Disclaimer: Not mine. If I only had the money...

A/N: My first chapter that has been beta'd! Many thanks to NcisRulz! You've been a great help! And many thanks to everyone who has reviewed/favorited/alerted my story.

Don't worry guys, I promise I will write how Tony went through rehab ;) It may take me another chapter or 2, but it will come on the table eventually.

Fight or Flight

'Jethro, you need to look at those personnel files. You can't hold it off much longer,'

'I can't do that to him. Not yet. Place those files back in your cabinet, because I won't get a new senior field agent yet!' Jenny rose up from her chair while Gibbs was standing in front of her desk.

'Special Agent Gibbs!'

'What!'

'You are short a field agent. If you don't make the decision, I will do it for you!'

Gibbs leant over the desk, his face inches from hers.

'You owe him Jen. You've put him through enough already, with The Frog and his daughter. You have no idea how much that case affected him. If you let him down now, he will never recover from it. And you know that. So you will give him the chance to get back in my team, or I will hand you my resignation. Today.' Jenny sat back in her chair, and gave a big sigh.

'Fine. I know I owe him Jethro. Don't you dare tell me what I do and do not know about that case. But you will need another agent in your team. If you don't fix that, I personally will!'

Gibbs stormed out of her office, down the stairs and into the bullpen. Ziva and McGee were sitting at their desks, trying to catch up on paperwork. Gibbs stopped before Tony's desk. After a minute, he made up his mind.

'Ziva!'

'Gibbs?'

'How was he doing yesterday?'

'Same as the rest of the week, down. He didn't want to watch any movies and he said he had exercised but he lied about that. Why?'

'He is at home?'

'Yes, but wh. . .' she got up just in time to see the doors of the elevator close.

'What is he going to do?' McGee asked confused.

'I have really no idea McGee,' Ziva sighed. McGee stood up and walked over to her desk.

'Do you miss him?' he inquired.

'With his annoying movie quotes and references, stupid jokes and the ways how he checks in every single woman?'

'It's checking out,'

'Whatever. Yeah I miss him McGee. It's like having a stray dog who walks after you: he is so annoying that you want to chase him away, but when he's gone, you miss him like crazy,' Ziva's eyes went over the empty desk. It looked strangely neat without the mess Tony normally made of it.

'Like crazy?' McGee looked at Ziva with growing interest. 'Something like a Lisa-Tommy-thing?' Ziva froze for a moment. She glared at McGee.

'You miss him, right?'

'Well . . . yeah. Kinda,'

'Even though he makes fun of you every time he gets the chance? Or that he keeps calling you Probie?'

'Well, it's just . . . that's . . . not the same!'

'But you do miss him?'

'Yes,'

'So why should that be any different than the way I miss him?' McGee was silent for a moment, and decided that he really needed to change the subject.

'What do you think Gibbs is up to?'

Gibbs knocked on the door of Tony's apartment. After a few minutes Tony opened the door.

'Boss!'

'You sound surprised DiNozzo,'

'Aren't you supposed to be working?'

'My senior field agent didn't show up again, so I decided to get him myself,'

'I think you've got the wrong apartment then,' Tony sounded dark.

'I don't think so. Grab your gear, you've been sitting long enough on your ass,' the corner of his mouth went up slightly.

'I don't feel like being at the office doing nothing,' Tony protested.

'You are way behind on your paperwork,' Gibbs insisted. 'So get your stuff, or do you want me to get it for you?' He walked into the apartment. It was a lot messier than the last time he visited. Clothes lay spread out through the room, dirty dishes where covering the tables, the floor was covered with empty pizza boxes. The normally organized bookcase with DVD's was a complete mess. The curtains where closed, a few lights burned.

Tony thought the idea of Gibbs going through his personal stuff was a little scary, but he really had no intentions of going to the office. He looked up at Gibbs, a firm look on his face.

'I won't go,' he crossed his arms before his chest, his face stubborn and determined.

'Why?'

'Don't you get it Gibbs! I'm not going back in the field! I can't be an agent anymore! Or did you miss the memo that I need wheels instead of legs!' Gibbs gave him a hard stare. He could sense the frustration, the anger and the bitterness in Tony's voice. Sitting in his apartment all day, thinking about what happened, would only make things worse. So he had decided to push the matter, and getting him back in the office definitely was pushing it.

'You know what the advantage is of that wheelchair of yours?' Gibbs looked around in the messy apartment and saw a familiar backpack lying in a corner. He picked it up, and hung it over his shoulder.

'Why don't you enlighten me,'

'It has wheels.' Gibbs walked over, grabbed the bars of the wheelchair and pushed Tony out of his apartment. 'Don't even think about using the brakes, I'll handcuff you if necessary,' he threatened.

After putting the wheelchair in the trunk of the car, Gibbs took off. He gave a sideway glance to his passenger, who was looking out of the window, showing no emotions except for being pissed.

'How are you holding up?'

'I'm fine Boss,' it came out too quick.

'So you aren't afraid of never walking again, losing your job, and living your life like you used to?' Tony clenched his jaw together, but refused to answer.

'Listen carefully DiNozzo, I'm only going to say this once. You are one of the best field agents I've ever worked with. And we are all willing to help you get back in the field. However, if you gave up on coming back already, we can't do much to help you. But if you're willing to fight, if you are prepared to go to the bottom and back, we will help you every step of the way. Because we are a team. We are a family. And we need you in our family. Understood?'

Tony didn't answer, and Gibbs hit the brakes hard – followed by the honking and yelling of frustrated drivers. Tony was yanked forward, and looked in shock at his boss.

'Boss this is a freeway!'

'Did I make myself clear?'

'Very!'

'So, will you fight or flight DiNozzo?' Tony looked back anxious. A big black truck closed in quickly. Very quickly. So quickly that he could almost see the pupils of the driver widen by the sight of a car standing still on the freeway.

'Fight! I will fight boss! Just drive! Please!' Gibbs smirked, and sped away. He reached out his hand, and gave a firm smack at the back of Tony's head.

'What was that for!'

'Because you gave up already,'