Prologue

Paperwork had to be one of the devil’s punishments for mortals before they even set foot into his domain officially. Agent Timothy McGee didn’t know where he had read this quote but he agreed wholeheartedly. He spellchecked his last paragraph and closed the finalized document afterward with a relieved sigh. At least he had the advantage of being fluent in ten finger typing and required office legalese to deal with the administrative bullshit in triplicate, unlike some of his colleagues.

McGee raised his head and looked over to the desk next to his own. What he saw confirmed something the lack of typing sounds had already told him. One particular colleague who should try to compensate for his inadequacies with elbow grease was instead staring sightlessly straight ahead.

A month ago McGee would have enjoyed this opportunity as a way to get one over Anthony DiNozzo. He would have said something about Tony’s underdeveloped brain needing some downtime to recuperate, like an outdated computer processor overheating. Or that even if he had chosen PhysEd at college, he should have used it for something useful and looked up training methods for his finger muscles if they tired so easily.

And why shouldn’t he? It would be deserved payback: Tony needled McGee constantly with his stupid variations of Tim’s surname and his equally stupid probie comments, the endless unasked for advice and whatever else came to his mind. He hadn’t been a probationary agent for years! Didn’t that mean something? Wasn’t he entitled a little more respect now?

But a few weeks ago Tony had stopped reacting to his jibes. What worried McGee even more was that Tony had stopped making jibes back too. Everyone, even Ziva, was slowly getting nervous and waiting for the other shoe to drop. DiNozzo was still doing his job, and doing it very well, even Tim had to grudgingly acknowledge that, but something essential was missing. No movie references, no flirting! A silent DiNozzo must surely be the sign of the upcoming apocalypse.

Nevertheless, if their gruff Boss came back down from MTAC and found his Senior Agent lost in lala-land there would be hell to pay.
“Eh…Tony?� No reaction. “Tony!�
Finally he got a reaction, but it wasn’t the one he had wanted. DiNozzo moved, but instead of answering, he powered down his computer, searched for his cell phone, and then stood up and strode towards the exit.

“Tell Gibbs my report is in the inbox. I double checked it, it should be all right. Tell him I'm taking some personal time, Vance knows about it, the forms are signed and in the inbox too.� Tony pushed past Ziva who had just gotten off the elevator. “Tell him... hell, I don’t care what you tell him.�
The silver doors closed with a soft click and left one flabbergasted Agent and a clueless Mossad Officer behind.

“I take it Agent Gibbs will not be pleased?�
Tim just looked at her.

.-#-.

10 days later Special Agent DiNozzo was back at work and behaving as if nothing had happened, as if he had just gone home yesterday. He refused to answer questions, not even Gibbs’s pointed stares could make him say anything. Whatever he did during those 10 days, it had at least improved his disposition.

The old Tony was back with a vengeance, poor McGee’s tongue could attest to that and he would never bite into anything Tony volunteered ever again. His prankster colleague had taken offence at an innocent remark about Tony showing loyalty to the navy with the colour of his fancy suit and retaliated by mixing blue non-toxic paint into Tim’s sandwich. To show McGee’s inner sailor he would look ridiculous in uniform, according to a smirking Senior Agent. To think that McGee had ever been worried about the brat…

“Gas the truck McGee, grab your gear, we have a case.� Gibbs strode past his agents, knowing they would jump to follow him. They always did.

Everything was as it should be.


.-#-.

NCIS Agents were hard to surprise. Double crossing, spies, Y-Pestis powder, the daily encounters with various criminals and the sheer stupidity of the human race in general left their mark.

A black man in a taxi driver uniform, leading a young girl into the room didn’t even rate a second look from most of the Agents. Both visitors clearly didn’t belong in the squad room but they also weren’t a danger. The girl was approximately eight year old and could have been called cute with her dark brown untidy pig tails and her grey-blue eyes, but her puffy eyes and scowling mouth dared anyone to call her sweet. Her adult companion tried to take her hand and earned himself a derisive eye-roll for his effort.

It was an old habit, a result of his military training, but Agent Gibbs had positioned his desk with free line of sight to the main elevator and proximity to the stairs to MTAC in mind. Thus he could easily follow the comings and goings in the room. Probably nobody who knew him and his quirks when children were involved was surprised when he stood up and went to greet the visitors. McGee and David leaned over their desks to follow the encounter.

“Afternoon. May I help you?� Gibbs crouched down and smiled at the girl. Normally anyone else, with the possible exception of red haired women and Marines in distress, would have gotten just a terse “What do ya want?� ,if they were lucky.

The girl sized him up, shook her head, shrugged her shoulders and then ignored him in favor of looking around the room, clearly searching for someone. There had to be a first time for everything, normally kids and Gibbs just clicked. Gibbs grinned, amused at this exception to the rule.

“Cat got your tongue?�

“She’s not chatty. Picked her up in front of a school downtown.� The driver made an uncomfortable gesture. “She had the address and money for the cab fare.�

That didn’t sit well with Gibbs. “There was no one with her?�

“Nah, no one, and the doors of the school were closed.� An angry growl from the Agent made him stumble over his words and he hurried to explain further. “Normally I don’t ferry kids without an adult, that’s against regulations, but I couldn’t let her stand there, wouldn’t have been right. Little girl all alone. My brother was in the Navy and he talked about you guys. You’re some kinda cops so I thought, bring her here, you would know what to do with her.�

The kid had her back to the two men conversing, jumped up and down to peek over the room dividers.

“Do you know what she wants with NCIS?�

Before the cabbie could answer he was distracted by a delighted squeal and a little whirlwind blew past him to throw herself against a tall Agent who had just come down the stairs from MTAC carrying some files: files which were hastily put down in favour of catching his miniature assailant.

“Sam! What the hell are you doing here?�

Gibbs raised himself to his full height, his eyes took in the picture of man and girl, the later sobbing into the expensive jacket of his senior agent. “Good question DiNozzo. Care to share some answers?�

End Prologue

Chapters 1-5 are finished, but not beta read.

Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs took pride in the fact that he knew almost everything about his Agents and especially about his Senior Agent, one Anthony DiNozzo. Ordinary things, seemingly unimportant ones, like patterns on china or which wine was preferred could fill in details that lead to understanding a person. Gibbs had a knack for cataloging even unimportant puzzle pieces and assembling them, it made him an especially skilled interrogator. The better one knew the subject, the easier it was to judge and manipulate situations.

Another, related thing he took pride in, was how he managed to get 110% effort out of his Agents because he knew them so well. Gibbs liked to have the best performing team at his beck and call. If he liked to see a particular Agent perform for him more than the others, if his internal file about the man was much thicker than others, well, that was unimportant, was it? It had no negative impact on the job they did.

Now, watching Tony interact with their surprise guest, it was like a slap to the face. Man and girl clearly knew each other and not just as acquaintances. That was one huge detail to have missed. The scowl on Gibbs’ face deepened and he had to unclench his hands. A scowling Gibbs was nothing new or noteworthy. White knuckles and fists while facing his Senior Agent? Not so much.

“Eh… looks like the little one found what she came for. I’m going back to my cab.� The taxi driver was more than happy to flee the scene, he could feel the tension in the air. He took a careful step in direction of the elevator. A commanding “No!� spoken simultaneously from both DiNozzo and Gibbs made him pause. With a sigh the taxi driver froze in place.

“I will have some questions for you in a moment. You’re not going anywhere!� bellowed DiNozzo.

It was painful to watch Tony and the girl. Was she a friend’s kid or a relative? Tony didn’t have many relatives and none were in DC. And Tony’s friends, from what he told his team about them, generally weren’t the kind with kids. Children and bonging beers didn’t mix, at least they shouldn’t.

Keen blue eyes tried to find similarities between them. Easier said then done because Sam - wasn’t that what his agent had called her? - had pressed her face into Tony’s neck and was sobbing her heart out while he tried to calm her down. Clumsily. The pats on her back were awkward and Tony fumbled with holding her securely. Maybe it was someone he met and told that he would help if there was danger. Gibbs hadn’t seen any wounds, just the small bruises children tended to collect at that age as easily as the dirt on their clothes. He could give them a little time. His gut told him that this had nothing to do with NCIS, it was clearly of personal nature.

Upset children were notoriously impossible to reason with until they calmed down. Gibbs should know and- he looked down at his hands, unclenched them and concentrated on the duo in front of him again.

The lull in conversation made the cabbie attempt to reason with the agents. “I have to go. I have to work too, ya know. Gotta earn some money.�

Gibbs turned around, took the driver by the arm, snatched Ziva’s chair and planted the man in front of his own desk. “We don’t know what this is about and may need your input and statement. Sit down.� Tim and Ziva were following the proceedings with big eyes. It was a little bit like watching tennis. Watch their boss intimidate the poor cabbie or ogle the most kid-phobic team mate being smothered and slobbered on?

It annoyed their boss that they couldn’t think of something productive to do. He could help them with that, and fast! “McGee, go fetch something to drink for the girl. Juice, pop, just not something with caffeine. And coffee for me and our other visitor. David, run down to the entrance and ask them why they sent them up without an escort!�

“Yes boss!�

“Gibbs.�

They scurried away, reluctant about leaving all the entertainment behind. In the meantime Tony had freed himself and the much calmer girl was sitting on his desk while he searched his drawers, muttering something about hankies.

Gibbs growled, stuck his hand into his own pocket. Retrieving a clean handkerchief, he offered it to the sniffling little urchin. She refused to take it and even crossed her arms defiantly in front of her chest, fiddling with her visitor’s patch in the process. Gibbs squinted at the name on it but it was half hidden. “It’s clean, take it�

Tony resurfaced, empty handed, looked between his boss and Sam and sighed. He took the offering and held it in front of her face. “Say ‘thank you’ to the nic- ehm, to my boss.� He accompanied the words with signs after he had closed her fingers around the cloth.

She was deaf. Another detail he had missed. Maybe he was getting old. On the other hand it wasn’t unusual for frightened children to not say anything, if they didn’t babble instead.

“Sam?� Interestingly the sign Tony used resembled the mathematical sign for eternal.

She was still concentrating on Gibbs in a decidedly not friendly manner and Tony had to tap her on the shoulder to get her attention. “Stop it. Your mother raised you better than that. Say thank you and use the hanky, please. And he knows ASL, so that’s no excuse for being rude.� He wore a look of deep concentration as his hands awkwardly and slowly signed his words.

Gibbs remembered more than one occasion where Tony had shown interest in sign language. He had put it down as one of the typical flights of jealousy his Agent was prone to show whenever his boss shared something he couldn’t take part in with another member of the team, not necessarily genuine interest in learning a new language. It had never ceased to amuse the gray haired Agent to bait the younger man.

He had imagined Tony’s elegant hands performing the intricate signs of the language of the deaf. And he would have liked to be the one to teach Tony but it had never came up. They were too occupied with cases and day to day NCIS work. Plus, it would have been something deeply personal, something Gibbs craved but avoided. Gibbs pressed his lips together and forced himself to concentrate at the matter at hand. This was developing into a day of revelations and he really, really didn’t like it at all.

Tony was still concentrating on Sam, his hair standing on end, a victim of his nervous fingers. She signed something back at him and Gibbs’ mouth relaxed and twitched.

Tony had more difficulties understanding what had been signed, but before Gibbs could offer help he got it. “I stutter? Please excuse me for not being fluent. Again, what is going on here? You should be at school. Sam? You're not hurt, are you?�

Interestingly he didn’t inquire about anyone else. Shouldn’t he ask about her parents or whoever she belonged with?

She snorted into the hanky and then folded the now slightly damp blue striped piece of cloth in different shapes until Tony snatched it away. He shuddered slightly and placed it onto his desk instead of pocketing the thing. Armani and kid’s snot didn’t go together well and a fixed stare from Gibbs communicated clearly that he didn’t want it back either, not in this condition.

“Sam, now please. You’ve got me worried. And you're holding up business.�
She hopped to the ground, stomped her foot and began to sign furiously.

“Slow down!�

“DiNozzo, she says-“

“No! She can tell me herself.� Another new thing, Tony sounded firm and uncompromising. “And without the temper tantrum. Sam, slow down, I cannot follow.� Then he swallowed hard and his green eyes caught surprised blue ones over the head of the kid. He didn’t sign the next bit. “Boss, please, let me handle this or… ye gods… I will explain later. But- will you tell me if she says something I have to know at once?� Gibbs read the insecurity and frustration in his agent’s eyes and something else, something intangible. He nodded and held himself back. It seemed as if at least some of the trust he had shared with Tony was still there, even if his perception of their relationship gone slightly topsy-turvy.

The girl, in the aggravating manner of little children, refused to follow orders, her gestures were getting more forceful by the minute. Gibbs suppressed his reactions to the tale her little fingers told and leaned back to observe how Tony wanted to handle it. If he could handle it at all. It didn’t seem to be something life threatening, so Gibbs’ immediate input wasn’t needed.

“Sam.� DiNozzo snipped his fingers in front of her face and then turned around and crossed his arms, showing her his uncompromising back so he couldn’t see her anymore. That brought her up short. Her breathing normalized and she hiccuped. Then she went to him and touched his back, trying to get his attention again and to convey that she was sorry.

Who would have thought it. Between the Zack disaster and now, Anthony DiNozzo seemed to have acquired not only basic knowledge of ASL but some clues about how to deal with girls under the age of eighteen. And Gibbs hadn’t known. Hadn’t known and it stung like he wouldn’t believe.

Tony turned around and she began to sign anew, significantly slower than before. “No, no, I don’t believe you are a thief. Its okay.�

For the benefit of the audience and with frequent looks at Gibbs to verify that he got it right, Tony translated what Sam told him. “No, no, I REALLY don’t believe you're a thief. Calm down already. So your classmate said you tried to steal her cell phone and-“ he wrinkled his nose in disbelief; “said to the teacher she searched for it and had found it in your bag, smashed to pieces because you couldn't crack her pin code. And then Sophie-Ann held up the one I gave you two days ago, said it was hers and that you are a dumb, stupid thieving idiot.�

Sam nodded vigorously and once again stomped her foot. A disjointed gurgling sound escaped her throat and new tears sprung to her eyes, alarming his poor Senior Agent.

“Bet she lost it and now the little one is inventing stories to cover it up,� grumbled the taxi driver, annoyed and impatient because his good deed of the day used up more of his time than he had thought possible. Unfortunately the girl had him in her line of sight and she clearly understood some of what he had said because she stomped to him and only Tony’s hold on her arm prevented an unfortunate incident. She looked ready to claw the man’s eyes out.

“I believe you, I believe you, don’t start again. And you.� He turned his attention to the driver. “She can read lips to some extent, she’s a smart kid, so watch what you say. Such a story can be easily verified, and she knows it and what would happen if she lied to me, don’t you?�

Sam nodded her head and signed. Gibbs choked on a burst of laughter and raised his eyebrow at his suddenly red faced senior agent.
“Rule number 5: don’t lie to me. I will find out and there will be hell to pay and rule number 7: always be specific when you lie, as long as it to someone else, never to me?� Gibbs translated, holding back a smile.

Tony squirmed. “Ah boss… you know, plagiarizing can be seen as one hell of a compliment.�

“Uh-huh.�

A sharp clapping sound called them back to the matter at hand.

“Ok, so the teacher didn’t believe you and gave the cell to Sophie-Ann and dragged you to the Principal’s Office. Mrs. Raynolds suspended you.�

Sam nodded.

“And I picked her up in front of the school and brought her here, end of story, can I go now?� The cabbie tried to stand up, got caught in the stare of icy blue eyes and sank down again.

“Apparently not.�

“DiNozzo, there wasn’t anyone with her when he picked her up.�

“What?!�

The girl confirmed it and shrugged her shoulders. She didn’t get why the adults were so angry about this little fact when there were more important things to consider, like her being called a thief. The cabbie sighed and after a careful glimpse to Gibbs, retold his part of the story. Gibbs could clearly see that DiNozzo was anything but happy with the tale.

David and McGee returned, Ziva had been held up by the director and could only tell them that the guy at the front desk was new, stupid and would be reprimanded. McGee was slightly winded from his hunt for refreshments. Coffee had been the easy part. Every agent who liked to survive the wrath of Gibbs learned to acquire the brew fast within the first day of working for him. Fruit juice on the other hand-

“Tony? Who is she? Do we have a new case?�

David leaned against the room divider and let the computer geek ask the questions.

“Everyone, this is Sam Peltier. She is my daughter. I will answer your questions later. No, not a case but I will kick someone’s ass about it anyway.�

His daughter. Tony’s daughter. That was a possibility he hadn’t wanted to contemplate. His daughter…

For more than one moment there was silence all around. People looked between man and daughter, clearly shocked. Agents in neighboring aisles had been following the scene more or less discreetly and everyone knew that the news would spread like wildfire within minutes.

“Get over it. Yeah, I procreated. So do a lot of people.�

‘Tony…’ His senior Agent looked defiant and stubborn, and more than a little bit hurt by their reaction and incredulity. Gibbs longed to cuff him softly on the back of his head to insert some sense of normality but refrained. They could work it out later.

Tony exchanged a look with his boss, squared his shoulders and began to direct the circus Sam had caused. Gibbs let him, he wouldn’t say much in front of the child but he really looked forward to a conversation with Tony.

Ziva was told to write down the cabbie’s statement and make him sign it. Leaving an eight year old girl to fight for herself in the middle of DC might not be an offense worth the attention of NCIS, but Gibbs, and apparently DiNozzo, begged to differ.

Tony took the juice, handed it to the girl and introduced Sam to McGee. “Sam, meet Timothy McGee. He's nice. Don’t torture him. Probie, this is Sam. She can't hear you but she is good at reading lips if you speak slowly. Would you take her to the vending machine, please and then show her around a little?� That he needed her out of the way went unsaid.

DiNozzo had been accompanying every word he said since Sam’s appearance with signs, even if the message wasn’t directed at the deaf girl. Yep, he was -as Sam had put it- stuttering, the flow of his signs not smooth at all and Tony was simplifying the vocabulary, but he managed to communicate well enough.

“Don’t lose her, don’t give her too much sugar, don’t let her see anything a little girl shouldn’t see. That means no to Ducky’s and no to Abby’s. Stay away from teams with active cases. Here’s some money and a pad to communicate.�

Sam clearly had other ideas and her hands made that known but Tony signed in return ‘You are not in trouble, at least not with me if your story is true and I need to make a call and probably use some words you shouldn’t witness. Please sweetheart, do as I say.’ Then he pulled playfully at her pigtails and she subsided.

Gibbs smirked, secretly enjoying that it wasn’t him Tony tried to send away. Not that he would have gone. McGee was gulping and squirming, obviously intimidated by the assessing stare directed at him by one little girl and her imperiously offered hand. He was a good agent, he would deal with the situation and keep her safe.

As soon as they turned around the corner Tony picked up his phone and dialed.

.-#-.

Agent DiNozzo listened to the ringing on the line and waited for someone to pick up. While waiting he contemplated the mess this day had developed into. ‘And never the twain shall meet.’ Tony couldn’t remember if it had been Dickens who said that but he would have been happy if it applied to his boss and his little girl. This was exactly the situation he had tried to prevent and judging by the eagle eyed look of Gibbs' it would get worse before it hopefully got better.

But would it have been too much to hope for more time? Months would have been fantastic. Mere weeks- he simply wasn’t ready.

Two years prior there wouldn’t have been anything to ponder, he would have informed Gibbs about everything the minute Sam entered his life. But things were different after the Mexico disaster. Yes, even if Ziva and McGee wouldn’t believe it, he liked to keep private things private, apart from tales about his conquests. Those were designed to rile up his co-workers more than anything else. The Boss mostly hadn’t reacted at all to the boasting as long as it didn’t interfere with the work, more’s the pity.

He didn’t trust Ziva with Sam, even though the woman had shown that she had his back in the field, he had a feeling she still collected leverage to be used when needed. And McGee tended to bubble when nervous and talk more than he should. Gibbs… Tony really didn’t want to attract his attention, firstly he felt like enough of a fuck up without the input of the child savvy, perfect, all knowing Leroy Jethro Gibbs and secondly… if he was honest it looked like pettiness.

Gibbs never wanted to know what happened outside work since he came back. So Tony just followed directions for once, Gibbs should be content and not pissed off. Tony was displeased with his boss’ behavior but that didn’t mean that he wanted to hurt Gibbs by reminding him of the child he lost. Meeting Tony’s own eight year old daughter ��" you didn’t have to be Nostradamus to predict the possible fallout.

A voice demanded to know his business, probably not for the first time either, but he had been lost in his thoughts.

“Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo. I want to speak with the Principal.� Using his title was mean but he didn’t feel like applying a soft touch with people who endangered his Sam. And it tended to get him what he wanted a lot faster than plain old Mr. DiNozzo would.

“Please wait for a second; I will inquire if she has time for you Agent DiNozzo.�

More Muzzak assaulted his ears, couldn’t people chose something else or did they want to discourage callers to stay on the line on purpose? Then the voice of a different woman wanted to know his business. Tony was icily polite when he demanded her side of today’s happenings. He hadn’t had much contact with the principal in the last few weeks, mostly because after some initial fireworks, he had decided to avoid the woman. Instead, he had spoken to a councillor once and with the secretary to update Sam's file in order to add his contact information. Information they should have used today!

Unsurprisingly, Principal Reynolds insisted that everything that had happened earlier that day had been Sam’s fault and that the suspension and note in her school records would stand.

“Principal Reynolds, listen. I was the one who bought her that cell phone. I don’t care what the other girl said.� Sam had been so proud when he gave her the gizmo. She had been especially happy with the inbuilt camera and the amount of free short messages and video messages she could send to him with it. There was no way she lost it or damaged it herself.

“Mr. DiNozzo, Sally-Ann Coultier insists that she is telling the truth and I tend to believe her. She even quoted some features this particular model has and one of her friends backed her up. In contrast to your daughter, who is prone to outbursts and sullen behaviour, especially during the last few weeks, Sally-Ann is a very sweet girl with an even temper. Why should she lie?�

“Sam lost her mother and stepfather; she has reason to be upset. You and your staff are are supposed to be professionals when it comes to special needs of children in difficult circumstances, you should not need me to point it out. I do not care why Sally-Ann lied, or why Sally-Ann's friend lied. It can be proven easily enough. You have the phone in question? I'll come over to collect her things and then I'll take a look at the cell and its chip. Even if the electronics are shot to hell, the chip should be alright. It doesn’t sound as if the damage is that big and short of water or fire damage it's just a question of inserting it into another phone. Or let someone else do it if you don't trust my word. The data on the chip should clearly show who the owner is.�

There was silence and then some stuttering on the other end of the line. Tony looked at Gibbs. The older man’s expressive blue eyes told of his approval, he had followed the conversation over the extension headset. They solved bigger mysteries every day. One little schoolyard dispute should be easy to handle.

“I could ask one of my colleagues to check the GPS of my daughter’s cell and track it’s position.�

“That's a lot of effort for one little incident.� The woman clearly wasn’t as sanguine as she would like to pretend.

“I don’t like my daughter being called a thief. I do not like it at all. She is only eight years old but even at that age the accusation can hurt her.� Coultier, where had he heard that name? Suddenly something else made sense and he nearly snarled. The school was a fairly prestigious institution for children who were talented, handicapped by some bodily restriction, rich- or any of the above. In this case, rich was apparently the deciding factor.

“Furthermore, I do not care if the other girl’s father is a business mogul. I wouldn’t care if he was the President himself. You will make time for me this afternoon, say at four o’clock? We will talk about it then and about something else too. Please see to it that the phone is there.� He would have to take time off but in this special case he didn’t think Gibbs would give him any trouble, not when it concerned Tony’s little girl.

“I don’t know if there is a free slot. It is very nearly the end of the school year and I am a busy woman.�

“I will be accompanied by someone-“ his lawyer if he could arrange it.

“Michelle just told me that someone has cancelled his appointment at half past five. Does that suit your needs? But I have to tell you, regardless of the outcome of the conversation, your daughter has shown a troubling tendency to cause problems and we at St. Margaret’s cannot justify housing and educating our other children with such a violent pupil. Fisticuffs are not proper behaviour, no matter the reason. You will have to search for another school for her in the fall.�

San hadn’t mentioned anything about a fist fight but it shouldn’t surprise him. She had a temper. Another little conversation he dreaded to have.

“Half past five suits me just fine. Have a nice day Principal Reynolds and please have my daughter’s things ready for me to collect. I will be checking that everything is accounted for.�

“I don't like what you're insinuating.�

“I don't like your assumptions either.�

“Good day.� She hung up and Tony stopped the recording. All this over one eight year old girl and teachers who saw the social hierarchies of their pupil’s parents instead of their pupil’s personalities and needs.

Ziva handed Gibbs the signed report from the taxi driver who shook hands with each of them and was obviously happy to get away. Tony handed him a substantial tip, the guy had looked out for his girl, he deserved it.

Ziva, after a commanding gesture from Gibbs, accompanied the cabbie to the elevator.

The gray haired Agent looked imploringly at DiNozzo. “You didn’t mention the fact that they let her lose all alone in DC.�

“You always told me to keep something back as leverage and I will mention it to her later, bet on it.� Tony rolled his shoulders to dispense some tension. The he looked at his boss from under his eyelashes to judge his mood. At the moment he would describe Gibbs as thoughtful, assessing and relentless. Wasn’t Tony a lucky boy today, now that the cat was out of the bag he wouldn’t be able to escape the inquisition.

“I'm going with you," stated Gibbs firmly.

Oh. God. On the one hand, if he wasn’t so angry with her he would pity the principal having to face pissed off Gibbs, on the other hand he really, really didn’t want to draw Gibbs further into this tangled mess.

"McGee will be back soon. Since we're not working a case right now, we can focus on Sam. How about we have our favourite ME come up and take a look at her. You know he'd love to hang out with her, and that will give us a chance to talk.� his smile turned predatory. "And we will be talking, DiNozzo."

Ducky was a very good idea, especially if Sam had been in a fist fight. She hadn’t shown any pain but who knew with children? The talk on the other hand… Tony sighed as he reached for his headache pills.

End chapter 1

The official conference rooms of NCIS had been the stage for a lot of interesting meetings. Tony DiNozzo checked his surroundings and shook his head. His father’s third wife had tortured the family with her inane ramblings about interior designs and he had done his best to forget what she had said. He had to give Natalie her dues, she wouldn’t have made this mistake. Whoever had decided that orange and earth tones would provide a soothing background for possible emotionally charged meetings should have his or her head examined. It might have been intended to be encouraging and up-beat but the last thing they needed now was more energy.

A big table with modern chairs dominated the room, some smaller ones had been positioned along the far wall to provide space for files, water pitchers, snacks and other things that would otherwise distract from official looming cleanliness of the oval center table and its purpose.

Tony had heaved his clingy daughter on the big table, stood beside her and waited for Ducky to appear. The four adults huddled around the child, exchanging uncomfortable looks over Sam’s head. So much attention had finally managed to intimidate the girl, Her dad could feel her trembling under his hands even if she faced the strangers with a raised chin. The only one who didn’t look unsure was, to no one’s surprise, Gibbs. Tony couldn’t help but envy him. Pissed off to the point of inscrutable seemed to be Gibbs’ default settings in emotionally difficult situations, covering everything up in a camouflage blanket of storm and lightning. Both men used different masks to cover what lay beneath. While Tony’s smile worked to cover up inner feelings, it didn't strike the same note of fear into the beholder as Gibbs' don't fuck with me stare.

It was interesting that the appearance of Sam could cause such a disturbance, but Tony had always tried to understand people’s reactions and their motives. This case was easy. His colleagues had been complacent in their belief that they knew Tony DiNozzo well, that there was nothing more to him. It didn’t help that he had encouraged them in that belief. Sam's existence threw them a curve-ball and they were pissed off because it called their observational powers into question, made them feel incompetent. They wanted to get on even keel again. It happened every time Tony stepped outside his role. And they never seemed to learn.

Dr. Donald Mallard entered the room, greeted them cheerfully and was promptly introduced to Sam. She beamed when he made a very formal bow. Tony helped her off the table, this was a new acquaintance she didn’t feel uncomfortable with. People might find it strange that he wanted a coroner to act as his daughter’s physician but Tony couldn’t think of a doctor he trusted more. Ducky examined her and found some souvenirs of her fight with Sophie-Ann. Scratches on her arms and shoulder and a bite mark the good doctor wanted to treat. The other adults quietly observed the duo, the weight of the discussion they couldn't have with Sam able to see them hanging heavily in the air between them.

Ducky smiled indulgently, nodded at Tony understandingly, and coaxed his patient to the far side of the room, a small writing pad facilitating conversation between them. Halfway there he stopped and raised his voice. “Ah, I probably should tell you that Abigail is on her way up.� Soon Sam was busily scribbling something on the pad and the doctor attentively smiled at her.

At least the gang would be in full attendance and Tony would only have to tell the ‘not so sordid tale of how Anthony DiNozzo managed to spread his genes’ once, so he waited and used the opportunity to arranged words in his head. Tsunami Abby was fast approaching and ready to drown them with babbling.

“Tony, is it true? Why didn’t you tell me?� The energetic Goth stormed into the conference room. She threw her arms around Tony’s neck and torso and jumped up and down, nearly smothering him.

“Abby, air in my lungs would be good!� As much as he loved the Goth, at the moment she was too much for his frazzled nerves. A moment later, help came from an unexpected source. Abby yelped and backed off, rubbing her ribs where a sharp elbow had poked her out of the way to make room for a scowling obstruction.

Tony had a short, panicky vision of what his overtired and exasperating daughter could do to the lab tech and it wasn’t a pretty picture. Playground scuffles, from what he had been told, could provide a Marine with pointers about down and dirty fighting. Another thing he should address, his charming daughter’s problem with dealing with aggression peacefully. Problems left, right and center and he was floundering helplessly.

He knew from experience (and hadn’t that been another fucked up situation, he still had nightmares about their excursion to the zoo last week) that Sam knew were to punch and how to yank to make it count. And Abby’s outfit - short plaid skirt, skull and bones T-shirt and so many clinking chains a ghost would be envious of them - gave enough weak points for a possible attack. He had hoped that these two girls would like each other if they ever met, but it wasn’t going according to plan.

“You’re Sam, yes? You are so cute; your dad has the same pout anytime someone doesn’t pay attention to him too.� Nope, Abby didn’t seem to be put off, but she wasn’t earning herself any brownie-points either.
“Tony, she just looks like you except for the eyes! And they told me she can sign.� That was something he never understood, how people insisted that children resembled the parents. Yeah, they shared the same hair color but how could anyone tell what these childish features would look like one day? He, himself looked nothing like his father, and thank God for small mercies.

“You wouldn’t believe the rumors I’ve heard!� Abby exclaimed.

“I would, but you don’t have to tell me.� He didn’t want to hear it and Sam didn’t need to know. Office rumor tended to be vicious. He could clearly remember what they whispered about, just within his hearing range of course, after he was demoted when Gibbs came back from his sojourn in Mexico.

“Now Abby, you interrupted a very important consultation. This little lady needs my professional services. The cuts on her shoulder will not disinfect themselves, so how about I take her back to the table and you speak with Tony.� Ducky smiled disarmingly down at Sam and she beamed back up at him. The Medical Examiner had won her over completely.

“I can translate for you.� Abby’s hands were busy signing but when her sunny smile wasn’t met with approval by either party her enthusiasm finally faltered. Ducky shook his head.

“That’s not necessary. Sempera and I have no problem communicating with each other. Something other people," a stern glance was thrown in Gibbs’ direction, “fail to accomplish spectacularly without having the excuse of a handicap and should really work on achieving.� He returned to one of the tables on the far side of the room where his bag had been placed and prepared some gauze. Ducky was a patient man, he would get the whole story later.

“Sempera?� Four voices exclaimed unison. Tony could have strangled the quirky M.E.

“A very special name for a very special girl. I asked her what her full name is and she spelled it out for me.� Dr. Mallard walked back over to them and extended his free hand to Sam. “The tincture is drying up, please come over and let me apply it to those nasty scratches. We don’t want them to scar. And you can have a look into my bag.�

Tony raised his hands to translate but it really wasn’t necessary, Sam seemed to have no problem understanding Ducky’s body language and he spoke clearly enough for her to lip read the rest. His patient made two steps in his direction and then turned around again and addressed Abby. ‘Don’t grab -‘ She made a name sign and nodded in Tony’s direction’ again. I do not like it.’ Off she went to the doctor, peeling her sweater away from the injured shoulder. Abby was not taken aback by the attitude.

“Possessive, isn’t she. How sweet. But, Sempera?� She sniggered.

Well, that was at least an opening he could use. "Ok, let's get this over with. Her name wasn't my idea, so don't look at me like that."." Tony sighed and avoided looking at his boss, but before he could go on he was interrupted.

“They're saying she's your lovechild with one of your former partners when you were a detective in Peoria, and-"

“Abby, shut up. Let him explain. And you know that I hate scuttlebutt.� Gibbs’ reprimand made her pout prettily. Wasn’t that a laugh. Tony knew that the boss listened to rumors; he just hated it when his people repeated them without checking the facts first.

Gibbs leaned against the center table, Ziva and McGee flanked him. For just one moment, Tony imagined simply refusing to answer anything. He sighed. But that wouldn't sail. They would haunt him, or investigate Sam. It was better if the information came from him, so he knew they got it right at least.

“Ok, ok.� He positioned himself with his back to the corner where Ducky and Sam were occupied with examining the medical bag. His collagues and boss were leaning on the table and he was facing them without any support which gave him an unwanted dejà vue back to college. Oral presentations had never been his strong suit. Tony drew a deep breath, and began. “I didn’t know that I had a daughter. Remember the incident with the sperm bank?� They should, it had been embarrassing enough.

“Nobody wanted little DiNozzos.� McGee still looked disgustingly pleased.

“Turns out nobody got the chance to have little DiNozzos.� How to put it as simply as possible, all the facts without touching the more sensitive issues? “My father was never happy with me and due to a medical condition he couldn’t try for a better heir. So he bought the whole batch, don’t ask me how he knew and it isn’t important, kept it stored as a back-up and waited for the right moment to use it. He paid a woman named Evelyn Peltier a lot of money so she would let herself be artificially inseminated and voilà, nine months later Sam was born. No big secret, no torrid love affair, so sorry to disappoint you.�

Abby looked a little bit abashed and smiled apologetically. He could forgive her insensitivity, he knew she didn’t have one malicious bone in her body. McGee and Ziva on the other hand - they were both gaping at him, McGeek more obvious than Miss Superspy. Served them right to think the worst of him and then be proven wrong. Tony stuck his hands in his pockets. The next part was much harder.

"Problem was, Sam was born deaf and my elitist father refused to accept a cripple as his heiress.� A dangerous growl came, predictably, from Gibbs’ direction. “Hey, his words, not mine. I tell it to you like he told me.� His darling father had said that he should have known, after the disappointment Tony had been, that all offspring out of his loins would be also flawed beyond redemption. �He didn’t try again and left Sam with her mother instead of raising her himself.�

“Maybe not his worst decision.� Gibbs voiced his opinion and Tony agreed.

“No, Evelyn was, as far as I know, a very nice woman and good to Sam. She needed the money to pay some debts or lose her house. Never met her or her husband.�

“And Sam’s name? It means always in Latin, doesn’t it?� Ziva asked. Couldn’t she have forgotten about that? Gibbs would either love it or be angry.

“Yes, it does. It isn’t a good name for a little girl, sorry Boss, but it isn’t. Like I told you, I wasn’t there to veto it. One of the reasons my father chose Peltier was her profession. She was a marine, she was dedicated to the corps. Think about our boss’ favorite saying.�

He saw understanding dawning in Ziva’s and McGee’s faces. Tony mouthed the words but didn’t speak them out loud, in a way he didn’t feel like he had the right to do so. Gibbs had never let him use a Marine uniform for undercover work even if it would have been a possible option and he always got the impression that his boss wouldn’t be happy about Tony using the Marine motto either. It stung, but he had always tried to stick to the rules, spoken and unspoken.

Against his expectations, Gibbs hadn’t shown a reaction to Tony’s explanation or what he thought about Sam’s name. Tony didn’t add further details of how his little girl got her name, his collagues didn’t need them to understand the situation. It was connected to why Evelyn Peltier had been selected and when he talked to his father- His cruel words still rang in Tony's ears, ‘I tried to lessen any impact your sissy genes might have had. Someone patriotic, intelligent, strong and loyal had to be chosen. I should have known that you would taint everything you touched.’

“That doesn't explain how you're involved. You said you never met the woman?� Gibbs finally asked a question. Tony could imagine him assembling the puzzle in his mind. Gibbs had more background information about Tony’s family than the others to fill in some of the details Tony left out.

“Told you, my father wanted nothing to do with her, but he was at least responsible enough to create a substantial trust fund for Sam and find a home for her.� And a lot of legal papers dealing with disinheritance and other oh so important things. “The Peltiers kept Sam. I probably wouldn't have ever known about her. About three months ago there was an accident. Drunk driver torpedoed Peltier’s car. He was dead immediately, Evelyn died two days later in the hospital. The drunkard walked away nearly without a scratch. My name was on Sam’s birth certificate and, something I am grateful for; additionally I was named in the Peltiers' will as Sam’s guardian in case something happened to her mother and stepfather. You cannot imagine how surprised I was when social services contacted me. I accepted the responsibility and tried to get to know her in the ten days I was off and whenever her school time and my free time coincided. End of story.�

The others were staring at him. Tony tried conveying with his expression that he had shared all that he wanted to with them and hoped they would get the hint.

.-#-.

“David, McGee; Enough with the private stuff, you got the gist. I do not pay you to stay and chat. Go down to the squad room. The paperwork for the Kieran case won’t do itself. Abby, I want that analysis you promised for the cold case evidence, it could blow it wide open. I have to clear some details with DiNozzo in the meantime.� They wanted to stay and he could see mutinous thoughts flickering behind their eyes. This wasn’t finished, they knew he wanted to speak with Tony in private, but so did they.
“Why are you still standing here?� He gave his voice a steely quality that promised dire repercussion if they didn’t do what he told them to do. “Waiting for an engraved invitation?�

“No Boss, I just wanted- “ It was nice to see that McGee wasn’t the spineless blubbering geek anymore, but he clearly hadn’t learned when to show his backbone and when it was better not to. David glared at him and ushered him out of the room. Abby was thoughtfully looking between the Bossman and his uncomfortable looking Senior Agent.

“Oh. Well… I’m going.�

“And I will stay with Sempera. The poor dear is exhausted, no wonder with the day she had.� The medical examiner had joined their group and gestured in the direction of Sam. She lay curled up in one of the few comfortable armchairs which had been added by a former director to all conference rooms. Tony could easily picture Tom Morrow, the first director he had worked under, dragging one of them to the center table to preside over the crowd, instead of using the generic chairs. Morrow hadn’t insisted much on protocol, one reason why he and Gibbs had worked so well together, but the man had known how to emphasise his position, if he needed to.

Now his little girl was sleeping in one of them. The cat fight, being suspended, her journey through DC and then meeting the team had tired her. One of her hands clutched a stethoscope and Ducky had given her his cardigan as a blanket.

“She’s ok? “

“Her wounds of war are superficial Anthony, don’t fret. I will sit with her and read up on some articles in my forensics journal.� Gibbs knew that his old friend always had one or two in his bag. More often than they wanted, Ducky found himself in a hospital waiting room courtesy of one more injured Major Crimes Response Team member and the hospital reading material wasn’t to his taste.

“We don’t want her to wake up and witness another distressing scene, do we?� this jibe was clearly directed at Gibbs. On his way back to the girl he pitched his voice low enough to only be heard by Gibbs. “You are underestimating Anthony more than you imagine, don’t do something you will regret.� Damn it, Ducky knew him better than anyone else and he had earned the right to speak his mind.

“You going to chew me out because I didn’t tell you about Sam?� Tony had moved a little bit and it saddened his boss to see that the Agent had put more distance and a chair between them. Tony’s knuckles were white as he clutched the back of the chair.

“It is something I should have known about as soon as it happened.� Both men pitched their voices low. Sam couldn’t hear them anyway but Ducky, even if he was giving them privacy, could.

“No, not at all!� Gibbs could see Tony’s jaw working and wondered if one of the words the other man was suppressing was ‘Kelly’. He hadn’t told his team about his daughter either, they had found out due to circumstances out of his control. The unspoken name hung between them like lead but to Gibbs there was one huge difference. Kelly was… dead, nothing could hurt her anymore. Just him. Sam was alive.

“You are her sole guardian, yeah?� Gibbs looked him straight in the eye. "What would have happened with her if you were injured or God forbid killed and I didn’t know that there was someone dependent on you?�

“Vance knows about her, why do you think he allowed me to take ten days off with such a short notice? And there was a notice added to my personal file exactly for that scenario.� Vance knew? Tony had told the director but not him? That he had told someone showed some sense on Tony’s part but the choice of confidant rubbed salt into Gibbs’ wounds. He snatched the chair, one of the million barriers between them away and crowded Tony against the wall. They looked at each other. Tony was defiant and stubborn. A low, pain-filled voice cut the silence between them.

“You say I should have told you, but it was private. You said to me that you 'are the job' and you 'expect your agents to be as well. Therefore, if I'm not the job, I am nothing to you. And that means I do not have to tell you private things, because you do not want to hear them.�

“You are talking shit.� He remembered that conversation. He had chewed Tony out about caring more about his beloved car than a hot case. He should have known that the reprimand would cut deeper than intended, Tony’s vulnerability when it came to praise and discipline wasn’t something new. And that had happened on top of the Jeanne disaster.

“Am I? Don’t think so. There were a lot of close calls for me, I am not superhuman. I tried to be more careful, now that I have Sam, take fewer risks, but there is no guarantee.� Tony let himself lean backwards to get some personal space back, the conveniently near wall keeping him upright. “I try to be more careful.� Gibbs didn't let him escape, closing the distance between them with a decisive step.

“As you should.� Gibbs had noticed this change in behavior in the field but put it down to Tony maturing. Tony had been maturing indeed, but the reason for it had escaped his boss. It hadn’t affected the job negatively. The job….

Yeah, he really should have known that his callous words would be taken the wrong way and now he couldn't find the words to convince the younger man of how highly his boss regarded him. Gibbs wanted to argue, wanted to disabuse Tony of his assumptions about his worth but he didn’t know how. The other Agent had good instincts and would be able to tell if he wasn’t told the whole truth. And he would, in typical DiNozzo fashion, construe some warped explanation instead of the truth.

It was puzzling how someone who could interpret human behavior that well could be so blind when it came to anything personal. Only complete disclosure would maybe help but it could have unforeseen repercussions as well. Gibbs cursed his own shortcomings when it came to communication.

His silence had lasted too long and Tony was eying him tentatively, his comment was hesitant. “Sometimes I wonder if that damn coma erased something essential within you.�

Erased? Hardly. Brought forward more likely, awakened memories and made him re-evaluate his current relationships, oh yes.

“You’re still talking shit.� The second the words left his mouth he wanted to take them back but that was impossible. Tony had a talent for provoking the worst reaction possible. Gibbs couldn’t apologize for this oral slap in the face, it would only confuse Tony more because it was not something he expected of Gibbs. Why couldn’t he for once voice the thoughts that were in his head and heart instead of pushing the people who mattered most away? It wasn’t a new problem for him.

Gibbs had had a lot of time on his hands during his semi-retirement in Mexico. Shannon and Kelly’s deaths, fresh and without the numbing effect 15 years had provided before his head injury and the resulting partial amnesia had nearly crippled him emotionally. The complete unnecessary explosion of the navy ship with the resulting deaths of the crew made it clear that he couldn’t count his job as a source of stability while he recuperated. How could he deal with his issues if he didn’t feel safe in his surroundings? He couldn't.

Gibbs had needed the distance, the alcohol, the silence. Mexico and the simple lifestyle it provided had been a welcome safe harbor. Nobody had demanded anything more complicated of him than to fetch a new Corona or to hammer some planks onto the leaking roof of his host’s vacation shack.

The memories of what he had shared and lost with his family had hurt. After some weeks, whenever he had thought about what he felt for them, another face began to appear in Shannon’s shadow. Observing him, smiling at him and telling him, in unison with Shannon herself, that he should stop being a miserable bastard and pull himself together. Tony had lured him back into the land of the living but not all the way. Gibbs couldn’t bring himself to take those last steps. He didn’t even know for sure if the womanizing Tony had any interest in him that way.

After his return he had shoved down and locked away any private feelings for his second in command, refused to examine them further. Before Mexico they had been more than work colleagues, but not really friends. Something intangible, tantalizing and electrifying in their everyday interactions prevented it. Too much, too tempting, too soon. Distance was key, at least Gibb’s had thought so.

And now it looked like he had damaged that relationship without realizing how much, in his haste to not present a vulnerable front anymore. This was like sailors of old must have felt when confronted with icebergs. They appear, you are aware of sudden danger but you know that there is much more beneath the surface and you have to navigate very, very carefully to avoid damaging the ship below the water line.

“You don’t trust me anymore, do you, Tony?� They were so near, he could imagine hearing the raised heartbeat and could see a pink tongue nervously wetting those soft lips. Could see the defiant glitter in Tony’s eyes.
“You asked me what would become of Sam if something happened to me� Tony slowly raised his hands and with one finger to Gibbs’ chin forced the other man to turn his head in direction of the corner where Ducky was sitting watch over Sam’s sleeping form. “Guess who I named in my will as her guardian.� Tony’s laughter was bitter and he let his hand fall down again.

“You're a cold bastard, but I know you well. You would raise hell and challenge Satan himself to keep a child safe, you even open up for them. Do I trust you with the life and well-being of my daughter? Yes, of course. Do I trust you with the same for me outside work? No, not at all.�

Gibbs couldn’t move. He felt like someone had punched him in the gut. Then Tony ducked, stepped around Gibbs and went to Ducky. Stooping down, he picked Sam up, still rather clumsily, and prepared to leave the room. The child was sleeping deeply, her head lolling on her dad’s shoulder.
“I don’t think we’re gonna accomplish anything more right now. Please keep in mind that I tried to avoid this situation. Ball’s in your court.� He left.

“You’ve got it wrong, completely wrong. Damn it.� Tony wasn’t there to hear his words and Gibbs had, once again, not sized the opportunity to express his feelings.

“Jethro?� Ducky had collected his things and was studiously not looking at him. “You know the saying that you can be hurt worse by a person you like than a stranger? Anthony looked pretty hurt.� Strong, agile fingers closed the old, beaten medical bag. “Take my advice and clear things up and do something already about this dance you and your boy have danced for as long as you know him or make a clean cut and let him go.� And with that Ducky left the room, leaving a confused and frustrated Leroy Jethro Gibbs behind to stew in his own juices.

‘What a great exit, bravo Anthony DiNozzo! A drama queen couldn’t have done it better. Next worse step would be bawling your eyes out,’ Tony berated himself. If it hadn’t been for the weight in his arms, he would be tempted to bang his head against the door frame. After looking around and making sure that nobody witnessed that particular outburst, of course. He had provided the gossip mongers with enough material for the next week, he didn't want to extend it to a month.

Where should he go now? The squad room wasn't an option, he couldn’t lay her down beside his desk like an inconvenient sack of potatoes. The other agents wouldn’t give them any peace. It wasn't like he could he carry her up to MTAC for his meeting with Vance either. Tony shifted the lax body in his arms and tried to find a more comfortable way to hold her. Sam might not weight much, she seemed to consist mainly of bones, eyes, unkempt hair and sharp elbows, but her sleeping form was awkward to carry. His girl had very earnestly informed him at their fifth meeting that her height was above average for her age. Picking her up had only woken her up long enough for her to sling her arms and legs around his body and now she was dead to the world again.

Sam had to be completely at the end of her energy to sleep this deeply, normally she fought the Sandman tooth and nail. Tony had been told by the school nurse that he shouldn’t be shocked by the sheer activity of his child. It seemed as if a healthy child burned up everything you fed them in record time and later drop like the dead when those reserves were depleted, only to get up in the morning, fresh and hyper. As a newly minted and clueless father he had once made the mistake and asked Sam if she wanted to rest a bit after one of their outings. It had earned him a derisive eye roll and a sneer at the thought of taking a nap in the middle of the day. She was a big girl, not a baby, thank you very much. But not, never, big enough for the adventures of this day. Even if he was the only family (and thus sole option) she had now, it still filled her dad with both terror and warmth that Sam sought him out for help. Terror, because it was courageously stupid for a child to travel alone across DC, warmth because it showed Tony he had done something right the last few weeks.

One of her pigtails lay pressed against the side of his face and it was tickling him. His hands were of no use to remove the strands, he needed them to hold the slipping girl. Tony had to shift his grip again and his shoulder sent him a reminder that he wasn’t twenty anymore. His hands and arms were steadily growing stiffer and more tired and he was still standing in the middle of the corridor like a doofus with no clue about how to proceed. And he was providing something he had tried to avoid, entertainment for all passing NCIS personnel.

A tall red haired man was coming down the corridor, a cardboard box full with reems of paper in his arms. The man couldn't seem to avert his eyes from the picture Tony and his clinging child provided. Tony had never worked a case with this guy, Simon Alber- something? Whatever. Nobody of importance, Tony seemed to recall the guy was new and worked on the cold case team. If he was this easily distracted he would never make it to full field agent. Tony sneered at him. Just a little bit more and the guy's eyes would pop out of their sockets. And Froggy Globes should use them for more productive things, like checking where he was going. Otherwise it was very easy - yep, there went the box tumbling to the floor - to miss the open door to the elevator and crash into a wall.

“Oh dear Lord, I have to speak to his supervisor.� Ducky's deceptively mild words spoken in his cultured accent interrupted Tony's gleeful contemplation that at least someone else was having bad luck today too. Tony had completely missed the sound of a door opening behind him. A hasty peek over his shoulder assured the suddenly nervous Tony that he was not accompanied by Gibbs. Wouldn't that be great, another round of being told that he didn't know his own mind and was talking ... shit... .The boss must be still in the conference room chewing on the challenge Tony had thrown in his face.

