Gibbs glanced over at Tony, the music pumping from inside Abby's lab was deafening. Tony took a deep breath in and out.

"Just bracing myself, Boss" Tony signed as they continued in, "I can hear the music, sort of... Feel it, vibrating. Weird, kinda cool."

They entered to see Abby working to the beat of the music, bouncing on her heals while preparing something at the small desk with her back to the two men. Tony glanced at Gibbs and smiled the DiNozzo smile, putting a finger to his lips as he inched his way into the room. Gibbs rolled his eyes and nodded a little. He didn't usually go along with Tony's jokes, but he figured this one time he could cut the kid some slack.

Gibbs approached Abby swiftly and tapped her on the shoulder, causing her to turn towards him as Tony skidded into the conjoining room behind while her back was turned. He walked on tip toes, figuring he'd have to make it in fast before Abby shut of the music. He made the dive into the small workspace just as he felt the vibrations in the floor stop; he sat down carefully in her desk chair.

Abby turned to Gibbs with a deep frown on her face. Gibbs looked at her quizzically, watching Tony slide his way into the conjoining room, the younger man's childishness almost made him smile. Abby raised an arm and used the remote to turn down the pulsing music. She continued to watch him with the same alarmed expression.

"Gibbs! This is ridiculous! What do you think you are doing down here!"

"I work here, Abby."

"No! You know what I mean! I have nothing Gibbs, I've barely gotten started and you're already down here? This is all wrong, Bossman! Are you feeling alright? Maybe your magic is a bit off today, I was watching some weird documentary- like, really weird Gibbs. Anyways, they were saying you can channel your magic through certain tools, maybe you should try that, Gibbs- this is really unacceptable. Of course you'd know more about that sort of thing than I do. I really should research it a little more... You never know when you'll need to help out a dark wizard... Gibbs, you're worrying me!"

"Abby..."

"No, you know what... Maybe I do have something. Pause, hold it right there, don't move!" Abby said, holding up her hands while commanding Gibbs to stay, then backed away cautiously towards her computer. She flipped up a couple of tabs and scanned through her files, throwing suspicious glances back at Gibbs, who rolled his eyes.

"Still running the finger prints, no hits on the BOLO's, weird-fiber-thing is still running... Wait- one new email" Abby pulled it up and read it quickly, it was from McGee.

Tony watched from his position in the conjoining room of the lab. Abby had hurried back to her computer and was reading something intently. He almost laughed when he saw the expression on her face. She formed her face into a picture of false anger and folded her arms, turning back to face Gibbs very slowly. Gibbs almost looked startled at her expression. Tony held his breath.

"Where - is - he?" She asked Gibbs flatly, trying to come off as angry as possible. "Tony is here, in this very building, and you didn't think to tell me?"

"Hi Abby, Tony's here; he had a meeting with the director. Happy?" Gibbs said coolly.

"Where - is - he?" She asked again in the same tone. Gibbs's reply was interrupted as Jimmy Palmer wandered into the lab in his scrubs, carefully carrying a tray of samples. He stopped short and held up a hand, calling across the room.

"Hey! Tony!" He waved, an ecstatic look on his face. Abby whipped around to see Tony leaning casually against her mini refrigerator. He half bowed in reply, nodding his head and waving his arm out in front.

"Jimmy, hey man!"

Tony was hit with a force which clearly knocked him back flying into the fridge, sending it rocking precariously. Abby held on tight to Tony as he wobbled backwards, then forwards with all her weight attached to his front, they both almost ended up on the floor.

"Abby... Can't... Breathe..."

"Tony! Tony! Tony! Tony! Tony!"

Abby jumped back and got her hands at the ready, her face a mirror of uncontrollable, hyperactive excitement.

"Tony! I'm so glad to see you! I'm so happy you're back! Ahh-" She jiggled up and down and pulled him into another hug "Tony! Why didn't you tell me you were coming! I would have set up a whole party, with balloons and cake and- oh no! You should have told me! You're in trouble now, Mister!"

"Abby!" Tony tried.

"Gibbs said you had a meeting with Vance... Gibbs! You didn't warm me either! I feel so out of it! How'd the meeting go? Are you back? Like, for real back? Like, staying? Please say you'll pinky swear, it's so boring here without you! McGee's gone all.. I dunno- he's trying to be you.. Don't tell him that though, Ziva's okay... Bossman is all majorly grumpy, no offense Gibbs- but you are..."

