Breath on a mirror

Chapter 1

Father had been drunk again when the mail had arrived and a promised check from a business associate hadn't arrived. But a letter from the school had, by hand that afternoon. Anthony DiNozzo Senior had called Gerald Kauffman, his business associate and had paled at the information, his now ex-business partner, had shared with him.

"JUNIOR!" his father had called. no...screamed would have been more accurate.

Eight year-old Anthony DiNozzo Junior had leapt up as fast as he could, considering his father had punished him last night as the butler had dropped his dinner plate, even though it hadn't been his fault. As he ran he felt something around his ribs grating, and the bruising this morning was pretty spectacular. Skidding to a halt in front of his father's office door he clambered to his feet, smoothed down his unruly hair and knocked.

"Get in here!" Anthony DiNozzo Senior slurred as he sat at his desk.

"You wanted me father?" Tony asked.

"No...never wanted you, you are a waste of space and this...this proves it…" he snarled waving a piece of paper around.

Tony gulped as he recognized the logo of his school on the top of the paper and figured out it was about the fight he'd had earlier in the day at school.

"Suspension...SUSPENSION!" he shouted, "My...you were suspended from school for fighting!" he snapped.

"It wasn't my fault, Harold was…." Tony stopped as his father smacked him with the back of his hand clean across his face.

"Harold Kauffman Junior is the son of the man I was to do business with. You just cost me ten thousand dollars! The stake in a deal that would have netted me millions." Anthony growled at him.

"He was hitting a girl...He's a bully!" Tony argued.

"TEN. THOUSAND. DOLLARS!" Anthony roared slamming his desk with both hands and leaning forwards.

Tony took a step back as Anthony lent over him, "You are responsible for costing me a lot of money. You wanna know how hard life is?" He smiled nastily as he grabbed Tony by the scruff of the neck and hauled him to the car.

"Father…?" Tony started then stopped as the glare he was given sent fear throughout his young body.

"Quiet boy!" Senior snapped.

Tony sat terrified as he watched the countryside of the Hamptons go by and they rode into the night. He woke up about three hours later, the car was still moving and Senior was muttering to himself as he drove. Tony was still scared as his father had never been this mad at him.

He had slipped down in his seat while he was sleeping and he slowly, without alerting his father to his presence, tried to lift himself up and look out of the window.

He was surprised when he realised they were in a city. "Must be New York" he thought to himself when he saw the lights. They drove for a few more minutes until the lights spaced out a bit more and the car stopped.

"OUT!" Senior snarled.

"Why?" Tony asked nervously.

"You think ten thousand dollars is ok to lose over a girl? You can take care of yourself."

Shaking, Tony's small hands fumbled with the safety belt as he tried to follow his father's instructions. Senior got out and wrenched the door open nearly strangling Tony as he pulled him through the safety belt and threw him on the cold, damp grass.

"Father! You can't leave me here!" Tony exclaimed his eyes brimming with terrified tears.

Senior looked at his son and laughed, "I would be ten thousand dollars better off without you. You will learn that actions have consequences boy. This is the consequence of your action that cost me all that money." He pulled a bill from his pocket, sneering he threw the money at the boy and Tony watched as it fluttered to the ground at his feet. "Here's ten dollars. I'm not totally heartless. "Now you can look after yourself 'cause you aren't no son of mine." He leant inside the car and took another swig from the bottle of scotch on the passenger seat. He put it back and grabbed a small bag, "These are yours." He threw the bag at the eight-year-old and climbed back in his car. "Have a nice life. I know without you, I will."