Chapter 13: Dear Mr. DiNozzo…
18 Months Later
Tony had Jack slung onto his hip and together they stopped to check the mailbox as they returned from their short walk. It was a cold winter day, but the sun was shining so Tony still wanted Jack to get outside, even if it was only for a few minutes. He opened the mailbox while Jack tugged on Tony’s ear.
“Gonna check the mail buddy,” Tony told his son.
“Daa-eee c-coooold,” Jack said, giggling and burrowing in closer to Tony and shivering slightly, despite the warm clothing he wore.
“I know! I know! I’m hurrying!” He snatched the stack of envelopes out of the mailbox, slammed the door shut and together they hurried back into the house. Tony tossed the mail onto the table and set about taking Jack’s jacket and shoes off. Once released, Jack hurried off for the den in search of toys while Tony picked up the discarded pile of mail and began flipping through it on his way to the kitchen to warm up some cocoa for him and Jack.
His fingers stopped and his gut grew cold at the sight of the envelope from the Maryland Department of Corrections. He quickly ran to the den and looked at his son playing in the floor. Jack looked up and waved, smiling wildly at him.
“D-daa-eee! Jack-Jack p-paaaayyyyy!” Tony smiled at his stammering son. He couldn’t imagine his life without him. He’d thought he couldn’t imagine life without his daughter too…but at least he had Jack. Jack was his world. He kept his eyes on Jack while he opened the letter from the prison where his father had been sentenced to life, no parole. He pulled out a single sheet of paper, eyed the standard letterhead, and began reading the letter inside.
Dear Mr. DiNozzo,
This letter is to inform you…
The letter fell from boneless fingers before he could read any more and Tony ran to the safe where he kept his gun. That letter had to be telling him that his father had escaped. Tony rushed back to the den and sat on the floor with his back against the couch, so he could see the front door. Jack came over and crawled onto Tony’s lap.
“Daa-eee? Ok Daa-eee?”
Tony blinked and hugged Jack close to him. He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and dialed number 2. A moment later his partner answered.
“Hey Babe, what’s up?”
“I-I need you to come home,” was all he said before his throat closed with emotion and he disconnected the call.
Not quite fifteen minutes later, Jethro entered the house, gun drawn and eyes wide, searching for whatever had caused his lover to call for help. He found his boys in the den, Tony sitting on the floor, Jack sitting in his lap, playing with a car, oblivious to the iron grip Tony had on him, and the gun in his daddy’s other hand.
“Tony?!”
“J-Jet…” Tears coated his cheeks and his eyes were glassy with tears not yet shed.
“Babe…God Tony you’re scaring me…what’s wrong honey? What’s happened? Are you alright? Are you hurt? Do I need to call Ducky? Why do you have your gun, Tony,” Gibbs asked gently, trying desperately to understand the situation.
Tony wordlessly held out the letter and rested his chin on top of Jack’s head. Gibbs read the letter.
Dear Mr. DiNozzo
This letter is to inform you of the death of an inmate, Anthony DiNozzo, Sr. on January 14, 2006. You are listed as his next of kin. Under orders from the Maryland State Court we are not permitted to alert any press of this occurrence. In compliance with the order from the court, we feel it would be best not to disclose here the events leading up to Mr. DiNozzo’s death. Feel free to call us to discuss this further…
Gibbs bit his lower lip. He looked cautiously at his lover.
“You okay, babe?”
Tony looked up at him, his shoulders shaking with quiet sobs. “I didn’t read it,” he said quietly, gripping Jack and the gun a little tighter. “He’s coming isn’t he? He’s gonna…He can’t have my baby,” he whispered, “not again. I’ll kill him,” he vowed. Gibbs laid a supporting hand on Tony’s shoulder and picked up his phone and made two phone calls. One to Abby to please come pick up Jack; the other to Ducky. He returned the phone to its clip on his belt and then moved to help Tony up.
“C’mon babe. Not good for you to be on the cold floor like that. You’re freezing, c’mon.” Gibbs gently removed the gun from Tony’s fingers before helping him up onto the couch. He put the gun in his pocket and pulled a blanket over Tony.
“Why’d you call Abby? She can’t take Jack, Jet! My father, he’ll hurt her to get to him! He’s safer here! What were you thinking?”
Gibbs wasn’t sure why Tony was so scared…nothing had been said in the letter about Tony’s father coming after Jack…but he said he hadn’t read the letter. Tony didn’t know that his father wasn’t coming after him…and after everything his father had done to him maybe it wasn’t so surprising that any mention of his father would bring on this type of reaction.
