FIC: It's a Jungle Out There (NCIS)
Title: It’s a Jungle Out There
Author: hawk_soaring
Fandom: NCIS
Pairing: Gibbs/ Tony
Rating: FRT
Summary: Tony brings a pet home. Gibbs thinks it’s a bad idea.
Word Count: 1327
A/N: NOT beta’d. Sorry.
~*~
The case had been awful - and a little out of the ordinary compared to the cases they usually pulled. Gibbs was angry and he could only imagine how the rest of the team was feeling. He was just glad that Abby wasn’t a field tech because he didn’t think he would have been able to handle her reaction to the crime scene.
McGee was quiet but was working the scene methodically and carefully. He kept glancing around as if trying to come to grips with everything that had taken place.
Ducky was quieter than usual. He’d murmured an “oh my” when he’d arrived and then shushed Jimmy and started his preliminary examinations. Now he was simply waiting for the rest of the team to finish the crime scene photos, sketches, and measurements before bagging up what was left of the victims and heading back to the Navy Yard.
It was Tony that Gibbs was keeping an eye on. He’d grown very quiet very quickly and that was not like his senior agent. Gibbs had to give him credit for doing his job, though. He was sketching quickly as he studied the grisly scene. It was the lack of banter that made Gibbs wary, though.
Sure, the carnage was horrific but Gibbs would put money on the fact that it wasn’t the dead soldier, Colin Mills, who was causing Tony problems this time.
Gibbs pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to stave off the headache he could feel coming on. He watched as Tony reached out and ran his hand over the fur of the large, gaunt tiger that was lying in a pool of blood in the middle of the living room. There was blood on the tiger’s muzzle as well and, if Gibbs were going to bet on anything other than the cause of Tony’s quiet, he could bet that there was human flesh caught in between the teeth of that tiger.
From what they had been able to gather, the dead soldier, Mills, had been keeping a full grown tiger as a pet. In base housing, no less. But, he wasn’t feeding the tiger properly and the starving animal finally turned on the soldier. Whether Mills had taunted the tiger, or hit it - whatever the provocation, the tiger had killed her owner.
An MP, called to investigate noises coming from the house, had shot the tiger. Mills had bled out on his kitchen floor.
“I’m finished, Ducky,” Tony said softly as he walked past the ME, heading deeper into the house. They had cleared the house earlier but Gibbs let Tony go, knowing he needed his space. Something about this case was getting to him and if this turned out to be an exotic animal smuggling ring like the MP was suggesting, Gibbs would need Tony to be on top of his game.
Gibbs was talking to Tim when Tony came back. He glanced Gibbs’ way and then walked out of the house with a “done in here, Boss” tossed over his shoulder. Gibbs patted Tim on the shoulder and told him to finish up and then headed outside.
Tony was climbing into the back of the ME’s van. “Gonna get a head start on the paperwork, Boss.” And then they were gone. Gibbs was confused by Tony’s behavior but he still had work to do. He’d talk it out with his senior agent later.
~*~
Later happened to be ten o’clock at night.
Tony hadn’t been at the Navy Yard when Gibbs got back, but there was a hastily prepared report on his desk. And a note.
Gibbs crumpled the note in his fist, drained his coffee, and finished up his own report. They would tie up the loose ends in the morning.
Gibbs asked Tim to start running down leads on who Colin Mills was involved with. They would have to rule out an exotic animal smuggling ring before they could definitively close the case - but they were done for the night.
Gibbs headed home.
He expected the lights to be on in the living room and he wasn’t disappointed. He didn’t, however, expect the drapes to be pulled. But he shrugged it off and stepped up onto the front porch.
The door was locked.
Gibbs cursed under his breath. He didn’t carry a key. He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed before knocking. Sure, he could go looking for the spare key but he hadn’t needed it in years. Who knew if it was even there?
The door opened.
“Gibbs!”
Gibbs raised an eyebrow. “You sound surprised. It is my house.” He pushed his way inside.
Tony ran a hand over the back of his neck. “I thought it was our house,” he said quietly.
Gibbs stopped and turned to face his lover. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean - ”
Tony wrapped his arms around Gibbs. “Never say you’re sorry,” he whispered against his lover’s lips.
Gibbs smiled and kissed Tony, wrapping him in his arms.
“What are you hiding from me?” Gibbs asked when he pulled away.
Tony blinked, obviously surprised by the question. Then he looked away. “What makes you think I’m hiding something?” he mumbled.
