Disclaimer: Not mine, wish they were. The idea is the only thing that belongs to me. This is not a slash story.
SPOILER WARNING: NCIS 1.01: Yankee White, 1.02: Hung Out To Dry
Don’t Leave Me Hanging
Chapter 1
by WCUGirl
September 2000
“Ok now ya wanna relax your shoulders…breathe…relax…hold ‘er steady…hold it…go now!”
Tony DiNozzo eyed his target through the scope of the sniper rifle. He could see the bullseye, but just barely. He let out a breath and just as his dad said “go now” his finger pulled the trigger and 1000 meters away, the target’s bullseye had a sudden hole in it, neatly positioned exactly in the center.
He sat back on his heels and looked up at his dad who was watching the target through binoculars. “Tony you missed your mark at 500 meters,” Jethro Gibbs commented.
Tony smiled. “I didn’t miss my mark at all, Dad,” he said. “I hit my mark at 1000 meters just exactly like I planned to.”
Gibbs raised his eyebrows and looked at the second bullseye, another 500 meters out passed the one he’d thought Tony aimed at. He saw the hole neatly in the center of the target and he looked down at his son, smiling and shaking his head.
“That’s good work, son,” he said, his eyes shining with pride.
“Go ahead, Dad. See if you can beat my score,” Tony encouraged.
The two played for a while longer on the sniper range before calling it a day. Workers on the sniper range just shook their heads. Never before had they seen two such scary talented marksmen, both firing from hundreds of meters away, both with perfect scoring records. They never missed"not once.
xxx
From across the walkway in the bullpen, Gibbs had watched his son grow into the investigator he was today. Tony had always been a good detective, but the frequent moving around he’d done, the special ops trainings he’d attended, as well as the leaves of absences he’d had due to injuries in the field, had left the Probie NCIS agent a bit green when it came to old fashioned investigations. Working at NCIS under the eagle eye of his father had taught him many things.
Tony’s people skills had improved"they had to"with all of the people Gibbs pissed off, it was important for Tony to play the “good cop” and smooth down ruffled feathers and comfort the hurt feelings that Gibbs left in his path. He’d learned how to look at evidence, how to see things at a crime scene to help them determine whether the crime scene was tainted, whether it was actually the crime scene, or whether it was a secondary scene. Tony had long since overcome his fear of dead bodies"that happened even before he worked the case with Metro PD on his dead mom and sister, years earlier.
Tony had come a long way in overcoming the past that at one point had threatened his sanity and his career. After much wheedling and convincing, Gibbs finally talked Tony into talking to someone about his troubled past. Tony had agreed to talk to someone, but it would be someone unrelated to the agency, and someone who was approved of both by Gibbs and by Dr. Mallard who had become Tony’s personal physician.
Dr. Mallard had offered his services in helping Tony to find someone to talk to. “Ducky” had spent hours interviewing psychologist after psychologist, listening to their views on child abuse, child sexual abuse and child neglect, and on the victim’s role in those events and eventually he suggested that Tony meet and talk with a Child Psychologist who specialized in the varying types of abuse. For nearly a year, Tony had spent an hour each week with this person, talking out memories, rehashing details, going over photographs and incident reports.
In that year, Tony had given up his apartment in favor of living with his dad. He needed his dad during that difficult time, needed someone around in the evenings when he couldn’t escape the images in his mind, and needed him around overnight when the nightmares became too much to handle alone. Gibbs was his rock"always there, never failing him, and Tony believed with every cell of his being that without Gibbs and Ducky, Tony wouldn’t be where he was today. It was because of the support he received, the counseling he worked so hard in, and his ability to overcome impossible odds that had finally encouraged Tony to move back into his own place"to get his own space back"and to give Gibbs free reign of his house again.
It would be an understatement to say that Gibbs was proud of his son. He knew that as Second In Command, it was only a matter of time before someone offered Tony his own team. Gibbs knew that Tony was ready for it, that he was skilled enough to take on the job. It made Gibbs’ heart ache to think that one day Tony wouldn’t have his six and that he wouldn’t be on Tony’s six. The two were so close anymore that often, words were not needed to communicate. They were the perfect two-man team.
Therein laid the problem. They were only a two-man team. When Morrow fired Blackadder, he told Gibbs and Tony that they’d be on their own, a two-man team, until Gibbs found someone to join them. The trouble was, Gibbs was content to work with Tony in their small team capacity, and now he was beginning to hear from the director that he needed to hire someone else for the team. Gibbs wasn’t sure why there was the big push for more people, after all he and Tony had the highest solve rate in the agency, but Gibbs knew that eventually there would come a point where he would either have to hire someone, or he would be assigned someone.
