Hey there :) Here's the next chapter, I hope you'd like it. There's only one left, but I'm still writing it so you'll probbaly have to wait a few days more than usually. I'll try to give that story a proper ending :)

A huge hug to my Beta (HUG)

I own nothing ;(

Chapter 8

A new beginning

After the confrontation with his boss Tony went down into Gibbs' basement. It was a little after 7.30 and there was almost an hour until the doctor arrived. An hour which Tony could have spent in searching for Bobby, not stuck in Gibbs' house. The young agent took the sandpaper which was on the table and began sanding his boss' boat. Huh, this really helps, he thought as he methodically stroked with the grain. After ten minutes he felt extremely tired, dropping the now dusty paper on the nearby bench. Tony hadn't expected that such a simple activity would consume so much energy.

Sitting on the nearest step he remembered how many times he had been there, trying to overcome some of his constant problems. Idly looking around the room his eyes spotted a bottle of bourbon and immediately the only thing in his head was grabbing that bottle and forgetting all his problems one more time. He stood up and went to the desk where the bottle was laying, tempting him. Putting a hand on the cool glass Tony recalled the events from the previous night. "…You have a family…" These words were now echoing in his head, making him get angrier.

"GO TO THE HELL!" he yelled, throwing the bottle to shatter on the other side of the room, broken in a thousand pieces.

"Tony, are you all right?" Gibbs yelled, running to the basement. Pausing at the bottom of the steps, he could see Tony standing near his desk; the young man was shaking. Then the lead agent spotted the broken bottle and sighed before making his way over. "Hey, that's ok, come on." Gibbs gently guided Tony over to sit back down on the step.

"Sorry, boss," the SFA muttered.

"Never apologize, Dinozzo. It's a sign of weakness."

"Yeah, I know, boss. I just…" Tony hesitated, "…I was about to drink that… to use the only way I know to forget, but… I couldn't, boss."

"I see that, Tony. And I'm proud of you."

"But what if I'm not so strong the next time?"

"You will be, son. You can handle this. Besides, I'll get rid of all the alcohol in the house."

"What about if it's too late? What about if I can't stay sober for a long time? I don't want to be a drunk, boss."

"You're not, Tony. And if you finally allow us to help you, you never will be." Saying this, Gibbs stood up followed by Tony. The older man took a look at his agent and noticed that his expensive clothes were all covered in dust. "Dinozzo…" Gibbs head slapped him, "…did you touch my boat?"

"Actually yes, boss. Sanding it really helps," Tony grinned.

"If you touch it one more time you'll be the one doing all the paperwork for a month. You got that?"

Tony nodded.

"Ok then. Now, go and change. Dr. Hills is going to be here in 15 minutes."

Xxx

Back in the office, McGee and Ziva were trying to figure out where Bobby could have gone. Unfortunately all their ideas and leads ended with no success.

"McGee, we must come up with something, soon." Ziva said looking at her watch. "Gibbs is going to be here any minute and I suspect he will be pissed off."

"You still think the meeting will not be successful, don't you?" McGee questioned, reading some files.

"Well, there's one thing Tony and I share and it's the fact that we both hate crazy doctors," Ziva hissed looking at her watch again.

After a few more minutes of silence, staring at the monitor, McGee's facial expression suddenly changed from frustration to hope.

"Hey, I think I've just found something," he announced. "Look…" he turned on the plasma, "…a video camera has pictured Bobby taking a bus, last night."

"Can you figure out which bus exactly?"

"Of course I can. Just wait a second." McGee typed the bus number in some kind of data base, clicked his computer mouse a few times and in the next moment there was a schedule on the screen.

"So, the boy is in Arlington?"

"It seems yes."

"But why? He has no relatives or acquaintances there."

"Actually, Ziva, I have an idea. Let me check." McGee hurried off and entered the elevator, heading towards Abby.

Xxx

After changing his clothes Tony reluctantly went to the living room to join his boss already sitting there. Barely had he made two steps in when he heard the doorbell ringing. Gibbs silently stood up and opened the door to greet his guests.

"Ah, Jethro, please allow me to introduce you to my friend, doctor Derek Hills." Ducky nodded towards a silver haired man in his fifties with a friendly smile on his face. "Derek, this is agent Jethro Gibbs of the NCIS."

