Again, many thanks to Karen19 for a wonderful job editing this story.

The moment Tony walked out the door Jackson turned to his son. "What are you doing?" Jackson scolded.

"Why is Tony here?" Jethro asked in response.

"Because I invited him. Do you have a problem with that?" The look on Gibbs face was answer enough for his father.

"Why are you so mad Tony is here? I invited you first, but since you wouldn't return my phone calls I decided to invite someone who wanted to be around me." Gibbs snorted in response. "Jethro, I really do want you here, but you wouldn't call me back so I asked Tony to check if you were coming down. He told me you were staying at the office."

"I was going to."

"And you changed your mind?"

"Yes"

"Are you going to tell me why?"

"No"

"Fine, you don't have to tell me why you came. I'm just glad you're here. I really am Jethro." He father finished with total sincerity. Gibbs was overwhelmed with guilt. He had finally decided to have Thanksgiving with family and the first thing he had done was start a fight.

"Me, too Dad" he responded quietly.

Jackson shot him a small grin in response to being called Dad. He let the feelings linger for a moment. Then he remembered the discussion they had just been having. "I don't want you to be rude to Tony. Why are you angry he is here?"

"I'm not. I guess." Gibbs responded as he considered his reasoning. He never understood how the presence of his father turned him into a teenager every time they saw each other.

"Was it just because you were surprised to see him?" Jackson continued to question his son.

"Somewhat"

"He is not taking your place Jethro. I just didn't have anyone coming over for Thanksgiving and he didn't have anywhere to go. I figured he could fill me in on your life, and besides that, I really like the kid. He has spunk."

Gibbs grinned at his fathers comment. Tony did have spunk.

"We okay?" Jackson asked.

"Will be" Gibbs responded, sounding like a petulant teenager.

"Are you going to be nice to Tony" He father prodded. Gibbs grunted in answer. "Good, now how about you help me with setting the table. We have a lot of good food to eat."

Jackson returned to cooking without any more directions or questions for his son.

Gibbs headed for the cupboards the pates and silverware where kept in. It amazed him that he had been gone for over thirty years and everything was still in the same place. His father was defiantly a creature of habit. Mom had rearranged the kitchen ever year when he was a kid but after Mom left Dad, he had never moved anything. He remembered hearing one of his Dad's girlfriends complaining to Shannon about how his father would not let her move anything in that house. The girlfriend had lived with Jackson for over a year and he was so stubborn everything in the house was in the same place it had been the day his mom left.

Tony slowly approached the house with a can of cranberries in hand. He wasn't really looking forward to walking into that situation again. He wanted to wait outside all day but Gibbs had said to come straight back so he opened the back door and walked it.

Gibbs was setting the table in the dinning room so Tony did not see him when he walked into the kitchen. He handed Jackson the can of cranberries and quietly whispered "everything okay Jack. Are you sure you don't want me to leave?"

Jack smiled as Gibbs walked around the corner. "He is sure he does not want you to leave," Gibbs explained for his father. "I don't want you to leave either DiNozzo."

"You are not mad at me?"

"I'm not mad at you for being here."

Tony grinned. He was really glad his boss wasn't mad at him.

"I am mad at you for lying to me. You said you were going to see an old friend," his boss continued.

Jackson then stepped in to defend Tony. "Technically, He didn't lie. "I am old, and I am a friend."

"It is still not expectable to mislead me. Got it DiNozzo?"

"Got it boss." Tony confirmed. He was glad the tension in the room had dissipated. He wondered how Jackson had done that and if he could learn how to relax his boss from Jack.

"Can I help with anything?" Tony asked politely.

Quickly, the three men set the table and soon were ready to eat. Gibbs' dad really was a good cook. Every traditional Thanksgiving dish was present. The food for Thanksgiving looked perfect, even faultless. The group around the table looked a little less faultless.