Another 'Milsom Bay' story but, once again, I don't think it will matter if you haven't read any of the others as I'll explain the setting and 'original characters' as we go along.

"You want to see Daddy?"

Tali nodded vigorously and tugged on Jethro Gibbs' hand to hurry him up.

Gibbs resisted the pull and bent down to Tali's level, "Remember what we said?"

Tali frowned as she concentrated and then she nodded again.

"Good girl," praised Gibbs but, unsure whether the little girl really did remember, continued, "You need to be gentle. Understand?"

Tali's chin wobbled for a second before she managed to nod once more.

"Let's go then," said Gibbs, hoping they were doing the right thing. He pushed open the door to Tony's room and paused for a moment as he took in the sight of Tony lying in his hospital bed looking pale and thin.

Tony didn't react to the sound of the door opening but continued to gaze absently at the TV screen where, somewhat inappropriately, a daytime hospital soap was running.

Tali stayed with Gibbs, she seemed daunted by the silence in the room and by her father not immediately reacting to her presence. Gibbs took a breath and led her to Tony's bedside and then, despite Tony still not reacting, lifted her on to the bed. "Careful," he said softly as a warning not to disturb the drip or any of the monitors attached to her father.

Tali reached out carefully and patted Tony's hand, "Daddy?"

Donald Mallard stiffened slightly in his chair by Tony's bed and waited to see what would happen. The silence continued for a couple of seconds and then Tony looked away from the TV to look at his daughter. A couple more seconds and he managed a tired smile and turned his hand so that it was holding Tali's.

"Missed you!" wailed Tali.

"Come here," rasped Tony. Tali squirmed her way forward until she was in Tony's arms.

Ducky and Gibbs exchanged a relieved look and smiled for what felt like the first time in days.

Tony had been in Wilmington hospital for about a week. At first the doctors had thought he was suffering from pneumonia, but he hadn't responded to treatment and continued to run a high fever with a hacking cough. There had been real fear that he was not going to come through the illness until Brad Pitt, consulted from Walter Reed Hospital in Washington DC, suggested testing Tony's coughed up mucus for Legionnaires' Disease. That test had come back positive and treatment with the right antibiotic had begun.

The attack had taken it out of Tony and, although the fever had gone, it had left him exhausted and silent – he hadn't demanded the removal of his catheter or asked for pizza to be delivered. Tali had not been allowed to see him for a few days because the high fever had caused delirium which it was judged would be too distressing for her to see. In the end, Gibbs had suggested that she be allowed to see him in the hope that it would rouse him from his lethargy. And so it had proved; the words come here were the first he had spoken since the fever broke.

Tali relaxed in Tony's arms and promptly fell asleep – she had been restless and anxious away from him but, reunited, she reverted to letting him take care of her. Tony grinned as he heard her heavy breathing and followed her into slumber.

"You were right, Jethro," said Ducky approvingly.

Gibbs raised an eyebrow in reply but decided not to give the doctor a list of all the times he had been right: it was enough that Tony might have turned a corner.

"Better tell him to keep away from hot-tubs and whirlpool spas in future," he said curtly.

"Indeed," agreed Ducky, "It was fortunate that nobody else in the party from Raleigh PD succumbed."

Tony and other members of the Raleigh Police Department where he worked as Community and Federal Agency Liaison Officer (CAFALO) had attended the wedding of two co-workers at the Raleigh Metropolitan Hotel and stayed overnight. Several of them had enjoyed using the spa facilities and it was a few days after that that Tony became unwell. The working hypothesis was that Tony, and other members of the party, had been exposed to the Legionella bacteria there.

Tony had been staying at his cabin in Milsom Bay on the North Carolina coast when the illness had become severe and he had been taken to hospital. Alice Hardman, Tony's housekeeper/nanny, had alerted Tony's Milsom Bay friends – Millie Lacey the local café owner and John Sutherland an artist and near neighbour as well as her brother Colin who worked with Tony in the CAFALO office. Donald Mallard had been staying with Dr Murray having just finished one of his frequent spells of covering for the doctor in his clinic. Ducky had notified Jethro Gibbs of Tony's illness and they had all maintained an informal rota to be at the hospital.

"You think he'll be OK now?" asked Gibbs as he looked at the sleeping father and child.

"I believe so," replied Ducky, "And now, I had best go and spread the good news. Unless," he paused courteously, "You would prefer to be the one to disseminate the glad tidings?" Gibbs blank stare was answer enough. Ducky chuckled and went off to phone Milsom Bay.

Gibbs hadn't been on his own for long before Detective Colin Hardman arrived.

"Sis said that you'd brought Tali to Tony."

Gibbs nodded.

"Looks like it worked," said Hardman gesturing towards the bed.

Gibbs nodded again.

Hardman suppressed a grin. He had something of a reputation himself for taciturnity, but Jethro Gibbs made him feel a novice in that regard.

"That why you came?" asked Gibbs curiously.

"Kinda."

"Kinda?"

"It's probably nothing."

