I may be setting a personal record for number of weeks in a row of posting 'on schedule!' As always, tremendous thanks for all the reviews and alerts. And as usual, this is unbetaed, so all mistakes are my own. Special thanks to MarieKiki19 for the idea of the 'Seattle Rat Pack.'
36: Fallout
Relief
Gibbs flipped his phone shut and closed his eyes, slumping a little where he still sat on the floor. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Ducky smiling down at him. "My heartiest congratulations, Jethro."
Gibbs' lips twitched into a small half-smile. "Don't think I had much to do with it, Duck."
Ducky's eyebrows rose. "Don't sell yourself short, my friend. For all you know, it was your relationship with Tony that helped him to hang on. But that's not the only reason for offering my felicitations - you have become more open since you and Tony started this relationship." Ducky turned and looked at the other three, who were talking animatedly, big smiles on all their faces. "You aren't as cautious about showing your emotions as you were. I do believe young Anthony is very good for you."
Gibbs just looked contemplatively at Ducky for a moment, then gave him a bright smile. "Gotta agree with you there, Duck."
Ducky laughed, delighted. McGee came over at that moment, also smiling widely, and held out a hand to give Gibbs some leverage to get up off the floor. As soon as the older man was on his feet, Abby rushed over and almost knocked him back down, wrapping herself around him in an enthusiastic hug. "Gibbs! Tony's alive!"
"I know, Abs."
She hopped backwards, bouncing in place a bit. "This calls for a party!"
Ziva looked at her. "It is very late, Abby."
Abby pursed her lips, then nodded. "Okay. But we're having a real party when Tony gets home."
"Is Agent DiNozzo coming home, Ms. Sciuto?"
They turned to see Director Vance striding into the lab. His jacket and tie were missing, and his shirt sleeves were rolled up past his elbows.
Gibbs stepped forward to meet him. "Got a call from him. He's in the hospital, just woke up."
Vance nodded. "Good. Extent of his injuries?"
"Don't know. Lost the connection." Gibbs hesitated for a moment, then continued. "He did confirm that Special Agent Ethan Fitzgerald was one of the bombing victims."
The others shifted uncomfortably at that unexpected news.
Vance shook his head. "Damn. He was a promising agent."
"Just got engaged the other night."
Vance grimaced. "Tell DiNozzo to get me her contact information as soon as he can. I'll talk to Legal, see what we can do for her, if anything." He looked around the room. "Go home, all of you. Get some rest. I'll see you all at noon." He turned and left the lab.
McGee cleared his throat. "Was Agent Fitzgerald a friend of Tony's?"
Gibbs nodded. "Yeah." He sighed a little, looking up at the ceiling and then around at his team. "You heard the man… go home. Come in tomorrow ready for anything. Seattle office may need backup."
There was a chorus of 'goodnights' as the lab emptied. Gibbs remained for a moment, thinking back over his dream. He glanced toward the door, hearing the ding of the elevator, then looked around the empty room. "He's alive, Shannon. Everything's going to be okay."
He couldn't say for sure, but he thought for a moment that he felt her presence. Smiling slightly, he turned out the lights as he walked out of the lab to head home.
Long Distance Talk
Gibbs was sitting at his kitchen table the next morning with his second cup of coffee when his home phone rang. "Yeah, Gibbs."
"Hey, Jeth. You didn't answer your cell."
"Tony? You alright?"
"Yeah, actually, I think I am."
"You see a doctor?"
"I am in a hospital, Jethro."
"Funny guy. Consider yourself head-slapped." Gibbs sat back, sipping at his coffee, and enjoying the sound of Tony's voice. "So, what'd he say?"
"She said that I'm lucky. Pretty badly bruised all along my back where I hit the ground. Relatively minor concussion, which was probably helped by the fact that my head hit some bushes instead of the pavement and I was unconscious for so long. I'm pretty lucky – if my head had hit the pavement the way the rest of me did, I'd probably be dead."
Gibbs shifted a bit in his chair as he tried not to think about what could have happened. "So when're you getting out of there?"
