A/N
Disclaimer: Happy to write a story about the character's but I do not own them and am making no money.
The one sentence in Italian was off the internet so please accept my apologies if it is not correct.
MOAS: Mother of all secrets
Beta: Mike91848 Excellent. Therefore, all mistakes are mine.
Cinderella Revisited
Chapter 8
I got to work early enough, it was still dark outside. I couldn't sleep worth a damn, too much going on in my head. My history with this kind of thing is either I'm sent away or I run away because, let's face it, my encounters with the DiNozzo clan has left me floundering, especially when I was younger, trying to get my bearings.
I'm either in the hospital, being vanquished to the dreary side of the house, being banished to school, loss of my job, friends, my home, even moving to another state just to get away from them. That's how I would deal with things, 'get out of Dodge' and don't look back.
And I'm sick of it! One thing for sure, I'm not the one that's going to be leaving Dodge this time! I put in a call to my frat brother lawyer friend. I brought him up to speed on what was going on with the attempted blackmail, the offer of a kidney harvesting exchange program for release of my grandmother's estate, the whole unpleasant story. I told him to get ready for a brutal fight, we were going to court!
"Tony, if you need me I can be there in a few hours. Whatever you do, don't talk to anyone without the presence of legal representation. If you are accused of anything, say nothing, just keep your mouth shut until I get there, you got that?"
"I got it, simmer down please, CC!"
"Don't take away my joy, man! I've been waiting too god damn long for this. My kids have been waiting too long for this. My wife has waited so long for this she's ready to divorce me for mental cruelty..."
"Goodbye, CC. Say hello to Liz for me and the girls." I hung up before he could accuse me of having to put his dog down from waiting so long.
By the time it was light outside, I had finished typing up the requisition forms for out of stock items we needed and started working on yesterday's case. Not much to go on there. Gibbs came in with coffee, and Ziva and McGee followed a short time later minus the coffee.
Gibbs started upstairs to brief Vance. On his way up, I told him that although Vance knew I was more than a frat boy gigolo, it still didn't make us BBFL.
"What the hell, DiNozzo?"
"Oh, I know this one, Gibbs, it is 'bring your own booze'," said Ziva proudly from her desk. McGee snickered quietly not drawing attention to himself, most likely because poor Probie was still afraid of the paper clips.
I couldn't help but stare at the woman. "Best buds for life, Ziva, best buds for life. I'm enrolling you and Gibbs in a class, geez!"
After Gibbs glared us into silence, he explained what he knew about our Director.
"Vance knows what he's doing, DiNozzo. He's not going to put an agent in danger. This is not something he'll take lightly." Gibbs started up the chairs two at a time. His bad knee must be well lubricated this morning though I didn't smell the Ben-Gay when he passed by.
There were a few minutes of awkward silence after he left, with Ziva and McGee sitting on pins and needles with questions, though I would never say pins and needles to Ziva, who knows what would come out of her mouth.
"Go, ahead. You've got two questions each."
"Can I be there when you confront Simmons?" I looked over at McGee who looked pretty damn serious. Sometimes, the guy had a habit of being so intense that he forgets to blink, so that it looks like he's being a rude and weird geeky jerk just staring. But I know it's just that his mind is processing things so fast that he can't blink until the cells catch up with his brain.
"Has your brain caught up with your cells yet, McSynapse?"
"...What?"
My mistake, I said that out loud. The elevator zinged before I could answer Tim and Abby rushed to my desk in heated fury. I hated the way things were between us lately. Something else to place at Anton's door.
"What did you tell Vance, DiNozzo? Why did he summon me to his office, like yesterday? Where's Gibbs? I want him to go up there with me. No telling what kind of lies you put into Vance's head!"
That hurt. Abby looked around trying to find Gibbs then started up the stairs without waiting for an answer from me.
"Tony, she did not mean any of that..." Ziva tried to placate but it wasn't working.
