Season 11 Christmas 2013

A/N: I'm intrigued about all the coffee sharing Gibbs and Tony are doing this season. Seen it twice now where they share the same cup, anyone else spotted that? ;)

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Tony coughed. Everybody froze, even Gibbs.

The crime scene they were at was a cold one. Body found under a sheet of thin ice in a secluded fishing hole near Norfolk. By no means an original death and by all accounts looking like a drunken accident if the ID is confirmed as the AWOL petty officer reported missing Christmas Eve Morning after a night out. Sad, sure, but not much anyone can do except get on with the job on this snowy early January morning.

As for Tony, he'd been teetering on the edge of the muddy bank taking pictures of the body before it was moved when the familiar tickle ignited in the back of his throat, the cold air, which was even colder near the iced over water, making each breath sharp and to the point. He covered his mouth with a tissue, immediately letting out a slew of little coughs and sneezes before blowing his nose, then turning around only to catch everybody staring at him. Everybody except Bishop that is, who is staring at everyone else.

"Seriously. Stop it. Stop it now." He smarts, blowing his nose again until it squeaked and giving them all the evil eye. "I'm fine."

Ducky, Palmer and McGee continue to stare, but once Gibbs nods, albeit reluctantly, and goes back to what he'd been doing before the hacking coughs disturbed the overall quiet of their secluded crime scene location, so does everyone else.

Tony waits until everyone turns away and the coast is clear to make a quick retreat across the small snowy field over to the NCIS truck, climbing inside.

"They're really worried about you." Bishop sneaks up on him, peering round the one open door.

"Yeah don't I know it," Tony groans under his breath, banging around opening and closing draws looking for another packet of tissues since he'd managed to use all his in the short time they'd been there. "Great first case back Anthony!" He cheers falsely, loud enough for Bishop to hear this time.

He sees her frown out the corner of his eye and sighs, feeling bad for snapping at the new girl when she has no real idea what went on last week while she'd been spending Christmas with her family.

"Sorry, I'm just sick of everyone losing it every time I sneeze or clear my throat." Tony admits tiredly, ashamed gaze aimed at the van floor.

"You know -"

"Ah let me cut you off there, I'm not big on the whole probability math analysis thing you have going, that's more McGee's area of McGeekyness. The only thing I remember about the plague is that it's bad and I don't need being reminded of it constantly." Realising his tone had turned hard again Tony attempts to smooth it over with a winning smile. "Look just ignore me, I'm tired and grumpy."

It's for nought though, Bishop continues as if she hadn't heard a word he'd said.

"Actually I was also going to say it's not unusual for people to overact to simple things because of a memory. They obviously care about you." She shrugs simply.

Tony pauses in his draw slamming and looks at her. "Oh," he frowns, works through it to a smile and then concedes… "Okay yeah I guess that makes sense, wasn't thinking about it that way."

"Well statistically people are more likely to think irrationally when faced with their own mortality," Bishop continues seriously, not taking the cue to shut up.

"Well it is nice to have people care." Tony states with more than a hint of wryly humour, relaxing his shoulders.

What irked him most about her was Bishop seemed to have the knack to turn every non sciencey thing she said into cheesy sentiment, this included. Tony isn't sure how he feels about that, he considers himself more film noir than hallmark movie. Ziva would eat her alive if she were here. He quickly cuts his mind off from pursuing that thought train further. He'd dealt with her absence pretty well since his chat with Gibbs in the men's room, Ziva's favourite for important conversations, and didn't need to be dragging anything back up now, not when he's feeling less than a 100% health wise.

Bishop is frowning at him again he notices, probably because of his 'caring' comment. He bets she can't believe he could think they don't care. Tony smiles happily, pleased he has one up on her at last and looking forward to all the fun he can have with that. When it comes to people she's apparently more gullible than McGee.

"DiNozzo!" Gibbs' angry shout travels across the snowy banks, instantly wiping the cheery grin off his face.

Sharing an amused look with Bishop, who's surprisingly quick to catch onto some of Gibbs' little ticks and intricacies, Tony jumps out the van, landing on none too steady feet and with Bishop makes his way back down to join the rest of the team.

"Glad you could join us." Gibbs eyes them both warily.

