“The only reason I opened it was because I thought it was your way of getting me back for the flowers I sent you.”
“Oh Tony I’m so sorry.” She said as the lights flicked off and the couple was left in the dark.
“So then what happened?” Maya asked eagerly. “Did she get really sick and die? Do you think Uncle Gibbs ordering you not to die helped? When did you go back to work? What happens to Sasha? Do you end up going to San Francisco and meeting Megan Ryan?”
Tony chuckled, for a ten year old she asked a lot of questions. He knew she got that from his side of the family and it might help her become an excellent investigator one day. “Everything worked out okay. I got the medication to help me fight off the plague and I was soon moved out of isolation. Sasha came and visited me every day and when I was eventually allowed out of the hospital she insisted on staying with me until I was well enough to return to work.”
“And when was that?” She asked cocking her head to one side.
“Not until a few weeks after I was released from hospital, so it meant we could spend all our spare time together. Being sick made me realize how much we meant to each other and we didn’t want to be separated from each other like that again. Gibbs actually made it easier by ordering Sasha to keep an eye on me. But eventually we had to return to work and pretend that nothing happened. I was looking forward to returning to work because I was bored of sitting at home alone whenever Sasha was called into the office and now I was feeling better I couldn’t wait to return to the field.”
“So did she want you to go back to work as much as you did?” Maya asked.
“No…well she was hesitant at first but she knew my job was part of who I was. Now can I carry on with the story or is it bedtime?” He asked her.
“No not until the story is finished.” She said snuggling up close to him.
“Okay…
So it was Tony’s first day back at work. Sasha had left his place early to have a shower and get ready for work so he arrived alone; he walked into the building and took a moment to stare around it. It did feel kind of weird to be back after so long but at the same time it felt kind of good. He sighed and walked over to the elevator where Gibbs stood leaning against it with a knowing look on his face. He pressed the button and once Tony had stepped inside he immediately flicked the halt button.
“Are you sure you’re up for this?” Gibbs asked turning to him.
“Never felt better.” Tony replied giving him his famous ‘DiNozzo’ grin even though he could have used a few more days at home with Sasha.
“Yeah.” Gibbs said looking unconvinced.
Tony nodded. “Yeah.”
“You look like crap.” Gibbs told him.
“I missed you too, Boss.” Tony replied.
“You’ve got another week of sick leave coming, Tony. You should take it.” Gibbs told him.
“I was going crazy at home. Maybe I’m not a hundred percent, but you need me. Okay, what about Sasha and McGee? They’re practically lost without me.” Tony reminded him.
“They got more work done in the last two weeks than in the whole year.” Gibbs told him as he pressed the halt button again and walking out
“They did miss me, right?” Tony asked him as they entered the bullpen.
“Yeah. Something like that.” Gibbs replied.
“I can’t wait to see their faces!” He exclaimed.
Sasha was on the phone when they reached their desks. Tony greeted her but she didn’t even look up at him. He turned to McGee (who he had barely seen apart from the few times he had escorted Abby to the hospital) to ask his opinion but the younger agent looked away.
“What’s wrong with him?” Tony asked her but she ignored him and reported their latest case to Gibbs.
Gibbs headed for the elevator and the others quickly grabbed their gear and followed and to Tony’s surprise McGee was the first to reach the elevator leaving Tony to wonder if he really had died until a head slap from Gibbs brought him back to his senses
* * *
“You know I’m glad to be back at work being able to see you pretty face again.” Tony said to Sasha as they made their way towards their latest crime scene.
“Tony how many times have I told you, not at work!” She replied as he kissed her passionately.
“I can’t help it.” Tony said as they pulled apart. “You’re just so irresistible.”
“Really? And what movie is that cheesy line from?” She asked him raising her eyebrows.
“The Tony DiNozzo autobiography.” Tony told her simply.
“Yeah right. It would more likely be a biography of all your ex-girlfriends bitching about you.”
“What ex girlfriends?” He asked innocently.
“How come you never talk about the girls before me?”
“Girls?”
“God your such a-” Sasha exclaimed but was cut off by McGee joining them.
