Kate, McGee, and Ziva sat at their desks frozen as they listened in on Gibbs's conversation he was whispering so they couldn't really hear it but he sounded upset and his body was tense.
"What do you think is going on?" Kate whispered.
"I don't know I have never seen him this upset unless it has something to do with Kelly you know her birthday or something." McGee whispered.
"I don't think it involves Kelly perhaps a child got killed." Ziva whispered.
"No he hung up the office phone then called another number on his personal cellphone he never does that for cases." McGee whispered.
Gibbs hung up the phone and faced the team.
"Guys I…I have to go Jimmy called Tony is missing." Gibbs said sadly.
"Do…do you need us to come with you and investigate?" McGee asked.
"Not yet we are only involving the local police for now just in case he is hiding somewhere in the house or just wandering around the neighborhood. If we don't find him in the next couple hours with Metro we will call you in." Gibbs said.
Gibbs rushed out of the bullpen and challenged his own driving to his home. When he got there he found Jimmy on the porch talking to the police. Just as Gibbs was getting out of the car Shannon sped into the driveway. Gibbs was shocked Shannon's form of driving like a maniac was five over the limit. Shannon burst out of the car. Gibbs immediately followed.
"Where is he?! Where is my son?!" Shannon yelled.
"You've got two seconds to explain yourself Palmer!" Gibbs yelled.
"Sir, Mam I need you to calm down we are speaking to James here it will be fine." One of the cops assured.
"NCIS Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs" Gibbs introduced himself.
"Dr. Shannon Gibbs" Shannon said.
"Officers Daniel Young and Ryan Higgins" Officer Young introduced himself and his partner.
"Go on James." Officer Higgins said.
"I was watching T.V. in the living room that way I could be attentive to all the kids I was watching two older boys whom I sent over to the neighbors when I realized Tony was gone and they wanted to play outside but Tony needed his nap.
Flashback
Jimmy was sitting on the Gibbs's couch he was watching Zach Harper, Kyle McGee, and Tony Gibbs. He was originally only supposed to have the two older boys but, at the last second Tony's regular sitter had an emergency so he had all three kids. He was glad Kayla McGee was in daycare. Usually the boys came over to his house but, since he had Tony as well the adults thought it would be best to leave the kids at the Gibbs residence since Tony felt most comfortable there.
He wished Maggie was here to keep him company he was pretty bored Tony was upstairs napping and Zach and Kyle were outside playing. He was in the living room because he could see and hear outside and hear Tony upstairs. His mind was wandering to Maggie at "Camp Recovery" which was a special camp for kids with military parents some were just military, some had parents deployed, and others had parents who had been injured or killed in action. Maggie had been going since she was a kid because Gibbs being an ex-Marine who had been wounded in the line of duty and his job as a naval cop made her eligible. She had gone every year since she was six except the year her dad got hurt working at NCIS that year she didn't want to do anything. He however would be going to "Camp Spirit" which was a camp for diabetic kids. Jimmy had hated when his uncle Ducky sent him there when he was ten and first diagnosed but, had loved volunteering at the last couple years. He thinks he mainly hated camp since that's where he had been when his parents died. Now as a teen it was easier to put the bad thoughts and memories in the back of his mind. Also it was an eye opening experience since many of the kids were way worse off than him. He was only a very mild diabetic and rarely really had to worry he took it seriously but, didn't have to stress. Some of the kids were like him, most were moderate and while they had to be more careful it was still not a big deal just part of their lives but, there were a few that were severe and could actually die from it.
Suddenly Jimmy was pulled from his thoughts by Kyle running in.
"We got the ball on the shed roof!" He yelled.
Jimmy didn't think much of it until he looked out the window and saw Zach trying to climb the ladder. He rushed out since he'd rather not have any kids hurt on his watch.
"What are you doing?"
"Kyle threw the stupid ball on the shed now I am getting it." Zach replied.
"No you are not I will get it. I don't want any injuries on my watch." Jimmy replied.
Jimmy climbed up the ladder shaking he really hated heights. He finally got the ball and climbed down the ladder. After that he decided the boys had had enough outdoor time and made them come in for lunch. He made sandwiches for everyone. Once he had finished and fed the older boys he went upstairs to get Tony except Tony was gone.
End Flashback
"When I didn't find him around the house I called you."
"OK son we have enough info from you we will scope the neighborhood and if we don't find him wandering we will" Officer Young explained.
