Authors Note: Hey guys, just a quick note to say a big thank you for all your reviews, they really do make our day.
****************NCIS****************
Jethro stood in the middle of the bullpen and glared at his defiant looking best friend who seemed oblivious to the famous look that, if it had been anyone else, would have a grown man quivering with fear where they stood. He watched Ducky's face harden before his mouth quirked a small half hearted smile.
'Jethro, it is pointless you standing there glaring at me, I have made the decision and am on my way up to see the Director to hand in the necessary paperwork. Anthony and Derek will both be signed off until next week regardless of what you do or say my friend'.
Ducky started to turn in order to walk away but was stopped by a firm hand on his bicep, it wasn't painful, but it was enough to stop the elderly ME in his tracks. Ducky knew that Jethro had been kept out of the loop and wasn't surprised when the team leader demanded answers.
'You wanna tell me what the hell is going on Duck! I have one agent being a bitch and playing the victim of poor leadership, one agent off sick because of pregnancy issues and one that is NOW signed off because of what, Stress?'
Ducky nodded sadly and looked up at Jethro, he had no idea how much his dear friend knew about the situation that had occurred today, though felt as though it was his duty to tell Jethro and to remind him that his duty of care had been somewhat shaky of late.
'Huh. Jethro are you really so blind? Honestly I expected better of you, now I understand that things have been somewhat........problematic so to speak, and by that I mean...............'.
Jethro's patience was at an all time low and he huffed out a breath of frustration at Ducky's speech.
'Damn it Duck, just get to the point already!'
Ducky seemed to grow in stature with anger and Jethro watched as his small frame squared up to his friend with his finger jabbing directly in his chest.
'MY point Jethro, is the fact that YOU have been told on numerous occasions about the issues with the team, especially the ones surrounding Ziva's behaviour of late. Now, I can understand Timothy's attitude to a degree, the dear boy has had a lot on his plate. But Ziva's? There's no justification, it was only a matter of time until Anthony finally snapped Jethro. In all fairness to you, there has been a lot going on, but now things are reaching a modicum of normality, I WILL NOT stand to have the situation continue'
Jethro was shocked, it was the first time his friend had ever raised his voice to him, for some reason that fact alone made Jethro think twice about arguing with Ducky. He felt as though he had that damn devil on one shoulder and the damn angel on the other.
'Damn it to hell Duck, I've done everything I can that is in my official capacity, she even had a meeting with the director and is pending a disciplinary at this very moment. What else could I have done?'
Ducky backed down slightly and looked up at his friend.
'You should have been there for Anthony Jethro, not once did you call to make sure he was alright and whether or not he needed help. Once again you played the silent saviour and tried to halt the situation in a way that was unproductive. You need to bear in mind, that whilst you were on sick leave, that boy has done everything possible to run the team and solve the case, and with detriment to his health I must add. He is exhausted and run down and Ziva really hasn't helped matters today. You want my honest opinion Jethro, then here it is, It's a good job he has got young Derek because recently his support system has been questionable both on a personal and professional level'.
Jethro pondered Ducky's words and was stopped from answering when the director's voice boomed through the bull pen.
'Dr Mallard. We have a meeting scheduled for five minutes ago. I have got a family to go home to'.
Ducky nodded slightly in Jethro's direction and headed up the stairs to meet with the director. Jethro shook his head slightly and turned to grab his gear and turn his computer off. He paused for a moment and dialled the all too familiar number on his desk phone and listened patiently as it rang a couple of times. He smiled gently at the out of breath 'hello' at the other end.
'Hey Timmy, you been running?'
He heard Tim laugh on the other end of the phone and grinned broadly, that laugh was always music to his ears.
'Oh hey, and no to the running, I am currently waddling my way to the kitchen to turn the steak, seems like your son has decided laying across the bottom of my diaphragm is a good idea. It doesn't leave a lot of breathing room, I tell ya. You on your way home J?'
Jethro couldn't help but laugh loudly at the jovial description of their son's new sleeping position. Now that Tim's back had eased considerably thanks to a lot of r & r, massages and Ducky's pregnancy safe pills, his lover had started to enjoy the pregnancy again, though he did find the breathlessness a little bit of a pain in the backside, especially seeing as the doctor told them at their last neo natal appointment that their son was going to be at least seven pounds and his living space was getting a bit cramped. Every time Jethro thought back to that appointment he chuckled, not at Tim's discomfort, but at the look on his face when the doctor told him his son would more than likely be looking for more innovative ways to stretch out at the moment.
'Sorry Timmy, I'm gonna be late tonight, just put the steak in the oven on low heat and I'll be home as soon as I can'.
He heard Tim pottering about in the kitchen before replying.
'Don't be too late J, the steak will be tough if we leave it too long'.
