Title: What's in A Friend?

Characters: Anthony DiNozzo, Bert

Prompt/Challenge: #476 "Bert"

Rating: G

Word Count: 477

Warning/Spoilers/Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS. Spoiler for Season 3 episode 24, "Hiatus (Part ||)"

AN: This was written for Livejournal's NCIS Drabble community: If you would like the link, just message me, cant put it here.

What's in A Friend?

This was the longest 2 weeks of his life; well if he didn't count the time when he was 10 and sent away to some clogging camp. Gibbs had left them all to go "live it up", down in Mexico, leaving him with a "You'll do." Like those words inspire hope.

Tony could see how Gibbs' leaving has affected the team. Ziva and McGee's biting remarks have become scathing, Ducky became withdrawn, and Abby hasn't stopped grieving.

Whenever he walked into her usual deafening lab, it was to silence and an armful of a tearful Abby. He tried to lighten the mood and give them familiarity, but all that had earned him was a, "You're not Gibbs!" and "Why should we listen to some frat-boy?" He knew that he still hid behind and projected that image of a flirty frat-boy, but he thought that they finally saw past that by now; guess he was wrong. Tony sighed as he got off the elevator. "I guess they'll never see past it."

The SFA, now turned, Senior Agent, mumbled as he walked into Abby's lab. It was dark and eerily quiet, being that it was 1am, he wasn't totally surprised. Tony didn't know how it started, maybe he had gone looking for someone to listen and not judge him for not being Gibbs.

He had started to go down towards Autopsy, but he didn't want to bother the mourning ME, so he had made his way to Abby's lab, to find it empty and dark. He couldn't remember why he had gone, but he was thankful that he had.

He found a confidant of sorts in the one person that wouldn't criticize him. Bert. Abby's stuffed, farting hippo.

At first he thought it was weird, sitting next to the refrigerator holding onto the stuffed animal like a lifeline and spilling his guts.

Now though, he couldn't bring himself to care. When things became rough after a case and the comments got to be too much, even for him, Tony found himself confiding in his farting friend.

Tony grabs Bert and does his best to get comfortable on the cold tiled floor as he talks out the days frustrations.

"Y'know Bert, I don't think I can do this anymore, the looks, the snide comments, the tears, maybe I should transfer?" Tony glanced around the darkened room and let out a strained sigh. "Can't they see that I miss Gibbs just as much as them?"

Tony squeezed the Hippo, making it release a long farting sound.

"You're absolutely right, Bert, I'm not Gibbs, but I can do this, I shouldn't run away." Tony stands to his feet and sets Bert back in his rightful place and turns to leave the lab.

"Thanks Bert, for everything." Tony whispers and he left with his heart lighter and ready for anything thrown his way.

Thank you therocketscientist for telling me about my timeline mixup! For some reason those episodes blurred a bit in my head.

~Ninjapirate101