Gibbs hated assigned team members.
So he’d been looking, subtly, observing people on other teams, observing officers and agents from other departments, but no one seemed to be catching his eye. He assured Director Morrow that he was, in fact, looking for a new person to add to their little team, but he also assured Director Morrow that he was going to be selective as to who that person would be.
One Saturday evening, around 9pm, Gibbs and Tony were in the basement working on the boat. It was not uncommon to find the two of them working in this way; after all, Tony DiNozzo went on dates seven nights a week with seven different women, but Tony Gibbs rarely dated at all. He was content to spend time with his dad, work on the boat, eat steak or pizza or Chinese takeout, and avoid the drama that came with romantic relationships.
After three failed marriages and his newest one on the rocks, Gibbs didn’t blame him. It was three years after the annulment with Diane, that Gibbs met Stephanie. Like her predecessors she had beautiful auburn locks, the body of a goddess and wit to match Gibbs’ own. If Tony were honest, Stephanie was his favorite of “the exes”"even though technically she and Gibbs were still together. Their togetherness was a mere technicality though; they were due to sign the divorce papers the upcoming Tuesday afternoon. They were splitting as friends"they wanted to get out while they could still BE friends.
Stephanie and Tony had gotten off to a rocky start, Tony was mistrusting of any woman Gibbs brought home"and after what had happened with his previous step-mother, no one blamed him"including Stephanie. However, Stephanie, who had only heard stories of Diane but never met her, worked hard to gain Tony’s trust. She didn’t try to push him out of the family, she didn’t try to have sex with him or pit him and Gibbs against each other. She was just a nice lady who wanted her man and his son to both be happy. Eventually Tony caught on and the two were amicable, if not friends, much to Gibbs’ relief.
On this particular Saturday night, the two were bracing the boards to curve them into the ribs on the boat. Tony dropped his end of the board when his cell phone rang, and as a result, it caused Gibbs’ end of the board to snap right off the brace.
“DiNozzo,” Tony answered the phone, plugging a finger into his free ear as Gibbs grumped and fussed about Tony woodchipping his boats to bits.
“You have a dead Navy Commander on board the Air Force One? Is the President on board? Where are you now? Alright, get the President out of there and secure him in a safe location. Leave Air Force One where it is, and we will be there as soon as we can. I’m booking flights now,” Tony said as he flipped open his laptop on the workbench and began pulling up the military flight schedules. Frowning at the lack of available military flights, Tony then pulled up commercial airlines, settling for one that would land them at the same airport the Air Force One had landed at. He gave the flight details to the officer he spoke on the phone with, and hung up the phone.
“That the best you can do, DiNozzo,” Gibbs asked mildly. He’d watched Tony feverishly work to get good flights booked, had seen the lack of options he had available, and couldn’t resist teasing his son a bit.
“Come on Boss,” Tony replied, slipping easily into their work mode. “It’s Saturday, what do you expect? Miracles?”
“Perfection, DiNozzo,” Gibbs snarked, “I always demand perfection.” He laughed hard at the look on Tony’s face.
Together they cleaned up the basement and turned out the light. They left the door to the house unlocked. At least this time Gibbs remembered to turn off the coffee pot before he left.
xxx
Gibbs rolled his eyes good naturedly as they hurried through the airport and Tony grumbled a few steps behind him about NCIS not having their own plane. “C’mon Boss,” Tony whined, “The FBI, ATF, CIA, heck even the NYPD has their own aircraft!”
As they gave their boarding passes to the attendant, Gibbs turned to Tony. “So tell Director Morrow next time ya see him that you’ll be buying us a jet, DiNozzo,” he said, eyes twinkling. “I’m sure he’ll be thrilled to take it out of your salary!”
“Not funny, Boss,” Tony snarked, “not even a little bit funny.”
Finally they landed in Wichita and they were escorted over to Air Force One. It was possible to hear the argument coming from the plane before they actually boarded it.
“I don’t care who you think you are, if you aren’t a medical examiner, you aren’t touching this body,” someone was saying.
Gibbs smiled at Ducky who straightened his fedora and stepped forward. “I am a medical examiner,” he stated. “Allow me to introduce myself. I am Donald Mallard, Medical Examiner for NCIS.”
“NCI-Who?” A woman snarked from across the aisle. “How many more alphabet agencies we got here, Baer,” the woman asked.
“You must be Agent Todd,” Gibbs commented. He’d read up on the staff on board the Air Force One on their way to Kansas. He knew there was only one female secret service agent working on this flight. Caitlyn Todd.
“Who are you,” Todd asked.
