Timothy McGee never considered himself to be particularly good with people.  Computers, yes, those he was good with.  Electronic gizmos and gadgets he could handle with ease.  But then those things always came with instructions and manuals so it wasn't like it was really all that hard to learn or decipher.  Electronic things were nicely predictable, logical and orderly, not like people.  And if he got stuck at some point, confused, or lost, well thousands of other people did too on a daily basis, so it wasn't like he was alone in that regard.  It was hardly something to be ashamed of.

Thinking about it, McGee always figured his lack of people skills was the one thing he actually had in common with most of the team he worked with.  The team was a group of specialists.  No doubt about it, but they didn't specialize in people skills; at least not in the conventional sense.

By nature, McGee was a list maker, a methodical sort.  Just thinking about his teammates had him mentally ticking them off on his fingers, assessing each one.  He always started with the one teammate never far from his thoughts, Abby.  She dressed in Goth attire, sported a dog collar, tattoos and had a penchant for seemingly mindless yet often pointedly direct babbling.  

She was a free spirit who didn't exactly fit any particular mold, reminding him of a square peg in a round hole.  She didn't seem to want to blend in, and likely couldn't fathom why anyone would want to.  Abby was so comfortable in her own skin, something McGee envied and strove to emulate.

Abby had no doubts about herself or her abilities.  She was sure of her place on the team.  McGee wondered how long he'd be working with them before he felt the same level of confidence.  A little over a year and he still felt like he was struggling to fit in, still trying to find his place.      

Shaking of those thoughts, McGee moved on to the next person on his list…Dr. Mallard.  Ducky was definitely comfortable with being himself.  Honestly, McGee couldn't imagine the man any other way, but his profession alone tended to make other people a bit wary.  And his stories…dear lord, the man could talk.  McGee was never sure if the older man was telling the stories for his own amusement, gauging his audience's reaction to his eccentric behavior or if he was just naturally prone to rambling.  

McGee wasn't sure if he should even include Palmer as part of the team.  He was more like an extension of Ducky.  And his lack of ability with the living made McGee wonder if that wasn't what prompted his interest in being a Medical Examiner.   It was petty, but after that incident with the super glue, McGee liked knowing Palmer was a bit afraid of him.  Which was in some ways further proof Palmer wasn't good at reading the living…no one else on the team considered McGee much of a threat.

Kate, for all her skill at profiling people, still seemed as awkward as McGee at times.  He couldn't see a distraught witness or family member turning to her for comfort, confiding deep personal information or willingly opening up to her.  Count on her to kick some one's ass, sure.  Expect her to understand or share their fear, regret, loss….no, McGee couldn't picture that.  

Kate struck him as someone far more comfortable staying inside the box.  She liked things to be black and white, right or wrong with out the messy middle ground.  Working for Gibbs had to be a challenge for her because the former Marine was nothing if not creative.  McGee was pretty damn sure Gibbs didn't even know there was a box, much less how to think inside it.  

Gibbs really should have been the first person on his list.   But for reasons McGee didn't want to think about, the team leader was next to last.  He was still wary of the man….okay, outright scared if he was being honest with himself, but he respected him, even admired him.  

Gibbs was definitely not a warm and fuzzy people person.  He was smart and effective at his job, but McGee didn't have any trouble understanding why he'd been divorced three times.  He wasn't entirely sure how the man even managed to get married three times…but then McGee readily admitted he didn't know much about what made women tick.  

Tony DiNozzo was last on his list because the other man confused the hell out of McGee.  He couldn't really decide if Tony liked him or not, and couldn't honestly figure out why it mattered to him one way or another.  But it did.  Not as much as getting Gibbs approval but it definitely ran a close second.  

To his surprise he learned a lot from Tony.  The taller agent had good instincts and insights.  The former cop could be so easily dismissed as a harmless, immature goofball if it weren't for the fact that he clearly did his job so well.  No way Tony would have lasted on Gibbs team if he wasn't better than average.  McGee had seen for himself the former marine didn't suffer fools gracefully.  

He knew Tony was good at ferreting out information.  He might not approach a situation logically the way McGee did, utilizing the process of elimination or tracking a paper trail, but he definitely could see patterns and pinpoint people's actions with uncanny accuracy.  More than once, Tony's insights into why people did the things they did had given them a break in a case they probably wouldn't have found any other way.  

And Tony was naturally charismatic…tall and handsome.  He got people to open up, to provide him with details they wouldn't normally give to anyone.  McGee envied Tony's ready smile and little boy charm that had most total strangers warming up to him like ice cubes exposed to room temperature.  

Because of his lighthearted, easy going demeanor, and frequently immature behavior Tony wasn't who McGee would have immediately pegged as being able to assist someone in coming to grips with a tragedy.  But he'd seen the serious side of Tony…knew the senior agent had far more depth than he typically showed.  And of all of them Tony was the best at empathizing with a victim.  

He could talk to people.  They talked to him.  He understood and could relate the way the rest of the team simply couldn't.  Today it was not a skill McGee envied.  

It shamed him to admit it, but McGee was honestly glad Tony had gotten assigned the task of bringing grieving parents to the morgue to identify the bodies of their children.  He would never have known what to say or do.  McGee wouldn't have known how to act.  He'd have either ended up stuttering and fumbling, embarrassing himself or appearing remote and uncaring because he had no words of comfort to offer.   

McGee sighed silently, rereading the case report.  A fifth-grade class school trip to the Smithsonian ended in tragedy.  The driver of a fully loaded Semi plowed into the bus in an intersection, killing ten and injuring over a dozen more.  It was their case because the class was from a naval base school near Newport.  

For the first time since he took the job, McGee realized how much he could come to hate it.  This wasn't a crime of passion or even planned malice; it appeared to be just a senseless, stupid accident.  He wished it fell to some other department, to some other agency better able to deal with this sort of situation.  Massive clean up wasn't something they were equipped to handle, particularly not when that clean up involved so many dead children.  

He'd actually said as much out loud to Tony when they'd arrived at the scene.  Tony studied him for a second, as serious as McGee could ever remember him being.  A tight smile formed that the junior agent knew had little to do with amusement or humor.  

"It's not a question of sufficient body bags, Probie."  Tony's eyes were bleak as he studied the small body Ducky was zipping into one as they spoke.  "No one is equipped to deal with a situation like this."  

McGee was ashamed to realize Tony was right.  No amount of equipment and know how could possibly prepare someone to deal with telling parents their children were never coming home.  

McGee swallowed hard and focused on the list of students who were on the bus.  There were no assigned seats.  Not that it would have helped to identify any of the children, the force of impact had tossed them around like ping pong balls.  The parents coming to the morgue to identify their children were those who had been unable to find their progeny at the hospital.  

Ducky had muttered something that sounded like, 'abandon all hope ye who enter here' when McGee had called down to let him know Tony would be arriving with the first set of distraught parents.  One look at their faces was all it took for McGee to realize just how fitting Ducky's statement had been.  These people had already searched every hospital in the area….this was their last stop.

McGee sighed as he reviewed the hospital admission list, cross checking with the list the school had provided.  Of the ten bodies in the morgue, nine had been identified.  Process of elimination made Randall Krezminski the last one to be officially tagged.  

"Where are we, McGee?"  

McGee did his best not to start at Gibbs' suddenly appearing out of nowhere to lean over his shoulder.  He didn't think the man ever just asked a question, demanding answers was more his style. Definitely.  

"Nearly finished, Boss. Tony's with the parents of the last one now."

Gibbs nodded.  McGee breathed easier when the older man turned his attention to Kate, and stepped out of his personal space.  

"Kate?"

She looked up.  "Toxicology report on the Semi driver confirms he was clean.  No drugs or alcohol in his system.  Ducky's preliminary autopsy agrees with the ER doctor's assessment that he had a massive heart attack."  She looked both apologetic and relieved.  "So far no foul play has been indicated."

The elevator dinged and Tony stepped out a second later.  The former cop usually reminded McGee of a hyperactive two year old with a seemingly endless supply of energy and enthusiasm, but now he looked as tired and worn out as McGee felt.  The characteristic bounce in his step was conspicuously absent and his shoulders slumped.   

"DiNozzo?"

McGee might have imagined it, but Gibbs didn't sound as though he barked Tony's surname the way he normally did.  This was softer, almost a genuine inquiry rather than a demand.

"Yeah, Boss?"  Tony straightened his spine, head coming up and shoulders squaring in a reaction that seemed almost instinctive.  

"They finished?"

Tony nodded.  "All present and accounted for, Boss."  

"Good."

"Boss?" Tony bit his lower lip.  He looked uncertain, wary.  It wasn't something McGee was used to seeing from the taller man.

"Yeah, Tony?"  

"I told them we'd be releasing the bodies so they could make arrangements."

"The investigation isn't finished, DiNozzo."  Blue eyes narrowed, and McGee stifled the urge to duck under his desk.

"It is for them." Tony argued quietly, expression painfully neutral, spine straight.  "We know how they died.  No reason to hold the bodies of their children hostage while we work out the why."

Gibbs blue eyes narrowed.  He nodded slowly.  McGee released a breath he hadn't been aware he was holding.  He hadn't expected Tony to stand firm, but then he hadn't expected Gibbs to agree with Tony either.  McGee was impressed, but not surprised that Tony had thought to try to find some way to ease the parents' pain as much as possible.

"McGee, finish your write up."  Gibbs barked out, looking over his shoulder to pin McGee with a narrowed eyed gaze.  

McGee managed not to flinch. Not for the first time did he wonder if the former Marine had eyes in the back of his head.  "I'm on it, Boss."

"Kate, I want you to go see Ducky and get that final autopsy report."

"I don't think he's done yet-"

"Then go wait for it."  Gibbs countered quietly, tone leaving no room for argument.  She swallowed hard and nodded, getting up from her desk. McGee knew it was petty, but he liked knowing he wasn't the only one Gibbs slapped down.  The team leader did it to all of them.  He was nicely even handed that way.

"Tony…Come with me."  The older strode purposefully away, heading for the break room.

Tony sighed softly and nodded, following the older man.  He moved stiffly, lacking his usual grace and ease of movement.  McGee wanted to say something, anything, but he had no idea what to say.  

Unsure of what Gibbs planned to do, McGee got up slowly and followed.  He suspected Gibbs intended to privately chastise Tony for authorizing the release of the bodies.   Outside of one of the interview rooms, the break room was one of the few places on their floor that actually offered a modicum of privacy.  At this time of day, it was rarely used.

While he thought getting dressed down in private was better than in public, McGee didn't believe Tony deserved it at all.  In spite of their differences, he liked Tony.  It had taken him awhile to believe Abby's ascertain that Tony's teasing meant he liked him too, but he did now.  And he didn't want to let a friend down.  

He hesitated outside the break room, taking a deep breath.  It wasn't every day he eavesdropped on Gibbs.  Hell, he'd never eavesdropped on Gibbs.

"You holding up okay?"

McGee blinked.  That was Gibbs voice, but he'd never heard him sound…gentle, genuinely concerned, at least not when it came to dealing with one of the team.  

"I'm good.  Fine."

Tony's voice was flat, devoid of inflection.  It was so different from his usual speaking voice that for a moment McGee hadn't been sure it was Tony speaking.  He wondered if Tony's expression and body language matched his tone.  He edged nearer to the door.  

"Liar."  Gibbs firm assertion told him the former Marine didn't believe Tony any more than McGee had.  What surprised him though was that there was more affection than heat in Gibbs declaration.

"Yeah, well…I will be. Eventually.  So it's not a lie, Gibbs.  More like a…time delayed truth."

McGee raised his eyebrows, amused in spite of himself at Tony's explanation.  Some how he didn't think Gibbs would buy that.  

"I'm asking about right now, DiNozzo."  

"Now?"  

"Now, Tony."

McGee recognized that tone of voice.  Gibbs wanted an answer and he was damn sure going to get one.  McGee hoped to have a tone like that some day.

In the brief silence, McGee could picture Tony thinking about it, picking his words with care, weighing them in his mind before voicing them.  Although, why he would even consider hedging the computer whiz honestly couldn't understand.  But then Tony had a lot more history with Gibbs and he was inclined to push the line harder than McGee had ever even considered doing.

"Now…I would really like to beat the shit out of someone."  Tony's sigh sounded deep and painful.  "It probably is just the accident it appears to be…so there is no one to blame, just bodies to bury.  So, I'm thinking going home and getting drunk enough to forget my own name is looking like an attractive alternative."  

McGee's curiosity went up another notch when nothing else was said.  He leaned forward enough to peek around the doorway.  He hoped like hell no one noticed him lurking there.  Especially not the two men he was spying on.

He caught a glimpse of Gibbs standing in front of Tony, both hands cupping the younger man's face.  It could easily have been just a friendly gesture brought on by the need for physical contact to get Tony to answer him.  McGee had seen Gibbs do that before…although, only once, and only with Tony after he'd been rescued from the sewers.  

But this was different.  Their eyes were locked.  A whole conversation was going on with no words being said and McGee felt decidedly like a peeping tom.  He couldn't shake the feeling he was watching something unquestionably intimate although he couldn't for the life of him say why.

"I shouldn't have left you to handle all of them."  Gibbs nearly whispered when he spoke, regret evident in both his voice and the set of his shoulders.  

Tony sighed, eyes closing.  He seemed to be rubbing his cheek against one of Gibbs' hands.  "It's a shitty job, Boss.  Spreading it around wouldn't have made it any less so."

"Doesn't mean it should have been entirely up to you."

"Was better me than someone else."  Tony sighed, eyes opening.   

McGee winced.  It was easy to forget that Tony wasn't as selfish has he pretended to be.  He now felt even more guilty about his being glad it was Tony and not him who'd dealt with the grieving parents.  

"Louisa stops by today, yes?"   Gibbs asked quietly, one thumb lightly rubbing Tony's cheek.

Tony smiled slightly.  "It's Tuesday."

He said that as though it should explain everything, and maybe it did given the way Gibbs nodded.  McGee frowned.  Tony's statement implied whoever Louisa was, she stopped by regularly…at least every Tuesday.  He couldn't remember Tony ever referring to any of his dates by that name.  And a steady girlfriend seemed decidedly unlikely.  That left him wondering who Louisa was, how Gibbs knew about her when the rest of them didn't, and why it mattered if she'd stopped by or not.  

"Not sure a good meal is a substitute for a good scotch, Boss."  Tony gave Gibbs a rueful look.  

Gibbs pulled his hands away slowly enough McGee could tell he was reluctant to let go.  "You can drink.  I'll eat."

Tony nodded, his eyes alight with amusement.  "Good plan."  

McGee slipped back.  It sounded like Tony and Gibbs were about to wrap up their conversation.  He didn't want to get caught trespassing on what was clearly a more private moment than he'd expected to encounter.  

He headed back to his desk trying not to look like he was skulking.  He made sure he kept his gaze fixed on his computer.  Less likely to look guilty that way.  

McGee tried to focus on his report, but what he'd overheard and what he'd seen kept replaying in his mind's eye over and over again.  He was missing pieces.  Of that he was sure.  

He was sure he hadn't mistaken the implied closeness.  Or the fact that Gibbs knew more about Tony than he or Kate did.  That shouldn't be surprising given how much longer Tony had worked for Gibbs, but this struck McGee as different…personal, intimate even.

Gibbs wasn't a touchy feely sort.  McGee didn't count the head smacks he gave Tony…those were clearly a reprimand.  But the way he'd cupped Tony's face in the break room was clearly an expression of something more than just friendly concern.  How much more, McGee couldn't really say.  

He frowned.  This…whatever it was…was clearly not something Gibbs wanted to be common knowledge.  He never would have had the conversation in the break room otherwise.

So, he should leave this alone.  Ignore his desire to find the missing pieces, abandon his curiosity about this new mystery and focus on just doing his job.  But it was so tantalizing.  Especially when Gibbs and Tony reappeared acting the same way as they always had…like the interlude in the break room had never occurred.

McGee sighed.  He was an investigator, inquisitive by nature.  He knew he wasn't going to just ignore this.  He also knew he wasn't going to say anything to anyone until he had more of the pieces to the puzzle.  A faint tingle of excitement coursed through him the way it always did when he was confronted with a complex problem.

Gibbs picked up his ringing phone and barked out his name.  McGee flinched and forced himself to refocus in his attention on the case.  Satisfying his curiosity would have to wait until later.  

McGee sighed, relieved to be back in the comforts of his own quiet apartment. He knew his décor gave away the fact a techno geek lived there, but he really didn't care.  He was a techno geek.  

He pursed his lips wondering what Tony's place would look like as he retrieved a beer from the fridge.  Kate was of the opinion that he was probably a slob and that he had some sort of clichéd bachelor pad.  McGee shook his head.  He couldn't see Tony with a faux tiger skin bed spread or a mirrored ceiling no matter what Kate said.  Tony had too much fashion sense for that…if the way he dressed was anything to go by.

Besides, he knew she'd never been to Tony's place.  She claimed she never wanted to go there, but McGee got the distinct impression her saying that was a case of 'methinks she doth protest too much'.  She had to be curious.  It was her nature to be.  And it was a safe bet Tony knew that…which is probably why he'd never invited her there, even in jest.

McGee was equally certain Tony had been to Kate's place.  The taller agent had picked her up for work a few times.  McGee knew Tony wasn't the sort who'd have waited in the car.  The former cop made a habit of ferreting out information about his coworkers.  There was no way he'd have let an opportunity to see and snoop around Kate's place pass without taking advantage of it.

McGee frowned, one hand toying with his beer as he loosened his tie.  Tony knew about McGee's younger sister, his grades in school, his hobbies, the dream car he'd totaled, about wetting the bed as a kid, his favorite color, his tattoo….but McGee could tally up personal, pertinent details he knew about Tony on the fingers of one hand and still have a few left over.

He wasn't counting the stories about Tony's sex life.  Those always focused on his partners, not on him.  So what did that leave him with? And how did that fit into the mystery he was still itching to solve?  

No time like the present he told himself.  McGee walked over to the dry erase board that was mounted on the far wall.  He liked using it to outline his thoughts, order things where he could see them clearly.  He picked up a black marker and wrote Tony, then underlined it.  

Under Tony's name he started to write in bullet points what he knew about the other man.  Movie buff, particularly horror films.  Old TV show fan.  Mother dead.  Parents rich.  

McGee frowned.  Parents, as in plural.  Had his father gotten remarried?  Tony never mentioned a stepmother, but then, he hadn't mentioned his mother either. Gibbs had.  And he'd also been the one to say Tony's parents had cut him off from the money.  How did Gibbs know that?  McGee shook his head.  He'd get to Gibbs in a minute, but he made a note on the other side of the board wanting to remember that thought.

Under Tony's name he added…Attended Ohio State.  Major--Physical Education.  McGee snorted.  Tony was definitely a jock, but he was no idiot.  Although, for reasons he couldn't quite fathom, Tony tended to down play his intelligence.  It still bothered him that when it came to figuring out the whole 'fight club' case it was Tony with his 'straight 80 average' who'd managed to do what McGee couldn't.  He added intelligent to his list for the sake of being thorough.  

He wrote down taste for quality, designer clothing next.  It begged the question of just how Tony paid for those things.  They weren't cheap.  And McGee had taken it upon himself to find out just what the standard government salary should be for someone based on Tony's education level and years of service.  It wasn't enough for him to buy Armani suits, or those Vigotti shoes he liked so well.  

McGee frowned.  If Tony had the sort of money where he didn't bat an eye at buying a one hundred dollar tie then why was he working for NCIS?  For that matter why work as a cop at all?  He wrote down civic responsibility, nodding to himself.  Like being intelligent, Tony also hid his genuine desire to make the world a better place.  And despite his cynical stance on a lot of things, McGee was pretty sure Tony liked the idea of being one of the 'good guys'.   

He sipped his beer, head cocked to one side as he reviewed the board.  He was tempted to write womanizer, but somehow it didn't really fit.  Tony definitely saw the sexual aspect of women. Most of the women he flirted with clearly had no objection to his attention and McGee wasn't so naïve as to think every woman wanted a husband.  Plenty of women were looking for some fun and excitement, 'Mr. Right Now' until 'Mr. Right' came along.  

And for all his focus on physical attributes, Tony never seemed to see all women exclusively as sex objects.  He had to see Kate as an equal or better.  There was no reason to compete with her otherwise.  And he gave Abby more respect and consideration than he did to McGee most days. Agent Paula Cassidy and Lt. Commander Faith Coleman were two other women that Tony had worked with reasonably well.  Paula clearly fell within the realm of 'date material' while Commander Coleman was someone who likely got classified more as a 'worthy opponent'.  

McGee sighed.  He decided on 'flirt', adding it to his growing list.  Tony flirted with every woman he met.  It was almost some pathological compulsion, but seemed harmless.  

Mostly harmless, McGee amended with a snicker as he remembered Voss.  He moved to write homophobe, but stopped, hand hovering as he considered that.  After the case was over, the whole team, sans Gibbs at any rate, teased Tony about the incident.  And he hadn't seemed to handle it well.  But McGee wasn't honestly sure how he'd have handled that sort of teasing.  

He had no idea how he'd have answered Kate's question about what it was like to tongue kiss a guy.  Tony walking out was likely the only real option.  It didn't necessarily mean Tony had problems with kissing a man.  

