Point to Prove
McGee sighed as he stepped off the elevator and made his way over to the room that Tony had been moved to the night before, pausing just outside the door. The older man had been extremely upset when he left, questioning his decisions when it came to helping the younger woman they had all come to see as a sister.
He reached his hand up and knocked on the open door before entering, not too surprised to see the Italian sitting on the edge of the bed, trying to pull his shoes on.
“Hey, T. Feeling any better?”
“Not really” he responded, not looking up from his task. “Talked with Abby last night.”
“Really? What’d she say?” McGee asked, curious to hear if it had helped his state of mind any.
“Nothin’ I didn’t already know.”
McGee sighed, leaning against the doorframe as he studied his lover carefully. He didn’t look like he’d slept much at all the night before, and McGee was sure that that had to do more with the unexpected news about the twins rather than the pulled muscle in his back.
Pushing himself away from the door, he made his way over to Tony, taking the shoe out of his hand with a half-smile. “It’ll be quicker if I did it,” he teased.
Tony said nothing as McGee slid his shoes onto his feet and the younger man couldn’t help but sigh. “T… I’m really sorry I lost it with you yesterday afternoon. If that’s the reason for"“
“No. You don’t… you don’t have anything to be sorry for. I’m just… I don’t know. I’m freaked out by this whole thing but I shouldn’t have been so crappy to you. You put up with a lot of shit from me, Timmy. Sometimes, I’m not quite sure why but"“
“I do it because I love you.”
“Yeah, but you shouldn’t have to. I’m really sorry about pushing you away last night.”
Offering his lover a smile, McGee wrapped his arms around him, pulling him into a gentle embrace. “You just about ready to get out of here?”
“Hah,” Tony snorted, cringing slightly at the pain in his back. “I’ve been ready since I got here. Let’s go. And you can forget about the wheelchair.”
Rolling his eyes playfully, McGee helped his partner to his feet, slipping an arm around his waist as he steadied him. “You okay?”
“Just peachy. Let’s go. I wanna see my little boy.”
The Italian allowed his lover to support him as they made their way to the elevator slowly. Once they finally reached the car, he climbed into the passenger seat carefully, tilting the seat back slightly to relieve some of the pressure on his back.
“You gonna be able to make the drive to Mom’s?”
“I don’t think so. Can you drop me off at the apartment first?”
“Of course,” the younger man grinned, shifting the car into drive before he reached across the console, linking their fingers together.
The ride took longer than usual, Tony noted, though he was grateful that his lover drove carefully. He felt every slight bump in the road, with each becoming more painful than the last.
“Finally,” he groaned when McGee finally pulled up out in front of their apartment building. Pushing the door open, he climbed out, cringing at the stabbing pain in his lower back.
Hurrying around the front of the car, McGee wrapped an arm around his lover’s waist, helping him inside. They rode the elevator upstairs in silence, with Tony gritting his teeth against the nearly unbearable discomfort. He wanted nothing more than to get inside the apartment and collapse on the couch.
Pushing the door open, McGee watched as Tony made his way over to the couch before he sank down into the cushions, a sigh of relief escaping him.
“You really should go lay down in the bed,” the younger man warned. “You know when Josh gets home"“
“I’ll go lay down in a little while,” Tony responded dismissively. “I wanna see him first.”
“Alright,” McGee sighed, dropping a kiss to the top of his partner’s head before he headed back to the front door. “You need anything while I’m out?”
“Nope.”
“Alright. We’ll talk about dinner when I get home then?”
“Yep. Go.”
He rolled his eyes though he was grinning slightly as he walked out of the apartment, glad to have Tony back home.
::::::
Stepping into the apartment, McGee lowered Josh to the floor, laughing quietly when the little boy took off running for the living room, anxious to see his daddy. He followed their son deeper into the apartment, smiling when he saw his lover hugging Josh tightly, no doubt ignoring the pulled muscle in his back.
"I missed you, little man. Were you good for Grandma and Grandpa?"
"Yessir,” he grinned, saluting the way his Grandfather had taught him. "I go' a 'prise for you, daddy."
"Oh yeah?" Tony grinned, setting the boy back on the floor so he could get the gift. "What is it?"
"Close eye."
