Disclaimer: I only wish I owned these characters...

Author's Note: This is my first attempt at a fanfiction, so please tell me what you think. Constructive criticism is most welcome, but please be kind. I know the whole Tony-is-sick storyline is nothing new, I just wanted to add my flavour to the mix.

Hope you enjoy, thanks for reading!

super-em

Chapter One

"I want your reports on my desk in exactly one hour." Gibbs said, striding out of the elevator, coffee cup in hand.

"But it's 22:00, boss," Tony moaned as he followed Gibbs out of the elevator. McGee and Ziva rushed to their desks to begin typing.

"I have a watch, DiNozzo. It wasn't a request." Gibbs raised his eyebrows at his senior field agent. DiNozzo was soaked to the skin, trying to hide his shivering. The team had just finished investigating the suspicious death of a petty officer in a local park. Palmer had lost control of the gurney walking down the hill to the body, accidentally sending Tony tumbling down to the bottom of the snowy hill. Refusing to change into one of the unflattering NCIS jumpsuits, Tony had stubbornly remained in his soggy clothes.

Gibbs shook his head. Kid's gonna give himself pneumonia.

"DiNozzo! Go put some-"

"Special Agent Gibbs."

"What?" Gibbs spun around, annoyed at being interrupted. He was hoping to get home sometime before midnight. He had a boat to build.

"I need you to complete the evaluations, Jethro." Director Sheppard stood at the platform on the stairs, leaning on the railing.

"Not now, Jen." Gibbs grumbled.

"Yes now, Gibbs. You've been putting them off for the last month. They are due tomorrow. No more delays. My office, now."

Cursing under his breath, Gibbs stormed up to the office. He slammed the door on the way in, startling the secretary.

DiNozzo leaned back in his chair, chuckling. "You gotta give it to the director. She can piss off Gibbs like no one else."

"Except you, Tony."

"Shut up, probie." Tony snapped, turning to his computer screen. A ripple of shivers ran through his body as Tony realized how cold he really was.

"Tony, for hell's sake, just put some dry clothes on." Ziva said from across the bullpen.

"Firstly, its heaven's sake, not hell. And secondly, I have to get this report typed. And we've only got –" Tony looked at his watch. "48 minutes to get this done."

"Well maybe you'd find it a lot easier if you could type with more than two fingers"

"Well maybe I'd find it a lot easier if you didn't keep interrupting me, Zee-vah." Tony retorted, turning back to his screen. He was typing very slowly, even by his standards. "Stupid fingers," He muttered, trying to shake the warmth back into his stiff fingers. Maybe wearing snow soaked clothing for 4+ hours wasn't his greatest idea.

McGee opened his mouth as if to say something, but a look from Tony was enough to close it again.

"Made me lose my place, Ziva." He grumbled.

"But Tony, how can you lose your place when you haven't written anything?" Ziva teased.

Tony gave her the same look he gave McGee, turning back to his screen without a word.

Gibbs finally escaped from the Director's office, over an hour after he had been dragged in there.

"Paperwork." He muttered, taking the stairs two at a time. As if going through 6 months of paperwork wasn't enough, Jen had only had instant coffee in her office. He might be a coffee addict, but even he had standards.

"Not real coffee." Making sure he was out of the Director's eyeshot, he tipped the full mug of coffee into a potted plant. The plant would probably be dead tomorrow.

He stopped when he came to the bullpen. It was empty. There were three reports sitting on his desk, one considerably thinner than the others. Looking at his watch, Gibbs saw it was almost 11:30. Screw the rest of the paperwork. Time to go home.

OOOOO

Tony slouched against the wall of the elevator. He ran his fingers through his hair, as if it could somehow make his headache disappear. Ziva stood at the front of the elevator, headphones in ears. Tony wondered what sort of music she listened to. He felt the pressure building in his nose as he tried to suppress a sneeze. He failed. The sound of the sneeze seemed to echo in the elevator. Ziva turned, raising her eyebrows.

"That is disgusting Tony." She handed him a tissue, stepping out as the elevator doors opened. Tony followed her out, wiping his nose. Sitting down at his desk he tossed the crumpled tissue into the bin. He missed, but couldn't be bothered to pick it up. McGee, already at his desk, scrunched up his nose.

Tony was rewarded with a swat on the back of the head.

"Hey boss," he said with a groan. Not helping his aching head.

"DiNozzo, you ever heard of personal hygiene? Or, for that matter, spell-check?" Gibbs waved Tony's report in front of his face.

"Actually boss, I'm more surprised that you actually know what spell check is."

"Are you trying to annoy me DiNozzo?"

"Don't need to try-Aaachooo!" Tony sneezed everywhere. Gibbs shook his head, tossing the report on Tony's desk.

"Fix it, DiNozzo."

Gibbs walked off in search of more coffee. Ziva tossed a pack of tissues across, hitting Tony on the head.

"I will kill you if you make me sick, Tony."

"I'm not sick, Ziva. It's just… allergies." Although he wasn't entirely sure Ziva had been joking. Tony dug through his desk drawer in search of some asprin. His head was starting to throb. He just found some when Gibbs returned.

"Abby's got something on our vic."

OOOOO

The four agents stepped out of the elevator, walking into Abby's lab. Her stereo was turned up extra loud, causing the trays of test tubes to rattle on the desk. Tony grimaced, leaning back on the bench. Gibbs slowly turned the music down. Abby spun around.

"Hey, I was listening to that."

"You got something Abs?" Gibbs asked, handing her the customary Caff-Pow.

"You know it, fearless leader." She took a long sip from the straw, spinning on her chair to type something on the keyboard. A picture appeared on the screen.

"Ducky found a fingerprint on the victim's thigh. He also found trace amounts of semen on the body."

Gibbs exhaled heavily. She was raped.

"Both are a match to this guy. Bob Sanders."

"Got an address, Abs?"

"Oh Gibbs, do you really need to ask? I've already sent it to your PDA."

"Good job Ab-" He was interrupted by Tony coughing from the back of the room. Gibbs raised his eyebrows, waiting for Tony to finish, but Tony was doubled over. His face was red and he was coughing uncontrollably. Abby rushed over.

"Tony! He needs something to drink. Here-" She held out her liquid-caffeine drink. Tony held out his hand to say no, finally stopping coughing. His face returned to its normal colour and he slowly stood up.

"You right there DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked.

"Yes boss. Just allergies." Tony said, clearing his throat.

"Fine. You and Ziva are going to check out this address. McGee, I want to know everything possible about this guy." Gibbs pointed to the picture on the screen.

Tony, Ziva and McGee left.

"Gibbs, I may not have a medical degree but that was so not allergies. Tony couldn't breathe."

"Tony can take care of himself." Gibbs' replied, turning and leaving abruptly.

Abby shook her head. She wasn't so sure.