"If we don't find him I will call my team and we will take over the search." Gibbs cut off.
"Deal" Officer Young replied.
It was evening when the cops had searched every nook and cranny of the Gibbs residence, not leaving a stone unturned in the neighborhood, and visiting every neighbor to see if they had found and brought in Tony even calling the station. They called in Team Gibbs it was officially a missing child and potential kidnapping place.
Tony was terrified one second he was asleep in his bed at Gibbs's house the next he was awake in this weird dark room. Tony had thought it was weird when he felt somebody carry him out of the house and put him in a car but, he thought it was just Gibbs taking him to a doctor's appointment or something. He looked around using the little amount of light in the room from a small overhead light. He realized he was alone except for a bench that was behind him. He tried to move but couldn't he looked back and saw something was connecting his arm to the bench. Suddenly the door opened and a strange man walked in.
"Oh hey I bet you wonder why you are here huh you little jerk?" The man asked.
"I want Gibbs!" Tony cried.
"Too bad it's your fault your daddy is in prison and now you have to suffer the way he will. You will be all grown up by the time you get out of here. Because you are going to serve your daddy's whole twenty one years in here this is your prison." The man explained.
The man left Tony alone in the room. Tony sat alone in the dark completely terrified. He didn't know how long twenty-one years was but, he knew it was a long time.
"Gibbs will find me he has to." Tony thought. "But what if he doesn't what if I never see Gibbs again.
"You are not to leave the bullpen or your lab except to use the bathroom until you find Tony! Got that?" Gibbs demanded it was night time now and the team was still not even close to finding Tony.
"What about Kyle and Kayla?" McGee asked.
"Ducky agreed to take them tonight." Gibbs explained.
"Can I go pump some extra milk for Kayla so Ducky has enough food for her for a while?" Abby asked.
"Well unless Ducky starts lactating I'd say that's a wise idea Abbs." Gibbs replied.
"Ha-ha my Uncle lactating." Jimmy giggled.
*THWAK* "Watch it Palmer! You already let my son get kidnapped!" Gibbs yelled.
"I said I was sorry." Jimmy replied.
"Hey go easy on the kid it was just a freak thing." McGee insisted.
"I DON'T CARE! MY BABY IS MISSING! I DON'T CARE ABOUT ANYTHING ELSE RIGHT NOW!" Gibbs yelled.
"Boss I think you need to go home and get some rest we will call you if we find anything." Kate replied.
"NOT IF WHEN! AND I AM NOT GOING ANYWHERE UNTIL YOU FIND MY BABY!" Gibbs barked.
"I'm afraid Agent Todd is right Jethro you are personally connected to the case and far too emotionally connected to it you being involved with the investigation is not good for the team, not good for you and certainly not fair or safe for Tony." Vance said coming down from his office to the bullpen. "Go home get some sleep be with Shannon I'm sure she is just as upset as you are."
"Oh alright" Gibbs sighed.
"No Maggie there is no need for you to come home from camp in fact if this is related to your dad's job you are far safer in the woods than you would be here." Shannon was saying into her cellphone as Gibbs walked through the door.
"Oh Jethro I am surprised you are home." She said looking at him.
"Yeah I got sent home. I think I'm gonna go to bed I am exhausted." Gibbs replied.
"OK go on can you say hi to Maggie real quick I wanted to call her at camp and let the camp know in case this is related to your job." Shannon explained.
"Oh God I didn't think of that!" Gibbs cried.
"Hey babe it's OK." Shannon assured.
Gibbs took the phone. "Hi Maggie everything will be fine we will call as soon as we hear anything and if need be we will send someone to the camp but, I don't think it will come to that." He told her. Gibbs handed Shannon her cellphone back and took out his own he sighed and dialed the number this was going to be rough but, he deserved to know.
"Hi dad"
"Hi Leroy is everything OK?"
"No dad it's not OK."
"What's wrong?"
"It's Tony he's missing I think he's been kidnapped."
"No Leroy please tell me this is just a sick joke."
"It's not dad he's really gone! My baby is gone!"
"Oh God Leroy I am so sorry."
"I can't go through this again."
"Leroy have faith you will find him."
Gibbs hung up his phone and him and Shannon went to bed for a restless and wasted night of sleep.
"FEDERAL AGENTS!" McGee yelled as they ran into the building.
