Sometimes I like to think how easily things could have gone differently … spoilers for 'Baltimore' as well as 'Requiem'

For a moment the car seemed almost to hover in mid air but then gravity asserted itself and the car plummeted into the water. Gibbs took a second to be grateful that the windows were shut but he could see this was a momentary respite as the water was already seeping in. He glanced across at his passenger and was almost relieved to see that Maddie was unconscious and unaware of their danger.

Gibbs frantically tried to get the door open, to smash the windshield, to break something so they could get out but all his efforts were useless. As the water rose he took a breath which he realised might be his last.

As his body began to run out of oxygen, Gibbs thought he could hear Shannon and Kelly calling to him and he began to relax but then the image of his lost wife and daughter was overlaid by a pair of amused grey/green eyes. Why was he thinking of DiNozzo?

NCISNCIS

"Did you just physically assault me?" demanded Anthony DiNozzo as he rubbed the back of his head in disbelief.

Gibbs shrugged. He had been impressed by the young Baltimore detective and, although he detested crooked cops, had been almost grateful for Danny Price's treachery as it looked as if it would trigger DiNozzo's departure from the police department. Timing was excellent, he mused, as Director Morrow had been urging him to recruit someone and while Gibbs was perfectly capable of ignoring instructions, it never hurt to throw in the occasional nod to authority; especially when it coincided with what he wanted.

So, now DiNozzo was standing in front of him, confessing that he was thinking of leaving Baltimore. The affectionate head slap had been delivered as an opening salvo. DiNozzo was being introduced to the Gibbs informal, quirky leadership style: Mike Franks' methods had worked on Gibbs and he saw no reason to amend them with this youngster. Yes, he was good but he needed seasoning, he needed a firm hand and Gibbs knew how to deliver that.

"Did you just physically assault me?" said Tony again. Somehow a shrug hadn't seemed a good enough response.

"Sure," said Gibbs with an affectionate half-smile.

"Are you planning to make a habit of it?"

Another shrug. Gibbs opened his mouth to begin his sales pitch to lure DiNozzo to the team but the young man got there first.

"'Cos that's a no-no," he said.

"What?" asked Gibbs in surprise.

"Nobody's gonna hit me," said DiNozzo firmly, "I guess you think it's got folksy charm or something but I'm telling you, you smack me again and I'll smack you back even harder."

"DiNozzo," began Gibbs in exasperation at this overreaction.

"No, Gibbs," said Tony firmly, "if this is how you lead your team then I don't want any part of it. Metro PD have got some openings. I reckon I'll head over there instead," and he turned to go.

"DiNozzo! Tony! What you doing?" demanded Gibbs.

Tony turned back. "I did some research on you, Gibbs. Hard assed ex-marine."

"Damn straight," said Gibbs straightening an already straight back, "but there's no such thing as an ex-marine."

"I went to military academy," said Tony.

Gibbs nodded. Pacci had included that in the file he had prepared on DiNozzo and it had been something else that appealed to Gibbs. Ideally he would have preferred ex-military but a year or two at military school would have applied some of the seasoning so dear to Gibbs.

"And I hated it. I swore I'd never go into the military."

"We're not military," explained Gibbs, "civilian agency investigating the Navy. Nothing for you to worry about."

"Hah!" laughed Tony, "Agent Gibbs, you're more military than the whole United States Army and Navy combined. Why would I want to be a part of your team?"

"Because you're good," said Gibbs sincerely, "and you don't waste good."

"Nice to know," nodded Tony, "but I don't intend to waste it. That's why I'm heading over to Metro."

"Don't you want to be a Federal Agent?" asked Gibbs, "you gonna settle for just being a cop?"

"You know, I think I am. I like being a cop. And I've got a feeling that your leadership style might not work with me. I'm not one of your raw recruits, you know, who has to be knocked into shape. Believe me, I've had enough of people 'knocking me into shape' and I'm done with that."

He turned away again. Gibbs grabbed his arm to stop him.

"Thanks, but no thanks, Agent Gibbs," said Tony coldly, "now let me go and we can go on being friends."

Gibbs dropped his hand and released Tony's arm.

"This isn't over, Tony," he said with a confidence he didn't quite feel.

"Yes, it is," said Tony firmly, "yes, it is."