The Italian covered his face with his hands, intent on following the toddler's orders. He could hear the child running over to where his overnight bag was sitting on the floor before coming back to his father and tapping him on the leg.
"Open."
He pulled his hands away from his face and smiled when he saw Josh standing in front of him holding out his teddy bear. "Joshy, this is your Mr. Bear, buddy. Daddy can't take him."
"For babies," he offered, pushing the bear against Tony's chest. "'M a big boy. Mr. Bear for babies."
Picking the toddler up, he suppressed a quiet groan before he gave him a kiss. "Thank you," he said, looking up at his lover. "How's he know about...?"
McGee shrugged, sitting on the arm of the sofa. "Must've overheard me telling Mom and Dad."
"Daddy?"
Tony looked back to his son, ruffling his hair. "Yeah, buddy?"
The boy reached down and poked his father's belly gently. "You got big tummy."
He frowned, glancing up at the younger man sitting next to him. "Thanks, J. That was just what Daddy needed."
McGee snorted, trying to contain his laughter when his partner elbowed him in the side. "What?" He said, still chuckling quietly.
"Nice, Probie."
"Pobie? What'd Daddy do?"
"Nothin', bud. You hungry? I'm thinking about...pizza."
"Pizza!" Josh exclaimed, jumping off his lap and running into the kitchen. He returned a few seconds later, carrying the menu from the local pizza parlor. "We get 'low apples?"
"Ugh, you want pineapples? You've been corrupting him, McGee."
The younger man just rolled his eyes, though he couldn’t help but smirk. “You aren’t supposed to be eating pizza anyway,” he teased. “Remember? Gibbs’ orders.”
“Yeah, well Gibbs isn’t here right now.”
“No, but he’s gonna find out. He always finds out everything.”
“Not about this because you’re not gonna tell him,” Tony warned.
“Hah. That’s what you think! If I don’t tell, I’ll be an accessory and we all know"“
“Who are you more scared of? Me or Gibbs?”
“Gi’s,” Josh decided, giggling when Tony growled playfully at him.
“You little--!” Reaching for his son, Tony couldn’t help but laugh when the little boy darted out of his reach.
Josh jumped onto McGee’s lap and hid his face from Tony, making him wince in pain when he laughed even harder.
“See?! I’m in pain! You’re really gonna deny me something that would make me happy?”
The younger man rolled his eyes again. “And you wonder where our son gets his flair for the dramatic from,” he teased, handing his lover the phone. “I’m gonna go in the other room and change Josh.”
“Plausible deniability. Yeah, yeah.”
The Italian placed the order and hung up the phone, slumping back against the couch uncomfortably. Picking up the remote, he resumed his channel surfing and sighed when he realized there was nothing on TV.
“You really should go lay on the bed, T,” McGee said again as he stepped back into the living room, Josh in tow.
“I’m fine. C’mere. Sit. We’ll put in a movie until the pizza gets here.”
“What movie?”
“I’Age!”
Tony groaned again, dropping his head back against the couch. “Really? We really have to watch Ice Age again? How about somethin’ else?”
“I’Age!” The little boy demanded, whining slightly. “I’Age!”
“Okay, okay,” Tony muttered nodding his approval to McGee. “Ice Age it is… again.”
After taking his time to locate the movie, the three had barely made it through the opening credits when the knock on the door sounded, indicating their dinner had arrived.
Saying a silent prayer of thanks, Tony paused the movie while McGee got up, hurrying over to the door.
“Alright, buddy,” Tony said as he pushed himself to his feet carefully, wincing again. “Let’s go wash up for dinner.”
He led his son into the bathroom to wash his hands while McGee paid for the pizzas. When they returned to the living room a moment later, the older man suddenly felt overcome with a nauseous feeling. Pausing near the kitchen for a second, he managed to catch his breath, pushing the thoughts of his stomach flip-flopping behind him.
“Alright! Pizza,” he grinned, sitting down on the couch. “Do you have any idea how long it’s been since I’ve had pizza? Let’s eat!”
The first bite is what did him in. Despite years of eating pizza, he found himself unable to control the urge he had to vomit, and he barely managed to scramble off the couch before it started to come back up. He made it into the bathroom, dropping to his knees in front of the toilet before he lost what little food he had in his stomach.
