“Boss, there’s something I haven’t told you.” Tony said softly as he tugged his battered jeans up over his hips and buttoned them. He shrugged on a sky blue tight fitting tee, pulling it straight but leaving it outside the jeans and reached for his navy hoodie with the red trim.
Gibbs watched him carefully, noting the shaking hands and the lack of eye contact and his gut rolled. “And you choose now to tell me?” he said, immediately regretting the tone of voice and he smiled. “Sorry,” he added. “That didn’t come out the way it should have.” Tony had been through enough already and they hadn’t even left the hotel yet " but something nagged at Gibbs " Tony’s body language telling him he might not *want* to hear what he had to say.
With a sigh, Tony reached into his backpack and scrabbled about for a moment until he straightened, pulling his hand free and holding up a cell phone.
“You got a back up?” Gibbs asked " trying to sound disinterested but failing.
“Not exactly,” Tony handed him the cell phone and stepped back, hands on hips and then pushing both into the back pockets of the jeans as he dropped his eyes to the floor. “When " when the tickets arrived " there was another parcel with them.” He pointed to the cell. “That came " my father wanted me to speak to him " without you overhearing.”
“And have you?”
“Hell no!” Tony shook his head. “No.” The look on his lover’s face sent a wave of guilt through him and he pulled in another deep breath. “No, Jethro. I haven’t even switched the thing on " even I’m not that " that stupid.”
Gibbs looked from the cell to Tony and back again. “And just when were you planning on telling me about this?” he held up the phone.
“I’ve told you, haven’t I?” Tony’s eyes widened. “Just " get rid of it for me? Please?”
“Why didn’t you " “ Gibbs paused and dropped the cell to the floor, stamping on it a few times until it was reduced to nothing but plastic and mangled circuits. He regarded the mess for a second or two. “He’s doing it again,” Gibbs lifted his eyes to Tony’s. Nothing was said for a long while until Tony looked away again to turn and make his way out onto the balcony. “Shit!” Gibbs breathed. “Shit!”
Tony was leaning on the top rail, gazing out over LA as Gibbs stepped up beside him, draping an arm around his shoulders. “Sorry,” Tony said almost sadly.
“Don’t be,” Gibbs shrugged. “He knew exactly what he was doing when he gave that phone " but he didn’t count on you telling me about it " “
“How’d you know I wouldn’t tell you?”
“I didn’t,” Gibbs admitted. “But like you said, you’re not stupid enough to switch it on.” Silence fell, Tony turning into Gibbs’ arms and pulling the man close. “You can still back out, you know.” Gibbs offered as they embraced. “No one will think any less of you.”
“That’s not the point,” Tony sighed. “*I* will think less of me. No.” he said softly with a shake of his head. “I’ve got to do this, if not for me " then..” he paused and sighed. “For us, Jethro. I want the bastard out of my life period " and if meeting with him face to face and somehow,” his eyes searched the room, “and somehow telling him that without acting and sounding like a terrified ten year old is the only way to get him to back off, then I have to do it.”
Gibbs merely nodded in reply, pulling the younger man into his arms gently. “I’m so very proud of you, you know,” he whispered. “So fucking proud right now, Tony.”
Tony pulled back and stared into steely blue eyes. “Proud?” he snorted. “I’m a freakin’ wuss, Boss. Scared of my own damned shadow.”
“You are a damn fine Special Agent,” Gibbs countered. “Hell, you nearly got your own team didn’t you? Team leader when I retired, then you got offered your own team " you think a wuss gets offered that?”
“No, but " “ Tony began, silenced as Gibbs placed a finger on his lips.
“But " you’ve got where you are today through sheer guts and determination,” Gibbs took his hand and led him back inside. “I know it’s not been an easy journey for you but it’s one that’s going to end today, Tony. It ends here " you need closure on those skeletons " all of them.”
“Boss?”
“Tony?”
“Can we just " you know " go?”
“Back to DC?” Gibbs turned to face him, frowning.
“No,” Tony shook his head. “Not back to DC " it’s just " the more we talk about this, the more I want out. I’m ready to do whatever it takes now " not in an hour, not next week " now.”
“Sure?”
“More than I’ve ever been.”
“Okay,” Gibbs flashed a smile. “Let’s do this.” He turned back to head to the door and paused, bending down to pick up the remnants of the cell phone still lying on the floor.
“The maid can do that,” Tony offered.
“She could,” Gibbs shrugged as he selected a mangled circuit board and the face of the cell. “But she won’t need to, call it a gift for your father " just so he’s in no doubt about anything.”
“No, Boss.” Tony sighed. “He’ll go nuts, he’ll " “
“He’ll *do* nothing, Tony.” Gibbs stashed the pieces in his jacket pocket. “Where’d you pack the photos?”
“You’re taking those too?”
“Nah,” Gibbs answered glibly. “Thought I’d autograph them and toss ‘em out the window on Sunset " course I’m taking them too.”
“This is not good,” Tony reached into an outer pocket of his pack and withdrew the envelope with the photos. “Maybe I should go alone after all.”
“Why?” Gibbs tucked the envelope into the inside pocket of the jacket.
“Because you’ve got that look again " the one that says it’s not going to take a lot to push your button and kaboom.”
“Tony, I will be calm and serene through all this,” Gibbs spread his hands. “You think I can’t handle an arrogant, obnoxious little shit like DiNozzo Senior " believe me, I’ve eaten worse than him for breakfast.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Tony sighed again and made to sit on the edge of the bed only for Gibbs to tug him to his feet by the hand and pull him towards the door.