“Poor Agent Albrighton seems to be in dire need of an optical exam if he has such major problems navigating the corridors.� Tony couldn’t help but grin. You could always count on the Duckman and his dry humor to lighten any situation. And he gave good advice, something the younger man was in desperate need of. “Ducky….achoo!� Sam’s hair still tickled him and he had to sneeze.

Ducky reached up and freed the captured strands of hair, arranged them over Sam’s shoulder and then patted Tony on the arm.

“Anthony, we do not want to hinder Agent Albrighton’s quest for collecting all this spilled paperwork, so how about taking the elevator down to my office? All this excitement has made me thirsty, there is a cup of tea down there with my name on it and I would love to have company.� The older man led them around the cold case agent who still couldn't avert his eyes into the elevator. “I have a blanket for Sempera and it is quiet down there. For some reason I cannot fathom most people avoid coming to my floor if they do not have to.�

Tony grinned faintly at the M.E. and could have hugged him. At the moment all he was able to do was bow his head and utter a joking, but heartfelt, compliment. “Dr. Mallard, your patients, at least the dead ones, might not appreciate you fully, but let me tell you, you're a life saver!� The older man just smiled.

“Have I ever told you about one of my first ah, clients as a Medical Examiner? A very unfortunate gentleman as it turned out. The case caused quite the commotion. It started as a typical day, I was- as I told you - new at the job and nervous. My mentor, a very good backgammon player, I never managed to beat him, wanted to let me earn my first spurs on a pretty simple case. On the subject of spurs, do you know that the expression is a very old one, Anthony? Far older than cowboy legends. In fact, it goes back to the middle ages where ‘to earn one’s spurs’ alluded to being knighted for some act of bravery. I wouldn’t compare my first solo autopsy to riding into battle but it had me trembling nonetheless.� Ducky smiled in remembrance. “My mentor selected a fairly easy first battle for me and even if it is disturbing to contemplate, there aren’t many things simpler than death by decapitation. I was told to do the autopsy, but imagine my surprise…� The elevator doors opened again and Tony followed Ducky, listening with half an ear to the lengthy and convoluted story. The cadence and accent of the Brit’s voice were soothing. Ducky never expected his audience to actually remember his anecdotes and he didn’t seem to be put off by their interruptions and groans.

Dr. Donald Mallard was a fixture and very well regarded in his field, other M.Es sought his advice and opinion. Tony knew that he was regularly asked to speak at forensic conferences. Sometimes it seemed as if everyone knew the quirky doctor. Wherever the team went and encountered law enforcement personnel and forensic specialists, the chances were good that someone would know Ducky. Ducky's office was one door down from the autopsy lab and filled with cabinets full of journals and files pertaining to his job. A refrigerator-counter-washbasin combo and office chairs completed the interior. More files were arranged in various piles on his desk. If there was a system to this paper jungle, Tony couldn't decipher it, but some of it looked like correspondence.

Tony had once asked him about why Ducky had so many hard copy files in his office, instead of using his computer, he had seen him handle state of the art tools in the morgue without difficulties. Ducky had answered, that he preferred paper to virtual files if he was trying to figure out a problem. But in contrast to their technophobic team leader, the M.E. had no difficulties with modern technology, which was funny because the M.E. couldn't be that much older than the Senior Agent. If he had to guess, Tony would say that Ducky had to be about ten years older than Gibbs. He could be wrong, it was hard to judge his age correctly, there was less gray in Ducky's hair than Gibbs'. It was more the way the older man moved and acted that gave the impression of a man slightly past his prime instead of at the peak of his game.

Now, where to put his sleeping princess? Paper piles made for damn uncomfortable bedding. Tony should know, he had woken up at his desk with the imprint of paper stacks on his face (and a slap induced pain at the back of his head) often enough.

“… and it taught me to always keep a warm blanket at hand. Where did I put it? Here it is.� A fluffy blanket in the most toxic green and blood red plaid ever was unfolded and triumphantly held up for inspection.

A gurgling laugh fought its way past Tony’s dry throat. “Ducky, that’s an eyesore.�

“But warm and comfy.� The older man arranged the blanket on the floor and gestured for his visitor to lay Sam down into the makeshift nest.

.-#-.

Tony cradled the precious Wedgwood teacup in his hands, careful not to spill the tea or chip the bone china. It was a beautiful piece, off white with a dark blue and silver pattern, the surface smooth and perfect. The liquid within was equally smooth and left a faint but pleasant aftertaste in his mouth. When Ducky had taught him in Tony’s first year at NCIS how to add milk and sugar to the bitter brew to make it delicious, the young agent had taken it as a sign that he had been accepted into the fold. Coffee was normally his beverage of choice but the act of preparing the tea and letting it simmer till it was just so had its own soothing charm.

As soothing as Ducky's company. They didn't want to disturb Sam, therefore Ducky had turned the lights down and only his desk lamp was illuminating the room. The doctor was reading through some of his files, his glasses perched on the tip of his nose. One of his hands held the twin to Tony’s cup, the other made notes on a piece of lined paper. The older man didn’t ask questions, didn’t plague him with nervous looks, sarcastic comments or gruff demands; he just looked at Tony neutrally and offered a refill and some biscuits when needed.

A small sound drew Tony’s eyes to the third occupant of the room. He was ready to stand up but his girl just changed position and burrowed deeper into the blanket with a very unladylike snuffle.

“I always laughed when I heard stories about people who originally never wanted to have children taking one look at their newborn and promptly falling in love.� Tony took another sip of his tea.

Ducky shoved his glasses further up his nose. “You changed you opinion?� he asked gently.

Tony shook his head. “Still think it is mostly an urban legend. There are a lot of shitty parents out there who don't give a flying fuck about the welfare of their offspring no matter how long they look at them, pardon my French.�

“You love Sempera.� Ducky nodded at the sleeping child.

“Yeah, but I didn’t want or love her originally, not even after meeting her the first time.� Heat crept into his cheeks, Tony wasn’t proud about this, but it was so easy to talk to the older man. He saw no condemnation in the faded blue eyes, only interest. He wouldn't have ever been able to say something like this to Gibbs, Tony would have choked on his tongue. Tony would take bets that Gibbs was the type that just fell in love with his kid the first time he saw her. Tony checked again that Sam was actually sleeping. She couldn't pretend the same way a hearing child would, her eyes were her windows to the world around her. This conversation was not something he wanted her to see. “I went to the sperm bank on a dare, yes. But I never saw myself raising little DiNozzos so it was a good opportunity to do my part for the gene pool without the pesky responsibilities of raising a child.�

A new biscuit was delicately placed beside Tony’s free hand.


“The Social Services woman… she told me about Sam, about her being deaf and what happened to her parents, that I should think carefully about accepting the responsibility and the alternatives.� Tony dunked the piece of hard-as-stone pastry in his now lukewarm tea. “If she had still been a baby instead of an eight year old child, it would have been different, not so difficult to place her with a family but-" Damn it, he hadn’t caught the right moment and now he had crumbs in his beverage instead of a pleasantly soaked cookie. He sat the cup down.

“You worked some cases in Peoria and Baltimore that dealt with children in foster care.� Ducky mentioned softly.

Social Services did the best they could do, but more often than not they couldn’t prevent children slipping through the cracks. That was nothing he wished on any child. “Yeah.� Tony nodded and grimaced. “I thought that, even if I turned out to be a incompetent dad, I could at least make sure that - boarding school wasn’t always a pleasant experience for me but I enjoyed it myself and it was better than the alternative. And her holidays... I would have organized something for those. Then I met her a few more times, she actually grew to like me, and ��" as they say, the rest is history.�

He could still see Sam standing beside the case worker and the school counselor. Her Royal Sulkiness glaring at him and gesturing with her hands when both women had their backs turned on her to focus on him. Tony had only recognized one sign and it was one of the swear signs Abby had taught him, the equivalent for idiot. His little monster hadn’t been impressed by this guy who presumed to be her new dad and was visibly startled when Tony began to laugh as a reaction to her taunt. She hadn't expected the strange man to understand her at all. The next weeks hadn’t been easy. Nope, they'd been highly frustrating, but he would never regret his decision to get involved in Sam’s life.

Maybe he should take this whole situation as a twist of fate and start a completely different life somewhere else, ask Vance for a transfer. Thanks to the Witch of St. Margareth's, otherwise known as the Principal, he already had to search for a new school for his daughter. Reynolds would be very pleased to never see them again. After today, Tony would be please to never see her again either. He wouldn't trust that woman with a cat, never mind a child.

He had the summer holidays as a time buffer. Evelyn Peltier’s last will and testament had been pretty clear, social services was ready to give him full guardianship as soon as he established a fitting home environment and passed a final inspection. That alone should tell people how fucked up the system was. Ah well, they probably wouldn't be pleased about Sam being expelled but that couldn't be helped. There had to be better schools out there than St. Margareth's. What did it matter if he searched here for an appropriate school or, say, in Florida? Tony had never lived to Florida and it sounded nice.

He mentally made a tally of pros and cons. On the positive side, Florida would be sunny and warm, the beach was a nice feature, Tony loved to surf, girls in bikinis…. No Gibbs. If he didn’t work for NCIS he could search for job in a town far away from a naval base, a town with a low criminal rate. Just enough to keep him employed and busy but not so much that he had to fear for Sam whenever she sat her foot outside the house. Maybe it would bore him half to death inside a month, but he had seen enough dead navy men to not miss them. Probably. Okay, boring might be a point for the con side.

Tony’s hands picked up the cup and the saucer, they provided him with a visual for the mental balance he imagined in his head. The hand with the saucer rose slowly, the tea cup (and the mess inside the cup) sank down. Ducky looked on and sipped at his own tea.

On the negative side he had to count no Ducky and no Abby. He would miss both of them tremendously. The distance would make visiting them difficult. And as pleasant as more sun would be, Florida was also known for its thunderstorms and Hurricanes. And no Gibbs. The tea cup sank down again.

Thunderstorms, Hurricanes and no Gibbs. Tony shook his head. The man fit in there perfectly. Fast, surprising and able to leave devastation in his path. The younger agent had never been interested enough to find out how names were found for those violent storms, but if Gibbs managed to piss off more politicians than usual Tony could easily imagine one of the next typhoons being named Leroy or Jethro.

Wasn’t it typical that Gibbs featured prominently in both columns. No Gibbs meant no aggravating, challenging, demanding and intriguing boss to dominate his days and a good part of his nights too. Even if he was not present in person. When he came home, not minding if it was day or night just where his bed was, a very tired Agent DiNozzo would often find there was still the shadow of someone else in his bedroom. Or perhaps more accurately, a spectre of someone he wanted in his bedroom. His half sleeping mind would torment Tony with the ghostly touch of fingers on his flesh, a deep voice just outside his hearing range and the illusion of a tousled gray mop of hair resting on the pillow beside his own.

And pronto, what do you know, he was in territory he should avoid because it would only frustrate him. Such a pity that Tony had masochistic tendencies because when had admonishing himself to not yearn for something he couldn't have actually helped? Even if there had been -and it wasn't just his wishful thinking doing the evaluating here, Abby had commented on it too!- instances where Gibbs had seemed to react positively to Tony's playful attempts at discreet flirting, he didn’t think that the other man ever took it seriously. It was more likely that Gibbs just indulged him now and then and put it down as the playful shenanigans of his incurably flirty second in command. Leroy Jethro Gibbs couldn’t be called indecisive. If he wanted someone or something changed, he generally went for it, be it a criminal or a love interest. If he had taken the flirting seriously, Tony would either have found himself transferred to another team if it made his boss uncomfortable, been given a gruff but friendly put down or dragged to the team leader's lair long ago and- And there he was, back in forbidden territory.

Tony put down his improvised balance device carefully and smiled apologetically at his host. It was hard to make a decision.

He had a lot of time on the books he could use to set everything up, stay at home, prepare. And avoid Gibbs. If the man allowed Tony to avoid him. Even though Tony wasn't likely to be staying at his current apartment with Sam, his boss wasn’t an investigator by trade and inclination for nothing, he would have no problem tracking both DiNozzos down to whatever hotel or new abode Tony found for him and Sam to reside in. A closed door wouldn’t stop him. Heck, Tony wasn't sure anything would stop Gibbs if he wanted a confrontation. Gibbs was like the pony express; come wind or rain or sleet, hell or high water, nothing stopped him if he was duty bound on something.*

If he wanted to, that was the key sentence. Tony had told the former marine that he would wait for him to make a move. If he wanted to, they could- What exactly? Go back to the way things were before the paradigm shift of Gibbs’ amnesia?

It was too bad he couldn't ask Ducky about his relationship with Gibbs. After all, the M.E. would be a good source for information about Gibbs, they knew each other and had respected each other for a long time. But the doctor would never betray something that had been told in confidence and Tony had too much respect for the older man to even ask for non sensitive information, never mind intimate things.

Sometimes he asked himself what he saw in Leroy Jethro Gibbs. What drew Tony to the man and kept him in his thrall even if things were bad? Then bullets flew around their ears, someone with more influence than sense tried to force a ethically questionable operation on them… someone tried to accuse Tony of a crime (again) and Gibbs would be there, steadfast at his six like no other person in his life. Tony could depend on Gibbs, he would never have to fear betrayal. Temper and attitudes, but never a knife in his back.

Yeah, if they could go back to the relationship they had before the coldness set in, it would be enough for Tony. A good professional working environment, his daughter safe at his new home, and Florida suddenly didn’t look as tempting anymore. If Tony was really lucky he might, now that the cat named Sam was out of the bag, have someone he could ask for advice about parenting. It all depended on his boss’ decision.

Well, he should also take care of the mess he made with his tea. Tony pulled a face, his mood much lighter than before and raised the cold tea to his lips and gulped it down, soggy floating dough in it not withstanding. “Uhg.� He coughed and Ducky had to stand up and carefully beat him on his back to dislodge the sludge again.

Both men chuckled.

“Ahem? Doctor Mallard? You door was closed so I didn’t know if I should…� Jimmy Palmer had stuck his head into the office and began to stutter when he saw Tony. “Oh, there you are Agent DiNozzo! I wanted to ask Dr. Mallard if he knew where but- uhm.�

Tony coughed a last time and turned around. “Yeah?�

“Agent Gibbs is searching for you. Uhm. Impatiently. He said that Director Vance will have time for you but…you should hurry.�

Tony took a deep breath, looked at the sleeping girl, at Ducky and then nodded. “Thanks for telling me, I'll go up there immediately. I have to clear something with Ducky first, it won’t take long.�

“I won’t have to tell Agent Gibbs that you need more time, will I?� The autopsy gremlin looked a little bit green around the gills at the prospect.

“Don’t get your no doubt tighty whities in a twist, I just need to ask Ducky for a favor.� Palmer was so visibly relived that he even didn't even seem to hear the taunt. Tony needed someone to keep an eye on Sam while he sorted out the mess they were in, and he could think of an ideal candidate, and it wasn't the Autopsy Gremlin. The agent gave his host the most charming smile he could manage.

Ducky just shook his head at the younger man’s antics and told his assistant that he should go back to work.

.-#-.

Tea-stains were hard to get rid of if you gave them the time to dry up. It was far easier to immediately wash the cups after use. Ducky carefully soaped the rim of one cup, he did not want to miss a spot, this was his favourite set. No heirloom, not at all, but he had bought it years ago when he visited … Well, that was a story for another time. The twin cup was already resting in its storage place on a shelf, carefully rubbed dry with a soft linen cloth, beside the two saucers and the pot.

It was always better to clean up a mess instead of covering it up, something two agents he knew very well should keep in mind.

Ducky finished his task and sat back down at his desk again. Sempera was sleeping peacefully as only the truly innocent or the completely wicked were able to do. Hopefully this young lady would never have to meet the wicked sort.

Gibbs was waiting for him in front of Vance’s office. His posture was deceptively calm, one shoulder against the wall, the inevitable large sized coffee cup in one of his hands and his full concentration on his approaching Agent. “Where’s Sam?“

“She’s sleeping in Ducky’s office.� The intense focus on him made Tony straighten his posture. Gibbs was never hiding it when he was pissed with his agent and good at expressing it as well. One icy look, one low growl was most of the time quite enough to covey his displeasure. Both indicators were absent at the moment but the stubborn glint in intense blue eyes warned Tony that the other man had come to a decision. He steeled himself for the conversation he knew was going to take place as soon as they had enough privacy. Which meant it wasn’t going to be here at the office.

Ducky had offered his services as a babysitter. “Dear boy, I cannot take her for long or overnight, mother would be very confused and I shudder to think what she would do if I came home with a little girl, but I have no problem watching her for a few hours. Leave a letter for Sempera so she will know where you are. I will wake her up in two hours so she won’t be wide awake come bedtime,� had been Ducky's direct and very understanding words.

“Hm.� Gibbs stepped away from the wall, nodded in greeting at a passing secretary and opened the door to Vance’s sanctum for Tony. “Your little one had a stressful day.�

“And it isn’t even 1500,� Tony tried to reign in his nervousness and greeted Chynthia, Vance’s assistant. She didn't answer him, as she was listening on the phone, but she nodded in the direction of the door to the inner office and held up 5 fingers. Ok, five minutes till the director had time for him. The agents settled in one corner of the room. “I still can’t get my head around what happened.�

“She’ll bounce back, kids are resilient. Quite the spitfire, your Sam.� Gibbs wasn’t crowding Tony, but he was keeping himself at the edge of the younger man’s personal space. “Didn’t seem to care for me much.� He sounded amused.

“Normally children like you on sight.� commented Tony.

Gibbs shrugged his shoulders. “Might be that she picked up some feelings from you, eh? Kids do that a lot.�

Tony didn’t know what to answer. Everything that came immediately to his mind was inappropriate so he kept his mouth shut. He took the other man’s behavior as a good sign, he wouldn’t offer his opinion about kids if he was going to kick Tony, would he? “I don’t know much about kids.�

“Know more than you used to."

“You know me, steep learning curve if need be.� And he hadn’t finished learning by far, Tony still felt completely out of his element most of the time. “Which reminds me, I have to use the time till my appointment with the principal to clean up my apartment without Sam getting in the way.�

Gibbs cocked his head to the side questioningly.

“Never brought her there before. I’m not a slob, but there’s some stuff lying around a kid shouldn’t see.� A lot of stuff, according to the books he had read. “You know, I’ve heard about toddlers getting hurt and destroying things but it seems to be equally bad with older kids.� And wouldn’t it be typical if he managed to fuck up the most basic rules of childcare? Well, at least he wasn’t an insensitive bitch like Reynolds. Tony groaned. “I could strangle the principal.�

Gibbs didn’t show surprise about the change in topic and he seemed to agree about Reynolds, he got that steely expression which was normally reserved for criminals. “Will be interesting to hear what she has to say.�

Seems as if the offer of backup was still good. And the car ride would provide them with enough privacy to clear up other points of conflict between them, one way or the other.

“Gentlemen?� Chynthia had finished her telephone conversation and was smiling at Gibbs and Tony. “Director Vance is free to speak with you now. And Agent DiNozzo, I heard about your daughter Sam visiting, Agent Milton says she is quite the sweetheart.� She opened the door to the inner office for them.

“Ah, thank you.� Tony forced himself to return the smile, the secretary was a nice woman and he liked her. But this was one more example of office gossip at its finest. Gibbs, who hadn’t left his side, wasn’t as diplomatic, his derisive snort said it all.

Vance was waiting for them behind his big glossy desk.

.-#-.

The director had been uncharacteristically understanding about Sam showing up randomly at NCIS. Leon Vance had never been fond of DiNozzo, but as a family man himself, he understood the needs and demands of the current situation. Tony’s struggle to alter his life for Sam had accomplished what his skills as an exceptional, if a little bit unconventional, investigator could not, and bought him some goodwill. The director had demanded that they should finish the paperwork on their current case, which wasn't a problem, most of it was already finished, and then use the opportunity to take some time off. The whole team had obscene amounts of time on the books and wasn’t known to use it often. There would be some very happy Human Resources officers at the end of the month, wondering about the minor miracle.

Tony could thank his lucky star that the bad guys seemed to be taking time off too, not to mention the lack of Petty Officers dying, getting arrested, being compromised or in need of rescue, which meant that the team wasn’t swamped with active cases like usual. The secondary teams could pick up the slack. As long as there wasn’t a high profile case coming in, they had until next Monday to sort everything out.

Now Tony and Gibbs were on their way to the car compound. Gibbs was the perfect picture of a silent, scowling companion. One look at his face was enough warning for the agents they met. They decided to give both agents a wide berth rather than coming up to question DiNozzo, no matter how much they wanted do satisfy their curiosity. Gibbs and Tony left the building and fell into their accustomed walking formation, the younger man behind and to the side of the lead agent, two set of long muscular legs eating up the distance to the car.

Tony didn’t even try to claim the driver’s seat, He wanted the tactical advantage of not having to divide his attention between driving and talking. Additionally he wanted to avoid angering the former marine further and Gibbs was always more content when he felt in control. Enduring Gibbs’ driving was better than having him as a passenger. Tony threw the keys to the other man, who caught them deftly. Tony waited for the doors to unlock, folded his long frame into the cabin and kept an eye on Gibbs.

“You said it, ball’s in my court, so let’s talk.� Instead of starting the car the older agent turned his body so it was halfway facing the shot-gun seat and Tony. So much for diverting his attention.

“You really wanna to do this now?“

“Hell, yes. We’re alone, unobserved and on relatively neutral ground. I don’t like talking but I don’t want to lose you either. And you will leave NCIS if this isn’t resolved.� Gibbs never did ask a question when he could declare something instead.

Tony nodded in answer, nonetheless. This new development with Sam's school was making things more immediately difficult, but one part of him had begun months ago to write his checklist of necessary procedures required to obtain less complicated living and working conditions somewhere else. The mental tally in Ducky's office had been just one further step. A step to take flight, cowardly of him, but still viable.

Gibbs was observing him. His expression was now fairly neutral and it reminded Tony of the countless times he had seen his boss trying to get a feeling for the undercurrents of a room before starting an interrogation. His blue eyes were earnest; they caught Tony’s, commanded his full attention and refusing to let him slide away again.

“DiNozzo, you are one of the best Agents I’ve ever worked with. You’re of great value to me. As a good agent and as a friend.� The ignition key was rammed into its slot. “And you better memorize my words because you’ll never hear them again so openly. Every fucking successfully closed case, every time I had your six should have told you already. Got it?�

It felt like something thick and restricting had set up camp in Tony’s throat and he swallowed reflexively. Those were words he had longed to hear for so long but now they tasted stale. “You would find another second in command if I quit. McGee is probably salivating just thinking about it.�

“He'd develop ulcers within the first month.�

Tension crackled between them, the air in the car felt charged, and for a moment, leaving and never looking back was a very appealing option to Tony. “That means what exactly? Because, the treating me as a human being, not an agent-robot hasn’t been happening lately. Never mind interacting with me as a friend." Tony raised his chin challengingly. "We going back to the way things were before your little stint as a drunken beach bum?" Petty of him, but the incident smarted even after two years.

Gibbs shook his head and smiled sadly. "Not possible."

That was like a slap in the face. "Gibbs-" The other man shushed him

"Lemme talk. Listen. You cannot-" Gibbs sighed and rubbed his neck, trying to disperse the tension. Gibbs looked up at Tony’s suddenly very white face and his grimace deepened. “I am really not good with words....�

Tony stomped on his own irritation, the declaration that he was a good agent had been needed, but whatever Gibbs had to say now seemed to be something far more difficult to admit. Tony could see the muscles in the older man's throat working, the tension in his hands. There had been few instances where he had seen the other man this... vulnerable. They weren't connected to good memories.

"I know, probably better than most people, how fruitless it is to wish to return to how it once was." Gibb's tone was firm. "Don't think much of the new age shit that’s been spread around, can't jump in the same stream twice and all that rot but- We're not the same people anymore. Doesn't mean that we can't have a similar relationship to what we once had, though."

No, the Agent DiNozzo of two years ago hadn't had to suddenly lead a team, hadn't had to do a hinky undercover op for a vengeful director, hadn't had to hand the reins of leadership back just as suddenly. Hadn't had to face fatherhood. He wasn't that DiNozzo anymore. He couldn't and didn't want to forget these events, they had shaped who he was now, admittedly in some instances not for the better. Time hadn't stood still for Gibbs either. Tony had to close his eyes for a moment. It was childish and selfish of him to feel slighted, an adult would be pleased by the honesty Gibbs showed, especially because of how rare it was to get this much out of the other man. Tony had wanted to get the camaraderie back. It couldn't happen without honesty and trust. But he still yearned for- "But we can still try to repair what's been broken?"

Gibbs nodded and smiled gruffly, a pleased light in his eyes. "That's what I want. Don't expect that I'll let you get away with goofing off on my dime or that I'll behave completely different. Not likely, that.�

That sounded like Gibbs trying to lighten the mood, because Tony would never expect to get away with anything, that wasn’t the older agent’s style.

Gibbs sobered up and added “But yeah. End of ice age." His blue eyes were trying to convey everything he couldn’t with words.

The rift wouldn't realistically mend overnight, but this was what he had wished for, the chance for keeping the steadiest work relationship he had ever had. The big clonking sound even people in Canada should have heard? That had been the weight tumbling off his shoulders.

A giddy, warm feeling began to develop in Tony's stomach and he couldn't help himself, he had to test Gibbs. "So, boss, does that mean I'll be getting more Gibbs slap wake up calls again? I was getting kinda tired of the death glare, it just doesn't have the same charm. And you’ll listen to me again, if I have a theory to share? I mean, you know, for an old case or something lengthy. Not in front of the others boss, but-" Some of his most cherished memories involved lengthy discussions about a case away from the office, friendly banter and the younger agent nodding off with a beer can cradled to his chest. Waking up rumpled and with a crick in his neck in the morning. All these things had been absent in their routine for a long time.

An amused, and dare he say it, light-hearted, smile was playing around Gibbs' mobile mouth. "You might try not to earn my displeasure for a change, Tony." The smile transformed into a bright grin. One of those joyful ones that never ceased to provoked a certain part of Tony to sit up and take notice. "I'm not holding my breath though. And yeah, if you have something worthwhile on your mind, second step on my basement stairs is still yours to plant your butt on. Beer you have to bring yourself, I don't share my beer. There's the couch if you are too buzzed to drive home afterwards.�

That sounded great. Tony laughed. "Hey, don't tell me things I know, I am not that dumb, honestly boss. And your couch is nearly as uncomfortable as the stairs. You have to be made of wood yourself to call it comfortable. And you drink bourbon, not beer. I always brought my own beer and some clothes to change into so I would look decent the next day at the office. Ragged is not a good look on me. And my own soap. Yours might smell enticing on you but I don't think it would suit me, and- ."

The indrawn breath and intense look of the silver haired man made Tony hastily rewind the sentences in his mind and he suppressed a whimper. Being delighted about things developing into something he had missed dearly was one thing. Commenting on the body hygiene of his boss and how good he smelled? Not so much. Not at all! Tony could have slapped himself.

Before he could continue, probably digging his own grave even deeper, Gibbs' startled stare developed gradually into something else entirely. "Never thought you'd pay this kind of attention. So, tell me what do I smell like, hm?"

It wasn't the words themselves that made Tony take a leap of faith, it was the deep rumble, nearly a purr, in Gibbs' voice. It made him lick his suddenly dry lips. "Lemon. Chamomile and a hint of spice." His own voice was rather rough. "If you're fresh out of the shower. Additionally sawdust if you're called out on a case."

“Hm." Gibbs eyed him thoughtfully, then looked around the parking lot to check for other people and leaned forward. The windows of the car were lightly tinted and shielded them from the security cameras. “So tell me if I got the wrong impression just now. Nah, better show me, I'm not good with words.� He slowly stretched out his right arm, the hand half open, in the direction of Tony’s face. His eyes never left the younger Agent’s, observing every reaction. For one moment Tony thought he would just touch his neck, in a variation of his trademark head-slaps, and it started that way indeed. But then the familiarity ended, Gibbs palmed his jaw, strong callused fingertips stroked over the sensitive skin behind his ear. Gun calluses and others developed from sanding a boat sure made for interesting textures. It made his heart stutter, it was pure Gibbs.

Tony stared, transfixed by the sight of Gibbs' dilated pupils and slightly flared nostrils. This was anything but professional. The younger man didn’t react at first, he was too surprised. Though he’d had faint hopes to get some praise for his qualities as an agent as a reaction to the things he said in the conference room, some kind of incentive to stay on the team, he never would have thought that Gibbs would take it one step further and take Tony's Freudian slip seriously.

Gibbs snorted and his fingers stilled. Before he could pull back Tony leaned against the warm palm, lowered his eye lids and pressed a soft kiss against the thumb that rested near his mouth. He couldn't resist nibbling a little bit and delighted in hearing the resulting hitch of breath and chuckle from Gibbs. Tony was breathing faster as well. The gray haired man finally let go and delivered a very light version of a head slap.

Gibb’s voice was low and gravely. “Wasn’t sure about this. Suspected that it was just teasing on your part. You come across as quite the player.�

“Yeah, I am good at undercover, even in real life.� Exaggerating real aspects of your personality but never showing everything was a key factor for pretending, something he had learned to do very well. Tony grinned weakly. At the moment he was both delighted and terrified. It was getting your fantasy handed to you on a silver platter and then not really knowing what to do with it. Where to put it. If it would be snatched away again the next moment if he didn't react correctly. That way lay Florida. And Hurricanes. Both, -God, both!- had to be avoided but not at the cost of his heart.

The younger man fumbled with his seatbelt, his eyes still held captivated by those of his enticing companion. Another difference between him and the old Tony occurred to him and it was more effective than a cold shower. There were some things he had to be clear about up front. “I am a package deal now, sort of. That is, if you want more than just sex because- “Tony gulped and his stuttering came to a halt.

Gibbs was staring at him thoughtfully, one of his eyebrows raised, but he made no attempt to interrupt or comment, so Tony forced himself forward in his quest to get it out of the way. "Might be not what you want and, I mean, and… It might make you feel uncomfortable. Having to deal with Sam and me both, as a family.“

“Tony.�

But Tony was so concentrated on getting it over with, on the thoughts chasing each other in his head, that he babbled on. “Maybe you don’t want something like that again, and-“

“Tony!� the much sharper interruption made Tony shut up and look in the direction Gibbs' raised hand indicated. A marine was approaching, Tony shifted focus to the more immediate problem. He identified the guy as one of the guards and waved to show that everything was all right, but the marine knew his job and approached carefully, his headset ready to call for support, his stance defensive. Tony opened the window to tell him that they had discussed a case; everything was all right, nothing interesting to see here.

Gibbs started the car, they couldn’t stay here too long or they would attract more unwanted attention, and carefully steered it out of the yard before he picked up their conversation. “First, you might wanna try to leave the boss part out of private things.�

“I've had to think about you as my Boss, or as Gibbs... you had to be The Bossman, you know?� That might not sound sexy, but he honestly had avoided thinking about Gibbs in other terms. It had been better for his mental health.

The sardonically raised eyebrow was back and it was frightening that the man could drive a car like he was competing in a race and still have enough concentration to spare a look at his hapless passenger.

“And not in a kinky way.� Tony hastened to assure as he grabbed the oh-shit-handle and ignored the ongoing death by car crash threat. He was used to Gibbs’ driving style by now. “Well, not usually.� he couldn’t resist adding.

“Do tell.� The car stopped at a red light and Gibbs turned his head. “But do it later. Let’s go back to the original conversation. Me, you, Sam. And what we expect.� The light switched to green again and Gibbs put his foot down. “And it isn’t casually screwing around. Could get that elsewhere.�

Tony nodded, relived. “Sex without strings attached is easy to get.� And it was something he was heartily tired of. “Easy and cheap.�

“So you tell us regularly. And at great length and detail.� Gibbs glared at him and took the next corner with far too few tires on the ground. " You might have noticed, I'm sort of an all or nothing kind of guy, DiNozzo. And if you're on offer, I'll take it all."

“Then all is what you'll get.� Tony smiled tentatively. "All you had to do was, well, ask."

“Hm� The assessing look Gibbs sent him was full of promises and warnings both. Then he concentrated fully on the street, for the first time since their journey started.

Tony's was thankful that …Jethro -and didn’t that sound awkward?- wasn’t pressing further ahead, the younger man’s brain refused to take much more. Tony would think about it later and simply enjoy the moment now. Seeing strong capable hands coaxing the car into high performance made Tony’s gut clench. And not in the same way as the other poor bastards sharing the road with Gibbs experienced either. He waited for the usual frustration to join the hodgepodge of feelings but it did not come. “We’ll figure it out.�

-.#.-

DiNozzo’s apartment was situated in a remodeled brick building. It looked like it might have been a storage and office complex once. It wasn’t the best part of the town but at least there was no clutter on the streets and the apartment complex had a security guard and functioning cameras supervising the foyer and parking space. Everything was a little bit shabby but well lit. Gibbs remembered that he himself had encouraged his new agent years ago to search for lodgings in this area because he had heard from people at the Yard that it wasn’t too expensive and relatively safe.

Gibbs parked the car and waited for his companion to lead the way. There had been instances where he had picked the younger agent up, when Tony’s beloved sports car had been trashed or in the shop, but he had only once been up to the apartment itself and that had been years ago. He studied Tony carefully. He was silent, which was unusual for DiNozzo. Instead of chattering in the car there had been thoughtful and happy glances. Both looked good on Tony.

The guard at the front desk, a bald man on the wrong side of fifty with a big mustache and a friendly smile, looked up when they entered the building and greeted Tony jovially.

“Dino!� The smile broadened in reaction to Tony’s theatrical wince.

“Kevin, what have I told you? Don’t call me by that horrid nickname, it makes me think of Jurassic reptiles and I am not old enough to be mistaken for a dinosaur. It’s Di-no-zo, not Dei-no-sor!�

It was obviously not the first time they’d had that conversation, it sounded like an in-joke between them.

The guard was grinning widely, completely unimpressed by the playful reprimand. “Hell, you’re not getting younger, so it fits.�

“Bah, neither are you. Kev, may I introduce you-“

“To Agent Gibbs, am I right?� Kevin heaved his not inconsiderable weight up and offered his hand. “Nice ta meet ya. Recognized ya from the pic Dino showed us. Ya know, in case he need something from his digs and couldn’t fetch it himself. The chicks, pardon, shouldn’t call feds chicks, and the fidgety one have been here but I’ve never seen ya before.�

“Yeah, I’m his boss.� Gibbs shook the offered hand and flashed a smirk at his agent. The former marine wondered how Tony had managed to prevent this particular nickname making the rounds at the office. By use of lots of bribes and blackmail, most likely. Ziva was not the kind of agent people wanted to prattle with, too intimidating, so if she ever met Bates it was unlikely that they’d had a conversation. Abby and McGee didn’t provoke a fearful flight instinct in most people, plus Tony would know how to bully or bribe them into keeping their mouths shut.

“Kevin Bates has been manning that front desk for more years than I've been living here.�

“Haven’t seen Dino much lately, at least not in daylight.� His expression turned stern. “Looks like crap too, come to think of it, ya shouldn’t work him ta death, poor guy looks worn down. Ya gonna help him pack and move?�

“You always tell me I look like crap. I like my job, well, most of the time. And he’s just visiting.� deflected DiNozzo.

“Was sorry ta hear you’re moving out. S’ always good to have a cop in the building, makes the hooligans think twice about causing shit.� Kevin sighed and let himself fall into his chair again.

“Can’t be helped, I need something bigger.� Tony's smile was apologetic.

Bigger, probably with less concrete and more greenery and playgrounds. So, DiNozzo planned to move to a new apartment. He could guess the reasons behind the decision, but wondered when the man had intended to tell Gibbs about the move. Tony could not have hidden the presence of Sam in his life for much longer if he really planned for her to live with him.

Bates grunted. “Yeah, still a pity.�

Tony shrugged and led Gibbs towards the ancient elevator. The guard seemed genuinely fond of his agent and sad to see this tenant move out. DiNozzo had that effect on people. They either warmed up to him fast or they dismissed him as unimportant or incompetent only to find out at a later date â€" and to their detriment- that the seemingly tame pampered tabby was a deadly saber tooth tiger in disguise.

One elevator ride, two floors and three security locks on a door later they were standing in the middle of a two-room apartment.

“Ok, where to start-“ Tony looked around rather helplessly and then vanished into the bedroom. “I’ll just pack away the … ah, more dangerous things.�

Gibbs took the opportunity to snoop around. His profession had proven to him time and time again how much a skilled observer could learn about the inhabitant of a place by paying close attention to the things they owned. And this time he could allow himself to look at the evidence with the eyes of a future lover, not an investigator or team leader.

He had made his decision earlier and would stand by it. No more hiding, to himself or to Tony. They had hidden too much already, that was one of the reasons why he had called them on the attraction between them, to avoid further misunderstandings later on. Tony would have taken it badly, seen it as another breach of trust if he had found out later on that Gibbs had been aware that the flirting wasn't pure make-believe at all. Therefore now or never had been the two options available to Gibbs.

Like he said to Tony, if the younger man was on offer, Gibbs would take all he could get. Well, he would have to take it slowly. No reason to spook Tony, the man had enough to handle at the moment. How Sam would fit in the picture was another big question, he would have to win her over. ‘First things first Jethro, don’t forget.’ Gibbs would help as much as he could, befriend Tony's daughter and otherwise see where their paths took them. That didn’t change the fact that Anthony DiNozzo belonged to him now. And Gibbs was a man that would fight to keep what was his safe, protect it ferociously.

Today his belief that he knew Tony had been shaken up. Gibbs could only blame himself, he had broken his own rule. What did he always tell his agents? Never assume, check and double check. With DiNozzo it was never the obvious stuff that told the story, it was the details underneath the glossy surface. More personal information about Tony could only help him on his quest.

The smallish apartment looked clean, well organized if a little bit eccentric. There wasn’t much clutter. Modern but comfortable furniture shared space with utilitarian book and DVD shelves and a small kitchenette was nestled in one corner. One chair, one water glass; a cereal bowl and a coffee cup sat on a rag next to the sink to dry, no other utensils could be seen. It was the space of a solitary bachelor.

Earth and cream colors were dominant. Apart from the differences in decorations - he would never allow that hideous print of a skyline on any of his walls!- it was appealing.

Gibbs had expected the huge, meticulously organized DVD collection and the state of the art entertainment system. He squinted at the titles, his reading glasses forgotten at the office. After having to listen to Tony ramble about the different shows and movies for years it wasn’t surprising that he recognized a lot of them. Magnum; every damn episode ever aired, Gibbs would bet good money on it. Starsky and Hutch, Miami Vice, amusingly CSI; hadn’t Tony scoffed and whined about the lack of accuracy of the show whenever a hapless bystander compared their methods to reality? Old Hollywood classics, Film Noir. Pornos. Classics like Emmanuelle, some of them so old Gibbs could remember watching them as a teenager at a wealthier friend’s house Friday night. They had been sitting in front of the TV, trying to appear cool and sophisticated but guiltily keeping an ear out for returning parents, one hand always ready to change the channel, the other hand on his cock. Who the hell would re-produce them as DVDs and sell them was beyond him. Gibbs shook his head. Tony would have to lock away a good portion of his collection from inquiring childish fingers.

But nestled between rows and rows of expected material were other topics Tony never quoted at work. Documentaries. Cold war, military battles, archaeology with emphasis on ancient Greece and Rome, famous mass murderers, history of the ancient Incas. Famous stained glass windows? Biographies….

Some cases had generic jackets and were labeled in Tony’s spidery, nearly unreadable hand writing. Gibbs wanted to pull them down and look at what was inside but refrained. It would be too obviously intrusive. And he didn’t want to get caught and spoil some of the good will he had build up with the conversation in the car.

Then he found the newest additions lying on top of the player, clearly fresh out of their plastic wrappings. Parenting guides and- Gibbs picked another one up and shook his head. ASL for Dummies. Maybe now there was a chance that Tony would ask for some tutoring. He would be glad to help. Gibbs put the instruction guide back and turned his attention to the shelf on the far left of the player.

.-#-.

“Hell and damnation, there are a hundred and one things I should do and not enough time.� Tony entered the living room again, his gait fast and his hands gesturing wildly. His guest was standing beside the DVD-shelves, looking down at something in his hands.

“You have really bad taste in gay porn.�

Tony glanced at the offered DVD jacket and laughed nervously. He never brought any of his dates back home, preferring to use their beds and return to his when he was satisfied so there had been no reason to hide anything. His colleagues were never here long enough to pay close attention but of course Gibbs did. He hadn't known what to do or say after their encounter in the car and Gibbs hadn't given him clues about how to proceed either. The other man seemed to be more relaxed and some of the stress lines that had marked his face for the last months weren't as severe anymore. Tony had been tempted to touch him casually, just to make sure that he wasn't dreaming, but he knew better. Gibbs was a private man, he wouldn't have liked it in public. And now in the privacy of the apartment, other things had overwhelmed Tony. Things like what to do with, for example, the rather cheesy bit of adult entertainment in Gibbs' hand.

Two hunks, clothed in vaguely Air Force styled uniforms were posing in front of a fake, very phallic jet. Another conversational topic he never thought to have with his nothing-but-work boss. Before his brain could stop his tongue he asked,"You’d be happier with finding +Naughty Navy Men+ than +Mile High Force at Play+?

Gibbs gave him one of those looks. It translated to ‘Are you suddenly a moron?’ “Cheering for the rival team, for shame DiNozzo.�

“Thought you’d see the Navy part in, well, homoerotic Navy porn as an insult.� And how pathetic was it that he never added certain examples of the genre to his collection on that assumption alone.

The Gibbs stare of doom was back full force. “You’ve sure got a low opinion ‘bout my character. I’ve given you the impression that I’m a hypocrite?�

“Huh.� Tony blinked. Talk about mine fields.

"I’m Bi, getting high and mighty ‘bout this would be the height of double standards.� The boss gazed at him disappointedly “I don’t care who a soldier fucks as long as he does it in his free time, discreetly, with a willing partner and can otherwise follow orders and shoot whatever I want to be shot."

Well, that was good to know, very good in fact but-

“Eh- no. You’ve got the wrong end of the stick there Boss. Was more my wanking to them rutting in uniform than them doing it in uniform I thought you’d object to. Same with my daughter being named Sempera.� Tony winced. Sam and sex in one conversation, how wrong was that? “Be seen as an insult to the Corps, both.�

Gibbs was staring at him thoughtfully for a long time and Tony could do nothing but stare back tiredly. Suddenly the other man advanced and head-slapped him with his free hand, hard this time.

“You’re giving me a headache, so I thought let’s share. You’re exhausted and not thinking straight.� Gibbs told him and then he followed up the hurt with a caress. Big hand smoothing down the hair on the back of his head. A honest to God petting, as if it was the most natural thing in the world to do it and then stepped back again as if nothing had happened. “For the record, I like the name. Could have been much worse. Starlight or some such nonsense.�

Tony swallowed and shrugged helplessly. He knew that he wasn’t on top of his game at all at the moment. His nerves were shot and now that the adrenaline wasn’t pumping through his system as strong as before, he was begining to feel more than a little bit frazzled at the seams.

“We're here for a reason. So put me to work.� Gibbs put the DVD back were he had found it.

Change of topic, not the worst idea but it directed his attention at another pile of crap.

Tony gestured at one of the parenting guide folders that lay on the couch table. “There’s a long list of things in there that shouldn’t be left accessible where a pre-teen can get their hands on it. Add some of my job related shit-I didn’t have time for the weapons lecture with Sam!- some adult things-and.... This apartment is a nightmare, I can't watch her 24/7, no way to make it safe within an hour. I don’t have a spare room, never mind appropriate kid furniture! I had it all planned out. I thought I had another 2 weeks, I thought… And there’s that damn Principal.� Tony’s fingers carded through his hair, it didn't matter, the style he created this morning with the help of some hair gel was shot to hell anyways. He would have to fix it before the drive to the school.

“Hey, calm down.� Gibbs commanding bellow did its charm, like usual, but the caring and affection in his expression was something rarely seen at work. Made him feel safe but that didn’t mean that Tony wanted to fall apart in front of the man.

“Sorry boss. Calming down.� He took deep breaths, closed his eyes for a moment. Get a grip DiNozzo. “My new apartment won’t be ready until the end of July. It’s nice, you'll like it. High ceilings and lots of space. So, options A and B are unsuitable and unavailable.� Tony grimaced. “But there’s the time honored bolthole called the hotel. So let’s pack my toiletries, some clothes and whatnot and I'll deal with Reynolds, collect my daughter and then make like Scarlet O’Hara, tomorrow’s another day.� He wouldn’t ask his boss to offer his home to them, it just wouldn’t work at the moment with things still so undefined and awkward between them. Plus he still wasn't sure if Gibbs would be ok with a little girl running around the place.

Gibbs tilted his head while staring at Tony. “Movie references, you must feel better. Just trying to picture you in a robe you’ve sewn using your curtains. And don’t ask why I know that movie.�

“Hey!� Tony couldn’t help but pout out of reflex. He didn’t add that Gibbs would make a striking Rhett Butler.

“Ok, we’ll pack and then I will drive us to St. Margareth’s. Plenty of time on the way for one of your power naps.�

“It’s not a nap. I don’t do naps! It’s meditation!�

“I don’t care what you call it as long as it helps.�

Tony sniggered and rushed back into his bedroom. “And as long as I don’t do it at the office.� He threw the comment back over his shoulder and caught one of Gibbs’ rare warm smiles in return. The day looked suddenly much brighter.

Tony had changed into a snot-free suit, again one of his power suits. Gibbs didn’t care which unpronounceable designer it came from. Its charcoal gray color and elegant lines complimented the younger man’s body and the high-necked sweater added to the appeal. The ensemble had been chosen to impress and to bolster Tony’s confidence. Someday soon Gibbs would have to tell him that he thought the younger man looked best in old jeans and his Ohio sweatshirt.

At this time of the day they needed nearly an hour to reach St. Margareth’s, even with Gibbs’ nascar driving style. Enough time for Tony to relax a little bit and afterward still have time to clue his boss.

“So, tell me abut this school, what do I need to know?� Now that the younger man was fully awake, Gibbs took even less care about how he took the corners.

“St.Margareth’s is a prestigious all girls boarding school and was founded in 1976 by a religious order. It’s privately run but governmentally funded in part. The requirements for boarding are a combination of intelligence, handicap and, well, connections and money.� Tony shrugged his shoulders and checked the styling of his hair in the rear window.

“Rich man’s darling resort for children with special needs, whatever they might be.� Another driver had to jump on his brakes to avoid getting into Gibbs’ way, probably cussing at them violently.

Tony grinned. “Essentially, yes.� Then he sobered up and grimaced. “The girls are between five and fifteen. Sam has an educational fund so the fees were never the problem.�

A raised eyebrow encouraged him to elaborate. “My father’s preferred method of encouraging problems to just disappear, like unwanted deaf girls. Throw money at them as long as you don't have to do anything else.� The grimace deepened. “It’s more or less Sams’ attitude that causes friction with the teachers and other children. She’s not the daisies and dolls kinda girl. And, from what I heard, she has a problem with authority.�

“Look who’s talking.�

The younger man pouted and a very attractive pout it was. Gibbs wasn’t sure if he should be happy to have the old Tony back. The playful banter was delightful as ever, but it was also one of the younger man’s main weapons in his arsenal of deflection.

“Come on boss, I do follow your orders. I am the picture of an obedient Agent.�

“Uh uhm. Pull the other one.� Well, Tony did follow orders. He just tended to put his own spin on things. “The principal?�

“Met her two times, hates my guts. Seems like Mrs. Patricia Reynolds isn’t vulnerable to the famous DiNozzo charm. We met, we looked at each other, we talked, we agreed to disagree about everything.� Tony indicated that they should take the next turn. “School isn’t far from the the National Cathedral. Sam was never the teacher’s pet but after her mum died she started acting up.� Tony paused and Gibbs wondered if he was drawing parallels to his own childhood. “She thought more strictness and a clearly structured schedule would be better than … well, attention from the new father with his crazy work hours.�

“Hm.� Gibbs was all for clear structures but from what little he had seen girl and man seemed to have bonded quite well without whatever Reynolds had deemed to be appropriate. Tony had been able to deal with the temper tantrum and Sam obviously trusted him. “Let’s wait and see.�

Gibbs let himself sink into the case mind-frame that would allow him to project menace and calmness.

They reached the school. A pimple faced teenager greeted them at the entrance and led them to the principal’s office.

Reynolds was a gray haired, very fashionable older woman in a mauve suit. “Mr. DiNozzo, Mr-?� she raised her eyebrows.

“Principal Reynolds, let me introduce you to Special Agent Gibbs. He was nice enough to accompany me to this meeting.�

She inclined her head and judging by her pinched expression she was anything but happy to see him. “Agent Gibbs, welcome at St. Margareth’s even if it is not under the best of circumstances. Please, follow me.� She turned on her heel and lead them into her office.

Gibbs silent presence was clearly unnerving the two women. The secretary, a middle aged woman with a stylish short hair cut had taken up position behind her employer and gave her own, in comparison, far less menacing support.

They were offered seats but no refreshments and Mrs Reynolds seemed to be in a hurry to try to solve the dispute.

“You asked for the phone, here it is.�

Gibbs’ refusal to deal with anything related to modern technology was legendary. Nearly as legendary as the short life span of his cell phones. Sometimes his agents weren’t really all that bright. Reboot indeed. He was the one responsible for signing of on their expense reports and therefore knew how many he trashed. Most modern doodads were beyond him but he knew a dead cell phone when he saw one. Just because the team leader preferred to keep McGee on his toes and occupied didn’t mean he couldn’t change a cell phone chip if he needed to. Gibbs just normally didn’t want to.