"Nice to meet you, agent Gibbs," the doctor shook Gibbs' hand.

"Nice to meet you too, doc." The lead agent gave Hills one of his rare smiles. It seemed he had liked this man the moment he saw him. Gibbs made two steps back allowing Ducky and his friend to enter the house and then led them into the living room.

"This must be agent Dinozzo," the doctor smiled upon seeing the tall sandy haired man anxiously pacing the room.

"Correct! You win ten points, doc." Tony said with a not so friendly tone.

"Anthony, this is Dr. Derek Hills, he's an old friend of mine." Ducky presented the other man. "Now, if you'll excuse us, Jethro and I have a little bit of work to do." Both men had barely turned to leave when Derek stopped them.

"Actually, I prefer you to stay," he said. "If Anthony doesn't mind, of course."

"As you wish." The young agent shrugged his shoulders. "You'll tell them everything so it doesn't matter to me if they stay or not… And please, doc, call me Tony."

"Actually Tony, anything which you tell me will be held in the strictest confidence, if you do not wish anybody else to be here that is fine. They will never hear what you say to me. The reason why I asked them to stay is that in certain cases it is sometimes best to let those closest to you know what is happening with you and why. The choice is yours."

Tony stared at the carpet while the men patiently waited.

"They can stay."

"Very well," Dr. Hills smiled as he took a seat and gestured to Tony to sit opposite him. Ducky and Gibbs settled close by. "Why don't you start from the beginning," he said while taking a more comfortable position.

"Well, I was going to the coffee shop when some crazy man stopped me, telling me I was someone from his high school, someone named Greg. In the next moment there was something that was covering my mouth. When I woke up I was laying on a dirty floor…"

"Ok, agent Dinozzo, but I mean for you to start from the moment you did what you did in high school."

"Oh… it was long ago. I don't remember very well and…" the rest of his sentence was cut off by Gibbs and a head slap.

"Don't lie, Dinozzo. We both know that you remember."

"Right, boss, I remember…unfortunately." Tony suddenly changed his voice, thousands of flashbacks in his head; the same ugly things which he remembered while being held by Morris.

"Tony, tell us what happened," Hills encouraged him.

"We… we decided to joke with Morris. We took him home, tied him to his parent's bed and painted this fucking symbol on his arm…" He stopped and touched his own shoulder. "…It seems that our joke did a lot of harm…but it wasn't supposed to end like that." Tony shook his head, a tear of regret trailed down his cheek and the young man hid his face with his hands.

"Tony, look at me." The doctor said lifting Tony's chin. "It's high time you stopped hiding and face the truth. You did what you did and this cannot be changed. I won't say you must forget but you should learn how to live with it. From what Ducky said to me about you I judge that you're a really intelligent young man who has had to deal with many bad things in his history. I know that you don't like talking about these bad moments but I think you should to let them go."

"But, doc… I can't." Tony mumbled.

"I think you're just scared to reveal all your secrets. It will be good to remove that mask you're hiding behind from time to time. You should let the people see the real you, not only the surface."

"I've told that to myself so many times, but it doesn't work very well in practice. The last time I was me a lot of people got hurt."

"You mean Jeanne?" Gibbs asked. He had been staying quietly in the corner 'til that moment.

Tony only nodded.

"Look, I have an idea." Hills started again, he could tell that though this was a good opening but the agent needed time. "You visit me twice a week, let's say on Monday and Friday, and we can talk about everything and anything you want, and I promise you that I won't say a word to Ducky or your boss unless you want. Deal?"

Tony stood motionless for a moment, thinking about the offer. "Deal." He nodded.

"Good" Dr. Hills stood, "I'll be waiting for you on Monday at 6.00 pm. And don't skip our appointment or I'll come here." The Doctor grinned, a mischievous smile on his face.

Xxx

After the meeting Tony, Gibbs and Ducky went to NCIS. The ride in Gibbs' car was silent and for the lead agent it seemed like they had been driving for ages. Finally the elevator doors opened and he and his SFA stepped out, leaving Ducky who pushed another button and went to his autopsy room.

