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Free Freak-Outs

"That a problem?" Abby asked, apparently only just having realized that Gibbs had spaced out for a moment.

"No," Gibbs shook his head.

"You sure?" Tony asked. "We can always leave, you know."

"No," Gibbs replied firmly. "We've planned this. It's not like they haven't met you before. We're friends, right?"

"We are," Tony grinned. "You think you can pretend?"

"I've done an undercover stint or two," Gibbs rejected the mere thought of it and then quipped. "Why? Are you saying you can't?"

That got him a chuckle from both Ryan and Abby, but Tony just quirked a grin.

"I can. Not that I want to, but it's no big deal."

"I'm just not ready," Gibbs sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"That your way of saying you're sorry?" Tony joked, knowing that Gibbs never apologized.

"Yeah, smartass."

"You're ridiculous. You know that, right?" Abby cut in. "They won't care."

"I know and it's not about that," Gibbs said indignantly. "It's just not the time yet."

"Alright," Abby shrugged and then sat down next to Ryan. "Then I'll just wait here for them if that's okay?"

"Sure," Ryan answered, smiling at her. "But what about your other friends?"

"What friends?"

"The ones you came in with?" Tony laughed.

"Oh, them. They're not my friends. Just happened to get in at the same time and we started talking."

They continued to talk like that for a while. Gibbs wasn't entirely comfortable hiding his relationship but he didn't think he was ready yet. Casting a couple of glances at Tony who was watching the flirt between Abby and Ryan with amusement, Gibbs noticed that he didn't seem to mind hiding. He'd done it a lot of times before after all. So he concentrated on the conversation around him again, figuring that it would all work out.

It fascinated him how a man like Ryan, a white collar kind of lawyer, could be interested in Abby who seemed to be the complete opposite of him. Of course, Gibbs had seen that Ryan was a good guy, so that he could even forgive him for being a lawyer, but yet the flirt that was going on between the two had to be astonishing for everyone.

"What are you grinning about?" Tony raised him from his thoughts as he whispered into his ear.

"Those two," Gibbs replied. "How does that even match?"

"You never know," Tony grinned. "Maybe it's a match made in heaven."

"Sure."

"Hey, you never know," Tony said, bumping his shoulder against Gibbs'. "Unlikely has never stopped anybody."

"Especially not Abby," Gibbs whispered as he leaned closer towards Tony.

He wanted to continue but then fell silent when he spotted Kate and McGee walking towards them, both looking highly confused. They greeted them friendlily enough though. When they had ordered their drinks, Kate cleared her throat before she looked at Tony and Gibbs realized with a slight grin that she had turned the tiniest bit of red again. What was it about Tony that had her all flustered? She had protected the president after all. Why was the guy so special?

"So what are you doing here in DC?" she asked briskly.

"Moved here," Tony shrugged.

"How come?" McGee asked and he, on contrary to Kate, seemed to be genuinely interested in the answer.

Gibbs watched Tony shrug as he took his time to answer. His shoulders were suddenly set and the relaxed stance he had sported the whole evening was suddenly gone. He wasn't looking directly at McGee but someplace above his head. With a start Gibbs realized why that was. He wasn't comfortable lying to them. Actor that he was, Gibbs was sure that the two of them and even Abby wouldn't notice but it suddenly had the older man feeling all funny inside. Tony didn't deserve being tense like that. Just when he was about to say something – what exactly, he wasn't quite sure, Tony beat him to talking.

"I'm tired of LA, that's all."

As if to prove his point, he suddenly yawned widely and then stretched his arms. Gibbs was still on the fence to just out himself when the dog tags he had given Tony for Christmas found their way out of the collar of Tony's shirt. Tony didn't seem to have noticed as he continued to talk to McGee.

"You should see the people who live there. Think they're the greatest on earth. I just like the occasional quiet here in DC."

Tim, on the other hand, didn't seem to pay attention to him anymore. His eyes were fixed on the dog tags and as he was sitting right next to Tony, Gibbs was sure that he was able to read what was engraved there. As if to prove his suspicion, McGee grabbed one of the tags and then let out a breath as he let it drop back to Tony's chest. The owner of the dog tags had long turned around to look at Gibbs and as the older man saw Tony's wide eyes, he just shrugged.

What did it matter anyway? It didn't matter that he wasn't comfortable with them knowing, all that mattered was that Tony was happy. And right at that moment the man wasn't happy. He was tense and maybe even a bit scared.

"These are Gibbs'," McGee finally stated the obvious as he looked from Gibbs to Tony and back to Gibbs.

"Does that mean…," Kate interrupted him, turning impossibly redder in the face. "What I think it means?"

"Cat's out of the bag, huh?" Gibbs said causing Tony to raise an eyebrow and then to grin broadly at him.

