"We having a meeting, Gibbs?"

"Of a sort," Gibbs gestured to one of the free seats in Abby's lab and Kate joined the lab tech and Ducky on the rolling chairs.

Abby swung her seat back and forth while the three of them waited. Even the avuncular ME was strangely quiet. And Gibbs was uncharacteristically in motion, pacing a precise three steps to one side and then three steps to the other.

"We're waiting on Tony?" surmised Kate when the uncomfortable silence became lengthy.

"Ah," Gibbs crossed his arms across his chest, "no."

"Okay," acknowledged Kate. "Then we're waiting on ..."

"Me," admitted Gibbs. "There's an ... issue we need to discuss."

"And this issue concerns Tony." Kate found herself suddenly defensive of her sometime partner, "I mean he's not here, so—"

"Tony asked that I do this." Gibbs ducked his head before looking back up. "Not that it's making me particularly comfortable. Tony has been diagnosed with MS."

"It's the cause of the dizziness he has been experiencing," put in the medical examiner, leaning forward. "I'm afraid the current prognosis is not particularly kind. His physician believes the onset of his symptoms point to a non-remitting diagnosis."

Abby frowned. "So Tony's going to wind up in a wheelchair?"

"That is a possibility." Ducky clasped his hands together. "He has shown symptoms of vestibular ataxia and numbness in his legs."

"Our main concern right now is that he can't go into the field. I've spoken with the Director about transferring McGee to Tony's position. If we realigned the job duties and created a research position--"

Kate found herself unable to get past the lab tech's prognostication. "It's hard to think of Tony ... handicapped."

"Yeah, but if you think about it, he's already been working with a handicap." Abby sucked thoughtfully at the Big Gulp she'd retrieved from her desk. "His parents are filthy stinkin' rich."

"You're kidding me," said Kate

Gibbs had tilted his head slightly taking in this new information.

"Nope," replied Abby, "heard of NewGen BioMed?"

"Nope," Kate echoed.

"Started out in med supplies. Now they've got their greedy little corporate hands in medical imaging and, get this, DNA sequencing." Abby leaned back in the lab chair, tilting up on her toes. "Multi-million dollar, closely held, family company."

Kate shook her head as if trying to rattle the idea into place. "Family being ... DiNozzo?"

"He said his father bought him a chain saw," said Gibbs, frowning.

"Unlikely," divined Abby. "Tony's been officially disowned. Kind of like Charles VI, or Jackie Chan in The Legend of Drunken Master."

"And you know all this because..." Kate prodded.

"I was working late one night and Tony, I guess he didn't have anything better to do, so we talked."

"Admittedly, Tony can be..." Kate paused, searching for the right descriptor "...immature. But what did he do that made them disown him?"

"Became a cop," supplied the forensic specialist, sliding the straw up and down in the sweating plastic cup.

Gibb's face took on a sharp, pinched look. "His father disowned him for becoming a cop?"

"I think he was hoping for a new vice president instead of a patrol officer."

"Tony's rich." The way Kate repeated it, it sounded almost whimsical.

"Tony was rich," corrected Abby.

The dark-haired agent exchanged a look with Gibbs. "You think they know?"

"It's a dog."

"Yes, he is. And his name is Rufus."

"Rufus," repeated Tony. He had the vague feeling he should be ... suspicious. "Big dog."

"Yes, he is." Gibbs handed him the leash. "But you're a pretty big guy."

"I don't get it." Tony never tightened his hand around the leather loop and it simply fell to the floor. "I can barely take care of myself, boss. I don't think a pet is the best—"

"Not 'pet'. Service dog. If you two work well together, that is. He's specially trained to help people with balance problems walk."

"You're kidding me."

"No."

"Is this a condition of my continued employment?" asked Tony, eyeing the dog warily.

He didn't notice Gibbs kneeling down until he felt the hand on his knee. Then he turned his head so quickly that the carnival ride snuck up on him. "Whoa."

"Tilt-a-whirl?" asked Gibbs.

"Himalaya in reverse."

Gibbs braced him with a hand against his shoulder. Tony's other knee was now supporting a fair amount of large, furry weight. Tony waved them both off, not sure what to make of the double show of support.

"A dog, boss? You got me a dog?"

(tbc)