Duty Bound
by Jen (WCUGirl)

Peoria Police Department
August 19, 1990

“Hey DiNozzo!”

“Yeah Boss?”

“You gotta phone call…line three…it’s your dad.”

Tony DiNozzo didn’t even flinch when his chief told him he had a phone call from his dad. Five years ago his gut would have filled with dread and he would have nearly broken out into a cold sweat over the concept. Now…he smiled as he grabbed the phone.

“Hi Dad,” he said into the receiver.

“Hey Tony how ya doin?”

“Same shit different day is all Dad. What’s up? You never call me at work?”

“Just wanted to let you know that I’m going off grid for a while and if you need anything get in touch with Shannon alright?”

“Workin a hot case?”

“Very. I’ll holler at ya when I get back.”

“Hey Dad?”

“Yeah Tony?”

He paused. He knew all the things to never say, even though the possibility of never getting to reigned high.

“You know…when you get back we oughta hit a football game.”

“Wouldn’t miss it. Talk soon son. Watch your six.”

“Watch yours too Dad.” Tony chuckled as his dad ended the call without so much as a goodbye.

Flashback

After graduating from high school, Tony’s father hadn’t left him anywhere to go. He’d made it clear that he was not welcome to return home, simply by neglecting to invite him there. Jethro and Shannon Gibbs had stepped up and taken him in.

Gibbs, who had been Tony’s DI in the military academy, was a hundred times more the father than his own father had ever been. He’d spent hours working with Tony during that first summer following high school; helping him figure out where to go to school and how to pay for it. They’d taken road trips to visit campuses, talked to coaches and professors, and eventually their hard work had paid off at Ohio State when one of the Assistant Coaches recognized Tony’s name from the football stats at Rhode Island’s Military Academy.

So Tony had gone to Ohio State on a partial scholarship and partially paid for by Jethro and Shannon. Shortly after Tony left the military academy, Jethro was offered a position as team leader at NCIS. He decided to accept the position and they’d moved down to DC. Tony had been a little shell-shocked by how quickly all those decisions had been made and had blinked in surprise at the phone when Shannon called to give him the new address and phone number.

“Why are you doing this,” he’d asked her, his voice barely a whisper.

“Why are we doing what, honey? Moving?”

“No, no I understand why you’re moving…Why…why did you give me your new address?” Tony had wondered out loud.

“Silly, how are you supposed to come home to see us if you don’t know where we are?”

“I…I guess…I mean I suppose I thought that…nevermind, it’s nothing.” Shannon, Tony thought, had let the conversation drop. He’d been surprised that night when his phone rang.

“Hello?”

“Do I need to come slap some sense into you?”

“Dad?”

“Yes Dad who the hell else were you expecting? What’d you say to upset your mom so badly?”

“I didn’t meant to upset her Dad, honest! I just…” he suddenly realized how his words may have been upsetting to the woman he loved like a mother, “I just asked her why you guys were giving me your new address is all…guess I thought with you moving and Kelly getting to grown up now that…” he didn’t dare finish that sentence.

He and his father had chatted for a while longer, Jethro stressing to him over and over that he would always have space in their home. That weekend Jethro had showed up at Ohio State.

“You alright Tony?”

Tony nodded and kept his eyes on his shoes.

“C’mere kid,” Gibbs said and pulled him tightly against him. “You remember what I told you when you graduated, right?”

Tony nodded. “Said I was the closest thing you’ll ever have to a son.”

“Did I lie when I said that?”

“Hope not,” he flinched when Gibbs slapped the back of his head, “no you didn’t lie.”

Gibbs had stayed the weekend with his son at college�"they wore flannel shirts over t-shirts and jeans and watched football and drank beer together (even though Tony wasn’t quite old enough yet). Before he’d left for home Gibbs had produced a plane ticket for Tony.

“I expect you to be at home for Thanksgiving,” he said, giving him a knowing look. Last year he’d stayed in the dorm and by the end of the weekend had worked himself into quite a state. Thanksgiving was the time of year when his mother had passed and Tony always found himself fighting a deep depression around that time each year. He’d grown to learn that being around people helped…but sometimes he lost sight of that.

