~
“Tony!” Abby greeted him with open arms. “I’m so glad you finally told the team because I was really having a hard time keeping the secret to myself. I thought I was going to explode! Now, I can show them all the really cool pictures we got from the ultrasound. Don’t you think it’s time we had another one?”
“No, but I’ll have plenty of time while I do paperwork, at my desk, since Gibbs just put me on desk duty!”
“Oh, no! Tony! I’m so sorry. But look at it this way; now we can take long lunch breaks and go shopping for baby stuff and-“
“You’re supposed to be making me feel better,” Tony pouted.
“Oh, you love shopping, Tony. Admit it. I’m going to be talking you out of splurging on the Gucci diaper bag and the Cavalli leather baby booties any day now.”
“Is that when my evidence will be packed up and stored, Abby?” Gibbs barked, startling Abby and Tony, who refused to acknowledge his boss. Gibbs took it in stride, figuring everything would be fine if Tony would just wait to explode until they got home. Gibbs really hated scenes. Abby, on the other hand, loved them and he was second guessing his plan to get Abby to cheer up DiNozzo before heading back upstairs.
“I’m finished with the case Gibbs. Tony and I were just talking about all the time he would have to take it easy and get some of the baby shopping done! We’re…really excited” Abby smiled, patting Tony’s shoulder and doing her best to ignore his forlorn expression which was really rather cute. “Just think, Tony: no more potty problems, right? A nice clean bathroom around every corner not to mention losing your lunch whenever Ziva drives!”
“You told her about the accident!”
“Accident? I just thought you were constantly in need of the bathroom. That’s what Tim and Ziva said. When’d you have an accident?”
“I’d never tell, Tony,” Gibbs promised quietly, ignoring Abby’s demand for information. He hated that Tony felt betrayed, but he was determined to keep his love as safe as possible. “You’ll see it’s for the best, Tony,” he said, rubbing Tony’s shoulders briefly and placing a quick kiss on his temple.
“Awww!” Abby cried, careful not to mention that Gibbs had reduced her best friend to tears then departed as stealthily as he came.
~
Driving home was hell on Tony’s back. He was still mad at Gibbs, but he had to admit that all the ailments and issues Tim mentioned he already had. Maybe it was time for him to stop working in the field. He got home before Gibbs, not bothering to ask when his boss would finish up. Tony heated up the food from the weekend and tried not to think about how it was the last meal Eliot would ever cook for him. After taking a hot bath and eating, Tony had to admit he was too exhausted to eat dessert. He curled himself around the body pillow, wishing Gibbs were there. I wouldn’t talk to him, Tony swore to himself, I’d just use him for lumbar support. Still, he smiled when the door opened and he heard his name roared from below.
“Tony!” Tony ignored the summons, closing his eyes and breathing a bit easier now that Gibbs made it home. “Tony? You asleep already? It’s only nine.”
“Well, you know, I am pregnant which apparently means I need twice as much of everything, including sleep, bathroom breaks and desk duty,” Tony snapped with his eyes still closed.
“I won’t apologize for taking care of you, DiNozzo, or for taking care of my team. How can you have my six when your back is killing you and the babies’ kicking is driving you crazy?”
“Alright! I hear you, I hear you. Dinner’s warming in the oven, Gibbs.”
“What happened to Jethro?” Gibbs asked, surprised that there was no argument.
“You’ll be Jethro around 0500 when you start doing that other thing to me again,” Tony smirked, finding the remote and turning on cable. It looked like he just bought himself a few ‘get out of Jethro-jail free’ cards and he was planning on using them wisely. “Go eat and get your hind parts back up here. No boat building tonight; my poor, pregnant back needs its human pillow.” Gibbs smiled as he went down the stairs. That was fine with him; all he wanted to do was hold Tony and make sure he was alright anyway.
~
Two days later saw them finished and reviewing older cases. Tony was looking at paint colors and furniture while Ziva was checking on flight information for a weekend getaway she’d been dreaming of. Tim came around the corner with a pack of Nutter-butters and a cocked eyebrow.
