If Tony hadn’t been experiencing such a wave of agonizing pain, he would’ve had the sense to be embarrassed by his current situation. His natural curiosity and overwhelming desire to know what McGee and Gibbs were talking about had prompted him to get out of bed and traipse over to the door in hopes that he could hear their conversation. He had managed to discover that his apartment had been ransacked and Tony quickly came to the conclusion that Sam Brewer was more than likely responsible for the break in; the timing was too convenient for there to be any other explanation.
In his attempt to get back to bed undetected, his feet got tangled in the IV pole and he went crashing to the ground, alerting his team members outside the door to his ill conceived attempt at eavesdropping. His arm was cradling his aching side as he sent up a silent prayer that he hadn’t broken another rib; the IV had pulled out of arm and was now seeping clear liquid on the floor.
The door swung open and Gibbs and McGee came rushing to his side. Tony glanced up at the team leader, whose expression was a mixture of apprehension and irritation. “Hey, Boss,” he grunted. “Took a little spill.”
“I can see that, DiNozzo,” Gibbs retorted. “I thought you were told to stay put.”
“I thought so too; guess it didn’t take.”
“Guess not.”
“Are you okay?” McGee asked.
The one thing that Tim McGee knew how to do was worry and Tony was grateful for his friend’s concern. “Yeah, just give me a minute,” he answered.
“Can you get up?” the team leader wanted to know.
“I think so.”
With Gibbs and McGee on either side, Tony slowly stood to his feet and permitted his teammates to escort him back over to the bed. He sat down on the edge of the mattress and slowly exhaled as he tried to mask the nagging ache in his side; he briefly regretted not taking the doctor up on his offer to give him something for pain but keeping a clear mind had become a necessity.
Tony watched Gibbs pick up the IV pole as the nurse entered the room. He attempted to look apologetic as the nurse glared at him, her displeasure with his escapade was etched in her beautiful features. Flashing his infamous winning smile, Tony found himself hoping that the DiNozzo charm would keep him from a well-deserved scolding.
“I uh…tripped.” He knew his explanation was weak but it was the only plausible one that he could offer.
“That’s kind of hard to do when you’re not supposed to be out of bed. Are you all right?” she inquired.
“I’m fine,” he lied.
“We’ll let the doctor be the judge of that,” the nurse stated. “Now, stay put until I get back.”
“Yes ma’am.”
After she left, Tony breathed a sigh of relief; one hurdle had been cleared, but now he had to deal with Gibbs and he knew that the Marine was not happy with him. A moan escaped his lips as he lay back on the bed; he was beginning to regret his impromptu journey that had resulted in him eavesdropping like a nosy little girl.
“So how much did you hear?” Gibbs asked.
“Enough to know my apartment was trashed and Abby was going over to figure out if anything was stolen,” he honestly replied. There was no use trying to lie to Gibbs; it was a near impossible feat and one that he had never been able to accomplish.
“Any ideas?” the team leader pressed.
“Maybe.” Tony wasn’t ready to discuss his ideas and problems with McGee present; this was a personal matter between him and his father and the fewer people who were aware of everything that had transpired, the safer they would be.
He was thankful that McGee seemed to be able to take a hint as the younger man began to make an excuse to leave. “I um…think I’ll go over and see if there’s any new developments; maybe Abby is there and she’s…” Tim paused and glanced back over his shoulder. “Um, Tony?”
“What McGee?”
“Can I ask you something?”
“That depends on what it is.”
McGee nervously cleared his throat. “Why does Abby…I mean, you two…”
“McGee!” the team leader barked.
Despite his aching side, Tony had to laugh. McGee’s crush on Abby had been the topic of conversation of many of their weekly get togethers and although she had vowed that there was no longer anything between them, Tony knew that there were still embers burning that could easily burst into flames.
“Something funny, DiNozzo?”
“No, Boss. I was just…uh…never mind.”
Tony slung his arm over his eyes, silently pondering what his next move should be. His instincts were telling him that Sam Brewer was responsible for the break in at his apartment and if that were the case, the mobster was obviously using him to get to his father. He had to talk to his dad but if his revelation caused his dad to have a setback or worse, he’d never be able to forgive himself.
“So, you think Brewer’s behind this?” Gibbs inquired, breaking the easy silence between them.
“Yeah, but we’ll probably never be able to prove it.”
“Brewer’s using you to deliver his messages,” the team leader deduced.
“Probably.”
“Probably?” Gibbs exclaimed, his voice teeming with anger and frustration. “DiNozzo, first his hired muscle uses you as a punching bag and then your place is ransacked; you know how I feel about coincidences.”
“I know, Boss.”
“You’ve got to talk to your dad.”
“I will.”
“Now.”
“Gibbs, we’ve already been down this road. I’m not telling him anything until after his surgery.”
“DiNozzo!”
Tony pushed himself up out of bed and shakily stood to his feet; he did not want to rehash the same argument with Gibbs and the only way not to do that was to temporarily put some distance between them. He was grateful that the staff had allowed him to keep his clothes on; it was one less inconvenience that he had to deal with. He began to button his shirt as he headed towards the door. “I’m going back upstairs and check on my father.”
