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Previously on NCIS's Season 6 Cloak

Tony: I'm sorry, Ducky.
Ducky: Thank you for that apology, Anthony.
Tony: I'm sorry I didn't let you in on what we were doing. I knew it'd piss you off, but, uh...
I guess I didn't trust you enough. Sorry.
Ducky: Thank you, Anthony. That will do.
Tony: And I'm sorry for making you look like an idiot in front of the Secretary of the Navy. I'm sorry for being a cowardly, devious son of a...
Ducky: Anthony!
Gibbs: Are you done?
Tony: Excuse me. I'm not comfortable with the hand up my backside. You let the Toothpick use us as puppets. (finally directing the comments toward Gibbs)
Gibbs: No, I didn't.
Tony: You didn't?
Gibbs: No. It was my plan.
Tony: Your plan?
Gibbs: Every bit of it.
Tony: That's much worse.

Gibbs: It wasn't that I don't trust you.

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After the long difficult day, Gibbs found himself unable to sleep. Even sanding his boat did not seem to distract Gibbs from the very real threat that Agent Lee posed. He made his way up to the darken squadroom to focus his uneasiness on how to resolve the situation.

He was amazed to find that he was not the only one at the office in the middle of the night. Gibbs had to chuckle at the sight. DiNozzo's face was pressed forward against the computer screen, as he lightly snored.

Although he found the whole scene to be amusing, Gibbs approached DiNozzo's side, giving him a slight nudge. "Hey, Tony." Gibbs said softly.

"Tony." Gibbs said stronger. He watched as Tony's body jerked awake.

"Boss! I. . ." Tony started to defend himself for sleeping on the job, before he remembered that it was the middle of the night. This was not missed by Gibbs, who was still finding the whole scene amusing.

"Yes, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked in amusement.

"Uh, what are you doing here, Boss?" Tony asked as he tried to rub the sleep out of his eyes.

"You first. It is 2am DiNozzo. Did you ever go home?" Gibbs said, as he went over to his desk. He leaned back in his chair and just watched DiNozzo.

"I was waiting for you to come back. You know, after you left with Agent Lee. But, then. . .you didn't."

"Mmm." Gibbs answered wondering if that were true.

"How is your dad doing, Tony?" Gibbs asked suspiciously.

"Wh-What?" Tony asked totally surprised by the change in subject. Gibbs continued to stare at him.

"Uh, he is fine, Boss." Tony finally answered.

"You're staying with him again, aren't you?"

"How. . .how did you figure that out?" Tony asked curiously.

"Because you act differently when you are around him, Tony. I can tell when you are with him."

"Different? How so Boss?" Tony asked nervously. Gibbs continued to regard him as he leaned back in the chair, noticing how defensive Tony was becoming over this conversation.

"This is about what I said in autopsy, today, isn't it?" Tony asked. Gibbs continued to watch Tony, and Gibbs just raised his eyebrows to answer the question. Tony finally just looked down in resignation, not knowing how to handle the direction this conversation was going.

"Are you spending a lot of time with him again?" Gibbs probed, but he did not get a direct answer from Tony.

"He is back in D.C. I haven't been staying with him, since he is healthy now." Tony finally answered, avoiding eye contact. Gibbs gave a suspicious stare, wondering if that was a new DiNozzo lie.

"Boss, I just want to spend some time with my father." Tony retorted. Gibbs slowly nodded gently in response.

"C a l m, yourself down, Tony." Gibbs said extremely slowly and softly. Tony shifted uncomfortably under Gibbs' stare.

"Why don't you go home, now?" Gibbs asked suspiciously.

"Uh, y-you never said why you were here, Boss?" Tony asked. Gibbs watched Tony's body tense, as he asked the question.

"You're distracting me." Gibbs accused as he squinted his eyes, while he continued to stare at Tony.

"No. I . . .I wasn't." Tony tried to unsuccessfully defend himself.

"Are you hiding from someone?" Gibbs asked. "Is that why you are here? You need to tell me, if there is a problem, Tony. That is an order, when it concerns your father."

"There isn't. I swear Boss." Tony said defensively, looking away from Gibbs' haunting eyes.

"What is he involved in this time?" Gibbs accused. "I never got a chance to ask him myself, when he was staying at my house. He was there only two hours, and you planned to move him to Long Island before I even got home that evening.

"Tony." Gibbs said. "You need to tell me when there is a problem. There is a reason that you have kept your location a secret from your father for the last eight years. There is a reason that you work for the government and rent rather than own."

"He is not working for the mob anymore, so the threat is gone."

"Are you sure?" Gibbs asked. "Or, is this something that you just hope to be true?"

"Boss." Tony said painfully.

"I am just concerned, Tony." Gibbs said forcefully, which caused Tony to finally jump up in frustration.

"Do you want to stay at my place?" Gibbs asked.

"No. Everything is fine." Tony argued, as he picked up his coat to leave. Gibbs watched as Tony quickly made his escape to the elevator. He shook his head, as he debated if he should follow Tony.

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TBC --- most likely before the end of S6