“Just ‘cause we don’t have a hot case doesn’t mean Gibbs won’t get mad if you goof off,” Tim warned.
“Shut up, McGaggle and come help me google.” Tony slammed his fingers against his keyboard in frustration.
“Stop before you break something, Tony.” Tim walked over to Tony and rolled his chair away from the desk and picked up his keyboard. McGee tinkered around while Tony wheeled over to his teammate’s computer and opened up a browser. “Hey! DiNozzo, get off my computer! You know that’s totally off limits!”
“I know, Tim, but this is an emergency. My back has been killing me and I need to do some research. Don’t tell Gibbs, okay?” Tony said, knowing it would stop Tim from being mad at him. Tim was just so sweet. He was a great caretaker and would be a good father. Tony smiled as Tim left his tinkering to come back to his own computer and search for Tony’s back problem.
“Okay, what’s wrong?”
“It’s like a Charlie horse in my back. I think I’m just tired from carrying this extra weight, but sometimes it just ceases in pain. After it does that I’m sore all day.”
“Since when, Tony?” Ziva wondered.
“Only the last week, Ziva- and don’t you tell Gibbs either,” Tony warned and Ziva held up both her hands in a ‘hands off’ gesture which was good enough for Tony.
“Of course not, Tony. I was just going to say that sometimes women describe contractions as pain in their backs,” Ziva explained.
“And severe menstrual cramps emanating from the lower and upper abdominal area,” Tim added, obviously reading a website.
“Menstrual cramps. How do those feel, Zee-vah?” Tony wondered staring at his teammate. Ziva looked at the expectant faces of both McGee and DiNozzo and she was speechless.
“Very…personal,” she said, sighing in relief when Gibbs rounded the corner.
“Let’s go: we got a body.”
“On it, boss!” Tony shot out of his seat immediately and grabbed his pack.
“Sit, DiNozzo!”
“Sitting, boss. I forgot,” Tony pouted as he watched McGee and Ziva wave goodbye on their dash to the elevator.
“This guy recently started working for the DOD. Shake the branches there and see what falls out. We’ll be back to run it down before you know it.”
“On it, boss. Hey boss?” Gibbs hadn’t moved. He looked expectantly at Tony, reminding himself not to touch the younger man. “Remember what we talked about- the cases?”
“Already handled it, DiNozzo. Just spoke to Vance. He wants to see you,” Gibbs said, looking up to where Director Leon Vance waited outside of his office.
“About what?”
“Ask him, DiNozzo,” Gibbs said, leaving the bullpen.
~
“Come in. Sit, DiNozzo,” Vance offered, gesturing to the seats in front of his desk.
“Oh, I’m fine director,” Tony said, being cautious. He always thought the director had it in for him ever since being promoted to Agent Afloat on the Ronald Reagan. Tony wasn’t about to get comfortable just to be insulted and he was a little self-conscious of the slight hesitation he required to stand up. Tony had a twitch of back pain and had to remind himself not to massage the painful spot.
“That looks like a stressed back. My wife’s back killed her with both kids.” Vance paused to allow Tony to change his mind then continued speaking. “Gibbs has informed me that my MCRT will be looking at cold cases for the next three months. He says you’re due in less than three weeks and he wants to be sure he’ll get home at a decent hour until he knows you’re alright.”
“I’m fine, Director. They’re my responsibility and I won’t require assistance to care of the-Ow!” Tony winced, grabbing the back of the chair with one hand and his back with the other. He froze then began moving slowly, rubbing his back. After a few seconds, he continued, “Don’t worry, Gibbs will be able to work.”
“I’m not worried, DiNozzo. I told Gibbs to take a vacation, but he refused; said he’d take more time if he needed it, but it was too soon to say.”
“Well,” Tony grimaced, holding his back, “once I get these things out, I’ll be back to business as usual, Director- despite Gibbs’ concerns about my parental skills. I may need some support through the actual labor and the first few days. After that, I’ll be fine.”
