Chapter 9
“Look, Gibbs,” Tony said. “All of us share some of the blame in this, some more than others, including me.”
“You’re the one who nearly died, Tony.” Gibbs looked Tony in the eyes. “How can you possibly be to blame?”
“I knew my breathing wasn’t right all afternoon. I was coughing and getting short of breath. I could’ve said something to somebody.”
“I’m sure if you knew how bad it was gonna get, you would have.”
“Isn’t it a shame that I can’t see into the future?” Tony asked sarcastically. “That’s right up there with reading minds. And if you still want to play the blame game, you should take a look in the mirror.”
“What do you mean by that?” Gibbs had a look on his face that his team recognized as being one they usually saw right before they got slapped on the back of the head.
That didn’t stop Tony from speaking his mind. “I mean, you figured out what was going on and took off without telling anyone what you were doing. If you would’ve taken the team for backup, it wouldn’t have happened the way it did, and more than likely no one would’ve ended up in the river.”
“Tony, I had to help Maddie,” Gibbs said, pleading for understanding.
“I know that. I understand and I don’t blame you, but you didn’t have to do it alone.”
“What I had planned wasn’t exactly by the book.”
Tony scoffed. “Like we’ve ever let that stop us before.” He noted that Gibbs was starting to look a little less stubborn, so he continued to press his point. “Besides, everything turned out okay in the end. You shouldn’t keep blaming the others for something they didn’t even know they should be worried about in the first place.”
“What about what Ducky did? You think I should just forget about it?”
“Well, I can understand why you’re mad about that. If he sedated me without my consent, I’d be pissed off, too.”
“I don’t know if I can let it go, Tony.”
“Look, you and Ducky have been friends for a long time. It’s up to you how you handle it. But do you really want to throw all that away?”
“I don’t know.”
“Look, this is Ducky we’re talking about. I’m sure he had a good reason for doing what he did. All I can tell you is to listen to what he has to say and then make your decision about what to do.”
Gibbs thought about Tony’s words. He supposed it wouldn’t hurt to listen to Ducky’s reason for sedating him when he’d been in the hospital, but he’d been holding on to his mad for so long, he didn’t really know how to let it go, so he didn’t say anything.
“Look, Gibbs,” Tony continued. “Give ‘em a break, and after what happened this time, I’m sure nothing like this will ever happen again.”
“How can you know that for sure?”
“I don’t know,” Tony said. “You’re the kind of guy who likes rules. We can make up a new one.”
“And what would the rule say?”
“Well, maybe not an actual rule. We can set up some kind of a system, you know, like a buddy system.”
“How exactly would that work, Tony?”
“Everyone on the team can have an assigned buddy and if something bad happens, the buddy will check on him or her,” Tony explained. “McGee and Abby can be assigned buddies, Ziva and Ducky, and you and me. The person whose buddy is hurt or sick can have a backup buddy to check on them. We can draw straws or pick names out of a hat or something.”
Gibbs looked at Tony and laughed softly. “Tony, I think that may be the most ridiculous idea I’ve ever heard.”
“You have a better one?” When Gibbs didn’t say anything, Tony continued. “It’s a good way to never leave a man, or woman, behind.”
“Maybe.”
“Jethro, I really want you to go talk to the team and clear this up.” Tony gave Gibbs his best pleading look, puppy-dog eyes and all. “Or if you’d rather, I’ll call them up and get them all here and we can hash everything out in my hospital room.”
It wasn’t so much Tony’s words that changed Gibbs’ mind, but the look that finally broke him. He didn’t think he’d ever be able to resist it. It was a good thing Tony had never looked at him like that at work; he wouldn’t have ever gotten anything accomplished.
“Oh, all right,” Gibbs said reluctantly. “I’ll go talk to them later.” He had to admit to himself that Tony was right about who was to blame; every one of them could claim a share, and they couldn’t continue on with the team divided like it was. Both of them had to go back to work eventually, and they needed to be able to get along in order to do their jobs. He knew that despite how much his team teased and insulted each other, they were devoted to one another, and each of them would do anything for the others. He’d decide what to do about Ducky after he heard what the doctor had to say.
“Did we just have our first argument?” Tony asked sweetly.
Gibbs turned his attention back to Tony. “It was more like… a discussion.”
“I’d like to reclassify that discussion as an argument.”
“Why, Tony? Do you like having arguments?”
“Oh, I don’t know, Jethro.” Tony grinned and waggled his eyebrows suggestively. “Do you like having make-up sex?”
XXXXXXXXXX
An hour or so later, Gibbs and Tony were watching a basketball game Tony had found on TV, when Tony said seriously, “There’s something we need to discuss, Jethro.”
“What’s that?”
“You went off grid and there should be some serious consequences to that.”
Gibbs looked pointedly at the hospital bed Tony was lying in. “You mean besides the obvious?”
“Well, yeah.”
“Tony, what’re you talking about?”
“I’m talking about my suit; my very nice, very expensive, suit. I’d tell you the name of the designer, but I know it’d go right over your head.”
Gibbs raised one eyebrow. “Your suit?”
“Yeah, my suit, shoes and watch. They’re all ruined. I’m willing to let the cell phone slide because it’s NCIS property, but the other stuff… ”
Gibbs realized Tony was teasing him, and after what Gibbs had done to the younger man the day before when he asked Gibbs about the kiss, he guessed it was only fair, so he decided to take the bait. “What do you expect me to do about it?”
“Well, don’t you think you should replace my stuff?”
“Tony, you spend more on one suit than I spend on my entire wardrobe in a year. I’d probably have to take out a second mortgage on my house.”
“Hey, it’s not my fault you do all your clothes shopping at Sears.”
“What’s wrong with Sears?”
“If you don’t already know, then I’m not gonna tell you.”
Gibbs stood up from his chair and leaned over Tony and looked him in the eyes. “I’ll you what.”
Gibbs was so close to him that Tony could feel the heat emanating from his body and Tony’s eyes dilated with arousal. “What?”
Gibbs leaned in even closer and kissed Tony long and deep with a lot of tongue. He pulled away only when Tony was gasping for air. “I’ll think about it.” Then he sat back down in his chair like nothing happened.
Tony shot Gibbs a glare. “You’re a bastard.”
Gibbs smiled. “Guilty as charged.”
TBC
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