Chapter Seven
Ziva and Tony spent the weekend christening each and every room. Tony insisted that having sex in a room allowed him to get a sense of the room so he would trip over anything. For a few days he didn't worry about being blind or thinking about what kind of position he could be offered at NCIS as a blind man. Instead he lost himself in Ziva.
Unfortunately, Monday morning came. Ziva made him get up and shower and dress before she left to make sure she could help him. She also made him toast and fruit for breakfast and coffee. It wasn't his usual breakfast of a cinnamon bun or sweet roll but he understood her intention. She wanted him healthy.
At eight there was a knock on the door. Tony got up from the sofa to answer it and ended up tripping over the coffee table. By the time he stopped freaking up and searched the floor for his cane, Gibbs had picked the lock and let himself into the apartment. He found Tony on his hands and knees.
"You praying, DiNozzo?" asked Gibbs.
"Not much faith lately, boss, especially blind faith," he replied.
"Then get up off the floor before we are late," Gibbs said.
"Okay," Tony gingerly got up.
"You need help?" Gibbs asked.
"Fine, boss," he said.
"DiNozzo, don't be an ass. If you need help accept it when it's offered," Gibbs said.
"I need you to guide me," Tony admitted in a quiet voice.
Gibbs looked at his former SFA and smiled. The man looked healthy, except for the one small fact that he couldn't see. He knew Buck was going to be able to help him.
"Where are we headed, boss?" Tony asked.
"Buck's dojo. It's on 18th Street NW near DuPont Circle. It's not too far from the navy yard," he answered, as he took Tony by the arm.
They stopped at the door where Gibbs grabbed a jacket for Tony. It was a leather jacket. They then continued out of the apartment and out of the building to the parked car. Gibbs helped him into the ca then came around and got into the car.
"Buck is going to give you his intensive program. It's going to be a lot of him and you and no one else. He promised me to make you aware of your surroundings and able to handle yourself," said Gibbs.
"Why?" asked Tony.
"Why what, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked.
"Why this instead of independence training?" he asked.
"Because you aren't a homemaker or someone who needs a new vocation," Gibbs said. "You're a cop, an investigator, so Buck is going to give you the tools to get back to work that you understand. Learn from him, listen to him, and don't give him anything less than hundred percent. He's a marine and he'll kick your ass."
"You think I can work as an investigator again, boss?" he asked.
"Maybe not in the traditional sense, but I think we can make use of your skills," Gibbs said.
"I hope so, boss," Tony said. "This weekend I tried to remember what Ziva looked like and I couldn't. I need something to get my mind off of not being able to see."
"You're going to get that, Tony," Gibbs assured him. "Remember, Rule Five – Don't waste Good."
"Thanks, boss," said Tony.
NCIS
The moment the entered the dojo, Semper Fi, tony could smell sweat and something else, a hint of blood. Buck Jones, who was six foot and a physical specimen, smiled when he got a whiff of the air.
"Hey, Gunny, I final you get you to visit," Jones called out.
"How do you know it's me, Buck?" asked Gibbs.
"Because I believe you've drunk so much coffee it's part of your scent," said Buck.
Tony sniffed the air. He had to agree with the man.
"You got my new student?' asked Buck.
"Tony DiNozzo," Tony said and then held out his hand.
"I hope you aren't offering me your hand," said Buck.
"Sorry, habit," said Tiny then he realized Buck was blind and couldn't have seen his offered hand. "How did you know I offered you my hand?"
"Air displacement," he answered. "You'll come to understand once we get all your working senses working to the peak abilities."
"I'll leave you to work," Gibbs said to Buck then he said to Tony. "Either, Ziva or I will pick you after work."
"I'm here all day," said Tony.
"Monday to Friday until your ass is trained," said Gibbs then he looked at Buck. "Ooohrah."
"Ooohrah, Gunny," Buck answered and Gibbs left. "I'll show you to the changing room. There's a gi waiting there for you."
"You're going to kick my ass, aren't you?" asked Tony.
"Oh, yeah," answered Buck.
