Chapter 2.
...Some answers.
Tony had thought about the reasons why Gibbs could have left without telling any of them. He couldn't find anything job-related to explain his decision. He didn't know how but this case or this kid had made him feel the need to go away for a while.
He also knew that Gibbs would come back in a day or two acting as if nothing had happened, hiding his feelings deep inside under a pretended coldness. This tim Tony wanted to find the truth, to know what was bothering his boss, the man he had fallen for the day he had met him.
He couldn't let him deal with something that was obviously for him alone. Gibbs had never taken a day off and Tony knew that it must have cost him a lot to make this decision. He had to discover what secret his boss was hiding from every one even Ducky, his oldest friend. The question was where to begin.
He decided to go and talk to Abby. The young woman had always been close to Gibbs and even if he doubted that she could know something that Ducky didn't, he had to try. He found her at work, bent over one of her microscops.
-Hey, Abs. What are doing?
She began to explain him something he didn't understan at all. He had always loved hearing her explanations. He couldn't understand a single word most of the time but it was amazing to see her speak with both her mouth and hands. He smiled at her when she stopped talking.
-You didn't come down here to hear me babble about my new toy?
-Not really, Abs. I need to talk to you about Gibbs!
Abby seemed to be worried by Tony's interest.
-He took some days off; didn't he? He isn't ill or something like that and nobody dared to tell me about?
-No, Abs. He is fine as far as I know...
-What do you mean?
-I mean that he didn't tell anybody where he is gone and I can't find out why.
-I can't help you with that. The last time I saw him, he was with this little smart boy and he seemed fine. I hadn't seen him so happy for a long time, this kid seemed to love him and it was reciproquate...
-Yeah, I saw it too. And I believe that there is something linked to that kid that made him feel the need to go.
Abby seemed to think for a moment.
-What do you want me to do, Tony?
-Well... You know I won't oblige you to do anything but I think that Gibbs needs our help this time. I ... we ... have to find where and why he had gone...
Abby smiled at her friend. She had been aware for a while of the way Tony looked at his boss. And she realised today, looking at him, that she had guessed right from the begining.
-What can I do to help you find him?
-First, do you hear him talk about someone called Shannon or Kelly?
-Shannon is the name of his first wife. She came here years ago.
-Really?
Abby was the first one who had seen this mysterious first wife.
-Yeah. It was long before you arrived. I heard them argue in a corridor downstairs. I know I shouldn't have stayed but I couldn't help spying on them...
She looked at him trying to read in Tony's eyes that she had done well. She couldn't feeling guilty to have heard what she had this day.
-It was a private conversation Tony and I promised myself to tell noone about it.
-I only want to help him. You know I wouldn't do anything that could hurt him. But I think he needs us at his side...
-You mean that he needs YOU at his side?!!
-Abs... I...
Tony didn't know what to say now. He had always known that Abby was smart enough to understand teh nature of his feelings for Gibbs but he ha never admitted it out loud to anyone.
-You are so cute when you blush, Tony... So I'm right!
-Yeah, you are right. I want to help him, to be with him... in so many ways.
-That's great... I mean... is he aware of what you feel?
-Are you nuts? I wouldn't have tried to tell him... I have no wish to die...
-You are so blind my friend... Gibbs would never hurt you....
-You mean...?
-I mean that I don't know what he really feels for you but he is certainly not indifferent to you!
-You're sure, Abs?
-Oh yeah. Believe me, Leroy Jethro Gibbs can't hide anything from me!
-Good!
Tony couldn't help smiling at the thought that maybe, one day, he would be able to have what he desired the most... a way to his boss' heart.
-Let's come back to the conversation you heard. It may help us finding him.
-I don't know, Tony. They were talking... Well Gibbs was talking softly... her ... She was yelling at him.
-What did she say?
-She accused him of Kelly's death. She said that he was the one responsible for what happened to her.
-Did you hear what Gibbs was saying?
-No he had his back turned to me and he was talking too low....
She seemed to hesitate before going on.
-The thing that shocked me was that when she left, Gibbs sat on the floor resting his head on his knees. I had never seen him like that Tony. I first thought he was crying an I was about to go to him and hug him tightly... that bitch had hurt him, Tony.
