another post Requiem fic here. It's called Honesty (but feel free to suggest a better name
) hope you enjoy
__________________________
______________________________
______________________________
Gibbs heard Tony rise from his seat, his soft footsteps the only sound in the empty squad room. He looked up from his desk to see his senior field agent perch on the edge of McGee’s desk and fold his arms.
“Something you need DiNozzo?” The room was completely dark bar a couple of desk lamps. The others had gone home hours ago but the amount of paperwork both the Team leader and senior field agent were required to fill out each week had kept them behind.
“Do you remember what you said to me four years ago?”
“You’ll have to be a bit more specific DiNozzo”
Tony shuffled slightly, “It was not long after I’d been here two years” Gibbs remembered vividly and nodded at Tony. “You told me that if I ever tried to leave you would kick my ass.”
Gibbs titled his head to one side, “Worked didn’t it?”
“You know what Abby said to me?” Gibbs shook his head. “She said that if I ever started feeling like I wanted to leave then I should find her so she could make me change my mind.”
“And?”
“And last week I found her and told I felt like leaving,” Tony admitted.
Gibbs raised an eyebrow, this was the first he was hearing of this. Abby should have come to him. “Any particular reason why you felt like leaving?”
“Thought it was time to?” Tony offered with a shrug.
Gibbs shook his head, “I don’t buy that.”
Tony sighed, “Its going to sound childish.”
“Normally does out of your mouth DiNozzo.”
Tony sighed again, “Okay…..” He unfolded his arms and gripped the edges of the desk with both hands “It was after I pulled you and Maddie out of the river.”
Gibbs frowned, “What about it?”
“Things bothered me….like the fact that you couldn’t trust me, trust any of us.”
Gibbs sighed, “Tony-”
Tony didn’t let him continue, “And you know what? A thank you would have been nice, I risked a lot for you”
“I didn’t ask you to.”
Tony tilted his head to one side, “You never would….but once, just once I would like to feel like I’m here because you want me here and not because Ziva and McGee are too inexperienced to take my job.”
“That’s not the case and you know it.”
“Isn’t it?” Tony asked, “I have learnt a lot from you Gibbs…but lately I feel like I’ve hit the peak of what I can learn here, nothing’s challenging any more,”
Gibbs rose from his seat and circled his desk, “Do you not like working here any more?”
Tony’s head snapped up, “Of course I like it here…I just-
“Wished you’d taken that job in Spain?” Gibbs guessed
Tony looked surprised, “How’d you know about that?” Gibbs raised an eyebrow and Tony rolled his eyes, “Of course you knew.”
“So, wished you’d gone to Spain?”
“Yes,” Tony answered honestly, “You don’t know how close I’ve come to going, even typed up my resignation.”
“Where is it?”
“Sitting on my computer.”
Gibbs nodded, “What do you want me to do?”
“Huh?” Tony asked, confused by the question.
“What is it that you want me to do to make you stay?”
Tony smiled. He slid off the edge of the desk and strolled back to his own “Tell me you’ll kick my ass if I try to leave,” Tony picked up his backpack and headed towards the elevator.
“Will that work?” Gibbs shouted after him.
Tony stopped and turned back to Gibbs, “For now.” He answered honestly.
Gibbs nodded, “DiNozzo?”
“Yeah Boss?”
“Thank you.”
Tony nodded, “You’re welcome” He replied before disappearing into the elevator.