Tony and Abby had spent the night. Abby slept in the guest bedroom, Gibbs slept on the living room couch and Tony used the pull out sofa in the basement. They stayed for lunch with Sherrie, but left that night.

The rest of the week, JJ, Gibbs, and Sherrie spent going through things. Gibbs kept dodging the custody questions from Sherrie and waiting for JJ to bring it up when he was ready. JJ had been left with everything except for a few specific things left for Sherrie. JJ told her she could pick out things she wanted. He told Gibbs the same thing. John had left Gibbs his old uniforms. He offered them to JJ, but he didn't really want them.

All week, JJ had been waiting for Gibbs to bring up the "custody talk". On Friday, two days before Gibbs was leaving to go back, he brought it up. And by no means was it graceful or subtle.

"So, where do you want to live?"

JJ froze with his fork in front of his face and mouth hanging open. "Really?" he finally asked. "Its been a week and this is how you finally ask?"

"I was waiting for you to bring it up."

"Why would I bring it up?"

"I didn't want to pressure or rush you."

JJ took a bite of his pasta and washed it down with a sip from his cup. "What do you want?"

"It doesn't matter what I want."

"Of course it does! If you don't want me-".

"I didn't say that," Gibbs cut in. "I want you to be happy. At the least, less miserable." JJ raised his brows at him. "Comfortable?"

"Alright. I have been thinking a lot about it. Honestly, I'm just as confused as ever. I think I may have come up with a solution though."

Gibbs took a sip of his coffee. "Let's hear it."

"I'm thinking a trail run. With both of you."

"Go on."

"I'm the only family Aunt Sherrie has left. As much as I think she wants me to be 'comfortable', I'm also worried she'll be so upset if I don't pick her. But…I also want to get out of here. Its not like I've got much keeping me here. And please don't think that I just see you as a way out, because I don't! On top of that, I think you're a pretty cool guy." Gibbs lightly chuckled. "Dad thought you were best for me. I'm sure he knew what he was doing."

"Did I miss the solution part?"

"I'm learning a lot about you, Jethro. You are not a very patient man." Gibbs laughed again. "My school year is up in three months. It would just be too much of a hassle to switch schools now. I would like to stay with Aunt Sherrie for the remainder of it. Then, if its alright with you, I'd like to come stay at you place for the summer. See how I like that."

Gibbs nodded and finished his coffee. "If that's what you want."

"You're mad."

"No. It's a good idea. Test the waters. See what works for you."

"Yeah."

They sat in the awkward silence for nearly a minute. "Just so you know," Gibbs started, "I am fully prepared to take you home with me. I am a little out of practice parent-wise, but I have no doubt the team would step in for help if need be."

"Aww," said JJ. "I'd be like your team's love child!" JJ stared at Gibbs with a goofy grin. "Come on, not even a little smile?" he asked the stone faced man across from him. JJ's smile slid away and his face went serious. It caught Gibbs a little off guard. "What you just said means a lot to me. Really." Gibbs lifted his coffee mug, but then remembered it was empty. He reached across the table and took JJ's glass. "Umm, no. Wait!" Gibbs took a big gulp. JJ covered his mouth with his hands. Gibbs bent over in a fit of coughing. "Are you alright?"

Gibbs, still bent over, lifted up the glass. Once he gained his breath, and voice, back, he sat up, angry. "Vodka!? Is this what you've been drinking all week?" JJ was too afraid to say anything. He hadn't known Gibbs very long, but he had never seen him so angry. "You were right there with that case about the teenager who drank herself to death. What? Did you think that sounded like fun?" JJ looked down at his plate. "You said you weren't drinking anymore back at the house."

"I know what I said," he mumbled. He looked up to Gibbs. "Its not easy to just quit!"

"Its even harder when you don't try."

"Its been a really rough week."

"Do you want to die like that Private?"

"That's not me!" JJ yelled.

"It could be!" Gibbs yelled back.

JJ got up from the table and went upstairs. Gibbs tilted his head back and closed his eyes. He sighed deeply. He wondered if he would ever get used to teens just storming off when they were mad. Not even a minute after JJ rushed to his room, he came back down carrying a small box. He held the box out for Gibbs to look. There were four vodka bottles inside. Two were empty, one was half full, the other hadn't been opened yet. "Take it," he said. Gibbs stood from his chair and took it. "I don't want it anymore. Throw it away, take it home with you, dump it down the sink for all I care. I don't want it around."

Gibbs looked down at the box. He was wondering how long JJ had been drinking and if his parents even knew. His mind flashed to Mr. and Mrs. Conway and how he couldn't believe they had missed their daughter's drinking habits. Gibbs wondered how long it would have taken him to realize JJ's drinking if he were to move home with him. He wondered if Sherrie would have noticed. He looked over to JJ who had taken his seat back at the table in front of his dinner. "Where are the cigarettes?"

