"Call me for what?" Gibbs appeared in the lab doorway, Caf-Pow in hand.
"Gibbs!" Abby spun around, punching her keyboard so her screensaver popped up, hiding the results.
He walked all the way in and stood in front of her.
"What you got, Abs?"
He asked like usual, and for the first time in her life she really wished he hadn't.
Abby looked to McGee for help, but he shook his head manically, wussing out as usual when it came to giving Gibbs bad news.
"What makes you think I found something?" She turned back, sporting a smile that came off less sweet and more Claymation.
Gibbs tilted his head and frowned in that way he had that told everyone looking he knew you were lying.
"Abby?"
The patented Gibbs growl, something DiNozzo could brush off on a daily basis, was enough to break her lofty resolve.
"McGee has something!" She blurted, pointing her finger directly at Tim, who she could see out the corner of her eye scurrying around by her desk.
"Abby!" McGee shrieked, sounding just like a girl who'd had her pigtails pulled.
He stopped what he was doing to give her a wounded look and, not for the first time, Abby could see why Tony found it so much fun to pick on him.
"Will you two stop messing and tell me what you've found." Gibbs demanded, drawing her attention back to him.
McGee was franticly shaking his head, pleading with her to go first as he collected something from her printer. She didn't know how what he had could possibly be worse than what she'd found, but he looked convinced Gibbs would castrate him on the spot just for delivering the bad news. Rolling her eyes she hit a few keys on her keyboard and printed off her own results, two could play at that game. Walking over to McGee she snatched the print off he made and held both protectively in front of her chest.
"Ok," Abby took a deep calming breath before she began talking a mile a minute. "But Gibbs whatever you do promise me you will remain calm because as much as I want you to go all bad ass and super Gibbs and tear his head off I don't want to be visiting you in jail so you have to promise okay?"
"Abby!" Gibbs growled again, only this time more urgent.
"No Gibbs! Promise me or McGee won't give you the results!" Abby slapped the papers into McGee's chest, quickly stepping away, giving him no choice but to be the bearer of bad news, times two.
She winced, actually leaning away as Gibbs, bearing down with one of the worst Gibbs glares she'd ever witnessed, wasted no time in snatching the pages from McGee's loose grip. Both waited with bated breath as Gibbs read what they'd independently discovered and seeing his features morph into a rage the likes Abby didn't think they'd seen since ever, she screwed her eyes shut, bracing herself for inevitable explosion.
"That son of a bitch!"
…
Gibbs flipped out his phone, hit speed dial and ran out of the lab barking an order at Kate, ignoring Abby's shouts for him to stop and McGee to do something. Bypassing the elevator in favour of the stairs his anger fuelled his frantic pace all the way up to interrogation.
When he rounded the corner he found Kate waiting for him outside the door, Fornell's dreaded brown envelop in her hands as ordered.
"Gibbs what's going on?" She demanded to know as soon as she saw him marching towards her.
He snatched the file from her without a word and stormed through the door of interrogation, slamming it shut behind him.
Gibbs stood between senior and the only exit, doing his best to rein in his rapidly spiralling out of control temper. Abby was right to be concerned, there was a very good chance he might kill this man today.
"Something wrong Gibbs?" Senior spoke dismissively, as if he was asking about the weather.
Something wrong? Gibbs lost it.
Stepping forward he dumped the contents of the brown envelope onto the table. Photos and reports falling haphazardly, forming what would be a macabre sketch book of images.
"How could you do this to your own Son?!" He roared, picking up one of the many photos of a hurt six year old Tony and holding it in front of Senior's face.
"I didn't!" Senior screamed back, his indignation shining though.
"You. Were. There!" Gibbs picked up and placed three separate photos of Tony, placing them one by one under his nose.
He pinned senior with his patented angry Gibbs glare and upon seeing the sweat forming on the old man's forehead he knew, he was close to breaking him.
"Gibbs, I don't know what you think you know, but it's all a big misunderstanding." Senior avoided looking too long at any of the photos as they were put before him.
"This," Gibbs snapped, sitting down and forcibly pointing to one of the photos showing Tony's full face, complete with black eye and bloody nose, "is a misunderstanding to you?" He asked incredulously.
