Chapter 3

Mac had quietly excused himself and went to the bathroom, splashing water on his face. He stared at himself in the mirror and sighed, jerking his head up only when the young, good looking guy from the bar area tapped him on the shoulder. "Can I help you with something?"

"Everything okay?" Tony had been watching the two men, and while it didn't seem like they were arguing, this man was agitated. "You look upset, and if your friend is giving you a hard time I can get you out of here. Won't even ask any questions, but I'm a cop, and you don't have to put up with whatever is going on."

Mac couldn't help being completely charmed. He gave the taller man a smile. "I'm good. Really. Just relationship issues and he's my sounding board." He leaned in close. "Been a detective for over a decade, I can handle myself. But if you want to give me your name and your captain's, I'll be glad to put in a good word. Appreciate this. If I had been in trouble and needed the out, you could have saved the day."

This guy was trouble in designer jeans, Mac realized, his body reacting to his nearness. He hadn't been this hard in weeks. And he couldn't help looking into those deep green eyes, his body leaning closer, desire pushing common sense back. He wouldn't cheat on Jet, but this was ... trouble.

Your move, he thought, watching the other man.

"You don't have to call my director. She already knows I have a way of finding trouble without being reminded." Jenny hadn't been around during his bout with the plague, but he had proved since she had arrived that he was going to get into things he shouldn't. "My team leader would be amused that I thought I should jump into a situation I obviously misread. You just looked so miserable that I needed to make sure you were fine."

Director? SHE? Mac snickered and then chuckled, finally bursting out into a laugh. "NCIS, then? Team leader? Don't tell me. Small world. You're..." He assessed the other man. "Not bookish enough to be Palmer, and I've met Ducky. Wrong equipment to be a female Israeli officer. And way too masculine to be McGee so that leaves Tony."

"Anthony DiNozzo, I presume?"

"You have me at a disadvantage. You know me somehow, and yet I have no idea who you are, outside of a guy across the room that might have been in trouble." Tony knew he'd misread the situation, but he didn't know how this man knew him. It wasn't like he worked for one of the mainstream agencies.

"If you knew or saw Ziva, you would know that while not masculine, she could still take either of us at any given time. She might be lurking around here waiting to take us out. Never know with her, she's sneaky."

"Oh, I hear stories." Mac extended a hand. "Mac Taylor. Kelly Gibbs' uncle. Jethro's..." Jethro's what? "Closest thing to a brother that bastard has." God, the guy had been flirting up a storm.

"I won't tell him you were such a flirt, DiNozzo." Mac grinned at the look of alarm. "Get him lubricated enough and you might see that your boss doesn't shock so easily. Come on," he said, clapping a hand on Tony's shoulder. "Buy ya a drink."

"I wasn't flirting. Just making sure you were fine." Tony tried to defend himself, but it was pointless, Mac Taylor wasn't listening. He'd heard stories from Little Girl Gibbs and he knew that yeah, Kelly had probably shared lots of stories. "A drink sounds good. You've heard stories about me; I've heard stories about you now that I know who you are. Which means I need stories about Kelly."

"You were flirting. And that was okay ... I was—am—interested." Mac was never this honest, but they both had admitted interest and there was no point in hiding. "Good, a drink then. Helps me get all this relationship crap where it belongs."

Mac smirked. "Stories about Kelly. She dragged me along to a personal grooming appointment once..."

Kelly's uncle was interested in him? Damn, he was good looking, but more tentative than he would have thought anyone knowing Kelly Gibbs would be. "I don't think Kelly has ever dragged a man anywhere. Any guy I know has followed her willingly. She's a force of nature."

"Kel's got me wrapped around her little finger, has since the day she was born. She played me and then I ended up flat on my back, getting tortured." Mac chuckled. "You want the goods on my girl? First kiss, she locked braces with Milton. Jet and I had to use wire cutters. And when she wanted to get her navel pierced, she completely freaked out, called me furious because they thought it was another area."

Tony grinned, relaxing a bit."I'm not having a hard time imagining any of that. She's something else; I really miss her. She was just a kid when I started here. I feel like we grew up together, although she'd say she was more mature than I am." Tony understood Kelly's need to run as far away from her federal agent father, but he still missed her. "New York though, she's loving it up there if her emails are any indication. It's good for her, and it's not like she's so far away that she doesn't get the chance to come home. She just hasn't figured that part out yet."

"Yeah, she had quite the crush on you. I see why." Mac looked Tony up and down again. "She's living in my place up there, working in the crime lab I used to run. No place I'd rather have her be."

