Many thanks for all the wonderful reviews (and the reminders to update - haha!) I am trying to update faster but life is getting in the way as it usually does. Chapter 15 shouldn't' be too far away though.

Things to Google for this chapter - 'Mount Gambier Blue Lake' and 'Umpherston Sinkhole'. The cave in this chapter isn't based on any one cave in or around Mount Gambier but you can Google the caves to get a general idea of what they were looking at.

Hope you enjoy and please leave a review. You are amazing reviewers and I really appreciate that so many of you take the time to add a few words. Thank you.

Chapter 14 - Caves and Sinkholes

"Ca-aves, Ca-aves, Ca-ves!"

Ziva, sitting at the table with the rest of the family, chanted her vote for what to do that day.

"Ziva!" admonished Jenny wearily. "We get it."

"There's a walking track around the lake, we could do that?" suggested Tony, studying the brochure he held in his hands.

"No, I want to go to the caves!" whined Ziva.

To highlight her point she began to chant the word again, her sing song voice grating on the nerves of those around the table.

"Enough!" growled Gibbs, turning his attention to the five year old.

Pouting slightly, Ziva closed her mouth and stared mutely ahead. It had only taken her two seconds to make her choice. Why was everyone else so slow!

"I vote for caves as well," said Tim, folding the brochure he held in his hand. He smiled when Ziva fixed him with a huge grin.

"Abby?" Gibbs turned his attention to his eldest who, unlike the others, was using her phone to explore the town's offerings.

Abby shrugged.

"Whatever," she said indifferently. "I don't really care."

She put her phone down on the table with a loud sigh.

Gibbs and Jenny exchanged a quick look. Last night, after everyone had turned in for the night, Jenny had explained to Gibbs the reason behind Abby's recent moodiness. Although sympathetic, Gibbs had held firm on his opinion.

"I understand that, Jen," he'd said, as they lay together in bed. "But it doesn't excuse her rudeness to other people. Hormones or not, I'll not put up with her snapping at everyone and making them feel miserable."

"I know," placated Jenny, slightly shifting her head where it rested on Gibbs' chest. "And I told her as much."

They lay silently for a minute, slowly drifting off. Suddenly, Jenny felt Gibbs' chest jolt as a snort of laughter echoed around the room.

"What?" she said, lifting her head slightly to meet his eyes.

"I'm just picturing the look Abby's would have given you when you sent her to bed early."

Jenny smiled.

"I didn't send her to bed," she said, emphasising the word 'send'. "I just suggested that an early night might be preferable to your solution."

Gibbs raised one eyebrow.

"My solution?" he asked.

"Mmmm," murmured Jenny. "I could see your hand twitching."

Gibbs snorted again.

"Yeah," he agreed, running his hand through Jenny's hair. "I've been tempted. Well, I hope she took your words of advice because I'm just about at the end of my rope with her."

"Yes, told her that too," said Jenny, snuggling down and closing her eyes.

Reaching up to flick off the light, Gibbs shuffled down into the bed. With Jenny's head still resting on his chest, he closed his eyes. With hopes that his eldest might greet the dawn with a renewed sense of congeniality, Gibbs easily drifted off to sleep.

Now, levelling her with a warning glare, he felt his hopes quickly fading. Abby had awoken that morning, not with a renewed sense of congeniality but, rather, with a increased attitude of teenage angst.

"What?" she snapped, seeing his eyes boring into hers. "All I said was, I don't care what you decide to do."

"It's not what you said," began Gibbs. "It's the way you said it."

Abby looked away, refusing to meet Gibbs' eyes. He knew she was using every ounce of self control not to roll her eyes at him. Good thing too, he thought grimly.

Watching the interaction with interest, Ziva found the whole thing fascinating. Although Abby could be a pain at times, bossy even, she usually didn't show this much attitude towards her dad. It was nice, thought Ziva, to see someone else in trouble for a change; especially if that someone was Abby.

