The Death of Tony DiNozzo.
All things come to an end.
Yelps, cries, and even protests could always be heard from time to time from team-Gibbs' area. Other agents noting that once more, Agent Tony DiNozzo was nine times out of ten at the centre.
However, something they had never really heard were the heated words and the anger behind each word that was hurled.
Tim McGee and Ziva David, of course, were most confused, because of all the years of knowing both men, they had never seen Tony angry at Gibbs.
"DiNozzo," Gibbs' dry warning only seemed to fuel the younger agent's rage; something that was clear in the way his fists tightened by his side. Abby Sciuto stood on the side lines looking torn between fighting for the two men in her life or just hitting them both hard.
"WHAT?" Tony spat, glaring at the older agent who collected his thoughts while Ziva and McGee watched with raised eyebrows at them.
"I'm back, and Rota isn't where you belong," Gibbs snapped, causing everyone snap their eyes towards the usually calm agent.
"How would you know? You left... us... the team. Now, suddenly, you know what's best for us all?" Tony questioned, causing Gibbs to look down with a hint of shame while Abby glanced at Tony with a look of heart break.
"We needed you, but you abandoned us, and now you think you can order us around?" Tony snarled stepping forward into Gibbs space causing everyone to collect their breaths waiting for the outcome.
"Tony," Gibbs didn't sound like the strong leader they had all come to know; but instead, sounded almost broken. "I'm still your boss," Gibbs pointed out.
Tony searched the older man's face for something before he stepped back and glared. "Really?" Tony demanded before he spun and stalked towards his desk. With confused looks, everyone inched forward to see what the special agent had in mind.
Glancing towards Gibbs both McGee and Ziva watched as he sadly looked at the younger agent.
"I quit," Tony spat as he ripped his badge from his belt, throwing it on the desk along with his gun. Glaring at Gibbs once more, Tony shook his head. "You know I'm used to people walking out of my life. I've decided I might try it myself," Tony declared before he turned and stalked towards the stairs where he slammed the door open and left everyone to stare in confusion at the only man who they thought would have the answer.
But among those watching, only three saw the true heartbreak that radiated from Gibbs as he stood looking defeated.
A sob brought them all back to the seriousness of the moment, all eyes now focused on the Gothic Lab Tech who let the tears stream down her cheeks leaving black marks in their trail. "Fix this," she ordered as her eyes fixed on Gibbs who stared hard at the ground. With one last sob she raced towards the exit leaving only a stun silence in her wake.
With the anger of Tony, the silence emitting from the lab hadn't really surprised Ziva and McGee; only caused the knot to grow in their stomachs. Something was wrong and they were determined to find out what. Not only for what was confusion coursing through their systems, but guilt because they had been the hardest on Tony during his time a leader.
Both agents stopped when they found the hunched figure of Abby as she stood before her desk, staring into space as though nothing outside of her own mind had made an impression on her.
"Abby," Ziva said softly as she approached the younger woman with stealth as though she was approaching a dangerous suspect.
"Abs," McGee called in a stronger voice causing Abby to spin and stare at the pair with a startled deer look.
The black streaks stood out against her pale skin causing the pair to frown at the pain clear in her face. "I don't look my best," Abby whispered as Ziva sighed and shook her head already moving to her side while McGee shuffled his feet.
"You look fine. We wished to ask you what happened between Gibbs and Tony? Would that be okay?" Ziva questioned. Abby shrugged and lowered her eyes.
"We can't reach Tony," McGee told her.
Abby shook her head sniffing back another set of tears."He's thinking... when he gets like this he will be thinking," Abby whispered, and Ziva shot McGee a look.
"Abby you know what is going on between Gibbs and Tony?" McGee questioned as Abby shifted her feet refusing to look at the pair.
"Abby if there is something we must know, then you must tell us," Ziva prompted.
Abby stepped away from the pair and held herself. "I can't; I promised... Tony's just upset, and once Gibbs talks to him, then I'm sure everything will be fixed and Tony will be back," Abby declared, as though trying to convince herself.
