Tony stood back as Brad and his team looked over the boy. "He's gonna need another Cat Scan, I'm not happy about this."
Gibbs placed a hand on his shoulder, feeling his son shake beneath him.
"Sorry Tony, you're going to have to wait outside until he comes back from his test."
Brad said as Gibbs guided him out of the room and over to a set of chairs, sitting him down as he turned to Fornell.
"We aren't going to be leaving here for a while, I know we can't investigate your case, but I'm putting Ziva and Tim on the assault case."
"He's not navy?" Fornell argued, "I'm sure Baltimore PD will be on it."
Tony stood up, "He's a federal agent's dependant, I want to know who did this to him... To us." Tony's eyes flashed dark green with anger. He turned to Gibbs, "Ziva and Tim don't need to know about him yet, get them to dig up as much as they can on Mike Macaluso and see if they have anything on... Maria Macaluso. I'll deal with Father." Tony turned, pulling his phone out of his pocket, but keeping within Gibb's sightline so Fornell couldn't arrest him again.
"He's mad." Fornell said.
Gibbs looked at him incredulously. "Wouldn't you be?"
Fornell looked abashed, "You know what I mean Jethro, he's just had this all dumped on him and you don't think you should keep an eye on him."
Gibbs looked at Tony pacing in the corner of the waiting room, "You find out if his kid murdered your Fed... And Tobias, don't mess it up. We can find out why they were both lied to, but Tony and Tonio need this done right, if they were set up back then, there's no reason not to believe they are being set up now. Keep Sacks on a leash will you?"
Tobias nodded, "I will, just don't forget Tony stays in your sight at all times, do not leave him here to chase your case."
Gibbs glared at him and turned and walked towards Tony, who had just shoved his phone in his pocket.
"You talk to him?" Gibbs asked.
Tony nodded, "Didn't tell him what was happening, just told him I'd found some interesting information out and he might want to come to DC. He's in Italy again, so he'll be here in a week."
"Ok, so I'll call Ziva and McGee and get them to look up the Macaluso end, I won't tell them anything about the boy..."
"You mean my son." Tony said darkly.
"You don't know that for sure." Gibbs said, wanting to prepare him just in case it was a mistake.
Tony laughed sadly, "Look at him dad, he's the spitting image of me, apart from the bits that remind me of Maria, there is no question about it, we were lied to, both me and Tonio."
"As soon as we get all the information we need, we'll bring both Macaluso and your father in."
Tony laughed, "You know, I was sent to infiltrate the Macaluso family when I was with Baltimore PD. They didn't know about my past with them or my family connections and I needed closure so I went. Just before we went for the arrest, I thought I saw Maria and a child. I was convinced, but I never caught up to them, I just thought it was wishful thinking. He would have been about 6 or 7, if I had known then, we could have been together. I could have been the father I should be."
"You didn't know then, you can't keep beating yourself up over what if's." Gibbs sighed and sat down in a chair. "You're here now Tony. What do you want to do?"
Tony paced a few times, it wasn't a loaded question, but it was a heavy one.
"I'm not letting him down again, I'm his father and I intend to be there. Fornell can't charge him with impersonating a Federal Agent, because he didn't."
"But, your son might be a murderer." Gibbs said it and let it hang in the room, as Tony stopped dead to look at him.
"I don't believe he did, I can't believe it! He's Maria's son as much as mine, she would never have let him join the family business."
"You don't know what happened to him in his life." Gibbs argued.
"If I were a murderer, would you disown me dad? Or would you stand by my side and support me?" Tony smirked as he knew this was exactly what Gibbs had just done.
"It's not the same, I've known you for years, I'm your father."
Tony nodded, "And I am Tonio's and it's about time I acted like it, he needs family dad, and I'm not going to let him down again."
He looked towards Tonio's room as an orderly pushing a bed, walked out of the elevator heading for his room.
He stood without thinking and headed towards his son.
"I'll call McGee and David, get them working on the Macaluso angle. Take your time son." He said as Tony walked on.
"What about the bail conditions?" Tony asked, worried, Sacks would only need one reason to haul him in again.
"You're on the 8th floor, you planning on jumping?" Gibbs asked with a smirk.
Tony shook his head, "Nope."
"Good, I'll be outside the door." Gibbs turned his back to make the call as Tony walked into the room.
Tonio was still unconscious as the orderly hooked him back up to the equipment and got him settled.
"How is he?" Tony asked.
"Tests went well, his doctor will be down in about half an hour with some information for you. He's lightly sedated so if he wakes try to keep him resting, he's got a catheter in so he won't need to use the bathroom."
Tony nodded, "Thanks."
As the orderly left, he moved and sat beside the bed, staring at the son he hadn't known existed. He found himself holding his hand and brushing a stray hair away from his face.
"He's beautiful Maria." He whispered, "I wish I had known." He closed his eyes as if in prayer wishing she were here to hear him. "I never loved anyone the way I loved you, I never will." He vowed softly to her.