Tony brushes it off, whereas Bishop looks fretful. Clearly she's not so amused by the Gibbs attitude when it's her in the firing line too, so Tony speaks up, taking the heat off her by making an ill-timed joke. A joke which earns him a whack around the head. He can see Bishop's eyes bulge the second Gibbs' hand makes contact, his usual 'thanks boss' in response has her mouth gapping.

"So what we got?" Gibbs gives her no time to ask.

Tony's grateful for that, the first Gibbs slap was always hard to explain to office newbies.

"It's definitely looking like our missing petty officer." McGee replies first, finger print scanner confirming it.

"What about cause of death? Do we think his friends had a hand in his early demise?" Tony jokes recalling the case details.

"As you well know Anthony I don't extrapolate in the field," Ducky tisks him, leaning over the body which clearly had been pulled out of the water sometime while he and Bishop had been in the van. "But the woman's finger nail stuck in his arm certainly suggests this man wasn't alone."

"So is drowning the cause of death Duck?" Gibbs pushes.

"That I will not guess about, you'll have to wait for my report I'm afraid, Jethro."

"Duck, come on" Gibbs sighs and Tony doesn't miss the tired look, tired not because of the case, but because of him he bets. "Best guess."

Ducky sighs too, everyone's tired because of him. This is doing nothing for his current level of guilt over last week's excitement.

"He does appear to have blunt force trauma to the front of his head," Ducky walks them over to where the body's currently laying on a black plastic body bag ready to be taken back to NCIS. "The burst vessels in his eyes suggest suffocation, now the trauma to the frontal lobe could have been caused from the fall or was the cause of the fall, like I said..."

"Yeah okay, we'll wait for your report."

"There's no sign of a struggle out here or a blood trail, Boss." McGee swiftly moves them on.

"The snow could've covered it up." Tony adds, keeping any sign of a sniffle out of his voice. "He's been missing a week nearly, and it's snowed every day since."

"So no footprints then," Bishop adds, sounding more like she just wanted to join in on the brain storming than having anything to add to the case. Team work is something she's only just getting used to, as well as their unconventional working dynamic.

"Spread out, he's a big guy, some evidence of the path he took could still be here." Gibbs halts anymore discussion.

Orders barked they spread out instinctually, leaving Ducky and Palmer to deal with removing the body. Tony takes off with Gibbs to cover the furthest corner near the treeline, leaving McGee and Bishop to canvas the road side of the fishing lake. Behind them they can hear the muffled hacks even though Tony is trying his best to hide them.

"Is he okay?" Bishops asks immediately.

"Tony?" McGee frowns, looking back over his shoulder at the man in question, "he's fine now."

"Now?"

"Er yeah, we had a bit of a scare over Christmas." He admits and looking Bishop in the eye can tell she isn't ever going to be easily satisfied with a basic answer. Looking around to check Tony's definitely out of ear shot he concedes he might as well cough up the whole story of their NCIS Christmas 2013, lest she not give up asking and decide to question Gibbs instead. "It started the night he was supposed to be going to the airport…"

…..

Ten days earlier: December 23rd 2013

"McGee! McGee!"

"Tony?" Tim stood in his living room tying the robe around his waist, looking puzzled by the banging and whining coming from the other side of his apartment door.

Opening it reveals one very grey, very sorry, Very Special Agent.

"I'm sick." Are Tony's first snuffled words to him in explanation.

Walking in without invite Tony drops himself in one miserably heap on the sofa, Tim following, still not really awake.

"Shouldn't you be on your way to Jamaica?"

Tony's whiny sigh gets louder and he flops sideways hiding his face in the sofa pillows. He's soaking wet and stinting of mint. McGee fears he'll have to burn the couch.

"I was on my way, you know it can't be that bad right, I took plenty of cough medicine, but then it got worse and I kept hearing Abby's voice in my head telling me it's the plague and I'd be responsible for spreading it worldwide and then would die in a hotel room miles from home, found a week later eaten by dingo's."

"There's no dingo's in Jamaica Tony." McGee deadpans.

"That's what you took from that?" Tony snaps at him, sitting up.

