Warnings: Spoilers for "Ignition".
A/N: I bet you thought I forgot about this huh? Well, I didn't. Slowly working on this story. But I got some great plot points I want to write for "Flesh and Blood". Hope you enjoy! Don't be shy and let me know what you think!
Her knee brace was making her movements clunky and very painful. Natalie wanted to toss it but after experimenting with it off the night before at her apartment… walking had been difficult. Ducky had allowed her back to work, but said it was going to be stiff for a while. She wouldn't be chasing down suspects anytime soon. And walking around this burned out crime scene in a forest was not helping matters.
Natalie realized she might have pushed herself too much since returning but she hated being sidelined. It also gave her mother reasons to cite that she should come home to Boston. At least her latest injuries had happened after her trip home for the holidays. Her mother couldn't see a yellowing bruise over the phone.
"Got another body," Tony called out, cutting into her thoughts.
"Oh! Don't touch it!" Jimmy said, brushing past her and running towards Tony. "I'm on it!"
Tony grinned down at the squirrel at his feet, pat Jimmy on the shoulder and walked away, "Bag it, Palmer."
Natalie winced as she moved some more pieces of the engine of what McGee was assuming was a jet pack. He certainly was enthusiastic about the subject. She had been forced to watch the documentary he had made on jet packs one of the first few days she had been a probie on the team. Tony had pitied her and taken her out afterwards for pizza and beer. She tried to lean down to stick a little marker into the ground next to the piece of metal but her knee screamed in protest.
Gibbs eyed her, cautiously, watching as she maneuvered her body just enough to accomplish her task. "Callahan… maybe you should have taken that whole week that was offered to you."
"I'm fine, Gibbs," she said through clenched teeth.
"Yeah… your jaw is clenched so tightly you're going to snap it."
"S-sorry. Promise once we get back I'll elevate my knee and take some Tylenol."
Gibbs flicked his eyes towards Tony, who nodded, slightly. It wasn't that he didn't trust Natalie, he did, with his life, but when it came to taking care of herself she was just as bad as the rest of them. He went back to work himself, keeping his watchful eyes over his newest team member. Tony was not the only that had developed intense feelings for her, although the team leader surmised his were different. This team were his kids and he was determined to keep watch over them, even if they thought he was being annoying about it.
Tony made sure to track Natalie's movements for the rest of their time at the crime scene. He didn't hover because that would have probably landed him a right hook, but he was going to be there for her in case she needed any help. Watching her, seeing how much pain she was still in, made him what to fly to Israel to give Ziva a good thrashing herself.
On the long drive back to D.C, made even longer by Tim rambling on and on about jet packs for the what felt like the millionth time, Tony noticed that Natalie was in even more pain, wincing as she tried to make herself comfortable wedged on the seat between the two men. "You should take those pain killers now, Nat."
Natalie shook her head. "No. I'm fine. I'm not going to let some jealous woman who bashed my knee in keep me from doing my job."
"You can do your job at your desk," Tony ordered.
"Tony.. seriously... come on. I'll take the pain killers, okay, and I'll be fine to do field work."
"No, you will take the pain killers, elevate your knee and work from your desk."
"Anyone tell you two you argue like a married couple?"
Tony and Natalie both shot him a glare and McGee knew that he had touched a sore subject. He decided to back off. While the rest of the office could see how much the pair of agents cared for one another it appeared that neither one of them wanted to take that first step towards something more. Of course with Gibbs hanging over their shoulder, McGee didn't blame them. He'd been scared of Gibbs when he'd been with Abby and that was years ago and before he had even been promoted to the team. So, instead, even though both Tony and Natalie rolled their eyes at him, he went back to talking about jet packs, because seriously who didn't love them?
Natalie had retreated to her favorite spot... the backroom in autopsy... when Tim had been promoted to lead the investigation... something about Rule 38...
Tim wasn't a bad leader, she just couldn't take anymore lectures on jet packs. So, when Tony wasn't looking, she had grabbed her laptop and disappeared downstairs. She normally would sit on the floor but her knee was not going to allow it. She had dragged a couple of extra chairs she'd found in a nearby supply closet and plopped her butt in one and elevated her knee on the other.
Suddenly the door opened and Tony's frame blocked the light from the outside. "I knew this is where you ran off to hide."
"I'm still working, but now I don't have to listen to that documentary about jet packs again," Natalie quipped, smiling.
"Hmmm, yeah, about that... thanks for leaving me alone with him," Tony countered. "Come on, boss wants us to go to Pax River."
Natalie closed her laptop up, shifted it underneath her arm and managed to get herself out of the chair. "Lieutenant Commander Sayers background wasn't that interesting, I mean it was normal... single, never married, no kids. His call name was Hondo."
Tony pursed his lips. "Hondo... like John Wayne."
"Don't you dare start talking like him!" Natalie warned as they walked towards the elevator. But it was too late, she saw the glint in his eyes and he immediately began to repeat their orders in his John Wayne impression. It's going to be a long ride to Pax River.
