Where do I belong? – Parts 3 and 4

Chapter 3: Date Night

The two men had chosen to share the bed. If coincidently it helped collapse them together in the middle so their sides were touching – well, that was coincidental. Cameron started a new conversation. “So, in the spirit of getting to know each other, I need to know the most important thing. What’s your football team?”

Tony rolled his eyes. “You know I played for OSU? I’m a Brown so unless you’re a Bengal fan we’ll be fine.”

Cameron snickered. “No, Kansas City Chiefs, all the way.”

Tony smirked. “Nice special teams but your defence is slowly improving.”

Cameron smirked. “Let’s have a friendly wager next year about whose team makes the playoffs.”

Tony liked the fact they were making bets for a year away. “You’re on. What’s the stake?”

Cameron thought about what he wanted the wager to be but as well as they were getting on, his mama would smack him for the bet he wanted. “We’ll determine closer to the new season.”

Tony smirked right back. “You just want to see what happens at the draft.”

“You got me.”

Tony was laughing. “Damn, I haven’t done that in a while.”

“What laughed?” Cameron asked.

“Yep. Let’s just say work has been tough for a while.”

Cameron shook his head. “No, your team should be there to support you.”

Tony snorted. “Yeah, maybe in the Air-Force, not at NCIS.”

Cameron smiled at him. “Then that is their loss and my gain.”

Tony looked at him intensely. “How do you figure?”

“All the more time to seduce you.”

Tony sucked in a breath. “We haven’t even kissed and you’re talking about seducing me. How do you know you will want to?”

Cameron’s initial response would have been something along the lines of have you looked in a mirror. It was the wrong approach as he could guess that was what people only ever saw first. He took a more active approach to settle what was almost a skittish look in Tony’s eyes. He leaned in, closing the gap and seeing no objection kissed Tony.

Tony’s eyes closed and he may not have started the kiss but he was going to make sure Cameron never forgot it. He broke it reluctantly when breathing became an issue, damn oxygen. He felt his eyes open. “Damn, you’re dangerous.”

Cameron’s eyes sparkled with mischief, Tony just knew that he used the good ole boy charm to get away with a lot. “So is that a yes to seduction?”

“You keep kissing me like that, it won’t take much.”

Cameron snickered. “Now who is trying to flatter who?”

Tony sighed still collapsed against Cameron. “This whole you working at the mountain and me at the Academy will make things difficult.”

Cameron shrugged. “We’re adults and we’ll make it work. If you can put up with long secret missions, I can put up with you in Washington. I certainly want to.”

Tony kissed him again because this was crazy but he wanted it so much. This was so not how he thought his exile from Washington would be and for the first time – he didn’t want to be back at NCIS headquarters. “Me too, which is nuts. And I have no idea how long I will be here.”

~*~

O’Neill was talking with the SECNAV. “So you have this one meeting to convince me not to ask if DiNozzo can be given a special commission into the services.”

Davenport had expected many things but that was not it. “What? You want to make him Air-Force?”

O’Neill shook his head. “Nah, but he could easily pass as a Marine. Gibbs has all but trained him as one anyway. I would take anyone Gibbs put through his brand of boot camp.”

Davenport was picturing throttling Vance – slowly. Of course, O’Neill wouldn’t want to part with DiNozzo. “He solved your problem?”

Jack nodded. “In less than forty-eight hours with redacted files. I want him and I’m pretty sure the President will let me have him.”

Phillip resisted the urge to bash his head on his desk. “Give him six weeks with NCIS to tie up cases and do one last mission for me and then I won’t protest.”

O’Neill’s eyes narrowed. “Share with the class, Phil, what is it you need him to do?”

Philip sighed. “I want him to quietly investigate Vance. Something is not sitting right with me.”

O’Neill thought about it. His idea was to have an investigator attached to the program. He could technically have him as an Agent Afloat … it was only an idea for now. He would see what Andrews and the others at the academy thought and then make a decision.

He couldn’t wait to see DiNozzo’s face when he heard what his next job after teaching his baby officers would be. Investigate his soon-to-be-ex-boss. From what he’d heard from Owens on the Seahawk, he might even enjoy it.

It was time to talk to DiNozzo and ask him what he wanted to do. Oh, and to let him know his time as Agent Afloat would be at least six weeks barring any disasters. After all, he had a quietly UC agent teaching his men and women – he wasn’t about to throw that opportunity away for anyone.