"That and the Bridget Jones irrational fear of being eaten by dog's" Tim delivers straight then quickly moves them along. "Does Abby know?"

"Know what?" Tony asks frowning confused. "About the dingoes?"

"That you're sick." Adding the silent idiot Tim rolls his eyes and finds a blanket to cover him with because he finally notices Tony shivering.

"No, she'd freak out and confirm all my irrational fears." He snubs. "And don't go telling Gibbs either McSnitch. I need to get the next flight out of here and he won't let me go if he knows I'm sick. You know how he gets with plague."

"For the last time DiNozzo, every cold is not the plague." McGee sighs, walking away to find his phone to call Gibbs.

"Says you." Tony mutters behind him. "What are you doing?!"

"Calling Gibbs." McGee shouts back, too tired to bother lying.

"I just told you not to call Gibbs." Tony screams like a little girl.

He tries to get up, but falls from the sofa to land flat on his face. Tim sees him before he manages to call so drops his phone and runs over to help.

"What the hell happened?"

"Don't tell Gibbs about the dingo's Tim. Gibbs like dogs." Tony mumbles into McGee's chest as he tries and fails to get up off the floor.

"What?" McGee frowns, then…"Wait, did you say cough medicine?"

"What about it?"

"Cough medicine, you took some?"

"Yeah and it didn't touch me."

"Tony!" McGee groans in annoyance. "You're not supposed to have anything like that, it sends you nuts."

Tony starts to giggle, repeatedly mumbling the work word 'nuts' under his breath. At least the cough medicine explains the dingo obsession.

"I have to tell Gibbs Tony, he'll kill me if I don't. Besides what did you come here for if you didn't want us to know?" McGee humours him, knowing it's too late to get sense out of him now.

"For your excellent bedside manner," Tony sneezes as McGee hooks his arm in his and pulls him up, they fall backwards landing together in a heap on the couch. "I came so you and Abby can do your McGeek thing and get me some magic cure so I can go on holiday without worrying about spreading the black death."

McGee sighs again and actually feels bad for him. Tony's not just delirious from the flu, he's desperate. The cough medicine has likely made him worse, but that doesn't matter, just from looking at him up close, feeling the heat radiating off him without needing a thermometer it's clear he's going nowhere. Especially if there is any chance he has flu similar to the marine base kids.

"I'll put the kettle on, make you a warm drink." McGee pats his knee, planning on keeping Tony in the dark as to his real intentions for as long as possible.

.

Tim opened the car door to help Tony out, supporting him on his short journey up the snowy path leading to the house.

"Thanks McTraitor." He snarls sarcastically despite being unresisting to the hand under his elbow and arm around his waist.

"You're welcome." McGee replies equally, having heard a slew of unhelpful and demining phrases since Tony worked out they weren't heading towards Abby's place.

Gibbs was on his porch, hands in pockets waiting patiently by his open front door having seen McGee pull up outside and rightly assuming he'd need help.

"Sorry boss," Tony says as McGee lets him go and he passes Gibbs to go inside.

"Sorry boss," McGee mimics following.

Gibbs nods silently staying on the porch a few seconds longer to muse over the snowy scene, he shakes his head bemusedly before walking back inside shutting the door firmly behind him.

.

"What have you done this time DiNozzo?" Gibbs asks him watching McGee rest Tony comfortably on the couch.

"Not a thing boss." Tony gruntingly responds without looking at him.

Gibbs glares, unimpressed by his riposte and looks expectantly at McGee.

"Temperatures over a 100 still, Abby's on her way round to take swabs to confirm if it's the same strain of strep-pneumonia the kids had." McGee pauses, looking guilty, "I really wanted to take him to hospital but since we've all already been exposed…"

"Its fine McGee I wouldn't have told you to bring him otherwise." Gibbs nods reassuringly. He can see real fear in McGee's eyes and it's not fear for himself that's for damn sure. "Go pour us some coffee while we wait." He continues in the same even and surprisingly gentle tone.

Watching him go Gibbs debates over his next move, but once McGee's safely absconded to the kitchen he bends down to sit next to Tony who's slumped in the corner of the sofa.

