Chapter Title: Broken Rules aka Watch Your Six
Chapter Summary: Gibbs realizes that his actions have led him to break too many of his rules.
Disclaimer: NCIS is not mine. I'm just borrowing the concepts and characters for a little while.
Spoilers: 7.23 Patriot Down
A/N: The first line of this story was taken directly from the episode written by Gary Glasberg. I hope he doesn't mind me borrowing it. ;o]
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"I'll find Gibbs," Tony says as he heads out of Vance's office.
Closing the door behind him, he fishes his cell phone out of his pocket as he heads down the hall towards the landing. Pressing speed dial '1' he knows that Gibbs probably won't answer, but still he has hope that maybe, just maybe he might.
As the ringing predictably switches over to Gibbs' voicemail, he can't help but hang his head in defeat. Ever since Abby came back from Mexico –
Not now stomach, he thought to himself as his gut painfully clenched.
Ever since Abby came back, he'd noticed Gibbs had not been his usual bastard self. No, lately he'd been much worse. But, he could also sense an underlying sadness and something else – worry? defeat?
All Tony knew was that his Boss, his friend, had gone off without him to do something that would probably get himself killed. Once Gibbs got it in his mind to go off alone, absolutely no one could change his mind, and yet here he was trying anyway.
Bringing his right hand up to rub some tension out of his face, he was startled by the beep prompting him to leave a message.
"Boss, Vance is looking for you," he paused then snorted. "But you could care less, I'm sure. He's got Hart in his office and probably has her spilling her guts by now.
"I know you think you need to do this own your own," he briefly paused again. "But you don't! Let us help! Let me help!" Without realizing it, the intensity and determination in his voice had increased with each successive word.
He sighed heavily and his shoulders subconsciously hunched over in defeat.
In a voice that broke slightly, he said, "Watch your six."
He snapped his phone shut and headed towards the bullpen. He would do as he was told and search for Gibbs, but knew they wouldn't be able to catch up to him.
His gut painfully kept reminding him that Mexico was the key.
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"Watch your six," Gibbs let his head hang a little as he heard the slight break in Tony's voice as the voice message ended.
Snapping his phone shut, he closed his eyes. Opening them, he took a deep breath and as he shakily blew it out, he put his phone in his car's glove compartment.
"I'm sorry, Tony," he whispered and opened the car door grabbing his go bag on the way out.
He felt like he had broken and was breaking too many of his rules.
Rule 6: Never say you're sorry. Rule 10: Never get personally involved in a case. Rules 3, 13, 15…more? And he'd broken the most important one of all –
Rule 1: Never screw over your partner.
Tony likely would be hurt and feeling betrayed after all their plotting against Hart and Bell, but there was no help for that now.
Hart knew much more than she was saying, but that didn't matter any more. Macy was dead because of his actions 20 years ago, and now Franks and his family were also in danger. All because of him.
And, there was no way in hell he was going to put his friends, his family in any more danger.
What he was about to do could cost him everything else he cared about – his job, his freedom, his life…
He was willing to risk it all just to protect them.
Even if it meant he'd have to go it alone.
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The End.
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A/N: I found a list of Gibbs' Rules and mined what was there for this story…. Episodes where the above rules were mentioned are:
Rule 1 = 4.14. Blowback;
Rule 3(Never be unreachable) = 3.13 Deception;
Rule 6 = 7.12 Flesh and Blood (and, yes, I remember the 'not amongst friends' exception);
Rule 10 = 7.21 Obsession;
Rule 13(Never, ever involve lawyers) = 6.07 Collateral Damage;
Rule 15(Always work as a team) = 5.05 Leap of Faith.
BTW, does anyone know exactly what Rule 44 is/was? Gibbs never actually says it, does he? Was it in a previous episode?
Thanks for reading!