"What do we have?" Tony asked Ziva, hoping for something that could help them.

"Well, actually we found something," she answered, her eyes taking in how tired and worn Tony looked.

"Ok, tell me what."

"I don't know."

"You don't know?" Gibbs barked, confused.

"Yes."

"David, I don't have time for games." Gibbs' patience was reaching its highest level. At that moment the elevator doors opened and McGee ran to them.

"Boss, Bobby is in Arlington," he announced

"I was about to tell you the same thing," Ziva said annoyed.

"And I've just found out why," McGee continued. "Bobby's grandmother used to live there." He moved over to his computer terminal to access more files.

"I thought he didn't have any living relatives," Tony questioned.

"This is his blood grandmother. Peterson's mother… Oh…"

"What 'oh', McGee?" Ziva asked.

"She's dead. Murdered 2 weeks ago. The case is identical to Carter's. I think I know who did it, boss."

"So do I, McGee," Gibbs replied.

"I'm going to Arlington," Tony stated quietly.

"Dinozzo, local PD will pick him up. He'll be here in half an hour." Gibbs tried to stop him.

"That wasn't a question, boss, I'm going. Bobby must be terrified and finding that the last person in his family is dead won't help him. I'm going." Tony had already grabbed his keys, badge and gun and was waiting for the elevator.

"Dinozzo!" Gibbs barked. "You're not going anywhere alone. McGee, David, grab your gear!"

Xxx

"The four agents had been traveling for nearly 15 minutes, and with Gibbs behind the steering wheel they were almost in Arlington.

"What's the address, McGoo?" Tony asked, looking at his GPS. McGee gave him the exact location and the SFA typed it in to find the house.

"Boss, you should take the next left turn. It's the third house in that alley."

Despite of the fact that McGee had informed the local police about the boy 45 minutes ago the agents were the first to arrive. Tony was out fast, moving towards the front door and first to see Bobby sitting on the steps. Besides being tired, hair messy and pale faced, the boy looked pretty good. The SFA slowed so he wouldn't spook him and crouched in front of the boy.

"Hey," he said, smiling. Usually he wasn't very good with children but something in this one made him feel more comfortable, self-confident. "I'm very special agent Anthony Dinozzo and I work for NCIS," he grinned. "Do you know what that is?"

"Naval Criminal Investigative Service," Bobby answered carefully, clearly wondering what was going on. "My father… my stepfather told me about NCIS."

"You're a smart boy," Gibbs said, messing the boy's hair more.

"This is my boss, special agent Gibbs," Tony presented the lead agent.

"He's your boss but you're the very special one?" Bobby wondered, visibly confused.

These words made both Gibbs and Tony laugh loudly.

"It's complicated," Tony added. "Meet my probie – agent McGee - and the real probie – agent David." Tony nodded towards the other members of the team. "Look, Bobby, we're here to help you. We know everything about your dad and the bad man who kidnapped you. You're safe now."

"But I want to meet my grandmother," the boy cried. "The… the bad guy told me about my real father. He said that my grandmother was trying to find me too."

"You can't, Bobby. Look, the bad man found your grandmother and…uh…"

"He killed her." The kid finished Tony's sentence. "Because of me," he mumbled.

"Hey, kid, it's not your fault. Your father, he just… uh… messed with the wrong people, and you, your stepfather and grandmother had to pay the price. But he still loves you…C'mon, let's go."

"But I have nowhere to go." Bobby sobbed once again.

"You're coming with me. It's Friday, so social services will appear in two days. Actually I'm staying in his house," Tony pointed at Gibbs, who was talking on the phone. "He's a good guy, you'll like him; he has a boat in his basement."

"But you're a stranger. Plus, you don't even know me, why are you trying to help me?"

"Yeah, good point. I think I just see someone I know in you. You don't have to stay with me, if you want I'll contact social services now. I know some people there who can take care of you until Monday." Tony looked really disappointed while saying that.

"I like you," Bobby admitted. "I'll stay with you."

Xxx

Back in NCIS the four agents and Bobby had just returned to the bullpen when someone with black clothes and makeup gave Tony a huge, tight hug. If there hadn't been Gibbs to steady him Tony would certainly have fallen.

