Tony didn't know why his mother wanted to meet with him in the middle of the day, on his lunchbreak, which was the only time he'd had a break in the last two weeks. Gibbs didn't really want them coming in today, granted, in fact Tony and the older man were the only members of the team who had come in; the bossman had actually given them the day off. But with reports to be done, it wasn't possible to him to enjoy the day in peace, God forbid.

The case had been a killer, two dead daughters, a bipolar mother, and a marine father hopped up on cocaine and steroids. Gibbs had turned into the devil himself and for some reason the brunt of it all had been bestowed on Tony, what else was new, until last night when the man had shown up on the steps of his apartment and taken him to bed. Of course he'd been gone this mornning, no trace of him ever having been there, and now he wouldn't even talk to Tony; obviously he thought it was a mistake and Tony just couldn't deal with that.

Now his mother, the director of NCIS, was ordering him up to her office and Tony was afraid that he just couldn't deal with anymore on him. He'd been thinking, ever since he woke up this morning alone, that maybe he shouldn't work under Gibbs and his mother anymore; he decided that if this was a extremely antagonizing visit it would be time to move onto somewhere new no matter how much he loved Gibbs and his team.

"Tony, there is something that I need to tell you," Jenny Shepard said as he seated himself infront of her, "Tony, Anthony DiNozzo Sr. is not your father."

His stomach dropped, "What?"

"You know who Mike Franks is, well he and I were together for a year before he retired. He did ask me to marry him but I wanted my freedom, and Gibbs, for that matter, so he left and then I discovered that I was pregnant. I could tell that Gibbs wouldn't be a good option to pretend like he was your father so for your safety I married Anthony DiNozzo, quickly, told him I was pregnant and then as you know we annulled the entire thing when you were three." She told him with finality.

Tony sat there for a moment, he was so quitting this job, how could he work for a woman like this, not to mention that she was his mother; God help him. He stood slowly,

"I'm sure that you can understand why I feel that if I continued working here my best wouldn't be given. I'll have my resignation on your desk by tomorrow." His voice was full of venom, of course it was; he'd just found out that his father was a man who didn't even know he existed.

"I'm sorry Tony, but I feel that accepting you resignaiotn while you're so emotional would be a bit premature. If you still feel like you need to resign this coming Friday, I will accept it and so that you can calm down I'll be giving you this coming week off." His mother explained, leveling off his intense stare until he turned and stormed out.

Tony stormed into the bull pen so loudly that Gibbs and Abby, who was at his desk talking, looked up, "What's wrong Tonybear?"

He opted not to answer and after grabbing his bag, left in a fury, not noticing the marine and goth that hurried after him. He made it to the parking garage without being stopped by anyone but unfortunately when you're in a blind rage you don't even hear the people that try to call after you.

Tony wasn't aware of how he got home but the next thing he knew, he was drowning a shot of tequilla in his kitchen and there was loud banging on the door that finally got his attention.

"DiNozzo, open this damn door or I'll pick the lock!"

"Tony, open the door and talk to us. I'll let him pick to the locks TBear!" Abby said trying to be sweet.

The agent sighed and made way to the door slowly; his rage was starting to pass with time, and the alcohol helped. When he swung the door open Gibbs was kneeling down and getting ready to start picking the lock, like he actually cared. If Abby hadn't been at his desk, he wouldn't have bothered to follow Tony at all.

"What do you two want?"

"We want to know what's going on so we can help fix it and letting us in out of the cold might be nice too." Abby told him; Tony realized that she was only in a skirt and long-sleeved T-shirt, not exactly great apparel for Washington in February.

He moved and let them in; well Tony let Abby in, Gibbs just came in because he could.

"You want to tell us what's wrong Tony, or are we going to have to guess?" Gibbs said gruffly, obviously staying as far away from his senior field agent as he possibly could.

