FIC: Snow Blind (Part 2/2) written for ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
taylorgibbs
Oct. 14th, 2010 11:50 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sinfulslasher posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
ncisficathonTitle: Snow Blind
Author: Gaby
Pairing: Gibbs/Tony (+ mentions past Gibbs/Holly and Gibbs/other canon female characters as well as Tony/Jeanne in very general terms)
Author's Notes: Written as a pinch hit for round 5 of the NCIS ficathon fortaylorgibbs . Her prompt: "Holly Snow is discovered to be Gibbs' Ex wife #1. Pairings I'm open to are Gibbs/DiNozzo, Gibbs/Holly, Gibbs/DiNozzo/Holly. Any rating up to and including FRAO welcomed." I'm sorry you had to wait so long for the fic, but I hope it was worth the wait. :-)
Additional Notes: Some dialogue has been taken from the episodes "Jet Lag" and "Guilty Pleasure".
Big thank you goes tokaylashay81 who not only got her beta comments back to me super-duper-quick, but made a fantastic cover art and an icon as well! *squees and points proudly* (cover art can be found in part 1)
Warning: None, really, unless you count het vibes. ;-)
Rating: R
Genre: first time
Spoilers: General spoilers for "Flesh and Blood", particular spoilers for "Jet Lag" and especially "Guilty Pleasure". If you don't know these eps, this story might not make much sense. In addition, there are basic spoilers for the Gibbs backstory in general.
Word Count: about 11,000
Disclaimer: Not mine, never were, never will be, gosh darn it!
Summary: Holly Snow might be best known for arranging dates with high-class escorts. Her real talent, however, is match making.
(part 1)
Sometimes, life throws you a curveball and leaves you completely unprepared for the outcome. Holly learned this the hard way the very next day, after she snuck off to help Charlotte who was supposedly in danger, only to find herself being held hostage by Charlotte's boyfriend, who turned out to be the killer in their current case. Gibbs came to the rescue like a knight in shining armor, and Holly wrapped herself around the strong body and intended to never, ever let go again.
Unfortunately, not only did Gibbs gently but forcefully remove her from around his neck, but then he also informed her that she would have to come back to NCIS headquarters to give her statement. Holly, clearly shaken, agreed, feeling safe as long as her ex-husband was near.
And then Gibbs told her that he wouldn't be the one to take her statement for the simple fact that he was involved in the incident as the shooter, and would therefore need to give his own statement. Instead, Tony was going to interview her.
Holly couldn't believe that Gibbs would do that to her.
And then she found herself sitting in the conference room, still actually shaking bodily from shock, when Tony came in, his demeanor calm and reassuring, his tone of voice low and soothing, his smile genuine and compassionate. He offered her a coffee--cream and two sugars, the knowledge probably courtesy of Gibbs, Holly assumed--and even dug out a blanket which he gently wrapped around her body to stop the shaking.
He sat down across from her and just looked at her. "Take all the time you need, Miss Snow," he said with a reassuring smile. "Tell me what you can when you feel ready for it. All right?"
Holly wrapped her hands around the coffee cup, trying to warm herself up that way. She looked at Tony hesitantly, as if waiting for him to suddenly jump up, thumb his nose at her with a big laugh and yell, "Hah! Gotcha!" But instead, he just sat there calmly, patiently waiting with a pen in his hand, a small notepad lying open on the table in front of him.
"I bet you'd prefer something stronger than coffee right now," he finally said after a good minute. "Unfortunately, I'm not allowed to give you anything right now, but I promise I'll find you something after the interview. I know where Gibbs keeps his secret stash of bourbon." He winked and tapped the side of his nose with a grin.
Holly couldn't help but smile, relaxing a little. "Thank you, Agent DiNozzo," she finally said.
"Call me Tony," he replied lightly, leaning back in his chair, clearly telegraphing that he didn't mind waiting until she was ready.
Holly continued to sip on her coffee, trying to gather her thoughts. She watched Tony furtively, but the man sitting across from her seemed to be a completely different person from the obnoxious wanna-be playboy she had initially met. Thinking that this might be her only chance at getting some answers, Holly finally ventured, "Mind if I ask you a personal question, Tony?"
Tony raised a surprised eyebrow, clearly not having expected this. Then he shrugged. "Sure, fire away. Not promising to give you an answer, but feel free to ask." He smiled encouragingly.
"I was just wondering... In your line of work, with all the danger and life threatening situations, isn't it difficult having a relationship?"
Tony choked out a laugh, obviously not having expected that question. "I wouldn't know," he finally said. "I'm not in a relationship. But I know quite a few agents who are happily married, most of them with children. It's no different than being married to a cop. Or a Marine, for that matter." He shrugged. "Guess it takes the right kind of partner for this sort of relationship to work."
Holly mulled this over. "So, you haven't found the right kind of partner yet? Or are you just not looking?"
Tony raised an eyebrow at that and cocked his head. He thought about his answer for over a minute, then obviously came to a decision. Leaning closer, he replied with a small smile, "You know, about a year ago, another hooker pestered me with the same thing." He shook his head in amusement. "I don't know what it is about the ladies of your...calling, but you seem fascinated by my love life." He grinned at Holly, then shrugged. "Truth be told, if you really must know? Loved someone once. Lost that someone. Haven't been able to score ever since, and not for lack of trying."
Holly was surprised by Tony's openness, and she wanted to make the most of this. "Now, Tony, first of all, I'm not a hooker." She smiled at him, the first genuine smile she graced him with, and Tony's genuine smile in return blinded her. "Second of all, maybe you've looked in all the wrong places? Just a hunch from someone with a lot of experience."
Tony chuckled. "I was told I just needed to find the right woman. Your...colleague strongly suggested it might be Ziva."
At that, Holly laughed out loud, a rich, dark laughter that was infectious. "You've got to be kidding me," she finally managed to press out, tears of laughter running down her face. She knew it was mostly the release of all the emotional stress of the last few hours, but it felt so damn good to just give a belly laugh. "I don't know her very well, but no, she's clearly not what you need."
Tony's smile was sad and regretful. "I know."
