Pulling up to McGee's apartment Tony risked a sidelong look at Abby. During their drive her nervous chatter had gotten less and less until it had stopped all together. He had tried to keep her mind occupied, but the closer they had gotten the shorter her answers became. Parking close to the stairs, Tony reached out and touched her shoulder. He felt her jerk. Then saw her close her eyes.
"He's got a walk up." Abby said softly.
"What?" He asked confused.
Looking at him her eyes wet. "His apartment, it's a walk up. I mean he loves this place. God knows he could afford a better place, but he just says this is home. What if he can't…"
"Oh, Abs. You can't think like that. No one has said anything about there being that kind of damage."
"Yeah, but spinal injuries are tricky that way. The doctors are probably not even concerned with anything but saving his life right now…it would devastate him to have to move on top of everything else." She replied looking up to where she knew his apartment window was.
"Hey…hey Abby. Look at me." When she turned her face to him, he continued. "It won't do Tim any good if we start looking for problems before we know they exist. Let's just get through one thing at a time."
"You're right. Do you think we should pack him a bag while we're here? Because you know he'll probably want some of his own stuff at the hospital right?"
Giving her hand a quick squeeze, Tony answered. "I think he'd like that. Wouldn't be McGeek…sorry McGee with out his accessories right!?!"
Giving a small laugh Abby turned and got out of the car. Following her up the stairs he pulled a slim black leather case out of his back pocket.
"Ah, Tony you know I have a key right?"
"Oh, right." Then grinning a little, he said. "But my way's more fun!"
Grinning back at him her tears going unshed, Abby led the way to the third floor. Turning down the hallway Tony suddenly grabbed her arm and jerked her behind him as he quickly took his weapon out of its holster. Holding his finger to his lips to keep her quiet he pointed down toward McGee's apartment door. It was standing wide open, as was the door of the apartment next door. Approaching slowly they heard a loud bark and an enthusiastic German shepherd came barreling out the door. Jethro came thundering down the hallway right at them practically dragging a young girl with short, straight, black hair and the face of pixie straight out of one McGee's games.
Giggling the young girl called out, "Jethro, stop! Hey come on you're gonna pull my arm off in a sec!"
He just kept on coming. The girl had not seen Tony or Abby yet. She seemed to be to busy trying to keep the dog, who was just slightly bigger than herself and certainly stronger, under control. She couldn't have been more than 13 or 14 years old. Jethro, it appeared, was eager to greet a now laughing, crying Abby who simply plopped down onto her knees and threw her arms around his furry neck when he got close enough for her to get around Tony, still frozen with his weapon drawn. The young girl however came to a stand still when she looked up and caught sight of Tony. Her huge brown eyes were all for his gun.
Coming to his senses he slowly holstered his SIG and held up his hands, "hey, it's alright. We work with Tim and when I saw the door was open I…" Giving her the classic DiNozzo smile he just shrugged. "Gut reaction. Sorry for scaring you." He finished trying to put her at ease.
Returning his smile, and trying to look like she hadn't been about to wet herself, she replied. "It's no big deal. I guess it must be in your training right?" Seeing his puzzled look she continued. "I recognize you guys…you're Tony, and you're Abby!" She said finally letting the excitement in her voice show. "Tim's got some pictures of you guys on his computer."
Coming out of the apartment next to Tim's was a woman who had to be the girl's mother. Genetics like that didn't lie. She was a taller and more mature version of her fairy like daughter. Calling with a laugh in her voice, "Grace, you have to be quieter. You are going to wake up the entire building…"
Seeing her daughter cornered by a strange man she stopped dead in her tracks her own brown eyes going dark with fury and fear. Then she spotted her daughter's excited face. One look at Abby who was still squatting on the floor with Jethro, and instantly her face went back to warm and friendly.
"Mom, look! It's Tony and Abby, you know Tim's friends from work! He's shown you the pictures."
"Yes. I apologize for my initial reaction." She said pointedly to Tony, who had noted her earlier expression. "I'm Faith Chandler and this young hooligan is my daughter Grace. Is she okay?" Faith asked looking down at Abby as she approached them.
"Yeah." Came Abby's voice, slightly muffled by Jethro's thick fur.