"They wanna keep me at least one more day… Eddie offered to have me stay at his place if they insist on the usual post-concussion protocol." Tony cleared his throat. "Um… I kinda outed us to him, Jethro."
"Yeah? How'd that happen?"
"He was here with me at the hospital when I called you last night. Used his cell… Jeth, I'd say I'm sorry, but I'm really not. Needed to let you know I was okay – didn't really care who heard me."
Gibbs smiled. "Not a problem, Tony. I'd probably have done the same thing."
Tony sighed quietly. "Thanks."
"Sure. Anything more from the bomber?"
"Not that I've heard. Eddie texted me, said all our agents are accounted for… Fitzy was the only NCIS casualty. There's a few others hospitalized, but no one's in serious condition."
"Good to know. Hey, send Vance Fitzy's fiancee's info when you get a chance. He wants to see if there's something we can do for her."
"That's awfully nice of him. Sometimes I forget he's a family man."
"Heh. Don't forget about that dinner invitation."
"Maybe he'll authorize some more vacation time for us if we try to take him up on that when I get back."
"Any idea when that will be?"
"Dunno. Depends on what happens with this bomber, not to mention my recommendation for team lead."
Gibbs sighed. "Flip a coin?"
"Ha. After what happened to Fitzy? Not a chance. If it were up to me, they'd both lose their badges."
"You're right… it's not a joke. Do what you need to do."
"Thanks."
They were both quiet for a few moments. Then Tony laughed softly. "There's so much I want to say, I don't even know where to start."
"I think I know what you mean."
"Think we'd be better at this if one of us was a woman?"
It was Gibbs' turn to laugh. "Past experience suggests we'd have a twenty-five percent chance."
"And you say I'm the funny guy. Hey, say hi to Shannon for me, okay?"
"I will, Tony. Watch your six."
"You too, Jeth."
The Days After the Bombing
Email from Abby Sciuto to Tony DiNozzo, 1:15 p.m. Eastern Time, three days after the bombing
Subject: You're alive!
Tony!
Gibbs gave us all an update, said you're out of the hospital. We were all kind of upset that we didn't hear from you directly, but Gibbs said you didn't have a computer in the hospital and that you broke your cell phone when you got blown up, and now you're super busy trying to catch the bad guy, so we forgive you, although Bert wants a hug when you get back.
Please tell me you're coming home soon! You've been gone way too long… Gibbs needs you, I need you, even McGee and Ziva need you! They say hi and come home soon or else. McGee is threatening to do things to your computer, and Ziva's playing with paper clips again. Actually, forget I told you that, 'cause it might be incentive to stay over there. But if nothing else, Gibbs is plenty of incentive to come back, right?
Ducky and Jimmy miss you a lot, and I think Kevin – well, no, he doesn't know you very well. But Beaker needs you too – he's been all alone in Gibbs' house, 'cause Gibbs is almost always here, trying to do what he can on this end to help you guys out there. He keeps trying to get Vance to let him and the team go to Seattle, but Vance says no every time. I think Gibbs tried to use more vacation days, but Vance wouldn't approve them. Jerk.
We're so having a party for you when you get back… I'm calling it the Holding Back the Chaos party, 'cause when you get back, the universe will be stable again.
Love you!
Abby
Email from Tony DiNozzo to Abby Scuito, 10:28 a.m. Pacific Time, three days after the bombing
On desk duty, crazy busy. Pretend I'm hugging you. Hug Gibbs for me and say hi to everyone! Looking forward to my party!
Love you too,
Tony
Email from Tony DiNozzo to Jethro Gibbs, 2:15 p.m. Pacific Time, three days after the bombing
Subject: Back at work
Hey Jeth,
I know I've kinda been out of touch the last day or so… didn't get out of the hospital until this morning, and it's been work work work ever since. I'm on desk duty – tell Ducky, he'll be happy. Got a bit of a headache, my back hurts every time I move, but I'm basically alright.
Things are really subdued here, even though it's a nonstop hunt for the bomber. Fitzy was a good guy, and everyone knew him and liked him. Burrows and Taylor, the two idiots, won't make eye contact with me – which is really good, 'cause I still want to drop kick the both of them into the ocean. I think Burrows is starting to get back to normal though; she's showing signs of impatience again.