Holly finally managed to stop chuckling and regarded the man sitting across from her. She had been shocked to find out that Gibbs obviously had feelings for Tony, but up until this very second, she had been convinced that Tony was a ladies' man. Granted, watching him with that Lieutenant McCadden had caused her gaydar to ping slightly, but whatever was going on between those two was more bromance than anything else. Still, could it be that Tony was bi? That Tony was also interested in Gibbs? Had he honestly managed to fool her up until now? "Tony? Mind if I ask something else?"
Tony shrugged with a self-deprecating grin. "Whatever makes you feel better, Holly Snow." He leaned his chin in one of his hands and looked at her expectantly.
"You already have someone in mind, don't you?"
Tony blinked in confusion and frowned slightly. "What do you mean?"
"You know, the right woman. You already have a candidate for that job. Only...it's not a woman?"
Tony blushed furiously at that and picked up his pen again. "Maybe we should try to get your statement now," he said, suddenly business-like.
Holly reached out and laid a hand over Tony's right hand. She was surprised to feel it tremble slightly. "Listen to me, Tony," she said imploringly. She couldn't really explain it herself, but her gut clearly told her that Tony was the right guy for Gibbs--and vice versa. She had no clue what had already happened between the men, or if anything had happened at all, but she knew that she had to help these two stubborn bastards in some way. Granted, for one long moment, she had actually entertained the thought of maybe trying to get back together again with her ex-husband, but Gibbs had made it clear that that was absolutely out of the question. Holly still wanted to see Gibbs happy though, even though he had left her all those years ago, throwing away a happy marriage without warning or giving her a chance to explain or mend things. But Gibbs was a good guy, deep down, and he needed and deserved happiness in his life again. For whatever unfathomable reason, Tony seemed to be the source of that happiness, and so Holly swore to herself to do her best to get them together. Or, at least, give them the much needed push in the right direction. "Tony, strictly hypothetically speaking, is there someone for you? Someone you'd like to be with?"
Tony slowly pulled his hand away and sat back, crossing his arms, subconsciously trying to set up a barrier between himself and Holly. "Strictly hypothetically speaking?" he finally echoed. "Yes."
Holly nodded and smiled encouragingly. "And hypothetically speaking, that someone isn't a woman, right?"
Tony's face hardened a little, though it was more a defensive mask than anything else, Holly could clearly see that. "Hypothetically speaking, everything's possible," he said, not willing to admit to anything in particular. Tony was surprised that he actually talked about such intimate details with a virtual stranger, and for a long moment, he had to suppress the urge to laugh hysterically. Why was it that women of a certain vocation seemed to make him want to spill his guts like that anyway?
"Okay, that's good," Holly said encouragingly. She had all but forgotten the horrors of only a few hours ago, now that she could concentrate on something she was good at, and it felt liberating to be in control again. "Now, what would you do if you knew the other person felt the same way about you?"
"Hypothetically speaking?" Tony replied with a slightly ironic grin, his arms still firmly crossed.
"If that makes you feel safer," Holly conceded with a slight shrug, then she cocked her head and looked at Tony imploringly. "Listen to me, Tony. I don't know if or what has happened between you two in the past, but believe me that anything is possible." She laid her hand on the table, palm up, a clear offer of encouragement, a potential promise for good things to come.
Tony stared at the hand as if it might bite him. He finally just sighed and shook his head. "There were...opportunities. They weren't taken by...the other party. There are...rules against this sort of thing," he said haltingly. He shrugged, trying hard to look brave, and failing miserably.
Holly pushed her hand a bit further towards Tony and smiled encouragingly. Her voice was full of conviction when she said, "I solemnly swear on my professional reputation that I know things will work out for you, if you only give it a chance."
Tony looked at Holly searchingly, clearly trying to convince himself that she was just feeding him lines, but for some unfathomable reason, he felt that he could trust her. Slowly uncrossing his arms, he asked, "How do you know?"
"Call it a gut feeling." Holly smiled encouragingly again, shrugging. She wasn't sure how else to explain it.
This made Tony chuckle helplessly, and he shook his head in amusement. "Must be fate," he muttered, reaching out to squeeze the offered hand. "Thank you," he added solemnly a moment later. "I still doubt it's true, but I believe that you think you're right. If that makes sense."
Holly nodded and squeezed back, then pulled her hand back to grab Tony's notepad and pen. She scribbled down a phone number. "Once you decide to give it a shot, call me. I'll help you."
Tony looked at the number, then tore the page out of his notepad and stuffed it into his jacket pocket. "Thanks," he mumbled, then took a deep, calming breath. "So," he added with a bright and utterly fake smile. "Ready for your statement now?"
XxXxX
Tony's had weirder days in his life, but this one was still most definitely in his top five, he decided, while diligently transcribing Holly's statement. It had gotten late, and only he, Ziva and McGee were still in the squadroom. He had, in short order, "dumped" McCadden (even though he really did not have a fling with him, no matter how much Ziva insisted on such silliness), gotten on McNutterbutter's good side again (bribes always worked, thank goodness), and all of that right after having been informed by a mysterious stranger that Gibbs of all people would be more than willing to give a relationship with him a try.
Granted, Tony still didn't really believe that Holly had actually meant Gibbs, or that, if she did mean him, Gibbs would support her theory. Because after that one drunken night, the only thing he had received from Gibbs had been a rather cold shoulder. Hell, the man had even sent him halfway around the globe, just so he didn't have to be near Tony for a few days!
Tony sighed and took out the crumpled piece of paper with Holly's cell phone number on it. What if she really was right? What if he had misinterpreted some of Gibbs' signals? Because, in all honesty, while he was pretty fluent in Gibbs-speak, the man was still a functional mute and famous for his lack of communication skills. Tony had no clue how or why Holly would know anything about Gibbs or the man's feelings, but then again, she had figured Tony out, and he knew that he had been careful about not telegraphing his potential feelings towards Gibbs.
Ziva had left about ten minutes ago, and McGee was getting ready to leave as well. "Hey, wanna grab a beer?" the younger man offered, clearly trying to show that there were no more hard feelings between them.
