CHAPTER TEN

Tony was the first one awake, and it took him a few minutes to figure out what had happened and where he was. It was after noon on a Tuesday, and no one had called to yell at him for not being at work. Then he remembered – the bank, the stand-off, the interviews. He looked at Jess, curled up next to him. He was just about to stretch and climb out of bed when his stomach rumbled. Loudly. So loudly in fact that it woke up Jess, whose head was resting fairly close to his ribcage.

"Hungry, much?" she laughed, as she wiped the sleep from her eyes and sat up.

"Yeah," he said with a smile. "Did we order pizza last night? I seem to remember ordering pizza."

"We did – but you were asleep before it got here. It's in the fridge."

"Then cold pizza for breakfast – lunch – it is," Tony said, as he hopped out of bed and threw on a t-shirt over his sweats. He looked back at Jess. "I have today off, right?" He had a slightly confused look on his face.

"You do," she assured him.

He reached out and pulled her out of bed, and she grabbed her jeans and slipped them on under the t-shirt she was wearing. They went out into the kitchen, pulled the pizza box out of the fridge and sat at the table to eat. It was silent for a few moments as they each devoured a slice. Then Jess got up to get them each something to drink.

"So," Tony said, as he took another slice of pizza. "You never told me how your date went with Gibbs. I got your e-mail the next morning, and he seemed like he was in a good mood, but I never got the play-by-play."

Jess looked at him in a way that was totally unreadable, something she hadn't been able to do with him for a long time.

"Not … good?" Tony asked. He wasn't sure if he'd wanted it to work out or not.

"Well," Jess began, as she brought the glasses to the table. "It wasn't bad, as dates go, but … well … the only thing we seemed to have in common was … you. You're the topic we'd always end up talking about."

"That explains the 'Dino' reference," Tony said with a raised eyebrow and an 'I can't believe you told him' expression.

"That was so not my fault!" Jess said. "It just slipped out while I was telling the story of Dino Kitty; he promised he wouldn't say anything."

Tony laughed and motioned for her to continue the story.

She sighed. "He can't stand opera; he doesn't like movies; he doesn't watch TV…" her voice trailed off. "And, well …" she added, "you know me and boats."

Tony nodded.

"I'd tell him some long involved story about something that happened when I was in Alaska or Berlin, and then he'd just ask me another question. I couldn't get a single story out of him about his childhood or school or even basic training." She sounded a little exasperated. "I mean, I know the guy keeps things a little close to the vest, but come on!" She looked up at Tony and sighed. "We ran out of conversation topics pretty quickly, and just ended up talking about you and work." She shrugged. "And, while I adore talking about you …" (He stuck her tongue out at her; she retaliated by throwing pizza crust at him.) "… the last thing I need is someone else I can talk to about work."

Tony smiled sympathetically. "So," he said, "no chance that I'm going to get stuck between my boss and my best friend in a domestic dispute?"

"I don't think so," said Jess with a smile. "Although, he's a pretty good kisser," she said, her smile growing with the memory. "I'll give him that."

She laughed as Tony choked on his pizza and tried to regain his composure. "Too much information," Tony gasped, as he finished the iced tea in his glass and went to the sink for some water. "Way too much information."

He returned to the table. "What are you going to tell him?" Tony asked.

"Well," said Jess with a sigh, "we haven't really had time to deal with it. Things got a little hectic the next day …"

"Hey!" Tony said, with a mock-injured tone, "I was doing you a favor!"

Jess walked over and kissed him on the nose. "Yes, and I appreciate it," she said, placating him and drawing out a grin. She sat. "But now I'm stuck. You work with the guy. I can't just not say anything." She sighed. "If he calls, I have to say SOMETHING, and if he doesn't call…" her voice faded out. "I can't let it sit there."

"And this," Tony started to say, in a sing-songy teacher-like tone …

"Is why we don't date Tony's bosses," Jess and Tony finished the sentence in unison.

Jess shook her head and slumped in her chair. "You would think I'd have learned that by now," she said, allowing him the knowing grin he gave her.

"Yes," Tony said, returning to his lunch. "You would think."

Meanwhile, back at NCIS, Gibbs was having relatively the same discussion with Ducky.