Tell everyone I said hi and that I'm okay and should be home soon. Kind of avoiding the whole email and phone thing with them right now. There are some things I don't really want to talk about yet, you know?
Love you,
Tony
Email from Jethro Gibbs to Tony DiNozzo, 6:10 p.m. Eastern Time, three days after the bombing
Subject: re: Back at work
Hey Tony,
Take care of yourself. You'll get the guy. Trying to get to Seattle, but Vance is being an ass. Not going to push too hard, don't want to give him a reason to keep you out there longer.
I do know.
Love you back,
Jethro
Email from Tony DiNozzo to Jethro Gibbs, 10:32 a.m. Pacific Time, four days after the bombing
Subject: We got him
It's over – the bomber turned out to be a former NCIS agent by the name of Max Aronson, who lost his job due to psychological problems. He'd been rejected from both the Marines and the Navy before that, so he's apparently been holding a grudge for a long time. He sent us a DVD through snail mail – I'll explain that later – in which he takes responsibility for the bombings and gives this long, rambling explanation that frankly makes no sense. They rushed some dental records and DNA after that, and it turns out he's one of the bodies from the second bombing site. They've got shrinks looking at the DVD to figure out if his death was suicide or accident. Franklin should be updating Vance right about now too.
I'm glad the guy's gone, but at the same time it's a bit of a let-down… no one seems to know what to do with themselves around here. Everyone's been so focused on finding him, and we all wanted revenge for Fitzy – but I guess we won't get that now. Not just Fitzy, either… death toll from the bombings is up to seventeen people – one agent, three Marines, two Seamen, a Petty Officer, and the rest civilians who were either caught in the bombs or were in car accidents when the area went into a panic. The last one died early this morning.
Fitzy's funeral is tomorrow. After that I intend to give Franklin my recommendation and head home as soon as possible. Eddie and I are going out tonight to celebrate Fitzy's memory… I intend to get completely wasted.
Miss you –
Tony
Email from Jethro Gibbs to Tony DiNozzo, 3:05 p.m. Eastern Time, four days after the bombing
Subject: re: We got him
Good.
Vance is going to be at the funeral – I tried to come, but he's got me here playing paper-pusher while he's gone.
Come home.
J
P.S. I know what snail mail is, and no, it's not because McGee told me.
Email from Tony DiNozzo to Jethro Gibbs, 6:20 p.m. Pacific Time, four days after the bombing
Subject: re: re: We got him
Vance is coming here? So much for getting wasted. That's good, though… maybe I can deal with both him and Franklin at once and get home that much sooner.
Tony
The Funeral, Catholic Church of Seattle, five days after the bombing
Tony stood quietly at the base of the steps leading into the church, waiting for the rest of the mourners to emerge. He'd spent the funeral in a pew near the back of the church; Fitzy had been a local boy, and the church was full of family and friends. He'd seen Brooke before the ceremony started; she was pale and quiet, but held her head high as she walked to her seat at the front of the church, surrounded by members of both her own and Fitzy's family.
The ceremony had been long, and had brought back memories he'd have been happier to keep buried. He was glad he'd attended, though – it was nice to hear about Fitzy from people who'd known him outside of work. Eddie had gotten up to say a few words, using a combination of gentle humor and true mourning that had been strangely uplifting. He'd referred to Fitzy as a member of what he called the 'Seattle Rat Pack' and to Tony's surprise and pleasure had included him in that group.
Eddie walked out, along with some of the other members of the office in attendance: Julie Stewart, her arm in a sling, Morris Franklin, looking glum and preoccupied, and Director Vance, who saw Tony and said something to Franklin before moving in Tony's direction.
Tony straightened up as Vance approached. "Director."
"DiNozzo." Vance stopped next to him, turning to watch the crowd still exiting the church. "You going to the burial service?"
"Family only, sir."
Vance nodded. "Right, I knew that." He watched as more NCIS personnel walked by, including Burrows and Nichols, with Taylor nearby but not speaking to either of the two women. "Franklin's office in two hours… I want to get this issue of team lead settled."
