When Mrs. Briggs met up with Tony at the hospital, he knew she was taking him to another foster home. It wasn't his first and Tony was sure that it wouldn't be his last but he could only hope for the best. Joyce Briggs had plenty of cases and problems but there was something about Tony she couldn't place a finger on but still she tried to be cheerful.

"Hey Tony, I hear you're ready for release today. Has the doctor come by yet?"

"No, the nurse came by to take out the IV and everything and said the doctor would talk to you when you got here. What's going to happen now?"

"Well it's the same thing. I have a new foster home with you with the Gibbs family. They live at Camp Pendleton its a military base so it's different but I think you'll fit in." Tony rolls his eyes as he gets his change of clothes but doesn't say anything as Mrs. Briggs signs him out of the hospital. "Do you want to know anything about them?"

"I guess, not that it matters." Mrs. Briggs looks at him but Tony doesn't look at her.

"I know you're not happy about this Tony but you can't go back home. Your father is … if he would stop his drinking and allowing your step mothers to abuse you his house would be safe for you to live there. He doesn't even stop when you're home between boarding school and summer camps."

"I don't care Mrs. Briggs. They're all the same. Some home, strangers, bunch of stupid rules, no one caring a thing about me unless he's going to visit, you're going to visit and once in a while someone 'cares' enough to pretend to want to adopt me. It's all a joke, he still gets his way and I still get stuck coming and going to wherever he wishes."

"This time it's different." Tony snorts and Mrs. Briggs can't blame him for not trusting her after everything he had been through.

"How? Like Mike and Lorrie Johnson who suddenly decided that they wanted their own baby despite starting the adoption process and keeping all the stuff they bought me. Stuff the state paid for. Or what about the Blake's? That was a good family, even had grandparents for good measure but they decided I was too much trouble because the state wouldn't pay them when I was adopted."

"Those people were different. Jethro and Shannon they're not your typical foster family and they aren't looking to adopt an older male child so there aren't any false pretenses. They just want to help kids out and you can stay there while we work to severe your father's rights to you."

"Why? Then where would I go? No one else wants me? The Gibbs' don't want a boy, my father may not be the best parent but he does want me."

"He can't keep allowing people to hurt you Tony. That's not good nor is it healthy for you. Jethro is a Marine and his wife works at the school while their daughter Kelly's in kindergarten. She takes time off when there's a younger child they foster but they also have friends there who help."

"Are they like Mr. and Mrs. Wilkes?" The Wilkes were an older former army drill instructors who lived on a farm and fostered kids for free help. The money they got to foster went to the farm and the kids worked for room and board. Tony not used to hard farm work was injured quickly and they were exposed. "They were military and they only wanted to foster kids for work."

"No they are nothing like the Wilkes. I've known Jethro and Shannon since before you came into the system because they tried fostering before they had their daughter Kelly. She's 5 and turns 6 a week before your birthday."

"So … what will I do there then? If they don't want to adopt, they don't have a farm for me to work on or..."

"Just be a kid. If your father cleans up his act and gets custody of you it won't be until at least the summer so you have 8 or 9 months to be a kid. I think you'll be fine there and they're exactly what you need." Tony didn't believe her but Mrs. Briggs thought he would fit in perfect with the Gibbs' even though what she said about them not wanting to adopt an older male child was true. At the Gibbs' house Shannon was fussing over the room.

'It's going to be fine Shannon. I doubt he'll fare if the pillows are perfect or it looks spotless. He'd probably be scared if he walked into a perfect house."

"I know Jethro but I don't want him to think we're slobs either."

"There's no way he could think you're a slob."

"I know I'm just worried because little girls don't usually care but this is completely the opposite.'

"Which is a good thing. He can tell us what he wants or needs. We don't have to guess what things he'd like or clothes he won't mind wearing."

"'I know … what do you think of the room?"

"I think he'll like it. It's still early so we can still take him for clothes and things he'll need." Kelly came upstairs.

"Mrs. Briggs is here with a boy. I think it's him."

"Well since she's supposed to bring a boy it probably is him." They go downstairs and find Joyce with a boy who was around 10. "Joyce, come in. This must be Tony. I'm Jethro Gibbs but you can just call me Gibbs. Most people do."

"Yes Sir," Gibbs raises an eye brow and Joyce smiles. "I told Tony to mind his manners. Tony he doesn't like the term Sir so it's okay to call him Gibbs.

