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Thank you to my very patient readers. I finished this story at your incentive and effort! :)

Chapter 16

There were a few things in life that Tony would take to his grave. This was one of them. And for some inexplicable reason it was fitting. Tought, not one member of his team would agreed to it, what was probably a good thing he had sneaked out of the hospital without telling anyone.

Gibbs had just left for his PT session escorted by Ducky when he read the news on the paper that someone had left over his bed. It was no bigger then a foot note, but the moment he read it he knew had to be done. He also knew that no amount of threatening, bribing or whining would help him get it done.

So he left a small note telling Gibbs he left for an important appointment and found the hospital's closest way out. Once on the streets, it only took him a phone call to get a ride to his current location and some time to find the exact spot. He was, out of breath, out of his mind and in a soon to be world of trouble with Gibbs, but he was facing the Atwood's grave site.

Explaining what he was doing would be a problem sice he had no idea why he needed to be here. He supposed he needed some sort of closure and his team members – with all their fussing - couldn't provide him that. Their perspective was different. Hell... he had no perspective of things. At least, not this time...

He shivered remembering his last conscious thoughts before the drug Mrs. Atwood injected him knocked him out for good. He had searched Mrs. Atwood's face for any reason that could justify that sort of behaviour while his body went numb. There was no wy he could ever forget that moment, his nightmares would never allow him to forget the woman's glassed eyes looking at him, telling him that they would be a family now and that no one would tear them apart.

Apart from that, he had no recollection from the time he was under the Atwood's "care", which disturbed him in more ways that he could count. He had sleptduring the whole affair, only to wake up in a hospital bed, alongside a grouching and recovering Gibbs.

"It figures... only a psico would want me as a son..." His self-deprecating thought reached a stunning halt with a rapid series of head slaps raining on his head.

"What. The Hell. were you thinking, Dinozzo??? Do you have any idea what this little escaped of your caused? I had to stop Abby from calling Fornell again!" He yelled while he moved to stand in front of the younger man to better access his physical and – more important – mental condition. He had noticed how Tony seamed less talkative since he was told what had happened since his kidnapping until his rescue by Gibbs. His mood only got worse when he was told that Robert Atwood had sacrificed his life revealing his location and how Gibbs got shot in shoulder.

He had waited for Tony to open up on the subject, but it got him nothing. Not even Abby managed to get him out of "dark place" as the Goth called it. He would probably waited a little longer if he hadn't hear what the young italian said about himself. That sort of thing called for action! "I want straight answers Dinozzo!"

"Boss, I... I don't know... I..." Tony stammered, a multitude of thoughts crossing his mind.

Gibbs gentled down his tone "What you don't know Tony?"

"Why? He lost his life and..." a single tear slipped unnoticed by him "It was a nice family, boss... I... why my father... Why wouldn't he..."

Gibbs saved him from keep going by getting his hand on Tony's neck and pulling him closer. He hugged the younger man he loved like a son. "I don't have any answers on your father Tony, but you get this straight: they were not your family, they never were... We got you first, get it?"

Tony lifted his head to look Gibbs in his eyes, he needed this, to understand that he hadn't lost something he thought he never had. He took a long breath an nodded his head "Got it, boss."

"Good! Now, you are on your own." Gibbs declared while stepping out a little.

Stunned, Tony looked over to see a NCIS' car come to a screeching halt in front of the cemetery and his team members leaving the vehicle looking extremely pissed at him. He could already feel his ears warming up to Ducky and Abby's lectures while Ziva and McGee looked like they would never leave him ou of sight. "Boss..." he whined

"Your mess Tony. You clean it out. Besides, don't think they're your only concerns... You still need to make it up to me and Director Shepard..." Gibbs announced already hearing Ducky and Abby outrageous expressions.

At seeing his family little get together, a smirked blossom on Gibbs' face. 'Yup, no normal family could handle our Tony..."

The end