Homophobe implied fear and hatred of gays and lesbians.  In all honesty, McGee had to admit he hadn't seen Tony uncomfortable around someone openly gay.  He might not care to be labeled as 'gay' himself, but he didn't appear rabid about defense of his masculinity.  Unless all his stories about the women he dated were just stories.

McGee shook his head.  No, not all Tony's stories were just stories.  Couldn't be.  McGee had seen too much evidence of women responding to Tony, had overheard numerous conversations on the phone, read a few e-mails the former cop had gotten.  Too much evidence corroborated Tony's prowess with the ladies.  

But did that mean he was totally straight?  McGee blinked, surprising himself with the question.  He'd met enough of Abby's friends to know a preponderance of focus in one gender did not equate to exclusive interest.  And his sister's self-professed lesbian friend from high school now had two children she gleefully claimed had been conceived the old fashioned way.  

Tony might not be homophobic, but McGee knew there were enough bigots in law enforcement to make the prospect of being openly gay decidedly unattractive.  And being bisexual was probably as bad or worse than being gay in some circles.  So if Tony had any interest in men, he probably had a lot of practice in hiding it.  Just like he had practice in hiding his intelligence, his reasons for wanting to be a cop, and the real reason he had changed jobs so frequently before joining NCIS.

"Hiding in plain sight."  McGee muttered to himself, tapping the marker against the board.  

McGee sighed.  None of this was conclusive.   All he'd learned so far was that he really didn't know much about his teammate beyond what Tony apparently wanted him to know.   

He sipped his beer again.  He was sure that what he had overheard in the break room and what he'd witnessed was far more intimate than it appeared on the surface.  Two people did not have an entire conversation with just their eyes without a lot of familiarity.  Admittedly, Gibbs and Tony had worked together for awhile, but McGee couldn't shake the feeling it was more than that.

He capped the black marker and picked up a red one.  He wrote Gibbs name on the board.  McGee didn't expect his list of what he knew of the former Marine to be any longer than what he knew about Tony, but started the list just the same.

Caffeine addict.  That wasn't exactly personal, but it was definitely the first thing he learned about the team leader.  McGee suspected it was the first thing most people learned about Gibbs.

Hardass was probably a very close second.  McGee respected the older man for his uncompromising position on cases.  He was like gold in McGee's mind…rare and incorruptible.  He wrote 'integrity' and 'determined' next.

Demanding and obsessive.  No one McGee had ever met had higher expectations or tighter focus when it came to the job.  Those traits likely helped explain the fact the man had been divorced three times.

McGee frowned.  Tony knew at least one of Gibbs' ex-wives, and a fair bit about the others.  So knowing more about each other than the team knew about either wasn't one sided.  Gibbs knew things, Tony did too.  Interesting.  

And Tony was by far the best of the team at predicting Gibbs' reactions.  He didn't always peg it completely right but he definitely anticipated Gibbs' thought process better than McGee or Kate did.  Might well be one of the reasons Gibbs' offered Tony a job when he could have gotten someone with better qualifications.  

"Qualified to do what, McGee?"  He asked himself.  He couldn't remember a time when Tony hadn't held his own regardless of the former cop's lack of Kate's prestigious credentials or McGee's own impressive educational background.  There was certainly something to be said for 'street smarts'…something Gibbs no doubt knew and appreciated.  The former Marine had his own in spades.

Gibbs thought process seemed to focus more on gut instinct than outright intelligence or logic but he was no dummy.  That was for sure.  So McGee added intelligent to Gibbs' list.  

Technology phobic went up next.  Gibbs barely mastered using his cell phone, something McGee simply couldn't comprehend.  Most of his waking hours were spent around things that plugged in and lit up.  He couldn't imagine not liking computers.  His aptitude with computers had gotten him a shot at being on Gibbs' team.  Although, he knew full well, if he hadn't made meaningful contributions along the way, Gibbs would have sent him packing.

McGee wrote carpentry on his list for lack of a better word.  Gibbs definitely liked wood working.  McGee wondered if the boat he was building in his basement was the only thing he'd ever built…or tried to build since the boat wasn't finished.  

Absolutely no interest in or knowledge of pop culture.  McGee chuckled.  Gibbs might as well have missed everything on TV for the past decade or two.  And the influence it had on people.  

He added married three times because it showed Gibbs had no real fear of commitment.  If anything the man was probably too committed.  He didn't know how to do anything half way.  

McGee's gaze shifted from one list to the other.  He was mildly surprised to note what he'd written about Gibbs was a far better description of the character of the man than what he'd written about Tony.

Did the two have anything in common other than the job and street smarts?  McGee sighed. He didn't know enough about either man's hobbies or interests to really say for sure.  Tony had to do more than flirt with women and watch old movies, and even Gibbs couldn't spend all his time working on a boat in his basement.  

Gibbs being married didn't preclude him from being interested in Tony any more than Tony's flirting meant he didn't find men attractive. So it was possible.  But was it probable?  What he'd heard and seen seemed to suggest the answer was yes.  

McGee added a column between Tony's and Gibbs', opting for the green marker this time.  He titled it evidence, unable to not give it a heading of some kind.  What he really needed was more concrete proof; something more than one conversation, and a moment that seemed to suggest intimacy.

He wrote physical contact and added a question mark.  Tony was the only one Gibbs slapped up side the head.  Not exactly what McGee would call an action of physical affection but it was something exclusive.  Tony didn't let anyone else do that.  Ducky had mentioned once that Kate had tried it and was 'rather quickly disabused of the notion that she could accost him 'the way Gibbs is wont to do'.  And Gibbs didn't do it to anyone else.

McGee frowned.  Tony had slapped him up side the head a few times, and even though he didn't care for it, he couldn't say he felt insulted by it.  In some ways it seemed to express a certain fondness, or at least tolerance.  

He nodded to himself.  Gibbs was at least physically demonstrative with Tony and Tony allowed him liberties he permitted no one else to take.  It wasn't a hug or even as conclusive as a kiss, but it qualified as viable evidence.  McGee erased the question mark.

Sharing of personal information went up next.  Gibbs might have learned a lot about Tony simply from his file and background check.  But Tony wouldn't have access to Gibbs' file so he had to have learned what he knew either from direct conversation, observation or snooping.  

McGee didn't think even Tony was ballsy enough to snoop through Gibbs' things so he mentally crossed that off.  And he couldn't see Gibbs saying much about himself, although he let pieces drop now and again.  One had to be quick to catch them.

Tony was nothing if not quick and observant.  He was bound to have picked up on anything Gibbs let slip.  And remember it too, the same way he remembered details from Kate's PDA and knew McGee's PIN number.

McGee put down his now empty beer bottle to pick up the black marker and add that to Tony's list.  His eyesight, hearing and sense of smell were all better than average.  Gibbs was so often sneaking up on people, McGee suspected he might have a similar advantage …well at least where hearing was concerned.  The man used glasses now, but McGee was willing to bet the older man never had to before.  

Which meant McGee had been very lucky that neither man noticed him lurking outside the break room.  He knew he wasn't sufficiently quiet or graceful enough to get away with spying very often.  The fact that he had gotten away with it this time added evidence to his theory.  They were so wrapped up in each other they hadn't noticed him at all.  

He went back to the green marker, adding loyalty to the evidence column.  Admittedly some of the cases they'd tackled were down right bizarre but that couldn't be the only reason a job jumper like Tony had stayed longer with NCIS than he had anywhere else.  Tony wasn't loyal to a job or ideals the way Gibbs was.  Tony stayed because of Gibbs, that much McGee was completely sure of.  

He added trust to the list after thinking it over.  It wasn't something exclusive between Tony and Gibbs…both men trusted their teammates to do their jobs and watch their backs.  But trust was definitely a part of what McGee had witnessed in the break room.  Tony never would have honestly answered the question about how he was holding up if McGee or Kate had asked.  They'd have gotten a flippant response, one designed to reassure or annoy them into walking away without getting the information they'd sought.  

McGee could just chalk it up to the force of Gibbs' personality, his position as Tony's supervisor, but that didn't ring true.  For one thing, if Gibbs was just acting as Tony's supervisor, he'd have never asked the question at all.  It wasn't like he routinely inquired about team members' well being---as long as they were mobile and working that was all Gibbs seemed to need to know.  And McGee had seen Tony back down from Gibbs, but he was never cowed or caved completely.  Gibbs forceful approach wasn't the reason Tony answered the question.  

McGee tapped the marker against the board as he thought about what he'd heard some more. Gibbs had said, 'You can drink.  I'll eat.' It implied they'd be spending time together after work.  

He wrote dating and added a question mark.  Tony hadn't mentioned anyone new in his life recently.  McGee suspected that meant he wasn't seeing anyone he was willing to talk about more than any sort of 'dry spell'.  Given how willing the former cop was about sharing details of his dates with women, his recent silence about his love life could mean he was seeing a man.  Knowing how private Gibbs could be about his personal life, it could mean the man in question was Gibbs.  

Gibbs' preference for privacy not withstanding, if he and Tony were dating, keeping it a secret would be essential if they wanted to continue with their current working relationship.  Issues with them being gay and the possible repercussions from that aside, Morrow could not let two agents who were romantically involved stay on the same team.  Hell, Kate had nearly gotten fired over her involvement with a fellow secret service agent, Timothy Kerry.  But then, McGee mused, Kerry regularly carried nuclear launch codes so that wasn't exactly a normal 'office romance'.  

McGee arched his eyebrows suddenly realizing the mysterious red-headed woman Gibbs was occasionally seen with hadn't been around in a while.  While Tony might not express an interest in an exclusive relationship, Gibbs was the sort who nearly demanded it.  The former Marine wouldn't cheat on his partner any more than he would accept being cheated on….so if he and Tony were dating it had to be exclusive.    

None of this explained who Louisa was.  Because from the sounds of it she was some sort of regular in Tony's life.  A woman he wasn't romantically interested in?  McGee chuckled.  Kate thought there was no such thing…but then she didn't count herself or Abby.  

McGee snickered, still amused by Kate's cluelessness over her male friends wanting to sleep with her.  And he actually believed Tony when he said he found Kate attractive but he wasn't interested in her because he knew her…probably better than Kate realized.  Their working relationship was confrontational and competitive on a good day, something being romantically involved would likely just exacerbate.  

Kate would be a hard woman to date for nearly any man, McGee decided.  She had some decidedly high expectations, impossible even.  She wanted to be treated like a lady, accorded all the same level of respect and still be regarded as one of the guys…an equal or even better.    

"You either open your own damn door, Kate, or you let someone open it for you."  McGee muttered to himself.  "Can't have it both ways."  

Gibbs and Tony butted heads, but sparks didn't fly between them the way they did between Kate and Tony.  Tony respected Gibbs and deferred to his judgment and experience, and Gibbs clearly held Tony in high regard.  Tony wouldn't still be on the team if he didn't, and Gibbs gave Tony far more latitude than he gave anyone else.

Gibbs seemed to find Tony's antics more amusing than annoying.  The former cop could get him to smile the way no one else did.  McGee wrote humor down under the evidence column.  McGee's own parents said the fact that they made each other laugh was one of the reasons they'd be celebrating their fortieth anniversary this year.  

Gibbs brusque, hard line approach tended to put people off, but it didn't seem to bother Tony.  The former cop appeared to thrive knowing where the boundaries were and how hard he could push them.  And if what McGee had seen in the break room was anything to go by, Gibbs wasn't as heavy handed in private as he was in public.  He'd seen Gibbs be gentle before…although that was usually with children or widows of service men, the man was capable of it when the situation required it.  

McGee stepped back from the board.  He studied what he wrote, memorizing it before moving to erase it.  He did a mental tally.  So far he'd learned he knew less about Tony than he should.  Knew more about Gibbs character than specific details about his life.  And both men had enough in common they could probably have a viable romantic relationship if they were so inclined.  Unfortunately, he hadn't proven satisfactorily that they were romantically involved.  

How did he prove that?  McGee pondered the question as he headed for the kitchen and something to eat.  And what did he do with the information if he did prove it?  

The second question was easier to answer.  He knew he wasn't going to talk to Gibbs about it that was for sure.  Tony, maybe…probably.  Tony was definitely the more approachable of the two.  He wasn't going to talk to anyone else though.  He liked the team dynamics the way they were and couldn't see turning the whole thing topsy turvy for no good reason.  If they were involved, it didn't seem to affect the job any, and until it did, a romantic liaison didn't constitute a good reason to McGee.  

Technically it was a violation of the codes of conduct.  And if Tony wanted to, it could be construed as a sexual harassment case since Gibbs was his supervisor.  But McGee couldn't see Tony doing that.  Hell he had a case for abuse just from Gibbs repeated smacks to the head and he'd never pursued that.  And as far as violations and law breaking went, McGee knew his own hacking into the Pentagon and the FBI were far greater offenses.  

If he had to guess he'd say whatever was going on between Gibbs and Tony was relatively recent.  He figured it only dated back to when Tony stopped talking about his dates and that was…he frowned….three, maybe four months ago.  McGee knew his timing could be off for two reasons.  One: Tony had worked several cases undercover during that time so his interaction with the team was minimal at best; he wasn't around to tell stories or have dates to go on.  Two: He was assuming the stories themselves were significant in some way, it was possible their absence didn't mean a thing.  

He nibbled his bottom lip as he went back to pondering his first question…How to prove it?  Today's observations were the product of being observant….well, actually they were more the product of his desire to help a friend, but the end result was the same.  The key was really to watch, listen and learn.  

McGee laughed.  He was pretty sure he'd heard that somewhere before.  He shook his head.  Okay.  He had a plan.  He was going to start watching more closely at the office.  It was where he'd gotten his first break, and likely where he'd get another.  

He felt a faint surge of excitement as he considered staking out Tony's or Gibbs' house.  
McGee laughed again.  Tony would be so proud.  But he'd wait on that for a bit.  He had serious doubts about his ability to get anywhere before Gibbs in time enough to set up somewhere inconspicuous.  And even if he did, he didn't have the equipment to eavesdrop from a distance.  Signing it out from the office would raise too many eyebrows.  Buying his own would be too expensive.  

Tailing them wasn't a practical option either.  Gibbs or Tony would probably spot him in a heartbeat.  And he didn't want to even try to explain why he was following them…at least not until he had something more concrete to go on.  If he got something more at the office to go on, he'd consider upping the ante.

McGee whistled as he popped a frozen dinner in the microwave.  He was already looking forward to tomorrow.  

As he ran, McGee amended his mental list of things he knew about Tony.  The taller man might be a braggart about things from time to time, but he hadn't exaggerated when he said he was faster than McGee.  Staying close enough to act as back up was proving to be more of a challenge than he'd expected.  

Their suspect in a two-day old rape and homicide, Eric Wilson, a third year cadet at Annapolis, had made like a rabbit and ran as soon as he saw them.  Tony had taken off after him like a champion greyhound, leaving McGee to follow.  

He'd been impressed with Tony's leap down the last flight of stairs.  The move had narrowed the gap between him and Wilson, but it wasn't one McGee was willing to follow, especially not when he saw Tony stumble on the landing.  He was even more impressed when the former cop simply let his momentum carry him forward to execute a diving forward roll that had him back on his feet, and after their quarry less than a second later.

McGee grimaced as the chase took them outside into the rain.  At least the quad was deserted.  They wouldn't have to worry about dodging innocent bystanders or losing Wilson in a crowd.  The steady downpour had started sometime late last night and showed no signs of stopping any time soon.

Tony gained on Wilson.  Wilson looked over his shoulder, stumbling as he did so, and making it easy for Tony to bring him down with a neat tackle that landed them both in a large puddle.  McGee belatedly remembered Tony saying something about playing football in college.  It didn't look like he'd forgotten anything.  

Tony released Wilson, rolling away from him to come up on one knee.  He had his gun out pointed at Wilson's chest, and gave him a savagely joyful grin.  "Tag.  You're it."

McGee bit back a grin of his own as he came to a halt nearby, his own gun drawn and covering Wilson from another angle.  He made sure he had enough breath to speak clearly before he opened his mouth.  He didn't want to sound as winded as he felt. "Eric Wilson, you have the right to remain silent."  

"And I strongly suggest you do so."  Tony added as he got to his feet with a grimace.  

"You okay, Tony?"  McGee glanced over but didn't take his eyes completely off Wilson.  The cadet was on his knees now, breathing hard, watching them both warily.

"Other than being soaked and dirty…I'm just peachy, Probie."  Tony shook his head spraying water.   He looked more amused and resigned than angry.  He was the only one of them who didn't seem at all winded by their mad dash.

"Finish reading the man his rights." Tony nodded toward Wilson.  "We're not getting any drier standing here."

McGee rolled his eyes, and finished as Wilson got to his feet.  Tony pulled out his cuffs and made a turn around motion with one finger, giving the cadet a pointed look   Wilson complied, clearly understanding he'd lost his only opportunity to flee.

Tony holstered his weapon, and secured the cuffs, trapping Wilson's hands behind him.  McGee holstered his gun as well, moving to stand beside Wilson as they headed for the car.  He tried to ignore the way his shoes squished as they finally left the lawn and made it to pavement.  

Tony sighed heavily.  "At least I wasn't wearing a new pair of shoes."

"You have a change of clothes at the office?"  

Tony nodded.  "More than one."  Tony rubbed a hand over his face, flicking excess water off his fingers before looking up at the still leaking sky in annoyance.  "Don't remember which rule but I'm sure Gibbs has one about being prepared."

McGee smiled.  "I think it's in the top ten."

"Well if it's not, it should be."

Wilson didn't say anything as McGee helped him into the back seat.  The computer whiz hoped he'd stay quiet on the way to the office.  Tony or Kate typically took the lead when it came to interviewing a witness or victim, while Gibbs usually took the lead on interrogations.  McGee felt like he had a long way to go before he was even half as good at reading and understanding people as the rest of the team.

Tony slipped into the driver's seat, waiting for McGee to buckle his seat belt before he pulled out of the parking slot and headed back to the office.  He turned on the heat a few minutes later, directing it toward the floor.  The heater in the sedan didn't put out much in the way of real warmth, but McGee was grateful for even that little bit of heat on his feet and knew Tony likely felt the same.  

Tony shifted in his seat and rubbed one shoulder.  McGee frowned.  "You sure you're okay?  That tuck and roll you did on the landing looked like it might have hurt to do."  Not to mention the tackle that followed, McGee thought, but didn't say it.  

"Not going to score a ten for that."  Tony chuckled.  "Although, I'm pretty damn proud I even remembered how to do it at all."

"When did you learn-""

"College."  Tony smiled.  "My roomie in the fraternity was a gymnast."   

McGee blinked.  He was surprised a fraternity would let in someone who was in a sport that wasn't 'manly' enough.  The traditional football, baseball and basketball seemed like a far more likely home for a fraternity than gymnastics.  Something in his expression probably gave away what he was thinking.

"Little shit was tough as nails."  There was no mistaking the admiration in Tony's voice when he spoke.  "Still is."

McGee wondered what sort of hazing ritual the guy had to go through to prove he was fit for the fraternity.  He shuddered internally just thinking about it.  He wasn't sure it would be worth it.

"Thomas Thompson the third."  Tony laughed softly.  "T was what everyone called him."

 Figuring Tony would know, McGee asked, "What does he do now?"

"He's a financial analyst for Bank of America.  Works out of one of their regional offices and pulls down a six figure salary."  Tony didn't sound jealous, more like he was proud of how well his frat brother and former roommate was doing.  

"Used to win beer money betting on him."  Tony laughed softly.  "Won fifty bucks this year at Spring Break betting he could still do a handstand on the rings."

McGee was not surprised Tony had bet on a friend's ability to do something.  He did it all the time among the team.  And since McGee often bet with him, as well as with Abby, it wasn't something he could find fault with.  He kept hoping some day he'd actually be right and win one.  

McGee wasn't sure where that habit of betting on people's reactions fit on his list, but he added it just the same.  And he now knew Tony had probably been practicing his skill for some time.  That bit of information made him feel a little bit better about losing so often.  He could excuse his losses as the product of being a beginner.  

The trip back to the office took longer than it would have if Gibbs was driving, but not by much and McGee didn't really mind.  Riding with Gibbs was an experience that tended to leave him feeling like he should start going to church more often.  Gibbs would no doubt inspire a similar feeling in Wilson the minute the cadet was in the interrogation room.  

They got some interesting looks from people as they headed inside.  Tony and Wilson were both still soaked and muddy, while McGee was just damp.  McGee wished he could be as calm and unruffled about his own appearance as Tony seemed about his.  

Gibbs met them as they stepped off the elevator and headed for their area of the bullpen.  He blinked once, taking in the tableau.  "DiNozzo!"

"Yeah, Boss?"  

McGee noted Tony's posture straightened just a bit as he addressed Gibbs.  His own did likewise.  McGee tried to look inconspicuous without looking like he was trying to.  He was never sure if he wanted Gibbs to see him or not….sort of depended on what he thought the older man's mood was.

"What the hell happened to you?"  Kate asked, beating Gibbs to that question as she stepped around the divider.  She smirked as she took in their appearance.

"We played tag in the rain."  Tony answered without batting an eye.  "Could have ended up as a game of hide and seek, but Wilson," Tony patted the cadet's shoulder, "isn't fast enough for that."

