**December 28thâ€"1300 Hours NCIS Squad Room**
Tony nearly groaned as he stepped off the elevator onto the third floor. Crossing the room quickly, he dropped his pack behind his desk and sank down into his chair tiredly. "Sorry it took me so long gettin' back, Boss. Michael wanted to go through every aisle at the damn store."
"You bed him down?"
"He's back at his apartment. I told him to call if he needed anything, but he should be fine."
Gibbs nodded, returning his attention to the open file on his desk. "What did the doctor say?"
Tony shook his head, releasing a quiet sigh. "A little PTSD, but other than that, he showed significant improvement over the last forty eight hours. The hospital is faxing over a copy of his file for our records."
"Good," he said, glancing over at his partner again, noting the wary look on his face. ""What's buggin' you?"
The Italian shook his head, running a hand over his face. "It's nothin'. Don't worry about it."
"Tony…"
"He was hesitant when we got back to the apartment, you know? And I mean, it's understandable and all, but I just…" He paused, releasing a deep sigh and running his fingers through his short hair. "The last thing I need right now is some stressed out kid who's afraid of the monsters under his bed."
"Get used to it," the silver-haired man shrugged, allowing a slight smile to pull at the corners of his mouth. "You're growin' one in that belly of yours."
Tony rolled his eyes as he leaned back in the chair, offering his boss a smirk. "Don't have to worry about this kid bein' scared of anything. Except for you if he knows what's good for him."
"He? Wishful thinkin'?"
"Power of suggestion," the younger man corrected, linking his fingers behind his head. "Where are McGee and Ziva?"
"Ziva's at the hospital sittin' on Miller and McGee's down with Abby."
"Any word on Miller yet?"
"Same as yesterday. Probably gonna be out for a few more days, but I'm not takin' any chances. That bastard's mine as soon as he wakes up."
"If he knows what's good for him, he won't bother," Tony snorted, pushing himself to his feet.
"Where you goin'?" Gibbs asked, cocking an eyebrow.
"Snack machine," he responded. "Unless you wanna take me and the kid out to lunch. We wouldn't protest."
"No, I bet you wouldn't." Standing up from his desk, he offered Tony a small smirk. "Let's go then."
"Pizza?"
"Don't push it," he warned, resting a gentle hand against his lover's back.
"C'mon, Jet. You're really not gonna…" He trailed off when his cell phone began vibrating angrily in his pocket. Stopping in his tracks, he pulled it out, groaning loudly when he saw the number. "You've gotta be kiddin' me. I'm not answering it."
"Answer it."
"No! Boss, c'mon! I spent all mornin' with him, he's fine!"
"He's a scared kid, Tony. You're the only one he trusts right now and until this case is over, he's our problem."
"You mean my problem," he corrected, eyeing Gibbs warily before he flipped the device open and held it to his ear. "Hello?"
"T… Tony?"
"Uh huh. What's up, Michael?"
"I just… I know you're busy, but I… I was just wondering… I keep hearing weird noises outside and Iâ€""
"He's not gonna be able to hurt you, Michael," Tony reminded him, forcing his voice to remain even despite the irritation written all over his face. "Remember what we talked about? He's still in the hospital with an armed agent guarding his room. You're safe."
"No, I know. I just…" Tony heared his breathing hitch just slightly. "Please?" He pleaded, his voice cracking. "Please, Tony?"
Closing his eyes, Tony pinched the bridge of his nose and released a loud sigh. "Okay. Give me a few minutes to finish up what I'm doing and I'll be right there."
"Th… thank you," Michael managed and as he hung up the phone, it was all Tony could do to keep from throwing the device against the opposing wall.
"Everything okay?" Gibbs asked.
"No," the younger man grunted, his face set in a dark frown. "Looks like no lunch for us."
"Go take care of it. We'll do pizza tonight for dinner."
"You promise?" He asked hopefully.
"Uh huh," Gibbs responded, leaning over to press a quick kiss to his cheek. "Go on."
Offering his boss a ghost of a smile, Tony made his way over to the elevator, only allowing his grin to falter once the doors slid shut. Pressing the button for the parking garage, he released a frustrated sigh when his belly gurgled loudly. "Yeah, yeah," he muttered, resting his hand against the small swell between his hipbones. "I was really lookin' forward to that pizza too."
**1325 Hoursâ€"Michael Martinetti's Apartment**
Pulling up in front of the old apartment building, Tony shifted his car into park and shoved the remainder of his cheeseburger into his mouth. It hadn't even been a half an hour since he'd agreed to stop by Michael's apartment and he'd already called three more times.
