It wasn't as if this had never happened before Gibbs realised, he really should have seen it coming. Normally, when Tony got like this he'd take him down to the gym and knock some sense him in. The one on one attention, plus the excuse for physical contact as they practised hold and moves, usually worked wonders.
Given DiNozzo's present injury, that wasn't really an option at the moment, which meant he needed another approach. It wasn't going to be pretty, but right now Gibbs didn't care. He needed to put a stop to this and soon. He was determined to leave Tony in no doubt where he stood.
"and the big dude said .." Abby was sitting crossed legged on Tony's bed, gesticulating wildly to illustrate her story, as Tony lounged on the windowsill.
"Abby," As she turned he signed briefly. She frowned and signed in her turn, obviously asking for clarification, whatever Gibbs responded obviously reassured her, because she smiled brightly and jumped off the bed. "Sure, thing, Bossman," leaning over to kiss Tony on the cheek she grinned at him. "Gotta go .. test .. stuff."
"What? Abs!" Tony protested, sliding off the window sill, unconciously cradling his arm lightly against his body.
Gibbs refused to feel guilty about the fact that Tony still looked pale and his arm was obviously troubling him. They needed to have this conversation now, while he was still feeling vulnerable. Or he'd never get through to him.
"NCIS isn't paying you to sit around either, DiNozzo," From his jacket, Gibbs pulled the files he had fetched from the car. "I want you to read through those, see if you can find a connection between Wallace and Reynolds."
He didn't miss the way that Tony's eyes lit up with curiosity, although he was clearly reluctant to take the files. "I thought I was on sick leave?"
"There something wrong with your eyes, DiNozzo?"
"No, but .."
"Kate's busy interviewing the other suspects. McGee's tied up going through the database. The world doesn't stop just because you are in the Hospital. Now, I need that information and I need it two hours ago. Is that clear?"
"Yes, Gibbs." Tony sighed.
He waited a beat before reacting.
"Yes, Boss." He insisted softly.
Tony stilled. Although, when he replied his tone was all innocence. "Didn't I say that?"
"No," He'd noticed Tony hadn't called him anything but Gibbs since he had come around from the surgery. "You want to tell me why that is, DiNozzo?"
"Didn't realise we were on a case here," Tony cocked his head at him. He knew it was dangerous baiting Gibbs when he was in this mood. But right now he was running out of options. "Unless, you count McGee's fashion sense. Which is criminal. People are going to start thinking he works for the FBI. I mean, who thinks that .."
"You shut up and listen when I'm talking to you, DiNozzo." Gibbs snapped.
Tony's jaw snapped shut with a soft click, as he unconsciously drew himself up to his full height andlooked straight ahead as Gibbs circled around him, like a big cat stalking its prey.
"You want off my team, DiNozzo, you're going the right way about it," Gibbs hardened his tone. "I only work with people I trust and who trust me. So, you better start talking and tell me what is going on in that head of yours or you'll be looking for a new job."
If this had been an undercover operation, Gibbs would have been inwardly applauding his Agent's courage under fire and his determination not to give away sensitive information. They had been going at this for thirty minutes now and he was still no closer to getting DiNozzo to open up. Which to Gibbs' mind could only mean one thing. He was truly terrified of what would happen if he did.
Some people might assume that the laid back Anthony DiNozzo was the type to be easily flattered intotalking about his feelings Gibbs knew better. That was all an act, when it mattered, Tony would use every trick in the book to avoid letting you know what he was really thinking. The only option was to push and push hard.
"We're not talking about me," Gibbs not shouted, in his best ex-Marine Gunny Sergeant voice. "We're talking about you."
"Oh, I forgot. When you want to scare the shit out of us by not wearing your vest that's just fine," Tony was giving as good as he was getting. "You never think about that?"
"That was different."
"Do as I say, not as I do, Gibbs?"
Gibbs eyes narrowed at the taunt. There was a soft hint of malice under those words that Gibbs knew wasn't directed at him. Everything he knew about Tony's father suggested that the man was self centred and self absorbed. Not a person to care a great deal about whether or not he seemed to his son like a hypocrite.
Stepping right into Tony's personal space Gibbs words were deathly soft at the implied slur to his honour.
"It was different, because I knew from his MO that he wasn't going to shoot me at close range. I knew the glass was bullet proof. I even got Abby to run scenarios to check it would hold. And I knew I had back up that I could trust with my life.It was a calculated risk."
"This again?" Tony almost snarled. "I am not suicidal."
They both knew that word had dogged his evaluations at Philly and Baltimore. DiNozzo had a track record of working close to the edge. It always got the job done. But too often for Gibbs liking it had ended with yet another trip to the Hospital. So, far they had been lucky but one of these days it was going to get him killed. He wasn't about to let that happen.
"No, you're just too dammed reckless."
"I have never put anyone else in danger." Tony defended his actions.
Gibbs felt his ire rise to boiling point that the younger man could be so dammed clueless. He swore fervently under his breath, spun angrily on his heel and marched across the room, before striding back until he was toe to toe with his Senior Field Agent, reaching up to poke him hard in the chest as he enunciated each word.
"You. Are. Not. Expendable."
