AN - Many thanks for your continued support. I had some time so managed to get another chapter out a little quicker than usual. Consider it thanks for all your kind reviews.

Tony had known he wasn't buying himself much time. But he had hoped it would be enough. When he saw the look on Gibbs' face as he burst through the door he realised that however, long he had had, he still would have wished for a few more minutes.

"Jethro, don't over tax him." Ducky's voice warned. "He'll need his strength for the surgical procedure."

"This will only take a minute, Duck."

Gibbs strode over to his bedside and stood, looking down at him, his face totally unreadable. Which meant it was really bad, because usually Tony could read him pretty well.

"You get two weeks sick leave, DiNozzo. Not a day more. After, that I want you back at your desk, or you'll answer to me. Understand?"

The trouble was Tony understood all too well. He was part of Gibbs team, his Senior Field Agent. It was only natural that his Boss would be interested in his welfare. But if he couldn't fire his weapon, he would no longer be on Gibbs team. And if he wasn't his Senior Field Agent, then he would be replaced and Gibbs would move on

He always had before.

Tony knew that Gibbs had worked with Stan Burleigh for five years and apart from one – work related - incident Gibbs hadn't seen him since he left. He'd worked with Vivian Blackadder for three years and besides the one time she rang up for a job reference Gibbs hadn't even spoken to her.

He'd only worked with Tony for two years.

"I swear, DiNozzo. The only words I want to hear out of your mouth are, 'Yes, Boss.'

He'd been so proud the first time he'd called Gibbs' 'Boss' It was a term of address that the ex-Marine only allowed to his team, an odd sort of familiarity that gave you license to cross certain boundaries. Tony just loved watching other Agents stuttering in the presence of the great Special Agent Gibbs, when he could just flip off a snappy 'Yes, Boss' or better still sidle up and murmur a soft .. "You know, something Boss."

God, how he'd miss that.

"Tony," The firm tap on his cheek re-focused his thoughts. Gibbs was staring down at him, his eyes narrowed, like he was trying to see right into his soul. Once he saw he had Tony's full attention, his expression softened slightly. "You stay with me, Tony. Understand?"

"Yes, Boss."

He wanted to. He really did.

McGee glanced up at the clock as he straightened his already straight tie and tugged unconsciously at each of his cuffs. Tony had been in surgery for three hours and twelve minutes.

"Maybe, it isn't such a good idea to do this now." Abby worried.

"Gibbs told Kate he wanted to hear my report, I really don't think I should keep him waiting," McGee swallowed hard. "He's going to be worse because it's Tony, isn't he?"

"Oh yeah. Last time Tony was in surgery, Gibbs went down to the gym for a little one on one with Agent Saunders. The big guy who's built like a quarterback? Broke his nose and two ribs."

"Saunders broke Gibbs' nose?"

"No way. Gibbs took Saunders down. It was so not pretty."

McGee swallowed hard. "Maybe, I should just save time and pick out the casket now."

"The best thing to do when Gibbs is really mad is just 'fess up and take your licking," Abby advised. "'Sides, Tony likes you. He'll already have talked Gibbs out of actual homicide, so you have nothing to worry about."

"Tony likes me?" McGee blinked. "All he ever does is pick on me."

"That's how I know he likes you. He wouldn't do that if he didn't like you. He'd just be all smooth and charming and superficial."

"Oh," Somehow knowing that made him feel better. Maybe, he could face Gibbs after all. Although, it also made him feel even worse about facing DiNozzo. "It was my fault that I missed the knife," He admitted unhappily. "And then I froze when I should have been helping him, if I had got the cuffs on Baxter when he yelled the first time .."

"The first time? How many times did he yell?"

"Three."

"Three!" Abby squealed. Shaking her head as McGee winced. "Sorry, go on."

"Tony could have saved himself if he'd let Baxter go. He didn't because he knew that I wouldn't have stood a chance if Baxter had come after me. I was just standing there. If I'd even thought to pull my weapon, it could have been Baxter up there instead of DiNozzo. Or better still, in the morgue. Baxter I mean, not Agent DiNozzo."

"Anything else you want to add?" Gibbs voice cut in.

"G Gibbs." McGee spun on his heel, after shooting a wounded look at Abby for not letting him know Gibbs was there.

"You're late, McGee," Gibbs walked up until they were toe to toe. "When I tell you to report to me I do not expect to have to come looking for you. It pisses me off."

"Yes, Sir," McGee had drawn him-self so far up to attention that he looked almost two inches taller. "Um, Gibbs,"

"Abby, can you give us a moment?" Gibbs asked evenly.

