A/N: Awfully busy week this past one has been. Emphasis on the awful. While school stuff is going wonderfully, my job is being a pain in the butt. The only good part is I finish at the end of this month. I'm so excited. The new job is much more rewarding and I don't have to deal with overly stubborn, thick headed parents who think their bratty little children are angels. Really. Their children are the ones in trouble and yet somehow its my fault. Oy vey. Anyway, in other news, the next chapter is almost done. Though I probably won't get it out for a week because this next week is gonna be packed. One last thing before I go: Who's else besides me is absolutely loving this season? I LOVE IT. Okay, I'll let you go and read. Like always, reviews are loved. :)

Chapter Thirty One

Me and Jack are going shopping. I don't know why cause I think I have lots of clothes that are nice and warm and that fit me just right but Jack said that I needed nice clothes, the kind that you only wear once cause lots of people need you to look nice.

I don't know what he means by that but Jack knows what he's talking about cause we went to a store that had lots of clothes that I remember my…my dad wearing I think.

Jack says it's called a suit and that I need to get one for me but I already can tell that I'm not gonna like it at all cause it feels really tight around my neck and I have to wear a shirt with lots of buttons which I don't like at all cause I can't take those kinds of shirts off without someone helping me to do all the buttons and now that I can put my shirt on by myself, I don't like asking help to do that sort of thing.

But I really don't like my suit. It makes me look funny and Baron kept looking at me like he wanted to laugh which I know can't really happen cause he's a dog but still.

I don't know why I have to wear one. I wish I could wear my favorite t-shirt and my jeans and my shoes and my favorite socks. And my sweater than Jack gave me.

But Boss says I have to look nice.

I'm just glad I don't have to wear this suit thing all the time.

"Where's Tony?" Elijah said, as he looked around the busy bullpen. Gibbs had asked him to swing by the NCIS building after he had dropped his mom off at her house.

Elijah had been on the phone with Gibbs a few more times since Gibbs had received the summons, but now that he was in town, Elijah could feel his stomach begin that slow churning it did whenever he felt anxious about something.

"He went out with my dad to get a shirt and a tie," Gibbs glanced up from his computer, "Tony use to wear suits all the time but the ones from before the accident don't fit his body right anymore and the last thing I need is Tony to look disheveled in front of the judge."

"What did Danny say about all this?" Elijah asked and adjusted his jacket. Even inside, Elijah could feel the cold that was just waiting to creep onto his skin again. While he loved the friends he had made in DC, he already missed the warmth of Southern California. If only everyone in DC could move there.

"I haven't really talked to Danny much these past few weeks," Gibbs grumbled, "He's was almost positive that Senior's lawyer wouldn't want to drag this to trial but now that he has, he's been getting ready for it. Apparently, instead of arguing that I'm an unfit guardian, they're trying to how the judge that not only did I not properly inform Senior of his son's status but that I caused Tony emotional harm by not letting him keep in contact with his father."

"But from what you tell me," Elijah spoke up, "Senior wasn't really in Tony's life before the accident. So why has he been fighting for this now?"

"Money? Pride? To save face?" Gibbs shrugged, "Frankly, at this point, I don't know and I really don't care. This whole thing is giving me a headache and it's starting to affect Tony too."

"What's wrong with Tony?"

"He's been getting more muscle cramps. The PT said it was from keeping his muscle tense and I know all the visits from Adult Protective Services hasn't helped him any. He's had two seizures in the past week and I just want this to be over. Now."

Elijah nodded in agreement, feeling a wave of protectiveness swell within his chest for the man he had come to love as a little brother of sorts. Because he had never met Tony before the accident, he didn't have anything to compare Tony to, other than what Tony was now. And judging by the quality of friends Tony kept, Elijah was almost certain that Tony hadn't changed much since the accident, at least not in the ways that mattered the most.

