Tony looked up with a wide smile as the new intern sashayed into his direct line of vision. Leaning back and tapping a pen against his teeth, his eyes twinkled as they roved over Becky's tight pencil skirt and her soft pink blouse. Rolling her eyes at the obvious appraisal, the newbie threw a glance in the direction of Gibbs' desk. There was something oddly horrifying yet appealing about the man, and despite the age gap, she knew who she would pick if the choice was DiNozzo or his boss.

"Is he in?"

Tony died a little inside but kept the smile plastered firmly on his face. This was happening with an alarming frequency these days. Must be an older guy thing. Taking comfort in his supreme youth, he shook his head. "Nope, out on urgent business. As in, coffee. Anything I can do for you?" She hesitated, before shrugging. Turning, she beckoned a previously unseen figure over. Tony quickly racked a gaze over the visitor. Little older than him maybe, reasonably to very good looking. Definitely on the job, oddly familiar. His confusion flitted across his face as Becky cleared her throat.

"This is Agent Stan Burley. He's currently an Agent Afloat, but used to be stationed here for a few years, with Gibbs. He's in town for a while, and just wanted to catch up for a couple of hours." She held out a pink form to Tony who was staring wordlessly at the smiling Stan. "I just need a senior agent's approval to issue a visitor's pass." She clicked a pen under Tony's nose. "So, could you?" The pink form seemed suddenly garish as Tony reached instinctively for it. Seeing Becky's impatience grow, he blinked and scrawled his signature across the page as she handed a lanyard to the now official visitor.

"I'll leave you all to it then."

And she was gone.

Stan smiled widely at a rising Tony, and held out a hand. Accepting it slowly, the slightly younger man noted that it was a firm handshake, good eye contact. Definitely assertive, but not arrogant. "So," Burley grinned, "You're the new me, huh?" Dropping his hand and nodding slowly, Tony forced a smile to his face. "New model, upgrade if you will," he quipped, "So…what brings you to town? Other than a catch up with Gibbs?" He barked out a laugh that sounded unnatural to him. "You do realise he's not exactly the cuddles and chats type?"

Burleys laugh, irritatingly pleasant, echoed around the bull pen.

"Oh that I do," he chuckled, "Truth of the matter is, I'm actually thinking of hanging up my afloat boots. Just scouting around to see what's available." He shrugged. "Figured Gibbs would know if there's anything knocking about." He threw a gaze over Tony's desk and laughed easily once more. "Don't suppose you think two chairs would fit at that station huh?"

Tony stared with clouding eyes.

"No," he blurted out loudly, "I don't think they would."

Breezing over the sticky moment with a natural charisma, Stan bared his white teeth in a smile.

"Didn't think so. My knees, you know? Can't risk jamming them up anymore than they already are." Clearing his throat, he threw a hand over to Gibbs' desk. "So, where is the boss anyway? Coffee run?" He glanced over at the clock and shook his head with a grin. "Definitely coffee run time. So, Tony isn't it? How're things around here? Been here long?"

Before Tony could even answer, McGee and Ziva swept into the bullpen, bickering loudly.

Stan whistled lowly under his breath.

"Wow. Who is that fox? Please tell me she's single?"

Tony felt an inexplicable urge to deck this Stan character soundly between the two eyes.

"She's not," he gritted out in a lie, "Married in fact. Pro body builder, pretty hot temper too."

He took an enormous satisfaction as the handsome lines of Stan's face fell. To his annoyance, he quickly bounced back with a shrug and a gleaming smile as Abby suddenly meandered out of the lift. Roving his eyes over her unique dress sense, he turned to Tony hopefully. "Ok, she can't be married to an angry pro body builder too? How do you rate my chances?"

The younger agent smirked slowly with a shrug.