Jethro hung his head and sighed because he had no idea how long his 'chore' would take.
'I shouldn't be too late, if I am then I'll grab some takeout to save cooking again'
'Ok J, I'll see you soon, love you'.
With a broad grin, Jethro felt a wave of affection was over him.
'Love you too and I'll be as quick as I can'.
He hung up the phone and sighed loudly before grabbing his car keys, knowing that his next stop was not going to be a pleasant one.
****************NCIS****************
'Shit......'
Jethro swore loudly when he pulled out of the yard and got caught in the normal rush hour traffic. It wasn't usually too much of a problem, but tonight he had somewhere he needed to be and didn't want to leave it too late. Sighing he pulled out his phone and dialled Fornell's number.
'Fornell'
He punched the horn at the Jackass in front him when the small car cut in front of him, making him swerve sharply.
'Fucking asshole................Oh crap, Tobias, its Jethro, sorry some ass just cut in front of me. Listen, do ya remember me asking you for the BAU files?'
He heard Tobias sigh quietly on the other end of the phone.
'Yeah, about that Jethro, I haven't had a chance to get them to ya, I'm flat out at the moment'.
This was something Jethro knew well, there was many a time he hadn't been able to get around to stuff outside of work because of a case.
'I know, but I need to as a favour and need it pretty quickly, well ASAP to be honest. Can you drop Derek Morgan's file off at my house tonight?'
Jethro's patience waned at the traffic and he signalled left to turn off and take the back streets.
'Sure, no problem. I need to leave early tonight because it's Emily's birthday so I'll drop it off. I've got em all here ready but haven't had the chance. You want everyone's?'
Subconsciously, Jethro shook his head and turned the wheel.
'No, just Morgan's for now. I might not be in, but Tim is so just hand it to him. Can you make sure it's in an envelope?'
'No worries Jethro, how's Tim doing? He must be ready to drop any day now'.
Jethro huffed out a laugh and shook his head; he could always rely on Tobias to make Tim's pregnancy to sound so ............normal for lack of a better word.
'Not quite, he's only at seven and half months, though for the size of him you'd think he was full term. The docs reckon it's gonna be at least a seven pounder'.
He heard the hiss of air as Tobias sucked in a breath. Jethro completely understood the reaction and cringed every time he thought of his lover having to try to push a baby that size out.
'Ouch........'
'Yeah, tell me about it. Tim has taken it on the chin though and is adamant he wants a normal birth, hell if it was me I'd tell 'm to go ahead and schedule the c-section'
Jethro laughed at his comment, this wasn't a new argument and he had been trying to convince Tim to have the C-section. He had finally backed down when Tim made the point about the recovery time and actually seemed enthusiastic about the birth.
'Me too...........yeah, ok leave it on my desk........Jethro I've gotta go, I'll drop it off tonight'.
Jethro was used to the interruptions by colleagues during phone calls and smiled slightly at the memories of times gone by when he had stopped talking to the people on the other end of the phone to acknowledge them; he said his goodbyes and Tobias hung up the phone.
Jethro snapped his cell shut before tossing it on the seat and It wasn't long before he was pulling up to the curb outside Tony's apartment block. He sat and stared for a few minutes, debating internally with himself as to whether or not he was making the right decision and slapped his hand firmly on the steering wheel with frustration.
He soon made up his mind and squared his shoulders. All he could think of at that moment was 'come marine, you're not going into battle' and it was that sentiment that tipped the balance. He pushed the door open, hoping and praying that he could do some damage control to his battered subordinate before the day managed to get more of a grip then it already had.
****************NCIS****************
Derek was sitting on the bed he shared with Tony reading with his lover curled up in his lap fast asleep, he knew that no matter what, Tony had finally cried himself into a deep sleep which anyone would be hard pushed to wake him up from. He gently carded his fingers through the soft, damp hair that hadn't dried properly from the bath he made Tony share with him in order to get his tense, distraught lover to relax and re read the page he was on for the third time.
He put the book down and sighed heavily, at first he was able to read the first few chapters of 'Twilight', but now he found himself just staring at Tony's face. His lover had finally relaxed and was sleeping peacefully after a couple of nail biting moments where Derek thought he was starting with a nightmare. All he could do was try to make Tony comfortable and placated him gently with soothing words and caresses. To him, Tony looked like some kind of Italian Adonis, his tanned face had the uniquely, handsome qualities that he had been drawn to from day one.
Tonight though, was a different story. Tony's face was lined with worry, and even in sleep, these lines didn't relax. He glanced at the clock and noticed it was six thirty and slipped out of the bed gently, deftly guiding Tony down to one of the luxurious goose down pillows and covering him with the angora comforter that adorned the bed. He kissed Tony on the forehead and was making his way down to the kitchen, when he heard a knock at the door. He rubbed his hand over his face and answered to find himself face to face with Leroy Jethro Gibbs.
