Warning: Abby OOC warning!! Tony is also slightly OOC here, but I think it’s because he’s nervous about his new job hehehe.
Disclaimer: Not mine…I wish they were! I make no money off of this, and own nothing except the idea.
Author’s Note: 5th Story in the With Honors Series. The timeline on this doesn’t line up directly with the show, but I’m making it my own timeline"in my world it works.
Grounded In Truth
Chapter 1
by WCUGirl
Tony DiNozzo stepped onto the elevator in the lobby of the NCIS building and smiled when he saw who stepped on behind him.
“What are you grinning at,” the man grumped at him.
“First day starting a new job, sir,” Tony replied, his huge, toothy smile radiating his excitement.
“Don’t call me sir. I work for a living.”
“Yes si"uh, then what should I call you?” Tony looked at the salt and pepper haired man standing opposite him with an iron grip on his coffee cup.
“That depends on who you are.”
“Tony DiNozzo at your service! I’m a new probie from Baltimore PD! I was told I’d be working on the MCRT…whatever that is?”
Gibbs reached out and slapped his son across the back of the head and rolled his eyes to the ceiling. He knew they’d agreed that they weren’t going to spread information about their relationship around the office, but Tony was taking this to the extreme. He reached out and hit the emergency stop button, bringing the elevator to a grinding halt. Tony yelped in surprise and looked at his dad, who looked completely nonplussed. Tony bet Gibbs’ coffee didn’t even dare slosh in the cup.
“What are you doing, Dad,” he hissed.
“Listen to me Tony.”
Tony smiled that big toothy grin again.
“Tony!”
Tony deflated a little. “Sorry,” he said contritely, “I’m just a little bit nervous.”
Gibbs took a step closer. Tony would have backed up to avoid the scrutiny, but he was already against the wall and had nowhere to go.
“Gonna be alright Tony. I’ll teach you everything you need to know.”
Tony nodded and adjusted his grip on the box in his hands.
He felt he was nervous with good reason. After all, he was replacing Stan Burley the guy who’d been Gibbs’ Senior Field Agent for as long as Tony could remember. Stan had accepted a position as Agent Afloat aboard one of the naval ships in the Pacific. Vivian Blackadder was two seconds away from putting in her two-week notice. Tom Morrow knew this when he called Tony and offered him the job as Senior Field Agent. Gibbs told Tony over dinner a couple nights before he started that he had a bad feeling about her…he felt like she had an agenda.
Tony wasn’t worried about working for Gibbs. Hell, he’d been around the man since he was seventeen, what would be different about taking orders from him at work?
Tony looked at his dad. “I know you’re right Dad,” he said quietly, “it’s just…after everything that’s happened…I want to make a good impression on everyone, ya know?”
Gibbs nodded. “I know. Just be yourself Tony. Be the good cop that you are and the caring person you try to pretend not to be. You’ll make friends and you’ll impress people, I’m sure.”
Tony looked at his dad. “You really think so?”
Gibbs smiled. It was rare to see a full smile from the man anymore. He used to smile at him, Kelly and Shannon quite often, but ever since…well he just didn’t smile as much as he used to. Tony smiled shyly at him. Gibbs reached out and cupped Tony’s face in his hands.
“I recommended you for the position. I know you better than anybody, right?” Tony nodded. Gibbs’ gaze didn’t falter. “Would I have recommended you for the position if I didn’t think you could do it, or if I didn’t want you?”
“No,” Tony said quietly.
Gibbs whacked him on the back of the head and hit the start button. “Then quit questioning me, DiNozzo,” he said. His tone was gruff, but his eyes were smiling. Tony smirked at him then nodded.
“Yes sir,” he said cheekily.
Gibbs glared at him. “You can call me, Boss,” he sniped.
Tony bit down a laugh. “Yes Boss. Whatever you say Boss. After all, you’re the boss, Boss!”
