The rhythmic tug woke Gibbs, although he squinted in the darkness for a minute not placing exactly what had roused him. He rolled over, leaning over Tony's shoulder to see a small, unhappy face peering up at him.
"Hey," Gibbs coughed slightly to clear the sleep from his voice. "What's wrong?"
A tiny finger pointed toward the chair where they had tossed the bedspread. "Monster."
"Oh," Gibbs rested his cheek against Tony's t-shirt clad arm. "It's not a monster, but just in case..." He reached a hand over to the small one that reached back. "Climb on up."
Tony snorted briefly as he was scaled but then settled back with a sigh. Gibbs lifted the compact body, tucking Sam under the sheets against Tony's back then settled on his side, his arm thrown over Tony's, his hand splayed against the steady rise and fall of Tony's chest.
Sam sighed deeply, wiggling until he was comfortable, while Tony snored on, oblivious to the grip a small hand had twisted in the soft cloth of his t-shirt. And Gibbs settled back, knowing his sleep for the night was over and not caring at all.
"Take McGee and start the interviews." Gibbs balanced the phone then flipped the pancake browning in the pan before checking his watch. "I'll be there in an hour or so." He glanced up at Tony making his way down the hallway, Rufus and Sam in tow.
"Kate?" asked Tony, stabilizing himself to help Sam climb into one of the chairs circling the kitchen table.
"Got a missing Marine," replied Gibbs. He tossed the pancake from the pan onto a plate, earning an appreciative squeal from Sam. Moving around the counter, he snagged the bottles of syrup. Sam waited, his fisted fork at the ready.
"We have maple," Gibbs put the plate down in front of his eager diner, "or--," he held the second bottle of berry-colored syrup at arm's length trying to make out the label.
"Blueberry," identified Tony, taking the bottle from his hand as the not unexpected "Booberry!" was echoed from Sam.
"That's what Tony likes, too," put in Gibbs, the aside tickling Sam's ear and causing him to giggle.
"My booberry," asserted Sam, small hands engaging in a mock tug-of-war with Tony's over the plastic bottle.
"You going in?" asked Tony after Sam was happily eating sticky purple forkfuls of pancake.
"Got to," replied Gibbs as he put a plate in front of Tony.
"So what's up? A missing person's case usually doesn't rate a Saturday in DC."
"Does if he's aide de camp to General Crutchfield. Anybody with that much access to the Pentagon makes them nervous these days."
"What are we going to do about ..." Tony laid a hand on Sam's head.
Gibbs poured an ample helping of maple syrup over his own pancakes. "Ducky makes a great playmate."
For Sam Hale, however, love at first sight proved to be one Goth lab technician. Whether it was the jingling silver chains or the fascination of the spider-web tattoo gracing Abby's neck, Sam was entranced. Completely and utterly.
Gibbs and Tony easily slipped away while Abby was showing off the "monster" trapped in her computer ... a green-grey scaled dragon that shot orange flames across the screen, all to the impressed murmur of her three-year-old audience. Behind her back, Abby's free hand encouraged their retreat, her giggles mirroring Sam's.
"Our missing Marine?" inquired Tony, flipping on his PC.
"Adrian Odom." Gibbs sank down in his chair. "Get me what you can. McGee and Kate ought to be done with the—"Gibbs turned as elevator doors opened to reveal the duo. "Anything?"
"According to the general's office, he simply didn't show up Thursday morning. A few people remember seeing him at a local bar Wednesday night. He wasn't acting strangely, wasn't drinking more than his usual."
"He just never came home," finished McGee.
Kate frowned in the direction of Tony, who was already obliviously bent over his keyboard, headphones in place. "I thought Tony had Sam."
"Abby's temporarily babysitting," explained Gibbs.
"Abby?" questioned Kate with a smile.
"Hidden talents," murmured Gibbs.
Gibbs looked up at the off-key singing he would have sworn was coming from...
"Kate?" he questioned.
The former secret service agent swung down one happily warbling three-year-old all the while joining in the chorus of The Itsy Bitsy Spider. She shrugged a little self-consciously under Gibbs' scrutiny. "Abby needed to do some stuff."
"So do you." Gibbs got up and, glancing back to see Tony deep in conversation, the earpiece of the phone replacing the usual headphones, lifted a still-crooning Sam onto his desk. "I'll look after the munchkin."
Looking just a bit disappointed, Kate patted Sam on the head. "I'll just ... get back on it."
"Come on," Gibbs hefted Sam into his arms. "I've got someone for you to meet."
"Duck?" Gibbs stuck his head around the door, making sure the exam tables were empty and the sliding trays were safely locked behind their refrigerated doors.
"In here, Jethro."
Moving quickly through the cool autopsy bay, Gibbs rubbed warmth into the tiny t-shirt clad back. "May we come in?"
Ducky's face creased into a warm smile. "Most certainly. I assume this is Agent DiNozzo the younger."
"Sam," Gibbs rearranged his charge when a small nose tried to bury itself shyly in his collar. "This is Ducky."
