Back To You
Thursday Morning…
The rest of the week had passed in a similar fashion to Monday: Tony would come into the squad room long enough to check his work email and grab the stack of cold cases left for him by Gibbs before he retreated to some other part of the building. McGee wasn’t positive, but he’d be willing to bet a month’s pay that his ex-lover had been hiding out in the lab with Abby.
Though he’d been under the impression that Tony wasn’t very happy with the Goth after finding out that he was carrying twins, they’d seemingly repaired their once failing friendship after apparently bonding over what a jackass he was.
McGee had managed to harbor a newfound respect for his former lover after having been saddled with his job for the last week, realizing how much the older man did for the team without even being aware of it. He could only imagine the amount of stress that Tony was carrying around on a day to day basis was astounding, not to mention being pregnant with twins that weren’t even his own.
He found himself feeling extremely guilty for being so childish about their situation, but what bothered him the most was that he couldn’t think of a time where he had put any thought into what kind of stress Tony might have been under given the position he was in.
Sitting back in his desk chair, McGee ran a tired hand over his face and glanced at his clock, his eyes automatically going to the elevator as he realized it was nearly time for Tony to arrive. Forcing his eyes back down to the file in front of him, he took a deep breath, trying desperately to focus on finishing his report from the previous day. He already had a sneaking suspicion that Gibbs was angry with him for what had happened between him and Tony, and he wasn’t looking to give the older man any addition reasons to be irritated with him.
The sound of the elevator dinging caught his attention, and before he could stop himself, he glanced up, unsurprised to see Tony stepping out of the metal car.
He opened his mouth to speak as Tony paused at his desk, gathering the appropriate files before Gibbs’ voice cut through the bullpen, startling them both as he descended the stairs from MTAC.
“Gonna need you up here today, Tony,” the team leader said, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Of course, that didn’t stop Tony from trying.
“Uh… Boss? I don’t… know that that’s such a good idea. I mean, I’ve got"“
“Not a discussion, DiNozzo.”
The senior agent looked stricken at the thought of remaining in the bullpen, though he sank down behind his desk dutifully, trying to ignore the uncomfortable pain in his back.
McGee glanced at Tony out of the corner of his eye, frowning at his partner’s pale face. He’d been thinking of ways to try and start a conversation with him all week, though each time he’d tried, he’d failed. He knew that Tony was hurting over everything that had happened, but he wasn’t quite sure how he was supposed to make amends if his ex-partner wouldn’t even look at him.
“Boss,” McGee said, clearing his throat as the older man fixed him with an annoyed stare. “Here’s my uh… report, from yesterday.”
“You mean the one that I expected yesterday?” Gibbs asked, his tone curt.
“Yeah. I didn’t… I mean, I didn’t have time to finish it with the other stuff I had going on, but it’s all done now. Just need you to sign off on it,” he said as he pushed himself to his feet, coming to a rest in front of his superior’s desk.
The older man eyed him for a moment before he snatched the report from his hand, dropping it onto his desk without another word. “I want those statements you were workin’ on by 0900,” the ex-marine barked, not bothering to look at his junior agent as he allowed his eyes to drift back to the computer screen.
Nodding, McGee released a quiet sigh and returned back to his own desk, pausing for only a split second to glance at Tony as he passed.
“Tony?” He tried, chewing on his lower lip nervously as he waited. When none came, his shoulders slumped dejectedly as he sank down into his desk chair, ignoring the ache in his chest.
The sound of the stairwell door opening caught his attention, and glancing up again, it was all McGee could do to keep from biting back a groan as Eric stepped out onto the third floor, his smile faltering when he spotted Tony at his desk. Leaning back slightly in his chair, McGee closed his eyes, saying a silent prayer that Tony continued to ignore the increasingly obnoxious young agent.
Rounding the corner into the bullpen, Eric forced a bright smile to his face despite his initial irritation at finding Tony in the bullpen. Pretending to drop his bag alongside of the agent’s desk and spill the contents, the agent dropped into a crouch, the smile sliding off his face almost immediately.
“I’m disappointed in you, DiNozzo. Here I thought you’d up and quit,” he said quietly, peering over the edge of the desk to make sure Gibbs wasn’t paying attention.
Clenching his teeth, Tony forced himself to keep his attention on the computer screen, despite the anger building up in the pit of his stomach.
