Gibbs, with his coffee, Ducky and the doctor entered the waiting room at the same time.

"Family of Anthony DiNozzo Jr.?"

"Here."

Gibbs stepped forward.

The doctor looked at him critically.

Gibbs held up his badge, cutting him off before he could speak.

"Special Agent Gibbs, NCIS. Protection Custody for Tony DiNozzo. What's his status?"

"Hmm...right. I'm Doctor Crayel, You may want to take a seat, this will take a moment."

Ducky and the doctor and sat across from Mayer and Miguel while Gibbs remained standing until Ducky pulled quite forcefully on his sleeve, bringing the man to his chair.

"Anthony's injuries are numerous, but with time he should recover fully, please know that before we get started."

The four of them nodded.

"Now, we'll start with what brought Anthony to us today. He has one broken rib on the left side and three that are fractured, one on the left, two on the right, though they are all heavily bruised. His left shoulder is dislocated and there is a lot of damage on his back and shoulders. There is deep muscle bruising along with multiple lacerations."

"A belt." Mayer murmured putting his head in his hands.

"Excuse me?"

The chef spoke up for Mayer, looking green.

"Anthony Senior will often go after Tony with his belt."

The doctor pursed his lips and nodded thoughtfully.

"That would do it. The metal buckle… that would fit the injury perfectly. With the right strength and intensity behind the blows. There are several areas where the back was cut into deeply, while other places are simply bruised. He had to be sutured so we'll have to keep an eye on the stitches."

Gibbs struggled to keep control of both stomach and temper.

"The young man also has a slight concussion, nothing serious, just something we need to keep an eye on. Right now our biggest concern is keeping his back clean and free of infection and pumping him full of blood. He lost quite a large amount and considering his size it is imperative we get it back up to normal levels. "

Ducky nodded.

"Now this brings us to something else. His size. Our information says that he is nearly nine years old, by the age of nine the average boy is supposed to have come to 75% of his average adult height which would be roughly 49 inches tall and about 60 some odd pounds. Anthony is 46 inches tall and weights about 47 pounds. That is the size of the average seven year old and grossly under weight for his age. He is malnourished and shows signs of past abuse. Much of it was covered by the new injuries, but there was definite evidence of previous injury."

Miguel spoke up again.

"His father frequently took him from his meals as a form of punishment. He would often go days without eating because DiNozzo senior would be angry at him for some imagined slight. He would sneak into the kitchen at night and I would bring him food when his father wouldn't see, but I could never get as much in him as he lost."

Gibbs sighed closing his eyes tightly. He knew the boy was too small, but taking his food from him as a punishment? Starving your own child?

He clenched his fists, anger like fire rushing through his blood, burning every cell, imprinting every part of him. There was so much he wanted to do. He wanted to get out his sniper rifle, and end Senior. Go hunt the man down and take him apart piece by piece. Make him feel the fear his son felt.

He could feel the change then.

The decision he made.

The moment he knew Ducky was right.

He was still a father.

Because he put the hatred aside and asked a question that was more important than his anger. His voice was quiet, shaking with rage.

"Where is Tony now?"

The doctor stood and the others mimicked him.

"He's been moved to intensive care in the children's ward. I'll take you to him."

Gibbs raised a hand.

"There will be someone staying with him twenty-four/seven."

The doctor looked ready to protest.

"Only family-"

"All due respect Doctor Crayel, his family is what did this. He is being taken from his father and is in my protective custody from now on. There will be someone with him at all times."

The doctor sighed and nodded,

"Yes sir."

Gibbs swallowed hard, his thoughts full of someone else who would call him sir, with pained green eyes wide with dark humor, childish lips twitching with an almost smile.

He shook his thoughts off and followed the doctor with Ducky beside him, leaving Mayer and Miguel behind.

"Agent Gibbs, please. Tony means so much to us. Please, may we see him?"

Gibbs paused looking back at the men, seeing the desperation and fear written across their faces.

