A/N: Hello everybody, new fic is started, yay! Thanks to all for the encouragement and poking lol. Just in case you get a sense of de ja vu, yes this is an edit of the prologue that was first posted as part of the Christmas Series.
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Friday December 24th 2010, Christmas Eve
Its late, the lights are bright and as he stumbles down the corridor Tony tries to avoid making eye contact with anyone, but especially the eagle eyed nurses seemingly patrolling the corridors. Typical that when you're sick and dying in your bed not a one can be found, but escape their clutches and nurses are the only people you can see for miles. Tony chuckles at his own exaggeration, consequently drawing the attention of one vicious looking matron wielding a cart of medications and upon closer inspection what appears to be some very long pointy needles.
His cheeks pull upwards, tightening the dry skin on his face as he smiles to ward her off, but her unimpressed glare in return suggests this move was not successful in assuring her he wasn't worth bothering with. Picking up speed her cart makes an annoying clack clacking sound as its wheels are pushed beyond their limit. She draws the attention of a desk clerk nearby and before he knows it there are fingers pointing at him and telephones being picked up.
Major fail on the stealth sister Tony internally declares smugly, with a hint of resignation. Reality dawning almost immediately, the realisation that he's soon to be recaptured, he seeks out a means of escape. Grimacing when he finds his best option to be less than inspiring, Tony ducks into the nearest stairwell anyway in order to buy some time to think of a new plan. He'll give them points for spotting him, but nothing for execution. Very unprofessional considering their line of work. Though he thinks he may have to revise that opinion when the hand he brings up to rub his face comes away caked with blood. Curious, he examines his reflection, or tries to at any rate, in the metal wall plate signalling which floor he's currently on. Catching the large gash across his forehead and noticing the blood covering almost a third of his face Tony's surprised he even made off the ward. If he looks even half as bad as he thinks he does judging from the fuzzy, bloody and bruised face staring back at him he'd have serious issues with their competence if the staff hadn't spotted him before making it to the public elevators.
Coming to terms with the fact his escape plan had been doomed from the start Tony deflates and settles himself on the stairs to await the inevitable. Giving up isn't his usual way to handle a screwed up situation, but things haven't been going his way all week and so his ending up hiding in the stairwell waiting for the hospital Illuminati to come get him shouldn't exactly be a surprise right now. It's the icing on the cake for just how bad a day he is having.
Knowing he only has one option left Tony slips the cell phone he lifted off the nice unassuming tea lady out from his pocket and holds it in both hands while he waits for the irritating shaking to subside. He should've done this earlier, as soon as things went south, but he'd wanted to get some control back, prove he can still handle himself alone in the field. Memories of his other failures flash through his mind and Tony has to whisper repeatedly, telling himself this is different. Once he's sure he can make the call without breaking down Tony raises the cell ready to dial. Letting out a weary sigh, pushing aside his self-doubt and feelings of incompetence, this isn't just about him after all, he makes haste and taps in the number he's had committed to memory since their first day on the job.
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His cell starts buzzing and Gibbs takes his eye off the wet road momentarily to look at the caller I.D. Ducky hears it too and seeing the direction of his gaze immediately picks up the handset, pointing at the steering wheel, a clear instruction for him to concentrate on driving.
"Gibbs' phone" Ducky announces to the caller, whose panicked response causes a grim line to crease his forehead. "Anthony?"
Gibbs slams on the brakes, sending the car skidding to a halt on the wet road to the tune of several honking horns and snatches the phone out of Ducky's hand before he can say another word.
"What's going on DiNozzo?" He asks tersely, remaining quiet as he listens, aware Ducky's sending him daggers from the seat next to him, "stay where you are… No DiNozzo I said STAY THERE, I'm coming to get you!"
Gibbs flicks the phone shut, throwing it at Ducky and without looking puts the car into drive again, spinning around in an illegal U-turn without regard for, and in great annoyance to, the rest of the traffic sharing the road.
"Care to explain Jethro?" Ducky asks him once the car's firmly on four wheels again, his tone making it clear only a fully informed answer would suffice at this juncture.
Gibbs doesn't want to explain, but concedes it'll save time later and putting his foot down fills Ducky in on the basics of their most recent investigation.
