“Aww, poor Dad. So did Ziva end up driving you home?” Maya asked.
“Yes,” Tony nodded. “And we made it home safely too. Then Ziva insisted on staying for dinner to make sure I was ok.”
“Aww that’s sweet. But what about Megan Ryan, what happened to her?”
“Well it just so happened that very week I needed her help.”
“With what?”
“Just let me explain.
It was a surprisingly quiet morning as Tony sat in front of his computer trying to hide the fact that he was not doing what he was supposed to do but he wasn’t having much luck.
“Tony what are you doing?” a voice behind him asked. He turned around to find Ziva peering over his shoulder.
“Nothing.” He lied as he quickly tried to cover the screen.
She raised an eyebrow. “Really?”
“Really, really.”
She silently crept behind him. “It does not look like nothing.”
He sighed. “Well it’s…its Sasha’s inbox.”
“Are you reading her emails?”
He nodded guiltily.
“Wait! Stop right there! I thought it was bad when you read Megan’s diary but I didn’t expect you to read Sasha’s emails! Maya exclaimed.
“I needed to know something!” He defended.
“Did you find the answer?”
“Not exactly. Anyway.”
“I thought you broke up.” Ziva said.
“We did.”
“Uh huh.”
“I’m just curious.”
“Curious about how her brother’s holiday has been?”
“Yes actually he and I got along well and it’s nice to know how he’s doing.”
“Really? What is his name?”
“Umm…Bob.”
“Wrong, it is Mathew.”
“Wait…how’d you know?”
“He has signed the email.” Ziva pointed out.
“Well everyone called him Bob.”
“Ha! Of course you did Tony”
“We did, anyway what else do we have here? Ooh one from Abby.”
“Abby will not be happy when she finds out you read this.”
“She won’t find out.”
“Oh really?”
“Are you gonna tell her?”
“I might”
“Really?
“Perhaps I will... unless... well,” She bent down to whisper in his ear, “there is something you could do to keep my mouth shut”
“And what would that be?”
She smiled at him seductively.
“Hmm.” He considered as he read the email. “Oh my god!” He exclaimed.
“What is it?”
He ignored her as he read the email.
From: ScuitoA
To: AlexanderS
Subject: RE: Tony
So why exactly did you turn him down and run away? Because that is what you did, you ran away! Why? As far as I know all he did was save your life and then ask you to marry him. What’s wrong with that? And don’t you dare say because he’s Tony DiNozzo! That man loved you and he still does. You may not be around to notice his change in behaviour but the rest of us have, even Gibbs! Tony changed when he was with you and there’s no chance he would ever cheat on you. Please just reconsider and call him because I know you miss him as much as he misses you.
Tony stared open mouthed at the screen and he felt Ziva stiffen behind him. He knew he shouldn’t really be that surprised. Abby was Sasha’s best friend and probably knew Sasha the best and she was just as confused about her friend’s behaviour as he was. He scrolled down a bit and saw Sasha had replied.
From: AlexanderS
To: ScuitoA
Subject: RE: RE: Tony
Abs you know why I had to run away. I couldn’t face him. Not because he’s Tony but because he saved me, yes I know it sounds stupid but it’s true. What would have happened if he got himself killed while saving me? What would that have achieved? Gibbs would’ve lost his best agent because of me! I wouldn't be able to live with myself knowing he died to save my life. And knowing he would if he had to scares me. If he dies my life will be worthless, he'd have sacrificed himself for nothing. I love him, I do, but I can't live know I put him in that danger. They say love is blind and for Tony that’s a reality. I can't put him or myself through that.
Tony felt his hands tighten into fists. He understood now and had the answer he was looking for but he definitely didn’t like it.
“Tony,” Ziva said once she’d read the email. “Tony, are you alright?”
He nodded numbly.
He felt her eyes on him but he didn’t turn round. He couldn’t. He just continued to stare blankly at the email.
He paused as Maya snuggled close and hugged him tight. “I’m sorry about Sasha Dad.” She whispered.
“It’s ok kiddo.”
“Hey guys.” McGee said as he entered the bullpen and walked over to his desk. “What are you doing?” He asked them when they ignored him.
“Why do you need to know?” Ziva asked.
“No reason it’s just that…” he trailed off.
Suddenly Tony snapped back to reality. “Oh hey Tim.”
McGee looked over at him with wonder in his eyes. Tony never called him Tim. “Are you ok Tony?”
Tony gulped then put his feelings to the back of his mind like he always did. “Yeah of course Probie, why?” he glanced at Ziva who was still standing behind him. She nodded and walked back over to her desk.
