Tag for "SWAK." The next chapter will pick up during "Twilight."
I'm starting to feel sad (sniff, sniff). And I started this project not even really liking Kate.
"Darkest Hours – Part V"
It was late afternoon on Saturday, and Tony, from his own position on the living room couch, kept stealing furtive glances at his boss, who was busy doing something at the kitchen table. Tony had been stationed there for most of the day, having noticed that at some point Gibbs had moved the television and the DVD player that Tony had once used from the guest room to its current spot in the living room.
There had been other changes the younger man assumed had been made for his benefit as well. He'd been concerned about taking a shower that morning, wanting to be self-sufficient but unsure if he had the physical strength to do so. Then he'd noticed a hand bar and a plastic stool in the shower that he knew hadn't been there just a few short months ago. Obviously, Gibbs had been planning his current visit for a few days. He was probably even planning it around the same time some of his fellow agents had still been expecting to hear news any moment of his demise. The man certainly had faith in Tony to follow his orders.
However, Tony was getting bored with watching tv, and furthermore starting to worry that he was becoming an undue burden on his host. The incapacitated agent had known he probably wouldn't be making any trips down to the basement during this visit due to the stairs. What he hadn't intended was for the man who lived here to feel as if he had to avoid it as well. Gibbs hadn't been down there to work on his boat once all day, and it was making his houseguest feel more than a bit guilty.
Clearing his throat, Tony awkwardly decided to make the suggestion. "Hey, Boss? You know, I'm fine here. If you want to work on your boat or anything…."
Gibbs looked up from whatever he'd been working on at the kitchen table with an odd expression. After studying the younger man closely for a few seconds, he simply responded, "Boat's not going anywhere, DiNozzo," and went back to his former task.
After pausing a few seconds, Tony decided to try again. "I just don't want to keep you from anything."
"You're not. There's nothing important enough that it can't wait a few more days," Gibbs quickly responded.
After an awkward silence, the houseguest asked curiously, "So, what're you doing over there, Boss?"
At this, the Lead Agent grinned and put down his tools. "Tony, are you trying to tell me you're bored?"
The younger man was bored, but hadn't meant to let on. Embarrassed, he tried to cover, "That's not what I meant. I just….I didn't want to feel like I'm putting you out by being here or anything. And I guess sometimes I ramble a little bit….Sorry, Boss. I'm fine, really. Go back to doing – whatever it is you're doing."
Gibbs had been afraid Tony would start to feel restless after having his activities so severely limited. Unfortunately, his own quiet demeanor was hardly cut out for stimulating conversation, so his charge had been stuck watching movies all day. And as much as the younger man loved his movies, his boss knew he needed another outlet.
"It's about dinner time. And I happened to get some steaks. How about I go ahead and get them started?" Gibbs asked.
Tony tried to appear enthusiastic, though his stomach was rebelling. Food just wasn't appealing to him at the moment, but he didn't want to appear ungrateful. "Sure. That sounds great."
The lack of genuine excitement was noted, and the older man was concerned. His guest had scarcely eaten anything all day, and it hadn't been for a lack of suggestions on his part. Tony had picked at both his breakfast and his lunch. Gibbs had hoped the steaks would garner some interest, but clearly the younger man was simply being polite.
"If you don't want steak, we can order pizza. Or something else if that's what you want," his boss offered.
"No, really, the steak sounds fine. It's just that I'm not very hungry is all. The thought of food just still makes me feel kind of sick," the younger man admitted.
Gibbs had to keep reminding himself that Tony wasn't going to be better overnight. He just hated how thin and pale his agent had become in just a few days' time. He could almost hear Ducky's voice in his head. Patience, Jethro. One step at a time.
"Okay, Tony. Just try to eat what you can and we'll save the rest for tomorrow," Gibbs conceded. "No pressure."
His boss was being really, really nice. Which meant that he must still look well and truly awful, and that things were very far from being back to normal.
And he was very much missing normal right about now.
Tony had managed about three or four bites of steak, but now he was really starting to struggle.
Gibbs noticed immediately. "Don't have to force yourself, Tony."
The younger man sighed in frustration. "I'm sorry, Boss. I'm trying, but I just can't eat anymore."
"Hey, what's the rule about apologizing?" his boss gently reminded him.
"I know. I just feel really bad. You went to a lot of trouble for me and I feel like I'm being…ungrateful or something," Tony replied dejectedly.