~*~

O’Neill would admit to being highly amused at the way everyone snapped to attention with him passing by. He supposed he should set an example otherwise George would be disappointed in him. He passed through the corridors that he could remember being a part of. He was after one classroom in particular – a Major DiNotezo’s.

DiNozzo, as he knew him to be, was lecturing on how the good undercover agents know that the devil is in the small details. For example, he expanded upon how a guy got busted because while they were wearing a Saville Row suit the idiot was wearing target socks.

O’Neill stood at the back watching as DiNozzo weaved a situation to his spellbound students. He could tell though that lessons were being absorbed. Good. He was all ready to nab the best one for the stargate program as they would be well suited.

“Hello, General O’Neill.”

All the officers shot up to salute. “Settle down and listen to Teach. You never know when it might save your life.”

Tony grinned. “Oh, they have their homework to do.” His students were smart enough to take that as their cue to disappear.

O’Neill was amused despite himself. “Was it something I said?”

Tony snickered. “I am sure it wasn’t. So what brings you from Washington today, General?”

O’Neill motioned for them to sit down. “You actually, we have several things to discuss.”

Tony was all ears. “So what can I do for you? Do you have more rat problems?”

Jack snickered. “Nah the exterminator was effective. It’s I have a job offer but there are some caveats; For one, you will need to accept a special commission with the Marines.”

Tony nearly choked as that wasn’t what he was expecting. “First, I was on secondment to the Navy, then I was Air-Force and now you want me to be a Marine.”

O’Neill stared at him and asked a question. “Semper-Fi, what does it mean to you?”

Tony let out a breath but answered honestly. “The standard response is to say always faithful. I prefer always loyal and you watch your team’s six.”

O’Neill nodded because that was the answer he was looking for. “Exactly, now the program is extreme but vital to our security. I think you would be a perfect fit but if you were to enter as an investigator, your skills would be under-utilized.

“So that’s why I will end up as a Major in the marines?”

O’Neill smirked. “Who said it will be Major? And that will be determined once I chat with the President. Now, as he is not a man who’s time I like to waste … does this sound like a plan?”

Tony thought about Washington and what he thought it represented. Now he knew better; Gibbs, Ziva, and Tim didn’t care. Even if they did, it would take second place to jockeying for any scrap of power Vance would give them. The Marines though, that would be somewhere Tony knew he could flourish. He’d absorbed all of Gibbs’ teaching even if the man seemed to be forgetting it himself. It was time to move on again.

“Yeah. I want it but how will this work?”

O’Neill smirked. “Well, this is a good news and bad news situation. Good news is you will be at the Academy for at least six weeks as I need these officers as trained up as they can be.” He needed the soldiers to be able to blend in Goa’uld strongholds. “The bad news is to get Davenport to let you go gracefully he needs you to complete one last mission for him … Think about it like getting into character.”

Tony felt like he’d gone down a rabbit hole but he’d roll with it as what other choice did he have. “Okay, so what is the mission?”

“He needs you to compile a dossier on Leon Vance as he feels there is something iffy in his words.”

Tony grinned, not the small, sly one but rather the burning like the sun one. “Oh, my pleasure.”

Jack chuckled. “He thought you might agree, and before you officially fall under my command I need to say this. Shepard was a bitch who abused her position and then chose to go out in a blaze of glory rather than face up to her problems. If you are going to mope, it better not be over her.”

Tony blinked. “You know before I arrived on the Seahawk I would never have believed you. It seems time here and around people with an outside perspective is helping me believe that.”

“Good because I hate having to be introspective.”

“Your secret is safe with me, General.” Tony assured him with a grin. He was relieved to know that he’d chosen to move on. In fact, he felt like there was a weight lifted off his shoulders. It wouldn’t have been as easy to do with all the people making demands of him and trying to twist his emotions.

“I can’t wait to introduce you to the big secret. In the meantime, look after my soldiers and make sure your other mission don’t take too long.”

Tony would make sure it didn’t. “Will I have time to defend my dissertation?”

O’Neill nodded. “Sure, and I can’t wait for you to break a few of the scientists with their assumptions.”

~*~

They were at O’Malley’s and Cameron was grinning as he explained that for the sake of this evening they both worked at the Academy. Tony could see the anxiousness in his eyes. “Well, I do technically, at least for the next six weeks and why do you have to be?”

Cameron pouted. “When O’Neill was a team leader there was an incident and a bar-brawl. As a result, those stationed at the mountain were banned from the steakhouse. And I am a man, I need my red meat.”

