A/N: Okay this has been eating at me for a while so I'm going to start writing it. I hope you enjoy it!

Warnings: swearing and child abuse

When Tony gets drunk, most of his defenses fall. His masks are barely, if at all, there. Nobody on his team has ever seen him drunk enough to see the masks fall. And if they did, they wouldn't know what to think.

The only person on the team that knows about Tony's masks is Gibbs. Gibbs knows everything. Gibb's knew since they met that there was more to the younger man than a mega-watt grin and childish behavior.

Over the years Gibbs had picked up on subtle hints about the real Tony. When a case hit his senior field agent particularly hard – Tony will show up in Gibbs' basement and he'd see the somber looks on his face and the distant behavior. Gibbs could tell that he was seeing a small piece of the man behind the mask.

Considering all of this, it was extremely shocking for Gibbs to open his door one night and see his senior field agent completely wasted. He wasn't drunk anymore, he was wasted.

Earlier that day Gibbs' team had just solved a gruesome case. The victim was a ten year-old boy who was literally beaten to death. They had found him in his uncle's house (a marine). Their first thought was that the uncle was guilty, a completely logical theory. But Tony, he figured the father did something. They had heard that the father and the son didn't exactly get along but nobody really believed the father killed the boy.

Tony then proceeded to investigate the boy's medical files and found the boy was constantly in the hospital mainly for unexplained "accidents". They then spoke to the father and Gibbs eventually got a confession out of him.

Gibbs could tell that Tony was affected by this case but chose not to comment, knowing full well that he would probably show up in his basement this evening. But not drunk. Gibbs wouldn't have guessed drunk.

Gibbs knew the younger man never got drunk with the team and now he knew why. The man's emotions and thoughts were as clear as if they were written on his face. He was surprised at what he saw. Sadness. Anguish. Loneliness.

"Hey, Boss…sorry to bother you…" Tony slurred almost incomprehensively.

"Why are you drunk?" Gibbs couldn't resist asking the question that was plaguing his mind.

"I hate cases like this…" Tony muttered before entering Gibbs' house and sitting down on his couch.

Gibbs could easily tell what he meant. Cases where the family member committed the murder are always horrible. I mean, how could you do that to your child?

Gibbs sighed and walked over and sat down next to his senior field agent.

"Everyone does. But why are you drunk and at my place this time." Gibbs spoke slowly to allow his intoxicated agent to keep up with him.

"'Cuz…it brings back horrible memories…I just…need to forget." Tony looked away as he spoke, suddenly able to feel embarrassed at his words through his drunken haze.

Gibbs just stared at him, waiting for him to elaborate.

Tony sighed.

"I mean…it makes me remember my father and my shitty past…and I'd rather not have those memories brought back if I can avoid it…" Tony paused and took a deep breath before continuing. "I could tell. When I saw who the kid was living with, I knew. I could tell because…he was like me…Always left alone or with some random person, but not him. Not my father. The only time I saw him was a few days a week when he had some unreleased anger, you know? I was his personal voodoo doll." Tony let out a mirthless chuckle that made even Gibbs feel uncomfortable.

A/N: What do you think? Should I continue Should I change something? Suggestions? Constructive Criticism?

PLEASE review!