Wilson glared at Tony but kept his mouth shut.  Gibbs cocked his head to one side studying the young man.  McGee could feel Wilson wanting to back up.  He sympathized.  He'd felt like that more than once when confronted with that intense gaze.  

Kate snickered, dark eyes still on Tony.  "Was rolling in the mud part of the game?"

Tony shrugged, grinning.  "I hear mud baths are good for the skin."  He waggled his eyebrows at her.  "Weren't you going to have a mud bath when you went to the spa?"

She shot him a dirty look. Kate was clearly still upset that she and Abby didn't get to go on that weekend trip.  Abby had gotten over it, but then she wasn't the sort to hold a grudge, particularly when the person at fault was Gibbs.  

"Could save yourself a lot of money, Kate."  Tony grinned wickedly.  "Just go outside and find yourself a good sized mud puddle."

Kate glared at him.  She opened her mouth to deliver what was likely to be some cutting retort but Gibbs neatly intervened.

"Kate, take Cadet Wilson to interrogation room one."  Gibbs looked Wilson over again.  "And see if you can find something to dry him off a bit.  He's dripping all over the carpet."

"Sure, Gibbs."  Kate rolled her eyes but took the suspect by the arm.  He moved to shrug out of her hold, but one hard look from Gibbs was all it took to make the younger man subside and move docilely.  

Kate didn't say anything, but McGee could tell from the set of her shoulders she resented the silent assistance.  She likely saw it as some sort of commentary on her ability to do her job.  It could be that he'd read it wrong, but McGee was fairly certain Gibbs didn't think Kate was any less capable than the others---he'd have never kept her on the team if he didn't think she was up to snuff.  Gibbs would probably have given Wilson that same look no matter who was handling him.  

"Wilson isn't the only one dripping all over the carpet, DiNozzo."

Tony sighed.  "Right, Boss."  He pointed his thumb over his shoulder to the elevator.  "I'll change and be back in five."

"Make it fifteen." Gibbs said softly, frowning as he studied Tony.

"Boss?"  Tony looked at him in surprise.  McGee could feel his own eyebrows climbing upward at the unusually generous time allowance.  

"Your lips are blue." Gibbs pointed out.  "Hot shower.  Dry clothes.  And then get your ass back up here."

McGee was once more astounded by Gibbs powers of observation.  He hadn't picked up on the telltale sign Tony might be cold from being soaked to the skin, even though he should have thought of it.  He'd felt a slight chill himself and he was no where near as wet as Tony.

Tony tossed off a sloppy salute and headed back to the elevator.  McGee was tempted to follow, wanting to change out of his own damp shoes and soggy socks, but he stayed where he was to see what task Gibbs would assign him.  He caught the narrowed eyed look that followed Tony's departure.

"McGee?"  

McGee tried not to shiver at Gibbs' tone of voice.  It wasn't threatening exactly but it definitely had him on high alert.  "Boss?"

"Why is Tony limping?"  Icy blue eyes pinned him with a compelling stare.

"Well…uh."  McGee swallowed hard.  He hadn't noticed that either.  "He sort of…ah…leaped down a flight of stairs when he was…when he ran after Wilson."
 
"And?"

"He didn't quite stick the landing."  McGee winced at the way Gibbs jaw tightened and the older man glared at him.  He didn't step back even though he wanted to.  "Didn't slow Tony down any."  McGee was quick to reassure the former Marine although he wasn't sure why he felt the need to.  Gibbs looked more pissed than concerned, but McGee didn't pause to answer his internal question.  

"Tony tackled Wilson in the quad."  McGee tried not to fidget under the weight Gibbs' stare.  "I asked him twice if he was okay…he said he was fine."  Actually, McGee realized with a sudden flash of memory, Tony hadn't answered him the second time he asked if he was all right.  The former cop had neatly sidestepped the question, diverting his attention elsewhere.  

Gibbs grimaced, eyes moving to glare in the direction Tony had gone.  "Tell Kate to sit on Wilson for a few minutes."

"Will do, Boss."  

McGee didn't need to ask where Gibbs was headed.  He passed off the message to Kate before heading for his locker to change his shoes.  Hopefully he'd be there in time to see or overhear Gibbs and Tony interact without them being aware they had an audience.  And if they saw him, his presence could be explained as a coincidence.

McGee hesitated at the doorway to the locker room, just listening for a moment.  There was no water running so Tony must have either finished his shower or went without one. He couldn't see Tony skipping a shower…not when Gibbs had expressly ordered it, and Tony might not have been overly pissed about his being dirty, but he certainly wouldn't voluntarily stay that way.  McGee glanced at his watch…seven minutes since Gibbs had sent Tony down here.  Meant Tony had to have taken a very quick shower but Gibbs had only given him fifteen minutes to get back upstairs.  

McGee lightened his step as much as possible, trying to make no noise as he made his way to his locker.  He knew Tony's locker was out of sight of the door and on the far left of the room, while his own was on the far right.  With a bank of lockers between them he wouldn't have a direct line of sight to Tony's locker, but the mirror at the end of the row would give him a glimpse if he stood on his toes and stretched his neck a bit.  

Nice thing about metal lockers and tiled shower rooms, McGee thought with a smile, they had good acoustics.  Voices carried easily, echoing slightly.  

"Why the hell didn't you tell me you'd gotten hurt?"  That had to be Gibbs.  He sounded….McGee wasn't sure if he could even label it.  Pissed, concerned, exasperated, maybe…an odd blend of all three seemed to fit.  

"When?"  Tony simply sounded confused.

"When you ran down Wilson."  More anger and exasperation this time, less concern.  

Tony snorted.  "I didn't get hurt."  

McGee heard a faint grunt as though Tony had bent over to retrieve something.  McGee couldn't quite see him in the mirror.  All he really had a glimpse of so far was Gibbs' back.

"So you are wrapping your right ankle as some sort of fashion accessory?"  The sarcasm was sharp.

"I landed wrong."  McGee couldn't see Tony do it but he knew he was shrugging one shoulder and waving a hand in dismissal.  "Right ankle isn't as strong as it should be.  Hasn't been in years.  You know that already."

McGee frowned, considering that bit of information.  He knew Tony had sprained his ankle three months ago on the Persun case.  But it sounded like that wasn't the first time Tony had injured it.  And Gibbs clearly knew some of the history.  Gibbs had gone with Tony to the hospital after they'd rounded up Persun and his buddy…and stayed with Tony afterward, so maybe that was when he found out. Or maybe he'd seen it in Tony's file or they'd discussed it while passing the time during a stakeout.  No way to know for sure.

"You still should have told me about today."  Gibbs growled.  

"It's no big deal, Boss."  McGee could readily picture Tony smiling, trying to brush off any concern.  It didn't work.

"It is to me."  Gibbs' tone was more than just firm and uncompromising. It was warm. McGee might have even gone so far as to label it tender, if it had come from some one other than Gibbs.  

"I'm okay, Jethro. Honest."

McGee blinked, mouth open in surprise.  He'd never heard anyone, other than Ducky, call Gibbs by his first name…well, second name.  Evidently no one ever used 'Leroy', at least not that McGee had met.  

"I just need to keep it wrapped for a day or two, and it'll be good as new."  

McGee could now see Tony.  The computer expert figured he'd been sitting down on the bench to wrap his ankle.  Tony's shower must have been even shorter than he'd thought.  The former cop was dressed, although his shirt wasn't buttoned and his hair was wet.

Tony was looking at Gibbs, his expression open, honest.  "Not like I haven't had worse."

Tony said that without any show of bravado or self-pity.  Why that bald statement would make Gibbs stiffen McGee didn't know.  He knew Tony had experienced more severe injuries on the job. Concussions, cracked ribs, getting drugged, shot at and threatened more than once.  And that didn't count what he might have gotten while working as a cop.  

Maybe Gibbs just didn't like being reminded that his people had been put in harms way.  The man took the well being of his team seriously.  But McGee figured it was more than that, especially when Gibbs pulled Tony to him in a tight embrace.  

McGee added another mental notation to his list of evidence.  There was nothing sexual about the hug, but it was definitely outside the realm of what constituted normal for Gibbs or Tony.  He could see Tony whispering something in Gibbs ear, and Gibbs nod his head in response.  The way the older man's shoulders relaxed, tension almost visibly draining from him, McGee desperately wished he knew just what Tony had said to him.  

McGee bit his lower lip and pulled back, suddenly unsure of his course of action.  He shouldn't be doing this.  He shouldn't be watching them like some sort of peeping tom.

The first time he'd eavesdropped could be excused as being an accident, but this was deliberate, planned.  He made a conscious decision to invade their privacy.  There was nothing right about that.

But his inquisitive nature still goaded him to find out more, to pin down the specifics of this mystery.  He simply couldn't leave it alone.  Not now.  Not when there were still so many questions left unanswered.

Were Gibbs and Tony really involved? It certainly looked like they might be.  Although, that hug could be nothing more than a platonic gesture…one way out of character for either man, but still.  McGee sighed silently, frustrated by his need for conclusive proof to satisfy his curiosity.  

And if they were involved just how close were they?  Fuck buddies or genuine lovers?  Friends with benefits or were they picking out accessories and buying rings?  Tony didn't seem like the sort to commit, but Gibbs wasn't the sort to accept anything less.   As far as McGee knew they weren't living together, but then he readily admitted he didn't know much.  

How long had this been going on?  So far what he'd witnessed had taken place where no one else should have been watching.  Except for the sudden dearth of stories from Tony and the absence of Gibbs' red-haired lady friend their public personas and interaction were the same as it had been the day McGee started working at NCIS.  For all he knew they could have been in a relationship from the day Tony was hired.  

McGee leaned out, once more on his toes to see Gibbs and Tony.  Gibbs had pulled back, one hand cupping Tony's face.  Tony tilted his head and it looked as if he'd placed a kiss in Gibbs' palm.  They were once more having an entire conversation with just their eyes.  It was fascinating.  

McGee cursed in a whisper when three agents chose that moment to boisterously enter the locker room.  Gibbs and Tony moved out of his line of sight.  Any hope of finding out more was lost and he knew it.

McGee sighed and stepped over to his locker.  He might as well take care of changing his shoes and socks.  No point in wandering around with wet feet.

He sat on the bench, thinking as he pulled off his wet things.  He felt guilty for spying.    Somehow this whole exercise seemed easier in his head.  

McGee sighed.  He couldn't let this go even though he knew he should.  It was one of the reasons he found detective stories so fascinating, why he wanted to investigate crimes in the first place….to find the answers, to put together the clues and have the world make sense even if the people in it weren't always logical and precise like machines.  

McGee pursed his lips and nodded his head as he came to a decision.  He wouldn't stakeout their houses.  That was definitely going beyond what his conscious would let him do, particularly in light of how guilty he felt doing what little he'd just done.  Studying a stranger for clues on a case was one thing, this was another matter entirely.   

Observations at work then were okay, he told himself unable to give up entirely.  They were likely things he would ordinarily notice anyway once he knew what to look for.  And his knowing what to look for was the product of his desire to help Tony---and he didn't want to lose sight of that.  

 McGee blushed, ashamed of himself for getting so wrapped up in this mystery he forgot he liked Tony.  They were friends after a fashion.  He owed it to the other man to at least make an effort to respect his privacy while he satisfied his inquisitive nature.

McGee put his wet shoes and socks in his locker before tying the laces of his sneakers.  He briefly considered talking to Tony about this, taking the direct route to learning what he wanted to know, but McGee dismissed the idea.  He would have to admit to spying and he wasn't ready to do that.  If working with Gibbs had taught him anything it was to know as much as possible before confronting anyone or being confronted by them.  

McGee closed his locker and headed back upstairs.  They still had a case to work.  He didn't want Gibbs to think he was slacking off or giving the job less than his full attention.  If he happened to notice other things along the way, that was just a bonus.

McGee sighed and rubbed his forehead tiredly.  He really missed Tony.  The former cop had only been gone three days and it felt like an eternity.  

McGee glanced over at Kate and smirked internally.  He'd bet even money that she was sorry she'd  won the coin toss with Abby about which of them would have to go to the week long interagency cooperative training seminar in Atlanta.  At the time, Kate thought she'd come out ahead.  But after the past few days, McGee knew she would kill to be bored out off her mind, trapped in a hot, stuffy room with two hundred other government agents listening to some monotonic speaker who didn't know the first thing about actually working with people.

McGee had never realized what a balancing influence on the team Tony had.  The former cop's outrageous stories helped to pass the time; they entertained and diverted attention keeping boredom and frustration to a minimum when there were no cases to focus on.  The usually playful and occasionally heated banter between Tony and Kate served to keep her from being wound quite so uptight.  McGee knew she enjoyed the verbal sparing as much as Tony did, always looking for a chance to get one up on him.    

McGee would readily admit he liked it too.  Although, he didn't win all that often, he savored every victory, enjoying the chance to play more than the victory itself.  It was proof positive he was part of the team.  Tony didn't tease people he didn't like.

McGee figured the person on the team Tony liked best was probably Abby.  He indulged her like she was a favorite little sister.  McGee knew he often took time out of his day to visit with her just to talk.  They had a mutual, deep-seated interest in movies and pop culture and a light hearted outlook on much of life.  Abby's lab was sort of a second home for Tony.  Abby said gossiping and playing with Tony for a little while each day reduced the stress of working in a demanding and frequently high pressure job.  

He grimaced.  Most of the demands and pressure were courtesy of Gibbs.  The man was wound tighter than an eight day clock on a good day.  And it hadn't really been a good day since Tony left.  

He saw the vaguely longing glance Kate sent toward Tony's empty desk.  He figured she was beginning to appreciate the advantages of having him around.  If nothing else he gave the former Marine a ready target, someone else to glare at.  

McGee was beginning to suspect Tony gave Gibbs a lot more than that.  Gibbs had never been quite this short tempered before, snapping and snarling at people like a junkyard dog.  Every comment seemed to be heavily laced with sarcasm, every action carried with it a sense of impatience and restlessness.  Abby quaintly described the older man's attitude as 'cranky' but McGee thought 'being a world class bastard' fit better.  This was more than just his knee bothering him.  It had to be.  

When not working a case, the only other time McGee could remember Gibbs coming close to being this bad was when Tony had been gone for Spring Break.  And that was more of a long weekend than a true vacation.  

Since they weren't on call that weekend, officially, Tony was only out of the office for two days.  For those two days Gibbs had just seemed a bit more on edge, twitchy more than outright mean.  What struck McGee now as he thought about it was that Gibbs hadn't even acknowledged Tony's return, acting like he'd never left.    

Gibbs' recent nasty disposition lent more credence to his theory that whatever was going on between them was relatively recent.  McGee frowned as he thought about that.  It really was probably a matter of degree.  Maybe whatever it was had been brewing for awhile.

It made sense.  Being attracted to a male coworker wasn't the sort of thing one just acted on without due consideration; particularly not when that coworker was also a subordinate and as prone to chasing women as Tony seemed to be.  And Gibbs being Tony's boss and married three times, not to mention his lady friend, would likely have made Tony hesitate to act on anything.  It made for a long dance, McGee decided.  

McGee smiled to himself, amused that it had never even occurred to question if they would find each other attractive.  Gibbs didn't fit the 'type' Tony usually dated; but then just being male sort of put him outside that 'type'.   With just Tony's taste in women to go by, there was no way to know what his 'type' for men might be.  The same held true for Gibbs.  All McGee knew about were the three ex-wives and the red-head.  He really had no idea what either man might look for in another man.  

From a purely aesthetic standpoint there was no denying both were very good looking men.  Neither man seemed to have any trouble getting attention.  Half the women in the building routinely eyed them both wherever they went.  And, McGee noticed a few men doing the same thing, albeit with more discretion.  

His earlier thoughts about what they might have in common came back to him.  They certainly had the basis for more than a physical attraction.  He couldn't see Gibbs being such a pain in the ass now simply because he hadn't gotten laid in three days.  He added the older man's more extreme behavior to his mental list of evidence.

McGee looked up to see Kenny, the interoffice mail man, strolling through the bull pen.  He was carrying a small bouquet of flowers neatly arranged in a coffee mug and a colorfully wrapped box.  Kenny placed both neatly on Gibbs' desk before moving on.

McGee looked around warily before getting up to take a closer look.  Kate joined him a second later.  She leaned down to sniff the flowers, eyes closing slightly in appreciation of the fragrance.  They were pretty, some sort of daisy he thought, colorful and simple.  

"Think Kenny got the wrong desk?"  McGee hazarded a guess.  He really couldn't imagine anyone sending Gibbs flowers.  The former Marine just didn't seem the type to appreciate such things.  

"Could be."  Kate plucked the card from the little plastic holder, careful not to disturb the flowers.   She read it before holding it so McGee could see the envelope.  In neat calligraphy was L.J. Gibbs.  

"Definitely for him."

"Who would send Gibbs flowers…and a present?" Kate tapped the little envelope, clearly debating the merits of opening it to find out.  

"Is there a reason you two aren't busy at your own desks?"  Gibbs' pointedly dry question coming from directly behind them made Kate start.  It was unnatural how silently the man could move.

Gibbs moved around them, clearly not expecting an answer.  He pulled his chair out but hesitated, looking down at his desk, silver eyebrows rising.  Icy blue eyes rose from the offerings to pin Kate in place.

"Why are flowers for YOU on MY desk, Special Agent Todd?"

"They're not." Kate asserted strongly, before flushing under Gibbs steady gaze.  "I mean…they're not for me."  Kate stuttered, looking uncharacteristically uneasy and guilty as she offered Gibbs the purloined card.  "They're for you."

He plucked it from her fingers.  The look he gave her made McGee very glad he wasn't the one who'd had it in hand.  He was also glad she hadn't had the chance to open it.  Getting blood out of the carpet would take forever.  

Gibbs opened the card.  He squinted at it before holding it further away.  He smiled and then chuckled as he read whatever was written on it.  McGee blinked, stunned by the amount of warmth and delight in the older man's expression.  

Gibbs' mimicked Kate's earlier action, bending down to sniff subtly at the flowers.  His smile widened, eyes crinkling at the corners.  His fingers moved to delicately brush several petals.  

McGee realized he'd misjudged the older man.  He clearly appreciated getting flowers.  And no doubt the sentiment behind the gift if his reaction to the card was anything to go by.  

"Are you going to open the package?"  Kate asked, showing far more daring than McGee would have.  But then she usually did.

Gibbs eyed the colorful wrapping before shrugging one shoulder.  He pulled a small pocket knife out and neatly slit the tape.  He removed the ribbon and paper, setting both aside with more care than McGee would have expected.  

The aroma of coffee gave away what was in the box as Gibbs opened it.  Emblazoned on the white bag inside in neat black letters was, 'Manny's Mud Special Blend Blue Hawaiian'.  Gibbs grinned. "Damn good timing.  Used the last of it yesterday."  He muttered as he breathed in deeply, clearly savoring the heady aroma of the makings of his lifeblood and favorite beverage.

McGee knew Manny's was a place Tony frequented.  They'd stopped in there once on the way back to the office for Tony to replenish his supply.  He'd even treated McGee to a cup, and the junior agent had to admit it was some of the best coffee he'd ever had.  It was a shame it was so expensive.  

He hadn't until just now even known Gibbs had ever tried it, much less had a supply.  The man seemed to favor coffee that could be used to pave roads.  Something of the quality and expense of Manny's, particularly the Blue Hawaiian blend, didn't seem like something he'd be interested in.

McGee mentally slapped himself.  He'd been wrong about the flowers, so he shouldn't be surprised by being wrong about the coffee.  And there was really no reason to the think the man might not want to treat himself to the good stuff.  Everyone indulged themselves once in awhile.
 
Gibbs glared at McGee and Kate.  "Don't you two have work to do?"  The question wasn't nearly as sharp as it could have been.  It was softened by the warm glow in Gibbs' eyes that belied his stern expressions, but they both were quick to get back to their desks just the same.  

They hadn't caught a new case yet this week.  Gibbs saw that as a perfect time to reexamine unclosed cold cases, reviewing them with fresh eyes, hoping to spot some near avenue of investigation.  So far it had been a tedious exercise, but one McGee knew needed to be done periodically.  And he wasn't going to argue with Gibbs about it…not the way the man's mood had been; a mood which had noticeably lightened at the appearance of such simple things as a few flowers and a bag of coffee.  

He glanced up from his computer screen to see Gibbs lightly fingering the card, a smile hovering about his mouth.  Gibbs tucked the card back into the little plastic post.  He picked up the bag of coffee, fingering the bag like an addict in desperate need of a fix.  

McGee started a silent countdown.  He reached five before Gibbs was up and headed for the break room.  He had no illusions that Gibbs would share; the man was fully capable of drinking the entire pot himself.  The former Marine had a travel size mug that held as much as the man probably intended to make.  There wouldn't be any left in the pot, McGee was sure of that.

It was a safe bet the coffee was from Tony.  It had to be.  And McGee had to compliment Tony on not only his gift but the timing.  An offering of a gift, one so clearly tailored to the receiver's preference, was definitely worth adding to his list of evidence.  

