Listless

Gibbs watched Tony concerned. This wasn't Tony being serious. Tony was actually listless. He moved when spoken to or told to, but he didn't joke. He didn't get things done. He just sat there staring off into space. It was just plain wrong.

Gibbs wanted to fix it, but he didn't know how to. If he gave Tony anymore head slaps, Tony would develop a concussion. With his usual technique off the table, Gibbs was floundering.

“DiNozzo! Pizza, my place tonight?” Gibbs offered hoping that somehow that would help.

“Huh? What? Sure.” Tony responded lifelessly, his brain obviously not on what was going on around him.

McGee and Ziva had also noticed the behavior if the looks they kept shooting DiNozzo were any indication.

Gibbs, however, grew even more concerned when Tony didn't perk up about pizza. Usually an invitation like that would at least get him a smile. Now Gibbs couldn’t wait for the day to be over, so that he could confront his second and find out what had him so listless.

Concerned that DiNozzo would escape, Gibbs sent the team home early packing up himself at the same time and stood at DiNozzo’s desk until he was ready to leave. He then walked DiNozzo to Gibbs’ car and gestured him in. Gibbs would drive DiNozzo to his place so he didn’t have a chance to escape.

After parking at his place, Gibbs encouraged DiNozzo to get out and led him to the living room couch. He then left him alone while he placed the pizza order. Returning to the living room, he prodded Tony. “Tony?”

Rousing from his listless slump, Tony responded. “Huh?”

“Come on, talk to me. What’s wrong?” Gibbs tried.

“Nothing’s wrong.” Tony replied listlessly.

“Don’t give me that. You’re not ok.” Gibbs glared at Tony.

Tony just grunted.

Gibbs stared at him. It was unnatural to see his bastard behavior from Tony. “Please, Tony. Let me in. Tell me what’s going on.”

“Why do you care, huh?” Tony glared.

“What? I’ve always cared.” Gibbs replied shocked.

“Which is why you dumped my stuff on my desk when you returned without so much as a by your leave or good job, and why I was the last one to return to the team when Vance separated us, and why you didn’t notice when Ziva and Tim turned off their microphones or any of their other transgressions against me. Sure. You care alright. With caring like that I don’t need enemies. Was there something else?” Tony asked.

Gibbs mouth opened and closed a couple of times but no sounds came out.