Gibbs sighed. He no longer worked for NCIS and so didn't lead a team, but he hadn't lost his distaste for reports made in a circuitous way. The sigh seemed to prompt Colin into marshalling his thoughts,

"It seems kinda crazy. I mean, the diagnosis is definite, isn't it?"

Gibbs shrugged, "As far as I know. Doctors seem pretty certain. Why?"

"The manager at the Metro …"

"Metro?"

"Metropolitan Hotel. You know, where we all went for the wedding …"

"Hmm."

"He's worried about it being Legionnaires' Disease … and the possibility Tony caught it there."

"Understandable. Guess it's not exactly good for business."

"But he insists that the hotel follows all the hygiene regulations. They have a water management programme and carry out all the tests required. Says the hot tubs and whirlpools are almost new and are top of the range."

"Mistakes happen."

"Insists he's going to check all their security footage to prove he's right."

"What? He thinks someone sabotaged the hotel?" asked Gibbs sceptically.

"I know. Sounds farfetched to me," admitted Colin, "And he's got a lot to lose so it's in his interests to shift the blame."

"Huh," agreed Gibbs although he couldn't help but remember how, years ago, someone had managed deliberately to infect Tony with pneumonic plague. "What you going to do about it?"

"Me? Nothing, it's not exactly a cold case or CAFALO business." (The CAFALO office had oversight of some cold cases in an expansion of their work). "But Chief Martin has someone looking into it and the State Public Health department will be investigating. They'll find out."

"Boss?" came Tony's voice from the bed.

"Tony?"

"Can you move her? My arm's gone to sleep."

Gibbs grinned, "Sure. Come on, sleeping beauty," he said as he shifted Tali a little. She grumbled slightly but didn't wake up.

"How you feeling?" he asked Tony.

"Fine. Well, finer," he amended.

"Anthony!" said Ducky as he re-entered the room, "I have spread the good news …"

"What good news? Hey Col, did the money for the donut machine in the office come through?" asked Tony.

"Tsk, tsk," smiled Ducky, "You know very well what I mean, young man. You gave us a fright, you know."

"I know," admitted Tony, "Frightened myself a bit too." He smoothed Tali's hair as he spoke, and the others realised that his fear had probably not been solely for himself. Fatherhood had changed his life view. "When can I get out of here?" he asked.

"We'll see," said Ducky noncommittally, "We'll see."

Tony's planned words of protest were lost as he gave a huge yawn and his eyes drifted shut once more.

As it turned out, Tony was kept in hospital for two more days before being discharged to recuperate in Milsom Bay. Ducky was a firm believer in the restorative powers of a sea breeze and Tony, and his other doctors, were happy to agree.

"But," said Ducky firmly, "You are not even to think about work for at least a month, Anthony. The illness was severe, and you need to take every precaution. Do you understand?"

"Sure," said Tony easily.

Ducky decided to take Tony's compliance at face value but resolved to keep a close eye on him.

"Col will be fine being CAFALO," said Tony a little more convincingly.

"And Miss Hardman will be on hand to look after Tali … and you."

"Well, no," said Tony, "She's already put off her vacation while I was ill, so I told her to go."

"Anthony …" said Ducky in a tone which suggested a brewing disagreement.

"Ducky," said Tony with a hint of a whine, "It's important. It's her first time away with Doug …" Tony paused as he considered the slight oddity of Alice hitting it off with John Sutherland's somewhat unappealing son. From the puzzled look on Ducky's face, he guessed the doctor had similar thoughts.

"Well …"

"And Tali's signed up for this summer vacation play scheme down there. She'll be gone most of the day and come back worn out from all those sandcastles, crayoning and bossing the other kids around."

"Well …"

"And Mac is coming for a visit."

"Mac?"

"You remember Mac?"

"Indeed. Frazer McKenzie. But I thought he was in Australia."

"He was but now he's back. He was going to come for a visit but when he heard what had happened, he offered to look after Tali again." Mac had been Tali's first nanny and had been sorely missed when he had taken another job which had taken him around the world.

"And what is Frazer going to be doing afterwards?"

"He's looking around. Might do a PhD in child development or look for another job that takes him on a world cruise. Although …"

"Although what, Anthony?"

"Laura … Chief Martin – my boss – is looking for someone to look after her little boy. I thought I might … you know, steer Mac in her direction … once Ali is back, of course." Tony finished with a smug look on his face at the way he had arranged things.

"And what about …"

"We never cook when we're down here. Not with Millie just down the road."

"Very well, you seem to have worked things out," said Ducky sternly although he was inwardly congratulating himself on guilting Tony into making arrangements he might otherwise have neglected.

So, Tony went home with a daughter who was almost beside herself with joy at being reunited with both Mac and her father. Work was in Colin's capable hands, Ducky, Dr Murray and Nurse Ratched (his somewhat unfortunately named assistant) were looking forward to monitoring his recovery while Millie would provide sustaining food. John Sutherland would provide company if he got bored and Ruskin the dog would happily sit on his feet … and Gibbs would … well, who knew what Gibbs would do?