"What cigarettes?"

"I can't believe you just lied to me," Gibbs said, mimicking what JJ had said to him before.

JJ went back upstairs. When he came back down, Gibbs was dumping the last of the contents of the bottles down the sink. JJ handed the three packs he had over. Gibbs shoved them down the sink and turned on the garbage disposal. JJ raised one eyebrow and had a small smirk on his face. "Bit overkill, isn't it?"

Gibbs lightly patted the side of JJ's face twice. "You can never be too careful." They both set back down at the table. "Oh, and I'm going to start giving you breathalyzers."

"Whatever you want." They sat in silence for a few moments longer. There were hardly any sounds in the kitchen. They were eating off paper plates since both guys hated doing the dishes, so there wasn't even the sound of silverware clanking. "I'm gay," JJ blurted out.

Gibbs hesitated for a moment before he took another bite of his pasta. "Gay?" he asked in a neutral tone.

JJ nodded. "I figured you may as well know all my secrets. I drink, I smoke, I make-out with boys…"

Gibbs pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. "Alright," he said, "can we keep the visuals to a minimum?"

"Sorry."

"So, this kid from school…?"

"Tyler. My boy-, well, ex-boyfriend, now. His girlfriend doesn't like to share."

"That was very…blunt."

"I should have told you, sooner, huh?"

"Didn't have to tell me at all. That's all…your business." After another bite, "I would have started drinking, too." He quickly added, "Not that I approve."

"Of course not. Wait. Don't approve of what?"

"The drinking."

"Oh. Just checking."

Gibbs packed up all his things Saturday night. JJ had packed some things to take to Aunt Sherrie's with him as well. With Gibbs gone, he had to stay with her.

Neither slept well that night. Gibbs grew very close to JJ over the past week. Leaving him behind was going to be rough. JJ was nervous about leaving his home. He had many wonderful memories of him and his parents in the house. The house was now his to do with it what he wished. Well, technically it was in guardian's house until he was 17 years of age. The current guardian was still Gibbs. But Gibbs had told JJ everything still belonged to him. He wanted none of it. Gibbs would, however, keep the keys to both cars until JJ got his license. JJ thought that seemed fair. Gibbs also said he was getting a breathalyzer installed in it. JJ just rolled his eyes and chuckled.

By 11 AM, things were all loaded into the car. Gibbs had his bags he brought with him and John's old uniforms. JJ had a couple bags of his own piled into the back. The six minute drive to Sherrie's house felt as if it took hours. The car was eerily silent. Gibbs helped JJ with his bags once they arrived. Sherrie welcomed them both in with open arms. She begged Gibbs to stay for lunch at noon, but he said he had to get going. He didn't know what the traffic would be like and didn't want to get home too late.

"Time for me to go," he said and JJ hugged him. "I'll see you again soon, okay? You can come on over any time you want."

JJ pulled back. "Yeah. Tell everyone I said hi."

"I will, but I thought you had everyone's email?"

"I do."

Gibbs smiled. "Take it easy, Kiddo."

"I'll walk you to your car, Jethro." They walked out in silence. A few feet from the car, she finally asked, "What about those papers?"

"They're in the car." He opened the door and leaned in to get them. Standing, he handed the folder to her.

She glanced through the papers. Her brow furrowed. "What is this?"

"Those are the papers that state even though JJ will be staying with you to finish out his school year, I remain his official guardian."

"Why the hell would you do this?"

"I'm not ready to let go of him just yet. I don't know the reasoning behind it, but John and Tina wanted me to be his guardian. So, that's what I'm going to do."

"You can't do this!"

"JJ wants to finish his school year here with you. If you don't sign these papers, I will have to take him back to DC with me. Today."

"Did you just threaten me?"

"I am only stating the facts."

She looked as if she were ready to tear up the document and throw it away. Either that, or hit him. He wasn't sure which at the moment. She finally took a deep breath and read the documents carefully. "Do you have a pen?" Gibbs got one out of the car and handed it to her. She signed on the hood and thrust the folder back at him. "You could have talked with me about this first."

"Like you talked with me?" He tossed the folder into the passenger seat. "If JJ decides for sure that he wants to stay with you, I will sign my rights over because that's what he wants. He is who is important here. But right now this is how he wants it so this is what we should do."

Sherrie crossed her arms in front of her. "And what is it that you want, Jethro?"

"I want what you should want; for him to be happy."

She looked as if she had been slapped across the face. "I want him to be happy!"

"Good." Gibbs sat in his car and shut the door. He started the car and pulled out of the parking lot, leaving Sherrie in a stunned silence.

A/N: Every time I tried to write the ending I wanted, Sherrie brought me up on kidnapping charges.