“He was joking right; Uncle Gibbs was just messing around with you?” Maya asked anxiously.
“I wish he was but it soon became clear this was anything but a joke…
* * *
Tony felt his grin fade. His boss, mentor, and friend didn’t know who he was. He swallowed the lump in his throat as he stared at Gibbs hoping it was all just some sick joke.
“You don’t know Doctor Mallard or Agent DiNozzo?” The Doctor repeated.
“Tony DiNozzo!” Tony insisted.
“He calls me Ducky.” Ducky repeated.
“Tony and Ducky, do you know Tony and Ducky?”
Gibbs slowly shook his head.
“C’mon Boss, you must remember me, slapping me, training me, yelling at me?” Tony was getting frustrated.
Ducky gently grabbed his arm and led him out the door. “Anthony, don’t panic his memories will come.” He reassured him once they were outside the ICU.
Tony glanced over at the confused, pale man in the bed; it was like seeing a shadow of the Gibbs he once knew. The Doctor saw his glance and leaving his patient in the safe hands of the nurse he joined them.
“Temporary memory loss is to be expected. Don’t let it worry you. He’s doing well and we have switched to the nasal cannula,” He said to Tony before turning to Ducky. “Most traumatized brain injuries produce short-term retrograde amnesia. But to erase years of memory, his medial temporal lobes or hippocampus should be damaged.”
“But his scans were normal.” Ducky pointed out.
“And he remembers the explosion. And I’ve never had a retrograde amnesia patient remember the trauma. Never.”
Tony stood there not understanding or listening to what they were saying. All he knew is his Boss, who was more like a father to him than his own father ever had been, didn’t remember him and no one had any idea why.
Maya reached over and hugged him tightly. “How did the rest of the team take it?”
“Better than I did, well most of them did anyway…
* * *
Tony waited anxiously for the Director’s reaction. After he left the hospital he had come straight here, walked right past his co-workers and up to her office.
She sat in her chair staring at her desk. “So he doesn’t remember anything?”
Tony shook his head. “Not even Ducky.”
“Wow.” She whispered.
Tony cleared his throat. There was something he had to tell her before they went and told the rest of the team, now might not have been the best time but he knew it was now or never. He leaned over so he could feel her breath on his neck. “Director Shepard?”
She looked up at him and he suddenly realised how close they were and took a step back “Yes, DiNozzo.”
He gulped before saying the one thing on his mind, the one thing he needed to tell her before they went any further. “I want you to understand that in Gibbs absence, as the team’s senior Special Agent, this investigation is mine.”
She raised her eyebrows. “Is it?”
“Yes, it is, ma’am.”
“And if I were to dispute that assumption?”
“Then you would be a fool. And you are no fool, Director. This will be a long, tough, investigation. You’re overloaded as it is, and no one knows this team better than me…. except for the boss.”
She crossed her arms. “Which evidently isn’t me?”
“I was speaking, of course, of the team boss; Gibbs. You are the Agency boss.” He pointed out.
“Not if you keep telling me what I can and cannot do.”
“I would never do that, Ma’am.” He told her honestly.
“Then what is it that you’re saying?”
“You take care of the big picture, and let me handle the two-reeler.”
She gave him a sly grin. “I always intended to, Tony.”
“Then… why did you make me say all that just now? “ He asked a little confused.
She grinned at him as she stood up and headed over to the door. “I just wanted to see if you had as much guts as Gibbs. Now,” She said as she moved to open the door. “I think it’s time the rest of the team learnt about Gibbs.”
Tony nodded and followed her out the door and down to the squad room.
* * *
They entered the squad room to find Ziva quietly tapping her desk and both McGee and Abby at McGee’s desk. As Tony and Director Sheppard entered they all looked up anxiously but Abby was the one to run up, hug Tony and ask how Gibbs was.
Tony glanced at the Director not sure if she wanted to tell them, she smiled weakly and indicated that he could tell them as they were his team.
He sighed, not really wanting to tell them the not so great news but knowing they had a right to know. “He’s awake.”
McGee and Ziva let out a sigh of relief and Abby squealed and hugged him tightly.
