AN: Shorter chapter than usual, I needed to say something quickly, that I'm very embarrassed about. ANs should be about stories, but I've no other way of doing this.

Charley Horse, I apologise unreservedly in front of everyone – the problem with getting anonymous reviews is that when they have content that relates to others you don't know who you're speaking to. Your reviews were indeed entirely courteous, and in the context of your previous comments, your last message was completely in keeping and actually supportive, not negative.

Unfortunately I associated it with one that had upset me very greatly, and now I've offended you by going off half-cocked at completely the wrong person. And it took a fellow writer and true friend to point out my mistake. I really am so sorry. The comment wasn't actually aimed at you at all, and that'll teach me for losing my temper.

On a lighter note, although I have to say I don't feel light right now, Earthdragon – You're right, she's much too young, and Tim would have apoplexy. Have you read Snotwing's 'Stranded' btw? Great Tony/Sarah friendship story.

Sideways and Forwards

Chapter 10

Why would Gibbs have any reason to be mad at him, he asked himself over and over again, as he headed into the Yard early on Monday morning. He knew most of it now, he was sure he could prove it to anyone's satisfaction given just a little more time, and he had until tomorrow. In a way, the interview with Gibbs wasn't really necessary any more, unless he could supply another jigsaw piece or two, but he'd use sticking to protocol as his excuse to reach out a bit more to him. He was sure the Marine needed that, and just as sure that he'd resist it with every fibre of his stubborn being.

He still felt the lingering swirls of negative energy around him; Abby was in Norfolk, having driven down last night. She'd let Tim know she'd arrived, but still refused to answer his own calls. He had a new forensics expert to meet and plead for the very best from; Jenny had said he was twenty-four and looked like Jimmy Olsen, to which Tony had replied that was his line, and right now what they needed was Superman. She'd also confirmed that Abby would only be gone for just over nine weeks, which lessened his notguilt a little.

Watching Jasmine tearing round the park yesterday had helped to ground him; he wished he could have taken Gibbs to walk with them – but then, given what he'd lost he couldn't do that to him – Tony sighed, as his spirits plummeted again. He would pull himself out of this... but he was still avoiding the real issue. He'd decided, and he wasn't going back on it; now he needed to put it to bed.

He pulled into his parking slot, and sat for a moment. Ziva... she hadn't wanted to be alone with him – her reaction had been immediate. Clearly, she didn't want any sort of physical contact with him, nor did she want to talk to him, probably for fear of his trying to go deeper than she wanted to hear. That wasn't going to happen ever again...

"This thing where she wants to know where you are and who you're with, Boss." Ow, Tony had thought, she's reminding me she's my subordinate, and I can shut her up if I want. He raised the usual eyebrow that she'd got used to as a sign of encouragement, when he didn't want to speak and interrupt a train of thought. "Whatever it is... it's not love." Yeah... know that. "You know that term 'Dog in the Manger?'"

"Aesop's fables... Ah. Ow."

"I'm sorry if that's cold." Alex's voice had been low and sad.

Jasmine had danced over at that moment, and hung onto the words she understood.

"Baby Jesus had a manger... did he have a dog?"

"Maybe he did when he was a little boy," Tony had improvised. "No, see, this dog, he jumped up into a manger full of food for the cows. He couldn't eat the hay, but when the cows came near he barked and frightened them away so they couldn't eat it either."

"Naughty dog!" Jasmine skipped off again, and Tony sighed.

"I hear what you're saying. Didn't want to believe it."

"Didn't?"

"I do now. I'll get over it, Alex, don't worry." He'd forced a smile, then looked over to where Jasmine was tugging on her great-aunt's hand and pulling her back towards them. The big lady wore a cream woollen cape she'd knitted herself, and again Tony thought of a tall sailing ship."D'you think Jackie would have me? Am I man enough for her?" Alex had laughed, remembering their first meeting.

He smiled at the memory too, then huffed as those negative tendrils tugged at him again. "I do now," he muttered, "I'll get over it." He sprang resolutely out of his car, noting as he went by that Gibbs' vehicle wasn't in its slot, and strode indoors.

There was a hand-written note on his desk. 'Tony- come down to the lab as soon as you arrive. J.'

He headed down right way, composing his face into a pleasant smile just in case Jenny was … right. Jimmy Olsen – or maybe Doogie Howser. The forensic scientist didn't look a day over sixteen, whatever his birth certificate might have said, but the expression on his face belied that completely. He frowned in concentration at whatever the Director was saying to him, and glanced towards the safe just as Tony came through the door.

"Tony – you got my message. This is Dr. Robbie Dooley..." Jenny made the introductions, and both men assessed each other while trying not to look as if they were.

"Director Shepard tells me you have something urgent you need me to do, " the young man said; his voice was calm, and older than his face.

"Well, yeah. I need you to pull a rabbit out of a hat for me, Robbie. How much has Director Shepard told you?"

"That evidence from a cold case has been tampered with, there's very little left, and it involves the legendary Jethro Gibbs, who you used to work for. Which makes things tricky."