“Tony’s such a what?” McGee asked them
“Never mind.” Both co-workers snapped at him.
There was a short period of awkward silence before Sasha sighed and took charge. “All right, back to work. McGee, check the trunk. Nobody touches dead bodies until Ducky says all clear” She said as they made their way towards the car the two dead marines were found in.
“Freeze, McGee! Don’t move! Car’s wired to explode. Looks like the detonator’s tied to the trunk” Tony said suddenly pulling the younger agent back.
“What?” McGee asked him confused.
“How far did you turn the key?” Sasha asked him.
“Uh… not sure. Almost all the way, I think.” McGee replied.
“Okay, don’t let it snap back, all right?” Tony told him.
McGee nodded.
“Let go.” Tony told him.
“Okay.”
“Okay, both of you run!” Tony ordered them.
“Tony, we’re not leaving you standing…” Sasha objected.
“I’m a lot faster than you are! I’ll be right behind you. This is not a debate, okay? This thing might be primed already. Anthony, you should have taken that extra week.” He said as all three made a mad dash away from the car.
“Oh My God!” Maya exclaimed. “Were you okay? Did Sasha make it?”
Tony sighed as he held his daughter close. “Yeah, we all made it and we were fine.”
“It’s the car!” McGee shouted to Gibbs as He and Sasha made it to him.
“It’s wired to-” Sasha added but was cut off by the loud sound of the car exploding behind them.
“Tony!!!!” Sasha yelled at him as he limped towards them.
“Boss, you remember when I said I never felt better? I lied.” Tony said gasping for breath.
* * *
“No, I need to get back to work, Ducky.” Tony argued with the medical examiner as Ducky fused over him and ordered him to go home.
“Damn it, Tony. I should just take you home and get you in bed.” Tony and Ducky stared at her open mouthed and Tony feared she’s just inadvertently told Ducky about their relationship “Okay, that didn’t come out the way I intended.” She said.
“What didn’t, Sasha?” Gibbs asked as he entered autopsy.
“Oh, I was just saying….” She trailed off.
“She was just expressing our concern for Tony.” Ducky explained.
“Yeah? How is he?” Gibbs asked.
“Stubborn, pig-headed, and unaware of his own limitations.” Ducky told him.
“Sounds about right.” Gibbs chuckled as he headed for the door.
* * *
“Are you going to be okay?” McGee asked him once he was back in the bullpen and Tony was lying down under his desk.
“Sure.”
“You’re not looking so hot.” McGee told him with concern in his voice.
“Well, at least that’s an improvement.” Tony told him.
“Over what?” McGee asked confused.
“According to Gibbs, I look like crap.” He replied sarcastically.
“You know Sasha has really been worried about you.” McGee said.
”Sasha worries about everything.” Tony said shrugging it off but he silently agreed with him.
“No, no, no. I mean really worried.”
“What’s your point, Probie?”
“Well, I think that maybe… you know…” McGee trailed off.
Tony chuckled at how little his college knew. “Me and Sasha? It would never happen.”
“Why not?”
“She’s too smart for that. You know what �" you don’t believe me? She’s coming right now why don’t you ask her out for me and see what she says.” Tony suggested as he crawled further under his desk.
“Hey Sasha.” Tony heard McGee greet their co-worker nervously.
“Hi Tim, are you okay?”
“Yeah, yeah I’m fine. I just wanted to talk to you about…Tony.”
“Tony? What about Tony?” Even though Tony couldn’t see her face he could hear the worry in her voice.
“Well it’s just that well…I noticed how he looks at you and how you look at him…and Abby says you two belong together-”
“McGee would you just get to the point we do have work to do.”
“I…well…maybe you should just ask him out.”
“What! Me ask Tony out.” Sasha laughed. “No way he’s too immature for me I mean what kind of man gets his co-worker to ask his other co-worker out for him while he hides under his desk?”
Tony peered out nervously from under his desk and was met by Sasha’s glare before she poured a bottle of water of his head.
* * *
Gibbs had gone out for Coffee and left Tony, Sasha and McGee sitting at their desks discussing the case when McGee noticed they had company. “We’ve got trouble.” He said glancing at the elevator.
