To Walk In My Shoes

Glow60

As always thank you for your follows, favorites and especially to the ones who have taken the time to review my story. I really do appreciate it.

What is Tony's date of birth? – I am telling you this just incase someone starts doing the math. I know from previous stories I have written or stories I have read that some reviewers like to point out that Tony was born in 1972 not 1968. In "Sins of the father" Senior bought a 1968 bottle of wine the year his son was born. So, I decided to just use Michael Weatherly's birth date and leave it at that. I know it makes Tony four years older but it also makes it easier for me to remember.

CHAPTER 11

The Big Surprise

As Tony carried a box of his stuff outside the building he couldn't help but notice the brand new black 1986 Ford Mustang Convertible parked in the front of the dorm. He set his box down on the pavement and took a peek inside the driver's side window. He wondered whom the lucky kid was that was getting it. Steve and Matt put their boxes down and joined him.

"Tony this is so cool. Do you know who it belongs to?"

Tony shook his head and looked at Steve, "I bet it belongs to that asshole Marty. His parents are loaded and you know how he likes to brag about every thing they buy him something."

Matt looked back toward the dorm, "I wonder if he will let us look inside or maybe even give us a ride?"

Steve grinned, "Matt…are you kidding me? Marty would probably freak out if he sees us within fifty feet of this car and call the headmaster."

All three of the boys started laughing as they bent down to pickup their boxes. Tony things would be staying with Matt's parents until after their summer vacation. When their vacation was over with Tony was going to have his stuff shipped to his dorm room at Ohio State.

"Junior…"

Tony turned and saw his father walking toward him. He had hoped his dad had already left. Right now, he was not in the mood to see him after what he had seen earlier.

Senior had a big smile across his face as he walked toward his son, "Well Junior…what do you think?"

Tony looked at his dad with a confused look on his face.

When Tony didn't say anything, Senior pointed his head toward the Mustang, "Well…do you like it? It's yours."

Tony just stared at his father for a few seconds until it finally registered to him what he father had just said, "Dad…do…do you really mean it's mine?"

Senior reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a set of keys, "Of course it's yours…Junior. I have it registered and insured under your name. The registration and insurance cards are in the glove compartment."

Senior grinned because he could still see the disbelief on his son's face. "Junior…don't you remember the last time we talked I told you if my business deal pans out I plan to get you something special for your graduation. I…know ever since you got your driver's license, you have been bugging me for a car. I also know you are going to need one when you go to college. So, I decided it was time I got you one."

Senior then reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a credit card and handed it to his son, "You…are going to need this for gas and some spending money this summer. So…don't go overboard using it. I don't want to find myself broke."

Tony set the box he was holding on the ground. He grabbed the keys and hugged his dad. Within seconds he was sitting in the driver's seat. Steve jumped into the front passenger's seat and Matt jumped into the back.

"Tony lets take it for a spin around the campus."

Tony looked at his friends and then at his dad, "If you guys don't mind I would like to give my Dad the first ride?"

The two boys looked a little disappointed as they got out of the car so Tony's dad could have the honors. The father and son grinned at each other as Tony turned the key and started the engine. They drove around the school several times before Senior reminded him that he still had some more boxes to get out of his room.

When the father and son finally returned to the dorm both Steve and Matt tried to hop inside the car but Steve's mother stopped them both. "Boys…I know how exciting Tony's new car might be at the moment but we need to finish moving all your things out of the dorm. Afterwards we are going out to it and I am pretty sure Tony won't mind giving you a lift to the restaurant. Now, boys let's get to work."

The three boys reluctantly headed toward the building. Steve and Matt took their stuff to their parents' SUVs while Tony opened up the truck of his new car and started placing his smaller boxes and things in it. An hour later they were ready to go eat.

They all agreed to meet at the steakhouse just down the road from the school. Once they entered the restaurant they were seated together. Tony and his dad sat next to each other. It didn't take them long to place their orders. While they were waiting for their food, the Turners went over their plans for the trip to Miami with at least one stopover. Now that Tony has his own car he can follow them down there. Both the Turners and the Whites knew Tony was a very responsible young man and they trusted him with their sons. Since Steve also had a license and he would take turns driving Tony's car. Matt was still too young to drive so he could only be a passenger but he insisted on traveling with his friends.

At one point during the conversation, Senior winked at his son and Tony couldn't help but smile shyly back at him. He couldn't get over the fact that his dad had bought him a car. The younger DiNozzo at the moment was on cloud nine and what ever his father had done was now forgiven.

When they were finished eating it was time for the goodbyes. The Whites were heading home. Tony was going to have to take his dad to a car rental place while the Turners followed him and waited outside. Once Senior had the keys to his rental it was time for the father and son to say their goodbyes. It was kind of an awkward moment; the father and son just stared at each other for a few seconds. Finally the son hugged his father and thanked him again for the car and everything. The boy stepped back and looked at his dad. He was hoping his dad would tell him how much he loved him and how proud he was of him but all Senior told him to make sure he behaves while he is in Miami. He didn't want his son to give the DiNozzo name a bad rap.