'Agent Gibbs, is there anything I can help you with?'
Derek watched with a shot of satisfaction as Jethro seemed to deflate slightly under his unwavering gaze. He would keep it professional, though he couldn't help feeling slightly superior at the moment.
'I need to talk with Tony. Is he here Morgan?'
Derek watched Jethro compose himself and shook his head.
'He's asleep Gibbs, and he will stay that way. He's exhausted and needs the rest; whatever you have to say to him can wait until Monday when he's back in the office'.
Jethro balled his hands into fists and took a step forward to try to get into Tony's apartment. He was stopped by Derek's outstretched arm pushing a splayed hand dead centre of his chest to block him from moving any further.
'GIBBS! I'm warning you, he's resting and there is no way in hell you are coming in to make him relieve a traumatic experience. Shit, I've had a battle to get him to calm down enough to sleep and you want to pull everything to the surface again, seriously, what's wrong with you people?'.
To an outsider, this was a battle of wills, two lions wanting to protect their cub and mate. On one hand, you have Jethro. The fatherly figure; wanting to protect his surrogate son and make amends for his shortfalls. On the other you have Derek. The soul mate; wanting to protect his lover from any more harm, both sides would fight tooth and nail for their aim, but tonight Jethro knew he was at a disadvantage. There was no way Derek was going to let him past the threshold and looked as though he would forcibly remove Jethro given half the chance, that and the fact that Tony was asleep, and even Jethro had to admit that it was the best thing for him.
'Fine Agent Morgan, you let Tony know I expect to see him first thing on Monday in the conference room to discuss the situation at hand'.
Derek snorted out a bitter laugh at Jethro's harsh tone and dropped his hand.
'I'll let him know Agent Gibb's, now if you don't mind, I'm busy'
With that he slammed the door leaving an extremely pissed off Jethro standing outside the door. At that point he didn't care and turned to go into the kitchen to grab a beer and fix both him and Tony a sandwich, he wouldn't wake Tony up, but wanted to make sure he had something to hand when his lover did.
****************NCIS****************
Jethro pulled up outside his and Tim's house and cut the engine, he sat there for a while to calm down before opening the door and grabbing his jacket off the passenger seat. He had slowly felt his anger dissipate into nothing more than a mild annoyance, and if he were to be honest to himself, he had to admit to feeling slightly relieved that someone was there to take care of Tony, despite the fact that he felt redundant at that moment.
He pulled his keys out of his pocket as he neared the house and walked up the perfectly made wooden porch he had built a few years ago towards the front door. He wasn't surprised when he heard Jethro barking behind the door and smirked slightly before putting the key in the lock and walking in through the small hallway.
'Timmy, I'm home, sorry I'm so la.............'
He stopped dead in his tracks and listened to Tim's voice as it floated out from the kitchen. He followed his lover's voice and stood leaning on the door jamb that led into the kitchen. He frowned when he realised who Tim was talking to and had to resist walking over to the table where Tim was sitting, to grab the cell phone that was currently glued to Tim's ear.
'Listen Zee, I've gotta go..... Yeah, but I still think you need to talk to him.....No, but seriously this whole situation has gotten out of control now and you need help.....Uh huh.....yep.....no I'm not saying that what you did wasn't required, what I'm saying is you've gone about it in the worst way possible and the whole situation needs to be rectified.....NO ZIVA! Whatever you do don't go and talk to Tony, Jesus are you trying t.....Right, listen, I've really gotta go ok.....Yeah, speak to you soon'.
Jethro watched as Tim flipped the phone shut and ran his hand over the tired looking face.
'TIM, WHAT THE FUCK?'
Tim jumped and winced as the movement jarred his sore back, it had got better in recent weeks thanks to the TLC he had received all round, but still twanged painfully with the extra weight he was carrying.
'Shit J, you startled me. What's wrong?'
Tim stood up and waddled over to Jethro to lean in for a kiss.
'WHAT'S THE MATTER? Why the hell are you talking to Ziva?'
Tim stopped and rested his right hand on his vast expanding belly. Jethro noticed the look of sheer confusion and hurt on Tim's face and huffed out an ironic laugh.
'WHY? Because she rang and needed someone to fucking talk to. That's why J. Shit, I know she's in the wrong and she's gone about things in the worst possible freaking way, but at the end of the day she needs help'.
Jethro pulled away from the door and made his way over to the fridge to grab a beer, to Tim, Jethro seemed to be either mulling over his words or trying his best to
'To bitch you mean? I expected better of you Tim'.
He felt Tim move behind him and started slightly when Tim took the beer out of his hand and took a large swig, damn the day had un-nerved him.
