"Gibbs."

"Agent Gibbs, this is Pru. Pru Paston."

"Pru," acknowledged Gibbs, "what can I do for you?"

"Come to supper tomorrow. 8 o'clock. All of you, and stay the weekend."

Gibbs stared momentarily at his cell and wondered why Pru reminded him so much of the first colonel he served under.

"We'll be there," he replied and ended the call.

At the other end, Pru smiled when Gibbs agreed to come. It had been nearly a week since they had last seen or heard from Team Gibbs. Tony hadn't exactly been moping, they were all too busy for that but she was aware of a feeling of sadness about him and she didn't intend to let it continue if she could help it.

NCISNCIS

Pru was waiting for the MCRT when they pulled up the next evening; she directed them to the cabin.

"Tony's not back yet," she told them, "but he's on his way. Come through when you're ready."

Tim, Ellie and Gibbs stopped in astonishment when they came into the main house a short while later.

"Wow," said Ellie as she gazed round.

"Oh, yes," said Pru, "Mac worked hard this week. Finished off the big room. And then everyone pitched in to help move the furniture back in."

"It looks great," said McGee as he looked around. The wooden surfaces all glowed in the soft light, a fire burned in the grate and the furniture, well-polished by Gibbs, looked comfortable and inviting.

"Thanks," said Pru, "it was worth the wait."

"Honey, I'm home!" came Tony's voice as he came in through the kitchen. Pru sighed, this was obviously an old and well-worn joke. "And Team Gibbs too," said Tony, "taking a break from crime fighting duties!"

Tim was pleased to see that Tony was wearing a smart suit. It didn't look like one of the expensive designer suits from NCIS days but it was very acceptable in Tim's eyes. At first he thought that Tony must have yet another job, one which required a degree of formality but then he decided that it was more likely that he had been for an interview that day. He hoped it had been successful.

"All right, everyone," said Pru, "let's eat."

"Something puzzled me," said Tony, after they had been eating for a few minutes, "how did the bad guys find the Admiral here?"

"GPS locators," said McGee, "they'd planted them in most of his clothes. When they realised he'd gone they just tracked him."

"Can you tell us what it was all about?" asked Tony.

Gibbs shook his head, "Nope. It was a terrorist plot. A big one but it's being kept under wraps. The Director sends his thanks, by the way."

"Gee," said Tony, "that makes me feel better."

"Something puzzles me," said Gibbs.

"What?" said Tony.

"How did Pru know we were still in Maine?"

Tony laughed but it was Pru who replied, "difficult to keep a secret round here, Agent Gibbs. There's been a lot of activity round the Admiral's place."

"You been driving the school bus past there again, Tony?" asked McGee.

"No. The regular driver's back," said Tony. "But Pru's back visiting the Admiral."

"You're doing his care visits again?" said McGee.

"In a manner of speaking," said Pru, "he never wanted to stop being my patient but he didn't have any choice when those guys took over."

"Patient?" said Ellie.

"Pru's a doctor," said Tony, "didn't you know?"

"But you said you were doing care visits," said Tim.

"Did I?" said Pru, "well, that's what a doctor does when they visit a patient."

"But you said you'd been emptying a commode," said Tim, "do doctors do that?"

"They might not in a hospital," agreed Pru, "but out in the community things are different. What sort of person would I be if I left a commode full?" Tim didn't have an answer for that so kept silent.

"I'm just helping out," said Pru, "Dr Sinclair is out sick at the moment, and so I'm covering some of her patients. My main job is doing research into respiratory problems due to dust inhalation in saw mills. I'm interviewing people who've worked in the timber industry."

"The Admiral seems to have some breathing problems," noted Gibbs, "is that how he became your patient?"

Pru shrugged, "patient/doctor confidentiality, Agent Gibbs, I can't tell you."

"But I guess that might have made you more suspicious when rumours began to go round that he was suffering from dementia when you hadn't seen any signs of it," continued Gibbs.

Pru shrugged again, "get a court order and I might tell you. But not before."

"And I guess that's why you didn't answer when I called you Miss Paston," said Gibbs, "I don't need a court order to make you tell me that."

"No," Pru agreed, "I'm used to people calling me Pru or Dr Paston."

"Or Mrs DiNozzo," suggested Tony.

"Or Mrs DiNozzo," nodded Pru.

"You're married?" asked Ellie.

"Sure," said Tony, looking surprised.

