The bruises had healed nicely, the broken rib was taken longer, but the doctors had assured Gibbs that Tony would be out within two days. Coming back to Tony's room from getting a cup of coffee, he noticed someone sitting in the only comfortable chair in the room. He'd only been gone a few minutes, but the figure seemed to have made herself at home. She'd kicked off her shoes and sat talking to Tony, who'd been fast asleep when Gibbs' left. Her long brown hair was tied up in a pony-tail and the long green coat was hung over a chair. The only difference was the cut above her cheek. Three stiches visible through the glass. Gibbs didn't feel he needed to disturb them and turned on his heel.
"Wow I got off easy." Madisyn smiled as Tony propped himself up on the pillows.
"You have no idea." Tony returned the smile.
"Sorry-" She was cut off.
"Don't apologize, its a sign of weakness."
"Really?" She shook her head, bringing her knees up into a more comfortable position.
"So, why d'you think your mum said Ducky was your father?"
"Ducky?"
"Doctor Mallard."
"Oh I get it, like a Mallard, type of duck!" Madisyn grinned. Tony raised his eyebrows.
"I dunno really. Maybe because we're both English so it would be the easiest person to believe."
"But why?"
"You call yourself an investigator."
"I do, I'm interregating you."
"Oh, well in my opinion it was just a way to get into NCIS. But I don't know why I'd want to get into NCIS." She shrugged, pushing back her pony-tail.
"Can I try interregating?"
"Do I trust you to interregate me with a broken rib."
"Why don't you get on with your father?"
Tony watched her with a steady green gaze, unbroken as it met with her equally steady brown one. He wasn't sure whether to answer or not, but he guessed it couldn't do any harm.
"Where should I start."
"At the end"
"What?"
"More interesting than the start, its like having a prologue in...Romeo and Juliet." They both grinned as Tony started, leaving out bits here and there. But Madisyn didn't seem to mind. She listen attentively, laughing in the right places and being utterly sarcastic in basically every other place.
Author's Chapter Notes:
"Exactly"