After going home for a quick shower and a change of clothes, Tony was back in his car, headed for the restaurant where he was to meet his father. After parking his car he just sat for a minute, gathering his thoughts and yes, even a little extra courage. Even after all this time his father still had the ability to make him feel like he was twelve years old again.
Tony glanced at his watch and decided that he’d better go in, he knew better than to make his father wait. After he entered the restaurant he stopped and looked around. At first glance the place seemed like your typical high end D.C. eatery.
There were two rooms, one was your typical bar and the other was the restaurant but that area had a different feel to it. First of all the lighting was dim and the few tables that were there had a discreet distance between them to allow for some privacy. Along one wall was a row of booths; there was a smoky glass partition between each one to allow for even more privacy. This is where Tony spotted his father sitting as the hostess lead him over.
As he ran a hand thru his hair in a kind of nervous type gesture, Tony thought, “Well, here we go, Showtime.”
Meanwhile outside in a darkened corner of the parking lot was a strange sight, if anyone bothered to pay attention. A hearse had pulled up and a woman dressed in a long black coat with pigtails emerged. Abby stood there for just a minute, trying to decide whether she should go in or not.
Just as she started to move, a hand grabbed her elbow. “Eek” she cried as she spun around, there stood Gibbs. “Don’t sneak up on me like that!” she said as she smacked at his hand.
“Why not”, he said with a small smirk; “I do it to you all the time at work.”
Abby pouted “Yea, well that’s different.” When he didn’t say anything, she continued, “O.k. it’s different cause it’s like dark out and it’s a half empty parking lot and” she paused for a second then tilted her head to the side with a questioning look on her face. “Wait a minute, what are you doing here?” she asked.
When he didn’t answer she said, “Are you following Tony too?”
Gibbs face turned serious, “No, his Father”, he said.
Abby smiled at him and said with her usual energy, “O.k. boss man, so what’s the plan? Do we go in separately or together? Maybe just one of us should go in or what do you”
Gibbs cut her off with a look and a curt “Abby. Stop.”
Back in the restaurant as Tony came to his Fathers booth and slid in, DiNozzo Sr. said, “Glad to see that you’ve learned to be punctual.”
Mentally, Tony just rolled his eyes but on the outside he didn’t let anything show.
Before he could respond, his Father continued, “I took the liberty of ordering already. Something has come up and I have to take the jet back home as soon as we finish here.”
Tony just raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment as the waiter had arrived to take his drink order. Deciding he could probably use something stronger than his usual beer, Tony went ahead, gesturing towards his fathers drink saying, “I’ll have the same.”
Neither man spoke while they waited for the waiter to return.
Outside things weren’t going that well either. “You are NOT going into that place.” Gibbs said.
“But why?” Abby said.
Gibbs just sighed “Think about it Abby, you really think you could just blend in dressed like that?”
“Hey! What’s wrong with the way I’m dressed?” she almost shouted.
Gibbs just raised his eyebrow, “Nothing, if you were going to one your clubs, but here you would just attract too much attention.”
Abby calmed down a bit ”O.k. you have a point. So what are WE going to do?”
Gibbs suddenly got serious “I’ll go in there and keep an eye on things and YOU will go home, got it?”
Abby just pouted, Gibbs sighed and leaned over to kiss her cheek saying “Don’t worry Abs, I’ll watch his six.”
As she hugged him she whispered “I just love it when you go all papa grizzly bear over Tony.”
Gibbs watched to make sure Abby left, and then went into the restaurant. He told the hostess he would seat himself and made his way to the booth behind Tony, being careful not to let either DiNozzo see him.
After the waiter brought Tony his drink, he stopped at Gibbs booth but he just silently waved him away. He then leaned back, pretending to try and read the menu as he discreetly listened in on the father and son conversation. O.k. so he really WAS having problems reading the menu, thinking, “I really should have brought some reading glasses.”
As Tony sipped on his drink, his father said, “So Anthony, how are you? How’s work going?”
Tony responded, “Enough of the small talk Father, you don’t really care about my job. Never have; never will.”
Even though his words were polite, his tone was not. That last bit got Gibbs attention and he knew right then and there that this would be an interesting if not enlightening evening.
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