"These caves look really interesting," said Jenny, her voice light and cheery as she tried to dissipate the tension in the air. "They run regular tours throughout the day."

Allowing Jenny to change the subject, Gibbs looked at the page she was pointing out.

"What do we think?" he asked the table at large. "Shall we go to these ones?"

"Yes!" yelled Ziva enthusiastically, while Tim simply nodded his head.

"Tony?" asked Gibbs, turning to the boy.

"I guess," replied Tony quietly. "It'll be lit up and stuff won't it?"

"Usually," replied Gibbs, surprised at the boy's question. Tony had never shown a fear of the dark in the past. "And," he continued lightly, "judging by the pictures in this brochure, I'd hazard a guess you could probably perform brain surgery with all that lighting."

Tony gave a small smile and nodded his consent.

"Excellent," said Jenny brightly, standing up and stepping out from behind the table. "Tony, you need to brush your teeth and tie those shoe laces," she said, staring at the wayward cords which threatened to upend the eleven year old. "Ziva, you need to bring me your hair brush. I'm sure a bird has built a nest in your hair."

"Mommy!" cried Ziva indignantly, crossing her arms over her chest. "It has not!"

"Be that as it may, you still need to bring me your brush," replied Jenny distractedly, having already set her sights on filling water bottles and organising snacks.

With everyone managing to ready themselves in less than twenty minutes, they had piled into the car and set off for the day. The caves were a short distance out of town and Gibbs used the time to go through the basic ground rules, much to everyone's annoyance.

"Dad," grumbled Tony, as Gibbs began on the third rule. "We know the rules, we've heard them heaps of times."

"Just making sure," said Gibbs, eying his brood through the rear view mirror.

Thirty minutes later, with their tickets ready for the next guided tour, Gibbs and Jenny led the group into the café for a coffee.

"When can I start drinking coffee?" asked Tony, eying his familiar juice.

"When you're fifteen," replied Gibbs.

"Fifteen! That's ages away."

Grinning slightly, Gibbs handed Tony his cup and encouraged the boy to take a sip of the extra strong long black. Tony's eyes lit up and he eagerly took a large mouthful. As the bitter brew assaulted his taste buds, the adults laughed at the grimace that immediately appeared on Tony's face. Reaching for an empty disposable cup, Jenny gave it to the boy who quickly spat out the foul tasting liquid.

"Ugh! That's disgusting, Dad!" he exclaimed, grabbing a napkin and trying to scrub his tongue. "Why do you drink it?"

"Because I like it," replied Gibbs simply.

"Yuck!" reiterated Tony. "Forget fifteen. I don't think I'll ever want to drink that stuff."

"Mission accomplished," said Gibbs quietly, grinning at Jenny.

"Can I try some?" asked Ziva. Having seen Tony's reaction she was keen to make her own assessment.

Leaning across the table, Gibbs allowed the five year old to take a small sip. He watched and waited for a similar reaction. As Ziva swilled the brew around her mouth, he was surprised when, instead of spitting into the cup Jenny held out in readiness, the little girl swallowed and sighed in satisfaction.

"That was good," she replied, eyeing off his cup in hopes of a second sip.

"Mission failed," replied Jenny with a sideways grin at Gibbs.

"Can I have some more?" asked Ziva hopefully.

"Yep," replied Gibbs. "When you're fifteen."

Having jumped excitedly at the word 'yep', Ziva now slumped down disappointingly into her chair.

"That's ten years away," she grumbled crossly.

"How on earth could you like that stuff?" asked Tony incredulously.

Ziva shrugged.

"I think Ari used to let me have some," she replied.

Gibbs and Jenny looked up in surprise. It had been quite some time since Ziva had made reference to her old life.

"He used to have it with breakfast," she continued, staring ahead with unfocused eyes. "Ima would pour it into a small round pot and Ari would tip some into my little cup."

"You were pretty small to be having coffee Ziva," remarked Tim. "I was an adult before I began to enjoy the flavour. I didn't even like coffee flavoured candy or milkshakes.

