First off I want to thank everyone who reviewed and to all those who added my story their story alerts.

I'm glad others feel the same about the treatment of Tony; hopefully this story gives Tony lovers some happiness!

Gibbs froze at the sound Tony's voice, something he hadn't heard in ten years. Jeanne flashed Jethro a brief smile before levering herself up and bracing as the front door flew open. Two blurs ran in straight to Jeanne giving her hugs before entering the kitchen.

The little girl had brown hair that was in pigtails, her blue eyes matched her mothers exactly. She was chattering away to her mother as she pulled out plates and cups using a stool step to get the cupboards. She handed the dishware down to a smaller boy who had lighter hair and bright green eyes, his coloring was lighter than Tony's but matched more to Jeanne's.

Jeanne turned to the kids taking away the dishware and setting it on the table next to Gibbs. Olivia stopped talking as she noticed the strange man sitting at the table.

Olivia examined Gibbs closely then her eyes lit up as she recognized him. She spoke rapidly in French and when Gibbs looked confused she looked to her mother.

"Sweetie, this is Jethro Gibbs, daddy's friend. He's from America so he only speaks English, so try to only speak English in the house, okay?" Jeanne asked, then turned to James and started to sign to him. Gibbs watched in awe as she signed something he didn't recognize then slowly morphed into American Sign Language.

His attention quickly returned to Olivia as she stepped forward and held out her hand.

"I'm Olivia DiNizzo, it's nice to meet you Mr. Gibbs. I was saying you are in the photo on daddy's nightstand. You're his Daddy!" She exclaimed. Gibbs stared in shock at her not knowing what to say. She was definitely Tony's child she spoke just as rapidly as Tony used to when he was excited. Gibbs wasn't sure what to say about the Daddy comment. Jeanne was about to step in when Tony walked in carrying a briefcase, a large pizza box, with a Pepsi bottle balanced on top and two small backpacks. Jeanne quickly went over to grab the food and leaned in as Tony pressed a kiss on her cheek. Tony set down the briefcase and backpacks and turned to scold his children when he saw Gibbs sitting with Olivia still holding his hand from when they shook.

Tony and Gibbs stared at each other for a long moment before Gibbs turned his attention back to Olivia.

"I'm Jethro Gibbs, it's very nice to meet you." He said completing the handshake.

"Kids, why don't we eat outside and let Daddy and Gibbs talk alone." Jeanne said and signed as she grabbed everything they needed.

Tony nodded before helping her carry everything out and returning with two plates of pizza, he also pulled out two beers. He stood at the table next to Gibbs unsure of what to do. Gibbs stood and reached out his hand, someone had to make first contact. Tony smiled and clasped hands with the older man before pulling him into a hug. They stood together for a moment soaking in each other presence. They separated with Tony looking down sheepishly and Jethro smiling at the familiar posture. Tony hadn't changed completely. He studied the younger man as they both sat. Tony looked older but more at ease and confident. He had more laugh lines/wrinkles around his eyes and mouth, his skin was darker which made his eyes look more alive and at the moment they were dancing.

Tony was doing his own observation of Gibbs at the same time. The older man looked older, more his age then when Tony had last seen him. His hair was whiter with streaks of gray instead of the other way around; he seemed softer around the eyes and the middle. Tony also noticed the way Gibbs favored his left leg when he stood and he could feel the different weight distribution when they hugged. Overall, Tony was pleased. When he first left he had been worried about who would take care of Gibbs, to make sure he ate regularly, took breaks, got away from the boat once in a while and slept properly. It looked like someone had taken his role and for that he was grateful.

The silence had stretched on a moment too long.

"I have one question," Gibbs asked.

Tony nodded he knew.

