Defender

by

TonysSilverFox

DISCLAIMER: However much I wish it was so, I do not own these characters. I'm going to simply let them play for a little bit and then put them back a little happier.

WARNING: SLASH story! You have been informed! If you do not like the idea of two men together, pick something else to read.

A/N: This is another story set in my Just Once universe. If you have not read that story, I strongly suggest you do before reading this one, because a lot of things will not make sense otherwise. This story is set about six months after the end of Just Once.

************NCIS********************NCIS********************

Leroy Jethro Gibbs sat up straight in his office chair.

Something's wrong. He thought as his gut churned.

Jumping to his feet he raced over to Nikki's desk and barked out, "Jardine! Track the team's cells, find them, now!"

Jardine was already typing as he rounded her desk and leaned down to watch her work.

"Gut screaming boss?" Nikki asked as she worked to pin down their team's location.

"Yeah." Gibbs replied, his hand tightening on her chair and his bad feeling ratcheting up a notch.

"Well, it looks like your gut is on target, boss. They're at that closed school just off the base at Quantico we checked out yesterday and the other cell signatures of our suspects are there too, it's six to four against." Nikki quickly told him as she hopped up and grabbed her badge and gun.

Gibbs was already jogging to the elevator after grabbing his gear. Although his gut was still screaming, he quirked a half-smile at an obviously nervous Jardine, saying, "Let's go even the odds, huh?"

His attempt to ease her discomfort worked. Nikki smiled back at him as she checked her weapon and extra clips while they descended into the garage and she replied, "On your six, boss!"

Her phrase teased a bigger smile out of him and they both ran from the elevator as soon as it stopped. The tires on the company sedan screeching as they tore out of the garage, intent on getting to their team as soon as possible.

************NCIS********************NCIS********************

"McGee! Talk to me!" SFA Cassie Yates yelled over her shoulder as she shot off three more quick rounds, smiling grimly when she heard a yelp and cries of pain from outside the room they were pinned down in. 'Only Three Left.' Cassie thought to herself.

"His breathing and heartbeat are good but he won't wake up, I don't know if he was shot in the head or he just hit it on the floor when he went down, I can't tell. There's too much blood! I think he was hit in the side too, but that's not bleeding too much, it could be just a graze. Cassie, I can't stop his head from bleeding, we need to get him out of here!" McGee's voice was taking on a panicked tone and Cassie realized he was holding on by a thread.

"McGee!" Cassie barked. "Hold it together! Dwayne should have made it to a spot that has a signal by now and called for help, we'll be okay and we'll get help for Tony soon."

Any response McGee might have had was cut off by a flurry of shots and shouts from outside the room. It sounded like their attackers were under attack themselves and Cassie wondered if Dwayne had brought reinforcements or was just making a run at them on his own. She sincerely hoped that wasn't the case, because if he was on his own, she was gonna kick his butt when they were done here.

"Tony, Cassie, report!" Both Cassie and McGee sagged in relief when they heard Gibbs bark at them from just outside the door.

"Are the suspects secure?" Cassie asked as she came out of hiding.

"The ones that are still alive are. Only two made it. Where's Tony?" Gibbs responded as he came in through the door.

"This is a dead zone for cell phones, we have to get to another area and call an ambulance, right now!" Cassie told him, trying to move him back out the door.

Gibbs stopped and his voice took on a deadly tone, "Where. Is. Tony?"

"He's behind that lab station with McGee. I'll go check on Dwayne and Nikki and make sure the ambulance is coming." Cassie told him quietly. She squeezed his arm before quickly exiting.

Gibbs' breath was harsh as he tried to force his feet to move. He heard murmuring from the direction Cassie indicated and shuffled slowly over. The sight that awaited him when he came around the corner constricted his chest and made breathing that much harder.