'To bitch? shit J, you know me better than that. Why the hell would I bitch with her, if anything, I've just spent the better part of a fucking hour trying to calm her down and get her to talk to your stubborn ass'.
Jethro stood there and gazed with shock as Tim took another swig of the beer before handing it back to him, he didn't like Tim drinking whilst he was pregnant and snatched the bottle back out of his lover's pregnancy swollen hands.
'Tell me why the fuck I would I want to talk to her McGee? After what Probationary Agent David has done today, she's damn lucky she's still got a fucking job. To top it off, one of his so called friends, can't even be bothered to try to contact him'.
Tim sighed heavily and sank back down in the chair, he was trying to ignore the movement in his abdomen but couldn't help wince when their son jabbed a foot so far into his ribs that he felt winded for a moment.
He rubbed his hand over his face and sighed heavily, he had been trying for the better part of two weeks to contact Tony, he had sent text messages, he had sent emails and he had tried to call. Hell he had even hand written a letter and mailed it to Tony's home address. All his efforts had been stonewalled and left him feeling both emotionally and physically tired, the fact that he had been trying to convince Ziva to get the help she needed from Jethro was practically the straw that broke the camel's back. He moved his hand back down and shifted slightly so he could rub gently at the spot where his son was playing soccer with his internal organs and looked up at Jethro.
'J, I'm not going to argue with you over Ziva ok, you're gonna have to trust me when I say I'm trying to get her to tone it down and talk to someone who can help. As far as talking to Tony, well right back at'cha Boss, it's not like you've made a monumental amount of effort either!'
Jethro finished his beer and just stood glaring at Tim, he knew he shouldn't be arguing with his lover and felt the anger abate when Tim pulled the 'Boss' card, it had reduced enough for him to stand and listen and he realised at that moment how tired and haggard Tim looked and frowned. Tim raised both his hands in exasperation and snapped out a plea to his lover.
'Say something, Jesus I'm tired of this shit. You know how hard I've been trying to actually apologise to Tony? All he does is ignore me J, I snapped and I'm being punished for it. SHIT, you know what, sometimes I think that this pregnancy was the worst fucking thing that has ever happened because it's caused nothing but fucking heartache all round'.
Tim stopped for a moment and heaved in a heavy breath, his tirade had left him feeling breathless and even more drained then he already was. Jethro knew he had to rein this in before Tim's stress induced premature labour. He moved towards Tim but was thwarted by a hand firmly pushing him back.
'Add that to trying to stop Zee doing something stupid and, you know what, I am both physically and emotionally exhausted J, what do you want me to do?.................you know what, scrap that. I'm going out, dinners in the oven and there's an envelope Fornell dropped off for you on the coffee table'.
Tim moved slowly towards the door but was stopped by Jethro blocking his way.
'Tim, don't ok............... '.
'Don't want J? Look, you obviously don't trust me and you won't unless I try to fix this so I'm going out and don't know when I'll be back. You might get a phone call from Ziva. I told her she needs to talk to you herself because I'm done trying to play the peacekeeper and the help she needs is more than what I can actually offer at the moment. I've got my own fucking problems and I'm seven and half months pregnant to boot...........GOD DAMN IT!'
He pushed his way past Jethro and grabbed his car keys off the side before opening the door.
'Tim, come on, you shouldn't be driving and we need to talk'.
Tim swung around with an amazing grace given his present condition and jabbed his finger towards Jethro.
'Damn right we need to talk Gibbs, you have no idea about what's going on and I'm sick of taking the brunt of it all. I'm going to try to put a stop to this now, in the meantime, if Ziva calls then do me a favour and at least try to hear her out ok'.
Jethro's head snapped up so fast Tim was surprised it didn't dislodge itself from his shoulders.
'HEAR HER OUT? DAMN IT TIM SHE DAMN NEAR CAUSED TONY TO HAVE A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN TODAY'.
Tim blanched at the screamed words and felt his anger broil.
'I know Gibbs, that's exactly why I've been trying to get her to talk to you; it's gone to fucking far. I'm going to go and try to build some bridges of my own. Don't wait up; I wouldn't want to be any more fucking trouble than I obviously already am'.
Jethro watched Tim turn and leave, the house shaking ominously when his lover slammed the door so hard he was pleasantly surprised it didn't rebound off the hinges. He ran to the front door and pulled it open to go and stop Tim, but was met with the sight of Tim tearing out of the driveway, the tires squealing in his wake. He sighed heavily and hung his head so it rested on his chest.
'Well that went well Jethro'
He turned and walked back into the kitchen to grab another beer, but changed his mind and reached for the bottle of bourbon in the cupboard. He poured himself a healthy slug and knocked it back before running his hand angrily though his hair, he had no idea why he had attacked Tim like that, but his feelings about Ziva at this moment, were fraught and the fact that his lover had seemingly sided with her stung.
