Glad you all enjoyed the last chapter, sorry if I didn't get time to reply to all of your reviews for 'thank yous', I used to be really pretty good about that until I RAN OUT OF TIME CAUSE I HAD TO ACTUALLY WORK! BLAH! Anyways, hope you enjoy this one, too and thanks as always for reviewing, favoriting and following! Not beta'd, all boo boos are mine.

Gibbs had said nothing to his extended 'family about the systematic cruelty inflicted on Tony by Colonel Hollis Mann when he came into work Monday morning, but they could tell by his demeanor that something was seriously off with him, and he knew it wouldn't be two minutes before one of them jumped to the conclusion that something was wrong with Tony for him to be that gruff and impatient without an actual case going. He didn't mind them knowing really, it was bound to come out sooner rather than later, and his pride had long ago been replaced by anger and incredulity at not only what adults could do to children, but that his famous gut had failed him regarding his most precious asset – his son.

Truth was, he was waiting until the eleventh hour to tell them, hopefully giving the Colonel a head start to escape the howling mob. It wasn't that he didn't believe she deserved it – he wasn't sure what he himself would do when he confronted the Colonel – it was just that he was honestly afraid of what they would do to her, and he wasn't sure he could handle the lawyers and complex legal issues that would ensue after bailing one or all of them out of jail.

He lost all hope when he looked up from his desktop to see the howling mob already gathered and waiting.

"When were you going to tell us, Gibbs?" Kate demanded, arms crossed and eyes hard on him.

"I just found out myself yesterday."

"Like, twenty four hours ago yesterday?" Abby sassed in.

"Let me guess. Uncle Toby told you."

"The Godfather knows better than to hide things from us!"

"Abby, I wasn't hiding anything, I just hadn't gotten a chance to talk to you guys. Besides, it' between the Colonel and me."

As soon as it was out of his mouth, Gibbs knew he had stuck his boot in it.

"I beg your pardon, Jethro." came Ducky's outraged voice from beside Kate. " I needn't tell you that after three and one half years of taking an active role in that boy's upbringing that anything concerning him being mistreated is between all of us!"

"Yes!" Abby piped up. "What he just said!"

"Unless you're actually defending the bih -" Kate added.

"Kate, that's enough! I'm not going to discuss this here in the bullpen, it may be between all of us, but it's not between us and the entire floor!"

"You're quite right, Jethro. Perhaps dinner at my place after work is in order. Mother is off on a jaunt to Myrtle Beach with the Senior Center. We'll have the place to ourselves."

"Fine, whatever. But don't any of you think that just because I've been dating her I'm not gonna call her big time on this. Gee-zus, he's my -"

Gibbs had to stop and collect himself after thinking about his son's tears and fears, and they all took a figurative, if not literal, step back at seeing him lose it.

"I'm not gonna see her anymore." he told them quietly. "But you let me handle it with her, if anyone's gonna go off half-cocked on her it's gonna be me! Can't afford to bail any of you guys out on attempted murder charges."

"Well actually, Boss," McGee finally joined in, "we probably wouldn't get the luxury of bail if we -"

Gibbs narrowed his eyes at him. "Never mind. We'll let you handle it like you say. But if you need an alibi, we -"

"McGee..." Gibbs' voice was a warning.

The concerned uncle did and about face and went back to his desk, satisfied that his boss would make the woman who hurt his surrogate nephew pay. Gibbs hid a smirk behind his computer screen, appreciating the young agent's line of thinking, then looked back up at the others.

"Back to work, everybody. I already talked to Holl- to Colonel Mann, we're meeting for lunch, so I may be a little late getting back."

The rest of the angry mob in front of his desk broke up and went on their way, but not without scowls and growls and sotto voce mumbles from Kate and Abby. Gibbs was just as glad he couldn't hear what they were saying, he didn't want to know anything about it. He couldn't blame them, and was secretly extremely touched that they were all ready to throw caution to to the wind to defend his boy, but it had been this way with them all since the day they had found Tony abandoned at the DiNozzo estate. Still, he vowed to never take it for granted, and it tempered his need to put his fist through the nearest wall when he thought about the kid being convinced he would be shipped off to military school for the slightest infraction. Who knew what memories it stirred up in the boy's head concerning DiNozzo, Senior and his penchant for taking his volatile temper out on his own year old son.

Well, first things first, he needed to end his ill-fated run with Hollis Mann and now, and then he would have some quiet talks with Tony about all that was going through his head. If he needed to call on Fornell or Ducky to make Tony more comfortable talking, then so be it, but talk they would, until he knew his boy understood exactly where his place was in the hearts of his father and surrogate family members. After that, he would be very, very careful about who he let into their lives and what they were planning.

He rubbed his forehead, already half wrung-out from his confrontation with 'the mob', and knowing that he had another three hours before he could meet with his soon-to-be former favorite date. He had tried to arrange an earlier time, meeting for breakfast, but her schedule wouldn't allow the last-minute change of plans, so he was forced to wait for lunchtime, agitated and worried about what his team might be plotting in a bid to end her.

He wasted no time heading out as soon as eleven forty five finally rolled around, his body still vibrating with all that he wanted to do to her but couldn't, legally, anyways. He had chosen the park, a frequent meeting spot for them, hoping their voices couldn't be heard by strangers because he knew his would be getting carried away. She sat waiting for him on the blanket she usually brought for their quick lunch picnics, and when she saw him approaching, she grinned and stood up to greet him with a hug. Feeling his stiff body language, she backed off, looking him up and down to see if he had been injured in some way.

