Gibbs stood in the doorway, pausing before going in. He didn't think he had made a noise (he was Gibbs after all) but he had been seen all the same. The object of his search looked up and, for a moment, something flickered in his eyes which Gibbs couldn't quite identify. Then it was gone, replaced by a steady stare and one word.

"Gibbs".

"DiNozzo," came the slightly wary reply, "or should I say Paddington?"

Tony shrugged, "I use the name for work now."

"Daniel Paddington," said Gibbs, "I know. Abby saw your picture in the paper."

"So should I expect to see the forensic bombshell rush in here any minute?" asked Tony, peering exaggeratedly over Gibbs' shoulder.

"No, I told her to stay home," said Gibbs.

"And she always does what you tell her to? Like everyone else at NCIS?"

Gibbs ignored the question. He looked round the room, "so this is what you do now?"

"You've read the paper," said Tony, "and no doubt Abby did the research for you."

"McGee," corrected Gibbs.

"Special Agent Gibbs," mocked Tony, "stealing people from other teams! Or is your current Senior Field Agent as useless as your old one?"

"McGee is my Senior Field Agent," said Gibbs.

"Poor McGee," said Tony drily.

"These are good," said Gibbs, pointing to the paintings on the walls.

"Yeah. And before you ask, yes, I did paint them."

"I wasn't going to ask," said Gibbs.

"My mistake. You can understand my confusion though. You implied that I did something well: I was waiting for the other shoe to drop."

"Tony!" said Gibbs, "you're not making this easy."

"I'd apologise," said Tony, "but I seem to remember you have a rule about that. What am I supposed to be making easy?"

"You disappeared," said Gibbs, "nobody knew where'd you'd gone."

"Well, you know now," pointed out Tony.

"Why did you go, Tony?"

"It's not like you to ask stupid questions, Gibbs. You know why I went."

FLASHBACK

Gibbs walked into Director Vance's office, "You wanted to see me, Leon?"

"Yes, sit down, Gibbs," said Vance.

Gibbs did his customary weighing up of whether he would be staying long enough to make it worthwhile sitting down but did finally take a seat.

"SecNav has given his approval to set up another MCRT to be based in DC," said Vance, tapping on a folder of papers.

"OK," said Gibbs, "how will it affect my team?"

"There's enough work for two teams," said Vance, "it might lighten your workload a bit. Can't imagine you'll complain about that."

Gibbs shrugged, "OK," he said and made to get up.

"I wanted your input on personnel," said Vance. Gibbs sank back into his chair. "I'd imagine DiNozzo and McGee might apply for positions on the new team," continued Vance, "it would be a good opportunity for both of them."

"So?"

"So, what's your opinion?"

"McGee might be ready to move on," said Gibbs grudgingly.

"What about DiNozzo?"

"Depends who's going to be Agent in Charge," said Gibbs, "got to get the right fit."

"DiNozzo might apply to be Agent in Charge," suggested Vance, "what do you think?"

"You keep dropping unsubtle hints that I'm going to have to retire in a few years' time, Leon," said Gibbs, "why not leave DiNozzo where he is until then. He can step up when I go."

"You don't think he's ready now?"

"Didn't say that," said Gibbs, "just saying it might be simpler."

"Agent McGee might apply for the Agent in Charge position," said Vance. "If he got it, he'd outrank DiNozzo."

"It's happened before," said Gibbs, "hey, I used to outrank you."

"Let me get this clear," said Vance, "you would support an application by Agent McGee but not Agent DiNozzo?"

"Your words, Director, not mine."

A few days later, after the creation of the new team had been announced, Tony had visited Gibbs in his basement.

"So," Tony said, "I had an interesting conversation with the Director today."

"Yeah?" said Gibbs blandly, not taking his eye off the piece of wood he was planing.

"I asked him whether he thought it was worth me applying for the new team."

"Hmmm?"

"He said that endorsement from my current supervisor was important."

Silence.

"McGee said he'd got your approval to apply."

"Yes."

"The Director implied that you didn't think it would be a good move for me."

Gibbs took a sip of bourbon and gazed at Tony over the rim of the jar, seemingly hoping that words would not be needed. Finally he sighed, "Vance'll make me retire in a few years' time, DiNozzo. I just said it would be simpler to wait until then and you could step into my shoes."

"So McGee steps up into a new job and I hang around until you finally get booted out. Then I can have your left overs?"

