Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS or the characters portrayed on television. The story is mine.

Summary: At the end of "Cover Up" Gibbs pulled a flask out of his desk and made a toast. In this one shot he finds a little surprise sitting on top of the flask. Does not follow cannon, and there is some OOC.

A/N: Blink and you miss them spoilers for the episodes Cover Up and Baltimore.

Cover Up Coda

Gibbs watched Ducky and Jenny leave so they could attend the Marine Corps Ball wondering what his former partner was thinking. Did she think he would be upset by her move to go to the Marine Birthday Ball without him? Madame Director was way off the mark. First he hated formal functions with a passion and much preferred to celebrate in private. Second, he was over his feelings for Jennifer Shepard; it didn't mean that he wouldn't take advantage of her lingering feelings. His reputation as a bastard was well earned.

Jethro Gibbs shook his head as he opened the drawer containing his special flask in preparation to make his annual toast to the Marines. He looked into his desk drawer when he touched something other than the flask. His eyebrows shot up as the silver haired man pulled out an envelope with "Boss" written in DiNozzo's flowing script. How the hell did he get this in the drawer today? It hadn't been there this morning and his Second had been out of the office undercover since yesterday. The Team Leader shook his head smiling ruefully at the resourcefulness of his friend. Anthony DiNozzo strove to do something special every year on the Marine Corps birthday. Even though the younger man hadn't served he was very open in his admiration of those who did serve the in military. It showed in his drive to solve each and every case and how he treated the servicemen and women they dealt with on a daily basis.

The Marine opened the envelope wondering what his sneaky friend did this year. The envelope contained a simple card with a picture of the American Flag being raised in Iwo Jima. Inside the card was a folded note which he pulled out so he could read the card's message first. The card simply said

Semper Fi.

Tony

P.S. I hope you won't be too mad at me after reading the enclosed note.

Intrigued and a little worried Gibbs unfolded the note and began reading.

Boss,

I think you've suspected that I've known about your first wife and daughter since I began working here at NCIS. I never knew how to tell you that I found out about them without upsetting you. I've wanted to do something to let you know how sorry I am about your loss and decided to set up a trust fund in their name. My mother would have approved the creation of this fund with the money she left me. The interest earned from the fund will go to the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation every year on this date. The information for the trust is under your flask.

Tony

Jethro carefully set the note on his desk. He didn't know what to think or feel. That old familiar pain from losing his girls made his chest feel tight and his eyes burn. He pushed the tears away through long practice. There was some anger at the knowledge that DiNozzo had looked into his past. He knew he needed to work through his feelings before he ran off half cocked. It wouldn't be a good idea to confront his Senior Field Agent right now; he might say something he'd later regret. Gibbs didn't want to scare or chase off the younger man, he was one of the best agents the Senior Agent had ever trained, and was one of the few people able to stand up to the bastard when necessary.

Giving himself time to calm down and think, the older man decided that he really couldn't blame DiNozzo for doing a background check on him; not after what happened with the former detective's last partner. After being reminded of why the younger man would have looked into his new boss' background, he realized that he didn't mind his Second knowing about Shannon and Kelly. Over the last few years Tony had wormed his way into Gibbs heart, first as a friend, now he realized that he saw the young man as family, maybe even the son he never got the chance to have with Shannon. Setting up this fund is another reason to trust his Senior Field Agent with his girls. It showed that Anthony respected his loss and his privacy while still doing something thoughtful in memory of his lost family.

The silver haired man reached back into his drawer for his flask and the trust fund paperwork. He looked at the flask and the names of his girls with a sad smile thinking that his wife and daughter would have loved Anthony DiNozzo. Opening it he lifted it up in a toast saying "Semper Fi" and taking a drink.

Completing his yearly ritual, he put the flask back and shut the drawer before opening the envelope labeled fund. Gibbs pulled out the paperwork to see what his gregarious young friend did for his girls. He read the top sheet which was labeled overview. Surprise ran through him for a second time that night. The seed money for the fund was five hundred thousand dollars! If this was just a portion of the trust fund, how much did Tony's mother leave him? And why was he still working at NCIS with a cranky bastard like him?

The Marine sat back and tried to recall any information he'd learned about DiNozzo's mother over the last few years. It took a few minutes to remember the conversation the two had over cowboy steaks where his friend related that one of his frat brothers had discovered a trust fund that DiNozzo Senior had been trying to gain access to over the years. Senior had done his best to hide the fund from Tony, wanting the money for himself. There was no way that Gibb's younger friend would let the old man get his hands on anything that his mother left him. And now that his Second had access to the fund, he'd used some of it to set up a way to give support to the Marine's, in his girls' names no less, instead of going out and buying a red Ferrari or some other expensive sports car.

