Gibbs woke up with a start. No matter how many times he had that dream, it never got any easier to deal with. He pulled himself out of bed and made his way downstairs, he opened the door, and found Tony sleeping peacefully in his hospital bed. The past three years had not been easy especially the last two but they had certainly been worth it. Raising Tony had come with a series of extreme challenges. Tony's health was fragile and he required around the clock care. Even with the aide of home health nurses. It still meant a lot of sacrifices for the Gibbs'. Thankfully Nicole was understanding and their daughter Emma Luke was too young to be frustrated by sacrifices. Unfortunately Tony was growing and his care was becoming more intense. The Gibbs' insurance would not cover round the clock nursing care and Jethro and Nicole were not getting any younger. Jethro had already had a double knee replacement the previous winter and the doctors were saying that he would need a hip replacement within the next five or ten years. He had problems with his back and neck as well. For the most part he could power through the pain but Tony was seventy pounds now and only had the use of one limb. Nicole had better joints but she had back problems as well. The result of her years as a trauma nurse, having to regularly lift patients. Between her problems and wanting to be more hands on with Tony and Emma. She had quit the hospital and was now working as a nurse in the office of a local pediatrician who catered to special needs children. Jethro was now retired and devoted his life to Tony and Emma. He did freelance woodworking and handyman work from time to time when Tony's health was stable but for the most part he was Mr. Mom. He walked into the room and took a seat on Tony's hospital bed. He picked up his son's good hand and began stroking his forehead.

"DaDe?" Tony called.

"Yeah it's me and love you very much." Gibbs whispered.


Raising Tony had come with it's share of advantages. The main advantage being the love that Tony gave and the joy that he brought to Jethro, but there were other pluses as well. Because of Tony, Jethro had met Nicole. They had wed that day in the hospital when it looked like Tony was not going to make it. Together they had adopted a beautiful baby girl Emma Luke Gibbs. Emma was now two years old and a pure delight to the Gibbs family. She looked just like her father and even though she had just turned two. She was already showing signs of having his personality. She was such a sweet and bright young girl. She was a total daddy's girl but she adored Nicole as well though her favorite person was Tony. She loved to climb in his wheelchair and just curl up close to him. Tony loved her too. She was the reason he learned to talk again after suffering a second stroke. She was the reason that Tony fought every time he ended up in the hospital.


Emma was the product of another tragedy the Gibbs family had endured. She was the daughter of Jethro's nephew Luke. Nicole who had been an adoption wait list for half a decade, had finally received a call about a birth mother who was considering her. As it turned out the mother was Jordan, Luke's girlfriend at the time of his death. She fell pregnant the first night of the tragically only week long relationship. Knowing that she could not give her daughter the love she deserved and fulfill her dream of being a special education teacher. John and Donna were still deep in mourning and could not handle a newborn and her own mother could not afford a fourth child. So she made the agonizing decision to put her daughter up for adoption. When Jethro found out that Nicole was adopting a baby. He asked her to marry him right away. Even before that he knew the child was his great niece or nephew.


Back to Tony, Jethro was thankful every day that he had been able to save his son. The child had endured horrific abuse in his five years of life. Regularly being beaten, kicked, thrown around, and forced to sleep in a damp and dreary cell. The abuse had left him paralyzed from the waist down and resulted in numerous health problems. As a result of the abuse Tony had endured. Including being attacked in the court room resulting in the loss of his stomach and part of his intestines, Tony's father DiNozzo Senior had been sentenced to life in prison with no hope of parole. The old bast. Tony would never be independent and he would be in and out of hospitals for the rest of his life. The doctors still warned that Tony would not life a full life but they had also been giving him six months at best and yet here hew as two years later. Tony was strong and Jethro would never give up on his boy. Jethro would love and care for Tony as long as he lived. Even though Tony would likely have to one day go into an adult care facility. Jethro would remain hands on as much as he could.


Many people would and had asked Jethro why he had agreed to care for such a medically complex child. The answer was simple. Because as much as he had saved Tony's life. Tony had saved his. He was lost in the world, still mourning his first wife and daughter. He was growing too old to do the job he loved and he was facing a bleak and lonely retirement. He had his woodworking but that could not make up for the love of a family. John had led him to Tony on Christmas Eve three years ago and it was the greatest gift he could ever receive. Jethro remained in Tony's bed the rest of the night. The next morning Tony woke, Gibbs got him out of bed, changed his pull-up, bathed him, dressed him, and wheeled him into the kitchen. It was the nurse's day off, Nicole had gone to work, and Jordan had taken Emma to the park. Leaving Jethro home with Tony for the rest of the morning. Tony did not have much strength. So they just laid on the couch and watched cartoons.

"Lu u" Tony slurred.

"I love you too, Tony. More than you will ever know. Because you saved my life. They say I saved yours and maybe I did but more than anything you saved mine." Jethro replied, kissing Tony gently on the forehead.


FIN


A/N: Well that's it. I hope you enjoyed the ending. I am glad I opted out of killing Tony. Thanks to all who read, followed, favorited, and reviewed. One last time please review.