NOTES: I will be uploading a few chapters a day now as I am going OS next week and don't want to leave you all hanging.

Chapter 6:

Gibbs and McGee arrived at Tony's apartment around seven that evening. They knocked and Tony's girlfriend, Zoe, answered the door. She gave them a look that said she was unimpressed that they were here.

"Can we come in?" Gibbs asked the woman who had her arms crossed over chest. Gibbs didn't know Zoe overly well, but what experience he had with her he knew she would have no problem telling them to turn around and get lost if that is what she thought was best for Tony. However, tonight she just nodded and stood aside to allow them in.

"Well if it isn't my two bestest buddies?" Tony called sarcastically from the couch when he saw who it was. It was obvious he had been drinking but Tony rarely drank to excess so if he was showing signs of drunkenness, then he was obviously disturbed with what was happening. But the question is why? Is he upset that he doesn't know what is going on, or is he upset because he suspects they know his secret?

"Zoe, we need to talk to Tony privately, could you give us some time?"

Zoe looked over at Tony who nodded to her it was OK. She grabbed her bag and coat, "Fine, I'll go, but whatever the hell is going on here, sort it out!" She walked over and gave Tony a kiss on the head, "I'll go home but you call me if you want me to come back ok?" Again Tony nodded in the affirmative, "Gentlemen." She headed to the door and gave both Gibbs and McGee a look that spoke volumes of her protectiveness of Tony and left closing the door loudly behind her.

Tony certainly had a type when it came to women, strong and feisty and it would appear this one was no exception.

"So… what do you want to talk to me about?" Tony asked, taking another sip of his drink and not bothering to offer either of them a seat.

Gibbs looked around and as the couch was the only piece of furniture to sit on in the lounge room, he pulled the coffee table away and sat on that, facing Tony.

"Make yourself at home Gibbs," Tony said with a frown. He hated it when people moved his stuff.

"Tony, we have found out something and, quite frankly, we need some answers."

Tony looked from Gibbs to Tim and back again, his eyes narrowing as his mind tried to work out what they may have found out.

"OK, what is it?"

Gibbs looked at McGee and indicated he should start.

"Ok, well, while Delilah and I were away we came across a store in Long Island called DiNozzo's Finery and we went in, curious of course, and asked the owner if he knew you… He didn't."

Gibbs watched Tony as he processed this; the only clue that Tony was nervous was a slight twitch of one of his eyes. Tony of course, wasn't going to give up the game that quick, "What? That's it? You found a DiNozzo who didn't end up being a relative and that is some big mystery? You know, he's probably one of my distant cousins or something." Tony laughed and took another drink. Again Gibbs watched as Tony's eyes darted away to the left for a split second. Right was recall, left was lying.

"Well that's the thing Tony, when we spoke to Roberto, that was his name, Roberto DiNozzo, he said there are no other DiNozzo's and that … Anthony DiNozzo Senior and Junior died in a car crash in 1976. I checked out his story and he's right."

Tony sat, his jaw clenching and unclenching as he thought on what Tim just said, "So you go poking around behind my back, after some senile old Italian guy gets confused between his Anthony DiNozzo's and us. Did you consider coming and asking me about it? Hmm?"

Gibbs looked at him, "We're here now Tony."

Tony sat forward, placed his glass on the table and started to talk, "Look, apparently my grandfather, had a falling out with his family years ago. They all went their separate ways. Obviously this Roberto guy doesn't realise there is another lot of DiNozzo's running around the world. That's all. Look, I will call my dad and sort it all out. Hell maybe we will even go up and pay cousin Roberto a visit. Bet he would be surprised to know we are out there." He stood and walked over to pour himself another drink. Gibbs could tell from the way his shoulders were held he was nervous.

He looked at McGee and took over the rest of the conversation. "Stop lying to us Tony, there are no other DiNozzo's, you didn't exist before 1984 and the birth certificate we have on file is that of a dead eight year old boy. Your father holds five licences in different names, and they are only the ones we have found so far." Gibbs stood and went to stand beside Tony who was now leaning against the bar with both fists on the top and his head slumped between his shoulders. "Tell us what is going on."

