Six days ago:
Gibbs stood in front of the information desk, waiting as patiently as he could as the man behind the desk spoke into the phone. The man hung up.
"I'm sorry sir, he spesifically asked me to tell you to...uh," the man said.
"What did he say?" Gibbs asked.
"He...uh...asked me to tell you to go to hell," the man said and cleared his throat.
"So he's in?" Gibbs asked.
"Uh no, I mean yes, but...no," the boy said.
"What's going on out here?" Michael asked as he came out. "Agent Gibbs?" Michael asked.
"Michael, I need to speak with Tony," Gibbs said.
"Gibbs, why don't we go somewhere we can talk," Michael said. Gibbs nodded and they walked down to the cafeteria. They ordered coffee and Gibbs stared at Michael. "I know you want to talk with him but he's under extreme pressure. We're chasing whoever killed his family and it's not...it's not good," Michael continued. Gibbs raised an eyebrow and sipped his coffee. "He's walking a road I don't want to have to deal with, he's completely obsessed and he's...scaring me," Michael finished.
"Scaring you?" Gibbs asked. Michael nodded and picked on his styrophoam cup. "How so?"
"He's not even pretending, you know?" Michael asked as he looked at Gibbs. "If he finds this schmuck, he IS going to kill him, I have no doubt about that. I don't want to see Tony in jail, Agent Gibbs," Michael said and sighed.
"So stop him, make his boss take him off the case," Gibbs said. Michael shook his head.
"Then he'd kill himself. I don't doubt THAT either," Michael blinked furiously. "What I don't get is why. I mean, this bastard killed my wife as well, but I still don't want to kill him, I want him in jail!" Michael said with a sigh.
"What happened with your wife?" Gibbs asked.
"She was killed, stay out of my buisiness," Michael said angrily. Gibbs said nothing, but sipped his coffee.
"I need to talk to Tony," Gibbs said.
"Why, so you can feed him more bullshit about me being the one that did this?" Michael growled. Gibbs raised both eyebrows. "Yeah, he told me, we're Partners Agent gibbs, big P, he's my only friend here and I'm his, none of us appreciate your idiotic thinking!" Michael hissed.
"We're checking every possibility," Gibbs said truthfully.
"So you're even checking if it was him?" Michael asked, baffled. Gibbs nodded, it wasn't really that far from the truth, but they had already checked Tony out of the investigation. "I can't believe you," Michael growled angrily as he stood up. "He's always said you were the best and that he had a lot to learn from you, but this...I don't think he'll like you after this," Michael continued as he put on his jacket.
"He doesn't like me already," Gibbs said, "Michael, if you care for him at all, you let him have other friends," Gibbs continued.
"He doesn't HAVE anyone else! Don't you get that? He doesn't have people to hang out with, the only time he gets out of the office is to catch a pizza and a movie with me! Sometimes to watch a movie and talk with Abby on the phone, I never really got what they do but it seemed to work for a while. Then you idiots come here and tell him I did this, and now he thinks he's alone and he thinks he has to protect me, do you know what that makes him?" Michael asked as he glared at Gibbs. Gibbs said nothing. "It makes him dangerous!" Michael finished, tossed a twenty on the table and left without another word. Gibbs put on a glove and got the styrophoam cup before bagging it. Some people looked at him funny but he didn't care. Gibbs picked up his phone and dialled Tony's number.
"I told you I'm busy," Tony's gruff voice said, it sounded like he hadn't slept in days, which he probably hadn't if Gibbs knew him.
"I need to talk to you, now!" Gibbs said.
"Get in line Gibbs," Tony replied and sounded like he was about to hang up.
"Michael says you're angry at me for suspecting him," Gibbs said.
"Damn right," Tony replied.
"Then come down here and help me prove he didn't do it," Gibbs said.
"Don't have time," Tony said, he talked with someone else. "Thanks Mike...no that's fine, I'm talking with some idiot," Tony continued and Gibbs smirked a little.
