emeraldsnakes

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Title: Boss

Saturday April 16, 2005; Gibb’s House; DC; 3:00 am

Gibbs stood in the doorway of the guest bedroom, cup of coffee in hand. Tony was sleeping peacefully, face half buried in his pillow, legs pulled up half way to his chest. Gibbs hadn’t allowed him to go home, for two reasons. Officially it was because a killer had already broken in once and he wasn’t safe on his own. Unofficially, it had to do with his growing attraction for the younger man.

Tony’s night hadn’t been entirely peaceful, he’d awoken from a nightmare earlier and it became a new experience for Gibbs. Tony had clung to him, silently trying to fight his demons on his own but in no condition to do so. With not being good at talking things out, and knowing Tony probably didn’t want to talk with him about it anyway, Gibbs had used the only other appropriate method he knew to make Tony forget. Sex.

It hadn’t been particularly mind blowing, that would come later if Tony wanted, but it had done the trick and Tony had quickly nodded off into sleep.

Gibbs sighed. This next week would be hell for Tony, and he was too stubborn to look for support from the team. But Gibbs couldn’t blame him. They were great people except that learning this about Tony would make them lose their perception about him and Tony had worked very hard to keep that perception, even if it was a bit false.

He left his Tony-watching post and descended into the basement to continue working on his boat, a symbol of his own demon filled past.

April 16 2005; The Navy Yard; DC; 9:00 am

Gibbs walked into the NCIS office, coffee in hand and Tony slowly trailing behind him acting like they didn’t come in together. McGee was at his computer and by the looks of things, not doing what he should be. Ziva was with Kate talking girl talk. This was normal, since every morning before he arrived they were never doing their work.

“What have we got?” he demanded, smirking at their jumps.

Kate moved back to her desk, giving Tony a half worried half curious look. They’d all thought they’d lost her when Ari had shot her and for a time they had to pretend they did. The bullet was aimed at a spot right between her eyes and it would have been a perfect shot for the terrorist, had Kate not moved just as the trigger had been pulled.

The bullet grazed the right side of her head but it hadn’t been serious, it just looked it. To protect her from being targeted again, Kate had ‘died’ then and there, and as she was admitted into Bethesda Navel Hospital she assumed a false identity. It had been effective, as Ari truly thought he’d killed her, and that assumption had been his biggest mistake.

“Helen had been married for thirty seven years to Jonathan Wilson and they had three sons. David, 34, is the oldest and has a series of minor criminal offences. He changed his name to Daniel Willson, two ‘l’s and has yet to get in trouble. James, 32, is the successful one.”

Tony bristled. He was successful too!

Kate continued, “He’s the Head of Oncology at Princeton Plainsbrough Teaching Hospital, has absolutely no criminal record and is currently in his third and failing marriage.”

“Kinda like Gibbs in that regard,” Tony couldn’t help but comment. Gibbs just glared at him.

“Antonio would be 29, but all records of him end at 15, except for the gun used to kill his mother. I wonder why he would do it.”

“He didn’t.” Gibbs answered and turned to Ziva as McGee’s phone rang. “Tell me more about Wilson herself.”

“Financially well off, she retired five years ago from being a children’s teaching aid and does some supply work. Mostly she’s part of Ladies Groups and organizations that help better the community. And she’s Jewish.”

McGee hung up the phone. “Boss, David Wilson was spotted at a gas station off I-70 driving Julie Wilson’s car. She was apparently with him and they are an item. They were headed west.”

Tony looked confused, “David’s married?”

Kate smirked, “Actually he’s banging his brother’s wife. The current one.”

Tony blinked, surprised. He wondered if she knew, hell if James knew.

“Do you think they’re headed after Jonathan?” McGee asked.

“What?”

“Jonathan Wilson has disappeared, suggesting that either he’s dead or the killer is after him.” Gibbs explained. “David wants him dead.”

“What makes you say that?” Ziva asked. “All the evidence points to Antonio.”

“It was his gun,” Kate added.

Gibbs smiled but didn’t answer, instead choosing to ask a different question. “Do we have the crime scene photos and the evidence yet?”

Kate handed him a folder, “Abby has everything.”

Gibbs nodded and opened the file, flipping through the photos. Everyone silently waited and after only a minute Tony got bored. He found a small box of paperclips and started flicking them at Kate. She jumped, shocked he would do that in front of Gibbs and glared. Tony continued to flick paperclips and was only encouraged by Gibbs’ silence.

“Gibbs!” Kate complained after getting struck right between the eyes.

Gibbs looked up at her with a raised eyebrow, looked at the ‘innocent’ Tony then looked back down, smirking.

Tony smiled triumphantly at the despaired look on Kate’s face. Ziva and McGee were laughing quietly so Tony turned his attention to them and flicked the paperclips in rapid succession, getting McGee in the mouth which caused him to splutter angrily and Ziva on the nose. She was not pleased.