"That about sums things up," Tony said wryly. "I'll fill you in on the details as we go, but I need to show you the evidence. I saw you looking at the safe – do you know the code?"

Robbie smiled. "I just learned it. Shall we have a look?"

He opened the safe with a gloved hand, and as he reached in to lift the box out, Tony said "By the corners. Those two." The younger man frowned curiously, but didn't argue.

As he lifted the box his eyes widened in puzzlement at the lightness of it. "It's –" Robbie didn't bother to finish what he was going to say, but set the box down carefully, and lifted the lid, nodding in confirmation of his surmise. He looked at Tony, and their rueful expressions mirrored each other. "Empty. Hmm...Rabbit..." the scientist said. "Hat. Right." He nodded firmly. "Start at the beginning."

Tony was half-way through the story when Alex joined them, and after a quick introduction, she settled into the narrative with him, as they all sat around the table with the box sitting on it between them, issuing its silent challenge.

"I get it now," Robbie said finally. He grinned at Tony. "You need a rabbit. If there's so much as a hare of evidence, I'll find it for you. Leave it with me."

"Gurrr," Alex said.

"Ow," Tony agreed. "I believe you will. Thanks, Dr. Dooli- Dooley."

"You were going to say Doolittle, weren't you?"

Tony spread his hands apologetically. "It's all these animals."

Robbie laughed. "It's been said before."

"I figured," Tony told him. "That's why I stopped myself." He and Alex headed for the door, smiling.

"Seems a nice guy," Alex said, and Tony had to agree.

His grin faded quickly, though. "Did you notice if Gibbs had arrived yet?"

"He was with Director Shepard. Tony, d'you want me to be there? I mean, I'm your partner, but if Gibbs is going to feel crowded I don't have to -"

"Don't worry. You're my partner, like you said... and you can be sure Gibbs'll expect me to have you there – to learn what questioning him's all about!"

"Do I have to keep my mouth shut?"

"Have I ever said that to you?"

"No..."

"Alex, you'll know when to speak and when to keep shtum... I trust your judgement, OK?"

"Oh..." she wore a surprised, pleased smile. "That's...er... that's good!"

NCISNCISNCIS

"Ya gonna use that thing?" Gibbs pointed to the recorder that sat on the coffee table, looking at it as if it were a scorpion.

Tony had chosen the sunniest, most pleasant of the conference rooms, and made sure the coffee machine was loaded and ready. They weren't sitting at the large table, but in the armchairs by the window, one each end of the coffee table, with Alex sitting demurely in the middle with a notepad. Jenny had escorted Gibbs in, almost as if she was expecting him to bolt, and left them to it.

"This isn't an interrogation, Gibbs," Tony said patiently. "If you want us to record anything, we will, but you know what this is about – I need to know what you know." He reached over to the coffee jug, poured the Marine a stiff one, and set it on the table. Gibbs still had that narrow-eyed look, and Tony couldn't tell if it was just the expression he habitually got levelled at him, or if it was a headache – but he did feel that the last thing the other man needed right now was more caffeine. He wasn't going to deprive him though.

He hunched forwards, with his elbows on his knees. "Director Shepard's expecting a visit from a bereaved father tomorrow. I promised I'd have something for her to tell him. I have, and I will. But there are holes in what I know."

"And ya think with the holes in my memory I'm gonna have anything useful to tell you?"

Clear, unruffled green eyes met sharp, irritated blue ones. "Oh yeah. You're Gibbs. You'll remember something."

Gibbs snorted, irrationally narked that he couldn't get a rise out of this confident, at ease guy... where had the useless goofball gone? "Whaddaya want to know?"

"Your report on the Lishman murder; if you put it alongside Stans', you know they don't completely tie up."

"What?"

"His starts with arriving at the murder scene, the evidence that was found there, then going back to the restaurant where the victim had eaten, and interviewing witnesses. Yours begins with dismissing the witnesses and returning to the Yard to start pulling information."

"That's crap. I wouldn't write half a report like that and you know it. I remember getting the call – driving out there – I remember what the kid looked like after he'd been thrown up in the air by a FWD and come down again like a rag doll. And it went in my report."

"Yeah, 'm sure it did. But that part of the report was missing, remember? The fact that they didn't match up – I'm trying to tell you here, that's how we knew part of yours was missing. Gibbs, why did you say FWD?"

"It's in the goddam report, DiNozzo! His shins were broken at the right level for a bull bar!"

"Not a Chevvy Impala?"

"What are you talking about? Where d'ya get a Chevvy from?"

"Sam Neville drove an Impala. If you're right about the bull bar, I'd say that's Sam in the clear – although I already knew he was. But the bull bar isn't in Ducky's report." Alex looked at her Boss in surprise that he could remember a detail like that, just as Gibbs surged to his feet. "Which ya sayin'? Ducky's wrong or I'm a liar?" He began to head for the door.

Tony's voice behind him was quiet, and brought him up short. "Gibbs. Please."

TBC

AN: Longer one next time to make up for this being so short.