Therapy Time Part Eight
Title: Therapy Time
Author: Spiceblueeyes
Pairing: None
Rating: R
Word Count: 20,010
Spoilers: None that I can see.
Warnings: Suicide of OC, violence, angst, brief mentions of child abuse.
Summary: The team gets a case that unsettles Tony more than he wants to admit.
Author's Notes: This is both my first ever NCIS story, and the longest story I've ever written, so I'm excited about it. The story was beta'd by devo79 who is awesome and really helped me make the story better.
Be sure to check out the totally cool art that kj_svala made for the story, she's very talented. You can find it here.
On the way back from Bethesda Gibbs got a call. He answered it, “Gibbs.” Tony couldn’t hear what the person on the other end of the conversation was saying. “Where?” Gibbs demanded. Whatever the answer to that was caused Gibbs to swing the car around and speed the other direction in a move that had Tony alternately cursing and praying under his breath. Gibbs slapped his phone closed and tossed into Tony’s lap.
“We have a lead Boss?” Tony asked weakly.
“Suarez used his credit card at a motel.”
Tony thought about that. “Why would he do that?” Gibbs shot him a look. “I mean, he must know we’re tracking his credit cards. We’d know instantly if he used one.” Gibbs just kept his eyes on the road, he didn’t have any answers.
“You know, Boss, this cased is messed up.” Gibbs just drove, and gave no indication he was listening. “Suarez had an even crappier childhood than I did, but rose above it to join the Navy and serve his country. He gets tortured, gets a medal, he’s a hero. He comes home and falls apart and no one notices. No one cared enough to go help him, and now he killed someone and he’s a murderer.” Tony glance at Gibbs, who still didn’t look like he was listening, so he spoke more. “You know, I feel like I could be him one day. We practically had the same father figure, and I’ve been through more than enough that I’m surprised I’m not already messed up.”
At that Gibbs spoke up. “You are messed up DiNozzo.”
“Gee, thanks Boss.”
“You’re messed up if you think you could be him.” Gibbs said.
The rest of the two hour trip was spent in silence. Tony looked out the window as Gibbs drove at his usual breakneck speed to Suarez’s location.
They pulled up into a gravel parking lot, rocks crunching under the tires.
Tony announced, “NCIS” and Gibbs kicked the door in, not even bothering with the key they’d been given.
The look of failure and despair on his face. “I’m sorry guys. I meant to do this before you got here, but I’m finding it harder to pull the trigger than I thought I would.”
“Look, Suarez, you don’t want to do that. That’s not the answer,” Tony coaxed.
“I don’t care!” Rafael shouted, still looking at his gun. “I don’t care if a jury understands. I don’t understand. I killed her.”
“I thought it was fitting that I’d die at the end of the same gun that killed her. Karmic, somehow, you know?” Suarez mused, “But I don’t think I can do it.”
Less than a split second later three bullets from Tony’s own gun were in Suarez’s chest, one of them right in the heart.
Tony felt like he’d killed his brother. He hadn’t even met Suarez before today, but the man had gotten under his skin in a way that no one else ever had. He saw himself in him. Gibbs called for an ambulance while Tony just sort of slumped down onto the floor, his back sliding against the wall.
~*~*~*~
“I have, I have family.” Tony told Henry, after long minutes of silence. “I have a family.”
Henry smiled. “Yes Tony, yes I think you do. I’m glad you can see that.” He grabbed the paper on his desk and quickly signed the bottom of it.
“You’re reinstating me to active duty?” Tony asked.
“Yep.”
“Just like that?” Tony was suspicious.
“I just needed to know that you have people in your life that you can turn to when you need help Tony. And I needed you to know it to.” Henry handed over the form and Tony studied it. It was legitimate, signed and dated, exactly what he needed.
“Great, well, guess we’re done here.” Tony stood up, “No offense Doc, but I hope I never see you again.” He said with a smirk.
