I don't own Vance, I don't own Tony, N.C.I.S. is not mine, and this is not a true story. This is not real life or real canon. That's why it's called FAN FICTION.
The phone clicked down against the receiver and Leon Vance sighed, kneading his forehead. That damn DiNozzo again. Leon reached into his desk with one hand, fumbling at the drawer. Even under interrogation, he would never own up to the bottle of scotch that he couldn't seem to locate at this moment…
Vance opened his eyes just as there was the thump of something hitting the floor. He frowned and opened his eyes, glancing down at what appeared to be a file. A puzzled frown made lines appear between his eyebrows as Leon tried to find the source of the file.
Reaching under the drawer he had been tugging at, his hand brushed something that didn't belong. His frown grew. A small paper fragment came loose in his fingers. Realizing that the file must have been wedged underneath the drawer, his curiosity made him reach for the file without thinking, but a single look at the title stopped him.
Not just the words themselves, though those were enough, but the handwriting… Jenny Shepherd's handwriting. For a moment, he stared disbelievingly at the name, then he groaned. Anthony DiNozzo could even haunt him in his own office, a place with some of the best security in the country, through the words of a woman long dead. Well dammit, if he was going to let it bother him either way, he might as well read it. He flipped open the file.
Agent DiNozzo,
The agency would like to cordially request you reconsider your earlier decision to decline the available position of MCRT team leader in the Rota office in Spain. Your credentials exceed the majority of other applicants and your unique predicament along with your security clearance would make you the prime candidate for this position as well as put you in the perfect position to command overseas black ops in the Mediterranean area. Due to your political experience, you would also be qualified and in the position to liaison on Navy and Marine operations in Europe and the Middle East. NCIS recommends you take immediate advantage of this offer, in the interests of yourself and this agency.
Signed,
(Secretary of the Navy)
(Director of NCIS)
Attached document:
Dear Tony,
I'm not speaking officially with this, but how do you like Prada? With the Rota job, you'll be getting a new experience somewhat like how I got my start on the pathway to director. I really hope you take it. There are few other people I would consider telling this to, but you are my prime decision for a candidate for the director's position in a few have all the force of Gibbs, the character of James Bond (I knew you'd appreciate the reference), and better diplomatic skills than them both. Your damn good, and I know you know it. I think you should take the Rota position, Tony. SecNav does, too. Yes, I made him aware of your unique skill set and credentials. I think Gibbs will understand if you chose Rota. You can have three more days to reconsider.
- Jenny
Vance paused, his hand outreached over the page. Rota? Jenny offered DiNozzo Rota?
There were a few more lose pages and then something that caught his attention, something he had a feeling wasn't meant for his eyes.
"Classified," the sheath of papers said.
For a moment an absurd wave of guilt washed over Vance. But surely as Director of NCIS, he should know what his people had been up to… And it's not like DiNozzo could have a clearance higher than his.
A pit of guilt in his stomach stopped him just before he was about to open it. Setting the file down beside his desk, Vance reached once more for the Scotch and filled his glass. With each sip, he treasured the burn of the alcohol as it went down.
While he drank, he reached for one of the loose papers that had been next to the Rota offer.
He began to read, slowly forgetting the scotch that he still held in one hand.
It appeared Agent DiNozzo had been keeping secrets.
He had come to value the man for some of his skills in the past few years, but this?
This time, Vance felt no guilt or hesitation when he grabbed the rest of the loose papers and flipped through them.
F.B.I. (Really, Fornell?), C.I.A. (Trent Kort? He thought Kort hated DiNozzo?), N.S.A., the N.C.I.S. office in Brazil, the Secret Service?
They were job offers. All of them. All of the agencies offering jobs to one Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo of N.C.I.S.
Vance's brows furrowed.
Then a post it note from Jenny caught his eye.
Tony,
I can't say I regret your decisions (we all need you here), but maybe you should at least look at some of these offers instead of stashing them away in your desk. I know what you told Cynthia, and she's not going to hide the offers from me, no matter how many times you ask. I'll understand if you take one of the jobs. Some of them get better pay than I do! I will say that we would miss you if you did. The fact that you haven't, well there's a selfish kind of happiness for us all there. More than we need you though, we want you to be happy. Do what makes you happy, Tony. I'll always wish I had.
Jenny
Vance felt his shoulders tense. "Jenny?" "Tony?" Who was this person? The Tony DiNozzo he knew had a few skills, namely putting up with Gibbs and doing halfway decent undercover work, but the N.S.A.? The C.I.A.? Vance pushed back a bit of resentment he was harboring. N.C.I.S. hadn't been his first choice of agencies. There was a reason why the F.B.I. always got credit on the news. Vance had been marooned with N.C.I.S. Yeah, it was probably one of the most successful agencies in crime solving, but men Vance's age were Senators and Congressmen, faces everyone knew. Vance had aimed for a post in the F.B.I. many years ago. And now this post had been offered unconditionally to a certain Anthony DiNozzo, and he had turned it down!
There was something Vance was missing, something he couldn't understand in all of this.
So when he reached for the confidential file, at this point he was certain he would not be surprised. What could confuse him, mystify him, even further about the irresponsible playboy he so easily dismissed?
He was wrong.