Notes: Thanks to the nice English lady revising my chapters. All mistakes are mine.

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Chapter 6 – In between Baking Battles

Tony asked Delores about her plans for the days after the semi-final episode, the first full weekend in a long while that he wouldn't be working at all; she suggested a lazy Saturday, looking at the tourist attractions of San Francisco and Tony was happy to oblige. After waking up late, a brunch, and walking part of the day, the pair agreed upon a movie to see in the theatre and a well recommended steakhouse for dinner. No plans were made for Sunday, so Tony was surprised to be invited to a lunch with former NCIS Director Tom Morrow, now Homeland Assistant Director.

'I must congratulate both of you on your performance at the show,' Morrow started while they waited for their orders to come to the table. 'If I knew how well you two could bake, I might have prevailed upon you two to help in annual parties for NCIS,' he said with a smile.

'I thought about offering once or twice,' Delores responded. 'But in the end, the work or something or other got in the way.'

'Sorry, sir,' Tony said quietly. 'I wouldn't ever open the door to the harassment that this knowledge would generate.'

Morrow nodded in understanding. 'The older agents especially. And maybe Agent Todd,' Tom commented delicately.

Tony agreed. 'It wasn't my choice to divulge this talent, but what's done is done. I'm moving on.'

'That's what Ms Bromstead informed me.'

Tony raised an eyebrow toward Delores.

'I left a list of people with her when I moved to Homeland, DiNozzo,' Tom interjected. 'People I would very much like to poach from NCIS, if possible. You were the top name on that list.'

Tony couldn't hide his surprise. 'I didn't think you liked me that much, sir.'

'You are unconventional but effective, DiNozzo,'

'I already told him that, sir,' Delores laughed.

Tony felt himself blushing. It was good to be recognized but it was also unusual.

'I didn't have the chance to talk about this before I left NCIS. You were still on leave after that damned bio attack. Homeland was in a hurry for me to move in and Shepard didn't complain either,' Morrow said with a frown. 'She wasn't on my list of suggestions, but SecNav does what he wants.'

The table was silent while the waiter brought their entrees. The group started eating and the silence continue for a while.

'I should apologise for not reaching out to you sooner, DiNozzo.'

'Of course not, sir!' Tony interrupted Morrow. 'We were all too wrapped up with our own work and lives. Nothing to apologise for. I made my own set of mistakes in the situation. I'm just trying to correct my way now.'

Morrow nodded, chewed a few more bites before going back to the conversation. 'Yes, mistakes were made all around. Now let's look ahead,' he put down his fork, took a sip of his water, and then looked directly to Tony. 'I'm here to offer you a job, DiNozzo. I came to San Francisco to talk to you because I didn't want to wait for you to go back to DC. I wanted to put my offer on the table before others started coming in.'

Tony gulped the last bit of his meal, use the time while drinking some of his juice to put his thoughts in order. 'I was trying to get something organized before going back to DC so I wouldn't be at Vance's mercy. Thank you for thinking of me, sir. I'm not sure about the structure in Homeland. There's an open SFA position?'

'You are way past an SFA position, DiNozzo. You know it! Just because Shepard and Gibbs were trying to browbeat you, doesn't mean those in the know don't recognise your value.'

Tony felt himself blushing again.

'I want you to organise an investigative unit for me. I have one agent who was doing ad-hoc work for me, and he can probably be a team leader, but you will need to canvass FLETC and other agencies to poach the best you can find,' Morrow laughed discreetly. 'I warned the other agencies' directors that I was planning this.' He smiled become somewhat predatory. 'Not my fault they didn't take me seriously. I do have permission from the President himself to poach whomever I want.' Nodding toward Tony, he amended. 'Or whomever you think would be best.'

Tony leaned in the chair, surprise all over his face. 'You want me to be Unit Chief?!'

Delores smiled, also in a bit of a predatory way. 'That's perfect! I have the list Director Morrow created, and we can discuss the possibility of those agents to transfer. You don't have to resign, Tony!' She barely controlled the glee. 'I can prepare a transfer between agencies, and you won't lose any leave time or contribution towards your years of service. NCIS would still carry the brunt of any health issue related to your lungs though.'

Tony looked between Bromstead and Morrow. 'You two discussed this beforehand,' he stated.

'Well,' Morrow demurred. 'She knew who I wanted. When Ms Bromstead said you were distributing your CV around, we discussed how to facilitate your transfer to Homeland, if you accepted my offer,' he clarified.

