Okay, my loyal readers, I am finally satisfied enough with this chapter to post. I apologize for the delay, but I certainly hope it's worth it. As always, I appreciate your kindness and encouragement—you all really inspire me. I apologize for not answering your reviews to the previous chapter yet, but I figured that you'd like another chapter instead; however, don't worry, I will answer each and every one of them asap. Thank you all for hanging in there with me. Enjoy and stay warm!

Part 23

Director Jenny Shepard had never doubted Anthony DiNozzo's innocence. Tony had not only been an exemplary agent, but she had always considered him to be a good man whose integrity she never had any reason to question. Before assuming the Director's chair, she had studied his file with great interest, deciding that she would definitely keep an eye on him and that he would be an ideal candidate for a special operation that she had been secretly laying the groundwork for the last couple of years. The success of this operation would not only allow her the revenge and closure that she desperately craved, but it would open doors for Tony and he would be on the fast track to his own team and perhaps one day, he would even work his way up to Director.

Unfortunately, all those plans had to be put on hold when Tony had been arrested and convicted for murder; there had been no one else of DiNozzo's caliber that could pull off what was turning out to be a very delicate operation. Now that the former agent had been absolved of the murder chargers, perhaps she could begin to set her plan in action once again. Of course, she couldn't push him; Jenny knew she had to convince him that she was on his side, which she was, but that didn't stop her from working her own agenda.

She hadn't been sure that she could get in to see Tony; Gibbs was very protective of DiNozzo to the point of obsession, but Jenny had already decided that if she couldn't see him today that she would bide her time. When she arrived at Gibbs' house, the Marine had been ready to kick her to the curb; fortunately, Tony had agreed to see her.

As she entered the living room, the Director could sense Tony's steely gaze upon her as she made her way towards him. Anger and distrust clouded the once hazel orbs that often sparkled with mischievous thoughts and laughter; so much had been taken from him and Jenny only hoped that Tony would come to view her offer as a way to reclaim a part of his life. She smiled as she approached him, hoping to put him at ease; his muscular body was screaming that he wanted nothing more than to bolt from the room.

Smiling, she quietly greeted the nervous man. "Hello, Tony."

Tony nodded. "Director Shepard."

"Do you mind if I sit down?"

"It's not my house."

She glanced over her shoulder to see Gibbs smirking at her. Jenny knew that he was silently gloating over the fact that Tony was not going to make this easy for her. The two men were definitely cut from the same cloth. "May I, Jethro?" she asked, willing to play their little game.

"Go ahead," Gibbs replied.

Ducky took this opportunity to excuse himself to fix some more tea, offering her the seat that he had just vacated. As she sat down across from Tony, Jenny didn't miss the fact that the dark haired man seemed to tense even more; he was wound tight and it probably wouldn't take much for him to snap, if he hadn't already. "So, how are you doing?" she tentatively inquired.

"Fine."

She smiled at his declaration; it was obvious to her that Tony DiNozzo was far from being fine. "I see some things never change. You always claim to be fine when…"

"I'm fine," he firmly repeated. "My knee is killing me, but other than that, life is good."

She knew that she wasn't going to get anything more from him about his personal well-being; Tony had always played down anything regarding his health and although he was in obvious discomfort, Jenny wisely decided not to push that particular issue. "I can't begin to tell you how glad I am that everything worked out for you. Things haven't been the same."

"I guess not," he shot back. "I put a big black mark on NCIS' record; I guess you've been busy trying to erase that."

She leaned forward and clasped her hands together. Her assumption had been right; DiNozzo was not going to make this easy for her and she didn't blame him. "Tony, I knew you were innocent; I admit that there were times that I thought that Gibbs was chasing dead ends, but I'm grateful that he was so persistent. I am sorry that you were put through such hell and NCIS certainly owes you a great deal. That's why I'm here. I want you to know that I have set in motion for you to receive the back pay that is due to you; I figure that you will need it sooner than later."