Tony resisted the easy innuendo-laden remark he could make. “Sure thing, darlin’.”

Cameron grinned. “Fair warning, you keep calling me that, then I reserve the right to call you baby.”

Cameron was treated to a front row of Tony charming the waitress but shutting her flirting down. He was so nice about it that she smiled and promised them to bring their steaks as quick as possible.
“That was nicely done.”

Tony smirked. “Nah, she was picturing you and me, and decided that mental picture was hotter than her disappointment.”

Cameron smiled and it was all slow and easy. “Is that so?”

Tony nodded as he sipped his beer. He was off duty and his next class wasn’t until Monday. “So could you deign to date a Jarhead?”

“Huh?” Cameron hadn’t expected that question but he knew the answer as easy as where the sun would rise. “Sure, if it was you, yeah.”

“Oh good, as it seems that will be a reality sooner rather than later. It was O’Neill’s suggestion.” Tony confessed.

Cameron smirked. “You in uniform is a kink I could get used to.”

Tony chuckled as he figured if they were forced to attend any type of formal dinner or ceremony, they were screwed and would have to be careful not to destroy their uniforms. “Well, the sad part is after my six-week rotation I have to head back to Washington for one last job for Davenport.”

Cameron leered. “Well, closer to the time, I will have to give you a goodbye that you will never forget.”

Tony didn’t want to think about that because from the first week since he’d arrived, he’d felt like he could breathe once more – not only figuratively but literally as well. O’Neill had mentioned a treatment that would repair the plague damage to his lungs. Tony didn’t dare hope that it was true as he’d accustomed his life to dealing with it.

~*~

The trouble for Tony was that time did indeed feel like it was flying and that meant the six weeks flew by. His students would survive in the big world of undercover operations but he stood by his original assessment that for the truly dicey operations it should be Cadman and Black.

O’Neill was on the screen. “A file is being sent to you with all your exploits on the Seahawk.”

“Sir?”

O’Neill sighed. “There is a situation that has necessitated that the MCRT to be called to the ship. It would be awkward if Agent Gibbs were to arrive and you were not there.”

Tony understood his orders and it was time to get to the bottom of the nugget he’d discovered about Vance which he would not be able to do here. If he was right it would be huge but it was not the type of claim you made against an agency head without solid proof. “How long will I be there, Sir?”

O’Neill smirked. “Your team is unaware of it but Lt Colonel DiNozzo is now a member of the United States Marine Corps.”

Tony could admit he was a little shocked by the rank, he’d hoped it would but an O5 rank? “How?”

O’Neill smirked. “You know those tests and hypothetical questions that were thrown at you in the last two weeks.”

Tony shrugged. “I was exhausted and just elated that I managed to defend my dissertation successfully. So didn’t think too much about it just answered honestly.”

O’Neill chuckled. “Well, that combined with you completing that little problem for me meant that the President decided that you will be coming in at the level.”

Tony asked bemusedly. “And when I finally say goodbye to NCIS I will get the decoder ring?”

“That’s right, DiNozzo keep your zen, finish the mission and then you are free of the snakes.”

As Tony was flown back to the SeaHawk he had to keep O’Neill’s words in his mind. He’d sent a message to Cameron to let him know that when he got back from his mission he wouldn’t be there and he’d have to skype.

Never mind words, he was having to read a legend he needed to slip back into the role of Very Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo.

Chapter 4: Zen life is the best

Richard watched as DiNozzo stepped back onto his deck. He looked a hundred times better than he had when he first saw the man. He looked fit, lean and there was an air of general happiness to him that definitely was not present before this. The Air-Force Academy and whatever mission General O’Neill had him on was obviously good for him.

DiNozzo saluted smartly and there was a crispness to it. “Morning, Captain.”

Richard returned the salute. “Morning, DiNozzo. So did you get a chance to catch up on the Seahawk files and your adventures with us?”

DiNozzo nodded. “I did, and I had a very intriguing time away. How long until the MCRT arrives?”

Richard had a smirk and showed Tony to his boardroom so they could talk privately. “Due to unforeseen circumstances, their flight was delayed just long enough to see you back on the ship.”

“How fortuitous.“ Tony had to grin because Gibbs would not get to run roughshod over Richard – he knew that much. “So, fair warning, Gibbs likes to play games, and I am going to seem a lot more depressed than I really am in an hour or so.”

Owens nodded but it was clear that he didn’t get it. “What’s your angle?”