Tony felt like he was being slapped and it sure as hell didn't make him feel like he wanted to open up. "Nothing is wrong, look you guys really need to just leave. Boss, you'll have my resignation on you desk by Monday and the Director has agreed to accept it next Friday. I'll be on leave until that time."

Gibbs froze while Abby gasped and launched herself at Tony, "NO NO NO, you can't leave, you just can't. I'm not gonna let you leave! Please Tony, I promise I won't be as clingy and I'll slap Ziva when she gets mouthy, and I'll listen to you more, and I'll make McGee like your movie references, and I'll take the heat from Gibbs on the hard cases, and I'll never..."

He didn't mean for her to get this upset, "Abby, Abby, enough! Look this is my choice and you guys should only get my best as long as I'm on the team but I just can't give it my all anymore. And Abs, I love you being so clingy, you're the little sister I never had, and you do listen to me. Ziva and McGee have a right to be whoever they want to be, she needs to unload sometime and if mouthing at me was her way, that's fine. Tim is going to make a great senior field agent and he doesn't have to like my movie references; you know that I do those more for myself because I want to think that everything will turn out like in the movies. I promise, I'll keep in touch."

"Abby, go wait for me in the car." Gibbs said in a low voice that even as her eyes dialated Abby dared not to defy. She hugged Tony again before scurrying away from him so that Gibbs could say what he needed to say. Once she was gone Gibbs squared his shoulder to Tony, "Look, just because you think last night was a mistake doesn't mean that you should quit. I promise that I won't try anything and we'll pretend that last night never happened if you want but I don't want to lose you as an agent."

Tony looked at him incredulously, "I think last night was a mistake?" he demanded.

"Yeah, I mean, you're telling Abby, the night after we make love that you can't give the team your best anymore and you completely ignored the part where I give you heat on the hard cases where you defended McGee and Ziva."

"First, this has nothing to do with last night, I can't give my best anymore. Second, I do bear the brunt on the hard cases and you can't deny that but I'm used to it. Third, I woke up alone Gibbs, if anyone, you're the one who thinks it was a mistake!"

"Tony, I didn't know if you'd want me here, for all I knew you wanted a one night stand and that was it. Tony, I love you, and I want to have a relationship and I sure as hell don't want you to quit." Gibbs told him as he placed a kiss on Tony's lips gently.

Tony thought about it for a moment, "I can't promise I won't quit, I just need some time. Do you have to go back to the office?" he ask sweetly.

"I brought Abby..." He started to explain.

"Maybe you guys could spend the rest of the day here... I don't really trust myself to be alone." Tony admitted.

"Okay, I'll go get Abby."

They ordered a pizza and the two agents told Abby that they were together, she was elated but when he said that he still might leave, she was again deflated. The movie was Abby's pick, The Princess Bride, who would have ever guessed but it was her favorite. She snuggled into him so close that Gibbs was forced off the couch completely and into the recliner.

The pizza got there just as the grandfather moved onto the fireswamp and Tony tried to get up but Abby held him down, "MY Tony!" she said.

"I've got it Tony, don't resist or she might crush you." Gibbs said as he walked by.

"You sound like you know from experience Jet!" Tony shouted.

Jethro chuckled at the use of the nickname he'd consented to last night; given he was under some serious duress. He opened the door but it wasn't the pizza.

"Mike! What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing probie." Mike Franks said. The last thing he expected was for his old partner to open his son's door; the thought made him hesitate. He knew that Jethro wasn't as straight as people thought and he was fine with it but if the probie was with his son he wasn't going to like it: Jethro was a player.

"I'm here with one of my people, what's your excuse?" Gibbs demanded in a icy tone, squaring himself up with his old friend, his gut told him that Mike's presence was a threat but he couldn't figure out why.

"Hi Agent Franks!" Abby said chipperly as both she and Tony came around the sofa.

Mike locked eyes with Tony, who propped himself against the wall facing the door, neither of them knew what they were suppose to say. Mike had been enraged when Jenny called him up out of the blue and said he had a son, he'd been pissed as hell, and used quite a few contacts to make sure that she didn't know he was coming back into the states. He figured that would piss her off; good.

