This Job of Mine

Summary: A case turns personal when Tony is more then a little connected to the victim. Is it just some random case of coincidence or is it an attack on Tony?

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I do NOT own NCIS or the notable characters.

A/N: Alright, let's see if I can get good reviews for a story I've written based on a show that I actually watch from time to time (since I don't seem to watch Supernatural or Big Bang Theory and those are my popular stories). This was such a vivid dream I had that I HAD to turn it into a story. Even the names are bright and clear in my head and that rarely happens.

"Who dumps a body on a beach when there's a forest right over there?" Tony asked, examining the body.

"Maybe they didn't feel like carrying it over there." Ziva said. "Although that doesn't explain the trail of blood."

"Trail of blood?" Tony asked. Ziva nodded to blood dotting along the sand. "Maybe there's someone else involved."

"Well McGee's in there." Ziva said, taking a picture of the body. "If there is someone else, he'll find them."

"You know this guy seems sort of familiar." Tony said. He crouched down and picked up the dead body's hand. He turned it over and moved to push up the man's sleeve.

"TONY! ZIVA!" Tim yelled. "Got a live one in here! Female!" Tony dropped the guy's hand and went to the forest. He found Tim crouched down by a bloodied body. For a moment he wondered how the woman was alive before he was hit with an even stronger sense of familiarity.

Light brown hair was darker due to dirt and blood. One eye was swollen badly and there was a gash on the woman's forehead on the opposite side. Her wrists were bound and bleeding and her clothes were torn and bloodied all over. Her throat had bruises as if someone had attempted to strangle her. Tony's eyes were drawn to a necklace around the woman's neck. It was a silver chain, spotted with blood, with a dolphin curled around a blue-green orb hanging off it.

"Oh god." Tony said, instantly recognizing the initials carved along the dolphin's body. He recognized the whole necklace actually.

"What?" Tim asked.

"Lila." Tony muttered. Tim stared at him.

Ten Years Ago - Baltimore

"Curtis, this is your new partner." Lila looked up from her computer and brushed her light brown hair from her face. "Anthony DiNozzo, this is detective Delilah Curtis."

"Hi." Lila said.

"Well hello." Tony said, holding out his hand. Lila raised an eyebrow but took it. Tony smiled at her and she got the sudden impression that he was flirting with her.

This boy was in for a wild ride.

"So how long have you been working here?" Tony asked, leaning on the desk.

"Almost two years." Lila said, turning back to her computer. "I hear you transferred."

"Yeah, from Philly." Tony said. "Spent about...eighteen months there. Before that I was Peoria for two years. That's in..."

"Illinois, I know." Lila said.

"What uh...what are you working on?" Tony asked.

"Report." Lila said simply.

"On..." Tony said.

"Last case." Lila said. "And no I don't need help because you don't know what happened."

"Your last partner got shot." Tony said. Lila paused. "Currently they're in ICU with internal injuries. The partner before that fell five stories, broke their collarbone...seven months ago." Lila looked at him. Tony grinned. "Oh yes, I'm that good."

"Funny...I wonder what'll happen to you." Lila said, turning back to her computer. Tony sighed and sat down at the desk across from Lila's. She glanced at him but said nothing as she continued to type.

Tony watched her, having nothing else to do. His eyes following her tan hand as she lifted it up to brush her bangs from her face. Her head tilted slightly as she worked and Tony grinned when he noticed the tip of her tongue between her lips. Her hand lifted again to rub at her head and Tony noticed a ring on her finger.

"How long?" He asked before he could stop himself.

"Sorry?" Lila asked, looking at him.

"The ring..how long." Tony said.

"What...oh that." Lila said, looking at her hand. "Just engaged, going to get married in about three months. Been engaged about a year now so you know...about time."

"Yeah." Tony said, slowly.

"What about you? Anyone big and special in your life?" Lila asked.

"Just me." Tony said.

"Must be lonely." Lila said.

"Only once I find the right girl and I can't have her." Tony said. "Until then...it's plenty fun." Lila shook her head but Tony saw a hint of a smile on her face. Smiling himself, he leaned back and continued to watch her work on her report.

