The Altruistic Grumpee

By Glow60

It has been almost a year and a half since I have last posted any stories. Now that my husband and I are retired we have been doing a little traveling and also trying to do a makeover on the inside/outside of our house. We did have some setbacks because of my husband's health but he is doing somewhat better. During all this time, in the back of my mind, I kept thinking about how I ended my Grumpee and His Lost Boys (I wrote it back in March of 2016). The more I thought about the ending the more I was displeased with the ending. In my Grumpee and His Lost Boys, DiNozzo, his wife and daughter were involved in a deadly car accident. Both Zoe and little Abby were killed and Tony was left with some serious injuries. For a time, Tony couldn't remember anything…not even the fact that he had a three-year-old son. So…the way I left the story Tony got his memory back. Me being me…I really didn't like how I ended because I felt it was unfinished and really felt guilty about it. So when I had a chance I decided to try and finish it. I hope you enjoy it?

Summary – This story will be a continuation of my Grumpee and His Lost Boys. It will focus on DiNozzo's recovery and his little boy. It will also deal with how the Sciuto-Moores and the McGees family are handling the tragedy. Lastly, it will deal with the stress this tragedy has put on Gibbs. This stress will affect both Gibb's health and it will bring back many sad memories for him and give him doubts if he can continue to help DiNozzo and his little boy…

Author's Comments

* As always I prefer not to use a beta reader so all the mistakes will definitely be mine.

** In my Grumpee stories, I will always have Gibbs' age closer to Mark Harmon's true age. It is the only way I can make this story work. No matter how much I love Gibbs I think he is too old to be out in the field. I also don't want Tony to be too old to work for NCIS while Gibbs is retired. In my Grumpee series world Tony married Zoe and they had two children together.

*** I am a very big…big fan of NCIS and I did see the last episode of Season 13. It broke my heart to see very Special Agent Tony DiNozzo leave…especially now that we got to meet his precious little girl Tali. It may be just me but I would have loved to see more of Tali and her interaction with her Daddy Tony, Grandpa Gibbs, Grandpa Senior and the rest of the group. I know Michael Weatherly said that he thought he had taken his character Tony as far as he could take him but I personally strongly disagree with him because he could have stayed and showed the parent side of him. I also understand that Tony does have a very dangerous job and I do understand his willingness to give it up so he can be there for his precious little daughter. I still think they could have worked some storyline to keep him there. Now with that being said, I do wish Michael Weatherly all the best in his new adventure 'Bull'. I believe he is a very talented actor and deserves to finally be the lead in his own show…

**** Disclaimer – I am in no way an expert in the medical field. Most of the medical stuff I have looked up on the Internet or some of it is from experience.

Martin Luther King Jr. - Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.

Author's Comments…

CHAPTER 1 – Tony's Awakening

This is where I left off in my last (Grumpee and His Lost Boys) story…

(Gibbs enters Tony's hospital room, he hands the tissues to his grandson and walks toward the table to place the bag and drinks on it. As he begins to open the bag he hears his grandson tell his daddy not to cry. Gibbs stops what he is doing and looks at his grandson who is now wiping his daddy's face. Gibbs walks over to his grandson. He looks at him and then looks at the boy's father. Tears are falling down the adult Tony's face. He looks back at the little boy, "Tony…what happen? Why is your daddy crying?"

"Daddy…crying because mommy and Abby…gone."

Gibbs looks at Tony. He reaches out to him and calls his name.

Tony looks up at him. Gibbs watches as Tony struggles to talk. After a few seconds Tony finally says, "Zo…ee…(sobbing) Abby gone.")

Gibbs sits down on the side of the hospital bed and pulls the grieving man into his arms. Tony grabs onto Gibbs' shoulders as if his very life depends on it. As Gibbs comforts his friend he couldn't help but notice his grandson. The little boy looks like he is both scared and on the verge of tears. Gibbs motions for the little boy to come to him. When his grandson is within a foot of him, he pulls the child into the embrace so he can comfort both the father and son at the same time.

As Gibbs holds onto the two, he realizes he should notify someone that DiNozzo has his memory back but he wasn't sure if he had the strength to do it. At the moment, he is just too damn emotional and tired to say or do anything. Ever since the accident, he had been under a lot of stress and he was doing everything he can to keep himself together for Tony, his grandson and the others' sake….

As Gibbs continues to hold onto the father and son, he could hear his little grandson trying to reassure his daddy that everything is going to be okay. It tears him apart that it is the little boy who is doing a much better job at comforting his daddy than he was. Gibbs fights back the tears because he could never be more proud of that child than he is at this moment. Even after all that has happen to little Tony, he wants nothing more then to help his daddy. The grandfather reaches out and rubs his grandson's head. The little boy looks at him. Gibbs smiles as the little boy smiles back at him.

