Gibbs had not seen Tony since he'd left on the bus. After getting home, he talked with Abby and found out that Tony had gotten on the wrong bus. He wanted to leave the house right then and fix whatever problem he'd caused and was hoping that was why Tony had not been seen. He'd hoped Tony wasn't like that.
The bullpen that day was quiet since they weren't on a case. In fact, they hadn't had one in a few days.
"Cait, is that report done?"
"On its way now, Gibbs."
And Gibbs saw the new email sitting in his inbox. He cracked a smile. The profiler was worried about the boss. He hadn't been himself the past few days. He was softer and less bastard-like.
McGee was working on his computer. He had the tower on his desk and he had it all pulled apart. It was something about a new thingy for making the other thing work faster. Gibbs had no clue what; it was all gibberish to him.
"Gibbs," he said as he picked up his phone.
"Daddy, Daddy, he's not here, something's wrong."
"Princess, slow down. What's wrong?" Gibbs was now responding to his daughter as a father not as the hard-ass.
"Tony! He didn't show up again. I have a bad feeling. You have to find him."
"Okay, we'll be right down." Gibbs hung up the phone. "We have a case."
"Want me to gas the truck?"
"No, McGee, I want your ass in the elevator."
Cait and Tim grabbed their stuff and joined Gibbs in the elevator. He was thinking way too hard now. Tony was missing, and now he'd just called Abby Princess in front of the team. He hit the STOP button.
"Okay, listen up, the both of you," Gibbs barked.
Both Cait and McGee turned around and looked into the glaring gaze of Gibbs in front of them. Cait saw the worry and concern in his face, and if she hadn't known better, almost a kind of fear.
"Okay, anything from this point on, if it gets out I will make sure to personally hunt you both down and kill you. Got me?"
"Gibbs!"
"It is a yes or no question. Understand, Agent Todd?"
"Yes, got it."
"McGee?"
"Yes, Boss."
Gibbs hit the button to restart the elevator. They get out at the lab and Gibbs was leading the way and was met by a hysterical and crying Abby.
"Daddy, find him," she sobbed.
Cait and McGee just looked at each other from the new info they'd just received. Not even McGee had known, and he was kind of sleeping with Abby.
"Okay, Princess, calm down, let's start there, okay?" Gibbs sat his daughter down and looked into her eyes. "Okay, relax a little, then tell me what happened."
Abby was staring into her father's eyes, not paying attention to the other two people in the room. "Tony. He hasn't been to work in the three days since he got on the bus."
"Okay, so?"
"Daddy," Abby said, her voice plaintive with a mix of exasperation.
"Okay, Princess, let's start at the beginning. How do you know something is wrong?"
"Well, I got worried and I kind of-" Abby stopped and now noticed the other two people in the room. "Oh, God, I'm sorry."
"Abby, stop, relax. What did you do?"
"Well, I kind of hacked into personnel's records and found his phone number and tried it and it's a pay phone, then I traced his address and it is an empty lot."
Gibbs was now worried; he knew something was up, his gut was kicking in.
"Okay, relax. Cait, I want to know everything we can find out about Tony, address, phone number, everything."
"Got it, Gibbs." She turned around and was about to leave.
"No, use that computer. This case does not leave this lab. McGee, I want to know his past, everything from his first cavity to jaywalking tickets, whatever."
"On it, Boss," Tim said as he and Cait walked to computers.
"Okay, Abby, relax, we'll find him. Got me?"
"Dad, I mean Gibbs, you have to find him."
"I will. Now, I'm going to make a call. How about you hack personnel again and see about his physical he had to take. If it's not there, call Ducky, got me?"
"Yes," she said, weeping and wiping her eyes.
Now that Abby had a task, he walked over and picked up the phone. Gibbs called the director and asked for his team to be taken off the rotation for the time being, that they had a personal thing to do. The director tried pushing to know what was going on but also knew with Gibbs, if he needed to do something, it was for a good reason and to just give him a wide berth.
Gibbs was then watching his team at work. He was helpless, he knew this was not good and he had no clue why. Maybe it was his fault. Maybe it was him getting on the wrong bus and ending up in a bad side of town. ‘The bus', Gibbs thought. He went to the office computer and looked for a bus schedule online. After about an hour of trying he had no luck. He and computers were not the best pairing. He walked out and was about to ask McGee to look it up.
"Gibbs, I don't have much. He, well, he didn't really exist till he started working here."
"What?"
"She's right, Boss. Tony officially died when he was fifteen."
"Excuse me?" Gibbs said, unbelieving of what he was hearing.
"Um."
"McGee out with it, NOW."
"Tony died in New York City from the flu when he was fifteen. There's a death certificate. After digging more, it turns out his dad really kicked him out for being blind it looks like."
"That's just wrong," Cait added, getting a glare from Gibbs.
Abby had her arm around her dad and both of them were scared. Abby saw the hurt in her father from hearing the story about Tony getting kicked out and the father filing him for dead. Then they head all about the financial records.
"So how did he get to DC?"
"I have that, but you're not going to be happy," Cait said warningly.
"Out with it. I'm already not happy, Cait."
