Tony sat there considering his last words, he growled at himself his fists slamming into the soft cushioning of the bed. What did he know, what did Gibbs know at all? He shook his head and his chin touched his chest in defeat, the actual question was what was Tony willing to tell him. He sighed and moved, his hands gripping the sheets and throwing them back. He needed to talk to someone, someone sophisticated and smart someone...someone named Ducky. His hands fell over the call button and he asked for a nurse and a wheelchair.
He was wheeled down the white halls, his arms gripping the arm rests of the wheelchair as he moved. He sighed, his dark eyes scanning for the old man. They stopped at Kate's room, the nurse pushed the door open and slowly rolled Tony inside. "I'll leave you all for now, call me when you need help Mr. Dinozzo." He nodded and wheeled himself next to Ducky's chair.
"Well, well Anthony you are making your rounds today. I'm sorry about your dear mother, she was quite the lady."
"Yes she was Duck, and thanks. But I really need to talk to you about..."
"Jethro, yes I know. You know the first day that you were injured on the job what was it...four years ago? The shot to the shoulder you remember?"
"Yes I remember Duck, but what does that have to do with my question?"
"Everything Anthony, just listen will you for a change?" Tony nodded with that boyish I did something wrong look upon his face before Ducky continued. "That day, you showed something I had only seen in one other man in NCIS. You fought to save the team even though you were injured and a probationary. If it wasn't for you Gibbs probably wouldn't have made it out of that fire fight. You took a few more hits that day, and when you came in I took the blood sample from you. I've had it matched with Jethro's for a few years now. I knew about him and Rebecca, they were a wonderful couple. It is too bad that she thought Micheal was the father." Ducky shook his head slightly.
"You mean, Gibbs really didn't know?"
"No not until recently actually, he was going to tell you at your mother's when Micheal decided to join the get together."
"So he didn't lie, and I went off on him for nothing...nothing at all."
"You were hurt Anthony, don't fret about it Jethro will understand. Now I do believe young Caitlyn is awake again." Ducky smiled and stood moving to clutch Kate's hand. "Welcome back to us Caitlyn do stay awhile will you?"
Kate's voice weakly struck up her hand clenching his protectively, "I'll do my best Ducky." She smiled as he kissed her hand, that gentle fashion he held always made her smile. She heard Tony try to move the wheel chair but nothing came of it and he sank down defeated into the shadows. Ducky released Kate's hand and moved behind Tony to move him next to her.
"Hey Kate, how you doing?" Tony asked his hand falling on her cheek, he stroked it lovingly as she just stared at his eyes. No words were passed between them, but they knew everything they needed to. Tony turned to Ducky, he had seen the darkness in her eyes and he turned back to kiss her hand gently. "It's alright Kate, don't push it if you can't hold onto the light go back to the shadows for now." She smiled lightly as her eyelids became heavy, slowly they lowered over her eyes as she slipped back into the darkness.
"That was very sweet of you Anthony, you know you two have become very close in these last two years."
"Yes I know we have Duck...I think...I think I've fallen in love with her."
"Oh now Anthony, don't let Jethro hear that. You know his rules, he is a stickler."
"Oh no he isn't, don't worry about Gibbs. I'll tell him myself when it's time of course."
NCISNCIS
Gibbs' hands moved over his boat, he was thinking and had to get it out of his system. He could feel the wood move beneath the sander, and it made him feel slighlty whole. But at the same time he felt so empty, his head turned to gaze around the house that had been filled with voices so many times but now the walls spoke only of lonely bitterness. He shook his head and sat down abruptly on the rolling chair, his sander hitting the ground with a clunk.
His hand moved to run his fingers through his hair, he gazed at the floor. For some reason he thought it held answers for him, but of course there was nothing but the resounding loneliness that was in his mind so he just shut his eyes. He stood and walked up the steps, he couldn't stay here tonight. He would join Ducky back at the hospital, at least his company was welcomed compared to the silence he normally lived in.
As he made the slow walk to his car he couldn't help but recall all of the events that were plauging his life at the moment, he just stared at the ground. That normal chiseled face look so weak, his icy hues were pained with memories. His beloved Rebecca had been taken from him, Tony was all but gone to him, Abby had died, Kate was seriously wounded, and he? All he had at the moment was a shit load of bad dreams. He shook his head, no he was thinking like a civilian it was time for him to just go and talk to someone. Yes that's what he was going to do, go and talk to his oldest friend and release his fears and stressors.
He sat down in the car, his hands were shaking and he lowered his gaze once more. He was letting himself get rattled by everything and that was not a good thing. "You're a fucking marine, get control of yourself Gunney." He heard his voice echo in his head, but he could hear the slight shake the shiver and the cold fear it held. He sighed and turned the key, he had to get rid of this feeling.
