied quietly. "But that would take a knife."

Tony smiled at Callie and undid his belt, removing the buckle; he revealed the knife, "Rule #9 – Always have a knife."

He sat this time, stretching Callie's leg across his lap. He could feel the heat emanating from the wound. He turned concerned eyes to her as he said, "Callie, this is going to hurt like a bitch. We're in the middle of the jungle, no one for miles around. Scream. Cry. Cuss. Whatever it takes. Understand? No one's going to think any the less of you."

"Right," She nodded. "Okay."

She tried not to tense so she gave DiNozzo a brilliant smile. And then she felt the blade pop open the skin. She grimaced and tears streamed down her face but she refused to scream. As the blood and pus oozed from the leg, Tony looked at his partner again.

"You're a very stubborn woman, Callie Harris." And he wiped at her leg with the wet shirt.

"Yeah, I get that a lot." She finally regained her breath to speak. The pressure relieved, the leg did feel some better but she could still feel fever. "What I wish for is a fire."

"Yeah, well, if you'd wanted a fire, you should've got lost in the jungle with Gunny Gibbs. I'm sure he could have started a fire with two pieces of wood and a shoe string." The bitterness in his voice struck Callie hard.

"Agent DiNozzo, I don't need to hear that from you again." Callie's own tone was strict.

"Beg your pardon?"

"You heard me. You've done just fine. You handled that undercover operation perfectly. You've kept me safe and protected, listened to my whining and complaining, and made sure that I had every comfort you could provide. Trust me, Tony, with what you've had to work with, you've done an amazing job."

He started to speak but didn't know what to say. Callie continued, "Besides, if I were stuck with Gibbs I'd have to hear about how I screwed up, getting locked in a box and lost in the jungle to begin with."

"You somehow think this is your fault?" Tony was shocked.

"Well, yeah. It was my job to be your backup in this assignment. And look how well I did that." She shook her head, "He's going to eat me alive when we get back."

"No, he won't."

"Yeah, he will. It just gives credence as to why I shouldn't have come in the first place."

"Did it ever occur to you that he might have just been trying to keep you from doing something that makes you uncomfortable? Keeping your from repeating a past trauma?"

"No, it didn't, DiNozzo, because that's not Gibbs' style." She thought for a moment about Tony's choice of words before she launched in again, heatedly, "He didn't want me to come because he thought I couldn't take the shot."

Tony cursed himself. He should've known she'd be smart enough to read between the lines. When Tony didn't reply, Callie cornered again, "That's it, isn't it, Tony? He thought I would hesitate and put you at risk." More to herself than to Tony, the hurt a tangible thing in her voice, "Did he really think I'd put my partner at risk?"

"Cal, it really doesn't matter what Gibbs thinks. The bottom line is – you read me right in Interrogation that day. There was no way I was going on a mission like this without someone trained like me and who would follow through. Not leave a partner out to dry."

Callie noticed the faraway look Tony suddenly took on. She wisely stayed quiet and let him continue. "See, my last big undercover assignment was with our former director. Problem was she didn't seem to remember the rules Gibbs taught her all those years ago. If she had, she'd have never violated Rule #1 and she still might be alive."

Callie said quietly, "Never screw over your partner."

"Yeah." He paused, "So, anyway, I figure I'm the one who'll be on the chopping block when we get back to NCIS."

"You don't see the bigger picture, yet, do you, DiNozzo?" Callie's tone was all knowing. He moved her off his lap and stood up, not answering her as he did. She let him stand, his back to Callie as she went on, "The big picture, Anthony, is this. You're the complete package."

He turned back to stare at her. "You've got the skills, the knowledge, the education and background to run the entire Agency. A simple senior field agent leading a team will be no challenge for you."

He scoffed, "Who are you trying to kid?"

"No, Tony, I'm serious. You look at the other directors you've served under. There's not a one of them with any more basic ability than you have. You're articulate. You know when to speak and when to listen. You play your cards right, and we'll be working for you, somewhere down the line."

This was a revelation to DiNozzo. He'd never thought that he might lead the whole agency some day. Why not him? Gibbs didn't like the kiss-ass part but Tony had done that in some way, shape, form or fashion all of his life. He hadn't worked a foreign desk but he'd done enough ops out of the country. Why not – someday.

Callie smiled. If nothing else, she'd got him focused on something besides her. So maybe he wouldn't notice the fact that she had started shivering again.

He returned to the stream to wet his shirt down again and try to wash the grime from his hands and face. He drew in a breath and the cough caught him unexpectedly. He continued the barking cough for a few minutes longer, finally getting the chest to ease some. When he returned to their spot, Callie fixed him was a fevered yet serious gaze.

"Cough, now, huh?"

"Heard that, did you?" He squatted down next to his partner, wiping her fevered face with the damp shirt. He also used it to wipe her hands like cleaning up a small child. When he was satisfied, Tony tore another strip from the shirt and restored the tourniquet to Callie's leg, hoping the small act would keep the poisons from moving farther into her bloodstream. She had been in and out of consciousness most of the time. DiNozzo sat down next to her and the coughs hit him again. As he leaned forward, trying to get the fluids and junk to move, he felt Callie's warm hand on his chest.

"Maybe the fever will be good for something. I think warmth helps, right?"

He let her continue to rub, if nothing more, enjoying the relaxing motion on his chest. Tony was finally able to take a breath that didn't choke him and he leaned back against their tree.

Laughing, Tony said, "We make one hell of a pair, Harris."

She laughed, too. After that, they sat in companionable silence as night settled around them. Tony finally reached over and pulled Callie up closer to him, letting her sleepy head fall on his chest.

"Where's Gibbs? He promised." He heard her whispered statement.

"He always keeps his promises, Callie. He'll find us." And Tony kissed her lightly on the forehead.