Chapter 12

Tony sat in the back of the Limo as it drove through the picturesque countryside towards the large mansion that was the Italian home of Don DiNozzo.

"Pay attention." Senior snapped as Tony stared out of the window.

"Can't I just call home?" Tony asked again.

"I called, Jethro is busy. He says to enjoy your time here, when you get back you are heading straight to Remington Military Academy. Something about you being a handful and annoying Rebecca."

Tony scowled as he crossed his arms and angrily stared out of the window harder, not actually seeing any of the beauty around him.

He'd thought Gibbs was different, but it seemed maybe he was the same as everyone else.

"Look, Tony…" Senior said, his voice softening. "Gibbs tried, you aren't an easy child to handle you know that. Let's enjoy the time here, get to know your Grandfather a little, you never know you might like him. You have family members you haven't met yet. You might make some friends. You'll see Gibbs on vacations from school."

Tony sighed, he had always been told he was a lot to handle. Maybe his father was right. After all he had heard Senior on the phone and he had heard the word, Gibbs as he had closed the door. So maybe Gibbs didn't want him back before he started school. After all, he had been annoying Rebecca, mind you he was still certain she had been cheating on Gibbs.

He looked up as the Limo stopped outside two huge wrought iron gates standing in the midst of a high wall. There were large trees, creating a dapple shaded avenue casting shadows in the car as it drove up the driveway.

"Please be good Tonio." Senior said.

"Tony." Tony prompted.

"Tonio, your Grandfather is old fashioned, humor him while you are here. He is an old man Tonio, do this one thing for me?"

Tony looked away abashed, "Yes, Father." he replied, after all, who was he to upset an old man.


Tony climbed out of the car looking in awe at the large house. There was a squeal of laughter from the back as two small children ran away from an older child.

An older Italian woman opened the door and ran down the steps, "Antonio, you're home!" she cried gathering Senior into her arms.

"Mama." Senior smiled and held her tightly. "I have missed you so much."

She looked him up and down, "You have changed, you look a lot more like my poor Salvatore."

"I know Mama, I miss him too." Senior said. "Mama, this is my son Antonio Dante DiNozzo Junior."

"You have a son!" She stood looking shocked at Tony. She slapped her son around the head, "You have a son! And you never told me?"

"Mama….Geeze!" Senior ducked, "I told Papa, I thought he would have mentioned it."

"Tonio, come here and meet your Nonna."

Tony looked shy, but stepped forward.

"So smart, in a suit like your Papa." She said holding her arms open.

Tony stepped forward and found himself enveloped in her arms.

"Hello." He mumbled into her ample bosom.

"Such a handsome young man. Antonio, where is your wife?" She asked, looking towards the car.

"My wife is no longer with us. She died when Junior was eight." Senior said sadly.

"Poor boy…" She pulled Tony into the house Senior followed and mouthed 'Behave' as he looked back.

Tony walked in the house watching as Senior greeted people he knew, people who Tony realized were related to him, people who all seemed to be armed.

No one seemed to bat an eye at the men walking around the perimeter of the compound carrying automatic rifles. He shuddered at the thought of being shot with one of those.

"Come Tonio." Senior called, "We are going to meet your grandfather."


They walked up a large ornate staircase to a set of double doors. Senior knocked once.

"Father?" He called as the doors opened.

Tony followed his father as the doors shut behind him.

"Antonio." The Don called from a large chair out on the balcony, "My doctor says I should get as much sun as I can, Welcome back my son." he smiled warmly as Senior kissed his cheeks.

"Father, this is my son Tonio, do you remember him, you met him once when he was small?"

The aging Don looked over the teenager, "I do… I owe you an apology, young man, I was snappy with you last time we met, my doctor says it was due to my condition. I haven't been the grandfather I should have been I apologize my boy."

Tony looked surprised, but worried at how frail older man seemed.

"No… No, sir, you don't need to apologize, not at all." He stumbled over the words worried he would hurt the old man.

"Come Tonio, sit with an old man, enjoy the view and tell me what you think of your home."

"My...my home?" Tony got worried.

"The home of the DiNozzo's, you are a DiNozzo too, therefore this is your home." The Don explained. He stopped as a hoarse cough racked his lungs.

"I'm sorry." Tony said quickly.

Senior smiled encouragingly at him, this more than anything else he had seen scared him.

"I love it, Italy is beautiful." He said even though he hadn't really seen much of the country the view he was now looking at couldn't be described as anything but beautiful.

"The women here are beautiful too," The old Don laughed, "Maybe you will find your soul mate from amongst the women here."

"I'm only seventeen Sir." Tony told the older man.

"And yet not married? I was sixteen when I married your nonna. She was the love of my life... She still is." he smiled, "Tonio, tell me about America, your home and your school."

Senior shifted a little and put a finger to his lips. Tony got the message, he assumed that the old man had no idea about his adoption and he didn't want to do anything to hurt him so he lied. He told him about how wonderful a father Senior was to him, how he went to Remington as generations of DiNozzo's had before him, the old Don smiled when Tony rattled off things he had read in the brochure as if he had actually been to the school. By the time he was finished The Don was tired out but Tony had found he'd enjoyed his company.

By the end of the day Tony had forgotten about calling Gibbs, jet lag caught up with him and he fell asleep in his room not realizing that in the US all hell was breaking loose.


Gibbs was pacing in front of Tobias Fornell's desk.

"How could your team not have noticed him leaving the country?" He raged.

"The moment of Anthony DiNozzo was noted. Tony didn't look like he was being kidnapped or coerced in any way." He pulled up some pictures from the file in his hands and spread them out on the desk. Gibbs lightly traced the picture of Tony, he looked sad, but didn't look like he was being forced to leave.

"Have you got people in Italy, maybe we can get him when the plane lands?" Gibbs hoped he could then he could hop on a flight and retrieve his son from the airport.

Tobias shook his head, "He landed a few hours ago. We have people in Italy, obviously not the FBI, but there is a CIA group watching the Mafia and keeping tabs on them, I added Tony to their watch list. I heard just before you showed up, he arrived at the DiNozzo compound and he was warmly greeted, in fact, he was seen for nearly an hour sitting on the balcony, it seemed like he was just talking to the old Don."

"I need to go there, I need to get him back." Gibbs snapped.

Tobias shook his head, "You can't, you'll cause an international incident."

"I don't care Tobias, he's my son!"

"The CIA has someone inside under cover, let them check on him, see what's going on. If it's safe, we'll get him out. Go home, Jethro, I'll keep you informed. It may take a while, but we will get him back to you." Tobias promised, and it was a promise he hoped he could keep.

Walking into his home Gibbs was stunned about how empty it felt. It hadn't felt like this since Shannon and Kelly had died. Gibbs had had enough, he took the phone off the hook and walked into the basement pouring himself a glass of bourbon and wishing he hadn't accepted Mike's assignment, second guessing himself that he should have been home, he shouldn't have trusted anyone else with his son. Promising that as soon as he could, he would be there for Tony. Feeling frustrated he took a big drink and sank down his back next to the large rib of the boat in his basement.