I'm awfully sorry for the long wait, I just don't have time to write!

But I will not abandon this story. The next chapter will probobly be up a few weeks from now. (I hope)

I'll try to hurry!

I want to thank my beta, moonfireflies, for helping me with this chapter. You're awsome!

All remaining mistakes are mine!

Family Chapter 11

Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS.

Tony really did try to concentrate as Gibbs talked about him being safe but the painkillers made it hard to listen. He watched, dazed, as Gibbs grabbed his plastered hand and squeezed gently. He wanted to break eye contact with Gibbs; he wanted to close his eyes. He was so tired but something made him hold his eyes open and look at Gibbs as he told him that his father wouldn't hurt him as long as the gruff marine was alive and able to protect him. He really wanted to believe Gibbs, he really did. But he couldn't, he couldn't stop being afraid.

Afraid that his father would come back. Afraid that senior would do something to Gibbs, Shannon and Kelly. He knew that this was a bad idea. Years ago, when his mother had died and broken his heart, he had made a promise to himself that he would never, ever get close to a person again. He knew he was being a weak coward. But he didn't want to lose anyone he cared about again. And he had already gotten too close to Jethro and Shannon. He knew he probably should get away from Gibbs and his family as fast as he could but once again he was a selfish son of a bitch. He thought more about himself than about Gibbs' safety. But he really, really wanted to be with Gibbs, he wanted play with Kelly and he wanted to help Shannon cook. He wanted to be a part of a family, a real family.

He remembered when he was a little kid, when his mom and dad hadn't been fighting all the time. When'd they actually been a happy family. He tried to hold on to the happy memories when he and his father went on a fishing trip. It had been one of the best weekends of his life and he would do anything to relive it.

Three years before his mom died, things started to go downhill. His mother, Isabelle, had lost her job, she was diagnosed with cancer, business deals of his father were going wrong, and their money started disappearing. Both of them started drinking and he would wake up in the middle of the night, hearing his parents fight. The drinking got worse and he rarely saw them sober. The fights got louder and more violent and that's when the beatings had started. Sure, his father had slapped him before that, even his mother had. But it wasn't the same thing. Then it would be just one single slap or a spanking because he had done something stupid and deserved it. Now they were longer, harder, more painful and he would get them for things he couldn't help. Like existing.

Isabelle got sicker and weaker with every passing week. The last couple of months she was bedridden. Tony would stay and help her every single moment he was free. Tony never saw Senior at her bedside, not a single time. He couldn't blame him though. It was hard too see someone you love so sick.

He remembered the last weeks of his mother's life. He sat beside her hospital bed as long as he was allowed. It wasn't the paleness or the weight loss that had scared him the most. It was the look in his mother's eyes that scared him more than all other things. She had given up.

Tony flinched at the unexpected shrill of Gibbs' phone. He winced; it felt like something exploded in his head.

'So the painkiller is beginning to wear of.' Tony thought, swallowing hard.

Gibbs didn't seem to notice though. He was already halfway across the room, the phone close to his ear.

He watched with dazed eyes as Gibbs stopped abruptly, his expression changing. Tony slowly lifted himself into a sitting position so he could see Gibbs' face better. Something had happened, judging by his body language. He gritted his tooth against the pain that threatened to destroy him.

"Gibbs." Tony breathed, trying to get Gibbs' attention. But he didn't seem to hear. Tony watched quietly as Gibbs stormed out of the room, leaving Tony behind, gasping for breath.

"Mommy, mommy, just a little bit more, please!" Kelly begged before running back to the swings.

"No" Shannon answered curtly and took her daughters hand, leading her back to the picnic table. They had already been at the park for about two hours; the clouds were getting darker and darker every minute. It wouldn't be long until the rain came, and Shannon was planning on being safe and dry at home by then. Kelly squirmed out of Shannon's grasp and ran back to the swings, grasping one of them with her small hands.

Shannon followed her daughter and crouched in front of her. She would have to negotiate.

"It'll start to rain soon Kelly…"she started but was quickly interrupted by Kelly.

"Bu' I wans to stay mommy!" she begged, sticking out her bottom lip and ducking her head. "I like 'o be here."

Shannon smiled sadly at her daughter.