"Tony, you don't have to like me, but you do have to trust me on this, there's probably some things you don't know about Michael," Gibbs said.
"I'll be right there," Tony said and hung up. Five minutes later, an angry Tony stood in front of him. He was still as scarred as gibbs remembered, maybe even more, he was thin, but muscular, and he was wearing army clothes.
"Preparing for war?" Gibbs asked. Tony said nothing.
"I came here to prove to you I know Mike better than you think," Tony growled.
"The -97 case," Gibbs began.
"I know all about that. Even proved Mike wasn't in on it when i met him. And the -99 case where they thought he was dealing dope. I know all about that Gibbs. If that's all you wanted I'm going back up, don't bother calling me again," Tony growled and turned to leave.
"He doesn't have alibi," Gibbs said. Tony looked at him.
"Yes, he does, he was with his wi-"
"Never had a wife," Gibbs said. Tony frowned and sat down.
"His wife was killed by-"
"Sister," Gibbs said. "Mentally challenged, needed home care," Gibbs said and handed the papers over to Tony.
"So maybe he was ashamed, I don't care. He couldn't have done it," Tony said and tossed the papers back to Gibbs. Gibbs picked up another sheet of paper. "Don't you dare!" Tony growled angrily.
"He was in town, Tony. He has no alibi. I checked. He lived in the hotel down the street from where you lived. He had opportunity," Gibbs said.
"Motive?" Tony asked. Gibbs shrugged. "He's not that kind of man, Gibbs!" Tony growled angrily.
"Do you really know him that well Tony?" Gibbs asked. "Where was he five years ago?" Gibbs asked.
"Saving me," Tony said.
"Before that?" Gibbs asked.
"Shooting hoops," Tony said.
"Pushing paper because of Rookie mistakes," Gibbs said and pushed some files over to Tony. Tony frowned as he looked at the papers. He slammed them into the table and rubbed his eyes.
"He can't know you're working on this," Tony said.
"You told him we're suspecting him," Gibbs said.
"Of course I did! We're Partners, big P," Tony said and glared at Gibbs.
"It could ruin it," Gibbs said.
"What the hell do you want me to do Gibbs? Pretend you didn't just accuse my best friend of brutally killing my family?" Tony growled angrily.
"I want you to keep your mouth shut about what I tell you," Gibbs said.
"Maybe I have a big mouth," Tony said.
"Maybe you should suture it shut," Gibbs replied.
"Maybe you should head back to NCIS and act like you give a damn," Tony growled angrily and stood up.
"I need you to trust me," Gibbs said. Tony turned around and walked up so he was standing close to Gibbs.
"And I need YOU, to go to hell," Tony growled angrily before leaving. Gibbs picked up his cell.
"Didn't work," Gibbs said into the phone.
"It will, give him a day or two," Tom replied.
"He's stubborn," Gibbs sipped his coffee.
"You've planted doubt in his mind, I bet you he's keeping his eyes and ears open right now, and he'll call you within two days."
"What if he goes after him alone?" Gibbs asked. Tom didn't say anything. "Want me to stick around?"
"No. I need to trust him to do what's right," Tom said with a sigh.
"So I'll stick around," Gibbs said.
"Thank you Jethro," Tom said and Gibbs hung up. He stared at the door where Tony had walked through. Tom had said Tony would come around, and gibbs had to trust that. He'd seen Tony's brain work as he processed the evidence of Michael's lying, but he'd also seen the stubborness taking over, the need to believe that his best friend was a good man. Doubt was good right now, maybe Tony would see reality. Maybe.
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AN: Okaydokay. Another chapter. For the ones that are confused, this IS an AU. If you're wondering abotu ANYTHING, ask me, and i shall try to answer, but this story is living it's own life and I can't be held responsible for what my plotdemon is doing. No it's not a plotbunny, the plotdemon killed it and replaced it, and it keeps throwing glowing stuff at me that really hurts. And the pitchfork, don't get me started on that one. Anyway, R&R :D
