Disclaimer: I own nothing about them... Tony begged me to take him but I don't have the money to afford all the pizza he would need

A/N: Okay this chapter is pretty late, but don't blame me and don't blame my wonderful beta ktwesterna. Blame Disney! They are the truly evil one's here!

THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR REVIEWS! I LOVE EVERY SINGLE ONE TO DEATH!

FUNNY FACT: As some of you may know, I'm german, and here in germany Tony doesn't call McGee 'probie' but 'Bambino', the italian word for 'child'! I guess the german translation of 'probie' doesn't sound too good... Why am I telling you this? Read on and find out! :)


Their Day in Baltimore


Chapter 05

Gibbs gripped the steering wheel tighter and tried to concentrate on the road in front of him. But even Gibbs, former Marine scout sniper that he was, had trouble ignoring the overactive detective that bounced in his seat and hummed along to the song on the radio.

Hopelessly off tune, on top of that.

Gibbs had growled and glared at him from time to time, but either Tony didn't notice, or he simply ignored the older man. Although it was a truly frightening thought that anyone could ignore the stares of death a la Gibbs, the Agent was pretty certain that it was the latter.

It occurred to him that he could just turn the damn music off, but for some reason or another, he couldn't will his hand near the radio. He tried to tell himself that he was just too lazy and that it had nothing to do with the fact that this was the first time that Tony acted somewhat like the cheeky kid he'd known back then.

The car took a sudden left turn without loosing any of its speed and DiNozzo, who hadn't paid attention and therefore failed to secure himself in time, was thrown against his car door. Gibbs almost felt guilty when the young man hissed in obvious pain. But that feeling disappeared immediately when the detective threw his arms in the air and exclaimed a cheery and childish "Weeee!" that was as fake as his grandmothers teeth.

Sometimes Gibbs was convinced that Tony's sole purpose in life was to get on his nerves.

'So why, for God's sake, did you offer him a ride home?'

It had happened so fast. One moment he'd tried to remember the motel where he and Ducky were staying – a motel that was actually unnecessary but that NCIS was paying for and that saved them the one hour drive back to DC – and the next he'd seen the way Tony had tried to put as little weight as possible on his sprained ankle. And just like that he'd forgotten about the motel and offered himself to drive the kid home. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Gibbs had been just as surprised by that offer as Tony.

Deep down however, he knew exactly why he'd done it.

Tony had the tendency to grow on you and Gibbs found himself enjoying their time together. At least when it wasn't filled with animosity or tense silence.

Sure, the boy could get quite annoying, and from time to time Gibbs felt the almost overwhelming desire to strangle him, but despite all that, Gibbs honestly liked Tony. It was as simple as that.

And yet not simple at all, because there was more to it. Something that fascinated and scared the Agent to the very core. Because the more time he spent with the man, the more Gibbs noticed little things about Tony that reminded him of the child the young man had once been. And that in turn, reminded him of the familiarity they once shared. They had only spent a couple of days together, but Gibbs had felt close to the boy and he knew that he was being pulled in yet again.

Pulled in.

Gibbs nodded to himself. Tony didn't just grown on you, he pulled you in. He did it with Gibbs too, without even realizing it, and the Agent came to the conclusion that there seemed to be no chance of escaping that pull.

And part of him felt weary trying to pretend that he wanted to.

But another part of him, sadly a much stronger and more persistent part, told him to fight it. Because he couldn't get close to the boy again. Couldn't start caring again.

Tony's voice interrupted his thoughts. "You have to turn right here. We're almost there."

Gibbs nodded and steered the car into the street Tony had pointed out. Inconspicuously, he surveyed their surroundings and decided that the neighborhood seemed decent enough. Nothing fancy, but nothing run-down either.

The idea that his inspection of Tony's living condition was just another demonstration for his growing involvement with the young man, didn't even cross his mind.

"We're here." Tony said and Gibbs stopped the car in front of a two-story building. He had to bite back a grin when he saw that the whole ground floor was taken up by a pizza parlor. He remembered the young boy that had devoured his first pizza with inhuman speed and decided that he really shouldn't be that surprised. It had been love at first sight, after all.

Or bite, that is.

Tony reached for the car door and Gibbs didn't miss the hesitation in the movement.

"Well, thanks for driving me Agent Gibbs. I can take it from here."