The defensive attitude of Mrs Reynolds wasn’t endearing her to either Agent. She wasn’t comfortable at all with the situation and the last thing he wanted was for her to accuse DiNozzo of manipulating the evidence. That she had asked her secretary to stay in the room was telling. If she wanted to treat this as a threat against her and her school’s reputation, and that was his guess for her motivation, he wouldn’t give her ammunition. After her fuck up with Sam, Gibbs wasn’t going to cut her any slack anyway, so he pulled out his latex gloves and reached for the ruined communication device. “Let’s take a look.�

Reynolds glared at them icily. “Don’t you think that this is blowing things completely out of proportion, Agent Gibbs? Don't make a federal case out of this and don’t tell me you have nothing better to do but investigate an eight year old girl’s cell phone.�

He just looked at her and removed the back of the cell phone. The casing was battered and had cracks. Someone had done a number on the poor phone but the chip appeared to be intact. For the girl to make up the elaborate scheme of stealing Sam's phone, trashing it and then claiming that Sam had been the one to do the stealing and trashing, she must have held quite the grudge.

“Nobody tried to open the phone?�

“Mr.� She stressed the title, “DiNozzo, this is really quite ridiculous.�

“I find it frankly quite troubling that you seem to be the one here not taking the situation seriously.�

“It was a school dispute gone out of hand. I called Sophie-Ann’s parents. We came to the consensus that it would be best for all concerned to forget about the incident.� Reynolds tried to smile but it didn’t look very convincing.

Tony glared at her. “Yeah, I can believe that Mr. Gerard Coultier of Cormmain & Coultier would want that, because this is clearly the phone I got for my daughter and the chip will prove it. But you still miss my point.� Gibbs noted the unusual grim and tense expression his second in command hardly ever showed. Tony had clearly decided to forego the ‘use honey to catch flies method’ he normally favoured. David and McGee would be surprised to see him now.

A faint hint of color could be seen creeping into the Principals pale face. “Which point would that be?� she asked condescendingly.
.
Gibbs would take bets that she would have never have expected such opposition from DiNozzo when compared to the stink a rich business mogul could cause about his princess’ good name. She was revising her opinion now.

“I could care less about the classroom fight. Don’t get me wrong, I won’t stand for my daughter being called a thief and, looking at the state of the phone in question, vandalism as well. The real issue is you neglecting to keep her safe.� Tony leaned forward. “An eight year old girl alone in the middle of DC when she should have been secure inside these walls ��" no, not minor thing at all.�

“I told her she was being suspended and sent her out of the room. Michelle called the contact number for someone to fetch her.�

Michelle Juniper nodded. “The man on the other end told me he would come within the hour.�

Both agents’ heads flew up. Until now Gibbs had thought that it had been a misunderstanding.

“Once again, I never got a call today. I First knew that something happened when I saw my daughter, accompanied by a complete stranger, waiting for me at work.�

“She must have decided to go seek you independently and left the building.�

“To be picked up by a kind taxi driver when she was standing, alone, in front of your school. It could have been a child molester instead and you didn’t even know she left. She used the emergency money and address I gave to her. And that sounds all right to you?!?�

Reynolds fiddled with her pen. “We are a school, Mr DiNozzo, not a prison. Michelle told her to wait for you to arrive; Sempera must have slipped away when my assistant turned her back. We searched for her.� Her hands clenched around the expensive expensive writing tool. “It didn’t occur to us that she would do something like running away, we thought she was hiding.� The woman put down the pen hard enough to produce a hard clacking sound. “Mr. DiNozzo-“

“Agent DiNozzo.� Gibbs coldly interrupted her and his tone of voice was insistent. He did not like where this was going. His gut was clenching since she mentioned that phone call Tony never got.

She looked as if she had bitten into something very unpleasant. “Very well Agent DiNozzo. I am aware that, with your new responsibility for your daughter, you must be unaccustomed to dealing with the more unpleasant aspects of child care.�

“And you should be aware that, as a Senior Federal Agent, I know better than most what could have happened to my daughter!�

She opened the hard copy of Sam’s file she obviously had prepared beforehand and looked down and then up again, fixating on DiNozzo.

“Now, you will listen! We were very accommodating, we allowed you to visit your daughter whenever you wanted after her mother’s death- which is not something that is allowed normally!- we let you remove Sempera from this school for supervised meetings off campus to get to know her and bond with her.� Her flat hand slammed down on the file. “But your insistence that you didn’t get the call this midday, probably to force us to overlook Sempera’s misdeeds, goes too far!�

DiNozzo had gone cold and stiff as stone. Tony studied the file from where he sat; Gibbs knew that one of his skills was reading upside down. Tony’s hand disappeared into his pocket and removed his cell, he put it slowly and with calm deliberation onto the desk. The Principal eyed him like a mouse that had expected to face off against a gerbil and met a cat instead. Then Tony pulled out a piece of paper, snatched the pen and wrote down numbers.

“Pick up your phone, call this number, see who answers. I only have this one phone, I always have it with me and I am never, ever unreachable. Ask the office, it is registered to my name.� He leaned forward. “I was there when Sam’s contact information was updated. The one you have as first choice for contact in emergency situations-“ he gestured in direction of the file. “is not mine.�

The Principal did what he told her to do and then stared at the device which began its rendition of an old Sinatra song. She had gone gray in the face.

“Michelle, did you use a name when you called this number? Sempera’s or Mr.- eh, Agent DiNozzo’s?� she hopefully asked the other woman.

“Eh… No, I did not. I don’t think so at least, I cannot remember because, well, Sam was pestering me and shouldn’t the father know what I meant when I told him that his daughter…� The assistant nervously played with the cuffs of her blouse.

“I still cannot believe that there is something sinister going on here. It was, most probably, simply a mix up with another pupil’s file. But we will look into this and take action.� She stood up, clearly wanting to close this conversation.

“So will I.� Tony's tone was icyly professional.

Gibbs and his second in command rose too, Tony was slightly trembling, the only outward sign that he was very agitated.

“Mrs Reynolds, it might be a mix up, to be frank, I want it desperately to be a mix up. Because, if it isn’t then it is very likely that Sam’s running away and not waiting for whoever Ms Juniper called prevented her being abducted. Think about that for a moment!�

The older agent didn’t want to believe that a school principal could be so wilfully blind, after being given evidence that it was not, as she first thought, a case of a father wanting to bully her into overlooking a child’s misdeed. She had the responsibility for dozens of children.

“I do take this seriously. I agree, it looks suspicious and I will take the appropriate steps.� If her back had been one smidgen stiffer she would have been the ideal picture of an military officer facing his CO. “I will make sure that the proper authorities are made aware of the situation and investigate it post-haste and in depth. I won't let a threat to my pupils go unanswered and unsolved. I apologize for the awful situation and my assumptions but I have to ask you to leave so I can make some calls.�

Gibbs discreetly touched the younger man at the small of his back to help him focus and calm him down, he knew that the women couldn’t see what he was doing, to them it might look like he was reaching for the chair. He then glared at the principal when she made an attempt to stop him picking up the destroyed phone, still wearing his gloves, and pocketing it.

“You can always tell those ‘authorities’ that Agent Gibbs from NCIS has taken it with him, if they come to regard it as evidence.� Gibbs said. He silently began to make plans in his head.

“I will make sure that you are informed as soon as there is something to share or if your input is needed. But now I have to ask you both to leave. I would assume that you want to be near your daughter, given the circumstances?�

“You assume correctly. We will be in touch.� Tony turned around and strode out of the room, for once not waiting for his boss to take the lead.

Without having the backing of being in charge of a case they couldn’t do more at the moment but ensure Sam’s safety. They hurried back to their car. Tony was speaking into his phone as soon as they were outside. Unsurprisingly it was Ducky he called.

“Ducky, you’re still with Sam?� he asked urgently and his relieved sigh telegraphed the nature of the given answer. “Don’t let her out of your sight, not for one moment, please.� He listened and then grimaced. “Might, yes. We don’t know for sure. We’re coming back as soon as we can.� Tony closed the phone and looked at Gibbs with worried eyes. “Please tell me I’m overreacting.�

“Would love to, but no.� Gibbs took Tony’s hand and pressed it reassuringly. “But I’ll tell you what I’ll do.� He pulled out his own phone and threw the car keys to Tony. “Drive. I call Vance. And recall the team. We don’t know much and there’s the chance that it has something to do with her mother, which puts it clearly in the jurisdiction of NCIS. My jurisdiction.�

.-#-.

Splash! Only his superb reflexes saved Special Agent Gibbs’ shirt from being soaked with fruit juice and the can met the wall behind him harmlessly, clattering to the floor. Liquid dribbled out and formed a sad frizzing puddle.

Tony had entered just in time to see the last act of the drama. His growling girl and his boss faced off over poor Dr. Mallard’s desk. Ducky was standing at the side, staring at gray haired man and child in turn.

“Hey, anyone want to clue me in?� Tony was happy to see his daughter safe and sound but this was not a scene he had expected. They had returned to the yard and separated. Gibbs to go down here and Tony to follow nature’s very insistent call. That had given those two menaces three minutes head start. Gibbs looked at him, calling Sam’s attention to his arrival.

“I have no idea Anthony, they signed something and Sempera ��" well, you’ve seen.� Ducky fiddled with his glasses. “She has been very patient with me but one hour of learning sign language is not enough to understand maestros at the art. You have to ask them, I’m afraid.

“I don’t know either DiNozzo. She blew up at me.� Gibbs was generally hard to read. His agent had to catch the tightness of his shoulders and the carefully modulated voice to draw conclusions. “You have to ask her yourself. She looks like she’s going to throw something else if I try.�

Tony had grown accustomed to being greeted with enthusiastic hugs but at the moment he was reminded of the suspicious stares and anxious glares of their first meetings. Sam was standing there, trembling, with her hands balled to fists at her side.

“Sam?� He rounded the desk and crouched down in front of her. “Why? You could have hurt him, you know?�

Instead of answering him she crossed her arms and looked down mulishly. Tony felt as helpless as the one time he went with her to the zoo and she did something similar to a little boy who had ridiculed her because of her deafness. It hadn’t been fun then either, trying to keep Sam from compensating with her fists for her frustration at not being understood when she signed wildly and apologizing to the mother of the boy. It had been quite the scene and he doubted that his stuttered and halting lecture about violence not being a good solution for problems had fallen on fertile ground afterwards. Parenting books made it sound easy. OK; no gawking crowd, no disapproving mother here, he had time. “Sempera Danielle Peltier.� He finger-spelled.

A heart-braking howl split the air and Sam threw herself against him, pulling at his sleeve and frantically signing.

‘Michelle was angry and Sophie-Ann said they will put me in jail no one would care, nobody believed me and he’ ��" she glared venomously at Gibbs ‘took you away - You weren’t there when I woke up and I feared that the principal would tell you I am a thief too and you would believe her and leave me as well. And I woke up and you weren’t there, and I thought…’ She hiccupped. “And then he came back alone and-.�

Oh oh. Some issues rearing their ugly heads. Tony caught her small fingers in his hands to still them and mouthed ‘breath’ to her until she calmed down again. “He helped me; I didn't go with him, he went with me. And I believed you when you told me about the phone, I told you before. Ducky showed you the letter, didn’t he?�

She nodded but still glared at Gibbs. Grey-green eyes glanced at Tony from under wet lashes. ‘He is mean,' she signed.

Ah well, this was not the time for ‘Second B is for Bastard’ quips.

“Not to little girls, he's not.� A glance in Gibbs’ direction showed him that the other man had come sneakily nearer, observing the interaction between them. Tony saw no judgement in his eyes. The older man didn’t interfere so maybe Tony was doing something right? But he could do with some pointers.

‘He is.’ She stomped her foot. ‘He was rude.’ Maybe a teeny bit of diplomacy would help.

“Ah well, he can come across as rude, but still, I like him.� Tony dared a sneak peek up at his boss. Gibbs lips were twitching. “What was he rude about?�

Sam sniffled pathetically. And loudly. Sugar and spice and everything nice? Poets should have included snot in the rhyme. Tony pulled out a fresh hanky and offered it to his daughter. Hey, he was teachable and now he had some use for the pack of fine designer hankies his cousin Pete had sent him for Christmas, even if it would make some sales man weep if he could guess what they were used for. That didn’t mean that he knew what to do with them afterwards, now he had two to his collection. Maybe he should carry one of the evidence bags in his pocket.

‘He didn’t ask permission.’

“Permission?�

‘To use my special name-sign!’ She made the eternal sign with her right hand.

“I use it and-“

Another stomp. ‘You are my daddy, you are allowed. The’ a gesture combining the sign for bird, cloth and straw ‘I can do nothing about.’ Sam nodded at Ducky. ‘He asked for permission. And I like him.’ The last words was signed with heavy emphasis and she glowered at Gibbs, the in contrast to unsaid but not unheard between them.

Ouch, that was likely to hurt. Tony repeated the mysterious second name-sign and looked at Gibbs catching his attention and drawing him into the discussion. Just his luck that the one child not falling for the charms of his enigmatic boss turned out to be his daughter. Murphy must be laughing his head off somewhere.

“I think she means a scarecrow.�

“The principal.� Tony took a guess and groaned. What to do… “Ok.� He unbent and could nearly hear his knees protesting. “Sam? He only saw me using the eternal sign and he didn’t know that it has special meaning for you.�

‘My mum told me that she called me Sempera, that it was her very special name for her and me so I would always know that she loves me even if she isn’t always there. And that I should be very proud of having such a very special name and not anybody could have it.’ Tony was far better at understanding than signing so he could follow the agitated and defensive gestures. His darling daughter with her snotty nose and untidy hair resembled an agitated porcupine, all defensive and ready to form a ball of spikes.

Come to think of it, he hadn’t known how serious the little girl took the name issue either.

“That still does not make it ok for you to throw something.’ The raised chin and angry eyes didn’t look promising. He looked at the other adults in the room, beseeching them with his eyes for a hint at what to do. The doctor was smiling back at him and looked pointedly at Gibbs, who had raised his eyebrow and gave no other clue as to what he wanted Tony to do, the bastard.

Hell, at the moment he could draw definite comparisons between the gray haired man’s stubborn silence and his little menace’s stubborn expression. They had to learn to accept each other and they could start with it now.

“Sam, you will apologize for throwing that can and you will ask Dr. Mallard to show you where his cleaning supplies are stored. It was very nice of him to look after you and you do not want to repay him with a sticky floor. You caused it, you clean it.� Something must have penetrated because Sam wrinkled her nose. The girl turned, gazed at the mess on the floor and then at her host and nodded reluctantly. She didn’t want to offend her new friend.

“You two? Sort it out, what to call each other and what-not. Without punches.� That was directed at Sam. “Or I will be very, very disappointed. I think we have enough problems without surliness contests.� Now both were staring at him, Gibbs definitely amused and Sam surprised. “My mother always said that an honest private apology was worth two public ones. I will wait outside the door. Have fun!� Hah, that took care of the amusement.

Tony waved and turned to leave the office, he didn’t know why, something was niggling in the back of his head, but he got the impression that his presence wouldn’t help. With Gibbs as company Sam couldn’t be safer. He just hoped Gibbs was safe as well with Sam.

Gibbs blinked and stared disbelievingly at the closed door. His agent had clearly forgotten all the lectures about leaving his partner without backup in a potentially explosive situation. Gibbs wasn’t counting waiting outside as sufficient help, not at all.

“The rags are in the cupboard over there.“ Ducky pointed and spoke clearly. “Agent Gibbs will be delighted to help you, I am sure.� The last part was directed at Sam, but clearly meant for Gibbs. The quirky medical examiner smiled beatifically. “I will take the chance to assist Mr. Palmer, I fear he still has to learn at lot about the art of- ah well, examining.� Glancing at the girl, he was obviously changing his words to more appropriate vocabulary.

The silver haired agent could be mistaken, but he would have sworn that, in contrast to Tony, his old friend was rather reluctant to leave the room. Sam was clearly not ready to let her one remaining ally go because she darted over to the older man and looking up at him beseechingly, seeking shelter at his side. Gibbs took neither sentiment as a compliment.

“Ducky…�

Mallard stepped away and teasingly ruffled Sam’s pig-tails, carefully directed her to the cupboard and then he smiled at Gibbs.

“I concur with Anthony, and please do not tell me that a seasoned field agent needs a mediator to clear up a slight misunderstanding.�

That was playing dirty.

“Sempera? He can be a little grumpy, I know, but he has been my friend for a long time, try to get along, please.� Ducky handed a rag to the girl and crossed the room to open the door. They could see DiNozzo standing outside, his PDA in his hand. Tony’s head flew up and he regarded them anxiously. Before the door closed again, Ducky turned to Gibbs. “Jethro, far be it from me to question one of your famous rules, but if I see her mention anything ever about signs of weakness, you will rue the day we met.� The door closed.

And Gibbs knew that he would make good on his promise.

Predicting the future was the forte of fools and dreamers. Gibbs was of the opinion that the most someone could do was set the groundwork, directing and manipulating the reachable chess pieces and then hoping for the best outcome possible. An outcome, when he thought about his relationship with Tony, that wasn’t even clearly defined. He couldn’t be sure it would pan out. Years of yearning didn’t mean the real deal would be what both of them wanted or needed. In fact, it was rather daunting that Gibbs would have to live up to a lot of fantasies.

Gibbs knew what he didn’t want, Tony out of his life, but the rest? Gibbs could see Tony in his bed as a weekend fuck buddy or at his breakfast table in the morning â€" everyday â€" , as good friend if their dynamic didn’t work out. Not all of those options were equally compelling. But in all of them Tony was … present. That was Gibb’s side of the equation, but what did the other man want? And â€" Gibbs sighed â€" there was Sam. She would be a major factor in nearly every scenario he could imagine. What a mess. It would be easier for all three of them the sooner he could manage to make Sam like him.

Now, what to do with Tony’s daughter…. He hadn’t been prepared for such a violent reaction, simply because he called her by her birth name. Gibbs searched her face for clues about how to proceed.

Various emotions fluttered over her small face, frustration and longing being the most prominent among them with a good portion of anger in the mix. Sam was keeping her eyes on the door, avoiding looking in his direction entirely. Gibbs felt with her, he wasn’t thrilled about this either.

Sam had decided to fulfill the easier part of her father’s wishes and was picking up the can from the floor and then depositing it in the dustbin. Gibbs could see her tiny teeth biting her lower lip as she threw sneak-peeks at him out of the corner of her eye.

Gibbs used one of these glances to sign and say.

“So, you do not like me.�

Ducky had said something about a bucket. The agent found it, filled it with water and a mild cleaning agent and brought it over, only to be ignored. Gibbs was tempted to pull at his own hair. Eight year old girls were masters at making a grown man feel like a beastly ogre. And little girls could sulk with the best of them; Sam was going for gold at the moment. This side of dealing with children he had forgotten. Gibbs moved to be in her full line of sight again.

“Needs water, moping up alone won’t help, the sugar in the fluid will make the floor sticky.�

Her fist tightened around the rag. He waited and sat back on his haunches. Finally the rag was dipped into the offered water, wrung out rather violently and used to soak up the puddle and then thrown into the bucket again, spraying them both with drops. The process was repeated.

Minutes later there was nothing more to be cleaned. Small shoulders were drawn up defensively and her head turned to him.

‘I knew that, I am not stupid. Kimmy spilled her coke once and tried to hide it with her folder. She wasn’t even supposed to have coke at the school! The folder got stuck to the floor. I asked and Ms Riccardo explained about the sugar crystals acting like glue and how some glues need water and some oily things like turpentine to come undone. This was juice too. So- you didn’t have to tell me.’

“I stand corrected.� Gibbs inclined his head, deferring to her expertise. “You remembered and used it to solve a similar but not exactly the same problem. One day you will make a great investigator, just like your father.�

The praise made her light up. Yeah, just like her father. Sam still looked at him suspiciously but it was much lighter now.

One side of her face was wet and soapy, where she had tried to get her hair out of the way and her pigtails were in a sorry state as well, but Sam didn’t seem to care. One major difference to the quite vain Tony. The warm smile on Gibbs' face slowly disappeared. The thought of what could have easily happened to Tony’s daughter today made Gibbs want to shoot someone, preferably the asshole that threatened something so precious.

He picked up the bucket and the rag.

“I’ll take this back to the sink. Have to contribute, or Ducky will have my hide.�

Sam had to think about it and then she nodded graciously and came along to supervise. Gibbs took it as another step forward. The next signs came slowly.

‘You went with Daddy to my school, leaving me behind.’ Could that be a green baby-sized monster clinging to Sam’s back or was it the being left behind bit that had her up in arms against Gibbs?

“Do you think Mrs Reynolds,� Gibbs used the scarecrow sign and hoped that it wouldn’t provoke a negative reaction, but rather solidarity against a common foe, “would have respected you as your dad’s backup? She had her assistant with her, another adult.�

Sam’s hands faltered she repeated the backup sign.

Yeah, that might not have been vocabulary she needed to learn until now. There was a lot of military and investigative lingo the little one would pick up from both of them.

“It means help, someone to make sure that no one could attack from behind. So…?�

She made a grimace, not answering.

“Don’t think so either.�

She looked so defeated at that moment but he guessed she wouldn’t accept any gesture of comfort from him. If he tried she would bite him like any cornered fox cub would.

Gibbs wondered how long DiNozzo would give them to ‘sort it out’. His little companion kept looking at the door, probably wondering about it too. A deep sigh cut the silence and with the air of a condemned soldier facing the firing squad, the little girl positioned herself in front of him, straightened and met his eyes.

‘I’m sorry for throwing the can. You didn’t know that I would object to my name sign.’ She squirmed, clearly not finished yet. ‘You can call me SAM, that’s what most people use and it is short enough’ Her fingers spelled out the name.

“I accept your apology, Sam.� He smiled at her. “You can use JET, it’s short for Jethro.�

Sam stared at him, maybe she wasn’t used to adults reacting like that to an apology. Or she wasn’t used to apologizing. Gibbs felt with her, he wasn't used to it from either side of the equation.

The little girl seemed to need a long time to contemplate the name issue before she came to a conclusion.

‘JET is ok, for now.’ Another longing glance at the exit was followed by a tentative one directed at him. ‘Do you think we can leave now?’

“Let’s try.� Gibbs upended the half forgotten bucket and put it on the floor to let it dry, arranging the wet rag over it. He nearly missed the next sentence.

‘I still don’t like you…much.’ The stubbornly raised chin was back, but that was all right with Gibbs. He could be a tenacious bastard, but he had more stamina as well and this was progress at least.

DiNozzo was waiting for them and a relieved beaming smile was directed at the duo when he saw them emerge together, without further wounds of war. He shut down his PDA and shoved it carelessly into his pocket.

“So, you two ok?�

OK was such a bland word, it could be used for a whole range of positive states.

“Yeah.� Gibbs acknowledged.

Sam nodded, darted around Gibbs and reached for her father’s hand, snuggling against his side.

The younger man used another fancy handkerchief to remove some of the smudges on Sam’s face. Now it was the older DiNozzo sending him insecure glances out of the corners of his eyes.

“See, that wasn’t so bad now, was it?� he directed at both of them.

That comment earned Tony a sour look from his daughter and Gibbs had to concur. Sometimes it was much less painful to throw punches than talk.

-.#-.

Ziva David and Tim McGee had arrived and were waiting for them in the squad room. It was nearly deserted, the digital clock showed that it was past 1830 hours and most personnel had clocked out.

Two aisles down from their area there was still activity. Tony wrinkled his nose and made sure that there was nothing being shown that could traumatise little girls. Another team was working a big case and the agents were using the relative silence to put together clues and using the big screen to compare their findings; without a certain team hogging the equipment.

Tony had heard them talking about it earlier. The case centered around a big financial scam; some naval accountant had secretly put away a good portion of the supply fund, got himself discharged and was now playing Carmen Sandiego, leaving some clues but not enough for NCIS to catch up with him. The intricacies of why he had been able to do it at all went above Tony’s head. They had only caught on to the fact so soon because the paranoid captain of the Seahawk, who always checked if his stash was going to be filled up, insisted on investigating why his coffee wouldn’t be delivered. Go figure, the Marines on board must have rubbed off on him.

The sun was still high up in the sky, it being summer, and the air condition was running, for once flawlessly, keeping everything cool and pleasant.

The director of NCIS was still here too, Leon Vance was observing the room from his vantage point outside MTAC. He had not been happy about this new development but Gibbs had assured him that his team had volunteered to look into the possible abduction threat to their colleague’s child.

Vance observed their progress through the room and indicated that they should join him. Tony pointed at Sam and made a questioning face, secretly hoping that he could send her to McGee, but Vance indicated with his hands that he wanted all three of them to come up.

The nervous father crossed his fingers, thanked his good fortune that he had used the elevator ride to clumsily redo Sam’s hair- and Gibbs had been no help at all!- and hoped that she would behave herself. Tony had explained what was going on to his daughter, that someone had tried to kidnap her. There was no telling if she understood the seriousness of the situation.

They climbed the stairs, Sam looking around curiously.

“Director Vance, thank you for supporting us with this. May I introduce you to my daughter, Sam Peltier?� Tony, now that he knew about the pitfall, was more cautious about introductions. “Sam, this is the man who is the boss of all of NCIS, Director Vance.�

Sam smiled angelically up at the big black man, clearly not phased by his muscular frame and signed her greetings. Tony could see how the bear of a man, usually stern and uncompromising when faced with anything DiNozzo, melted.

The little devil could be very charming, if she wanted to. Unfortunately she rarely ever wanted to.

To Tony’s everlasting surprise Vance even signed back, a slow, simple greeting.

“I am sorry that is all I know. I was looking forward to meeting the girl who caused such an uproar.� Tony translated and his daughter had the grace to look a little bit abashed.

“She says that she didn’t want to cause problems and that,� here he did some creative editing out of her line of sight, “everyone was very nice to her.�

Gibbs was shifting beside him and Tony caught himself before could throw the other man a glare. It sounded much better without the ‘nearly’ he left out. Her hands were signing again and Sam nodded vigorously. This part he had no problem translating. “Ah, I told her to come here when there was trouble and she is happy that we didn’t arrest her and instead found out the truth. And that we help to keep her safe.�

Now it was Vance’s chance to beam.

“That’s our job.� He and Gibbs said it at the same time.

Oh yeah, little manipulative devil indeed. Tony should count his blessings; and not chance Lady Fortune too much.

“May I send Sam down to the team? I think it would be… better.�

“Of course. We have to iron out some details and this could get tedious for her.� One big hand was offered to the girl and she shook it earnestly before following her father’s directions and climbing down the stairs.

“She’s very sweet, DiNozzo. Can’t let anything happen to her.�

On that he agreed with the director. Tony squirmed and kept the pleasant smile firmly on his face. “Can’t accept the credit, it’s more her mother’s doing, even if she didn’t have much time for her the last years.�

“There’s news?� Gibbs brought the conversation back to business, positioning himself slightly in front of his subordinate.

Vance had followed Tony’s daughter’s progress and nodded absently, a deep furrow developing on his forehead.

“The local LEOs called, as long as we can point out a possible naval angle it’s our case. Any ideas?�

Wasn’t that the question of the hour. Tony had wracked his brain for an answer but there weren’t any clues yet and too many possibilities.

“Both her stepfather and her mother were in the service, it could tie back to them, yeah. Sergeant Christopher Peltier was involved with a classified program.� They would have to look into their backgrounds far deeper than Tony had done when he first learned about Sam.

“Or it could be someone who wants to blackmail DiNozzo into altering his statement in one of the upcoming court trials.� Gibbs added. It was one option he found deeply disturbing, because it would indicate not only a great deal of ruthlessness but also a possible additional threat to Tony himself.

“The Williams case is up next week and a lot depends on my witness report of the shooting.� Tony looked down into the squad room and smiled when he saw McGee hurry to rescue his notes from curious fingers. “Gunthar’s trial could turn nasty as well and the scumbag has a certain reputation. The other two cases I have to appear in court for are fairly open and shut.�

“Hm.� Vance’s fingers were drumming a fierce staccato on the railing. “I hate child abduction cases. Just to make it clear, Gibbs: both DiNozzos have to be protected and the older one,� the director fixed the agent in question with a stern stare, “is not allowed to work this case. He IS the case. Use him for information, search everything the Peltier’s left to their daughter for clues, he can help find evidence but not handle it, he is not allowed to interview anyone and don’t let him out of your sight.�

Judging by Gibb’s stance and the hard glint in his clear blue eyes, Vance could have spared himself the effort. The gray haired agent was grinning wolfishly at his superior officer. Even if he found it disconcerting to be talked about like he wasn’t there, Tony couldn’t help but being reassured by Gibbs fierce protectiveness.

-.#-.

As if one DiNozzo wasn't bad enough, now they had two! And there was no denying Sam’s parentage, she was as annoying as her father.

Making fun of him? Check. That stare from his carefully styled hair to the tips of his shiny leather shoes couldn’t be mistaken for anything else. He had been on his way to dinner with a lady friend when Gibbs' call came in and there hadn’t been any time to change into something less fancy.

Being nosy and getting into his things and notes? Check and check. McGee hastily stacked his notes in a neat pile and put a heavy paperweight atop them before she could pick another sheet up.

Asking questions non-stop? Check! She hadn’t been impressed that he didn’t know how to use ASL but that bump in the road for easier communication wasn’t stopping her either. The little menace had confiscated his lime green post-it block and held up scribbled questions about what he was doing. Why he was doing it. How long he needed to do it. If he could do it faster…

Timothy McGee would take bets that Sam even spelled his name the wrong way too. And the worst part of it? No way would Gibbs head slap this DiNozzo to shut her up. The boss generally didn’t interfere with his Agents’ shenanigans but he would reign Tony in if his behaviour interfered with getting work done.

Tony en miniature, the female version. Heaven help them. Ok, she was kinda cute with her earnest round eyes and the way she held her head slightly to the side like a bird while impatiently waiting for him to write down an answer. But why, oh why, had he been selected as the babysitter of choice? He had enough on his plate with the research the boss wanted to be concluded yesterday. Why couldn’t Ziva do it, she wasn’t as fast or effective as he was with databases, she was a woman-

Come to think of it, THAT was a scary thought. At the moment the Mossad Officer was inspecting one of her blades for nicks while her computer was running a search, an oily rag ready to be used if needed lay on the desk. OK, maybe he was indeed the better choice.

“David!� Gibbs appeared, suddenly and silently as was his custom. “Waiting for office time to keep your tools of the trade in good condition?� he mocked her and put his Sig into the drawer, shut it and turned the key. “How’re the background checks coming along. I want some results.�

Ziva was showing no outward reaction but she put her weapon back into its sheath and, following Gibbs pointed look at Sam, followed his example and shut it away with her own Sig.

Tim checked that his weapon was put away securely. The pint sized DiNozzo should not be able to get it in her curious fingers.

Gibbs had dominated the scene with pure force of personality so McGee was startled when he saw Tony standing in front of his desk.

“Thanks for keeping an eye on Sam. She give you trouble?� It threw Tim that the other man was accompanying every sentence he spoke with signs. Abby had told him once that it was considered impolite to do only one set of communication when both hearing and deaf people were in a room, if you knew how to sign.

“Uhm.� And that had been downright polite for Tony. “Ehm… she asks a lot of questions.�

“So should you.� Gibbs growl interrupted them. “Pick DiNozzo’s brains for information about Sam’s folks. I’ll call Peltier’s former CO.� Before Tim could stop himself his tongue slipped the leash.

“Shouldn’t take long then, not much brain there to pick apart.�

The older DiNozzo was standing very still and for a moment McGee could see hurt in his eyes but the expression disappeared quickly, replaced by a blinding smirk.

“Not all of us can be Einsteins, that would be so boring, don’t cha think?� He wasn’t signing that sentence.

Maybe that arrow had hit the mark too well and was poisonous to boot. McGee couldn’t help a twinge of bad conscience. His colleague had enough on his plate at the moment. Tim couldn’t imagine how he would feel if his child was in danger.

Sam had picked up at the sudden tension and was observing Tim and her father thoughtfully, her eyes turning flinty. Tony slouched into a chair in front of Tim’s desk and pulled her to his side.

“You love to call me juvenile, McRepetitive, so do you think that one of the games on my machine is appropriate enough for the real deal?� Tony’s flicked his long fingers against the girl’s forehead and it distracted her and made her grin again.

Tim took the comment as a mild riposte evening the score and breathed more easily.

“Don’t think so Tony but- give me a minute, I know of a small online drawing program for children. It’s great fun and teaches them to use a mouse more accurately. With little pictures you can add, animations and glitter and-.� Oh God, that sounded ridiculous. Heat was rising in his cheeks and he gulped. “My little cousin loves that game and showed it to me.� Tim added hastily and fled to Tony’s workstation. He was glad that Tony was looking at him gratefully and not with scorn, like he would have expected. Hm, the computer here might not be the best option. McGee looked around, he knew that he had put one of their field laptops somewhere.

Half a minute later Sam was sitting in front of a spare laptop so Tony could work on his computer if needed.

Tim wasn’t a good judge when it came to artistry but he thought she wasn’t half bad. Both men were looking up from their Q/A session every few minutes to check what she was doing.

He could identify all the people she was drawing easily. Sam was using perspective and the shapes weren’t too ludicrous either. Ducky’s suspenders and glasses were easily recognisable, a dark skinned Vance was standing in the background. A very black and white Abby with blood red lips. Tony in the center with a big smile on his face holding a happy Sam to him- One figure wasn’t that pronounced but he could guess by the long brown hair (and the blade) whom she had in mind as inspiration. Tim’s picture self was smiling goofily and she had managed to create highlights that made his painted hair look ready for an oil change. And Gibbs … Gibbs was standing beside Tony, with a really, really awful Marine haircut and his lips in a firm line.

Time went by. Busy research reigned, at one point interrupted by cheering from two aisles down and the other team rushing to the elevator, their cell phones pressed to their ears. The hunt for the missing accountant was on.

Sam was getting tired again, her head visibly heavy on her shoulders.

It was after sundown when Gibbs stood up.

“I’ve arranged a video conference with Major Conrad Morgan, he was Christopher Peltier’s CO, for oh eight hundred tomorrow. We need the security tape from the school’s front gate and to interview the staff, maybe that will give us more clues. We can't do more than keep Sam safe in the meantime. Some of us have work to do, others should call it a day.� He looked pointedly at the now sleeping girl.

Tim nodded and turned back to his computer.

“I’ll dig deeper and call if something crops up.�

Ziva nodded as well and kept typing, her eyes fixed on her computer screen.

“DiNozzos, with me. We’re goin’ home.�

"We’re going home. “

Tony had been lost in his own head, structuring his thoughts and searching for possible connections and leads. It took him a few seconds to register what had been said. Home?

“Do I suddenly speak Chinese? Hop to it.� Rough and impatient as ever, subtlety thy name is not Gibbs.

The growl nearly made him obey his supervisor out of habit but Tony caught himself just in time. “You can’t mean my apartment, because, bad idea for more than one reason. Hotel’s out. You wouldn’t call a safe house 'home' so that leaves your home and, just, hell, no!�

“We’ll make an investigator out of you yet, you've learned to reason.� Gibbs shot back, blue eyes darkening in displeasure. “Yes, my home. Pick up the little one and move it, DiNozzo.�

More words of vehement protest lay on Tony’s tongue, but he swallowed them. It wasn’t a good idea to force his very stubborn boss into a defensive position. The younger agent hadn’t thought that he would have to put their new understanding to the test so soon, now he would find out if Gibbs would take his concerns seriously.

“Boss, a word, please?�

Gibbs stared at him fiercely and Tony could imagine the thundercloud developing over the silver-haired head. Being questioned and denied immediate obedience was not to the older man’s taste.

“DiNozzo?�

Tony looked around. Tim and Ziva had taken notice of the discussion. They were paid to notice things and to make their observations covertly, if need be. McGee felt the need for secrecy, but his industrious typing didn’t fool Tony. Ziva wasn’t even feigning disinterest, she was leaning back in her chair and observing them openly.

Under different circumstances he would make use of his boss’ personal conference room, the elevator. But Sam was curled up in an office chair, her head resting on the tabletop, and he would not chance her waking up without him nearby. Ducky had assured him that under the circumstances her clinginess was natural. She had made her views on him being not there when she woke up clear as day; Tony didn't want to come back to another epic temper tantrum like the one he encountered in the M.E.s office in the afternoon so he wouldn’t go far.

“How about a little more privacy, the corner beside the MTAC stairs will do.� Tony didn’t wait for a reply, before striding across the room. Some small part of him was expecting strong fingers around his upper arm stopping him, but the older man gave one of his characteristic impatient huffs and followed him instead.

“I don’t think using your house is a good idea.� Tony hadn’t asked for a sanctuary this afternoon when his living conditions proved to be untenable for his girl, he didn’t think it was a better option now. If only Gibbs would listen for a moment.

“Did it sound like a suggestion? Remember: you are the case, you are under my command. I tell you once again, move it. I don’t get why you’re playing diva. My home not good or safe enough for you?�

Oh shit, that sounded defensive, exactly what he had wanted to avoid. It hadn’t been Tony’s intention to imply that Gibb’s home was unsafe for Tony and his daughter. But sometimes Gibbs forgot his own emotional and physical needs in his quest to protect others. Tony pitched his voice low. “A regular NCIS safe house would be better.�

His boss crossed his arms in front of his chest and pressed his lips together so they formed one straight unforgiving line.

Tony lined up his arguments and prepared for battle. As much as he wished that he hadn’t started this conversation, Gibbs wouldn’t let him get away with backing out now either.

“We know nothing about the perps, but if they did take the time to research us, they’ll know what you do when threatened: hole up on home ground or hunt. They might have prepared for this eventuality.“

Gibbs shook his head and dismissed the concern. “I’ll station some agents outside the house, and known territory has its advantages.�

Advantages that had come in handy before, but in completely different scenarios. “Ari Haswari, your personal white whale, that Matthews woman… One terrorist, one murderess. I wouldn’t compare those to my Sam.�

The silver-haired agent’s expression turned thoughtful. “What’s the real reason?�

“That’s the reason.� Tony tried to infuse as much honesty as he could. It was the truth just not-

“Not the whole reason.�

God damn it, Gibbs knew him too well. His official reasons for not wanting to go to the other man’s house were valid and should not to be dismissed so casually.

“Shouldn’t that be reason enough?� No answer, of course not. The persistent bastard was now glowering at him. “OK, it might have crossed my mind that…�

Gibbs eyes were taking on a really dangerous glint and dared him to find other faults with the boss’ plan. Time to state the main reason for his reluctance to use Gibbs' home. He hadn’t wanted to bring it up, but the other man gave him no choice so Tony prepared himself for a negative reaction. This topic had been taboo for years and whenever someone mentioned it Gibbs nearly bit off the head of the fool who had dared to do so.

“You really wanna let an eight-year-old run around your house?�

There was a short silence and then Gibbs answered him stonily. “It’s been 17 years.�

“If it was Sam…I don’t think 70 would be enough.� Tony tried to soothe.

“I am not a shrinking violet.�

Of course the former marine would take it as an affront to his masculinity, the idiot, instead of concern for his mental well-being. “Don’t think you are. Excuse me for worrying about- “

Gibbs interrupted him. “Worry about your own problems, leave mine alone. It’s not your job to worry ‘bout me.�

That was wrong on so many levels that it made his chest ache. “It’s my job as the second in command to ensure my supervisor's physical and mental health, according to the job guidelines and I don't give a flying fuck about me technically not being your XO at the moment! Not to mention that I care-“ Not the best location to finish the sentence and he caught himself just in time. They weren’t being very loud, but he wouldn’t want to be overheard by a nosy probie or Little Miss Spy. He didn’t need to finish the sentence anyway, Tony knew that his irascible boss had understood him well enough.

Gibbs inclined his head in acknowledgement and the tightness around his mouth lessened a fraction. Tony took it as a good sign.

“I've worked cases with children before.� Gibbs pointed out.

“Yeah, don’t forget, I was there.� And indeed he had been. Had watched Gibbs funnel his fury into icy effectiveness when it came out that Sandy’s father had thrown his family away for monetary gain. Tony hadn’t had the background knowledge then to understand Gibbs’ full motivations, but he remembered the menace Gibbs had shown.

The detailed files about Gibbs’ times in the service were unavailable for a mere agent’s eyes (especially an agent’s without hacking skills and the devil would mail-order ice skates before Tony would ask McGee) but Tony didn’t need a body count, he had seen how deadly the silver-haired man could be when he was motivated. Gibbs wasn’t overly muscled like some marines who were built like brick shit houses, but his clothes hid a coiled, economical strength that was far more dangerous for its deceptiveness. And rue the idiot that provoked it into action. In the case of Sandy’s father, a slightly different grip on the man’s throat, a little push and there would have been more damage done than a body being pressed against a wall. Gibbs had held himself in check then, yes, but only just. But the senior agent wasn’t blind to his boss’s faults, everybody has a breaking point and he wasn’t keen on pushing Gibbs closer to his. Yes, he had to keep Sam safe, but he wouldn’t sacrifice his … whatever’s inner peace for that goal if there was an alternative.

“You never took any of them home with you, did you?� A home the man had shared with his murdered wife and daughter. “You even took Zack to a safe house for the night.�

Gibbs opened his mouth as if to say something, closed it again and a deep line developed between his brows. He uncrossed his arms and shifted into a more balanced stance. “It won’t influence my job.�

“You sure?� Tony could see the muscles in the older man’s jaw working and the tension lines deepening around his mouth. His boss was wound tight and ready to unload a shit load of dissatisfaction onto his head. Maybe he should have let this particular dragon sleep and hope it didn't wake up.

“I don’t like you questioning me, DiNozzo.�

What the fuck?!? If Gibbs couldn’t climb down from his high horse himself then Tony would have to topple him by force, but he would have to wait for a better place to do it properly. Why couldn’t the stubborn man back down, just once? But he wouldn’t be his Gibbs if he did.

“House is free standing, you can see visitors coming, it’s easily defensible, and I know every nook and cranny. Agents will keep watch from the outside.� Gibbs took one step backward but it was by no means a retreat. “Vance is indulging us, you know it. Requesting a safe house when mine’s available is not going to earn us any favors. It’s too late to arrange something different without a lot of hassle. Deal with it.� He leaned closer again until his nose nearly touched Tony’s.

It was hard to keep his face expressionless, but more than a little bit of rebelliousness must have shown because Gibbs' voice took on a new level of harshness.

“And don’t question my decisions at the office again because you doubt my professionalism. I know better than you what I can and cannot stand.�

There was no chance to change Gibbs’ mind at the moment, he was acting like epitome of the immovable object. Tony forced himself not to show defeat or let his shoulders slump. Instead he did something he knew would express his feelings well enough. He flowed into parade rest and looked straight ahead.

“Yes, sir.

Gibbs sighed. “Damn it Tony!�

.-#-.

The car ride to his house went without a hitch and Gibbs was thankful for that blessing. He even toned down his driving style. Nobody followed them as far as he could tell, just the second NCIS car with the agents who would stand guard during the night. Another team had been dispatched to check his house and the surroundings for intruders and other unpleasant surprises. They had called an All Clear in earlier and would wait for Tony, Sempera and Gibbs arrival before joining their colleagues outside.

Gibbs didn’t know and couldn’t care less how it had been made possible, but someone from the technical department had, at his demand, managed to find and install a booster seat into the car. Gibbs had no clue if Sam still required one, but he wouldn’t take that chance. Tony’s daughter was barely awake and cranky. No wonder, it was after 2200 hours and she needed to get some real sleep in a real bed or she would be insufferable tomorrow.

A small duffle bag with a change of clothes and some toiletries had been another feat of whoever was responsible for fast acquisition of necessary supplies. Neither Tony nor Gibbs had thought about asking for Sam’s things when they were at St. Margareth’s. They had been too focused on keeping the girl safe and didn’t think about the missing luggage until evening. It wasn’t a big deal; they would pick her things up tomorrow when they returned to question the staff and students at the school.

The argument at the office had been upsetting. Gibbs really preferred home ground when faced with dangerous situations, he weighed it higher than the anonymity of an official safe house. It still smarted that his agent had thought that he would let his past get in the way of making sound decisions. The younger man was now acting strictly professional, only showing emotions when interacting with his daughter and it made Gibbs very uncomfortable. He was missing something crucial here, because, in hindsight he had to admit that Tony normally wouldn’t question his boss’ competency, there had to be more to it.

His home was waiting for them, the front porch lights turned up to full brightness, an unusual occurrence. Good thing that he didn’t have many neighbors, they would have wondered what was happening. Gibbs parked his car as near to the door as possible and waited for the sign to move into the building. The three of them emerged from the same side of the car with Tony, who had been riding in the back with his daughter, carrying Sam. Gibbs watched carefully over them as they hurried into the house.

Sam didn’t even have the energy to investigate her new surroundings. She let herself be led docilely into the hallway bathroom by her father. Gibbs followed them and watched from the door. There she showed the first signs of interest. The unfamiliar nightshirt and the toothbrush were stared at and Sam vehemently refused to use either of them.

‘They are pink!’ That seemed to be enough reason. Small thin arms were crossed resolutely across her chest and she shook her head. Why someone who didn’t seemed to be concerned about her outward appearance would refuse to use or wear something simply because of its color was beyond Gibbs. And weren’t little girls supposed to like pink? Pink hadn’t been Kelly’s favorite color, that had been green, but she hadn’t disliked it either.

“Please Sam, it is just for one night, we'll get your things tomorrow.� Tony sank down on to one knee, no mean feat in the small bathroom, and tried to reason with her. But all he earned for his troubles were mutinous glares and sniffles; she wouldn’t reconsider and neither man felt up to forcing her.

Gibbs remembered something. “Tony, I’ll be back in a moment. Look in the right cabinet beside the mirror, you should find a guest toothbrush there. I doubt that it's pink.�

Tony groaned. “Should have thought to ask if you had one, instead of trying to out-stubborn a kid. Thanks.�

It didn’t take long to rummage through his drawers and return with one of his old t-shirts. It had been washed so often that the cloth was thin and very soft and it had a logo on the front. Gibbs used to wear it when he went jogging. Of course it would be much too big for Sempera’s small frame, but it would do as a nightshirt. He returned to bathroom and held out his hand with the shirt, like he had his hanky earlier in the day.

Sam hesitated and finally snatched it out of his grip, followed the lines of the letters with her fingers and then looked up at him again. ‘Like NCIS without the C. Thank you.’

“You’re welcome.� Gibbs smiled down at her. One meltdown averted.

Tony thanked him as well. Not even ten minutes later all that could be seen of Sam in the soft glow of a nightlight was a shock of brown hair over the hem of the blanket. The adults left the door to the guestroom half open and went down into the living room. One of the new features that had been installed was a more sophisticated version of a baby-monitor and they took the extension with them. Abby had promised some elaborate, child-appropriate wristband with monitoring devices and GPS for the following day, but in the meantime this would have to suffice.

-#-.

"Tony," Gibbs spoke the name softly, he didn’t want to startle the younger man.

Tony was sitting on the old lumpy couch, his posture telegraphing tiredness and distress. He had shed his jacket and untucked his sweater. His elbows were resting on his knees, his chin resting on his folded hands. Only one small lamp on a side board was turned on and illuminating the scene, the curtains were drawn close in front of the windows. No one should be able to observe silhouettes from the outside.

Gibbs sat down in front of Tony on the low coffee table, their knees were nearly touching this way. He could barely make out the expression on the younger man’s face in the half darkness. After the day he had it wasn’t a surprise to see deep purple shadows under Tony’s half-closed eyes, or the stubble on his cheeks and chin. It was the overall stillness and the lack of animated sparkle in green eyes that gave Gibbs a clue that it wasn’t just wariness of the body that weighed down Tony.

“Never expected I would use these words twice in a day, hate them with a passion in fact, but we need to talk.�

The younger man didn’t react at first. Tony had been disturbingly quiet on the car ride to the house. If there was one ground rule that the former marine had learned about his second in command during their years together, it was that a quiet Tony DiNozzo was a clear sign that something was extremely wrong. Gibbs had once compared him to a dog, a loyal St. Bernard. The dog parallel wasn’t completely fitting but it had led Gibbs to a revelation. Tony was normally all energetic movement and sparkling smiles, loud and demanding attention. It had taken Gibbs months to figure out that his agent behaved this way not because he was trying to put off people, but rather as a test and a security blanket both. Tony wanted to belong. But if someone took him at his worst the chances rose that he wouldn’t be thrown out again at the first sign of trouble.

Signs of trouble had come up in their relationship faster than expected, but Gibbs would be damned before he would let them destroy what was potentially the best thing to happen to him in years.

“I thought I was allowed to voice my opinions. I thought we agreed. Guess I was wrong.� Tony finally said, his voice bland and his eyes fixed on his hands.

Gibbs doubted that this was the core of the problem, more of a symptom, but it could be used as a starting point. He sighed. “Tony, voicing an opinion in private, versus offering suggestions at work and expecting me to follow you like an errand boy to a corner to question my competence, these are quite different things.�

Tony raised shook his head and grimaced. Then the younger man placed his hands flat on his knees. “Yeah, that was a dumb thing to do. In my defense, I didn’t see an alternative location. Sometimes I have to call you on potential bullshit at once. There wasn’t time to wait for an opportunity to, how did you put it, plant my butt on the second stair of your basement. Said basement being part of the problem.

