A/N: It's been a long week. I'm still not entirely sure where all the time has gone. However, thank you so much for all your kind words and alerts and favorites and everything else. I'm so glad you guys are enjoying this story. Here's the next chapter. I hope you enjoy.

Chapter Twelve

When I was little, I wanted a dog. I wanted one but my mom didn't want one and after I asked, she got really mad till my dad came and told me I couldn't have one.

I remembered I had a friend who lived by us. He had a dog but his dog was really small. He was white and brown and he moved really fast all the time but he always would fetch the sticks. My friend, I don't remember his name anymore, said that dogs are really smart, if you teach them.

I remember telling my dad that, and my dad said yes but we didn't talk about it cause my mom didn't like dogs and because she stayed home a lot of the time, she got to decided.

But once, when we were going to my friend's house, my mom was driving and my friend's dog got out of the yard. I remember hearing a thump and I started crying cause I knew what had happened.

My friend came out and cried to, and my mom got really angry at me and my friend. I remember cause that night, I got a whipped with a spoon cause my dad wasn't home. I remembered that my mom smelt awful, and I remembered it was because she drank too much that night.

After that day, I never went to that friend's house again, even when he came and told me he got a new dog. And I never asked for a dog again.

But I have Baron now. And I didn't have to ask anyone because I live with Boss and Boss likes dogs.

Baron is really smart, and I know he is because the nice lady taught Baron really good.

Me and Boss went on a walk with Baron. Baron doesn't have a blue collar yet that has a tag with his name on it so people know he's my dog. Baron's really big so he walks on my good side and I hold the leash with my good hand and Baron walks just right with me- not too fast or not too slow. Boss says he walks really good because the nice lady, he calls her Marsha, taught him too.

After I got the hang of walking with Baron, we got to go to a special store where you can take dogs. It has tons of toys and beds and stuff and Boss said he got most of the stuff but that I could pick out Baron's blue collar and his nametag which is sort of like my bracelet that lets people know who I am if I get lost but only Baron doesn't have to take any medicines because nothing's wrong with Baron.

At the store we bought Baron three toys, a blue collar and a blue leash, a bed and a nametag.

Baron is a good dog. And when we got back from the store, I took him outside and played fetch with him with the new ball I got at the store.

And Baron knew how to play fetch too.

"Blue. Baron needs a collar and a leash, right Boss," Tony said as he hurried into the pet store.

"Yeah Tony," Boss gently grabbed Tony's hand, "Slow down Tony. You're going to trip if you keep walking that fast."

"Slow. Sorry Boss," Tony smiled holding the plain leash that Marsha had given them when they had adopted Baron yesterday, "Blue. Can we get him a blue collar Boss? Like my room?"

"Yeah Tony," Gibbs set his hand on Tony's arm again. Tony was speeding up and at the rate he was going, he was going to fall if he didn't slow down. And even with his helmet on, Gibbs wanted to avoid any falls at all cost.

"Come here Tony," Gibbs tugged the younger man's shirt gently to earn his attention, "The stuff for dogs is over here. That's the cat stuff. We'll never find a collar for Baron there."

"Blue. Sorry Boss," Tony looked distastefully at the cat aisle, "Polite. I don't like cats, right Boss?"

Boss laughed at Tony's expression, "Don't think so Tony."

"Slow. Good," Tony walked down the aisle that had all sorts of collars and leashes and stuff for dogs, "Blue. Boss, there's lots of collar here."

"Yeah," Gibbs said before gently guiding Tony over to the section that had solid colors instead of print designs, "What about that blue right there Tony?"

Tony followed Gibbs' hand to where it was slowly taking the collar off the rack.

"Blue," Tony said and fingered the collar softly, "Collar. Do you like it Baron?"

Baron, who was currently sniffing the floor, didn't offer a reply so Tony took it as he didn't mind.