Tony smiled at his friend. "Aww, come on, Tiny Tim, isn't it past your bedtime?" he asked with a teasing grin. "You go home and enjoy your nutterbutter," he reached into his desk drawer and threw the treat that he had taken away initially at McGee, "and on Friday, all of us go out for a drink. What say?"
McGee beamed like a kid on Christmas Eve, all but cuddling the treat to his chest. "Deal," he said, pleased, and grabbed his gear. "See you in the morning. Don't work so late tonight. Old men need their sleep, and all that." He threw an evil grin over his shoulder on his way to the elevator.
Tony threw a wad of paper and hit the back of McGee's head with it in retaliation. They both chuckled until the younger man disappeared in the elevator. Finally alone, Tony stared at Holly's cell phone number again.
XxXxX
Holly enjoyed one of the best homemade dinners she could remember. Not only was the food absolutely amazing, but the dinner company was even better than she had hoped for. Granted, she knew that Gibbs wouldn't go back on his offer, but there was still a big difference between sharing a dinner and sharing a dinner, and she was glad that her ex-husband acted civil, downright friendly. He made her feel actually welcomed in his home--the house, she had found out, into which he had moved back right after he had left her. Holly didn't want to dwell on the knowledge that her husband had owned a house during their marriage that she had known nothing about. That was a different story for a different time.
"All I wanted was dinner without expectations," she said instead, referring to her initial demands. "With a friend."
"We're friends?" Gibbs asked, honestly curious.
But before Holly could reply, her cell phone rang. "Hi," she answered, surprised to hear Tony's voice on the other end of the line. She tried her best not to let it show, but inwardly, she was fist pumping. Tony was clearly nervous, and he sounded as if he was about to hang up again, his courage obviously leaving him again. Holly was determined to nip the potential panic attack in the bud. "Tonight?" she asked while Tony was still trying to stammer out his wish for her help. "What time?"
Tony mumbled something undecipherable that sounded somewhat like "the sooner, the better."
Damn, Holly thought. She had really enjoyed her dinner with Gibbs and hated the mere idea of leaving early. Then again, she honestly hoped that this wasn't the last time they would spend time together--as mere friends--so she was willing to leave the scene and make room for Tony. "Okay, I'll see what I can do. Bye-bye." She was going to call Tony back as soon as she was outside, but she didn't want to say anything that Gibbs might overhear. She just hoped that Tony had understood her cryptic comment.
Gibbs gave her an unreadable look, frowning slightly at the cell phone.
"I can explain," Holly began, but was cut off by Gibbs' response.
"You don't have to." His voice sounded sad, defeated, and it broke Holly's heart. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt Gibbs, but that was exactly what she was doing right now, no matter how hard she was actually trying to do something good for him.
"I know what you must be thinking," she said, frantically trying to figure out how to reassure him without actually giving away who had just called.
"Oh, I doubt that," Gibbs said softly. He seemed more disappointed than anything else, and Holly had to bite her lip hard to stop herself from spilling the beans.
"I gotta go," she said instead, trying to smile reassuringly. "Friends? I don't have many."
Gibbs looked up at that. "Me, either," he replied, still uncharacteristically softly.
Holly smiled at that, accepting the non-verbal offer of friendship from her ex-husband. She leaned over to give him a peck on the cheek, grabbed her things and left.
XxXxX
Once outside, she pulled her cell phone back out and dialled Tony's number. She was surprised to hear a ringtone just a few feet down the street and looked up. Tony sat on the hood of a red Mustang, looking beyond nervous, but his head shot up when he heard Holly's footsteps.
Jumping to his feet and ignoring his ringing phone, Tony frowned at Holly. "You were...here?" he asked, torn between disbelief and jealousy. On the one hand, he was now at least sure that she definitely knew who "the other party" was. On the other hand, he couldn't believe that she had just spent the evening with said "other party."
"Just a dinner with a friend," Holly said, hanging up so the ringing cell phone wouldn't alert Gibbs. She held up her hand placatingly. "We're just friends, Gibbs and I, nothing more, I solemnly swear. He's not interested in me. He only wants you, Tony. I promise."
Tony fiddled nervously with his jacket. "I...I'm not sure it's such a good idea, after all," he finally said, though the longing look he threw at Gibbs' house belied his words.
Holly smiled reassuringly and squeezed his upper arm. "He could use a friend right now," she said. "So even if all you do is go in there as his friend, it's okay. Though honestly? Stop denying yourself what you really want. Give him what he needs, Tony. I promise it'll work out."
When Tony still looked unconvinced, she chuckled and shoved him towards Gibbs' house none too gently. Tony stumbled slightly but managed to catch himself before falling face first on the front porch. He looked back towards the street in alarm, but Holly was nowhere to be seen.
Taking one last deep breath, Tony grabbed the doorknob and then walked purposefully into Gibbs' house.
"Forget something?" Gibbs' voice drifted from the dining room. Tony was surprised by how defeated the other man sounded, and bit his lip, wondering if it was a mistake coming here when Gibbs felt obviously so low. When there was no response, Gibbs turned in his chair to look towards the front door. "Tony?" he asked, clearly surprised.
"Um, yeah. Hi." Tony walked in, plastering a big smile on his face. "I was in the neighborhood and thought I'd drop by." He hovered near the table, the mouth-watering smell of the steak teasing him.
"Holly Snow just left," Gibbs finally muttered, for lack of anything else to say. He nodded at the second plate with a shrug.
"Yeah, I know. I...ran into her outside."
Gibbs gave Tony a long, measuring look, then finally nodded at the chair. "Sit down."
Tony did so, gingerly, as if still unsure of his welcome. They stared at each other, neither of them saying anything for minutes. Finally, Tony caved. "Gibbs, we need to talk," he said hesitantly, though he rolled his eyes inwardly when he heard himself say that line. He hated that line.
Gibbs merely gave a non-committal grunt, then got up and walked to the kitchen. This threw Tony for a long moment, until a cold bottle of beer was thrust in his hand. "Living room? Or stay here?" Gibbs merely asked.
