A Life of Hopes, Dreams & a Love That Conquers All

Chapter 4.

Following the shooting the next thing that Tony knew as he came to his senses, was the pain he was in and guessed that he'd been hit by a bullet, but of course his first thought was for Hailey. As he started trying to get up from the floor, all he could feel was the hands of the medical staff on him, pushing him back down again, so trying not to sound to panicked as he started asking "Is Hailey ok?" In the end McGee managed to get round to him and he said "It's ok, she's fine and we got him." Even so Tony still wanted his own proof of it. So with a little help from McGee and a nurse, they got him on his feet and over to her. After checking her over and giving her a kiss on the forehead, he finally allowed himself to be lead away to get his shoulder wound seen too.

As he was having the shoulder wound stitched up as luckily it was just a through and through. Gibbs had got himself to the hospital and went to see him. After finding out where Tony was and how he was he walked in and said "What happened?"

Tony answers "I don't know, I just had a bad feeling about things when she seemed to start getting nightmares and things. That's why I bought my gun this morning as I still had that bad feeling, even if we didn't know about his escape at that point. Even so I was still on guard. Somehow she was sensing something going on too as her heart rate increased and she yelled out a warning to me just before the door started opening. As soon as he walked in I knew he was going to shoot, so I shot at the same time. So is he dead?"

Gibbs replies "He is, so other than finding out if he's got any more spies or contracts out on her, it should now all be over."

He then says "That's good, is Hailey ok?"

Gibbs answers "She's fine. They've given her a good check over. The doctor did say that she did show some signs of stress when the shooting happened, but she's calmed down again now. I went to check on her first after McGee told me what you did afterwards."

Tony then asks "Any news on her mom?"

"It's looking like it could be the bad news that we didn't want. As I was on my way here Balboa called. His team were just on their way to a body that had been found near to Hailey's apartment. I've got a horrible feeling that it's Sandy and that Davidson probably did it knowing that if Hailey survived all this, it would still hurt her looking down on the spot where her mom was killed every day."

Tony says "Well I doubt that she'll never return there anyway, because it won't be that accessible if she's in a wheelchair. And I doubt that if she does get out of it that she'll ever want to return there, especially if we're a family by then with our son or daughter. Will you be ok with either going to the crime scene or in autopsy with Ducky on your own? Because if not I don't mind coming with you."

Gibbs replies "It's ok, I'll be fine and you need to rest. You stay by her side and have the painkillers, or sleep in the cot by her side. Don't worry about coming in to do the incident paperwork, I'll either bring it in with me or get McGee to bring it in for you."

"Thanks boss."

When Gibbs gets to the crime scene he finds himself filled with dread at the prospect of having to identify Sandra's body, because in his heart he knows that other than Shannon, Sandra was probably the only other woman that he truly loved. Especially as when the two of them got together again for the second time between his second and third marriages, there had been a chance that she could have been his third wife instead. It was just stubborn pride that kept them apart after the argument they'd had. Of course he'd always loved Hailey very much too, because of also having been friends with Max so he'd watched her grow up until they'd moved away. When he and Sandra were together Hailey was of course there all the time and guessed that at times he was probably transferring his love for Kelly onto her, but did always know that she wouldn't ever replace Kelly. Although he did have to quietly wonder and had got suspicious with the possibility of Hailey being his child. The reason for it was that he'd been on a long deployment and returned when Hailey was around 3/4 years old. They'd been round to see him. As he watched her playing on the floor she looked so very much like Kelly had done at that same age. When they got together for that second time Hailey was a teenager. When he saw photos and things especially with seeing the ones when she was eight years old, his heart nearly stopped because she and Kelly could've very easily been twins. He still kept quiet despite his regrets that he'd not done anything about it because he had missed out on so much of her life, but he was at least happy to have had the chance of some interaction between them. As he sat there thinking he was also unsure about what to do about things and what to do because he knew that he would always be there for her, especially as now she wouldn't have any family around her, and he knew that she would need someone there to help her through her recovery. Then of course to top everything off there was now the pregnancy as well that she would need support with. What had surprised him though about the pregnancy news was that when Tony had admitted about the two of them being so stupid with what they had done that night, when he'd been on his own thinking about things he'd been angry with the two of them, but it was a farthers anger for them both making the choices that they had that night. Although he did also realize that they may have got away with things most probably if the accident hadn't have happened. He was also scared slightly about how he was going to broach things with Hailey as he knew it would be a shock for the both of them to find out that they were farther and daughter after all these years of knowing each other. In the end though he decided that perhaps they should have a talk about it all once Hailey was awake properly and could think a bit more clearly. In a way he also felt a bit conflicted at the prospect of identifying Sandy's body because of the way he had loved her, but in a way he was feeling some comfort with it, especially as he'd never got the chance of seeing Shannon and Kelly before their funerals. Once he built himself up to getting out of the car, he took a deep breath and finally walked across to the crime scene. Just after he'd ducked underneath the crime scene tape, Balboa was straight over to him and said "I'm so sorry Gibbs, but it is her." As he then proceeded to produce Sandy's bagged up ID and badge. After looking at them he then made his way to Ducky who was examining her body. At first Ducky got up and tried to block Gibbs from seeing anything as he says "I'm sorry Jethro but she is in a very bad way, because whoever did this to her tortured her before they finally put the bullet in her. He just looked at Ducky and said "I need to see her Duck." So in the end Ducky relented and let him though. As he soon found though he just couldn't look at the wounds and marks on her body, but as he looked at her face he was grateful that they had at least left that alone. He then whispered "I'm so sorry Sandy." Before pressing a light kiss on her forehead before he got up and walked away, finally letting go of his pent up emotions when he got back into the car again.