Jethro poured himself another glass of bourbon and walked into the den to grab the file off the coffee table, it was the one file that peaked his interest and he wanted to know exactly who it was, that was talking care of his senior agent.
****************NCIS****************
Tim pulled up outside Tony's apartment block and sighed heavily, the argument he had just had with Jethro was buzzing around in his mind, but enough was enough, he was determined to at least try to sort this horrible mess out. He heaved his hulking frame out of his car and walked stiffly towards the entrance to the apartments, damn he missed driving, but the stiffness it caused recently was something he could live happily without.
Once Tim reached the elevators, he punched the call button and waited patiently for it to arrive. He was still standing there 5 minutes later when an elderly lady Tim recognised as Tony's neighbour tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around and smiled broadly at her.
'Hey Mrs Argyll, how're you today?'
Mrs Argyll, or Aggy to her friends, returned Tim's smile and shuffled the shopping bags she held in her frail hands.
'oooh, no complaints Tim, how about you? You've been busy since last time I saw you'.
She reached out and patted Tim's heavily distended abdomen and offered him a smile that reminded him of his grandma.
'Sure have Mrs. Argyll. Er, you want a hand with those?'
The old woman looked slightly affronted and pulled back the bags she held.
'Oh no you don't young man; you're carrying quite enough and will struggle up those stairs just as much as I will at the moment'.
Tim pulled his arm back slightly and rested it on the old lady's shoulder instead.
'Stairs? The lift out of order again?'
'Yeah, damn things been out for a couple of days now. Anyway, it's late and as much as I enjoy talking to you Tim, I really need to be getting home to feed my cat'.
Tim moved back slightly and let Aggy past, he had always had a soft spot for Tony's old neighbour and followed her up the stairs. Surprisingly, Aggy was quite the agile old bird and soon manoeuvred herself up to her apartment with ease. She dropped her bags and knocked sharply on Tony's door and looked over with concern at her heavily pregnant friend, the same friend that, a year ago helped her to set up the wireless network that had allowed her to keep in contact with all her family in Florida.
'Dear, Dear. You probably should have gone home Tim, look at you! You can't breat..........'
She was cut short by the door opening and turned to greet tony, her smile faltering slightly when she noticed it was Derek.
'Ahh, Derek. Is Tony home, he has a visitor who I think may need a little help at the moment'.
Derek looked up and saw Tim leaning with one arm against the wall, the heavy breathing signalling the climb up the five flights of stairs to see Tony.
'Aw crap McGee. Thanks Aggy, I'll take it from here'.
Aggy bent down to pick up her bags but Derek beat her to it and picked up the fairly light shopping to follow her into her apartment. He was back in a couple of minutes and shook his head sadly at Tim.
'Why'd you come McGee, damn you look like shit warmed over. Listen, Tony's in bed and I don't want to wake him. To be perfectly honest, I don't think I even want you near him'.
Tim looked up and gulped in a large lungful of air. Derek was trying to be nice, but he could hear the underlying twist of anger directed towards him. He straightened up and turned slightly to look at the stairs, nodding sadly, he twisted back to Derek.
'Erm, yeah ok, it's just.........never mind, can you er........can you let him know I called'
Tim felt deflated and turned to started the painful descent down the stairs only to be called back by the familiar voice of his friend.
'Tim.........Derek are you crazy, look at him! He at least needs to rest before tackling those stairs.......hey Mcdaddy, get your pregnant ass back here'.
Tim turned at the bottom of the first flight of stairs to see Tony shooting down them to help him. He smiled gratefully and accepted the outstretched hand.
'What're you doing Probie? You should have just turned right back round when you knew the lift was out of order'.
Tim huffed out a small laugh, or at least he meant it to sound like a laugh but the slow ascent back up the stairs was making him feel as though the very last bit of air was being squeezed painfully out of his lungs.
'Come on in McGee, you want a drink?'
Tim nodded gratefully and sank into one of the kitchen chairs.
'Er...Just water please Tony'.
Tony nodded and busied himself getting the ice out of the freezer. Whilst Tony was preparing the drinks, Tim felt a presence behind him and turned to see Derek standing in the doorway with his arms crossed.
'Hey D, will ya do me a favour and go down to Mamma B's to pick up some of that fantastically good homemade soup?'
Derek huffed and shook his head, the action itself only meriting a hard glare from his lover.
'Please D. Look I'm hungry and I could really eat some good soup..............D'.
Tim looked up to see Tony pouting at his lover and couldn't help but smile.
'You gonna be ok babyboy?'
Tony laughed for the first time that day and winked at Tim.
'Hell yeah, what do you think Probie's gonna do, I think he's over his hissy fit now'.
