Thank you so much for the response for the new story. I hope you continue to enjoy it as it is posted.
Growing up the way he did, taught Anthony DiNozzo many lessons. To listen and keep quiet for one. There were others but he most important one that he learned was how to treat people. His father was, and still is, a con-man; always looking for the rainbow the big jackpot. But it was the way he treated the staff, yes staff, growing up with money as he did there was always staff in the house. Cooks, gardeners, and the like; even a nanny when he was very young.
His father treated them like shit to put it mildly. He treated everyone he thought lower him in the social hierarchy like their entire purpose in life was to serve him and be invisible. The only people he treated with any kind of respect were those he considered to be potential marks for his next scam. It was the best lesson that his father taught him, even if wasn't the one that Senior wanted to teach him.
Tony made it a point to treat everyone the same, from the CEO of a company to the man or woman that cleans a building. It didn't matter to him, you would be addressed as Mr. or Miss., and treated with respect.
That was the main reason he was well liked by everyone, he cared. He would ask questions and file away the information. It was also the reason why people helped him if he needed a favor. Because along with treating everyone well, Tony was always willing to help out when he could. He hardly ever said no.
He had been teaching at The FBI academy for a few months as a guest lecturer. Watching the incoming students for the new class of agents he saw all of the things that drove him crazy from the Probies at NCIS. Some of the students thinking they knew it all, that there was nothing that they could learn from the teachers. He was by no means a profiler, what he was deep in his heart was a cop. A cop that could read people fairly well, how and why they ticked, well that was not what he wanted to know. If you treat people badly based on their jobs or income then as far as he was concerned you weren't a nice person. In order to be a good agent you have to learn and to treat people all the same respect everyone the same way.
Changing his appearance he watched the new students as they were put through there paces. Sometimes he was grounds keeper, a server in the cafeteria, window washer, and a janitor. He even played the part of a messenger who was deaf delivering a package to Agent Hotchner while he taught a class. Doing this caused Agent Hotchner to lose his ever present dour expression, for a split second. It was enough for Tony to crack a big smile as he held up the clip board to be signed.
The janitor had no problem lending Tony his cleaning cart and a shirt with is name on it. Once he had changed into the shirt, he put a hat on his head and black rimmed glasses on. So on the day he was going to give his first lecture he hatched a plan, one final test, so to speak.
Singing a song in Italian in a soft but pleasant voice he opened the door to one of the classrooms, pushing the cart in. He sees the room full of students and a teacher in the front of the class.
"Ah scusi, scusi Signore Rossi, I thought this room be empty. I come back, when you are done teaching the bambinos, yes?" Tony says in a thick Italian accent.
Rossi is no ones fool he also knows that Tony is trying to prove a point, to the students.
"That will be fine Marco, not a problem. "
"We have coffee later? My Filomena she send panettone, she say Signore Rossi good man. Scusi, I go now."
"Yes, coffee at two this afternoon will be good." Rossi answers with smile. He watches the reaction from his students as Tony turns the cart around leaving the room, walking with his normal limp he didn't bother to hide. Some of the students are snickering as Tony leaves. Others are looking at him intently, while others still dismissive him entirely.
"Agent Hotchner." is the greeting her hears when he calls his friend.
"You need a break, come see Tony give his first class of going undercover to the new students. This is their second week here and Tony has been doing what he does best. Room 212 at three."
"I'll be there."
Hotch along with a few tag-a-longs from he BAU came in by the back door, they quickly sat in the back row of the large room. Looked down at the students as Tony stood to start the class. Rossi smiled as he looked at his team from his seat from behind the desk in the front of the room.
Standing at the podium he cleared his throat. "My name is Anthony DiNozzo, I was medically retired almost two years ago. Caught a bullet ended my career. No, I was not an FBI agent, although I did do work for them from time to time. Navy cop, NCIS senior field agent for MCRT. Before that I was a beat cop then a detective. My specialty is undercover work, and that is what I'm going to teach you. The fundamentals of undercover work. On a side note, you'll be learning a hard lesson to swallow for some of you. Treating people with respect, all people. Just because you are going to be wearing a badge from a federal agency it doesn't give you the right to treat anyone like they are beneath you. Like you Mr. Kendell when you sneered and made a comment about the way the groundskeeper smelled like fertilizer, and then laughed. You also made a comment about his clothes being torn and dirty. Or you Miss Jackson when you huffed when the server in the cafeteria didn't move fast enough for your liking, then swore at him when they were out of your favorite yogurt. How about you Mr. Bell when you laughed when the janitor caught his foot on the rug and almost fell. You laughed then said. 'Maybe they should hire people who know what the hell they are doing and can speak English. The dumb-ass shouldn't even be working here if he can't make himself understood.' I don't think that was very nice, do you Signore Bell?" Tony asks making sure he used the same voice and accent as he walked out from behind the podium with his cane.
All three of the students hung their heads as well as a few others as they came to realize that they had been had.
Rossi stood up from the desk and walked next to Tony. "And that ladies and gentlemen is why Tony was asked to give you this class."
Tony gave the class his 100-watt smile before continuing, "Ladies and gentlemen, there are two thing I would like you to get from this class. The first is, of course, the art of undercover work. Being able to blend in completely is an art form, and very useful. The second is how to treat others, granted we all know how we are supposed to treat our fellow men and women, but I want to tell you a story. When I was a little kid, my father treated everyone like dirt; beneath him. Unless he thought you were beneficial to him, you were the scum on the bottom of his handmade Italian leather shoe. I grew up watching this, and hearing the whispered complaints, and I vowed to never one single day in my life treat anyone as though they were less than me. Everyone deserves respect." His eyes scanned the room, seeing just from the expressions on their faces that he was getting though to them. That is what he wanted.
"Now my friends, lets get to it! Has anyone tried undercover work, at all ever, I mean anywhere from childhood to now?"
