AN- Thank you so much to everyone for all the positive reviews. I'm actually a little nervous now. I hope I can live up to people's expectations!
"I can't believe that you're eating that thing," Gibbs lifted his sunglasses, squinting slightly in the sunlight, to view the jumbo hot dog with distaste. "Didn't that autopsy Ducky showed you have any effect?"
"About as much as his 'coffee is not a food group lecture' had on you," Tony nodded at his Styrofoam cup. "Besides, that guy's arteries were ten years older than mine and he didn't work out as much as I do." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.
"Tony, no man on this planet 'works out' as much as you do." Gibbs said dryly.
The worse part was, he was behaving as if nothing had happened. He knew that Kate thought DiNozzo was a shallow, skirt chaser, whose occasional flash of brilliance, didn't quite explain his presence as the Senior Field Agent on Gibbs' team. She had yet to work out that 95 of his life was an act. A fun act and one Tony certainly enjoyed, but it wasn't him. Most of the time Gibbs bought into the act, encouraged it even. Hell, he knew all about hiding in plain sight. But he never mistook it for the genuine article and Tony knew it. Which meant he must really be on the ropes if he was trying to get this crap past him.
"I need more coffee."
"We have to be back for the next session in five minutes." Tony reminded him.
"Why do you think I need more coffee?"
Leaving Tony on the sidewalk with his hot dog Gibbs ducked into the gloom of the convenience store and made his way to the coffee machine in the back. As soon as he was out of sight of the window he pulled out his cell phone.
"Jethro," Ducky's cultured tones greeted him. "How are you enjoying your sojourn in Las Vegas?"
"Tony wanted me to ride the Roller Coaster on top of the New York, New York, Hotel. He said it would give me some idea of what they go through when I drive," Knowing better than to give Mallard a chance to respond to that he quickly changed the subject. "So, how are things back there?"
"Agent Todd is a perfectly capable young woman and we have no current cases."
"Good. That's good."
"You didn't call to ask me that."
"He just walked straight past him," Gibbs burst out. "It was as if he wasn't there!"
"Ah, this would be young Anthony's father," Ducky surmised. "I take it there was no chance that he didn't see him?"
"No."
Gibbs didn't want to explain how DiNozzo Snr's gaze had drifted over the pedestrians on the sidewalk, looked directly at his son and then cut him dead without a word. Tony had said nothing but his eyes were anguished.
"Perhaps, he had some urgent appointment? Some pressing business that he couldn't postpone?" Ducky suggested. At Gibbs glowering silence he answered his own question. "No, no, of course not. What could be more important than speaking to his own son after so many years? Nonetheless, it could simply be a co-incidence that your paths crossed."
"You know how I feel about co-incidences."
"Even so, they do occasionally happen. I remember one time when I was on holiday in Hawaii. There I was just walking down the beach and who should I .."
"Duck, some other time?" Gibbs rubbed at the bridge of his nose. "We have to be back in a few minutes and I need .."
He trailed off as his eyes tracked the heavyset man, who had just entered the store. His movements seemed somehow 'off'. Snapping his phone shut Gibbs reached for his gun and moved forward. But it was already too late. Without warning the man snatched at a small girl buying candy near the till and held a gun to her head.
"Right! Nobody move!"
The first sign DiNozzo had of trouble was the woman's high-pitched scream. He threw the remains of his hot dog in the trash even as he popped his holster open and easing out his gun made his way over to the store, crouching by the door to survey the scene through the plate glass. A man was holding a little girl of about seven or eight, with a gun to her head, a woman, obviously the child's mother had broken into anguished sobs and a small circle of customers stood, frozen in shock, effectively blocking Gibbs chances of a clear shot.
"And you daren't move, because that guy looks jumpy as hell. Probably already seeing things that aren't there." He murmured.
With a sigh, he holstered his gun and stood up. If the gunman didn't kill him, Gibbs probably would. Pasting on a bright smile he pushed open the door.
"Hey, can anybody give me directions to the Elvis-a-rama?" He asked, vaguely aware of the circle of shocked faces and Gibbs narrowing eyes.He kepthis attention focused solely on the gunman. "Um, is this a bad time?"
"Get over there!" The man gestured with the gun. "All of you. Move back."
Slowly, numbly, the customers began to obey, a little old lady in a pair of sensible shoes taking the distraught mother by the arm and practically dragging her along. "Do as he says dear. Everything will be aright."
DiNozzo deliberately didn't move. Forcing the gunman to split his attention between him and the others.
"You too, Move! Or I shoot her."