Buck took him by the left elbow and led him to the backrooms and the changing rooms. Tony didn't say a word but followed the orders of his new sensei. He had the distinct feeling that Buck Jones was a lot like Gibbs, which was enough for him to give him his trust. Whatever the man had to teach, he was willing to learn, or, at least, make a hell of an effort to learn.
NCIS
It was one o'clock and the team, including their new probie, Probationary Agent Travis Ford, got back from Quantico where a marine was found hung in his apartment. There was no suicide note and it looked like there was a struggle. Ducky and Jimmy had the body down in autopsy and they had finished collecting all the evidence.
"McGee and Ford, bring the evidence down to Abby," ordered Gibbs.
"Come on, Probie," McGee said took his probie down to visit with Abby.
Gibbs and Ziva both looked over at Tony's desk, which was now McGee's desk.
"I miss him, too, Ziver," said Gibbs.
"I never really realized how much he made things go easier," she said.
"I counted on him more than any partner I ever had," was all that Gibbs had to say on the matter.
"I need to get him training with braille so I can get him a smart phone. I want to know how he is doing," she said.
"He's getting his ass kicked," smiled Gibbs, "but it's good for him."
"What is this position Vance's has in mind for him?" asked Ziva.
"In time, Ziver," Gibbs said.
"I will not tell him," she said.
"Are you sleeping with him?" Gibbs asked.
She blushed which was answer enough.
"You'll tell him," Gibbs laughed.
"I love him, Gibbs," she defended herself.
"I know. You've loved him for a long time, too, and he has been in love with you for a very long time, too. I noticed," said Gibbs.
"You are not going to give us a lecture on our relationship, are you?" she said.
"Conditions have changed. He needs you and you need him. I won't stand in the way of that," he said. "You know that I have encouraged you to be with him. You are now partners of another kind."
"Any advice?" she asked her surrogate father.
"Just love each other, Ziver, and everything will work out. You know what he'd do for you and I think you're discovering what'll do for him," he said.
"I hope he is having a good day," she sighed.
NCIS
Tony felt weightless for a moment then he landed hard on the teak floor. He groaned from the pain. This was the sixth time he had been tossed to the floor by Buck.
"I call my form of martial arts Bushido because Bushido is the way of the warrior. It mixes up everything, even more than Semper Fu," he explained, as Tony slowly worked himself off the floor.
"Are you sure you're blind?" Tony asked.
"Yup, just like you. You and I we don't even see shapes or shadows. We are profoundly blind. I had an IED blow up in my face. Thankfully, it was poorly constructed so it only blinded me instead of killing me. You, well, you had a lead pipe to the back of the head. Gibbs told me," Buck said.
Tony was on his feet. He attempted to do as Buck told him which was to discern sounds, variations in the sounds, and then anticipate. Of course, he was having trouble enough with the discerning of sounds let alone anticipating Buck's movements.
"Eventually, this will all become instinct, but right now you are overthinking," he told Tony.
"I'm over sucking, too," he said.
"Bushido is my way and it's going to be your way. Just because we can't see doesn't mean we are defenseless victims. We can be just as strong and just as dangerous as someone with sight," he said.
Tony thought he heard Buck coming at him so he stumbled forward and went to grab him. All he managed to do was grab the air until Buck swiped his feet from underneath him. Tony hit the deck again and moaned in pain as he swore his bones were going to break.
"Never stop listening," Buck ordered.
"You know it's my first fucking day," Tony said.
"That is not an excuse for not giving your best effort," said Buck. "Gibbs told me about you. He said you had a great sense of smell, great instincts and that you never gave up. That's the Tony I expect here tomorrow because he is the one who is going to learn from me and become independent and strong."
"Does that mean you are done kicking my ass today?" he asked Buck.
"Yeah, I'm done kicking your ass. Get you and I'll make us a cup of coffee," said Buck.
NCIS
She ran a hot bath for Tony and then helped him get into it. His body had red and purple bruises blossoming all over his body.
"Oh, God, that water feels so damn good," he said as he let the warm water assuage his bumps and bruises.