“Don’t know why you’re bothering to hang around, Tony. You’re useless. To everyone. Isn’t it enough to know that Timmy doesn’t want you anymore? I mean, I can’t blame him. You’re disgusting. How long’s it been since he even touched you? I’ll bet"“
“ENOUGH!”
McGee jumped at the sound of his lover’s voice, and turning to look at him, he was surprised to see Tony on his feet, his hands gripping the edge of his desk.
“You already took him from me. You might as well have this too,” he spat at the agent, grabbing his bag from beside the desk.
“DiNozzo,” Gibbs growled, his blue eyes angry and dangerous.
“I’m done, Gibbs,” was the only reply he received before Tony pushed past the crouched agent, his shoulders trembling as he made his way to the elevator.
Pushing himself to his feet, Gibbs followed after Tony, ignoring the incredulous look of the young man still on the floor. Holding his hand out, he stopped the elevator doors from closing before he slid in next to Tony, hitting the emergency button to send the elevator to a screeching halt.
“What the hell"“
“With all due respect, save it, boss. I can’t do this shit anymore. I want out.”
“DiNozzo"“
“I’m going to put in for a transfer but if I’m denied, then I’m leaving. I can’t… I don’t want… he...”
The sound of Gibbs’ hand connecting with the back of Tony’s head reverberated through the small space and it was all the older agent could do to keep from laughing at the surprised look on his face.
“You… hit me!”
“Nope. Headslap. Huge difference. However, now that you’re thinkin’ clearly, there’s one thing we need to get straight: You’re not goin’ anywher.”
“Gibbs"“
“Nope, I let you have your say, now you’re gonna shut up and listen to me. You are the best young agent I’ve worked with, Tony. There’s not one person in this department I trust to have my six like you do and I’ll be damned if I’m lettin’ you just walk away because of a brown nosin’ little twit who’ll be gone in six months anyway.”
“It’s not just him,” the Italian managed, swallowing around the lump in his throat.
“Then McGee’s gone too.”
“Boss"“
“I mean it, DiNozzo. There’s a reason I’ve kept you around for as long as I have. One day, you’re gonna be leadin’ this team and there’s no way in hell I’m gonna spend the next ten years breakin’ another agent in.”
The younger man sighed, slumping back against the wall of the elevator, resisting the urge to wrap his arms around himself. “I just don’t think I can do this anymore, Gibbs.”
“Really? ‘Cause I think you’re doin’ pretty damn good, considerin’. I’m not lettin’ you go that easy, Tony.”
Inwardly cursing at his inability to control his hormones, Tony turned his face away from his boss, swallowing hard in an attempt to get his emotions in check. “Boss…” he said, cringing at the slight crack in his voice.
“If workin’ out of the lab is what you’ve gotta do, I’m not gonna try to stop you again. But I swear to you, DiNozzo, if I so much as hear there’s talk of you puttin’ in a transfer request, as soon as you’re fit for duty after the birth, you’re getting’ more than a headslap. I make myself clear?”
“Crystal, boss.”
“Good. And Tony?”
“Yeah?
“That little shit tries to get to you again, you just remember this conversation. And I wouldn’t even mind doin’ the paper work if you had to… assist him to a lower gravitational plane. You got me?”
Despite the ridiculously rocky start to the morning and the uncomfortable spasms in his lower back, Tony couldn’t help the shaky smile that tugged on the corners of his mouth as his boss set the elevator back into motion.
----
After settling Tony in down in the lab, with signed instructions for Abby to keep a close eye on him, Gibbs made his way back to the bullpen, absolutely fuming.
He’d meant every word that he’d said to Tony in the elevator. In fact, it was probably a conversation he should have had with the younger man years ago, but he was pissed off over the circumstances that had caused it.
From the moment he’d laid eyes on Eric Thomas, there had been something that had irritated him about the rookie agent. He didn’t know what kind of delusional world that the kid lived in because really, did he think he actually had a shot at getting a place on the team after the ridiculous stunts he’d pulled?
If he did, then he was stupider than he looked.
Not even pausing for his usual cup of coffee, Gibbs stepped out of the elevator on the third floor, ignoring McGee and Ziva’s curious looks. He didn’t stop until he reached the desk at the very end where he found a very smug, very irritating Eric glancing up at him.
“My report from yesterday is already on your desk, sir. I also emailed you a copy.”
“Conference room. Now,” the older agent managed, barely able to contain his rage at the younger man.