Tony was lying on the floor with a pool of blood around his head. There was also a stain of blood blossoming on the left side of his shirt. McGee was kneeling beside him trying to staunch the blood flow from his head wound. He was talking quietly to Tony and Gibbs wasn't sure if McGee realized that he had tears streaming down his face. He started to hear some of the things McGee was saying.

"C'mon Tony, you've gotta wake up. You've gotta be okay. We can't do this without you. Don't give up, please don't give up! The team needs you, Gibbs needs you! You can't leave Gibbs, he loves you so much. Please Tony!" McGee pleaded with the man on the floor, all the time trying to stop the blood flowing from the head wound.

Gibbs was frozen to the spot. This can't happening! He couldn't lose Tony, he wouldn't survive it. A groan from the floor snapped his thoughts back into focus and got his feet moving again. In three long strides he was next to the two men and kneeling himself next to Tony's head.

At the same time McGee breathed out, "Oh, thank God!" he became aware of Gibbs' presence and shot a watery smile over at the older man as Gibbs tenderly placed his hands on either side of Tony's head and leaned over to place a gentle kiss on Tony's forehead when the younger man attempted to move his head from side to side.

"Stay still babe, help is coming." Jethro whispered to him as he caressed Tony's temples and silently urged the sirens he heard to hurry the hell up.

Jethro noticed that he could see a sliver of green eyes at the same time Tony managed to rasp out, "When did you get here?"

Both Jethro and McGee chuckled as Gibbs replied, "Just in time."

Tony grunted out "Huh." as his eyes opened further and he spied McGee. "McGee, report!" Tony said, his voice getting stronger.

"All suspects in custody or dead, everyone but you unhurt." McGee told him with a smile.

"Actually, Dwayne has a graze on his shoulder, but he'll be fine, just like you're gonna be." Jethro told him with a soft smile.

"Well, besides the bullet that winged me in the side and a killer headache, I'm fine now." Tony told them as he again tried to sit up.

"Uh-uh, don't move! We don't know what kind of head injury you have, you lost a lot of blood." Gibbs told him as he tightened his hold to keep Tony's head immobile and McGee placed a firm hand on his chest to keep him from getting up.

"C'mon! I conked my head and it's just a scratch on my side, I'm fine!" Tony protested, again preparing to get up.

Tim kept his hand on Tony's chest as he heard the unmistakable sound of a gurney hurrying in their direction and Gibbs leaned forward, inches above Tony's face as he said, "Do. Not. Move! You will lay there and let the paramedics do their job, you will not fight them and I will be going along to the hospital to make sure - got it?"

Tony, seeing the worry etched on his husband's face, relaxed back against the floor and replied, "Okay." Actually, not getting up right now sounded like a good idea. His aborted attempt to sit up had sent a wave of nausea through him and his head really was pounding. As long as Jethro was beside him though, he would be okay.

All three men heard the commotion as the paramedics, led by Cassie, rushed into the room and over to their position. Tony saw the relief on her face when she saw him awake. "Hey mama Cass, how are the kids?" He asked her with a teasing smile.

"All present and accounted for with no extra holes in them, more or less." She smiled back, extremely relieved Tony was joking with her, he was going to be alright.

Tony asked as the paramedics took his vitals and inspected his injuries, "What does more or less entail?" with a skeptical expression.

"Dwayne was creased by a bullet in his shoulder, hurts like a bitch, but it didn't aerate him, doesn't count." Cassie replied, leaning against the lab station and watching the paramedics work. She and the two other agents watching were encouraged when the paramedics seemed to slow their urgency after checking DiNozzo out. She also suspected they were listening to their conversation, gauging Tony's mental status.

"Hah! He's almost beat my record! I had five injuries in my first year at NCIS, he's at three already! Told ya he'd be a great agent boss!" Tony crowed, while Cassie rolled her eyes and McGee chuckled.

"Don't think getting hurt is an accurate way to determine a good agent, Tony." Gibbs chided, more than a little relieved that the atmosphere had turned from dire to lighthearted so quickly.