“But, and it’s a big but, Gibbs.� Tony raised his chin defiantly. “You dismissed my opinion about one hell of an important situation. You insisted that you can deal with your issues, so let me ask you: what would you have done if it was Kelly in danger and the man in charge of the investigation didn’t include you in important decisions?�

Green eyes, angry and sympathetic both, stared at him and asked the older man to answer honestly. Tony knew some details of what had gone down with Shannon and Kelly and the parallels to their current dilemma, but he nevertheless did what Gibbs had, in a way, commanded him to do. He wasn’t pulling his punches anymore. They hit their target hard; if Gibbs hadn’t been prepared he would have flinched.

“Wouldn’t have taken it well, for sure.� Understatement of the year. Oh, he would have reacted far more aggressively than Tony had, but that was not the crucial point, it just made him feel a twinge of regret that he hadn’t had the foresight to anticipate a possible problem. He shouldn’t have made decisions completely without Tony’s input.

“But, three things, Tony: if the hypothetical man in charge was good at his job, and I’d have demanded the best, he might have been more diplomatic than I am, but he sure as hell would have insisted that I follow his instructions to the letter, despite any misgivings I might have had. For my daughter’s and my own safety.� Blue eyes tried to assess how receptive Tony was to this reasoning.

“By the way, it was my home I used as a safe house for Zack. I just never said so at the office. You were all so sure that it was his father who was the traitor, Jen wasn’t told either. But that’s immaterial at the moment.�

Gibbs could see the knuckles of the other man’s hand turning white. Clever fingers, normally used to accompany every argument and discussion with gestures, dug into the fine cloth of Tony’s slacks, forced into frustrated immobility. Tony was miserable, and it brought home how much Gibbs had botched up the conversation at the office. He shouldn’t have brushed off Tony’s concerns so harshly. Finally, Gibbs could make out a tired nod of acknowledgment but the tension didn’t dissipate.

This would be easier if he wasn’t so stressed, it was a point Tony would have made himself. “Secondly, and I told you already, if it is work related, everything stays the way it always have been. If you have a problem with something I do, either have a clear professional reasoning laid out in such a way that we can have the discussion in front of the team, or save it for later."

The nod came much faster than before. “Clear boss. But this wasn’t purely a professional disagreement, it had personal parts, too.�

Gibbs shrugged. “Yeah, it was both, unfortunately, but at the office-“

“Boss.� Tony put heavy emphasis on the title. “Don’t you think that you might be overcompensating in the wrong direction?"

His first reaction wasn’t printable, but Gibbs held himself back and inclined his head in question instead. He had already fucked up once today, no need to repeat it.

“Way I see it, you were trying to make certain that our new private understanding doesn't bleed too much into our work environment."

That was something the older man had to chew on for a moment. It wasn’t entirely true, at least Gibbs hadn't thought rationally about it that way, but it might have added to his irritation at being questioned. He had wanted to make sure that dating a co-worker wouldn’t cause professional tension between them. It was one thing that had soured his relationship with Jenny Shepard. He didn’t want a repeat with Tony.

Tony had given him some time and was continuing to speak only after Gibbs had given him a grudging nod.

“Don’t know if I should feel insulted…wait, I do feel insulted, that you might think I would take advantage.�

Oh shit. Gibbs opened his mouth but Tony put a finger on his lips, the look in his eyes ordering Gibbs to stay silent so that he could continue. “But what hurts more is that you denied me the right to look out for your best interests. No matter if you're able to cope with something, sometimes you simply don’t have to! Don’t tell me you wouldn’t feel the same way if our roles were reversed.� Tony looked at him imploringly. “And if you deny me the right to care about you… then we have a real problem, you and I. If I am to be your… partner, I have the right to worry about you.�

The finger left his lips and Gibbs closed his eyes to think. It felt like a lot depended on his reaction. At the moment he felt like the biggest asshole in the northern hemisphere. It had been nearly twenty years since someone had managed to make him feel this much regret about words spoken in anger.

Gibbs reached out and touched Tony, to feel the tense muscles in his shoulders, knead them carefully and add a physical aspect to his words.

“I didn’t mean it the way it sounded, my words came out wrong and I regret that.� And that was as near to an open apology as possible for him. “Never thought you would take advantage, you’re too much of a professional, I just overreacted. And I don’t want you to worry ‘bout me. Might cost you crucial seconds in a fight. At work, nearly everything has to stay the same.�

This time it was Tony doing the touching, hesitantly gripping one of Gibbs’ knees. It looked liked he believed Gibbs' sincerity, at least the hesitant smile on the younger man’s lips pointed that way. The tightness around the silver haired man’s chest lessened considerably.

“Newsflash, Jethro, I didn’t just start worrying about you just today.�

Gibbs didn’t know what to say so he tightened his grip on Tony’s shoulder once more, digging his fingers deeper, letting them massage the knotted mess he could feel underneath Tony's clothes. There was one more major thing he wanted to clear up between them and it might help him win back some trust.

“Tony, if you meant what you told me in the car.� Gibbs began and Tony straightened completely, his full attention directed at whatever would come now.

“Yeah?�

“If you meant what you said, about me being allowed to take it all, then Sempera is mine now too.� Gibbs hoped that the younger man could hear the sincerity in his voice, how important this was to Gibbs.

“I lost one daughter and one partner, I won't chance it happening again if there's anything I can do to prevent it.� Gibbs forced the words out. He could see Tony taking a deep breath and the defensiveness in his posture was lessening significantly. Yeah, those had been the right words indeed. “We clear now?�

Unfortunately this wouldn’t be the last cliff they would have to navigate on their way to calmer seas but the danger seemed to be over for now. To Gibbs' relief his partner wasn’t trying to dig deeper for more, but was silent and after a few minutes pointed at a minor issue.

“So, speaking of rules. There will be some new personal additions to the standard catalog, yes?� Tony didn’t take his hand away and he cocked his head to the side, trying for light hearted but failing somewhat. His next sentence sounded a little bit too cheerful. “And I am not talking about ‘Don’t leave your dirty laundry on the bathroom floor, dammit!’�

Oh yes, that had been a bone of contention between them when Tony had used Gibbs' house as a bolthole years ago because his own apartment hadn’t been usable due to a fuck up with the water system. Tony wasn’t a slob, but he didn’t seem to care one bit about where his clothes ended up after an exhausting day at work. Gibbs hadn’t appreciated stumbling over them in the night and nearly falling because his feet got tangled in the other man’s trousers. As a private rule the one Tony cited wouldn’t be too far off the mark. But there were more important ones.

“Well, we are already breaking one of my main ones.�

“Rule twelve: Never date a co-worker. Maybe you should add a clause. Like with the one about keeping secrets, it has stipulations too. Just one exception. 'Never date a co-worker, except Tony DiNozzo' sounds good to me, perfect in fact. Or is there a rule in the Marines about not being allowed to change existing ones?�

Gibbs shook his head and smiled. “Wasn’t the Corps that started me on keeping a set of rules to live by.�

“Huh. I knew it wasn’t official, Gunny Atlas said so, but I always assumed that-“ Tony began and then grinned ruefully. “OK, shouldn’t ever assume.�

“No, you shouldn’t.� They were so near to each other that Gibbs could make out some darker flecks of color in Tony’s eyes, the sparkle was back. “But yeah, number 12 went out of the window earlier today. Shannon would approve, one of her own was that some rules are made to be broken if you had a good enough reason.�

Tony blinked and his grip tightened.

“Oh. That.� He stuttered. “Explains some things. About you. “

“Never go to bed without clearing things up is another one.� The table under Gibbs creaked when he shifted his weight to find a more comfortable position. As far as he was concerned, this was as much conversation as they both could stomach. It had been a very long day. “All this talking made me even more tired. How about some shut-eye?�

Tony nodded and slowly stood up. It wasn’t an easy move with the older man so near. Gibbs wasn’t giving him more room, and he refused to draw back. Judging by the curl of Tony’s lips and the way he wasn’t hurrying to increase the space between them, he didn’t mind the closeness either.

“I’ll check on Sam first and then try to get some sleep on this lumpy travesty of a couch. Blankets still in the same cupboard?� Tony stretched, his untucked sweater was riding high, showing some tantalizing glimpses of skin above his waistband.

Gibbs was sure that, for once, the display wasn’t purely meant as a provocation, but he still longed to bend forward and lick at the revealed private bits of skin. He doubted that Tony was up for any play tonight, but there was no reason for him to be uncomfortable. Besides, after all this upheaval it might be a good idea to end the day in a more positive way. Sleeping beside each other fit the bill perfectly.

The older man waited till his partner was nearly at the stairs before answering. “They're in the same place, but why do you need them? What’s wrong with my bed upstairs?�

Tony’s steps faltered and he turned around, his eyes round and startled.

Gibbs had to laugh. “Why so shocked? We aren’t the heroines in some stupid Victorian romance novel, sleeping in the same bed shouldn’t be a problem. Last time I looked, I had a bed big enough for both of us.� He wouldn’t mind the company and it was a good idea to start the way you wanted to go on.

This time there wasn’t anything forced about the huge grin on Tony’s face. “Just sleep?�

“Don’t think we have the energy for more. Or the opportunity. Never mind the four stooges outside.� Gibbs switched off the light. “Another thing you should learn about having kids. Never get amorous if there is any chance for them to disturb you.�

“You had to remind me, didn't you?� A quick glance was thrown up the stairs to check if they were still alone. “So, no sex. In a way that’s good, you were right, I am tired and I don’t want to fall short of expectations. I have a reputation to uphold.�

A few quick strides and he was standing beside the waiting Tony. “I don’t think you’ll disappoint me.�

Tony beamed at him. “How about a small taste of more things to come?�

That was all the warning Gibbs got before warm lips and a strong body were pressed against his own. The kiss was enthusiastic, but with an underlying hesitation Gibbs was eager to dispel. He took control of the kiss, his fingers angling the younger man’s head just so, perfect to conquer Tony’s soft lips with tiny bites, to make him whimper, soothing the little hurt with licks of his tongue afterward. It wasn’t the most sophisticated of kisses, it was kind of messy in fact, but it left them both breathless and Gibbs could feel a hardness matching his own.

The need for air made them stop and they stood in the hallway, forehead to forehead, breathing in time with each other, content to be so close. Tony’s hands were resting on Gibbs' shoulder. Neither man felt the need to say anything. It was Tony who yawned and thus broke the spell.

Gibbs chuckled and pulled Tony into a tight hold, stealing another taste, before disengaging and leading the younger man up the stairs.

“Nah, I don’t think I'll be disappointed at all. But for now, let’s check on our sleeping princess, take a cold shower and crawl into bed.�

Tony seemed to be a little bit embarrassed about his very unromantic yawn but he was eagerly following the older man upstairs.

“You have the best ideas.� The smile he bestowed on his partner was devious. “So, great knowledgeable master of all things, any idea about how to explain me sleeping in your room to Sam? I don’t think ‘there wasn’t another bed in the house’ will work.�

“How about telling her the truth. That we are in a relationship and that it is quite normal for us to share a bed.�

“Why do I have the premonition that it won't go over well.� Tony looked into the guestroom and smiled tenderly. “And what do you know, we have one advantage parents normally don’t have.�

Gibbs tried to guess but came up with a blank so he looked at Tony questioningly.

“We don't need to worry quite as much about making noise!"

.-#-.

Tony had grown up in big house in Long Island, it had been impressive, inside and out. There had been regular requests for photographs from high end architecture magazines, and even one from Homes and Gardens asking if Emilio DiNozzo would mind his estate being included in an article series about American homes. Tony’s father had been tickled pink about it but always declined. He was of the opinion that it was expected and planned to use ones house to impress friends and business associates, but he would never consent to showing the unwashed quasi-educated masses his sanctum.

Tony couldn’t remember the word 'home' being used often to describe the DiNozzo estate by anyone, and it didn’t surprise him. As grand and sparkling as it was, with all its carefully styled and maintained rooms, there was something missing. A home should feel like a haven, you should be able to feel secure. Not worried about damaging some displayed piece of art or that someone would bark at you because your posture was unbecoming for someone of his station and breeding.

Gibbs' house wasn’t impressive from the outside, it looked like a regular American Ranch-style house with a front porch and shutters for the windows. Everything was well maintained but a little bit bland. There were no creative touches, no flowers or ornaments, just low bushes and a meticulously cut lawn. No way for anyone to sneak up on the house unseen.

The insides matched the no-nonsense nature of the outsides, with the added touch of a mass of books and heavy wooden furniture. If Tony was honest, he couldn’t say that this was a home either, even if he liked it far better than the house he had lived in as a kid. Not comfy enough, the lack of customization. He could be mistaken of course, and the lack of nick-knacks was his boss’ way of style. Tony had used one of his first visits to explore a little bit and the impression he got was that most rooms went unused. They never changed, nothing was added, nothing was used. It felt like it was caught in a time loop. Yes, that was the image he had been grasping for.

There had been one room he never even tried to explore, the master bedroom, and now he was standing in the middle of it and listening to the sounds of the shower being used in the adjoining bathroom. He had used the trip to his apartment for a quick stint in his own shower before changing clothes and therefore used the current alone time to change into his rarely used cotton pyjamas. Tony preferred to sleep naked but he wouldn’t risk being caught at a disadvantage if something happened while he slept.

Tony was bone tired and refused to think closely about the roller coaster this day had turned out to be. Tomorrow would most likely be another roller coaster day, and it wouldn’t do him any good to start it already exhausted.

Gibbs hadn’t been joking about the size of his bed, it was big enough for two all right. And no way had it been bought at a store. The dim light disguised the details with heavy shadows, but he stared at it with nervous anticipation long enough to spot some unusual shapes. Tony suppressed a whistle and stepped to the headboard, letting his fingers run over the intricate carvings that decorated the piece.

The motif was antique sailboats, no surprise there, that were battling a storm enraged sea. Most of the shapes were the waves obscuring the vessels. So much for no ornamentation! This was beautiful, sanded and polished to silky perfection so the grain of the wood enhanced the design. The feeling of the sinuous lines under his fingers was hypnotizing and he stroked the wood as if it was still a living, breathing thing. “Wow….�

He missed the fact that he wasn’t alone in the room and nearly jumped out of his skin when someone pressed against his back and another hand joined his on the carving.

Tony turned his head and tried to get a feeling for Gibbs' mood and was relieved to find the older man relaxed and smiling. It was tempting to lean back into the half embrace and since there was no reason to resist anymore, he did so. A quick glance showed that Gibbs had chosen boxer shorts and another NIS shirt as sleep wear. Tony pointed at the carvings. “Boss, this is beautiful! Your work?�

“Hm. Not just there for decorations sake. Feel that?� His hand was led to one particular wild wave that was situated above and to the right side of the pillow. Gibbs gently bent their joined fingers to follow the shadows the wave created so that he could feel the space behind them.

Tony needed a few seconds to feel something else besides skin still damp from the shower and the heat of another at his own back, but in the end he did what he always did when this captivating man demanded something: he followed orders and concentrated on the task. That didn’t mean that he couldn’t do something else too, did it? This was a game best played by two people, not just one. He deliberately ground back against Gibbs and smiled angelically over his shoulder at him when he heard the other man gasp. Then he concentrated on the hard, sleek shapes before him instead of the slightly softer ones behind. They didn’t stay as soft but hey, if Gibbs wanted to play, Tony would oblige.

But first there was another challenge right under his fingers. This wasn’t just space created by troubled water caught in wood, it was perfectly shaped to hold-

“Huh, it’s a sheath for one of your knives.�

“Yep. And there’s a matching one for the other side of the bed.� Gibbs hand was still above Tony’s and the soft puffs of his breathing made the younger man wish for different circumstances.

“And there are other concealed practical features you’ll have to find for yourself,� Gibbs added.

“You know I love a good challenge.� Speculation about what else might be there was running wild but another yawn pointed at the more immediate issues. Tony could feel a rumbling laugh vibrating against his back.

Smug bastard, just you wait, he thought. “But some other time, yeah?� Tony let himself fall onto the bed and the bliss of a firm mattress and soft sheets under him made him sigh and stretch. He didn't do it solely for effect, but he would admit to adding a good portion of unnecessary extra wriggling. If there was one aspect Tony had no doubts about, it was how good his body looked and he had learned to display it to its full advantage. He turned onto his stomach and rested his chin on his arm, then blinked up mock innocently at a surprised Gibbs. There wasn’t much smugness left now, hah. “Hey, I'm just following orders here. Shut-eye. Sleep is calling and my body answers.�

“Yeah, some other time. Let’s use the five hours we have left of the night for sleep.� Instead of rounding the bed Gibbs crawled over Tony’s prone form and then stretched himself out on the other side, pulling the sheets over both of them as if it was the most natural thing in the world, and switched off the light.

Gibbs didn’t know what had woken him up and old habits made him assess his surroundings before giving any indication that he wasn’t asleep any longer. He didn't change his posture or breathing, a skill he'd learned long ago.

He couldn’t hear footsteps; the house didn’t feel as if there was an intruder. Gibbs opened his eyes a crack and peeked at the bedside table. The baby-monitor was silently blinking and his ancient alarm clock’s fluorescent display showed that it was oh two hundred. Much too soon to be waking up, even for good little former marines. The sound of restless movement, rustling sheets and the absence of the sound of deep, relaxed breathing gave him an idea about what was wrong. Tony wasn’t sleeping. Gibbs rubbed his own eyes before he heaved himself up on one elbow and looked at the other man.

Of course elevating his position didn’t help much. The curtains shutting out any moonlight and the lamps were turned off, the only light being provided by a small lamp in the hallway. They'd left the bedroom door open a crack. Even if Gibbs could have navigated the house blindfolded, Tony and Sam wouldn’t be able to.

Gibbs could barely make out the outlines of his bed partner’s form. Tony was lying on his back, his arms crossed under his head, his face averted from Gibbs’ side of the bed. The younger man was nearly motionless now, the shadows changing shape on the pillow were the only indicators that helped Gibbs figure out what Tony was doing. Well, that and the fact that Gibbs had seen this gesture a dozen times. Whenever his agent was deep in thought and trying to puzzle something out, he would lean back in his chair, cross his arms behind his head and play distractedly with his own hair.

Damn it, the older agent had been in a similar head-space more than once, he could empathize with his partner. So tired one could sleep for days, but too wired to do so; one's own brain sabotaging every attempt to rest with dark thoughts and ‘might have beens’. It wasn’t a good place to be at all. Gibbs sighed and Tony’s head whipped around. Before the younger man could open his mouth, probably to apologize for waking him, Gibbs shook his head commandingly. He knew that Tony would be able to see it against the backdrop of the lighter space of the door behind Gibbs’ head.

Gibbs felt the mattress shift and the bunched up sheets over his mid-drift were tugged on. Tony sat up and was preparing to leave the bed.

“I’ll drink some water and then use the couch. No need for both of us to be awake.�

The tired and defeated whisper tugged at Gibbs’ heart and made him think of another way to get Tony to sleep. “No, lie down again, I’ve got a better idea.�

Well, if he could relax Tony enough to enjoy sex right now, Gibbs knew the perfect cure for insomnia. Nothing too complicated, of course. His plan to wait with the serious stuff until they didn’t have to fear being disturbed was still valid, but there were some simple things they could do and enjoy. Of course Gibbs would have to divert some of his attention, he would keep an ear tuned to Sam leaving her room. The wooden beams of the floor in the hallway creaked when someone who didn’t know their secrets walked over them. The girl wasn’t stealthy enough. And if she really got up and searched for her father and found the two men in bed together, the drawn up sheets would provide the camouflage required.

A little rummaging in the bedside table and Gibbs had all he needed. Now he just had to convince Tony and he doubted that much convincing would be needed. He pulled the younger man flush against himself; the maneuver earned him a startled little yelp but after a second to adjust, Tony relaxed against him. It took a little undignified tugging, wriggling (and tired chuckling) to get the obstructing sheets sorted out, but finally they could rest halfway comfortably against each other, Tony’s back against Gibbs’ front.

Gibbs took a deep breath and couldn’t help but smile as he wrapped his arms around Tony. Planned or not, this felt good.

The muscles under his fingers were still tense, though. Gibbs pressed a soft kiss against the temptingly near neck as his fingers stroked soothingly over the younger man’s chest.

“Didn’t want to wake you.� Tony whispered the apology that had been hovering on the tip of his tongue. “Sleep isn’t my friend tonight.�

Gibbs continued pressing closed-mouth kisses against Tony’s warm skin, the short hairs at the younger man’s neck tickling his nose. “Concentrate on me, forget anything else.�

He changed the actions of his fingers, as he wasn't trying to calm Tony anymore. His hands continued their painting motions, but were no longer content with mere cotton as their canvas. Tony's pyjama buttons were no match for Gibbs' dexterity, so it didn't take long to ease them from their holes. Gibbs had seen Tony shirtless before and had secretly admired the well-toned chest with its mat of hair partly obscuring the flat nipples. Now he was finally allowed to touch and was surprised by the soft quality of the crinkly hair.

Tony whimpered and if the hardening nubs under Gibbs’ fingers were anything to go by, he was enjoying what was being done to him very much. One of the younger man’s hands reached back and touched Gibbs’ thigh, kneading it tentatively. His actions sent sparks up to Gibbs appreciative cock, which lay pressed against Tony’s butt. Of course Tony could feel his interest, he had to be able to, as near as they were to each other. Tony lazily rolled his hips, adding friction and then tried to turn around. Gibbs prevented him turning by tightened his hold. He bit down, his teeth closing on the little bit of neck he had caressed before.

Tony turned his head instead, as far as he was able to, and rubbed his face against any skin he could reach. Stubbled cheek met equally stubbled chin and it made both men moan. “Wanna touch you too.� Tony complained.

"Shhhh Tony, doing this to put you to sleep, just enjoy. You'll have me to touch any time you want after tonight."

He felt, more than saw, the nod in answer.

Gibbs’ left hand stayed to torment Tony’s chest, the other hand wandered over a firm belly and then downwards from there. He didn’t tease too much; this wasn’t about drawn out foreplay. There was only one more obstacle to conquer between him and his goal. Gibbs stuck his hands into Tony’s pyjama bottoms where they were greeted by an eager hardness. He wished for a visual to go with the tactile data, something to add color and shapes to the tantalizing feel of soft skin and hot flesh. But the darkness had its advantages too, it made him concentrate more on his sense of touch. Being allowed to touch and play after looking and longing for years made for a heady experience. Gibbs took a deep breath to reign himself in and then concentrated on the task at hand. He went with what worked for himself as a starting point. A firm stroke down the shaft, a careful twist just under the head. Tiny gasps and whimpers gave him clues as to what felt especially good for Tony. There wasn’t much finesse needed. Soon Tony arched in his arms and hot liquid spurted over Gibbs’ hand.

It didn’t take Gibbs long to reach his climax, either, just a few firm tugs on his own, till now neglected, cock. He was near falling asleep himself but there was still a little bit of cleaning up to do. Gibbs wiped up the mess they had created with the tissues he had retrieved earlier. Tony didn’t react to the touching beyond a faint mumble; he was down for the count. Gibbs arranged the sheets to cover them both and then retrieved the comforter that had rested on the foot of the bed. It got chilly in the early hours of the morning.

Soft snores told him everything he needed to know about Tony's sleep status. Gibbs relaxed behind his partner, and pressed a final kiss against the particular spot he had begun to regard as his on Tony’s neck, before closing his own eyes.

.-#-.

When she was a teenager and full of exciting dreams, Abby had dreamed about a future as one of the best investigators of all time. She would have all of Mrs Maple’s instincts (but be much prettier), combined with the cool logic of Sherlock Holmes (without the opium and pipe) and James Bond’s gadgets (which she would build herself, of course). It would make her the ultimate crime fighter. Reality set in and it hadn’t taken her long to come to the conclusion that she didn’t like to interact with strangers, they never seemed to take her seriously, and that she preferred analyzing puzzle pieces to finding them. Real life field agents had additional restrictions placed upon them, like pesky rules of what to wear and a whole lot of things not to. All those things would eat at her till nothing of Abby was left, something she couldn’t allow.

She still loved the gadgets though. Major Mass Spec and his brothers and sisters were Abby’s pampered pets and they thrived under her care. They paid her kindness back with answers to her questions. That and living vivaciously through the tales of the Bossman and his team’s adventures made Abby love her job at NCIS all the more.

If there was one thing Abby really hated it was being unaware of details pertaining to a member of her team. She couldn’t accompany them into the field and thus most of the information came to her second-hand. The Goth took pride in the fact that she was like a graceful, semi-scary spider sitting in the middle of her web with her fingertips on the silk threads, always the first to feel the vibrations.

Her people told her stuff, be it about a case or private things. And the Great Mistress of the Dark had been, well, in the dark about the existence of a little girl named Sempera, while Chynthia, the Director's assistant, had apparently been in the know. The woman had chatted with her today when they met at the check-in point. Anthony DiNozzo had told Chynthia about his daughter weeks ago. It was unbearable.

Didn’t Tony trust her anymore? Had Abby insulted him somehow and lost his confidence? Yeah, she liked to gossip and tease but never about really private confessions, she would never do something like that. Tony must know that, surely?

Abby looked miserably down at the project she was working on. It was a child sized wrist-cuff made of stainless steel with black and orange bats in flight engraved on the surface. Sam looked like someone who would appreciate the design, find it cool. Abby had taken some time searching for the perfect one for their purpose. Of course, she had modified it, it wasn’t meant to be purely decorative. There were some nifty little helpers hidden in the rim of the piece, a tiny locator and a monitoring device. Additionally she had altered the lock so it could only be opened with the matching keys.

One small manipulation and one recalibration of the chip later, it was ready to be used. She just had to wait for Tony and his daughter. They should be here any minute now, Kyle, who was manning the entrance checkpoint, had given her a call. Abby turned the wrist cuff in her hands, concentrating on the way the light played across the polished shapes.

She had gone up to the squad room yesterday evening, expecting the whole gang to be there, but to her disappointment only finding Timmy and Ziva sitting behind their respective desks, busily toiling away at their tasks. The Bossman, Tony and Sam had been gone. Tim had been very vocal about how irritating Tony’s daughter could be, but in a rather resigned way that Abby found very sweet. Tim had shown her the print out of the little one’s drawing and had been rather proud about how much attention Sam must have paid him to get all the details just right. Ziva had only shrugged her shoulders. DiNozzos seemed to have a knack for getting on your nerves, but they grew on you too.

Abby speculated that there would be some changes in how Tony was perceived by the other NCIS personnel. Nearly all of NCIS was buzzing with scuttlebutt about yesterday, from the guards at the gate to the secretaries in HR. Abby hadn’t been joking about how ridiculous some of the tales going around were. Tony wouldn’t like it at all. It was worse than the time Agent John Finnegan had been caught changing his clothes in the women’s restroom.

Speaking of Tony, he was entering her domain this moment and looking around the room searchingly. He looked a little rumpled and tired. The clothes he wore were different than the ones from yesterday, but they could have profited from the application of a hot iron.

Sam was hidden half behind her father’s back, her gray-green eyes busily darting from one of Abby’s babies to the next. The colorful printouts on the lab walls got the extra attention they deserved. Of course Abby had made sure that most of the more disturbing things were hidden away this morning. Even a Goth at heart didn’t think that bloodstain pattern analysis was appropriate viewing material for a little girl.
Her third visitor was the Bossman himself, following closely on Tony and Sam's six. He wore his more smirky-scowly expressions, so Abby surmised he was probably in a fairly good mood. You had to be fluent in Gibbsish to see the difference to the regular pure scowl, but Abby had learned the difference years ago.

Abby bounced over to them and gave Gibbs his good morning hug, then turned to Tony. His eyes widened in alarm and she remembered that a certain little someone had issued a clear hands off rule when it came to the green-eyed man. A look down confirmed that Sam had positioned herself between Gibbs and her father and was practicing her Bossman stare, but without any good humor in the mix. “Good morning Sam! Here take this, it’s for you.� Abby spoke clearly so the girl would have no problems reading her lips and held out the present for inspection.

Sam eyed it distrustfully and then looked up at her dad before hesitantly turning to the waiting lab tech again. ‘It is pretty, but I shouldn’t take presents from strangers. It’s a rule.’

Abby laid down the piece of not-just-jewelery to free her hands. “It is not a present sweetie, it will help to keep you safe. It will always tell us where you are.� Abby focused on Tony and glared at him pointedly while signing two other sentences. “And I am not a stranger. Ask your dad.�

Sam sneered and waved one of her hands in a rather dismissive manner which earned her a warning look from her father.

A deep chuckle made Abby expand her death glare to the Bossman as well. He was casually leaning against one of her tables observing them.

“I am not.� She repeated. And if she was, she shouldn’t be! Tony should have introduced them ages ago. But Abby wouldn’t say so in front of Sam.

“Abby is nice, I’ve been working with her for years.� Tony tugged at his daughter’s hair, which was styled this morning in a single, very messy braid. “I asked her to find something pretty for you. Do you like it?�

Oh, her boy really had to practice more, his signs were sloppy and slurred. Abby would have to correct him later, it wouldn’t do for him to have an accent. It looked like she would need to teach him how to braid hair too.

Sam clearly had to think about Abby’s question. She took her time and inspected the cuff before making up her mind. ‘I like bats, they are way cooler than butterflies.’

“See! That’s what I thought.� Abby beamed at the little girl and opened the cuff, holding it out. “Now, let’s find out how it looks on your wrist.�

Both Tony and Gibbs came closer in order to observe the proceedings, the Bossman looking over his second in command's shoulder so he could get a better look.

There was something different about how the two men interacted. Abby wrinkled her forehead and stared at them, but a severe glare from Gibbs directed her back to the task at hand.

“So, how did you like staying at the Bossman’s house?� The Goth used her personal sign for Gibbs, the sign for fox followed by the color silver, but Sam seemed to know whom she meant, it wasn’t that hard to guess.

‘I got to sleep in a big bed! Jet doesn’t have a kid’s bed, just one really big one and an adult sized one.’

Jet? Huh. Abby looked questioningly at Gibbs. He allowed the little one to call him that? Interesting, but the Bossman always had a far softer touch when it came to children. She turned to Sam again.

“You slept well?

Sam shrugged her shoulders ‘I was too tired to miss my squid and the room smelled funny but yes, I slept well. I woke up before everyone else.’

Tony interjected, "What, or who, is this squid.� He looked slightly apprehensive, as if he expected a sailor jumping out of the shadows or a living sea monster poking is head out of one of Sam’s pockets.

Sam was staring up at her dad. ‘My squid. You know what a squid is yes? Mine is made of orange plush and has eight tentacles, a round head and he has suction cups made of leather. Chris gave him to me when I was five, he said he would protect me. Squid always sits on my pillow and keeps watch while I sleep.’ She wrinkled her nose despondently. ‘I didn’t have time to fetch him yesterday. Maybe that's the reason I couldn't sleep longer.’

How cute, a plush squid as a cuddle toy. Oh yes, Sam was a girl after Abby’s own heart. All the signing had delayed the Goth in her task to secure the device to the girl’s wrist, but she finally managed to fasten it. Even at a fourth glance nobody should be able to guess that it wasn’t a piece of jewelery. She handed each agent a key and kept the third one for herself.

“You woke us at five in the morning!� accused Tony, but Sam just shrugged at him and went back to examining her new adornment. She seemed to pay the complaint no real attention, but Abby saw her fidget and it made the lab tech tilt her head thoughtfully. Yep, lots of new developments.

‘I was hungry.’ Sam finally raised her head and brightly smiled up at her dad. ‘I won’t jump on you again as a wake up call, if you really don't like it, but it was so much fun.’ She looked pleadingly up at the men. ‘I didn’t know that you two would react like scaredy cats just because I jumped onto the bed.’

Wait a moment. “Both of them?� Abby exclaimed. Bossman and Tony always had a certain chemistry going on between them. Sam’s observation about them sharing a bed made Abby speculate if they were finally doing something about all the sparky tension.

Tony groaned and hid his eyes behind his hand. As if that would help, oh no. Abby had scented blood and encouraged the little girl to elaborate. Gibbs smirk deepened, he was not the least bit fazed by Sam’s comment.

“You caught them both unaware, really?�

Sam nodded seriously. ‘I think Jet was awake before I reached the bed, he didn’t look as surprised, but dad was sleeping. I totally surprised him!’ She snickered. ‘He got tangled in the blanket and landed on the floor, flopping and flailing. He nearly took me down with him, Jet caught me. And Jet was laughing at him hard, he really was.’

Gibbs wasn’t looking apologetic at all. “Heard her leave her room and enter ours. Didn’t expect her to jump.�

“Doesn’t mean you had to laugh your head off.� Tony groused, but the corners of his mouth wouldn’t obey him and stay down, which made for a comically suppressed smile, rather than pissed one.

Sam was looking from one adult to the next, her tiny teeth worrying her lower lip. Abby saw how her fingers twisted the hem of her skirt and the Goth sighed. Men could be the most clueless creatures on earth.

“Tony, Tony, Tony.� Abby shook her head at him in pity. “Jumping onto the bed is a traditional and completely acceptable means for a little girl to wake her dad.“ Stupid man. Hadn’t he said that Sam had been in boarding school? That meant it had probably been her first night under the same roof as her dad. She tried to discreetly nod in Sam’s direction. He really was hopeless for someone who claimed to be an expert at understanding women.

“Oh. If you say so Abs.� Finally Tony seemed to have bought a clue, he hesitantly reached for the little girl and patted her on the head. �Sam, it wasn’t so much your surprise attack I objected to, it was him braying like a donkey and the ungodly hour!� he poked his finger accusingly in the Bossman’s direction, messing up the flow of his signs even more. But it made Sam smile again, so that was ok.

Tony wasn’t done complaining. “I was sleeping really deeply for a change. Uhm.�

Abby stared fascinated at the pretty red flush which slowly crept onto Tony’s face until even his ears began to glow. Huh, weird.

It was Gibbs who broke the uncomfortable silence. “DiNozzos, if you’re done dallying around, there are people waiting for us upstairs.� He said and signed, turned on his heel and strode out of the room. Father and daughter waved at Abby and then hurriedly tried to catch up to Gibbs’s fast retreating form.

The Goth smiled. She would let Tony escape, for now. He would need a little bit of female input soon enough and then Abby would get some answers, oh yes.

.-#-.

It was nearly midday when Gibbs called his team together for an update.

“Run everything we know by me. David, you start, DiNozzo add your two cents afterward.� Gibbs hoped that they had been able to dig something up that would give them a lead. Dark crescents under his eyes and unnaturally pale skin told their own story about the state of Tony DiNozzo and the stress he was under. Fighting about a safe place to lay their heads yesterday and being woken up before dawn with only a few hours of rest hadn’t helped either.

Ziva David sat on the edge of her desk and pointed the remote at the screen. A picture of St. Margareth’s appeared, with blueprints of the floors and a list of the key personnel with small pictures beside the names. “Nothing noteworthy thus far about the staff. None of them have more than parking tickets in their files, no criminal records. Mrs. Reynolds hasn’t been Principal for long and her appointment wasn’t unanimous by the board. Her predecessor, Renata McMillan, wasn’t very good where finances were concerned and she made herself unpopular with her budget administration. Reynold's connections to wealthy sponsors got her the winning votes in the end. She is more political animal than teacher, her main degree is in economics. She teaches economics and social history as subjects to the upper years.�

The Mossad officer went on through the list, and though there wasn't anything remarkable, her teammates listened attentively. They had learned the hard way that a break in a case often came from a detail that was at first look unremarkable. The old cliché about the devil getting you with the details was a cliché for a reason.

“The other pupils, now here it gets more interesting. Remember the sponsors I told you about? One of the principals breast buddies-“ she stopped and waited, but there was no comment and she raised one of her carefully plucked eyebrows.

Gibbs leaned back in his chair and waited. Faced with a short-tempered and tired DiNozzo, the younger members of his team had shown signs of confusion the whole morning. Of course, understanding on an intellectual level didn't prevent them from feeling more comfortable with the ‘normal’ Tony, so they made repeated attempts to goad him into their usual modus operandi, without success thus far. Something had to give.

Tony had straddled one of the office chairs and was making notes on a pad, his eyes dark and serious. Gibbs observed him closely. At the sudden silence, his senior agent stopped scribbling and looked up at Ziva, irritated and obviously not ready to be playful. “Eh, I think you mean bosom buddies. And if you look at me like that, you obviously knew that already. Stop wasting both our time.�

“Just checking if you pay attention.� Ziva smirked and was snarled at for her efforts.

Oh for the love of- “Checking is my job, David.� Gibbs dryly rebuked the woman. “So’s snarling, DiNozzo! Only one bastard allowed on the team and that’s me. Concentrate, both of you.� he added.

There was no, ‘Yes Boss, on it, boss!’ DiNozzo didn’t reply at all, he just stared at the screen.

Ziva shrugged and her smirk disappeared. The former assassin fiddled with the remote again. A picture of an attractive man in his mid-forties appeared on the screen. “Gerard Coultier, the father of the girl Sempera fought with yesterday, is one of the major financial contributors to the institution. I phoned one of my contacts and he told me that Mr. Coultier has expressed displeasure about the 'uncouth ruffian' his daughter has to share a classroom with. But Coultier isn’t the type to abduct an eight-year-old just because she has a schoolyard feud with his daughter, that’s overkill.�

“No, he isn’t.� Tony rubbed at his forehead and the lines around his eyes deepened. “I know him. He was two years ahead of me at Rhode Island Military Academy. We didn’t have much contact with each other. I didn't so much know him as know of him. Coultier had the reputation of being hot-headed and headstrong; he got into brawls a lot. Probably the reason why his parents sent him there in the first place. Last I heard he now prefers the civilized version of fisticuffs. Why dirty his hands if he can use his lawyers as attack dogs or pull strings via his toadies?�

Ziva nodded. “That matches the things I’ve found out and heard about him. The secretary at St. Margareth’s told me that Coultier requested Sempera be transferred to another class.�

McGee continued the briefing from where he had barricaded himself behind stacks of folders and printouts piled up on his desk. “But …uhm…it is suspicious nonetheless that it was his daughter’s actions and the support of the principal which helped create the opportunity for the kidnappers.� The computer geek faltered and avoided looking in Tony’s direction. “We pulled the security tape of the entrance gate. It shows Sam leaving at 1235 hours and the cabbie stopping to pick her up six minutes later.�

The video from the tape in question was displayed on the screen. Ziva still held the remote and clicked a button to activate the playback.

“There, do you see the dark blue sedan stopping across the street just as the girl climbs into the cab?� asked Tim.

The team watched as both of the blue car’s front doors opened while Sam was speaking to the cabbie and closed again when she climbed into the cab.

Gibbs watched with rising anger as the sedan was pulled away from the curb and followed the cab. It had been so close, so damn close. He didn’t want to think about what could have happened. Bastards preying on children were the worst. “Play it again!� Gibbs snapped at David. They watched the tape four times, but the angle of the camera didn’t allow a better view of the suspicious sedan or its occupants. There was nothing to identify them. The camera had been installed to observe the school entrance, not the space across the street.

“They must have known that she would likely be suspended yesterday and waited for the call, otherwise they would have needed more time to reach the school. It would have been easy for them to pretend that I sent them, that they were in the vicinity and did me a favor,� DiNozzo’s eyes were fixated on the screen, his jaw so tight it must be hurting him. “Damn it.�

Gibbs rounded his desk and stood beside his pale-faced agent. “Tony.� The silver-haired agent took care not to touch the younger man, it wasn’t appropriate in the office and this wasn’t a situation for his usual style of wake up call either.

Green eyes looked up at him and the despair in them made the older agent wince in sympathy.

“So close.� Tony words echoed his own thoughts and Gibbs could see his throat working convulsively. “Boss, sorry, sorry, I…�

“You knew it, but it is much more real now.�

“Yeah.� Tony took some deep breaths and his boss could see him calling on his professional mask to hide behind. It did not slip on easily. “We should interview the cabbie; maybe he saw and can remember something helpful about the car.�

Gibbs glared at McGee and David, took a position to shield Tony from their eyes and began barking orders, diverting their attention from their distressed colleague. He wanted to buy one or two minutes for Tony to compose himself. “Demanding some answers from the Coultier girl and the principal wouldn’t go amiss either. What are you waiting for, get to it.�

Ziva rearranged her hair, one of her nervous tells, and grimaced, clearly preparing for a negative reaction to her next words. “Might be difficult. Sally-Ann has returned home at her parents' insistence. Her father is denying us access to her. Apparently the girl had a nervous breakdown about being, ah, 'falsely accused of stealing and destroying a phone and she is in no condition to be questioned', no matter how carefully. We cannot demand an eight-year-old cooperate.�

Being told he couldn’t do something had never stopped Gibbs before. “See how her parents like it if she is being indicted as an accomplice to a crime instead. Tell the father that, if she is innocent, it's in her own best interest to answer questions that will help clear her of any suspicion.�

“Will do. You don’t really think that she was an accomplice? An eight-year-old? Or that her father used her to set Sam up?� Even the hardened Mossad operative seemed to have problems with such a concept.

“Assuming makes an ass out of you and me, but I doubt that most fathers would risk their child. Additionally, her involvement would have been, in hindsight, far too obvious.� Gibbs bared his teeth in a caricature of a smile. “We'll check anyway.� He could easily believe that the girl was nearly hysterical. Her little prank had gone horribly wrong and now she was the one in trouble.

Tony’s had regained some color and his attention was again focused on the screen with its picture of his daughter and the cab, the sedan looming in the background. “Someone must have told her when to get Sam into enough trouble so she would become accessible for the kidnappers. If they had pulled it off â€" a longer time period would have passed before her being missing came to our attention. The perps would have had a huge advantage, time to plan their next steps, to cover their tracks, time to hole up somewhere…" Tony abandoned his chair and prowled up and down between the desks to burn some of his nervous energy. “Can’t even guess who encouraged the Coultier brat to do it, it could have been anyone.â€�

“It’s one of the questions I want her to answer.� Gibbs agreed. “Sit down, you're making me dizzy.� He would have to redirect all that energy later into something more productive or Tony would run himself into the ground, mentally and physically.

“Reynolds is easy, she'll have to cooperate, or this will ruin not only the school's reputation, but hers as well. Parents don't take well to school personnel assisting kidnappers."

David nodded. “Oh, she’s very aware of this. She keeps insisting that, if a federal agency has to be involved, it should be the FBI because they are impartial.�

Yeah, Reynolds might wish for it, but it was more likely that George W. Bush would willingly kiss Al Gore on the mouth than it was that Gibbs would give the lead on this case to his rival at the FBI, one Agent Fornell. “Which takes us to the naval angle. McGee?�

“Sergeant Christopher Peltier was involved in a classified project down in Colorado. I couldn’t get more information, just some names and a lot of walls.� Nervous fingers re-sorted already tidy packs of notes.

The former Marine didn’t have to consult his own notes, he had them memorized. “His CO said he was dedicated, loyal and very good at his job. He never took anything work related home.�

Tony shook his head. “Anyone can be corrupted and a brain is a recording device that can’t be left behind when you clock out. Maybe they want something he wrote down at home voluntarily or under pressure. Or something they think he told Sam.�

Gibbs' command to sit down hadn’t worked for long. Tony was going to wear a groove into the office floor with his pacing. His flat and emotionless voice was a stark contrast to his agitated movements. “I’ve had all their things put into storage, I didn’t have the time to sort everything out then, but didn’t want to throw them away either, they are everything that was left of Sam’s folks. My lawyer sorted out the legal stuff, but the rest is untouched. Sam and the job kept me busy. I made a call earlier and asked for the things to be brought here. If there’s something of interest there to the perps, we'll find it.�

Gibbs nodded approvingly

“It’s mostly personal stuff. Books, photos, knick-knacks and small furniture.�

The team leader finished his part of the information presentation, “Morgan was very close-mouthed about the project, but he admitted that there have been attempts to breach security before. They’ll check on their end and report back to us.� Well, they would report something back to them if it was classified, not all of it.

DiNozzo must have been having similar thoughts because he grimaced and snorted dismissively. “I do so love it when the government plays super secret hush-hush games.� He turned to McGee and asked. “How hush-hush are we talking about?�

“Very.� It wasn’t the computer geek that answered.

Gibbs had been aware of the director coming down the stairs, so he didn’t react when the answer came from someone not in their little gathering.

Vance nodded at the team and handed a thin folder to Gibbs. “The possibility of a breach has alarmed a lot of people in high places. They are taking this very seriously and will send two of their people, a Major Harris and a Captain Nichols, to help you sort through everything Sergeant Peltier left behind. In fact, you have been ordered to let them do the initial work.�

“Any ideas what they are searching for?� David asked the question.

“None. And it has been made clear to me that we shouldn’t be interested in finding out. They will tell us if they find anything, that’s all we need to know.�

The team exchanged looks. What did the brass expect the late Sergeant to have written down in his private journals or hidden in his household accounts? Attack plans? Blueprints of weapons of mass destruction? Well, stranger things had happened. Gibbs didn’t like some strangers he couldn’t control interfering in his case, but the sour expression on the director’s face didn’t encourage protest so he let it slide, for now.

Vance looked around the squad room and his forehead wrinkle in concern. “Where’s the little one?�

Tony sent an incredulous look at the director. “We put her in conference room three with a big puzzle, some of her school books and Agent Qwan as company. I didn’t think it would be good to keep her here.� The nervous father gestured at his computer screen and the open window it displayed. “And McGee installed a monitoring camera, of course.�

Even Gibbs was surprised by the indulgent smile Vance showed and his nod. “Of course.�

“She’s checking up on me regularly, of course�

“You would prefer staying with her.� The director didn’t phrase it as a question but as a statement.

“Ah, well. Yes. But-“ Tony finally sat back in his chair and touched the scattered sheets of paper with his notes written on them that lay on the surface of his desk. “My input is still needed here.�

Vance nodded. “Remember, Agent DiNozzo: you are not allowed to compromise the case or I will have to assign it to another team.� The director waved at the team and returned to the stairs. “Play nice with the Colorado guys. And catch the bastards. Fast.�

Gibbs waited till the man disappeared upstairs before he took a look at the information he had been given. The file was very thin and included mainly a disc that he promptly handed to McGee.

The director had provided a short distraction, minutes later his team was bouncing ideas forth between each other.

“We forgot the always popular money angle.� Ziva pointed out.

“I told you, I am comfortably set, but by no means rich. I inherited my grandmother’s estate when she died. Sam’s funds are bound tightly, even the money from selling the Peltier’s house. There’s no way to get the needed amounts of cash to pay kidnappers fast enough. And my father…� Tony was shaking his head tiredly, not looking at any of his team-mates. “If they did enough research to know about Sam’s background they should have found out that the chances of my father paying ransom for her are slim to none.�

“Never underestimate the greed and stupidity of the common criminal.� Gibbs knew what his agent was alluding to and David’s slight nod indicated that she knew about it too, but their fourth member wasn’t in the loop. McGee looked from one to the other.

“Ok, what am I missing here?� McGee asked.

Gibbs didn’t answer the question, he preferred to leave the decision of how much to tell to DiNozzo. The computer specialist would be able to dig it up anyways, it wasn’t really a secret, the media had covered the incident.

“Emilio DiNozzo does not give in to criminals. Experience taught me that lesson, McGee. Kidnapped when I was a teenager. Father made it very clear that he wouldn’t pay the ransom.� Tony was keeping himself very still, only his fingers were slowly, nearly casually, following the lines of his jacket’s collar, fiddling with the buttons of his shirt, checking if every one of them was still closed. “Said that if you give in once, they’ll come back for more. Police got me out. It was long ago so don’t look at me like that, nothing serious happened.� DiNozzo still wasn’t looking at any of them. “I’ll call my cousin and my father’s assistant, but you should concentrate on more likely angles.�

McGee had learned a lot in the last few years, how to say something appropriate to a distressed team mate hadn’t been among these new skills. “Tony, that must have been horrible.�

“Don’t look at me like that.� Tony waved his hand dismissively. “It’s been a long time.�

“And most likely has no direct impact on our case. DiNozzo, talk with Sam about her stepfather, I’ll come up and witness the proceedings.� Gibbs turned to his other two agents. “McGee, see to it that some Marines guard the things DiNozzo asked to be delivered and try to find out how Sam's contact information was altered." The sudden official interest in the case had some advantages; they could act faster and didn't have to rely as much on Vance’s good will.

“David, contact the cabbie.� The next point made Gibbs grin dangerously. “And see to it that Reynolds is available for an interview, here at the Yard.�

Chapter 9


Reynolds was cooperative. If you could call being coldly polite and answering every question pointedly without volunteering information, "cooperative". The lawyer, who seemed to be welded to her side, and who approved every one of her words before she spoke them, didn’t add to the picture in a positive way.

Oh yes, she was oh so concerned about one of the defenseless students under her care nearly being kidnapped. Just a pity that the real emphasis was on the "under her care" part and not the "student" part, she didn’t even seem to know that she should make it sound the other way round. Tony pressed his shoulder against the one-way mirror to the interview room and sneered.

Tony’s eyes lingered on the broad back of his lover. The way Gibbs held himself marine straight and how he tilted his head told Tony that he wasn’t pleased with the attitude of the woman. Gibbs' voice was glacial when he asked his next question, "Who has access to the office computer?"

The Principal, with her carefully coiffed hair and dark purple power suit, sniffed and waved her hand dismissively. She didn’t know how someone could have gained access to the schools database; surely it must have been an outsider. The door to her school was locked every night at eight pm and opened at seven am the next morning. They had protocols for it.

“What a cold bitch,� came the muttered comment from behind Tony. He didn’t turn around. McGee stepped beside him and offered a cup of hot and sweet coffee. Tony took it, smiled distractedly at the younger man, and then refocused his attention towards the ongoing conversation in the interrogation room.

“I’ve seen weapon smugglers that showed more emotions than that woman.� McGee went on.

“Me too.� Tony sipped from the cup. Reynolds was stiffly explaining that it was a common occurrence that parents demanded that another pupil should be kept separated from their child. Children with special needs were sometimes not compatible, Agent Gibbs had to understand that. It was only natural, and as a concerned principal, it was her duty to see that friction should be avoided if other means didn’t work.

