Look! At least it wasn't almost a year between updates. Thank you to all of you who welcomed me back with open arms. My oldest son is now settled in at WVU and the school year is under way for my younger sons. Needless to say, the past month has been very busy. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the update! Private replies coming asap.

Part 30

The team leader watched the nurses get Tony comfortable in his bed, silently considering what had transpired since the younger man's doctor appointment this morning. He had taken DiNozzo to Dr. Neal for his checkup and to inquire about when he could have surgery on his knee. The doctor had, as his former agent so eloquently put it, "poked and prodded the hell out of him." Dr. Neal then had made a phone call to an orthopedic surgeon, who had done his own examination and decided that Tony's knee needed to be repaired before any more time elapsed, especially if DiNozzo was going to make a full recovery.

Dr. Tyler Kemp had explained the procedure to him and Tony, informing them that he could do the surgery that afternoon. Gibbs had thought that Tony would be reluctant despite their conversation the previous night, but the former agent had readily agreed. Dr. Kemp stated that he would keep Tony for a couple of nights and would release him after a physical therapist worked with him and showed him some exercises. The doctor had suggested a nearby rehabilitation facility to aid in his recovery, but Tony had seemed hesitant about the idea. Gibbs had a feeling that DiNozzo was comparing the idea of being in the rehab center to being confined in prison and the Marine was aware of the face that he would have to make sure that there were other options such as out patient therapy.

"You just try and relax, Mr. DiNozzo," the older of the two nurses instructed. Gibbs saw that her name was Sally and she obviously knew how to put her patients at ease. "Dr. Kemp is the best in his field; you're in good hands."

Tony shrugged. "Just ready to get this over with."

Gibbs sensed that the dark haired man was leaving a lot unsaid. He never thought that he would admit to missing Tony's non stop rambling, but lately, he would give anything for a movie reference or two. The team leader watched Sally do a final check on Tony's vitals and leave. Studying the man before him, Gibbs couldn't decide what role he needed to play at the moment. Did Tony need a paternal figure? A friend? A boss? Hopefully somehow, Tony would let him know.

"Guess it's a good thing you didn't eat much for breakfast," Gibbs mused aloud.

"Yeah. I figured it would be a couple of weeks, but I'm glad it's not."

"Any particular reason you're so anxious to do this?"

"Just trying to get back on my feet."

Tony's answer was a bit too quick for Gibbs' liking. He was aware of the fact that Tony wanted to be out on his own; DiNozzo cherished his privacy and independence. However, Gibbs also knew that when the younger man was on his own, he would be able to start burying the pain of the past, effectively shutting out everyone who wanted to help him. The Marine recognized Tony's ploy because he had been guilty of doing the same thing several years ago, Sometimes it was easier to lock the hurt away and throw away the key.

"There's no rush," Gibbs reminded him. "You can take all the time you need." He hoped that Tony would understand that he wasn't just talking about the time he would need to heal physically, but emotionally as well.

Tony shook his head. "No, I can't. I've got to do something with my life besides hide behind your coat tail."

"No one thinks that you're hiding from anything."

"I do."

"What do you mean?" Gibbs pressed.

He schooled his features as Tony glared at him. DiNozzo's piercing gaze informed him that he had gone too far. "I don't need you to be my psychiatrist, Gibbs. Ducky and Abby have already tried and I told them the same thing I'm telling you. Whatever is going on in my head is off limits until I figure out what's going on."

"Wasn't trying to be you're shrink. Believe me, that's the last I would ever be. They're right up there with lawyers," Gibbs quipped.

A faint smile danced on the lips of the former agent. "Good point," Tony countered. "Speaking of Ducky, did you call him?"

Gibbs permitted Tony to change the subject; the agent didn't want to add to the stress he was currently experiencing. "Yeah, I called him. He was surprised that your surgery was set up so quickly, but he said he didn't blame you for going through with it. He also said he had heard of your doctor and that he was top notch."

"Everyone seems to have a high opinion of him. He doesn't beat around the bush and I like that."

Tony had hidden behind masks his whole life and Gibbs thought it was ironic that he preferred dealing with people who were straight forward. Of course, that was what made DiNozzo such a good investigator; he was such an expert at playing the fool that it put people at ease, allowing him to extract information without really trying. No one else on his team possessed this capability; it was definitely a skill that Tony had honed over the years.

DiNozzo lay his head back on his pillow and closed his eyes. Gibbs knew that Tony still wasn't able to get a lot of sleep; the dark circles under his eyes were proof enough of that. "Tired?"

"Always," Tony sighed.

Gibbs rose to his feet. "You rest then. I'm going to go get some coffee," he announced. "I'll be back in a few."

"You don't have to stay."

"I know I don't have to. How many times do I have to tell you, DiNozzo? It's what family does."

