Summary: Why does Tony hate Halloween so much? father/son themes. Content may be disturbing to some readers.
Categories: Gen Characters: Anthony DiNozzo, Leroy Jethro Gibbs
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Drama, Episode Related, Holiday
Pairing: None
Warnings: Dark story, Disturbing imaginery, Domestic abuse, Torture, Violence
Challenges: Series: None
Chapters: 1
Completed: Yes
Word count: 5436
Read: 6800
Published: 10/31/2011
Updated: 10/31/2011
Story Notes:
Happy Halloween everybody!
1. Whipping Boy by WCUGirl
Author's Notes:
Why does Tony hate Halloween so much? father/son themes. Content may be disturbing to some readers.
Spoiler: Some spoilers for episode 4.07 Witch Hunt and episode 5.06 Chimera
Disclaimer: Still not mine…this is a father soon story. It is not a slash story, nor is it part of the With Honors Series.
Summary: Just why is it Tony hates Halloween so much?
Warning: Child abuse, angst; this is a really heavy story.
Whipping Boy
By WCUGirl & PeanutMeg
Gibbs stood on the balcony overlooking the bullpen, remembering Kelly and the last year when he got to take her trick or treating; he remembered her pointed princess hat and flowing pink dress with a sad smile. Subtly shaking his head to bring himself back to the present, he watched as his team hurried to finish the required reports so they could leave while the calendar still read the 31st.
He’d instructed his team to head as soon as they finished. It wasn’t surprising that Tony’s report was the first one completed; the report was on Gibbs’ desk and the young man was already entering the elevator"no doubt the younger man had big plans for his Halloween celebration. Seeing that McGee was at Ziva’s desk and they were doing more talking than working, Gibbs fixed a frown on his face and headed down the stairs to his desk.
“"can’t believe Tony would dump out all his candy,” McGee said as Gibbs came up behind him.
“Working hard McGee?”
McGee jumped, startled that Gibbs had managed to sneak up on him"again. “Uh, yes boss, I mean, no boss, I…sorry boss.” He moved to step around Gibbs and return to his desk, but Gibbs blocked his path.
“Gonna let me in on the joke, Elf Lord?” Gibbs crossed his arms and stared expectantly at Tim. The young agent sighed and looked at his shoes.
“It was just a stupid story that Tony was telling me earlier about when he was a kid, Boss. Knowing Tony he probably made the whole thing up anyway.”
Gibbs continued to stare at McGee until McGee looked away. “Sorry Boss,” he said quietly. “I’ll just go finish my report now.”
This time Gibbs allowed McGee to step around him and he swatted him on the back of his head as he passed. Gibbs then sat down at his desk and gave a cursory glance to Tony’s report. His mind was otherwise occupied by McGee’s offhand remark, wondering what could have caused Tony to dump out all of his candy as a child. He knew Tony had dealt with difficult times growing up, but Gibbs figured there must have been some instigating incident leading up to his agent dumping out his Halloween candy; he certainly wouldn’t have done it willingly"DiNozzo’s sweet tooth was legendry.
Gibbs continued to brood while appearing engrossed in the report before him as first McGee and then Ziva turned in their reports. The two junior agents then gathered their things and were gone. Gibbs sat at his desk for a big longer, debating whether or not he should bother his senior field agent tonight. Part of him figured Tony was probably out celebrating with all the goblins and spooks that DC nightlife had to offer. His gut disagreed, however, and Gibbs knew better than to question that feeling.
He picked up his keys and headed for the elevator.
xxx
As Gibbs sped through the night, he thought back over the day, clearly remembering Tony’s, “I hate Halloween. Bad stuff always happens on Halloween.”
Gibbs wondered again what caused his second t make such a statement. Working in law enforcement, he knew that it wasn’t uncommon to see people do some stupid things in the name of Halloween, but Gibbs had seen something in Tony’s eyes when he’d made the statement"Tony’s reason for hating Halloween was personal. In some ways it surprised Gibbs that the younger man would dislike this particular holiday. Tony was a man who thrived on hiding behind a mask; Gibbs often wondered if he knew the real Tony DiNozzo at all.