"Don't worry. I won't keep you from Tony."

He turned away and followed the doctors through the doors to the young man waiting for him.

…

He was so small.

Gibbs stood in the doorway staring at the boy, feeling the rush of guilt, responsibility, pain come washing over him.

Tony was laying in the bed, turned on his side to keep pressure of his back, his left side up and cushioned with pillows, keeping his slight weight off injured shoulder and ribs.

He looks so...broken.

Ducky stood next to him, looking between his long time friend, and the boy who had accidentally turned their world upside down.

"He's asleep."

Gibbs shook himself from his thoughts, but didn't stop staring.

"What?"

"He's still sedated Jethro. He won't wake up yet if you want to get closer."

Gibbs nodded but didn't move.

"Jethro...you heard the doctor. He's going to recover. Everything is going to be alright."

He shook his head, quiet fear on his face.

"But it shouldn't have happened Duck. I should have stopped this. And we still don't know where his b*st*rd father is."

"Leroy."

Gibbs tore his eyes away Tony and turned to Ducky.

"You're here now. Go be with your boy. He needs you."

Gibbs sighed and nodded.

Stepping forward he called back softly to his friend.

"Never call me that again Duck."

Ducky chuckled softly to himself.

"Desperate times..."

XxxX

"Okay how about this one, What happens when werewolves eat garlic? His bark becomes worse than his bite! Ha! Anything?... No, that one was stupid, you guys are right."

"Abby?"

The dark head popped up from the bowl of water she was talking to and searched out the voice.

"Gibbs! What are you doing here bossman? I thought you had the weekend off rotation. And it's late! It's like ten thirty in the morning!"

"Need a favor. Who are you talking too?"

Abby grinned.

"My sea monkeys! I'm a mommy now Gibbs, and these are my babies! Would you like to be the godfather?"

Gibbs raised an eyebrow and handed her the large cup of her life blood as an answer.

She winked and took a gulp of her Caff-pow.

"Think about it Gibbs. Now what can I do for you?"

"I need custody papers."

Abby looked up, surprise in her eyes.

"Custody… shouldn't you have Tim or Kate do this?"

Gibbs leveled a gentled version of his glare at her.

"This isn't pertaining to an ongoing case Abs, I just need this as a favor. Please."

Her mouth dropped open at the 'please', then snapped back shut.

"Of course boss man, anything else?"

"No, Abs, I owe you one."

She smiled at his retreating figure and called out.

"I'll settle for a story, I have to know now."

He waved a hand out and she smiled.

Later.

Right.

…

Hearing the commotion outside his office door could only mean one thing.

Gibbs wanted to see him.

Director Morrow sighed and leaned back in his chair, waiting for the inevitable flinging open of his door, and the thunderstorm brewing over something or another. Gibbs seldom came to 'visit' unless he was seriously angry about something.

For the life of him though, he couldn't think of what he had done to anger the agent now. The man wasn't even supposed to be here! His team was off rotation. What could possibly be wrong now?

Many of his higher-ups thought that Morrow let Gibbs get away with too much, but Morrow knew that they didn't- without Gibbs here, Scuito and Mallard would be out the door, and without the three of them, this place lost all it's edge. NCIS was full of good, dedicated agents, but Gibbs was a cut above the rest, and he had proven it again and again. Morrow figured the man had earned himself a little leeway when it came to the sh*tstorm that was bureaucracy.

Hearing the noise outside his door that was his secretary giving up in frustration he smiled and began counting in his head. Three...two...one…

Knock knock knock

What?

He never knocked.

Whatever this was, it was something big.

"Come on in."

Gibbs walked in, respect and worry painted on his face where frustration and thinly veiled contempt usually lay.

Wow. Whatever he wanted, he wanted it bad.

"What can I do for you Agent Gibbs?"

"The Henderson case."

"Yes, your team wrapped that up nicely, pass along my compliments. Is there problem with it?"