“Sit, DiNozzo.”
“At this point, I don’t think I’d be able to get up,” Tony gasped, only half joking.
“Maybe you should get yourself to Abby; I hear she has magic fingers.” Vance waited a few seconds as Tony turned toward the door, feeling dismissed. “DiNozzo, once you get those ‘things’ out of you, your life will never be the same. Gibbs knows that and he’s trying to help you at his own expense. You’re a single parent now, DiNozzo- you’ll need all the help you can get. Besides, if Gibbs has decided to help you, you night as well suck it up,” Leon laughed as he waved DiNozzo out the office.
“Roger that, Director,” Tony grimaced as he stiffly walked away, hoping Gibbs would be home early enough to knead the lump of pain in his back before he fell asleep.
“Congratulations,” Vance smiled, vowing to get the bottom of Gibbs and Tony’s agreement. He knew it wasn’t his business technically, but his gut was telling him something else. He needed to watch his team closely because, with Gibbs, things were never as they seemed.
~
“My god, Tony! What did you do?” Abby demanded as she firmly rubbed at Tony’s sore spots.
“Nothing! I was being interrogated by Vance and he starts telling me how Gibbs thinks I’ll be incompetent as a parent, so he’s planning on shutting the team down for a couple months.”
“What?”
“Yeah. Cold cases for three months and it’s all my fault!”
“No way, Tony. I happen to know that Gibbs thinks you’ll be a great father. He’s just excited about the babies; you know how much Gibbs loves kids.”
“I know Gibbs is good with kids. I don’t know that Gibbs loves anything anymore, least of all my burdens.” Tony made himself comfortable on Abby’s futon and closed his eyes. He felt exhausted and had totally forgotten about the research he was supposed to be doing on the DOD.
“Aww, Tony! You don’t think Gibbs loves you? C’mon! When has he ever gone through this much trouble for anyone? There’s not a single redhead he’s moved in- with the exception of his wives and he hates them.”
“So now I’m his fifth wife? We know how that’ll end. Really, Abs, you’re not making me feel better. Actually, my back is a little better and my feet are much less swollen now that I’m elevating… and your tea helped the nausea- but you’re making me feel like crying, so shut up! Shit-forgot about work.”
“It’s just hormones, Tony and you’re not a wife; you’re a housemate that won’t nag and get mad because of Gibbs’ work ethic and you’re going to fill his home with his favorite thing: kids! Trust me, he loves you… and don’t think I don’t know about what you two boys are doing on the side.” Abby winked, pulling up the DOD website while Tony looked on. “Lay back and rest, Tony. I got this.”
~
That night, Tony went home at 0600 and collapsed into bed. When Gibbs arrived four hours later, he found Tony dressed with only his shoes off. He undressed his bedmate, pulled back the comforter and tucked Tony in. When morning came, Gibbs woke Tony with the usual sex, but now he caressed and kissed his love awake. Tony was babbling constantly as Gibbs stealthily aroused him, forcing Tony to finish just as he became fully conscious, screaming obscenities that made Gibbs smile.
Tony panted as he caught his breath, loving the feel of Jethro plastered against his back, but hating the worrisome thought in the back of his head that he should be mad at the man for some reason. But Jethro was kissing his neck and sucking, and murmuring about baby furniture and how they really needed to focus on fixing the nursery. Tony couldn’t figure out why he’d been so mad at Gibbs in the first place. Gibbs jumped up to use the bathroom first, letting Tony rest a bit more. After only a few minutes, he was hustling his pregnant lover into the hot shower then into clothes and down to breakfast. “Let’s move, Tony!” Gibbs called from downstairs. The smell of bacon wafted through the house, reminding Tony of just what he had to be mad about. Gibbs had been taking care of him like he was incapable of doing anything for himself and it had to stop. Tony was not some damsel in distress and he’d make sure Gibbs damn well knew it.