McGee sighed. It was good while it lasted. “What are you doing here this early?”
“Umm…well Ziva was just helping me write my case files.” Tony lied.
“Those case files better be on my desk by lunch.” Gibbs ordered as he walked over to his desk. “Grab your gear we’re heading to Quantico.”
* * *
“Are you alright?” Ziva asked him for what seemed the millionth time as they processed the crime scene where a group of teenagers had found a leg.
“Yes I’m fine!” he snapped.
“You do not seem fine.”
“Well I am now can we just do our job? By the way you don’t need to collect trash.”
“I disagree.”
"Yeah, me too." McGee agreed as he joined them. "When I was at FLET-C, my forensic instructor once planted a pregnancy test at a crime scene, to test us. You never know what might be relevant to a case."
“Thanks McTrash. But trash that doesn’t look like it’s meant to be there is not worth collecting.” Tony complained.
“If I had not bagged and tagged everything in this area then I would not have found this.” She replied as she held up the finger of a rubber glove.
“I didn’t say to look under said trash.” Tony muttered as Gibbs joined them to see their progress.
“I am certain we are almost finished here Gibbs.” Ziva told him.
“I disagree,” Gibbs replied with a small smile. “Pick up everything on the ground that’s within a 10-foot radius of your legs.”
They all sighed as he walked away and they began their work.
* * *
Tony walked into the bullpen to find his co-workers huddled over McGee’s computer.
“For a Caucasian female, a factor of two point nine oh is multiplied by the tibia length.” He heard Ziva say and McGee typed it in and added the tibia length.
“What are you doing?” He asked them.
“Estimating Jane Doe’s probable weight and height.” McGee replied.
“Why didn’t you ask me?”
“Tony, these are complex equations we’re dealing with.” Ziva pointed out.
“Whatever. She was what; five eight? So she’s like a hundred and twenty five, hundred twenty six pounds.” He estimated.
“Wow how did you work that out Dad?” Maya asked him in amazement. “Were you right?”
“I always knew how to work out a woman’s exact weight and height, it came in handy.” He replied making Maya roll her eyes. “And I didn’t stay long enough to find out because just as McGee typed it in my cell phone rang.
“Hey.”
“DiNozzo, Abby’s got something, we need you here proto.” Gibbs ordered.
“Okay boss we found something too, or shall I say I found something we’ll be right there.”
“No, Tony we just need you.”
“Of course you need my area of expertise.” Tony grinned. “I’ll be there in a second.”
* * *
Tony gulped he couldn’t believe what his boss was implicating. One of the fingerprints found at the scene matched his and while Abby ran the blood samples the only way Tony could be cleared was to see if the teeth marks on the leg matched his which explained why he, Tony DiNozzo who was only afraid of dentists was letting Ducky poke around in his mouth.
Maya suddenly sat up knocking him backwards. “Wait! Stop! Rewind a bit! Uncle Gibbs accused you of murder!” She exclaimed. “You wouldn’t hurt someone unless they were bad. You save people.”
“He didn't accuse me of murder, the evidence did. I didn't do anything bad. Except for well, there was that girl that put me on the herp- you know what, it doesn't matter, the moral of the story is always trust Abby's judgement.” Tony replied as he sat back up.
Maya crossed her arms. “But they still had to prove you didn’t do it.”
“I was getting to that.” He replied as she motioned for him to continue.
“I haaa een-al ray-corss yooo coo haaa uuuued. (I have dental records you could have used.)” Tony tried to say as Ducky took a mould of his teeth.
“Stay still. This is much faster and accurate then your x-rays.”
“You don’t have a nice bedside manner, do you Duck?” Tony complained.
“My patients don’t seem to mind.” Ducky replied with a smile as he took the mould out and placed it on the table their co-workers bent over closely examining the leg.
Abby grinned at him and went over to the laptop where she brought up a 3D image of teeth. “This is Tony’s.” she said as she pointed at the image. “The program uses laser scans of 3D objects to create three-D images for comparison.” She explained.
“Computer generated hollow volume overlay. Measures inter-tooth spacing, dental arch, tooth thickness.” Chip added.
“Enough of the geek speak already its giving me a headache.” Tony complained.
The Goth ignored him and brought another image of teeth up on the screen. “This is Ducky’s muscle tissue scan, let’s 3D it for clarity. Valla the killers incisors. Then we see if they match…Relax Tony, the chances of even one of your teeth matching are like hundred thousand to one, you’re more likely to get eaten by a cow. By the way you and I need to have a little talk about hacking into other people’s emails.”