"Of Gibbs breaking both your arms if you look at her for two seconds longer than you should? Oh…I'd say those would be the best odds in the city. She's like his daughter." Stan's face fell once more, uplifting Tony's spirits some. There was no real or reasonable reason why he should take such an instant dislike to Burley, but if he were to think about it rationally, he would know why. He was a threat, this Stanley. He was the old him. He had history with Gibbs, he was in town looking for a job, and he had a very clear way of getting along with people that irked Tony to no end. He felt threatened, and he felt jealous. Not that he'd ever admit that to himself, let alone anyone else. But, the fact of the matter was he wanted Burley out.

Immediately.

"Listen," he muttered curtly, "We're kind of busy at the moment, cases and all you know? I'm sure if you leave a number, my boss will get back to when he has time." His gaze lingered over Burley's strong jaw, and he sighed. "If he has time." He didn't realise he had subconsciously emphasised the 'my' in his statement. If it was jarring, Stan didn't seem to notice.

He bit back the "or the inclination."

Somehow, he just knew that the inclination would be there.

"Naw, that's ok," Burley smiled, "I'll just hunker down and wait out of your way somewhere. But, you know, I could always lend a hand on whatever case you're working." He threw his hand towards Tony's desk once more. "I got plenty experience, and many hands make for light work, right?" Wondering briefly if it would be churlish to put a fire guard around his desk, Tony forced a tight smile as he shook his head. "No, the Boss doesn't like outsiders working his case," he declined rudely, "But you can sit in the break room, if you really want."

Stan smiled as he shook his own head.

"Don't think I count as an outsider," he countered lightly, with a still friendly tone. "Gibbs taught me pretty much all I know. I'm sure he wouldn't mind. I could maybe," he threw his head discreetly in a snarling Ziva and Tim's direction, "get to know her a little better? See if it's worth invoking the ire of an angry husband." Such was their bickering; Ziva and Tim weren't paying any attention to the visitor, assuming he was there on routine business. Over the dull roar about driving like a snail on crack, Tony quirked a brow and pursed his lips stubbornly. "I really don't think that he-"

"DiNozzo, you got that report I asked uhh….Burley?"

Former and current senior agent swivelled instinctively on the spot.

"Yes Boss?"

Tony's eyes swivelled to Stan in irritation as they spoke in tandem. Sweeping in, coffee in hand and landing in front of both past and present second in commands', Gibbs' face broke into a smile that made the present part of the scenario scowl. "Stan….the hell are you doing here?" He grinned widely at Burley, and Tony's scowl became set in stone. "Let me guess, you stepped in a big old pile of crap and need a hand out?"

Grinning at the jibe, Burley shook his head good naturedly.

"Not quite Boss, sorta on the unemployment heap at the moment, as a matter of fact."

Gibbs frowned heavily.

"What happened?"

Stan shook his head reassuringly, and Gibbs visibly relaxed. Seeing this obviously protective response set Tony's teeth on edge, as he was effectively forgotten where he stood. "I'm just a little too long in the tooth for the afloat game now Boss," Stan explained in his irritatingly pleasant voice, "I'm looking for something more stable. More regular, I guess. I was actually hoping that you might know of any gigs pending? I'm not all that fussy." He laughed, flashing his white teeth. "Figure if I was able to stick it out with you for years, I'm ready for pretty much anywhere anyway."

Gibbs laughed.

Laughed.

Tony's eyes bulged in their sockets.

At the sounds of Gibbs' chuckle, even Tim and Ziva quit their bickering and Abby took a breather from refereeing, as all three stared over. Their argument proved more alluring after a moment, and the three returned to their huddle, leaving Tony to continue staring incredulously. "Suppose you might have a point," Gibbs admitted, still grinning, "How long you in town for? You got somewhere to stay?" Stan shrugged, "There's a hotel not far from here, I'll swing by when I leave."

Tony closed his eyes slowly as he instantly saw where the conversation was headed.

"Don't be stupid," Gibbs grunted, "What's the point in paying a hotel when I got plenty of room? The doors unlocked, I'll be finishing up here soon. Why don't you drag your sorry ass over? There's steak in the fridge."

