I normally don't post fics here, that's what my website is for. But I really needed to cheer myself up today, and so I wrote something I've always wanted to explore. Well, the first part anyway (this is supposed to turn into a series). I'm too tired to get this posted on my website, and it's not even proof-read yet. This is pure self-indulgence, but I wanted to share anyway. At least in my LJ before posting it to any comms (though I wonder which comm would allow this kind of fic...hmm...) 

Anyway, here it is. Cheered me up a little, but not much. Which isn't the fic's fault, though! *g* Sorry, kaylashay81 that this isn't your help_haiti fic yet. It's next on the agenda, I promise. :-)

Title: Second Chances (Part 1)
Author: Gaby
Rating: PG-13
Characters: Gibbs, Tony
Author's Notes: This is pure self-indulgence. I desperately needed something to cheer me up, and this kind of fic is a guilty pleasure of mine. This is definitely intended to turn into a series, if only to cheer myself up. Please read the warnings, and if this type of fic isn't your cuppa tea, that's perfectly fine, but then don't read anyway and then complain that the fic sucked or it's a stupid set-up. I know it's silly. I don't care. It's my guilty pleasure, as I said. ;-)
I've always wanted to write this sort of thing, but only after watching "Flesh and Blood" did I have the perfect reason to. (That's my excuse anyway. *g*) None of this is supposed to be taken too seriously.
Additional Notes: A few years back, a very talented author in the X Files fandom wrote a similar story titled "Take Two". I love this series, always have. I just want to acknowledge the fact that I do know her wonderful universe, and that I'm going to try to keep my fic different enough to stand on its own. However, the general set-up is the same, so if you know her story, there might be ideas in my fic that seem familiar to hers.
Spoilers: This is post-"Flesh and Blood", though there aren't any huge spoilers for the episode itself unless you don't know who comes to visit.
Warnings: Kid!fic, in a way. Meaning, Tony turns into a child. And Gibbs turns into a Daddy. 'nuff said.
Summary: Some people deserve a second chance.


Tony watched his father walk out of the hotel lobby, still not knowing what to say. Heck, he still had no clue what to feel.

His father had said he loved him. "I love ya, Anthony," he had said. And Tony had no idea how to react to that.

His father had never said that to him. Ever. Tony tried hard to remember one incident, just one, from his childhood, but he came up empty. And the funniest thing was, he had never missed hearing it. But now that he had heard it, he began to wonder how his life, his childhood, would have been if his father had told him every once in a while that he was loved. And he began to pity the child he had been, for all the things Little Anthony had never had.

Tony sighed and trotted after his father, leaving the hotel without any real idea where to go next. Gibbs had pretty much given him the day off, sensing that Tony needed time to process everything he had learned about his father the last couple of days. And that was before the "I love you" double whammy.

Staring forlornly at the car keys in his hand, Tony decided to go for a little ride. Sometimes, when he needed to clear his mind, he took a nice long drive up and down the coast. It was silly, really, but it helped him blank out anything and everything and just...be. He used to go for long runs, but ever since the Plague, he had to be careful. Running a few miles really did a number on his lungs, and it was cold and had started to drizzle slightly anyway. He was only going to catch pneumonia if he ran in this weather, and so he climbed into his car instead and began to drive aimlessly.

XxXxX

Tony had no clue where he was when he saw an old fashioned carnival right next to the waterfront. He parked his car and got out, needing to stretch a little. Besides, he was thirsty and felt a little peckish, and he thought some comfort food - like cotton candy or candy apples - might just be what the doctor ordered.

He still had no idea what to make of his father's words. The only realization he had come to was that it hurt to think of the child who grew up thinking he was unloved. Tony wondered for the nth time how his childhood would have been if his father had been able to say those three words to his son on a regular basis.

Tony wandered around the carnival, which was pretty much deserted due to the bad weather. He chewed absent-mindedly on his candy apple and was looking for the restrooms when he suddenly saw an old, beaten, worn out magic wish machine in a dark corner.

Mesmerized, Tony stepped closer. "Just like in 'Big'!" he exclaimed to nobody in particular, staring at the machine. The damn thing looked exactly like the machine in the movie. Even the name "Zoltar Speaks" was the same. It was downright uncanny.

Tony chuckled and fished a quarter out of his pocket. "Tom Hanks wished he were big in the movie," he said, dropping the coin into the slot. "Well, I wish I were a kid again," he told the machine, grinning ruefully at the mere idea of turning into his young self again. His father sure wouldn't have the money to put him through boarding school after boarding school again, that much was certain.

He shook his head and turned away from the machine, throwing the rest of the candy apple into the trash.

And just as he rounded the corner to the restrooms, the machine lit up and Zoltar's mouth moved silently, his eyes glowing.

XxXxX

It was getting dark, and Tony was on his way back home.

Home.

