**September 19th, 2008â€"1630 Hours**

It all started with that God damned shoulder holster.

The squad room was ungodly hot; had been for three days now, and with the maintenance crew on strike at the moment, Gibbs was sure there wouldn't be a reprieve any time soon but that didn't stop DiNozzo from parading around in that damned holster.

Picking up his nearly empty cup of coffee, he drained the lukewarm liquid in a single gulp, his eyes never leaving his Senior Field Agent.

Across the room, Tony pretended to be oblivious to the gaze, but he could feel the heat of Gibbs' stare blazing against his skin. Stronger men had crumbled under that icy gaze, but right now, it only served to make him hotter.

Leaning back in his chair, he linked his fingers behind his head and pretended to study the screen on his computer. Beside him, he heard McGee release a pitiful little moan as he mopped the sweat off of his forehead and across the way, Ziva uncapped her seventh bottle of water, draining it in under a minute.

Lifting his eyes from his computer monitor, Tony glanced over at Gibbs and offered him a ghost of a smirk as he stretched, giving the older man a better view of the black leather shoulder holster he'd taken to wearing again.

A nearly silent moan escaped Gibbs has he felt himself harden, his cock straining against his dark pants. He'd promised himself the last time that this… thing between him and his agent was over, but right now, none of that mattered; all that mattered was Tony and his damn holster.

He pretended to shuffle the papers that littered his desk while trying to think of anything to help with his raging erection, though after about a minute, it became clear that it wasn't going away so easily.

"Pack it up," he called gruffly, his voice hoarse with desire. "Too damn hot to go any longer."

"Oh thank God," McGee whimpered, pushing himself to his feet almost immediately.

From his desk, Gibbs watched impatiently as McGee and Ziva gathered their belongings and made a beeline for the elevators, leaving the overheated bullpen without questioning the reason for him sending them home so early.

Across the room, Tony lingered at his own desk, his smirk widening when he felt Gibbs' eyes on his back.

"Long day, huh Boss?"

"Gonna be an even longer night," Gibbs responded, his cock already twitching in anticipation.

"Got that right. There's a Magnum marathon on and then they're showing Casino Royale. Not my favorite Bond movie, butâ€""

"Not gonna be a TV involved."

"Butâ€""

"Thirty minutes," he growled as he pulled his service weapon and badge of the top drawer of his desk. Slamming it shut, he stalked out of the bullpen, pausing at the elevator. "And Tony?"

"Yeah Boss?"

"Wear the holster."

--

Pulling up in front of the two-story house, Tony swallowed nervously as he shifted the Mustang into park. It was far from the first time he'd done this with Gibbs, but rather than becoming more comfortable, he found himself more nervous than when they started.

Reaching over, he grabbed the six-pack of beer from the passenger seat before he climbed out, kicking the door shut behind him. His stomach clenched uncomfortably as he climbed up the front steps, shifting the beer under his arm as he raised his hand to knock.

The door swung open almost immediately, revealing a clearly irritated Gibbs, his arms crossed over his cotton-clad chest. "Gave you thirty, DiNozzo, not thirty six."

Holding up the drinks as an explanation, Tony slipped past him and made his way into the kitchen, pulling a beer out of the pack on his way.

Walking up behind him, Gibbs snatched the bottle from his hand and slammed it down on the countertop.

"What theâ€"" he started, only to be interrupted by his boss' insistent lips on his as he backed him up against the refrigerator door. Tony nearly melted under the attentions of his older lover, his tongue darting out to wet his lips when they pulled apart. "Gibbs…" he managed, cringing slightly at the needy tone of his voice.

"You see what that damn holster does to me?" The silver-haired man asked, pressing his body against Tony's as he fingered the leather strap. "Every time you wear it."

"Can't… can't see it, but I can… Oh God. I can feel it… feels good, Boss."

The older man chuckled quietly as he pulled away, snapping his fingers at his agent. "Upstairs. Want you ready for me in five."

"On… On it," Tony responded, pushing away from the refrigerator.

Gibbs watched him go with a smirk before he turned his attention to the previously discarded beer. Despite the fact that Tony put on a confident front, he could always taste the alcohol on his breath. Apparently, that was the only way the Senior Agent could ease his nervousness when it came to their encounters, but he'd had about enough of that.

Tonight, he was going to take Tony while he was completely sober.

Placing the beer in the refrigerator, Gibbs hurried out of the kitchen and made his way up the stairs. Pausing just outside the door, he peeked in and spotted Tony perched on the edge of the bed wearing nothing but his underwear and the holster.

A quiet growl escaped him as he hardened even more at the sight. Pushing the door all the way open, he stepped into the room and snapped fingers at the young man.

"Lay back," he commanded. "Now."

Tony swallowed hard as he laid down against the mattress, his long, bare legs hanging over the edge.

Pulling his shirt off, Gibbs dropped it to the floor as he stalked over to the bed, his eyes never leaving Tony's tense body.

"Relax."

If possible, the younger man tensed up even more at the single word, though he pasted his famous 'DiNozzo' grin firmly on his face as he linked his fingers behind his head in an attempt to appear at ease.

"I am, Gibbs… Jethro," he corrected.

The older man said nothing as he moved to straddle Tony, a wolfish grin on his face. Beneath him, Tony squirmed slightly, already beginning to harden under the older man despite the nerves that were plaguing him.

He ran his hands over Tony's arms and stomach before tucking his fingers under the waistband of his boxers, leaning down to kiss him just as he lifted his hips against the slight touch.

"Like that, huh?" He teased, nipping the Italian's earlobe as he moaned quietly. "How about this?" He asked, wrapping his long, calloused fingers around Tony's length inside his boxers.

"God… Jet, please…"

"Please what?" He teased, inching the boxers down over his prominent erection.

Tony moaned loudly, bucking into his lover's hand again. "Don't… don't make me say it."

"Oh I'm gonna make you say it. Gonna break you down tonight, Tony. Gonna get in your head. You ready for that?"

"Does it involve you getting naked and putting your dick in me?"

"You bet."

There was an unintelligible response from Tony as he closed his eyes, savoring the feeling of his boss' hands teasing his firm body.

"You think you're ready for me?" Gibbs asked, leaning down to nip at his jaw, grinning against the stubbly skin when a quiet whimper reached his ears.

"Yes," he managed, the word coming out as a strangled gasp. "God, yes."

"We'll see," he chuckled, leaning over to grab the lube and unopened condom from the night stand.

Beneath him, Tony continued to squirm, gripping the sheets of the bed in an effort to keep from grabbing his own cock to relieve some of the pressure.

It was one of the first lessons he'd been taught: he did not come until he was given permission.

Freeing Tony's legs from his boxers, Gibbs tossed the flimsy fabric to the floor before he opened the bottle of lube, coating his finger generously. "Gonna stretch you out a bit," he reminded his younger lover, leaning down to press a kiss to his well-sculpted chest. "You will relax."

"Y… yes, Boss."

"Good boy," Gibbs grinned. Shifting just slightly on the bed, he rested his free hand on Tony's hip as he moved the other between his legs. A quiet gasp escaped the Italian as he felt the finger pressed against him, demanding entry.

"Jethro," he moaned, clenching unintentionally.

"Take it," Gibbs commanded, pressing harder against him. Another moan escaped Tony as he forced himself to relax, giving his lover complete and total access.

Slipping his finger in easily, Gibbs leaned down and pressed another kiss to Tony's chest, nipping his sensitive skin playfully as a reward.

"That's good, Tony," he murmured, his breath tickling the Italian's skin. "You're doin' real good."

"Need you, Jet," he whimpered, crying out as a second finger slipped inside. "Oh God." Closing his eyes, Tony lifted his hips off of the mattress, desperate to have his boss buried inside of him.

"I love you like this, you know. Primed and ready for me."

The younger man struggled to keep himself from thrashing around on the bed, pushing his head against the pillow in an attempt to hold still. "P… please."

Gibbs looked up from his chest and grinned, his eyes sparkling as he opened the condom packet with his teeth, his fingers still buried inside his lover.

"You think you're ready for me, DiNozzo?"

"Oh God, yes, Jet. Please… I want you in me."

Withdrawing his fingers from Tony's body, the older man used one hand to hold him still as he rolled the condom on carefully, his cock twitching against as he moved into place between the agent's legs.

In one swift motion, he buried himself inside Tony, barely stifling the loud moan that threatened to escape him. Beneath him, Tony cried out, his breathing ragged as he shifted his legs and lifted his hips again, silently begging for all of him.

Unable to control himself, Gibbs set a quick pace as he began to thrust inside of the other man. He could feel Tony's hands clawing at his back and ass, trying to gain some sort of control, but it was to no avail; Gibbs was too strong for him and in his current position, he couldn't do much more than lay there and take what he was offered.

Grabbing his Italian's arms, he shifted so that he could pin his wrists above his head, loving the way he struggled under him.

"Oh God," he whimpered, feeling completely immobilized under Gibbs' familiar weight. "God, Jethro."

"You wait for me," Gibbs growled, leaning down to nip at Tony's shoulder.

"I c… can't!" He cried, feeling himself so very close to the edge.

Reaching down between them, Gibbs grabbed his agent's throbbing cock, squeezing in warning.

Tony whimpered pitifully, lifting his head up in an attempt to coax Gibbs into kissing him as forcefully as he was fucking him. He loved being filled by the older man, especially when he had his tongue in his mouth and he could feel every moan that he released.

Gibbs obliged him, moving his lips from Tony's shoulder to his mouth and kissing him deeply, drinking in the whimpers and cries that the younger man was releasing as he pounded him.

Releasing Tony's wrists from above his head, he used his free hand to hold his hips still as his other hand teased his cock.

"Please, please, please," Tony cried, struggling against him. "So… so fucking close, Jet."

Without another word, Gibbs relaxed his hand against Tony, silently giving his permission as he thrusted harder, his own breaths coming out in short, ragged spurts.

A loud cry tore from Tony's throat as he felt his boss explode inside of him, and seconds later, he felt himself lose it, spraying both their chests and stomachs.

Collapsing on top of his agent, Gibbs pressed a kiss to his shoulder before he rolled off, panting heavily as he tried to kiss his breath.

"You… you alright, DiNozzo?"

"Mmm," Tony responded, his eyes closing sleepily.

A quiet chuckle escaped the older man as he pushed himself up and climbed from the bed, making his way into the bathroom as he pulled the used condom off to discard it.

Tony was completely oblivious to the older man's absence and he didn't even realize he'd returned to the room, wet washcloth in hand until he felt the cool fabric against his flushed skin.

"Boss," he protested, attempting to swat the hands away from his chest.

"Shut up, DiNozzo," Gibbs growled affectionately as he swiped the cloth across his agent's belly, moving his hand even lower with a slight smirk.

A strangled moan escaped Tony when he felt the cloth wrap around his limp cock, and he pushed himself up in an attempt to escape his boss' gentle hands.

"What do you think you're doin'? Lay back down so I can finish cleanin' you up."

"I can do it myself."

"Did I give you that option?"

"Well, no, butâ€""

"Then lay back down and shut up."

He spread the younger man's legs again, frowning darkly when he saw the little bit of his come that had apparently leaked out of Tony and onto the sheets. "Tony."

"You know, just… I'll get outta here, huh? Go home and take a shower. That'll be easier."

"Knock it off. I was just gonna tell you… I think the condom broke."

The Italian looked into his boss' blue eyes, his own darkening slightly as he schooled his face into a smug grin. "I'm clean. Just had my annual physical last week."

"Good. I am too."

"Figured as much, Boss. Don't know a bug that would be willin' to cross swords with you. Don't worry about… you know, the other thing either. My doc says I only cycle once every few months, so that's not gonna be an issue."

For half a second, Gibbs felt his face fall before he forced it back into his usual smirk. With a curt nod, he finished cleaning up the younger man before he stood and headed into the bathroom to discard the soiled cloth.

Returning a moment later, his frown returned when he spotted Tony perched on the edge of the bed, pulling his boxers up slowly.

"Where do you think you're goin'?" Gibbs growled, crossing his arms over his firm chest.

"I uh… just thought I'd… y'know…"

"Not finished with you yet."

"Oh."

Smirking at the younger man, Gibbs climbed back onto the bed and settled himself in before he reached over, tugging Tony against his chest. He could feel the way he tensed against him, his breaths coming out in harsh little gasps despite his best attempts at calming himself.

If it hadn't been so offensive, Gibbs probably would have laughed. "Problems, Tony?"

"Just peachy, Boss," he responded cheekily, shifting just slightly in Gibbs' arms. "Just… y'know, you're not really the cuddling type and it's kind of weird that you…" he trailed off when the large hand tapped the top of his head. "Right. Shutting up."

"That why you always drink beforehand? Because I'm not the 'cuddling' type?"

"I don't always… It just helps me relax a little."

"I make you that uncomfortable?"

"What? No, of course not, it's just… Jesus. Can't believe I'm bein' made to talk about my feelings with you of all people."

That earned him another swat.

"Hey!" Tony protested, sitting up enough to glare at the older man. "I just… up until we started this whole… thing, you were the straightest guy I knew. Finding out that you… well, it's not so easy to get used to, Boss."

"You weren't exactly honest aboutâ€""

"The whole military thing," Tony responded dismissively. "Last thing I needed was a bunch of rough and tumble Marines tryin' to kick my ass because I like a little… meat in my diet."

A quiet laugh escaped the older man as he pushed himself up and shook his head. "I don't know about you sometimes, DiNozzo."

That earned him a grin as he stretched out on the comfortable bed, clasping his hands behind his head. "Since I know that you're into the whole… cuddling thing, you think we could maybe give it a try again?"

Cocking an eyebrow at Tony, Gibbs couldn't help but grin as he sank back down onto the mattress beside him, lifting his arm to allow Tony to curl up beside him.

"You know, Tony… I probably shoulda talked to you about this before now. I didn't know you were feelin' that way."

Beside him, Tony released a content sigh as he dropped his head to his boss' bare chest, closing his eyes. "Is that an apology? From Leroy Jethro Gibbs?" He asked, the smirk evident by the tone of his voice.

Snorting, Gibbs lifted his hand and swatted his agent gently before he pulled him closer.

"No, I didn't think so."

**October 3othâ€"1345 Hours**

Ziva shook her head as she looked across the bullpen at her partner. "Oh Tony… That is disgusting."

"I'm sorry, Zee-vah, but I can't help it. My stomach's all…I don't know, but it's makin' me burp. It's just as unpleasant for me as it is for you."

"I seriously doubt that," she responded with a roll of her eyes. "Perhaps if you would stop eating the corn canes, thenâ€""

"Candy corn," he corrected automatically, leaning back in his chair as he grabbed another handful from his bag. "And they're delicious. You can only find them this time of year, you know."

"And there's a reason for that," McGee smirked. "Who eats candy corn?"

"I do," Tony responded.

"Apparently," Gibbs scoffed as he walked into the room, wrinkling his nose as he spotted the half eaten bag of candy on his Senior Agent's desk. "What…" he trailed off, wrinkling his nose again. "What is that God awful smell?"

Offering his boss a sheepish smile, Tony offered a half-shrug. "Sorry, Boss."

"Stomach still botherin' you?"

"You mean you really cannot tell?" Ziva asked dryly, covering her nose with her hand. "He has been awful today, Gibbs."

"Go down and see Abby. I'm pretty sure she stocked up on Pepto with Halloween comin' up. She does every year."

Pushing himself to his feet, Tony winced as his stomach turned uncomfortably though he forced a smile when he spotted the almost concerned look on his boss' face.

He made his way over to the elevator and slumped against the wall as he rode down to the Goth's lab. When the doors slid open, he stepped off, his head already beginning to pound at the loud music she was listening to.

Without hesitation, he walked over to her stereo and turned it off before he dropped into the chair at her desk. "Tony," she growled, rolling her eyes at his low moan. "You know better than to mess with my…" She started, frowning darkly when she noticed him gripping his stomach. "Still sick, huh? Good thing I picked up the Pepto Bismol this morning."

"Thanks Abs," he groaned quietly. "It's that damn candy corn, I think."

She cocked an eyebrow at him, handing over the pink bottle. "You hate candy corn, Tony."

"I know, and trust me, I'm paying for it. Ugh, I've already stunk up the squad room," he muttered, squinting down at the bottle in his hand.

"You know… it may not be from the Halloween candy this year."

"What?

"I just mean… have you thought about seeing a doctor?" She asked almost hesitantly. "You've been nauseous for almost a week and you are seeing that mystery guy pretty regularly."

"I haven't seen him in a couple weeks, Abby. And quit calling him 'Mystery Guy'. Please." Releasing a slightly indignant sigh, he uncapped the bottle quickly. "How much of this can I take again?"

"Just the two tablespoons for right now. You take too much, and you won't be able to leave the bathroom. Remember what happened last Halloween?"

He cringed at the memory as he poured the pink liquid into the cap before he swallowed it quickly, wincing at the taste. "Ugh. I hate this stuff. It has an awful taste."

"But it'll make you feel better, "she reminded him, leaning over to peck his cheek as she plucked the medicine out of his hand. "So, you'll see a doctor? Soon?"

"There's no need. It's just an upset stomach. Nothin' a little Pepto won't take care of," he said, forcing a smile as he pushed himself to his feet, dropping a kiss to her forehead. "Thanks for takin' care of me."

"You're welcome," she responded, though her face slipped into a frown as he made his way to the doorway. Though Tony had always been careful when it came to his male partners, she couldn't help but wonder if maybe he hadn't as careful as he thought this time around.

**Two Days Laterâ€"0545 Hours**

Rolling over in the large bed, Tony released a quiet whimper as he burrowed deeper into his blankets. He immediately regretted the movement, however, when he felt his stomach turn again for the second time that hour. He barely managed to grab the trashcan off of the floor near his bed before he retched again, groaning quietly as he emptied what little was left in his belly.

He'd been up half the night, unable to sleep thanks to the horrible nausea that had been plaguing him for nearly a week. It was after 0330 that he finally vomited, giving his stomach the relief it had been begging for.

Finishing up, he rolled onto his back and whimpered again, reaching for his phone on the night stand. Swiping the back of his hand across his mouth, he flipped the device open and pressed '1' on his speed dial.

"Yeah, Gibbs."

"Hey, Boss."

"Tony?" The silver-haired man asked, his tone clearly concerned. It wasn't something that Tony was used to hearing and to be honest, it startled him. "Everything okay?"

"Uh… no, not really. I uh… I don't feel so good, Boss. I've been up pukin' half the night."

"Finally caught up with you, huh? Stay home today. Get some rest."

"Are… are you sure? I mean, I can come in if you want me to. I was just callin' toâ€""

Gibbs growled quietly. "What did I say, DiNozzo?

"To stay home and rest," he repeated, his voice flat.

"Then quit arguin' and do it," was the clipped response.

Exhaling a sigh, Tony opened his mouth to speak again when another wave of intense nausea hit him, forcing him over the side of the bed.

A dry sob escaped him as he heaved despite not having anything left to bring up. A second later, he realized his boss was still on the other end of the phone.

"Oh shit," he moaned, snapping the device shut between his fingers before he dropped it to the floor beside his trashcan. Flopping back against his pillows, he wrapped his arms around his middle, willing the nausea to go away. His entire body ached from the effort and he wanted nothing more than to fall asleep.

"This… really sucks," he muttered to himself as he rolled onto his side, one hand resting on his belly. Closing his eyes, he released another sigh and prayed for sleep to find him.

**Tony's Apartmentâ€"1100 Hours**

The first thing he became aware of was that he was not alone. He could feel a large hand resting on the top of his head, long fingers threading through his hair. His first instinct was to go for the gun but somehow, without even opening his eyes, he knew he didn't have to.

Snuggling closer to the source of the warmth, he released a content sigh before he stretched out lazily on the bed. "Mmm… What're you doin' here, Boss?"

A quiet chuckle escaped the older man. "How'd you know it was me?"

"Sawdust," Tony responded, forcing his tired eyes open to glance up at Gibbs. "Shouldn't you be at work terrorizin' Probie and Ziva?"

"I'm right where I need to be."

"Jetâ€""

"That was not a good feelin' this mornin', Tony. Don't like when you're this sick. It isn't normal for you."

"I'm fine," Tony responded, pushing himself up into a sitting position as if to prove his point. "I took Abby to a Halloween party last night because McGoo had one of his Elf Lord things and I binged on candy. It's not a big deal. I felt a little better as soon as I threw up."

At his side, Gibbs said nothing though he continued to study him carefully.

Leaning over, Tony pressed a shy kiss to Gibbs' lips before pulling away. "I appreciate the concern Jethro, but really, I'm fine," he promised.

Nodding, Gibbs swept his fingers through Tony's hair once more and pulled away, pushing himself up off the bed. "Good. I'm gonna head in to the office, but you shouldâ€""

"I'm comin' in too," Tony responded, throwing the covers back from his body. He shivered slightly as the chilly air in the room hit his body, but he pushed himself to his feet and offered Gibbs his usual smile.

"DiNozzo…"

"C'mon, Jet! I feel better, I'm not contagious and I'm gonna go nuts if I have to lay around in this apartment all day. Please?"

Releasing a slightly irritated sigh, Gibbs nodded again. "Alright. It hasn't been too busy today anyway and I'm sure McGee and Ziva could use the extra help."

"What exactly are they doing?"

"Re-filing cold cases," Gibbs responded with a smirk.

"You know what, Boss? It's the funniest thing, but suddenly, I'm not feelin' so hot."

"Nice try. See you at the office in 30."

"Can I at least stop and grab lunch first?" Tony asked hopefully, a sheepish smile on his face. "Now that I don't feel like I'm gonna puke, I'm starvin'."

**NCIS Headquartersâ€"12:35 Hours**

"Y'know," Tony sighed, leaning against the cold metal wall of the elevator, glancing over at his boss, "I didn't need an escort down to autopsy. I know how to find my way."

"Didn't want you to pass out in the elevator," Gibbs responded automatically, offering his Senior Agent a smirk as he crossed his arms over his chest. "And you keep quiet or I'll send you right back into the squad room to help Ziva and McGee."

"Shutting up now."

"That's what I thought."

"I really do feel fine now, Boss."

"Yeah, I could tell by the way you inhaled that sub you had for lunch," Gibbs responded, the slightest trace of a grin on his face as the elevator dinged, depositing them onto Abby's floor. "You help her get caught up cataloguing the evidence and when you're done, I'll find somethin' else for ya."

"Got it," he grinned, stepping off the elevator. He waited until the doors closed before turning away, tugging at his slowly shrinking suit jacket in an attempt to straighten it as he made his way in to the lab.

"Hey Abs!" He greeted, making his way over to drop a kiss to her cheek.

She turned around, her hands immediately finding her hips as she frowned at him accusingly. "Feeling better?"

"I'm fine. A hundred and ten percent. But I'm glad to see that an upset tummy is good gossip around here these days."

Narrowing her eyes at him, she crossed her arms over her chest. "You didn't seriously think that Gibbs wouldn't tell me you threw up this morning, did you?"

The older man groaned, dropping his head back. "He was overreacting, whatever he said."

"You should be flattered that he cares. I know for a fact that last month when Palmer thought he had swine flu, Gibbs told him to quit contaminating autopsy but he certainly didn't make a house call after he sent him home."

"Abbyâ€""

"Maybe the Bossman has a crush on you! Oh my gosh, you guys would be too cute together! You want me to try and get a feel for him? I couldâ€""

"Abby! C'mon, enough."

"Well, I'm just sayin'."

"Yeah, well quit sayin' that," he responded, crossing his arms over his chest as he stared at her pointedly. "Now… what did you need my help with?"

"Cataloguing evidence," she responded, turning back to her work bench. Snatching a pair of gloves from the box, she tossed them to Tony before she snapped her own in place, offering him a bright smile.

He rolled his eyes playfully, though he dutifully slid his gloves onto his hands before he made his way over to her. "Okay. So what are we doing first?"

---

It was nearly an hour later when they finally finished retagging and cataloguing the box of evidence on her table, and as grateful as he'd been to get out of desk duty, this hadn't been much better.

Sagging just slightly against the table, Tony pulled the rubber gloves from his hands and dropped them into the trash before he ran a hand over his tired face.

"I think that may have been even more boring than re-filing cold cases," he announced, pushing off from the table as he followed his friend back into her office.

"But the best part is Gibbs isn't hovering so I get to take as many breaks as I want," she responded with a smirk as she sank down into the chair behind her desk.

"I knew I trained you well," he grinned, perching himself on the edge of her desk with a groan. While he had initially felt better, the nausea that had been plaguing him for the last week had returned, though it was nowhere near as bad as it had been.