"Let me guess," said Jenny grinning. "You developed a taste for it not long after coming to work for Gibbs?"

"Yes, how did you know?"

"Like I said, just a guess," replied Jenny, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "Gibbs has that affect on people. If he doesn't drive them to drink, then it's usually caffeine addition."

"Hey!" interrupted Gibbs indignantly.

"Ooh, look at that," said Jenny, staring at her watch. "Time to go."

Shaking his head at her efforts to change the subject, Gibbs none the less allowed himself and the others to be shuffled out the door and into the queue for the tour.

****NCIS****

"Are you OK Tony?" asked Gibbs, watching the young boy carefully.

The tour had been going for only five minutes and Gibbs couldn't help but notice how tense Tony had been since they'd entered the cave. He thought back to when they had visited the crystal caves near Stillwater. Tony had been fine then, excited even. Yet, today, he looked worried and stressed and had, even now, reached up to hold Gibbs' hand, an action he usually avoided at all costs for fear of being called a 'baby'.

"I'm OK," replied the boy, his voice anything but convincing. "I just don't want to get lost. Would hate to break one of your rules," he added, grinning up at his father.

Gibbs returned the smile but wasn't reassured. Tony was definitely acting differently.

As the tour continued, Gibbs began to relax slightly as he felt Tony relaxing. When the boy finally let go of his hand and happily walked alongside Tim, Gibbs shrugged off his earlier concerns and continued the tour with Jenny's hand held in his instead.

They listened carefully to the tour guide as she explained how the stalagmites and stalactites were created along with the more recent history of the caves discovery. She then went onto explain how the volcanic eruption made massive changes to the geological structure of the area. One couple behind Gibbs and Jenny asked about the sinkhole they had recently visited and, if that was what she was referring to.

"What's a sinkhole?" asked Ziva, her voice unexpectedly echoing around cave.

"They start out as caves like these but erosion causes the roof or ceiling to collapse creating a large hole in the ground. Here, in Mount Gambier, we have a few of them but there are two in particular that have become tourist attractions. The Umpherston Sinkhole was so large that, in 1886 James Umpherston decided to turn it into a garden. It's still a garden today and well worth a visit. The other sinkhole, called Hell's Hole, is further out of town and is much deeper. So deep in fact that much of it is filled with water. It's a popular spot for diving enthusiasts."

"Can we go swimming in it?" asked Ziva.

"No," replied the tour guide. "It's much too deep and is quite dangerous unless you know what you're doing. However, I would recommend you visit the Umpherston Sinkhole. It's beautiful."

"How many sinkholes are in the region?" asked a lady towards the front.

"Hard to know really," answered the tour guide. "The land around here is limestone which is very soft and easily erodes. Sinkholes often appear. Some are very small. It's the deep ones like Hell's Hole that are the worry. There aren't many of them but when they collapse they can cause quite a few problems. There's a famous story about the sink hole on the road between Mount Gambier and Port MacDonnell. When the road collapsed back in the 1800s, it swallowed up a man along with his horse and cart. The man managed to scramble to safety but the horse and cart weren't so lucky."

"Oh poor horse!" exclaimed Abby. "Didn't anyone try to rescue it?"

"I'm sure they did," replied the tour guide. "Horses were quite valuable in those days. But the hole was so deep, the horse would have perished as it hit the bottom."

"Is it still down there?" asked Tony, his nose wrinkling in horror.

"Well, if there's anything left, it would just be bones by now," said the guide humorously.

Tony and Ziva didn't find this funny at all and looked at each other in horror.

"I would imagine many animals have met their fate down that and may other sinkholes in the region," continued the guide lightly. She then grinned at the two children. "Maybe even a human or two!"

She had meant it as a joke and, although Ziva smiled weakly, Tony simply looked aghast. Nuzzling closer to Tim, he felt relieved when Tim's hand rested on his shoulder.