"No, but it revealed another issue. One of our previous suspects was abusing his son and is now on the lam."

Morrow narrowed his eyes.

"That is an unfortunate turn of events, but I'm afraid it has to be handled by local authorities..."

Gibbs stepped closer to his desk and dropped some files down.

"It has."

Morrow looked at him in confusion.

"What?"

Gibbs opened the file and began to flip through the pages, outlining and explaining what he had found, his experiences with the boy and his father, what Williams had revealed and how Tony had ended up in the hospital the night before with Gibbs being called in by the staff.

Morrow felt his anger mounting with every word. He had a grandson about Tony's age and the idea of someone hurting a child…

He clenched his fists and studied Gibbs.

The man's face was alive with anger and worry, and he was speaking more now than Morrow had ever heard at one time during his entire tenure leading the agency.

Gibbs faced the director.

"I've been at the hospital for the since I got the call and I need to get back to him, I just came back to speak to you and get some things in order. Director, every time someone comes to help this kid they send him back, let him down. He's alone. He needs someone in his corner. He needs us."

Morrow looked down at the papers, focusing on the ER report and previous disregarded medical information.

"They turned down evidence?"

"And sent him back."

Morrow growled in his throat.

"No sign of his father?"

Gibbs shook his head with barely contained rage.

"Disappeared without a trace."

"You have custody papers?"

Gibbs nodded.

"Get them filled out and I'll make some calls. See if I can get this ball in our court. Send McGee and Todd out to the crime scene and have a BOLO put out for DiNozzo, we'll find him."

Gibbs gave a brief nod and gathered up the papers, turning to go.

"Gibbs, who is with the boy now?"

"Ducky's with him now and the family cook and butler are waiting my okay to see him. Apparently they were better family to Tony than his father ever was. They're the ones who called me. The kid means the world to them."

Morrow nodded and watched as Gibbs started to the door.

Before he left the room however, he paused at the door.

"Tom...thank you."

Morrow blinked in shock.

A knock and a thank you.

He turned to look out his window.

Somewhere pigs had to be flying.

XxxX

"'The spell was broken. My uncle learned to laugh, and I learned to cry. The secret garden is always open now. Open, and awake, and alive. If you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden.'"

A stifled moan came from the bed.

Gibbs looked up from the book to see the boy start to stir. He had woken up about thirty minutes before hand, confused and disoriented, not saying anything, just looking around the room with pained fuzzy eyes.

The doctor had administrated some more painkillers that knocked the kid flat on his back and told Gibbs that he would come around within the next hour or so.

Looks like the time line had moved up.

"Tony? You with me bud?"

The boy groaned, and opened his eyes, blinking several times.

"M-m-mr. Gibbs?"

"Hey kid. How you feeling?"

Tony looked at him carefully for a minute before breaking out in a toothy grin.

Gibbs blinked in surprise.

The smile was full, warm...and a little bit off.

"Mistah Gi-Gi-Gibbs! Hi! Are w-w-we back at the park? I th-th-thought I w-was in the hospital! D-d-do you know how I g-got here? I w-w-was g-g-going to the p-park, but I th-think I got l-lost. Your co-co-coat smells g-g-good, I sl-sl-slept with it in my p-p-p-pillow. It m-m-made me f-f-feel safe. Don't tell m-m-my fa-fa-father. He'll try to t-t-take it. That's wh-wh-why I hide Or-Orso under m-m-my bed. He s-s-says I'm a b-b-baby and he'll t-t-take him away. Y-y-y-you won't t-t-tell, will you m-m-mistah Gi-Gi-Gibbs?"

Gibbs nodded, trying to follow the garbled logic that Tony's medicated brain was on.

"I won't tell Tony, I promise."

Tony beamed up at him.