Eric’s face faltered as he peered over the divider at McGee and Ziva before he pushed himself to his feet, following after Gibbs. It wasn’t missed on Ziva that the young man kept a fair amount of space between them.
“Five bucks says that Gibbs will make him wet himself,” Ziva said as the elevator doors slid to a close.
Almost as soon as the elevator doors slid shut, Gibbs flipped the emergency switch before he turned on Eric, his eyes blazing angrily.
“Only gonna tell you this once, Thomas, so I want you to listen and listen good: You’re here on Vance’s orders, not mine and as soon as my senior agent is fit for active duty again, you’re outta here.”
“Agent Gibbs, I assure you"“
“Did I give you permission to speak?” The older man barked, barely containing a smirk when the agent jumped, swallowing hard. “Don’t know exactly what the hell it is you’re tryin’ to do here, but so help me God, if you don’t knock it the hell off, you won’t even be able to get a job scrubbin’ toilets in a federal buildin’. You got that?”
“Y-yes s-sir.”
Gibbs glared at him for a moment longer before he stepped away from the younger man, flipping the switch again. “Y’know… on second thought… Might have you stick around for a week or so after DiNozzo’s cleared.”
“R-really?”
“Yeah. I’d love to see the two of you go a couple rounds in the gym.”
::::::
Abby glanced over at the older man as he sat solemnly at her desk, his head resting in his hands. She had to admit that when Gibbs had brought him downstairs, he hadn’t looked very good, but she figured that if something were seriously wrong, her lover would have told her.
Sighing and looking back to her computer screen, she tried to put the negative thoughts she was having out of her mind until she saw the Italian stand up out of the corner of her eye and start heading for the door.
“You alright, T?”
He nodded, swallowing hard against the dull nagging pain in his back. “Just need to go to the bathroom.”
“Okay. Anything I can do?”
“Nope, not unless you can make the next four months pass with a snap of your fingers,” he teased, offering her a half-smile.
“Can’t do that,” she smiled. “But I have been working on a time-travel device with Gibbs in the basement.”
‘I’m sure he’s havin’ a blast with that.” Tony tensed as the pain in his back intensified momentarily. “God, you would think they’d have found something for pregnant people for pain that wouldn’t hurt the baby. It’s not like it’s a small market.”
Offering him a sympathetic smile, she watched as he made his way into the bathroom before she turned back to her computer, releasing a quiet sigh.
The sound of the elevator dinging in the hallway caught her attention, though she didn’t bother to turn away from her work until she heard McGee’s voice, calling her name quietly as he made his way into the lab.
Turning on her heel, she fixed him with a stare before she closed the gap between them, putting her hand up to stop him. “No. This is a jerk-free zone, McGee. Out in the hallway.”
“Abby,” McGee sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I need to talk to him. Please.”
“He’s not here right now,” she said.
“Please don’t do this. Please. I know I screwed up with him but I want to fix it and I can’t do that if he’s not going to talk to me!”
“What part of ‘hes’ not here right now’ didn’t you get?” She asked, narrowing her eyes at him.
“Then where is he?”
“I’m right here,” Tony mumbled as he stepped out of the bathroom, a hand resting on his lower back as he tried to alleviate the pain. “What do you want?”
“Can we… Can we please just talk, T? Please? I don’t… I know you don’t want to, but I just"“
“You’re right. I don’t want to,” he growled, moving to wrap his arms around his growing stomach self consciously.
Dropping his head to his chest, it was all McGee could do to keep from screaming in frustration. “Tony… Please. Just… give me five minutes.”
“He said he didn’t want to talk to you,” Abby supplied, frowning when Tony winced. “You okay?”
“I’m fine,” he muttered before he turned his attention back to his ex-lover. “I’m not… saying that I’m never going to talk to you again, because things don’t work like that. Not when we have a kid together. But I’m not ready to talk to you now and I don’t know when I’m going to be ready, so please. Just… stop. Let me come to you.”
“Can I… can I at least see Josh? Please, Tony? It’s bad enough being away from you like this but I can’t… I have to see him.”
For the briefest moment, Tony seriously contemplated telling McGee no. After all, it was the young man’s decision to walk out of the apartment a week ago, leaving them both behind, but he made the mistake of looking into McGee’s eyes and after seeing the genuine regret, he knew he couldn’t deny him.