Gibbs finally reaches for nurse's call button and presses it. Seconds later, he hears the nurse's voice, "Gibbs…is there something I can do for you?"

"Yes…Audrey can you please let Smith know DiNozzo is awake and he has he memory back."

For a few seconds there was nothing but silence. Finally he hears, "Gibbs…that's great news and I will let the doctor know immediately. He is in the building and should be there in a little while."

Ten minutes later, Doctor Smith walks into the room. The doctor smiles when he sees his patients sitting up in bed and quietly talking with his little boy. Smith looks at Gibbs. Gibbs immediately picks up his grandson and steps back to allow the doctor room so he can examine his patient.

When Smith is finished examining his patient he could tell DiNozzo was exhausted. He turns his attention to the small child. He asks the little boy if he would stay with his daddy and keep him company while he talks with his grandfather for a few seconds. The little boy nods his head as Gibbs places the little boy back on the bed next to his daddy.

Smith signals Gibbs to follow him out in the hallway. Once there, the doctor looks back into the room. He wants to make sure his patient is distracted and not trying to eavesdrop on their conversation. Smith smiles when he sees his half awake patient solely focused on his little boy. Now that the doctor is satisfied he turns his attention to Gibbs.

"Gibbs…I know from all those conversations we have had over these passed weeks…you know what it is like to have amnesia and then have your memory return. So…I will make this short. The good news…from the conversation I had with him is that most of his memories has return. There are some areas that are still a little fuzzy but I am very optimistic they will return in time. That being said, DiNozzo has a lot going on right now. His body is still healing but now that his memory has return he is going to have to deal with the fact that his wife and daughter are gone."

Gibbs didn't say a word because he was thinking the very same thing. He was worried about DiNozzo but he was more worried about DiNozzo's little boy. The child had already been through enough with the death of his mother and sister. Now the little boy was going to have to relive the loss of his mother and sister again through his daddy's eyes. Gibbs didn't think his grandson deserves this. He turns his attention to the little boy who was now talking to his now semiconscious daddy.

After the two men were finished talking, Gibbs heads back into the hospital room. He stops at the doorway for a few seconds' and watches his grandson stare at his daddy who is sleeping. Gibbs wonders what the little boy could possibly be thinking at this very moment.

Before he can say anything, his stomach reminds him that his grandson and he hadn't eaten yet. He walks over to the bed and picks his little grandson up. He carries the little boy to couch and places a small table in front of the boy. He grabs the almost forgotten bag of food and opens it. He reaches in and pulls out one of the styrofoam food containers. He opens the container and places in front of the little boy. The little boy stares at the food but doesn't touch it.

Gibbs stares at the little boy for a few seconds before he asks; "Little man…is there something wrong with the food?

The little boy continues to stare at the container. Gibbs wonders if his grandson hears him or not. Right after the accident Gibbs had talked with little Tony's pediatrician. The doctor thought it was best to postpone the surgery until the little boy was in a better frame of mind. Gibbs now wonders if they were wrong for waiting. He is worried the little boy's hearing may have gotten worst and is now permanently damage because of it. Last week he took him to see his pediatrician. The surgery is schedule a little over a week from now.

Gibbs repeats his words but a little louder this time, "What's wrong little buddy? I got you your favorites…a hamburger, fries and Macaroni with cheese. I…know it's a little cold. I can go heat the food up or maybe get you something else if you like?"

The little boy finally looks at his grandfather and says, "Grump…ee my food…kay. I…I sad be…because my daddy sad."

Gibbs places a straw in the juice drink and pushes it in front of the little boy.

The child picks up his drink and looks at his grandfather, "Grump…ee what…what can we…do to help my daddy be happy again? He is…is sad because mommy and sissy are in heaven."

Gibbs smiles at the little boy before he says, "Yes…your daddy is sad but…you got to remember he just got his memory back. To him…your mommy and sissy just died. He is going to need some grieving time just like we had."

A lone tear falls down the little boy's cheek as he whispers, "I…still sad for my mommy and sissy."

Gibbs reaches down and lifts the little boy's chin so they could make eye contact. As he wipes the tear from the little boy's cheek he says, "I am sad too…little one. I am too…"

For a few seconds the little boy didn't say a word. Finally he says, "I know that…Grumpee… but I…I just want to know what we can do to help my daddy be happy again? I miss my daddy's smile. I miss your smile, Aunt Abby, Uncle Timmy's and everyone else smile."

"We smile."

"No…you all have sad smiles. Everybody has sad smiles when they look at me or my daddy. I…I want real smiles. I want us all to be happy again."