The flowers still seemed a bit out of character, but maybe Tony and Abby had sent them together.  He stifled a flash of hurt at thinking Abby had sent something to Gibbs and not to him.  It wasn't like they were a serious couple, but still, she could have called or something.

She and Tony were probably having a great time in Atlanta.  He had no trouble picturing them sitting in the back row of the classroom, whispered comments flying back and forth between them fast and furious as they bounced from one topic to another.  They had no doubt critiqued the instructor, snidely listed fellow federal agency shortcomings, envied other agency toys, covered old movies and new ones, and rehashed the office gossip all before noon on the first day.

He glanced up when he saw Kate leaving her desk. She cast a furtive glance around before heading for Gibbs' desk.  McGee couldn't believe she was actually going to read the card that came with the flowers.  

He wanted to call her on it, chastise her for invading Gibbs' privacy.  But he'd snuck down to the locker room to eavesdrop just last week so he knew he didn't have any claim to the moral high ground.  Kate, however, didn't know that.  

"What are you doing?"  He hissed in a whisper, outrage coloring his voice.  

She shot him a dirty look.  "What does it look like I'm doing?"  

She'd been as curious as Tony and McGee when it came to Gibbs' red-headed lady friend.  So he really wasn't surprised she'd take this opportunity to get a closer look at Gibbs' personal life.  Kate carefully removed the card and opened it.  She looked it over, frowning in confusion.  

"Who's it from?"  McGee asked quietly, unconsciously glancing around to make sure Gibbs was still well out of sight.  He was really more interested in the message.  It had to be something good to make Gibbs smile.  But asking what it said rather than who it was from might tip Kate off to the fact that McGee had his own suspicions on the identity of the sender.

"I don't know."  She waved a hand in frustration, returning the card with the same care she'd taken to remove it.  "It's written in Spanish."

McGee blinked.  Spanish.  Abby didn't speak Spanish.  If she'd sent the flowers there was no way she'd have requested a message in that language.  Tony spoke the language fluently.  And so did Gibbs.  Confirmation of his suspicions, he added another bit of evidence to his list.  

"No name?"  McGee asked.  The language wouldn't affect that feature. 'Tony' would be recognizable as 'Tony' no matter what language.   

"There is no name, McGee."  Kate sighed, obviously disappointed.  "Just two lines in Spanish."  

McGee raised an eyebrow.  The use of a foreign language and lack of a name pointed to an effort at discretion.  McGee upped his estimate of Tony's intelligence, and his knowledge of his teammates.  He had to know the gift would incite curiosity and had planned accordingly, finding a way to send it anyway.  

Kate frowned.   "No florist name on the envelope either."   

McGee knew what she was thinking; if she knew where the flowers came from she could track down who'd sent them.  He was almost relieved there was no obvious clue for her to use.  He wasn't sure if he wanted Kate to suspect or know for certain Gibbs and Tony might be involved.  

He wasn't sure what her reaction would be.  Would she be judgmental? Hostile?  Derogatory?  Accepting?  Tolerant?  There was no way to know for sure.

If she went to the director, Tony could find himself looking for a new job.  McGee couldn't see Morrow firing Gibbs…a reprimand maybe, a black mark near his name to go with a dozen others that were probably already there.  Even if she didn't say anything to the higher ups, McGee had no trouble envisioning her using that information to get one up on Tony….an ace card, so to speak, something she could pull out any time she wanted to put him in his place.  Not quite blackmail but not far from it either.  

McGee sighed.  He was beginning to see why Gibbs and Tony had elected to keep their relationship a secret. A lot could be lost here; more than just a career.  He knew first hand that friendships had fractured for far less.  The team dynamics could be irrevocably damaged and that could be deadly especially since trust and faith in one another were critical when push came to shove.

He bit his lip.  Did they harbor similar doubts about him?  Were they right to?  McGee shook his head.  He would never consider going to the director or fail to back up Tony or Gibbs because they were bisexual.  He didn't think less of them for who they slept with.  But maybe they didn't know that.

No reason Tony would, McGee grimaced with a moment of insight.  He regretted joining Kate in teasing Tony about that incident with Voss.  His discomfort with the whole situation had been too good to pass up, but it had also implied that McGee found the whole thing worth making fun of.  His actions suggested that specifics of Tony's love life and indiscretions were fodder to be played with whenever he felt the need to get one up on him.  

Gibbs hadn't done anything to rein in their banter, but McGee knew the older man well enough to know he hadn't completely ignored it either.  He probably thought McGee and Kate both had issues with gays and lesbians….that they were okay in general principle but not to work with.  McGee knew his teasing Tony when they'd found that dead Petty Officer in drag had certainly made him seem less than professional and dismissive of a dead seaman because he was a transvestite.  That probably had pissed Gibbs off more than when he spilled the man's coffee.

He sighed silently.  How did he convince them he was trustworthy without letting them know he'd already violated a level of their trust?  Damn.  This was why computers were so much easier than people.  

He watched Kate make her way back to her desk, relieved she was willing to settle for being disappointed.  Why couldn't he settle for that, he thought.  McGee shook his head regretfully.  

He had in a way.  He would never have even risked reading the card, even though he'd learned more from it than Kate had.  And he had drawn the line at spying on them outright.  It didn't quite make up for what he'd already done but it had to count for something. He hoped so.

McGee refocused his attention on the cold case file in front of him.  He added a new column to his internal lists.  How to let them know he could be trusted joined the headings of what he knew about Tony and Gibbs, and evidence they were involved.    

Gibbs returned, sipping his coffee.  It wasn't until he finished his cup that he barked out their names and started asking for an update.  McGee sighed.  The reprieve had lasted longer than he expected, but not as long as he'd have liked. Only another two days until Tony got back.  He could survive that long.

McGee was disappointed that Tony didn't show any obvious signs of the passionate reunion McGee suspected had taken place when the former cop had gotten home from Atlanta.  The computer expert really didn't think Tony's wearing a turtle neck sweater two days in a row counted.  It was chilly after all, and Tony had worn those sweaters before.  Although, McGee thought with a smile, he probably had bought them at some point to conceal a hickey or two.

Gibbs didn't show any obvious signs either; other than being a bit more relaxed and less inclined to snap at people.  And in his case, McGee was willing to consider that significant.  No one else seemed to have that impact on the former Marine.

Gibbs seemed more rested somehow.  Not that the man ever really appeared tired or run down that McGee had noticed, but there was definitely a bit more of a bounce to his step.  It was something McGee realized now had been conspicuously absent the week Tony had been gone.

Not even getting called into Director Morrow's office to review a complaint filed in Atlanta regarding Tony and Abby's behavior did much to alter Gibbs disposition.  Evidently the 'terrible two' had joined forces with a couple of ATF agents out of the Denver office and had made things difficult for several speakers.  To their credit, the disruptions weren't juvenile antics like throwing paper airplanes or spitballs, but rather took the form of intelligent questions and commentary geared toward pointing out flaws in logic, outdated technological information, errors in procedural requirements, mistakes in jurisdictional boundaries and misrepresentations of agency duties and responsibilities.

Abby had recounted their time to McGee.  She'd been both appalled and amused by the ineptitude and ignorance of several of the speakers. And she was positively delighted with the allies she and Tony had garnered in their effort to make their points.

He tried not to be jealous when she talked about the 'cute ATF guys'.  They evidently had joined Tony and Abby in going to dinner and hitting a few bars.  Tony and one of the ATF agents had taken on some of the locals in nightly pool games, winning enough to pay their tab every time.

McGee was not surprised they'd made friends.  It seemed to be Tony and Abby's forte.  And he wasn't surprised to know Tony played a mean game of pool.  Tony had good eye-hand coordination, and a real world understanding of physics and geometry even if he couldn't figure out the math on paper; he could make the shot without necessarily having to know how or why it worked.

He would have liked to spend a week in Atlanta with Abby.  It would have been fun, even if the bulk of their time was spent in boring lectures.  McGee sighed.  Next time something like this came up he'd probably be going with Kate.  It wasn't that he didn't like Kate, he did, but he couldn't picture her making snide comments in class, bar hopping with total strangers, or betting on pool games.  And even if she did, he doubted she'd invite him along.  Tony might tease and harass him, but other than that trip to Paraguay, he rarely left McGee out.

He sighed again and refocused his thoughts on their latest case.  Shady government contractors, financial improprieties, and attempted murder were definitely the makings of a good novel.  Although, in this case, the people involved didn't seem particularly clever.

Stacey McClain had apparently been cooking the books for years, bilking the government out of millions.  An auditor from the Department of Defense, David Joyce, discovered the theft.  It looked as though McClain had tried to kill Joyce rather than allow him to reveal what he knew to the authorities.  But he had ended up shooting a Naval Lieutenant Junior Grade, Janet Stoddard, who also happened to be Joyce's girlfriend, which is what got the case tossed to NCIS.

Joyce had pointed them in the direction of McClain as a suspect for the shooting even though no one had seen the shooter.  He certainly looked like he had motive.  And he had the means as well.  McClain had a registered hand gun of the right caliber, make and model to match the bullet they'd recovered from the wall in Joyce's apartment where it ended up after passing through Stoddard's bicep.  A car similar to his had been spotted in the area.  But so far no one had been able to locate McClain.

None of the airlines reported McClain as having bought a ticket.  Same was true of the railroad and bus lines.  His car hadn't turned up either.  McGee was hoping for a hit on McClain's credit cards or cell phone would lead them to him.

"Why are you even still looking at those?"  Kate asked Tony.  The former cop had been going through the financial records for the past half hour while she and McGee had focused on ways of locating McClain.

"Because something still doesn't add up."  Tony shrugged one shoulder as he continued to study the documents.

"Stacey McClain was cooking the books, Tony."  Kate retorted dryly.  "They aren't going to add up."

"Yeah, but they should."  Tony looked up with a smile.  "Otherwise you don't need to cook them."

Tony picked up a pen and began to play with it.  "If he was really as sloppy as this stuff says he was, Joyce should have caught him a long time ago.  Because, hell, if I can tell this," Tony tapped the financial sheets with his pen, "isn't right, you know someone with an accounting degree should have been able to as well."

"They only audit every other year."  Kate pointed out thoughtfully.

"Records make it look like he was stealing for better than ten years."  Tony frowned.  "That's at least five audits that didn't catch anything wrong.  Seems a bit odd no one caught on before now."

"Joyce only started at DOD last year."  McGee offered hesitantly.  "Maybe the previous auditor wasn't as good as he is."

Tony pursed his lips.  "Could be he wasn't as good…or-"

"McClain was paying to keep him quiet." Kate interjected.

"Which begs the question…If McClain was willing to pay off one, why not another?  Why try to kill Joyce?"

"Couldn't afford it?"  Kate tossed out.

Tony shook his head.  "Not according to what's in those records."  Tony rifled through a few sheets and held up one.  "His personal financial statement shows him as having good liquidity and plenty of assets."

"So what are you suggesting?"

"Don't know for sure."  Tony shrugged.  "But our assumption McClain had motive for trying to kill Joyce hinges on the fact that he was blatantly stealing from the government for years.  I think a conversation with the previous auditor might be a good idea to find out why DOD didn't catch on sooner."

"Because maybe there wasn't anything to catch on to."  Gibbs said, startling McGee as he appeared as if by magic.

"Why would someone falsify accounts to look like McClain had been defrauding the government?"  Kate asked, incredulous.

"That's what I want to know." Gibbs glared at her before turning his attention to McGee.  "McGee, locate McClain."  Gibbs ordered as he pulled his weapon from the top drawer of his desk.  "I want him in an interrogation room when I get back."

"Kate, find out how many people had enough access at McClain's company to tamper with the records back ten years or more."  Gibbs ordered.  "And pull their financial records.  Let's see if someone else had a hand in the cookie jar."

He tossed the keys to Tony.  "Tony, get the sedan.  You're with me."

Tony grinned.  He nodded to Kate as he shrugged into his leather jacket.  "Might want to start with his personal assistant."    

"Why?"

"Odds are good she'd have access to files and passwords.  She'd have most of the receipts and invoices too.  And if she's anything like Andrea, she probably signs his name more than he does and knows all his bank account numbers."

Kate raised both brows.  "Andrea?"

"My father's personal assistant."  Tony answered casually after an infinitesimal pause before he headed for the elevator.   

Kate rolled her eyes as she picked up the phone.  "Bet he was a spoiled rich brat."  She muttered. "What am I saying…he still is."

McGee saw Gibbs' jaw tighten and his fist clench.  He wondered why Kate's comment might upset the older man.  It wasn't the worst thing she'd ever said to or about Tony.  It was relatively mild in comparison to some of the stuff she'd already said just since the day started.  It had to be the reference to Tony's family that bothered him.  McGee filed that away for further reference as Gibbs stalked off after Tony.  

He also filed away the fact that since Tony had gotten back, Gibbs had taken him every time they had to leave the office.  That itself wasn't unusual.  Unless Gibbs was subtly punishing Tony, he seldom left him behind.  But the fact that he was using Tony's first name more than his surname was definitely unusual.  McGee added it to his list of evidence.

He went back to work trying to track down McClain.  That task got a lot easier when a call from local police came in saying they'd found him.  Or rather his body, in his car, in a vacant lot not far from the warehouse where the bulk of his company's supplies were kept.  McGee grimaced.  Gibbs was not going to be happy.  

He knew he was being a coward about it, but McGee opted to call Tony's cell phone instead.  McGee waited for the usual two rings, knowing Tony would pick up.  

"DiNozzo."  

"Tony…I found McClain."

"Good work, McGee."  

McGee stifled the urge to preen at getting a compliment.  His next bit of news would probably erase the kudos he'd just been given.  He sighed.  "Not so good…he's dead."

"Damn."  

He could picture Tony rubbing his temple and heard him relay the information to Gibbs.  He heard Gibbs curse.  "Ask him if we have a cause of death?  And did he get the body to Ducky?"

He didn't need Tony to repeat Gibbs questions.  "Body is on its way to Ducky as we speak. Cause of death was a single gun shot to the temple. "

"They recover the weapon?"

McGee nodded even though he knew Tony couldn't see him.  "It was in the car with the body.  I'm having ballistics test it against the bullet we recovered from Joyce's apartment.  I've also asked for the photos from the scene since we didn't get immediate access."

"Good thinking, Probie."  

McGee felt a rush of warmth over getting another compliment.  He heard Tony relay the details, and another curse from Gibbs.  He was glad he wasn't in the car with the former Marine.  His driving skills went even more down hill when he was pissed.  

"Suicide…doesn't jive."  He figured Tony was thinking out loud when he heard him murmur.  "Guy had the wherewithal to skip the country, so why not run?  And if he hadn't done anything wrong…why off himself?"  

The former cop's voice was clearer and louder when he spoke again.  "Have Ducky test his hands for GSR."  

"Will do."  McGee just managed not to add 'boss'.  It was uncanny the way Tony's inflection could mimic Gibbs' at times.  McGee's response to it was almost instinctive, but he didn't feel bad because he'd seen Kate react the same way.  

"Did we get the car?"  Gibbs' question came through clearly, curt and impatient as always.

"Tell him it's already on its way to Abby."  

Their voices weren't distinct enough for McGee to hear everything that was said as Tony and Gibbs talked.  He waited, knowing better than to hang up.  Another reason he called Tony was that Gibbs usually just hung up on people letting the dial tone speak for him, Tony was usually more polite than that, offering some sort of closing statement if not a good-bye.

"We're still going to check out the other auditors.  See if anything pans out there.  Tell Kate she's got two hours to have everyone who had access to the books and accounts at the office, ready to be questioned.  Once Ducky pins down a time of death, check everyone's alibis."  Tony directed.  "Check their alibis against the shooting of Stoddard at Joyce's place as well.  See you in two hours, McGee."  

McGee hung up and passed on the deadline to Kate.  She didn't look happy, but she didn't complain either.  It wouldn't do her any good.  

McGee called Ducky to let him know McClain's body was on its way and what they needed to know and when.  He always felt a little silly telling Ducky what to look for.   The ME had likely forgotten more than McGee would ever know.  

He called Abby and let her know McClain's car would be in the garage for her to examine.  He could hear music blaring in the background and it made him wince.  He wasn't sure how she could concentrate with that much noise, but she did.

One hour and fifty nine minutes later, McGee was glad he had a report ready for Gibbs.  He didn't want to disappoint the former Marine.  Gibbs wasn't one who suffered fools gladly.

"McGee!" Gibbs barked out as he entered the bull pen with Tony just a half step behind.  "What have you got for me?"

"The gun found with McClain is registered in his name and ballistics positively matched it to the bullet we pulled from Joyce's apartment.  So it was definitely the weapon that wounded Lieutenant JG Stoddard."  McGee stood up, squaring his shoulders. "It was also definitely the weapon that killed McClain."

McGee swallowed nervously, wishing Gibbs wouldn't stare at him that way.  "Initial photos from the scene show McClain in the driver's seat, seatbelt on.  No defensive wounds or signs of a struggle.  There was a typed note found in the car confessing to theft and attempted murder."

Tony frowned.  McGee knew he'd like the next bit of information.  "But there was no GSR on his hands.  And his prints were on the gun but not the bullets."   McGee thought it was a stroke of genius that Abby had thought to check the remaining rounds for prints.  

"Meaning he didn't fire the gun or load it."  Tony stated with a confident smile.  Some one had wanted it to look like a suicide but whoever it was hadn't quite covered all the bases.

"Abby got a set of partials from the bullets that she can use for comparison…once we get her someone to compare them to."  McGee added.  

Tony shared a look with Gibbs.  "To get that close without arousing suspicion-"  

"Had to be someone he knew and trusted."  Gibbs finished his sentence.  "Kate?"  He turned to look at her.  "What have you got?"

"Other than McClain, five people had access to the necessary passwords and every account. Two have ironclad alibis as far as the shooting of Stoddard and murder of McClain."  

"Ironclad?"  Gibbs arched an eyebrow.

"They've been overseas for the last month with DOD personnel reviewing field tests."

Gibbs nodded.  "And the other three?"

Kate triggered the plasma screen.  A picture of an older, balding man with glasses appeared.  Tony moved to stand closer to Gibbs, staring at the screen.  McGee absently noted the two men were close enough their shoulders touched.  

"Arthur Karpinsky."  Kate nodded to the screen.  "He's got several degrees in engineering and has been with the company from the beginning.  He and McClain reportedly argued…A lot."    

"What did they argue about?"

"Money."  Kate sighed.  "Evidently McClain patented one of Karpinsky's designs last year under the company's name essentially cutting him out of any profits."

"Ouch."  Tony winced.  "Can see that being motive."

Kate clicked a button, and a new picture appeared.  It was a young, beautiful blonde woman with dark blue eyes.  Kate identified her as Lydia Markish.

McGee estimated her age to be in her early twenties. He saw Tony cock his head to study her picture.  He whistled silently.  "Very pretty."

Gibbs raised a hand and lightly slapped the back of Tony's head.  "Focus on the case, Tony."

McGee surprised to note Gibbs' action really wasn't so much a slap as it was the older man brushing his hand through Tony's hair.  Instead of the move taking less than a second, McGee could have sworn Gibbs hand lingered at the nape of Tony's neck, becoming more of a caress than a reprimand.  And while his tone was sharp, it wasn't angry or impatient.   If Gibbs had really meant it as a serious chastisement he'd have called Tony by his surname.

McGee bit his cheek to hide an inappropriate smile.  Hiding in plain sight, he thought.  He had to give them credit.  Tony habitually made comments about women.  And Gibbs had slapped Tony countless times before with varying degrees of force.  So this looked like business as usual, except for the subtle new twist most people wouldn't even notice.   
Kate definitely hadn't if the smirk she gave Tony for his getting slapped was anything to go by.  

Kate cleared her throat and continued speaking. "Lydia started working for McClain eighteen months ago.  I haven't been able to pin down exactly what her duties are or any qualifications she might have that would have gotten her hired in the first place.  Office gossip says she's McClain's mistress."  She made a small moue of distaste.  "The fact that he's paying her lease and bought the car she's driving suggests there's more than just a bit of truth to the rumors."

"Killing the cash cow wouldn't be too smart."  Tony observed thoughtfully.  

Kate snorted.  "You're assuming she's got any brains at all."

"Crime of passion?"  McGee suggested.  He'd seen a lot of people 'cut off their noses to spite their face'.  

"This wasn't neat, but it was far from sloppy."  Gibbs countered, shaking his head.  "McClain was set up to look like he'd been stealing and attempted to murder Joyce to cover it up.  Then they killed him and tried to make it look like a suicide."  

Gibbs gave the screen a grim look.  "What about our third suspect?"

Kate brought up the last photo.  It was a woman in her mid to late forties, attractive, but not stunning the way her coworker, Lydia, was.  Kate identified her as Carol Edsel.

"Carol has worked for the company for almost eighteen years.  She's been the office manager and McClain's personal assistant for the last twelve years.  As far as I can tell, she's well liked by her coworkers.  Does her job well and never complains."

"She benefit from McClain's death in any way?"  Tony asked.

"Not really."  Kate shook her head.  "None of them benefit directly."

"Who ever took the money definitely reaped a benefit."  McGee interjected quietly.  

"We still don't know where the money is."  Kate pointed out.  "None of these three have off shore accounts.  And no suspicious activity in their domestic accounts."