"I'm fine I don't need to go hospital." He repeats his usual mantra, one they'd all heard many times over the years since the plague and McGee's no doubt heard on a loop since Tony showed up on his doorstep.

"You'll go where I tell you to go, got it." Gibbs snaps and glares, the gentle tone gone to be replaced with calm and even, making him sound even more dangerous than usual if that's possible. "And stay off the cough syrup." He hits him, nowhere near as hard as he deserves, around the head.

Tony blinks, slowly pulls the blanket lying across the back of the couch over his shoulders and slumps into the cushions.

"Yes boss."

…..

"Wow," Bishop interrupts, halting McGee's retelling and their progress through the snow. "You know when he said he didn't make his trip to Jamaica I thought he'd just changed his mind."

"It was probably for the best." McGee nods casually, in complete contrast to her surprise.

"So what happened?" She asks eagerly.

McGee picks up some trash from the side of the road and quickly throws it back down again when he's sure it is just trash.

Wiping his hands on his jeans he picks up the story again, "Abby came by and took the swabs, but by then things had already gotten worse…"

…..

"McGee get Ducky, meet us at the hospital."

-Charging!-

"Boss what's happening?" Tim shouts down his cell upon hearing the commotion and unmistakeable sound of a defibrillator charging up in the background.

Pulling a Gibbs worthy move he veered around a trail of cars following in the ambulances path.

"Just do it McGee! And Hurry!"

Gibbs hung up. Leaving McGee to explain what all the shouting was about to Abby.

"McGee?" Abby demands on cue panic already audible in her cry.

"I've got to fetch Ducky," McGee admits reluctantly, swinging a left at the next junction leaving the ambulance containing Gibbs and Tony to carry on straight out of sight.

Abby pales, looking set to burst into tears, because she's intuitive enough to know something is very, very wrong.

"Take me to my lab," she says determinedly, after taking a deep gulping breath.

"Abby," Tim cries this time.

"No McGee! I'm not giving up on him, I can find out what this is with my babies faster than any hospital then when I do they can treat him." She falls back in her seat, arms folded face determined.

McGee doesn't think anyone's giving up on DiNozzo, not him and especially not Gibbs, but he knows if something bad happens and Abby's not with them she'll never forgive herself.

"It's probably the same thing the kids all had," McGee reasons, swinging right to arrive at Ducky's apartment within minutes. "They have the antibiotics ready."

"And what if it's not." Abby presses, calling his bluff.

McGee sideways looks at her. She clearly has a feeling because otherwise Abby would never beg to go to her lab instead of being with Tony. Something felt off to him too.

"Okay."

…..

"So if he'd gotten on the flight…"

"He'd have probably died in a hotel room all alone," McGee stops himself from making the dingo comment; submerging himself in DiNozzo's cough syrup induced delirium was never a good idea.

"That's awful." Bishop looks honestly sorry about it too, "So he spent Christmas alone in hospital?"

"Oh I wish." McGee chuckles wirily as they begin to canvas the other side of the snowy road looking for signs of their dead Petty Officer or his suspected company. The silence from her however has him gazing over only to catch the enquiring glare being aimed back at him. "Tony has a habit of… disappearing." He explains, settling on that over the more fitting 'running away' to preserve some of Tony's dignity for him.

…

Christmas Day 2013

"Gibbs, we've checked like all the floors, he's gone, vamoosed, disappeared-"

"I get it Abs," Gibbs interrupts her before she can think of more words for 'gone'.

She stills, watches him look around the bustling hospital corridor looking worried. And that look of helplessness on her Gibbs, the strongest man she knows, makes her soooo mad.

"How can he do this again?! On Christmas! When we've all come to see him!" She snaps, causing several passer-by's to turn heads. "He knows he's sick, he knows we all care about him, why would he do this again? Why?!" Abby realises she may be a touch hysterical, but that's just her way when she's passionate about something, her worst quality when she's feels angry and let down.

"I should have just brought him straight here the minute he showed up at my place." McGee goes for self-loathing instead, something else that annoys Abby along with Tony's selfish stupidity. "Then none of this might be happening."

"Then why didn't you?" She snaps, in no mood to make him feel better.

"Hey!" Gibbs shouts, angry and terse, silencing their inevitable argument before it can really start.