"She had a crush on me because it drove her dad crazy. It was an easy way to terrorize Gibbs, and he couldn't do much about it. Director Shepard wasn't going to let him fire me for playing with his kid." He had known that Kelly had a great setup in an apartment most rookie cops couldn't afford, but he hadn't known it was her uncle's apartment. "She says she's never coming back down here to live, she loves it so much. Trying to recruit me for the team up there. But I'm happy where I am."

"She had a crush on you because ... look at you, DiNozzo. What was it she called you? Sex in designer jeans." He gave Tony another appraising look.

"Yeah, she would say that. But as you can see, it's not true. I'm just an older guy who rubbed her father the wrong way. Now if I worked up in New York I might have a shot." Tony was pretty sure that Mac was checking him out, but he wasn't sure if it was because of what Kelly had said or if he was interested. He was starting to lean towards interested though.

"New York has too much politics for a maverick like you. Stay here. Gibbs loves you."

"Gibbs tolerates me, he doesn't even really like me I don't think. I wouldn't go so far as to say he loves me."

"Dunno," Mac said, lowering his voice to a sexy growl. "Where I'm standing, think Kelly had it right. Yeah ... she had it right. And Gibbs might surprise you, Tony."

That was most definitely interest, but this was Kelly's uncle. Tony really shouldn't go there. "If Gibbs liked me that would be a huge surprise. I figure I have a couple more years before he'll want to get rid of me."

"He likes you. Trust me. We're good friends and he tells me things he wouldn't dream of telling you." Mac started to tap Tony's nose but then ran a hand through his hair, tugging him close, almost kissing him, just staring into his eyes for a long moment.

"Yeah, Tony. Kelly had it right." He reluctantly released the other man, rubbing a thumb over Tony's lower lip.

Tony swallowed, not sure what he should do. This wasn't what he was expecting when he'd come back here, although he wasn't adverse to it. He couldn't help but wonder if Kelly knew about this side of her uncle. She sure as hell didn't know about him. At least he didn't think so. He'd only shared this aspect of his life with Abby, and she wouldn't tell Little Gibbs—not for anything.

"Kelly has a tendency to exaggerate, but I'm glad you approve. I'm also liking how you show your approval. I didn't come back here for this, probably not the best place to pursue it either. I don't want to be the cliché federal agent caught in some raid in the men's room. Boss won't save my ass if that were to happen, and I like my job."

"Let me handle your boss. Over twenty years experience getting my way with him." Mac moved closer, using his body against the taller man. Once he had Tony against the wall of the stall, he brushed his mouth over the other man's. "You want this ... I can make it happen. You give it some deep thought, Tony."

"Yeah, I will." Tony murmured against the hot lips of Mac Taylor. This was a dangerous place to be doing this, but he wouldn't push the other man away. It was incredibly hot, and if Mac was willing to take the risk, he was too. "If you can deal with Gibbs for that long, you must be a miracle worker or something. Until me, no one but Burley has lasted with him longer than two years. I thought I had a good record."

"We have an understanding. You'll see..." Mac pressed his leg between Tony's, rubbing against the erection he knew had been growing. "Someday, Tony, if you're really good—and I bet you are—I'll tell you all Gibbs' secrets." He shouldn't be doing this, knew he was crossing a line, but dammit, it felt good having this muscular young guy against him.

He grabbed Tony's biceps and thrust hard against him twice before stepping back. "Come on, let's get out there and pretend we aren't both hard."

Tony threw his head back and groaned, trying to catch his breath. This guy was trouble with a capital T. "Not sure my imagination is that good." Tony would follow Mac anywhere, even though it was going to be apparent to his companion that they were both hard and what had happened in the bathroom. "Going to have to recite a lot of football stats to even think about getting this under control."

Mac grinned, quirking an eyebrow."I'm sure your imagination is very good. Will have to examine it at length later." He motioned to the door. "Better get out there. You ready?"

Taking a deep breath, and sliding his eyes down the other man's body, Tony was satisfied to see the hard-on Taylor was sporting. Tony knew he could somehow make this work and if not at least he wasn't alone "Yeah, I'm ready."

When they walked out, Mac had to smile—genuinely. Abby was curled up on Ethan's lap like she belonged there, Jet looking amused and more lighthearted than Mac had seen him in a long while. He crossed the room, making sure Tony was following.

"Hey Perky Goth." He turned, taking in Jet's expression and slipped into the booth beside him, brushing knees, fingertip stroking a thigh. They had to find a way. "You guys seem to have lost an agent in the bathroom. Ethan, you met Tony? Yeah, E. The Tony DiNozzo. He came to my rescue, thought I could be in danger. Turns out chivalry isn't dead. What are ya drinking, Tony?"

So this was Tony. Abby's Tony. "Hey, Tony. Ethan Grant." He'd have stood but Abby was firmly on his lap. "Mac and I work together and I'm attached to your forensic goddess."

