"So Tony do you have nightmares often or is it just a thing?" Gibbs asked once Tony had calmed down a bit.
"I have them a lot boss since I was a kid." Tony told him.
"Why didn't you tell me or Rachel?" Gibbs asked.
"Because when I was a kid my dad, the consolers, and dorm parents used to get mad at me if I woke them up because I had bad dreams." Tony explained.
"TWACK!" Gibbs slapped Tony on the head. "DiNozzo I am not Senior, a consoler, or dorm parent." He told him.
"But, you just head slapped me!" Tony cried.
"Yeah that's because you believed something so stupid!" Gibbs exclaimed. "You know if something is bothering you that you come to me." He said in a calmer tone.
"I know but, I was scared you'd think I was weak." Tony told him.
"I didn't think Ziva was weak when she told me she had nightmares about Somalia." Gibbs said.
"She was tortured! I'm just a pussy loser who has nightmares!" Tony cried.
"That may be the stupidest thing I have heard you say." Gibbs scolded. "We all have bad dreams hell I have them all the time." He added.
"Yeah but, with Shannon and Kelly and you having been to war that would be expected." Tony said.
"There not just about Shannon and Kelly or war they're about other things." Gibbs told him.
"Oh yeah like what?" Tony asked looking up at his boss.
Gibbs sighed "Well a few weeks ago I had a really bad one about the team. It was a Friday night and we had just closed a case so I invited everybody over here for dinner. You and Abby were already at the house when I left to get the pizza, Ziva and McGee were going to come over once they finished their paperwork, Jimmy couldn't come, and Ducky was going to wait and see if he could come. Anyway when I came back McGee and Ziva were here and the door was opened I didn't think much of it I just thought somebody had forgot to shut the door. I came in the house and saw the door to Kelly's room was opened and you were lying on the floor as I got closer I saw you had been shot. I knelt down beside and you told me Abby was in Kelly's room and had been shot too and that you thought she was worse than you. I went in and she was dead shot in the chest. Those bastards shot my Abby and killed her in my Kelly's bedroom! I called 9-11 and I came out and sat with you but, you died in my arms before the ambulance arrived. The police found McGee and Ziver in the kitchen they had the killers cornered the cops. I tried to help and a gun fight broke out and McGee and Ziva were both shot! McGee was left in a vegetative state and Ziva was a quadriplegic. Smart McGee was brain dead, tough Ziva was paralyzed and you and Abby were dead! Ducky couldn't handle your autopsies and dropped dead right there and Jimmy snapped and disappeared! My whole family was destroyed again! It was the worst thing ever!" Gibbs told his story.
"Boss I had no idea. I'm sorry I made you relive it." Tony told him.
"It's OK it feels good to talk about it and I bet that if you asked McGee, Abby, Ducky, Jimmy, or even Vance they'd tell you they had bad dreams frequently too." Gibbs replied.
"Thanks boss I feel better now." Tony said.
Later that night Gibbs had decided he was done in the basement for the night. Before he went to the couch he decided to check on Tony who had gone to bed not long after dinner. He had noticed that Tony hadn't eaten that much and looked a little pale and suspected that he was not feeling his best Gibbs figured it was just the stomach bug that had been sweeping through the office over the past week. Though he still wanted to check on him Tony tended to have more problems when he was sick then the rest of the team. Gibbs opened the door to the guest room and saw that Tony was lying on the bed awake Gibbs looked into Tony's eyes they were side and had fear in them. Gibbs walked to the bed and crawled in next to Tony.
"It's OK Tony I'm right here." Gibbs whispered he felt Tony's body relax.
Eight year old Tony DiNozzo was sitting on the porch with his dad. His mom had died a few weeks before of course he was sad but, he was OK because his dad had taken a leave from work. Right now he was sitting on the porch swing with Tony. He was glad his dad was OK with him crying and said it didn't mean that you weren't a man. His dad did tell him to "Man Up" but, in situations like when Bobby Matthews was stealing Tony's lunch money. Tony felt like he was going to cry all of the sudden he looked up at his dad into his blue eyes. "It's OK Tony I'm right here he whispered.
"I love you dad." Tony whispered.
Gibbs was down in the basement with his son Tony. His daughter Kelly and wife Shannon were killed in a car accident a few weeks before. Gibbs had been overseas at the time and his son Tony had been visiting over his Spring Break. Gibbs was glad Tony had survived the crash the NCIS agent who had been assigned to protection detail had been shot and died instantly, he lost control of the car and crashed Shannon and Kelly died but, Tony who had been in the back with Kelly had survived with only a broken leg. Which may have ended his football career though Gibbs was more concerned about the physiological effects of Tony watching his mom and sister die Tony had held Kelly while she died? Nevertheless Gibbs was glad his son had lived.
"Dad I don't think I want to go back to playing football even if the doctor says I can" Tony told him.
"Why not son?" Gibbs asked.
"After mom and Kelly I decided I would rather study Criminal Justice I want to join NIS like you are." Tony told him.
"I'm proud of you son" Gibbs told him.
"I love you dad" Tony whispered.