Had he not been so irritated, he would have felt guilty for taking the time out for a quick lunch.
Releasing a loud sigh, he climbed from the car and shut the door with more force than necessary before he made his way up to the front of the building. He could feel his phone vibrating in his pocket again and it only served to make him slow his pace.
Pressing the 'ignore' button, he made his way inside, resisting the urge to turn around and head back to the agency. The last thing he needed was an afternoon with the distraught PFC.
The ride up to Michael's floor didn't last nearly long enough and he'd barely stepped off the elevator when the apartment door flew open.
"I… I didn't think you were coming!" He said, his voice thick with tears as he offered the agent an accusing glance.
"I told you I had a couple things to finish up," Tony responded, offering what he hoped appeared to be a genuine smile. "Now what's goin' on?"
Michael said nothing as he pulled the door open a little wider, reaching up to swipe at his cheeks. Though he was in his early twenties, Tony couldn't help but notice just how young he looked in that very moment and he felt some of his irritation disappear. Gibbs was right; Michael Martinetti was just a scared kid with nobody else to turn to.
He stepped inside, watching as the younger man shut the door behind him and started for the kitchen. "Can I get you anything?"
"No. I can't stay very long, Michael. You were saying that you heard some strange noises?"
"Um… I…"
"You didn't hear anything, did you?"
Michael shook his head, dropping his eyes to the ground. "I'm sorry! I just… I don't wanna be alone."
Releasing a frustrated sigh, Tony shook his head and started for the door. "Jesus. I've got other stuff I've gotta be doing, Michael! I can't keep dropping by every hour for a social call!"
"You told me I could call you!"
"If you needed anything!"
A loud sob escaped the younger man as Tony reached for the doorknob and it was all he could do to keep from throwing himself at the agent to keep him from leaving. "Please, Tony! Please don't go!"
A dark frown formed on Tony's face as he paused, releasing a deep sigh. "Fine," he conceded, his shoulders slumping slightly. "But I'm not hanging out here all day, Michael. I want you to go take the medicine the doctor gave you to help you sleep and then after I get you straight, I'm going to go, okay?"
"You… you promise you'll stay until I fall asleep?"
"Yeah, I promise." Sighing again, he crossed the room and sank down onto the couch, watching warily as the younger man made his way into the bedroom. Lifting his hips slightly, he pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed his boss' number, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Hey Boss," he greeted when the older man answered. "Listen… I'm probably not going to be back for awhile…"
**1845 Hoursâ€"Gibb's House**
Leaning his head against the cool tile of the shower wall, Tony inhaled deeply before releasing a loud sigh, closing his eyes as the water rained down against his back. For the first time since leaving Michael's apartment, he could feel the tension leaving his neck and shoulders.
Though he'd only intended to stop in long enough to check on the distraught man earlier, a quick visit quickly turned into an entire afternoon of keeping Michael company. It had been the longest afternoon he'd had to suffer through for a long time, and he'd practically sprinted out of the apartment the moment the sleeping medication had kicked in.
Reaching down, he turned the faucet off and grabbed for his towel, feeling his jaw clench in irritation when he heard his phone vibrating on the counter. It hadn't been enough that he'd given up his whole afternoon to coddle their victim, but once the medicine he'd taken had worn off, he'd started calling and it had been non-stop.
Releasing a frustrated sigh, he stepped out of the shower and barely resisted the urge to throw his phone against the wall.
"Gonna answer that?"
Turning at the sound of the gruff voice, Tony offered his lover a slight shrug, trying to school his face into an impassive mask. "It's a wrong number."
"The same wrong number that's been callin' you for the last two hours?"
Rolling his eyes, Tony dried his body off quickly before grabbing for his boxers. "You're the one who told me to answer it earlier, Jet. Said until this case is over, he's our problem."
"While we're on the clock. Christ Tony, he's called at least thirty times since we've gotten home! Answer the damn phone and tell him to lay off!"
"It's not that easy! You nailed it today: he's a kid who's completely freaked out and he has nobody else!" Releasing a frustrated sigh, he pushed past the older man into the bedroom. "I don't know what you want me to do! I didn't want to deal with this whole thing earlier and you gave me an unwanted speech about how I had to, and now, you're pissed because he won't leave me the hell alone! What exactly did you expect?"
"I don't know, Tony! Maybe for you to have talked your way out of it like you try to with me all the god damn time at work!"
The Italian's eyes flashed with anger as he turned to face the older man. "That is so unfair, Jet. This was an order you gave me."
"What is it about him, huh? What makes you wanna hold onto this outside of work?"