"Sure Boss-man," As she passed him she threw him a beseeching look. "Just remember I still have lots of uses for him after you've chewed him up and spat him out, OK?"

Kate stirred her luke-warm tea as she glanced up at the clock on the cafeteria wall. Tony had been in surgery for three hours and thirty-two minutes. She looked up as Abby slid into the seat opposite her with an extra large Caff Pow.

"I thought Bossman sent you back to the office?"

"He did," Kate gave a glimmer of a smile. "I'm on my lunch break. In Greenwich Mean Time."

"Go Kate!" Abby grinned. "Although, you should probably pick another time zone. GMT is five hours ahead."

"Oh. Right. Tony's much better at this stuff than I am. Then again he's had more practise. I would never have defied a direct order until I came to work with you guys."

"Then our work here is done."

"Don't you dare tell Tony I was willing to get in trouble with Gibbs for him."

"He's gonna be OK, right?" Abby looked uncharacteristically uncertain. "Cos that knife was one ugly mother."

"I hope so," Kate pressed her lips together, feeling the tears burn behind her eyes. Tony was annoying, irritating, juvenile, but he was also a nice guy and she'd thought they were close. It hurt to think he didn't feel the same way. "Abby, was I the only one Tony didn't tell about his birthday?"

"Kate! No way. Is that what you think? Tony never tells anyone about his birthday. Gibbs only found out cos of the background check and stuff. Ducky got it from his medical records. I saw his drivers licence when I made him a fake ID. Viv never knew and I don't think McGee's worked it out yet."

"You haven't told him?" Kate was surprised.

"I will if you can tell me three things about Tony that aren't related to work or his dates. Oh and they have to have happened since after he left College."

"That's easy."

Except, she quickly realised it wasn't. She swiftly discounted the fragments Tony had let slip about his upbringing. She seized eagerly on several anecdotes before rejecting them as cop stories. And even in her head she recoiled from examining his boasts of his conquests in too much detail. In truth, she actually knew very little of substance about Tony DiNozzo.

Yet, he knew her sister well enough to ask about her children when she called, without telling her he had sent her father tickets to the Superbowl because he had an old College buddy who could get good seats and every day he added some little detail about her life to his portfolio. Because he cared.

"I never realised .." She stared at Abby in consternation.

"Don't feel bad. With Tony what you see is so far from what you get its like in a whole other state. Viv worked with him for almost two years and she never got that at all."

"I'm a trained profiler. I'm supposed to be able to read people. Better than this!"

"And you think you don't know Tony?" Abby's words were a challenge.

"He always keeps his girlfriends at arms length," Kate said with her profiler's hat on. "They never pick him up after a case. Or send him flowers at work. And most of his relationships only last a few weeks. He has a few good friends from his College Days, but he never talks about anyone from his time as a cop. He never gets calls from his family, not even when we're working for days at a time. He loves attention of any kind, even if its negative attention. He acts like all he cares about is girls and having a good time, but he'll work himself to exhaustion to get justice for someone he's never met. He's more like Gibbs than he realises. And .."

"And he doesn't celebrate his birthday because ..?" Abby pressed.

"Because he's more like Gibbs than he realises?" Kate smirked.

"Not even close," Abby gave an evil grin. "Remind me to show you the photos sometime. Gibbs was a Marine. That man knows how to party hard. He just doesn't so much any more."

"Mind if I join you?" McGee sank into the seat beside Abby.

"How did it go with Gibbs?" Kate asked sympathetically.

"I'm on report for actions endangering another Agent in the field. I need to go and see the Director for a formal reprimand. And I have to undergo compulsory extra training." McGee looked chalk white.

"Ouch," Abby winced. "Gibbs must have been pretty mad. He almost never involves the Director in this kinda stuff."

"He may not have had a choice," Katesuggested. "Morrow already knew about Tony, other than that, its pretty standard stuff. What kind of extra training?"

"Gibbs um, .. pointed out .. rather forcefully that my self defence skills put Tony at risk because he figured Baxter would take me out," McGee swallowed. He could still see Gibbs angry countenance, as his blue eyes flashed. Next time you have to back up and Agent in the field McGee, you'd dammed well better be able to do it. "He's going to improve them. One on one."

"Oh my God." Kate realised.

"I know," McGee dropped his head in his hands. "He's going to kill me."

"No, I meant, that's why Tony never celebrates his birthday. That's why he always puts himself in the line of fire. Because someone has taught him that the existence of Tony DiNozzo wasn't something anyone wanted to celebrate and there would always be someone smarter or more deserving in the world. So, if there was going to be a bullet it might as well have his name on it."

McGee lifted his head, a confused look on his face. "Its Tony's birthday? Why didn't anyone tell me?"