It satisfied Gibbs when Senior had to turn away from the image.
"You're wrong, my son was kidnapped!"
He leaned over the table and got up in Senior's face again.
"Yes, by you! … Cigarette butts," Gibbs slapped down the evidence Abby had printed out, "found at the scene where Tony was held." Senior looked shiftily up at him. "Our forensic tech just ran the DNA. I was expecting her to confirm a match to Henry Miller, but it didn't" he hit the table again, making senior jump, "the DNA was a match to you!"
Senior shrunk back, looking between Gibbs and the evidence in front of him.
"I didn't hurt him, you have to believe me," he pleaded, resolutely refusing to look at the photos still.
But Gibbs wasn't in the mood to grant any favours right now.
"He was burnt, beaten. Tortured." Gibbs growled the latter low in his throat and shoved another, no less gruesome photo under Senior's nose, pointing at the little round electric burns on Tony's temple, "why?"
He watched as senior's gaze landed on that final photo, seeing the blood covering the young and fragile body of the little boy Tony once was appeared to touch something inside the old man. He swiftly turned away, looking physically sick.
"I don't know-" He mumbled to the floor.
"How could you not know?!" Gibbs shouted at him again, "Tony was barely alive when he was admitted to the ER, he'd been drugged …"
"Enough!" Senior shouted suddenly, sitting straight in his chair and looking Gibbs directly in the eye for the first time since he'd begun the interrogation.
"Was it fun?" Gibbs continued to push in a low dangerous tone, intending to take Senior to his mental limit, "did you get a kick out of hurting a little boy? Did it make you feel strong putting him in his place, punishing him for those times he wouldn't do as YOU told him?"
"No!" Senior spat.
Gibbs could see he was close. Senior was sweating, fidgeting in his chair, unable to look at him or the photos anymore, unable to face the truth, so Gibbs continued to fire questions at him, each one hitting its mark and pushing Senior closer to the edge.
"Did he know it was you? Is that why you drugged him, to keep him quiet?"
"I didn't hurt him." Senior repeated.
Gibbs leapt to his feet, sending his chair flying backwards to hit the floor, and shouted in Senior's face.
"You broke his nose!"
"I didn't!"
"He's your son!"
"No he isn't!" Senior screamed back, slamming his hands down on the table and standing.
The room plummeted into silence. Gibbs felt all the air leave his body with the verbal blow and fell heavily back into his seat. Senior looked just as shocked by his own admission and collapsed heavily back into his chair, like the weight of his words was what was dragging him down. They sat staring at each other for a couple of minutes, the scent of despair rife within the air. Mr DiNozzo rested with his elbows on the table, head in his hands looking ashamed. Gibbs had his arms folded, blank expression in place, simply trying to comprehend the new startling information.
"Explain." He spat with a gravelly voice, breaking the intense silence.
"He isn't mine Agent Gibbs." Senior shrugged regretfully.
"Yeah," Gibbs drawled, unmoving, "I got that."
He didn't, he really didn't get it at all, which is why he was demanding an explanation.
"My wife, Tony's mother, she and my brother…" Senior fell back in his chair, lifted his head and looked over at Gibbs, "to her credit she never tried to tell me he was mine."
When his meagre explanation petered to a halt Gibbs didn't speak, instead he made the universal gesture for him to continue, all the while trying to ignore his own feelings on the matter. He had enough of his own experiences with a cheating spouse to understand what an affair can do to a marriage and as Senior talked he eyed the crushed and empty coffee cup lying in the corner with desire.
"You've never told him you aren't his father?" Gibbs spoke up once the explanation finished.
He tried very hard to keep his tone even and detached. All thoughts of beating a confession out of him for the kidnapping put on the back burner.
"My brother was reckless. He died in a car accident before Tony was even born. I'm the only father he's ever known." Senior sat back, looking very much his age and Gibbs had to fight the sudden urge to feel sorry for him. "When I found out she was having a boy I was over the moon, I had so many hopes for him, but it became clear very early on that Anthony was exactly like his mother."