"Easy, Abs." Gibbs smiled at the goth.

"Sorry, Tony, I'm just so glad you're better and… oh, you must be Bobby," Abby had just seen the little boy standing behind Ziva.

"Bobby, meet my friend, Abby. She's a forensics expert. I know she looks scary but believe me she's not," Tony explained and Abby crouched down to face the kid. His green eyes and smile reminded her of Tony.

"Abs, why don't you find our little friend something to eat and a cup of juice? I'll meet you in Ducky's… uh… office in half an hour." Gibbs said with an unusual mild tone, the one he kept for children.

"No problem, boss-man. Come on, I'll show you my friends in the lab." Abby and Bobby both disappeared in the elevator.

"What are you doing, Dinozzo?" Gibbs changed his voice and glared at Tony.

"Boss, we can't leave him with social services. Do you know what happens with children like him?"

"Yeah, Tony, I know. But you can't just take a boy into my home and take care of him."

"Oh, I see the problem. Ok, then we're going to my apartment," Tony answered, furious.

"I didn't mean that. You both can stay. But, Tony, you'll have to deal with social services, it doesn't matter if you like it or not. Those are the rules."

"I know, boss. I think I can come up with some solution 'til Monday. I… I just have to think a little bit. There has to be something I can do."

"You're not alone, Dinozzo, you know that. We all will think of something."

Xxx

"Hey Bobby, do you like Chinese? I ordered some for lunch but I haven't had a chance to eat it." Abby asked the boy while they were both on their way to the cafeteria.

"Really? I love it. My… my daddy cooks… cooked Chinese. It's pretty tasty," Bobby answered. It seemed Tony was right – Abby wasn't scary at all. In his opinion the goth was kind, funny, and a little strange, but he liked her. "Abby, can I ask you something?"

"Of course you can, kid."

"Is… is it true that my dad… well you know, that he isn't exactly my dad. I mean, this guy, Gibbs, told me that I have another father, but he claims it's complicated."

"Look, sweetie…" Abby began explaining, handing the boy a cup of orange juice. "…it's not important who your biological father is but what your heart tells you. According to me, a father can be only the man who loves and cares for you."

"I...I think so too." Bobby admitted. " Even though my stepdad used to beat me I know he loved me. But the things were hard…since mum died. But, Abby, what if my real dad wants to take me with him now? I don't want to be with him…they died because of him. I…I don't want to go with this man." The wide, green eyes were shining, full of tears."

"You don't have to…Look, this is my card, you can call me whenever you need." Abby thrust her hand into her pocket and then handed it to the scared little boy."

"You have a weird name." Bobby announced, grinning. Abby blinked at the sudden change of topic and apparent emotional turnaround. It was so familiar she had to remind herself that it was a young boy in front of her and not a full grown man.

"Hey, it's rude to tell somebody something like that."

"Sorry… It's just funny."

"Don't worry kiddo. I know someone that thinks so too," Abby confessed.

"Who?"

"Uh… it's Tony. He has a huge sense of humor."

"Abby, can I ask you one more thing?"

"Now's the right time, ask whatever you want."

"Your friend, agent Dinozzo, he said I remind him of someone. Do you know… uh… who I remind him of?"

"I think he was talking about himself. But I can't tell you more, you should ask him."

"Please, I won't tell anyone." Bobby pleaded. Once she heard his little voice and saw his sincere eyes Abby couldn't resist but still hesitated in answering. "I promise," he added.

"Ok, here is the short version. Agent Dinozzo had a tough childhood, just like you have. Moreover, a really bad guy kidnapped him some time ago."

"Like me?"

"Yeah, like you. He's been having a not so good time since then. Sorry kid, that's all I can tell you.

Xxx

"Duck, how's our little friend?" Gibbs asked the ME, messing Bobby's now clean hair. Before Abby and the kid went to the autopsy room, the goth had helped him to change his clothes with some she had in her lab. Why she had them, no one was really sure.

"Oh, he seems pretty well, Jethro. Despite having some scars he is in perfect condition. You're such a brave boy, my lad," he said gently to Bobby. "Jethro, can you… um help me?" the ME asked, wanting to meet Gibbs in a more private place. Taking a few steps outside they both moved so they were standing outside the autopsy room next to the elevator.