"Well, he was turning tricks. He left NYC about a year ago."
"That was about the same time he joined here."
"Dad, I pulled his records, and Ducky had him for a cold, but…"
"What?"
"Well, Cait just said he was selling himself for money. Maybe he caught something."
"Cait, call Ducky and tell him to get his ass up here NOW. Tell him it's important, just don't tell him why."
"Got it, Gibbs." Cait went to the phone.
"McGee, I need the bus schedules for this area. I want the one that stops here at 17:20 and I want that route."
"On it, Boss, but, well," McGee walked to his bag and pulled one out. "Here."
"Okay." Gibbs took it and he found the bus that he needed. "Okay, I want to also know the bus that comes around 17:50."
"On it, Boss." Tim went to a computer and started working the computer like it was a baby grand piano.
"Ducky is on his way up, Boss."
"Good. Cait, find everything about Tony's father. That is just wrong to kick your own son out on the streets for nothing. I want EVERYTHING."
"I will, but, Gibbs…"
"What?"
"He's a pretty powerful attorney in NYC, and, well…"
"Out with it, Cait."
"Well, when I was with the Secret Service, I seem to remember hearing that the FBI was looking into him."
"Fine. Call Fornell and get his sorry ass over here now, and don't-"
"I know, don't tell him why. On it, Gibbs."
Just then the chime for the lab sounded as the door opened and Ducky walked in. He saw a distraught Abby in her father's arms and Tim and Cait both busy working.
"Oh, dear, what has happened?"
"Ducky, tell me everything you know about Tony DiNozzo."
"Not much really."
Gibbs could tell Ducky was holding back. "Out with it, Ducky. He's been missing for over 72 hours."
"Oh, dear Lord. Oh, my, this is not good."
"Ducky, what?"
"Well, I didn't think about it till just now, but you know that seaman that you arrested the other day?"
"Yes."
"That was Tony's pimp."
"Fuck! McGee!"
"On it, Boss, he'll be here within the hour."
"Good. Now, Ducky, why? Spill."
"This is that bad. I'm guessing that they know about the both of you?"
"I couldn't give a rat's ass what they know right now. What I want to know right now is where Tony is."
Ducky saw the passion and fire and lust in Gibb's eyes. "Jethro, a moment please."
"No, and yes, just, I want to know more about him now."
"Okay, then I can tell you when he started he had a nasty case of syphilis." Ducky saw the pain in Gibb's face.
"Why the hell is he working on the streets?"
"Jethro, working in the mailroom does not pay that well. Also, I, well…"
"DUCKY."
"Fine. I happen to know that he lied on his application. His address and phone number are wrong. One day he came in to the morgue in tears. There was so much pain in his eyes. See, he had contracted a very rare disease and had lost his sight from it. Every so often his eyes give him pain."
"And?"
"Well, I gave him some pain killers and he told me that he was living on the streets, that he'd just lost his place and took back to selling his body. I tried, Jethro, to help him, but he wouldn't take any help."
"Damn it. McGee, you have the bus schedule yet?"
"Right here, Boss."
Gibbs took the paper from the younger agent. "Good. Now, help Cait find out about his sperm donor."
"On it, Boss."
"Dad."
"We'll find him, Princess."
Ducky smiled. He was happy that their secret was not one any longer; only because the lying was getting to be a little much. The team had the right to know.
Gibbs looked at his watch. He then checked the bus schedule that he had. "Abby, I need a picture of Tony. You think you can work that magic you do with that stupid thing and find one?"
"Already ahead of you." Abby went running to the printer and got the picture from his ID card.
"Ducky, do you know where he was living when he had an apartment?"
"I think in Georgetown, maybe."
Gibbs checked the schedule, and it didn't go that far. "McGee I want every bus that goes to Georgetown that might transfer from this one."
"On it, Boss."
"Jethro, a word in the hallway, please."
Gibbs followed the ME out the door.
"Jethro, what's wrong?"
"I pushed him away, Ducky. I was trying to protect me by not asking him out."
"Rules 6 and 12, I believe."
"Yes, well, the other day I told Abby I would be nice and take him out for a beer or something, and I wanted to, not out of the promise, but…"
"I understand. It's okay, Jethro. We'll find the lad and you can talk to him then, since I happen to know some things."
"Ducky."
"Jethro, some things were told to me in confidence, so you will just have to wait."
Tim walked out and showed Gibbs all the buses and their routes that Tony could have taken.
"Okay, McGee, get out there and check with this route and see if any of the drivers know him."
"On it, Boss." Tim ran for the door, holding the picture of Tony.
Fornell got off the elevator as Tim got on. "Jethro, why did I waste my day to come to NCIS?"
"My office. NOW."
Gibbs and Fornell waited for the elevator to come back down and they got on it. After getting on, Gibbs hit the button and the elevator stopped.
"What do you know about Anthony Michael DiNozzo Senior?" Gibbs gruffly asked.
"Why?"
"No games, Tobias, I need to know."
"Not much, just that every time we think we have him on something, he slips through our fingers."
"What if I can prove he falsified an official death certificate?" Gibbs asked, almost in his ear.
"Jethro, this is not really the place," Fornell said, shivering from the warmth of the breath on his ear.