Gibbs was an amazing source of information, strength and support for Tony. He attended as many of his boy’s games as he could in college, watched him on television when he was unable to attend. His whole family was supportive of Ohio State�"even down to Kelly who wore her little Ohio State Cheerleader’s outfit each time her brother played.

In the last game before Christmas during Tony’s senior year, the whole family had managed to come out to see him play. Shannon was off from her teaching job, Kelly was in tow, and Gibbs had taken some time off in between cases at NCIS. It was the end of the fourth quarter of the game, OSU was up by 6 and the quarterback passed Tony the ball.

The pass was flawless, the catch was perfect, and the chase was on to the end zone. There was 16 seconds left on the clock in the first playoff game of the season.

Tony never saw the player with the actor’s name coming. From his back left, Brad Pitt landed hard on him, grabbed him and forced him down. Pain like he’d never felt in his life shot through his left leg and he couldn’t stop the scream that escaped his throat.

Jethro heard the shriek of pain over the other sounds of the game. He’d seen Tony go down, knew his son hadn’t been able to see the running back coming up behind him. He recognized that cry of pain though�"hadn’t heard it since the days back at Rhode Island Military Academy when Tony’s actual father had come to visit�"the last time Tony had seen his father. Gibbs was on his feet and running through the bleachers, pushing through the crowds before Shannon could even react. He jumped the fence and was down on the field in a matter of moments.

Tony was on his back, surrounded by players, coaches and medics. He was writhing in pain, flinching away from every touch and had tears streaming down his cheeks. He looked absolutely terrified and completely confused beneath his football helmet’s mask.

“Don’t,” he panted, “don’t hurt me please I’ll be good I swear please don’t touch me, please make it stop, please don’t touch me,” Tony groaned over and over, only to be ignored by everyone who was nearby. Jethro pushed his way through the crowd.

“Get out of the damn way I’m his father, move get out of the way! Tony!” He landed on his knees next to his kid and unfastened the helmet.

“Mr. DiNozzo we need you to�"” At the sound of his father’s name, Tony recoiled and started trying to back up and get away, screaming in terror the whole time.

Adrenaline is a powerful drug�"several of the people caring for Tony suddenly found themselves with a large mass of terrified and fighting football player.

“My name is Gibbs, not DiNozzo, Tony’s adopted.” It had been Tony’s Christmas gift from Shannon and Jethro the first year he’d lived with them. They’d presented him with guardianship papers on Christmas morning. It was symbolic more than anything since Tony’s father was still alive and Tony was 18, but it had meant the world to both the boy and his new parents. Gibbs turned back to Tony. He slid one hand up under the back of his boy’s neck and the other hand gently removed the football helmet.

“Shh I got you Tony sok now shh…it’s Dad Tony…shh it’s Gibbs…”

Pain-filled eyes blinked up at Jethro and Tony immediately relaxed and quit struggling.

“Where does it hurt, Tony?”

“Leg,” he moaned softly and Gibbs took a good look at his boy. Then he looked at his leg and couldn’t fight down the grimace. He schooled his features and turned back to Tony, gently wiping the sweat from his forehead. He felt how clammy Tony’s skin was, his coloring was bad and his words were starting to slur together a bit.

Gibbs turned around to the medic. “He’s going into shock. He needs a hospital.”

The coach snorted, “like hell he does! That boy is the only shot my team’s got at winning tonight! C’mon DiNozzo get up�"walk it off you got a game to win for us!”

Tony pushed himself up to a sitting position and looked up at Gibbs. “D-dad,” He stuttered out before turning his head and throwing up. The medics immediately checked his pupil response and determined the vomiting was from nerves and pain. He would be alright, but definitely needed to go to a hospital.

The coach was irate. He started to yell but was cut off by Gibbs who had fallen into the role of protector�"no one messed with his kids.

