Yep. It's another story in the Ben!Verse. This one is going to be a few chapters (I haven't decided how many yet) but for all those waiting for the last chapter to The Unknown Song, that should be up tomorrow. :) Oh, and this un-beta-ed for I currently do not have the time to send it to my wonderful beta Pheonix on cloud 9. I hope you forgive any mistakes.
Disclaimer: I don't anything except Ben and his family. :)
"Uncle Tony."
"Uncle Tony."
Tony jumped when the very small hand touched his check, but regretting it a moment later when his head ached from the sudden jolt.
"Sorry Uncle Tony," Benny whispered, his tiny hand curled against his side as if he had been burned when he had touched his sleeping uncle, "But Momma said to watch you, and you were makin' funny noises 'gain."
"It's alright Benny," Tony sighed, working hard to keep the slur out of his voice. He had been transferred out of the psych ward a few days ago and given a normal room. Even two days after finally becoming fully "aware", Tony stilled gagged at the thought of being tied down like that.
"Hey," Tony said, reaching over and helping the little boy out of the chair and onto the bed next to him. All he had was an IV in his arm that was supplying fluids, he was taking Ibuprofen by mouth, so he wasn't worried about the sometimes wiggly boy getting into the hospital bed with him, "Where's your momma and brother and and sister?"
Ben lifted an eyebrow, a trait that was so Morgan Tony had to resist the urge to laugh, before looking at the clock, "Uncle Tony, they're at scool."
"Ah," Tony squinted at the clock, trying to see the numbers despite his sensitivity to light, "And why aren't you?"
"Cause I only go free days a week momma says. And I stay with Momma the other days, member?" Benny snuggled in close now, content to relax with his uncle, "Uncle Tony?"
"Yeah Benny," Tony said, adjusting a bit so Benny little body could fit more comfortably against his own.
"You aren't gonna die right?" Benny played with the hem of one of Tony's blanket's, "Cause, cause I was listening to one of those doctor people and they kept saying that you hit your brain really hard and that was why me or AJ or April didn't get to see you for awhile."
Hugging Benny as tight as he could, he ruffled Benny's hair, "I got a hard head buddy. It's gonna take more than a hit on the head to keep me away from you guys."
Pleased with the answer, Benny sighed and but his arms behind his head, "Uncle Tony?"
"Yeah Benny?" Tony asked, finding it harder and harder to keep his eyes open.
"Is it true that your Boss growls like a big brown bear? Cause that's what Momma said."
Tony smiled, laying a hand on Benny's head before allowing his eyes to fall shut. A nurse would be in soon to wake him up anyway. Benny wouldn't mind if he grabbed a quick nap.
Later on that day, Benny and the rest of his siblings were at the O'Leary's eating dinner while Morgan stayed with Tony, talking to her friend quietly in the darkening hospital room.
"They wanted to give you a psych evaluation before they discharge you," Morgan said, eating her dinner as she watched Tony play around with his, "But your Boss, Special Agent Gibbs, he was still pissed that they had tied you down in the first place so the doctor dropped it, though he recommends you see a therapist when you get out."
"I already do," Tony mumbled, "But you didn't tell Gibbs that right?"
"No," Morgan shook her head, "You know I wouldn't do that Tony. But I talked to him today, about an hour ago. You were asleep and that doctor, um, Dr. Mallard?"
"Ducky?" Tony smiled around a small bite of Chinese.
"Yes," Morgan continued her story, anyway, "Ducky," Morgan smiled at the odd, but oddly fitting name for the smaller man, "He wouldn't let Gibbs wake you up. So they said they'll be back later today, after they closed a case or something like that."
"They'll be here soon then," Tony nodded, lifting his box of noodles, "And they'll be mad at you for letting me eat this. Especially Ducky."
Morgan glared at him, "They won't be when I tell them you ordered it yourself."
Tony smiled, wanting to laugh but knowing that it would only add to the ache in his head.