"You know what? It doesn't matter." Let Abby get on the bandwagon and in line for the 'let's hate Tony' brigade.
McGee acted like he wanted to say something but I forestalled his comment by holding up my hand.
"Forget it! Let me fill you in. Anton DiNozzo left papers behind that could supposedly get me fired or jailed if I don't do as they ordered." I shook my head somewhat bitterly. This is who Abby is so enamored with.
I told them about the millions, which brought more raising of Ziva's eyebrows, from my trust fund and the blackmail threat. I guess 'they' figure I'll either give up a kidney or lose my job And go to jail for tax evasion.
Just then, Abby came storming down the stairs, black painted lips set in grim lines. She glared at me as she rushed by but didn't speak. McGee jumped up and said he was going to the men's room and disappeared hurriedly around the corner, probably to take the stairs down to Abby's lab. Just then my phone rang. Vance wanted all of us in his office, now! Thankfully, McGee had taken his phone with him and I told him to get his skinny ass to the Director's office 'toot sweat'.
"You're saying, McGee, about six weeks ago Simmons made a comment about some burns on DiNozzo's lower leg and how it must have hurt scraping the jeans out of them?"
Gibbs had told Vance that McGee thought it was strange that Simmons would know that since I could talk your ears off but I didn't say a whole lot of personal things so Tim started to do a little checking.
Gibbs got up to throw away his empty coffee cup in the meantime looking longingly at Vance's empty coffee pot on the side table.
"Now let's get back to Matt Simmons and his dislike of you. The reasons for his dislike of you evidently stem from his long term and involved relationship with the DiNozzo family. Because he had obviously let his feelings be known to other Agents even Agent McGee here, and is pretty verbal about his hostility toward you DiNozzo, he should have bowed out when assigned backup to your team.
"At the least, he would have gotten a reprimand but more than likely, he would have been placed on another team, not in DC. The issue will be what to do with him now. Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I can assure you Tony, this will be taken very seriously and you don't have to worry about Simmons covering your back in the future."
Well, that was easy. I thought Vance would put up more of a defense for Simmons but when I looked at Gibbs he didn't act surprised. I guess these old war horses had codes they all stood by, one of which was, don't put your men in the line of fire, especially friendly fire.
"Now there's the 27 million from your trust fund. I've heard of the program you're involved in, DiNozzo, good use of your money, helping kids. You have the IRS covered and your lawyer's handling things, correct?"
"It's all on the up and up, Director Vance. The only money I received from that fund was the money I took to buy my place here in DC when I joined NCIS and I paid the taxes for that. I got copies of all the paperwork, IRS, taxes paid, it's all here and documented."
I handed Vance a neatly stuffed folder I had brought with me that contained copies of all my transactions.
"To be honest, the DiNozzo conglomerate has a habit of going after everything with my name on it. I'd rather those kids got it instead."
"Understood. Alright, now the kidney transplant issue. And let me say first, DiNozzo, that what you do or do not do with your kidneys is not my business or the business of this office. That's not the issue here.
"Now, that being said, I understand Anton DiNozzo showed up here at the invitation of Abby Sciuto, and rumors are, there was quite a scene in the bullpen, as a result." It wasn't a question. Oh Boy, Abby. I knew there was going to be some trouble over this.
Gibbs was quick to reassure, "It never got out of control, Leon. Tony here showed considerable restraint to being blackmailed and insulted."
"Nevertheless, Gibbs, it was highly improper and somewhat arrogant of Ms Sciuto to parade a stranger to your floor, interrupt your team's work, confront DiNozzo in somewhat of a belligerent manner and yell at McGee as though this was her own personal sandbox."
"What happened with Abby, if I may ask, Director? She seemed upset when she went back to the lab?" Ziva asked the question on all of our minds.
Vance acted like he wasn't going to respond directly to her question but reversed his decision quickly after looking at our enquiring faces. Hey, we needed to know what to expect, too.