"You had a rough day," Ziva said.
"I have a crazy blind ex-marine kicking my ass, so I'd call that a rough day," he said.
"Should I tell Gibbs that you are quitting?" she asked with a smirk.
"No, damned way. When he's down with me I think I'll be better off. I need to learn what he's teaching me," said Tony.
"So, you want to be the ninja of this house now," she said.
"You'll always be the crazy ninja," he said.
She leaned in and kissed him.
"Be careful or you'll get wet," he said.
She whispered in his ear: "I am already."
"You're my crazy ninja chick," he said then he sat up and reached over slowly finding her face.
Brining her face in close to his held her there for a moment: "You don't know what I'd give that the last thing I saw before I went blind was your beautiful face. I miss those brown eyes and looks of annoyance you gave me. I miss everything about your face."
Ziva wanted to cry, but she refused to. Tony deserved more than tears. His thumb stroke her lips until she caught it in her teeth then sucked on it.
"You're teasing me," he said.
"I haven't begun to tease you," she purred.
"I love you, Zi," he said.
She was struck by the sincerity of his words. The tears she didn't want to shed began to fill her eyes.
"I love you, Anthony DiNozzo," she said and kissed him.
Wrapping his left arm around her he lifted her and pulled her into the bath tub soaking her and sending water all over the floor. Ziva began to giggle.
"Tony, you should not have done that. Now I am going to have to get naked and," he cut her off with a passionate kiss.
"And what?" he asked.
"And do whatever you want," she said.
NCIS
The first week was painful. Tony hadn't felt that much pain and had his bones ache that much since he was at college and playing two sports and one of them was football. Buck didn't let up on him but kept pushing and pushing him. It was as the man knew what Tony's breaking point was and he kept him right on the edge.
The second week was actually harder than the first. If he expected wax on and wax off, what Tiny got was a man goading him on to use in remaining senses, sharpening them, honing them, and making them a replacement for his eyes. Tony realized this was going to be easy so he kept his mouth shut and tried to give his best effort to everything Buck asked from him.
By the middle of the third week he was starting to understand what Buck really wanted from him. He was using his hearing, sense of smell, even his instincts which he had started to mistrust, but Buck taught him to trust again. Yes, he was blind but he was starting to feel and hear his surroundings and on top of that Buck was teaching him to defend himself and attack if need be. He was starting to get his confidence back.
NCIS
Gibbs showed up at Buck's Dojo at seven o'clock. He had called him to check up on DiNozzo and Buck invited him to come by for a beer. There was an adult class being taught by one of Buck's people.
"Gibbs," Buck said.
"Hey, Buck," said Gibbs.
"Let's go into my office and have a snort," Buck said.
Gibbs followed Buck as he led Gibbs into his office. With little use of his cane, Buck made it into his office and sat behind his desk. He reached into his bottom drawer and pulled out two glasses and a bottle of Wild Turkey Bourbon. He opened the bottle with free hand in the glass and a finger dangling into the glass, he poured unto the glass until the amber liquid reached his finger. He poured the second glass in the same manner and handed it to Gibbs.
"Toast," Buck said.
Both men took a long swig of their drinks.
"How is he doing?" asked Gibbs about Tony.
"Better than expected. He is tenacious and motivated. I like him," said Buck.
"I knew he'd work well with you," said Gibbs.
"He seems to have an affinity for marines," said Buck.
Gibbs smiled.
"I am starting to teach him some moves. He really is a good student, Gibbs," said Buck.
"He needs to be able to defend himself, Buck," Gibbs said.
"Really, why?" he asked.
"The word has gotten that he's blind. DiNozzo has some real enemies, Buck, bad men. I'm afraid that they are going to start going after him," said Gibbs.
"I like him even more now," said Buck.
"I'd like to keep him alive," said Gibbs.
"He's getting there, Gunny," said Buck.
"Good," Gibbs took a sip of his drink.
"This kid means something to you. I can hear it in your voice," said Buck.
"He's part of my family, Buck, and I take care of family," said Gibbs.