Arriving at his destination, Gibbs let out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding when he saw the green Mustang parked in its usual spot in the lot beside Tony’s apartment building. There was a vacant spot next to the vintage sports car, and Gibbs pulled his charger into the space. He sat for a moment trying to figure out what exactly he was doing at Tony’s apartment, and why he’d felt such a strong urge to go check on his second.
Realizing he was solving nothing by sitting in the car, Gibbs got out and headed for the apartment building. He smiled and held the door open for a group of kids fully decked out in their Halloween costumes before hurrying up the stairs to the third floor apartment. Gibbs stopped short when he reached the door, though, he’d expected to see a jack-o-lantern at Tony’s door"instead he stood before the only unadorned door on the hall.
With narrowed eyes and a screaming gut, Gibbs knocked on the door. A moment later a decidedly rumpled Tony DiNozzo opened the door.
“Boss? We catch a case or something?” The Senior Field Agent ran a hand through his hair in an effort to bring some order to it, but had little success.
“No, no case. This a bad time?”
“Wha"uh"no Boss,” Tony backed up and held the door open for the older agent to follow him inside, casting a quizzical glance at his boss before he allowed the door to click closed. “I was just watching a movie.”
As Gibbs entered the apartment, he noticed that every light was on, and when he saw the television he was surprised to see It’s a Wonderful Life playing on the screen. He’d imagined Tony would be watching a variety of horror movies tonight. Gibbs could also smell coffee brewing"strong coffee"the kind he would typically find in his own kitchen. He thought it a bit odd, since Tony had not been expecting him, but decided to put off questioning his agent.
Following Tony into the living room, Gibbs sat on the sofa and gestured to the screen, “Got your holidays mixed up, DiNozzo? That’s not a slasher movie, and I don’t see any candy for trick-or-treating.”
“Wow Boss, I didn’t think you knew what a slasher movie was,” the glare sent his way prompted him to start again, “but of course you do.” Another pause, “Trick or treating?”
“Well it is Halloween, DiNozzo. Dressing up in costumes, kids getting candy"that’s the nature of the holiday. Thought you’d be participating.”
Tony looked surprisingly uncomfortable with the concept. “Well, you know me Boss, never have been good with kids.”
“Don’t have to be good with kids to answer the door and throw candy in a bucket.”
“Yeah, but half those kids don’t get to eat the candy anyway; why waste the time and money?”
Gibbs narrowed his eyes a bit. “Never took you to be a Scrooge, DiNozzo.”
Tony snorted. “Now who’s confusing the holiday?”
Gibbs leaned back against the sofa, “Your movie.”
“Yeah Boss. I’m uh…gonna go get some coffee.”
Gibbs sighed as Tony hurried from the room. A moment later, he returned and set a full mug in front of the lead agent before sitting beside him on the sofa. The two men lapsed into comfortable silence; when the silence had gone on through George Bailey running through the streets, Gibbs glanced over and saw that Tony had fallen asleep. He smiled fondly at the young man as he was reminded of a little girl who had repeatedly attempted (and failed) to stay up to watch The Little Mermaid.
Getting up from the sofa, Gibbs carefully maneuvered his agent until he was lying down. Then, noticing there was a blanket draped over the couch, Gibbs reached for it to cover his agent. Although, he was not prepared for what he saw when he went to lay the blanket over the sleeping man.
A long, thin, white scar. Its origin was somewhere beneath the waistband of Tony’s sweatpants, but it extended…God, it extended well up to his lower back. Tony’s shirt had ridden up when Gibbs had turned him, and now the sinister mark was exposed for all to see. Gibbs narrowed his eyes, reminding himself to ask his agent about the scar, and draped the blanket over his sleeping agent.
A moment later, Gibbs silently cursed himself even as he was impressed by the steadiness of the gun suddenly pointed at his face"a gun that Gibbs had neglected to see, but shouldn’t have assumed was not present. It took Tony a moment to register who was standing over him, and a second longer to realize that Gibbs was not a threat.
“Boss?”
