NCIS: Providence - Chapter 2 - Severance
Title: Providence
Summary: AU. Between McGee and Ziva's constant bashing and Gibbs’ coldness, Tony finally reaches the point of no return and quits, leaving NCIS and DC behind him. On the road again, he stops by the town of Providence, Missouri, and makes a series of meetings which might change his life, whilst Gibbs moves heaven and earth to find him. But isn’t it too late?
Categories: NCIS
Rating: K+
Characters: Tony DiNozzo, Leroy Jethro Gibbs, Abby Sciuto, Tim McGee, Ziva David, Dr Donald Mallard, Jimmy Palmer, Leon Vance, Agent Balboa, Original characters (Tillie Hackerman, Harvey Jackson, Father Henry Richmond, Sheriff Elliot Green, Dottie Ferris, Christina Lake, Jake Petersen, Doctor Adam Beltram).
Pairing: Tony/OFC (in the late chapters), no other pairing.
Genres: Alternate universe/friendship/hurt and comfort.
Warnings: Middle swearing, OOC and major team bashing, especially Ziva and McGee.
Spoilers: Set at the beginning of season 6. Spoilers for Dead man talking, Hiatus, Boxed in, Bury your dead, Judgment Day, Agent afloat and various other episodes.
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Author's Notes: Special thanks to my precious beta reader badly_knitted and to
penumbria_fics who made this beautiful art for my fic.
Chapter 2 - Severance
Washington, DC - September 15th - Friday night.
Sitting on the edge of his bed, Tony looked at the ceiling and sighed. The only lighting was provided by the streetlight outside and with the exception of an occasional car passing in the street, everything was quiet.
It had taken him less than twenty minutes to write his resignation letter and send it by mail to Vance. At least he knew it would make the director’s day when he found it in his mailbox on Monday morning. It was an understatement that the director didn't like him, but at least Vance had had the good grace to be honest with him and hadn't tried to pretend otherwise whilst stabbing him in the back.
Given he still had three weeks of leave to take to cover his notice, Tony had asked for his resignation to be with immediate effect.
He felt guilty towards Ducky and Jimmy for leaving this way, but going back to work was beyond his strength. The two men had never been anything other than caring and supportive with him and he would miss them a lot, but he couldn't stand the idea of spending another minute in the same room as the rest of the team.
He just wanted it to be over.
Abby was yet another dilemma. The Goth girl had never meant to hurt him on purpose, and he had always seen her as a sort of little sister. The real problem was, in fact, that she loved Gibbs. Not in a romantic sense, of course. It would be too weird. No, she loved him like children could love their favourite superhero. For her, Gibbs was like a knight in shining armour, without fear and without reproach.
No matter what he did or didn’t do, she still loved him, completely and unconditionally. Where Tony would have had to literally grovel on the floor to earn her pardon, Gibbs only had to smile and bring her a Caf-Pow to be forgiven. Tony didn’t blame her; he knew she couldn’t help it. As he knew he would ever be second best for her.
But because of that, the two of them had slowly drifted apart.
Refusing to let despondency get the better of him, Tony jumped to his feet, switched on the lights and walked to the large closet occupying the whole far wall of the room. He opened the sliding doors and looked at the rows of suits and stacks of shirts carefully aligned, that filled the greater part of the shelving and hanging space. He thoughtfully ran his hand over the hangers, his fingertips caressing the refined fabric.
For years, he had used these overpriced suits as a bulwark against the outside world and a way to maintain the illusion of a confidence he was far from possessing. Wherever the path he was going to take would lead, one thing was certain, he didn't want to have to hide anymore behind this kind of artifice.
Going up on tiptoes, he grabbed the huge suitcase that was in the top shelf and put it on the floor, then he proceeded to fill it with the rest of his clothes.
His hand met the soft fabric of a cashmere sweater. Closing his eyes, he rested his forehead against one of the shelves. The sweater was a Christmas present that Kate had offered him the first year they had worked together.
He missed Kate. Things hadn’t always been easy between them, but unlike Ziva and McGee by now, she had never been intentionally cruel towards him. In spite of their incessant bickering, she had stayed with him whilst he had been fighting against the fucking plague, though she didn't have to. They had become increasingly close over the years and who knew how far it could have taken them, if the young woman had not been killed?
At some point, he had hoped to develop with Ziva the same sort of camaraderie he had known with Kate. But the Israeli agent had always managed to keep him at arm's length, even more since she had come back from Israel.
Tony dropped the sweater on the top of the suitcase and undertook to clear out the last shelf of socks and underwear.
He put aside two pairs of trainers, a set of sheets and two towels, which finished up filling the suitcase to the brim.
Then he loaded the rest of his belongings in the trunk of his car and went to a shelter for the homeless, run by nuns and located less than ten minutes from home. He knew that the place was continuously open, whatever the time of day or night.
The look on the face of the nun who went to meet him was priceless, when she saw the armful of clothes and linen he was bringing.
