Like I said this chapter was almost completed so I have it out so soon. I expect the whole thing to be done in about two weeks or so. My brain is now still writing but putting to paper is the hardest. BTW I could be wrong but my understanding is that Tony's birthday is in July and Logan's is in November but in the case of my story I choose Tony's over Logan's. Expect the next chapter in about two or three days.
Chapter: What it was like becoming Tony
His childhood was a painful memory. His beloved parents passed away and he ended in the custody of his uncle on his mother's side. His uncle words of "DiNozzo always took responsibilities to their family" echoed through his mind that cold and lonely day when he looked up from the caskets of his parents with his tight black loafers and scratchy dark suit to face an unsmiling man so unlike his happy shining mother. His uncle while very responsible was a hard man with a sad wife became his guardian.
Said Uncle was hardened by the painful loss of his only son and by the mental deterioration of his most beloved wife over that same loss. He came to them as Logan Cale, the lost orphan nephew with a striking resemblance to the dead son. But to Mrs. DiNozzo and her broken mind she saw only her son alive again. She came out of her shell but lost sight of who Logan was and believed only that her long dead son Tony was now in front of her. And hard as his uncle was his cold, heart still beat for her and made Logan, now Tony live a lie. Nonetheless while she somewhat recovered into a deluded haze his uncle grew bitter over her constant adoration of him. The drinking began and the women came next as she refused to see anyone in her world but her son "Tony".
For a time it was wonderful to have a loving if not slightly unhinged mother and a cold distant father. They stayed out of each others way and his uncle avoided him like the plague. Then as her drugs and drinking increased to keep herself in that deluded world it finally took its toll and she no longer could hold herself in the living world. Her death caused the final collapse of the wall that held his uncle's bitter hatred and the violent physical and verbal abuse began. But throughout all of the painful several years in his uncle's household he WAS Tony DiNozzo in the household, Logan Cale did not exist. He never learned to hate his long dead cousin for his pain and suffering. Living his life he learned the boy was much like him and there was just a sadness that there was no one to share the loneliness in the cold home. In that time he coped by hiding what now he was so famous as Tony DiNozzo, behind smiles and half truths. Subterfuge. He could be whomever anyone wanted and which of the many faces needed and this time he was Tony DiNozzo.
Even at at his young age he was recognized as a genius. His teachers praised him and all the tutors forced on him found no better student. He understood computers as if he lived within their circuits. He read books about law, business, politics and philosophy in both the English language and classic Latin. Math and the sciences opened his eyes and created a place to hide in the numbers and science's solid never changing truths. But no matter how well he did or how much he knew it was never enough for his uncle. "DiNozzo never quit, DiNozzo always win. DiNozzo are always better". He shouted inside "But I am Logan Cale and not a DiNozzo" always constantly until the voice grew ever more silent. He never got his chance at being a true voice until the age of fourteen.
He had long watched his uncle circle his last remaining love, the DiNozzo Empire, with trepidation. It was a business started with hard work and perseverance and many, many Swiss Army knives. Since those early times it had become a huge global import and export empire. In the late 70s the company suffered hard times but was saved when the marriage to his now dead wife brought in a silent partner of her wealthy and connected father. But times were again tough due to the recession and as proud DiNozzo they could not see themselves beggar themselves to sell major shares that would not be kept in the family by marriage. Throughout all the concerns the biggest part of the strife and unrest within the empire and the fickle business world was because as her final act of contrition to Logan Cale and a dying anger at her husband. Mrs. DiNozzo left the huge number of shares given to her on her father's death to Tony. No matter how much Tony was raised to be a DiNozzo he was still a Cale to the business world and the concern was that with the shares he held and the inheritance from his parents the company would be stronger as a whole. The Cale business and family was known to be stronger and with their extensive government contracts more stable. They had the easy ability to absorb DiNozzo Industries especially with an Heir who held major shares in both companies. For that alone when the company suffered major losses banks were reluctant to issue credit and capital dried up. Many minor shareholders pushed for the DiNozzo family to merge the corporation with the Cales. Due to that stressor, his uncle's abuse worsened and his treatment of his nephew more callous.
A few days after his 14th birthday his uncle dragged him to Hawaii to see a lawyer about dissolving Tony's share of the company along with trying to pick up new clients to conduct trade with. His uncle was concerned the Cales might not much cared now about the rumors and the idea of acquiring said company. But his uncle's concern was if they began casting their eyes on his empire and took control of Tony, he would lose it all.
His uncle was unable to set up a meeting with the lawyer that day but he luckily collected the new client they desperately needed that first day on a early visit to the bar. The client controlled the largest amount of coffee beans on the island and signed on to ship the vast amounts of their coveted products to the mainland. His uncle's joy at bringing in a multi-billion dollar client overwhelmed him and emptied his mind of all previous worries, dashed back to the mainland to celebrate with his latest trophy wife. Of course in that happy time his worries were not the only things forgotten. He forgot his nephew who hid in his bedroom that whole day when his uncle's ire was raised that very morning unable to make contact with the lawyer. Of course being long used to the frantic actions of happy, sad and angry from his uncle he stayed hidden as a matter of self-preservation. It was only late into the next morning when his uncle did not return, as usual, with his all night benders did he leave his room to investigate. Upon seeing the bedroom empty of his uncle and his belongings Tony recognized and felt an odd fluttering of joy that he had been forgotten.