"Sure it is! We're the two best NCIS agents ever and no one has gotten hurt at the agency more than us!" Tony replied, making it sound like the most reasonable argument in the world.

Gibbs shook his head and glanced up at Cassie and McGee, both wearing a look that said 'Can't argue with that!' Huffing out a breath, Gibbs replied, "I think you've got me beat, why do you think I've got gray hair?"

"It's not gray, it's silver, and it fits you!" Tony replied, closing his eyes, brows furrowed, with a pained expression on his face as one of the paramedics prodded the area on his head that had been bleeding while he bandaged it.

Momentarily alarmed, Gibbs' attention again focused on the paramedics and he noticed them packing up. He met the gaze of one of them and silently demanded a report.

"He should be fine." The man informed him. "The wound on his side is just a graze and has already stopped bleeding. The head wound does not look serious, it doesn't appear he was shot and he's showing no signs of it, he'll probably need stitches though. Looks like he may have cracked his head when he fell. We're taking him in to get his head wound checked thoroughly."

Gibbs nodded and he and McGee assisted in getting Tony lifted up onto the stretcher. "I'll be coming with you, I'm his next of kin and medical proxy." He informed the two medics.

"You know, he is right here and can hear you!" Tony groused as they elevated the gurney and started off down the hall.

"We'll be at the hospital soon, Agent DiNozzo. Don't worry, you'll be fine." One of the medics told him.

"Yeah, well you better start taking those turns a little slower or you'll be wearing my breakfast!" Tony told them, wincing as they came around the last corner before getting to the ambulance and looking noticeably paler.

The two medics traded glances and came to a stop. One of them checking Tony's pupils again and the other calling in to dispatch to report the latest development. Gibbs, who was walking beside them holding on to Tony's hand, tightened his grip and again looked grim, but he stayed silent as the two men worked.

Gibbs thought it was a good thing Tony had his eyes squeezed shut or the medic on the other side of the gurney may have had a broken nose after sticking Tony with a needle and quickly emptying it. Since he didn't know it was coming and it was already over, the most Tony did was glare as the medic disposed of the empty needle and ignored Tony's expression.

"There you go, agent! That should take care of the nausea from the concussion. You'll have to wait until we get to the hospital for a doctor to give you something for the pain." He informed him.

Gibbs had to stifle a snicker as Tony grumbled, "You're gonna need something for the pain, real soon!"

If the paramedic heard him, he gave no indication as Tony was efficiently deposited into the ambulance. Gibbs climbed in after them after tossing his agency sedan car keys to Cassie and again claimed Tony's hand as they sped off, on their way to the closest hospital.

************NCIS********************NCIS********************

Cassie and McGee watched as the ambulance raced off and Cassie turned to take in McGee's appearance with a more critical eye. The man was trembling slightly and quite pale. He was looking down at his hands and clothes that were drenched with Tony's blood. Cassie wondered if McGee had been hit too, it was hard to tell with all of Tony's blood on him.

Taking his arm, Cassie steered him over to sit on a bench beside the front door and crouched down in front of him as three more vehicles screeched to a stop. "McGee, are you hurt?" Cassie asked him gently.

Getting no answer, she asked him in a sharper tone as Agents Balboa and Franklin jogged up to them, "Agent! Have you been shot?"

Her tone seemed to snap him out of whatever fog he had been in and McGee jerked, focusing his gaze back on her and the other two leads who were also leaning down to check on him. "N-no, ma'am. Just a little shaken, there was a lot of blood." Tim lowered his gaze again and Franklin sat next to the younger agent on the bench, rubbing a hand on his back to comfort him. "Alright Tim, you sit tight. I'm going to gather the rest of the team and we'll head out."

Standing again, Cassie faced Vince Balboa who quietly asked, "Who's blood is it, Cass?"

