Los Angeles"OSP Headquarters
When Tony and Callen arrived at headquarters, they were greeted by sympathetic faces, all directed at Tony.
“What’s going on?” he asked, anxious. “Is everything okay?”
“Come on, Tony. I need to tell you something,” Gibbs said. He led him out of the crowded room and down to the empty bullpen.
“What is it, Boss?”
“Tony, we found a picture at our crime scene…and Abby and McGee got a hit off of some prints…”
Tony laughed. “I’m not being framed again, am I, Boss? Because I’ve got a pretty good alibi…”
“No Tony.” He took a deep breath. “It’s Jeanne.”
Tony gripped a corner of the desk in front of him to support his weight. “Are you"are you sure, Boss?”
“Yes. Ziva and I both recognized her in the picture, and I even had Abby rerun the prints. It’s her.”
“But, Gibbs, I know Jeanne. You don’t honestly think she’s the one behind this, do you? She’s not a killer. As a matter of fact, she was shocked"in a bad way"that I knew how to shoot. She couldn’t have done this.”
“Tony, you knew her. She accused you of murder! She could have changed"”
“People don’t change that much, Gibbs!” Tony snapped.
“You don’t know that, Tony,” Gibbs said calmly. “Now, calm down and think for a second. Do you want off this case? And remember, if you do stay on it, I can and I will remove you from it if you can’t do your job.”
“No, Boss. I don’t want off this case, but maybe I could use some time out of the field, maybe in the lab helping Abby, at least until I can straighten out my thoughts.”
Gibbs nodded. “Okay. I’ll send McGee out with Callen. I really am sorry, DiNozzo.”
Tony slid down to the floor, putting his face in his hands. He’d thought he was over Jeanne, but apparently he was wrong.
Gibbs shook his head sympathetically, then went back upstairs.
“We need to keep looking. Sam, Ziva, let’s go to crime scene #7. Callen, you’re taking McGee with you. Tony’s staying here.”
“Gibbs, is he okay?” Abby asked, anxious.
“He will be. Keep an eye on him, Abs.”
She nodded and went downstairs. He was still in the position Gibbs had left him in. She sat down next to him and hugged him.
“Tony, you know the only way to prove she’s innocent is to get back to work,” she said gently.
He nodded. “I know, Abby, but I can’t help thinking ‘What if she did do it?’ Abs, what am I going to do?”
“Well,” she said, “first we’re going to take a break.” He looked up at her. “You’ll feel better after you eat something, trust me. There’s a place just a few blocks away. They make the best chocolate chip cookies.” Tony grinned at the mention of his favorite dessert. “Plus, they’re as big as my head!”
“Is that with or without the pigtails?” he teased, giving one a tug.
She laughed and jumped up. “Without. Come on, I’ll buy you a cookie if you buy me a Caff-Pow!” she said, pulling him to his feet.
“It’s a deal. Thanks, Abs,” he said sincerely.
“It’s no problem. I love you, Tony! And I hate it when you guys get assigned to personal cases. I can’t stand it when you’re upset. That’s why I make it my job to cheer you up.”
“Well, you’re good at it. Let’s go.”
Los Angeles"Crime Scene #2
“I’m lost, Agent McGee.”
“Well, I don’t know where we are! You live here, not me!”
Callen laughed. “No, I know where we are. I meant, what’s the story behind Tony and Jeanne Benoit?”
“Oh, he went undercover as her boyfriend a few years ago, to get to her dad. Tony was a film professor named Tony DiNardo. Her dad was an arms dealer, and Director Sheppard wanted him taken down. Tony ended up really liking her, and he was pretty messed up when it ended.”
Callen nodded. “I know what that’s like. It’s tough.”
“That’s not even the worst part. Well, maybe it is, but I’m not done yet. She came back about a year later, when her dad died, to accuse Tony of killing him. He hasn’t been the same since. We’re all worried about him,” Tim admitted. “Wait! Don’t tell him I said that! I’ll never live it down!”
Callen grinned. “Don’t worry. Your secret’s safe with me.”
“Thanks. Anyway, we all tried to cheer Tony up, but it’s only been in the past year that he’s started acting like Tony again. Which, in my case, isn’t so great.”
“I don’t understand.”
“He’s constantly picking on me! Just listen to his nicknames for me. And yesterday I walked into work and he was going through my desk!”
