Four-leaved clover

Chapter 21 - Faith

"Why haven't you been at the Office?" DiNozzo questioned, his thumb sliding down the side of the paper mug filled with hot coffee. His eyes were locked on the redhead across the table who focused on her own coffee in her hands.

His eyebrows furrowed with the silence, not liking this. "Liv?"

Sighing, Olivia closed her eyes, "Isn't it obvious?"

Tony blinked, deeply worried. "So... Is it my fault?"

"What?" Now it was Olivia's turn to raise her brows confused.

He shrugged and leaned back in his seat, eyes watching her, "Well, I thought that you were so hurt about my action that you probably were considering leaving us?"

Olivia coughed as she choked on her coffee.

"Are you serious? Really, Tony?" she coughed and wiped her chin, shaking her head. "I'm still mad at you for keeping me out of the loop about Gibbs but you are certainly not the reason for my absence at NCIS."

"I'm not following."

"Clearly not. First of, I needed and still need time to digest all this with Gibbs and secondly, I didn't have it in me to face Col. Mann in case she would linger around. And then I really just needed a break," Olivia clarified.

Tony watched her for a moment, carefully placing down his cup, "So, you are not leaving NCIS?"

Olivia's lips moved into a half crookedly smile when looking at him. "Didn't you just listen to me? As charming and annoying as you can be, Tony. No, you won't get rid of me that easily."

"You find me charming?" he smirked.

Rolling her eyes at him, she shook her head and took another sip of her coffee.

When their eyes met, they both started to laugh. Olivia couldn't remember last time she laughed like this but it sure felt good.

She wiped some tears away, cleared her throat once the laughter had subsided and smiled at Tony. "Thank you," she reached for his hand and gently squeezed it, gratitude plastered all over her face.

"Anytime, Liv," Tony replied with an honest smile, happy that she was back.

~ ~ ~

His eyes snapped open and he started to struggle against the tube down his throat, his body fighting to breathe on its own.

"Easy, Sir. Please, calm down," a nurse tried to keep him down. A doctor rushed to her aid and whilst Gibbs struggled within their grasp, they quickly and with skilled hands removed the tube from his throat. He gasped and then coughed harshly. The nurse quickly placed the oxygen mask over his nose and mouth - once again trying to soothe him calmly.

Gibbs looked around bewildered, panic still evident in his blue hues as he tried to make sense of the situation he was in.

"Welcome back, Agent Gibbs. We've been waiting quite some time for you to wake up," the doctor spoke calmly as he pressed the stethoscope onto Gibbs' chest, listening to his heartbeat.

The questioning look on Jethro's face had the doctor draw in a breath, "You were in an explosion."

Only slowly did the words sink in but in the end he understood and gradually did his pulse ease along with his breathing.

"How lo-," Gibbs coughed since his throat was sore and hurt when speaking.

"Almost six weeks, Agent Gibbs," the doctor answered him while scribbling down on the paper on the cardboard.

He blinked taken aback by that information. Nearly six weeks. Lots of questions started to fill his mind and he closed his eyes, trying to get control over the chaos that started to unfold.