"You're the hummy bear?" Tony knew that Abby had been dating someone, but she refused to introduce them. Something about keeping her boys separate and a potential apocalypse if they were to all get together for any length of time. He hadn't gotten too angry, because Abbs had never met any of his various girlfriends. "And I'll have Killians, no glass necessary."

Sitting down across from the lovebirds, Tony gave Abby a kiss on the cheek. "I can't believe after all this hiding of the Hummy Bear, I accidentally run into him. Should have known you couldn't keep us apart Abbs, and I don't see the world ending."

Ethan snorted. "The what? You call me the what, Abby?" He looked over at Mac and Jet, glad to see the two guys sitting near each other, Tony slipping in beside them.

"Be quiet Tony. Can't blame a girl for wanting to keep some secrets, it's what makes me mysterious." Squeezing Ethan's arm, she knew he understood. By keeping him a secret it was easier to keep Gibbs and Mac's secret. "No picking on Ethan, my knight in tarnished armor. You went after Mac to save him? Where is your trusty steed?"

"Tony calls you Hummy Bear, he thinks it's cute. I call you my significant other, or something else mature like a good girlfriend should." Actually, she had taken to calling him Hummy Bear, but only to Tony and if DiNozzo knew what was good for him, he'd keep that quiet.

"Why Hummy Bear, Abby? Pray tell..."

"It was Tony! He misunderstood me, although I'm not sure it wasn't intentional." Glaring at Tony, Abby wished she could throw something at him, but that was beneath her. "I said something about my honey, Tony heard hummy. He wouldn't let it go, so you became Hummy Bear."

Abby gave her best pouty look. "You don't mind do you, baby? I promise, not to call you that at home?"

"Rather be horny bear," Ethan muttered.

"You're always horny bear, but I'd rather not have that knowledge running around the lab. Don't want to have to fight off a bunch of agents." Kissing Ethan's cheek, she wiggled just a little. "It's one of the many things I love about you, Sweetie."

"At least that is a badge of courage. Being with you, a constant adventure. And stop squirming, Abby." He rested a hand on her ass, fingers twitching.

"But I like squirming." Abby gave a little wiggle, loving how Ethan caressed her, even though they were sitting with a group of people. "You don't need a badge to prove you're mine, Ethan. Tony can call you what ever he wants, and he will. But as long as I can call you mine, no other names matter."

He chuckled low. "I'm yours, Abby. Completely yours. Like it that way, even if you're driving me crazy right now." He was starting to ache and she knew it.

"Wouldn't be me if I weren't doing that." Abby wiggled one last time, and settled down, loving how well she fit against Ethan. "You've been such a good boy, I think you'll get something special once we get home. Or over to Gibbs' place, or into the back of a cab even. Depends on how drunk you get me tonight."

"Another round!" Ethan said with a naughty grin. "Though I dunno, think I'd rather be a bad boy. Don't they have a lot more fun?"

"Do you really need to have more fun then you already have with me? I don't really have a preference of good boy versus bad boy with you baby. Just as long as you're a boy, I could care less." Abby kissed Ethan, knowing Gibbs and Mac wouldn't look twice at them and Tony could just deal. "Good boys get sex in cabs, or under boats in a friend's basement, bad boys get those things, but it involves cuffs. Well, even if you're good, you might get the fur lined leather cuffs at home. If you're bad, might just have to snatch a pair from Gibbs, and you know his quality isn't as good as mine."

"I see Gibbs as the steel kind of guy. We'll have to ask..." He trailed off abruptly. He couldn't exactly out Gibbs to Tony now could he. "So what you're saying, Perky Goth, is that I'm getting lucky whatever I do, so I don't have to work for it."

"No, no working now. You're definitely going to get what ever you want tonight. Now, I expect lots of work later tonight." It was always good between them, but Abby was getting that there was some undercurrent that she was missing. Whatever it was, she was glad it was there. They were electric. "I'm not sure I want to know that Gibbs has shackles for a mini dungeon. I know a lot, but there are just some things a girl doesn't need to know about her boss."

Ethan chuckled, nodding. "Yeah, the Gibbs with the military bearing and repression doesn't quite match this Gibbs, does it?"

Ethan nodded to Tony. "Been wanting to meet Abby's best friend for a while. I met Jethro through Mac and Abby through ... I guess you too, Mac. Didn't know Jethro then. Mac and I co-own a company."

"I've been wanting to meet you too. Anyone who is serious about my Abbs needs to be vetted. Want to make sure she's being taken care of, although from the little I've seen I'd say she is." Tony wasn't sure what he had expected, but Ethan wasn't it. Abby usually stuck with guys who were more like her than a regular guy. "But know, if you do anything to hurt her, you'll have to deal with me. Not even Gibbs would be able to save you."

