Title: Daddy DiNozzo

Author: LaFluff

Disclaimer: NCIS and its characters do not belong to me, this was just written as a bit of fun.

Summary: Tony's best friend has recently died and made Tony the legal guardian of Evie, her six-year-old daughter. DiNozzo rises to the challenge of fatherhood, with a little help and a little hindrance from the team.

Author's Notes: Set sometime after beginning of season nine.

All feedback welcome good, bad, constructive… everyone is entitled to an opinion.

Warning: Will be Tibbs slash, don't like it? Tough.

Thanks and Acknowledgements:

50 reviews so far, all really positive and some constructive comments too, thank you! I put some notes at the end of the chapter to answer some of the specific questions you had...

Thanks again!

OXOXOXOXOXO

Evie excused herself after that, asking for permission to leave the table with manners fifty-years out of date and Tony got up to make Gibbs a large cup of coffee. A comfortable silence reigned as they stood in the kitchen, leaning against the central island while Gibbs lingered over his drink.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Tony winced slightly at Gibbs' quiet question, that moderate tone was usually a warning sign of a pending Gibbs explosion but at second glance he seemed more hurt than angry. "There's no easy way to answer that, there's no one single reason." Gibbs raised that eyebrow again prompting Tony to continue.

"Evie is nervous around new people, she doesn't mind talking to them but she gets very uncomfortable if they get inside her personal space and she'll panic if they touch her. I needed to let her get comfortable around me and in her new home before I introduced her to too many new people."

"Why is she so skittish?" Gibbs interjected.

"She's not had the easiest life, she's been moved all over the world, she never knew her real dad, she's too smart to really identify with other children her age. It could be all of those things or none of them, all I care about is that she feels safe with me, that it's my job to see that she is safe."

"You'll do good DiNozzo."

The simple confidence in this statement made Tony pause, gratified that Gibbs was so sure of his ability to care for Evie. "Thanks Boss," he paused, "That's another reason I wanted to keep it myself for awhile, I needed to work out how to be a father, my own way. I knew everyone at NCIS would want to help me but I needed to know I could do it alone."

Gibbs head-slapped him, "Of course you can, idiot."

Tony grinned, "Yes, I can be a father, and more importantly I want to be. She's a joy to look after Boss. That's why I want to leave NCIS, I want to be able to spend more time with her, be here every evening to make her dinner, read to her, play with her, put her to bed… I thought, I knew you'd understand if you met her."

"I do Tony, I would have before I met her, but surely giving up the job you love to go and push paper in Chicago isn't necessary? You're an investigator to the bone, can you really sit behind a desk all day and be happy?"

"If I'm giving it up for Evie, yes. She's worth it."

"Perhaps we can work something out? So you can be here for Evie and still do the job?" Gibbs was not giving in without a fight, he was willing to push Tony to keep him at NCIS, keep him in DC.

Tony saw Gibbs' determination and had to push back, "Do you really think you would let me go home halfway through a case to go to watch Evie play violin? Or to read to her at bedtime? I can't see it Boss. The MCRT demands complete dedication, I can't give that anymore, Evie comes first."

"What about on another team Tony? At least then you'll still be at the yard, still be in DC, with us."

Tony didn't reply immediately, his mind dwelling on the last few days and Gibbs' reaction to his announcement in the basement, "With us, or with you Boss? Which is it?"

"Both," Gibbs answered immediately, "Abby and Ducky would be heartbroken not to see you regularly or to be able to get to know Evie. McGee and Ziva would miss you, they rely on you more than they know and I… well I don't want you to go."

A longer silence followed before Tony carefully asked, "Are we going to talk about it? I mean… You kissed me Boss, you said you love me."

"I did."

Tony was rather taken aback at the matter-of-fact tone that Gibbs adopted and was prompted to ask, "Why?"

"Why do you think DiNozzo? Because I wanted to."

"I'm having a little trouble getting my head around that Boss, what with you having been married four times and with… well with Shannon. I don't understand."

"You ever been in love DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked cutting through Tony's thoughts.

"Yes Boss."

"Can you explain how you fell in love? Or why?"

"But… another man? I never even considered, just wouldn't cross my mind," said Tony struggling for the right words.

"Is that a 'no' DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked, preparing for rejection just as he had the night before in the basement. In reply Tony just frowned. "Don't look so worried Tony, I understand you're not interested in men, I'm not going to hold it against you if you say no."

"Nooooo, I'm not saying no." Tony drew out the words, trying to understand his own response to Gibbs' interest, "I just don't know why I'm not saying no Boss."

"That's okay Tony," Gibbs voice was gentle now, soft in a way Tony had only ever heard directed at children and on rare occasions at Abby or Ziva. "Take some time, think about it. I'm not going anywhere and I give you my word I won't do anything you don't want me to, or hold this against you in any way."

"I should be freaking out Gibbs, or having a sexual identity crisis, something, anything. But I'm just…puzzled, I was always happy when you called me your friend, when you chose to do something with me but… and last night, you looked like a kicked puppy when you handed me that beer and all I wanted to do was make you feel better, I had to make you understand that it was for Evie, that I didn't want to leave you."

Gibbs fought back the grin that threatened to break out at Tony's rambling and settled on a reassuring smile instead, "That's good to know Tony. Would you be willing to stay if we can find you something on another team, so you can keep regular hours and be home more often?"

"Yeah Gibbs, I would but… You aren't just doing this because… I mean you wouldn't do this for just anyone would you?" Tony sounded vaguely disapproving.

