Tony calls for his messages at the apartment on the way into work when he realizes he hasn’t spent more than five minutes at “home” since the previous Monday. The first two messages are from his neighbors, Mrs. Howard and Miss Lobel, wondering why he hasn’t been around. The next two are sales calls. The last two are both mildly distressing. One is from Luke, a terse “Tony, I need to talk to you. Call me.” And the second is from his father, “I got an interesting call from Father Vincenzo today Anthony. He informs me you purchased four tickets to the ball. I’d like a word with you.”
Without giving it even a second thought he speed dials Luke.
“Hey man, that was quick.”
“What’s up Luke, you sound pretty upset.”
“I’m just a little shaken. Mark was in a car accident last night.”
“Damn, is he okay?”
“He will be. He broke his leg, got a few cuts and bruises. He’ll be fine by the time the wedding rolls around but he’s vetoed Stevie planning the bachelor party. Says if he wanted something humping his cast he’d get a dog.”
Tony laughs at that, “I can see how that’d be the case. So what’s the new plan?”
“I was thinking one stripper, with proper instructions. A few of the college highlight films, and some beer pong. But you’re the party animal so I’m consulting with you first.”
“Sounds good, but considering it’s Mark I’ll pick up some good cigars too.”
“See? I knew calling you was a good idea. What about you? Anything special you want for your last hurrah?”
At this point Tony is boarding the elevator at work. He chuckles, “We’re not getting married Luke. Not yet at least.”
“I know you Tony. You used term partner and said you were very serious. Sure the two of you getting married is a pain in the ass you won’t get around to anytime soon but that doesn’t mean you aren’t in this for the long haul.”
“You think you know me so well.”
“You told me you had to get off the line because ‘Jethro should be home any minute.’ Sounds pretty domestic to me, sex machine.”
“Maybe. We’ve had the ‘it’s too early to talk about moving in together’ talk.”
“How long have you known this guy?”
“Five years.”
“Then how is it too early exactly?”
The elevator arrives at the bullpen, but Tony doesn’t think before he answers. “We’ve only been really dating about three months.”
Luke laughs, “Oh, one of those. What kind of forbidden fruit was he?”
“A shark.”
“Sharks don’t do well in captivity you know.”
“Yeah but penguins don’t circle.”
“I take it from the fact that this just became a course on zoological metaphors that you’ve arrived at work.”
“I’ve told you time and again they’re going to take away your jock license if you keep using those big words, Luke.”
“You can fuck off too Tony. See you in a while.”
“I’ll call you when I get the plans squared away.”
McGee is smirking at him when Tony hangs up, “Dating three months, huh?”
Tony resists the urge to swear a blue streak. “That is what I said.”
“Some reason it’s been such a big secret?”
“Just like messing with you Probie,” Tony tosses off like it’s no big deal.
“If you say so.”
Before Tony’s forced to retort Gibbs returns from downstairs bearing a ruby red lipstick mark on his cheek. Noting the fact that McGee and Tony are both focusing on him Gibbs’ eyes immediately move to the railing above to check for the director. “We pull a case?”
“No Boss. Abbs just got you good.”
That makes Gibbs smile, “Most likely on purpose.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“McGee, dig up everything you can on Lance Corporal Humphrey Mitchell. Ziva, pull together anything you can find about large thefts of prescription drugs in the area. DiNozzo you’re with me.”
“What’ve we got Boss?” Tony asks as he grabs his bag.
“DEA and Metro busted a prescription drug ring last night and while Mitchell himself wasn’t snagged in the round up plenty of evidence that he should have been was.”
“And since they’ve already got the big fish they tossed the little one who got away to us. How gracious. Where are we headed?”
“Quantico. Either he doesn’t know anything’s happened and he reported for duty today or we’ll question his buddies about him.”
The door closes behind them and McGee, unwilling to aid the rumor mill by saying it aloud fires off a quick email to Ziva and Abby, “You missed it earlier. Tony was on the phone when he arrived and he admitted he’s been dating ‘J’ for three months. Have either of you gotten him to admit why it was such a secret yet?”
“Because it’s none of your business?” Abby replies quickly.
Ziva‘s message comes almost as quickly. “Clearly he is serious about this person. It is likely he was just protecting the relationship from the pit falls of public scrutiny.”
