Despite Joyce's promises that Anthony would lose custody he managed to do some smooth talking to regain full custody of Tony though other than visits Tony wouldn't have to go home until the summer time. Tony didn't want that as he finally felt secure with the Gibbs family though he knew they weren't interested in adopting him. Anthony visited him twice a week planning to keep Tony over Thanksgiving.

"Anthony..." Shannon had gone with Tony to the main gate on base to carry a pie and things he would need for the weekend. "You're Tony's dad?"

"Yes, he's Anthony DiNozzo Junior … you didn't know?"

"You always said you would never leave New York so I assumed it was a different Anthony. How are your parents?"

"Mother passed away 4 years ago and Father's fine as feisty as ever. He's still in New York still trying to take charge of thing. How are your parents?"

"They are well, they're arriving later for Thanksgiving along with my father in law. I came t o bring Tony's things and a pie for tomorrow. My daughter and I baked yesterday and decided to share them."

"Thank you it looks delicious. I didn't realize Junior would have so many things."

"He's got something nice for Thanksgiving and then a few things for the other days. He has our number to call if he needs anything else or you have any questions."

"Here's the number to the Marriott I have us a few rooms and they have a wonderful thanksgiving meal there. I can't cook and I don't want to poison Junior.. My girlfriend and her sons will also be joining us."

"Why don't all of you come here?" Shannon couldn't believe she was inviting Anthony to join them. "Bring your girlfriend and her kids. It won't be as fancy but there will be plenty of food and you know my parents."

"Can I get back to you on that? I want to run it by Ceya and it's just two kids other than Junior."

"Of course and we eat at 3." Anthony seemed upset when they left.

"Is something wrong?"

"No but we have to go deal with a few things. I'm about to lose our home here Junior and may have to return to New York. I can't keep up the payments and everything of two homes."

"When will I see you again?

"Not until maybe they can send you out for Spring Break? I don't even have money for the Marriott but I didn't want to feel sorry for us … for you. We only have this weekend to get our things from the house or Monday it goes up for sale." Tony didn't say much but wondered why Anthony wanted him if he couldn't take care of him.

"Where are we going to stay?"

"At the house and whatever you can't take with you back to base we'll try to ship to New York." Tony knew it meant whatever he couldn't take with him he wouldn't keep.

"Don't look so down Junior. We have a good pie for dinner and we'll save some for breakfast and then we'll be set until dinner."

"We have no groceries?"

"Junior, Wanda cleaned out my bank account and yours. I have no money, father's sending me money to get back to New York but I can't take you for now. I hope to get back on my feet and be able to send for you this summer."

"Then why pick me up this weekend? What if you weren't invited to to eat?"

"I would've taken you back tonight with excuses and stayed alone this weekend. I just wanted the chance to let you pack up your things. I can take care of you I just need some time Junior."

"And if you don't or he won't let you by the summer time?"

"I don't know. You can call that family when we get to the house and we'll say we decided to stay home this weekend."

"Let's go to the grocery store. I have some money so we can have something other than pie to eat." Tony had checked his bank account that morning to do some shopping that weekend. Shannon and Gibbs knew he had a bank account but they said he wasn't to use it with them. At the store Anthony looks at Tony.

"Where did you get money?"

"Mrs. Briggs helped me set up a second account attached to the first one but more money gets put into it from the trust. If your friend and her kids are coming then we need something other than pie to have."

"And a few associates might stop by as well." Tony knew what that meant.

"We can get whatever you need." Anthony started drinking before they left the parking lot to go home but Tony didn't say anything knowing Anthony got violent when he was drinking. Later Tony left his room where he was packing his things he wanted to keep to find something to drink when he heard Anthony talking to some man.

"We can hire you on at Wenchell's but it includes traveling and you can't take Junior with you. We can advance you the money for boarding school or a nanny but if you do well at sales it won't take you a long time to earn that money."

"Nah, he's got a foster family. I only have him this weekend because they didn't want hi for Thanksgiving. He's only been there a month and they're already tired of him. Perhaps when he's done I'll have the money made to send him off to school without borrowing it."

"That sounds like a great idea. Why don't we go back to the hotel and work out the details?" They leave without a word to Tony who felt his stomach hurting by what Anthony said. He knew Anthony wanted to make money but he knew the Gibbs didn't want him away for Thanksgiving. Going to the fridge Tony discovered there wasn't any good. He didn't stay with Anthony who was buying alcohol so he didn't realize no food was bought. He went to the phone to call for a pizza and found it was disconnected.

