The ride to the Grand Canyon had taken several hours.

Tony was quiet once again, but seemed a little more at ease around everyone, including Gibbs.

Jacob and Celia were bickering in the rear of the van, until Gibbs growled, "Can it!"

And then there was silence.

Tony smiled from the passenger seat.

When Sharlee pulled into the observation area, they were all grateful to get out and stretch their legs.

The two teens ran off, already inside the information office looking for soda.

Sharlee rolled her eyes, "I better get after them, before they grab litre bottles for themselves and become ticking time bombs. Go on. We'll catch up."

Tony smiled, "Sure thing, sugar."

She grinned at him using her term.

He turned to Gibbs who was quietly watching him.

Tony put his sunglasses on. It was a perfectly clear sky, and only 13:30.

He walked right past Gibbs, towards the large observation platform.

The sight before him left him almost breathless.

He slowly wandered to the rail, looking out on the peaches, russets, and shady purples of the vast broken maze of rocky terrain.

He felt Gibbs take place next to him.

They were silent, for a long time, letting the feeling sink in, of being small, as if looking into the face of God.

"Overwhelming, isn't it?" Gibbs asked.

Tony nodded, swallowing down a bit of the awe. "Yes." He took a breath, letting it out slowly.

After another moment, he bit his lip, and gripped the rail in front of him.

Turning his head towards Gibbs, he slowly said, "It…reminds me…of reading the letter."

Gibbs blinked, looking at him, seeing Tony's eyes moving a little under the polarized lenses.

He waited.

"I mean…" Tony looked down for a bit, then back to Gibbs,"I felt like I got thrown in the middle of…that," he pointed out to the canyon.

Gibbs tilted his head a bit. "That's pretty far out."

"Yeah. And thing is…I dunno' why, Boss."

Gibbs relished Tony's use of the word 'Boss', the normalcy of it made him hopeful.

"I felt like…I was an outsider in my own life, and I just didn't know how to get back…and, I still…still dunno' how to get back. When I was a kid…I was so…alone. Just...there was no one to watch my back. And I know. Before you say it. I know you're here, doing just that. It just…I dunno', it just sent me back there…and I don't want it to be like this…"TOny's vice reduced to almost a whisper, "I can't be like this."

"I know, Tony."

He saw Tony's brow knit together, as he shifted on his feet, his breath picking up as he said sadly, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Boss."

Gibbs put a hand up to his shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. He stared at Tony for a moment, "Me too."

Tony nodded again, ducking his head down a bit.

Gibbs let him go.

"You think we'll…be okay?" Gibbs asked.

"I'm still pretty pissed off at you…but…I know I can trust you, to do what you think is right. For me. Even when it does piss me off. I guess that's one way we are like family…" Tony shuffled again, looking out at the canyon. "I mean…I expect an awful lot from you," he smiled as he turned his head to Gibbs again. "Maybe a little nervy considering how I've been handling things."

The older man smiled at him. "You don't expect anything from me that I don't expect from myself."

Gibbs waited another moment and asked, "Senior tell you who they are?"

"No, just the name of an agency in London, called Martouf & Sparrow, where he and my mom went to arrange it. They stayed over in Europe almost a year, to pass it off that I was really theirs…"

"You wanna' find out then? Maybe when we're back in DC?"

Tony blew out a breath. "I dunno'…I don't think so, Boss. I'm such a mess anyway right now."

"If you want to seek them out later, I'll help you. And I know Abby and McGee will."

Tony nodded, unable to speak suddenly, and looked like he was going to lose control for just a second. He clenched his jaw and looked out onto the sunlit expanse before him.

"You're gonna' be okay," Gibbs said, and believing it for the first time, since Tony had tossed his father's ashes in the gulley.

Tony smiled, looking back at his friend once more, "I know I will, Boss. I've got all the family I need in DC."

THE END