Hey guys, the headache I had while writing this was pretty spectacular, so I have no idea what half of this is going to turn out to be, because me on any type of painkiller, even Tylenol gets interesting. So please bear with me. I hope you like this chapter, Tony and Gibbs have a chat and Gibbs learns about Tony in some different ways. Just to answer this question before it is asked, this is not and it will not turn into slash. It's just a friendship and eventually Father/son. Please review and tell me what you think!

Gibbs rolled over for the hundredth time. When he saw that the clock on Tony's shiny DVD player showing the time to be four in the morning, he sighed and sat up. He had been flipping himself over on that stupid couch for the past hour and sleep refused to come, his mind and gut moving and twisting too much for him to gain any peace. Gibbs rubbed his hand across his forehead and began looking around the small apartment. Seeing that Tony was still deep asleep, he stood and began to inspect the living quarters of their host.

The front door opened into the living room which consisted of a worn leather couch, the beat up recliner and a bean bag chair patched with duck tape. A wide flat screen tv was mounted on the wall and DVD were stacked all over the living room. There were dozens scattered on every available surface with no rhyme or reason to their placement. Gibbs rolled his eyes at the mess and continued looking around. To the right of the living room was a kitchen, if it was even big enough to be called that. It was tiny and looked like it was seldom used. Take menu's were piled next to the stove according to type of restaurant. Chinese and Italian seemed to be the top choices judging by the dog eared quality of the papers. Gibbs smirked when he saw the markings on the menu illuminated by the streelights shining in the kitchen window. Written in blue permanent marker next to each entree was a comment on the food followed by a number of stars.

Looks like he didn't do a lot of cooking.

Gibbs turned back towards the refrigerator and was surprised to see it covered in paper and cartoon magnets. Leaning closer he saw that each paper was either a picture drawn with bright colors or a letter written with childish handwriting in waxy crayon.

Glancing over the counter seperating the kitchen from the rest of the apartment, Gibbs double checked to make sure Tony was still sound asleep. Noting that he was not disturbed yet, he reached for the jacket he tossed over a bar stool before laying on the couch. Finding the small penlight in his pocket he brought it back into the kitchen.

Wincing at the pressure on his bad knee, he kneeled at the fridge and shone the light at the papers.

He was shocked at what he saw.

Most were just pictures, stick figures holding hands, houses, rainbows, dogs, normal pictures a child would draw, each person named. In every picture with people there were always two men, a woman and a young girl, the girl standing close to one of the men, the one with Tony written above his head. Tessie was written above the girls head with the other two named simply as mommy and daddy, and everyone was always drawn smiling. The colors used in every picture were bright and happy, it was plain to see that whoever made these pictures for Tony was a very happy little girl.

Gibbs moved the flashlight towards one of the few peices of papers with more writing that pictures and began to read.

Dear Tony,

I miss you, you haven't come over to visit in a long time. My daddy says that it is cause you are busy being a superhero and playing a big game of pretend. I told him that I was really good at pretend and I wanted to play too but he said that I couldn't, that this was a special game and only you could play. Well I think that I am special and that I would be good at playing. My daddy says you'll come to visit soon as soon as you finish. He says you're out catching bad guys. You're really good at that. I told daddy that you are just like Batman, you go out and you catch the bad guys like the Penguin and the Joker and Mr. Freeze. My daddy says you're even better than Batman cause you're real and I think he's right, you and my daddy are real life superheroes! I miss you Tony and I can't wait for you to come see us again, you have to see my project for the science fair, it's all about the planets!

Love, Tessie

Gibbs smiled at the comparision of the sleeping man curled in the recliner to Batman and moved on to another letter.

Dear Tony,

I asked my mommy and daddy why you haven't come to visit in a long time, and they said that you had an accident playing pretend. Mommy says that I should make you a get well card. Daddy said that you did the bravest thing he had ever seen but he had never known someone so stupid. But I'm not supposed to say stupid. I don't get why he gets to. That's not fair. I asked mommy how you got hurt and she said that the people you played with didn't play right, they cheated. She said that you and my daddy were being heroes and trying to save some people but the bad guys tried to hurt daddy and you stopped them. Mommy said you saved my daddy. She said you are a really big hero. I told her I already knew that. But now you are in the hospital! I don't like the hospital, it smells funny there, but I will come visit you, I promise. I'll bring Suzy! She was the bestest birthday present ever Tony, no one's ever given me a bunny before! I love her so much! Mommy says that they don't allow bunnies in the hospital by I'll be sneaky, I'm really good at being sneaky. Remember the time you and I snuck a whole package of Oreo's out of the kitchen and made super powered double chocolate smores when I couldn't go on my camping trip? That was so much fun and we were so sneaky! We should do that again, mommy wasn't too mad when she saw the mess and you did clean it up. Mommy says it's time to deliver my letter so I better finish. I drew you a picture of us having another campfire with smores and Suzy and mommy and daddy so you will get better faster and come see us again.

I love you Tony!

Love,

Tessie

Gibbs leaned back on his haunches and studied the picture mentioned. It was hanging right below the letter and looked exactly as described right down the bunny Tony had apparently gotten the little girl for her birthday. He rubbed his chin with his hand, trying to unravel the mystery of the man he had been faced with.

"You make it a habit of reading another man's love letters?"

Gibbs froze, his only sign of surprise were his eyes widening slightly. He slowly rose to his feet and turned to face Tony. He was leaning across the counter, watching Gibbs, looking like he had been there for a while and didn't have a care in the world.

"I thought you were supposed to be asleep."

"I could say the same to you. Find what you were looking for?"

"Nope."

Gibbs studied Tony's face in the dim light. It was impassive. Blank as a sheet of paper. Not even curiousity shown through his green eyes.

