Tony looked at the card the man had given him all those years ago. He’d kept it in his wallet all these years, had even photocopied it and kept it with his important papers. And in the five years since he’d met the man, Tony’d learned a lot about Gibbs, NCIS. The good and the bad.
Gibbs was a top-notch NCIS agent, but his personal life was a train wreck. His first wife and daughter had been murdered. His second wife—Susan—had lost their baby a few weeks after the car crash in Long Island. He’d married another time, but that marriage had gone downhill too.
Tony wondered if Gibbs ever remembered him, and how he’d feel knowing that Gibbs’d had an impact on his life. Just after the accident, Tony had quit his internship and had ended up in the police academy. He’d gotten a great offer from Peoria, but Prince George’s County, MD was a bit of a rougher area, and Tony felt he might be able to make a difference there.
Two and a half years later, he wondered what the point of it all was. Too many assaults, rapes, murders had stained Tony’s soul. He needed something to sustain him—he needed a boost.
It hadn’t been too hard to find out where Gibbs lived—just the other side of Alexandria from Tony. He wasn’t too proud to admit he’d driven by Gibbs’ place more than a dozen times, taking in the battered pickup truck that always sat alone in the driveway.
Tony tucked the card away, grabbing his keys and ignoring the sheaf of papers he’d printed up, his resignation notice. He was no longer effective at his job, and he needed a change.
Tony drove the short distance to a diner halfway between his house and Gibbs’ and killed the engine. Gibbs was here, all right, sitting at the counter, flirting with a woman. His hair looked as if it had been shot through with silver strands, and Tony tried to swallow down a rush of desire that threatened to crush him. How he felt about Gibbs wasn’t as important as how the man felt about him.
Tony cleared his throat as he entered the diner, and Gibbs and the waitress—the only people there—turned to look at him. Tony’s steps slowed, his entire body coiled, the hope that Gibbs remembered him suffusing him.
“Gibbs?” he asked, his voice shaking.
“Who’s ask—” Gibbs stopped himself there, standing and looking into Tony’s eyes. “The guy in Long Island,” he finished with a nod.
Tony started to extend a hand, but it was sweaty and he had the idea Gibbs wouldn’t be impressed. And he had to impress Gibbs, had to work with the man who had inspired him in a moment in time to work in law enforcement.
“Yeah, I…”
Gibbs’ mouth opened and closed a few times, but then he nodded. “Thanks.”
“Thanks?”
“What you did.” Gibbs broke his gaze then and Tony shrugged.
“It wasn’t much.”
“Was plenty,” Gibbs corrected, his voice firm. “Coffee, the way the kid likes it,” he told the waitress.
“Why ya here?” he added, startling Tony.
This was it, the moment. “Special Agent Gibbs, I want to work for you. I know you’re the best, and I want to work with the best.”
Gibbs arched a brow, but Tony was astute enough to see the slightest hint of color on his face.
“What do I need with a businessman?”
“I’m not a businessman anymore. I’m in law enforcement, with Prince George’s County. Made detective. But I want more.”
“More?” Gibbs smirked. “You’ll get more with me, Anthony DiNozzo.”
Tony blinked rapidly—how did Gibbs know his name? “I’m just that good,” Gibbs said, in answer to Tony’s unspoken question. “Drink your coffee, get something to eat—on me. Then you come with me to the Navy Yard. Personnel. Then we talk.”
It couldn’t be that easy, could it?
“Really?”
“Yeah, really. Saved my life once. Good to have ya on my six again.”
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Second Time
Date: 2012-07-29 01:46 pm (UTC)Sequel to Good Cop: http://taylorgibbs.livejournal.com/100688.html?view=1008720#t1008720
Clearly quite AU
June, 1999
Tony looked at the card the man had given him all those years ago. He’d kept it in his wallet all these years, had even photocopied it and kept it with his important papers. And in the five years since he’d met the man, Tony’d learned a lot about Gibbs, NCIS. The good and the bad.
Gibbs was a top-notch NCIS agent, but his personal life was a train wreck. His first wife and daughter had been murdered. His second wife—Susan—had lost their baby a few weeks after the car crash in Long Island. He’d married another time, but that marriage had gone downhill too.
Tony wondered if Gibbs ever remembered him, and how he’d feel knowing that Gibbs’d had an impact on his life. Just after the accident, Tony had quit his internship and had ended up in the police academy. He’d gotten a great offer from Peoria, but Prince George’s County, MD was a bit of a rougher area, and Tony felt he might be able to make a difference there.
Two and a half years later, he wondered what the point of it all was. Too many assaults, rapes, murders had stained Tony’s soul. He needed something to sustain him—he needed a boost.
It hadn’t been too hard to find out where Gibbs lived—just the other side of Alexandria from Tony. He wasn’t too proud to admit he’d driven by Gibbs’ place more than a dozen times, taking in the battered pickup truck that always sat alone in the driveway.
Tony tucked the card away, grabbing his keys and ignoring the sheaf of papers he’d printed up, his resignation notice. He was no longer effective at his job, and he needed a change.
Tony drove the short distance to a diner halfway between his house and Gibbs’ and killed the engine. Gibbs was here, all right, sitting at the counter, flirting with a woman. His hair looked as if it had been shot through with silver strands, and Tony tried to swallow down a rush of desire that threatened to crush him. How he felt about Gibbs wasn’t as important as how the man felt about him.
Tony cleared his throat as he entered the diner, and Gibbs and the waitress—the only people there—turned to look at him. Tony’s steps slowed, his entire body coiled, the hope that Gibbs remembered him suffusing him.
“Gibbs?” he asked, his voice shaking.
“Who’s ask—” Gibbs stopped himself there, standing and looking into Tony’s eyes. “The guy in Long Island,” he finished with a nod.
Tony started to extend a hand, but it was sweaty and he had the idea Gibbs wouldn’t be impressed. And he had to impress Gibbs, had to work with the man who had inspired him in a moment in time to work in law enforcement.
“Yeah, I…”
Gibbs’ mouth opened and closed a few times, but then he nodded. “Thanks.”
“Thanks?”
“What you did.” Gibbs broke his gaze then and Tony shrugged.
“It wasn’t much.”
“Was plenty,” Gibbs corrected, his voice firm. “Coffee, the way the kid likes it,” he told the waitress.
“Why ya here?” he added, startling Tony.
This was it, the moment. “Special Agent Gibbs, I want to work for you. I know you’re the best, and I want to work with the best.”
Gibbs arched a brow, but Tony was astute enough to see the slightest hint of color on his face.
“What do I need with a businessman?”
“I’m not a businessman anymore. I’m in law enforcement, with Prince George’s County. Made detective. But I want more.”
“More?” Gibbs smirked. “You’ll get more with me, Anthony DiNozzo.”
Tony blinked rapidly—how did Gibbs know his name? “I’m just that good,” Gibbs said, in answer to Tony’s unspoken question. “Drink your coffee, get something to eat—on me. Then you come with me to the Navy Yard. Personnel. Then we talk.”
It couldn’t be that easy, could it?
“Really?”
“Yeah, really. Saved my life once. Good to have ya on my six again.”