AN – Thanks for all the reviews, please take this quick update as an indication of my gratitude. Many thanks to Tweeter for helping me with my American!
Gibbs stood silently in the doorway. DiNozzo was already asleep, sprawled across the bed, too exhausted to undress or even crawl under the covers. Moving forward, Gibbs eased the jacket off the younger man, undid his belt, slipped off first one shoe and then the other before loosening his tie. Then he reached into the wardrobe and pulled out a spare blanket, which he spread over the sleeping form. Tony stirred slightly but didn't wake.
"What am I going to do with you?" Gibbs murmured.
Leaving the door ajar he walked back into the lounge area, where he already had the laptop set up. Picking up his coffee he looked at his assembled team.
"Kate, what do you have?"
"You know, Morrow is still trying to reach you. Your cell is switched off."
"I was at a funeral. The robbery, Agent Todd?"
"His name was Colin Walker," She glanced at a file. "No family. Lived on welfare. Been in and out of prison almost all his adult life. Had a list of priors as long as your arm. Plus my contact at the LVPD says the bloods came back positive for drugs and alcohol. I know how you feel about co-incidences Gibbs, but I'd say this was just a case of wrong place, wrong time."
"Alright, so the robbery wasn't a set up," Gibbs had always figured that was a long shot. He just wanted to be sure that he'd covered all the bases. "What about the background information I asked for?"
"I'm sending it now," Kate tapped on the keyboard. "God, Gibbs, his father. I had no idea."
"Don't feel bad," Abby reassured. "Tony's like an onion. You think all you're getting is the shiny, smooth, skin. But that is so tip of the iceberg."
"On the sidewalk it was as if Tony didn't even exist," Gibbs mused. "But after the robbery, he was desperate to see him. What the hell changed his mind?"
"Maybe, he just saw Tony and realised how much he missed him?" McGee suggested, only to falter when three pairs of eyes swivelled in dis-belief in his direction. "Or not." He amended.
"Can't we just ask Tony?" Kate offered. "I mean he must know his father better than any of us."
Even through the video link the glare Gibbs sent in her direction had her physically backing up a step. "No-one talks to DiNozzo about this. No-one. You're the profiler Kate. Do your job."
"Gibbs, I .." Kate spread her hands in frustration. "There's nothing."
"There's the tape." McGee piped up, colouring slightly when Gibbs razor sharp gaze swivelled in his direction.
"Go on." He said evenly.
"Well, before the robbery his father didn't want to talk to him. After he did. It must be something that he saw on the newscast."
"I've been over that a thousand times," Kate protested. "There's nothing."
"Then do it again," Gibbs ordered. "And get Abbey and McGee to help you. And do it a thousand times more if you have to. McGee's right. And at the moment it's the only lead we have." Gibbs cut the transmission and the screen went blank.
"Did he just say I was right?" McGee wondered aloud.
Tony woke to find the room in semi-darkness, lit solely by the light from the bathroom and the ambient light flooding in through the window from the vibrant city below. Turning his head to look at the alarm clock he was shocked to see that he had slept for almost ten hours. And Gibbs had let him.
Gibbs. Shit.
"You awake this time, DiNozzo?"
He turned his head to see Gibbs' silhouette in the door.
"Yeah, I think so."
"I'm going to turn on the light." Gibbs warned.
Tony squinted, as the bright light flooded the room, easing himself up onto his good arm and twisting himself around so he was sitting on the edge of the bed. His fingers brushed the soft blanket. Even when he was mad as hell, Gibbs was still looking out for him.
"Bathroom?" Gibbs' voice asked shortly.
"I can manage." Tony assured him, as he levered himself carefully to his feet and slowly covered the few steps to the bathroom. He left the door open as he attended to business and brushed his teeth. Wishing desperately for a shower, he made do with splashing some cold water on his face. He rubbed his face dry and pulled one of the Hotel's towelling robes on over his pajamas. Only to pause in confusion, he didn't even own any pajamas. On closer inspection, he saw that his bandages were bright white, clean and fresh.
"You woke up once or twice," Gibbs spoke from behind him. "Ducky came over and changed the dressings."
"I did?" Tony had no memory of that.
"You kept saying you were cold."
"Oh," Tony supposed that explained the pajamas. "Um. Did I say anything else?"
"Lots of things, DiNozzo. None of which made the slightest bit of sense."
True to his word, Gibbs made sure he ate something, before settling across from him on the sofa and raising a single brow.
"Well?"
"Its not that I want to resign. This has been the best job I've ever had. You've given me a chance to see what I can really do. I'll always be grateful for that, Boss."
"I'm still waiting for the other shoe to drop, DiNozzo."
"Look, growing up, I didn't want his world. All I saw was the boardrooms and the backstabbing and the booze. And I thought, I don't want to be like that. I want to be some one who makes something more than money. I want to make a difference. That's why I became a cop. But it wasn't what I'd expected."
"Tony, even you can't save the world singe handed." Gibbs shook his head.
"Its not just that. How many cold cases have you racked up since you've been at NCIS, Boss? How many people's lives have been put on hold because we can't tie up the resources needed to find their loved ones body, or the asshole that killed their daughter any longer?"
"Too many times," Gibbs agreed. "Get to the point, DiNozzo."