"Cash might not be king any more, but its still good everywhere."  Tony observed casually.  

Kate laughed.  "You think who ever took it has the money in a mason jar or stuffed in their mattress?"

"Safer than the stock market.  And less traceable too."  Gibbs remarked dryly.  "Let's get fingerprints of these three to Abby.  Narrow the field."  

McGee was on the phone ordering the prints and getting them to Abby even as Gibbs stalked off toward the break room.  He was due for another cup of coffee.  McGee was somewhat surprised the older man hadn't walked in with one.  The bag of Blue Hawaiian he'd gotten last week was probably already gone.  Not that he would have shared anyway.  Gibbs wasn't generous with his coffee, no matter what brand he had.  
 
Tony looked at Kate.  "Ten bucks says Lydia didn't kill McClain."  

Kate rolled her eyes. "Just because she's pretty doesn't mean she isn't lethal, Tony."

"I know pretty things can be deadly."  Tony smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes.  "And I didn't say she couldn't kill him, I said I don't think she did."

"I think it's Karpinsky."  McGee stated.  "He was owed money and probably felt he deserved it.  Stealing the money and framing McClain for it was icing on the cake."

"I agree."  Kate gave him a smile.

Tony shook his head.  "Don't think so."

"He's got motive and opportunity, Tony."  Kate argued.

"Yeah, but did he have access to McClain's gun?"  Tony asked.  

"We don't know where he kept it, just that he had one."  

Tony shrugged.  "My money is on Carol."  

Kate snorted delicately.  "She had nothing to gain."

"She didn't have anything to lose either."  Tony headed for his desk, leaving them to ponder that observation.  

McGee really wasn't surprised when Abby called to say the prints were a match to Carol less than half an hour later.  Disappointed, but not surprised.  He handed Tony his ten bucks.  Kate reluctantly did the same.  

The former cop understood what made people tick far better than he did.  Better than Kate, despite her profiler status and experience.  More than once that level of comprehension had led him to places the rest of them would have overlooked.

McGee recalled clearly before Tony and Gibbs had left to talk to the auditors, Tony had suggested the personal assistant as a starting point.  He'd referenced his father having an assistant, so Tony likely had first hand knowledge of what sort of relationship McClain might have had with Carol, and what could turn an otherwise unassuming individual into a killer.  He was beginning to think Tony's home life wasn't at all what Tony let them think it was.  

They turned Karpinsky and Lydia loose.  There was nothing to hold them on.  And Carol admitted to acting on her own when Gibbs began to question her.

"Why?"  Kate stared at Carol through the one way mirror of the interrogation room.  "Why would she do it?"

"Think we're going to find out." Tony responded, green eyes intent on Gibbs as the older man leaned forward in his chair.  Gibbs had already lined out the evidence for Carol, letting her know they had enough to see her spend the rest of her life in jail.  They had who, how, and when.  Only 'why' remained, and Gibbs was nothing if not thorough.

Carol had waved her right to an attorney.  She looked both relieved and resigned.  She sighed, dark eyes meeting Gibbs' blue counterparts easily.

"Eighteen years I worked for that company.  Twelve with Stacey directly."  She shook her head.  "Never thought I was the sort to be vindictive, petty or outright mean."  She smiled ruefully, the _expression making her appear younger before the smile vanished leaving her looking tired and drawn.  "But years of wiping that man's ass sort of wore me down."

She drummed her fingers on the table before releasing a breath in a soft huff.  Her fingers curled into a fist.  "I was the one who made sure he didn't forget his appointments.  Made sure orders were handled on time while he schmoozed with clients playing golf and taking two hour lunches.  I took care of the day to day stuff….payroll, purchasing, accounts receivable…Hell I did it all.  I even balanced his damn checkbook."  

She grimaced.  "I picked up his dry cleaning.  Sent his wife flowers for her birthday. Found the perfect anniversary present.  Made him coffee. And kept his liquor cabinet stocked."
  
Her fist clenched tighter, knuckles bleaching white.  Her voice remained soft, conversational, but McGee had a feeling she really wanted to be shouting.  He was impressed that she still retained enough self-control to not just let loose.  But then from the sounds of it she'd been practicing maintaining her self control for a long time..

"In eighteen years, Agent Gibbs, I never showed up late, never left early, never got more than a week's vacation at a time."  Carol took a deep breath and let it out slowly.  "I worked overtime without pay, weekends and holidays to make sure that sorry excuse for a man wouldn't make a fool of himself."  

Her lips curled in to a snarl.  "Did I ever get a little recognition?  A little show of gratitude?  No.  Not even a single thank you from that self-centered, selfish bastard."

"Ouch."  Tony whispered.  McGee had to agree.  He could definitely see how Carol Edsel had snapped.

Carol licked her lips, expression sardonic.  "He hired Lydia to help me out…take over some of my responsibility."  Carol snorted.  "Funny how my work load didn't get any lighter with her there.  But then fucking the boss on the couch in the office wasn't really part of my job description."

"But she wanted it to be."  Tony murmured.  

Kate gave him a disgusted look.  "Just because you're always looking to get laid doesn't mean she was."

Tony rolled his eyes.  "I'm not saying she just wanted to get laid Kate, but she definitely wanted to be special to him.  To get noticed.  To be more than just his gofer."  

Tony arched an eyebrow, looking down to make eye contact with Kate.  "Would you do all that shit for your boss just for a paycheck?"  

"No."  She answered.  McGee couldn't see her picking up Gibbs dry cleaning or making him coffee…ever.

Tony sighed softly.  "She didn't just hate McClain.  She probably loved him too.  McGee called it right when he said it was a crime of passion."    

McGee blinked.  "But Gibbs said-"

"She let it build for years before it exploded."  Tony shrugged.  "She had time to plan it out, but there was nothing really cold about her actions.  She called it herself…vindictive, petty and mean."

"I haven't had a raise or even a Christmas bonus in more than three years, Agent Gibbs."  Carol stated quietly drawing their attention once more back to the interrogation room.  "But Lydia…she's waltzing around in Prada and pearls.  He's buys her a car and I'm clipping coupons, shopping at Wal-mart."

"Was that when you decided to steal the money?"  Gibbs asked.

"Oh, Stacey had been skimming the books for years."  Carol chuckled, waving a hand in a dismissive gesture.  "Nothing too obvious, mind you, never too much, but definitely not all above board.  I made sure it was all well hidden.  Books always balanced.  Auditors never suspected a thing."  

She looked proud of that.  And in a weird way McGee thought she should be proud.  Not everyone could pull off that sort of creative accounting without getting caught and Carol had done it for years.

"He didn't appreciate my doing that for him either."  She shrugged, looking away from Gibbs.  "So I just undid the things I'd done to hide his theft."  

Her grin was wolfish, more of a baring of her teeth than a real display of humor.  "This time I made sure the embezzlement was obvious…so damn blatant the auditors would have to be blind to miss it.  And I got a piece of the pie too while I was at it."  She laughed darkly.  "I knew who they'd blame for it.  And it wasn't going to be some little assistant Stacey barely took notice of."  

"What did you do with it?"

She smirked.  "Couldn't find it, could you?"

"We will."  

"No you won't."    

Gibbs raised an eyebrow.  "Sure of that?"

"Very."  She nodded firmly.  "Anonymous cash donations to charities aren't something you can track.  And they sure as hell won't give you the money back."  

"So you didn't keep any of it?"

"Not a dime." The honestly rang true in her statement.  "It wasn't about money, Agent Gibbs."

"It was about getting even and sticking it to McClain."  Kate observed quietly, sipping her coffee.  "Why kill him?"

"Because maybe he wasn't supposed to know she was the one who stuck it to him."  Tony half smiled.  "And if she'd pulled off making it look like a suicide, she could have walked away free and clear.  Closest you can come to having your cake and eating it too."

"Think we'll be able to find the money?"

"Might get what McClain was skimming over the years since he had assets that we can use to pay it back, but what she took…nope.  Think we can kiss it good-bye. And of course there is no way to know for sure just how much she got since it's the company and McClain's estate that's really on the hook." Tony's smile grew.  "Got to hand it to her.  She thought it through rather well for an amateur."

"Only you would be impressed with that." Kate gave him a dark look.  "She tried to kill Joyce, remember?  He was just the poor schmuck who had misfortune to be assigned to audit McClain's company.  And she's still going to spend the rest of her life in jail."

Tony sighed but didn't argue.  "You want to process her?  Or you want me to?"

"I'll do it."  Kate gave him a sly glance as she headed for the door.  "You could use the extra time to work on your report.  Maybe turn it in on time for once."

Tony made a face but didn't otherwise respond.  He rubbed at his eyes and yawned.  

"Long day?"  McGee asked sympathetically.  He felt a little worn down himself.  Normally solving a case gave him a little rush but this one was just…just…McGee gave up trying to find a word for it.

"Short night." Tony countered with a quick smile.  

McGee bit his lip, debating internally for a second.  Deciding to go for it he asked, "Anyone I know?"

Tony smiled over his shoulder as he headed for the door.  "I don't kiss and tell, Probie."

"Not any more you don't."  McGee muttered to himself, waiting until Tony was safely out of ear shot before voicing that thought.  There was a time when he knew more about Tony's love life than he did his own.  Now Tony was mostly mum on the subject.

McGee spoke with the tech for a moment, making sure they got a transcript of the interrogation and a copy of the tape before he left.  He started down the hall, ready to get back to his desk and get the report on this case finished, but stopped when he heard voices.  They were coming from just around the corner in front of him.

"Was a good call, Tony."  That was Gibbs.  McGee waited, holding his breath.  "You had it pegged from the start."

"Ah don't read to much into it, Boss."  Tony sounded overly casual, like he was trying to brush off the compliment.  It was weird to hear him sound that way.  "Wasn't that big of a leap for me.  Especially in light of what I know about what Andrea does for my father."

"You think she feels like Carol?"  It was more of a statement than a question.

"Don't think she's pining after him or anything like that.  But I'm sure she does some days she's frustrated, resentful and seriously pissed off."  McGee could hear Tony sigh.  "It's why I make a point of sending her flowers ever few months and a present for Christmas."

"Trying to keep her from bringing down you father?"

"No."  Tony laughed softly.  "Just…no one should ever be made to feel unappreciated, or have their efforts left totally unacknowledged."

In spite of the laugher there was an underlying seriousness in Tony's tone.  McGee knew he wasn't the only one who heard it.  

"If I ever make you feel-"

"You don't."  Tony's tone was warm, open and honest.  McGee had never heard him sound like that.  

"But if I do---"

"You won't."  There was so much confidence and trust in that statement.  It amazed McGee, left him speechless.  He wondered if it had the same effect on Gibbs.

There was another light laugh from Tony, his tone playful, teasing when he spoke again.  "No one who fills his freezer with my favorite flavor of ice cream is ever going to make me feel unappreciated or unloved."  

McGee heard the elevator announce its arrival and bit back a curse.   He shook his head, realizing he should count his blessings.  So far simple observation and dumb luck had told him more than he ever thought possible.  He smiled to himself thinking, you really could learn a lot if you just paid attention.

He really no longer had doubts Tony and Gibbs were involved.  The question of how to prove he could be trusted with that knowledge remained.  McGee sighed.  One thing at a time his mother always told him.  He'd just have to be patient and find a way.  For now he had a report to right and a case to put to bed.  

McGee decided Tony was right.  They were being punished.  He wasn't sure why, and it probably didn't really matter.  Odds were good it wasn't something McGee had done, but more likely something Gibbs had done.  Gibbs had a habit of pissing off the higher ups.  And it wasn't a huge stretch of the imagination to think one of them probably thought jerking the former Marine around a bit would get him to toe the line better.

McGee snorted.  The man toed his own line; which is why sending him and his team half way around the world to handle a Mickey Mouse case that should have and could have been handled by the NCIS agents on board the U.S.S. Enterprise didn't work the way the higher ups probably thought it would.   Instead of just twiddling his thumbs and taking the assignment as the chastise it was no doubt meant to be, Gibbs had them work the case, solving another related to illegal drug trafficking while they were at it.  

McGee didn't think Gibbs had pissed off a rear admiral on purpose, but it was hard to tell.  The Admiral had gotten in Gibbs' way.  And the Admiral had been responsible, indirectly, for the black eye and split lip McGee now sported.  Gibbs took the health and well being of his team personally.  

McGee sighed and tried to get comfortable.  Gibbs might wax nostalgic for canvas seats and cold cargo holds, but McGee agreed with Tony when it came to flying.  Commercial was definitely better than taking a military transport.  Especially when on a commercial flight they'd have been home by now.

They'd crossed the international date line at some point, McGee knew that, but he was clueless as to what day it was or even what time.  He wasn't even sure what time zone they were in.   The layover in Japan, then Alaska, and California had muddled his perceptions a bit, dragging out an already interminable trip.  They were finally on the last leg of the journey, and in another four hours he should be home in his own bed.

The cots set up for troops to sleep on in transit weren't the most comfortable things to lay on, but they definitely beat trying to tuck in on the airport floor or sleep sitting up.  McGee pulled the thin blanket up higher and tried to relax.  He shifted again looking for a more comfortable position, unwilling to give up.  

"You doing okay, Probie?"  Tony asked, his voice pitched to carry to McGee but no further.

McGee opened one eye, the only one he could open, to look at Tony lying on the opposite cot.  "I'm just-"

"Tired, frustrated and uncomfortable."  Tony filled in for him with an understanding smile.  

"Yeah."  McGee nodded.  He now had more sympathy for cattle being shipped to slaughter.  When he said as much Tony chuckled.

"Amen, brother."  Tony shifted, a soft groan escaping as several vertebrae announced their presence.  McGee winced.  It sounded painful, but didn't seem to bother Tony at all.

"I'm going to stretch my legs a bit."  Tony sat up, one hand ruffling his already messy hair.  McGee resented the fact it was a good look for the other man.  He was pretty sure his own looked as greasy and tired as he felt.

"You want anything?"

A lot of things came to mind…a heavier blanket, his pillow from home, a shower, a change of clothes but none of those were really possible.  "No. I'm fine."  McGee shook his head, resigned to just waiting it out.

Kate was sleeping on another cot further down.  She said she didn't want to sleep anywhere near Tony and made a show of putting her gun under her pillow.  Tony had just leered at her, laughing when she realized her choice put her next to a nervous private who was clearly enamored with her.  

McGee watched Tony weave his way up the aisle, moving easily around the confined space.  Tony didn't seem to have any trouble maintaining his balance even when they hit a spot of turbulence that left McGee wishing he hadn't already used the last of his Dramamine.  

Tony smiled and chatted with the soldiers as he made his way through the plane.  Most of them were fresh out of basic and on their way to Iraq.  McGee doubted any of them realized Tony wasn't in the military.  Tony definitely had the jargon down, and even in civilian clothes he fit in with the troops easily.  But then Tony fit in easily pretty much wherever he went.  It was a shame the same could not be said for the rest of them…Gibbs in particular.  

McGee grimaced.   Gibbs definitely fit in on this flight.  He was the only who hadn't complained or even acted uncomfortable.

Thinking about it, McGee realized Gibbs didn't so much fit anywhere on a regular basis as make everyone else shift to accommodate him.  A square peg and a round hole came to mind, making McGee smile to himself.  Whereas Tony spoke with people, being personable and friendly so they couldn't help but like him and want to help, Gibbs was direct and straightforward, efficient and professional, commanding respect without even trying.  People generally didn't like him but they usually gave in, seeing the wisdom in letting him have his way.  It didn't hurt that Gibbs wore an invisible mantel of authority as natural as breathing.  

McGee looked at Gibbs.  The former Marine was sitting in one of the canvas seats. He had a book in hand, stocking feet propped up on the cot that Tony had been laying on just a moment ago.  McGee focused on the title and blinked in surprised.  Gibbs was holding what looked like a book on the history of the Russian Empire.  McGee expected the older man to read books on boats and woodworking, or maybe a weapons manual.  

Gibbs' fingers marked his page as sharp blue eyes followed Tony's progress, the same way McGee had.  McGee saw him smile just a little as Tony made his way back.  Gibbs looked happy…content even.  McGee memorized the older man's expression, filing it away for future reference.  

Not wanting to get caught staring or draw attention to the fact that he knew about them, McGee put an arm over his eyes and tried once more to get comfortable.  He was so tired, but he couldn't sleep.  He'd never really been able to sleep in a moving vehicle.  Even with medication the queasiness made it hard to really relax.  He was grateful that he could at least lie down and stretch out.

He heard Tony sit down on the cot.  They were so close together, he could almost feel the cot shift under the other man's weight.  

"He finally fall asleep?"  He heard Tony ask quietly.

"Looks like."  Gibbs answered with a soft grunt.  

"Bet Kate is wishing she hadn't picked a cot so far way."  McGee didn't have to see the smirk to know it was there.

"I'm sure her admirer is glad she didn't."  There was no mistaking the amusement in Gibbs' tone.

"I think she gave the poor kid a permanent stutter." Tony laughed softly.  

"Well if he's going to make it as a Marine, he'll have to get over that."

McGee heard someone sigh and shift position.  He thought it might have been Tony but he couldn't tell for sure.  He moved his arm slightly so he could sneak a peek.

"You like it?"  Tony pointed to the book Gibbs held.

"Yes."

"Figured you would."  Tony grinned. "How far are you?"

"Up to Ivan."

"The great or the terrible?"  

McGee unconsciously raised his eyebrows.  He wasn't aware there was an Ivan the Great in Russian history.  He stayed silent, curiosity not so great he wanted them to know he was listening.

"Ivan the Great."

Tony nodded.  "Always was impressed with his wife.  Felt sort of bad for her too."

 "Why?"  He saw Gibbs frown.  

"She came from Byzantium, Boss."  Tony said as if that explained everything. He lay down, facing McGee, resting his head on a bent arm.  McGee wasn't sure what happened to his pillow.  Maybe there weren't enough to go around.

"So?"  Gibbs nudged Tony with one foot.

Tony opened his eyes and tilted his head so he could look up at Gibbs.  "Byzantium was the most civilized, refined place in the entire world.  In 1472, Russia was backward as hell by comparison.  Talk about culture shock."

Tony yawned, rubbing tiredly at his eyes.  "She spoke several languages, was literate in them as well and her husband could barely sign his own name.  She was used to an ornate marble palace and silk clothes and ended up in the equivalent of a glorified shack wearing furs.  Must have been one tough cookie to have not only survived, but thrived.  She had a huge influence on Ivan and on how Russia developed."

McGee barely managed to keep his mouth from gaping open in astonishment.  He never would have expected Tony to know so much about history, much less have this discussion with Gibbs.  Clearly they had more in common than he realized.  And Tony was every definitely far more intelligent than he usually let on.

"Read to me."  Tony requested, eyes once more drifting closed.

To McGee's surprise Gibbs did just that.  The older man kept his voice pitched low so that it didn't really carry all the way to McGee.  All he could really hear was an indistinct murmur of words.  It was oddly comforting, soothing.  He wondered if that was why Tony had asked him to read aloud.

McGee drifted for awhile; he wasn't sure how long.  He hadn't thought sleeping was possible until he found himself waking up.  He blinked open his one good eye trying to figure out what had woken him.  He instinctively looked for his teammates, his sleep deprived mind trusting that one of them could explain things to him.  

He saw Gibbs leaning over Tony, one hand on his shoulder, the other softly carding through his hair.  It could easily have been mistaken as just a friendly gesture but for the uncharacteristically gentle expression on Gibbs' face.  It made for a vaguely intimate and yet strangely unassuming tableau.  

"Rise and shine, Tony."  Gibbs shook Tony's shoulder.  

Green eyes opened, bright and alert, like the other man had never been asleep.  It was a neat trick.  McGee wished he knew how to pull off.   Abby had commented that he woke looking every bit as groggy and slow as he felt.  She found it decidedly amusing.

McGee could hear other people moving around him, belatedly realizing that was what had woken him in the first place.  They must be approaching Dulles.  The cots they were on doubled as seats, requiring just a bit of assembly to restore them to their original configuration.  Sergeants and squad leaders were moving among their troops, waking them up and putting them to work reassembling.  

McGee sat up, fingers fumbling to neatly folded the blanket he'd been using.  He watched, bleary-eyed as Tony and Gibbs made short work of the cot Tony had been using.  He was impressed with how easily they worked together, no words needed between them.  

"You okay there, Probie?" Tony asked, eyes sparkling with amusement.

McGee just grunted.  He couldn't form words yet, and probably wouldn't be able to for another ten minutes.  He still needed to get his mind in gear.  

"Tony, get Kate up and moving."  Gibbs ordered.  

"Will do, Boss."  

McGee turned to watch Tony moved toward Kate's cot.  How she could sleep with so many people moving around was a mystery to him.  Maybe she was even more exhausted than he was.

Tony bent down to shake her shoulder. He pulled back with admirable reflexes when she came up swinging.  McGee figured he was lucky she hadn't pulled her gun on him.

"Damn it, DiNozzo, don't do that!"

"Do what?" He held up both hands, palms out.

"Scare me like that."  She glared at him.  

