SLEEPLESS… BUT NOT IN SEATTLE

By Lyn

EMAIL: Lyn

Tony sucked in a breath and tried not to groan out loud as Gibbs put pressure – more pressure than necessary if you asked Tony – on his shoulder wound. “How bad is it?” he husked out.

Gibbs gave him a smile that didn’t look in the slightest sympathetic and pressed even harder. “Just a scratch. Not even a scratch actually.”

“So… so why are you pressing so hard if it’s just a scratch?”

This time Gibbs gave Tony a positively evil grin. “To make sure you’re paying attention, DiNozzo. I said, wait for back up. I’m not so old that I don’t remember saying that and what did you do?”

Tony squirmed, only this time it wasn’t from the pressure on his wound. It was from the laser glare Gibbs aimed in his direction. “He might have gotten away,” he said lamely, feeling more of a probie than McGee.

“He did get away,” Gibbs ground out.

“No, he didn’t!” McGee appeared behind Gibbs looking like the cat who’d eaten… was that eaten or ate? Tony wondered… He shook his head to try to dust the cobwebs from his thought processes.

“You got him?” Gibbs asked. “Good work, McGee.”

McGee grinned widely then his smile faltered a little. “Well, Ziva got him actually. I mean, I tripped him over but Ziva ‘got’ him.” He rubbed his shoulder.

“Little eager for the collar, was she?” Tony asked sympathetically, knowing how focused Ziva could be when it came to the take down of a perp.

McGee blushed then shook his head. “No! I had him. I just let her…” He sighed. “Yeah,” he said finally. “Paramedics are here,” he said brightly, obviously glad to have the attention back on Tony.

“This doesn’t get you out of trouble, DiNozzo,” Gibbs said, the laser death-glare back on Tony. “What is up with you lately? You’ve been off your game for a week or more!”

Tony sighed and waited while the paramedics took over, slapped a bandage – again, none too gently on his shoulder wound – then loaded him onto a gurney. “You want to give us a minute?” he asked as they wheeled him toward the ambulance. Once the paramedics and McGee were out of earshot, he looked up at Gibbs. “Look, Boss—“

Ziva looked over Gibbs’ shoulder at him, a very satisfied smile on her face. “Harris is in custody,” she announced.

“Good work, David,” Gibbs said.

Ziva’s smile grew wider. “Thank you, Gibbs. If McGee hadn’t gotten in the way, I would have had him sooner but…” She shrugged her shoulders.

“If McGee hadn’t tripped him and slowed him down, he might have gotten away,” Gibbs said. “We’re a team, Agent David. Don’t forget that.”

“No, of course.” Ziva blushed. “Of course. I just meant—“

“Ride with Harris to NCIS,” Gibbs ordered and Tony winced. He’d been on the wrong side of that bark way too many times himself. He smiled at Ziva as brightly as the pain in his shoulder would allow. “Way to go, McGee… and you, of course.”

Ziva gave him a forced smile that didn’t reach her yes. “Thank you, Tony. I hope your injury isn’t too serious.”

“Just a scratch,” Tony and Gibbs said at the same time.

Tony waited until Ziva had left then turned what he hoped was a sad sack, ‘I’m such a klutz’ look on Gibbs. “Like I was saying, Boss, I’m sorry. I just haven’t been sleeping much.” He lowered his voice to a whisper. “That stuff we talked about has been keeping me awake… and for all the wrong reasons. I mean, I just keep imagining if I took you up on your offer—“ He gasped as Gibbs squeezed his fingers tightly.

“If I’d known it was going to throw you off your game, Tony, I’d never have suggested it.”

“No! It didn’t… I mean it did but only because my brain wouldn’t quit thinking about all the ramifications,” Tony protested, “not because I was questioning the suggestion itself.”

Gibbs grinned at him. “So, I’m taking it that’s a yes.”

Tony nodded, feeling the big chunk of worry that had been gnawing at him subside. Even his bullet wound didn’t hurt as much anymore. “That’s a yes.”

“Okay. Go to the hospital and let ‘em patch you up. I’ll check on you later,” Gibbs replied.

“You will?” Tony wilted back against the pillow at the glare Gibbs aimed his way and wondered, not for the first time, how anyone could manage to have a glare and a twinkle in their eyes at the same time. He was rambling, he knew. Probably the blood loss. Still, things had been a little whacky for a week or so now. Hence the lack of sleep, hence Harris getting the jump on him, hence McGee and Ziva looking so damned proud of themselves. Hence….

~o0o~

“You awake?”

Tony made a valiant attempt to open his eyes and finally succeeded. He smiled at Jethro, who lay next to him, leaning up on one elbow. “I’m awake… sorta.”

“Didn’t hurt your shoulder, did I?” Gibbs asked, trailing a gentle finger over the bandage on Tony’s upper arm.

“Heck no,” Tony replied. He reached up and caught Gibbs’ hand in his own, and kissed it. “In fact, we could do that again if you like.” He yawned suddenly and Gibbs laughed.

“Get some sleep, Tony.”

“No, really, Jethro,” Tony tried to protest but his eyes were already drifting closed again as Jethro wrapped his arms about him and pulled him close so they were spooned together.

“Plenty of time, Tony,” Jethro whispered. “All the time in the world.”

END