The tour continued for on for a few minutes until they were once again stopped. This time the guide explained that they were at the deepest part of the cave. Tony listened as she rattled off numbers and measurements but, being in metric, he really didn't understand and it wasn't long before he switched off and began focusing on the brilliant lights around him. It truly was spectacular and he was beginning to enjoy the tour. That was until he caught the last word words spoken by the tour guide.

"...dark!"

Wondering what was about to happen, he was taken by surprise when the space around him went from dazzling bright to pitch black. Adrenalin race through every vein as Tony desperately searched for Tim who had been standing right next to him. But, when he frantically reached out, the space around him was empty. With his heart now banging against his chest, beads of sweat began to form on his forehead. His mouth felt dry and an overwhelming dizziness overtook him.

"Tim?"

Where had his voice gone? He'd tried to keep his voice low but there was nothing there. Why couldn't he speak? Suddenly the darkness became solid. It pressed against him, suffocatingly strong. His lungs felt tight and he could no longer feel them filling with air. Unable to cry out, unable to run, Tony did the only thing he thought might bring him some protection; he crouched as low to the ground as possible, tucked his chin to his chest and covered his head with his arms.

This was the site that greeted Gibbs when the light returned, illuminating the cave and turning night into day. The huddled figure on the ground immediately drew his attention.

"Tony!" he called, reaching the boy in two quick strides. He crouched down next to the small figure and placed his hand on the boy's back.

Tony jumped at the unexpected touch.

"Hey," said Gibbs softly. "It's just me, Dad."

"Dad?"

The voice was barely a whisper but, at least it was there.

"Yes Tony, Dad," repeated Gibbs. "What happened?"

Tony slowly opened his eyes and focused on the ground near his feet. Realizing the lights were back on, he carefully lifted his head and cautiously looked around him. Faces, both familiar and foreign stared back at him, eyes filled with concern, brows furrowed with worry. A wave of heat, beginning at his neck, slowly crept up his face and Tony turned to face his Dad, his eyes filled with a desperate need for escape.

Seeing the look, Gibbs reacted immediately. He straightened his legs before reaching down and plucking Tony into his arms. The trembling body beneath his touch shocked Gibbs as did the rapid heartbeat he could feel against his own chest. Turning abruptly, Gibbs carried Tony away from the onlookers and kept walking until he found a quiet spot; far enough away from the crowd but not too far as to get separated and lost.

Finding a bench specifically placed for those who struggled to walk, Gibbs sat down. With Tony still in his arms, he arranged the boy so he was sitting on his lap. Immediately, Tony leant into the warmth, not caring that he normally insisted he was too old for such intimacies.

"What happened Tony?" asked Gibbs softly, carding his fingers through the boy's hair.

"It went dark," murmured Tony. "I didn't know where you were and I couldn't find Tim."

"Didn't you hear the lady say she was only turning them off for a few seconds?" asked Gibbs, surprised at Tony's words.

He had never known Tony to be afraid of the dark. If anything, the boy usually welcomed the shadowy blackness, taking pleasure in scaring anyone gullible enough to fall for his ghoulish antics. This trembling child, now huddled in his arms, was very much out of character.

Tony shook his head in answer.

"I was looking around and wasn't really listening to her," he croaked.

Not asking anything further for the time being, Gibbs held Tony close and rocked gently, waiting for the trembling to stop. As Tony's heartbeat returned to a normal rhythm, Gibbs kissed the top of the sweaty head and murmured softly, "Feeling a bit better?"

He felt the head nod against his chest. Then, almost as though he'd suddenly realized where he was, Gibbs felt Tony pull away and attempt to scramble off his lap.

"It's OK, Tony," he soothed gently. "You don't have to get off."

"But, I'm not a baby," replied Tony, using the phrase Gibbs was quickly learning to hate.

"Accepting comfort doesn't make you a baby, Tony," said Gibbs quietly.

Despite the reassurance, Tony continued pulling away until he was standing next to Gibbs' knee rather than sitting on it. Not wanting to push the issue, Gibbs allowed the boy his freedom, but insisted on reaching out and holding Tony's hands. He knew Tony needed human touch right now and he was determined to give it.

