For, Victoriantealady because she fed my muse.
The two men look down from the large balcony as they observe the agents from the various agencies. A frown appears on director Vance's face when he sees DiNozzo laughing and carrying on like he had not a care in the world.
It was a high security meeting with the directors from the alphabets as well as their counterparts from Canada and Great Britain. It was Gibbs that suggested DiNozzo go, as well as McGee and Balboa.
Tom Morrow, the deputy of homeland security noticed the frown, and the loud sigh that Vance made when they saw Tony interacting with some of the other agents.
"Tell me Leon, are you still buying into the DiNozzo frat boy act?"
Leon turns and glares at Tom. "He is just like Gibbs, yes they get results but, they don't move forward, stuck in some time warp."
"Don't let him fool you Leon; more people have bought into his idiot mask, that are paying the price in prison. The man knows what he is doing, I would love to pinch him away from you. I've offered him his own team and raise. He says his happy where he is. I think you should know something about your famous frat boy. He did you a favor and it cost him all of his markers almost twenty years of favors that were owed him."
Intrigued Leon shifts his position and gives his full attention to Tom. "It was right after Jackie was killed." Tom doesn't waste any platitudes, men like Vance don't want them nor do they need them.
"What did he do?" Leon asks his full of barely contained anger.
"He let it be known in the press corps circles that if they didn't leave you and your children alone while you were grieving. He would make sure that not one police station or agency would be forthcoming with any information, at all. Up to and including parking tickets and protective custody numbers for being drunk and disorderly."
"He doesn't have that kind of pull." Vance scoffs.
"Tell me just how many articles did you read about your wife? Eli David yes, he was Mossad, but Jackie?"
"After the initial report two more then nothing about her, I was surprised there wasn't more."
"He called in all of his markers with his brothers in blue. No one talked to any reporter for a week, no one except for the BAU teams, he told me that was for Agent Todd."
"Why would he go to all of the trouble? I don't understand." Leon says softly.
"Do you know his mother is dead? She died when he was eight, according to the M.E. report it was ruled a suicide." Tom tells him letting the insinuation linger in the air.
"What do you mean ruled a suicide?"
"He comes from money, and families with that kind of money, they let the money talk for them. Or so I've been able to ascertain. The press hounded the family for weeks Tony was just a kid at the time, his father did nothing to protect him. He was free of his wife and he had more money to play with, surely you know that the man is a conman. He will steal you blind if you give him half a chance. He is always on the look out for his next big score."
"Why does DiNozzo work if he doesn't need the money?"
"Tony's mother left him small trust fund, not enough to live on. And if his father knew about it he would hound Tony until he got every last penny from it."
"He told you?"
"Full disclosure, the very first day he got hired, even before FLETCE."
"Why would he do that?"
"He learned from an early age that money talks and he didn't want to be accused of anything."
Vance looks at DiNozzo again, as if seeing him for the first time. Smiling and joking with the men, and flirting shamelessly with the women. Everyone knew he was a flirt, but no one took it seriously. Vance didn't know what he did to earn such sacrifice from an Agent, but silently swore to himself, and Jackie, that he wouldn't doubt the man again.