"Ms Sciuto has been formally reprimanded for her actions, which will go in her permanent file. Ms Sciuto took it upon herself to introduce an unknown element, Anton DiNozzo, into this facility without proper authorization from her supervisor or advise from you, Agent DiNozzo.
"Fortunately, things remained under control, but there could have been problems given the nature of the man's visit. That's all you need to know right now. Ms Sciuto has been advised not to discuss this while at this facility."
Meaning Ziva and McGee would get her to spill her guts once they got her away from this facility and preferable in front of a long, highly buffed wooden counter with stools, a willing bartender and glasses of brew in front of her.
And now, Vance started to look uncomfortable as he addressed me, "DiNozzo, I would like to discuss something with you, and I'm giving you the opportunity to decide to have your team present or not?"
I saw Gibbs bristle at the suggestion.
"What's going on Leon?"
Vance just shrugged his shoulders still looking to me for an answer. "Let them stay, Director."
"Very well. Reliable intel from the FBI came in that at first I thought did not have a connection to this office but now with the information you just gave me, it's more than likely we could become involved. It has to do with illegal transportation over state lines and buying and selling of organs and...the name DiNozzo has come up"
"Don't tell me, Angela DiNozzo!"
"Very good, DiNozzo. Now she hasn't been involved in actually trying to buy a kidney but she has been making an effort to get Gregor DiNozzo's name higher on the list for kidney transplant, so the FBI has their eye on her. The FBI is involved because these people are considered homegrown terrorist.
"Under the circumstances, with DiNozzo's family involvement, your team, Gibbs, will stand down on any further investigations in this matter. If it turns into something you should know, I will keep you informed.
"Again, Agent DiNozzo, please allow this office to deal with Matthew Simmons in any way it sees fit, and avoid any confrontations with the man."
That was our dismissal and we all got up to leave. Vance was welcome to it, I had no intentions of going after Matt Simmons or Anton DiNozzo because knowing them, which I did, I wouldn't have to, they weren't through with me yet.
We got busy working yesterday's case. Ducky said the corporal died of a heart attack. All of the blood was from hitting his head on a protruding pipe when he collapsed while trying to install the necessary plumbing for a Jacuzzi his wife wanted for her birthday.
I waited for the phone call all morning but no one called. The atmosphere felt strange, unsettling, waiting. Around noon, Matt Simmons and his lead investigator, Johansen, got off the elevator at the Director's floor. Simmons was talking, joking even. He obviously didn't have a clue what was on the agenda waiting for him in that room.
He looked down at me and did his smirking thing and gave me a mocking left handed salute. I just looked at him poker faced and he continued grinning. His lead investigator frowned at Simmons' gesture and seemed nervous, but Simmons just shrugged as they entered Vance's outer office.
"Bastard!"
That was McGee cussin' under his breath. He didn't like it that his gothic lab tech was being played by that slime ball. He didn't act besotted over Abby like he used to but there was still something there.
I went back to finishing my report, my senses on alert.
"Everything okay, Tony?" McGee questioned and when I nodded, he went back to pounding on his keyboard. Gibbs was on the phone and Ziva was eating a bowl of yogurt and strawberries.
I was waiting.
Suddenly, Vance's office door flew open and Simmons came out knocking into a woman and slamming her into the wall as she stepped in his way. Her folders and a cup of coffee went flying as she ended up sliding down the wall.
Simmons ran to the stairs and down. His lead investigator and Vance came barreling out after him, urgently calling his name. I got up quickly bracing myself for his onslaught.
He didn't even slow down before he was on me as he flew over my desk and in my face.
"I'll kill you!" He yelled as he threw the first punch and the blood spurted from my nose. There was quiet background noise, which I felt I should be paying attention to but I ignored. I grabbed both sides of his jacket and threw him into the cabinet behind him with such force it shook the furniture and left a dent.