“Well yeah, DiNozzo. Good nap?”
“Uh…yeah, sure Boss. Sorry for that,” Tony absently rubbed a hand across his eyes and stood up. “I should get some coffee, you want a refill?”
Not waiting for an answer from the lead agent, Tony headed into the kitchen. He returned with their mugs and rejoined Gibbs on the sofa.
After picking up his mug and taking a sip Gibbs turned to Tony, “Heard you hate Halloween.”
“You heard that?”
Gibbs nodded. “Don’t understand why though. Figured Halloween would be your favorite holiday"after all, it’s the only day of the year you could wear a mask publicly and not get called out for it.”
“Dunno what you’re talkin’ about, Boss,” Tony mumbled softly, looking down at his lap, and Gibbs might have believed him, had there not been a blush staining his cheeks.
“You trying to bullshit me, DiNozzo?” Gibbs set his mug down on the table, “What’s so bad about Halloween?”
“Bad shit happens on Halloween, Boss. You know that. Hell, look at the case we just solved.”
“You’re a federal agent, Tony, and before that you were a cop. You’re used to seeing stupid shit happen on Halloween; hell it’s part of the fun of the day"not knowing what to expect. But usually it’s not much worse than any other day. So, I think there’s something else you’re not telling me.”
“You think I’m keeping secrets, Boss? You think I’m not being honest?”
“No, Tony, I know you’re not lying to me"bad shit does happen on Halloween, and as law enforcement officers we’ve seen our fair share of it. But I’m calling your bluff. There’s something bigger here, and I wanna know what it is. No secrets, DiNozzo.”
“That ‘no secrets’ apply to you too, Boss? Because you left out a chunk of history and were halfway to Mexico while I was still processing.”
Gibbs flinched before he could stop himself. “I screwed up by not telling you about Shannon and Kelly. I screwed up again by leaving like I did,” he finally said quietly. “And I know I can’t make you talk, but I’d like it if you’d tell me the real reason why you hate Halloween, Tony. Please.”
Dammit. The man said please. Tony leaned back against the couch cushion. “I never really got to celebrate it as a kid,” he shrugged and gave a lazy smile, “guess I never developed an appreciation for the holiday.”
“McGee said something about you having to dump out all your candy.”
Tony decided right then and there he was going to kill a probie. He quickly put on a face of mock outrage, “Me? C’mon Boss! Do you really think I’d dump out all my candy?”
“I dunno DiNozzo. Would you?”
“I…that is…uh…” Gibbs rolled his eyes to the ceiling. His senior field agent was going to be the death of him.
“No secrets, DiNozzo. C’mon Tony you know you can tell me.”
Tony let out a frustrated sigh that sounded more like a growl. “What do you want me to say, Boss?”
“You can say whatever the hell you want DiNozzo, you're the best undercover agent I've ever seen.”
Gibbs paused, and Tony gave him a small smile in return. “But Tony, you don't fool me; you never have.”
“Wasn't trying to fool you, Boss. Know I'm shit at it, but it's what I do.” Tony's eyes returned to his lap. “Force of habit boss, 'never assume someone isn't watching' and I know you're...well, you're Gibbs. But that doesn't mean that I know what you want me to tell you"that's new territory for me.”
“You can start by telling me where you got that scar on your back.”
Tony shot up off the couch and crossed the room in a matter of seconds. “I-I dunno what you’re talking about, Boss. Your eyesight going?”
“DiNozzo,” Gibbs stood up and took a tentative step towards his agent"the man he considered his son"and held up his hands. “Tony.” Gibbs sighed. “I saw the scar when I was getting the blanket to cover you.”
Tony continued to back up as Gibbs approached. He backed into a shelf, accidently knocking a picture frame off, sending it crashing to the floor in a shattered mess.
Gibbs flinched at the sound of the glass breaking, “Hope that wasn’t some priceless antique.”
When Tony didn’t respond to Gibbs’ statement, the older man ran a critical eye over his second in command to assure he hadn’t been hit by the falling glass. Tony wasn’t bleeding, but he also hadn’t moved from where he was standing when the frame had fallen.
