The silence in the car was stony, interrupted only by the random and uncontrollable drunken belching from Tim, which he tried valiantly to suppress.
Tony's eyes flickered nervously between his silent boss and his green tinged probie, wondering all the while how one seemingly normal day could wind up in such a mess. Sighing to himself, he ran through various arguments that could mitigate Tim's situation.
He was coming up blank.
He was coming up totally and mockingly, blank.
The running out of the office, without telling anyone, was bad.
The purposeful breaking of the "never be out of reach" rule, was even worse.
The drinking on the job, was off the charts worse.
However, all of these Tony knew that Gibbs could eventually overlook. He knew from experience that drinking on the job would drive the elder of the three men crazy, but that he would forgive and forget readily.
Their boss could get over all these things…but drugs? Freaking hippie offered drugs?
Tim was dead. There was just no other way to put it, he was dead. Ducky would surely be talking to him in crooning tones as he lay on one of his tables before tomorrow's sun rose. Peeking another look in the rear view mirror, the senior field agent sighed when he saw that the junior agent had fallen fast asleep.
How the kid could sleep through his last moments on earth, he didn't know.
The car trundled on, and Tony was completely unsurprised to see Gibbs' ignore the turn off that led to the Navy yard, and instead take the turn off that lead to his own home.
He debated whether or not to plead the probie's case, but the tightly clenched jaw of the older man as well as his intense grip on the steering will, convinced him to keep his mouth shut.
Minutes later, and the familiar view of Gibbs' house came into range. The two field agents, as well as the two girls, spent a considerable amount of their time there. It was basically their second homes, and their boss had gone to substantial lengths to make them feel welcome.
Tim and Tony had their own room to crash in, as did Ziva and Abby. Both were converted guest rooms, which were now no longer used by anyone other than each of the four.
When the car came to a stop, Tony looked back and opened his mouth to rise a contentedly snoozing McGee.
He was stopped by a firm hand on his shoulder.
Handing Tony the keys of the house, Gibbs unbuckled his belt.
"Go and open the door, and get his bed ready Tony" he instructed quietly.
Tony nodded instantly, and hopped out in obedience, leaving Gibbs to survey the sleeping Tim with an odd expression on his face.
With a sigh, the team leader quietly exited the car and gently opened the back passenger door. Reaching softly around the younger man, he unbuckled his belt. Silently thanking god for his military training, he stealthily lifted McGee bodily from the car and draped him over his shoulder.
The kid never stirred.
Gibbs' neighbours were now well and truly used to the man's odd comings and goings that were associated with his job, but even the placid Mrs Davidson stared as he walked into his house, with a clearly drunken young man over his shoulder.
Leaning over the fence to her neighbour, Mrs Phelps, she raised an eyebrow.
"The things that Jethro does for troubled young men" she said fondly.
Nodding her complete agreement, Mrs Phelps watched as Gibbs gently manoeuvred himself through his front door, and shut it quietly behind him.
"So true Amy" she replied, "that young fellow looks completely out of it."
"He does" Mrs Davidson agreed, "but…even so, I sure wouldn't mind being the one over his shoulder."
Squealing with laugher, Mrs Phelps once again nodded her agreement, and the two went back to their afternoon gardening.
Inside the house however, no one was laughing.
Gibbs had made it up the stairs with a still sleeping Tim, and gently laid him into the bed that Tony had readied. He left Tony gently taking the kids shoes and jacket off, as he went in search of water and the painkillers he knew the boy would need when he woke up.
Returning a few moments later, he was relieved beyond measure to see McGee lying peacefully on his side, in a clearly very deep sleep.
Placing the water and tablets on his bedside table, he quickly reached over and drew the blinds, plunging the room into a sleep aiding darkness.
"Come on Tony" he instructed quietly, "let him sleep."
Leaving the end of the probie's bed, Tony allowed himself to be quickly steered from the bedroom.
Moments later, and both men threw themselves wearily into facing armchairs in the living room.
It was only as his cell binged, that Tony remembered they had a case.
Fishing it out of his pocket, he was relieved to see that the girls had made progress, and would update them in the morning. He was unsurprised when his text read that Gibbs had already updated them on the fact they'd found Tim, and was completely unsurprised when Abby had included dire warnings that he better be nice to him.
"You ok, boss?" he asked tentatively, seeing the stony look return to the team leader's face.
A slight nod was offered in response, as Gibbs leaned back in his chair and rubbed a tired hand across his face.
"Yeah Tony, I'm fine. Just relieved he's ok and…that we got there in time."
Knowing what that reference alluded to, the younger man grimaced.
He still couldn't believe it, and bar he had seen it with his own eyes, he never would have believed it.
Figuring now was as good as time as any, he took a deep breath.
