Chapter 20
Tony walked into his dad's offices, bypassing his secretary. "I told you to leave her alone!" He said, as soon as he walked in the door.
"I am her grandfather." Senior stated.
"By biology." Tony replied.
Senior glared at his son.
"I love my daughter, and I want you to leave her alone."
"I love her, too."
"No. No, you don't!" Tony retorted. "You don't love me, and you don't love her."
"Watch yourself, Junior!" Senior said, standing.
"Stop threatening me, Old Man!" Tony said, sting up straighter. "I'm not 8 anymore. And I put child abusers in jail all the time."
"You were a troubled child." Senior explained.
Tony glared. "I was a grieving child who missed his mother."
"You were a brat." Senior said, shaking his head. "I want….I want…."
"I was a kid, you asshole!" Tony retorted. "That's normal. Kids need, want things." Tony was having a difficult time controlling his anger.
"Brat!" Senior stated. "Ungrateful whelp!"
Tony moved around the desk and stood, toe to toe, with his father. "WHATEVER you think of me, you are to leave my daughter alone."
Senior shook his head. "Just like you…a bast….!"
Senior did have chance to get the last part of the word bastard out before Tony slugged him. Senior head whipped back at the blow. He turned his head and glared at him son. "How DARE you? I am your father!"
"You are nothing to me, Mr. DiNozzo!"
Senior pushed Junior and attempted to get past him and go to the door.
Tony put his hand on Senior's shoulder to stop him. Senior stopped, turned and slugged Tony.
Tony staggered back a step or two. The fight was on.
It ended moments later. Senior picked up a heavy vase and hit Tony over the head. Tony fell to the floor and lay still, blood oozing from the gash on his head.
Senior's secretary had called the police when she heard the commotion. She stuck her head in the room. Then rushed in when she saw Tony immobile on the floor. She immediately knelt down beside Tony's prone body and felt for a pulse. She sighed when she found one. Then quickly stood and called 9-1-1 from Senior's desk phone.
Senior, meanwhile, seemed to be looking on with decided disinterest athis son's condition. He seemed more concerned about his black eye and swollen lip.
Junior and Senior rode together to the hospital, not because of Senior's concern, but because there was room for him in the ambulance. Tony didn't regain consciousness in the ambulance. He was evaluated and admitted to the ICU. He was found to have a fractured skull and bruised ribs.
NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS
Gibbs got the call while in his basement. He rushed to Washington General, calling the team as he speed along the highway. He rushed through the doors just as Senior was leaving.
"Where the hell are you going?" Gibbs demanded.
"I have a business to run." Senior said as he straightened his clothes.
"You have a son in the ICU." Gibbs said, surprised by senior's actions and attitudes despite himself. "Your son…."
"It is none of YOUR concern, Mr. Gibbs. I know my sons' condition."
Gibbs anger flared. "You sorry bastard, your …." Gibbs shook his head.
Senior smiled, thinking he had finally shut Gibbs up.
Seconds later Gibbs fingers were around Senior's neck.
"You…." Senior croaked out.
"You hurt your own son. You hit him and knocked him out." Gibbs said. The nurse had gone into great detail, since Gibbs was his emergency contact.
"Get your…." Senior said, trying to remove Gibbs' fingers from around his neck.
By this time security had been notified and a large crowd had gathered.
The first security guard on the scene stepped in and pried the two apart. He managed to get Gibbs to release his grip.
Gibbs blinked and seemed to come back to himself. He let go off Senior.
"You will be hearing from my lawyer." Senior said, straightening his tie.
"Tony is seriously injured in ICU, and you're leaving." Gibbs clarified.
Senior stared at Gibs a moment before turning and leaving the building. "You will be hearing from my lawyer." He repeated.
Gibbs shook his head. He then explained what had just happened to the security guard. The guard allowed him to go up to the ICU. He echoed Gibbs' sentiment. He could only shake his head at the information Gibbs had just given him. "What an ass?"
Gibbs quickly called and updated the team after he had visited with Tony. He hesitated to call Olivia. But after 24 hours had passed and Tony had not woken up, he felt he had to make the call.