Tony dropped all pretence as he caught the gunman's eyes and held them. "You don't want to do that. You see that man over there? He's an ex-Marine. Sniper. From this distance he could pick the wings off a fly. You so much as think about it and he'll drop you like a stone. You wanted a human shield you should have gone for someone taller, broader even." He shrugged.
He hoped that the gunman didn't know anything about trajectory because there was no way in hell that Gibbs could make the shot from there. Come on. Come on he willed as the man vacillated, looking wildly at Gibbs and then back to DiNozzo.
"Alright. You! Get over here."
"Everyone else gets to leave." Tony insisted.
His calm assurance buffeted the gunman. Already made nervous by the crowd of onlookers he didn't realise he was being played. To Tony's relief the exchange went smoothly, the gunman pushing the little girl towards her mother's arms and the little knot of customers shuffled out of the door. As he'd expected Gibbs took advantage of the general movement to change his position. Even as he felt the thick fingers close around his throat Tony felt some of his tension ease. Whatever happened now, Gibbs would take this guy out before any civilians got hurt.
"Drop the gun."
Although, having the Sig levelled with such fury and determination in his direction, wasn't entirely comforting.
"If I was you, I'd do as he says," Tony kept his tone light. "He's already mad at me. Frankly, he won't much care if you do shoot me. It will save him the trouble."
"Dammed straight, DiNozzo," Gibbs didn't bother to keep the censure from his voice. "What the hell were you thinking? Walking in on a crime scene like that? You should have called for backup."
"Sorry, Boss. It seemed like a good idea at the time."
"You set me up," The man realised. "You guys are cops."
"You set yourself up when you came in here waving a gun," Gibbs told him shortly. "Now drop it or I drop you."
"Actually, we're NCIS," Tony offered conversationally. "You've probably heard of us. It stands for .."
"You think I won't do it?" The gunman growled, as he pressed the barrel of the gun to DiNozzo's temple. "Think again." He nodded up at the CCTV in the corner. "It'll be the lead story on the evening news. Make your Momma weep."
From the back of his mind DiNozzo dredged up the classes on criminal phychology that he had taken when studying to be a Detective. "Actually, my Mom died when I was a kid. My father hasn't spoken to me in years. I'm an only child and I'm in town for my Aunt's funeral. You know, I think she was the only one who ever really loved me .."
"What about your partner here? You think he won't care if I waste you right in front of his eyes?"
"Like I said he's an ex-marine," DiNozzo grinned at Gibbs. "He look like the sentimental type to you?"
"You know something? You talk to dammed much."
It took seconds. As Tony felt the man shift his grip in preparation for pulling the trigger he slid his eyes left. Gibbs nodded fractionally in acknowledgement. Then Tony kicked the gunman's left leg out from under him, pitching him forward in that direction, even as he drove right. The staccato of gunfire cut through the air and blood splashed on the back of his head, before his world exploded in pain and everything went back.
Sound, smell, feeling and sight came flooding back in an overwhelming rush. He was slumped against the counter. People were shouting. The sweet tang of blood hung in the air. He hurt. And Gibbs was leaning over him, his eyes creased with concern.
"Tony, you alright? You back with me?"
"Faster than a speeding bullet, huh Boss?" He managed.
"I have news for you, DiNozzo," Gibbs smiled. "He still hit you."
"He did?" Groggily he reached out and touched the source of pain on his temple. His fingers came back slick with blood. "He shot me in the head?"
"No, you did that going down." Gibbs nodded at the counter top.
"Right," Tony tried to process that. "Arm?"
"Through and through," Gibbs affirmed. "Creased your side too."
Tony looked down at the blood on his shirt; come to think of it his side did hurt. Gibbs' hand was smeared with his blood as he put pressure on the bullet wound.
"I loved that shirt," He scrubbed at his face. In the distance the sound of sirens came ever closer. "Hospital?"
"You've just been shot. What do you think?"
Tony had thought his day couldn't get any worse. Clearly, he had been wrong about that. Gibbs never like it when anyone got injured under his command. Which meant he had screwed up royally. Again.
"I'm sorry, Boss."
"Tony," Gibbs gave him an assessing look. "If I thought for one minute you'd remember it .."
"I know," Tony tipped his head back closing his eyes. "You'd be ripping me a new one for being so reckless. What was I thinking? Someone could have been killed. I screwed up. I got it Boss."
Gibbs studied the gaunt lines of the too pale face. What DiNozzo had done was without doubt risky and dangerous. But his instincts had been spot on. If they had waited for back-up that little girl would have died. Tony had put himself in the line of fire and trusted Gibbs to get him out of it. If anyone had screwed up it was him.