"I feel bad for the damn kid! Sorry that I'm showin' some emotion! Won't happen again." With that, he turned and began to gather his discarded clothes, intent on heading to his own apartment for the night.
"Maybe this isn't gonna work, Gibbs."
"Tony…" The silver-haired man tried, sighing deeply as he ran a hand over his tired face. "Wait, Tony. Please."
"What?"
Reaching for his younger lover's hand, Gibbs pulled him against his chest, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. "I don't want you to go."
"And I don't want you chewin' my ass because I followed an order! Your order, but as you've already proved, we don't always get what we want."
Pulling away, he tugged his discarded shirt down over his head, but it wasn't long before Gibbs grabbed him again, crushing his lips against the younger man's.
For a half a second, Tony struggled against him before he gave in, reaching up to tangle his fingers in the gray hair. A quiet moan escaped him and when they broke apart, he was panting heavily.
"I'm sorry," Gibbs said, his blue eyes sincere as he reached up, cupping Tony's cheek in his hand.
"I don't wanna fight any more, Jet. I know the whole situation is weird, but you've gotta trust me."
"I do. You know I know. Don't think I've ever trusted anyone like I trust you, Tony. It's him that I don't know about."
"Just… give me a few days. Please. I can handle this thing if you can just give me a couple days to get it sorted out. Once Miller wakes up and we have him in custody, things will be different."
"And if they're not?"
"They will be."
Leaning forward again, Gibbs pressed another quick kiss to his lips. "I'll lay off," he said quietly. "But you've gotta promise you're gonna handle it. Sooner rather than later."
"I promise," he said.
"Good." Releasing a quiet sigh, he reached up and ran a hand over his face again before offering his agent a ghost of a smile. "C'mon. I'm pretty sure I promised you a pizza."
Almost as if on cue, Tony's stomach growled loudly, causing him to blush slightly when he caught his boss' amused grin. "What can I say? I was really lookin' forward to that pizza today."
**January 2ndâ€"0300 Hours Gibbs' House**
Rolling over in the bed, a quiet groan escaped Tony as he forced his tired eyes open. On the night stand, he could hear his phone vibrating yet again, the quiet noise nearly making him scream in frustration.
Pushing himself up against the pillows, he snatched the phone from the stand and quickly pressed 'ignore', though he knew it would do no good. No matter how many times he ignored the calls, Michael just kept calling.
Flipping the small device open, he released a quiet sigh when he saw that he had seven missed calls since 2200 hours. Closing his eyes, he inhaled deeply before he pressed the power button, effectively shutting off his phone.
Dropping the phone to the carpeted floor beside the bed, he laid back down, closing his eyes again as he willed sleep to come. Beside him, he could feel his lover shift a bit, turning onto his side to drop an arm around the younger man's waist.
"Y'okay?" Gibbs mumbled, his voice thick with sleep.
"Go back to sleep," Tony responded, his voice barely above a whisper, ignoring the guilty twinge in the pit of his stomach. He'd promised Gibbs almost a week ago that he'd take care of Michael and put an end to the ridiculous phone calls, but so far, he'd had no such luck. He'd tried telling the PFC that he needed to lay off, and when that hadn't worked, he'd resorted to ignoring the phone calls, but the disturbed young man still had not gotten the hint: in five days, he'd already had over one hundred missed calls.
And unfortunately, rather than getting better, the problem only seemed to be getting worse.
Slipping out of his boss' loose embrace, he climbed from the bed, wincing slightly when the older man forced his tired eyes open, glancing up at him sleepily.
"Come back to bed."
"In a minute. Bathroom," Tony responded, leaning over to peck his lover's lips gently. "Go back to sleep. I'll be right back."
It was a routine they'd developed over the course of the last couple of days, and it was one that Tony was beginning to despise. He'd been woken up more times than he could count in the middle of the night by the irritating sound of his phone vibrating angrily, and in turn, he'd unintentionally woken Gibbs up.
He couldn't speak for his older lover, but he knew he was completely exhausted from long days at the office and next to no sleep at night. He could only imagine that Gibbs was feeling the same.
After a quick trip to the bathroom, Tony returned to the bed and slid under the covers, snuggling up as close as possible to the older man. He couldn't help but grin sleepily when Gibbs draped an arm around him again, pulling him closer.
"Sure you're okay?"
"Never been better," was the sleepy reply and despite all the stuff going on with the Michael situation, Tony decided that at that very moment, he meant it.