Tony felt weird sitting at the table where Holly had just shared dinner with Gibbs, and so he nodded towards the living room. Gibbs shrugged agreeably and walked towards the couch. Tony followed and sat down next to the older man.
"Okay. What's up?"
"Gibbs, I..." Tony frowned, not sure what to say. After a few seconds, he blurted, "Why did you send me to Paris?"
This was definitely not what Gibbs had expected, and from the surprised look on Tony's face, it was also obviously not what the younger man had intended to ask. Gibbs shrugged and said truthfully, "Wanted to reward you."
"Felt more like punishment to me."
Gibbs raised an eyebrow at that. "Explain."
"You sent me away. With Ziva." Tony hung his head and began to peel the label off his beer bottle. In a whisper, he added, "Right after what happened...here..." He nodded in the general direction of the couch they were once again sharing.
Gibbs mulled this over, then winced. Trust Tony and his convoluted brain to misinterpret things so badly. "It was meant as a reward," he repeated forcefully, then he sighed. "Also needed some time to figure things out."
Tony's head shot up at that, and he looked at Gibbs searchingly. "Got 'em figured out?" he finally asked, clearly fearing the answer.
Gibbs' face was inscrutable. "Yeah."
Tony winced. "I thought so." He sighed and tried to smile bravely, ignoring Gibbs' obvious look of confusion at that statement. "Hey, wanna hear a funny story? What would you say if I told you that someone came up to me and told me we were made for each other?" He shook his head, snorting at the ridiculousness of it all.
It took Gibbs a long moment to realize that Tony had, once again, misinterpreted his previous comment. Time to start using more than one syllable answers, Gibbs told himself, mentally slapping his own head. "Hey," he said softly, bumping shoulders with the younger man. "What's so funny about that story?"
Tony frowned in confusion. "You don't think it's funny?" His voice had a fatality to it that frightened Gibbs.
The older man needed another few seconds to finally connect all the dots, and then realized where to lay the blame. Or, in this case, where to send a huge bouquet of flowers as thank you. "What exactly did Holly tell you?" he merely asked, trying to smile reassuringly.
"So, she also talked to you?" Tony asked in surprise.
"No, not about that. She didn't have to." Gibbs gave a self-deprecating grin. "She picked the right one to talk to, it wouldn't have made a difference if it had been me. Stubborn bastard and all that."
Tony frowned, mulling this over. "So, wait. What are you trying to tell me here then?" He thought he knew what Gibbs was hinting at. He was, after all, pretty fluent in Gibbs-speak. But right now, his nerves were frayed, and his concentration was shot to pieces, and he really didn't want to get his hopes up, only to have them crushed a second later.
Gibbs frowned right back, frustrated with himself. Finally coming to a decision, he grabbed both of their beers and put them on the coffee table, then framed Tony's face with both hands and proceeded to kiss the younger man senseless. "Never been good with words," he said in way of explanation once he caught his breath again. But judging by the complete and utter joy on Tony's face, he had managed to make himself understood.
XxXxX
Outside, Holly stood on the sidewalk, looking through Gibbs' living room window. She could see the heads of both Gibbs and Tony over the back of the couch, could see the tense shoulders, clearly from frustration, could see flailing hands that gestured wildly. Tony hung his head at one time, Gibbs carded his fingers through his hair helplessly at other times. She sighed and glared at the back of the two heads, willing the men to finally open up and talk.
Then she saw Gibbs suddenly pulling Tony in for a long, passionate kiss. Holly smiled, slightly saddened that now it was official she would never get a second chance with Gibbs, but mostly happy for the two men who clearly belonged together.
A few seconds later, she saw Tony tackling Gibbs and both bodies disappearing from view. The bark of surprised laughter from Gibbs could be heard even through the closed window, and Tony's triumphant yell was even louder. Holly chuckled. Sex on a couch wasn't something she would voluntarily sign up for--beds were much more comfortable--but as long as these two finally got their act together, she wasn't going to complain.
Grinning to herself, Holly quickly typed a text message and sent it to Tony's cell phone while she walked towards her car to drive home.
Tomorrow morning, I want details. Congrats! H.
THE END.
Author: Gaby
Pairing: Gibbs/Tony (+ mentions past Gibbs/Holly and Gibbs/other canon female characters as well as Tony/Jeanne in very general terms)
Author's Notes: Written as a pinch hit for round 5 of the NCIS ficathon for
taylorgibbs . Her prompt: "Holly Snow is discovered to be Gibbs' Ex wife #1. Pairings I'm open to are Gibbs/DiNozzo, Gibbs/Holly, Gibbs/DiNozzo/Holly. Any rating up to and including FRAO welcomed." I'm sorry you had to wait so long for the fic, but I hope it was worth the wait. :-)Additional Notes: Some dialogue has been taken from the episodes "Jet Lag" and "Guilty Pleasure".
Big thank you goes to
kaylashay81 who not only got her beta comments back to me super-duper-quick, but made a fantastic cover art and an icon as well! *squees and points proudly* (cover art can be found in part 1)Warning: None, really, unless you count het vibes. ;-)
Rating: R
Genre: first time
Spoilers: General spoilers for "Flesh and Blood", particular spoilers for "Jet Lag" and especially "Guilty Pleasure". If you don't know these eps, this story might not make much sense. In addition, there are basic spoilers for the Gibbs backstory in general.
Word Count: about 11,000
Disclaimer: Not mine, never were, never will be, gosh darn it!
Summary: Holly Snow might be best known for arranging dates with high-class escorts. Her real talent, however, is match making.
(part 1)
Sometimes, life throws you a curveball and leaves you completely unprepared for the outcome. Holly learned this the hard way the very next day, after she snuck off to help Charlotte who was supposedly in danger, only to find herself being held hostage by Charlotte's boyfriend, who turned out to be the killer in their current case. Gibbs came to the rescue like a knight in shining armor, and Holly wrapped herself around the strong body and intended to never, ever let go again.
Unfortunately, not only did Gibbs gently but forcefully remove her from around his neck, but then he also informed her that she would have to come back to NCIS headquarters to give her statement. Holly, clearly shaken, agreed, feeling safe as long as her ex-husband was near.