The coffee hit the spot, delivered a needed dose of energy. “Sam’s still occupied?�

McGee bumped his shoulder against Tony’s. “Yep. Abby is keeping her company.�

The older Agent turned his head. “Should I be worried?�

“They seem to be getting along now. You should see their hands, they're fluttering and waving like you wouldn’t believe.� Out of the corner of his eye Tony saw Tim shaking his head. “Abby brought her little black beauty case with her, you know the one with her accessories, so maybe you should be concerned.�

Visions of his daughter dressed up in Goth splendor danced through Tony’s brain and it made him shudder. He wouldn’t allow his girl to prance around with black lips and hair. Her teenage years loomed on the horizon, Tony could foresee her trying out different styles then, but for now she was far too young for something like that. There was just one problem, Tony didn’t know if he could be steadfast enough to veto anything too extreme now and weather the resulting temper tantrum that would, without a doubt, rock the building. And he simply knew that the lab tech would use the opportunity of interacting fairly unsupervised with her to ask Sam a lot of questions about their morning. Nothing exceptional had happened after his rather embarrassing start of the day. Before… well. Tony squirmed.

Gibbs deep voice drifted from the speakers into the observation room, a welcome counterpoint to the principal’s cold mezzo. “Doesn’t matter how rich the parent is, you treat every request with the same attention and objectivity?�

The lawyer, a middle aged man in an impeccable suit, laid his hand on his client's arm. “Mrs Reynolds doesn’t have to answer such a question. Of course every one of her pupils has the same level of importance to her.�

Tony crumbled the now empty paper cup between his fingers and threw it into the waste basket. “You know, McGee, I even believe him.�

“Huh.� McGee’s fingers tabbed restlessly against the rim of the mirror.

Tony nodded in direction of the group in the other room, indicating to the younger man that he should pay attention. Gibbs hadn’t commented on the lawyer’s rebuke, he was probably focusing on his prey with his coldest stare, making them see the wasteland his eyes promised them if they dared to cross him. “The security of a child warrants that we investigate every possibility. Surely you approve?�

Reynolds nodded stiffly. “Of course. But since I am not involved in any way I would recommend concentrating your resources on other possibilities.�

Tony made careful note of how she intoned every word. “Trust me McGee, the only things that witch cares about are money and reputation. Hers, preferably. The girls in the school could be robots instead, it wouldn't make a difference to her. Individually they hold the same importance to her. None.�

On the other side of the window Gibbs had handed a sheet of paper and a pen to the woman, he then demanded a list of regular visitors and services with access to her office. She didn’t even touch the things, making her flunky take them instead.

“I will forward your request to my assistant. My job as the principal of a school doesn’t leave me enough time to care for such minor details.� Reynolds inclined her head. The smile that developed on her lips made Tony’s balls try to crawl into his body. Surely the bitch wasn’t trying to charm Gibbs? His boss wouldn’t touch someone like her with a ten foot pole.

“Special Agent Gibbs, surely you must understand my position? There have to be a lot of minor tasks you prefer to hand down to your…ah, subordinate agents, like Mr DiNozzo?�

Unseen and unheard by her, both McGee and Tony snorted derisively. She couldn’t be more wrong. Their boss was anal when it came to keeping track of everything that happened, as long as it wasn’t about how a technical gizmo worked.

In the other room Gibbs didn’t even deign to answer her, he kept his hands motionless on the table before him and after a minute of terse silence he began to ask very detailed questions about her staff. Most of them she wasn’t able to answer, every time she couldn’t her voice rose a notch.
Tony stepped back from the window and turned around with a disgusted snort.

“You think she's involved?�

“I doubt it. But if she is, Gibbs will find out.�

The lawyer requested a break and something to drink, and Gibbs had to comply. It had been an hour. This wasn’t a real interrogation, according to the law, just an interview. Ziva was sent to fetch the requested coffee; Gibbs stayed in his place at the table and kept watching his ‘guests’.

McGee squirmed and his nervous behavior finally made the older agent concentrate on his colleague. As long as it didn’t concern personal topics the computer geek had overcome his nervousness. It was highly suspicious that he showed nerves while observing something like a simple interview. Gibbs had deemed him ready to assist with some interrogations months ago. Something else was making him squirm and all of Tony’s instincts screamed at him that it wouldn’t be something he liked. At all.

“McGee.� Tony could see the Adam’s apple bob in McGee’s throat. His little probie was burning to tell him something.

“I did some research.�

“Well, of course. Gibbs asked you to.�

“About your abduction. You lied, well, you left out a lot! It wasn’t just a simple abduction, they hurt you severely.� McGee stuck his chin out rebelliously.

The technician who had overseen the recording of the interview looked concernedly at the two agents.

If this was leading where Tony thought it was leading, it would be better to relocate. Gibbs' private conference room would do. "Come on McGee, elevator time.", the older agent said grimly and hurried out of the observation room, a stubborn McGee at his heels. The silver doors had barely closed properly and Tony flipped the switch.

He leaned against the wall, trying to look casual, a half smile plastered on his face. "McGee, what's this about? I thought we agreed that me being kidnapped decades ago has no connection to Sam's.�

The younger Agent was fidgeting nervously but Tony knew by the look of the raised chin and his mulish expression that the probie wouldn't let go now.

"I don't remember anything about an agreement, just a proclamation to not pursue the issue. I thought you might not be objective and... we had other cases where criminals from long ago came back to seek revenge."

That wasn't completely unreasonable but Tony couldn't forget what aspects of his ordeal McGee seemed to concentrating on. He could feel the smile on his face slipping into nothingness. "Yeah, but what seems to interest you most about it is what they did to me, not what became of them!" Tony could have told him that two of the men involved were dead and the third on death row for murder.

"Tony, what they did to you was barbaric, I am so sorry that you had to go through something like that."

“McStupid, kidnappers are not friendly, law abiding people, reluctant to inflict pain on other people. Otherwise they wouldn’t be, say, kidnappers! It is common practice to intimidate the victim.�

“I saw pictures of your back and …� McGee stuttered but then surged forwards, his eyes round and disturbed. “your, your…backside. Tony... I'm so sorry. They whipped you, didn’t they. And sent pictures to your dad.�

Those were pictures he never wanted anyone to see, to see what had been done to him. Tony was furious. “You must have hacked into the hospital files to get this much information! The pictures and video they sent are in the sealed records, I was a minor, and the only other existing ones are in the medical file. You couldn’t resist snooping, could you?�

“Everyone seemed to know what happened but me!� McGee raised his hands defensively. "I just wanted to know what they knew."

“They probably didn’t know about the nature of the injuries! Just that the bastards hurt me to make sure my father knew that they meant business.� At least that was what he desperately hoped, he couldn't bear the thought of Gibbs looking at him with pity in his eyes. He wanted to be a strong partner for his boss and couldn't imagine the scared little boy he had been fitting into the picture.

Another thought made Tony square his shoulders. His nostrils widened and he balled his hands to fists. “Come to think of it, why would you stop at hacking into the hospital files. You took a nice long look into the case file as well, didn’t you?� A file that included a video of twelve year old sobbing, desperate.... pathetic Tony pleading with his father to please, please come rescue him.

McGee pressed himself against the wall and the look in his eyes was all the confirmation Tony needed.

“If I ever, ever see certain pictures make an appearance in the office you will rue the day your mother spawned you, do you understand me?� Tony didn’t know when he had moved but he was standing with his fists balled around McGee’s lapels, nose to nose, crowding the younger man against the wall of the elevator.

Someone banged their fist against the elevator doors and they could hear Ziva's voice calling out to them. Tony took a step back, sorted his features into something that didn’t betray his fury as much and, with a warning look at the younger agent, made the doors slide open again.

Ziva's cold brown eyes took stock of the situation within seconds. She couldn’t miss the angry tension between the two men. “What is going on here?�

Tony straightened his clothes, grinned widely, his eyes glowed with barely suppressed rage. “Our probie thought he had to show initiative and poke his nose into things that are none of his business. And, surprise, surprise, he didn’t even gain anything by it but me being pissed at him.�

His words had to sting, McGee looked humiliated, angry red spots developed on his cheeks. The younger man was breathing fast, his nose raised high. “Just because you think it has no bearing on the case doesn't mean that it hasn’t. You're too close. Vance is right to keep you away from the actual work.�

Tony growled. “McGee, shut up.�

"Did you even call your cousin like you promised to check if something is going on on their end?"

"Yes, I did! And Pete told me that everyone behaves like always and that not even my name has been uttered in decades!"

"And that was enough for you?" The younger man waved his hand and turned to Ziva. “I'm right, he's too emotionally invested.� His chin climbed one nearly impossible inch higher. “Not that he's ever good at logic, if it wasn’t for his occasional hunches-“

What the verbal reprimand hadn’t accomplished, a firm stare finally did. McGee’s mouth closed with an audible snap. Maybe he sensed that he had gone too far.

Ziva didn’t look impressed by her colleague’s behavior. “If you are quite finished with your … discussion. I came to tell you that the taxi driver has arrived.�

“Good, as the only free official NCIS agent left on the team, I will conduct the interview. Ziva, you can witness the one Gibbs is conducting, the break should be over soon and DiNozzo…� McGee looked him up and down, “can keep an eye on his child, assemble her puzzle or something like that.�

Tony was motionless, his expression shuttered. A dozen and one possible replies came to mind but in the end he decided that it wasn’t worth the effort. He left them to their duties without another word.

.-#-.

Gibbs was used to deal with what he referred to as the scum of human society, people like drug runners, abusive husbands and traitors. Principal Reynolds couldn’t be officially classed with these. Still, three hours in her company left him with the wish to scrub his hands twice, just to make sure that he wouldn’t catch anything from her. Gibbs rubbed his fingers against each other and then over his chin and grimaced. A big cup of coffee wouldn’t go amiss either to dispel the bad taste on his tongue.

Losing track of an eight-year-old for hours didn’t make her look good. She knew it, Gibbs knew it and if he had anything to say about it, at some point in time and with the right word in the right ear, the parents of her other children would know it too. Fornell had a little daughter and when they met again…. Gibb wouldn’t have to say much, ‘Not St. Margareth’s. Good.’ In conjunction with a question about which school Tobias has chosen, would be enough to get the ball rolling.

No matter who actually tried to kidnap one of her students, no matter how much the bitch might proclaim her innocence, Gibbs wouldn’t feel one ounce of pity if Reynolds lost her job over this and Tony wouldn’t either. Speaking of DiNozzo. Gibbs looked around the squad room but couldn’t see his senior agent.

The other two members of his team were present. McGee was comparing data on his screen with a file he held in one hand and Ziva was on the phone, talking with someone. She waved at him distractedly and he turned to the computer geek.

“Where’s DiNozzo.� He had expected that Tony would wait for him to finish with Reynolds.

McGee blinked up at the boss, his free hand nervously fiddling with the slightly wrinkly collar of his jacket. “DiNozzo? With his daughter, I think.�

Gibbs fixed him with a stare, his gaze stoney.

“You can use the surveillance I installed to check, just turn on…� McGee came to a halt, visibly reconsidering what he had been about to say. “On it boss.� He nearly threw the file down and scrambled over to Tony’s work station. A few clicks and the monitor showed the insides of conference room, the missing agent sitting Indian style on the big conference table inspecting something Sam held out to him. The angle didn’t allow the observers to see what it was exactly, just Tony’s bent head and Sam from the side. Someone, most likely Abby, had braided her hair into multiple little strands and fixed them with small bat-clips at the ends.

“If you want to, I can patch the feed through to your computer.�

Gibbs nodded and waited till the younger man was done with his fiddling before taking his place behind his desk. He studied the way McGee's eyes avoided his, his own eyes narrowing as he pondered what it meant. No matter, he had a case to solve. Gibbs would find out whatever the youngest member of his team tried to conceal from him, sooner than later.

“Anything new?�

McGee answered “Yes, I found something. The cabbie remembered three numbers of license plate of the suspicious sedan. It was a Maryland, 7CE something. The cabbie said that paying attention to the plates of nearby cars is a survival skill of any good taxi driver. Ahm… the numbers aren’t much of a clue but they triggered a memory. I saw a very similar one mentioned in the case file for the accident that killed the Peltiers.�

Ziva left her desk. “Gibbs, shouldn’t we call Tony down, so he can hear about it too?�

“We can tell him later,� was McGee’s opinion.

Gibbs hesitated, turned his head to look at his screen. It showed his partner, now standing beside the table, staring at something in deep concentration. Suddenly he bent forward and carefully connected a row of puzzle pieces he had assembled in his palm to the half finished picture on the table. There were a lot of holes, but with a little bit of imagination Gibbs could guess that it showed a herd of horses. Sam was flittering around, applauding her dad and trying to find the right place for the little parts of the puzzle she held herself. In the background a female agent was lounging in one of the chairs, reading a book.

The little scene made him take a deep breath, but another incident he remembered from yesterday made him grab his cell and press the speed dial button for DiNozzo’s phone. He wouldn’t leave him out. Tony had made a very convincing point when he said that Gibbs himself would hate not being included in important aspects of the case if their roles had been reversed.

On the screen Tony was reaching into his pocket and a second later Gibbs could hear a questioning ‘Boss?’ in his ear.

Tony had to be aware that he was being observed through the camera, he raised his head. Green eyes seemed to stare at Gibbs, a big smile on his lips.

“McGee found something. Wanna hear it now or later.� Gibbs expected him to hurry out of the room but it didn’t happen. Tony seemed reluctant but finally he nodded.

“I’ll be down in a minute.�

Both men closed their cells, Gibbs watched as Tony said something to Sam and then he briskly walked out of the conference room. It didn’t take long before the senior agent strode across the squad room and straddled his chair at his desk. "So, I heard you found something, McGee?" Green eyes were glittering merrily, he waved his arms in a courtly fashion, indicating an exaggerated bow. "Come on, don't keep us waiting."

“I don't think that the accident which that killed the Peltiers was an accident at all. Ziva, would you, please-� The youngest agent ignored Tony and nodded at their flat screen.

Ziva picked up the remote and activated the screen. A scanned report appeared with one highlighted line. 7CB AO4.

Gibbs brought his senior agent up to speed with a few words and then concentrated on the screen. With his far-sightedness he had no problem deciphering the description of the car. A dark blue sedan. “It is easy to mistake a B for an E.�

“Two sedans of the same color and with similar or identical license plates, that’s too much of a coincidence.� Ziva agreed.

It was the first time McGee looked at his colleague since Tony joined them. “Huh. Someone’s famous police instincts seem to have been fooled.�

Ziva held up a folder, her brown eyes staring down McGee. “I’ve read this too. One of our teams worked the case because it concerned two marines. The case file says it was ruled accidental manslaughter. The Peltier’s car was forced off the road by a blue sedan, crashed down a hill. Christopher Peltier died in the car, his wife Evelyn two days later in the hospital. Witnesses reported that the driver of the other car, a punk clad in leather, stumbled away. The BOLO for him is still active but they couldn’t identify him since he wasn’t the owner of the car and didn’t leave anything to identify him. There was no reason for Tony to doubt the conclusions of another team. Without the additional information we have since gathered.

Tony had followed the presented facts closely, but he hadn’t contributed anything to the discussion. He rolled his eyes when McGee pointed out his error and if Gibbs hadn't kept a close eye on his partner he would have missed the short, downright astonished glance at Ziva for her support. “So we’re talking about double murder as well as attempted kidnapping.� Tony proclaimed sarcastically. "Great."

Yeah, great. An angry growl escaped Gibbs’ throat and his team looked at him, waiting for new orders. “McGee, you sent a copy of the case file down to Abby?�

“Yes, I did, two hours ago.�

“The owner of the car is a possible suspect?� Gibbs asked.

McGee shook his head. “The car belongs to Kenneth Riley. He is a 72 years old retired construction worker and according to him he rarely ever uses the car, it mainly stands in his garage collecting dust. He wasn’t aware that it was missing at all yesterday, too busy with his weekly Bingo round at the rec center.�

Ziva voiced what they all thought. “Someone who knew about the availability of the car must have taken it,� Now all the team had to do was hunt down the perpetrator and it would hopefully end the threat to Sam and Tony.

The elevator doors opened and, as if their talking about her had conjured the forensic scientist, Abby emerged, a thick pair of leather gloves in one hand and a whiskey bottle in the other. “Bow to me, because I am a Goddess among forensic scientists!� Her exuberance was met with more or less indulgent smiles but no one actually followed her request.

“No, really! You're a boring lot.� The lab rat stalked over to Gibbs and set the gloves and the bottle down on his desk.

Gibbs couldn’t guess what she wanted him to do with these and raised an eyebrow imploringly. “You already found something?�

“See the above statement about me being a Goddess.� Abby bounced up and down and crossed her arms in front of her chest to hug herself like she always did when she didn’t know if she should be excited or pissed off.

“Abs.�

“Ok, ok. This is supposed to be a test.� She looked around at the team who had come nearer. All of them were staring at the items she had brought with her. “Tony, put on the gloves and then try to open the whiskey.�

Tony did as she told him, slipped on the Yamaha motorcycle gloves, one hand around the base of the bottle, the other one twisting the cap. He managed after a few tries. Gibbs saw the deep concentration on his partners face and the unfocused eyes. “Oh. Of course.�

“Wanna share with the class, DiNozzo?� Gibbs had an inkling about where this was leading but he wanted to hear it from his senior agent.

Tony was biting down on his lower lip in thought, a habit he shared with his daughter. Then he began to walk up and down for one of his grand soliloquies, his hands busily underlining his words. “The witness report says that the driver of the car that caused the accident was clad in heavy motorcycle gear. The gloves were mentioned and that he seemed to be heavily drunk when he fled the scene. Open Whiskey bottles with their content spilled were found in the car, but there were no prints on them or the car, so he had to have worn the gloves the whole drive. But if he really was so abysmally drunk…. It is unlikely that he would have managed to handle the whiskey bottles, not without discarding his gloves. Drunks aren’t patient or dexterous.�

Abby was nodding frantically. “I saw the photos of the car and it just clicked- I know how difficult it is to handle delicate things when I wear my thin evening gloves. Heavy leather, alcohol and opening bottles just don’t go together. It is circumstantial, but I would bet Bert on it that the accident was staged to be seen as, well, an accident.�

“Good work Abby!� praised Gibbs.

The forensic scientist preened and did a little pirouette. "That's all for now. Just wait till I get my fingers on the car itself!" She waved at them, snatched her props and was gone again.

Ziva held up her phone. "I talked to Mr. Coultier. He agreed that we can sensitively question his daughter at his home. Due to her delicate state he would prefer if we send someone ... nice. Additionally he wants it understood that Sally-Ann didn't try to harm Sam, ‘it was just a harmless joke that got out of hand’."

That left Gibbs with few possibilities. Coultier would object to him on sight, even if most kids tended to like Gibbs, and DiNozzo was on the bench. Well, McGee was as non-threatening as could be and Ziva had learned to tone it down a bit, those two would have to conduct this interview and afterward take a detour to Maryland to question Mr. Riley as well. Tony and he still had to question Sam about her family, and wouldn't that be a fun. Asking a little girl questions about her dead step-father was always at the top of Gibbs' list of things he didn't want to do.

But first he would tackle another apparent problem. Gibbs gave his team new orders and then asked Tony to follow him to the elevator where he promptly flipped the switch.

"Uhm, boss?"

"You haven't smiled like that since before the case began."

Tony jerked and blinked at him. "I am just happy that we are finally making progress."

Gibbs stared at him till the fake smile disappeared from his partner's face.

"Should have known that you would prefer the more somber DiNozzo, Boss" Tony peered at him from under his eyelashes, probably to judge his reaction.

All it bought him was an annoyed grunt and another fierce glare.

Tony finally got it and gave himself a slap, his grin returned at half power but at least it wasn't faked.

Gibbs nodded. "Rule about lying still applies. So what did McGee do to rile you up?"

"Just his usual shit." Tony rubbed his hand absentmindedly over his head. "Our probie is at a stage where he feels the need to buck authority and he is practicing with me, hasn't grown a big enough pair for you yet. Just got some punches through."

That might explain why Tony had returned to his frat boy persona as a shield, but it was unlikely to be the full reason. Gibbs eyed his lover's hair, the once carefully styled spikes were in complete disarray again. Since they were unobserved, he took the opportunity to reach out and tame some of the worst offenders. A look of honest astonishment appeared on Tony's face in reaction, even has he moved to lean into the petting.

"Healthy competition is one thing but that felt malicious." He knew that he hadn't paid as much attention as he should have in the past. As a team leader Gibbs had pitted his agents against each other to achieve the best possible performance. In hindsight, and with other faults pointed out to him recently, it now seemed to have gone too far and he would have to do something about it. Their purpose as a team was solving crimes, defending the armed forces and not upstaging each other.

"We'll talk about it later, yes?" Tony pleaded and Gibbs gave a grudging nod. Neither of them wanted Sam to pick up on Tony's distress.

.-#-.

The puzzle on the big table had progressed to a stage where only a few bigger holes were giving Sam a real challenge. It showed a herd of winged horses in flight across a night sky and it was the dark spaces that were mostly unfinished, nothing giving her clear hints which of the available little bits of puzzle might be the right ones.

Nevertheless the little girl was visibly proud about her accomplishments and she had every right to be. Sam pulled Tony to the table, completely ignoring Gibbs and pointed out that it wasn’t a kiddie version, it had 500 pieces and could be mounted on a wall when it was finished. Tony would allow her to display it, yes?

Her question brought up some problems Tony would have liked to avoid and he didn’t know what to answer. He would have to ask Abby how the picture could be preserved until he had a wall to adhere it to. It would be weeks till he could move into his new apartment. His relationship with Gibbs was progressing wonderfully but was far to new to assume that Sam would be allowed to decorate the guestroom at the house to her taste, nor had Tony gotten the impression that his daughter wanted to do that. In the end he went for honesty. Tony had hated it when his own father had fudged about the facts, he would do his best not to get caught in the same behavior.

“As soon as we find the perfect wall, we'll display it, is that ok?�

Sam nodded and, for the first time since they entered the room, acknowledged the silver haired agent with a look. Tony had hoped that the quiet morning spent together and their joined enjoyment at his mishap with the blankets would have thawed the ice between his lover and his daughter, but it looked like a good part of it was back full force, judging by the distrusting glares Sam threw at Jethro.

‘I am hungry.’ Her statement of fact made both men smile. Agent Quann, who had still been reading her book and was ignoring them, was roused and sent for some food.

Tony looked around the room, there were some additions. Reynolds had done them one favor, she had brought Sam’s things to the Yard. Most of the packages were waiting in the trunk of the agency car they would later use to drive home, but her schoolbag and a plush cuddle toy had been brought up. It was obviously well loved, the fluff of the fabric rubbed off in places and discolored, the original navy blue faded to a soft baby blue, but all of Squid's leather suction cups seem to be accounted for.

Gibbs was looking at the toy, walking over to where it was perched on one corner of the table. Tony held his breath and hoped that his partner didn’t do something that would cause Sam to blow up again but he should have trusted in Gibbs’ instincts. He didn’t touch the plushy, just looked at it admiringly.

“That’s a very handsome sea monster. He has the battle scars of a great warrior,� he finally spoke and signed, his blue eyes twinkling as charming as could be.

Sam had come nearer, snatched her toy and pressed it to her chest. ‘You are making fun of me!’

Tony thought it was the right moment to interfere a little bit, he crouched down between his partner and his daughter and smiled up at them. “No, he rarely makes fun of anyone, me being the exception.�

That wasn’t something positive, according to the way gray-green eyes glared at Gibbs but at least she sat the plush squid back on the table.

The silver haired agent hopped up on the table and let his long legs dangle. “May I?� Gibbs pointed at the unfinished puzzle.

Sam thought about it and then nodded. Tony stood up again and heaved her onto the table so she was sitting at an angle to Gibbs. For some minutes all that could be seen was one burnished silver and two brunette heads bent over the work in progress, putting small pieces in their rightful places. Gibbs’ eagle eyes were ideal for comparing shapes and color, spotting the right places and pointing them out to Sam.

Squid was keeping watch over the trio. Sam was crawling up and down the big surface, looking at her puzzle from different angles. Every now and again Sam’s sneaker clad feet came near to pushing the toy off the table but Gibbs only reacted when it indeed came to pass. Sam must have felt it, seen it happening, she turned around but it was Gibbs' hand that shot out and caught the plushy, handing it back to its mistress.

‘Thank you!’ Sam signed. Tony saw how his little girl finally smiled up at his partner and he had to admire Gibbs' devious mind. He could have sworn that there had been some underhanded little slight of hand helping the toy to fall involved.

“Squid looks like a formidable defender, it wouldn’t do for him to land on the floor. You said Chris gave him to you?� Gibbs carefully questioned, rotating one of the few remaining puzzle pieces between his strong fingers.

Sam nodded and cuddled her squid, stroking its head.

Gibbs clicked his piece into place before he concentrated on the girl again. “He might have told you stories about the adventures Squid had before he came to you. Wanna share?�

That made her wrinkle her nose but she seemed to consider the request. ‘You really want to hear Chris' stories? Mummy always said he should not fill my head with nonsense.’

The men looked at each other and then back at Sam, encouraging smiles on their faces. Of course Christopher Peltier wouldn’t have blabbed military secrets to his little step-daughter, but he might have rewritten some of his adventures into stories for Sam.

Sam arranged her legs Indian style and placed the toy in her lap so he was facing her audience. Her hands took one tentacle each and waved them around while she gathered her thoughts. Finally the toy got a break and she began to sign. ‘I know that Squid is just a toy, he’s like Santa Clause and not really real, you know? I am not stupid.’

Tony couldn’t stand how insecure his little girl looked and he rubbed one hand down her back. “That’s ok, you loved the stories and feel better when Squid watches over you. Nothing to be ashamed of.�

‘Really? Kimmy says I am a big baby.’ Sam sniffed and a dangerous glint appeared in her eyes. ‘But I looked under her pillow when she wasn’t in the dorms and guess what? There was a ratty rabbit under it. I am at least honest, she is a hypo- ‘ her hands faltered and she shrugged her shoulders.

Gibbs knew the sign and helped her, even repeated it until she got it right. “Hypocrite.�

Sam removed a bat shaped barrette from a braid and fixed it onto one of poor Squid's tentacles. The braid began to unravel. ‘I wanted to write the stories down, so I won’t forget them, won't forget him. I started a diary, if you really want to, I can lend it to you. Chris told me that the blue Squid was once a great hero, traveling to other worlds and rescuing innocents from the bad people who wanted to hurt them and enslave them. Nobody should be enslaved, we learned about it in history. You know that some squids can change their color to blend with their surroundings?’

Gibbs and Tony nodded, both fascinated by the colorful tale.

‘In my favorite story the blue squid and his partner the green eagle sneaked into the spaceship of the enemy king, he had captured their princess. The eagle was waiting outside so he could cause a diversion if needed and Squid sneaked to the dungeon, avoiding the guards. He picked the lock on the princess’ cell with his clever tentacles, and folded himself around her so she wouldn’t be seen either. Then they tried to sneak out of the space ship to where Eagle was waiting but the evil king had gone down to the cell and when he saw that she was missing he made his guards search for them. Eagle had some big bombs and he blew up parts of the space ship so his partner could escape, the eagle took one of them into each claw and flew away, the evil king was hopping up and down, really, really mad, not longer able to reach them. And then his ship blew up in a hundred tiny little pieces and he never could hurt anyone again.’

“That’s a great tale.� Tony had to leave it to the dead man, Peltier had been a wonderful story teller with a great imagination. The man might have drawn from his own experiences, his file stated that he had special ops training and it was likely that he had taken part in missions to free hostages, but he wrapped it so much in fantasy that nobody would be able to draw conclusions about real projects. Tony hoped that he would grow into his role as a father and maybe match the great job the other man had apparently done.

Sam nodded earnestly, and then she held up her toy for inspection, one tentacle in particular. ‘See, he has a scar. Even heroes get hurt and Chris told me that Squid decided that, after all the adventures he had, he would like to watch over me instead, because he couldn’t be as fast anymore but still wanted to serve and defend.’

One of the tentacles had been sewn on again after some unfortunate incident, there was a faded red thread line around the plush appendage. Sam’s fingers slowly followed the line and suddenly her shoulders began to shake like a leaf and she threw herself into her father’s arms without further warning, not minding that she nearly destroyed the puzzle. Tony caught her and pressed her against his chest, his eyes seeking his partner's concerned blue ones in a plea for help. The squid ended squashed to his neck and he could feel Sam soaking his throat with her tears.

Sam’s desperate sobs and the other disjointed sounds she made were painful to witness and Tony really didn’t know what he should do. Gibbs hurried around the table and sat beside them, one of his big callused hands gripping the younger man’s shoulders reassuringly. Tony could see by the way his throat worked and the look in his eyes that his partner was touched by this too.

“The psychologist warned me that she might…but. Jethro?�

It was Gibbs turn to soothe. “Just let her grieve and cry.�

Sam ignored the outside world, she was clutching at the only safe haven she had left and let out her desperate longing for those she had lost. The two men kept watch over her, banking their fury. The needs of the living were more important now than revenge for the dead.

.-#-.

Only Gibbs noticed when Agent Quann returned with a large plastic bag full of Chinese take-out, two big cups of coffee and a bottle of fruit juice for Sam. The little girl had calmed down some, she wasn’t crying as hard but her iron grip around Tony’s neck hadn’t lessened and she made no attempts to raise her head. No way were any of them ready for food even if they could do with something in their stomachs.

Quann took one look at the huddled group on the table and froze. Gibbs threw her a warning glare not to interfere, but it wasn’t necessary. The female agent seemed to guess what was going on and the compassion on her face made Gibbs’ estimation of her competence rise a notch or two. She silently arranged the containers on one of the smaller side tables and then left the room again after showing him her watch and signing to him that she would be back in fifteen minutes. Her presence wasn’t required with Tony in the room.

And no way was he stepping back from father and daughter. Gibbs felt that he had the right to reassure Tony while the younger man was doing his best to support Sam. He spared a thought for the little camera McGee had installed and the possibility that they were being observed. David and McGee were away fulfilling their assignments. Though, even if they had still been in the squad room, Gibbs wouldn't have cared. All he was doing was comforting Tony while Tony comforted Sam. It amused Gibbs that the same back stroking motion seemed to work equally well on father as it did daughter.

The distinctive smell of exotic spices permeating the room was what finally made Sam loose her grip and raise her head. She wriggled out of her father’s arms and turned her face in the direction of the bagged delicacies, sniffed, but made no attempt to go over. Her nose was red and snotty, her eyes swollen and equally red-rimmed and tears had left their tracks on her cheeks. Her little hands rose up and rubbed across her face but the only thing she accomplished was to spread the mess. The braid without a barrette had unraveled completely and the loose strands of hair were not adding to the picture in a positive way. Nor was her sniffling.

Tony was still patting her back and he didn’t look much better than his daughter. That had to be the third ruined suit in two days; maybe Tony would finally come to appreciate the practicality of Sears men wear when he got the next dry-cleaning bill.

‘I am so sorry, so sorry; I don’t want to be a cry baby! I don’t want to be a bother.’ Her hastily signed message startled both men.

“It’s ok to cry!� Tony was reassuring her but all he earned for his troubles were more frantically signed words.

‘So sorry dad, I will not be clingy and a stupid cry baby.’

Boarding school had a lot in common with boot camp and in both institutions tears were a source for open scorn among peers. Gibbs guessed that other children with their casual cruelty had mocked Sam for her tears.

Tony tried again. “It is all right to cry, you lost your mom and step-dad, it is natural that you would mourn them, nothing to be ashamed of, Sam!�

Sam violently shook her head, her hands were balled into impotent fists. Nothing Tony tried seemed to bear fruit, she was on the fast track to hysterical.

Gibbs was of the opinion that shrinks were mostly useless and probably couldn’t find their own asses in a crisis for all their vaunted highly educated theories. The rules demanded that agents had to be cleared by them before going back into the field after every traumatic incident. Killing in the line of duty, losing a teammate, gruesome cases. Private tragedies. The first psychologist he had to visit to be accepted as an agent had told him that it was cleansing to let out all the hurt stuck inside in a nonviolent way, no matter what other people thought. Yeah, right. Doing it just opened yourself to people who would heap scorn or pity atop of the original problem.

But Sam- Gibbs hesitated for a moment, called himself all kinds of stupid, and then he squatted down in front of Sam so she didn't have to look up at him. “Sam. Look at me, come on.�

She averted her face and pressed her eyelids closed, shutting the world out. Fresh tears were escaping nevertheless and she batted at her own face angrily. Tony caught her hands in his own and Gibbs touched her under her chin to get her to look at him again. It worked.

“Sam, now, pay attention.� The command made her blink. “I’m a Marine, like Chris was.�

That wasn’t a topic she had anticipated. The girl hesitantly reached out and her wet fingers skimmed his temples where his hair was shorn near to the skin and she nodded weakly.

God bless the infamous and easily recognizable haircut.

“What did he tell you about the Corp, about the other… eagles.� Eagles wasn’t a commonly used metaphor for the Marines, but her step-father had introduced it to Sam so Gibbs might as well take advantage of the expression.

He was very aware of how closely Tony was following their conversation. The younger man had positioned himself behind his daughter and Sam was leaning against his body.

Her signs came reluctant and slow. ‘That - Marines are hard-asses and proud of it and ��" brave and ��" ‘ Another sob escaped.

Gibbs could hear Tony choke on the hard-ass comment but he ignored it, they had bigger problems to solve. It wasn’t untrue, just not appropriate vocabulary for a little girl. “And?� he nudged her to finish her sentence.

‘Marines don’t cry over nothing.’

Gibbs sighed and gave her a mild version of his trademark head-slap. It startled her and she stared at him incredulously. “Never refer to your family as nothing! It’s offensive to their memory. Do you understand? Never. I cried when I lost my family and they were the most important people on earth to me. Do I look like a cry-baby to you?�

‘No, no ��" you don’t.’ Sam leaned forward and her gray-green eyes searched his face, probably trying to imagine him bawling. ‘You cried for them? Really?’

“Yeah.� Only in private, but he had never been ashamed of his tears, just hadn’t wanted to share them with a world that didn’t deserve more of him after taking away his girls.

Gibbs knew how tactile deaf children could be. They tended to have very expressive body language and loved to touch people they liked. He had rated Sam’s avoidance of contact with him as a sign that she didn't trust him. Now her fingers were trailing over his cheeks, petting him and he kept himself very still.

‘You miss them very much?’

He nodded.

‘I miss Mom and Chris.’ Sam breached the last inches between them and pressed her heated face against his for one moment.

“Jethro…�

Green eyes sought his own over a mass of tangled hair and Gibbs could read sadness and compassion in them. He didn’t know what he should do about it. Involuntarily Gibbs must have made a defensive gesture, because Tony looked away giving him privacy.

Luckily Gibbs wasn’t the only one who was defensive and embarrassed about all the touchy-feely stuff that had happened. Sam might be a little bit more convinced that they wouldn’t scorn her for her tears but the way she frantically looked around for something else, anything else, to concentrate on proclaimed loud and clear that her quota for heart to hearts had been filled, thank you very much.

This time it was her father who knew what to say. “Sam, how about cleaning up a bit and then some food. You told me you're hungry, frankly, so am I.�

.-#-.

Tony looked at his daughter’s tear streaked face and then at the two doors of choice. Neither appealed to him, because, whatever Ziva might think, entering a restroom of the opposite gender was not spitting in the face of convention but rather an unprovoked hostile attack on an established sanctuary.

There were ground rules for protection detail, the main one being never, ever let your subject out of your sight. Unfortunately that included bathroom breaks. The chances that anything could happen to her here at NCIS headquarters were slim, but the rules still applied. Didn’t they assign a female agent as a guard for Sam exactly for this reason? Unfortunately his daughter was still quite shaken from her outburst earlier and refused to let him out of her grasp, never mind her sight.

“DiNozzos, the food is getting cold.� Gibbs had snatched his coffee from the tray Quann had provided before accompanying them to the restroom. For an accomplished Gibbs expert like Tony DiNozzo the minuscule upward turn of the older man’s mouth and the way certain lines around his eyes had deepened it was clear that Gibbs was aware of his dilemma. Aware and amused. It was nice to see that the emotional roller coaster hadn’t forced the older man into one of his brooding moods, but still.

Tony threw him a dirty look. Gibbs had it easy, all he had to do was guard the door against incursion while Tony and Sam were inside. But which door to chose? In the end it wasn’t a difficult decision, he lead Sam into the women’s room. Urinals and little girls were not meant to go together.

The inside of the forbidden territory wasn’t mysterious at all and not that different from the male version. Different color scheme and more stalls. And it was at the moment, thankfully, unoccupied. There was no one in front of the big mirror and nobody had entered or left this bastion of female mysteries while he had stood outside. He couldn’t hear anyone.

Sam disappeared into one of the stalls and Tony used the time to sort out his own appearance. He slipped out of his suit jacket and eyed it mournfully. The damage wasn’t too severe, nevertheless it was one of his favorites and deserved better treatment. A damp paper towel and a little hot air from the hand dryer would take care of the worst wrinkles.

A noise from the wrong direction made him drop the garment and draw his Sig. The stall door on the far left had opened and an attractive brunette woman was stepping out, her hands at her chest, in the process of closing the upper buttons of her silk blouse. Another blouse was draped over her arm. She froze. Tony stared at her over the muzzle of his gun.

Damn the interior designers for not including bigger open spaces under the doors! That would have given him a clue that he wasn’t as alone or as secure as he thought. He knew this woman, her name was Victoria Winters and she was working in administration. Tony had flirted with her once or twice. That didn’t make this situation any less awkward.

“Agent DiNozzo!�

Tony put his weapon away and slipped on his best charming little-boy grin. "Hi Victoria, so funny story, you'll love this one-"

She wasn’t impressed at all and didn’t even let him finish his sentence. “I don’t care what inane childish prank you are trying to pull this time. I don’t care if you are trying to get back at Officer David. How dare you! The director will hear about this!�

Her shrill voice made him cringe. Tony was suddenly reminded as to why he hadn't done more than lightly flirt with this woman.

“No wait, you don't understand.� His second feeble attempt to placate her wasn’t more effective than the first, it just enraged her further. The way she seemed to ready her tastefully manicured peach colored nails for combat was deeply disturbing.

“I doubt that you have spontaneously grown a vagina! And that would be the only possible excuse for your presence here.�

A little louder and Ducky in autopsy would be able to hear her berating him. There went his street-cred as a suave player. Tony was sure that if the walls were made out of glass he would be able to witness one very amused former marine standing outside and laughing his head off. He sighed deeply and prepared to try to explain a third time. Winters was an accountant but even she should know enough about Agents and body-guard duty to understand the situation.

It wasn’t necessary. Another stall-door opened and his daughter came out looking a little rumpled still but much more composed than before. Her presence made the harpy hell bent on ripping him a new one pause. Of course she had heard about this new development. Nobody could have missed the news of him having a daughter with the scuttlebutt running amok.

“Oh.�

Tony picked up his poor abused jacket from the floor and winked at Winters playfully. “I think guarding my daughter rates up there with a gender change as decent excuses go, don't you think?� He sent her one of his most charming smiles.

Sam had gone to the counter with the sinks but she was more interested in observing the adults than cleaning her hands and face. Her father didn’t know how to interpret the way she was thoughtfully eying the accountant.

“Sam, this is Miss Winters. Victoria, my daughter Sam.� Tony introduced them and then removed more paper towels from the dispenser and turned on the water. Sam was tall enough to reach the basin, but the faucets were too far back for her. The faster they finished their business here, the faster they would be able to leave. His hint seemed to be obvious enough, Sam began to clean up.

Victoria on the other hand made no attempt to hurry up and disappear, she was observing them nosily and Tony would be willing to bet that this little encounter would make the rounds within the hour. Her fingers finished buttoning up her blouse but they hesitated at the last two buttons and left them open in the end, her eyes never leaving the picture father and daughter provided. Tony had thrown the damp towels into the waste bin and had moved on to untangling loose strands of Sam's hairdo.

No one had had the foresight to bring the missing barrette.

“Tony, she is really a little cutie! Let me help with that… � Victoria placed her handbag on the counter and searched in its depths and finally held up something triumphantly. A small fluffy deep green something with sparkly bits dangled from her peach colored claws.

“Here, that should do it, always have it with me to tame my hair so it doesn't get in my eyes. I don’t mind if you keep it, Sweetie, we women have to stick together.� The second sentence was addressed to the little girl but the woman’s eyes stayed focused on Tony. Victoria was shaking her head so her brunette curls bounced in a pretty demonstration of why she would have need for restraining the shiny mass. As if to make sure that they got the point, she punctuated her demonstration by letting her hands glide through her hair, ending by smoothing it back over her shoulders again.

Any other day Tony would have been tempted to show his appreciation for the show, it was very rude to not at least acknowledge the effort, but at the moment he was more concerned about other things. A minor leer and light once over had to suffice. Sam was still observing this new acquaintance closely so a translation wasn’t strictly needed, but he did it nevertheless and asked her to thank Victoria for her assistance.

Sam politely did as she was asked.

“Oh, you poor dear!� Victoria exclaimed and her eyes grew round and moist. “So I heard right, you are deaf? I hoped it was just a stupid exaggeration.�

Sam never took open pity well, Tony could empathize, and he could imagine (and dread) her reaction to being patted on the head or any other well meant gesture. He positioned himself between the two females to prevent any unfortunate incidents, his right hand reached for Sam to steer her out of the restroom. Time for a strategic retreat. He turned to Victoria. “Thank you for your help but we have to go back before we're missed and, well…I really, really shouldn’t stay here.� He tipped his face to the side a little bit so Sam couldn’t read his lips. “After all, I'm still missing the required equipment to fit in here."

That evoked a delighted chuckle and a twinkle from Victoria. “And wouldn’t it be a shame and a waste to change that?� She produced a little bottle of perfume. A few drops were then used on her fresh blouse. The perfume’s fragrance was sweet and flowery. Victoria offered the bottle to Sam but the little girl shook her head and nearly ran out of the room without another looking back.

Tony shrugged his shoulders, smiled apologetically and hurried after his daughter. Victoria followed them at a more sedate pace but, after a good look at the waiting Gibbs, refrained from dallying further. She waved to them before walking back to her own department.

Gibbs was still nursing his cup of coffee. All three of them watched Winters prance down the corridor.

‘I think I know what Sister Agatha meant when she droned on about a lesser evil and counting your blessings.’

“Uhm, Sam?� Tony had ceased to be shocked about the things an eight-year-old could come up with at the drop of a hat but in this case he had no clue what she meant. The way Victoria Winter was working her hips was a deliberate temptation but he doubted that a holy sister would use someone like her as an example for evil in the classroom.

‘He-‘ Sam pointed at Gibbs ‘at least does smell nice.’ She announced and then promptly turned on her heal and hurried in the direction of the conference room. Agent Quann was waiting for her outside and ushered her in.

Tony stared dumbfounded after her retreating form until a choking sound made him look at Jethro instead. His partner was looking rather pathetic, doing his best to hack up the hot coffee that had gone down the wrong pipe. One of his hands was clutching the still half full cup.

Heimlich maneuver, calling for help- Gibbs would never forgive him if it became known that his beloved coffee had nearly managed to kill him. Before Tony could reach a decision on a course of action Gibbs took a deep breath, sucking precious oxygen deep into his again unobstructed lungs.

“Your daughter is a health hazard. And mouthy,� he finally croaked.

Tony drew in a deep breath through his nose, tilted his head to the side and smiled. “Hey, I agree with her. And inheriting my good taste is not the worst thing that could have happened, you know?�

Gibbs dragged the back of his free hand over his mouth and took another deep breath before he answered, his tone of voice as dry as the Sahara. “Good taste? Tony, I’ve seen some of your … interests.� His thumb pointed in the direction Winter had disappeared to. “Rule.� A wolfish smile bloomed on his lips and the thumb jerked around so it was pointing at Gibb’s own chest. “Exception. Yeah?�

Suddenly there was a very tight feeling around the younger Agent’s chest. Not uncomfortable per se but impossible to ignore. Tony squirmed and for once didn’t know what to say so he nodded. “In every way, hopefully.� There wasn’t anything more he, and he suspected Jethro too, wanted to say at this point so it was time for some good old fashioned deflection.

“And boss, wasn’t it you that told us to hurry? Now it’s my turn. Come on, or she’ll have eaten it all. You wouldn’t believe the amounts of food Sam can put away.�

Gibbs gave a short, amused laugh. “Yes, I would. I’ve worked with you long enough.�

“Hey!�

They kept up the light banter all the way back to the conference room and during the meal.

.-#-.

Gibbs turned the key in the lock of his front door and the sound of the bolt clicking into place filled him with a kind of savage satisfaction. It had been the last action on his list of things to do, following making sure that every drape had been closed over his windows and talking with the outside agents to make sure they understood their duty. Now no one should be able to enter his home easily, or spy on them.

Tony, Sam and Gibbs had returned to his home after a frustrating afternoon at work. McGee and David had called around 1800 and their leader hadn’t been pleased by the lack of new information. It seemed as if everyone and their poodle could have driven that damn Sedan without raising suspicion. David had reported that the garage door lock was so rusty it might as well have been last used twenty years ago and the opening faced away from the house. The list of possible suspects was long enough to occupy McGee with background checks for days.

A muffled sound made Gibbs turn his head. Sam had retired to her room and the noise originated in his living room, so it could only be Tony. Gibbs was a little bit apprehensive about what might happen now. They had danced around each other the whole day, restricted by the presence of either youthful eyes or the need for discretion in front of other NCIS coworkers.

Gibbs mood darkened when he thought about the flirty accountant who had made her interest in his Tony very clear. Well, she was out of luck and would have to look for some entertainment elsewhere. Not that Tony had seemed to be very interested in her, but it still made Gibbs hot under the collar. One point for being a well known bastard. He could chase rivals away without raising suspicion about his motives.

He knew that he was a possessive and rather demanding lover and hoped that it wouldn’t cause too much friction between Tony and him. It wasn’t as if DiNozzo didn’t know Gibbs’ nature but theory and practice were two very different things. And it wasn’t only the personal stuff that they had to think about. Their professional life had its own pitfalls. Gibbs remembered a snide comment by McGee he had heard in the background when he talked to David and in conjunction with the other incidents during the day…. Well.

Gibbs entered his living room on silent feet, his eyes drawn to the sole occupant. He savored the chance to watch the younger man unobserved. His team might be freaked out frequently by their leader’s quirk of sneaking up on them, and most of the time it wasn’t even deliberate on his part, even if it was amusing, but this was a rare opportunity. Without spectators there was no need for Tony to put on a show.

Tony had switched on a small table lamp. It was something Gibbs’ third ex-wife had bought (and soon after thrown at his ‘stiff-necked, stubborn, unfeeling bastard-marine-head’). Its yellow shade was a little bit dented but since it functioned all right Gibbs had never seen a reason to exchange it for something new. The crinkles in the material produced interesting shadows on the walls but the light was soft enough to prevent anyone watching from outside from seeing a silhouette through the drapes.

Possessive blue eyes roamed over the handsome picture the younger men presented. While Gibbs had prowled around his home, checking every possible point of entry, Tony had changed into more comfortable clothes. He was now wearing sweatpants and an over-sized and fairly shapeless sweater and had made himself comfortable on the couch. Gibbs couldn’t make out what he was concentrating on exactly. Tony sat bent over something in his lap and had either not felt the older man enter the room or wasn’t acknowledging the company because of whatever held his attention. Judging by the frustrated grimaces on his face, whatever it was didn’t go the way it should. Tony’s elegant hands performed a sequence of gestures, halted and repeated the motions again and again.

Gibbs rounded the couch to take a look over the younger man’s shoulders. He bent over and laid his arms on the backrest of the couch and squinted at the book in Tony’s lap. It was a guide for learning ASL. He compared the example on the page to the signs his companion was making, ‘The horse was swiftly galloping down the dirty path’. Tricky. Adjectives and adverbs were difficult to express in sign language.

Tony had to feel his breath on the side of his face and his lack of reaction, apart from a light drawing in of breath, told Gibbs that his second guess had been the right one, his agent had been aware of his presence.

“I know, I know. I still stutter.�

“A little bit. Try to make that move out of your wrist, not the arm. It helps with the flow.�

It took a few tries till he had it down pat, then Tony turned his head and smiled crookedly at Gibbs. “Hah. Another move for my repertoire.�

And didn’t that link back to the snide remark he had heard from McGee over the phone. "We could have used Tony today, running around talking to people. Brawn to our brains."

“DiNozzo, about McGee-“

Tony closed his book and set it onto the coffee table. He averted his face. “Told you, he's flexing his muscles. Vance’s praise has gone to his head. He thinks his awesome new Yedi powers will solve every problem and forgets that they lead to the dark side."

Gibbs scoffed. Even he had seen that movie. “Yeah, he's overconfident. That’s dangerous. I don’t want his lesson in humility at the cost of your hide.�

“Boss, you normally don’t interfere.� Tony still wasn't looking at him and his shoulders were so tense that Gibbs could see the tendons standing out at his neck.