Gibbs scrubbed a hand over his face while trying to wrap his mind around the generosity of one Anthony DiNozzo. He'd been trying to keep his Second at arm's length, not wanting to let himself care about the young man thinking he'd move on after two years. Why was he still doing it? The younger agent was still here…and already in his heart. Looking at the amount of the money that had been used as seed money proved that the younger man could have moved on but had stayed instead. It was time to let go of his fear of loss and show Tony what having a real father should be like. Having made a decision Jethro closed up for the night, the paperwork could wait.

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Tony was sitting on his sofa with a couple of ice bags on his face hoping to keep the expected swelling down. He really wasn't thinking about what happened at the hotel, the young man was thinking about Gibbs. How did the older man take his gift? Speak of the devil and he shall appear he thought when there was a knock at the door.

Groaning, the hurting agent got up to answer the door. As soon as the door was open he turned back to the sofa saying, "Hey Boss, come in. There's beer in the fridge."

Gibbs closed the door quietly. "You okay DiNozzo? What did Ducky say?"

The Senior Field Agent sat down suppressing a groan. "Lots of bruises but nothing is broken Boss."

"Good. Now you can tell me about this trust fund you set up." The silver haired man held up the envelope containing the fund's paperwork.

DiNozzo looked at his mentor earnestly, "I didn't know how much money was in the trust fund mom left until the legal wrangling was over and I won. The people in charge of the fund were able to keep investing the money to grow the fund despite my father's antics. I didn't really want the money, I'm happy with my life as it is now, but I wasn't going to let Senior have it. He's taken enough from me; he wasn't going to take what mom left me. Mom's instructions were clear, he was not to get his hands on the money, but he tried anyway. She'd realized that he married her for her money and wasn't going to let him have it if something happened to her." He reapplied the ice to his cheek giving himself time to gather his thoughts.

The younger man's thoughts were interrupted when he was handed a new ice pack. "Here DiNozzo. The one you have is done."

How…when did Gibbs get that? "Thanks Boss." They switched bags and the Senior Field Agent continued when his older friend sat down next to him. "Once I gained control I needed to do something good with the money. It's what mom would've wanted. I did some research and found out about the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation and knew that this was something I wanted to support. When I met with my lawyer, Jason, a frat brother, he asked if I wanted to name the fund after my Mom. As soon as he asked I knew whose names belonged on the fund. I haven't told anyone else about Shannon and Kelly, and even Jason only knows their names not why they're important. I just wanted to honor the man who believes in me more than my own father ever has." He looked down unsure of the Gibbs' reaction. The older man never talked about his late wife and daughter.

xxxxx

Jethro Gibbs watched Tony as the young man talked about his mother and the trust fund still having trouble wrapping his head around everything he'd learned tonight. Seeing the initial passion turn to doubt and fear caused any residual resentment that Gibbs had felt to melt away. This young man knew about his girls and honored them. He reached out and placed his hand on his protégé's shoulder saying, "Thank you DiNozzo." He gave a gentle squeeze when the younger man looked at him for verification. "Shannon and I wanted more children, now we have a son."

When the younger man continued to stare at him, the Marine could see a mixture of shock, hope and a flicker of happiness before doubt clouded his face.

"I mean it Tony. Shannon and Kelly would have loved you. You're a good, kind, strong and caring man in spite of your sperm donor, because that man is not a father. If he was, he'd be as proud of you as I am."

Tony's eyes were shiny as he answered in a slightly choked voice, "Thanks, Boss. I wish I'd been able to meet Shannon and Kelly. I always wanted a sister."

Jethro Gibbs smiled as he responded in a gruff voice, "You do. Now, how about some Chinese? I don't think either of us can handle any more mushy stuff."

DiNozzo's smile was small but genuine as he spoke, "Chinese sounds good Boss. I don't think my mouth can handle pizza tonight."

The two men spent the rest of the evening in comfortable silence as they ate their dinner and watched a movie.

Epilogue

True to his decision, Jethro Gibbs worked on showing Tony what it means to be a dad. The two men began to spend more time together outside of work. Sometimes they would spend time working on Gibbs' boat as the older man taught the younger one how to work with wood. Other times, they would watch a movie or two and when their busy schedule allowed, go to a game.

The time spent together outside of work translated to a better working relationship as well. The Team Leader showed his second more respect and offered a few more words of praise and fewer head slaps, than in the past. He no longer felt the need to keep his friend at arm's length anymore.

The End

I hope you enjoyed this little story. It's been sitting on my hard drive for awhile. Today I decided it was time to post it.

*Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation: The Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation is a non-profit, tax exempt corporation of volunteer men and women dedicated to providing financial assistance in the form of scholarships for higher education to deserving sons and daughters of United States Marines and children of former Marines, with particular attention being given to children whose parent was killed or wounded in action.