"Well hell." Going to the door Tony found it was locked with a key from the outside and he couldn't get out. Tony put on the TV in his room hoping Anthony would be back soon and that nothing would happen. He was determined when they got back to base he wouldn't return with Anthony for any reason even if he had to stay in the system. By the next day Shannon, Gibbs and Kelly told Shannon's parents and Gibbs' dad all about Tony and how they were coming for Thanksgiving.

"This will be interesting to see what he looks like all these years later. I heard he was disinherited from his family because of drinking and gambling."

"I don't know he looked well dressed and they were going to stay at the Marriott.

"We'll see could just be a front." Shannon knew why Joann and Mac didn't believe it but she hoped for Tony's sake they were wrong. The next day they hold off dinner until 4 but don't hear anything from Anthony or Tony.

"Something must've come up with the girlfriend. I'm sure they're fine." Gibbs didn't think so but he knew he couldn't cause suspicion without proof.

"I'm sure, you're right." When they still hadn't heard anything by Sunday afternoon Gibbs calls the Marriott.

"I'm sorry sir, but there isn't an Anthony DiNozzo registered at our hotel. I'm looking at records for the 5 closest hotels and we have no one under that name." Gibbs hangs up the phone in anger.

"Nothing?"

"Not in any of the closet hotels either."

"Can we do anything?"

"Look up his number and check out that everything's okay. He does have the right to keep Tony they just didn't want to move him suddenly but maybe that wasn't good enough for him." Shannon nods,

"I just hope Tony's okay." They searched for Anthony's number finding it was disconnected and had to wait until Wednesday to talk to Joyce who hadn't had time to return their calls though Anthony DiNozzo was all over the news by then.

"Where's Tony? We heard his father was in a car accident but nothing was said about Tony."

"He's not with you?"

"No, his dad picked him up Wednesday like planned, didn't show up all weekend and now he's on the news. You don't know where he is?'

"I've heard about Anthony but we thought you kept Tony since it happened last Wednesday and he was drunk plus there was no sign of Tony. This isn't good."

"What's going on?"

"Anthony DiNozzo crashed his car into a lake and there was windshield damage but we thought something may have hit the windshield causing the crash. I think we're going to have to go back out there and look around."

"Anthony hasn't said where he is?"

"Anthony is in a coma and likely won't make it." Shannon collapsed on the floor and Gibbs and Joyce rush to her. "What's wrong Shannon? We're going to search for Tony and..." Gibbs sighs,

"She knows his father from when she was a teenager." Joyce sighs,

"If I had known then Tony..."

"I didn't know until I saw him Wednesday. When I was a teen I wanted to travel, see the world and I was in love with him. He swore to never leave New York so I thought … it was a coincidence."

"Well we'll look for Tony and then things will be changed. Anthony has no chance of getting him back now and..."

"We want him." Shannon and Joyce look at Gibbs. "He's family and if he's not going back with his father then he needs a good home. We can give that to him. He doesn't need to start over in a new home and hope for the best Joyce but only if he wants to stay with us."

"When we find him I'll make sure to ask and do what I can for you to stick together. I have to go but I'll be in contact."

"You really want him to be our family?" Gibbs nods,

"You don't?"

"I do but I didn't think you would agree to it after Anthony..."

"He's not your father and it feels right to have him here. Right now we just have to make surer he's okay and brought home." During the week that follows Tony hid from everyone thinking he would be in trouble for getting locked inside the hose. He explored his dad's room looking for a spare key or anything of interest. He took the camp locker he had and packed it with things he didn't want to leave and filled his suitcase and backpack with things he would not leave. When someone banged on the door Tony hid so they wouldn't see him and tried to eat as little as possible but still ran out of food leaving him starving by Wednesday when near nightfall he heard a lot of loud trucks coming down the street and watched as they pull up to the house and some into the yard. Seeing cop cars Tony ran downstairs and opened the door as they were trying to open the security gate.

"Wow you can do that?" The men froze staring at him.

"Are you Tony DiNozzo?"

"Yeah, who are you?"

"I'm Officer Billingsley. Can you unlock the door?"

"MY dad left last week and locked me inside. Can you really open the door with that thing?"

"I think we can sure try. Stand back and we'll get you out in a minute." When the door was finally opened Joyce was there hugging him.

"Tony, we've been so worried. Are you okay?"

"No I'm hungry. Dad left last Wednesday to go to a meeting and hasn't come home. I think he forgot about me. Why are all the policemen here?"

"To search the home. Your dad was in a car accident and it's bad Tony. They don't think he's going to make it."

"Can I go see him?"

