AN - many thanks for all the reviews - as busy as I always am I doubley appreciate people taking time out of their lives to comment on my stories - perhaps I should aplogise nowfor the the cliff hanger but only a few chapters to go and two new stories in the works. And Lindiloo if yiu really wish to kinow why I took the story in those particular directions please PM me and I'll be happy to discuss it.
One week later and Gibbs was seriously beginning to wonder if encouraging DiNozzo to stick around had been a good idea. But being a good marine he had just sucked it up. After two weeks he had tried, and spectacularly failed, to fix the problem himself. At 17 days and counting he had finally cracked and made the trip down to autopsy.
"Jethro, you are rather premature," Mallard advised him. "I have barely begun the examination of poor Seaman Rogers. You really must practise a little more self control."
"You see DiNozzo's blood anywhere around here?" Gibbs demanded.
"Ah," The MD glanced up from his task to meet his eyes. "Am I to assume that young Anthony is rather wearing out his welcome?"
"It's not like I've never had a house guest before," Gibbs turned on his heel and began pacing across the room. "Hell, I've been married enough times and Fornell stayed over for a month when he split up from Diane."
"But Anthony is proving rather more difficult to rub along with?" Mallard hazarded.
"Oh yeah." Gibbs said fervently.
"He's young, Jethro," Mallard counselled. "And whilst the pair of you are much alike we both know that Anthony has been accustomed to a life of privilege and wealth where the help took care of everything. It's only natural that he should find it a little difficult to live up to your rather exacting standards."
"Duck," Gibbs stopped dead and turned to face him. "What are you talking about?"
"It's rather what I imagine you are talking about," Mallard returned his attention to his work. "Dirty dishes abandoned in the kitchen sink perchance? Wet towels left on the bathroom floor. Empty pizza boxes strewn across the living room, mugs used many moons growing a new kind of penicillin under the bed? Do you know that is Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin? He was convinced that his experiment had failed and he left the ..."
"Tony isn't a slob," Gibbs cut him off. He shook his head. "Damn place has never been so clean."
"Is that so?" Mallard looked mildly surprised, before wrinkling his brow and taking this new information on board. "Then it must be his young ladies. I'll admit this one is rather trickier to address. A healthy red-blooded young man like DiNozzo is bound to be rather active in that department. Still, bringing his dates back to your abode is perhaps in rather poor taste. If you want my advice .."
"It's not his girlfriends, Duck."
"I do know Anthony is rather more enamoured than you of movies and television?" Mallard paused. When he got no response he hazarded another guess. "Or perhaps it's his unfortunate addiction to fast food?"
"Only when he's working," Gibbs corrected, coming to a halt beside a span of x-rays which he appeared to study intently. "He's actually a pretty good cook. Says it comes from spending so much time in the kitchen when he was growing up. Apparently Maria the family housekeeper always had time for him, no matter how busy she was."
"Oh my," Mallard frowned, his brow wrinkling in concern. "That might also explain his proficiency in Spanish."
"Apart from the cussing," Gibbs lips quirked at whatever story Tony had told him. "Apparently, Maria was a good woman."
"Well that is all most enlightening," Mallard decided. "But if Antony is keeping the place clean and doing his share of the chores I am rather at a loss as to what the problem is?"
"That's the problem," Gibbs insisted. "It's like living in a 1950's sit-com. The kid is practically falling over himself to do my laundry and put my dinner on the table."
"Ah." Mallard observed.
"Ah?" Gibbs raised a brow, inviting the MD to elaborate.
"You will no doubt have noticed by now that Anthony is not one to do things by halves. He does rather have a tendency to put his heart and soul into whatever he is doing."
"Oh yeah, I've noticed." Gibbs agreed.
"You have taken the boy under your wing, Jethro. You have showed faith in him when others despaired. You have stood by him despite a number of difficulties. You have invited him into your home. Is it any wonder that he is grateful?"
"Grateful is a coffee and a donut." Gibbs corrected.
"Jethro, unless I miss my guess you have given that boy more time and attention in thd brief time since you made his acquaintance than his own father managed the whole time he was growing up. He doesn't know what constitutes a proportionate response."
"What do I do about it, Duck?"
"What that boy needs is clear boundaries," Mallard decided. "You have to show him that you don't need him to wait on you hand and foot to gain your approval. I'm sure you can think of a way to do that."
"I tried," Gibbs had the grace to look a bit embarrassed. Admittedly, he had perhaps been rather brusquer than was strictly necessary. DiNozzo had looked wide eyed and wounded and Gibbs had felt even more like an ungrateful bastard than usual, "It didn't go so well."
"Try again," Mallard fixed him with a steely look. "Anthony's desire to gain your approval doesn't end with your domestic arrangements."
"I know," Gibbs nodded. He did know as well as anyone that as Federal Agents they put their lives on the line everyday to protect the innocent. That was unavoidable. Tony taking any un-necessary risk in the field to try and earn his respect was not remotely acceptable. "I'll take care of it."
