Chapter 8.

Tony sat in the manager's office, worried but his face not betraying how he felt as the manager looked over at the boy.

"Look...Anthony…" The manager, Mr. Masters started.

"Tony…" He mumbled, "My name is Tony...I need to get back to my room Sir, my father will be missing me."

Mr. Masters smiled kindly, "Son, I know that your father isn't here. He left a few days ago and not one of my staff have seen him come back."

"He was in my room this morning." Tony lied.

"I have tried to call him, so far there is no reply. I took the liberty of having Daniel look through your father's room, apart from these, it is empty." He handed Tony two envelopes.

One was addressed to the manager and one to Shannon and Jethro Gibbs.

"This is for you." Tony handed the manager the smaller of the two letters.

He swung his legs absentmindedly, focusing on his shoelaces as the manager read the letter.

He jumped as the man slammed the letter down on the desk, "Dammit!" Masters cursed then looked up. "I am sorry Tony, I didn't mean to scare you. Would you like to go to the restaurant and have some lunch, I will have Danny keep you company and you can have anything you wish, the bill is on me. I need to make some calls. Could you come back here afterwards?" He asked.

Tony nodded and looked up as Danny walked in the room.

"Hey kid, you up for some lunch?" He asked.

Tony nodded and stood up. "If you're sure it's ok?" He said looking at the manager.

Masters smiled, "I see you're partial to pizza. Go enjoy."

Danny smiled, "I know just the place sir, but not the restaurant, I'll get the tab."

His boss smiled, "I will see you both in about 2 hours then."

As the door shut the smile slipped from his face.

Damn that man, how could he do this to his own kid.

He looked down at the letter in his hand still surprised at the coldness in it.

To the manager.

You will have by now realized that I have not taken the boy with me.

He is a challenging child and has pushed me too far. He keeps telling me that he wants to live with a Jethro and Shannon Gibbs. They were going to be his foster parents anyway but I decided to give him a chance and bring him on this holiday.

Please inform CPS that the child is available for collection. I know his wishes are to be placed with Shannon and Jethro Gibbs. However if that is not possible, then I'm sure someone will want him.

God knows I don't.

Inside is a blank check to cover whatever bill he has run up since I left.

Yours

Anthony D. DiNozzo Senior.

Shaking his head, he picked up the phone and called Hawaii Child Protective Services.


Ms Halloran sat with her briefcase on her lap before a stunned manager.

"You can't what?"

"I said, we cannot have Mr. DiNozzo arrested and charged. He left his son in your care. He left money for his food and lodging and a suitable foster placement for the child." she replied.

"You know these...Gibbs' are a suitable family?" He asked stunned.

She smiled and nodded, "I made a few calls before coming over to you. I have been emailed two tickets to Los Angeles by Mr. DiNozzo, so his son will be able to get back to US soil, I will accompany him to his new home."

"I don't get it?" Masters shook his head in disbelief, "This child was abandoned."

"He was left in suitable care and there is no minimum age for a child to legally be left alone." She opened a manilla file she had taken from her briefcase. "Mr DiNozzo's lawyers sent me his birth certificate and a signed parental release form."

"Fine." Masters sighed, "I wish we could do more for the boy."

Tony sat on the plane with Ms Halloran who was chatting away happily.

"So we are going to meet my father when we land?" He asked annoyed that she hadn't explained anything while he had packed his luggage and had said goodbye to Danny and the manager.

"Arrangements have been made, don't worry now, you need to be a good boy. Here...your father said you like Magnum, I got you this magazine." She pulled the magazine from her bag and handed it to him.

Gut churning but knowing now from bitter experience not to ask questions he sat back to read.

Landing at the airport in Los Angeles he expected to be met by his father or his driver, but neither were there.

"We have another flight to catch hurry up boy." Ms Halloran snapped.

Grabbing his bag off the carousel Tony ran to catch up.

"Miss...I think we are heading for the wrong flight, that one goes to Washington D.C. I live in New York."

"I have the right flight." She walked briskly ahead so he had to run to catch up. "TONY!" she called back and even though he had stopped stunned he followed.

Maybe his father was in D.C on business.

As the plane took off, Tony turned to the woman accompanying him.

"I don't mean to be rude but please...Where are we going?"

"Your father says you are too much to look after. His message to you was have it your own way you are going back to where he found you."

Tony shook, again he was going to be abandoned in Washington D.C.

He wondered if he would be able to find the Gibbs' again. If they even would want to see him. After all none of his letters had been replied too. He had written to Shannon and Kelly regularly for a year and no one had replied. Not even Gibbs.

He sniffed as a tear slipped down his face.

Ms Halloran looked at him with disdain. She was sure that the money the DiNozzo family were paying her was not enough. But she wasn't crazy enough to contact the real CPS. It had been a bit of good luck on her part that she was an ex social worker and had known enough in advance that she could be at her old colleague's desk to intercept the call when it came in. The DiNozzo's really thought of everything.

"You are not to cause a scene. Remember you are and always will be Anthony D DiNozzo Jr."

Right then Tony would have given anything to be anyone else.

Silently he left the plane, the flight attendant looking at the boy and wondering what was going on in his life to make him look so down.

