A/N: Ah! We are nearing the end to this journey. Almost there. Thanks to everyone who read and hugs to those who reviewed. And real quick, how about that season premiere? Who else wanted to give Tony a big ol' hug?

Chapter Five

"Tony?" Pete tapped lightly on the door, before walking into Tony's room.

It was more of a study really, but it was on the other side of the house and it was quiet. Which was exactly why Tony loved coming here every once in awhile.

Before getting hurt, Tony had usually walked to the barn. But now that he was still unsteady on his feet, making the trek across the front yard just to think wasn't the smartest thing to do.

Tony turned from his coin collection and wheeled around to face Pete. Jack, who was relaxing on his bed by the heat vent, lifting his head and wagged his tail in greeting before laying his big head down.

"What's up?" Tony smiled, setting the Navy Coin down in front of the laptop.

"Brook just wanted me to check up on you," Pete said bluntly, "She says you've been in a mood for a bit since Nate told you guys about wanting to join the Marines. This have anything to do with that? Or that coin bugging you again?"

Tony huffed at Pete's gruffness, thankful that he wasn't one to beat around the bush, "It's not Nate that's bugging me. But maybe the coin."

"Did you have a dream or something?" Pete settled in one of the chairs, relaxing into the soft leather, "Cause you always get moody when you have a dream of before."

"No," Tony shook his head, "No dream. Just thinking."

"I wouldn't recommend it," Pete said seriously, but Tony saw the smirk just wanting to come out, "You know you always get into trouble when you start doing that."

Tony smiled, before lifting the coin off the table and flicking it to Pete, knowing the man would catch it.

"Secretary of the Navy," Pete admired, even though he had seen the coin many times before, "Always wondered where you would get a coin like that."

"That's just it," Tony mumbled, "I was reading about it on the internet this morning, while you and Nate were out checking on the horses. Only officers of the Navy get coins like that. And I pretty sure I was never an officer in the Navy."

Pete played with the coin for a second before throwing it back to the man he viewed as his son, "What's with all this now Tony? In the years I've known you, you've never wanted to find out about what happened before you woke up in those woods. Why now?"

Tony caught the coin, placing it back in its case before rubbing his face, "I don't know really. It all started after the party. Sam, you know, Samantha and her husband Rick who moved down here a couple of months ago from Maryland I think, well, she was telling Brook this story about a dog running in front of her car."

"Did she hit it?" Pete asked, raising a brow to show he didn't find anything particularly impressive about the story.

"No," Tony shook his head, scowling slightly at Pete, "But that's not the point. The point is that she mentioned the dog's name."

"Rex?" Pete interrupted again, smiling when Tony's glare strengthen in intensity.

"No," Tony shook his head, "It was Probie."

It was quiet for a moment before Pete deadpanned, "What kind of retarded name is Probie?"

"That's not the point!" Tony leaned forward in his chair, frustrated at Pete.

"Well then what is the point?" Pete asked, not at all fazed by Tony's anger.

"The point is," Tony shook his head and rolled his shoulders to release some tension, "The point is I don't know why, but I..I-"

"I ain't a mind reader," Pete spoke up, "So spit it out Tony."

"I don't know what the point is!" Tony finally answered as he ran his hands through his hair "That name means something, or I've heard it before or something but I can't figure it out. And it's bugging the hell out of me."

"But why?" Pete asked in a blasé tone that if Tony had been able to, he would have walked over and grabbed the man by the shirt labels for being so dismissive about what Tony had just told him.

"What do you mean why?" Tony wheeled around, picking up the coin, "This is why. Probie and this coin mean something and they're from before. Why does that need a reason? Why can't I just want to know?"

Pete narrowed his eyes in what looked like anger but Tony could tell that the look was more along the lines of concern, "Why do you want to know now? Tony from what you told me, you've been this way for years. That's a long time. Why do you suddenly what to know now? I mean, you've been married for almost a few years now. Why didn't you work hard to figure this out before you got married? You didn't care about figuring out your last name back then. Instead you just took Brooke's name. Why does it suddenly matter that you know?"

"Because," Tony shook his head, holding the wheels of his chair so tight that his knuckles were turning white, "I want this story to have a happy ending Pete. That's it."

Standing up, Pete let his bad hip pop before he walked over to Tony and smacked him on the back of the head, supposed traumatic brain injury or not, "You stupid or something? What do you think this is?" Pete gestured around, indicating Tony's house, "You think Brook isn't happy she married you? Or that she's not the least bit overjoyed that you became a father to four beautiful children? You don't think you made TJ, Lisa, and hell, even me happy? What other ending are you hoping for Deuce?"

"No," Tony shook his head, "They're enough. All you guys, you'll always be enough to make me happy."

"Then what is it?" Pete asked, squeezing Tony's shoulder, "If we're enough, then why are you doing this to yourself?"

"Because," Tony let out a huff that sounded close to a sob, before taking a deep breath, hoping to contain the tears, "I can't help but feel as if I've left someone behind. That they're never going to get the same happy ending I have if I don't figure out what happened. And I can't-" Tony rubbed his eyes and wiped away the few tears that escaped before continuing.

"I can't look at you guys, look at my family, and not feel guilty that maybe, someone is missing me during Christmas, during Thanksgiving, or heck, even during my birthday, even if I can't remember it. And I think about that, how I would miss any of you guys if you just left or disappeared, and I know that I can't, I can't just go on forever this way. That, that I need to at least try and figure out what happened."

Pete didn't say anything after Tony's heartfelt confession. Instead, he pulled the chair closer, before sitting down across from Tony.

"You might not like what you find kid," Pete admitted, "There might be a reason you decided to forget about before."

"I know," Tony agreed, "But, but I have to try. One year. I'll look for one year and if I can't find anything, or if I find something that will hurt my family, then I'll never look or think about before again. That's all I ask Pete. That I get one year."

Pete rubbed the stubble on his face before nodding, "Alright then. Let's do it."

"Really?" Tony said, smiling at the older man, "You'll do that?"

Pete nodded before standing, "Now don't be getting all emotional on me. I ain't drunk enough yet."

Tony smiled, before pushing away from the table and towards the living room, where Brooke would be with Lizzy, "Thanks Pete."

"Don't mention it Tony," Pete tapped Tony lightly on the head before squeezing his shoulder once more.

The break came on a day, a day that Tony was sure would never happen.

He had been looking through missing person's reports people from the Maryland, Virginia area around the time he first started to remember.

And in searching for that, Tony had stumbled upon the public archives of federal cases.

And in doing that, he had glanced at a name that would seem so insignificant, the article had only mentioned it once.

Probationary Agent…

Probie.

He had known a Probationary Agent. And if Tony's gut was right, then he had known ones who worked with the Navy, thus the coin.

And there was only one agency that had probationary agents that also dealt with the Navy.

NCIS.