(Thank you all so much for the kind reviews. I have missed this story so now that I have the time I have been anxious to see it to the end. Thank you all for the ideas in the comments you all are amazing. To all you Ziva fans she comes across a little witchy in this chapter but I think she will redeem herself in the end, maybe, I haven't decided yet )
Ducky, Abby, Gibbs and Tony gathered around the table to eat the Thai food that Ducky picked up for them. Gibbs asked Ducky to fill them both in on the rehab program.
Ducky wiped his face, "Well my dear friends, I am excited about our young Anthony taking part in this program. It runs from 0800 -1700 every day but the weekends. It is an intensive program that will give Anthony any therapies he needs with the main goal of independence. Unfortunately Anthony will never be a field agent again but maybe after some intensive therapies he could work at a desk and still be able to assist using his excellent deductive skills."
Tony started to try and speak but he was getting really nervous so he had to resort to signing. He banged the table to get Abby and Gibbs to look at him and signed, "D-u-c-k-y I have accepted I will never be able to work again and I don't think I could face the people at the yard right now being in this damn chair and not being able to speak right. Will they help me learn to shower myself and learn to be more independent so I can not be such a burden on Gibbs."
Gibbs spoke what Tony was signing but he said the last sentence in a whisper. He looked at Tony and shook his head, "What am I going to have to do to get it through your thick head you are not a burden to me. I don't do anything I don't want to do."
Tony smiled and signed, "Easy there tiger, I didn't mean it like that, I just meant that I would like to not have to rely on you for everything and be to a point so the next gorgeous red head comes your way you will be able to pursue her. You are a man, you have needs and I am keeping you away from going after those needs."
Gibbs just shook his head and said, "I am not repeating that to Ducky and don't you worry about that. I am an old man and I have other needs now, more important ones like taking care of your sorry ass." With that last word also came a head smack.
Tony looked down and smiled and managed to say, "I love you too Dad."
Abby and Ducky looked at each other and smiled when they heard Tony call Gibbs Dad.
Abby smiled as just couldn't let it go, "Tony, since when did you start calling Gibbs Dad?"
Gibbs answered, "Even before the explosion we were getting close. I have always thought of him as my son as much as I think of you as my daughter. Neither of you are my blood children but I claim you both as mine. Hell if you were kids I would even adopts you, if you wanted me too. Since Tony has been sick our relationship has gotten even closer and I started calling him son and he asked if he could call me Dad and of course I said yes."
Abby looked down and shyly asked, "Does that mean I can call you Daddy too?"
Gibbs got up and came up behind Abby and kissed her on top of the head, "If you want to call me Dad, I would be honored."
She smiled and kissed him on the cheek, "Thanks Dad, I would like that, you have always been like a Dad to me. So Tony that makes you my annoying big brother."
Tony smiled great big, "I like the sound of that, I always wanted a kid sister to boss around. But wait I never counted on a kid sister that could get rid of my body and leave no forensic evidence."
Everyone laughed and Abby leaned over and kissed Tony on the forehead, "Don't worry bro, you could never do anything that would make me do that to you."
Gibbs sat back down, "Okay if we are done with the mutual love fest can we get back to this program and the detail surrounding me working. I need to let Vance know exactly what I can do."
Ducky reminded Gibbs, "Don't forget Gibbs that you are not in this alone you have a family that has been desperate to find a way to help you both out. As much as you have learned to rely on each other you now need to learn to let the other members of your family help."
Jethro looked at Tony and saw the fear in his eyes and reached out and took Tony's hand, "I know Duck, it is hard for Tony to adjust to this new normal, I think the idea of his friends seeing him and him having to rely on them scares him."
Abby looked into Tony's eyes, "Palmer, McGee, Ziva, Ducky and I we love you so much and not for what you are and what you can do but because of you. Give them a chance to show you that. Listen how about I bring everyone over this weekend and we have a team movie night like we used to have."
Tony bit his bottom lip and looked at Gibbs. Gibbs smiled, "I am game if you are?" Tony thought for another minute and then signed "O-K" and then got very interested in his hands.
Ducky realizing that this visit had been hard on both men he gathered the empty containers and Abby and they said their goodbyes and left both Gibbs men alone. Jethro sat looking at Tony as he stared at his hands, " A penny for your thoughts?"
Tony looked up at Jethro with tears welling in his eyes, "I am just scared, I guess a part of me wished I would wake up one day and this would all be a nightmare but doing all this and having the team over it just drives things home. This is how it is going to be from now on. I am never going to be normal again. I know that sounds silly. I guess I need to learn to accept myself limits and all and hope that my friends can accept me too."
Jethro smiled, "I have faith in our little family, they love you and with their help we are going to be able to do this thing and Tony remember you had a 15% chance of surviving the plague and you beat those odds. You always amaze the doctors and me with your strength. You should have died more times than I care to think about the last few months but you fought and look at you. The doctors thought if you survived you would be a damn vegetable but you aren't, you may have some physical challenges but you are still the amazing young man that I am honored to claim as my own."