"What are we going to do?" Abby feels tears, big fat ones fill her eyes because she knows deep down her Tony's in trouble and never in a million years would he hurt them on purpose.

A weight of sadness settles heavily on her chest, unbelieving that the ken doll who walked through her lab door for the first time 12 years ago would make her care about him so damn much.

"We find him." Gibbs grabs her shoulders giving her a little shake, eyeballing them both. "Then you can yell at him for being an idiot."

The soft Gibbs smile of encouragement and kiss to her temple is welcomed, the tears don't go completely, but they retreat enough for her to get her head on straight and start thinking on where a sick confused Tony might be. Then just as she's verbalising why Tony isn't an idiot and how it isn't his fault his body can't handle certain painkillers Ducky walks in.

"Good news is the X-rays we took before his little escape show some improvement, thanks to Abigale for diagnosing the correct strain of flu the corresponding antibiotics are working," he announces with pleasure.

"The bad news?" Gibbs demands, not showing the same relief she's feeling for having decided right by going back to her lab to confirm what Tony is actually sick with.

"Well he'll only continue to improve if we get him back here to continue the course, as we all well know Anthony has suffered seizure's before during bouts of pneumonia even during recovery. He's far from out of the woods yet."

"We've looked Ducky, he could be anywhere." McGee groans, sounding as if he's given up.

"Not anywhere." Gibbs whispers under his breath.

Abby's staring at him, willing him to share this insight, but in true Gibbs fashion he turns on his heel and runs off expecting them to follow.

Everybody stares at each other, but it takes Ducky to state the obvious.

"Well follow him for god's sake!"

Abby and McGee each nod and run off after the Boss.

.

"Tony!" Gibbs calls out upon running through his own front door.

"Boss?" McGee joins him, Abby too, seconds later.

"Is he here?" She demands.

Gibbs, open worry showing clearly on his face, looks around his notably empty house. Walking through the living room he passes the luggage stacked in the corner, his gaze finally landing on the partially open basement door.

"Good thinking Gibbs" Abby cheers, assuming his hunch has paid off.

He wasn't in the mood to rejoice just yet.

"Stay here." He orders and without giving the pair hanging behind a second glance walks through the door and down the stairs.

….

"So you found him?" Bishop verbally prods when McGee stops talking eager to hear the rest.

"Gibbs did." McGee nods voice distant.

Sobering from his previous amusement, staring out at the snowy expanse so similar to that day and getting lost in the memory. It's always easier to laugh afterwards.

…

"Tony?" McGee's shout mingles with Abby's as they check out the rest of the house just in case.

Gibbs ignores them and makes his way down into the basement, catching sight of movement in the corner.

"Tony?" no answer, "DiNozzo?"

Still nothing. He debates what move to make next, then decides he's wasted enough time and jogs down the stairs flicking on the light. The thing in the corner makes a strangled sound and a mad dash for the stairs. Gibbs helps it on its way with a swift kick.

"Gibbs?" Abby charges in upon hearing the noise.

"Neighbour's cat," he growls, his hope waning, he'd been sure if Tony was suffering from side-effects of the drugs he was given and was confused he'd have come here over anywhere else.

Of course he could be at NCIS, but the guards and on call team were on strict orders to call if he showed up…

"Damn." He chastises himself.

"What?" Abby reacts immediately.

"Last time in got in through the garage." He shares out loud, forgetting that not Abby or McGee would know about that incident.

"But the evidence garage was locked up last night. It monitored by security over the holidays." Abby answers him, even though she shouldn't know what he's talking about.

"Exactly!" And without explanation he runs to his car, leaving Abby and McGee to follow.

.

Gibbs arrives at NCIS quicker than the others, having no desire to loiter around in traffic. Pulling up outside the building, leaving his car in the middle of the snowed over road Gibbs gets out and scans the near deserted car park. With no emergency's to keep them most have gone home, leaving behind only a skeleton staff to keep things ticking. He starts walking to the doors, but something stops him, a lingering feeling of dread pressing down keeping him in place. Scanning the area again Gibbs catches sight of the path leading to the evidence garage. Eight years ago Tony ran away from the hospital while recovering from the plague and snuck into NCIS via the evidence garage. Following the path around, passing the spot where the coffee cart usually sits he walks around the building and through the rear car park. Gibbs sees nothing usually until he passes the unmanned check point and spies the lone figure, dressed in nothing but a t-shirt and jeans standing before the locked grey rolling doors.