"You mean all this time he's been undercover?" Ducky is outraged. "I thought you and he had learned after the last time-"
"Duck I know alright, but now is not the time," Gibbs sighs, he'd felt the exact same way when Vance had pulled him into his office to discuss it, but in truth Tony is the best undercover agent NCIS has and even though Jenny's op had installed some bad memories into all of them - not one of them having forgotten how it felt to process Tony's burnt out mustang - it didn't mean every undercover op was just as destine to blow. Though Gibbs had sensed this one would and wishes he'd listened to McGee and his gut sooner.
"What's happened?" Ducky asks him softly, obviously only shelving his own anger because he can see he's worried.
"I don't know. He wasn't making sense." Gibbs snaps, hitting the steering wheel and forcing himself to focus on the road ahead.
"Well whatever's happened…" Ducky speaks slowly.
"Tony's in trouble." Gibbs finishes.
He presses his foot down on the gas pedal as far as it will go and they fly through the streets of Washington. Even though the car is doing maximum speed time inside it seems to stand still as Gibbs comes to terms and finally identifies the uncomfortable feeling in his gut he's been experiencing over the last five days as fear.
Arriving at the hospital as promised within ten minutes, his credentials get him through the first few gates without an issue, but getting access to the secure psych ward proves difficult until Ducky pushes himself forward and demands access. Apparently he has contacts everywhere and one well-placed phone call has the desk clerk falling over himself to help them find Tony. Gibbs runs down the long well lit corridor lined with locked windowless doors, alarms blazing in his ears accompanied by the frantic screams and shouts of both staff and patience as they run in the opposite direction. Turning the corner, arriving at the centre hub of the psych ward that allows access to the rest of the hospital Gibbs discovers the reason for all the panicking.
He's wearing his full NCIS jacket and hat, badge in full view so no one challenges his reason for being there with gun drawn, but still he takes a few seconds to adjust and assess the situation before breaking cover completely and stepping out into the centre of the corridor.
"Tony?" Gibbs opens cautiously, his soft tone contrasting with his defensive actions.
At the sound of his name Tony spins around, he sees Gibbs' gun pointing directly at him and presses the knife closer to his hostage's throat.
"Stay back!" Tony screams at him, looking scared and confused.
He isn't the only one. Letting his gut lead him Gibbs ignores the words and takes a cautious step closer. He can see Tony's pupils are dilated, face bruised and bloody. Looking him over Gibbs can also see the multiple gashes in the scrubs pants he's wearing, dried blood surrounding the torn material hiding god knew what damage underneath.
Gibbs shuts his eyes briefly to push back the hurt he feels almost overwhelm him from seeing him like this. Too much was at stake to let self-recrimination take over him now. Gun still raised he relaxes his stance to appear friendlier and takes another step closer. McGee rounds the opposite corner followed closely by Ducky, who lets out a gasp at the sight of Tony looking beaten, holding a knife to man's throat with a another man, an orderly judging by the uniform, lying dead at his feet.
"What happened, Tony?" Gibbs asks carefully, eyes travelling to the man lying face down in a pool of blood.
"I didn't do it, boss, I swear!" Tony says voice surprising steady, if a little strained.
"I believe you Tony," Gibbs assures him softly, gaze flicking to McGee.
They exchange non-verbal cues and with a nod of agreement lowers his weapon, making a show of putting it down on the floor in front of him while McGee keeps his raised and aimed at Tony's back.
"Boss," Tony probes nervously, looking around and clocking McGee, but not letting the doc he's holding hostage go.
It's not really a question, more a conformation… and a plea.
"Yeah, yeah I'm here," Gibbs says gently, putting himself in Tony's eye line, taking yet another step closer. "Talk to me DiNozzo,"
"I couldn't get her out," Tony answers him, voice breaking. "I tried but she was already dead-"
Gibbs is assuming the 'her' is the witness he was sent in to find. He's not even going to guess why it's upsetting him so much, because right now all he cares about is stopping Tony from doing something stupid.
"It's okay DiNozzo, just lower weapon and we'll talk about it…"
It's clearly the wrong thing to say. Tony shakes his head, holding back a cry or sob he's not sure.
"What are you waiting for? Shoot him!" The Doctor he's holding as a hostage screams, interrupting and breaking their tenuous connection.
Tony reacts, pulling the knife closer to his ear, Gibbs can see his hands are shaking and fears one wrong move will have the knife slicing through the guy's neck without Tony ever realising what he's done.
"DiNozzo," Gibbs says tone firm and commanding, accepting that his usual methods of connecting with victims won't work, Tony knows him far too well.
