Despite all scientific calculation and defying all logic, the last day of school before summer vacation was, without a doubt, the longest day of the year. It affected everyone; from the popular prom queen, who looked forward to spending the summer hanging with friends at the beach or at the mall, to the shy guy in the back of the class who had a summer’s worth of paintings to paint or a shelf full of books to read. The last period of the day was the worst torture of all. Seconds ticked mercilessly by as if they were minutes, and minutes like hours. 

Time dragged not just for the students, but for their gym teacher as well, though it was for an entirely different reason. Tony hadn’t managed to procure a summer job with the school district. Nor had he gotten any response back from the resume he’d sent out to numerous companies--there just weren’t any jobs hiring for just the summer. At least not outside of the fast food industry, and there were some lines that Tony just wouldn’t cross.

It wasn’t like Ellen didn’t make enough money to support them both comfortably for the summer months. She’d assured him of that fact time and again when he’d toyed with the idea of applying for a security position, or possibly even seeking a part time job with the police department since he did have the academy training requirement fulfilled. Of course she’d shot down that idea quickly. She didn’t want to have to worry about him all day.

That was also what she said when he’d proposed a few home improvement project ideas that he wanted to tackle. Okay, so he hadn’t ever worked with power tools. Or even hand tools much. But how hard could it be? And it would be really awesome to have a nice deck off the back of the house.

“If you want a deck, we can hire it done, honey,” Ellen had assured him patronizingly. “I just don’t think it’s a good idea for you to mess with that stuff.”

No summer job, no prospects for one and no projects to work on left him with two and a half months to plan for Training Camp at the end of August (a task that would take him a few hours at most), and pretty much nothing else to look forward to. He loved watching television as much as the next guy, but two and a half months of it sounded like ‘too much of a good thing’. He’d go crazy before the end of June and still have almost two months to fill.

So he found himself watching the clock almost as much as his students were doing, but while they were excited about what awaited them when the final bell rang for the day, he felt nothing but dread.

“You could let us leave early, Coach,” Jayson Browning suggested, hopeful.  They’d already cleared out lockers and the equipment had all been locked away for the summer, so there was little to do but sit and wait.

“And have you guys get into trouble on my watch?” Tony replied breezily.  “Not a chance, Browning. I need you on the team next year.”

“Come on, Mr. D,” pled another of his students.

“Sorry, no can do…” At least not this early. He wasn’t really worried about them getting into trouble; they were good kids for the most part. Still, they were his responsibility until the final bell. A couple minutes early he could do, but not the full twenty that loomed before them. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted a familiar figure just outside the gymnasium door. “Afraid our evil administration would frown on--well good afternoon, Ms. Duncan!” he greeted the school’s assistant principal in an exaggeratedly cheery voice and a grin.

“Good afternoon, Mr. DiNozzo,” Greta Duncan replied with a mock weariness that amused most of the students. “Sorry to interrupt your clearly fascinating class, but I wanted to make sure you got this before you left today.” She waved an envelope at him as she approached.

For a moment he was filled with dread. He’d already picked up and filled out all the administrative papers he was supposed to fill out at the end of the school year. He’d checked his intra-office mail earlier. There was only one possible thing they’d hold until the end of the day. He swallowed nervously as the prospect of being without a job for not just the summer but at all hit him.

Except that Greta had been at least a work-place friend since he’d started at McGinley High a few years back and she genuinely seemed to be excited about whatever she was handing him. That meant it couldn’t be a pink slip. Right?

He reached out and snatched the envelope from her, curiously turning it over in his hand. His brow furrowed as he saw the DC postmark. Then his eyes widened as he noted the label on the return address.

Gemcity, Inc.

He blinked as he stared at the envelope in his hands. No way.

He shouldn’t get ahead of himself, he realized. Maybe they sent promotional stuff to all of the contest entrants or something.

“Go ahead, open it!” Greta encouraged, hoping that the envelope contained what she suspected.

He nodded slowly, almost unaware of all the curious eyes upon him.  Tony’s love of Gemcity’s LJ Tibbs series was almost legendary around the school. Most of the staff had been concerned when he’d fallen uncharacteristic ally silent in the lounge a while back. Concerned, that was, until they’d discovered that he was quiet only because he was completely absorbed in reading the latest book in the series.

In recent months, his friends on the staff had become concerned again as the normally vivacious young teacher had quieted and started to seem a little bit withdrawn. In an effort to cheer him, they decorated his office with Deep Six posters and other Gemcity paraphernalia. They’d even managed to find him a belt just like Agent Tommy DeLuca’s, with a small knife hidden in the buckle. Their efforts had definitely lifted his spirits, though he still seemed to be a shadow of his former self.

