Epilogue

Tony walked by the open door of the bathroom as he made his way downstairs for breakfast the next morning. What he saw there stopped him in his tracks. He caught Gibbs' gaze in the reflection. "You shaved!" he blurted out.

"Every morning for years," Gibbs said dryly, rinsing his razor off in the running water and moving to another section of his face.

"No, I mean your mustache. It's gone!"

Gibbs stopped shaving and looked at Tony. "You got a problem with that, DiNozzo?"

Tony shook his head adamantly as he backtracked out of the bathroom. "No, Boss. No problem. Looking good!" He hustled down the stairs, leaving a smiling Gibbs behind.

They were back to 'Boss' again. His grin grew. Looking good, indeed.

~0~

It was only a few minutes later that Gibbs made his own way downstairs. He could hear DiNozzo talking quietly in the other room, and followed the sound of the voice, gratified to see the young man already seated at the kitchen table. The smell of coffee permeated the air.

"Yeah, you too. I'll talk to you later." Tony said in closing. He flipped the phone shut as Gibbs walked into the kitchen.

"That her? Your girlfriend?" the silver-haired man asked amiably enough, heading for the coffee maker.

"Yeah. Jeanne."

"French? Pretty name. She's a doctor, right?"

Tony's eyes narrowed in disbelief. "How did you know that?" Gibbs' investigative skills were legendary bordering on supernatural, but Tony was still amazed.

"Something you said back at the Lawrence place." Gibbs grabbed a mug out of the cabinet and poured himself a cup of coffee. "So, am I going to get to meet her?" he asked, blowing the steam off the brew.

Tony looked immediately uncomfortable. "It's . . . complicated."

Gibbs merely raised an eyebrow in question.

Tony debated how much he could reveal without going against the orders of the Director regarding his undercover assignment. He'd give anything to be able to talk to Gibbs about it, get the older man's advice over something that he was beginning to feel was over his head, but he knew he had to hold off for now. "She doesn't exactly know what I do for a living. Not sure how she'd handle being involved with an agent. Of course, the scar from this bullet wound is going to be a bit hard to explain."

Gibbs smirked. "Maybe she won't notice."

Tony rolled his eyes. "She's a doctor, Gibbs. She'll notice."

Gibbs nodded sagely. "I'm sure you'll think of something." He walked over to the table, coming to stand next to where DiNozzo was seated, and he put down his mug. "Look, Tony, if you want my advice, you should come clean with her. If she's the right one for you, it won't matter what you do for a living."

The earnest words caused a bleak expression to cloud Tony's face, and he said nothing.

Gibbs frowned, taking note of the stiff shoulders of his agent. Something was off here, and he made a vow to get to the bottom of it. For now, though, he would make the only offer he could. "You know, I'm here," he said somewhat awkwardly. "If you ever want to talk."

Tony looked at him uncertainly, searching his face, before breaking into a smile. "Thanks, Boss, but I'm not sure taking relationship advice from a guy who's got three ex-wives is really the best . . ."

The head-slap came out of nowhere, comfortable in its familiarity and all the more appreciated for its absence. As soon as it was done, the fingers lingered, giving a gentle rub on the back of Tony's head that neither man commented on.

"Shutting up, Boss."

"Good." Gibbs pulled out the chair next to him and sat down, reaching for the newspaper. He could feel Tony continue to study him, and he looked up questioningly.

"You're here, huh?" Tony asked quietly as he repeated Gibbs' words of a moment ago.

Gibbs knew what was being asked. Knew this was more than just DiNozzo wanting to know if he'd be around to chat about his love life. He knew that the younger man wanted confirmation that Gibbs was around to stay. That he'd be there for the long haul, watching DiNozzo's six, sharing his wisdom with the younger man, smacking his head and leading the way for the years to come. That Gibbs would still be around long after others had left. That Gibbs would be there whenever DiNozzo needed him. No matter when, no matter where.

There was only one answer to that question. Gibbs looked him directly in the eye, and nodded.

"Always, Tony. Always."

~0~

A/N: I totally have bittersweet feelings about ending this story! It's been such a great ride, and I owe a HUGE thank you to all of you who reviewed so faithfully - this story was completed for you. And it is dedicated to AZGirl - who gifted me with the plot bunny so long ago, and then joined me halfway through with her wonderful talent as a beta. Her encouragement and suggestions made this a much better story.

And then she went and did it again - barely had I typed the last word on the epilogue when she made a suggestion for a follow-up that is currently ruminating in my brain, surrounding the episodes Angel of Death, Bury Your Dead, and Family. It seems there are still some emotional rows left for me to hoe between these two guys. I plan to return to my previous policy of not posting anything until it's finished, so don't worry if you don't hear from me for a bit. :)

Thank you again - your response is overwhelming - you guys are awesome!