Present

"I'm going with her." Tony demanded as the paramedics wheeled Lila into the back of an Ambulance.

"Who are you?" One of them asked.

"NCIS." Tony said. "I'm going with her." Ziva and Tim stood back, watching in curiousity and slight amazement at the determination in Tony's voice.

"Alright fine, get in." The paramedic said. Tony jumped into the back and turned to look at his coworkers.

"Tell Gibbs." He said, just before the doors shut.

"Tell Gibbs what?" Tim asked. "That Tony's gone crazy?"

"Following a victim to the hospital." Ziva said.

"Get a mask on her." One of the paramedics said. Tony, who had explained already that he had had to perform CPR, watched the paramedic strap a breathing device to Lila. "She's lost a lot of blood."

"We'll figure her type when we get to the hospital." The other paramedic said.

"A positive." Tony said.

"What?" The first paramedic asked.

"A positive." Tony repeated. "It's the same as mine."

"You feeling generous...NCIS?" The paramedic asked. Tony's only reply was shrugging off his coat and rolling up his sleeve.

"Her name is Delilah Curtis." Gibbs said, walking through the hospital nearly an hour later, Ziva and Tim on his heels.

"Yeah but who is she, boss?" Tim asked. "To Tony I mean."

"She is...was his partner in Baltimore." Gibbs said.

"Tony was in Baltimore?" Ziva asked.

"Yeah, eight years ago." Tim said. He looked at the back of Gibbs' head. "She's the one he never talks about?"

"Yes." Gibbs said.

"I thought she was dead or something." Tim said.

"Think again, McGee." Gibbs said, turning into the hospital room and pausing.

Lila had been cleaned up some which might have just made her look worse. Her eye that wasn't swollen had a large dark circle under it. Her skin was pale, even in contrast with the white room, bed, sheet and gown around her. Her one arm was in a cast, her head was wrapped up, and her other arm had a needle in it that was currently connected to a machine that was also connected to the arm of Tony as he sat in a chair, looking ready to fall asleep.

"How much blood you plan on giving her DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked.

"Doc should be back soon to shut it off." Tony said. "Said McGee found her just in time."

"Is she going to be alright?" Tim asked.

"She's out cold and they don't know how long she'll be that way." Tony said. "Lost a lot of blood and took a lot of hits. Her arm's broken, her knee was dislocated, she's got three cracked ribs..." He died off as he gazed at his sleeping ex partner.

"I'll go get some coffee." Ziva said, noticing the look on Gibbs' face.

"Uh...yeah, me too." Tim said. They both headed out, closing the door behind them. Gibbs grabbed a chair and sat down, watching Tony.

"Lester?" Tony asked.

"Yeah." Gibbs said, sighing. Tony shook his head. "I think...Delilah killed that guy, to get away."

"That's the only reason she'd kill someone." Tony said, quietly. "She hates it...hates the idea..."

"I know." Gibbs said. "Look...Tony..."

"I'm stopping this guy Gibbs." Tony said, looking at his boss for the first time since he came into the room. "Once and for all. He should have never gotten away and now...now he has people..."

"This case just became too personal, DiNozzo." Gibbs said. "You'll let your emotions get the better of you."

"I can't let him hurt any more people." Tony said.

"Tony." Gibbs said. "Just what is Delilah...to you." Tony was silent for a long while as his gaze shifted back to the unconscious woman in the bed. He listened to the heart monitor beeping steadily, watched her chest rise and fall with every artificial breath filtered from the mask on her face. Her hands lay lifeless on either side of her body and the purple bruises up and down her arms and neck stood out horribly against her pale skin. He had never seen her look so pale, she always had that soft, sun kissed look but now it seemed like she hadn't seen the sun in weeks, maybe months. He wondered what had happened, where she had been.

"Someone big and special." Tony said finally and quietly.

Alright so first chapter here. Who wonders if Tony's meaning the same sort of "big and special" that Lila meant in the flashback? And for that matter, who wonders if she knows?

I know I have Unnatural Wonderland and The Weaton Challenge to work on but I had to do this.