Whenever he seemed particularly, down, though, Greta and some of the others had figured out that whenever they brought up the series and he’d brighten, regaling them with another tidbit gleaned from the continuing adventures of LJ Tibbs and his team. When he talked of the books, he became the animated young man he’d been when he’d first come to the school.  When Tony was excited about something his mood always seemed to spread to those around him, and it soon became a game among the faculty and students alike to try and stump him with trivia about the books.

When the Gemcity Contest had been announced, almost every other teacher--and several of his students--had encouraged him to enter it since he seemed to know the characters backward and forward.

Tony felt a little bit like Charlie Bucket seeking a Wonka-bar’s Golden Ticket as he slowly eased the envelope open and carefully pulled out the enclosed letter and attached packet of information.

“Congratulations…” he read the first word of the letter aloud in the moment before the shock struck. Congratulations? He’d…won?

He looked up in wonder as he heard several of the students starting to chatter excitedly. He looked back down at the page to read it again and make sure that he wasn’t imaging or misinterpreting.

“I won,” he repeated his findings aloud. He couldn’t stop the wide grin that spread across his face as his students cheered him on.

“Sure we can’t go early? You know. So you can go home and pack?” Jayson suggested again.

“Nice try.”

“Oh, come on! Ms. Duncan’s okay with it, aren’t you, Ms. Duncan?”

“I tell you what,” Greta replied craftily. “You guys manage to stump Coach DiNozzo and you can leave a few minutes early.” A couple of the students groaned, giving up already, but the rest began to gather, chattering as they tried to come up with some good questions.

“That would be Pimmy Jalmer.  Come on,” Tony scoffed lightly at the first one his students presented. “You guys can come up with something more challenging than that!” He couldn’t help but grin as he watched them huddle up again. He watched them fondly as they tossed ideas back and forth.

The idea of letting the kids leave early didn’t seem quite so unpalatable. Packing for a trip that wouldn’t occur until July would, of course, be ridiculous, but he couldn’t wait to get home and tell Ellen about it. Sure, she hadn’t been all that thrilled with his entering the contest, but surely now that he’d won it, she’d change her mind! An all-expense-paid trip to DC might be just the thing they needed to revive their marriage. Tonight, he’d go home, fix a special dinner, present her with a bottle of wine, and give her the fantastic news over dessert.

“Okay, Coach; here’s one. What does Amy Sutton do on Thursday nights?” Stephanie Miller threw out the next question.

“She goes bowling at Star Lanes,” he replied without hesitation, exaggeratedly rolling his eyes at her. “With nuns,” he added, his eyes lighting with amusement. “Come on. Ask me something hard!” he challenged them.

“I’ve got it!” Jayson declared, a victorious grin spreading across his face.

“Hit me.”

“How does Tibbs get the boat out of his basement?”

Tony pretended to consider, though he knew that it was a trick question. It had never been answered; he doubted Gemcity even knew the answer.

Tony glanced at the clock. There were less than five minutes left until the final bell, so he saw no harm in letting them win. “All right, Mr. Browning,” he drawled out slowly, as though reluctant to admit defeat. “Looks like you’ve won you and your classmates an early summer vacation.”

He hid his grin as he watched the kids congratulating each other on getting one up on their gym teacher.

“Have a great vacation, Mr. D!” he heard a couple of them calling out to him as the stampede to the door began.

“You, too,” he called after them.

“Congratulations, Tony,” Greta praised him again. “You’ll have to send us all postcards.”

“Oh, I will,” he promised. “Maybe even make you come over and suffer through my vacation slides when I get back,” he added.

“I look forward to it,” she replied genuinely. “Have a fantastic summer!” she called after him as she watched him head toward his office to lock up for the summer. She couldn’t help but smile as she witnessed lightness in his gait that she hadn’t seen in months.

Tony’s spirits were still high as he set the dinner table a couple hours later in anticipation of Ellen’s arrival. He’d made her favorite lasagna, prepared a salad, even made a special cake that he’d just finished decorating.

When he heard Ellen’s car pull into the driveway Tony quickly lit the candles he’d set out on the table, turned off the overhead lights, turned on the soft music, and nervously rearranged the red white and blue roses he’d bought to adorn the table.

“Smells wonderful!” Ellen called out as she hung her purse on the hall tree. “Have a nice last day?” she asked as she made her way into the dining room and took in the elegantly decorated table.

“The best,” Tony agreed exuberantly as he moved to greet her with a big hug and a fiery kiss.

“Whoa! A really good day?” she laughed, slightly taken aback by his passion. “Did you find a summer job? I know you were a little worried about not having enough to keep you busy…"

“Nope. Not a job,” he replied, giving her an excited but cryptic smile. “Come on. Sit down. I’ll tell you all about it.”