“However, there’s also a problem. He has some memory loss.” The Director added.
“Retrogressive amnesia is totally normal after severe trauma.” Abby told them.
“I had amnesia after my car crash.” McGee said. “That day is still a blank to me.”
“Gibbs’ blank is the last fifteen years. To him, it’s nineteen ninety one and he’s a Marine Gunny Sergeant wounded in Desert Storm.” Tony told them as he watched the grins on his teammates faces suddenly fade.
Ziva was the first one to ask the question that was written on their faces. “He doesn’t know he’s an NCIS Special Agent?”
Tony shook his head. “I doubt it. He didn’t recognize me or Ducky.”
“Well, if he doesn’t know who Ducky or you are, then there’s no…” Abby trailed off.
“He’ll never remember us.” McGee realised and Tony couldn’t think of anything to say. What could he say? It was true Gibbs wasn’t ever going to remember them.
“I am sure it’s a temporary condition.” The Director suddenly said reassuringly. “In the meantime, you have an Abu Sayyaf terrorist to apprehend.” She reminded them before she spun around on her heel and headed back to her office.
When she had left Abby who had snuggled into his arms pulled away and gingerly raised her hand. “I really don’t know anything more, Abby.”
“Can I go visit him?” She asked him quietly.
“Not just yet. His neurologist will let us know when he’s up to it.” Tony replied. “Now back to work. After conducting the autopsy, Ducky is virtually certain Abog Galib was inside the oil drum when the explosive detonated.”
“Did Aunty Abby go and visit Uncle Gibbs and make him remember all of you?” Maya asked still clinging to him.
Tony shook his head. “Actually it was Ziva who came to me when we were at ours wits end and asked me to take her to see Gibbs…
* * *
Tony led his partner to Gibb’s room but stopped at the door. Ziva looked at him curiously wondering why he had stopped.
“I brought you here and I will stay right here, but this is something you need to do yourself. I will come if you call.” He explained nudging her into the room.
He watched quietly as his stealthy partner went and carefully nudged their Boss, who woke with a start.
Tony saw the way Gibbs looked at Ziva. It was the same way he had looked at him, with a look of confusion on his face but a look of recognition in his steel grey eyes. “Do I know you?”
While his partner showed no emotion on her face he could see the longing in her eyes willing him to remember her. “I am Ziva David, a Mossad officer attached to your team.”
“Mossad? When did they start doing that?” Tony heard Gibbs ask.
“It’s been a year.”
“Don’t feel bad.” Gibbs said to her gently. “I worked with that M.E and that Special Agent-”
“Ducky and Tony.”
“Do you always finish people’s sentences?” Gibbs asked grumpily.
“Only when I’m in a hurry,” She replied quickly. “Abu Sayyaf is planning a terrorist attack on the Navy. It will be as devastating as-”
“Nine Eleven.” Gibbs finished and Tony’s mouth fell open in shook. If he remembered Nine Eleven surely he would soon remember everything else.
From his partners expression she was thinking the same thing. ‘You remember Nine Eleven?”
“My boss told me.” Gibbs told her simply.
Ziva said exactly what Tony was thinking. “Director Shepard.”
Gibbs shook his head. “No, my boss… it doesn’t matter. What can I do?”
Tony strained to hear what Ziva said but it was a whisper barely a murmur. “Remember.”
“I’ve been trying to since I woke up in this room!” Gibbs shouted at her and Tony entered the room and pulled Ziva, his strong partner who never once showed any emotion in the one year Tony had known her, but was now weeping openly in his arms.
“Hey,” Tony said to them as calmly as he could, “Let’s all just calm down and take a breath.”
“I’m…I’m sorry Tony. I didn’t mean to…” Ziva sobbed as she glanced at Gibbs. “See look,” She said to her partner, “He is even giving us the old Gibbs’ stare.
Tony glanced over and saw she was right. “She’s referring to the way you’re looking at us now you used to look at all of us that way.”
“What are you talking about?!” Gibbs shouted at them.
Without any warning Ziva broke away from Tony, walked calmly over to Gibbs, grabbed is hand, motioned for Tony to join them and once Tony was standing close enough Ziva used Gibb’s own hand to Gibbs-slap Tony.