“DiNozzo?” Gibbs called again at went to Tony’s side. Seeing his agent’s frozen features and glazed eyes, Gibbs again tried to break his agent’s silence, “Tony! DiNozzo…you okay?” When he still received no answer, the lead agent realized Tony must be caught in the past, and he resorted to his last option.
Tony’s body jerked at the gentle headslap and he blinked the memories away, focusing on concerned blue eyes. “Boss?”
“You with me, DiNozzo?”
“On your six, Boss.”
“Wasn’t sure, you were somewhere else for a while.” Tony looked down at the statement, unable to keep his boss’s gaze.
“I should get the broom, clean up this mess.”
“The glass isn’t going anywhere DiNozzo, but I’d like to know where you went. And I’d like to hear it with you sitting down.”
Gibbs headed back toward the sofa and Tony followed; however, once there Tony reached for the discarded blanket. Unfortunately, his plans to fold it as a distraction were thwarted by shaking hands. Gibbs took the blanket without comment, and had it folded and replaced on the back of the couch before Tony could protest. Without a ready distraction, Tony sighed and sat down.
“Talk to me, Tony. Tell me what just happened,” Gibbs quietly requested. “I’ve never seen you react to anything like that. I mean we get shot at on a regular basis and you don’t even flinch.” Gibbs reached for his coffee mug while he waited for Tony to respond.
“What can I say Boss? Bullets aren’t that bad.”
“DiNozzo.”
Tony let out a quiet sigh, “It’s funny you’re drinking that coffee.”
Gibbs looked at his coffee. It tasted fine; strong just the way he liked it. “Something wrong with the coffee, DiNozzo?”
“No Boss, it’s fine. I just…wasn’t expecting you to come over, is all.”
“Then why’d you make it?”
Tony’s ears and cheeks tinged light pink with embarrassment. “For the smell,” he said softly. “Makes me…it’s stupid, nevermind.”
“Tell me.”
Tony let out a long sigh. “The smell reminds me of you. Reminds me you have my six.”
“I’ve always got your six, Tony; you should know that by now.”
“I do know that. It’s just…well tonight…I just…”
Gibbs looked at Tony. “Tell me,” he said firmly. “What is so damned bad about Halloween that you hate it so much, and what does it have to do with the way you just reacted to that picture frame falling?” He picked up his coffee and took a sip.
Tony’s eyes focused on his lap. “It was the first time.”
Gibbs lowered his coffee mug and turned to look at his Senior Field Agent. He wondered about Tony’s ambiguity, wondered if Tony was referring to tonight’s event, or a past one.
Tony stared straight ahead and continued in a monotonous voice, “I mean, he’d thrown his glass at me when I didn’t pour three fingers of Macallan 18 correctly, and when I didn’t report properly,” Tony paused and gestured toward the broken glass, “I’ve hated the sound of breaking glass ever since; but Halloween…that was the first time he…” Tony trailed off, apparently lost in thought.
Gibbs realized he had a white knuckled grip on the mug of coffee and carefully set it down on the coffee table. The quiet click of the mug started the younger man out of his reverie, and he gave his team lead a half shrug.
“But, his wife had just died, and then his eight year old kid cuts up his thousand dollar suit in a bad attempt to make a space suit costume. Who could blame the guy, right?”
The headslap was a touch harder than normal. “DiNozzo. Help me out here, spell it out for me.”
Tony didn’t say anything for several minutes. Gibbs watched him closely, silently begging him to keep talking. Finally Tony sighed. “My mother died in the summer when I was eight. My dad was all tore up about it; he started drinking a lot"well, more than normal"and he was gone all the time. When he was home though, I had to pour his evening drink for him and then report on my day. If I messed up…well…I always have been a hands on project.” Tony was still staring straight ahead, so he missed Gibbs’ clenching hands. The younger man then took a deep breath and continued, “Most of the time though, I was alone in the house with the nanny and the housekeepers for weeks at a time. Anyway, when Halloween rolled around that year I didn’t have a costume. I knew I couldn’t ask my father, and my nanny had already left, so I thought I’d make one myself.”