The fact that Tony flinched when he said family did not go unnoticed by the older man. Family was a concept that Tony had always had a difficult time comprehending. Gibbs didn't know much about his childhood except that his father was simply not interested in being a father. He had attempted to call Tony's father when he had almost died from the plague and had only been able to get in touch with his personal assistant. The man never called or came to see his only son who was fighting for his life and that didn't set well with Gibbs.

"Rest," the Marine repeated. "I've got your back."

Tony closed his eyes and Gibbs walked out into the hallway. He needed coffee desperately and the silver haired man hoped that somewhere in the hospital, he could find a decent cup of brew. His search would permit both him and Tony to gather their thoughts and prepare for the upcoming surgery. Gibbs hoped that this was indeed another step in the right direction for Tony; it was past time that things started going his way.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

He breathed a sigh of relief when Gibbs left him alone to go and get coffee. Tony was tired and talking with the Marine had only exacerbated the exhaustion that he was experiencing. Gibbs was only trying to help and the younger man knew that the team leader had his best interests in mind. The Marine had gone above and beyond to help him but there was only so much Gibbs could do; Tony was going to have to help himself. Thankfully, with this surgery, he would be taking a literal and figurative step in the right direction.

His thoughts were interrupted by Sally coming back in and glancing at his vitals. "Looking good, Mr. DiNozzo," she announced as she began to pull out an IV kit. "The doctor wants me to start your IV and give you something to help you relax before we take you down. Is that all right with you?"

"Uh, yeah. That's fine," he replied.

Tony forced himself to not flinch at the nurse's touch. It was irritating to him that he shied away from a woman's touch; the only hands that had hurt him during prison had been full of hate and agony and none of them had belonged to a lady. He clenched his eyes shut in order to avoid the images that plagued his dreams; the last thing he wanted now was for his memories to resurface.

"All done," she informed him. "You'll probably start feeling drowsy soon. I'll let Agent Gibbs know what's going on."

"Thank you."

He lay his head back on the pillow the nurse left his room. It was only a few seconds before he heard footsteps entering his room. He didn't have to look to know that his current visitor wasn't someone that he wanted to see; the familiar scent of the man's cologne mixed with a lingering hint of a cuban cigar betrayed the identity of the man entering his room. His eyes came to rest on his father, who was staring at him with the look of haughty derision that he had come to expect.

"What are you doing here, Dad?" he asked.

"I do believe you called me, Junior." Senior pointed out. "I told you that I wanted to see you."

"No," Tony countered. "You said that if I wanted any of your money, that we would have to meet. I don't believe that I agreed to those terms or to taking your money. So, once again, why are you here?"

Senior cleared his throat. "I was in the area and thought I'd drop by. Of course, you weren't at Gibbs' place, so I had to call one of your friends at NCIS to find out where you were."

He wondered which of his former coworkers would have told him where he was. There was no use blaming them because none of them were privy to his relationship with his father. Why did his father have to show up now? Ever since their conversation, part of Tony had expected his dad to make an appearance while the other part of him hoped that Senior would simply walk away like he had always done in the past. Of course, once again, fate was laughing at him. "I'm only going to ask you one more time, what do you want?" Tony demanded to know.

"I don't want anything. Like I said, I thought you wanted some of my money."

Tony shook his head. "Like I said, Dad-I've changed my mind. I embarrassed myself once by asking you for money in the first place; I'm not doing that again." He was truly beginning to feel the effects of the sedation the nurse had given him. Tony knew he had to get rid of his father before his mind became so muddled that he lost control over his thoughts and his tongue.

"I think you need to leave, Dad. I'm getting ready to have surgery. You don't need to be here."

Senior placed his coat over the back of the chair that Gibbs had been sitting in earlier. "Where else would I be?"

Staring at his father in disbelief, Tony almost found himself speechless. Almost. He could feel his heart rate increase and his blood pressure rise. Tony knew that he didn't need this aggravation and that it would only set him back, but his father always seemed to know exactly what buttons to push. "I've been in the hospital a lot of times in my life and you've never shown up before, so don't try and feed me a load of crap! You are unbelievable!"

Alarms began ringing as he continued his tirade; his adrenaline was consuming the earlier desire to sleep. "Do you have any idea how many times I've been close to death? Do you know how many times I've had to wake up in the hospital alone? Do you know how it feels..." Tony swallowed hard. He could no longer contain the pent up rage inside of him and his father was standing in the line of fire.

"Never mind," Tony growled. "You don't want to be here! You're here because you think there's something in it for you! Well, Dad, there's nothing in it for you because I don't have anything! Just in case you're wondering, I pretty much lost everything and depleted all my accounts this past year, so I really don't serve a purpose for you and whatever agenda you have at the moment. I asked for your help and it was a mistake! I don't need you! Just get the hell out of my room!"

Tony didn't feel the IV come out of his hand as he raked his hand through his hair in an attempt to calm himself. He tried blocking out the noise but the shrillness of the alarms was too much to bear. The hurting man cried out in frustration. "Get the f*** out!"