"Yes, sir."
Vance shot him a look, then took a toothpick out of his jacket and stuck it between his lips. "See you then." He strode off toward his car, the two agents acting as bodyguards falling into place behind him.
"Hey, Tony!"
Tony turned to see Eddie jogging toward him. "Some of us are heading over to the pub around the corner… wanna join?"
"Thanks, but no… gotta meet with Vance and Franklin soon."
Eddie grimaced. "Don't envy you that decision. Neither of those two is a popular choice right now. Already heard from a few people that they'd request a transfer over working on either's team."
"I've got an idea that should help."
"Does it include public humiliation in the stocks? 'Cause that's what they deserve."
Tony smiled. "I'll leave that up to Vance… may drop a hint, though. I think he'd consider it."
"Nice." Eddie clapped him on the shoulder. "See you later."
Tony nodded and went back to watching the mourners. He saw Brooke walking out a few minutes later, and moved forward quickly.
"Brooke?"
She looked up at him, her eyes tired and her face drawn. "Yes?"
"I'm not sure if you remember me… my partner and I ran into you and Fitzy right after you got engaged, outside the restaurant."
She looked at him, then smiled slightly. "I do remember… Tony, right?"
He smiled. "That's right."
An older man stepped closer to her. "Brooke, we need to leave for the cemetery."
"In a minute… this is Tony, he worked with Ethan. Tony, this is my father, Steven."
Tony reached out and shook the older man's hand. "I'm very sorry for your loss, sir. I was hoping to speak to Brooke for a minute, if she doesn't mind."
Steven looked at his daughter, who nodded. "It's alright… I'll meet you at the car, Dad."
Tony led Brooke to a bench outside the church and they sat down. She took a deep breath. "You were with Ethan when he died, weren't you?"
Tony nodded. "I was there."
"Did he… did he say anything before…?"
"I'm sorry… he was ahead of me, moving into the building. I don't think he had time to say anything."
She dropped her head, and a tear made its way down her face. "Oh. I was hoping…"
"You thought I had a message for you from him?"
She nodded.
"I guess I do, in a way… listen, this is going to sound crazy, but… I can promise you that he's in a really good place, and he's thinking of you – watching over you, even."
Brooke raised her head and looked at him seriously. "How can you be sure?"
Tony took a deep breath. "I've had… experiences, I guess you could say. Someone really close to someone who means a lot to me… I'm sorry, I'm not explaining this very clearly."
"Someone close to your partner?"
Tony nodded. Brooke sat there for a moment. "You think Ethan's happy?"
"Yes. I really do. Not happy because he's away from you, but he's still… him."
Her brow furrowed as she considered that. "Why are you telling me this?"
Tony sighed. "Because I've seen what grief can do… look, Jethro walled himself away from people for a long time. He tried, but he wouldn't let go enough to let it work with someone else." He gently took her hand, noticing that she was wearing her engagement ring. "I know I met you for all of a few minutes, but Fitzy, uh, Ethan was a great guy, and I know he was crazy about you. Don't make the same mistake Jethro did, and if it helps to know that Ethan really is in a good place, and to remember that you can make him happy by being happy, then it's worth it for me to come across as an interfering crazy person."
That got a small smile from her, and she leaned forward to kiss him on the cheek. "Thank you. I don't know yet, but maybe that will help. And for what it's worth, I don't really think you're crazy. Ethan said you were a good man, and I think he was right." She looked over to where her father was standing next to his car in the parking lot. "I should go." They both stood. "Thanks, Tony." She smiled again, then got up and headed toward the car. Tony couldn't be sure, but he thought maybe her steps were a little bit lighter.
The Decision
Tony walked into Morris Franklin's office to find the SAC at his desk and Vance sitting in one of the armchairs on the other side. Tony nodded to both men, then slid into the remaining chair. Franklin glanced at Vance, who waved his hand toward him and settled back to look at Tony.
"So, Agent DiNozzo," Franklin began, "we'd like to hear your recommendation for the new lead for the MCRT here in Seattle – Burrows, or Taylor?"