It took him ages to evade the demonstrations of gratitude of the brave woman, who kept thanking him as he was reaching his car, telling him how much his gesture was appreciated and how his donation would be useful for their protégés, particularly in order to help them to look their best when applying for a job.
If personally, Tony had some doubt about the opinion an employer might have about a potential candidate wearing a $1,000 suit, he kept it to himself. He still had a lot to do and he hoped to enjoy a few hours of sleep before his departure.
Once back home, he decided to tackle the living room first.
One of the few positive aspects of his situation was that his apartment since he was back on dry land was rented furnished, which saved him having to rid the premises of furniture before giving back the keys.
He retrieved a moving box from the hall closet and carefully packed his precious collection of DVDs. He selected a dozen of them he especially liked and did his best to fit them between two piles of clothes in his suitcase.
Afterward, he cleared the contents of the medicine cabinet from the bathroom into the backpack he used for work, before putting it in the hall, beside his suitcase and the box of DVDs.
He checked one last time that all the cupboards were empty, then turned off the lights and went back into the bedroom.
Without bothering to undress, he fell back on his bed with his arms stretched out wide.
Maybe Gibbs was right. Who could be interested in someone whose life was so insignificant that it could fit in two bags and a moving box? For eight years, he had lived in DC and worked for NCIS and now he was leaving with even less than when he had come from Baltimore.
It was pathetic.
Your life in general doesn’t interest anyone here.
Gibbs’ sharp reply had resounded to his ears all through the night, mingling gradually with other much older ones that, although dulled by years, hadn’t lost their ability to hurt him.
You’re worthless. You will end up in the gutter. You’re a disgrace to this family.
How could he have imagined for a second that Gibbs might see him as a son?
His departure would most likely dent Gibbs's pride for not being the one who fired him at first, but nothing more and he could consider himself fortunate if McGee and Ziva didn’t throw a party to celebrate.
With the exception of Ducky and Jimmy, he didn't expect his old team to miss him a lot. Perhaps, Abby would understand his reasons for leaving and mourn the loss of their friendship… unless she saw it as a spoiled child’s whim and put the blame on him.
Tony felt a solitary tear running along his temple and wiped it away quickly. He couldn’t afford to break down now. Maybe later, but not now.
He opened the drawer of the bedside table and pulled out a bottle of sleeping pills. The prescription was old, but the bottle was still nearly full. He hated to use this stuff, but he really needed to rest. He dry swallowed two pills and curled into a ball.
Less than twenty minutes later, he was sound asleep.
To be continued
Summary: AU. Between McGee and Ziva's constant bashing and Gibbs’ coldness, Tony finally reaches the point of no return and quits, leaving NCIS and DC behind him. On the road again, he stops by the town of Providence, Missouri, and makes a series of meetings which might change his life, whilst Gibbs moves heaven and earth to find him. But isn’t it too late?
Categories: NCIS
Rating: K+
Characters: Tony DiNozzo, Leroy Jethro Gibbs, Abby Sciuto, Tim McGee, Ziva David, Dr Donald Mallard, Jimmy Palmer, Leon Vance, Agent Balboa, Original characters (Tillie Hackerman, Harvey Jackson, Father Henry Richmond, Sheriff Elliot Green, Dottie Ferris, Christina Lake, Jake Petersen, Doctor Adam Beltram).
Pairing: Tony/OFC (in the late chapters), no other pairing.
Genres: Alternate universe/friendship/hurt and comfort.
Warnings: Middle swearing, OOC and major team bashing, especially Ziva and McGee.
Spoilers: Set at the beginning of season 6. Spoilers for Dead man talking, Hiatus, Boxed in, Bury your dead, Judgment Day, Agent afloat and various other episodes.
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Author's Notes: Special thanks to my precious beta reader badly_knitted and to
penumbria_fics who made this beautiful art for my fic.
Chapter 2 - Severance
Washington, DC - September 15th - Friday night.
Sitting on the edge of his bed, Tony looked at the ceiling and sighed. The only lighting was provided by the streetlight outside and with the exception of an occasional car passing in the street, everything was quiet.
It had taken him less than twenty minutes to write his resignation letter and send it by mail to Vance. At least he knew it would make the director’s day when he found it in his mailbox on Monday morning. It was an understatement that the director didn't like him, but at least Vance had had the good grace to be honest with him and hadn't tried to pretend otherwise whilst stabbing him in the back.
Given he still had three weeks of leave to take to cover his notice, Tony had asked for his resignation to be with immediate effect.
He felt guilty towards Ducky and Jimmy for leaving this way, but going back to work was beyond his strength. The two men had never been anything other than caring and supportive with him and he would miss them a lot, but he couldn't stand the idea of spending another minute in the same room as the rest of the team.
He just wanted it to be over.
Abby was yet another dilemma. The Goth girl had never meant to hurt him on purpose, and he had always seen her as a sort of little sister. The real problem was, in fact, that she loved Gibbs. Not in a romantic sense, of course. It would be too weird. No, she loved him like children could love their favourite superhero. For her, Gibbs was like a knight in shining armour, without fear and without reproach.