She looked suspicious and her smile turned slightly guarded but he didn’t let it ruin his mood. He just went on with his plan of pampering her a little bit before presenting her with the vacation opportunity. He wasn’t sure why he suddenly felt so nervous about telling her. It was a good thing; surely she’d think so, too. He had nothing to worry about. Did he?

“You remember that contest?” he segued into the subject as they were just finishing up their meals.

“Hmmm? What contest?”

“That Thom Gemcity story thing I showed you a while back.”

Ellen smiled knowingly. “That little story thing?”

“Yeah.  Well…I kind of sent it in. And I won. That is we won,” the words tumbled awkwardly from his lips. “A trip to DC. This July!”

“Wait…you sent it in? I thought we discussed this.”

Tony shrank back slightly at the annoyance in her tone. “Well…I just figured it wouldn’t hurt to try. I knew the odds weren’t all that great, but there wasn’t any fee or anything, so…”

“So you thought you’d go behind my back?”

“I thought it’d be fun, if I actually did win,” he replied defensively. “That the trip would be something we could do together.”

“Like I’d have fun traipsing around some Army barracks?”

“The Navy shipyards,” he corrected, trying not to let his anger rise. “And you wouldn’t have to go to that. But we could go to the museums and--"

“And I told you that I can’t take the time off!”

Tony clenched his jaw shut, doing his best to remain calm. This wasn’t supposed to be yet another fight. This was supposed to be a happy occasion! Why couldn’t they just enjoy this? He felt a wave of guilt as he tried to look at it from her perspective. She had told him that she couldn’t go. He just thought that maybe…maybe she’d change her mind. His winning just seemed like it was some sort of sign that they were supposed to do this.

Or maybe just he was supposed to, he considered. “Maybe I could go,” he spoke the words before even thinking them through.

“You’d go without me?” Ellen asked, a hurt tone in her voice.

Tony’s guilt intensified. “I’d rather go with you,” he assured her. “Are you sure you couldn’t just ask--"

“I can’t,” she replied firmly.

Tony sighed as he absently pushed the last bite of his lasagna back and forth across his plate.

“I’m sorry, sweetie. It’s just that we talked about this. We can always save up and go next year.”

“Yeah,” he answered despondently before jabbing the final bite with his fork and popping it into his mouth. He couldn’t leave the table fast enough. He hurriedly gathered the dishes and withdrew into the kitchen.

Damn it, he cursed himself as he loaded the dishwasher. He was just so…frustrated! He was trying to make things work with Ellen, but he was getting tired of being the one who always had to give things up. He gave up…hell, he gave up everything for her. And it wasn’t that he hated his life. He enjoyed being a teacher for the most part; he loved the kids, he loved sports…but truth be told, his heart had always yearned for adventure. This trip was his chance to have at least a small taste of it. Why couldn’t she just be happy for him? He could understand her not being able to take the time to go, but it just didn’t seem right for her to ask him not to go, either. He’d earned the trip! And it wasn’t like he’d be taking off work or anything. She was always so busy that she’d hardly even notice that he’d be gone.  Well, except for fixing her own dinner, but he’d even be willing to make up some meals before he left. Or he could use part of the prize money to hire someone in for the week or…

“I am sorry, sweetie,” Ellen repeated her apology as she wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned against his back. He’d been so engrossed in his thoughts he hadn’t even heard her approach. “We’ll go next summer. I promise.” She kissed the back of his neck.

“Yeah,” he numbly agreed.

“You make any dessert?” she asked brightly, as if they hadn’t just fought.

He smiled bitterly as he motioned toward it. Her breath sucked in and he had to admit he felt a small twinge of satisfaction as she gaped at the cake he’d decorated to resemble a small replica of the White House.  The feeling evaporated just as quickly as she fled the kitchen, effectively ending the conversation.

In the following weeks, Tony tried to adjust to the reality that he was going to forfeit the trip, but it just kept niggling at him. There really wasn’t any reason he couldn’t go alone. Ellen was barely even home long enough to do anything but sleep. So why not?

The night before his scheduled flight he tried to broach the subject one final time.

“Damn it, Tony! I don’t want you to go!” Ellen reiterated.

“But why? You’re hardly even here! I’ve made up casseroles and a--"

“It’s not about that!”

“Then what is it about?” he asked. “I love you, Ellen. I just…I’m going crazy sitting here at home,” he tried to reason with her. “Please, just let me do this. I need to do this.”

“You need to get away from me?” she asked in a tiny voice that almost broke his heart.

“Of course not. I just need…something different. I wish you’d go with me. Maybe you still can! I could take a later flight or you could join me or--"

“Jesus, Tony! Just stop! We’re not going to DC and that’s final!”

“I’m going,” he made his final stand.

“You want to go? Fine. But don’t bother coming back.”