“Tony?” McGee called, hurrying in behind him. “Are you alright?” He asked, kneeling next to the toilet with him as he rubbed his back soothingly.
“’M… ‘m fine,” he managed, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand before he sat back, swallowing hard. “Guess I can’t eat pizza anymore.”
“I told you pizza was a bad idea.”
“Don’t rub it in, okay?” Pushing himself to his feet carefully, he made his way over to the sink, intent on rinsing his mouth out when McGee came up behind him, resting a hand on his lower back.
“I was only teasing,” he said, pressing a kiss to his lover’s shoulder. “I’m sorry.”
“I know,” Tony said, meeting his eyes in the mirror before offering him a half smile. “I think I’m gonna go lay down for awhile.”
“You want me to fix you something else to eat?”
“No. Don’t think my stomach can handle anything right now,” he said with a frown.
“Alright… well, go on and lay down then. I’ll be in to check on you in a bit.”
Nodding, Tony made his way into the bedroom with a quiet sigh, sinking down on the mattress with a groan. He moved carefully, as though he was afraid to jostle himself too much before he sank down against his pillows, resting his hand on his belly.
McGee walked back into the living room and smiled when he spotted Josh sprawled out on the floor, sleeping soundly. Turning off the TV, he leaned down and picked the boy up, carrying him into his bedroom. Once he had put his son to bed, his blue blanket safely between his fingers, he returned to the living room and picked up the remaining pizza, tossing it into the trashcan, knowing that saving it would tempt Tony later.
He sighed heavily, wondering if his lover was still awake as he went back to the bedroom, closing the door quietly behind him.
“Tony?”
“Hmm?” The older man mumbled, shifting uncomfortably on their bed. “Josh in bed?”
“Yep,” McGee grinned, crossing the room and settling next to the Italian on the bed. “How’re you doin’?”
He shrugged. ‘Back still hurts.”
The younger man frowned, running a hand through his partner’s soft brown hair. “Roll onto your side. I’ll make the back pain stop.”
“You’re confident,” Tony teased, his voice strained. He was trying desperately to loosen up despite the fact that he was still stressed about finding out he was carrying twins.
“Eh, you’ve never complained,” McGee smirked. “Now, come on. On your side.”
He obeyed, rolling carefully onto his side and moaning when he felt McGee’s warm hands pulling his shirt up, brushing his sides gently.
“Okay… where’s it hurt?” He whispered, settling in behind the older man, his hands caressing his back slowly.
The Italian groaned quietly. “Lower back. Around my hips, too.”
McGee pressed another kiss to his shoulder as he started rubbing Tony’s back. “Y’know…” He said, kneading his fingers through the knots, “you’re always the one gettin’ massages lately.”
Tony glanced over his shoulder at him, a slight frown on his face. “You don’t have to. It’s fine.”
“I didn’t mean it like that, T. I was just sayin’"“
“Yeah.”
The younger man sighed. “C’mon. Don’t do this, please? I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”
“No, you didn’t,” he responded, closing his eyes tightly, grateful that his back was to his lover. “’M just tired.”
“Go ahead and go to sleep. Maybe it’ll help me get some of these knots out.”
The older man tried to relax, the stress from the past few days slipping away as he lost himself to feel of his lover’s hands on his back. He felt his eyes getting heavy as he attempted to keep them open before he finally gave up, allowing sleep to claim him.
:::::
The weekend was difficult on Tony. Though he was glad to be home with his lover and son, the little boy didn’t understand that Tony wasn’t feeling well and demanded more attention than usual. It took every ounce of strength McGee had to keep Josh occupied enough that he wasn’t bouncing all over the injured man.
Though the pair never really looked forward to work days, they were both thanking God when Monday morning rolled around.
The only thing that put a damper on their morning was the fact that when they got to the office, the elevators weren’t working.
“Stupid stairs. Whose brilliant idea was it to only put one elevator goin’ from the ground floor, huh?” Tony grumbled, pushing the stairwell door open and walking out onto the third floor.
“Sorry, T,” McGee frowned, placing a hand on the small of his back and rubbing gently. “You want some aspirin for the pain?”
“Maybe one,” he sighed as they approached their desks. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw a sandy-haired man sitting at his desk, holding a file in his hands. “Who the hell are you and what are you doin’ at my desk?”