“It’d… be a big help if you could go pick him up from your mom’s after work. You can… have him for a few hours, I guess. Dinner and all that stuff, but I swear to God, McGee, if you’re one minute after seven bringing him back, I’m going to castrate you and I mean it.”
“Of course. I’ll have him back on time, I promise,” McGee said, offering his lover a smile. “Thanks, Tony.”
“Yeah,” he replied offhandedly, watching as the younger man made his way back to the elevator, intent on heading upstairs.
Tony groaned quietly, rubbing his back again before he turned back to Abby. “I think I’m gonna go ask Gibbs if I can take the rest of the day off. My back’s really buggin’ me.”
“You sure everything’s okay, T? I mean, if there’s anything I can do, just let me know.”
“I’ll be fine, Abs. Just need some rest,” he said, offering her what he hoped was a reassuring smile and a peck on the cheek before he pulled out his cell phone and dialed Gibbs’ number.
“Yeah, Gibbs,” the older man said into the phone.
“Hey boss. Listen, I uh… finished up three of those files you left for me this morning but I was wondering if I could take off early?”
There was a slight pause. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah, yeah. Everything’s fine. Just… I’m havin’ some trouble with my back and I"“
“That’s fine,” Gibbs interrupted. “Fill out a time sheet and drop it on my desk with your reports. I’ll sign off on it. Can I expect ya in tomorrow?”
“Oh yeah,” Tony assured him. “I just… think I need to go lay down for a bit, you know?”
“Uh huh. But Tony?”
“Yeah, boss?”
“You call if you need anything.”
Unable to hide his sigh of relief, Tony snapped the phone closed between his fingers before he turned back to Abby, pecking her cheek again. “Thanks for puttin’ up with me down here this week. I know how you get about having people in your space.”
“Don’t even worry about it,” she said, waving her hand dismissively. “You, Tony DiNozzo, are not just ‘people’. Besides, you know you’re my favorite,” she said with a playful wink.
“Well, thanks anyway,” he said again before he offered her a slight smile. Making his way into her office, he grabbed the files he’d been working on before he made his way back out. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Yep. Call me if you need anything. I think J and I are going out for dinner tonight, so if you need me to bring anything by for you, just let me know.”
“I will. Thanks.”
Pausing long enough for Abby to wrap him in a hug, Tony made his way out into the hallway, pushing the button on the elevator. He was anxious to get home and into his bed, as the pain in his back was beginning to become unbearable. He’d experienced backaches when he was pregnant with Josh, though they hadn’t seemed nearly this bad.
Chalking it up to the simple fact that he was carrying two babies rather than just one, he released another sigh and pressed the button for the third floor, pleased that Gibbs hadn’t given him any trouble about taking the afternoon off. As much as he hated taking any time off, it wasn’t like he was exactly swamped with work anyway and after the morning that he’d had, he thought he deserved an afternoon spent curled up under the comfortable blankets on his bed.
Stepping off the elevator on the third floor, he made his way over to his desk, forcing himself to ignore the sight of Eric leaning over McGee’s desk, trying desperately to engage the his former partner in a conversation.
“Tony?” McGee asked, ignoring Eric as he glanced over to watch the senior agent fill out a time sheet. “You’re leaving?”
“Yeah,” Tony responded, clenching his teeth slightly at the triumphant smile he saw forming on Eric’s face out of the corner of his eye. “Need the afternoon off.”
“Are you okay?”
“’M fine.”
Scribbling his signature onto the bottom of the paper, Tony made his way over to Gibbs’ empty desk and dropped the papers, along with his reports onto the cluttered area. Pushing himself up, McGee followed him to the elevator, frowning slightly.
“So um… I’m going to try to sneak out of here early and take Josh to get dinner. Do you… do you wanna come along?”
“No.”
“Are you… are you sure? Because I really think that we"“
“Listen, I’m letting you see him because he wants to spend time with you. He misses you, Tim, but that doesn’t mean that I’m ready to talk to you about anything,” he said, swallowing hard as the elevator doors opened.
“O… okay…” the younger man said, nodding sadly. “I’ll umm… I’ll call you though, okay? When we’re done eating? To see you if you need anything.”
“Yeah, okay,” he muttered, stepping on the elevator. “Don’t forget. Seven. And I mean it.”
“I’ll see you then. And Tony? Thank you. Really.”
Tony said nothing as the elevator doors slid shut.
