Beautiful Child

By Glow60

First of all I want to wish and hope everyone has a safe and Happy 4th of July.

To the guest reviewer - :I will royal mad if have Ziva the day! She like the trash she was

My answer: I am not quite sure what you meant by this. If you are asking me, if Ziva is going to show up and rescue Tony…then my answer is no. Ziva's name only came up because she was in the photo with the others. Please remember in Chapter Two I stated that I can't promise it will be 100% Ziva free but it will be close to it. I may mention her name now and then in the past tense on a couple of things but I have no plans for her to show up.

My Usual Warnings…

* As always I prefer not to use a beta reader so all the mistakes will definitely be mine.

** This story is rated M because of the language and the subject matter. You have been warned if you don't like please do not read.

Chapter 9

As Gibbs drives up the old dirt road he can't stop thinking about DiNozzo. It's still hard for him to believe that the younger man is gone. No one has seen Tony in over a month. Gibbs figures Dupree must have killed him and dump his body somewhere DC and Jasper, Arkansas. The senior agent promised himself once he finds Dupree; he is going to make that bastard tell him where Tony's body is. He wants to bring Tony home for a proper burial.

Gibbs looks at Abby through the rearview mirror. He really had wished she stayed back in DC. He watches as she continues to wipe the tears from her eyes. There is nothing he can say or do to stop her from crying. He looks over at McGee. The younger man is looking straight ahead and lost in his own thoughts. Gibbs wanted so much to make it better for them but he didn't know what to do or say to make that happen. He turns back and focuses more on the road ahead of him.

As he reaches the top of the mountain he meets up with a Deputy Brown. Gibbs flashes his badge and the deputy signals for him to pass. Gibbs continues on the old dirt road until he finally sees the charred smoking rubble of what is left of the farm. Gibbs parks his truck next to what is left a burnt out truck, he orders McGee to stay with Abby while he checks it out. He doesn't see anything inside. He looks at the house and doesn't see much of anything. He hopes the old couple is still alive. He pulls out his cellphone and calls Vance. He gives him an update on what he has found so far. Vance orders him to stay put. He will be sending more agents and equipment to the location to help with the search. Vance wants that bastard just as much as he does.

After Gibbs hangs up, he fills McGee and Abby on what Vance had told him. He tells McGee to call Sheriff Hawk and let him know NCIS agents and equipment are on the way. While McGee was making the call, Gibbs decides to check out the rest of the farm. He heads toward what is left of the barn. He can see the remains of some poor animals who were trapped in the barn during the fire. It was at that moment, he remembers the sheriff mentioning something about hoof and dog tracks. He looks down and sees fresh hoof tracks. He begins to follow them and they lead to behind the house. He notices a few dog tracks now mixed in.

Gibbs heads back to his truck and grabs his backpack, bedroll and rifle. He tells McGee to give him about thirty minutes before he calls the sheriff back and tells him his plans.

McGee shakes his head, "No Boss…I want to go with you."

Gibbs tries to discourage the younger man from coming with him because he really doesn't want McGee there when he confronts Dupree. "McGee I can travel much faster if I am by myself."

The younger man was not going to give up so easy, "Boss…please I know I can help in someway. I want to go with you. Tony is…was my friend too. I deserve to go with you."

Gibbs stands there for a few seconds and finally he says, "Okay McGee grab your gear."

He turns to Abby; "I need you to call Hawk in about thirty minutes. Tell him where we are heading and tell him that we will bring Dupree back ourselves."

"Gibbs…what if…"

Gibbs hugs and kisses her on the forehead, "No what ifs…just tell him. We don't need all those people tracking through the damn woods."

Fifteen-Miles away…

Dupree was getting angrier by the minute. Yesterday he had followed the dog tracks to a rocky area and then lost them. This morning when he wakes up the horses were gone and he knows somehow the old man had something to do with it. He had underestimated the old bastard and he wasn't going to do that again. With all his training as a marine, the old man had outsmarted him. James Wilson was both an expert hunter and tracker and knew the lay of the land when he didn't…

A Few Miles Away…

James Wilson grins as he makes he way back to the cave. He was now glad he never told Paul that his horses were trained to follow hand signals. It was easy for him to slip in and untie the horses. He thought about taking one of the horses to go get help but he was afraid his grandson would somehow trace his footprints back to the cave and kill everyone before help arrives.

As soon as he enters the cave he can tell something is wrong. His wife is sitting next to Tony and trying to calm him.

