Thanks again for all of your kind reviews. I am having difficulty responding to a few of your questions individually so I am going to answer them here.

Yes, the show has elluded to the idea that Sr. was not that great of a father. Tony was abandoned in a hotel for 2 or 3 days, was spanked until he couldn't sit because of using Sr.'s ski suit for a Haloween costume and finally that he was disowned at the age of 12 and then shipped off to baording school. Sr. has not approved of Tony being a cop or an agent and also looked down on both his apartment and other choices he has made. They have mentioned these things throught the years but it is always an aside and then blown off. Kind of like the gang going out without inviting Tony, turning off the voice recorder and ignoring him when Gibbs was gone.

As for his mom, she died when he was young but I do not knew if they have ever made any reference to why. There were comments concerning her (as well as Sr.s) drinking specifically mint julips.

CHAPTER 10

"No, please… Gibbs, please don't let them…I didn't do anything…I didn't hurt her… Please Gibbs, please don't let them hurt me again… I'll be good."

Gibbs heart broke. Tony was begging for his help but he didn't know from what. The final plea, "I'll be good", sounded like a defeated child. "What did they do to you Tony?"

He hadn't realized he had spoken out loud. Years of training kicked in for Tony as he heard Gibbs question / command. Father had always required a report on his failures for each day. He never cared what had been accomplished. If Tony got a 97%, Father wanted to know what kind of idiot missed 3%.

"I'm sorry sir. I made the guards angry. They don't like crooked agents, murderers, weaklings. I…I…I was sooo cold… asked for a blanket. They said I didn't deserve one. I…I didn't…" Tony was staring into space. Gibbs was certain he was reliving what had happened. Now, he understood where his agent was coming from he decided to try to get a few more answers.

"It's alright Tony. How did you get bruised up? I don't believe you fell. Tell me what really happened." The quiet demanding voice worked again.

"He… He hit me and I fell." Tony reached a hand towards his head where Jimmy had found the lump earlier. "I don't know what hit me in the head. He… he… st... stri… strip searched me. I was so scare… I… I thought… He gave me the creeps." The visible shiver made Gibbs gut roll. "Ma… Made… Made me take a co… cold sho… shower. While… while he ….watched. Sooo…coold. Didn't…didn't think I would warm up ever again. He just kept watching."

Gibbs anger was reaching a boiling point. He was fearful of where this was going. Had Tony been sexually assaulted while in the jail cell? He didn't want to interrupt but he had to direct this a little, he needed to know. "Tony, did he hurt you?" Jesus, did I just say that…hurt…sexually assault. God help me.

"Yes… He… he pushed me when I was in the shower. I think I blacked out. Don't remember getting out of shower. Woke up. Head hurt. And my knee. I… I got dressed. He said… he said no one would give a shit… just … just a disgrace… He hit me again… in the stomach… told me deserved it… Said it would get worse if…if I made it to jail. Said I'd…" Tony's voice continued to weaken as he spoke. The final sentence was nothing more than a whisper.

"Tony, did he sexually assault you?" The words made Gibbs want to be sick but he had to ask.

"NO! NO! He… He hit me. He didn't hurt me like that… he didn't!" Tony was wide awake now and even through fevered eyes Gibbs could tell he was thinking clearly. "I thought he was going… but he didn't. Just implied that… Really, Gibbs, that didn't happen. But he made me think. Made me realize that I'd never survive in prison. Crooked cops don't make it in there."

Relief flooded through Gibbs as some of the tension left him. His son hadn't been hurt like that but the implied threat was there. To say that to an un-convicted, sick man was appalling. Now was the time to comfort and reassure Tony. Gibbs leaned over and whispered in Tony's ear, "You are the best man I know. The finest agent I have ever worked with. I am proud to have you on my team, as my friend and maybe someday I can explain to you how I feel about you being part of my family. You ARE NOT a disgrace. You are a WONDERFUL, caring, INTELLIGENT man. I would be proud to call you son. I am proud to know you and to be a part of your life. You could never disappoint me!"

Gibbs watched as Tony seemed to relax with each passing word. He was going to make "him" pay. He just needed to find out who "he" was so he could get "his" head on a platter. No one was going to treat his son like that, no one. Gibbs knew he shouldn't let his anger get away from him but right now he didn't care. Too many people didn't give a crap about DiNozzo. But as of this moment, he was going to become Tony's biggest supporter and God help anyone who got in his way or tried to harm Tony ever again.

Tony relaxed again. He fell into a restless sleep. Some of Gibbs concerns seemed to have been for nothing. He didn't know what he would have done if something like that had happened to his boy. Tony was a precious gift to him. He was working his way into Gibbs' heart. A heart that he didn't think had the capacity to fully let someone in, to love. But Tony had succeeded where his ex-wives had failed. Tony had helped him to heal from the painful loss of his wife and daughter, Tony and his ability to forgive and forget, to care.

For the moment he would concentrate on who had harmed Tony from the FBI. He didn't want to leave Tony but he wanted answers. Tony seemed to be sleeping peacefully for the moment. Gibbs walked out into the hallway and called Fornell.

He didn't wait for the hello when the phone picked up. "GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE RIGHT NOW!" Enough said, he hung up.