Tony looked from Franklin to Vance and back. "Neither."
Vance sat forward slightly. "Reasons?"
Tony straightened his back a bit and tugged on the sleeve of his Armani jacket. "Isn't it obvious?"
"Are you saying they caused Agent Fitzgerald's death?"
Tony shook his head slowly. "No, Aronson did that. But they might have prevented it, if they hadn't been so absorbed in their own little egotistical war." He went into detail about what he'd seen before the bomb went off. "Either of them might have thought to look for a tripwire."
Vance pulled a toothpick out of his jacket pocket. "Shouldn't Agent Fitzgerald have waited for them?"
"Yes, he should. But he was given no direction, and he was aware of the time crunch – we had maybe twenty minutes before the bombs were set to go off, assuming Aronson was being truthful in his email."
Franklin sighed and sat back. "One mistake doesn't necessarily make them both ineligible for the position."
"One mistake that may have cost an agent his life. But it's not just that. You know that Burrows and Taylor have been acting like spoiled children, arguing in the office, trying to show each other up. You spoke to them on at least one occasion."
Vance tilted his head. "Go on."
Tony wanted to growl in frustration, but he held back. "Burrows drives her team hard, but doesn't make up for it by teaching her agents what they need to know. She puts her own performance ahead of the rest of her team's well-being. Taylor's lazy; he pushes his paperwork off on his team members. In my professional opinion, neither of them is ready or qualified to lead the MCRT."
Vance and Franklin looked at each other, and then Vance turned back to Tony. "Just so happens we agree with you, DiNozzo. We'd both like to offer you the position."
Tony shook his head. "No. I told you before, Director, I'm happy in D.C., and I want my shot at the MCRT there someday." He glanced at Franklin. "No offense, but I intend to be on a plane tomorrow morning."
Vance shook his head. "DiNozzo, you've turned down a team lead once already. You really think you're doing your career any good –"
"If you'd rather have my resignation, Director, I can have that typed up and ready to go within a few minutes."
Vance sighed, while Franklin stared at Tony, clearly not expecting that response. "Agent DiNozzo," Vance said, sounding tired, "I'm not stupid enough to shoot myself or NCIS in the foot. I don't want your resignation; your position as co-leader of the MCRT in D.C. is secure."
Tony nodded at Vance, then shot Franklin a small smile. "I have personal reasons for wanting to stay in D.C., Morris… nothing to do with you or this office. If you take away Burrows and Taylor, you've got good people here." He hesitated, then narrowed his eyes and continued. "However… you should have been more professional about submitting your recommendation to Director Vance, instead of passing the buck, and Director," Tony turned toward Vance, "you shouldn't have given in to your own issues with me and used this as an opportunity to get me out of D.C." Tony then looked straight ahead. "If everyone had done their jobs the way they were supposed to, Fitzy and Brooke might be planning their wedding right now."
Franklin shifted uncomfortably, looking at Vance again, who gave nothing away as he stared at Tony. "It's our loss that you don't want to stay, Tony."
Tony shook his head. "No, Fitzy's death was your loss. You've got an excellent candidate here in the office, anyway… Edward Wright."
Vance chewed on his toothpick while Franklin looked puzzled. "He didn't apply for the position," the SAC said.
Tony shrugged. "I never applied for Rota all those years ago, but Director Shepherd offered it to me anyway."
Vance considered that. "Bring in Wright's file," he suggested. Franklin made a call, and the file was on his desk within a few minutes. Both men went through it quickly while Tony waited, and then Vance looked up at him. "Why?"
"He's observant and has good people skills. He's got a good work ethic; he stayed focused on the job and out of the turf war Burrows and Taylor were conducting. From what I can tell, he's been doing a good part of Taylor's job already anyway. He teaches his probie and supports the agents he works with, both on and off his team."
Vance paged through the file again, then looked at Franklin with one eyebrow raised. Franklin nodded, then called his assistant and asked that Agents Wright, Burrows and Taylor come to his office. Tony got up from his chair and moved to the window, deciding to separate himself from the upcoming conversation. Vance closed Eddie's file and stood as well, tossing his toothpick into the trash and talking to Franklin in a low voice.
