Saturday, 0008, Bethesda Naval Medical Center

Tony had napped on and off all evening, sometimes even during Ducky's stories. The net result was that it was now midnight, he wasn't sleepy, and Ducky was drowsing in the chair by the bed. Tony wanted to tell him to go home, but Gibbs had asked him to stay, so stay he would whether he could stay awake or not. In lieu of sending him home, Tony had carefully draped a blanket over the older man to guard against the chill.

How was he going to convince Gibbs not to pursue this? There had to be some angle he could take that would make him understand. The last thing he wanted was for anyone to know, so now that Gibbs and Jenny and Ducky and Jeanne knew, all Tony could think of was containment. Probably Gibbs had told McGee and Ziva something, but Tony hoped not everything.

The door opened, and he tensed even though he knew it was probably a nurse. He'd been expecting Brody to show up all evening. If he heard about an NCIS agent being attacked and injured downtown and taken to Bethesda, he'd most likely make the connection and come down. Tony practically held his breath until his visitor came around the curtain. It wasn't Brody, and it wasn't a nurse. It was Gibbs.

Tony sighed and gestured with his head towards the sleeping man. "I think it's time you sent Ducky home."

Gibbs made a wry face and nodded. He walked over and put his hand gently on Ducky's shoulder. "Hey, Duck?"

"What? Where . . . oh, Jethro. How long have I been asleep?"

"About an hour," Tony said.

"I'm sorry, dear boy, I didn't mean to – where did this come from?" He caught the blanket as it started to slide off his lap.

Tony shrugged. "You looked cold," he said, and Ducky smiled at him.

"Go on home, Duck," Gibbs said. "I'll stay the night."

"You don't have to, Boss," Tony said.

"I know I don't," Gibbs said, "but I'm going to."

"Good night, Jethro," Ducky said. Reaching down and squeezing Tony's shoulder where there were no bruises, he said, "Good night, Anthony. Pleasant dreams."

"Thanks, Ducky." Tony hoped Ducky knew he meant it for the hours of keeping him occupied more than for the good wishes. Ducky squeezed his shoulder again and left the room. The door fell shut behind him with its usual dull thump. Gibbs retrieved the blanket from the chair and spread it over Tony. "I'm fine, Boss," Tony said.

"You're not fine," Gibbs replied, his tone a little clipped. "You're in a sorry state, DiNozzo."

Tony looked down at his lap. "I'm sorry, Boss."

"What are you sorry for?"

"For not handling this better. I shouldn't have let it get this far."

"And how could you have handled it better?" Gibbs asked expectantly.

Tony knew his boss was fishing for something, but he didn't quite know what for. "I'm not sure," he said. "Maybe I should have been more firm from the start, though I'm not sure how much firmer you can be than 'get out and don't come back.'"

Gibbs bent over the bed and fixed Tony with a stern look. "I don't want an apology for that, DiNozzo." Tony blinked at him, a little alarmed. Gibbs' eyes softened slightly. "I'm not upset that you got yourself into a hole. We all do that sometimes."

"Boss, I –" Tony realized that he didn't have any idea what he'd been planning to say, he closed his mouth. Gibbs was going to lower the boom now. He was off the team, he was out of a job, and he deserved it.

"Why didn't you come to me, Tony?" Gibbs asked.

"What with?" Tony replied, shaking his head. "'Boss, I've got this guy stalking me, but I kind of led him on, so it's really my fault.' See, there's –"

Gibbs reached out as if he was going to smack him on the head, and Tony tensed. Gibbs stopped, dropping his hand and looking frustrated. "This is in no way your fault, DiNozzo," he said firmly. "If some bastard decides that no means nothing, then that's his fault, not yours." Tony shrugged. "DiNozzo!" Gibbs exclaimed, and Tony jumped at the louder tone, feeling like a wuss. Gibbs grabbed the chair and sat down, pulling it close. "Damn it, DiNozzo, you knew that Abby wasn't to blame for her stalker's actions."

"Abby is sweet and lovable and nobody ever gets mad at Abby," Tony said. "Not really mad. Exasperated, irritated, annoyed, but never really mad."

"So?"

"I had a ex-girlfriend who filled my closet full of dog poo, one who put my name up on the herpes alert website and egged my car, one who sicced her brother on me, and one who accused me falsely of murdering her father." Tony ran his fingers through his hair, stopping short of the spot where the stitches lay. "Kate even told me once that you guys knew I had to be alive when you were following Atlas and me through the sewers because 'only Tony could piss someone off that much.'"

