Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS or any of their characters, plots ect… If I did, Twilight would never have happened. I am in Twilight Denial…. I do however, own Tiana, as well as anyone else you don't recognize….
Chapter Nineteen:
Gibbs opened the file on Tiana and slowly began to read, absorbing all the data that had been documented about his daughter. He bypassed the medical records for now, and shifted his attention to her education. He rubbed his eyes after twenty minutes, taking several deep breaths in an attempt to control the anger that was urging him to thump something, anything "Are you alright, Gibbs?" Kate asked, having noticed the familiar angry yet determined look in his eyes "I'm fine, Kate. Let's go and have a chat with Tiana" Gibbs announced forcefully and headed purposefully towards the elevator.
Tia was feeling much better now that she had caffeine flowing happily through her system, although if Abby and McGee didn't tell Gibbs about their impending parenthood soon, she might have to kill someone. She wasn't picky about whom, either. She was about to turn the page of the bridal magazine she had been flicking through when Gibbs stormed into the interrogation room like a submarine at full steam 'Ding round one' she muttered under her breath as Gibbs slammed few files onto the table and sat down. "Problem, Special Agent Gibbs?" Tia asked sweetly, and she could almost see the steam coming out of his ears "What was your childhood like, Tiana?" Gibbs asked after a minute, causing her to sigh "Regimented. My childhood was very regimented" Tia admitted after a few minutes of very careful thought, and Gibbs flipped open one of the manilla folders "How old were you when you first received military training?" Gibbs asked "I was about ten" Tia replied softly "Isn't that unusual?" he asked and Tia shrugged "I suppose, although I'm really not an expert on the usual childhood experiences of others, Special Agent Gibbs" Tia answered nonchalantly and Gibbs could feel his blood pressure rising "Tell me more about your childhood, Tiana" Gibbs encouraged and Tia tilted her head and studied him "Exactly what bearing does my childhood have on whether or not I was taking potshots at my stepfather last night?" Tia asked sweetly and leaned back in the uncomfortable grey chair, a smug look on her face. Gibbs took another deep breath, trying to keep his temper under control "I'm just trying to figure out if being shunted off to military school had any affect on your relationship with your stepfather" Gibbs defended and Tia snorted, and felt her self-control snap "In order for there to be an effect on a relationship, there would actually have to be a relationship in the first place. You want to know, really really know about my childhood then here you go: My childhood was horrendous. For the first ten years I was shuffled around to more Naval bases than I could count, paraded as the perfect little princess in front of my stepfather's friends then largely ignored. He was building a career, and had no time for a kid. Then I fell out of a tree when I was ten and needed a blood transfusion, and that was when General Bradbury found out he was not even my real dad to begin with. I guess that pissed him off, because he shipped me off to military school to get me out of his way, and when I came home from school for holidays he seemed to take great enjoyment from beating the living daylights out of me. I could list the details of exactly how many times he put me in hospital, but I think you already have those records, Agent Gibbs. Now either charge me with trying to kill the bastard, or I'm leaving" Tia instructed angrily and shoved her belongings back into her bag as her father sat stunned "No reply? Okay, I'm out of here because you know where to find me, if you actually come up with some evidence against me" Tia said scathingly and stomped furiously out of the interrogation room.
Gibbs was still sitting in the interrogation room ten minutes later, staring into space when Kate came looking for him "Are you alright, Gibbs?" she asked, concerned and he shook his head "I'm fine, Agent Todd. Is there something I can help you with?" Gibbs asked roughly and stood up, moving towards the door "We checked Tony's phone records, his alibi checks out. There is a phone call from his mother lasting thirty eight minutes right around the time General Bradbury reports that he was being shot at" Kate announced and Gibbs nodded "Cut Tony loose and send him home for the day, and then call Agent Cassidy in because we're going to need her to investigate Tiana" Gibbs informed Kate "Why Agent Cassidy, Gibbs?" Kate asked as they walked down the hallway "Because we need someone who doesn't know Tiana, someone who is not actually her friend, Kate. We have to do this by the book" Gibbs reminded gently and headed back towards his desk, leaving Kate to deal with Tony.
