Title: She'll Be Okay
Summary: AU, Tony is still around. What if instead of calling Gibbs, when Delilah goes into hospital after collapsing in 14x23 Something Blue, he called Tony. How differently would that conversation go?
Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS.
"Yeah, McGee?" Tony answered, he heard a second of ragged breathing and then McGee's voice.
"Tony, I'm at the hospital." He said, he sounded like he was crying or on the verge of.
"What?" He frowned, catching a glance from Quinn, Torres and Gibbs.
"Delilah collapsed last night." He said.
"Where?" Tony asked.
"At home, I don't know-" Tony cut Tim off from saying anymore.
"Whoa, whoa. Slow, whoa – Slow down McGee!" Tony ordered, using his best SFA voice.
"Please, Tony, I don't-" Tim tried again, Tony could tell he was having a little bit of trouble breathing through his worry and the tears didn't help.
"I'm on my way, Tim. Just don't freak out ok?" Tony said.
"Tony…" Tim whispered.
"I'm coming Tim. Just breathe." He said. Tony gave Gibbs an apologetic look before running away from interrogation and out to his Mustang, punching it to Mercy General.
"Hey. Hey, how is she?" Tony asked as he rushed to Tim where he paced the waiting area.
"They're still running tests." Tim said, his voice was slightly choked.
"Should've called me last night, Tim." Tony said. Tony could see just how distressed Tim was, and for once in his life Tony couldn't bring himself to tease Tim about his fiancée, that he argued with in binary code.
"Tony…I was a mess, I was a total mess. Delilah was out cold until the paramedics arrived." Tim told him, his voice getting thicker as he fought tears back from falling.
"She's gonna be okay." Tony said.
"What if she's not?" Tim asked, the frown that creased his face betraying his emotions.
"She will be. She will be. Come on sit down" Tony coaxed, Tim jerked away from him as if burned.
"Tony, when Delilah was paralysed, the doctors said that there could be complications down the road…" He began, pulling further away from Tony. He was agitated and getting more and more worked up. Tony could see tears clouding Tim's eyes.
"McGee." He tried to break in.
"What if this is now, what if this is down the road? This is down the road." Tim was on the verge of bursting into tears, Tony could see it on his face.
"Tim." Tony hardly used his first name so it shut Tim up for a moment, "Take a breath okay? Take a seat." Tony coaxed him to sit down.
"Wedding invitations. That's what we were talking about when she went down. If those are our last words, I swear…" Tim shook his head, tears starting to leak from his eyes.
"No. Won't be. Keep breathing." Tony said.
Tim scrubbed his hands over his face, "It's like, all the little things that we get so worked yo over every day, we ignore what matters most." Tim said.
"Look at me. Let's just wait okay? Wait and see." Tony said with a soft smile.
"And breathe?" Tim said.
"Well yeah, Probie. Keep breathing." Tony laughed.
"Thanks Tony." Tim whispered resting his head on Tony's shoulder.
Tony put his arm around Tim's shoulders, "No problem, Little Brother." He replied.
"Tony?" Tim asked as Tony straightened his friend's bowtie.
"Yeah, McGroom?" He gave Tim a lop-sided grin.
Tim smiled, "I know I asked Abby to be my best person – but I think I'd like to change that to Best Man. Abby said it was alright with her. What do you say?" He said.
"I'd be honoured, Probie." Tony said honestly giving Tim's shoulder a squeeze.
"I thought you'd say that." Tim reached out and pinned a rose the same as his own to Tony's lapel. The pair looked up at Gibbs approached them.
"Hey Boss." Tony said stepping aside to let their boss talk to Tim as it was clear that was what he was going to do.
"Tony told me about what happened at the hospital. Why didn't you call me?" Gibbs asked.
"I didn't need a Dad then, Gibbs. I needed my brother." Tim said honestly.
"I see. I like the stars." Gibbs indicated to the cufflinks, "Admiral Stars."
"Yeah, they were my Dad's. Kinda makes me think he's here." Tim said with a soft sigh.
"He is here." Gibbs flicked his watch off his wrist, "Here."
"Uh, Boss, I think the 'something borrowed' is more for the bride…" Tim started.
"Not borrowing. It's yours." Gibbs said.
"But Boss…" The younger man tried to refuse.
"My Grandfather gave it to my father on his wedding day," the slightly break in Gibbs' voice made Tony turn around to watch him, "and my father gave it to me when I married Shannon. I only wear it on special occasions. I would have passed it onto my son – if I was so blessed – when he got married. Now, I don't hold out much hope for Tony – but you, Tim. It's yours now."
"But…Boss-" Tim cut off when he felt something engraved on the back of the watch face. Breathe, Tim looked up at him, and he turned slightly watery eyes to his Boss – his 'Dad' for all intents and purposes since he'd joined NCIS and the MCRT.
"Thanks Boss." Tim said finally, fastening it on his wrist.
"My pleasure. You ready?" Gibbs asked.
"Yeah, Tony?" Tim turned to the man he considered his best friend and brother.
"Ready, Probie. Let's get you married." He said with a wide smile.
"You'll be next, Tony." Tim joked.
"Not for me, Tim. I'll be happy just being Uncle Tony." He replied with a smaller but just as genuine smile. Tony had wanted to get married at one stage but after his engagement to Wendy broke down and he had to break up with Jeanne, he had resigned himself to being a bachelor for the rest of his life. And for now – he was ok with that.
"You'll make a great uncle, Tony. Any kid would be the luckiest kid in the world." Tim said with a smile and then turned to see Delilah being led down their makeshift aisle by Ducky. To marry him in front of their nearest and dearest and to begin their lives as Mr and Mrs McGee.
A/N: How do you like that? Big brother Tony to the rescue! I know the scene between Tim and Gibbs is very sweet and the writers did so well with it – but I like to think that Tony would drop the McNicknames and only use Probie when the mood lifted – and how about that a Best Man instead of the Best Person? Ynot?