"Finally, it's finished." Special Agent Anthony 'Tony' DiNozzo thought to himself leaning back in his chair. The case was closed, his report was written and sitting on Gibbs' desk, waiting for him to get in the next morning and all without letting on to the fact that it was his birthday 2 days ago. He closed his eyes and sighed. One of these days he really should tell somebody, but the possibility of them agreeing to go out for a few drinks with him out of pity was too high and too painful. No, it was better this way. There was no reason for anyone to care anyway, the last real birthday he had had was just before his mum died. Tony got up from his desk grabbing his backpack on the way out. Yes, this was better, he would go to the local bar, have a few stiff drinks, then head home to spend what remained of the night with Magnum until he fell asleep.
The next morning he walks into the bullpen where he is met by Ducky who appears to require an immediate audience down in autopsy. He dumps his bag next to his desk and dutifully followed the elderly M.E. down to autopsy.
"So, what's up Ducky?"
"Tony," he slowly replied, "why did you not tell anyone about your birthday?"
"How did you find out it was my birthday, Ducky?" Tony replied avoiding the question.
"I was looking through your file and noticed, but don't try that avoiding game with me, dear boy, it will not get you far."
"Well, we were busy with the case and I guess it just slipped my mind." He shrugged tentatively.
"Anthony, we both know that is not the real reason, now, out with it."
"Fine, Duck, I didn't tell anyone because I would have felt obligated to do something with them and I didn't want them to agree to have a few drinks with me out of pity, or worse, just not show at all. That would be worse than spending my birthday processing a murder scene, then to go home and spending the evening with me Magnum and some beer. I just couldn't take the pity or the rejection."
"When was the last time you had a proper birthday, Anthony?" Ducky asked softly.
Pain flashed across his face briefly before returning to the jovial mask that they all knew to well. "Well, it would have had to have been just before my mum died."
"Oh, Tony, I am sorry."
"What for, Ducky?" Tony asked, feigning ignorance in hopes of returning this conversation to a more comfortable ground.
"I am sorry that none of us ever thought to ask, that you feel that we would not care or would just pity you, but you are short guessing your friends, my boy, and they do not deserve that any more than you deserve to spend your birthday alone in your apartment."
"Ah, don't worry about it, Ducky. I'm fine, but I won't be for long if I don't get back up there soon."
Ducky smiled at this and let the younger man go, his mind already planning a nice little surprise for their friend and he knew just the person to help him fix it. He chuckled a little; Tony would be in for a surprise by the time Abby was done.
As Tony came back up to the bullpen he heard the familiar call coming from his boss' mouth.
"Gear up. We got a dead Lieutenant at the park."
Tony hurried over to his desk grabbing his gun, badge and bag as he ran over to the elevator jumping in just before the doors slid shut.
They got to the park in record time, as Ziva had insisted on driving. He hopped out of the car and stood still for a minute trying to get his stomach to settle down. Ziva sauntered over and gave him a cheeky smile.
"Something the matter, Tony?" She asked coyly.
"No, Zee-vah, I am fine. I mean why would I not be it is not like I just had one of the scariest experiences of my life!" Tony replied his sarcasm coming to the fore.
"DiNozzo, David, ya coming?" Gibbs said.
"On your six, boss." Tony said standing up quickly and following Gibbs.
Ziva merely followed in silence.
"Right, DiNozzo bag and tag, David, photos, McGee sketches."
The elevator dinged as the MCRT team walked back into the bullpen. Tony and Ziva were arguing again this time about music.
"You never told me you were into music Tony." Ziva said.
"You never asked." Tony replied smartly.
"What type of music?" She asked smoothly, stepping fractionally closer to Tony as she did.
Tony just ignored her and said, "that is for me to know and you to never find out."
Ziva snorted and walked over to her desk glaring at Tony over the top of her computer. An email from Abby suddenly popped up on Ziva's computer simultaneously with one popping up on McGee's. She was asking them to go down to the lab and make sure Tony stayed in the bullpen. At the same time Gibb's cell phone rang. It was Abby giving him the same message.
"I'm going for lunch" McGee said, standing up from his desk. "You want anything guys."
A chorus of no's resounded followed by a crack from Tony.
"Wow, McPorkchop and they think I eat." He smirked at the now blushing Probie.
McGee hurried over to the elevator, his head down. Gibb's just got up and went to follow McGee.
"Where you going, boss?" Tony asked in a petulant voice.
"Coffee run." was the monotone reply.
"I also must go, Tony." Ziva said quietly. "I need to check with Ducky about something."
"Oh, okay then." Tony sighed and leaned back in his chair. Then sat forward again, he could at least have something to show Gibb's when he got back.