As he rode back up to the bullpen in the elevator Gibbs pondered the problem. Talking to the kid sure as hell hadn't worked.. He wasn't good with words and DiNozzo seemed to have a hell of a time hearing what he was trying to say. He rubbed at his face. He considered asking for Ducky's help or even Abby's but dismissed that as the coward's way out. Tony needed to know where he stood with him.
A soft grin lit his face. He had the perfect idea.
As the elevator doors open ed he quickly wiped his face of all expression and made his way across the bullpen and settled himself behind his desk. He was surprised when less than a second later DiNozzo bounded to his feet and hovered until he looked up.
"Boss, is there any chance I can go early today?" The kid held up his hands, to forestall any objections as he carried on talking. "I know and I usually wouldn't ask, but I've got a line on a place to rent and the guy can only see me in office hours."
"You give anymore thought to actually buying a place?" Gibbs raised a brow. He didn't like what renting implied. He was already all too well aware of DiNozzo's itinerant employment history and was determined that he would break his two year barrier with NCIS. "It's a better investment in the long run."
"I know," Tony looked sheepish. He didn't want to tell the ex-marine that he ate a whole lot better than Tony was used to. That kind of grocery shopping was expensive. And even though Gibbs had flat out refused any rent or utilities, he was still having cash flow problems. It was hard enough to find the bond and the first and last months rent. "So, can I go? It's not like we have an active case and I'll take my cell."
"Or we could both go." Gibbs suggested blandly.
"No offence, Boss, but I'd rather chew my own arm off." Tony grinned brightly.
Gibbs had already accompanied him on a couple of apartment viewings. Tony hadn't been quite sure why his Boss had insisted on the ride along but given that the viewings were often on the way to or from work he hadn't had any real reason to object. He didn't know which had been more embarrassing, the time the guy had assumed they were a couple, the place where the ex-marine had taken one look at the neighbourhood and refused to let him even get out of the car, or their most recent excursion, where Gibbs had gone round inspecting the plumbing, wiring and traces of vermin and dry rot, before pulling out his gun and his phone in that order and reporting the landlord to housing. Part of Tony secretly liked the fact that Gibbs was looking out for his welfare, but he knew he couldn't presume on his Boss' hospitality indefinitely.
"There's no rush." Gibbs murmured.
Tony started guiltily at his Boss' quiet words. He wondered if he would ever get used to how easily this man could read him. Most people never bothered to look past what he wanted them to see. Scanning Gibbs expression, he relaxed slightly as he saw the genuine sincerity in those blue eyes.
"It's a decent neighbourhood," He reassured, passing the details across. "There's only one bedroom, but it's a good size and there's secure parking. And I promise I'll check for rodents and scowl at the wiring and all that stuff."
"Don't forget the boiler." Gibbs reminded him. "Winter in DC is no fun if the heating and hot water give out."
"Right," Tony nodded, deciding not to enlighten his Boss that he would have no clue what he was looking for or even think about telling him about the nights he had spent wrapped in a mound of blankets and all his clothes shivering in his Baltimore apartment when the system broke down. He didn't want to undo all the progress he had made as an investigator by looking like a klutz at home maintenance. "So, I can go?"
Gibbs looked down once again at the details in his hand. The apartment was in a good neighbourhood, it looked clean and well maintained and it was rent controlled. There was no practical reason for him to deny the kid this opportunity.
"Go." He granted his permission with a wave of the hand, a curt tone, and a total lack of eye contact, resolutely not making any attempt to examine the reasons he was so reluctant to let DiNozzo move out. The kid had survived for decades on his own without even knowing that Leroy Jethro Gibbs existed, he didn't need a mother hen and this was nothing like would have felt when Kelly left for college. When DiNozzo didn't move he looked up, emotion making his voice sharper than he intended. "You still here? Because, if you haven't got anything better to do I'm sure there is a few zillion records that need filing."
Gibbs tried to pretend that he didn't see the flash of hurt in DiNozzo's eyes, or the way his mask fell into abruptly into place, even as his spine straightened as he spoke in a deliberately bland tone.
"I'm gone."
He had moved three paces towards the elevator, keeping his shoulder s straight and his face averted when Gibbs cracked. Knowing full well that his pride was not worth Dinozzo's life and that that lesson had to be learned - by both of them - before the kid did something foolhardy.
"Dinner at 19.00, I'm cooking. Don't be late." Gibbs command halted him in his tracks.
"Steak?" Tony asked hopefully, over his shoulder.
"You going to be late?"
"No, sir."
"Be on time and I'll make rosti potatoes and red wine sauce." Gibbs promised.
"Really?" Tony flashed him a bright smile. "Throw in a bowl of rocky road with chocolate sauce and I'll be early."
Gibbs hid his smile. Kelly had preferred strawberry sundae with whipped cream, but the sentiment was the same. And God only knew how he had missed having people to care about who truly cared about him. None of his three marriages had ever quite hit the mark. He thought DiNozzo just might.
"Done," He agreed. "Go."
"On my way, Boss." Tony gave him a soft, genuine, smile. "See you at 1900."
As Gibbs watched him go with a fond shake of his head, he had no idea that the next time he would see him would by lying, pale and still, in a Hospital bed, with a life threatening knife wound in his side, as he waited for surgery to stem the internal bleeding.