"Tony's, but he'll be okay. He cracked his head and head wounds bleed a lot. Gibbs went with him to the hospital." Cassie smiled when she saw both Balboa and Franklin visibly relax. She was very glad they were both here with their teams. She had originally intended to stay and help the junior agents process the scene, but she was going to gather her ducklings up and head to the hospital to check on Tony and make sure Dwayne and McGee were alright.

Their relief was short-lived though, when a severe-looking woman in army khaki's strode up to them and barked out, "Who's in charge here?"

Balboa looked the woman up and down before saying, "Who's asking?"

"Lt. Col. Hollis Mann, Army CID. You can stand down, we'll be taking over from here." The woman answered in a smug tone, turning away from them in a dismissive gesture as she ordered her team to secure the scene.

"Like HELL you are, ma'am!" Franklin spat at her as he moved quickly to crowd into her space. "This is an NCIS investigation and it's going to stay that way!"

Lt. Col. Mann's three person team looked at each other nervously as they were confronted with ten, really pissed NCIS agents. They were vastly outnumbered and they really hoped their leader didn't provoke them much more, none of them were all that anxious to get into a physical fight to protect her.

Lt. Col. Mann tried staring the man who dared to contradict her down, when that didn't work, her gaze took in the other NCIS agents and realizing she would not win this round by force, took another tack.

"One of the suspects you have in custody is Army, that means this is our investigation!" She informed Franklin in a condescending tone.

"No, what that means is that the other five sailors who were running this scam showed their absolute lack of judgment further, by allowing an Army BTO into their ranks." Franklin replied with a sneer.

Lt. Col. Mann and her people all bristled at the jab, but before she could get a full head of steam, Balboa walked up and handed her his cell. "It's for you ma'am, director wants to speak with you." he told her with an innocent look on his face.

The colonel looked like she was ready to chew nails, but she took the phone and spoke into it. "Director Shepherd, I was just telling… well, I didn't agree to that…no ma'am…of course, I do ma'am…yes ma'am… yes I will." Handing the phone back to Balboa and looking like she had swallowed a lemon, Lt. Col. Mann turned on her heel and ordered her team back to their vehicle and back to their base.

Her scowl intensified as Franklin gave her a finger wave and a bright smile as their vehicle pulled away. Turning back to Balboa, he caught the tail end of his conversation with their director, Jenny Shepherd.

"Yes ma'am, they did…I will ma'am…see you back at headquarters." Snapping his phone shut, Balboa turned to the NCIS agents behind him and proudly noted that they had formed a line to keep the Army CID team out of their crime scene and said, "Okay people, we're taking over for the MCRT while their team is out of commission. Secure the scene and start processing. Luther, you and Tunney relieve agents Jardine and Wilson and accompany the prisoners. Cassie, the director wants your team all checked out at the hospital, let us know how Tony's doing."

Getting a grateful nod from Cassie Yates, everyone scattered to follow their assignments. Cassie sat on the bench with McGee, who looked like he had spent the last of his energy reserves when he had stood with the other NCIS agents against the CID team, and waited for the rest of her team to arrive.

A few minutes later, Jardine and Wilson walked up to her and she saw the stress of the day taking it's toll on them too, watching them move much slower than they normally would. Tim had leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes, so Cassie got Nikki to help her rouse him and get him into the sedan they had come in. After giving the keys of the other car to Nikki, she instructed Dwayne to ride with Jardine and to follow her. Driving towards the hospital at a sedate pace, making sure Nikki stayed close on her tail, Cassie let some of the tension bleed out of her. Yeah, half her team was a little banged up, but they were all still alive and they would heal, and they got the bad guys. A job well done in her book. Switching on the radio, she found a station that played "The Great American Songbook" as they called it and relaxed further as Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters crooned Don't Fence Me In as they continued their journey.

************NCIS********************NCIS********************

Tony kept his eyes shut against the blinding glare of the lights in the emergency room cubicle and waited for the doctor to come back. They had separated him from Jethro when he was wheeled in and he was feeling the loss.