"Well, Jethro," Ducky was saying. "I must admit to admiring the maturity you've exhibited in this circumstance. In the past, I daresay that you'd have continued the relationship regardless of the red flags you encountered and then simply added it to your list of unfortunate run-ins with the opposite sex after it was over."

Gibbs sighed, allowing Ducky his due. "Thank you Dr. Mallard," Gibbs said, with exaggerated reverence. "I'm so glad to know that I have finally exhibited enough maturity that you were compelled to notice and comment."

"Yes, well …" Ducky continued. "Perhaps you might want to make note of my methods when you next speak with Tony." He smiled.

Gibbs looked confused. "You saying I don't give DiNozzo enough credit for acting like … a grown-up?"

"Yes, well, that's another conversation altogether, isn't it, Jethro?" Ducky went back to the body on his table. "You were saying?"

Gibbs shook his head in frustration and took a deep, cleansing breath. He suddenly realized that he'd never made good on his promise to Jess to tell Tony that he was "a great agent."

Gibbs continued. "I was saying, Doctor, that I went out on a perfectly acceptable date with a perfectly acceptable woman, and I have absolutely no desire to go on another one. How do I tell her that?"

"Well," Ducky said, while plucking a bullet from the liver, "that would depend on why you have no desire to see her again."

"She's afraid of boats, Duck," Gibbs said, with exasperation, as if that explained everything. "And she tells these long involved stories that go on forever …" He stopped as Ducky looked up at him over the tops of his glasses. "Not that that in itself is a bad thing," Gibbs continued, pointedly, "but she expects the same thing out of me. Sometimes you just want to enjoy a meal without getting a show too." Again, a look from Ducky. Gibbs looked to the ceiling and sighed. "We ended up spending most of our time talking about work." Ducky looked up, curiously. Gibbs continued, "It was the only safe topic we seemed to have in common."

Ducky chuckled.

"She did make me laugh a few times," Gibbs said with a smile.

"A talent not to be taken lightly," Ducky offered.

Gibbs acknowledged the comment. "And she's an above-average kisser." Ducky's eyebrows went up and he looked down quickly to hide the smile that was forming. Gibbs sighed.

"But the bottom line," Gibbs said, "is that I need someone who doesn't have to talk all the time. Someone who would be just fine sitting in silence while we each do our own thing …"

"Until you decide that it's time to discuss some topic of your choice or take part in some extracurricular activity or another?" Ducky completed the thought. Gibbs rolled his eyes. "Yes," Ducky continued. "I don't see Miss Kennedy as being the type who would sit quietly by, watching you sand the ribs of your boat, and then jump to attention when you're ready for some … exercise."

"Yeah … so … what do I do?" Gibbs said, ignoring Ducky's teasing.

"What have you done in the past?" Ducky said.

"Not call."

"Ah … well …" Ducky dropped his medical instruments on the tray and began pulling off his gloves just as Jimmy walked in.

"Mister Palmer," Ducky said, "would you be so kind as to close our Petty Officer here, and then take the ballistics samples to Abby?"

"Of course, Doctor," Jimmy said with a smile. Ducky motioned to Gibbs to follow him. The two went into Ducky's office.

"Not calling is obviously not an option, Jethro," Ducky said, while pouring them each a finger of Scotch. "She's Tony's best friend, and he's bound to be curious." Gibbs nodded solemnly.

Ducky laughed. "For goodness sake, Jethro," Ducky said, "just tell her that it's not going to work out. The woman isn't going to throw herself off a building because Leroy Jethro Gibbs doesn't want a second date."

"I'm not afraid of her getting suicidal, Ducky," Gibbs said as he drained his glass. "I'm more worried about …"

"Homicidal?" Ducky said with a barely concealed grin. "She's not your second wife, Gibbs. And I doubt that she'd do anything to jeopardize Tony's place on the team. She might be …" He was obviously searching for the right word. "She might be … disappointed," Ducky continued with a light chuckle, "but I think it might be a bit too much self-flattery to think that she'd resort to murder."

Gibbs shot him a dirty look.

"But you could always put yourself in protective custody," Ducky said. "If you're worried." The coroner finished his drink and began to put on his coat to leave. Gibbs followed him out and into the elevator.

"Besides," Ducky said. "It's entirely possible that she feels exactly the same way." Gibbs turned to look at him, incredulously, as the elevator doors closed.