Title: Brother, My Brother
Summary: Ellie's phone call was unexpected but Tony welcomed it anyway. Until she tells him why she's called. "Tony, Tim's in the hospital…he got shot." Tony's blood ran cold.
Second Summary: When any of Tony's friends or family were in hospital it was never a good thing, and now he gets on a red-eye from Paris to DC, Tali in tow, to see his little brother who has been shot and Tony would feel helpless if he wasn't there not being able to help. He had made rules and rule numero uno was to not sit by when one of his team needed him, and right now Delilah – and by extension Tim – needed him. Tim needs his big brother.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
A/N: Written from a prompt from SoapDramaCrimeGirl. This includes a story arc that I will explore later on a free hand story I'm going to start work on soon. A story arc of Tony working at a hospital. Look out for any future stories featuring Tony and Tali that are not on request.
7-year-old Tali David-DiNozzo was doing her homework at the kitchen table when the phone rang. She got up and grabbed the phone.
"Hello?" She usually called her father when the phone rang but not a lot of people rang anyway.
"Is that you, Tali?" a female voice asked.
"Yes." She replied.
"It's Aunt Ellie! In America. How are you?" The voice said, a bright brighter now.
"I'm good, Aunty Ellie. Do you want to talk to Aba?" Tali asked, she was happy to hear from her aunt; but she knew that Ellie only rang to talk to Tali on her birthday.
"If he's there, Tali." Ellie said.
"Aba!" Tony appeared from the study, "it's Aunt Ellie." Tali said holding the phone out to him.
"That's baby." Tony kissed Tali's head before taking the phone and ducking back inside the study, Hey, El. What's up?" Tony asked.
"Tony, it good to hear your voice. Listen, it's about McGee." Ellie said.
"Tim? What happened?" Tony asked, sitting down. He knew that in their job they got hurt but it was still shocking.
"He got shot. He's in the hospital." Ellie said.
"Is he okay?" Tony asked.
"He's in surgery right now. The doctors are hoping that he'll be alright. But the bullet in his leg, nicked the femoral artery…he lost a lot of blood. He's lucky to be alive." Ellie said, leaving out who shot Tim, it would hurt Tony even more if he knew it was Gibbs who fired the shot that put their SFA and little brother in hospital.
"Is Dee with him?" Tony asked.
"Yeah." Was the reply.
"Ellie, tell Dee, I'm on my way." Tony said, opening his laptop and starting to look for a flight out to DC. He didn't care what he had to do, he was going to be there for Tim and Delilah.
"Tony…you don't have to–" Ellie started but he but her off.
"I'm on my way." He hung up, much like Gibbs did. Tony booked the red-eye then sent Jimmy a text letting him know that they were on their way and when their flight landed. He then set about calling the hospital and asking for the time off – citing a 'family emergency' and packed up his and Tali's things for their impending return to America.
Tali stood beside her father in the arrivals lounge of JFK airport, she was curious as to why they were in America. Her father hadn't said much, so she was a little confused, all she knew was that they were going to America to see her American family.
"Aba? Why are we in America?" She asked.
"Aunt Ellie told me that Uncle Tim was hurt, so we are here to help Aunt Dee." Tony said.
"And Morgan and Johnny?" Tali asked excited.
"Yep, and Morgan and Johnny." Tony laughed.
"Is Uncle Tim gonna be OK?" Tali asked.
"I'm sure he's going to be fine, Tali. Because we are going to help him feel better." Tony said.
"And Aunt Dee?" Tali asked.
"Well, maybe you and Aunt Dee, Johnny and Morgan can make cookies while I help Uncle Tim. We might even get to see Uncle Leroy and Aunt Ellie at work." Tony said.
"Are you going back to NCIS?" She asked.
"Well, not really but I might be able to help. I haven't forgotten everything since I started work at the hospital." Tony told her.
"I think Uncle Tim and Uncle Leroy need to hug! They make everything better!" Tali said.
"They sure do, Bunny. Maybe you can show them how much they make it better. I'll bet Uncle Leroy will love to get a cuddle from you." Tony grinned down at his little girl.