Gibbs turned toward the door and rolled his eyes to the ceiling while fighting down a smile. God help him, what had he just done?
~*~*~*~
Vivian Blackadder was already at her desk when Gibbs strode off the elevator with his new Senior Field Agent following him. She looked at Tony. He looked familiar, but she couldn’t place him right off the top of her head.
“Well, well Gibbs, looks like you did a good job picking out a puppy for yourself,” she sneered, “you’ve already got him trained and you’ve just barely gotten off the elevator.”
Tony stopped short and blinked in surprise at the haughtiness in the woman’s tone. He’d never even met her and this was how he was going to be treated? Great. This would be fun. Tony wondered about the ever growing quantity of psychotic women in his life.
Gibbs sat down at his desk and flipped on his computer. It took him a moment to realize that Tony was standing in front of his desk, looking unsure of what he should be doing.
“You do have a desk, you know,” he commented mildly, not looking up from the file he was studying.
Tony raised an eyebrow and smiled. “I didn’t think you’d make me sit in the middle of the floor, Boss.”
Gibbs looked up at him, one eyebrow up, judging how serious Tony was being. He knew his kid was a bit of a smartass, but he was left wondering just how far Tony would push it.
“That desk,” Gibbs pointed at the desk directly across from Blackadder.
Tony turned without a word and sat down at his new desk. He set the small box he was carrying on top and began lifting out belongings. He pulled out his Mighty Mouse stapler, an American Pie coffee cup, his favorite letter opener. Then he pulled out some other things"a calendar, a picture frame with a shot of him and his frat buddies from college, several pens, a rolodex of phone numbers and contacts. He opens the bottom drawer of his file cabinet and in it went two extra shirts, a sweatshirt, a pair of jeans and extra socks, shoes, and boxer shorts. He also adds a small kit which Gibbs knows would include shampoo, soap, deodorant, razor and a toothbrush. Tony had told Gibbs over and over again that the only way to survive is to keep a go-bag in the car and another one in the file cabinet by your desk.
When Tony was finished he looked up to see Vivian staring at him.
“What?”
She took a sip of the coffee in her hand then slammed the cup down on the desk. “You think you can just waltz in here and make yourself right at home and pretend like you’ve worked here forever? I think you’re a little premature unpacking your suitcase Probie because you haven’t seen hell til you’ve worked with Gibbs. What are you so damn happy about,” she snapped.
Tony smiled. “Just happy to be here, sweetheart,” he bit out, the smile never wavering.
Vivian pushed back from her desk. “I’m going to see Abby. Please, don’t call me,” she groaned.
As the elevator door slid shut Gibbs winked at Tony. “Oh, we won’t,” he said.
~*~*~*~
“Viv! Hey! What are you doing down here so early? Gibbs already getting to you?”
Vivian flopped down in Abby’s desk chair while the forensic specialist wandered around her lab turning on machines.
“Oh no, it’s not Gibbs for a change. It’s the new guy who is upstairs following Gibbs around.”
Abby’s eyes lit up. “Is he hot?”
Vivian nodded. “Incredibly so. But he’s one of those eager beaver rookie types ya know? Too damn happy to be here. He has a Mighty Mouse Stapler for God’s sakes!”
“He already unpacked his stuff?”
“That’s what I said!”
“Doesn’t he know that agents on Gibbs’ team have a pretty high rate of turnover? I mean don’t get me wrong, I love Gibbs, but…not everyone shares that sentiment.”
Vivian nodded and ran a hand over her forehead. “It’s weird Abby. It’s like they know each other or something. I’m missing something.”
Abby picked up a stack of files. “Well I think it’s high time I meet mister special agent. You wanna come watch?”
Vivian nodded and followed her friend to the elevator. “I wouldn’t miss this!”
~*~*~*~
Back upstairs, the elevator dinged its arrival and neither man even looked up. Gibbs had shown Tony where the cold cases file room was located and Tony was hard at work on a case file in front of him.