"The trial still set for next week?" Elijah asked just as the rest of team Gibbs made their way back to their desks. The team had picked up a case that morning and Gibbs was stressed enough as it is.

"Yeah, at 9 in the morning," Gibbs let out a small smirk at that, thinking about how much Tony would dread having to get up and dressed that early in the day, "But here are his meds. I picked them up on the way to work. Dr. Clarke uped his anti-seizure drug so be on the lookout for any signs of drowsiness."

"No problem Gibbs," Elijah took the medication and stowed it in his backpack, "I'll make sure to take these files to Danny on the way back home."

"Thank you Elijah," Gibbs replied, genuinely thankful for Elijah's help in taking a few files to their attorney, "Hopefully I'll make it home in time for dinner."

"No rush," Elijah said as he made his way to the door, "Me and your dad have it covered."

Tony looked at the car that was in the driveway. He didn't like cars. He likes trucks. They were big and strong and didn't break like cars did.

So why was there a car in his driveway?

"Truck. Jack, is that your car?"

"No Tony," Jackson shook his head before parking the vehicle, "But I'm pretty sure you know whose car that is."

Tony shook his head. He didn't know whose car that was. Boss didn't drive that car and neither did Probie and Jimmy or Ziva or even Ducky or Abby or at least, he didn't think they drove cars. And Tony didn't know anyone else except for-

"Elijah!" Tony let out an excited yell and hurried to get out of the truck so he could go say hi to Elijah. Elijah had been gone a long time and now that he was back Tony was very excited to see him.

Tony was going to fast though cause he almost fell out of the car and even though he tried to slow down, he slipped and knew he was gonna fall.

"Woah, Tony, slow down. You almost broke your head going that fast."

"Elijah. Fast. Elijah, I was going a lot faster when I broke my head the first time," Tony said, smiling at the much larger man who had saved him from falling on his head, "You came back!"

"Course I came back," Elijah righted him, "Did you have a good time while I was gone?"

"Slip. Yes," Tony nodded, "Jack stayed with me. Elijah, Boss has a dad, his name is Jack. See? He's right there. Say hi Elijah, I promise Jack is really nice."

"We've met Tony, only just over the phone," Elijah smiled and shook the older man's hand.

"Nice to finally meet you in person. Tony talks enough about you I feel like I've known you for years," Jackson smiled, "Now, how about we head on inside before these old bones of mine freeze?"

"Blue. Jack, bones don't freeze, it isn't that cold," Tony said as Jack handed him Baron's leash, "Sorry Baron for forgetting you in the truck. But Elijah is back. Remember Elijah?"

Baron, who was sniffing away at Elijah's pant leg, let out a quick sneeze before moving his head under Tony's hand, looking for an ear rub or a scratch.

"Cold. Inside. Let's go inside Elijah," Tony said as he rubbed Baron's ears, "Me and Jack went shopping and he got different kind of clothes."

"Is that right?" Elijah said, grabbing the shopping bags from Jackson's hands before following Tony and Jackson inside.

"Blue. Of course that's right," Tony nodded, "I don't think I'm wrong. Right Jack?"

"No Tony," Jackson smiled, "You're right."

"Cold. Blue. I thought so," Tony said as Elijah closed the door to the outside world.

Tony was glad Elijah was back.

Baron was by no means a stupid dog. Yes, there were times, many times, when he did not understand everything that was going on and even more times when humans said things he did not even try to comprehend.

But Baron was not a stupid dog.

Baron's earliest memory was of crawling away from his brothers and sisters to reach the smells that were hovering on the outside of the warm place that was his whole world. It wasn't until later, until his eyes had opened and he became much steadier on his feet, that he came to know those lovely smells as humans.

His first human had been kind and while he had lived with her for awhile, he had known even then that his life would not continue on with her for forever. She had other dogs, dogs she loved and dogs that were her pack.

But that fact did not bother Baron at the time, anymore than not being able to understand everything humans said did.

