All For Sara Beth

Chapter 6

By: RedtheBrunette

Many Years Earlier:

16-year-old Anthony Dinozzo sighed in disgust as his father, also Anthony, pulled into the small town where they'd now be living. Also packed into the small car were his mother, Marian, and his two brothers, Joseph and Giovanni, 12 and 8 respectively, and his 6 year-old sister Catharina. In front of them the large packing van lumbered into the driveway of their new house in the small town.

As their car pulled to a stop, the rest of his family piled out of the car in excitement, chattering loudly as they moved up to the van. Tony slipped out of the car after them, but he was not excited at all. He had been moved from the home where he'd been born and raised- the first born, born out of marriage while his parents were almost his own age- and he wasn't very happy about it. While his younger siblings were young enough to adapt, Tony didn't feel like it.

So, while his family entered the empty house alongside the three movers, Tony stayed outside, leaning against the hood of his father's car and gazing distastefully at the neighbourhood around him. A twitch of a curtain in a window across the street caught his attention and he stared in surprise at the young woman in the window.

She wasn't looking at him, as he was to her, but rather staring off down the street, her eyes blank. She was pretty, with soft, straight brown hair and matching eyes. Her build was slim and her face was a bit sharp, but she had an endearing, almost childish, little gap between her two front teeth. She was by no means the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen, but there was something, maybe the unhappiness and the hunger in her eyes, that just seemed to call to him…

"Tony! Get in here!"

Tony started at his mother's yell, turning his head to glare at her. By the time he's turned back to the girl, she was gone from the window. He wasn't to see her for several more days.
XoXoXoXo

Tony walked into the office of his new school almost a week later. The uniform, black slacks a white button up and a tie, were in casual disarray, in direct contradiction to how the principal had dictated it to him.

The old biddy at the desk glared at him distastefully, but handed over the registration forms dutifully. It took him until 5 minutes after the morning announcements to finish, but before he had, he finally had a sight of the girl he'd been looking for since his first day in the town.

She was an even bigger rule breaker than he was. While he had only dressed messily in the uniform, she had not dressed in the uniform at all. She was dressed casually in jeans and a white turtleneck, and she stepped into the office with her backpack still slung over one shoulder.

"Ms. Sidle," the biddy, Ms. Jenkins by her name plate, greeted the young woman with pursed lips, "I see you're still not obeying the rules."

"Now where would the fun be in that?" she returned with a smirk as she leaned against the counter beside Tony, scrawling her name across the Sign-In sheet, "Conformity is so old, Ms. J."

"As is that line, Ms. Sidle. Detention for not wearing your uniform," the woman returned, not amused, 'though Tony was trying not to laugh. Then, as she was printing off Tony's schedule, she smiled. Handing the piece of paper to him, she added, "And, Ms. Sidle, since you decided to be late, again this morning, and because you share his morning schedule, you will have the privilege of showing Mr. Dinozzo here around."

'Sidle' turned, casting an appraising eye over the man and sighing as she commented, "Ah, another conformist, with his lazy uniform."

"At least he wears his uniform, Ms. Sidle," Ms. Jenkins returned instantly, then, "Now, get out of my office and to your first class."

"We're going, Ms. J, no worries," Sidle returned, grabbing Tony's arm and dragging him down the hallway with her. She waited until they were quite far away from the office before asking, "What's your name again?"

"Dinozzo. Tony Dinozzo."

"Like Bond, James Bond, eh?" she grinned, rolling her eyes teasingly at him.

Grinning, Tony shrugged with a touch of embarrassment, before asking, "And your name? What is it that comes before Sidle?"

"Sara Beth," she replied, stopping abruptly at a set of lockers, continuing, "I'm a year younger than you, but at the same grade level. I'm what they call 'gifted'."

Opening up her own locker, she tossed several books in before taking out a binder. Then, shutting the door and relocking it, she turned once more.

Without any real thought, Tony looped his arm through hers as they walked. Surprised, she looked up at him curiously, but, at his simple shrug, she just grinned.

"You know Dinozzo, I think I'm going to like having you around."
XoXoXoXo

It was only later that day that Tony met the bane of his new friend's existence, the 'popular' clique.

Classes were over for the day, and Tony had just pushed his way through the crowded hallways to reach Sara Beth's locker. He was but footsteps from her turned back, when he finally recognized the words being said- and he didn't like them.

Sara was being called every and any name that Tony had ever heard in his life. There were 5 teens in front of Sara Beth, 3 guys, 2 girls. And, while they taunted and ridiculed her, Sara Beth said nothing, just leaving her head bowed as the words hit her.