It was quiet for a moment, as both Morgan and Tony became lost in their own thoughts.
Finally, the quietness was broken by Tony, "Hey Morgan?"
"Yeah Tony?" Morgan said, knowing that whatever Tony was going to talk about, it was going to be serious.
"When I was loopy," Tony started.
"You mean more than you normally are?" Morgan joked, trying to lighten the mood, if only slightly.
Tony allowed a pained smile to appear on his face, "Yeah. In that room. Did I-Did I say anything," Tony paused, rubbing his face before continuing, "I don't remember a lot of that day. Just, I talked about Ben a lot, didn't I?"
"You didn't tell them anymore than what they already knew Tony. But they know that you blame yourself for it, even now."
Tony huffed, "I blame myself for every person we've ever lost Morgan. Kate, Paula, Ben, all of them. I was there. I could have done-"
"You've always done everything that you ever could have done," Morgan stopped Tony's sentence, "Tony, I don't know exactly what happen with everyone else other than Ben. But I know you. And I know you wouldn't just stand by and let them die. Look at Gibbs and that girl you saved. How long did you have that lung infection after jumping into that cold, disgusting water to save them?"
"Three weeks," Tony grumbled.
"And how long did you have that cough afterwards?" Morgan asked, her voice increasing in volume as she drove her point home.
"I don't," Tony started but Morgan cut him off with a look and a raised eyebrow.
"Another month," Morgan said, "I would know, because every time you called you couldn't say more than five words before you sounded like you were coughing up a lung. Now, if you weren't the kind of man you were, those two wouldn't be here today. I don't-"
"Tony!" Abby joyous yell cut off Morgan as the Goth practically vaulted into the room.
Having only encountered Abby in passing once before, Morgan leaned back, before standing and retreating to the other side of the room.
"Hey Abbs," Tony said, thankful that Abby slowed her approach and gave him a tender hug and kiss on the check.
"I'm glad you're feeling better," Abby was practically laying in bed with him, "It's just not the same without you. And Gibbs is grumpy because he's worried about you, but he won't admit it, but we know anyway-"
"Hey DiNozzo," Gibbs said as he walked in, stopping Abby's monologue, "How you feeling?"
"Fine," Tony smiled at his friends as McGee, Jimmy, Ziva and even Ducky made their way into his room, "You guys wrap up the case?"
"It was the wife," Ziva said offhandedly.
Tony let out a small laugh and looked at McGee knowingly. In response, McGee just rolled his eyes and handed over a ten dollar bill, though Tony could see that McGee was still a bit shook up from what had happened a few days ago.
"You really okay Tony?" Gibbs glared the kind of glare that demanded the truth- the kind of glare that Tony knew all too well.
"Well I'm no crazier than I've ever been," Tony shrugged, "And my brain still takes a licking and keeps on ticking. I'm fine," Tony smiled a grin that bordered on being cheeky, "You don't need to worry about me Boss."
Ducky, who had been looking over Tony's chart, caught sight of Morgan who was practically hiding in the corner, "Ah, Ms. Welsh. How are you this fine evening?"
"I'm doing alright Dr. Mallard," Morgan smiled, "And please, call me Morgan."
"Only if you promise to call me Ducky," Ducky smiled before settling onto one of the chairs in Tony's room, "And it appears you will be released soon my dear boy."
"Looks that way," Tony smiled. He looked at Morgan who was rubbing her arms nervously. Every since…well, every since they had left Baltimore, Morgan, who was normally a social butterfly, was finding it hard to be around people she didn't particularly know well, especially men.
Not that Tony blamed her.
"Hey Morgan," Tony said, reaching out to catch Morgan's fidgeting hand, "Why don't you head back home? I'm pretty sure AJ will need help with his English, and you know April hates it when you're not there to make sure Benny hasn't killed any bugs on her pillow."
Morgan smiled gratefully at Tony for a way out before hugging him and saying her goodbyes.