Tony was confused as hell. Why didn't he mother tell him that the man was coming to Washington? What was he gonna tell Gibbs? He'd been trying to place this out of his mind since he got home but now the source of his problems was standing at his front door!

"You two gonna tell me what the hell's going on? Tony?" Gibbs demanded, looking silently between the two.

Abby decided to poke the bear just a little bit, "Do you want to come in Agent Franks?"

"I'm retired doll, call me Mike. Can we talk?" He ask, never breaking eye contact from Tony. The young agent nodded and walked outside, pulling the door closed and walking over to the banister. His apartment railing was as good a place as any considering the company in his apartment that really didn't need to hear this.

"I'm not sure what you mother told you but I want you to know that if I'd known you were my son, I would have been around." Mike started. He looked at Tony and the younger man nodded, he didn't trust his voice at this point. "We were together for almost a year before I decided to retire. I ask her to come with me but she was to into the thrill of the game and... she liked climbing the ladder."

Tony snorted, "You can say it; she was a whore, I've known for a long time."

Mike chuckled, "She certainly wasn't afraid to use her body to get what she wanted. Look, I get that you don't know me that well, but I want to get to know you and be apart of your life from now on."

"Why didn't she tell me that you were coming in?" Tony ask him as the other man leaned against the railing beside of him. He just didn 't know what else to say at this point.

Mean while inside Abby was having a heart attack, "Gibbs, they're talking! Why are they talking? What's going on? Is he why Tony wanted to quit? Gibbs, are you even listening to me?"

"Abby, I don't know anymore than you do. And stop spying on them, whatever it is, they'll tell us when they come back in." Gibbs said with a lot more confidence than he felt. The only reason for Mike to be at his senior field agent's apartment was if they were lovers but Tony didn't even know the man. He'd met him once a long time ago when Mike's son was killed but other than that they didn't even adress eachother; hell Jet wasn't even sure if they were on a first name basis when Mike went back to Mexico.

Abby wasn't the least bit satisfied with that and continued to watch carefully through the window. They just kept talking and giving each other these side ways glances when the other wasn't looking but their eyes never met. If she didn't know who these two were and didn't know how much Tony loved Gibbs then she would have probably thought that they were lovers. Unfortunately the winds outside were to great and she couldn't make out a word they were saying.

When they moved she dove back to the couch just as Tony opened the door, Mike Franks trailing right behind him. Gibbs stayed very still as Tony sat back down beside of Abby and Mike took the loveseat that was directly across from him.

"Okay, are you guys gonna tell us what's going on now?" Abby ask first.

"You should know Abs, you were watching us the entire time." Tony accused innocently but he was dealing with Abby so she didn't even flinch.

"Yeah, but the wind was aweful and I couldn't hear a word, so spill!" She commanded jumping up and down slightly.

Mike laughed as the two started to argue but then Jethro caught his eye and held it. They were both trying to figure out just what the hell the other was doing here so they didn't notice when the room's other occupants became silent.

"Talk about survival of the fittest. Abs you might want to go and get your video camera." Tony said loudly to gain their attention. It was given reluctantly. "Look, if we're going to talk about this, I think you two better promise to play nice."

They stared at each other before nodding slightly, Tony didn't like where this was going but if he was going to hell he intended to do it thuroghly.

"Alright, this morning, as you know, I was called up to Director's office. What you need to know first is that Director Shepard is my mother," He said as calmly as possible.

Abby jumped up, "What! Why didn't you ever tell me? Gibbs did you..." she looked at him and went silent immdiately sitting back down completely petrified. Gibbs looked like he was about to murder someone and something told her that he knew something that she didn't.

"Gibbs, I would have told you but she had me on a gag order." Tony tried to say but his boss' eyes never left the man sitting across from him. He felt Abby lean more into him; he was nervous too.