More pieces began to come together in Gibbs' head.

Playing pretend-

Being a superhero-

He was a cop.

An undercover cop.

Judging by the impenetrable front he putting up, he appeared to be a pretty good one.

And apparently by the amount of letters mentioning playing pretend, he did it quite often.

"Do you usually go through another person's kitchen in the middle of night Special Agent Gibbs?"

Gibbs leaned against the refrigerator.

"Tell me Tony, you seem to know more about me everytime we speak, for someone who is apparently barely holding on to consciousness..."

Tony smiled.

"Work smarted not harder Agent Gibbs. You know if you had questions for me, you could have just asked rather than snooping through my house at...four in the morning. My gosh four in the morning."

"Want to go back to bed?"

"Really Gibbs, you should at least buy me dinner first."

Gibbs grinned and came back around the counter, standing next to the younger man.

"Get your *ss to the couch."

Tony nodded once, getting out of the chair and across the room with making a sound had taken a little more energy than he thought it would.

He turned and started back to his living room and was surprised to feel a firm hand grabbing his elbow. He looked at the grey haired man next him who silently helped him back to his sofa.

Tony flopped down with a groan and wrapped his arms around his aching ribs. Boy was he tired. This really had been a never ending day. Or rather, a never ending two days. The fiasco with Abby had officially launched him into his second day. Lovely.

Gibbs stood above Tony, watching him carefully. He sat staring at his knees, his eyes closed, and shaggy hair falling into his eyes. The younger man looked bone tired, and not just the kind of tired that the night's misfortunes would have brought on. There was something deeper here.

And he was Gibbs so that meant he was going to find out.

One way or another.

Tony's tired voice stopped his question.

"So Gibbs, you show up at my doorstep at two in the morning, catch me as a pass out, sleep on my couch, read the letters from my six year old admirer… I take it you have some things to ask me?"

Gibbs nodded and stood in front of Tony, using the opportunity he gave him.

"Yes. First of all, what is your d*mn name."

Tony looked up and stared at him incredulously.

"Excuse me?"

"Your name. Other than Tony. You have to have a last name."

Tony nodded.

"Yeah Gibbs, I have a last name, and I will tell you, if you sit down. This isn't an interrogation, I'm not a criminal. If you have something you want to talk to me about then you can sit down and talk to me like a civil person, not stand above me and bark, my head hurts enough as it is."

Gibbs blinked and looked at the man surprised.

Well, whoever this kid turned out to be, one thing was for sure.

He had guts.

Gibbs' lips twitched and he sat in Tony's recliner, pushing the pillows and blankets to the floor.

"Happy?"

Tony dipped his head to the side.

"Well now that you mention it-"

Gibbs growled.

"Name."

Instead of cowering like he expected, Tony chuckled.

"Anthony D. DiNozzo Jr. At your service Leroy Jethro Gibbs."

Gibbs' eyes narrowed.

"Dare I even ask how you knew that?"

Tony grinned.

"You could ask."

Gibbs quirked an eyebrow and stared.

Tony looked back, just tired enough to be willing to push this strangers buttons, see how far he could take it.

I wouldn't do that if I were you

Tony relented to the little voice in his head, heaven knew if he listened to it more often he would get in less trouble more often.

"I checked your ID while you were reading my letters. It was in your coat pocket."

Gibbs nodded once. He had put his wallet in his jacket, not wanting to sleep on it. Smart move for DiNozzo.

"The letters, who are they from?"

Tony leaned back on his couch, letting his head dangle back so he could stare at the ceiling. Gibbs could see the smile on his face as he answered.

"Tessie Alexander. The most beautiful and charming six year old you will ever meet. She's got everyone she knows wrapped around her little finger tight as can be."

Tony brought his head back up to smile at Gibbs.

"She thinks she's going to marry me someday."

Gibbs couldn't help but grin back.

"She mentions her father in the letters..."

Tony nodded.

"Detective Daniel Alexander. One of Balitmore's finest. He was my partner."

Gibbs raised his eyebrows.

"You're a detective?"

Tony smiled a bittersweet smile.

"Was Agent Gibbs. Was a detective."

Gibbs leaned forward in the chair, his own curiousity spiked.

"What happened?"

Tony rubbed his forehead, trying to get his thoughts to focus.

"Undercover operation was shot to hell. Rookie mistake made by someone who should have known better and someone else needed to take the fall."

Gibbs' gaze sharpened.

"And that someone else is you?"

Tony laughed, but the sound was hard, cold.

"Yup. Doesn't really matter now though."

"When did this happen?"

Tony sighed.

"No offense Special Agent Gibbs, but it has been a spectacularly long day and I am exhausted. I think I am going to leave off the rest of this conversation until the bright morning hours."

Gibbs was ready to argue until he noticed the heavy shadowing under the younger man's eyes.

"Fine get some rest. But we are not done with this."

Tony stood.

"Wouldn't expect it. You're on my bed."

Gibbs shook his head and pointed back to the couch.

"Get your *ss back on that sofa."

Tony raised an eyebrow but really didn't have the energy to argue.

"if you're sure."

Gibbs didn't reply, he simply settled himself farther into the chair.

Tony stretched out on the couch and turned so he was facing the back of the couch, hidden from the room.

Gibbs closed his eyes, ready to reflect on all he had learned when Tony's voice once again broke through the calm.

"I'm pretty sure there are some childhood journals scattered around here somewhere, if you still want to be a snoop."

Gibbs couldn't stop the chuckle.

"Shut up DiNozzo."

Even concussed, tired and all around having a horrible day, Tony is still able to prove his stuff. Yup, Gibbs is going to want him on his team. Pretty please review, they make my day!