Chapter Twenty-Six

"Excuse me Ma'am."

Ziva's head shot up sharply.

"Ohhhh…" Tony said softly across the bullpen, exchanging a glance with McGee. Everybody in NCIS and quite possibly in all of Washington knew how Ziva felt about being called Ma'am.

"My name is Officer Ziva David, Mossad." She said, shooting the man standing before her a bitter death-look. "You will call me Officer David. Ms David if you must. Never, ever call me Ma'am."

The man in the suit gulped. "Sorry, Officer David." He fiddled nervously with his NCIS visitor badge under Ziva's brutal glare. "I was just looking for Anthony DiNozzo. Could you point me in the right direction?"

Ziva pursed her lips, still staring at him. Without lifting her eyes, she pointed her finger straight ahead.

Tony waved a hand. "What up?"

With his back to Ziva, the man regained his composure, smoothing his tie. "Anthony DiNozzo?"

"Call me Tony. Please."

The man offered a hand. "Joseph Stoker. Pleasure to meet you." He looked slightly amused at the flowers, lovehearts and lipstick kisses covering Tony's cast, courtesy of the female members of NCIS.

"Sure," Tony shook his hand somewhat awkwardly, looking a little unsure. "What can I do for you?"

"I was hoping we could talk," Joseph said.

"We already are."

"In private, Tony."

Tony cast a look around him. McGee was typing at his desk. Ziva was writing in a file. Gibbs had his back to the room, talking on the phone but Tony had no doubt he was completely aware of everything happening behind him.

"Sorry Joe, can't leave. We're kinda busy here, what with being federal agents and all. What did you want to talk about anyway? I don't think we've ever met, have we?" Tony said, hoping he wasn't the big brother or new boyfriend of one of the girls he'd dated looking for payback.

"I'm a writer. A biographer to be exact. I wanted to talk to you about Anthony DiNozzo Senior, your father."

Tony froze, paling visibly. In a second, Gibbs was up and moving. "DiNozzo, with me." Tony didn't even remember him hanging up the phone.

"I- I've gotta go." Tony stood up, quickly following his boss.

"Well…I guess I'll talk to you later," Joseph called after Tony's retreating form.

"No you won't," Ziva said, standing up and moving face to face with the writer. He seemed to shrink under her gaze. "You will leave here now. And you will never contact Tony again. Ever. Got it?"

Joseph nodded slowly. Ziva poked him in the arm with an extended finger. "Go. Now."

He scrambled to get away.

"Stupid imbecile," Ziva muttered under her breath. McGee stood beside her, watching the man leave.

"I wonder how he even got in here. You need valid reason to be issued a visitor's pass."

"He's a writer, McGee. They're all seasoned liars."

McGee gulped at her tone of voice, not wanting to argue with her. "Wonder where they went? Did you see how pale Tony was?"

"His father has been somewhat of a sensitive topic for him lately, McGee. Have you noticed how Gibbs has refrained from asking Tony to interview any fathers on cases since Tony's dad passed away?"

McGee hadn't, but it did make sense. Whenever they were out talking to suspects, families and witnesses, Gibbs had always specifically ordered either Ziva or McGee to talk to the fathers.

"We should call Abby. She'll want to know about this." Ziva said, reaching for her phone.

"Don't bother." McGee replied.

Abby seemed to have a sixth sense when anything involving Tony was concerned. Initially McGee'd been jealous, an outsider observing the tight bond between them. But once he'd gotten to know both Abby and Tony, he realized that they were just very good friends, there was nothing remotely sexual between them. They were a good pair, minds operating on the same quirky wavelength.

"She'll already know."

-------------------------

"Here," Gibbs said, passing Tony a steaming cup. "It's coffee. Or at least the liquid you call coffee, what with all the hazelnut and sugar you insist on adding."

Tony took the cup, managing a smile for Gibbs. "Sorry for freaking out like that. It's just… I want to forget about all that shit, move on with my life. It's like he's following me. He doesn't contact me for twenty years when he's alive, but now that he's dead I can't escape it. "

"You been having nightmares about him again?" Gibbs said, concerned.

Tony glanced at him, like he was making sure Gibbs was being serious. "Yeah," he said with a resigned sigh.

"How often?"

"Nothing for almost six weeks after he died. But then, on Saturday night. Abby already told you, right?"

Gibbs conceded with a nod. Abby hadn't wanted to betray Tony's trust or confidence, but after watching her best friend thrashing and sweating in the grip of an obviously horrific dream she'd needed someone to talk to. And Gibbs was the only person she trusted enough to talk to about something like that.

"Any more after that?"

Tony stared down at the coffee cup he held in his left hand. "Last night. I don't know why this affects me so much, it doesn't happen if I don't think of him."

"Guessing you're not planning on sleeping tonight then, after today's little event."

Tony's lip curled in an almost-smile. "James Bond marathon, I was thinking."

"Tony, I know your feelings on the matter but we have to do something about this." He paused as Tony stiffened visibly. "I know you can't help it, but I can't afford to have my senior field agent - my partner - sleep deprived in the field. I need to know you have my six, always."

"I do boss." Tony said, meeting Gibbs' eyes for the first time during their conversation. "I won't let it affect me."

"It already is," Gibbs said. He didn't remotely enjoy what he was saying, but he needed to get it out there. He needed Tony to be able to move on. "DiNozzo, you just about fainted ten minutes ago when a journalist mentioned your father's name. You are far from over this, and that's not where I need you to be. You need your head in the game if you plan on staying on my team."

Tony's head dropped down again and Gibbs could almost feel the tension emanating through the younger man's body.

"There's a woman I know. She helped me, after my stints in the combat. After Shannon and Kelly," Gibbs' fingers tightened around the coffee cup in his hand. "After the explosion. If you would just talk to-"

Tony stood up, still clenching his half-empty paper cup. "-talk to her. Sure Gibbs, I'll just sit down with a strange woman and tell her problems and she'll make everything better. Riiight. We already tried that, remember. Didn't turn out so well as I recall." He brushed a hand across his forehead, his eyes dark with anger. "Thanks for the coffee boss." He dropped the coffee cup into the bin beside the bench they'd been sitting on and stormed back across into the Navy Yard.

TBC

Angsty! Thanks for your feedback and input, I haven't made an executive decision about this fic, I'm gonna take it a chapter at a time, see how it goes :) Hope you liked!