Tony felt as though he’d been slapped. She was completely serious. He could hear it in her tone, see it in her eyes.  They stared at each other in silence as he grappled with the ultimatum. For what seemed like hours they simply stood and stared mutely at each other until exhaustion won out and they retreated to their separate corners of the house.

Tony slept on the couch that night. Rather he tossed and turned on the couch that night. 

He honestly wasn’t sure what his decision was until he calmly packed his bag the next morning. He felt surprisingly numb during the cab ride to the airport. He didn’t even really start to feel again until the plane was landing in DC when his nerves began to unravel. Had he really done it? Had he really left Ellen?

Tony wasn’t sure what to expect when he reached the airport; he’d simply been told that a car would be waiting for him. He scanned the small crowd at the gate until he spotted a man holding a sign with his name on it.

“I’m Anthony DiNozzo,” he introduced himself.

For the first few minutes of the trip, Tony found himself lost in thoughts of Ellen again. Was it really the end of their marriage? They hadn’t been happy for a long time, but he still loved her, didn’t he? So why didn’t this feel like the end of the world? Why did he have a strange feeling of…relief?

Tony couldn’t contain his grin as he opened the sunroof and rose to let the cool breeze hit his face. For the first time in…years he felt free. This was the beginning of the adventure he’d been craving, he was certain. He couldn’t wait to experience…everything! He didn’t know where he wanted to go first! He just knew he didn’t want to spend the afternoon cooped up in a hotel room. He couldn’t wait to go exploring.

He could barely contain his pent up energy as Joshua escorted him to his hotel.

“You’ll find your welcome package on the desk,” Joshua informed him as they reached his suite. “Your itinerary, your visitor’s pass, your Visa…”

“My Visa?” Tony asked.

“The prize money,” the chauffer clarified, his eyes crinkling with amusement at the awed look that spread across Tony’s face. “Here is my card. You might want to program my number into your phone. That way if you find yourself lost, or want me to drive you anywhere, you can just give me a call,” he explained.

“Right, of course,” Tony agreed as he pulled his cell phone from his pocket and powered it up. He winced at the number of missed calls on the display.  Ignoring them for the moment, he followed Joshua’s advice and programmed in the contact.

“Is there anything else I can do for you right now?” Joshua asked. “Anywhere you want me to take you?”

“No. Thanks. I think I’m just going to hang out around here. Explore the neighborhood a little,” Tony replied as he pulled his wallet from his pocket, intending to tip the driver.

“No need for that, Sir,” Joshua assured him. He held up his hand to stifle Tony’s protest. “I assure you that Mr. Gemcity already has it covered.”

“Oh…um. Well…thanks, then, Joshua.”

“My pleasure, Sir. Enjoy your stay.”

As soon as he was alone, Tony quickly changed into a t-shirt, sweats, and his running shoes. He’d spotted a park just a few blocks back and was certain that there had to be a fantastic running trail. Not wanting to take anything unnecessary with him, he tucked his wallet, the visitor’s pass, and the prize Visa into the hidden compartment of his suitcase, pocketing only his hotel key.

He should probably check his messages, he reminded himself as he picked up his cell phone. He just didn’t really want to deal with them at the moment. He should take the phone with him, he decided; in case he got lost.

He regretted the decision as he heard Ellen’s ringtone sounding as he was just completing the second mile of his jog. He slowed to a stop and pulled the phone from his pocket.

“Hello?” he answered, slightly out of breath.

“Tony?” Ellen asked sharply.

“Yeah, you called my phone,” he reminded her.

“Where are you?”

He let out a humorless chuckle. “I’m in DC, Ellen.” He started to feel guilty again as a silence greeted him. And guiltier the longer it lasted. Damn it, he didn’t want to feel guilty! This was his—

“HEY!” he heard a woman cry out from a short distance away.

Startled, he turned to see what was happening and saw a man running toward him--with the woman’s purse clutched in the apparent thief’s grasp.

“Hey!” Tony yelled, letting his phone drop from his hands as he prepared to give chase. The man, seeing him, veered in a new direction.

“Tony?” he heard Ellen’s voice faintly before he took off after the purse-snatcher.

Though Tony was in excellent shape he had trouble catching up to the thief. He tuned out all distractions and focused his complete attention the man as he gave chase. If he couldn’t catch the guy he sure as hell wanted to get a good description of him.

He was just within tackling range when he realized that he should have been paying at least a little more attention to his surroundings. He didn’t feel the impact, really; just heard the blaring horn and the squeal of tires and saw the sky seem to come rushing toward him…and then away from him.

He didn’t really feel anything after that.

A man’s face appeared above him, looking down at him with a horrified expression. He was aware that the man was speaking, but couldn’t understand a word the man was saying. At first he thought maybe it was just gibberish, but then he thought maybe he recognized a couple words of…Hebrew?

And then he didn’t really care at all.

He just let himself float away as the world went dark.