When he hears the words, Gibbs couldn't help but smile and this time it was a very real smile. Leave it up to his young grandson to say the right things. Gibbs sits down and grabs his container of food. Before he takes a bite, he says, "Little man…I miss your real smile too. And…to answer your question, I think we should just keep doing what we are doing. Let your daddy know that we are here for him and that we love him. I think if we keep reminding him he will not feel alone and it will help him a lot."

Little Tony seems to be happy at what his grandfather had just said. He takes a sip of his drink and begins eating his cold hamburger.

After they were finished eating, Gibbs calls Abby to tell her the good news. He asked her to call Mary and the others to let them know the good news.

For the rest of the evening the grandfather and grandson watched TV until the little boy finally falls asleep. Gibbs stands up and covers the little boy with a blanket. He can't sleep so he heads to the nurses station to get himself a cup of coffee and maybe today's newspaper that he hasn't read yet.

It was around midnight when Gibbs hears noises and sees movement coming from Tony's bed. He stands up and moves closer.

At the moment Tony is trapped in a nightmare…

He is confused when he finds himself behind the steering wheel of his moving car. He doesn't remember getting into the car or even starting it up. He looks toward the passenger seat and sees his beautiful wife Zoe. She is smiling at him and he returns the smile. Seconds later he sees fear in her dark brown eyes. He turns to see what she is looking at; he can see a car heading toward them but it's too late for him to react…

There is impact and everything goes black for a few seconds. The next thing he hears is the car horn. As soon as he opens his eyes he looks toward his wife. He can tell immediately she is gone. He fights back the tears as he calls to her. He then remembers his daughter was in the car with them. He tries to turn around to see if she is okay but he hurts too much. He calls out to her but there is no answer. As he loses consciousness he can hear someone calling to him as he passes out.

Back to the present…

Gibbs can tell Tony is having a nightmare. He decides to wake him up before he wakes his little boy. "Tony…Tony…can you hear me? Come on DiNozzo…You need to wake up. You're having a bad dream. Come on…son…you need to wake up…"

As Tony lies there, he can hear someone calling out to him. He finally recognizes the voice and opens his eyes. At first, he is having trouble seeing because the room is dimly lit. After a few seconds he finally is able to the silhouette figure of Gibbs. He can hear Gibbs talking to him in a calm voice but he ignores the older man. His green eyes search the room. He is hoping it is just a bad nightmare and that his beloved Zoe and little Abby are still alive. When he don't see his girls, he realizes they are both gone and he will never see them again. Tears begin to fall down his cheeks as the memories of the accident flood his mind.

Gibbs can see the turmoil that is going through the green eyes. He can tell at the moment Tony is in a state of confusion. He wants to help him so he reminds him of where he is, "Tony…listen to me. You are in a hospital. You were in an accident. Do you remember?"

Tony turns his attention to Gibbs but instead of answering him he just stares.

Gibbs repeats himself because he was not sure if Tony really hears him or not.

Tony did hear him but at the moment he didn't want to talk with anyone…especially Gibbs. He see flashes of his two girls and know they are both gone. He blames himself for it. He wants nothing but to be with them. He tries to roll over onto his side so he wouldn't have to face or talk with Gibbs but he can feel pain shoot throughout his body with the movement. Once the pain subsides a little, he looks toward the darken night window. He can see lights coming from another section of the hospital building. He can also see Gibbs and his reflection. He looks at Gibbs' reflection and can see only a stone face. He turns attention toward his own reflection. He looks at his face and sees the fading bruises. It reminds him what he has been through and what he has lost. He starts crying as he buries his face into the pillow. He feels someone touch his shoulder but he pushes it away.

Gibbs takes a step back and is not surprised at Tony's reaction. More then anyone he does understand what DiNozzo is going through and can't blame him for the way he is acting. He decides to give him a few seconds.

Gibbs turns his attention to the sleeping little boy on the couch. He moves a little closer to the child and is glad to see his grandson is still asleep. He studies the child's face and sees so much of Tony features in this little boy. He couldn't help but smile because Zoe always said her little boy was a miniature doppelganger of his father.

Gibbs turns his attention back to the boy's father. He moves just a little closer to the bed so he can talk without waking the child up. He bends down and whispers, "Tony…listen to me. You know better then anyone that I know what you're going through. You can't shut down like this…you have your little boy to think about. He is going to need you more than ever now."

Even though Tony hears the words he doesn't look at Gibbs. At the moment he only wishes he were dead and wants nothing more then to be left alone. Finally he whispers, "Gibbs…please leave me alone. My son…(sob)…would be much better without me."

Gibbs could barely make out what Tony had said but he did hear the words. He knows he has to convince his friend that he is wrong, "No Tony…don't you ever say that. Your son loves you and needs you more than any one else."

