Squad Room

"So, we want to find the source. The person who was bringing LSD into the school, and you want us to bring in Leonard Todd." McGee said but stopped when he saw DiNozzo approaching. McGee sat at his desk typing away, when DiNozzo tried to enter the squad room. He could not enter without having to maneuver around Gibbs, making it impossible to avoid attention.

"Boss. . . excuse me." DiNozzo said softly looking down as he awkwardly tried to get around Gibbs, who had not moved while he stared at him.

"DiNozzo." Gibbs said. "Is there anything that you would care to share?"

"Ugh. . .what did you want me to do Boss?" He asked.

"Answer my question. Is Vance still punishing you for what happened?"

"No. . ." DiNozzo answered without elaborating. Gibbs looked him over before redirecting the focus of the conversation.

"Help McGee." Gibbs said, watching DiNozzo sit down and then struggle to type at his desk.

"On it Boss." DiNozzo said.

"Are you. . .favoring that arm?" Gibbs asked. DiNozzo froze from the question.

He shook his head looking down and away from Gibbs.

"No, I am good." DiNozzo said.

"Why aren't you wearing the sling? It was a fracture." Gibbs asked.

McGee looked over and noticed that the arm that DiNozzo was favoring was actually the arm that he had blood drawn from too.

"Tony." McGee interjected. DiNozzo shot him a panicked look that did not go unnoticed by Gibbs.

"What is going on?" Gibbs asked him again. DiNozzo's eyes pleaded with McGee to let the question go.

"We are . . .just worried about Abby, Boss." McGee tried to cover for him.

"Abby. . .what about Abby?" Gibbs said.

"She really misses Ziva." DiNozzo said in a dull tone.

Gibbs turned to McGee and then back to DiNozzo trying to make sense of what was going on.

"We all do." Gibbs offered, still watching them. Then he headed off to check on Abby.

~STILL~

Squad Room

"Boss." DiNozzo shouted when Gibbs returned to the squad room. He could see that DiNozzo and McGee were gearing up.

"What?" Gibbs asked.

"We just got a call from Randy Simmons' mom. She asked for us to come back." DiNozzo said. Gibbs nodded grabbing his weapon as well and joining them in the elevator.

When arriving at the home, they could hear loud smashing noises from inside. They quickly approached the home with the weapons drawn. Upon entering the residence after Gibbs pushed the door in, they found Mrs. Simmons screaming at her son, who was in a rage smashing and destroying everything in sight. Mrs. Simmons was screaming and begging them to stop her son.

DiNozzo and McGee went to restrain him. In the process of the boy's mad rage, the boy showed incredible strength. McGee was pushed into a cabinet and DiNozzo got elbowed directly into the nose. Seeing his agents attacked, Gibbs tried to jump on top of him. In the process, he managed to handcuff one of his arms and McGee got on top of him. As they both lay on top of the boy, Gibbs yelled to Mrs. Simmons to call 911. DiNozzo now stood over them both hands were covering his nose, with blood pouring out. He frantic tried to stop the bleeding.

After her son was in the care of the EMTs, she looked to DiNozzo standing to the side with his hands covered in blood.

"Agent DiNozzo, please . . ." Mrs. Simmons said pointing to the bathroom.

"Agent Gibbs that wasn't my son." She said. "Please you have to believe me that Harry would normally never do something like this. And, Randy. . .I don't believe that he committed suicide either."

Gibbs watched as the boy was now lying unconscious on a stretcher being taken to the hospital by the EMTs.

"Why did you call us? Why not just call 911 to begin with?" Gibbs asked.

"I feel my family is in danger." She said. "Randy was acting scared and weird last week before he died."

There was a knock on the bathroom door. DiNozzo reached out and pulled open the door.

"I'm. . .I'm sorry Boss. . .I just can't get it to stop." DiNozzo said with a nervous laugh. Gibbs nodded, looking to him in concern. He could see that DiNozzo was almost in a panic about this, and he was using his bad arm more than he should be.

"Harry. . .has been taken to the hospital." Gibbs said. "I sent McGee to sit with him. Hopefully, he will talk to McGee."

DiNozzo nodded in understanding. Quickly, DiNozzo shoved small pieces of rolled up toilet paper in his nose and scrubbed the sink of any specs of blood using the sanitizer under the sink.

"Let's go. . .DiNozzo." Gibbs said, gently grabbing his arm and starting to pull him out of the bathroom.

"I'm okay Boss." DiNozzo said immediately pulling himself away from Gibbs. After that strong reaction, Gibbs pointed him in the direction of the door without touching him this time. They got into the car. Gibbs looked to him and examined him closely with his investigator eyes.

"I am sorry about this, Boss." DiNozzo said holding his head up and keeping tissue near, incase his nose began to bleed again.

"Mmm." Gibbs said looking to him in concern, as he put the key in the ignition. He glanced back with a questioning look wondering why DiNozzo reacted to the whole situation the way that he did.

