Partners 4: Memories by megaera18
Summary: Gibbs is in a terrorist attack with devastating consequences.
Categories: Gibbs/DiNozzo Characters: Anthony DiNozzo, Leroy Jethro Gibbs
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Established relationship, Hurt/Comfort
Pairing: Gibbs/DiNozzo
Warnings: Mpreg
Challenges:
Series: None
Chapters: 1 Completed: No Word count: 2266 Read: 5494 Published: 07/10/2013 Updated: 07/10/2013
Story Notes:
I'm trying to continue this story after a long absence from writing due to a member of my family being ill for a long time then becoming ill myself. I hope to finish the story.

1. Partners 4: Memories by megaera18

Partners 4: Memories by megaera18
Author's Notes:
Gibbs is in a terrorist attack with devastating consequences.
It had been seven months since the Partner Virus was released over Washington DC, and the lives of Tony DiNozzo and Jethro Gibbs were changed forever. Tony fell pregnant almost immediately as the virus reprogrammed his genes. He was always prone to that kind of luck.

His mood varied between astonishment, joy and bloody-minded misery, depending on the way his body was behaving that day. Gibbs endured it all, for love.

Luck had a way of noticing Tony DiNozzo.

********

"This sucks!"

Gibbs sighed and prayed for patience.

"This really, REALLY sucks!"

"Get used to it, Tony. For the next few months, you're going to have a full medical work-up every week until the baby comes. It's for your own good. You're just going to have to live with it." Gibbs laid down the law according to Ducky.

"Yeah, but I feel like a pincushion with all the samples they've taken. This really..." Gibbs glared at him and Tony subsided with a definite pout. The man sitting across the waiting room from them tried to suppress a grin with difficulty. He sent Gibbs a sympathetic look.

"I have one of my own." He nodded towards the doctor's office. "My partner's in there right now, getting a scan."

Tony pulled a face. "I'm waiting for that one," he said.

Gibbs studied the stranger. It hadn't escaped his notice that the guy was carrying. The shoulder holster gave a slight but easily recognisable bulge and there was something watchful and alert about the man that suggested elite law enforcement. Besides, these doctors were the best Washington had to offer. Ducky, with his connections, had made sure of that. The guy was likely to be high level security for a senator or something. Gibbs' first impression was confirmed when the man turned his head fractionally and they saw that he was wearing an ear mike.

"Which agency are you with?" Gibbs nodded towards the gun. For a moment, the man frowned. Grey eyes assessed Gibbs, evaluating him. Apparently, Gibbs passed some sort of test.

"Secret Service." He pulled out a badge and flashed it. "Special Agent Ellis. You're both NCIS. Gibbs and DiNozzo. A small smile. "Your reputation precedes you, Agent Gibbs."

Tony and Gibbs exchanged glances.

"You checked us out?" Tony asked.

"Everyone here has been given security clearance." Ellis said, then turned as the door opened. Even Gibbs recognised the young man who came out. He gave Ellis a big grin.

"Look, Mike! I got a photo of our baby!"

The delight on the Secret Service agent's face quite transformed him. As he put his arm around his partner and the two of them headed out of the door, he didn't look anything like a coldly efficient bodyguard.

"Wasn't that...?" Tony asked.

"The President's son." Gibbs nodded. "I guess he was with his Secret Service escort when the virus hit." Both smiling, they shared a knowing look. There was something gladdening about the sight of the two men looking at their first baby photo. And yes, shamelessly sentimental.

"You're just a romantic at heart, boss." Tony grinned, and dodged the headslap. Gibbs mock-glared at him.

"You do realise...,” Tony said. "He's a public figure. People are going to notice pretty soon that something is going on with him. And when they find out men can get pregnant, the shit is really going to hit the fan!"

"We'll cope." Gibbs said. Then more softly, "So we get a photo..?"

*****
Later…

Tony glared at the pile of paperwork and the probie who had brought more. Security checks on transferring personnel, bank checks on Naval employees who made cash transactions of more than $9000, background checks on foreigners who were marrying into the American military... All of the essential but hugely boring paperwork destined to let Americans sleep safely in their beds. All descending onto the head of one Anthony DiNozzo, now that he was trapped behind a desk and expected to make himself useful.