Gibbs drew pause as he stroked his fingers through Tony’s hair"regardless of what the man had done, he was Tony’s father and no matter how much he’d hurt Tony, all Tony had ever wanted was for his father to love him and approve of him. He’d never get that now. But if Tony hadn’t read the letter then he didn’t know that…
Gibbs watched Tony close his eyes and rest back against the arm of the couch for a moment before he turned around and picked Jack up off the floor and hugged him close. “Hey buddy, you ok?”
Jack nodded distractedly, looking at Tony. “D-daa-eee c-cryyyyy” he murmured.
Gibbs nodded. “Daddy is ok. He got scared, but he’s ok. Everything is alright. What have you got there,” Gibbs asked, indicating the car still in his son’s hands.
“C-carrrrr,” Jack replied, still looking worriedly at his daddy.
“You know what I bet would help daddy feel better Jack?”
Jack looked at Gibbs curiously. “M-meh-cin?”
Gibbs smiled. “No I don’t think medicine will help him.”
“S-sot?”
Tony shuddered and Gibbs laughed. “No needles,” Tony moaned from under the blanket, without opening his eyes. Jack giggled.
“I think a big hug from Jack would help Daddy feel better,” Gibbs suggested quietly. Jack smiled his best million-watt smile and pounced his daddy, giving him the biggest best hug he could. Tony held him close, breathing in his precious baby scent, feeling his warm squirmy body, knowing that he was safe. Jack was safe. Tony would die before he let someone hurt him or take him.
“When do you think he’ll show up here,” Tony asked hollowly, still clutching Jack close to him.
“Tony I think you should read the letter babe. Your father…he died Tony…he didn’t escape. He can’t hurt you anymore.” He pulled Tony and Jack in close to him and hugged them tightly. “It’s all over now,” Gibbs whispered, reassuring both himself and Tony.
The front door opened and a moment later Abby rushed into the room. “Hey guys! Where’s my favorite little man at?” Jack squirmed out of Tony’s grip and sprinted off the couch, climbing Abby before Tony or Gibbs could react. “You okay, Tony-boy?”
Tony nodded from the couch. “I got a letter from the prison my dad is…was in…Just took me off guard. Thanks for takin’ him.”
She looked at them, her expression telling them she was expecting a more thorough explanation soon. “My pleasure. C’mon Jack; let’s go pick you out some pjs! You’re spending the night at Aunty Abby’s house!”
“A-aunnie g-gossy A-Abby p-paaayyy Jack-Jack?”
Abby’s laughter echoed through the house. “Yesssss Aunty Gothy Abby will plaaay with Jack!”
Ducky arrived right behind Abby. “Jethro?”
“In here Duck,” Gibbs called. He was sitting on the couch beside Tony who seemed to be calming down a bit. His color was still too pale though and his hands were still shaking. Gibbs still held him tightly, his chin resting on the top of Tony’s head.
“My dear boys what on earth happened here? Anthony are you alright?”
“His dad died, Ducky,” Gibbs said quietly.
“Oh my dear boy, I’m so dreadfully sorry. That is difficult news to hear. What happened?”
Tony handed him the letter and leaned his head against Jethro’s chest without speaking. Gibbs looked down at him, concerned. “I think you should call them, Tony,” he said softly.
“I agree Anthony. I think you should find out what happened.”
“Ducky,” Tony said quietly, “will you…I mean if you say no I’ll understand, but…will you do…”
“Will you do the autopsy, Duck,” Gibbs said quietly, hand rubbing Tony’s shoulder, anticipating what his partner was trying to say.
“Of course I will. But for that to happen you will need to contact the Maryland Department of Corrections to make the arrangements.”
Gibbs picked up the phone. “Sit up babe. Let’s talk to them and then you can rest if you want to, alright?” Tony reluctantly sat up. Gibbs dialed the number and placed the phone on its speaker setting and laid it on the table. He spoke to the switchboard operator and asked to speak to the warden. A moment later a man’s voice answered.
“Warden,” he said gruffly.
“My name is Leroy Jethro Gibbs, NCIS. My partner Anthony DiNozzo received a letter from you this morning.”
“Ah yes. I’m sorry but I’m afraid I can only speak with him about what happened.”
“I’m here,” Tony said. “I’m Anthony DiNozzo.”
“Mr. DiNozzo, due to the nature of the incident and the order of the courts I am only permitted to speak with Mr. DiNozzo’s family members about what happened.”
“You said I’m his next of kin and Gibbs is my life-partner. That makes him Anthony DiNozzo Sr.’s family as well. Now please tell me what happened.” Ducky stayed quiet, but listened carefully.