"I'm not asking you that, damn it, that was a long time ago. I have something you want, now give me something I want."
"Okay, what?"
"I need info about his son."
"He died when he was fifteen."
"Wrong. That's what I have. He's alive. He might not be well, but he is alive. I hope."
"What are you saying, Jethro?"
"He works here, Tobias. He's the blind guy who delivers the mail."
"I know that look. What happened?"
"He hasn't shown up for work the past three days."
"You're telling me Senior falsified the death."
"Yes, he kicked his son out at fifteen after he lost his sight."
"That's just low. Well, then, I guess we have the bastard on something at least."
"Only if we can find Tony."
"Jethro, please tell me this is not personal."
"I, you know." Gibbs almost lost his hard-ass demeanor to his former lover. "Almost, yes."
"Then let's find the lucky boy and nail his father to the wall."
"You're in?"
"I'm going back to the office and start with what I can."
"And they call US bastards."
"Only because they know us."
Gibbs hit the button and the elevator went up. He got off and went to the interrogation and filming room, waiting for the prisoner to come along. Cait joined him shortly after he got there.
"I couldn't get much, Gibbs, about the father."
"Okay, Cait. What did you think of this scum before?"
"Well, he is a typical Type A personality. I have a theory."
"Out with it."
"Well, we got this guy in holding, right? Well, that left a void on the street for, well…" Cait was reluctant to actually say it.
"I get it. Damn it, why didn't he just ask for help?"
"Maybe because you scared the shit out of him," Cait threw out.
Gibbs turned to the guy in the room and pointed to the door. The tech got up and left. "Only to save him."
"From what, Gibbs? Or was it to save you from making a mistake?"
Gibbs glared at her.
"Gibbs, you have feelings for him, don't you?"
"That's not important."
"I think it is. I'm also a little pissed at you for not telling us about you and Abby."
"We couldn't. We had to keep up the illusion."
"I thought you trusted us, Gibbs," Cait accused.
"I do."
"Then why?"
"Cait, just tell me this. Had I not been a bastard, what might have happened?"
"Well, truth?"
"Always."
"He might be standing next to you and not living on the street and more then likely not chained to a wall."
"That's what I was hoping you wouldn't say."
The prisoner was put in the room, and Gibbs walked out and all but beat the guy for info. At least now they had a better idea where to look for him.
"Cait, McGee, you stay here."
"No way. You're not going out there without backup, Gibbs."
"This is not up for debate."
"You're right. We're coming as well. Tony is our friend."
Gibbs glared at them for a moment, and then they all walked out to his car. Ducky was in the backseat, just in case. Abby was biting her nails in the lab. After a wild ride with Gibbs behind the wheel, they pulled up to the section of town where Tony's old pimp said he lived. They were all heartbroken by the sight in front of them. It was an industrial park, or what was left of on. There were a lot of empty buildings.
"Okay, fan out. Ducky you stay in the car till you're called."
The ME nodded his agreement. The team spread out. Gibbs was looking around when he found a speck of red on the ground. He radioed to the others where he was and he waited for backup. After they got there he found the trail; it led into a building. They pushed the panel out of the way. The place was ice cold inside. The middle of February in DC was cold. Gibbs was on point, and the trail was getting more and more apparent.
They came around a bunch of boxes, and they saw the sight. Tony was lying on the ground, and he was a bloody mess. Gibbs put his gun away and was next to him, checking his pulse. Cait called Ducky and Tim went to get the older doctor.
"Tony." Gibbs was now over the body. He didn't want to touch him that much in case of injuring him more. He heard Cait call for an ambulance. Gibbs checked once again for a pulse. It was there, weak and erratic, but there nonetheless. When Ducky came in Gibbs just took Tony's hand and the injured younger man moved. Tony responded to Gibbs touch and squeezed the hand back.
Ducky heard the heartbeat but was cursing the fact that the ambulance was taking so long.
"Come on, Tony, hang in there. Don't leave me yet," Gibbs said aloud.
Ducky got up and gave the men a moment. He went out and was waiting with Tim for the ambulance. Cait called a team in to bag and tag the building. She started to process the scene. Five minutes to Gibbs seemed like an eternity, seeing the man in front of him beaten and battered. Gibbs didn't see Tony's glasses anyplace. He did see the cane, but that was all.
The paramedics came and Gibbs still didn't let go of Tony's hand; no matter how much they tried to get him to stand back, Gibbs was not moving. Ducky gave them his assessment. They thanked the ME and scooped up Tony.
"Cait, you're in charge."
"I'll call Abby. She'll meet you at the hospital."
Gibbs and Tony were in the ambulance, Gibbs staring at the form in front of him.
"Special-" not opening his eyes.
"Shh, don't talk. Try not to move, Tony. We've got you."
"I knew you'd find me, I just knew it." And with that Tony passed out again.
Gibbs wanted to hunt down the bastard who did this to him and do the same thing, but for now all he could do was hold to his hand.
Chapter End Notes:
I would like to thanks all the readers form this group. i have tryed to answer Feedback but for some reason a lot of the mails bounce but i thank you all for the ego boost