"What's that got to do with a stalker?"

Tony shook his head. "I don't know. I think I must really suck at break ups, because no one ever seems to like me afterwards."

"That doesn't seem to be the problem with Detective Harris."

Tony shivered. "Trust me, he's angry. He just doesn't . . . I don't know what he wants from me. I told him at the outset that I didn't want a long term relationship, that I didn't want romance, that it was just . . . release. He said that's all he wanted, too."

"How did you two meet?"

Tony closed his eyes and felt a mildly hysterical laugh rising from his gut. He quelled it. "Oddly enough, he rescued me from a bad situation in the alley next to Louie's."

"What kind of bad situation?"

Tony shrugged. "A guy had been hitting on me hard in Louie's. He'd followed me over there from somewhere else, I don't remember where, and I kept telling him no. I finally decided I'd had enough and went out to find a cab."

"And?"

"And between wherever and Louie's, he'd picked up a couple of friends. They grabbed me and dragged me into the alley." Tony gulped. "The third guy showed up and they were . . . Brody stopped them, chased them off."

"You didn't report it?" Gibbs asked.

Tony looked away. "Nothing really happened, and there wasn't any real evidence."

Gibbs gazed at DiNozzo's averted face, deeply worried. He wanted to know what the three attackers had done that Tony claimed to consider nothing, because it clearly affected him more strongly than he wanted to admit. "So what happened then?" Gibbs asked.

"Brody offered me a ride home, and I invited him to come over for a movie the next night." DiNozzo shrugged. "I'd seen him around, he'd made a softish pass at me but hadn't pressed when I said no. The movie kind of segued into something else . . . it felt like what I needed."

"Which was what?"

"Rough, no strings, no commitment, gratification without guilt." Tony looked embarrassed, but Gibbs could see where that was coming from. Dr. Benoit still haunted him. Jen should never have put DiNozzo in that situation, but it was too late to fix that now.

"There's nothing wrong with that," Gibbs said, and DiNozzo flashed him a surprised look. "So, what movie did you watch?"

"The Untouchables."

"Was that the last time you watched it, or have you watched it since?" Gibbs asked.

"That was the last time," DiNozzo said, and Gibbs could see suspicion awakening in DiNozzo's expression. "Why?"

"I had Ziva and McGee go to your place to look for signs that you had a stalker."

"Gibbs, you said you wouldn't take concrete action," DiNozzo exclaimed, looking hurt.

"I sent them before that phone call," Gibbs replied, and DiNozzo's shoulders slumped. "They found the notes you'd hidden in your desk." Tony grimaced. "And they found two others."

The younger man's head came up. "Where?" Before Gibbs could answer, DiNozzo said, "In the box for The Untouchables?"

Gibbs nodded. "One of them. The other one was in the box for The Fugitive."

Tony blinked at him. "What did they say?"

"What do you think?"

DiNozzo shook his head. "What do I have to do to get him to go away?" he asked, his voice harsh with frustration.

"We're working on that." The door opened and DiNozzo froze until the nurse came around the curtain to check on his drips.

"Why aren't you sleeping, Tony?" she asked.

"Slept a lot this evening," he replied with a pleasant grin and no sign of angst. It gave Gibbs a jolt to see his mood shift so completely. "Besides, I had to stay awake to see more of you."

"Hush," she said, but she was smiling as she left again. DiNozzo settled back on the bed, looking tired.

"I told the gate guards not to let him in, DiNozzo."

"What? Who?"

"Harris. They have his name, and they know not to let him in." It was like watching a man drop a heavy weight that had been holding him down. Gibbs could see the relief in every line of DiNozzo's body. "When did you last watch The Fugitive?"

Tony looked towards the dark windows. "About a week before . . . before I told him to go jump in a lake."

Gibbs contemplated the significance of that given what the note in that box had said. No matter where you go, I will find you. You were meant to be mine. "And why did you tell him to go jump in a lake?"

"I've been thinking that I need to get a new place," Tony said. "There's a building over on Delaware that's got really high security."

"High security that important to you when you're looking at places to live?" Gibbs asked, and Tony's eyes widened, and Gibbs could tell that his attempt at a subject change had backfired.

"I didn't say that," he said hastily. "The apartments are nicer, too, and bigger, and they've got great internet connections, or so I've heard, and it's got its own gym, not that I'd use it all that often because I like going to my gym, but it's nice that it has its own gym because on those days when I didn't feel like going out I could just use that gym, I mean, on the rare days when I'm home and not at work."