Tony's demeanor seemed to soften slightly as he nervously licked his lips, but there was definitely still an air of defensiveness about him. "Yeah, some money would come in handy," the dark-haired man admitted.

Although she initially had underlying motives, she was truly pleased that she was able to do something to help him. "Good. I've pulled a few strings so hopefully you'll begin to receive your checks shortly. I will have them sent here until you can get your own place." Jenny knew that this was an olive branch of sorts; if she could get him to trust her and see that she was on his side, perhaps down the road, he would be willing to listen to her offer.

"Thanks."

"You're very welcome. It's the least I can do."

Tony arched his brow; his mask was firmly back in place as disdain etched in his finely chiseled features. "Easing your conscience, Director?"

The temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees. She expected Tony to be bitter, but Jenny wasn't truly expecting that bitterness to be directed towards her. "Excuse me?"

"I just asked if you were trying to ease your conscience. Why else would you be here? Are you afraid that I'm going to sue NCIS or the FBI? Did SecNav send you here for damage control?" Tony wanted to know.

The Director smiled at the younger man. He had every right to be wary of her and of any offer of kindness; Tony was going to have to once again become acquainted with generosity. "Tony, I know that you don't have any reason to believe me, but I just want to help you. I'll never be able to change what happened, but I can try and make your future better. I'm on your side."

"You're a piece of work, Director."

"What's that supposed to mean? I'm here to help you. You can believe me." She couldn't help but feel a little frustrated at the level of mistrust that was directed towards her.

"To tell you the truth, Director, I'm not sure what to believe anymore. I'm still trying to figure it all out."

Jenny noticed Gibbs was now standing beside her, inching ever closer to Tony. "That's understandable, Tony. I am sure that it's been difficult to distinguish friend from foe this past year."

"I guess that's why I'm still confused as to why you're really here," Tony mused. "I can see McGee and Abby showing up, not that I'm ready to see them; I can even see Ziva dropping by, but I have no idea why you're here. You stayed clear during the trial; why are you showing up now?"

Her cheeks flushed slightly. Tony was right; she had stayed clear during the trial, but she had also been under orders to keep her distance. Looking back, Jenny realized how it must have looked to Tony; nothing she could do or say would make her blatant absence excusable. She had to somehow convince him that he could trust her; she decided that in this particular instance, honesty was the best policy. "You're right, Tony. I guess I was still worried about job security; SecNav wanted me to stay clear and I did. I should have taken a stand and I didn't. I apologize."

Tony laid his head back against the cushion and sighed. She wished that she knew what was going on his mind; Jenny wasn't used to DiNozzo seeming so contemplative. "Tony?" she called out to him.

"Are you going to offer me my job back? Is that why you're really here?"

Jenny was surprised by his abruptness. "What?"

"Is NCIS going to take me back or not?"

She felt a glimmer of hope. If Tony wanted to come back to work, then it would be easier to convince him to take a special assignment for her. "Do you want to come back?" she pressed.

"I think it's a bit early to discuss this, don't you?" Ducky asked as he handed her a cup of tea. "It's going to take a few more weeks before he's completely on his feet."

"He's the one who brought it up, Dr. Mallard," Jenny pointed out. Taking the cup and saucer, she asked Tony again if he wanted to come back to NCIS.

It was obvious that Tony was uncomfortable and regretted bringing up the subject. "I don't know," he finally replied. "Just thinking about my options. I'm not sure what I have to come back to."

"You will always have a place at NCIS," she assured him. "You will also have a place on Gibbs' team, if that's what you want; if not, I am sure we can come up with some other options. I will do anything in my power to help you get back on your feet. Rule number five."

"You don't waste good," Tony muttered under his breath.

"No, you don't and you are good, Tony."

DiNozzo shook his head. "No, Director. I'm not."

Jenny knew that Tony was effectively done talking when he closed his eyes and turned away. He was blocking out everyone and everything and he was through listening to anything she had to say. Placing her cup of tea on the table, she stood up and smoothed out her skirt. "Call me when you've made up your mind, Tony. I'll be waiting."

