Life Changes and New Futures

by DiNozzo and Gibbs addict

This is a different Rota story to the other one I'm writing. For this one Tony once again takes promotion and moves. When he meets his new SFA a new friendship is born, but because he thinks she's been treated badly by the director he attempts to repair the damage done. Does he succeed and what will become of their future relationship? Set Season 4, but is AU.

1. Chapter 1

Life Changes and New Futures.

Chapter 1.

It had been a month since Tony had made the decision to take up the directors' offer of having his own team in Rota Spain. Following Gibbs return from Mexico. To start off with he was going to remain as SFA on Gibbs team. But after having a really busy time with case after case and also feeling pressured into doing an undercover assignment for the director. When he finally got some time to himself and sat in the quiet having a serious think about it all he decided to take the job. Especially as his gut was telling him that there wasn't something right about the undercover assignment that Jenny wanted him involved in. It seemed as though he wasn't going to be getting much in the way of backup. Not only that she had also told him that if it came down to it, then he would have to sleep with their mark. Yes he always knew that he should expect something like that to happen on an undercover assignment, as even both Gibbs and Ziva had admitted to doing it in their time. But because of the way the assignment felt like it was an unsanctioned one. He just didn't feel comfortable doing it especially if he hadn't got any backup near by.

After having made the decision to take up the new job he then took some personal time off. Using that time to have a bit of a vacation and also go to Spain to find himself somewhere new to live. In which he found the most gorgeous apartment that he fell in love with instantly, he put an offer in for it and when it got accepted he was really happy about it. In just those few weeks though he found himself feeling so much more relaxed and happy in himself, he even admitted to himself that he was feeling the same as he had done when Kate joined the team and all of that had come crashing down when she was killed. Although the only thing he didn't really understand, was that as he did his research into his new team and the solve rate of cases. With the SFA who had taken the lead temporarily the solve rate had actually risen. Even though at the same time she was carer for her mom alongside her sister. Despite that she'd still worked damned hard in her job and didn't let it get to her. Not only that he also saw that her evals were off the chart as well as having high recommendations for the team lead job. So he couldn't understand why in the hell the director had passed her over for the job. Especially as she had also been SFA there for about as long as he'd been in DC.

Once he'd met and got to know Natalie he soon found that she was a really great woman and he absolutely adored her. Not in an 'I love you' way, but in a very strong friendship kind of way. He'd gone into the office for the first time on the night before he was due to start the new job, to just really get himself acquainted with things and get himself prepared for his first day. When he got there it was to find her alone in the bullpen catching up with paperwork, because the team had just closed a big case that day. As he introduced himself she said that she was going to change back to her old desk when she was done. But he told her not to worry about it and that they should perhaps change things round a bit and he would take her old desk instead. He couldn't put his finger on it, but just form sitting with her like that that first night things just felt so comfortable and right with it being like that. When she eventually packed up for the night she then gave him a quick tour of the building, although the thing he still couldn't believe was that he still hadn't got away from the orange being everywhere in sight! He also said to her that he didn't want her to feel like he had taken the job away from her and he hoped that the two of them would work well together as a partnership in their lead roles. Plus if at anytime she did have any problems at all then she was to come to him about it. As she lightly touched his arm and said with a wry smile that all she wanted was someone that she could respect as much as she had done with their last leader Clive, then she would be very happy. And just from what she'd seen from him that night she knew already that she would get that from him and she would always have his six. To which he replied that he would always have hers to. A week later she certainly proved that her words were so very true. Because as yet he was only driving form his apartment to the office and doing mostly small journeys because of still learning the area. So she'd driven them to what was their suspect's house. They hadn't managed to get anything out of him, but they had certainly said something that he hadn't liked and was probably too close to home. Because as they both drove back to the office again the suspect had given chase to them and had attempted to run them off the road. Somehow she had not only managed to keep them on the road, but with the manoeuvres she used she'd got him off the road in a safe way instead, and then blocked him in so they were able to transport him themselves back to the office and under arrest. It wasn't until later on that he learnt that she'd served in the navy and had also worked for MI6 and had worked for the royal family. Hence the reason why she was able to drive in that way, because she had been taught to take evasive action if it was required at anytime.