“Gibbs!” Abby ran off the elevator, jet black pigtails flying behind her. Gibbs heard her platform boots clomping on the floor and braced himself for the impact. Abby hugged him tightly and kissed his cheek.
“Abby this is Tony DiNozzo, my new agent,” he said without reciprocating the hug or the kiss. “He’s just moved here from Baltimore and will be on my team.”
“That’s where I know you from,” Blackadder exclaimed! “You’re the cop who got"”
“Who got made undercover during the drug bust we did several months ago,” Gibbs cut her off before she could complete her sentence. She glared at him.
Abby set the files down on Gibbs’ desk and sat down on the edge of it. “Can we go to lunch today, Gibbs? I wanted to show you the new idea I have for the tattoo I want to get on my back.”
Gibbs smiled at her. “Rain check Abs.” He nodded his head in Tony’s direction. “Tony and I are doing lunch today.”
Abby flipped around on Tony. “You’re the talk of the building, mister"I’ve been hearing about you for days now. I didn’t realize the new agent everyone’s been talking about would be working on the Silver Fox’s team.”
“The silver who?” Tony asked.
“The silver fox. That’s what I call Gibbs. Of course you’d know that if you’d actually been here longer,” she said snippily, giving him a once over.
“Uhh…right,” Tony said. He didn’t understand what these women’s problems with him were. He hadn’t done anything to either of them.
Gibbs’ cell phone rang.
“Gear up, we got a case. Dead Navy Lieutenant. DiNozzo, Blackadder, with me.”
Gibbs left the bullpen without another word to Abby and Vivian and Tony followed him closely. “See you later Abs,” Vivian called.
Abby watched the elevator doors slide shut. She crossed her arms over her chest. “Rain check? Seriously?! He never ‘rain checks’ me,” she muttered to herself as she walked to the stairs. By the time she reached her lab’s floor Abby had made a decision. As soon as she got a free few minutes, she was going to check Tony out.
~*~*~*~
It was hours later when she walked over to her big brained computer and began typing.
“Just who are you, Tony DiNozzo, and what makes you so damn special?”
Abby typed and clicked and followed the information she gathered. Just as she was ready to hit the button to display Tony’s full history to her, someone behind her cleared his throat. She whipped around, hating that she’d been caught red-handed.
“Abigail, what are you doing?”
“Uh…nothing, Duck Man!” She gave him a big hug to try and distract him. He didn’t bite.
“I see you are searching for information on our new senior field agent upstairs.”
“He’s the SENIOR FIELD AGENT?! I thought he just started here?”
“He did. Jethro chose him specifically to replace Stan Burley.”
Abby flopped down in her seat, arms crossed over her chest. “I wish Stan hadn’t taken that job on that stupid ship. Why’d he have to leave us?”
“Because he’s developed a bleeding ulcer from working under Jethro,” Ducky replied gently.
“Maybe Tony won’t be able to handle him,” Abby suggested, eyes growing wide. She didn’t know what it was about the new agent that she didn’t like, but there was certainly something that rubbed her wrong. Gibbs had ‘rain checked’ her!
“I think everyone will be pleasantly surprised at just how well Tony does handle Jethro,” Ducky said fondly, recalling the years he’d known the pair. Yes, Tony would be just fine.
“I dunno what’s so great about him, Ducky! To listen to people around here though, you’d think he walks on water or something! What is he, God’s gift to Federal Agents?”
Ducky patted her lightly on the shoulder. “He is a good investigator, Abigail. He’s also a good man, and has the potential to be a good friend. You should get to know him.”
Abby deflated a little under Ducky’s touch. “Yeah…you’re right Ducky. I’ll just have to get to know a little more about him before I pass any judgments on him.”
“Good girl,” Ducky said. “Now if you will excuse me. I must return to the lab and see what Gerald is getting himself into. Do try and stay out of trouble, Abigail.”