And then Gibbs told her that he wouldn't be the one to take her statement for the simple fact that he was involved in the incident as the shooter, and would therefore need to give his own statement. Instead, Tony was going to interview her.
Holly couldn't believe that Gibbs would do that to her.
And then she found herself sitting in the conference room, still actually shaking bodily from shock, when Tony came in, his demeanor calm and reassuring, his tone of voice low and soothing, his smile genuine and compassionate. He offered her a coffee--cream and two sugars, the knowledge probably courtesy of Gibbs, Holly assumed--and even dug out a blanket which he gently wrapped around her body to stop the shaking.
He sat down across from her and just looked at her. "Take all the time you need, Miss Snow," he said with a reassuring smile. "Tell me what you can when you feel ready for it. All right?"
Holly wrapped her hands around the coffee cup, trying to warm herself up that way. She looked at Tony hesitantly, as if waiting for him to suddenly jump up, thumb his nose at her with a big laugh and yell, "Hah! Gotcha!" But instead, he just sat there calmly, patiently waiting with a pen in his hand, a small notepad lying open on the table in front of him.
"I bet you'd prefer something stronger than coffee right now," he finally said after a good minute. "Unfortunately, I'm not allowed to give you anything right now, but I promise I'll find you something after the interview. I know where Gibbs keeps his secret stash of bourbon." He winked and tapped the side of his nose with a grin.
Holly couldn't help but smile, relaxing a little. "Thank you, Agent DiNozzo," she finally said.
"Call me Tony," he replied lightly, leaning back in his chair, clearly telegraphing that he didn't mind waiting until she was ready.
Holly continued to sip on her coffee, trying to gather her thoughts. She watched Tony furtively, but the man sitting across from her seemed to be a completely different person from the obnoxious wanna-be playboy she had initially met. Thinking that this might be her only chance at getting some answers, Holly finally ventured, "Mind if I ask you a personal question, Tony?"
Tony raised a surprised eyebrow, clearly not having expected this. Then he shrugged. "Sure, fire away. Not promising to give you an answer, but feel free to ask." He smiled encouragingly.
"I was just wondering... In your line of work, with all the danger and life threatening situations, isn't it difficult having a relationship?"
Tony choked out a laugh, obviously not having expected that question. "I wouldn't know," he finally said. "I'm not in a relationship. But I know quite a few agents who are happily married, most of them with children. It's no different than being married to a cop. Or a Marine, for that matter." He shrugged. "Guess it takes the right kind of partner for this sort of relationship to work."
Holly mulled this over. "So, you haven't found the right kind of partner yet? Or are you just not looking?"
Tony raised an eyebrow at that and cocked his head. He thought about his answer for over a minute, then obviously came to a decision. Leaning closer, he replied with a small smile, "You know, about a year ago, another hooker pestered me with the same thing." He shook his head in amusement. "I don't know what it is about the ladies of your...calling, but you seem fascinated by my love life." He grinned at Holly, then shrugged. "Truth be told, if you really must know? Loved someone once. Lost that someone. Haven't been able to score ever since, and not for lack of trying."
Holly was surprised by Tony's openness, and she wanted to make the most of this. "Now, Tony, first of all, I'm not a hooker." She smiled at him, the first genuine smile she graced him with, and Tony's genuine smile in return blinded her. "Second of all, maybe you've looked in all the wrong places? Just a hunch from someone with a lot of experience."
Tony chuckled. "I was told I just needed to find the right woman. Your...colleague strongly suggested it might be Ziva."
At that, Holly laughed out loud, a rich, dark laughter that was infectious. "You've got to be kidding me," she finally managed to press out, tears of laughter running down her face. She knew it was mostly the release of all the emotional stress of the last few hours, but it felt so damn good to just give a belly laugh. "I don't know her very well, but no, she's clearly not what you need."
Tony's smile was sad and regretful. "I know."
Holly finally managed to stop chuckling and regarded the man sitting across from her. She had been shocked to find out that Gibbs obviously had feelings for Tony, but up until this very second, she had been convinced that Tony was a ladies' man. Granted, watching him with that Lieutenant McCadden had caused her gaydar to ping slightly, but whatever was going on between those two was more bromance than anything else. Still, could it be that Tony was bi? That Tony was also interested in Gibbs? Had he honestly managed to fool her up until now? "Tony? Mind if I ask something else?"
Tony shrugged with a self-deprecating grin. "Whatever makes you feel better, Holly Snow." He leaned his chin in one of his hands and looked at her expectantly.
"You already have someone in mind, don't you?"
Tony blinked in confusion and frowned slightly. "What do you mean?"
"You know, the right woman. You already have a candidate for that job. Only...it's not a woman?"
Tony blushed furiously at that and picked up his pen again. "Maybe we should try to get your statement now," he said, suddenly business-like.
Holly reached out and laid a hand over Tony's right hand. She was surprised to feel it tremble slightly. "Listen to me, Tony," she said imploringly. She couldn't really explain it herself, but her gut clearly told her that Tony was the right guy for Gibbs--and vice versa. She had no clue what had already happened between the men, or if anything had happened at all, but she knew that she had to help these two stubborn bastards in some way. Granted, for one long moment, she had actually entertained the thought of maybe trying to get back together again with her ex-husband, but Gibbs had made it clear that that was absolutely out of the question. Holly still wanted to see Gibbs happy though, even though he had left her all those years ago, throwing away a happy marriage without warning or giving her a chance to explain or mend things. But Gibbs was a good guy, deep down, and he needed and deserved happiness in his life again. For whatever unfathomable reason, Tony seemed to be the source of that happiness, and so Holly swore to herself to do her best to get them together. Or, at least, give them the much needed push in the right direction. "Tony, strictly hypothetically speaking, is there someone for you? Someone you'd like to be with?"
Tony slowly pulled his hand away and sat back, crossing his arms, subconsciously trying to set up a barrier between himself and Holly. "Strictly hypothetically speaking?" he finally echoed. "Yes."