Gibbs waited till the babbling petered out, then put a hand on his agents shoulder. "DiNozzo, I'm going to pursue this, and one way or another, I'm going to bring the bastard in."

"You don't have jurisdiction," Tony protested. "He's not in the navy and never was."

"He attacked an NCIS agent."

"In his personal time, not on the job."

Gibbs shrugged. "Fine, then I'll get Fornell involved."

"Boss, you can't!" Tony exclaimed.

Gibbs raised an eyebrow. "You said it was a jurisdictional issue. Fornell has jurisdiction."

"It's more than that!" Tony shook his head. "You know that ALD Enterprises just made a hostile takeover?" Gibbs shook his head. He barely knew that ALD Enterprises was DiNozzo's father's firm. "Reporters were calling me to get inside information about my father."

"I'm guessing you didn't provide any."

"Of course not, but it means their ears are out for the DiNozzo name, and scandals sell papers. I really couldn't cope with that."

"So, you'd rather cope with being mauled by a guy who's bigger than you?"

DiNozzo shuddered. "Boss, he'll get over it. I just have to . . . I don't know . . . avoid him till he's given up."

"A man who leaves notes inside DVD boxes isn't giving up, DiNozzo," Gibbs said. "It's been six weeks. How long did you plan to wait?"

"I can't have this conversation," DiNozzo said abruptly. He got out of the bed on the side opposite Gibbs and started towards the bathroom. Before he got there, his gait faltered. Gibbs barely got to his side in time to gently lower him to the floor as he passed out.

Leaving him on the floor, his head turned to the side so that he wasn't resting on his stitches, Gibbs dashed to the door and opened it. "Need some help in here!" Letting it fall shut, he returned to DiNozzo. The door behind him opened and he heard footsteps approaching.

"What happened?" Dr. Benoit fell to her knees on DiNozzo's other side.

"I think he got up too fast," Gibbs said, looking up to find Ziva looming over them. "Ziva, go get – never mind. Dr. Tsu?"

Dr. Benoit got up and made way for the attending physician. Tsu did a few checks, and DiNozzo started to come to before she'd finished. "What happened?" DiNozzo muttered thickly.

"You passed out, Tony," Dr. Tsu said. "How are you feeling now?"

"Like I really need to go to the bathroom," he said.

Gibbs glanced at the doctor, who nodded. "All right, let's get you up." He helped DiNozzo to his behind him feet and guided him into the bathroom. When they emerged, he'd expected the doctor to still be there, but not Benoit and Ziva. DiNozzo saw them and balked.

"What are they doing in here?" he asked in an undertone.

"You need to lie down, DiNozzo."

Dr. Tsu came forward and put an arm around him. "Come along, Tony. You need to get into bed. They're only concerned because you passed out."

DiNozzo allowed himself to be guided and got back into bed. Gibbs looked at his legs as he moved away and saw some of the bruises Ducky had spoken of. While DiNozzo got settled, Gibbs walked over to the two women. "You will be pleasant to each other, or I will boot you both out. Now, it's one in the morning, so say what you came to say and then get out and go home." Ziva nodded, and he jerked a thumb towards Tony. As she walked over, Gibbs held a hand up in front of Dr. Benoit. "And anything heavy can wait," he said very quietly.

For a moment, her eyes flashed angrily, but then she bit her lip and nodded. He stepped back out of her way. Ziva was talking softly to Tony while he looked up at her with knit brows. Gibbs wondered what she was saying. He followed Jeanne across the room.

DiNozzo looked up at her, and Gibbs could see it all in his eyes. Nerves, loss, an emotional rawness that would not be easily soothed. Ziva saw it, too, and her lips narrowed. "Hi, Tony," Dr. Benoit said. "We've been given our marching orders."

"Gibbs?" DiNozzo asked, raising his eyebrows, and she nodded. "Good night then," he said. "Both of you. Ziva, will you make sure she gets home all right? Brody could be after her now, what with the way she took him down."

Ziva's eyes widened, but she nodded. "Of course, Tony. I will drive her home."

"There's no need, I can catch a cab," Dr. Benoit said.

DiNozzo beckoned to her and she walked up to the head of the bed. He took her hand. "Please, Jeanne, let Ziva see you home, for my peace of mind."

She nodded and squeezed his hand. "Okay, Tony. See you later."

Ziva shot Gibbs a dark look as they both left. Gibbs returned to his chair. He had to admire DiNozzo's adroit handling of the independent-minded Dr. Benoit. By making the request about helping him, he made it much harder to ignore.

