Tony looked at the new forms they had to fill out. On the new forms it included the normal information like allergies, broken bones, experience, and extra curricular activities. Tony didn't want to fill that part out for many reasons. The team thought it was because he didn't do anything other than woo and bed women. In actuality it was because Tony spends most of his time at Safe Haven. It was an organization he started up when he had lived in DC for more than 36 months. He knew that it was a place he was going to stay for a while and wanted to give back to in someway. He created Safe Haven for kids of any means. It was a place they could go and be themselves, study, play games, play sports, get away from home, and make friends among other things.
He had started Safe Haven with the money he got from his mother's inheritance. She always had a soft spot for kids when she thought no one was looking, especially his father.
The team was ragging on him about what he put but he was being unusually close-mouthed about it. Then he got sick with the flu and a sinus infection and Dr. Pitt as well as Ducky put him on sick leave for 10 days. Against his will.
Gibbs got a phone call from security about a group of kids looking for Tony and wouldn't believe that he wasn't there. When Gibbs went down to talk to the kids Gibbs was met with a sight. There was a kid that could only be seen as trouble until you saw his eyes, his eyes spoke about the knowledge of hardship and determination to do right, another kid younger who looked like the typical geek complete with a protractor in his pocket, a girl with multiple piercings and hair colors wearing clothing that if he ever saw his daughter wear no matter her age, she would have been banned to the house and never seen again. Last was a girl who looked like she was in the last years of high school and dressed professionally. She was the one that did the talking.
"We would like to see Tony DiNozzo please, Special Agent Gibbs."
He was surprised that she knew who he was but did not show it.
"He is out on sick leave. Is there anything that I can do to help?"
"No we just wanted to talk to him and we couldn't get a hold of him. Do you know when he will be back and when he is, could you have him call Safe Haven please? He will know what that is."
When he nodded that he would they left. With the thought of 'what is going on?', he went upstairs to find out more. He ordered Tim to look up Safe Haven. The results were not what the team thought they would find.
When Tim pulled up the information they were looking for they were surprised to see that it was the number one safe place for kids to go. They had the lowest number of fights, abuse, and runaways. There were classes that helped with homework, showed how to take notes, study time, carpentry, electrical, plumbing, writing, art, among others. School was considered important and if there was a topic that did not have a class a class was made. Self defense was a new class that was going to be started.
There were only glowing reviews from political figures, parents, teachers, and kids of all ages. When the kids aged out they would move to the building next to it dedicated for college students and most of them volunteered. The program held a surprising number of fundraisers that were always successful and donated much of the money to other similar programs who needed the money more. They were planning to expand the program out and have another 'campus' in a different part of the city.
All the information they could find about who ran the program was the director of Safe Haven Samantha Anderson but there was little information on the founder and the owner. With a little more 'unauthorized' digging they came up with surprising results ... just as the elevator dinged. As Tony stepped out of the elevator the team looked at him with shock. When he looked at the screen he figured that he was found out.
When they asked why he never said anything or wanted the credit he just replied that he didn't feel the need to be known for that. It was just something he did. Even the volunteers and the kids just thought that he was a volunteer. Only Samantha knew who he really was. He just felt that it was something he needed to do. Then he looked at them slyly and told them he expected that Saturday morning.
When the team got there Saturday they were surprised that they were already signed up and Abby, Palmer, and Ducky were there as well. Gibbs was working in the carpentry, McGee was working in the writing, Ziva was slotted in the self-defense, Ducky in the plumbing. (Who knew he was a plumber's apprentice when he was younger?) Palmer was helping in the math class and Abby in the science blowing things up. (Soda and mentos). The director even showed up later in the day and helped show the older student show to fill out job applications and dress for success. In the end it turned out to be a bonding experience for the team and everyone had a great time.
The team learned that there was more to Tony than they thought and that they should give him the benefit of the doubt in the future. They all came back later on even without telling Tony and the kids loved the team just as they loved Tony.
From above his mother smiled at what her son became, was glad at the man he was, who he chose to be, and who he surrounded himself by. It was that thought that she was at peace. Tony knew he felt his Mother smile at him and was filled with a sense of contentment.