"DiNozzo!" Gibbs calls and runs.

Shaking his coat off Gibbs wraps it around Tony's shoulders the minute he reaches his side. Grabbing his shoulders and pulling him close he tries to share as much body heat as possible.

"Boss!"

"McGee!" Gibbs responds to the call and it doesn't take long for McGee to join them.

"What happened?"

"He's freezing," Gibbs snaps indicating McGee is also to surrender his coat and wraps that around Tony's shoulders too before reinitiating the hug. "Where's Abby?" he demands, pushing Tony's head onto his shoulder, running both hands up and down his back and arms.

"With the car," McGee sounds panicked. "Should I…?"

"Get her over here, now." Gibbs however is fairly calm in comparison, or as calm as he's going to be right now.

Abby pulls McGee's car around within seconds of his call. "Is Tony okay?"

"Unresponsive." McGee shakes his head, quickly opening the back door.

"Shouldn't we call an ambulance?"

"No time, get him in the car," Gibbs orders. "Grab his legs,"

Together they lift him inside, Abby climbing in next to him.

"Next time I'm going to chuff him to the damn bed." Gibbs grumbles, getting behind the wheel as McGee takes the passenger seat and pulling off at high speed despite all the snow on the ground.

With McGee's finger nails firmly embedded in the dashboard, looking in the rear view mirror as they make their dash back to the hospital he sees Abby holding Tony close to her chest now covered in one of the silver first aid blankets, smiling at his quip. It loosens some of the tension in his chest.

"Abs?" He questions, speeding along the near deserted Washington streets as if they were his own private playground.

"He's breathing, Gibbs." She smiles at him, "he's going to be okay."

Gibbs smiles to himself and nods his head, "If he knows what's good for him."

….

"I can't believe it." Bishop looks amazed.

"Just an average day dealing with a sick and drugged up DiNozzo." McGee shrugs as if its par for the course and sounding oddly proud of it too, even to his own ears.

"So why?"

"Why he leave?" Tim guesses correctly. "He has weird reactions to some drugs. Ducky found out the doctors at the hospital gave him Ambien to help him sleep the night before and-"

"Ambien, a hypnotic, it affects chemicals in the brain and causes them to become unbalanced. Ironically for a sleep aid it can actually cause insomnia." Bishop laughs to herself. "Did you know people who have taken Ambien have woken up at work or driving a car with no memory of how they got there?" McGee just gives her a look, and he sees the moment it sinks in that that's exactly what he's telling her happened to Tony. "Of course you do." She smiles shyly, "so what happened next?"

"Well if you think Gibbs is scary you should have seen Ducky shouting at a team of doctors for not reading their patients' medical history first." McGee continues airily.

"And I thought having the plague was the strangest thing he told me."

"Oh believe me, he has plenty of strangeness to share, no one's stranger than DiNozzo." McGee laughs to himself this time.

"Found it!" Tony's shout reaches them across the snow covered field.

They both look over and see him walking out of the tree line holding something square in his left hand. Gibbs is already at his side and they quickly walk over to join them.

"A purse?" McGee queries examining the object up close as Tony leads them through the dense trees to where he found it.

"A purse full of rocks," Tony smiles proudly, "our Petty Officer landed a right good time gal."

"Angry girlfriend or robbery?" Gibbs cuts off whatever comment may accompany that one liner.

"Who knows?" Tony chuckles on autopilot.

"We will." Gibbs stops in his tracks pulling Tony to a halt just to glare at him. "It's what we do, DiNozzo."

"Yes boss," Tony squirms and McGee tries not to find amusement in it. "It's right over here." He points at a manmade clearing where all the foliage has been flattened over time. "It wasn't very well hidden-"

"Then why'd it take you so long to find it?" Gibbs jabs him, though it's done with a smile, or the Gibbs version of one at any rate.