"You don't wear wedding bands," McGee pointed out.

"It's a symbol of patriarchy and male dominance," said Pru, "and I don't subscribe to that view of our relationship."

"Oh," said Ellie, slightly taken aback, "I see."

"And," said Tony, "the wedding band is away at the jewellers being resized."

Pru grinned, "Yes, there is that. It's too small, I've put on weight since we got married."

"And what's your excuse?" McGee asked Tony.

"Mine's too big," said Tony, "kept falling off. So they're both at the jewellers."

"To Anthony and Prudence DiNozzo," said McGee raising his glass in a toast.

"Oh," said Pru, "it's not Prudence. It's Pruella."

"Which nearly caused a beautiful relationship to die before it started," said Tony.

"He thought I said 'Cruella'," said Pru, "and he launched into this long critique of '101 Dalmatians'. I thought he was mad."

"You were probably right," said Tim meditatively, causing everyone to laugh.

At the end of the meal Pru managed to steer Ellie and Tim back into the cabin leaving Gibbs and Tony alone.

"Gibbs," began Tony.

"I think your wife wants us to talk, DiNozzo," said Gibbs at the same time, "so perhaps we should …"

"I can't find Roger," a voice interrupted them.

Gibbs looked across the room to where the sound had come from. He saw a small boy, dressed in pyjamas, looking a little lost.

"Come on," said Tony, "we'll go find him," he stood up and walked across to the little boy who said,

"Can't I stay here? I haven't seen you for a lo-o-ng time."

"OK," said Tony, picking him up and coming to sit down opposite Gibbs, "but I did see you at breakfast, you know. Sit here a while and then we'll go and find Roger."

The child nodded happily and then leaned into Tony in sudden shyness when he saw a man he didn't recognise.

"This is Special Agent Gibbs," said Tony, "you can trust him. He used to be my Boss. Gibbs, this is my son. Thomas, Tom. He's four and a half."

"Four years seven months," corrected Tom.

"Nice to meet you, Tom," said Gibbs gravely. "Where have you been hiding? I didn't see you when I was staying in the cabin."

"We was staying with some friends," explained Tom, "'cos when Uncle Mac started doing the work Mommy and Daddy thought it would be safer for us not to be here. But I'm glad Uncle Mac has finished now." He yawned and leaned a bit more heavily into Tony.

"We?" queried Gibbs.

"Tom and his sister Hannah. We sent them to stay a couple of houses away. Hannah's two and a half."

"What about Roger?" asked Gibbs trying to keep track of the DiNozzo family, "where does he fit in?"

"Roger the rhinoceros," said Tony, "Tom can't go to sleep without him but manages to keep losing him."

"That's not quite true," said Gibbs.

"What?" asked Tony.

"Your son can go to sleep without Roger … he just has."

"Oh, yeah. Look at that," said Tony with a smile, "I'd better get him to bed." He picked the little boy up, "I'm going to bed as well, Gibbs. It's been a long week. See you in the morning."

Gibbs watched with a smile as Tony walked away cradling the child in his arms.

NCISNCIS

Gibbs got up early the next morning and went to sit by the lake. Pru brought him a mug of coffee and sat down next to him nursing her own drink.

"Tony likes this spot as well," she said.

"Where is he?" Gibbs asked.

"I left him in bed. Tom and Hannah crept in first thing. I try to give them time together at the weekends, our weeks are so hectic."

"I didn't know you had children," said Gibbs.

"Didn't you? It wasn't a secret. Seems you don't know much about us. Tony was convinced that you'd have had Tim do a background search on us."

"No need to do that," said Gibbs, "I didn't think DiNozzo would have been up to anything criminal."

"Is that the only thing you'd be interested in?" asked Pru.

"I met Tom last night," said Gibbs, ignoring Pru's question, "good kid."

"Yes," said Pru, "we're lucky. Tom looks more like me but Han is all her daddy. They're both strong characters: we've got some battles to look forward to."

"How did you meet Tony?" asked Gibbs.

"I'd just been to an interview for a job at a hospital in Bangor. I went to see a movie."

"You a movie buff like DiNozzo?"

Pru laughed, "Nobody likes movies as much as Tony! No, it was raining. I had two hours to kill before my flight and I wanted somewhere warm and dry to wait. It was some cult foreign language movie. Tony was about the only other person in the movie theatre and we got talking. He thought I was another movie fanatic! He soon found out I wasn't but it stop him trying to convince me that I should be."