Senior sighing out Tony's name like he was a bitter disappointment had Gibbs' anger quickly reasserting itself. With new resolve to use the vulnerable moment to get some useful truth out of him, Gibbs continued with his questioning.
"What does any of this have to do with the kidnapping?"
Gibbs held his position, watching Senior obviously consider his options. He had none as far as he was concern, but the man was irascible and he really wouldn't put it past him to withhold whatever he could as a bargaining chip.
"Everything," Senior smiled sadly, "Miller knew Tony wasn't mine, he threatened to tell my wife's family if I told the police the truth about happened."
Gibbs rolled his eyes, ignoring the petty excuse for now.
"What is the truth Mr DiNozzo, what did happen?" He asked evenly.
But Senior wasn't listening, still lost in his own world of meaningless excuses and wonky reasoning.
"We were living off her family's fortune and they were from old English money. If they found out she'd had an affair and I wasn't even his father we'd both have been cut off!"
"Answer the question!" Gibbs bellowed, having heard enough of his excuses.
"I can't. There was another very good reason I couldn't tell the police about the ransom demand or why Tony was taken." Senior levelled him a knowing look. "I need that deal Agent Gibbs. If I tell you I'm as good as dead."
"Really, well right now I think that might be best for Tony." Gibbs said flippantly gathering up the files and photos into a pile.
"Now listen here Gibbs-"
"No you listen!" Gibbs yelled, standing to leave, the hold on his temper completely shot. "Whatever happens' you're done with him. You cut all ties, sign over any trust funds his mother left him and walk away. He isn't to see or hear from you again, is that clear?"
Without waiting for an answer Gibbs walked out and slammed the door behind him. Once outside in the corridor he let out a long calming breath and slumped against the wall in a very un-Gibbs like manner, but his relief didn't last long. The observation room door soon opened to reveal Ducky and Kate and he immediately stood up straight, game face on, acting like nothing that had happened in there touched him in the least.
"Are you alright Gibbs?" Kate approached him, concern written all over her face.
Gibbs didn't comment, instead he held his glare on Kate a little longer than necessary.
"I must say that was an awful lot of information." Ducky broke the tension efficiently.
"You believe him?" He said eventually, speaking to Ducky.
Ducky shook his head. Yeah, neither did he, Gibbs really didn't know what to think right now. There were so many holes in his story, and still so many unanswered questions. The problem was no one was being honest with them, from Senior to the NYPD to the damn FBI and ironically the one person who would willing tell them exactly what happened didn't remember any of it.
"Check his story and plug the holes. Find out how Bower fits into this." He answered eventually.
"What about him?" Kate nudged her head in the direction of the closed interrogation room door.
"I'm not done with him yet." Gibbs said with menace.
Kate huffed, but Ducky's gentle hand on her arm held her back from voicing her concerns again.
"Yes Gibbs," She turned sullenly and walked away down the corridor.
"Jethro, how are you doing?" Ducky asked him quietly after she was gone.
Gibbs' shoulders dropped from the effort of keeping a solid front, he stepped back and pointed his chin towards the empty observation room, indicating that they were to talk in private.
"Duck,-" Gibbs began once they were inside.
"I'm not one of your agents Jethro." Ducky interrupted him upon shutting the door. "This has hurt you as much as it will Anthony."
Ducky crossed the room and got between Gibbs and the glass, blocking his view of Senior.
"Tony will not be hurt by that man again." Gibbs pointed at the sorry figure sat slumped in the chair on the other side of the glass.
"He's going to have some reaction when he finds out the truth…" Ducky blanched at the look Gibbs sent him, "you're not going to tell him are you? Oh Jethro you must! Any secrets between you and he'll see you just like his father."
"I'm nothing like that man." He spat. "And he isn't DiNozzo's father."
"No. He isn't. You are." At his glare Ducky added, "for all intents and purposes."
Gibbs sighed and backed away from the glass to pace the room, Ducky tracking his movements the whole time. Thinking back over the last three years, they'd gone through a whole lot together. Faced down a whole host of bad guys, solved murders, even hijacked planes, but nothing quite as personal as what this case had thrown at them. Hell if he lost Tony over this… they'd already come close to losing him recently, finding him alive in the sewers had been down to Tony's resourcefulness and determination, Gibbs would be damned if Seniors legacy was to drive Tony away from them for good. He thought about Tony. He thought again about last night…
Gibbs turned back to Ducky with a knowing smile, which the M.E duly returned without comment.