Gibbs chuckled. “That.”
Tony bit his lip.
“Where is it?”
“What?”
Gibbs rolled his eyes. “Whatever it is you’re hiding from me.”
Tony opened his mouth - and Gibbs heard a squeak from the living room. It was a loud squeak. Tony closed his mouth and took hold of Gibbs’ hand, tugging him along.
“It’s a tiger.”
Tony nodded, grinning as he picked up the cub. The cub roared again and Gibbs had to hold back a laugh at the squeak. “I think he’s hungry again,” Tony said softly as he rubbed his chin against the top of the cub’s head.
“You can’t keep him.”
Tony looked away. “I know.”
Gibbs sighed. “I can’t believe you brought a tiger cub home - from a crime scene! What were you thinking?”
“The other cubs were dead,” Tony said, his voice devoid of emotion. “Everyone saw them.” He took a breath. “But no one saw this little one. He was hiding under the dresser, pressed all the way against the back corner. Almost invisible. I got him out just before I left.”
Gibbs could hear the sadness in Tony’s words. He knew Tony had been angered and saddened by the neglect and abuse, but he hadn’t considered that he would do something like this.
“Tony,” Gibbs said softly as he reached out and put a hand on Tony’s arm, “the tigers at the house were starving. The cubs were dead long before the mother tried to eat Mills. I know you want better for this little guy.” Gibbs paused. “I’m not saying you would ever let something like that happen - but we can’t possibly foresee what this little guy will need in the future. Tigers eat a tremendous amount of raw meat. They need room to run and play. He will destroy this house - and not ever mean to. He will get too big to sit on your lap. He’s a wild animal, Tony. It would be cruel to try to keep him here.”
Tony sniffed. “I know,” he whispered. “But - just for the weekend?” He looked at Gibbs. “Please?”
Gibbs couldn’t say no to him. “I’ll call my friend at the National Zoo.”
Tony’s eyes widened. “But -!”
Gibbs held up a hand. “I’ll give him the heads up. Tell him we’ll bring it in on Monday.”
Tony beamed. “Thanks, Jethro.”
Gibbs pulled Tony in for a hug. He kissed Tony’s cheek and ruffled the fur of the tiger cub. “You have to clean up his messes,” he warned as he headed to the kitchen. This called for a beer.
Author: hawk_soaring
Fandom: NCIS
Pairing: Gibbs/ Tony
Rating: FRT
Summary: Tony brings a pet home. Gibbs thinks it’s a bad idea.
Word Count: 1327
A/N: NOT beta’d. Sorry.
~*~
The case had been awful - and a little out of the ordinary compared to the cases they usually pulled. Gibbs was angry and he could only imagine how the rest of the team was feeling. He was just glad that Abby wasn’t a field tech because he didn’t think he would have been able to handle her reaction to the crime scene.
McGee was quiet but was working the scene methodically and carefully. He kept glancing around as if trying to come to grips with everything that had taken place.
Ducky was quieter than usual. He’d murmured an “oh my” when he’d arrived and then shushed Jimmy and started his preliminary examinations. Now he was simply waiting for the rest of the team to finish the crime scene photos, sketches, and measurements before bagging up what was left of the victims and heading back to the Navy Yard.
It was Tony that Gibbs was keeping an eye on. He’d grown very quiet very quickly and that was not like his senior agent. Gibbs had to give him credit for doing his job, though. He was sketching quickly as he studied the grisly scene. It was the lack of banter that made Gibbs wary, though.
Sure, the carnage was horrific but Gibbs would put money on the fact that it wasn’t the dead soldier, Colin Mills, who was causing Tony problems this time.
Gibbs pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to stave off the headache he could feel coming on. He watched as Tony reached out and ran his hand over the fur of the large, gaunt tiger that was lying in a pool of blood in the middle of the living room. There was blood on the tiger’s muzzle as well and, if Gibbs were going to bet on anything other than the cause of Tony’s quiet, he could bet that there was human flesh caught in between the teeth of that tiger.
From what they had been able to gather, the dead soldier, Mills, had been keeping a full grown tiger as a pet. In base housing, no less. But, he wasn’t feeding the tiger properly and the starving animal finally turned on the soldier. Whether Mills had taunted the tiger, or hit it - whatever the provocation, the tiger had killed her owner.
An MP, called to investigate noises coming from the house, had shot the tiger. Mills had bled out on his kitchen floor.