The team waited till Morgan was out of the room before turning to their Senior Field Agent.
"We must meet these children," Ziva said, "I did not think it was possible for children to like you Tony."
Tony rolled his eyes, recognizing the Ziva was mostly kidding, and was about to respond but stopped when Jimmy came to his defense.
"Well, I have," Jimmy said and smiled nervously when they all turned to look at him, "I mean, my nieces and nephews love him. They're actually kind of disappointed every time I visit and Tony doesn't come with me. "
Tony turned his head to hide the slight embarrassment he was feeling at the turn of this conversation.
Seeing Tony's unease and figuring his Agent needed the rest anyway, Gibbs stood, ordering everyone else to head on home and get some rest.
Gibbs waited before each member of their team, or their family, said their goodbyes before giving Tony a shoulder squeeze, "Morgan will be here to pick you up, or do you need me to give you a ride home?"
"Morgan will be here," Tony smiled, "And Boss, do you even know where my new home is?"
The question floored Gibbs because for the first time ever, he honestly had no idea where one of his agent's lived, "No. You updated your contact info?"
Tony sighed and nodded, "It's in there. Just, don't show up out of the blue okay Gibbs? Morgan…Well, just call before dropping by okay?"
Gibbs nodded before standing but not leaving Tony's room. He had one more question to ask Tony.
"DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked Tony, feeling a tad bit guilty because the man had already begun dozing off.
"Yeah Boss?" Tony said, opening his eyes and forcing them to focus on the older man in front of him.
"When did you change your next of kin?" Gibbs looked at his agent, wondering why the man hadn't told him about it sooner.
"When," Tony shifted uncomfortably before looking out the window, into the dark world beyond the glass, "When you left for Mexico."
That really, was all the explanation that Gibbs needed. He didn't regret leaving. He had needed that time, needed the peace and quiet to get his head screwed on straight, but he did regret that he hadn't taken the time to make sure that his second in command didn't feel like he had felt when Franks had resigned.
But that was seemingly ages ago and Gibbs had no ambition to go digging up the past.
"You get some rest," Gibbs patted Tony's knee gently, not wanting to aggravate the man's headache by jarring him too much, "See you around."
Tony nodded and gave a tight lip smiled, sighing when his Boss left the room.
Time for another one of those naps…
"Kids at school?" Tony asked as Morgan drove them passed the hustle and bustle of the city and towards Tony's home in the suburbs.
"Yes," Morgan smiled, glancing at Tony quickly before focusing back on the road, "AJ has a football game later today though, but I told him you might not feel up to sitting on the sidelines in a fold out chair while twelve and thirteen year olds hit each other."
Tony smiled and closed his eyes, finding that the bright light of the sun still aggravated the minuet headache he had from getting hit with crowbar.
"What time?" Tony asked, not wanting to miss one of AJ games. AJ's elementary school had a football team for the fifth and sixth graders and AJ was one of the starting running backs.
"Tony, you just got out of the hospital today," Morgan merged off the freeway, taking them all that much closer to home, "AJ will understand if you miss this one."
"What time?" Tony asked again, his tone unchanging.
Morgan huffed and grumbled something along the lines of "stubborn, pig headed men" before answering, "Its' at five. April and Benny will be home just before three so we'll need to leave the house at ten after four if we want to get good seats."
"Perfect," Tony said and closed his eyes, fighting down the small wave of nausea that attacked his senses out of nowhere.
Man, how he hated concussions.
Tony sat down carefully on his bed, mindful not to move to fast.
Normally after a concussion, Tony was usually feeling up to par in about a week.
It had already been four days since his little stint in the hospital and Tony was still finding it difficult to follow a story in the newspaper, much less the case reports McGee would email him.
He should be feeling better by now.
"Uncle Tony?" Benny said, wearing his footsie pajamas, already ready for bed. The kid had been shadowing him more that usual recently and while Tony loved his youngest nephew to death, he little guy had never been quiet, "Can you read my bed time story today?"
