AN: First I just want to say: I don't own any of the charachters or the show.
So here comes the first chapter of my new story, please tell me what you think.
You Can Never Leave The Past Behind You
Chapter 1
It was Monday morning and Anthony DiNozzo was getting ready to go to work. It could have been any given Monday morning but this morning was one morning that Anthony DiNozzo was nervous to go to work.
He took a long look at the box standing on a chair in his bedroom before he walked out of his apartment and drove to work.
As he drove his mind was still on the box and he had mixed feelings about that box. On one hand he wanted to look thru it and remember the good memories with that old man once again but then on the other hand he didn't want to remember the times that had driven him to the old man's footstep.
Tony parked the car in his usual spot, took a last look at himself in the review mirror and studied the reflection.
He looked alright, a little tired maybe but that could be brushed off easily, but most importantly he didn't look like a big part of his life had been buried and that was a victory in itself.
Tony stepped into the elevator, readied himself for a long and hard week. He knew that this was going to be one of the hardest and longest weeks in his life because he knew that Gibbs would ride him hard for what he had done and in one way he could understand why his boss would be so upset with him.
Going behind his boss back, asking the Director for a few days off instead of going to Gibbs was a big mistake. But he had to take those days off, without any questions because he couldn't tell Gibbs or anyone why.
So he had gone to Director Shepard, who had approved his request without any questions, knowing very well about the consequences.
Tony walked into the bullpen with a carefree smile, even if he knew that he would pay for his decision but he felt that he was home again.
"Hey Probie!" He said in a high voice, almost scaring McGee out of his chair.
"Tony!" Ziva said. "I'm glad you are back."
"Where have you been?" McGee asked looking at Tony.
"Aw, it warms my heart to know that you two missed me."
"We didn't but Gibbs has been walking around like he did bite in the sour grape or something." Ziva said with a grimace.
"Apple, Ziva." McGee said but he was agreeing with Ziva. "So where were you?"
Tony walked towards his desk as he brushed off McGee's question and talked around it. He was just about to say something more when Gibbs walked into the bullpen. McGee and Ziva fell quiet, trying to shrink when their boss cast them each a hard look.
Tony's stomach dropped when those hard blue eyes stared at him, seeing right thru him and stripping all of his defences. The younger agent couldn't help but swallowing hard.
"Hi boss." Tony stuttered under Gibbs stare, his boss was really mad at him.
Gibbs just stared at him for a couple of seconds longer before turning away from him and went to his own desk. He sat down and started to work.
Tony sat down behind his own desk, fired up his computer and then he checked his e-mails.
The bullpen was quiet and when the phone on Gibbs desk started to ring it made everyone, except Gibbs, jump.
The older NCIS-agent answered it, after a few minutes he hung up, stood and started to gather his things.
"We have a case." He said and threw the keys to the NCIS-truck to Ziva. "McGee, you are with me. Ziva and DiNozzo take the truck, Ziva you drive." And with that the team was on the move.
Timothy McGee actually felt sorry for Tony, okay it was wrong of him going behind Gibbs back and ask the Director for two days off. But knowing Tony, the man had probably a good cause because he if anyone knew how Gibbs would react.
McGee even envied how Tony handled their boss comments and worked even harder without any whining. He sighed as he made his way towards the changing room with a pair of shoes to Tony.
The team had been sent out to a car accident, the car had held two marines which were dead now. It had been raining the whole weekend so the car had skidded of the road into a ravine and they found out that it had been an accident.
But before that Gibbs had sent down Tony to take pictures and do sketches, on his way down the senior field agent had slipped and tumbled down into a puddle of mud. But it hadn't stopped Tony from doing his job, he had taken the pictures and done the sketches, soaking wet and then he had returned the camera and sketchbook to Gibbs without any comment.
After that they had been a the accident sight for almost two and a half hours, when they came back Ducky had met them and when he saw Tony in his soaked state, he had ordered the young man into the showers immediately.
