Anthony DiNozzo was many things: overly intelligent, handsome, witty, trustworthy and maintained with the ability of always finding ways to defuse heated situations. He remembered way back in the corner of his mind that the late Mrs. Mallard called him "a tough cookie" once in one of her brighter moments. He didn't felt so tough right now; he actually didn't felt like any of those attributes and he was quite sure he would've never signed them either.

It was a warm, shallow night, and he just made it down from the office. He had worked longer, not knowing where to go anyway and unwilling to give Gibbs another excuse to bark at him like a maniac. It wasn't like he wasn't used to it, but still, sometimes Gibbs' words managed to force their way through Tony's usual cockiness and pierce him, sting him when he least expected, least needed it.

Anthony, you're a wuzz He shrugged his shoulder, than turning down the engine of his car, suddenly being surrounded by total silence and darkness, both giving way to demons he thought he left in his closet at home.

He tilted his head, resting the back of it on the car seat and closing his eyes for a second. Why the hell was he even here? He was supposed to be at home, watching another Magnum Marathon, stuffing himself with cheaply ordered Pizza, reminiscing about the hot dates he's going to have on the weekend. Yeah, that's really what DiNozzo's are supposed to do after work.

Work, yeah, that's what it was. Tony moved uncomfortably, still wearing his seatbelt which he loosened now, somehow hating the feeling of being secured. Gibbs really had lived up to his second B today.

Sure, they had a tough case, but didn't they always. Sure it didn't help that a Marine's wife was murdered while he was overseas, on combat in Iraq. Tony always knew that cases, where the victims where women or children always hit close to home for Gibbs, and he didn't judge the former marine for that, but still. It wasn't like this was their first case. But then again, it wasn't like Gibbs acted all bastard the first time either.

Tony furiously tipped into his computer, desperate to try and find something that would help them find the marine's wife's killer before he would return from Iraq. Tony knew it must only be a little comfort, if any at all but it was all they could do and they would do the best they could.

But like today, sometimes good was simply not good enough.

"DiNozzo!" Tony jumped up, guilt in his face.

"Sorry Boss, nothing striking in Jenson's background. I –"

"Then check his wife, daughter, damn even former girlfriends or employees."

"Already done, Boss. Nothing their either. Wife and daughter cleared, two former girlfriends, long time ago though, didn't seem to be much of a player, rather onesided if you ask me –" Gibbs' famous stare hit him. "Uhm, you didn't ask, right. Still, only been employed by the marine core, since 6 years now, spent two of them in Iraq."

"And?", Gibbs wasn't willing to let go.

"I fear that's all, Boss."

"You fear?" Gibbs paced towards Tony's desk, leaning close towards his Senior Field Agent, his voice lowered to a bare whisper, the anger nonetheless audible. "You fear? So when that marine's arriving here tomorrow all you gonna give him is an "I fear"? That the reason I employed you? To excuse yourself?"

Gibbs wheeled around, looking at the empty desks of his other team members.

"McGee's down at MTEC, on the wire with Commander Johnson's superior, searching his entire marine background and looking for possible motives someone had to kill his wife. Ziva's at their house, staying with the aunt and their daughter, protecting both.", Tony reported.

Gibbs noted, giving Tony one last glance before starting to head out. "At least someone's doing their god-damn job."

"Don't pretend, Gibbs", Tony snorted to himself, bending down to order the papers Gibbs had messed up while leaning on his desk when bossing. He knew Gibbs long enough to see through his anger, at least when it was as obvious as today. But despite of Tony's ongoing mocking that Gibbs was an old man, his hearing never lacked any of its perfection. He stopped dead in his tracks.

"You said something DiNozzo", he growled.

Tony bite his tongue. "Uh… no… guess not, Boss."

"You don't GUESS, DiNozzo". Gibbs walked right up to him, looking furious now. "Elevator, now", he whispered through clenched teeth and Tony knew he should've just shut up. But on the other hand, Gibbs was an asshole today and at least still thoughtful enough to lecture Tony in the seclusion of the elevator and not in front of everyone else still in the bullpen.

"NOW, DiNozzo". Tony was never able to refuse a strict order.

Gibbs was silent, even when the elevator door had closed with a small sound and it began moving downwards.

"Mmh, Boss I'm… sorry…", Tony began, not sure what to say.

Gibbs hit the emergency stop.

"What did you say, DiNozzo", his voice still dangerously low and calm.