"DiNozzo and his films," chuckled Gibbs.

"He was interesting," Pru said defensively, "I've always liked listening to him. We liked each other from the beginning. I told him I'd be working in Bangor. He was drifting around but decided he'd stay put for a while. I think he was looking to put down some roots."

"And you?"

"I'd just come out of a messy relationship. I wasn't looking for anything permanent but the idea of having a friend in a strange place seemed good. And it worked."

"But you're not at Bangor now?"

"No. I quit when Tom was born. I do research now and help out with local clinics. And when we found this house it was too far to travel."

"You don't come from Maine?"

"No. I'm from Chicago. We both come from big cities and never thought we'd like to live outside of one. But it turns out we do. We like being part of a community. Helping out."

"Is that why Tony does all these odd jobs?"

"I guess so. Partly."

"What you mean, partly?"

"When I first knew him he was carrying a burden of guilt. He's never told me much about it. Guess it's classified but it means he always feels he has to do the right thing. Says he didn't do it once and he couldn't deal with the fallout. He drives himself hard."

"He looks well on it," commented Gibbs.

"He had pneumonia in the winter," said Pru, "was sick for a while. That's why some of his clothes are too big. Why he can't wear his wedding band. I'm trying to get him to ease off."

"Good luck with trying to get him to do what he doesn't want to," said Gibbs.

"I'll do it," said Pru, "I care too much to let him kill himself. I won't let him shut himself off."

"Does he do that?"

"Not so much since the children came. They've been good for him. But before, he'd get low if he thought he let me down."

"And did he? Let you down?"

"No, Agent Gibbs, never."

"Call me, Jethro. I'm not at work now."

"I think I'll wait on that if you don't mind. Until I know if you're going to be a friend."

Gibbs nodded; he found himself approving Pru's reticence.

"Come and have breakfast," said Pru, "Tony will be up by now."

Gibbs followed Pru back to the house where they found Tony cooking breakfast. Tim and Ellie were there too. Ellie was playing with Tom and Hannah who were happily showing her all their toys. Gibbs realised that Pru was right about Hannah who had Tony's eyes and charming smile. He suppressed a grin at the rattled expression on Tim's face as he tried to come to terms with the idea of Tony having two small children and being happy about it.

After breakfast Pru took the children off for haircuts and a promise of ice-creams while Tim and Ellie went back to the cabin to work on their reports; they would be going back to DC after the weekend with the promise of some days off if everything was up to date.

Gibbs felt that the 'price' of the weekend was the talk with Tony so he went in search of his host. He found Tony in what Pru had told him was one of his favourite places, sitting by the lake.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey," replied Tony.

Gibbs sat down beside him. "Gibbs, you don't have to talk if you don't want to. You don't have to let Pru manage you like she manages me."

"You look OK on it," observed Gibbs.

"It still feels odd having someone who cares enough to do it," said Tony, "and I don't think it'll ever get old."

"Hard to imagine you letting anyone 'manage' you," said Gibbs.

"I don't mind. Didn't Shannon manage you sometimes?"

Gibbs thought it showed a change in their relationship. In the old days Tony would never have brought up Shannon's name; his first marriage was a no-go area. Now he found that he didn't really mind. "I guess," he said.

"So, like I said, just because she organises me you don't have to let her organise you," said Tony looking out over the lake.

"I think your wife is a pretty shrewd woman," said Gibbs. "I wouldn't mind betting she is a leading light in that Trenchard Ladies' Sewing Guild your lieutenant was speaking so highly of."

"You'd lose your money, Gibbs. She can barely thread a needle. We have to outsource all this family's sewing."

"Anyway," said Gibbs, "I trust Pru's instincts when she thinks we should talk."

"Gibbs, I thought I wanted to talk to you. Guess that's why I called you but there's nothing new I can say to you. I know I screwed up in LA all those years ago. I can't make it better."

"According to Pru, you've been trying. All this helping people out. Sort of a penance."

"It started out that way but I think I do it now because it feels like the right thing to do. Delivering the taffy for Millicent is nothing for me but it makes a big difference to her. Pru picking up the seed potatoes for Chet and me driving them to him – well, the same really. Every little helps. It's part of living in a small community. And the neighbours came and helped us put the house back to rights and they took Tom and Hannah in for us. It works both ways."

"And driving the school bus, marking out the pitches and digging out ditches? Is that the same?"