It wasn't until Baron had met his Boy that he understood why some of the dogs from his first home acted the way they did, as if a human could be part of a pack.

Because his Boy was everything to him. His Boy took him for walks and threw the ball as many times as Baron could chase it, and his Boy made sure there was always room for him on the couch or on the bed.

Baron followed his Boy everywhere, or at least he tried, and Baron knew every smell, every sound and everything that the Boy could do.

His favorite smell was the one his Boy always had after the Boss was home for awhile. It was a mixture of his Boy's smell and of the Boss' smell, with another smell mixed in that reminded Baron of the way he felt after his Boy would rub his belly.

The smell that he hated the most however, was the smell that made Baron's hair stand on end and that always came right before his Boy got sick. The smell scared him, each time he smelt it, scared him so much that he did the only thing he could do to try and make it go away.

But now, Baron thought in his own dog-kinda way. Something was not right.

The smells in the house were the same, as far as Baron could tell, but still, Baron felt something wrong.

Something…different.

It was making his hair stand on end, and it made him pick his ears up whenever he heard a sound.

Because Baron was not a stupid dog. He was a good dog, and every good dog knew when something was not right.

"Boss, I want to go with you," Tony mumbled from where he was sitting, curled up in a blanket in front of the TV. Magnum PI was on and he liked watching the episodes he had already seen before. It was fun knowing how it was going to end before anyone on the show did.

"No Tony, you're gonna stay here with Jack," Gibbs walked over and ruffled Tony's hair, glad to see his hair had grown back, "Me and Elijah will be back around lunch."

"But," Tony rubbed his eyes. It was really early in the morning and he had woken up because Baron had licked his face. But he was still tired and even though he didn't want to let Boss go, he really didn't want to move from his warm place on the couch with his blanket and Baron.

"You aren't going to work today," Tony finally said, when he took a better look at what Gibbs was wearing, "You're wearing your nice stuff, like Jack says I have to do soon. Where are you going?"

"I'm going to meet with Danny and Ms. Nemec, remember? The lady who came and spent a couple hours with you," Gibbs said, reminding Tony of the woman who the court had assigned to meet with Tony.

"Quiet. Listen. I don't think I liked her," Tony shook his head, "She asked a lot of questions and I don't even think she was listening to me answer them cause she kept asking them in different ways."

Gibbs smiled and gently ran his fingers through Tony's hair again, a gesture that not only calmed Tony, but himself as well, "I'll be back soon, okay bud?"

"Blue. I wish you didn't have to go," Tony looked up at Gibbs, "It's a stay home day. You're not suppose to go anywhere on days like these. Jack said so."

"Be good for Jack Tony," Gibbs gently rubbed Tony's shoulder before patting Baron on the head, "I'll be back soon."

Gibbs walked quickly out of the room, hating the fact that he had to leave Tony behind. But Danny had told him that Tony wouldn't need to come for the depositions and that the judge hadn't required it. Considering how long and drawn out those sorts of things could be, Gibbs was glad Tony could stay home.

But he wasn't glad however, that he had to leave him on his day off. Especially when he was leaving him behind to go face off then man that was trying to take Tony away from him.

Something is bothering Boss. Something is bothering Boss cause Boss only wears the nice sort of stuff he was wearing when something isn't right and he was wearing it today. I didn't have to wear my nice stuff so maybe the thing that is bothering Boss isn't really really bad but it must kinda sorta be bad cause he had those lines by his mouth that he has when he holds his teeth really tight together cause something bad is happening.

Elijah went with him and me and Baron stay at home with Jack. Jack is nice, and I like him a lot. He talks quiet but I can always hear him and he reminds me of Boss but he's really different too which is okay cause I'm not like my dad either and I'm not like anyone else I think. I'm like me which is a good thing cause even though no one tells me what's happening, I know.

And just thinking about it makes my stomach do flips flops like the waves do when the crash on the beach. And I don't like that feeling at all.