"DiNozzo," said Gibbs trying to be patient but longing to get back to his wood working, "it's not a big deal is it? I always thought you were hanging on to take over from me."

"Sure, I like the team," said Tony, "but this is something new. An opportunity to lead."

"What's the rush?" asked Gibbs.

"Rush?" laughed Tony, "I've been working for you nearly fifteen years. Doesn't that say something?"

"Then why not wait a bit longer?" Gibbs took another sip of his drink and delivered what he hoped would be the clincher, "I depend on you."

"You know, Boss, that's good to hear," said Tony, "but that's not really the point. Do you think I could lead another team?"

"I think another couple of years wouldn't hurt," said Gibbs, "I could start training you in what needs to be done."

"So, McGee can go off to be leader of another team but I need extra training from you?" asked Tony.

"That's not what I meant," said Gibbs. He found himself struggling to convince Tony why he should stay. He was surprised to find how attached he was to the idea of the MCRT, the original MCRT and he didn't want Tony to leave it. He wanted to hand it on to Tony who was the deserving recipient of that honour, he just didn't want to do it yet. Gibbs wasn't ready and somehow he couldn't picture Tony walking away into any other role. He didn't want anyone else as his second and he didn't want to trust Tony's safety to anyone else. Surely Tony must understand the special connection they had?

Gibbs realised that he'd kept silent for too long. He opened his mouth to try to put some of his thoughts into words but Tony just looked at him with a twisted smile,

"OK, Boss. I understand."

"Thanks, Tony," said Gibbs relieved at how calm Tony seemed.

"Night, Boss," and Tony was gone, his feet pattering away up the stairs.

It was the last time he visited Gibbs in the basement.

McGee had been nervously excited at the thought of the upcoming interview and Tony had just looked on sardonically. The interviews for the new team had been postponed when Vance had been called away to deal with a major security incident in Rota and he had taken Gibbs with him. Tony had asked to take a vacation while they were away and Gibbs agreed, feeling that perhaps it would be better not to have him around while the new team was being assembled. On his return Delores Bromstead had told him, rather coolly, that Agent DiNozzo had tendered his resignation while on leave and would not be returning to duty.

PRESENT TIME

"No, I don't know why you went," said Gibbs, "I thought you agreed with me."

"So, why now, Gibbs?" asked Tony, "It's been more than a year."

"You hadn't closed any bank accounts, hadn't sold your apartment, hadn't left the country. I thought you'd be back," said Gibbs, "you didn't seem to have done anything permanent, I thought you might just need some space."

"Not like you to let anyone have space, have a private life?" said Tony with an air of polite interest.

"You were different," said Gibbs.

"And you were busy with all those security issues," said Tony in the same agreeable tone.

"Yes," said Gibbs, "there wasn't time to look for you. I had McGee do an alert on the borders so we knew you hadn't left the country. I thought you were probably OK, just pissed at us; me."

"You were right about one thing."

"What was that?"

"That I was pissed at you," said Tony.

"Where'd you go, Tony?"

Tony paused for a long moment, considering his reply, "I was in England."

"What part of New England?"

"Not New England, Old England. Original version."

"That's impossible. We had your passport tagged."

Tony shrugged, "I must be lying then," he said in a bored voice.

"DiNozzo, leaving the country on a false passport is against the law."

"You'd better arrest me then. But I didn't leave, or come back, on a fake passport."

"What then? Bribing immigration is no better."

"My word, your sudden concern for keeping the law, Agent Gibbs. I'd say it was out of character but …"

"But what?"

"But when did my opinion matter? Hell, when did anyone's opinion matter?"

"DiNozzo!" snapped Gibbs, "tell me what you did!"

"Does shouting usually work for you, Gibbs? What am I saying, of course it does? That tone of voice usually gets everyone standing to attention and wetting their pants."

"So?" said Gibbs.

"So, that doesn't really work for me any more. I'm not afraid of you, Gibbs."

"Are you sure of that, DiNozzo?" said Gibbs with a hint of menace.

Tony looked over Gibbs' shoulder where he could see people walking along the harbour path. Two men had stopped to gaze in the window. He seemed to make up his mind.

"You're forgetting, Gibbs. Dual citizenship; English mom. Hell, I was even born in England: admittedly by mistake, came a couple of weeks early while Mom was visiting home. But it means I've got a British passport."

"Can't be in your real name, though," said Gibbs.

"Near enough. My full name is Anthony Daniel Paddington-DiNozzo. My British passport misses off the end of the name, that's all. All perfectly legal and above board. Oh dear, that means you can't arrest me for anything after all."

