Gibbs sipped at his coffee as he watched DiNozzo sleep, sprawled on his stomach on the couch, his stocking feet hanging over the edge as he pressed his face into a cushion, drooling slightly from the corner of his mouth. It was only a little past 21.00 hours but the single drink coupled with his exhaustion , the pils and an empty stomach had been enough to knock him on his ass.

Gibbs sighed as he remembered how the young man had barely been able to hold onto the meagre contents of his gut, before his Boss could dig out a bowl. He had watched, offering what little comfort he could, rubbing his back as an oblivious DiNozzo had vomited thin bile, offering a damp cloth to wipe his mouth before Tony had collapsed back into the chair with a look of embarrassment.

"Sorry, Boss."

"What have I told you about apologies?" Gibbs had demanded, without censure, even as he had filled a glass with water and it to the younger man. "Take small sips."

"Yes sir," Tony had murmured with abject apology, even as he accepted the glass and obediently slipped.

Gibbs had frowned, his eyes narrowing with concern. Usually DiNozzo was bright, cocky, almost arrogant, sailing the line as close to nsubordination as he could get awat with and not afraid to cross over it if he thought his Boss was being an ass. Such complete and humble submission was totally out of character for him and it worried the ex-marine more than he wanted to admit.

"Hey," Gibbs tapped two fingers under Tony's jaw, raising his downcast eyes to meet his searching gaze. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," Tony retorted automatically then physically winced as if anticipation of a blow at the all too obvious reminder of their recent altercation over his defination of that particular word. "What I mean is there's nothing wrong with me that you need to know about, Boss."

"Tony," Gibbs voice was impossibly gentle. "I take care of my own. If you're hurting, I need to know."

"Thanks Boss," Tony had given him a genuine smile. "But I've been looking after myself for along time now. I really am okay."

Gibbs had snorted his opinion at that, before he had helped the younger man up and steered him towards the couch. Dinner could wait, there was no way DiNozzo could stomach the rich flavours of the casserole right now. Sleep was what he needed and, as he tucked a blanket across the already unconcious form he recognised that he needed some time to come to terms with what his newest Agent had inadvertently let slip it was one thing suspecting that DiNozzo had had it rough. It was another to hear it from his own mouth. Gibbs was mad as hell that anyone could treat their kids like that and, worse of all, he didn't have the first clue how he was going to fix it.

"You ever going to start locking your door?" Fornell's voice cut into his thoughts.

"Obviously, not tonight," With a glance at DiNozzo, who was apparently still sleeping soundly, Gibbs rose to his feet and beckoned Fornell with a jerk of his head to follow him into the kitchen. "You get what I asked?"

"Is that him?" Fornell answered his question with one of his own, still peering back over his shoulder at DiNozzo. "You didn't tell me you'd gone ahead and adopted him."

"You avoiding my question. Too difficult for you to find anything?" Gibbs goaded, deliberately sidestepping the implication. DiNozzo was one of his own now, how he decided to treat him was entirely his business.

"That and then some," Fornell agreed, with a direct look that chilled Gibbs to the bone. He'd asked for Fornell's help because he knew that the FBI would have resources that just weren't available to him. And because he had enough history with the other man to be certain that it would stay just between the two of them. He hadn't anticipated that things might be even worse than he'd feared. "You do know that his father is David DiNozzo? CEO and majority shareholder of DiNozzo Industries? He's been a person of interest to the FBI for the last 20 years. Of course, we've never been able to prove anything. His lawyers are too good for that, which just shows you want money can buy, but take my word for it, the guy is bad news."

"What does any of this have to do with my Agent?" Gibbs wanted to know.

"C'mon Jethro, you know as well as I do that the apple rarely falls far from the tree. David DiNozzo is a ruthless bastard, a man too fond of the sound of his own voice and the bottom of a bttle and not too scrpulous about who he does business with. You think this kid could grow up in that kind of house hold and not know how Daddy Warbucks got his carefully laundered millions?"

"You have any proof of that, Tobias?"

"Proof, not a scrap," Fornell admitted. "But you only have to look at the kid's record. You think he would have busted that counterfeiting racket in Peoria without inside knowledge, or broken into that Mafia family circle in Philly without nsider contacts. Not to mention that drugs deal in Baltimore."

"So, he's a good investigator. " Gibbs acknowledged the fact. "You know I only work with the best."

"I also know you're a sucker for a bleeding heart," Fornell gave him a knowing look. "Especially when it involves vulnerable kids, well, let me tell you Anthony DiNozzo grew up in a Long Island mansion, with the best education, country club membership, private yacht, stable full of polo ponies and every other advantage dirty money could buy. Whatever sob story he's been spinning you to buy your sympathy is a load of baloney."

Gibbs didn't believe that for a second. Whatever kind of bastard David DiNozzzo was, however close he walked the line between businessman and criminal, he had no doubt that his son had chosen a career in law enforcement to do try and the right thing. And he was utterly convinced that the slurred and almost unconscious admissions of child abuse were nothing but the plain, ugly, unvarnished, truth. But he would rather walk through fire than ever betray rather unwitting confidence. Even to DiNozzo himself. If they were going to make this work he was going to have to wait until the younger man confided in him of his own free will. Anything less would seem like an unforgiveable betrayal.

"You need to cute the kid loose, Jethro," Fornell advised. "Keeping him around is asking for trouble. Sooner or later breeding with out, hell, I wouldn't be surprised if he was using his training in law enforcement to cover up all manner of crimes. You want somebody's murder on your conscience?"

"DiNozzo's not a murderer." Gibbs affirmed quietly.

"We'll see," Fornell wasn't convinced. "Look, I'll admit I didn't want to hear about it when you told me what Diane was really like. But I'm trying to return the favour here. Take my word for it Anthony DiNozzo is a whole barrel of trouble just waiting to happen."

Gibbs almost snorted into his coffee, that part at least, he was willing to believe.

"I'll see myself out," Fornell decided. "Take my word for it, Jethro. This one's not worth it. He was a lost cause the moment he was born."

Gibbs took a moment, waiting until he heard the front door shut, needing a moment to himself before he was ready to venture back out into the lounge room. Fornell was a friend and colleague of long standing. Gibbs trusted him more than almost anyone he had ever met. But Tony's raw honestly had cut into his soul, awakening paternal feelings he thought long dormant. He would bet his boat, his house and his life that the kid was utterly sincere. And he couldn't help but imagine how hard it must have been for a right thinking, compassionate, sensitive, kid like DiNozzo to grow up in such a home.

Unconciously straightening his spine, as if to meet the challenges ahead, Gibbs walked back into the lounge room, stopping short as he saw the dark haired figured, sitting up on the couch, his hair sticking out at all angles with a bad case of bed head, as the blanket pooled forgotten in his lap. He met his team lead's gaze steadily, his green eyes dark and unreadable.

"How much of that did you hear?" Gibbs cut to the chase.

"All of it." Tony admitted.