AN - one more chapter after this. Sorry if the format is a bit odd. Had a lot of trouble uploading this. seems a bit hinky right now.

Gibbs looked at him sharply and there was a level of concern in his expression that Tony was more used to seeing in those first few seconds after he'd been shot, or rescued from a hostage situation.

"You better not be thinking of resigning, DiNozzo."

His tone threatened dire retribution. Tony knew better. Putting 'Gibbs' and 'feelings' in a sentence together was never an exact science. The important things, the words that mattered, were the parts Gibbs didn't say. I don't want you to leave.

"Wouldn't dream of it, Boss."

He saw Gibbs' eyes narrow at the glib answer and knew he was in trouble. Usually, Gibbs was pretty tolerant of the roles he chose to play, not least there was more than one suspect rotting in jail because they had bought into his playboy demeanour and seriously underestimated him, thereby letting slip some incriminating piece of evidence.

And then there were times like now.

"You want to try that again?" Gibbs gaze was intense.

"Not really." Tony sighed.

On another day, those words might have been a challenge; it wouldn't be the first time that he had gone toe to toe with Gibbs to avoid talking about his feelings. Back at the Hospital, God he'd been so scared. A few CVs and a couple of interviews later and it would be as if he had never existed. He'd been so determined not to let anything slip, not to show how weak he was, how pathetic to so desperately need the love and approbation of his god dammed boss, he'd yelled louder than Gibbs.

"That wasn't a suggestion, DiNozzo." Gibbs' tone brooked no argument.

Tony decided he might as well bite the bullet. He was an NCIS Special Agent, Gibbs' Senior Field Agent. Time to suck it up and get the job done.

"About before, I'm really sorry, Boss. I didn't mean anything by it."

Gibbs looked at him for a long moment and Tony had the uncomfortable feeling that he knew full well that Tony still had no real idea why Gibbs had been upset. Sure, the birthday gift proved that he was more than a co-worker, but even in families there were pecking orders and if Ducky was the respected elder statesman and Abby was the beloved daughter, heck even Kate was the smart cousin from out of town, then he was definitely the disappointment.

"Ducky tell you to say that?" Gibbs' tone was mild but he wasn't pulling any punches.

"C'mon, Boss," The words were torn from him. "We both know I'd have made a lousy Marine."

Assessing blue eyes remained fixed on him as Gibbs reached up and grasped the bottle of bourbon, unscrewing the top off the bottle, pouring a healthy measure into his coffee, before moving the neck to hover over Tony's mug.

"You take any of those painkillers the Doc gave you?"

"Not exactly." Tony hedged. He hated pills and Gibbs knew it.

"Figures." Gibbs grunted.

He went ahead and poured a generous measure into his coffee as well, before capping the bottle and leaving it to hand on the worktop. Tony took a sip of the coffee and bourbon, feeling it trickle rich and warm down his throat, watching Gibbs looking at him over the rim of his mug, and wondered what kind of conversation they were going to have that needed bourbon.

"I'm not your father," Gibbs said gruffly. "And you're not Stan Burley. Are we clear?"

Tony took another mouthful as he translated that. Gibbs would never abandon him, or belittle him, and if his expectations were high it was because he wanted Tony to be the best he could be, not to set him up for failure. And he realised he was dammed glad that Gibbs wasn't like his father. His father had been a lousy parent.

Stan Burley was a different matter. He had been a good man and a conscientious Agent. Gibbs complimented him on his thoroughness and remembered his favourite type of bagel. He had been jealous of their easy relationship. He wanted to be Stan Burley.

The exasperated look Gibbs gave him made him wonder if he had actually said that out loud.

"Look, I know I haven't worked with you as long .."

"DiNozzo, I swear," Gibbs ran a hand through his hair and tried to remind himself that none of this was Tony's fault. Although, for a top-notch investigator, who prided himself on his observational skills, he could be pretty dammed clueless when it came to realising how much people cared about him. "Didn't you listen to anything Stan said to you?"

"You knew about that?"

"Who do you think told him to talk to you?"

At first, he had thought it wouldn't do any harm for Tony to see that he had big shoes to fill as Gibbs' Senior Field Agent. He hadn't expected Stan and Kate to join forces and he knew all that stuff about the kid's short-term positions had hit a particularly raw nerve. He'd tried to tell himself that he had intervened because he didn't need DiNozzo spending all his time second guessing himself instead of working. But that was unfair. Tony hadn't let his insecurities get in the way of doing the job and doing it well.

The truth was he hadn't been able to stand the kid looking like a kicked puppy every time he thought he was second best. He'd liked Stan well enough, he was a good man, but right from the moment he had pulled him from that car wreck in that undercover mission gone all to hell in Baltimore he had known DiNozzo was special.

"You couldn't have just told me yourself?" Tony teased, deliberately baiting him now.

In answer Gibbs just raised a brow. "You couldn't have just told Kate that those 'extenuating circumstances' in Philly earned you a medal and dammed near cost you your life?"