As soon as Ducky left, Abby returned to her computer screen. “Yes sir, Tony DiNozzo,” she said quietly to herself, as her fingers flew over the keyboard, “I am going to know everything there is to know about you. Just you wait and see.”
This time, she did click the button. Tony’s face appeared on the screen, along with his name, birthdate, medical information, family background, family information; the list went on and on. Before she could read all of it and make any sense of what she’d gathered, a hand clamped on her shoulder. She jumped; the booming punk rock music was so loud she hadn’t heard the hiss of the doors as they’d slid open.
Abby turned around and was face to face with Gibbs, her favorite person in the whole agency. Right now though, Gibbs didn’t look happy. In fact, Gibbs looked angry. Abby had seen Gibbs angry many times before, but thankfully that anger hadn’t ever been directed at her. Until now.
Abby looked at Gibbs and saw the icy blue fire just beneath the surface in his eyes. She glanced back at the computer screen, at Tony’s face. Glancing quickly over the information she saw the words, “abuse,” “neglect,” “torture,” and “military academy.” Her eyes grew wide, just taking in that bit of information and she turned fully back to Gibbs.
“Hi Gibbs,” she said weakly.
Gibbs took the Caf-Pow he was holding in his hand and dumped it in the trash. Abby tried not to flinch. She knew what that meant. “Make it disappear Abs, and we’ll forget this ever happened,” he said evenly.
Was there a threatening tone in his voice? Abby looked at him defiantly. “I am doing my job, Gibbs,” she said.
Gibbs narrowed his eyes at her. “Is Tony a suspect in a case?”
“Well no, but"”
“Then there is no reason why you would need to have his biography pulled up on AFIS.”
“I just wanted to learn more about him,” Abby hedged.
“Then you ask him questions. Find out about his family. Find out about his education. Find out about his medical history. But do it by talking to Tony. You ask him questions; you don’t go behind his back digging for information. We clear, Abby?”
Tears welled up in Abby’s eyes. Gibbs had never spoken so sharply to her before. “Crystal, Boss,” she whispered.
“He’s got a story Abby. Tony’s an interesting guy. You just need to get him to tell you.”
“Get me to tell who what,” Tony’s voice suddenly asked from the elevator doorway. His sharp sniper eyes quickly took in the scene. “And somebody want to explain to me why the hell my name is being run through AFIS?” Tony looked from Abby to Gibbs and back to Abby. “Am I a suspect in a case? Or are you just using the computer to find out every ounce of information that’s out there about me so you can hold it over me later?”
“Tony it isn’t like that,” Abby started to say.
Tony cut her off. “Then what is it like, Abby? Because what I’m seeing is the new guy isn’t fitting in so the lab geek is digging around to see what she can see about me to start rumors and God-only-knows what else so you can run me off. That it?”
Abby’s cheeks burned bright pink. She didn’t answer. Her lack of response was all the answer Tony needed.
Tony turned to Gibbs. “And you! You’re supposed to have my six, remember? You’re down here helping her! Hell Gibbs, you know most of the story! You don’t need to look it up in AFIS to see what’s there! Hell you probably wrote most of it yourself!”
Abby’s eyes widened slightly at Tony’s comment. She wondered what he meant by that.
Gibbs held up his hands comfortingly. “Tony listen to me. It’s not like that.”
“If this is how NCIS agents get treated…You guys don’t even trust your own enough to ask them questions without having to go look up information on them first. Jesus, this is crazy. Even in Baltimore they made me believe they liked me before they tried to kill me.”
“Tony…”
“No, Gibbs. Don’t ‘Tony’ me. I’m not a kid anymore. If this is how this works…I’m out.”
Without another word and before either of them could respond, Tony turned and got back on the elevator. Gibbs knew he’d be gone by the time he got up the stairs. He just hoped he wasn’t too late to fix it.
TBC…
Author's Chapter Notes:
Tony starts his new job at NCIS.
Chapter End Notes:
5th story in the With Honors Series.