Chapter 11: Somber

Alyssa woke up the next morning stiff as a board. Her entire body hurt as well as her head. She stood up and walked over to her bathroom mirror and stared at her reflection in the mirror. She looked like shit. She wondered if she should even get out of bed today.

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Tony woke up and cracked his neck. He craned his head outside of his door and smiled. Alyssa's door was already open, but no one came out of it? Tony put on a shirt and some decent pants and walked over to Alyssa's doorway. There in her bed she lay asleep.

"Alyssa," he sat down next to her on her bed and rubbed her back. "Time to wake up."

Alyssa didn't even stir. She stayed asleep and turned a little in her sleep. Tony held his hand to her forehead. She was hot! He shook his head and stood up. He walked over to his side table reached for his cell, and called Gibbs.

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"Yeah Gibbs," Gibbs answered. "Oh it's you DiNozzo, what's up?"

"Hey boss," Tony replied. "Alyssa's got a fever so I'm making her stay home, I won't be coming in today, just tell everyone where I am and hold all my calls."

"You got it DiNozzo," Gibbs smiled into the phone. "Have fun with yall's sick day."

"Will do," Tony smiled back unknowingly. "Have fun working, how's your eye by the way?"

"Goodbye DiNozzo…" Gibbs hung up smiling and laughing.

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When Alyssa finally did wake up she looked over at the clock confused. It was eleven o clock. She sat up and rubbed her forehead, her head hurt not as bad as before, but it still hurt. She decided to get up out of bed and check to see if Tony was here. Her prayers were answered when she saw him cooking something in the kitchen.

"Hey kid," Tony smiled looking away from the pot on the stove for a minute. "How are you feeling?"

"Better than before," Alyssa smiled weakly and took a seat on Tony's couch. "Definitely better than before…"

"Well then," Tony smiled and walked over to her for a moment. "How about you just have a seat, grab a book of mine and relax."

"Ok." Alyssa smiled and walked over to Tony's bookcase.

She walked over to Tony's bookshelf. She looked at the books and picked out one, but before she could walk back a small black book fell off the shelf. When she picked it up it read "Tony's Journal". She stared at it for a little bit.

"Would you like to read that?" Tony asked.

Alyssa jumped dropping the book onto the floor and Tony picked it up.

"Because if you want to you can," Tony smiled at her. "I don't mind…"

"Are you sure," Alyssa asked cautiously. "I mean this is really private?"

"I want my story to be known in a sense," Tony walked with her over to the couch. "Besides your soup's ready?"

He pointed to a piping hot bowl of the warm brothy liquid and Alyssa grabbed it.

"Just let me know," Tony started to get up. "If you need anything else…"

"Wait Tony," Alyssa stated, she looked down a little in shame. "Would you read it to me?"

Tony waited a few minutes before replying "sure".

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Team Gibbs had been hard at work without Tony. So far they had cracked four cases and downed a million cups of coffee, ninety-nine of which belonging to Gibbs. He was about to go talk to Ducky when Maria Thompson, Alyssa's social worker appeared before him. He fingered her over to the elevator where he promptly shut it down and let her speak.

"So Gibbs," she smiled. "How are things going with her father?"

"We're still waiting on the verdict," Gibbs replied. "Nothing's come up yet?"

"Well feast your eyes buddy," she held out that day's paper to Gibbs and he read it. "The verdict's out the bastard's gonna be free in five months."

"But," Gibbs gasped. "That means…"

"Yes," Maria nodded her head up and down. "Either we find some way to put him behind bars or Alyssa goes back…"

"But Tony…" Gibbs gasped again.

"He wouldn't have existed…" Maria replied.

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"Dear Diary," Tony read Alyssa as she sipped her soup listening intently. "Today I taught Sarah how to ride bareback on her horse, I figure if she ever has to ride out of here with or without me then she can now. She gets stronger and older every day, I hope one day we'll be able escape together one day, Sincerely, Tony."

"Wow," Alyssa said. "So full of raw emotion, Tony this is incredible."

"Thanks," Tony shut the book. "I think that's enough for today…"

"Ah man," Alyssa replied disappointed. "Can we read more tomorrow?"

"Maybe," Tony smiled. "Now you need to rest, ok?"

"Ok," Alyssa sunk down into the couch and pulled a blanket over herself. "Thanks Tony."

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Gibbs couldn't believe what he had just heard. He simply couldn't believe it! He reached for his phone and dialed the only person he knew he could…

"Tobias," he asked. "I need your help?"

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Tony stared at the little black book. He needed to take a nap as well. He laid his head down and closed his eyes…

Little Tony sat in his room and wrote. He cried tears onto the pages of his journal as he wrote down every gruesome detail of each day of his life. He needed solid evidence against his father if ever one day he was taken to court for his torturous misdeeds. Suddenly though his bedroom door was pounded on, it was his father again in yet another drunken rage.

"Hey Jr," he hiccupped. "Come out and play, I've already got your sister on my team?"

"No," Tony winced, thrusting his journal far under his bed. "I won't!"

"Well then I guess," he broke down his door. "I'll have to recruit you myself!"

He burst through Tony's bedroom door and grabbed him by the wrist. Tony kicked, he bit, he fought but his father still clutched to him. In his other hand he dragged Sarah, with a calm look on her face, but total fear in her eyes. He dragged them both to the kitchen and threw them both to floor. Tony landed with a thud on his side, but fiercely sat back up.

"Now give me your arm," his father burped this time. "Were gonna play my way!"

Tony fought, but his father dragged him over to the stove that had just been lit. The flame reached up high and started to burn Tony's arm. He winced, but refused to cry in front of that horrible man. He jerked backwards and fell to the floor, his arm in his hand, his teeth gritted. Sarah clung to his hips with great fear.

"Now you little ass," his father said. "That's no way to play!"

"I don't play fair," Tony yelled back. "You bastard…"

"Well then," his father hiccupped yet again. "Next time you will…"

Tony stared into the man's eyes. With every bone in his body he wanted to rip his bones out and feed them to the dogs.

Tony awoke in a cold sweat, yelling as Alyssa stared into his eyes right next to him.

"Hey Tony," she grabbed his arm. "Are you ok?"

"It was just a dream," Tony repeated to himself. "It was just a dream…"

Tears fell a little from his eyes.

"Are you sure you're ok?" Alyssa asked.

"Yes," Tony replied. "I'm fine…"

"Ok," Alyssa said. "If you want to talk about it, just as you're here for me Tony, I'm here for you, ok?"

"Ok thanks kid," Tony smiled. "Now go get some rest, it's time for bed."

RNR

Wholly moly! Alyssa's dad is getting free in five months! Will she go back to him or stay with Tony?

And Tony having a bad dream, will we ever know more about his past as well as Alyssa's?