"I know baby, me too," Shannon paused, taking Kelly's small hands in hers. "I have an idea though. What if we go and visit Tony at the hospital instead of going home. That'll make both Tony and daddy happy. What do you say?" Shannon asked and smiled when Kelly looked up, her eyes twinkling. She nodded carefully before jumping down from swing. She took her mommy's hand before they walked back to the picnic table where they had left all their stuff.

"When aa Tony comin' home, mommy?" Kelly asked softly, accepting the small juice carton Shannon gave her. She ripped the straw from the carton before poking a hole in the top.

"I'm not really sure honey, maybe someday this week." Shannon answered as they began to walk towards their car.

"Mommy?" Kelly said and stopped walking. Shannon turned around and looked at her daughter. She recognised that look. Her eyes on the ground and the tip of her thumb resting lightly on her bottom lip. She did that when she wanted to know something but didn't dare to ask.

"What is it honey?" Shannon asked and crouched in front of her the little girl.

"What's wrong with Tony?" she asked quietly. Shannon sighed. She and Jethro hadn't explained Tony's injuries or why he was in a hospital to Kelly. She knew the time would come, but she wasn't ready to tell her everything that she knew about Tony's past yet. She wanted Jethro to be there for that conversation.

"What do you mean Kells?" she asked instead.

"Why is he in a hospal?"

"Because he got hurt."

"But how, mommy?" Kelly asked stubbornly.

"He fell and hit his head on the sidewalk." Shannon answered, which was true.

"Stupid sidewalk." Kelly said sourly. Shannon straightened her pink hair-clip before taking her hand. She resumed walking when Kelly pulled her hand back.

"Is that why he gets the shakes?" she asked softly.

"Oh sweetie." Shannon said and knelt beside Kelly again. "It's called a seizure. He gets them because he bumped his head. I know it looks scary baby, but you don't have to worry, okay?" Shannon said, hugging Kelly tightly. "Okay?"

"Yep" Kelly answered before sticking the straw in her mouth, drinking the rest of the apple juice. They continued to walk down the street before turning left. Shannon looked up at the sky when she felt a few droplets of water hit her in the face. They wouldn't reach the car before it started to rain. So instead of walking straight forward she turned right, into a smaller alley.

"Come on Kelly, we'll take a short-cut so we won't get wet." Shannon said. Just then, the sky opened up and the rain came falling down. They were soaking wet in only half a minute. Shannon smiled when she heard her daughter's hysterical laughter. Maybe it wouldn't matter if they got wet. It's not like they were going to catch a cold or something, it was still warm outside.

Shannon stopped abruptly. She heard shouting. She looked to her left, into a blind alley. What she saw made her blood freeze. Everything was quiet except for Kelly's small giggles. She felt fear grip her tightly. She didn't dare to breathe.

Kelly.

Get Kelly the fuck out of there.

They hadn't seen them yet. There was still a chance. What the hell was she supposed to do? Run? Sneak out of there?

She swallowed hard against the lump in her throat that threatened to suffocate her. She put her hand over Kelly's mouth to get her to shut up. Shannon took a shaky breath and closed her eyes but only for a second. She looked back up, they still hadn't noticed them. She took a hold of Kelly and carefully hauled her up into her arms. She closed her eyes again, a silent tear running down her cheek.

The silence took over once again. The guys had stopped fighting. She felt her heart pounding against her ribcage. She could hear her own blood pumping in her ears. Shannon looked back at the men. She bit her lip until it drew blood when she saw a black pistol in one of the guy's hands. She shuffled a few feet to the side. Then stopped. They still hadn't seen them. She felt Kelly shake against her, she squeezed tighter.

She heard a noise. Metal hitting skin followed by a cry of pain.

Silence.

She felt wetness on her shoulder. Kelly was crying. So she understood what was going on. Kelly's breath hitched.

More silence…

It's seemed like ages until the noise she had been waiting for came.

A gunshot. Not the face-slap of a hand gun. This was a full-bodied roar: a shot gun. Shannon flinched.

'This can't be happening.' she thought.

She took a steady grip on Kelly, preparing herself for what she was about to do. She didn't want to do it but she had to. Kelly's sobs got louder and louder for every second. She had to get the hell out of there.

She took a deep breath. In. Out.

She looked up again, finding herself staring down the barrel of a gun.

She clutched Kelly tightly to her body before taking of in a dead run.

She was to concentrated on running that she didn't hear the dark clad men coming up behind her.

She didn't stop running when she heard their screams for her to stop.

She didn't want to hear.