“None taken,” Henry waved him to the door. “The feeling is mutual.” They both laughed and Tony stepped out of Henry’s office.
~*~*~*~
Tony walked into the Bullpen with the form held high. “Oh yeah, look who’s back!” Gibbs, Ziva, McGee and even Abby, Ducky and Palmer where there to greet him.
“Yay Tony!” Abby immediately rushed to give him a hug.
“Congratulations Tony.” McGee offered.
“Yes, Congratulations Tony.” Ziva echoed, both of their faces were warm.
“I knew you would be back Anthony, I never had a moments doubt.” Ducky commented, gesturing with his finger. Palmer just smiled and nodded in the background.
“DiNozzo, you back?” Gibbs asked.
“Yeah Boss, I’m back, bigger and better than ever!” He handed the form over to Gibbs with a wide grin.
“Yeah, bigger.” McGee made enlarging motions around his head, everyone chuckled. Tony just shook his head.
“Ah Probie, Probie, Probie. It’s not a big head if you really are the best.” He wrapped his arm around Tim and squeezed him a little. “Is it?”
“Sure Tony, whatever you say.” Tim answered with a smile that said Tony was full of shit. Tony just laughed; nothing could ruin his good mood today. Not after his big revelation.
He looked around the room. All these people, Gibbs, and Ziva, Abby and Ducky, McGee and Palmer, they were his family. They would go to the end of the earth for him, and already had on a couple of occasions. Even if he pushed them away, they would push back in. He never had to worry about facing life alone anymore.
“DiNozzo!” Gibbs shouted, interrupting everyone’s celebrating.
“Boss?”
“If you’re back to work, then get back to work!”
“Yes Boss, right away boss!” Tony hurried back to his desk, as did Ziva and McGee. Abby, Ducky and Palmer all disappeared in the direction of the elevator.
He quickly took stock of all the files piled up on his desk, turned his computer on, and opened a drawer.
Suddenly everyone on the floor head Tony shout.
“Hey, where’s my Mickey Mouse stapler?!”
The End
Author: Spiceblueeyes
Pairing: None
Rating: R
Word Count: 20,010
Spoilers: None that I can see.
Warnings: Suicide of OC, violence, angst, brief mentions of child abuse.
Summary: The team gets a case that unsettles Tony more than he wants to admit.
Author's Notes: This is both my first ever NCIS story, and the longest story I've ever written, so I'm excited about it. The story was beta'd by devo79 who is awesome and really helped me make the story better.
Be sure to check out the totally cool art that kj_svala made for the story, she's very talented. You can find it here.
On the way back from Bethesda Gibbs got a call. He answered it, “Gibbs.” Tony couldn’t hear what the person on the other end of the conversation was saying. “Where?” Gibbs demanded. Whatever the answer to that was caused Gibbs to swing the car around and speed the other direction in a move that had Tony alternately cursing and praying under his breath. Gibbs slapped his phone closed and tossed into Tony’s lap.
“We have a lead Boss?” Tony asked weakly.
“Suarez used his credit card at a motel.”
Tony thought about that. “Why would he do that?” Gibbs shot him a look. “I mean, he must know we’re tracking his credit cards. We’d know instantly if he used one.” Gibbs just kept his eyes on the road, he didn’t have any answers.
“You know, Boss, this cased is messed up.” Gibbs just drove, and gave no indication he was listening. “Suarez had an even crappier childhood than I did, but rose above it to join the Navy and serve his country. He gets tortured, gets a medal, he’s a hero. He comes home and falls apart and no one notices. No one cared enough to go help him, and now he killed someone and he’s a murderer.” Tony glance at Gibbs, who still didn’t look like he was listening, so he spoke more. “You know, I feel like I could be him one day. We practically had the same father figure, and I’ve been through more than enough that I’m surprised I’m not already messed up.”
At that Gibbs spoke up. “You are messed up DiNozzo.”
“Gee, thanks Boss.”
“You’re messed up if you think you could be him.” Gibbs said.