Holly nodded and smiled encouragingly. "And hypothetically speaking, that someone isn't a woman, right?"
Tony's face hardened a little, though it was more a defensive mask than anything else, Holly could clearly see that. "Hypothetically speaking, everything's possible," he said, not willing to admit to anything in particular. Tony was surprised that he actually talked about such intimate details with a virtual stranger, and for a long moment, he had to suppress the urge to laugh hysterically. Why was it that women of a certain vocation seemed to make him want to spill his guts like that anyway?
"Okay, that's good," Holly said encouragingly. She had all but forgotten the horrors of only a few hours ago, now that she could concentrate on something she was good at, and it felt liberating to be in control again. "Now, what would you do if you knew the other person felt the same way about you?"
"Hypothetically speaking?" Tony replied with a slightly ironic grin, his arms still firmly crossed.
"If that makes you feel safer," Holly conceded with a slight shrug, then she cocked her head and looked at Tony imploringly. "Listen to me, Tony. I don't know if or what has happened between you two in the past, but believe me that anything is possible." She laid her hand on the table, palm up, a clear offer of encouragement, a potential promise for good things to come.
Tony stared at the hand as if it might bite him. He finally just sighed and shook his head. "There were...opportunities. They weren't taken by...the other party. There are...rules against this sort of thing," he said haltingly. He shrugged, trying hard to look brave, and failing miserably.
Holly pushed her hand a bit further towards Tony and smiled encouragingly. Her voice was full of conviction when she said, "I solemnly swear on my professional reputation that I know things will work out for you, if you only give it a chance."
Tony looked at Holly searchingly, clearly trying to convince himself that she was just feeding him lines, but for some unfathomable reason, he felt that he could trust her. Slowly uncrossing his arms, he asked, "How do you know?"
"Call it a gut feeling." Holly smiled encouragingly again, shrugging. She wasn't sure how else to explain it.
This made Tony chuckle helplessly, and he shook his head in amusement. "Must be fate," he muttered, reaching out to squeeze the offered hand. "Thank you," he added solemnly a moment later. "I still doubt it's true, but I believe that you think you're right. If that makes sense."
Holly nodded and squeezed back, then pulled her hand back to grab Tony's notepad and pen. She scribbled down a phone number. "Once you decide to give it a shot, call me. I'll help you."
Tony looked at the number, then tore the page out of his notepad and stuffed it into his jacket pocket. "Thanks," he mumbled, then took a deep, calming breath. "So," he added with a bright and utterly fake smile. "Ready for your statement now?"
XxXxX
Tony's had weirder days in his life, but this one was still most definitely in his top five, he decided, while diligently transcribing Holly's statement. It had gotten late, and only he, Ziva and McGee were still in the squadroom. He had, in short order, "dumped" McCadden (even though he really did not have a fling with him, no matter how much Ziva insisted on such silliness), gotten on McNutterbutter's good side again (bribes always worked, thank goodness), and all of that right after having been informed by a mysterious stranger that Gibbs of all people would be more than willing to give a relationship with him a try.
Granted, Tony still didn't really believe that Holly had actually meant Gibbs, or that, if she did mean him, Gibbs would support her theory. Because after that one drunken night, the only thing he had received from Gibbs had been a rather cold shoulder. Hell, the man had even sent him halfway around the globe, just so he didn't have to be near Tony for a few days!
Tony sighed and took out the crumpled piece of paper with Holly's cell phone number on it. What if she really was right? What if he had misinterpreted some of Gibbs' signals? Because, in all honesty, while he was pretty fluent in Gibbs-speak, the man was still a functional mute and famous for his lack of communication skills. Tony had no clue how or why Holly would know anything about Gibbs or the man's feelings, but then again, she had figured Tony out, and he knew that he had been careful about not telegraphing his potential feelings towards Gibbs.
Ziva had left about ten minutes ago, and McGee was getting ready to leave as well. "Hey, wanna grab a beer?" the younger man offered, clearly trying to show that there were no more hard feelings between them.
Tony smiled at his friend. "Aww, come on, Tiny Tim, isn't it past your bedtime?" he asked with a teasing grin. "You go home and enjoy your nutterbutter," he reached into his desk drawer and threw the treat that he had taken away initially at McGee, "and on Friday, all of us go out for a drink. What say?"
McGee beamed like a kid on Christmas Eve, all but cuddling the treat to his chest. "Deal," he said, pleased, and grabbed his gear. "See you in the morning. Don't work so late tonight. Old men need their sleep, and all that." He threw an evil grin over his shoulder on his way to the elevator.
Tony threw a wad of paper and hit the back of McGee's head with it in retaliation. They both chuckled until the younger man disappeared in the elevator. Finally alone, Tony stared at Holly's cell phone number again.
XxXxX
Holly enjoyed one of the best homemade dinners she could remember. Not only was the food absolutely amazing, but the dinner company was even better than she had hoped for. Granted, she knew that Gibbs wouldn't go back on his offer, but there was still a big difference between sharing a dinner and sharing a dinner, and she was glad that her ex-husband acted civil, downright friendly. He made her feel actually welcomed in his home--the house, she had found out, into which he had moved back right after he had left her. Holly didn't want to dwell on the knowledge that her husband had owned a house during their marriage that she had known nothing about. That was a different story for a different time.
"All I wanted was dinner without expectations," she said instead, referring to her initial demands. "With a friend."
"We're friends?" Gibbs asked, honestly curious.
But before Holly could reply, her cell phone rang. "Hi," she answered, surprised to hear Tony's voice on the other end of the line. She tried her best not to let it show, but inwardly, she was fist pumping. Tony was clearly nervous, and he sounded as if he was about to hang up again, his courage obviously leaving him again. Holly was determined to nip the potential panic attack in the bud. "Tonight?" she asked while Tony was still trying to stammer out his wish for her help. "What time?"
Tony mumbled something undecipherable that sounded somewhat like "the sooner, the better."