When she raised her hand again, clearly intending to reach out and smack him, intentionally this time.  McGee saw Tony flinch and move back a step, putting himself out of her reach.  McGee really couldn't blame him.  Tony usually tolerated her elbowing him in the gut, but she typically did that in retaliation for something he'd said or done that had probably warranted getting hit.  In this case, Tony hadn't done anything wrong.

McGee wasn't even aware that Gibbs had been watching them too, until the Marine barked out an order.  "Kate, get that cot turned back into a row of seats.  You have 60 seconds to get it done."  Icy blue eyes gave her a look that spoke volumes about his displeasure.  

"Tony," Gibbs' tone of voice softened just a bit, "help McGee with his."  

For all his ability with electronic things, mechanical aspects baffled him on occasion, so McGee was grateful for the assistance.  He knew Kate was sometimes no better at it than he was, and suspected Gibbs had ordered Tony to help him deliberately leaving Kate to struggle on her own as a form of subtle punishment.  The level look Gibbs gave Kate's young admirer kept him from doing it for her or even offering to help.  

His working with Tony wasn't quite as smooth as when Tony had worked with Gibbs, but they still managed to get the job done.  A quick glance at his watch showed they were easily under the one minute deadline the former Marine had issued.  Kate took nearly twice as long to get her cot put back together and ready for landing.  

McGee tried not to be amused by that, but the knowing smirk Tony sent his way made it very hard.  He managed not to laugh, feeling better and far more alert as he took his seat and buckled himself in.  Tony and Gibbs sat next to him on the left, leaving Kate the seat on McGee's right.   

She leaned forward just enough to see around him.  Kate gave Tony an apologetic look, her expression letting him know she knew she was out of line and hadn't meant to snap at him.  Tony shrugged one shoulder and smiled, and just like that McGee knows she's forgiven.  Tony didn't seem capable of holding a grudge, at least not that McGee had ever noticed.  Gibbs on the other hand was another matter.

McGee wondered if Kate even knew why Gibbs had been pissed.  He shook his head slightly, deciding that she likely didn't have a clue.  Gibbs was testy on a good day, and the last few days had been anything but good.   

McGee was glad the landing was smooth.  He hated turbulence.  Kate seemed to share is relief, while Tony and Gibbs were indifferent.  

As the only ones disembarking from the plane it took only a few minutes for them to find themselves off the plane and on the tarmac.   McGee was glad all any of them had were their carryons.  He really wasn't in any mood to wait around in baggage claim.  With their luck their luggage would end up staying on the plan anyway and spend a few months in Iraq until someone could be bothered to locate it.

Finding the sedan was easy enough to do.  Although, McGee was glad it wasn't up to him to locate the car.  He was so tired and out of sorts he wasn't sure he could remember his own name at this point, much less where they'd parked the car five days ago.  Or was it six, he wondered to himself.  He figured Tony must be part homing pigeon, moving with unerring accuracy toward where they'd left the car.  

He was glad traffic was light on the way from the airport to the office.  McGee wasn't sure he could handle Gibbs' infamous short cuts.  He didn't want to die this close to being home and getting to sleep in his own bed.  

He breathed a sigh of relief when they made it to the parking garage of the office.  He knew Kate did the same.  She'd had a death grip on the door handle the entire way. Tony looked like he was dozing in the front seat, but it was always hard to tell when the former cop was genuinely asleep and when he wasn't.  

Kate was the first one out of the car, collecting her bag from the trunk.  She didn't seem inclined to stick around and McGee couldn't blame her.  They had tomorrow off.  Or rather today, McGee thought, as he tried to process the fact that it was one in the morning and already a new day.

He got his own bag, moving sluggishly toward his own car after saying good night to his teammates.  He briefly thought about offering Tony a ride.  The former cop still hadn't replaced the one that had been stolen and then totaled in a high speed chase with police.  Glancing back over his shoulder he saw Gibbs and Tony moving toward Gibbs' car.  McGee smiled to himself.  It looked like Tony already had a ride.  

He tossed his bag into the back seat.  He sighed as he settled into the driver's seat, glad to finally be in a position of control.  He put the key in the ignition and frowned when nothing happened.  He tried again.  Still nothing, not even a flicker from the dash lights or clicking sound from the engine.  

McGee dropped his head to the steering wheel, saying a prayer as he turned the key one more time.  He pursed his lips, biting back a curse.  When it rained, it poured and it seemed like his life was now in the midst of a monsoon.  

He suspected the battery was dead.  And when he realized he'd left the lights on, he was sure of it.  Not wanting to be late when Gibbs had called with the case he'd been distracted, and must have forgotten to turn the lights off.  With a resigned sigh, McGee got out of the car, taking the keys with him out of habit.  

McGee rubbed tiredly at his face, wincing when he came into contact with still swollen flesh around his left eye.  He grimaced thinking the metaphorical rain just kept falling.  If he was lucky Tony and Gibbs wouldn't have left yet.  Maybe Gibbs could give him a jump.  Assuming he had jumper cables.  McGee rolled his eyes.  Of course Gibbs would have jumper cables, the man believed in being prepared for anything.

"Anticipate, McGee."  He muttered to himself, making a note to buy his own set of jumper cables.  

He headed away from his car toward where Gibbs normally parked.  There were no assigned parking spaces but no one was going to take the spot Gibbs habitually used. There wasn't anyone brave or foolish enough to get away with it in McGee's opinion.

Not that Gibbs' spot was a prime location or anything, far from it in fact.  Why Gibbs liked the dark, out of the way corner was a mystery to McGee.  The man was usually the first to arrive at the office so he could park anywhere.  It wasn't the only thing he didn't get when it came to Gibbs, so McGee just added it to the pile of stuff in his head he'd already collected and labeled as better left alone.

He hadn't see Gibbs car pull out, but then he wasn't sure he'd have noticed if it had.  He sighed and shook his head.  It would be just his luck.  Getting a cab this time of night would be impossible.

McGee stepped around one of the concrete pillars, hoping they were still there, and stopped dead. His mouth dropped open and he couldn't help but think there was no way he could have anticipated this.  Gibbs had Tony pressed up against the car, holding him there with his full weight, while he ravaged the younger man's mouth in what had to be the hottest damn kiss McGee had ever witnessed.  

McGee sucked in a breath, unable to tear his eyes away.  He suddenly understood the appeal of Gibbs' parking spot.  Lost in the shadows, the security cameras couldn't see it…or them.  

He watched as Tony gave as good as he got.  One long leg had moved to wrap itself around Gibbs, pulling him impossibly closer.  McGee bit his lip, feeling a blush creep up his neck.  Definitely needed to leave now.  

McGee swallowed hard and started to back away.  He didn't want to embarrass them or himself by getting caught.  This wasn't just some snippet of conversation to be overheard…no, this was a hell of a lot more than that.  

He bit back a curse when his hold on his keys slipped and he lost them completely.  They fell to the pavement with a loud jingle.  He looked up from where he looked helplessly at his keys just in time to find himself facing down the barrel of Gibbs' pistol.  He added to the list of things he knew about Gibbs.  Catching him unaware was a bad, very bad thing.  

"I…ah…my car…"  McGee gestured back over his shoulder, trying to keep his hands in plain sight and not make any sudden moves.  He didn't really think Gibbs would shoot him but right now he wasn't sure.   That uncertainty made him feel awkward and scared, hardly a novel experience around Gibbs.  

 "My car...I didn't mean…I didn't know…that is…look let's just…I'm-"

"McGee!" Gibbs barked.  "Stop blithering."

"Yes, Boss."  His jaw snapped shut with an audible click.  

Gibbs holstered his weapon.  He gave McGee a dark look that wasn't hard to interpret.  The man was definitely pissed.  If looks could kill, McGee had no doubt he'd be on one of Ducky's tables.

Tony's expression was as shuttered and remote as McGee had ever seen it, making it impossible to decipher.  He expected Tony to be sheepish or hostile, but this…this frigid neutrality was almost more frightening than Gibbs' gun had been. Green eyes watched him steadily, reminding him of a cat ready to pounce and that was even more unnerving.   

McGee took a deep breath, mentally preparing to speak before he opened his mouth this time.  He had to make amends here.  "I didn't mean to-"

"I sure as hell hope you didn't mean to."  Gibbs snarled, icy blue eyes glittering in the dim light.  McGee hadn't missed the way he placed himself in front of Tony.  His posture was protective and defiant.  "You better have a damn good reason for-"

"Easy there, Boss."  Tony laid a hand on Gibbs shoulder.  "Let him talk."  Tony's voice was soft, but that wasn't terribly reassuring.  Tony didn't yell when he was angry, or at least he hadn't the few times McGee had witnessed him actually come close to losing his temper.  

"My car won't start.  Battery is dead, I think." McGee blurted out, not wanting to waste any time in explaining, especially when he wasn't sure how much time he'd be given.  "I was hoping you had jumper cables."  

Gibbs grimaced, and sighed.  He rubbed a hand over his face, shaking his head.  He looked at Tony, and McGee could almost see the conversation taking place between them even though neither man said a word.

Tony looked briefly unhappy and then resigned before his countenance morphed back into that blandly neutral expression which seemed so out of place.  He nodded once, clearly reluctant but agreeing with whatever Gibbs had silently asked him.  

"Get in the car, McGee."  Gibbs directed.

McGee froze, his natural instinct to obey stifled by wariness.  He hadn't expected that order. And he wasn't sure what it meant.  

"Relax, Probie."  Tony gave him a tight, painful smile that didn't reach his eyes but was still oddly reassuring.  It was enough to let him know Tony wasn't mad at him….and he wouldn't let Gibbs hurt him.  Why he was so sure of that he couldn't say but he was.

"Gibbs doesn't have jumper cables."  Tony said quietly.  "And we need to talk."

"T-t-talk?"  McGee cursed his stutter, wishing he didn't do that under stress.

"Yes, talk."  Tony's gaze narrowed.  "You aren't going to just forget what you never should have seen in the first place. So….we need to talk."

Tony's eyes shadowed with regret before he looked away.  And McGee suddenly understood this was a conversation Tony really didn't want to have but was going to anyway.  He didn't entirely understand why.  Tony certainly didn't seem ashamed of being involved with Gibbs.  And he clearly wasn't embarrassed at being caught in a lip lock with a man.  But the set of his shoulders, his posture, reflected someone bracing himself to deal with something that was likely to be painful, very painful.  

In a moment of insight, McGee realized Tony was already expecting this to conversation to go badly.  He was already anticipating that McGee would be all of those things he worried Kate might be if she found out once he got over his shock---judgmental, hostile, manipulative, planning blackmail or worse.  Shit.  And there was no way he could tell them he wasn't all that shocked, that he'd already suspected they were involved.  

Gibbs growled.  "Get. In. The. Damn. Car."

McGee bent down to retrieve his keys, before moving quickly to get in Gibbs' car.  He didn't want to give the man any more reason to be angry with him.  God, he really wished he could take back the last few minutes.  Since that wasn't an option, he had to find a way to convince them he wasn't a threat.  That he could be trusted.    

McGee grimaced.  Somewhere he was sure fate was laughing….adding a hurricane to the monsoon that was his life at the moment.

"Where?" Gibbs asked, looking over at Tony as he put the car in gear.

"My place."  Tony rubbed his temple.  "I've got better booze.  And I'm not doing this without a stiff shot of something."

McGee wanted to second that statement but wisely kept his mouth shut.  He had less than half an hour to figure out what the hell to say.  He sent a prayer to whatever deity might be willing to listen.  He knew he needed to do this right the first time because he wasn't going to get another chance.  

The half hour drive to Tony's place was quite possibly the longest thirty minutes of McGee's life.  He finally understood what the expression 'pregnant silence' was really all about.  And he was beginning to dread the conversation it was going to give birth to.

He sighed soundlessly, and forced himself not to fidget. McGee never would have thought a quiet Tony was a bad thing.  Or that silence could be so damn loud.  He shoved his hands in his pockets to keep from biting his nails.  He'd broken himself of that habit years ago and he wasn't going to start doing it again now.

Gibbs pulled into the lot at Tony's building.  Both he and Tony got out, still without saying a word.  McGee knew better than to hope they'd simply forgotten he was there.  He scrambled out when he saw the impatient expression on Gibbs' face.  

Gibbs had popped the trunk.  He grabbed both bags before shutting the lid with a soft click.  McGee followed them up the stairs to Tony's apartment.  He felt like a third wheel, and cursed his own clumsiness.  If he hadn't dropped his keys…if he hadn't left the lights on…if he'd just minded his own damn business.  

Tony unlocked the door.  He flipped on the overhead light.  Although not overly bright, it still had McGee blinking painfully.  He rubbed tiredly at his eyes and saw Tony do the same.  

He was surprised to see both Gibbs and Tony remove their shoes.  Both pairs were placed neatly on a low shelf clearly intended for that purpose.  McGee hesitated to do likewise until he got a pointed look from Gibbs.    

Gibbs moved past him and headed down the hall.  McGee assumed he was going toward the bedroom, probably to put their bags somewhere out of the way.  McGee waited for more instructions, feeling indecisive and uneasy, like an intruder even though he'd more or less been ordered to be here.  

Tony smiled slightly.  "C'mon."  He headed for the kitchen and McGee followed, gratefully, glad to finally have something that approached normal.

"You want a drink?"

McGee nodded.  He didn't trust himself to speak.  He was half afraid he'd end up sounding like a frightened mouse.  He'd already embarrassed himself enough for one night.

"What's your poison, Probie?"  

McGee licked his lips. "I'll…uh…I'll have…w-w-whatever you're having."

"Relax, Tim."  The use of his first name startled him almost as much as the warmth in Tony's voice.  "Take a deep breath or something."

Somehow the gentle concern was almost harder to take than if Tony had been condescending or insulting.  Those he was familiar with.  He knew how to handle that.  This was something new.  He swallowed hard and nodded once, taking a slow deep breath.  

Tony pulled three tumblers from a cupboard.  He dropped several ice cubes in each before pouring a generous mount of an amber colored liquid into them.  McGee couldn't tell what was in the bottle, but the rich, smoky flavor gave him a hint.
 
"Scotch?"
 
"Single malt."  Tony tipped his head.  "Older than I am."
 
McGee raised both eyebrows.  "That's…expensive."

Tony flashed him a quick grin.  "Life is too short to drink bad booze, Probie."  

Tony picked up two glasses in one hand and gestured for McGee to take the remaining one.  The former cop took the bottle with him as well, heading for the living room.  McGee followed.

Tony flicked on a table lamp, brightening the room.  Glancing around McGee realized he'd been right to assume Tony's décor would be tasteful.  Nothing gaudy or overly ornate could be seen anywhere.  And just like Tony's wardrobe there was a suggestion of affluence.  The plasma screen TV probably cost more than McGee made in a month.  The same was no doubt true of the top of the line stereo system.  He idly wondered if the roll top desk was an antique.

McGee nervously perched on the loveseat, when Tony told him to make himself comfortable.  He tried not to read anything into the fact Tony had taken a seat on the couch that put as much distance between them as physically possible.  He stifled a flinch when Gibbs entered the room, his silent tread and smooth gait reminded McGee of a big cat on the prowl.  The computer expert found himself hoping Gibbs had left his gun in the bedroom.

Gibbs sat next to Tony, taking the tumbler when it was offered, blue eyes never leaving McGee.  Tony neatly knocked back his drink, downing it in one long smooth swallow before he refilled his glass and placed the bottle on the end table.  McGee took a sip from his own drink, enjoying the rich flavor, and the faint burn.  It really was good scotch, very good.

"Ask."  Gibbs ordered, breaking the silence.

"Excuse me?"  McGee blinked not sure what Gibbs was telling him to do.

"You've got questions."  Gibbs studied him, gaze unwavering.  "So ask."

Right, okay, McGee thought.  He better understood how subjects during an interrogation with Gibbs felt.  He bit his lip nervously, and took a deep breath.  "How long have you two been…"  He hesitated not sure what to characterize their relationship as.  Did they think of themselves as 'fuck buddies', 'friends with benefits', or 'lovers'.  The last thing he wanted to do was insult them.  

"How long have you been involved?"  McGee finally asked.

"Two months, eighteen days."  Gibbs answered without hesitation.

McGee absentmindedly wondered if Gibbs knew how many hours too.   He had a feeling the older man just might.  He congratulated himself on being right about the approximate timeline.  

"Have you always been interested in men?"

Gibbs shrugged.  "In varying degrees."

McGee frowned, not quite sure what to make of that answer, but he didn't really want to ask for clarification either.  He looked to Tony.  The former cop's eyes were shuttered and wary.  

"When it comes to sex, I've always been ahead of the learning curve." Tony said quietly, taking a sip of his drink.  

"So all your stories-"

"Aren't even close to being <b>all</b> my stories, McGee."  Tony's lips curled in a sardonic smile.  

"Is that how you got your fraternity pledge name?"

"No."  

McGee knew the finality in Tony's tone meant that line of questioning was firmly closed.  His pledge name was definitely a sore spot with Tony.  McGee still didn't know exactly what Tony had on Kate to get back at her for telling it to everyone, but whatever it was had to have been juicy for her to have actually apologized.  Not that her apology had been truly sincere; she was just saying whatever she thought Tony wanted to hear to get him to give up whatever he was holding over her.   McGee didn't know if he had given it up or not but nothing more had been said on the issue.  
 
He sipped his drink, thinking.  McGee had a sudden insight into the theory of relativity.  Just a second ago asking the other two men about their relationship was the scariest thing he'd ever done, now it seemed relatively tame in comparison to asking Tony anything more about his pledge name.  He cleared his throat.  

"So you're…exclusive?"

"You asking because you want to play?"  Tony's arched an eyebrow.  "Maybe take a walk on the wild side?"

"No!"  McGee could feel himself blush furiously.

"Tony."  Gibbs made that one word a warning.

Tony ducked his head.  "Hard to resist jerking his chain."

"Try."  Gibbs didn't cuff him, it was more like he ran his hand through Tony's hair in a familiar caress.  The gesture was affectionate.   

"Yes, McGee, we are exclusive."  Gibbs answered him, blue eyes meeting his squarely.  There was no mistaking the possessiveness in the older man's look and posture.  It was more confirmation of McGee's theories…Gibbs didn't share.  McGee didn't think the older man knew how to share anything, much less someone he was sleeping with.  

Their earlier by-play in the car about where to go to have this discussion prompted him to observe, "You're not living together."  

"Little soon for that."  Gibbs told him casually, sipping his drink.

For most people, yes, but McGee never thought of his boss and coworker as being like most people.  He couldn't see Gibbs caring about convention if he wanted Tony to move in.  It was a logical assumption that it would be Tony that moved since he leased and Gibbs owned his house, and maybe, McGee thought that was why Tony baulked at the idea of moving in together so quickly.

McGee could understand if Tony wasn't comfortable giving up too much of his independence and space all at once.  Just being exclusive for so long had to be a novel experience for Tony, if the stories he told were anything to go by, and by Tony's own admission McGee hadn't heard all his stories.  

"Living together would be a problem at work."  Tony pointed out quietly.  

McGee frowned.  He'd forgotten that rule about fraternization.  He could date Abby as a coworker because they were never sent into the field together and they were essentially equal.  But Tony and Gibbs weren't just frequently in dangerous situations on the job, Tony was also Gibbs' subordinate, and a relationship between them was expressly forbidden in the regs.  The rule was put in place as an effort to reduce or eliminate grounds for sexual harassment, prevent any blatant displays of favoritism or any other misuse of authority.  Tony had a strong enough personality McGee didn't think for a minute he'd been coerced or seduced into anything.  And Gibbs didn't show favoritism to anyone.  Ever.  

"Which raises the next logical question."  Tony's expression was once more unnervingly dispassionate.

McGee blinked.  "It does?"

"What are you going to do?"

"What do you mean 'do'?"

"What do you think he means, McGee?"  Gibbs snapped.  "You just found out your boss and one of your teammates are involved in a relationship that violates one of the main tenants laid out in the rules of conduct and official standard of ethics.  You don't think that warrants some action on your part?"  

McGee answered honestly.  "Depends."

"On what?"  Gibbs nearly snarled, clearly unhappy with that answer.  McGee sat back, instinctively putting some distance between himself and the older man.

"Easy, Boss."  Tony put his hand on Gibbs leg.  "Just calm down."

"I am calm!"

Tony raised an eyebrow, his expression readily conveying his doubts about that assertion.  "Always figured if one of us was going to freak out, it would be me."  

Gibbs grimaced, shaking his head slightly.  He shifted so he could look fully at Tony.  "We had an agreement."

McGee wondered what sort of agreement they'd had and what did it have to do with Gibbs' reaction.  If he didn't know better he'd say Gibbs sounded almost guilty.  He couldn't quite fathom what the older man thought he'd done wrong.

Tony smiled sweetly, green eyes alit with a glow that made McGee suddenly aware of just how truly handsome a man Tony was.  Tony raised a hand to cup Gibbs' face. "Not your fault."

Obviously Tony had no problem figuring out what Gibbs was talking about.  And again there was that easy forgiveness.  Just like Tony had granted to Kate on the plane.  

It looked as though Gibbs leaned into Tony's light touch.  The older man raised a hand to cover his.  "I shouldn't have kissed you-"

"I'd have been disappointed if you hadn't."  Tony chuckled.  

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."   

