Hello all,

Here is the latest chapter and I'm already working on the next one so hopefully it should be up fairly soon. I actually want to start writing my next story so I'm trying to finish this one up as soon as possible, without rushing it of course!

Enjoy!

-Moki

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Chapter Eight

"Oh crap."

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"Hey, you know I'm not like those guys, right?"

McGee was silent for a while, thinking. Tony's words hung between them, almost visible. Like a balloon coming out of a character's mouth in a comic book.

Did he know that? One thing he knew was that Tony reminded him of those guys. He knew that every time Tony screwed with him and teased him, he thought of them. Was Tony really like them? McGee had to admit he wasn't really sure, one way or the other.

The pause his partner took in replying told Tony everything he needed to know and he was quick to speak up and clear the air.

"Hey man, trust me, I wasn't. I may have messed around but I never did anything like that. Heck, sometimes I was the guy defending guys like you."

McGee still didn't say anything. He really wanted to believe Tony, but a part of him was having a hard time. In many ways, Tony represented all those guys in McGee's eyes. How could he really believe it wasn't the truth? Just look at the way Tony treated him most of the time.

"The teasing……it's not out of dislike, you know," Tony said quietly, looking down at his hands. He knew that McGee needed to hear what he was going to say next, but admitting it sure wasn't going to be easy.

"What?" McGee looked up in surprise. The horrible teasing he'd endured as a young man had never come from anything other than hatred. The other guys hated him for being smart, for getting the best grades in class, for anything that made him not like them.

"I never teased because I didn't like you, Tim."

"Really? Sure hard to tell." McGee couldn't help the slight dig.

"Look man, I don't have any brothers. My dad was…..well, let's just say there wasn't much affection there. I didn't learn how to be friendly around other guys until college and all we ever did was screw with each other. Hell Week was the best and worst week of my life. Worst because I had to……well, nothing fun….and the best because I finally found some friends. I'd never had that before."

"Really?" Now McGee was intrigued. Could that really be the truth? Could someone really grow up without friends?

"Yes, really. Servants are nice but they don't make good friends. I learned that the hard way when I was ten years old and the butler told my dad that I broke one of his favorite wine glasses. Friends don't tell on you, McGee."

McGee was taken aback. He couldn't imagine living a life as a child where you couldn't even trust the people who lived in your own house.

"So there I was, surrounded by all these guys who were actual friends. I…" Tony paused, making a face and clearing his throat. "….loved them all and I know they felt the same way, but hey, we're dudes, so you don't go saying that stuff. And you sure as Hell don't go showing it." Tony practically shivered in disgust at the mere thought, making McGee smile.

"So when you guys messed with each other….?" McGee asked hesitantly.

"We did it as a sign of affection. Yeah I know it's weird, but hey, that's what we did. I'm sure a shrink would have a field day with it, but I don't really care." Tony replied with a shrug.

"So when you mess with me….?" McGee was again hesitant, not sure if he wanted to know the answer or not.

"Oh god, you're gonna make me say it, aren't you?" Tony groaned, putting his head in his hands. "Okay fine. Yes Tim, most of the time when I tease you it's because I actually like you…..as a friend. No offense but I don't roll that way." Tony's cheeky grin was back.

"Oh," McGee replied, a little confused about how to respond to this new information. It had really never occurred to him that Tony actually liked him. Put up with him. Respected his knowledge occasionally, maybe. But liked him? That was something new to think about.

"Hey McGee?" Tony looked at him quizzically, as if he'd just thought of something.

"Yeah."

"So why did it start bothering you all of a sudden, by the way? I mean I've been messing with you for a long time, why did it suddenly piss you off recently?"

McGee shrugged. "Honestly? I'm not even sure myself. I guess it started with us all getting split up and me being sent downstairs to the cyber unit. It wasn't the same as being a Field Agent but I did have my own 'team' in a way and…..well, I kinda liked it, ya know?"

Tony nodded with complete understanding. If anyone understood what it was like to have the respect that comes from running your own team, only to have to go back to being a junior agent, it was him.

"Plus I had some personal stuff happen this year, stuff that was embarrassing to admit because most of it was because I made some stupid mistakes with my investments. It just reminded me that I wasn't "Mr. Perfect" after all. I guess after that I just started taking things a lot more personally than I ever had before."

Tony frowned, "I'm sorry, man."

"No Tony, I think I'm the one who should be sorry. I'm the one who changed, not you. Lie you said, you've been acting the same way with me since we met. How could you know that suddenly I wouldn't be able to take it anymore?"

"Still man, I feel like I shoulda…"

"Just forget it, I mean it. No griping this time. How about we just call it even?" McGee asked.

"Deal," Tony replied, then stopped to think a minute. "Though I can't promise…"

"That you won't keep right on doing it?" McGee asked, this time with a cheeky grin of his own.

"Yep."