“What was your first hint?” Sasha asked him.
“The two dead bodies downstairs or the explosion, McGee?” Tony added sarcastically.
“No, I mean FBI trouble.” McGee said as Agent Fornell entered the bullpen.
“Fornell?” Sasha asked.
“We must be in worse shape than we thought.” Tony said as Fornell walked over to his desk.
"Eww what are the Fat Bald Idiots doing there?” Maya asked using the nickname Abby had helped her come up with for the FBI.
Tony chuckled. Maya had also inherited his dislike of the FBI. “Don’t worry the ‘Fat Bald Idiots’ won’t be there long just for now.” He reassured her.
“I hope so…” She replied,
“Where’s Gibbs?” He asked them.
“He’s not here.” Sasha told him.
Where is he, Agent Alexander?” Fornell asked her.
“He’s out. Try him on his cell.” She told him.
“I did. He’s not answering.”
“What’s going on?” Tony asked him.
“Ari Haswari is back in country.” Fornell told them.
“You let that psycho back in the States without telling us?” Sasha exclaimed.
“He was supposed to be helping us uncover an Al Qaeda cell in the D.C. area.” Fornell explained.
“What do you mean ‘supposed to’, Fornell?” Tony asked him.
“We now think he’s here for more personal reasons. He’s planning on killing Gibbs.” Fornell replied.
“Wait a minute!” Maya exclaimed. “Who’s that Ari guy? Why does he want to kill Uncle Gibbs?”
Tony sighed. ‘How could he explain it to her without scaring her?’ “A big bad man tried to ruin Uncle Gibbs' life by hurting the people closest to him. The last time we ran into him he held Sasha, Grandpa Ducky and his old assistant Gerald hostage and shot Gerald in the shoulder when Ducky and Sasha tried to trick him.”
Maya seemed too shocked to say anything she just clung to him open mouthed for a moment. “But you get him right? And Uncle Gibbs and Sasha are okay?”
“You’ll find out when I finish the story.”
“Well hurry up then!” She demanded.
“Please call me back.” Tony said into the phone before turning to Sasha. “That’s twenty messages I left. We should look for him, McGee.”
“Look for who?” Gibbs asked as he walked calmly into the bull pen
“We’ve been calling you for the last hour, Boss.” Tony told him.
“Well, yeah. My ringer thing got turned off.” Gibbs replied.
“You’re not going to believe whose back in town.” Tony said.
“Ari.” Gibbs answered.
“Maybe you will.” Tony shrugged.
“Fornell said that he’s here to…” McGee said.
“Yeah, I know. I just had coffee with him.” Gibbs told them.
“So what happened?” Tony asked him eagerly.
“He tried to kill me.” Gibbs said simply before passing his cell phone to McGee to fix and heading up to talk with the FBI.
* * *
“Gibbs!” Sasha exclaimed suddenly as she woke up with a start after falling asleep at her desk. She had been put on protective detail for Gibbs and was obviously concerned about him if she woke up calling his name. It made Tony slightly jealous.
“You dream about Gibbs?” Tony asked her curiously.
“What? No. God no.” She replied.
“You just said his name.” Tony pointed out.
“No, I didn’t.”
“Yes, you did.”
“What’s going on?” McGee asked them.
“Sasha dreams about Gibbs.” Tony replied.
“Oh, what was it about?” McGee asked her.
“No, I didn’t dream about Gibbs.” Sasha repeated.
“She screamed his name.” Tony said to McGee.
“Really?” McGee asked. “Here you go.” He said to her as Gibbs entered the bullpen.
“Look, if you want to check out the defence contracting company with us today, you’re wearing a vest.” Sasha told him.
“I can live with that.” He replied.
“That’s kind of the point, Gibbs.”
* * *
“What do you got?” Gibbs asked them.
“A shot of our drone thieves from Danborn’s security footage from two nights ago.” Tony reported.
“The day the Lieutenants were murdered.” McGee added.
“Can you I.D. them?” Gibbs asked.
“Well, they’re both wearing ski masks, but check this out. Maybe I’m paranoid, but does that guy look familiar?” Tony asked as he played the video on the plasma.