Realizing suddenly that they both know the truth he shoots back, “And neither of you think that J being a man has anything to do with it?”
“Even if that’s so it’s still none of your business.”
“That would be one reason to conceal the relationship, given American attitudes on the subject.”
McGee counts both responses as confirmation. “He introduced J to both of you then?”
“Nope.”
“He has not introduced anyone to me.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Hey Abbs, you got something for us?”
“Nope. Just thought you might want to know McGee’s been snooping around about J. With particular emphasis on gender.”
“How’d he seem about that notion?”
“I couldn’t really tell. He was trying to be discreet, using email. Did you really tell him you’d been dating three months?”
“That wouldn’t be how I’d word it. I was talking to Luke earlier and he said I was sounding awfully domestic lately. I told him that was putting the horse before the cart.”
“Deny it all you want we all know you two are as good as married.”
“Wishful thinking on your part princess.”
“Bullshit Tony.”
“Love you too.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Though Tony and Gibbs return with a suspect in tow McGee knows Tony’s glare is for him.
When they disappear in the direction of holding McGee hisses at Ziva, “You told him?!”
“It was not me. But Abby is very protective of Tony.”
His head drops to his desk top with an audible thump. “I’m dead meat.”
“Right about that one Probie. Spreading rumors about me is dangerous ground.”
“I didn’t spread any rumors!” McGee is quick to defend. “I asked a couple of questions. Discreetly.”
“Conference room. Now.” Tony’s voice is tightly controlled but no less angry.
McGee follows as instructed, “I really didn’t say a word.”
“Go ahead, ask your questions. Just stop being a ten year old girl and ask me,” Tony demands as he flips the stop switch.
“Is the reason you’ve been so secretive about J that he’s a man?”
“Yes.”
“Am I the only one who didn’t know?”
Tony considers this, “You’re the last to figure it out. Well unless we’re counting Palmer. How did you figure it out?”
“Little things. You kept saying there wasn’t a woman in your life. The flowers were signed with an initial not a name. You never talk to him on the phone while you’re here. Even the joking about picking up male twins with Abby.”
“And here I thought I was being so discreet.”
“Why bother?”
“Because this is special to me. Important. And anyone who would make fun of me for kissing a man without realizing the horror of it was that I had kissed my friend’s killer is not a person I want to have a chat with concerning the love of my life. Your reaction to my kissing a man made it pretty clear what you‘d think of my relationship with J.” Knowing full well he’s been unfair Tony still releases the elevator and stalks off anger apparent in every movement.
“Oh hell,” McGee mutters quietly. He heads down to speak to Abby, fairly certain he’s unwelcome in the bullpen at the moment. She looks up as he enters the lab and her glare just isn’t all that promising, “I know you’re not happy with me right now, and you’re right, but you’re the only one I can talk to.”
“It better be good.”
“Do you think I’m homophobic?”
“Maybe a little. You’re not going to shun someone or try to hurt them over it but it clearly makes you uncomfortable.”
“Give me an example,” McGee asks, genuinely confused.
“When I took you to that party at Marla’s and her roommate and his boyfriend started making out.”
“I was uncomfortable because the boyfriend was 6’3” and could have snapped me in half! Travis had been asking me to dance all night.”
“If that’s true I’ll give you that one.” Abby considers it a moment longer, “The uncomfortable and ceaseless chatter about Gerald slapping that paramedic’s ass.”
“It was unprofessional!” McGee protests.
“Pop didn’t seem to think so. He said it was good to know Gerald wasn’t letting working in the morgue turn him into a zombie like Ducky’s previous assistant had. Besides it‘s not like it was some stranger. They were dating.”
“I am not homophobic,” McGee insists quietly.
“Then why even ask me?”
“Tony was pretty mad. He said some things about my past behavior…”
“Were they true?”
“Yes.”
“Then you should be worried about them not what Tony meant by it.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tony’s glad to find Ducky hard at work with paper and pen rather than body and scalpel, “What’s the good word Duck?”
“Anthony, what a pleasant surprise. I was just working on the psychological autopsy of Special Agent Rennie’s homicide victim.”
“Mind if I just sit down here for a minute, Ducky?”
