Warning – this is probably not a story for Gibbs fans …

And a warning that there are spoilers for the season 8 episode 'Baltimore' in which we discovered how Gibbs recruited Tony after a case he worked in Baltimore which ended up with Tony finding out that his partner Danny Price was corrupt.

Detective DiNozzo waved a sketchy farewell as he walked out of the squad room. He was looking forward to a beer or three, pizza from Luigi's, the phone off the hook and a chance to process the events of the last few days.

"Where the hell have you been?" came an irritated voice he had become all too familiar with recently.

"What?"

"I told Officer Doddery to send you out," said Special Agent Jethro Gibbs of Naval Criminal Investigative Service or, as Tony secretly named him, Navy Guy.

"You mean Officer Dockery," said Tony as he translated Gibbs' meaning.

"Whatever," said Gibbs, "I told him to send you out …" he looked at his watch, "30 minutes ago."

"Huh," yawned Tony.

Gibbs' eyes narrowed and he stepped forward into Tony's personal space. Tony resisted the temptation to take a step back and he looked Gibbs in the eye. Gibbs leaned forward and made a jabbing motion with his finger,

"You're mine now," he said menacingly.

Tony blinked, "Oh, gosh," he said, "I guess I'm flattered but … well … I'm sorry if you've got the wrong impression but well, I don't really swing that way."

For a microsecond Gibbs' jaw dropped open in shock but the following microsecond his hand shot out and delivered a sharp head slap.

"Ow!" exclaimed Tony as he rubbed the back of his head ruefully, "And you know, despite what you might have read in the station bathroom, I'm really not into the whole SM scene. Admittedly I wore black leather to the Halloween party but …"

"Idiot!" snapped Gibbs as he interrupted Tony's ramble.

Tony's amiable smile slipped momentarily before he hefted his backpack slightly and went to walk past Gibbs, "Well, it's been an experience, Special Agent Gibbs."

"Hey! I haven't finished!" barked Gibbs.

"I think you have, Special Agent."

"You know what I want … and you sure as hell know what I don't want."

"Well, I must admit I was a bit surprised when I thought you were coming on to me … I'm usually pretty good at picking up on things like that. But I could have been wrong – after all, you could just have been really, really overcompensating for something." Tony smiled again although it was a smile lacking its usual warmth.

"We worked well together," said Gibbs in a more temperate tone.

Tony's eyes lost focus as he considered the previous few days.

Special Agent Jethro Gibbs had shouldered his way into the Baltimore Police Department's investigation of the murder of George Franklin which he suspected was linked with the case he was investigating of Navy Lieutenant Ian Floyd's involvement with money laundering out of Quantico.

If he was being kind, Tony would have said Gibbs was confident but, as he ran rings around them in their investigation and flaunted the superior resources at the disposal of NCIS, he thought it would be more accurate to say he was arrogant. Somehow, Tony didn't think Agent Gibbs was a naturally cheerful person, but he managed to wear a smug smile for a lot of the time he spent with the Baltimore detectives.

Tony wondered if he would have felt differently if his introduction to Gibbs had not involved being punched in the face. He also wondered, slightly wistfully, what would have happened if he'd shot the agent in self-defence …

"Hey!" barked Gibbs as he noticed that the Baltimore detective seemed to have gone off into a happy reverie.

"Oh, sorry," apologised Tony, "Just thinking pleasant, soothing thoughts – you know. Or perhaps you don't, is the divorce getting to you, Agent Gibbs?" he asked with false sympathy.

"None of your business," snapped Gibbs, "What do you say?"

"About what?"

"You know what!"

"Agent Gibbs, it's been a long week. Maybe you're used to weeks like this … but I'm not. So, why don't we just say goodbye, agree that we worked well together and that you got your man … and leave it at that." Tony held out his hand to be shaken.

"I don't leave things unfinished," said Gibbs sternly.

"Well, I'd certainly think that things are finished here," said Tony bleakly.