He didn't acknowledge her as she headed towards the door. "Gibbs. Dr. Mallard. Please keep me posted. If there is anything I can do, let me know."

As she opened the door, she found Gibbs right behind her. As the two of them walked out on the front porch, Jenny found herself face to face with the team leader. It had been a while since she had seen him so angry; she mentally reviewed her conversation with Tony to make sure that she hadn't said anything to give away her ultimate plan. "Gibbs? What's wrong?" she asked, knowing full well that she was probably pushing her luck with her former lover.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Director?"

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Tony waited a few seconds until after he heard the door shut before addressing the ME who had reclaimed his seat. "If you move next to the window, you can hear what they're saying," he informed the older man. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that Gibbs had a few choice words for the Director and that she was going to be on the receiving end of the team leader's infamous temper. The Marine wanted to fight yet another battle for him and Tony wasn't sure if he should be grateful or pissed off. No one knew the Director better than Gibbs and if she had an ulterior motive, then he would discover what it was.

"I imagine that the words coming out of Jethro's mouth are not going to be pleasant; however, Director Shepard can hold her own." Ducky moved and perched on the edge of the coffee table. "I guess it's best to give the two of them some privacy. So, while we're alone, let me check your knee," he insisted.

Tony didn't have the energy or desire to offer a protest as the older man poked and prodded his aching knee. He fully expected Ducky to launch into his own inquiry and he wasn't disappointed. "I am rather surprised that you were willing to see the Director. Aside from Abigail's mistimed visit in the hospital, you haven't seen any of your other friends like Timothy and…"

He shook his head. The thought of seeing his friends was more than he could bear. "I'm not ready to see them, Duck. I can't face them yet."

"I'm not sure I understand. You agreed to see Director Shepard and..."

"I don't know why," he shrugged. "I can't explain it. She's not a friend; she's the Director. I guess part of me was wondering what she wanted and I guess the other part of me really didn't believe that she had the gall to even show up. I figured that she had washed her hands of me; actually, I kind of figure that NCIS is done with me. After all, I was quite the embarrassment to NCIS and its new Director and I probably still am."

"Tony, you weren't then nor are you now an embarrassment."

"I feel like one," he mumbled. Tony didn't want to expose those feelings that he so desperately had to keep buried. "Anyway, I guess I wanted to see what her agenda was; she's up to something. I'm really kind of tired of being the fall guy. I guess I should be used to it by now."

Ducky shook his head. "No, you shouldn't. You must remember, Anthony, you were simply the victim of…"

Something inside Tony snapped. He pulled the blanket lying on the arm of the chair and placed it over his knee, prematurely ending the ME's evaluation. The old cliché, 'hanging by a thread' adequately described what he was feeling; of course, he was pretty sure that the thread was about to completely break in two. "That's just it, Ducky! I don't want to be seen as a victim! I don't want anyone feeling sorry for me! The fact that I had to spend a year in prison only proves the fact that there's something wrong with me! I just want to be left alone so I can figure out what makes me such a despicable person and how I can fix it!"

He could feel Ducky's disapproving stare; Tony knew he shouldn't have taken his mounting frustrations out on the doctor, but unfortunately, he had been the one in his line of fire. So much for keeping a lid on his emotions. "Seems to me, Anthony, that the only one in this room feeling sorry for you is you," Ducky stated. "You don't have to do this alone. I know I've said this before, but at some point, you're going to have to trust someone and if I were you, I would start with that man outside chewing the Director of NCIS out on your behalf. You don't need fixing, Tony; you just need someone to help point you in the right direction."

Tony found himself speechless. He hadn't expected the ME to be so abrupt. The ME certainly hadn't been coddling him by any means but he had yet to be so direct with him. In years past, Ducky had always been the voice of reason and he realized that nothing had changed.

That brief fire of passion that had been ignited just a few seconds ago had been quickly extinguished. He was tired of talking and he had a lot of thinking to do. "Yeah," Tony whispered. "I guess you're right."