Downstairs Gibbs was already on the phone with some local LEO as far as Tony could tell. He stomped into the room ready to tell Gibbs where to stick it, but Gibbs was in no mood. “Grab your breakfast to go, DiNozzo. We’re leaving.” Work. Tony knew work was important so he saved the argument for later, grabbing a bagel and some bacon as he followed Gibbs to the car. It wasn’t until the following night Tony remembered how upset he was.
“What the hell! You can’t go out of town on a case when I have two more weeks-“
“Three, Tony, stop being dramatic.”
“It’s Thursday, Gibbs. The week is practically over and you’re leaving tomorrow.”
“Tonight.” Gibbs clarified, grabbing his go bag and a heavier coat for the cold weather he was expecting in Ohio. He set his bags by the door and turned back to Tony who was following him around like a sad puppy, regardless of how angry the pregnant man sounded. “The quicker we get there, the quicker we can get finished, you know that.”
“I thought you talked to Vance,” Tony pouted, flopping down in the couch. He did his best to ignore Jethro standing at the door like a statue.
“Like I said-“
“I know. This is the last case before I go into labor. It’s okay. Just go.”
“Are you going to be alright, Tony?”
“Gibbs, I know you think I’ll be a shit-for-brains parent, but I really can handle being left at home alone for a few days. I’m not that helpless.” Tony groused with uncharacteristic venom.
“I don’t know where you’re getting your intel from, but you’re wrong.”
“I’m getting it from you! And Vance-“
"What did Vance say to you?” Gibbs demanded fiercely, stomping away from the door until he stood directly in front of Tony.
“He said you should take off to help me after you told him you were going to cut back on the cases when the babies are born. You won’t have to take care of me, Gibbs. I’ll be fine,” Tony said, grabbing his stomach and trying not to show how awful the pain shooting up his back felt. Gibbs knew his agent well enough to know that Tony was worried, even if the younger man was too proud to admit it. He knelt down in front of Tony with his hands on Tony’s knees.
“Hell, Tony, did you ever think maybe I wanted to help with the babies? They’re fun. And exhausting- you’ll be begging for help once you have two screaming kids that won’t let you sleep,” Gibbs chuckled, patting Tony’s knee and pushing himself up. “I know you’re scared, Tony-“
“I’m not scared.”
“Then you’re crazy. You’re doing something no other man has done and I know you feel alone, but you’re not. I’ll be back before you know it and Palmer, Ducky and Abby are all going to make sure you have a ride wherever you need to go until I get back. No driving. Is that clear?”
“Crystal, boss.” Tony slumped on the couch, closing his eyes in quiet house. Gibbs leaned over the back of the couch and kissed Tony’s brow.
“I’ll call every night,” Gibbs promised as he straightened up and walked to the door. “Don’t forget to lock up.”
“Send McGee! He can do it! Elflord can do anything. And you promised you wouldn’t leave before they came. You said Vance cleared it already.” Tony whined, making one last effort to keep Gibbs at home, regardless of the fact that he knew it was futile.
“I said no more after this case. How was I to know this case would send me away?”
“What am I supposed to do every morning?” Tony pleaded. The daily milking of his prostate had become so much more; it was one good thing he could count on every day. Tony doubted he’d be able to use the futuristic dildo himself anyway. The reach was awkward and Tony had become so sensitive that he lost control well before he was able to get himself off.
“It’ll just be a couple of days, Tony. You’ll be alright. You can jerk off every night and I’ll call you before you go to sleep. Trust me, Tony; everything will be on schedule, you’re still growing that birth canal and me not sticking a toy up your ass every morning is not going to stop those kids from coming.” Gibbs smiled, pecking Tony on the lips before walking to the door again.
“Hurry back,” Tony whispered with tears in his eyes, giving up the argument as he watched Gibbs put on his coat. “Not going in Friday, Boss,” Tony said, padding to the kitchen to find something to eat.
“That might be a good idea, Tony. If you change your mind, call Abby or Palmer to pick you up. No driving, Tony. Lock the door.”
And he was gone.
~
Tony felt like crying in the dark house alone. Gibbs had told him it was his house, but he didn’t feel like it was. Without Jethro, the craftsman architecture wasn’t beautiful; it was just depressing.