"Exactly," said Gibbs emphatically.

"You're not giving up on this … whatever this is, are you?" asked Tony wearily.

"Not so you'd notice," said Gibbs ferally.

"OK, then as you suddenly seem to want to talk … and believe me, I don't want to talk – which is kinda unusual for me – then you can buy me a drink," he winked salaciously, "You can woo me."

Gibbs huffed in annoyance but managed to resist the temptation to deliver another wake-up head slap, "Where?"

"Not around here," said Tony firmly, "Don't want to run into any of the other guys tonight. You drive – I'll tell you where to go."

Gibbs' co-workers, had they been close by, would have warned Tony of the foolishness of these suggestions. First, they would have told him that nobody, but nobody told Gibbs where to go and secondly, they would have firmly advised him of the danger inherent in letting Gibbs drive. Alas, the co-workers were safely, and peacefully, in DC so Tony had no idea what he was letting himself in for.

"Take a left," he instructed as he sat in the car, "I said, take a left! Why didn't you take a left?"

"Looked too busy on the left."

"Huh. Oh, OK, take the next right. Hey, not that right! I was giving you some warning," gasped Tony as he recovered from the immediate turn Gibbs had made.

"Don't need any warning," said Gibbs, "I've got good reflexes."

Tony hunkered down a little in his seat and checked the seatbelt was holding him in place. He hoped that none of the drivers who were still furiously sounding their horns had recognised him. Tony's knowledge of Baltimore was extensive so he knew that there was a bar a mile or so down the road they were currently travelling – it was more expensive than the one he'd planned to direct Gibbs to but he decided that Gibbs needed to be punished and that there was the added advantage that the journey to the drinking place didn't require any more turns.

Tony relaxed slightly as they hurtled along but then found himself flung against the seatbelt as Gibbs swung off to the left and screeched to a halt in the carpark of a rundown diner.

"What? I didn't tell you to stop …"

"It was taking too long," said Gibbs, "Want to get back to DC tonight. And I need food."

Tony didn't fight battles he didn't need to – and which he had no prospect of winning – so he followed Gibbs who was already striding purposefully through the diner door. Gibbs flung himself down in a vacant booth – Tony couldn't help but notice that he'd chosen a spot with excellent sight lines of the available exits. He also couldn't help but notice the grease marks on the cracked leatherette seats and the stains on the floor.

"What you want?" asked Gibbs.

"Well," said Tony pleasantly, "Salmonella is a pretty name, but I don't want to get too acquainted, so I reckon I'll have a pack of ginger snaps and a bottle of water."

"What he said," said Gibbs to the spotty teenager who had slouched over to take their order, "And I'll have coffee and a bacon sandwich with fries."

"Guess it's your funeral," muttered Tony. He didn't sound too upset at the prospect.

A stony silence prevailed while they awaited their order. Tony reflected that stony silences were probably not unusual with Gibbs but, as his mind was in turmoil, he decided to leave the silence unbroken.

"Huh," he said as he bit into the first ginger snap.

"Huh?" asked Gibbs, "Am I supposed to know what that means?"

"Reminds me of being carsick," said Tony.

Gibbs frowned at both this comment and the soft smile on Tony's face.

"My mom used to keep these in the car," continued Tony, "I got carsick a lot as a kid, so we got through a lot of packets."

"You still get carsick?"

"Not so much … so long as I sit in the front … and don't get driven by someone who auditioned for the chariot race in Ben Hur."

"Wouldn't have thought you'd want to be reminded of being carsick," commented Gibbs.

Tony took another bite of cookie and let the taste take him back to his childhood, "Yeah, you'd think, wouldn't you?" he mused. Gibbs was right, he didn't want to be reminded of being sick but he also remembered the way his mom had looked after him, hadn't made a fuss or made him feel a nuisance – and the car was always well stocked with ginger snaps which she insisted would settle his stomach and make him feel better. Another memory stirred in his mind, "Darling, it's always better to make friends than enemies."