Gibbs still couldn't understand why Senior was such an asshole of a father. The man just had the perfect opportunity to tell his son that he loves him and he blew it. Gibbs now started to wonder about Senior's past and what kind of father Senior had. It would explain some things but it still would not make it right. If Tony's dad had a bad life then he should have broken the pattern but he didn't. Gibbs knew deep down inside him that if anyone was going to break the pattern it was going to be Tony.

The other things that puzzled Gibbs was that he wondered why his SFA never mentioned his graduation gift to anyone on his team. The older man would have thought DiNozzo would have bragged about something like that especially when McGee told Tony his parents had bought him a used 1984 Camero on his 16th birthday. He remembers, Tony hugging McGee in sympathy when the younger man told him he crashed the car.

South Beach Miami…

It took them a little over three days to reach Miami and that was because Matt's mother insisted they stay overnight in Washington DC so they could do a little sightseeing. To her it was also an excuse to give the two older boys a break from the long drive. She was worried it was just a little too much of a long drive for the two inexperience drivers. The next day they spent riding around the city looking at all the sights. At one point they were stuck in traffic when the Presidents' motorcade passed by. All three of the boys thought it was so cool. By the time they got back to the hotel that night the boys were exhausted and slept through the night. The next morning they continued on their trip to Miami.

When they finally reached their destination they stopped by the rental office and picked up their keys. Matt's parents immediately headed to the house they will be staying at while the boys went to check out their place.

When the boys finally arrived at the beach house they couldn't believe their eyes. The house was right on the beach and it had a privacy fence in the back. The house had a kitchen with a big bay window that overlooked the ocean. There were three bedrooms and one of them faced the ocean. The boys played rock-paper-scissors to see which one of them was going to get it and Tony won. There was a swimming pool with a Jacuzzi. Matt was extremely happy about that because there was no way he was going into the ocean. He had a fear of sharks. The basement had a game room with a big huge pool table, big screen TV and several pinball machines. To the boys this was a house fit for kings.

After they were finished unpacking, the three boys headed outside unto the deck area so they could get a better view of the ocean. The two seventeen year olds almost had a heart attack when they saw several young girls around their age sunbathing topless next door. One of the girls waved to them. The two boys waved back. After a few minutes of gawking, Matt grabbed both Tony and Steve by their arms and dragged them back inside the house.

Tony was not happy and yelled at his younger friend, "Matt…what the hell did you do that for?"

"I don't want them to think you two are weirdos."

Steve joined in the conversation, "What are you talking about? One of them even waved to us. I don't think they think we are weird. I think they like us."

Matt just shook his head, "No…they won't if you two idiots continued to stare at them like you were doing and they might even call the police. Besides…I…think I just saved both your lives."

Both Tony and Steve asked in unison, "How?"

Matt grinned, "Both your tongues were hanging down so low that you could have tripped over them and broke your necks. So…I think you both owe me for saving your lives." All three of the boys started laughing. They laughed so hard they didn't notice Matt's parents standing a few feet behind them.

All three jumped when they heard Matt's father asked them what was so funny.

Matt looked at his father and started to explain but he stopped when he heard his mother yell from the deck, "MY GOD GIRLS PUT YOUR CLOTHES ON!"

After lunch, the Turners decided to go visit some old friends who lived in the area while the three boys wanted to take a drive around the area to see what they could find. It wasn't long before Steve spotted a small place that advertised private surfing lessons. Both Tony and Steve signed up for it so they could start taking lessons in the morning. Matt told his two friends that he was just going to sit on the beach and watch them because there was no way in hell he was going into the ocean.

Tony had to ask his friend why.

Matt looked at him as if he thought he was crazy, "Tony…don't you remember when you talked me into going to see "Jaws" with you?" After that…I decided to go to the library and do a little research on sharks. What I found out scared the shit out of me. I swore to myself that I would never go swimming in the ocean. You guys want to be lunch for sharks that's up to you but yours truly is staying on shore."

Both of the older boys just started laughing and told him he was going to miss out on meeting the girl surfers. Matt didn't care because he knew he would be safe on the beach and besides he was pretty sure there were going to be girls sunbathing on the beach so he wasn't worried at all.

For the next few days Tony and Steve spent most of their time learning how to stay on a surfing board. They were having a little trouble because there had been a storm a few miles out at sea and the waves were higher than normal.

On Friday, the boys decided to spend the day walking along the beach and exploring the shore. They were enjoying each other's company when Tony noticed they were heading toward an area that had a lot of foliage and palm trees. He froze because it reminded him of the time he was in Maui. Tony stopped dead in his tracks and just stared. Steve and Matt continued to walk several feet before Matt noticed they were one friend short. Matt turned around, "Tony…?"

Tony just stared and didn't move.

Matt looked at Steve and then back at Tony. This time he yelled, "TONY?"

Tony finally made eye contact with him.

The two boys could sense something was wrong and headed back toward their friend. "Tony…what's wrong?"

Tony looked nervous, "I…I think we have gone far enough. I…I think…it is time we head back to the beach house."

Steve grabbed his friend's arm but Tony pushed it away. Steve was surprised by the action, "Tony…what's wrong?"