"Tony quit, Abby," McGee declared.
Abby shook her head and looked at him with defiance causing the man to gulp at the look. "No.. no you don't understand, McGee. Tony is coming back," Abby stated. Slowly, McGee threw a look towards Ziva who sighed and looked at Abby closely.
"What has happened between Tony and Gibbs for Tony to react like that, Abby?" Ziva questioned causing Abby to shake her head, refusing to look at either of them.
"Tell them, Abs," all three quickly snapped their eyes towards Gibbs who stood watching his team and family closely.
"Gibbs..."
"I've just told Jenny," Gibbs admitted, causing Abby to stare at him with shock while Ziva and McGee looked on with confusion.
"But I thought they said we couldn't stay together?" Abby insisted.
Gibbs nodded before walking over to her with a small smile lighting his lips. "Morrow wouldn't allow us to stay together if it got out. Jenny is willing to fight for us on this," Gibbs told her. Abby studied him for a moment, reading his face, before a smile spread across her face and she leapt into his arms.
"Um, Boss?" McGee started, but a look from Gibbs forced him to clamp his mouth shut.
"Abby, you better tell them... I have to find Tony," Gibbs said, peeling Abby away from him before she spun and grinned at her friends.
"Tony and I are adopted... We're brother and sister," Abby gushed causing both of the agents to stare at her with shock and disbelief.
"Gibbs adopted us. When I was nine, my parents died, and I was sent to live with a foster family," Abby explained before she clung to Gibbs. He smiled at his daughter. "When I got there, it was Gibbs and Shannon and Tony," Abby rattled off causing Gibbs to glance at his agents, only to squeeze Abby tightly.
"Pace yourself, Abs," Gibbs ordered as Abby nodded with a eager smile.
"I had to change my name, McGee, because they wouldn't let me work here with Gibbs as my dad," Abby declared as McGee opened and closed his mouth. "It wasn't that bad with me, but Tony had to go through hell, and well..." Abby shrugged before hugging Gibbs tighter while Ziva and McGee attempted to take in this new information.
"Abby, talk... I have to find Tony," Gibbs ordered. Abby nodded, releasing her father who looked at Ziva then McGee. "This doesn't change anything; we're still a team," Gibbs declared. Both agents nodded in acceptance, causing Gibbs to give them a firm nod in response, before turning and walking out of the lab.
Out of all the people he had ever met, he knew he hated Anthony DiNozzo more then anyone. Laughing, Tony drained his father's booze from his glass before looking at the boat.
That was a lie. Tony knew he hated his biological father more. But at that moment, he hated Tony DiNozzo more.
DiNozzo senior was a tyrant, and once Tony's mother died, he took his anger out on his only child who, at the age of eight, knew nothing of the way a father was meant to act. He thought the beatings were meant to make him better. It was Gibbs who proved to him that being a father wasn't about beating the goodness into a child, but rather proving the child had that in them anyway.
Glancing at the bottle, Tony decided the best way to work through this was by following Gibbs' lead. Where Abby could express everything she needed to, Tony was closed off. Abby always said that Tony was Gibbs' son.
"The boat will be finished in no time," Tony screwed his eyes shut and leaned against the boat. He had said horrible things to his father. Anthony DiNozzo had been abandoned by his mother, his father, his adoptive mother and then Gibbs had walked out on him.
He wanted to say a lot more to Gibbs, but some part of him knew he was taking it out on the wrong person.
"I'm sorry," Tony muttered opening his eyes to focus on the boat, listening to Gibbs dropping something on the table before removing his coat.
"Rule number-"
"No rules, Dad..." he interrupted. "I was out of line, as an agent," Tony declared, turning to see his father nodding in agreement with him.
"As an agent, you were, and I expected a lot more from you because I taught you better. But," Gibbs grabbed some sand paper and an envelope before walking around the boat, "As a son, you were doing what felt right," Gibbs admitted as Tony shook his head. "I left, Tony. You get to be pissed off about that," Gibbs admitted as Tony stared at him.
