Chapter 8

Tony felt an indescribable type of sadness when he entered the upscale hotel room that had been signed out under his father's name. The walls that were painted yellow and were once bright and happy seemed dim. Visitors after now would have no idea what had occurred here, they'd go about cheating on their wives or talking on their Bluetooth cell phone devices on their way to business meetings. They'd never stop and think that a man had been murdered in this room. A man Tony knew. A man Sarah knew. The aura in the room was morose, but there was something more in the air. Sadness, relief, anger, desperation, Tony couldn't describe it even if he tried.

The white plastic phone was smeared in a bloody handprint. The carpet probably permanently stained and would have to be replaced, soaked through with the red liquid. Tony circled the crime scene, stone cold look, eyes cast down at the stain where his father had bled out. Years before, in his childhood he'd have given anything to see this. He had craved it even wished for it. Now though, now that it was a reality his throat sank into his stomach. He'd just started to get along with the man, there were so many things, so many moments they'd needed to catch up on and now they never could. Tony could hear his heart in his ears.

"Tony," Sarah stepped forward, but quickly found herself retreating. There was nothing she could say. "Tony."

Tony couldn't answer her. His words caught in his throat. He bent down and touched his glove covered fingers to the blood stain. He pulled them back immediately as if there was an electric charge attached to it. Sarah placed a hand on Tony's shoulder and he looked up at her. Her eyes had always had a way of making Tony forget anything bad, not this time, but they were simply comforting and that he was grateful for. Tony swallowed and stood up.

"No signs of a struggle boss," McGee felt bad for Tony, but he had a job to do. "His wallet's even on him. They didn't take money, nothing, but his life."

"There has to be a motive." Gibbs said.

"Maybe it's just a—" McGee said.

"If you say coincidence McGee," Gibbs replied. "You're headed for a head slapping."

"Rule Thirty Nine," McGee swallowed. "Right boss, there's no such thing as a coincidence."

Gibbs turned away towards Ducky who provided him with the preliminary results before he'd perform his autopsy. Gibbs nodded and looked over at his senior field agent. "Bishop" leaned on Tony's shoulder the way a sister would a brother. Gibbs was happy to see Tony had bonded with her so fast after she'd only been working with them for a few months, but there was something there. Something Gibbs couldn't identify. His concentration was broken by McGee telling him that he'd made another discovery.

"You wanna go somewhere?" Sarah asked Tony. He turned to face her. Where could they go? No amount of coffee or old bookstore would fix this.

"We're under witness protection," Tony replied. "Which will probably be upped since this happened."

"It was just a suggestion," Sarah sighed. "Hey, I know nothing's going to fix this, but we also can't stay here. If the same people behind this attacked us at your house they're going to come back. This wasn't random. This wasn't a coincidence. They wanted to draw us here and now they have. Once Team Gibbs leaves they'll be crawling around here like ants at a picnic. We have to leave before they get to us first."

Tony hesitated. He knew she was right, but he was still at a loss for words.

"I said I'd protect you didn't I," she said, more quietly. "Well that's what I'm trying to do right now. Tony we have to go somewhere, anywhere."

"Ok," Tony said. "There's no use arguing with you. There never was. We'll leave when Gibbs does."

"Sulfur boss," McGee said as Gibbs ran his finger through the substance on the windowsill. "Same as before, just like at Tony's apartment."

"Calling card maybe," Gibbs said, walking away. "Bag and tag some. Have Abby test it."

"Sure thing boss." McGee said and did just that.

Gibbs gazed over to see "Bishop" and Tony talking to one another, quietly, too quietly for his liking. He decided to corner Tony later about it. Ducky and Palmer lifted DiNozzo Sr. and started to carry him to the autopsy van. Tony's eyes caught Gibbs' for a moment before Gibbs walked out of the room and Tony motioned for Sarah to follow him down the elevator and outside.

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"She is getting way too close to the human Castiel," Donathan argued loudly slamming his fist down. "She's endangering him first by taking him out in the open when there are demons after the both of them. Crowley I must add. Second, by keeping him misinformed, and third by staying with him. She must be stopped immediately."

"I implore you Donathan," Castiel sighed. "Please. Let her make her mistakes. It is the way any of us have learned anything."

"If you are referring to your own mistake of staying with those Winchester boys too long," Donathan glared at Castiel. "Particularly that Dean fellow and the fact that you've lost touch with what it even means to be an angel of the lord then please hold your tongue Castiel, simply hold it."

Castiel shut up. Ezra stood behind him, aghast at what Donathan had said.

"Now then," Donathan said. "At the right time I will interfere with this, but for now the humans must remain as ignorant as possible. Trust me though, I will intervene and that little girl Sarah, for disobeying me she'll regret the day she ever became an angel."

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The coffee shop and bookstore that Tony and Sarah walked into was playing a 10,000 Maniacs cover of "Peace Train". Natalie Merchant's voice bleeding through the speakers and the peaceful smell of coffee and literature almost made Tony forget about the tragedy that had occurred, almost. There was something to be said about the healing power of a DC bookstore though. It was as if they had both entered another world.

"I know a bookstore or a coffee shop wouldn't heal as well," Sarah said. "So I figured I'd try both combined and see what happened."

"Sarah," Tony chuckled a little. "You're—"

"A genius," Sarah suggested, turning her head around to look at her brother. "Certifiably able to make people happy?"

"Something else," Tony finished for her. "You are something else."

"We established this when we were six remember," she said. "You always knew I was something else."

"Guess it's just been awhile." Tony said thoughtfully and followed Sarah to the coffee shop.

The two both ordered a coffee and walked around the bookstore. Sarah found herself gravitating to the New Age section. Where the books on ghosts, demons, and angels were. A part of her wanted to check for inaccuracies in the texts, but the stronger part of her walked away. She found herself with Tony in the fiction section.

"You remember mom would sit there in that big yellow chair and read this book," Tony picked up a copy of The Great Gatsby. "I never understood why she read it."

"An unfulfilled life of wealth and a man who didn't love her anymore," Sarah explained. "Perhaps she could relate to Daisy."

"Maybe," Tony said and put the book back on the old wooden shelf. "Thanks for this Sarah, I needed to get out."

"You're welcome Tony," Sarah said, smiling at him and he smiled back. "C'mon, let's go check out the poetry books."

The pair left the fiction section and walked off. Damien came up to where they had been. He touched the book they had been looking at and pushed it further back on the shelf. Damien smirked and simply stared, unnoticed by either of them.

"She certainly is losing her touch," Damien said to himself whilst staring at an unsuspecting Sarah. "Perfect."

With that, he walked off.

Read and Reviews are appreciated! I know it's been awhile!

So what is Donathan going to do?

And Tony's dad is dead.

Will Damien come after Sarah and Tony?

And what does Gibbs have to say to Tony?

More to come soon guys.