A/N: Hey there :D
Ok, so I know it's been a few days, but I wanted to make sure this chapter was right before I put it up. It's the last but one chapter! The next chapter will be the last one of this story, but you haven't got rid of Lana that easily! The next story is all planned out and ready to be written, so I'll start that as soon as I can. I think with the next story, I'll get a few chapters written and ready before I post any, just so that if I don't have time to write any for a while, I still have something to post fairly regularly. If anyone's got any ideas/suggestions for the next story, I'd love to hear them!
Let me know what you think!
Thanks,
xoloveJBox
Chapter 11.
It was almost like slow motion. For a minute, the door seemed to glide to the floor, flung from its hinges, rather than crashing like it should have. It seemed to take years for Gibbs, Ziva and Tim's eyes to adjust to the dark. It only took them a minute or so to apprehend the two men. Gibbs guessed that they were the ones that had broken into Lana and Tony's apartment. They matched Lana's description perfectly. And they really were huge. The look on their faces as the team had crashed into the building, taking them completely by surprise had been almost comical.
Almost.
Gibbs was worried about having to use his gun. He never liked to use it, but for all he knew, these men were other relations to Lana, and he didn't want to get into a situation like that. However, once they were cuffed and secured, the only thought any of them had was Tony.
Tony was still lying on the floor, his arms remaining trapped under his body. He could hear the chaos and commotion outside the room, but he had no idea what was going on. For a moment, he was too terrified to move. He didn't know what to do. Should he make himself known to whoever was out there? What if it landed him in even more trouble? Surely he couldn't get into more trouble, could he?
While Tony's mind whirred and ticked with imaginary situations, Gibbs was feeling depleted. It seemed as if he had searched every room, and had found nothing more than scurrying spiders and unidentifiable bad smells. Gibbs kicked at the wall in anger and turned to Tim.
"Call Lana," he barked "Tony's not here. Her sister gave us the wrong address."
Tony froze. He was sure he had heard Gibbs. He listened for a second, heard nothing more than the blood pulsing around his head, and sadly dismissed the thought. He was beginning to believe he would never be found.
"Tony's not here. Her sister gave us the wrong address."
There is was again. Tony was certain this time that he wasn't imagining it. They had found him! Tony began screaming and shouting, praying that they heard him.
"Wait Tim." Gibbs suddenly said, and McGee stopped dialling. He remained still and silent as Gibbs listened hard.
"There is no sign of him Gi-" Ziva started when she found them, though she was only greeted by a loud 'shhhhh'
Then she heard it too. She would recognise Tony's annoying voice anywhere. But no matter how irritating Tony could be, she was relieved to hear him. The three of them began searching frantically; looking for anywhere they hadn't already checked. Tim started to make his way quickly in another direction- it was hard to determine which way the sound was coming from. He suddenly tripped over something hard on the floor, and he looked down at what looked to be a latch. He quickly moved the dank rug that covered it, revealing a trap door. He dove to his front, with his ear pressed to the floor.
"Boss!" He yelled "I found him!"
Gibbs zipped around and rushed over, having to help McGee heave the cover off. It was a small space, but Gibbs lowered himself into the hole, quickly followed by Tim and Ziva. The three of them only just fit into the space. They were pressed between the ladder and what appeared to be a door. Gibbs felt around for a handle, found one: icy cold under his fingers, but the door still didn't move.
"Move back." He told his two agents, and although there weren't places for them to go, they complied.
When Gibb's boot came into contact with the door, it crashed open with an almost deafening bang, and it was only then that Tony stopped yelling. His ears were ringing as he felt himself be lifted upright again, and he suddenly found himself totally out of energy. He could barely hold his head up as Gibbs muttered soft assurances and McGee untied him, but there was only one thing he wanted to hear.
"Lana?" he breathed, almost inaudibly.
"She's fine Tony," Gibbs told him "and so are you. Let's get you outta here." Tony tried to ignore the screaming pain in his arms and shoulders as he was lifted from the chair and into the embrace of safety.
Lana was still pacing when Duckie's phone rang. She froze, eyeing it nervously until Duckie finally answered it. Lana felt Abby standing very close behind her, each of them searching for comfort in the other's presence as they listened to the older man on the phone.
"Yes...Oh Jethro... yes, yes, I'll tell her...Thank you Jethro." Duckie hung up the phone, and Lana felt her breath catch in her throat. Was it her imagination, or did Duckie look sad?
"Come on Duck man," Abby prodded. Lana couldn't find her voice. "What did he say?"
"They found him." Duckie replied quietly. Lana wasn't sure she was encouraged by his tone.
"Is...Is he ok?" Lana stammered, whispering, though to her ears, it sounded like she was screaming.
"Gibbs said that he suspects Anthony's wrist is broken, but other than that; it's just cuts and bruises."
Lana let out a long breath and couldn't suppress the laugh that burst from her chest as Abby pulled her into a vice like hug. Lana's hands were still trembling when she felt Duckie slide his fingers into hers.
"They just got to the hospital with him." He told her "let's go and see how he's doing eh?"
The three of them rode the elevator out of Abby's lab, chatting happily as they got out and walked down the corridor. As they made their way out, they walked past the room that still held JJ and Lisa, and Lana momentarily stopped, thinking for a minute before going in.
"They found him." She told them simply before closing the door and rushing to catch up with Duckie and Abby.
It was raining hard by the time Duckie, Abby and Lana pulled up outside the hospital. Duckie parked his car as close to entrance as he could get, but even so, it only took a minute for them to be drenched. Lana couldn't contain herself any longer, and she skidded slightly as she hurried into the reception. It was a Friday night, and the place was packed. As impatient as always, Lana began to push her way through the crowd, indifferent to their complaints. However, she quickly turned when she heard someone calling her name. She could see Tim beaconing her over, and she went to him, silently following him down a maze of winding corridors that had the unmistakably sterile smell that almost made Lana crinkle her nose. But she wasn't interested in the smells. She wasn't interested in all the people looking at her as she took no notice of them. She wasn't interested in the janitor's tuts and sighs as she dripped water on the floor, marking her pathway. She just wanted Tony.
Soon, Tim stopped outside of a door and smiled at her, opening the door. Once again, a sound of pure happiness erupted from her as she saw him. He was battered, his arm in a cast and sling. His hair was a mess, and his lip was thick. His eyes were blackened, and small cuts littered his cheeks and arms. But he was there. Tears dribbled over her cheeks silently, and before she could stop herself, she ran over to him and threw herself into his arms. Tony winced slightly as he caught her, but he wrapped his good arm around her tightly as she cried on his shoulder, whimpering apologies in his ear. Lana had no idea that Tony didn't know what she had to be sorry about, but at that moment, it didn't matter. Nothing mattered except that he was there and safe and...there.