He stumbled to his feet pretty quick and I blocked a punch to my face and pounded into him with both fists and butted my head into his jaw. I felt his punches to my abdomen and side and I kneed him in his balls for the third time. He grunted but it didn't slow him down. He jabbed me in the head with his elbow and I saw stars that just fueled my aggression. My punch into his head had his mouth spurting blood as he retaliated leaving my forehead bleeding.
We went over a desk, papers and junk flying, and down to the floor with our arms and legs entwined, rolling around trying to gain the upper hand. He slammed the back of my head into the desk and I felt skin tear and wetness but I wasn't going to black out. I held onto consciousness and ignored the pain as he tried getting me in a wrestler's hold but that wasn't gonna happen. I got my arm free and punched him in the face again getting pieces of his broken teeth in my knuckles.
I scrabbled on top of him and banged his head into the floor then wrapped my hands around his neck and shook him like the dog that he was. I was going to wipe that smirk off his face once and for all time and I didn't need a best friend holding him down while I did it.
The background noise started to creep into my senses, getting louder and more frantic. Simmons face was turning purple and suddenly I felt my thumbs go numb forcing me to lose my hold on the bastard's neck. I was being jerked back by force, up and off and I knew Anton had his creeps holding me down again. I fought with renewed strength, my breath coming in desperate gasps as I used my fists and feet as that sound kept getting louder and louder.
Suddenly, the noise became voices, screaming, yelling words I understood being said over and over. My name being called frantically desperate to stop, stop!
Then they had me pinned to the floor, bodies all over me and I still didn't stop my wild violent efforts to get loose. I felt a sting at my hip, they were burning me again, and I roared my frustration and anger. Then the noise stopped and there was nothing.
My return to the living was very unpleasant. I felt extremely fuzzy and besides the pain in my face, my mouth felt as dry as an1840's ink well. In fact, my whole body hurt including the back of my head and my feet but the real problem was that I couldn't move my arms or my legs. There was a clanking noise when I tried to move my arms very far and scraping on metal when I tried moving my feet.
I realized I was spread eagled and chained to a rack. Where was I, a dungeon? I wouldn't be surprised if that isn't where Gibbs and Vance hurled me bodily through the air and down a flight of stairs for not letting 'the office' deal with Simmons.
I moaned out of the side of my mouth as my nose and jaw were swollen and painful.
"I'm not supposed to uncuff you if you're still green, buff, and ugly, DiHulkzo." How long did it take him to come up with that?
"Baciare il mio culo peloso, McNotfunny." (Kiss my hairy ass, McNotfunny) I groaned not caring if I laid there for life eternal.
"Are you threatening me in Italian, Tony?" said McGee grinning as he walked up to the slab I was lying on.
"That was no threat, McFioso. Now get me out of these cuffs, dammit! Whose idea was it to shackle me to a morgue tray with four sets of cuffs?" I rattled my chains.
"Hold still a minute, then! And by the way, you kicked me in my shin during your changeover from David Banner, so I'm not feeling all that sympathetic, but thanks for letting me be in on the confrontation like I asked. Abby has been vindicated even if she doesn't know it."
"Sorry, McGee, anyone else get hurt?"
"Nah, just minor stuff, and of course Simmons, who was spitting teeth and blood all the way to the elevator."
When I was finally released I sat up, begrudgingly accepting McGee's help at which time, Gibbs, Vance and Ducky entered autopsy. Oh, Boy.
"You back with us, DiNozzo?" Gibbs sounded mildly irritated.
"Uh…yeah, Gibbs. What'd you shoot me up with Ducky?" I asked, rubbing my hip.
"Just a very strong, potent and extremely fast working sedative, Anthony. And if that had not worked, a bat to your head was the next option Jethro was considering." Ducky's voice was laced with disapproval.
What?...yep, Gibbs was more than irritated.