In the second week she also invited him round to hers for breakfast one morning at the weeks end. Over the breakfast they talked about that week's work and the progress of the team. As they both seemed to find that session helpful to one another, he returned the favour the next week and after that it seemed to become their Friday tradition. While they were having the session they'd also left orders with the team that they were to catch up on paperwork and do cold cases, then if a case did come in then they would meet them all at the crime scene. It had also become a traditional thing that whether the team were on call or not at the weekend they would have a BBQ as a team which they would either hold at hers or his and sometimes they would just pack a pic-nick and have it on the beach. They would also don it like that because they had soon made the discovery that the two of them actually lived next door to one another. Because even though she was carer for her mom who lived the other side next door to her. It was easier for her to have her own place because she could then come and go as she pleased specially if they did get a really early or late call out or even if a case went on late. She could leave or come back without actually disturbing anyone. In just those first few weeks Tony could see that it was because of this that made the team gel just so well together as they all respected each other a whole lot better. Not only that if they need to be disciplined for anything they took things a lot better. He was also quite surprised as well at how the team also pulled round Natalie over her mom. Because if one of them sensed that something was off with her or thought something was wrong, they would pull her off to one side and check on her. Not only that one Saturday morning when they weren't on call he was out running on the beach he ran into her and they then kept running together and he also managed to keep up with her. It was on a day that she was letting her sister Jess have a respite day, so she was out really early so that she could get her run in early because of being with her mom all day. Not only that she was also just starting to up her running training because the local marathon would be announced soon. Which both she and the team would do to raise money for the charity that was researching and trying to find a cure for the disease that her mom had.

In a way to find out what she went through with her mom he did go round there with her and even though she and Jess did do everything between them, he could see how tough it was for them. Yes they did also have various other carers going in to help them with things, but predominantly the two girls were on their own. He also found himself amazed that she could still manage to do her job to such a high standard with everything that was happening for her at home. Although what did make him laugh was that because her mom couldn't speak they used sign language with her as well as written notes to communicate. Because of seeing the look on his face when she introduced him to her mom in sign he then explained about Abby and Gibbs using it and how it would get really annoying when the two of them would be talking about you right in front of you knowing that you couldn't understand it. So with that she promised him that she would teach it to him. What he also found sweet was that as Natalie was getting them some lunch sorted out, as he went to see if he could help her with anything, Dionne her mom grabbed his arm and slipped a note into his hand. When he looked at it, it said please look after her and keep her safe. He was going to write a note back to her, but somehow he could tell that the look on his face had told her what she wanted to know. So he just added by whispering into her ear "I do promise and mean it." And he knew from her touch afterwards that it was all that she needed to know.

Later on when her mom went down for a sleep, the two of them headed out to have a coffee on the balcony. As the two of them talked he told her about how he'd started in DC, about the team there and some other things about his life. All in all during their conversation he couldn't believe how much he was actually revealing about himself to a woman at that as well. Because he found himself telling her more than he would do with a woman normally. And as he thought about it he guessed that he had probably revealed more to her than any woman that he actually dated.

Over everyone in DC he'd kept in touch with Jimmy and McGee mostly, but had also exchanged the odd E mail with Abby and the odd phone call with Gibbs as well, which was quite hard considering he was a functional mute!

At the end of his first month there when he found himself alone in the bullpen one night and found himself getting a bit reflective over things. And he found himself thinking that he was loving this new life of his so very much and was so happy that he'd taken the promotion and job. Plus as he looked back at Natalie's empty desk, he couldn't believe that the two of them were such great friends and even if in his own little way he did love her. He didn't actually want to spoil things between the two of them by becoming more than that between them. Especially with their working relationship as well because he looked on her as more of an equal than it being team lead and SFA. On the quiet he had also managed to ask her in a roundabout way if she'd been offered the lead job and if she'd been offered it even with the situation with her mom would she have taken it? She then admitted that she had actually applied for the job, but Jenny had told her that she'd already had someone for the job. And that it was a good few months before they found out that he was coming to them. She also admitted that originally she wasn't going to apply for the job because of her mom, but then her brother Christian who he hadn't met yet. But who makes sure that she and Jess get a weekend completely off once a month and a week off every couple of months. Had told her to go for it because between them all they would sort something out so that she could do the job and the same would go for if at anytime she applied for a team lead job somewhere else. But she would most probably leave it alone for now and perhaps do it in the future. Because she didn't really want to say anything against the director. But from the attitude that she got from her, she had a feeling that it may not happen until a new director was in place. As she couldn't work out why she was preventing her from moving on with a promotion, because she certainly hadn't got any ambitions to go as far as a director position. If she managed to get just as far as a team lead and then met Mr Right and have a family, then she would be happy with just that.

After that on the quiet Tony started doing some digging, especially after working it out that when the director had turned her down for the team lead job it was another few months before she had offered him the job. It also made him laugh at how contradictory Jenny Shepherd had been, because she was all 'there should be more chances for women agents at promotions etc.' But here was a woman that was more than qualified to be a team lead and wasn't. He then also found out that originally Jenny had offered the job to Sec Navs niece, but that she'd also turned it down. Because she had come and spent time with the team. But with the report that she'd handed in afterwards she'd said that she wasn't comfortable as team lead to a team that was so close knit to one another. It had also seemed that with Sec Navs niece turning the job down, Jenny's relationship with him had seemed to have cooled somewhat and that Natalie had seemed to have ended up being the casualty of it all. Because of the injustice of it all, he decided that he wanted to try and get it all corrected.