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A/N: Big thanks to my Beta CALLEN37 you are amazing! And also I would like to say thanks to all of you who reviewed and faved my last chapter, it really means a lot that you like my story enough to tell me so :))

Also I need a favor. This story does not show up in my main feed when I get on the sight and I was wondering if it is showing up for you guys? If you could let me know I would really appreciate it. Again thank you all so much for your continued support. :)

Chapter 9

Of friends and Doctor's

part 2

Tony slammed his fist into the punching bag as hard as he could. He was so furious that he could hardly think straight. He couldn't believe Gibbs! One minute he's all supportive and understanding. The next he's backed him into a corner chewing him out, calling him obsessed, telling him that he had better cool it or he would personally escort him to the furthest most remote safe house the agency had to offer.

The hypocrite! Of course the guy could smell an obsession a mile away he'd had enough of them. That was unless he was the one obsessing and then it was either help or get out of the way.

Tony again hit the bag with as much force as he could muster. He really, really, REALLY wanted to do more than just punch the damn bag. He wanted to storm out there and take down Franklynns on his own. He wanted to be a one-man team, making his own rules.

But he knew he couldn't put his team through that. Not to mention he had made a promise to Gibbs not to long ago to let him help. Just even thinking about the man made his blood pressure go up. Tony started wailing into the punching bag more intensely than before. He lost track of how long he was at it until a voice from behind him spoke quietly, "You're going to regret that latter on of you're not careful."

Tony continued to punch the bag without taking notice of his visitor. The person behind him sighed saying, "Seriously Tony you need to calm down and rest for a minute you're only going to be in more trouble if you hurt your self."

Tony suddenly flung himself around saying . . .

~~~~NCIS~~~~

Gibbs was beginning to get worried. He had looked in all the usual places for tony and had then gone to all the unusual places that he could think of to look for him. So far every single place had turned up a dead end.

Not only was he becoming worried he was also very frustrated. He was frustrated with the whole situation but mostly he was frustrated with himself. He didn't know why he had threatened tony that way. When he had headed Dr. Pitt saying all that stuff he couldn't help but flash back to himself when he had been hunting Kelly and Shannon's murderer.

Looking back he wished that he'd, had some one to lock him away some where safe until he had gotten his head on straight. He looked at tony and he saw all the same symptoms that he him self had, had. The unpredictable mood swings, the one-track focus, the loss of appetite, the insomnia. He could see tony stepping ever closer to that line and Gibbs was going to be damned if he let his boy cross it like he had. He didn't care if he had to hog tie him and forcibly carry him to a safe house and he would gladly deal with the kids wrath if it meant that his boy was safe an free from the burden of taking the law into ones own hands. He knew that if anyone could do it and cover it up completely then Tony would be the one, even more so than he himself to do it and get away with it.

Gibbs sighed in frustration and leaned back against the wall of the elevator. He knew he needed to take a step back and get his head on straight Tony was depending on him to be level headed and in control. Taking a deep breath he decided that going for coffee was a good idea and that maybe by the time he got back Tony would be ready for an unofficial apology.

~~~~NCIS~~~~

Tony suddenly flung himself around saying, "You know Doc I'm really not in the mood to be messed with right now."

Dr. Cranston just gave Tony a look telling him that she wasn't going to be going anywhere anytime soon."

Tony just turned his back on her effectively giving her the cold shoulder. Much to his displeasure Dr. Cranston just ignored his signal and came around to the other side saying, "You know you could just tell me why you're so upset. "

Tony didn't even give her the pleasure if acknowledging her. Instead he pounded a little harder into the bag. He was inwardly hopeful when he saw her walk away towards the door, but groaned when she came back sans her purse and shoes. He became even more upset when she stepped behind the bag to hold it for him effectively cutting off his chosen form of venting. She knew that if she were behind the bag he would pull his punches forcing him to ease up. But also it would prevent him from ignoring her completely.

Frustrated Tony instantly backed away from the bag. Dr. Cranston shrugged her shoulders asking, "Why are you stopping?"

Tony took a deep breath as growled out, "You know damn well why I'm stopping!"

Rachel just shrugged again saying, "Come on I thought you wanted to hit something. Well here's your chance hit it. Imagine its every nasty feeling that's been bugging you."

Tony stepped back even further saying, "No way Doc. There's absolutely no way I am gonna even consider doing that. "

"Come on Tony! I can take it. I promise I'm a lot stronger than I look."

Tony backed up even further shaking his head and muttering, "Can't get a damn person to listen to me."

Dr. Cranston immediately saw an opening. She knew it was kinda low but hey she could play dirty if she had to. She came out from behind the bag saying, "Well Tony they're worried about you. They . . ."

Tony stopped her by putting his hands up. After making sure she was paying attention Tony took a deep breath saying, "I don't care! I don't want them to be worrying about me. I just want to be left alone. I'm not sure how you even found me but I would greatly appreciate it if you would leave now and not come back."

