Disclaimer: NCIS and its characters do not belong to me and I am making no money from this.

Many thanks to Mr VP for the Beta and to Cold Ember for making sure this isn't too 'English.' Any remaining mistakes are mine.

AN Thank you again for the lovely reviews, they really made my day. Interesting idea Sabrina but you'll have to wait and see!

AN Tiny spoilers for Frame Up.

Arriving back at the Navy Yard Gibbs lost no time in heading for Abby's lab. Loud music was blaring as usual and Abby was peering intently at her computer screen.

Gibbs flicked her pig tails as he came up behind her. "Anything Abbs?" he asked.

"I've isolated two distinct fingerprints from Tony's apartment that don't belong to him. One from the doorframe, the other the phone." As she spoke she was looking beyond Gibbs to DiNozzo who had entered the lab quietly behind the older man and was now leaning against her workbench. He looked haggard, the effort of walking from the parking garage had taken its toll on his abused body and Abby quickly got up and pushed her seat towards him. "Sit," she commanded, "before you fall down." She looked at him intently. "Should you even be here?" she asked finally, rubbing her hand gently over his back.

"He's not going anywhere Abbs," Gibbs spoke first. "Everyone stays here until this perp is caught."

"What's going on Bossman?" she asked quietly, with none of her usual exuberance.

For answer Gibbs handed over the paper with its stark message. "See what you can find on this."

Abby took the paper and nodded, turning back to Tony she asked. "Any fingerprints I should be ruling out?"

DiNozzo smiled slightly. "Not fresh ones," he admitted, "haven't been home much lately. Why would there be prints on my phone?" he wondered. "I'll check the calls." He pushed himself up, unable to mask the wince at the pain the movement caused him.

Abby smiled at him in sympathy before looking pointedly at Gibbs who smiled at her in turn and followed the younger man out, walking close enough to support him if needed. Satisfied the Goth turned back to her computer and the evidence bags littering her workbench.

NCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCIS

Half an hour later the mood in the bullpen was sombre. Tony had run a check on all of the calls both to and from his landline and had drawn a blank; he hadn't even had any messages for a couple of days.

"Cleaning service? Gibbs suggested.

DiNozzo shook his head. "Only come once a week and they're due in tomorrow. I'd better put them off," he decided. "Be a hell of a shock for Marie walking into a crime scene. Anyway," he added, "her prints would be all over."

"You haven't had any visitors using the phone?"

Again DiNozzo shook his head before mentally deciding that he would be better off keeping it still. "We've been working late a lot recently Boss, haven't even been out for a drink in over a week. I've made a few calls in that time though. Maybe he was going to make a call but something stopped him."

"Or maybe it got knocked off the hook in the fight." Gibbs rubbed his face thoughtfully. "We'll work on another angle for now, any luck with the mug shots?"

"Not yet." DiNozzo slammed his pencil down on the desk in frustration. He sat with one arm supporting his ribs and looked alarmingly pale. Gibbs knew for sure that he was hurting as he hadn't uttered one word of complaint or tried to milk sympathy as he always did with any minor injury.

"How far back are you going?"

"Five years, including cold cases."

"You know him from working at NCIS?"

"I don't know him, my gut says there's a connection," DiNozzo replied shortly.

"Good enough," Gibbs looked over at him. "Ten more minutes Tony then you need to lie down, you're no use to anyone if you pass out."

"DiNozzo's don't pass out Boss," Tony complained but his heart wasn't in it and Gibbs let it ride. Much as he wanted to nail the creep who was baiting them he wasn't about to do it at the expense of one of his team. His phone rang and he snatched it up, listening intently. Finally he spoke. "That's good work Abbs, send it on up here."

Tony looked over at him from his desk and watched as Gibbs took up the remote and switched to the feed from Abby's lab. The older man took note of the fact that he didn't get up. "Abby's got a hit on the print from the phone," he said and waited as the picture came up. "Robert Taylor, served five years for aggravated assault, been out for nine months."

"That's him Boss," DiNozzo was triumphant. "I'm sure of it, he's older, hair shorter but it's definitely him."

"Well remembered Tony," Gibbs commended. "Now lie down and get some rest. I'll run a check on who he served time with." He turned to his computer while keeping a surreptitious eye on the younger man as he eased himself out of his seat and down onto the floor. DiNozzo moved stiffly to lie down on his back, the movement clearly causing him pain but he didn't say anything and soon his breathing evened out as he fell asleep.

Satisfied Gibbs turned his attention back to the searches in front of him. Noticing his message waiting light flashing he clicked to open it. "Dammit," he cursed quietly, grabbing his cell and hitting the speed dial for McGee. "Are you nearly done?" he barked as soon as the call was answered.

"We've bagged and tagged everything in the basement Boss, it's still too dark to search properly outside."

"I need you back here, bring Ziva and leave Murphy to finish up. Someone can collect his team later."

"What's up Boss?"