Jethro leaned back slightly into the leather and started slowly, "Jenny would have had Tony about, what? Ten months after you left?" He wasn't sure if this made things better or worse, if he was right, and his gut said that he was.

"Nine months, fifteen days. She called me yesterday and told me. You know you never were one to mix work and home; so I still can't figure out just what the hell you're doing here Probie." Mike said darkly. He knew but he'd be damned if Jethro would hurt his son; once a player always a player.

"Oh did Tony not tell you, we're dating." Gibbs said, smirking slightly.

Mike shot up from his seat, "The hell you are you little man whore!"

Gibbs was up in about half of a second, "You have no say in what we do you rat..."

It all happened so quickly that Tony wasn't sure who shoved who but instinct kicked in as Abby screamed, and someone threw a punch. He jumped up and got between them, shoving them both into their original seats.

"Enough! Both of you get out!" He shouted as Abby had started to cry and he was trying to comfort her. They both looked at him shocked, "Look, Jet, I love you but he's my father. Dad, I want a relationship, but you don't have the right to tell me who I can and can't be with, I'm an adult. When you guys can get along, you can come back."

They looked at eachother, Mike was the first to gather himself, "You hurt my son, I'll shoot you dead!"

"Likewise." Gibbs muttered and they both seem calm simulateously.

"Men! Tonybear, could I pick another movie?" Abby sniffed dramatically but no matter how fake it was, Tony nodded toward the large shelf of DVDs.

She picked, Clash of the Titans, and the pizza arrived almost at the exact same time. Tony noticed that it was already eight o'clock by the time the movie ended but she wanted to watch one more so the boys obliged her and again she got to pick. They all fell asleep and Tony, who'd forgotten to turn his phone back on after arriving home in his rage early, didn't notice the thirteen missed phone calls.

The next morning Mike woke up second, Tony and Abby we curled up on couch still and Jethro was drinking a cup of coffee in the kitchen. From the extra strengh that Mike could smell in the living room, he was brooding, God help them all.

"Morning Probie," he said quietly so not the wake up the sleeping beauties.

"Mike, why don't you want me dating your son?" Gibbs demanded.
"You're a player Probie, and I wanted to save him the heartache. Can you fault me for that?" Mike ask, sitting down across from him.

"I'm not going to hurt him." was all Jethro said.

"I'll believe that when I see it." Mike told him after a moment of silence.

"What are you going to do about Jenny?" Jethro ask after a couple of minute. Even he couldn't believe that she would keep Mike from his son for twenty-five years, it wasn't right for anyone. Not to mention that from what Tony had said before, never in many words, but his hints said that he'd childhood had been less than desirable.

Gibbs wasn't exactly sure how much, if any of it, Mike knew about and at this point he wasn't sure if Tony was ever going to tell his father or if he should. Mike had a right to know what his son had been through because of Jenny but then, Jethro didn't know all the details himself.

"I'm going to talk to her today, after Tony's occupied with something else. I'd appreciate you keeping that to yourself for the record. You in or out?" He decided that he should give to Probie a chance with his son; like he said, he could always shoot him later if the blue eyed jackass hurt his boy.

"Oh like I'm really going to miss this. I'll get Abby to take him off somewhere." Jethro told him. This was going to be a good Sunday.

Abby and Tony were scooting around the mall, she'd completely ruined him. His hair was temporarily died black, eyeliner was so thick that he looked like a raccoon, and his clothes were literally like a second skin, cutting off circulation to several areas. Tony wasn't sure just how the hell he'd been blackmailed into this but she was dragging him into a goth store with a picture of a chicken being sacrificed in the window.

"I'm not putting that on, you're no dominatrix Abbs!" he shouted as soon as she picked up a spiked leather collar.

"Not to you, but I'll bet Gibbs would appreciate this, and a muzzle!" she squealed the last part and ran off the find the training tool that she was looking for.

