A/N: sorry for the long wait. I was suddenly hit with memory loss and couldn't remember where I was going with some of the story, and forgot all the personal info I needed. also I've been working on my novel that i'm trying to get set up to send out to publishers. this isn't beta-ed, so any mistakes are all mine.
Tony's brow furrowed and he moaned at the pounding pain at the back of his head. He rolled over and opened his eyes slowly, shielding his eyes from the light, and praying that he didn't have a concussion. He frowned when the pounding ceased to lessen, but got… louder?
He pushed himself up on his arm and looked around, then saw his front door being kicked in and Gibbs, Ziva and McGee all standing behind with their guns drawn. Tony blinked then his eyes widened slightly when he remembered how he ended up on the floor and why his head hurt so much. The sounds of labored breathing caught his attention and he looked over and saw Tamara on her back a few feet away from him.
Gibbs was able to move faster than the disoriented Italian as Ziva and McGee cleared Tony's apartment. "What happened?" Gibbs questioned as he checked her vitals.
"I don't really know. We were coming back from getting the files," Tony rubbed the back of his head, relieved when he didn't see any blood on his hand. "Someone was here waiting for us. He tackled her, then hit me with a gun. We need to get her a pillow or a blanket, something soft."
"No, I'm going to call an ambulance, she's having trouble breathing." Gibbs reached for his phone on his belt. Tony grabbed his hand and he glared at Tony, Tony returning his gaze without pause.
"No, I've seen this before, I've been with her. Whoever that guy was dosed her, she'll hightail it out of DC if we take her to a hospital." Tony grabbed a pillow from his couch and put it under her head. He motioned to the blanket on the back of his couch and McGee tossed it to him.
"What are you doing?" Ziva looked at Tony as he slipped the blanket under Tamara's back.
"It's something that helps her, I don't know why. She can't breathe deeply if she's flat against a hard floor," Tony explained as he pushed her hair off of her sweat soaked forehead. "It works, I've never had to take her to a hospital, give CPR, anything like that." He put his ear against her stomach and listened to her breathing and the beating of her heart. "How long did it take you guys to get here?"
"Fifteen minutes," Gibbs said as he watched his Senior Field Agent and his estranged daughter.
Tony nodded a little. "I'm gonna need a wet rag, cold." He said to no one in particular.
"You seem fairly familiar with this routine," Siva commented as McGee went to fetch the rag. "I thought you said she wasn't into the drugs?"
"She wasn't, it was only when Gavin forced her." He sat up a little. Gibbs noticed that her breathing was still fast, but was regulating. "That's when I would help her out. She told me not to take her to a hospital, she'd skip out before anyone could check on her."
"Probably so they wouldn't call me," Gibbs commented as he watched Tony put the wet rag on her head. He nodded to Tony and helped move her to the couch.
"She just needs to rest now, she'll be out of it for several hours." Tony slid against the couch and sat back down on the ground, rubbing the back of his head gingerly.
"I'll call Ducky," Gibbs pulled out his phone but was stopped by Tony's hand on his wrist. "For you, DiNozzo. You might have a concussion and I just want a medical opinion." Tony blinked then pulled his hand back.
"Sorry, Boss," he mumbled. "Er, I didn't mean that." He caught himself before Gibbs could get on his case about apologizing.
//\\//(- -)( - - )(- -)//\\//
When Tamara work up the lights were out and she was vaguely aware that she was covered with a blanket. She opened her eyes slowly and noted that she was still in Tony's living room, but was lying on the couch. She could hear faint voices talking and looked around to see that the TV was on. Tony was lying on the ground in front of the couch and there was a plate of food sitting on the coffee table, next to a glass of water and some aspirin.
Tamara slowly sat up and grabbed the plate, her stomach letting her know just how hungry she was. She gently prodded Tony's side with her foot until he grunted and rolled over. His hand hit the coffee table and he yelped, sitting up.
Tamara snorted as she swallowed a bite of her sandwich. "Good morning sleeping beauty. Have fun sleeping on the floor?"
Tony groaned as he stretched. "Not so much, which is why I'm looking forward to sleeping in my bed. What about you? Almost ready to move to the bed?" He noted her already half empty plate. "As soon as you're done inhaling that food?"
"Hey," she pointed a finger in his face. "Not my fault, drugs make me hungry." She grabbed the water and the pills. "How is it I'm not in the hospital? Last thing I remember doing was calling Gibbs. If he saw me he would have wanted to have my stoned ass off to the hospital. Unless he didn't come."
"Oh, no, he came," Tony confirmed. I somehow managed to talk him out of it. I don't know how, he looked ready to bite my head off when I told him not to call 911. And didn't act so much stoned as, well, sick."
Tamara frowned a little as she finished off the chips that had been on the plate. "I'm fairly positive I was drugged, though."
"Yeah, that's what's weird. But it was as if you had a cold," he shrugged and stood up, stretching. "Oh, well. You're better now, and you were able to eat, and it hasn't come back up yet. Gibbs took the files, just in case someone else decides to break in." He took the plate from her and dropped it off in the kitchen.