~STILL~

Squad Room

"Tony." McGee said angrily.

"I know, McGee." DiNozzo said as he ran into the squad room. "I am sorry."

"Where were you anyway?" McGee asked. ". . .You were with Ducky again weren't you? What did Ducky test you for?" McGee asked demanding an explanation this time, as he walked over to DiNozzo's desk.

"I. . ." DiNozzo shook his head.

"That is now the third time today that you have snuck down to see Ducky."

"Gibbs is suspicious now and I am not lying for you again." McGee said.

"Gibbs is suspicious because Vance keeps calling me in." DiNozzo said.

"Well, now this is making him more suspicious then." McGee said.

DiNozzo prepared his explanation for McGee, who was now standing over him.

"I had a test done, when I was at the hospital for my arm. I found out when I got back from Israel, that the blood test came back that I was positive. . .for something."

"Ducky has now run the same blood test twice now, and I came up negative."

"That sounds. . .good then." McGee said, looking at DiNozzo curiously.

"And the test was for. . .?" McGee asked.

"I would rather not say." DiNozzo said, looking to McGee as if he already knew the answer. "After everything that happened during the wonderful trip to Israel. . .really nice place, Tim. You really should consider a trip there."

"DiNozzo." McGee warned.

"After everything with Rivkin, Israel, and the blood test, I tried to resign. That is why I keep getting called up to talk to Vance."

"Does Gibbs know about this?" McGee asked.

"Does Gibbs know about what, McGee?" Gibbs asked entering the squad room. He stood next to McGee now, standing over DiNozzo's desk.

"Do you have something to report?" Gibbs said a bit snobbishly after hearing the comment and no effort was made to answer his question.

"Harry Simmons said that he did get the LSD at a party. At first he was reluctant to answer, but he said that the person that gave him the LSD was Leonard Todd."

"DiNozzo?" Gibbs said, prompting him to engage in the conversation as well.

"I am still looking up information on the Todd family, Boss." DiNozzo said.

"Boss?" DiNozzo said, when he saw that Gibbs was glaring at him.

"What is this, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked, setting a piece of paper on his desk.

"You said you were writing an apology letter to Mossad." Gibbs said strongly, watching DiNozzo grimace as he saw the letter. "If you want to resign. . .you are to resign to me, and you better be ready to justify your decision."

"Do you have one?" Gibbs said leaning in across the desk getting close to DiNozzo's face. DiNozzo quickly shook his head. Gibbs backed up and tore the letter in half.

"All right, Tony, let's go chat with Leonard Todd." Gibbs said.

"Boss I was. . ." DiNozzo said before getting cut off.

"McGee." Gibbs said.

"I will finish up what Tony started." McGee said.

~STILL~

"Tony?" Gibbs said after they drove out of the lot.

"What is going on with you?" Gibbs asked. DiNozzo shook his head and shyly turned away.

"No sling today-resignation letter-secret meetings with Vance-Ducky has a file on you—you are sneaking down to autopsy, whenever I leave the squad room. You're not talking and you're extremely withdrawn. And. . .the reaction you had to that bloody nose earlier really concerned me as well."

"We just lost Ziva." DiNozzo offered.

"Yes. . .we did." Gibbs said. "She wanted to finish what Rivkin started."

"And you regret picking me over her?" DiNozzo said.

"DiNozzo!" Gibbs snapped in irritation ready to slam on the brakes. "I chose not to argue with her over her choice to finish out Rivkin's work. I wasn't about to leave you in Israel or get you reassigned. Where did you get an idea like that?"

"That is very nice of you to say that, Boss." DiNozzo said. "But we are still minus Ziva, and it was my fault." As soon as the words left his mouth, the car came to a screeching holt. Gibbs maneuvered the car into a parking lot.

"We are already minus a team member." Gibbs said. "But, I feel like two agents remained in Israel."

"I am sorry Boss. If you want me to do something, I'll do it." DiNozzo said in a dull tone.

"You know what I expect. You know your job, and you normally do it very well." Gibbs said. "Nothing else has changed."

"Listen, I understand you are shook up right now."

"Look at me." Gibbs ordered. DiNozzo obediently turned to face him.

"Are you sick?" Gibbs asked. DiNozzo immediately shook his head.

"No sir." DiNozzo said.

"Drop the sir, Tony. . ." Gibbs said softly.

"Are you sick?" Gibbs asked again. DiNozzo knew he should never doubt "the Gibbs' gut."

"Ducky's tests came up negative." DiNozzo offered.

"For what?" Gibbs asked gently. DiNozzo looked at him embarrassed and then looked down.

"How is your arm and is your nose okay? You were in a panic about that nose bleed earlier." Gibbs said sounding exhausted from all the questions he had to ask.

"Do you remember back in March, after we returned from Arizona? You told me that you knew I was in a dating slump and that I needed to snap out of it?" DiNozzo said.