"What you do in England?"

"Went to art school for a year. Cornwall. Great light on the coast."

"You went to art school?" demanded Gibbs incredulously.

"Sure, why not?" Tony cast another look at the people looking in the window, he rubbed his shoulder.

"And this is what you do now? Bum around the country, selling these daubs?" Gibbs found himself shouting again; he didn't quite know why he was so angry. At one time he would have said that just finding DiNozzo healthy and whole would have been enough but now he found himself irrationally furious. It didn't help that Tony had stayed infuriatingly calm with an air of superiority seemingly perfectly designed to fuel his fire.

The door to the small shop opened and one of the men walked in, the other remained outside. Gibbs saw that strange light flicker momentarily in Tony's eyes again and then he seemed to lose his temper. He strode up to Gibbs and poked a finger in his chest,

"Gibbs, I've got nothing to say to you. I can't stand the sight of you. I …"

"Trouble, Dan?" asked the man who had come in.

Gibbs looked as if he was about to continue the argument but a glance at Tony's shut off face persuaded him this wasn't the right moment and he didn't want an audience.

"This isn't over, DiNozzo," he hissed as he left. He paused at the door and heard Tony say to the new arrival,

"Sorry, lost my temper."

NCISNCIS

Gibbs resisted the temptation to slam the door behind him and noticed that the man standing outside the shop gave him a long stare. Gibbs turned away and walked back to his hotel. Once in his room he pulled out the newspaper article that had alerted them to Tony's whereabouts.

McGee and Abby had set up some sort cyber sweep to look out for mentions of Tony's name or any pictures. That search had come up with a picture of Tony in the Pinnington Herald over an article saying that he had set up a travelling exhibition of his seascapes. He was going along the Connecticut coast, showing (and selling) his paintings wherever he could. Gibbs suspected DiNozzo had either paid for the article or charmed the writer as there was nothing newsworthy about the story; it was a glorified advert.

It had been enough, however, to send Abby into a paroxysm of relief and excitement. She had wanted to rush up to the coast and swoop down on Tony but Gibbs had held her at bay. Gibbs wasn't sure what reception Tony would give to his former co-workers; none of them had known that he would not return from his hastily arranged vacation and he seemed to have severed all connections with them. Gibbs had told Vance that he was going to take a few days off and had driven to Connecticut to the place mentioned in the newspaper.

Gibbs cursed himself for not thinking about how to approach DiNozzo. He had just swept in and somehow thought he could pick up where he had left off with him but there had been something off. It wasn't just that Tony was mad as hell with him, there was something else going on which had Gibbs' gut churning.

Gibbs checked his phone and saw a number of missed calls from Abby. He sighed. He knew he should contact her but, for the moment at least, he decided on a different route. He called McGee instead.

"Boss," came McGee's voice, "did you find him? Did you find Tony?"

From an excited chirruping in the background, Gibbs guessed that Tim was in Abby's lab,

"Yes. He's selling his pictures in Pinnington, like it said in the paper."

"Ask him how he is, Timmy," said Abby.

"Put me on speaker," ordered Gibbs. Abby would be even more difficult to cope with if he had to both hear her questions and then have McGee relay them to him.

"Abby, McGee," Gibbs said firmly, "DiNozzo is fine."

"So when's he coming back, Gibbs? Or can we come down to see him?" asked Abby.

"We haven't spoken properly yet," said Gibbs evasively, "we got interrupted by a customer." Even as Gibbs said this he wondered if the visitor had been a customer. "I'll go back later."

"You sure you don't want us to come up there, Boss?" asked McGee hopefully.

"No. Stay where you are. No, actually McGee, get up to the squad room and leave Abby to her work."

Gibbs ended the call and then considered what to do next. He waited a few minutes and then called McGee's desk phone. He allowed himself a slight smirk at the breathless voice in which McGee answered.

"McGee, I want you to do some checking for me. Don't tell Abby."

"Boss? Is this something about Tony? Is there something wrong?"

"Don't know, McGee. Do some searching on the name Daniel Paddington. See if you can work out where he's been. Also check to see if there's any CCTV footage on the shop he's using. If there is, get some footage of people who've been in and out of the shop. There was someone there today who looked familiar."

"On it, Boss. You sure you don't want …" but Gibbs had ended the call. "Right Boss, I'll get right on it," said McGee to the empty air.

