"Come on Tony, please wake up. Please. Gibbs will be here soon and he's going to help us."
Abby gently shook Tony's shoulder, trying to get a reaction from her friend.
Nothing.
She had been at this for nearly an hour and they only response she had managed to get from the man on the floor was a muffled groan.
"Tony please!"
A knock loud enough to make the foundation of the building quiver shook the door.
"Abby? Are you in there?"
Abby jumped to her feet and rushed to the door, fumbling with the many locks.
"Gibbs! Hold on!"
Sliding the last lock open, she flung the door wide and launched herself at the silver haired man.
"Gibbs Gibbs Gibbs! You're here! Finally, I was so scared!"
Gibbs put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently.
"Abby calm down, you need to tell me what is going on."
Abby nodded enthusiastically.
"I will Gibbs, but first Tony needs help."
Abby moved out of the way and grabbed Ducky's arm, pulling him into the apartment.
"Help him Ducky, he refused to go to the hospital and he needs help!"
Ducky patted her arm and reassured her quietly.
"Of course my dear Abigail. Let's see what we have here."
He lowered himself carefully to the ground and began to gently observe his new patient.
Tony couldn't get his eyes open.
And he was so very confused.
He was at Marshal's wasn't he?
No that wasn't right.
He had left Marshal's, it had been a really long, bad day, he had wanted to go home.
So he was home?
Yes.
But something was missing inbetween Marshal's and home.
Yelling. There was yelling involved.
Someone was yelling in Italian.
Well that explained why everything hurt. He always seemed to get the brunt of an attack when Italian was screamed like that. But...what had happened.
"You were in downtown Baltimore alone?"
"But Gibbs it wasn't my fault!"
The familiar voice pierced the confusion.
Abby!
His eyes shot open, taking in everything in one panicked glance.
Abby standing at the door, arguing desperately with an angry looking grey haried man.
Was she in more trouble?
Tony's eyes jerked over to the shadow looming over him.
An older man with specticles and messy brown hair was leaning over him, studying him in both a curious and clinical manner.
A stranger.
In his apartment.
Leaning over him.
Touching him.
Tony reacted on instinct alone.
Throwing out an elbow he hit the older man in the shoulder, knocking him back, before adrenaline forced him to his feet. Moving faster than he should he put himself between Abby and the angy looking man, flinging one arm out to keep her behind him and reaching for a sugar tin with the other. In a manuever none of them were expecting he pulled a gun from the sugar tin and aimed it at the new man's chest.
Everyone froze.
"I don't know what is going on, but someone had better explain it."
The new man's stare was steady and unwavering, but something flashed in his eyes too quick for Tony to decipher. He slowly put his hands up and kept eye contact with Tony.
"It's alright, everything it okay, we're here with Abby, we're here to help."
Tony was not having a good time. The energy rush was fading, the exhastion hitting him hard and fast, and all the aches and pains were loudly protesting the treatment he was putting himself through, but he could still feel a gentle touch on his arm, and the scared voice getting through the haze.
"Tony, we don't understand, you aren't speaking English. Put the gun down, these are my friends, they are here to help you."
Tony looked at her and back to the man in front of him.
"Siete l'amico di Abby?"
Gibbs didn't blink.
"I don't know what you said kid, but I'm Abby's boss and friend. None of us are going to hurt you or her, now put that down."
Tony slowly nodded, he was willing to take their word for it because at this point he didn't have much of a choice. He carefully placed the gun back on his kitchen counter and gently wrapped his arm around his ribs.
Everything hurt so bad he could barely think.
The edges of his vision were going fuzzy, he could feel Abby moving behind him and jerked back in surprise when she suddenly filled his sight.
"Tony, Gibbs is my friend and so is Ducky, he's a doctor and he is going to help you. Don't be scared."
Tony nodded, not completely sure what she was saying, the blood rushing in his ears was making it hard to hear.
He did have a very important question to ask her now though, he focused, trying to put all of his attention into wording his thoughts in a language he could actually understand.
Abby could see Tony was about to fall down again and was moving to help him when he locked her in a serious gaze.
"Abby..."
"Yes Tony?"
"Did you say your doctor was a duck?"