Thursday was a bad day that had quickly gotten much worse. He started the morning unable to find any clothes that fit. Tony ended up wearing khakis pushed under his growing bulge and one of Gibbs’ sweaters which was actually really nice. When he looked at Gibbs in surprise the older man chuckled, “You gave it to me, Tony. ’04, I think.” Coming in to the office, Tony’s back was already hurting and his feet felt like they were still swollen from the day before. He was glad that he couldn’t do fieldwork; his body couldn’t take the abuse of squatting and bending and running around right now, even if he’d never admit it. All that didn’t stop him from being a bit of a spoiled brat all day.
If his physical ailments weren’t enough, Tony was beginning to feel paranoid. When the team called to say they were on the way back, Tony, not wanting to seem like an invalid, took deli orders, being sure to hang up long before Gibbs could figure out he was making the run and order him to stand down. The walk wasn’t far since the shop was at the Navy Yard, but Tony started to feel a bit paranoid. It started when he spotted a black cargo van behind him. It was parked and seemed to be empty. In fact, there was nothing suspicious about it except that it had a raised roof and looked much nicer than your average van. It was black with tinted windows and Tony was sure he’d seen it before. He ignored it, returned to the bullpen with lunch and breathed a sigh of relief as he slumped into his seat and kicked his feet up on the foot rest that Brina and Palmer got for him the week before. Abby, who brought the drinks from the vending machine, danced up to Tony’s desk and deposited her contribution.
“Hey Tonyboy, feeling tired today? You look beat.”
“I’m fine. It’s just my feet are throbbing, my head hurts, I’m slightly nauseated and I feel like someone took a bat to my back.”
“Well look alive if you’re trying to portray the picture of health; here they come,” Abby said as Tony heard the ding of the elevator. He stood to greet the team, but half way there thought better of it and sat back down, trying not to jar his back too much. Ziva and McGee walk passed his desk to drop their bags before coming to get lunch from Tony.
“Smells good, Tony. Thank you,” Ziva smiled, giving him a little nod before going back to her desk.
“You forgot your water,” Tony said, throwing it like a missile at the Israeli officer who was more than ready to catch it were it not intercepted by Agent Gibbs. He placed it back on Tony’s desk as he picked up his own sandwich.
“You drink it. You need water more than we do.” Gibbs decided, sitting down at his desk with his ubiquitous coffee and his lunch. Tony stared at four bottles of water lined up on his desk with a pout. He wanted Pepsi.
“Not to worry, Gibbs. Tony’s been drinking plenty of water and I got him his own stash,” Abby said, pulling two bottles of water from her pockets and placing them on Tony’s desk. She handed water to the rest of the team, slipping Tony a few packets of flavoring to add to his water. Gibbs looked on sternly but Abby just met his glare with her own. “What? It’s sugar free, Gibbs. You can’t really expect him to drink plain water all day- Tony hates water.”
“I hate water,” Tony agreed, filling his bottle with powder before shaking it.
“You should be drinking water, Gibbs, instead of that gut-rot you swill all day,” Abby said, putting a bottle on his desk. He ignored the bottle until he finished his sandwich then got up and placed it on Tony’s desk.
“How was your lunch?” Tony asked, but Gibbs was already halfway to the elevator on his way to see Ducky.
~
When Gibbs closed and locked the door, it dawned on Tony that Abby was right; Gibbs went out of his way to make Tony feel comfortable and well taken care of. However, it was a testament to how haywire his hormones were at the moment that Tony could only focus on the negative things that happened that day. Not only did Tony’s back hurt, but his hipbones felt like they were being pulled apart and Tony was getting bigger every day. Jethro treated Tony well, but the gruff behavior during work hours often left Tony an emotional mess which was crazy, Tony knew, because Jethro was Gibbs at work and Tony was supposed to be DiNozzo. Tony was having a hard time separating the two and with two more weeks until his supposed due date, he was seriously considering taking an early leave. When Tony finally fell asleep hours later, he was surrounded by Palmer and Brina’s body pillow, wishing it were Jethro’s warm chest at his back instead of a lumpy comforter.