Tony smiled, "I fight because I know you are there, I don't think I would have fought to come back so hard if you weren't there waiting for me and ordering me to live."
Gibbs smiled, "Well I am glad you did. I am looking forward to seeing how well you will do in this therapy program. Just always remember my working comes second to you and if you EVER need me I will be there got it."
Tony smiled, "Got it, How about we go and pick up where we left off with season 4 of Magnum."
Gibbs grabbed the handles of his chair, "come on, lets go see what crap Higgins is putting Magnum through today."
Saturday came before either man was quit ready for it. Gibbs came into Tony's room finding him sitting up in bed fretting like he thought he would. "You know I can hear you worrying from our in the hall. Listen I am going to say this once and I want you to listen, you have Ducky, Abby and me. If everyone else decided to be pricks then the hell with them. We have each other got it. I have faith in our friends though and I am not worried. You need to stop worrying because if you don't then you are going to have another seizure and I told you if you have any issues all bets with me working are off."
Tony shook his head and they set out to start their day. Abby and Ducky came by about an hour before everyone else to help set up the party. Abby and Tony were laughing in the living room and Ducky sat sipping bourbon at the kitchen table with Jethro.
Jethro sat and smiled listening to the laughter in the other room, "He is going to make it isn't he Duck?"
Ducky smiled, "Jethro, I believe he will. He wont ever chase down a criminal again but I would not be surprised if our dear Anthony was back at the yard within the year chasing everything in a skirt."
Jethro giggled, "He is on wheels now so he would be even quicker." Both men laughed as the doorbell rang. Jethro took a deep breath and answered it, giving Tony a reassuring smile before he opened the door. The rest of the gang was at the door. Jethro welcomed everyone in and Tony greeted everyone with his best happy face on.
Tony gave a half smile, "Hey Guys long time no see?" His words came out so slurred that it was hard for them to understand but they didn't let on. Palmer came over and sat in front of Tony on the couch and began to chat like old times. McGee put his stuff down and joined them. Ziva went to the kitchen to get a drink and just stayed there watching everyone get to know Tony again and catch him up on all that he missed.
Ducky noticed her standing alone in the kitchen, "What is wrong my dear." She looked at him shocked, "How can you ask me that? Look at him he is, how you say a cripple, in a chair he is not even a resemblance to the man he was. The Tony we know died in that explosion and…"
Ducky had a look of anger on his face, "Ziva, Anthony is exactly the same man he was before he is probably even stronger now then he was then. He needs all of his family on his side helping him get back some semblance of a normal life."
Ziva shook her head, "That is just it Ducky what hope for normal does he have, none."
The rather tense discussion in the kitchen got Jethro's attention he came up behind Ducky and calmly said, "Ziva, I think you need to leave now."
Ziva looked at Gibbs, "You know I respect you but you are not doing Tony any good by letting him think he is going to be anything other than a burden the rest of his life."
Ducky knew Jethro well enough to stand between Jethro and Ziva. With a quiet anger he ordered, "Ziva you should leave my home now." Ziva picked up her purse and stormed out of the house.
Tony and the others looked up as the door slammed shut. Abby asked, "What is wrong with Ziva?" Jethro came and sat next to Tony and answered, "Uh she had an issue that came up at work and she had to go."
No one believed him but no one said anything. In a desperate need lighten the mood McGee grabbed a small box out of his briefcase. He smiled, and handed the box to Tony, he opened the box and pressed a button on the ipad in the box and the ipad started to speak in a sultry woman's voice, "Hello Tony, McGee the magnificent programed this ipad to help you talk when your words wont come, what do you think of me?"
Everyone busted out laughing. Gibbs asked, "Please tell me you can change the voice for when Tony talks. Abby smiled, "No Gibbs I like the voice it would help Tony get in touch with his feminine side."
McGee laughed and assured both Tony and Gibbs that yes the voice Tony talks with will be manly.
The evening went off with out any more issues everyone left with hugs and kisses and together they had made a tentative schedule of when Abby and the boys could help pick up Tony from therapy. No one mentioned Ziva.
Tony was starting to get a lot quieter but he was still trying to be the life of the party. Ducky noticed and discretely put an end to the evening's festivities and within 10 minutes everyone was gone. Gibbs came back and sat in the recliner next to Tony. He picked up the ipad and commented how nice it was of McGee to do that for him. Tony smiled and agreed. Then he looked at Gibbs, "I heard Ziva, I am sorry."
Gibbs rubbed his face, "You heard her? What the hell are you sorry for? She is the one who acted like an ass."
Tony smiled, "Yeah she did, I don't blame you for kicking her out either just try to remember what kind of 'family' that she came from. Lord her Dad had her kill her half brother. Of course she won't see the value of me now that I am shall we say challenged. I think that she will come around though. Just give her time."
Gibbs sat in the chair shaking his head, "Anthony DiNozzo, you never cease to amaze me you know that young man. Words cannot express how proud I am of you."
He smiled and leaned over to bump shoulders with the older man, "We are a team Pops, remember?"
Gibbs looked at him with disgust, "Pops? I don't think so."