Tony gulped and started to protest when Gibbs held up a hand. “Today Abby!”
The Goth sighed as she crossed her fingers and pressed enter. The rest of them held their breath as the computer beeped and the two words no one wanted to see flashed across the screen: POSITIVE MATCH.
“But how did your teeth end up on there? It’s not like you go around chewing on people’s legs.” Maya asked
Tony chuckled. “I know, and that’s what the rest of the team had to figure out mean while…”
Tony sat quietly in the interrogation room waiting for his fate to be decided. He tried to keep occupied by thinking of names to add to the list of people who would want to frame him for murder. The FBI had taken over the investigation but the team was secretly helping, he had just been interviewed and while he treated the interview like one big joke he was freaking. He was so deep in his thoughts that he jumped when the door opened and Gibbs entered the silent room.
He silently walked over to the table, sat down opposite Tony and calmly drank his coffee. They sat in silence for a few moments until Tony couldn’t take it anymore.
“So…Uhh…Boss…did I pass?”
Gibbs just continued to stare at him.
“You know that technique only works on people who actually committed a crime! I am not one of those people!”
“Relax DiNozzo Fornell’s not gonna book you.”
“I sense a but.”
“He is taking you into custody until we figure a few things out.”
“Custody! You mean you had to go to jail!” Maya exclaimed.
“Yes but only until the rest of the team proved I was innocent.”
Tony had only been in his cell for a few hours, that’s how long he been pacing. He heard footsteps coming down the corridor towards him but didn’t bother looking up or even stop pacing.
“I smelled you coming, Boss. Pepperoni, sausage, extra cheese, right? My favourite.” He said as Gibbs handed him a pizza. “Thanks. I’ll save that for later. You know, I’ve been thinking. I’m a federal prosecutor’s dream.
‘You do tend to date a lot, don’t you, Mister DiNozzo?’
‘Yeah. I do tend to date a lot but where does it say that dating, you know, a new girl every week is a crime?’
‘No, it’s not. But it does speak to your deep-seated psychological problems and commitment issues.’
‘Really? So you’re saying my intimacy issues stem from my mother who dressed me as a sailor until I was ten years old?! Maybe?!’
‘Well, I guess it might explain why you objectify women and treat them as sexual objects. While you’re being so forthright and insightful, Mister DiNozzo, why did you sink your teeth into the victim’s leg?’
‘Because I’m angry, and I’m immature and I like control!’
‘You have no alibi.’
‘Alibi? How can I have an alibi when the murder doesn’t even have a time or a date?!’
‘That’s interesting. What about means? Latex glove? Scalpel? You could have gotten these things from ….work. No?’
‘Right. Of course. Yes, I ripped a glove at the scene. It seems a little sloppy for a Federal agent who investigates crime scenes but, you know, those are the breaks when you’re a homicidal maniac dumping butchered women’s remains out in the woods in the middle of the night! Right?!’
I’m not getting out of this one, am I, Boss?” He said in one breath not even looking up at Gibbs.
Tony felt Gibb’s hand reach through the bars and smack the back of his head. “Are you done DiNozzo?”
“You know now you mention it I think I am.” Tony admitted.
“Good. Stop Pacing.” Gibbs ordered and Tony sat down on the bed, slumped down on the dirty bed, and quietly ate his pizza.
“DiNozzo!” Gibbs snapped making Tony look up at him. “Someone’s here to see you.”
Tony felt his heart jump. Maybe it was Sasha. Surely Abby had told her what had happened and she had come to beg him to take her back. But then why was she with Gibbs? He stood up and pressed his face against the bars to see…
“Sasha!” Maya exclaimed.
“No. I pressed my face against the bars to see Megan Ryan walking down the corridor towards your Uncle Gibbs and I.”
She looked exactly as Tony remembered her. Her long blonde her was tied back in a half pony tail she was wearing a tight white blouse and black pants.
She smiled and held out her hand to him. “It’s nice to see you again.” He looked blankly into her blue eyes for a moment before he realised he hadn’t taken her hand yet.
A head slap brought him abruptly to his senses. “Yeah you too, I would invite you in but I seem to have misplaced my key.”
She laughed and rolled her eyes while Gibbs glared at him.
“She’s been sent by JAG at my request to help prove your innocence if this goes to court.” Gibbs explained.
“No offence but you better be a really good lawyer because right now the only thing that says I didn’t do it is me.” Tony said to Megan as Gibb’s cell phone rang and he walked away.
“I am. Well I’m a better lawyer then I am a writer.” Megan replied once they were alone.