"I understand the sudden darkness came as a bit of a shock," continued Gibbs, understating Tony's reaction so as to not embarrass the boy further. "But, you're not normally bothered by the dark. What was different this time?"

Tony shrugged. Then, realizing his Dad was waiting for an answer he said, "I don't know. It's never happened before."

"What hasn't happened before?" asked Gibbs.

"Well…everything seemed to…I don't know…swirl around me," replied Tony slowly, searching for the right words. "I felt like my heart was going to leap out of my mouth and I got all hot and sweaty. I felt like I was going to fall and I couldn't breathe properly."

Gibbs nodded encouragingly as Tony spoke. He knew, from experience, what Tony was describing was a panic or anxiety attack. He'd certainly had his own fair share, particularly following the news of Shannon and Kelly's deaths. The anxiety he'd experienced matched exactly what Tony was referring to. What Gibbs didn't understand was why Tony had experienced the attack.

"Tony, do you know why you suddenly felt that way? Did you remember something that caused those feelings to suddenly happen?"

He felt Tony stiffen next to him and the boy's eyes flickered to the left, glazing over slightly. Then, as quickly as it appeared, the eyes refocused and Tony was back with him.

"No," he replied, shaking his head to emphasize his response.

"Are you sure?" asked Gibbs, leveling Tony with an inquiring look.

This time the boy just nodded.

Sighing deeply, Gibbs decided to let the matter rest. He knew Tony was holding back on something. But, short of forcing him to speak, Gibbs knew he wasn't going to get anything further out of the eleven year old. He just hoped, in time, Tony would feel confident enough to share what had triggered the anxiety attack.

"Can we go back to the tour?" asked Tony.

"Sure," replied Gibbs, sighing again in wake of the finality of Tony's words. The conversation was apparently over and Tony was ready to move on.

Standing, Gibbs put his arm around Tony's shoulder and the two of them retraced their steps, quickly catching up with the rest of the group. As they shuffled their way through the crowd and back to those who were familiar, Tony ducked out from under Gibbs' arm and went to stand next to Tim. Gibbs, feeling a little dejected, sought solace in Jenny's concerned look and the gentle hand that, once again, took hold of his.

The remainder of the tour continued without incident and, as they circled back to their original path, the tour guide directed the group to follow the track back to the opening. It was during this time, Gibbs filled in Jenny with the details of what had transpired between himself and Tony.

"He'll talk when he's ready," advised Jenny, when Gibbs finally finished. "You know Tony, he has to process the information first, make sense of it in his own head. Once he's done that, he'll open up."

"Yeah, I know," conceded Gibbs. "It's just so out of character for him though. He normally loves being in the dark."

"Hon, we're all still reeling from the shooting. I find myself second guessing things I used to do automatically. Maybe, for Tony, being in the dark brings back what happened?" Her voice lifted at the end of her sentence turning her words into a question. A question, like so many others she had asked herself, remained unanswered.

"Hmmm," murmured Gibbs pensively. "Maybe."

They decided to take the advice of the tour guide and spent the afternoon visiting the Umpherston Sinkhole. Finding a bakery, they bought sandwiches, cakes and drinks and enjoyed a wonderful few hours picnicking and exploring the incredible gardens. The serenity of their surrounds lifted their spirits and, by the time they returned to the camping ground, everyone was feeling calm and refreshed.

At five thirty, Jenny managed to convince Ziva to have a shower and get ready for bed, explaining she would then have some free time after dinner to do something fun. As she herded the five year old towards the bathroom, Abby stuck her head in through the camper door.

"Tim and I are going for a walk," she announced, looking vaguely around the space until her eyes found Jenny's.

"OK, but don't be long," reminded Jenny. "Dinner will be ready around six thirty."

"Yep, we'll be back," replied Abby, closing the door as she spoke.

