Slipping �" chapter six
Dr Mallard closed the door quietly behind him and stood for a moment watching Gibbs’ sleeping form, pondering how he should address the issue foremost in his mind. Head on, he decided, that would be the best approach.
Gibbs blinked as he sat down by the bed, looking momentarily confused as to his whereabouts.
“Where’s Tony?” he asked, looking around.
“He went home, Jethro, I told him to get some sleep.”
“Good…that’s good,” Gibbs said, not sounding completely convinced.
“I need to talk to you,” Ducky began, “about you and Tony.”
“What are you getting at?”
“Don’t play coy with me, Jethro, I know you too well,” he chided. “Now, are you two…ah…dating?”
“No, we’re not…I mean…that’s not any of your…oh, what the hell. How did you know?” Gibbs’ head sank back into the pillow, too tired and drugged up to really care. Ducky was one of his closest friends, and the only one who knew about his bisexual nature.
“I’ve seen the attraction between you for a long time. I just wasn’t sure whether you’d acted upon it. Seeing Tony come apart lately I didn’t think so.”
“I saw you were worried,” Gibbs replied, remembering the day in the lab.
“But something has changed, yes?”
“The other night, he told me he was in love with me, he answered quietly.
“And?”
“Yes, he knows how I feel, Ducky.”
“Has the doctor talked to you about your injuries, Jethro?”
“Just briefly, I was pretty out of it. I did get the words ‘full recovery’, and sort of drifted off after that.”
Ducky leaned forward, making sure he had Gibbs’ full attention.
“Tony will want to take care of you, and you’re going to let him. You’re normally the strong one, the one in charge, and this will be a challenging time for you, to put it mildly. Especially since coffee is off limits.”
In spite of himself Gibbs had to smile.
“Why Tony would like to take on what amounts to a job at the gates of hell I can barely fathom. But it is a testament to his feelings for you. Do try not to be your usual self, Gibbs. Don’t push him away. Allow him to do this. You both need it.”
He got up and went to look out the window, watching people come and go a few floors below him. Clearing his throat, he turned back to the bed.
“You need someone like Tony in your life, Jethro, someone so vibrant, happy. He’ll be good for you. And you’ll ground him. You complement each other, my friend.”
“I’ll try, Ducky, I’ll try.”
Gibbs drifted off again, leaving Ducky to ponder the events of the last few days. He was truly happy for both of them, but this was not going to be easy. If Shepard found out…He sighed, the good lady would not be happy to learn about this. Nor would she be happy to learn about his own latest move.
******
“I don’t understand, McGee, why would Dr Mallard do this?” Ziva was waving a piece of paper in the air, clearly annoyed by what she was reading. “I am perfectly capable of performing my duties, even with Gibbs injured.”
Studying the same paperwork thoroughly, McGee didn’t bother to look up.
“With half the team gone, I guess he thought it made sense to remove us from field work for a few days. It’s not like we don’t have plenty of cold cases to keep us occupied. There’s also this new soft ware that I’d been wanting to try out, it locates…”
“McGee! Please…and what about Tony, what’s the deal there?” She was pacing the floor now.
“What do you mean?” McGee turned to look at her, studying her intently.
“Two weeks sick leave? For what? This doesn’t make any sense at all.”
“It’s traumatizing to have a member of your team shot,” he tried.
“Oh, come on, McGee, we’re federal agents, our lives are on the lines every day. If Tony can’t handle that, he shouldn’t be…”
“Don’t question Tony’s abilities as an agent, Ziva, I won’t have it. Tony’s worked with Gibbs longer than any of us. They have a… special relationship.”
“Gibbs and Tony? What do you mean, special relationship?”
“You know how Tony’s estranged from his family. They didn’t even bother to come visit when he was practically dying from the plague. Gibbs is the one he relies on. He is like a father figure to him.”
“I still find it excessive,” Ziva huffed. “I’ll get the paperwork on the Dunner case started,” she said, still not satisfied.
*****
Abby was hard at work at her computer when Ducky made his way into her lab.
“Learned anything interesting today, Abigail?”
“I can do 9 cartwheels in a row without getting dizzy, and gay marriages are allowed in Norway.”
“Why on earth would you…never mind,” Ducky sighed. “I don’t think I’ll ever fully understand how that brain of yours work, my dear.”
“How’s the boss doing, Ducky?”
“Luckily, so full of pain medication he’s not missing his coffee yet. I’d hate to be in his nurses’ shoes when that wears off.”
Abby giggled, mumbling something under her breath.
“What?”
“Oh, nothing, Duckman, just picturing the scene in my head.” She paused.
“I hear you’ve pulled the team from active duty,” she began, “and put Tony on sick leave.”
“Yes, he’s pretty shaken up, besides, Gibbs will need someone with him when he gets home, and Tony volunteered to do so.”
“Reeeeally?”
“Why should that surprise you? He would have given you the same treatment if it was you.”
Again with the giggling and the mumbling.
Ducky was about to ask Abby what was going on when McGee entered the lab.
“When will the report on the Dunner autopsy be available, Ducky?”
“Dr Stevens has the preliminary findings ready. You’ll have to ask Abby for the results from the tox screen. I have to get back to the hospital, McGee. Palmer will give you what you need. If you’ll both excuse me?” he exited the lab, leaving Abby and McGee alone.
“What’s up, Tim?”
“We’re wrapping up the Dunner case. That was a close call, Abby, too close.”
“I know…How’s Tony holding up? Is he coming in today?”
“Dunno, Ducky barred him yesterday, but I think he’s allowed into the building now. He’ll wanna check in with you, Abs, I’m sure he’ll stop by.”
The words were not even spoken before Abby squealed and ran past McGee to throw herself in the arms of the slightly surprised visitor.
“Tony!”
“You look like hell, Tony,” McGee declared, looking Tony up and down a bit.
“Not enough sleep, Tim, that’s all.”
“He will be fine, you know,” McGee tried to reassure him.
“Yeah, I know.”
Abby grabbed McGee by the shoulders and spun him around.
“Shoo, McGee! I need to talk to Tony alone.”
“But…”
“No buts, McGee, shoo!”
She waited until he was safely out of earshot before turning towards Tony, hands on her sides. “Step into my office,” she ordered, closing the door securely behind her.
“So, how long have you and the boss been doing the wild thing?”
Tony nearly choked on Abby’s CafPow.
“Don’t even try and deny it Tony. I saw you at the hospital.”
“Right…shit…”
“No, Tony, please don’t get me wrong, I think it’s wonderful! Just unexpected, you know. Well, not really, but still,” she giggled.
“I almost lost him,” Tony whispered. “He could have died, Abby.”
“I know, Tony, I know. But we didn’t loose him. He will be fine. So…how long?”
“It just happened, Abby, just a couple of days ago. But…,” he took a deep breath, ”I’ve been in love with him for a long, long time.”
Abby grabbed her CafPow and took a couple of long sips, pacing back and forth in her small office.
“You know, Tony, you should plan something special for when he’s all better. How do you feel about Norway?”
Author's Chapter Notes:
Who knows what?
Chapter End Notes:
Don't own them, took them out for the day.