"I don't like where this is going." Gibbs said with a sigh. "Are you trying to distract me?"

"It took another few months for me to recover from my slump." DiNozzo explained. "but. . .a woman that I was with later told me that she tested positive for. . ." DiNozzo looked away before confirming Gibbs' thoughts.

"DiNozzo." Gibbs shook his head, flooded first with anger then with sympathy.

"Then I had to wait long enough to be tested. . ." DiNozzo said.

"It's negative?" Gibbs confirmed again.

"But, the first time I got a false positive." DiNozzo said.

"Why didn't you just tell me. . .?" Gibbs asked softly.

"Women that I have had one night stands with before have later told me that they were pregnant." DiNozzo laughed awkwardly. "And, that turned out false also."

"You need to be more careful." Gibbs growled but looked to him with concern.

"Are there any more secrets, Tony? How is your arm?" Gibbs said. "Come on, it was fractured."

"I just didn't want to wear the sling. It makes me look even more weak and pathetic." DiNozzo shook his head.

"DiNozzo!" Gibbs yelled. He glanced back at DiNozzo with a concerned expression.

"I'll wear it, when we get back."

~STILL~

They arrived at the home of Leonard Todd. There were flashing light and police cars surrounding the residence.

"What happened here?" DiNozzo said as they both approached the front door, where policemen were standing.

"We are with NCIS. We have been investigating teenage suicides related to. . ." Gibbs explained.

"Well, you'll have another suicide to add to the list. The boy that lives here, Leonard Todd, hung himself in his bedroom. He was found after his parents were arrested for drug possession and drug trafficking."

"We don't think those other boys died from suicides though, Agent Gibbs." The officer explained. "We found pictures in Leonard Todd's room of each of the boys hanging to their deaths."

"That is twisted." DiNozzo said. "He kept pictures?"

"This is still our investigation." Gibbs said.

"What else is there to investigate?" The officer said.

~STILL~

Squad Room

"Tony" Ducky said. "You told Gibbs and McGee?" DiNozzo nodded.

"Was there ever a doubt, Duck?" Gibbs said walking around him to get to his own desk.

"Have you talked to Abby yet?" McGee asked DiNozzo. He shook his head.

"You are scared to talk to her aren't you?" McGee asked.

"Go. . .NOW." Gibbs pointed. DiNozzo reluctantly stood after receiving the order and headed down to talk to Abby in her lab.

"You sure are pushing him hard, Jethro." Ducky stated.

"He needs this. He can't drag this on any longer." Gibbs said.

"Agreed." Ducky said. "But, it doesn't all have to be done in a day. You even forced him to wear his sling. Every time I see him I have said something. He only needs it a little longer."

"Well. . .I am not done with him either. Next, I am taking him up to talk with Vance."

"Who are we talking about?" Vance asked approaching the squad room.

"DiNozzo." Gibbs answered.

"Why do I need to talk to Agent DiNozzo?" Vance asked.

"I want you to stop blaming him." Gibbs stated standing up ready to argue with Vance.

"Mmm, . . .stop blaming him?" Vance questioned.
"You threw him to the wolves in Israel. . ." Gibbs snarled.

"And, you let me." Vance said. The anger ignited in Gibbs and he was ready to fire back.

"DiNozzo and I already talked about this, Gibbs. It was very impressive the way Agent DiNozzo managed to turn the tables on Eli when he was being interrogated for Rivkin's death. DiNozzo got him to admit that Rivkin would only follow Eli's orders, and he did all of this when he himself was the one being interrogated." Vance said. Gibbs managed to relax himself after Vance provided him with this new information.

"I had not realized that Anthony . . .had been interrogated." Ducky said with McGee looking equally surprised. "I never considered it actually."

"He already knows that I regret "throwing him to the wolves" without support or even faith in him. I underestimated him and his abilities." Vance explained.

"I am glad you set things straight with him then." Gibbs said sitting back down.

"How about you?" Vanced asked.

"What?" Gibbs asked.

"Have you set things straight with him?" Vance asked.

"There is nothing to set straight." Gibbs started to say. "Wait a minute. . .somehow DiNozzo got it into his head that I regretted choosing him over Ziva."
"Why did you tell him that?" Gibbs asked.

"He specifically asked me to." Vance said. "Why did you tell him what Ziva said in the first place?"

"Ziva had made the choice herself." Gibbs said.

Abby's Lab

Gibbs walked in to find DiNozzo up on a ladder hanging a poster that Abby made in tribute to Ziva. It was a collection of pictures like she had made before when the team was separated. Gibbs approached slowly from behind and stood watching them a moment. As he did this, he found DiNozzo's sling rolled up on top of the table.

"Oh hey there Boss." DiNozzo said in surprise, as he got down and turned.

"Hey, you put this thing back on." Gibbs ordered throwing the sling over to him. "We need more pictures, Gibbs." Abby said. He nodded.

The End

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