Chapter 11: Waiting and Waiting and Waiting

A.N.: Hey guys! Next chapter! YAY! This one's just a short little filler pretty much. But it's important cause there's a lot o' information in it that is needed before the action kicks in again. Hope ya'll like it!

Disclaimer: No. No. Nonononononono. I don't own it. Stop asking me.

#####################################################

Gibbs was pacing around the small waiting room like a caged animal, growling and grumbling. The whole team was there, waiting on any news on their fellow teammate.

They still had a case they were working, but until they had any news on Tony, all were adamant to stay where they were. They were the only ones in the waiting room as it was nearly three in the morning.

It was dead silent, besides the sounds of their breathing and Gibbs pacing back and forth as he ran his hands through his dishelved hair.

They all jumped when Gibbs suddenly growled.

"What the hell is takin' them so long? They should be able to update us by now! It's been HOURS!" Gibbs was starting to get worried that something had happened and that's why it was taking so long.

Collapsing into a chair, Gibbs put his head in his hands, trying to hold it together.

"Jethro." A hand landed on Gibbs' right shoulder and squeezed gently. Gibbs looked up at his friend. "You need to take a deep breath and calm down. I am sure the doctors will update us on dear Anthony as soon as they are able."

Gibbs sighed and nodded. "Yeah. Just hate not being able to do anything." He admitted softly, loud enough for only Ducky to hear. He nodded.

"I understand, dear boy." Ducky cleared his throat. "I believe I have a phone call to make, if you'll excuse me." Gibbs nodded absentmindedly. Ducky sighed and squeezed his shoulder once more before letting go.

He nodded in the direction of the rest of the team before stepping outside the hospital and to the side of the building. Sinking onto a bench, Ducky took a deep breath before dialing a number he rarely, if ever, has.

The phone rang three times before the other person picked up with a click. "Yeah."

Ducky took a breath. "He's not doing well. He needs you"

The man on the other end sighed. "That bad huh?"

Ducky nodded. "Yes, dear boy. He is working himself into a fit. He can barely stand to be in the same room any longer. He needs a friend right now."

He chuckled. "Gibbs hates the waiting. He hates anything he can't shoot or glare into submission."

Ducky smiled wearily. "Yes, that is what I'm afraid of."

He nodded. "I'll be there in 10." With that, he hung up with a click.

Ducky sighed and closed his cell phone. Laying his head in his hands, he took a deep breath. He hoped the other man would be able to do what he couldn't; be there for Jethro when everything he held dear was slipping out of his grasp.

#####################################################

The man was pacing. Pacing around with vehemence. And he hadn't stopped since he'd told him the bad news.

Pacing wasn't good.

He was also pissed as hell. His face was red with his anger and he looked ready to shoot something, or someone.

Which also, wasn't good.

"Umm, Mark?" Came the tentative voice.

The man stopped and turned around. "What!" he growled.

Carlson winced. "Umm, what should we do?"

He stepped menacingly closer. "Well, I don't know, Jimmy. I guess we should just give up, right." Carlson stared at him. He snarled. "GO AND GET HIM, YOU DUMBASS!"

Carlson jumped and saluted messily. "Right! Okay, on it!" He paused. "Um, do you want me to…"he swallowed. "kill him…?"

He narrowed his eyes. "No, I want you to tap dance with him. OF COURSE I want you to kill him, YOU IDIOT!"

Carlson ran out of the room. He shook his head and turned around to look out the window. From this vantage point, he could see the White House perfectly.

With Anthony DiNozzo alive, they had a problem. He was the only victim they'd ever had to survive something like this. Of course, there was no guarantee he would survive the surgery, which is what little Jimmy was going to make certain of.

Having a victim know everything about your plan and possibly live to tell someone of importance about it was something he really wanted to avoid. They'd started all of this to make a point.

When his son, John, had been killed, he'd promised to get revenge on NCIS and the FBI and any other government official who had been involved in his case. They were supposed to protect John, keep him safe until they found the man who had brutally murdered John's wife and child. But, when his son had been thrust accidentally into the firefight and killed, he had sworn revenge.

And know, they were going to pay for it.

He knew bringing Jimmy into it was probably not the best idea, but he hated his annoying sister's son and had to find a way to coerce him into being his 'guy on the inside'. He'd done that remarkably well by threatening the only family he had left: his parents and baby sister.

If threatening to kill his sister, her husband and niece and nephew made him a monster, then so be it. He had to get revenge for what happened to his son and his family. He needed to. There was no other way.

Let the games begin.

#####################################################

Gibbs was close to exploding.

He was full of all this nervous energy, and without an outlet, he had blown up on two nurses and half his team already. He hated himself for that, but he hated waiting more. Hated not knowing what was going on behind that door.

Tony couldn't die. That was not an option. He needed the younger man too much. The man was his coworker, partner and subordinate.

But it was more than that.

They'd been friends for years and had only grown closer as the years had passed. The man was his best friend and one of the few people who knew him so well, could read him and knew so much about him as a person. The only other person he trusted as much, that was still alive, was Fornell and maybe Ducky.