Sarah sees her husband and immediately walks toward him. She whispers to him, "I am so glad you are back. Tony is showing signs of withdrawals. He's been sweating, shaking and vomiting. Every now and then he is hallucinating. He thinks he sees Paul or some guy named Gibbs. I can't get him to eat or drink anything because it won't stay down. James…I just don't know what to do. He really needs to be in a hospital."

James looked at the young man for a few seconds. Finally he says, "We need to move him into one of the back chambers. If he makes any sounds in here…Paul might hear him. If we move him back there he can make all the noise he wants. "

James bends down and pats Tony on the shoulder. He needs to wake him up, "Come on boy, we need to move you. You can't stay here."

Tony opens his eyes but he doesn't say or move. He just stares at him.

James tries again, "Tony…you are just too big for my wife and me to carry you. We need to move you to the back of the cave."

Tony finally nods he head that he understands. He does his best to get up without the older man's help. He stands there for a few seconds until James grabs him by the arm and leads him to the back of the cave. Sarah quickly follows with a lantern and several blankets.

Once inside the back chamber, Sarah sets the lantern on a rock and lays one of the blankets down on the floor. James helps Tony to lie down on it. He tells his wife to stay with the younger man. He also signals his dogs to stay with them. He figures if his grandson makes it past him, his dogs will defend both his wife and the younger man with their lives if they have too.

James heads back to the front of the cave. To him this place was like a second home. It was huge and they did spend time here. They always kept extra blankets, lanterns and canned food here. They had on occasion used it when the weather gets real bad on the mountain. The cave seems to maintain an average temperature of seventy degrees all year around. In the winter when the weather gets real cold outside he and his wife would sometimes bring their animals here so they can keep warm until the winter storms pass. In the summer if it gets too hot they would always come here and sleep during the night. He picks up a knife he keeps in the cave and heads outside. He will keep guard at the entrance.

A couple of hours later, James watches as Dupree comes within several hundred feet of the cave. The old man has his knife ready just in case his grandson come anywhere near the entrance. He knows he is no match for his grandson but he plan to give it one hell of a fight. There was no way he was going to let that bastard of a grandson of his hurt his wife and the man who is now in their care. As he watches he is relieved when he sees his grandson heads back into the woods.

A Few Miles Away…

Gibbs signals McGee to stop when he hears movement. He moves closer and sees three horses roaming freely through the woods. He can see reins on them but no saddles. He looks at their hoof tracks and can tell these are the same horses they have been following. They must have wandered away from camp. There is hope of finding Dupree now that he is on foot like they are. Gibbs decides to follow the tracks that lead in the direction the horses just came from.

Just a few miles away, Dupree is now too focus on finding his grandparents and killing them both. Those old bastards had taken his dream away from him. As he continues looking, he realizes that he has gone too far. There is no way in hell that old geezer; his wife and a drugged/injured man could have gotten this far. He believes they are hiding in one of the caves in this area. His stepfather David Wilson had once told him about a special cave that the old couple had. When he tried to find out where it was, his stepfather told him he would one day tell him but he never did.

Almost an hour later, Dupree finds himself standing in an area filled with all different sizes of rocks. He looks around but doesn't see anything. Somehow he knows they have to be here. He slowly looks around one more time until he finally spots a very large boulder hiding behind a crop of trees. It looks like it could be a few hundred feet away from the mountainside. He decides to check it out. As he walks toward it he hears, "FEDERAL AGENTS! Put your hands up or I will shot."

Dupree does as he is asked. He smiles as he turns. He sees two men and he recognizes both of them, the older agent he has seen in the news reports and the younger agent he remembers from a month ago. "Agent McGee. I see that you are alive and well?"

Gibbs doesn't take his eyes off the bastard, "Dupree if you even sneeze I promise you I will put a bullet hole through you damn head. I want you to drop both your knife and gun. Kick them toward me."

Dupree does as he says and Gibbs yells, "McGee get his weapons."

McGee quickly does as he is told and steps back.

Gibbs continues to point the gun at Dupree, "Where are the Wilsons? Did you kill them like you did to the others?"

The marine continues to smile, "I don't know what you are talking about. Has something happen to my dear grandparents?"

"Cut the bullshit, where are your grandparents?"

Dupree shrugs his shoulders, "How would I know? The last time I saw them they were alive and well."

