Author's note: Big, furry, in neon colour sparkling thanks to XX-Samantha-XX who does an awesome job betaing this story and teaches me some english. Also, thanks to all the wonderful reviewers, it makes me feel really good to see that you read my story and considerit worth a comment or a thought! Please keep on reviewing!

Chapter 13:

"Oh Tony." Gibbs took a step towards the younger agent. Seeing Tony bracing himself for the first blow was making Gibbs feel oddly helpless. Not a feeling he was accustomed to.

He took a step back again and raised his hands to his chest, showing Tony his bare palms. He tried to put it in his stature and gesture that there was no aggression to be feared from his side.

He desperately wanted to comfort his friend, to show him he was appreciated and cared for, but Tony made it so difficult to get the point across.

He longed to just pull the young man into a hug, a hug that would take all the demons away.

Abby had once told him that a proper hug could be like an emotional Heimlich. Someone puts their arms around you and they give you a squeeze and all of your fear and anxiety come shooting out of your mouth in a big wet wad and you can breathe again.

He had no idea where she got this kind of stuff; but he wished things would be that easy here.

Though, if the demons were as deep as he feared, then he knew Tony would need more than a simple hug to chase them away.

However, there was no way Tony would accept a hug from him now. The guy expected a beating. For the love of god, how could he think that?

Gibbs had tried to be there for Tony all day. He had seen the desperate need for attention and affection in his fried, but every time he tried to offer some care, Tony had pushed him away with a snotty remark; a disrespectful line or openly outrageous behavior, forcing him to back off again.

He had even told him directly that he cared and as a result it had sent him quite literally, running away. That had been a great success!

What would happen if he made the wrong move now? Would he push DiNozzo over the edge?

Gibbs was actually wondering if his tries were making things worse. Was DiNozzo better off alone?

Great, now he was doubting himself. Not a train of thought he was accustomed to either. So no!

Tony wasn't better off alone, definitely not.

Gibbs steadied himself.

Pig headed Tony was too stubborn to see that he meant something to Gibbs, that he could rely on him? Well, he would show him stubborn.

Now he crossed his arms in front of his chest, his eyes set firmly on his agent.

"I won't!"

"What?" Tony asked suspiciously.

"I just won't."

Now Tony was obviously puzzled by his words. His mask slipped again and left a deeply confused look on his face.

Gibbs turned away from him and went back into the kitchen to get his coffee. He hoped feverishly this would work.

He could nearly hear the thoughts running through the younger man's head, trying to make sense of the situation.

He hoped Tony would come to the right conclusion. He was only one step away from making huge cue cards.

Time passed. Gibbs leaned leisurely against the kitchen counter, anxious not to show that his attention was focused solely on the younger man. He took a large sip of his coffee, thankful for something he could at least busy his hands with.

Tony's question was careful, guarded. He seemed like someone testing the strength of the ice covering a pond in winter, who was fully convinced that the next step would land him in the freezing water, drowning.

"You're not going to punish me?"

"Nope!"

"You're not going to fire me?" There was a little bit of hope creeping into Tony's voice.

"Nope!"

Tony allowed himself to relax a little. The hope changed to disbelief, then again to pure confusion.

"So, why have you brought me here?"

Gibbs was exasperated at how impossible it was that Tony failed to see simple kindness and friendship, even if they were right under his nose. So he would spell it out, if it was what it needed.

"Guest room. Upstairs second door on the left."

Tony stared at him in pure astonishment. He blushed; even his ears were getting red.

"Uhh… boss. That's mighty nice, but … I'm fine, you don't have to!"

All right, Tony was obviously set out to make him rip himself in to parts like Rumpelstilzchen had done. He gave him another sharp look, daring him to keep on arguing.

"Not gonna happen, DiNozzo!"

"Boss?"

"Look! I insist! So the sensible thing for you would be to just accept it! You're stuck with me; better make the best of it." He said it with one of his stern glances, only allowing a small hint of a smile to appear on his lips.

So Tony couldn't handle nice, he would keep it sparse.

"Ya hungry? I'm going to make a chili. It wouldn't be very polite to refuse, I think." Oh, he was a master in the bastard-game.

Like an oversized puppy, eager to please his master, Tony followed him into the kitchen, insisting in lending him a hand.

Going through the motions of cooking, only a little hindered by his overeager help, Gibbs had time to collect his thoughts.

He wondered, not for the first time, just what had scared Anthony DiNozzo so deeply. He had suspicions and he knew Ducky was with him on that page. But even his most thorough background check had not revealed anything of substance.

The complete absence of any medical records till the age of twelve was suspicious in itself. There should be the occasional check-up, maybe the common children's diseases, but there was nothing.

The first evidence of Tony being ever in medical care was an eleven week long stay in the hospital when he'd been twelve after a car accident.

Tony was the son of Anthony D. DiNozzo Senior, CEO of DiNozzo- Inc., a multimillion dollar business, known by the slogan "DiNozzo-Inc. 'cause we care". He had found annual photos of the family published by the corporation's PR. The last one featuring Tony was when he was aged twelve.

Gibbs did not believe in coincidences.

Tony had mentioned his father occasionally in the passing, covered by a joke. Gibbs was getting the impression it was a sensible topic.

Well, first house them, then feed them, later you can tend their wounds.

Dinner went down fairly smooth, even though Tony was behaving like someone visiting his great-aunt. He didn't lean back in his chair, he didn't talk during the dinner, and he was all stiff and formal. He was probably trying to be inconspicuous again by showing off his best manners.

Gibbs patience was tested, when DiNozzo after insisting to wash the dishes had started to clean the stove. He was obviously trying to make himself useful, but going way overboard with it.

Gibbs was going to call him to order, when the phone rang. The caller ID showed that it was Abby, probably calling to check on them. Before retreating to the living room to take the call, he called out gruffly to Tony: "Freeze! I don't want you to polish my oven!"

"Gibbs!"

"Oh, hi my silver fox. How are you doing? Is Tony with you? Is he alright? You didn't yell at him again, did you? He is stressed; you have to be careful with him! He is okay, isn't he? I researched this gas, and it's quite nasty stuff – Ducky says it didn't do serious damage, but he isn't nauseous, is he? Did he eat? Did you…"

"Abs… Abs!" he stopped the stream of words coming from the Goth. "It's all right! He is fine!"

"Fine? Seriously? Fine? Are you kidding me?" Okay, she had a point there.

"Oh, Abby, calm down. I'm on it, okay?"

"Okay! Can I do something?"

"Not right now."

"Good night, Gibbs. Love you!"

"Good night, Abby! Love you, too."

Coming back to the kitchen he saw that Tony had discovered the mop and was currently mopping the kitchen floor. "DiNozzo! I tell you not to polish my oven and you start with the floor?"

Tony stopped in his tracks and looked at his boss startled. He blushed again, seemingly feeling deeply awkward. Gibbs could actually watch Tony's defenses rise, could see him buildup the bulwark he used to hide behind and slip on his mask.

His tone was playful, but definitely aimed to provoke. "You know, boss? It has to be done once in a while. So why not by the freeloader?"

Anger was boiling up in Gibbs. But he realized that Tony was baiting him again. He was trying to repel him, as he thought he wasn't worth his effort in the first place. Well, that would not work with him.

He reigned down his anger and waited for DiNozzo to finish.

"I've got some DVDs in the living room. You like to watch one?" That was one of his better ideas, he thought. The young man was a film buff after all, maybe that would get him to relax finally.

Tony was honestly surprised. "You've got a DVD player?"

A/N: Abby got the thing about hugs from the tv show pushing daisies, which is full of wonderful quotes like this one!