McGee and Kate cast a glance between eachother as they looked at Tony's sleeping form. The oxygen was turned way up sinse the last time they'd seen him.

"Gibbs must've cut his hair" McGee whispered.

"You don't need.. to whisper.. I can hear you just fine" Tony said from his bed. He sounded weak, "come over here, the way you're stalling makes.. me feel like I'm on my.. death bed or something" Tony chuckled low in his throat. Kate and McGee cast another glance between eachother before apporaching Tony's bed. McGee sat in the chair while Kate sat on the armrest.

"Gibbs cut my hair.. does it look.. good?" Tony asked, tired green eyes peering at Kate and McGee.

"You look good" McGee said and smiled warmly.

"You do" Kate agreed and smiled. Tony smiled back at them, a ghost of himself. As McGee and Tony led a little conversation, Kate drifted into her own thoughts, just looking at Tony.

He's so.. small... so fragile. And now he was dead. And here he is, still trying to be funny, trying to be Tony, but his eyes.. his eyes holds something I can't explain. Something vulnerable, something frightening. Darkness, panic, fear, sadness, hurt, disbelief.. SOMETHING I can't put my finger on also. Anger? Is he angry about us being here, seeing him like this? Or is he happy now, contemptly laying there in his bed? He looks like a young boy again. So thin. Like some awfully bad time machine change or something. Like he was transported back to young age in his grown body.

"Something wrong.. Kaitie?" Tony sniped, making McGee smile akwardly. Kate shook her head and smiled, letting out a slightly frustrated laugh as she looked at the ceiling. Then she cleaned her throat and looked at Tony. Mcgee looked down at the floor, trying his best impersonation of the invisible man. It didn't work.

"Tony.. I just.. If you ever want to talk, we're right here" Kate said. Tony eyed her and then sighed.

"Kate, please don't do this, I can't talk about this with you.. not now.. maybe not ever" Tony said.

"Don't you care about Gibbs? He want's you healthy, he thinks of you as his son an-"

"You're wrong Kate" McGee interrupted. Kate turned to him and blinked.

"Huh?" Kate asked, "excuse me?"

"You. Are. Wrong. Kate." McGee said again, "Gibbs doesn't look at Tony like his son.. Abby told me, and I'm truly happy for you two Tony, Kate, listen, Gibbs looks at Tony like.. uh..."

"Like you look at.. a guy" Tony shot in. Kate blinked.

"What're you ta...oh.. OH! Oh my God! Tony that's a sin! You.. no.. no no no, Gibbs is gay?" Kate asked in disbelief. Tony looked at her, sadness forming a black hole in his eyes. She regretted what she said and sighed, "Tony.. it's.. i don't really care.. I love you like a brother, and if you're happy, then I'm happy, for ME, it doesn't matter who you love, I just.. it was a really big surprise you know" Kate smiled warmly at Tony who smiled back.

A ghost.

"Uhm.. we should.. should probably leave.. Tony get better, and.. and talk when you're ready.. we're always here, and.. I brought you these.. the director's Ingmar Bergmann" McGee said and lay some movies on Tony's nightstand.

"Thanks.. both of you" Tony said, closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep.

"Night Tony" McGee whispered, before leaving with Kate. They walked down the stairs and saw Gibbs sitting with Abby and Ducky.

"I'm gonna take my turn with him now, he'll probably hate me for not waking him up, but I just got to make sure that he's alive" Abby chirped, taking three steps at the time in the stairs.

"You'd think someone was still feeding Abby Caf-Pow!" Kate said and shook her head, arms crossed as she looked up the stairs, as if she was trying to see through the floorboards, like she could control Tony from there, or Abby for that sake.

The doorbell rang and Gibbs frowned, standing up and walking over to the door. As he opened it, there was a tall man outside, he had a boquet of flowers in his left hand, a walking stick in his right, he had a hat, brown hair, greenish greyish eyes, tanned skin, and he was fairly tall. When he smiled, Gibbs kew who he was before he spoke.

