Tony mumbled as someone something as somebody shook him awake. He was having a nice dream where he was riding his bicycle with a nice woman who was being friendly. They were exchanging toys and she even stayed at his place, "You awake Dinozzo?"

"Me sleeping." Tony answered before opening his eyes.

It seemed that he felt very tired still. It had been a long day, "Come on Dinozzo."

"No." Tony answered trying to lie back down.

"Come on." Gibbs said.

Eventually Tony climbed to his feet and followed Gibbs back to the bullpen. There wasn't too much evidence they could get through the night so he thought he'd take Dinozzo home with him. He also learned that perhaps it would be a smart idea to keep a distance from Ziva. She was scary looking.

"You want me to take Tony home with me again Boss?" Mcgee asked but was really hoping that he'd say no.

"No way." Gibbs said, "I don't think I can trust you two to watch Dinozzo again. A) Mcgee you left him home alone, B) Both of you took your eyes off him and lost him."

"But we had a job to do." Mcgee said.

"Excuses Mcgee." Gibbs snapped back, "You two can't be trusted."

"But Boss." Ziva began.

"He's coming home with me." Gibbs stated with no intention of him being told otherwise.

Tony felt strangely proud of himself to see Mcgee and Ziva getting an earful from Gibbs and he poked his tongue out and laughed this earned him evil looks from Mcgee and Ziva so he quickly ran up to catch up with Gibbs.

"I want you in Oh seven thirty." Gibbs said as they got into the elevator.

"What are you doing Mcgee?" Ziva asked when she noticed him writing something down in a pocket sized notebook.

"Keeping score." Mcgee said, "I plan on getting Tony back for all this."

Gibbs had swept by Tony's apartment and picked up some of his clothes and silky pajamas and ended up at his house, "You want something to eat Dinozzo?"

"Ice cream!" Tony shouted at the top of his lungs, "Ice cream!"

"No Dinozzo, you have to have something more substantial than that." Gibbs said followed by the fact that he knew he didn't have any ice cream to share.

"Ice cream!" Tony shouted.

Gibbs rolled his eyes, "How about Pie?" He asked.

"Iiiiice Creeaaaaam!" Tony said slowly so that Gibbs could understand what he was trying to say since it seemed like the older man was having trouble hearing him.

"I know you want ice cream." Gibbs said patiently, "But I don't have any ice cream... How about apple pie."

"Apple pie... Apple pie... Apple pie." Tony shouted excitedly jumping up and down, "And lollies."

"No lollies." Gibbs said, "You can have a drink from the fridge though. Help yourself." He said as he put what was left of the apple pie in the microwave to heat it up.

"Yay." Tony said.

This brought a very light smack to the back of Tony's head and Tony rubbed it, "What do you say?" There was no reason that Tony shouldn't use his manners.

"Er, thank you?" Tony asked.

"Good man." Gibbs said.

Tony grabbed the first drink he saw and sat on the living room couch and opened the bottle and started drinking. When Gibbs walked in and saw Tony sitting on the lounge drinking a bottle of beer it felt like he had completely gone back to normal, "Dinozzo!" Gibbs shouted at him in hope and excitement.

"Gwibbs!" Tony shouted back, "This lemonade is awful." He walked to the sink and began tipping the bottles out, "Awful... Eeeew."

"Dinozzo!" Gibbs shouted as Dinozzo went to grab the other bottles, "Leave those alone... That's adult lemonade."

Tony screwed up his face, "Where's daddy?" He asked.

This took Gibbs aback. The suddenness of it, he knew of the history between the father and son but couldn't tell the kid that he and dad was hardly on speaking terms. Gibbs had to think of something and think of it quick, "Your daddy had to away Dinozzo." Gibbs said with care, "And he wanted you to stay with me and NCIS... Would you like that Dinozzo?"

Tony thought for a moment, "I like you Gwibbs... You're nice." He said, "Stay with you? Yay!"

"Thank you Dinozzo." Gibbs said for such a long time he'd felt that parental bond with the senior agent and it seems that Tony knew it and would always feel it no matter how old he thought he was, "I like you to Dinozzo." He said earnestly. This put a smile on Tony's face.

Gibbs had put Tony to bed and tucked him in but it seemed that five minutes later he heard large banging coming from his room and he had to make sure that he was alright. The sight of a grown man jumping up and down on the bed shouting random things that didn't make sense was almost enough to send him over the edge.

"Trampoline Gwibbs!" Was the only thing that made sense.

"Stop that Dinozzo!" Gibbs said as he tried to grab him.

"Wee." Tony said, "Fun!"

"Goddamnit Anthony Dinozzo!" Gibbs shouted angrily, "Stop that jumping right this instant!"

Suddenly he stopped and stood still for a moment and hopped off the bed. Tony looked at Gibbs with such hurt in his eyes and was on the verge of tears.

"I'm sorry." Gibbs said, "Tony..." There was guilt written all over his eyes.

"You just like dad!" Tony shouted back and ran about the house until locking himself in the closet. That was something that tore at Gibbs' heart. He knew how much animosity went on between those two and then to be compared to him was downright hurtful.

"Dinozzo." Gibbs said to the closet door.

"Go away you mean man." Tony said, "All yell at Tony. Not fair."

"I didn't mean it Dinozzo." Gibbs said.

The sound of a mobile ringing from inside the closet made Gibbs look up.

"Hello?" Tony said into the mobile, "This is Tony." There was a long pause, "I love Candy." He said, "No... I've been a good boy... Yes I have! I have!" Tony began to cry.

"Dinozzo?" Gibbs asked, "Unlock the door buddy."

"I haven't been a bad boy have I Gwibbs?" He unlocked the closet with tears streaming down his face, "I've been good haven't I?"

Gibbs held him tight, "Yes you have." He smiled and wondered what would have happened if some girl had called him in this state.

"She said I've been one bad boy." Tony cried out.

"It was a wrong number." Gibbs said trying to protect him. That Candy was probably just as confused as Tony was. This brought a smile to Gibbs' face, "Don't worry about it."

Gibbs was asleep in the spare bedroom when he heard Tony scream and began calling his name, "Gwibbs! Gwibbs! Gwibbs!" Tony called out.

Gibbs leaped out of his bed and ran to Tony, "What is it Dinozzo?" He asked.

"I had a bad dream Gwibbs." Tony calmed down now that Gibbs was there, "We were standing around and a woman went to sleep. We couldn't wake her, she never woke Gwibbs!" Tony was sobbing into Gibbs arm, "Why?"

"It was just a bad dream Dinozzo." Gibbs said trying to hide the fact that he knew exactly what he was dreaming about. His true consciousness was pushing forward and confusing the kid, "Don't worry it won't happen again."

"Can I sleep with you?" Tony asked.

Gibbs was shocked at first, but he had to keep reminding himself that Tony thinks he's a kid and not a grown man, "Come on." Gibbs said, "Remember you almost six now. A big boy and big boys sleep by themselves alright Dinozzo?"

"Yes." Tony replied, "Goodnight Gwibbs."