Down in Abby's lab the excited Goth was bouncing wildly in front of her computer her piggy tails swinging madly back and forth. When she heard the elevator ding, goodness only knows how with her music so loud, she whirled around in a blur of black hair and white lab coat her smile at full blast,
"Gibbs! Yay, you guys came. O.K. so this is the deal, Tony had a birthday a few days ago but nobody knew or has ever know except maybe you Gibbs because you know everything, but nobody knew and Tony's last birthday celebration was just before his mum died and Ducky and I are planning a party..."
"Abs. Abby!" Gibbs yelled. "Slow down. What's this all about?"
"Well Tony has never celebrated his birthday or told anybody it is his birthday since just before his mum died and when Ducky found out and confronted Tony he decided to throw him a late surprise party and enlisted my help because I am good with stuff like that. Anyway, I need you guys to help in setting a date seeing as you are all coming."
"Okay, Abby. Firstly when are you planning on having this ideally?" McGee asked, sounding slightly confused.
"Well, I was hoping tonight." She replied smiling sheepishly, her eyes glowing with hope and enthusiasm. An enthusiasm which apparently no-one could bear to smother because they all said they were available, and asked what time. Abby's grin stretched from ear to ear as she explained her plans.
Vrrrr, vrrrr. Tony's cell phone vibrated on his belt, still on silent from his attempt at uninterrupted silence and concentration required for his paperwork spree last night. He yanked it off his belt slightly annoyed at the interruption.
"DiNozzo." He said, his customary greeting on his work phone, it made him sound official, made people take him slightly more seriously than his other greeting of Hello Very Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo speaking, how can I help you? Also it was considerably quicker. However the voice on the phone sounded anything but serious.
"Ahhhh, the legendary DiNozzo at last." The voice said tauntingly.
"Who are you, what do you want?" Tony demanded.
"Well, Tony, may I call you Tony? I would like to propose a deal." The voice replied. Tony shook his head, may I call you Tony? How corny can this guy get and he would have told him were he not starting to get a very bad feeling about this.
"What kind of deal?" He said suspiciously.
"The kind that says you meet me, alone, at the corner of Maple and Ann Street in 25 minutes or you won't like what happens to this little girl and her mummy I found. Say hello sweetie."
"Daddy?" she said tentatively, sounding scared. Tony froze, his blood draining from his face as the voice registered. "Daddy, is that you?"
"Jessica, is that you honey, are you all right? Talk to me sweetie." Tony felt beads of sweat start to form on his head.
"Tony?" a new voice called, "He has a gun, we're tied up but currently unharmed."
"Lorraine, Lorri! If you hurt her…" Tony's words were now directed at the disembodied voice at the other end of the line.
"Oh, she is fine." The leering voice on the other end of the phone said. "As for how long she remains that way is entirely up to you."
The phone clicked and the dull drone of the dial tone filled his ears. Tony sat there for a minute staring at the phone in his hands before he leapt up from his seat grabbing his bag, badge, and gun before running over to the elevator. He jabbed his finger into the button several times like that alone could make it come faster. The doors finally opened and the rest of Team Gibbs stepped out taking note of Tony's pale face. Gibbs was the first to speak.
"What is it, DiNozzo?"
"They've got them, boss, they've got them, I have to go now, quickly, get out of the way." Tony muttered.
"Who has who, DiNozzo? What are you talking about?"
"I don't know who has her they just rung me and said I have twenty-five minutes to meet him or he will hurt Jessica and Lorri. I need to go now, so will you please get out of the way." His anger coming to the fore as he let the last shards of his permanent mask slip away, revealing the raw emotion in his core. Who ever it was, this news had shaken him to the entirely.
"Who is Jessica, and who is Lorri?" He persisted ignoring the impatience on his senior field agent's face as he continued to block his path into the elevator.
"My daughter and her mother," he yelled, "now get out of the way, now!"
"Okay, DiNozzo I want to hear the whole story but I realise that right you do not have the time, so I will just come with you, you can tell me on the way."
"No! I have to go alone."
"DiNozzo." Gibbs said warningly.
"Fine, you won't get out of way, I'll take the stairs."
"Stop!" Gibb's voice had a commanding air to it, "I have a plan okay, Ziva, you and Tim go now to that address and set up a good vantage point in a nearby building, I will go with you and be close enough to be of assistance with out being close enough to be recognised. We will get there in 5 minutes if we push it. DiNozzo you leave with us now but take your car and drive there at a more sedate pace. With luck we will be able to grab the two girls and shoot the guy."
"Okay," came the simple answer. Gibb's was impressed by the trust he saw in those eyes, this man was entrusting him with the lives of his daughter and her mother.
"Right, let's go."