She didn't want to be there.

She wanted to be home and safely snuggled up beside her husband and daughter on the couch. She wanted to see her daughter growing up. She wanted to get to know Tony. She wanted to kiss her husband. She wanted to make love with him. She wanted to hear her daughter laugh. But she realised she would probably never experience these things again. She had failed Jethro, Jackson, Kelly and Joanne. It dawned on her that Joanne would outlive her daughter and grandchild.

She felt more tears run down her cheeks. She placed a soft kiss on Kelly's forehead, praying silently for someone, someone who would never come, to save her and Kelly. She tried to scream but not a single sound escaped her lips.

Everything was silent. She actually thought she was dead until she heard the gunshot.

Shannon waited for the pain to hit her but it didn't. Instead she felt Kelly being jerked from her arms. Shannon's world stopped when Kelly fell to the ground in front of her, landing on her stomach, a deep red stain forming on her back, growing bigger and bigger for every second.

In that moment Shannon didn't care. She didn't give a fuck if she survived or not. She closed her eyes, not wanting to see her daughter's body on the cold, wet ground anymore. But it didn't help. She could still see Kelly's still and bloodied frame.

The silence seemed to never end. She just waited for the next gunshot.

Why couldn't they just end it? She didn't wanna live anymore.

Because she knew she would see Kelly's lifeless body fall to the ground every time she closed her eyes. She would see her daughter's still form lying in a pool of her own warm, dark red blood. Because she would see her daughter's lifeless eyes staring into nowhere. And she knew she couldn't live a life like that.

Shannon Gibbs' last thought was that she missed her fun, loving husband and that it was a shame she didn't get to know Tony DiNozzo better.

The team leader ran a hand through his greying hair and turned around to face one of the police officers. He stalked forward and grabbed the man's upper arm hard enough to make him hiss.

"How the hell did you just loose the suspect?" asked Franks as soon as they were out of earshot from the other cops.

The officer kept his gaze on the ground while he mumbled something inaudible.

"Huh, what was that?"

"I'm sorry! Okay! I…I tried, I really did but I just couldn't….catch him… he ran to fast. I…. I had no idea that he'd done." The cop pointed towards the crime scene, "that. I'm sorry." The man dragged a shaky hand down his face. Mike Franks looked closely at the cop for the first time since he'd arrived at the crime scene. He looked thoroughly miserable. The brown hair lay plastered on the officers pale face; his eyes were bloodshot, probably from stress and lack of sleep. Suddenly he felt guilty. Of course the young cop had done everything he could. Everyone wanted to catch the son of a bitch. Franks sighed before placing a hand on the kids shoulder. He patiently waited for the cop to meet his gaze.

"I'm sorry kid," Mike pinched the bridge of his nose before continuing "This hard on everyone. Did you get a good look at him?" The young man cleared his throat and answered:

"Yeah"

"Good, go back to the navy yard, help Anderson to make a sketch, then get some sleep, you'll need it." The officer nodded numbly before walking past him to go and sit in one of the police cars. Franks forced himself to walk back to the crime scene. Once there he began issuing orders to his senior field agent and one of the new, nervous and next to useless probies.

"Where are you going, Boss?" asked Jeremy Ramsey, the senior field agent on the team.

"To inform the victim's family"

Jethro Gibbs sat at Mike Franks' office and listened as he told him everything they knew about his wife and daughters murder. Jethro closed his eyes and let two tears fall. He'd stopped wiping them away. They wouldn't stop so why bother? He just sat there, feeling numb, not really grasping that he would never see his beautiful girls ever again. They were dead and would never come back.

"Gunny?" Jethro slowly lifted his gaze from his lap and met the blue eyes belonging to Franks.

"Yeah." he said hoarsely.

"We are doing everything in our power to find the men who did this to your wife and daughter."

"I want to see them" he interrupted weakly.

"I'm sorry, Gunny. That's not possible. We have to do an autopsy bef-"

"I need to say goodbye." Jethro sobbed "I have too."

"I'm sorry, you'll have to wait. Do you have somebody you can stay with tonight?"

"Ehh…No, but I'll… I'll be fine."

"Alright. Here's my number; if you need anything, don't hesitate to call."

Three hours later Gibbs sat in his dark basement with a bottle of bourbon in his hands, trying to numb the pain and forget everything that had happened.

TBC...

Sorry for my bad English, I'm from sweden.