"You okay, Tonyboy?" Abby asked, grabbing her lunch bag from the shelf behind her desk.

"I'm fine," he muttered, forcing a smile for her benefit.

"You're lookin' a little green. Stomach botherin' you again?"

"I'm just…" He swallowed hard, wincing as his stomach turned. "Ugh."

"Here," she responded, pulling a banana out of her bag. "Eat that. It'll help settle it."

"I don't… I don't know if that's such a good idea, Abs. Already feels like lunch is gonna come back up. Might not be a good idea to put anything else in there."

She rolled her eyes and shoved the banana into his hand. "Trust me, Tony. Eat it or I'll sic Gibbs on you."

Offering her an irritated glare, he glanced down at the banana in his hand before he peeled it slowly, a low moan escaping him as the smell hit him full force. "I'm gonna…" Dropping the piece of fruit to her desk, he pushed himself up and bolted to the bathroom.

Pushing the door open, he dropped to his knees in front of the toilet, retching violently as he spilled the contents of his stomach into the cool bowl. His entire body trembled as he heaved and behind him, he could hear Abby's tense voice as she drew closer.

"Tony… Are you okay?" She asked, sinking to her knees behind him, resting a gentle hand against his back.

"I don't… I don't think so," he managed seconds before he heaved again.

Behind him, she pulled her phone from her pocket and dialed Gibbs' number, rubbing her friend's back in what she hoped was a soothing manner.

"Gibbs," the voice on the other end of the phone barked.

"I need you in the lab," she said by way of greeting.

"Abby? What's goin' on?"

"Tony's getting sick again. Hurry," she responded, snapping the phone closed. Shoving the device into her back pocket, she pushed herself to her feet, wincing at the sound of him retching again. "I'll be right back," she promised, hurrying out of the bathroom.

Sprinting back into her office, she grabbed a clean cup off of the shelf behind her desk and released a sigh of relief when she heard Gibbs and Ducky's voices in the hallway.

"Abby?"

"He's in the bathroom, Gibbs."

Not needing to be told twice, the older man hurried over to the bathroom and shoved the door open, cringing when he found his agent and sometimes lover hunched over the toilet, vomiting violently.

Dropping into a crouch behind him, Gibbs rested a gentle hand on his back, his frown darkening when Tony pulled away from the touch.

"DiNozzo…"

"This… this really sucks, Boss."

"Gonna get Ducky to take a look at ya, then we'll get you home," Gibbs promised, dropping his hand to Tony's back again. This time, the younger man leaned into the touch and it was all Gibbs could do to suppress his smile.

"Let's get him down to autopsy, Jethro. I'll be able to get a better look at him there."

"No," Tony managed, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "I… I feel better now."

"Tony, I really think you should let him check you out," Abby said as she slipped past the medical examiner to the wink, filling the plastic cup with cool water before she handed it to him.

"I'm fine… I just…" He took a small sip of water, rinsing his mouth out before he leaned over and spit it into the toilet. "I'm okay now."

"Wasn't a suggestion, Tony," Gibbs said softly, running a gentle hand over his back before helping him to his feet. "Let's go."

The elevator trip down to Autopsy was short and before Tony knew it, Gibbs had him up on one of the cold steel tables, his large warm hand running through his hair again.

Making her way over to where he was resting, Abby shrugged her lab coat off before offering it to him as a makeshift pillow.

"Thanks Abs," Gibbs said, accepting the balled up fabric from the scientist's hands. Easing Tony up carefully, he placed the coat under his head.

"Lay back now," he commanded gently, his hand resting against the agent's shoulder.

Crossing her arms over her chest, Abby watched as Gibbs' hand returned to her friend's hair, her eyes never leaving the pair. In all the years she'd known Gibbs, she'd never seen him quite so comfortable around anyone other than herself.

The two were oblivious to the attention she was paying them, and Ducky was far too concerned with the younger agent to notice much else. She watched them carefully until the examination was over, trying to figure out if she'd missed something or if it was all a figment of her hopeful imagination.

"C'mon, Tony. Let's get you home," Gibbs said, helping the younger man down off the table, careful not to jostle him too much.

"Gibbs…"

"Again, not a topic for debate. You're goin' home. I never should have let you come in today anyway."

"I can take him if you want," Abby offered, reaching for her friend's hand, anxious for a moment alone with Tony.

"No need," Gibbs responded with a shake of his head. "I'm gonna get him settled in and then I'll be back."

"Boss, I can drive myself home," Tony groaned, his voice hoarse. Though the need to vomit was no longer there since he'd emptied his stomach, he still felt incredibly nauseated and his throat almost felt raw.

"I would feel better if I knew you had someone drive you home, Anthony."

"Duckyâ€""

"No arguments," Gibbs growled, reaching up to tap his agent on the back of his head, though he offered him a half smile. "C'mon, let's get outta here."

Releasing a sigh of indignation, Tony allowed his boss to lead him over to the doorway, though he stopped when Gibbs turned back to Ducky.

"Anything in particular you think he'll need, Duck?"

"Perhaps some ginger ale to settle his stomach but unfortunately, I think this is just one of those bugs that he's going to have to ride out."

"I coulda told you that," Tony muttered, a quiet moan escaping him when his stomach turned again. "Ugh… Boss…"

"Alright, let's go," Gibbs said, turning back to the younger man quickly. Wrapping an arm around his waist, he allowed the agent to hang onto him as he led him out of autopsy and to the elevator.

**Tony's Apartmentâ€"1800 Hours**

Tony let out a small chuckle at the episode of Magnum, P.I. that he'd been watching, taking another small sip of his ginger ale when he heard a loud knocking at his front door. Dropping his head back against the pillow, he groaned quietly, hoping that it wasn't Gibbs or Ducky coming back to check in on him. "It's open," he called, leaning forward to set his glass on the coffee table.

Half a second later, Abby pushed the door open and came barreling into the living room, her arms crossed off her chest as she offered him an accusing glare. "You've been hiding from me."

"Have not," he replied, offering the Goth a bright smile. "I've been watchin' Magnum and resting."

"So that makes it okay to not answer your phone?" She asked incredulously, cocking an eyebrow at him.

"Did you come here to lecture me, Abs? Coulda done that over voicemail and saved yourself a trip."

Plopping down onto the couch beside him, she socked him in the arm, her frown darkening. "Not funny, DiNozzo. I've been worried sick about you all afternoon!"

"You've got a funny way of showing it!" He growled, rubbing the sore spot on his arm before he leaned forward and took another sip of his drink, wincing slightly as he swallowed. "I just keep waitin' for it to come back up."

"Still not feelin' well?" She asked, all traces of annoyance gone from her voice.

"I'm better, but my stomach still feels a little weird."

"Tony…" She sighed, reaching up to run her fingers through his hair. "I know you don't wanna hear this, but I really think you should see a doctor."

"Abby, we're not doing this."

"Just hear me out… please?"

Crossing his arms over his chest, he pulled away from her touch and focused his eyes on the television. "We are not doing this."

"The symptoms are there and just ignoring them won't make this go away. You've been nauseous for over a week, you've got an aversion to foods that you used to love and you've been eating candy corn like it's going out of style."

"So?"

"So? Tony, you hate candy corn but you've been craving it! That doesn't seem the least bit weird to you?"

"No," he muttered stubbornly.

"Just… take a test. If it's negative, you won't be out anything and I'll quit bugging you about this."

"It's not possible. We were always careful and…" he trailed off. "Oh, God."

"What?"

"The… the condom. The last time we were together, it broke and… Oh God," he said again, leaning forward as he dropped his head into his hands. "What am I… Abby, what am I gonna do?"

"The first thing you're going to do is calm down," she said, resting her hand against his back gently. "Take a couple deep breaths," she instructed. "The last thing we need right now is for you to get worked up and make yourself sick."

"I don't… I'm not feelin' so good."

"Shh… deep breaths. C'mon. We're gonna get up and go into the bathroom. You gonna be able to stay with me?"

"Y… yeah, I think so."

"Good. C'mon then." Pulling him to his feet gently, she wrapped an arm around his waist in an attempt to steady him as they made their way to the bathroom.

She helped him to sit down on the edge of the bathtub before dropping her back to the bathroom counting. Sifting through it, she found what she was looking for and turned back to him, holding a pregnancy test in her hand. "Time to face the truth, T."

"Abs… God, you know those things are only half as reliable on men."

"It's better than nothing and I can't draw blood on you until tomorrow. Wouldn't you rather know sooner than later?"

"Not if it's a false positive! Then I'm gonna be freakin' out over nothin'."

The Goth reached over and smacked the older man on the back of his head. "Take the test. I'll be outside."

"You mean you don't wanna stand there and make sure, Nurse Ratched?"

Offering him a glare, she shook her head and slipped out of the bathroom, pulling the door closed behind her. Sinking down onto his bed, she kicked her boots off and pulled her knees up to her chest, glancing over at the clock with a quiet sigh.

It was less than a minute later when the door opened and Tony stepped out.

"That was a pretty quick ten minutes."

"I just… didn't want to wait by myself," he muttered, making his way over to the bed before he dropped down onto the mattress beside her.

Leaning over, she wrapped an arm around his shoulder, pulling him close. "I know this is scary, but… no matter what that test says, you know we'll all be here with you."

"I know," he responded quietly, attempting a brave smile.

It was the longest ten minutes of their lives, Abby decided. The clock beside his bed taunted them as each minute passed at an excruciatingly slow rate, though finally, it was time. "Tony?"

"You do it. I can't… I can't look at it."

Nodding, she leaned over and pressed a kiss to his forehead before she pushed herself up and made her way towards the bathroom. Swallowing hard, she pushed the door open and slipped inside, grabbing the small white test from the counter. Glancing down, a quiet gasp escaped her as she spotted the little blue plus sign.

"Oh, Tony…" Blinking back the unexplained tears, she turned back to the bedroom, but by the look on his face, she could tell he already knew.

"What am I gonna do, Abs?"

"Well first… you're going to have to tell Gibbs."

**November 1stâ€"1813 hours**

Tony crossed his arms over his chest, narrowing his eyes at the scientist. "It's none of his business, Abby. At least not right now."

"Tony…" she tried, looking over him carefully. "He's going to figure it out, you know that. Wouldn't you rather come clean now? He'll be pissed if he finds out that you knew and didn't tell him. I mean, it's not like he doesn't know you're bi."

"He's gonna be pissed either way," he muttered miserably. "It shouldn't have happened. If I hadn't goneâ€""

"Oh. My. God."

The Italian looked up, his eyes widening when he realized what he'd just said. "Abby…"

"You're having Gibbs' baby?" She exclaimed, punching his shoulder. "You didn't tell me! God, Tony! You should have told me you were together! You know I could have kept something like that a secret!"

"We're not together!"

"Ooh, ships in the night? Hot. I shouldn't known you and the Bossman would hook up eventually. You're too hot to resist."

"I'm glad you find all this so amusing!" He growled, pushing himself to his feet as he began to pace in front of her. "I know this seems like something out of one of your trashy romance novels, but if you could just keep in mind that this real life stuff here, Abs, that'd be really great!"

Her face fell for a fraction of a second before she schooled it back into a look of annoyance. "Well… we certainly don't have to worry about the validity of the test. Think your bitchiness is pretty much proving it to be true," she said curtly as she pushed herself up from the mattress, grabbing her previously discarded bag. "Come down to the lab in the morning if you want and I'll draw some blood."

"Abby, wait," he tried, reaching for her hand as she stalked towards the doorway. "Wait, please. I'm sorry!"

"I didn't mean to seem like I was making light of your situation," she said, closing her eyes and inhaling deeply before she turned back to him.

Offering her a shaky smile, he sank back down onto the mattress, releasing a nearly hysterical laugh. "I don't… I'm not cut out to be a father. I don't know the first thing about raising a kid."

"Gibbs does."

"I can't tell him."

"You have to! You can't keep something like this from him, Tony. It's not fair."

"I don't care about fair. I care about him not kickin' my ass."

Settling herself beside him, she offered him a sad smile. "I think he's more likely to kick your ass if he finds out you withheld this from him. You really think it won't come out sooner or later?"

Dropping his head to his hands, he groaned quietly. "I'll be lucky if I still have a job after I tell him."

Leaning over, the Goth wrapped an arm around his shoulder, pulling him against her side before she dropped a kiss to the top of his head. "You're not giving him nearly enough credit." Releasing a quiet sigh, she pulled away and ran her fingers through his hair. "Give yourself a couple of days to get used to the idea, but don't wait too long to tell him," she warned, pushing herself up again.

"Where are you going?"

"You need some time to think about this, T. It's a lot to take in."

"Please don't go," he begged, cringing at how whiny his tone was. "Please? I don't… I don't wanna deal with this alone. Not right now, anyway."

"Tony…"

"Please, Abs? C'mon. We'll hang out, finish the Magnum marathon. I just… I don't think about it tonight."

"You can't ignore something like this."

"I'm not gonna ignore it. I just wanna forget it for now. Please?"

She eyed him carefully before she dropped her head back, groaning. "Alright," she agreed. "But just a few episodes and then you need to get some sleep. You've had a long couple of days."

"Yes Mother," he replied sarcastically, accepting her hand as she pulled him up from the bed.

Rolling her eyes, she wrapped an arm around his waist as they made their way back out into the living room. Sinking down onto the couch, she patted her lap in an invitation, unable to suppress her smile when he dropped down beside her and shifted against the cushions to lay his head in her lap.

"You're too good to me sometimes, Abby."

"Yeah, I know," she teased, leaning down to press a kiss to his forehead before she grabbed the blanket off the back of the couch, draping it over him carefully. Leaning back against the couch, she dropped her hands to hair, grinning when she felt him practically purring at the touch. "You're way too easy."

"That's what Jet tells me," the Italian replied sleepily, his eyelids already beginning to droop at the feeling of her hands massaging his scalp gently.

Stifling a quiet giggle, Abby shook her head at her friend as she turned her attention to the television though it wasn't long before Tony's quiet snores filled the living room.

"Sleep well, Tonyboy," she mumbled quietly.

**November 4thâ€"0630 hours**

Tony sighed heavily as he climbed out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist before he made his way back into the bedroom. It was only 0630, but he'd been up for most of the night, unable to sleep due to thoughts of Gibbs.

The older man had been calling him all weekend, trying to check in on him, but miraculously, he'd managed to avoid his phone calls. Now that Monday had arrived, he knew that he wasn't going to be able to avoid him any longer and the possibility of his Boss cornering him in the elevator was making him sick to his stomach.

"Get over it, DiNozzo," he muttered, rubbing a hand over his face. Sinking down onto the mattress, he glanced over at his cell phone and debated calling out sick again, but he quickly dismissed the idea. The last thing he wanted was to be alone with Gibbs for right now and calling out was a surefire way to get him over to the apartment.

After talking with Abby, he knew he had to tell his sometimes lover about the positive pregnancy test currently taking up space on his bathroom counter, but he still hadn't decided the best way to break the news.

His brain had been overloaded with a million different scenarios and truthfully, none of them were ideal. Gibbs' reactions became progressively more horrifying until he finally had to force himself to stop thinking about it.

The sound of his cell phone ringing startled him from his thoughts, and without thinking, he snatched it off the nightstand and flipped it open.

"Hello?"

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't fire you," came the growled greeting.

"B…Boss?"

"What's Rule Number Three, Tony?"

"Never… never be unreachable, but Boss, Iâ€""

"Then why the hell haven't you answered your phone all weekend?"

"Just been sleepin', Boss. Tryin' to get back on track. That bug hit me harder than I thought it would," he responded, trying to keep his voice even.

There was a slight pause, and when the older man spoke again, his voice was quiet. "You sure you're alright?"

"I'm…" he trailed off, closing his eyes. Gibbs, unknowingly, was giving him the perfect opportunity, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. "I'm fine."

On the other end of the line, Gibbs sighed quietly. "Alright then. But DiNozzo?"

"Yeah Boss?"

"We will talk later."

Swallowing hard, Tony snapped the phone shut between his fingers and tossed it back onto the bed. "I am so fired."

---

**1756 Hoursâ€"NCIS Squad Room**

Dropping his bag to the floor behind his desk, Tony sank down into his chair with a huff of irritation. What had started out as a not-so-great morning had quickly morphed into an overall crappy day complete with a double homicide and a coffee-less Gibbs.

It had been one thing after another all day, beginning with the fact that Gibbs had been keeping a closer eye on him than usual, trying to decipher what was wrong with him. The extra attention coupled with the idea of actually telling him had managed to distract him enough that he made an assumption he wouldn't have under normal circumstances.

He'd been yelled at for it on the way back to the agency, but he couldn't bring himself to care too much, especially considering he had successfully avoided being alone with the older man all day.

"DiNozzo," Gibbs growled, placing his gun and badge in his desk drawer before turning back to his Senior Agent. "Conference room. Now."

Apparently, his luck had run out.

Swallowing hard, the agent pushed himself to his feet, swiping his clammy palms over his pants as he followed his boss into the elevator. Punching the button for the lab, Gibbs stepped back and crossed his arms over his chest, though the second the elevator was in motion, he practically leapt forward and hit the 'emergency stop' before turning on his agent.

"What's goin' on with you, Tony?"

"Gibbs, I told you this morning that I'm fiâ€""

"Don't give me that bullshit! Somethin' is goin' on with you and you know I don't like to be kept in the dark. Especially not when it starts to affect your work!"

"That's not fair! I wouldn't have had any trouble concentrating today had you not been watching every single move I made! I'm not a Probie, Jethro, and I don't need to be babysat!"

Gibbs snorted, barely resisting the urge to reach out and headslap his agent. "If you would just be honest with me, I wouldn't have had to watch you so damn close!"

"I told you I'm fiâ€""

A low growl escaped Gibbs as he backed his agent up against the wall, closing the gap between them as he crushed his lips to Tony's.

The younger man struggled for a moment against his boss before he melted under the touch, sagging against the cool metal wall as he wrapped his arms around Gibbs' neck, pulling him closer. When they broke apart, both men were panting slightly, though Tony shivered when he felt Gibbs press his lips to his ear.

"Not gonna force you to talk right now, but when you're ready, I'll be here. You got me?"

"I just…" Tony trailed off, swallowing hard. "Not here, okay? This isn't… this isn't where I wanna have this conversation."

"Then you name the place," Gibbs responded.

"Your house."

"Tonight?"

"I need to go home first and clean up a bit, but… yeah. I'd rather get this over as soon as possible."

"Alright," Gibbs said with a nod as he pulled away, hitting the switch to set the elevator into motion again. It was difficult to maintain his composure, though somehow he managed until the elevator came to a halt, depositing the two men in the lab. "See you in a bit," Gibbs called as he stepped off.

Unable to find his voice, Tony merely nodded as the elevator doors slid closed. As much as he wasn't looking forward to filling Gibbs in on their little mistake, he had to admit he'd be glad to get it off of his chest so he didn't have to deal with it alone.

He just hoped Gibbs would take the news better than he anticipated.

**2000 Hoursâ€"Gibbs' House**

Pulling up in front of the two story house, Tony couldn't help but wish for a large shot of vodka to help calm his nerves. After leaving the agency earlier that evening, he'd headed home and attempted to clear his head before leaving for his boss' house but in the end, he'd found he was even more nervous than he'd been that morning.

After a quick shower and dinner, he headed out though he didn't bother to pack an extra set of clothes; he was sure that after Gibbs heard what he had to tell him, there would be no sleepover.

Shifting the car into park, Tony rubbed his sweaty palms against his pants before he pushed the door open and climbed out, his stomach turning nervously. The house was dark save for the tiny sliver of light peeking out from the small window nearly hidden behind the rose bush and he knew he'd find Gibbs in the basement.

Taking a deep breath, he made his way to the house and climbed the steps, trying desperately to plan the conversation in his head. Pushing the front door open, he slipped inside and immediately headed for the basement, the sound of hammering already reaching his ears.

A quiet groan escaped him at the thought of Gibbs with a hammer and for a half a second, he seriously debated fleeing the scene. Better judgment won out and before he could talk himself into leaving, he pulled the basement door open and hurried down the stairs, forcing his face into a look of boredom.

"Hey Boss," he greeted casually, sinking down on the bottom step, clasping his hands between his knees.

Across the room, Gibbs laid his hammer down on the workbench, offering his agent a ghost of a smile. "Didn't expect you to show up tonight."

"I told you I would."

"Uh huh. Ready to tell me what's on your mind now?" He asked, leaning against a sawhorse as he crossed his arms over his chest, eyeing Tony carefully.

"Don't know that I'll ever actually be ready, but I guess I might as well get it over with."

"Alright… so talk."

"It's not… it's not really that easy, Boss," the younger man said, pushing himself to his feet. "I mean, it should be, right? But you know I'm not really comfortable with the 'big' conversations and this is pretty much as big as it gets and I justâ€""

"Tony," Gibbs interrupted, pushing himself off the sawhorse as he made his way over to his agent, gripping his upper arms lightly. "Hey. Just say it."

"I think I'm pregnant."

Releasing him almost immediately, Gibbs staggered back, the weight of the words hitting him with more force than he could have ever anticipated. "You think, DiNozzo?"

"I took a test on Friday and it was positive. Haven't confirmed it with the doctor or anything and I was supposed to go to Abby today but then we got that case and I…" he trailed off, looking at Gibbs helplessly. "Say somethin', Boss."

"Who's… who's is it?" He didn't miss the look of hurt that flashed across Tony's face and immediately, he wished he could take it back. "Tony, wait. I didn'tâ€""

"I have to go," he managed, his throat tight as he turned away and hurried up the steps. He could hear Gibbs calling his name, though he ignored it. The anger and humiliation he felt was too great to allow him to turn back.

Pulling the front door open, he stepped out into the chilly night air, unexplained tears blurring his vision as he practically sprinted to his car. Climbing into the driver's seat, he pulled the door shut and blindly reached into his pocket for his cell phone, dialing the first number he knew to call.

"Hello?"

"I told you he wouldn't take it well!"

"Tony?" Abby asked, the concern evident in her voice.

"God dammit, Abby! I told you!"

"Calm down. Tell me what happened."

"He asked if it was his!"

"Oh Tony…"

"Christ, Abby. What the hell am I supposed to do?"

"Come over. When you get here we'll talk, okay?"

"I'm sure you have better things to do than babysit me again," he responded, his voice shaking just slightly.

"Don't be ridiculous. Come over, okay?"

Glancing back at the two story house one last time, Tony released a shuddery breath and shifted his car into gear, pulling away. "I'll be right there."

"Good. And Tony?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry."

Setting his jaw against the sting of tears, his grip tightened on the steering wheel before he spoke again. "Yeah… I am too."

**November 5th 0200 Hoursâ€"Tony's Apartment**

Tony released a quiet sigh as he stared at the ceiling in his bedroom. The talk he'd had with Abby after leaving Gibbs' was less than productive, and after a half an hour of hearing her tell him to go back to the older man's house, he left.

He closed his eyes tightly when he heard the familiar sound of a key being turned in the lock on his front door, knowing exactly who it was. Turning onto his side, he closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep, hoping that his sometimes lover would take the hint and leave him alone.

"I know you're awake," Gibbs said, padding into the room quietly, having deposited his shoes at the front door. "We need to talk, Tony."

"Don't wanna talk."

The older man sighed, sinking down to the edge of the bed. "Then you can listen to me talk." He waited for a moment, hoping that his agent would at least turn and look at him, but Tony didn't budge. "Okay then. I know I probably didn't have the best reaction earlier, butâ€""

"Not the best reaction?" He scoffed, pushing himself up on his elbows. "Jesus, Jethro! You basically accused meâ€""

"I did not accuse you of anything. You're the one who made me believe that we were not exclusive. The way you pranced around the squad room with all those stories. What else was I supposed to think, Tony?"

"There's nobody else but you," was the quiet response as Tony sat up, leaning against the headboard. "It's always been you. I just… I wasn't sure what this whole thing was and I…" he trailed off, dropping his gaze to his hands.

Moving closer to his clearly distraught agent, Gibbs shifted on the bed and nudged him gently. "You don't have to explain anything to me."

"I'm sorry I ran out on you."

"I'm sorry I made ya feel like you had to," Gibbs responded, dropping his arm around his shoulder, pulling him closer.

Savoring the feeling of the almost-embrace, Tony released a quiet sigh, closing his eyes. "So what do we do now?"

"Right now?" Leaning over, Gibbs dropped a gentle kiss to the top of the younger man's hair, breathing in the comforting scent of his shampoo. "Right now, you need to get some sleep."