"No?" Tony's softly spoken response, worried Gibbs even more than his anger. "And if I die saving a child from a serial killer, or protecting a young mother from a rapist. Are you telling me that their families wouldn't see that as a fair exchange?" His voice almost cracked.
"And what about your family?" Gibbs asked, his tone gentle now.
"My family?" Tony looked away, giving Gibbs just the briefest glimpse of the anguish in his eyes. "They probably wouldn't even come to the funeral."
Gibbs reached out and grasped his jaw, gently but firmly bringing it around until Tony was forced to meet his gaze. Allowing himself the ghost of a smile Gibbs reached up and patted Tony's cheek fondly.
"Think again."
McGee knew that Abby's errand was nothing more than a ploy to make him go and visit with Tony. But equally he realised that he couldn't put the moment off forever. Even so, he waited until he knew the Hospital would be all but deserted. Which meant he was doubly unprepared for the sight that met his eyes as he hovered nervously in the doorway. From his position, sprawled on the bed, Tony looked up from his video game and beckoned him in.
"Um, won't I wake him?" McGee hedged.
The chair beside Tony's bed was balanced on two legs at a seemingly impossible angle and presently occupied by one Leroy Jethro Gibbs. With his head tipped right back and his stocking feet propped up on Tony's bed, his mouth lolled open slightly as he slept.
"Naw," Tony shook his head. "You never wake Gibbs unless he wants to be woken."
"Abby sent you this," McGee offered the bag. "She would have come herself, but she's running about six different tests right now and she can't leave the lab."
Tony took the bag and looked inside, only to glance up sharply at McGee.
"Did she tell you want was in here?"
"No, she said it was a surprise."
"Did you peek? The truth, Probie. I'll know if you're lying."
"No, Abby made me promise. She wanted to use blood but I persuaded her to go with a handshake."
"Good move."
Tony took one further look at the contents, grinned and then carefully set the bag aside. McGee was almost sure he was doing it on purpose. He decided to rise above it.
"The flowers were a nice touch."
"I thought so. All women like flowers, Probie. And she was only trying to help."
A suspiciously timed snort from the direction of Gibbs made McGee jump and look warily at the ex-Marine, but he still gave off every outward appearance of being fast asleep.
"Kate's refusing to tell anyone who sent them. I think she wants people to think she has a secret admirer."
"So, how did you work it out?"
"Someone had to sign then through security," McGee admitted. "They looked pretty expensive."
"Well, I can afford to be magnanimus. I'm back on the team, just as soon as I re-qualify."
"Re-qualify?"
"Like most people on the planet, Probie," Tony gave him a look. "I also have a left hand." As if to prove the point he lifted up the hand in question and gave an exaggerated wiggle of its fully functioning fingers.
"Oh, I never thought of that." McGee admitted.
"No," Tony glanced fondly at the sleeping Gibbs. "Neither did I. But our fearless leader already had it all worked out. Even got the green light from Morrow."
"But, um .. aren't the qualifying criteria for an NCIS Agent pretty high?"
And of all the team leaders Gibbs was particularly ruthless about ensuring that his Agents kept their scores up. McGee had already lost more than a few personal items for failing to live up to the ex-sniper's exacting standards. The idea of having to shoot like that with his left hand was frankly terrifying.
"You want to bet on it?" Tony offered. "Fifty bucks says that my scores left handed will be better than my all time best from before."
"Gibbs is going to teach you isn't he?" McGee realised.
"Uh huh," Tony agreed happily. "There is no way I can fail. The word just isn't in the man's vocabulary."
"Oh God." McGee worried, thinking of his own impending tutaledge at Gibbs' hands. "I might be the exception to that rule."
"Don't sweat it, Probie," Tony grinned easily. Abby had told him all about Gibbs' creative punishment. "As soon as I get out of here I'll show you a move that can knock him on his ass."
"You'd actually do that?"
"Already did it my second week at NCIS." Tony boasted.
He knew Gibbs hadn't expected him to have much in the way of hand to hand combat skills. He'd managed to surprise him and his new boss had gone down hard. For an instant, Tony had thought he was about to get fired .. or worse. Then Gibbs had grinned broadly and spent the next hour showing him how proud he was by dumping him repeatedly on the mat.
"No, I mean you'd really teach me to do it. Even though it was my fault you got hurt in the first place." There, he had said it.
"Funny," Tony tipped his head on one side. "I thought it was Baxter who stabbed me."
"I should have backed you up."
"Yeah, you should have," Tony agreed sternly, ignoring McGee's wince. "And next time you will."
"Yes, Sir." McGee nodded fervently.
They talked for a few minutes more, before McGee took his leave, his soul a little less burdened than when he'd arrived. He knew he would always carry this with him, but he hoped he'd be a better Agent because of it. And Tony's easy forgiveness and his return to the team would makethings a great deal easier to bear.
"I'll make a Team Leader of you yet," Gibbs's voice approved, without opening his eyes. "Although, if McGee knocks me on my ass I'm going to take it out of your hide."
"Wouldn't have it any other way, Boss." Tony grinned.
AN- Not quite finished with them yet … I really like happy endings.