"So how am I supposed to tell him, Duck?" Gibbs knew Tony was going to have to be told about his dad eventually, but damn he really didn't want to be the one to do it.
"You've looked after him, in your own way, right from the start." Ducky reasoned lightly, joining him by the window. "All you need do is what the bastard who was supposed to love and protect him never could."
"And what's that Duck?" Gibbs asked sounding beat, even to his own ears.
"Tell your boy the truth, and be there for him." Ducky made it sound so simple, Gibbs almost laughed. "Trust me Jethro, if you try to protect him from this he won't thank you for it. If Mr DiNozzo does indeed stay away from him like you've instructed how is he going to feel? If Tony knows the truth maybe that'll help him, he'll likely no longer feel obligated to seek his love and approval. Much like I dare say Mr DiNozzo never really did feel obligated to love a child that wasn't his."
"Yeah, well," Gibbs gave Senior a dirty look through the glass, adding wistfully, "I'd have done it in a heartbeat."
Ducky was at his side, both of them looking into the interrogation room beyond when they heard the sudden intake of breath behind them. Ducky reacted first, turning around to face the newcomer at the door while Gibbs remained where he stood and closed his eyes in defeat.
"And my friend," Ducky placed his hand on his arm, "I believe Anthony will benefit from knowing that."
Never did he remember feeling this weak or helpless, yet despite that, mentally preparing for what lay ahead, Gibbs took a deep breath, opened his eyes and turned around slowly to face the distressed eyes of his young agent.
…
Tony stood frozen to the spot in the doorway of observation, not entirely sure what he should do with himself. He'd caught the tail end of a conversation between the Boss and Ducky that clearly had something to do with him, but… he couldn't of heard right. It wasn't possible. Though if it was right then it would explain why his father never seemed to care about him. He wasn't his father. Made sense, sort of, now he thought about it. Senior was probably a decent guy, it was him that was the problem, Senior had been right all these years.
Tony stammered, opened his mouth to speak, ask questions, make a joke maybe, but nothing short of a small strangled sound made it passed his throat. He turned his head away from the two staring at him, embarrassed by the tears pooling in the corners of his eyes. His reaction was a stark reminder of what had happened last night. He was a grown man for god sake, he needed to stop this. He hadn't cried in years, well not proper cried, last time he came close it had also been in front of Gibbs, after confronting Danny in Baltimore. And to make things worse Gibbs was wearing the exact same pitying expression back then too. Tony couldn't handle that look right now, seeing the care would tip him over the edge.
Tony directed his gaze down, pulled himself together and looked up again only to find Gibbs stood directly in front of him, hand clasping his shoulder totally invading his personal space. Confused on how that could have happened without him knowing Tony felt rage build up inside him. He made to turn and run back out of the room, but Gibbs grabbed his wrist preventing him from leaving. Tony instinctively tugged, not registering what had happened to hold him in place and the pain that shot up his arm was like nothing he'd ever felt.
"Easy." Gibbs uttered carefully.
Tony didn't listen and reacted on instinct. Trying again to free himself he pulled his arm, which caused him even more pain.
"Gibbs, let me go." Tony begged, ashamed at the watery quality of his voice, but Gibbs didn't reply or loosen his hold.
He yanked his arm one last time, trying to twist and pull away, but that only ended up with him pushed into the corridor, face squashed against the far wall, arm bent behind his back.
"Boss," Tony struggled, shifting from side to the side, "let me go!"
Gibbs' grip was firm and allowed for very little movement, causing strain in his muscles, but Tony continued to struggle anyway, despite the whimpers that involuntarily found their way out of his mouth.
"Stop fighting, you'll hurt yourself," Gibbs commanded, a calming whisper in his ear.
"You're hurting me!" Tony counted, not understanding why Gibbs would do this to him.
"Calm down and the pain will stop." Gibbs soothed him in total contrast to his actions.