Tony shrugged but didn't answer directly. "I reckon it's taken all these years for me to think I could face you at last," said Tony, "I know it was cowardly not to tell you I was quitting but, at the time, it was more than I could handle. I could still see the expression on your face when you came to that diner in the desert; I couldn't stand the thought of seeing all that pain again."

"DiNozzo," said Gibbs, "Jenny's death was not your fault. No, let me say this," he put up his hand to prevent Tony interrupting, "I was sad and angry that Jenny had died. There had been a time when we had been close, we might even have got married … that was over by the time she became Director but it didn't mean I didn't care."

"I know, Gibbs. When you care about someone you don't usually let go of them," said Tony softly.

"So, I was grieving for Jenny; wishing she hadn't gone off like she did. Ditching you and Ziva was a pretty stupid thing to do."

"And you thought that you would have stopped her if you'd been there."

"I still think I would have," said Gibbs.

Tony took an anguished breath and began to speak but Gibbs prevented him again.

"I think I would have because I would have been there in a different way. I'd have been there as a friend, someone who'd loved her once and that would have made me act differently. Which she would have hated! But I probably wouldn't have let her out of my sight. But you couldn't do that, Tony. The only relationship you had with her was that of Director/Agent. You didn't have the leeway that I had. You went above and beyond what you were required to do on that assignment. It wasn't your fault. I mean that. And I'm sorry that I didn't say that convincingly enough at the time. I meant it even then but I was so angry about the situation that I couldn't be rational about it. And I forgot that you were grieving too. And I forgot that you were a fine agent who hated to fail. I let you down, Tony."

"Wow," said Tony, "I don't think you've ever said that many words all at once to me."

"And I was going to write you on the Ronald Reagan and tell you," said Gibbs, "once I'd calmed down about Vance being an idiot and posting you away. And then he told me that you'd quit."

"You still could have," said Tony, "NCIS had my contact details. My mail was being redirected from the apartment."

"I know," said Gibbs.

"Why didn't you?"

"I thought about it. And then I decided it was better not to."

"What?"

"I decided that you were better off out of NCIS. Vance hated me. He was going to hate you out of principle because he could see that you and I were similar. That we had a bond."

"You didn't write me because you thought you should protect me from Vance?" said Tony sceptically.

"No. I decided not to write because I thought you were better off without me," said Gibbs.

"Say that again."

"I wasn't sure I was good for you, Tony. I thought back to when you started at NCIS. How eager you were, how enthusiastic, how … joyful you were. And I realised that I'd knocked some of that out of you. I was a dour miserable bastard and I seemed to be trying to turn you into one too. And you were good at the job, very good. I had this picture of five or six years down the line of me resenting you. I like to be in charge, Tony and you were ready to be in charge too and I wasn't sure that I'd handle you being confident and bucking for more responsibility. I could see that I'd be holding you back all the time, trying to squash you. 'Cos I knew I wouldn't want to let you go, go on to take your own team but I'd keep you trapped, tied to me. Because I can be real selfish."

"Wow, Gibbs. When you decide to talk, you decide to talk," said Tony.

"So, I had the letter all written out. Explaining that I didn't blame you. That I'd twist Vance's arm to let you come back and I had this moment of clarity. That it would be better if you didn't come back. Better for you; not for me. So I didn't write. I decided I should let you go."

"I was wrong," said Tony after a moment or two, "Pru isn't the first person who's been managing me. You were doing it too. It was a pretty brutal way of doing it, Boss. You didn't think of putting all that in a letter? You know, a middle way?"

"I don't do middle ways," said Gibbs ruefully. "I did what I thought was best."

"Don't know what to say, Gibbs. It was painful. Like an amputation. It was tough believing that I had let you down. I'd spent a long time trying to live up to your expectations, your standards and I was pretty sure I'd failed spectacularly and that you hated me. I don't know how I would have got through it without Pru."

"You'd have made it," said Gibbs firmly, "you're the strongest person I know. You just hide it, like you hide lots of stuff."

He put a hand on Tony's shoulder and they sat there for a few minutes.

"Thanks, Gibbs," said Tony finally, "I'm not sure you were right but … well, thanks."

"You sure you don't want your old job back?" said Gibbs only half joking, "that was a pretty good catch you made."

"Hell of a commute," said Tony in the same vein, "and we've only just got the house straight."

"Fair enough," said Gibbs, "let me know if you change your mind. I'd enjoy the fight with Vance!"