"Look, boss, I know Tim screwed up…but you know what he's like, he's…delicate. He was really upset at the time, rightly or wrongly, and he obviously wasn't thinking straight…do you think you could…uhm…cut him some slack?"
Knowing this was coming, Gibbs smiled slightly to himself, despite the situation.
Tease and pester him thought he might, he knew Tony loved Tim in his own way, and had a fiercely protective streak in him when it came to the younger man.
"I wish I could Tony…but no, I can't. I'll talk to him when I'm calm and when I can be fair, and I promise I will be fair. How's that?"
Nodding slowly, Tony realised that this was as good an outcome he could hope for.
"Ok boss" he replied softly.
"Good" Gibbs answered, feeling his heart sink as he realised he still had to deal with Tony, before he could even think about dealing with Tim.
"Now, we need to have a little talk about your behaviour today DiNozzo, correct?"
A slight silence descended as Tony digested this.
In the midst of all the chaos and rapidly changing emotions, he'd forgotten that Tim wasn't the only one in trouble.
"Yes boss" he murmured, beginning to fidget with a cushion to his right.
Sighing, Gibbs tried to shake the wearisome feeling from his bones and find the energy to deal with his senior field agent.
"Want to tell me what you think gives you the right to tease and torment Tim the minute my back is turned, after I specifically told you to knock it off?"
Tony grimaced slightly at the factual summation of his behaviour, and cursed his stupidity.
"Nothing gives me the right…" he answered quietly.
Nodding, and levelling the younger man with a glare, Gibbs pushed on.
"You're right. Nothing does. I need to know that you three can work without my standing over you. You're supposed to by my second in command Tony, that means when I'm not there, you're supposed to be me. You're not supposed to be some juvenile kid with nothing better to do than mess with the people around him, is that clear?"
Wincing, Tony nodded and again lamented his poor judgement, feeling intense guilt build up inside him when he considered his partial responsibility for the mess Tim now found himself in.
"Good" Gibbs replied sternly, "you're to apologise to Tim when you see him next, understand"?
The "yes boss" was instantaneous and sincere and the elder man softened somewhat in response.
"Ok Tony, you're taking over any "probie" jobs from Tim for the next two weeks, and I don't want any whining about it, you understand? Maybe you need a reminder how hard it can be the junior member on the team."
Tony nodded miserably.
Gibbs had dished out the "probie" punishment once or twice before, and he hated it with a passion. Being the senior field agent was something he was passionately proud about, and any infringement on it just flat out sucked. This time however he didn't feel the urge to whine, he knew he'd been an absolute ass.
"Ok then, discussion over" Gibbs answered in a much lighter tone, "you want to stay for dinner?"
Tony looked up in surprise.
He had been waiting for the other foot to drop.
"Wait…that's it?" he spluttered in confusion, looking at Gibbs searchingly.
The confused look he was wearing, was mirrored right back to him.
"Well…yeah, DiNozzo, that's it."
The bewildered feelings in the senior field agent intensified.
"You…you're not uhh…I mean, well what I mean is…"
"Spit it out Tony" Gibbs instructed, looking at the younger man intently.
Nodding and flushing somewhat, the young agent's fidgeting increased.
"You're not going to…you know, punish me?"
A brief silence ensued.
"I just did Tony?" Gibbs eventually answered, in evident confusion.
Shaking his head in frustration, the senior field agent sighed.
"No…I mean aren't you going to you know…" he let out another frustrated breath, "aren't you going to tan my ass?"
Realisation dawned on the other man and he felt himself gape slightly.
Tony, his Tony, the very same Tony who wheedled, protested, whined, sulked, and bargained every single time he was about to feel the sting of his belt, was actually asking for him to wear him out.
Quickly getting over the shock, he instinctively made to shake his head in the negative and assure the younger man that no, he'd been punished enough, when something in his eyes made him stop.
Guilt.
The kid still felt guilty. Gibbs knew Tony well enough to know that guilt was not something he dealt all that well with, and leaving him feeling like he hadn't atoned for his behaviour, wouldn't be a good idea.
Gibbs battled with himself, he had never been in this situation before.
To his mind, boys will be boys, and whilst Tony's behaviour had annoyed him, he felt relegation to probie status for two weeks was a sufficient punishment.
One further glance at the kid let him know without doubt however, that Tony didn't feel the same way.
"Do you think you need to be?" he eventually asked, striving hard to keep his voice neutral.
The seemingly simple question, left it's recipient gaping.
"What? What do you mean do I think I need to be?" Tony spluttered, "since when do you ask what I think about it?"
Sighing, Gibbs suddenly felt every single one of his years on the plant.
"Simple question Tony, yes or no answer will do."
Growling slightly under his breath, the younger man fell silent for a moment, but only a moment.
The image of Tim's increasingly morose face as he had taunted him relentlessly flashed in front of him, and he squared his shoulders.
"Yes boss…I was a jerk" he stated, matter of factly.