Then Vance had his say and he wasn't happy, either. "It's a good thing it's on tape who threw the first punch, Agent DiNozzo. Mighty convenient, being that you went after Simmons like a just woke grizzly bear with cubs.
"Of course, a senior member on the number one MCRT team getting into a barroom brawl right in the bullpen of NCIS is something the SECNAV is highly interested in, seeing as he received several calls during your stand-up performance.
"He will be viewing the tape tomorrow morning. Another good thing, I was fortuitously apprised of the on-going conflict of interest issues with Simmons beforehand, so I can brief the SECNAV on why he was being reprimanded.
"When Simmons was told he would probably be reassigned to another team, Simmons refused to accept the discipline and came after you and physically attacked you at which point, you felt the need to defend yourself.
"Those are questions the SECNAV will raise, I'm sure. Right now, it doesn't look good for Simmons. As far as I am concerned, Simmons will lose his job over this and I have already started the paperwork. The SECNAV will not be making the decisions regarding you or Agent Simmons, who, by the way, will need extensive oral surgery and probably a full set of false teeth. But he can make recommendations.
"Contingent upon your returning to work, Agent DiNozzo, you will be expected to receive counseling regarding your anger issues and attend the next class of Anger Management in the Work Place"
No, please no!
"You're off duty until tomorrow. The SECNAV should be here by eleven. If things change you will be notified."
Vance wasn't giving anyone a chance to talk back as he turned on his heel to the door. On his way out, I heard, "Nice left hook, by the way,Tyson."
Gibbs said I'd be staying with him tonight and he'd fix some oatmeal mush or mash up some beans and rice in the blender for my meal since obviously I wasn't going to be able to chew the steak he was making for himself; which beat Simmons eating through a straw until his choppers came in.
I don't know if Gibbs was kidding or not, he said it with such a straight face, who could tell, but he seemed annoyed. Tough! Simmons got what he had coming to him! I'd listen to what Gibbs had to say because obviously he had something to say. Didn't mean it was going to change how I was feeling.
He ended up making grilled cheese sandwiches and soup and we ate in silence.
"What the hell is bugging you, Gibbs? He came after me, remember?"
"Where were you this afternoon, Tony?"
"What? Where was I...?"
"Yeah, where were you this afternoon when you were beating Simmons to a pulp? You used excessive force on him and you don't even remember, do you? He was down for the count before you banged his head on the ground and started to choke him!
"There were ten guys trying to get you off him. If Ziva hadn't used her Vulcan nerve pinch, or whatever the hell that was to make you let go, you could have killed him! Do you remember any of that?!"
Gibbs was yelling by this time and slammed his hand on the table to emphasize his wrath.
"I...I..." Wait a minute, what was I anyway, a little kid?
"Where was your mind, Tony?"
Well at least he had stopped shouting.
"I know where I was, Gibbs! And it wasn't in that hotel room with two guys holding me down, one of them Matt Simmons by the way, if that's what you're thinking. So what?"
"So, is that what you want, then? To be like them? To beat someone senseless and then keep on beating just for the fun of it until there's nothing left but chopped meat? So the next time a perp gets in your face, is this what we should expect because there's not going to be ten men there to pull you off?!"
More Yelling!
"Of course not, Gibbs! That's not me. Why would you even say that?"
"Because I saw your face, and I hope to never have to see that expression on your face again! I know you, DiNozzo. You bend over backwards not to go too far, you catch your perp, handcuff them, talk them to death, and you're good to go.
"In all the years I've known you, I've never seen you lay a hand on anyone, no matter the provocation, in true anger with such violence. Tony, you even warned Ziva's boyfriend off and he was trying to kill you. You would never hold someone down and let a friend torture or burn them for fun. Don't let that become who you are!"
Okay, so Gibbs could talk when he was motivated and he's right, I wasn't there during some of that fight today. I was in that hotel room, but, who is he to talk? The way he went after Kate's killer...or...ah, who am I kidding? What was I doing? Seeking justice or inflicting revenge?