"And then?"

"And then I guess we need to find you a doctor and get you checked out. But for now, you sleep."

"On it, Boss," Tony responded, barely stifling a yawn. "You gonna stay?"

"You're certainly not gettin' rid of me now," Gibbs smirked, leaning down to peck his lips. Shifting against the mattress, Gibbs pulled Tony against his chest, threading his long fingers through his hair. "Sleep well, DiNozzo."

"I will now that you're here," he mumbled, snuggling closer to his older lover before drifting off to sleep.

**0520 Hours**

Forcing his tired eyes open, Gibbs couldn't help but frown when he felt his younger lover pulling away, climbing out of the bed unsteadily.

"Where you goin'?" He asked, his voice thick with sleep as he rolled onto his back, stretching against the comfortable mattress.

"Bathroom," Tony responded, wrapping an arm around his middle as he practically sprinted out of the bedroom.

Pushing himself up on his elbow, Gibbs swiped a hand over his face to clear the sleep from his eyes. "You okay?"

The only response he received was a quiet groan, quickly followed by the sound of retching. Pushing the covers away from his body, he climbed out of the bed and made his way over to the door, pushing it open slowly. "Tony?" His Italian was crouched down in front of the toilet, his knuckles white from gripping the edge of the bowl as he heaved. Frowning darkly, he crossed the small room in an instant and sank down behind him, resting a large hand against his back. "Hey."

Swallowing hard, Tony swiped at the back of his mouth and sank back on his heels, leaning into his boss' touch. "This really sucks," he managed.

"I know," Gibbs responded, leaning forward to press a gentle kiss to the younger man's shoulder. "You think you're okay now?"

"I think so."

"Good. Let's get you back into bed then."

Pushing himself to his feet, Gibbs gripped Tony's arm gently, helping him to his feet. He didn't miss the way he swayed slightly, his arm wrapping around his middle again as he leaned heavily against his boss, trusting him to help keep him upright.

They paused at the sink long enough for Tony to rinse his mouth out before Gibbs led him back to the bedroom, helping him under the covers. Releasing a soft groan, Tony dropped his head to the pillows, his eyes closing almost immediately until his realized that the older man hadn't joined him.

"You're not leavin', are you?"

"Told you last night you aren't gettin' rid of me so easily," Gibbs reminded him. "I'll be right back."

Nodding, he turned onto his side, his hand resting on his upset belly as he tried to find a comfortable position. He heard Gibbs leave the room, and with a quiet sigh, he willed sleep to come. It wasn't long, however, before the older man returned. He felt the bed dip as Gibbs sank down onto the mattress, and a minute later, his boss was nudging him gently.

"What?" He cringed inwardly at the whine in his voice.

"Got somethin' that might help settle your stomach."

Forcing his eyes open again, he looked warily at the plate of toast before he pushed it away. "'M not feelin' so hungry right now," he whimpered.

"I know but if you take a couple bites, it'll help. Trust me."

"And how exactly would you know? Deal with this kinda thing often?" Tony snapped.

"No, but it helped Shannon when she was pregnant."

There was no anger or irritation in Gibbs' voice, but the sadness he heard made Tony immediately regret his harsh tone.

"I'm sorry, Jet," he apologized, pushing himself up as he reached for his sometimes lover's hand. "I didn'tâ€""

"I know," Gibbs responded, clearing his throat before he forced a smile. "Just a couple bites, huh?"

"Okay," Tony conceded with a nod. "But I'm warnin' you… if it makes me throw up again, you're in trouble. Got it?"

Gibbs cocked an eyebrow in response and pushed the plate of toast into his hands again. Releasing a quiet sigh, Tony eyed it moodily before he picked it up, taking a small bite.

Shifting himself on the mattress, Gibbs settled in beside him again, barely stifling a yawn as Tony finished off a piece of the toast.

"Happy?" He asked, his mouth full.

"Ecstatic. Feeling better?"

"A little," the agent responded grudgingly. "But I always feel better after I throw up, so maybe the toast didn't have anything to do with it."

"Whatever you say, DiNozzo," Gibbs laughed, leaning over to drop a kiss to the top of his head. "Need to try to get a little more sleep. You weren't out very long."

"No point now," Tony muttered, stretching his arms over his head with a quiet groan as his back popped loudly. "I need to get up and start gettin' dressed for work."

"Nope."

"Excuse me?"

"I told you we needed to get you in to see a doctor."

"You mean today?"

"Well, yeah," the older man responded with a roll of his eyes. "C'mon. Back to sleep for a bit."

"Jetâ€""

"No arguments, Tony. Rest. We'll get you the earliest appointment available, and then we'll talk about work."

A dark frown crossed Tony's face and for a split second, he debated arguing. However, before he could open his mouth, he could feel Gibbs pulling him back against his chest and all thoughts of a debate ceased.

Releasing a content sigh, Tony turned on his side in an attempt to find a comfortable position, and a moment later, he felt the older man settling in behind him, dropping an arm around his waist as he pulled him closer.

"Get some sleep," he muttered.

Closing his eyes, Tony burrowed deeper under the covers, a slight grin forming on his face as he felt Gibbs slide his hand up to rest against his still flat stomach.

"This okay?"

"Better than okay," Tony assured him as he laced his fingers through his boss' and allowed sleep to claim him once more.

**0900 Hours**

Pushing the bedroom door open, Gibbs stepped inside, a wide grin on his face as he took a long drink of his coffee. His agent was sprawled out on the mattress, the covers kicked from his body as he snored softly. Leaning against the door frame, Gibbs drained the remainder of his coffee before dropping the cup to the dresser and pushing himself off the wall, making his way over to the bed.

"Tony," he called, crossing his arms over his chest. The only response he received was a loud snore as the younger man rolled onto his side, snuggling closer to his pillow. Cocking an eyebrow, he reached out and cuffed him on the back of the head gently, barely suppressing a grin when Tony whimpered and swatted at his hand.

"Go 'way."

"Time to wake up."

"You jus' told me to go back to bed," he complained, rolling onto his back again before he stretched lazily, the bones in his back cracking loudly.

"And now I'm tellin' ya to get up. C'mon. You've got a phone call to make."

Stifling a yawn, Tony rubbed the sleep from his eyes and offered his boss a tired glare before he pushed himself up on his elbows. "What are you still doin' here anyway?"

"Wanted to make sure you actually called the doctor," the older man smirked. "I can't trust you when it comes to health care professionals."

"Not nice, Gibbs."

"When have you ever known me to be 'nice', DiNozzo?" Gibbs snorted. "Feelin' better now?"

"Much. As much as I hate to admit it, I think the toast did the trick."

"I'll refrain from sayin' 'I told you so' this time. Think you're up to eatin'?"

"I could probably eat somethin' light," he decided as he climbed out of the bed, rubbing his eyes again. "I'll grab a poptart or somethin'. Pretty sure I've still got some in the cabinet."

"I'll check. You go ahead and make your call. See if you can get in this morning."

"Glad to see you don't believe in being pushy or anything," Tony responded dryly.

"Hey, when it comes to somethin' like this, you'd better believe it. It's somethin' you're just gonna have to get used to."

"I think I like the sound of that," the Italian grinned dumbly before reaching over, plucking his phone from the stand beside his bed.

Rolling his eyes playfully, Gibbs leaned over and dropped a kiss to the top of Tony's hair before he grabbed his coffee cup off the dresser and backed out of the room, pulling the door closed behind him. Glancing back at the door one last time, he shook his head and made his way into the kitchen, dropping the cup into the sink.

It wasn't long before his agent joined him, his face pale despite his earlier declaration that he was feeling better.

"You okay?" Gibbs asked, dropping the box of poptarts as he hurried over to him, concern written all over his face.

"I'm… Got an appointment for ten forty-five."

"Not what I asked."

Swallowing hard, the younger man nodded, though he allowed Gibbs to help him into a chair at the table. "Just… nervous, I guess. I was…" he paused, swallowing again. "I guess I'd been kind of hoping that this whole thing was a not-so-good dream?"

Releasing a quiet sigh, Gibbs sank down into the chair beside him, reaching tentatively for his hand. "Wish I could tell you not to worry, but I know this is a scary thing."

"Are you going to come with me?" Tony asked hopefully.

"If you want me to."

"I do," he responded with a firm nod. "I didn't… when Abby told me that I needed to tell you, I didn't want to. But I'm… I'm really glad I did."

"I'm glad you did too." Leaning forward, Gibbs pressed a gentle kiss to the younger man's lips before he pulled away. "Why don't you go grab a quick shower, then we'll go get somethin' to eat? A poptart isn't very nutritious, you know."

"Says the man who survives solely on coffee," Tony smirked, but he pushed himself to his feet without protest. "Think I could convince you to join me?"

"I'd be disappointed if you didn't try," Gibbs responded with a broad grin before accepting the younger man's outstretched hand, allowing him to pull him from the kitchen.

**1055 Hoursâ€"Doctor's Office Examination Room**

Slipping back into the room with a dark scowl on his face, Tony handed the pretty young nurse the cup he'd just filled while simultaneously shooting his boss a glare when he snorted quietly.

"Somethin' funny?"

"Not at all," the older man responded, a wide grin on his face as the younger man climbed onto the examination table, offering him a bored look.

Barely stifling a giggle, the nurse marked Tony's cup carefully before she pushed herself to her feet, offering him a smile. "Doctor Andrews should be in with you shortly. Go ahead and make yourself comfortable."

"Not likely," the Italian mumbled as he settled onto the table, waiting until the nurse had left them alone before he turned to Gibbs, his scowl darkening. "I hate doctor's offices. Have I told you that lately?"

"I think you've mentioned it a time or two."

"Just makin' sure you know," he grumbled, releasing a sigh as he dropped his head back against the table, his hands resting on his stomach lightly.

Gibbs watched him carefully as he fidgeted with the bottom of his shirt hem for a moment before he reached over, stilling his hand. "Hey. Relax."

"Easier said than done," he responded, though he did offer the older man a nervous smile. "You sure you're okay with… all of this?"

"I already told you I'm not goin' anywhere, Tony. Wouldn't have said it if I didn't mean it." Squeezing his hand gently, he offered him a slight grin.

"Thanks Jet."

He opened his mouth to respond when a quiet knock sounded on the door. Squeezing Tony's hand once more, he pulled away and sat back in his chair as Doctor Andrews stepped into the room, a bright smile on her face.

"Good morning gentlemen," she greeted brightly, dropping Tony's file onto the counter before she extended her hand. "I'm Doctor Andrews. How are you feeling, Tony?"

"I'm… okay, I guess."

"Yeah? That's good to hear," she responded, offering him a smile. "I'm pretty sure you're already aware of this, but congratulations, you're pregnant."

Gibbs nodded, taking Tony's hand in his and squeezing gently. "What we're more concerned with is making sure the baby is healthy."

"Of course," she grinned. "We can do an ultrasound today if you want, just to see how things are progressing."

Tony looked up at his lover hesitantly, meeting his eyes briefly before nodding. "I… we'd like that."

"Okay then. We're gonna draw some blood first, but then we'll go ahead and do one," she said, patting his leg gently. "You more comfortable laying down or sitting up?"

"He doesn't do needles very well," Gibbs smirked. "Probably better off to leave him layin' down."

"Works for me," Tony mumbled, his grip on Gibbs' hand tightening just slightly.

"Alright. You just relax here for a minute and I'll be right back."

Doctor Andrews stepped out of the room, leaving the two men alone. Once she pulled the door closed behind her, Tony dropped his head back to the table and released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

"Still hangin' in there?"

"For now. Might be a different story when she comes back with that needle," he groaned, reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose. "Don't think I can do this, Jet."

"A little blood work isn't gonna hurt. She looks like she'll be more gentle than Ducky."

"I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about… everything. I don't... I don't think…" he trailed off, his voice shaking just slightly. "I'm not exactly father of the year material. I don't know the first thing about babies and I just… I don't think I can do it!"

"You really think anybody's ready to become a parent? It's not somethin' you're born knowing how to do. It's somethin' you learn. You were always a fast learner, Tony. You've had some hard shit thrown your way and you've never backed down before. I'd be lyin' if I said I wasn't a little disappointed that you're ready to throw in the towel on this one."

"You… really think it's a good idea to go through with this?"

Squeezing the younger man's hand again, Gibbs leaned over and dropped a kiss to his forehead. "I think it's gonna be just fine."

Taking a deep breath, Tony offered his boss a slight nod, forcing a nervous smile for his benefit. "Okay then."

Before Gibbs had a chance to respond, Doctor Andrews stepped back into the room, the pretty young nurse in tow, pushing what Tony guessed was the ultrasound machine."

"Still doin' okay, Tony?" She asked, reaching for his arm.

"I'm fine," he mumbled, though he couldn't help but feel relieved when he felt Gibbs squeeze his hand again. Closing his eyes tightly, he took another deep breath as Doctor Andrews prepared his arm, and a second later, he felt the sting of the needle. It took every bit of his will power to keep from gasping out loud.

"Almost done," she promised. "You're doin' great."

After what felt like an eternity, he could feel her removing the needle and with a loud sigh of relief, he opened his eyes slowly. "All done?"

"Yep," she smiled, labeling the vials of blood carefully before handing them to her nurse. "Go ahead and pull your shirt up for me and then we'll have a look at the little one to see how things are progressing."

Tugging his shirt up slightly to expose his still flat stomach, he swallowed hard, his hands shaking just slightly as he tried to get comfortable on the table.

"This is gonna be a little cold on your belly," she warned, barely suppressing a smile when he hissed, his abdominal muscles tightening briefly as she squirted the gel onto his bare skin.

Placing the small wand on his stomach, she moved it around slowly, watching as the men stared at the screen looking for their child. Clicking a button on the mouse, she pointed to the small screen.

"There we go. Looks like you're just under eight weeks."

Tony squeezed his lover's hand tightly, squinting at the grainy picture. "I can't…. see anything?"

"Right there," Gibbs smirked, pointing their child out to the younger man. "You have no idea how many of these Shannon had me look at."

"That's it?" Tony asked incredulously, frowning as he pushed himself up just slightly to gape at the screen. "That little thing's been makin' me so sick? I was expecting something a little more impressive," he scoffed.

Though he rolled his eyes at his younger lover, Gibbs couldn't help but grin. "It is impressive."

"Yeah… I guess it is, huh?"

Smiling brightly at the two, Doctor Andrews pulled the wand away before wiping his belly clean with a paper towel. "You can go on and sit up now. I'll go print out a couple of these pictures for you guys to take home and then I'll be back in to go over a couple things with you… answer any questions you might have."

Nodding at the doctor, Tony pulled his shirt back down into place as he pushed himself up. He waited patiently for her to leave the room, pulling the ultrasound machine behind her, before he turned to Gibbs. "It was weird seeing that."

"The ultrasound?"

"Yeah. Before… I'd almost convinced myself that it wasn't real, you know? But seeing it… even if I really didn't know what I was looking at it… this is really happening."

"You sure you're okay with this?"

"I didn't think I would be but now… I think I am."

**December 24thâ€"2130 Hours Gibbs' House**

"I don't know if I like the tree there," Tony declared from his place on the couch, leaning over carefully to grab his hot chocolate from the coffee table. "Why can't you move it over a little more?"

"Which way?" Gibbs grunted.

"To the left, I think."

"I'm not movin' it that close to the fireplace."

"I didn't say you had to move it in to the fireplace! Just move it a little closer! You've got that big gap there and it looks stupid."

"Don't see you makin' any moves to get off that couch and help me, so just keep quiet," he responded, though there was a teasing grin on his face.

"That's because I'm resting," Tony reminded him, leaning back against the pillows before taking a long sip of his hot chocolate.

"Oh, is that what they're callin' it?" He teased, scooting the tree closer to the fireplace. "Y'know, this was your idea. I should make you do the rest of the decoratin'."

Tony's face fell slightly before he schooled it back into a grin. "You don't have to do this, Jet. I meanâ€""

"Stop."

"S… stop?"

Offering him a smile, Gibbs shrugged slightly before turning back to the task at hand. "If I didn't want to do this, Tony, trust me… I wouldn't. Now… is this a suitable spot for you?"

"I think that's good," he responded, depositing his cup back onto the table before he pushed himself up carefully.

"Where do you think you're goin'? You're supposed to be 'resting'."

"More hot chocolate," he grinned, rubbing his lower back gently to alleviate the dull ache before he grabbed his cup and made his way into the kitchen, releasing a content sigh.

It had been nearly two months since the pair found out about the baby, and while Tony had initially been concerned about how his boss would react, he was glad that he'd taken Abby's advice and told him. As far as he was concerned, things had never been better.

Grabbing another cup from the cabinet above the sink, he fixed two fresh cups of hot chocolate before carrying them back into the living room carefully, grinning when he found his lover perched on the arm of the couch, surveying his handy work.

"I think it's a little lopsided," Tony offered, holding out the cup with a smirk on his face.

"I'll show you lopsided," the older man growled, though he accepted the warm drink with a genuine grin. "You feelin' better tonight?"

"Much," the Italian assured him, sinking back down onto the couch with an appreciative groan before propping his feet up onto the coffee table. "You sure you're okay with having dinner here tomorrow? I mean… it's going to be kind of hard to hide the fact that I'm staying here."

"Don't plan on hidin' it," Gibbs responded, taking a long drink of his hot chocolate before setting the cup on the table and sliding down onto the cushion beside his younger lover. "Thought we might just go ahead and tell them."

"You're… you're serious?"

"Not gonna be able to hide it much longer, Tony. You're already startin' to show a bit."

"You sure know how to make a guy feel good about himself," Tony responded with a roll of his eyes. "I always love being told I'm gettin' fat."

"That's not what I said," Gibbs growled, leaning over to peck his cheek. "Nothin' wrong with you gainin' some weight."

"Yeah… you'll probably regret sayin' that when I start lookin' like a beached whale in a few months," he sighed.

The silver-haired man rolled his eyes, pushing himself to his feet. "I don't do regrets, Tony. You should know that by now."

"Where are you going?" Tony asked, a frown darkening his face though he cringed at the slightly needy tone to his voice. "I mean…"

"I'll be right back," he promised. "You relax and drink your hot chocolate."

Nodding despite his desire to follow after his lover, Tony took another sip of his warm drink, resting a hand against his stomach. He had, he realized with a quiet sigh, put on a little weight and while he knew that was to be expected, he couldn't help but feel a little self conscious. Especially considering that Gibbs had pointed it out.

His frown darkened slightly as he drained his cup and just as he was getting ready to get up and go find the older man, Gibbs returned, a sly smile on his face.

"Where'd you go?"

"You'll see," he smirked, making his way over to the couch before holding his hand out. "C'mon."

Cocking an eyebrow at him, Tony accepted his hand, allowing Gibbs to pull him to his feet though he began to protest when he saw what he held in his other hand.

"Jethro… no!" He complained, releasing a huff of indignation when the older man laugh and tied the bandana around his eyes, obscuring his vision. "What are you doing?"

"Wanna give you your present now."

"No! I haven't even finished wrapping yours andâ€""

"Shut up and walk," Gibbs responded and Tony could practically hear the smirk in his voice.

"How am I supposed to do that when I can't even see?"

"Trust me," he said, leaning over to peck his cheek before resting a gentle hand on his back, guiding him carefully. He couldn't contain his grin as he led his younger lover through the house carefully before stopping at the den. Glancing around to make sure everything was in place, he leaned forward until his lips were just inches away from Tony's ear before he removed the bandana. "Merry Christmas, Tony."

A quiet gasp escaped him when he spotted the brand new flat screen television mounted on the wall, a giant red bow attached to one corner. "Jet… you shouldn't have done this…"

"Got tired of hearin' you complain about not being able to watch TV in color," he teased.

"You really… really shouldn't have. That TV probably cost you a fortune andâ€""

"Stop," he commanded, pulling the younger man over to the couch, offering him a grin as he handed him the remote. "Go on. Try it out."

"Jethro…"

"You don't like it." His tone was quiet and though he'd tried to keep his voice impassive, Tony could hear the tinge of hurt, the sound sending a wave of guilt crashing over him.

"I love it," he responded honestly. "I just… This model is so expensive and Iâ€""

"I don't care about the money, Tony. Just wanted to get you somethin' I thought you'd like," he mumbled, dropping the remote to the couch. "I'll box it up and take it back."

"No! I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you think I didn't like it or anything," he frowned, reaching for the older man's hand when he started out of the room. "Jet, please."

"Gotta go finish up the tree." Pulling his hand away, he headed out of the room without so much as a second glance back at his lover.

Sagging slightly, Tony reached up and ran a hand over his face with a groan. Truthfully, he couldn't have asked for a nicer gift, but the idea that the older man had spent so much money on him made him uncomfortable. Of course, he'd never meant to hurt his feelings either.

"Merry Christmas to me," he muttered, making his way over to the wall to pull the red ribbon off before he headed out of the room, intent on finding Gibbs and apologizing.

He found him hunched over a box of Christmas ornaments in the living room, his shoulders slumped just slightly as he dug through the box.

"Not nice to stare," he growled, feeling Tony's eyes against his back.

"Just tryin' to figure out how to apologize for seeming like an ungrateful bastard," Tony frowned, making his way over to the older man slowly. "I really didn't mean to hurt your feelings, Jet. It's a great Christmas present and I absolutely love it."

"Yeah?" He asked, cringing slightly at the hopeful tone to his voice before he turned back and glanced at Tony.

"Yeah," Tony responded, holding his hand out. "C'mon."

"Where?"

"I wanna give you your present too. I haven't had time to wrap it though," he warned, grinning when Gibbs accepted his outstretched hand, allowing him to pull him to his feet.

They were quiet as they made their way into the hallway and up the stairs. Pausing at the bedroom door, Tony glanced back at his lover and offered him a warm smile before pushing the door open and stepping inside. "You sit down," he commanded, giving the older man a slight nudge toward the bed. "I'll be right back."

Cocking an eyebrow at his agent, Gibbs merely shrugged and stepped over to the bed, sinking down against the comfortable mattress as his Italian backed out of the room. He wasn't gone long, and when he returned, he held a rectangle box in his hands.

"I'm a little embarrassed to give you this after getting that amazing TV, but I wasn't exactly sure what you needed or wanted," he started, a slight frown on his face.

"Don't be dumb," Gibbs chided, narrowing his eyes at his self-conscious lover.

Tony's frown darkened just a bit as he crossed the room. "I kept the receipt so if you can't use them or you wanted to get something else, thenâ€""

"Tony."

"Right. Shutting up. Sorry, Boss," he responded, releasing a quiet sigh as he held out his present, attempting a half-hearted smile. "Merry Christmas, Jet."

Laying the box on his lap, Gibbs glanced up at Tony once more before he opened it up, his eyes widening at the beautiful chisel set. It was the most thoughtful gift he'd received in years and the very idea that the younger man was afraid he wouldn't like it was enough to make him frown.

"Don't think I could have asked for a nicer gift," he said quietly before laying the set aside and pushing himself to his feet.

"You really like it? I just didn't know what to get. I mean, I tried researching what kinda tools you needed for that crazy boat building hobby of yours, but you have every hand tool known to man and when I saw your chisels looked a little wornâ€""

"Tony," he said quietly, leaning forward to cup his face gently in his hands. "I love it."

"You mean it?"

"Wouldn't have said it if I didn't," he smirked. "One of these days, you'll start believin' me when I tell you that."

"Not likely," the younger man retorted, though there was a hint of a smile on his face when Gibbs reached over and cuffed the back of his head affectionately. "You think you're ready for your other present?"

"I get more than one?" Gibbs asked, feigning surprise.

"Uh huh. If you think you can handle it, that is," Tony challenged, his cautious smile giving way to a mischievous grin.

"Pretty sure I can handle you," the silver-haired man growled as he leaned forward, capturing his agents lips as his hands found Tony's hips, pulling him closer.

"That's what you think."

**December 25thâ€"0800 Hours**

Pushing the bedroom door open slowly, Gibbs stepped inside, taking a long drink of his coffee. He'd been up for an hour or so, putting the finishing touches on the tree that he'd abandoned the night before in favor of collecting an early present, which had kept him and Tony busy until the early hours of the morning.

A slight grin crossed his face as he set his cup on the dresser before he made his way across the room, intent on waking his younger lover. They'd made plans to have the entire team over for Christmas dinner later that afternoon, but he had something else in mind for just the two of them.

Leaning over the bed, he brushed his fingers through Tony's hair, grinning when the younger man groaned and swatted his hand away.

"C'mon, lazy."