"Yeah I figured as much. Well at least this time I know it comes from…." McGee paused as he realized something that Tony had said earlier. "Hey, DiNozzo? What did you mean when you said it came 'mostly' from affection? What about the rest of the time?"

Tony jumped to his feet and dusted off his pants. "C'mon McGoo, we have a code to crack."

Shaking his head bemusedly, McGee allowed Tony to haul him to his feet. Whatever other reason Tony had for the teasing, he supposed he wasn't going to get it out of him right then. Besides, the other man had a point. They did have a code to crack if they stood any chance of getting out of there.

The next few minutes were spent mostly in silence as McGee studied the keypad, even going so far as to ask Tony to pry open the back so he could see the wiring.

"Shit," McGee said in exasperation, all out of ideas.

"C'mon, you can't give up. Put that enormous cranium of yours to work, McGee." Tony supplied helpfully.

Rubbing at his temples with his one good hand, McGee let his mind wander for a few seconds. He sincerely wished he could call Abby right then. He was sure that she would be able to come up with an idea. Then again, the fact that they couldn't call her was part of the whole reason they were there in the first place, since their phones weren't working.

Suddenly McGee looked up with a smile and Tony grinned to see it.

"Aha! I know that look. You've thought of something, haven't you?"

"Maybe," McGee replied noncommittally, unsure if his idea was even going to work or not. "Take off your jacket for a second, will ya?"

Knowing that his partner was obviously on to something, Tony did as he was asked.

"Drape it over me and the code box," McGee asked, getting down on his knees in front of the thing. Flipping up his phone and shining the light from the screen on the keypad, he got under the jacket.

Tony's eyebrows raised but determined to wait until McGee wanted to tell him what was happening, he didn't comment. A few minutes later, he was almost ready to break his own promise. McGee hadn't said a word and though Tony could see him moving slightly under the jacket, he had no clue what in the world was going on.

Just about ready to burst with curiosity, Tony was surprised another minute later when the lift under him started to move.

Unaware that Tony was standing on the platform, McGee hadn't thought to warn his partner of such a possibility. When he realized he'd broken the code, McGee automatically pushed the button to test it out. He immediately turned it off but unfortunately not before Tony lost his balance and fell straight onto his rump.

Throwing the jacket off of his head when he heard Tony's involuntarily yell, McGee couldn't help but to laugh at the look on his partner's face as he stared up at him from the ground.

"Hardy Har Har. You did that on purpose didn't you, McGeek?" Tony said, laughing just as hard at himself.

Tony stood up and tried to dust himself off once again. With his good arm, McGee helped out as much as he could, not really helping much. A couple tumbles onto the dirty floor had done a lot of damage to the expensive fabric.

"Hate to say it Tony, but I think your suit is ruined."

Tony looked down at himself and chuckled at the mess.

"Damn. This was my favorite suit too." Tony looked at McGee and shrugged, not really caring about the suit now that it looked like they might actually be making it out of there alive.

Then he saw something behind the other man that changed everything.

McGee saw Tony's face change and he looked at him curiously. "Tony What is….?" he began.

"McGee! Lookout!"

Four seconds.

Later that's what McGee would remember the most about what transpired. Not the fear, not the adrenaline. The fact that it all took place in about four seconds. That was all the time it took for things to go to Hell in a hand basket.

Four heartbeats.

Strange that the sound of his own beating heart would be the soundtrack to such an odd dance.

Thump, thump..

The way Tony screamed his name, McGee knew right away something was wrong. He knew that tone of voice. It was the same tone he'd heard the day before Kate died, when Tony had found a bomb that nearly killed them all.

Thump, thump..

McGee's first instinct was to duck, but before he could he was hit with about one hundred and eighty pounds of running DiNozzo.

Thump, thump..

The two of them hit the ground hard and if McGee didn't already believe that Tony had once played football, he certainly did after that tackle. Knocked down with the force of a stampeding herd of elephants, McGee groaned as his shoulder protested and his head smacked hard against the pavement.

Thump, thump..

Seeing a muzzle flash and hearing a single shot as they fell, McGee aimed over Tony's shoulder with his good arm. Firing his one and only bullet, he took the man out and there was silence once again.

Waiting for a few seconds to make sure that no one else was coming, McGee tried to move, Tony's body still on top of him. Thinking that his partner was being a tad over-cautious, McGee grinned.

"Okay DiNozzo, you can get off me now."

It took him a second to realize that Tony didn't respond right away.

It took him another second to realize that his hand, still wrapped around Tony's back from the tackle, felt sticky and wet.

"Oh crap."

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A/N: By the way, I just wanted to let everyone know that one of my other NCIS fics, "Black Ice" is being translated into French! I put a link into my profile page if anyone is interested in checking it out. Special thanks to Daniellano1702 for asking if she could do it and then putting in all the hard work on the translation. I am truly honored to have been asked.