Warnings: Spoilers for Season 13, my story "Slowly Fading Away"

A/N: This is the point where this verse has gone completely AU. If you haven't read "Slowly Fading Away", you might be a bit confused. I'd suggest reading that. Timeline wise, this takes place following "After Hours", anything after that episode doesn't exist in this verse FYI. So, no fake Tony's, unfortunately because I really liked them lol. Enjoy!

The Road to West Virginia

It figured that after working all night, the team would be thrown a case and Tim would come down with bronchitis.

Tony put in extra hours after his partner went home. He and Ellie burned the midnight oil, and Tony had only gone home once to shower, change, and peek in on his family. Shortly after popping into his apartment, Tony found himself trekking through a snow storm to pick up a witness. The snow made travel slow going and he realized he was going to have to find a place to stay over night and get the witness in the morning.

Exhausted, Tony pulled the Charger into a quaint, cute little diner. His stomach grumbled, reminding him he had not eaten in hours. Bundling up against the cold, the senior field agent proceeded inside.

A few locals glanced at him, a trucker sipping coffee at the counter tucked his chin at him in greeting; Tony brushed the snow from his shoulders and sat down at the far end of the counter and rubbed his hands.

"Don't get a lot of you city boys out here," the lady behind the counter said with a grin.

"That obvious I'm from the city, huh?" Tony questioned with a smile.

She nodded. "Yes. You dress too fancy for the folks around here. What can I get for you?"

He grinned. "Coffee, pancakes, and maybe a place to stay for the night."

"Inn across the street has some vacancy. Nice people that run it."

"Is there a phone there to call my wife? I don't want her to worry when I don't come home later."

The woman smiled, warmly at him. "I'm sure it can be arranged to use a phone. You don't have a cell phone?"

Tony sighed and pulled the phone out, holding it up. "Doesn't get a signal out here." He swiped his thumb over the screen, lighting it up. Jack was smiling back at him and the photograph made Tony smile in return. At least he didn't need to have a signal to see his photographs.

"Wish more men looked at their photographs of their families like you," the waitress said.

"My family is my reason for everything I do," Tony answered, honestly while he ate his pancakes. "Back in the day I would have just driven right through this storm. Now, I'm looking for a place to stay."

She smiled, broadly at him. "And I'm sure you're wife will appreciate it."

He grinned and looked down at his phone. Yeah, Leah was going to rest easier tonight knowing that he was safe.

It was late for someone to be at their door. Leah was just about to get Jack ready for bed. "Gibbs?" she questioned when she opened the door. "Is everything alright? Is Tony okay?"

Gibbs' brow furrowed. "Tony is fine. I actually came by to see if he was here."

Leah shook her head. "No. He isn't back yet. I assume that the snow has slowed him down. Do you want me to let him know you stopped by?"

"No, it's not that important."

"It had to have some importance if you drove in the storm here to speak to him."

Gibbs took a deep breath and gazed at Leah. The former marine had not been very warm and loving to Tony and his family for a while now; struggling with his demons he had needed to put Tony at arm's length, and perhaps it made his pain worse seeing Tony with his family. The loss of his own family felt even more present when he was with Tony and Leah and the baby. "My... therapist thinks it's a good idea that I come talk to him."

Leah blinked and gripped the door frame. Therapist? Tony suspected that Gibbs was seeing someone to talk about what happened in Iraq but her husband had no proof of this. And whatever happened in Iraq was what had driven the wedge between Gibbs and Tony. She was sure of this. "Talk to him about..."

"Iraq, you, Jack."

"That' a lot to talk about."

"Yeah, well, we have a few months to catch up on," Gibbs admitted with a shrug.

Leah glanced behind her when the phone rang. "I should get that," she said, turning to go. "Gibbs. Tony understands that you've been through a lot... and it's been eating him alive that he wasn't there to stop that kid from shooting you..."

Gibbs nodded. "I know, Leah. I need to be... I need to be better at telling him it... wasn't his fault." He noticed her eyes soften; his cold shouldering of Tony had bothered her too. The phone kept ringing and he gestured towards it, "You should get that before it wakes the baby up."

She laughed. "Jack? He's not in bed yet, playing in his playpen, but he's like his father, he can sleep through anything."

He felt a rush a of love as she said good-bye and closed the door. Gibbs sighed, closed his eyes, and then headed back out into the snow. Hopefully when he saw Tony tomorrow he could get these feelings out and they could get back whatever they had lost over the last few months.

"Roads are really bad," Tony said, sadly, "I think it's best if I stay here for the night."

"Okay, I'm just glad that you're safe," Leah replied, with a heavy sigh. "You'll call me in the morning when you leave West Virginia?"

Tony glanced up at the young man getting everything situated for him to stay the night at this little motel. He didn't feel quite right about him, but it was a small town and there were very little options for the federal agent. It's only one night, he told himself. "Yeah, after I pick up the witness I'll call you. And I promise I'll drive carefully and slowly."

Leah was probably rolling her eyes at him. He could picture her, clearly. "Don't joke about these things, Anthony. Driving in the snow is no joke. I just want you to come home to Jack and I safely. Is that too much to ask for?"

He shook his head and rubbed his temple. "No, it's not too much to ask for, bella. I should be on the road by six. I'll call you then. Ti amo, bella."

She sighed, softly. "I love you, too."

Tony hung up the phone and looked at the kid handling his registration. He could see the boy's hands shaking as he approached Tony with the paper work and asked him if his wife had been mad. "Not really," the federal agent answered, while he filled out the paperwork, "You alright?"

"F-fine sir," the young man said, taking his form. "Let me show you too your room."

"Great," Tony said, straightening his form, and unaware of the hell he was about to go through, added, "just let me get my bag out of my car."