Olivia arrived in DC hours later. She had flown in, the fastest route. She had taken a taxi to the hospital. She then planted herself by her father's side and had not moved since she arrived. She was sound asleep at the bedside when Gibbs returned from NCIS.
"She's been here since arriving from the airport." Ducky said. Gibbs had called Ducky and asked him to stay with Tony. That was after Gibbs had gotten called to the director's office to explain his actions regarding Senior.
Ducky and Gibbs looked in through the observation window as Ducky filled Gibbs in. "She refused to leave." Ducky studied Gibbs for a moment. "You sure you two are NOT related?"
Gibbs smiled.
"So, what…?"
Gibbs sighed. "Mr. DiNozzo called the director and his lawyer. I had to go explain myself to Vance."
"That had to be…interesting." Ducky replied.
Gibbs nodded. "The security guard got a case of selective amnesia after I told him about Senior." Gibbs explained. "He thinks Senior is an ass, too."
Ducky smiled. "Only you, Jethro. Only you."
Gibbs nodded again. "I'm needed here. I need to be with Tony." He paused. "And with Olivia."
"I agree." Ducky replied. "I think she's waking up."
Gibbs nodded, and then entered the room.
Olivia stood up and gave Gibbs a hug. "Ducky said…." Olivia's concern evident on her face.
Gibbs shook his head. "It's OK. The director says Mr. DiNozzo doesn't have a case without the security guard. And the security guard saw Senior in action, first hand. He got a decidedly unfavorable impression."
"Even though you almost chocked Grand…, Mr…., Senior."
Gibbs nodded.
"Quite an impression."
"Apparently." Gibb agreed.
Olivia looked down at Tony. She slipped her hand into his. "What…what happened?"
Gibb shook his head. "I'm not exactly sure, Olivia." Gibbs paused. "Tony and Senior came to the hospital in the same ambulance." Gibbs explained. "That's all I know, for sure. Senior is not talking. But I suspect a fight." Gibbs continued. "And I think Senior hit Tony over the head, judging from the injuries and what the EMTs told the ER."
Olivia just stood, stunned. "How could a father treat his son that way?" She looked down at Tony. "I…I mean he's not awake yet." She said, tearing up. "He may not…." She said, holding his hand tighter.
Gibbs immediately went to her side. He pulled her into his arms. "We don't think like that. We are not going to think like that. This is Tony we are talking about, Olivia. You're dad is a survivor. You have NO idea. He's been through a lot in his young life. And he has you to live for now. You're going to make him a granddad one day."
Olivia nodded and smiled through her tears. "He's going to wake up, and he's going to be OK." Olivia said with a lot more confidence than she felt.
Gibbs nodded. "That's right."
Tony woke a few hours later. He felt a hand in his and looked for the source. He stared at his daughter for a moment, confused. Olivia pressed the nurse call button and moments later the nurse and doctor were in the room. They asked Olivia and Gibbs to leave, but let them back in 10 minutes later when they had finished examining Tony.
The doctor came out and explained to them both that Tony's concussion should resolve itself. They had been worried it took him time to wake up. But the doctor admitted that could have been due to other factors also, besides the head injury.
Gibbs and Olivia both re-entered Tony's room.
"Olivia? Baby, why are you here?" Tony asked. He tried to move and his ribs protested. He groaned involuntarily.
Olivia reached for the nurse-call button. Tony shook his head. He then put his other hand to his head and moaned.
"Why are you here?" Tony asked again.
Olivia pulled her hand back. "Grandpa called me. He said…he said for me to come."
"Boss?" Tony said, turning his attention to Gibbs. "She needs to be in school, if she gets behind…." Tony sighed.
"Tony, she will not get behind." Gibbs explained.
Olivia shook her head. "I am going to take my classes online until I go back to campus." She said. "I can get assignments, turn in homework, take tests, everything."
Tony looked at her, considering the information. "And you mom is OK with this. If I was to call her…?"
Olivia nodded. "She knows. She said I could stay…."
Tony shook his head and tried to sit up. Bad mistake, his head and chest both protested the sudden movement. It left him breathless and a little dizzy.
"You can go back now, I'm awake." Tony said, after he got his breath back.
"Why…?" Olivia asked shocked and a little hurt. "I thought…."