“You’re not paranoid. That bastard’s Ari!” Gibbs exclaimed as the video showed Ari walking past.
“He’s not looking for an Al Qaeda cell.” Tony said.
“Hell, no.” Gibbs exclaimed. “He’s running it! You get Fornell in here!”
“How much should I tell him?” Tony asked.
“Tell him he’s about to make the second biggest mistake of his life!” Gibbs ordered.
* * *
“Do you know how to work that if we have to jam the drone, McGee?” Gibbs asked him as they drove to Norfolk where they had discovered Ari was.
“Uh, well Abby explained it to me but I’ve got to be honest with you, Boss. I…. I’ll figure it out.” McGee stuttered.
“What’s today’s date, Sasha?” Tony asked her.
“May twenty fourth.” She replied.
“Paula Cassidy’s ship gets back from the Gulf today. We’re hooking up this weekend.” Tony told her.
“Hooking up?” Asked Maya,
“Uh, hooking up is what grown-ups do sometimes.”
“Is that when they rehearse?”
“Sometimes.”
“But you were dating Sasha!”
“It was just an act.” Defended Tony,
“Well, don’t you think you should concentrate on that terrorist attack first?” She asked him.
“The whole Marine Amphibious Strike Group returns today, Sasha. Five ships all of them headed to Norfolk.” He explained.
“Tony, I doubt that a drone, even one packed with explosives, could do any real damage to a warship.” McGee told him.
“The piers will be packed with Navy families, McGee.” Gibbs explained speeding up.
“Welcoming them home.” Tony finished.
* * *
“Did you figure it out?” Gibbs asked McGee once they were at Norfolk.
“I did.” McGee replied. “The drone is on one of three radio frequencies. It’ll take a few minutes to jam each of them. But when I hit the freq, it’s on. The drone should go off-target.”
“It’ll take hours to search these warehouses, Boss.” Tony pointed out.
“Give me the shotgun.” Gibbs ordered him. Tony handed it over to him and Gibbs fired it into the air making people shout in fright. “Tony, get the fire escape. Sasha, with me. McGee, start jamming.” He ordered as he and Sasha ran into the alley and spotted Ari on the roof. They started shooting at each other and they heard the sound of the drone engine starting.
“Boss, they fired the drone!” McGee told him franticly.
“Jam it, McGee!” Gibbs ordered.
“I can do this. I can do this.” McGee said to himself.
“One down, boss. No visual on anyone else.” Tony said to Gibbs as they reached the roof and the door opened.
“Let’s do it.” Gibbs said as they started shooting and the terrorist shouted in a foreign language.
“Clear.” Tony told them. “You know how to fly this thing?” Tony asked Gibbs nervously as they stared at the missal.
“No, but I know how to crash it.” Gibbs replied as more gun shots were heard and the drone crashed into the ocean.
“McGee, are you okay?” Gibbs asked him.
“I got one terrorist inside! I don’t know if I got him, but he stopped shooting.” McGee replied.
“Hold your position. We’ll flush him.” Gibbs replied.
“Okay.” McGee replied.
“I’m out.” Gibbs said as his gun ran out of bullets.
“Me, too.” Sasha replied. But she suddenly yelled “Shooter!” and dived in front of Gibbs but was shot in the chest and dropped to the ground.
“Sasha?!” Tony yelled running over to her. “Are you okay?”
“Ow! I just got shot at point blank range, DiNozzo. What do you think?” She replied sarcastically.
“You’re not going to be going to Pilates class tomorrow?” Tony replied sarcastically as she groaned in pain.
“Protection detail is over.” Gibbs told her knelling next to her.
“You did good.” Tony told her.
“For once, DiNozzo is right.” Gibbs agreed pulling her to her feet.
“Wow. I thought I’d die before I ever-” Sasha said but she was cut off by Tony tackling her to the ground as another bullet grazed his shoulder.
Author's Chapter Notes:
A group of serial terrorists seek revenge and send Ari on an assignment to kill Gibbs. The NCIS team goes on a hunt after him, but when they discover that Ari has a second plan, it is already too late... one of the team is put in serious danger.