"You don't have to stay, Boss."

"Go to sleep, DiNozzo. You'll want at least a couple of hours before Abby shows up."

"Abby?"

"Yeah, she was coming over as soon as she finished processing evidence."

The younger man glowered at him and turned on his side. Gibbs gave in to temptation and tucked him in tightly. DiNozzo shifted slightly, but he didn't object. Gibbs sat back and pulled out the book he'd brought with him.

zzz

Saturday, 0125, streets of downtown Washington DC

Ziva drove in silence. She did not want to speak to the woman beside her because she did not want to tell her exactly what she thought of her, and she knew how easily that could happen. Fortunately, Dr. Benoit was staying in one of the downtown hotels, so she did not need directions.

About halfway there, she noticed something in the rearview. Ziva pulled into the left lane without signaling. "It's a right here," Dr. Benoit said. Ziva ignored her. The light changed and she made her turn. "You're going the wrong way," Dr. Benoit exclaimed.

"I heard you the first time," Ziva said irritably. "I think we are being followed."

"What?" The other woman turned around. "I don't see anything."

"Are you trained to notice such things?" Ziva demanded.

"No."

"I did not think so." She made another left turn, and the car she had marked made it behind them. A third left turn, then a fourth brought them back to the original road in the same direction. "We are being followed. I am not at all sure it is wise to take you to your hotel."

"Surely a hotel is safe enough," Dr. Benoit said. "There's security there."

Ziva shook her head decisively. "Not sufficient. He is a police officer. He could bypass security if he so chose. You will have to stay with me."

"What?" Dr. Benoit shook her head. "Why?"

"You will be safe in my apartment for tonight, and Gibbs can make a decision tomorrow about what we should do about your security."

"Do I get a choice?" Dr. Benoit asked.

"Of course," Ziva said irritably. "You may be dropped at your hotel, have something dreadful happen to you for which Tony will blame himself, or you can stay one night on my sofa, suffer minor discomfort and be safe until a more permanent arrangement can be discussed. Which do you prefer?"

Dr. Benoit's eyes were narrowed. After a moment, though, she sighed. "I will accept your generous hospitality," she said with heavy irony.

Ziva nodded once and headed for home. The tail kept up with her the whole way, but he broke off when she pulled down the driveway to the security gates. Punching in her code, she drove to her parking spot. "This way," she said, leading off towards the elevator. Dr. Benoit followed her without a word.

Ziva's apartment was on the fifteenth floor. She unlocked the door, touching the mezuzah and kissing her fingers as she passed it. She keyed in the alarm code then turned on the lights. "Come in, so I can reset the alarm," she said to the woman hovering on the threshold behind her.

"Oh, of course," Dr. Benoit said, slipping past her. Ziva closed and locked the door, then reset the alarm before joining her guest in the living room where she was looking dubiously at the length of the couch.

"You will not have to sleep on the sofa," Ziva said. "I have one of those blow up beds." She went to the linen closet and dragged it out, grabbing some bedding as well, and between them they got it set up in front of the couch. While it inflated, Ziva went into her room and fetched out a nightgown. Handing it to Dr. Benoit, she said, "We will stop by your hotel on the way in to NCIS in the morning."

Dr. Benoit took the nightgown with a surprised expression. "When do you go in?"

"Eight. I will wake you at six."

"Thank you," Dr. Benoit said. "You didn't have to do this."

"It is my job," Ziva said haughtily.

"Do you usually bring your work home with you?" Dr. Benoit asked.

Ziva grimaced. "No." She turned on the lamp on the end table and turned off the overhead lights. "The bathroom is through that door. Good night."

"Good night."

Ziva went to bed and contemplated the woman in the other room. She had never till this day realized just how complete Dr. Benoit's capture of Tony's spirit had been. The expression in his eyes when he had looked up at her standing at the foot of the bed had told Ziva more than searching questions and observation over a period of months had done. She had believed that his anger over that false accusation would kill the feelings he'd had for the woman, but clearly it had not. She did not understand why, but Tony felt guilty about things that Ziva would never even consider blaming herself for.

She would have to watch closely to see that this Jeanne didn't make Tony's situation immeasurably worse.

Author's Note: Please, please, pretty please, review the story! I am pathetic and needy and must have reviews or . . . um . . . trying to come up with a suitable ultimatum . . . I'd say I'll cry, but I cry at Kodak commercials . . . just pleeeeeeaaaaaassssssssse!