Tony tries to wipe the tears from his eyes. This time he does turns and looks at Gibbs. He asks, "How can you say that…(sob)…it was me who was driving the car? I…I was the one who killed my girls. I killed…(sobbing)…my…(sob)…Zoe. I killed my…my precious little girl. OH GOD…if my little boy had been in that car…I would have killed him too. Gibbs…I should have died…(sob)…not them."

Gibbs is not surprised at DiNozzo's words. The ex-marine knows more than anyone what head trauma could do to a person and he needs to make sure the grieving man knows the truth, "DiNozzo…Tony…listen to me…you didn't cause the accident. It was the other driver. The bastard was drunk and ran a red light before he hit your car. You are in no way responsible for what happen that day."

Tony hears Gibbs' words and asks, "What became of him?"

"He died shortly after he arrived at the hospital."

DiNozzo didn't say anything as more tears flow down his cheeks.

Gibbs sits down onto the side of the bed and gathers the grieving man into his arms and tries to comfort him as best as he could. DiNozzo buries his face into Gibb's chest. At the moment neither of the men notices that they are being watched. Gibbs suddenly feels something touch his leg. He looks down and sees his little grandson. Little Tony looks like he is on the verge of tears. The little boy moves closer to the bedrail before he says, "Daddy…please don't cry…Daddy. You…you are going to be okay. Grumpee and me are here. We…we love you. We take care of you."

As soon as Tony hears his son's voice he pushes himself away from Gibbs. He quickly begins using that back of his hand to wipe the tears from his face. He didn't want his little boy seeing him crying. He tries to smiles as his trembling hand reaches out to touch his little boy face, "I love you too. Your daddy is going to okay…now…that you are here…(sob)…with me."

Tony's tears would not stop. He wipes them again before he says, "I…I'm sorry little man…I didn't want to cry in front of you. I just miss…mommy and Abby …(sob)…so much. It is breaking my heart that they are gone."

The little boy looks at daddy but then looks at the night table. He sees the tissues his Grumpee had left earlier. He takes some of them and hands them to his daddy, "You use these. Grump…ee says it is okay to cry. Daddy…I miss my mommy and Sissy too."

The father takes the tissues from his son's hand and begins to wipe the tears from his face. He smiles at the little boy and says, "I know you do…I know."

As Gibbs is watching his grandson, he notices the little boy scoots a little back from his father. The expression on the little boy's face changes from sadness to what looked more like anger. He wonders what that is about and he didn't have long to find out why.

Seconds later, the little boy raises his voice as he shouts at his father, "Daddy…how cOULD you forgot me? I…I…YOUR LITTLE BOY! You scares me so much you made me crY. Daddy…DOn't…don't you ever…ever do that again." His then lowers his voice to almost a whisper before he says, "I your little boy."

At first the father didn't know what to say and looks at Gibbs for help. The older man shrugs his shoulders and acts like he doesn't have an answer. Tony looks back at his little boy and signals the now crying child to come closer. The little boy climbs unto his father's lap. The father puts his arms around his little boy and tells his little boy how sorry he is for forgotten him and promises that he will never ever do that again. He takes one of the tissues and uses it to wipe his little boy's wet face.

Gibbs smiles and thinks it time for the father and son have some private alone time together. He tells his grandson that he is going to get some coffee and to take care of his daddy while his is gone.

For the next fifteen minutes Gibbs spends his time drinking coffee and watching the news in the waiting room. When he finishes with his coffee he heads back to Tony's room. He stops short from entering the room when he hears his grandson talking to one of the nurses. He smiles when his grandson tells the nurse he needs to know how his daddy is doing so he can tell his Grumpee. His Grumpee left him in charge.

The nurse tells the little boy not to worry because everything is okay with his daddy. The little boy gives his daddy the thumbs up. Gibbs couldn't help but laugh to himself.

When the nurse is finished she heads for the door and is not surprised to see Gibbs standing just outside the room. Gibbs smiles at her and ask how DiNozzo is. She tells him that Smith plans to run a few test on him in the morning. The tests should take most of the morning and she suggests that it would be a good time for him and his grandson to go home and not come back until around noon. Gibbs smiles and tells her he will take her advice.

Early the next morning, Gibbs and his grandson enter the house. Gibbs drops his keys and mail onto the table in the hallway. As he does, he disturbs the dust that has built up. He looks down at his grandson who is now swiping at the dust and trying to keep it away from his face. Gibbs smiles, "I guess it's time we get someone in here to clean up the place. What do you think little man?"

The little boy looks puzzled.

Gibbs realizes his grandson didn't hear him so he repeats himself just a little louder.

Little Tony finally understands him. He makes a face as he holds his right hand over his nose and mouth. He uses his left hand to swat at the dust. He yells, "Grump…ee it's…it's too dusty in here. My noses it…chees. You…(cough)…need to clean your house before my daddy comes…(cough)…here."