Gibbs orders Dupree to get down on his knees and place his hands behind his head. The marine smile as he does what he is order to do. Gibbs tells McGee to keep his gun on Dupree while he handcuffs him. As Gibbs is reaching to cuff the man, Dupree punches Gibbs in stomach. Gibbs finds himself on the ground. Dupree quickly grabs a rock and is getting ready to bash Gibbs head in.

Gibbs yells, "McGee…shoot the bastard."

Just as McGee was about to pull the trigger, a knife came from nowhere and hits Dupree right in the middle of his chest. He looks surprises as he falls on top of Gibbs. Gibbs quickly pushes the bloody dead weight off of him. He then sits up and spots an old man standing on some rocks about twenty feet from him. Gibbs asked, "Are you James Wilson?"

The old man nods, "And you must be Agent Gibbs…my grandson was a evil man and I can't let him hurt anyone anymore."

Gibbs stands up and walks toward him, "Is your wife okay?"

"Yes…my Sarah is safe. Can I leave…I need to let her know everything is okay now."

"Where is she?"

The old man points toward a group of threes, "My Sarah is hiding in the cave."

Gibbs tells McGee to stay with the body and to call Abby. Tell her to call Vance and Hawk. Let them know Dupree is dead and the Wilsons are okay. He then follows the old man to the cave entrance. As soon as he enters he can hear movement and then five dogs come to greet the old man. James whistles for them to be quiet and they all stop barking.

James Wilson points to the back of the cave. "Come with me, my Sarah is back there."

Gibbs follows the old man. The first thing he sees the old woman. She smiles the moment she see her husband. The old man hugs her and tells her everything is going to be all right. Paul is dead and they don't need to worry about him anymore.

Gibbs watches the old couple for few seconds and then he eyes roam the room. It is dimly lit and he can make out what looks like a body lying a few feet away. He moves closer so he can get a better look. When he is just a few feet away he whispers, "Tony?"

Tony looks up and glances at him for a second and then closes his eyes back.

The old woman steps next to Gibbs, "Tony is going through withdrawals right now. I don't think he knows your even here."

Gibbs bends down and whispers, "Tony…it's Gibbs."

Tony opens his eyes again. Gibbs could tell there was nothing but confusion in them. When he tries to touch Tony, the younger man moves toward the old woman like a small child would do if they were scared and seeking protection. She sits down so she can hug the frightened young man and calm him down.

Gibbs steps back so to not scare Tony anymore than he already is. Words could not express how he felt at the moment. He was so overjoyed and wants nothing more then to hug his young friend. He knew right now that was going to happen because he didn't want to traumatize Tony anymore than he was. He can only imagine the hell the younger man has gone through while in the hands of Dupree.

James Wilson moves closer to Gibbs. "Agent Gibbs…we are so sorry we didn't help Tony sooner. When Paul first came to our farm he lied to us. He said Tony was a friend of his and that he was in some kind of hiking accident and was on some kind of medication for his injuries. We believed him because Tony didn't tell us different."

Gibbs smiled, "It's not your fault. You two did the best you can to keep him alive. I can't tell you how much I appreciate what you did for him. He will survive this."

James has his doubts as he looks at his wife, "Sarah…show him."

The old woman moves her hand and lifts the bottom of Tony's shirt up so she could show the damage that was done. At the moment Gibbs was so angry that if he could he would bring Dupree back to the living just to make that bastard suffer and die again.

"Gibbs…we were blind to what Paul was going to him. We didn't start becoming suspicious until our grandson started taking Tony down to the pond. Every time Tony came back he would be in worst condition then before. We tried to get him to take Tony to the hospital but he never would do it. We tried to get Tony to talk but he wouldn't. So, one day I decided to follow them to the pond. When I saw what that bastard of a grandson was doing to Tony I ordered him to leave my farm but he wouldn't do it without Tony. He told me if we tried to stop him in any way he had a friend who would come after us. Gibbs…I didn't care about my life but I didn't want him to hurt my Sarah. I hope you can understand?"

"There is nothing for me to understand, you had to do what you did to protect your wife. I can tell you this; I have known Tony for a while now. He would not want you or your wife to get hurt or killed because of him. The important thing right now is Tony is alive and I am going to make sure he gets the help he needs."

Almost an hour later the rescue groups started arriving. The first group focuses their attention only on DiNozzo but when they try to examine him he fought them. Sarah grabs his hand to quiet him down. When they are finally finished they place him on a backboard and then on an all terrain vehicle that will take him to a helicopter and then to the nearest hospital. Sarah decides to go with him to make sure he stays calm.