Tony stood with his hands at his sides, watching the silent rant. He had never known that such a thing was possible but Abby had just proved to the word that it was. Gibbs stood leaning against the bench and Jimmy watched from his position in the room. Abby signed oblivious to everyone else, Tony watched her dumbly and figured he'd let her get it out of her system, before he made an attempt to reply.

"I knew Vance wasn't going to be letting you back in easy, Gibbs went medieval about it, no offense Gibbs- but you did... But if you had a meeting with Vance that means you must have done your tests! Tony! Why didn't you tell me? We could have had huge study practicing sessions and sleepovers! You didn't even give me time to get nervous for you! Oh my god, alright I'm nervous now... Hold on... Okay, you can tell me now- how did you go?"

Tony smiled and tilted his head to the side. Abby squealed and hugged him again. Gibbs gave him a half smile over Abby's shoulder. Tony chuckled lightly.

"When do you start!"

Tony drew breath quickly after he was released from the hug and spat out his answer before Abby could start up again. Just as he was about to speak she started up with her hands, Tony put a hand over hers and smiled his 1000 watt smile.

"Wait a minute, wait a minute. You ain't heard nothin' yet!" He chuckled, "'The Jazz Singer', 1927, good flick... I'm starting Friday! Well... Probably, just waiting on the paperwork to go through."

"Surely you're not serious! Friday! Tony, this is awesome!"

"Yes, I am serious! And stop calling me Shirley!" Tony said clapping his hands and spinning in a circle on his heels, grinning at Abby who laughed. Tony held up his arms and did an imaginary bow. "And yes people! Thank you, thank you! That was in fact, impromptu! Come on, Jimmy 'Airplane'! 1980? That was two in a row! Impromptu, Jimmy!"

"Yay, Tony! God, I'm so glad. Zach is nice and all but we invited him out for drinks last Friday; he's worse than McGee- now I always say that there is nothing wrong with McGee's, you know- technological tendencies but this man really as no life. It's kind of scary. He's like the parallel of Gibbs!"

"Still here, Abbs" Gibbs called to her. His phone began to ring and he picked it up, taking the call. Tony watched him and turned back to Abby. Palmer moved forward now that Abby's greeting seemed to have died down, he slapped Tony on the shoulder.

"Sup, Palmer?" Tony said, leaning back on the fridge. Gibbs continued to take his call.

"Nothing Tony, good to have you back. It's been kind of quiet."

"How's Ducky?"

"Good I guess, I really have to get back down to Autopsy actually, we're in the middle of one. Oh, Abby the tissue samples are on you're bench" Palmer signed, not noticing that he continued the conversation in sign language.

Gibbs strolled back to the trio and stuck his phone back in his pocket. Tony moved to stand next him naturally.

"We're gonna go now, Abbs." Gibbs said nodding at Tony, Abby's face dropped, "Hey, look's like you got a hit"

Abby's face lit up again and she bounced over to her computer screen.

"Gibbs! You're my good luck charm." She said happily. Gibbs smiled the smile he saved only for Abby. She turned around and gave Tony one last hug, she grabbed the remote for her music and switched it back on as Tony, Gibbs and Palmer exited the room. Tony felt the vibrations start back up again and turned back to her just before he left. Abby waved dramatically.

"Listen to her, that child of the night. What music she makes!" He signed, Abby giggled when he replied to her confused frown by putting two fingers up to his mouth and mimicking fangs.

"Dracula!"

"I'm on a roll!"

And with that he jogged to the elevator behind the Autopsy Gremlin and his boss. Palmer exited the elevator on the Autopsy level, Tony and Gibbs rode it up to the squad room. Tony fidgeted with his jacket zip nervously, pulling and tugging at it absently. Gibbs shot him a look and he curtly shoved both hands into his pockets. Apart from the obvious excitement Gibbs could sense there was something bothering his agent.

"Coffee?" Gibbs asked.

"That a question or an order?"

"Question, DiNozzo."

"It's a date then" Tony nodded. The doors slid open and Tony followed Gibbs out into the office area and into the bullpen, following him right up to his desk, which he stood in front of while Gibbs grabbed his coat and rummaged through his drawers, Tony like a loyal dog. The rest of the team sat at their computers watching expectantly in silence.

"Uh-? So how'd it go?" McGee called to Tony's back. Gibbs looked up and looked at Tony, pointing a finger and clicking at McGee, diverting Tony's attention the right way. McGee repeated the question in sign language.

"For me to know and you to get confused over. Don't tell Ziva!"

"Don't tell Ziva, what?"

"What?"

"Don't tell her what? What?"

"What you on about, McGoo?"