"Blue. Baron likes it Boss," Tony nodded and used his good hand, the one that didn't shake as much, to grab the matching leash so Baron would match, "Slow. Perfect Boss. Just like my room."

"Yep," Gibbs smiled and gently tugged Baron's leash to get the dog moving in the direction that they were walking in, "Come on Baron."

"Blue. Baron come!" Tony followed Gibbs' example and smiled when Baron listened and followed them.

"Polite. Boss, can Baron get some toys?" Tony asked, looking at all the different things to get a dog.

Laughing, Gibbs nodded, "But just a few."

"Few. Promise," Tony nodded and started to examine his choices.

But by the look on Tony's face, Gibbs knew the eager young man would have a very hard time keeping that promise.

"Look mom! That's a big doggie."

Gibbs turned around from where he was cleaning up Baron's accident. Tony was still looking at toys for his newly acquired dog only now his companion was looking at the toys with his owner.

"Honey, be careful," Gibbs finally spotted the mother and little boy who had just walked into the aisle. The mom had a small puppy in her arms and the little boy was straining against his mother's hold to get near the large German shepherd. The mother however, was paying the boy no mind and was instead reading the back of a "How to Book" for potty training.

"Is that your doggie mister?" the boy asked, not at all perturbed by the dog's size.

"Blue. Green. Slow. Polite," Tony rattled off before he looked around and found the person who asked the question, "Slow. Who's mister?"

The boy cocked his head before looking back at his mom who was still reading. Finding no help from her, he continued, "That's you. I'm suppose to call grown-ups mister."

"Blue. Polite," Tony looked down at the much smaller boy, a puzzled expression on his face, "But I'm not a grown-up. I'm Tony."

"My name is Gabriel," the black hair boy responded. By now, Gibbs had disposed of the soiled paper towels and had placed a comforting hand on Tony's bad arm.

"Name," Tony said slowly, drawing at the word before looking down at his dog, "Tony. I have a dog. His name is Baron."

Gabriel nodded happily, "I have a puppy too! His name is Copper cause he's a beagle and they're hound dogs."

"Name. Copper," Tony looked at the puppy in the woman's hands but made sure not to look the lady in the face. He wasn't talking to her so he didn't have to look at her, "Polite. Like the movie?"

Gabriel nodded, "From Fox in the Hound. I have another dog, only he looks like you dog. His name is Todd, like the fox."

"Movie. Name," Tony nodded excitedly, "I like that movie."

"Me too!" Gabriel smiled but then turned his head again, "Tony, you say a lot of extra words."

Biting his lip at the statement, Tony turned his head to Gibbs anxiously. Movies were fun to talk about but he didn't want to talk about this.

"Blue. Words. I hurt my head," Tony finally said when Gibbs smiled encouragingly at him. If Gibbs was smiling then everything should be okay.

"Oh," Gabriel said, "Is that why your dad makes you wear a helmet now?"

"Okay. Blue," Tony bit his lips again to get his mouth to work right, "Yes."

"I have a helmet that's blue too!" Gabriel replied before his mom took Gabriel's hand, "But my mom never-"

Finally catching wind of her son's new friends, Gabriel's mother took one look at Gibbs and Tony, her eyes lingering on Tony's helmet a bit too long for Gibbs' liking. Seeing her eye widen in understanding, the woman's face showed slight terror as she pulled her son away from Tony, "Come on honey, let's leave the man alone."

"But his name is Tony!" Gabriel said as his mom drug him away, "And he likes Fox and the Hound too!"

"That's nice Gabe," the mom said before hurrying down the aisle to another part of the store, casting a look back at Tony as if he would follow them.

"Polite. Hurry," Tony mumbled before calling out, "Bye Gabriel!"

"Bye Tony!" Gabriel said before he completely disappeared.

Biting his lip before looking down at Baron, Tony shrugged his shoulders, "Polite. Maybe his mom was scared of Baron. Maybe Boss?"

