Gibbs had become almost a household name in the DiNozzo house. Each evening he would come over and have dinner with Tony and Kami, help Tony put the little girl to bed before they retreated to the master bedroom. A few weeks into their relationship things went wrong.
Tony was up in MTAC with his team when he got the call from the NCIS daycare. His heart leaped into his throat and his stomach dropped when he answered.
"Mr. DiNozzo? Raina from the NCIS daycare. I was just calling to let you know that Kami is running a high fever and throwing up." Raina told him.
"I will be right down." Tony said grabbing his things. He turned to his second in command and left him in charge.
"Hey Peter, I've got to go. Kami is sick and running a high fever." Tony took a deep breath. "It's the first time she's been sick since Kate…I've never handled a sick child on my own before."
"Go take care of that baby. You got this boss! And we've got your back up here." Peter smiled.
It still threw Tony off guard to be called boss. He nodded and went down stairs. Once he arrived at the daycare it was clear, Kami was truly sick. Raina had changed Kami's clothes, putting the outfit she threw up on in a sack and handed it to Tony. Kami was pale. She weakly smiled at her daddy the minute she saw him. Tony smiled back his mind wandering.
'She's definitely my daughter. Even when she doesn't feel good or somethings bothering her you would never know because she hides behind her smile. She has her own little mask.' He thought.
"You ready to go home baby girl?" Tony asked.
Without a word, Kami lifted her little arms.
He was all alone trying to take care of her that night. Gibbs was out of town on work. He did the best he could trying to bring her fever down and comfort her, even if it meant sitting in the bathroom with her will she vomited.
By the next morning he was calling into work, after catching Kami's stomach bug.
Gibbs tried to call Tony as he was coming back into town. When there was no answer, Gibbs became worried.
"Has he already forgotten the rules? Never be unreachable!" Gibbs said to himself in the car as he drove faster to the DiNozzo's house.
Once he arrived and no one answered the door, Gibbs gut was telling him something was wrong. He took out his spare key and opened the door. He called out to Tony hoping he was wrong, but received no answer. He slowly walked into the living room and found Tony laying on the couch with Kami laying on his chest, both asleep. He felt for a pulse on Tony first and found it to be a little too fast but what concerned him more was how warm Tony was. He then felt of Kami, who was also burning up with fever. Gibbs shook his head before taking out his phone and calling McGee.
"McGee, you're in charge today. I'm not coming in." Gibbs explained.
"Boss is everything ok?" McGee asked, catching Ziva's attention.
"Yeah, just Tony and Kami are both sick." Gibbs sighed.
"Got ya boss. Well we will hold down the fort." McGee commented.
"Thanks McGee." Gibbs said before hanging up.
"Is everything alright McGee?" Ziva questioned.
"Yeah, Gibbs isn't coming in today because Tony and Kami are sick." McGee answered.
"What does that have to do with Gibbs?" Ziva asked.
"Well Tony has always been like a son to Gibbs and Kami a granddaughter. Plus considering this is Tony's first time as a single dad with a sick child…" McGee's voice trailed off.
"You don't suppose Tony and Gibbs are...you know?" Ziva's face lit up.
"Like what? A couple?" McGee's eyebrows went straight up.
"Yes." Ziva smiled.
"I honestly can't see that. They worked together for too long. Besides, Tony was married to Kate and had well technically two kids." McGee answered before he went back to reading a cold case.
Gibbs went into Tony's bathroom and opened a drawer. He found an ear thermometer. By time he went back to the living room, he found neither one there. He went to Kami's bathroom and found Kami leaning over the toilet with Tony rubbing her back as he retched into a trash can. Tony weakly raised his head to see Gibbs standing in the doorway.
"Jethro…what are you doing here?" Tony asked weakly.
"Come to take care of you two DiNozzo." Gibbs smirked.
He took both of their temperatures and rubbed their backs while they both got sick again. Tony had a fever of 101.6 and Kami of 100.4. After getting them both cleaned up, Gibbs got them into their respected beds and gave them Tylenol and children's Tylenol to help get the fever down.
As Gibbs tucked her into her bed he asked Kami "What would you like to eat?"