"You're not being any trouble, DiNozzo. If you can't eat, you can't eat. You'll get there," Gibbs encouraged, taking his plate to save the remaining food for the next day when he hoped to have better luck.
"It's not just the food. I hate being so dependent. I mean, I'm keeping you out of your own basement. You had to get up in the middle of the night, twice, 'cause I couldn't stop coughing and I panicked. Somehow, I don't think you signed on for all this when you hired me," Tony huffed out in frustration.
"DiNozzo – don't make me come over there and headslap you. I told you, the boat and the basement aren't going anywhere. You almost died. You need to get that through your thick skull, and stop acting like you just have the damn flu or something!"
There's the Leroy Jethro Gibbs I know. After a somewhat tense silence filled with only the sound of a few dishes being rather violently clanged about, Tony cut in. "Boss, I know I shouldn't have opened that envelope. It was a stupid thing to do, and I should know better. I do know better. And I completely understand if you're mad at me. You don't have to go easy on me just because I could've died."
Tony could see the Lead Agent tensely clenching and unclenching his jaw for a few moments, but he said nothing as he finished loading the dishwasher. The younger man could do nothing but sit and look at his hands, as his words hung in the air between them.
Finally, the older man quietly came and took his seat at the other end of the couch. "I am angry. Mad as hell and have been for days. Just not at you. I was sitting right there. We all should've known better."
"Yeah, but you can't be expected to monitor what we're doing every minute of the day. And I'm the Senior Field Agent. I didn't follow procedure."
"Yeah, well, none of us did, Tony. But I think the plague is punishment enough, don't you? So enough with the guilt, DiNozzo."
Tony allowed himself a smile of relief. "You know, Boss – I could just sit on the top step if you wanted to work on your boat for a while."
Gibbs rolled his eyes. He supposed he could work on the boat for a few minutes, if for no other reason than to appease the younger man. As long as it meant he didn't have to let Tony too far out of his sight.
He still wasn't quite ready for that yet. Not as long as that niggling in his gut was still there.
Another day had passed and Tony was slightly stronger and more independent, but his appetite was still nearly non-existent. The next day, Gibbs would be dropping the younger man off at his own apartment and leaving him in the care of a visiting nurse for the day while the Lead Agent returned to his duties at NCIS.
Tony was eagerly anticipating the return to his apartment and some sense of normalcy. While his boss was excited for him and glad to see something bring a smile to his agent's face, he was still feeling uneasy. But, for Tony's sake, he kept his unnamed fears to himself.
Abby saw an opportunity to get everyone together for a celebration, and had requested Gibbs' permission for the team to make a visit that Sunday evening, bearing Tony's favorite pizza and a couple of James Bond movies for Tony to choose from. Gibbs had hoped his agent would have a nice low-key evening before having to turn him over to someone else's care the next day, but saying no to Abby proved nearly impossible. When he saw the look on Tony's face as his living room was occupied with Abby, McGee, Kate, Ducky, and Jimmy – bearing treats – he was glad he'd given in.
They had decided to surprise the younger man, so he hadn't been expecting them. McGee carried in the pizza, while Abby had a homemade sign that read, "Welcome Home Tony." The guest-of-honor sat dumbfounded for a moment before clumsily responding with, "Wow, you did all this for me?"
At that, Abby ran over with a somewhat modified version of her usual forceful bear-hug, and reassured him, "Well of course we did all this for you. We miss you!"
Tony was fighting hard not to show his emotions, which was more of a struggle for him than usual after days of illness. He tried to cover with humor. "Thanks, everyone. Although you do realize this is Gibbs' house?" he quipped as he nodded towards his "Welcome Home" sign.
"We meant 'home' – as in not the hospital, Tony," Kate explained.
"Uh, where should I put the pizza?" McGee inquired.
"I'll take that to the kitchen, McGee. Think I've got some paper plates around here somewhere," Gibbs said as he grabbed the pizzas and took them into the kitchen.
While the rest of the group was helping themselves, Gibbs grabbed a couple of slices of pizza and took them to Tony. "Hey, you okay?" he asked softly, having noticed that Tony seemed particularly emotional.
"Yeah, I just…." Tony was unable to put into words exactly what he was feeling as he watched the gathering of his teammates from his spot on Gibbs' living room couch.
But his boss understood without the need for words. "I know," he responded quietly, lightly squeezing Tony's shoulder. "I guess they like you after all, DiNozzo," he added with a teasing grin.
