Author's Note: I am very thankful for the reviews, comments and insights, and some of those actually mirror my own.

There is a subtle reference to the episode "Heartland" in season 6, and the first few episodes of season 4, particularly "smoked."

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Chapter Five

Gibbs had a look on his face that he usually got when they were close to solving a case, only to discover that they were missing some vital facts. It was a familiar look of frustration, Tony thought, but the anger that usually lurked in those blue eyes was surprisingly missing. He actually looked more like Tony himself did when he has just found out that they will have to pull an all-nighter to look for the elusive facts of a stubborn case. Those blue eyes were looking at him now, intently, as Gibbs said, "this is not about the awards, and not only about something I said no matter how nasty or unwarranted …" Tony couldn't decide if this was a statement or a question, so he remained silent.

"Help me out there, DiNozzo, what is this exactly about?"

"Do you really want to know?"

Tony had a serious and intense look on his face, one that he didn't wear often unless they were right in the middle of a case, compelling Gibbs to ask himself that question, did he really want to know? The answer was simple: No, he didn't, but he needed to.

Gibbs was well aware of his tendency to either walk away, or to act aloof, and even more rigid than usual. He hasn't always been like that; he remembered instances when he had tried, almost desperately, to patch things up in a crumbling relationship. He had failed. Cutting the process short seemed like a less painful option. A perceived betrayal or rejection could make him walk away, and stay away for a long time. Just ask his father, or Ducky. However, as much as he was set in his ways, he was still capable of learning from past mistakes, or at least capable of trying.

"Go ahead, DiNozzo, shoot!" He finally answered.

Tony resisted an irreverent and ill-timed urge to laugh as Gibbs visibly stood ramrod straight, even more so than usual, as if bracing himself for an actual shooting. He usually got those urges in particularly tense situations, but he didn't have a death wish, so he schooled his features, nodded and started to explain.

"That day, in autopsy, it felt like being the butt of a joke, and I suspect that if Ziva and McGee were there they would have probably enjoyed it.. it is not a nice feeling, and it is not the first time either .. I'm used to your digs, and I deserve a lot of them; you like to yank my chain sometimes, and most of the time I don't mind. But this … this felt a bit like being dissected by a pair of strangers …However, you're right, this is not just about a single comment no matter how cutting it was."

"If you want a brief statement," Tony went on, "and I know how you like brevity, so at the risk of sounding like an outraged ex, I would say that this is a bit like the straw that broke the camel's back."

Gibbs raised his eyebrows, "this sounds a bit ominous .. and an outraged ex, DiNozzo?"

"Not the best analogy, I know.. the point is I don't want to sound overly negative or dramatic, so I decided last night to approach this from an investigator's point of view."

Gibbs was looking at him suspiciously now, so he hastened to explain, "separating fact from fiction, making lists, that kind of thing.."

Gibbs didn't look too happy with that either, he might have needed to know, but he didn't relish the idea of being the subject of a list.

"You're not too happy with that, are you?" Tony asked sweetly, then continued seriously, "look, Gibbs, we can just stop this right here, sort of shake hands, let it go, and carry on as usual."

"We can?" Gibbs asked doubtfully, "and what about the camel's back?"

Tony just shrugged, "this particular camel has been known to bounce back, in more ways than one."

"Even those who bounce back easily can reach a breaking point, DiNozzo."

It seemed to Gibbs that Tony was either trying to push him to let this go, or that he was testing him in some way.

"Okay, show me your list, DiNozzo"

Tony snorted a bit, "It's a metaphorical list, Gibbs, I didn't actually write one, I leave that to McGee. No, I just have a couple of things to tell you, and some evidence to back me up."

Gibbs was starting to look a bit defensive, so Tony gave him a few moments to settle.

"Go ahead, DiNozzo, I'm listening."

"Okay," Tony crossed his arms, looked at Gibbs directly, and simply said, "dangling carrots and backhanded compliments."

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Tbc.