"Tony I'm not gonna leave you alone and you know that. I don't know why you even bother to ask me too. I am just as worried about you as the rest of you're team. You're not eating, you're obviously not sleeping, and you look even more defeated and depressed than you did a few days ago. If you don't do something soon you're going to collapse."

Tony sighed and laying back on a pile of mats exclaimed, "I just want to be able to go to the bathroom by myself! Maybe even go and get food from the break room BY MY SELF! I can't take much more of this big brother business."

"Tony…" sighed Dr. Cranston; "I know this is hard for you. But this is just as hard for them, only in a different way. To you they are overbearing and suffocating while you are trying to deal with your repressed grief and the threat on your life and possibly the meeting with an old foe. While for them they have to deal with the very real threat against you, the fact that they almost lost you once already, the fact that the person they thought they all knew isn't who they thought he was, and they are faced with the fact that you are hurting in more ways than one and there is almost nothing that they can do for you to help ease your suffering. You need to cut them a little slack; they are all really quite fond of you, and whether or not they want to admit it, they would all be devastated if they lost you."

Tony sighed again and looking at the doctor silently cursed her for being so…so damn sensible. He took out his phone and looking at the time began to think of a way to say sorry for his bad attitude. He looked at Dr. Cranston and with a smile asked, "You wouldn't feel like giving me a hand would you?"

Dr. Cranston looked at him sideways and wondered just how much trouble this was going to get her into.

~~~~NCIS~~~~

An hour later Tony emerged from the elevator. He looked as though he were happier than he was earlier. He still looked like death warmed over but now his step was lighter and his shoulders were not quite as hunched. He came onto the floor and before coming in all the way stopped and looked to see if any one was there. He noted that it was mostly empty of people except for a few of the team leaders. He wasn't really surprised it was a Saturday afternoon after all. He walked into the middle of their bullpen and carefully placed the hot drinks and food, that Dr. Cranston had so graciously gone and gotten for him, on his team mates desks and then he picked up his phone and called Palmer telling him to come and to bring Ducky and Abby with him.

He then sent out a mass text to his teammates that there was food. Satisfied with all of his efforts he sat back behind his desk and resumed his work from earlier. He didn't have to wait long before the first wave hit. He smiled a little as he listened to Abby lecturing McGee and Palmer on the finer points of death mettle music. Soon after that came Ducky and Brad conversing on the latest medical journals. A few minutes later Ziva and Dornaget came strolling out of the stair well at about the same time that Gibbs came down the stairs from MTAC.

Once they had all gathered in the main area Tony stood up from behind his desk saying, "I know I have been more of a pain in the rear than normal and I'm sorry for that. Despite how I might act I really do appreciate all that you have been doing for me. So . . . yah . . . all this food and more to come is my way of saying thank you and sorry."

Tony was about to sit down again when he was suddenly wrapped by Abby in an embrace so tight he almost couldn't breath. He forced himself to relax into her embrace; he loved Abby and knew that he had caused her to really worry over him. He patted her on the arm saying, "Sorry for being such a jerk Abbs."

"You better be!" she cried while slugging him on the arm and then hugged him again saying, "I'm sure that we would probably all be the same way if we were in your situation."

Planting a chaste kiss on her forehead he and Abby separated. The group had just dug into some of the food when Dr. Cranston came in carrying several boxes of Pizza. McGee and Palmer quickly took them from her and following her instructions left some for their group and then quickly passed out the remaining boxes to the rest of the offices.

Tony looked around smiling at his friends and family. He watched with amusement at the antics of Abby and McGee as they sat at his computer playing some new game. He allowed his eyes to roam over to the four doctors in the group all talking seriously and no doubt sharing stories collected from their many years in the profession. He watched in amusement as Ziva showed a rather nervous looking Dornaget her extensive collection of knives. He finally looked towards his boss who he found was also watching, keeping a keen eye out his group.

Tony tipped his head slightly as a way to say 'sorry'. Gibbs in turn gave him just a little half grin. It was barely even a twitch of his lips but Tony saw it and took it for what it was, an acceptance of his apology and an apology in its self.

Tony knew that Gibbs was just worried and that the older man really didn't handle being worried all that gracefully.

Tony was just about to settle back and enjoy the rest of his food; which had finally started to sound palatable again, when the elevator sounded its arrival again. He didn't know why but his stomach instantly dropped about a foot and suddenly the food that he had been eating wasn't so appealing any more. The group was pulled out of their leisurely lunch when a group of about six people; four men and two women stopped in front of them.

Tony sighed when he saw who they were. He really didn't think things could get any more complicated. He knew that at least one person recognized him right off and he was really wishing that the director's had seen fit to give him advanced warning. Gritting his teeth he stood up a little straighter, and coming from behind his desk he plastered a large smile on his face and walked towards the group of new comers, drawing the attention of the rest of the group on to him-self. Stopping a few feet in front of the new group he extended his hand saying, "Well it has been a long time . . ."