"So, we're sleeping in the same bed?" She eyed him as he went around the apartment turning off lights.
"Yeah," he nodded and double checked that the front door was locked.
"Okay," she rubbed the side of her head a little. "Just so you know, I'm not going to sleep with you again. I'm not gonna be that person that's there for sex when things get stressful. I mean I know-" Tony stopped her rambling when he placed a finger on her lips.
"I wasn't thinking of sleeping with you, for once," he smirked a little. "You're sleeping in the bed with me because it's big, and neither one of us would appreciate the back ache in the morning after sleeping on the couch."
Tamara nodded a little, then swatted away Tony's hand. "Just had to make sure. I mean, just 'cause you're a Fed doesn't mean that I'm gonna do whatever you want."
"If I wanted to sleep with you, I would use the fact that I'm a Fed to do it," he smiled as he walked into his bedroom, with her trailing behind. "I would do it because we've already done it before. Although, you do have a sweet ass, wouldn't mind getting my hands on that a- Ow!" He ducked when Tamara slapped the back of his head.
"Better start a count, because now it'll be a cold day in hell before I sleep with you again." Tamara stole a t-shirt and a pair of boxer's from his dresser. "Silk boxers, Tony? Really?" She smirked as she held them up. "You have expensive taste."
Tony's face dead-panned as he grabbed his sweats from the chair in the corner. "No, I just have good taste."
"Ouch, is that supposed to say something about my clothes?" Tamara put a hand over her heart.
"Only if you think that 'Drug-Dealer' chic is all the rage now." He laughed when one of his shirts was thrown in his face. "Maybe I'll take you out tomorrow or something and get you some more clothes. You could use more than two pair of outfits."
"Don't tempt, DiNozzo." She managed to change into his boxers before Tony removed the shirt from his face. "I'll take you up on that offer, and you'll regret it."
"I'm not so sure about that. Hey, I don't even get one last look at your ass? You tease," Tony pouted.
"If only my father could hear you, I'm sure he'd love to hear you talk about his daughter like that." She turned her back on him and slipped her shirt off, slipping his over-sized t-shirt on.
"Ah, now that's a subject I would like to talk about." He turned off the light, but flipped on the bedside lamp. "What is the exact deal with you and Daddy Gibbs?"
Tamara glared at him briefly as she slipped into the bed. "Not something I feel like sharing."
"I don't see a better time." Tony commented as he climbed onto the other side. "I mean, you could tell me here, or I'm pretty sure that it'll be drug out at NCIS, and I don't think you want the rest of the office knowing everything."
"What makes you think that I would spill back there?" She leaned on her side, her head resting on her palm as she looked at the Italian.
"You haven't met Abby, not even Gibbs can say no to her. She would crack you in a minute." Tamara raised and eyebrow at him. "No lies, she would do it."
"Alright, I'll talk, only if you talk too." Tamara conceded.
"Kind of like a 20 questions type of deal?" Tony eyed her skeptically. "I'm not sure how much damage you could do with that kind of power."
"That's fine by me," she rolled onto her back. "But you won't get answers out of me if I can't ask you anything."
Tony sighed and flopped on his back more dramatically. "Alright, deal. I get to go first." He turned his head on his pillow to look at the woman next to him. "When was the last you spoke to Gibbs?"
"Eight years ago, in the kitchen of the house he's no doubt still living in." She answered smoothly. "Are you still in touch with your family?"
"I have an Uncle who lives overseas, I haven't seen him since I was in college though." Tony was not looking forward to the rest of her questions if they all had to do with his family. "Were you there for all of Gibbs's ex-wives?" Maybe if he went easy on the questions then she would to."
"I'm the daughter from his first marriage," she said and Tony blinked. "He divorced my mom, then married Shannon, then got married two times after that." She was answering the questions with the careful Gibbs neutrality. "You ever been married before?"
Tony snorted and shook his head. "No, I've only had a few serious relationships. So you were there when Shannon and Kelly were killed?" His voice softened a little, in case it brought up bad memories for her, too.
"Yeah," she trailed off. "I was fourteen when it happened, I was spending the night with some friends from school." She took a short breath and continued her own questioning. "You ever talk to your own Dad lately?"
That was what Tony didn't want to hear. "No. Why did you leave?" Tony could sense that maybe they're 20 questions was coming to an end.
"We fought. You're not going to elaborate on my last question?"
"Only if you will." Silence consumed the room and both knew that it was probably time to sleep. "We can try this again some other time."
"I hope you're not thinking too far into the future," Tamara muttered. "With those files now, it won't be long until the catch the rest of the group. And when that happens you probably won't be seeing me again. I'll either be in Witness Protection, or playing lackey to the FBI."
"You think Gibbs will let that happen? You guys may not have spoken for the past eight years but he wouldn't let you lie under the wheels like that." Tony told her before he turned off the lamp. "I don't what kind of father he was, or who was back then, but he's fiercely loyal, and you're blood. I imagine he would do anything for blood."
"You have no idea," Tamara whispered and turned on her side, her back to Tony.