"Why?" Tony asked and Gibbs nodded. "I...after...I guess things just added up and it got out of control. The plague, Jeffery White, the explosion, your coma, being team leader, the last case with the baby and then Jeanne. Jeanne showed me I could have more; that at forty I could have a wife, kids and not just a job to fill my life with. Jeanne left me a choice, stay or join her. It was either leave my family- you, Probie, Ziva, Ducky, Abby, even Palmer or join Jeanne and start a new family, my own family with someone I loved and made me feel whole and wanted. Am I making any sense here?" Tony asked sheepishly.

Gibbs smiled and nodded; he leaned forward grasping his beer bottle, ignoring his pizza.

"So I guess we lost, huh?" He asked with a small grin.

Tony nodded. "At my last case, watching them with their baby I realized for the first time I wanted that. I wanted a baby, a house, a wife and everything that came with it. I was thirty-five years old, how much time did I have to waste to find a new woman like Jeanne and start over. It took me forever to find her. And after the Frog case I just couldn't do it anymore. The teasing, insults, no recognition, being sent on any undercover case 'cause I was easy to get to say yes, it was...bad and I needed to start over. My resignation had been typed ever since Kate died, but then she did and I couldn't leave you with Probie, then we got Ziva, then you got blown up, you left then came back and I was offered my own team in Spain but I turned it down because you weren't ready for me to leave. You didn't have all your memories back, do you even remember everything now?" Tony asked intently.

Gibbs looked shocked at the words that poured out of Tony's mouth. He was amazed that Tony had noticed he hadn't regained his memories as quickly as he had said.

"About five years ago I was shot," he ran his fingers through his hair where Tony could see raised skin of a scar; he winced in sympathy and nodded for Gibbs to continue. "The same thing happened as the explosion, I was in a coma for four days and came out just as confused as before but I remembered everything up to the ten years previous to that. So I kept asking for you because you were my probie at the time, but you were gone and nobody would tell me where you were because they wanted me to remember by myself. I kept thinking you were dead; that you were shot too, but Ducky was adamant that you were okay. At least I knew who he was this time. I took a month leave, worked on the boat, drank, sat with Ducky and it all started to come back, even memories I had forgotten from the first time, the very first time during the war. It was eye opening. Afterwards I stayed on desk duty and retired two years later. Duck died one year later, after that Abby had her twins, Archer and Agnus. McGee's director, he started the year I retired, he instituted day care at the office so he could see the twins during the day. Those two are odd parents but it works, they're not married but they say its better that way. I don't understand, they live together and have the kids but what do I know. Now I'm the one rambling."

"Wow" was all Tony could say. Once Jeanne and he had returned from Africa and had access to the rest of the world, Tony had looked everyone up and had kept updates on everyone, he knew Tim had made Director and Abby had the twins and he had sent flowers when Ducky had passed, the old man had even made the news in France at the time. "I'm sorry," he said motioning to Gibbs head. "Why didn't someone call me? I would have come back."

"We didn't know where you were until a few months after everything happened. Abby never quit looking but your trail ran cold in Africa right after you left then it picked back up around Europe but nothing definite." Gibbs filled in.

"Why did you wait so long to find me then?"

"I wasn't sure of the reaction I would get, I thought for a long time you left because of me." Gibbs paused for a moment but didn't let Tony interrupt. "And when I was ready to come Abby was having the twins. Agnus was sickly and didn't come home for a month. Tim was gone working and Abby was having a hard time. They call me Grandpa now. I stayed with them for a few months, now I take them during the week once in a while to give the day care workers a break, I'm usually there for holidays and such." Gibbs finished glowing with pride.

"Do you have pictures?" Tony asked engrossed in Gibbs story.

Gibbs looked affronted that Tony would even ask such a question as he pulled out his wallet.

Tony oohed and ahhed over the pictures as Gibbs looked at the kids drawing on the fridge.

"Jeanne told me about Jet, I'm so sorry Tony, I can't imagine what it felt like to lose him so young."

"That was the hardest moment in my life, laying my son in the ground. I covered his grave with stones and a cross. I hope someday we can go back and visit. I hated leaving him there alone but we had to think of Olivia." Tony eyes were filled with tears as he handed back the many photos Gibbs had.