The second group took pictures of Dupree's body before they remove it from the area. They are going to take the body to Boone County Airport where it will be flown back to DC. It was agreed that Ducky was going to do the autopsy.

While all this was going, James and Gibbs were filling Hawk in on what happen. When they were finished, the sheriff looked at his old friend, "James…I am truly sorry about what happen to your farm. You know…you and Sarah are always welcome to stay with me until your place is rebuilt."

Gibbs speaks up, "Sheriff…it's too dangerous for them to stay here. It seems Dupree has a friend who might be coming after them for revenge. I am taking them back to DC with me for their own protection. Plus we still have a lot of questions about Paul Dupree that need to be asked in my agent's recovery."

Hawk looks at James and smiles, "Don't worry…while you are gone I will take care of your dogs for you."

When Hawk mentioned his dogs, the old man remembered something else, "Frank…while we were waiting for help to come, Agent Gibbs told me he saw my horses roaming in the woods. Can you find them for me? I know they will want to go back to the farm but there is nothing there for them. Can you take them back to your farm and keep them there until I have a place for them to live?"

Hawk tells his old friend to not to worry he will take care of them as if they were his own.

It was late in the day when Vance made arrangements for them to fly back to DC. McGee and Abby volunteered to stay behind to help with the paperwork and any questioned that needs to be answered. When they are finished the two would drive Gibbs' truck back to DC.

On the flight back home, Tony slept most of the way. Sarah stayed by his side and would not leave him. Ever now and then he would start talking in his sleep. She would tap him on the shoulder and he would open his eyes. She smiled and tells him everything is going to be all right.

James and Gibbs sit across the aisle from them. The two men talked quietly so not to disturb Tony. The old man tells Gibbs about his grandson and Tony's time with them. He tells Gibbs again they didn't suspect anything. They really believed their grandson's friend was hurt in a hiking accident.

Gibbs asked the old man if he was ever close to his grandson?

The old man shakes his head no; "Gibbs…my Sarah and I only knew Paul for a couple of summers. Once I caught him hurting some of our puppies, that was it with me. I got into a very heated argument with my son and his wife. I never saw Paul again until a month ago when Paul came to the farm. He told me his friend had been in a hiking accident. He needed a place for his friend to recuperate. At first I was apprehensive about him but I decided to let him say. While Paul was there he did take me help around the farm. He took me into town to buy supplies and he did work on the buildings. He was really doing a good job. I…I guess it doesn't really matter too much anymore because he burnt both my house and barn to the ground."

Sarah had been listening to the two men talking. Finally she says, "Jethro…you must think we are two old fool for being taken in by our grandson. We really didn't know what he was doing."

"Ma'am…I don't think anything like that. I am just so very grateful for what you two did to help Tony. If you hadn't he would be dead today. I am forever in both your debts."

The old woman smiles, "Thank you…Jethro. When Tony first came to the farm, he would smile and talk with us but soon as our grandson would walk into the room Tony would become very quiet. I should have suspected something about Paul but my James always said I was too kindhearted. He says, I am always thinking the best about of people. As time passed, Tony became more quiet and withdrawn. Jethro…what was this beautiful child like before Paul got a hold of him?"

Gibbs laughs just a little, "Let's see…Tony and I have been working together for a long time. Tony is one of the most talkative and energetic person I have ever known. There has not been a day that went by that he didn't make me laugh about something. He likes to clown around but he is very smart and a quick thinker. He is my best agent and over the years he has become family to me."

It was passed midnight when the plane set down on the tarmac. Vance had an ambulance waiting to take Tony to the hospital. Gibbs was going to go with Tony and the Wilsons were going to be taken to a safe house. At first Sarah insisted that she should go to the hospital because she was worried that Tony might be upset if she wasn't there. Gibbs convinced her to go with her husband. They were going to be running test and examine Tony and she will not be allow to be with him. He told her it was best for them to go to the safe house and get some rest. Tomorrow the agents can bring them to the hospital and she can see Tony then.

Gibbs stayed in the waiting room while they examined Tony. When he was finally allowed into the room he became very angry when he saw the straps. They were supposed to call him if there was a problem. He asked the nurse to take them off but she told him she was going have to call the doctor first to make sure it was okay. A little later a Doctor Martin Smith walks into the room.

Sorry for the cliffhanger…

I hope you all have a safe and Happy 4th of July.