Takes place during Season 6
Gibbs came down from MTAC. He saw Ziva and Tim at their desk working.
"Where is DiNozzo?" He growled.
"Do not know. He did not call." Ziva supplied.
"Have you tried calling him?"
"I did, he isn't answering." Tim answered.
Gibbs picked up the phone and tried calling Tony himself. Still no answer.
"McGee, trace his cell phone."
Tim did as he was told. "He is at the cemetery."
Gibbs went on his own to the cemetery to retrieve his Senior Field Agent. He doesn't know who his Agent is visiting and it is worrying him, especially since he is not answering his phone.
There he saw Tony standing in front of a tombstone looking absolutely lost. Gibbs approached him slowly until he could see the name on the tombstone "Jeffery White." This didn't make any sense.
"Tony." Gibbs called gently not wanting to spook him.
Tony did not respond or take his eyes off the tombstone. They stood there in silence, after a few moments Tony spoke.
"I really liked him."
Gibbs remembered the first time Tony said those words when he opened the car door in the storage lot.
"Come on Tony, I will take you home. My home."
Tony didn't respond, but he allowed Gibbs to lead him to the car. After getting Tony in the car, he called Tim and Ziva to pick up Tony's car and bring it to his house.
The moment Tony entered Gibbs' house, he immediately went upstairs to take a nap. 3 hours had passed before he woke up. He still felt a bit lost, but that will go away it usually does. He didn't want to get out of bed, but he knew he had to face Gibbs eventually. Maybe he should just resign now. He will think about that later, right now he should just go down and face the music.
Tony headed down the stairs he saw the team and his friends there.
Abby came rushing up to him when she saw him; she wrapped him in a big hug. Tony flinched and pulled away quickly. Normally he doesn't mind Abby's hugs; but when he feels like this, he can't stand to be touched like that.
Abby pretended not to be hurt when he pulled away. But it does hurt. Not because he pulled away, but because he is in so much pain he can't bear to be touched.
"I really liked him." Tony muttered.
"Who?" Ziva asked.
"Jeffery White. Today is the anniversary of his death. I shot him 4 years ago today."
"Who?" Ziva asked confused. She had never heard of him.
"He was a serial killer. Tony went undercover as an escaped prisoner hoping that Jeffery could lead him to some Iraqi artifacts that had been stolen from a Navy Base." McGee explained.
"We didn't know that Jeffery was a serial killer when Tony was handcuffed to him. We didn't find out until after Tony went missing." Abby added.
Tony wasn't listening to them. His mind was off in his own little world thinking about Jeffery.
"I really liked him."
"How could you like him? He would have killed you." Tim yelled.
He just didn't get it. He has never seen Tony like this before. Tony was his friend but he seemed to be closer to a serial killer than he was with him.
Gibbs and Ducky entered the room when they heard Tim yelling.
"Jeffery had a lot of you and me in him." Tony said quietly.
Gibbs wanted to get to the bottom of it, but he knew now wasn't the time to push him.
"I have nothing in common with him." Tim argued.
"You were bullied at school. You have said so on many occasions." Tony began in a dull voice.
"So what does that have to do with it?"
"You had a loving home. A place where you felt safe. I was bullied at home and was safe at school. Jeffery was bullied at school and abused at home. He never felt safe or cared for. So it isn't that big of a stretch to imagine him becoming a serial killer. He was bound to snap eventually. I just wish I didn't have to kill him." Tony explained before going back upstairs.
"Poor Tony." Abby cried.
"We will get him through this. I promise." Gibbs said giving her a hug.
One Shot or Continuation.