Tony heaved a huge, theatrical sigh and glared daggers at the probie, who scuttled off in the direction of whatever hole geeks hid in when they were thinking up ways to utterly waste his time. One hand strayed towards his belly and rested there.

"The things I do for you and your daddy," he said softly.

He shifted uncomfortably. Nobody had mentioned certain aspects of pregnancy during his frequent and unwelcome medical checks. The swollen ankles. The backache as the balance of his body altered, putting an unaccustomed strain on different muscle groups. The growing bump. Yeah, the bump.

One half of NCIS thought he was getting fat and he kept getting subtle hints about diets and invitations to exercise with well-meaning colleagues. The other half of the building felt something was different about him but hadn't quite processed what it was, though Tony had heard at least one rumour that suggested he was depressed and another that he was suffering from Bulimia. Way off base! Still, he could now appreciate why some of the people round here had so much gossip time on their hands.

Paperwork did that to a guy. What they thought of his wardrobe alterations was anyone's guess. He was much more comfortable wearing his shirt casually outside his pants, these days. At least he hadn't descended to the level of stretchy track-suit bottoms and elastic waistbands yet! He shuddered. Trashy! Not a wardrobe choice he wanted to think about, with his inherent Italian sense of style. No doubt, it was something to look forward to.

Only the team, the Director and Ducky knew at the moment. Tony would love to have been a fly on the wall when Gibbs told Director Sheppard about his pregnant male partner! Still, she had been more than supportive, though he had at first felt resentful of the embargo she had placed on fieldwork; just like female agents, in fact. He knew why it was necessary - to keep him safe - especially now that he was dragging his increasingly ungainly body around. It was just so boring here. He was meant to be on call for other cases, whilst Gibbs and the rest of the team dealt with another terrorist alert. It was just that nothing was happening!

Tony glanced at the clock and his mood brightened. It was time to go walkabout. He had made a bargain with himself that, as a reward for doing two hours of paperwork this morning, he would go down to Abby's lab and pry into whatever she was investigating. It relieved the boredom a little, enabled him to touch base with the team, and it also helped his fitness level if he wasn't sitting on his butt, 24-7. He hadn’t appreciated before, how active a life he led, and now it was much restricted by Ducky. No vigorous exercise allowed. Nothing that put a strain on his delicate insides. Even sex had to be slow and gentle, damn it! He scowled. He had put on at least six pounds comfort eating in the past couple of months. Pregnancy really sucked!

Some days, he really hated Gibbs for doing this to him!

******

Gibbs wasn’t really thinking about Tony, except for a very distant satisfaction that he was safe and well, with Ducky and Abby. His mind was on the hunt. Word had reached NCIS via one of their contacts in Iraq that a terrorist cell was operating in the Virginia area and they were possibly posing as tourists. The problem was that the suspects had rented a big RV and they were hidden somewhere among thousands of genuine visitors to the area.

An RV full of explosives was Gibbs personal nightmare. A big, mobile bomb. It made him think of terrorist atrocities like Oklahoma City, when so many innocent people had died. He had ordered checkpoints on all roads, and he felt satisfied that the net was closing in on these bastards.

“Hey boss!” McGee waved at him and Gibbs strode towards him. The young agent was co-ordinating the search and was in constant contact with Abby. At present, they were checking a list of plate numbers that had passed through the National Park checkpoint, looking for rental vehicles that could be the bomb vehicle.

“We have a hit!” McGee looked excited. “An RV went through here less than 4 hours ago, matching the description of our target. It’s close!

“Check the back roads!” Gibbs snapped his orders, Get some people on those roads that head west from here. I want roadblocks now!”

“On it boss!”

*******

The phone call came just as Tony was about to head home. He was relieved that he could still drive, the way his middle was expanding, so he didn’t have to wait for Gibbs to drive him home. He scooted back to his desk and grabbed the receiver.

“DiNozzo here…”

“Tony!” The probie practically yelled his name.

“McGee?” There was something in the probie’s voice that made Tony freeze in place and grip the receiver tightly. As he did so, the door opened and he saw Abby and Ducky heading towards him. He knew it was bad from the expressions on their faces. That and the fact that McGee had obviously called them first, so that they could look out for him.