"What's going on, Duck?"

"Well, I was wondering what's up in Anthony's mind.

"Honestly, Duck, I have no idea. I'm a little concerned about Dinozzo. He seems to be obsessed with the boy."

"It's not so strange, my friend, these two have so much in common. They share almost identical experiences so I'm not surprised that our Anthony sees himself in the boy. Actually, I think Bobby is a young version of our agent. I wouldn't be surprised if Tony were to reveal some things to the child instead of Dr. Hills."

"Maybe you're right, but what will happen when social services takes Bobby away? I don't think Dinozzo would be able to bear one more hole in his soul."

"I hope not, Jethro. For Anthony's sake, I hope not.

Xxx

In the late afternoon Gibbs, Tony and Bobby left NCIS and went to Gibbs' house. The other team members had insisted on going with them but the lead agent had refused. Honestly, all he wanted was a little bit of quiet time alone with his boat.

"Dinozzo, I'm in the basement, call me if you need me." Gibbs announced after dinner.

"What is he doing down there?" Bobby wondered, looking at Tony.

"Boss is building a boat down there," Tony explained as he cleared up the dishes.

"A boat? But how will he bring it to the ocean?"

"Well kiddo, that's the big question. There are some interesting theories about that. I've a bet for $50 that his boat will never be in the water. Abby says that boss has a secret gate in his basement and he will use it to take the boat out. Ziva claims that the roof can be removed and a chopper will carry it to the ocean. McFear and Ducky refused to bet with us."

"I like the idea with the roof more… Maybe a UFO can help your boss instead of the chopper." Bobby smirked, finishing his ice-cream.

"Come on, it's bed time."

Xxx

"Are you ready for bed?" Tony asked after knocking on the bathroom door. He had taken a set of Kelly's old pajamas and given it to the boy. Even though they had been for a girl, Bobby didn't seem to mind using them for a while. He'd gratefully taken the sleeping clothes and gone to the bathroom to brush his teeth. After waiting for a short time, which seemed like ages for the tired agent, he'd decided to check on the kid. "HEY BUDDY, YOU OK IN THERE?" After not receiving any answer to his first question he'd yelled, making sure that Bobby was able to hear him.

"Yeah." Tony finally heard a diffident answer, then a click as the door opened and the boy came out.

"What's bothering you?" the agent asked.

"I…I'm just a little scared of sleeping alone in the room," Bobby confessed embarrassed.

"Do you want me stay in your room?"

"No…Yes."

"Hey…" the agent smiled, "…I'm scared of the dark too, so there's nothing you have to be embarrassed about. C'mon, let's get some sleep."

"You know what agent Dinozzo…uh, Tony? This reminds me of my favorite movie. Me and daddy used to watch it every 4th of July."

After those words Tony's face lit up with a sincere, huge smile that hadn't been seen since the kidnapping. "I love this kid," the agent said to himself.

Xxx

As promised Tony slept in Bobby's room. Though squished rather awkwardly in the too small armchair, the moment he settled down the agent felt asleep. As usual his dream wasn't about good things. Once again Tony was back in the dark place, tied to a pipe, with Morris.

"Now, it's time for you to keep your part of the deal, Anthony. I gave you your water, now I want something too." Tony could see the satisfied face of Morris, while he was stepping closer to him, removing his jeans' belt.

Then his nightmare was exchanged with another one.

He was lying on the dirty, bloody, stinking floor. Morris had taken what he wanted, then left the humiliated agent there alone. All that Tony wanted in that particular moment was someone to end his suffering, his life. He had given up, there was no hope that someone would find him. Moreover he wasn't sure if he wanted to be safe, not after all the shame

"NO…NO…NO…" the agent was pleading loudly over and over. Terrified, a trembling Bobby stood by his chair not sure what to do. The yelling had woken him up from his own unsettled sleep only to find the strong, handsome agent, who had saved him, was so vulnerable now. Before he could do anything the door opened and the other agent rushed in. Tony's yelling had woken Gibbs too.