He was right, normally Gibbs didn’t try to stop the squabbling between his agents. Kate had crossed the line between friendly banter and malicious poking more than once, but so had Tony. And Gibbs had seldom tried to rein them in, just diverted them when they got too vicious. But rue the idiot who tried to attack one of them, the other would jump to their defense at once. And it had never crossed into fieldwork. McGee’s behavior during the last months on the other hand- “I should have done something.�

“Wow, that’s suspiciously near to an apology.�

Gibbs refused to be goaded into a topic change by banter. “Tell me DiNozzo, do you still trust McGee to have your six?�

Tony slowly turned around to face his supervisory agent, his face without expression. “He would never let me get hurt on purpose.�

“Maybe not, but his view of you might influence his decision. Would he warn you that the perp has a gun? Yes. Would he tell you that someone emptied a bucket of soapy water on the back stairs for the chance to see you slip and dirty your fancy designer pants? Not so sure there. Still dangerous in the field. At least he would think about it and-“

“In a dangerous situation every second counts.� Tony finished his thought and sighed deeply, letting his blank mask slip a little bit. “But what do you propose to do? Mr. MIT feels he has nothing more to learn from me. I can only wait and try to give him enough rope to hang himself with in a non dangerous way to show him that he isn’t as good as he thinks he is. You chewing him out will only get his hackles up and … Boss, I don’t want you fighting my battles.�

Gibbs rubbed his chin. He wouldn’t want that either if their positions were revised. “Your frat boy persona doesn’t make it easier.�

“You’re not asking me to turn into the Stepford version of Anthony DiNozzo, are you?�

And there was the carefully expressionless face again. Gibbs didn’t care for it at all. This was something that bothered him and it went beyond the problem of a high flying over-confident colleague. “Aren’t you tired of hiding all the time?� he asked provocatively and watched the reaction.

That wasn’t what the younger man had been expecting. Tony stared at him incredulously and then words nearly exploded out of his mouth. “My frat boy persona has its uses, and yes, it is fun to rile up people. It makes them feel safe, underestimate me, makes them slip up. Makes me seem to be harmless. You're the tough marine. Give me some credit, we're different but I am as much a survivor as you are. I won’t abandon something that's useful. I learned fast how to take advantage of my god given gifts. Do you know what happens to young cops if their older buddies think they are too book smart and snobbish?�

Oh, he could guess where this was going but that wasn’t the point. “They get some lessons in humility?� It was hard to follow the jumble of words. This seemed to be something the younger man had longed to tell him for some time, judging by the glittering eyes and the passion in his voice.

“They get hurt and sometimes the lessons go too far and you find yourself in a situation where you depend on your partner and your partner isn’t there or is too slow because he wanted to see the upstart rookie taken down a peg. The old boys don’t like new age shit like psychology, it makes them feel stupid. Nobody wants to feel stupid. I learned the lesson at my first district and never forgot again. Fucked up in other ways but this one I learned well.�

Gibbs never went to police academy. Cops made great bullies but boot camp could compare. “So you couch whatever you want to point out in movie trivia, because that's more acceptable than psychology.�

“Yeah. Movie fans are cool, geeks aren’t. To be honest, a lot of my hunches have their roots in movies scripts but I have taken other classes than sports at college and I am a fairly good profiler. Not all my insights are through instinct. You know it, you read my file. Don’t tell me I fooled YOU.�

Gibbs suspected what he really meant was "don’t tell me that you see me like McGee does".
“I am not like your old partners at the district, why try to use the same techniques?�

Tony waved his hand dismissively. “I didn’t know that. First I tried to see where the boundaries were, how you would react. You seemed to be mainly amused by my shenanigans and ignored it. But you encouraged my behavior as soon as Kate joined us, never called me on it.�

“It worked well. Got the best results out of both of you.� But it had set a bad precedent. Caitlin Todd, for all her vaunted profiling skills, had never completely seen behind Tony’s mask. But then McGee with his computer skills had joined the team and the mask was slipping less and less.

“And you always knew, you always could guess what went on behind the public persona. Why are you calling me out on it now?�

Because he wanted his partner to know that he could abandon the public persona outside the office. Gibbs wanted him to feel safe enough to do it and they weren’t there yet, nor was it something he could demand. He would have to earn it and a first step was to acknowledge that there was a difference between Agent DiNozzo and Tony.

Now it was Gibbs’ turn to talk and that was anything but easy, but he had promised himself that he would do all it took to make this work between them. That meant, among other thing, being honest. “You are very good at provoking reactions Tony, something about you pushes all of my buttons. I let you have your shields not only to defend yourself but to keep me distant as well.� As long as they played, Gibbs had been safe. Tony called him courageous but that wasn’t strictly true. Bombs, armed opponents, danger in the street and death the former Marine could face but personal stuff- not so much.

Gibbs was tiredly shaking his head, searching for the right words. “Nah. Hard to admit it, but you pulled the wool over my eyes more than once and I got tangled.� He could see the insecurity and hurt in the younger man’s eyes. “Hush, let me finish. Contrary to what you seem to think of me, I'm not a superhero. I have my human moments the same as you. And you're a good actor. You did fool me sometimes. The rest of the time... it wasn't my place to expose you. I have my own secrets. You wanted to play, so I let you."

“And it was fun to see me prance and perform, admit it. To see how much I wanted your attention.� Tony leaned back and tilted his head until he was looking at Gibbs upside down. His green eyes were dark and thoughtful.

“Yeah. And you liked to make me laugh like every clown everywhere does while internally mocking the audience’s stupidity. The joke’s never on the clown.�

“You didn’t laugh very often. Not outwardly.� Tony reached up and lightly cuffed Gibbs on the back of his head.

Gibbs nodded and allowed himself to smile. “You know why I know that our Probie isn’t a fully fledged field Agent yet, ready to lead an investigation unassisted?� He bent down until his nose nearly touched Tony’s but didn’t wait for him to shake or nod. “Hasn’t passed the DiNozzo test. If he can’t see through you, how can I be sure that he won’t be blinded by some smart criminal? So, no. Changing your public persona isn’t the way to go.�

He expected Tony to preen and laugh but it didn’t happen. The younger man was smiling, yes, but it was a small smile. “So, what do you propose? About McGee.�

Before Gibbs could answer, his phone began to ring insistently. The display read ‘David’. He had to take it. “Gibbs.� He barked into the receiver.

David know him well enough to not waste his time. “We found out who the driver was.�

Ziva often teased him about how she was sure his typical date night ended. Her most common suggestions were him receiving a slap to the face or with him flat on his back. He hadn't actually been certain that she meant that one in a sexual way, until she'd included a snide comment once implying that perhaps instead of his back, he also found himself ending up on his front rather often too. The insult in that particular comment had been clear. Of course, none of Ziva's guesses had been anywhere close to the truth. Sadly most often in the past few years, his dates had ended much the way this one was, with a phone ringing and him having to run off into the night. The only thing new about the current situation was that it was Jethro’s phone going off, rather than Gibbs on the phone calling Tony. After the number of times that

the bossman had called and demanded that Tony end his dates and get his ass in gear and to a crime scene ASAP, he found it kind of ironic that it was Gibbs' phone ending their date now.

Gibbs fumbled for his phone, opened it and glared at the display before standing up and pressing it to his ear. “Gibbs.�

Tony observed the tension lines deepening around the older man’s eyes while he listened. The younger man prepared himself mentally for action. The list of possible callers was pretty short. McGee or Ziva would never call to comment on the weather so it must be important.

“Stay put. I’ll be there in ten,� Gibbs brusquely ordered before snapping his phone shut with a lot more force than was strictly necessary.

“Where to? Give me five minutes to jump into some more appropriate and I’ll be ready.� Today’s clothing would have to suffice, Tony had only one more set of work clothes and he would need them tomorrow. Sam was really hell on his clothes. He either had to go back to his apartment and pack a bigger bag or hit the local dry-cleaner. The thought of what Jethro’s service would do to his designer threads made him wince. Asking for some extra minutes to reach his usual cleaner might be a better idea even if it would invite sarcastic teasing about Tony’s perceived vanity.

“McGee cross referenced the names of people who could have taken the car with people showing up in the Peltier family’s background check. One stood out. I’ll tell you more later. You’re staying here.� Gibbs was already reaching for his badge and car keys.
“Boss?�

Instead of answering him directly Gibbs pointedly looked up at the ceiling. Why use words if a stare could say it so much better?

Tony bit down on his annoyance about not being able to be on his boss’ six in the field this time, but leaving the security of his daughter to other agents, no matter how qualified, was equally repulsive. He really was between a rock and a hard place. “Right, we don’t know how many perps there are and if they split up. One of us should stay and guard Sam.�

“Yep. Keep her safe.�

“Jethro, watch your back.�

Gibbs nodded, turned around and hurried out of the room: Tony followed and was fast enough to see him crash into the door.

“Damn. Forgot that I locked it.�

Despite the seriousness of the situation Tony began to laugh. Gibbs sent him a disgruntled frown and then began to rummage through a big bowl of odds and ends that served double duty as a bookend on a nearby shelf.

“I can’t believe you lost the key to your front door within half an hour of using it.�

“Nope, got it, just thought you should have one of your own.� Gibbs threw something at him and the younger man caught the small item easily. The gray haired man hurried out of the house without looking back. It seemed like only seconds later when the sound of a car being started and then accelerating shattered the silence. Tony opened the hand that had caught the little missile and looked down. It was an ordinary key.

Gibbs wasn’t big on symbolic gestures, what you saw was what you got when it came to the former marine, so Tony didn’t want to read too much into it. It was only logical that he should have the key to one of the more important barriers preventing harm from reaching Sam and himself. That didn’t mean that Tony wasn’t extra careful while securing it to his key chain.

He was still staring down on it when he heard footsteps on the stairs.

Sam was in her nightclothes and carried Squid in her arms. The little girl had confiscated the old NIS T-shirt from last night and combined it with some pajama pants Abby had bought earlier that day. They were black in color with white bat-bunnies as decoration. The Goth had been highly amused about the kid’s categorical refusal to wear anything pink.

Sam tugged the plush toy under her arm and signed her question. ‘Jet had to leave?’

Tony made sure that the front door was securely locked again and put his key chain on the bookshelf. “Yeah, he got a call. Why are you still up? Shouldn’t you be sleeping by now?�

Sam shuffled around and tugged at the fabric of her shirt. ‘I don’t want to.’

Oh. He could guess that the day had stirred up a lot of memories. ‘Nightmares?’

‘Yes.’ She didn’t elaborate and Tony didn’t pry.

Tony gently pushed her along the corridor to the kitchen. More than one of his parenting guides had advised hot milk for situations like this. Tony preferred going for a run until he was exhausted when his brain refused to let him sleep, with downing the occasional tumbler of potent alcohol when running wasn’t working. And the devil would order ice skates before he took his own childhood experiences as a model for how to deal with a frightened child.

Jethro’s kitchen was old fashioned and functional. It didn’t take long to find the cupboard that housed the cups and even his techno phobic boss had bowed to the advantages of modern kitchen appliances and bought a microwave. Or one of his ex-wives had done it and he had kept it because it could be used to warm up food fast and wasn’t too complicated to use. Any other day milk would have been the deal breaker since Gibbs would never consent to diluting his precious coffee with milk but whoever stocked the house as a temporary safe house had the foresight to include the most basic groceries.

He waited until Sam was sipping on the hot beverage before he dared to ruffle her hair and suggest that she should go back to bed.

Sam shook her head, put down the cup on the table and began to look around. ‘So, Jet is away. We should explore!’

“Bad idea princess. And very rude.� Sam wasn’t talking about peeking into every room in the house, they had already done that and Tony wouldn’t have her rummaging through every nook and cranny. It sounded hypocritical because Tony knew himself to be one of the nosiest persons he'd ever met. It kind of came with the territory of being a professional investigator combined with his own need to explore everything about his fellow human beings, but he wouldn’t violate Jethro’s privacy like that.

‘Come on! I opened some of the drawers, there was nothing interesting in them, but I saw a latch to the attic! It would be like playing pirates raiding a treasure trove at night. I wanted to yesterday morning but raiding should be done at night or it isn’t really raiding, Trixi Belden says so.’

Tony got the feeling that he had dodged a bullet and didn’t even know it until now. Gibbs would never leave anything of monetary value laying around, the man didn’t seem to be even remotely interested in money beyond covering his basic needs (hence the lack of need for a locked door, there was nothing to steal) but there were other kind of precious things that could have been spoiled.

‘Dad? Why are you staring at me like that?’ Sam was anxiously eying him. ‘It’s OK, I won’t play pirate if you are so against it. We could watch TV instead.’

“Don’t fret; I just have to… explain something to you, ok? But let me think for a minute okay?� Tony collected his thoughts. No, Gibbs would never leave something personal lying around but the attic…. Images of his little girl coming down the stairs, maybe wearing something of Kelly’s and announcing she had found it in a box made him break out in cold sweat. Gibbs would never lash out against Sam but it would hurt him to the bone to see Sam with something of Kelly's.

“Sam, about today, You remember how-“

‘I don’t want to talk about it. Or I’ll bawl again.’ Sam’s lower lip was trembling.

“Jethro told you that there is nothing wrong with crying for your family and he knows because he lost his too, yes?�

She shrugged her shoulders.

“This house… ok.� He took a deep breath. “Sam? How would you feel if Jethro found something personal that belonged to your mother and picked it up, looked at it without your permission? Maybe using her brush or something like that.� Tony pushed the thought of the strange agents who were most likely rummaging through boxes of stuff that once belonged to the Peltiers to one corner of his mind and concentrated on the issue at hand.

Sam didn’t answer but her wild eyes and hands balled to fists said it all.

“Not that he would ever do something like that. But there might be some hidden mementos-“ Tony struggled to find another word and then gave up ad spelled it out. “Things that hold special meaning and make him remember his family and they shouldn’t be disturbed.�

He watched and waited for a reaction, hoping that the girl was mature enough to understand what he was trying to accomplish. “I'm not saying that you can’t run around and look at things, but ask first and don’t open anything that is closed or packed away, okay?�

Sam hopped down from her chair, went to him and slung her thin arms around his waist. She turned her head from side to side, rubbing her face against his torso. Tony waited a little bit before pushing her gently back and pressing a tentative kiss to her forehead. “Are we good?�

‘I won’t be nosy, I don’t want to hurt him. He is rude, but that would be mean. And I won’t ask questions ‘cause I don’t want to be asked either.’

Time would tell if her empathy would be stronger than her curiosity but for now they seemed to have reached a consensus. One hurdle overcome, at least. He would warn Jethro about this to make sure there weren’t any nasty surprises. Another hurdle…

Tony wouldn’t ask her again to talk about her nightmares. But it didn’t look like the milk helped much with making her sleepy. Maybe one of his other distraction techniques would work. “You mentioned TV, how about a movie? I packed some you might enjoy. Let’s see if the ancient dvd player in the den is up to the task.�

Thank God he hadn’t been so frazzled two days ago to forget grabbing and packing the collection of classic Disney movies he had bought in preparation for shared weekends.

.-#-.

David and McGee had stationed themselves across the street from the entrance to the apartment house. It was one of the larger buildings in a smaller apartment complex in Silver Spring. The whole building only had 8 apartments because it had been built in the 1930s. Tim had read that the whole complex had been opened by Eleanor Roosevelt. There were a lot of young families and older people living here and, judging by the lit windows nearly all apartments were in use. The man they were interested in lived on the third floor and McGee had seen his silhouette move behind one of the windows.

They hadn’t tried to approach the suspect, just made sure that the man didn’t leave the house without their knowledge. Tim was keeping an eye on the front door while Ziva observed the back. It was 1935 hours, not even ten minutes after he had called his boss. Takoma Park wasn’t far from Silver Spring and Tim wasn’t surprised when a familiar car sped down the road to his position, stopped abruptly and spat out an irate looking Gibbs. Nor was the young agent surprised by the first words out of his boss’ mouth.

“Report!�

Tim knew better than to elaborate about how he came to his conclusions about their suspect, Gibbs was notorious about caring more for the results than the methods. And he had absolutely no patience for long explanations if they didn’t pertain to details directly linked to motive and method of a crime. “Ziva is watching the back of the house. Kiernan Lindau, former Marine Corporal. He runs his own mechanics shop in town and it’s marginally profitable. He served under Peltier and the exact circumstances of his retirement are shady. Sergeant Christopher Peltier strongly encouraged him to retire. All files are classified and unavailable, as is the whole project. I haven’t found out why exactly Peltier wanted him gone-“

Gibbs had observed the house like a hawk would the den of a potential midnight snack and now snapped around and glared at his junior Agent, interrupting his explanation. “Make it available! I want to know why he left!�

The ‘yesterday!’ in that exclamation went unsaid. Sometimes Tim really wanted to chain his boss to a computer for at least two hours and make him understand that it wasn’t just pushing buttons that resulted in answers, but delicate shifting through layers of databases and coding. That, even if McGee was exceptional when it came to finding buried files, he still wasn’t omnipotent. Not that it would ever happen, forcing his techno phobic Boss to learn basic hacking would only result in broken machinery and a livid supervisory agent. And, most likely, a throttled McGee.

That left him, and wasn’t that typical, with trying to convey bad news without being able to explain the exact reasons for his failure. Gibbs would be angry. Again. “Boss, I can’t get in. Whatever they dealt with, it is subject to presidential overview only and the firewalls around-“

The supervisory Agent stared at him as if he had grown a second head. “McGee, I give a rat’s ass about their security. Forget hacking. Someone living will know what happened. How about calling Peltier’s CO again, did you try that?�

“Uhm, yes, but it wasn’t possible.� Tim took solace in the fact that one year ago he would have stuttered worse. McGee did his best not to cower and hurried to report the rest. “That is, I tried. He's not available. I pushed, told them that it was important and might tie into a revenge scenario with a minor dependent in danger. I got a Corporal Conway on the phone instead; he was the XO and apparently the only one of Peltier’s old command who is stateside at the moment. All he could tell me is that Lindau was a hairsbreadth away from a court martial. He said, off the record, that he agreed with Peltier and that Lindau was a loose canon.�

“Uh-hum.� Gibbs grumbled and turned to face the house again. In Gibbs speak that was nearly approval. “Anything interesting about him that isn’t classified?�

“Eh, no. Three citations for bravery, a bronze star and a POW medal. One black mark for disobeying an order but that one happened 18 months before he retired. On paper he was a very good marine.� Tim hurried on, the boss tended to get more irritated than normal when members of his beloved corps did something to sully the Marines’ reputation. �What got him on our radar was something else. We questioned the locals, told them we were here investigating a stolen car which was used in a federal crime. A shopkeeper mentioned that Lindau was the one who took care of Riley’s car and how he was always ranting about how he wants to kick his old CO for throwing him out of HIS Marines and that the bastard was a threat to the nation, not him.�

Their suspect couldn’t have done anything criminal, otherwise he would have been dishonorably discharged but that still left a lot of things he could have done wrong. Tim was never comfortable when they had to question a soldier, former or still serving. They were trained to kill and dangerous. The young agent could out think them in a heartbeat and if he had to he would do his best to subdue them physically but it wasn’t his preference. Even Tony always did his best to stall them with his smart mouth and endless chattering before getting physical with a soldier. For one moment Tim wished for the other agent to be here. The boss was tough and very capable when it came to taking down someone, but Tony was no slouch either and he would commiserate with Tim afterward about scraps and bruises, something Gibbs would only sneer at.

Their evidence was circumstantial at best, more motive and opportunity than concrete facts, but they could interview the man and see what they could shake loose. Maybe this time it would all go according to plan and protocol.

.-#-.

Gibbs told McGee to contact David and that they would enter the building from both sides and meet in front of Lindau’s apartment door with the female member of their team providing back-up. He trusted the former Mossad operative to cover their backs and secure any flight avenues. The old brick building wasn’t the most ideal hunting ground with fences and trees providing ample opportunities to hide and avoid arrest. His computer expert was better suited to partner Gibbs for an interview, less threatening. Ziva David might be a woman and nominally the weaker sex, but every trained soldier worth his salt would sense the predator in her and grow suspicious. Super secret hush-hush projects, as Tony called them so aptly, didn’t tend to recruit idiots.

This was the first real lead in a very frustrating case and even if Lindau wasn’t involved directly, talking with him might give them new insights into the background of Christopher Peltier. Not that Gibbs though that they were on the wrong track, there was no such thing as coincidence. A grudge against Sam’s step-dad, knowledge and opportunity to steal the car: Their suspect had to fit into the picture somehow.

The building didn't have an elevator, only one set of stairs which they climbed to the 3rd floor. With only two apartments per level it wasn’t hard to find the correct door. Gibbs pushed the bell.

It took a few minutes until someone answered. The little peep hole went light and the silver haired agent held up his badge, identifying himself. This would be done by the book as much as possible. “Gibbs, NCIS. We have some questions about a case, Mr. Lindau. Please open the door.�

The only answer he got was the peephole going dark again and then a muffled crash. Gibbs cursed and eyed the door. It was a solid wood door and kicking it in would hurt. "Dammit! He probably took the window! David, call reinforcements, then get outside! We'll go after him from here," Gibbs barked. Gibbs hadn’t guessed that avenue and silently called himself an old fool. He heard David run down the stairs.

There wasn’t enough time to pick the lock. Gibbs shot it instead. “McGee.�

“On your six boss.� McGee had pulled his own weapon.

Yeah, and wouldn’t he love to hear another voice uttering those words. Gibbs cautiously peered into the apartment before entering it, his every sense trying to detect a possible trap. Lindau had either fled through the window or he had holed himself up in a corner for an ambush. There wasn’t much space, the small hallway led into a living room. Neither the room with its simple square shape nor the few cheap pieces of furniture provided any cover. A chair had been upturned and there was a broken bowl on the floor with its content strewn around. The fluttering curtains indicated which option Lindau had chosen.

Gibbs sprinted to the open window, pressed himself against the wall beside it and looked cautiously outside. One of the old oak trees was growing near enough to the wall to serve as a natural ladder. You only had to be athletic (or desperate) enough to chance a jump to the nearest sturdy branch. His sight might not be what it once was but it was easy enough to spot pale hands gripping the dark bark of the tree.

“Stop! Federal Agents!� McGee warned and pointed his weapon.

That only spurred Lindau to shoot at them.

Both agents pulled back. At least the building was constructed out of bricks and not thicker cardboard like some of the cheap modern hovels, there was no chance of the rounds penetrating the walls. Gibbs heard a vicious swearword and then something clattering down the tree. Not loud enough to be a body so he guessed that Lindau had lost his balance and dropped the weapon. One peek around the windowpane showed the agent that the perp was indeed still in the tree but busy trying to get more of the tree between him and his pursuers and to climb down faster. If he reached the ground there was a good chance of him escaping, David had to round the house to reach their position and the fleeing man had the advantage of knowing his surroundings much better. Additionally he wore dark clothes which would help him avoid detection.

There was nothing for it. Gibbs holstered his weapon, shed his overcoat and judged the distance to the tree. “Cover me.�

The jump wasn’t that hard but it had been years since he last climbed a tree. Gibbs swore under his breath and clutched at the rough bark, trying to find purchase for his feet. Adrenalin pumped through his veins. Yes, it had been years and last time he hadn't worn stupid street shoes. Something in his knees protested the strain but he ignored it and swung himself to a lower branch that was nearer to the trunk.

Lindau had in the meantime reached the bottom and was searching frantically in the high grass for his lost weapon. Gibbs looked down. He wasn’t that high up anymore himself. Viscous swear words drifted up to the agent, telling him that the other man wasn’t successful. And he was running out of time. Both men came to that conclusion simultaneously and Lindau ceased his search, instead taking off at a run.

Gibbs let himself fall, landed in a controlled roll, got up and chased after the ex-marine, blood singing in his veins. He could hear David calling out for him but, as he had suspected, she was too far away to be of real help.

The perp was fast, Gibbs had to give him that, but whatever he had done since his retirement it hadn’t included cross country hunts at night. And the agent might mentally complain about his footwear, but the fleeting impression of light skin being illuminated by the moon told him that Lindau was barefooted and that had to hamper him more than the agent’s lack of combat boots or other more appropriate footwear.

Gibbs forced himself to go faster, to shorten the distance to the fleeing man. He wouldn’t let him escape, he wouldn’t! This was what he was made for, chasing down human scum, not sitting behind a desk filling out forms.

Fugitive and hunter vaulted over a low fence, the first desperate to reach the nearby train tracks and the denser woods behind, the later as determined to reach him. Then Lindau stumbled and nearly toppled over. He caught himself and resumed his desperate flight but it gave his pursuer the needed seconds to reach him and take him down. The agent tried to get a good grip but the other man wasn’t ready to give up and struggled against the weight on his back. Oh yes, this man wasn’t a civilian, unaccustomed to defending himself in hand to hand combat. Lindau managed to throw Gibbs off and got in one hard punch before the silver haired man had him in a headlock and down on his knees with the redrawn Sig pointed at his head.

“You. Are under. Arrest. For assaulting federal agents. Suspected murder and attempted kidnapping.� Gibbs ground out between clenched teeth, trying to catch his breath again and defiantly not acknowledging the dull and angry pain in his bad knee. David had reached them and handed him her set of cuffs.

“You’re making a big mistake!� The perp glared at them but held still while Gibbs cuffed his hands behind his back, mirandizing him while Ziva now pointing her weapon at their captive.

“Do you understand your rights?� It was the first opportunity to take a good, long look at his captive. Hair cut in a fashion that would make any Drill Instructor weep with joy, middle height, muscular body with light skin and dark eyes. A glance at his feet confirmed that he was indeed barefoot and his flight hadn’t done Lindau’s feet any favors, they were cut up badly, bleeding freely and needed medical attention. The light wasn’t too bright but it looked like that stumble had been caused by Lindau stepping on shards of glass. Gibbs felt his jaw clench. “David, call McGee to bring the car as near as possible. We need a first aid kit. Then the next stop is Bethesda or another hospital. Don’t want him to complain about cruel and unusual punishment.�

“I only did what was right, defending my country!�

Lindau’s eyes were glittering with pain and an unholy light that made Gibb’s gut clench. He hated fanatics but they were easy to goad into spilling secrets. “Defending your country by cowardly killing a good soldier and his wife and harming a little girl? Yeah, right. You're a disgrace to the Corps. Do you understand your rights?�

That provoked a violent reaction and Gibb had to alter his stance to keep his grip on the struggling man. “My rights?!? As if they count. I was doing what was right and was punished for it! I had to take him out so he couldn’t weaken our defenses further. I did my duty.� And with that Lindau shut his mouth resolutely and averted his face.

Lindau wasn’t making much sense. No matter, the scumbag had said enough for them to throw him into a cell, not to mention that shooting at federal agents was a serious offense. Hopefully something in his apartment would give Abby enough to work with so they could throw away the key and catch anyone who might have helped Lindau with his plans. The ex-marine wasn’t smart enough to evade Gibbs’ questions forever, he would crack.

Two minutes later McGee arrived with the NCIS car.

"McGee! Nearest Hospital?" They might want to keep him overnight, it looked like some of those cuts might require stitches.

McGee bent to consult his phone and responded, "Walter Reed, just down the street about two miles Boss."

Gibbs nodded "Good, it's even on our way back to the yard."

They secured the silent prisoner into the car’s backseat with David as a guard. A quick basic first aid job was done on Lindau’s feet so that nothing would fester. The requested backup team had to have arrived at the apartment block as well so they first returned there and were greeted by the presence of two more NCIS cars and another team of agents who were busy securing the scene.

The commotion had drawn some attention from a few passers bys and locals. Gibbs wasn’t happy about the curious bystanders gaping at them, some from open windows, some standing around. Gibbs and his team had to make for a rather bedraggled picture, him in shirtsleeves and dirt on his face and clothes from the struggle, his agents in not much better condition and one of the residents as a shackled captive. Some idiot would take pictures, they always did. Vance wouldn’t be too happy about the bad PR. The director liked his agents to look more like suave Agents and not ruffians. His words, not Gibbs’.

Agent Benson nodded at him. “Gibbs. We’re taking over the clean up and processing the scene. Word from the director: Some higher ups have gotten wind of the arrest and you are not to question Lindau without some government representative of their choice in the room and that won’t be possible before tomorrow noon. That’s an order.�

If he lost this lead because some moronic politicians and desk jockeys feared that Lindau would spill some secret beans Gibbs would be spit fire mad and ready to chop off some heads. Benson was a decent agent and had worked with Gibbs one or two times so he was prepared for the silver haired agent’s growl of displeasure. “I hate politics.� He tried to sooth.

Gibbs sighed and rubbed one of his hands over his head in frustration. “You and me both.�

“You’re going to tell DiNozzo what happened?�

“After taking Lindau to the hospital. He might have to stay there overnight.�

“I’ll request some guards for him. Do you think it is over now? I hope he was a sole nut job, Tony’s little one shouldn’t have to live in fear for longer.�

Gibbs didn’t answer him; he hurried to his own car to follow the rest of the team and their prisoner to the hospital.

.-#-.

Tony was lounging on the couch, staring at his cell phone and willing it to ring.

Being benched and waiting for the team to return to headquarters had been harmless in comparison. This was a new experience Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo could have done without, thank you very much. He felt like someone had castrated him. How did the old tale go? Long, long ago in a far away land the fair maiden had to look on as her knight in shining armor saddled his faithful white steed to ride into the night, slay the dragon that threatened their kingdom and if possible loot his stash of treasures when he had time. In the meantime the fair maiden had to keep the hearth warm and worry about her better half doing stupid things like getting himself maimed or killed.

The whole picture made Tony first scowl fiercely and then chuckle helplessly, calling himself a melodramatic fool. He was no bard’s ideal of a fair maiden, not at all. There was a distinct lack of virginity, not to mention breasts and flowing skirts that disqualified him. Additionally, even if he knew from their misadventures with the radioactive painting case that Gibbs could ride, he could only imagine the former Marine’s reaction when confronted with a white stallion and fairy tale armor. Gibbs had nearly bitten Tony’s head off for wearing a highly polished cravat pin shortly after he joined NCIS and the younger agent had never forgotten the lecture. No soldier worth his salt would consent to wearing something that attracted attention into battle.

Nha, if he really had to compare them to anything out of a storybook … Gibbs would make a magnificent dragon stomping off to roast the stupid knight and have the steed for a snack with the armor as a plate while his dragon companion defended their one chick and flambéed anyone who was brainless enough to dare enter their lair. Much better.

But not good enough, not distracting enough. Tony stood up, pocketed his phone and then paced, checked the windows and the door, circled the whole floor and snuck up the stairs to make sure everything was secure there too. He ended up in the basement, staring moodily at the nearly finished boat. At the office he would have at least been able to check some databases and follow the announcements. Maybe he should have snatched Sam and the stooges outside and-

The light from the open door made something small on one of the shelves above the workbench glitter and it caught his attention. Tony went over to investigate. It was a small framed photo halfway hidden behind a tin. A family photo. It wasn’t hard to guess the subjects’ identities. Tony smiled and shook his head. How typical of Jethro. Other people would use their bedside drawer or the mantel above the fireplace as places to safe-keep something like this, not a dusty basement.

Tony didn't want to pull the frame off the shelf, it would be intrusive to do so without permission, but he stretched to get a closer look. After the fiasco with the explosion he had dug into his boss’ past and unearthed some old newspaper clippings but none of them had had included photos. Now he studied the face of the two females who meant the world to his lover and still influenced his actions. Tony didn’t want to ponder too much about it, but he couldn’t help and play the ‘what if’ game. What if Shannon and Kelly hadn’t been killed? Gibbs would have had no incentive to join NCIS and somewhere down the line accept one Tony DiNozzo on his team. Would they have met at all? Hell, not that Tony would have had any chance with Jethro romantically, the man was the sort who pushed always faithful to another level. Nor had Tony ever been a home wrecker, that was one sin he had never even been tempted to commit.

The troubled agent took a step back and bit down on his lower lip until it hurt. This was pointless. For all he knew Gunnery Sergeant Leroy Jethro Gibbs would have died with a bullet in his head somewhere in Saudi Arabia when Kelly was ten or twelve or fourteen and Anthony DiNozzo would have bled out from a gunshot wound to the back some years later in Baltimore because his partner wasn’t there to have his back.

He shook himself and grimaced. All this speculation was pointless. The only thing he could do, the only direction he could go, was forward and ban the ghosts to the edges of his mind.

Tony saluted the small picture and then turned around to go back upstairs, carefully closing the door behind him.

It was Ziva who called to give him an update.

Tony had taken in the news with considerable calmness, thanked his colleague for her call and then waited for Gibbs to come home. It wasn't much longer until both men were staring at each other, Gibbs leaning against the counter and sipping on another cup of too strong coffee and Tony straddling one of the kitchen chairs. The younger man restricted himself to concerned and pointed glances at the state of the older man’s clothes which told the story of the chase far better than the few words Ziva had used. He didn’t want to come across as a worrywart.

“Damn politicians.� Gibbs growled into his cup.

Tony wasn’t pleased about the interference in their investigation either but he felt surprisingly practical about it. “Nothing to do about it now. The bad guy is shackled to a hospital bed with guards on his door. You sent the rest of the team home to sleep and recuperate and Vance doesn't want to see any of us in the office until noon tomorrow. Do you know what that means?�

Gibbs raised one of his eyebrows, drowned the last of the strong black brew and set aside the cup.

Tony stood up and nonchalantly ambled over to Jethro, smiling at him broadly. The fair maiden Antonia in his story would have swooned, promptly recovered and then kissed her hero sweetly. Dragon Tony would likely nip at his companion’s ears and puff up smoke for Dragon Jethro being careless enough to get injured. Real Tony planned something else.

“Remember your promise?�

The eyebrow climbed another notch. “Promise?�

Tony put one of his hands lightly on Jethro’s shoulder, exactly above a vivid grass stain (and most likely a vivid bruise underneath) and let it slowly sink lower down his partner’s body. “From last night. You, me and carte blanche to touch you everywhere I want. Starting with....“ He bypassed the groin area and touched the stone hard muscle above the right knee, “your knee.�

Some of the tension and anger bleed out of Jethro’s posture and he shook his head. “Tony-“

“Nu-uh. Don’t tell me you're chickening out.� Tony leered for all he was worth. “A DiNozzo special, I promise you’ll enjoy it.� Kate and McGee might sneer about his choice of major but it had its uses. The chances of his boss letting someone who wasn’t Ducky look at the bum knee were next to nil, but Tony had seen and treated enough sports related injuries to assess the damage done. Getting Jethro out of his clothes and at his mercy was admittedly a nice side effect and Tony would never admit that he had the strong impulse to reassure himself that the other man was ok.

Honestly, jumping out of a tree, what had the boss been thinking? That was what a second in command and junior agents were for, with their boss awaiting them at the ground level with the perp at his feet and a mocking scowl for them on his face. No wonder Tony had been antsy about letting his supervisory agent go alone. McGimp and Ziva didn’t count.

Tony stepped back. “Come on, upstairs. Let’s relax and tomorrow is soon enough to worry about things we can't change.�

Jethro’s eyes locked with Tony’s. Whatever he found there must have given Jethro a satisfactory answer to an unasked question because he smiled warmly, shook his head and then led the way up to his bedroom. It was clear to both that they weren’t planning on only therapeutic kinds of touching.

A short time later Tony sat back on his haunches and stared. Jethro had shed his clothes with an unconcerned frankness that came most likely from living in close quarters with other men for years. Such a lack of artificial coyness was very attractive and Tony couldn’t help but hurry to disrobe himself and join the other man on the bed. Not only to ogle all the deliciously bare skin either. Jethro had nothing to be ashamed of, but Tony could have done without the additional decorations provided by the colorful bruises developing on his lover’s skin. Tony carefully poked and prodded, examined each and every discoloration. He had fetched a salve from the bathroom that would cool and reduce the swellings.

“Quite a collection. Lindau did a number on you.� He was extra careful when he put pressure on one of the more spectacular bruises on Jethro’s left side of his ribcage. “Nothing seems to be broken, your knee is strained and I would recommend Ducky taking a closer look, just to be sure. The swelling isn’t too heavy; Dr. DiNozzo prescribes rest and a light painkiller to take off the edge.�

Of course his stubborn lover ignored the painkiller comment. “The tree did more damage than Lindau.�

It was then that Tony became fully aware that he hadn’t been the only one to explore with his eyes and enjoy what was on offer. It made the younger man blush and squirm. He couldn’t quite interpret the exact meaning of the expression in the blue eyes watching him carefully but the half hard cock nestled between steel gray curls was clear enough. “Wanna let me play doctor some more?� he couldn’t help himself lamely quipping, half nervous, half anticipatory.

“Do I look like a teenager?� Jethro threw back but the corners of his mouth were quirked upwards, negating his pissed of tone of voice.

Tony gulped. “No, you look mature and gorgeous and entirely fuckable.�

Gibbs smirked and lightly opened his legs. “Am I? Anything you want to do about it?�

“You bet!� Tony laughed and settled between the other man’s opened legs, taking their position as an invitation. This was exactly what he needed. Let their bodies do the talking. This was a very, very nice ending to a horrible day. Less of the former and much, much more of the later for the future would make Tony DiNozzo a very happy and content man.

The next moments involved a lot of groping, sloppy, hungry kissing and heavy breathing. Noses, elbows and one hurt knee got in the way, the later resulting in a slap on Tony’s bare ass and a nip of sharp teeth on his shoulder in retaliation, not that Tony minded. They were both too spiced up and full of anticipation to take it slow. Slow was for the next time. Not now.

“Jethro? Do you have supplies, some lube?�

His lover grunted and awkwardly reached across the mess of sweaty Tony and crumbled sheets and pillows to his bedside drawer. He fished inside and then handed over a sealed pack of condoms and an equally unused, brand new tube of lube.

Tony’s smart mouth engaged and babbled before his brain could intervene. “Huh. Did you put this on the list of groceries? Would love to have a pic of the agent who read it first.�

He expected another swat on the ass or at least the customary one on the back of his head but Jethro just scowled at him and reached down to tear the package open and then, with a devilish smirk on his face, roll the thin sheath over Tony’s very appreciative erection. “Don’t be stupid. I bought them myself. It’s not my first rodeo.�

Ok, this was kind of surreal. Crouching over Gibbs’ prone body, opening the lube, lovingly lifting one of the long, muscular legs up and over his hip and then exploring territory he never would have dreamed about getting near.

The way Jethro was holding himself still was kind of unnerving, though. He had said that it had been years since he did something like this so it was understandable that he was tight and apprehensive. Whatever, as soon as Tony found the little magic gland he would forget about being nervous. Hah, Leroy Jethro Gibbs being nervous! Nobody would believe him. He crooked his finger a little bit and suppressed a victorious smirk when Jethro’s eyes widened and he arched of the bed and spread his legs further apart.

There was nothing he wanted more than to follow the wordless command and sink himself into the waiting heat but there was no way he would do it if Jethro was so tense. Tony reached for more lube, looked up and pressed his mouth to his partner’s, nipping at Jethro’s lower lip and trying to tempt the other man’s tongue over into his own mouth. Anything to make his partner concentrate on something other than Tony’s fingers. He didn’t have to wait long to be invaded and lost himself a little bit in the war for dominance he fought and lost over possession of his mouth. A battle he gladly lost and it made him whimper and tremble. Damn, that was hot. And suddenly something made sense.

Stupid, bone headed, self sacrificing marine bastard! Tony flung himself backwards and pressed his hands to his eyes, his cock drooping pitifully. Frustration made him remove the condom a little too hastily. The sad sound of squelching rubber made him wince and throw the thing in the direction of the waste bin, not caring one iota if it landed right or not.

“DiNozzo?� Jethro sat up too and was staring at him incredulously.

Oh yes, and the use of his surname instead of given name in bed added to the fuck up and was a good indicator that his partner felt insecure and unsure about the situation, falling back on old customs. Tony wondered why he had ever thought that having sex would be the easier part of their relationship. Easy and Jethro Gibbs didn’t go together, damn it.

This wasn’t how he had pictured their first real night together. Gods, and didn’t that sound like purple prose. Real sex, especially anal sex, was always a lot more dirty and embarrassing than imagination, more complicated too, but this was ridiculously fucked up. He had longed to explore Jethro’s body, to get his hands where before he had only dared discreet peeks in the shower room. Just what Jethro had promised him the night before, a chance to reciprocate and connect on a physical level. Instead they had hit an unexpected road block.

He was fluent in the Agent Gibbs book of stares but a mere beginner in Jethro’s bed grunts. He really, really didn’t want to play ‘Lost in Translation’. “What the hell gave you the impression that I would enjoy fucking you when you aren’t into it as much as I am, huh? What?!?�

Jethro had an expression on his face Tony had rarely seen before and his cheeks were flushed and unfortunately not with passion. “I want us to be equals in this relationship and I thought I should show you that I wouldn’t expect you to submit in bed as well as in the office, that’s what I thought.�

Now it was Tony’s turn to stare incredulously at Gibbs. “Ok, let me get this straight, pardon the inappropriate pun: you think of the one on the bottom as servicing the other partner? That’s kind of medieval.�

“No, that’s not it, at all.� Jethro sat up and folded his legs under him. He hadn’t reached for the sheet to cover himself and was rubbing his hands through his hair. “Tony, my experiences with gay sex are limited. I grew up in a small backwater town. I knew that I better keep quiet about thinking that Toby next door was as sexy as his sister. After joining the Marines…. There were some unspoken rules in the corps and I'm not talking about don’t ask, don’t tell, which was still active then, or fooling around in Boot camp. Being on a team in a war zone... There’s a strong bond between the men in your unit, has to be for you to be successful and survive. It comes with facing death together and relying on each other. High stress environment, little opportunities to let off steam, to feel alive and human. Sometimes you lent your best buddies a hand and in rare cases a mouth or a hole and as long as it was reciprocal nobody would ask or care if it was a sign of being bent or about who enjoyed what. And as a civilian- if I felt the need for a male sex partner I always went to a bar, picked up someone there, rented a hotel room for the night. None of these men ever asked me if I wanted to bottom.�

“Yeah, surprise! Not. Can't believe I really thought you would want to be fucked. You generally don’t give off the vibe that you would ever want to let go of any control.� Hindsight was 20/20 and Gibbs was a control freak, Tony felt all kinds of stupid that he hadn’t thought about it more. Letting someone fuck you, even if you straddled your partner and rode him, was still intrusive.

“You are the first man I’ve ever wanted to live with, not just fuck. You deserve more consideration.�

That was nice to hear, really, but so not the point. Tony didn’t want compromises in bed that left one partner less satisfied from the onset on. “I can assure you that I enjoy a nice thick cock up my ass. It has been some time since I've had a male partner, but I’ve done it often enough to be sure about what I like. I don’t have anything against being on top too. What’s not to like about a hot sheath to pump into. But- for me being filled, taking someone else into my body is something else. I can’t describe it really. But trust me, it is not a chore for me, not at all.�

Tony took some deep breaths and reached out and touched Jethro’s face, stroking it, feeling the slight stubble and rejoicing in the warmth of the skin. “You don’t go that way, so what? I don’t mind. If I want to be the more active partner, there’re dozens of scorching hot and satisfying possibilities we could explore beside penetration. There’s nothing weak about enjoying to bottom. Or refusing to.�

Jethro’s laugh sounded rough and raspy. “Never thought it was. Shannon would have read me the riot act if I ever got the idea of her being weak.�

Tony didn’t know how he felt about Shannon being mentioned while he was naked in bed with Jethro. It was nice to hear her name used casually, but he really could do without her in their bed. “So, now that we cleared this up, how about going back to the steamy hot sex? With switched positions.� Tony didn’t want to let any thoughts of sacrifice fester. If he had his way he would make damn sure that Jethro knew how much he enjoyed and welcomed being fucked till he screamed. He reached out and closed his hand around Jethro’s still half hard erection and rubbed it insistently. “Can’t wait to feel that in me.�

Jethro must have decided to take him at his word, grabbed and pulled him fully onto the bed again. “Careful there. If you’re not careful you’ll have to wait. I imagined this so often, your hands, your mouth on me that I don’t need much to come.�

That evoked a breathless laugh and Tony let go. He pressed a long, sweet kiss to Jethro’s mouth before he stretched out on the bed and, as a deliberate contrast to their earlier position, rolled himself around and presented his own ass shamelessly. He made sure to smile over his shoulders and comically wriggle a little to lighten the mood. Jethro’s pole axed look was very rewarding and from the look of his rather generous fully erect cock and the precome it now leaked the other man’s body knew very well what it wanted and how it wanted it, even if Jethro’s brain was still catching up. Tony reached back with one hand and grabbed one of his partner’s hands, squeezing it reassuringly. Then he had to contort a little bit to reach the forgotten tube and squeeze some of the slick gel on his fingers one handed. It was messy and he fought against the giggle that threatened to spill from his mouth. Green eyes sought blue ones and refused to let go, refused to let his lover look away, while Tony prepared himself. He could have whooped in joy when Jethro crawled nearer and his fingers joined Tony’s.

He was ready. Oh so ready. “I am not a delicate flower!�

“Pushy, greedy bottom.� The gray haired man’s voice was even deeper than normal and was a turn on in and of itself.

“You bet!�

He could feel Jethro’s finger flexing on his hips, digging in and letting go rhythmically. There would be marks on his skin tomorrow too. Heavy, hot breath against his shoulders and most importantly the promise of a hard cock between his ass-cheeks, tantalizing him with things to come.

A strong arm wound around his waist, pulling him back and onto his side firmly as Jethro finally, after all the teasing, entered him

.-#-.

Gibbs held himself completely still, his eyes firmly closed to reduce the stimulus. Or the head further south would control his actions. That would be bad, he had to give Tony time to get used to him, Gibbs wasn’t small and Tony had admitted that he hadn’t done this for some time.

The tableau of this gorgeous sexy man under him, squirming and whimpering, reacting to even the slightest touch was very heady and threatened to rob him of his not inconsiderable self control. If he dared to look, if he added the visual to the tight channel that gripped his cock like a velvety vice, he wouldn’t be able to hold back and would come like a teenager and end this encounter prematurely. Absolutely not the ideal first impression as a lover. Even with closed eyes he could hear Tony’s panting breath and smell sweat and arousal. He had to… he reached down awkwardly and wedged a hand between his lover’s muscular ass cheeks and his own body to tug sharply at his own balls. Yeah, pain had its uses.

Tony squirmed deliciously. “Guh…?�

“Shhh….� The former marine shifted his hips and slid further in until he was flush with his lover's back, covering him from ass to neck, their legs tangled.

“Feels good, so good. Don’t move yet. Damn it Tony. Don’t. Move.� He growled in his best Gunny voice and the squirming lessened. Gibbs borrowed his nose in the conveniently near neck. Mistake; big mistake. Shampoo, probably more expensive than every grooming article in his bath combined, fresh, honest sweat and Tony. He would never be able to stand beside this man in the elevator again and smell this without remembering and getting hard.

The pressure around his cock lessened fractionally and he could breath more freely. Which got him another nose full of aroused Tony. It made his mouth water and he began to lick, slowly, just behind Tony’s ear, then more firmly over the side of his throat. Now that he could be sure not to embarrass himself he began to move his hips. The position was not the most comfortable, he lacked the leverage to move more freely but it would be a bad idea to kneel up and wreck his bad knee more than it already was. His fitness regime and stamina came in handy for once outside work, endorphins and sheer elation rushing through his veins making him briefly believe that he could go at this for hours, days… His mouth feasted on his lover's neck, Tony would have to wear a turtleneck tomorrow. Hell, he looked great in those. Only the two of them would know that this time it wasn't one of the infamous DiNozzo flirts who was responsible for the passion marks, but him. Gibbs growled and increased the suction.

Gibbs kept a slow, steady rhythm. With his corps buddies or one night stands there had never been the time to explore or take it slow. Nor had he wanted to. The goal had been to get his rocks off and not to find out what made the other part of the encounter squirm just so, the different degrees of whimpers a slightly altered grip, a softer flick of his fingers against nipples â€" Tony bucked under him â€" could produce. There was no question about how much Tony enjoyed what they did together.

Whenever he had allowed himself to speculate about it, he had pictured Tony to be vocal in bed. The former Marine had taught himself to make as little noise as possible in nearly any situation and it was ingrained to his bones, but Tony? The man couldn’t seem to keep silent in his daily life. Gibbs stimulated the sensitive nipples again, raised his fingers to his own mouth to wet them before resuming his torment of the hard nubs. He stroked and listened, his mouth still busy feasting on the delicious neck. Tony trembled, pressed himself against the fingers tormenting his chest, ground himself back against each inward stroke of Gibbs’ cock and his breath hitched with every movement Gibbs made but his moans were nearly silent. Gibbs raised his head and opened his eyes and then couldn’t help himself, he had to laugh even if it came out more like breathless barks. No wonder his lover’s voice sounded muffled, Tony was biting into the pillow.

His lack of movement more than his laughter alerted Tony and he unlocked his jaw and glared back over his shoulder. There was nearly no green to be seen in his eyes, only a small band around the blown pupil. “What?!?� he rasped.

Gibbs wet his lips before answering. “Going to need a new pillow if you chew through it.�

“Better than entertaining our audience outside!�

“True!â€� Gibbs made one deliberately slow push - the angle should be right for- ah yes â€" and stilled again.

Tony bucked and nearly failed to muffle his shout. Gibbs would bet that Tony with his exhibitionist nature was equally aroused and terrified about alerting the outside agents. He would tell him, afterward, that the sound insulation of the house was quite good. Any further thought was abruptly abandoned when Tony clenched around him rhythmically, probably in retaliation for being teased.

Even the most disciplined Marine knew when to surrender to higher forces and he let go. It didn’t take long for both of them to come.

Gibbs let himself fall beside Tony and enjoyed the afterglow. He peeked at his partner and grinned in satisfaction. The famous ‘Sex machine’ Tony DiNozzo was still out of it and the silly and happy grin on his face spoke volumes. All very pleasing to one former Marine’s ego. Well, Jethro probably shouldn’t feel too smug, it had been his stubbornness that had caused strife and it had been his younger partner’s insistence to do it his way that had resulted in their very satisfying encounter. Gibbs gave himself a few more minutes to speculate about the other, ‘scorching hot’ possibilities Tony had mentioned. It was doubtful that they would ever get bored in bed. He now knew better than to underestimate his partner’s opinion.