Tony smiled and was glad to explain the parts that he could, he’d checked with O’Neill before he’d left the Academy. “So I took an offer of a special commission in the marines so my time in Washington will be brief. I’m undercover now as Special Agent DiNozzo for one last mission before I completely switch.”

Richard smirked because O’Neill was one smooth operator. “What rank?”

“Lieutenant Colonel which was crazy … But that is how I tested out apparently.”

Richard chuckled. “So at the moment, you’re undercover as Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo? That will be interesting.”

Tony shook his head. “Not really, part of me wants to stop hiding and part of me knows that the persona I crafted would serve me well.”

Richard offered him a coffee. “So why not mix it up between the two, surely that would keep people off their guard best?”

DiNozzo grinned liking that idea. “Yeah, I think you’re right. You got any ideas since you’re on a roll how I can slip out to the 8th and 1st Barracks for classes?”

Richard had a proud smile. “You want to take classes.”

Tony nodded. “If I am leading, I want to learn as much as I can. A few military tactic classes are the least I can do.”

Richard knew with that type of insight he would be successful in what he wanted to do. “So any part of your persona you can use to explain why you might be over there?”

“I faked being a skirt chaser.”

Richard smirked. “There you are then.”

Tony let out a chuckle because only his life. “Sorry, you have a ship to run and here is me asking you to help with my problems”

Richard smiled softly. “I do that for friends no matter what, and you’ve joined the ranks that will do everything they can to support and help you.”

“Semper Fidelis,” Tony whispered.

Richard nodded. “Now you’re getting it. So are you going to meet your old team in military BDU’s?”

Tony snorted. “It would be a shock for them.”

He would have to come with a reason for the shorter hair, he guessed he wanted a change having been exiled once again. He’d sell it but not if he was still in BDU’s and with a wry grin. “Where are my quarters again? I forgot?”

Richard laughed. “Jenkins will show you the way.”

~*~

Tony had changed into jeans and a shirt, they were loose on him. Gibbs would assume it was because he wasn’t caring for himself. He looked around and hummed, he wanted to sell that idea. So, he tracked down the enlisted’s area. “This is going to sound crazy, I need your empty bottles of booze.”

“Now Agent, I don’t know what you want us to admit to…”

Tony rolled his eyes and part of him wanted to correct them about his title … it was but he couldn’t openly claim it yet. “Believe it or not, I need it for a case. I won’t write you up for it, consider it a way to get rid of the evidence.”

Smith, Tony thinks his name is, scuttles to the side and takes it from a fairly obvious place. He was doing them a public service really. “Thanks, gotta go, bye.”

So Tony took the bottles back to the office, he was selling the bitter, angry, exiled Agent. He knew Gibbs would take one look and put together a picture he would assume. He took a deep breath and let his old persona slip back on like an old skin. It was amazing to realise how much he hated it now.

Tony knew that he’d made the right choice to move on just for his feelings now. He needed to get that dossier on Vance from his CIA contact. It would piece together the clues he had and give him the evidence to give to Davenport and get the hell away from NCIS cleanly because once he was done, he was not looking back. Ever.

~*~

He expected to see Gibbs, it might have hurt to see Ziva and Tim if he’d spent all his time on the boat like they thought. Gibbs’ greeting had consisted of. “You’re SFA, direct them.”

Tony looked back at Ziva and Tim. “Why do you not have one?”

Tim rolled his eyes. “We did but they left for the East Asia office. Apparently, they didn’t want to be any closer to Gibbs.”

Tony had heard that before. “So you are all back on the MCRT?”

Ziva nodded, “Yes, I returned a week ago, my father and Director Vance came to an agreement.”

Tim shrugged. “Two weeks for me, Gibbs’ ranting paid off.”

Tony shrugged and he could see the glints in their eyes relishing his perceived isolation. Wow, vindictive had nothing on this pair. He couldn’t let them think they had won – the irony. “Oh well, you are missing out. Agent afloat is the best gig. There is sea, fresh air, blue skies, the weather has been just gorgeous and the crew really know how to have fun in their down time. It’s been relaxing.”

“You don’t look relaxed, Tony. You look tired.” Ziva noted.

Tony mentally rolled his eyes. “Well, like I said – fun in the down time – plus I was sent as far away as possible for following orders and treated like a problem child. I have had my own issues to work through – now back to the case.”

Tim and Ziva shared a mutinous look but had to grin. It was not his fault that they couldn’t see what was in front of them. He was looking forward to the near future day – when he could tell them they were oh so wrong.