Gibbs knew that this was his cue to nod and drive away. Knew that he should leave as fast as he could. But like a man watching an approaching car without being able to dodge it, he stared at his reflection in the windshield and watched how he opened his mouth.

"Does this place have an elevator?"

Tony had already opened his door and had been about to get out but now he stopped and stared at Gibbs like the man had spoken in another language.

"Huh?"

"An elevator." Gibbs snapped. "Is there an elevator in that building?"

Understanding filled DiNozzo's gaze and it was accompanied by quite an amount of nervousness. "No, but that's okay. It's just one flight of stairs anyway. No big deal."

Tony's reluctance didn't really surprise Gibbs, though it certainly intrigued him.

"You can't climb stairs with that ankle. Not alone."

DiNozzo's eyes narrowed but his voice was still teasingly calm. "I've walked those stairs with a lot worse than a sprained ankle Agent Gibbs."

Gibbs had no doubt believing that, but it didn't change the fact that climbing those stairs alone would only make the ankle worse.

'And why do you care?' a voice in his head whispered but Gibbs pushed it away. He didn't care. Tony had been hurt under his watch and that made him his responsibility. There was nothing else to it.

"Listen DiNozzo, either you let me help you, or it's the hospital. Your decision."

Tony visibly paled at the word hospital and finally nodded his consent, although reluctantly and with a glare that would have made Gibbs proud.

The Agent got out of the car and walked around to DiNozzo's side to help the man. Tony refused to even look in his direction and Gibbs couldn't say he blamed him. Threatening him with the hospital had been a low blow. He still remembered young Tony's dislike of hospitals and the fact that Mike, his obviously protective partner, hadn't even mentioned it when Tony had come back with the sprained ankle had confirmed Gibbs suspicion that it was something that hadn't changed in the past years.

The Agent draped DiNozzo's arm over his shoulder and supported him while they made their way towards the building. Tony tried to keep his distance which made walking even more difficult than it already was. Gibbs concentrated so much on keeping his balance that he didn't notice that Tony was steering them towards the entrance of the pizza parlor until they were already there.

He dragged the Italian to a stop and glared at him. "What the hell DiNozzo?! We don't have time for pizza. I only agreed to drag your ass home. Where is the separate entrance?"

Tony didn't seem all that intimidated. In fact, he scowled right back. "Agreed? Can't remember asking you to drag my ass home. And just so you know, the owner Mrs. Moretti is also my landlord. There is no separate entrance, we have to go through her restaurant to reach my apartment." And with a dead serious expression on his face he added. "And there is always time for pizza."

This time Gibbs didn't protest as Tony led them forward. With some difficulty he pushed the door open and the ring of a bell announced their entrance. Gibbs had just enough time to notice that the restaurant was devoid of any customers, before he was distracted by an elderly woman that stormed towards them with a dark look on her face.

"Bambino! What happened this time?" She had an Italian accent and Gibbs suspected that he was officially meeting Mrs. Moretti. With her white hair in a bun and the colorful apron around her sturdy waist, the woman looked like the typical grandmother. But just from those few words, Gibbs knew that she was the kind of woman that you'd better not mess with if you valued your life.

Tony looked faintly embarrassed. "Nothing happened, Signora Moretti."

The woman snarled and Gibbs was sure that if he hadn't had a hold on Tony, the Italian would have taken a step back.

"Look at me Anthony. No, no, don't look at your shoes! Look at me! Do I look stupid to you? Do I look like an anziano femmina to you? Huh?"

"N-No, of course not Signora Moretti but-"

"No buts! You have to take better care of yourself Bambino. I ask one last time, what happened?"

It was Gibbs who answered. While the little display and a flustered DiNozzo was quite amusing, the weight over his shoulder was becoming heavier and heavier with each passing second, and he wanted to dump his burden before there was irrevocable damage to his back.

"He was almost run over by a car and sprained his ankle."

Surprisingly enough, Mrs. Moretti didn't seem all that grateful for his interference and he found himself the new recipient of her fierce eyes.

"And who are you, Signor-?"

„Agent Gibbs, NCIS. I'm working with Detective DiNozzo on a case."

Moretti's eyebrows shot up and the frown actually gave place to a wide smile. Gibbs found that she should do that more often. It made her look ten years younger.