Tony scowls, looks set to offer a retort, but thankfully a sneeze interrupts him, then another and another. Softening the burgeoning tension that's been building since his return to work this morning. McGee's seen this dance of concern translated as anger done before. It's rare, in the past Gibbs has usually been a lot more subtle about showing he cares, but then since the shooting incident in the diner 18 months ago he's been different. Tony's noticed too, but doesn't seem as perturbed by it as him, but then that's because he's been hanging out with Gibbs in their off hours for years. McGee knows he spends just about every holiday with him, girlfriend or no, despite neither really saying a word. For Tim though, inviting them all round for Thanksgiving last year confirmed his suspicions that Gibbs is softening slightly with age.

Speaking of which, just as Tony seems prepared to set a record for sneezing Gibbs tosses him a small pack of pocket tissues, unopened, which means Gibbs has been carrying them around just for Tony. Like keeping motion sickness tablets in his desk or always having change for the Caf-Pow machine he looks after them all in his own special way, but you really have to see to believe it. Bishop's seeing it now and is looking just as confused as ever.

They walk further into the small space of flattened shrubbery and it's clear from the damaged branches and disturbed ground under the fresh snow that someone's had a fight. Tony blows his nose and bends down, presumably where he'd found the purse. Gibbs joins him.

"There's a least two of them." He announces flatly.

"The woman must have run off, deeper into the woods," Tony points at a narrow path continuing through the trees.

McGee, Bishop at his side still in observing mode stand stationary while they watch Gibbs and DiNozzo pick out evidence in the snow. Watching Gibbs do this comes as no surprise, but DiNozzo? Its times like this McGee's forced to remember he's a lot more than what he shows the world and not to forget it.

"Got blood," Tony calls out.

McGee takes that as his cue to move.

"We're going to have to re-interview everyone at the bar the night he died aren't we?" He groans quietly in Tony's ear.

"Oh yeah, good way to start the New Year ay?" Tony grins up at him as he prepares to bag and tag the evidence.

"DiNozzo." Gibbs calls as he passes by heading back towards the lake. "Well done."

Tony smiles broadly at him and Bishop until a cough catches in his throat. Gibbs has his back to them and as soon as he's far enough away Tony releases the held breath, doubling over in a coughing fit. When it looks like it won't stop on its own McGee steps over and holds him up at the waist patting his back to help dislodge whatever gunk has gotten stuck there while Bishop hands over a bottle of water.

"I'm all right," he says hoarsely after a few gulping deep breaths.

McGee lets him go, but the minute Tony stands his feet stager and he nearly topples forward to face plant the floor. McGee and Bishop both make a grab for him and this time don't let go.

"Tony don't take this personally-"

"Oh can it McNightingale." He grouses, avoiding looking at either of them as he sips from the water bottle.

"Okay do take it personally –go back to the truck or I'll get Ducky back here to take you." McGee snaps with a smile.

Bishop snorts, no doubt at the image his threat conjures, which dulls the tension between them somewhat.

"Yeah okay," DiNozzo sighs theatrically, "but only because I did all the hard work and deserve a break."

"Sure," McGee rolls his eyes as he leaves, "whatever you say."

.

Its Tony's coughing and sneezing as he approaches which has Gibbs opening his car door and keying the engine to turn on the heater, by the time he makes it to the road he's in such bad shape that Tony doesn't even blink as Gibbs grabs his collar, pulls him forward and pushes him down into the seat. Holding nothing back and pulling no punches he goes so far as to strap him in.

"You afraid I might fall asleep and wander away again Boss?" Tony chuckles, self-deprecating smile on his face as Gibbs clips the seatbelt in place.

"With you DiNozzo," he looks to the icy lake, "I'm taking no chances."

Tony nods tiredly and closes his eyes. Gibbs watches and stays leaning in the car a minute to listen to his breathing even out, ensuring he really is okay to be left alone. Once he's sure Tony's not going to suffocate in his sleep he steps out and shuts the door behind him walking off to help McGee and Bishop.

"Tony in the car?" McGee asks as he appears from the trees and Gibbs nods.

They talk case for a minute or so and then gather things up to close down the scene. Looking around at Ducky and Palmer who are ready to go, McGee testing Bishop on evidence collection procedures, and Tony sleeping safely in the car he realises something. It's not just Tony who's grown up these last couple of years.

