Author's Note: Sorry it took so damn long! It's past three A.M., and I am forced to go to my sister's baby shower tomorrow. (She is over thirty and has been married for around eight years, by the way). This chapter's a bit dramatic. And short. Sorry! Sorry! My brain stopped functioning after I figured out what would happen in this chapter. Also, spiders show up a lot more after midnight.
I don't own anything.
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The elevator door opened on the floor with Abby's lab with a 'ding!' As both Tony and Ducky expected, a very angry Gibbs was waiting there. The moment he made eye contact with Tony, the younger man felt his blood turn cold from the glare Gibbs sent him.
"Ducky," Gibbs started, his voice dripping with venom. His eyes never left Tony's. "Out. I need a private word with him," He jerked his thumb at Tony. Ducky scrambled out of the elevator, as Tony just stood there. Gibbs stepped onto said elevator, not breaking eye contact with Tony once. Determined to hold onto the small shred of dignity he had left, he didn't look away from Gibbs. Tony quietly contorted his face into an emotionless mask, stowing away his fear of whatever Gibbs had in store for him. At best, Tony was hoping for a verbal (and possibly physical) ass kicking. Compared to being fired, being beaten up by the father figure seemed comforting. The elevator door closed behind Gibbs, who let it get half way to the next floor before flipping the emergency stop switch. "What the hell were you thinking?" He demanded, his voice low and deadly, almost a whisper. Somehow, this was ten times worse than Gibbs yelling at the top of his lungs.
"I..." Tony attempted to speak, still staring Gibbs straight in the eye. His boss's blue orbs held a metaphorical rainbow of emotions. Anger. Disappointment. Fear. Fear for his subordinate's sanity, Tony guessed. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore and had to look away. His reflex to tell a joke was about to kick in. Tony opened his mouth to speak, but nothing more than a barely audible, distressed squeak was emitted.
"You didn't think, did you?" Gibbs asked, his voice steady. "Well, DiNozzo? Did you think?!" His voice was slowly rising. "Dammit, DiNozzo! What the hell were you thinking?!" He yelled. Tony involuntarily flinched. "You see dead people, and you don't tell me?! Do you realize your mental health puts the rest of us at risk? This isn't just about you!" Gibbs barked. "I've put up with a lot of crap from you before, but this one crosses the line! You could have endangered us all! Give me one good reason I shouldn't fire your ass right here and now!" Tony looked Gibbs in the eye, determined to hold his own against his boss. Vaguely, he remembered his fights with his father when he was a teenager. Angry words from over reactions and thoughtless snarky remarks flew, benefiting neither side of the argument. 'Not this time,' Tony thought. 'I'm not fighting with Gibbs; I'm saving Jenny's life.' Gathering his courage and determination, he spoke.
"I'm not crazy," He said. Tony was surprised how sure and steady his voice sounded. "Jenny is alive, Gibbs. She faked her death to protect everyone- Backfired, but she' alive! She's been hiding out for the last year, she came to me a few days ago!" Gibbs stared at Tony in disbelief, before shoving his open palm in front of Tony.
"NCIS Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo, you are hereby relieved of duty due to your mental health. Hand over your weapon and badge," Gibbs demanded coolly. Tony felt as if the wind was knocked out of him as panic set in.
"No!" He replied. "No! I will not be fired! I'm not crazy, Gibbs!" Tony stressed, before he had an idea- A brilliant idea. "I have proof she's still alive!" He declared, catching Gibbs off-guard. "She's been reading McGee's book all weekend! The new book! Her finger prints' have to be on it! Also, Ducky knows she's alive!" He looked Gibbs in the eye, knowing he must look pitiful. His boss was shaken that his best friend allegedly knew Jenny was alive, but Gibbs hid it well. "Just check the book for her prints and talk to Ducky before you fire me! Please, Gibbs!" Tony pleaded. "If her prints aren't on it and Ducky says she's dead, you can check me into a mental institution yourself!"
Gibbs reached his hand to the back of Tony's head, before administering a head slap. He grunted and turned the elevator back on. Tony's face broke into a wide smile when Gibbs looked away. The reaction Gibbs gave him was as good as a yes.
"Stop smiling!" Gibbs barked at Tony. "Even if you're right, I'm kicking your ass so hard you'll puke up my boot!"
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Excluding the blaring music and the whizzing and whirling of the machines, it was quiet in Abby's lab. Eerily quiet. Ziva and McGee were still in shock from being told Tony saw their dead boss, Abby hung her head in shame for breaking her promise of not telling Gibbs, and Gibbs himself had long since stormed out. Ziva frowned.
"Why would Tony keep this from us?" She asked, her question aimed at McGee. "Are we not on the same team, yes? Does he not trust us?" Ziva steamed, her expression morphing from shock to anger. McGee noticed this, and tried to calm down the assassin.
"I'm sure Tony was just afraid of being fired," He defended his friend. Abby raised her head.
"He was really nervous... He didn't want anyone to know... I made a pinkie promise not to tell..." The gothic woman moped. "Now I broke my promise and Gibbs is actually going to kill him!"
"Gibbs is not going to kill Tony, Abby..." McGee declared.
"Don't be so sure!" Gibbs barked, re-entering the lab, literally dragging Tony behind him by his ear. For some reason, Tony was smiling. "McGee! Book!" Gibbs demanded. McGee stuttered out a reply.
"I- I lent it to Ziva, Boss," He said. Ziva narrowed her eyes at McGee, and glared at Tony.
"It is on my desk," She told Gibbs. "I will go get it, yes?"
"Yes. NOW!" Gibbs commanded. Ziva scurried out, McGee following her. "Abby!" The scientist nodded, eyeing over the hand pinching Tony by the ear. "I need you to get some prints off McGee's book," He said. "This is to be done off the book!" Abby nodded again, stopping herself from going for the obvious pun. "I need you to compare them to NCIS Director Jenny Shepard's finger prints."
"Wait, so Jenny's alive?" Abby asked, her eyes growing wide. Tony nodded wordlessly.
"She better be, for DiNozzo's sake!" Gibbs said, before dragging Tony out by his ear again. Tony bit his tongue to keep himself from complaining as they made their way to autopsy. Ducky and Jimmy were working on the body of a dead Staff Sergeant, Ducky half way through a long winded story. "Doctor Mallard!" Gibbs called out.
"Jethro, nice to see y-"
"Why the hell did you lie?" Gibbs demanded, finally letting go of Tony's ear. Discreetly, Tony rubbed his ear.
"Uh, I gotta go do something somewhere else..." Jimmy said, seeing the sparks fly from Gibbs. The young M.E.'s assistant left the cold, white room in a hurry. Gibbs didn't even glance at Jimmy, focusing only on Ducky. Ducky looked between Tony and Gibbs, before sighing.
"I guess Abby told you that young Anthony was seeing ghosts by now," Ducky deduced. Tony quietly grumbled about being called 'young Anthony' to himself.
"What was your first guess, Duck?!" Gibbs spat sarcastically. Ducky ignored the hostility in his friend's voice.
"Well, Jethro, Tony was not seeing ghosts. I can assure you Jenny Shepard is alive."
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Author's Note: I don't like the last line. But as I said, past three A.M. I'm going to pass out on my keyboard if I try to think of something better. Other than that, I quite like how this chapter came out! But parts seem out of character... Please review!