Chapter 12

Ziva sat quietly behind her desk, lost in thought. The encounter between Tony and his mother felt surreal, and she saw a side of her partner that tore at her heart. She had spent the last hour getting to know the woman named Dolcita Vochelli better. She began by reading about the Picasso heist, and learned just how expertly planned and executed the caper had been. She continued to read about the other heists and discovered that for each major theft, the plan was meticulous and flawless. If it hadn't been for her son, Dolcita Vochelli would still be anonymous.

McGee glanced over at Tony's empty desk. He couldn't even begin to imagine what it must have been like to witness your own mother being handcuffed and escorted away by federal agents. But then, he couldn't imagine his mother being some master thief either. But what was most unsettling was the expression on Tony's face as his mother was being taken away. It unnerved him and made him steer clear of the man. Sometimes DiNozzo's look rivaled that of his boss, and it was at those times that he consciously avoided him. It didn't stop him from feeling for him though.

He caught Abby and Ducky getting off the elevator and watched them. He figured it was Abby's idea to visit and that Ducky was most likely with her for moral support. Ducky asked, "Where is Anthony?"

"He left right after they took—" McGee stopped short, unsure of how to refer to the woman. He finished by saying, "—after they took Ms. Vochelli away."

"Timothy," Ducky said, "it's okay to refer to her as Tony's mother. After all, that is who she is."

Gibbs sighed, looked up from his desk and made eye contact with Abby.

She explained, "We just wanted to make sure Tony is okay, but I can see he's not even here, so it's a moot point."

Ducky patted her hand, encouraging her.

She continued, "It must be hard to connect with a mother you never knew you had only to have her taken away again."

Gibbs considered the remark, and then considered the source. Abby's heart was heavy and she wouldn't be back to her old self until she had hugged Tony and could see for herself that he was going to be fine. Before he could tell them to go back to work, Tony exited the elevator and walked briskly to his desk. Sitting down, he became acutely aware of the eyes on him. "I'm fine," he said, barely looking at his colleagues. "If I need a shoulder to cry on, I'll be sure to contact someone."

Gibbs noticed that he looked relaxed, and considering what he'd just been through, it seemed somewhat at odds with circumstances. "Tony?"

"Boss?"

"You shouldn't be here. You should go home, take some time." Maybe contact your father again is what he thought.

"I'm bored at home and I don't need the rest. I've got cases that I can work and I'd rather be doing something than nothing."

Gibbs stared at his agent, wondering where the lines of anguish that had earlier creased his forehead had gone. And Ziva narrowed her eyes; was Tony… smiling? There was something different about him, and even McGee, who just minutes earlier wanted to avoid the man, felt an aura of acceptance emanating from the agent. The easiness of the moment didn't last. Sacks and Fornell came busting off the elevator and it was evident that Sacks was fit to be tied.

Tony looked up in time to see his nemesis bearing down on him and only had time to put his hands up before his lapels were roughly grabbed and he was yanked out of his seat and thrown backwards against his credenza. FBI Agent Ron Sacks sneered, "Where is she?"

Tony spread his arms wide and shook his head, "What are you talking about?"

"You know damn well what I'm talking about. Dolcita Vochelli—your MOTHER—is gone! And you helped her!"

Gibbs, McGee and Ziva were closing in fast but it was Fornell who was prying his agent off the larger man. "Agent Sacks, back off before you get into some serious trouble!"

"Yeah," Tony added, "attacking a fellow federal agent never sits well with the brass."

Sacks shoved Tony backwards and shrugged his boss off his shoulder. Pointing a finger, "I'm telling you, Fornell, he helped her escape!"

Gibbs stepped in and said, "What's all this about?"

After he was sure his agent could contain himself, Fornell answered, "We escorted Ms. Vochelli back to our building and we were waiting for the booking agent to process her. She asked to use the ladies room and that's the last we saw of her."

"That's gotta hurt," Gibbs said, suppressing a smile.

"You have no idea how much," Fornell replied.

"Well, how'd she do it?"

"She asked to use the ladies room," Fornell answered, shooting his subordinate a how-stupid-are-you look, to which Agent Ron Sacks embarrassingly looked away. "From there, she somehow got out of her handcuffs, traded her outfit for a custodian's uniform, and walked out of the Hoover building like she hadn't a care in the world. She then got into a dark sedan driven by a man whose physical description oddly matches Agent DiNozzo's, and then they disappeared."

Sacks angrily sneered, "Where is she! If you can't prove where you've been the past two hours—!"

"That's right, Slacks!" Tony snapped, "Go there with me again. This makes the third time you've gone after me for a crime I didn't commit! This may surprise you, but I know something about the inner workings of the Bureau, and if there's one thing it despises more than false detainments, it's harassment. And I don't care whose book you're reading, this constitutes harassment!"

Fornell stepped in front of the two agents to prevent an all out brawl from occurring. DiNozzo was right on that score. He pushed his agent back and said, "Go wait for me in the car, Ron."

"But—"

"—I said to wait for me in the car. Go."

Sacks glared at DiNozzo and mumbled, "This isn't over." He turned on his heels and left.

Fornell waited for the doors to close before turning and saying, "We will be conducting a thorough investigation and if we discover that you helped her in any way, Agent DiNozzo, we will be back for you." He gave Gibbs a long stare before turning away and leaving.

Tony straightened his suit and tie before sitting back down at his computer. He felt the eyes on him again and he grudgingly said, "What, now?"

Nobody had the nerve to ask. Partly because they knew he couldn't admit to anything and partly because they didn't want to endure the wrath of Tony's tongue, which could be sharp and cutting when he needed it to be.

He looked at each and every one of his colleagues, their mouths open and their eyes begging for answers. He shrugged, giving them an opportunity to speak, but only Gibbs hinted at a smile. He knew. And Tony knew he knew.

Finally, Abby said, "There's always way more excitement up here than there is in my lab."

Tony winked at her, knowing that would be as good as a hug at least until she cornered him in her lab. He then proceeded to ignore their stares and returned to his computer. His eyes relaxed and his lips hinted at a smile as he sat remembering how he had pressed Sack's key into his mother's hand the first time he hugged her, and how he had been able to orchestrate her great escape with a few whispered words. But mostly he smiled because he found some peace in something his mother had said: "…what you don't know is that I've never left you." In the short time they had together, she made him a promise. She would be back, but she couldn't set a date. She'd only say when the heat died down, they'd plan a meeting and she'd answer all his questions.

And that was good enough for him.

~Fini

Thank you to everyone who gave me words of encouragement, praises, and even caught an error or two. I had so many different ways to end my story but this was the only way that felt right, even though I'm asking readers to accept gaping holes. I'm thinking of a sequel that brings Tony and his mother back together, but I'm notoriously slow in writing sequels. Thanks!
~~Jasmine