Tony responded with shy smile of his own. Then he asked the older man a small favor. "Hey, Boss. I'd kind of like to talk to McGee for a second. Could you…"
The Lead Agent responded by making a quiet suggestion to the junior agent, which was understood as more of an order. "McGee, why don't you go keep DiNozzo company for a few minutes while we eat."
Nervously, Tim walked over to the couch and took a seat beside the older agent. "How are you feeling, Tony?" he asked awkwardly.
"A lot better than the last time you saw me, Probie. Can't say the same for you though. You're still as jumpy as you were the other day. Spill it."
Deciding to just get it all out of the way at once, like ripping off a Band-Aid, McGee looked down and quickly admitted, "Tony, I'm really sorry I gave you that envelope. I know I should have just given it to Gibbs. It was a really dumb thing to do, and I know there's nothing I can say to make up for giving you the plague…"
"Hold on there, Agent McGee. You didn't give me the plague. It was a nutty lady with a brain tumor. And before you kick yourself any harder, you should know that I had this same conversation with Gibbs last night. We've decided to stop blaming ourselves, and since you're low man on the totem pole, I think you're off the hook on this one. See, there are some advantages to being the Probie,….Probie."
McGee nodded quietly, still not quite ready to let himself completely off the hook in spite of Tony's suggestion. But, at least Tony didn't blame him. "Any idea when you can come back to work?"
Tony's shoulders tensed slightly. "Doctor Pitt says it'll be several weeks. But between you and me," he leaned in to whisper away from prying ears, particularly those of Kate and Gibbs, "I intend for it to be sooner rather than later."
"You know, you probably shouldn't rush it, Tony…" McGee tried to warn before being interrupted by Abby, Jimmy, and Kate.
"Since you were so intent on giving me lessons on James Bond, in spite of the fact that you could barely breathe at the time, Tony, we decided to bring over some Bond movies. Would you rather watch 'From Russia With Love' or 'GoldenEye'?" Kate asked as she held up the two movies.
"Gotta go with Sean Connery, Kate," Tony insisted.
"Right. 'From Russia With Love' it is, then," Kate agreed. "Jimmy would you do the honors?"
Abby had planned to take the middle seat on the couch, in-between where Tony and McGee were currently sitting, but before she could get there, Kate made a beeline for the spot next to Tony. Seeing Abby's slight pout, McGee chivalrously got up and gave Abby the remaining seat on the end of the couch, going to grab a couple of chairs from the kitchen table for himself and Jimmy.
As the younger members of the group settled in to watch the movie, Ducky remained in the kitchen to chat with the host.
"So, how is young Anthony really doing, Jethro?" the doctor asked.
Gibbs sighed. "Better, I guess. He can walk from one room to another now, at least. But that's about it. Gets tired easily. Barely eating. His pants are falling off of him."
"Yes, I couldn't help noticing how little of the pizza he managed to actually consume this evening."
"Slice-and-a-half. Usually eats at least four," Gibbs noted worriedly.
"It's a perfectly normal side effect of the severe pneumonia he's still fighting. Both his appetite and his strength will gradually return."
"I know. I'm just not big on patience."
"Yes, I have noticed that about you, Jethro," Ducky observed with a knowing smile. "Has he said anything about returning to work?"
"No, not yet. But I know it's coming. Once I go back to work and he's stuck at home, won't be long before he's itching to come back."
"How do you plan to respond?"
"I don't know, Duck," the Lead Agent answered honestly.
They turned their attention towards the living room, where the team was still enjoying the movie, minus a fast-asleep Tony. Gibbs looked over just in time to catch Kate grabbing the throw that had been tossed across the back of the couch and carefully arranging it around her partner.
Satisfied that Tony was comfortably settled, Kate felt Gibbs' eyes on her. This time, it was she who shared an unspoken conversation with her boss.
You were right, Gibbs. He really is gonna be okay.
"Would you mind if I took a longer lunch today, Gibbs? Since we aren't on a case?" Kate inquired as she stood in front of her boss' desk.
Gibbs appraised her for a moment. He had a feeling he knew where she was planning to spend her lunch break, and it gave him a certain relief to know that someone would be checking in on Tony. Though completely irrational, he'd been worrying about his Senior Field Agent all morning.
"Just don't take too long, Agent Todd. And try to get him to eat something."
I should have guessed he'd know exactly where I was going.