Damn, Holly thought. She had really enjoyed her dinner with Gibbs and hated the mere idea of leaving early. Then again, she honestly hoped that this wasn't the last time they would spend time together--as mere friends--so she was willing to leave the scene and make room for Tony. "Okay, I'll see what I can do. Bye-bye." She was going to call Tony back as soon as she was outside, but she didn't want to say anything that Gibbs might overhear. She just hoped that Tony had understood her cryptic comment.
Gibbs gave her an unreadable look, frowning slightly at the cell phone.
"I can explain," Holly began, but was cut off by Gibbs' response.
"You don't have to." His voice sounded sad, defeated, and it broke Holly's heart. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt Gibbs, but that was exactly what she was doing right now, no matter how hard she was actually trying to do something good for him.
"I know what you must be thinking," she said, frantically trying to figure out how to reassure him without actually giving away who had just called.
"Oh, I doubt that," Gibbs said softly. He seemed more disappointed than anything else, and Holly had to bite her lip hard to stop herself from spilling the beans.
"I gotta go," she said instead, trying to smile reassuringly. "Friends? I don't have many."
Gibbs looked up at that. "Me, either," he replied, still uncharacteristically softly.
Holly smiled at that, accepting the non-verbal offer of friendship from her ex-husband. She leaned over to give him a peck on the cheek, grabbed her things and left.
XxXxX
Once outside, she pulled her cell phone back out and dialled Tony's number. She was surprised to hear a ringtone just a few feet down the street and looked up. Tony sat on the hood of a red Mustang, looking beyond nervous, but his head shot up when he heard Holly's footsteps.
Jumping to his feet and ignoring his ringing phone, Tony frowned at Holly. "You were...here?" he asked, torn between disbelief and jealousy. On the one hand, he was now at least sure that she definitely knew who "the other party" was. On the other hand, he couldn't believe that she had just spent the evening with said "other party."
"Just a dinner with a friend," Holly said, hanging up so the ringing cell phone wouldn't alert Gibbs. She held up her hand placatingly. "We're just friends, Gibbs and I, nothing more, I solemnly swear. He's not interested in me. He only wants you, Tony. I promise."
Tony fiddled nervously with his jacket. "I...I'm not sure it's such a good idea, after all," he finally said, though the longing look he threw at Gibbs' house belied his words.
Holly smiled reassuringly and squeezed his upper arm. "He could use a friend right now," she said. "So even if all you do is go in there as his friend, it's okay. Though honestly? Stop denying yourself what you really want. Give him what he needs, Tony. I promise it'll work out."
When Tony still looked unconvinced, she chuckled and shoved him towards Gibbs' house none too gently. Tony stumbled slightly but managed to catch himself before falling face first on the front porch. He looked back towards the street in alarm, but Holly was nowhere to be seen.
Taking one last deep breath, Tony grabbed the doorknob and then walked purposefully into Gibbs' house.
"Forget something?" Gibbs' voice drifted from the dining room. Tony was surprised by how defeated the other man sounded, and bit his lip, wondering if it was a mistake coming here when Gibbs felt obviously so low. When there was no response, Gibbs turned in his chair to look towards the front door. "Tony?" he asked, clearly surprised.
"Um, yeah. Hi." Tony walked in, plastering a big smile on his face. "I was in the neighborhood and thought I'd drop by." He hovered near the table, the mouth-watering smell of the steak teasing him.
"Holly Snow just left," Gibbs finally muttered, for lack of anything else to say. He nodded at the second plate with a shrug.
"Yeah, I know. I...ran into her outside."
Gibbs gave Tony a long, measuring look, then finally nodded at the chair. "Sit down."
Tony did so, gingerly, as if still unsure of his welcome. They stared at each other, neither of them saying anything for minutes. Finally, Tony caved. "Gibbs, we need to talk," he said hesitantly, though he rolled his eyes inwardly when he heard himself say that line. He hated that line.
Gibbs merely gave a non-committal grunt, then got up and walked to the kitchen. This threw Tony for a long moment, until a cold bottle of beer was thrust in his hand. "Living room? Or stay here?" Gibbs merely asked.
Tony felt weird sitting at the table where Holly had just shared dinner with Gibbs, and so he nodded towards the living room. Gibbs shrugged agreeably and walked towards the couch. Tony followed and sat down next to the older man.
"Okay. What's up?"
"Gibbs, I..." Tony frowned, not sure what to say. After a few seconds, he blurted, "Why did you send me to Paris?"
This was definitely not what Gibbs had expected, and from the surprised look on Tony's face, it was also obviously not what the younger man had intended to ask. Gibbs shrugged and said truthfully, "Wanted to reward you."
"Felt more like punishment to me."
Gibbs raised an eyebrow at that. "Explain."
"You sent me away. With Ziva." Tony hung his head and began to peel the label off his beer bottle. In a whisper, he added, "Right after what happened...here..." He nodded in the general direction of the couch they were once again sharing.
Gibbs mulled this over, then winced. Trust Tony and his convoluted brain to misinterpret things so badly. "It was meant as a reward," he repeated forcefully, then he sighed. "Also needed some time to figure things out."
Tony's head shot up at that, and he looked at Gibbs searchingly. "Got 'em figured out?" he finally asked, clearly fearing the answer.
Gibbs' face was inscrutable. "Yeah."
Tony winced. "I thought so." He sighed and tried to smile bravely, ignoring Gibbs' obvious look of confusion at that statement. "Hey, wanna hear a funny story? What would you say if I told you that someone came up to me and told me we were made for each other?" He shook his head, snorting at the ridiculousness of it all.
It took Gibbs a long moment to realize that Tony had, once again, misinterpreted his previous comment. Time to start using more than one syllable answers, Gibbs told himself, mentally slapping his own head. "Hey," he said softly, bumping shoulders with the younger man. "What's so funny about that story?"
Tony frowned in confusion. "You don't think it's funny?" His voice had a fatality to it that frightened Gibbs.
The older man needed another few seconds to finally connect all the dots, and then realized where to lay the blame. Or, in this case, where to send a huge bouquet of flowers as thank you. "What exactly did Holly tell you?" he merely asked, trying to smile reassuringly.
"So, she also talked to you?" Tony asked in surprise.