"Junior, I think you're over reacting," his father attempted to counter.

"I don't think he is."

Tony heard the unmistakable sound of Gibbs' voice fill the room as he was surrounded by Sally and several other nurses. He had never been so glad to have Gibbs come to his rescue; his father was a formidable man but Senior had nothing on the Marine. "Get him out!" Tony pleaded. "Just get him out."

He could hear his father protesting but it did not take long before the only sound in his room was the nurse softly encouraging him to relax. Tony forced his breathing to slow down as he met Sally's concerned gaze.

"I'm all right," he claimed, although it was obvious that he wasn't. The younger man's hands were still trembling and every muscle in his body was taut.

"Is that why your blood pressure is through the roof?" the nurse countered. "You've got to relax."

"This is pretty normal when my dad is around."

"Then maybe he should stay away."

Tony chuckled. "I have a feeling he won't be coming around much longer." He blew out a long breath. "Especially after Gibbs gets through with him."

Sally smiled as she examined his hand where the IV had been. "I"m going to have to replace that. I'm going to get the doctor and a new IV set up. You just relax; your blood pressure is still all over the place.

"Can I still have surgery?"

"We'll let the doctor decide. Hopefully, if you can calm down and relax, then we can proceed," she stated.

If the appearance of his father and his subsequent reaction ended up delaying his surgery, Tony wasn't sure what he would do. Why did it seem like his dad was hell bent on ruining all aspects of his life? Was he being dramatic? Probably. However, he couldn't deny that his dad had a knack of appearing out of nowhere, wreaking havoc in his life, and then disappearing until he wanted something again.

He closed his eyes, his mind wandering as he considered what was happening between Gibbs and Senior. Tony knew that Leroy Jethro Gibbs had his back in this situation. Actually, the team leader always had his back, Tony knew that he had just been too stubborn to admit it. He had never been one to allow others to fight his battles for him, but this time, he had made an exception. Tony could only imagine the conversation between his dad and Gibbs; this was one of those times that he wished he could be a fly on the wall.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Let go of me!"

Despite Senior's vocal demands, Gibbs had managed to escort him out of the hospital into the parking lot. A flash of his badge had disuaded well meaning security guards, who were alerted to the commotion, from taking any action. No one would be interferring in the discussion he was about to have with Tony's father; by the time he was done "talking," Anthony DiNozzo, Senior would think twice before ever hurting his son again.

Gibbs released the older man, who immediately began smoothing out the newly placed wrinkles in his suit jacket. "Just who the hell do you think you are?" Senior wanted to know.

"Gibbs."

It was amazing to the team leader how quickly Tony's dad managed to turn on the charm, forced as it was. "So, you're the infamous Leroy Jethro Gibbs. I can finally put a name with the face."

"Wish I could say the same."

Senior raised his hands in surrender. "Now, Gibbs, before you get too bent out of shape, Junior called me to ask for help. I was just visiting my..."

"Cut the crap. He didn't call you."

"Evidently you don't know Anthony as well as you thought," DiNozzo smirked. "He called me asking for money so he could get back on his feet. "

Gibbs should have considered the possibility that Tony would have called his father, but he supposed that he was hoping that the younger man would have asked him for help. He brushed aside his disappointment and glared at Senior. "Tony doesn't need your help. He's got friends who have his six; he doesn't need you in his life."

"Are you a father, Agent Gibbs?" Senior taunted.

The Marine clenched his fist as he fought against the urge to rip the man apart with his bare hands; he was not going to allow Senior to dishonor the memory of his daughter. "You don't have the right to call yourself a father! What kind of father shows up right before his son is supposed to have surgery and sends his blood pressure through the roof?" Gibbs took a step closer to Senior, his face mere inches from the con man. "You don't deserve a son like Tony. I suggest you crawl back into the hole you came out of and leave him alone. He's done fine without you; Tony doesn't need you!"

"And you think he needs you?" the elder DiNozzo spat. "You let him go to jail! Now he has to live with the stigma of being an ex convict all his life! You really think he will be able to reintegrate back into society?"

"He'll be just fine as long as you stay the hell away from him," he shot back. "Now leave and I don't just mean the parking lot- I mean D.C. "

"You have no right to..."

Gibbs' fist connected with Senior's jaw, knocking him to the ground. "I have every right." Turning to walk back into to the hospital, he called back over his shoulder. "Don't think about pressing charges because one phone call and I will have all your illegal activities on the front page of the morning paper. Now, leave and don't come back."

The team leader ignored Senior's angry retort. He had to get back to Tony and try and undo whatever emotional damage DiNozzo's father had caused by his mere presence. He had never thought that his first meeting with Anthony DiNozzo, Senior, would have been under these circumstances but he didn't imagine it going any differently than it had. Regardless of when and where they would have met, Gibbs was certain he still would have knocked him on his ass.