His run in on the ship with Gibbs told him that his old mentor still blamed him for Jenny’s death in part. Tony sighed. “You know what, Gibbs? I did as I was ordered, like a good agent. Rules – they are important, we have to follow the laws or the cases don’t end in successful prosecutions.”

“You think I don’t know that?” Gibbs growled, not liking the challenge.

Tony turned his back to walk away because he was not in the mood to rehash old wounds. “Do you? All I see is you continuing to punish me for something that is not my fault.”

Gibbs shook his head. “Vance is the one refusing your return to Washington.”

Tony chuckled but it lacked warmth, in fact, it was downright cynical. “Oh, and if I am not being punished why is Ziva, a Mossad Agent who was right there with me the whole time in California, returned to the MCRT and I am stuck here.”

Gibbs sighed and he wouldn’t apologise. Tony knew that. “You were burnt out, Tony. Look around, how many more bottles were there?”

Tony didn’t smirk because that would ruin all his hard work. He didn’t want any of the MCRT to look too close at his time onboard the Seahawk. “Not as many as there should be considering my family ignored me but don’t worry, it did its job and I will be okay.”

“So why haven’t you pieced together this problem then, like you would normally.”

Ah, Tony now understood, the flare for investigations is not something the others had. Sure they could run down clues but to piece together the random parts to solve the perplexing cases – that was his trick.

“Oh, but I have,” Tony purred. “Your body in Cartagena. It’s my supposed jumper. He never made it back to the ship so … our murderer is on board. The killer came back to the boat, clocked in as our victim, then went back around and clocked in as themselves. They waited long enough for the ship to pull away from their liberty stop and then he ‘jumped’. It’s almost clever”

Gibbs shook his head. “I will get Vance to see reason.”

Tony shrugged. “Whatever you want because I’m thinking it’s time for me to move on again.” Tony played it as tired and weary. That seemed to light a fire in Gibbs. “No, you leave when I say you do.”

Tony had to bite back a chuckle because … No, he would be leaving when O’Neill ordered him to but until then he’d let the others think they were superior. It would make it all the easier to pull the rug back from under Vance.

~*~

The office headquarters of NCIS felt too bright to his eyes. He much prefered the muted colours of the academy. The team was around him and Tony wanted to laugh at the way they pretended to care. He still hadn’t managed to shake Abby from his arms.

She was demanding stories from his time on the Seahawk. So he made up a story about a sweet southern girl, with the best eyes and the sweetest ass. He hoped Cameron would forgive him because the only thing he changed was Cam’s gender in this story. The best lies were made from kernel’s of the truth – only Tony didn’t want Cameron to be a girl.

Abby grinned. “Only you could be stuck at sea and find yourself a sweet southern girl.”

Tony had a roguish grin. “Luck has nothing to do with it, Abs, you know that.”

She smacked him on the shoulder. “So are you back?”

Tony shrugged. “That is not up to me.”

Gibbs was walking down the stairway. He seemed unhappy by a choice and Tony had to bite back a smirk. “Well, you don’t have to get on a plane anytime soon.”

Tony smiled in relief. “Well, that is a relief. I am done with the sea for a while.”

Abby screamed with joy next to his ear – It was a good job that his ear wasn’t as sensitive as his lungs. “We should go out and celebrate – the family is back together.”

Yeah but not my choice, Tony thought darkly. Tony would play his role but he wasn’t going to associate with such toxicity on his downtime. He needed to slip free so that he could get rolling on his assignment for Davenport.

“You should all go, I need to see what state my apartment is in.” He hadn’t leased or sold it as he was told that the assignment would 16 weeks. He hadn’t let the others know that he owned his apartment outright. It had been a gift from his rich English uncle.

“Be here early tomorrow, Tony, we need to make sure your shooting hasn’t gone soft.”

“Sure thing, Gibbs.”

Tim noted that Tony hadn’t called Gibbs Boss like he would normally. He wasn’t stupid, he had caught the underlying tension between the two. It was crazy as that couldn’t be right, could it?

~*~

Tony landed back at his apartment to see a message from Cameron. Message received. Phone me. If not on duty will always pick up.

Tony figured it was eleven in the evening so he would be able to pick up if at all possible. Tony knew that Cameron was too much of a professional to keep his cell phone on if it wasn’t a good time.

“Baby.”

Tony chuckled at that greeting. “Hey Darlin, it’s me. So I got sent back to Washington. Can you talk?”

Cameron sighed. “Don’t pout, as you know we will make it work. I’m in my quarters alone so how long will it take do you think?”

