AU of S3 E23-24 Hiatus

There is no slash, not even if you squint. This is all deep friendship, and years of working together in law enforcement.


Tony was in the basement when Gibbs finally made his way home.

When the now retired agent stopped beside his boat, he came out of the shadows and waited to be acknowledged. It took a moment before Gibbs finally turned around, but his Boss wouldn't look at him.

"So... this is it? You're just going to leave?" Tony asked, keeping his hurt in check. Without another word? All he was going to get after their years together was a 'you'll do'?

Gibbs grabbed a sander, but it seemed more automatic than anything, because he stood there for a moment, staring at it as if trying to figure out why he picked it up. "Not sure what else you want from me." I barely even remember you.

After a moment, Tony sighed. "No, I don't suppose you even still remember much about me at all." He muttered. And, oh, how that hurt.

"I remember enough." Gibbs muttered back after a moment. Enough to know that he could trust the team to Tony's care.

Tony picked up the other sander and moved to the other side of the boat, here he started using it after a moment. "Ducky called after you left NCIS. He said you asked him to look into real estate agents in the area to sell the house."

"Yeah." Gibbs said simply.

"I guess I should clear out my room, then." Tony said quietly. Gibbs head shot up, and he stared at Tony intently. "You practically forced me to move in after that time a few years ago when I had the plague. Turned the guest room into my room... I only keep my apartment for storage or when I come back late from an assignment and don't want to disturb you."

Gibbs studied him for a moment. Then he moved upstairs so he could see the room in question. It certainly looked like somebody else lived there. A big T.V, a shelf full of DVD's, expensive suits in the closet that looked like it had been modified and expanded. When he went back downstairs, he looked around and saw an expensive looking coffee machine in the kitchen that he knew he never would have bought. Then he went straight for the safe where he kept all his important documents, and stopped when he saw that it wasn't the same safe he remembered.

Tony came up behind him slowly and quietly reminded him of the new combination for it.

"You're not on the deed." He said quietly, looking over the papers in question.

"No... you mentioned it a couple of times, but..." Tony shrugged.

Gibbs sighed and grabbed a pen, handing it and the documents to Tony. "I need... I can't be here right now. Too much... I don't remember enough, but I also remember too much."

Tony studied him, before looking down at the papers Gibbs handed him. "So... go figure your head out. Figure out where you need to go." Tony said quietly, before signing the documents where Gibbs pointed at. Then he handed Gibbs a phone. "Your old phone was destroyed in the explosion. I reprogrammed your speed-dial list as best as I could. I never did know who all the numbers were for. I'm speed-dial four, in case you didn't... you know."

Gibbs took the phone quietly. "Might as well give your apartment up. I won't be back for a while at least. The house is at least partly yours now."

"Call me, every so often." Tony didn't say anything about the house.

"Yeah."

"I'll keep your truck in running order... don't want the engine to seize up or anything while your gone... you want me to call your dad for you?" He asked after a moment.

"Can if you want." If Gibbs sounded a little icy there, neither of them said anything. Tony had never met Jackson Gibbs, but he knew enough to know that the two Gibbs men had not parted on good terms last they saw each other. Tony just nodded.

"My plane leaves in the morning." Gibbs finally muttered, having had Ducky stop him somewhere where he could get a plane ticket on their way back to his house. He knew that Tony was just trying to fill the silence right now, and he could suddenly remember the two of them sitting in front of the fireplace, eating steaks, talking. About everything and nothing at the same time.

"I'll drive you to the airport." Gibbs nodded and went upstairs to pack a bag and get some sleep. To be honest, he probably shouldn't have left the hospital yet, and he was tired right now. The whole day had been exhausting.


At the airport the next morning, Tony turned to Gibbs with a sigh. "I'll have the Director file for six months of paid medical leave for now. You can come back at any time during that period if you find that retirement doesn't suit you, and if you decide that retirement does suit you, well... you've put in your years. You'll be able to collect full benefits at least."

"Don't forget to tell Ducky to forget about real-estate agents." Gibbs said, not wanting to go into all that.

"Yeah... don't want the house being sold from under us." Tony tried to joke, but it fell flat.

"I'll call." Gibbs said, and clapped a hand to Tony's shoulder.

"Yeah. You take care." Tony briefly grabbed the hand on his shoulder, then dropped it when Gibbs turned to go through security. He stayed until he saw on the flight board that Gibbs plane had taken off, then he slowly left to go into work, knowing that the others would not be happy about this. Strangely enough, though, he didn't care what they thought.

Gibbs left him in charge. Even with his memory so full of holes that he couldn't tell him and Tim apart, he'd remembered enough to know he could be trusted with the team.

If they didn't like it... tough.