Thanks for the reviews, McGeeksGirl, CrawCoLady, Little Bear, WolfGirl,Nice to see you on board, Athea, Brinhohms, thanks for the beta check, Sun Samurai, DS2010, fantsdancer, and NCIS fan

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muchacho means boy in Spanish

The movie Casablanca is referenced and may play a key part later in the story

This is a snippet of some of the time Tim and Tony spend together in the safe house

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Tony stored his laundry in his bedroom in one of the dressers then returned to the living room, taking his seat on the couch across from Tim. Tim had his feet resting on the coffee table with his head leaning back on the couch with his eyes closed. Tony switched on the television. He surfed through channels as Tim roused, sitting straighter. Tony observed Tim's facial responses to the movies that flashed by on the screen.

"Ahh, Casablanca." Tony continued; using his best Humphrey Bogart impression. "Wanna watch this one...Sweetheart?"

Tim turned his face towards Tony with a look of bewilderment.

"Don't tell me you've never seen this one!" asked Tony.
"Sorry, but, no, I haven't...sweet cheeks?"

"Come on, that's how Bogie talks to Bergman."

Tim's brows were furrowed. "Bogie?"

"This is the part before Bergman boards the plane. Yah see, Rick (played by Bogart) makes Ilsa (played by Bergman) board the plane to Lisbon with her husband, telling her she would regret it if she stayed—even though they are deeply, helplessly in love with each other." Tony's impression of Bogie resurfaced, "Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of your life."

"O...kay..."

Tony withdrew a heavy breath through his tense lips. "I have my work cut out for me for the next-"
"Can you see if Pokemon is on?" asked Tim.

Tony's answer was a silent, intimidating, glare.

"You know-the cartoon." said Tim adding a look of desperate urgency. "Please?"

"I know what Pokemon is, my friend's five-year-old daughter watches it." said Tony. "Every afternoon at three, while she eats her snack—fun fruits and Kool-aide."

Tim ignored Tony's frustration looking over his shoulder to the far wall. "Hey, Parcheesi!"

"Par-what?" Tony asked looking over his shoulder towards the shelf behind him that had caught Tim's eye.

"I'm green!" yelled Tim.

"You bet your green-green with envy when I kick your ass-"

Tim had hopped from the couch then winced and stopped in his tracks clutching his midsection.

"You okay, muchacho?"

Tim sat back down, "I keep forgetting I'm… wounded. I really…hate this."

"Take a load off comrade." Tony stood. "I'll order in—you have to eat. And something better than sugar enriched breakfast cereals. Want, Chinese? Pizza?"

"Uh—Chinese?"
"Okay, pizza it is."

Tim chortled as he lay back down, shaking his head, smiling to himself. He stretched out, leaning his head on the arm of the couch resting his hands on his stomach.
"Pepperoni? Mushrooms?" asked Tony.

"Uh—Broccoli?"

"I agree, sausage and peppers sounds good to me, too."

Tim laughed harder, holding his stomach. "Can we get orange juice with that?"
"Pepsi-"

"Actually—this time, really-orange juice?"

The plea in Tim's eyes made Tony's heart do a little flip flop. "Of course, kid. I was messin' with you." He turned, taking a couple of steps towards the kitchen for his phone then backtracked. He changed the channel on the television to a cartoon, not really sure if it was Pokemon but figured it was close enough.

"Tony?"

"Yeah?"
Tim had turned to look at him, waiting for Tony's gaze to meet his. "You crack me up. Thanks for keeping my spirits up. I feel I could really be depressed right now."

"Hey, any time. It's one of the things I'm good at."

Thirty minutes later they were eating Chinese food with broccoli and drinking mug-sized glasses of orange juice in the living room at the coffee table. The Parcheesi board was setup and Tim was teaching Tony how to play. Tim let Tony play the game with the green pieces and Tim used the blue pieces-Tony's favorite color.