******
It took them a half hour and three cabs before they pulled up outside the main gates of Chez DiNozzo " strong metal gates with a thug the size of Arkansas standing just outside a small booth to their left. He stopped chewing his gum and spat noisily on the ground before sauntering over and leaning in the window.
“Name?” he drawled.
Gibbs said nothing, merely looking to Tony and then back out of the window again. Tony leaned forward.
“I’m expected.”
“I said, name.”
“DiNozzo Junior?”
“You on the list?”
“If I’m not, Dad’ll have apoplexy.”
“Hold on,” the other man straightened and slowly walked back to his booth. He reached for a clipboard with one hand and the phone with the other. He spoke to someone briefly, flashing a glance back at the cab twice before nodding and replacing the handset. “You’re in. Go slow " the dogs are exercising and these Dobermans have a problem with fast cars.”
“Do they?” Gibbs muttered.
“Yeah,” Thug replied. “They remember you " and they’ll get you on the way back out.”
“You done?”
“For now " Agent Gibbs.” He lifted a finger to his forehead in salute. “Anthony " your father’s poolside " and like I said " watch out for the dogs.”
“Not if I see them first,” Gibbs grinned lazily. “I hate dogs.”
The gates opened slowly and the cab rolled forward and on up the drive, sweeping round a rather tasteless, overly ornate marble fountain of some winsome cherubs and a naked woman to come to a halt at the steps to the main doors.
“You’ll be back to collect us at eleven sharp, Bill?” Tony asked as he opened the door.
“Count on it, Tony.” Bill said from the driver’s seat. “He’ll have three cabs to choose from at the end of the road, he won’t know where you’re staying " we got it covered.”
“Watching our six, huh?” Gibbs chuckled.
“Always, Jethro.” Bill nodded. “Always.”
“Remind me to return the favour some day,” Gibbs replied.
“We’ve got a couple of openings here if you ever think of moving out here,” Bill informed them. “New blood is always welcome at Hollywood NCIS.”
“Eleven,” Tony rested a hand on his shoulder. “And bring some medication with you.”
“What for? You sick or something?” Bill’s eyes became hooded in the rear view mirror.
“Not yet,” Tony answered quietly. “But I’ll be feeling pretty bilious when this is over with.”
“Good luck,” Bill said, waving cheerily from his window as the two men watched him leave.
“How’d Ziva do it?” Tony asked as the tail of the car rounded the bend and was lost from sight.
“How or why?”
“Both, I guess.”
“How is easy,” Gibbs shrugged. “I asked her to, she’s covering our backs. As for why?”
“Yeah?” Tony breathed.
“Because she cares?”
“What?”
“Yes, Tony. Believe me, she maybe a crazy ninja chick who can kill a hundred different ways with a paperclip " but she cares about us.”
“Ziva? *Our* Ziva " the one that creeps around behind me all the time, the one that’s always baiting me " “
Gibbs pulled in a breath and tilted his head. “Yes, Tony " *that* Ziva " the one who didn’t want either of taking this assignment in the first place.”
“But that’s Abby’s prerogative " something’s always hinky no matter what we’re doing.” Tony pointed out.
“It took me over an hour to persuade Ziva we’d be fine " but all this back up " it was either that or she come with us.”
“Huh?”
“Tony.” Gibbs stepped closer. “Your father has already seriously pissed me off, he’s pissed the hell out of you too " so " can you imagine what a pissed off Ziva is capable of doing to a man of his age?”
“Something unimaginable with electrodes and a certain area of his anatomy?”
“Uh-huh.” Gibbs nodded as Tony winced. “You ready?”
“I’m " “
“Anthony!” a deep basso voice rang out from the top of the steps and both men turned to meet their host. “And Special Agent Gibbs.”
As Michael DiNozzo held out a hand to the older man, his mouth twisted into some semblance of a smile as the gesture was ignored. Michael nodded as though to answer some unspoken question in his mind and he turned his attention to his son. “Hardly the attire for dinner,” he said pointedly, his gaze sweeping up and down Tony and then flicking quickly to Gibbs. “I did specifically state in my invitation to dress up a little.”
“Yeah,” Tony kept his voice level and fisted his hands at his sides. “We travelled light " what you see is what you get.”
“After five years, this is all I get?” Michael frowned. “Not so much as a hello Father?”
“You’re lucky I’m here at all,” Tony ground from between clenched teeth.
“I am, aren’t I?” Michael blinked at them both for a moment. “But, where are my manners. Come on in " I want you both to think of my home as your home.”
“I’d love to, but since you cut me out of your will when I was twelve " that was uncalled for don’t you think?” Tony glanced at Gibbs who merely shook his head ever so slightly and the younger man bit back a further retort and said nothing.
“Mr DiNozzo,” Gibbs took him by the elbow. “Standing out here’s all well and good " but " we’ve not really got time for idle chit chat " so if you could cut the charade " and the bull shit " you wanted to see us, so we’re here " we’re hungry " need I go on?”
“Just as I thought,” Michael replied as he was led inside. “Marine mentality " obnoxious to the point of rudeness.”
“I haven’t even started yet.” Gibbs shot back.
Tony watched them disappear through the front door and his stomach rolled heavily. “Oh fuck,” he hissed. “Not quite the start I wanted " and it’s going to get worse.”
TBC…
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