I do not own the characters and am writing purely for entertainment.

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Tony was feeling better knowing Gibbs was still with him. He fell back to sleep knowing he was safe.

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Gibbs was happy to sit by his son's side while he slept if it kept him comfortable and sleeping peacefully. He was concerned about his other two-team members but his number one priority was Tony. He was not going to let Tony down again.

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Director Sheppard anxiously awaited the arrival of Ducky and Abby. She knew this was going to be tough and when they arrived, it only proved that she was correct. Abby sat with Tim while he slept. Ducky spoke with the Doctors and explained the course of treatment necessary to get Tim back on his feet.

Ziva had not been found. Notification was made to the family of the girl who was killed in the flood. Search teams were deployed to the area and were making progress.

Director Sheppard was satisfied that everything that could be done was being done. She realized the situation was out of her control but hoped her agent would be returned safely.

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Ziva awoke in pain. She was not sure what was going on but within a short period of time, she remembered what had happened. When she opened her eyes, she found herself in the company of two of the campers.

"Thank God. We were afraid you wouldn't wake up."

"I am fine. Are the two of you alright?" Ziva hoped they were alright. She knew they needed to get out of here and back to safety.

It didn't take long to determine that her injuries were minor. She was certain she had a concussion but she needed to stay focused. Everything else would fall in place.

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Tony's sleep was again being interrupted by frighteningly detailed nightmares.

He looked around the room and saw the rotting corpse. The stench was so thick it was suffocating him. He looked around again but something was wrong. He knew this place. Atlas…but Atlas wasn't here this time. He was alone. He tried to free himself from the chain that kept his tethered to the wall but had no luck. Everything that had gone right last time was going wrong now. He didn't want to believe he was going to die here but it certainly appeared that was the case.

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Gibbs reached over to soothe his son. He wouldn't think of Tony as anything but that from now on. The ragged breathing and quick jaunting of his head was the physical evidence that Tony was having disturbing dreams. Gibbs didn't want to see his son suffer any further. He leaned further over to speak directly into his ear.

"It's alright…you're safe. Tony…wake up…you're alright." Slowly the words filtered through to Tony. It took a couple of minutes but eventually green eyes opened and stared directly into ice blue eyes. The depth of love could be felt.

"Tony…you with me now."

"Ye…yes. I…" Tony stalled but was interrupted by Gibbs. "Shhhh…take it easy. You're okay now. Slow your breathing down. That's it. You can tell me when you're ready. For now just try to relax…you're safe. I'm here…not going anywhere."

Gibbs crawled up into the bed and held Tony close to him. He remembered doing this with Kelly. It always worked for her; he hoped it would work for Tony as well. It took a few minutes but eventually Tony's breathing was back under control.

"So…sorry. I…it…was wrong. I was back in the sewer. But…I was alone. I felt like I was suffocating. I couldn't get out." His breathing was starting to pick up again.

"You're safe. It was just a bad dream. I'm not leaving you. Dad's downstairs and he's not planning on going anywhere either. We're here for you. We love you." As he spoke, Tony once again relaxed. The warmth he felt filled him deep down inside. It was a warmth he had never received from his father or his mother.

"Thanks…dad. It was so real…but I know you're here for me. Thanks for that."

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It was two hours later when the search team found Ziva and the other campers They were brought to the hospital to be looked over. Ducky met Ziva in the ER and assisted with the initial exam. Ziva was bruised and had numerous lacerations from her adventure but over all she was alright. The concussion was minor but would require her to be kept in the hospital over night for observation.

Ducky reported his findings to the Director and then called Gibbs.

"Jethro. Timothy and Ziva will be alright. Minor injuries all around but given time they will be alright. What they need now is rest." Ducky was worried about his friends…his family. He wanted to have them together. He was concerned they may never be able to get together again.

"Let me know when they are ready to be released. I will arrange for a second cabin for them to recover in. I want them here but not in the same house as Tony. Not yet…"

Ducky knew this was the first step in getting them back to a sense of normalcy. They needed each other. They brought out the best in each other. They gave strength to each other. This was what they needed more than anything else.

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Gibbs understood the seriousness of the situation. He needed Tony to be well. He needed his family to come back together. However, in the end, it was up to Tony if they would be a team…a family again. He would not jeopardize Tony's health. He would not violate Tony's trust.

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Jackson watched as his son paced on the porch. He didn't know what was wrong. Tony was upstairs in the shower. Now was the time to talk to Jethro and discover what was going on in his mind. He made two cups of coffee and went to the porch to be with his son. His anger towards the team was still present. His bond with Tony was greater than the others. He didn't want to see his grandson hurt again.

"Son…what's the matter? You seem upset. Is Tony…is he alright?" Every syllable was laced with concern.

"Dad, there's been an accident. Tim and Ziva are in the hospital. Ducky is with them. They are injured but not seriously. Ducky said they need to rest and recuperate." He turned to look his father in the eye. "I want to bring them here. I want to know if they are okay. But I won't do it if Tony will be hurt by it. I need to talk to him, see if it is alright for them to be here."

Jackson was about to protest on his grandsons behalf but Jethro interrupted him. "I will not have them under the same roof but nearby, in a different cabin. Dad…am I wrong for wanting to make sure they are okay?"

"No son, you are not wrong. I think in another cabin it would be alright. Just not here. I do not want to see them anywhere near Tony until he is stronger." The strength of his words were felt. Gibbs knew he was right. He had needed to have some reassurance.