“What…?” He whispered.

“Oh god, Tony. It’s the boss! You need to get to Bethesda right away. The RV we were looking for. It was booby trapped… It exploded when we tried to arrest the suspects… The boss was right there…” Tony dropped the phone and ran for the door.

*****

He hurt. Oh god he hurt so much. He vaguely remembered the sound of the explosion… Flying through the air… The agony of impact… The echoing noise of the blast as it faded away, along with his consciousness. He had woken to a world of pain and disorientation " the sense of movement and the smells of the hospital. The sound of his own voice screaming. The pain in his head was a pulsing agony that was almost matched by the sharp stabbing pain in his right side " he guessed that at least one rib was broken. He could also feel the stickiness of his own blood from dozens of small cuts on his face and upper body, as a result of the shrapnel.

He needed to do something… To call someone. It was really important…

He moaned, trying to sit up, but someone was holding him down and then there was the sting of a needle against his arm and the world " and everything else - faded away.

******

Tony had been sitting in the corridor for hours, with Ducky on one side and Abby on the other, waiting for news. He had never felt so useless, and only the knowledge that Gibbs was in the best possible place kept him still.

He folded his arms protectively around his abdomen and shivered, all sorts of horrible thoughts filling his mind about worst case scenarios. He didn’t notice the worried looks Abby and Ducky exchanged, but he knew they were worried about him. Abby stayed close and kept giving him reassuring little hugs and repeating platitudes that were meant to be comforting but just jarred his nerves. Didn’t they know he just wanted to be with Gibbs?

But Ducky had told him Gibbs needed surgery. He had head injuries and cuts and god knows what else. Tony had been allowed just a brief glimpse of his partner, swathed in bandages, white and still, then they had whisked him away to the operating theatre.

The surgeons worked for hours, while Tony sat with his friends, waiting for news. The wait lasted long into the night, but finally, he was allowed in to see Jethro. Gibbs looked like hell. His too-pale face was bruised and there was a big laceration across his cheek, held together by tape strips. There were dozens of tiny cuts visible, and a vivid purple bruise at the side of Jethro’s mouth. But worst of all, the bandage round his head where they had operated…

Tony whimpered and reached for Gibbs hand which lay still on top of the white sheet, clutching it tightly. He lifted it to his lips and kissed it.

“Come back to me, he whispered. “Don’t leave us.” He instinctively pressed Gibbs’ hand to his belly. “We need you…”

*******

Tony woke with a start. He had fallen asleep, after hours sitting by Jethro’s side. He blinked and squinted fuzzily at the wall clock. 11p.m. Eighteen hours since Jethro had come out of surgery. Tony had been dreaming, his thoughts filled with formless, brooding darkness. His first thought was for his partner. What had made him suddenly alert to Gibbs?

Jethro’s fingers twitched between his and Tony gasped. Relief flooded him as Jethro sighed softly and his eyelids fluttered. He squeezed his partner’s hand.

Gibbs moaned and pulled his hand away, lifting his fingers to his bandaged forehead. His eyes opened. Tony found himself grinning widely; his sense of relief was so great.

Gibbs looked around him and Tony could almost see the gears beginning to turn as his brain began to work. The older man finally focused his eyes on his young partner and he squinted at Tony uncertainly.

"Jethro... How do you feel?" Tony said softly.

The older man frowned. The young man, this place… None of it was familiar.

"Who the hell are you?" he said. "Where is this place?" He blinked in confusion. Tony stared at him.

"Don't you remember anything?" Blue eyes stared blankly at him and Tony shivered. There was no recognition there, just pain and a kind of bewildered vulnerability that wrenched at the young agent's heart.

"Please..." Gibbs faltered. "Where is this place…? Who are you?" He moaned and his hand clutched at his head. "Oh god, it hurts..." His eyes slid shut.

Tony ran for Ducky.

******
End of part 1
End Notes:
I'm trying to continue this story after a long absence from writing due to a member of my family being ill for a long time then becoming ill myself. I hope to finish the story.
This story archived at http://www.ncisfiction.com/viewstory.php?sid=6606