It was simple and heartfelt reassurance.  And McGee found himself wishing he and Abby could communicate that well.  Sometimes he had no idea where he stood with her.  There was no way they could have conveyed so much to one another with so few words.

Tony took a deep breath and looked away, pulling his hand back.  McGee could almost see him refocus his attention.  The former cop sipped his drink.  The ice clinking against the glass sounded surprisingly loud.

"It's a hard secret to keep, Jethro.  Knew that going into it."  He sighed deeply.  The wealth of regret in that soft sound was almost painful to hear.  "Didn't last nearly as long as I'd hoped."

Before Gibbs or McGee could respond Tony's lips quirked upward in wry amusement. "At least we didn't get caught because I puked on your shoes."  

McGee knew through office gossip that Kate's indiscretion when she was with the Secret Service had come to light because she'd come down with the same illness as her lover.  He also knew now he'd never be able to tell them that the kiss wasn't what gave them away.  No, the kiss was just confirmation of what he already knew.  And it wasn't like they'd been blatant about their relationship….if he hadn't overheard that first conversation, he'd have never put it together.  And the first one only got him thinking about it.  It was the second, deliberate bit of eavesdropping that led him to think he wasn't crazy to wonder if they were involved.

Tony hunched one shoulder in a gesture McGee was starting to realize was a 'tell'.  He only did it when he was uncertain about something he was going to say or do, something he was sure wasn't going to be well received.  It was almost an instinctive, defensive action.  

"Polishing my resume won't be hard to do."  

McGee stared at him.  What the hell….no, Tony couldn't mean what he thought he meant by saying that.

"Not like anyone really expected me to stay as long as I have."  Tony's smile was self-deprecating.  "Finding someone to take my place should be a snap.  Just have-"

"No."  Gibbs shook his head.  "Not just no, hell no."  

"Be reasonable, Gibbs."  Tony sounded agonizingly calm.  "It makes sense-"

"The hell it does."  Gibbs growled.  McGee had never seen that muscle flex in his jaw like that before, but he was betting it couldn't be a good thing.  

"It's not like-"

"I said no, damn it."  Gibbs sat forward and slammed his still half-full tumbler on the coffee table.  "You are not quitting.  If anyone has to go, it'll be me."  Gibbs tone softened.  "It's not like I don't have enough time in to retire."

"Are you nuts?"  Tony countered.  "You love what you do."

"And you don't?"  Gibbs snorted.

"Uh…Boss, Tony?"  McGee interjected hesitantly.  

"What!!?"  Gibbs glared at him.

"I think…resignations are a bit premature here."  McGee held up a hand in a placating gesture.  "I'm not telling anyone anything."

"Come again?"  Tony stared at him.  

"I'm not going to tell anyone."

Gibbs frowned.  "You're just going to ignore the regs?"

Gibbs made it sound like it was impossible to do just that.  In a moment of great daring, McGee observed, "Well, you are.  Any reason I couldn't do the same?"

Tony laughed.  "He's got a point."

"Why?"  Gibbs asked, intense gaze locked on McGee.

"Why what?"

Gibbs gave him a hard look.  "Don't be obtuse.  It's not a good look for you."

"Okay."  McGee nodded slowly.  He hadn't really been acting clueless, but he wasn't going to tell Gibbs that.  

"Why are you volunteering to keep our secret?" Tony asked.  Green eyes narrowed, his gaze nearly as intense as Gibbs', but more suspicious than hostile or aggressive.  "Are you looking for payment of some kind to keep your trap shut?"

"What?" McGee's mouth dropped open in surprise.  "No!"  

He wanted to be insulted, but he'd thought the same thing with regards to what Kate might do with this sort of information.   McGee really couldn't blame Tony for expecting the worst.  It wasn't like he'd given him reason to expect better of him.  

It was time to rectify that.  He made eye contact and held it.  "I wouldn't do that to a friend.  I like working with you.  I've learned a lot from you.  And I've got a lot more to learn."

He shifted his focus to Gibbs.  "Technically, your relationship is a violation of the regs, but I think you've upheld the spirit of them.  And it is the spirit of the law, not the letter of it, that I think matters in this case."

He took a deep breath.  "You've trusted me on the job…to watch your backs.  You can trust me with this, too.  Because I really don't see it as being any different."

Tony cocked his head to one side, green eyes assessing him for a moment before he smiled warmly and saluted him with his tumbler.  "Well done, Tim.  Very well done."

McGee didn't breathe easily until Gibbs signaled his acceptance with a quick nod and small smile.  He took a swallow of his drink, feeling like he'd just passed a huge test.  The release of fear and tension left him feeling even more exhausted than he'd been on the plane.

"If you don't mind my saying...you seem rather comfortable with the whole 'two men having sex' thing."  Tony pointed out.  It wasn't quite a question but he was asking for more information just the same.  

McGee sighed and relaxed back into the loveseat.  It was a very comfortable piece of furniture.  "Well….I'm dating a woman who sleeps in a coffin so two guys together is almost normal in comparison."

Tony laughed.  It was a delighted peel of honest amusement.  "Good point."  

"And you're not the first gay couple I've ever met."  McGee shrugged, smiling.  

"Not gay." Gibbs shook his head. "Bi."

"Whatever."  Tony rolled his eyes. "The label doesn't matter."

Somehow, even knowing what he now knew, McGee was still surprised Tony didn't have an issue with being labeled as something other than a red-blooded, heterosexual male.  He shook his head.  He was really too tired to think any more, and the little bit of scotch he'd had wasn't helping.

Tony yawned widely, his jaw popping.  "Damn."  He rubbed his face.  "Long, long day."

Gibbs smiled at him fondly.  "More than one, Tony."  

McGee wanted to second that.  He couldn't remember ever being so tired before.  Sinking deeper into the love seat and just closing his eyes for a month or so was starting to seem like a really good idea.  He hoped they'd settled things enough for now.  He desperately wanted to lay down.

"Right.  Long week."  Tony downed the remainder of drink.  He yawned again as he set the empty tumbler on the table next to the bottle.

McGee wondered if he the shadows under his eyes were as dark as the ones under Tony's.  He decided that they probably were.  McGee thought now would be a good time to ask if one of them would give him a lift home or if he should call a cab.  If he waited too much longer he wouldn't be able to move.  He finished his drink first though.   He knew it was a bad idea but he wasn't going to waste the scotch since he couldn't afford anything this good.

"You want to sleep on the couch?"

"Hunh?"  He blinked, not quite understanding the question being asked.

"Do you want to sleep in the couch, Probie?"  Tony asked again, lips quirking upward in amusement.  "It's comfortable and it'll take a lot less effort to get to than driving you home."

"I can take a cab."  McGee mumbled around a tired sigh.  If he was lucky he might just make it home to his own bed before the sun rose.  He was very grateful they didn't have to work tomorrow…today…whatever.

Gibbs shook his head.  "Couch."

It wasn't quite an order, but it wasn't far from it either.  McGee frowned.  "I don't have anything to sleep in."

Tony rolled his eyes.  "Not like you haven't already slept in those clothes."

It was hard to argue with that.  And he really did just want to lay down some where and sleep for as long as he could.  

"You sure?"

"I wouldn't have offered if I wasn't."  Tony returned matter-of-factly.

"Okay."  McGee couldn't see him winning this anyway, because it looked like Gibbs was getting ready to jump in again.  It was better to give in gracefully.

"Good."  Tony nodded.  He moved to stand up and swayed when he gained his feet.  If Gibbs hadn't been there to catch him McGee didn't think he'd have stayed upright.

"Never should have sat down in the first place."  Tony leaned into Gibbs.  

Gibbs snorted.  "Shouldn't have had that scotch on an empty stomach either."

"Yeah, yeah."  Tony pulled away, offering a hand to McGee.  "C'mon, McGee, up and at 'em."

McGee struggled to his feet.  Tony's strong grip on his hand and the added leverage were definitely needed.  He wasn't sure he'd have made it on his own.  Just getting to the couch took every bit of balance and coordination he possessed.

He lay down with a sigh, so grateful to be horizontal.  The pillow was definitely better than the one on the plane had been.  And Tony hadn't lied about the couch being comfortable.  McGee thought it might well rival his bed when it came right down to it.

He was surprised when Gibbs pulled the afghan from the back of the couch and neatly placed it over him.  It was vaguely reminiscent of being tucked in as a child, except that Gibbs didn't kiss his forehead or say good night.  

"See you in the morning…or afternoon…whenever."  Tony got out around another yawn as he turned off the light, bathing the room in darkness again.

He couldn't see the other two men, but he had no trouble envisioning them moving toward the bedroom, leaning on each other.  McGee snuggled into the couch.  He knew they hadn't really covered everything that they'd need to talk about, but it was enough for now to know they trusted him.  They could hash out everything else when all of them were thinking clearly.  

McGee blinked, staring uncomprehendingly at an unfamiliar ceiling.  He frowned trying to remember where he was.  A slow look around the room brought it back to him with stunning clarity.  

He sat up, struggling to untangle himself from the afghan.  Tony hadn't lied about his couch being comfortable.  It rivaled McGee's bed and made him want to ask Tony where he got it.  McGee probably couldn't afford it.  Not if it cost anywhere near as much as everything else in Tony's living room probably had.  If this was what it meant when people said 'you got what you paid for' McGee thought Tony's money was well spent.

He rubbed his face, grimacing at the stubble he could feel.  He felt grungy and in desperate need of a shower.  He hated sleeping in his clothes.  

The sunlight streaming in through the partially drawn curtains and blinds made him glance at his watch.  He blinked.  Not sure he had his watch set for the right time zone he doubled checked the time against the LED display of the DVD player.  He grimaced.  His watch had been right.  It was 12:16 pm.  

He sighed.  It was too much to hope for that Gibbs wouldn't already be up.  With any luck the former Marine wouldn't say anything about him sleeping so long.  

McGee realized he could smell coffee.  Good coffee.  He folded the afghan, putting it over the back of the couch and headed into the kitchen, desperate for a shot of caffeine.  

Tony was pouring himself a cup of coffee and smiled at McGee when he stopped in the door way.  "Morning."

"It's afternoon."  McGee mumbled

Tony sipped his coffee.  "You ever work the graveyard shift, Probie?"

Not sure what to make of that non-sequitur, McGee answered it anyway. "No."

"Then trust me," Tony grinned, "Morning is not a time of day.  It's whenever you get up."

Tony's hair was still wet and McGee realized he probably had showered not long ago.  Bare-foot, wearing faded jeans and a t-shirt, Tony looked well rested and far more at ease than McGee expected.  He had thought some level of unease would carry over, that Tony might be anxious or nervous given what was revealed and discussed last night, or rather earlier this morning.  But so far things were…normal.  

Tony poured a second cup of coffee and offered it to him.  McGee breathed in the rich aroma before taking a sip.  He might have to start working the good stuff into his budget.  

"You want a shower?"  Tony asked.

"Would love one, but I don't-"

Tony pointed to the counter.  "Got a pair of shorts that should fit okay.  Anything else I have would probably be a hair too long for you."

Tony was only an inch or so taller than McGee, but most of that height difference was in his legs.  McGee was glad Tony had thought of that.  He really didn't want to look like a little kid playing dress up in his big brother's clothes, even if only for a little while.

"The T-shirt should be okay."  

McGee notice the T-shirt was black with a slogan in white.  He stifled a smile when he realized it read (('If you can't speak softly, make sure you have a stick.')) He almost asked if the shirt was Gibbs'.  It looked like a sentiment he could appreciate.  

"Wasn't sure what you wore in the way of underwear so I gave you a pair of boxers."  Tony shrugged one shoulder.  "Let me know if you'd rather have something different."  

McGee wasn't sure what to say, surprised by both Tony's thoughtfulness and his thoroughness.  He opted for a simple, "Thank you."

"Bathroom is down the hall, first door on the right."  Tony took another sip of his coffee.  "I left a clean towel and wash cloth on the rack for you."

McGee gathered up the clothing.  He looked over his shoulder at Tony.  "Where is Gibbs?"

"He went running."  Tony waved a hand vaguely toward the door.  "Should be back in about half an hour or so."

McGee nodded and headed down the hall.  He was further impressed with Tony's ability as a host when he saw a toothbrush, still in its packaging, and a new razor lying on the vanity.  

The hot water felt wonderful.  McGee wished he could spend hours letting it wash away the past few days.  He knew that wasn't really an option.  Tony said Gibbs would be back in half an hour and the last thing he wanted was for his boss to be banging on the door telling him to hurry the hell up.

He sniffed at the soap he found, surprised by the light, spicy fragrance.  McGee couldn't place it but found it a lot more appealing than his usual brand.   He shook his head.  So far every room in Tony's house held something he found himself envying.  

He finished up in the shower, reluctantly turning off the water.  He was somehow not surprised Tony had a heated towel rack.  Abby had one too.  It was a little bit of luxury McGee had decided to indulge in himself after using hers, but he hadn't gotten around to actually buying one yet.

He wiped condensation off the mirror so he could see himself to shave.  The bottle of shaving cream he found on the vanity didn't look like it had ever been used.  And having seen the waterproof electric razor in the shower caddy it was a safe bet Tony rarely saw the need for shaving cream.  McGee shrugged.  Maybe it was for Gibbs.  

He finished and washed his face, manfully resisting the temptation to peek into the medicine cabinet.  Tony had already made him feel more at home than he expected.  Going through his things, even just a quick look, seemed like a betrayal of the level of trust and friendship being shown.

Dressed and feeling a lot better, McGee hung up his towel before gathering up his dirty clothes and leaving the bathroom.  He hoped Tony had a bag or something he could borrow to get his stuff home.  It really wasn't that much.  He could just carry it if he had to.

As he headed back to the kitchen, McGee started to ask, "Tony, do you have-"

Tony met him in the doorway and handed him a small duffle bag.  "Figured you might need that."

"Thanks."  McGee stuffed his things inside without bothering to fold them.  They all needed to be washed anyway.  

"No problem."  Tony stepped back into the kitchen.  "You want something to eat?"

McGee's stomach rumbled loudly and he blushed.  Tony chuckled. "I'll take that as a yes."

He expected Tony to offer him toast or maybe cereal, but it looked as though the former cop was in the midst of preparing a real meal.  Tony deftly cracked a few eggs, whisking them neatly in a glass bowl.  

"You want anything special in your omelet?"

McGee blinked.  "I didn't know you could cook."

"I'm okay with the simple stuff."  Tony shrugged.  "If you want something fancy, you'd have to ask Gibbs to do it."

"Gibbs can cook?"  McGee stared; that was a skill it never occurred to him the former Marine might posses.

"In his words, he's better than average at it.  And I have to agree he's a hell of a good cook."  Tony pointed to a few ingredients lined up on the counter.  "Anything there you don't want?"  

McGee glanced at the choices, surprised to find a rather complete array.  "No peppers.  No onions."

"Okay."  Tony nodded.  "There's juice on the table if you want it."

McGee belatedly noticed the table was set.  There were three place settings.  "We waiting for Gibbs?"

Tony shook his head, casting a quick smile over his shoulder as he continued cooking, neatly flipping the omelet.  "I got orders to make sure I ate something and that you did too."

McGee arched an eyebrow, but didn't question any further.  The omelet smelled great and he was too hungry to really want to consider waiting for Gibbs to get back.  He felt weird just sitting doing nothing.

"You want me to help with anything?"

"Butter the toast when it pops."  Tony pointed to the toaster, which popped just a second later.

McGee wasn't surprised to find Tony had real butter, not margarine.  Butter tasted so much better.  And Tony was hardly the sort to worry about the fat content of anything.  Not that he really needed to.  McGee knew Kate liked to tease Tony about his physique; she occasionally made pointed comments that were clearly meant to be jabs to his ego.  But in spite of everything he'd seen the taller man eat on a daily basis and what Kate might have to say, Tony was in no immediate danger of gaining weight or being considered soft.  If anything, Tony was probably a bit underweight.    

In a surprisingly short time, McGee found himself sitting down to eat.  His ham and cheese omelet was light and fluffy, nearly perfect.  The bacon was crisp without being crunchy.  Tony was a far better cook than he let on.  McGee said as much.

Tony chuckled and shook his head.  "For all you know, this is all I know how to make."

Curiosity piqued, McGee couldn't resist asking, "Is this all you can make?"

"No."  Tony grinned.  

He waited for Tony to offer more and was a bit disappointed when he didn't. He wanted to ask, but wasn't sure if it was okay to do so or not.  McGee still felt like he was stumbling around blind looking for the boundary lines that marked things as off limits.  

"Relax."  Tony directed softly.  "I'm not going to bite your head off."  He smiled.  "You can ask anything you want."

Summoning his courage, McGee decided to take Tony up on his offer.  "What was the agreement between you that Gibbs mentioned last night?"

Tony wiped his mouth with a napkin, neatly placing his fork on his plate.  For a moment McGee was worried he'd just taken a running leap over a boundary line, but Tony didn't look angry or offended.  It was more like he was simply taking time to consider his answer.

"No one at the office was supposed to know about us." Tony raised one shoulder in an abbreviated shrug, right hand reaching for his coffee mug.  The casualness wasn't completely forced but it wasn't entirely natural either.  "I didn't want anything at work to change because of us being together so we agreed to keep things the same there.  Nothing anyone would notice or question."

McGee nodded.   Knowing they'd actually talked about keeping their relationship under wraps nicely confirmed his suspicion that they hadn't undertaken getting involved lightly.  McGee knew them both well enough to know they wouldn't have even saw the need for an agreement if it was going to be a short term thing.  He wasn't certain why, but it was reassuring to know they were actually planning for the long term even though neither man had actually come right out and said as much.  Just the fact that both of them were willing to quit if need be spoke volumes.  

Tony sipped his coffee.  "I owe you an apology."

"For what?"  McGee frowned, finishing his toast.

"I never should have implied you'd resort to blackmail.  Or be anything less than a good friend."  Tony looked away, eyes focused on something only he could see.  "If it's any consolation…that wasn't about you."

McGee didn't miss the flash of old pain and disappointment in Tony's eyes.  "Who was it about?"

"Doesn't matter."  Tony sighed and shook his head.  "Let's just say that not every one is open to alternative lifestyles and they don't have any trouble letting their opinions be known."

McGee stifled a wince.  He knew that law enforcement wasn't exactly what one would call an accepting profession.  Any more than the military was.  "Don't ask, Don't tell" didn't guarantee freedom from harassment or protection from hostile coworkers.

"Once bitten, twice shy."  McGee murmured softly.  

Tony nodded once, his sharp ears easily picking up that nearly whispered statement.  Tony turned his coffee mug between his hands, long fingers curling around it as though seeking warmth.  Green eyes focused sharply on McGee, pinning him in place for a moment.

"I know I rag on you, probably more than I should….but you know it's not personal.  Right?"  Tony's expression was earnest.  "You know I wouldn't ….I would never leave you hanging in a dangerous situation.  That I would never not be there to back you up.  You know that right?"

"I know that."  It had honestly never even occurred to McGee that Tony wouldn't have his back.  And while they might squabble like siblings, jockeying for superiority, he never had any doubts that he could trust Tony with his life.  They were friends…better friends than he'd ever expected to be.  Tony teased everyone, and it wasn't like McGee didn't return the favor.  

McGee cocked his head to one side.  "Did…did that happen to you because-"

"Never really had anyone at work know for sure about my being," Tony made a vague, meaningless gesture with one hand, "guess the best label really is bisexual."  He sighed.  "But there were rumors that generated some backlash."  Tony shifted in his seat.  "Little digs and insults.  That kind of thing."  

McGee had the feeling there was more to it than that, and he was just as sure he wasn't going to get any more details.  He wondered if Gibbs knew about this.  

"And my lieutenant left me out in the cold once."  Tony admitted, quietly, looking away.  

"Out in the cold?"

"No back up." Tony supplied, eyes taking on a bleak cast turning the normal jade green to a dull gray.  "He made sure I knew why and that I wasn't welcome on his squad any more."

Christ, McGee swore mentally.  Once was all it took.  Given all the hairy situations they'd been in over the past two years, without back up, anyone of them could have died.  He couldn't even fathom anyone on the team deliberately leaving him in a risky situation to sink or swim on his own.

"I jumped ship the first chance I got.  Left Peoria and never looked back.  Made damn sure no one would ever have reason to question I was anything but who and what I wanted them to believe me to be."  

Tony's smile was self-deprecating when it appeared.  "Proved to be good training for undercover work.  Lot better than I expected it to be."  

McGee now knew why it was so easy for Tony to create an image of immature, fun loving goofball no one took too seriously and who seemed far too focused on sex with women and not smart enough to ever solve a case to be truly trusted with much responsibility.  Tony didn't just create that image, he managed to make sure it persisted in the face of all the things he'd did or said that were contrary to it.  It was…impressive.  It raised his estimation of Tony a notch or two, and Gibbs as well for seeing through all the smoke and mirrors when so many didn't.  

"You know you don't have to keep up that image." McGee pointed out quietly, not sure if Tony had realized that.  The team wouldn't judge him or leave him out in the cold.  "We aren't like your old lieutenant or your old squad."  

"Stays up all by itself, McGee."  Tony chuckled dryly.  "Twenty bucks says you couldn't convince Kate I'm anything but a horny teenager with a badge and a gun."

