You almost broke my brain with this one, my friend, Lol!
Tony looked at the document, studying it carefully. He hadn’t been able to believe it, had asked Abby to run some tests over a small part of it he’d snipped off. And the results had come back dated to the twelfth century. He didn’t have to be told that the ink was as old as the paper, and he knew—recognized—his mother’s handwriting as she detailed a family curse.
On his fortieth birthday, he would have the power to change one event impacting his life. His choices were to stop Hernandez from killing Shannon and Kelly or to stop Ari from killing Kate. Once he verbalized his decision, he’d be taken to the scene of the event, and whatever he did then would have a cascading impact on his life.
And theirs.
Tony had examined all aspects he could come up with, had studied the situation from every conceivable angle. What would happen if Shannon and Kelly were alive? Would Tony lose his best friend and lover—or even worse, would Gibbs never know he even existed? Wiping out Gibbs’ memories would be even worse than a breakup.
And Kate. Once upon a time, Tony would have given everything to save her. But Kate was a federal agent, she’d know the risks when she started her career with the Secret Service. Shannon and Kelly had been civilians, and Kelly had been a little girl.
Hernandez and Ari had been Gibbs’ obsessions, and he’d killed them both. But would the team have even existed if Shannon and Kelly had lived? Gibbs wouldn’t have come to work at NCIS, would probably have been a career Marine, no Team Gibbs, no…
God, what if Tony lost his memories of Gibbs too?
He took a deep breath, focusing on the face of Kate. She was his partner and he had a responsibility to her, a deeper one than he had to Shannon and Kelly Gibbs. He’d met Kate’s family, had watched them grieve. And Rachel… She’d become a good friend of his.
Decision made but not yet verbalized, Tony wrote some letters—the first to himself at Ohio State, at Peoria, at Philly, at Baltimore. He wrote one to Jackson in Stillwater, and one to Gibbs there as well. The final one he wrote to Gibbs in this house.
Decision clearer than ever now, Tony felt a sense of peace run through him. The hardest choice had to be the right choice. He opened his mouth, prepared to say goodbye to the best thing in his life. “I love you, Gibbs, but I have to do this. I choose…”
The end…but maybe not. Want a longer fic? Tell me ;)
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Hard Choice
Date: 2012-01-31 12:18 am (UTC)Tony looked at the document, studying it carefully. He hadn’t been able to believe it, had asked Abby to run some tests over a small part of it he’d snipped off. And the results had come back dated to the twelfth century. He didn’t have to be told that the ink was as old as the paper, and he knew—recognized—his mother’s handwriting as she detailed a family curse.
On his fortieth birthday, he would have the power to change one event impacting his life. His choices were to stop Hernandez from killing Shannon and Kelly or to stop Ari from killing Kate. Once he verbalized his decision, he’d be taken to the scene of the event, and whatever he did then would have a cascading impact on his life.
And theirs.
Tony had examined all aspects he could come up with, had studied the situation from every conceivable angle. What would happen if Shannon and Kelly were alive? Would Tony lose his best friend and lover—or even worse, would Gibbs never know he even existed? Wiping out Gibbs’ memories would be even worse than a breakup.
And Kate. Once upon a time, Tony would have given everything to save her. But Kate was a federal agent, she’d know the risks when she started her career with the Secret Service. Shannon and Kelly had been civilians, and Kelly had been a little girl.
Hernandez and Ari had been Gibbs’ obsessions, and he’d killed them both. But would the team have even existed if Shannon and Kelly had lived? Gibbs wouldn’t have come to work at NCIS, would probably have been a career Marine, no Team Gibbs, no…
God, what if Tony lost his memories of Gibbs too?
He took a deep breath, focusing on the face of Kate. She was his partner and he had a responsibility to her, a deeper one than he had to Shannon and Kelly Gibbs. He’d met Kate’s family, had watched them grieve. And Rachel… She’d become a good friend of his.
Decision made but not yet verbalized, Tony wrote some letters—the first to himself at Ohio State, at Peoria, at Philly, at Baltimore. He wrote one to Jackson in Stillwater, and one to Gibbs there as well. The final one he wrote to Gibbs in this house.
Decision clearer than ever now, Tony felt a sense of peace run through him. The hardest choice had to be the right choice. He opened his mouth, prepared to say goodbye to the best thing in his life. “I love you, Gibbs, but I have to do this. I choose…”
The end…but maybe not. Want a longer fic? Tell me ;)