He's sitting by the lake, fishing with Magnum and James Bond, when out of nowhere, they are surrounded by bees. Oddly enough, they never attack them, but after a while the buzzing starts to get on his nerves...
...
"...so cute! Can I touch him? Hug him? Can I, Gibbs?"
Tony furrowed his brows. His body felt heavy, and he was so tired he wished he could go back to sleep, but the voices that woke him, became louder and more annoying with each spoken word. Especially that one overly excited female voice, which he wished would shut up and let him sleep.
"No, Abby, you can't."
"But, Giiibbs..."
"Abigail, I'm afraid I must agree with Jethro, now is not the time."
"But, Ducky— Hey, I think he's waking up!"
Tony moaned softly and, after trying it for a while, he finally opened his eyes. Blinking his eyes several times to clear the vision, he stared at the three complete strangers standing there, looking down at him, which was highly unpleasant in his vulnerable position. One of the people was a young female goth. He was confused and his thoughts too slow to try to make sense of it. Why was there a goth? The old man's eyes were nice; Tony liked them, despite the unnerving concern he saw there. Eyes were the window of the soul and—Oh, and that was the man who shot his father. Gibbs. He wasn't standing, he was sitting next to him and—
"You shot him!" Tony sat up straight, only to fall back, groaning in pain.
"Calm down. He shot you." Gibbs looked worriedly. His hands were twitching as he held them in front of himself, as if caught between two different actions.
Oh, right, that happened... The old man with the nice eyes gave him something to drink. Smiling gratefully, Tony looked at Gibbs again. "He's..?"
"No. He's alive." Gibbs looked unhappy, disappointed even. "But much has happened while you've been out."
"Oh." Tony knew he should have felt relieved, but he felt nothing. Just what kind of son was he? His father's son, apparently.
Gibbs clenched and unclenched his fists with a pained look, until he finally lowered his hands.
Seeing the obvious discomfort Gibbs was in, Tony said, "Look, it's nice of you to be here, really, but I'll be fine. You don't have to be here."
Gibbs looked over the bed at the nice-eyes and, when he gave a nod, he swallowed thickly. "Tony... What do you remember? Do you remember what happened?"
"I remember getting shot." Tony grinned, which fell when there was no humor on Gibbs' face. Instead, for a moment, the look on the man's face became scary. It was not a nice expression. "But after that, things get kind of blurry."
"Do you remember what I told you, after you were shot?" Gibbs now had an intense look on his face as he stared at Tony. The girl—woman?—and her pigtails were trembling with obvious excitement, while the nice-eyes held a hand on her shoulder, with a firm shake of his head at her.
What was going on..?
"No." Tony hesitated. "What did you say? Is it about Senior? My dad."
Gibbs flinched. "It has something to do with him, but mostly it's you."
Tony frowned, trying to think what it could be. "Is he still in the hospital? Close to death? Coma? Just say it; I'm not some fragile little girl who can't handle the truth."
Gibbs' mouth twisted into a small and quickly fading smile. "No, you're not, but this is something that made me drink a whole bottle of bourbon and become the world-class—worse than usual—bastard, ready to kill anyone getting on my way."
"Now you are starting to scare me." Tony glanced toward the other two, wondering why the woman looked like she was about to attack him, with this odd gleam in her eyes, like she'd just found something awesome and couldn't wait to get her hands on it. The thought was disturbing. "Who and why are they here?"
"They're my friends. I hope you don't mind."
Tony looked at Gibbs again. Something big was going on. "Your friends? I'm not dying, am I?"
"No," Gibbs answered a little too quickly. He then took a deep breath. "Anthony DiNozzo is not your father," he blurted out.
Nice-eyes sighed, shaking his head. "Jethro... I said, 'break down the news gently'"
Tony stared for a moment, and then he startled them when he snorted. "Are you serious? That's old news."
"What?"
Tony rolled his eyes. "Look. Senior couldn't win any father of the year awards even if he went through a complete personality switch. How many other parents would legally disown their own kids, even if they deserve it? Or go around telling everyone and their grandma that he has no son. I'm perfectly aware of what he did, so could you please not throw it back to my face?"
"He did what?" Gibbs looked dangerous. "I didn't know that."
"Jethro..."
Gibbs shook his head. "No, that's not what I meant, but we are going to talk about that later... What I meant is, there's proof you're not his son, including a DNA test."
Tony stared. "What are you saying?" he asked quietly.