"No, not just anyone, but NCIS can't afford to lose an investigator of your experience and talent. We need you," he did grin then when he saw Tony's surprise, "Not what you expected me to say?"

"No, not really Boss, you aren't exactly free and easy with the positive feedback."

Gibbs snorted, "Can't have your ego getting any bigger DiNozzo, it wouldn't fit in the bullpen."

This led to a friendly trading-of-insults that was comfortable and easy, they grabbed a couple of beers and went to sit on the decking in Tony's backyard to enjoy some sunshine, talk of work, movies and sport easily flowing between them.

When the sun began to dip behind the trees lining Tony's yard Gibbs stood to leave, thanking Tony who followed him to the door.

"I'll set up a meeting with Vance first thing on Monday, see what we can find for you. In the meantime you should start to transfer some of your workload to McGee, train him up a little. I know he didn't take on all of the SFA work while I was in Mexico and you won't be able to pick up the slack for him this time."

"Right Boss." Tony responded automatically.

"I'll see you Monday." Gibbs said turning to open the door.

"Gibbs wait," Tony grabbed at Gibbs' arm and held it loosely, "If it doesn't work out at NCIS, I won't leave DC. I'll find another job here."

This earned Tony one of Gibbs' real smiles, "Thanks Tony," taking a step closer he reached up to grasp the back of Tony's head and made his next statement a question, "Tell me to stop if you want?"

Receiving no instructions to stop Gibbs brought Tony's head down and trailed close-mouthed kisses across his lips, after a moment of indecision Tony relaxed, hooking an arm around Gibbs and enjoying the sensation.

Gibbs didn't keep it up for more than a few seconds, stopping to tilt Tony's head down and speak directly to him in an ordering tone similar to his work voice, "I'm not going to push you on this Tony, I can and I will push you to stick with NCIS, but not with anything else. Take your time, think about it."

Tony nodded his agreement but didn't remove his arm from Gibbs' waist instead asking, "Want to say goodbye to Evie? I think she took a shine to you."

"Sure Tony, I took a shine to her too."

Gibbs was rewarded with a full on thousand-megawatt DiNozzo grin.

"Evie!" Tony called, eyes not leaving Gibbs' face, "Uncle Gibbs is leaving, come and say goodbye."

They heard a call of "Just a sec!" drift downstairs and then running footsteps, only then did Tony step back, releasing Gibbs.

Evie came running down the stairs carrying a large roll of paper, tied with blue string, she came to stand so that she was slightly behind Tony using his body to shield her from Gibbs, but she did smile at him as she peeped around Tony's legs.

Tony reached a hand back automatically to stroke her hair, smile widening as he registered the presence of the paper roll, "She must really like you Boss, looks like you're to be honoured with one of her drawings."

Evie went bright red at Tony's teasing and thumped him soundly on the leg with a hiss of "Daddy! Shut up!" but she did offer Gibbs the paper roll with an unintelligible mumble.

Gibbs asked if he could undo the string to take a look, at Evie's nod he unfurled the paper to reveal a sketch. Gibbs blinked, Tony had said the girl was smart, advanced for her age, he hadn't mentioned this, the sketch was impossibly detailed, it showed him and Tony after an NCIS softball game, Tony had slung his arm around Gibbs who was grinning. Gibbs could remember the game in question and Tony's exuberance when they had beaten FBI team to the league trophy, back when Tony had first started at NCIS they had both played regularly on the NCIS team.

"Daddy has lots of photos in the den, this is the only one of the two of you together, there were a couple of you alone but I prefer to draw pictures with more than one subject, so I picked this one." She explained, a strange mix of adult diction and childish enthusiasm.

"It's beautiful, so detailed. Thank you Evie, I think I will have to make a frame for this." He smiled at her charmed over again by DiNozzo's daughter.

"Make a frame?" Evie asked.

"Well I can't draw like this, but I'm a fair carpenter and I think this picture deserves a frame," he responded solemnly.

Evie grinned like any other small child will when praised, "Can I see the frame, when you've finished it?"

"Sure, you can come and see me hang the picture."

Tony jumped in laughing, "You tell us when and we'll make a visit of it, a special opening of the Gibbs' Art Gallery."

Gibbs rolled his eyes, nodded to Tony, and retreated out of the door. Carefully rolling up his sketch, he made for his car and home where he would prop Evie's drawing on his mantel until he could finish the planned frame.

OXOXOXOXOXO

Thanks again to everyone who left reviews and comments, I thought I should respond to a few of the more specific:

1. Someone (a guest) corrected me on mu use of 'wunderkind' in Chapter Two (there is no umlaut) and I have corrected in next draft (although I won't post that just yet).

2. An ex Brit Soldier advised me that there are no soldiers in the RAF (true if you define soldier as someone on the ground running at the bad guy with guns, there are two airborne units in British forces but they are affiliated with the Army (Special Air Service (SAS) and the Parachute Regiment).

3. Alley of the Labyrinth commented on Evie's dialogue, yes Evie is smart (IQ of over 170) and she is older than she looks (Gibbs thought that she looked about five when he met her but she's actually just about to turn seven).

4. Someone (another guest) said that this would be better as a Gibbs/Tony father/son story but I am a die-hard Tibbs fan so not this time sorry! I do have an idea for a short father/son story but I won't be writing that one until I am done with Daddy DiNozzo, however if you tell me who you are I will gift the story to you over on AO3.