Completed First Indications of Tony 'doormat' DiNozzo NCIS Gibbs/DiNozzo

Chapter 3

"I'm sorry, I must have misheard you?"

"No, you didn't." Tony continued to walk towards his car, Fornell hot on his heels.

"DiNozzo, hold up." He grabbed hold of Tony's shoulder.

"Let go." He asked coolly, the FBI agent released him straight away. "At least you listened; maybe you can teach Gibbs how to do that?"

"I never thought his shadow would ever leave him?"

"Loyalty has its limits and when they get pushed past that it's time to go before the collateral damage becomes too much." DiNozzo looked back at the Navy Yard sadly. "It also helps to leave when you can't trust those who are supposedly watching your back."

Fornell frowned. "I thought..." There was something more going on, if the cool look Tony gave him was any indication. As much as he wanted to snap the younger agent up, it was clear that this would be the wrong time to do it. "Here, take my card."

"Why?" Tony wanted to know as he took the little piece of cardboard.

"Maybe you'll come and work for me. That is an offer by the way. I'm there if you need a friend as well. Just call about either." Fornell turned and headed back towards the building, leaving a bemused and confused DiNozzo behind him.

XXXXX

Gibbs walked back into the office crankier than usual. Everything had gone smoothly at the crime scene, it was an easy case. He was grateful for that, his two team members there would have struggled alone with anything more difficult. He definitely wasn't in the mood for hand holding. A couple of things had already put him on edge, no DiNozzo and Ducky giving them the cold shoulder or throwing dark looks their way. The ME would talk about the case, but anything else he would clam up. There were no stories of what something reminded him off, it was all wrong. As much as he stopped the stories, it was weirder not to hear any at all.

"Do you think he's getting too old to work here?" Ziva suddenly spoke up.

"What?" McGee face creased and his nose crinkled.

"Ducky, he's been acting odd. Do you think it's because of his age? Should he think about retiring?"

Gibbs snorted how his old friend acting was on purpose. He just didn't know what had brought it on. Well, he had an idea. DiNozzo. What the hell had they talked about? He also needed to find out why his SFA snapped and hit him.

"Gibbs."

"What the hell are you doing here Fornell?" That was when he noticed that the older man was sitting at Tony's desk. His very bare desk. "Where's DiNozzo?" He watched as Ziva and McGee smirked.

"Maybe he was fired?" Ziva added hopefully.

"I believe the Director wants to see you." Fornell nodded towards them mezzanine. If this was only just a glimpse of what Tony had to put up with no wonder he left. That young man definitely needed a break. He still wanted to lure him to the FBI, but his gut was right about this not being the correct time to push that. Agents like Sacks didn't help. Tony needed something different where there would be people who didn't dislike him before he even walked in the room, or had heard rumours about him. Most of which were exaggerated because of people like McGee and Ziva. Fornell was going to help in whatever way he could.

XXXXX

The more that Vance thought about what Tony had said, the more he realised how true it was. The elements concerning him anyway. He still had no idea what to do with the information with Ziva and Eli. He did need to apologise to his agent, his ex-agent. The reason his tone had been harsh was that he'd been angry and took it out on Tony, just like Gibbs did. That was the last straw that finally drove him away from NCIS. Jackie would be so angry at him, if she were alive. His door flew open so hard it slammed against the wall.