“What did you…” Gibbs trailed off, realizing that he needed to let Tony do this at his own pace. If Tony felt like Gibbs was interrogating him he would shut down.
“I didn’t know it was his new ski suit,” Tony said softly. “I didn’t know. I just saw it and couldn’t help but think of what a fantastic astronaut costume it would make.”
Gibbs closed his eyes; he could guess what would come next, and his gut rolled with emotion. The previously incoherent rambling from his agent was suddenly becoming painfully clear. He opened his eyes when Tony began to speak again.
“I came back in from trick or treating, and he was home. I was so excited; I couldn’t help myself…I ran into his office…I hadn’t seen him in a while, and he was there, you know? But, he…” Tony trailed off again, appearing to be caught up in the memory.
Gibbs reached out and placed a reassuring hand on Tony’s shoulder, hoping that he’d somehow be able to ground the younger man.
“He took one look at me and asked me where I had gotten my costume. I"I told him, and he called me a selfish little bastard because I had acted without thinking and cut up his new ski suit. He made me dump my pillow case full of candy into the fireplace. I had to stand there and watch it burn.” Tony gave a humorless laugh, “Chocolate and sugar don’t smell that great when they burn. Who would’ve thought? Anyway, after that he told me to get out of my costume. He made me take it off there in his study"at least I had a t-shirt and boxers on under it…”
There was a long silence then, and it was killing Gibbs. But the lead agent knew Tony needed to get all of this out, and he also knew he needed to hear it. Gibbs knew Tony only trusted a few people, and even fewer with details of his private life. Gibbs squeezed Tony’s shoulder again, overwhelmed by the trust the young man showed in him.
Tony began to speak again, “While I was changing he had grabbed an old hanger from the coat closet. Just your average, everyday wire coat hanger. He…he pulled it…stretched it out so it was just one long loop of wire. Then he…” Tony took a deep, shuddering breath, “he told me to put my hands on the edge of his desk and bend over. I was expecting a spanking"hell I got those all the time! I wasn’t expecting…oh Christ I wasn’t expecting that…”
“Tony what’d he do? You need to finish it. Tell me DiNozzo; trust me.”
“He whipped me with the wire. Told me I was a worthless piece of shit. I could feel the welts rising on my legs, ass, and back…the cuts came later. It seemed to last forever…I didn’t think he’d ever stop…The scar…the one you saw, it wasn’t supposed to happen. I tried to move away and he caught me too high with the wire…”
Gibbs ran a hand over his face, fighting to control his temper. He glanced at his agent huddled up on the couch; his face was blank, but the younger man’s eyes shown with remembered terror.
“Good reason to hate Halloween, DiNozzo,” Gibbs said softly.
“It became a yearly thing for us, a DiNozzo Halloween tradition. He always made sure he was home on Halloween. So I’d go out trick or treating"it’s what kids are supposed to do, y’know? I couldn’t be the only kid in the neighborhood who didn’t show up. So I’d get all this candy"wonderful looking stuff"there were some perks to living in my neighborhood. It was great, Gibbs! Sometimes…” he sighed again, softly, resigned, “sometimes I’d eat some of it before I got home. I knew once I got home I had to bring it all to my father’s office. Every year he’d make me throw it in the fire and watch it burn…”
“How many years, Tony?”
“Went trick or treating until I was eleven, Boss.”
Tony looked at Gibbs, his eyes were glassy, and his mouth was set in a firm line. Gibbs put a gentle hand on the younger man’s arm. “Tony have you ever told anyone about any of this?”
Tony shook his head, “Who’d believe me Boss? I’ve always had a crazy imagination, and you know how much I crave attention.” Tony gave a self-deprecating smile and pulled away from Gibbs to stand up and move toward the center of the room. “Sorry Boss. Didn’t mean to unload on you like that. I…you’ll have my resignation on your desk in the morning.”
Gibbs stood up and went to Tony. “Hey! Where ya goin? Did I fire you? Ask you to resign? What are you thinking, DiNozzo?”