"Have a nice day." She smiled at him.

He gave her a brilliant smile, even though it didn't reach his eyes, "It's gonna be an interesting one ma'am." he replied and hurried to catch up with Ms. Halloran.


He grabbed his back and fought back the urge to be sick as the doors to the airport came into sight.

"Are you leaving me now?" He asked her.

She shot him a look of annoyance, "No, I'm taking you to your next home."

Tony nodded and sadly followed her to the car.

Watching as the city became the suburbs of Alexandria, little flashes of memory assailed him. His first father, shouting at him and stopping in the dark, leaving him on the side of the road in a strange city. Walking for hours trying to find somewhere warm.

Again it was raining outside, just like it had on that first night.

He stopped reminiscing as the car stopped outside a familiar house.

"Gibbs?"

Tony flew up to the door bag in hand and didn't even notice as Ms. Halloran walked up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder.

"You'll need to give them these." She handed him two envelopes and walked away.

For a second Tony stood rooted to the spot, she was leaving?

Then he realized again where he was and he knocked the door.

He jumped back confused as a strange woman knocked on the door.

"Yes?" Diane asked as she looked at the sandy haired pre-teen on her doorstep.

"I...Hi...I'm looking for Shannon? Is she in?" He looked past her, the house looked the same so maybe this was a friend.

"You have the wrong house son, go on home."

"No...I mean no I don't...Shannon and Kelly...she has to be about ten now right?"

"Look boy, I have no idea who you are talking about." Diane snapped.

Neither seeing the dark sedan pull up outside the house.

Tony took a step back, fighting back his tears, "They don't live here anymore? None of them, Shannon...Kelly...Gibbs?"

"Gibbs lives here, I'm his wife."

"No you're not?" Tony snapped.

She put her hands on her hips, "I assure you young man I most certainly am his wife, who are you?"

"Tony?" Gibbs' voice cracked as he took in the youngster on his doorstep.

"He didn't want me anymore Gibbs..." Tony looked broken and then he saw the new lines and look of sadness on Gibbs' face.

"And you don't want me either?" His shoulders slumped and he handed Gibbs the envelope.

Gibbs turned as he watched Tony walk up the path.

"Tony...stop…"

"Who is this boy Jethro."

Gibbs turned to Diane and without missing a beat just replied.

"He's my son."

At that Tony turned and ran headlong into Gibbs holding him tight and he sobbed.


Diane glared up the stairs as Gibbs opened the door to one of the two rooms he had never allowed her in, and placed Tony, now all cried out and asleep on the bed.

Walking down the stairs she looked at him.

"What do you mean he's your son? You don't have a child."

"Had two." He admitted. "Tony was my foster son for a while, just a little while and Shannon and I had Kelly."

"You never told me about them at all!" Diane hissed mindful of the sleeping child upstairs.

"None of your business." Gibbs shrugged and turned and headed for the basement.

"That's it…" Diane snapped and followed him downstairs.

Gibbs picked up a sander and started sanding the rib of the half built boat in the middle of the basement floor.

"You never listen to me Leroy. It's no wonder I…" Diane stopped looking guilty.

"It's no wonder you what?" Gibbs asked. "It's no wonder you've been cheating on me with my best friend?"

Diane looked shocked, "You know?"

Gibbs gave a hollow laugh, "Tobias and I are friends Diane. I introduced you remember. Yes I know. Here…." He threw a card at her.

"What is that?" Diane snapped.

"My lawyers number, you can leave tonight or the morning, your choice, Tobias is waiting for you… unless you were messing with him."

Diane pursed her lips and stormed up the stairs, "I'll leave tonight Leroy, you mark my words, my lawyer will take you to the cleaners. You lied to me."

Gibbs raised an eyebrow but said nothing as she turned and stormed upstairs to pack.

An hour later, the door slammed and five minutes after that a sleepy boy stood at the top of the stairs.

"Is she mad at me?" Tony asked.

Gibbs shook his head, "Nope."

He nodded towards the wood, "Come on, this needs finishing." He held out a sander to Tony and smiled as he helped Tony to sand the wood.

Tony yawned.

"Still tired?" Gibbs asked.

Tony nodded, "I flew from Hawaii."

"And boy are your arms tired." Gibbs smirked.

Tony smiled, "That's awful."

"I know," Gibbs agreed as they both headed up the stairs. "So we gonna look at the stuff you got me."

"Stuff?"

"One letter, one folder." Gibbs said.

"It's just from dad, he wants you and Shannon to have me, I'm in the way."

"Who?" Gibbs was confused. He knew that Senior was dead, he remembered that much.

"My dad." Tony yawned again.

"You head to bed sport, I'll look through these and we'll talk over breakfast."

Tony rubbed his eyes and headed back to the stairs.

"OK…"

Reading through the papers Gibbs' blood boiled.

Salvatore had taken on the persona of Anthony DiNozzo Sr. and had kept the boy until his inheritance had been transferred into his guardianship.

The man's disdain for the child's feeling were clear, but most happily of all was an already signed adoption form for Shannon and Jethro Gibbs to adopt one Anthony DiNozzo Jr on proviso that the boy kept his name.

Without even thinking Gibbs signed it.