Hell, he didn't want to spend the night alone in his apartment. He still hadn't figured out what to make of some of the stuff that had happened in the last couple of days, least of which his father's famous three words. So, no, he didn't want to be alone with all those confusing thoughts bouncing around in his skull. But at the same time, he didn't really want to talk about any of this either. He did want - and need - some quiet company, a reassuring presence that would help him relax and maybe even shut down his brain, which was still working in over-drive, for a little while.

And there was really only one person who had mastered the art of not talking.

Half an hour later, Tony waltzed into Gibbs' house with a six pack in his hand. He was immediately assaulted by the most tantalizing smell. "Hey! Steak, cowboy-style, I love it!" he said as he watched Gibbs take the meat out of the fireplace.

Tony had no clue why, but Gibbs didn't seem the least bit surprised that he had shown up unannounced. Then again, Gibbs really saw all and knew all, which was one of the reasons why he was such a reassuring, calming presence in Tony's life.

They shared steak and beer and talked amicably. Gibbs seemed to know instinctively when to prod and dig, just to make sure that Tony shared what was on his mind, and when to sit quietly next to the younger man and let Tony work through his own issues.

Gibbs knew that he had always acted as a father figure for Tony. Hell, he was a father figure to some degree to everyone on his team, but Tony had always been special. He had always needed the approval, the reassurance, the acknowledgement that a job was well done. Gibbs had wisely used his praise sparingly, knowing that Tony needed to be kept on his toes. And they both knew that Tony needed the headslaps more than anything, though he had really grown up over the last few years, Gibbs noted. In a way, he was sad to see the young, energetic, up-to-no-good scoundrel he had recruited in Baltimore gone, but then again, Tony was pushing forty and acted more like a responsible adult these days. All kids grow up, Gibbs thought with a rueful grin.

Tony watched the older man out of the corner of his eye and wondered why Gibbs was grinning all of a sudden. "Hey, Boss?" he asked, a bit tentatively.

Gibbs turned his head and raised an inquiring eyebrow.

"When...when Kelly was still alive..." Tony trailed off and grimaced. He knew his daughter was a very big wound for Gibbs still, but the older man only took a calming breath and nodded encouragingly for Tony to continue. "Um, I...I was just wondering... Okay, this is a really stupid question, I know, but...did you ever tell her you loved her?" Tony bit his lip and looked unsure. "Y-you don't have to answer. Forget I ever asked."

Gibbs looked shocked for a long moment, then gave Tony a scrutinizing glance. It took him all of two seconds to figure out what had prompted this question. "I told her that at least twice a day, Tony," he replied softly. "When she woke up, and right before she fell asleep. And a lot of times in between." He shrugged, then added quietly, "It's what parents do, you know?" He wasn't surprised to see Tony flinch at that.

"Yeah, guess so," Tony mumbled and grabbed the last beer, which he opened and drowned in one go. "My mom used to, you know? Tell me that, I mean." Gibbs only nodded and waited for the younger man to continue. After almost an entire minute, Tony finally whispered, "Dad said it, too. Today. For the first time." He managed to look at Gibbs with a self-deprecating grin that looked more like a grimace.

Gibbs grimaced right back. Just hearing that felt like a physical blow. After a long moment, he shrugged and bumped his shoulder against Tony's. "His loss, not yours," was all he said.

"Yeah well, you'd think that, right?" Tony chuckled helplessly, then sighed. He began to peel the label off his beer bottle. "Wanna hear a funny story?" He looked up but didn't wait for any reaction from Gibbs; instead, he plowed right on. "I was driving around today, and suddenly I saw this magic wish machine, you know, like in 'Big'?" At Gibbs' blank look, Tony sighed. "You know, 'Big'? The movie 'Big'? Okay, it's...um, it stars Tom Hanks. He's a kid who wants to be a grown up so he goes to this wish machine and says 'I wish I were big' and the next morning, he wakes up as an adult. It's a real classic, Boss, you gotta watch it sometime."

Gibbs merely blinked, as he usually did when Tony went off on one of his movie reference tangents. He managed not to let his eyes glaze over, at least.

"But anyway, so I see this thing and I walk up to it and wish I were a kid again." Tony shook his head at himself and snorted. "Pretty damn lame, huh?"

Gibbs frowned, then glared, and then smacked the back of Tony's head soundly. "Not lame at all, Tony. Understandable, more like." And Gibbs did understand. After meeting DiNozzo Senior, quite a few puzzle pieces had fallen into place, and he was finally able to see the whole picture.

Tony rubbed the back of his head ruefully and sighed. "Better get going, I guess," he muttered. "See ya at work tomorrow, Boss. Thanks for the steak." He tried to get up, but overbalanced when he got dizzy. Damn, he couldn't even hold his liquor anymore.

"You sleep here, DiNozzo. You're not gonna drive, you're drunk."

"Am not!" Tony protested, trying to look indignant. Gibbs gave him a piercing glare, and Tony caved less than two seconds later. "Well, maybe a little," he admitted. "But only 'cause I haven't eaten much today."

"Good. Bed. Now."

"Don't have anything to wear," Tony protested feebly.