Gibbs stared at them both like they were crazy for a moment before the sudden shock of realisation struck him.
“DiNozzo?” He asked looking at Tony.
Tony’s face brightened as he grinned.
Gibbs reached out by himself and slapped Tony.
Tony kept grinning. “You remember me.”
Gibbs merely nodded before turning to Ziva. “And Officer David.”
Ziva gulped but looked their Boss straight in the eye. “Yes Gibbs?”
“If you ever yell at me like that again I will personally escort you back to Israel.”
Maya laughed. “Yay, Gibbs was back. Was Aunty Abby and Uncle McGee as relieved to have him back as you were?”
“More shocked when we brought him straight back to headquarters, like he asked us to, then anything…
* * *
McGee, Abby, and Ducky were waiting in the squad room for them when they got back. Tony had called them to tell them they had good news but not what is was.
Abby was the first one to spot them when they hopped out of the elevator. She ran straight up to Gibbs and leapt into his arms.
“Gibbs! Oh!” The Goth exclaimed as she hugged him tightly.
Tony couldn’t help but notice the grin on his Boss’s face as he hugged her back. “Hey, Abby.”
Abby, McGee, and Ducky gasped.
“I do remember you, Abs. Ducky, McGee, how can I forget?
McGee let out a sigh of relief as Ducky patted Gibbs on the shoulder. “I have no idea, Jethro.”
“Should you be out of the hospital, Gibbs?” Abby asked him looking curiously at Tony and Ziva.
“I don’t have time, Abs. I’ll talk to you all later. I should have known it wasn’t Galib.” Gibbs told them firmly as he headed up towards MTAC.
“I’d have made the same mistake.” Tony called after him.
“Well yeah, DiNozzo. I know. That’s why I’m so pissed!” Gibbs replied.
“So then what happened?” Maya asked. “Did you all get back to work, solve the case, and then go out for coffee where you and Ziva-”
Tony quickly cut her off before she got too carried away. “Actually you know how not all cases have a happy ending?”
Maya nodded slowly.
“This was one of those cases. As much as Gibbs tried to explain to the Director and various other captains in the Navy that the bad guy was going to blow up another ship they didn’t listen, and it turned out he was right.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah and then your Uncle Gibbs made the hardest choice he ever had to make…
* * *
They were all still waiting for Gibbs when he came out from the Director’s office late that night. Gibbs glanced at them all as he moved instinctively to his desk.
Tony saw what he was doing and grabbing Gibb’s gear from where he had kept them safely he went over to hand them back to their rightful owner. “Oh, I got them, Boss. I got them from the medics when they took you.”
Instead of taking them Gibbs pushed them back into Tony’s hand. “Appreciate it. You’ll do. It’s your team now.” He told him making Tony and the rest of the team stare at him with wide eyes.
Gibbs ignored the stares and turned to McGee. “Tim, you’re a good agent. Don’t let him tell you otherwise.”
McGee nodded in thanks not sure what to say.
Abby on the other hand was in tears. Her make-up was running down her cheeks. Gibbs leaned down and kissed her on the cheek before turning to Ziva.
“I owe you, Ziva.”
She merely nodded in agreement. “I’ll collect, Jethro.”
Gibbs asked Ducky to give him a ride and turned to leave the NCIS building. He then stopped, turns around and looked back at his team and his soon to become 'past' life.
“Semper fi!” He said confidently then turned back around and stepped into the elevator with Ducky.
Author's Chapter Notes:
The NCIS team must work on an assignment against a terrorist group without Gibbs, who is still recovering from the explosion. Gibbs has to fight with memory loss, while he's visited by his mentor and his former boss. His help is needed, especially when the team discovers that Gibbs is the only person who has information about the terrorists' plans, so he needs to retrieve his memory before the terrorists attack.
Chapter End Notes:
This chapter was inspired by the song Kangaroo Cry and my friend’s awesome video to it on YouTube, look it up, her channel is WannaBBillie and the video is called Gibbs - Kangaroo Cry " NCIS.