“You need to be checked out and…”
He shook his head defiantly. “No more doctors, no more IV’s, and no more lectures. I will handle this, Gibbs. Please, just let me handle it,” Tony begged.
Tony braced his ribs with his arm and although his gait was slow, he still managed to nearly bowl over the nurse. “Excuse me, Miss.”
“Where are you going? The doctor is on his way and…”
“I appreciate everything you’ve done but I’ve got to go.”
“What? You can’t…”
“I’m getting a little tired of people telling me what I can and can’t do. I’m going to go and sit with my father for a while.”
His eyes fell on the team leader, whose own gaze was still bearing down on him. Tony regretted blowing up at Gibbs but with everything that had happened, he had reached his limit both physically and mentally. “Go home, Gibbs,” he softly pleaded. “I’ll call you later.”
Without a backward glance, Tony headed towards the elevator knowing full well that Gibbs wasn’t going to be going home any time soon. He knew the team leader well enough to know that Gibbs would be doing everything within his power to try and figure a way to take care of Brewer; the man was going to get himself killed and then Tony would end up with his blood on his hands as well. Tony also realized that if something happened to Gibbs because of the mess that his own father had created, he would never be able to forgive himself or his dad.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Gibbs continued to stare after DiNozzo after he had left the room. He knew that he shouldn’t have pushed Tony so hard; whenever his senior agent felt cornered, he would come out fighting and this time was no exception. Although the team leader truly believed that he had Tony’s best interests in mind, he had to remember that DiNozzo was his own man and could make his own decisions.
“He sure is stubborn,” the nurse observed.
“Stubborn doesn’t even begin to cover it,” Gibbs mumbled as he stormed out of the room, not bothering to hide his irritation with not only DiNozzo but the entire situation that had been created by the arrival of Anthony DiNozzo, Senior.
His fowl mood was enhanced by the ringing of his cell phone; he wished he could meet the man that invented the infernal object and shove it where the sun didn’t shine. “Gibbs!” he growled.
“Gibbs, it’s Abby.”
“What is it, Abs?” Gibbs sighed as he impatiently waited for the elevator. Knowing that he was losing time, he opted for the stairs and began to descend them to the parking lot.
“I finally got to walk through Tony’s place and nothing was missing. It’s a huge mess though, DVD’s are everywhere and his suits, well let’s just say he’s going to be pissed when he sees them and his guitar was smashed; I hope he gets another one soon because I love hearing him sing and oh my gosh, I almost forgot to mention his jazz collection and…”
“Abby!”
“Sorry, Gibbs. It’s just so sad; I mean, who would do this to Tony?” she demanded to know. “What kind of person would break into somebody’s apartment and completely destroy it? I do know that it was someone who knew what they were doing because we have yet to come across a single fingerprint. The damage is too deliberate for it to be a random break in.”
“It wasn’t random, Abs. It was very deliberate.”
“What are you saying, Gibbs? What aren’t you telling me?”
“Nothing, Abs. Thanks.”
He hung up on the forensic scientist, knowing that a well-timed Caf-Pow would earn him forgiveness, and dialed McGee. Gibbs knew that McGee probably had yet to make it back to the office, much less find out anything useful regarding Sam Brewer, but that didn’t matter; he needed one more thing.
When McGee answered, the younger man sounded out of breath. “Boss, I just got back to work and…”
“McGee! Pull the same records on Tony’s father and see if there was any interaction between him and Brewer,” he ordered.
“Tony’s dad? Do you think that there’s something illegal going on between them?”
What did he think? Was his opinion of the elder DiNozzo interfering with his judgment? He didn’t think too highly of a man who used his only child for his own personal gain but he was still Tony’s father and he had to accept that fact. If he continued to challenge Tony’s loyalty to his father, the only thing he would accomplish would be to destroy the bond that he and DiNozzo shared.
“Just do it, McGee and keep it under your hat,” he ordered. “Call me if you find anything.”
He hung up on McGee and slipped his phone back in his pocket. Gibbs walked over to his car and slid in the driver’s seat, his concern for Tony consuming his thoughts. If DiNozzo wasn’t careful, he was going to be in over his head and his father would be none the wiser but in Gibbs’ mind, DiNozzo Senior would be held responsible if anything happened to Tony.
It was then that Gibbs realized that he couldn’t leave; he would not go back on his word to watch Tony’s six, especially if Brewer was using DiNozzo to deliver his ultimatums. The team leader got out of his car and headed back into the hospital, stopping by the coffee shop to pick up two cups of coffee; it was going to be a long night.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Tony quietly entered his father’s room, stealthily slipping into the chair next to his dad’s bed. He watched the even rise and fall of the older man’s chest, thankful that his father was finally able to rest. As he watched his father sleep, Tony fought against his own exhaustion as his mind continued to race; there were so many things that he needed to say to his dad but he couldn’t bring himself to do so, at least not yet.
