CHAPTER 14 - Back Home

Around midnight, Jethro was finally discharged, and only because both Ducky and Tony had volunteered to take him home and stay with him.

By the time the cardiologist and Dr. Taft came in to talk to him, Jethro was ready to leave. He had already disconnected all the leads from the various monitors and was dressed in some borrowed scrubs. The doctors were not at all pleased, but Jethro threatened to walk out if they didn't release him.

Tony shrugged helplessly when Taft appealed to him for support, to convince the patient to remain in their care. "Sorry, Doc," was all Tony would say. Taft proceeded to give Jethro a lecture, but ultimately he signed the release papers.

Walking into Jethro's home ("Our home," Jethro reminded Tony.) was the best thing ever, and despite it being after 0100, they sat at the kitchen table eating cereal and holding hands. Tony couldn't stop smiling, he was so giddy with happiness, and relief that he'd outed himself. Plus he was overly tired, and that brought out the silly in him. Jethro didn't mind at all, which was a good thing.

Ducky, who sat with them, drinking tea, was bemused at their relationship, but offered the two men congratulations when Jethro said they were serious. "I certainly did not foresee this," he admitted. "Although, I am very happy for you." He soon turned in, sleeping in the guest room on the ground floor. It was small, and had once been a little-used den, but Ducky said it was charming and suited his needs perfectly.

After Ducky had retired, Tony said, "We still have to face everyone else on the team, now they know we're together."

"Hey, you never said it was me," Jethro reminded him.

"They sure as hell aren't gonna think I'm shacking up with Agah Bayar!" For some reason that got Jethro laughing, and Tony ended up laughing with him. Still, that didn't change the fact that he was going to get inundated with questions, and he had to figure out how to answer them.

Tony had talked to Joanna earlier, to thank her and to give her an update on Gibbs' health. She had gone home to her condo in Silver Spring after she'd dropped Tony off at the hospital. She let him know she had business in DC the next morning, and suggested Tony sleep late. They could return to Hope Lake in the afternoon. She'd already called Cox, and he and Garcia were fine with putting the recruits through their paces in the meantime.

"You are coming back with me, aren't you, Tony?" Joanna had asked.

Tony had assured her he was, and they made arrangements for her to pick him up around two. Now, he whined to Jethro about not being able to be there for him. Jethro's response was to assure him he'd be fine under Ducky's watchful eye once Tony had left.

Jethro said, "It's only one week, Tony. I think we can survive apart for that long."

"And after that…?"

"The program will be done. You come home. We'll be together," Jethro said, and kissed Tony long and hard to cement the deal.

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For the rest of the night, Tony kept waking up with a start, thinking something was wrong. Each time, he checked that Jethro was still breathing, and his heart was emitting a regular beat, and then settled beside him with a sigh before going back to sleep.

They were up and about by ten in the morning, which was normally late for both of them. As soon as Ducky ascertained Jethro was fine, he left for work. "Dr. Taft will be checking on you midday. I presume you can keep out of trouble until then? Anthony, call 911 if Jethro looks at all out of sorts," he instructed.

After a late breakfast, Jethro and Tony showered and dressed, and made out on the couch while watching the news. "I could do this forever," Tony said. "Kissing and hugging and all that mushy stuff." Jethro made it clear from his actions that he agreed..

"Jethro?"

"Yeah. Right here."

"I… Do you…"

"Spit it out," Jethro said, looking at Tony expectantly.

"I feel so guilty," Tony confessed. "I don't know why you're being nice to me. I keep waiting for you to…"

Jethro stared at him. "You'd better not be suggesting I'd kick you out," he warned in a low voice.

"I'd deserve it if you did."

Jethro sighed deeply. "You headed down the wrong path, Tony, but you stopped. You did the right thing in the end."

"But I felt…"

"I know what you felt! You'll probably feel like that again. Look, you've had complete freedom to pursue whatever piece of tail that turns you on, for your entire life. Since you were how old?"

In a small voice, Tony admitted, "Thirteen maybe. Okay, twelve."

"And now you're breaking that habit. Do you know why?" Jethro asked.

"Because I've got you and I don't need anyone else?"

Jethro snorted. "If you know that, what the fuck's the problem? I love you. I trust you to do the right thing. But make no mistake, Tony, I won't like it if you do that again."

"You'll kick me out then," Tony said, nodding in understanding. There was a sharp slap to the back of his head. "Ow! What was that for?"

"I never said I'd kick you out! I sure as hell won't like it, and I'll be angry, and hurt. But after we yell at each other, we're gonna sit down and talk it through, because I am not giving up on you. You understand that?"

"Yes."

"Yeah?"