Tony felt like he was in the twilight zone, he wanted to keep up the fight, but his arm was burning and hot tears escaped from the corners of his eyes, rolling down his cheek.
"Why?" Tony managed to ask with his face squashed against the wall, voice strained.
Only Tony didn't know what he was asking. Why was Gibbs hurting him? Why didn't his Dad ever tell him he wasn't his? Why was it no one ever seemed to give a damn about him? Gibbs remained silent though, and when he raised his other hand Tony braced for the smack. But when the stinging pain didn't come and instead gentle fingers carded soothingly through his hair Tony couldn't hide his surprise. He felt himself gradually calming down as the action was repeated, again and again, his struggles coming less and less until they stopped completely. Gibbs didn't stop though, he continued stroking his hair, all the while not loosening his hold.
"I'm not trying to hurt you." Gibbs said calmly into his left ear.
Tony could feel the comforting heat of Gibbs' body as he leaned into the hold, keeping him in place. It was solid and real and the feeling almost caused more tears to fall as it reminded Tony of his dream last night and what happened after. When nothing further was said, but the grip still held on his wrist Tony got the message that acknowledgment of his understanding was required. He promptly nodded, a small sound coming out of his mouth that was barely anything more than a sob.
"Good boy," Gibbs spoke, finally loosening his grip.
The adrenaline coursing through Tony's veins made him want to spin around and try to make a run for it again, but fear of what Gibbs would do next held him in place.
Face still planted against the wall, Tony closed his eyes.
…
"Tony," Gibbs spoke, using the same even tone he'd started with, "don't be scared."
The look of fear on Tony's face was enough to cause Gibbs regret over his actions. He hadn't intended to grab him, but when he'd tried to leave, it was just instinct. In that moment Gibbs' gut was telling him if he let Tony go he'd never see him again. But with no idea how to proceed now, Gibbs was left wondering, and not for the first time, if he really was the best choice for a father figure.
Despite his doubts on the matter Gibbs stepped closer to the wall, completely invading Tony's personal space again and cupped his cheek. As soon as his palm touched too warm skin Tony's eyes shot open. The fear he'd seen quickly morphed into shame, and then embarrassment and Gibbs leapt on it before the situation could get even worse.
"You're okay, you hear me DiNozzo."
He was talking about so many things in that moment, but when he got no response beyond a slight lowering of the eyes Gibbs guided Tony away from the wall and walked him into the other interrogation room across the hall from where Senior was currently stewing. Pulling out the chair usually reserved for suspects so its back was to the table and the mirror, Gibbs pushed him to sit down. Making another instinctual decision he leaned over him, bracing each hand on the table either side of Tony, until their foreheads where nearly touching. Tony's gaze was aimed at the floor the entire time, but Gibbs kept his focus dead ahead.
After nearly a minute of increasingly harsh breathing Tony finally gave in.
"Gibbs, please let me go." He asked in a surprisingly strong voice.
"No," he said succinctly, not even considering it and with no change in his tone or expression.
Tony made a small sound of distress before he bit the inside of his cheek to calm himself, something Gibbs had noticed him do on a handful of occasions before today and knew it was a sign that Tony was near breaking point.
"Gibbs – Boss, please" Tony begged him, his voice breaking on that last damning word.
When the shaking started Gibbs almost lost his resolve, but he managed to hold his position and remain silent, waiting for Tony to let go. Despite outward appearances, on the inside Gibbs' heart was breaking.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry" Tony spewed out suddenly and repeatedly, tears falling unchecked from red rimmed eyes.
He pushed him away and stood up, trying to leave, but Gibbs stood too and quickly pulled Tony to him in an all-encompassing hug, as if shielding him from anyone who would dare try and hurt him. Face buried in Gibbs' neck Tony continued to whisper apologies.
"You've got no reason to apologise Tony, trust me on that." Gibbs whispered into his ear with feeling, rubbing one hand up and down his back, trying to instil a modicum of comfort.
Tony tried to pull away, but he wouldn't let him. Holding onto him tightly Gibbs moved them both around to half leaned, half sit on the desk. Tony eventually stilled within the embrace and with one arm still wrapped firmly around his shoulders, pressing Tony's into his side Gibbs flipped out his phone to make an important call.