Kate had noticed her partner's weight loss and had been as concerned as Gibbs. So, she'd dug up her mother's recipe and made some homemade vegetable soup the previous night to surprise her partner. Growing up, it had always been a special treat for her whenever she'd been not feeling well, and she hoped that it might have the same effect on Tony.
Tony's eyes lit up as soon as he saw his visitor. "Kate! Missing me already I see."
"Just tired of seeing you waste away to nothing. I brought you some soup. Made it myself," she declared proudly.
When Kate had heated up the soup and placed a bowl in front of him, Tony made a show of stirring the soup, examining its contents, and even leaning forward to sniff the bowl carefully.
"There's no tofu in there, I promise, Tony," Kate chuckled.
Cautiously, he took a sip. "Wow, this is pretty good."
"Well you don't have to sound so surprised," she teased playfully. Then, looking around to make sure the coast was clear, she asked, "So, how are things going with the nurse?"
"Fine," Tony replied. "But I miss Nurse Emma. I'm not sure Helen gets my sense of humor."
"I'm not sure anyone does, Tony." But Kate was smiling as she said it.
Her partner still didn't eat with his usual enthusiasm, but Kate was still pleased with the results. It was then that she determined to bring Tony lunch every day until he was able to return to work.
Since Gibbs had had "Tony duty" all weekend, Kate volunteered to return to her partner's apartment on Monday evening. Though Tony had insisted that he no longer needed a nightly babysitter, his boss and his partner had insisted that one of them stay with him for at least his first couple of nights back in his apartment. He would never admit it, but he still had an occasional frightening coughing episode where he couldn't catch his breath, and having someone there had prevented him from all-out panic on more than one occasion. So, he was secretly grateful for their overprotective instincts.
On this evening, Kate had brought in Chinese takeout, which in a strange way made him miss their somewhat regular late-night work sessions in the office when there was a hot case. But he put on his cheerful face for his caretaker's benefit, and made his best effort to finish at least half of his meal.
"So, how are things at the office. Any new cases pop up?" Tony asked with genuine curiosity.
"No, it was a pretty quiet day. Catching up on paperwork and working on cold cases. Good thing. Gibbs is particularly grumpy."
"How do you separate 'particularly grumpy' from the 'standard grumpy?'" Tony asked in mock seriousness.
"Well," Kate mused between bites of shrimp-fried rice. "Other than when I asked him if I could take a longer lunch, I think he spoke about two words the entire day. And at least one that I'd rather not repeat."
"I see," Tony noted with great interest. "Wonder what's up."
"You mean besides his Senior Field Agent nearly dying and practically refusing to eat?" Kate asked with a pointed look. "I guess I did notice he was sort of limping."
Limping? I was with him all weekend and I didn't see him hurt his knee. "Did he say how that happened?...Never mind, of course he didn't. What was I thinking?"
Kate was openly amused. "If you'd like to call and ask him, be my guest. You are the one person who could probably get away with just about anything right now."
Tony wasn't about to call the man with Kate sitting right there, but he made a mental note to ask about it later, wondering if dragging his weight around all weekend could have aggravated the older man's knee injury.
Kate had switched over from looking amused to thoughtful and it didn't escape the notice of the man sitting across from her. "Whatcha thinkin', Kate?" he asked with a mischievous grin.
But his partner was still quite serious. "I was just remembering when you were sick. Will you give me an honest answer if I ask you something?"
Now Tony's tone turned serious as well. "I suppose that depends on what it is and whether I think you would use it against me," he answered with more brutal honesty than he had perhaps intended to.
She was slightly hurt by the implication, but assured him, "I promise I won't, Tony. "
"Okay. You've got my attention. What is it?"
"Who is Wendy?" she asked softly.
He visibly started and then asked somewhat defensively, "Who told you about her?"
"You did," Kate answered. "When you were sick. You were disoriented and you asked for her. And since I know you don't have a sister….I just wondered who she is to you. I've never heard the name before."
Tony relaxed slightly when he realized that Gibbs hadn't betrayed him by telling his partner about his ex-fiancee. Not that he'd truly ever believed that to be the case. But it was disconcerting to know how far out of it he'd actually been. He took a deep breath, debating whether or not to share the sensitive information with Kate. But she'd really been there for him through this ordeal, and he supposed he owed her an honest answer, since he'd been the one to bring up Wendy's name in the first place.
"Wendy was my fiancée, once upon a time," he said directly, trying to strip the statement of any emotion that might give away just how devastated he'd actually been by her abandonment.