The itch of body fluids drying on his skin brought him back to reality and all the pesky mundane issues that needed to be resolved. Time to wake sleeping beauty. He heaved himself up on one elbow and then bent over the sleeping Tony, nipping on his ear, stroking through his soft and sweaty hair to wake him up. “Up and at’em, DiNozzo!�

Tony’s head shot up and he blinked in a disoriented manner before focusing on the grinning Gibbs and then at the alarm clock on the bedside table. “Are you crazy? It’s the middle of the night!�

“Welcome to the more annoying aspects of parenthood. Can’t change the linens with you still in bed, we have to clean up and don some pajamas or there will be more questions than you want to answer come morning.�

Tony banged his head against the pillow and moaned pitifully.

Gibbs just grinned.

Waking up beside someone was a new experience for Tony as he had never wanted anything beside sex from his conquests. Fuck and then leave them behind with a smile. The women and men he dated wanted the same so there were no hard feelings involved.

Yesterday morning didn’t count, he hadn’t been able to appreciate it with his little monster playing the alarm clock from hell. Today he could enjoy every nuance. He didn’t know what had woken him, maybe it had been the unfamiliar fall of light against his face. The bed in his apartment was carefully positioned to avoid just that happening on the rare mornings when he could sleep in. Maybe it had been the slight movement of air. They had opened the windows to air the room last night and instead of closing the curtains Jethro had opted to use the shutters.

Tony had been surprised that the shutters actually worked, most houses in DC only used them as decorative elements. And they were made out of wood and actually looked handcrafted. Of course Tony had given in to his innate nosiness and asked about it while knocking with his knuckles against the dark green painted wood. Gibbs had answered "Stephanie" and left it there. Tony could guess the rest. Wife number four had likely tried to give the house her personal touch by adding the shutters and Gibbs had point blank refused to install something that couldn't be used and was of poor quality.

It had to be still pretty early, judging by the pink quality of the light flooding the room through the cracks in the shutters and the position of the sun. Tony blinked the last vestiges of sleep out of his eyes and stretched lazily. He could think of no reason to get up soon and a lot to stay in bed and luxuriate. His body was relaxed and pleasantly sore, a welcome reminder of what happened last night. The sound of regular, deep breathing and the sound of skin moving against sheets drew Tony’s attention towards his companion. He turned his head, the opportunity to observe a sleeping Jethro was too good to pass up.

It took Tony a moment to register that Jethro wasn't sleeping and, in fact, Tony was the one being observed. Half closed blue eyes were steadily looking at him. Tony was relieved to see that their expression was calm with maybe a hint of sheepish embarrassment.

"You OK?" Jethro asked gruffly, his voice still rough from sleep.

"Huh?" Of course he was OK, what a stupid question.

"You winced."

Tony rolled his eyes. He was pretty sure he'd made his point loud and clear last night. Trust, but verify. Typically stubborn as a mule Gibbs who exercised his own rules to the extreme. Yeah, he was sore in uncomfortable places but Tony'd had worse in the aftermath of a lot of their cases for much less pleasant reasons. Hell, he had worse after nearly every sparing session with his bastard boss. What a morning for Gibbs to exercise his rarely seen gentlemanly side. "Shouldn’t I be the one asking you that question? How’s the knee?" Tony deftly steered the conversation in a safer direction.

Jethro sat up, pushed his pillow into a more pleasing shape and leaned against it before he answered. "Better."

Which was a long way off from well, but their physical wounds would heal. The emotional ones were harder to detect. Neither man asked the other if there were any regrets. Tony doubted that his lover would have remained in bed with him if there were too many. Tony reached across the space separating them and stroked over the contours of Jethro’s lips with his fingertips, his version of a good morning kiss. Contently lazy as he was now, the younger man saw no reason to move, even to brush his teeth. He smiled as his fingers were nibbled on.

"Brace yourself." Gibbs cautioned and shifted a little bit higher up his improvised backrest.

"Huh?"

The gray haired man pointed with his chin in direction of the bedroom door which was promptly flung open. A girl shaped torpedo sped up to the bed and impacted between the two men. Tony wondered how she could have that much energy so early in the morning. That couldn’t be natural.

‘You are already awake! I wanted to surprise you again.’ Sam pointedly ignored the older man and babbled excitedly at her dad who had serious difficulties concentrating on her signs before his first cup of coffee. He wasn’t an addict like Jethro but he still appreciated the kick start a good cuppa could give him.

‘I’m half awake, Pumpkin, half. And it’s oh-five-twenty in the morning, don’t tell me you are starving to death again, like yesterday?’

The DiNozzo pout of champions appeared on Sam's face. She raised her hands, no doubt to explain in great detail why she could indeed be hungry and why he was silly asking her such a question, but stilled in the middle of her first sign. A steep line formed between her eyebrows. Sam’s eyes homed in on the circular hickey on his neck. One of Tony’s hands drifted up to cover the little mark and he sought Jethro’s eyes with his own.

Sam whirled around and took in Gibbs’ appearance with narrowed eyes. They had put on pajama bottoms and T-shirts so most of yesterday’s fallout from chasing Lindau was hidden safely under cotton but there were still scratches on his arms and hands. Whatever conclusion she had drawn, it had to be the wrong one because Sam started to growl at Jethro. ‘You fought!’

Tony hastily slung one arm around her middle and exchanged position with her by heaving her over his body, rolling around and then scrambling in a rather undignified way up the bed until his upper body rested against the carved wooden headboard. This way his little spitfire of a daughter could see and converse with both adults. And Tony was between her and Jethro.

"We didn’t fight against each other." Jethro signed and said. "I found the man who tried to kidnap you and he resisted arrest."

Sam gnawed at her lower lip, clearly not believing him completely. ‘That-‘ a finger stabbed accusingly in direction of the bruise on her dad’s neck, ‘wasn’t there yesterday. Dad stayed here and didn’t go with you. I am not stupid.’ She pointed out and her glowering became more intense.

Oh God. Tony had been kind of smug about the marks his lover had left on his skin but now he wanted nothing more than to sink into the floor. He had no idea whatsoever how to respond to this situation. Lying to your child was bad policy, he didn’t need to be father of the year material to know that, but what to say instead? ‘Jethro sucked on that spot log enough so that blood rose to the surface of my skin and created what we call a hickey’ was out. Sam was far too young for the birds and the bees. To young, and her poor tortured father needed at least ten to twenty more years to learn the correct signs for the birds and the bees, beginning with hickey. Spelling it out was out. No way, no how. Tony turned his head and his eyes begged his lover to do something.

‘You are telling me lies; you fought.’ Sam repeated. Since she hadn’t warmed up to Jethro completely, it wasn’t clear if she was disturbed by the thought of them fighting in general or just about her dad being hurt.

"No, we didn’t. Look at the evidence like an investigator would." Gibbs held out his arm and the scratches on it for inspection. "Surely you’ve seen something like this on your own skin after playing outside. And we know that you get into fights with other kids, don’t we? These are the wrong shape to have been caused by fingernails or fists but bushes would and did leave such marks. All my injuries were the result of chasing after and catching the criminal that tried to hurt you."

Sam studied the offered arm from a safe distance, her fingers fluttered over her own cheek, maybe in remembrance. The nod she finally deigned to give them was reluctant and slow. Then her eyes shifted back to her dad's neck.

No, his little girl wasn’t stupid at all and from the smug look Gibbs sent him there was no more help coming from that direction. Tony glared at his pointedly silent partner. How nice of Jethro to leave the more difficult half of the explanation to him, knowing that Tony had absolutely no experience with something like this. It was that line of thought that finally gave him a faint clue. He wasn’t the first hapless parent faced with this dilemma. "Sam, have you ever seen a mark like the one on my neck on your mom or Chris?" Tony hoped that his question wouldn’t stir up bad memories but he was desperate and he wanted to avoid her old family becoming a taboo theme.

Sam bristled like an angry cat, her signs fast and sharp. ‘Chris would never hurt mom, they didn’t fight!’

That was something Tony doubted very much. Every couple had spats, the better ones just made sure to keep it away from the kids. Additionally- Tony stilled and ran her answer through his head. Didn’t he recognize her tactics from somewhere? "I believe you, Chris sounds like a very nice man who wouldn’t do that." He soothed. "But Sam, that’s not what I asked. Don’t try to avoid my question."

Out of the girl’s line of sight Jethro put one of his hands on Tony’s hip and left it there as a warm presence.

The pout was back on Sam’s lips. It was a good thing that Tony was immune to his own weapons.

"Sam?"

‘Chris had one that looked like that. Here.’ She pointed at her chest, above her heart. ‘I saw it when we went swimming last summer.’

"And, did you ask him how he got it?" Maybe he would be able to build on an established authority’s take on the issue. Tony prayed for lady Luck to smile on him in this because Gibbs was no help at all. The bastard was visibly content to play spectator and remain on the sidelines.

‘Chris said I should ask mom. And Mommy said that it has to do with parent-time and it’s a grown-up thing.’

"It is a grown-up thing." Jethro threw in and earned himself another glower from Sam for his trouble.

On second thought, it might be indeed better for everyone if Tony was the one to try and sort this out. Tony hastily steered the conversation back on track. "What’s parent-time?"

Sam blinked at him and tilted her head in astonishment about his ignorance.

"Hey, grant me some slack, Princess, I am new at this!" Tony grinned widely and wriggled his toes, shifted his leg to tickle her with them to distract her a little bit.

‘How can you not know what parent-time is? There’s all kinds of ‘times’, with different people ‘cause nobody likes the same things. There’s family time, when we were all together, doing something.’ Sam sighed and looked at the lamp on the nightstand as if it was the most interesting thing in the world, then she shook her head, sniffled once and soldiered on, intent on educating her father. ‘Play time and girl time. For female stuff ‘no male would be caught dead doing’ like painting our toenails. Time with Chris doing things mom didn’t want to do. And parent-time when they did things together without me, sometimes they wanted to go to places I wouldn’t like. Things like that.’ Sam stilled and pulled her legs to her chest, with the NIS shirt stretching over them, creating a little tent with her toes peeking out under the hem.

‘Things no male would be caught dead doing’ oh yes. And there were worse things than painting toenails. Tony might be in a homosexual relationship but, no matter what some idiots thought, that didn’t mean that he would develop the need to buy frilly stuff anytime soon. That meant Tony would have to speak with Abby because there would be indeed times when female input was needed. Fingers moving on his hip, putting pressure on one of the hidden bruises, brought his attention back to more immediate issues.

"Let’s just say that this." Tony fingered the hickey, "doesn’t hurt at all and it’s a grown-up thing." Another idea occurred to Tony and he had a hard time toning down the relieved beaming smile that threatened to escape. Sam wouldn’t understand his reaction. "Were there any rules you had to follow while your mom and Chris had their parent-time?"

‘Of course. Same as the house rules.’ Sam shrugged her shoulders.

Hah, rules. Gibbs was likely very pleased about another DiNozzo being subjected to rules. "Well, tell them to me?"

Her exasperated sigh might be heard from another country. ‘It’s simple, a baby can follow them: Don’t lock doors inside the house, ever. When they are closed, not only halfway, you have to stay out unless there’s an emergency.’

Tony looked at the door, which had been closed until she had flung it open and then back at his daughter. Yep, DiNozzos and following rules only if they wanted to had come back to bite him on his ass. "Well, Jethro is my… partner, like Chris was your mom’s, and I think we will follow your mom’s rules here too." It wasn’t as if Sam hadn’t guessed the gray haired man’s place in his life, Sam was, like she said, not stupid. He sent another glance at the door. How he would enforce the rules was something he would think about later.

Knowing something (and getting it confirmed) didn’t mean Sam had to like it. Her shoulder’s hunched and her eyes looked at Jethro, from his tousled god awful haircut to his long bony feet that stuck out from under the sheet. For a minute she looked as if she wanted to throw a temper tantrum but then she only made a grimace, her head sinking down resignedly.

‘Dad?’

"Yeah?" Tony replied cautiously, steeling himself for another round of trying to reason with a kid.

‘I’m now really, really hungry.’

Tony nearly whimpered with relief. The topic would come up again, he was sure but for now it had been shelved. A hungry daughter was something he could deal with more easily.

He could hear Jethro chuckling on his other side.

And that was something he should deal with in the form of an elbow to the gut á la Caitlin Todd but he would take the moral high ground and manfully ignore Jethro for now, yes, he would.

"I’m a bad cook, can’t make many dishes, but I can make world-class pancakes, would you like some?" Yesterday they had wolfed down some cereal and fruit in their haste to reach the office.
Sam didn’t hesitate, she nodded and licked her lips in anticipation.

"Go to the bathroom and brush your teeth, do it correctly. We’ll meet you downstairs, okay?" Tony instructed.

Her head was bobbing as she made the sign for 'yes’. Then she scrambled off the bed and out the bedroom door.

Tony waited until he could hear her moving in the bathroom before he allowed himself to whimper pathetically and to close his eyes in exaggerated desperation. What a morning after. The next thing he felt were calloused fingers carding through his hair in slow, careful strokes and a hot mouth latching onto the exact spot that had started all the trouble. Jethro didn’t do much, just nibbled a little bit before he retreated and got up as if nothing had happened.

"Up and at 'em, Tony." He repeated his words form last night. "Or she’ll be finished first and barging in here again."

That provoked another whimper, but it spurred Tony to roll out of the comfy bed. Jethro was standing in the doorway with a peculiar expression on his face, half wistful, half amused.

"What?" Tony groaned.

"Not bad, DiNozzo."

"Yes, well. You could have helped."

Jethro shook his head, his mouth quirked upwards in amusement. "Don’t think so. You know my track record with women. Never was good at explaining things to them, no matter their age."

Hah! As if that was a valid argument. "Doesn’t matter, next time something like this comes up, it's your turn."

.-#-.



The morning was spent in relative silence by two of the three occupants of the house. Tony's pancakes were indeed as good as he had promised and full mouths and busy hands dominated the scene at first. Sam was eying the adults thoughtfully and Gibbs would take any bet that not all of what went on behind her forehead was favorable. Tony, as soon as his hunger had been stilled, was babbling about anything and everything he read in the newspaper and the older man let the noise wash over him without paying much attention to what was said. The chatter was comfortingly familiar.

Normally he would have been thankful for the opportunity to be alone with father and daughter but Gibbs couldn't shake the feeling of urgency and the irritation of wasting time. A suspect was waiting, ready to be broken. There were still gaps to be filled, despite Lindau being neutralized. Having to wait for strangers to get their asses to DC was maddening. Any other day Gibbs would retreat into his basement to silence his restlessness with the soothing task of building something by hand.

Today he couldn't bring himself to let Tony and Sam out of his sight, not while the DiNozzos made a big production out of cleaning and drying their breakfast utensils, not later when they settled in front of his old TV to watch a classic Disney movie, Aladdin. Gibbs settled into one corner of the couch.

Tony regularly turned his head to face him, eyes full of shadows and questions he didn’t voice aloud before concentrating on the animated movie again, his hands and mouth sprouting little details and tidbits of information about it. As soon as they had left the bedroom reality had asserted itself and the hours spent together felt unreal. They had taken turns in the bathroom before hurrying down to the waiting child and somehow there hadn’t been any time to discuss the case or what would happen today.

Sam was, in addition to what was going on in her head, picking up on the adults' restless mood and it was making her more gloomy. Everyone was happy when it was finally noon and they readied themselves to leave the house and drive to the Navy Yard.

Gibbs brushed over Tony's hands with his fingertips as they put on their coats and both men relaxed a little bit with the contact.

The government approved representatives turned out to be three Air Force Officers and, for whatever hair-brained reason known to only God and some desk jockey at the Pentagon, an Air Force General. Apparently he was involved because Sergeant Peltier had served on his base and the other three had been assigned to check out the Peltier's things for clues. Vance's pointed stare and the twitch of his mouth made it clear that he wanted his Agents to be polite to the visitors, even if he himself wasn't happy about their presence. Fly Boys interfering in Marine matters were never welcome.

One of the three Officers directed DiNozzo and his daughter aside and into one of the conference rooms. The other three, followed by a crisply polite looking Vance and an irritated Gibbs, moved on to the interrogation. As the two officers entered the room, the General hung back and stared at the Director and his Agent. The General shaped obstacle and his boss' hand on his arm prevented Gibbs from storming in after the officers.

Gibbs gnashed his teeth when Vance informed him that he would not be allowed to question Lindau or even be in the same room with him, apparently he didn't have high enough clearance, which was a joke. The former marine had taken part in enough confidential operations in the service and later as a NCIS operative. What the hell could need a higher clearance than investigating Presidential matters? Some of his thoughts must have shown on his face and Vance, probably fearing Gibbs would vent his anger in front of the General, hissed at him under his breath.

"It has been hard enough to get permission for us to witness this interrogation! Suck it up."
The Director needn't have used a verbal command. Apart from when he was undercover and it would clash with his role, Gibbs never had a problem making his displeasure known, but he wouldn't defy the director openly in front of outsiders. It wouldn't reflect well on him or the agency.

Gibbs glowered at the director and then entered the observation room. General Landry spared him a polite nod and then the three men concentrated on the happenings in the other room.

Lindau had been placed on one side of the table with the Officers facing him. He looked a little bit worse for wear from the fight yesterday, Gibbs noted with pleasure. His feet lacked shoes and were heavily bandaged and then wrapped in plastic covers to prevent them getting dirty and wet.

It was deeply frustrating to watch through the window without being able to interfere in any way. The officer they sent to do Gibbs' job, damn it, a Major Harriman, wasn't incompetent per se. He asked all the right questions and had the proper attitude, firm and uncompromising, not that the subject gave him obvious problems, but he wasn't stellar either and that was simply not good enough.

For all outward appearances Lindau was cooperating fully. He sat there with his back picture perfect straight, his eyes forward and his voice expressionless as he answered every question that was asked.

The interrogator did the usual, state a question, dig deeper, go on and come back later again and again to try and find different angles. Yes, he had been responsible for the crash that killed the Peltiers. Yes, he had tried to kidnap Sempera Peltier.

Gibbs got more tense and rigid with every question asked and answered and didn't take his eyes away from Lindau's face for a second to add his own opinion to the comments Vance and Landry made.

"No, I didn't do it to get revenge, even if I still feel that Sergeant Peltier has done me wrong, I did it because I know my duty and I had to eliminate a threat to the nation. Christoper Peltier has been weakening our defenses against-"

"Stop. I know you feel loyal to the program, please think about what you say. So you staged the accident to eliminate the Sergeant. Why did you try to kidnap his daughter. Surely she is too young to be of interest to you, apart from revenge?"

Lindau raised his chin, a pleased smile on his lips when the Officer mentioned his dedication to the cause. It disappeared again with the mention of revenge.

There it was again. Whenever Lindau tried to elaborate why his former commanding officer was a threat, why his getting Lindau thrown out showed that his decisions couldn’t be trusted, he had to be stopped with every means possible, Harriman made him shut up and concentrate on other aspects. Gibbs' lips were pressed together so fiercely that they weren't visible anymore. The outsiders could shove their secrets up their asses as far as he was concerned, it interrupted the flow of the questioning.

Lindau only showed strong emotions when discussing the reasons for his actions. He leaned forward beseechingly, his eyes glittering and fixated on the faces of the two Officers facing him, willing them to understand his point of view, to agree with him. His disappointment with their lack of sympathy reached a peak whenever Sam was mentioned. Apparently kidnapping a little girl with the plan to question her about how much her step-dad had told her about his job was completely reasonable. He also denied that there were any accomplices involved, it had been his scheme, and his alone. The encounter in front of Sempera Peltier's school the day she was suspended? Just a coincidence, he had been scouting the surroundings. When questioned if he knew anyone with the name Coultier, Lindau blinked and looked clueless.

The more time went by, the more the delusional soldier's stubbornness grew until his answers were so clipped that they could have cut glass. Finally Harriman turned around and nodded to the unseen spectators. Then he and his colleague stood up to lead Lindau out of the room.

Landry sighed. "Well, that’s that. At least it is over now. Such a sad thing, but it could have been worse."

Gibbs snorted and turned around.

The General’s bushy eyebrows were drawn together sorrowfully and he was shaking his head. "We have permission to take him with us until he can be tried at a closed court martial. He will be securely locked away, don’t you worry, and we will see to it that he will get professional help."

"Sir, with all due respect, I don’t think that he is telling the truth." Gibbs never had a lot of faith in the ability of the brass to make sensible decisions but he still couldn’t believe what he was hearing here. Surely they wouldn’t let it go just because it was convenient?

General Landry hadn’t expected any opposition. His sad grandfatherly expression changed into one of startled irritation and after he stared at the angry agent for a moment, evaluating Gibbs’ unyielding body language, he turned to the director, seeking support. "The perpetrator has been caught, he confessed. There isn’t more we can do."

Vance raised an eyebrow and motioned Gibbs to state his concerns.

"What about accomplices?" Gibbs asked.

Landry impatiently tugged at his sleeve and straighten it. "You heard the man, he was acting on his own."

‘Yeah, and since when does it make sense to take a nut-job at his word?’ were the words that lay on the experienced agent’s tongue but he refrained from voicing them out loud. Neither the tone nor the content would go over well but logic might. "Sir, you saw the recording of the security feed from the camera on the school’s entrance. Both front doors opened nearly at the same time, there was someone with him in the car."

But Landry obviously didn’t want to listen, he was shaking his head and stepping in direction of the door, not interested in a discussion. "You are seeing problems were there aren’t any. Lindau said that he opened it to call the girl over. He doesn’t have close friends and he doesn’t have the financial means to hire mercenaries. Let it go."

Vance, in a surprising show of support for his agent, intervened at this point. "General, I would be very happy if this was indeed the end, but Special Agent Gibbs is one of my best men and a superior interrogator and investigator, his instincts are rarely wrong. If he says he has doubts, I believe him. Surely it wouldn’t be too much effort to dig a little deeper."

"Gentlemen, he confessed. We didn’t find anything incriminating in his things, we didn’t find anything worrisome in the Peltiers’ things. Sometimes an insane man is just that, insane and not a major player. My people will take this mess off your hands and deal with all the necessary red tape as well. All you have to do is send a copy of your reports to Major Harriman within this week and forget this ever happened. Have a nice day." And with that and under the gimlet stare of Gibbs, he hurried out of the room.

Vance waited for the door to close again before he questioned his agent. "Gibbs, how sure are you that he hasn’t acted on his own?"

"Very. I should have been involved in the interrogation. Harriman had the wrong perspective He treated Lindau like a soldier who has snapped."

"He is a soldier who has snapped." Vance said neutrally.

"Yeah, but you have to consider the inside perspective. Lindau sees himself as a dutiful marine on an important mission, who has been captured by the enemy." As much as he sometimes clashed with the director and his more politically inclined mindset, Gibbs had never underestimated the intelligence of the other man.

Vance took the time to think over Gibbs’ words and their implications. His ever present toothpick was shoved to the other corner of his mouth. "A mission that isn’t over yet. He has to protect his goals, even if he has to sacrifice himself as long as it gives his team the time to fulfill the objective."

Gibbs nodded and waited for Vance’s verdict. He felt like he was reliving the Cape Fear fiasco again, and he dearly hoped that this director would be more supportive than the last one. It wasn’t a PR disaster this time, but it seemed as if the safety of a underage dependent was worth less than the possibility that an investigation might drag one of the military’s precious secrets to light.

"The command to close the case will come soon and from a very high office. I won't be able to defy it openly, neither will you or your team. I don’t want to explain to SecNav why I can’t seem to control my best team. But if you’re able to find new, solid leads on your own time and without aggravating the watchdogs, I'll back you." Vance removed his toothpick. "Just be careful, too much attention might be more dangerous for DiNozzo’s daughter than the kidnappers."

Gibbs’ eyes glittered with determination. "Both DiNozzos will stay with me until further notice and I suggest that my team be put on cold case rotation. We’ve had a string of difficult cases and not much down time for weeks."

Vance inclined his head. "Of course."

Not being called out and instead being on desk work would buy them a lot of time. Gibbs turned around and internally prepared himself to explain the situation to Tony. That would be one furious father.

"Agent Gibbs!" the breathless shout came from an Agent who was a member of one of the secondary teams. The young man hastened down the corridor. "Please, you have to calm DiNozzo down before he strangles the visiting Officer!"

That didn’t sound good. Seems as if Tony was already beyond furious. Gibbs followed the agent. "What happened?"


"Uhm." The agent nervously pointed in direction of the conference rooms. "I don’t know, but he was waiting outside room two and suddenly there was this crash and..."

Gibbs grunted and lengthened his stride. It would be easier to find out for himself.

Ducky was awaiting them outside the room, he held Sam against his side and there were a lot of curiously under worked NCIS personnel lurking around, some more openly watching what was going on than others. Most of them suddenly found that they had other places to be when they saw Gibbs coming, until only the M.E and Ziva David were waiting for him. Gibbs could hear raised voices drifting out of the open doorway, one of them unmistakeably Tony’s.

Sam hadn’t seen him coming, she was shaking and pressing her face against the doctor’s side.

"Ducky."

"Jethro. It seems as if Sempera took exception to strangers touching her dead parent’s things and she decided to disabuse the poor officer of his notions that her disability means that she cannot express herself loudly." Ducky smiled thinly and stroked the child's shoulders. "There were things thrown and even if she cannot hear, there is nothing wrong with the volume of her voice in general. I fear that he rather regretted his insistence of speaking with her without her father present and our dear Anthony was in turn quite annoyed about him upsetting Sempera."

Both men winced when the distinct sound of a palm violently meeting the surface of a table reached them. "Oh shut up already!" They could hear Tony bellow. "Where did you get your degree in child psychology? Oh, wait, it must have been the same place that swindled you on common sense! Of course she's upset! And no, you won't get to finish your interview anytime soon. Try never!"

Vance had followed at a more sedate pace and was now eying the open doorway with trepidation. "Gibbs, go in and calm him down."

Gibbs didn't move. They could always play the distressed father card if someone raised a stink about DiNozzo insulting the idiot. "He won't do too much damage. Hey, I could tell him Landry's decision right now, wanna stay and watch that explosion?" He didn’t wait for an answer and tentatively reached for Sam, gaining her attention by touching her arm. She looked up at him and after hesitating for a moment she let go of Ducky and placed her hand in his. The girl was hiccuping and red in the face but judging by the lack of tears and the angry cast of her mouth she seemed to be more furious than sad. Sam wasn’t using his body to hide, but her fingers clutched his own fiercely.

‘You OK?’ Gibbs signed one handed.

Sam nodded and both turned their attention to the two quarreling adults in the other room. The spectacle of DiNozzo defending his lone chick was quite entertaining and if the younger man let off some steam in the process, it was even better.

Minutes went by until the M.E decided that enough was enough. "Jethro, don’t you think that this is bad enough without aggravating people needlessly?" Ducky’s gentle admonishment made Gibbs roll his eyes in exasperation but the older man had a point, they were wasting time.

"Oh, for- .DiNozzo!" Gibbs shouted.

"Boss?" His second in command stuck his head out of the conference room. DiNozzo’s normally friendly green eyes were glittering in glorious fury and he held his chin at an angle that telegraphed his displeasure quite clearly. The source of his ire could be glimpsed behind him, a slim middle aged man in a smartly pressed uniform, clutching a file in one hand and waving it commandingly in their direction.

"Leave him alone." Gibbs commanded. " We’ve got more important things to do." Like going over all the evidence they had with a fine-toothed comb before everything disappeared into a government vault.

His agent took a deep breath and searched his supervisor's face for clues. Whatever he saw there made him step out of the doorway and close the door from the outside, despite the spluttered protestations of the visiting officer.

"On it, Boss."

They didn't know how many accomplices Lindau might have, or what kind of men they might be and what resources they might have. From disillusioned special forces soldiers who sympathized with Lindau’s cause to the common greedy street thug, everything was possible. The lack of hints about where the financial backing was coming from were troubling, and didn’t help them to draw conclusions at all. Cold case rotation made it possible for McGee and David to take the place of their former protection detail. Vance wouldn’t have to explain the expenses of paying other agents to keep a watchful eye on Gibbs’ home at night. It still wasn’t ideal; far from it, but it was better than nothing.

Ziva had the first watch. She would come by as soon as she was finished making a stop at the local supermarket to fill up their kitchen with the perishable essentials, like milk and bread. They didn’t want to risk splitting up or taking Sam into a shop.

Tony was sitting beside Gibbs, for once too caught up in his own thoughts to talk or make mock panicked complaints about the boss’ driving. Whenever Gibbs glanced in his direction he was staring unseeingly out of the front window.

Gibbs had informed him in detail about what had gone down in interrogation and then stepped back to observe how the younger man reacted. Tony had voiced his opinion about the results of Lindau's interrogation at the office by ranting viciously (and without accompanying his words with signs). He'd gone on and on about there being "no excuse for shoddy investigative work not even the script writers of CSI would use for their plots" just because of Landry having "sprung from some hush-hush secret military project." Gibbs didn't think Tony knew half the signs for words he was using.

“What a fuck-up.� Tony murmured.

“Language.� Gibbs took the next turn with only a little too much speed. The admonishment was uttered nearly automatically and he reached across, equally reflexively, to deliver a little head slap.

Moments later he felt a hard bump against the back of his seat and his blue eyes met with accusing gray-green ones via the rear-view mirror. It made him grin a little bit. Even better, Tony had caught the small exchange too, and it made his lips quirk in something other than anger and disappointment.

An apologetic gesture made Sam back off again, even if she still pouted and glared at her father's partner warningly.

“Hey, if I have to set a standard to live up to, you do too. That’s only fair. No more head-slaps; violence is bad!� Tony crowed impishly, and winked at his daughter.

Gibbs made sure that his younger passenger couldn’t read his lips before he answered. “Only out of the office, DiNozzo,� he said mock-threateningly, but his twitching lips betrayed his amusement. It was with a lighter heart that he turned into his driveway and parked the car.

It was Tony who volunteered to cook their evening meal, with the remark that it would give Gibbs the time and opportunity to show Sam his infamous basement with the even more infamous boat. The pancakes for breakfast had been good, but Gibbs didn’t know if he should trust Tony’s assurance that even he couldn’t spoil a simple Spaghetti Bolognese, at least as long as nobody demanded that he made the sauce from scratch instead of using the cans he had found in one of the cabinets. Tony shooed them out of the kitchen and they could hear cupboards opening and pots banging.

It wasn’t hard to guess Tony’s other motive, giving Sam some time alone with Jethro and maybe something to talk about. The girl, despite her curiosity about the until now forbidden part of the house, didn’t seem to be too keen on this plan, but she was following him gamely to the door of the basement. They hadn’t reached it fully before the noise of breaking glass and Tony’s shout made Gibbs whirl around.

“Boss! Take Sam, run!� His lover's desperate voice grew faint and he could hear someone moving up to the front door from the outside. “Tranqued me... fast...working...,� the next thing he could hear was the sound of a body hitting the floor.

Every instinct screamed at him to run to the downed man but it would only get him into the line of fire of whoever tranquilized Tony, so he grabbed the girl and shoved her deeper into the shadows of the hallway, the stairs provided a little bit of cover. He prayed that whoever was assaulting them would be satisfied with eliminating Tony from the confrontation this way and wouldn’t harm him further.

Sam had no way of knowing what was going on and she struggled with all her might against Gibbs, scratching and biting him wherever she could reach him. She had to be terrified out of her mind. Gibbs simply didn’t have the time or hands free to explain and calm her down, so all he could do was pin her to the wall with his body, silencing her with one hand over her mouth while the other was reaching for his service piece. Then he hesitated.

Gibbs' mind was racing, calculating and discarding possibilities of what he should do. There weren’t too many options open to him.

The speed and silence of the attack suggested professionals, and thus the bastards would have made sure to secure every possible exit. At least they weren’t using lethal force. Yet. Gibbs swore under his breath. Tony was vulnerable and helpless in the kitchen, even if Gibbs managed to shoot one or two of the assailants... they might switch tactics and retaliate. He let go of his gun and pulled out his cell phone instead, speed dialing a number.

“McGee, we're under attack. DiNozzo is down, multiple attackers, professional job. Hurry. And shut up.� Gibbs calmly growled into the receiver. Then, without waiting for an answer or reacting to the frantic questions of his junior agent, he put the little device on a higher step of the nearby stairs and dragged Sam deeper into the hallway in direction of the small bathroom.

Gibbs smiled without humor. Now they would see if that damned contraption was worth the headache it routinely gave him. Hopefully the ridiculously small and expensive gizmo would for once prove useful and pick up on what was going on, giving the rest of his team enough clues to help him.

Sam had caught on to the fact that he hadn’t gone insane for no reason, but was reacting to something. She had stopped struggling; instead she was panting and looking up to him with wide, fearful eyes. He couldn’t spare her more than a quick reassuring pat coupled with a fleeting attempt at a smile that he was pretty sure came out more like a desperate grimace.

Not even a minute had passed between Tony’s warning and now. Gibbs' eyes, accustomed to how everything in his home looked at any time of the day, could guess from the subtle movement of shadows that the attackers were closing in on them. He slipped into the little bathroom. It had a small window, too small for a grown man and just wide enough for a child, but that wasn’t what he was here for. Gibbs was thankful that foresight and the existing threat to Sam had made him keep the tools of his profession in his pockets even at home.

He hurriedly re-arranged some things, then pulled out his handcuffs and his Swiss Army Knife, and bent down to fasten one cuff tightly around Sam’s right ankle and the other one around his own left ankle before using the tools in the knife to damage the little lock hopefully beyond repair. Nobody would be able to pick them fast. If they wanted to take her, they would have to take him as well. To be doubly sure he tossed his keys into the toilet.

Gibbs felt a prick on his thigh and looked down. Already dizziness began to creep up on him. Oh yes, it was fast acting indeed. He pulled Sam against his body and flung his hand out. Before darkness closed in, he pressed down, and heard the sound of flushing water and someone uttering a soft swear word.

.-#-.

It was a good thing that Hebrew wasn't a language that was widely understood in the United States. Otherwise there would be outrage about the words Ziva David was currently using. The hospital staff in the emergency room were throwing annoyed looks at the woman muttering under her breath and glaring at them, but they were generally too occupied with other things to care enough about what the scary brunette was saying. The ER was never a quiet place, and they were currently being swamped with fresh patients so nobody had time to spare. People who ended up here still able to complain were by rule of thumb less in need of their immediate services than the ones who were too silent. The other loud ones were concerned relatives, and those could be dealt with after the crisis du jour was averted.

Only one female nurse was staring at the Mossad Officer with big, horrified eyes. She squeaked in fright when Ziva zoned in on her, interrupting the agent's rant about what she would do to the next staff member who refused to tell her how her colleague was doing. "What is wrong with Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo? Will he wake up soon?"

"Please, this is a hospital. It is not right that you threaten us with ...things like that," the poor nurse stuttered in Hebrew and looked around, most likely in search of one of the security guards or orderlies.

Ziva narrowed her eyes to slits and crowded the woman into a corner. "It has been hours since we arrived, there has to be some news. I want to speak to one of his doctors!"

Someone cleared his throat behind them. Ziva turned around. It was a tall and officious looking man in a white doctor’s coat. His name tag identified him as Dr. Roberts.

"Officer David, we already told you twenty minutes ago that we are not allowed to tell you confidential information about Special Agent DiNozzo. He is alive and in no imediate danger of dying, that's all I can tell you. You are not listed as his next of kin. Stop pestering my staff."

Americans and their impractical rules and regulations! Ziva huffed and icily glared at Roberts, registering out of the corner of her eye how the nurse slunk away to safety. "His next of kin has been abducted and cannot give me permission. Nevertheless I still need to know how Agent DiNozzo's exact condition, which room he is in and when he will likely wake up to be questioned."

She should have forced McGee to stay here. He was far more personable than she was, but he had insisted that he was needed to keep an eye the other agents who were working the crime scene at Gibbs' house, instead. Ziva didn't know what exactly he was hoping to accomplish, but she thought that he didn't trust the other team to live up to the standard of Gibbs' team.

Ducky had been called out on another case, so she was the only one left to watch over and guard DiNozzo. Something she would be able to do far more easily if she was permitted to be in the same room as her teammate! It was unlikely that the criminals would come back to eliminate DiNozzo after not bothering to take him with them in the first place, but who knew what went on in their heads.

It had been distressing to arrive and find the house seemingly abandoned. Equally nerve-wracking to wait until another NCIS team told them that it was secure and that they couldn't detect more than one body heat source. It had been pandemonium; an organized one, but still. Agents and paramedics had been alerted by McGee and descended onto the house like a swarm of locusts. Without either their leader or second in command present, Ziva and McGee had been relegated to spectators and secondary helpers. Vance had come out personally and was supervising the team that worked the crime scene.

The kidnappers had left Tony behind where he fell, unconscious but alive and relatively unharmed. Neither the doctors nor NCIS knew yet what had been used to subdue him. Abby was running his blood-work; they feared that the chemicals could have health repercussions. But it could have been worse. He wasn't dead; that was at least something. Ziva had stared at the still form and gray face of her colleague. The paramedics had assured the waiting team members that Agent DiNozzo was still alive, but it was troubling to see the usually energetic man being carried out on a stretcher like a wet rag-doll. He somehow hadn't looked like Tony at all, more like something that needed Ducky's personal attention and a reservation for a drawer in the morgue.

Ziva stiffened her spine and forcefully refused to be distracted from her goals by her memories. That was then, this was now; and by all that was holy, she wanted information this minute about how Tony was doing and where he was so she could stand watch over him.

Dr. Roberts was still standing in front of her, shaking his head and refusing to tell her anything beyond that Agent DiNozzo was doing all right and that they couldn't predict when he would be waking up exactly, when a third party joined the conversation.

"Uhm, Ziva?"

"McGee, I thought you wanted to work the house and try to clean up that tape of the call afterward?"

Her teammate twitched nervously and the corners of his mouth were angrily turned downwards. "Vance wouldn't let me, apparently I'm too personally involved. He said I should join you here and make sure DiNozzo is safe."

Roberts hastened to repeat his assurance that there seemed to be no immediate cause for concern about DiNozzo's continued survival and then retreated without waiting for a reaction behind the staff doors, to leave Ziva and McGee alone.

"Her personal involvement with the victim does not prevent Abby from analyzing the evidence, does it?" Ziva dryly mentioned and looked around, assessing the room for possible threats and nosy onlookers. Thankfully everyone was busy with their own problems.

"I think he just didn't want me to process Gibbs' house. He was kind of flustered when he came out to send me away. I don't know why." McGee complained.

Ziva thoughtfully brushed back her hair and looked McGee up and down. Vance wasn't someone who did things on a whim, so there had to be something in the house he didn't want McGee to see; and that was after he himself had scouted the scene. His reason was surely not to spare their sensibilities, so it was something else. There were some personal things no one wanted to know about a supervisor. Not that going through Gibbs' personal things and home was something anyone on the team with a speck of self preservation wanted to do, but Ziva thought that Gibbs would want strangers he had no control over to do it even less. Their taciturn boss would just wordlessly threaten them with dismemberment if they dared to think about anything they found in his home, as soon as this case was closed.

No matter what the males of her team thought, she wasn't totally blind when it came to what went on with her colleagues in their private lives or their inter-office ties and relationships. A blind woman would be able to detect the tension that had developed between the second in command and the junior agent in the last months. Nor had it escaped her notice that something had changed between Gibbs and DiNozzo during the last days. Something that couldn't be explained fully by the appearance of Tony's previously unknown daughter.

She shrugged her shoulders. Indeed, if she added the small hints she had witnessed in the office and what McGee had told her about Vance's reaction to the house, she could draw a few conclusions the computer geek seemed to be blind to. Israel had fewer hang-ups about homosexuals in the service than the USA; life was too short and dangerous to create problems where there were none. She would have to see if the dynamic of the team would change, if there even was cause for complaints, before deciding how she should react. If she should react at all.

But first they had to get Gibbs back and DiNozzo conscious! Everything else would have to wait.
McGee was staring at her suspiciously and Ziva wiped the smirk that had crept upon her lips away and stared back at Tim. If she was right, there was someone who would, how did the Americans so quaintly put it, have a bull?

.-#-.

Tony hated waking up in the hospital, he really did. There was no mistaking the smell of disinfectants, linoleum, and industrial cleaners and detergents. Awful. It always meant that something had gone wrong and that, as soon as the good pills wore off, he would be in a world of pain. At the moment he wasn't feeling much of anything and was still floating on a chemical cloud but something was nagging him. There was something urgent he should do. Tony wrinkled his nose and slowly turned his head sideways, opening his eyes as far as he was able with the lids feeling like they were made of lead and twice as scratchy.

The female figure silently observing him, sitting in a chair beside his bed, brought everything into focus better than a bucket of cold water could have. It shouldn't be her sitting in that cheap plastic chair, waiting for him to wake up.

"Jethro? Sam!" Tony struggled to sit up, throwing back the sheet covering him. He didn't care that he was wearing one of the backless hospital gowns and that he was hooked up on various machines, he had to-

"Lay back down before you pass out again!" Ziva stood up and pressed him back into the mattress. For someone so tiny she had a lot of power. Or he didn’t have enough, at the moment.

"Ziva." Tony croaked desperately. "Where's the boss and Sam."

"Try to keep calm or they will try to throw me out of the room. I do not wish to have to threaten them again. What do you remember?"

Tony swallowed convulsively, trying to wet his dry mouth without much success. There wasn't enough spit to water the desert that had developed there. Others would offer him something to drink, but his dear ninja colleague ignored his distress and was leaning forward so she could catch every word instead. Always with her eyes on the prize, that's Ziva David. Not that he could disagree with her dedication, especially in this instance.

"Was cooking, glass broke, felt prick on my shoulder." He raised his hand, happy that his strength seemed to come back and touched the point where he had been shot. "A dart. I was getting woozy fast, tried to warn Gibbs. Then nothing. They got him too? What happened, Ziva?"

"The kidnappers planned it well. We found a neat hole sawed into the shutters. They must have done it during the day after the agents watching the house were recalled by Vance, but before your return.�

Tony swore and honed in on the most important aspects. The other bed in the hospital room was empty. "Sam? Gibbs?"

Ziva didn't mince her words. "You were the only one left in the house when we arrived. They took both your daughter and Gibbs. We found two more darts; they did not clean up after themselves. Gibbs managed to leave some clues. Chance's team is working the case under director Vance's supervision."

He had hoped that his warning had come soon enough. Still, it could be worse. He could have woken up to the news that they found Gibbs dead and Sam abducted. As long as the kidnappers kept his missing family members together, their chances to rescue them weren't as bad. Tony avoided thinking about any other possibilities too hard. Otherwise the mental image of Sam's and Jethro's broken bodies lying somewhere, discarded like trash in the woods, would drive him insane.

"Help me dress and get me my discharge papers." Tony sat up again, much smoother than the last time, helped by the fact that Ziva wasn't hindering him this time.

"The doctors want you to stay here under observation for at least another day. Abby called ten minutes ago to say that the chemicals she found in our blood are used in common ammunition for Wildlife Preserve Officers who want to subdue and chip predators. You should be all right in a few hours. There should be no side effects but you will likely have difficulties with your balance and nausea for days. It was not meant to be used on humans."

“How difficult is it to track who bought it?� Tony set his feet on the floor and concentrated on staying upright. Abby had been right about the balance problems; he felt like his knees were made of bubble gum. "I need to be back at the office."

Ziva regarded him thoughtfully but didn't make any attempts to help him. “Abby is researching the ammunition. You will not be allowed to lead the investigation, you must know that, yes? The director is treating this as a very serious situation. All hands on deck, he said, and finding your daughter and Gibbs is a priority. The police and other agencies have been alerted.

"Where are my clothes?" Tony pulled out the intravenous needle, impatiently tugged on the patches on his chest until they separated from his skin, and then stumbled to the small locker. Not caring one bit about her presence, he shrugged off the drafty hospital gown. Ziva wasn't the kind of woman to be embarrassed by his nakedness and he couldn't be bothered to care. Ah, there were his clothes, in a plastic bag. Shoes would be tricky, but he would manage, he had to.

"Agent DiNozzo! What are you doing?" The angrily beeping machines had alerted the nurses. One of them had stormed into the room and was now trying to shoo him back to the bed, curiously making a wide berth around Ziva.

"Get your eyes checked, what does it look like? I'm outta here."

"Be sensible. You have to-" the nurse used this really annoying, placating tone of voice, like she was talking to a toddler or someone she suspected of brain damage and Tony had neither the time, nor the inclination to use charm to get around her.

Ziva must have read his intentions on his face because she went to his side, a move that made the nurse back off, steadied him so he could pull up his trousers and handed his shirt to him when he hesitated to reach down again to snag it out of the bag. His body was reminding him forcefully that the herculean task of bending down might be too much. The spirit was willing, but the flesh was weak.

"As I understand it, you cannot stop him if he manages to leave these premises on his own and signs the discharge papers against medical advice, yes?"

The nurse looked torn between rushing in to help the struggling patient and leaving the task to the brunette woman while she tried to talk sense into the agent. “He doesn't look like he can stand, never mind leave!�

“His daughter is missing. He is not dying, he is not contagious. I will keep an eye on him.� Ziva got down on one knee and offered her shoulder to steady him while she stuck his feet in his shoes without bothering with the socks first. In any other situation Tony would dredge up an exaggerated lecherous comment about particular activities and the perfect heights to do them from, today he was just grateful.

Tony concentrated on putting on his clothes and keeping his rebellious stomach in check. Puking his guts out would not help his cause. The plague had been worse, he would manage. He spared a weak, but honest, smile for Ziva.

The nurse observed them for another minute and then sighed. “I'll call for one of the doctors to sign your discharge papers. Just let me put bandages over that.� She pointed resignedly at his right arm.

As soon as she mentioned it Tony became aware of feeling a wet warmth running down his arm. Not surprising, he had removed the intravenous needle without much care. The insignificant wound hadn't registered when compared to the roiling of his stomach and the feeling of urgency that screamed at him to get moving and busy. The nurse's fingers were gentle and professional. She even straightened his sleeves for him and hung his jacket around his shoulders before exiting the room in search of the paperwork.

“Thank you, Ziva.�

"I understand. You need to help retrieve your family." She whispered in his ear.

He wondered for a moment about her inclusion of Gibbs in that statement but let it go. "Where's McGee? And Ducky." He shuffled out of the door, Ziva at his side. She wasn't touching him but was near if he should stumble.

"Henderson's team pulled a triple homicide, thus Ducky could not come. McGee is at the office analyzing the phone call and trying to find a street camera that might have recorded the kidnappers vehicle."

"Phone call?"

"I will explain in the car."

.-#-.

People who wanted to join the military service because they expected fame, glory and a chest full of medals were the biggest fools on earth. Such people forgot that the truly meaningful medals tended to be awarded over a casket with oneself inside and one's devastated family mourning in front. Some of the most honorable and brave men and women Gibbs had served with had never gotten one of the more famous medals during their time in the corps, but he would choose them to stand at his side any time over most medal laden heroes. Whenever Gibbs saw a fresh faced wannabe soldier staring longingly at a Purple Heart or Prisoner of War Medal pinned to a Marine's chest, he always wondered if they realized that it might take being stuck in a dirty cell somewhere, alone, frightened and facing possible humiliation and torture to earn it.

At the moment the alone part was what making it hardest to keep his calm.

Upon waking, the first thing he had done was empty his stomach while frantically using his senses to check his surroundings. Wherever he was, it was damp, cold, silent and so dark that he couldn't see the hand in front of his eyes. Apart from a headache and rebelling insides he wasn't hurt, nor had his captors bound him. The cuff was still around his ankle but the connection to its twin had been sawn off, judging by the ridged edges his fingers could feel. Unfortunately his cuff had acquired a more sturdy companion that connected him to the wall and an equally sturdy ring mounted firmly on the wall via a strong chain.

No Sam. No Tony.

His shout to determine if anyone could hear him had gone unanswered.

It was just Gibbs, the short chain, and a completely dark room with cement floor and bare walls. Nothing else. The chain wasn't long enough to allow him to explore the room from wall to wall. The sounds his breathing and movements caused didn't echo so he guessed that his cell wasn't big.

It looked like Gibbs' scheme had only been partly successful. The kidnappers had snatched him too, just like he had hoped they would, but then separated him from Sam afterward while he was unconscious. He didn't know how long ago that had happened, how Sam was doing now, or if she was even in the same house or state. If they had left Tony or had taken him as well. If the other two felt as wretched as he did. Speculating about possible nightmare scenarios that could have happened was useless though, it would only drive him crazy.

Gibbs retched dryly. There was nothing left in his stomach to puke up and thanks to the lack of water and a cleaning supplies no way to get the taste out of his mouth and the stink of vomit off the floor and subsequently out of his nose.

'You don't deal in what ifs, Marine. Buck up. It's fucked up, but it could be worse. You aren't injured, they left you your clothes. Yes, the lack of water or even a damn bucket to piss in doesn't bode well for the things to come. Preserve your energy, when the opportunity to escape and rescue Sam provides itself you'll need it. Not now, while just sitting on your ass.' Gibbs used the words to center himself, sitting with his back against the wall and facing in the direction he hoped the door was. The sad thing was, it could always be worse.

If his glare was indeed a weapon like most of NCIS believed it to be, the damn cuff around his ankle would have already disintegrated. Gibbs had patted himself down and found that the lock picks and the back-up knife he had hoped the kidnappers would overlook were gone. The only things left were his will to survive and the knowledge that he had people who would do their best to find him and rescue Sam.

Gibbs internal clock couldn't tell him if it was still the same day since he'd lost consciousness. What he could say with reasonable accuracy was that he had been awake again for no more than two hours and that it was unlikely that more than 12 hours had passed. His bladder wasn't bothering him yet. It had been long enough for his nose to grow accustomed to the smell and his ass to grow numb.