He pulled the blanket tighter around him and sank further down into the chair, effectively shutting down his end of the conversation; Tony DiNozzo was tired of talking. "I'm pretty tired, Duck. Guess I'll get some sleep." The hurting man knew that he needed to get his thoughts together and a lid on his emotions before he completely lost control.

"Anthony, I didn't mean to come across as…"

"It's all right. You know me; I always need to a swift kick in the butt. Who better to give it than a friend?" Tony didn't want to hear the doctor apologize because it was completely unnecessary. He appreciated Ducky's candor; the physician had unwittingly given him a few things to think about. The younger man had to start getting his priorities straight starting with how he was going to stop hurting those who actually cared about him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

He couldn't remember a time when he had felt more like hitting a lady; of course, at the moment, the Marine was questioning the Director's status as a lady. She truly had no reason to come to his house; any messages that she had wanted to deliver should have gone through him. He was also surprised that Tony had actually agreed to see her when he had yet to ask to see any of his friends and teammates. The Marine hoped that the younger man would explain his reasoning for seeing Jenny; especially when it was obvious that he was spent from the events of the day. Gibbs really didn't think that DiNozzo was incapable of taking care of himself, but Tony still wasn't up to par physically or mentally; the dark-haired man's sharp wit and quick tongue had allowed him to hold his own in a verbal sparring match against Jenny, but Gibbs knew that the confrontation had taken even more out of his friend.

"Don't make me ask you again, Jenny," he warned. "What kind of game are you playing?"

"I don't play games, Jethro. I have as much right to be here as you do; he was my agent," she reminded him.

"Your agent? I guess that's why you wanted me to quit trying to prove his innocence." Gibbs took a step closer to the Director, backing her against the railing. "You need to leave DiNozzo alone; he's got enough to deal with; he doesn't need you looking over his shoulder and…"

"I'm trying to help him!" Jenny protested. "He's going to need money to get back on his feet and he deserves his back pay! That's all I'm trying to do, Agent Gibbs. You have to agree that NCIS at least owes him that much."

He refused to buy into her apparent lies. "You forget, Director, that I know you better than you know yourself. I know that look in your eye all too well; it's the same look that almost got me killed. You're up to something and I'm going to make sure that Tony doesn't get caught in the crossfire of whatever your personal agenda happens to be at the moment!"

Gibbs was fuming. He had known that Jenny had been laying the ground work for over a year for a huge operation and the team leader had also been aware of the fact that she had been asking questions about DiNozzo before all hell had broken loose. The agent had seen the familiar glint in her eye more than once during their time together as partners. She had screwed him over and he wasn't about to let Tony become involved in of one of her potentially deadly schemes. "Leave him alone!"

Jenny schooled her features as she stood tall. "Don't you get tired of being the protector? Maybe Tony needs a little more freedom than you're willing to give him; the quicker he gets an income, the quicker he can get back on his feet. Did it ever occur to you that he probably doesn't want to live here for the rest of his life? I know that you feel guilty about everything that has happened, but you have to let it go. You have to let him go so he can start over."

He realized that she was trying to take the focus off of her and shift the attention to him. Maybe he was Tony's protector, but he had been fulfilling that particular paternal role for years now. He knew that DiNozzo wanted to be on his own mainly because the younger man didn't want to deal with his demons with an audience. How dare she tell him what was good for Tony? He had spent the last several years learning what made the man tick and helping him gain confidence not only as a agent, but in himself as well.

"Don't tell me what I need to do, Director Shepard," he growled. "I'm warning you to stay away from Tony. He doesn't need your crap!"

"He doesn't need your crap either, Jethro. Have you ever thought by protecting him that you're doing more harm than good?" Jenny challenged.

"You don't have a clue as to what's going on, Jen! You think you can come in here and offer him his back pay and his place on the team and hope everything will return to normal? That's not going to happen."

"You don't have a lot faith in him. Do you, Jethro?"

He didn't even have to consider her question. There wasn't anyone he trusted more than Tony DiNozzo and nothing that had happened this past year would change that fact. "I'd follow him to hell and back."