NCISNCIS

In a way, they had both been right. Tony had joined the Metropolitan Police Department where he seemed something of a rising star and was tipped for great things. Gibbs had gradually built his team by dint of refraining from head slapping at least until after the first week on the job. He licked the team into shape but somehow he often thought something was missing.

The nature of their work meant that Gibbs' team often encountered Metro officers who came to include Lieutenant Anthony DiNozzo who was working with one of the Criminal Investigation Teams. The MCRT was used to Gibbs' reputation leading to other law enforcement departments beating hasty retreats when the NCIS van arrived, but Tony DiNozzo was different. He was unfailingly cheerful and polite when dealing with NCIS but didn't give an inch of ground. Oddly, their irascible leader, seemed to enjoy their confrontations and usually wore something like a smile when they went their separate ways.

"Hey, Boss," said Timothy McGee as they drew up to their latest crime scene, "Tony's here!"

Gibbs almost grinned.

"Special Agent Gibbs," said Tony formally, "nice of you to join us!"

"What we got?" asked Gibbs.

"Emergency Response Team got called out to a domestic disturbance. It was all over bar the shouting by the time we got here. Petty Officer and his wife got into a fight and he got the worst of it. He's on his way to the hospital and his wife is inside. I guess you want to take this?"

Gibbs nodded and grunted and jerked his head to the rest of his team to start their work.

"Why are you here, DiNozzo? Thought you were on a Criminal Investigation Team?"

"Just come off the FBI National Academy Course," said Tony.

"Hard luck," commiserated Gibbs.

"What d'you mean?"

"Ten weeks on that course. Must have been … what's the word … dry? Some bean counter make you go on it? You wouldn't have had to do that if you'd joined NCIS."

"I wanted to go on it," said Tony, "it was interesting. Good chance to keep up to date. Meet people, you know."

Gibbs shook his head; it would have been his idea of hell.

"So you moving to a new team?" he asked.

"Yeah, this one," replied Tony.

"You know, Tony …" began Gibbs.

"Jethro! You're like a broken record! No, I don't want to join NCIS. No, I don't miss the opportunity to have my head slapped. No, I didn't enjoy being in the passenger seat when you drove me back to headquarters that one time. I'm never risking getting into a car with you again. Explain to me again why you think me being on your team would appeal to me?."

"You'd get to travel more," offered Gibbs, "see the world."

"Yeah, I can't wait to go to Afghanistan or Iraq," agreed Tony, "you start going places like the Cote d'Azur or Rio de Janeiro and I might think again."

"Really?"

"No, not really. I like to go home at night."

Gibbs nodded. He no longer expected Tony to join the team but the offer had become a ritual between them.

"Hi, Tony," said McGee coming up to report on what he had found so far, "how you doing?"

"Good, Tim, good."

"How was the course?" asked McGee.

"Great," said Tony, "you should ask Agent Gibbs to let you go on it."

A grimace from McGee and a grunt from Gibbs showed what each NCIS agent thought of that idea.

"How are the twins?" asked McGee.

"You're the math geek. What do the terrible twos for twins add up to?"

"More than four?" joked Tim.

"Much more," nodded Tony, "hey, we're having a barbecue this Sunday. Why don't you all come? Rachel'll be there."

Tim blushed. His 'interest' in Tony's sister-in-law was a badly kept secret.

"What's the occasion?" asked Gibbs, thinking that DiNozzo deserved a little polite social interaction as a reward for having to go on the boring course.

"I'm being promoted," said Tony, "Captain. Thought we'd have some friends round. Let other people look after the kids for a change! See how cute they really are!"

"Sure," said Gibbs, "if we're not working. Come on, McGee. Let's see what mess we've got here."

"See you," said Tony as he watched them go into the house. He adjusted his cap and smiled contentedly as he re-joined his new team. Gibbs resolutely didn't look back; he still felt the pang of regret about failing with Tony and his six never felt completely watched.

NCISNCIS

Now, as the car continued to sink and as the need to breathe became more urgent, Gibbs' last conscious thought was that somehow DiNozzo would have come good for him … he raised a hand to give himself a head slap.

AN: I'll leave you to decide whether Tony, or anyone, will come to Gibbs' rescue.