Sensing his only moment to escape, Tony fled and went to the bathroom. This day was getting weirder and weirder. First Abby had demanded that they go shopping, then demanded that he come over to her place so that she could play dress up, and now she was trying to turn him into Gibbs' bitch, but not in the good way. She'd seemed real rushed too, dragging him out of the house almost the second he woke up and got dressed; God he hoped that the two men left behind hadn't killed each other.

After washing his face free of all tampering, Tony left the bathroom and started to sneak past the store, where Abby was now standing outside, looking for him, to go and get a change of clothes from him car. It was cold again today and he would have much rather spent the day at home, with Jet, instead of being thrown around like a rag doll by Abby.

Once changed he went back to the store where an enraged Abby finally spotted him, "What did you do? I'm gonna have to buy you a leash too!" she shouted.

"Let it go Abbs, a guy's gotta feel comfortable when being dragged all over the mall." He told her with a smirk.

"Be smug now you little brat but your mother is singing a different toon right about now… I mean…!" She looked like she was going to have a heartattack but Tony was a little beyond caring.

"What are you talking about Abby? Did they go to see her? DID THEY?" he shouted before storming off toward the exit. He couldn't believe those two assholes, and Abby was in on it. Well they weren't going to get away with it.


---------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Probie, you can still back out." Mike told him as they arrived in the bullpen and started cutting through to the director's office.

Jethro snorted, "Yeah right, I wouldn't miss this for the world." He almost felt sorry for Jenny, almost, but she'd put Tony through far too much for any kind of sympathy from him. Abby promised to keep his lover occupied so they didn't have to worry about him for a while, she had quite a few ways of keeping him busy that Gibbs certainly didn't envy.

"You can't just walk in there! Hey!" Cynthia shouted after them but Mike was already slamming open the door to Jenny's office.

"Mike!" Jenny shouted before trying to gather whatever bit of composure she could, "I wasn't aware that you were back in town. If you're looking for Tony,"

"You bitch, you kept him from me! You manipulated us both to serve yourself and then you come out with this as soon as it suits you! He deserves a hell of a lot better mother!" Mike shouted.

Jenny winced but came back, "Oh don't you dare pretend like it bothers you! You were always about you and you didn't even want children, you said it a hundred times."

Mike shouted, "I wanted children, but I sure as hell wanted to be married first, you were to busy acting like a grade A, class A, wh…"

Suddenly a loud whistle broke out, stopping Mike from completing his sentence. Jethro had wanted to stay out of this but obviously Tony had other ideas. Abby came over to stand beside of Gibbs, she knew that T-Bear was in no mood to be reckoned with.

"I don't care who's to blame, Dad, you shouldn't have come here. Mom, I've put up with a lot of shit for you over the years and it's all because of you." Tony said, glaring at his mother and grabbing his father's arm. He tried to give him a pleading look and for the first time, Gibbs saw Mike relent to someone.

Jenny became red faced, "How dare you side with him! Where was he when DiNozzo senior was letting all of his friends pass you around? He was never there to protect you!" she shouted and suddenly every eye was on Tony.

Tony's eyes got big; she'd known about the abuse. "You let it happen, and I'm not your son." He told her before grabbing rushing out of the office, leaving Abby, Gibbs, and his parents alone.

"You let my son be ABUSED!" Mike roared first, jumping for Jenny but Jethro grabbed him. He struggled to get the man out of the office, while the director backed up and paled considerably. Abby walked up and slapped her as hard as she could, the woman couldn't fire her without admitting to what she'd done. She followed Gibbs and Franks out quickly, poor Tony. He'd carried this burden for so long, alone, and all along the woman who should have been protecting him had known.

Tony raced ahead of the others, got in his car, and just drove. He’d had so much on his mind and now he had skeletons from his closet waltzing out too.

As hard as he tried to fight it, his memories were coming through. He could remember his father… Anthony DiNozzo Sr. coming into his room from a ‘lesson’ once he turned five. Then once he turned ten the man’s business partners could take turns finalizing their deal by taking him.