Later at the hospital, it was Gibbs who sat in the recovery room with Tony while they waited for him to come out of the anesthesia. Shannon and Kelly had stayed for a while, but eventually Shannon took Kelly back to Tony’s apartment so she could go to bed. Gibbs stayed with Tony, knowing how the boy felt about hospitals. He also knew his boy was not going to take the news well�"his knee was ruined, all the ligaments and tendons had been torn, and there was no chance of him finishing the football season playoffs in weeks following the holidays. Tony’s football career was over; his chance at the pros was gone.

Tony groaned softly and his eyes fluttered open. He’d been out of surgery for nearly an hour and the anesthesia was finally wearing off.

“How you feeling, Tony?” Tony blinked his eyes. Dad. He was safe. He let his eyes slide shut.

“Sleepy,” he murmured. “Can I go home? Gotta finish the season,” his voice was soft, exhausted, nearly silent.

“Well we will have to talk to the doctor and see what they say. We won’t leave you alone though; Shannon or I will be with you the whole time you’re here, alright?”

Tony nodded. The doctor appeared at Gibbs’ side.

“We’re ready to move him into a room. With any luck he should be able to go home in a few days.”

“What about...football season…doc?”

The doctor smiled sadly. “I’m sorry son. I’m afraid you’re all done playing football.”

Gibbs hadn’t lied�"he and Shannon had stuck to him like glue in the weeks that followed. Tony had come home for several weeks after clearing it with his teachers to mail in papers and assignments after Christmas while he healed up. Tony found himself in a deep depression though�"a phys ed major with a bum knee�"what a joke. It was Shannon who reminded him that he was also a criminal justice major.

Soon after he graduated from OSU (with honors, two bachelor degrees and a minor in psychology) he enrolled in the police academy. He spent six grueling months studying laws and crimes, defensive and tactical skills, restraint, apprehension, ticket writing and a myriad of other skills needed to be a police officer. He graduated top in his class and joined the police force in Philadelphia.

There he’d quickly learned that he was working in a dirty department and after being nearly shot then nearly blown up on two different operations, he and his dad had decided that if he wanted to live to see his 25th birthday, he should maybe find another station to work in. He’d heard about Peoria, their amazing solved crimes rating, and had been instantly inspired by the chief there. It was farther from home, but hopping a plane was no problem. He was happier there than he’d been since he started his career.

End Flashback

That evening, Tony unlocked the door to his apartment and checked his phone messages. Salesman. Telemarketer. Date potential (he wrote down her number). Then a message that caught his attention.

“Hey honey it’s Mom…I know you talked to your father earlier and he told you what was going on with him. Look Tony I saw something this afternoon and…I need to ask your advice. Give me a call sweetheart.”

He forgot about calling the potential date and phoned Shannon instead.

“Hi honey,” she said, the smile evident in her voice as soon as she answered.

“What’s up Momma?”

“This afternoon I was at the park with Kelly…I saw…a man got murdered Tony…”

“Did you call the police?”

“Not yet…he saw us.”

Tony froze. “Who saw you?”

Tony had a feeling in his gut he didn’t like. His mom and sister were not safe. His dad was away on an op for NCIS. And he was 1,000 miles away in Illinois.

“The killer,” she whispered.

“Mom, do you know where Dad is?”

“He’s undercover Tony. He can’t be reached. I’ve already tried. He’s too deep. NCIS won’t let me contact him, and they won’t contact him for me.”

“Damn. You guys wanna come stay with me for a few days?”

“No thank you Sweetie. We’re big girls. I’m going to talk to the police tomorrow if you think I should.”

“I think you should. Call up NCIS and tell them you’re Gibbs’ wife and you need protection detail.”

“Don’t you think that’s a little bit excessive?”

“No Momma, not under these circumstances. Please?”

“Ok, ok, I’ll call them in the morning. I love you Tony.”

“I love you too Momma…just…watch your six, alright? Call me tomorrow?”

Before she could answer Tony heard the sound of glass breaking and a little girl’s scream. He heard his mother scream Kelly’s name and then the line went dead.