Tony turned on him then, his eyes flashing. “You don’t need someone like me to be your Senior Field Agent! I’m a broken, fucked up mess, and you need someone strong who can watch your six. I can’t do that, don’t know why I ever thought I could. I mean, hell, Boss, you saw what happened with the broken frame! What’d you think would happen if I smelt burnt candy?! I can’t do this Boss, and you know it!” Tony paused to catch his breath and then started again, “Besides, you left me"hardly said goodbye before you were off to cerveza heaven"you left, Boss! So why in Hell would you care if I did the same?”
Gibbs blinked at the sudden change of topic. Obviously they were going to have a long discussion about his time in Mexico. But Gibbs knew that first Tony needed to finish telling his sad tale. “Tell me why you stopped going out when you were eleven, Tony,” he said softly. “What happened that night?”
Tony narrowed his eyes. “Why? Why the sudden interest in my life Boss? You want some more gossip for the NCIS rumor mill? Want to hear about how little Anthony DiNozzo’s perfect childhood wasn’t so perfect so you can feel better about your own? That’s assuming of course, that I’m not telling one of my many lies.”
The headslap nearly knocked Tony off his feet, and the accompanying glare made Gibbs’ face look like it was carved in stone.
“Have I mocked you, Tony? Called you weak? Done any of those things you just accused me of? Would I ever do those things? Use your head, DiNozzo, and quit trying to push me away. I’m here and I’m not leaving you again and I’m not going to let you leave me!”
Tony stopped, floored by that realization. His boss really cared about him. He looked at Gibbs through hooded eyes. “Sorry Boss,” he said softly.
“Rule number six, DiNozzo,” Gibbs replied, looking into his agent’s eyes.
“Right Boss, sigh of weakness, got it.”
“No, not necessary. You haven’t done anything wrong.”
Tony nodded and stared at his feet. “Should clean up that glass,” he mumbled to himself.
“I already told you, DiNozzo, the glass can wait. Tell me what happened that last night Tony.” It wasn’t a request; it was an order. Tony moved woodenly back to the couch and started to sit, but stopped. He turned slowly and looked at Gibbs; the pain in his eyes twisted Gibbs’ gut, but he remained where he was, standing.
“I don’t remember a lot about what happened that last night, Boss,” tony said softly. “I remember my father throwing my candy into the fireplace, but after that…” he shook his head, “I don’t remember a lot about what happened after. That was the night…”
Tony trailed off, lost in his memory again, and Gibbs stepped to him, shaking his shoulders slightly. “The night what, Tony? Help me understand.”
Without a word, Tony pulled down his sweatpants and turned around. Gibbs bristled, for a moment he didn’t understand, but then the reason became painfully clear, and he couldn’t stop the gasp that escaped his lips.
The scar was about an inch wide, and disappeared under his boxers, but the end of it curled, with the arch reaching around the outside of Tony’s hip. The scarred points were sharp, just like the object that implemented it.
“He burned you? With a fire poker?” Gibbs tried desperately to keep the anger out of his voice, knowing that Tony would misinterpret it and think it directed towards him.
Tony nodded and pulled his pants back up. “I didn’t want to burn my candy. I was eleven and you know how well I obey orders I don’t like Boss. My father threw my candy in the fire for me. I made some smart ass comment…the next memory I have is waking up in the hospital a few days later.”
Tony misinterpreted Gibbs’ silence, “Sorry Boss, I know it’s an ugly scar,” Tony said quietly, sitting down on the couch.
Gibbs sat on the coffee table in front of him. “Do not apologize for this. It’s not your fault, DiNozzo. None of it. You hear me? You do not apologize for this.”
Tony nodded, but the expression on his face told Gibbs that he didn’t believe him. “Sure Boss, but I want you to know…I wasn’t just some stupid whipping boy for my father…”
“Tony, listen to me. You listening?”
Tony gave a small smile at the familiar words, “I’m listening, Boss.”
“Nothing, no one can change how I look at you. You belong to me now, and nothing can change that fact. I’m sorry you went through all that as a boy. Wish it coulda been different for you.”