**1545 Hoursâ€"NCIS Squad Room**
Closing the file on his desk, Gibbs ran a hand over his tired face and released a nearly silent sigh. Exhausted didn't even begin to describe how he was feeling at the moment, and that was saying something. For as long as he could remember, he'd functioned on a minimal amount of sleep; less than he was getting now, really, but things were different this time.
Across the bullpen, McGee appeared to be studying his computer screen intently while Ziva's eyes were fixed on a file in front of her. While he was sure that neither agent was actually paying attention to the cold cases they were supposed to working on, at least they had the decency to pretend.
Tony, on the other hand, was a different story.
He was hunched forward in his chair, his head cradled in his hands as he glared down at the cell phone laying on his desk. It had been vibrating almost nonstop for almost the entire afternoon, distracting the tired agent more than usual. It was irritating to say the least and on more than one occasion over the course of the day, Gibbs had come close to grabbing the device and shooting it with his gun.
Deciding that the paperwork for discharging his firearm was too tedious, he pushed himself to his feet and crossed the bullpen before he snatched the offending phone from the desk.
"Hey!" Tony protested, reaching for his boss' hand when Gibbs dropped the phone to the floor, bringing his foot down on it hard. The loud crunch seemed to reverberate through the otherwise silent squad room and it was all Tony could do to keep from decking his lover. "You… that was… why did you…"
"With me. Now."
McGee and Ziva watched in horror as Tony pushed himself up from his desk angrily and stalked over to the elevator, all but punching the button.
"You two," Gibbs growled, not bothering to turn to look at his agents as he followed after Tony. "You finish up those cold cases. I want them on my desk by 1630. We clear?"
"Crystal, Boss."
The pair stepped onto the elevator in a stony silence, though Tony was seething. Almost as soon as the elevator doors slid shut, he reached over and punched the emergency switch before he turned on his boss.
"What the fuck was that all about, Jet?" He demanded.
"I told you to take care of it. That little shit's been callin' you nonstop all day, Tony!"
"I am taking care of it!"
"By ignoring it? Jesus Christ, DiNozzo! What fantasy world are you livin' in that you really think that's gonna work?"
"And like smashing my phone is really going to solve the problem?"
"It was distractin' you. So yeah, it took care of my problem."
Tony opened his mouth to respond, ready with a complete verbal assault when he released a deep sigh, the fight leaving his body as quickly as it had come. "You're a bastard, you know that?"
"That's what they tell me," the older man retorted, reaching out press the emergency switch again, setting the elevator into motion. "We'll get you a new phone, if that's what you're pissed about."
"It's just a phone," the Italian sighed. "I just… You told me you were gonna let me handle it, Jet. And I'm trying. I know it doesn't seem like it, but something with Michael is weird. I don't… I don't think it'll be a good idea to just tell him to quit calling, you know?"
The elevator doors slid open, depositing the two men in the parking garage. Stepping off, Gibbs waited for Tony to join him before he rested a gentle hand against his back, offering a slight shrug. "If you say so, Tony. But I'm telling you, I'm not going to stand by much longer while heâ€""
"Tony!"
Both men turned at the sound of the nearly hysterical voice and it was all Gibbs could do to keep from pulling his gun as Michael began to approach. "You've gotta be fucking kidding me."
"Jethro…" Tony warned. "Don't. Please, please don't do this."
"You didn't… you didn't answer my calls!" Michael accused, his brown eyes full of tears as he reached up to swipe at his cheeks. "Why didn't you answer my calls?"
"How the hell did you get in here?" Gibbs asked, ignoring the way Tony's hands tugged on his shirt. "This is a secure parking garage."
"I needed to see Tony."
"You need to get your ass out of here and quit callin'," Gibbs retorted, taking a threatening step towards the younger man. "He's told you time and again that Miller is still out of it in the hospital. There's nothin' else anybody can do for you right now."
"He told me I could call him!" Michael sobbed, turning an accusing glance on him. "You told me I could, Tony! And now you won't answer! What if I needed you?"
"Michael… please. You've gotta stop with this whole thing… it's… it's gettin' a little creepy."
"Is this because of him?" The younger man asked, his eyes flashing angrily as he turned his gaze to Gibbs. "It is, isn't it? He's poisoned you against me! I thought you were supposed to be my friend!"
Swallowing hard when his lover took another step toward the young man, Tony reached for him, cringing when he brushed his hand away. "Gibbs… God dammit, Jethro! Stop!"
Ignoring Tony, Gibbs closed the gap between him and Michael and reached out, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt. "I'm only gonna say this one time, so you need to listen and listen good: Quit callin'. From now on, if you've got a problem related to the case, you call me. If I find out that you keep callin' Tony, we're gonna have an even bigger problem. Have I made myself clear?"