Delilah was sitting outside Tim's room when a voice called out to her. And what surprised her was it was a child's voice, but it wasn't Morgan or Johnny running towards her.
"Aunt Dee!" Delilah smiled as the tiny 7-year-old jumped into her arms, Delilah just counted herself lucky she'd thought to put the brakes on her wheelchair.
"Hello, there Tali. Where's your Daddy?" Delilah asked she hadn't seen Tony; Tali didn't answer her but Delilah heard the throaty chuckle that could only be from one person.
"Right here, Dee. How you doing?" Tony asked crouching down to hug the woman. She smiled as she inhaled Tony's familiar scent. She was in love with Tim, but Tony was one of her best friends, being Tim's 'brother' after all.
"It's good to see you, Tony. And Tali. I'm doing ok. Tim's in there he's…he pulled through the surgery but they aren't sure if he'll…we're just waiting for him to wake up, you know?" Delilah said, softly. She looked sad but she didn't seem to be falling apart.
"Yeah. I get it. Mind if I go in?" Tony asked.
"Not at all. Tali, how about you and I go and find something to eat and drink?" The child agreed and with Tony's help took the brakes off Delilah's wheelchair and walked away chattering animatedly to her favourite aunt about anything and everything. Tony smiled softly and then turned to open the door to Tim's hospital room.
Tony had never seen Tim so still. Even when he was so green, he looked constantly ill. Tony sometimes missed the young, soft, green agent that stuttered whenever faced with Gibbs' glare. He was proud of how Tim had grown up and he was pleased that he had been part of it.
"Oh, Timmy. How do you get into these situations? Don't worry, Bro. I'm here with Tali and we'll take care of Dee, Morgan and Johnny. We'll be here until you tell us to leave. But not a minute earlier. I'll stay in the apartment or I'll stay with Gibbs, I'm sure he won't refuse Tali. Look at me, huh? Doing all the talking, jump in whenever you're ready Tim." Tony said.
"You don't honestly expect him to respond do you, DiNozzo?" A new voice made Tony looked up, sharply. As he set eyes on the newcomer his face lit up.
"Boss! Uh…Jethro. Hi." Tony grinned a little sheepishly as he realized his slip up.
"Hi, Tony, I saw Delilah and Tali in the cafeteria, I figured you'd be here." Jethro said, with a small smirk.
"It's good to see you, Jethro." Tony grinned.
"You too, Tony. And, yes, you and Tali can stay until you wear out your welcome." Jethro smiled, clapping Tony on the shoulder.
"No fear of her wearing out hers, but I figure you'll be sick of me soon enough." Tony laughed.
"Triumphant return to NCIS?" Jethro said.
"Probably not. I mean I have a job in Paris. I work in a hospital, Jethro…I'm a doctor." Tony said with a small shrug.
"Doctor DiNozzo…well that's a surprise if ever there was one." Jethro said, "you mentioned once, didn't you? Dermatologist?"
"ER. That's where the action is. It's not that bad, not really. Full on and can be hectic and crazy at times, but I love it. I can't wait to tell Tim. He's gonna freak." Tony chuckled.
It was another four days before Tim woke up, the doctors had been concerned that he'd fallen into a coma. But his body had shut down for a while so that it could heal. Tony was by his bedside when he woke up. He knew that by looking at Tim's chart that everything had gone well.
"He should be waking any minute now." Tony's voice said as Tim returned to consciousness.
"Well, Doctor DiNozzo, you'd know better than us." Ellie's voice replied.
"Cute, Ellie. He's just had major surgery, is body is healing, and with the blood transfusions…he needed the rest." Tony said.
"Ellie…" Tim groaned, she was safe, she'd survived.
"I'm right here, Tim. I'm ok. I'm fine." She told him taking his hand as he blinked open his eyes.
"Next time, maybe she won't call me, Tim. It's good to see you, Buddy." Tony said when Tim's eyes met his own.
"Of course, they give me the ugly nurse." Tim groaned with a smile.
"Good to see you haven't lost your sense of humor, McTim." Tony laughed.