Pushing the car to go faster, Tony drove until he reached the beach. He couldn’t face them. His father had more than likely disowned him already; Abby was probably disgusted, while he didn’t even want to think of Gibbs’ reaction.

He then let his mind wander. He was somewhere on the California coast, no one knew who he was, and he could change is name to avoid his mother. He could just disappear and forget this day ever happened.

Then would all prefer it this way. He pulled into a hotel and gave another name.

So it began.

……………………………………………………………………………………………

Mean while Mike Franks, was pacing the floor of his son’s apartment. Rage, worry, and fear was all he could comprehend, “Well, where the hell is he probie?!” He shouted as his old partner wandered back into the room, closing his phone.

“I don’t know Mike; he’s turned off his phone. He’s never run away before.” Jethro said completely lost.

Abby looked up from where she was hugging Bart on Tony’s precious black leather couch that smelled like him, “Sure he’s run away, he’s run away from every place he’s ever been until he came to NCIS. I thought he’s stop here but this must have pushed him back to running.” She sniffed and hugged Bart tighter, encouraging the fart that came out of the animal.

Both men shared a worried look, he already had several hours head start but they had to find him, soon, “Abby, tomorrow when you go in I need you to track his cell phone then search his name threw every hotel in his path. Mike and I will be tracking him as soon as you give us a path.”

“What about the rest of your team, and the director?” Mike ask the last part with venom.

“She won’t get in our way unless she wants all her dirty little secrets to come out and I’ll just give McGee and Ziva the week off. They don’t need to know about any of this unless we really need them to help us,” Gibbs said after a moment.

Then all nodded, they had to find Tony, he couldn’t keep running. He was loved far to much for that.

The next morning Abby was booting up her computer at five a.m., while Gibbs was dismissing his team and yelling at the bitch that caused all this. Mike was waiting in the garage in his car for Jethro to get him after handling his business, so that he and Gibbs could go ‘Tony Hunting’ in a car his son wouldn’t recognize.

Abby turned on the GPS in Tony’s phone; he’d apparently ended up just north of San Francisco. She ran ‘Tony DiNozzo’ in a five mile search though the hotel database. When nothing came up she added ‘Anthony/Tony DiNozzo’ and expanded it to fifteen miles. NOTHING!

“What do you got Abs?” Gibbs barked as he came walking in, Mike right behind him now.

She sighed, “I know where he is; I just don’t know where he is.”

Gibbs just gave her the look.

“He’s just north of San Fran but no hits on any hotels,” she clarified.

“Expand the search,” he commanded.

Without another word Gibbs was already gone but Mike hesitated, “It’s a long shot but try to use Tony Franks,” he instructed before trailing after Gibbs.

Mike caught up with Jethro right outside the elevator. Everything was silent until they stepped inside and the doors closed behind them.

“What was that about with Abby?” Gibbs asked as they headed towards the garage.

“I thought that maybe he used my name. What did his mother say?” Mike asked hesitantly. He and Abby had a conversation last night once the probie was out cold that no one needed to know about.

Jethro chuckled darkly as he opened the door to Mike’s car, “Said that she wished us luck. I thought she was going to have a heart attack right there.”

Mike knew that it wasn’t far from the truth.

As soon as his door was closed Gibbs’ cell phone started to squeal, “What’s up Abs?”

“Gibbs, Mike was right. T-Bear is at an evil little hotel called, ‘The Sun Spot Inn’, under the name Anthony Franks!” she announced proudly; now she had time to deal with the arrangement she and Mike had come to.

“Good job, Abby!” he told her.

“Thanks Gibbs, you bring him back.”

….

Gibbs and Mike rolled into the parking lot of the ‘Sun Spot Inn’ just past noon. Both men noted Tony’s mustang sitting in the parking lot, a Mercedes Benz to its left, so they pulled in on the right.

“What if he tries to resist?” Gibbs asked suddenly nervous.

Mike rolled his eyes, “I might have some chloroform in the back. Let’s just go and get him before Abby calls again!”