"Go 'way," he mumbled, rolling onto his side. "'m tired."

"But it's Christmas mornin'," Gibbs reminded him. "You're really gonna sleep away our first Christmas?" He smirked.

"Never knew you to be so sappy."

"Never knew you to be so grouchy in the morning," he retorted.

"That's what happens when you keep me up until 0430. You wore me out, Jet."

"And here I thought you said it was me who couldn't handle you."

"I stand corrected," he sighed, turning onto his back once more to offer Gibbs a sleepy smile. "Merry Christmas, by the way."

"Merry Christmas to you too," he grinned, leaning over to peck the younger man's lips quickly. "Now get off your ass. I expect you downstairs in five."

"You're kidding, right?"

"Nope," he called, heading for the door. Grabbing the cup from the dresser, he glanced over his shoulder and offered Tony another smirk. "Don't make me have to come back up here to get you," he warned.

Waving the older man off, Tony flopped back down against the mattress, running a hand over his face tiredly. Barely stifling a yawn, he stretched out on the mattress, groaning as his bones cracked loudly before he pushed himself up. Leaning over carefully, he grabbed his discarded boxers and pulled them on quickly before climbing out of the bed, stifling another yawn.

"This is so not fair," he grumbled as he made his way out of the bedroom, rubbing a hand over his rounded stomach gently before making his way down the stairs.

Pausing in the doorway to the living room, he couldn't help but grin broadly at the sight of the beautifully decorated tree before he headed into the kitchen. "You finished it."

"Uh huh," Gibbs responded, and though his back was to Tony, the younger man could hear the smirk in his voice. "This mornin'. Figured it wouldn't do to have a half-assed tree. Not this year."

"So you are a sap. Deep down, anyway. I always knew that gruff exterior was just an act," Tony smirked, crossing the room to wrap his arms around the older man's waist, resting his forehead against his back.

"Only when it comes to you."

"Wow… that was borderline cheesy. You sure you're feelin' okay this mornin'?" Tony teased.

A low growl escaped Gibbs as he turned in his younger lover's arms, leaning forward to peck his lips gently. "Better than you're gonna be if you keep it up," he warned playfully. "Hungry?"

"Always," he reminded him with a snort. "I feel like all I do is eat."

"Not much has changed then."

"That was just plain wrong, Jet. You wound me, you know that?"

"Don't want ya to think I'm gettin' too soft," the older man laughed, pecking Tony's lips again before he pulled away. "Go on. Breakfast will be done in a few. Thought we'd eat in the living room this mornin'."

"Need any help?"

"Nope. I like my kitchen completely intact. Go get comfortable. I'm finishin' up now."

"Harsh. Way harsh," he sighed, though there was a hint of a smile on his face as he trudged back into the living room. Sinking down onto the couch with a content sigh, Tony dropped his head back and closed his eyes, listening as the older man moved around in the next room.

It was the first Christmas in quite a few years that he'd actually had someone to spend it with, and the very idea that this was a year he wasn't alone was almost enough to set his damn hormones off. Laughing quietly, he shook his head as if to rid himself of the thought.

"What are you in here laughin' at?" Gibbs asked as he appeared in the doorway, two plates in hand.

"Myself," Tony responded, glancing over the back of the couch with a grin. "Need some help?"

"Nope. You stay put," Gibbs responded, crossing the room to deposit his lover's breakfast into his hands. "Milk or tea?"

"I can get my own drink, Jet. You don't have to wait on me, you know."

Cocking an eyebrow at the younger man, Gibbs dropped his own plate onto the coffee table and waited. A second later, Tony sighed.

"Coffee."

"Not an option unless you want that caffeine free garbage."

"One cup of coffee is not gonna kill me. Besides, it's Christmas!"

"Milk or tea? Gibbs asked again, fighting the smirk that threatened.

"Milk, I guess," Tony responded, a slight whine in his voice. "You really suck, you know that?"

"Didn't hear you complaining last night," Gibbs called out over his shoulder as he headed back into the kitchen, laughing quietly the whole way.

**1645 Hoursâ€"Gibbs' House**

Tony grinned from the recliner where Abby had curled up on his lap as he watched Gibbs in the kitchen. The older man had recruited Ducky a little earlier that afternoon to help him cook the turkey while he finished up with the stuffing.

Everyone had brought their own small side dish to the meal, a small gesture since Gibbs offered to host their team Christmas dinner but outlawed gifts. Abby brought her aunt's famous cranberry sauce, McGee had candied yams that his sister made for fear of him burning his apartment down, and Ziva had cooked up some concoction that she called macaroni and cheese casserole.

"Casserole. That is an American holiday tradition, no?"

"Well, technically," Abby offered, smiling at her friend as she rested her head on Tony's shoulder. "But I've never heard of one with macaroni and cheese."

The Israeli woman frowned slightly and Tony offered her an encouraging smile. "I'm sure it's great, Zee. Besides, I know for a fact that it's gotta be better than anything I would have ever been able to make."

"That's why he didn't bring any food," McGee teased.

"He didn't bring a side because he helped with the tree," Gibbs amended, stepping into the living room. "Dinner's ready."

Glancing up at his lover with a grin, Tony helped steady Abby as she climbed off his lap carefully before she extended a hand to help pull him to his feet.

"Not a minute too soon, Boss. I was starvin'."

"Yeah, looks like it," McGee smirked, barely dodging Abby's fist. "I'm kidding!"

"Yeah, yeah. We can't all be a McAnorexic, now can we?" Tony responded, dropping an arm around Abby's shoulder as they followed after Gibbs into the dining room.

He helped the Goth into her chair before taking the seat on her left, next to the head of the table where he knew Gibbs would sit. Everyone else took their seats quickly, their mouths watering as they looked over the spread of food that was sitting on the table.

"Alright, dig in," Gibbs announced, watching with a small smile on his face as Tony immediately reached for the macaroni and cheese casserole that Ziva had thrown together.

"Gibbs!" Abby cried, sending the older man a chastising look. "You didn't say grace!"

He looked over at her seriously, cocking his eyebrow slightly. "Haven't said grace in years, Abs, wasn't plannin' on startin' today."

"But today you're gonnaâ€""

Tony stopped her from talking by shoving a warm crescent roll in her mouth. "We're gonna wait until later," he hissed, trying to keep his voice down.

"Wait for what?" Ziva asked, watching her Italian friend pile the casserole onto his plate.

"Uh…"

"Good rolls, Ducky," Abby called, across the table, holding the basket out for Ziva. "Try them. Very good."

Lifting an eyebrow at the pair, she shrugged, missing the relieved look that Tony threw Abby's way. The conversation quickly died away as the group began to eat and it wasn't long before the table was nearly empty.

"I don' know exactly what you put in here, Ziva," Tony began, his mouth full of her macaroni dish, "but it's good. You gotta make it for me again sometime."

"Only if you promise to never talk with your mouth full again," the woman retorted with a snort, though it was that clear she was pleased.

"Abby, perhaps you and Ziva would like to give me a hand? We'll clear the table and then I think we'll get into that lovely red velvet cake that Mr. Palmer sent over," Ducky decided, pushing himself to his feet.

"Actually, Duck," Gibbs said, glancing over at Tony out of the corner of his eye. "There's somethin' that we need to tell everyone before we move on to dessert."

"Very well then."

"Probably should have done this before we ate," Tony sighed, his stomach twisting uncomfortably. "You uh… you sure you wanna do this now, Boss?"

"Uh huh."

"Is… is everything okay?" McGee asked, taking a sip of his water as he eyed his boss and partner carefully. "You're not… kicking Tony off the team or anything, are you?"

"Funny," Tony growled, narrowing his eyes at his friend. "You aren't getting the Senior Field Agent position that easily, McSuckUp."

"Be quiet Timmy. Let them talk," Abby warned, elbowing him gently in the side. "Go ahead, guys."

"Right… thank you Abby. Anyway… uh… I'm gonna let you handle this one, Boss."

"You two are sleeping together," Ziva announced. Her tone was very matter of fact as she eyed the pair carefully, the slightest hint of a smile on her face.

"That obvious, huh?" Gibbs asked, smirking over at the younger woman.

"Only if you know what to look for," she countered, taking a small sip of her drink.

"And you're… you're okay with that? All of you are okay with it?"

"Oh please, Anthony. We've all known for years that you've pining over our Jethro here. I say good for you. I, personally, couldn't be happier," Ducky responded, offering the young man a bright smile.

"Am I… Am I the only one who didn't know?" McGee asked, his eyes wide as he glanced at his partner and boss.

"You always were a bit slow on the uptake," Abby teased.

"Wow… I just… Gibbs and Tony? Never saw that one coming," he said, shaking his head slightly. "But yeah… I'm okay with it," he decided, offering his friend a tentative grin.

"Good, because that's not all we have to tell you."

"There's more?"

"Uh huh. You can take this one, Tony," Gibbs smirked.

"That's so not fair! You didn't even have to say anything!"

Shrugging slightly, the older man took a long drink of his coffee, the smallest hint of a mischievous grin on his face.

"We… well, I…"

"You were right the first time," Gibbs corrected. "We."

Tony nodded, his cheeks burning as he began blushing furiously. "Right. Sorry, Boss. We… well... we're pregnant."

"You are… you are pregnant?" Ziva asked, her brown eyes widening at the sudden admission. "How far along?"

"About fourteen weeks," he responded, resting his hand gently against his slightly rounded stomach. "We didn't… we wanted to tell you guys sooner, but we weren't quite sure how."

"What he means is we wanted to tell everyone sooner, but he was chicken shit," Gibbs smirked, though he immediately frowned at the loud chirping of his cell phone. "Don't they know it's Christmas?" Pushing himself up from the chair, he stepped out of the room to take the phone call, leaving the small group alone with one another.

"So Anthony, I trust all has been well thus far?"

"Oh yeah. I never thought the puking was going to end, but I haven't been sick at all this past week."

"That's wonderful. I'm pleased to hear it."

"We uh… have some pictures from my first appointment that I can show you guys. I can't really tell what's supposed to be what, but Jet swears there's a baby in there somewhere," he said with a shrug. "I'll go grab them."

"No time," Gibbs interrupted as he stepped back into the room, snapping the phone shut between his fingers. "Hate to cut this party short, but we've got a body."

"You've gotta be kidding me," Abby groaned, dropping her head back against the back of the chair.

"Afraid not. McGee, Ziva, can you two be ready to roll in twenty?"

"Absolutely," McGee said, with Ziva nodding in agreement. "I'll head on over and gas the truck."

"Abby, we probably won't need you until we're back from the scene, soâ€""

"I'll hang out here and get cleaned up," she offered. "Can't leave all this sitting out," she said with a smile. "You guys just be careful. Especially you," she said, eyeing Tony meaningfully before she leaned over, pecking his cheek gently.

"Please, Abs. When am I ever not careful?"

"It might be bad luck to answer that," the Goth snorted, pushing herself up from her chair. "Go on. You guys get outta here. I'll take care of all of this."

"You're the best, Abs," Gibbs said, pressing a kiss to the top of her head before he headed up the stairs to change, Tony right behind him.

"That's what they all tell me," she muttered to the now empty room, releasing a quiet sigh when she heard McGee, Ziva and Ducky head out the front door. "Merry Christmas to us."

**December 25thâ€"2330 Hours Gibbs' House**

Gibbs glanced over to the passenger side with a quiet sigh as he pulled into the driveway and shut the engine off. The younger man was sleeping peacefully at the moment, but he knew that as soon as he tried to wake him, peaceful would be a far cry from the mood his Senior Agent would actually be in.

Tony had been cranky for most of the evening, mostly due to him being so tired. He hadn't been sleeping very well over the course of the last couple nights anyway, and it hadn't helped that he'd kept him up until nearly 0500 that morning. He'd tried to convince him to go home a couple times over the course of the night, but he had refused, wanting to be a part of the case as much as McGee and Ziva were. When the team had done as much as they could for the night, everyone headed their own separate ways, and as soon as Gibbs had managed to get the Italian into his car, the younger man had passed out from exhaustion.

"Tony."

He grumbled quietly, turning his head toward the warm hand that was caressing his hair gently. "Five more minutes."

"Up now. You can sleep when we get inside," Gibbs promised, climbing out of the car and rounding the back end, pulling the passenger side door open. "C'mon, DiNozzo."

It was all he could do to force his tired eyes open, and he had to bite back a quiet groan when he felt his head beginning to pound. "Hi."

Offering the younger man a ghost of a smile, Gibbs held his hand out and helped him out of the vehicle, gripping his arm in an attempt to steady him. "Easy."

"'M fine," he mumbled, pulling away to swipe tiredly at his face. Stifling a yawn, he headed up the front walkway with his older partner in tow.

"When we get in, you go on up to bed," Gibbs ordered, reaching around his sleepy lover to push the front door open.

"Hungry. Gotta find somethin' to eat first."

"Why don't you go on up and get settled? I'll find you somethin' and bring it up. Anything in particular you think you might want?"

"No," he said with a half-hearted shrug, already on his way up the stairs. "Just whatever looks good."

"Alright. I'll be up in a few." Watching carefully as the younger man trudged up the steps, Gibbs released a quiet sigh and headed into the kitchen, intent on finding him something to eat. Grabbing a plate from the cabinet, he stepped over to the refrigerator and fixed a plate of leftovers, hoping it would be enough to satisfy whatever craving it was that he was having. Stifling a yawn of his own, he headed out of the kitchen and up the stairs, more than ready to join Tony in bed.

Pushing the bedroom door open, it was all Gibbs could do to keep from laughing out loud at the sight. Tony was sprawled out on the bed, completely clothed, save for the one shoe he'd managed to kick off before he passed out. "So much for bein' hungry," he snorted, backing out of the room again.

After putting the plate into the refrigerator, he made his way up the stairs again, already unbuttoning his shirt as he stepped into the bedroom. Stripping down to his underwear, the older man yawned quietly before sinking down onto the edge of the mattress, pulling Tony's shoe off carefully.

"You sleep like the dead," he mumbled, tossing the expensive shoe across the room before he crawled up to the head of the bed, dropping an arm around Tony's waist. "Sleep well, DiNozzo." Leaning over just slightly, he pressed a kiss to the younger man's cheek, a tired grin spreading across his face when he leaned into the touch. Releasing a content sigh, he sank back down against his pillows and closed his eyes, willing sleep to come.

**December 26thâ€"0600 Hours Gibbs' House**

The shrill ringing of the cell phone sliced through the silent room, startling Gibbs from his sleep. Rolling over onto his back, he snatched the phone from the night stand and silenced the ringer immediately. Stifling a yawn, he glanced over at his partner to make sure he was still asleep before he flipped the phone open.

"Yeah, Gibbs."

"I'm sorry to bother you so early, Agent Gibbs, but we've got a missing Petty Officer."

"My team's in the middle of a murder investigation, Lynch. Give it to Daniels' team."

"I did," the dispatcher said, his tone slightly irritated. "Daniels wanted me to call you."

"There better be a good reason," the agent growled, pushing himself up off the mattress as he ran a hand over his face.

"Apparently, Daniels thinks the two may be connected."

"He thinks? And what exactly leads him to believeâ€""

"I'm just a dispatcher, Agent Gibbs. If you want specifics, you're gonna have to call him."

Snapping the phone closed between his fingers, Gibbs bit back a grunt of disgust as he made his way over to the dresser, pulling out a clean pair of pants.

"Shouldn't be so nasty to the dispatchers."

Turning at the sound of the tired voice, Gibbs frowned darkly. "Go back to sleep."

"Got a case, don't we?" Tony asked, pushing himself up carefully against his pillows.

"It's probably nothin'. A missing Petty Officer that Daniels' team apparently can't handle. There's no need forâ€""

"Jet… c'mon." Releasing a quiet sigh, Tony climbed out of the bed carefully, stretching with a quiet groan. "You promised that you weren't gonna start treatin' me any differently."

"You need your rest, Tony. It's not good for you toâ€""

"I feel fine," he promised. "I've done more on less sleep," he reminded his protective lover.

"You won't feel fine if you don't quit interruptin' me," the older man growled, though he leaned over and dropped a quick kiss to his lips.

Tony rolled his eyes, though grinned against his partner's lips before pulling away.

"Gonna go give McGee and Ziva a call, have 'em meet us down at the Navy yard. We're headin' out in ten."

"Got it, Boss. I'll be ready to go."

"Better be," Gibbs growled, offering the younger man a ghost of a smile as he pulled the clean pants and shirt on before he headed out of the room, already dialing McGee's number.

Releasing a quiet sigh as he watched Gibbs go, he headed into the bathroom to wash his face, hoping it would help to wake him. Despite the fact that he'd turned down Gibbs' offer to stay home and rest, he was still exhausted. Stopping in front of the sink, he leaned over, splashing cool water on his face with a quiet groan.

He hadn't been sleeping well for a variety of reasons over the course of the last week, and though he'd managed to sleep through the whole night, he still felt as though he had quite a bit of catching up to do.

"Later," he reminded himself as he patted his face dry. Glancing at his tired reflection briefly, he shook his head and returned to the bedroom to prepare himself for what he was sure was going to be a long day.

**0715 Hoursâ€"Quantico, VA**

Pulling up in front of the small apartment complex, Gibbs shifted the car into park, narrowing his eyes when he spotted Agent Daniels hovering near the door, his cell phone cradled between his ear and shoulder.

"McGee, I want you to coordinate with Agent Daniels. Find out what they've done, what they know."

"Got it, Boss," the younger man said as he climbed out of the back seat.

"Ziva, you and DiNozzo are with me. I want every inch of that apartment checked. If it looks like Daniels' team already covered it, you go over it again. Soon as McGee's finished with that idiot, I'll have him shoot and sketch. We do not have a body yet on this one, so you work fast. Don't wanna lose any more time."

With a quick nod of acknowledgement, both agents climbed from the car and headed into the apartment complex. Glancing back at her partner, Ziva offered him a playful smirk. "Gibbs kept you up late last night, yes?"

Tony rolled his eyes, more than ready to brush her off before he decided to play along. "Oh yeah, you know. It was a long, hardâ€""

"I do not need to know," she said, wrinkling her nose. "Please forget that I asked."

"Aww… c'mon, Zee-vah! You never minded hearing about my conquests before!"

"I never knew your conquests before," she reminded him. "I would still like to be able to look Gibbs in the eye."

A quiet laugh escaped the older man as he nudged her playfully. "I was just kiddin', you know. I passed out as soon as we got home last night."

"I know," she responded, glancing over at him with a smile. "You looked dead on your heels before we finished processing our scene."

"Feet," he corrected.

"We… did not process any feet," she said, her smile slipping as she offered him a confused frown. He chuckled quietly as he shook his head and brushed past her. "Tony… wait a minute! What do you mean by 'feet'?"

"Don't worry about it, Zee," he snickered, dropping his bag outside the doorway.

She narrowed her eyes at him, though after a moment, she shrugged and followed after him. Frowning slightly when she glanced around the living room, she shook her head. "Does this room remind you of anything?"

"Lance Corporal Donovan's apartment," Tony said, releasing a quiet sigh as he looked around the destroyed apartment. It was almost identical to the crime scene they'd responded to the previous day, save for the dead body that had been found in the living room. Most of the furniture had been overturned in what appeared to be quite a struggle and the television had been busted. There were small specks of blood coating the walls, but nothing to indicate that their missing PFC had been murdered.

In the apartment, at least.

"You take the bedroom," Tony commanded, making his way back to the door to get his bag. "I'll start out here."

Nodding, the Israeli woman offered him a slight smile before she headed down the hallway and into the bedroom.

Watching her go, Tony released a tired sigh, a quiet groan escaping him as he stretched, cracking his back loudly. They're just arrived and already, his back was beginning to ache. "Gonna be a long day," he muttered, retrieving his bag from its place beside the door before returning to the living room.

It wasn't long before Ziva came back out into the living room, a slight frown forming when she spotted Tony collecting blood samples from the carpet. He was crouched down, one gloved hand gripping the couch for support as he worked. He looked as though he'd fall over any minute from exhaustion and truth be told, it concerned her.

They were all used to running on little to no sleep. Gibbs pushed his team hard, harder than any other team at the agency, but it was clear that it wasn't going to be as easy for her friend as it usually was. At least not while he was pregnant.

Walking over to him, she dropped a hand to his shoulder, offering what she hoped was a convincing smile when he glanced up at her. "I am all finished in the bedroom. I could finish up in here if you would like."

"I got it," he said, waving her off. "Go see what's takin' McGoo so long. I wanna start baggin' this stuff and I can't until he gets pictures."

"Tony… I really must inisit that you let me finish in here. You look like you can barely keep yourself upright."

"Yeah?" He asked, glaring at her over his shoulder. "That couldn't possibly have anything to do with the lack of sleep I've had over the past week, right?"

"I did not say that. I justâ€""

"Just drop it. I didn't tell you guys about the baby so you could be all protective of me! I get enough of that at home with Gibbs!"

"DiNozzo."

The Italian groaned quietly, shrugging Ziva's hand away as he stood up. "See what you started?" He hissed, stalking toward the front door where his lover was standing, a sour look on his face.

"Yeah, Boss?"

Gibbs narrowed his eyes briefly before jerking his head toward the kitchen and walking away, confident that the younger man would follow him without question. "What's goin' on in there?"

"It's nothin', Jet. I just… I don't wanna be babied, that's all. I'm a grown ass man and I can take care of myself."

"Then prove it," the silver-haired man growled, his eyes darkening slightly. "I wanna protect you and we may be together, but that does not give you the right to talk down to the rest of the team. I will not always back you, Tony. Just like I'm not right now."

Tony watched, slightly dumbfounded as his boss started walking away before he stopped at the door to the kitchen and turned back to him. "Get your ass in there and finish. Let Ziva help you, and I do not want to hear any more childish arguments. Clear?"

"Crystal," he responded through clenched teeth before he pushed away from the kitchen counter, slipping past his boss on his way back into the living room.

**1100 Hoursâ€"NCIS Squad Room**

Stepping off the elevator, cup of coffee in hand, Gibbs made his way into the squad room, a frown darkening his face at the sight of his Senior Agent hunched over his desk, ignoring him studiously. He knew that DiNozzo hadn't been happy with him for the scene at PFC Martinetti's apartment and he could only hope that their disagreement over a work-related issue wouldn't spill over into their relationship.

Of course, he didn't have much hope; Tony was a master at holding grudges, and that was when he wasn't hormonal.

Taking a long drink of his coffee, he passed the younger man's desk, heading for his own when McGee's voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Uh… Boss? I think I have something."

Turning to McGee, Gibbs cocked an eyebrow. "You waitin' for an engraved invitation."

"I uh… no," he said, shaking his head as he pressed a few more keys on his keyboard. "I just… I just got a hit on Martinetti's cell."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Tony and Ziva both sprang into action, grabbing their badges and weapons from their desk drawers.

"Where?"

"182 South Union Street… in Alexandria."

"You stay. If that phone moves, I wanna know about it! DiNozzo! David!" Turning back to his other agents, he was pleased to see they were already at the elevator, waiting for him.

"We are ready to go, Gibbs," Ziva assured him, attaching her gun holster to her belt. Without another word, the former marine dropped his cup of coffee into the trash and made his way over to join the pair, sliding into the elevator beside his lover.

The subsequent elevator ride and fifteen minute drive to Alexandria was tense and silent save for Ziva's failed attempts at making conversation and privately, she couldn't help but sigh in relief when Gibbs pulled up to the old rundown warehouse building.

"Ziva, you take the back entrance and you wait for my signal," Gibbs commanded as he threw the car into park and leapt from the car, rounding the sedan to pop the trunk. Grabbing two vests, he tossed one to the Israeli woman and handed the other to his partner, ignoring the irritated glare that the younger man threw his way.

Grabbing his own vest from the trunk, he pulled it over his jacket quickly, checking the weapon at his hip. "DiNozzo, we'll go around the front but you don't so much as lift a finger until I tell you."

"Yeah, okay," Tony grumbled, pushing past the older man. A split second later, an angry hand clamped down on his shoulder.

"So help me God, Tony, if you don't lose the attitude right now, you can wait in the car. Did I make myself clear? You do nothing without my command!"

"I heard you!"

"Okay," Gibbs said, jerking his head toward the front of the house. "Let's go."

The pair made their way to the slightly opened warehouse door slowly, peeking inside before they allowed their eyes to meet again. Gibbs held up his hand when he heard Ziva confirming her position in his ear and counted off to three before pulling the door open and rushing inside, making sure to stay in front of Tony as they entered.