No matter what he did or didn’t do, she still loved him, completely and unconditionally. Where Tony would have had to literally grovel on the floor to earn her pardon, Gibbs only had to smile and bring her a Caf-Pow to be forgiven. Tony didn’t blame her; he knew she couldn’t help it. As he knew he would ever be second best for her.
But because of that, the two of them had slowly drifted apart.
Refusing to let despondency get the better of him, Tony jumped to his feet, switched on the lights and walked to the large closet occupying the whole far wall of the room. He opened the sliding doors and looked at the rows of suits and stacks of shirts carefully aligned, that filled the greater part of the shelving and hanging space. He thoughtfully ran his hand over the hangers, his fingertips caressing the refined fabric.
For years, he had used these overpriced suits as a bulwark against the outside world and a way to maintain the illusion of a confidence he was far from possessing. Wherever the path he was going to take would lead, one thing was certain, he didn't want to have to hide anymore behind this kind of artifice.
Going up on tiptoes, he grabbed the huge suitcase that was in the top shelf and put it on the floor, then he proceeded to fill it with the rest of his clothes.
His hand met the soft fabric of a cashmere sweater. Closing his eyes, he rested his forehead against one of the shelves. The sweater was a Christmas present that Kate had offered him the first year they had worked together.
He missed Kate. Things hadn’t always been easy between them, but unlike Ziva and McGee by now, she had never been intentionally cruel towards him. In spite of their incessant bickering, she had stayed with him whilst he had been fighting against the fucking plague, though she didn't have to. They had become increasingly close over the years and who knew how far it could have taken them, if the young woman had not been killed?
At some point, he had hoped to develop with Ziva the same sort of camaraderie he had known with Kate. But the Israeli agent had always managed to keep him at arm's length, even more since she had come back from Israel.
Tony dropped the sweater on the top of the suitcase and undertook to clear out the last shelf of socks and underwear.
He put aside two pairs of trainers, a set of sheets and two towels, which finished up filling the suitcase to the brim.
Then he loaded the rest of his belongings in the trunk of his car and went to a shelter for the homeless, run by nuns and located less than ten minutes from home. He knew that the place was continuously open, whatever the time of day or night.
The look on the face of the nun who went to meet him was priceless, when she saw the armful of clothes and linen he was bringing.
It took him ages to evade the demonstrations of gratitude of the brave woman, who kept thanking him as he was reaching his car, telling him how much his gesture was appreciated and how his donation would be useful for their protégés, particularly in order to help them to look their best when applying for a job.
If personally, Tony had some doubt about the opinion an employer might have about a potential candidate wearing a $1,000 suit, he kept it to himself. He still had a lot to do and he hoped to enjoy a few hours of sleep before his departure.
Once back home, he decided to tackle the living room first.
One of the few positive aspects of his situation was that his apartment since he was back on dry land was rented furnished, which saved him having to rid the premises of furniture before giving back the keys.
He retrieved a moving box from the hall closet and carefully packed his precious collection of DVDs. He selected a dozen of them he especially liked and did his best to fit them between two piles of clothes in his suitcase.
Afterward, he cleared the contents of the medicine cabinet from the bathroom into the backpack he used for work, before putting it in the hall, beside his suitcase and the box of DVDs.
He checked one last time that all the cupboards were empty, then turned off the lights and went back into the bedroom.
Without bothering to undress, he fell back on his bed with his arms stretched out wide.
Maybe Gibbs was right. Who could be interested in someone whose life was so insignificant that it could fit in two bags and a moving box? For eight years, he had lived in DC and worked for NCIS and now he was leaving with even less than when he had come from Baltimore.
It was pathetic.
Your life in general doesn’t interest anyone here.
Gibbs’ sharp reply had resounded to his ears all through the night, mingling gradually with other much older ones that, although dulled by years, hadn’t lost their ability to hurt him.
You’re worthless. You will end up in the gutter. You’re a disgrace to this family.
How could he have imagined for a second that Gibbs might see him as a son?
His departure would most likely dent Gibbs's pride for not being the one who fired him at first, but nothing more and he could consider himself fortunate if McGee and Ziva didn’t throw a party to celebrate.
With the exception of Ducky and Jimmy, he didn't expect his old team to miss him a lot. Perhaps, Abby would understand his reasons for leaving and mourn the loss of their friendship… unless she saw it as a spoiled child’s whim and put the blame on him.
Tony felt a solitary tear running along his temple and wiped it away quickly. He couldn’t afford to break down now. Maybe later, but not now.
He opened the drawer of the bedside table and pulled out a bottle of sleeping pills. The prescription was old, but the bottle was still nearly full. He hated to use this stuff, but he really needed to rest. He dry swallowed two pills and curled into a ball.
Less than twenty minutes later, he was sound asleep.
To be continued