"What?" Tony laughed and watched Ziva's lips moving as she questioned McGee.

"What did he say? It went well?" Ziva asked eagerly. McGee didn't answer and Tony wandered casually up to Ziva's desk and stopped right in front of her, grinning mischievously, she stared back at him wary and a touch confused. They stayed like that for a minute, Tony flicked a finger to her lamp and ran one over the top of her computer monitor, rubbing the dust between his fingers and keeping the mischievous smile up. Gibbs strolled up behind Tony, grabbing his shoulder and pulling him gently towards the elevator.

"Boss? Where are you going?" McGee called, the three agents stared after them as the two entered the elevator and disappeared.

Gibbs and Tony sat opposite each other at a table, two large coffees separating them. Gibbs had suggested that he and Tony go get some coffee before he got back to the case and Tony went home. The Director had duly told DiNozzo that he did in fact have to leave the NCIS building and wait at home for Friday to come, knowing there might be a chance that Tony would set up camp at the NCIS office awaiting the date.

Tony sat comfortably and confidently opposite his boss. There was nothing awkward about the situation, if Gibbs had asked Tony to join him for a coffee seven years ago it would of been a different case, but their friendship had grown profusely since that time, and greater in the past few months.

"Nervous?" Gibbs signed after placing his coffee down carefully.

"Yeah a little, mainly exited." Tony replied with a shrug.

"It's going to be tough, Tony."

"Well you know me, Gibbs. I live life on the edge, I'm tough, I'm flexible, I roll with the punches."

"I got that, Tony." Gibbs signed with a nod, "It's going to be tough on the team, too."

Tony swallowed and looked back into Gibbs's blank face with a hard expression. He'd known it since the accident, this was the source of all his distress and the one worry he couldn't bury. The one thing that set him uneasy above anything else related to his return to the MCRT was the possibility of being a burden on his team, and letting them down. He would not live with himself if he were to burden them. He'd had these thoughts since the moment he decided he would continue working at NCIS but he had had no way to voice them, he couldn't think of how to structure the sentences, he had no idea how to say it aloud. Gibbs had just uncovered it, unveiled it with eight easy gestures, that weren't even said aloud.

Tony gave a curt nod and set his gaze down to a napkin in front of him, focusing on tearing it into microscopic pieces.

"I know, Boss." Tony said, looking up to meet Gibbs's blue eyes. Gibbs looked at him with all the understanding in the world. He had known something like this was going on inside his agent but hadn't known the exact source. With one lucky guess he'd got it in one, his agents reaction telling him he had found it instantly.

"I'll try my best, Gibbs."

"I don't doubt that, Tony. They're gonna be doing the same." Gibbs said to his Senior Agent, nodding and reaching for his coffee. Tony read his lips and continued to watch him with the same hard expression, his jaw clenched and his eyes determined.

"It's going to be okay," Gibbs signed, "Trust me, Tony."

"I trust you, Boss." Tony replied, looking solemn.

"Good. Now, relax. Cause I'm going to be whipping your ass back into shape come Friday."

"I look forward to it, Boss."

"I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing, DiNozzo." Gibbs said with a small smile, taking another sip of his coffee. Tony did the same. The two lapsed into silence, both leaning back onto the leather of the cafe seats comfortably.

"Boss?" Tony asked after a few minutes.

"Volume down, DiNozzo. Yeah?"

"Right, inside voice." Tony signed back, his ears feeling slightly hot. That was the trouble with speaking aloud and he would probably never master it, luckily he was quite good at moderating his voice and slip-ups only happened ever so often. "Thank you. For taking me back in, I mean."

"Didn't have to think twice, DiNozzo."

"Okay, just - sorry, I'm not going to make anything any easier being back, probably just more complicated. I know you knew that when you made the decision- um..."

"Don't apologize, DiNozzo. Sign of weakness."

"Right. Sorry, Boss."

Gibbs chuckled slightly. Tony lent back, feeling like a tiny weight had been lifted. At least he'd half gotten that off his chest. Gibbs had understood.

"You been in contact with your father?" Gibbs asked, watching Tony's face carefully.

"I sent him an email after I got out of hospital, haven't gotten a reply yet. I didn't really expect one." Tony said and signed at the same time, speaking in a matter-of-fact manner, casually.

"You okay with that?"

"Uh- well, no." Tony chuckled, shrugging, "But that's Senior for you, he's probably just busy. Buisness meetings, phone calls, paperwork, marriages, conferences, scamming..." Tony went on sarcastically.Gibbs didn't say anything, Tony sighed and shrugged again.

