Title: Old habits

Slash/Mature: Don't like, don't read.

Summary: Has Gibbs fallen back into old habits after the shooting? When Tony shows up to talk to Gibbs, they are interrupted by a young, beautiful red headed woman bringing dinner.

All mistakes are mine, this has not been proofed.

Hope you enjoy the new story, thinking it will be just a couple chapters.

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Coffee in hand, Gibbs walked back into the living room and heard the front door open. Funny, he hadn't heard the car pull into the drive way. He was just about to speak, but stopped when he saw the surprise visitor walk into the room.

"We need to talk." The words were full of emotion.

"Um, Tony now isn't really-"

"There's never a good time, but I need to get this off my chest." Tony took a deep breath. "You asked me if I wanted to be you and I didn't answer because it's not a simple yes or no question."

Gibbs' brow furrowed.

Tony rubbed his forehead as he tried to recall the words exactly as he had practiced them a hundred times. Another deep breath. "I can never explain how I felt when I heard those shots, then saw you on the ground." He swallowed the ball of emotion that lodged itself in his throat. "I should have had your six and I knew that-"

"Tony-"

"No, let me finish." Tony cut Gibbs off. "I knew the call was a distraction, it was gnawing at the back of my brain. Then on the ship, I didn't wanna leave, but Vance ordered me and I knew I had to clean up my mess."

"It wasn't your mess."

"Yes it was." Tony's jaw clenched. "After that, all I could think about was killing him, making him pay for what he did to you."

Gibbs knew that feeling all too well.

"I finally understood how you felt when you went after the man that killed Shannon and Kelly." Tony shook his head. "I was so happy when Budd went for that gun and I had a reason." His eyes glazed over. "There was no way I could have arrested him."

"You would have made the right choice, either way."

Tony shook his head. "I don't think I would have." In fact he was positive there was no way he would have let Budd leave that alley alive. "And that scares the shit out of me."

The haunted green eyes met Gibbs.

"I made it personal and it will always be personal when it comes to you."

"I know."

"No you don't." Tony sighed. "You have no idea."

"Tony, we all make it personal when it comes to family and this team is family."

"That's not it." Tony rubbed his hands down his face. "It's so much more than that, so much more that I don't even know where to begin." He chuckled nervously. "That's not true, I know when it started, I just. Damn it!" He had rehearsed this for hours, now he couldn't even put a sentence together. Just say it! "Gibbs, I-"

They both heard the front door slam.

"I swear Jet, my eyes are burning from that damn extra spicy-" The woman paused as she walked in and saw the two men. "Oh, sorry didn't realize you had company. I can just wait out-" She turned around as if to leave.

"Kyra, stop."

Tony shook his head and laughed as he took in the woman before him holding the familiar Thai carry out bag. She was young, probably mid-twenties, tall and lean. The tight blue tank top she wore hugged ever curve of her body, a sheer flowered blouse hung loosely around her. They both matched the dizzying array of blues in the skirt she wore that was form fitting at her hips, flaring out slightly as it reached her ankles. The flip flop like sandals she wore showed her perfectly painted blue toes completing the look. Her auburn hair fell in thick curls around her ivory face. The most startling feature was her cobalt blue eyes, almost a mirror image of Gibbs. "Really?" Tony scoffed as he looked back at Gibbs. "You almost die again to come back and start replacing Shannon for the fourth time."

Gibbs anger flared. "You're pushing it."

"Right." Tony shook his head then started for the front door. He paused for a moment and looked back at Gibbs. "You know this didn't work the first time, its sure in hell isn't going to work now." With that he turned and slammed the door as he left.

Trying to reign in the anger, Gibbs clutched at the coffee cup in his hand as he took a deep breath.

The woman looked at Gibbs. "So that's Tony."

Rolling his eyes Gibbs dropped down in the chair by the couch and put the coffee cup on the table. "Food." He barked.

She sat the bag on the table and he ripped it open grabbing a container. Sitting down on the couch next to the chair she pulled her legs up under her and grabbed the other container. They sat and ate in silence for a few minutes, then she finally spoke. "He's good looking, taller than I imaged from your description."

Gibbs didn't respond just took another bite of food.

She pushed her chopsticks around in the container. "He's right though." She saw him glance over at her. "You have no idea how he feels about you."

"How long were you standing there?"

"From we need to talk, so I caught all of it." She took a bite, chewed and pushed the food around with her chopsticks again. "I interrupted because I know you are so not ready for the conversation he was about to have with you."

"And what conversation is that?" Gibbs asked taking another mouthful

"The "I almost lost the man I love again, and I can't risk losing you without telling you how I truly feel.""

He stopped chewing and stared at her for a moment, then swallowed hard.

Her eyebrows went up and she smiled at him. Suddenly he started laughing.

"Right, Tony wanting to bat for the other team, hardly."

"It's not about batting for the other team, it's specifically about you."

Again, Gibbs laughed.

"Did you see the look he gave me?" It was her turn to laugh. "He was sizing me up and he was jealous."

"That comment was about my track record with red heads not you in particular."

"Oh no it was about me and the fact he came her to give you an option…him. And he thinks someone already has a place in your life, a place he wants to fill."

Gibbs stared at the container of food as if he was contemplating everything she had said. He shook his head. "You're wrong, Tony sees me like some-"

"Oh god, please don't say father figure, because if that's what you think, you are in for an even bigger shock than I thought."

"I was going to say mentor."

"Riiiight." She drew out the word. "I know what he'd like you to mentor him in."

He rolled his eyes.

She stabbed the chopsticks into the container and tossed it down onto the table. Leaning back on the couch, she looked at him seriously. "You never thought about it?"