Ethan chuckled. "Tony, no offense, but Mac and I are elite fighting trainers. You'll have your hands full, not that I plan on ever doing anything to hurt my dark princess." He knew he wasn't what Tony would have expected. "Kind of like seeing her with Gibbs or Mac, huh? Nobody at this table is Abby's typical type."

"Abbs with Gibbs? No, can't say I would have thought to go there." Not in a million years, and that Abby hadn't told him was disappointing. "You're holding out on me more than I thought you were, Abbs. First not sharing your man with me, now you and Gibbs?"

Ethan smirked. "Abby's been close to everyone at this table but it's up to her if she wants to kiss or not kiss and tell."

"Not drunk enough to kiss and tell." Abby winked at Tony, knowing that she'd have to tell Tony now that the cat was out of the bag. "Another night, you and me and a bottle of tequila, Tony."

"And one of us to make sure the story stays accurate," Mac replied.

"You just like watching, Mac. Don't need to keep the story accurate; all you need to know is that it happened. And it only happens if Hummy Bear says it can."

"Stop telling the boys our secrets, Abby," Mac teased back. This was ... he had hope now. He was starting to relax even though his full attention wasn't on Jet and his lover was being silent, he could feel a little of Jet's tension lessening.

"You two are the one who started telling secrets. I may have confirmed it, but I'm not the one who started it." There wasn't much that Abby wouldn't share with Tony, but she hadn't mentioned that weekend. It would have only lead to more questions and it wasn't her story to tell. "If it happens, you're just going to have to trust that you'll hear the full story."

Mac arched an eyebrow. "You don't kiss and tell. If you did, we'd all know a lot more about you and E." He nudged Tony's shoulder. "She's holding out on you, my friend."

"Why do you think I had to come up with an obnoxious name for her boyfriend? If she wasn't going to put out, I was going to antagonize her until she started talking." It was obvious that Abby was happy and in a healthy relationship, and that no straight jacket would be needed. "But now that she's opened the door, I plan on getting to know her hummy bear very well. He needs to know that there are people looking out for Abbs, and that one false move will land him in a world of hurt."

"You have two sitting beside you. Jet's as protective of Abby as he is of Kelly and that should put the fear of God into Ethan even though he hasn't met my beautiful goddaughter yet."

"Maybe next time she's home, we can get her to come out with all of us." Tony would like that, even if nothing more happened between him and Mac. "We cant keep Little Gibbs all to ourselves, she's too special not to share. She'll be pretty upset that I got to meet Abby's boy toy before she did. We've been speculating on if he had as many piercings as Abs does. She said he was pretty straight laced, but there's a lot of room when someone as special as Abby says that."

Mac eyed Ethan. "Seen it all. No piercings unless they're hiding." When he realized what he'd said, he colored slightly. "Not the way you think, Tony. Ethan and I co-own a company. We teach elite fighting techniques. As a result ... you know how things go when group of guys works out. Gets sweaty."

"Yeah, I figured that's what you meant." Although Tony couldn't help but notice how Abby's eyes glazed over at the idea. "I'll make note of that, no piercings. Must mean some hidden tats. Unless Abbs has been holding out on us and has a fetish for normal guys. I guess it could happen."

"I have no comment there," Mac said with a smirk.

"Stop it, you two" Ethan warned with a chuckle. "Two, Tony. Only two."

"Not embarrassing at all, for a squid," Mac shot back.

"Leave him alone, all of you. I like him just the way he is, even if it's less inked then me." Abby glared at her friends, knowing that it wouldn't stop them from picking at Ethan, but it might slow them down.

"And I've got the feeling that's our owe and only warning, gentleman. May need to lay off a little." Tony was aware you could only push Abby so far before she started to make plans of where to hide the body. "He seems okay to me, with or without tattoos and I don't really care where he did his military time as long as he treats my girl well."

"Your girl?" Gibbs asked, arching an eyebrow. This lightheartedness was relaxing the tension away and he felt comfortable jumping in. He winked at Abby. "Just never expected you to be with a repressed, middle aged guy like us."

"I like my men older. They're easier to train." Abby said with a laugh, knowing Ethan was pretty much un-trainable. "Not that any of you are really repressed either. You put on a good show, but I know better."

"Speak for yourself," Mac said with a chuckle. "Ethan and I aren't old and gray."

Jethro rolled his eyes. "See, Tony? They prepare me to deal with you."

"Then I should be thanking the lot of them. I've never seen you cuff Abbs though." Tony was glad he was out of range, but scooted just a little further over to make sure. "I didn't think anyone could help prepare you for me. I'm one of a kind, aren't I, Boss?"

"You're something all right, DiNozzo. Haven't worked out just what yet." He gave the man a significant look, promising a headslap later.