"Th-th-thanks Gibbs. I told M-M-Miguel you w-w-were nice. He d-d-didn't believe me. B-b-ut that is alright. He and Mayer w-w-watch out f-for me. They are my b-b-best friends. Miguel sh-shouts in Sp-Sp-Spanish a lot and it ma-makes Mayer angry because he only sp-speaks English which is the same in Gr-Great Br-Britain as it is in America."

Is this from the concussion? Should I call the doctor back in?

"That's...nice Tony."

Tony looked at him like he was the crazy one.

"Mistah Gi-Gibbs, you're n-nice. Can you k-k-k-keep a secret?"

Gibbs nodded.

"Yeah, Tony, I can keep a secret."

Tony leaned towards Gibbs, wincing. He noticed and came closer to the bed. Tony glanced around himself in exaggerated secrecy and then whispered to Gibbs.

"M-m-my father doesn't like me v-v-very much. He s-s-said he didn't have any k-k-kids. S-sometime I wish he didn't have k-k-kids either."

Oh Tony.

Gibbs put his hands on Tony's face, mindful of the bruises adorning the sensitive skin.

"Listen to me kid, you don't have to go back to him. Everything's going to be alright."

Tony snorted and stretched his arms out, studying his hands like they were something fascinating.

"It's n-n-not nice to lie Mr. Gi-Gibbs. I told M-M-Miguel you were nice, and n-n-nice people d-d-don't lie. Look at the c-c-colors!"

"I'm not lying Tony. You're going to be alright. Colors?"

Gibbs looked around the room. It was painted a pale green, honestly reminded him of sea sickness and the paintings on the walls were all of farm and field scenes. He supposed it was colorful in a way.

"Rainbows m-m-mister Gibbs! I love rainbows! There is so much c-c-c-color, hope, promise. I wi-wi-wish my father was like you Mistah Gi-Gi-Gibbs. No one ever l-l-listens to me like you do. It's n-n-nice. You're nice. D-d-d-don't ever be d-different! I l-l-like you just like this! Y-your hair is grey, I like that color. And b-b-blue. L-l-like your eyes. M-m-my eyes are g-green. L-l-like my moms. She d-d-didn't like be c-c-called that. M-m-mother was m-mother, but I c-c-called her m-mom in my head. D-don't tell fa-fa-father I called her th-that. I n-never ca-called him dad. Wh-where are we? This isn't the p-p-park."

"The hospital, Tony. You're in the hospital."

"Jethro?"

Gibbs turned and sighed in relief when he saw the doctor.

"Oh Duck, thank goodness. I think he's..."

"Having a reaction to the painkillers. Yes I gathered. I heard most of it, I was just waiting for a good time to step in. I'll speak to the doctor about finding a substitution. We should be grateful, he seems to be confused and delirious but we are lucky he is not facing nightmares. They can be quite vicious while under the influence of painkillers when one has an adverse reaction to them."

Gibbs pushed his hand through his hair.

Nightmares.

Like the kid didn't have enough to deal with.

As if reading the other man's mind, Ducky patted his friends arm.

"One problem at a time Jethro, at the moment he is fine. Where have his friends gone to?"

"They went back to the house to speak to McGee and Todd. Witness statements and opening the scene, anything they can remember on where Senior could be going."

"There's been no sign of him?"

Gibbs didn't answer, only clenched his fists and turned back to the boy, seeing that he was noticing other people in the room.

Tony looked up from his hands, which had once again drawn his attention, and stared intently at Ducky. Even under the influence of painkillers, instinct took over.

Tony shrunk back on the bed, his eyes darting between Gibbs and Ducky as if wondering if Gibbs would be a help or hinderance if the new man was someone to be feared. He licked his lips and gripped the sheets, confused, tired and just plain old wore out. He had no idea what was happening, but he was gathering things quickly now that he had managed to shut up. Someone had given him painkillers, which made him talk non-stop. His father never let him have them, he wanted things quiet. Especially him. As the saying went, out of sight (and hearing), out of mind. So if he had painkillers, he must be in the hospital, which meant that his father's personal physician, Doctor Griffin, hadn't come to retrieve him. Which meant his father was still sleeping off the alcohol. And depending on what Tony had said under the influence of the drugs...He was in so much trouble. Was this new man a colleague of Doctor Griffin's? Here to take him home?

