"Whose rules?"
"Mine"
She smiled slightly. "So, do I need to write them down or something?"
"Just remember them" Gibbs countered.
Tony could feel someone watching him before he actually opened his eyes. "You know, Ziva taught me her sixth ninja sense. I can feel you watching me" he opened his eyes a crack, wincing at the pure white light.
He couldn't see anything until he heard the person in the room jump down from something and cross to the window, slanting the plastic veneer blinds.
"Alex" he looked at her in surprise. "What're you doing here? Where's boss man?"
"Gibbs went to get coffee. He came got me last night. I called you like twenty times"
Tony grimaced as he pulled himself up the bed further with one arm, trying not to knock the drip as it fed fluids into his veins. "Yeah, sorry about that. I guess I was a little preoccupied" He gave her his best dazzling grin before dropping it as he thought of something.
"Pick you up from where exactly?"
She crossed back to the hospital bed, pulling herself up on it next to Max. "Just an alley"
"So?"
Alex frowned at his tone. "So what?"
"You gonna tell me why you ran away?"
"They were patronising. Talking to me in a sickly voice. I'm not some little kid. You should've seen the room I was put in. The room was pink. Pink! And it wasn't like a light pink either. Barbie Pink! Nope, they were too apple pie life for me" She frowned as she ran her hand through Max's chocolaty fur, spiking it the wrong way.
Tony sighed, leaning back on his pillows. "I guess I'll see it soon enough. I have to take you back"
"See what DiNozzo?" Gibbs strode through doors, each hand holding a coffee cup.
"The room Alex was supposed to stay in" Tony said pointedly.
Gibbs didn't comment, instead handing a cup to Alex, and ruffling Max's floppy ears. She grinned at the writing on the side. Salted Caramel Mocha.
"Hey" Tony said indignantly. "Where's mine?"
"Not till you're released. Wasn't it you who got shot and spiked a temp?" Gibbs firmly stated.
"I didn't know I was allergic to whatever it was they gave me. Normally I can handle antibiotics fine" came a protesting comment from Tony.
Alex suddenly thought of something.
"Here, have mine" she said, putting it on his tray.
"I'm good Alex, I was just joking" Tony said hastily.
"You, drink" Gibbs pointed at Alex then the cup. She shook her head.
"I can't pay you back. I don't have any money"
"Dam the money. Hell, if I wanted someone to pay I'd take it out of DiNozzo's pay packet" Gibbs said.
"Seriously Alex, you'd better drink it. You don't know what Gibbs is capable of. He might just get out that power sander of his he's never used and…"
Gibbs head slapped him, gently but firmly as he was in the middle of his sentence.
Tony opened his mouth to protest but before he could get a word out a young nurse in her twenties walked into the room. She baulked when she saw the dog but decided to overlook it.
"Agent DiNozzo. How are you? My name's Sally and I'm one of the day nurses today"
"Please, call me Tony" he gave her his most charming smile.
"Okay Tony, so if I could just take your temperature, there we go" She quickly inserted the ear thermometer, waited for a beep then withdrew it.
"Back down to normal" she smiled as she took his blood pressure.
"I think we might be able to spring you from here today" she speculated. "Your BP and Temp are both normal. Just let me change the dressing on your shoulder and remove the IV, help you get dressed and I'll find a doctor to sign your papers"
Gibbs and Alex both left the room with their coffees to give Tony some privacy as the wound was being tended to. It took all of five minutes before the nurse came out looking slightly put out.
"He doesn't want any help getting dressed" she frowned before smiling. "I'll be back with the doctor shortly. I suggest that the dog is gone by the time I return"
Alex grinned sheepishly as they returned to the room.
"Max, here boy" she turned to Gibbs and Tony, now dressed in his blood spattered clothes from the day before.
"Well guys, thanks and everything but I have to leave" she said to them.
"Where?" Tony asked.
"I dunno" she admitted. "The street?" the harbour? Wherever I can find work"
"No, you're not!" Tony growled.
"Why not? I'm sure as hell not going back to apple pie Quimbly household"
"Beezus and Ramona. Nice" Tony complimented. "And no, you're not going to live on the streets. You're coming home with me"
"One, how the hell did you know a quote from a kids movie. Two, no I'm not" Alex argued.
"One of my dates wanted to go see it. Any yes you are"
Gibbs stood quietly, watching the two with mild interest.
"Why?" Alex interrupted.
"Because, you weren't happy in foster care. Any idiot can see you're going to run off again. I don't want you on the streets. Come home with me, just to try it" Tony almost pleaded.
"What about fricking social services?"
"I'll tell them you are still a person of interest"
Alex looked at her shoes, thinking hard before nodding. "Fine, but I can leave if I don't like it"
"Deal" they shook hands just as a doctor walked in holding the discharge papers.
"That sounds serious" the doctor smiled before noticing Max. He opened his mouth, then closed it, then opened it again. Shaking his head he said "I don't even want to know. From what I can see that's a therapy dog visiting a patient"
"Cheers doc" Alex grinned
He turned to Tony. "Here's your discharge papers and prescription for antibiotics and painkillers. Make sure you fill it and hopefully I won't see you again. Any more fever and you come straight to the ER. We don't want another reaction"
"Neither do I doc. Thanks" Tony took the papers and turned to Gibbs. "Hey Boss, do you think you could…"
"Car's outside"
"Awesome".
They stopped on the way out for Tony to fill his prescription then rounded the corner to where Gibbs car was parked outside. Max ran off to do his long awaited business before bounding into the back seat with Alex.
"Hi-ho Silver!" Tony smiled as the car pulled away from the hospital. Before long they were in Tony's neighbourhood.
"You got food in the house DiNozzo?" Gibbs questioned as the neared Tony's flat.
"I dunno Boss. Might just order in for lunch"
Gibbs nodded, pulling the car round to the front of the building.
Alex and Max jumped out of the car and stood on the pavement, looking round at the old fashioned buildings.
"DiNozzo" Gibbs barked as Tony got out of the car. Tony looked at him.
"You've got a week of medical leave. Then take a week or two of personal time" he ordered.
"Oh I don't know Boss" Tony pondered on the idea.
"DiNozzo, I'm not suggesting it. I'm telling you. I don't want to see your stubborn arse back round NCIS for at least three weeks"
"Righto boss. Not coming in for three weeks. What if I want to visit…right, you won't see me for three weeks" Tony hastily corrected himself under Gibbs glare.
Shutting the door of the car Tony watched Gibbs pull away before gesturing to the apartment complex.
"Welcome to my castle" he spread his good arm wide. "What do ya think?"
The brick faced apartment stood at three stories high. Down a street lined with trees that gave it the feeling of an avenue the apartment complex blended into the quiet feeling the area had. A small patch of grass ran along the front inside a black wrought iron fence. Beams of sun stretched themselves through the gaps in the leaves, dappling the ground around which they stood.
"It's nice" she said simply.