"He's offered to set me up in my own agency. I can recruit whatever people I need. I'll have unlimited resources. I'll be my own Boss. No Morrow, or FBI to pull the plug. I can help those people, Gibbs. The ones no-one else has time for. I can do that."
"And all you have to do is resign from NCIS?"
"I've been there about two years already," Tony shrugged. "Time I moved on."
"Like hell," Gibbs growled. "You want to walk out on me. Don't expect me to make it as easy for you as he did."
"Boss, please. I have to do this."
"Have to?" Gibbs eyes narrowed.
"He's my father. Is it so hard to believe that I might want to make this work?"
Yes. Gibbs knew, more than anyone, how devastated Tony had been by his father's casual indifference. And not just during his childhood. Those company issue gifts at Christmas and the items of such monstrous unsuitability for his birthday had left him wondering if the man had ever even met his son.
"You've always been able to tell when I'm lying, Boss," Tony said softly. "Look, at me. This is what I want."
He didn't want to admit it, but he already knew it was true. It was evident in the bright green eyes, the body language, even the tone of voice. Tony was desperate to do this.
"Yeah," He agreed slowly. "I can see that."
"Resign?" Abbey looked at him from out of the computer monitor, his eyes wide with shock. "But you can't!"
"Abs," Tony picked his shaver and deodorant up in one hand and walked back towards the bed, tucking them into the open wash bag, before picking it up and closing the zip with his teeth. "I have to."
"No, you don't. You can just tell your father to crawl back under whatever rock his crawled out from and come back to the people who love you!"
His back to her, Tony closed his eyes. If only it were that simple. When he turned around his eyes were hard with determination. "Abby, I'm sorry and I'm going to miss you like crazy, but this is the right thing to do."
"Its so not right," Abby protested. "You can't just leave."
"Trying to make a break for it before Gibbs finds out you've been putting adult movies on the company tab, DiNozzo?" Kate teased, as she came in behind Abby.
"Kate, he's resigning. You gotta stop him." Abby worried.
"Resigning?" Kate's expression went completely flat. "From NCIS?"
"Gee, thanks, Abs, break it to her gently, why don't you?"
"What does Gibbs have to say about this?" Kate wanted to know.
"Gibbs says I'm on medical leave until my shoulder heals," Tony shrugged. "Something about the Hospital insurance not kicking in otherwise. So, I'm heading out to the Condo my father's renting for a week or so to see if I can't get the ball rolling on a few things. Put out some feelers. You want a job, Abs? You can have that fluorescent pink lab coat you always wanted?"
"Hey, what about me?" Kate protested.
"Pink's not really your colour, Katie." Tony teased.
"You could hire the whole team," Abby suggested. "Then it would be just like old times except with a much better sound system and a Caff Pow machine in the basement."
"Naw, Gibbs will never leave NCIS. Not over something like this, anyway." Tony closed the holdall.
"Have you even asked him?" Kate enquired.
"I have to go. My ride's waiting. I'll be in touch, OK?" He killed the connection before either of them could respond.
"Do you really think Gibbs would leave to go and work with Tony?" Abby asked.
"If he doesn't start picking up his messages from the Director, he might have no choice."
"I'm sorry to leave you in the lurch, so to speak," Ducky commented, as he packed his few belongings. "Still, I'm sure Mr DiNozzo has an excellent medical staff. Young Anthony will be in good hands."
"Its not your fault, Duck. I've already taken too much of your vacation time already," Gibbs waved that off. "You go home and take care of your Mother."
"Its such a shame, Mrs Walker's found another job," Ducky sighed. "Mother really liked her. Well, as much as she liked anyone. Not everyone can tolerate her little ways. Although, Anthony has quite a way with her, I must say." His tone was pointed.
"Problem, Duck?"
"You know, how stubborn Anthonycan bewhen he gets an idea in his head. He clearly thinks he is doing the right thing. If you don't do something, you are going to lose him, Jethro."
"Tony's a free agent. He can resign if he wants to." Gibbs said shortly.
The soft sound from behind him alerted him to the fact that DiNozzo had opened the door from his room. Given the younger Agent's sensitive hearing, not to mention the closed expression on his face, there was no way he hadn't heard him.
"DiNozzo .."
"Ducky," Tony extended his good hand. "Thanks for everything. You need a ride to the airport or anything?"
"No, thank you my dear boy," Ducky took his hand in both of his and patted them lightly. "I have that all arranged. Now, you take care of yourself. No over exertion for the next two weeks, not even if she is blonde and a former Miss February."
"I'll try to hold out until March." Tony agreed.
Then unable to put the moment off any longer he turned to Gibbs, pasting a smile on over his emotions.
"I left my letter of resignation on the bed. It's post dated until the end of my medical leave."
Gibbs said nothing. The silence stretched between them. In the parking lot below a horn sounded.
"That's my ride. I guess, I'm running late," Tony shrugged. "Watch your back, Gibbs."
He picked up his bag with his good arm, and walked towards the door, put down his bag, put his hand on the door knob, turned it, opened the door, picked up his bag, paused, then took two steps out into the hallway.
"DiNozzo."
He didn't turn, but he stopped. Waiting.
"Semper Fi."
Tony closed his eyes. Let out a ragged breath, opened his eyes, and kept on walking.
AN – I think I should say here (before people start throwing things) that this is not the end of the story and the big fights Tony/DiNozzo Snr and DiNozzo Snr/Gibbs will come in the next chapter!