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 Scuito, 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.
The character of Tillie Hackerman is pictured from the actress Fran Ryan and inspired by her role in the short lived 1980s CBS TV series The Wizard as Tillie Russell.
I know the maiden name of Tony's mother is Paddington, but it really sounded too 'british' for my purpose, so I chose to change it into Hamilton. I hope you don't mind.
To nando2k50: Thank you. Glad you like the old lady. She's a damn fine woman. This chapter is a bit longer. Hope you'll like it. :D
To Karel: Thank you. You're right, Tony is perfectly able to stand up for himself, but sometimes even the strongest are tired to fight. Hope you'll like the next chapters. :D
Chapter 6 – Tillie
Providence, Missouri - September 17th – Sunday afternoon
"I forgot to introduce myself properly. My name is Tony. Tony Hamilton."
He knew from experience that the best covers were those which were closest to the truth. So he had decided to keep his real first name and use the maiden name of his mother as patronymic. The only other change was the year of birth on his false identity papers which made him two years older.
The woman took his hand and gave it a firm shake.
"Tillie Hackerman," she introduced herself with a nod.
"Nice to meet you Mrs Hackerman," he said, keeping her hand in his a little longer than necessary and earning her first real smile since he entered the bar.
"Please, call me Tillie. Everyone else does."
Tony's grin widened with satisfaction. No one could resist the DiNozzo charm.
"Only if you call me Tony," he replied seductively.
She tilted her head back and gave him a pointed look which clearly told him she wasn't actually taken in by his act.
His smile faltered and he cleared his throat before resuming his chewing. Maybe the DiNozzo charm wasn't what it used to be after all.
"So, Tony, do you wanna drink of something?" offered Tillie with a sly smile, obviously amused by his sudden embarrassment.
He gratefully nodded.
"Yep, thanks. Water would be nice. I'm thirsty."
"You come a long way?" she asked him, while rummaging under the bar.
"The East Coast, as you said," Tony answered noncommittally.
He stuffed another bite of potato salad into his mouth before asking in turn.
"How did you know, by the way?"
"How did I know what?" frowned Tillie handing him a bottle of water.
"About the East Coast."
"Oh, that." She shrugged. "Your accent."
Tony looked up to her, trying his best to hide his annoyance. He had worked hard over the years in order to erase, as much as possible, any trace of Long Island accent and had thought he had done a good job of it. Well, apparently, not good enough to fool the bartender of a dive bar in the depths of Missouri.
Mistaking his expression for disbelief, she felt obliged to explain.
"Ironically enough, this town is situated at the junction of a National Park eastwards and a hunting reserve westwards. Between you and me, there is hardly anybody but a band of idiot politicians from Washington for setting up that sort of aberrancy. Anyway, between hunters, fishermen, birdwatchers and the yuppies who want to 'recharge their batteries', a lot of people come through here. After a while, you can guess where people come from just by the sound of their voice. With the years, it has become a sort of reflex. In your case I'd say New York or Rhode Island."
"Very impressive," chuckled Tony wiping his mouth with a napkin, without actually bearing out her assumption.
"I can also say that you definitely don't look like a bird watcher," she added casually. "What brings you here?"
He unscrewed the cap and took a sip, before finally answering.
"I'm in transit. Needed to eat something and refuel." Another vague answer, but this time it was true. He really didn't have any clue about where he would end up.
If his answers didn't satisfy her curiosity, it didn't seem to bother her or at least, she didn't let it show.
"There is a gas station a little further down the main street," Tillie informed him. "Byron, the owner, is a bit crazy, but he has the merit of being open every blessed day and at any time."
Tony nodded and put his knife and fork back on the plate.
"In that case, I'll pay him a visit."
She straightened and cleared the dishes before giving the bar a quick wipe.
"Do you want some dessert?"
Tony patted his stomach and pulled a face.
"I'm tempted, but I'm not sure that's very wise."
Tillie merely rolled her eyes and snorted.
"Nonsense. Apple pie or chocolate cake?"
Tony scratched his chin.
"Both sound great, but I think I'll try the pie."
"Good choice. Coffee, too?"
He nodded.
"With pleasure."
Two minutes later, she was back with two plates of warm apple pie and two large cups of coffee.
Tony raised a wry eyebrow and she scowled at him
"What? Do I look like I bother about my weight?"
He looked at her warily before trying to see if he could push her buttons.
"In my humble opinion and with all due respect, I don't think there are too many things that can bother you, Tillie."
She took a generous portion of pie and delightedly put it into her mouth before replying with amusement.
"You're right, my dear boy. There are only three things that really piss me off. Idiots, idlers and politicians, who, you could say, may also fall into the first two classes."
Tony burst out laughing. This woman was definitely not afraid to speak her mind.
Taking advantage of the fact that he was chewing a mouthful of pie, she carried on.
"You didn't tell me. Where are you heading, Tony?"
She wasn't the type to let go either, apparently.
He took a deep breath and looked down.
"Well… I'm not really sure yet. I'm making drastic changes in my life and it's still a bit of a blur. California more than likely. Or somewhere else. I'm not picky. Anywhere will do, as long as it's as far as possible from the Atlantic Ocean."
Tillie shook her head.
"If you want a piece of advice, forget California."
He looked at her quizzically, so she added.