Feeling a swelling of pride for his young agent, Gibbs nodded thoughtfully.
"Ok then, stand up" he instructed firmly, as he himself, stood.
Striving to keep his resolve, Tony did as he was told, but didn't need to be told to stride over to the arm rest of the sofa that had born his weight many times as he was draped over it, on the receiving end of his boss'…unique method of correction.
Watching silently as his senior field agent bent himself over the arm rest, Gibbs bit back a proud smile.
Kid had come a long way.
Reaching up, he quickly unbuckled his belt, and pulled it through his pant's loops. Deftly folding it two, he firmly secured the metal buckle in his hand. There was no way he would ever risk that part striking either of his two boys.
Sighing in reluctance, but knowing Tony needed it, he moved into the familiar position behind the kid, and placed a warm hand on his back.
"You sure, Tony?" he asked softly.
The muffled "I'm sure boss" was certain and unwavering, and Gibbs felt another surge of pride.
The first lick of the belt fell without further adieu, and Tony gasped instinctively.
Gibbs for his part, didn't waste time in bringing the heavy leather down again, and kept a firm hold on Tony's back in the process.
He continued to rain down searing swat after searing swat on the jeans clad backside in front of him, allowing the optimum time between licks for the pain to reach its highest point, but not to subside any before the next one fell.
Gritting his teeth in distaste for what he was doing, he dropped the belt down to the sensitive sit spots, where Tony's thighs and backside met.
It was then that he felt the kid begin to go limp.
Dishing out two more quick swats, and hearing the answering yelps, he threw the belt out of his hand.
The punishment itself had lasted for just under a minute, and it was certainly nothing compared to some of the thrashings he'd dished out to his senior field agent, but he knew that Tony didn't need any more to let go of his guilt.
He laid a gentle hand on the kids shoulder, and carefully pulled him up from the sofa.
"Come on Tony, up you get son, up you get now" he murmured quietly, as he guided the younger man back to his feet.
As he looked at the flushed face of his senior agent, he saw his eyes were dry as was not usually the case after a taste of his belt, but they were free from guilt, which was the elder mans intention.
"I'm sorry boss" Tony squeaked, his voice hitched as his backside was on fire despite the brevity of his punishment.
Gibbs merely opened his arms wide in response, and arched an eyebrow in the boy's direction.
He left out a soft chuckle when Tony shot into them, and rested his head on his shoulder.
Wrapping his arms around his protectively, he pulled him tightly to him.
"It's ok Tony, it's ok…it's all forgotten about now, you hear?"
The nodding of the tousled head assured him that the younger agent got the message.
Letting him go, he looked at him fondly as he instinctively reached back and rubbed some of the sting out of his backside.
"Since when do you go so easy on me boss?" he asked, a faint hallmark DiNozzo grin beginning to play around his lips.
Rolling his eyes, Gibbs shot him a feigned glare.
"Since never, this was a one-time thing…so don't you go getting any ideas."
Widening his eyes in wounded innocence, Tony tilted his head at his boss.
"Ideas? Me? You have me confused for someone else I think."
Shaking his head at the incorrigible nature of his second in command, Gibbs looped his belt back through his jeans and set off towards the kitchen, with a gesture to Tony to follow.
"What do you want for dinner?" he asked, as he rummaged through his refrigerator.
Peeking round the door at limited choices the fridge had to offer, Tony balked.
"Pizza?" he wheedled, putting his deep brown eyes to good use.
Sighing in defeat, Gibbs nodded.
"How you survive on the junk you eat I'll never know" he murmured absentmindedly as he began hunting for a takeout menu.
Grinning at his victory, Tony suddenly sobered.
"Uh…boss?"
Finding a suitable menu, Gibbs looked up and felt another stab of relief at how guilt free Tony now looked.
"Yeah DiNozzo, what is it?" he answered with a small smile.
"Can I stay here tonight? Tim will probably wake up in the middle of the night, and he probably won't know why he's here. At least if I'm in the room with him he won't freak."
Gibbs stared at the younger man for a moment, before crossing the distance between them in three strides.
Tony winced, clearly expecting a headslap.
Instead, much to his surprise, he was pulled into another hug.
"You, Tony" Gibbs said as he released him "are one good kid. Even if you drive me insane. Of course you can stay here, you know you don't need to ask. Why don't you go on in and find something to watch, and I'll order something for us, ok?"
Beaming at his control over the TV, Tony nodded and made to dash through into the living room.
Pausing at the doorway, struck by a sudden thought, he turned a hopeful face in Gibbs' direction.
"Boss?"
"Yeah Tony?"
"Can we get that cookie dough icecream that we had the last time, it was amazing. Plus, those extra few pounds really become you."
Rolling his eyes, Gibbs couldn't help but let out a chuckle.
"Don't push your luck. Go on now, hop it."
…
TBC
….