"Aw, Boss," Tony was grinning openly now. "I'm touched. You really do care."

"You're not going make a big deal out of this, DiNozzo." Gibbs growled.

"Gibbs, I .."

"Tony, let me rephrase that. You are not going to make a big deal out of this. Understood?"

Tony's grin simply widened as his eyes slid towards the carefully crafted table and he wondered how he could ever have missed it. The head slaps, the pizzas, the soft half smiles, the eye rolls, Gibbs said 'I love you' several times a day.

He met Gibbs gaze, with new understanding.

"So, Boss," He smiled slowly. "What did you get used to get Stan for his birthday?"

Gibbs' eyes crinkled and they shared one of those moments of perfect accord that characterised their relationship and always left Kate wondering what exactly was going on.

"A power sander."

-----------------------------

"You're such an idiot," Abby signed carefully, Tony was making good progress since she had sent him the book in the Hospital, but he wasn't fluent yet. She'd figured it would be good physical therapy for his injured fingers. And that it would be fun to surprise Gibbs. "You gotta know Gibbs loves you like his own."

"Its not like I've had a whole lot of practice at playing happy families, Abs," Tony walked his fingers carefully through the symbols. "And getting touchy feely with Gibbs is like trying to get up close and personal with a .." He paused and finger spelled the unfamiliar symbol "p.o.r.c..u.p.i.n.e."

"Porcupine?" Abby showed him the sign. "Oh, yeah, gotta watch your step with those."

"What are you two doing?" Kate asked, coming into the lab.

"Nothing." Tony swiftly folded his hands in his lap and gave her an innocent smile.

"Talking about getting up close and personal with porcupines." Abby told her brightly.

"You know if you don't want to tell me, you could just say so." Kate huffed.

"Something I can do for you, Kate?" Tony waggled his eyebrows.

"I came to see Abby," Kate cut him dead with a smile. "Although, I think Gibbs was looking for you. About ten minutes ago?"

"Oh yeah," Tony stood up slowly not giving Kate the satisfaction. He knew she was just yanking his chain. It was only two days since he got out of the Hospital. Officially, he was still on sick leave and he was under strict instructions from Gibbs and Ducky not to overdo things. If the man had wanted him urgently Abby's lab was the first place he'd have looked. "We're going out to the firing range."

Kate watched thoughtfully as he grabbed his jacket from the back of his chair, leaned forward to kiss Abby on the cheek and disappeared.

"So, how's he doing?" She asked Abby. "Really?"

"You should probably ask Gibbs," Abby evaded the question. "Although, it doesn't help that he still hasn't opened Daddy DiNozzo's little box of tricks yet."

"You have any idea what's in that?"

"Oh yeah," Abby scowled thinking of the contents of that large brown box. "Gibbs had me scan it. But then he swore me to secrecy."

"You don't think maybe he should see someone?"

"Gibbs?"

"No, Tony." Kate rolled her eyes.

"You mean like a shrink?"

"It might help."

"Gibbs knows what's best for Tony," Abby said confidently. "He'll make him all better."

----------------------------

"Alright," Gibbs stood directly behind Tony as they both focused on the target, his hands reaching around to correct his grip slightly. "Try it like that."

Removing his hands, he watched as Tony breathed and fired a rapid volley of shots. Only to turn away in exasperation as two of the shots went wide. Again.

"Damn."

Tony was profoundly grateful that Gibbs had organised these sessions at a small, privately owned range, rather than expose his infirmity to the whole of NCIS. But that didn't make the process of failure any easier. He hadn't shot this badly since he was a rookie cop.

"Not bad." Gibbs commented.

"If I wanted to win a kewpie doll at the county fair."

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he winced in anticipation of the expected swat. When it never arrived he squinted through one eye to see Gibbs looking at him with open amusement. Pasting an affronted look on his face he straightened up with as much dignity as he could muster.

"I think you just need a little more focus." Gibbs commented, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"Oh Boss, not the cap again, please," Tony whined. "I'm barely over the last time."

"Not the cap."

Tony watched mystified as Gibbs strode right past him, back to the car, popped open the trunk and retrieved a large cardboard box. As his sharp eyes allowed him to recognise it Tony's face broke into a big grin. Trust Gibbs to think of something like that. Gibbs set the box on the firing range and pulling out a pen, tugged off its cap with his teeth, and drew a target on the side, before walking back towards Tony, who wrinkled his brow as a thought occurred to him.

"Um, Boss, do you have any idea what's in there?"

"Yep."

"Alright," Tony shrugged. Gibbs' word was good enough for him. Grinning in anticipation, he raised his weapon, focused and let off six, perfect shots in a tight circle, as the box bucked and twisted under his aim.

"Nice grouping," Gibbs' voice was tinged with pride. "Moving target, too."

Tony looked over at him, all his affection and gratitude for his time and faith shining in his eyes. Then he grinned, a bright carefree smile that Gibbs hadn't seen since the accident.

"Does this mean we can stop for pizza on the way home?"