"No, not about that. She didn't have to." Gibbs gave a self-deprecating grin. "She picked the right one to talk to, it wouldn't have made a difference if it had been me. Stubborn bastard and all that."
Tony frowned, mulling this over. "So, wait. What are you trying to tell me here then?" He thought he knew what Gibbs was hinting at. He was, after all, pretty fluent in Gibbs-speak. But right now, his nerves were frayed, and his concentration was shot to pieces, and he really didn't want to get his hopes up, only to have them crushed a second later.
Gibbs frowned right back, frustrated with himself. Finally coming to a decision, he grabbed both of their beers and put them on the coffee table, then framed Tony's face with both hands and proceeded to kiss the younger man senseless. "Never been good with words," he said in way of explanation once he caught his breath again. But judging by the complete and utter joy on Tony's face, he had managed to make himself understood.
XxXxX
Outside, Holly stood on the sidewalk, looking through Gibbs' living room window. She could see the heads of both Gibbs and Tony over the back of the couch, could see the tense shoulders, clearly from frustration, could see flailing hands that gestured wildly. Tony hung his head at one time, Gibbs carded his fingers through his hair helplessly at other times. She sighed and glared at the back of the two heads, willing the men to finally open up and talk.
Then she saw Gibbs suddenly pulling Tony in for a long, passionate kiss. Holly smiled, slightly saddened that now it was official she would never get a second chance with Gibbs, but mostly happy for the two men who clearly belonged together.
A few seconds later, she saw Tony tackling Gibbs and both bodies disappearing from view. The bark of surprised laughter from Gibbs could be heard even through the closed window, and Tony's triumphant yell was even louder. Holly chuckled. Sex on a couch wasn't something she would voluntarily sign up for--beds were much more comfortable--but as long as these two finally got their act together, she wasn't going to complain.
Grinning to herself, Holly quickly typed a text message and sent it to Tony's cell phone while she walked towards her car to drive home.
Tomorrow morning, I want details. Congrats! H.
THE END.
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no subject
Date: 2010-10-15 12:16 am (UTC)*sends gift wrapped muses back*
I LOVED this!!! I was despairing of never getting a fic for this prompt, which I've used a few places. And this? It was PERFECT. I love the way you humanized Holly as an ex wife and delved so deeply into her character. I love that she knew best with the boys.
And the graphic!!! Kayla you outdid yourself!
Thank you so so much, ladies!
no subject
Date: 2010-10-16 10:59 am (UTC)*hearts her boys, now that they're safely back where they belong* Missed my Muses! (And Tony looks cute, naked except for that big red bow around his...um... *blushes* Hee.)
Anyway, I'm so relieved that you liked the story! When I saw your prompts go up, I immediately knew I had to grab 'em! All three prompts were great, but I'm already writing a huge AU for you *g* and I drew a blank for yet another super-sekkrit secret from Gibbs (though I will write a threesome some day...), but the Holly Snow prompt? Yowza! I knew I wouldn't write the het version, but Holly and Gibbs had such great chemistry on-screen, and there was definitely something going on! I loved the idea of her being his ex-wife, and it all suddenly made so much sense! LOL! I rewatched the eps a couple of times (the things I do for you...Jet Lag...I mean, seriously! *g*) and it amazed me that nobody had gone and written something about those two yet. All of their dialogue suddenly had a double meaning, it was so much fun to weave the actual episodes into my world. :) I love Holly, she's a great character, and it was fun to figure her out and give her a past.
And yes, Kayla's graphic is pure awesomesauce. Now you understand my Kermit!Flail attack, I'm sure. *g* (Because she was totally sneaky and just sprung this on me without telling! Naughty Kayla! *g*)
no subject
Date: 2010-10-17 11:09 pm (UTC)I loved the Holly and Gibbs chemistry. You did a LOT with it!
no subject
Date: 2010-10-18 06:42 pm (UTC)And honestly? I didn't really do much. I just rewatched the two eps with Holly and everything just jumped at me. The fic was actually easy to write. What struck me, for example, was how often Gibbs called her by her first name. Unusual, ain't it? LOL! And, of course, Holly and Tony spending almost no time together. That had to be Gibbs' doing. *g*
no subject
Date: 2010-10-15 12:50 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-10-16 11:00 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-10-15 02:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-10-16 11:02 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-10-15 03:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-10-16 11:02 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-10-15 11:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-10-16 11:03 am (UTC)I think Holly could feel the slashy vibes between Gibbs and Tony. And I found it interesting how Gibbs kept trying to keep Holly and Tony apart (on the show). That has to mean something, right? *g*
Snow Blind
Date: 2010-10-17 10:25 pm (UTC)Re: Snow Blind
Date: 2010-10-18 06:47 pm (UTC)It's actually quite funny, once I knew what prompt I'd write, I rewatched the two eps with Holly Snow and everything fell into place. Every look, every line, every body movement suddenly made sense and worked in my favor. LOL!
And I've always wanted to write a fic where the first time ended up as a non-event due to the guys being too drunk or some such. And it fit perfectly here. *is pleased with self* LOL!
Re: Snow Blind
Date: 2010-10-19 09:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-01-23 09:06 pm (UTC)I really loved the way Holly helped them and just everything about it. Because clearly the only reason Gibbs and Tony aren't together yet is because they can't admit it and need help xD
no subject
Date: 2011-01-23 09:57 pm (UTC)I admit, I really did like Holly Snow, and even as a die hard Tibbs lover, I could see potential between her and Gibbs (unlike Mallison... *shudder*). Still, I do need to get the boys together in the end, right? LOL! And I think Holly would be perceptive enough to pick up on the vibes between the guys. :)
no subject
Date: 2011-01-25 05:25 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-04-23 07:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-04-27 02:39 pm (UTC)Thank you very much for your feedback, I'm glad you enjoyed the story! :) While I can't take credit for the idea of making Holly Snow Gibbs' first ex (that prompt came from
Snow Blind
Date: 2011-08-20 08:22 am (UTC)Re: Snow Blind
Date: 2011-08-21 04:36 pm (UTC)