Abby bounced into the bullpen laden with a large box that she was carrying in both hands. Seeing Tony at his desk, she goes right to him and places the box in front of him.
"Tony! I was so scared for you. Are you angry with me? The nuns say thank you for the drinks. They are going to give the brandy to the parish priest and keep the champagne for New Year's. I brought us food," She says all in one breath. As she inhales sharply to get a new lungful, Tony stands carefully and places one finger across her lips.
"Slow down, Abby. I'm not angry with you. I'm glad your friends will enjoy the champagne. What kind of food, because I am a bit hungry." He knows just what to say in order to make Abby calm down and breathe, making her focus on the topic at hand instead of going on one of her famous mental leap frog games.
"Do you remember telling me that one Christmas you spent with your Nonna and how she made the whole family 'the feast of the seven seas'? Well, I got us my own version of it; seafood chowder and a fisherman's platter. I thought we could share."
"You did that for me?"
"You told me that you loved your Nonna, and that she was a loving, kind lady. So we can eat in her memory and you can tell me how come she was the only who was able to find you when you went missing Christmas Day."
"I never told you?" Tony asks as he hands Abby a spoon and a small container of chowder. "You're going to love this..."
The two men walked down the main hallway that led to DiNozzo's apartment. It was surprisingly quiet for a Christmas Eve night. Very little noise was coming into the hallway from the apartments that lined it.
Gibbs motions with his hand to Leon to stay on one side of the door. Then Gibbs motions to the door. It is then that Leon can see that it is ajar. Both men pull their weapons and enter the apartment with care, splitting up so that they can search their agent's home quickly.
"Clear," Leon calls out.
"Clear," Gibbs also calls out to inform his boss.
After holstering their weapons the men look at the mess that was made in Tony's home.
The Christmas tree is on its side and some of the ornaments are shattered and laying in pieces around the tree. A few books are on the floor with ripped pages scattered about. Other than that, the living room is relatively unscathed. The kitchen looks like a cyclone went through it, food all over the counters and the stove, two empty bottles of liquor on the counter, the sink full of dirty dishes, and the floor and ceiling covered with flour. Both the refrigerator and freezer doors are left open. Tossed in one corner are a blanket and a half empty bottle of bourbon.
They check the bathroom and find it has been recently used for a shower. The bedroom has been ransacked as well. Tony's suits and shirts are tossed about the room, giving the appearance that a teenager was trying to decide what to wear for an important date.
Vance opens a chest of drawers exposing Tony's safe. He remembers when his agent got the safe. He felt it was unnecessary at the time for Tony to spend that kind of money for a high end safe. Now he understands why he did it. Working in tandem the men opened the safe; they knew what was kept in there. Tony had told them in case anything happened. They were to open the safe and take care of things for him. Finding everything intact, they close it.
"Well, he's gone. Left a mess and took off for places unknown."
"He'll be back, Leon. That man is like a bad penny, always shows up. And at the worst possible times, too."
"What kind of a man hits his son in a drunken stupor?" Leon muses out loud.
"The kind that used to beat his son on a regular basis while he was growing up."
"You knew?"
"I suspected. Tony is extremely protective of his privacy. This is only the third time that I've been here."
"I'm surprised the bed is so small. I mean, with his reputation," Vance starts to say.
"He talks, but most of it is just that, talk. He goes to their places."
"Smart man."
"You should go home, Leon. I'll go back to the Navy Yard."
"Are you really going to baby sit a grown man?"
"No, I'm going to work and he is going to work. Together, we are going to be clearing up cold cases. Hopefully, no new ones will come in.
Locking the apartment securely, they leave, just not as angry as they entered, but still wanting to know where the man was that hurt DiNozzo.
Gibbs says goodbye to Vance, wishing him and his family a very Merry Christmas. He watches as Vance leaves the parking lot before going back to the Navy Yard.
Getting off of the elevator, Gibbs is surprised to hear Abby laughing out loud, and Tony begging her to stop making him laugh as it hurts his side and chest.
"Hi-ya, Boss, are you hungry? Abby brought tons of food."
"What did you get, Abby?"
"Um, my version of 'the feast of the seven seas'."
"What?" Gibbs asks as he looks from Abby to Tony then back again.
"Have a seat and grab a fork, Boss-man, and I'll explain."