They made their way through the warehouse, clearing rooms as they went while Ziva maintained her position at the back.

"There's nothin' here," Tony said as they made their way up the stairs to the second flight of the warehouse. "Complete waste of…" he trailed off at the large thump from overheard. Glancing over at boss, their eyes met for a split second before they both took off up the next flight of stairs, weapons drawn.

"Gibbs," Ziva called, her voice coming through loud and clear in the older man's ear.

"Third floor," he responded, his voice barely above a growl before he turned back to Tony. "You hold your position at the landing."

"Gibbs-!"

"Not a discussion, DiNozzo! Hold your position!"

If looks could kill, Gibbs was positive that he'd have hit the floor, but thankfully, Tony didn't argue. A half a second later, Ziva joined them on the landing, slipping past Tony as she followed after Gibbs.

He couldn't help but pace angrily on the small landing, muttering to himself. He was angry with Gibbs for not allowing him to go as backup into the room, despite the fact that he understood the man was just being overprotective.

Dropping his head back to glare at the ceiling, he released a heavy sigh as he listened carefully for any sign that his boss and partner might be in trouble.

He didn't have to wait very long.

A split second after he stopped pacing, he heard a loud gunshot. Without thinking, he raced up the stairs and into the small third floor room, his gun drawn. "Gibbs?"

The silver-haired man glanced over at him briefly before he made his way over to the suspect, dropping down into a crouch to check for a pulse as Ziva called for an ambulance. "We're fine, DiNozzo. Got a the hostage in the corner. He's scared shitless."

Nodding in understanding, Tony crossed the room quickly, though immediately slowed his pace as he approached the young man. He was huddled in the corner, tears staining his cheeks as he clutched his shredded shirt in his hands. There was blood dripping down his chin from what appeared to be a broken nose and dark bruises were already beginning to form under his eyes.

"Is it… is it over?" He asked, his voice cracking, his eyes never leaving the man sprawled out on the floor.

"It sure is," Tony said, keeping his voice light. "Can you tell me your name, buddy?"

"M…Michael," he managed.

"Michael, huh? That's a good name. I'm Tony."

A quiet sob escaped him when Tony took another step toward him. "S… stop! St… stay away!"

"Okay, okay," he said, holding his hands up. "I won't come any closer Michael, but I need you to help me out here, okay?"

"O… okay."

"I can see your nose is hurt, but do you have any other injuries? Anything at all?"

The young man said nothing at first as he finally pulled his eyes away from the other man, turning his attention to Tony. Reaching up, his touched his nose gingerly, as if realizing for the first time that he was injured. "Ju… just my nose."

"Okay, that's good. I know you're really scared right now, Michael, but we just wanna help. Can you let us do that?"

"I don't… I don't know. I don't want anyone to touch me," he cried.

"Nobody's gonna touch you unless you say it's okay. I promise you that, but I need you to trust me, Michael. We aren't going to let anybody hurt you again but you have to trust me."

Swallowing hard, Michael offered him a slight nod. "I… I trust you."

"Good. That's good," Tony said, offering him his most reassuring smile as Ziva snapped her phone closed.

"ETA is less than three minutes, Gibbs," she announced, making her way over to Tony and the victim, frowning when the younger man flinched away.

"Stay back, Ziva," Tony cautioned. "I'm handling this." He glanced over his shoulder to offer her a warning glance before turning his attention back to Michael. He crouched down as best he could, though without something to hold on to, it was all he could do to remain upright. "Michael… I'm not gonna lie to you buddy… This isn't the most comfortable place to sit. Why don't you come downstairs with me, huh? We'll go wait in my car for the paramedics."

He was relieved when Michael nodded and it was all he could do to bite back a groan when he pushed himself to his feet. Straightening his suit jacket just a bit, he motioned to the door with his head before offering the young man another smile. "C'mon, kid. Let's get you outta here."

**1955 Hoursâ€"Tony's Apartment**

Stepping out of the bathroom with nothing more than a towel wrapped around his slowly expanding waist, Tony made his way back into the bedroom, shoulders slumped slightly. His morning had gotten off to a bad start when he woke up to find Gibbs trying to sneak out without waking him and the day had only gotten progressively worse from there.

He'd hoped that after recovering PFC Martinetti from the warehouse that the tension would ease, but it had only escalated after Gibbs had reamed him for rushing into the third floor room without waiting for a signal. He'd tried to keep his temper in check, but he'd failed miserably.

The pair had avoided one another for the remainder of the day, and the only word that Tony had spoken to anyone since was a gruff 'thanks' to the agent that relieved him from guard duty in front of Michael's hospital room an hour earlier.

He'd left without a word to Gibbs or Ziva and had headed home to his own apartment rather than Gibbs' house.

Pulling the towel from around his waist, he released a quiet sigh as he grabbed a pair of comfortable shorts from his dresser. The majority of his clothes had migrated to his lover's house over the course of the last seven weeks, and now, he couldn't help but feel grateful that he hadn't allowed the older man to talk him into moving in.

Dressing quickly in his shorts and an old t-shirt, he ran the previously discarded towel over his hair to remove the excess water when a loud knock at the front door caught his attention.

He considered not answering it for a moment, already knowing who it was, but he gave up on the thought, seeing as his lover had a key. Besides, even if he hadn't, Tony wouldn't put it past him to pick the lock.

Walking to the door, he unlocked it and pulled it open, immediately heading for the living room. "I don't wanna talk, Gibbs."

"Oh, we're back to last names, DiNozzo?" He asked, shrugging. "Okay. Brought some pizza."

"Not hungry."

He was lying, and he was pretty sure his lover knew it, but he'd be damned if he gave up on his principles. The events from earlier in the day were hanging over him like a black cloud, and the fact that the object of his irritation was currently standing in his dining room wasn't helping things any.

"You should eat, Tony. It's not goodâ€""

"Since when do you give a shit?" He growled, though he immediately regretted it when he saw the hurt flash in his boss' blue eyes. "I mean… fuck, Jet! What the hell happened today?"

"I gave you a direct order and you didn't follow it."

"And I heard a gun shot, Jethro! You always take me in as your back up! Always! Because I always have your back! I know you seriously didn't expect me to stay put when I heard that just because you left me standing in the hallway like aâ€""

"I had Ziva with me."

"It should have been me! And if it wasn't for the fact that we're fucking now on a daily basis, it would have been! Christ, Gibbs! We decided when we started this that things weren't going to change and now, nothing's the same!"

"Tony…"

"I may be pregnant and we may be seeing each other, Jet, but I'm still an agent! I'm still clear for full active duty and I just want to be treated like normal!"

"You're right."

"I mean, for God's sake! Would it kill you to…" he trailed off, frowning. "What did you just say?"

The older man rolled his eyes, though there was a slight smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "I said you're right. We have been treatin' you differently. All of us. And we shouldn't."

"Then just… stop."

Lowering the pizza to the dining room table, he closed the gap between them and pulled the younger man into his arms. "Can't promise that I'm gonna be able to stop that easily, Tony. You're right to be angry and annoyed, and it's wrong to treat you any differently, but things are different now."

"They shouldn't be," he muttered miserably.

"But they are," he said, resting his hand against his lover's belly gently. "Like it or not, things are never gonna be exactly like they used to be, but I'll try to do better."

"Can I headslap you when you screw up?"

"I'd like to see you try," the older man responded, a smirk on his face before he leaned over, pecking Tony's lips gently. "You're gonna have to cut me some slack though."

Releasing a quiet, relieved sigh, Tony nodded, allowing the tension to leave his body for the first time since he'd crawled out of bed that morning. Closing his eyes, he savored the feeling of his partner's arms around him until Gibbs pulled away, nudging him gently.

"How 'bout that pizza now?"

**December 28thâ€"1300 Hours NCIS Squad Room**

Tony nearly groaned as he stepped off the elevator onto the third floor. Crossing the room quickly, he dropped his pack behind his desk and sank down into his chair tiredly. "Sorry it took me so long gettin' back, Boss. Michael wanted to go through every aisle at the damn store."

"You bed him down?"

"He's back at his apartment. I told him to call if he needed anything, but he should be fine."

Gibbs nodded, returning his attention to the open file on his desk. "What did the doctor say?"

Tony shook his head, releasing a quiet sigh. "A little PTSD, but other than that, he showed significant improvement over the last forty eight hours. The hospital is faxing over a copy of his file for our records."

"Good," he said, glancing over at his partner again, noting the wary look on his face. ""What's buggin' you?"

The Italian shook his head, running a hand over his face. "It's nothin'. Don't worry about it."

"Tony…"

"He was hesitant when we got back to the apartment, you know? And I mean, it's understandable and all, but I just…" He paused, releasing a deep sigh and running his fingers through his short hair. "The last thing I need right now is some stressed out kid who's afraid of the monsters under his bed."

"Get used to it," the silver-haired man shrugged, allowing a slight smile to pull at the corners of his mouth. "You're growin' one in that belly of yours."

Tony rolled his eyes as he leaned back in the chair, offering his boss a smirk. "Don't have to worry about this kid bein' scared of anything. Except for you if he knows what's good for him."

"He? Wishful thinkin'?"

"Power of suggestion," the younger man corrected, linking his fingers behind his head. "Where are McGee and Ziva?"

"Ziva's at the hospital sittin' on Miller and McGee's down with Abby."

"Any word on Miller yet?"

"Same as yesterday. Probably gonna be out for a few more days, but I'm not takin' any chances. That bastard's mine as soon as he wakes up."

"If he knows what's good for him, he won't bother," Tony snorted, pushing himself to his feet.

"Where you goin'?" Gibbs asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Snack machine," he responded. "Unless you wanna take me and the kid out to lunch. We wouldn't protest."

"No, I bet you wouldn't." Standing up from his desk, he offered Tony a small smirk. "Let's go then."

"Pizza?"

"Don't push it," he warned, resting a gentle hand against his lover's back.

"C'mon, Jet. You're really not gonna…" He trailed off when his cell phone began vibrating angrily in his pocket. Stopping in his tracks, he pulled it out, groaning loudly when he saw the number. "You've gotta be kiddin' me. I'm not answering it."

"Answer it."

"No! Boss, c'mon! I spent all mornin' with him, he's fine!"

"He's a scared kid, Tony. You're the only one he trusts right now and until this case is over, he's our problem."

"You mean my problem," he corrected, eyeing Gibbs warily before he flipped the device open and held it to his ear. "Hello?"

"T… Tony?"

"Uh huh. What's up, Michael?"

"I just… I know you're busy, but I… I was just wondering… I keep hearing weird noises outside and Iâ€""

"He's not gonna be able to hurt you, Michael," Tony reminded him, forcing his voice to remain even despite the irritation written all over his face. "Remember what we talked about? He's still in the hospital with an armed agent guarding his room. You're safe."

"No, I know. I just…" Tony heared his breathing hitch just slightly. "Please?" He pleaded, his voice cracking. "Please, Tony?"

Closing his eyes, Tony pinched the bridge of his nose and released a loud sigh. "Okay. Give me a few minutes to finish up what I'm doing and I'll be right there."

"Th… thank you," Michael managed and as he hung up the phone, it was all Tony could do to keep from throwing the device against the opposing wall.

"Everything okay?" Gibbs asked.

"No," the younger man grunted, his face set in a dark frown. "Looks like no lunch for us."

"Go take care of it. We'll do pizza tonight for dinner."

"You promise?" He asked hopefully.

"Uh huh," Gibbs responded, leaning over to press a quick kiss to his cheek. "Go on."

Offering his boss a ghost of a smile, Tony made his way over to the elevator, only allowing his grin to falter once the doors slid shut. Pressing the button for the parking garage, he released a frustrated sigh when his belly gurgled loudly. "Yeah, yeah," he muttered, resting his hand against the small swell between his hipbones. "I was really lookin' forward to that pizza too."

**1325 Hoursâ€"Michael Martinetti's Apartment**

Pulling up in front of the old apartment building, Tony shifted his car into park and shoved the remainder of his cheeseburger into his mouth. It hadn't even been a half an hour since he'd agreed to stop by Michael's apartment and he'd already called three more times.

Had he not been so irritated, he would have felt guilty for taking the time out for a quick lunch.

Releasing a loud sigh, he climbed from the car and shut the door with more force than necessary before he made his way up to the front of the building. He could feel his phone vibrating in his pocket again and it only served to make him slow his pace.

Pressing the 'ignore' button, he made his way inside, resisting the urge to turn around and head back to the agency. The last thing he needed was an afternoon with the distraught PFC.

The ride up to Michael's floor didn't last nearly long enough and he'd barely stepped off the elevator when the apartment door flew open.

"I… I didn't think you were coming!" He said, his voice thick with tears as he offered the agent an accusing glance.

"I told you I had a couple things to finish up," Tony responded, offering what he hoped appeared to be a genuine smile. "Now what's goin' on?"

Michael said nothing as he pulled the door open a little wider, reaching up to swipe at his cheeks. Though he was in his early twenties, Tony couldn't help but notice just how young he looked in that very moment and he felt some of his irritation disappear. Gibbs was right; Michael Martinetti was just a scared kid with nobody else to turn to.

He stepped inside, watching as the younger man shut the door behind him and started for the kitchen. "Can I get you anything?"

"No. I can't stay very long, Michael. You were saying that you heard some strange noises?"

"Um… I…"

"You didn't hear anything, did you?"

Michael shook his head, dropping his eyes to the ground. "I'm sorry! I just… I don't wanna be alone."

Releasing a frustrated sigh, Tony shook his head and started for the door. "Jesus. I've got other stuff I've gotta be doing, Michael! I can't keep dropping by every hour for a social call!"

"You told me I could call you!"

"If you needed anything!"

A loud sob escaped the younger man as Tony reached for the doorknob and it was all he could do to keep from throwing himself at the agent to keep him from leaving. "Please, Tony! Please don't go!"

A dark frown formed on Tony's face as he paused, releasing a deep sigh. "Fine," he conceded, his shoulders slumping slightly. "But I'm not hanging out here all day, Michael. I want you to go take the medicine the doctor gave you to help you sleep and then after I get you straight, I'm going to go, okay?"

"You… you promise you'll stay until I fall asleep?"

"Yeah, I promise." Sighing again, he crossed the room and sank down onto the couch, watching warily as the younger man made his way into the bedroom. Lifting his hips slightly, he pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed his boss' number, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Hey Boss," he greeted when the older man answered. "Listen… I'm probably not going to be back for awhile…"

**1845 Hoursâ€"Gibb's House**

Leaning his head against the cool tile of the shower wall, Tony inhaled deeply before releasing a loud sigh, closing his eyes as the water rained down against his back. For the first time since leaving Michael's apartment, he could feel the tension leaving his neck and shoulders.

Though he'd only intended to stop in long enough to check on the distraught man earlier, a quick visit quickly turned into an entire afternoon of keeping Michael company. It had been the longest afternoon he'd had to suffer through for a long time, and he'd practically sprinted out of the apartment the moment the sleeping medication had kicked in.

Reaching down, he turned the faucet off and grabbed for his towel, feeling his jaw clench in irritation when he heard his phone vibrating on the counter. It hadn't been enough that he'd given up his whole afternoon to coddle their victim, but once the medicine he'd taken had worn off, he'd started calling and it had been non-stop.

Releasing a frustrated sigh, he stepped out of the shower and barely resisted the urge to throw his phone against the wall.

"Gonna answer that?"

Turning at the sound of the gruff voice, Tony offered his lover a slight shrug, trying to school his face into an impassive mask. "It's a wrong number."

"The same wrong number that's been callin' you for the last two hours?"

Rolling his eyes, Tony dried his body off quickly before grabbing for his boxers. "You're the one who told me to answer it earlier, Jet. Said until this case is over, he's our problem."

"While we're on the clock. Christ Tony, he's called at least thirty times since we've gotten home! Answer the damn phone and tell him to lay off!"

"It's not that easy! You nailed it today: he's a kid who's completely freaked out and he has nobody else!" Releasing a frustrated sigh, he pushed past the older man into the bedroom. "I don't know what you want me to do! I didn't want to deal with this whole thing earlier and you gave me an unwanted speech about how I had to, and now, you're pissed because he won't leave me the hell alone! What exactly did you expect?"

"I don't know, Tony! Maybe for you to have talked your way out of it like you try to with me all the god damn time at work!"

The Italian's eyes flashed with anger as he turned to face the older man. "That is so unfair, Jet. This was an order you gave me."

"What is it about him, huh? What makes you wanna hold onto this outside of work?"

"I feel bad for the damn kid! Sorry that I'm showin' some emotion! Won't happen again." With that, he turned and began to gather his discarded clothes, intent on heading to his own apartment for the night.

"Maybe this isn't gonna work, Gibbs."

"Tony…" The silver-haired man tried, sighing deeply as he ran a hand over his tired face. "Wait, Tony. Please."

"What?"

Reaching for his younger lover's hand, Gibbs pulled him against his chest, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. "I don't want you to go."

"And I don't want you chewin' my ass because I followed an order! Your order, but as you've already proved, we don't always get what we want."

Pulling away, he tugged his discarded shirt down over his head, but it wasn't long before Gibbs grabbed him again, crushing his lips against the younger man's.

For a half a second, Tony struggled against him before he gave in, reaching up to tangle his fingers in the gray hair. A quiet moan escaped him and when they broke apart, he was panting heavily.

"I'm sorry," Gibbs said, his blue eyes sincere as he reached up, cupping Tony's cheek in his hand.

"I don't wanna fight any more, Jet. I know the whole situation is weird, but you've gotta trust me."

"I do. You know I know. Don't think I've ever trusted anyone like I trust you, Tony. It's him that I don't know about."

"Just… give me a few days. Please. I can handle this thing if you can just give me a couple days to get it sorted out. Once Miller wakes up and we have him in custody, things will be different."

"And if they're not?"

"They will be."

Leaning forward again, Gibbs pressed another quick kiss to his lips. "I'll lay off," he said quietly. "But you've gotta promise you're gonna handle it. Sooner rather than later."

"I promise," he said.

"Good." Releasing a quiet sigh, he reached up and ran a hand over his face again before offering his agent a ghost of a smile. "C'mon. I'm pretty sure I promised you a pizza."

Almost as if on cue, Tony's stomach growled loudly, causing him to blush slightly when he caught his boss' amused grin. "What can I say? I was really lookin' forward to that pizza today."

**January 2ndâ€"0300 Hours Gibbs' House**

Rolling over in the bed, a quiet groan escaped Tony as he forced his tired eyes open. On the night stand, he could hear his phone vibrating yet again, the quiet noise nearly making him scream in frustration.

Pushing himself up against the pillows, he snatched the phone from the stand and quickly pressed 'ignore', though he knew it would do no good. No matter how many times he ignored the calls, Michael just kept calling.

Flipping the small device open, he released a quiet sigh when he saw that he had seven missed calls since 2200 hours. Closing his eyes, he inhaled deeply before he pressed the power button, effectively shutting off his phone.

Dropping the phone to the carpeted floor beside the bed, he laid back down, closing his eyes again as he willed sleep to come. Beside him, he could feel his lover shift a bit, turning onto his side to drop an arm around the younger man's waist.

"Y'okay?" Gibbs mumbled, his voice thick with sleep.

"Go back to sleep," Tony responded, his voice barely above a whisper, ignoring the guilty twinge in the pit of his stomach. He'd promised Gibbs almost a week ago that he'd take care of Michael and put an end to the ridiculous phone calls, but so far, he'd had no such luck. He'd tried telling the PFC that he needed to lay off, and when that hadn't worked, he'd resorted to ignoring the phone calls, but the disturbed young man still had not gotten the hint: in five days, he'd already had over one hundred missed calls.

And unfortunately, rather than getting better, the problem only seemed to be getting worse.

Slipping out of his boss' loose embrace, he climbed from the bed, wincing slightly when the older man forced his tired eyes open, glancing up at him sleepily.

"Come back to bed."

"In a minute. Bathroom," Tony responded, leaning over to peck his lover's lips gently. "Go back to sleep. I'll be right back."

It was a routine they'd developed over the course of the last couple of days, and it was one that Tony was beginning to despise. He'd been woken up more times than he could count in the middle of the night by the irritating sound of his phone vibrating angrily, and in turn, he'd unintentionally woken Gibbs up.

He couldn't speak for his older lover, but he knew he was completely exhausted from long days at the office and next to no sleep at night. He could only imagine that Gibbs was feeling the same.

After a quick trip to the bathroom, Tony returned to the bed and slid under the covers, snuggling up as close as possible to the older man. He couldn't help but grin sleepily when Gibbs draped an arm around him again, pulling him closer.

"Sure you're okay?"

"Never been better," was the sleepy reply and despite all the stuff going on with the Michael situation, Tony decided that at that very moment, he meant it.

**1545 Hoursâ€"NCIS Squad Room**

Closing the file on his desk, Gibbs ran a hand over his tired face and released a nearly silent sigh. Exhausted didn't even begin to describe how he was feeling at the moment, and that was saying something. For as long as he could remember, he'd functioned on a minimal amount of sleep; less than he was getting now, really, but things were different this time.

Across the bullpen, McGee appeared to be studying his computer screen intently while Ziva's eyes were fixed on a file in front of her. While he was sure that neither agent was actually paying attention to the cold cases they were supposed to working on, at least they had the decency to pretend.

Tony, on the other hand, was a different story.

He was hunched forward in his chair, his head cradled in his hands as he glared down at the cell phone laying on his desk. It had been vibrating almost nonstop for almost the entire afternoon, distracting the tired agent more than usual. It was irritating to say the least and on more than one occasion over the course of the day, Gibbs had come close to grabbing the device and shooting it with his gun.

Deciding that the paperwork for discharging his firearm was too tedious, he pushed himself to his feet and crossed the bullpen before he snatched the offending phone from the desk.

"Hey!" Tony protested, reaching for his boss' hand when Gibbs dropped the phone to the floor, bringing his foot down on it hard. The loud crunch seemed to reverberate through the otherwise silent squad room and it was all Tony could do to keep from decking his lover. "You… that was… why did you…"

"With me. Now."

McGee and Ziva watched in horror as Tony pushed himself up from his desk angrily and stalked over to the elevator, all but punching the button.

"You two," Gibbs growled, not bothering to turn to look at his agents as he followed after Tony. "You finish up those cold cases. I want them on my desk by 1630. We clear?"

"Crystal, Boss."

The pair stepped onto the elevator in a stony silence, though Tony was seething. Almost as soon as the elevator doors slid shut, he reached over and punched the emergency switch before he turned on his boss.

"What the fuck was that all about, Jet?" He demanded.

"I told you to take care of it. That little shit's been callin' you nonstop all day, Tony!"

"I am taking care of it!"

"By ignoring it? Jesus Christ, DiNozzo! What fantasy world are you livin' in that you really think that's gonna work?"

"And like smashing my phone is really going to solve the problem?"

"It was distractin' you. So yeah, it took care of my problem."

Tony opened his mouth to respond, ready with a complete verbal assault when he released a deep sigh, the fight leaving his body as quickly as it had come. "You're a bastard, you know that?"

"That's what they tell me," the older man retorted, reaching out press the emergency switch again, setting the elevator into motion. "We'll get you a new phone, if that's what you're pissed about."

"It's just a phone," the Italian sighed. "I just… You told me you were gonna let me handle it, Jet. And I'm trying. I know it doesn't seem like it, but something with Michael is weird. I don't… I don't think it'll be a good idea to just tell him to quit calling, you know?"

The elevator doors slid open, depositing the two men in the parking garage. Stepping off, Gibbs waited for Tony to join him before he rested a gentle hand against his back, offering a slight shrug. "If you say so, Tony. But I'm telling you, I'm not going to stand by much longer while heâ€""

"Tony!"

Both men turned at the sound of the nearly hysterical voice and it was all Gibbs could do to keep from pulling his gun as Michael began to approach. "You've gotta be fucking kidding me."

"Jethro…" Tony warned. "Don't. Please, please don't do this."

"You didn't… you didn't answer my calls!" Michael accused, his brown eyes full of tears as he reached up to swipe at his cheeks. "Why didn't you answer my calls?"

"How the hell did you get in here?" Gibbs asked, ignoring the way Tony's hands tugged on his shirt. "This is a secure parking garage."

"I needed to see Tony."

"You need to get your ass out of here and quit callin'," Gibbs retorted, taking a threatening step towards the younger man. "He's told you time and again that Miller is still out of it in the hospital. There's nothin' else anybody can do for you right now."

"He told me I could call him!" Michael sobbed, turning an accusing glance on him. "You told me I could, Tony! And now you won't answer! What if I needed you?"