Following the graveled road that wound its way around the camping ground, Abby and Tim walked in comfortable silence, occasionally speaking when something they saw prompted them comment. Passing the entrance, Abby and Tim took the road that led out of the park. Knowing this road joined onto the main road which encircled the Blue Lake, the two of them set off in search of a viewing platform where they could enjoy the views the Blue Lake had to offer. It wasn't long before they came across a wooden bench seat overlooking the lake and promptly took a seat.

The lake, although currently a murky grey, was said to be a brilliant blue during the summer months. Abby pulled out her phone and quickly searched for images of the lake.

"It's a pity it doesn't look like this at the moment," she said, showing Tim a photo of the lake taken in March.

"It's still amazing though," replied Tim, returning his focus to the view. "To think this was once a volcano."

"Do you think what that woman said today was true?" asked Abby, her mind already having wandered in a new direction.

"What about?" asked Tim, unphased by the randomness of Abby's question.

"About the animals and the sinkholes?" clarified Abby. "Do you think many animals do fall down the holes and get trapped?"

Tim thought for a moment.

"Um…probably," he finally said. "Although, I wouldn't think there'd be a huge amount. Most animals would be aware of it. It would possibly only be animals running from predators who are caught off guard or-"

"Baby animals!" cried Abby, cutting off Tim's rambling.

"Um…yeah…I guess," replied Tim.

"O.M.G!" exclaimed Abby, spelling out the well known acronym. "We have to check them Timmy. What if there's a baby kangaroo stuck down one of them or a baby koala?"

"Abby," groaned Tim, knowing exactly where Abby was taking the conversation. "We can't check every sinkhole in Mount Gambier. Be reasonable."

"Be reasonable?" Abby almost shouted the words. "Be reasonable?"

She jumped to her feet.

"Is it reasonable that we leave baby animals to die a horrible death down a sinkhole, possibly injured, bleeding out?"

Tim turned away and rolled his eyes.

"I saw that Timothy McGee!" admonished Abby. "Don't you care about the wildlife of this country?"

"Oh course I do," replied Tim, his voice thick with frustration. "But think about it Abby. There are probably hundreds of sinkholes around here. What are you going to do, visit every one?"

"If I have to!" replied Abby determinedly .

Tim stood and glared at Abby.

"You're being completely irrational Abby. For one, we don't know where all the sinkholes are, two, it's incredibly dangerous to just wander around looking for them and three…." He paused, thinking of a third argument. Finally he said, "It's nearly six fifteen and we need to get back for dinner."

Turning abruptly, he started up the road back to their camper. After a few seconds he heard Abby's boots clopping on the road as she ran to catch up to him.

"Wait Tim," she said, her voice now calm and sounding far more reasonable.

Tim stopped and leveled her with an exasperated stare.

"What?" he asked grumpily.

"Let's go after dinner," she suggested. "I checked on Google maps. There's a sinkhole not far from here, walking distance in fact. We can at least go and check out one can't we?" Her green eyes stared imploringly into his own, reminding him of a forlorn puppy.

"Abby, it's nearly dark now," he began calmly. "There's no way Gibbs is going to allow us to go wandering around in the dark looking for a sinkhole that probably doesn't have anything in it anyway."

"Gibbs?" said Abby in surprise. "Who said anything about telling Gibbs?"

Tim stared at her incredulously before turning around and continuing his walk.

"Now you are talking crazy," he said over his shoulder, not bothering to look at her.

Left standing alone, Abby huffed and frowned.

"Trust Tim to be such a goody two shoes", she muttered to herself before breaking out into a run in order to catch up to him again.

Deciding she wasn't going to get anywhere if she continued arguing with him, Abby chose to let the subject drop….for now. She knew she'd be able to manipulate Tim into doing what she wanted. She'd always managed to before. She would just pick her time and start on him again. One way or another, Abby was determined to visit, if not all, then at least one sinkhole to ensure it was empty of any wildlife. And, she concluded decidedly, she'd make sure Tim was there to accompany her.