-Are you sure she talked about Kelly?
-Yeah, believe me she was speaking loud enough to be heard...
Tony sat on the chair in front of Abby trying to think about what he had learnt and how it went with what he was already suspecting. If Shannon was Gibbs' first wife and he had no reason to doubt it, Kelly must have been... their daughter. It was the only explanation... but he had to find something more than an old argument and a theory.
-Do you think you could find some informations?
-I'm not investigating Gibbs'past, Tony. I can't do that behind his back. I won't spy on him once more. I had been sick about what I heard and saw for years....
-That's okay, Abby I won't ask you to do that. You have already been a great help.
Tony stood up and walked to the automatic doors od Abby's lab wen he heard the woman's voice behind him.
-I'm soory Tony but I can't do that! But I can tell you that before leaving for Washington, Gibbs and his wife lived in the Maine.
He turned to face her and realised that she was about to doit. He would only have had to ask once more, plea her a bit maybe. But he couldn't make her do something she didn't want to do.
-It's all right, Abby. I will find another way... I still have some friends in the police who could know something.
-Thanks, Tony. I'm relieved that you understand...
-I know how you feel when Gibbs is concerned...
-Yeah, this old man means a great deal for me. Like he does for you!!
-Sure, Abs. But don't talk about the man I love as an old man....
As Tony exited the lab he heard Abby's laugh resonating in the room. He loved her and the way she dealt with life in general.
He walked back to his desk trying to find out what he would do next. He had many things to do. First a call to an old friend. He grabbed his cell and dialed the well known number.
-O'Driscoll!
-Hey! Irish man! It's Tony Dinozzo!
-Hey, it's been a long time since the last time I heard from you, Napoli!
-I hoped that you had forgotten about that stupid nick name. I'm not even born in Italy, you know that!
-Off course I know. I only do that because you don't like it! Besides I've never been in Ireland too!
-Okay, you made your point, old man. How are you doing?
-Fine, I retired six months ago and I've never been so happy.
-I'm glad that you finally decided to leave the service. You deserve to rest, you've done enough for how long?
-Thirty years, two months and some hours...
Tony smiled as he heard the man he had learnt the job with. It was good to hear him after all those years. O'Driscoll had been a good cop, always in the streets. He knew every drug dealer, every gang leader and had guts that had never lied to him.
-What about you, Tony? I heard you had joined NCIS?
-How do you know that?
-I still have some friend here and there.
-Yeah! I'm a federal agent now.
-It's good for you. I knew you were too smart to stay in the streets. But I guest that you didn't phone to talk about the past. How can I help you, young man?
-You are still the best, Sean. I've never been able to hide anything from you.
-I always told you that your voice would betray you one day. You hesitated before talking and you asked things you already knew only to gain some more time and find a way to ask for what you really wanted...
-Okay, I surrender. You are worst than my boss. And believe me it's not a compliment. Well, I need some informations about soemone. But I don't really know who it is and where to look.
-That's pretty confused. But tell me what you already know.
-Her name is Kelly Gibbs. She was probably born somewhere in the Maine, something like eighteen, twenty years ago...
-That's all?
-I suspect that she had been killed years ago but I don't know how she died... illness, car crash or something else.
-Are you sure about the name?
-Not hundred percent but not far.
-Has it something to do with some of your cases?
-Let's say it's personnal. I need to find someone who is trying to hide. A friend of mine who needs help and is unable to ask.
-It seems to be important for you?!
-He is important for me, Sean.
-So you have found the one you were searching for, young man?
-Maybe but he is not aware of it, yet. I have to find him, Sean.
-I understand, Tony. I will make some calls and see what I an find for you. I'll call you back today.
-Thanks, you are a precious friend!
Tony was relieved to have found someone who could help him. He knew that Sean would be discreet and if there was something to find he would find it for him in no time.
Tony was feeling a bit guilty to investigate Gibbs' past like that but the man had left him no other choice. He couldn't let him alone especially if what he suspected was true.
Gibbs would need his help and he was going to find him and bring him back home.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Tony's invesgations on Gibbs' past lead him to Kelly
Chapter End Notes:
I don't know yet how it would end but the next chapters are going to be darker and maybe a bit sad!