He had been the Senior Agent for a year Gibbs had retired not long after his adoptive son Tony had disappeared twenty one years before. God the must be twenty five almost twenty six by now. McGee and everybody was sad they didn't get to see Tony grow up and Gibbs was completely devastated he had already lost his own daughter Kelly years ago. He just stormed out one day and never returned. McGee had heard that Maggie hadn't spoken to him or Jimmy Palmer who had been her boyfriend in years and that Shannon had left him. Kate had retired last year after she got shot at and couldn't handle it.
"Congratulations twenty one years you are free to go. Not that anyone will care about you." A man said unlocking a closet. McGee looked up and couldn't believe his sight it was Tony!
"Excuse me young man is your name Tony DiNozzo and were you taken in by an Agent Gibbs?" McGee asked.
Tony was shocked and a little scared he had been until that bastard kidnapped him. "Uh yes but this guy kidnapped me and locked me in here it's been twenty one years." He replied.
Gibbs was sitting alone in his basement his family was gone his eldest daughter was murdered over forty years ago, his adopted son had been kidnapped twenty one years ago today, his youngest daughter hadn't spoken to him or returned home in nineteen just after graduation, and his wife had had enough and left fifteen years ago. He heard a knock on the door, sighed, grabbed his cane, sat on the chair that carried him up and down the basement stairs and went to the door. He answered and saw his long lost son.
"TONY!" He cried
"GIBBS!" Tony cried.
Gibbs woke up with a start in a sweat.
"Jethro what's wrong?" Shannon asked.
"I had this dream Tony was gone for twenty one year's Maggie dumped Jimmy and stopped talking to me and you left." Gibbs said.
"Jethro it's OK it was just a dream." Shannon assured.
It was two in the morning when Gibbs got the call from McGee.
"Gibbs"
"I think we found him Boss."
"Tony?"
"Yes"
"OK tell me what ya got."
"We spoke to a neighbor of yours she responded to the BOLO she said the kidnapper had a white van with a bumper sticker for Tony's dad's company. She didn't even know it was Tony in the car she just thought it was another Caucasian toddler until she heard what happened. I put a BOLO out on the van and a man said it belonged to his neighbors."
"What's the address?"
"5364A Maple Brook Cove."
"I'll meet you there."
"Bye"
"Bye"
"What is it Jethro?" Shannon asked.
"I think they found Tony!" Gibbs cried.
Tony was sitting in the room. He didn't know how long he had been there he was terrified. What if he was in there for twenty-one years or forever? Suddenly he heard the door open. Was the man coming with more nasty water or the bathroom cup or was it another beating. He looked up and saw McGee, Kate, and Ziva.
"Hey you are OK." McGee whispered.
"Yeah we found you." Ziva added.
"You will be back with Gibbs soon." Kate assured.
McGee picked him up and carried him out of the closet.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" The man yelled.
"Who are you and why did you kidnap sweet little Tony?" Ziva asked.
"I am Raymond Lucas and I wanted that little piece of shit to suffer in jail like my best friend and his father." Lucas explained.
"Why he did nothing wrong?" Kate asked cuffing Lucas,
Kate and Ziva put Lucas in the Charger while McGee carried Tony to Gibbs's old pick-up truck.
"We found him Boss." He said.
Gibbs practically jumped out of the truck.
"Gibbs?" Tony asked.
"Yeah it's me Gibbs." Gibbs whispered pulling Tony into his arms.
"Gibbs how long was I gone? Was it twenty-one years?" Tony asked.
Gibbs was stunned his dream had meant something and the house looked just like the one in the dream.
"Are you OK Boss?" McGee asked.
"Yeah McGee I am fine." Gibbs whispered.
"No Tony you were gone far too long but not years just a few hours." Gibbs assured.
Gibbs carried Tony into the house. Shannon jumped out of the chair and screamed when she saw Tony.
"Yeah we found him. Shan we found him." Gibbs whispered.
"I…I have to call Maggie." Shannon said.
"Gibbs can I sleep with you and Shannie? Cos last time I went to sleep in my bed I was taken?" Tony asked.
"Of course anytime you want Tony." Gibbs assured.
Gibbs took out his cell and called his dad.
"Leroy are you OK?"
"Yeah dad I'm great."
"How Tony is missing?"
"We found him dad we found him."
"That's great son."
Gibbs hung up the phone and went back to his family. He placed Tony between him and Shannon in the bed and the two of them curled up close to their son.