They headed inside, Jethro took point and smiled at the receptionist, “Hi, we are looking for Anthony Franks, could we have his room number please?” he casually flashed his badge.

The girl grinned back and started clicking away at her computer, “Mr. Franks is in room 213. I’ll let him know that he has guests.”

They walked towards the elevator and Jethro just knew that he was in for it now.

“I realize your instincts are to flirt but just remember that my son better not get hurt because of it,” Mike warned dangerously, growling as the doors slid shut.

“Yeah, I know but I’m not the only flirt around, no doubt a talent inherited from his father,” Jethro snarled back. Then they fell into a peaceful silence.

They stepped off the elevator and started towards Tony’s room. Once they reached the door, both men noted screaming from inside.

Mike knocked while Jethro pulled his gun.

“I told you not to call for anyone you little slut!” A male voice shouted.

They changed positions and while Jethro kicked in the door Mike was pulling his own weapon. Once they were in the man holding Tony let him go quickly and Jethro dropped his gun.

“Tony, who the hell is this asshole?” Gibbs demanded.

Tony looked worriedly between the three other men before deciding to just dive in,

“Gibbs, Dad, this is Anthony DiNozzo Sr.”

To say that the temperature of the room dropped would be an understatement. Tony looked around nervously; why were they even here? Did they really have to put him down even more than they already had behind his back? How did Senior even find him? He was pulled out of his musings by his father’s voice.

“Jethro, take my son to call Abby so she’ll calm down,” Mike ordered with venom in his voice.

Gibbs knew what was going to happen next and recognized that two active federal agents couldn’t be present. He took out his extra knife and threw it to Mike; he couldn’t say he had NOTHING to do with it; he’d never be able to live with himself. Quickly Jethro took Tony’s arm then grabbed the bag that was still packed from the foot of the bed.

“Dad…” The younger man tried to say but Mike held up a silencing hand and pointed to the door.

“Go with Jethro, I’ll be out in a moment,” he explained slowly. What happened in this room next didn’t need to be in anyone else’s head.

He watched as Gibbs led his son from the room; they shared a look from the old day that clearly said one thing.

Revenge is bloody!

…

Neither man said a word as Gibbs put Tony’s things into his car. There were so many things that they both wanted, and needed, to say but neither could find the words.

“Call Abby before her head explodes,” Gibbs finally barked; he hadn’t meant to but he wasn’t good with emotions.

Tony didn’t move, barely blinked, before asking, “What’s he doing in there?”

Jethro looked toward the rom and then out to the ocean, “He’s taking care of his own. Look, Tony, I’m not good at this, neither is your old man, but you need to know that it wasn’t your fault, and none of us look at you any differently. We all love you and we’re not letting you go anywhere.”

Tony slipped into his offered embrace, “Thanks Jet.”

“You also need to understand that when we leave here, you were never at this hotel, neither were we. Mike’s taken care of all the papers that point to the contrary. Here comes the devil himself, it’s time to go.” Gibbs told him, pushing Tony towards the passenger seat.

“I don’t let strange men drive my car.”

…

Mike watched from his car as Jethro slapped his son on the back of the head before speeding off. He’d hate to be the probie as rough as he was treating his boy’s car. The retired special agent drove behind them on auto-pilot for a few minutes, taking a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself down.

After a good five minutes he picked up his phone and called Abby.

“Mike, oh my god, do you have him? Is he okay? Please tell me nothing happened! Shepard called Anthony DiNozzo Senior! What if…” she was blabbering so fast he barely caught half of it.

“Abby, calm down, the smug rat bastard was there, but it’s taken care of. Tony’s fine, he’s in his car with Jethro now. Call him, ring him out a little, and then do your thing!” Mike told her.

“Okay and I’ll meet you guys at the restraunt.”

Once he’d hung up Mike took one more deep breath before dialing another number.

“Hey J.P.”

“Oh, hey Mike, what can I do for you?”

