Tony's Nightmare

Gibbs walked into the bullpen and stopped dead in his tracks. What he saw broke his heart yet again. His Senior Field Agent was asleep with his head on his desk again. His clothes were different from what he wore yesterday, so apparently he had actually gone home at some point. The problem was that he was back this early. The whimpering drew Gibbs attention. Tony was caught in a nightmare. Placing his coffee on the boys desk, Gibbs gently ran his fingers through Tony's hair, hoping to wake him without frightening him.

"Tony, come on kiddo, wake up for me."

'M awake."

Gibbs smirked as Tony looked around, obviously confused. The kid had purple bags under his eyes, telling Gibbs he had not really slept in days. The paler of his skin said he wasn't eating right and his slow reaction times showed just how exhausted he was.

"Tony, what's wrong?"

"I'm fine. Sorry I fell asleep. Won't happen again."

With that Tony DiNozzo made his way to the men's room to freshen up. No one could see him like this. He had a reputation to uphold, after all.

Jethro Gibbs slapped the button and watched as the doors closed in front of him. He needed to talk to Ducky… right fucking now. Tony sometimes talked to the old M.E. when he was feeling particularly vulnerable, maybe he knew something about why Tony wasn't sleeping or going home.

"Jethro, what brings you down to my sanctuary?"

"Tony."

"What about young Anthony?"

"Something's wrong, Duck."

"You noticed it also it seems."

"Guess so. So what's wrong with him?"

"I assure you, I have no idea. Anthony tries to keep the nastier parts of his life hidden, I doubt anyone truly knows the lad. But you might try Abigail. Those two have become inseparable as of late."

"Thanks, Duck."

Abby had just taken the first slurp of morning Caf-Pow when the man she considered a second father waltzed into her lab demanding to know what was wrong with his Senior Field Agent.

"Take a chill pill, Bossman. We're close, like brother and sister close, or best friend close, or…"

"Abby!"

"Sorry. But I don't know what's bothering him. He said something about an old acquaintance dropping by the other day. He didn't sound thrilled about it either."

Gibbs kissed the Goth and muttered his thanks. He had to find out why his agent, the young man he considered a son, was afraid to stay home, and why, if something was wrong, the kid hadn't come to him for help.

Gibbs reentered the bullpen and found Tony going through cold case files. He thanked whatever higher power there was out there that they hadn't caught a case. With McGee and Kate both off with the flu, it was all Gibbs and Tony could do to hold the fort down. Tony didn't seem to notice that he was working himself into exhaustion, but everyone who saw him did. Gibbs had to hand it to the kid, he definitely acted like Tony. The boy could have been an award winning actor, but Gibbs saw through the act. He saw the fear and anger. He saw the insecurity lurking deep within the walls of Tony the Humorous. His moss green eyes always gave him away.

"DiNozzo!"

"Yeah, Boss?"

Gibbs watched as Tony immediately jumped up and made his way over the desk. Tony truly was amazing. He could argue until his tongue fell out, then turn right around and obey any order. Trust was the key to that. Gibbs had worked hard in the two years Tony had worked for him to gain the kid's trust. Eventually he had succeeded. Tony's inability to trust was the first clue that maybe his life wasn't peachy keen like he wanted everyone to believe.

"Why do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Come running like that."

"Um. You told me to."

"Go sit down Forrest."

"We don't have a case?"

"Nope."

As Tony made his way back to his desk, Gibbs noticed the pain lines around his eyes and mouth. This was too much. He had to do something. He couldn't let the kid keep suffering like this.