Ducky's older, wiser if that's at all possible, and seeming a lot more content with his life in the last few years. A heart attack can do that for you he guesses. Palmer on the other hand, well he's two steps from filling Ducky's shoes when he's ready to call it a day. Gibbs isn't a fool, he's a realist, but still he sees no problem hoping that day is a long way off yet. Like Palmer McGee's grown into a strong confident Agent, ready to take on his own Probie in Bishop and run the risk of pissing off one of NCIS's more annoying Agents by daring to show he cares about him. It's taken Gibbs far longer to do the same, but that's as much to do with his own issues as it is Tony's. Bishop is still a wild card as far as Gibbs is concerned of course. He wanted someone different to the two successful Agents to fill that desk before her and upon meeting Bishop he knew with the right influences and some lessons on teamwork from his boys she'd be a good fit. He also suspects she can teach his boys something about life too, though exactly what that something is he isn't sure yet, just has a gut feeling.

"Done Boss." McGee announces breaking through his musings.

Gibbs is annoyed with himself despite the happy thoughts. Being a distracted at a crime scene isn't something he tends to do, can't afford to do no matter how simple the case presences.

"Take the van back McGee, I'll meet you back at NCIS" Gibbs instructs, making a difficult, but necessary decision.

He drives off first leaving everyone else behind. Tony's still asleep next to him and barely stirs when he takes a detour, pulling up outside a house just outside of West Chester. Tony isn't even aware of what's happening as Gibbs steers him out the car and into the semi-familiar home.

"What is he doing out in this?" Leyla demands kindly, greeting them at the door.

"I know, I know, my fault." Gibbs appeases.

Leyla smiles knowingly and stands aside to let them through.

"I've made him a bed on the couch he can stay as long as he needs."

"Thank you, I'll be back later to pick him up, remember-"

"I will not let him out of my sight I promise," and with that, knowing he's safe Gibbs smiles, waves her a goodbye as he gets in the car and pulls away.

.

The case they wrapped pretty quickly, the girl the Petty Officer apparently picked up on his night out was a plant. She leads men out to a secluded spot, knocks them out and the boyfriend robs them. Unfortunately the Petty Officer tried to get away after the hit, fought with the boyfriend and landed in the water face first. Drowned. It was easy enough to track the pair down and they're now cooling their heels in lock up waiting for processing.

"Where we going?" Tony asks once he sits himself in the car, a definite improvement from this morning.

"Home." Gibbs grunts as he drives away.

"I was kind of in the mood to -"

"You're going to bed Tony." Gibbs glares at him briefly before returning his eyes to the road.

"I've been sleeping all day, at Leyla's," he emphasizes, "how'd I get there anyway?"

"You're sick you needed sleep." Gibbs says nonplussed, refusing to get into it.

Tony glares at him this time, but seeing that Gibbs isn't going to offer up any details smartly moves the conversation along.

"I need food." He retaliates stubbornly, not smart enough to simple shut up.

Gibbs grunts, sighs and gives in. "Here."

Nose obviously still too blocked to smell the dinner he picked up on his way Gibbs reaches behind him and grabs the pizza box from the back seat. He'd been hoping Tony would wait until they got home, but wasn't going to listen to him moan all the way.

"Pizza!" Tony enthuses around a sneeze. "I love you, boss."

He sighs happily, unknowing just how important those few words are to hear now and every other time they've rolled so naturally off his tongue. And just like all the other times he's heard it from him Gibbs' heart swells. Only difference is this time the smile on the inside spreads to show on the out. He's prepared to enjoy the predicated shock or joy or whatever reaction may follow his next move, because today this isn't about Tony - it's about him. So Gibbs doesn't even question the words as they casually leave his parted lips and carries on driving, heading home.

"Well I love you too, Tony."

A/N:

So yes a little late for Christmas tags I know, but feel free to blame the scheduling god's at Fox UK. They aren't as bad as E4 at least;D I know sick Tony I've prob done to death but with this year's plague ref how could I not? Anyway I hope you've enjoyed this little series and will tune in again next Christmas, rock on s12! Ttfn x