"Pizza!" Kami exclaimed.
"Sweet pea it would make you even more sick if you ate pizza. How about Papa Gibbs makes you some homemade soup?" Gibbs suggests.
Kami crossed her little arms and had to think about it for a moment before nodding her head in agreement.
"Great! I will be back in a little bit. I am going to check on your daddy." Gibbs said before placing a tender kiss on the little girl's forehead.
Gibbs walked into the bedroom to find Tony had just laid back down. Gibbs felt of Tony's forehead. The poor guy was still burning up. Without saying a word, Gibbs went into the bathroom and got a cool wash cloth and placed it on Tony's forehead before straightening the covers around his sick lover.
"Thank you, Jethro. You really do have a sweet side to you." Tony weakly smiled.
Gibbs smiled back and patted Tony's hand.
"I will be back in just a little bit I am going to go get some stuff to make homemade chicken noodle soup for you two." Gibbs said.
Tony closed his eyes and shook his head.
"You don't need to do that Jet, we will be fine." Tony tried to tell him.
"No, I insist on taking care of the two people I love." Gibbs insisted.
He kissed Tony's forehead and told him "Get you some sleep I will be back in a little bit."
Tony settled into the bed and was asleep soon after.
On his way back from the store, Gibbs decided to stop by his house. He knew it would be a few days before Kami and Tony would get to feeling better. He grabbed an overnight bag and stuffed it with the essentials. He grabbed a few extra clothes, some of which he didn't mind leaving over at Tony's. While at the store he picked up an extra toothbrush he planned on leaving at the DiNozzo house. He sat down on his bed and chuckled. Never in a million years would he have thought himself and Tony would actually be together. Now that they were, he wouldn't trade it for the world.
Gibbs picked up a book he planned on reading while Kami and Tony were asleep. He wanted to be right there anytime they needed something. He stuffed it into the bag and he was on his way out the door.
Something didn't feel right as Gibbs entered Tony's house. It wasn't just that both Kami and Tony was sick. This was something else. As he brought his things in he sat them down and went running to Kami's room. The little girl was screaming and crying for her daddy. Gibbs knew right then something had to be wrong. It didn't matter how sick Tony was, he was always right there anytime Kami cried.
"Daddy!" Kami screamed and cried.
"Hey sweet pea! What's wrong?" Gibbs asked Kami as he sat down on the bed with Kami.
"Where's daddy?" Kami sobbed.
That sent up a red flag for Gibbs. He knew something wasn't right and he could feel it in his gut.
Gibbs picked the young girl up and placed her in his lap. He rubbed her back as he held her trying to calm her down.
"Shhh it's ok. Daddy is sick just like you are. He is probably asleep." Gibbs tried to explain.
Kami looked up at Gibbs with big watery green eyes. It was like she knew something more than she was telling him.
"Want Daddy!" Kami cried.
"Ok let me go check on him." Gibbs went over to a huge cabinet filled with DVDs. She was for sure Tony's daughter with the expansive movie collection she had.
"In the meantime, why don't you watch Moana! I hear the chicken is really crazy, just like your daddy." Gibbs forced a smile. She had made her Papa Gibbs watch the movie with her only about 20 times.
Through the tears Kami offered him a smile.
"Papa Gibbs, not a chicken, it's a rooster." Kami giggled.
"Just like a DiNozzo to know all about the movie trivia." Gibbs whispered to himself.
"Let me go check on your daddy." He said as he distracted her with the DVD.
Kami settled down a bit, enough to let Gibbs out of her sight. She was worried about her daddy too. She knew her daddy never ignores her. In her own way, she knew something was wrong.
Gibbs walked into the master bedroom and called out Tony's name, but to no answer. He then opened the door to the bathroom to a sight that made his chest tighten.
"Oh my God, Tony!" Gibbs exclaimed as he found an unconscious DiNozzo laid out on the bathroom floor.
Tony's breathing was shallow and his pulse thready. Gibbs could feel the tears stinging his eyes. He couldn't lose Tony. Not now, not when he was just given him back. Gibbs let the tears fall as he reached into his pocket to get his cellphone out and call 911.