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Peja's Wonderful World of Makebelieve Import
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Published:
2020-11-05
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1,180
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Not All It’s Cracked Up To Be

Summary:

How about Sentinel Gibbs and Guide Tony? Tony puts himself in the line of fire... Gibbs reacts.

Work Text:

Not All It’s Cracked Up To Be
by hawk_soaring

It was a routine case. And, as could happen at a moment’s notice, things went sideways pretty spectacularly. They were pinned down by gunfire. Their backup most likely wasn’t coming if what Tony expected was true – and Gibbs had to admit he was probably correct. Lieutenant Greene was a dirty cop and had been their liaison on the case. They were pretty much screwed.

When they had realized just how screwed they were, Tony had put a call in to McGee and Ziva, but they were still at least fifteen minutes away and wouldn’t be of any assistance. Not in time.

Gibbs looked over to where Lieutenant Greene lay dead on the floor of the warehouse. He felt no remorse for killing the man. If anyone needed to die today, it was him. And he’d drawn his weapon first. Hell, he’d had Tony in his sights and Gibbs’ blood had run cold.

A hand on his arm stirred Gibbs out of his reverie. It was Tony, his Guide – and he had nearly zoned again. Gibbs bit back a sigh and turned to Tony. “Thanks,” he said softly. His reward was Tony’s smile, something he could definitely get lost in – if they weren’t in the middle of a case and about to be cut to ribbons unless he could figure a way out of the deathtrap of a warehouse.

The gunfire died down and Gibbs ran a hand over his face as he and Tony leaned back against the crates they had taken refuge behind.

“They’ll be coming for us,” Tony said softly.

Gibbs wasn’t sure if he meant the people currently surrounding them or McGee and Ziva. Either way, Tony was correct. Gibbs nodded. “I need to see what’s out there, Tony.”

Tony’s hand tightened on his arm. “The minute you move, they’ll gun you down. You should listen to them, Boss. See if you can hear what they’re up to.”

Gibbs nodded. Not that he had planned to stand up and present a target to whomever was outside gunning for them, but he appreciated Tony’s input on how he should use his Sentinel gifts. Besides, it always gave him a thrill to know that Tony had his back and genuinely cared for him. Even if their relationship had started out as purely professional, over time the Sentinel/ Guide bond deepened their feelings for each other and Tony had moved in with Gibbs – into his house and into his bed. Gibbs hadn’t been this happy since he’d lost his wife and daughter years before.

Leaning back against the crate behind him, Gibbs took a calming breath and closed his eyes. Tony’s hand on his arm grounded him as he let his hearing range out beyond the doors of the warehouse, seeking out anyone and anything nearby. He could hear the whisper of clothing as people shifted. Whispered conversations. There was no time to wait for their back-up to arrive. These men were getting ready to storm the building. The plan was to come in hot and take them down hard. They knew the lieutenant was dead and that only the two federal agents were alive inside the building. It couldn’t look worse.

“They’re splitting up their forces,” Gibbs whispered. “Four going around to the back. Eight left out front. They don’t know we have back-up coming.

And then he heard sirens. They were faint, but it looked like the cavalry was coming after all. He turned to Tony with a smile – and someone opened fire. His hearing was still dialed high and the sound crashed through him in waves of agony. Dimly he saw Tony stand as he tugged at his body. Gibbs was lost in a cacophony of sound and he screamed.

Finally he was lying flat on his back and Tony crouched over him, whispering for him to dial his hearing back. But the pain had blown his senses wide open and there was nothing he could do. Tony put his hands over Gibbs’ ears as he softly talked him back from the edge.

The fire fight went on and Gibbs realized that their back-up had finally arrived.

“Sounds like our guys are here, Boss,” Tony said a little breathlessly. “We’re gonna be okay.”

After a couple of minutes the fire-fight seemed to die down a little. Gibbs sat up and rubbed the pain from his head with a weary hand.

“I’m gonna help, Boss,” Tony said as he stood.

Gibbs reached for him but Tony skipped out of his grasp. A growled “gotcha” was all the warning he got before someone fired from a much closer range. Red blossomed on Tony’s shirt and he slumped to the ground. Gibbs reacted without thought, lifting his weapon and firing almost without aiming. Someone had snuck around behind them while Gibbs had been incapacitated. Gibbs took the shooter out with one shot.

He could see Tony from where he crouched and it was killing him not to be able to run to his side. But he needed to be sure he could save his Guide, not put them both in danger. He tentatively stretched his hearing. There didn’t seem to be anyone inside the warehouse with them. Extending his senses further was dangerous without his Guide at his side, but he couldn’t risk not knowing.

“All clear!” Gibbs sighed in relief. “Gibbs?”

It was Ziva.

“Man down!” he answered as he hurried over to where Tony lay in an ever-widening pool of blood. “Stay with me, Tony,” he pleaded as he put pressure on the wound in Tony’s side.

And then people were all around them, pushing Gibbs aside and taking control of the situation. Tony was soon loaded onto a gurney and whisked away in an ambulance, Gibbs riding along, his fingers entwined with the cool ones of his unconscious Guide.

~*~

Gibbs was pacing in the hallway, arguing with Ducky in harsh whispers, when Tony woke after surgery. “He’s waking,” he growled as he turned toward Tony’s room.

Ducky’s hand on his arm stopped him. “Don’t take it out on him, Jethro,” Ducky said calmly.

Gibbs glared at his friend. “He put himself in danger!”

“He is a federal agent,” Ducky answered. “It’s his job.”

Gibbs growled and then bolted into Tony’s room, hurrying over to his Guide’s side and grasping his hand gently. Tony’s eyes fluttered open and Gibbs stared down into Tony’s eyes.

“S-sorry, Boss,” he rasped.

Gibbs sighed. “Don’t ever do that to me again, Tony. I couldn’t take losing you.” He brought Tony’s fingers to his lips and kissed them gently.

Tony smiled. “I will try not to.”

Gibbs didn’t like that answer but he knew that Tony’s job was dangerous and there was no way that he was going to work without his Guide at his side. He would just have to take better care of him.

“You can’t put me in a bubble,” Tony said.

Gibbs stared. Sometimes he thought Tony could actually read his mind. “Are you okay?” he asked.

Tony nodded and then winced. “Getting shot is not all it’s cracked up to be.”

Gibbs chuckled. If Tony could make jokes at a time like this, he knew his Guide would be fine.

end