Title: Providence
Summary: AU. Between McGee and Ziva's constant bashing and Gibbs' coldness, Tony finally reaches the point of no return and quits, leaving NCIS and DC behind him. On the road again, he stops by the town of Providence, Missouri, and makes a series of meetings which might change his life, whilst Gibbs moves heaven and earth to find him. But isn't it too late?
Categories: NCIS
Rating: K+
Characters: Tony DiNozzo, Leroy Jethro Gibbs, Abby Sciuto, Tim McGee, Ziva David, Dr Donald Mallard, Jimmy Palmer, Leon Vance, Agent Balboa, Original characters (Tillie Hackerman, Harvey Jackson, Father Henry Richmond, Sheriff Elliot Green, Dottie Ferris, Christina Lake, Jake Petersen, Doctor Adam Beltram).
Pairing: Tony/OFC (in the late chapters), no other pairing.
Genres: Alternate universe/friendship/hurt and comfort.
Warnings: Middle swearing, OOC and major team bashing, especially Ziva and McGee.
Spoilers: Set at the beginning of season 6. Spoilers for Dead man talking, Hiatus, Boxed in, Bury your dead, Judgment Day, Agent afloat and various other episodes.
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Author's Notes: Special thanks to my precious beta reader badly_knitted. Once again a huge thank you to everyone who has been so kind to review this fic and to those who have added me to their favorite author list and story alerts. I'm flying. :D
I'm French and all I know about American towns, I have read in books. Thanks to terrisnape for telling me that there is actually a town called Providence in Missouri. Mine is a fictional town supposedly situated near the Ozarks. I have never set foot in the United States, never mind in Missouri, so please take this as it is: a pure fiction born from a too imaginative mind. In reading the reviews for the previous chapter, I realized by that I should have made it clearer that the gift left on Ducky's desk was for Jimmy as well, so I rewrote the sentence in the previous chapter.
To mandy153, dragon, murraysmum, Dls, Debbie A, and my other anonymous Guests: Thank you for taking time to read and review. It means a lot to me.
To Siobhan: Thank you! I hope I won't disappoint you. I don't intend to write a story where Tony miraculously forgives everybody and everything goes back to normal. Too many things happened for that. If he decide to forgive, it is at his conditions and it doesn't mean that he will forget what they did to him.
To NCIS fan: Thank you! This fic takes place after "Heartland" but before "Nine lives", so no fight between Tony and Rivkin, and Ziva is going to have to clean her mess by herself. I left a job a few years ago too, so I wrote from experience lol.
To Phoenix Red Lion: Thank you. I agree that Tony is born to be a cop, but having work with MCRT for so long would put anyone off a career in law enforcement. Your reference to a dog made me smile (you'll see why later ;)).
To wytygr: Your description of the team's reactions closely matches what's in my mind. Thank you for your support.
Chapter 4 – On the road again
Providence, Missouri - September 17th – Sunday afternoon
Tony pulled over at the roadside, removed his sunglasses and rubbed his sore eyes. The journey by car had turned out to be exhausting. He'd been driving for more than four hours now, and it was high time to have a break. On top of that, he was starting to feel ravenous.
It would certainly have been much easier and less tiring for him to go by plane, but it would also have left too many traces and, given the stringent security measures at airports, he wasn't sure his new identity would have withstood a thorough examination. The train wasn't much better and he wasn't in the mood to travel across the country sharing a Greyhound with a herd of strangers. At least in his car, he had some peace and quiet. He could choose his itinerary, listen to his music and think.
Once he had left Washington, he had spent the rest of the day on the road, stopping only to fill up and eat, endeavoring to quickly put as much distance as possible between himself and his former life.
After a not so restful night in a shabby motel near Columbus, he had hit the road early, aiming to join the legendary Route 66 and to treat himself to a journey in the footsteps of Kerouac, before heading for California and more specifically Los Angeles.
It was not that he really appreciated the city itself, especially after what happened to Jenny. No, what interested him was the fact that it was a large metropolis, anonymous and geographically extensive, in which it would be relatively easy to melt into the crowd and disappear.
For the moment, however, the California sun was going to wait a little longer. Indeed, once in Missouri, and while he was heading to Meramec, he had recalled that one of his frat brothers came from the South of the state and never failed to extol the charms of the region, where he used to spend all his holidays. Having never had the opportunity to visit the area and determined to make the most of his brand new freedom, Tony had finally veered off due south for a small touristic visit to the Ozarks and the state parks.
