Frankie whistled as he stood next to the copy machine. He was copying Michael's statements on secret request of Tony, and he was trying to seem like he was doing nothing out of the ordinary.
"What'cha doing there Frankie?" Michael's voice said suddenly. Frankie jumped. His mind screamed at him for getting caught like this. "Ooooh, secrecy?" Michael asked. Frankie managed to grab the paper in his pocket and hold it out for Michael. "Love letters?" Michael asked, a grimace on his face. Frankie blushed.
"I...uh...Melinda is a girlfriend and...she likes me being romantic and...uh..." Frankie stuttered. Michael grinned.
"Want help?" Michael asked.
"No, I can handle it," Frankie said.
"Why are you copying it?" Michael asked.
"I'm seeing Daniella as well," Frankie said quickly. Michael laughed.
"You dog! I knew you'd come around some day!" Michael said loudly.
"PLEASE don't say anything to ANYONE, Michael," Frankie said. Michael drew two fingers across his mouth and straightened up. "Thank you. I'm not sure which one to go for so I'm sending love letters to both of them, I want to see who goes : 'awww' and who goes 'what the hell' you know," Frankie sighed.
"Okay then. See you around, oh and Frankie?" Michael asked. Frankie looked straight at him. "If you see Tony, tell him I got a possible witness," Michael said. Frankie nodded and Michael disappeared. Frankie breathed out when Michael suddenly popped back in making Frankie jump. "One more thing, that copy machine is for police buisiness. Love letters are not," Michael said. Frankie nodded. Michael grinned and patted the doorframe a couple of times before disappearing and Frankie leaned against the copy machine with a silent sigh of relief. He turned back and started whistling again, periodically stopping to listen for sounds. he didn't want anyone to drop in like that again, especially not Michael. He gathered his copies and put everything back in it's place, and the file back in the file cabinet before packing the copies in and placing them under the cabinet for Tony to pick up.
"Thanks," Tony's voice said and Frankie yelped. "Jumpy much?" Tony asked with a small smirk as Frankie glared at him.
"You know, first Michael almost catches me copying this crap and by the way, you owe me, he now thinks I'm seeing two people! I even humiliated myself by showing a love letter to him! And now you come here and scare the begeeses out of me!" Frankie said angrily.
"Did he see it?" Tony asked.
"What?" Frankie asked and blinked.
"Did he see what you were doing?" Tony asked.
"No...Tony what's going on?" Frankie asked. Tony sighed and picked up the manilla envelope with the copies.
"Come with me Frankie," Tony said. Frankie followed him as they went out the back door and into Tony's car before driving to Tony's flat. They went inside and Tony pointed to the sofa. "Want anything?" Tony asked. Frankie shook his head. "I got more than beer, Frankie," Tony said. Frankie smiled a little.
"A soda, thanks," Frankie said. Tony went into the kitchen and Frankie looked around. "Hey, who's that?" Frankie asked. Tony came in and placed the soda on the table as Frankie looked at the picture. Tony didn't answer. "I should just keep my mouth shut, shouldn't I?" Frankie asked.
"It's okay Frankie, relax. That is my family. Or was. The man I'm chasing, is the same man that killed them," Tony said and gulped his soda down. Frankie's mouth was hanging open. "Watch out for flies, Frankie," Tony said, he sounded slightly amused. Frankie closed his mouth and swallowed thickly.
"I'm sorry Tony," Frankie said solemnly. Tony glared at him. "Sorry," Frankie said and pulled his eyes to him and away from the picture. "So, uh, the Michael thing?"
"Mike's the guy," Tony said. Frankie spluttered his soda and wiped his mouth.
"Michael killed your family?" Frankie asked. Tony nodded while gulping down more soda. he placed the empty can on the table and tossed the manille envelope on the table.
"That's my proof. I can't do much while pretending Michael isn't being investigated. All those explanations are false, but, he's my best friend and I still have my doubts," Tony said.
"But you said Michael is the guy!" Frankie protested. Tony looked at him.
"Frankie, there's something you got to understand. Good friends doesn't come along often. If you find one, you stick with him or her through good and bad times. Just because I got a gut feeling, doesn't mean I don't need hard cold facts before I arrest him," Tony said. "Caught him in a lie today too," Tony sighed.
"He lied to you?" Frankie asked, and Tony nodded. "So your gut says it's him?" Frankie asked. Tony nodded again. "Then it's him." Frankie said, determined. Tony looked at him. "You have a famous gut, just like Agent Gibbs. He trusts it, and I trust you. You have no reason to lie to me, do you?" Frankie asked. Tony smiled at him.
"I don't lie, Frankie. I've never lied to you and I don't plan on starting now. I know it's him. He said he didn't even stay in this town before three months after my family was killed, but the night they died, he was staying at a hotel down the street from us, under a different name. Frankie, can you do me one more favor?" Tony asked. Frankie nodded. "Find everything you can on Mike Calms. EVERYTHING. If there's a guy in this town with the same name, you find his address for me, I'm going to talk to him, WITH Agent Gibbs," Tony said.
"You got it Boss...uh...Colnel...uh, Tony," Frankie stammered.
"Frankie, I don't think I need to tell you that this stays between us, no one, NO ONE, can know about this!" Tony said as he stared at him.
"You can kill me with your pinkie, I don't think I'd dare to not follow orders," Frankie said.
"Hey! Frankie, you're not following orders here, if you don't want to do this, you can walk away and pretend we never had this talk," Tony said firmly.
"And miss the chance to be in on the biggest case yet? I don't think so," Frankie said. Tony grinned and patted his shoulder.
"Easy there tiger. The hardest part is pretending that you're okay with Mike, think you can handle that?" Tony asked. Frankie nodded. "Good," Tony said, "I need to make a phonecall, feel free to head back to the office," Tony finished as he got up and walked into his bedroom. He picked up his phone and called Gibbs.
"Yeah?"
"Frankie's going to help. I found the name he was staying under, and it's Mike Calms. I asked Frankie to find everything he could on him and we're going to work that end from here."
"Good. I'll call when I have more info."
"Go-" Tony didn't get to finish before gibbs hung up on him. "Still hanging up on me Gibbs? Not nice," Tony mumbled and tucked the cell phone back in his jacket. He walked back into the livingroom where Frankie stood by the small fireplace and looked at the pictures. "That's just before they were killed. Same day actually," Tony said, making Frankie jump. "She's beautiful isn't she?" Frankie nodded.
"He looks just like you," Frankie said.
"God I hope not," Tony said and Frankie smiled. "Ready to go back to the office?"
"Yeah," Frankie said. Tony grabbed his jacket and locked the flat. "Isn't that Michael's car?" Frankie asked. Tony turned around to see Michael's car pull out of the parking lot.
"Fuck!" Tony growled.
------------------------------------------------------------------
AN: AHA! A cliffie. Moahahahaha. Damn. Grandpa is really sick right now...so I don't know when i can update again. Sorry. People before fiction. Especially Grandpa. I hope he pulls through this time as well but he's old and...yeah. *sigh* R&R.
