Work Text:
Title: I'm positive I'm negative
Tony scanned his email list and pushed his chair back crossly. `Not again!'
Kate looked up, `Have you been warned about surfing porn sites Tony?'
Tony huffed. `No. I've been...randomly...selected for a drugs test.' He rolled his eyes. With a roomful of agents, why he had been picked again was beyond him.
Kate frowned. `You have something to hide?'
`No! You have to pee in a cup while they watch and it's...'
Kate smiled. `Not a good use of your time?'
Tony stood up. `Not even close.' The crumbs from his breakfast he had eaten half in the house and half in the car continued to spill off him as he walked out of the room.
He didn't even really *like* bagels, but they were all that was left in the bakery they called into for breakfast on the way into work. Of course, Gibbs hadn't failed to point out that it had been Tony's fault as he had taken a while to get ready after what had turned out a be a *really* late night watching *all* the Halloween DVD's Gibbs had bought him as a `one month since you moved in' present and Gibbs hadn't wanted to wait the two minutes until their usual croissants were out of the oven.
************************************
Four hours later...
`Special Agent Gibbs. With me.'
Gibbs scrambled to his feet, following the Director up to his office.
When the door was closed Morrow didn't waste any time. `One of your team tested positive for drugs. I thought you'd appreciate a heads- up. He's on suspension, effective immediately.'
Gibbs frowned. `McGee?' He couldn't believe...
`Dinozzo.'
Gibbs shook his head. `No way. Tony...no!'
Director Morrow pushed the folder across the desk and busied himself with sharpening a pencil.
Appreciating the technical breach of the rules, Gibbs pulled the folder towards him and scanned the results.
`I'll tell him.'
Morrow nodded. `Send him home Jethro.'
Gibbs shook his head. `No. He stays here until I leave.'
Morrow smiled. `I signed his change of address authorization Jethro.'
Gibbs' facial muscles twitched. `So everyone knows?'
Morrow shook his head. `No. Just those people you've told. And me.'
Gibbs sighed deeply and left the room without further comment.
*******************************
`Dinozzo!' Gibbs growled, continuing on towards the elevator.
Leaving his jacket behind, Tony scrambled out from behind his desk.
Gibbs waited until they were *just* outside the building and shoved Tony hard against the wall. `What did you take?'
Tony frowned. `What?!'
`You failed the drugs test Tony!' Gibbs hissed.
`No...wait...I couldn't have...I don't do drugs!!' Tony protested, his spine pressed painfully against the bricks behind him.
`DON'T LIE TO ME!!' Gibbs shouted.
Tony's eyes stung with tears. He could hardly force the words out: `I'm not lying.'
Gibbs took a deep shuddering breath in. `You're suspended. Go home. NOW!!' He pulled Tony towards him, his hands gripping Tony's collar. `And don't be there when I get back.'
Tony stumbled away as Gibbs strode back into the building.
Kate looked up, felt the anger radiating off her boss and hurriedly looked down again.
*********************************
Ducky frowned. Word traveled fast inside the building and he already knew Jethro had almost broken Tony's neck in the bushes outside the main entrance. By the time Gibbs crashed into the ME's office, Ducky was prepared to defend Tony.
`Jethro, he wouldn't be that stupid.' Ducky shook his head. `There's a mistake...the machine was badly calibrated or...'
`Or he's been doing drugs!' Gibbs snapped.
`You know, I remember a vicar who ate...'
Gibbs was out of the door before Ducky had finished his sentence.
******************************
Tony pulled the hold all from under the bed and began to drag his things from the drawers and closet. He could hardly see and his mind was in a whirl. He *knew* he hadn't taken anything. But Gibbs hadn't even listened to his explanation. He just didn't believe him. //Fine. Who cares. I'm outta here. I'll stay with...I'll get a room someplace.// Angrily, he scrubbed at the tears which blurred his vision.
********************************
Abby smiled. //No way.// The only vegetables Tony ate were those which he was too hungry to pick off his pizza when Gibbs paid and the boss got his favorite topping, ignoring Tony's whining protestations.
She walked into the adjoining room where the ME was completing some post-autopsy paperwork. `Ducky, where's Gibbs?'
`Who knows Abigail.' Ducky sighed sadly. `Probably disposing of Tony's battered corpse.'
Abby slid the sheet of paper from her printer onto the desk, covering the autopsy sheet.
Ducky read it, frowned and sat back. `Oh dear.'
Abby stared at Ducky. `What?!'
Ducky sighed and reached for the telephone. `We're not going to witness Jethro apologizing to Tony.'
Abby giggled softly and listened to the one-sided conversation.
****************************
Approaching Tony slowly, Gibbs leaned down, picked up the hold all and said gently: `Let's go home.' He looked up at the girl behind the bar. He rolled his eyes when she mouthed: `Thank you.'
`No.' Tony said firmly.
`Tony, I was wrong...'
Tony spun around on the barstool he occupied in what *had* been their favorite bar. More than a little drunk, he didn't catch on to what Gibbs meant. `You didn't even...'
Gibbs nodded. `I know. I'm sorry.'
Tony's eyes filled with angry tears. `You just assumed...I didn't take *anything*!'
Gibbs nodded. `Yes. It won't happen again.'
Tony reached into his jacket. `No. It won't.' He handed Gibbs an envelope, slid off the seat, grabbed his bag from Gibbs and walked out.
Sliding his thumb under the flap, Gibbs unfolded the single sheet and scanned the three lines:
`To: Special Agent Jethro Gibbs I resign Signed: Special Agent Anthony Dinozzo'
Gibbs controlled his emotions with difficulty, folded the letter back into the envelope, tucked it into his jacket and left the bar.
`Tony! DINOZZO!! You're in the clear. Those damn' poppy seed bagels you ate at breakfast...' Gibbs called across the crowded car park.
Tony slowed but didn't stop, his hand on his cell phone, preparing to call a cab.
Gibbs ran to catch up with Tony and pulled the phone from his hand.
`You should have trusted me!!' Tony struggled to wrestle his phone back.
`I know! I know! I'm sorry!' Gibbs knew Tony was both pissed at him and very drunk. With few options, he wrapped both arms tightly around the angrily rigid Tony and held on.
Tony struggled to release the grip but was just sober enough to realize he wasn't going to succeed.
********************************
Later...
Tony lay with his head in Gibbs lap. He opened his eyes and looked up warily. `Uh...Gibbs...about...uh...earlier.'
Gibbs took a deep breath, let it out slowly and reached for Tony's hand, gripping the fingers tightly in his. `You can yell at me. Just remember Ducky's gonna tear me a new one for not believing you, okay?'
Tony smiled at the mental picture. `Can I watch?'
Gibbs groaned. `I think Abby'll be selling tickets.'
End