"Not today Benny," Tony smiled, dropping his voice when his headache's intensity increased, the pain rolling over him in waves, "Ask AJ."
Benny looked like he was about to protest the suggestion but stopped when he saw the pain-filled tears leak out of Tony's eyes. His eyes got really wide and he looked under the bed before standing and grabbing Tony's hand, "I'm gonna go get Momma Uncle Tony. She'll make your head feel better. Hold on."
"Tony?" Morgan rushed in a few moments later, Benny
"I think," Tony closed his eyes tightly against another wave of pain and nausea, "I think we may have a problem."
Benny, April, and AJ sat quietly in the waiting room as their mom filled out the paperwork for their Uncle Tony.
"Is Uncle Tony gonna die?" Benny asked quietly, swinging his legs from where he sat on the tall emergency room chairs, "Cause he promised he wasn't' gonna. He promised."
"Uncle Tony isn't gonna die Benny," April said quietly, clutching her favorite doll. Uncle Tony had gotten it for her when she turned six and she loved it ever since, "But Momma says he's really sick, right?"
AJ shrugged as he played with the hem of his pajamas, a bit embarrassed that he was out in public wearing them. Though, most people in the ER didn't really care how you looked and based off how other people came in, AJ knew he actually blended in his OSU shirt and camouflage pj pants.
If his mom wasn't so worried about Uncle Tony, she would have told him his outfit "clashed", a term AJ hated. Of course, April was matching in her purple and pink PJs.
Girls were just weird.
"AJ," Benny pulled on his older brother's arm, "Who's that talking to Momma?"
AJ looked at the two older guys who were surrounding his mom. They were crowding her, and from over here, AJ couldn't tell if it was welcomed or not.
"April, hold Benny's hand and don't move from this spot," AJ made sure his younger siblings obeyed the command before he stood, glad that he had just grown a few inches. He was tall for his age, almost six foot, and his Uncle Tony always joked that he was going to end up being taller than him and his dad, Ben.
"Excuse me," AJ pushed his way through the two guys, glad that he was at least taller than one of them.
He wasn't going to let anyone else hurt his mom. Not when Uncle Tony wasn't there to help.
The older guys took a step back and observed him. AJ wasn't particularly worried about the smaller man. It was the one with grey hair and blue eyes that worried him.
"Can I help you son?" The guy with the blue eyes started down at him.
"You can leave my mom alone," AJ straighten to his full height. Sure, he was twelve and a still a bit gangly…alright, still completely gangly, but that didn't mean he wasn't brave.
The man with blue eyes seemed to smile with his eyes, a gestured that reminded him so much of how Uncle Tony looked when AJ did something particularly funny.
"Ah dear boy, you must be AJ," the older of the two guys extended his hand, "We have heard a lot about you."
AJ shook the man's hand, a bit surprised when he found the older man to have a strong sure grip.
"Well I don't know who you are," AJ tried to square his shoulders like Tony taught him, "And you're scaring my mom by crowding her that way."
"AJ," Morgan said, laying a reassuring hand on his shoulder, "They didn't mean-"
"I didn't know that," AJ almost yelled, letting out more anger than he had wanted too, "I just saw two guys by you Mom. Uncle Tony would have done the same thing if he wasn't sick."
The guy with blue eyes smiled again, this time with his whole face, though AJ could see he was still worried about something.
"I believe," the man who had shook his hand said, "That introductions are in order. My name is Dr. Mallard, though all my friends call me Ducky. And this is Special Agent Gibbs. He is Anthony's Boss."
AJ looked from Gibbs to Dr. Mallard then to his mom, "Is Uncle Tony okay mom?"
Morgan looked from the two men to AJ, "We'll know for sure in awhile AJ. Until then, we just have to wait. Why don't you bring Benny and April over here so they can meet Tony's friends?"