"Or the collar in this case," the actor said, eliciting a laugh from both Abby and Ryan who had been strikingly silent during the exchange so far.

Gibbs just shook his head as he bumped his knee against Tony's thigh, signaling that everything was fine.

"Wow," McGee said, but he was smiling slightly, so Gibbs let out a breath he hadn't been aware he had been holding as he nodded at his youngest agent.

He received a slight nod in return and Tony took that exact moment to grab for Gibbs' hand under the table. Gibbs took it without a second thought, squeezing it softly and received another smile from Tony.

"You okay?" Tony then said light-heartedly to McGee. "You look a little pale there, buddy."

"I'm… I'm f-f-fine," McGee answered. "Just surprised. I'm glad you're… glad."

"Alright then," Tony grinned and slapped McGee's shoulder.

"What about the wives?" Kate suddenly burst out and her voice sounded venomous even over the sound level of the bar.

"What about them?" Gibbs asked, raising an eyebrow at her because this was clearly no way to talk to him.

"Easy," Tony mumbled next to him, making sure that no one else heard him.

"They're all fake, too?"

"What?" Gibbs bit out, feeling rage rise inside of him even as Tony squeezed his hand reassuringly under the table.

"Were they all a cover?" Kate asked unaware of the shocked glances Abby threw at her.

"Not that it's any of your business," Gibbs said calmly but deadly. "But no. This thing with Tony just happened."

"Right," Kate fumed. "Who believes that?"

"It's the truth."

Kate only snorted in response and just when Gibbs wanted to tell her off, wanted to shout at her, wanted to do just something, Tony had stood up, his hand still firmly in Gibbs' as he declared:

"We should probably go."

"No," Gibbs pulled Tony down again. "It's alright. If someone's irritated, it's not our problem."

He hadn't looked at the younger man instead his eyes had never left Kate's. She turned even redder now and for a moment it seemed like she wanted to retort something but then she just got up and was about to leave the table when McGee, of all people, put a hand on her arm to hold her back. With wide eyes Gibbs watched the scene unfold in front of him. When in the world had McGee grown that kind of balls? He had been afraid of Kate only weeks ago and now he was standing up to her like this?

"Kate," the probie said calmly but decisively. "What's the problem? This is still Gibbs. Nothing's changed."

Kate opened her mouth once and then twice but she didn't manage to make a sound as she looked from Gibbs to McGee and back again. Gibbs could see that she was thinking hard about something but it didn't seem as if she was coming to any conclusions.

"Kate," Abby suddenly spoke up. "Just think about all the movies we'll get to see before everyone else!"

That actually got her a chuckle out of Tony who nodded at her with a wink. "And movie premieres," he added for good measure.

That finally got Kate to sit down again. She looked a bit sheepish and was still red in the face as her eyes traveled to McGee again.

"Nothing's changed," he said again and finally Kate nodded.

She mumbled something while looking at both Gibbs and Tony. Gibbs hadn't caught any of it but knew that it was most likely an apology, so he quirked a grin even though he was still angry at her. At the same time he was amazed how Abby and especially McGee had made her see sense like that. Maybe his team was finally becoming exactly that – a team. Perhaps they'd get through this, too.

"That better not be an apology, Todd," he finally said briskly, knowing that Kate would get the reference to his rules.

"Well, I am sorry," Kate said.

"It's okay," Tony sighed and then smiled at her. "I can't wait to get to know all of you better. Can't tell you how glad I am that people like you look out for him every day."

"You're welcome?" Kate said quizzically.

"Well, now that that's settled," Ryan, who hadn't said a single word in almost half an hour, suddenly piped up. "How about another drink?"

There were approving mumbles to be heard all around and soon the conversation was flowing again, even if they carefully avoided talking about Gibbs and Tony and Gibbs was only reluctantly addressing Kate. It would take some time for things to get back to normal but they would turn out to be good again, Gibbs was sure of that.

#

"That's not exactly how I wanted this night to turn out," Tony all but giggled a couple of hours later.

"Drunk?"

"No, I expected that," Tony replied grinning as he followed Gibbs up the stairs towards the bedroom. "Didn't think you'd have to out yourself like that. And what the fuck was wrong with Kate? I mean really. You're just her boss, what is it to her?"

"No clue," Gibbs shrugged as he got rid of his socks and pants. "I mean we're close and that's why I'm wondering what has her so upset, too. I'll talk to Abby. I'm sure she knows."

"Yeah, you do that," Tony yawned as he got under the covers and then waited for Gibbs to do the same to snuggle closer to him. "You alright?"

"Yeah, just glad it's over."

"Okay," Tony yawned again. "Night, Jethro."

"Night, Tony."