The men were too smart to say anything major over a phone, they would never trust that people weren’t listening in. “Who knows? But I was thinking if you can get leave in say a month… We should have a great time. My treat.”

“Is that so?”

Tony smirked. “Oh yeah, a month where I can’t touch you. I will be ready to rock your world.”

“Looking forward to it. You doing okay with the crappy family.”

Tony did laugh as that was such an odd thing for Cameron to say. His boyfriend had idyllic parents and he was horrified when Tony shared what his impression of family both blood and makeshift had been. “Well, Gibbs is pissed that I am back but … he says I can’t leave until he tells me. So that would give any sane person whiplash.”

“Damn. What about the others?”

Tony shrugged not that Cameron could see it. “Well, Tim and Ziva seem to be looking for a weak spot to make me break down or isolate me further. It’s like you said it would be, she doesn’t know any other playbook other than the Mossad written one. Oh, but my zen return comments seem to be upsetting them … so there is irony for you.”

Cameron chuckled. “Just remember that you are mine, Lt Colonel DiNozzo and they can’t touch you.”

“I know that Cam, I do.” Tony breathed in deeply. “It would have hurt if I wasn’t ready to move on and had been made to see just how destructive they are. The best one was Abby, she sat on my lap and demanded to know about all my girls … I mean I was supposedly on a ship in the middle of nowhere.”

Cameron laughed at the exasperation he could hear in his lover’s voice. “So what did you tell her?”

“Oh, I told her about a sweet southern girl I met, with the best brown eyes and the sweetest ass at sea.”

Cameron shouted. “Hey, I am not a girl.”

“No, you are not, darlin’, and I wouldn’t want you as much as I do if you were. You know the best lies have a kernel of truth. Plus, I have laid a foundation for why I will be all secretive. I will have a mystery girl.”  

Cameron’s voice dropped an octave and it went straight to Tony’s groin. “Oh baby, you have no idea what I am going to do to you when we meet up. I will show you just what I can do, I will take you apart piece by piece and it won’t be until you beg that I will slide into your ass and make you forget your own name.”

Tony groaned with sexual frustration because damn, that painted quite the picture. “Are you aiming for phone sex because that is where this is going?”

“Are you hard, baby?” Cameron asked with a sweet voice.

Tony had fallen onto his couch. “Yeah, you have quite a way with words.”

Cameron chuckled but it was a low down filthy type that had Tony imagining all kinds of fun. It sucked that there were so many miles between them. “Nah, that’s you, you know that I am a man of action.”

Tony couldn’t stand it any longer, his hands slipped into his pants and he stroked his straining erection. “I wish this was your hand.”

Cameron replied. “It will soon be. Paint the picture for me, Tony. How do you want it?”

Tony responded and painted his own picture, telling Cameron exactly how he wanted to be taken apart. It didn’t take too long for Cam’s name to spill from his lips as he spilled over his hand. “You are so good at that.”

“You will turn a boy’s head with talk like that.”

Tony snorted. “Oh, I will return the favour. Just you wait.”

Cameron responded. “Looking forward to it.”

Tony didn’t want to sign off but he needed to get changed so he at least felt respectable as he met his CIA contact to collect the dossier on Vance. “I will see you soon, Cameron. I gotta go to work on extricating myself from NCIS.”

“Remember, they can’t have you. You’re mine.” Cameron hoped to reassure him. If there was worry in his voice it was because he didn’t want the people at NCIS sticking their claws into Tony and sucking his soul out bit by bit.

“And they won’t.”

~*~

Tony was skulking around a seedy bar that he had no doubt the people of NCIS would assume he’d visit by choice. He was here to meet his contact and get moving on his investigation.

Trent Kort slid into the booth. “Nice place.”

Tony smirked. “No one thinks to look here, they all know it’s a biker bar.”

“And yet you appear to be left alone.”

Tony smirked. “The owner was someone I knew in Baltimore, they had a mafia problem that I fixed so I get free reign of the place.”

“Huh, you know everyone, don’t you.” Kort observed. Tony didn’t answer that verbally but his smile spoke volumes. “Yes, well, on the upside you will no longer owe me a favour.”

Kort chuckled and slipped onto the desk a file. “Your new boss is interesting, makes for a good novel that reading.”

Tony’s smile was blinding as he flipped open the file. “You know what, Kort? As long as you don’t want me to do something illegal, I will help you out.”
“I thought you would like the last part. I wish I could be there when you reveal that to Gibbs.”