Releasing a sigh, McGee ran his fingers through his short hair before he turned back to the bullpen, narrowing his eyes when he spotted Eric hunched over the shredder, sliding the papers in quickly.
“What are you doing?” He called, making his way back to the desk where the agent sat, clenching his jaw when he recognized Tony’s sloppy handwriting.
“Nothing,” Eric responded dismissively.
Glancing over at Gibbs’ desk, McGee released a low growl when he realized that Eric had taken the files that Tony had left for their boss. “You have got to be kidding me.”
Reaching over in an attempt to stop the agent from destroying any more of Tony’s work, McGee growled again when Eric pulled away, his own eyes darkening dangerously.
“Back the fuck up,” he spat.
“I should have listened to him! He knew from the very beginning that you were a piece of shit!” McGee snapped, reaching over again to snatch the files from the younger man’s hands. He didn’t even flinch when Eric pushed himself to his feet.
“He’s an idiot and so are you. How the fuck the two of you misfits ended up on the best team in the agency is beyond me. Gibbs’ll thank me one day for getting rid of the both of you!”
“You’re delusional. You really think Gibbs is going to keep you around? Especially after he finds out what you’ve been trying to do?”
“He isn’t gonna find out,” Eric growled in warning, shoving McGee hard.
The slightly older man stumbled backwards before he regained his balance and launched himself at Eric. They both hit the floor hard, but neither seemed to notice as they began fighting, fists flying despite the startled shouts from the other agents on the floor.
“I… ruined everything! Because of you!” McGee shouted, catching Eric hard in eye. He could feel his own mouth bleeding from the punch he’d taken, though it didn’t stop him. Nothing stopped him until he felt a pair of strong hands grab him roughly by the arms, pulling him to his feet.
“Enough,” Gibbs growled, delivering a headslap to his agent when McGee continued to struggle against him. “Enough!”
Panting heavily, McGee allowed Ziva to pull him back, away from Eric as Gibbs hauled him to his feet as well, giving the younger agent a shove in the direction of the Director’s office.
“Your lip is split,” the Israeli observed, cupping his chin in her hand as she forced him to focus on her rather than Eric’s retreating back. “We need to get you some ice.”
“I’m fine!” He spat, trying to pull away from her grasp.
“You came out better than I would have imagined in a fight,” she conceded with a nod, ignoring his harsh tone. “But regardless, you still need to see Ducky.”
“It’ll have to wait,” Gibbs growled, turning back to McGee. “Go grab a cool cloth from the bathroom,” he ordered. “Vance is gonna wanna see you too, McGee.”
McGee said nothing as he allowed Gibbs to lead him out of the bullpen and up the stairs to the director’s office. Pushing the door open, the older man sank down into a chair in the waiting area, motioning for his junior agent to do the same.
“Who started it?” The silver-haired agent asked after a moment
“He shoved me, but I threw the first punch,” McGee responded miserably, leaning forward to drop his head into his hands. “That’s probably exactly what that little asshole wanted.”
Gibbs watched as he released a shaky breath before he sat back in the chair, blood still dripping down his chin.
“I screwed up, boss. Big time.”
“Nah. Think just about everyone in the department was lookin’ for a reason to deck Thomas. Couple people in Norfolk, too. You’ll be fine.”
“I’m not even talkin’ about this. I mean with Tony. I thought… well, I don’t know what I thought. He knew that something was up with Eric, and I didn’t believe him, but Christ… I don’t… I don’t know how I’m supposed to fix this.”
“It’s not somethin’ that you’re gonna be able to fix over night, but DiNozzo’s always had a soft spot for ya. You’ll work it out.”
McGee snorted, wincing slightly. “We talkin’ about the same Tony? I don’t think ‘soft spot’ is the right word. He used to torment the hell out of me. Still does, sometimes.”
“That’s his way of lettin’ you know that he likes you,” the older man smirked before he sighed and leaned back against the wall. “Give him some time. He’ll come around.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“Mmhmm. And McGee?”
“Yeah boss?”
“Not bad. Guess those extra rounds with Ziva paid off.”
::::::
Shifting the car into park, McGee glanced back in the rearview mirror and offered his son a grin. The little boy had been chattering nonstop since he’d picked him up from his mother’s house, though the sound had been welcome.
He’d missed his boys like crazy over the course of the last week, and he knew now, after spending a couple hours with the little boy, that he would do whatever it took in order for Tony to forgive him so that he never had to be away from Josh again.