"We'll go by the hospital to get you checked out and then stop by his room. I'll call Shannon and Jethro to tell them the good news that we found you and that you're safe."

"What's going to happen to me now?"

"They want you to live with them now and even filed for custody." Tony thinks about this and goes to get the bags he doesn't want to leave behind.

"If there anything else? You won't be coming back here so whatever you want to keep we need to take now." They found two boxes of things Tony wanted in addition to his trunk and bags. "Are you sure that's everything?"

"I didn't want to come back here so I go what I wanted together so I wouldn't leave anything behind." The cops helped Joyce load the stuff Tony wanted to keep into her car where it took up the backseat and trunk and then they left. "Do Shannon and Gibbs really want me?"

"They do. Finding a little girl to adopt hasn't been easy for them so they said they would try a boy. They both grew up as only children and didn't want the same for Kelly. When you were going into the system again I thought you four would be a good match. You're not too old where you think you know everything but you're not so young that you need lots of help and attention though I hear you're not settling in at the base."

"I didn't think I would stay so I didn't want to get comfortable. Then learning my dad was getting custody again..."

"Yeah well right now even if he survives he's not getting you back. A judge may allow him to visit with you but we'll just have to wait and see." After eating and then being questioned about the last week Joyce went to call Gibbs and Shannon to find out they weren't home.

"You're trying to call us Joyce?" Joyce saw Gibbs watching her.

"Yes, I didn't know you were here. Your dad just said you weren't home."

"They're taking Anthony off the machines and Shannon didn't want him to die alone. I didn't want her driving so we came. I just couldn't be in the same room so I've been walking around."

"I understand and..." Joyce stops. "Come with me." Gibbs follows her to where Tony was waiting for someone to pick him up.

"Gibbs, that was quick." Joyce grabs a wheel chair.

"Let's go to ICU,. They're taking your father off life support today." Tony got in the wheelchair and Gibbs pushes it quickly so Joyce has to almost run to keep up with it." There they find Shannon crying in the waiting room and they think they're too late.

"Shannon, are you okay?"

"He woke up this morning and they took the tubes you but he doesn't even remember Tony. The doctor's said we can't press him because of the accident but … the more time that passes ..." Joyce and Gibbs realize Shannon's not crying over Anthony but not finding Tony.

"I'm sure he'll show up soon Shan."

"We've been saying that since Friday. That's what you and my parents have been saying since they didn't come to Thanksgiving dinner. If he's okay why didn't he call or …?"

"The phone in his house was disconnected." Shannon's head shoots up to see Tony right there.

"Tony!" She rushes to him hugging him tight. "Are you okay? Where have you been? If the phone was disconnected why didn't you leave and call us?"

"He was locked into the house by accident. Anthony had security doors on his house and likely forgot Tony was there so he locked the doors behind him. We finally got a search warrant thinking we might find a body or something and instead Tony answered the door."

"I heard all those cars coming down the street and then into the yard so I wanted to know what they were doing."

"I was calling you to have you come down but Jackson said you weren't home and Jethro found me. He said they were turning off the machines so we rushed here."

"Thank God, are you okay Tony?"

"I'm hungry but Mrs. Briggs said we could get pizza." Gibbs smiles

"We'll get you whatever you want Tony." Tony went to the back to see Anthony and found him sitting up in bed.

"Hi are you lost?"

"No, I came to see you. You don't remember me?" Anthony shakes his head.

"Should I?" Tony tries to smiles,

"It doesn't matter. It's good to see you."

"Thank you." Anthony stretches and yawns. "Sorry but I'm tired. I don't know why they said I was in a coma for a week."

"I should go.."

"You didn't tell me your name?"

"Its Junior," Anthony nods,

"That's a nice name. Well it was nice to meet you Junior and thanks for visiting." Tony leaves and goes back to the waiting room.

"How did it go? Does he remember you?"

"No, I thought maybe he was faking it but he doesn't remember. I didn't tell him who I was just that my name was Junior and he said that was a nice name." Gibbs hugs him.

"Well you have a home with us Tony and give him time. He was the passenger and he has a big head injury from hitting eh windshield. Right now let's stop for pizza and get you home. I already called the house and told them not to bother with dinner we would be bringing pizza home."

"Do they know I'm coming?"

"No I didn't want them to tell Kelly. I think she should be a surprise. She'll be happy to see you." Gibbs put Tony's things in the back of the truck and Joyce promised to visit that weekend if nothing else happened. Gibbs noticed Tony let Shannon hug and fuss over him more while they were waiting for the pizza and wings and again on the way home and didn't squirm like usual and hope he would be okay.

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