Tony took a deep breath, eyes far away from the people at the table. 'Thank you for the confidence, sir. I'm not sure what to say…'

Morrow raised a hand to stop Tony. 'You don't need to thank me or say anything right now, DiNozzo.' He pulled an A4 size envelope from the computer bag he had with him and offered it to the other man. 'Read the job offer, the details of it, what is expected of you and what support the agency offers. You have at least one more week here, so take the time to think about it.'

Tony accepted the collection of papers, impressed with the almost half an inch thickness of it.

'Since you already sent your CV around,' Morrow waited for DiNozzo's confirmation of such actions before continuing. 'I would expect you to consider any other offers you receive before answering me. I want you for the job, DiNozzo,' Morrow made it clear. 'But I also want you to choose the best option for you. The last few years weren't easy. Put yourself first this time.'

Tony accepted the advice and the conversation about work finished. The group enjoyed a dessert and then parted ways. Tom Morrow was going back to DC, Dolores Bromstead said she wanted to browse the shops, and Tony DiNozzo decided to enjoy the views walking by the sea in the Presidio neighbourhood.

Vance was starting to despair. The MCRT took almost seven days to close their last case, in the middle of screamed orders and demands from Gibbs, a lot of stuttering from McGee, and an insufferable amount of snarking from Ziva. Vance didn't remember the team being so bad from the time he visited the DC office during Shepard's tenure, or even during the short time the original Team Gibbs was back together after the mole hunt. And Gibbs was still refusing to get a fourth member into the team. He was holding out, expecting to be able to bring DiNozzo back.

Even more annoying was all the sniggering from other agents and teams in the building. He could see the glee at the collapse of the major crime team, and he couldn't really understand why. They were the agency flagship, the team that SecNav loved to promote around the other alphabet agencies as an example because of their solving rate. Neither Morrow nor Shepard ever commented about that level of envy or jealousy from others towards the MCRT.

To add to his bad mood, the whole DoD/DoJ PR campaign kept coming back to bite him in the ass. Vance was happy to let McGee run with his comment and put DiNozzo out of the office and into a position that would allow Vance to transfer, or even fire him. But then McGee had to make a mistake and Vance had to try to fix it, which made him look bad in front of his own agency. He was pissed with the situation, but couldn't actually blame McGee for it, or at least not too much. The few other NCIS agents going through the PR event were doing well enough. He had no complaints from the DoD so far.

But then DiNozzo had to do his thing! He went and made a splash on that damn Baking Battle, winning his episode and the semi-final with overwhelming approval and popularity. Their charity had already received over $30,000 in ten days. The brains responsible for that blasted PR campaign were over the moon with the results. And again, Vance couldn't understand why. That show was a joke to start with and DiNozzo made some very undesirable comments on an interview that he didn't know how was allowed to be aired! What was the agent thinking, saying law enforcement and military needed support with mental health issues?! That was the whole point of the psych evaluations they were all required to go through! If he didn't use it, was his fault! And Vance totally ignored the issue since he would be more than happy to boot DiNozzo off the agency if he ever failed a psych eval.

The whole thing only made Vance more certain that DiNozzo was not the type he wanted in his federal agency, and he couldn't wait to be able to transfer him to the middle of nowhere in a boat or dismiss him. He had actually drafted a transfer, ready to present it to DiNozzo, and Vance was thinking to send it to the San Diego office to derail the agent from ever stepping back into the DC office, when SecNav called him all aflutter with the success of the damn man and the HR sourpuss. Vance trod lightly around Dolores Bromstead because she was quite efficient and knew important people who heeded her comments. But that didn't mean he liked her.

Now SecNav was happy with the good publicity for NCIS thanks to DiNozzo, but he was pissed with the fall in MCRT's solving rate. The other NCIS participants in the DoD/DoJ PR campaign didn't raise themselves to the attention of the Secretary at all. Vance couldn't use his preferred scapegoat in relation to the decay in the solving rate, since he more than approved of taking that one agent out of the team. How did DiNozzo do so well on that damn baking show? He thought the pair would barely survive and then disappeared from anyone's attention, not become internet sensations. Vance broke the third toothpick of the morning when he bit too hard on it. How do you solve a problem like DiNozzo?

Tony and Delores would have a week in San Francisco waiting for the final episode of the two-weeks special of Baking Battle. They agreed that they would work from the Monterey RU office from Monday to Thursday but stay in town for the two days before the final recording on Sunday.