Gibbs couldn't keep the grin of his face because of the little boy's overacting and the fake coughing. He picks his grandson up and laughs, "I tell you what little man…why don't we both clean ourselves up first? When we are finished I will take you to the diner so we can get something to eat? Once we are finished I will call Mrs. Sally next door and see if her daughter can come by and clean the place for us. How does that sound?"

Little Tony smiles, "Sounds good."

Around noon, the two arrived back at that hospital. DiNozzo is back in his room watching the news. The father immediately smiles when he sees his little boy. Gibbs sits the little boy down next to his daddy and tells them both that he is going to get coffee. He wants to give the father and son some more alone time together. He makes his excuse to go get himself some coffee.

As Gibbs is walking back toward DiNozzo's room he spots Smith. The doctor tells him they did run a CT scan on DiNozzo's brain and everything looks fine. They also took x-rays on the rest of his injuries and the bones are healing nicely. Smith believes his patient should be able to make a full recovery and he doesn't see any reason why his patient shouldn't be able to leave in another few days or so. Lastly he also tells Gibbs he plans to have a grievance counselor stop by sometime today and talk with DiNozzo. The counselor should be able to recommend a grief therapist and some support group once Tony leaves the hospital. Lastly before the doctor leaves, he hand Gibbs a list of places he can call for a home care nurse to help DiNozzo get around once he leaves the hospital.

When Gibbs returns to Tony's room, he finds a very heavy-eyed father sitting up in the bed holding a sleeping child against his chest. The older man could tell it wouldn't be long before DiNozzo himself would join his son for a nap. As Gibbs reaches to take the little boy from his father's arms Tony stops him. The exhausted father looks at his little boy and says, "No…just leave him be. He's…(yawn)…fine where he is. It…it feels nice to have him so close to me. I…I just wish my…"

Tony couldn't finish what he really wants to say instead he looks up at Gibbs. His half closed eyes were watering as he says, "Smith wants me to see a grieving counselor. I know…I need to see one but I…I am not sure if I am ready to talk to a stranger about my…my girls."

"Tony…maybe it will be good for you if you do talk about them."

DiNozzo shook his head before he says; "You once told me they tried to get you to talk with someone after your girls died and if I remember it correctly you told me it didn't help you at all. Why would you think it would work for me?"

Gibbs slightly smiles as he remembers. It was one of those rare occasions when he did all the talking and DiNozzo just listen. It was shortly after Tony's little Abby was born. The new dad and the new grandfather went out to celebrate. After a few drinks he remembers he was in one of those sentimental moods and began talking to DiNozzo about his Shannon and Kelly. He also remembers telling Tony about everything he had gone through after their deaths and how he handled it. He now regrets what he had said. He never thought DiNozzo would someday use those words against him. All he could say was, "You…are not me."

Tony could tell Gibbs didn't want to talk about it so he decides to change the subject. "How has my little man handle…their deaths?"

"He…had his good and bad days. I did have to postpone his surgery."

Tony eyes widen, "Surgery? What surgery?"

Gibbs wasn't surprised Tony didn't remember his son's surgery. The older man begins to explain to his friend, "Before the accident your little guy was having a lot of ear infections and it was affecting his hearing. Zoe took him to see his pediatrician. At first, his pediatrician tried medications to see if it would help but it didn't. Your son's pediatrician told Zoe it was time for your son to have tubes put in his ears. Your son's surgery was scheduled but then the accident happen. There was so much going on and your little boy was having such a hard time. His pediatrician thought it was best to postpone the surgery for another day. Little Tony's hearing was getting worst so last week I took him to see his pediatrician. He scheduled your son's surgery for next week.

Tony looks down at his little sleeping boy and kisses him on the forehead. All he could think about right now was his poor little boy sick and without his family. He looks up at Gibbs, "Gibbs…I want to thank you for all you've done…(yawn)…for my little boy. I am so glad you were here for him. I…I…(yawn)…am so tired. I miss my girls...so much. My mind keeps playing that accident over and over in my head. I…(yawn)…I just can't seem to get rid of the images…"

Tony stops talking as he slowly and gently begins to rub his little boy's back. Gibbs watches and within a few seconds the father closes his eyes and falls into a deep sleep. Gibbs gently takes the sleeping little boy from the father and lays the child down on the couch. He smiles as he covers the little boy. He bends down and kisses the little boy on the forehead…

It was a couple of hours later, when Tony wakes up. Tony smiles when he sees his little boy playing a board game with Gibbs. He mentions he is hungry and Gibbs tells him that he had already order their food and it should be here any minute. Tony notices his little boy giggling and then the child looks at his grandfather. Tony could tell the two were keeping some kind of secret between them. He asks Gibbs about it but the grandfather just grins and tells him he doesn't know what he is talking about.