Tim felt the heat of a blush rise up from his neck and into his face and stared down at the floor. Derek must have turned to walk away because he heard the door close felt Tony's hand on his shoulder.
'Come on McGee, that chairs got to be killing you, how bout we take this into the lounge'.
He accepted Tony's hand and winced as his back finally protested against the journey up the stairs he took recently.
'Back still playing up then?'
Tim huffed out a laugh and nodded as he lowered himself gingerly into one of the large, comfortable black armchairs.
'It's not too bad now. Duck thinks I managed to injure it on top of the general, good old pregnancy pains'.
Tony frowned slightly and looked over at his............at what was his friend.
'Fucking hell Tim, you knocked your back out running up and down the stairs when the elevator was out at NCIS and here you are doing exactly the same to what? To visit?'
Tim hung his head down and rubbed his hand sub-consciously down his bump.
'Tony I came to apologise ok. Jesus, I miss my friend'.
Tony's brow furrowed even more and Tim noticed how ill Tony actually looked. He rubbed his hand over his face and turned his gaze back to the Italian.
'Tony look, I know I'm probably the last person you wanna hear from right now, but I really am sorry about what happened. You have no idea how much it has been tearing me apart, I've called, I've sent text messages, I've sent emails. Shit Tony, I even wrote you a god damn letter because I want to fix this'.
Tony slumped back into the couch and hung his head back on the back.
'I know Probie, but I'm not sure how it can be fixed. You have no idea how it feels having your team mates, no, your friends turn on you like that. You were frustrated and in pain Tim, I'll give you that one, but there still wasn't any need for the way you talked to me'.
Tim felt the sting of tears threaten and nodded.
'I know. I've been a dick and I'm sorry tony, what can I do to fix this? Please Tony, I need you to help me out here'.
Tony's head snapped up as though the tendons were on an elastic band and he glared at Tim before noticing the raw pain that resided in those big green, moist eyes.
'I don't know Probie. That I can't answer, hey do you mind if we don't talk about this right now. It's been a bitch of a day and all I want to do is eat soup and fall into bed'.
As if Tony could smell the soup from down the hall, the door opened and Derek walked in carrying a paper bag from Mamma B's. He looked over at his lover and Tim and frowned.
'Everything ok baby boy?'
Tony nodded and stood up to accept the soup from his lover and started to make his way to the bedroom. He stopped and turned to face Tim.
'Look, we will talk ok. Just not tonight, believe it or not, I miss you too Probie'.
He turned towards Derek and flicked his head in Tim's direction.
'D, can you make sure Tim makes it down the stairs ok'
Tony waited for the nod and carried on into the bedroom, closing the door as he went.
Tim watched the door close and felt a lone tear roll down his cheek, he knew there was hope and the fact that Tony told him they would talk, but he still had the nagging feeling that this was going to take a while. He looked up to see Derek holding out a tissue, Tim took it and wiped at his eyes before letting Derek help him up from the chair.
'Come on McGee, it's getting late and you don't wanna be in trouble with your better half do ya'.
Tim laughed, he just couldn't seem to help it, and accepted the offered help out of the apartment and down the stairs. When they reached his car he turned towards Derek and sighed tiredly.
'Hey Morgan, thanks for letting me try with tony, I appreciate it'.
Derek sighed and looked over at Tim, the man looked dead on his feet and it made his gut clench knowing the drive home he had.
'McGee, you ok to drive man?'
Tim laughed sardonically and nodded.
'yeah, I'm good. Listen, how about you and Tony come over for dinner on Saturday night, it'll give us a chance to talk things through and might help him realise that we don't hate him. When I said what I did to him, I was pissed at NCIS in general because no matter what I did at that point seemed to matter to the director and he was looking for a way to get me out'.
Derek looked concerned, his opinion of NCIS was at an all time low, now, it had pretty much hit rock bottom.
'I'm not the one you need to be talking to McGee. Shit, ok, here's what we're gonna do. We'll come for dinner on Saturday night, that'll give T time to calm down, and then take it from there. He feels as though you hate him right now Tim and that aint gonna be easy to fix. It can be done though, mainly because he misses your friendship'.
Tim nodded and unlocked the car before stepping into the driver's seat. He looked up at Derek who was leaning down at him, using the door for support.
'Thanks Derek, I appreciate it'.
Derek nodded once and closed the door. He waited for Tim to pull away and then pulled out his phone to dial Jethro.
'Gibbs, it's Morgan........everythings fine........Tim's on his way home but he's beat and his backs playing up again..... No, the elevator was out so he walked up the stairs.......Calm down Gibbs, we didn't turn him away, but just make sure he's ok tonight......yeah......Ok'
He hung up and walked back up to the apartment to be with Tony, if anything, the situation was bad but he knew damn well Tim's state of mind came from being in pain and wanted nothing more than Tony's pain to be eased by having someone else he could confide in.