TBC

Duty Bound: Chapter 2

Tampa, Florida
August 24, 1990

Joe Thomason frowned when his cell phone rang. He frowned even more when it stopped abruptly after just one ring. That was a signal that he needed to get in touch with his boss. He looked warily around the bar and took a slow sip of his bourbon. He set his glass on the bar and looked at the man he was meeting.

“Needa hit th’head,” he slurred slightly, pushing himself up from the table.

As soon as he was out of sight of his companion, he pulled out his cell phone and walked out the back door of the bar.

“Go ahead,” the voice on the other end said.

“You called me,” Thomason growled. “You do realize I’m working, right?”

“I’m sending in someone to take your place. You’re being pulled.”

“What are you talking about? We’re almost done here�"I’ve almost got all the evidence we need!”

“Jethro…I’m pulling you out. I’ll explain why when you are safely out of Tampa.”

Gibbs’ gut churned, but Thomason hid it well behind the scowling mask he wore. Something was very, very wrong. He’d had the feeling for a few days now, but couldn’t put his finger on it.

“Is…is everyone alright?”

“I’ll explain everything once you are out of Tampa. Your replacement will be Pacci and he will be there within the hour. Introduce him to your companion, make nice, then excuse yourself. Call me when you’re free.”

The line went dead. Gibbs frowned at his phone. They were replacing him, not cancelling the op. That meant something personal. He frowned trying to think of what could have happened…the only thing he could figure was something must have happened to Tony.

“Oh God, Tony,” he whispered. He allowed himself a moment to worry, a moment of brief emotion, before he returned to the bar. He had a job to finish.

Washington, DC
August 20, 1990

Tony’s car screamed to a halt in front of his parents’ house and his gut rolled when he saw the crime scene tape around the house. He flashed his badge, told them who he was, and ducked under the tape.

“Son you don’t wanna go in there�"” one of the cops tried to tell him.

“I have to! That’s my family in there! I work homicide in Peoria. I can handle it.”

He pulled on latex gloves since he was entering a crime scene and stepped inside the house. Everything was just as it had been when Tony had been on the phone with his mom twelve hours earlier. As soon as he’d heard his mom scream and heard Kelly’s cries he’d panicked. The line had gone dead, along with his family. He just knew it. He didn’t know where his dad was, only that he couldn’t be contacted because he was so deeply undercover. He’d done the only thing he knew to do�"jumped in his car, called the DC Metro Police department and reported the crime, called his boss on his cell and made the fourteen hour drive home in just under twelve hours.

He walked into the eerily silent kitchen. There was blood splattered on the stove, on the floor and on the counter. The phone was still dangling off the hook, the cord cut at the wall, the receiver covered in blood. He followed the trail of blood and nearly gagged. He hadn’t been expecting his mother to still be lying on the floor, the slash mark on her neck was jagged; she hadn’t suffered long, if at all. Tony ran a hand over his mouth and turned away.

“Will you guys put a sheet over her?”

“We’re still waiting on someone to show up who can shoot and sketch the scene…”

“ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?! This happened over twelve hours ago!! I drove here last night from Illinois! You’re going to tell me that your cops can’t arrive before me and I drove 1,000 miles? GET SOMEONE HERE TO PROCESS THE GODDAMN SCENE! That is my mother lying there,” he said angrily.

He turned around and left the room. He heard one of the cops on the radio fussing at someone to get over there as he started up the stairs. From what he’d heard on the phone, the bastard had gotten to Kelly before he’d gotten to Shannon. That meant he had to have come in from the attic or one of the bedrooms.

He looked in Jethro and Shannon’s room. Nothing was out of place. The killer hadn’t come in through their window. He stepped down the hall to the bathroom. Nothing. Same thing with Kelly’s room. He stepped to his room and stared in horror. His window was busted and there in the floor in front of his desk was Kelly. The killer must have tried to sneak in the house through here, not seen Kelly then killed her to shut her up before she made too much noise. Kelly always loved to play on Tony’s computer. He’d given her free reign to use it when he was not there. His monitor was smashed…on the floor beside…oh God that must be how he killed her...

