Under normal circumstances, Gibbs would never have allowed Ziva to teach some Mossad training techniques during work hours, but a little team bonding seemed necessary right now.
"Gibbs really approved this? McGee asked.
"Yes, McGee. Why do you keep on asking that? Ziva answered, rather defensive.
Ziva planned to teach Agent Lee, McGee, and Tony how to throw knives as a defense training.
In their own ways, Gibbs and Ziva let Tony know that if he just acted more like Tony DiNozzo, then he wouldn't be constantly questioned and watched by them. Tony seemed to take the advice to heart, and he seemed to be his normal wise-cracking self.
That is until the case had a tragic ending with a metro detective getting killed in alley. Gibbs and Morris had been in the surveillance van, not far from the alley where Delgado and the owner, Scott Pell, of the Ones Club were arguing about the murder. Since they were still unsure, if it was Delgado in the alley, Tony and Detective Carson were sent to investigate, which resulted in a major gun battle. Delgado had her neck broken by Pell first. When Tony and Carson identified themselves as federal agents, Pell first shot at Tony. Then shots were exchanged between Carson and the Pell. Tony's shots finally ended the gun battle, but not before Carson was shot in the chest, when taking cover behind a car.
When Gibbs and Morris finally arrived on the scene, the gun battle was over. They found Delgado dead, the owner dead from the gun shots, and now Carson on the ground bleeding. Tony was putting pressure on the wound, as Morris and Gibbs approached. Gibbs stood over Carson for a moment, in shock. If Morris hadn't sent Carson with Tony as backup, that could have been Tony lying there. Gibbs thought and then quickly went over to check Delgado for a pulse.
Gibbs kept his distance, but turned as Carson died. He watched Tony slowly stand up, giving Gibbs a sorrowful and guilty glance. When the ambulance and more metro detectives arrived, they had to section off the crime scene to protect it from the mass of people from the club that had made their way out, after hearing the gun battle. One detective approached them, as they continued to just stand over Carson's body.
"What happened here?" One detective asked. Gibbs moved up by the rest of them, as the detective was looking at them for an answer. Tony didn't seem to hear him, as he continued to stare at Carson's body.
"What exactly happened here?" The detective asked again, with much more force. Gibbs looked over at Tony, who had a blank look, as he continued to stare down. Gibbs finally answered for Tony.
"We had a surveillance van stationed over there. This firefight was most likely all caught on camera. Here. . ." Gibbs directed him over to the van. As they were approaching the van, McGee, Ziva, Abby, and Agent Lee rushed over to Gibbs.
"What happened? The police are escorting everyone off the property. They mentioned something about a firefight? McGee asked Gibbs.
"We're still trying to find out exactly what happened, McGee. But, Detective Carson, Delgado, and, the owner, Scott Pell are all dead. The only one that survived the firefight was Tony. Now, McGee, can you bring up footage of the alley from a few minutes ago? The investigator here would like to see exactly how Detective Carson died."
Once they had watched the gun battle unfold, the detective asked if he could keep a copy for their investigation. Gibbs then made his way back over to the crime scene. The local medical examiner had arrived and the crime scene was being processed. Gibbs spotted Tony who was now leaning against the wall, trying to clean the blood off of his hands with a dry tissue. When he sensed Gibbs approach, Tony did not look up and didn't make any eye contact.
"Tony?" Gibbs tried to get Tony to look at him.
"Tony, this was not your fault." This was the first thing that Gibbs had said to him, since Carson was killed. Tony just gave a partial laugh, as he continued to look down as he tried to clean the blood off.
"Tony?" Gibbs said again, with much more force.
"I go into an alley, where there are three other people, and I am the only one that comes out alive?" Tony's statement sounded like a crime confession, as he continues to look down.
"Hey!" Gibbs shouts to get Tony out of his trance but is unsuccessful, and he continues, unsuccessfully, to make eye contact. Ziva and McGee then walk up to them.
"You all right, Tony?" McGee asks, as he notices Tony's distant gaze, as he continued to avoid eye contact with them and hadn't said a word, yet.
"Oh yeah, . . .I'm fine." Tony answers somewhat sarcastically, finally looking up, giving McGee a painful smile. Tony started to walk away from all of them and headed for his car. Ziva turned toward Gibbs with a questioning look.
"Is he okay?" She asks as Gibbs, who started to pursue Tony over to his car.
As Tony starts to open the door, Gibbs slammed it shut again. This startles Tony as he is forced out of his trance. Gibbs stands in his path, as Tony continues to look down.
"I will repeat. This was not your fault. I saw the footage of the firefight from our camera. It all happened very fast and Pell was a very good shot. He fired first. There was nothing you could have done." Gibbs nearly yells this at Tony, who still hasn't looked up, from staring at the ground.
"What? What is it, Tony? Gibbs asks, not hiding his concern. Tony snorts from Gibbs asking him that after slamming his door shut. Tony's distant look returns.
"Boss, it is late, can I just go home?" Tony asks, finally meeting Gibbs' gaze. Gibbs didn't answer; instead, he continues to give him a hard stare.