AJ looked at his mom before practically glaring at the two guys in a way that was so much like Tony, both men were taken aback, "I'll be right back."
"Come on you two," AJ took April and Benny's hands, "We're gonna go met Uncle Tony's friends."
"More secret agents?" Benny asked, excited as he hopped off the large chair and grabbed on tight to AJ's larger hand, "You think Uncle Tony knows James Bond? Cause if he does, James Bond doesn't let the good guys die. Right AJ?"
"Morgan?" Tony mumbled as he came around.
"Hey DiNozzo," Gibbs said when Tony finally opened his eyes, "Morgan's outside, with the kids. The littlest one, um-"
"Benny," Tony smiled, "He had to go to the restroom again huh?"
Gibbs smirked at Tony's guess, "How'd you know?"
"Because Benny always has to go to the bathroom," Tony smiled at that information before closing his eyes, "They'd tell you why my head feels like it's going to explode?"
"Just a migraine," Gibbs said quietly, "They gave you some meds, should help."
"Let me guess," Tony whispered, "Is it because I hit my head?"
Gibbs smiled sadly, "They think so. The doctor doesn't want to let the kids come in but the oldest, AJ, was about to tell them were to stick it when Morgan pinched his arm. Quite a character."
Tony huffed and cried out when the movement hurt.
"They're good kids," Tony smiled, "AJ's gonna be taller than Ben."
Gibbs nodded but remained quiet.
"Next time I have a family that I'm hiding, I'll make sure you meet them at my house instead of a hospital."
"You planning on having another family one day DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked.
Tony opened one eye, sighed before smiling.
"Uncle Tony," Benny was by his bed again, only this time Tony didn't have enough energy to lift him up, "Are you going to die Uncle Tony?"
Tony looked at Morgan, who was asleep on the chair next to his bed, before looking back at the little boy in front of him.
"Hey," Tony whispered, "What's all this about me dying?"
Benny played with his hands nervously before Tony reached out with one shaky hand and grabbed on. Once again, the older kids were at school and unable to get a hold of Ms. O'Leary, Morgan had been forced to bring Benny to the hospital to visit Tony.
"What's wrong Benny?" Tony asked, wishing he knew were all this talk of death was coming from.
"Its cause," Benny looked over at Morgan, making sure she was asleep still, "When you aren't there, Daddy calls."
Tony's eyes got wide and he struggled against the pain medication and muscle relaxants to listen to Benny's words, "What Benny?"
"Daddy," Benny looked out the door, as if he were afraid a monster was going to come through the doors, "He calls Momma. And I can hear him on the message machine Uncle Tony. Cause Momma only answered the phone once and after that she cried and cried and told me I wasn't suppose to get the phone because Daddy was a mean man for what he did. That he got mad and that even if I still love him I have to keep everyone safe so I don't answer the phone but she did once and now Daddy leave scary messages on the message machine Uncle Tony."
"What does he say Benny?" Tony asked, pulling the chair Benny was sitting on a bit closer, hoping that Benny would hop on the bed so that he could hold him close, "What did your dad say in the messages?"
Benny's eyes got wide in fear, "They're scary Uncle Tony. But Momma always deleted them and cause I'm suppose to be sleeping, she doesn't know I hear them from my room. But Daddy says mean stuff Uncle Tony."
"Benny," Tony took a deep breath to hide his fear, knowing it would not help at all right now, "Tell me what you Dad says. I can't help if you don't tell me."
Benny looked at Tony for a long time. An eternity it felt like, but Tony didn't move, didn't even breathe.
"He says you're gonna die Uncle Tony," Benny whispered as he got on Tony's bed and buried his face in Tony's chest his breath hitching in fear, "He says he's gonna make you die."
A/N2: Thanks for reading. And for all those people out there in the USA: SEASON FINALE TONIGHT! -insert fangirl scream-
Reviews are welcomed and very much appreciated. :)