Jenny would never be able to understand the faith that he had in Tony and he was truly pissed that she had the audacity to challenge his confidence in the younger man. Gibbs took a step back towards the door. "I'm watching you, Jen. Don't come back here." Not giving her the chance to answer, he went back inside his house. She was still one of the most infuriating women that he had ever dealt; some days she even rivaled his ex-wives. His gut was warning him to keep his eyes open and to watch DiNozzo's six and he fully intended to make sure that he did just that.

As he walked back into the living room, his eyes came to rest on Ducky, who sitting in a chair, studying the sleeping man in front of him. Of course, Gibbs didn't believe that Tony was asleep; he knew that sometimes that DiNozzo feigned sleep in an effort to shut down emotionally and he was pretty sure this was the case. Today had been grueling for his former senior agent. Between his court appearance, the confrontation with the reporters, his breakdown in Gibbs' bathroom, and Jenny's unexpected visit, Tony was clearly exhausted physically and emotionally; however, he also knew that Tony wouldn't let his guard down by relaxing enough to drift off.

He motioned for Ducky to join him in the kitchen. "Everything okay?" he asked the ME as he poured himself another cup of coffee.

"I was about to ask you the same thing; that was quite the shouting match that you and Director Shepard were having," Ducky observed. "Not that I was listening," the doctor quickly added. "I was busy with Anthony."

"Is he okay?"

Ducky shook his head. "I don't know what to tell you, Jethro. Only time will tell."

"He can take all the time in the world, Duck."

"I'm not sure that he'll give himself that time."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Gibbs certainly didn't like the allusions that came to his mind.

"Not now," Ducky said, gesturing towards Tony, who still appeared to be sleeping. "We'll talk later." The ME picked up his coat and hat as he headed towards the door. "I have to go and check on mother, but I'll be back. In the meantime, keep a close watch on our boy."

As the door closed behind the physician, Gibbs made his way over the chair that Ducky had vacated only a few minutes before. The agent had understood Ducky's subliminal message loud and clear; he just didn't want to face the implication that adorned the older man's words. "He's gone," the Marine announced.

"I know," came the sullen reply.

Tony slowly stirred and opened his eyes. Gibbs was truly disturbed by the empty darkness he saw in DiNozzo's eyes. Tony simply looked defeated and the Marine had no idea what to do. "Want to tell me what's going on? What happened between you and Ducky?"

The dark haired man shrugged. "I don't know. We just talked."

That wasn't the answer he was looking for. "So why is he worried about you?" Gibbs pressed.

"I don't know."

He wasn't buying it; however, Gibbs knew that if Tony didn't want to talk, no one could make him, at least not without a few beers. Unfortunately, that wasn't an option at this moment, so he decided that he would have to push a little harder. "You sure that you don't know?"

He couldn't believe his ears when DiNozzo actually laughed. "Nope, but I'm done talking for the day."

"Just tell me one thing."

"What's that?"

The team leader braced himself for his next question. He was treading on dangerous ground, but Ducky's words were haunting him. "Are you planning on doing something stupid?"

He immediately noticed the change in Tony's body language as the tension in the room seemed to escalate. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that if Tony was physically able to, he would have bolted for the door. Instead, Tony fought back with the only weapon at his disposal; DiNozzo often used his sharp tongue when he felt like he was being backed into a corner and now was obviously one of those times. "I ended up in prison, Gibbs; seems to me that rates pretty high on the stupid meter."

"That wasn't your fault and that's not what I'm talking about." Gibbs had made the decision earlier that he wasn't going to let Tony simply crawl into a hole of self loathing and waste away; he would force the man that DiNozzo had locked away inside to come out of hiding. He knew that Tony was scared and that prison had changed him, but Gibbs also was hoping that he could challenge the old Tony to take a stand as well.

He leaned forward and set his coffee down on the table. Gibbs was determined to break through the fortress that Tony was equally determined to keep guarded. "Now, answer my question."