Tony gulped and bit his lip, his knuckled turning white and he continued to hold on to the blankets.

Gibbs stepped forward, seeing the panic rising in his Tony's eyes.

He put his hand on Tony's shoulder, feeling the flinch as Tony looked up at him, acknowledged that he was a friend, and then back to Ducky, the stranger.

"Tony, this is my friend, Doctor Mallard. We call him Ducky."

Two words connected through to Tony's drug fogged mind.

Friend and Ducky.

He relaxed, trusting Gibbs instinctively, if he said the man was a friend, then he was a friend. Gibbs was nice, he hadn't given him a reason to doubt him yet.

Besides, there was one other small reason to like the new man.

"Ducky? A D-d-duck? Jim! Y-ou're a p-p-p-person now! Wow! Y-y-you're a grown up! You c-c-can buy your own b-bread. I d-d-don't have any. D-d-d-do you want some? I can f-f-f-find some! Mr. Gi-Gi-Gibbs, will you h-help me find J-J-Jim some bread?"

Gibbs choked back laughter as he replied quietly.

"Yeah Tony. I'll find Jim some bread. Close your eyes bud, get some rest."

Tony shook his head, his eyes drooping.

"N-n-no. I d-don't want you to le-le-leave."

All laughter gone, Gibbs found his throat tight.

"Sleep Tony. I've got your six. You won't be alone. I promise."

Tony blinked sleepily and nodded, closing his eyes.

Gibbs stepped away, but Tony's hand shot out, his thin fingers wrapped around Gibbs wrist.

"St-stay. Please"

Gibbs maneuvered his hand around until he was holding Tony's, rubbing small circles on the back of his hand.

"I'm not going anywhere. I'm right here. I won't leave you."

Tony slipped asleep, his hand going limp, but Gibbs didn't let go. Looking down at the boy, he whispered again.

"I won't leave you."

…

If Morrow had been surprised at Gibbs' behavior earlier, he was shocked now.

The gruff agent was sitting next to the bed holding a thin and bruised boy that was sleeping soundly. Gibbs had a book open in his lap, reading glasses perched on his nose and was reading aloud in a slow and steady voice.

" 'Pan, who and what art thou?' he cried huskily.

'I'm youth, I'm joy,' Peter answered at a venture, 'I'm a little bird that has broken out of the egg.'"

"Peter Pan."

Gibbs didn't look up at the director, he merely watched the boy on the bed.

Morrow sat on the chair across from Gibbs eyeing the pile of book stacked next to his seat.

"The boy who never grew up."

Gibbs reached out and gently brushed the hair out out of Tony's face.

"And some boys grow up too soon."

Morrow nodded and looked at the boy, sleeping peacefully.

"As long as he's still here, you still have time."

Gibbs looked to the director who held out a piece of paper.

"I have connections in the court, if you want Tony to be yours, this can make it happen. I cleared it with the District Attorney, he owes me a favor and he says this can never be challenged, once we sign off on the papers, Senior will never be able to take him back. If you decide you don't want to do this however, he goes in the system and finds another family or bides his time...either way he'll be in a better situation than he was."

"You don't know that. If he goes to the state you don't know where he will end up." Gibbs whispered, his thoughts still whirling with the words-

If you want Tony to be yours.

Did he?

Could he handle having another child?

The fingerprints they left behind?

The memories that never really went away?

Could he do it again?

Childish laughter echoing through his home?

Would Tony even be able to laugh again?

He had been through so much.

He looked to Tony.

Could he really turn away?

Tony.

His Tony.

His son?

His.

Nothing had ever felt so right.

Not since he had held his own daughter and whispered that he would love her always.

Always.

Could he do it again?

Yes.

His Tony.

He took the papers.