****************NCIS****************
Derek walked through the apartment and grabbed his homemade soup before making his way into the bedroom, he stopped and scratched his head when he realised Tony wasn't there.
'Tony.........'
He backtracked through the apartment calling his lover's name and stopped dead with a grin on his face when he saw Tony curled up on the couch, fast asleep. He bent down to give Tony a kiss on the cheek and pulled the comforter down to cover his partner.
Derek walked over to the sideboard and grabbed his laptop, there was one email he needed to send tonight and with any luck, it would be acted on quickly. Turning to the kitchen he booted up his laptop and connected to the wireless network Tony had set up, god that thing was convenient. Opening a new email, he started to type:
To: Leon Vance; Leroy Jethro Gibbs
CC:
BCC: Aaron Hotchner; Erin Strauss
From: Derek Morgan
Subject: Grievance
Director Vance
I would like to file an official grievance about the treatment of Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo......................................................................
The email didn't take long and after proof reading it, he clicked the send button. Feeling pleased with himself he went over to Tony and woke him up briefly to slip in underneath his head. He carded his fingers through the silken hair and sighed, Oh yeah. People are going to pay.
****************NCIS****************
Tim slowly pulled in and parked in his usual spot in the driveway. Even though they had a double garage, habit soon dictated the fact that it was easier for them todrive the cars straight out when they were on call, rather than mess around with the garage doors.
He didn't know how long he had sat there for; he had been completely lost in his thoughts when he felt the door give way under his arm.
****************NCIS****************
Jethro had been sitting out on the porch waiting for Tim to come home, for some reason the phone call he received from Morgan unsettled him and he wanted to make sure his lover was ok. He was currently sitting in the dark nursing a mug of hot coffee when he saw Tim's car pull into the driveway, he stood up and slowly made his way down to meet his partner. When he neared the car, he stopped and stood broken hearted at the way Tim's elbow rested on the door at the bottom of the window, Tim's left hand cupping his forehead as his full body convulsively shook with the sobs that were obviously tormenting him right now. Jethro gave him a couple of minutes and reached out to open the door, his gut twisting at how jumpy Tim was at that moment.
'Hey hey, Sorry Timmy. Hey, talk to me, you alright?'
Tim laughed loudly and nodded.
'J, I'm pregnant and hormonal. You decide'.
Jethro huffed out a short laugh and helped Tim out of the car. He could tell how bad Tim's back was at that moment and reached back to place his hand in the small of his lover's back in order to rub small circles as they made their way inside.
'What's going on Tim, talk to me'.
'Nothing J, Oh....erm....listen, Derek and Tony are coming over for Dinner on Saturday night'.
Jethro's eyes widened and he grabbed Tim's arm to stop him.
'How.....wha.......How did you get him to agree to that?'
Tim looked over at Jethro sheepishly and sighed, he really didn't want to do this right now and the pull of going to bed with a nice muscle relaxant really did sound appealing.
'He didn't, Derek said he'd get him to come because we need to talk. Is that ok?'
Jethro laughed, not a small chuckle, but an all out, gut busting laugh that soon had Tim chuckling alongside him.
'That's fine Timmy, That's absolutely fine. Hell, if it gets you two to talk then I'm sure I can rustle something up. How's he doing?'
Tim and Jethro started to walk again and soon found themselves sitting on the larch couch in their lounge.
'He looks like shit warmed over J, but he's doing better apparently. I left him eating soup and going to get some rest'.
'Yeah, that's good. Timmy, look I'm sorry ok. It's just been a shitty day and when I got home and heard you talking to Ziva, well you know what happened. Just do me a favour and don't take off like that again, I've been worried sick'.
Tim shuffled forward on the couch and sat rubbing his back.
'Sorry J, I was just getting royally pissed at being ignored and when we argued...........Well you've heard the saying about the straw that broke the camel's back'.
Jethro nodded and noticed how stiffly Tim was sitting on the large couch. He stood up and pulled Tim to his feet.
'Yeah, I have but you know it's supposed to be figurative right? How about a back massage Tim?'
Tim's eyes widened and he felt a complete surge of horniness run through him, the thought of Jethro massaging his aching muscles made his cock twitch. He pulled Jethro into him and assaulted his lover with a passionate kiss. He pulled away and winked at Jethro.
'Sounds good, but does it have to stop at that J, You know I haven't had any in weeks'.
Jethro giggled and gazed into Tim's clear green eyes, he could see the pupils were blown with arousal.
'It's not like we've been up to much recently. You sure you're up to it now Tim?'
'I'm sure, I want you J, I want you in me'.