"Nothing, really, Boss, just –" Tony knew it was sheer impossible to lie to Gibbs, he somehow always knew. "Just know the reason you're so strain today and totally understand."

"So now you know me, DiNozzo. Good boy", he smiled in sarcasm, something Tony wasn't used to.

"Nah, wouldn't go that far", Tony began, hoping to somehow still get out of this elevator alive "Just about your family and that Johnson goes through the same, possibly… Just saying that I still have your back, Boss" He spoke braver than he actually felt. Gibbs was unpredictable in moments like this, when his flesh lay raw.

"Too bad I have to tell little golden boy that he's wrong", Gibbs said, anger rising in his voice. "Shannon and Kelly are none of your business, and they are none of this case. This is a commander who lost his wife and a special agent who is too incompetent to find clues that will lead to her killer. God, DiNozzo, keep your private issues at home, like I do it with mine. I am fed up with your women and if they keep on affecting your worklife, I'm gonna kick you out, for real this time."

"Boss, there-"

"I've seen that new picture on your board, DiNozzo."

"Boss she's-"

"I don't care". Gibbs leant forward, towards Tony who felt captured in the corner of the elevator. "I don't care about her, I don't care about you. All I care about is that this job gets done and if you don't feel like doing so, feel free do go home."

Tony gulped. "You're – you're not seriously kicking me out, are you?"

"Pretty damn close DiNozzo. If you prove being worthless to that case-" Gibbs left his threat unfinished but Tony got the notion of it. Gibbs unhooked the emergency stop and the doors opened in the basement.

"I'll go through Commander Johnson's life again, until I dig something up", Tony said, managing to banish the upcoming shiver from his voice.

"I don't care", Gibbs answered, making his way to autopsy, while the elevator doors closed once more, leaving a very confused and for once speechless Tony behind.

Tony sighed and slowly opened his eyes. He hadn't seen Gibbs then, but by now he swore the man must've been home. It was 1am, and the office abandoned since eleven. McGee had shot through after finishing his interview with Johnson's supervisor, quickly gathering his stuff and wishing Tony a good night. It wasn't as if he hadn't tried, god he really had, but the commander's background was clear. And Tony was pissed. His anger had time to boil. Sitting alone in the bullpen, seeing Gibbs' empty desk, the picture of all the marine's lost, the picture of Shannon and Kelly secretly tucked inside his drawer, as if to hide the bare proof that he was hurt. He really was pretending. Tony knew it and Gibbs shouting at him for the bare truth ignited his anger even more. He really was doing his job, wasn't he? He did overtime more than anybody else, went home for sleeping and showering, if at all, since those things could also be handled at work. He hasn't watched a movie in weeks, despite what everyone might be thinking, if they thought about him at all. Hell, he didn't even had a good fuck in a while, yet a relationship, and he hadn't seen the women in the picture, Gibbs had noticed earlier since 30 years, to the day. He was fed up, maybe, if he was suck a fuck-up, maybe he should've really confront Gibbs with quitting his job, just to see if his boss really didn't care. Wouldn't surprise Tony if he didn't, but if he did, because he did a good job, not because he was such a great character, Tony would feel a little bit better than he did right now. Now he was pure rage and agony. He stood up, grabbed his keys and took the elevator down the parking lot.

Reminiscing the events of the day, Tony's anger rose again, hotter and more desperate than before. He left his car, before changing his mind, crossed the lawn that led to Gibbs' house and opened the door, which was unlocked, as usual. Darkness greeted him and after a quick look around, it was clear Gibbs' wasn't at home. For some reason this made Tony even more furious. Was his boss on one of his "I'm the hero that doesn't need back-up"-Trips again? Or maybe he had visited Mike's family and then stopped at a bar afterwards, drowning the sorrow over his lost friends. That's what you should've done, Anthony. Get hammered and give Gibbs a reasonable excuse to kick you out in the morning. He really should have.

But then again, it wasn't as if Gibbs didn't had any liquor in the house. And he could wait for his boss to come home and maybe then confront him with all the things he'd never dared to speak out loud before.

Gibbs stepped into his hallway glad to finally be home. It was too late to work on the boat tonight, not that he cared about getting a lot of sleep normally, but this case was different. The commander would arrive tomorrow and Gibbs somehow regarded it his duty to accompany and question him. It wouldn't be a pleasant day that was for sure. He managed to hold back a yawn, then turned on the light in his living room, standing dead at the sight in front of him.