"About what?"

"Tony." She shrugged. "Or some other man?"

"We are not having this conversation.

"You're a marine, no lonely nights out in some godforsaken place and you just needed someone."

He didn't respond.

"Never thought about bending Tony over the desk and…mentoring him."

"HEY!" Gibbs barked.

"What, I'm just saying, it's more common than you think." She put her elbow on the back of the couch and put her head on her hand. "More and more people are admitting their sexuality isn't so cut and dry. The fourth most common sexual fantasy among straight men is getting a blow job from a guy."

Gibbs' eyebrow went up.

"One in ten men that identify as straight have had a gay experience whether it was a blowjob or anal sex."

Rubbing his forehead, Gibbs blew out a long breath. "Is this the kind of crap they're teaching you at Harvard?"

"I'm just trying to explain to you that it's perfectly normal for a straight man to realize that the guy he works with every day has a nice ass and he'd like to bend him over the desk."

"What the hell is it with you and the desk?"

"Just another common fantasy." She snickered, but then sighed. "Listen, I know you're a pretty black and white kinda guy, so here it is. Tony's in love with you, plain and simple, so you have to decide in your black and white world how to deal with that."

Leaning back in the chair, Gibbs took a deep breath. "You got all this from that brief conversation?"

"Please, a woman knows when a man is in love." She grinned. "It takes us about a whole two seconds to figure it out." Her brows knitted. "So the question that remains is, how do you feel about him?"

He tossed the container on the coffee table.

"I know you care about Tony, probably love him in some way, but are you intrigued by his feelings, interested or are you just thinking of all the ways you can let him down easy because you have absolutely no interest what so ever." She cocked her head slightly. "You still haven't answered my question, have you thought about being with a man or ever been with a man?"

"I'm not even sure I believe your right about Tony being in love with me."

"Whether you believe it or not has no bearing on you answering the question." She waited and no answer came. "Even if you've never thought about being with a man, I bet the possibility of Tony being in love with you caused you to have a naughty thought about Tony at least once during this conversation

Again there was no verbal answer but Gibbs ran his hands down his face.

"See!" She pointed at him. "I'm so right. Oh our brains are such beautiful things, give it a sliver of information and it creates worlds we never knew existed."

He gave her a half-hearted glare.

"Seriously Jethro, you need to think about this, because eventually he's going to calm down, ask you about me and my place in your life." She sighed. "And when you tell him the truth, after he questions you endlessly about me, he'll want to finish that conversation with you."

"Maybe I just won't tell him the truth." He picked his food back up. "I'll just let him keep thinking we're seeing each other."

"Okay, that's just creepy." She shivered. "Plus I was hoping eventually you would actually want me to meet the people you consider to be your family."

"Yeah." He couldn't hide her forever, not that he was hiding her as much as just letting everything sink in. He tossed down the carton again. Suddenly food was the last thing from his mind.

"Have you told anyone about me?"

"Tobias."

"Right."

"Had to, same reason, he thought we were seeing each other."

"You date a lot of hot young girls like me?" A wide grin played across her face. "If not, your friends are giving you a lot of credit. Don't you think I'm a little young for you?"

"Age is a number."

"True." She chuckled. "I took Tony more for the date young sorority girl type."

"He is." Gibbs eyes narrowed. "Did you join a sorority?"

"God no." She groaned. "It was just an example and evidently Tony's not going for the sorority type anymore."

Gibbs rolled his eyes.

Sitting Indian style she reached over and touched his hand. "He loves you, like it or not, it's the truth and you can't hide from it. You can delay it, prolong the inevitable discussion, but eventually, he'll tell you and you'll have to deal with it." She gave a heartfelt smile. "I don't know Tony, but from what you've told me, he'll accept whatever answer you give him. If you have feelings for him, that's wonderful and a blessing to have someone to love and be loved by in your life. If your feels are only friendship, then you'll make sure he knows how much you care about him and how important his friendship is to you." She paused. "It will be hard for him, but he'll work through it and life will go on."

Gibbs squeezed her hand.

"Believe me, he's already played out every possible scenario, good and bad and he knows the risks of you not feeling the same." She wiggled her eyebrows. "And he knows the rewards if you love him too."

Another eye roll.

"You, have a lot to think about." Pulling her hand from his she stood up.

"I thought you were staying?"

"I have plans with friends from Georgetown remember."

"Right."

"I'm staying there, we have the lecture tomorrow morning at nine." She snapped her fingers. "You said I could borrow that sweatshirt, it's supposed to get cool tonight."

"I'll go grab it for you." Getting up, he headed up the stairs.

As soon as he disappeared from view, she picked up his phone from the coffee table and pulled up a number. A quick glance and she closed it again putting it down in the exact spot. She started towards the steps as he was coming down.

"Here you go."

"Thanks." She smiled taking the sweatshirt then hugged him.

Without hesitation he hugged her back, kissing her temple. "Thank you." He whispered in her ear.

"You are welcome." She said pulling back.

"You are wise beyond your years."

"I'm a Gibbs, it's in the genes.

He chuckled and shook his head. "Maybe."

She kissed his cheek. "Have a good night, talk to you tomorrow."

He watched her until the car pulled out of the drive, then closed the door and fell back against it.

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As she made the first turn away from Gibbs' house, she pulled into a bar parking lot, grabbed her phone and dialed the number she's looked up in Gibbs phone. It rang, once, twice and the voice picked up.

"Hi, this is Kyra, Gibbs'-" She giggled when he finished her thought. "Yes that Kyra. I need a favor. An address, someone you know. Very Special Senior Field Agent Anthony DiNozzo."

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