FOR: Poohbear123

Fandom: NCIS

Prompt: Tony/Gibbs, Tony feels he has to handle an old case on his own

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Tony DiNozzo couldn't help but fidget in his seat as he informed his boss, "You don't understand."

"You're the one not understanding," Leroy Jethro Gibbs replied back, "You don't have to deal with things on your own anymore. It's my job as your boss to help you."

"It's my mess," Tony insisted, "I need to fix it on my own."

"And how exactly is that working for you DiNozzo?" Gibbs demanded to know. He didn't want to admit that he'd been worried sick since he'd gotten the call from the hospital that they had admitted his junior agent the night before.

Tony flinched; he'd only been working with Gibbs for six months and already he was on his boss' bad side…a new record for him. He wondered briefly if he'd been brought to his boss's house so Gibbs could fire him.

"Look Gibbs," Tony finally managed to get out, "It's not your mess. This happened before when I first started at Baltimore; it has nothing to do with you."

"You've been late to work, you've been lying to me for over a week, and you ended up in the hospital," Gibbs glared, "And you think it has nothing to do with me?"

"When you put it like that," Tony muttered, looking down at the ground.

"Look at me Tony," Gibbs ordered, waiting for Tony to look up and meet his eyes, "When something happens, I need to know so I can help you. I need to know so I can protect you. You don't lie to me, you don't show up late to work, and you sure the hell don't put yourself in danger. Do you understand me?"

Tony's shocked look turned into a glare, "I'm not a kid."

"No, you acted like a bratty teenager," Gibbs declared, "And it doesn't happen again. Do you understand Tony? This can't happen again."

When Tony's glare didn't diminish Gibbs let out a sigh. He hadn't wanted it to come to this…mainly because he couldn't believe the parental pull he felt coming from the newest member of his team. Yet it was there and everyone seemed to know it. The boy without a father found the father without a child.

"Let's see if I can't make you understand another way," Gibbs sat on the bed beside the younger man and pulled him across his lap.

"What the…Gibbs," Tony squeaked, "Let me go!"

"You don't lie to me," Gibbs raised his hand and let it fall with a loud swat, "You don't keep things from me." *SWAT, SWAT* "And you don't put yourself in danger!"

"OK, OK," Tony wiggled, "I understand! Gibbs, I understand."

"You better son," Gibbs voice, "Because if you don't then this is where you'll end up every time. Do you understand me?"

"Yes," Tony cried out, silent tears spilling down his face. "P-please Gibbs, I'm sorry."

Gibbs kept a steady rhythm of swats as he stated, "You and I are going to work on this together. You aren't going to keep things from me. I need to know it all."

"Y-you'll be mad," Tony got out, sounding very much like a child, "and d-disappointed."

"I may get upset or disappointed in what you did," Gibbs explained, "But not at you. And right now I'm more worried about helping you. Are you ready to accept that help or should I keep going?"

"A-accept," Tony stuttered, "Please da-Gibbs, I'm s-sorry."

Gibbs didn't react to the fact that Tony almost called him dad, his heart soaring at the slip. He sat the younger man upright and held him close.

"You're ok son," Gibbs rubbed soothing circles on Tony's back, "We're gonna get through this kiddo."

"P-promise," Tony asked, looking up balefully.

"Promise," Gibbs stated, doing nothing to rush the younger man off his lap. Time would tell if the two could develop a full father/son relationship.

Gibbs was willing to wait as long as it would take.

THE END

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WRITTEN FOR: 6/2/11

WRITTEN ON: 6/8/11