Every hour, Tony woke to a mysterious sound. The house would creak or the wind would blow and rattle branches against the deck. Tony stared into the darkness, not wanting to get out of bed. He was exhausted and the polished wood floors were cold. Tony had often complained about the cold floors since winter approached and the days got colder. Jethro hadn’t commented which was easy since the complaint was often lost in a litany of others grievances which Tony listed on the mornings he was in a particularly foul mood. But Jethro hadn't neglected to take care of Tony.
One morning, Tony got up at three after falling asleep after midnight, waiting for Gibbs to come home. Tony thought about how Gibbs always took care of him and hoped he would fall asleep dreaming of those happier times. He had been cranky after being jolted awake by a mean cramp in his bladder and the cold air that swept across his body as he rolled over and swung his legs quickly to the floor, to avoid any delay didn’t help matters. Tony felt something beneath his feet and wondered if he’d been stripping in his sleep again. 'Is that a sweatshirt?' he wondered as he grimaced and gingerly walked to the bathroom. Once there, he heaved a sigh of relief as he relaxed and rejoiced as every drop flowed into the bowl. The stream was powerful. Painful. It stuttered and continued as Tony leaned against the wall over the toilet and reveled in the warmth of the bathroom.
Tony loved Jethro’s beautiful spa bathroom and knew it proved that, despite Jethro’s tendency to buy his clothes Sears, he was not a cheap man when it came to things that mattered to him. He was, in fact, a lavish man. The bathroom was as big as the main room which was large even for a master bedroom. The wood floor was stained a gleaming, rich and light honey color with oversized, matching cabinets on either side of the long room and the walls were covered with large cream colored stone tiles of many different shades in a diamond pattern on top and a square rows on the bottom divided by a thick stripe of smaller rectangular tiles in between. On the other side of the room were the toilet room and another door surrounded by comfortable wooden seating. It was Tony’s favorite door; it led to the customized closet. It was a room that belonged in a million dollar mansion and Tony was proud to be one of the few who knew how Gibbs came to build the spartan yet elegantly appointed room. It was a Gibbs story he held close to his heart. Walking out the small room, Tony contemplated the shower knowing he was far too tired. He enjoyed the heated floors and the warmed stone before he was hit with cooler air of the bedroom. When he got to the bed, he realized Jethro had stretched a plush rug across the floor on Tony’s side of the bed. There was even a new pair of slippers lined with something soft and warm. Tony smiled in the darkness and snuggled up to Jethro who nuzzled the back of his neck. He pulled Tony against his chest, resting his warm hand flat against Tony’s sensitive breasts. Tony scooted back into Jethro wiggling his butt and Jethro chuckled and moaned.
“You make it, Tony?” Jethro asked with a sleep roughened whisper.
“Completely,” Tony murmured, grabbing the hand on his chest and kissing it.
“Good,” Jethro said, kissing Tony’s ear and falling back to sleep.
Now Tony lie awake alone, wondering what was scurrying across the roof and which one of his neighbors was returning home so late as he listened to an engine die down. He wanted to get out of bed and look out the window, maybe go downstairs and get a better look out front, but he was comfortable and these days, comfortable wasn’t such an easy thing. He told himself that he was being paranoid and eventually fell back to sleep only to wake up almost two hours later. Impulsively, he grabbed his cell phone and called Gibbs. After the first ring he felt guilty and was about to hang up when he heard Gibbs’ voice.
“Tony?”
“Jethro.”
“Can’t sleep?”
“Not really. Still working?
“Yep. Following the money.” Gibbs told Tony about the case for a few minutes before he received another call. “It’s McGee; we got a lead,” was all Tony heard before an abrupt click returned him to his lonely darkness.