Tony chuckled. “I find that hard to believe. Anyway are you still with Stark?”
He noticed she blushed slightly at the question. “No…he dumped me for a sophomore. Told me it was for my own good.”
“Everybody seems to be using that line these days.” Tony replied.
* * *
Megan left an hour later with a promise to come back again in the morning. Just as Tony lay down he heard hurried footsteps rushing down the corridor, he got up to see what was happening and as he walked over two arms reached out and pulled him up close to the bars. Tony was about to reach for his gun when he realised he didn’t have it and there was no need for it because it was just his favourite Goth.
Her arms pulled him into an even tighter hug pressing his face into the cold steel of the prison bars.
“Tony! I’m so sorry. I must have screwed up.” Abby sobbed hugging him tighter.
“No you didn’t Abs.” He choked out
“I have all this evidence. Forensics! The thing that I love and I believe in. And it says you’re a murderer. When your clearly not. I mean I know murderers; I help you and Gibbs put murderers away. I even dated a couple of murderers. And you Tony DiNozzo are not a murderer!”
“I know Abs.” He replied as he gasped for breath. “Now please let me go before I end up dying in jail.”
She grinned as she reluctantly let him go and sat down cross legged outside his cell. “Only you could make jokes at a time like this! To think I wanted to kill you with a highlighter this morning when I found out you hacked into Sasha’s emails. And McGee too because I know he taught you how to! Anyway something’s gotta give. I mean, either the forensics are wrong or it’s bad forensics! And that means I’m a bad scientist and I’m not a bad scientist am I?”
“No you’re not Abs. You’re the best at what you do. And don’t you dare think any of this is your fault!”
“But if this goes to court with your fingerprint and bite mark on the leg, you’re going to prison for the rest of your life. And I’ll be the one that put you there.”
* * *
“So tell me again where you were the night before last?” Megan asked him. It had been a long morning though Tony couldn’t really complain he actually enjoyed having Megan’s company even if steel bars separated them.
“Okay…umm…Oh I remember that was after me and Ziva had the undercover mission and I had been badly beaten up. Ziva offered to take me home. Chip had moved my car around the front of the building which bugged me because he is just plain creepy. I refused to Ziva driving me home because the last thing anyone wants to do after being beaten up is take a drive with Ziva behind the wheel.”
Megan chuckled. “Is she a bad driver?”
“You have no idea. Anyway where was I? Oh yeah and eventually she didn’t give me a choice in the matter, she not only drove me home but she made me dinner too.”
“What did you have?”
“Matzo Brei. Or at least I think that’s what she called it.”
“Pardon?”
“Matzo Brei. It’s a Jewish dish. It fried something or other. You’ll have to ask Ziva for the recipe. It’s quite tasty.”
“I might have to.” Megan replied. “What did you two do after dinner?”
“We watched an episode of Magnum. She is the only person I have ever met who loves it almost as much as I do.”
“It was a good show.” Megan agreed. “What episode was it?”
“It was my favourite episode. The one where he finds himself adrift at sea after a boating accident and vividly relives his father’s death during the Korean War.” Tony remembered.
“Mine too.”
* * *
Tony was sitting on the bed with his head in his hands when he heard footsteps in the corridor and then his name being called.
“Tony, are you alright?”
He looked up to see Ziva standing on the opposite side of the bars. “Ahh, my conjugal visit, shall we get started?” He grinned.
“Of course you are still treating this as a big joke”
“Well not much else to do but wait...” He sighed. “What can I do for you Zee-vah?”
“I just wanted to see how you were doing.”
“All the better that I have something beautiful to look at, excluding Gibbs of course, but he doesn’t have the appeal you do.”
She blushed slightly. “I heard you had a beautiful blonde to keep you occupied.”
Tony cringed. For some unknown reason he didn’t want to discuss Megan with her. “Oh yeah, all day talking lawyer mumbo-jumbo with the girl who won’t stop hinting about her past with Sa-” He realised he said too much and managed to stop himself. “Well she’s not here now she’s finished work. You are.”
Ziva raised her eyebrows. “Yes I am.”
He stood up and walked close to the bars where she stood so they were almost touching. “Thanks Ziva, I uh, I appreciate it.”
“We are partners are we not? It is what I am here for.”
He looked into her eyes then glanced down at her lips, trying to think of something to say to break the awkward silence. “Yeah... partners.” He clapped his hands together. “So! Missing me?”
She sighed. “Well it is certainly easier getting work done without having objects thrown at you and it has been a lot quieter. McGee does not talk as much but prefers to work.”
“You and McGeek, ergh. Sounds boring.”