Tony stared at Gibbs like he'd grown an extra head. Surely, he hadn't heard what he thought he just did…there was no way. Gibbs wasn't that kind of guy; sure he could be a bit reckless and a bit of a loose cannon but Gibbs wasn't the kind of guy to intentionally cause to anyone and certainly not a member of his team. Not his senior field agent. Not Tim.
"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN?! YOU SHOT HIM!" Tony exploded, suddenly making his ex-boss jump slightly.
"I didn't have a choice, Tony." Gibbs replied.
"Yes, you did, Jethro! You always have a choice! What right did you have to shoot him?!" Tony snapped.
"His coms were out. He couldn't hear what we were saying. There was a bomb on the plane and he would've died." Gibbs explained.
"He still might die anyway! The hell were you thinking?" Tony wasn't in the mood for games.
"I didn't have a choice, Tony. Tim was going to get himself killed so I stopped him." Gibbs said.
"From what McGee told me he was trying to save Ellie." Tony said.
"Who didn't need saving." Gibbs pointed out.
"He didn't know that! And neither did you! You were willing to let one of your agents die!" Tony accused, he was ropeable, this had been tow of his friends, how could Gibbs be willing to let Ellie Bishop – who was like a little sister to Tony – die?
"You know what? I'm never ready for one of my agents to die. I wasn't ready for Kate to die, for Ziva to die – I was certainly was never prepared to see you, Tim, Bishop, not even Torres – don't want to see any of you hurt or dead. I would've been destroyed that I couldn't have saved Bishop. I would never have forgiven myself for it." Gibbs said, firmly, "I would never have been able to live with myself. And I deserve your anger, Tony, I understand it. But I would've done anything I could to save Ellie, there was just nothing I could do."
It was too quiet. Tony hated silence. He'd turned the TV on hours ago and turned the volume down so it wasn't so quiet, and it didn't disturb Tali. But only an hour later he'd turned it off annoyed by the noise. Gibbs had shot Tim. Gibbs didn't have a choice. Gibbs had a choice; he just chose wrong.
"Suck it up, DiNozzo! Gibbs had been hard on you once, and you think he wouldn't do the same thing to you? He threatened to enough times. Nearly every day you got at least one 'I will shoot you' from Gibbs. Suck it up." Tony told himself.
"I'm never ready for one of my agents to die. I wasn't ready for Kate to, for Ziva to die." Tony had found her once in Cairo, but after that he hadn't seen or heard from her again. Until word reached him through Adam that Ziva had been killed. He had eliminated the threat from coming after Tony and Tali, but he had lost Ziva.
"You have raised your daughter single handedly for the last 4 years – you can handle the fact that Gibbs had to shoot Tim to stop him from dying. Right? Come on, DiNozzo! Pull it together!" Tony scolded himself, he hated that he was having such a hard time of this.
Tony had been helping Tim and Delilah for the last few weeks. Tim on crutches and Delilah in her wheelchair. He mostly helped Tim, despite reminding them he was a doctor and – like Ducky he once said – he had seen everything there was to see more time then he cared to admit.
"So, they let you in? To be a doctor?"
"Yeah, Tim. I'm now, Anthony DiNozzo, MD."
"Wow, you told Kate you wanted to be a doctor, didn't you?"
"Yeah, but I'm in the ER. So, I could easily lose someone one day. Thankfully it hasn't happened yet."
"Well, you've certainly helped around here. Morgan has just asked if she can be a doctor like Uncle Tony."
"So, you're getting around better on those Timmy, you won't need me anymore soon."
"I think I'll always need you, Tony. Maybe not as a carer or a doctor, but as what you've always been. My best friend and big brother."
"No problem. Both of you. All you ever need to do is ask, and I'll be there. I'm in the process of moving our stuff back here. Bought a house in Alexandria and I'll be at Bethesda by the New Year." Tony said, "maybe I'll see you there if I have a patient that is part of a case. What do you think, Tim?" McGee thought over it for a long moment.
"I think," Tim began with a smile, "everybody needs to have a Tony DiNozzo in their lives. And if it starts with patients at Bethesda, then all the better. Doctor DiNozzo." Tony laughed, shaking his head slowly. They may have been miles apart for four long years, but now – they were only 45 minutes away and closer then ever. As best friends, and more importantly as brothers.