They had been married six months and he still couldn't stand to be away from Jethro, especially when he didn't feel good. Jeez! When did I become so clingy? Tony thought to himself. Oh, well. At least Jethro is the same way. Tony smirked to himself, thinking about the way Jethro would follow him around at work. Wherever Tony was, Jethro was. It's my charm, he just can't resist me. Tony smugly thought to himself.

Tony sighed and tried to get more comfortable on the bed. What the hell is keeping that doctor? he thought agitatedly. Tony thought back over his extremely 'hands on' examination by doctor Benoit. While she was an attractive woman, she didn't seem to realize he was not interested and very much taken. Tony ran his left hand over the dressed wound in his side, thinking about the flirting the doctor had engaged in while cleaning and bandaging it and also surreptitiously running her hands over his abs and stomach while completely ignoring the wedding ring on the hand he used to stop her from exploring further. He had actually been relieved to be wheeled off for his MRI and was happy she was not waiting for him when he was brought back to the cubicle. Okay, maybe it's a good thing she's not back yet, but this headache is a bitch! Tony groused to himself.

So lost in his thoughts, he did not hear anyone enter, so he was very surprised when a familiar pair of lips covered his own. His surprise caused his eyes to pop open, sending a stabbing pain directly into his brain, he groaned and slammed his eyes shut as a gentle hand brushed the hair from his forehead. "They didn't give you anything yet?" Jethro asked, more than a little annoyed that his husband was still in pain over two hours after they had come in.

Tony swallowed thickly to push down the nausea that had sprung up when he had opened his eyes, before replying, "Not yet, she's checking some results first. She has been gone for a while though. Did they let you back or did you sneak back?" Tony asked him. Turning his head to face Jethro and slitting his eyes, letting in as little light as possible.

"Snuck back." Jethro admitted. "I came in with the rest of the team when they showed up to get checked out and just got lost and look who I found!" Jethro told him, bringing Tony's hand up to kiss.

"Hmmm. Lost, my ass! You seem to have a homing beacon where I'm concerned, not that I'm complaining though!" Tony smiled wryly as Jethro's eyes twinkled.

"Actually, I think that gorgeous ass of yours may be what my body is homing in on." Jethro replied with a sly smile.

Tony, having seen doctor Benoit come in behind Jethro and stop abruptly at his words, decided to have a little fun and illustrate vividly to the good doctor just how 'unavailable' he was. Grabbing a handful of Jethro's shirt, he pulled the older man down to him and said in a teasing voice, "So, you only married me for my ass, huh? Isn't there anything else on my body that drew you?" Tony teased as he kissed and nipped at Jethro.

"Well, you might have a few more assets that caught my attention." Jethro teased back before again covering Tony's mouth with his own. Tony smiled and moaned into the kiss. Jethro drew back when he heard someone clearing their throat behind him. Turning, he took in the sight of a dark-haired female doctor wearing a slight blush and narrowed eyes. Smirking internally at her discomfort, Gibbs put his bastard mask on as he regarded her coolly.

"You the doctor that has let my husband sit here in pain for over two hours?" He asked her sharply, pleased when she squirmed under his intense gaze.

"I am Tony's attending physician, and you are?" Dr. Benoit bustled into the room, trying to mask her agitation with false bravado.

Jethro's keen observation saw right through her though and he decided to push a little more. He had a feeling the doctor was personally disappointed in Tony's marital status. "My name is Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs and I'm Agent DiNozzo's husband. Now, answer the question doctor?" Jethro glanced at Tony and he supplied "Benoit." Turning back to skewer the woman with a glare, he finished with a sarcastic "Benoit."

Swallowing nervously, Dr. Benoit tried again, answering testily, "Agent DiNozzo's MRI results just came back, we could not proceed until we were sure it was not something more serious. Now, that we know he's fine, I'm going to make sure he doesn't need stitches again and get him a painkiller." Ignoring the older man, she quickly checked Tony's scalp and then started writing in his chart.