“Did something happen dear boy?”
“McGee pushed and I pushed back. A hell of a lot harder than I needed to.”
“What did Timothy do to provoke such a reaction?”
“He was asking the girls some pointed questions about my new love.” Tony sighs and runs a hand through his hair, “He acted as if it were a foregone conclusion that he had every right to the intimate details of my life and I just… snapped.”
“Is there some reason you don’t want him to know about your… partner? It didn’t appear to bother you when anyone else made the discovery.”
“Abby’s… Well you know who she is to everyone involved. And Ziva may not like me exactly but she’d never deliberately hurt me either. You only want what’s best for your friend. But McGee… He’s a wild card. One of the few people I get no read on about this. Add to that I’ve been waiting for the other shoe to drop, for some one other than my father or Jenny Sheppard to react badly and you’ve basically just created an emotional time bomb.”
“First of all Anthony you need to stop borrowing trouble. You are in love and others may take from that what they will but they can only hurt you if you let them.”
“No disrespect Ducky but that just isn’t so. Having to leave NCIS would hurt me.”
“I very highly doubt that it would come to that dear boy.”
“I have a lot of faith in J Ducky but that’s one train wreck even he couldn’t stop.”
“I wasn’t urging you to have faith in… Jay, Anthony. I was suggesting that Timothy is rather unlikely to do something as harsh as informing the director about your activities. If nothing else you are aware of some rather glaring breeches of protocol on his part.”
“Mutual blackmail. How encouraging.”
“I’m sure it won’t come to that Tony.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Tony!” McGee calls from the door to the stairwell.
Tony stops, still not ready to show weakness.
“About earlier.” He pauses, clearly hoping for help. “I was out of line, pushing you like that.”
Tony agrees blandly.
“I know it’s no excuse but the way you’re always talking about your personal life… The idea that you had someone you wouldn’t tell us about was incongruous. I bothered me. So I began to wonder why and I knew Abby knew the truth.”
Tony finally takes pity, “I’m not mad you wanted to know about my love life probie. Hell I don’t care that you went through my desk. I‘m pissed off you went to Abby and Ziva rather than asking me. The other things I said… I shouldn‘t have brought that up.”
“But you were right. I’ve never given you any reason to trust that I wouldn’t react badly to the fact that you’re gay.” Seeing that he’s gained at least a little ground McGee presses on, “For what it’s worth, I am glad you’ve found someone who makes you happy. I still shutter to think about what sort of influence you are on his daughter but that‘s between the three of you.”
Tony shakes his head with exasperated good humor, “I know you find it hard to believe but my Princess is a sweet, smart, amazing girl who has never suffered the slightest ill effect from my presence. And she’s very much in favor of my relationship with her father.”
“So you’re her diversionary tactic then?”
Tony laughs honestly at that, “That could be part of it. Though I doubt she needs me for that. He‘s wrapped around her little finger. But then I suppose, I am too.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gibbs waits until Tony’s in the middle of cooking dinner that night to bring up the earlier disappearances, “Is Sheppard going to be raking us over the coals on McGee‘s behalf?”
“No. He’s seen the error of his ways.”
“That sounds vaguely ominous.”
“I laid into him a little about assumptions and the damages they can cause.”
“How much does he know?”
“That ‘Jay’ and I have known each other a long time but have only been dating three months and that I adore your daughter.”
“How’d he put it together?”
“Mostly that you had the flowers signed ‘J.’”
“Any other variation of my name would have been more telling.”
“At least now everyone knows. Well except the director and Cynthia, gossip hounds extraordinaire.”
“Were they part of the plan?”
“Not until they started poking around.”
“And which angle are you going to toss them, long term relationship with a child in the mix or secretly gay?”
“I was actually thinking I’d throw bread crumbs of the serious relationship variety and let them draw whatever conclusions they like from it.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The elevator stops at the lobby to admit the director and Gibbs tenses slightly at her once over.
“Good morning Jethro.”
“’Morning.”
“I’ve been meaning to ask you…” She hesitates obviously, “Will you be attending the Corp Birthday Ball this year?”
“Abby asked me to take her, yes.”
“Oh. I thought perhaps you might bring your… companion and let DiNozzo escort Abby.”
