Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS or anything associated with it. No money is being made from this work. Also, I messed around with the NCIS timeline. So, there will be familiar elements, they just may not be in the order, or context from the actual show.

Fiction (n) – invention or fabrication as opposed to fact.

Chapter 4: One Year Earlier – Meeting Jefro

All Gibbs could do was nod. He was paying careful attention to the little boy who had just climbed into his lap. After delivering the coffee to his team, Anthony DiNozzo Jr. had taken a seat on the floor and had started playing with the toy car that had been in his pocket. He had been quietly navigating his toy through a "candy jungle" when Gibbs' papa-bear instincts kicked in and he asked the boy what was in his cup. 'Surely, Tobias hadn't gotten the kid coffee.' He thought. Tony had looked up at Gibbs and had decided that he seemed nice enough. So he climbed into his lap and replied that it was "hot cocolate" and that it was "his fav'rite" and that "Mista Toby" had gotten it for him.

"I wikes cocolate," Tony was carefully explaining, "but I can'ts eat it all time."

"Why can't you eat chocolate all the time?" Gibbs questioned.

"B'cuz if I eat lots of chocolate, den I gets sick and I have ta go to the doctas. I don't wike doctas. Dey say you can getta candy, buts you hafta get a shot firs!" Tony explained.

Gibbs heard someone cackling in the background…it was probably McGee.

"Umm. Mista Jefro? Are you all buffered up now?" Tony asked shyly.

Gibbs had no idea what that meant. "Buffered up?" He asked.

"Uh-huh," Tony replied. "Mista Toby says you hafta buffer people up so dey can be weally nice and do tings for you. So we had to buffer you up wif coffee!"

Another cackle…definitely McGee.

"Well, yeah, buddy. I think I'm all buttered up now." Gibbs replied.

"Goods." Tony said firmly. "Cuz you hafta help Mista Toby catched da bad guys that are afta me and papa."

"I will try my hardest buddy." Gibbs replied. "But, I heard that you saw the bad guys' faces, so I think I may need your help too."

Tony looked skeptical. "Am I gonna hafta be a NISC ajint now? Cuz I was already bein a BFI ajint when I boughts da coffee. I can't have two jobs Mista Jefro! I'll never ever be able ta go home and pay wif my toys!"

If McGee cackled one more time, Gibbs was going to send him downstairs to help the "baggy bunnies" do inventory.

'Well how about this," Gibbs explained, "When you're with Mr. Tobias you can be an FBI agent, and when you're with me you can be an NCIS agent."

Tony still looked skeptical. "What happens if I'm wif botha you?"

'Huh,' Gibbs thought, 'Fornell was right. Kid's sharp as a tack.'

"Well," Gibbs finally replied, "even if you're with both of us, you're still an NCIS agent."

Now Tony looked downright confused. "Why?"

"Rule 38. My case, my lead. That means that even if Mr. Tobias and I are together. I'm still in charge." Gibbs replied.

"I neva learned dat wule in school." Tony went back to looking skeptical.

"Nope," Gibbs replied while leaning back in his chair, making sure to look Tony right in the eyes, "that's my rule."

"Oooo," Tony nodded, "Do you have lotsa wules Mista Jefro?" Tony asked.

"Not that many," Gibbs replied.

"Ok," Tony replied. However, a few minutes later, the skeptical look was back, "Am I gonna hafta learn all your wules Mista Jefro? Are dere any bout cocolate?" he finally asked.

'That's it!' Gibbs thought after hearing yet another cackle. 'Tomorrow, I lace McGee's coffee with salt.' He then glanced at the kid in his lap. 'I'll get Tony to deliver it.'

AN 1: Again, thanks for putting up with my horrible "kids speak"