"Gibbs? The Agent Gibbs? Dio mio! It's a pleasure to meet you!"

Tony made a little sound of distress in the back of his throat and tried to drag him away, but Gibbs ignored it. "You know me?"

"Not really, no. But when Bambino was first hurt after he moved here, I asked him why he became a detective and he went on and on about you." She snorted into her hand. "You should have heard him. Agent Gibbs here, Agent Gibbs there. I had to feed him my best pizza to shut him up." she added with a fond look towards the young man.

If a human being could have died of embarrassment, Anthony DiNozzo would have dropped dead immediately.

But Gibbs didn't feel much better either. In fact he felt as if someone had kicked him in the gut. Repeatedly.

In the back of his mind, he'd suspected that Tony had always wanted to become an investigator, even before they'd met. The kids power of deduction, courage and his almost self-destructive urge to help others had been a dead give away to the Agent.

But not in his wildest dreams would he have guessed that Tony's decision had something to do with him. That he'd had such a great impact on the kids life, without even knowing it.

But beneath the shock and disbelief, there was also something else, something much softer and more complicated. It didn't exactly feel like pride, but it was the only word that came even close.

Whatever it was, Gibbs refused to acknowledge it. It felt like he wouldn't be able to ignore it ever again if he did.

"Well then," Tony's face was completely expressionless, except for the bright blush that strained his cheeks. "Thanks Signora Moretti but we have to go up now. We wouldn't want to keep Agent Gibbs too long and the ankle needs ice."

Mrs. Moretti regarded her charge with a stern look, but it was a lot softer than before. "You don't have to tell me that. I'm the one who took care of you after you cracked your ribs when you fell out of that tree."

Gibbs pulled Tony to a halt once more, strangely eager to hear more stories about him from this woman. "You knew him when he was a kid?"

Tony slapped his own forehead with his free hand while Mrs. Moretti erupted into laugher.

"Kid? That happened four weeks ago. Idiota tried to rescue a cat."

"The cat was important to a case, I already told you that!"

Mrs. Moretti winked at Gibbs as if they shared a secret. "Of course it was Bambino. Of course it was."

This time, Gibbs didn't even try to hide his grin. "A cat DiNozzo?"

"A case relevant, important cat." Tony muttered and more or less dragged Gibbs towards a flight of stairs behind the counter. "Come on now. That's enough embarrassment for one day."

Mrs. Moretti stayed where she was but her eyes were filled with worry, now that Tony had his back to her and she didn't need to pretend to be angry anymore. "Do you want me to stay Bambino?"

"No that's alright Signora Moretti." Tony called back over his shoulder. "Go home. I'm sure Signor Moretti is already eagerly awaiting your return."

They were already ascending the stairs when they heard Mrs. Moretti splutter something unintelligible, followed closely by the bell above the door as she left.

When they reached the door at the top of the stairs that obviously lead to DiNozzo's apartment, Gibbs waited patiently while Tony searched his pocket for his keys and once again pondered the enigma that was the young man besides him.

When he'd first seen DiNozzo and his expensive clothes, he'd expected his living conditions to mirror some of that extravagance. He certainly hadn't expected a little place over a pizza parlor with a landlady that obviously loved to embarrass him in front of others.

Tony finally managed to find his keys and, as he opened the door, Gibbs realized that he was in for another surprise.

The place was not only small, it was tiny. It took them only three steps to reach the couch and while Gibbs unloaded his burden he let his eyes wander through the apartment. The furniture looked old but not exactly bad. DiNozzo had obviously spent a lot of time in making this little hole as homey as possible. The only stuff that looked even remotely expensive, was the large TV set and the countless piles of DVD's that were stacked in each and every corner of the living room.

Gibbs suddenly understood why Tony was able to afford all those expensive suits. The rent of this shoe box couldn't be more than what he spent on coffee in one month. But that also made Gibbs wonder why DiNozzo had to put money aside. Wasn't his father pretty rich?

Gibbs didn't expect Tony to live off his fathers money. The young man was too proud and too independent to accept charity. But Gibbs had been a father too, and he knew that he wouldn't have let Kelly live like that, no matter how much she would have refused his help. It was a father's job to make sure that their children were well cared for.

Didn't DiNozzo Sr. know that?