"You can be mad at me later, for not asking your permission, but I couldn't wait any longer and I wanted to have every possible evidence against him. Although, the FBI has him on a pretty tight leash already."
"What? Why?" By now, Tony was more or less in shock, or then his brains simply hadn't fully understood the revelation. "He's not? I'm not? What do you mean? No, but I... I'm..."
Nice-eyes moved forward. "Jethro, perhaps it would be better if—"
"You mean Senior really isn't... He's not my father? You mean to tell me that all this time he's been right? Am I just a bastard? That my mother... And he... He's really not..." Tony started laughing hysterically, because that was better than giving in to the tears. A DiNozzo was not a crier. A DiNozzo never showed weaknesses. But he wasn't a DiNozzo, was he? "Isn't this just a joke of the year! A conman has been telling the truth!"
"No, Tony, that's not it."
Tony sat up, ignoring the pain, the hands trying to push him down and the machine making noise when it was disconnected. "Then what else is it then!?"
...
Gibbs never had the chance to explain, because that's when the doctor and a nurse ran into the room and pretty much kicked them out, with angry looks and words that were pretty impressive, but not for Gibbs, who was once again separated from his son. His distressed son.
Ducky was the only brave soul to get anywhere near him. "Jethro... Maybe this would be a good time to go to the hotel—"
"No."
"At least you need to take a shower and change your clothes. Get some proper food in you."
"No."
"Jethro, he's not going to disappear."
"You don't know that."
"Both Abigail and I will remain here until you return."
"Ducky... No."
"Now, Jethro. You will have my word that I will not leave anywhere until you return."
With much growling, Gibbs finally listened to what his friends had tried to tell him for days and nights since Tony was brought to the hospital. As he left, he let anyone looking at him know just how much he didn't like doing it.
...
"Do you think they will be okay? Will Tony come home with Bossman?" Abby worried, and Ducky smiled sadly. There was no way to tell, since they knew nothing about Tony, what he and his personality were like.
"We can always hope for the best, Abigail." And prepare for the worst.
...
...
When Tony woke up, it was dark. Turning his head, he saw the shape of someone sleeping next to him. Well, not really next to him, but in a chair that was next to his bed. It looked awfully uncomfortable... He couldn't help but think how never before, during his other hospital visits, had he woken up by someone sitting there with him, and certainly not sleeping. Flinching, when he was trying to get more comfortable, he moved his hand over his stomach. Great. Another bullet to the gut. At least it would be another 'how I got this scar' story he could tell. Or maybe not... Maybe he'll just make up something much more interesting than the truth.
"Tony?" a male voice said from the darkness. Whoever had stayed with him was awake. It sounded familiar. Gibbs?
"Mhm?" was Tony's answer, still too sleepy to bother forming any words with his mouth. He heard movement and then there was a dim light in the room. He had to blink for a moment before he saw it was coming from a small, pink desk lamp.
Seeing the confused frown, Gibbs explained, "It was my daughter's."
"Oh." Tony didn't know what else to say. He stared at the older man quietly. While he hadn't really seen himself in the mirror yet, he was pretty sure he had to look much better than the Agent did. "What are you doing here? Other than delivering me the news about my father."
Gibbs stared at the wall above the bed.
"I know there's something you haven't told me yet. Whatever it is, I promise to not freak out again." Tony rolled his eyes.
Gibbs hesitated. "My wife and daughter were killed years ago."
"I'm sorry," Tony said softly, although unsure what it had to do with anything, but he didn't want to seem rude by pointing it out.
"A while ago, I found a diary and a letter. It was from my wife... I found out that somewhere in this world I have a son. A son who was stolen from us by a man named Anthony DiNozzo." Gibbs saw Tony tense at the mention of his 'father'. "You really don't remember anything I told you?" He saw Tony tense again. "Tony?
Tony laughed nervously. "No. No, I really don't. I've just been... dreaming a lot, I guess. Kind of happens when all drugs do is make me sleep all the time. Makes you think some strange things."
"What kind of dreams?"
"Crazy dreams that don't make any sense. I mean, they can't. Just..."
Gibbs took Tony's hand in his, carefully, like it was the most fragile thing on earth. Tony felt his skin almost crawl, but he allowed it, for now. "What, Tony?"
"I mean, it's not like you're really my father, right? That's crazy. My mind is confused and with everything that's been happening lately, it's making up things."