Except for a few hard earned days off here and there, it had been years since he had been able to enjoy a real vacation, and a little bit of chlorophyll couldn't hurt him. He would always have time to join Springfield and Route 66, and finish his trip to the Pacific and its sunny beaches as planned.
He looked at the road map lying on the passenger seat and followed the road he was on with his finger. A few miles away, he noted that it went through a medium-sized town called Providence. The name made him smile. It remained to hope it would live up to its promise and he would find at least one open shop where he could buy something to eat and fill up. His 1967 Camaro might be less fuel-hungry than a newer model, but he had no wish to run out of gas in the middle of nowhere.
He ran his hand over the worn leather of the steering-wheel and smirked.
Leaving the Navy Yard, he had immediately driven to a car dealer, whose morality was known to vary according to circumstances. The integrated GPS of his car almost amounted to sticking a sign on his back marked "I'm here!" so he had to get rid of it.
The vehicle was 'clean', in perfect condition and provided with all the papers, so the guy hadn't caused any trouble, giving him a good price and in cash. Just seeing his face, it was clear to Tony it wasn't the kind of transaction he was used to.
Once it was done, he had gone back by bus across the city, changing line several times to cover his tracks and ended up at another car seller, this one perfectly respectable. After a few minutes of wandering along the aisles of the parking lot, he had almost burst out laughing at the sight of the ancient sand-colored Camaro parked in a corner. This was really the perfect car to embark on a road trip across the country. So perfect that it was almost a cliché. Despite its decrepit appearance, the engine was still in good condition and so far he hadn't had to regret his choice.
The endless hours he had spent behind the steering wheel, with only Dire Straits' music for company, had left him with plenty of time to think, but the only conclusion to which he had come so far, was that he neither could nor wanted to apply for a job in law enforcement
Any application for a position of that kind would inevitably entail checks on his professional past and would also immediately ring an alarm with NCIS. And it was out of the question that anyone out there know where he was. It was more likely that he would try to find a job as a consultant for a security company. He knew from experience that they were much less fussy than the official police about the pedigree of their staff and were also much less a stickler for the principles.
He stretched with a sigh and made his back creak, trying to relieve his aching vertebrae.
All that mattered at the moment for him was to find a quiet place where he could settle down for a moment and take a little rest, gathering enough energy to bounce back, as he had done so many times before.
He took a deep breath and lowered his side window. Resting his head against the headrest of his seat, he gave himself up for a moment to the contemplation of the beautiful landscape before him.
On each side of the road and as far as the eye could see, stretched a dense forest, the foliage already draping itself in flaming autumn colours. The traffic was nearly non-existent and through the open window, he could hear the muffled rumble of a torrent flowing down below the road.
A puff of cold wind, loaded with the heavy smell of fallen leaves and humus, came to caress his face. He breathed deeply and closed his eyes, letting himself be lulled by the rustling of the wind in the leaves and the chirping of birds hidden in the branches. After the constant hustle and bustle of the capital, it was so restful.
As far as he could remember, Tony had never been a big fan of the country and even less after the long months he had to spend alone in holiday camps, after his father had started his long string of remarriages. Although, he couldn't help but find something soothing and comforting in feeling the power and peacefulness of nature vibrating around him.
He enjoyed for a few more minutes the peace and beauty of the place, before stretching with a grunt and setting off again.
Less than fifteen minutes later, he left behind him a large sign announcing in white letters on a dark green background:
Welcome to Providence Mo. – Alt. 1,310 ft – Population 3,568.
To be continued
AN: A few clarifications, following various comments concerning the time taken by Tony to join Missouri. My calculator on the internet indicates 818 miles and a journey of about 12 h 30 between DC and St. Louis. After leaving DC on Saturday late morning, if he drove to Columbus (a 6 h 30 drive) before stopping for the night, then for 9 hours from 7.00 to 16.00 (pee breaks and snacks included), I think he could reasonably have joined the Ozarks on Sunday late afternoon as indicated at the top of the chapter. I meant he had driven 4 hours without a break and not 4 hours in all. I hope I'm not mistaken (for the logic of the story, I really need Tony's arrival to be on Sunday late afternoon). : D