There's a sudden noise from the opposite corridor that attracts everyone's attention. The newly arrived hospital MP's line up and point their guns at Tony causing him to jerk back, snagging the doctor's neck with the knife. The man screams and Tony squeezes his eyes tightly shut as if trying to block the sound out.
"Hold your fire!" Gibbs shouts, hands held out to the MPs, stepping into their line of fire.
Fortunately one look at his haircut is all that's needed to gain their respect. The pair immediately stand-down, weapons still primed, but now pointing at the floor. The blood from the doctor's cut trickles over Tony's hand and he stares at it. Gibbs uses the distraction to close the gap between them.
"I'm not crazy. She's dead, they killed her." Tony tells him firmly, gazed fixed on his red tinged hand.
"Proof?" He isn't questioning him and thankfully he can see by his non-reaction that Tony knows that.
Lifting his head to meet his eye Tony nudges his chin at the nurse's station behind them. Gibbs paces around the desk slowly, keeping one eye fixed on Tony as he searches. Nothing jumps out at him at first, but taking a moment to think like DiNozzo notices the window at the rear. Feeling under the sill sure enough there's an envelope attached to the underside. Gibbs unsticks it and turning it over in his hand can't help but smile at the 'Washington' written in DiNozzo's untidy scrawl across the front. For once he's glad Tony makes him watch all those strange movies. He tips the contents out to discover a blank grey swipe card, the kind used to open secure doors.
He may not understand the significance of the card, but the doctor being held hostage sure does. As soon as Gibbs turns around holding the key card up, a question in his eyes, the doctor panics. Delivering a swift elbow jabs to the stomach Tony collapses in a heap and he makes a run for it. The desperate escape isn't good enough however, without even breaking a sweat Gibbs clotheslines him as he passes and straddles him, slapping on the cuffs before pulling him to his feet.
"McGee" Gibbs pushes the doctor into Tim who takes him over to the MPs who are securing their weapons.
Confident that they have who he assumes to be their suspect secured Gibbs turns to see Ducky kneeling on the floor next to a bewildered looking DiNozzo. He's sitting up legs stretched out straight in front of him, looking strung out and above all else, really damn scared.
Gibbs breathes a sigh of relief, letting the adrenalin dissipate from his veins and walks over. Slapping Tony gently in the back of the head when he's close enough Gibbs crouches down to squat on the floor in front of him.
"Sorry boss," Tony responds immediately to the soft hit.
Message sent, received and understood. And just like that any talking they needed to do about getting in too deep, knowing when to call for help and why being stubborn never works out is covered with that simple gesture. Now he can focus on damage control. Namely how Tony's really doing, compared to what he'll tell them.
"You okay?" Gibbs looks over the physical damage, ignoring the disproving frown Ducky's sending his way for the smack.
"I'm okay." He utters flatly.
It's the response he's expecting, but like a lie detector measures heart rate Gibbs' measures tone and applies different meanings to the actual words used. He glares at DiNozzo, eyes narrowed, lips pursed. Tony maintains the contact bravely, eyes wide and glassy, searching his face for the right answers… or maybe just some compassion.
"Hey," he whispers, taking Tony's chin in his hand, pleased when all he does in reaction is suck in a sharp breath.
"She's dead boss…"
"Yeah, you said that," Gibbs says carefully, easing the knife out of Tony's hand at the same time, quickly passing it to McGee who is hovering to the side and bags it immediately. "Going to tell me how? And what this guy's got to do with it?" He nudges his head at the doctor currently being guarded by the MPs.
Tony closes his tired eyes again, something's still not right, but when he reopens them they're as sharp and as bright as Gibbs has ever seen them.
"Are you okay to stand my boy?" Ducky interrupts their staring contest and without waiting for an answer proceeds to help Tony up by taking his cold hand in his warm one to pull him up off the floor.
Tony makes it to his feet, managing a small grateful smile. Gibbs stands with him and is still facing him, not quiet smiling, but definitely not frowning either. He's about to suggest Tony gets looked over while they go find out what's behind the door the key card opens when a crack permeates the air. The noise is so loud in the enclosed space it sends him temporarily deaf, disorienting him and Gibbs squeezes his eyes tightly shut, covering his ears to block out the high pitched whirling. Regular sound comes rushing back after only a few seconds in the form of screaming, but before he can assimilate what's happening Tony pitches forward into his arms, a dead weight landing against his chest. There's more shouting, lots of people running as warmth spreads between their bodies, forcing Gibbs to focus as it soaks through his shirt to the clammy skin underneath.