He flipped out his ID badge, “Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, NCIS. Naval Criminal Investigative Service.” He nodded at Tony, “Special Agent Tony DiNozzo,” and nodded at Ducky, “and Donald Mallard, MD, Medical Examiner.”
“Well, well, well, look who showed up to steal the glory,” another voice commented.
Gibbs smirked. “Tobias. Long time no see. How’s the baby?”
Tobias Fornell narrowed his eyes. “Gibbs. It has been a while since our paths last crossed. Baby’s fine. How’s your baby,” he asked, eyeing DiNozzo standing behind Gibbs.
Gibbs shrugged good naturedly. “I don’t have any babies, Tobias,” he said, “You’re the one who got the late start,” he added.
And so went the case. The evidence and information volleyed back and forth between the three agencies. Hours passed without any leads…turning into days. The public eye was closely following this case, and it was becoming increasingly frustrating that no answers had been found.
It was late into the night when Tony arrived back at NCIS. He’d spent the day being bounced all over DC riding in a body bag, which the FBI thought contained Commander Trapp’s body. He was sore and exhausted and as he carried the box into Abby’s office, he thought he might fall asleep propped up against the wall of the elevator.
“Tony!” Abby smiled and greeted him as he stepped off of the elevator. “I don’t have anything yet,” she commented.
“Need ya to check out this food too Abs,” Tony commented, not quite suppressing a yawn. Abby turned and looked at her friend. He looked exhausted. It wasn’t uncommon for him and Gibbs to go for days at a time with little or no sleep during a case. She and Ducky had made it their personal goals to make sure that both men got food and rest and that they were at the top of their game.
“Why don’t you go take a nap, mister,” she said, pointing to the futon in the back of her office. “I’ll wake you when I find something or if Gibbs calls.”
Tony yawned again and nodded. “I should stay up and help you run your tests,” he mumbled half heartedly.
“No sir you most certainly will not stay up and help me run my samples,” Abby said. “I’m not letting you mess up my samples,” she continued. “Sleep. Now. Don’t make me knock you out,” she said giggling, but both knew the threat was real. If she thought he was too bad off, Abby would get Ducky to sedate him"and it would be in a very sneaky way"like in a jelly donut or something he wouldn’t expect. Rather than arguing, Tony merely nodded and moved back into her office where the futon was.
A few minutes later, Abby went into the office to find Tony sprawled out on his back sound asleep, one hand clutching his cell phone so he’d be sure to hear it ring. She turned off her music and the lights in her office. She closed the door softly behind her and returned to her work.
A little while later she ventured down to the Autopsy Lab to see if Ducky had anything to add to the information she had gathered. They worked together more often than not anymore, and Abby found Ducky’s wealth of knowledge to be invaluable when it came to solving cases. She giggled when the lab door slid open and revealed Gibbs on an autopsy table, sprawled similarly to the way Tony was, sound asleep, clutching his cell phone.
“The poor man was exhausted, Abigail,” Ducky commented from his desk. “I tried to convince him to go home, but you know how Jethro is during a case. He cannot walk away until he has sacked the criminal and uncovered all of the booty,” he chuckled.
“Tony’s asleep on my futon, Ducky,” Abby said softly. “These two are a pair, aren’t they?”
“Indeed,” Ducky said, “Why it’s almost as if the two are related.”
“Almost as if what two are related,” a voice spoke from the doorway. Gibbs was awake in an instant, on his feet, gun drawn, his body positioned between the door and Abby and Ducky. After a moment, he lowered his gun.
“Agent Todd,” he said, tucking his gun back into the holster. “Aren’t you supposed to be guarding the President?”
“Other agents have taken over the guard while we investigate the attack on the Commander, Agent Gibbs,” Todd responded. She didn’t like this guy much. There were too many unknowns about him. And had he seriously been asleep on the autopsy table? She fought down a shudder. Too creepy.
“I was coming by to see what progress has been made,” Kate Todd continued, “but it seems to me that everyone is lying down on the job sleeping while the perp who tried to kill the President is getting away.”
“Now there you are out of line my dear,” Ducky interjected. “We are at this very moment running a gamut of tests that will reveal more information than you can fathom. However, these tests do take time to complete, and since our agents have been on the job for near on thirty-six hours with no respite, I instructed Agent Gibbs that some rest would be appropriately obtained at this time of waiting. You, my dear, are part of a large team of agents and you’ve undoubtedly had no lost sleep, despite the danger to the president.”
“You’re right, Dr. Mallard. Where’s DiNozzo,” Kate asked, looking around. “He still riding around in the body bag?”