"Stop a speeding car with your body, Jethro?" she joked, waiting for his wry half-smile. She got none, not even a smirk, and she frowned now, reaching out to take his wrist in her hand. He flinched as if she was fire, and she suddenly saw the strange look in his eyes. He was angry about something, angrier than she had ever seen him about anything.

"Jethro, what is it? You're scaring me!"

He wanted to say, "Good, how does it feel?" but he knew that her fear and his son's fear were totally universes apart.

"Let's go sit, we need to talk."

She headed back to the blanket but he steered her away.

"No, over there in the gazebo. Bring your shit with you, we're not coming back to it."

Ohhh, he was plenty mad, and she had no idea who had made him that way, but she was really glad that it wasn't her.

She grabbed up the blanket and make-shift picnic bag, and followed, having to trot to catch up with his furious strides. Once they got into the privacy of the screened gazebo, he turned on her, his face a mask of emotions she had never seen on him wear all at one time. Hot fury, betrayal, loss, layered on top of something else she couldn't read. It made no sense, and she couldn't imagine what was happening with him. He wasn't drunk, she knew he never drank on the job – something, or someone had sent him off the deep end. One of his team screwed had screwed up, perhaps, or gotten injured in some way. She hoped she could calm him, coax him out of it, it wasn't something she ever wanted to see on him again.

"I want you to tell me that you didn't emotionally and physically abuse my son, but I know it's the truth, and if you tell me you didn't, it'll just be a lie."

"Jethro, what – how could you say such a thing, I would never hurt Tony!"

"Just what the hell do you consider 'hurting' him, Hollis? You don't call pinching him black and blue hurting him? Or threatening to send him to military school?"

The remaining color drained from her face, and she swallowed hard.

"Yeah. That's just what I thought."

"I just wanted him to behave, Jethro, he's such a handful, and -"

"A handful? Singing and yabbering and running around is a handful? Just what do you consider well behaved? Unconscious? No, don't tell me, goose stepping parade drills at RIMA, standing at parade rest the rest of the time. Why didn't you just tell me he wasn't in your comfort zone?"

"You would have – dumped me. And I really, really like you, Jethro. Please, we can still work this out, there has to be a solution!"

"You're right, there is. We don't see each other anymore. And I would suggest you make yourself scarce around these parts as the rest of Bubba's family knows what you did."

"Hohnn, God.." she cursed, almost a whine. She had spent enough time around those besotted team members and Ducky to know that that she would be on the business end of their wrath, and all of them were capable in their own way of bringing her to ruin.

"I wish things had been different, Hollis, I really...I liked you too, could've maybe even – found myself getting serious with you, but no one hurts my baby and then gets near him again. I'm cutting you some slack cause you're a woman, and I know that you were born and raised in a military family and you didn't behave the way Tony does, that to you he's – annoying at the least, and on the road to juvenile detention at the worst. And because part of this is my fault, for not making sure exactly how you felt about having him around. But I swear to God if I ever find out you terrorized another kid like you did my boy I will turn every one of my team and Ducky loose on you, and I guarantee you won't know what the hell hit you or where it came from. And by the way, Tobias Fornell was the one that got Tony to tell him what was going on. You know he's the Godfather, and he told me in no uncertain terms that if I didn't deal with this situation and send you packing, he was going to sic Trent Kort on you. And he sure as hell wasn't kidding about it. Hell, Uncle Tim had plans to hack into your file and get you sent to Yemen. And you know the guy can do that in about three minutes. As for Abby and Kate? I bet you my next alimony payment they're still down in Abby's lab coming up with ways to quietly end you with no evidence. Am I making myself clear, Colonel? This didn't have to end this way, but you took things into your own hands, and you hurt my boy, and that makes more than just myself your enemy. You're a smart woman, Holl. Not sure why you couldn't see the consequences of your actions when you started your torture program. Go on. Go back to work. We're done. Don't come by, don't call, don't email. Just don't. Buy a clue and find a guy who doesn't have kids next time around."

"I'm sorry, Jethro." she whispered, barely audible.

"That's too bad, Colonel. I wish you could be as sorry as I am for putting Tony through what you did to him. It's gonna take a long time to get him to trust again, and he was just getting back to where he did.

Hopefully he can bounce back and forget what you put him through. I won't, though. Ever. Bye, Colonel."

He turned and walked away from her, not interested in the anguished look on her face or the tears in her eyes. She probably truly was regretful of what she had done, but it made no difference now, the damage was done, too all of them, and they all had to move on. He didn't really care now where or what she moved on to, he had Daddy work to do, and he didn't have time to look back and pine away for something that couldn't ever be. Walking back to the Navy Yard, he saw a familiar face behind a newspaper, its body sitting on a bench near Gibbs' 'caffeine dealer'.

"Mr. Kort. How's it going?"

"It's going well if what I think just happened actually happened."

"It did. You can tell the Godfather you still owe him that marker." He reached for his wallet and made to pay for two cups of coffee, but Kort stilled his hand.

"Here, let me. A little something for doing what must have been pretty difficult."

"Easy as pie, Kort. She hurt my baby. You know what happened to the last people that did that."

Kort smiled and nodded.

"DiNozzo Senior and Ari Haswari. Shot full of holes and six feet under. Good call, by the way."

"Yeah. I sleep very well at night with them not breathing anymore." He handed the second cup of coffee to Kort. "For the Godfather. Tell him dinner's at Ducky's, eighteen thirty, and to not be late."

Kort took the cup and gave the lead agent a half-assed two fingered salute and disappeared into the lunch crowd on the sidewalk, and Gibbs headed back to the bullpen, a small part of his heart a bit heavy from the loss of a woman he thought he knew, but the rest of it lighter now that he could tell Tony it was time to laugh and sing and whistle again.

TBC..epilogue at Ducky's place.