Delores was discreet but her curiosity about Tony's job decision was present any time she saw him going through his emails or answering a phone call.

Tony kept himself busy, helping the two men team at the Monterey RU and even solving two cold cases that he started looking at the first time he visited the office. He also received way more answers to his job enquiries than he ever expected. He was carefully screening his calls as it was the only way to escape another screaming match with Abby. She called him after the semi-final episode and started berating him for spoiling things for Gibbs and his team because Vance was not happy with all the attention his success was gathering.

'Well, Abby, they need to make their own decisions,' Tony answered, trying hard to keep his voice even. 'Vance needs to decide if I'm an expendable relic that has no place in a federal agency, or if I'm good at whatever I set my mind to do, especially if reflects well for NCIS. And Gibbs knew exactly what was happening. We talked before I came to San Francisco. He decided to do nothing, so then it's his choice. His team, his rules, remember?'

'But, Tony, if you only…' Abby tried to intervene, but Tony wouldn't have any more of that.

'But nothing Abby. I'm doing the job I was sent out to do. That they sent me out to do! If they are unhappy with the good results, they should have planned better. I'm busy, I have to go.' Tony disconnected and started screening the next calls carefully. He checked his emails and decided to forward any abusive ones to HR.

McGee and Ziva had already emailed complaints to him, as if their falling solve rate, or the number of reports, were his fault. 'Ha, finally they are feeling the pressure. Better late than never, but I'll not be their saviour this time,' Tony thought, making an effort to disconnect from his previous team and focus on his future.

For all the perceptions or preconceptions people had of DiNozzo, it was really hard for him to put himself before others. When he told Agent Doug Phillips on his first day at the Monterey RU, about always being the scapegoat, it was more truth than joke. Things happened and even when Tony was not the instigator or even a participant, most frequently he had been blamed for the results. Because he wanted to help, to prove how capable he was, or how useful he could be, Tony ended up being used, and frequently abused by work colleagues, family, and friends for that. Just as when his father blamed him for any problems or shortcomings in his life even though Tony was only a child. Or when his fiancée Wendy disappeared the night before their wedding, leaving the clean-up in his hands without ever explaining what the problem was. Or like after the painful betrayal of his partner in Baltimore, when Tony half promised himself to keep his distance from future work colleagues, the long hours and intense manner of Gibbs' work style kind of prevented that. And Tony liked the grumpy marine and didn't quite notice when his resolution disappeared.

Kate's introduction to the team created an imbalance that Tony could see and feel but really didn't know how to correct. For a while, he believed that the addition of McGee would solve the issue, and it seemed to until Kate's death and the entrance of Miss Mossad and her more than abrasive style. Suddenly, Gibbs didn't have time for Tony anymore. McGee and Ziva seemed to take over the team and Tony felt more and more disconnected from everyone.

His frat brothers tried to help. They invited him round, tried to talk to him about what was happening, and offered advice, but Tony wasn't in the right headspace to hear. He thought he could turn the tide, go back to being Gibbs' partner, to have that feeling of fulfilment from his start at NCIS.

Gibbs' accident and the pressure Jenny Shepard put him under were his undoing. Tony couldn't see clearly when trying to keep up the MCRT solve rate, manage the always increasing insubordination of McGee and Ziva, and trying to dull Ducky and Abby's pain from Gibbs' departure. Jeanne Benoit was a sweet and soothing balm in the middle of all the upset. Until it became more poison than perfume.

Things after the end of the dammed Frog op and his affair with Jeanne seemed to happen in ever more disturbing change between slow motion and high speed. Tony felt like he couldn't find his rhythm again, no matter what he tried.

At first, his deployment as Agent Afloat was like a punch in the gut, making it hard for him to even breathe. With each passing day, though, it felt like the tightness around his lungs and heart was loosening bit by bit, until one day he could walk the ship and admire the clear, blue sky above. Tony was able to breathe deeply again, was able to think and make decisions without the feeling they were a matter of life or death. That's when he decided that an honest conversation with Gibbs was needed to clear the air and pave the way for his own future at NCIS.

The Domino op and Gibbs' attitude towards the whole thing, like he still held a grudge about Tony's previous undercover work and even Shepard's death, changed what Tony expected from that planned conversation. Vance's uncaring attitude sealed it.

Now, with more than a dozen job offers popping up in his personal email, and another half a dozen voice messages on his phone, Tony was looking forward to a change of path and pace, and especially focused on not letting the past get in the way of his future.