Tony smiled and they kissed, and they probably would have kissed some more if Jethro's phone hadn't rung.

Vance called Gibbs with an update on the South Sudan situation and to check on his condition. Bishop called to give him a rundown on the intel she'd gathered, and to see how he was doing. And Taft called to say he was on his way over so he could check on his state of health.

Gibbs groaned.

Taft was surprised to find Tony present, and expected him to leave the room while he examined Gibbs and discussed the test results. Tony leaned against the wall and crossed his arms, making it clear he wasn't going anywhere.

Dr. Taft was his usual motor-mouth self, but he checked Gibbs over quickly and efficiently, and then went over the results of all the tests with him they'd done at the hospital. The conclusion, as Tony understood it, was that the trouble was being caused by a small piece of scar tissue near Gibbs' heart. He was in no danger, but accelerated heart rate or undue stress could set if off, and it would then feel like he was having a heart attack.

They'd check it again in a week, maybe do a scan. Meanwhile, Gibbs was to take his prescribed medications and rest for two days. After that, he was officially on limited duty for a week. He could engage in light exercise such as walking, but nothing strenuous, Taft instructed. "No car chases, or running or shooting," he admonished.

Tony asked offhandedly, "That mean ixnay on the ex-say?" Taft looked from Tony to Gibbs and back again, his eyes widening. Tony snorted. "Hey, don't look at me. I'm going out of town for a week," which confused the doctor even more. Gibbs just chuckled and saw the doctor out.

◊ • ◊ • ◊ •

Tony was at the door, his overnight go-bag packed, waiting for Joanna to pick him up. "Don't wanna go," he mumbled into Jethro's warm neck when they hugged. He sniffed. "Why don't you smell of wood?"

"Haven't been working on the boat lately."

"Well, maybe you can sand a little, if you take it slow. Just don't do anything more strenuous while I'm gone," Tony warned. "Ixnay on the ex-say."

"I am certainly gonna miss you," Jethro said, and reached out to squeeze Tony's ass.

"You do that again and I'm going to do something that'll make your heart rate spike."

"Think you can keep out of trouble for a week?"

"I was going to ask you the same question."

Jethro put on an innocent expression. "Who, me?"

"I'd stay if it wasn't for my probie recruits," Tony confessed. "I really hope this program gets off the ground."

"You've done good work, Tony."

They kissed, and Jethro was so passionate, Tony's heart ached. He put everything he had into that kiss, and when Jethro slid a hand behind his head and held him and kissed him like he was starving, arousal flared in him until he couldn't think of anything but the man in his arms and the intense longing he had for him. Jethro angled his head, and kissed Tony's neck, and then bit him just above the collar where everyone would be able to see his mark. Tony knew why he'd done it, and loved that he'd cared enough to do it.

Jethro pulled back and inspected his work, then looked up to meet Tony's eyes. "You don't know how much I love you."

Tony kissed him, slowly, a good-bye kiss, and thought, 'Yes, I think I do.'

◊ • ◊ • ◊ •

Joanna stopped in to say hello to Gibbs before taking Tony away, back to Hope Lake. There was no dark sedan with a silent driver this time, just a rental. Joanna drove like a pro, with focus and intent, going as fast as Gibbs ever did, but a whole hell of a lot more smoothly.

Tony phoned Abby from the car on the way to the airport. She had been texting him since last night but he hadn't responded. He had a brief 'I'm not discussing my personal business' conversation with her (which did not go down well), told her Gibbs was resting, per doctor's orders, and the No Visitors policy was going to be strictly enforced. He agreed to take her out to lunch once he had wrapped up the SMUT program, and they could catch up on things at that time (which mollified her a bit).

Bishop called to say McGee, Dunham and Burley (and Jeanne) had arrived in South Sudan and were on the ground there, searching for the missing doctor and his people. There had already been a firefight; none of their people had been hurt. So much for SecNav Porter's idea the humanitarian visit would go smoothly. Bishop said she'd let him know right away if anything happened.

"And keep Gibbs in the loop," Tony said.

"Um… Director Vance has already told me not to bother Gibbs," she said, somewhat stiffly.

Vance must be standing over her shoulder. Copying her stilted way of speaking, Tony replied, "Oh, yes. We always pay strict attention to Vance's orders." Bishop was loyal to Gibbs, and would let him know of any new developments, no matter what Vance said.

Joanna had arranged for a helicopter, this one white with a red stripe, rather than the unmarked black one, and they were back in cold Hope Lake by mid-afternoon. Once there, it took Tony a while to wrap his head around the routine again, but at least he knew he was on good footing with Jethro, and soon they'd be together again.

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