A faint scratching sound made him concentrate on the direction it had come from without altering his position. There was no reason to warn possible watchers that he was paying attention. Ah, a key being turned. After hours of darkness Gibbs expected to be blinded by light spilling thorough a crack in the door when it opened and narrowed his eyes to slits to prepare for the visual assault. It didn't happen. Whatever lay beyond the door was as dark as his cell. The criminals again proved to be smarter than most of the perps he was accustomed to. Gibbs decided to use the usual playbook for such situations, even if he had his doubts about its chances for success.

“Who are you and what do you want from me?� he asked loudly but the only answer was the sound of feet shuffling over concrete and cloth rubbing against cloth. Then there was the sound of a door moving again and a key being turned. For a moment, silence returned, but an instant after that, tiny whimpers made it clear Gibbs wasn't alone anymore.

Gibbs concentrated and reached out as far as he could and his fingers encountered soft fabric and warmth underneath. Whoever it was tried to scramble away and he nearly lost his grip. The thin arm he felt gave him a clue to the identity of his new cellmate. His fury grew exponentially when continued soft pats along her arm with his hands made him realize that the kidnappers had bound her arms behind her back. The few muted whimpers he could hear from her also pointed to the presence of a gag. He pulled Sam over, murmuring reassurances to the deaf girl, knowing that they went unheard. How the fuck could he calm her down when they had taken away any chance of communicating with her?

With Sam wriggling and fighting him like a wild cat, it took much longer than it should have to loosen her bindings. Bindings that had been fastened around two bare wrists, no little bat cuff to be found. So much for Abby's doodad. The gag, a piece of cloth, had tangled with Sam's hair. As soon as he managed to pull it away, heartbreaking and discordant crying filled his ears. Her voice was hoarse from overuse.

She seemed to be frightened half to death, but not hurt. Thank god.

Gibbs pulled her into an embrace, not caring about the scratches and bites it earned him and softly began to croon and move his hand up and down her back.

TBC

“We've followed the signal and found the bracelet in a dumpster downtown.�

Tony raised his head from the phone records he had been in the process of checking for what felt like the millionth time and stared at the agent who was standing in front of his desk. The anger and sorrow in the other Agent's brown eyes highlighted that this was not good news. “The kidnappers must have figured out what it was, removed it and thrown it away. No sign of your daughter or Gibbs.�

He knew this colleague quite well. The man had started at NCIS at the same time as himself. Tony had in the past gone for a drink with him regularly so they could bitch about their respective stubborn and hard to please bosses. If asked about his opinion Tony would say that Dave O'Connor was a competent, if a little bit too conservative, agent. Dave wouldn't survive one week working for someone like Gibbs, he lacked the flexibility of thought required to follow his Boss' lead. Despite all the stereotypes about Marines and their lack of creativity, former Gunnery Sergeant Gibbs didn't know what thinking inside the box was. Hell, sometimes Tony wondered if he even know what the box was supposed to look like! He just didn't care as long as your methods 'got the job done'. And Dave would take too long to get the job done.

Everything was taking too long. Which was another reason why Tony resented that he had been forbidden to take an active part in finding his missing family.

Technically Dave shouldn't even be giving this report to him, but rather to Special Agent Chance, his team leader. Chance had taken over the secondary response team after Chris Pacci had been murdered. Conveniently, her team had the aisle next to Gibbs'. A fact that made it easier for them to cooperate now and for everyone to pretend that O'Connor had meant this information to be heard by everyone involved and not primarily Tony.

Tony generally felt as if he was sitting in a cage at the zoo. Everyone, especially his temporary team, was eying him like some exotic animal that might perform a special trick any minute. Or run amok. The worst was Vance who seemed to have taken root outside MTAC and whose beady eyes watched every move Tony made.

As soon as Tony had limped into the office, glaring at anyone who looked like they might suggest he would be better off at the hospital, Director Vance had made it clear that DiNozzo, McGee and David were forbidden to actively work the case. If they didn't obey his orders Vance would stick them into a holding cell and place a Marine or three in front of it if they dared to even put a toe across the line he had drawn. Help at the office, search the databases, advice for Chance was allowed, as long as they did it from behind their desks. The head of NCIS had learned during his tenure that sending members of his flagship team home with the order to stay put would not stop them. Confined to the Yard he had them at least under his direct supervision. Vance had even made the trio hand over their keys and sent someone to their apartments for a change of clothes.

The second, sensible thing Vance had done was to make sure that one Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo was never left alone in the same room as the recalled Air Force officers. Landry had thankfully stayed gone, unfortunately his flunkies had returned. Office gossip had spread the word about how absolutely furious Gibbs' second in command had been yesterday but that was nothing when compared to the icy fury he displayed now. DiNozzo hadn't even had to say much. His coldly glittering eyes whenever he looked over at his boss' empty desk and the clipped way he demanded new information made his mood very evident. The one time he had met Harriman and Company in front of the director's office he had pointedly treated them like they weren't there at all, just taken the files they had delivered about soldiers Lindau might have had contact with and turned around again. As long as they were smart enough not to get in his way, he wouldn't waste any precious energy on them.

They had contributed to this disaster, they had better do everything they could to solve it. But even if they did, that didn't mean that Tony had to be polite. Major Harriman hadn't tried to make excuses, just nodded, grim faced, in clear understanding that such excuses wouldn't be well received. His attempts to suggested that NCIS let his people follow any leads that could be connected back to his program hadn't been very well received either. Vance had shuffled him hastily to a conference room with explanations about how Harriman and his fellow officers could use it as their base of operations. The farther away from the bullpen, the better, in Tony's thinking.

DiNozzo's behavior had everyone in sight on edge. The only ones who didn't seem to be freaked out by Tony's attitude were Ziva and McGee, but that could be attributed to their own foul disposition. The computer expert was sitting hunched over his keyboard, his fingers flying over the keys and nobody was stupid enough to ask what exactly he was doing and if it was legal. Thanks to her being a Mossad Liaison Officer and the daughter of Eli David, Ziva still had connections the regular NCIS agents didn't and was busy talking to heaven knows who on her phone. Abby had holed herself up in her lab pouring over what little evidence they had, hoping for a clue to appear.

Ducky had called in a favor and one of his M.E friends at Bethesda Hospital agreed to take over for him in autopsy. Ducky had raised one genteel eyebrow when Leon Vance opened his mouth to object, that was all it took to shut up the Director. Then the M.E proceeded to take care of his team. Ducky was the one who kept them fed, caffeinated, hydrated, and, in Tony's case, medicated to battle his upset stomach into submission. It was Ducky who made sure that they didn't collapse from lack of sleep by guilting them softly into taking occasional cat naps.

Telephones rang and agents and police officers alike hurried around, trying to find the one spec of a clue that would help retrieve their missing comrade and Tony's daughter. So far every avenue had lead to exactly nowhere, just like the broken cuff that should have kept Sam safe.

“That's all you have?� Tony asked Dave in a tone observed and learned from Gibbs.

Dave shook his head and the compassion in his eyes made Tony grind his teeth. “Not all, no. Parkinson has interviewed the regulars at Lindau's favorite bar again and one of them mentioned that he had seen him using a cell phone last weekend. I remember that-�

Like everyone else in hearing range McGee had stopped what he was doing and now he interrupted. “But according to his financial statements and phone bills he didn't receive or make any calls on his cell during the weekend, just his office phone and those were business related.�

O'Connor nodded. “Yeah, that's what I wanted to say.�

Every stupid idiot who watched one of the countless procedurals on TV knew how telling it would be to use a registered phone when involved in something shady. Why make it easier for the cops to catch you if you can use a burn phone instead? “Anything about what he talked about or who he talked to?� Tony asked.

Chance and the fourth member of her team besides O'Connor and the absent Parkinson, stood up and leaned over the divider. “It's like searching for the proverbial needle in a haystack. I think we're going at it from the wrong angle.� was Chances' opinion and it made something that had niggled at Tony become clearer.

“Maybe not the wrong angle but the wrong perspective. Before, Gibbs said something about how Lindau sees himself and how different it is from how we see him. We treat him and every bit of information we found like he is the head of his operation.�

McGee snapped his fingers. “He doesn't strike me as a mastermind capable of organizing such a complicated and multi-layered scheme on his own. He is more a fanatic follower.�

“But he is the only connection we have. Does it really matter?� Ziva threw in, which provoked a back and forth of opinions and ideas. Chance and her team observed the brainstorming that followed but they were ignored by the MCRT team members.

Suddenly, as if the proverbial light bulb had gone off in his head, Tony straightened. “No, wait! He isn't the only one involved that we know of. Remember, Sally-Ann Coultier? Lindau has to be just a tool, there's no way he has the social connections to be invited to a garden party."

“I want to find Gibbs and Sam as much as you do, but that spoiled little princess isn't a member of a conspiracy, Tony!� McGee threw up his arms and then carded his fingers through his hair in exasperation. The dark circles under his eyes betrayed how tired he was.

“I didn't say she was, Probie. She's just a spiteful girl who was easy to manipulate. Which also indicates someone smarter than Lindau, because there's no way a girl like that would do anything he suggested to her. She'd be too busy sneering at his haircut. Where's the transcript of your interview with her and did we ever get a complete guest list?� Powered by a new wave of adrenalin Tony began to dig through the pile of files on his desk. The other agents were welcome to waste hours on trying to find an electronic trail or some witness who could describe anyone who ever talked to Lindau down to the number of speckles on their noses, let them try. He knew in his gut that he was on the right path now.

“The list is as complete as possible, it was sort of an open invitation event among Coultier's circle of friends and business associates. To get all the names we've had to talk to the known guests, which is slow going. The interview, that I can sum it up for you easily. When she wasn't crying about it not being her fault, that it was supposed to be just a little harmless prank, she complained about being forced to attend boring parties.�

The updated list and file had to be somewhere here, he remembered printing it out to go through it again later. Tony's eyes had began to water from all the staring at the monitor and he'd decided to try paper for a while. They were wasting so much time, and it was time Jethro and Sam didn't have. It had been more than 30 hours since they were taken. “Nothing about who gave her the idea and when to stage her prank?�

“No, as I told you at least twice yesterday!�

“Just asking, McAngry!�

Ziva cleared her throat. “Stop biting each others faces off.�

“Heads, Ziva, it's biting each others heads off� Tony corrected.

“You three are worse without Gibbs around to hold your leashes, who would have believed it.� Chance shook her head and went back to her desk. “We'll try to find out more about who Lindau's contacts might be. You can try to find who altered the contact information in the school file. Chins up, if there is anyone who can beat the odds in any situation, it is Gibbs. Being kidnapped alongside a child and held against his will- He must be beyond furious by now. You'll see, we'll end up rescuing the criminals from him, not the other way round.�

As if. Her forced attempt at lightening the gloomy atmosphere only served to irritate Tony. If he was in a more benevolent mood, he might feel some remorse about having his usual tactics turned against him but this was as far from a joke as it could get in his eyes. Gibbs was a formidable opponent, no question. Cunning as a fox, like Abby loved to say. Case in point, the way he had managed to force the attackers to take him as well as Sam. But for him to be able to do something he had to be alive. Nobody was bulletproof, not even Gibbs. And no matter how much Abby had glossed over the facts to spare him, the tranquilizer had been dangerous as well. Tony was intelligent enough to Google a chemical compound and interpret the side effects that were listed, thank you very much. McGee would scoff, but getting a 'lowly gym degree' involved passing a lot of the same classes med students had to take. He knew that he had been lucky to suffer only from nausea and not a heart attack. Gibbs, no matter how healthy and toned his body was, had twelve years on him.

Finally Tony found the transcript he was searching for in the online files after having given up on finding the hard copy. It was like McGee said, there wasn't anything significant and new to be found in it. “Wasn't there anything you didn't include in this report? It isn't word for word.� As much as he had been furious about having his rights as a father curtailed two days ago when he was bared from witnessing the interview of his own daughter, he wished that Coultier had been less stringent about the conditions of them talking to his little brat. It would have 'made his poor Sally-Ann feel like she was treated like a criminal'. Served the brat right. “We're missing something...�

The senior agent's frustrated tone only served to rile up the younger man. “Of course not! I don't fudge my reports but word for word would have been impossible. First off, even my excellent memory doesn't allow me to remember every sobbed word Sally-Ann said and secondly she repeated herself a lot. She remembered the dress she wore better than the man she talked to. Not as tall as her father, brown hair, no beard, brown suit, polite, that's all I got out of her. Coultier is over six feet tall and the other characteristics... half of the males at NCIS would qualify as suspects! Whoever he was, wasn't someone she has seen regularly.� McGee picked up his coffee cup, found it empty and promptly sat it down with more force than was strictly necessary.

“Crap.� Tony banged his head against the divider wall behind his chair and did his best not to look forlornly at the empty chair across the aisle.

“Be lucky that we have this much. The only reason she remembered him at all was that he listened to her complaints about Sam and that he was admiring the stupid glass buttons on her dress, even knew where they came from. Lugano or whatever.� With that remark McGee turned his attention back to his files. The sharp “What!?� Tony let loose startled him so much that he nearly fell off his chair and it brought the attention of everyone in the bull pen down on their heads.

“Repeat what you just said.� Tony waved impatiently at the other agents to resume whatever they had been doing, then stood up and strode over to loom above the junior agent.

“Tony, stop your posturing. I feel with you, you've got to be on edge with not only your daughter but the boss missing, but that doesn't mean that you can shout at me.�

“That wasn't included in what you wrote down. Not Lugano, McGee, I bet she said Murano. Which is an isle near Venice, famous for its glass artists and featured as a background in nearly every gondola scene in every movie filmed anywhere near Venice. The handmade pieces of art created there are not well known in the States. The products, among them glass buttons, are very distinct and pricey.� That little speech was given in a deceptively mild voice that barely masked the sharp edge laying behind. Nevertheless these signs of imminent explosion didn't penetrate McGee's shield of indignant anger.

“For all I care those idiotic buttons come from Mars! They don't matter. And why am I not surprised that you know something insignificant like that? We should have sent you to do the interview, you could have ogled all the nice suits and dresses. Oops, too bad you and your fashionista knowledge weren't available.� The younger man sneered at Tony, his own frustration and fear getting the better of his compassion for his older colleague's situation.

Tony was standing in front of him, his lips devoid of blood and pressed into an unforgiving line. “For you, McOblivious the buttons might have been insignificant and in all your infinite wisdom you decided to leave them out of your report. Ziva has never been to FLETC and might not know it, but would you do me the favor of repeating the rules concerning the recording of informal given statements and why it should be as exact as possible and not up to creative editing?�

McGee sat as still as stone and didn't dare move a muscle.

“No? Then let me enlighten you, Junior Special Agent McGee and do excuse my paraphrasing, I'll make sure that I include all the information though, even if I don't have the exact wording. Agents should include every aspect possible, no matter how tiny or seemingly insignificant in their descriptions of crime scenes and statements so that other Agents with different skill sets and areas of expertise might be able to draw conclusions without the need of them being present at the initial interview or scene or if the case goes cold.�

Suddenly all the pent up energy left Tony's body and he slumped in on himself, rubbing tiredly over his eyes. This only showed that you shouldn't wish bad things on anyone. Hadn't he wished that McGee's belief in his superior skills would made him fuck up just enough to bring him back down to earth? Karma had granted him the first part but maliciously overlooked the second part. This would have cracked the case open days ago. “Bernadette?�

“Yes?� Agent Chance cautiously came over to stand beside him. Her eyes darted between the now gray faced DiNozzo and to the red face of McGee who was staring at Tony like a mouse that was suddenly faced with a poisonous snake.

“Concentrate on Peter Nathaniel DiNozzo, CEO of DiN Enterprises. He is nearly as tall as I am, brunet, single and as far as I know, living in Long Island, New York but has an apartment here in DC. He is well known in the family for his obsession with buttons.� A few, hurried steps brought him back to his desk and he swept all the useless files on it aside before he sat down again and pulled out the top drawer in search of some headache pills. He ignored the new mess on the floor.

Chance hadn't moved at all. “You're certain that-�

Tony slammed the drawer shut and dry-swallowed two of the pills. His coffee cup was as empty as McGee's and his water bottle was ….somewhere. It was high time for Ducky to appear again.

“Obvious familiar connection to my daughter, right social circle, rich, nuts and obsessive. Heck, he sported a boner when he was 14 because aunt Cecily got him a button from one of Marie Antoinette's evening-robes as a present!�

His words made Chance and her team sprint back to their desks. This was indeed a very promising lead.

The grin on Ziva's face would have made a shark proud. “Connection, opportunity, means and mindset. Any idea on what his motive might be?�

Tony concentrated on her and ignored McGee. He was aware that the younger man had stood up and was now standing beside him. “None. Father disinherited Sam, so she's not an heir and therefore no competition. But we can ask him, can't we?� His fingers itched to reach into the drawer and retrieve his weapon and badge, two other things Vance had confiscated, and hunt his cousin down, then throttle him until he spilled where Sam and Jethro were held.

The Mossad Officer was never one to mince her words so it didn't surprise him when Ziva just asked her next question without any hesitation. “Do you think your father is involved?�

“I doubt it, but we'll check. He told me more than once that he washed his hands of us. If he wanted her, he would have sent his lawyers, not thugs.�

“Tony.� McGee sounded contrite and desperate. Ah, it had finally dawned on the younger man that he had fucked up royally.

“Pete is arrogant, I doubt that he would think about hiding financial details and this must have cost him a pretty penny. We'll start there since we're not allowed to leave.� Tony sent a dark look in direction of MTAC and the looming figure of the director. Chance was currently giving him a personal update.

“Tony...�

Tony took a deep breath and then turned his head and looked at his young colleague, aware that Ziva was watching both of them avidly. The computer expert seemed to have aged ten years during the last minute but his eyes and his hunched and nervous shoulders reminded the senior field agent painfully of the insecure and nervous probie McGee had been when he started here. His probie, damn it. Everyone made mistakes. Didn't count for shit. If McGee's blunder cost him his family... Tony would never forgive him. Tony's stomach cramped into a hard and aching mass at the thought. He wouldn't forgive himself either.

“Tony, I am-�

No, if they failed-. “Stop. We will get them back and then we'll talk, okay, Tim? Let's concentrate on more important things first.� His green eyes searched and held the gaze of McGee's blue ones. The last thing they needed now was to have their focus divided by anything non-essential, be it attitude, anger or remorse. “Find me everything on Pete DiNozzo's whereabouts and movements during the last three days. Can you do that, Tim? Or do I have to ask someone else to do it?�

He could practically see how McGee pulled himself together. “I'll do my best.�

Ziva inclined her head, gave them both one of her typical tight smiles and began to work on her computer.

They all would do their best. And pray that it was enough.

.-#-.

“Please little one, please calm down.� Gibbs rocked them both back and forth. The slight figure in his arms had grown more silent than when they had thrown her into his cell but he suspected that this was the result of exhaustion, not acceptance of his presence. Sam was still trembling and sobbing. Being touched by an unknown person she couldn't see had to frighten her terribly but at least he could keep her warm this way. Letting her go would not only deprive her of his body heat, it would also potentially take her out of his reach and with his shackles Gibbs might not be able to grab her again.

One couldn't expect an eight-year-old to react rationally to being held captive, to keep calm and non-hysterical. Gibbs had tried to draw letters on her skin, to find a way to communicate with her, tell her whom she was with, but Sam had been much too upset to react in any other way than to flinch back when he took one of her hands and tried to use her palm as a canvas.

Gibbs sighed and stretched his legs. He guessed that it had been about an hour since they threw Sam into the cell.

He still had no idea if they were being observed. No electronic light betrayed the presence of a camera and microphone but that didn't mean that there hadn't been one capable of night vision installed. Complete darkness was an effective strategy if their captors' goal was to hide their identity and demoralize the prisoners. For Sam it must be worse than for him. “Assholes, do you like torturing kids? She's deaf and you took away another one of her senses!� Gibbs bellowed.

No answer.

Sam flinched and one of her hands tightened into a fist, Gibbs could feel the ball of muscle and small bones pressing against his left collar bone. His free hand took up a hopefully soothing rhythm, stroking her back again and again. Gibbs could hear her sniffle, and prayed that it wasn't the first sign her of getting a cold. His own back and ass weren't only numb from the hard floor and wall, they were beginning to feel like ice too. His bladder was getting full, damn it, and he could only speculate about Sam.

Since she wasn't actively fighting him anymore he could lighten his grip and reposition her so both of them could rest easier. Her face was tucked against his neck and he hoped that the distinctive smell of sawdust lingered on his shirt enough to outweigh the foul smell of the cell and give Sam some indicator that he was friend, not foe.

Being taken prisoner was always a possible fate for a soldier. One of Gibbs' instructors had given them a very blunt speech about what might happen and his no-nonsense attitude had made it unforgettable. “There are two enemies you have to expect: your captors and your mind. Not your body. It's a tool. One you can use to escape but one that can be used against you as well just because of the way it functions. A body has to breath, to eat, to drink, to shit, to piss. If it is cut, it will bleed. If it is touched, it will react. There's no shame to be found there, just facts. If the enemy makes you hallucinate because lack of hydration and food, shame on them, not you. If they make you shit and piss yourself because they didn't give you the opportunity to relieve yourself, shame on them, not your body. If they rape you and your cock get's hard, that's just the way your body reacts to certain stimulus. You don't want it, you're not asking for it. They just want to convince your mind that you are to blame for what's happening, to give in. Some of you will break sooner than others but let's don't mince words: everyone has a breaking point. You, me, even the Commandant of the Marines. Accept it, work to make it harder for them. Trust your buddies, your fellow soldiers, to get you out if you are unable to do so yourself.�

But this was not foreign soil, it was home! He wasn't a soldier anymore and neither was Sam.
“Get us a bucket, damn it! Some water and blankets! She'll get more hysterical if she wets herself and might freeze to death!�

How he would get her to use the damn bucket, that was another question. Or how he would use it himself without freaking her out further. That was one instance where the dark would be a positive thing.

The small fist had loosened again and if he wasn't wrong- Gibbs felt Sam press her face against his collarbone, then to his chest, above his heart, maybe listening to it's rhythm. He hesitated for a moment, not wanting to rile her up again and disturb this little moment of peace but he decided to take the risk and began to draw letters into the back of her hand. Nothing complicated. J. E. T.

Sam sobbed once, rubbed her nose against his shirt and then, slowly, hesitantly, drew the sign for eternity over his chest with her own finger and then a repeat of his three letters.

“That's it, sweetheart.� Gibbs whispered and pressed a kiss against her hair.

Then he heard the door open once more and tensed his grip on Sam. Again there was only sound, no light. Something dully clattered against the concrete floor near him and, with one arm securely wound around his precious burden, he reached out the other to find out what it was.

An empty bucket made out of hard plastic like the one he used in his basement to mix paint, this one with its handle removed.

A warm fleece blanket.

A plastic bottle, nearly full of liquid from the way it balanced in his hand.

It did take him a little while and some fumbling to open it one handed. He sniffed. Nothing strange to detect, so it was most likely water. But had it been tampered with? Being drugged would be preferable to dying of thirst, but he hoped that help would come before they had to chance drinking it.

Sam sniffled again and he patted her on her back. Trust your buddies to get you out indeed. Gibbs hoped that it would be sooner rather than later.

So, their captors had heard him. They might not answer directly but it gave Gibbs the chance to finally act, even if it wasn't much.

He placed bottle and bucket within easy reach and draped the blanket around himself and Sam, then began to talk, not overly loud but enough to be heard by whoever was listening, aware of how Sam moved a little bit in reaction to the vibrations in his chest.

“I will keep you safe, don't be afraid, so don't be afraid. There are lots of people looking for us by now and they will find us. Your dad is out there looking, the rest of my team, along with all of the NCIS agents they can get. Probably the FBI now too, and the police. All of them will move heaven and earth to find us. If anything happens to us, I wouldn't want to be the fool responsible. Shh...little one...�

During the next hour he talked more than he probably had in the rest of his life combined. After her terror had subsided, Sam started to get more active and restless and it had been a challenge to find ways to distract and entertain her without letting her leave the little cocoon of warmth and safety he had created for them. Skin-spelling was not ideal: it was hard to keep track of longer words and sometimes he had to do serious mental gymnastics to guess what the eight-year-old meant. Her signing might be first class, her spelling on the other hand was typical for a kid her age and mingled with net speak.

It had taken him long minutes to get what 'U puke 2?' meant exactly.

“Yes.� Gibbs murmured against Sam's hair. He tried his best to camouflage their conversations with louder ramblings about his team's adventures. One of the reasons for reuniting him with the girl might have been to calm her down and he didn't want them to decide that they could use the methods he developed now and take her away again. 'Smell it, stinks. Still sick?'

Sam shook her head and he could feel her trace new letters. 'Bad taste in mouth. Icky. Puked on baddies. A lot.'

'Atta girl!' Gibbs praised. 'Your dad did that once. “I have to teach you Morse code when we get out of here.� he wrote and then said the second part aloud, more for himself than her.

'Dad here 2?'

'No.' Gibbs didn't say more, he didn't want to lie but telling her the truth, that he had no idea where exactly Tony might be, just not in this damn cell with them, might send her back into hysterics.

'He get us out.' Sam spelled.

He marveled about how little she complained. Yes, she was obviously distressed but apart from telling him how cold she was and how tired there weren't any complaints. 'You're a very brave girl.' he whispered and spelled it out on her skin.

The whimper and wildly negating head shake nearly broke his heart. 'Scared, whimpy, stupid.'

'Normal to be scared, not stupid.' Gibbs assured her. He had to repeat it twice before he could feel her move and he was startled when he felt her clammy hand clumsily pat his cheek. Where the hell was his team, they would both catch pneumonia before long.

'Sry I said I don like U. Not angry?'

'No, Sam.' he used the eternal sign. 'Not angry. At all.'

'Tired.'

'Sleep.'

They took small naps during the next hours but the inhospitable cell didn't invite long restful sleep. And if it wasn't his legs breaking out in pins and needles sensation it was one of Sam's sharp elbows or knees poking him when she tried to turn over that kept him half awake. There was no more contact with the criminals, no more supplies or other reactions and slowly it seemed as if the whole world consisted of him, one little girl, a blanket, a bottle of water they didn't dare use and a bucket.
Translating some children stories he unearthed from where he had shoved them into a far corner of his brain into skin speak was keeping him alert and both of them occupied. He made it a game, asked Sam to guess how the story went and to take turns in making them better. In the end her princess kicked the prince in the shins and ruled her kingdom on her own.

Sam's indignation about the common fairy tale princess lured a faint smile on Gibbs' face. It didn't mean that, as soon as the damn cavalry arrived, he would allow his princess to stub her toes on some human filth though.

The damn cavalry better arrive soon or he would kick their asses too.

Peter DiNozzo had been located, he was conveniently staying at his DC residence at the moment according to the security logs of his apartment house. Of course Gibbs' team hadn't been allowed to join in on the arrest. They could only wait for Bernadette Chance and her team to bring him in.

Had Tony really complained about waiting at home a few days ago, protecting their dragonlette while his dragon mate was out frying someone crispy? And what a protector he had turned out to be, taken down by a stupid dart like some dumb animal. A desperate chuckle died in his throat and nearly made him choke. The lack of any information and him shackled to his desk made it worse. Tony stared at his monitor. He had never been the most adept at working technology and now his frustration at struggling with illogically structured databases and numbers made his head ache. Maybe he should go down to the gym and punch the sandbag, before he gave in and punch this useless piece of crap equipment instead.

Tony didn't care how McGee had managed to get access to the files. He was just grateful that it had happened. Finding a judge to sign on the warrants for the files had been easy, thanks to Vance and their initial findings. McComputermagic hadn't restricted himself to slicing and hacking through only national accounts.

Now that they knew where to look, without the smokescreen Lindau had provided, it was comparably ridiculously easy to find hints in his cousin's personal accounts. McGee had glowered in some sort of dark glee and pointed out transactions that only made sense and had purpose if you looked at them in context to their case. Why Pete had put the payments down as health investments was not detectable, they would have to ask him. Maybe it was a sort of macabre play on words, but the fact that they were redundant in light of his cousin's official health coverage payments had tipped them off to their irregularity. The rest- Tony had known his cousin to be overly meticulous when it came to accounting, it made him a good CEO but a pathetic criminal.

Pete had even listed five burn phones in his expense sheets, for fucks sake!

“The money has definitely been transferred into an oversea-account in smaller sums over the period of nearly a year and then four months ago forwarded into five different, still anonymous, accounts again. Then I lose the trail. Abby hasn't found anything either. So, possibly four perps beside Lindau.�

It wasn't the first time McGee had mumbled those words, more to himself than to his team members. Tony saw how the younger man hesitantly turned to him. “Tony, I took a look at your father's accounts as well. Apart form some ...uhm, creative juggling here and there they are clean. No connection.�

Tony closed his eyes. “You can bet that as soon as we bring Petey-boy in, father will be informed and he'll come down on our heads with a flock of attorneys trailing in his wake.�

“To help your cousin?� McGee asked.

That question provoked a tired snort. “You're kidding? Nah, to try and keep everything quiet is more likely.� He carelessly shrugged his shoulders. Tony would deal with his father when he absolutely had to, not one second earlier.

The phone rang and the men watched as their female colleague answered. Ziva had made Tim reroute the calls to her station after Tony had made one of the secretaries cry.

“I understand. Thank you.� Ziva put the receiver down. “That was Agent Chance, they were successful and are on their way back here with Peter DiNozzo in custody.�

.-#-.

Tony stood outside the area where the interrogation rooms were located and stared unseeingly at the orange walls. The rooms' walls were thick and no sound escaped outside. Surely no one had invented a scale high enough to measure the anger he felt at being unable to do anything but wait, wait, fucking wait.

As soon as the phone call had ended Tony had sprinted up the stairs to MTAC to corner Vance the second the man exited the communication center from where he had coordinated the arrest. The Director had taken one look at his agent and then lead him into his personal office where they could talk without witnesses because he knew that the following conversation would be harrowing. Tony had been forced to sit down and accept a stupid cup of coffee, decaff to add insult to injury, and the head of the agency had taken the seat across him.

The cup was ignored, the younger man's hands were too busy clutching at the smooth leather of the visitor chair. “Please Director! I can break him, I know him better than anyone here. I know his weak points, how to rile him up, how to stroke his ego. Please.� If it took going down on his knees, that was what Tony would do to get what he wanted. Pleading wasn't working though, Vance was shaking his head.

Tony desperately added, “We don't have time, if his hired goons hear that we have him- that we're onto him- they might bolt! They might kill Sa- their captives."

Vance raised his hand and cut the new attempt short. He knew how dangerous this was for the missing. “DiNozzo, I understand, but there is no way I'll let you interrogate your cousin. To do so would compromise every aspect of this case. Not that it isn't already a clusterfuck.� The last words were added more quietly and accompanied by a tired grimace.

“But-� As long as Pete spilled, Tony was of the opinion that the fucking case could be as compromised as a nuclear dumping ground in the middle of the White house lawn.

“No, DiNozzo. That's my last word.�

“Damn it, how can you sit there in your secure office, chewing on your stupid toothpick while we're wasting time! It's just like with Lindau, if Gibbs had taken him on, nothing like this would have happened. � Tony exploded out of his chair, not caring that his insubordination might have consequences.

“I'll ignore your tone of voice, Agent DiNozzo, you are not yourself at the moment, but pull yourself together. Before you storm out of here and do something stupid, this is what we are actually going to do. Are you paying attention?�

Tony took a deep breath. “Yes.� he pressed out through his teeth.

Vance's calm tone and the prospect of finally being allowed to maybe do something made Tony close his eyes and regain some composure. Rationally he knew very well that acting like a wailing lunatic would not help but all the tension of the last hours had accumulated and threatened to suffocate him if he wasn't allowed release. Somehow it was easier to show his real emotional state to the director, who already had a low opinion of him, than to his team and the other agents downstairs.

The sun was going down outside and all he wanted to do was climb into a hand-crafted bed, ignore the insufficient thread count of the sheets and curl around his lover with the knowledge that his daughter was safely sleeping in the next room.

“We'll treat you like any other family member of a victim. O’Connell will interview you thoroughly about your cousin. Taped, witnessed and signed. Tell him everything that might help.�

That was better than nothing but not by much. They would use a detour instead of the direct route and all for the sake of bureaucracy. “Pete isn't stupid. He will lawyer up and hope that he can stall us enough so we don't find them. Without Gibbs and Sam, without the perps he hired in custody and giving him up, everything we found is still circumstantial.�

“We'll find them.�

Yeah but would they find them fast enough?

The end result was him waiting outside the hallway where the interrogation area was situated, a silent, rigid sentry, banned from helping, waiting for other agents to produce results. His two remaining team members had given up on trying to drag him back to his desk. Tony wanted to be on hand if Chance needed clarification on something. McGee leaned against the wall across from him and Ziva had sat down a little farther off on the ground crossed legged.

Suddenly the door of the observation room for interrogation room two opened and Vance stepped out, a triumphant smile on his face that made Tony step forward.

“We got an address. You were right, we played on how kidnapping his niece and a federal agent would look like in the press. Took some time and needling, but he finally gave it up for the promise of discretion.�

For all Tony cared they could have promised the little asshole a cell built of ancient brass buttons. Details be damned, they had what he wanted. “Where?�

“Four men like you suspected, professional mercenaries. Old townhouse in Alexandria, we've already called it in and teams are en route.�

Before Tony could open his mouth Vance cut him off and waved at two guards who appeared as if out of thin air, one left to his, one to his right. From their haircuts, posture and muscles, they had to be former military like Gibbs. If they had been here longer, Tony hadn't paid them any attention.

“I don't want to have to do the whole song and dance about you staying here so we won't. You can go, but we'll do it my way. James and Donovan will drive you and make sure that you stay with the paramedics, out of the way. You'll heed their orders or I'll lock you up here.�

It went unsaid that both the muscle and the medics would be there to not only care for possible injured freed victims but also, in the worst case, for Tony reacting to a catastrophe.

“And collect the rest of your sidekicks on the way out, same rules apply to them! Let's roll.�

.-#-.

How long since they had been imprisoned? 30 hours? 40? Something had better happen soon or his reactions would be too slow due to hunger and general exhaustion. And if he felt bad, Sam must be much worse. They had stopped their skin-talking game and she now preferred to just lean against him with her face pressed above his heart.

His voice had gone from tired but smooth to exhausted and hoarse. Gibbs felt as if he had never talked so much in his life and wasn't it ironic that he was doing it in the presence of someone who couldn't even hear him? Not that the little girl wasn't appreciating it, whenever he stopped talking she began to fidget. Ducky had explained to him, after Gibbs had expressed interest about why the deaf girl had been so fascinated by his stethoscope, that no matter how theoretical the wave part in sound was to hearing people, deaf ones could actually feel them with a little practice or enhancement, like a drum. Skin was not for nothing a human's biggest organ and even if feeling sound could never compensate for the lack of hearing, it added additional input to interpreting available information.

The vibrations of his chest seemed to make Sam calm. So the silver-haired man dug out more old fairy tales he had thought long forgotten and told them, intermixed with more harmless office stories to his... listener. What did he know about such things, maybe the soothing tones translated into the rumbling in his chest somehow.

The 'real' listeners were another matter. If his nearly constant talking got on their nerves, good. If he and Sam became people in their captor's minds, with feelings and hurts, instead of only marks, great. If they thought he was a middle-aged, helpless and distressed weak prisoner, even better. Best would be if the kidnappers let them go, but the agent didn't hold his breath in that regard. He had already made them make one big tactical mistake, that was better than nothing.

Gibbs' mouth twisted into a caricature of a smile and he once again checked by feel that everything was exactly how he had positioned it. He had been right. Getting Sam to use their improvised toilet had been awkward for both of them but at one point mother nature had called insistently, and they had to answer. Well, better the bucket than the floor and their noses where so accustomed to the smell now that they could ignore the used object of terror.

And it would soon serve another purpose. The former marine was now sitting on the floor with his back to the cell door, a little to the side so that who ever came through that door would have to open it completely to see them fully. His poor T-Shirt, torn to shreds, had to serve as improvised toilet paper. And if not every little piece had been torn to the most logical shapes by his teeth and hands, well, he hoped the unseen observers just found it and the subsequent fumbling, odd or attributed it to his lack of sight.

“... so your dad, in his fancy new designer suit and his shiny leather shoes, jumped in after the corporal. You have to know, little one, that those pits aren't dangerous per se, no hidden stones or ledges, just humiliating for the recruits. But they are slippery. Leather shoes and slick mud isn't a good-�

Over all the stupid yapping he nearly overheard the faint noise of a key turning in the lock. Gibbs tried not to tense up and let one of his hands travel to Sam's shoulder, squeezing it in warning. He had skin-told her what he was trying to do and hoped that she would follow his directions. The fingers of Gibbs' other hand curled around an innocent little strip of fabric and he turned around halfway.

A loud, commanding male voice further away from the cell was the first sign that something was going on, the light in the corridor was another. Gibbs narrowed his eyes and tensed, waited for the door to open fully. He could only make out the silhouette of a man, nothing about the color of his skin, never mind his eyes, but the form of the gun in his hands was unmistakable. As was the 'Hurry!� from down the hallway, accompanied by the noise of a struggle.

Gibbs didn't give his attacker time to point the weapon, he flung himself forward as far as he could to give himself and his own little surprise momentum. It all narrowed down to the perfect angle, the best moment. The shackle biting into his ankle, the hard floor hurting his knees on impact, they all didn't matter. The bucket with body waste, helped by the strips of fabric he had tied to the empty handle holes crashed into the criminals face, his own improvised version of an ancient morning star mace. It did better than he had hoped and wrapped around the enemy's neck.

One hard pull and the surprised, spluttering man stumbled to his knees and became subject to the non-existent mercy of Gibbs. The pistol clattered to the floor while its owner clawed at his eyes, shouting and whimpering. Yes, piss stung like hell when it came in contact with open eyes, surprise.

Gibbs growled and hastily reached for the weapon. It wouldn't take long for the criminal's buddies, alerted by the noise, to come looking for what had gone wrong. A hard hit with the gun's butt to the back of the swearing perp's head took care of this lowlife for the moment. That should keep him unconscious and if the hit dented his head, too bad. Shooting him had some merit, but he might need the bullets and didn't want to kill someone in front of Sam if he could avoid it.

One look over his shoulder assured him that Sam had done what he had told her. She had pressed herself against the floor to provide the smallest target possible.

Gibbs didn't want to take the time to fleece the stinking lump of criminal and decided to spare one bullet for the lock on his shackles, it would be faster, but before he could arrange himself accordingly, the sound of steps made him concentrate on the hallway again. Damn. Gibbs shielded the kid, crouched behind the unconscious body of the kidnapper as a insufficient barrier, and raised his pilfered weapon, ready to fire at the slightest provocation.

Then the hidden figure at the other end of the hallway shouted. “NCIS, drop your weapon.�

That could always be a ploy by the bad guys to draw him out, of course, but unlikely. Seems as if the cavalry had finally arrived. Whoever was there surely had a hard time trying to identify much in the dark cell apart from the legs and feet of the downed criminal that stuck out of the doorway.

“Don't think so, identify yourself.� Yeah, his voice would need some time to go back to normal, it sounded more than a little bit hoarse.

“Agent Gibbs, is that you?� the figure asked cautiously and Gibbs remembered now whom the voice belonged to. It wasn't the one he longed to hear but much better than a strangers' nevertheless.

“Chance. Took you long enough.� He lowered the weapon but didn't put on the safety. “One perp down and unconscious on my end. Sam is with me, I'm shackled to a wall. Get me out of here. How's the situation upstairs?� And then he asked the most important question. “Where's DiNozzo?�

Someone behind Agent Chance was quickly talking, forwarding information and his fellow team leader holstered her weapon and ran to him, a big smile on her face. “You two OK?� First thing she did when she reached him was to cuff the kidnapper. “DiNozzo is waiting outside, unharmed. At least that's what he was told to do but he might have strangled his guards and sneaked in. I'll never call him your faithful Puppy again, Gibbs. Evil tempered guard dog in need of a leash, yes. Puppy, no.�

Chance took a deep breath and visibly regretted it. “Ugh.�

Sam had watched the exchange and when he reached back with a hand she threw herself against his back.

“Stop talking and give me your set of lock-picks. We're tired, dirty, hungry and cold and don't want to stay here one second longer.�

Instead of taking offense at Gibbs' rudeness the woman laughed at him and threw him the tools he had asked for. It made short work of the damned shackle and gave him back his freedom.

Faint talking could be heard out of Chance's earpiece. “I'll guard the scumbag, you take the kid. Above's clear as well, they just informed me.�

.-#-.

Tony could only watch from much too far away as other agents, kited out in full gear and supported by a SERE team stormed the townhouse where his lover and his daughter were held captive. Experience and statistics told him in cold and unfeeling numbers and graphs that this was the point in a retrieve and rescue situation where the danger for the victims was highest. Not all perps took the sensible option and gave up when faced with an overwhelming police force. How would these criminals react? Would they panic and begin to shoot, would they coldly decide to eliminate their marks because they would slow them down if they managed to escape and might be able to identify them if left behind alive?

The agitated man took a step away from the ambulance in direction of the perimeter line that had been set up but that was all he could do before one of the guards he had been saddled with got into his way. “Agent DiNozzo, stop. Don't make me use force.�

The burly guard was outwardly not impressed by the poisonous glare his actions earned him. “You can't help now but it won't do anyone good if you drive yourself into a breakdown. Your daughter will need to see you calm and strong, not knocked out because you couldn't follow orders.�

On Tony's cue, a slight tilt of his head, Ziva stepped forward.

When the guard turned to concentrate on the more obvious threat, Tony reached out and snatched his earpiece before jumping back to get a glowering McGee and his little ninja between himself and the spluttering outsider. His teammates closed rank and all three of them ignored the protesting guard. Ducky, who had stood by them in silent support hung his head and sighed.

“Agent DiNozzo, this is a bad idea! Give it back, now!� Vance's lapdog demanded.

Tony put the device into his ear and spared the former owner a rude gesture. Yeah, he got it. They were afraid that he would flip or run amok if they found his family injured or dead. What they didn't seem to understand was that if it happened it didn't matter at what point he knew for sure. Now or later, he would be devastated all the same. He didn't know what he would do. Blaze down that god forsaken rat hovel of a house that barred him from reaching his loved ones, break down, drive, run, fly, …crawl back to the yard and tear Pete to bloody pieces before disappearing into the deepest, darkest hole he could find and never come out again.

All this opened a crack in his defenses and pointed a glaring spotlight on something he had refused to acknowledge, never mind look at fully. After this, if they all survived it, Tony swore an oath that he would never even touch on the time immediately after Shannon and Kelly's murders without Jethro initializing the conversation. He couldn't imagine how his lover had survived nearly intact and didn't want to brush against this wound.

If they all survived.

McGee got as near as possible while still blocking the guard so he might hear some of the transmission too. Of course the perps refused to come out with their hands in the air and without weapons. When had that demand ever been followed? Once in a blue moon, that's when.

With his eyes closed Tony listened as first one, then another kidnapper were subdued. Every loud voice made him hold his breath and send a nearly painful jolt of stress down his spine, every 'clear!' made him exhale.

“Tony... my dear boy, don't do that to yourself, that might not be...� Ducky cautioned anxiously.

“Shhhh.� Tony cut him off. Minutes seemingly stretched into hours and then he took one relieved breath and removed the earpiece. “Sam and Gibbs are alive, no visible injuries, mobile. They're being lead outside, right now.�

The communications device was dropped to the ground. If muscle man wanted it back, he could bend over and search, Tony had better things to do. Like darting ahead of the medics to the perimeter line with Ziva, Tim and Ducky in his wake. Nobody tried to stop him this time but he ignored the shouts of support and happiness that were aimed at him from all directions.

The smile on Vance's face, his teeth white and too shiny against his dark skin, agents securing the scene, medics with their bags arranging themselves around him, nothing mattered but the sight of the tall figure with a precious load in his arms that appeared in the doorway of the house.

Everything blurred around him, fast and slow at the same time and the next thing he was aware of was the unruly mop of Sam's hair under his lips and the beloved blue gaze of his lover locked with his own green eyes. There were words coming out of his mouth, undirected, unconnected, just wild babble that gave wings to his happiness and relief.

Sam had her limbs thrown around Jethro's body, her arms around his neck, her legs around his middle and she refused to let go. Even the sight of her father only made her loosen her grip with one hand and reach back to claw into Tony's shirt anchoring all three of them into a small isolated unit.

Tony nuzzled his daughter's hair, patted her down. “Oh baby, I'll never let you two out of my sight again...� If this looked strange to the watching people they could go to hell. Someday soon, when he could spare some attention, there would be time and words enough to blame the fact that his trembling hands weren't satisfied to check only Sam but had wandered to stroke over muscular shoulders, down a strong back and even dared to shyly stroke over dirty and matted gray hair.

“Tony.� Jethro's lips twitched. “DiNozzo!� was croaked with more force when the younger man could only stare back helplessly, suddenly wordless.

“You stink.� Of all the possible responses it was such an inane observation that made it out between his lips. Tony groaned and let his head sink down, resting it on Sam's head.

“Cell wasn't the Hilton,� Jethro said, the dryness not only attributable to his sore throat. Then, wrinkling his own nose, he continued, “What's your excuse?�

Only Jethro... Tony chuckled. Yeah, taking regular showers hadn't been on Tony's to do list the last two days. The banter was the needed push that shoved a world that had gone topsy-turvey on him back into the right perspective.

Tony grinned like a maniac, kissed Sam on the forehead, who looked up at him with bright but tired eyes, and then he looked around. His faithful sidekicks ��" hey, it was official, the Director had said it first- had formed a circle around the trio but beyond them paramedics, agents, police officers and Vance were playing spectators instead of doing their job. “Stop staring and move it! This is not the set of Independence Day after the last scene! Bossman and my squirt need to get warm and clean. Now!�

“They would do their job, if you'd let them,� the Director threw in and it was the signal for everyone to descend on Gibbs and Sam, with Tony and the rest of the team making sure that nobody got stupid ideas, like dividing them, no matter how unlikely that was. Every try to separate Sam from her father and her chosen guardian, Gibbs, was met with near hysterics by the little girl, no matter how much the paramedics wished to examine her in private and with only her father near, no matter how much Vance wanted to be debriefed without the girl present.

In the end the harried medics had to be content to watch as Dr. Mallard examined both rescue-es behind a makeshift wall of blankets with Sam on Tony's lap, Gibbs at her side. The Director got his oral preliminary report while the hoarse lead agent pressed the face of the now nearly sleeping girl against the crook of his neck. No need for her to be reminded of their ordeal.

After the end of his side of the story and a terse comment that he would write it down as soon as he could, Jethro demanded to know if the boss of the kidnappers was in custody.

“Locked up securely and singing.� Vance told him, but it was Tony's angry grumble that he hadn't been allowed to have a go at his nutty cousin that made him nod and relax.

“Gibbs, you, the little one and DiNozzo will spend the next few days at one of the official safe houses. Together. I don't want to see you at the office, not for one minute.� Vance clearly expected opposition to his orders because he hastily continued to speak and put up his sternest, prickliest Toothpick Face of Stony Resolve. “We have the Boss, we have the thugs but this time we will not depend on a criminal's word until we verified that all the perpetrators have been caught while you stay safe.

Maybe time would alter his perception, they would have to see, but for now the Director could have spared himself the effort. Tony could imagine a thousand things he wanted to do right now, going to work was not one of them and from his reaction Jethro agreed or he would have protested by now.

The only question his lover asked was: “Where's Abby?�

Their Mistress of the Dark hadn't accompanied them to the bust.

“Ah, Boss. Abby took the failure of her bat-bracelet very hard and holed herself up in her lab.� Tony began and then he had to stop because he didn't know what else to say. He loved the Goth dearly but he hadn't been sad that her absence during the last two days had spared him the additional burden of calming down the hyperactive woman.

Ducky cleared his throat. “Abigail is already at the safe house and I sent Mr. Palmer as company and to keep an eye on her. She said something about making the house as secure as Alcatraz.�

“Alcatraz?� Visions of heavy locks, bars and pits with snakes paraded in front of Tony's inner eye. “That doesn't reassure me. Ford Knox would be a better choice of comparison. Hasn't she seen 'The Rock' with Sean Connery? It is always easier to break INTO a prison, not out of it, that's a fact.� It was a weak joke but it made the agents around him smile.

“DiNozzo, for all I care Abs can erect a high voltage security fence as long as there's a comfy bed, a shower and a fully stocked kitchen in the middle.� Jethro grumbled and shifted the now deeply sleeping Sam into a more comfortable position.

“Yeah, me too, Boss, just not in that order.� Tony sighed. There went his plans of sleeping beside his lover. Not going to happen with the rest of the team in the house and an overprotective Abby fluttering around.

Vance used the lull in the ongoing activities to press his point home. “The house is quite comfortable. You don't seem to need an overnight stay at the hospital. Dr. Mallard can take blood for the required tests at the house.�

“The Team-� Tony began but was once more interrupted.

“Can visit you whenever they want during their week of leave but they should give you some privacy first to recuperate, don't you agree?�

Something in the Director's voice made Tony's inner watchman sit up and take notice, and from the thoughtful wrinkle between Jethro's brows, he wasn't the only one. “Director?�

Vance shifted his toothpick and stuck his hands in his pockets. “Don't worry, we'll have this discussion after your return. It isn't urgent. Enjoy your leave.�

They watched him follow Special Agent Chance to where the agency cars were parked.

“Does Toothpick always have to spoil every good moment?� McGee grumbled loudly and then indignantly glared back when his team members stared at him in astonishment.

“DiNozzo, not even three days without me and you've corrupted McGee.� Gibbs stood and made his way to the cars as well, his steps as sure and fast as ever, Tony at his heals grinning like a maniac with the rest of the team following them.

Food, shower and rest sounded perfect, for all of them.

.-#-.