He's right. I've tried to do the right thing in spite of what was done to me. To be a good person like my gramma wanted me to be, like Janes was and Cookie and all the people who had cared about me in that house of horrors and the Coach and Mrs B and...Gibbs...
No, to hell with it! I wanted to keep my anger, dammit! I pushed my half eaten sandwich aside and jumped up from the table. I wanted to feel justified in my revenge seeking, not chastised for going after those who had hurt me. And I didn't need Gibbs pointing out how wrong he thought I was.
I grabbed my junk and barged out the front door like a teenage girl told she had to be home by eleven. I stormed to my car to get Gibbs outta my face with his damn truth's as he saw them and drove around in incipient boredom for an hour before realizing the futility of it and went home. I put an icepack on my face and went to bed in an anticlimactic end to a shitty, unimpressive day.
Because after years of harboring hate, and getting some revenge, the victory high I expected just wasn't there. Instead, I'm laying here, wallowing in self-pity and pathos like some virgin maiden bereft of her knight. Pathetic!
I'm in the office at six thirty, another sleepless night. I was greeted by Jackson, one of the security guards with, "heard what happened to Simmons, good for you. That lowlife scum needed to be taken down a peg."
"Hey, Tony, guess Simmons will have to wait in line now for his evidence to be logged in, the sleazy bastard."
And, "DiNozzo, what took you so long? He never had anything good to say about you! I'm glad you kicked the crap out of him. Do it again and let me know so I can be there." This from the little old grandmother in records.
I was getting some admiring glances from some of the women who I know didn't work on my floor, who seemed to be just standing around in clusters. Two agents came up and shook my hand and walked away without saying anything.
I stored my stuff and then sat there for half an hour contemplating the disturbing information that Simmons had been more of a cretin than apparently any of us knew about. Gibbs came in then and Gibbs-greeted me with a slap to the back of my already hurting head.
"Ow, dammit, what was that for, Boss?"
"For slamming the door on your way out last night and for leaving your dirty dishes on the table, DiNozzo." He eyed me critically.
"You get any sleep last night?"
"NO, Gibbs! Thanks to you, I was up all night thinking."
"Burn the house down?"
"Funny, ha, ha. I'm a Federal Agent. My oath is to protect and serve. Harbor the innocent and bring justice to the maligned."
"I know that, DiNozzo!"
"Yeah, well, now we both know it!"
We eyed each other, I had gotten the message and so had he. No need for further discussion between two men who would rather bite their own tongues off than to talk about personal things. So, changing the subject.
"You know, Boss, Simmons has been a bad boy. People have been practically bowing at the waist at me for knocking his teeth out. Something about..."
"About what? We got a case?" said McGee, who had just limped in.
"Slow down Hopalong." Said Gibbs. "How's your ankle?"
"Um, feel's okay, Boss, there was no reason to stay home." McGee promptly sat down, turned his empty trash can over and elevated his foot so the matter was settled as far as he was concerned.
"Sorry, McGee."
"No problem, DiHulkified." I visibly cringed while the name got a smirk out of Gibbs and McGee's satisfied grin lit up his face as he removed his foot from the trash can. I suddenly realized I was being played, McGee had no gimpy appendage, he just wanted to DiHulk me to death and wonders, Gibbs had played along with it. Payback was...well what could I say except I'd have to suck it up.
We waited for Ziva who had just gotten off the elevator and I told them about Simmons less than savory reputation.
"This is not believable! How could we not know there was a goat switching clothes right in our midst?"
Dear Lord. "Wolf in sheep's clothing, Ziva, wolf, not goat."
"Sheep, goats, horses, cows, they are all mammals are they not?" How could this happen here, right under our noses? That pig, and to think Abby...I will cut off his manhood with my rustiest knife. I will..."
"Ah, yeah, Ziva, we get it.
"Say, by the way, what was that thing you did to me yesterday, you know, the pinch Vulcany thing, made everything go numb and my fingers are still tingly..."