"Nice to meet you both." Tony said segueing neatly into his charming self. "I didn't realize McGee had such lovely neighbors. No wonder he won't move. OW! Abby!" Tony yelped rubbing his shin where she had punched him.
Laughing Grace looked at the mother and said. "Told you there was no way Tim was exaggerating about Tony. No one could make that stuff up! Did you really superglue his head to his desk?"
She closed her mouth quickly and mumbled, "sorry" when Faith gave her "the look." It was the same one that all children dread seeing on their mother's face. Tony wondered briefly if Gibbs had learned that look from his own mother. Shuddering to himself at the thought he changed his mind. There was no way Gibbs had had a mother. He must have been hatched from an egg or something.
Standing Abby laughed, truly laughed, at the look on Tony's face and said to Grace. "Hi, I'm Abby and I officially like you."
Sighing at her daughter who giggled as she shook Abby's hand, Faith extended her hand to Tony and then to Abby.
"Tim isn't home yet and Grace was going to let Jethro out one last time before we went to bed." Faith explained. "You are more than welcome to wait for him here. We're usually home in the evenings, and since we are right next door it became easier for us to look after Jethro when Tim has to work late than for him to continue paying the dog walker."
"Abs, why don't you go down with Grace while I talk to Ms. Chandler." Tony suggested, sensing the woman realized something was wrong.
"Sure." She replied, knowing what was about to happen. "So Gracie, has Tim ever told you how he and Jethro came to be man, and man's best friend."
The chatter continued as they walked down the stairs and out of sight. Grace didn't look like a clueless teenager, but the information would be better coming from her mother. Plus, even though it had taken a minute Tony had finally put two and two together. They were the Faith and Grace that McGee had been talking about, and that was something he didn't want to discuss with the daughter in the room.
"I suppose you are eventually going to tell me what's going on right?" Faith asked, her warm manner never faltering.
"Sure, let's go inside." Tony sighed leading the way into Tim's apartment.
Heading straight for the bedroom he waited till he heard her behind him and began.
"Ms. Chandler." He said pulling a duffle bag out of the closet.
"Please, call me Faith. It seems only right under the circumstances."
"Thanks." Making his way around the room Tony began putting things into the bag. The methodical packing let him detach himself from what he had to say. "Tonight Tim was injured when a car hit him on the Waverly campus. We don't know the extent of his injuries yet…he's still in surgery." He continued telling her what little they knew about his condition, not having the energy to make the millions of jokes he normally would have while riffling through McGee's neatly folded underwear. Tonight his thoughts were preoccupied on how to approach what McGee had told the nurse.
While Tony made his way to Tim's little bathroom, Faith took a moment to calm her breathing, which had become shallow the moment she heard the words "hit by a car." Her heart was racing. One thought was whirling through her mind. "Had they been found?" Frantically working out the pros and cons she quickly made her decision. If Tim trusted these people with his life, so could she. Especially since she had trusted Tim with Grace's and her own.
As Tony came back into the bedroom and put the small toiletry bag into the duffle, he looked at Faith. "There's something else. It might make complete sense to you, but I might just sound like a crazy man. McGee regained consciousness in the ER and said something about Faith and Grace staying with Jethro. When we met you guys I thought it might be that he just wanted for you guys to watch the dog while he was recovering, but the wording is wrong. I keep thinking he would have said that Jethro needed to stay with Faith and Grace not the other way around. It's just not how McGee thinks, injured or not. Plus there's this other thing he said about Abby…does any of this make sense to you?"
Nearly at his wits end, he sat on the bed beside her and rubbed his hands over his face. Thinking that this woman probably thought he was insane Tony just stayed with his head in his hands waiting for her reply.
"Agent DiNozzo…Tony. I think we have a lot to talk about. Before I explain, I need to get a few things from our apartment, so we can leave as soon as possible. You are welcome to join me, but I assure you that your instincts are correct. Grace and I need to stay with Jethro and with you guys."
With that, she put her hand on his shoulder and gave it a warm squeeze. "I'll be back in a few minutes."
Tony gaped up at her. She smiled sadly and walked out of the room.
"Oh, hell." He thought. "Gibbs was not going to like this."