“Er, right. Sorry Mr. DiNozzo. This has everyone here a bit flustered. It’s not everyday we encounter this type of altercation.”
“What. Happened,” Tony repeated.
“It seems the inmates were having a conversation among themselves. According to the guards, the day before we found Mr. DiNozzo’s body in his cell he told everyone that he quote, ‘killed his faggot son’s freak baby, and would have killed his faggot son too but his queer partner showed up.’ He went on to threaten the safety of anybody who messed with him.”
Gibbs’ grip tightened on Tony’s hand and Tony closed his eyes, a couple of tears escaping.
“Go on,” he said quietly, all emotion drained from his voice.
“It seems the inmates were not impressed by your father’s crime…the killing of a child, especially an infant seems to break some sort of moral/ethical code among criminals. They were in the courtyard when this conversation happened. Several inmates were overheard threatening your father and warning him about what happens to baby killers in prison.”
“How did he die?”
“Mr. DiNozzo was found in his cell…he’d been beaten severely a blunt object. He died from head trauma. There were cigarette burns and shallow cuts along various parts of his body that lead us to believe he was tortured before he was killed.”
“Who did it?”
“Initial investigations are leading us in several different directions. We have reason to believe the beating was done by another inmate, but we also have reason to believe the guards were aware of what was taking place and offered little or no assistance to stop the attack.”
“How long was he dead before someone found him?”
“Several hours, we believe.”
“Who is performing the autopsy?”
“We didn’t really feel there was a need for an autopsy.”
“I will make arrangements for a medical examiner to collect the body and perform the autopsy.”
“Mr. DiNozzo we really don’t feel that"”
“You said I’m listed at his next of kin?”
“Yes. That’s correct.”
“Then listen to what I tell you. And I’m telling you a medical examiner will be there to collect the body. His report will be submitted to your agency as soon as it is completed. We’re done here.”
“Mr. DiNozzo, I…I’m sorry for your loss.”
Tony snorted. “That makes one of us.” He closed the phone and rose from the couch. Jethro moved to follow him but Tony held up a hand. “I…I need some time,” he said softly before leaving the room. Ducky and Jethro swapped a look of concern and uncertainty; they didn’t know how to help Tony with this.
xxx
Later, Tony and Gibbs were lying on their bed. Tony was staring at the picture of the two of them with Tess and a more recent picture of the two of them with Jack. Gibbs was concerned; Tony had been very quiet ever since he’d gotten off the phone with the prison.
“Tony…are you alright?”
Tony’s head rested on Gibbs’ shoulder and he was lying on his back. Tony looked at up him. “I’m…” he paused. What was he? “I’m mad as hell that he still has that much control over me. I opened that letter and the first words I saw were, ‘this is to inform you’ and I just knew the bastard had escaped. This crazy, raw, overwhelming fear just took over and I had to protect Jack…I can’t let anything happen to Jack, Jet. He’s…and after everything that happened with Tess I just…it was too much,” he whispered. “I couldn’t read the rest of it. I’m sorry I made you leave work.”
“Hey…shh…I understand. I’m glad you called me Tony.”
Tony looked back at the pictures. “Is it bad that I’m not sorry he’s dead,” Tony asked glumly.
“Not at all babe,” Gibbs replied quietly, kissing Tony’s forehead and running his fingers through Tony’s hair, “not at all.”
Tony set the pictures on the nightstand, stood up so he could see them still. He turned over onto his side and put his head back on Jethro’s shoulder. Gibbs’ arm automatically wrapped around Tony and his fingers teased a path on Tony’s bare shoulder. It wasn’t long before Gibbs could feel Tony’s tears hitting the bare skin of his chest. He didn’t say anything, knowing Tony hated breaking down, especially with an audience. After a few minutes, the tears stopped and Tony drew a shuddering breath.
“J-jet?”
Fingers continued their mindless pattern. “Yeah, Tony?”
“Tell me it’s going to be okay…I mean…He’s really gone right? He really can’t hurt us anymore?”
Gibbs closed his eyes, his heart wrenching at Tony’s fears, though unsurprised by them. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, confident in his reply.
“Tony your dad really can’t do anything else to hurt us or Jack. We’re all safe now.” Tony looked up at him and smiled. He kissed Jethro softly.
“Thank you,” he whispered, lying his head back down.
Gibbs smiled and pressed a kiss to the top of Tony’s head. “It’s all going to be alright now Tony,” he said.
For the first time in as long as he could remember, Gibbs didn’t feel like he was lying when he said it.
TBC with Epilogue
Author's Chapter Notes:
Senior gets his
Chapter End Notes:
Some angst.