"Not crazy. It's the truth." Gibbs finally looked him in the eyes. "That DNA test I mentioned? I didn't test it with his DNA. I tested with mine. Well, Abby did. She's that girl who was here before. Told me she wanted to frame it and hang on the wall. You're... You're my son, Tony. You're my flesh and blood. Not that— Not his. You're mine."
"Whoa, wait..." Tony sat up carefully, ready to lose it again, but then he seemed to forget how to breathe as he sat there, staring with wide eyes.
"Breathe." Gibbs was holding him. Again, it made Tony's skin crawl how gentle it was.
"I'm... I'm calm. No freaking out. Promised." After a while, he was calm enough and breathing properly. "I'm okay now. You can let go."
Gibbs pulled away with obvious reluctance. When Tony didn't say anything, he sighed. "Talk to me."
"About what? This kind of thing... It's hard to take in. Don't get me wrong, to have a father like you is every child's dream, unless they already have one."
"But..?"
"I just... I need a little time to think and... To think. I need time. Please."
...
While he was disappointed, Gibbs understood. He couldn't expect the young man to just happily jump into his arms and call him 'daddy'. Certainly not one who was all grown up. Even if Tony didn't have a good relationship with the man he thought was his father, even if that bastard had obviously been the kind of parent no child should have. "I understand. Take your time. Just... No matter what you decide, don't disappear. Can you promise me that?" He was terrified to lose his son again.
Tony swallowed. "I promise."
Gibbs relaxed, even cracked a small smile when Tony asked about the pink desk lamp. "Don't know why... Just felt like the right thing to do at the time. Kelly always wanted to have it close to her bed, in case she got scared. Nightmares and monsters under the bed. That kind of thing."
"What was she like?"
For some reason, first time in years, the thought of thinking and talking about his little girl didn't cause pain. And so Gibbs sat back, sharing his memories with his long-lost son, barely even noticing when Tony closed his eyes, carrying the softly spoken stories into his dreams.
...
In his dream, Tony was running around in a house he had never been before, playing with a young girl. He was laughing and then smiling sheepishly when a woman with a red hair scolded them, sending them outside, while she stood by the window. She was soon joined by her husband and together, with a smile on their faces, they watched their children play their silly version of a football.
...
...
It was yet another nighttime when Tony woke up. Or rather, after he stopped pretending to be asleep. He had spent hours trying to get Gibbs to go to his hotel to get some real sleep in a real bed. He knew he would be leaving the hospital tomorrow, and he also knew this could be his last and only chance to do this the way he wanted, with no audience.
Carefully putting on clothes, which someone had brought to him before, Tony left the room. Once he was sure there wouldn't be anyone stopping him, he moved as fast and quietly as he could. He was healing, but not fast enough. Finding the right room would not be a problem; all he had to find was the door with a guard standing outside it. The real question now was... How would he get in?
Almost too easily, Tony found both the right room and the guard, who was happily flirting with a nurse, neither paying any attention to the door. While he was still getting to know Gibbs, Tony had no doubt in his mind that the older man would get the guard's ass fired for this. He sure would... Shaking his head, Tony slipped inside the room.
Anthony DiNozzo looked too healthy for someone who had barely made it back to the land of the living. Watching TV, calm and relaxed, even with his hand cuffed to the bed, he looked nothing like someone who was about to be thrown in jail either. The FBI had more than enough reasons and evidence to lock him up for years to come. Before this, they hadn't been anywhere near this aggressive with their need to try to catch Senior, but for some reason one call from Gibbs changed that attitude quickly.
"Tell me it's not true."
Anthony was startled. "Junior."
"Don't call me that. Tell me it's not true."
"What are you talking about?"
"You know, I turned twenty-six a few weeks ago... Spent my birthday with a bunch of women and then almost drinking myself into a coma. But knowing you, you wouldn't care. I doubt you even remember when my birthday is." Tony chuckled humorlessly. "It's so sad, you know... That the child who I was, was never granted one word or act of love. I was always starving for it, for love, for affection, to at least be treated like a human being. A person. Like I exist. Sometimes I even hoped you would beat me. At least then I'd feel something other than... Whatever it was. Maybe. I'll never know now. I always wondered if there was something wrong with me, why my dad didn't want me."
"Junior, you know I lo—"
"Don't you dare say that now! Even without the scar in my gut, I'll have plenty of other things to remember you by! You and your way of being a parent! Or you and your little friends and illegal hired servants, who did it for you and kept their silence, when you couldn't even care to make sure there was food at home!" Tony started pacing in the room. "All my life... My entire life... What did you take from me? What did you steal from me? Why did you do it? Answer me!"