"Michael… please. You've gotta stop with this whole thing… it's… it's gettin' a little creepy."

"Is this because of him?" The younger man asked, his eyes flashing angrily as he turned his gaze to Gibbs. "It is, isn't it? He's poisoned you against me! I thought you were supposed to be my friend!"

Swallowing hard when his lover took another step toward the young man, Tony reached for him, cringing when he brushed his hand away. "Gibbs… God dammit, Jethro! Stop!"

Ignoring Tony, Gibbs closed the gap between him and Michael and reached out, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt. "I'm only gonna say this one time, so you need to listen and listen good: Quit callin'. From now on, if you've got a problem related to the case, you call me. If I find out that you keep callin' Tony, we're gonna have an even bigger problem. Have I made myself clear?"

Another loud sob tore from Michael's throat and as soon as Gibbs released him, he stumbled backwards. Looking past the older man to Tony, he shook his head before he turned and bolted out of the parking garage without so much as a glance back.

"You sonofabitch."

Turning at the sound of his lover's angry voice, Gibbs barely managed to block the punch that was thrown, gripping Tony's fist in his hand. "You try that one more time, and I swear to God, DiNozzo…" he trailed off, unwilling to finish his sentence as the younger man pulled away angrily.

"What the fuck were you thinking, Gibbs?" He raged, ignoring his boss' unfinished threat. "I know he's a little nuts, but he's a victim! And the only one we have to help us put Miller away!"

"He's stalking you, Tony! He's damn lucky I haven't charged him!"

"He's harmless! The kid's scared of his own Goddamned shadow and you've just gone and made it worse!" Turning away from the older man, he started towards his car.

"Don't you walk away from me, DiNozzo! We are not finished here!"

"Yeah, Gibbs. I think we are."

**1656 Hoursâ€"Tony's Apartment**

Shoving the apartment door open, Tony stalked into the apartment before slamming the door behind him. After leaving NCIS, he'd driven around for awhile, hoping the time alone would calm him, though it was to no avail. Even almost an hour later, he was still as angry as he'd been when he left the agency.

Things between him and Gibbs had been left on a bad note, but really, he knew that some time apart was for the best. Neither man had the best temper, and though his older lover was slightly more in control of his, Tony knew it wouldn't be a good idea to try and work things out until they'd both had a chance to cool off.

Running his fingers through his short hair, he released a frustrated sigh and threw his keys into the dish behind the door before starting down the hall to his bedroom. He needed a distraction, something to keep his mind off of the scene in the parking garage, and he had the perfect idea.

He'd been neglecting his exercise since he found out he was pregnant despite the fact that both Ducky and his doctor assured him that a bit of light jogging would be good for him and the baby. He changed quickly into a pair of sweatpants, plain cotton t-shirt and a zip-up hoodie before he sank down onto the bed to pull his running shoes on.

Pushing himself up, he stretched carefully before he headed out of the room, ignoring the nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach.

He started out slow, ignoring the slow burn that started in his calves. Though he'd always considered himself athletic, it had been too long since his last run, and he knew it would take awhile to acclimate his body to stress that jogging undoubtedly put on it.

He found that he was surprised that he managed a ten minute mile, despite the length of time he had gone without a workout, but he couldn't help but curse himself for already feeling winded. He felt himself beginning to slow down when he spotted a car broken down on the corner just ahead of him, and on a whim, he decided to stop and help, taking advantage of the opportunity for a break.

"Hey!" He called, seeing someone crouched down at the rear of the car. "Hey, need some help?"

There was no answer, so he moved closer and before he could react, Michael stood up, offering Tony a watery smile. "I knew you'd come."

"What the…" Before he could finish his thought, the younger man lifted his hand, swinging a large wrench haphazardly at the Italian's head. He managed to duck out of the way of the first swing, but he wasn't so lucky with the second.

He could feel the cold metal connect with the back of his head a split second before everything went black.

Michael watched as Tony fell forward, striking his face on the trunk of the car before he slid down to the ground, out cold. Lifting the trunk, he dropped the wrench in before glancing down at the older man once more.

"Sorry Tony."

**January 2ndâ€"1930 Hours Undisclosed Warehouse, Downtown Baltimore**

The first thing Tony was aware of as he began to drift back into a state of consciousness was the throbbing ache in the back of his head. It was all he could do to lift his chin, and as he allowed his eyes to flutter open, he winced at the bright lights that assaulted his retinas.

"It's about time you woke up. I was starting to think you were going to make this hard for me."

The voice was coming from somewhere beyond the light, but even in his confused state, Tony found he already knew who its owner was; it was the same voice that had plagued him for almost a week.

"Mi… Michael?"

"No brain damage. That's a good sign, I guess. Your stupid boyfriend will be pleased."

Blinking rapidly in an attempt to clear his blurry vision, he swallowed hard, fighting down the rising feeling of nausea. His first instinct was to push himself to his feet but the slightest movement caused his stomach to flip and before he could stop himself, he was retching.

Hidden in the shadows, Michael watched with pleasure as the object of his most recent obsession spilled the contents of his stomach onto the front of his shirt before he slumped back against the wall, coughing and gasping for air.

"I wouldn't advise you try that again," he smirked. "You're not going anywhere anyway, so save your energy. You're going to need it for later."

It was a struggle to catch his breath and it was all he could do to ignore the feeling of rising panic that threatened to suffocate him. Closing his eyes, he took a few deep breaths, hoping to force enough air into his lungs and only once he was sure he wasn't going to pass out from lack of oxygen did he begin to take stock of his situation.

His hands were bound behind his back with rope, if the raw, burning feeling in his wrists was anything to go by. His feet were left untied, but he knew without the use of his hands, he'd never be able to get to his feet before Michael got to him.

His head was throbbing and his hazy vision only served to make him more nauseous. All in all, things were not looking good. When his vision began to clear, he tried looking around again, realizing that he was in some kind of a warehouse. And judging by the smell, it was near the docks.

"A warehouse, huh?" Tony snorted, though he frowned a bit at the slight slur in his voice due to what he was sure was a concussion. "How cliché."

Stepping out of the shadows, Michael offered him a cocky smirk. "Maybe," he conceded, taking a few steps toward the older man. "But it really sets the stage, doesn't it?"

Tony shivered, feeling the dampness of his clothes soaking through to his skin. "Sets the stage for your arrest, yeah. Because you know as well as I do that's all that'll be happening here."

He grunted audibly when the younger man punched him, tasting the blood that pooled in his mouth almost immediately. Laughing, he shook his head slowly, narrowing his eyes at him. "That's the best you've got, Michael? I could hit you harder than that with my pinky finger."

The dark haired man growled before he reached out, gripping Tony's hair in his hand. With a dark grin, he slammed his head back against the brick wall behind him, his smile widening when he felt Tony's body go limp.

**January 3rd-0200 Hours Gibbs' House**

Dropping the worn piece of sandpaper onto the work bench, Gibbs sagged against his boat and released a loud frustrated sigh. He hadn't been surprised when he'd arrived home and realized that Tony was nowhere to be found. He'd expected his younger lover to return to his own apartment, and though he didn't necessarily like the idea, he knew that maybe they both needed a little time apart, at least until this case was over.

That didn't stop the nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach though.

Grabbing an old mason jar, he dumped the collection of nails onto his work bench before he grabbed his bottle of bourbon. It had been awhile since he'd had a drink, but all things considered, he felt as though he'd earned one. Filling the jar about halfway, he capped the bourbon and placed it back on the shelf beside the work bench.

His thoughts drifted to Tony as he raised the glass and drained it in a single swallow, the liquid burning its way down his throat angrily. Wincing just slightly, he dropped it back to the work bench and resisted the urge to scream in frustration.

"This is ridiculous," he growled to the empty basement just as his cell phone started chirping happily in his pocket. Hoping against hope, he flipped it open without even checking the caller ID.

"Tony?"

"Um…" He could hear Ziva hesitate on the other end of the line and without his permission, his shoulders slumped miserably. "Gibbs, it is Ziva."

"Yeah, I got that," he grumbled, releasing a loud sigh. "What's goin' on?"

"Miller… he is awake."

Snapping the phone closed between his fingers, he took the stairs two at a time. Not bothering with a jacket, he practically sprinted out of the house, allowing the door to slam shut behind him.

It was less than fifteen minutes later that he pulled up in front of the hospital, his knuckles white as he clenched the steering wheel. Swerving into a parking space, he shifted into park before he leapt out of the car, already on his way to the front of the hospital.

He could feel his blood practically boiling as he thought about the man laying in the hospital bed. It was that sonofabitch's fault that they'd ever had the misfortune of meeting Michael Martinetti and he knew it would be a chore to keep his temper in check.

Stalking into the hospital, he took the elevator to the third floor, his hands clenched into angry fists at his sides as he bypassed the nurses' station. He could feel his heart rate accelerating as he made his way down the hall, pausing in front of Jeremy Miller's hospital room.

From where he stood, he could see the younger man on the bed, his fingers clenching the sheets at his sides as the doctors removed the ventilator tube that had been shoved down his throat to help him breathe following the shooting nearly a week ago. At the head of the bed, Ziva stood, her arms crossed over her chest as she stared down at the man impassively, waiting for the doctors to finish before she read him his rights.

Jeremy released a choked gasp once the tube had been removed, his hazel eyes wide as he searched the room for familiar faces before he settled his gaze on Ziva.

"Wh… where is he?" He asked, his voice coming out in a ragged gasp. "Did you… did you get him?"

"Get who?" She asked, glancing back at Gibbs as he stepped into the room.

"Jeremy Miller… you're under arrested for the murder of Lance Corporal Henry Donovan andâ€""

"N…. No! M… Michael."

"What?"

"It was…" he trailed off, swallowing hard against the pain in his raw throat. "It was Michael. He tried to kill me."

**0245 Hoursâ€"Tony's Apartment**

Screeching to a halt in front of his pregnant lover's apartment complex, Gibbs threw the car into park before he leapt out, jogging the short distance to the front of building.

Over the course of the last week, something had felt off about Michael Martinetti, but he hadn't been able to put his finger on it. Once Miller had come around and filled Gibbs and Ziva in on his story, everything had clicked in to place.

According to Miller, Michael had become obsessed with Lance Corporal Donovan a week prior to his murder. What had started out as a bit of innocent flirting between the pair quickly turned deadly when Michael realized that Donovan wasn't interested in more than a quick fuck.

Once Miller realized what had happened between the two, he confronted Michael, wanting his full side of the story before he went to the police. That had been when Michael attacked him.

Gibbs had been on the phone with McGee before he ever made it down the hallway. Without needing to be told, the younger agent assured his boss that he was on his way down to the Navy Yard to put out a BOLO on Michael's vehicle and start running the younger man's background, looking for anything that might lead them to him.

Pushing the door to the apartment complex open, Gibbs hurried inside, trying desperately to ignore the nagging feeling in the pit of his gut.

Opting for the stairs rather than the elevator, he took them two at a time before spilling out onto Tony's floor, his heart pounding wildly in his chest as he approached the door.

Without knocking, he slipped his key into the lock and pushed the door open. "DiNozzo?"

He hadn't expected an answer, but the lack of one quickly confirmed his fear. Pulling his phone from his pocket with shaking hands, he dialed McGee again, releasing a frustrated sigh when the younger man answered.

"Michael has Tony."

**0525 Hoursâ€"Undisclosed Warehouse, Downtown Baltimore**

A quiet moan escaped Tony as he forced his heavy eyes open, ignoring the throbbing in his head. For a brief moment, he couldn't remember where he was or what had happened until he heard a quiet laugh from somewhere behind him.

Blinking just slightly in an attempt to clear his vision, he lifted his head only to realized that he was laying belly down on a dingy old mattress, his hands bound behind his back. Despite the sluggishness he'd felt when he first woke up, he suddenly felt awake, adrenaline pumping through his system, making him hyper aware of the predicament he currently found himself in.

He couldn't feel his arms or legs and when he finally managed to crane his head around enough to get a glimpse of his body, he realized that he'd been stripped bare despite the extremely low temperature.

A quiet gasp escaped him before he could stop himself as his brain finally managed to catch up with his body; it was like being dunked in a tank full of freezing water, and before he knew it, his entire body was trembling, his teeth chattering.

"Something wrong, Tony?"

He struggled to look up at Michael, surprised to see that the younger man had moved in front of him.

"C… cold," was all he could manage.

"It's going to get even colder soon," he responded with a smirk as he stepped over to the mattress, grabbing a fist full of Tony's hair.

A strangled moan escaped him as Michael yanked his head back, exposing his neck. A second later, he could feel the cold blade of a knife pressing against his flesh.

It wasn't the first time he'd faced the end, but this time, it was different.

He couldn't even begin to count the number of times he'd thrown himself in front of a bullet meant for a teammate or offered himself to psychopaths in exchange for innocent people who'd been in the wrong place at the wrong time, but it wasn't just about him anymore.

Closing his eyes against the sting of tears, he swallowed hard, his thoughts drifting back to his older lover and the father of his unborn child as Michael pressed the blade even harder against his neck.

"I'm so sorry, Jet," he thought, a dry sob escaping him as two loud shots rang out through the room.

He was aware of a heavy weight falling on his back, forcing the air from his lungs as the knife clattered to the floor in front him. A second later, the weight was lifted and warm, gentle hands were probing his frozen body.

"Tony?"

He knew the voice, and he wanted nothing more than to answer, but he found his mouth wouldn't cooperate with his brain. Another strangled gasp escaped him as his hands were freed from behind him and he was turned over gently.

"McGee! Call an ambulance!" Gibbs barked, shrugging out of his jacket before draping it over his younger lover's bare body. "Tony?"

"S… so c… cold," he managed, his teeth chattering loudly as his entire body shivered.

"Gonna get you warmed up," Gibbs promised, reaching out to run his hands over his partner's bare legs. "Just stay with me. You hurt anywhere?"

"H… head."

"Ambulance is on its way, Boss," McGee said, dropping into a crouch beside his partner as he pulled his jacket off as well, covering Tony's exposed legs.

Gibbs looked over his Italian carefully, looking for any other bruises or marks that Michael may have left behind when he noticed Tony's eyes beginning to shut.

"Hey! You stay with me!" He ordered, looking up when he heard the sirens in the distance. "Hear the sirens? They're almost here."

"W… wanna sleep. So c… cold."

"You can sleep later. You're gonna be fine, but you've gotta stay awake for a few more minutes. McGee, help me get him up."

The two men pulled Tony into a sitting position carefully despite his weak protests. Grabbing the two jackets, Gibbs wrapped them around the younger man's shoulders before pulling him into his warm embrace.

"I don'…" Tony trailed off, swallowing hard as he pushed away from his lover's warm chest. "Feel s'good," he managed, just seconds before he jerked away, retching violently.

He could hear Gibbs and McGee calling his name as he slumped heavily against his lover, his vision going hazy before he blacked out.

**1230 Hoursâ€"Bethesda Hospital**

Shifting slightly against the scratchy sheets, a quiet whimper escaped Tony as he forced his heavy eyelids open, blinking in an attempt to clear his vision. The room wasn't familiar, though as soon as he caught sight of the millions of machines at his bedside, he knew he was in the hospital.

"Welcome back."

The quiet voice startled him as his hazel eyes searched the room for its owner, finding her perched in the chair in the corner.

"J… Jethro."

"Coffee," Abby said by way of explanation as she pushed herself to her feet, swiping at the tears on her cheeks. "You gave us all quite a scare, Tonyboy. How are you feeling?"

"Fuzzy."

"That's because they gave you the good stuff. Nothing that'll hurt the baby though."

Tony swallowed hard, nodding as he rested his head back against the pillows. "S… sorry."

"Rule number six," Abby smiled, reaching up to brush his hair back from his forehead. "Besides, I'm not the one you need to apologize to."

"He won't accept it," he responded miserably. "He'll blame himself."

Abby shrugged, struggling to keep her own emotions under control as her friend fought with his. "He should be back soon. Do you want me to give you twoâ€""

"You don't have to."

"I know I don't have to. I just thought that you guys might wanna talk, and some things are better talked about in private."

"Y… yeah, I guess you're right."

Pushing herself up from the edge of the bed, she leaned over, dropping a gentle kiss to his forehead. "I think I'm gonna go find your man. You have some stuff to work out."

"I'm here," Gibbs responded from the doorway, offering the younger woman a slight smile when she jumped at the sound of his voice. "Thanks for takin' care of him, Abs."

Standing on her toes, she pressed a gentle kiss to his lips before she pulled away, squeezing his hand gently as she exited the room. "Take care of him, Gibbs. Make him better, okay?"

Watching as she left, he released a quiet sigh and crossed the room, sinking into the chair he'd been occupying for the majority of the morning before he offered his younger lover a sad smile.

"How...how much of that did you hear?"

"What do you think?" He asked expectantly, taking a sip of his coffee.

"It's not your fault, Jethro. You...you have to know that."

Gibbs nodded, reaching over and taking Tony's hand in his. "I know. Not your fault either."

"Don't know about that one. Sometimes I swear I'm a trouble magnet."

"On most days, I'll agree with that," he responded with a smirk. "How much of it do you remember?"

"Not much," the Italian admitted, pausing to release a deep cough. "I…" he trailed off, clearing his throat. "I remember going for a jog when I got home yesterday. I needed… needed to clear my head, I guess. Everything else is a little fuzzy."

"A concussion will do that to ya."

"How did you... how did you find me?"

"Baltimore PD found his car parked down by the docks. As soon as I realized what happened, McGee put a BOLO out on it. We were just headin' out to go over his apartment again when we got the call."

"I remember thinkin' you weren't gonna find me."

"It's a good thing you've got that concussion," Gibbs snorted. "That statement's good for at least two headslaps. You should know better than that. When have I ever not found you?"

"It was…" he trailed off, releasing another wet cough. "Different this time, Jet. After… after we fought, I didn't think you'd want to find me."

Reaching up, the older man ran his fingers through his younger lover's hair, ignoring the ache in his chest at Tony's words. "I can promise you this, Tony. There's nothin' in this world that you could do that would make me not want you. You got that?"

"I got it, Boss," he responded, releasing a tired sigh as his eyelids fluttered heavily. "'M really tired."

"Get some sleep. I'll be right here when you wake up."

"You promise?"

"Promise."

Shifting just slightly on the bed, Tony sighed again as he allowed his exhausted body to relax. "Love you, Jet."

It was the first time Tony had acknowledged his feelings for the older man, and while Gibbs was sure it was true, he found himself wondering if he'd really meant to admit it out loud or if it was the light sedative talking, but he found that he didn't care. Leaning over, his brushed his lips against Tony's forehead before settling back in his chair, preparing for what he was sure would be a long day of waiting. "Love you too, Tony."

**January 3rdâ€"1630 Hours Bethesda Hospital**

Shifting just slightly in the hard, plastic chair, Gibbs lowered his newspaper at the sound of Tony's quiet moan. The younger man had been out of it for most of the day, thanks to the light sedative the doctors had given him upon his arrival. While he'd lost consciousness briefly in the warehouse, he'd come around almost as soon as they loaded him into the ambulance and it was all anybody could do to keep him calm.

In addition to a dangerously low body temperature, his lover had suffered a concussion that left him hazy and frightened. By the time they'd reached the hospital, he was downright combative and the doctor hadn't thought twice about sedating him.

He'd come around a few times over the course of the afternoon, but never for very long; usually only long enough to make sure that Gibbs had kept his promise, and once he was sure he was safe, he'd give back in to the medication flowing through his veins.

But he'd never made a peep. Suffice it to say, the noise startled him.

Dropping his newspaper to the small table beside his chair, he pushed himself to his feet and crossed the room quickly, a frown darkening his face when he realized just how red his agent's cheeks were. He'd been covered with warming blankets from the moment he'd arrived at the hospital in an attempt to stabilize his temperature, but the nurses had removed those almost an hour ago.

Reaching out, he dropped his large hand to the younger man's forehead, a quiet gasp escaping him when he felt the heat radiating from his skin.

"Tony?"

Another quiet moan escaped him as he turned into the touch, forcing his heavy eyes open. "'S hot," he complained, his voice raspy and thick with sleep. "Tell 'em to turn down the heat, Jet."

He was just reaching for the call button on the wall when the sound of footsteps reached his ears. Turning to the doorway, he felt a sense of relief wash over his body as the nurse stepped into the room.

"He's got a fever."

"I know," she responded, her frown matching his. "I've been monitoring him. I'm going to give him something to see if it'll help."

Gibbs watched closely as the nurse administered the medication into Tony's IV, despite his weak protests.

"Tony, it's just somethin' to help with your fever, alright? You'll feel better in a few minutes." He reassured the younger man, squeezing his hand gently. Turning to the nurse as she disposed of the needle, the frown that had been on his face moments before returned. "Is he gonna be alright?"

"His doctor will be here in twenty minutes and I'm going to send him in to see what the problem is. He may have developed pneumonia, being out in the cold."

The silver-haired man dropped into the chair next to his lover's bed unceremoniously, taking deep breaths to control his sudden flood of emotions. He wasn't usually an emotional man, he usually saved that for McGee or Tony, but in this case, he couldn't help it.

He knew how serious pneumonia could be for his agent, especially considering the state of his lungs after having suffered the pneumonic plague. What was bothering him about this particular situation was that if he had simply swallowed his pride and apologized, the whole thing could have potentially been avoided.

"He's going to be fine, Agent Gibbs," the young nurse said quietly as she made her way to the door. "We're going to take good care of him."

He said nothing, though he offered the younger woman a curt nod before turning his attention back to his ill lover. For a moment, it appeared as though he'd fallen back to sleep and it startled Gibbs when he spoke quietly, his voice hoarse.

"Quit doin' that," Tony managed.

"Quit doin' what?"

"Beat… beatin' yourself up. Y'know as well as I do that he…" he trailed off, releasing a wet cough that left him slightly breathless. "He woulda found a way regardless of the circumstances."

"I don't know what you're talkin' about. Just thinkin' about you bein' a trouble magnet."

Despite the fact that he felt like complete and utter crap, he managed a bored look for his older lover. "C'mon, Jet."

"Y'know, don't know if I like the idea of you bein' a mind reader. That's my job."

"That's… that's where I learned it from." Releasing a quiet sigh, Tony allowed his eyes to close sleepily, barely stifling a yawn.

"You need to get some rest," the older man said, leaning over to press a gentle kiss to his forehead.

"Promise you'll stay?"

"You got it. Feel better, Tony."

**1900 Hoursâ€"Bethesda Hospital**

"Jethro?"

Glancing up at the sound of the voice, Gibbs released a quiet sigh and sagged just a bit in his chair. "Hey, Duck."

"How is Anthony?" The older Medical Examiner asked as he stepped into the hospital room, a slight frown on his face at the sight of the slight sheen of sweat coating the younger agent's forehead and cheeks. He'd been in constant contact with Anthony's doctors throughout the course of the day, and the latest update he'd received was not very good.

"They're concerned about pneumonia," Gibbs responded, closing his eyes briefly as he inhaled a deep breath. "And they're havin' a hard time with his temperature again. What are the docs sayin', Duck? They come in here and start rattlin' off stuff I don't understand. They said this is because he threw up? How the hell does that cause pneumonia?"


"From what I've gathered, they believe it's from aspirating some of the vomit when he became ill, which is known to cause a lung infection. They're going to take him down for a CT scan of the chest and if I'm not mistaken, they've called Bradley in for a consult."

"Pitt? Can't be very good if they're callin' him in."

"They're simply covering all their bases, Jethro. He's somewhat of an expert when it comes to Anthony's lungs, and they just want to make sure they get him started on the most effective treatment possible to try and head this off before it develops any further."

"And if it does? Gets worse, I mean."

"Then we'll take that one step at a time. But for now, do yourself a favor and try to remain calm about the situation. I know that it's easier said than done, but if he senses how you are feeling, it will only serve to make things worse."

Gibbs opened his mouth to respond, though before he could, he was interrupted by a series of loud, wet coughs coming from his younger lover on the bed. Pushing himself to his feet, he crossed the room quickly, dropping a hand to Tony's shoulder as he struggled to catch his breath.

"Easy," Gibbs coached, adjusting the bed slightly in an attempt to help him breathe better. "That's right. I'm right here, Tony."

He relaxed when the coughs stopped, grateful but surprised that the Italian hadn't woken up. Leaning down, he dropped a tender kiss to his overheated forehead, a gesture that made Ducky turn toward the wall under the pretense of giving the couple some privacy.

Releasing a heavy sigh, he forced himself to return to his chair, dropping his head into his hands. "I should be stronger than this."

