A/N: This is a tag to the Season Two episode Hometown Hero. If you don't remember that episode, all you need to know is that Tony's car was destroyed.


"...And she said she wanted to see the new Star Wars movie when it came out. I know that sounds like McSkywalker's idea of a good first date, but I had been planning on seeing it anyway, so I said..."

Tony's hands flailed dramatically and somewhat drunkenly as he told a story that Gibbs was only sort of following. They were sitting on the floor of Gibbs' basement, drinking bourbon out of jars and occasionally making a halfhearted swiped at the boat with sandpaper. They'd actually gotten some good work done on it earlier that evening, but that had been half a bottle ago and even Gibbs was starting to feel the effect. Which meant Tony definitely was.

About time.

"...this Hayden Christensen look-alike without his shirt on and that's when I knew I had to bail."

"You drunk, Dinozzo?" Gibbs asked, once he was reasonably sure the story was over.

Tony seemed to consider this. "You know, I think I am."

"Good. Spill."

Tony looked uncertainly at the jar in his hand. "The bourbon?"

"You spill my bourbon, I'll make you drink it off the floor. I meant whatever's got you so worked up over that damn car."

Tony shrugged. Smiled. Gibbs didn't buy it for a minute. He knew how Tony's mind worked. Most of the time, anyway. Dinozzo had spent all day whining about his 'Vette so that everyone would be so sick of hearing about it they wouldn't ask him any questions.

"You know how I am about cars boss. And my baby was a total chick magnet."

"Well, she was insured, wasn't she? So buy a new one." Gibbs was a practical man.

"Yeah." Tony smiled some more.

It was looking like practicality wasn't going to cut it.

"Tony. Just tell me. She a gift from your Dad or something?" He hazarded. It was unlikely, but family was pretty much the only thing that ever made Dinozzo's eyes look like that.

Tony snorted. "My dad wouldn't give me half a minute, let alone a car. 'Sides, he's more of a Lincoln town car than a '90 ZR-1 Corvette kind of guy."

"Can't say I think much of his taste," Gibbs said quietly. Tony missed the subtext, but he really was pretty drunk. "So then who gave it to you?"

"What makes you so sure someone gave it to me?"

"It's the only thing I've ever seen you care about," said Gibbs.

"Come on, Boss. I love things. All my shiny new suits-"

"-are new because you tore up the old ones tackling suspects."

"My TV-"

"-is a piece of crap. You may love movies, but the TV itself is junk. Even I know that. And I've seen your apartment, so don't try to tell me you own anything else besides a La-Z Boy and some frozen pizzas. But you washed that car every other week and you wouldn't let anyone else drive it. Not even me."

Tony's eyes went wide. "Especially not you. I've seen the way you drive."

"You ever seen me crash?" Gibbs asked mildly.

"Well, no. Okay. I guess if I was going to let anyone drive my baby, it would have been you. Better you than Abby. She drives every car like it's a hearse."

"Slow and mournful?"

"Like everyone's giving her a really wide berth."

Gibbs had to laugh a little at that. But he wasn't going to let Dinozzo distract him, even if he was starting to get kind of tired. He was too old to drink this much. Not that he'd ever admit it.

"Who then?"

Tony shrugged and smiled some more, but then he started talking. "My old partner from Philly kind of willed it to me when he retired. He taught me pretty much everything I knew before I met you."

Tony could spend an eight hour workday talking about a three hour date, but whenever there was anything important on his mind it was a sentence. Two tops. But that was all Gibbs needed. So it wasn't about his dad, but it was about family. Kinda'.

"Yeah, well he should have taught you that ponies are better than sports cars. I know a place run by an old corpsman who'll give you a good deal on a Mustang if I ask nicely."

"You want to go shopping with me?" Tony asked doubtfully.

"Not if you're gonna' call it that. But I'll help you find a new car."

"Mustangs, huh?" Tony said thoughtfully.