It was almost fifteen minutes later when the food finally arrives. Tony smiles when he sees Gibbs had order him his favorite pepperoni, sausage and extra cheese pizza. He looks at Gibbs and thanks him.

The older man smiles, "DiNozzo…I know you might be sick of the hospital food. So…I thought you would like a nice change."

Tony immediately picks up a piece of his favorite food and takes a bite. He continues to enjoy the pizza until he picks up the third piece. He starts getting flashes of his wife and daughter. He quickly realizes he shouldn't be enjoying himself. He puts the piece down and just stares at it.

Gibbs notices immediately, "Tony…are you okay?"

Tony looks at Gibbs, "I'm sorry Gibbs…I guess…I'm not ready for pizza. My stomach feels a little queasy and I afraid if I eat anymore I am going to get sick."

"Would you like me to order you something else?"

"No…I'll just wait until my stomach settlings a little. I guess…for now I will stick with the hospital food for just a little while longer."

After Gibbs and little Tony were finished eating, the little boy insists that the adults play a game of Chutes and Ladders with him. Gibbs couldn't keep the smile off his face when Tony throws the dice and lands on the longest chute. Without looking up, the father makes a funny face and yells whee…whee as his blue token slides down the chute. Seconds later, in his mind he can hear both his little boy and girl giggling.

He hears little Tony, "Daddy…Daddy…make that funny sound…againheh, heh!"

He then hears little Abby, "Daddy…it's your…ahahah…your turn."

Without looking up Tony says, "You two think it so funny to see your…da…daddy…." The father stops when he realizes he couldn't have heard both of his children. His little girl was gone and he will never see her again.

Gibbs knows immediately the father is having one of those flashbacks he used to get shortly after his memory started returning to him. He watches and waits as the father continues to stare at the game.

Tony's stare is finally broken when he hears his little boy yell, "Grump…ee it…it your turn."

He watches as Gibbs moves the green token. They continue to play the game for another hour. After the game they watch an old movie.

Several hours later, the room is dimly lit and quiet. Both Tony and his son were asleep. Gibbs couldn't sleep because his chest was hurting him a little. He rubs it and can feel the scars from his old injury when he worked at NCIS. Lately the chest pain seems to come and go. He tries to get his mind off of it so he stares out the window at the night sky. He keeps thinking about DiNozzo. It almost broke his heart when he remembers the look on Tony's face the moment he realized his little girl was no longer with them. Gibbs knows that look well, from his own experience. He also knows this will not be the last time it happens.

Gibbs thoughts turn to Tony mentioning his doctor wants him to see a grievance counselor. He remembers his commanding officer ordering him to do the same thing. Back then; he thought seeing the chaplain/counselor was nothing but a waste of time…mostly his. He remembers he was order to meet with the chaplain several times but always felt the sessions were just useless. If he had not been ordered he would never had gone. So for a while, he decided to play their game just to shut everyone up. When his service time was up he quit the marines and had nothing but revenge in his heart. He found Pedro Hernandez and did what he needed to do. After that, he had nothing left in his heart. For weeks he drank and only had thoughts of joining his wife and daughter in the hereafter. On the day he had gone down to the beach to end his life he couldn't do it because he knew Shannon would have been ashamed of him. Once he realizes that, he made the decision he would do something with his life and that was when he sought out Mike Franks. It was a decision he never regretted.

Gibbs thoughts are interrupted when he hears a noise coming from the hallway. He turns toward the noise and sees a maintenance woman walking by pushing one of those floor scrubbers. Once she passes by the room Gibbs turns his attention back to window and the night sky. He now feels tired. He yawns as he walks toward the small visitor's couch. He sits down and within seconds he is asleep.

It was in the early morning hours when Gibbs opens his eyes. He felt he was being watched and was not surprise to see a pair of small green eyes staring at him. Little Tony was still lying against his daddy's chest. The father's arm was protectively against the little boy's chest. Little Tony whispers, "Help…Grump…ee…I got to go pee."

Gibbs couldn't help but grin just a little at the little boys' predicament. He knows the little boy is trying to be careful not to wake up his daddy. The grandfather stands up so he can free his grandson of his dilemma. He bends down and gently moves the sleeping man's arm away from the little boy. Seconds later, he gently lifts the little boy and places him on the floor. Little Tony grabs his crotch area so he doesn't pee of the floor. Gibbs smiles as the little boy hurries off to the bathroom to relieve himself.

While Gibbs is waiting for his grandson outside the bathroom, nurse Audrey walks into the room. She greets him and asks how things went last night. Before Gibbs could answer her, little Tony opens the door to the bathroom. He looks up at his grandfather, "Grump…ee…I hungry. Can we go get something to eat?"