"Fiancee?" Kate gasped. She'd expected to hear it was an old girlfriend, but to know that Tony, the perpetual frat-boy bachelor, had been ready to commit to someone for life was shocking to say the least.
"Before I came to work for NCIS. And, obviously, things didn't work out. She was the one who ended it. And I'd really rather not talk about it any more than that," he said, but not unkindly.
Nodding as she continued to try to process the information, Kate acquiesced. "I understand. I won't bring it up again."
"Thanks, Kate," he said sincerely. In an effort to avoid any more discomfort in what had otherwise been a pleasant evening, he quickly changed the subject. "Did I say anything else? Did you try to drag any more deep dark secrets out of me? Get anything juicy?" he asked wryly.
"I didn't get anything else good out of you. But you got some pretty juicy college stories out of me. Too bad you can't remember them," Kate taunted.
"What? You told me college stories when I was in a mind-altered state? That's hardly fair. You're just going to have to tell them to me again now that I'm in a conscious state of mind," he insisted.
"No way, DiNozzo," she laughed. "They're already somewhere in your brain. You're just gonna have to figure out a way to dig them out. I'm not telling them to you again!"
"That is so unfair," he insisted around a yawn.
"C'mon, Tony. Time for bed," Kate reminded gently.
Tony leered at her. "You know, Gibbs puts all my medicine on the table next to the bed and then he tucks me in," he hinted.
"I'm so sure Gibbs tucks you in, Tony," she noted skeptically.
"He does!" Tony insisted.
"I'll get your medicine for you. Go….change. Get ready for bed," Kate ordered.
"I'm telling you ….he does…" she could hear Tony still insisting as he slowly made his way to the bathroom.
Chuckling, Kate set about gathering up Tony's medications along with a glass of water. As she was laying them out on his nightstand, Tony wandered into the room in his pj's.
She decided to have a little fun with him. "Now get in bed like a good little boy. Your medicine is all here and if you need anything, I'll be right outside on the couch."
Climbing into bed, Tony reminded, "I told you I'd take the couch if you want the bed."
"No, Tony. You need your rest more than I do," she reminded as she absentmindedly arranged his covers around him before it occurred to her that she was tucking him in, too.
But Tony gave her the "I told you so" look when she met his eyes and she couldn't help laughing. "Okay, Tony. You got me. Don't get used to it. The pampering ends as soon as you're well."
"Does it have to?" Tony whined with a mock pout, thinking of how odd it was that this was almost the exact same scene he'd played out with Gibbs a few nights before.
Suddenly, Kate's expression changed as she recalled being by Tony's bedside in the hospital when he was near death, wanting to offer him some form of physical comfort but unable to do so due to her head cold. Impulsively, she leaned in and placed a light kiss on his forehead.
Tony's expression lost its amused expression as well, stunned by both the gentle gesture and by how it made him feel.
Relieved to see that her brief display of affection would not be the source of endless teasing for weeks and months to come, and that it had conveyed the desired message to its recipient, Kate gently bid her charge a, "Good night, Tony."
For a moment, Tony felt like he was eight again, and all was still right with the world.
Later in the week, while Gibbs was sitting in his living room, Tony received an awkward and ill-timed phone call.
He'd been trying to work up to telling his boss that he wanted to go back to work next week, beginning the conversation by asking all about what was going on at NCIS while he wasn't there, exaggerating how bored he was at home, and stretching the truth just slightly regarding how much better he'd been suddenly feeling the last few days.
The Senior Field Agent was just working up to his question when his cell phone rang. His frustration turned to shock when he read the name on the caller ID.
Paula Cassidy.
If he didn't answer, Gibbs would get suspicious. If he tried to make it to his room in his current slow-motion state, she'd give up before he got there. And, Gibbs would get suspicious. If he answered and tried to hide the identity of the caller – yep, Gibbs would get suspicious then, too.
No use making Gibbs suspicious. May as well just make him ticked off instead. He'd probably show mercy since Tony wasn't fully recovered yet. On him. Paula – she was a different story.
"Paula?" he answered, the surprise oozing from his voice, matching the now shocked expression of his boss, who had almost comically dropped his coffee mug. "This is…unexpected."
"Tony. It's so good to hear your voice."
"Is it?" Tony asked with true wonder.
"Yes. Oh, gosh, Tony. Did you really have the plague? I mean, I just couldn't believe it when I heard. But when I heard it from more than one source, I figured it must be true."