"He's sent another message," Gibbs looked at the words on the screen in front of him. "I need you to see if you can trace it, Abby's got her hands full."

"What does it say?" McGee asked quietly.

"Rules were made to be broken," Gibbs quoted and hung up. Grimacing he looked up as the elevator dinged and Ducky walked out. He had been helping Palmer to complete the autopsy and now wanted to check up on DiNozzo.

The ME looked around the bullpen and seeing Gibbs seated at the only lighted area walked across to him. "Ah Jethro," he began. "Where is young Anthony?" At Gibbs' nod he followed his gaze and saw the injured agent asleep on the floor behind his desk. "Jethro," he admonished. "When I said that he should lie down I meant in a bed, not on the floor."

"He doesn't want pampering Duck, there's a job to be done."

Ducky coughed his displeasure, though he had to admit that DiNozzo looked peaceful enough. "How does he seem?" he asked at last.

"Not good," Gibbs admitted. "He hasn't complained once."

"Ah."

"We've had another message," Gibbs said, changing the subject and turning the screen to show the ME. "Do you remember Robert Taylor?" he asked. "We arrested him for aggravated assault nearly six years ago."

Mallard turned to look at the plasma thoughtfully. "Yes, I believe so; he attacked a young girl near Bethesda."

"He was one of the group that attacked DiNozzo."

"The one that Anthony recognised?"

Gibbs nodded. "Abby ID'd his fingerprint too; she hasn't had any luck with the other print yet."

"Perhaps someone will have been careless with the fireworks too," Mallard suggested.

Gibbs frowned, looking over at DiNozzo as the younger man stirred restlessly. "Let's hope so Duck," he said. "We need to find him before he tries something else."

"You will Jethro," Mallard asserted, his eyes following his friends. "I'll go and find a blanket, he shouldn't get cold."

"Thanks Ducky." Gibbs turned back to his computer as the ME left on his errand but he was soon disturbed again by an agitated muttering coming from DiNozzo. His mind went back to the younger man's words when he first regained consciousness. I'm sorry, I won't do it again and he frowned. He knew very little of DiNozzo's family life, for someone so open Tony kept a lot hidden, perhaps for good reason. Not for the first time Gibbs wondered. Occasionally Tony let things slip and Gibbs had already worked out for himself that he had had a very lonely childhood, the man's constant need for acknowledgement and affirmation suggested a deep seated insecurity on a personal level. Tony had, in fact, said as much when in Fornell's holding cell. He shook his head, what kind of parent dressed a ten year old in a sailor suit?

DiNozzo was becoming increasingly agitated, rolling his head from side to side. Gibbs got up quickly and moved to sit on the floor beside him, his back to the desk.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Tony muttered, sweat breaking out on his brow.

Worried that he would hurt himself further Gibbs reached out and rubbed the younger man's shoulder gently. "Tony, it's alright, you're safe now," he soothed quietly.

His words didn't have the desired affect as DiNozzo suddenly shot up, crying out in pain as he did so. Gibbs quickly grabbed his shoulders in support and eased him back to the ground, talking quietly all the time to calm him. "Take it easy Tony," he muttered, "it was a long time ago."

Groggily DiNozzo opened his eyes, taking deep breaths as far as his injured ribs would allow. "Sorry Boss," he whispered, not making eye contact.

"Don't worry about it," Gibbs answered, leaving his hand behind his agent's neck to ground him. "Bad dream?"

Tony shuddered. "Yeah, you could say that," he agreed.

"Want to talk about it?" Gibbs offered.

DiNozzo was silent and Gibbs wondered if perhaps he'd pushed too hard when finally the younger man said quietly. "He never hit me, not once, barely even acknowledged my existence." Meeting Gibbs' eyes finally and seeing only the concern that the senior agent had allowed to show for once, rather than pity, Tony continued. "I'd done something he disapproved of." Closing his eyes wearily he sighed, "I can't even remember what it was now, it happened a lot, him disapproving I mean. I guess I figured he was a miserable drunk."

"What happened?" Gibbs prompted when Tony fell silent.

"He grounded me for a month."

Gibbs raised his eyebrows, being grounded and tied to a solitary existence would have been hard for someone as gregarious as Tony. To do it for a month seemed particularly harsh.

"It wasn't like it was the first time Boss," DiNozzo spoke quietly, without self pity. "It's just that it was the end of the season and I missed the playoffs, nearly lost my place on the team."

Gibbs looked down at his agent, seeing for a moment the lonely little boy. Uncharacteristically he moved his hands to Tony's cheeks and looked him in the eye. "You are not alone anymore DiNozzo," he assured the young man quietly, before tapping his cheek gently. "Now, get some sleep."

Tony stared at him for a moment before smiling softly and nodding. "Thanks Boss," he whispered, eyes closing.

Gibbs smiled in turn and waited until DiNozzo's breathing evened out in sleep before levering himself to his feet and meeting Ducky's eyes with a rueful smile as he held out his hands for the blanket.