"Home sweet home." Tony sighed as he put his foot up on the coffee table, and there was not even a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

Gibbs knew he should go. Wanted to go, really. But just like earlier in the car, he didn't. Instead he wandered over to an especially tall stack of DVD's and heard himself say, "It's a little small."

There was a beat of silence before Tony answered, hesitantly, wary. "It's all I need. With my working hours I'm not that much home anyway and Mrs. Moretti is a great landlady. I sometimes get leftovers and let me tell you, her lasagna is a revelation."

Gibbs lips twitched. "Admit it DiNozzo. You only live here because of the food."

DiNozzo pretended to think about that for a while. "Well," he drawled. "it certainly wasn't a minus."

The Agent heard the smile in Tony's voice and his lips twitched once more. The frantic voice that had been screaming at him to get the hell out of here was slowly fading away. For the first time in a long while, he felt somewhat relaxed.

The banter felt good. Weird, but good.

He walked to another stack of DVD's, aware of the fact that Tony watched him like a hawk, and read the titles. This stack almost only contained James Bond movies and at the sight of them Gibbs felt another pang of some emotion he couldn't quite describe. All he could say was that it wasn't a completely unpleasant sensation.

But even relaxed and somewhat enjoying himself, Gibbs was still an investigator and the investigator in him couldn't help but notice the complete lack of any pictures - family or otherwise.

Gibbs himself had taken down all pictures of Kelly and Shannon after the funeral. They rested in a box under his bed, where he could always get to them if he needed to, but he hadn't been able to pull them out for a long time. To face the individual memories that each and every picture evoked.

He wondered if there was a box under Tony's bed too.

Maybe it was that thought that triggered the next question. A question that he should have asked hours ago.

"How have you been?"

The silence that met his question was thick with tension and Gibbs fought the urge to turn around and see the expression on Tony's face.

"Good. Thank you."

The words were clipped, but not exactly unfriendly. Nonetheless Gibbs felt a bubble of frustration in the pit of his stomach. Not that he'd wanted to hear his whole life story, but more than a 'Good. Thank you.' would have been nice.

He didn't understand his need to decipher this young man. Hadn't he decided that he would keep his distance? That the Italian was none of his business?

Yeah, he had done all that, but now- not even a few hours later- he was breaking his vow and he didn't seem to be able to stop himself. What had started as a tiny notion of concern had grown into the overwhelming need to protect. He hadn't felt like that since Kelly and he didn't want to feel like that for anyone but Kelly.

But it seemed like his mouth couldn't care less what the rest of him wanted.

"Good?" He asked, and turned around to raise an eyebrow at the young man while his eyes wandered to a big crack in one of the walls. Tony followed his gaze and blushed but his eyes held a defiance that represented only a tiny fraction of the sheer stubbornness he possessed.

"Yeah, good. The salary of a detective isn't as great as everyone thinks it is, but it's enough."

"Doesn't your father support you?"

There was a stunned silence before Tony began to chuckle. It wasn't a very nice sound.

"He wasn't exactly thrilled with my choice of career."

Gibbs waited for more, but DiNozzo didn't elaborate. His gut told him that there was more behind those words, but he knew that Tony wouldn't tell him, even if there was.

He knew that he hadn't given the man many reasons to trust him since he was in Baltimore.

He was about to open his mouth – with no idea what would come out of it – when Tony looked up and smiled shyly. "What about you? How are your wife and kid? A daughter, right?"

For a brief agonizing second, Gibbs walked the path of insanity when something in him insisted that Tony knew. Knew that they were dead. That he knew of Gibbs failure to protect his family and wanted to taunt him with it. That that was the only reason why he had called him in the first place.

But then rationality replaced the kind of paranoia that was sometimes born out of grief and he was able to think clearly again.

Tony had been there when he'd received the call about Kelly's birth. In fact, he'd been the first to hear about it after Ducky. Of course he would remember that, and of course he would ask about them after Gibbs had asked about his family. There was nothing unusual about that.

He knew that he could ignore the question and just go. He could even outright lie and say that they were fine since he still didn't plan to see the man ever again after they closed the case.

But Agent Gibbs did nothing like that.

Ignoring the question would be like ignoring them. And lying about their fate would be like turning their lives, the years they'd spent together, into a farce.

He would never do that, no matter how much he hated to say those words. The words he said now, in an apartment over a pizza parlor.

