I know I've been naughty and not updated, sorry, the new ward has been very interesting, I have been able to go to theatres and watch some surgery, it's really interesting. And I have been able to see people go home all healthy, it's a very good feeling that I've helped even just a little. Anyway, on with the story. Enjoy!

Chapter 7

"He might not have done it." Though Tony didn't know who he was trying to convince.

Gibbs tried to take stock of his Agent while keeping his eyes on the road, but found that Tony had shut himself off. And Gibbs didn't think that it was a good thing, not at all.

Gibbs stayed silent, conveying what he thought clearly through a single look.

"But you don't believe in consequences." And Tony's voice showed the first bit of emotion Gibbs had heard since they had left the office. Dejection. But then, deep down, he couldn't say that he didn't feel the same.

"Why would anyone do that, boss?"

But before Gibbs could answer they were at their destination. Looking at where they found themselves, they wondered in abject shock at the surroundings.

Tall trees bordered the road, only splitting where driveways were. White fences stood around perfectly mowed lawns, houses bright with light paint and sounds of innocence. The shining sun was making everything far too dazzling for the Agents leaving the car. It was as if the picturesque scene was there to torment them, shoved harshly into their faces, poring salt on wounds that hadn't healed.

Tony's heart tore at what could have been and Gibbs' tore at what had been, but could never be again.

Just what the hell was happening here?

They both checked the address again before continuing and only stopped when they saw the man in question walk out of the door of the address they'd been given.

A smiling women kissed the man, a child clung to his leg, not wanting him to go away. Needing him to stay. They watched in wonder at this new information.

Did he have a second life? Is this where he went when the neighbours had seen him leave? Had he actually loved the women who had been so brutally murdered with this man's own hands? Or had he just witnessed it and ran here because there was innocence here?

Children laughed and ran between the tall trees, some riding bikes or kicking a ball around, completely unaware of how cruel the world could be. Both Agents could only hope that the man in question wouldn't resist, would just come quietly so they didn't have to destroy childrens' security and safety

And when the man looked at them they knew that he wasn't going to come quietly.

A bitter breeze rolled in momentarily and both Agents knew that everything was about to go to hell. Both agents tensed, ready to do what was needed. But surprise had made their reactions slower than normal.

As soon as the child and women had gone back into the house, he stood still, waiting for them to get closer, letting them think that he was going to come quietly. A look of serenity which matched the atmosphere, upon his face.

And they believed it because they didn't think that a family man would do anything in front of children. Not with what looked like his own child just behind a closed door.

Having seen all kinds of horrid things couldn't stop them from wanting to believe that he wouldn't do anything. But taking the time to think about it would prove to be their worst mistake to date.

Shots of a gun shattered the mid-afternoon calm.

Birds flew scared out of trees.

Dogs barked and young children, who had been running around carefree, screamed in terror.

When everything had settled down all was silent.

Splinters of wood lay across the once unblemished varnished floor boards of the porch. Blood splattered the flagstones and grass of the front garden. The Agency car was scattered with holes from weapons fire.

Gibbs didn't remember falling to the ground or ducking so when he could see what was happening through the haze he was surprised by what he saw.

The husband had a gun pointed to his own head, a tired and pale looking Tony was struggling to keep said weapon away from the man's head. Gibbs didn't know what to say, or what had exactly happened. When the buzz in his ears had gone was when he picked up the conversation that the two men were having in front of him.

"Don't do it." Tony's voice was firm.

"I'll only go to prison anyway!" The man screamed.

"Why did you do it?" Tony's voice seemed to waver and Gibbs tried to get a closer look at his Agent. Something wasn't right.

"It was an accident, I didn't mean to kill her, I loved her!"

Before Tony could give the guy a piece of his mind he heard a child scream from the door way of the house.

"Daddy!" Tears were running down the little girls face, her eyes red from crying.

That was when Gibbs stepped in and ripped the gun out of the man's hands, dragged him up and away from the house and deposited him in the back of their car.

When the prisoner was secure in the car, Gibbs went back over to his Agent. The girl that had run out crying had been taken back inside by who he guessed to be her mother and they both watched from the window. This was going to be a nightmare.

Stepping up to his Agent, he realised that most of Tony's body had been facing away from him the whole time. So when he got closer, the pale features and shocked eyes weren't the only things he saw.

x-X-x

Tony's mind was fuzzy, one moment the bad guy had been under him, gun pointed at his own head in front of his own house by the looks of it then the girl had come out and his position had changed in a split second. Now he was looking at his own bloody hands wondering what was going on.

Someone touched his shoulder and he jumped. Gibbs was suddenly beside him looking...Scared?

Gibbs never got scared. What had happened to scare him so much?

"You okay, boss?" Though Tony couldn't for the life of him figure out what had just happened or why his mind was so foggy. He saw Gibbs say something but couldn't hear the words.

Then Gibbs shook him a little and the ringing in his ears that had appeared died down to a low hum.

"Tony?" Tony heard him but had trouble really focusing on him.

x-X-x

The arm that Gibbs hadn't been able to see from his previous angle hung limply at the younger man's side, blood trickled downwards towards the wrists and dripped off Tony's fingers.

"Tony? What happened?" But Gibbs knew that Tony hadn't heard him. His last resort was to shake him after calling for some backup.

He needed to look after his Agent now.

"Tony?" Gibbs at least could see that Tony had heard him but he could also see that it was with great effort that the younger man could even look momentarily at him. The younger man was in shock and Gibbs knew he had to do something before the ambulances got here.

"Tony." Gibbs' voice was firm and got a small response. "What happened?" He asked as he covered Tony with his jacket and placed his hand on the wound to create some kind of pressure to stop the blood. If he kept him focused then maybe he'd shake himself out of it.

"I couldn't let you get hurt because of my mistake, I let my guard down." Tony's voice was small and almost scared, as if Gibbs was going to yell at him.

Gibbs couldn't follow for a moment until he realised that he hadn't been hurt because he'd ended up on the ground. Tony must have pushed him out of harm's way and been hurt instead. And Gibbs was damned if he was going to let the kid take the blame for it completely. They had both made the same mistake but Gibbs himself should have known better having dealt with a lot more situations like this than Tony had. Gibbs tapped him lightly on the head and tried to reassure the younger man.

"Hey, I let my guard down too, it wasn't your fault."

But the odd look that Gibbs got in return told him that Tony believe with all his heart that it had been all his fault. And it was going to take Tony a long time to believe it. And not for the first time Gibbs wished that he could meet the people who had made him believe things that just weren't true.

Tony remained awake until the ambulance arrived and all the way to the hospital but without saying a word, or looking at Gibbs.

Gibbs couldn't help but wonder if Tony was hiding something else from him...

TBC

Woo, another chapter, hoped you all liked it. This story doesn't have much left in it but i do actually have a follow on idea kind of hehe i just need to work out the details. Anyway, please review!