That last statement sent jolts of pleasure to Jethro's cock and he felt his trousers straining against the increasing pressure and he pulled away and tugged Tim towards the stairs.
****************NCIS****************
Tim was lying on his side with a pillow in between his legs, he was currently feeling torn between a feeling of sheer relief and contentment as Jethro gently massaged away the kinks that had formed from Tim over exerting himself. The other feeling he had was sheer arousal, his hard cock pushed into the pillow every time Jethro massaged another kink out. He practically keened when Jethro moved away from him only to let out a small 'ooohh' when Jethro gently pushed one slick finger into Tim to start stretching him gently, Jethro soon had three fingers inside Tim and felt Tim pushing back. He crooked a finger and started to rub Tim's prostate over and over again.
'Oh god, J........right there......Oh god I'm gonna.......Nnnngggghhhhh'.
Jethro's eyes were now completely blown, the fact that he had made his Timmy come just from the penetration was a sight to behold, he knew for sure Tim would soon be ready for another round and continued his ministrations through the aftershocks that wracked Tim's body.
'J, I want you in me NOW....'
Jethro lined up and started to push in to Tim but was met with resistance when Tim placed his hand on Jethro's hip.
'Not like this J, I want to see your face........'
Jethro could almost hear Tim blushing and rubbed his hand over his lovers bump.
'Like......Like we used to. I like seeing your face when you come'.
Tim stood slowly and turned to push Jethro over onto the bed, a stray thought entered his head as he straddled his lover and he soon found himself in fits of laughter.
'Timmy? What's so funny?'
Tim calmed down and looked down at Jethro's confused face.
'Nothing J, it's silly. We don't use this position much and all I've got rolling through my head is Ride em' cowboy'.
Jethro giggled alongside Tim as he gently massaged his bump before moving his hands up to gently pinch Tim's nipples.
'Well ye-ha lover boy, how bout you come here and give this old cowboy some lovin' because ya know he's awaitin'.
Tim leaned forward to kiss Jethro but hissed when his nipples were tweaked slightly.
'Sorry, they're a bit sensitive at the moment......'.
Jethro pulled his head up to meet Tim's lips and reached down to help guide Tim down onto his hard cock, he groaned with pleasure when Tim slid down easily, his cock buried so deep in Tim that his balls were nestled against Tim's skin.
'Oh my god, that feels so good J'.
Jethro raised his hands as Tim's bump got in the way of him leaning down to get any kind of purchase, Tim looked down gratefully and grabbed his lovers hands, his long fingers entwining lovingly as he used their knotted hands for leverage and moved himself up and down, every movement impaling on Jethro's hard throbbing cock. He shifted forward slightly and screamed when the hard member struck his prostate.
'Oh, mmm, J I'm gonn..........Arrrghhh, Jethro, yeah.........'
Tim came explosively and his movements because erratic and furiously fast as the never ending stream of seamen coated Jethro's chest. Jethro could feel his balls contracting as Tim's tight muscles contracted over and over again against his erection and it wasn't long before Tim felt his hips start to move and heard the grunting that usually signalled the impending orgasm.
'Shi...Tim, so good.........Oh yeah Timmy ...........Tim'
Jethro came and Tim felt his warm seed fill him, the feeling was comforting and he keened his approval.
Tim rocked back on his heels before lifting himself carefully off Jethro so he could lie down and nestle his body against his lover. Jethro had his arm wrapped protectively over Tim's shoulders though his other hand was still entwined happily with Tim's.
'I miss this J'.
Jethro hummed his approval and kissed the top of Tim's head.
'Me too Timmy'.
Tim was just drifting off to sleep, his usual full body pillow had been replaced by Jethro and he was contented, sated and sleepy. As his mind started to shut off, he heard a low rumble resonate through Jethro's chest and looked up to see him laughing.
'what so funny?'
'Timmy, you and your damn cowboys'.
Tim frowned and raised his head and furrowed his brown in confusion, he wasn't expecting the next quote to come out of his lover mouth, but once it did it left the two of them giggling like school girls.
'Well Tim, Get off your horse and drink you milk'.
****************NCIS****************
HI guys, well here it is, another chapter. We had a hell of a lot more to put into this, but it was starting to move more into mammoth size chapters we have had the last couple of times.
Oh, and there's 10 points up for grabs if anyone can tell us where Gibbs' last quote came from and who said it.
PS â€" don't forget to click that little review button, you know how much me and Alisa love hearing from you all
co-author's note: due to family issues for me, this will be the last chapter posted for a little while....I'm sorry to do this you, because you've had some slightly long waits recently for the last couple of chapters...but, I'm sure....you can understand.....just so you, we ARE working on future chapters....just be patient with us....and please, DO review we want to hear from you.
thanks & enjoy your EASTER. *
alisa & shelbylou
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.