McGee had to concede defeat there. He really couldn't see her changing her opinion about Tony; it was nearly set in stone.  She assumed every change he made, every new interest he showed in anything was related to a woman.  She thought any effort Tony made on a case was done just to brown nose or suck up.  She dismissed his insight as dumb luck, and routinely failed to see he was good at reading people.    

"What about Abby?"

"Abby is a tough one to fool."  Tony smiled and sipped his coffee.  "She never takes people solely at face value.  Don't think she ever has.  But then she's enough of a non-conformist, I wasn't too worried that she might start pointing fingers."

McGee's eyes narrowed as he considered that.  Abby clearly liked Tony, and she definitely didn't harbor any doubts about his ability.  She knew he was smarter than he let on…had even said as much to McGee and he was ashamed to admit he hadn't believed her then.  But did that mean she also knew about his sexuality?  Tony just said he wasn't 'too worried', he didn't say he wasn't worried at all.  There was only one way to know for sure.  

"She knows about that you're-"

"More bent than straight?  Yeah, she knows."  Tony shrugged.  "She saw me clubbing."
"Should know better than to visit places like that but…"  Tony made another vague gesture with one hand leaving the sentence unfinished.

Tony sighed ruefully, another self deprecating smile appeared. McGee was beginning to hate that look.  It wasn't like Tony had done anything wrong.  No one should be made to feel like being himself was a bad thing, a mistake.  For all McGee's own insecurities he'd never thought there was anything wrong with simply being him, had never seen the need to wear a mask and pretend to be someone else.

He cleared his throat.  "Does she know about you and Gibbs?"

"No."  Tony leaned forward in his chair, resting his elbows on the table.  "And you aren't going to tell her."  

It was not a request; it was a statement of fact.  McGee found himself nodding in agreement anyway. He said he wouldn't tell anyone, and he'd meant it.  If they wanted Abby to know, it would be Gibbs or Tony who told her.

"What about Ducky?"

"Not sure what he knows or doesn't know.  He's a cagey one." Tony chuckled softly.  

There was no arguing with that.  McGee was convinced Ducky knew damn near everything some days.  The ME was a bit like a grandfather figure in a lot of ways.  

"Gibbs probably has a better handle on Ducky than I do."  Tony said calmly.  "Or ever will."

McGee nodded.  He didn't know for sure how long Gibbs and Ducky had known each other but there was no doubt they'd been friends for a long time.  

Thinking about long term friendships, McGee had to ask, "Are we okay?"  He wasn't sure how much longer they'd have to talk before Gibbs returned and he wanted to know for certain things were good between him and Tony before adding the former Marine into the mix.  

"Think we might just be better than we were before."  Tony smiled warmly.

"Cool."  McGee felt his own smile forming.

"Nothing at work changes."  Tony stated clearly, unequivocally, green eyes level with McGee's.  

"Nothing changes."  McGee repeated, as though making a promise.   With what he knew now, he didn't blame Tony for wanting to be sure.  He wanted a chance to prove he could be trusted, he'd been given that and he wasn't going to let Tony down.  And he didn't want to alter things at work…he [[liked]] how they worked together.

Tony grinned.  "You want another cup of coffee?"

McGee glanced at the pot, noting how little was in it.  "There won't be any for Gibbs."

"He had a cup already."  Tony rolled his eyes.  "And I can make more, McGee."

"In that case," McGee grinned, "I'll have another cup."  He wasn't going to let this good coffee go to waste any more than he'd wasted last night's scotch.  

He had a feeling he'd be having a similar, one-on-one conversation with Gibbs before too long.  It would be best if he was well and truly fortified for that.  

Tony's prediction that Gibbs would be gone for half an hour wasn't entirely accurate.  It was close to forty-five minutes when the older man strolled into the kitchen.  McGee was helping Tony clean up the dishes they'd used for breakfast, and if he hadn't been facing the door, he'd have never even been aware of the other man's arrival.  McGee thought Gibbs had to be part cat given how silently he moved.  

He nodded in acknowledgement of the older man, not sure what to say, opting for silence over stuttering.   He got a nod in response.   To his surprise, Tony seemed to know Gibbs was there, even with his back to the door and without seeing McGee's mute greeting or Gibbs' reply.

"Have a good run?"  Tony asked.  He didn't even look over his shoulder from where he was bent over neatly arranging in the dishwasher the plates McGee had rinsed off and handed to him just a second before.  

"Very."  Gibbs ran a hand through Tony's hair in a familiar, fond caress before resting it lightly on the nape of his neck.  "You ate?"

There was genuine interest in that question.  McGee wasn't sure why it mattered to Gibbs, but he had a feeling it was another way the older man showed affection.   Given their respective age differences it could have come across as parental, but didn't.  

"Yeah, we ate."  Tony straightened up, wiping his hands on a nearby dishtowel.

The older man looked around the kitchen, blue eyes seeing ingredients still ready on the counter.  "Omelets?"

"Had the time."  Tony smiled warmly, shrugging a shoulder.  "I can make something else if you don't want that."

Gibbs grinned.  "Have I ever passed up one of your omelets?"

"Not yet."  Tony's green eyes sparkled.  "But there's a first time for everything."

"Not today there isn't."  Gibbs countered with a chuckle.  

"You want it same as last time?"

"Yes, please."  Gibbs pulled a water bottle out of the fridge, before heading down the hall.  "I'll be out in ten."

"It'll be ready then."  Tony said.  "Fresh pot of coffee too."

"Thanks."  Gibbs' voice drifted down the hall.

McGee blinked at the simple courtesy coming from Gibbs.  Please and thank you…it boggled the mind.  That had to be proof of love, because the man never, ever said them at the office.  At least not that McGee had heard.  And he never said them to anyone else.

McGee suddenly felt like he was intruding again.  Would Gibbs have given Tony a kiss if he hadn't been there or shown some more intimate display of affection than he had?  Would Tony have joined Gibbs in the shower?  It would have been okay with him if they acted like any other couple, but McGee understood they were both still adjusting to his knowing about them.  For all Tony's flirting, he had rarely been physically demonstrative in public that McGee could remember, and Gibbs was equally discrete.  A bit of time and space for them probably wouldn't be a bad idea, especially in light of how little time alone they'd gotten over the past week.  

"I…ah…I should call a cab."

Tony looked at him, arching an eyebrow as he cracked several eggs into a bowl.  "Why?"

"I'm….I don't…that is-"

"Take a deep breath.  " Tony shook his head.  "Thought we'd already cleared the air and you were okay."  Tony began whisking the eggs, his expression sobering, jade eyes fixing McGee with a level stare.  "You are okay with this, right?"

"I'm fine with it…you and Gibbs, I mean.   I am."  McGee quickly reassured him.  "I just…well, I know you guys didn't get a lot of time alone recently," he could feel himself blushing, "and I don't want to…well, cramp your style….any more than I already have."

"Don't worry about it, McGee."  Tony laughed lightly.  "My style is just fine."

"What about Gibbs?"

Tony snorted.  "Have you ever known Gibbs to not let you know he wanted you to do something?"  Tony rolled his eyes.  "The man is about as subtle as a sledgehammer.  If he wanted you gone, you'd know it."

It was hard to argue with that assessment. McGee was fairly certain he'd have gotten a glare rather than a nod if the former Marine had felt he'd over-stayed his welcome.  But he still felt like a third wheel.  
 
"Go find something to watch on TV."  Tony instructed, nodding toward the living room.  "Gibbs said he'd take you back to your car after breakfast."
 
"When did he say that?"
 
"This morning."  Tony shrugged one shoulder.
 
McGee frowned.  "I don't remember--"
 
"We talked."  Tony shrugged again.  "Before you woke up."
 
It made sense that they would.  And McGee had the feeling they'd decided to give each other a chance to confront him alone.  Oh he was sure Gibbs normally went for a run, but he had a feeling the man wasn't usually gone so long.  And Tony had just said Gibbs would take him back to his car, not 'we will take you'.

Shit.  He knew he was going to have a one-on-one conversation with Gibbs…had been expecting it.  But he'd been hoping to have that discussion in a more stable setting, not the car.  Talking to Gibbs in a car was a nightmare.  The man didn't seem to care about other drivers or feel any need to watch the road.  

"You okay, Probie?"  Tony snickered.  "You are looking a little pale there."

"Damn it Tony."  McGee hissed, not happy his friend was amused at his expense.  "You know what being in the car with him is like."

"Yeah."  Tony pointed to the upper cupboard near the refrigerator.  "I got Dramamine if you want it."

"I was thinking more of Prozac."  McGee muttered.  "Or Valium."

Tony grinned.  "It's not that bad."

McGee gave him a dark look.  "Says you."

"Well, in all honesty, it did take me about six months to get used to it."  Tony admitted with a wry glance at McGee.  "Sort of like riding a rollercoaster.  Once you get past that initial 'I'm going to die' feeling, it can be a lot of fun."

"I hate rollercoasters."  McGee sighed.  He headed into the living room, resigned to a nightmare ride with Gibbs.  

He sat down on the love seat, snagging the remote off the coffee table.  At this time of day McGee suspected there wouldn't anything on worth watching, but knowing Tony there would be at least two hundred channels he could waste time running through to confirm his suspicion.  

The faint murmur of voices coming from the kitchen let him know Gibbs was out of the shower before he'd gotten through even half the channels.  McGee turned up the volume just a bit, hoping to give them an illusion of privacy.   He was sure if there was something they wanted him to know, they'd make a point of including him in the conversation.

After a run through of all the channels, McGee settled on A & E.  He liked Cold Case Files and it looked like they were running some sort of marathon.  It would do for now, and it never hurt to brush up on forensic details.  He might learn something useful.  

He yawned, rubbing at his eyes, not really surprised to find himself still tired.  It would take a day or two before his body clock was back in sync with Eastern Standard Time. It would also take more than one night's sleep to make up for what he'd lost on this last case. Tony never seemed to have any trouble adjusting, so maybe there was a trick to dealing with sleep deprivation and jet lag.  He'd have to ask him sometime.  

He slouched further into the love seat, eyes drifting to half mast without conscious thought.  He tried to follow the program but it seemed to take more effort than he could muster.  The case they were working didn't seem even half as complex or interesting as some he'd worked with NCIS since signing on.  But then, he mused silently to himself, you don't get a lot of guys getting shot after they've been dead for years or bodies bursting into flames to cover a cardiac surgeon's mistake.  That was probably a good thing he decided.

McGee wasn't sure but he must have dozed off, lulled by the affects of a good meal and being warm and comfortable.  The next thing he was aware of was Gibbs shaking his shoulder.  

"Up and at 'em, McGee."

He was on his feet almost before he was fully awake.  "I'm up. I'm up."

"Easy, McGee." Gibbs' lips curled in a half smile.  "You always this jumpy?"

"No…not always."  McGee blushed.  He hated how little it took for Gibbs to metaphorically knock him off balance.

"Okay."  Gibbs shook his head, clearly more amused than annoyed.   "You ready to go?"

McGee almost asked, 'go where' before he thought better of it.  He nodded.  "Sure, Boss."

He rubbed his eyes, hating the strange gritty feeling that always came with not getting enough sleep.  "I just need to get my stuff."

"It's already by the door."  Gibbs walked away, leaving him no choice but to follow.  

McGee grabbed the handles of the borrowed bag, looking around for Tony so he could say good-bye.  Not seeing the former cop, he frowned.  Maybe Tony was going with them and was already at the car.  Or maybe he was just as tired as McGee was and went back to bed.

"He went to talk to Louisa."  Gibbs said as he put on his shoes.

McGee recognized the name from the first conversation between Gibbs and Tony he'd overheard.  She sounded like something of a regular fixture in Tony's life, although the former cop had never mentioned her directly.  McGee couldn't resist asking, "Who's Louisa?"    

"One of the neighbors."  Gibbs answered as he opened the door.  "She's sort of adopted Tony."

McGee could feel his eyebrows rising.  Tony could be juvenile and childish from time to time, but none of the women McGee had seen him interact with had ever seen Tony in a strictly platonic or maternal light.  They seemed to lump into either 'date material' or 'pain in the ass' with little or nothing in between.  

Gibbs must have noticed his surprised expression.  His blue eyes gave away his amusement even though he didn't smile.  "Louisa thinks he needs looking after."

It was on the tip of McGee's tongue to ask just how close did Louisa look after Tony.    Gibbs said they were exclusive, but that didn't mean Louisa knew that.  Hell, they'd only just told McGee they were involved.  Most of the time, women Tony didn't flirt with flirted with him.  It seemed sort of cruel not to tell Louisa she was going nowhere with Tony.  

"She's Ducky's age, McGee.  She bakes him cookies, makes sure there is always something in his fridge to eat and cleans his apartment.  He shovels her sidewalk in the winter, takes out her trash and makes sure she doesn't forget to take her medication."  Gibbs rolled his eyes.  "Don't ever take up poker."

"Yes, Boss."  McGee ducked his head and tried not to look as chagrined as he felt.  

He tossed his bag in the back seat when Gibbs unlocked the car and made sure his seat belt was securely fastened.  McGee was sure anyone who'd ever ridden with the former Marine came away with a new appreciation for safety restraints.  He smiled grimly to himself remembering when Tony told him the seatbelt wouldn't save his life.  He could still see the other man's grin as he said, 'The way Gibbs drives, all that belt will do is make sure your body stays with the wreckage so we can identify it later'.  

He'd scoffed at the time…but that was before he'd actually ridden with Gibbs.  Seat belt or no, a head on collision would probably kill him, but he felt better wearing it anyway.  He wondered if Tony had passed on that observation to Kate.   Probably not.  

To his surprise and relief, Gibbs pulled out of the parking lot and merged with traffic with less than his usual speed.  It was positively sedate by comparison.  Maybe he only drove like a maniac when on a case.  

"You and Tony talked?"  Gibbs asked baldly, eyes moving from the road to focus on McGee.

He wasn't really surprised Gibbs would just come right out and ask. The man gave blunt a whole new meaning.  Tony's description of 'subtle as a sledgehammer' definitely fit.

"Yes, we did."    

"And?"

McGee was glad he had some inkling of what the older man wanted. The longer it took him to answer the more time Gibbs would be driving without actually watching where he was going.  He'd already learned that lesson the hard way and suspected Gibbs did it on purpose to make him talk faster.

"Things are good between us."  McGee tried not to look away from Gibbs intense gaze afraid the former Marine might think he was lying.  "Things might even be better than they've ever been."  

Shared secrets tended to do that, McGee thought with unexpected insight.  Tony clearly didn't think of him as just a likeable enough coworker any more, but some one he trusted with things he didn't tell just anyone.  Tony had let him see beyond the smoke and mirrors of the image he routinely presented to people. McGee suddenly realized just how lucky he was.

Something of that realization had to have shown itself in his expression because Gibbs nodded, giving him a satisfied smile before turning his attention back to the road.  He wove around someone that he apparently thought was taking too long to execute a turn and darted back into the correct lane narrowly avoiding a pick up truck.  McGee clutched at the door handle and tried not to curse.  

"You got any questions?"

McGee considered that, studying Gibbs' profile.  "Are you happy?"

"Very."  

Gibbs' smile when he gave his abrupt and undeniably honest answer was one McGee wouldn't mind seeing more of.  The man looked younger, more at ease and nearly joyful.  It was good to know Tony could inspire such a look.  In McGee's opinion, Gibbs could do with more happiness and satisfaction in his life than what just the job could provide.  

"Do you love him?"

"Yes."

McGee nodded.  He hadn't asked Tony that question.  He hadn't needed to.  There was no way Tony would have committed to what was probably the longest relationship of his life or been so willing to quit a job he so clearly loved if he didn't have strong feelings for Gibbs.  He didn't have to ask Tony if he was happy either.   That had been obvious.  

"You were the one who started the relationship?  That was you, wasn't it?"

Gibbs hesitated for a second, glancing at McGee and then away, before tipping his head in acknowledgement.  "It was me."

McGee had expected as much.  Given what Tony had said about his experience with previous supervisors he couldn't see him risk taking the firs step.  In a lot of ways this was far more a risk for Tony than it was for Gibbs.  

He would bet money that Tony had weighed out the options, considered the consequences before he accepted what Gibbs had offered.  Illusions and image notwithstanding, Tony rarely undertook any action without examining the situation completely.  Gibbs, on the other hand, tended to have a more 'damn the torpedoes, full-speed ahead' approach.  It usually worked for him because more often than not he was right, but it was likely yet another reason he'd been divorced three times and why no one in authority other than the director really liked him as an agent, no matter what his success rate.

Tony might have a reputation as a ladies man, and good time guy, but McGee seriously doubted Tony had broken any hearts.  He was fairly certain Gibbs couldn't say the same.  

"Tony's a bit more fragile than he lets on…and you aren't exactly known for your light touch."  McGee said quietly, forcing himself to make eye contact and hold it when Gibbs looked directly at him.  He made a conscious effort to ignore the traffic moving rapidly all around them.  

"Meaning?"  Gibbs arched an eyebrow.

"Don't break his heart."

Gibbs' eyes narrowed, and McGee knew the older man realized he meant that statement as both a threat and a warning.  Gibbs smiled, clearly pleased by McGee's decision to stand with Tony if things didn't work out.  It was always a weird feeling to know Gibbs thought more of him for challenging him and speaking his mind rather than conforming and keeping his mouth shut.  

"Understood."  Gibbs turned away, once more watching the road.  "Anything else?"

Not wanting to push his luck any further than he had, McGee said no.  There really wasn't anything else he needed to know.  Oh there was a lot of stuff he wanted to know.  Like was Tony as good in bed as he claimed or did Gibbs ever bottom for Tony…but those were a bit too personal for him to ask.  

He smiled to himself.  Abby wouldn't have hesitated to ask.  Kate wouldn't even think to.  And Ducky would probably already know the answers.  He had no idea what Palmer might do.  It was a rather diverse bunch he worked with, and he really wouldn't have it any other way.

Gibbs pulled into the parking lot, neatly swerving into the in spot in front of McGee's car.  McGee shook his head, only now remembering that his battery was dead.  Before he could even open his mouth, Gibbs reached down and popped the hood of his car.

"Pop the hood on yours."  Gibbs instructed.  

McGee stared at him.  "You don't have jumper-"

"I didn't last night."  Gibbs gave him an exasperated look.  "I do now."

Right.  Silly of him not to expected Gibbs to be prepared to deal with the problem. They wouldn't be here otherwise.  He nodded and quickly popped the hood on his car watching as Gibbs attached the cables with a neat efficiency that readily conveyed his familiarity with how to use jumper cables.  

It took less time than McGee expected for him to actually be able to start his car.  He still intended to have the battery replaced, not entirely certain it would continue to hold a charge having been almost completely drained.  But he could worry about that later.  A bus could get him to and from work tomorrow if need be. The car would get him home now.

Gibbs disconnected the cables and slammed shut both hoods.  He cocked his head to one side looking at McGee.  "Nothing changes here at work."

It was clearly an order and not a request.  And McGee wasn't surprised both Gibbs and Tony would issue essentially the same directive.  He made the same promise to Gibbs that he had to Tony.  "Nothing changes."

"Good."  Gibbs nodded, satisfied with his answer.  "Call if it won't start tomorrow."

"If nothing's changed, I won't be calling you."  McGee snickered.  "Abby, or Kate, maybe, but not you."

Gibbs chuckled before giving him an apologetic look.  "Sorry."

McGee waved a hand in dismissal.  "Just the way it goes."

"Some times the way it goes sucks."  Gibbs said sounding remarkably like Tony.  He shook his head.  "See you tomorrow, McGee."

"Have a good night….er…day, Boss."  

He was astonished when Gibbs laughed and winked at him.  "I will."

He watched Gibbs pull out of the lot with his usual speed and squealing of the tires.  At least now McGee understood what the other man was in such a hurry for.   If he had someone like Tony waiting at home for him, McGee knew he wouldn't be hanging around either.  

"Get your ass in gear, McGee."  He muttered to himself.  It was time to go home.  Maybe he'd give Abby a call, see if she was up for telling him about her week.  No matter how bizarre hers had been, it was going to seem down right normal by comparison.

Epilogue:

Heading for his desk the next morning, McGee was surprised to find a cup of Manny's Mud on his blotter and his favorite pasty.  He grinned, looking over at Tony and getting a quick grin in return.  Tony saluted him with his own cup.

McGee couldn't help but notice Tony was once again wearing a turtleneck. He waggled his eyebrows at Tony and lightly rubbed a finger along his own throat, silently signaling he knew how Tony had probably spent the better part of yesterday when Gibbs got back.  He was shocked, and delighted, to see a faint blush dust Tony's cheekbones.  

The former cop neatly refocused his attention on Kate when she walked in a second later.  Their easy, teasing banter was the same as ever.  It gave McGee time to savor his coffee and Danish in peace.

Gibbs stalked through the area, carrying his usual cup full of caffeine.  McGee was quick to note it was one of Manny's as well.  The older man nodded once to him in silent greeting.

Gibbs stopped at his desk just long enough to pull out his gun and holster it.  He told everyone to get their gear.  They had a case.  

McGee grabbed his bag, making sure not to spill his coffee.  He grinned.  Everything had changed, but nothing was really any different.  Life was good.

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