The ME looked at his oldest friend curiously, moving to sit in the chair next to him. "It isn't easy for anyone to see the person they love in pain. I am sure you were the same way with Shannon and Kelly, no?"

"It was different then. I was different."

Releasing a quiet sigh, Ducky pushed himself up again, dropping a reassuring hand to his shoulder. "Everything will be just fine, Jethro. Forgive me for borrowing from Abigail, but just think positive thoughts and everything will work out."

"I hope so, Duck," Gibbs responded, his eyes never leaving Tony's sleeping form as Ducky slipped out of the room quietly. "I hope so."

Settling back into his chair, the older man dropped his head back against the wall, releasing a quiet sigh. In all the years he'd known Tony, he'd never known him to have an easy time of things. He'd just hoped that this time would be different.

**2045 Hoursâ€"Bethesda Hospital**

Sitting upright at the sound of the door opening, Gibbs scrubbed a hand over his tired face and blinked away the sleep.

"Sorry to wake you up," a familiar voice said. "How's our favorite patient doin'?"

"Obviously not too good if they called you," Gibbs responded with a smirk, pushing himself to his feet. "Good to see ya again, Brad. Just wish it was under better circumstances."

"When it comes to Tony, I think this is as good as it gets." Crossing the room, Dr. Pitt paused at Tony's bed, taking in his pale face, save for his red cheeks. "We need to get that fever down."

"What about the pneumonia?"

"We haven't confirmed that yet. I will admit that from what the others have told me, his lungs don't sound good, but we won't know the exact condition of them until they get him down for that chest scan."

"Then what the hell is the hold up?" Gibbs growled.

"Because unfortunately, he's not our only patient who needs it, Jethro. And while he's a high-risk patient, we have others who are worse off than he is."

"Quit giv… givin' the good doc a hard time, Jet," Tony managed, forcing his tired eyes open.

"About time you woke up," Dr. Pitt teased, raising Tony's bed just a bit. "How ya feelin'?"

"I… I've had better days," Tony retorted, barely stifling a wet cough. "What's the verdict?"

"You look and sound like crap, but I think you're going to be just fine. We've gotta get you down for a CT scan of your chest to confirm our diagnosis, but until that machine is free, I'm going to start you on some meds to help get that fever down."

"S… safe for the baby, right?" Tony asked, his voice thick with sleep despite having slept all day.

"Of course. Congratulations on that, by the way."

A slight grin tugged at the corners of Tony's lips at that, though before he could respond, he was coughing again. His entire body tensed as he hacked and gagged, trying desperately to clear his airway. It was only after Dr. Pitt raised his bed again and Gibbs was at his side, rubbing his back reassuringly did he finally manage to get himself under control.

"F… forgot how much… that sucks," he wheezed, leaning heavily against Gibbs.

"You did good though," Gibbs said quietly, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of his head despite their audience.

"I don' feel s'good, Jet."

"I know, but Brad's gonna fix that. Aren't you?" He asked, and Dr. Pitt didn't miss the way Gibbs' eyes narrowed just slightly in warning.

"I'm certainly gonna try," he promised, patting Tony's arm reassuringly. "I'm gonna go have a quick look at your chart to find out what they've already done and then we'll go from there. I'll be right back."

Dropping his head back to the pillow, Tony released a quiet sigh, allowing his eyes to shut. A second later, he felt his lover reach for his hand, linking their fingers and squeezing gently.

"You okay?"

"Shouldn't be so tired. Slept all day."

"Bein' sick kicks your ass. I'm pretty sure the concussion isn't helpin'."

"Don't you ever get tired of havin' to save me? Don't… don't know why you haven't kicked me off the team yet, Boss. Can't seem to do anything without gettin' hurt."

"You're a good agent, Tony. Best I've ever worked with, Burley included. Only problem with you is you're a trouble magnet," he said, and even as exhausted as he was, Tony caught the affectionate tone to his voice. "Most of the time, you drive me nuts with your whole savin' people thing, but this? This wasn't your fault."

"Shoulda listened to you about him. I knew somethin' wasn't right, but I'm too fuckin' stubborn to listen. All I could think about…" he trailed off, swallowing hard. "If somethin' had happened to the baby because I was too stupid to listen…"

"No use in goin' through this now, Tony. You're safe. Both of you. And right now, that's all that matters."

Offering his boss a slight nod, he sighed again, reaching up to rub his eyes tiredly. He felt Gibbs pull away momentarily and heard the scrape of the chair against the floor as he pulled it closer. At his side, the older man sank into it, reaching for his hand again.

"Hey, Jet?"

"Yeah?"

"Meant what I said earlier. Love you."

"I know. Meant it when I said it back. Love you too."

**January 11thâ€"1100 Hours Bethesda Hospital**

Pulling open the drawers of the small dresser in Tony's hospital room, Abby checked carefully to make sure she'd packed everything, though she frowned darkly when she heard her friend's deep cough through the bathroom door. It made her chest ache in sympathy, knowing that he was in so much pain, but after the week he'd had, she was glad he was finally heading back to Gibbs' house.

The infection in Tony's lungs cleared up shortly after Dr. Pitt changed his medications, but the deep, wet cough remained, and a few times, his fever spiked to a dangerously high temperature, requiring the nurses to wrap him in cooling blankets for hours at a time.

"You okay?" She asked when he pushed the bathroom door open, his cheeks still pink with a slight fever. "I heard the cough. Don't sound like it's gettin' any better."

"Brad said it might not for a week or so," he explained, rubbing his chest to alleviate the ache as he sank down onto the hospital bed, preparing to pull his shoes on. "Where's Gibbs?"

"He went to sign you out and get the car. He'll be back in a few minutes."

"I'll be so glad to get the hell out of the hospital," he said, leaning over with a groan to pull his shoes on. "As much as I've complained about it, I'm really missing that old beat up couch of Jet's."

"I'll bet," Abby responded with a quiet giggle, taking his second shoe from him to help. "Ziva mentioned something about coming by later and bringin' you guys somethin' to eat if you're feeling up to it."

"Wonder if I could talk her into fixing some of that macaroni casserole she had for Christmas," he mused, his stomach grumbling loudly at the thought.

"I'll see what I can do for you," she smirked, pulling him to his feet. "You ready to get outta here?"

"No wheelchair?"

"No such luck," a petite nurse grinned as she stepped into the room, pushing the chair in front of her. "Here's your ride."

Glancing over at his raven-haired friend, Tony offered her a slight frown. "Think I could make a run for it?"

"I wouldn't suggest trying," Abby replied in a stage whisper. "She looks like she'd have no problem taking you down."

"I have orders from Dr. Pitt to do just that if he tries to resist," the nurse teased. "Now c'mon. I have strict orders from Agent Gibbs to get you downstairs as quickly as possible."

"Bossman's anxious to get you home," Abby teased, nudging her friend playfully as she helped him over to the chair.

He offered his friend a slight smirk as he sank down into the chair with a grateful groan. Despite his slight protests, he was glad for the ride, as even standing for such a short period of time left him feeling slightly breathless. Brad had warned him that it could take a couple weeks to recover completely from the lung infection, and he just hoped that it was sooner rather than later.

"I think I can take it from here," Abby said, trading places with the nurse to grip the handles of Tony's wheelchair. "Ready to go?"

"More than ready."

Backing him out of the room carefully, she took off for the elevators, her heavy shoes clunking loudly against the floor. Punching the button for the ground floor of the hospital, she grinned when Tony looked up at her. "Five bucks if we can ditch the wheelchair as soon as the doors close."

"No such luck, Tonyboy. Besides, we'll get to Gibbs a lot faster if you let me drive," she responded with a wink, laughing as she pushed him on to the elevator. "Besides, you looked like you were two seconds from falling out back in the room, and the last thing I want is for Gibbs to have my ass because you ended up back in the hospital for passin' out."

"DiNozzos do not pass out."

"There's a whole lot of things I'm sure DiNozzos don't do, but passing out isn't one of them."

"Losing consciousness because of a concussion doesn't count," he argued, a small grin tugging on the corners of his lips as the elevator doors opened and he spotted Gibbs near the hospital exit. "You sure I can't walk? It's like fifteen steps."

"You wouldn't make it three," she teased, speeding up just a bit when she saw Gibbs.

"Took you long enough," the silver-haired man grunted, reaching down to help Tony to his feet carefully. "Ready to get outta here?"

"I've been ready. Let's go."

"Thanks for takin' care of him, Abs."

Leaning up to press a gentle kiss to the older man's cheek, she offered him a smile. "I already told Tony that Ziva mentioned stopping by later with dinner for you guys. I'll probably swing by too, if that's okay."

"We'll see. Give us a call first."

"Of course you can stop by," Tony responded, ignoring his boss as he offered his friend a smile. "See you later?"

"We'll see," she laughed, standing on her toes to press a kiss to his cheek. "Get some rest."

"I'm sure that's all I'll be doin'," Tony responded as Gibbs wrapped an arm around his waist. "Bye Abs."

"Take care of him, Gibbs."

"I always do."

**1230 Hoursâ€"Gibbs' House**

Pulling up in front of the two story house, Gibbs glanced over at his sleeping lover and grinned. After they finally left the hospital, he stopped long enough to get Tony something quick to eat before they headed back to his house. It was a short drive from Bethesda to DC, but the infection in Tony's lungs had left the younger man completely wiped and he'd barely finished his lunch before he'd passed out in the passenger seat.

Shifting the car into park, he leaned over, shaking Tony gently. "C'mon, DiNozzo. You can sleep some more when we get inside."

A quiet moan escaped the agent as he batted his lover's hands away. "Go 'way," he mumbled.

Rolling his eyes, Gibbs climbed from the car and made his way around to the passenger side. Pulling the door open, he grabbed Tony's arm, tugging on him gently. "C'mon. You'll sleep better in the house."

"Boss!" The Italian whined, forcing his heavy eyelids open to glare at his lover, though he allowed Gibbs to help him out of the car without too much protest. "I wanna sleep!"

"You can sleep in the bed," he reminded him, wrapping an arm around his waist to steady him as they made their way inside.

Though it didn't take very long, by the time they made it into the front door, Tony was wheezing slightly, his breaths coming out in short, ragged gasps.

"Living room first," Gibbs decided, rubbing the younger man's back reassuringly as they made their way into the living room, pausing at the couch. He eased Tony down gently before sinking down onto the cushion beside him, barely suppressing his grin when the younger agent leaned against him, resting his head against his shoulder.

"Th… this really sucks," he managed, just seconds before a deep cough erupted from his chest, sending him into a full-fledged coughing fit.

"Slow, deep breaths," Gibbs coached. "Easy. I'm right here."

After what felt like an eternity, the coughs finally subsided, leaving Tony even more exhausted. Slumping back against the couch, he closed his eyes, focusing on his breathing.

"You just relax for a minute, Tony. I'll be right back." Leaning over, Gibbs pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead before pushing himself up and heading up the stairs.

It wasn't long before he returned, his lover's blanket and pillow in hand as he made his way back over to the couch. Dropping the pillow to one end of the sofa, he nudged Tony gently. "C'mon. Lay down here for a bit and then we'll see about goin' upstairs."

"I wanna lay with you," the younger man protested. "Bed."

"Couch. Now quit poutin' and lay down."

Releasing a slightly irritated huff, Tony eased down against the pillow, crossing his arms over his chest indignantly. "I don't wanna lay down. That's all I've been doin' for a week," he complained.

"And until you're better, that's all you're gonna be doin'," Gibbs countered, dropping down onto the cushion beside him. "Scoot over a bit."

"Huh?"

"Did I stutter, DiNozzo? We aren't both gonna fit on here if you don't quit hoggin' it," he smirked, pleased when Tony turned onto his side to allow him a bit of room. Settling himself against the cushions, he grabbed the blanket and draped it over their bodies, grinning when Tony dropped his head to his chest. "Comfortable?"

"Very."

"Good. Get some sleep, Tony."

Not needing to be told twice, the younger man released a content sigh as he closed his eyes, allowing to sleep to claim him once more.

**January 18thâ€"1645 Hours Gibbs' House**

Pulling up in front of the house, Gibbs shifted the car into park and released a quiet sigh as he sank back against the seat. It had been a long day filled with meetings with the director and reports that needed to be filed, and all afternoon, all he'd wanted was to get back home to his pregnant lover.

It hadn't been easy leaving Tony earlier that morning as he headed back to the office for the first time since the morning at the warehouse and as much as he pretended to dislike the younger agent's antics at the office, he had to admit that DiNozzo had been missed. Even McGee hadn't protested when Abby sat herself down at Tony's desk and started flinging spitballs at him and calling him 'Probie' in "honor of Tony," as she'd put it.

Climbing out of the car, he searched for the key to his front door as he walked up the stairs, inserting the key and unlocking it before pushing it open quietly. He wouldn't have been surprised to find the younger man asleep on the couch, but when he entered the living room, Tony was hugging a pillow to his chest, a deep frown on his face as he stared blankly at the TV.

"Tony?" He tried, slipping his gun into the safe next to the fireplace. A slight frown crossed his face when he didn't respond, and when he turned to face him, the Italian refused to meet his gaze. "What's the matter?"

A deep cough was forced from Tony's throat as he shook his head, choosing not to speak to the older man.

"Still pissed, huh?" He asked, sitting down and rubbing his lover's back gently.

"Nah," the younger man replied bitterly, pulling away from the comforting touch. "I love sittin' at home all day by myself with nothin' to do."

Sinking back against the couch, Gibbs released a quiet sigh and ran a hand over his face. "Don't start this right now. Until the cough is gone…"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," he spat, tossing the pillow to the floor before he pushed himself to his feet. He started for the kitchen, ignoring Gibbs when the older man called his name until he felt a large hand clamp down on his, stopping him in his tracks.

"Do not walk away from me, Tony."

"Let me go," he grumbled.

"Not until we talk. I know you're not happy about havin' to sit out for awhile, but I can't take any chances with you and the baby," he said, tugging the younger man back against his chest. "Try to see this from my side. Just this once."

For a moment, he was afraid that his younger lover was going to pull away, but after a second, he felt Tony sag against him and release a quiet sigh. "I'm bored here, Jet. There's nothin' for me to do here and I just… I'm bored."

"I know. But I'm not askin' for much longer. Just until we get that cough under control. You don't sound good and I don't wanna take any chances."

Turning in his older lover's arms, Tony released another sigh and dropped his head to Gibbs' shoulder. "This really sucks, y'know?"

"I know," Gibbs responded, resting a gentle hand against Tony's belly. "But it's not just you that you've gotta look out for now," he reminded him. "And that means you've gotta take better care of yourself."

"Which means you take the fun outta everything," he countered miserably before he pulled away.

"Where you goin'?"

"Back the couch where you left me to rot all day anyway." Offering his older lover a ghost of a smile, he pecked Gibbs' lips before he made his way back to the couch, sinking down onto the cushions with a quiet groan.

Gibbs shook his head and walked into the kitchen, grabbing a container of mint chocolate chip ice cream from the freezer, along with two spoons before he headed into the living room. Dropping down onto the couch beside his lover, he handed him a spoon and pulled the lid off the cardboard container.

"Ice cream?" He asked, cocking an eyebrow at the older man. "You tryin' to fatten me up?"

The older man shrugged, wrapping his arm around Tony's shoulders. "You gonna do somethin' about it if I am?"

"I'm pretty sure you've shown me that you can take me down without much an effort, so while I'm pregnant… no, I don't think I'll chance it."

The silver-haired man laughed, pressing a gentle kiss to his partner's temple. "Yeah. I had a feelin' you weren't gonna fight me on it."

Pulling the ice cream from the older man's hands, Tony offered him a broad grin. "You know what would go really good with this?"

"No clue, but I'm sure you're gonna tell me."

"Peanut butter. Go grab the jar from the cabinet?"

He wrinkled his nose in disgust, but rather than argue, Gibbs kissed him again and pushed himself to his feet. "Anything else while I'm up?"

"Mmm… I think I'll be good," he grinned. "But I wouldn't say no to pizza for dinner."

"No, DiNozzo, I bet you wouldn't," he laughed, shaking his head as he made his way into the kitchen.

"On second thought? Pickles too."

"Of course," Gibbs muttered, shaking his head as he laughed quietly to himself.

**January 19thâ€"0715 Hours**

Rolling over in the large bed, a quiet moan escaped Tony as he forced his heavy eyelids open. While he'd felt fine most of the previous day, his cough had returned full force during the night, leaving him feeling groggy and disoriented after such little sleep.

"Jet?" He called, his voice raspy and hoarse from the abuse his throat had taken.

"Right here," the older man responded, stepping out of the bathroom as he buttoned his shirt. "Y'okay?"

"Throat hurts," he managed, turning onto his side as he allowed his eyes to close again. "Water?"

"You got it," he promised, crossing the room to drop a gentle kiss to his lover's shaggy hair before he headed into the hallway. It wasn't long before he returned, glass of water in hand, frowning when he heard the hoarse coughs escaping the younger man.

Setting the glass on the table beside the bed, he perched himself on the edge of the mattress, rubbing Tony's back as he tried to catch his breath. "Easy," he coached, patting his shoulder gently. "Slow, deep breaths."

"'M… 'm tryin'," he managed, his long fingers gripping the sheets as he attempted to regain control of his lungs. "Water."

"Right here," Gibbs responded, plucking the glass from the stand and pressing it into his hand. "Small sips. Don't wanna choke yourself."

He said nothing as he sipped the water, allowing the cool liquid to soothe his aching throat, and once he'd had enough, he sank back down against the pillows, allowing his eyes to close once more.

"You okay now?"

Tony nodded, cringing slightly as he swallowed. Gibbs didn't like seeing his lover in pain and since he'd come home from the hospital, this was the worst he'd looked.

"You… you're gonna be late, Jet," he managed, forcing his eyes open to look at the older man. "'M fine."

He was taken by surprise with his partner's words. There hadn't been a day in the last week that Tony hadn't begged to go into work, and now, he wasn't putting up a fight at all. Needless to say, Gibbs' gut was on high alert.

"You sure? I can call out if you want me to."

"No, go on," he insisted, offering the silver-haired man a ghost of a smile. "Have a good day."

Leaning over, he pressed another kiss to Tony's shaggy brown hair before squeezing his shoulder gently. "You need anything, you call. Got it?"

Waving the older man off, Tony turned onto his side, tugging the heavy blankets up over his shoulders.

"Tony." There was a slight warning in the older man's tone as he reached over, shaking him gently. "You listenin' to me?"

"I got it," he groaned, shrugging away from the touch. "Jus' go, okay? 'M fine."

A scowl darkened Gibbs' face and he hesitated, though after a moment, he nodded and started for the door. "Sure you don't need anything before I go?"

The only response he received was another loud groan before Tony pulled the pillow over his head.

**1400 Hours- Squad Room*

Stepping off of the elevator with a loud sigh, Gibbs ran a hand over his tired face as he made his way over to his desk, cup of coffee in hand. It had been a long morning filled with finishing the pile of paperwork that had accumulated on his desk since he'd been out, though try as he might, he hadn't been able to take his mind off of Tony.

He'd figured the younger man had been exhausted from a long night spent coughing and gagging as he tried to clear his lungs of the infection that still lingered, but truth be told, he'd been expecting DiNozzo to call him up once he'd rested a little longer, demanding Gibbs to let him come in.

The morning had come and gone without so much as a peep from Tony and that bothered him more than he cared to admit.

Sinking down into his chair with a quiet groan, he dropped his phone onto the desk before taking a long sip of his coffee, releasing an appreciative sigh. Grabbing a file from the stack, he dropped it to the space in front of him and opened it up when the sound of his cell phone vibrating against the table caught his attention. Snatching it from its resting place, he flipped it open and held it to his hear, frowning when he heard the wet cough on the other end of the line.

"DiNozzo?"

It was another moment before Tony could speak, and when he could, he sounded awful. "Before you ask…" he trailed off, clearing his throat, "'m fine. Was just gonna see if you could pick up some ginger ale or somethin' on your way home."

"For what?"

"I've been hackin' up all this gooey shit and it's makin' me nauseous," he managed before he started coughing again, the sound making Gibbs wince.

"You need anything else?"

"No," was the short reply. "I… I'm gonna go, but don't forget the ginger ale, 'kay?" Before he could respond, Tony had disconnected the call.

Coffee forgotten, he pushed himself to his feet, grabbing his badge and weapon from the top drawer of his desk before nodding to McGee. "You're in charge this afternoon."

"Everything okay, Boss?" The younger man asked, a frown tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"Uh huh. Make it an early one and I'll see you both at 0800 tomorrow," he called over his shoulder as he made his way to the elevator, ignoring the concerned looks on both of his agents' faces.

**Gibbs House**

Tossing his cell phone to the floor beside the bed, Tony rolled onto his back, a quiet whimper escaping him as he reached for the blankets he'd kicked away just minutes earlier. His entire body ached from coughing and his throat was raw, making even swallowing painful. He wanted nothing more than to fall asleep and not wake up again until he was completely over the infection.

Closing his eyes, he willed sleep to come, praying for just a few hours of uninterrupted rest. Unfortunately, just as he was on the verge of slipping into what was sure to be a restless sleep, he heard the front door close followed by heavy footsteps on the stairs, pulling him back to the uncomfortable present.

"I told you I was fine," he called, his hoarse voice barely above a whisper, but he knew he'd been heard. He didn't bother to open his eyes when he heard the bedroom door open, nor did he bother to turn when the mattress sank just slightly under the weight of another body; everything hurt too much to move.

"You look like crap."

"Feel like it too," he sighed, forcing his eyes open to offer the older man a half-hearted glare. "You're s'pposed to be at work."

"I'm right where I need to be," Gibbs snorted. "Never shoulda left you here alone this morning anyway. Not lookin' and soundin' like that."

"'S just a cough."

"Sounds like someone's taken razor blades to your throat."

Smiling despite how crappy he felt, he turned onto his side, reaching for his partner. "'M glad you're home. Didn't want you to go anyway."

"Shoulda said somethin'," Gibbs growled, pressing a kiss to Tony's unruly hair before he pulled away, looking over him carefully. Though he really didn't look very well, Gibbs was pleased to see that his fever hadn't returned; according to Doctor Pitt, though the coughing was uncomfortable, as long as the fever stayed away, it wasn't an issue.

"You get my ginger ale?"

"Uh huh. Stomach still botherin' you?"

"'S'not too bad," he responded, a slight grin tugging on the corners of his mouth when he felt Gibbs' hand resting against his belly gently. "Just a little upset."

"I'll go get you somethin' to drink, see if that'll help settle it. Be right back."

He shifted against the mattress again as he watched his lover's retreating back, taking the opportunity to allow his eyes to slide shut. The moment was short lived though, and when his lover returned a few minutes later with his ginger ale, he was violently coughing once again.

"I'm here, Tony," Gibbs said, rubbing a gentle hand over his back as he coached the younger man, concern evident in his voice. "I'm right here."

The coughs subsided shortly thereafter, being replaced by heavy breathing and an erratic heart rate. "I hate this."

Not as much as I do, Gibbs thought to himself, leaning in to peck his lover's forehead. "I know, Tony. I know you do."

Pushing himself up into a sitting position, he accepted the glass of ginger ale from his partner's hand, a grateful moan escaping him as the cool liquid slid down his throat. "Thanks for takin' care of me, Jet."

Waving the younger man off, Gibbs waited until he finished his drink before he took the glass and returned it to the nightstand. "You need to get some rest."

"Can't. Feels like I'm suffocating every time I lay down."

"Then I guess we need to fix that, huh?" Tossing his own pillows to the floor, Gibbs kicked off his shoes and shifted on the bed to rest against the headboard, patting his chest in welcome.

"Gonna hurt your back sittin' like that," Tony frowned, though he allowed the older man to pull him closer.

"You let me worry about that," he responded, smirking when he felt Tony settling against his chest. "You just rest."

Breathing in the comforting scent of his older partner, Tony released a quiet sigh and allowed his eyes to close once more. "Love you, Jet."

"Love you too, Tony." Leaning his head back against the wall, Gibbs closed his eyes as he rubbed his hand over Tony's back comfortingly until he felt the younger man's breathing deepen, signaling that he had finally fallen asleep.

**January 24thâ€"1930 Hours Gibbs' House**

"Look at you!" Abby squealed as Tony pulled the front door open, a slight grin tugging on the corners of his mouth as she practically leapt forward, wrapping him in a tight hug. "Ugh, I feel like I haven't seen you in forever! Glad you decided to finally crawl out of the hermit cave."