The unfamiliar man didn’t flinch at the irritated tone, instead choosing to toss Tony a bored look. “You’re not Special Agent Gibbs.”
“Hmm, wonder what gave that away?” Tony snorted, dropping his bag beside his desk. “Still doesn’t answer my questions.”
With an exasperated sigh, he offered the Italian a casual sigh. “According to my orders, I answer to Special Agent Gibbs. As you are not Special Agent Gibbs, I’m not quite sure why you feel as though I have to answer your questions.”
“Funny you should say that. You see, around here, I’m the Senior Agent, therefore I am the one in charge when Special Agent Gibbs isn’t available. So, you can answer my questions, or"“
He stopped, turning at the sound of the elevator dinging. Cocking an eyebrow as Gibbs stepped off the elevator, he watched the man discreetly attempt to tuck his shirt back in before he stepped off, making his way over to the bullpen.
“Guess the elevator wasn’t broken after all,” he muttered, cringing when he felt his boss’ hand connect with the back of his head. “Sorry, boss.”
A slight smirk tugged at the corners of Gibbs’ lips before he noticed the other man standing primly behind Tony’s desk, a wide smile on his face.
“Who the hell are you?”
“Special Agent Eric Thomas, sir. From the Norfolk office. And let me just say, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” he said, his smile widening as he held out his hand.
Glancing down at the outstretched palm, Gibbs noticed the way the younger man’s hand trembled slightly and it was all he could do to keep from snorting.
“What the hell are you doing at my Senior Agent’s desk?” He asked, missing the way Tony stood just a little straighter behind him, his own grin forming.
“I’ve been transferred, sir. Temporarily, of course, until Agent DiNozzo is… fit for regular duty again,” he said, eyeing Tony with a look of distaste.
The Italian growled quietly, his eyes narrowing at the new agent.
“Don’t know who sent you here, kid, but we’re"“
“I did, Agent Gibbs,” Director Vance said as he made his way down from MTAC, ignoring McGee and Tony’s incredulous looks. “I received your request for Agent DiNozzo’s light duty, and it’s been approved, but I can’t let your team go for the next six months while you’re a man down.”
“Gibbs, you aren’t going to seriously"“
“Go downstairs, Tony.”
“Boss?”
“With Abby. Until I sort this out.”
“But--!”
“It’s not a discussion, DiNozzo!”
For a moment, Tony didn’t move. He stood still, glaring angrily at Gibbs before he bent down, snatching his bag from the floor beside his desk before he stalked off to the elevator.
::::::
Tony started ranting the moment he stepped off the elevator. “I can’t believe this. I’m, pretty sure this is some form of discrimination!” He dropped his backpack angrily.
Abby glanced over her shoulder at him, shaking her head as she returned to her work. “What happened this time? The girls in the evidence garage wanna touch your belly without askin’ again?”
“No. Vance is tryin’ to replace me! And your boyfriend decided to exile me instead of allowing me to stand up for myself!”
The Goth turned around and leaned against the prep table, looking her friend over carefully. “Okay, first off, I don’t think Gibbs is trying to exile you as you so eloquently put it. Secondly, what’s wrong with being here with me?”
He sighed, walking over and leaning against the prep table next to her. “I don’t mind bein’ down here with you, I just…” He trailed off, groaning loudly and fisting his hand in his hair. “The guy’s a real jackass too. I mean, cocky, authority issues"“
“So, in a nutshell… he’s you?”
“Very funny, Abby. Just fuckin’ hilarious,” he snapped, pushing away from the table.
“Tony,” she frowned, grabbing his hand. “I’m only kidding. I’m sorry.”
“It’s not funny! I mean, I know it probably seems like I’m some big fucking joke to all of you, but"“
“Tony,” she tried again.
“"Jesus Christ. I never should have agreed to…” He trailed off, taking a deep breath to calm himself.
“I’m sorry,” she managed, turning away when she felt her eyes beginning to water.
“Abby,” he sighed, dropping his head back to glare at the ceiling.
“No, you’re right. I… pressure you. I’m so sorry,” she said, swiping at her cheeks. “I knew you couldn’t say no to me… and I used that against you.”
Releasing another sigh, he turned to her, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind as he pulled her back against his chest. “I’m sorry, Abby.”