Climbing from the car, he pulled the back door open and unbuckled his son before he lifted him into his arms. “Did you have fun tonight?”
“We go a’morrow ‘gain?” Josh asked, poking his little fingers into his mouth as he offered his father a sleepy smile.
“Unfortunately, I’ve gotta go back to work, buddy,” he said, his chest aching at the frown that formed on Josh’s face. “But I’m going to see you again in just a couple of days. Maybe next time, we’ll see if Daddy will come out to dinner with us too, huh?”
“Daddy go too,” Josh decided, lowering his head to McGee’s shoulder as he stepped into the building, making his way over to the elevator.
“Have you been good for Daddy?”
“Uh huh. We p’ay and wa’ch I’Age.”
“I’m not surprised,” McGee responded dryly, pressing a kiss to the top of his son’s head.
Stepping off the elevator, McGee carried his son to the apartment, shifting the little boy on his shoulder before he knocked. Though he was positive that the door was unlocked, he didn’t think that Tony would appreciate it very much if he just barged in.
“It’s open!”
Turning the handle and stepping instead, he set Josh down on the ground and watched as the child took off into the living room, hopping onto the couch next to his father.
“Daddy!” He cried, hugging himself to the Italian’s side. “I get sketti! Daddy sayed nex’ time you go too, kay?”
“Oh yeah?” Tony asked, plastering a smile on his face for his son’s sake. “Why don’t you go get your jammies on, okay? It’s almost time for bed.”
Not needing to be told twice, the little boy hopped down and ran off to his bedroom before the older man released a labored sigh. “Thanks… for bringin’ him home, Tim.”
“Not a problem. Are you… are you alright?”
He waved the younger man off, closing his eyes against the excruciating pain in his back that had also spread to his abdomen. “I…” He hesitated, sighing again before he gave in. “I don’t really… know.”
“What’s the matter?” He asked, taking a seat on the couch next to his lover, offering the older man his hand. “Anything I can help with?”
“Just… my back is killin’ me. Like with Josh, but worse. And it’s spreading. My… I think I’m getting’ cramps,” he managed, gripping McGee’s hand when another spasm took over. “Oh God.”
“Okay,” McGee said, trying desperately to keep himself calm for Tony’s sake. “Okay. This is okay. We’re gonna get up and go to the hospital, alright? I’ll call Abby or Ziva on the way and see if they can pick Josh up and we’ll get you checked out. You gonna be able to stand?”
“Yeah,” Tony panted, nodding his head once the nearly crippling pain had passed. “I’m… I’m okay… for right now.”
“Alright. I’m going to go get Josh and we’ll be right back, okay? It’s all going to be okay.”
Tony said nothing as McGee pushed himself to his feet and made his way down the hallway. He could hear hushed voices as the younger man changed their son before he returned.
“Ready, T?”
Nodding again, Tony moved to push himself to his feet, but before he could, another cry escaped him. “Too… too early.”
“You’re gonna be alright,” McGee said again, rubbing the Italian’s back until the pain passed. “It’s gonna be okay.”
It was nearly ten minutes later when McGee was finally able to get Tony situated in front seat of the car and despite his best attempts at keeping the older man calm, he was beginning to panic. What had started out as a mild back ache earlier in the day had gradually morphed into an excruciating, nagging pain that wouldn’t go away.
Strapping Josh into his car seat, McGee hurried around to the driver’s side before he slipped in, already dialing Abby’s phone number. The Goth had just picked up on the other end of the line when Tony cried out, overcome with another stabbing pain.
“Timmy? What… what’s goin’ on?”
“It’s Tony,” the Geek responded, offering his hand to Tony as he shifted the car into drive. “I think… I think he might be goin’ into labor.”
Chapter End Notes:
A/N: Okay, I promised you guys that this was all planned out after the last chapter, and here we go! That didn't take so long, huh? As usual, I need to send out a huge thank you to Kelley for all her help with this chapter. I hope you guys read her fics (the ones I recommended in the last chapter) and if you didn't, you should hit the back button, get the link, and go check them out! I promise, they're worth the read! Thank you again to those of you who sent me a review after this last chap! It's because of you that I was able to quit this one done so quickly. Gonna give you a warning: This chapter ends in a cliffhanger but if you guys want this resolved quickly, you know what to do! Remember: Tony loves reviews more than comfy beds and compliments from Gibbs!