“I can kill you with this,” she said dangerously, momentarily forgetting Gibbs was even there.

“I’d like to see you try,” he said lightly, closing the folder, but there was a warning tone in his voice that told them she wouldn’t even get close to Tony.

“Uh, Boss?”

“Yeah McGee?”

“Do we call Dr. Wilson or do we go and see him?” he asked slightly nervous.

“Both. Kate and Ziva are to go through all the evidence from the scene that didn’t need to go to Abby then go back to the scene to find anything the LEOs missed. McGee, Jersey sounds like a good place to start for you.”

“Uh, Boss?” he asked bewildered.

“Julie Wilson. I want to know how long she’s been in connection with David Wilson. DiNozzo, follow up with the lead on when David is headed and see if you can track down Jonathan Wilson while you’re at it.” He got up and left, headed to the elevator and down to the morgue to follow up with Ducky.

Ducky didn’t have much to say save that Mrs. Wilson had been on anti-depressants, so he went up to Abby even though he knew he wouldn’t be getting much, if anything. She had some heavy metal blaring when he entered, so loud that it was a wonder she wasn’t yet deft.

He didn’t need to say anything to get her attention as she seemed to have sensed his presence because when she turned to face his she wasn’t happy. The heavy metal was paused.

“I just got this stuff Gibbs, how can you possibly think I’ve got something for you?”

Gibbs smiled, “I don’t.”

She’d been ready with a retort but his answer had thrown her off so she hesitated a moment, confused. “You don’t? Then why are you here?”

Gibbs decided not to answer that. Normally he wouldn’t be doing this, but he was putting off calling Dr. Wilson. He was a family member of their victim, but he was also Tony’s older brother and he got the impression from Tony that his negative feelings towards James stemmed from something James may or may not have been aware he’d done. His own thoughts and feelings conflicted; he needed to be relatively impartial when questioning James but all he really wanted to do was smack him upside the head for Tony. Dammit he needed to get things under control.

Abby had come to realize he wasn’t going to answer her question so she changed the subject. “When can I see Tony?”

Gibbs had banned her from questioning Tony about his connection to the Wilsons but she cared for him and wanted to be there for him and comfort him.

“I’ll let him decide that,” Gibbs replied.

“But, Gibbs! This is Tony’s m—”

“I know Abbs!” Gibbs said forcefully, cutting her off purposefully. “But he wants to keep things from the others, and I agree with him.”

Abby was resigned to her fate so she backed off. “Ok then, but tell him I’m here for him if he needs me. Is there anything else you wanted?” she added.

“Nope,” Gibbs replied and left her to continue her work. He was barely out the door when the heavy metal was turned back on.

He went back to the bullpen to grab the list of phone numbers for James Wilson and a pad of paper and pen. He chose an empty interrogation room to make his call, not what he normally did but he didn’t want anyone to overhear him.

He dialed the work number and the ditzy secretary that answered was not very giving.

“Yes it’s urgent,” he growled.

“Are you one of his patients?”

Gibbs hung up, he’d given his identification. The woman was just being stupid. How she lasted there he had no idea but he didn’t dwell on it as he tried the cell number. He was pretty sure it would right through, Duck often forgot to turn his cell off or purposefully didn’t because he was a doctor.

It rang, but he knew immediately that the person on the other end wasn’t related to Tony. No one that caustic was related to Tony.

“Better make it quick, ‘cause if you don’t give me a good reason why I should talk to you in the next ten seconds I’m hanging up.” The voice said tiredly.

“Well, you shouldn’t talk to be because you’re not Doctor James Wilson. I don’t see what gives you the right to answer someone else’s phone,” Gibbs mentally added ‘unless you’re his boss’ since he occasionally went through his teams’s phones.

“Doctor Wilson currently has his head in the toilet. Hangovers have a nasty habit of doing that to people,” the man sounded very awake now. “Why do you want to know? You’re not his boyfriend are you?” He gave an overreacted gasp, “I had no idea he swung that way.”

Gibbs chuckled to himself. If he had the time this guy could be fun, but since he didn’t he switched to work mode, “I’m Special Agent Gibbs, NCIS. Who exactly are you.”

“The Butler.”

Gibbs scowled, “Do you realize you’re impeding a murder investigation?”

“Whatever happened, it wasn’t me. I swear.” the man paused. “I can have Wilson call you back.”

“Don’t bother. Just tell me where he’ll be tonight and tomorrow morning.”

“Here, at my place, on my couch. If you want to find me, I’m in the phone book under Greg House.”

Gibbs rolled his eyes, greatful that he didn’t have to press for a name.

“This murder,” House said, as Gibbs was about to hang up. “Are you talking about Wilson’s mom?”

Gibbs frowned, “I wasn’t aware that the family had been notified.”

“His father called, left a message.”

“Did he save it?”

“Beats me.”

“Well make sure he does, we’ll need to analyze it,” Gibbs snapped.