Tony swallowed his mouthful and held out his hand, "Agent Gibbs, we got off to a bad start. How do you do, it's nice to meet you."

Gibbs stared at the detective for a second or two before shrugging and grasping the hand, "Detective DiNozzo."

Tony touched his bottle of water to Gibbs' mug in a toast, "New beginnings."

"You know what I want," said Gibbs in a milder tone. He suspected that DiNozzo could not be pushed but might be … not cajoled, that wasn't in Gibbs' emotional armoury, but persuaded."

"I've got an idea," confessed Tony, "But I think I need for you to spell it out. I've been wrong about things like this before."

"I want you to come and work with me at NCIS."

"Why?"

"You've seen the resources we have – they put what you've got in Baltimore to shame. Better working conditions, probably better pay and the chance to work on bigger things."

"And working with you?" asked Tony without any suggestion of irony.

"Yep."

"But why?"

"Why what? You'd be working for me because I work at NCIS and you'd be on my team."

"Huh," said Tony, "First time you agreed I'd be working with you but the next time you said for me. There's a difference."

"You'd be on my team. Of course, you'd be working for me; for me, with me – what's the difference? You didn't seem to have a problem over the last few days."

Tony laughed, "Yeah, because the last few days have been great. And of course, I worked with you … for you … it's what I was told to do. And it had certain advantages."

"What?"

"You said it yourself, Agent Gibbs, the resources you had meant that we solved the case quicker. And you had some useful ideas. Of course, I worked with you; it was to our advantage."

Gibbs' eyes narrowed as he considered Tony's interpretation of the way they had worked together but he decided not to challenge him.

"But I still don't understand why," said Tony.

Gibbs sighed, this was all taking longer than he'd expected, "What don't you understand?"

"Why you're offering me a job."

"I have a rule, don't waste good," said Gibbs brusquely, "And you're good."

"Wow. Well, I didn't expect that," confessed Tony.

"Well, don't expect it too often," warned Gibbs, "I don't coddle my agents."

Tony almost choked, "Somehow, I don't have any problem believing that, Agent Gibbs."

Gibbs raised a hand to order more coffee, "Like I said, you're bright. Catch on quick. I can use that."

"But why now?"

"Excuse me?"

"Well, why ask me this quick? What's the hurry? Could've waited until you got back to DC … do a background check on me."

"No need."

"Oh. Should I be flattered?" Tony stared at Gibbs, "Oh, I get it. You've already done a check … or more likely got some poor shmuck to do one."

Gibbs shrugged again, "No point wasting time."

"I still don't get what the hurry is," mused Tony. Gibbs gazed back blandly. Tony thought for a moment or two before exclaiming, "Oh, I get it! You think the moment's right."

The shrug came again, "Figured you might be exploring your options. Thought I'd let you know what one of them is."

Tony's eyes were suddenly sad as he remembered the reason he'd been looking forward to a peaceful night in. In the to-and-fro with Gibbs, he'd forgotten what he had discovered about his partner Danny Price.

"You gonna deny it?" asked Gibbs, "Detective Price is a dirty cop."

"Thanks, I got that," said Tony bitterly.

"And what he did was wrong, way wrong – but he's your partner."

"And he's a good cop … I mean, he's a good detective. He was my first partner when I made detective. He taught me how to do the job."

"Important to have a good partner. To have his back."

"You think that's important?"

"Got to back your partner."

"Even if he does something wrong?"

"You said he's good at his job. Nobody's perfect."

"Is that you expect of a partner? Having your back, whatever?"

Gibbs shrugged, "Can't tell you what to do, DiNozzo."

"But he did something that was wrong," said Tony still thinking aloud.

"You can't always judge," said Gibbs slowly, "Sometimes you have to do what you think is right even if other people don't agree with you."

"You said you had a rule about not wasting good," said Tony, "Somehow I'm guessing you have other rules too."