“Too stuffy and political. Seems marine brass just aren’t up to snuff for a night’s entertainment. Besides, as I understand it Tony already has plans so who would escort Abby?”
“Are you keeping her separate from your work for a reason Jethro?”
“A very good friend advised me to never introduce my mistress to my wife.”
“I thought you weren’t to the point of marrying with this one yet.”
“As Stephanie pointed out on her way out the door the job is my wife. Maybe if I embrace that any relationship I have is an affair it’ll be easier to maintain.”
“And your new girlfriend?”
“Has much the same relationship with work.”
“If you say so Jethro.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Just as Tony’s about to throw a paper ball at Ziva over the concerned looks she keeps shooting at both himself and Gibbs they get a call, “We’ve got a PFC assaulted in his apartment in Somerset. DiNozzo gas up the truck. Ziva head on over to Bethesda and get a statement.”
It goes unsaid that Gibbs himself is headed to refill his travel mug and McGee simply chooses to follow Tony to the truck.
When he’s reasonably sure they’re alone he grins, “So tell me about Jay. No wait, let me guess. In college he was on the beach volley team. He was all set to go pro when he was approached about a contract modeling underwear. He realized that would mean more time to work on his tan and accepted happily.”
Tony snorts, “While J definitely has the abs and ass to be an underwear model I would wager good money he’s never played beach volleyball.”
“Okay so he’s not a jock. He works for the state’s attorney’s office helping to draft legislation that protects puppies and children.”
“Next you’re going to accuse me of dating some twenty-four year old male bimbo frat boy,” He snaps without real heat. “J is smart, strong and good looking, but not to the shallow extremes you’re implying. All you really need to know is that being with him makes me happy. Makes me feel like maybe I’m a better person than I was raised to be. And that he’s his daughter’s hero.”
“What father isn’t?”
Tony shoots him a glare Gibbs would have been proud of, “After seeing the things you’ve seen you can still ask that?”
“Point taken. If you won’t tell me about Jay at least tell me what makes him your type. Should I be worried you’re checking me out in the locker room?”
At that Tony lets out a bark of startled laughter, “Not a chance in hell Probie. I don’t go for the baby faced and pudgy look. As a matter of fact the scenery was part of the incentive for joining NCIS. Not that either the bossman or I acknowledged that.”
“The boss knows you took the job to ‘inspect the troops’?”
“Not just to inspect the troops, no. But when has the bossman known less than the whole truth McGoo?” When McGee doesn’t respond Tony grins wickedly, “Which reminds me, did you even think before writing the adventures of ‘LJ Tibbs’?”
“For the love of- It’s not about you guys Tony.”
“You described him down to the coffee addiction, the boat in a basement and the head slaps.”
“Talks like me too. If you ladies are finished gossiping there’s a crime scene to investigate.”
“Any word on the severity of his injuries?”
“Just that it doesn’t seem to be life threatening.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
About halfway through the journey Tony’s cell rings, he answers it without thinking, “DiNozzo.”
“Anthony.”
“How did you get this number Dad?”
“It wasn’t all that difficult Anthony.”
“Whatever. What it’s so urgent you need to speak to me right away this time Dad?”
“As I said in my phone message yesterday I spoke to Father Vincenzo.”
“Not a rare occurrence, or at least it’s not supposed to be. He is your priest after all.”
“He tells me you purchased four tickets to the charity ball.”
“That’s right, I did.”
“I know you intend to bring your…companion. I just need to know if your stepmother and I should brace ourselves for additional social fallout.”
“I left a list of the names and relationships of my guests with your assistant Dominic, and I do remind you, respectfully, not to stir up trouble unless you’re ready to face the consequences. It’s a charity event, I’ll bring whomever I wish.”
“You told the father that you’re bringing your stepdaughter.”
“Because I am.”
“And do you plan to introduce her to others that way?”
“If shock value becomes a necessity I will use it. If however the rules of polite society as I’ve been taught them hold so will my adherence to them.”
“Very well Anthony. Does your attendance mean you plan to get to know your new sibling?”
“I’ll try.”
Chapter End Notes:
Sorry it's a month late folks, unfortunately chapter 20 is likely to be just as late as the holidays make for an exhausting real life.