"Can I ask about James? Jeanne didn't say anything about hearing loss but she was signing to him right?" Gibbs curiosity got the better of him.

"Yeah, when James was born they diagnosed him with hearing loss and by six months we knew it was total loss. We started taking French Sign Language. It's been challenging but I couldn't have asked for a better kid. He knows FSL, Spanish sign and American Sign Language. I'm fluent in FSL and ASL. Olivia and Jeanne know all three as well. We gave Jamie the choice of cochlear implants or not, but this age he says no. He loves his school, teachers, and the whole Deaf community. He sees nothing wrong with himself and neither do we."

"But he's only four, how can he decide?" Gibbs asked astonished. Most hearing parents wanted their children to get the implants as soon as they could if they could.

"He's smart, it's his decision. There's a Deaf community right around the corner, so he lives in both worlds. If, one day, he wants the implants we'll be there to back him up. But it's his choice. I think Jeanne told him to speak ASL to you so you two should be able to communicate. He loves to sail, I take him to the beach whenever I can. I swear he's part fish." Now it was Tony who was speaking with absolute pride.

"You seem really happy Tony and I'm happy for you. I'm glad you found what you were looking for. But I have to ask. Why didn't you contact us? You made me that beautiful room, you sent flowers to Ducky's funeral, and we all thought you would either show up or call, even Ziva and she's living back home working for her government again."

Tony looked grim. "I don't have a good answer for you. The first two years, communication was impossible but afterwards everything was changing and so much was going on. I started working on your room hoping that you'd find me. Hoping that you hadn't stopped looking if you had even started. When I heard Ducky died I was in the hospital with pneumonia and I wanted to be there but I wasn't sure of the reception I would get and every year it just seemed harder and harder. I'm sorry I should have contacted one of you. I'm so used to just cutting ties and moving on and when I did realize I forgot how much of a family we were. I was hoping you would find me because I realized it was you who kept me grounded all those years when I thought I was going to go crazy. You taught me what a real family was. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be here today with Jeanne, Olivia, Jamie and the little one on the way. And I was hoping you would find us and want to stay. That room is not just for you to use this time. Jeanne and I would love it if you stayed...permanently. You could help me with the kids coaching teams, maybe even get a job at the Embassy if you want, we even have a garage out back for you to build a boat in. The little ones on the way if you want to help or run screaming, we would understand. The kids already see you as Grandpa or Grandpere; I talked about you more than my father. They never met him and that's fine with me but I really wanted them to meet you even if it is a short visit." Tony ran out of steam and waited for Gibbs response, he had tossed out a huge question and it hung in the air between them.

"Tony...I'm honored you would ask me to be part of your life and especially after all this time. And after I was such an ass to you all those years we worked together. I never saw who you were until you left. And I realized you were a bigger part of my life than I thought; I felt like the last of my family had left, I felt like when I lost Shannon and Kelly. It took me a long time to realize that. And that's why...I got an open ended ticket to return to the states. We'll see how it goes. But I definitely will have to leave in November." Gibbs said smiling.

"Oh" Tony responded disappointedly hoping Gibbs would want to stay for a long time. It was already September, he would be leaving soon. Tony pasted on a smile. "Sounds good, boss"

"Abby, Tim and the kids would kill me if I missed Thanksgiving and Christmas at their house, but maybe I can make it back to celebrate New Years here." Gibbs said with a teasing smile.

Tony looked incredulous.

"You'll stay? You want to stay? That's great! You won't be disappointed, I promise! The kids will-"

"Why do you think I came, DiNizzo? I'm here for the long haul."

Okay so what does everyone think? Did I do the story justice? I'm sorry for all the mistakes I wrote it all in one sitting then posted it so it didn't get a real check. Did I forget anything, should I add anything else? Thank you for reading.