Gibbs and Fornell went down to Abby's lab.

"So have you found out anything on Maxwell's expulsion from OSU?" Gibbs asked.

"No, there is nothing. There are articles about what an athlete he was and then nothing. It was as if the paper stopped carrying about anything he did." Abby answered.

"So no link between him and DiNozzo."

"No Boss. If there was a link, Tony's frat buddy upstairs maybe the only one who really knows." McGee added.


Gibbs just walked out of the lab and upstairs to the conference room. He was hoping to have something to go on, but he doesn't. Nothing that can explain why Maxwell is after Tony.

Steve stood up as Gibbs and Fornell entered the room.

"Sit. I want to know what is the link between DiNozzo and Maxwell." Gibbs barked.

Steve jumped at the tone in Gibbs' voice.

"I would start talking." Fornell warned.

"Tony doesn't know why Joseph was expelled just that he was."

"Okay why was he expelled and what did it have to do with DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked.

"Joseph and Tony got into a very public very heated argument in the courtyard. As Tony walked away from the argument Joseph screamed after him that he was going to knock him down a peg or two. The next day Tony was attacked and suffered 3 badly broken ribs and 2 more that were severely cracked."

"So Maxwell attacked Tony." Fornell summed up.

"No he didn't, but I implied it. It was that accusation that got Maxwell expelled, he believed that it was Tony who accused him of it."

"You implied it!" Gibbs barked.

"I found Tony in is his dorm room. He was lying on the floor unable to move. He had been like that for 3 days."

FLASHBACK

Monday afternoon

Steve walked down to Tony's dorm room ready to tear a strip off of him for missing his midterms. He noticed the door was unlocked, that definitely meant that he was there. Steve didn't hesitate to open the door. He was shocked by what he discovered; Tony was barely conscious lying on the floor. Steve rushed over to Tony.

"Tony, I am going to call an ambulance."

"No, no ambulance. I'm fine. Just help me get off the floor." Tony argued.

"Tony DiNozzo! I don't know what your definition of 'fine' is, but this isn't it." Steve yelled.

"No ambulance. Too many questions that I can't answer."

"Okay, let me call the ambulance and I will cover for you; but you have to tell me the truth. Deal."

"Deal." Tony agreed figuring he could get out of telling Steve the truth when the time came.


Steve paced the waiting room waiting for word on Tony. He hasn't been questioned yet, but he knew he would be. He has no idea what he is going to tell them. Steve saw a doctor and a cop walking up to him.

Alright here goes nothing. He thought. "How is Tony?"

The doctor had to tell the cop the degree of injuries from the assault of this nature. Tony is just a teenager with no known next of kin listed at the college. This other boy was the one who found Tony and called an ambulance. So he figured there is no harm in telling him, especially if it can help find whoever was responsible for the condition Tony is in.

"Very lucky he is alive. He has 3 badly broken ribs and 2 more that are severely cracked, but not broken yet. He is also very dehydrated; he had been lying there for several days maybe more."

"I saw Tony Friday morning for breakfast, he was fine." Steve told them.

"So most likely the attack must have happened some time on Friday." The doctor answered.

Steve couldn't imagine his friend lying there on the floor of his dorm room with broken ribs unable to get up for 3 days. He didn't even notice the doctor walking away leaving him alone with the cop.

"Do you have any idea who could have done this to him?" The cop asked bringing Steve out of his thoughts.

Steve said the first thing he could think of. "Joseph Maxwell got into an argument with Tony in the middle of the courtyard. Tony walked away from it before it escalated, but as Tony walked away Joseph was threatening to knock him down a peg or 2."

FLASHBACK ENDS


"So anyway Maxwell had already been arrested for the bank robbery before Tony was even out the hospital." Steve finished.

"Who broke Tony's ribs?" Gibbs asked.

Steve didn't answer. He knew Tony didn't want these people to know. That is why he won't talk about Tony with Kate.

"You know for a fact that Maxwell didn't break DiNozzo's ribs." Fornell asked.

"Yes sir." Steve answered.

"In order for you to know that, you must know who did it."

"Yes sir." Steve said again.

"Who did it?" Gibbs growled.

Steve didn't want to answer, but he didn't really see what choice he had. Gibbs and the other guy were ganging up on him.

"His Father."