A/N: Another Gibbs/Tony father/son oneshot. This is one that I've been thinking about having a Gibbs/Tony father and son post SWAK/Twilight episode for a while with a TATE undertone and I'm soo glad I finally wrote it. Enjoy, Angels.
Everyone in the Navy Yard knew about Tony's bout with the Pneumonic Plague a year ago that almost took his life and that he came back to work after two weeks afterwards, then his partner, Caitlin "Kate" Todd was killed in front of him the day after he came back to work.
Today the usually talkative and joking SFA (Senior Field Agent) hasn't spoke a word unless he was spoken and even then it was one word answers, they all know what today is for Tony, and the rest of the main MCRT team: the year anniversary of Tony getting the Pneumonic Plague.
The agent in question is sitting at his desk, trying like hell not to remember his time in isolation, underneath the blue lights, coughing out shit off his lungs, blood covering his lips and his fingers gripping the sheets so tight his knuckles turn white and feeling like he'll drown in what crap is in his lungs, instead he remembers Special Agent Caitlin "Kate" Todd, his partner, one of his best friends, his confidant, the woman he'd lay his life down if it had meant her living, the woman who stayed with him in the isolation box pretending to be infected with the genetically altered Y Pestis just so he wouldn't be alone, the woman who held his hand when ur hurt to breathe, the woman who wiped the blood off his lips, the woman who gave him smiles, the woman who cried for him in Ducky's arms when she was finally ordered to leave the box, the woman who, even though had left the box, had still stayed in his line of vision, the woman who stayed the night in the box with him when it was found out that the big had died, the woman who stayed awake all night, checking on him as he slept in fits and starts, the woman who he didn't get to thank for staying with him, the woman he had loved but was too late to tell her, the woman who he would've spent his life protecting, the woman who he would've died for, the woman who was his forever even if she didn't know that she was.
A familiar hand on his shoulder startles him out of thoughts of Kate. The SFA looks up and meets crystal blue eyes.
It's Gibbs, looking at him in concern.
"You okay, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asks softly, it's 2400 and they're the only ones in the MCRT bullpen, with Jenny, the Director, in her office. Tony nods, lying, as he keeps his green eyes on what used to be Kate's desk. Ever since her death on that rooftop a year ago two weeks from now, he can't look at her -Ziva's- desk and not see Kate smiling at him, her face lit up or seeing her frowning at him when she finds him looking in her trash.
"You still really miss her, don't ya?" Gibbs asks, Tony nods again, the truth this time as his eyes fill with tears. He's not cried properly for her since on the way back home from her funeral, a few tears after a realist dream of the two of them on their wedding day but he's never sobbed for her in nearly a year. "She didn't have to stay with me, Gibbs." The young agent says as sobs start erupting from his throat. With it just being the two of them in the bullpen, Tony doesn't care about crying in front of his boss, the former Marin's Sniper has seen him at his most vulnerable so witnessing the tears doesn't concern him. Tony feels his boss pulling him into a strong embrace, stroking his back.
"I know, DiNozzo, I know but she did stay with you." Gibbs whispers into his hair.
"I loved her boss and I was too late to tell her." Tony admits, his sobs dying down to silent tears that run down his face.
"I know you loved her, Tony and she loved you too." His boss whispers. Shocked and wide eyed, DiNozzo lifts his head and looks into the blue eyes of his boss. His boss smiles at him.
"Y… you knew? And you didn't say anything to me about rule 12?" The SFA asks in shock. He can't believe that his boss knew that he was in love with the beautiful Caitlin Todd and never said anything to him.
"Why would I when I fell in love with a fellow agent myself?" The boss asks, Tony smiles. "So you admit it?" He asks. "You and the Director were more than just partners back in the day?" Tony asks with a laugh, causing Gibbs to head slap him.
Gibbs pulls something out of his suit jack pocket and hands it to Tony:
A letter.
"Kate told me to give you this when you needed it, you need it now." His boss says before he straightens up and starts walking up the catwalk steps.
"I'll be with Jen when you're done." Tony doesn't respond, he looks at his name on the envelope written by Kate, in her handwriting. With the light coming from his desk lamp, he uses his letter opener and breaks the seal and carefully takes the letter out, hearing Kate's beautiful voice in his head as he reads her words.
Dear Tony,
By now you know I'm dead and I'm never coming back. I've written this to you and told Gibbs to give it to you only when you need it, and I hope you do need it, however selfish of me it may be.
Only Gibbs knows that I love you, hell I'm pretty sure he knew I loved you before I knew it but that's just Gibbs. I can't tell you how much I love you. I've always known I've loved you but I thought it was like how a sister loved her brother but it's not: I love you with everything I have, the plague fiasco made me realize that (that was the only good thing from that ordeal)
Tony, I need you to do something for me: grieve then move on. Don't keep missing me. I want you to move on and live your life preferably without catching another dark ages disease.
Even though you might not love me the same way I loved you, I love you Tony DiNozzo. Thank you for the best two years of my life.
Love, Katie.
Kate's voice disappears as soon as he finishes reading the letter, tears dripping from his cheeks and smudging her words.
"I love you too, Katie." Tony says as he looks at the photo he took of her on his desk.
I love you, Tony DiNozzo. He hears Kate whisper in the dark bullpen.
A/N: Sorry about being radio silent, here is another NCIS oneshot, enjoy Angels.