A/N – I would apologize for this story taking me like…forever – but every time I do, and say I will be on it, something crazy happens.

Suffice to say I had two separate health issues this year, luckily neither are fatal just suck. I'm getting better everyday though, and want to get rolling here. So without any promises – here is long awaited 26.

And for you who wrote me such charming requests for the story to continue, bless you !

Thanks for your patience !

His written statement had been done, and completed not long after McGee brought the paperwork in. It seemed it was something Tony needed privacy to accomplish.

And based on what the report contained, Gibbs understood why. They all did. And it was sickening. He was glad, more than glad at that point, to let Fornell take it. The macabre details Tony had included, and some which Gibbs knew he left out to protect the families of the murdered children, were almost incomprehensible. He knew some of those details would need to be explored…demons let out, before Tony would be healed. If he ever was.

Tony was allowed to go home, but Gibbs had simply brought Tony to his house. The ride was so quiet…Gibbs was unaccustomed to this strangely intense Tony, who looked alternately numb and furious within moments of each other. When they got out of the car, Gibbs walked close, since he figured Tony had to be feeling weak from his ordeal, but Tony just glared at him for the effort . Gibbs sighed and just walked ahead and opened the door. Tony slowly made his way in, without looking at his mentor, and he silently sat on the couch, staring at nothing. By the time Gibbs was done putting out drinks, the 2 bottles of medication, and antibiotic burn cream out on the kitchen counter, Tony had already fallen asleep. Gibbs knew he needed rest and to decompress a little more before trying to talk to him about seeing Doc Cranston.

Thanks to medication Pitt had insisted on, Tony slept mostly the next day, only eating a little and taking medications. He didn't even wake the following morning when Ziva came to see him. She just looked at him a little sadly, but then exhaled a sigh of relief, as she watched his chest rise and fall under the blanket Gibbs had thrown over him.

Turning to look at Gibbs, she asked softly, "Will he be alright?"

Gibbs, who was at least clean-shaven at this point, motioned for her to come into the kitchen to talk instead of disturbing Tony.

He nodded for her to sit and then got them both coffee, and retuned to the table.

Her dark eyes bore into him intensely, "He has not said a word yet…has he?"

"No," he said, voice low. "He has not." He frowned and took a sip of coffee.

She looked off to the side, thinking. His voice brought her back to his tired blue eyes.

"I think we can all say, we'd be pretty screwed up by what happened. But…Tony is resilient. And he's a fighter. I know he'll make his way back."

She took a deep breath, seeming to hesitate for a moment. "What if he can not do it alone Gibbs? What if he-"

He stopped her with a nod, "Doc Cranston will work with him when he's a little stronger."

"Ah, okay," she said, relieved.

When the silence stretched out a bit more as they sat, Gibbs tilted his head. "What else do you want to ask, Ziva?"

She smiled at him slightly. He always knew. "I…was wondering…" She squirmed ever so lightly and that piqued his interest.

"Why is it McGee is working with Fornell to catch the last cult member, and not the rest of us? Are we not all capable of working well with Fornell? Am I not, Gibbs? " She finished, a bit flushed.

Gibbs smiled at her knowingly. And he reached out to put a hand over her folded ones now sitting slightly tense on the table. "You and the team – were outstanding in helping find Tony. And we found him alive, Ziva. But…we are too damned close. All of us."

"But McGee-"

"Will not be able to live with himself if he doesn't help, because Tony saved his ass from all of that…insanity. He won't be able to live with it unless he does everything he feels he owes Tony… and Fornell has been gracious enough to let him." He watched that sink in, her expression warring between indignation and understanding. She opened her mouth with a raise brow-

"And security is being handled." He knew that was her next question. "How many did you spot on your way in?" He was referring to the protection detail Vance put in place hiding around the house in the shadows. It was amusing that Vance and Fornell had actually fought about who should watch Tony's six out of the hospital.

"Three," she said, confidently, knowing that there were no more.

He smiled warmly at her, "Atta girl."

Just then his cell rang, and he stood up as he answered it. She watched and listened curiously as he answered, "Yes, Director."

Whatever was being said on the other end made Gibbs let out a shaky puff of air and rub his eyes. "Yes…I understand that. But he's in no condition for that right now." Gibbs paced toward the back door a little. "Yes, of course Leon, I understand that better than anyone for Chrissakes…I am telling you it's too soon. He can't even talk. No. Not yet. What do-"

As he turned to pace back there was a hand gripping his wrist. He looked up to see Tony standing right before him, with grave fiery eyes. "Hold on Leon-"

"Nothing for you to worry about right now, DiNozzo," Gibbs tried to assure him. But Tony, pale and hair standing in several directions from sleep, shook his head vehemently, taking his one hand and slapping it on top of the other one three times. Gibbs knew it meant Tony was telling him to "pay up" or be up front. Ziva was still watching intently from the table.

Gibbs sighed, and held his hand over the phone. "Vance says…"Gibbs swallowed convulsively, "The Camerons…Ashley Cameron's Parents…want to see you."