Gibbs went back to the shop/studio but the door was locked and the shop was empty. He saw a café a couple of doors down and decided to go for coffee in the hope it would make his brain work. As he was standing at the counter waiting for his order he saw Tony standing against the harbour wall;

"Hey, he said to the barista. Can I get that to go instead? And I'll take a cappuccino as well."

A few minutes later he walked up to Tony and handed him his drink. Tony stared at it for a moment,

"Take it, DiNozzo. It's not poisoned."

Tony rubbed his shoulder nervously and took the cup. Then he looked away from Gibbs out over the boats bobbing gently in their moorings.

"DiNozzo," began Gibbs, "I know you're mad at me but can we talk about it?"

Tony laughed and turned to look at his former boss, "Go on then," he said.

"I never wanted to suggest that I didn't think you were capable of taking over from me," said Gibbs.

Tony looked at him consideringly and Gibbs hoped there was a gentler look in his eyes. Then Tony's head jerked up and he seemed to lose his temper as he had done earlier in the day. He threw his drink down and thrust both his hands against Gibbs' chest. Gibbs dropped his cup and staggered back in surprise. Tony raised a fist to punch Gibbs but his arm was caught by the man who had come into the shop earlier.

"Dan, calm down," he said, "look, there's a cop coming!"

Tony continued to struggle to get to Gibbs but the other man clung on.

"There a problem here?" said the young police officer drawing near.

"No, officer," said Gibbs, "just a misunderstanding. No problem."

"You sure, Sir?"

"Yes, Officer Crosbie," said Gibbs after peering at his name badge, "I … er … knocked Dan's coffee out of his hands."

"Is that right?" said the officer to Tony.

The fight seemed to have gone out of Tony. He nodded.

"OK, then why don't you all go on your way," said Crosbie.

He stared pointedly at Tony who was dragged away by the other man. Crosbie then turned to Gibbs,

"Care to tell me what that was about, Sir?"

"Like I said, Officer, a misunderstanding," said Gibbs. He nodded to the officer and walked away. He went back to his hotel room and called McGee.

"McGee, what you found?"

"Nothing yet, Boss. Doesn't seem that Pinnington has much in the way of security cameras and nothing pointing to that shop. We're checking to see if the harbour authorities have any cameras on the moorings, see if we catch anything that way. How's Tony?"

"He's fine. Did you find out where he's been?"

"Not really."

"McGee! Have you found anything?"

"Well, Boss. Tony bought an old motorhome a couple of months ago. Er … he brought it under the name Paddington."

"Go on."

"Not much to tell, Boss. I'd guess he's just been on the road in the camper, he wouldn't need to register at many places. He'd just pitch up and park. Boss?"

"What?"

"It doesn't seem much like Tony to be living in a motorhome. You know what he's like."

"Yeah, I know, Tim. Give me the details of DiNozzo's motorhome. Keep working."

"What you going to do, Boss?"

"I'm going to check out. If you come up with anything on the security cameras, let me know. I brought my laptop with me so you can email stuff to me if you need to."

McGee was momentarily lost for words at the picture of Gibbs voluntarily taking a laptop with him and by the time he had recovered, Gibbs had ended the call. Shortly afterwards Gibbs was driving out of Pinnington in the direction of the next harbour on the Connecticut coast.

Later that evening Tony was again leaning on the harbour wall looking out over the water. He smelled something familiar, something comforting but he stiffened almost immediately.

"Got you another coffee, Tony," said Gibbs mildly, "it's got that hazelnut creamer rubbish you like in it this time."

Tony took it warily and sniffed.

"I guessed that's what made you mad this morning," said Gibbs with a wry grin.

Tony took a sip or two, "Gibbs, please, just go. I've got nothing to say to you."

Gibbs didn't say anything but just stood peaceably drinking his own coffee and casting an experienced eye over the moored boats. After a few minutes of silence, he slapped Tony on the back, "See you around, DiNozzo."

Tony nodded and carried on drinking, he watched the sun set over the water.

NCISNCIS

Tony reluctantly opened his eyes. Something was different. It wasn't the bed, living in the motorhome he'd got used to waking up in a cramped bed, used to a tiny bedroom, so it wasn't that. What he wasn't used to was the bed and the room bobbing up and down. He rubbed his hand over gritty eyes and wondered why his brain seemed to have turned to mush.

The smell of coffee wafted to his nostrils. He noticed someone standing at the foot of the bunk.

"Oh, God, you kidnapped me! Gibbs, you moron!"