Kelly’s head had a huge gash in it. It was easy to tell her skull was shattered. The monitor lay busted and discarded right beside her. Tony swallowed the bile in his throat and ran gloved fingers over his sister’s hair.

“Oh God Kelly I’m so sorry,” he whispered. “I should have been here to protect you and momma.”

“There was nothing you could have done, son. These random murders like this happen all the time and the killers take out everyone in the household. You should be glad you weren’t here, else you’d be dead too.”

Tony turned and looked at the cop like he’d lost his mind.

“This wasn’t a random murder. My mother witnessed someone being murdered in the park yesterday afternoon. She called me to ask what she should do about it. While I was on the phone with her she and my sister were attacked. I heard most of it over the phone until the line was cut. I’m the one who called in the crime. This was not random,” he said again.

A thought occurred to him. “Has anyone called my dad to tell him?”

“Where is your father, son?”

“He’s working…he works for NCIS…Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs…he is undercover. Mom tried to get someone to contact him but no one would listen to her.”

“Do you want us to get someone to contact him?”

“No…no I’ll figure it out. He’s really deep undercover, so it might not be safe to contact him at this point. We’ll just have to hold off on funerals and arrangements and everything until I can get in touch with him. I’ll go see his boss and tell him what’s going on. You guys concentrate on figuring out who this guy is.”

The cop patted Tony on the shoulder. Tony glared at him with a stare that would have made Gibbs proud. The cop awkwardly withdrew his arm, made promises to call Tony with any new information they had, and Tony left.

Washington, DC
August 25, 1990

Gibbs entered the bullpen like a rabid dog. He went straight to the director’s office and knocked on the door. Tom Morrow answered it a moment later.

“Tom what the hell is going on? I’m safely out of Tampa. I’m home. Can you please debrief me and tell me what’s up so I can go see my family?”

Tom looked at him. “Sit down Jethro.”

Gibbs’ gut lit up like the fourth of July. “What. Happened. Tom, please just tell me. I can take it. It’s Tony, isn’t it? He got hurt…did he get shot? What?”

“No Jethro. It wasn’t Tony.”

“Well what then?”

Tom closed his eyes. He hated himself for what was about to happen.

“On August 19 your wife went to the park with your daughter.”

“They go to the park nearly every day. So what?”

“While they were there on August 19…Shannon saw something she wasn’t supposed to see.”

“What’d she see Tom? Just tell me.”

“There was a murder in the park. Shannon saw it happen.”

Gibbs closed his eyes. “Shit,” he muttered.

“Jethro, she saw the killer. We believe with what she saw, he could be identified in a line-up.”

“Where is she? Did you all move her to the safe-house? Did she call you and ask for help? What about Kelly? Has anyone talked to Tony?”

“Well that’s where everything went to hell. Apparently, she did call in here. She asked us to contact you. I’m not sure who she spoke with, but whoever it was told her you were too deeply undercover to be contacted�"they didn’t know about our contact signal. They didn’t move her to a safe-house or put her on protection-detail.”

“Where is she now? Surely she’s not still at home. Did she go to Peoria and stay with Tony? That would have been the smart thing to do?”

“She and Kelly didn’t go to Peoria, but she did call Tony. That was when…” Morrow sighed. “We believe the killer broke into the house. Jethro I’m so sorry…Kelly and Shannon were killed. Shannon was on the phone with Tony when it happened…he’s the one who called it in.”

“Oh God…I need to call him.”

“He’s in town, Gibbs. He came home as soon as he got off the phone.”

“Where is he?”

“I think he’s at the house. He’s been working with Metro…”

“I have to get over there. Morrow…I’ll call you. Thanks.”

He drove like a possessed man towards his home. His home that was a crime scene. The crime scene where his…oh God where his wife and his daughter…where they were killed. He pulled up along the sidewalk in front of the house, behind the corvette with the Illinois plates. He took a moment to run his hands over his eyes, and then steeled himself for what was to come. He got out of the car and walked toward the house. He flashed his badge as he stepped under the crime scene tape.

