NCIS –Run Down

FallenQueen2: I love you all for your reviews and your support of Tony leaving NCIS for FBI but deep down I still love Gibbs as a father figure for Tony and I plan on mending their bond but it will be bumpy and Fornell will still be in the picture and he may or may not be leaving NCIS. Keep on reading to find out.

Part Three

Jethro Gibbs was tapping his right index finger against his desk as he stared at Tony's empty desk across from him. It had been an hour or so since Sacks stormed out and headed back to the FBI and still no DiNozzo. This was getting ridiculous, why wasn't DiNozzo back yet? What was Tobias up to, that man always had a plan.

"Hey McGee, where is Tony?" Jimmy Palmer asked as he entered the bullpen a take out bag in each hand with a confused look on his face.

"Oh hi Jimmy, no Tony isn't here today. Well he's with the FBI, it's an exchange program the directors set up for the day, Sacks is long gone but Tony isn't back yet." McGee shook his head dismayed.

"He's with the FBI today?" Jimmy's glasses slid down his nose. "Too bad, I got him his favorite sandwich. Do you know when he will be back?"

"No Palmer we don't and to be frank I wouldn't truly care if he didn't come back." Ziva muttered only so jimmy could hear.

"I would, but I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't come back. You guys do know that he has job offers flowing in everyday? From the FBI to DEA to Customs to Interpol, sooner or later he is going to get fed up with the way you all treat him and he will move on." Jimmy informed the trio sternly before leaving the bullpen.

"That can not be correct." Ziva stated firmly.

"It is true Agent David, look in the bottom drawer of Tony's desk to see for yourself." Director Shepard called down from the landing platform by MTAC before turning around and heading back into MTAC shutting the door behind her.

Gibbs was on his feet and behind Tony's desk in a matter of seconds. He pulled open the bottom drawer, he hated invading Tony's privacy but he needed to see if Jimmy was right. In the drawer beneath him there was a stack of envelopes all addressed to Tony. He pulled the pile out and handed it to McGee who started to go through them with Ziva, gasping every so often at the names of the agencies on the envelopes.

Gibbs was more focused on the metal lockbox sitting at the bottom of the drawer. He barely heard the two agents mutter something about going to see Abby to make sure these were legit as the two left towards the elevators, papers in hand.

Gibbs gently lifted the lockbox out of the drawer and onto the surface of Tony's desk. He inspected the lock; he looked around Tony's desk but didn't see anything he could use to be a key for the box. He frowned as he took a closer look; he hurried back over to his desk and rummaged though his drawers before pulling out the gift Tony had given him years back. It was a tie clip, nothing fancy but Gibbs had appreciated the thought Tony had put into it. He fiddled with it before with a soft click a key slid out. Gibbs couldn't help but grin at the ingenious thought Tony put into the simple tie clip. He walked back over to the metal box, inserted the key and opened it. He stared down at the contents of the box before falling back into Tony's chair.

Inside the lock box were all the medals Gibbs has won over the years and photos were also stashed inside the box. He eased each medal out and onto the desk; he then unfolded the photos and stared at the images printed on the paper, the photos containing both Gibbs and Tony. Each photo was taken at an awards ceremony for one of the medals, each in their dress uniforms. Gibbs had his normal face on with a slight smile on his lips while Tony stood beside him with a huge smile and a proud look on his face. Gibbs felt a smile creep across his lips as he remembered what cases brought each medal about, Tony had always been there watching his six.

Now Tony was with the FBI and was probably being treated with the respect he deserved, not what Gibbs had been giving him for the past few months? Seeing Tony in that FBI jacket as he walked out with Fornell was like a cut in his heart, it looked great on his SFA and it hurt to see how natural he looked in that jacket.

"Damnit." Gibbs ran his hands over his face before quickly repacking the box and placing it back into the bottom drawer, shutting it before he sped walked towards the elevator, heading down to autopsy to talk with Jimmy. He was going to find how what really happened when he was in Mexico.

"Palmer, we need to talk." Gibbs announced walking into autopsy where Jimmy was munching on a sandwich at his desk flipping through some paper work.

"Agent Gibbs, what can I do for you?" Jimmy asked putting down his sandwich.