Gibbs smiles at his grandson and tells him to give him a second. He turns his attention back to the nurse and tells her everything went okay.

Audrey looks at her patient and can tell he is still sound asleep. She tells Gibbs she will be back shortly to take Tony's vitals.

After she is gone, Gibbs picks his grandson up. He smiles as he asks, "Little man…what would you like for breakfast?"

The little boy whispers so not to wake up his daddy, "Pancakes…I want choc…late pancakes with choc…late milk."

Gibbs smiles, "Okay…chocolate pancakes and chocolate milk it is. Since the doctor is going to be running a lot of test on your daddy this morning why don't we go to our favorite diner? Maybe Miss Elaine will make her special chocolate pancakes for us. How does that sound?"

The little boy smiles with joy as he asks, "Grump…ee...can…can…we bring daddy some choc…late pancakes?"

Gibbs looks toward the sleeping man; "No…I don't think it would be a good idea. The pancakes would be too cold by the time we bring them back here. I don't think your daddy would like to eat cold pancakes…do you? I think…we should just wait until your daddy leaves the hospital and all three of us can then go and have breakfast together at the diner? How does that sound…little man?"

The little boy smiles and nods his head. Gibbs laughs as he takes his grandson back into the bathroom so the two of them can freshen up before they leave. When they are finished little Tony runs to his daddy's bed. He kisses his sleeping daddy on the cheek and whispers into his father's ear that they will be back later.

Four hours later, refreshed, clean clothes and with their stomach full, the grandfather and grandson return to the hospital. They find Tony awake and sitting up in the bed. Gibbs could tell his friend was deep in thought when he didn't even notice them entering the room.

Seconds later, it was the sound of little Tony's voice calling to his daddy that made Tony look up. He smiles at his son as the little boy carefully climbs into his arms. The little boy begins to tell his daddy that Miss Elaine says hi and then he starts telling his daddy all about the breakfast they ate at the diner.

Gibbs laughs as he interrupts the two. He tells them he has to make a few phone calls and will be back later. Little Tony waves to him as he leaves the room.

When Gibbs enters the hallway he asks one of the nurses if he could use an empty conference room to make some phone calls. She points to the door and tells him he can use that room. As Gibbs pushes the numbers on his cell phone, he knows Tony is not in the best frame of mind to handle hiring a homecare nurse and the paperwork that goes with it. Gibbs plans to at lease have Tony help with the interview while he takes care of the rest of it.

The first two healthcare agencies put him on hold. Gibbs being impatient didn't like being put on hold so he hangs up. He tries the third agency and was able to reach someone. The man's name is David Sulewski and he tells Gibbs that he might have the perfect person for the patient. He asks Gibbs to send him his email address he will email him information on the agency and the résumé of the person he thought would be a good fit for DiNozzo. Gibbs insists he meets the man in person. Sulewski tells him it's not a problem. He had planned to meet with him in person anyway but he just wanted to send the information to him first. Gibbs tells the man he can hand it to him when he gets there.

By the time Sulewski arrives Tony seems to be having trouble keeping his eyes open. He tells Gibbs he is just too tired and asks him if he handle the interview by himself. Gibbs nods his head and tells his grandson to stay with his daddy while he goes and talks with the man.

The two men had their meeting in the empty conference room. As soon as Sulewski sits down he hands Gibbs several pamphlets from his agency and several résumés. Sulewski points out one résumé in particular that he highly recommends. The name on the résumé belongs to a George Washington Lee. The man is in his mid thirties and an ex-navy combat corpsman. He served several tours of duty with the marines in Iraq and Afghanistan. It says after he left the service he had to get his certification if he wanted to stay in the medical field. He got a VA loan and went back to school. Once he was certified he worked as a paramedic for a couple of years before he decided to get into the homecare nursing. Sulewski smiles as he says, Lee is very smart, very hard working and he deeply cares for his patients.

As Gibbs looks over the paperwork he is very impressed by what he reads. He is especially impressed when he read Lee's comments at the bottom of the page. Lee writes he had seen a lot of his friends and buddies severely injured in the military. When he decided to leave the military he wanted to do something that would help severely injured people in their recovery. Lee also writes he likes to learn as much as he can about his patients. He believes the more he knows the better he will be able to help them.

Gibbs looks at Sulewski and tells him that he would like DiNozzo and himself to meet with Lee so they can make the final decision. Sulewski picks up his iPhone and calls Lee to set up the appointment for this afternoon. When he is finished he tells Gibbs Lee will be stopping by some time around three this afternoon to meet with them.

Gibbs enters DiNozzo's room and is not surprise to find the father wide-awake and talking quietly to his little boy. Gibbs smiles as he takes a step back into the hallway so he wouldn't disturb them. Earlier he had a sneaking suspicion that DiNozzo might have been faking his tiredness and this little scene only confirms it. Gibbs couldn't blame DiNozzo because the poor guy had gone through a lot….