"Always knew that this was going to happen someday... what did he crash?" Peter Sheridan, one of Sayers' closest friends asked, with a shake of his head.
"We think a jet-pack," Natalie told the pilot.
Sheridan cursed. "I told him not to go through with it. Too dangerous, one miscalculation and... well... you obviously saw what happened, Agent Callahan."
Natalie looked at Tony, briefly, and saw the hard look in her partner's eyes. "Do you know who Commander Sayers could have been testing flying a jet pack for?" the SFA asked, his voice rather husky and low.
Sheridan nodded and replied, "Victor Tillman. He tried to hire me first, but well, the Navy wouldn't give me a waiver, and the don't support Tillman's research. Probably went to Hondo next, convinced him to ignore regulations, that it was worth it to fly something like a jet pack."
Tony thanked him for answering their questions and let the pilot get back to work. He stood there for a moment watching the planes taking flight. What would make a man want to strap a fuel tank and engine to his back and fly around with it?
"Guess we're going to visit Victor Tillman... hey wasn't that mentioned in McGee's documentary?"
"I try not to think about that documentary too much... but yes... I think you're right."
Natalie grinned from ear to ear. "Oh, he's going to love this then. Probably will make him more giddy than he's been all day."
Tony wasn't going to argue with that. McGee was sometimes overly passionate about this subject. Victor Tillman was like a celebrity in the jet pack world. And it is sad that I know that, the senior field agent thought as the partners walked back towards their parked sedan. "So, which one of us is the lucky one that gets to inform our temporary boss about Tillman?"
She looked at him with a little mischievous glint in her eyes. "The one who is going to be asked to go with him to visit the jet-pack factory."
He chuckled. "Well then, as your senior field agent, I'm ordering you to be the one to tell him."
"Wouldn't Gibbs technically be my senior field agent since Tim is in charge and he's been demoted?"
"Fair enough. But as the most senior agent here, right now, I'm ordering you to tell Tim."
"I hate it when you pull rank," she said with a pout as she got into the front seat.
Tony felt his gut tingle seeing that pout. He knew he was being a coward by not telling her how he felt... but the truth was it scared him. He had not been so in love since Jeanne and that relationship had ended in disaster. He didn't want to send him and Natalie on the same path. He quietly climbed into the car, shoved the key into the ignition and turned slightly to see her smile at him. He smiled back. And he realized she had complete control of his heart. He wondered if she even knew it.
Abby came upstairs into the bullpen to find that Tim was looking rather down. "What's the matter?"
Gibbs chuckled from his desk. "He's upset that he ordered Tony and Natalie to go to the jet-pack factory."
"Price of being in charge," Tim recited.
"Ok, will, I found something, two somethings, actually," Abby said, smiling. Tim's eyes lit up and she grinned, "First, I found traces of hydrogen peroxide and kerosene on the flight suit."
"Really? I've never seen that combination in my studies."
"Maybe when this is all over it will be time to update your powerpoint."
Gibbs chuckled, silently at her sarcastic tone. Every one of them had heard and seen the presentation, but the sarcasm went right over McGee's head and he was babbling about how it was good idea. Tony's going to be thrilled that he'll have to watch it again.
McGee scowled, slightly. "What was the second thing you found?"
Abby grinned. "Palmer found rat poison in the squirrel's blood, probably from nibbling on Sayers' flesh before the fire. So, I ran some tests... I found the same poison in Sayers'. He didn't crash... he was murdered."
Natalie and Tony returned just then, Tony escorting Victor Tillman towards the interrogation room. When they were all the way up the stairs, Natalie shook and made a funny, squealing noise. "I need a shower!"
"Huh?" McGee questioned. She looked clean to him.
"I just spent that entire interview with Victor Tillman undressing me with his eyes-ugh!" Natalie said, making a disgusted face.
"Bet Tony loved that," Abby teased.
Natalie let her eyes nervously dart towards Gibbs. Tony had acted all protective of course, it was nothing new for him if she was honest, but now it appeared that even Abby... who she did not have the best relationship with...was aware that Tony had feelings for her. Gibbs didn't react, not even bothering to look up at her, which she found strange but decided not to dwell on it. She pulled her cell phone out and handed it to Abby. "Hey can you run facial recognition on this guy? He was following us."
Abby looked at the photo of the shocked guy on her phone. It was clear enough. "Sure. Email it to me," she said before leaving the bullpen.
Gibbs looked up at his agent, worried. "Someone was following you?"
"From the Navy Yard to Victor Tillman's warehouse," Natalie responded. She went towards her desk and winced when she sat down.
"Callahan, did you take those painkillers?" Gibbs snapped.
"Yes," Natalie said, opening her top drawer and finding the Tylenol. She popped a couple into her mouth and swallowed them without water.
Gibbs stood and kicked his chair towards her and ordered her to elevate her knee. He gestured for McGee to join him, "Come on, boss, you have an interrogation to run."