"Let me drive you home." Gibbs finally says as he snatches the keys from Tony's hand. This snaps Tony out of his trance. He now has his eyes wide open with worry.
"I, um. . . um" Tony starts but just cannot get the words out to explain himself. Gibbs turns his head and concentrates on him.
"I don't plan to go to my home. I was actually planning to go to my girlfriend's home." Tony quickly says, wincing as he says it. Gibbs reluctantly hands Tony back his keys. Tony finally looks straight at Gibbs, with a pained half-smile, not moving from his position. Gibbs finally steps away from the door. They continue to stare at each other for a moment longer. Gibbs finally breaks the silence.
"Go on." Gibbs says softly and gestures for Tony to get into his car. Tony finally gets in and starts the car. As Gibbs steps away and walks back to McGee and Ziva, Tony drives off.
Abby and Agent Lee also head over to where they are standing.
"What's the matter, Gibbs?" Abby asks him.
"I. . .honestly. . . don't know, Abs." Gibbs says and starts to nod his head and then grins. Gibbs finally turns around to where Tony's car was and looks down the road, acting as if he can still see the car.
"Uh, Metro cops really want us to get out of here, Boss. They want to shut down this whole area. And, . . . this isn't our case anymore." McGee informs Gibbs. Gibbs nods in agreement. Agent Lee, Abby, and McGee start walking away. Ziva turns to Gibbs, who is walking back very slowly.
"Gibbs?" Ziva asks.
"Ziva?" Gibbs responds to her.
"When did it happen?" Gibbs stops and looks directly at her. Ziva stops also and turns, giving Gibbs a confused look.
"When did Tony completely reinvent himself?" Gibbs asked. Ziva turns her head, in total confusion to the question. Gibbs sighs in frustration.
"When did Tony's behavior totally change?" Gibbs rephrases the question. "Was it when I first left? Was it when I first came back? When?" Gibbs asks, frantically looking around for an answer.
"I do not think Tony is acting that unusual, Gibbs. It has been a long day. He was tired. He had just been part of a firefight, which resulted in several casualties." Ziva quickly feels the need to defend Tony. "And one of the casualties being a detective that he really seemed to have a lot in common with." She adds at the end. Gibbs nods as she finishes her explanation but is looking everywhere but at Ziva. Then, he stops after her last statement.
"Common?" Gibbs asks. "How much did they have in common?"
"They just got along really well." Ziva answered. Gibbs just nodded in agreement.
"So, when was it?" Gibbs looked at her again, referring to his earlier question. It took Ziva a moment to realize what Gibbs was referring to. She started to process, so that she would have a more complete explanation for Gibbs. However, she found that she could not give Gibbs a complete answer. Ziva finally winced and put her arms up slightly, indicating that she really didn't have an answer for Gibbs. Gibbs acknowledged that he understood. They started to follow the others, until Gibbs stopped again and looked at her.
"Do you think it was my fault?" Gibbs finally blurted out, what he was thinking. Ziva was taken aback by this. "Did, my leaving, force Tony to change?" Gibbs asked her. Ziva was so thrown by what Gibbs was saying that her mouth visibly dropped, right in front of him. Especially after Gibbs had told her to stop worrying about Tony, Ziva was shocked that Gibbs was now the one starting the discussions. Gibbs looked offended by her reaction, so she quickly answered.
"From the moment, there was a huge explosion on the ship that nearly killed you and put you into a coma, I noticed a change in Tony." Ziva said firmly as she strongly looked at Gibbs. "He had to take on a leading role." Gibbs nodded, after her statement. Ziva tilted her head, curious what Gibbs was thinking. "Why are you so worried about him? You were not before."
"Did my leaving force him into doing something that he wasn't ready to do, or. . . maybe didn't want to do? Gibbs started to say looking straight forward, then turned to Ziva and threw up his arms in frustration. He looked at her, but he didn't really expect her to have an answer.
"This was not your fault." Ziva got close to Gibbs and looked straight into his eyes. "And, Tony's reaction to the situation today was not strange." She added. Gibbs smiled at her last statement.
"I have worked with Tony for almost six years and for almost six years, I unsuccessfully tried to shut him up from all his little tirades about movies and girlfriends." Gibbs started to confess his feelings to her. "Now, I am being unsuccessful getting him to share anything. Does that sound very DiNozzo-like?"
"I felt that changed, after our visit to Quebec, Gibbs." Ziva started to explain to Gibbs, as she recalled. "Tony told me about one of his assignments, when he tagged La Grenouille's party's luggage. That is also when he finally admitted to me that--all the phone calls that he gets--are actually from his girlfriend, whom he has been seeing for quite a while." Ziva continued, almost excited about the information she was now able to share. "She is a doctor." Ziva added as she finally looked up at Gibbs. He was listening to her intently, and he almost seemed to have a hurt expression on his face.
"Gibbs?" She asked in concern. Did he not know any of this? Ziva started to wonder, if she just made Gibbs feel even more in the dark. Gibbs finally gave her a small smile, and the started to follow the others in silence.