Then the old M.D. had taken Gibbs by the arm and walked into the elevator. McGee caught a little of Ducky's upset voice as the old man spoke to Gibbs.
"For heavens sake…. His lips were blue…" then the elevator doors closed, McGee looked at Ziva, who shrugged her shoulders and then walked towards the stairs, Tony was already gone.
So McGee stepped into the changing room, with a pair of shoes in his hands and looked for his team mate. He found the other agent sitting on a bench, his feet on it in front of him.
Tony had different clothes on, his hair still wet but what caught McGee's eyes was Tony's right ankle. It was black and blue, a bit swollen and it seemed rather painful.
McGee sat down in front of Tony but close enough so he could take a look at the foot.
"That looks like it hurts."
"It looks a lot worse than it is." Tony said avoiding looking McGee in the eye.
"Sure." McGee sounded unconvinced. "What happened?"
"Oh, I twisted it this weekend and you probably noticed my fall, so I twisted it again."
"Bummer." McGee said looking up at Tony. "If you want, I can help you wrap it."
Tony looked at him, he was embarrassed but glad that McGee offered to help him; McGee mistook his silence for disbelief so he said:
"I have done it a lot." He started to explain. "You see, my brother played soccer and he often sprained his ankles. I learned to wrap them for him and became rather good at it."
"Take it easy, Probie. I trust you." Tony said as he handed McGee the bandage, then he laid back and closed his eyes as the other agent started to wrap his ankle.
McGee looked at the other mans face as he started to wrap the injured foot, searching for signs of discomfort or pain but he only saw relaxed and that Tony looked a little tired.
"So, does that feel alright?" He asked when he was done.
Tony sat up, swung his long legs to the side of the bench and stood carefully, testing the injured ankle.
"Good work, Probie." Tony said as he carefully walked around.
McGee felt surprised when the older agent almost didn't limp at all even if that foot must have hurt like hell.
"Thanks, Tim." Tony said honestly and he looked his co-worker in the eye. "But we don't need to tell Gibbs about this, right…"
McGee met Tony's clear green eyes and after a few seconds he nodded. Tony nodded back and smiled and they made their way up to the others.
As they walked into the bullpen, Gibbs looked up at the two agents and he felt relief when he saw that Tony seemed alright. The younger agent met his eye and quickly looked away and went to his desk.
Gibbs felt a little guilty for letting Tony work the accident scene in wet clothes and in this chilly weather. But he was still angry at him for going behind his back and to the Director.
The older NCIS-agent teared his eyes from the younger agent and work with the reports from the car accident.
The rest of the day went by quickly and uneventful, Gibbs let them go home in reasonably hours but he still hadn't warmed up to his senior field agent.
Tony waved at McGee and Ziva as he got into his car and drove home. He parked his car in his spot and when he got of the car his ankle gave out a little, protesting against the recent abuse. But Tony ignored the pain and made his way slowly and carefully to his apartment.
The first thing he did when he came into his apartment was going into the kitchen, grabbed a bottle of beer and an icepack to his foot.
Then he limped to his couch, sat down, placed his injured foot on the coffe table and laid the icepack on it. Then he turned on the TV and he leaned back, sipping on his beer.
It had been bad today, he thought. He had know that it would be but Gibbs cold stare, vicious comments and ignoring him were hard for him to take. He was probably a little more sensitive after the weekend's events.
Tony looked to his left, seeing into his bedroom and saw the box, which were still standing on the chair. He took a deep swing of the beer as he stared at the box.
That and memories were the only things he had left of Luigi now when the old man had died.
Tony tared his eyes from it and watched the television but he wasn't seeing the program on it. For his inner eyes he saw a younger version of himself, standing on the doorstep to Luigi's house and saying:
"Mr Luigi, I know that you knew my mother, she trusted you, and I need your help."
Tony shook his head a little, Luigi had looked at him, the scrawny little kid he had been back then and then let him in.
That had been the beginning of his new life.
TBC