A barely there whack! But I had to put on a show.
"Ow, that hurt my already hurting bruised head, again, Gibbs. I'll be in a coma by the time you're done."
"I'll be happy to put you there if you guys don't shut up and get to work!"
The SECNAV showed up at 1100 as scheduled and holed up in Vance's office until noon. An official announcement followed that Simmons was no longer an employee of NCIS. The unofficial gossi...announcement was that several woman had brought charges against him for sexual harassment and stalking and one guy in evidence for bullying.
McGee came back to the bullpen just then after saying he'd be in men's room for fifteen minutes.
"Where you been, McProbie? You're almost five minutes early from being exactly on time."
Tim gave me an irritated look before sitting down and waking up his computer. He said that he had come in early to try to talk to Abby, but the lab door was locked and someone said she had the morning off and she would be coming in later. So he had gone down to see if she had arrived yet. He was worried that she had heard the gossip yesterday about Simmons and was now blaming herself for being such a fool. Maybe, but I doubt it.
I waited for the phone call but it never came and neither had the other shoe. It was taking its time to drop on my already sore head.
So, I sat in the dimly lit bullpen going over the report I had just read on a cold case, not ready to go home yet. Something had caught my eye and I needed to make a few phone calls in the morning to warm this case up. It had been quiet in the office, meaning no cases for us today but I just wasn't ready to go. Vance had stopped to chat at my desk on his way home. Strange, that.
Anyway, he said that Simmons termination had been approved by the SECNAV. And that Simmons lead investigator, Johansen, was now being investigated and was on suspension for accepting bribes. Yeah, it seems he had been all but ignoring complaints against Simmons of sexual innuendo, bullying and harassment in the work place, even some stalking of one woman who said she wasn't interested.
Simmons paid Johansen off in money, a free ride to party in exotic places as Simmons guest, and hob-nobbing with the rich. What was Simmons doing in this type of job in the first place? The man could care less about the welfare of people and obviously, he didn't need the money.
Then Vance said the strange part. He said if his hunch was right, there'd be a new chair to fill on the other side of the building, think about it, DiNozzo. Think about it? Think about what?
Well, while I was thinking about that, Gibbs came back after conversing with Ducky. He said that Abby never showed up for work. She called in sick for the rest of the day. I think Gibbs was headed over there later, but he didn't sound enthused about it. Ziva and McGee might also make an appearance. It was quietly understood that I would not be welcome, which was fine with me.
This was the second time Abby had crossed the line in my personal busy. She just couldn't get it through her thick head that she didn't always know what was best for the other person. When I was sick with the plague, it wasn't until later that she let it slip that when Gibbs refused to call family for me, even though she had found the DiNozzo estate phone number and given it to him, she took it upon herself to do so. I remember the conversation well.
"Tony, family is family, no matter what. Gibbs wouldn't call and you were almost dying. What was I supposed to do? Someone had to let them know..."
I was still trying to be patient with her at the time but I couldn't get through to her that not every family was her family without going into specifics.
"Abby, that's your opinion which I don't happen to agree with. You don't know the circumstances of my childhood, and you don't have to know. All you really needed to do was trust me, and by doing that you would have abided by my wishes and not gone behind my back just to get your own way."
Obviously, I hadn't convinced her to butt out even though she was keeping the greatest MOAS of all time by not sharing her adoption and whole other family issues with her brother. Hypocrite!
So she's somewhere sulking over her crappy boyfriend and I'm waiting for something with baited breath because, believe me, it's not over and Abby has to share some of the blame for that in my book. But not just Abby, Simmons, Anton, the bitch, I hadn't seen or heard the last of any of them. And there's still a pretty sick kid out there, along with a crazy grandmother, a psychotic father, an obsessed uncle...and me.
Hope you enjoyed reading this chapter. Thank you for your continued support. Til next time.