“You sound jealous.”
“Maybe I am...”
“Of what?”
“Freedom. Perhaps?”
She walked along the bars, carefully fingering them. “I have been in cells much smaller than this before.”
He laughed. “Why am I not surprised?”
“What do you mean?”
“Never mind.” He shrugged. “Can I ask you something?”
“What is it?”
“How did you cope? When you were in these small cells?”
“I escaped.”
* * *
The next morning Tony was lying on the bed staring at the ceiling wondering how he was going to pass the morning, since Megan had sent a message saying she wouldn’t be able to come and see him until late that afternoon when he heard the sound of a harmonica being played. He walked over to the bars to see where the noise was coming from.
He peered through the bars to see McGee walking towards him playing a harmonica.
“Very funny, Probie.”
McGee stopped and handed the instrument to him. “Come on, Tony. It’s a gift.”
“Who from?”
“Chip. He asked me to give it to you.”
Tony groaned. “Great. Now I’m getting crap from lab monkeys.”
“Not for much longer.”
Tony grinned. “I knew Boss would get me out of here. What did he find?”
“Well, hopefully the body that goes with those legs.” McGee replied.
Tony’s smile quickly faded. “What do you mean hopefully, Probie?”
“Abby matched the legs that you severed-”
“I didn’t sever any legs!” Tony yelled at him.
“Sorry, a slip of the tongue.” McGee apologised. “The legs you supposedly severed were DNA matched to a Carla Johnson who, you are not going to believe this-”
“I’ll believe it if it gets me out of here.”
“She’s alive!” McGee explained.
“With no legs!”
“No, she’s got legs.”
Tony reached through the bars and grabbed McGee by the collar. He was almost ready to cut his legs off.
“Okay, Tony.” McGee said nervously.
“Prison changes a man.” Tony muttered.
“Tony, come on, man.” McGee begged.
* * *
Tony was playing a blues tune on the harmonica when he saw Megan’s familiar face staring at him on the outside of the bars.
“That’s a nice gift.” She said.
He quickly stood up and threw the harmonica across the room. “Chip gave it to me. I guess he thought it would be funny.”
“Chip’s the weird one who drove your car round after your undercover mission?” Megan asked as she flicked through his statement.
“Yeah…Why?”
“It says here they found a carpet fibre in your car-”
Tony felt his face pale. “And he was the only person apart from Ziva and I to drive my car. You have to get me out of here now! He works with Abby! I have to warn her!”
Megan didn’t even ask him why he was in such a panic, she ran to one of the prison guards and ordered him to unlock Tony’s cell. Once they’d convinced the guard it was an emergency he unlocked the door and Tony grabbed Megan’s arm and rushed out towards the prison gate’s not even stopping to grab his personal possessions.
“Oh my god!” Maya exclaimed. “I knew there was something weird about Chip! I just knew it! So then what happened? Did you get to Auntie Abby in time? Or had he already started sawing off her legs?”
“Well…”
“Abs it’s me! Tony! Please ring me as soon as you get this it’s important! I just realised that Chip was in my car and-” Megan’s cell phone suddenly cut off. He looked at it to see that the battery had just died.
He cursed under his breath and ordered Megan to speed up. He never thought he’d wish that it was Ziva behind the wheel.
“Tony don’t worry from what you’ve told me, Abby is perfectly capable of looking after herself.” Megan tried to reassure him but it just made him worry more.
“Yeah and I thought it was impossible for someone to frame me for murder! Chip changed that! Just speed up!”
* * *
He rushed into the bullpen where his team-mates were all working quietly at their desks. They all stood up and began asking him questions about why and how he was out of jail. He ignored them and went straight to his desk where he grabbed his gun before heading back towards the elevator.
“DiNozzo! Mind telling me what the hell you’re doing?” He heard Gibbs yell at him.
“Abby’s in danger!” Tony quickly explained not bothering to stop and he heard Gibbs stand up and quickly follow him.
“Megan stay here!” He ordered her as he and Gibbs stepped into the elevator.
* * *
They rushed into the lab just in time to hear muffled shouts and a gunshot.
“Abby!” They both called out but no answer came.
They rushed over to where the shouts had come from to see Abby standing over Chip’s limp body.
“Now can I work alone?” The Goth asked them.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Tony hacks into Sasha’s emails. Tony is accused of murdering a woman whose body was found at Quantico, and the team must prove his innocence. All the possible evidence proves that Tony is guilty, and the team will give their best to set their agent and a friend free. Megan Ryan is the JAG lawyer assigned to help Tony and they become closer.