"You think I'm mad because you left me?" Tony questioned as Gibbs shrugged watching him closely causing Tony to shake his head. "I'm used to it... but Abby has always had you, and when she questioned my leadership skills she pointed out in a big way that I could never be you... I could never look after her like you do," Tony declared as Gibbs nodded encouraging the younger man to continue. "That hurt more than Ziva and McGee, because even though I was taught to protect them, I never had to fear failing like I did with Abby," Tony declared as Gibbs nodded once more.
"I never left you," Gibbs stated. Tony snorted before grabbing a planer and began working on the boat. "I never left you or Abby," Gibbs said. Tony glared at the boat before throwing the planer down and turned away from Gibbs.
"And that is what you don't understand isn't it...? I never left you, and even when I made you senior agent, I still came back. After all these years, my leaving NCIS was what you had been waiting for," Gibbs declared as he watched Tony's shoulder sag.
"My father gave me up... he didn't want me," Tony muttered as Gibbs sighed and closed his eyes for a second before looking back to his son. "I got used to it... not being wanted... you left."
"I came back," Gibbs cut in, causing Tony to turn and stare at him. "I came back because you're my son and Abby is my daughter... Despite that you two are capable of looking after yourself, I wasn't ready to let go. I never left you, Tony. I was training you to stand on your own," Gibbs explained as Tony gulped and looked down.
With a sigh Gibbs put the envelope on the boat and gave Tony a look.
"What's that?" Tony questioned fear now settling in as his actions finally hit him with a logical slap. He had quit and he had yelled at his boss.
"Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo couldn't quit my team," Gibbs declared as Tony plucked the envelope from it's spot and opened it to find an NCIS ID. "He couldn't if he didn't exist," Gibbs declared with a smile as Tony pulled the ID out and found it read Special Agent Anthony Gibbs. With a smirk, Tony looked at Gibbs, who smiled, proudly.
"You have to call Abby," Gibbs ordered as Tony groaned and slipped the ID back into the envelope. With a grin, Gibbs headed towards the stairs, giving Tony a look to follow him.
When Tony complied and followed him, Gibbs gently slapped him around the back of the head.
"HEY!" Tony yelped as Gibbs gave him a look. Tony rubbed the slightly sore spot, and smirked at his father.
"I told you not to make your sister cry again," Gibbs scolded. Tony laughed, nodding, and followed his father upstairs.
Three days later
Tony glared at his sister who simply ignored him as she stared mournfully at the small hole in the Gibbs back yard.
"Abbs," Tony started, but Ziva elbowed him and McGee sent him a reproachful look.
"We are happy that Anthony DiNozzo has finally found peace and that his passing was quick," Abby declared as the rest ducked their heads. "He was a somewhat misguided young man. But he was our friend, none the less. DiNozzo was a strong man and he was loyal to his friends. Though often annoying and a very pigheaded, he had his good qualities," Abby announced ignoring her brother's glare. "May DiNozzo rest in peace," Abby finished before she looked to Tony and nodded towards the hole, causing him to roll his eyes before stepping forward and pulling an ID card from his pocket.
Staring at the name, 'DiNozzo,' for a few moments, Tony smiled, then tossed the card into the hole; Abby threw a white rose in, on top on if it.
"Ashes to ashes," Abby declared before McGee grabbed a shovel and began filling in the hole.
"Abbs you didn't have to do this," Tony declared before his sister smiled up at him and wrapped her arm around his.
"Of course I did. I never liked DiNozzo, and sadly his time had come. I think Tony Gibbs will make a wonderful replacement," Abby declared as Tony hugged her to him. He glanced to the house to see Gibbs standing on the porch, smiling at his family.
Anthony DiNozzo disappeared when a big hearted man and wife, known as Leroy Jethro and Shannon Gibbs, adopted him. Anthony Gibbs wanted to prove he could make it without his father's help. DiNozzo cleared that way. But his time had come.
Now team Gibbs was more then just a team... they were a family.
And Anthony Gibbs was finally home.
The End
A/N: This has been edited and should be easier to read. Hope you enjoy this and thank you to Xenascully once more.