Rule 39: There Is No Such Thing As Coincidence (Tony DiNozzo Love Story)

Got A Case

Hours Later

    "So what's going to happen now?" McGee asks me as he, Ziva, Abby, and myself are sitting in Abby's lab.

    "What do you mean?" I ask.

    "Are you officially back with the team?"

    "It seems so, but there's going to be some meetings and paperwork to go through. The Director took a lot of it out since I've relayed to her my reasons for what I've done. I get a badge later this week, but it's going to be awhile before I can get a gun," I say. "I have to take some re-certifications but those will be quick and easy."

    "I can't believe you're alive," Ziva says as she stares at me with surprise still on her face.

    "I don't think anyone can, even me and I haven't even been me in months," I say.

    "So you're staying with Gibbs?" Abby asks and I nod.

    "Once we got back from Cuba, Gibbs didn't want me anywhere else. He wanted to make sure that I had somewhere to stay and that I won't bail again."

    "You're not going to really leave again? You're going to stay?" Abby asks.

    "Yes, Abby, I'm staying. I'll get it tattooed on my forehead if it'll make you feel any better. I'm not bailing out again, I've done it enough in my life. I don't need to do it again, besides I'm tired of hurting everyone."

    "Do you think you'll ever start looking for a place?" Ziva asks.

    "I don't know, maybe in a week or so I'll try. That's if Gibbs lets me," I say with a smile.

    "Yeah, I'd expect to be there for the next six months then," McGee says. I laugh and shake my head.

    "What are you going to do about Tony?" Abby asks.

    I look at her and then to Ziva and McGee. They all have concerned stares and I can obviously see that they all know of the emotional pain that we've lived with.

    "I don't think there's anything I can do. You all saw him, he's obviously confused and shocked to find out that I'm alive. For all I know, he could have just gotten past everything and now he's having to live through it all again."

    "That's not true. I know Tony, he wouldn't forget something like that or over someone like you," Abby says.

    "It's true. He hasn't been the same ever since you left in the first place, and after what happened with the Hackery case he's just been defensive. He hasn't dated anyone since, doesn't go out as much as before either. Almost became like Gibbs, but he's exactly as you said he's shocked and confused but give him some time. He can't ignore you forever, it's something he's unable to do," McGee says.

    "Yes, there has to be some movie he has to quote. Especially if there is no one to listen to him and you are the only one he has to tell it to," Ziva adds and I smile.

    "I suppose so," I say, it's silent between us for a few moments before Gibbs walks in.

    "What are you doing?"

    "Shooting the breeze as they used to say in your day," I say with a smile. He looks at me and hands over a Caf-Pow to Abby. She jumps up and down and smiles bigger as she takes a sip.

    "Why are you down here?" I ask as I lean against the table again.

    "Came down to tell you that there's a case. We got a dead Admiral who was found by his daughter an hour ago. We're heading out."

    "So that explains why she has caffeine," I say as I point at a smiling Abby.

    "Yep, so let's go. I want to get this going and set up for tomorrow morning with leads ready."

    "I get to go?" I ask.

    "I'd like to say yes, but I think the Director would have a fit so, yes you can go," he says as he turns to leave.

    "Do we get caffeine?" I ask.

    "If you hurry up and stop talking you'll find coffee on your desks upstairs. Get your stuff, I'll see you in the car."

    He leaves and I look back at Ziva and McGee.

    "Well, I never thought I'd be on the job this fast. I'm gonna need something stronger than one coffee," I say and they laugh as we leave the lab. "Bye Abbs," I yell back.

    "Bye guys, be back with evidence," she says cheerily. I shake my head as I walk into the elevator and press the button.

    Walking to our desks, I see coffee's sitting on each one and two on my old desk.

    "It's like he knew," I say as I grab one and sip it.

    "Well, it'd be something if he didn't," McGee says as he sips his own coffee and grabs his bag.

    The phone rings and I pick it up, placing it to my ear and answering.

    "Agent Carter." Almost like I had never left, the words roll off my tongue.

    "Hurry it up."

    "Hey, thanks for the two coffee's. I wouldn't be able to stay up with just one."

    "I only got you one, the other was already on the desk. Hurry up already, DiNozzo's beat you already and you know that's long."

    "We're on our way." I hang up and grab the bag on my chair as I recognize it as my old bag that Gibbs gave me. Tossing it over my shoulder I grab both coffee's.

    "What's up?"

    "He says to hurry, and he also says that he didn't get me two coffee's. One of them was already on the desk when he got here. And that DiNozzo beat us to the car."

    "Since when is he the first to jump in a car Gibbs is driving?" Ziva asks as we enter the elevator with McGee.

    "I don't know." I finish one of the coffee's before we even get to the bottom. As the doors open, I've already started on the second and both McGee and Ziva are looking at me with shock.

    "What? I like coffee, and besides I wasn't exactly prepared to go do a case at," I look at my watch, "3:37 in the afternoon."

    "I guess I better get the caffeine pills out of my drawer, I'm gonna need them later. Erin, aren't you a bit concerned that the coffee was poisoned?" McGee asks as we exit the elevator and walk towards the car.

    "Poison me with coffee? Please. Rule twenty-three, don't mess with a Marine's coffee if you want to live." I toss the empty cup in the trash and continue to drink the second as we walk. It tastes familiar, flavored like orange and cinnamon.

    "Slow down with the bean already. You will be as bad as Abby with those Caf-Pow and Red Bull combo sessions," Ziva says.

    "Don't forget the candy," McGee adds.

    "Come on, we're not solving this case any faster with you three walking slow," Gibbs shouts across the way.

    "Well, we can make up the time if you let me drive," I say.

    "Let's go easy. I don't want them regretting you coming back with your dangerous driving."

    "You're just mad because I do a better sharp turn at sixty-five than you," I say as I pull the door open. "McGee, you get middle," I say.

    "What, why?"

    "Because Ziva and I voted and you lost," I say with a smile. He sighs and climbs in and I look over at Ziva with a smile.

    "That joke will never get old."

    "Yeah, well I am," Gibbs says and he climbs in. I shake my head and sigh, turning my head slightly I see Tony standing next to the passenger door with a straight face. He stares into my eyes and I look into his. I offer a small smile and climb into the car, he follows a few seconds later and before any of us can finish clicking our seatbelt's the car is out of the Navy Yard and we are on our way to the scene.