"Honestly, I'm not bothered. The man farewelled me the day I chose law enforcement then rocked up almost twenty years later looking for money. He disappears again at the tiniest opportunity at some moo-lah, father-son relationship thrown aside- not that I was really counting on it. Well, I told him, I emailed him -which is more then he deserves, I've done my part."

"Fair enough. Good work, DiNozzo. Your father - - "

Gibbs stopped his reply short as a young waitress approached the two of them carrying a pad and paper, ready to ask if they wanted something to eat. She stopped up short and looked from Gibbs to Tony with a worried expression on her face. She had seen the two signing to each other and couldn't figure out who to approach. Tony realized her dilemma immediately and smiled at her warmly, she moved forward and looked from the older man to the younger one with the scar.

"Would you like to order something to eat?" She asked the two. Tony read her lips and smiled again, flicking the laminated menu in his hands. Gibbs lent back and observed Tony, watching him handle the situation himself.

"Hey Sally," Tony said with a charming smile, squinting at her name tag. The reaction Tony could get out of the younger girl in one simple look was incredible Gibbs thought. Tony's scar didn't seem to cramp his style, his confidence over rode it, the same with his deafness. "Could I please get the beef burger?"

"Yep, sure. One beef burger." She said, scribbling down on her pad. "You want chips or salad with your burger? And what sauce?"

Tony blinked at her then smiled. "Sorry, could you please repeat that?"

"Oh," The girl said, looking from Gibbs to Tony then proceeded to speak slowly and carefully. "What sauce would you like with your burger?"

"Sauce?"

"Yeah, with your burger?"

"Oh, right. Barbecue?"

"Great," She said, scribbling again. "Would you like chips or salad?"

Tony swallowed and glanced over at Gibbs, seeking some help. This sort of this happened a lot when he went out or bought things in shops and he went through the same routine every time, a couple of times it had resulted in him getting them to write it down for him. He looked from Sally the waitress to his boss with a sheepish grin.

"Uhh?"

"Do you want chips or salad with the beef burger that you don't need?" Gibbs signed across, the waitress looked uncomfortable.

"Ohh! Right! Sorry." Tony nodded, he caught a look from Gibbs and replied tactfully, "Thank you very much, Sally. Can I have the salad?"

The waitress collected the menus after Gibbs had mumbled that he was fine and walked off to serve the other tables.

"Thanks, Boss."

Gibbs nodded, his phone started ringing and he pulled it out, answering as usual. It was McGee. Gibbs had strolled out of the bullpen with Tony, leaving no instructions to his bewildered team except for an uttered 'work!'. McGee was stuttering on the phone, another body had been found with the same characteristics as a recently found murder. Gibbs flipped the phone shut and looked up at Tony.

"Duty calls?"

"Uh-huh" Gibbs nodded, stuffing his phone back into his pocket and pulling out his wallet. Tony started pulling on his jacket and rose to his feet.

"Going somewhere, Tony?"

"With you?" He said, before draining the last of his coffee. Gibbs rose an eyebrow in question. Tony ignored the eyebrow and continued pulling on his jacket, determined.

"Care to elaborate?"

"I just - err - thought that since I was cleared... We already signed the...? I figured you'd let me...? Uhh - can't I just come along? Since you - err ?

Gibbs continued staring the same way at his agent in answer to his question. Gibbs pulled out a few coins and flipped them onto the table to pay for the coffee.

"Boss?"

"Nope."

"But -"

"Tony, eat your burger."

"Come on, Gibbs. Your kidding, right?"

"F-R-I-D-A-Y."

"P-L-E-A-S-E?"

"Patience."

Tony held steady gaze with his boss, frowning and folding his arms defiantly, amusing Gibbs with his childish behavior. They stood there for a second before Tony gave a huff and sank defeated onto the seat.

"Fine."

Gibbs gave a small gesture of goodbye as he pulled his coat on and exited the cafe. Tony watched him grumpily through the glass windows and he made his way down the street to where his car was parked. Tony sat with his feet up on the seat and his mobile pulled out in front of him, playing tetras until his burger came. He picked at it sadly, feeling sorry for himself as he regretted not ordering the chips.

I didn't really expect to do this chapter, but hey.

A lot of Fanfiction writers write their own convincing 'please review' messages at the end of their chapters, as do I. I am launching my quest for the most successful persuasive message, not matter how unconventional it may sound- just post it in my review spot thingo and I'll let you know which works best.

And that's why they call me 'The Jokerster' or 'Joke-Star' because I'm such a star at making jokes. You can call me that if you really want to.