"Does any of this look familiar to you?" Gibbs asked as he and Tony stepped out of the elevator into the bullpen.
"Should it?" Tony asked. The area was filled with desks and a lot of people were working but he had no idea why any of this would be remotely familiar. The dark orange walls looked unsightly. "Because nothing here looks familiar,"
They were almost into the bullpen when Thomas stood up to greet them. "Agent DiNozzo?" he asked.
"I know you," Tony answered.
This surprised Gibbs. He couldn't remember anything and yet this rookie agent that he's never worked with before would strike the familiarity chord. Gibbs was hurt and surprised at this.
"You were one of the people following me," Tony elaborated. Without warning, Tony punched the rookie agent in the nose sending him sprawling into the chair and rolling into the wall. "Don't follow me," Tony said. It took alot to get away from his chasers.
"Sit over there," Gibbs pointed Tony to his desk. "And stay put," he leant down and gave Thomas a couple of tissues from the box. "He's not quite himself," was all he could say.
"Thanks," Thomas stemmed the flow of blood by pinching his nose and leaning forward in a way to stop any blood from getting on his white shirt.
"I swear that he and this other girl were chasing me," Tony feverishly defended his actions to the older man.
"I had them chasing you," Gibbs said to him and Tony just stared back. "Well you were missing and in hospital at the time," Gibbs added.
"Agent Gibbs," Vance called out. Tony swung his chair around to see who the voice came from. "Join me in my office now," he said. "I see you've found Agent DiNozzo. I need to see you in my office now."
Gibbs stood up and followed Vance into the office with Tony silently in tow. Gibbs had told him to stay close so that's what he was planning to do. The man's 'seasoned' face wasn't recognizable to him but for some reason he found himself trusting him. He knew to trust him. That gave him both comfort and discomfort, thinking that perhaps he was wrong… After all he doesn't know the guy.
"Where do you think you're going?" Vance asked him.
"With him," Tony answered as he pointed to Gibbs.
"Go and wait downstairs where you sat before DiNozzo," Gibbs told him.
"What's wrong with him?" Vance asked as he watched Tony descend the stairs and head towards the bullpen.
"Amnesia," Gibbs answered flatly.
"What from?" Vance asked.
"We don't know yet," Gibbs answered.
Tony watched Gibbs and Vance move out of sight. Now he felt all alone again. He listened to some of the chatter around the floor especially the ones next door.
"What happened to you?" Conners asked Thomas. "You've been here for what? Fifteen minutes? You haven't left the building and you're already busted up?"
"It's not funny," Thomas replied. "He hit me."
"Who?" Conners asked.
"Agent DiNozzo," Thomas checked the tissue dabbed his nose with the tissue to check that the bleeding had stopped.
Ziva and Mcgee had a habit of arriving at the bullpen at the same time. Their faces definitely cheered up at the sight of Tony sitting at his chair.
"I hate to admit this Tony," Ziva said. "Good to have you back. You had us worried."
Tony just eyed them suspiciously as they sat at their desks. "Gibbs not here yet?" Mcgee asked.
"He went up there." Tony pointed to the upstairs area without taking his eyes off the strangers.
"So where did you get to yesterday?" Ziva asked.
Tony still eyed them carefully. Everyone seemed to know him. Eventually he opened his mouth to speak. "And you are?" Tony asked.
Ziva looked at Mcgee and he looked back. She was sure that they were being had by one of Tony's juvenile pranks. "Alright Tony," Ziva said.
"Alright?" Tony asked.
"Yes Alright," Ziva said. Thinking that whatever this prank was turning out to be pretty lame by Tony's standards.
"And you are?" Tony looked over in Mcgee's direction.
"I'm not playing this game Tony," Mcgee said.
"Playing what?" Tony asked. "All I asked you was for your name."
"Gear up Mcgee and Ziva," Gibbs double timed it down the stairs. "We're heading to Quantico Academy."
"Case Boss?" Mcgee asked.
"Nope," Gibbs answered. "Hey Tony, go down to the lab and stay with Abby."
Tony watched the others disappear into the lift. He stood up and looked around frantically. "Lab? Lab, lab, lab." There was no sign of it anywhere. It didn't help that he didn't know what the Lab looked like.
"You lost something?" Conners seemed to pop up from nowhere. "Oh man, this is too good to be true… You really have amnesia?"
Tony just shrugged his shoulders. "That's what they're saying," he said. "I've got to go and find this lab thing."
"See that elevator there?" Conners asked, "You go down and you'll find it."
"Thanks… Um," Tony began.
"Agent Conners," Conners said.
"Thanks, Agent Conners." Tony said.
That was easy enough, there was something of a look of relief when he made it to the elevator and pressed the button to go down to the lower levels. The elevator stopped and he walked out. After following a small corridor and through the heavy door, he'd thought he finally made it there. The room had many things that resembled a cross between tables and beds.
"Hey there Tony." A young man dressed in what looked like a blue sheet greeted him.
"Hello?" Tony greeted back. "Abby?" He asked.
"She's not here." The man said.
"Do you know where she is?" Tony asked.
"Should be in the lab," the young man answered.
"This isn't the lab?" Tony asked.
The young man wasn't sure how to react to that statement. "Does this look like the lab to you Tony?" He asked.
Tony looked around. Everything was so, so silver and clean. The area hardly looked used. "Can you at least tell me where the Lab is?" Tony asked.
"Look Tony," the man said.
"Why won't anyone tell me the lab is?" Tony asked.
"You know Mister Palmer, I really ought to show you the finer points or filling out reports… There are times when I can't make heads or tails out of your reports," a smile crept across Tony's face as there was someone he finally recognized.
"Abby?" Tony asked.
"Ducky," Ducky quickly corrected. "What brings you down here Anthony?" He asked.
"I was looking for the Lab, but nobody would tell me where it is," Tony answered.
"Doctor Mallard," Palmer began.
"Take Tony down to the Lab," Ducky ordered his assistant. "You'll find dear Anthony is suffering from amnesia right now," he gave the brief explanation.
"I just thought he was trying to get me for a joke," Palmer began to say before leading Tony away.
"Abby?" Tony finally walked through the doors to the loud music. As soon as Abby saw him she turned off the music.
"Hey, Tony!" She almost went to hug him but quickly stepped back.
"Uh, Gibbs told me to come down here until he gets back," Tony explained his sudden appearance.
"Oh ok," Abby replied. "So you remember anything yet?"
Tony sighed. There was something about the strange girl that was friendly yet annoying in the same breath. Actually, this whole place seemed to be a little…
"Everything's still very hinky," Tony said.
Abby had some things to do and Tony managed to sit there patiently as he occasionally watched what she was doing. Tony noted that even though she looked strange it seemed that she was very professional and hyper. Something stirring inside of him in just under ten minutes, he wasn't sure why but suddenly Tony felt really bored.