"Tony," the lead agent rubbed the younger man's arm, inadvertently causing more pain for the SFA. Gibbs had entirely forgotten about the curved symbol carved into his skin. Once aware of his mistake, he pulled back his hand and reverted to what he knew would work. "Hey, Dinozzo!" Gibbs barked. Only a second later Tony's eyes opened widely. It took him one more minute to come back to reality entirely.

"Sorry, boss," he apologized quickly, voice still blurred by sleep, and then he saw Bobby's scared face. Honestly, both agents had forgotten about the boy for a couple of minutes. "Hell!' he thought. "Hey, buddy, sorry about that. I didn't mean to scare you. It's just… a nightmare."

"Dinozzo, if you're okay, I'm going to bed again." Gibbs announced, trying to give Bobby and Tony some privacy. If it wasn't for the kid, the lead agent would have stayed there for the rest of the night.

"Sure, boss. Sorry for waking you." A second after the door was closed Tony stood up and sat on the edge of the bed, wrapping the little boy in a gentle hug.

"Tony, can I ask you something?" Bobby whispered, still shocked.

"Sure."

"What…what happened to you?"

Tony didn't answer for a while. He wasn't prepared for that kind of question; he could never be. But there was something in the child, something that they both shared, besides being both kidnapped, and that thing was strong. Almost against his will, he found himself revealing his worst nightmares to a 7-year-old boy.

"I was kidnapped, by… by a bad man. Look, when I was in high school me and some friends of mine did… let's say we did a very, very bad thing, to a boy who was in our class. It was supposed to be just a simple joke, but it ended badly. Now this boy is a grown man, looking for revenge. He…" a tear dropped from the strong, handsome agent's eyes. Finally, he was saying things that neither Gibbs, nor Dr. Hills, could make him admit. The emotions in his head were like a powerful wave finally reaching the shore.

On the other side of the door, Gibbs was listening carefully. He didn't mean to overhear, but when he started opening the door, just to ask Tony if he needed anything, the lead agent sensed something was up. He was glad that the young man, who was like a son to him, had finally started to open up.

"…he killed my friends and kidnapped me, tortured me. I think his plan was to kill me too, or to make me kill myself. To be honest, Bobby, he almost succeeded, I was about to accomplish his plan. I was laying there, hopeless, helpless, trying to imagine the look on my friend's faces when they found out what I had done, when they saw me there, all… injured…" Tony paused in his confession. "Do you believe in angels?".

"I…I think so." Bobby answered, his eyes starting to fill with tears. "I believe I have two of them now. Since mummy died she has been my guardian angel. While I was with the bad guy… my bad guy, I could hear her saying that I would be ok and I believed her. If it wasn't for my mom I wouldn't have escaped. Now, I think that both she and daddy will protect me. Do you have one?"

"Yeah… I think I have one, an old friend of mine. When I was about to die, she was the one who didn't allow me to, who inspired me to live. Kate was a really good person, but I… I let her down, like everyone around me. I was supposed to protect her but… she died, and I couldn't do anything."

There was a moment of silence, both Tony and Bobby thinking about the people they loved, remembering them. On the other side of the door Gibbs was staying still. This was one of the rare moments in his life when he didn't know what to do. On the one hand the lead agent didn't want to interrupt Tony, knowing that his presence would end the SFA's honesty, but on the other one, he wanted to go in, to make him understand that Kate's death wasn't his fault. His friends didn't died because of him, no matter what he thought. Unaccustomed indecision froze him and all he could do was stand there, motionless, and listen.

"Tony, I don't think that your friends died because of you. I don't think that your friends think so either. You're a really good man." Bobby looked up at him with absolute trust and faith.

The agent only smiled, ending the conversation. Tony didn't know why, but he believed the boy. That night, he finally realized something. There was no way for him to change the past, if he was guilty or not, but the new day was offering him a new life. A life that could be either better or worse and its direction depended only on him. In that moment he much regretted that he had chosen the bad way and promised himself that when he woke up in the morning he would start over. It may never be completely gone, but agent Anthony Dinozzo felt a weight ease off his mind.

xxx

I'm looking forward to reading your review, I really need then right now. The more of them I read the more inspired I am :)

Thanks to all who read my story (hug)