Tony shrugged. “It’s not all bad. Taught me there’s things in life scarier than being shot at,” he said with a small smirk and a quick glance at his boss.
He didn’t try to hide the chuckle when Gibbs headslapped him.
Gibbs then stood and grabbed Tony’s jacket. “C’mon DiNozzo.”
Tony gave his boss an odd glance but stood and took his jacket, “Where we going, Boss?”
Gibbs smiled and opened the door, “It’s Halloween, DiNozzo. We’re going trick or treating.”
~One Year Later~
As Tony stepped off the boat and onto the dock he let out a sigh of relief. The Senior Field Agent was still slightly shocked that McGee had been so unconcerned at the possibility that he could catch the plague again"McGee had been there the first time; Tony thought the young agent would have been a little more sympathetic.
Then again, McGee wasn’t the sweet, innocent little agent they’d hired some three years earlier. Time and cases were hardening their Probie and he was growing up, no doubt about it.
Tony stayed quiet for most of the ride back to Washington. He was tired, and just wanted to go home. He still hated Halloween, though the irony that the team spent Halloween on a ghost ship was not lost on him. He decided not to comment on it though. After the ridicule he’d endured the previous year Tony was more cautious with what he shared with his partners, especially regarding his past.
Gibbs glanced at him in the rearview mirror and Tony managed a small smile before turning to stare out the window. Gibbs didn’t comment, knowing that his agent hated this day and knowing why. He also didn’t comment when they got back to the office and Tony headed out first, trying (and failing) to hide the haunted look in his eyes. Gibbs sent the others home soon after; the paperwork could wait until tomorrow.
Opening his apartment door an hour after returning home, Tony’s eyes widened in surprise when he saw his boss, with an orange plastic pumpkin in hand. Seeing the contents of the bucket, Tony couldn’t stop his laughter.
“Trick or treat,” Gibbs said with a smirk.
Tony backed up to allow Gibbs entry to his apartment. “Y’know Boss, I’ve never seen a kid get that for trick or treating.”
Gibbs set the pizza box down on the table, along with the plastic pumpkin filled with ice and beer. He then turned and shrugged at his senior field agent, “Thought we’d have ourselves a Halloween party, DiNozzo,” he said, producing a DVD from his pocket.
“You brought pizza, beer, and a movie? Boss, I didn’t catch the plague from those rats today, you know that, right? Why the special treatment?”
“Because we’ve both got ghosts we’re hiding from tonight, DiNozzo. Thought we’d fare better if we had each other’s six.”
Tony smiled at his boss, grateful for his understanding. It was never good to face ghosts alone.
“So what movie’d you bring, Boss?”
“Something about dead people,” Gibbs said, passing the DVD case to Tony.
“Night of the Living Dead! Nice choice, Boss,” Tony said. “You’ll like it; it’s about zombies.”
“Zombies aren’t so scary. Long as I’ve got my gun,” Gibbs commented, opening a beer and grabbing a slice of pizza.
“Rule number two,” Tony commented, taking a seat next to Gibbs. “Never forget to double tap.”
Gibbs smirked. “Damned right, DiNozzo.”
They laughed and continued to banter through the previews. Later, after the movie had ended, Tony stood up and turned off the DVD player.
“Think I’m gonna call it a night, Boss. You staying?”
Gibbs thought for a moment, weighing his options of facing his ghosts with the help of sawdust and bourbon, or facing Tony’s ghosts instead. He remembered Tony’s nightmares from the year before and couldn’t stand the thought of his second going through that alone ever again.
“I’ll stay.”
Tony started down the hall towards his bedroom. “Guest room’s made up for you, Boss.”
“How’d you know I’d stay?”
Tony turned back to him and offered a small smile. “Just a hunch. Besides, you did have a few beers, Boss.”
Gibbs smirked. “Goodnight DiNozzo.” Sleep well son.
Tony threw a hand up in a casual wave as he entered his own room. “Night Boss.” Thanks for staying Dad.
The End
End Notes:
Happy Halloween everybody!
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters and settings are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.