It was almost three o'clock when George Washington Lee arrives for the interview. Lee is a very tall, muscular man who seems to have a friendly attitude. Gibbs invites him to sit down. Both Gibbs and Tony asked questions and Lee answers them with confidence. Once in a while little Tony who didn't want to be left out would ask a question. Both Gibbs and Tony would grin when the man answers the little boy's questions.

When the interview was over Gibbs asks Lee if he could step out in the hallway for a few minutes. When Gibbs calls him back, it was little Tony who tells him that he has the job. Lee smiles and thanks the little boy.

After Lee left, Gibbs turns to DiNozzo and asks, "Tony…I noticed you hesitated giving Lee my address as if you weren't sure if you were going to stay with me or not. I thought we had that settled? Are you thinking about going back to your house now?"

Without saying a word Tony just stares at the older man.

Gibbs continues talking, "Look…we've already talked about this. You know I don't have to tell you…you and your son will always be welcome in my house. If you stay at my place it will give you time to recuperate and think about your future. I can take care of your son so you won't have to worry about him."

"I know but…I don't want to take advantage of your hospitality."

Gibbs smiles, "Remember…family always first."

While the two men are talking, little Tony was sitting quietly on his Grumpee's lap. He didn't want go home. He whispers into his daddy's ear that he wants to stay at Grumpee's house.

Tony smiles and hugs his little boy.

He kisses his son on the head and he says, "Gibbs…I guess we will stay at your house for now.

"Good…you two can stay until you are ready to leave."

Tony smiles as he asks him a question, "Thanks…but what if I am never ready to go back to home? What if I can't…"

Before Tony could finish his question, a nurse walks into the room to take his vitals and give him his medicine.

As the nurse places the thermometer into DiNozzo's mouth Gibbs could tell their conversation was over for now. He excuses himself so he can make a few phone calls. He calls McGee and then Burt to see if they could help him make his house ready for his wheelchair bound guest. He then calls Abby to see if she could take little Tony to the hospital to visit his daddy. She tells him she was more then willing. Lastly he calls a friend of his who works at a hardware store and orders all the wood and nails he was going to need.

The next day he drops his grandson off at Auntie Abby's house. Before he leaves Abby asks him for a special favor from him. He promised he would take care of it for her.

By the time he arrives at his house, McGee and Burt are already waiting for him. Gibbs hands each man a cup of hot coffee and then goes over the plans for the ramp. For the next three hours the three men worked steadily until the ramp was finally finished. Burt left to pick up his children at the nursery school while McGee and Gibbs head to the DiNozzo house to pick up a few of things Tony was going to need.

When they arrived at the DiNozzo's house, Gibbs couldn't help notice how immaculate the front yard looks. He had planned to come by and take care of the yard himself but he never seem to have the time to do it.

McGee notices the older man's puzzled look. The younger man smiles and says, "I had my lawn guy come by here last week to take care of Tony's lawn. I know how much pride Zoe and Tony had in their yards. It kind of funny in a way…who would have ever guess Tony like working in the yard and getting dirty?"

Gibbs smiles, "Tim…I am pretty sure Tony will appreciate everything you have done for him."

As the two men enter the house it was very unsettling to the both of them. This place had always been very noisy and full of kids laughing especially when DiNozzo was home. Zoe once jokingly told Gibbs she was tired of answering the door when her man-child husband was home. Most of the time it was the neighborhood kids asking her if her husband Tony could come out and play with them.

Gibbs finally looks at McGee and says, "Let's get this over with."

Gibbs hands McGee a list of things DiNozzo is going to need. He asks him to collect and pack them up. As McGee heads toward the master bedroom, Gibbs turns his attention to another room. He had made a promise to Abby but he was not sure he was strong enough to keep it. Before he enters the room he stops at the doorway. The last time he was in this room he had brought a special gift to his granddaughter. He can still remember that day and hear the giggles coming from two little girls…

He had stopped at the door and smiles as he watches he granddaughters little Abby and DeeDee. The two little girls were jumping on the bed in their little fairy dresses. The moment they saw him they ran to him and pulled him toward the bed. They wanted him to jump on the bed with them.

He laughs, "NO! Your mother would kill me if I broke your bed."

The little girls both yell in unison, "Please Grandpa. PLEEEEZE."

Gibbs looks at the small bed. For a brief second he was tempted to do it just for his granddaughters but he knew he would probably end up break his neck trying it. He looks at the little girls and knew they were not going to give up so he decides to distract them with something else. He reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out a small wrapped box and hands it to little Abby.

His mind returns to the present. He takes a deep breath as he enters the room…

I will try and post a chapter at least once a week. I hope you enjoy.