Halfway Gone
Two Weeks Later…
Dropping the worn piece of sandpaper onto the cluttered work bench, Gibbs ran a large hand over his face before he stretched, ignoring the way his back cracked loudly. He’d been in the basement for the majority of the day, putting the finishing touches on a rocking chair for Abby.
He’d planned on giving the chair to Abby after finding out about the twins, but work had been hectic with back to back cases and trying to break that new idiot, Thomas, in that he hadn’t had time to finish it. But now, as he stood back and admired his work, he couldn’t help but be pleased with the outcome.
As much as he enjoyed working on his boat, he’d taken it down, knowing that he would need the space to work on things for the twins’ room. He hadn’t been able to bring himself to make anything just yet, preferring to wait until Tony was closer to his due date to save himself the heartbreak of destroying the furniture if anything was to go wrong.
Releasing a quiet sigh, he ran his hand over the smooth wood of the chair, a slight grin ghosting over his lips before he headed up the stairs, intent on finding his girl.
She’d started on putting the nursery together the day after Tony was released from the hospital. He had suggested it, knowing that despite her need to feel involved in everything that was going on with the twins, Tony and McGee needed her to give them some space. The last thing he wanted was for his team to fall apart because his girl was crowding the couple.
Pulling the basement door closed behind him, he headed for the den, unsurprised to find Abby hunched over the computer, her fingers flying quickly over the keyboard.
“Find what you’re lookin’ for?” He asked, chuckling quietly when she jumped at the sound of his voice.
“It’s not nice to sneak up on people,” she chided playfully, turning around in the computer chair to grin at him. “What are you doing out of your Bat Cave? I didn’t expect to see you up here before nightfall.”
“Finished with my project,” he said, dropping a kiss to the top of her head. “Thought I’d come spend some time with you, see if you wanted to get out of the house for awhile.”
“Really?” She asked, unable to hide her bright smile. “That actually sounds like a great idea. What exactly did you have in mind?”
“A little shopping… maybe we can pick up a few things for the babies and then dinner?”
“That’s perfect! I’m not too sure about the colors on the cribs I’ve picked out, so it’ll help if I can see them in person,” she smiled, turning back to the computer to shut it down. “Do I have time for a quick shower before we head out?”
Turning back to him, her smile fell at the look on his face. “Jethro? What’s wrong?”
“You’re ordering them cribs?”
“Well, yeah. How else am I supposed to get them?”
“Thought I’d make ‘em. Like I made Kelly’s.”
“Oh, J… I didn’t"“
“"Forget about it. If you wanna order ‘em, that’s fine too,” he muttered before he turned away from her. “Go on and get your shower.”
“Hey, wait a minute,” she frowned, pushing herself to his feet and reaching for his hand. “Wait… please.”
He released a tired sigh, though he didn’t turn back to face her.
“I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings,” she said quietly. “I just… I didn’t want to make you feel like it was something you had to do, you know? I’ve already… I feel like I’ve already pushed Tony away and I don’t… I don’t wanna do that to you too.”
Turning around, he sighed again at the look on her face before he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against his chest.
“I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings,” she said again, burying her face against his chest as she breathed in his scent. “I’m sorry. You know that I would love for you to build the cribs for our girls, but I didn’t… I didn’t know if it would b-bring up bad memories or if"“
“Shh,” he interrupted, pressing a kiss to the top of her head as he held her tighter. After a moment, Abby pulled away from her lover’s embrace, discreetly swiping at the tears that had somehow made their way down her cheeks before she glanced up at him, offering him a shaky smile.
“I’d love for you to make the cribs for our girls, J,” she said quietly.
Offering his girl a rare smile, Gibbs leaned down, pressing a kiss to her red lips. “Go get ready, huh? If I’m gonna make these cribs, we better pick out paint samples. And I’m not talkin’ about lookin’ at colors on a computer.”
“I can be ready in fifteen,” she promised, pulling away before she headed for the stairs.
“Abby?”
She paused at the foot of the steps, turning to eye him. “Hmm?”
“Meet me in the basement when you’re done. Got somethin’ I wanna show ya.”
He watched as she hurried up the stairs before he turned back to the basement, taking solace in the comforting scent. Flipping the light on, he glanced down at the wooden chair again, a slight smile tugging on his features as he envisioned his girl rocking their children to sleep.