"Sorry, Gibbs smiles,

"It's fine and it'll take time. This is my wife Shannon and our daughter Kelly." Tony didn't look at them and Joyce hands Shannon a bag.

"Here's his stuff but I'm afraid there's not much. I grabbed the one he usually takes every where but I don't think that's it." Shannon could tell it was light meaning it might not have too much in it.

"That's fine, there's plenty of time to take him shopping today." Tony was confused and looked at her. "You need more than a few outfits Tony and there are some nice places nearby that we shop at." Tony didn't know what they meant by that but decided to wait and see. After Joyce left they show him upstairs.

"This is going to be your room and it means it's off limits to us unless you need help or there's something going on. Also you can tell us it's okay to come in. Same goes for our room and Kelly's you have to get permission to go in first unless it's an emergency. If the door's closed then knock and we'll do the same to your door."

"I can close my door? But what if I do something?"

"What do you plan to do?" Tony shrugs,

"I've never been allowed to close a door because I might do something but they won't tell me what that is. They say I know what it is." Gibbs nods,

"Well if it comes to that then we'll talk about it. Until then if you want to close your door that's fine. Unpack your things and then after lunch we'll go shopping. We shop mostly at a thrift store to get more for the buck when it comes to foster kids but we'll do other stores for shoes, underwear, socks and pajamas things we don't want to get used." When they call Tony down for lunch of grilled cheese and soup Tony hung back unsure of what he was supposed to do.

"Do you want one or two sandwiches Tony. Kelly gets half because that's all she can eat and she'll eat more soup but I can make you however many you think you can eat."

"Is two okay?"

"Sure is, go on and start on the soup while they cook." Tony sat down and Gibbs puts out milk, juice and water.

"What do you want to drink? There's also grape and cranberry juice in the fridge. We'll go shopping either later today or tomorrow for things you like to eat." Tony froze and just looks at him. "Are you okay Tony?"

"No one ever does that?"

"What? They don't go to the grocery store?"

"Get what I want or even care what I want." Shannon put the two sandwiches in front of him.

"Well we're not everyone and we do. We usually get little girls who are used to certain things and won't eat anything but those things so it makes meals less of a battle but they will try new stuff."

"I'm not that picky. I like trying new things and there's nothing I can think of that I won't eat except squid." Kelly makes a face.

"Eww!"

"Well I won't eat that so I won't make it. Plus we have to grocery shop for the week and you need to find your snacks."

"My snacks?"

"Kelly has the right hand drawer and you'll get the left hand drawer in the fridge at the bottom for any snacks you want for yourself. Shannon and I have the top shelf in the fridge and everything else is free to snack on at any time. You also can put stuff in this bin if you don't want to keep it in the fridge."

"I don't have money for any of that."

"You get $10 to buy your snacks a week. You can buy plenty that way or stock up on one of something up to 01 dollars worth. Next Saturday you'll get another 10 even if you still have snacks." Tony thought this was a set up but at the thrift store he was allowed to choose what clothes he wanted, a suitcase and duffle bag and some books to read.

"What do you think about Tony?" Shannon was looking through pants for Kelly who kept ripping hers at the knees and looks across the store to where he's looking through the book section.

"He's too timid. I think it's more than foster homes. His step mom's are the reason he gets put into foster care maybe they're the reason he doesn't expect much." Gibbs nods,

"I got that feeling too. We can just try to be patient and show him that we're not like other families. Joyce also mentioned he had trouble in other homes but I don't think the problem was him by the reports."

"I saw that too." At the mall Tony was further surprised when they stop by a shoe store just to get him new shoes and he still got to choose. When he tried to get cheap shoes Gibbs stops him.

"I know you're trying Tony but these won't last but a week or two and you're going to be here longer than that. You need shoes to play, run, jump around and do things in. It's okay to get better shoes that will last."

"I don't want you to think I'm going to cost too much to keep."

"All kids cost money and we want you to pick what you'll use so you'll be happy with them." Later Shannon starts washing the clothes they got from the thrift shop and then finds Tony in his room reading the books they got.

"Can you hand me some hangers from your closet Tony? Some of your clothes are ready to take out of the dryer so I want to hang them up." Tony gave her an odd look.

"We told you we won't come into your room with permission. That reminds me come down so you can see where I'll hang your clothes in case you're looking for anything special and where you can put something if you need it before laundry day." Shannon's laundry areas wasn't bit but she had a rack for clothes she hung up and she showed Tony how it was color coded for who it was. And the shelf for them as well.