"I want you to tell me the truth… What really went down when I was in Mexico? Palmer I know I hurt Tony and I need to know the whole story before I can make things right." Gibbs was this close to begging.

"Are you sure you want to know?" Jimmy asked seriously.

"Yes I'm sure, tell me what happened Jimmy." Gibbs sat down in Ducky's chair.

"If you're sure Agent Gibbs… Well you left Tony with only a 'You'll do' and that was it. That didn't really help him in any way what so ever. He tried his best to combine his style with yours but was only told that he wasn't you Agent Gibbs. McGee and Ziva always put him down; they disobeyed his orders and never did their paper work. Tony worked himself to the bone trying to figure out cases while juggling something for the director. It didn't help that Abby had your photos all over her lab and always reminded him that he wasn't Gibbs, she had put a nametag on him that said 'trainee' for the 1st two months you were gone. Ducky, no offence to him but he has been distance and closed off, I'm pretty sure I'm Tony's only friend in NCIS right now. One night after a rough case Tony went out drinking and afterwards he told me that he ran into Fornell, they started to talk and drink and before Tony knew it they were meeting up for drinks whenever they could. He told me that once Emily met him he was pronounced 'Big Brother Tony' and has been part of the family ever since. I'm really glad Tony found someone he can be himself with other than me, so do you understand now Agent Gibbs?" Jimmy finished his rant, pushed his glasses back up before picking up his sandwich again. Letting Gibbs take in everything he had just been told.

"Thank you Jimmy, for telling me this and for being there for Tony." Gibbs said tightly before leaving autopsy.

"I hope I did the right thing Tony." Jimmy muttered to himself.

Gibbs had walked straight to the gym, he got changed and went straight to the punching bag and started to take his anger out on the bag until his knuckles went numb. He stopped, holding the bag in his hands before pressing his forehead against the fabric of the bag breathing heavily as his mind spun with everything he just learned and memories coming back to him. It had all been there in plain sight and he just looked past it. All the jabs about Tony's education and his skills, how they only did things that Gibbs told them to or things Gibbs confirmed.

"How could I have been so stupid?" He muttered closing his eyes.

"That is a very good question." Fornell's voice echoed over to Gibbs whose head snapped up to see the FBI agent leaning against the boxing ring, visitor pass clipped to his belt loop.

"Fornell." Gibbs nodded stiffly.

"So you finally found out what happened while you were out in Mexico huh?" Fornell asked the silver haired man.

"Yeah and I can't believe it, I thought my team was closer than that and would accept and respect Tony as team leader." Gibbs sighed.

"But they didn't, now what are you going to do about it?" Fornell crossed his arms. "Because if you don't fix this soon Tony will be out of your reach forever. Right now the FBI who all already love and respect him is taking him under their wing. Hell half the teams there have already asked him to either be a consultant or part of their team. The director of the FBI has spoken with him and none of us are impressed with the fact your director is using him for an undercover op. We want him in the FBI and unless you do something he will be part of our agency soon."

"Well you're not the only one who wants Tony, he has letters from many different agencies from around the world asking for him to join their teams. However they will have to get in line because first and foremost DiNozzo is mine and I'm not going to let him go that easily." Gibbs growled unwrapping his hands, not surprised that they were slightly bleeding.

"You better get moving then, Tony should be heading back to his place soon. Unless he got caught up telling the whole office another adventure of his, I couldn't stick around after he told me about being chained to a killer and then getting the plague, I swear that kid is going to be the death of me Jethro." Fornell smiled fondly.

"You're telling me Tobias, I have to work with him and make sure he doesn't die." Gibbs chuckled shaking his head.

"Like the son you never had huh?" Tobias questioned.

"Yeah I guess he is." Jethro smiled just as fondly as Fornell had moments ago.

"He's like that for me as well, he already has been dubbed a big brother by Emily. If you want to make things right then you better get going Jethro and good luck." Fornell pushed off the boxing ring's side clapping the ex-marine's shoulder.

"Hey Tobias… Thanks for looking out for him when I couldn't." Jethro called out after him.

"It's what family does." Fornell called back over his shoulder before leaving the Navy Yard hoping he did the right thing for his son.