"A few," admitted Gibbs.

"Are they the same as NCIS rules?"

"Mostly."

"Mostly?"

"I like to think they're complementary."

"I think you're a devious man, Agent Gibbs."

"It's been said."

"And when your rules don't jibe with NCIS rules … do yours take priority?"

"Decisions have to be made quickly. Judgements made. I trust my judgement."

"And you need other people to trust them too?"

"That's what being a team is about."

"And you expect your team to follow you even if … well, even if it might not be … legal?"

"You're in law enforcement, DiNozzo. You're not naïve. You know that sometimes the rules have to be … interpreted."

"By you?"

Gibbs shrugged.

"Agent Gibbs, have you ever done something … illegal? That might need your team to follow you despite that?"

Gibbs gazed back stonily.

"No, I guess you're not going to answer that, Agent Gibbs." Tony rubbed his forehead as he tried to come to terms with the conversation, "You know, I get what you mean … about walking away, starting afresh. Not turning Danny in … 'cos I do owe him a lot; he's been a good friend."

"Then that's settled," said Gibbs, "Put in your notice. I'll see you at the Navy Yard when your time here is up."

"And I get what you say about the importance of being loyal to your partner. That's all I ever wanted to do."

"Good."

"Or at least, I thought it was all I wanted. You know it's been real helpful talking to you, Agent Gibbs."

"You're welcome."

"And I don't want to turn Danny in … but I need to be able to live with myself."

"Huh?"

"I didn't realise – but what I really want is to do my job. The job that I swore to do. And I reckon that maybe I'm not as strong as you, Agent Gibbs."

"What?"

"I don't think that I can decide for myself what's right and what's wrong. Oh, you're right that sometimes the lines get blurred but most often they don't. And I don't think I've got the right, the authority to decide for myself which laws get upheld. And really, this time … well, I can't get past the idea that what Danny did was wrong … and not just morally wrong but against the law. And if I let it go then I'm condoning it …"

"So, what you going to do?"

"I don't want to do it … I don't want to let Danny down, but I can't persuade myself that he deserves my support because he's already let me down by being a dirty cop. So, I'm going to report to Internal Affairs … get them to investigate. And I'm fairly sure that they'll find out Danny isn't the only bad apple."

"Your decision," said Gibbs, "Shame, 'cos I think you'd have worked out well at NCIS."

"Appreciate the offer," replied Tony.

"Maybe when it's all settled down … get in touch," offered Gibbs, "Don't think I'll be recruiting anyone anytime soon."

"Yeah," grinned Tony, "I can't quite picture your interview process."

"I'll be heading out. You've got my number. Call me if you change your mind."

"Will do. Don't worry about driving me back to the station. I'll get a cab."

"You sure? Won't take a minute."

"That's the problem, Agent Gibbs. I'd like it to take more than a minute. There was a reason, apart from the whole salmonella/botulism thing, that I ordered the ginger snaps – I felt like I was 7 years old again and throwing up in my mom's car."

"Your decision. Thanks for the help, Detective DiNozzo."

"And thank you, Agent Gibbs. For everything." Tony watched as Gibbs strode purposefully out of the diner. He realised that he was grateful to Gibbs: the conversation had hardened his resolution to report to Internal Affairs but there was something else too. The conversation about interpreting the law had unsettled Tony and the stony look in Gibbs' eyes suggested to Tony that there was something in Gibbs' past which might be something which would keep Tony up at night if he found out what it was.

No, he suspected that life would be tough at Baltimore for a while, but he reckoned he might just have dodged some other kind of bullet. He looked at his phone and deleted the Navy Guy contact. Yeah, it was better that way. And perhaps he'd stock up with ginger snaps – good memory food might be necessary to see him through the days and weeks to come.

AN: If you want another version of how the Baltimore episode might have gone you might like to read chapter 7 of my first series of 'When Tony Met Gibbs' stories.