"Jethro." Gibbs felt the man sink into a hard plastic chair beside him then groan. "Ugh, how could ya' sit in this thing?"

Gibbs smirked and shook his head. "What're doin here, Tobias."

The man leaned back and slung his left arm over the chair, staring at Gibbs who wouldn't meet his stare. "The doctor called me." He paused. "Was worried about ya' Hell, Jethro, we all are." He admitted softly.

Gibbs rubbed his hand over his chin, still not looking at him. "Nothin' to be worried 'bout."

He chuckled. "Really? Gonna deny it? Not really your style, Jethro."

Gibbs didn't answer.

Tobias sat up and leaned in close to him. "Jethro, I know you care about him." He shook his head and leaned back. "Don't have to lie with me."

Gibbs clenched his jaw. "How long have you known."

Fornell jerked his head back, surprised. "What? That you actually care. That you actually have feelings?" Fornell narrowed his eyes. "Or that something's different about Tony? That this time, you might actually give a shit if the kid got blown up or shot or, God forbid, died." He paused when Gibbs winced.

Gibbs cleared his throat. "Both."

Fornell shrugged. "Years. Maybe from the moment I heard you brought the kid here from Baltimore, maybe after when I actually met him. Didn't realize it though till he got the plague and you went to hell and back again to find the bitch who did it to him." Fornell sighed. "Then he didn't leave your house for three weeks after, you insisting he stay there and not be on his own." Fornell chuckled. "Oh, and of course you ordering him not to die."

Gibbs smiled softly. "Yeah. He's a bit stubborn."

Fornell leaned forward. "He needs you, Jethro. Your boy in there," he pointed at the emergency room doors. "needs you. You. Not Abby or Ducky or his bastard of a father. You." Fornell sat back. "And I think it's bout time you figured out why."

Gibbs finally looked at him. Fornell swallowed hard when he saw the depth of emotion swirling around in the blue eyes. The sadness the fear the worry. And of the course the guilt and the anger, whether it was at himself, at the bastards they were after, at the whole situation, or something in between, Fornell didn't know. Probably a mixture of everything.

Just then, a man dressed in blue scrubs and a face that seemed tired and strained, stepped out of the emergency room doors and walked towards them. And just as quickly as it came, the emotion rushed from Gibbs' eyes as he put on a mask of cold indifference. Steeling himself in case there was bad news.

"Family of Anthony DiNozzo?" he called wearily.

Everyone in the waiting room stood up and quickly walked over to the doctor. He looked up at the group, obviously surprised at the large number of people.

Gibbs made it to the doctor first. "How is he doc?" Gibbs voice sounded strained, even to his own ears.

The doctor sighed. "He's pretty beat up for sure. There are signs of extensive bruising and burns from what I could only guess was a possible bomb?" He looked questioningly at the group.

Gibbs answered the unspoken question. "We're federal agents. He was caught up in an explosion about a week ago and then another just three days ago."

The doctor looked shocked but nodded. "Right, so that would explain the bruising and burns. Also, he seems to have been tortured with multiple things. A bat seems to be one and a rather blunt metal pole as well as knives and a whip. He has a rather deep cut across his throat and another high on his cheek bone and in multiple other places across his chest and back." The doctor took a breath.

"His left arm was broken and we were able to cast that. His right shoulder was also dislocated and set back the wrong way, so we reset that. His right knee was sprained, however, and we were forced to brace it seeing as he has had problems with this knee in the past. The bruising on his chest was worrisome; he was having difficulty breathing which could have meant his lung collapsed, which it did. We had to intubate him to fix the collapsed lung and he seems to be breathing easier now." He saw the shock on their faces as they all tried to take in what he was saying. It was a very extensive list for sure.

"And the most obvious injury, of course," he continued after a moment. "would be the stab wound in his abdomen. We were able to stop the bleeding and fortunately no vital organs were nicked or bled out. Despite the long laundry list of injuries he has, he should be just fine after a good few weeks of resting and taking his medications." He concluded.

He felt the tension bleed out of the room as the entire group breathed a collective sigh of relief. They were glad he was going to be okay but that was a hell of a list.

Gibbs was the first to break the silence. "Can we see him?"

The doctor nodded. "Sure. Only next of kin right now, though. We just sedated him and he needs his rest. But I'm sure one visitor would be fine. He's been moved to recovery." The doctor gave them Tony's room number and then left them for the night.

Gibbs took a deep breath, gave his team one last glance and walked off for Tony's room.

#####################################################

A.N.: Sooooo, what'd ya think? I really though it was time ya'll figured out the meaning behind all the torture I'm putting Tony though. Okay, so Tony's fine, for now. But Carlson's on the hunt cause his mean, manipulative uncle is threatening his baby sister! :( So, that means Tony's still in danger. But Gibbs doesn't know it! Duh duh duhhhhhhh what's gonna happen?

Please review! I love to know what you think of my story!

LOVE!

~TonyDiNozzo42~