Another loud sob tore from Michael's throat and as soon as Gibbs released him, he stumbled backwards. Looking past the older man to Tony, he shook his head before he turned and bolted out of the parking garage without so much as a glance back.
"You sonofabitch."
Turning at the sound of his lover's angry voice, Gibbs barely managed to block the punch that was thrown, gripping Tony's fist in his hand. "You try that one more time, and I swear to God, DiNozzo…" he trailed off, unwilling to finish his sentence as the younger man pulled away angrily.
"What the fuck were you thinking, Gibbs?" He raged, ignoring his boss' unfinished threat. "I know he's a little nuts, but he's a victim! And the only one we have to help us put Miller away!"
"He's stalking you, Tony! He's damn lucky I haven't charged him!"
"He's harmless! The kid's scared of his own Goddamned shadow and you've just gone and made it worse!" Turning away from the older man, he started towards his car.
"Don't you walk away from me, DiNozzo! We are not finished here!"
"Yeah, Gibbs. I think we are."
**1656 Hoursâ€"Tony's Apartment**
Shoving the apartment door open, Tony stalked into the apartment before slamming the door behind him. After leaving NCIS, he'd driven around for awhile, hoping the time alone would calm him, though it was to no avail. Even almost an hour later, he was still as angry as he'd been when he left the agency.
Things between him and Gibbs had been left on a bad note, but really, he knew that some time apart was for the best. Neither man had the best temper, and though his older lover was slightly more in control of his, Tony knew it wouldn't be a good idea to try and work things out until they'd both had a chance to cool off.
Running his fingers through his short hair, he released a frustrated sigh and threw his keys into the dish behind the door before starting down the hall to his bedroom. He needed a distraction, something to keep his mind off of the scene in the parking garage, and he had the perfect idea.
He'd been neglecting his exercise since he found out he was pregnant despite the fact that both Ducky and his doctor assured him that a bit of light jogging would be good for him and the baby. He changed quickly into a pair of sweatpants, plain cotton t-shirt and a zip-up hoodie before he sank down onto the bed to pull his running shoes on.
Pushing himself up, he stretched carefully before he headed out of the room, ignoring the nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach.
He started out slow, ignoring the slow burn that started in his calves. Though he'd always considered himself athletic, it had been too long since his last run, and he knew it would take awhile to acclimate his body to stress that jogging undoubtedly put on it.
He found that he was surprised that he managed a ten minute mile, despite the length of time he had gone without a workout, but he couldn't help but curse himself for already feeling winded. He felt himself beginning to slow down when he spotted a car broken down on the corner just ahead of him, and on a whim, he decided to stop and help, taking advantage of the opportunity for a break.
"Hey!" He called, seeing someone crouched down at the rear of the car. "Hey, need some help?"
There was no answer, so he moved closer and before he could react, Michael stood up, offering Tony a watery smile. "I knew you'd come."
"What the…" Before he could finish his thought, the younger man lifted his hand, swinging a large wrench haphazardly at the Italian's head. He managed to duck out of the way of the first swing, but he wasn't so lucky with the second.
He could feel the cold metal connect with the back of his head a split second before everything went black.
Michael watched as Tony fell forward, striking his face on the trunk of the car before he slid down to the ground, out cold. Lifting the trunk, he dropped the wrench in before glancing down at the older man once more.
"Sorry Tony."
Chapter End Notes:
A/N: Have I mentioned lately just how much I love my readers? No? Okay, I'll say it again: I FREAKIN' LOVE YOU GUYS! Seriously, nothing makes me as happy as getting those sweet reviews, so please please please keep them coming! A huge huge huge thank you to my bffl Kelley for all her help with this chapter as well as all the others! She's amazing and if you guys wanted to show some appreciation to her as well, you should go check out her fics and let her know what you think of them. She writes some awesome Tabby! The links are in my profile of my fanfiction.net account. Just search for my name! :)
That being said, I'm going to warn you about the cliffhanger at the end of this chapter, but do you remember what helps me resolve those faster? You don't? I'll remind you: Reviews :) Don't forget how much I love them and once again, thank you guys so much! Hopefully you'll enjoy this chapter just as much as the previous chaps!
That being said, I'm going to warn you about the cliffhanger at the end of this chapter, but do you remember what helps me resolve those faster? You don't? I'll remind you: Reviews :) Don't forget how much I love them and once again, thank you guys so much! Hopefully you'll enjoy this chapter just as much as the previous chaps!