A/N: Sorry for the long wait. This past weekend my husband and I were kid free and took a small vacation and my hubby has been out of town all week so I have to take care of my 4-year old daughter.
Thursday morning Tony woke up around 9. He looked around and noticed that Gibbs was no where to be seen. Taking a moment to enjoy the silence and take a deep breath. Today was the day. Tony was not sure what to think about how this day could change is life. Part of him just wanted the answer so he could make the changes and move on. The other part didn't want to know. He did not want to have to leave the family he had come to know.
Unknown to Tony, Gibbs was standing outside the room looking in the window at him. Gibbs could see the range of emotions play across his face. He realized then that if the damage was server that Tony was going to leave. That is not going to happen
Gibbs walked in "What you thinking about?"
Tony jumped too deep in thought to hear Gibbs come in.
"What I'm going to do if I can't go out in the field." Tony looked up at Gibbs with a completely lost look on this face. "What am I going to do?"
"First, calm down. We are not going to go into the "what ifs" right now." Gibbs said as he took a seat in the chair next to the bed. "I know what you were thinking."
Tony looked up at Gibbs. "What you can read minds now?"
Gibbs chuckled "No, just yours"
Tony's eyes went a little wide at this and waited for him to continue.
"I know that you where sitting here thinking of where you were going to go if the results show you can't go out in the field. You where thinking how you were going to leave us. Well, Tony I hate to tell you, but no matter what the results say you are not going anywhere."
Tony looked up at Gibbs and was about to interrupt when Gibbs continued.
"You just found out how we all feel about you. Do you really think we are just going to let you walk away?"
Tony wasn't sure if he was supposed to answer the question or not so he just sat there. Gibbs gave him a look that said I-want-an-answer.
"I don't know." Tony said with a sigh. "I just figured if I'm not going to be around that much you guys would forget about me. Or worse come to love my replacement more then me then I get pushed to the back burner. I don't think I could deal with that."
Gibbs got up and took a seat on the bed next to Tony; which made Tony move over to make room.
"I want you to listen and listen real good!" Gibbs said in a voice that bared any arguments. "I don't know how many times it is going to take, but I love you; we all do! There is nothing in this world that is going to change that. You are just going to have to get use to this. Not only that, but I think Abby would hunt you down"
Tony laughed at that. "I'm sure she would and beat me all the way home."
"Then that is it. You are not going anywhere. No matter what becomes of these tests. Jenny has already said she would find you something at NCIS so you have a job. I know it will not be the same, but you will still be around. But I don't think we will have to worry about that."
Tony just grinned.
At eleven-thirty, the whole family was in Tony's hospital room. They were coming to get Tony around noon to have the X-ray and they all wanted to be there.
Dr. Pit came in and smiled at the scene in front of him. Gibbs, Ducky, and Jenny were off to one side talking about a case Ducky was working on with another team. Abby and Ziva were still trying to figure a way to get back at Dr. Jackass, as he had been told of the new nickname, and McGee was telling Tony of this first closed case. Jimmy really wanted to come, but a new body had just arrived and needed to be looked after.
"It was such a great feeling. When the prints on the bottle came back to his friend, and then we found the murder weapon in his house; I just couldn't believe my luck. Come to find out, our victim had made a pass at the friend's girlfriend not knowing it was his girlfriend. He was so drunk he didn't realize what he was doing till he had already shot the guy."
Tony was listening to Tim and really happy for him. He remembered his first closed case on his own.
"Well, when I get out of here I owe you a beer"
"You're on" Tim said with a smile.
Dr. Pit decided now was the time to make his presence known.
"Alright Tony you ready?"
Everyone looked up at Dr. Pit's voice then looked at Tony.
Tony put on a brave smile. "Ready as I'll ever be Brad"
With the help of Gibbs, Tony moved from the bed to the wheelchair. Normally he would have wanted to walk, but he and Gibbs had already had a go round with that. Tony had wanted to walk to a test before, but Gibbs told him to sit in the chair. Not even half way to the test, Tony started to get really tired and was breathing really deep. Gibbs had been pushing the wheelchair knowing this was going to happen. "Wanna sit now?" Gibbs had asked. Tony never fought a wheelchair again.
Gibbs started to push Tony out of the room. Tony started to sing.
"On the road again, just can't wait to get on the road again…."
Gibbs laughed at the inside joke between himself, Tony, and Dr. Pit. Dr. Pit laughed too then turned back to the rest of the group.
"Don't ask, but he will be back in about an hour and then about an hour after that we should have the results. Why don't you guys go get something to eat?"
They all decided that was the best idea and went to the hospital cafeteria. Once they had their food and were seated at a table Abby spoke.
"We need to do something for Tony"
"Like what?" Ziva said taking a bite of her salad.
"I don't know, maybe a welcome home party, even though it will be at Gibbs' house I think it will still get the point across even though Tony doesn't live with Gibbs and that isn't his real home…"
"I think that is a wonderful idea Abby" Ducky said cutting off the Goth from her babbling.
"I could make his favorite dish for everyone" Ziva said. Everyone knew how much Tony loved Ziva's cooking.
"I'll make that German chocolate cake he loved some much." Jenny said already thinking of what she would need to buy.
"Timmy and I will get the decorations." Abby said jumping up and down in her seat. "Ohh, should we tell Gibbs?"
"Good question, my dear" Ducky said as he looked in thought.
"No, I don't think we should" Tim said after having swallowed his bite of hamburger.