Later on he returned once again to see her in autopsy when he knew that Ducky had completed his examination, but before he had put her body away in a drawer. Autopsy was in complete darkness when he got there and he was thinking that perhaps he might get a chance of being alone with her. As he held her cold lifeless hand he let his tears come once again as he whispered that he was sorry he couldn't be there to protect her and wished he'd have known about Hailey's ex a bit sooner. He also promises her that he will always be there for Hailey, especially if she is his daughter. If she is his daughter he just wishes that she had told him about it because of him having missed out on so much of her life. As he lightly kisses her on the forehead again, he then whispers "I loved you so much." Just after saying it Ducky comes back in quietly and then gets glasses out of the drawer and pours them both a drink and hands Gibbs one, he then says "You loved her didn't you Jethro?"

He answers with some sadness "I did Duck, I did."

Ducky then says "So what else is there?"

He answers with a sigh "I'm not looking forward to delivering this news to Hailey when she wakes up. Not only that I have a strong feeling that there's a chance she could also be my daughter. I just don't know how to approach her with it or even if she would want to know the truth. Plus of course if they're going too be a couple, then Tony will have to know the truth too."

Ducky says as he advises him "Well it may be for the best if you tell the two of them together. Obviously don't go and do it the moment that she wakes up, especially as she's going to have to take in quite a lot over her injuries, as well as facing the possibility of having to learn to walk again; if it does get that far with the healing process. As well as of course the being pregnant factor too."

Gibbs then says "I know it's going too be hard, but I have a feeling that we can all get through this together. Well I hope we can anyway."

"You probably will do it, although you do know that you're probably going to have to face the fact that DiNozzo is going too be your son-in-law."

Gibbs does a wry smile and says "That doesn't bare thinking about. No actually I'm kidding. Through this whole situation he's been really amazing being there by her side and I also know how hard it was for him for a while there when they were trying to get him to terminate the pregnancy. Which is another scary that I'm possibly going too be a grandfather, especially as I thought that it would never happen."

Ducky says "And I bet you'll be the proudest father and grandfather ever. Look I know that you might also be worrying about her replacing Kelly, but she won't be doing that and you'll always have room in your heart for the both of them."

He puts his hand on Ducky's shoulder and gives it a light squeeze as he says "Thanks Duck." Before he walks out.

When Gibbs gets back to the hospital again at first he puts his head just inside of Hailey's room door to find Tony with his arm in a sling, with his other hand holding Hailey's and his head on the bed fast asleep, as Gibbs then whispers "Aaah DiNozzo!" As Tony catches some of it he awakens slightly, looks up blearily at him and says "Oh, hi boss." Then due to the smile on his face at the end of it, he guesses that Tony is still on a slight high from the painkillers. Because of knowing what he's like on them he knows that it's not a good idea to allow him to drive himself home, but he doubts that he could do it with his arm anyway. So he tells Tony to go and crash on the cot that's in the room. For once Tony does actually manage to do as he's told and he's out like a light as soon as his head hits the pillow when he gets into the cot. As Gibbs sits down and takes Hailey's hand he also says quietly to her that he's sorry that he's to have too give her some bad news when she wakes up and there may also be some news that she's his daughter. He promises her that from now on he will always be there for her and they will get through whatever happens in their lives from now on, together. Even if they have already missed out on so much of each other's lives already.

By the next morning Tony wakes up painkiller free, although Gibbs does try to get him to take some more as he can tell that he's still in a lot of pain, but in the end all he'll take are the milder ones saying that he doesn't want to have them in case Hailey wakes up. So because of Tony being more with it Gibbs gets him outside to have a coffee and tells him the news about Sandy. When he says that he's dreading having to tell Hailey the news, but Tony tells him not to worry because he will be their side to support them both. Gibbs then adds that there's a couple of other things he needs to say to her as well and he doesn't think it will be a good idea to tell her everything as soon as she wakes up, but even so he would like to see her when she does so. If it does happen when he's not around, then he hopes that he will call him. Tony promises that he will do especially as it would be good to have some support there because he will have to at least tell her about her injuries and of course more importantly the pregnancy as well. So with that Gibbs says that they will always be there for one another and will get Hailey through whatever happens in the future.

A/N: So here we are with another chapter! Hope you enjoy it! Thank you all for the reviews as well as the favorites and follows it is really great to get them and I hope that you continue to enjoy the story! D. Xxx. :-)