“I’m looking for Tony DiNozzo…have you seen him?”

“He’s around back.”

Gibbs walked away without another word. He knew the bodies would be gone by now and he wanted to find his boy…he needed to see for himself that Tony was alright. There were several cops working around the porch. He didn’t see Tony though. He stepped up to them.

“I’m looking for Tony DiNozzo…is he here? The cop out front told me he was around back here.”

An older cop turned around and looked at Gibbs. He read the name on the ID badge around his neck and smiled sadly. Then he pointed to the hammock tied to the two trees.

“He’s finally asleep I think. Kid’s been working himself ragged ever since he got here. Keeps muttering to himself about finding the killer and not letting his family down. He’s a good boy.”

Gibbs nodded. “The best. I’m going to go check on him. Do you know…has he eaten?”

The older cop thought for a minute. “You know…I’m not sure, but I don’t think he has. Not in a few days, anyway.”

Gibbs nodded. “Not surprising. Thanks.”

He stepped over to the hammock on the other side of the backyard. Tony was on his side, facing away from the house, as though he couldn’t even look at it anymore. His forehead was wrinkled with emotion and stress, and his shoulders were hunched as well. He didn’t look like he was relaxing. He looked exhausted.

But at least he was still alive.

“Tony?”

Tony barely stirred when Gibbs spoke his name.

“Tony…c’mon Tony wake up. Time to go eat, c’mon.”

Gibbs broke the cardinal rule and he knew it. He reached out and grabbed Tony’s shoulder, giving it a firm shake. Tony sprang into action, dumped himself ungracefully off the hammock and nearly broke Gibbs’ wrist before he realized who it was.

“D-dad?”

Gibbs nodded. “Yeah Tony. C’mon, let’s go eat and find somewhere to crash. There’s nothing we can do here. Not even our case, son.”

Tony stood up and swayed. Gibbs caught him under the arms. “You need to eat and then you need to rest. Come on let’s go. I’m driving.”

They walked to Gibbs’ car and Jethro settled Tony in the passenger seat.

“Dad,” Tony said quietly.

“Yeah son?”

“Mom and Kelly are gone.” Tears trickled down Tony’s face from his tired eyes. His voice cracked when he spoke.

Gibbs closed his eyes, tears beginning to leak out uncontrollably. “I know,” he said, his own voice cracking. He reached out and pulled Tony close to him, wrapping his arms around his only son.

“Dad what are we going to do now,” Tony whispered against Jethro’s chest. His voice sounded childlike and completely full of trust. Gibbs knew Tony would follow him without question, would do whatever Gibbs told him to.

Gibbs shook his head. “I don’t know Tony. I just don’t know.”

That night Gibbs sat sentry over Tony who tossed restlessly on the bed in the hotel room. His fingers were steepled in front of his face, and the scowl on his features was deep. In his mind, a thought was forming. A thought of revenge. He was duty bound to find the bastard who did this. There would be no jury to convict him, no lawyer to argue his defense. He would find the person who had killed his family and he would have his revenge.

In the early morning light, Tony sat up suddenly, finally escaping the throes of a nightmare. Gibbs didn’t need to ask what he’d been dreaming about. Tony looked at him warily, hair tousled, eyes puffy with deep circles under them. He looked at Gibbs and easily read the look on his face.

“I’m going with you,” he said finally as he lay back down.

Gibbs moved to the edge of the bed and sat beside Tony. “No,” he said simply.

Tony pushed himself up on his elbows. “I heard it happen. That makes me as good as a witness. I want the sonofabitch dead as much as you do. Let. Me. Help. You.”

In the early morning dimness of the night, Tony could only barely make out Jethro’s silhouette. His dad didn’t say anything. Didn’t have to. Tony knew without a word being said that he hadn’t just lost his mom and his sister.

He’d lost his dad too.

End.