"What's FC stand for?"

"Foster child so anyone else will see that and know it's not ours either. Somethings when we need help my friend Tammy will give us a hand because we've taken sisters before so it means more laundry and such but we don't mind. We had a set of 3 sisters one time and their baby brother and they were sick with the flu. It seemed laundry never stopped for two week and she was here daily to help."

"She sounds nice."

"She is and she's approved so if we need a sitter you can stay with her and her family. She watches Kelly for us a lot but she's also licensed so she can drive you places. She's got a son who is about your age and is 11."

"I'm 10."

"I know and you don't have to be friends but I was just telling you about him. He's not thrilled with his mom helping us because it's always girls or if it's a boy they're usually really little but she's a huge help." When Tony was putting his laundry away Kelly and Gibbs came home. They had left and Tony hadn't thought about it but they called him downstairs when they returned.

"Here this is for you." Kelly hands Tony a bag that was dark so Tony couldn't see what was in it.

"What is it? We already went shopping so..." Gibbs smiles,

"We we were out shopping Kelly realized something she thought you needed but wanted it to be a surprise so we took off again." Tony looks at Kelly who was bouncing up and down in anticipation.

"Open it, I want to see your face." Tony wondered what on earth Kelly thought he needed. Opening the bag he found a stuffed dog with big floppy ears and was big.

"A dog!" Kelly nods,

"I have a stuffed kitty and most kids bring their own stuffed animals but you didn't have one and I thought you would need one."

"Thank you Kelly I love it." Tony did and was shocked when Kelly hugs him before running off.

"She spent 30 minutes looking over the dogs trying to pick the right one for you. She wanted something fluffy and soft. I never knew how many they made that way." Tony smiles,

"Thank you, I really do like it."

"I'm glad and I just hoped you would appreciate ti even if you thought you were too old for one."

"I have a small bear I usually take with me but I didn't get to pack my things this time. Wanda did so she probably threw him out."

"I hope she didn't but in the meantime you have your new dog." Later at dinner Tony was surprised when they let him serve himself and engaged in conversation instead of eating in silence or expecting him and Kelly to be quiet. Kelly talked about Halloween that would be in two weeks.

"The weekend before we usually have a trunk or treat on the field where everyone sets up tables or in the back of their car things to hand out candy for the kids. There are more things to do on Halloween but it's fun for the kids and only for the base and a nearby kids group home." Kelly nods,

"Mommy says we can go to the mall and it's huge. They always do something on Halloween and there's always a haunted house in the parking lot."

"That might be fun." Shannon nods,

"Are you too old to dress up or do you celebrate Halloween."

"When I was younger we did but my father says I'm too old now to dress up and get all that candy."

"The older kids participate here though even if they don't dress up. It's just for fun and if you don't want to participate that's fine too." After dinner Tony started clearing the table surprising them so Gibbs helped him so they could talk.

"I wanted to talk to you about the rules here." Tony doesn't say anything. "We don't have many and we can discuss them but I also want you to know there are some guidelines."

"Okay, what are they?"

"Well first there really isn't a bed time as long as you get up in time for school in the morning. We just ask that you try to keep it down after 9 so Kelly can sleep. You can watch TV and movies in your room but just not at full volume."

"That sounds okay. I mean I don't usually listen to the TV loudly anyway." Gibbs smiles,

"Then that shouldn't be a problem. Also you have to keep your room neat and j help around the house when Shannon asks. You won't be expected to mow the lawn or anything there are people who do that but if you're in the living room and make a mess then we'll expect you to clean up after yourself. We take turns cleaning up after meals too."

"Okay, I can do that." Gibbs knew he would anyway but didn't want to see like they assumed he would know.

"The only other things is to come straight home after school or let Shannon know where you're going. And home work must be done before you can go play or run around. If you need help with it just let us know and we'll give you help or find you help if we can't."

"School's usually really easy for me but thanks "

"Maybe in time if it's too easy we can see about advance classes but the school need s to see about that first." Tony had heard that before so he just shrugs and Gibbs wonders what's going on in his head. He figured having a boy there instead of the young girls they usually got would be a change but he hoped it wouldn't be a mistake. They trusted Joyce when she said he would be a good placement with them and they thought they should look in a different direction for adopting a child.

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