"So, you couldn't even give him a Tylenol for his headache?" Jethro retorted incredulously. "Sounds pretty unprofessional to me."

Dr. Benoit slammed Tony's chart on the tray next to the bed, making Tony wince at the loud noise and enraging Jethro further. He was just about to launch into another scathing ass-chewing, but the good doctor beat him to it.

"Look! Special Agent Gibbs, was it? Your boyfriend has a head injury. Pain medication relaxes blood vessels and could have made any internal bleeding worse, so until we confirmed that the injury was not worse than it appeared to be, he just had to tough it out! Now, since…"

Her words were cut off when a very attractive nurse, with beautiful mocha skin entered the cubicle and gasped, saying sharply, "Doctor Benoit!"

Doctor Benoit was immediately shaken out of her anger and realized she might have said some inappropriate things. Stepping back from the murderous look Gibbs was aiming at her, she quickly grabbed Tony's chart and instructed the nurse, "Annie, administer the painkiller I prescribed and make sure there's no seeping of the wounds, I'll start on the discharge papers." After directing a terse "Gentlemen." at Tony and Jethro, she beat a hasty retreat.

Gibbs refocused his gaze on the nurse and was happy to see the same level of disapproval on her face that he knew was on his. Gibbs observed the young woman take a deep breath and turn towards Tony, smiling gently at both of them.

"Okay, here's that headache relief I know you've been looking for." She told Tony before injecting it into the IV that he was already hooked up to. "You have about forty minutes more on this bag, so when that's done your paperwork should be squared away and you'll be ready to go. Your headache should start easing in the next five minutes or so." Gibbs watched as she gently, but efficiently, checked Tony's bandages while giving them this information and speaking in a low, quiet voice that Jethro knew Tony appreciated.

"Thank you Nurse Annie." Tony responded with a small smile as his headache started to ease. "Think I could get another one of those juices while I wait? My throat's a little dry."

"Sure thing, handsome." She replied while patting his shoulder and straightening the blanket that covered Tony. Turning to Gibbs, she asked with a pleasant smile. "How about your hubby, can I get you anything?"

Gibbs quirked a smile and responded, "I could do with some coffee."

Tony snorted, feeling much better, as he replied, "Sure you could, you're probably a few quarts low with all the excitement today!"

Nurse Annie chuckled softly as Gibbs threw an exasperated look at Tony, who was grinning back at him cheekily, knowing there was nothing Jethro could say or do until he was healed. Coming around the bed, Annie patted Jethro's arm, saying, "Marine, right?"

At Jethro's confirming nod, she added, "I'll get you the good stuff then. My husband is a Marine too and I know how important their coffee is! Be right back."

Jethro turned to see a goofy grin gracing Tony's face. He sighed, realizing the painkiller was having an effect on Tony, but relieved he didn't seem to be hurting any longer. Running his fingers through Tony's hair he smiled indulgently down at his man. "Looks like you're gonna have a good time for the next twelve hours!"

Tony just sighed and leaned his head into the caress. Nurse Annie chose that moment to come back, handing a tall cup of great smelling coffee to Gibbs and twisting the cap off the juice she handed to Tony.

"Alright fellas, just relax until that IV is done and then you can get outta here!" She told them while taking one final look at the IV bag.

"Do you know the status of the rest of our team?" Gibbs asked her as she was replacing Tony's chart at the end of his bed.

"Both the ladies are fine, just tired, and the gentlemen should be released around the same time as Agent DiNozzo." She replied with a soft smile. Gibbs inclined his head in thanks and then turned his attention to Tony, who was sipping his juice with two hands carefully wrapped around the bottle.

Nurse Annie Hayes caught the look of adoration Gibbs gave Tony as he brushed some hair back from the younger man's face and quietly asked, "Good juice?"