He sat down on the staircase, trying to envision the open space of his basement filled with handmade baby furniture. Cribs, changing tables, toy chests, dollhouses… all things that he had made once before, he realized. He shook the thoughts from his head, reminding himself that he wasn’t going to let the memory of Shannon and Kelly weigh him down.
He hadn’t been sitting in the basement for very long when Abby came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning forward and pressing a kiss to his lips. “Hey you. Whatcha thinkin’ about?”
“You. C’mere.” The silver-haired man took her hand in his as he pushed himself up from the stairs, lacing their fingers together. “I have a surprise for you. I was gonna wait for awhile to give it to you. Still needs to be painted, but…” He trailed off, leading her over to the chair.
The Goth smiled brightly at the sight of the beautifully carved rocking chair. “Oh J… I love it,” she said, turning in his arms. “It’s beautiful.”
Leaning down, he pressed a gentle kiss to her lips, grinning when she wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing herself against him. “Can’t wait to see you in it.”
“Feels like they’re never gonna get here, huh?”
“Bet it feels like that to DiNozzo too,” he smirked, moving his hands down to her hips. “You ready to get outta here? Got a lot to do today.”
“Let’s go,” she smiled, pulling away before she linked her fingers through his, leading him to the stairs.
Glancing back at his basement one last time, Gibbs couldn’t help but smile as he pictured the way his space would look in the months and years to come.
::::::
Thursday Afternoon…
“What about bank records?” Eric asked, leaning back in his desk chair as he peered over the divider at McGee.
“Went over ‘em already. Twice,” McGee sighed, running a hand over his tired face. They were quickly running out of leads on their latest case, and it was making Gibbs edgier than usual. “Phone records?
“Done,” Eric responded, frowning darkly as he ran his fingers through his hair. “We’ve got nothing linking the victims.”
“Sure we do,” Tony said, returning from his trip to the restroom and sitting back down at his desk, cringing slightly at the sharp pain in his back. “What about the Larrimore guy? He knew both victims.”
McGee glanced over at Eric, rolling his eyes discreetly at his lover’s suggestion. “Tony, we talked to him yesterday, remember? He doesn’t know anything.”
“Just because he says he doesn’t know anything doesn’t mean he doesn’t actually know anything,” the Italian retorted, glancing down at his file on their only possible suspect.
“Tony is right,” Ziva sighed. “As much as it pains me to admit it. It would not hurt to talk to him again.”
“Tim and I already questioned him yesterday. I believe him,” Eric said, turning back to his computer screen.
“Unfortunately, Probie, I’m not interested in what you believe. Go talk to him again.”
“Tony, we’re not going to question him again. It’s a waste of time.”
“A huge waste of time,” Eric echoed.
“It’s not up to the two of you to decide what’s worth checking out or not,” Tony growled, sitting just a little straighter at his desk. “Gibbs isn’t here yet, and as Senior Field Agent"“
“"Yeah, we get it,” McGee interrupted, unable to hide the exasperation in his voice. “You’re the Senior Agent. We don’t need you to remind us every two and a half hours. We know.”
For a moment, the squad room was filled with an uncomfortable silence, but McGee couldn’t exactly bring himself to care. He knew that his lover was feeling threatened by Eric’s presence and while he tried to be understanding about it at first, he was quickly losing his patience with the older man.
Shifting slightly in her seat, Ziva eyed the pair carefully, frowning slightly. The tension between Tony and McGee had been mounting for the last two weeks since the arrival of the cocky agent from Norfolk. Their team, she felt, had been split down the middle with the new addition, as McGee, for some ungodly reason, seemed to side with Eric on nearly everything.
She breathed a sigh of relief as she was saved from having to try to diffuse the situation as Gibbs came down the stairs from MTAC, cup of coffee in hand.
“You heard him,” the older man announced as he sat down at his desk, eyeing McGee and Eric. “Go talk to Larrimore.”
“Boss,” McGee sighed, dropping his head to his hands out of frustration. “We just talked to him yesterday! He doesn’t know anything.”
“He’s the only link between the victims,” Gibbs growled. “Not a discussion, McGee.”
“Maybe we should have Tony bring him in and interview him so the rest of us can actually do real work while he continues to waste time,” he muttered bitterly before he pushed himself to his feet, grabbing his bag from behind his chair.
He could feel Gibbs’ icy blue eyes on him as he slung his bag over his shoulder, though he avoided eye contact with the older man. In all the years he’d worked for Gibbs, he’d never snapped back after a direct order and he could feel the disappointment radiating off of the older man.
