At first it did look like McGee walking down the corridor towards them. Till the figure got close enough for them both to see it was, in fact, someone neither Gibbs nor DiNozzo had ever wanted to see again.
"Oh, God!" groaned Tony. "Penny just showed up, bad as ever."
"Parsons." breathed Gibbs, under his breath.
"Hey guys. Did you miss me?"
"Oh sure." replied Tony, sarcastically.
Richard Parsons. The man assigned to destroying Gibbs' career, had
introduced himself, after too short an absence.
"Why are you here." said Gibbs.
"I'm here on business."
"Does it have anything to do with us?" asked Tony, warily.
"Maybe, maybe not." Parsons answered,cagily.
He spread his arms wide in mock friendship. "Come on fellas. I just wanted to see you again, especially Gibbs. I just wanted to know how you were doing after getting away with murder."
"Murder? Is that what you still think?" Gibbs asked.
"I don't think, I know."
"I don't think you know either." quipped Tony.
"Oh, that's so funny DiNozzo. Pardon me if I bust a gut." Parsons replied, mirthlessly.
"I just wanted to ask Gibbs a question. I mean, look at him, giving me that look again. That same look he always gives me that says he doesn't give a crap about anything he's ever done. But I'm just not buying that. There's got to be something he's done. Somebody he's killed that hurts." He paused to think then carried on. "In fact, if I was a betting man, I'd put all my money on, on Michelle Lee."
Despite himself Gibbs winced. A clear tell that Parsons picked up on instantly.
"Ah! There it is. I knew I was right. I mean, her story had it all. Treason and tragedy. Sedition and sacrifice. At it's heart, a cute little kid, growing up with no one to call Mom anymore. To an old family man like Gibbs that's gotta hurt right? Especially when it was his finger pulling the trigger that took Mommy away."
Eyes aflame, Gibbs snapped back. "Back off!"
"Oh and you do realize that killing Lee was technically Manslaughter. I could have nailed your ass to the wall for just that alone. If I'd had the chance."
"But you didn't get it did you." said Gibbs, eyes narrowing.
"No, because I didn't realize you had so many friends in high places willing to back you up. Otherwise, I wouldn't be talking to you here. You'd be in Leavenworth, all dressed in Orange."
Tony now spoke up. "Alright Parsons you've had your fun, now beat it. And don't make me have to count to ten."
"Oh, DiNozzo. What are you man? Other than a teller of bad jokes with a train wreck of a love life."
Out of the corner of his eye, Gibbs saw Tony start to go for Parsons. Quickly, he drew him back. "Easy tiger."
"But I will take your advice DiNozzo. I will beat it. See you around guys."
With that, Parsons made a speedy exit. Aware of escaping without at least one black eye.
"You let him get to you." said Gibbs.
"You let him get to you too, Boss!" Tony replied angrily. "That's not like you. Is there something you need to tell me? About Lee?"
Gibbs sighed, lowered his head. "The day I killed her, she asked me a question. Remember what it was?"
Of course Tony remembered. He was there, the other side of the glass, hearing her ask it. Remembering the tears she'd shed when Gibbs had hit her with the truth of what she'd done.
"She asked if you would have done the same, for your daughter." Tony replied, his anger abated. "You never did answer did you."
"I didn't want her knowing, that a part of me wanted to say yes. She died never hearing me admit to that."
Tony wasn't completely surprised by what he'd heard. "It was the right thing to do, what you did that night."
"Yeah, I knew that. She did too."
Tony shook his head, sadly. "We can't take that away from her."
With Parsons gone, Gibbs no longer had need to hide his pain. Not even from Tony, who was glad to be a witness to it.
"No."
Author's Chapter Notes:
An amalgam of new ideas and old that I just had to write, when I learned that Colin Hanks was returning.