By the time he emerged from the Director's office, Gibbs was about ready to head home to his boat. Morrow had been less than pleased to hear that a member of his Agency had been held hostage at the point of his own gun. He had laid the blame firmly at Gibbs' feet, citing his oversight in not considering the brother could be a suspect, plus what he called his 'overconfidence' in DiNozzo's abilities. At least, Carol Matthew's testimony, coupled with Ducky's medical evidence and the team's after action reports had been sufficient to justify the shooting.
Gibbs scrubbed a hand over his face as he headed towards his own desk to collect his things. He had already sent his people home, as soon as they had finished their reports. Or rather he thought he had. Gibbs frowned slightly as he realised DiNozzo was still working, the livid cut standing out starkly on his pale features. Mindful of the fact that the kid had good reason to be feeling pretty jumpy just now, Gibbs cleared his throat slightly and waited until DiNozzo looked up before speaking.
"Ducky take a look at that?" He nodded at the injury.
"Things are a little busy in autopsy right now I didn't want to get in the way," Tony explained, hurrying on as he saw the disapproving frown blossom on Gibbs' face. "But, I'm good, no concussion, no headache, no nausea, nothing, nada."
"Uh huh," Gibbs wasn't sure he was buying that. Any nausea or dizziness due to adrenalin or reaction should have passed by now but DiNozzo was still looking pretty green around the gills. "You requisition another weapon?"
He was just making conversation. Trying to keep the other man distracted, as his mind worked on the real problem. DiNozzo's original weapon would be tied up in evidence and his team couldn't afford to be short like that. He wasn't expecting the shame faced look the words produced.
"Yeah," Tony met Gibbs gaze self consciously. "Is the Director ready to see me now?"
Gibbs looked at the other man for a long moment as at least one piece of the puzzle clicked into place. DiNozzo was still here because he'd assumed that his Boss would hang him out to dry with the Director to save his own ass. He obviously figured he was in for a formal reprimand, or maybe he was even worrying that his future with the Agency was in doubt. Gibbs wondered what kind of sorry excuses for a CO the kid had had in the past to make him jump to that kind of conclusion.
"I already squared things with the Director," Gibbs began. "As for as the rest of it .."
"You don't have to say it," Tony interrupted. "I know I screwed up. I was the one with the gun I should never have let Matthews get that close to me. Using my own cuffs to secure me was humiliating, but surrendering my weapon is a serious disciplinary offence. You can't just let that slide."
"I don't give a damn about the weapon!" Gibbs' raised voice was enough to cause the few heads still scattered around the bullpen to turn.The ex-marine lowered his voice to quiet fury. "Don't you have any idea how close you came to getting your head blown off today?"
"Come on," Tony tried to reason, a little wrong footed by the fact that Gibbs was apparently genuinely more concerned about his well being than the procedural breach. The ex-marine never seemed to do things the way Tony expected. "If he had wanted to shoot me, he would have done it before you got there."
DiNozzo wasn't to know that Gibbs was already blaming himself for sending the junior Agent in without backup. Nor that on the drive over that his Boss had been haunted by visions of arriving to discover his bloodied and broken corpse. But he saw at once by the way the ex-marine's expression froze that it had been absolutely the wrong thing to say.
"Gibbs." He managed.
Not trusting himself to speak Gibbs turned away. As he walked over and settled himself behind his desk he could feel Tony's eyes following him as he pulled out his gun and shrugged into his jacket. Gibbs refused to acknowledge his gaze as he powered down his computer and turned off his desk lamp. Striding towards the elevator, he didn't react as DiNozzo jumped to his feet as he passed straight by his desk.
"Boss." Tony hurried to catch up with him.
"Something I can do for you?" Gibbs answered coolly, staring straight ahead as he waited for the elevator car to arrive.
"About before," Tony shifted awkwardly as he tried to apologise. "What I said, at the scene and just now. I didn't mean anything by it. I guess Matthews got to me more than I realised."
"Being held hostage at gun point can do that." Gibbs allowed. He supposed the kid had earned a break.
"Yeah," Tony looked down and to the left, his awkward expression giving Gibbs the feeling that wasn't quite what he had been trying to say. "Not exactly my finest hour. Maybe, you should write me up."
"Would you have done anything differently?" Gibbs turned to meet his eyes, his searching look encouraging the younger man to give the question the serious consideration it deserved.
"With Matthews," DiNozzo hesitated, obviously reluctant to admit the truth, but finally he sighed. "Probably not, it all happened so fast, I don't think I could have stopped him." He looked across at Gibbs as if to gauge his reaction. When the ex-Marine simply nodded his acceptance, he risked an apologetic smile. "But I would have been much nicer to my Boss after he had just made like Bruce Willis in Die hard and saved my life."
Gibbs tipped his head a little, a small smile gracing his features as he acknowledged the admission. He'd know going in that DiNozzo had the background and experience to raise him way above the standard of most Probationary Agents. What he hadn't expected was how much he would come to value his company and enjoy working alongside him. It was a long time since he had had a partner he considered might also become a friend.
DiNozzo already looked strained and spent. Gibbs knew from experience how much harder it would be when the reality of the day's events finally hit. It wasn't as if their schedule had allowed the ex-Detective much time to make a host of new buddies to talk it out with. Hell, he didn't even have a decent place to crash. Slightly guiltily Gibbs remembered the cheap Hotel room Abby had described. This only left sex or booze, neither of which would help him banish the demons in the longer term.
"How do you like your steak?" Gibbs decided.
"Um, rare?" Tony looked understandably confused by the apparent change of subject.
"Grab your gear," Gibbs decided. "I'm buying."
A look of shocked surprise spread across DiNozzo's face as his eyes widened and his jaw actually dropped. Quickly recovering, a flash of something like doubt or hesitation, flickered in his eyes, before it was banished by a wide, beaming grin.
"You're taking me out for dinner? We're going for a steak dinner? Like buddies?"
"Elevator's here," Gibbs observed blandly. "You coming or not?"
Displaying more than his usual patience he pressed the button to hold the elevator, as DiNozzo hurried to power down his computer and turn off his lamp. His eyes narrowed as he thought he caught a flash of pain as DiNozzo moved too quickly pick up his pack, but then it was gone before Gibbs could quite sure of what he'd seen. DiNozzo certainly looked fine as he double-timed it towards him, a huge grin still plastered across his face. But maybe, Matthews had thrown him up against that wall a little harder than Gibbs had thought. As DiNozzo took his place beside him in the car, Gibbs scrutinised him carefully, noting the way he was cradling his back pack in his arms in front of him.
"Shoulder bothering you?"
"No," Tony assured him, hefting the backpack onto his shoulder as if to prove his point, as he reached across to press the button to close the doors. "Shoulder's just fine, Boss."
"Gibbs," Chris Pacci caught his attention, putting his hand in the door to stop it closing. "Sorry, I know you were on your way out. But could you just take a look at this?"
"Go wait for me in the car," Gibbs ordered as he passed DiNozzo his keys. The younger man might say he was fine but there was no way he was letting him drive before he'd had a hot meal and a decent sleep. "I'll be there in a few."
It was another fifteen minutes before he made it down to the parking garage. As he headed towards his car he was surprised to see that the passenger door was hanging open, but even at this distance he could see no sign of DiNozzo. Instinctively drawing his weapon he moved swiftly across the parking lot. As he drew closer his chest constricted as he saw a familiar foot sticking out at an angle. Coming around the car he saw DiNozzo lying unconscious on the cold, hard, ground, his discarded pack back half hidden under the neighbouring car where it had fallen from his lifeless grip.