“No my dear, young Anthony has finished his stint, uh, playing dead, and is now resting as Jethro was, down in Abigail’s lab while we wait for the test results.”
Kate shook her head. “Unbelievable,” she snarked. She shook her head and started walking away, “and you people call yourselves an investigative agency.”
Gibbs grabbed her arm and turned her around before she could squeak in surprise. “We do call ourselves an investigative agency. Tell me, Agent Todd, since you are so on top of the case, what have you found that has us lagging behind so badly?”
Under the heavily scrutinizing blue gaze, Kate Todd folded. “I…that is…” she sighed, “we have nothing to report, Agent Gibbs,” she said grimly. Dammit, she added to herself.
Abby’s cell phone rang and she picked it up. “Talk to me!...Oh hi Tony!...Major Mass Spec beeped? Alright we’ll be right up, just sit tight and don’t touch anything.”
“Major Mass Spec?” Todd asked as she followed the others toward the forensics lab.
“The major mass spectrometer,” Abby said, “it’s one of the most sophisticated pieces of equipment in the lab. The last time Tony touched it he nearly fried it and the sample was ruined. He isn’t allowed to touch my equipment anymore without express permission.”
“Wasn’t his fault Abs,” Gibbs commented. “The machine was on the blink anyway. It would have fried the sample even if you had touched it.”
“I know Gibbs…but doesn’t it make a better story to say that Tony touched it right as it died?”
She met his gaze and quickly lowered her own. “I guess not,” she muttered.
xxx
Tuesday afternoon rolled around and the terrorist made his move, and Gibbs stopped him and ended up having to kill him, and the President walked away unharmed. Kate Todd was on the scene, but when the moment arose"when it was time to actually protect the President, she hesitated making the shot, leaving it for Gibbs to have to do instead before the terrorist killed even more people.
Tony was on the ground and the only available contact they had with the plane Gibbs was on, was radio contact. He heard the muffled curse from the pilots, heard the sound of someone saying “Stay back you aren’t allowed back here,” and he heard the sounds of gunshots. After that…he heard nothing. He figured the plane didn’t crash"there was no abnormal flurry of activity from Air Traffic Control, but that didn’t mean everyone on board was unharmed either.
He waited at the airport terminal to see what had happened and if Gibbs needed backup. He paced, though he tried not to, and he ran his hands through his hair. Gibbs was still in the air, so making calls on the cell phone wouldn’t work"his would be turned off per airline regulations. Finally the plane was called into land, and Tony stood at the gate. He heard a car behind him and glanced at it. He tossed up his hand to wave at Stephanie as she pulled up. She and Gibbs were going to sign their divorce papers this evening.
She pulled the car up close to where Tony was waiting. “Where is he,” she asked.
“On the plane that just landed,” Tony responded.
“You weren’t with him?”
“I was told to stay down here and keep an eye on things from this end.”
“Bomb on the plane?”
“Terrorist.”
“He didn’t want to take a chance of you getting blown up.”
Tony looked at her. He’d been so pissed when Gibbs told him to stay on the ground"he just hadn’t understood why he couldn’t go be helpful"why Gibbs insisted on taking Agent Todd with him instead. What Stephanie said…he hated to admit it, but it made perfect sense.
He heard voice coming from behind him and turned around to see his dad and Agent Todd walking towards the gate. He motioned for the coroners to board the plane"that meant there was a dead body on board"and judging by the look on Gibbs’ face, and the lack of a terrorist in custody"that meant that the guy was dead. His dad looked pissed. As they drew close enough for Tony to make out the words being spoken, he began to understand why.
“You ever pull a stunt like that at NCIS and I won’t give you the opportunity to resign,” he snapped at Agent Todd.
Without another word, and without even acknowledging Tony, Gibbs climbed into the convertible with Stephanie, kissed her on the cheek and she sped them away. Tony blinked in the setting sunlight and watched the car leave.
Agent Kate Todd stepped up next to him. “Was that a job offer he just gave me,” she asked.
Tony looked at her. He thought back over his dad’s words. “If you ever pull a stunt like that at NCIS I won’t give you the opportunity to resign,” he said. He looked back up at the road where the car was just barely visible now.
“Yep,” he said, and walked away.
He walked back to the NCIS Dodge Intrepid and sank into the driver’s seat. He put the key in the ignition and his hands on the wheel. Then he leaned his head over onto the steering wheel.
What the hell had just happened here?
TBC…
Story Notes:
Some reference to physical and sexual child abuse.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Gibbs and DiNozzo have been a 2 man team for 2 years now. What happens when they add someone new to the mix?
Chapter End Notes:
Some reference to physical and sexual child abuse.