Of course, talking to each other was something that neither he nor his father excelled at; all his life, his dad had told him what to think and what to do and Tony had been expected to obey without question. Of course, that aspect of their relationship ended when Senior shipped his twelve year old son off to boarding school; tired of being a disappointment to his father, Tony had simply stopped listening and caring about what Anthony DiNozzo, Senior had to say.
After he graduated high school and headed to Ohio State, he and his father continued their formal relationship, pretending that they were a family and keeping up appearances, but there was never the closeness that a father and son should share. He wanted a father; he needed a father, but his was never there; Tony had found someone else to fill that role and now that his dad was trying to be a father, he was stuck between the life that he had always wanted as a child and the life that he had come to appreciate as an adult.
Gibbs was the father that had stayed by his side when he had been dying from the plague, he was the father that pushed him to be better, and he was the father who truly wanted what was best for him. Tony knew that his own dad couldn’t lay claim to any of those acts of fatherhood and yet Gibbs had been the one that had incurred his wrath. He cradled his head in his hands; why had he blown up at the team leader?
“Junior?”
Tony chastised himself for being so preoccupied that he hadn’t noticed his father was beginning to stir. He leaned forward and met his dad’s concerned gaze. “Hey, Dad,” he quietly greeted. “What are you doing awake?”
“I don’t know,” Senior sighed. “I guess I’m not used to staying in such a sub-standard room.”
“It’s not the presidential suite at the Adams,” Tony agreed. “But it’ll have to do.”
“Easy for you to say, Junior; you’re not the one lying in this bed.”
“You’ve got a point.”
He didn’t have the energy to argue with his father and found it easier to concede the older man’s point. “How’re you feeling?” Tony asked, purposefully redirecting the conversation.
“Not too bad,” Senior admitted.
“That’s good.”
“Can I get you anything?”
Tony wondered if his father was as uncomfortable with the forced conversation as he was. Of course, both he and his father were experts at skirting around the important issues and settling for the safe topics of conversation.
“No,” his father replied. “I’m not supposed to have anything after eight p.m.
Was it that late? Tony looked at his watch to see that it was almost ten o’clock; where had the time gone? “Sorry,” he mumbled. “I wasn’t thinking.”
“You look tired.”
“Just a little. I’ll rest better when I know you’re going to be okay.”
“Well, hopefully this time tomorrow it will all be over with; at least the surgery will be over with and I can concentrate on getting back on my feet. I uh…hope that I can still stay with you when I leave here.”
“Of course.” Tony made a mental note to make sure that his place was straightened up as soon as possible; maybe he could plead with Abby to help him make his apartment livable once again. Although he couldn’t imagine living under the same roof as his father, Tony realized that he didn’t have much of a choice; Anthony DiNozzo, Senior didn’t have any money or insurance or anywhere else to go.
“I don’t like putting you out, but….”
“Dad, you’re not putting me out,” Tony reasoned. “It’ll give us a chance to catch up.”
“I’m sure it will,” Senior sighed.
The palpable tension between them was unnerving; each man wanting to say something but neither one of them was willing to cross that imaginary line of formality that always existed between them. It was his father who finally broke the silence that threatened to smother them.
“Is there something bothering you, Junior?”
Tony sat back and folded his hands in his lap. His father was giving him an opening to speak his mind and he was suddenly having difficulty finding the words he needed to say. Come on, DiNozzo, he mentally chided. He’s give you an open door.
“I uh…I need to ask you something but I…don’t want to upset you, especially when you’re…”
“Anthony, if you have something to say, just say it. DiNozzo’s don’t mince words,” his dad reminded him.
“Okay.” Tony wiped his sweaty palms on his pants legs; he suddenly flashed back to cocktail hour at the DiNozzo household when he had to report on the events of his day. “I uh…” He nervously licked his lips. “Do you know Sam Brewer?” Tony finally blurted out.
His father’s face went pale and Tony had his answer without his dad having to say a word. Years of investigative work had taught him how to read people; a trait that had served him well both as a detective and federal agent. Part of him had hoped that his father would have told him that Brewer had made a mistake and confused his dad with another unfortunate soul who owed him money.
Tony pinched the bridge of his nose, taking a moment tamp down his initial anger. Why couldn’t his dad have come to him? He would have tried to help him despite their rocky history; Tony had cleaned up his financial mess once and he would have done it again.
When Tony looked up, his father had schooled his features; he knew that his dad had managed to come up with some kind of rationalization to explain his actions. Why did it seem like his relationship with his father was built on nothing but lies and convenience?
Senior cleared his throat. “Sam Brewer? I don’t recall…”
Pushing himself to his feet, a nearly inaudible moan escaped from his lips, but it was loud enough to warrant his father’s attention.
“Anthony? What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”
Tony slowly stood to his full height as his eyes met his father’s concerned glaze. He shook his head in frustration as he raked his hand through his hair. His father seemed to have the gift of understatement.
“Dad, we really need to talk.”
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