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Disclaimer: The characters from the show aren't mine, they belong to others. No copyright infringement intended. Any characters you don't recognize are mine. Feedback would be nice, positive feedback would be nicer. Enjoy
Category: NCIS post-ep hurt/comfort fic
Rating: Topic - suitable for all. Content - sad
Characters: Gibbs/Dinozzo mostly
Series: Nope
Spoilers: Season Three specifically Under Covers, but anything might get a mention
Summary: With only a few hours of his birthday to go, Jethro can either sit at his desk or...
Archive: Just tell me where it's going
Additional 'stuff': Nothing I can think of. This is a little contrived in places to fit the the plot bunny this *finally* sends on its furry way. It's been re-written to correct errors and omissions caused by my wrong guesses over some character details.
Title: Can't take it back
Gibbs opened Tony's door with a key on his key ring and paused in the doorway.
Ziva was sitting on one arm of the chair, Abby on the other, both soothing and reassuring Tony as he whimpered pathetically.
McGee emerged from the kitchen wiping his hands. 'I put the trash out and washed the dishes. Do you need me to do anything else.'
Tony sighed and leaned back in his chair. 'Uh...well...' At that moment he saw Gibbs and fell silent.
'Gibbs!' Abby grinned and got up, hugging Gibbs tightly. 'I knew you'd come!'
Gibbs made eye contact with McGee and jerked his head at the door.
Thankfully, McGee got the hint and nodded. 'Uh...Abbs...Ziva...maybe we should...uh...leave.'
Abby frowned, pouted, huffed, finally sighed and reached down, pulling Ziva up. 'Okay. You take care Tony...okay?'
'I'll be fine Abbs...promise.' Tony smiled but even Ziva realized both his voice and his smile lacked their usual intensity.
'You gonna stay with him Bossman?' Abby demanded, reaching down, hugging Tony tightly until he squeaked in discomfort.
Gibbs smiled and both Ziva and McGee shivered slightly at the unfamiliar look on Gibbs' face at that moment. 'Oh yeah Abbs, I'm not going anywhere.'
Reassured, Abby bounced out of the room, followed by Ziva and finally McGee.
*******************************
Jethro pulled his black overcoat off, laid it over the back of the armchair and looked around. 'I thought you had a maid Dinozzo?'
Tony shrugged slightly until it hurt. 'The mustang needed some parts...and...stuff.'
Jethro sighed. 'How about: 'Boss, can you lend me...uh...how much'?'
'Nine hundred and fifty dollars.' Tony supplied, a little confused.
'...nine hundred and fifty dollars? What for Dinozzo? My car. Will it get you to work on time if I do? Yeah? Then sure.'
Tony's head hurt like Hell and he stared blankly at Gibbs' monologue.
Huffing, Gibbs muttered: 'Next time, ask Dinozzo.'
Tony nodded, groaning as the room swam with the slight movement. 'Yes Boss.'
Gibbs leaned down to the coffee table, flicked up the lid of the pizza box and pulled out the one remaining small slice.
Tony's eyes tracked it all the way to Gibbs' mouth and it was all he could do not to drool.
Gibbs looked over to Tony, frowning. 'How much of this did you eat Dinozzo?'
The question seemed to cause Tony considerable difficulty but eventually he hazarded: 'Uh...a slice...maybe? I'm not really hungry boss.'
Gibbs replaced the slice in the box and handed the box to Tony. 'Here. Ducky wasn't sure you'd have any aspirin.' He reached into his pocket and pulled out a brown plastic tub, placing them on the coffee table. 'Take them Dinozzo.'
Yawning, Tony managed: 'Shurthinboss.'
***************************************
Gibbs settled himself in the armchair. 'Eat it then you can take the aspirin Dinozzo!' He gestured from the pizza to the pill bottle.
'Not really hungry boss...not with almost dying and all.'
Gibbs wavered between anger and something close to sympathy. But, being Gibbs, it wasn't that close.
'That was hours ago Dinozzo! Now eat the damn pizza and swallow the damn pills!'
Tony smiled. A thin trickle of blood trailed down his cheek and he felt it and wiped it away roughly.
Gibbs watched him carefully for a second or two. 'Dinozzo?'
Tony lurched up and ran for the bathroom.
Gibbs gave him a couple of minutes, relieved to hear the toilet flush and the bathroom door open.
'Sorry boss.'
Gibbs' eyes narrowed. 'What are you sorry *for* Dinozzo?'
Tony shrugged. 'Uh...well...almost getting killed.'
'You're still here.'
Tony smiled again, this time igoring the warm damp trail on his cheek. 'You know the Peruvians make blades...'
'...sharpest in the world.' Gibbs finished, nodding.
'Do you think that's true? That you don't feel it?'
Gibbs frowned. 'You weren't cut Dinozzo.'
Tony licked his lips slowly. 'They were gonna cut Ziva...'
Gibbs nodded. Typical thugs, going after the woman to make the man do as they wanted. 'You did good Tony.'
Tony looked up, barely holding it together. 'I think I'm gonna get an early night boss.'
Gibbs had been about to make his excuses and leave. Then he heard the hitch in Tony's voice and recognized the signs. 'Okay.' He almost smiled when he saw Tony's expression change. Getting up, he grasped Tony's ankle and pulled his shoe off, let the foot drop then removed Tony's other shoe. He pulled a grey wool blanket from the back of the couch and dropped it on Tony's lap.
As he leaned down, his wallet dropped from his pocket, falling open. Tony's eyes took in the small worn picture of a younger, but still gray-haired, Gibbs in fatigues and flanked by a young woman and a child. 'I didn't know you had a kid boss.'
'I don't.'
Something in the boss's tone told Tony to shut up, but he wasn't thinking straight. 'What happened?'
'She died Dinozzo!'
'How?'
Tony fully expected Gibbs to walk out as the question left his lips. For the second time that day the unexpected happened. 'I was due home on leave after a tour...Desert Storm...Shannon was in the base shop. She saw this guy dealing drugs and reported it...'
Gibbs swallowed hard and Tony caught a rare glimpse of his boss with his defenses down.
'...Shannon and Kelly got NIS protection but the bastard had them killed. Car accident...'
Tony thought of all the things he could say, and said nothing.
'The padre told me what'd happened and I came home.'
'The Corps gave you some time at home, right?'
Gibbs nodded. 'Oh yeah. Didn't need it. Stayed a couple of days in the house then moved back onto the base. Went back that weekend.'
Gibbs was silent for a moment, staring at the picture in his hand. Tony held out the pizza box silently, his appetite completely gone. 'You know where he is now? The drug dealer?'
Gibbs nodded. 'Yeah.' Not wanting to explain, he snapped back into Gibbs mode, simultaneously shoving the box back at Tony and snarling: 'You tell *any* one about this, I'll demonstrate just how sharp *my* knife is.'
Tony nodded. 'My lips are sealed boss.' He didn't want to think too hard about the drug dealer's fate at the hands of Gunnery Sergeant Leroy Jethro Gibbs.
Gibbs nodded curtly and sat back in the armchair, reaching for the remote. 'Eat the pizza Dinozzo. I don't want the game interrupted by the sounds of you chewing.'
Tony opened the box and picked up the remaining pizza slice, holding it up. 'Happy Birthday boss.'
Gibbs waved his beer bottle. 'Game's starting Dinozzo.'
Tony settled back against the couch. 'Yes boss.'
End