"I'll give you something. Come on." Gibbs stood up and led Tony upstairs. "Turned the guestroom into a guestroom again. Bed's new and comfy." It was funny, really, Gibbs thought. First he got rid of the guestroom because nobody had ever really stayed with him - except Tony, who had stopped his sleep overs the older he got - and now that he was working on his relationship with his father, he needed the damn guestroom again for Jack. Too bad it hadn't been ready over Christmas, but hell, at least now he could offer Tony a decent place to sleep.

He shoved the younger man into the guestroom and rummaged around in the closet until he found a pair of sweats and his old USMC tee shirt. "Here, you can sleep in this," he said, throwing the clothes at Tony who caught them easily.

"But I'm gonna drive to my place tomorrow morning and change before going to work," Tony warned while he unbuttoned his dress shirt.

Gibbs chuckled at the slightly petulant tone of Tony's voice. "You do that, kiddo," he said. "Good night, Tony."

"Night, Boss. And...you know, thanks." Tony shrugged, slightly embarrassed, but Gibbs only smiled and winked, then closed the door behind him.

XxXxX

The next morning, Gibbs got up at oh-six-hundred sharp. He assumed that Tony was already up as well, grabbing a quick shower maybe, before driving home to get a change of clothes. Gibbs sighed softly as he remembered his little talk with Tony's father - and then the stuff Tony had shared the night before. He was convinced that DiNozzo Senior had done the best he could in his role as a father, but objectively speaking, that wasn't a whole damn much.

But now Gibbs knew, absolutely and definitely knew, what Tony's childhood was like. He had taken educated guesses in the past, and most of them were pretty spot on, but now that he knew for a fact what had happen to the younger man - well, Gibbs wished he could turn back the time and make it better. He could understand only too well why Tony had wished to be a kid again, no matter how jokingly.

Gibbs grabbed a quick shower, then padded downstairs to make some coffee. He was surprised that he hadn't heard Tony yet. Maybe the younger man was still asleep after all, the emotional rollercoaster ride finally having taken its toll. Gibbs decided to let Tony sleep a bit more, he could use all the rest he could get, after all. Once the coffee was ready, Gibbs drank one cup right away, then refilled it and took down a second cup for Tony. Armed with two steaming cups of coffee, Gibbs went upstairs again, surprised that he still didn't hear the shower in the guest bathroom.

"Hey, Tony, you up?" he called through the closed guestroom door. When there was no response whatsoever, Gibbs frowned and gently kicked against the door, since his hands were full. "Tony?"

Still no response.

Gibbs frowned even more. He knew that Tony was usually a pretty light sleeper, so he should've woken up by now. Gibbs thought for a long moment, then placed both coffee cups carefully on the antique chest of drawers in the hallway. With his hands now free, Gibbs knocked once before opening the door to the guestroom.

A second later, he thanked himself for having put down the coffee cups before looking into the guestroom. Because what he was currently staring at would have surely caused him to drop the cups in shock.

"Tony?" he asked in disbelief, his eyes wide and unblinking.

In the middle of the bed in his guestroom sat a small child, not older than twelve months, drowning in the USMC tee shirt Gibbs had given Tony the night before.

The child stared at Gibbs, a startled look on his small face, and then promptly burst into tears.

Long forgotten father's instincts kicking in, Gibbs was next to the bed in two strides and carefully picked the child up. The tee shirt hung down like a flowing dress, which would have been funny if the situation hadn't been so damn scary. "Hey, hey, kiddo, everything's okay," Gibbs whispered soothingly, cradling the child in his arms and gently patting the small back.

The little boy sniffled piteously but stopped crying. Apparently, Gibbs' strong heartbeat calmed him down somewhat.

Gibbs continued to whisper soothingly, rocking the child in his arms while his mind went a mile a minute. Where the hell was DiNozzo? Who the hell was this child? Whose child was it?

A tiny fist grabbed the collar of Gibbs' tee shirt and held tight. Gibbs stopped whispering and looked down instead, really looking at the small child he held in his arms. It was clearly a boy, and Gibbs couldn't help but smile at the faint baby smell he had always loved so much when Kelly was still little. He gently disentangled the baby's fist and let it curl around one of his fingers instead. The little tyke had a surprisingly strong grip, Gibbs realized while he pressed a gentle kiss to the fist.

"So, wanna tell me who you are?" he whispered into the top of the child's head. "Where did you hide Tony, hmm?"

At the mention of Tony's name, the child raised his head and looked hesitantly at Gibbs from under a thick shock of tousled brown hair. Gibbs tried his best to smile reassuringly at the obviously scared child, but his smile froze when he got his first good look at the boy's eyes.

He would recognize those green eyes everywhere.

Stumbling the half-step needed to safely sit down on the bed, Gibbs stared in total shock at the small bundle in his arms. Finally he managed to croak, "God, Tony, what happened to you?"

In response, the little boy blinked and cocked his head, as if contemplating the question, and then gave a hesitant but brilliant grin, proudly showing off four teeth.

Gibbs didn't know whether to laugh or to cry, so after a long moment, he just did both.

END OF PART 1.