The rest of the two hour trip was spent in silence. Tony looked out the window as Gibbs drove at his usual breakneck speed to Suarez’s location.
They pulled up into a gravel parking lot, rocks crunching under the tires.
Tony announced, “NCIS” and Gibbs kicked the door in, not even bothering with the key they’d been given.
The look of failure and despair on his face. “I’m sorry guys. I meant to do this before you got here, but I’m finding it harder to pull the trigger than I thought I would.”
“Look, Suarez, you don’t want to do that. That’s not the answer,” Tony coaxed.
“I don’t care!” Rafael shouted, still looking at his gun. “I don’t care if a jury understands. I don’t understand. I killed her.”
“I thought it was fitting that I’d die at the end of the same gun that killed her. Karmic, somehow, you know?” Suarez mused, “But I don’t think I can do it.”
Less than a split second later three bullets from Tony’s own gun were in Suarez’s chest, one of them right in the heart.
Tony felt like he’d killed his brother. He hadn’t even met Suarez before today, but the man had gotten under his skin in a way that no one else ever had. He saw himself in him. Gibbs called for an ambulance while Tony just sort of slumped down onto the floor, his back sliding against the wall.
~*~*~*~
“I have, I have family.” Tony told Henry, after long minutes of silence. “I have a family.”
Henry smiled. “Yes Tony, yes I think you do. I’m glad you can see that.” He grabbed the paper on his desk and quickly signed the bottom of it.
“You’re reinstating me to active duty?” Tony asked.
“Yep.”
“Just like that?” Tony was suspicious.
“I just needed to know that you have people in your life that you can turn to when you need help Tony. And I needed you to know it to.” Henry handed over the form and Tony studied it. It was legitimate, signed and dated, exactly what he needed.
“Great, well, guess we’re done here.” Tony stood up, “No offense Doc, but I hope I never see you again.” He said with a smirk.
“None taken,” Henry waved him to the door. “The feeling is mutual.” They both laughed and Tony stepped out of Henry’s office.
~*~*~*~
Tony walked into the Bullpen with the form held high. “Oh yeah, look who’s back!” Gibbs, Ziva, McGee and even Abby, Ducky and Palmer where there to greet him.
“Yay Tony!” Abby immediately rushed to give him a hug.
“Congratulations Tony.” McGee offered.
“Yes, Congratulations Tony.” Ziva echoed, both of their faces were warm.
“I knew you would be back Anthony, I never had a moments doubt.” Ducky commented, gesturing with his finger. Palmer just smiled and nodded in the background.
“DiNozzo, you back?” Gibbs asked.
“Yeah Boss, I’m back, bigger and better than ever!” He handed the form over to Gibbs with a wide grin.
“Yeah, bigger.” McGee made enlarging motions around his head, everyone chuckled. Tony just shook his head.
“Ah Probie, Probie, Probie. It’s not a big head if you really are the best.” He wrapped his arm around Tim and squeezed him a little. “Is it?”
“Sure Tony, whatever you say.” Tim answered with a smile that said Tony was full of shit. Tony just laughed; nothing could ruin his good mood today. Not after his big revelation.
He looked around the room. All these people, Gibbs, and Ziva, Abby and Ducky, McGee and Palmer, they were his family. They would go to the end of the earth for him, and already had on a couple of occasions. Even if he pushed them away, they would push back in. He never had to worry about facing life alone anymore.
“DiNozzo!” Gibbs shouted, interrupting everyone’s celebrating.
“Boss?”
“If you’re back to work, then get back to work!”
“Yes Boss, right away boss!” Tony hurried back to his desk, as did Ziva and McGee. Abby, Ducky and Palmer all disappeared in the direction of the elevator.
He quickly took stock of all the files piled up on his desk, turned his computer on, and opened a drawer.
Suddenly everyone on the floor head Tony shout.
“Hey, where’s my Mickey Mouse stapler?!”
The End