"That little girl is alive because of you. That's something to be proud of."
Tony opened his eyes slowly, turning his head to search Gibbs expression as he asked. "Proud?"
"You gonna repeat everything I say?"
"You proud of me, Boss?" Tony asked, his eyes sparkling with some of their usual mischief as much of the tension leaked out of him. Not for the first time Gibbs was reminded just how much DiNozzo needed his good opinion.
"Now you're hallucinating." Gibbs smacked him, very gently, on the head.
"You know, I probably won't remember any of this, what with the blood loss and the pain meds. You might need to say that again, sometime when Kate is around, maybe?"
"Rule 31." Gibbs shook his head.
"Never date redheads?" Tony gave him an innocent look.
"Never repeat yourself. Especially, in front of witnesses."
Tony sighed, a sound of utter contentment and closed his eyes again, "Bastard." He murmured softly as he smiled.
Gibbs didn't know how they did it, but before he had even finished being interviewed by the LVPD, some TV Station had managed to get hold of the CCTV from the Store, cleaned up the images, added subtitles and were running then as the lead story on the local news. Tearing his eyes from the image of Tony saying that his mother had died on the TV in the corner he looked through the window to where DiNozzo, now sporting two bright white bandages was flirting with the EMT as he signed his name with a flourish.
I'm going to kill him.
"Am I keeping you from something, Special Agent Gibbs?" The Detective asked his pencil poised over his notebook.
"Can you give me a minute?"
Without waiting to see if the man would agree Gibbs went over to the coffee machine and poured two cups, stifling his grimace as he added three sugars to one. Adding their lids and stacking the cups one on top of another he made his way out the door. DiNozzo eyed him cautiously as he approached.
"Here." Gibbs passed him the coffee.
Tony took it with a grateful, if weary, smile. "Thanks Boss."
"EMTs give you the all clear?"
"Absolutely. I even have a piece of paper to prove it."
"Uh huh," Gibbs took a long swallow of his coffee. "You signed that paper AMA didn't you?"
"Come on Boss," Tony obviously had all his arguments ready. "Its not as if I've never been shot before. It was a clean shot, there's no bone or tendon damage. And you know how hard my head is. All I need is a few painkillers and I'll be good to go."
Gibbs smiled and Tony grinned uncertainly back as his Boss gave him a pat on his good shoulder leaning in to say in a deathly quiet voice.
"Not a chance, DiNozzo."
Watching his face fall Gibbs just shook his head. Had to give him points for trying. "Stay here, I'll be back in a minute," He turned back to where the LVPD Detective was waiting for him. "And for God's sake, sit down before you fall down." He threw over his shoulder.
Left alone, Tony sank down onto the kerb and wrapped his hands around the comforting warmth of the coffee cup and smiled. He shoulf have known Gibbs would never go for it. He wasn't sure how long he sat there before a voice interrupted his thoughts.
"He always said you would end up in the gutter."
Tony didn't look up. Despite what he had said to Gibbs, the smell of blood on his shirt was making him nauseous. His head hurt like hell and his arms was throbbing. Not to mention his side protested every time he moved and large patches of cold, clammy sweat made him long for a shower as they dried to an uncomfortable crust in the Nevada heat.
He couldn't deal with this right now.
"Something, I can help you with, Mr ..?" Gibbs voice asked.
"Walker. I work for Mr DiNozzo. Who the hell are you?"
"Special Agent Gibbs," It didn't occur to him to shake this man's hand. "I'm Tony's Boss."
"Mr DiNozzo wants to speak to his son."
Tony's head dipped a little lower.
"Oh?" Gibbs looked around. "I don't see him anywhere around here."
"I'm supposed to bring Tony to him."
"I see," Gibbs tone said he didn't at all as he crushed his coffee cup with unusual vehemence and threw it in the trash. "Well, I'm afraid Mr DiNozzo will have to wait. We were just on our way to the Hospital. C'mon Tony, front and centre."
Slipping a hand under Tony's good arm, he helped him to his feet, steadying the now cold coffee asthe younger manswayed slightly.
"Stay with me," Gibbs murmured for his ears only. "You don't get to pass out unless I say so. Understand?"
"I'm on it, Boss." Tony swallowed hard.
"Wait! What I am supposed to tell Mr DiNozzo?" Walker protested.
"Um, Boss," Tony offered quietly."He's not used to people saying no to him. He's gonna go postal."
Gibbs just smiled.