“Sorry, boss,” he mumbled quietly, motioning for Eric to follow him. He passed Tony’s desk, keeping his eyes on the floor so he didn’t have to see the hurt that he knew would be there. He didn’t want to feel guilty for what he’d said, though he knew if he looked at his lover, he would.
In the very back of his mind, he knew that this irritation he was feeling wasn’t completely Tony’s fault. He was under a lot of stress from the case due to the fact that he’d been given the majority of the workload while the Italian was on desk duty. Not to mention the added stress of having a toddler who didn’t quite understand exactly what was going on with his father. He felt like he never had a moment to catch his breath or collect his thoughts and though he tried to keep those feelings to himself, he’d been on the verge of cracking all week.
Tony, Ziva and Gibbs watched as McGee and Eric disappeared into the elevator before the Israeli turned to her friend, a dark frown on her face.
“Tony"“
“"Josh kept him up all night. He’s tired and he’s always grouchy when he’s tired,” the agent interrupted, forcing a quiet laugh as he dropped his gaze to the file on his desk, forcing himself to ignore the feeling of Ziva’s eyes on him. After a moment, he snapped the folder closed before he stood up, pulling his suit jacket closed. “Bathroom,” he announced, clearing his throat as he glanced around, ensuring that no one else on the third floor noticed the exchange that had just occurred. “I… I’ll be back.”
Ziva watched helplessly as he made his way to the men’s room before she turned to Gibbs.
The older man shook his head at her before he released a quiet sigh, trying to pinpoint the exact moment that his team fell apart.
----
Tony pushed himself off the wall of the elevator when the doors slid open on the basement floor, just outside of Abby’s lab. He’d managed to sneak away when he claimed to go to the bathroom, needing to get out of the bullpen for awhile.
He wasn’t sure what had drawn him to the Goth’s lab, but there he stood, straightening his suit and running a hand through his hair quickly before he stepped inside, a smile plastered firmly on his face.
“Hey, Abs.”
The raven-haired woman spun around on her toe and looked her friendly over quickly before smiling at him. “Hey, Tonyboy. What’s shakin’?”
“Not uh… not a whole lot,” he responded, making his way over to her workspace. “What are you workin’ on?”
“Just some fibers on the Hernandez case. How goes things with the bossman? He seemed extra cranky this mornin’,” she snickered, turning her attention back to her computer as she allowed her fingers to move quickly over her keyboard.
Tony didn’t reply, forcing himself to focus on what she was doing instead. He’d come down here with the intention of putting what happened with McGee out of his mind, but as he stood beside her, he could feel the injustice of it all welling up in chest again.
He hadn’t been stupid enough to think that things had been going perfectly between the two of them. He’d felt the tension, had heard the snide remarks made about him, though he hoped that if he pushed it out of his mind, chalking it up to the pressure of the added responsibilities that the younger man had taken on, that everything would work out eventually.
He’d never anticipated that the younger man would snap and essentially ridicule him in front of his teammates and anyone else within ear shot.
He didn’t realize that Abby was babbling on about something until he felt her hand on his shoulder, pulling him forcefully from his thoughts. Glancing down, he could see the concern in her green eyes as she reached for his hand before she pulled him into her office, forcing him down into her chair.
“Okay… spill.”
“What are you"“
“"Don’t play dumb with me, Anthony DiNozzo,” she scolded gently. “Somethin’s bothering you and you obviously came down here to talk, so talk.”
“I think McGee and I are having a fight.”
“You think? I don’t know quite how that works, T. It’s usually pretty obvious when you’re in a fight with someone.”
“I don’t… we haven’t…” He trailed off, taking a deep breath as he tried to collect his thoughts. “Things have been weird lately, Abby. Not just at home, but here too. I didn’t… realize it had gotten quite this bad, though.”
“What happened?”
“It’s that new idiot’s fault,” he muttered, dropping his head back against the chair. “McGee keeps taking his side over mine.”
“Tony…”
“No, I know that sounds stupid and childish but I just… I’m getting the feeling that he’s only agreeing with that jerk to upset me.”
“Why would he do that?”
“I don’t know! I told you, things have been weird,” he sighed. “I’m just… I’m having a hard time adjusting to everything and he doesn’t seem to understand that. Either he doesn’t understand or he just doesn’t care but he’s… He’s not…” He trailed off again, leaning forward to drop his head into his hands.
