Tony drove Jackson to D.C. for Gibbs's funeral. "You OK Jackson?" he asked.
"No" Jackson replied.
"I'm sorry he was a great man." Tony said.
"He was" Jackson replied.
"I'm really going to miss him. He was like a father to me." Tony said.
"Me to Tony me to. Jethro was a great dad to Kelly and when he lost her he took it so hard I always wondered how he lived with that. Guess I'll find out now. When he joined NCIS, became Senior Agent, and got your team he acted as a father to you guys because he knew you needed love and he could fill the void I guess." Jackson explained.
"He's with his girls now. I and the team will try to help you through this." Tony replied.
"Thanks you're a good man I can see why my Jethro had so much respect for you." Jackson told him. Hearing that made Tony feel pride knowing that Gibbs respected him well having that fact confirmed he had always suspected it.
They arrived in D.C. and Tony sat in the back instead of with the team. About half an hour in they allowed people to go up to the casket and say goodbye. On the way back to his seat Abby pulled on Tony's sleeve. "Why didn't you and Jackson sit here? Where the family is supposed to sit." She whispered.
"I just sat where Tony sat." Jackson replied.
"I didn't think you wanted the killer to sit with the family." Tony replied.
"Oh you mean about the business at the hospital." McGee replied.
"What happened at the hospital?" Jackson asked.
Ziva got a look of embarrassment on her face "We were kind of hard on Tony at Bethsada." She explained.
"Tony we are so… so… so sorry!" Abby cried.
"Yeah Tony we should have been nicer to you. You were hurting just as much as we were." McGee told him.
"Yes Tony we were too hard on you its just losing Gibbs was real hard for us." Ziva said.
"Tony man I am sorry I didn't speak up for you I was just trying to process what happened." Jimmy said.
"Anthony I should have been nicer to you its just losing Jethro was quite the shock. I do however stand by my statement that you need to be more careful I don't want to see you on my autopsy table." Ducky said.
"Tony can um try to stay uh with us until after I retire I err don't like cutting friends open." Jimmy stammered.
"Sure Jimmy. As for you guys I love you and I am glad you didn't mean what you told me. Now scoot over you got two new people sitting here now." Tony said.
Jackson stood at the podium to make his speech. Tony was supposed to speak but, when the time came he just couldn't. Jethro was a happy child who was very close with his mother and I. when his mom died I guess I kind of dropped the ball I was so busy with my own grief that I neglected his pain I just kept bringing home a girl of the week not seeing it was hurting him. Jethro found happiness again with his wife Shannon and daughter Kelly that happiness was far too short however when Shannon and Kelly were killed. After that I made another stupid choice with a girl and we didn't speak for years Shannon and Kelly was the thing keeping us close. Anyway years later he became leader of an NCIS team Anthony (Tony) DiNozzo Jr., Timothy (Tim) McGee, Ziva David, Abigail (Abby) Sciuto the forensic expert, Donald (Ducky) Mallard head ME, and James (Jimmy) Palmer assistant ME. They gave him family. Jethro gave his life saving Tony from downing he suffered a heart attack after the stress. Mr. DiNozzo should not feel guilt though because if you look up Semper Fi in the dictionary you'd see his picture. He truly loved that boy and could not have coped if he had lost him. Rule Eight Never Take Anything For Granted.