"It's true," he answered stiffly. "Even I couldn't have made that one up."
"I don't even know what to say. Thank God you're okay, Tony."
"I'm not sure about okay just yet. But I didn't die, obviously. If that's why you're calling." Tony was still answering her questions coldly, noticing how interested Gibbs clearly was in the conversation while trying to pretend not to be listening.
"Tony, please don't be like that. I do care about you. I always did. I just…needed to hear you myself to prove that you were really going to make it."
His tone and his attitude both softened. "I appreciate it, Paula. Really. Thanks for calling to check on me."
"I'd love to see you. My ship arrives in Norfolk next week. If you're feeling up to it by the following weekend, maybe we could have lunch or something? As…friends. I know a lot's happened, but I still consider myself your friend, Tony."
"Maybe," he answered, still hesitant. "I'll see how I feel." He didn't just mean physically.
"Fair enough. I'll check in with you next week after I get there. Meanwhile, take care of yourself, you hear?"
"Yeah, I got it. Thanks, Paula."
Gibbs didn't wait long to comment after he hung up. "Amazing who comes out of the woodwork when you almost die."
"It was nice of her to call," Tony defended.
The older man fixed him with an intense gaze. "I hope that fever didn't mess with your memory."
"I haven't forgotten anything, Boss. She just wants to get together for lunch. Just friends."
"Yeah, DiNozzo? 'Just friends' all it is to you?"
It was a fair question. One Tony thought it best not to answer.
Tony had been practically self-sufficient the last few days of the week. Over the weekend, Kate and Gibbs made a few unscheduled visits to check in on him, trying to determine if he really was doing as well as he wanted them to think. Even Abby had dropped by on the pretense of bringing him lunch, watching his every breath and every move for hidden signs of distress.
He was still incredibly tired, but his boredom was quickly overshadowing any physical discomfort. If he had to stay home next week, it would be by himself, without the benefit of a nurse and with a decrease in the duration and frequency of visits by his boss and his teammates. He'd made certain to let them know in no uncertain terms that such vigilance was no longer necessary. It was a ploy that could backfire on him should his boss refuse his planned request to return to work immediately.
It was Sunday afternoon, and Gibbs had dropped by for what Tony assumed was the last of his visits for the weekend. It was now or never.
"You know, Boss, I can't believe how much better I've been feeling the last few days. Almost back to normal."
Gibbs eyed him with suspicion. "That's amazing since you're still barely eating anything."
Tony laughed nervously. "Yeah. Guess I don't really need all that food after all, huh?"
The Lead Agent simply raised his eyebrows.
His agent continued. "So, sounds like things have been pretty slow at work the last few days."
"I don't know about slow. Quieter though," the older man quipped.
"Cold cases don't really take a lot of physical effort. I mean, I can sit at my desk just as easily as I can sit around on my couch all day."
Gibbs fixed him with an intense glare. "DiNozzo, tell me you aren't even suggesting coming back to work tomorrow."
"Doctor Pitt said we'd play it by ear and see how I was feeling. I'm feeling like going back to work."
His boss let out a long breath. His gut was still in hyperdrive and hadn't let up any over the last several days, in spite of the marked improvement Tony had shown. Not to mention that the younger man still had angry rings around both of his eyes and had to stop every few minutes to readjust the pants that kept threatening to fall off of him due to the weight loss.
"You should really take another week, Tony. Why rush things?"
"Because I can't take it anymore, Boss. Please…" the younger man pleaded, his voice cracking just slightly on the last word.
"DiNozzo…." Gibbs rubbed his hands over his eyes in frustration. He truly didn't know what to do.
"Please, Gibbs. I won't overdo it. I promise. Light duty. I just…really need this. I want things to be normal again."
The last plea tugged violently at the Lead Agent's heartstrings. Everything in him screamed that Tony belonged at home where he was safe from harm until he no longer looked like he was going to pass out any moment. But Tony was practically desperate for company and something substantial to keep his mind occupied. Besides, if they were lucky, they'd be able to go another week without a case, and he'd be able to keep an eye on the younger man and ensure for himself that Tony was eating and resting sufficiently. That might not be such a bad thing.
"First sign that you're not up to it, and I'm taking you straight home. You got that?" Gibbs threatened without any real heat behind it.
Tony's answer was the brightest 1000-watt smile that Gibbs had seen from the younger man since….he couldn't even recall when.