A/N: A story that came from watching Baltimore and practically crying over the "could haves" in Tony's life. So, this is what happens. It is short and sweet and has a bit of spoilers from Tuesday's episode.
It would be so easy to get rid of it. Tony had already systematically demolished his desk mere hours, or was it days, before. The trash was already eyeing things Tony should have gotten rid of years ago but had never had the heart to throw away.
A receipt to the first time Gibbs had let him gas and drive the car.
A movie stub to the first show he had convinced Kate to watch with him.
A plane ticket that was never able to be used and the coffee wrap to the first mug of tea Tim had gotten him as a friend.
A box with a ring that was two sizes two small, like his heart had been after that had broken apart.
Multiple drawings and doodles from a decade of working at NCIS and all of it nice and neat in his desk, waiting to be looked at.
And in the mix of all of those things, a Mighty Mouse stapler. Small but efficient, something that Tony had gotten right before meeting Boss. Something he had gotten right before-
He had loved the stapler more than any medal. To his friends from before, if they still wanted to talk to him after what he had done today, or more aptly, who he had arrested today, knew what the stapler meant to him.
It meant that someone cared, that to someone out there, Tony had done something that mattered.
Tony looked at the small stapler, and knew if he tossed it, Ducky who frown and sigh, wishing that he had gotten it instead.
Scowling as the feelings of betrayal and despair overwhelmed him, Tony grabbed the stapler and stormed out of the bullpen, no one would notice anyway they were all at home sleeping being that it was currently three in the morning.
Walking down the stairs and hurrying past the night guard, Tony opened the janitor's door to the back lot and made his way towards the large dumpster that was sitting there with the lid open, waiting for its prize.
Tony hated thinking of the past, much like he hated thinking about the little boy who had stood by the graveside, trying to understand why.
Huffing once as the smiling super power endowed mouse stared back at him, Tony looked at the trash and lifted his arm to throw it away. To throw all the feelings of that away.
Ah but then.
Tightening his grip on the stapler, Tony closed his eyes, letting that memory hit him.
The poor kid. He'd almost lost him, way back when in Baltimore. It had been Tony's last day of his two week notice and his bags were packed and he had come in for his last shift.
Kid hadn't been a day over nine and Tony had almost lost him on his last day in Baltimore.
Ah but then.
"Look at this, you see? It's Mighty Mouse. As long as he's around, no one is going to hurt you, not here kid, I promise."
"I know he doesn't look like much. He's kinda small huh? Rough around the edges, not as young as he use to be. But he's still brave. He's still strong and smart and I bet you, if you're really nice to him, he'll tell you who he really is and not who he had to be for everyone to see."
"You can't blame him though, for hiding behind a costume. The bad guys will run, if you hide behind mask and most of the time, other people will too. But you know what the secret is?"
"Not everyone sees just you're costume," Tony whispered and quickly placed the stapler back in his pocket.
Tomorrow would be a new day and thankfully, Tony didn't always have to be the super hero.
He had finally found someone would didn't just see a costume.