…
Gibbs walked out of the interrogation room, giving Tony a few minutes alone to gather himself, only to find Ducky exiting the adjoining observation room.
"Agent McGee came looking for you." Ducky informed him sadly.
"Ah huh," Gibbs nodded, understanding that since he wasn't still here Ducky had sent him away again.
They stood side by side in silence, the empty corridor emphasising the oppressiveness of the situation.
"I'm sorry, I didn't intend to pry, but I couldn't just leave."
Gibbs blew out a long held breath, something he seemed to be doing a lot of recently. He was actually grateful for someone else's presence. He was out of his depth here and DiNozzo wasn't the only one who could use the support of a friend right now.
"I didn't want to hurt him." He whisperingly admitted, aiming a troubled glance to the floor.
"I don't think you did Jethro." Ducky denounced him outright.
Gibbs' gaze snapped up to meet Ducky.
"I pinned him against the wall!" He shouted, forgetting that DiNozzo senior was still in the other room.
Ducky turned to him, pinning him to the wall with a determined look.
"Jethro, had you not stopped him Anthony could well have put himself in more danger by running away. One does not think rationally after learning something so devastating." Ducky reached out and Gibbs felt the comforting tap on his arm. "You did what you knew he'd respond to."
Though he was grateful for the reassurance his actions just now were not wholly inappropriate, Gibbs still wasn't convince he was up to the responsibility Tony had unintentionally bestowed on him. He guessed he had done what Tony would respond to, he was a man of instinct after all. That's where the headslaps came from, he didn't think, he just acted and Tony had always responded to them.
"I'm going to let him watch the tape." Gibbs answered Ducky's unasked question.
"Of the interrogation?"
"Better than me trying to explain it." He shrugged, feeling very old all of a sudden.
"Ordinarily I'd disagree, but in this instance I'm willing to go with your gut. You know Tony the best. Even better than his father it seems."
"Not his father Duck," Gibbs said casually as he walked away, leaving Ducky in the hallway to take care of Tony, "never has been and never will be as long as I have a say."
…
"Abs?" Gibbs walked into the suspiciously quiet lab, looking for her.
Abby jumped up from behind her desk and ran over.
"Oh thank god," she squealed, nearly jumping on him, only stopping herself just in time, remembering it was Gibbs and not Tony. "Let me check your hands," she grabbed his palms, turning them over and looking under his finger nails. "No blood. You didn't kill him."
"You sound disappointed."
Abby frowned at him.
"What happened?" She demanded seriously, not smiling.
"You telling me you don't know?" Gibbs raised his eyebrows, indicating the lack of music.
Abby blanched.
"Palmer made us turn it off when he walked in." She sulked, dropping Gibbs' hands and walking over to her computer in a full on strop, "said it was an invasion of Tony's privacy."
Gibbs made a mental note to thank the new kid for that too. If they'd watched what had happened in the corridor and then in the room after, Tony would be mortified.
"Us?" he questioned, despite already knowing the answer.
"Me and McGee." Abby groused, hitting the keys on her keyboard with far more force than required.
"How much did you see?"
"Well I know he isn't Tony's dad." She winced, adjusting her tone accordingly, "does Tony know yet?"
Gibbs nodded.
"He knows."
"How'd he take it?"
Gibbs contemplated the question silently and then moved on.
"I need you to find as much on this as you can, without anyone at the FBI finding out." Gibbs handed her back the print out of what McGee had found and waited while she read through it.
"Well I can see why he was near peeing his pants," Abby exclaimed, "he was right, its way worse than discovering Tony's dad was at his kidnapping crime scene. This is… wow."
Gibbs smiled, amused by her enthusiasm for something so damn complicated it made his head spin just thinking about it.
"Can you do it?"
"Are you really asking me that?" Abby give him a cheeky sideways glance.
Gibbs nodded and pecked her on the cheek. He was just leaving the lab, ready to return to Tony when he got a call on his cell.
Hanging up after a reluctant grunt, Gibbs redialled a familiar number.
"Ducky, I need another favour."
TBC…
A/N: Well how was it?