'DiNutso.'

'Whatever you want to accuse me off today, Fornell, won't fly,' Tony answered, half in jest, half seriously. 'I have been in San Francisco for the last 12 days or so.'

'I know,' Fornell said, smile in his voice. 'Emily made me watch all the Baking Battle episodes. Never knew you could be such a nice cook, DiNutso.'

'What d'you want, Fornell?' It was the end of the day, Thursday, and he and Delores should be going back to San Francisco in half an hour. Even if the week was quieter than his normal MCRT hours, it was busy with all the emails and calls he had to fend, and the extra time on the road, as going back and forth between cities didn't help. Tony was looking forward to a quiet Friday at the hotel's office, and an even more lazy Saturday.

'I'm hurt, DiNutso,' Fornell started just to be interrupted by Tony.

'I hurt every time you mangle my name, Fornell.'

'It's the correct Italian pronunciation,' the man contradicted.

'My family left Italy a long time ago, Fornelli,' Tony answered sarcastically. 'The pronunciation changed.'

Fornell hmphed at the comment but moved on with the conversation. 'I'm hurt I didn't receive your CV, DiNozzo. I thought I made clear that if you ever left NCIS I would offer you a job.'

Tony was surprised. 'Really? I always thought your offers were made just to irritate Gibbs.'

'Partially,' Fornell laughed. 'I didn't need to repeat myself so often in front of him. But, even if you didn't believe me, why not try out a place in the FBI?'

'Because you guys have this unfortunate habit of accusing me of murder, Fornell,' was the dry answer. 'I don't think it would create a very congenial workplace environment,' Tony completed sarcastically.

'Pish-posh', Fornell answered dismissively. 'We were doing our job, investigating, but it was never anything personal, DiNozzo.'

'Oh, thanks, Tobias,' Tony still kept the levity. 'I really didn't think I had a chance there. Thanks for the thought, though.'

'What?! Now that I told you the truth you won't try it?' Fornell was surprised.

'Well,' Tony demurred. 'I got a few offers so far. Pretty good ones actually,' Tony completed in a low tone, like he was surprised. 'And I would like to have this issue solved before I go back to DC. Or at least half-way there. So, no time to start from scratch with the Bureau, right?'

'Since when you are lazy, Tony?' Tobias Fornell asked harshly. 'I bet a lot of police departments would offer you a good position, Captain even, but where else could you get a good position like the FBI? You may start as SFA in another team because no way you and Sacks would work together,' Fornell recognized. 'But in a year or so you would be lead.'

'Oh, gosh, Toby, thanks for the professional roadmap,' Tony laughed. 'But I'm inclined to accept an offer that would make me Unit Chief.'

'Unit Chief?!' Fornell cried. 'Morrow, right?' He said acerbically. 'I knew he was lying in wait to poach you! I told Gibbs! The old cadger didn't believe me.'

'Well-reasoned, my dear Tobias,' Tony smirked. 'The details of the job are really intriguing. Director Morrow did a very good pitch, let me tell you.'

'I can't believe I'll lose you again!' Fornell complained.

'Ah, be still, my beating heart,' Tony laughed out loud. 'Thanks for the compliment, Toby, but I don't think the FBI is for me after all.'

Fornell hmphed grumpily. 'I hate to lose such a good investigator. What kind of work do Homeland have that would compete with the Bureau?'

'Oh, things above your paygrade, my friend,' Tony was having fun needling him. 'Way above your paygrade.'

'I bet,' Fornell said despondently. 'But this position will be still in DC, right? I might be able to ask that you be loaned to us,' he said with a happy thought.

'Yes, in DC. But I thought you were the NCIS liaison. You work with Homeland too?'

'Well, Gibbs will be insufferable after you officially leave. He was a bear during your time afloat. I might just ask to liaise with a different agency, after all,' Fornell answered.

'Good luck finding someone else to take the job with NCIS,' Tony commented with some heat.

'Yeah, laugh at my misery, why don't you?' Fornell bit back.

The two laughed it off and hung up on good terms. It didn't take long for Delores to join him so they could leave and drive back to San Francisco, closing their experience at the Monterey RU office.

Friday and Saturday were everything that Tony wished for. A calm day working from the office the hotel offered its clients and then a lazy Saturday enjoying the views and watching a few movies in his room.

Delores and Tony always had breakfast and dinner together, but this time went their separate ways for the free day they had.