"I have a grandson just about your age," said the ME, rising to meet the eyes peeking over Gibbs' shoulder. "He likes to play with his ball." He produced a rubber ball magically in one hand and Sam lifted his head from where it was tucked under Gibbs' chin. "Only he keeps losing it." The ball disappeared with a flourish of prestidigitation. "And we have to find it again." Sam laughed as the red orb reappeared in Ducky's fingers.
Gibbs settled the now distracted body in one of the chairs by the desk. Sam squealed as Ducky made the ball disappear once again.
"Hidden talents," he murmured as he slid unobserved out the door.
"You got something or you just lounging in my chair?" Gibbs queried the occupant spinning his desk chair from side to side.
Tony grinned up at him. "Should I ask where Sam is?"
"Ducky's playing David Copperfield." Gibbs settled on the desk's corner. "You got something?"
"It seems our Major Odom should have been named Philip."
"Philip?" questioned Gibbs finally when it became obvious that Tony was waiting for him to take the bait.
"Greek for 'a lover of horses'."
"You're not going to tell me he's ..."
"Uh, no," broke in Tony. "Although that you thought that is rather—"Tony paused, considering, "—hinky."
Gibbs waved him off. "The Massey case, I may have been hanging around Abby too much."
"Our major is a player of the ponies. And not too good a judge of horseflesh if his bank account is any indication. According to my sources, he's down $150 large to the Constantine Brothers."
Gibbs folded his arms across his chest. "Sources?"
"There's a DC cop that owes me a favor. I called it in." He could feel Gibbs' skeptical gaze on him. "From when I was with the Baltimore PD. He was doing a drunk and disorderly and I got him a cab and sent him home. Woman thing. The guy needed a break, but I got his badge number -- just in case it came in handy some time."
"Like now."
"Like now," echoed Tony with a satisfied smile. "That's the problem with you, Gibbs; you just don't know how to network."
Gibbs took a minute to stand directly behind an unsuspecting McGee and see just what the younger agent was staring at. He didn't know whether to smile at the sight of Tony, back against the bottom of his cubicle wall, legs straight out in front of him as he bowled the red plastic ball back and forth with Sam, or grimace at the thought of how he was going to get him up off the floor. In the end he decided to leave that question for later.
"McGee?" he asked silkily. "What are you doing?"
The young agent snapped to a pose of near-perfect attention. "N-nothing."
"Do you think instead, you could do 'something' at your desk?"
"It's great, isn't it?" observed McGee as if he hadn't even heard the question.
Gibbs shook his head, not following.
"Having kids. I mean, look at them. When have you seen Tony that happy? Uh, although..." McGee was suddenly blushing a bright, nearly cranberry red, "... I guess you have." He took a deep, convulsive breath. "I mean I'm sure you've seen him that satisfied." Then he took a second one. "Not 'satisified' as such but ... contented. Well, uh, not 'contented' either. I mean 'contented' doesn't have to mean ... uh, just like 'satisfied' can mean other things..."
"McGee," said Gibbs softly, "I think you should go back to work before you hurt yourself."
"Yeah," McGee nodded in fervent agreement. "Absolutely. I completely agree."
"McGee?" Gibbs prodded.
"Yes, boss?"
"At your desk," instructed Gibbs.
"Oh, sure. I'll just be," McGee pointed in the direction of Kate's cube, "over there at my desk."
"Good man."
"Hey, Tony ..." the rest of what Gibbs was about to say died silently on his tongue as he took in the picture before him. Tony was still on the floor of his cube, back against the cubicle wall, legs splayed out. Only now his head was tipped back, his mouth slightly open and his eyes closed. He had an arm wrapped around Sam who was likewise soundly ensconced in dreamland.
Looking behind him to make sure Kate and McGee had actually called it a day, Gibbs knelt down beside the sleeping pair and put a hand out to shake Tony's shoulder. But Sam murmured in his sleep and Tony, without opening his eyes, tightened the hold he had around the small shoulders. With a slight grin and a shake of his head, Gibbs changed his mind. He settled next to Tony and leaned his own head back against the woven panel of the cube. His shoulder rubbed against the younger man's and instinctively, Tony nestled into the warmth, his temple touching Gibbs' when he turned.
It was almost an hour later when Tony jerked awake, his movement causing a not-quite-sleeping but very relaxed Gibbs to startle to awareness.
"Hey," murmured Tony sleepily. "Must have dozed off." He moved his numb arm from beneath Sam's back. "Gibbs?" He shook his head a little, like he was trying to clear it. "I know why I'm on the floor. Why are you on the floor?"
"I sent everybody home. I came to get you and Sam and ..." Gibbs shrugged as if it were self-evident. "If the rest of the family is on the floor, I'm down with that."
"Family?" Tony smiled ruefully.
"Yeah," acknowledged Gibbs.
"I don't have a lot of luck with family," pointed out Tony.
Gibbs took Tony's hand into his. "Maybe you just hadn't found the right one yet."
(tbc)
Thanks to C and Aly. All mistakes are solely my own. Appreciate the continuing feedback. Thanks guys!