Friday morning, Tony had fully intended to go to work, despite what he told Gibbs the night before. Yet, somehow, without Gibbs to encourage him and tell him he looked as good in denim and a sports coat as he did in an Armani suit, Tony didn’t make it out the bedroom. He only came down at 1130 when he heard Jethro barking at the door. Apparently he didn’t hear Abby’s knocks or yells over the noise of the TV. When he opened the door, Abby was bouncing up and down and smiling. She bounced right into his arms while Jethro barked a happy greeting from where he obediently sat behind her.
“Oh, Tony, you look horrible! Are you alright? Gibbs said nothing was wrong with you, but he wouldn’t explain why you weren’t coming to work, so I had to see for myself. Oh, and the nuns and I have a bowling tournament in West Virginia, so I can’t watch Jethro. I told Tim you’d keep him company until I got back and now you can still have Jethro protect you. Well, maybe not the Jethro, but a Jethro. Right, Tony?” Abby stared at Tony, demanding his understanding. Tony just eyed the German shepherd suspiciously. He never trusted the mutt and secretly thought McGee was either very sick or extremely brave for adopting an animal that attacked him (not to mention obviously in love with Abby who bullied him into doing it in the first place).
“Why not just take him to a kennel?”
“Because he would be sad, Tony! He wants to be around family and you are family!” Tony was pretty sure Abby was serious and when she narrowed her gaze, he realized there was no way out of this situation. I’ll be back tomorrow night to check on you and pick up Jethro, okay? Now, what have you eaten today? And don’t tell me you’ve been in bed all morning,” she said, walking into the kitchen to fix Tony’s lunch. Jethro padded in after her, lying down on the floor in front of the fire place like it was his favorite spot. Closing the door, Tony followed them in, smiling at the gibberish still spouting from Abby’s mouth.
After lunch, she gave him a pep talk and discussed the nursery and remodeling ideas. Deciding she should return to work, even though there was no real work to do, Abby finally left, taking Tony’s happy mood with her. As he watched her hearse roll away, he noticed the back of a deluxe cargo van rolling down the next block. Paranoid, he thought, slamming the door closed.
A couple hours later, after Tony took a walk before the local schools let out and gawking kids filled the suburban streets, Tony decided that he wasn’t paranoid and he didn’t believe in coincidences. He kept seeing the same 2011 cargo van. He didn’t care that the license plate was different each time he saw it- he knew it was the same van following him. But he knew how it would sound. Tony wondered where he could go where he wouldn’t put anyone in danger. It wasn’t like Ziva or Tim was around; at least he knew they could handle themselves. No, it would be better for him to stay put. Gibbs had plenty of guns and Tony rationalized that whoever was watching him probably didn’t want to hurt him if they hadn’t already. He sat at the kitchen table cleaning guns, wondering if he should tell Gibbs.
After hours of deliberation, Tony decided not to worry Gibbs. If it got bad, he would call Gibbs immediately, but Tony didn’t want to ruin their short time together. Tony had imagined calling Jethro just as he got out of the shower and coaxing the old marine into a little phone sex. He laughed until he cried thinking about Gibbs talking dirty. When he finally placed the call around 2300, he just wanted to hear Gibbs’ voice.
“Tony.”
“Jethro.” Tony didn’t even try to hide the smile in his voice.
“Everything go okay today?”
“Yeah. How’s the case? Almost closed?” Tony asked, hopefully. Gibbs didn’t want to tell Tony that they hadn’t found a single suspect connected with the case. He was determined to find one of his suspects before the day ended, but it was getting close.
“I won’t sleep until it is,” Gibbs said instead, which Tony knew he could actually do.
“Oh, God, no! Don’t do that, Gibbs. Get some rest and lay off the caffeine. I don’t want you coming back here a zombie. It sounds … busy. Where are you?”
“At a FedEx hub, waiting for the shift change to see if this guy shows up for work.”