Reaching out, Abby wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into her embrace. “I’m sorry, Tony,” she said quietly, frowning as he drew in a shuddery breath. “Y’know, I don’t really think it’s you though. I mean, think about it: Timmy’s under a lot of pressure right now between the case, and worrying about you and Josh and"“
“And you think I’m not stressed out?” He scoffed, sitting up before he shrugged away from her touch.
“I never said that you weren’t,” she said, her frown deepening. “All I’m saying is that maybe we should cut him a little bit of slack, huh?”
He dropped his head to his hands again, flinching slightly when he felt her hand on his shoulder. “I don’t know what’s going on with him, Abs. I don’t like this… thing between us right now.”
“You need to talk to him, T. Tell him that. Maybe he doesn’t realize that he’s acting this way, y’know?”
Lifting his head, he offered a half-hearted attempt at a smile before he pushed himself to his feet. “I should get back upstairs. Try to get some work done before they get back,” he said, his face falling slightly for a moment before he forced a smile back in place. “Thanks for the pep talk, Abs.”
“No problem, Tony. Let me know how everything works out, huh?”
He waved her off as he stepped out of her office, releasing a quiet sigh. He wasn’t exactly sure what was going on between him and his lover. He knew he hadn’t been the easiest to get along with since he’d found out about the twins, despite his best attempts at hiding his displeasure with the whole situation, but he didn’t realize things had gotten so out of hand.
Deciding that Abby was right, he made up his mind that he’d wait until he got home to talk things over with his partner, hoping that once he was away from the office and away from Eric, that they would have a chance to figure out exactly what was going on before it was too late.
::::::
Later That Evening…
McGee sighed heavily as he put the finishing touches on his report, surprising himself with how quickly he had finished it, especially since his mind was distracted with thoughts of his lover. When they had arrived back at NCIS, with Larrimore in handcuffs, he had been seething with the older man.
Tony didn’t get smug with them, but McGee found that he was upset that the Italian was right after all. He wasn’t exactly sure what it was about Tony that was making him so angry but he’d been relieved when Gibbs had sent him home nearly three hours earlier with Ziva in tow. The older man hadn’t stuck around for very long either, and for the last two and a half hours, he’d had the bullpen to himself.
Well, almost.
“Almost finished with your report?” Eric asked, peering over the divider between their desks.
“Just putting the finishing touches on it now,” McGee responded, offering the younger man a slight smile.
“Good,” Eric grinned, leaning back in his chair, resting his hands behind his head. “Know what I think?”
“What’s that?” McGee asked as he saved his report, emailing a copy to Gibbs before he printed.
“I think you should come out with me for awhile. We can go grab something to eat. Maybe get a quick drink.”
McGee hesitated, glancing over at Tony’s empty desk out of the corner of his eye. “I don’t think tonight’s a very good night for that, Eric,” he said with a quiet sigh. “Gonna have to go home and talk to Tony sometime.”
Eric snorted, rolling his eyes at the mention of the obnoxious agent. “I’m not quite sure why you put up with him anyway, Tim,” the young man said as he pushed himself to his feet, rounding the divider between them to stand in front of McGee’s desk. “I mean, I’ve only been here for two weeks, but it’s pretty obvious to me that he doesn’t treat you very well.”
“That’s not true,” McGee defended, frowning slightly. “Tony’s just… he’s under a lot of stress lately, I guess. He’s not usually so…”
“Annoying?”
“No, he’s always annoying,” he laughed, ignoring the sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. He wasn’t quite sure why he was sticking around, making fun of his lover with the green agent from Norfolk.
Though he’d initially been put off by Eric’s attitude, he’d quickly grown to like the man. Not only did he have a better attitude than he was given credit for, but he just felt like they had a lot in common. More than he had in common with Tony, anyway.
Swallowing hard at the thought, McGee shook his head to clear his mind before he turned his attention to Eric once more. “I really should get home though,” he said. “Gotta make sure Tony gets Josh fed and put to bed on time and all that good stuff,” he said, releasing a quiet sigh.
“You mean to tell me that he’s not capable of taking care of your son for one night?”
“Of course he is.”
“So then what’s the problem? C’mon, I won’t keep you out late,” Eric grinned, turning off the desk lamp at McGee’s desk. “Just come out for a little while. Please?”