Tony had been raised as any Italian boy should- to respect his elders, treat others with respect, never stand down and to never, ever, let another be treated wrongly if you can change that. And Tony knew he could.

"Hey!" he yelled angrily, catching the attention of not only Sara and her tormentors, but half the hallway as well. Striding to her side, he touched Sara's arm and commanded, "Leave her alone!"

"Who the hell are you?" sneered one boy, who Tony would later learn was Doug Matthews, the leader of the little shits.

"Tony," he ground out through gritted teeth, eyes flashing with the Italian anger his family were so famous for but which he usually kept under control, "And you need to learn some manners. Were you never taught to 'Do unto others as you wish done to you'?"

"What are you, a priest?" cackled Terry Lee.

"Shut up, Lee," Sara commanded harshly, glaring at the young girl with what would, in years to come, be her most valuable weapon.

"Why-I!" she spluttered, quite unaccustomed to Sara Beth fighting back.

"Come on, T," Sara commanded as she turned from the small group, hooking her arm with his once more, "They're so not worth it."

And, though reluctant, Tony followed her lead, leaving behind a very stunned hallway.
XoXoXoXo

"Sara Beth!" Tony yelled out, months later, as he bounded up the steps of his best friend's foster home, shouting through the screen door, "You here Sabs?"

"Tony?" It was her voice, but it was odd- small and fearful, and loaded with tears. And, when she appeared in his sight, slightly obstructed through the screen, he could see that her face was marred by tear tracks and her eyes were puffy from crying.

"Sabby? Oh my Lord, what's wrong? Sabs, talk to me!" Tony demanded, swinging open the screen door without preamble to reach out for his friend.

With abandon, Sara launched herself into his arms, burying her head into his chest as she cried, great, heart wrenching sobs. Unsure what else to do, Tony held her close, smoothing his hand over her hair and pleading with her to tell him what was wrong.

Finally, her tears slowed, until, eventually they stopped. Arms still around her, Tony led her to the couch, their footsteps and her sniffling loud in the empty house. Still holding her against his chest, Tony once more asked her what was wrong.

Sniffling, she said, "They took me to the doctor today."

When she said no more, he murmured, "I didn't know you were sick, Sabs."

"I-I…It's bad, T, really bad," she whispered brokenly, burying her head once more into his chest, until, voice heavy and muffled, she answered, "I have cancer."

"What?" Tony half-yelled, disbelieving, as he pulled her away from his chest to stare into her eyes. "No, Sabby, no. You can't! We're only 17!"

"I'm going to die, Tony," Sara sobbed in answer, sobbing quietly.

"No! No!" Tony denied vehemently, pulling her roughly against him as the tears poured down his own cheeks, "You can't! You can't leave me Sabby!"

"I don't want to die T," she whispered pitifully against his neck, her tears wetting his skin.

"But-the treatments. They can save you, can't they?" He asked, pulling her back again to stare into her face once more, desperately repeating, "Can't they?"

"Maybe," Sara Beth answered softly, "But it's not likely."

"Faith, Sara Beth, we must have Faith and hope." Tony said softly, "And each other. I'll be with you, Sabs, until the day you're better!"
XoXoXoXo

Tony kept his promise dutifully. He stayed with Sara every day, through all the treatments. When her cancer became so bad she couldn't leave the hospital, he stayed there with her, sleeping in the bed alongside her.

When she lost her hair, he shaved off his own, joking that they were now two peas in a pod. Every week he brightened her room with flowers and drawings from his little sister and brothers. He charmed the nurses into letting him sneak Sara in some 'real' food.

And every day he brought his Faith and hope with him. He prayed at her bedside and lit candles in the churches. His family, too, prayed for her safe recovery. And, at their graduation, he danced her about the floor with all the tenderness of a big brother.

The doctors could not fathom how she'd overcome her cancer. She'd been almost dead before her body had finally, finally, started reacting to the treatments, and it only took her three months before she was ready to return to her home- well, Tony's house actually.

And, despite even this miracle, she was soon off to Harvard, gaining her degree much quicker than others. Meanwhile, Tony went to a police academy and launched himself into his new career.

Everyone, from the doctors, other patients and even Sara Beth herself, believed that it was Tony, and his undying Faith, hope, and love, that had saved her.
XoXoXoXo
Present Day

Sara felt Nick's arms wrap around her as she cried. Across the room, Gibbs stared at her silently.

"Okay," he said finally, his own arms wrapped around Abby who was, also, crying, "We'll all find them."
XoXoXoXo