“You have nothing to be sorry for, T,” she sniffled, her hands shaking slightly as she typed on her computer.
“I’m an asshole. I shouldn’t… I’m not angry with you. I’m just… I’m mad at the whole situation upstairs and you were the easiest person for me to take it out on. I’m sorry,” he said again, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.
Turning in his arms, she leaned back against the table, wrapping her arms loosely around his waist. “Vance is a jackass. You know that. He’s had it out for you since the beginning, but you should know that Gibbs would never"“
“DiNozzo.”
They both turned at the sound of Gibbs’ voice, and almost immediately, Tony pulled away from Abby, looking away guiltily.
“You done feelin’ up my girl?”
“I wasn’t"“
“Grab your gear,” the older agent smirked, his fingers moving quickly as he signed to Abby, asking if she was okay.
With a curt nod, Abby offered her lover a reassuring smile before she pointed to Tony, signing that he was upset.
*I know,* Gibbs responded, allowing his fingers to speak for him. *But I plan on takin’ care of that right now.*
Closing the space between them, he pressed a kiss to Abby’s cheek before he turned his attention back to his Senior Field Agent, ignoring the pout on the older man’s face.
“With me, DiNozzo.”
Releasing a resigned sigh, Tony followed after his boss, his shoulders slumped dejectedly.
Once they were inside the elevator, Gibbs flipped the emergency switch, making a blue glow cover the inside of the car.
“You can save the talk, Gibbs. I can tell when I’m not needed.”
The silver-haired man cuffed him on the back of the head. “You gonna give me a chance to explain, DiNozzo, or you just gonna hand me your badge and weapon?”
The younger man frowned, leaning against the railing on the wall of the elevator. “Sorry.”
“Look, I wanna make it clear that I did not request this.”
Tony remained quiet, staring at the floor as his boss spoke.
“Vance arranged all this behind my back, Tony. I didn’t request him, I don’t want him, but Leon seems to think that we can’t handle bein’ a man down for six months.”
“Didn’t you tell him"“
Gibbs held his hand up. “I explained it to him. It didn’t help. Now, there’s nothin’ I can do right now. My hands are tied when it comes to getting’ rid of Thomas. But you are not gettin’ replaced.”
“Just set aside,” he snorted. “Vance give him my desk too?”
“Tried to. I refused. You’re keepin’ your desk and you’re keepin’ your position. You are still my senior agent. And I promise…” He took the younger man’s chin in his hand, forcing him to make eye contact. “I promise he will be gone as soon as you are cleared for active duty.”
Pulling away from his agent, Gibbs flipped the emergency switch again, setting the elevator into motion. Neither man said anything as the elevator jerked to a stop, nor did they speak as the doors opened, depositing them onto the third floor. Lifting his bag just a little higher on his shoulder, Tony stepped out, unable to hide his smirk as he spotted Thomas down at the far end of the bullpen, glaring angrily as he sat down at his desk.
“Thomas,” Gibbs barked as he sank down in his own seat. He didn’t miss the way the younger man scrambled to his feet, practically breaking his neck as he hurried in front of the desk.
“Yes sir?”
“Your first official assignment? Coffee.”
“C… coffee?”
“Uh huh. Actually… make it three coffees and a hot chocolate for DiNozzo.”
Tony watched as the younger man’s face fell, and it was everything he could do to keep from laughing out loud. He watched as Thomas made his way to the elevator, muttering angrily under his breath. Leaning back in his chair, he grinned over at McGee before he glanced over in his boss’ direction, not missing the slight smirk on Gibbs’ face as he glanced down at his computer, studiously ignoring Tony.
Chapter End Notes:
A/N: Hi guys! Hope you all had a happy and safe New Year! I was hoping to get this chapter out sooner, but that break I took made me lazy! Haha. A huge thank you, as always, to my Kelley. Without her, this chapter wouldn't be anywhere near finished! Also, there's something I needed to address: I've been getting a lot of reviews hating on Abby lately. LOL I know she might seem OOC right now, but I promise you, she'll redeem herself shortly so if she's annoying you, I swear it'll get better! Thank you so much to everyone who's reviewed! You guys keep me going. Remember: Tony loves reviews more than pizza and hot chocolate!