He knew that he should say no. His mind was screaming at him to get the hell out of the bullpen, away from Eric, and go home to his family, but before he could do the sensible thing, he was pushing himself to his feet, grinning back at the other agent.
“Alright… but we’re not staying out long.”
::::::
Tensing at the sound of keys sliding into the lock, it was all Tony could do to force himself to keep his eyes on the television screen as the front door was pushed open. Still dressed in the suit he wore to work that day, he was slumped over on the couch, his arms crossed over his chest as though he was literally trying to hold himself together.
Six hours. He’d been waiting six hours for his younger lover to return home so they could talk about whatever it was going on between the two of them, though now, as he heard the young man stumble into the apartment, he realized that talking was the very last thing he wanted to do.
Pushing himself to his feet carefully, he grabbed his empty water bottle and made his way into the kitchen, ignoring McGee as he passed. He could smell the alcohol on his partner and it took every ounce of strength he possessed to keep from knocking the shit out of him.
“Tony?”
The Italian could hear the slur in his voice, could feel McGee’s eyes on him as he moved around the kitchen, cleaning up from his and Josh’s dinner, though for a moment, he didn’t respond.
“Have a good time, tonight?” He asked, keeping his back to McGee.
“I did,” he said, pulling out a barstool and sitting down. “Josh awake?”
“What do you think, Tim? It’s after 0100. He’s been in bed for hours. Where have you been?”
“Out. Went for drinks with Ziva and Eric.”
Tony froze, dropping the plate he was holding into the sink before he turned around, eyeing his partner carefully. “Bullshit.”
“Bull…? Why would I lie, Tony? What motive do I have?”
“I don’t know exactly what your motive is, but you’re lying.”
McGee snickered, shaking his head. “And you wonder why things have been tense around here. You jump to conclusions.”
“Ziva was here a few hours ago,” he said quietly, watching as his lover’s face paled slightly. “So, you wanna tell me where you really were?”
“I was out with Eric,” McGee said after a long pause. “We grabbed a quick dinner, then got a few drinks.”
The senior agent leaned across the counter. “What’s goin’ on with you two? You got somethin’ you wanna tell me?”
“About what? How I stayed at work, drawing out my report as long as I could so I didn’t have to come home to talk to you? Or maybe about how you treat me like a second-class citizen and I’m tired of it. Take your pick, Tony.”
“I… what?” He gaped at the younger man. “Since when do I treat you like a second-class citizen, McGee?”
“When do you not?” He scoffed, pushing himself off the stool. “You always have! At work, you’re always so quick to prove how much better you are at things than I am. Like today!”
“That… I wasn’t trying"“
McGee shook his head. “Maybe you weren’t trying to, Tony, but you sure as hell succeeded! Maybe Eric’s right.”
Tony looked at his lover, studying him carefully. “Right about what?”
“You’re arrogant, Tony. We’re complete opposites. You treat me like shit. Take your pick.”
He didn’t respond, instead making a move to leave the kitchen, intent on going to their bedroom and locking the door when McGee stepped in his path. “No. You wanted to talk? Let’s talk.”
“Tim, I don’t"“
“"Stop! This is what I’m talkin’ about! You only think about what you want! You don’t consider that maybe I have things that I need to get off my chest!”
“Okay. So talk.”
The younger man hesitated, running his hand over his short hair. “I’m tired of bein’ the one to do all the work but you’re the one who gets all the sympathy. No one knows how much I put up with from you, Tony! Or… or they do, and they just don’t care. Either way… I’m tired of it!”
“You know, McGee… if I’m so fucking terrible to be around, there’s the door. But don’t forget… you know what? Fuck it. You wanna go? Go.”
McGee pulled his keys out of his pocket and removed the key to the apartment, tossing them onto the counter before he turned for the door. The older man wanted to speak up, but found that he was unable to make any noise as he watched his lover of three years walk out the door.
He waited for what seemed like an eternity before he pulled his phone from his wrinkled suit, his fingers dialing the number before he could stop himself.
“Hello?” The voice on the other end greeted sleepily.
“Abs… It’s me. Can… can we talk?”
Chapter End Notes:
A/N: I'm back with a new chapter! Thank you to everyone who's reviewed and a huge thank you to my bffl Kelley for all her help with this chapter! This one has a cliff-hanger ending and I know how much you guys hate cliffhangers, so remember: reviews help me write faster! :D