Tony remained in that position for a while before finally standing up and facing Gibbs. Gibbs could see the shimmer of tears in Tony's eyes, "Fine, I'll tell you what I know."

"Good," Gibbs placed his hand on Tony's shoulder and guided him back to his couch. "When you're ready."

"I don't know where to start," Tony said, his arm on the armrest and chewing nervously on his thumbnail.

"How about you start with you're real name?" McGee suggested.

Tony snorted, "If only it was that simple Tim. I actually have no idea what my real name is."

Tim looked confused, "How is that possible?"

"Because I have lived under false names my whole life. Before being given Anthony DiNozzo, I didn't keep a name for more than two years. I've been Mark, Michael, Peter, Sabastian … I hated that one by the way … Sean, David … this list goes on."

"Why did you have to keep changing your name?" Tim asked.

"Let me guess; your father," Gibbs supplied.

Tony nodded. "Yep. He'd meet a woman, marry her or move in with her, we'd live with them for a year or so, then he'd come to me in the middle of the night … always the middle of the night… and say, 'we have to go now son' and he would grab a bag of my clothes, we'd hop into the car and be off again. We would drive for a day or so, change cars and then I would have to learn my new name and our background."

"Where did the names come from?" Gibbs asked.

"I don't know, I assume the way everyone gets a false identity, find a dead person who meets your age needs and take their name and identity. I never saw him do it but he always had one ready to roll when we ran."

"Oh my god! How long did you have to live like that?" Tim asked, shocked that Tony had had such a child hood.

"That was my whole life. We did that for as far back as I can remember."

"Where was your mother?" Gibbs asked.

Tony shrugged, "I don't remember ever having a mother. Dad never spoke about her other than she died in a car crash, I never asked. You can't miss what you never had."

"Who's the woman in that photo?" Gibbs asked, pointing to Tony's piano where there were few photos in frames.

Tony shrugged, "Sue maybe … or Eliza. I don't know, one of my many stepmothers. You would have to ask Dad, I think he has a better memory for them than I do.

"Oh I will be asking your father more than that. What was he constantly running from?" Gibbs asked.

"I never knew. Knowing what I know now about my father; I assume he would fleece the woman he was with of all her money and take off. We always had heaps of cash with us." Tony smiled a sad smile. "I actually liked a few of them. I remember lying in bed as a kid and praying, 'please god, can we stay with this one'. But, we never did and eventually I just stopped praying … for anything."

Gibbs and McGee remained quiet, taking in what Tony had just told them. They couldn't comprehend what Tony's childhood must have been like. But Gibbs couldn't help but feel there was more to this story. He didn't know if Tony was holding back, or he honestly didn't know what his father was up to.

"So what changed?" He asked.

"What do you mean?" Tony asked confused.

"Why did you stop running? Why did you become Tony DiNozzo and stay him?"

Tony shrugged and looked away, "I don't know, I guess dad felt guilty about making me live that way and left me to live my own life."

The three men remained silent until Tony finally asked, "So what are you going to do about it?"

Gibbs shook his head, "I honestly don't know."

"You know, if this comes out, I will probably lose my job."

Gibbs nodded, "No probably about it DiNozzo, you are living under a false identity. You may have had it since being a minor, but you have continued to do it as an adult. I need to think about it. Is there anything else you can tell me?"

Tony shook his head, "Nope." Tony's leg jumped up and down quickly, a sure sign he was agitated. Not surpising, Gibbs thought to himself, I'd be agitated too if I just revealed a life like that. "Ok, we are going to go, but I want to talk to your father."

Tony stood with them, "I'll call him, but to be honest, I don't think he is going to be very receptive to telling you his deep dark secrets."

"Well you tell him he either comes to me … or I will track him down. I don't care how many alias' he has."

"I'll try." Tony walked the men to the door.

"We'll work this out Tony, OK." Gibbs promised before he and McGee walked away.

If only Tony could believe him. He shut the door and walked to his window and looked down at the street. He rested his head against the pane of glass, allowing the coolness outside to seep into his skin. He watched as Gibbs and McGee got into the car and drove down the street.

And then; he got ready to run for his life.