Annie had to grin as she saw Tony look up at Gibbs with wide eyes and a beatific smile as he answered with enthusiasm, "It's the best! Maybe we could get some for home?" She heard Gibbs chuckle softly as he replied, "I think that can be arranged."

Annie was still smiling as she let the curtain on their cubicle close and started down the corridor. Her smile gradually faded as she ran over everything she had seen and heard when Dr Benoit was treating Agent DiNozzo. Her actions were unprofessional at best and borderline sexual harassment at worst. Annie had come into the cubicle at the tail end of Dr Benoit dressing the wound in the agent's side and had seen Agent DiNozzo grabbing her wandering hands and all but shoving his wedding ring in her face. She seemed oblivious and just intensified her flirting! That didn't even cover the snotty attitude the doctor had unleashed on Agent DiNozzo's husband and letting her patient suffer. Annie had a suspicion that doctor Benoit had the intention of soothing Agent DiNozzo's pain personally and that indignation had her quickening her steps to find Benoit.

************NCIS********************NCIS********************

Dr Jeanne Benoit finished up the discharge papers for Agent DiNozzo and slapped them down on the desk at the nurse's station.

'Dammit all to hell!' she thought to herself, not noticing that she was being watched. "What could that old man possibly have? I'd be a much better choice for Tony!" Jeanne muttered to herself as she fumed.

"You did not just say that!" Nurse Annie Hayes admonished as she walked up to the desk.

"Oh, c'mon Annie! Tony deserves better than that crabby old man! You've seen him, I'd make him much happier!" Jeanne tried reasoning with her friend, but swallowed nervously when she saw Annie's clenched jaw and snapping eyes.

Annie grabbed Jeanne's arm and dragged her into an empty cubicle before turning on her and backing her up against the far wall. "Do you have any idea how crazy you sound right now? You just met him!" She hissed out. "That patient is not interested in you and is married to a man! I don't think it could be any clearer that you are not his type!"

Jeanne started to scoff at the notion that Tony would not find her attractive, but quickly shut up when Annie cut her off. "NO! You listen to me doctor," Annie crowded her further against the wall and emphasized her point by poking Jeanne in the chest with her finger. "Those two men have every right to report you for your unprofessional behavior and substandard care!" When Jeanne opened her mouth to protest, Annie overrode her. "You practically molested him while you were fixing up his side, did you even see that he was wearing a wedding ring? You should have, he was waving it in your face!"

When Jeanne showed signs of denying that too, Annie plowed on. "Your treatment of him was totally unprofessional and caused him more stress, plus you didn't even give him anything to ease his pain! Then the attitude you gave his husband!" Annie was breathing harder the more she got worked up. She took a deep breath to calm herself and was relieved to see Jeanne's face coloring in what she hoped was shame.

"Look Jeanne, I know you've been having a hard time since you split with John, but what you did today was inexcusable! That man came to us for help and all you did was stress him out further and insult his husband! Then you didn't even help him with pain management until it was clear you couldn't put it off any longer. You were gonna ease his pain yourself, weren't you?" Annie asked her and shook her head when Jeanne's blush deepened.

"That's what I thought." She blew out a frustrated breath and continued in a lower voice. "You need to get your shit together Jeanne. What you did today could cost you your career, you do realize that, don't you?" Annie huffed out another breath when Jeanne just lowered her head and did not respond. "Have it your way, but just know this, I'm not covering for you. You were wrong today and you have to live with it." After delivering that final warning, Annie swept out of the cubicle, leaving Jeanne to contemplate her mistakes. She did not see the tall figure hovering just outside the curtain as she stormed off in the opposite direction.

Jethro Gibbs smirked to himself and continued on to the restroom, before returning to his napping husband, thinking about all the ways he could make Doctor Benoit pay for her seriously lacking bedside manner.

************NCIS********************NCIS********************

TBC…

BTO - Big Time Operator - someone who thinks they are a big deal, but are not.

Don't Fence Me In - Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters: Bing Crosby; The Definitive Collection, 2006 Geffen Records.