AN Okay here goes nothing – I know this has been a long time coming and it's not fully planned out but I decided if I didn't do something about this story soon then it was never going to happen. Sequel to Agent Down but can stand alone.
Chapter 1
Kate Todd glanced for the umpteenth time into the rear view mirror of the car as the team headed towards Baltimore and couldn't help feeling concerned for he colleague. Tony was usually a total motor mouth on these trips talking no stop and driving both her and Gibbs insane with his constant, usually inane babble. Today however, they'd been on the road for almost half an hour, were more then half way to their destination and DiNozzo and hardly uttered a word. Usually he would be sitting up front with Gibbs but today he'd almost dived into the back seat leaving her to ride shot gun and he'd simply stared out the window lost in his own thoughts whatever they may be.
'I'm fine Kate,' his voice startled her and she turned in her seat to look at him over her shoulder.
'Oh, Really!' she arched an eyebrow.
'Yes really,' he continued to stare out the window.
Realising that he was going to say nothing further at this point in time Kate turned back to stare out the front windscreen of the car but not before casting a glance at their boss who surely must be as concerned as she was.
She was correct in her assumption for Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs was concerned about the younger man. The way he was behaving was totally out of character and Gibbs couldn't help but think that maybe the DiNozzo had been cleared for a return to work far too early. After all he'd suffered serious injuries in the attack that had almost killed him and the normally buoyant, talkative and effervescent man had been sullen and silent since they'd left DC.
'Tony,' he kept his eyes on the road.
'I'm fine boss,' Tony sighed pulling his gaze from the passing scenery, the first time he'd actually stopped looking out the window the entire trip. 'Really I am.'
Gibbs didn't believe him for one moment and the special agent, former marine's mind was working overtime in an attempt to figure out what was going in Anthony DiNozzo's head at this moment.
'Whatever you say,' Gibbs said simply. He knew something was wrong and he also knew that Tony wasn't willing to share, at least not yet but Gibbs knew that whatever was bothering his agent it was in Baltimore and was part of the past that Tony kept well hidden.
Tony sighed and turned his attention back to the window, he knew that Gibbs and Kate were concerned and he probably should tell them about the memories that haunted him. Then again they'd find out before the case was over, this part of his past was something that wasn't going to be a secret for too much longer.
He really thought he'd moved on, and in a way he had. Well not in a good way even he knew that, he'd become a different person since leaving this town he was now returning to. He'd lost control to a point, and the persona he presented to others, the skirt chasing, juvenile jokester was a part that he now played to well but in a way it was a shield of sorts. He didn't want to be hurt again and that was why, much to Kate's disgust, he would go from one so called conquest to the other.
Well to be honest being hurt wasn't exactly the right terminology, but he'd once loved so deeply and completely and he'd lost that love of his life and he didn't want to have to experience that sort of pain again. It was far better to be alone, to allow everyone to think him a complete skirt chasing, juvenile ass then…
'DiNOZZO!'
'Yes boss,' he was pulled away from his musings.
'Were you listening to me? No of course you weren't'
'Sorry boss.'
Gibbs simply grunted. 'I asked if you knew a Captain Brad Kramer.'
'I know him boss. I worked with him in Homicide. What has he got to do with this?'
'Everything,' he was the one who called us in when Petty officer David Harvey's body was discovered.'
'David Harvey?' Tony sat up straighter. 'God Dave Harvey is dead?'
'DiNozzo is there something you're not telling me?' Gibbs eyes in the rear view mirror met Tony's'
'No I just use to hang out with the guy,' Tony replied. 'It was a lie and he knew he was going to be found out but he couldn't tell Gibbs the truth, at least not just yet.
Gibbs sighed. He did not believe DiNozzo for one moment but he would find out what was going on. After all, he always did.