AN - Many thanks for al yoru kind reviews. I'm so glad people are enjoying this. As I said we've a ways to go yet but you wouldn't want me to make it easy - would you. Grins.
DiNozzo didn't react as the board of enquiry delivered their verdict. Although the having the blame for his partner's death laid firmly at his feet must have been hard for him to hear. Especially, as he knew the official reprimand would be going into his file.
By the time Gibbs and the other witnesses had spilled out from the conference room he was long gone. Gibbs clamped down on his feelings of concern and went in searhc of drinkeable coffee. DiNozzo had been a cop in this city for two years before he had even met Leroy Jethro Gibbs. He could take care of himself.
"Oh my," Mallard's tone was a mixture of admiration and dismay as he recalled DiNozzo's testimony. "You' re going to have your hands full with that young man. It is quite a talent to be able to evade the truth quite so completely and yet tell not a single lie. I do believe my dear Jethro, that you may finally have met your match."
"You know me, Duck," Gibbs grinned wolfishly. "I like a challenge."
"A month's suspension without pay and an official reprimand, that's better than we could have hoped for," Watson observed as he appeared at their shoulders with a satisfied expression on his face. "Kid did a good job, LJ. I can sure see why you like him."
"Watson," He clasped the hand of the former Special Forces solider gratefully. Gibbs knew better than to think the result had been a forgone conclusion. The only way to ensure good results was to have good people. "Never figured you for the kind of guy that knew their way around computers."
"You had absolutely no clue what you were telling 'em did you?" Watson grinned.
"Nope," Gibbs agreed. "But it sure sounded good and that's all that counts."
"Computers are the way of the future, LJ," Warren warned. "Even the criminals are catching on these days. Give it a couple of years and even you'll be dragged into the technological revolution."
"Doubt that," Gibbs shook his head. "I can barely get my cell to work."
"Then do what all the best commanders do. Find yourself some wunderkind from MIT who knows his way around a hard drive and delegate," Warren advised. As usual he left without a goodbye.
Gibbs shook his head as he watched Warren walk away. He'd yet to meet a computer geek who didn't look like they were about to loose control of their bladder if he so much as looked in their direction. Never mind one who would last five minutes out in the field.
As if to prove his lack of aptitude for technology his cell phone chose that moment to ring only to go dead and silent when he answered. Gibbs frowned. Why would DiNozzo call him and then hang up? Hitting his speed dial he made a call of his own.
"Abs? I need you to triangulate a cell phone number for me."
Even the way he drove it took Gibs almost thirty minutes to make it to the location Abby had pinpointed. When he pulled up in front of a seedy bar in a worse neighbourhood Gibbs was about ready to kick DiNozzo's ass. Looking for answers in a place like this was worse than stupid, it was a fast way to end a career in law enforcement.
"You know," the bartender swallowed hard when faced with Gibbs' badge and the business end of a Sig Saur. "Most folks just slip me a bill when they want information."
"I'm in a hurry." Gibbs smiled thinly.
Exiting into the bright sunlight of the alley in back of the bar Gibbs was ready for just about anything except what he saw. Three guys from Baltimore Homicide were holding DiNozzo, his one good arm twisted behind his back as Lieutenant Sands slowly rolled up his sleeves with a look of predatory anticipation on his face.
"My mother's dead and my father would think that was a compliment." Tony had lifted his chin defiantly.
"You know your problem, DiNozzo?" Sands took a step closer. "You talk way too much. It got a good cop killed. So now we're going to shut your mouth for you."
Sands never saw the blow coming. Blinking stupidly into the sunlight as he lay on his back in the filth and the garbage he looked up at the avenging figure of Leroy Jethro Gibbs as a hand pressed down hard against his throat, severely restricting his air flow.
"Listen up, because I am only going to say this once," Gibbs hissed as Sands gasped for breath, hands weakly trying to break the vice like grip on his airway. "DiNozzo wasn't the one who took an unauthorised cell into that undercover operation. An operation which would have run a hell of a lot smoother if you had been doing your job and providing your men with the backup they needed. You want to blame someone for Dyer's death? You go look in a mirror."