“Oh. I was hoping you were at your hotel-“
“Gotta go, Tony. I see him,” Gibbs said, hanging up. Tony stared at the phone in his hand for a moment, feeling angry even though he knew work came first. He even wanted Gibbs to work; work meant Gibbs could come home soon. Still, Tony felt slighted and flopped into bed pulling the covers over his head, hoping he’d fall asleep quicker than the night before. He did. Two hours later when he woke up to the wind blowing through the house, he lie in the bed wondering if there was an intruder. Then he heard a soft snoring and looked down at the side of the bed to see Jethro soundly sleeping on the floor. He wondered when the dog came in, grudgingly admitting to himself that he felt better with the shepherd around. He quickly fell back asleep and, though he woke up several more times, Tony wasn’t nearly as afraid.
At five a.m. Jethro demanded Tony wake up by licking his hand which was hanging over the side of the bed. Tony jumped up cursing and ran to the bathroom. After handling his business, he walked back out and pointed at Jethro. “You next.” Jethro barked his agreement and followed Tony downstairs where Tony opened the door of the deck and Jethro ran to the back yard. “Enjoy,” Tony said, deciding the dog could stay out there for a while. He turned to trek back upstairs to bed, but decided the couch looked inviting.
~
The lean black man smiled at Tony from where he stood on the porch, blabbering about something really technical that Tony didn’t understand. “What?” Tony said, still half asleep. He wasn’t so dazed that he forgot to put one of the .38s in the waist of his pajamas which were thankfully tight enough to support the gun.
“Look, man. I’m gon’ be honest with you: we had a power surge about an hour ago that fucked up a bunch of residential communities, man. We’re just out here being proactive out here- making sure the brown out hasn’t spread to other areas.”
“O-kaaay,” Tony eyed the man suspiciously, but couldn’t find anything wrong with his uniform. “ID.”
“Yes sir, glad you asked,” the man beamed, seeming especially proud to show his work ID.
“Now let me see your driver’s license.”
“I’d love to, but I don’t carry it when I’m working if I’m not the driver. My partner is working the other side of the street,” he explained, turning around and waving at a blonde lady standing in front of the Havershim’s door, three houses down.
“Well, tell her they’re not there in the middle of the day,” Tony said, deciding the man must be okay.
“So…”
“So?” Tony wondered why the guy was still standing there.
“So, I need you to bring your dog in, sir. Just for ten minutes. I’ll let you know when I’m done in the back.”
“Oh. Jethro, right. He’s not so bad actually- great watch dog.” Tony pointed to the side of the house and closed the door. He walked to the deck and opened the back door so that Jethro came running in, wagging his tail in excitement about the visitor. Tony left the dog inside and walked to the side gate to let the utility worker in. “Ring the bell when you leave,” he instructed, closing the door to the house and locking everything.
~
“I told you, always carry the ID! See, y’all think it’s simple to make all these costumes and uniforms, but the real key is being committed. Now, if I hadn’t shown that guy my Pepco identification, he would have shot me with the .38 stuck in his pants.”
“Hardison, we totally appreciate the costumes. Did you take the pictures?” Parker asked scrunching her nose up at the jumpsuit she was throwing over her shoulders. She cranked up the borrowed Pepco truck and pulled off from the curb, wondering why they were taking pictures of someone’s home.
“After Cujo went inside,” he groused.
“What are we doing here?”
“I told you, Parker; Eliot would’ve wanted us to do this. This was a good friend of his and I know he’s secretive about his personal life, but he told me this was important.”
“So the fat guy is what, his brother?”
“Hardly. And I doubt he’s fat, Parker. I think he’s pregnant. Look, I know what you’re thinking, but this isn’t a joke. Eliot was talking about taking care of his kids and giving them a good home the last time I spoke to him. He made me promise. Now, I can find his money and set up trust funds, but I know he’d want me to make sure they’re comfortable.”
“Well, the pregnant guy has a house, so they have shelter. And he has a decent job, so what more do we have to do?”
“Wait until you see the inside of the house. Sophie’ll love this job.” Hardison said, sending the images to their grifter.
Old Friends by joblo
Author's Chapter Notes:
Tony struggles to get along without Gibbs while he wonders if he's being followed or just being paranoid.