Jen was pissed and left in a huff. Gibbs didn’t care. He would do anything for Tony, and if it meant quitting, then so be it. He had a large enough pension due him from both NCIS and the Marines. But he didn’t think it would come to that. This would all blow over, he was sure. There were higher powers than Jen at NCIS, and they wouldn’t take his resignation lightly.

Beth distracted him from his thoughts, striding into the room in a purposeful manner, a look of extreme agitation on her face. Ducky was due to arrive at any minute, and Gibbs found himself wishing the ME would hurry because he suddenly had the feeling he was going to need him to put his ass back together after Beth reamed it out.

"Young man," she began.

Gibbs would have found that funny considering she was at least a decade younger than him, but something about her tone made him feel like he was ten again and being called on the carpet for some infraction.

"Yes, ma’am?"

"One, I am not happy that you are in the bed with our young stud. I can understand wanting to hold him, but that is not the point. I can overlook your breaking of hospital policy in that manner since you have, up till last night, been a good boy. And that brings me to my second point: threatening one of my staff was uncalled for."

"But-"

"There are no buts. You did not need to tell her, let me see, how did she say you said it? ‘Take the blood pressure machine and shove it up your rump sideways’ if she did not let Mr. DiNozzo go down to see his young friend." The whole time she was lecturing, Beth was taking Tony’s blood pressure.

Unmindful of the cuff around his arm or the drama around him, Tony continued to sleep.

Gibbs felt like a puppy that had been whacked on the nose with a newspaper.

"Yes, ma’am, it was uncalled for, and I will make as apology the next time I see her or put it in writing if I do not see her again."

"Thank you. Now, I’m told the young girl was going to go up to the peds ward, but I pulled a few strings, and she will be moved to a room just a few doors down. I heard what happened, that she doesn’t have anyone but Mr. DiNozzo. This does NOT mean our young stud can make a lot of trips to her room. He is still sick. We just got his last batch of blood work back, and the flu is still in his body. He might seem a lot better, but that is the drugs talking." She glared at Gibbs. "Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, ma’am. I will keep him in the bed if I have to tie him down."

One corner of her mouth quirked up, and she winked at Gibbs to put him at ease again. "Now, none of that till he’s feeling better. Let’s see about getting him up after I take his temp and give him a nebulizer treatment."

"Yes, ma’am." Gibbs began stroking Tony’s back. "Come on, Tony, time to wake up."

"Five more minutes, Mom," Tony murmured, unable to keep a smile from his face as he once again teased Gibbs.

"No. NOW, mister, or this nice nurse will take your temp rectally."

Tony sat straight up, smirking. "Now, if YOU threatened to do that, I-"

Beth didn’t let him finish, sticking the thermometer probe in his open mouth and smiling.

"I see my patient is up," said an older British-accented voice from the doorway.

Ducky entered the room, McGee right behind him.

"Sorry to be late, but I was at the office, and you know there are some things that just won’t wait."

"It’s okay, Ducky," Gibbs said. "McGee," he added, nodding at the younger agent.

Beth removed the probe from Tony’s mouth after it beeped. "101.9. It’s down from last night, but it’s still too high." She patted Tony’s arm. "So no excitement, okay, cutie?"

Tony smiled. "Just can’t keep your hands off me, can you, Beth? You sure you don’t want to, you know?"

Tony felt a hand on the back of his head. Had he been feeling better it would have been a smack. Instead it was just a caress. Beth merely smiled before walking out.

"Ducky, I need you to find out what happened with the little girl. Her name is Jenny Blass. She’s being moved to a room a few doors down."

"Of course, Jethro, my pleasure."

"Also," Gibbs proceeded to tell them about the director’s little visit.

"That bitch," was Tony’s reply. "I’ll quit before I leave this area."

"Tony, we’ll make sure it doesn’t come to that."

"But you already did," Tony reminded him.

"Anthony," Ducky interjected, "Jen is trying to make a play for her old turf. I am sure she will see reason."

"Well, I might have an idea," McGee spoke up.

"And that would be?" Gibbs asked, looking at the man.

Tim started to concoct a plan that might work. Gibbs didn’t like it, but he had a feeling that it would work very well.

"Pro- Tim, thanks," was all Tony said about the plan.

But Tim knew what it meant to him by the fact that he had stopped from calling him Probie and had instead used his name. Gibbs merely smiled.

Ducky left the room to check on Jenny, returning a few minutes later.

"She is a very lucky little girl. There was no major damage. She did lose her spleen, but that’s all other than some bruising; and the personal tragedy, of course. She is still in an unconscious state from the painkillers being administered. I’m sorry about your friend, Anthony."

