As soon as Gibbs stepped inside his house, the smell of vomit hit him. It was so strong that if he wasn't used to it, he sure would've run to the bathroom and puked himself.

A low moan came from the living room which was followed by Senior's voice, "Gibbs, is that you?"

"You expect someone else?" Gibbs growled. "Thanks for ruining my living room, by the way."

"I wouldn't have if I wasn't cuffed to a damn pipe. Where the hell were you? Why in the hell am I cuffed?" He would've yelled if he didn't think it'd intensify his headache.

"Why do you think?" Gibbs gave him a hard glare.

"You went to Tony's." Senior's anger faded away immediately.

"Someone should've since his biological father is nothing more than a drunken bastard." He emphasized the word 'biological', indicating that Senior was nothing that a real father should be.

"Is he... Is-" Senior couldn't finish his sentence.

He'd woken up with a killer headache and had no idea where he was or what had happened. He'd tried to move and get to a bathroom, but when he found out that he was cuffed, he couldn't stop himself from bringing up his last night's meal.

It was only then that he saw his blood-covered hands and remembered what he'd done.

He didn't have a clear memory; all he could remember was waking up on the floor of Tony's apartment and the first thing that he'd seen was his son's battered form lying in front of him with his face and head covered in blood and his lips blue. He'd jumped up and tried to wake his son up, but he hadn't been successful.

Tony was gone.

He didn't know why or how he'd come to Gibbs', but he could remember telling the agent about his son and then nothing.

Remembering his son's lifeless body had made him puke one more time, but that had been around 11 in the morning and he'd been waiting for someone to come and get him ever since.

"You checked him yourself, didn't you?" Gibbs asked, not giving away anything about Tony's well-being.

"I tried to wake him up. I-" tears welled up in his eyes and Senior blinked hard to stop them from falling; DiNozzos don't cry, after all. Not even for the loss of their family or friends. Or their only son, for that matter!

"You didn't even bother to check his pulse, did you? Oh what am I saying, you were loaded to the gills; you couldn't even move your sorry ass without running into a wall. What the hell happened there? What did you do?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know?" Gibbs growled as he knelt in front of the older man, grabbed him by his collar and shook him. "You beat the crap out of your own son and you don't even know what the hell you were arguing about? You're a poor excuse of a man, let alone a father. You don't deserve someone like him in your life. You don't deserve a son like Tony." He couldn't help but yell.

He'd been grieving the loss of his child more than 20 years and there in front of him was a man who had an amazing son and yet he'd ignored and neglected the said son repeatedly and like it wasn't bad enough, now he'd hit him and put him in the hospital.

Gibbs had tried hard not to interfere in their lives directly; he'd tried to give them space and time and in the meantime he'd tried to show the older man that he had to appreciate and cherish the treasure he still had, but instead of opening his eyes, that bastard had hurt his son even more.

Gibbs couldn't forget the defeated look he'd seen in Tony's eyes when he'd remembered that it was his father who had put him there.

Gibbs'd done everything to open Senior's eyes, but the man was a lost cause.

So now, he'd settle for the second best thing he could do for his friend. He'd make sure that that bastard father of the younger man's would be out of his life for good.

Tony didn't need a father like him; he never really had one, although in his 40s he still craved a father figure. But Gibbs would do his best to give Tony what he needed and fill that spot. He might not have been there for Tony much, lately, but he would try harder.

"Do you know what was his first thought when he remembered you were there last night? He was worried for you. He was worried you might've gotten hurt. You bastard hurt him and he still keeps worrying for you and helping you, even though you don't deserve him."

"You're-" Senior was shocked. "He woke up? You mean he's alive? I didn't kill him? O God." He was visibly shaking.

"You don't look so happy to hear that. Why is that? You wanted something from him that he wouldn't give and you thought that if he died you could get it? You'll never get anywhere near him again. You hear me?" Gibbs pushed him backwards, he knew that what he was saying wasn't true, but he somehow wanted to hurt Senior as much as he could.

"What?" Senior was puzzled. "No, I just asked for some money and yes he refused to give it to me when he heard the amount I needed, but I'd never want him dead."

This time it was Gibbs' turn to look puzzled, albeit for a few seconds. "Thought you couldn't remember what you wanted from him." He snarled. "And money? Really? You hurt your son for money? How-"

"I didn't mean to." Senior whined. "He's my son, I love him."

"I might've believed you yesterday, if I tried really hard. But today? After what you did last night? I don't even know how you can say that. I'm not sure you even know what those words mean." Gibbs hissed. "You're lucky, though. One lucky bastard, who I repeat, does not deserve a son like Tony and I'll make sure you'll be out of his life, because I owe him that much."

Senior gulped. "You can't do that. I wanna see my son, now."

"Your son doesn't want to see you, now. In fact, he doesn't want to see you, period. He wanted me to let you go; he wouldn't press any charges, but he doesn't want to have anything to do with you from now on and I'll grant his wish, but before that, you'll clean your mess, here and in Tony's apartment. And if I ever hear from you again or see you around him, I'll make sure that you'll end up in jail and won't be out of it for at least another 10 years. Am I clear?"

DiNozzo Sr. didn't say anything. He was known for being stubborn and pushy; he wasn't one to admit defeat. All his life he'd gotten whatever he'd wished for and he wasn't about to let one little agent, who thought he was more of a father to his son than he was, separate him from his son.

Admittedly, he'd gone too far, but everyone was allowed to make a mistake or two and he might've made a few more than that, but he still was Tony's father and he knew perfectly well how forgiving Tony was. He'd forgive his old man and then they'd work on their issues. He'd make a good deal and then would buy Tony something big to show him that he cared. he'd-

His thoughts were interrupted as Gibbs' fist connected with his jaw hard and he ended up face down in his own vomit on the floor.

"You. Will. Not. Get near Tony, again." Gibbs seethed and then uncuffed him. "Clean your mess and don't even think about running away, because I'll happily shoot you."

...

That night, after Gibbs made DiNozzo Sr. clean his and Tony's place, he took him to the bus station, got him a ticket, punched him one more time and stood there till Senior got in and the bus left.

If anyone saw him punch Senior, nobody said anything since Senior, himself, didn't protest, at all. He'd tried to ask Gibbs to tell his son that he loved him and that was why Gibbs had punched him again.

Gibbs knew that it wouldn't end that easily, but Sr. was scared and ashamed enough to stop talking altogether. Or maybe he was just making plans for later, but Gibbs would deal with it when the situation called for it.

He got back to the hospital to find Tony asleep in his bed, with Abby's head on his arm. She was holding Tony's hand tightly even in her sleep.

Standing there for a few more minutes, he finally decided to call it safe and then he turned around and left the hospital for the night.

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... TBC ...

A/N: I dig your reviews. ;D

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