Tonio groaned slightly and shifted.
"It's ok son, I'm here." Tony stroked his forehead and marvelled as Tonio relaxed under his father's touch.
He was surprised, it had been less than three hours and he had gone from the fake, frat boy image he usually portrayed, to a father in what seemed to him as a blink of an eye. He now understood the worry that Gibbs felt when he did something dangerous, his gut worried for his son. Was he a murderer? Had the lack of having his father in his life led him down a path where they would be separated again by jail? Was this his fault?
Tony sat back and ran his hands through his hair. But he looked over at his son again and marvelled, this was his child, a part of him and he needed to protect him. He was amazed at the feelings of love and protection he had for someone he had had no idea existed. He had thought that to be a parent you had to allow feelings like this to grow, he'd never felt like this with his father... Well, not since he'd met Gibbs. From that point his father had seemed different. But the emotion he felt for Tonio was so intense that it hurt. He would be there for his boy, he would find the answers they both sought and hoped that his son wouldn't hate him for not being there for him before now.
McGee sat at his desk trying to find out anything that would help Gibbs with getting Tony out of trouble with the FBI when his phone rang.
"McGee." He said as he picked it up.
"McGee, stop what you are doing, Tony doesn't need your help with the FBI, but we do need some information."
McGee sprang back from his keyboard as if burned and looked around, he didn't know how Gibbs knew what he was doing but he hoped he wasn't in trouble for it.
"Ok Boss, what do you need." He replied.
"Information on a Mike and Maria Macaluso, everything you can find."
Tim nodded, just in case Gibbs could see him. "On it Boss, How's Tony?" He asked.
"Been released into my custody, we're at Bethesda dealing with something right now."
"Tony's ok isn't he?" Tim asked, his voice worried as Abby and Ziva walked into the bullpen. They stopped and waited as Tim continued his call. "Ok, ok, I'll get on it Boss."
Tim put the phone down. "Gibbs wants us to look up all we can on a Mike and Maria Macaluso. Tony's been released for now in Gibbs' custody, they have another lead to follow. They are at Bethesda right now." Tim told them.
Abby all but ran to Tony's desk and fired up his computer.
After a few moments she stood back and gasped.
"I thought Gibbs said Tony was ok?" She asked.
Tim nodded, "He did, just a cough, apparently."
Abby looked mad, "Why is he lying, there is an Anthony DiNozzo Junior admitted, multiple broken bones and contusions, he's been beaten Tim, the FBI beat him up!" She looked near to tears, "I have to go to him, he hates hospitals."
Tim had to admit he wanted to be there too, and find out why the FBI would have attacked him, surely with Gibbs there, whoever had hurt Tony was probably headed to the morgue right now.
"Ziva, can you handle this search, Abby's in no fit state to drive." Tim said worried for her.
Ziva nodded, "I will handle the basic search and let you know if the computer pongs." she replied.
"Pings." The others said in unison.
Ziva waved her hand, "Whatever, we will find the information to help Tony."
Gibbs walked back into the room and stood quietly watching his son, and his grandson.
He looked at the two interacting, his heart ached for all his boy had missed out on, the early years of being a parent, his son's first steps, first day at school, first shave. Milestones a son should share with his father.
Tony turned his worried eyes to Gibbs, "Dad, he will be ok won't he?"
Gibbs nodded, "I'm sure he will, Dr Pitt will be back soon and we'll find out then. I called McGee, he and Ziva are going to look into what we talked about."
"Did you tell them about Tonio?" Tony asked.
Gibbs shook his head, "You asked me not to, I'm not about to betray that confidence son."
Tony stood up and paced for a moment not moving further than the end of his son's bed.
"How did you do this when I had the plague?"
"It's hell, but I had faith in you and knew you'd pull through."
Tony sank into the chair with a dull thud. "I don't know this kid, my son, enough to know if he'll pull through, what if he has allergies... Something that because I don't know, it may kill him. I'm a lousy parent and I haven't even been at it a day yet."
Gibbs put his hand on Tony's shoulder, "You are not a lousy parent, son, just a new one."
"Yeah, but I don't get to start from scratch and I swear, If senior knew about this or had anything to do with it I'll kill him."
Tony stopped as Tonio moaned again the pain filtering through in his sleep.
Without thinking Tony hit the call button for the nurse and comforted his son.
"Can I help?" The nurse asked moments later as she entered the room.
"He's in pain, can you give him something?" Tony asked.
The nurse nodded, left and returned a few minutes later with some morphine, "This will help." she gave it to him and Tony stroked his forehead talking quietly to him until Tonio fell asleep again.
The nurse smiled, "You're a good father, you two must be close." she remarked as she checked his vitals and turned to leave the room.
Tony smiled, but said nothing.
"See Tony, you're a good father, when your son wakes up he'll learn that too."
Tony relaxed as they sat and waited for Brad to come and deliver the news.