Anthony jumped when Tony slammed his fist against the wall. His face twisted, then finally he dropped his act, no longer trying to pretend. "My ex-wife, she wanted a child so badly, but did not want to destroy her body by giving birth to one herself. But she still wanted it to be her biological child on paper, something to show off, so she pretended to be pregnant, and then we needed to find the perfect pregnant woman to give her child to us. Sadly, she decided to divorce me a few years later and left you to me."
"Give?" Tony narrowed his eyes.
Anthony chuckled. "Fine. I took the child. Does that sound better to you, Junior?"
"Well, obviously I am not Junior anymore, not yours anyway, so stop calling me that."
"You should be grateful! With that woman you would have never gotten half of what I gave you, no money and no support system! Not even a job!"
"Any job I've ever had, had nothing to do with you! And any money I've made, it was made with my own work, which I know is something you're not familiar with, always wanting to take the easy way out. But despite all the money in the world, you had no right to decide that. You had no right!" Tony lunged forward. With his fist moving, he didn't stop after the first but threw immediately another punch.
"I am your father, Junior! On the paper, I am still your father! I bought you from that woman and that makes you mine!" Anthony screamed and when he attacked, his cuffed hand didn't seem to matter. For an old man, he moved fast and soon Tony found himself on the floor with a foot on his throat, cutting off most of his air. Either Anthony was so strong that even the handcuffs couldn't hold him, or then it was yet another sloppy work done by the guard, who had yet to show up, despite all the ruckus they were making.
"Actually... not anymore." Tony gasped and tried to push the foot away, but Senior had always been stronger than he looked. "Even before I knew the truth... I legally... disowned you as my father... Who's... Who's laughing now, dad..? No matter how you tried to be such a big... friend with me after you... found out about my... money... Even if I would've died... You wouldn't have been... able to touch any of it... Not... Not a dime."
"I never gave my permission!"
"Funny... you would say that... They were all on my side... after I shared my sad little story with... with you and... how you already disowned me yourself when... I was a kid... Payback can be a real... bitch... Don't ya think?"
Anthony growled and pressed his foot harder. They both heard the now familiar sound of a gun safety going off.
"Step away from him."
"Ghhhps..." Tony gasped.
Anthony looked up. "Ah. It's you again. Why is it that I am always one step ahead of you?" He glanced down. "Literally."
...
Gibbs growled, "I said, step away from him, or I will shoot, and this time there will be no chance of survival!" If his gut hadn't given him trouble all day, he would have stayed at the hotel after the shower he took. He had been unable to eat anything, unable to calm down, and so he returned. Imagine the horror, when he found the empty hospital bed, and then his fury when no one had any answers. With some quick thinking, he'd decided to go see Anthony DiNozzo. Just in case. And then imagine the full-blown rage when the guard was not guarding the door and when he walked in to this scene now. The only other time he had ever felt this way was when he killed the man who took his girls from him.
Anthony smirked. "Really? Then the least I can do is take him with me." Before he got the chance to do anything, Gibbs pulled the trigger. One shot was all it took, and then Anthony had a moment of terror flash in his eyes, as if he saw his maker or the gates of hell. Or both. Whatever it was, it was gone as he fell down.
"Tony!" Gibbs pushed the man away from his son and checked the pulse. He nearly started crying tears of joy when he felt it strong against his fingers.
"Thought... sleep..." Tony mumbled as he was cradled like a babe.
"And look what would've happened if I had stayed there!" Gibbs sighed and barely noticed the nurse and guard who finally ran into the room. When he did, he noticed with narrowed eyes the red and swollen lips, and clothes looking as though they had been put on in a hurry.
"I will deal with you later," Gibbs snarled, and the couple turned pale. He pulled out his cellphone and called Fornell. The FBI was not going to be happy. Even less once he started letting them get a taste of his infamous bad temper... But for now, his full attention was on his son, who was taking in ragged breaths. "Call the doctor," he ordered the nurse, who was happy to have an excuse to leave the room. There wasn't anything that could be done to the old Anthony DiNozzo anyway.
Tony blinked and tried to rub his throat, but was stopped. Instead, Tony gave a weak pat on Gibbs' cheek. "'m fine."
"You're not fine. Almost lost you again..." Gibbs muttered, holding him tighter, only loosening it because of the pain it caused.
"'m fine," Tony insisted. Gibbs hoped he never had to hear those words again, unless they were the truth.