Tony shook his head when he saw the hurt in his daughter's eyes. "I…School is so important right now. I…am sorry, Baby. I just don't want you to get behind."
"I want to be with you right now." Olivia said. "I can… I can take an incomplete and start all over next semester. If I have to, I will. I want to be with you."
Tony looked at her for a moment.
"I'm staying." Olivia stated.
"You're stubborn." Tony concluded.
"I've been told I get it honest." Olivia replied.
"I didn't think Grandpa Gibbs would rub off on you so quickly." Tony said, smiling. Knowing it was he, she was referring to.
"Very funny, DiNozzo." Gibbs said. "Now, let's get down to business. Tell me what happened."
Tony explained the incident. He remembered it all, right up until the time he was hit. He confirmed Senior hit him on the head. He saw the vase fall to the carpet, as he did. Right before he passed out.
Gibbs could feel himself getting angry all over again and tried to control it, but was having a lot of trouble.
Olivia shook her head. "I didn't call you and tell you that to cause trouble, Dad. I …I just…I thought you needed to know. I made it very, very plain to him I wanted nothing to do with him."
Tony nodded. "I know, Baby. But Dad is not someone who is used to hearing no for an answer. He thinks I have turned you against him."
"You…what you told me was what happened to you. There was no feeling, no persuading involved." Olivia said, shaking her head. "You just told me what happened."
"I slanted the facts. That's what he will say anyway." Tony replied.
"He's full of shit." Olivia stated.
"You got no argument here." Tony said.
"Me, either." Gibbs replied.
NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS
Senior walked into Tony's room later that afternoon. Olivia was sitting by his side and Tony was asleep.
Olivia looked up from her magazine. She then laid the magazine on the chair. She looked behind her to make sure Tony was still asleep. She then met Senior at the door, preventing him from coming in any further.
"He's asleep." Olivia stated.
"I can see that." Senior said, growing increasingly irritated at his path being blocked.
Olivia glared at him, unmoving.
"I want to see my son." Senior insisted.
"You have no right to see him. Not after what you did to him." Olivia said.
"Gibbs…" Senior said nodding. "You have been talking to Gibbs."
"I have eyes, Mr. DiNozzo. I can see what happened. I can see what you did to him." Olivia said. "I don't like it. And I don't like you."
It was now Senior's turn to glare. He was trying to stare her down.
"It is a sad pathetic man who would hit a child." Olivia started. "And it is a cold-hearted bastard who leave his son, unconscious, in the hospital to go check on business."
"I do not have to explain myself to you, young lady." Senior countered.
Olivia shook her head. "No, you don't." Olivia agreed. "But you owe your son an apology. You owe him that courtesy. I realize you probably think it beneath you." Olivia paused. "However, since I don't think he will ever get that from you, I will tell what I think."
"You cannot talk to me…" Senior started.
Olivia continued speaking as if he had not said anything. "I think you consider me a bastard child. I think you have thrown that up in Tony's face at every opportunity. And I think that is probably what started the fight between you two. I think you're son turned into a wonderful caring human being, despite having you as a father. And I think I don't want you as a grandfather. I have three. That's plenty."
Senior opened his mouth to speak when Olivia heard a noise behind her.
"Baby?" Tony said.
"It's OK, Dad." Olivia replied.
"Your daughter…." Senior interjected.
"Shut up to me about my daughter." Tony warned.
"Disrespect…I did not raise…." Senior replied.
"That's right. You didn't raise me. The house staff did. GET OUT!" Tony stated.
Apparently Senior didn't' move fast enough for Tony because seconds later a flower vase took flight across the room. The vase smashed into the wall, inches away from Senior's head. Senior finally got the point and left the room.
Olivia walked back into the room and took her seat beside Tony's bed. She was visibly shaking as she tried to calm herself. She opened the magazine she had been looking at previously and tried to concentrate. She gave up when she felt Tony's eyes on her.
Olivia shook her head. "I know….I'm sorry. I've been taught better. I've been taught respect." Olivia sighed. "But when I saw him, I just…."
Olivia paused when she looked up at Tony.
"My baby, standing up for her dad. That was awesome." Tony said, smiling.
TBC
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