Stan visibly brightened.

Tony visibly darkened.

"You sure Boss?"

The quailing look that was sent his way saw Stan's pleasant laugher waft over the bull pen once more. "Of course you're sure, but give me a break man. I'm a bit rusty here." Raising a brow, Gibbs shook his head. "You were always a bit rusty Burley, and always a pain in my ass." Spluttering with laughter, Stan rolled his eyes at the clearly light teasing and shrugged. "Well alright then, dinner will be on the table when you get home dear. I'll make sure and wear something pretty for you."

The headslap drew a yelp from the former second in command, as he rubbed his hair in chagrin.

"Shoulda seen that coming."

Gibbs smirked and threw a hand over his shoulder. "Uh huh, you shoulda. Now go on and get out of here before I decide to put you to work for once in your life." Nodding with a grin, Stan turned to Tony and nodded politely. "Good to meet you, I'm sure we'll be seeing a bit more of each other." He glanced over at the bickering trio, and smiled a little wider. "I'll just introduce myself to the rest of your new gang and be on my way Boss. And…thanks."

Nodding, Gibbs rolled his eyes.

"Yeah yeah, go on now…get."

Waving at a non-responsive DiNozzo, Stan sauntered past both agent in charge and second in command. Over Gibbs' shoulder, Tony could easily see that Burley was quickly ingratiating himself with McGee and the girls. His teeth, already on edge, scrubbed together even more painfully when a sudden thought hit him.

"Boss?"

Swigging a scalding sip of coffee, Gibbs threw a glance in Tony's direction as if seeing him for the first time since he'd come back from his caffeine run.

"Hmm?"

Tony cleared his throat. "Well…it's just tonight; you said you would help me fix that beam in my apartment. My landlord is coming to town next week, and she's not a woman to be messed with…" Gibbs stared for moment as Tony trailed off, having completely forgotten his agreement to lend his carpentry skills. "Aw hell DiNozzo," he eventually murmured, "Slipped my mind. Listen…I'll get it to another day, before she gets here. Dunno how long Stan will be in town, so let's grab a rain check, ok? Actually, you can handle things here for the rest of the day right? I want to check with a few contacts, see if we can't find Burley a job. Ok?" He was gone from his sight, telling the other three he was wrapping it up early, before Tony could mutter a quiet "Ok…"

The elevator doors opened and swallowed Gibbs up a moment later.

Slumping back into his chair, Tony let out a long sigh as he stared unseeingly at his desk. He didn't register the rumblings of the other three around him; none of them seeming to care that Stan could be in town to stay. Paperwork loomed large in front of him as he stared with clouded eyes. He needed to get a grip on himself, he was being ridiculous. He knew that, logically. But…still, it rankled. He didn't like Stan, didn't want him around. He definitely didn't want him in Gibbs' house, eating steak cooked over the open fire, drinking beer on the couch…

His brow wrinkled as his scowl deepened, the image infiltrating his headspace.

The smiling git would probably park his ass down in his spot, just to add insult to injury.

His scowl reached epidemic levels as he sat and brooded, the afternoon sun steadily setting to the backdrop of his inner frustrations

A decision…rash, illogical and yet gripping as all hell began to seep into his mind as time dragged on.

There was no way Stanley "the original probie" Burley was staying in town.

Not on his watch.

….

Batch Update A/N: Haven't posted for a while due to worrying health issues of a close family member/job pressures. Things look good on both fronts now thank God, and I should be back to my normal updating, now that I have a lighter headspace. A huge thanks to everyone for the reviews/messages asking how I was. I truly appreciate them, you guys are great, and thank you for your patience! All other stories will be update soon!

A/N(2): I've had this idea rattling around my brain for a while, so just going to see where it takes me! I find a jealous Tony of Gibbs' affections, an adorable Tony!

….