Tony let himself into his apartment and knew immediately that Tia was not there. The apartment felt spookily empty as Tony slipped his keys onto the hook near the front door, and dropped his backpack on the floor. He made his way to the bedroom, which looked like Hurricane Katrina had made a brief appearance. The door to the walk-in wardrobe was open, and clothes were strewn everywhere. The metal footlocker that held all of Tia's work stuff was almost empty but for a few pairs of handcuffs and a length of chain. Tony was about to check the bathroom when a scraping noise alerted him, his hand on his holster as he moved into the entrance of the bathroom, gun drawn.
Tony lowered his gun and slipped it back into the holster and he crossed the bathroom to where Tia was sitting cross-legged on the floor, sniffling as she cleaned her gun, backpack bulging beside her. "Honey, what are you doing?" Tony asked, relieved that Tia hadn't left him "I'm baking a cake, what does it look like I'm doing?" Tia asked sarcastically and wiped the tears out of her eyes with the back of her hand "Going somewhere?" Tony asked carefully as he nudged her backpack with his foot, stomach tight at the thought of her leaving. Tia was quiet as she finished cleaning her gun, the occasional sniffle escaping "I couldn't do it. I couldn't leave. I'm supposed to be able to pack up and leave at a moment's notice, but I just couldn't this time" she mumbled and Tony felt relieved as he sat on the floor next to Tia and wrapped his arms around her, and she turned snuggling into his embrace and just held on.
After a while, Tia let go of Tony and let him help her stand up "Feel better?" Tony asked and Tia nodded "Yeah, but I'm still pissed" she admitted as Tony carried her backpack into the wardrobe, opened it and dumped the contents on the floor for Tia to clean up later "You hungry?" he asked as he herded her towards the kitchen "Starving, Gibbs forgot to feed me. I had to bribe McGee into bringing me a snickers bar and a coke because Gibbs wouldn't even let me have caffeine" Tia pouted and crossed to the bottom drawer, pulling out a calico shopping bag before she settled herself cross-legged on a bench as Tony began pulling out take-out menus and studying them intently "You know, one of us is going to have to learn to cook eventually" Tia admitted reluctantly and Tony looked up and when his mind registered what Tia was doing his jaw dropped in amazement. "What are you doing, baby?" Tony asked, somewhat alarmed "I'm knitting" she said and looked up, amused "Is there a problem?" she asked and Tony shook head "I've just never seen you knit before. Why and what are you knitting?" Tony asked and Tia smiled "When I had to do an anger-management course, the instructor suggested finding a relaxing hobby. Apparently kickboxing wasn't restful enough" Tia shrugged "What's for dinner?" Tia asked, tongue clamped between her teeth as she concentrated "Pizza. What do you mean 'had to do anger-management'?" Tony asked and Tia sighed "One of my skips turned around and filed assault charges against me. Don't know why, his testicles descended again after a few days in hospital, but Luke and the Judge made me do anger-management. Luke was sick of me missing work because of numerous court appearances" Tia admitted "How many is numerous?" Tony asked "Five. But that's counting three that were pending in New York" she admitted somewhat reluctantly and Tony rubbed his forehead "And yes, I already know that sort of stuff is not going to weigh in my favour if I'm eventually charged with shooting at the General" Tia acknowledged "And I'm knitting booties" Tia added and Tony dropped the phone he had been holding "Is there something you want to tell me, Tiana?" Tony asked "For Abby" Tia clarified and Tony pressed a hand to his chest "Don't scare me like that, Tia" Tony begged and Tia laughed happily, the tension from the day draining from her body. "So how was your day, baby?" Tia asked Tony as he hung up the phone after ordering dinner "Nothing that exciting, just doing some background work on a case" Tony said and watched Tia concentrate "Oh and Gibbs dragged me in to interrogate me about you" Tony added and Tia dropped her knitting "He did WHAT!" she asked, stunned.