"So am I," Tony said softly. He wasn’t crying, but was holding onto Gibbs. He didn’t care that he other two men were in the room, and Gibbs didn’t seem to mind. Ducky was Gibbs’ best friend and a friend to him as well. And for all the hell he gave McGee, he trusted him with his life.

Ducky picked up Tony’s chart and began to read it.

"Anthony, I’m happy to see you’re starting to keep food down. I’m concerned with the fact your temperature is still high."

"Ducky, he’s okay, right?"

"Yes, Timothy, Anthony will be just fine in a few more days. If his temp would come down I see no reason he wouldn’t be discharged. But knowing him, he will not be leaving anytime soon." Ducky smiled as he said that, and they all knew what he meant.

"We should head back to NCIS," McGee said. "There are people we need to talk to."

"Thanks again, guys."

"Jethro, we watch out for our family. You of all people know that. Now, nothing too strenuous, Anthony, and let’s see about getting your temp down a little more. Okay?"

"Yes, Ducky," Tony said, rolling his eyes. He was starting to feel like a child, but he didn’t care as long as he was in the arms of the man he loved.

Ducky and McGee left the room. Tim would be returning later that night after setting his plan into motion.

Their breakfast trays were brought. Tony was eating some toast while Gibbs was eating the crappy reconstituted powdered eggs they had sent him. Having been in the military and having traveled to some of the worst parts of the world, he’d eaten a lot worse. They were still eating when there was a knock on the door and a man in a suit was standing in the doorway.

"Come in," Tony said with his mouth full.

"Which one of you is Anthony DiNozzo?"

Eating his last piece of toast, Tony just raised his hand. Gibbs had already glared at him. He knew how much the boss hated it when he talked with his mouth full; and it was full just then. His appetite was returning, and he’d quickly finished off all five pieces of toast. There had been other food as well, but he wasn’t sure his stomach was up to anything more just yet. At least this was a step in the right direction.

"Mr. DiNozzo, my name is Cliff Cline, Jr. I am with Kid, Finnegan and Cline."

"What is this in reference to?" Gibbs questioned, standing and taking the card the man offered.

"I’m here about Monica Blass."

"Sir, I’m sorry to say she passed away yesterday," Gibbs said.

"Yes, sir, I am fully aware of that, and I’m sorry for the loss, Mr….? he said, talking to Gibbs.

"Special Agent Jethro Gibbs."

"Can I ask you to step outside, please? I have private business to discuss with Mr. DiNozzo."

"Anything you can say-" Gibbs began, only to be cut off by a warm hand on his arm.

"Anything you have to say to me, you can say in front of my lover," Tony said, his voice only a bit shaky from having said that out loud to a stranger.

Gibbs wasn’t sure how to feel about the declaration. On the one hand the words gave him a warm feeling, but on the other hand it was scary to hear it said aloud.

"Fine, then let me start. I’m sorry for the speed of which we’re working, but it was the express wish of Monica that we move as fast as possible. Ms. Blass worked at our office and a while back, maybe eight months ago, she drew up a will."

Tony took Gibbs’ hand, holding it tightly. Gibbs sat back down, not letting go.

"She drew up a will in the event of her death. That’s always smart for a single parent. At Kid, Finnegan and Cline we try to take care of our own. She asked us to draw it up, so we did. I am sorry to say, or happy to say, depends on your point of view, that you were named in her will"

Tony blinked. "Me?"

"Yes, sir." Mr. Cline walked over and put the briefcase on the windowsill, opening it and pulling out papers. He began to read. "I, Monica Diane Blass, in the event of my death would like to award custody of Jennifer Lisa Blass to one Anthony Michael DiNozzo."

"But we were just friends. I didn’t really know her that well, not well enough that she would give me custody of her daughter."

"That might be the case, sir, but she did name you as legal guardian of her daughter. And as an employee of Kid, Finnegan and Cline, the cost of the funeral will be covered by the firm."

"I never even thought about that, about who would make the arrangements," Tony said, his head spinning. He never would have guessed Monica would give him custody of Jenny; she’d never mentioned a word about it.

Gibbs saw the lost look on his lover’s face. Never taking his eyes off Tony, he said, "Mr. Cline, could you give us a moment." Worried about Tony, he was careful not to let any of his own thoughts show.

"Certainly. I’ll step outside and check on the little girl’s condition. And about that, the firm will also be paying all medical expenses for Jennifer." Returning the will to his briefcase, he closed it and carried it with him as he left the room to talk to Beth.