As if it were possible for Tony to look worse, his mouth dropped open slightly and he looked a little dazed. Then he frowned and looked down, brows creased.

Gibbs resumed the conversation with Vance, eyes not leaving Tony, who seemed to sway slightly. "I don't think-"

Tony suddenly grabbed Gibbs' other arm, fingers digging in and nodding vehemently. His eyes were imploring as Gibbs looked at him.

As Gibbs looked at him, Ziva came to stand behind Tony for support.

"Tony, " Gibbs said softly, "...it's too soon."

Tony let go of Gibbs, as Ziva placed a steadying hand on Tony's back. If he felt it, he didn't seem to let it distract him as he made the motion of writing with his hands.

He then just stared at Gibbs, eyes pleading.

Gibbs grimaced. He knew this would be very hard on Tony, who had been through enough Hell. But he also knew Tony would not be denied this, and would find a way to do it on his own if he had to.

Gibbs sighed, and turned back to the phone, "Ok, Director. He will do it. He will communicate what he needs with pen an' paper." Gibbs shook his head even as he agreed to this and paced some more facing away from Ziva and Tony. "Ah-hah…yeah, okay." He ended the call, and turned to see Tony seated at the table, with eyes closed tying to calm himself, and Ziva hugging his neck from behind, looking sadly back at Gibbs.

Gibbs scowled as he watched Tony follow Vance towards the conference room. He knew this was a bad idea, but he understood why Tony wanted to do it. He just wasn not sure if this was really going to be a comfort to Ashley Cameron's parents in any tangible way. He hoped though…

He knew what it was like to lose a child. Nothing anyone said to him could ease his pain. It was like a deep wound, that healed but still hurt and pulled from its scar, even so many years later. Some losses you never got over. You only learn how to live with them.

So when Tony had insisted in underlines, that they get a suit from his apartment, Gibbs did. There was some small bit of Hell to pay when Gibbs heard the younger man hyperventilating and crashing into things in the bathroom. He found him shaking and naked, barely hanging onto the sink and realized…

Tony hadn't really seen himself, until needing to clean and change the bandages on the marks. And they had sent him into something that looked very much like the PTSD Gibbs had seen in the hospital. Thankfully, it didn't last long, and Gibbs got some of the prescribed anxiety medicine into him.

It took two hours to get him to calm down enough to let Gibbs help him. Finally, he'd emerged, looking like a gaunt and tired version of the man who usually sauntered into the office.

Tony had also insisted on going to talk to the parents alone.

Desiree and Peter Cameron were understandably shattered looking. She was a petite woman with brown eyes and curly hair, her husband also of slimmer build reminding Gibbs of Palmer. The man had his arm around his wife, both worn and eyes puffy, as they walked escorted by Vance to the conference room.

The Director called Gibbs at his desk to let him know that he'd let Gibbs know as soon as they were done.

Gibbs tried to imagine what this would be like, and how Tony would be affected, but couldn't come up with anything but bad.

Tim was still out with Fornell, but the rest of the team were off for the next week as ordered by Vance.

Gibbs called Fornell, feeling like it was a good time with Tony out of earshot to check up on the manhunt, and to also see how McGee was doing. But Fornell must have been in the middle of something, because he didn't pick up.

Gibbs tried to busy himself with other menial things at his desk, but found it hard to concentrate, knowing what was happening in the conference room. All of what had happened since they found LC Colletti was still echoing in his head.

Finally, almost forty-five minutes later, Vance called him. "They're out Gibbs," and then hung up.

As he quickly got up and walked towards the room, he passed Vance and the poor couple, looking tearful and heartbroken. Vance nodded at him gravely, but they didn't even notice Gibbs as they passed him. He didn't have the heart to stop them and offer condolences. After all, they had no idea who he was, though he was intimately interwoven into the murder of their child.

When he got to the conference room, and quietly opened the door, Tony was still seated, pad of paper with some writing on it, a bit damp with tears from him or the couple, Gibbs didn't know. He observed Tony's hands clenched together, thumbs resting against his bowed forehead almost as if in prayer…

But his breathing was a little fast, and Gibbs could see him trembling.

Gibbs sat next to him, and waited.

When Tony opened his eyes and turned just a bit to look at Gibbs, the tears became evident, sheer misery making his eyes flash a watery dark green.

"You told them," Gibbs said gently, putting a hand on Tony's back.

To his surprise, Tony snorted, as if almost to laugh, and then shook his head sadly.

Gibbs understood. Tony had lied about the details. The ones he knew Tony had left out. Even in his misery he hadn't wanted the parents of these children ever to know the suffering they had endured.

Gibbs for some reason, became a little blurry himself, with pride for this man who was stronger than he even realized himself.

He reached out and put a hand on the back of Tony's head, saying softly, "You did good, Tony."

But the younger man shook his head slightly, and closed his eyes again trying to regain composure before walking back out of the room with Gibbs.

He thought, If I had done good, Ashley-Rose would be alive…