IN HIS NATURE
By
Ashleigh Anpilova
Ducky returns from a Medical Examiners conference to find his has a visitor in Autopsy.
A Ducky & DiNozzo centric gen story.
Written: September 2010. Word count: 500.
It was late, but Ducky decided to see if there had been a rush of cases.
The lights were off in Autopsy; except one. To his surprise he found Tony slumped at his desk. "Anthony?"
Tony sat up. "Oh, hey, Ducky! Have a drink!" Tony held up an empty bottle of malt scotch. "It's empty. You got more?" Tony waved the bottle around.
Hurrying across Autopsy, Ducky took the bottle away. "Anthony DiNozzo," he said firmly. "What on -"
"Not."
Ducky frowned. "Not what?"
"Not Anthony DiNozzo. No. Not me."
Ducky sat down on the edge of his desk and put his hand on Tony's shoulder. "Tony? Are you all right?"
"I'm fine. 'Cause I'm not Anthony DiNozzo. If I'd been Anthony DiNozzo, I wouldn't be fine. But I'm not, so I am."
"Does Jethro know you're here?"
"Ah, Gibbs. Second B's for bastard. 'Cept he's not. I am." Tony nodded sagely.
For a fleeting second Ducky considered calling Jethro. But even as the thought came into his mind, he dismissed it. "Tony, try and tell me what has happened.
"Anthony DiNozzo's dying."
Ducky felt as if a can of cold water had been poured over him. "But you said -"
Tony shook his head. "Not me. Told you, I'm not Anthony DiNozzo."
"Tony, are you talking about your father?"
Tony shook his head. "Not my father. Oh, no. Don't know who is. But he isn't."
Ducky had an idea. "DiNozzo!" he snapped in a fair approximation of Gibbs's voice. "Report to me, now."
Tony straightened and looked at Ducky. "Always told myself I couldn't help it, the womanizing, the obsession with money, taking risks. Told myself it was in my nature, in my genes. Just like Dad. But he's not my dad. They adopted me. Now Dad's dying. Hereditary. But I'm okay, because I'm not Anthony DiNozzo. Anthony DiNozzo's not my dad." Any hint of soberness fled and Tony once again slumped forward. "He's not my dad."
Ducky put his arm around Tony's hunched shoulders. "Tony," he said. "Look at me." Tony lifted his head and blinked in an attempt to focus. "Being a father has little to do with biology. The biological part is a tiny part. The main part is to do with how they bring the child up. The caring. The love. The . . . Tony, I know you and your father have been somewhat estranged, but he loves you very much. You know that, don't you?"
Tony shrugged. "Mom dying changed him. Before that - But I'm not his, Ducky, that means I'm . . . I can't blame what I am on him. I'm not -"
"Yes, Tony, you are. You are Anthony DiNozzo. You are. You are your father's son. Trust me."
Tony looked at him and glared. Then the glare vanished and tears filled his eyes instead. He grabbed Ducky's hand and held it. "Ducky," he whispered as tears began to fall. "My dad's dying." He sobbed once and then sat gripping Ducky's hand as silent tears fell unchecked down his cheeks.
Feedback is always appreciated
Go to NCIS General Series Gen Fiction Page