His time alone and free of the DiNozzo anger allowed him to be a child who lived with no expectations or disappointments. He ate what he ate, watched TV when he wanted and as late as he wanted. Watching some of the older black and whites and some of the Bond films he became fascinated by the old movies and the dashing secret agent. He found he could charm the housekeepers and Hotel staff and expanded on his repertoire of half truths and smiles. By the end of his first week the lawyer who his uncle sought came knocking at the Hotel room and he was ready. The week alone and free built up a strength to answer and look the lawyer in the face and ask him the questions he needed to ask and his uncle wished to make without fear. The lawyer was a Paddington family lawyer, his aunt's family lawyer and was a kind and good man. He was in his early forties whose kind face held laugh lines who raised two children of his own and saw Tony as a bright and charming boy. It was explained to Tony that the lawyer held the trust to both money and the shares his uncle so desperately wanted. The man who also adopted a formerly abused young boy and knew the type of man that made Mr. DiNozzo understood what he saw in the actions of the horribly abused young man. He held great love for his own children and he felt pain at the suffering he saw in Tony's eyes. Mentally he vowed to aid him as much as he could.
Tony discussed the terms of the trust that Andrew Wells, the lawyer, held for him. After some discussion Tony knew what he needed to do. He understood as long as he held those shares his uncle's cruel hand would hold him near. He queried Andrew or Andy he was asked to call him as the week passed on what could be done to garner him freedom and a daring plan was created in that happy week. Happy because while Tony stayed at the hotel in the evenings, Andy brought him home to live a brief time as a part of his well loved family.
When the second week passed his uncle finally noticed Tony was missing, well at least his accountant notified him of the large charges for a hotel room on his credit card when he was clearly NOT in Hawaii. His uncle immediately dispatched his butler to pick up the errant boy. The day he left, Andy and his family gave him a sad farewell. Andy would begin the trip to the DiNozzo Family Estate immediately as soon as the legal papers for the daring plan was completed and processed.
The moment Tony walked into the home an oppressive feeling came over him. The happy days in Hawaii made the bleakness of this home stronger in him. He hid in his room and later that night after his uncle drank himself to oblivion snuck out to his uncle's office to call Andy for status on their plan. Andy reported he was already in a hotel near the Estate and already made an appointment to see his uncle tomorrow at 12 PM. He advised Tony to be ready and waiting at the office and they would provide a united front. Tony quietly laid the phone done and slunk back into his room. For the first time in many years he closed his eyes and fell to a dreamless healing sleep.
At 11:45 AM Tony finished dressing in a pair of jeans and an Aerosmith t-shirt to irk his uncle who never wore less than a polo shirt and slacks when meeting company. He looked like what a young boy was supposed to be. He snuck downstairs and to the butler's displeasure he walked into the office with Andy to meet his uncle. Since his uncle's guest face was on he could not say or do anything upsetting with Andy in the room. But his uncle's pink glowering face told Tony he was very, very angry.
Andy placed a steadying hand on Tony's shoulder and presented to Mr. DiNozzo a deal that he could not refuse. To his uncle's shock the papers placed on his desk were of Andy's request to be removed from the trust of only the shares in DiNozzo Enterprises and the placement of his uncle as trust in his place. Andy would become only be the trust to the money left for Tony and his uncle would no longer need to house his nephew. He would be immediately taken in by Andy and allowed to enroll to Rhode Island Military Academy which would begin next month in September. Tony would have holidays, breaks and summer in Hawaii with Andy and his uncle would never have to see him again as Andy would be the intermediary. A second set of papers was a legal binding contract that promised the sale of those shares back to his uncle for payment rendered of his schooling, room, board and a decent allowance up to his age of 21 for the Academy and college, leaving his uncle to safely take back his company from his nephew. His uncle calmed at the magnanimous offer and became the professional business man that made him the man that rebuilt the company from its ashes and took the offer.
After so many years of bitterness he now could now clearly wash his hands of the boy. He informed Tony in a cold voice that paying his way until he was 21 did not mean Tony was in any way his responsibility. Tony was no longer welcome to anything DiNozzo. Since Tony was now to be persona non grata he essentially would be disinherited and all ties to the family were to be cut. This brought Tony much joy as there were none in the family except for a few distant relatives whom he cared to keep in contact. In fact, those very same distant relatives could care less about his uncle's control of the family's fortune, which was the main reason he still liked them. His uncle immediately told the butler to collect Tony's things and escort both Tony and Andy off the property.
Tony collected a small suitcase with some family mementos of his parents and left all the trapping of his uncle and his aunt behind and walked out of the door to the glorious sunshine to a better future.