“I’m finished, Ducky,” Tony said softly as he walked past the ME, heading deeper into the house. They had cleared the house earlier but Gibbs let Tony go, knowing he needed his space. Something about this case was getting to him and if this turned out to be an exotic animal smuggling ring like the MP was suggesting, Gibbs would need Tony to be on top of his game.
Gibbs was talking to Tim when Tony came back. He glanced Gibbs’ way and then walked out of the house with a “done in here, Boss” tossed over his shoulder. Gibbs patted Tim on the shoulder and told him to finish up and then headed outside.
Tony was climbing into the back of the ME’s van. “Gonna get a head start on the paperwork, Boss.” And then they were gone. Gibbs was confused by Tony’s behavior but he still had work to do. He’d talk it out with his senior agent later.
~*~
Later happened to be ten o’clock at night.
Tony hadn’t been at the Navy Yard when Gibbs got back, but there was a hastily prepared report on his desk. And a note.
Gibbs crumpled the note in his fist, drained his coffee, and finished up his own report. They would tie up the loose ends in the morning.
Gibbs asked Tim to start running down leads on who Colin Mills was involved with. They would have to rule out an exotic animal smuggling ring before they could definitively close the case - but they were done for the night.
Gibbs headed home.
He expected the lights to be on in the living room and he wasn’t disappointed. He didn’t, however, expect the drapes to be pulled. But he shrugged it off and stepped up onto the front porch.
The door was locked.
Gibbs cursed under his breath. He didn’t carry a key. He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed before knocking. Sure, he could go looking for the spare key but he hadn’t needed it in years. Who knew if it was even there?
The door opened.
“Gibbs!”
Gibbs raised an eyebrow. “You sound surprised. It is my house.” He pushed his way inside.
Tony ran a hand over the back of his neck. “I thought it was our house,” he said quietly.
Gibbs stopped and turned to face his lover. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean - ”
Tony wrapped his arms around Gibbs. “Never say you’re sorry,” he whispered against his lover’s lips.
Gibbs smiled and kissed Tony, wrapping him in his arms.
“What are you hiding from me?” Gibbs asked when he pulled away.
Tony blinked, obviously surprised by the question. Then he looked away. “What makes you think I’m hiding something?” he mumbled.
Gibbs chuckled. “That.”
Tony bit his lip.
“Where is it?”
“What?”
Gibbs rolled his eyes. “Whatever it is you’re hiding from me.”
Tony opened his mouth - and Gibbs heard a squeak from the living room. It was a loud squeak. Tony closed his mouth and took hold of Gibbs’ hand, tugging him along.
“It’s a tiger.”
Tony nodded, grinning as he picked up the cub. The cub roared again and Gibbs had to hold back a laugh at the squeak. “I think he’s hungry again,” Tony said softly as he rubbed his chin against the top of the cub’s head.
“You can’t keep him.”
Tony looked away. “I know.”
Gibbs sighed. “I can’t believe you brought a tiger cub home - from a crime scene! What were you thinking?”
“The other cubs were dead,” Tony said, his voice devoid of emotion. “Everyone saw them.” He took a breath. “But no one saw this little one. He was hiding under the dresser, pressed all the way against the back corner. Almost invisible. I got him out just before I left.”
Gibbs could hear the sadness in Tony’s words. He knew Tony had been angered and saddened by the neglect and abuse, but he hadn’t considered that he would do something like this.
“Tony,” Gibbs said softly as he reached out and put a hand on Tony’s arm, “the tigers at the house were starving. The cubs were dead long before the mother tried to eat Mills. I know you want better for this little guy.” Gibbs paused. “I’m not saying you would ever let something like that happen - but we can’t possibly foresee what this little guy will need in the future. Tigers eat a tremendous amount of raw meat. They need room to run and play. He will destroy this house - and not ever mean to. He will get too big to sit on your lap. He’s a wild animal, Tony. It would be cruel to try to keep him here.”
Tony sniffed. “I know,” he whispered. “But - just for the weekend?” He looked at Gibbs. “Please?”
Gibbs couldn’t say no to him. “I’ll call my friend at the National Zoo.”
Tony’s eyes widened. “But -!”
Gibbs held up a hand. “I’ll give him the heads up. Tell him we’ll bring it in on Monday.”
Tony beamed. “Thanks, Jethro.”
Gibbs pulled Tony in for a hug. He kissed Tony’s cheek and ruffled the fur of the tiger cub. “You have to clean up his messes,” he warned as he headed to the kitchen. This called for a beer.