The evening had gone well, Tony had demonstrated his work on his box to Shannon and had sworn her to secrecy about the secret compartment, all three had sat and laughed and talked, they had watched old episodes of bonanza and Shannon had even let Gibbs share the wash-up duty with her and Tony as a reward for his good behaviour. Shannon had spotted the secret high-five the two boys had shared when they thought she wasn't looking, and wondered just what the two had been plotting. They were as thick as thieves. She smiled to herself, this is how she saw married life being for ever.
Having tucked Tony into bed at 2030 and having watched him fall instantly to sleep despite his protestations that he wasn't tired, Gibbs retired back downstairs.
"So how was your day?" Shannon asked.
"Great Shan, just great," smiled Gibbs, "I don't know how he does it but that little guy just crawls his way into my heart."
"I know what you mean," sighed Shannon, "there's something special about him, I can just feel it."
"You should have seen him earlier today," laughed Gibbs, "trying to whistle like me, kid blew more raspberries than anything, thought he'd blown his lips off at one point, said he couldn't talk 'cos he'd lost his lips and certainly couldn't feel them."
"He's certainly got an imagination that one, how'd you solve the mystery of the missing lips?" she asked.
"Told him that we'd better look for them quick since you can't eat ice cream without lips?" laughed Gibbs.
"Did it work?" she replied.
"Well he announced he'd found them 30 seconds later and asked could I stick them back on for him; he recommended using the superglue," pronounced Gibbs.
"I wish we could keep him," whispered Shannon.
"I know but we can't Shan, they aren't going to let us. The CO did say his father was coming back."
Neither of the two realized that Tony, having woken up and needing a drink, had come to the top of the stairs and had heard the last part of their conversation. He froze in horror, the need for a drink long forgotten, Gibbs had said they couldn't keep him and his father was coming to get him. He ran back to his room, grabbed Cottontail and hid below the duvet. He rocked himself back to sleep in an attempt to forget, but the words haunted his dreams.
…..
An hour later Gibbs and Shannon were just preparing for bed when they heard the most ear-piercing scream escape from Tony's room.
Rushing in and heading to his bed immediately they heard the small child whimpering, writhing as if in agony and crying out "No don't leave me," and then, "please Sir I'll be good don't hit me," and then "Argh!"
Placing her hands on the boys shoulders Shannon could feel the sweat on the boy, his temperature was high. She scooped him into her arms, gently calling, "Tony, sweetie, its ok I'm here."
The smell of urine drifted up from the bed and she could see that the small boy had wet himself and the sheets. Telling Gibbs to go run the bath, she stripped the wet clothes from his body and carried him to the bathroom, lowering him carefully into the warm water.
Such was his state that he hadn't complained or got embarrassed at being naked in front of the two of them, or at having wet himself and the bed. Despite the warm water he was visibly shivering as he let Shannon wash him and then Gibbs lift him out of the bath and wrap him in a towel.
As Gibbs sat with him in his and Shannon's room, he held him tight and rocked him gently. Shannon had taken his temperature and had given him some childrens Tylenol for the temperature, but still he shook.
"Hey Tony, you able to tell me what's wrong?" Gibbs gently coaxed.
Tony remained silent and shook his head.
"Do I need to chase off any more monsters from under your bed?" asked Gibbs.
Tony, still mute, shook his head.
Shannon reappeared, having removed all of the sheets and had thrown them in the wash along with his pj's. The bed, now washed down was still drying. In her hand she clutched the soft toy rabbit, which she had saved from the scene. She passed him to Tony who immediately placed his ear into his mouth and began to chew it nervously.
"Hey little one, will you try and talk to us?" she asked.
Still Tony refused, trying to screw his eyes up tight against the world and placing his hands over his ears.
Shannon fetched a big t-shirt and returned to his side where he still sat in Gibbs arms.
"Help me get him into something warm and dry Gibbs" she whispered.
Whilst Gibbs pulled the little hands away from the ears, Shannon swiftly pulled the t-shirt over his head and removed the damp towel.
Gibbs lifted him up and placed him into the middle of their bed and lay alongside him holding him. Shannon climbed onto the other side of the bed stroking his hair away from his temples and eyes.
The three of them lay like this for minutes, no one saying a word. It was Tony who unexpectedly broke the silence.
"Please let me stay Sir, I'll try to be better I promise," he sobbed.
"Hey who said anything about you going?" asked Gibbs.
"You did and I know I've been bad but I'm trying to be a good boy and I need to finish my box," he wept.
"When did you hear me say that?" asked Gibbs disturbed and perplexed at what the kid was saying.
"You said father was coming for me but I don't know what it is I've done wrong Sir," he cried.
"When was this?" asked Gibbs slightly alarmed and noting the young boy reverting back to the formal address.
"You and Mrs Gibbs, downstairs you said he was coming for me," Tony said anger showing in his voice alongside the hurt. Why were these people lying to him, he'd heard them.
Gibbs and Shannon panicked, what had the kid heard, they needed to explain this and sort this fast.
"How long ago did you hear it?" asked Shannon, hoping to pin point the particular conversation.
"I'd woken up and needed a drink and I wanted to come down and ask you, but you and Mr Gibbs were sat on the sofa and I heard you say that I couldn't stay and that my Father was coming to get me," his heart broke and tears could not be wiped away as they ran so rapidly down his little cheeks. "And now I have ruined your bed Ma'am, no wonder you don't want me, I spoil everything good."
Realising what he had misheard, Shannon tried to explain, but was not sure he could hear her above the heartbreaking sobs.
"Tony," she tried, "Hey Tony, I need you to listen to me as good as you can; can you try that for me for just a minute?"
Holding his breath for a second to try to control the sobs, Tony listened as Shannon explained the misunderstanding and the problem with only hearing half of a conversation.
"So you see," said Shannon, "we were saying we would love to keep you with us forever, you and Cottontail, but we know that you can only stay until the end of the holiday when your dad will want you back."
"Father doesn't want me," cried Tony, "he doesn't want someone like me in his life, he said so, he's sending me away."
"Where is he sending you?" asked Gibbs wondering if this had been part of the nightmare.
"Bedlington School for Boys," answered Tony through the racking sobs.
"Are you sure?" he asked.
"Yes, he said so; cub camp was my last chance to show him I could be a good boy and they threw me out, and all I wanted was my box back" argued Tony. "And now when I was trying so hard I have been naughty again Sir."
Gibbs lifted the swollen and red face of the child at the side of him. "You are not a bad boy Tony and nothing that has happened tonight has changed my mind or Shannon's on that I promise you. I want you to close your eyes and try to sleep and Shannon and I will stay with you, you are going to be safe Tony, no ones going to hurt you."