Before closing the working day on Friday Tony answered all the received job offerings, thanking them for the opportunities but advising that he had accepted another position.

He finished the day with an email to Tom Morrow, accepting the Homeland job offering and attaching the signed contract that the Assistant Director had left in the envelope for him to read.

Delores was happy and processed all the necessary documents for the transfer that would become effective the day after they arrived back in DC.

The stop at the San Diego office was now just a formality, but still, a good way for Tony to keep his contacts.

Sunday came soon enough, and the pair was back at the studio to film the final Baking Battle episode. Delores felt energised, and Tony felt at peace with his decisions. They were ready to do the best they could to win this thing. Tony saw it as the best way to leave NCIS, flying so high that Vance and his old team couldn't even see him against the sun.

'He's ready, then?' Steve asked his friend Henry, while distributing bowls of chips around the tv lounge.

'I think so,' Henry took a swing from his beer bottle. 'He was pretty disillusioned when we talked last week.'

'Better later than never,' Jacob, another Ohio State Alpha Chi Delta fraternity brother commented, sitting down by Henry, holding a few beers to distribute around. 'It's at least a couple of years late.'

'He should have left after that horrific bio-attack,' Frank said.

'It was pretty scary. He looked so sick even weeks afterwards,' Grace, Frank's wife, said, holding her husband's hand.

'I didn't see him then,' Benjamin Parks complained. 'He didn't want to go anywhere.'

'He was tired a lot,' Steve answered, sitting by his girlfriend.

'You were still dating his partner at that time?' Harrison asked without care.

Mia, Steve's girlfriend laughed and answered in his place. 'Not anymore. We started dating… what?' She looked at her partner. 'Six months after he went back to work? You were dating Melany, I think, before that.'

Steve nodded in agreement. 'Kate was a nice girl, but a bit uptight with the whole "law enforcement is a boys' club" thing. And her hours! I thought Tony was dedicated but, actually, it was their boss that was a tight ass.'

'I think things got worse after he took that sick leave, and Shepard came on board as director. Tony worked 100 hours or more for close to 3 months before Gibbs came back.'

'Then he had the weirdest hours for almost a year,' Henry commented.

'He said it was an undercover op he was in,' Harrison provided.

The group nodded in understanding and there was a bit of friendly ribbing between them and the beginning of a discussion about the chances they could all take time off together to do some travelling.

It was Steve who went back to the previous conversation. 'If Tony is ready to move on, where d'you think he'll land, Henry? Would he stay in DC?'

Henry swayed his head from side to side, showing his doubt. 'I don't know. He had a lot of trouble with the FBI. I doubt he would work for them.'

'I asked once,' Jacob said. 'But he said he didn't want to come back to Baltimore.'

'We know he can't go back to Philadelphia,' Frank said.

'Peoria is too small a town, after all his other positions,' Zoey, Henry's wife, commented.

'Maybe he can move to Virginia,' Benjamin gloated. 'It would be nice to have him closer.'

'Nah, he hates the CIA,' Steve said.

'Doesn't need to be a federal agency,' Benjamin returned. 'He had some offers from police departments. To be a lieutenant, I think.'

"With his experience, he could go directly to Captain, I believe,' Zoey said.

'His previous director, the one he liked, moved to Homeland, right?' Harrison, the only other frat brother of their tight-knit group single like Tony, asked. 'Maybe he will offer him a job? Tony will still be in DC, it's the DMV area after all, and we could try to make him take all the leave he's entitled to.'

'That would be one for the books,' Steve raised his beer in a salute.

'I would love the company,' Harrison said, drinking the last of his beer, and getting up to pick another one. 'You guys are all settled, I need a wingman!'

Boos and catcalls followed Harrison to the kitchen and the jokes at his expense only stopped when the music announcing the start of the Baking Battle show took over the tv. It was the final episode of the two weeks special with law enforcement and military personnel competitors. NCIS team, with Tony and that lady Delores, were considered the favourites. Their charity of choice, The Gary Sinise Foundation, had raised almost $50,000 in a couple of weeks, and, going by social media and newsfeed, the whole PR campaign was a success. The frat brothers group thought that most of their success was related to Tony's gregarious attitude and his talent in the kitchen. And maybe a bit to their contacts because they'd spent these two weeks doing a bit of marketing and advertising for their friend, guaranteeing that, at the least, the donations would be worthwhile for what their friend had to give up to be in that show.