"Too many earthquakes".
She mused for a second before speaking again.
"What about Alaska?"
He hissed between his teeth and took a sip of his coffee.
"Ugh. Nah, too cold and too many Grizzlies."
She rolled her eyes.
"Okay. So, why not Hawaii? Plenty of sun and bikinis there."
He shook his head.
"Sorry, but... Hawaii and I, we are not hitting it off. Bad memories. And for your information, they also have their fair share of earthquakes."
Hawaii was indisputably a beautiful place, but living there would only remind him of another time when he had also been abandoned by someone he trusted and that wasn't what he needed right now.
A soft chuckle escaped Tillie's throat.
"And you said you were not picky."
Tony smiled in return. He wiped his hands on his napkin and cleared his throat. In spite of the great pleasure he'd had chatting with Tillie, it was about time for him to go.
"Okay, so… This was delicious, but I'm afraid that I have to go. How much do I owe you for this gourmet meal?"
He pulled out his wallet, but she shook her head while gathering the plates and cups.
"Forget it. It's on the house. Barry's family already paid for it, anyway. If you hadn't stopped by, I would have had to throw the leftovers away."
"Are you sure?" he insisted.
"Yes, yes," she confirmed with a wave of her hand.
Tony tilted his head and rubbed the back of his neck, feeling slightly unsettled by Tillie's unexpected generosity.
"Well, thank you."
"Anytime pretty boy," she said with a soft smile as he stood up. "Take care of yourself."
He waved his hand and headed towards the exit, but just as he was about to open the door, she called out to him.
"Hey, pretty boy!"
He stood rooted to the spot, his hand on the doorknob, wondering if she had finally changed her mind about the free meal.
"Are you looking for a job?"
His brows shot up and he spun round, taken aback.
"Excuse me?"
She pointed at a slate hooked above the bar that he hadn't noticed before, with the inscription 'Help wanted' chalked on it.
"We are looking for a bartender. Interested?"
He screwed up his eyes and stared at her.
"You're serious?"
She crossed her arms and met his gaze.
"Always when it comes to business."
Tony's frown increased.
"Do you often offer a job to guys you've barely known for twenty minutes?"
"No," she quietly stated.
"Why me?" he wanted to know.
She pursed her lips and shrugged noncommittally.
"You look like a good guy and you said you have experience. I thought you could fit the job. No harm in asking."
Tony stifled a snort.
"You might be disappointed," he mumbled wryly.
She let out a sigh and resumed her cleaning, though the counter was already shining like a mirror.
"Maybe, but nothing ventured, nothing gained. So?"
Tony leant backward and rested his head against the lukewarm glass of the door as he reflected quickly.
The least he could say was that a bartender's job in the depths of the Ozarks wasn't exactly what he had in mind when he had left DC. Paying a visit to the national parks along the way was one thing, but moving to the countryside was a horse of a different color. Not that he had anything against the place itself, on the contrary. In some ways, it reminded him of Stillwater, Gibbs' hometown, and he kept rather good memories of his time in the small town in Pennsylvania. However, he had always thought of himself as a city boy and he wasn't sure that he could get used to living in such a remote place.
Not to mention that working in a bar when you're on the verge of becoming an alcoholic was certainly not the wisest thing to do. Though it would also be a good way to test the limits of his restraint.
He didn't know what to do.
On the other hand, it was more than likely the last place where someone would think to look for him. It would never occur to them that he could bury himself in such a backwater. This wasn't something that the superficial and preppy Tony DiNozzo would do. The real question was what would Tony Hamilton do?
As if sensing his dilemma, Tillie spoke again.
"Providence is a nice place to live, you know." She paused and gave him a lopsided smile. "Of course, as for bikinis, they're likely limited hereabout."
"I figured."
He couldn't help returning her smile. Girls and bikinis were really the least of his concerns at the moment.
"Give it a try," she gently insisted. "If it doesn't suit you, you are free to leave. Malibu won't disappear in one night."
Her lips quirked with a wry smile.
"Unless it goes under the ocean in the meantime, of course."
Tony lifted a hand and thoughtfully rubbed it across his chin.
He had to admit that Tillie's enthusiasm was rather infectious and in spite of his lingering reluctance, the idea of putting down his suitcase, in every sense of the word, looked more and more appealing by the minute. Besides, nothing forced him to stay forever. He could take the job, stay long enough to get his breath back and save money, then go back on his merry way.
With a sigh, he came to his decision and pushed himself away from the door.
"Okay, I suppose it doesn't cost anything to give it a shot. But don't expect too much, it has been quite a while since I worked in a bar."
Tillie's smile widened into a grin.
"Don't worry. It's like riding a bike, you never forget."
Shoving his hands into his pockets, he looked around him, uncertain of what to do next.
"So I guess I should look for a hotel room, if I'm going to stick around."
Tillie tutted and shook her head.
"Good luck with that. There is a folk music festival at the neighboring town. All the hotels, motels or holiday cottages for miles around are fully booked until the end of the next week. That's why it's so quiet in town at the moment. Most of the people are at Blue Creek for the gigs."
Tony knitted his brows.
"Looks like we've got a problem, then."
"Yes, we do," she nodded soberly, before darting a sly glance at him and quipping.
"But I may have a solution."
To be continued.