"Antonio DiNozzo" Gibbs growled, making the three heads behind him turn in their direction.

"I see my reputation proceeds me, may I come in?" Antonio asked.

"No" Gibbs growled.

"Jethro! This is Anthony's fa-"

"Duck! Stay out of this! Antonio, if you ever set foot on this property again, I will not only kill you, I will torture you slowly and fry your balls over an open campfire while you wtch, feed you with them before snapping your lying neck! Now get the hell away from here!" Gibbs hissed.

"I have a right to see my son!" Anotnio hissed back.

"You lost that right when Tony got the restraining order! You lost it the first time you lay your hands on him! You lost it when you left him in that dark closet for three days! You get off this land NOW, or I WILL kill you!" Gibbs growled.

Antonio looked like he was about to say something, then shoved the boquet at Gibbs, before lifting his head, smiling, and walking away. Gibbs stared after him, growling slightly like a mean watch dog as he watched the man hobble to his car, get in the back, and the car driving slowly away from Tony's nice house. Then Gibbs sighed, looking down. Lillies. Tony was allergic to lillies. He hated lillies. Stupid Antonio.

"He's allergic to lillies you prick" Gibbs sighed as he tossed them outside. When he turned back, three faces was looking like question marks, and Gibbs sat down with them. "When Tony was young, his mother killed herself while he was in the room. He couldn't save her, and Antonio, Tony's supposed father, was passed out drunk. Tony called the cops who wanted to place him in a fosterhome, but Antonio ownes the whole damn village over there..he got Tony back, started abusing him physically, hitting him, taking out his anger and sorrow on him.. When.. you remember when Tony was on sickleave a couple of years back? Dehydration and all that? I came here, and I found him in a closet. All his vodka was gone.. His father had been here, beat him up, locked him in the closet for three days straight, no food, no water, two more hours, and Tony would have been dead... I don't want Tony to have to deal with him when he's still so..so damn..." Gibbs looked for the word.

"Fragile?" Ducky asked.

"yeah, fragile.. maybe when he's stronger.." Gibbs sighed.

"Until then, we're going to do our best to keep this out of the media's spotlight" Kate said. Realization hit Gibbs.

"He's going to go to the press! Jesus, he can't see him, so he's going to tell the media!" Gibbs said, panic hitting him, forming a lump in his stomach, "Antonio's going to the media!" Gibbs growled.

"On it boss!" McGee said, as he and Kate ran for the door, jumping in the car and driving away.

"Let us pray that they reach him, before he reaches anyone" Ducky sighed.

"Hey silverfox.. he's asking for his pillow?" Abby asked.

"Ah.. sleeping time" Gibbs smirked, got up, made some broth, and went upstairs to meet Tony. He fed him, changed his clothing, rolled him over on his side for a change, and lay closely behind him.

"Body.. pillow.. want to face you" Tony mumbled. Gibbs turned Tony around and kissed him, "Mmh.. could get very used to that" Tony said, green eyes meeting blue.

"That's the idea Tony" Gibbs smirked.

"Good Idea.. best Idea I've ever heard.. who was at the.. door?" Tony asked.

"McGee loced himself out of the house" Gibbs said.

"Don't worry.. you'll get him.. housbroken eventually" Tony chuckled slightly. Gibbs smirked. Mission: Lie to Tony's face about his father, completed. Tony was safe for another night. At least, from other people. The biggest danger was still facing Tony like a bitchslap in the face.

Tony was still dangerous, for Tony.

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AN: I kinnda liked this chapter as well. I hope you guys did too. I need those tender loving moments between Gibbs and Tony, sorry for all you tate and Tabby and Kibbs and Kabby lovers out there. I just can't stop the Tibbs lovin'. I'M ADDICTED!

Reviews?

Disclaimer. All hail DPB.