“Do you remember those papers I called you about last night?”

“Sure, do you want me to get those changed now?”

“You’ve already done it; you did it two months ago.”

“Of course I have!”

Mike hung up again and erased the phone calls. Jethro only needed to know so much about this but he already knew that they were meeting Abby at Tony’s favorite restraunt. The rest was up to both federal agents’ interpretation.

…

They pulled into the parking lot of the restraunt two hours later, Abby was bouncing on the side walk and came wandering over to them as soon as they were parked. Mike and Jethro looked into Tony’s window, he was crossing his chest and looking to they sky before opening his door.

Once he was out, Abby slapped him so hard, his lip started bleeding. He looked back up and she tackled him in a bone crushing hug.

“If you ever run off like that again I will kill you, bring you back to life, and then kill you again! Is that clear?” She screeched.

“Crystal,” Tony said dryly, still holding his jaw.

They went into the restraunt and took seats, after ordering their meals; there was an awkward silence, until the news reporter on the television broke it.

“We have breaking news from Washington D.C. The director of Naval Criminal Investigation Service was found dead, cause of death was speculated as a heart attack. There will be an autopsy report done by Dr. Donald Mallard and it will be released by the end of the week. She was found by Special Agents Ziva David and Timothy McGee around one thirty this afternoon.” The perky woman announced, “Evidence was found that she has been involved in extortion and blackmail to multiple people and rumors have it that she will be discharged from the military dishonorably before any services are held.”

Tony rested his head on his hands for a moment, just trying to find the words, not knowing how to react, but the bitch on screen wasn’t done yet.

“In other news, the millionaire Anthony DiNozzo was found brutally murdered at the ‘Sun Spot Inn’ around the same time. Some speculate that he was meeting hired ‘escorts’ while away from home but no comment has been made by his widow, who is also his fifth wife,” Tony couldn’t help but snort.

Just then his phone started to ring and he looked at the people around the table, “I’m going to answer this outside. We are going to discuss then when I come back.”

After he was outside Jethro turned to his friends, “Explain!” he barked at both of them

“There is nothing to explain Jethro. The dear director had a heart attack, as it will state on her medical report at the end of the week. Your team IS going to be working this week with the exception of Tony who the director gave the week off. And poor millionaire Anthony DiNozzo was killed by a whore he was meeting at a rat’s nest. That’s it, that’s as far at this conversation is going to go,” Mike said firmly.

“What he said!” Abby chimed in.

“So the whole team knows?” Gibbs questioned.

Shaking his head Mike spoke again, “No, you and I know what I did in San Francisco. Ducky, Ziva, and Tim know what Abby might have done it D.C.”

“And Tony,” Gibbs questioned them both.

Mike ran a hand over his face, “He might be upset with us for a while but it’s better for him in the long run. If he’s hell bent on discussing this when he comes back in, I’ll tell him the exact same thing I just told you, although I might be a bit nicer to him.”

…

While outside Tony flipped open his phone, “Hello”

“Hello Mr. DiNozzo, I’m Jason Patrick, your father’s attorney. I don’t know if you’ve been informed of your father’s passing but I want to give you my condolences.”

“Yeah, I know about it, look, I know I don’t get anything, so why are you calling me?” Tony question just a little bit bitter because he was still trying to sort through what had happened.

“Actually, your father came in here about two months ago and had his will changed. He filed for divorce from his wife and left everything to you. He did leave half of his insurance policy to be split up by his multiple ex-wives, but the other half, his company, land, homes, stock, and cars, he’s left to you.”

Tony sat there stunned for a moment, opening and closing his mouth a few times before answering, “I’m just a little shocked, if you could just give me some time…”

“Of course, I expected nothing less. I’ll have the papers mailed to you and hopefully by the time they arrive you’ll have gathered yourself enough to look over, sign, and send them back. Thank-you for your time.”

Tony walked back in, and just looked across the table at the people who had risked everything for him, “Thank-You.”