"It's an interesting thought," said Tony, "but I think I'll pass."

"Tony," said Gibbs in a more serious tone, "when you called, I didn't hesitate. I trusted you that day just like I've always trusted you. And when I saw you standing there, stinky as you were, I realised how much I'd missed you. It felt almost like coming home."

"Thanks, Gibbs. I missed you too."

NCISNCIS

When she got back from her errands, Pru went into the cabin to tell Ellie and Tim it was time for lunch.

"Er, Pru," said Tim diffidently, "did Tony go for an interview today?"

"What makes you think that?" said Pru.

"He was wearing a suit," said Tim, "I haven't seen him wear one since we've been here. I thought perhaps he'd gone for a job interview."

"No. He's got a job," said Pru.

"Oh," said Tim, "I guess he knew they weren't going to make him dig out any ditches today."

"I guess," agreed Pru.

"I guess they get him to do some clean work sometimes,"

"Sometimes," smiled Pru.

As they all sat at lunch, Pru said, "Tom and Hannah have a birthday party this afternoon. We've got to drive them there. Why don't you all come with us? There's a good coffee shop we can wait at. They sell Millicent's saltwater taffy there. You can buy some to take back to DC. Every little helps."

Tony looked suspiciously at Pru as he recognised the cunning look on her face. Gibbs thought that somehow this wasn't a casual suggestion but decided to go along with it: Pru had looked approvingly at him when he and Tony returned from their talk and he found that he wanted to keep on her good side. McGee and Bishop were accustomed to follow Gibbs' lead so fell in with the plan.

Tony took Tom and Hannah in Columbus while the others piled into Pru's jeep agreeing to meet at the coffee shop. As Pru drove along, McGee suddenly said,

"Hey, this is where we met Tony the other day."

Pru obligingly slowed down, "Oh," she said innocently, "the school sign has been put back up."

The others remembered that Tony had said it was down for repainting. Pru seemed to want them to admire the paintwork so they obligingly leant forward to read, 'Wood Lake High School' and underneath the school name 'Principal Anthony DiNozzo.' Pru smiled smugly and carried on driving.

Tony was waiting for them at the coffee shop.

"I ordered for you," he said, "they do toffee donuts here. I got us some. What's the matter?"

"You're the school principal," said McGee.

"Yes, I know," said Tony.

"They didn't," said Pru.

"You dig ditches," said Tim.

"And drive the bus," said Ellie.

"Not all the time," protested Tony.

"And you went and cleaned windows," said Tim.

"No, I didn't. There was a problem with the contract. I went and sorted it out. I never said I cleaned the windows. Though I would if I had to."

"Pru said that Ike took advantage of you," said Ellie.

"It was a joke," said Tony.

"No," said Pru, "he does take advantage of you."

"No, he doesn't," said Tony firmly, "or not much. It's good for people to see that I'll muck in. That I'll do what's needed."

"I can't believe you're the principal," said Tim in a voice which bordered on being a wail.

"What did you think I did there?" asked Tony.

"We thought perhaps you were the school handyman," said Tim, "doing lots of odd jobs."

"Oh," said Tony as he thought over what had happened the first days of the MCRT's visit.

"How did you get to be principal?" asked McGee.

"I've only just become principal," said Tony, "I was the deputy for two years then I got the job this semester."

"I didn't know you were a teacher," said Ellie.

"I wasn't," said Tony, "but my phys-ed degree had a teaching element to it. And I did a masters in educational psychology." He looked at Tim. "You must have known that I had a masters. Can't be senior field agent without one. When I left NCIS I didn't think I'd get another job in law enforcement so I thought about teaching. I did the extra work to get my teacher's certificate while I did some sports coaching. Started teaching piano as well."

"What did you teach at school?" asked Gibbs.

"Some sports, of course. But I qualified in English and Spanish. Did some of each."

"I can't believe it," said McGee, "you're all grown up."

"Have a donut, Probie," said Tony, "you look as if you need it. Gibbs, those rules?"

"What about them?"

"Isn't there one about 'never assume'?"

"Yes."

"I think Tim just broke it!"

AN: Congratulations to angelscatie for being the first one to guess that Tony was the school principal.

Thank you to everyone who came along for the ride. I've put the characters back in their box but I'm keeping hold of Pru, Tom and Hannah.

It was fascinating to read all the speculation about what Tony and Pru might be up to – I think it shows that you've all got better imaginations than me!