"I don't want to talk about it. I…I just want to go back…now." Tony didn't give his friends a chance to say another word, he just turned and headed back toward their beach house as fast as he could.

Steve and Matt looked at each other; they were wondering what the hell was going on with their friend. Both boys had been Tony's roommates off and on for several years. They always knew something bad had happened to him because of the nightmares they have witnessed over the years. When they tried to talk with Tony about them he would always make up an excuse that it was something he watched on TV but they knew different and never pushed the subject because they figured he would tell them when he was ready.

Once they arrived back home, Tony was back to his old self. He wanted to go swimming in the pool. The two boys joined him and hoped he would say something but he never did. It was a few hours later when Matt's parents stopped by and invited the boys to come with them and see a mermaid show and then dinner.

It was dark when they finally arrived back at the beach house. All three boys were exhausted and decided to go straight to bed. Sometime just before midnight both Steve and Matt were awakened by screams coming from Tony's room. When they arrived there they found their friend still struggling with whatever demons he was fighting with.

Steve decided to try and wake up Tony but Matt stopped him. "Steve…I read somewhere that you shouldn't wake someone up from a bad dream."

Steve looked at Matt and then back to Tony. He could tell whatever nightmare his friend was having at the moment was really bad. He decided to ignore what Matt had told him. When he tried to wake Tony up he was surprised when his friend started kicking and yelling for him to leave him alone.

Steve stepped back so he wouldn't get hurt. He decided to wait a few seconds before he tried again.

Matt panicked, "Steve…I am going to call my parents? They…they will know what to do."

Steve grabbed his friend by his arm to stop him, "Matt…please don't…let's give Tony a few minutes. I don't think he would appreciate anyone else knowing about this. You…know how he is."

Matt bit the bottom of his lip because he wasn't sure if waiting was the right thing to do or not. After about a minute, Tony started to quiet down just a little. Tony now sounded like he was crying in his sleep. Steve decided it was time for him to try and wake his friend up. He shook him gently and called his name.

It took Tony a few seconds to open his eyes. He immediately sat up in the bed. He was confused at first when he saw his two friends. He then became embarrassed when he realized what must have happened. He started apologizing for waking his two friends up.

Both boys sat down on each side of the bed. Matt spoke first, "Tony you don't need to apologize for something you have no control over. Will you at lease tell us what is wrong?"

Tony looked down at his hands because he was embarrassed and ashamed. "It's nothing."

Steve was both scared and worried for his friend. He knew within a few weeks Tony would be on his own and neither Matt nor he would be there to help him. He decided it was time for Tony to get whatever it is off his chest and talk to them. Maybe they could help. "Tony…that's pure bullshit and we all know it. Matt and I have been your roommates for a long time now. We know you have been seeing a shrink for years. We also had been witness to your nightmares. Tony…Matt and I know something bad must of happened to you. We...we always figured you would eventually tells us when you are ready but you never have. We are going to be going to different colleges and might not see each other for a long time…Tony…please we're your friends we want to help you."

Tony looked at his two friends. He knew they only wanted to help. So, he decided to tell them about the secret he been carrying for over five years. Both Steve and Matt remained quiet while Tony started talking. He told them how his father had left him by himself in Maui for two days. He told them how he got bored and decided to take a walk on the beach and how he met this man who would later rape him. He told them how he had passed out and when he woke up next he was in the hospital. He remembered his father crying. He told them when he was finally released from the hospital he had to see a shrink. The last thing he told his two friends was how his father had told him was never to talk about what happened to anyone because it would bring shame to their family. Tony sat there quietly looking at his two friends and waiting for them to say something.

Matt and Steve just sat there and stared at him.

Tony took their silence as them being ashamed of him. His eyes started to water, "Okay…Okay…I understand…you don't want to be my friends anymore. My dad warned me this would happen. It's really why I never told you anything about it."

Steve spoke before Matt had a chance to, "No Tony…don't you ever think that. We will always be your friends no matter what happens. I…I am pretty sure Matt feels the same way I do. We…I just didn't know what to say to you. I knew something bad happened to you but I never expected it to be this bad."

Tony started wiping the tears from his eyes, he felt good once he realized he still had his two best friends and his father was wrong.

The three boys continued to talk into the early morning hours. They finally decided to go to bed and didn't wake up until noon. They made lunch and then headed out to do a little surfing.

Cailean…

Tony and Steve were in the water trying to stay on their surfboards because the waves were a little higher than normal. It bothered Gibbs what Tony had told his friends and he just couldn't get it out of his mind. As he was thinking about it, something started to happen to him. Most of the time he felt as if he was seeing things through Tony's eyes. Now it was almost like he was being pulled away from Tony's body. He could see Tony and Steve on the surfboards having fun. He could see Matt on the beach talking with some girl. Once he was about a hundred feet from them, Cailean appeared in front of him.

Gibbs moved toward him, "Cailean…how much more of this do I have to see? What happened to DiNozzo was wrong and I don't need to see any more. I want to go home."

Cailean just shook his head. "You will go home but you still have more to learn." Within seconds the translucence figure disappeared.