Finding Family

By

annie

1.- Cold

Sitting here, in Gibbs' house, elbow to elbow with the man he considered not just his boss but his best friend, was the first time Tony hadn't felt bone-achingly cold inside in days.

2.- Abrasive

His father had always been abrasive, hard as steel when the moment demanded it, and it seemed to demand it more and more as Tony grew up.

3.- Money

Money had never really been the issue between them, at least not on Tony's part.

4.- Situations

Sure, he liked nice things but he'd schooled himself to do without in situations where the money just wasn't there, and then he just made up for it once the money was.

5.- Capture

Those who thought they knew him and said he was a materialistic person hadn't come close to seeing the real Tony DiNozzo, not within a whisker of being able to capture the true essence of who he was.

6.- Lies

Gibbs did though; saw through the lies and the mask Tony wore like a second skin.

7.- Outdoors

Indoors and outdoors, at work or at home, Tony never really let the mask slip for long.

8.- Invisible

It was a way of making the real him invisible and hopefully therefore, impervious to hurt and pain.

9.- Baby

It hadn't always worked though and he could remember nights after a bad case where he'd buried his head in his hands and sobbed like a baby.

10.- Likely

Most people wouldn't believe that even if they saw it for themselves though, more likely thinking he shrugged off the bad ones as easily as he celebrated the good ones.

11.- Notwithstanding

But he was human after all notwithstanding his constant joking references to himself as Very Special Agent Tony DiNozzo.

12.- Wet

He looked towards the windows, the panes of glass wet with condensation from the warmth of the fire Gibbs had cooked the steak over.

13.- Conversation

He'd needed this kind of end to the day, this conversation with someone who understood him more than anyone he'd ever known.

14.- Rich

It made no difference to Gibbs whether he was rich or poor, just that he was good at what he did.

15.- Alternative

There was no real alternative to being that either, not if you wanted to stay on Gibbs' team.

16.- Subtle

Gibbs had a not so subtle way of letting you know when you were letting the team down, Tony thought, ruefully rubbing the back of his head in remembrance.

17.- Creature

Gibbs was a creature of habit, used to expecting and getting the best from his team.

18.- Sick

Even when Tony had been sick with the plague, Gibbs had pretty much ordered him not to die, and Tony hadn't.

19.- Family

He wouldn't have dared to disappoint the man who was as much family as Tony could ever remember having.

20.- Simple

That was the one simple reason why he'd never told his father about that time.

21.- Gray

Through those long, gray days of his illness and recovery, it had been Gibbs who'd been there all the way, cajoling and threatening, pushing and prodding till he was sure Tony would pull through.

22.- Betrayal

Tony knew his father probably considered it a betrayal in the deepest sense, that he turned his back on him so completely.

23.- Past

His father though was his past and Gibbs his present and his future.

24.- Copout

The words "I love you" coming from his dad had been a copout.

25.- Starving

After all, for all those childhood years when Tony had been starving for just a small sign of his father's love it had been withheld, but now, looking over at Gibbs smiling at him, he knew he'd found everything he'd ever needed here in this house tonight.

The End