"Why not?" Ziva asked
"Well, think about, even though we have known it all along, it has just now come out that we look to each other like family. Jenny the Mom, Gibbs the Dad, Ducky the Grandpa, and Jimmy the younger cuz. Then you get to us. You have Abby here the younger sister that can do no wrong. Myself the younger geeky brother, Ziva the older kick butt sister, but then you have Tony."
"What do you mean?" Ducky asked wondering what was going on in the younger man's mind.
"Have you ever noticed how he can pick and beat the crap out of us, but if someone else says anything or even looks at us wrong he is all over them? Or how when Gibbs is in one of his more colorful moods, Tony makes sure that he is the one that Gibbs take all of it out on so we are left alone?"
"I see what you mean" Ziva said thinking of a couple time where Tony had stood up for her to a couple of other agents even though they both knew she could handle it.
Ducky thought back to one time he came into autopsy and found Tony only inches from another agent's face after he had said some not too nice things to Jimmy.
Abby thought of a couple times where she had found herself in the not-so-best-of a situation, and had found herself calling Tony , not Gibbs and how he had come with out a second thought.
Jenny remembered a time when Gibbs and Tony had come into her office and Gibbs was fit to be tied. He had started to yell at her, but Tony had somehow shifted Gibbs attention away from her and on to himself.
"Okay, I get all that, but why can't we tell Gibbs?" Abby asked.
"They are the heart and soul of this little family. Think about it. When Gibbs went to Mexico the family wasn't the same. Don't get me wrong Tony did a damn good job, but it still wasn't the same. Heck, Tony wasn't the same without Gibbs." Tim said
"Point taken so this is not only a party for Tony, but also to show Gibbs we love him too. Abby said with grin on her face.
"That's right and I'm thinking of a surprise for Gibbs" Tim said with a grin.
Ducky looked at his watch. "Well children, it is time to head back"
By the time they got back to the room, Tony was just being placed back in his bed. Dr. Pit was moving to leave when the rest of the gang got there.
"He is going to rest for a few minutes. We should have the results in about an hour. I'm going to try and make it go faster by sitting in the guy's office" Dr. Pit said with a wink and left.
Everyone got back in their little groups. Abby, Ziva, and Tim were in one corner whispering about the party; while Ducky, Gibbs, and Jenny picked up right where they left off before.
Tony was dead to the world.
Thirty minutes later Dr. Pit walked back into the room. Gibbs was the first to notice him and seemed to stand up straighter. Everyone watched Dr. Pit's movement as he stood at the end of Tony's bed.
"We need to wake him up" Dr. Pit said
"I'm up" came the hoarse voice of Tony "What did I miss?"
"Nothing yet my boy, Dr. Pit is back with the results." Ducky said.
Gibbs stood to the left of Tony while Jenny went and stood on the right. Everyone noticed Tony take both of their hands but didn't say anything. Abby and Ziva laid their hands on Tony's left leg while Tim did the same on the right. Ducky stood close to Dr. Pit trying to read over his shoulder.
"Well, the results are in" Dr. Pit said. He went over and took out two X-rays placed them on the light and turned them on. Ducky went straight to them and checked them out. Dr. Pit said nothing until the older doctor turned around with a huge grin on this face.
"There is some more damage to his lungs. I can say that dear Tony here now has asthma. Now before you start to ask questions let me explain what this means. First and foremost, he can go out in the field"
Shouts where heard all over the hospital; as Tony just sat there in shock.
"Asthma is not the end of the world. There are plenty of medications out there; it may take a while to find the right combination of medicines that work for you." Talking straight to Tony "You will also have to carry around an inhaler in case you get a surprised asthma attack; I would also suggest someone at the office keep one in case you forget yours."
"I'll keep one for him" Abby said as she was the only one that never left the building to go to crime scenes.
Dr. Pit smiled. "I figured it would be you Miss Abby. From the looks over everything I believe you can leave the hospital in about a week. After that no work for at least a month; I want to make sure ever last bit of this is gone before I let you loose. When you return to work you will need to take it slow. A couple weeks of desk duty and then when you do to go crime scenes start off doing as much as you feel you can. Tony it is very important that you do not push yourself too soon. I know how you are, but if you do not want to end up back here in my care you need to listen"
Tony nodded.
"One more very important thing; if it is raining and I don't care what kind of mood Gibbs is in. You need to find cover; even when you are back to hundred percent, because with the further damage I'm not sure if it will be harder or easier for you to have another relapse. Do I make myself clear?"
By now he was looking more at Gibbs and Tony than anyone else.
"Crystal"
"You got it"
"The last thing is we are going to start you on breathing treatments. We wanted to wait to see the damage as we will be giving you steroids. These are every four hours we will not need to wake you because the nurse will just place the mask on you. But at home when you are by yourself…"
"He is coming home with me Doc. How long will he need to have these?"
"Until week before he goes back to work. Like I said I'm not taking in chances. I know it seems I'm going a little over board, but as much as I love ya Tony I really don't want to see in here for a really long time" Dr. Pit said with a smile.
Finally everything that had been said was coming to an understanding in Tony's mind. He was going to be able to work out in the field again! Before he knew it he was crying happy tears. He looked around the room and the only two people not crying were Ducky and Gibbs, but the smiles on their faces said it all.
Okay guys I have to stop and go to a meeting! I'm going to try and write another chapter today. Should I skip to him being released and the party? I wanted to let you know what happen in Tim's case, but didn't want to take to much time with it. Well, let me know what you think. REVIEW!!!