"Tony, are you okay?"

"Boss, I barely knew her, not enough that she would do this."

"Well, she was a good judge of character, obviously," Gibbs said, cupping Tony’s face and smiling at the love he saw there.

Tony’s head was still whirling. "Did he just say what I think he said?"

"If you think he said you are now the legal guardian of Jenny, then you heard right."

Tony was speechless.

Gibbs was determined to support Tony through this, but first he had to do something, and then he had talk to Tony about his past and what it could mean for their future.

"I said we’d be there for her," Gibbs said, never realizing just how they would be there. He’d never thought he’d be a father again, let alone so soon and with this man.

"We?"

"You think this will scare me off?" Sure the thought had crossed his mind that this was the time to run, as far as he could from the man in front of him and everything he brought with him, but this was the love he’d looked for all his life. He knew in the end Tony would understand his momentary doubts.

"Boss, this is a lot. I mean we just now got together. We haven’t made love, haven’t even been on a date, and already you’re planning on me moving in with you, and now I’m bringing a little girl with me, a girl you don’t even know."

"So you both come. I have a large enough house. We have the two bedrooms upstairs, the master and the guest room. I have the study downstairs we can convert to a room, and we have the finished attic that is just being used for storage. She can have any one of those rooms, except the master, since I hope you’ll be sharing my bed with me in there."

"I’ll share your room, but don’t ask me to share that ratty old mattress on that rickety bed. We will be using my bed," Tony stated with a smile, hazel eyes lighting up with mischief.

Gibbs smiled. He couldn’t even berate Tony for what he’d said about his bed because it was true. It wasn’t like he actually slept there a lot himself, usually falling asleep in his chair in the basement or on the couch. That was about to change, though. Now he had a reason to sleep in his bed.

"Boss," Tony said, his tone worried, "this is all so fast. I want to talk to her first, make sure she’s okay with this."

"Wise decision, DiNozzo. She needs to be part of the decision."

"Yes, she’s old enough to know the what she wants to do. This will be a change for all of us, moving in together."

Gibbs leaned in and kissed his lover. "So that’s a yes to moving in?"

"Well, if she says yes, then I don’t see a reason why not. I always wanted a kid but never thought it would happen with me being gay."

"Okay, let me go get Mr. Cline and you can tell him." Gibbs let go of Tony’s hand.

He left the room. He talked to the lawyer for a moment in the hallway before leading him into the room.

"Your partner said you wish to talk to me, Mr. DiNozzo."

"Yes. I need to know if I have to say yes today."

"Monica’s wish was to move as fast as we could."

"I understand that, but Jenny doesn’t even know what happened. I want to talk it over with her first."

"I can respect that wish. I’m sure Monica would have wanted that as well. I can see why she chose you, sir. You seem to have the best interest of the child in mind. Agent Gibbs has my card so after you talk it over with the little girl give me a call."

"Yes, sir, and thank you," Tony said, beaming with joy. He was happy, but he was starting to feel cold again, and he wasn’t even sure it was from the illness. Chances were it was just a physical reaction to everything that had just happened.

Gibbs walked back in and noticed the way Tony was shivering. He got on the bed again, and Tony latched onto him. Once again Gibbs could feel the heat being leeched off him. He covered Tony with the blanket, trying to keep his young lover warm, and leaned over, placing a kiss in Tony’s hair.

"Sleep, it might help."

Once Tony was sleeping, Gibbs placed a call to Abby.

"Abs, I need a big favor…Can you get out of there and come sit with Tony for a short time?…Yes…Thanks, Abby."

Gibbs was watching the sleeping form of one Anthony Michael DiNozzo as he slept curled against him when Abby came bounding into the room twenty minutes later.

Gibbs nodded at a sleeping Tony and pointed to the hallway. He carefully put Tony on the bed, and he and Abby went outside the room. Gibbs brought her up to speed about what had happened. Most of it she knew already. The lawyer was the new part. She said McGee had talked to her and that the plan was moving as it should be.

Gibbs smiled and kissed her cheek.

"I’ll be back shortly, shouldn’t be more than a couple of hours."

"You better, Boss-man." She kissed his cheek before going into the room with Tony.

Gibbs watched them for a minute. Abby put some flowers on Tony’s table, and he could just imagine her saying the room was too sterile. Sitting in the chair next to the bed, she took Tony’s hand in one of hers and opened a trashy novel she’d bought in the gift shop with the other. With one last look he turned away.

That was when he left the hospital and went to Baltimore to visit his daughter.