"They're dead."

He'd said those words a lot three years ago. Mostly to family and neighbors, who wondered where the little girl was that had always played in front of the house. But sometimes he would catch himself saying them into an empty house where no one but he himself could hear them.

More than the words however, he'd always hated their pity. Their chocked off 'I'm so sorry' and the cakes and the other comfort food elderly neighbors had brought him for the next two weeks.

None of them could have possibly understood how he felt and their attempts to cheer him up with pastries had just proven that.

These days he didn't have to explain their absence anymore because everyone who'd known them back then was already aware of their demise. He wasn't used to it anymore, so when he looked up into DiNozzo's face, he dreaded the pity he expected to see there, wondering if he would be able to keep himself from throwing things in his impotent grief and rage. After all, it wasn't his stuff and he doubted that Tony would appreciate it if his apartment got vandalized.

But there was no pity staring back at him in DiNozzo's eyes. Just startled surprise and a flicker of disbelief before it smoothed into understanding and acceptance.

"I see. Well, um... That's, uh-" Tony was stumbling over his own words as he searched for the right thing to say.

For a moment Gibbs was dumbfounded by Tony's failure to find any words, but then realization hit him like lightning and the relief that followed was almost enough to knock him off his feet.

Tony wouldn't try to placate him with meaningless platitudes. The Italian knew that there were no words that would be able to console him, that would be able to make his pain any easier to bear. He wasn't indifferent or unfeeling - Gibbs saw the many different emotions swirling in his eyes – but he didn't want to say anything half-baked, anything that wouldn't be able to convey his feelings and compassion.

DiNozzo knew exactly what he shouldn't say. But he obviously didn't know what he could say, either.

And by the anxious look on his face, he expected Gibbs to rip him a new one for that.

But the Agent was far from angry. This was the weirdest and most honest reaction he'd ever seen and, for a moment, he felt like laughing. From that moment on he knew that, with DiNozzo, he would always have to expect the unexpected.

The young man looked ready to bolt, Gibbs smiled at him in a way that he hoped was reassuring. Unbeknownst to him, it was a gentle and genuine smile that Ducky would have been surprised to discover, since he hadn't seen it in over three years.

"Yeah. It is."

The meaning was simple but it was all that needed to be said, and it was all DiNozzo needed to hear. The young man's shoulders sagged and he nodded solemnly.

It was astonishing how few words were needed between the two men to get the important things across.

They lapsed into a companionable silence before Gibbs realized with a start that this was exactly what he'd tried to avoid. He didn't know exactly what it was, but he knew that he'd do well to stop it. Now.

The smile slipped off his face and he moved towards the door. His tone was gruff and there was nothing left of the calm he'd felt just a few seconds ago when he barked, "Put some ice on that ankle. I want you in good shape tomorrow."

A look over his shoulder to see if his order was heeded, revealed a brief flash of sad resignation before it was replaced by a wide grin and a mocking salute.

"Sir, yes sir."

Gibbs hand itched to reach out and head-slap some manners into the boy. But in the end he just grunted and left without another word. He had no right to discipline the young man, much less head-slap him. Not anymore.

DiNozzo didn't work for him, and Gibbs doubted that he was even the kid's idol anymore, after the way he'd treated him all day.

As he started the car and made his way back to the motel, he wondered why that thought bothered him so much.

TBC


IMPORTANT PLEASE READ: Okay so do you still remember when writing TDBTD at one point I let you decide what should happen next? Well, I think that was pretty fun, so let's do something like that again. But this time you won't get to decide what's going to happen, but in what order! Confused? Let me explain:

The next two chapters will (individually) deal with Gibbs and Tony's reaction to that little chat and the revelations and you get to decide which one you want to read first! Let me give you something that may help you in your decision:

Tony's part will contain angst and a phone call with an old friend that those of you who read TDBDT will recognize.

Gibbs' part will contain the confrontation with Ducky (who was less than impressed by his friend's behaviour).

Remember, you'll get BOTH, you just get to decide which you want to read first. Tony's part is a little bit more complete than Gibbs' but not by much.

See you soon, and I eagerly await your decision! Man, interactive writing is pretty fun... Maybe someday I'll do a whole story like that. That would save me the trouble to think for myself about the plot! LOL