Gibbs shook his head to get rid of the anger he felt at the woman's rudeness, "Maybe Tony. Or maybe she was scared of me."

Tony's frowned disappeared and instead was replaced by the smile that Gibbs enjoyed seeing on his young ward's face so much, "Smile. That's funny. You're not scary Boss. You smile all the time at me."

Smiling at how simple it was for Tony sometimes, Gibbs tugged on Tony's arm gently, "Come on Tony. Let's go home."

"Stairs. Baron, let's go home!" Tony told his dog excitedly.

"Slow down Tony," Gibbs laughed when Tony hurried towards the exit, "We have to pay for this stuff first."

"Stairs. And in case you forgot Baron, this is my room," Tony walked Baron through the whole house, making sure Baron knew where Tony's room, the kitchen, and the door to the back door was, just in case. Baron minded the leash the whole time, only getting excited when Tony took him outside to play fetch in the back yard.

"Blue. Ready Baron?" Tony said, holding the ball with his good hand. After Baron sat down, his tail wagging like crazy, Tony, who was sitting on the bench in the backyard, threw the ball and let out a loud, "Fetch!"

Baron did just that, bringing back the ball and holding it in his mouth till Tony lowered his hand, "Good boy!" Tony said before throwing the ball once again.

At first, Tony hadn't liked touching the slobbery ball but after one game with Baron, fetching had become both dog and master's favorite thing to do.

After ten or so minutes of playing, Gibbs called both into the kitchen. It was time for dinner.

"Are they coming over tomorrow to meet him Boss?" Tony asked excitedly. Baron was by the fridge, laying one of the beds that Tony had laid out for him. He was resting and even Tony's excited talk didn't seem to rouse him, although judging by the way Baron's ears twitched every time Tony spoke, Gibbs knew Baron was still keeping tabs on their conversation.

"Yeah Tony, after work," Gibbs answered as he set down their dinners, "They all can't wait to see him."

"Baron. I can't wait to see them!" Tony smiled. He hadn't seen any of his friends in awhile and he missed them a lot.

"Me either," Gibbs chuckled at Tony's excitement, "Now settle down and let's start eating. The movie starts soon."

Tony nodded and dug in, excited about tomorrows events.

Baron likes my house. When we got back from the place that Baron was from, I had to take Baron all around the house, so he knew where everything was. I did it again when we got back from the store just in case Baron had forgotten because he hasn't been with us long and I didn't want him to get lost and if he's like me, it takes him a long time to remember anything new because he might not remember much the first time.

Then we got to play in the backyard and Baron loves playing fetch. He gets really excited but he doesn't jump on me like Sam did and he moves a lot faster than Jethro did because he's not as old as Probie's dog.

Tomorrow, everyone is coming over to see my new dog.

I'm really excited because I want to see them and I want them to meet Baron. He's part of the family now and they need to meet him.

Baron likes watching movies even though he got up and used the doggie door to go outside during part of Unusual Suspects. But that's okay because I'm pretty sure he had to use the bathroom.

He came back though, really quick and sat up. He put his chin on my leg and I rubbed and scratched his ears. He watched the movie but I don't think he liked Kevin Spacey who plays a guy named Roger Kint.

After that, it was late and I was tired but Boss helped me up the stairs but Baron went outside cause I think he had to go to the bathroom. Then, when it was time to change into night clothes and I was all changed by the time I heard Baron's nametag go clink clink as he went up the stair. Baron can go up the stairs a lot quicker and can even go faster than Boss can.

Boss helped me put my braces on and then I took my medicines.

And then I tapped the bed and Baron hopped up on my bed and sniffed around for a bit. I have a pretty big bed and Baron laid down next to me and snuggled after he was done sniffing. I thought that was funny and scratched his ears.

I told him he was a good boy and that I loved him.

And then he licked my hand and I know that's how he says I love you back to me.

I couldn't wait till everyone meets him tomorrow.