"Blame him," he responded, gesturing to Gibbs who stood in the doorway of the living room, his arms crossed over his chest as he watched the pair. "He vetoed all my visitors."

"Had to get that infection cleared up first," the older man grunted, offering Abby a slight smirk. "Told you he was still alive and well."

"Well, the 'alive' part is right anyway," Tony responded. "The 'well' part depends on whether or not you remembered to bring the pizza."

"Like I could really forget with all those texts you sent me today," she snorted, slipping past him into the house. "Ziva's picking it up on her way over and Timmy's bringing the movies."

"You left McGeek in charge of the flicks? Are you nuts?"

"I gave him a very specific list," she assured him, a knowing smirk on her face. "And don't you dare think I missed that little belly you're sportin'. What are you tryin' to hide it for? I better get some pictures soon."

"I'm not hidin' anything," he responded, resting a hand gently against his stomach as he followed her into the living room before he sank down onto the couch with an appreciative groan. He grinned broadly when the slightly younger woman sank down next to him, cuddling up against his side, resting her head against his shoulder.

"I've missed you at work, you know. Timmy doesn't come down to see me during lunch like you do and Gibbs has been in a bad mood and I really can't wait until you come back. When are you coming back?"

"Monday," Gibbs responded. "I'm tired of comin' home and finding my fridge empty after work," he teased, smirking at the playful glare Tony threw his way.

"I can't help that your kid is always hungry."

"Sure, blame it on the baby."

Tony couldn't help but offer his lover a small smile, tugging Abby closer. "I haven't missed anything important, have I?"

"Of course not," she reassured him, reaching over to pat his knee gently. "You know I would have called if anything cool happened."

He grinned, opening his mouth to reply when there was another knock on the door, signaling McGee and Ziva's arrival.

He had to admit that he was happy Gibbs had suggested hosting a movie night for their coworkers, even if he had given him a hard time about cleaning the house up. The older man had been concerned about his senior agent's health and because of that, he'd made it clear that until the infection was gone, he was to have no visitors, much to the dismay of the younger, more sociable man.

He'd just started to push himself up to get the door when Gibbs waved him off. "You stay put. I've got it."

"Don't you try to confiscate that pizza, Jet," he warned, narrowing his eyes at his lover as the older man made his way to the front door, laughing quietly. "He's been threatenin' that all day."

"He wouldn't do that to you. Not while you're pregnant anyway," Abby grinned, reaching over to poke his side gently. "Just think about it… until you pop that kid out, you practically own Bossman. I hope you're taking advantage."

"Would I be me if I wasn't?" He asked with a smirk, dropping an arm around her shoulder before he pressed a kiss to the side of her head as McGee and Ziva stepped into the room, pizza and movies in hand. "Ah! Finally!"

"We have missed you too, Tony," Ziva greeted, offering her partner a bright smile.

"Yeah, yeah. I was talkin' about the pizza," he teased. "Open that baby up! I'm starvin'!"

"I think you'll live," Gibbs retorted dryly, accepting the pizza boxes from Ziva's hands before he motioned her to join her coworkers in the living room. "Go on. I'll grab a couple plates and then we'll eat."

"Hurry it up, Bossman. Your child is demanding food," Tony called, a playful grin on his face as Ziva settled onto his other side, leaning in to peck his cheek.

"It is good to see you back to your normal self. We have missed you."

"You have? All of you?" He asked, grinning over at McGee. "You too, Probie?"

"Yeah Tony… as much as I hate to say it, me too."

His grin widened as he shifted just slightly on the couch. "Well alright then. For that, I'll let you pick the first movie. Fix us up, McGeek!"

McGee rolled his eyes, though he didn't bother to hide the slight grin on his face as he deposited the movies onto the coffee table before selecting one. Setting it into the DVD player, he made his way back over to the chair and sank down into it as Gibbs returned, pizza and plates in hand.

**2345 Hoursâ€"Gibbs' House**

Tony groaned as he made a feeble attempt to shift against the pillows on the bed, a slight cough escaping him. Poking his head out of the bathroom, Gibbs cocked an eyebrow at his pregnant lover.

"Don't go makin' me change my mind about you goin' to work tomorrow, Tony," he teased, sticking his toothbrush back into his mouth and returning to the sink.

"I'm fine!"

"Your middle name is fine, DiNozzo."

"Hurry up in there so you can come back to bed and I'll show you just how fine I am."

"Trust me…" Gibbs smirked, walking back into the room and over to the bed. "I know how fine you are."

A playful growl escaped Tony as he reached for Gibbs, pulling him down against the mattress. He didn't wait for Gibbs to settle himself before he pulled him close, pressing a kiss to his lips. "Mmmm… Thank you for lettin' them come over tonight. I needed that, I think."

"I know," Gibbs responded, turning on his side to wrap an arm around Tony, pulling him closer. "Ya didn't have to ask though."

"I just wanted to make sure it was okay with you."

"It would have been. I know we haven't exactly made it official or anything, but I want you to think of this as your house too," Gibbs said, pressing feather light kisses along Tony's neck gently, one hand resting against his stomach. "Because it is… if you want it to be, anyway."

"Jet… are you…?"

"Shoulda done it awhile ago but I know how you are about needin' your space. Didn't want you to think I was rushin' things along because of this one," he grinned, leaning down to press a kiss to his slightly swollen belly. "But I want you here. All the time."

"Really? You… you really want me to move in here?"

For a brief moment, Gibbs debated headslapping his younger lover until he caught the completely bewildered look on his face. "Of course I do. I wouldn't have asked if I didn't really want it. Don't feel obligated, but I wanted you to know it wasâ€""

"I do," the younger man responded, and Gibbs was slightly surprised to hear the quiet waver in his voice. "I'm just… wasn't expecting that."

Leaning over, Gibbs captured his lips, smiling when he felt Tony wrap his arms around his neck, holding him tight. "Meant it when I said I love you," he mumbled against his lips.

"I love you too, Jet," he responded, pressing his face against his lover's neck, slightly embarrassed when he felt tears welling up in his eyes. "Damn hormones."

A quiet laugh escaped Gibbs as he pulled away, shifting slightly on the bed before patting his chest in welcome. "C'mon. You're gonna have a busy day tomorrow and you need to get some rest."

"Yes mother."

Reaching up, he tapped the back of Tony's head gently, laughing when he felt Tony laughing quietly before the younger man settled against him, resting his head against his chest. "Sleep well, Tony."

"You too, Boss," he said quietly, a grin on his face as he closed his eyes, willing sleep to come.

**February 17thâ€"1945 Hours Gibbs' House**

Tony couldn't help but grin from his place on the couch as he popped another cheeto into his mouth, watching his lover carry yet another of his boxes into the house. "You gonna leave 'em sittin' right there?"

Setting the box down on the ground, Gibbs took a deep breath and turned towards the younger man. "Don't see you helpin'."

"What are you talkin' about?" Tony asked defensively, licking the orange cheese off his fingers. "I carried all my pillows and inside and I put the extra sheets and stuff in the closet upstairs!"

"Pillows… and sheets. Right."

"Yeah, pillows and sheets," he smirked, resting his hand on his clearly pregnant belly. "My back's already sore. You wouldn't want me liftin' those heavy boxes."

He had a point there, Gibbs conceded with a sigh as he started for the door again, stopping when he felt Tony's hand brush his.

"Take a break?"

"Only have three more boxes to bring in," Gibbs responded, shaking his head as he leaned down to drop a kiss to Tony's forehead.

"They can wait. C'mon, you've been movin' stuff all day."

"Tony…"

"Please? C'mon, you need a break. We'll get somethin' to eatâ€"" Gibbs snorted at that, but Tony continued, "and then maybe I can take you upstairs and have my wicked way with you."

"Tempting."

"Then say yes, huh?" Offering the older man a broad grin, he held a hand out, please when Gibbs accepted it and pulled him up off the couch. In one fluid motion, Tony was on his feet and pressing himself against his lover, his grin broadening when Gibbs' hand found his stomach, resting it there gently. "So… dinner?"

A loud laugh escaped from Gibbs as he shook his head. "You're insatiable."

"In more ways than one," Tony reminded him with a playful wink. "Now c'mon. The faster we feed your kid, the faster I can take care of some other… pressing matters."

Shaking his head, Gibbs allowed the younger man to pull him into the kitchen before he guided him to a chair. "What are you hungry for?"

"You."

"Dessert," Tony promised. "But real food first. I'm starving."

"You just ate a whole bag of cheetos."

"Yeah, but I don't even like cheetos," he said with a shrug as if that ended the conversation. "How about pizza?"

"Last time you ate pizza, you were up all night with heartburn."

"I think that probably had more to do with the hot sauce I dipped it in. C'mon, baby wants pizza."

"You know, four more months and you're not gonna be able to blame your disgusting eating habits on the baby anymore," Gibbs reminded him, though he was still grinning.

"Which is why I have to take full advantage now," Tony replied smugly, his hand resting on his belly again.

"Alright. Pizza it is then. I'm gonna go take a quick shower."

"Don't have too much fun without me," the Italian grinned, turning to grab the pizza place menu from the drawer beside the phone.

Rolling his eyes, Gibbs pushed himself up from the chair he'd been forced into and pressed a kiss to the younger man's lips before he headed up the stairs, hoping that the hot water would alleviate the dull ache in his back.

**2100 Hours**

Tony burped loudly as he finished off the last piece of pizza, not missing the playful eye roll his lover threw his way. "It's not nice to make fun of the pregnant man, you know," he teased, faking a frown.

"I wasn't makin' fun," Gibbs assured him, picking up their plates and heading for the kitchen before he called over his shoulder. "Did you enjoy the pizza?"

"Very much," he grinned, resting a hand against his full belly. "I think it's time for me to take care of you for awhile though."

Shaking his head, the older man returned to his lover's side and dropped a kiss to his lips. "What did you have in mind?"

"A massage," Tony decided. "I know your back has to hurt from carryin' those boxes all day."

"I'm fine," the older man grunted dismissively, but he didn't protest when Tony pushed himself up and then pulled him to his feet.

"Yeah, yeah. C'mon, old man. Let me work some magic on those muscles."

"Old man? You're one to talk. How old are you gonna be this year? Thâ€""

Tony silenced him with a hand over his mouth. "That's not important. And I didn't mean old. I meant… older?"

"Uh huh. Might as well stop while you're behind," he teased.

"Good advice," Tony grinned. "C'mon. Off to bed with you."

Gibbs grumbled good naturedly as Tony pulled him towards the stairs. While the shower had helped with his sore muscles, he had to admit that his back still ached. The massage would certainly be welcome.

Pushing the bedroom door open, Tony ushered Gibbs inside, offering him a grin. "Shirt off. Face down on the bed. I'll be right back."

"Where you goin'?"

"To change into something more comfortable. Pants are a little tight," he said sheepishly.

Gibbs couldn't help but smirk at that. "Wouldn't have anything to do with that whole pizza you've got in there, now would it?" He teased, pressing a kiss to the younger man's lips.

"Not at all. It's your kid's fault."

"Uh huh. Blame the baby."

Rolling his eyes at his lover, Tony gave him a gentle shove in the direction of the bed before he grabbed a pair of sweats for himself and headed into the bathroom to change.

He returned a minute later, grinning when he found Gibbs sprawled out on the bed, shirt tossed haphazardly to the floor.

"Mmm… now that's a sight I love," he smirked, making his way over to the bed. "Ready for that amazing massage?"

"Mmhmm," Gibbs replied, releasing a content sigh when he felt Tony's weight settle on the bed beside him.

"Good. Just lay there and enjoy then." Without another word, he leaned over, grabbing the bottle of massage oil they kept in the night stand before moving to straddle his older lover's hips. "You tell me if I'm gettin' too heavy."

"Getting?"

Swatting Gibbs' bottom playfully, Tony rolled his eyes before he squirted a bit of the oil into his hands. "Ready?"

"Uh huh." Closing his eyes, Gibbs released a quiet sigh, willing himself to relax and enjoy the massage his younger lover was offering. A quiet moan escaped him a second later when he felt Tony's large hands kneading the knots in his shoulders. "Oh God that feels good."

Behind him, Tony couldn't help but grin as he shifted just slightly against Gibbs, unintentionally rubbing himself against the older man. It was all he could do to stifle his own moan as he began to harden.

Shifting again, he couldn't hold back the moan that rose in his throat and he blushed slightly when Gibbs glanced over his shoulder at him.

"Lackin' some self control, are we?" He teased, reaching back to squeeze his partner's thigh.

"I don't…" he trailed off, swallowing hard. "I don't know what you're talkin' about."

"Uh huh. That sure ain't your knee, DiNozzo."

The Italian said nothing as he moved his hands a little lower on his lover's back, biting back a quiet whimper when he felt Gibbs move beneath him, effectively rubbing himself against Tony's raging erection. "You… you sit still," he ordered, his throat constricting almost painfully.

It was all Gibbs could do to keep from laughing. While he'd been seemingly uninterested in sex for the majority of the last couple of months, he'd been nearly insatiable in the last week or so. The slightest touch turned him on.

Gibbs could feel Tony's hands gripping his bare back as he continued to rub himself against the older man, quiet whimpers and moans escaping him despite his best attempts at hiding them.

Lowering his face to his arms, Gibbs laughed quietly at the sensation before he moved quickly, flipping them over carefully. "Gonna let me have some fun too?" He smirked.

"I…" Tony swallowed hard, lifting his hips slightly to rub himself against his partner again. "God, I need you so bad."

"Why didn't you just say so?" He growled, leaning down to capture his lips roughly. He could feel Tony's hands against the waistband of his pants, tugging desperately at the fabric.

"Need you," he urged, his voice muffled by Gibbs' lips.

"Workin' on it."

"Work faster."

Another quiet laugh escaped Gibbs as he lifted himself up, allowing Tony to push his pants down past his hips roughly. "Easy," he laughed.

"Now!" He growled, arching his back slightly when Gibbs lowered his lips to his neck. "Oh… oh, that's nice." He could feel Gibbs' hard cock pressing against his growing belly as those skilled hands moved down, pushing the sweatpants down off of his hips, leaving them both naked.

"You ready?" Gibbs asked, leaning down to nip at his neck gently as he reached over into the night stand, searching for the bottle of lube.

The only response he received was a strangled cry as he lifted himself against Gibbs again.

The older man said no more as he pulled away long enough to coat his hands with plenty of lube, and it was all Tony could do to keep from crying at the loss of contact. "Jethro…"

"Easy," he growled, wrapping his hand around his cock to coat it before he lowered himself to his lover once more, this time pressing himself against Tony's ass.

The younger man cried out in relief when he finally felt Gibbs inside of him, a content sigh escaping him. "Finally," he moaned, lifting his hips.

Gibbs started out slow, taking his time as he teased his lover, but he didn't last long before he felt the same urgent need beginning to build in the pit of his stomach. Lowering his lips to Tony's neck, he nipped and sucked at the tender flesh there, grinning when he heard the gasps and moans coming faster and louder.

"Oh God," Tony cried, lifting himself to meet each and every one of Gibbs' movements. "Oh God… so… so close!"

"Almost there," Gibbs grunted. "Wait for me."

"No! Oh God! I… I can't!"

Reaching between them, he gripped Tony's cock in his hand, his thrusts becoming more and more erratic with each passing moment. "You ready?"

He couldn't form a coherent thought as Gibbs released his grip, and a second later, he felt himself coming, coating their chests and bellies.

Inside him, Gibbs tensed noticeably just seconds before he fell over the edge, coming violently inside of his lover. He wanted nothing more than to collapse on top of Tony, but he changed his mind at the last second and rolled off, groaning at the loss of contact as he pulled out.

Glancing over at the younger man, he gave a sleepy smile as he reached for his hand, linking their fingers. The only sound in the room was their heavy breathing as they both struggled to recover.

After a moment, Gibbs pushed himself up, groaning quietly as his back popped before he headed into the bathroom, returning a second later with a damp cloth. Sinking back down onto the edge of the bed, he leaned over, cleaning off Tony's chest gently, careful that he didn't pull at the dark hair covering the sculpted muscles.

"Y'didn't have to do that," Tony mumbled, his eyes only partially open as he watched the older man intently. "I coulda done it."

"You wouldn't have been able to get it off if you'd waited any longer," he teased, cleaning his lover carefully before he wiped himself down and tossed the soiled cloth in the direction of the bathroom. Standing, he moved around to the other side of the bed before he slipped between the warm blankets and pulled Tony close, burying his face against the back of the younger man's neck as they both slipped into a deep sleep.

**February 18thâ€"1145 Hours NCIS Squadroom**

Popping the last remaining bite of his doughnut into his mouth, Tony leaned back in his chair, releasing a content sigh. "And that right there makes this job worth it."

Across the room, Ziva cocked an eyebrow at her partner, confusion mingling with disgust as she regarded him carefully. "What does?"

"Free doughnuts! All I have to do is flash my badge andâ€""

"I'm pretty sure that could fall under an abuse of power," McGee muttered.

"You're just mad because the girls at the doughnut shop only give you the powered kind."

McGee rolled his eyes as Gibbs stepped off the elevator, a cup of coffee in one hand and a bottle of water in the other. "Ready to go?" He asked Tony, setting the bottle down in front of him.

"Almost. Just waitin' for Abby. She said she was gonna comeâ€""

"Tony!" The Goth squealed, stomping out of the stairwell, panting slightly. "I'm so glad I caught you! I had to finish my report and then Jimmy came down with some samples that I had to start and then the elevator wasâ€""

Tony laughed, taking her hand in his and squeezing gently. "Relax. I wasn't gonna leave 'til you got here."

"Oh!" Taking a deep breath, she offered him a smile. Rounding his desk, she wrapped her arms around him, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "Are you gonna find out what you're having today?" She asked hopefully.

"Nope. Told you we wanted to be surprised," Gibbs responded.

"Yeah, but I was really hoping you'd changed your mind," she responded, a slight pout on her dark lips. "Oh well. I still get pictures, right?"

"Of course. And we'll get a late lunch when we get back."

"Good," she grinned, pecking his cheek again. "I won't keep you any longer. Make sure you come see me as soon as you're back, okay?"

"You got it," Tony grinned, pushing himself from his chair carefully. "And you shouldâ€"oh!"

Gibbs was immediately at Tony's side at the sound of the surprised gasp, a frown forming on his face. "Tony? You okay?"

He wanted to say yes. He wanted to tell his partner that he was fine, but as he opened his mouth, he felt it again and it was all he could do to keep from hyperventilating. "It… it moved."

There was a flurry of activity around him as Abby and Ziva both scrambled to feel and in the back of his mind, he knew this was supposed to be an exciting occasion. It had been something that he was looking forward to, in fact, but now that it happened, all he could picture was the chest bursting scene from Alien and it took every bit of his willpower to keep from revisiting the doughnut he'd just eaten.

At his side, Gibbs couldn't help but grin, a sense of relief washing over him. Though he hadn't shared his concern with his lover, the fact that the baby hadn't moved before now had started to worry him. He could remember the gentle flutters starting much sooner with Shannon.

Swallowing hard, Tony forced a smile as he batted Abby and Ziva's hands away, reminding them that he would be late for his appointment if they didn't leave now, and grudgingly, the two women let him go.

Leading his agent to the elevator, Gibbs waited until they were both inside before he turned to Tony, nudging him gently. "You okay?"

"Oh yeah," he responded, that forced smile still in place. "Just uh… you know, wasn't expecting it, I guess."

"It's normal."

"Huh?"

"The baby movin'. I know it's a shock the first time it happens, but it's normal."

"Yeah, I… I know," Tony responded, nodding dumbly, fighting back the urge to vomit again when it moved again. "Oh God."

Reaching out, Gibbs flipped the emergency switch and pulled Tony into his arms, a dark frown forming on his face when he noticed he was trembling. "Hey, what's goin 'on?"

"I don't like it when it does that," he managed, closing his eyes as he tried to relax against his partner.

It was all Gibbs could do to stifle his laughter at that. "Unfortunately, there's not much you can do about it," he said quietly, pressing a kiss to Tony's hair. "And it's probably gonna get worse between now and the birth."

A loud groan escaped Tony at that as he pulled away, scowling at his lover. "Thanks Jet. Really. Just what I needed to hear."

"You'll get used to it."

"Yeah," Tony sighed, frowning as Gibbs set the elevator into motion. "I doubt that."

**1230 Hoursâ€"Doctor Andrews' Office**

Shifting slightly against the table, Tony released a loud huff of indignation. "What's the point in makin' me come back just to sit and wait for forty forevers?" He asked irritably, trying desperately to ignore the feeling of their baby moving inside him. "I would have preferred to have just waited in the waiting room. At least it's not fucking freezing out there."

"Language," Gibbs reminded him. "And quit bein' so grouchy."

"Listen, don't talk to me about grouchy, okay? I'm layin' on a hard ass table, I've gotta pee and I'm hungry so I think that entitles me to feel a little annoyed." Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to take it out on you."

"I know," Gibbs responded, leaning up to press a kiss to his lover's lips. "But try not to take it out on her when she comes in, huh? Not everyone's as used to your bad attitudes like I am," he teased, earning himself a snort.

"Yeah. You're the one who tries to murder people with a single look if you're coffee isn't just right, but I'm the one with bad attitudes."

"Yeah, but right now, we aren't talking about me."

Opening his mouth to respond, Tony stopped short when the door opened and Doctor Andrews stepped into the room, offering the pair a bright smile.

"Sorry for the wait. How ya doin', Tony?"

"I've been better," the agent grumbled.

"Oh?" The doctor asked, a slight frown on her face as she moved the ultrasound machine closer to the exam table. "What's the problem?"

"He felt the baby move for the first time today," Gibbs explained, not missing the irritated look his lover shot his way.

"Congratulations!" She smiled, patting Tony on the knee gently. "You must be so excited."

He wanted to be able to say that he was, but he couldn't push away the sick feeling he got every time the baby moved inside of him. He'd been so excited about the appointment, ready to see the baby that was as much a part of him as it was Gibbs, but he couldn't bring himself to be happy about it since the movement started.

"Yeah," he snorted. "Thrilled. Is it supposed to feel so weird?"

"Weird how?" She asked.

"I don't know… just… weird. It just… doesn't feel normal."

"I know it can be strange and overwhelming at first, but trust me, it's all normal and part of the process."

"Well, I don't like it," he sighed, eyeing the doctor warily.

"You'll be just fine," she assured him, offering another slight smile. "You ready to see the little one?"

It was on the tip of Tony's tongue to tell her no, he did not want to see the baby, but one look in Gibbs' direction and he settled for a curt nod instead.

"Good. You know the drill. Pants down, shirt up. We still don't wanna know the sex, right?"

"Right. We want it to be a surprise."

"Alright then. We'll just have a quick look and make sure things are progressing on schedule," she smiled, setting the machine up while Tony tugged his shirt up, exposing his swollen stomach. "You ready?"

"I guess," he muttered, closing his eyes as he took a deep breath. He hissed a moment later when she squirted the cold gel onto his exposed skin and it was all he could do to suppress his glare.

Barely suppressing a smile, Doctor Andrews lowered the ultrasound wand, her eyes going to the small screen. "And… here we are."

Reaching for his younger agent's hand, Gibbs squeezed gently, his eyes never leaving the screen as he stared at their baby. "Tony… look."

Swallowing hard, the Italian turned his head, his throat tightening. "Every… everything's okay?"

"Oh yeah. Everything looks great so far," she assured him, offering him a bright smile. "I'll print out a couple of pictures for you and then we'll do a quick exam, okay?"

"Y… yeah." Accepting the paper towel from her, Tony wiped it over his stomach, his hand lingering briefly as the baby kicked again. Despite what Gibbs and Doctor Andrews said, he wasn't sure he'd ever get used to that particular sensation.

"I'll print these out and be right back."

Gibbs and Tony watched as Doctor Andrews hurried back out of the room, trailing the machine behind her as she left them alone. Sinking back down into the chair beside the table, Gibbs couldn't help but grin at his younger lover. "You okay now?"

"No," he responded stubbornly. "Still feels weird."

"But at least you know everything's goin' good, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess," he sighed.

Stifling a laugh, Gibbs leaned forward, kissing his partner again. "Quit poutin'. When she finishes up here, I'll take you to get some ice cream before we go back to work. That'll cheer you up, right?"

"Only if I can have chocolate with strawberry sauce."

"Chocolate with strawberry sauce it is, seeing as you've been such a good boy at the doctor today," Gibbs teased, laughing out loud when Tony shot him another glare.

"Not funny, Gibbs. So not funny."