Abruptly releasing his hold, Gibbs grabbed the Lieutenant by the shirt front and hauled him roughly to his feet, holding him in place as the man wheezed and coughed, sucking in mouthfuls of air life a drowning man released from the depths. The ex-marine cast his narrow-eyed gaze around to take in the men still holding DiNozzo. None of them could meet his eyes. One shifted his feet, uncomfortably, a bright bloom of shame on his face.
"You know the penalty for striking a Federal Officer?" Gibbs asked dangerously. He didn't wait for a reply. "You come after my Agent again and you're gonna wish that's what happened to you. Now, all of you, get out of my sight."
Sands scuttled away without looking at him, the men who had been holding DiNozzo awkwardly following. The Italian took a moment to straighten his clothes and run a hand through his hair, gingerly flexing his arm and wincing as the circulation returned, before he was ready to meet Gibbs' gaze.
"My father always said I would end up in the gutter."
"Could have been worse," Gibbs tone was curt. "You could have lost your badge."
"I know," Tony sighed. "I guess a month's suspension without pay and a reprimand is getting off pretty lightly."
"I don't mean the dammed hearing," Gibbs rounded on him, swiftly advancing, so that Tony was forced to give ground, backing up until his back hit the side of the building. "Where's your head? If vice isn't staking this place out, then narcotics sure as hell will be. Or were you just bucking for a DUI?"
"Gibbs .."
"You drove halfway across town without spotting you were being tailed," The ex-marine reprimanded sharply. "You drank enough on an empty stomach with a busted arm to be sure you can't fight back and then you mouth off at the guy about to beat you to a pulp," Gibbs' eyes blazed. "That's not just hot headed. It's damn near suicidal."
"Oh please. I am not suicidal." Tony rolled his eyes.
"No?" Gibbs asked softly as he stepped right up into DiNozzo's personal space, his voice becoming more dangerous. "Then tell me this. Out of everyone in this city you could have called for help, why did you call the guy who was right across town?"
"You think I should have called 911?" Tony was bitter. "In case you hadn't noticed, those guys were cops."
"Damn it, DiNozzo! Did you want me to find your body?" Gibbs challenged.
Tony looked at him, silent and unflinching, until Gibbs began to wonder if he was ever going to answer. Then he looked away and in the instant Gibbs saw something of a reflection of his own loss and pain in the shadows of his eyes. Not for the first time he realised that someone in the Italian's past had done a real number on DiNozzo.
Maybe more than one someone.
"Mike was a popular guy," Tony's tone was bleak. "You were the only person I thought would actually come," Then he wiped a hand across his face and in a move that worried Gibbs more than his pain and anguish forced a smile that did not reach his eyes. "Besides, you drive faster than the average bear."
"You noticed that, huh?" Gibbs kept his tone neutral as he stepped back. Part of him still wanted to strangle the younger man for being so reckless but he couldn't help but feel some sympathy. He sighed and scrubbed at his face. It wasn't as if he had expected to fix this right off. "You've got two weeks, Bobo. Clear your head, get that arm of yours fixed up, take a vacation, I don't care. I want you at NCIS fit for duty at 0800 the first of next month."
"Gibbs, weren't you listening? I was suspended for a month." Tony reminded him.
"Not in DC."
"You know," Tony wrinkled his brow as he considered that, tipping his head on one side, before he stabbed vaguely at the air with his finger. "I don't think it's supposed to work like that."
"DiNozzo," Gibbs gave him an old fashioned look. "You don't need to serve the suspension. You already put in your resignation. You belong to me, now."
"I do?" Tony considered that. "I should be worried, right?"
"Depends," Gibbs allowed. "Only half the stories you've heard about me are true. Trouble is, figuring out which half."
"Yes sir."
Gibbs shook his head. He was certain DiNozzo was calling him that on purpose just to see how far he could yank his chain. Reaching out he cuffed him across the back of the head. The Italain's grin only got wider. DiNozzo was going to be a handful, alright.
"C'mon," He ordered curtly, jerking his head in the direction he wanted DiNozzo to go and striding off without looking if he was following. His back still turned he raised his voice a little so that it carried easily back to the Italian. "I need coffee and it's your turn to buy."
It only took a moment, before hurrying feet caught up and fell into step beside him.
"You did hear the part where they said, 'without pay" right?" Tony's voice asked.