“Did he find anything?” When McGee blushed, he said, “I’ll take that as a yes. So, you said you’re all worried about him, doing everything you could to cheer him up. I’m assuming putting him with Abby falls under ‘everything’?”
“Definitely. If anyone can do it, it’s Abby.”
“I hope so. He seemed like a good agent when I was working with him earlier.”
“He usually is, but on this one…” he trailed off.
“On this one, he’ll be off his game. He’ll either be in too deep to do his job right, or too withdrawn to do it at all.”
McGee nodded. “Well, as much as I’ll pay for it later, I have to admit I want the old Tony back. Let’s get to work.”
Los Angeles"OSP Headquarters
“I found her!” Eric had been running facial recognition on every camera he could get to all afternoon, and it had finally paid off.
Hetty nodded in approval. “I’ll go inform Special Agent Gibbs.”
“You’re only excited because now you have time and an excuse to see Abby in the lab,” Kensi noted.
“That is not true!”
“Sure, it is. The only one who doesn’t see right through you is Abby.”
“You want to go down just as bad to see Agent DiNozzo,” Eric pointed out.
“I do not!” she argued.
“You guys!” Dom had decided it was time to intervene. “Do you want me to go down there?”
“No!” they both snapped.
“Then why don’t you both go down together?”
“Fine!”
Los Angeles"OSP Lab
Abby was sipping her Caff-Pow as Tony worked on his cookie.
“You were right, Abs. This is the best cookie I’ve ever had!”
“Careful, Tony! Don’t talk with your mouth full! You’re going to get cookie crumbs all over the evidence!”
“Sorry, Abs.”
Abby walked over to him and smacked the back of his head, softly. Doing her best Gibbs impression, she said, “DiNozzo! Never apologize! It’s a sign of weakness!”
Instead of laughing, as she had intended him to, he admitted, “I feel weak, Abs.”
“No you don’t! You’re Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo! You can do anything! You can survive the plague, and laugh about your car blowing up! You can lead your own team when you have to! You’ve endured seven years working for Gibbs!”
He grinned at that last sentence. “Thanks for the pep talk, Abs.”
She hugged him. “I told you; it’s my job.”
He hugged her back. “Well, thanks anyway.”
“Eric,” Kensi said, walking in, “What is going on in our lab?”
The two of them stepped apart.
“Hi, guys,” Abby said, brushing cookie crumbs off of her lab coat.
“What was that all about?” Eric asked, clearly not pleased.
“I thought you already met Abby,” Tony joked. “Don’t you know she’s a hugger?”
Tony watched the anger slowly leave Eric’s face. How were they going to solve the case if Eric is so easily distracted?
“Abby, why don’t you tell Agent Blye what we’ve found out? I need to talk to Eric for a minute.”
Abby looked confused, but she nodded and did as she was told. She didn’t want to do anything to upset him. Eric followed Tony out of the lab.
“So, what was really going on in there?” Eric demanded.
“Exactly what I told you. Look, there’s something you need to know. To Abby and I, this team is our family. We look out for each other. And seeing as how I am all but off this case, I’ve got the time to keep an eye on her, and you can get back to work.” It was worded like a suggestion, but it sounded like an order.
“I’m guessing you’re the overbearing big brother in this ‘family’?”
“Yup, that’d be me. No one is going to hurt Abby,” he warned. “That’s why I am making such an effort not to seem too upset around her. If she knew just how bad I am, it would kill her.”
Eric nodded. He knew how much she loved that team. “When you said that Abby treats the team as her family,” Eric said slowly, “did you mean the whole team?”
“Whoa,” Tony said, holding up both hands. “I’m not talking to you about that. Tim is my friend, and Abby’s like my sister. All I can tell you is she loves us all in our own way.”
Eric nodded. They walked back into the lab.
“Tony,” Abby said carefully, “they found her. Gibbs is picking her up now and taking her to the safe house for questioning. Now, I know what you’re thinking. Tony, you know that if you get too involved, Gibbs will send you home! Think about this!”
“Abs, I know, but I have to. I need to see her again.”
Author's Chapter Notes:
Well, I dont want to give anything away. i think it's a good chapter, and that you need to find out what goes on for yourselves! if i tell you everything here, you will expect what is coming!
Chapter End Notes:
PLEASE DONT EMAIL ME! i DO NOT want to have to go through all that. i dont have the time, or the patience. im sorry.