A few minutes later, the door opened and the three agents walked in, lining up in front of Franklin's desk, dividing their attention between both men. Eddie shot a confused look at Tony, who gave him a small smile in return.
Vance cleared his throat. "Special Agent Wright… you are temporarily promoted to Supervisory Special Agent of the Seattle MCRT, with the expectation that the promotion will become permanent if you perform well in the field."
Eddie's eyes widened and his jaw dropped. "Uh… thank you, Director."
Vance inclined his head, glancing at Franklin, who held out his hand to shake Eddie's. "We'll be doing some restructuring… give me a list of agents you think are qualified for the new MCRT and we'll move from there."
Eddie nodded and glanced at Vance, who also shook his hand, then turned to look at the other two agents, his face taking on a stern expression. Burrows was red-faced and angry; Taylor was chewing the inside of his cheek and nodding to himself.
"Agents Burrows and Taylor… you are both on administrative leave while we review your conduct over the past several weeks, particularly your roles in Agent Fitzgerald's death. Should we decide in favor of you remaining with this agency, we'll determine the right fit." Vance stared at them for a moment, then tilted his head toward the door, glancing at it and then back at them. All three agents left without a word, shutting the door behind them.
Franklin shook his head. "If I didn't know better, I'd say neither of them care all that much about what happened to Fitzgerald." He looked at Vance. "Probably best they both get reassigned away from this office."
"If they're still agents after the review, they will be."
Tony stood silently, watching and listening. Vance turned to him. "You're free to go, DiNozzo. I'll see you back at the Navy Yard day after tomorrow."
Tony nodded, moved forward to shake Franklin's hand and say his goodbyes, then headed out of the room and over to the desk he'd been using.
Michaela Burrows stopped him partway there, grabbing his arm. "I can't believe you sabotaged me with the Director," she hissed.
Tony twisted his arm out of her grasp and stepped into her personal space, glaring at her. "You did it to yourself when you let your probie walk into a building rigged to explode. Get over yourself and learn from this before you get someone else killed." He continued on to his desk; he'd never once hit a woman outside the line of duty, but he was sorely tempted now.
Ryan Taylor was packing up his personal belongings. He looked over at Tony and gave him a rueful smile. "For what it's worth," he said, nodding in the direction of Eddie's desk, where the new team lead was being congratulated by a number of people, "you made a good choice there."
"I know."
Taylor nodded to him and left, followed not long after by Burrows, who was clearly still furious. Tony sat down at his desk and watched for a moment as Eddie talked with several agents from other teams, then smiled as he refocused on his computer and started the process of booking his flight home. About half an hour later, Eddie approached him.
"Tony… thanks."
Tony grinned and grasped the outstretched hand. "It's well-deserved. You should have applied in the first place."
Eddie shrugged. "Didn't think I'd earned it yet."
"That's why you're going to succeed."
Eddie stepped back and moved to his desk to grab his pack. "Wanna grab some dinner? You can tell me all about your Jethro."
"You mean Gibbs?"
Eddie stopped and stared at Tony. "Jethro is Special Agent Gibbs? Seriously? The guy's a freaking NCIS legend!"
Tony grinned. "That's him."
"Holy crap. You have any idea what the guy's reputation is?"
"I've only worked for him for about nine years… so, yeah, I have a clue."
"You must be a very brave man."
Tony laughed and clapped Eddie on the shoulder. "Come on… I hear a burger calling my name." They moved toward the door. "So, which member of the Rat Pack am I, anyway?"
Eddie stared at him, then shook his head and hurried to catch up. "I was thinking sort of a combination between Lawford and Bishop."
"Really? Not Martin? 'Cause I kind of see myself as sort of Martin-esque… you could be Sinatra – can you sing?"
Text from Kevin Segel to Julie Stewart, 11:30 a.m. Eastern Time, six days after the bombing
Reassigned to Seattle office MCRT, moving out there next week.
Text from Tony DiNozzo to Jethro Gibbs, 7 a.m. Pacific Time, six days after the bombing
10 a.m. flight to DC. I'm coming home.