With that Tony's eyes rolled back in his head and his knees buckled. Gibbs had been happy to let Abby defuse the situation once the gun had disappeared but seeing the young man making a quick descent to the ground prompted him into action.
Abby jumped out of the way just in time for Gibbs to catch the hurting man.
"Duck, you okay?"
Popping up next to his friends shoulder Ducky answered with his usual cheer.
"Oh yes, Jethro, I am thoroughly alright. I think we merely startled the young man. Quite an undersandable reaction to finding strangers in his home, espicially after such a tramautic experience. Abigail, perhaps you could elaborate on the circumstances to our new friend's state while I examine him? Jethro could you move him to the couch please?"
Gibbs nodded and gently laid the brunette on the couch for the doctor to take care of. Ducky opened his bag and began pulling out his utensils to look at the man. Turning his gaze to Abby he gave out a brief order.
"Explain."
Abby sighed and flopped on the beat up recliner next to the couch.
"Okay so I'm at the club with Lottie when she ditches me and this creepy guy comes out of no where and starts hitting on me. He really won't take no for an answer so I knee him and accidently cause a fight in the middle of the dance floor. The kicked me out and I got turned around after I left. Then creepy guy shows up with a bunch of friends and corners me in an alley. He tried to...to…"
Abby took a shuddering breath, squeezing her eyes shut. Gibbs and Ducky exchanged glances over Tony's prone figure.
Gibbs moved from around the couch and sat on the arm of the chair. Gently he put his arm around Abby's shoulders and whispered quietly.
"You're okay Abby. You're alright."
She nodded and took a deep breath, followed by another.
"He was about to… when all of a sudden this new guy shows up and starts yelling at them. I couldn't understand a word of what was happening, but the guys turned their attention off of me and on to him. On to Tony. Five of the Gibbs. There were five of them. He could have kept walking, but he came to save me. He fought five guys and won. But he's really hurt. Really really hurt and it is all my fault. He's a complete stranger, just some random guy who was walking. He heard me in trouble and came to help me and now he's..."
She looked up at Gibbs with tears in her eyes and buried her head in his shoulder. He wrapped her in his arms and pulled her close, rubbing her back and watching the bruised man on the couch with new respect. Five men on one. Took guts to take on that many people on your own, especially when you had nothing to gain.
Ducky made tutting noises as he ran his hands gently over the man's ribcage, putting small amounts of pressure on the right side.
A small groan came from Tony as Ducky put more pressure on a spot. Nodding to himself Ducky pushed himself up and rubbed his hands on his pants.
Abby poked her head up off of Gibbs' shoulder.
"Ducky? Is he going to be alright?"
Gibbs and Ducky exchanged a long look before Ducky began to speak.
"Well Abigail from what I can tell, your new friend here is sufferring from some deep muscle bruising all along his torso, there is also evidence of two cracked ribs. It looks like he has two broken fingers on his left hand and sprained right wrist. His shoulder his dislocated, we will need to pop that in place very quickly. There is also signs of a mild concussion, that may also help explain some of the confusion he showed earlier. Other than that, there only appears to be cuts and bruises. He should recover with no problem. "
Abby stared at him opened mouthed.
"Re-re-recover with no problem? Cracked ribs! Dislocated shoulder? A CONCUSSION! Gibbs! I broke Tony!"
Abby lost her control completely and burst into tears, dropping herself into Gibbs' arms.
"Abby. He's going to be okay. This isn't your fault alright? We're going to find the guys who did this, but for now you need to get off of me so I can help Ducky with Tony. Everything is going to be alright."
Abby sniffled and nodded curling up in the chair.
Together Gibbs and Ducky braced themselves to put Tony's shoulder back into place.
"Ready?"
Gibbs nodded.
"On three. One-Two-Three."
Tony came back to consciousness with a shout as his shoulder was put back into place.
Taking a moment for his eyes to focus, he saw the two men standing in front of him and the young woman in black curled up in his chair crying.
"Anthony, our young hero, you've decided to join us."
Tony's eyebrows drew together in confusion. Who was this guy and how did he know his name?
"TONY!"
The high pitch scream both explained his question and made the marching band in his head pick up tempo.
Abby. The girl from alley. This must be her mysterious help she was so adamant about.
"Abby. Are you okay?"
She jumped at him, giving him an exuberant but gentle hug.
"I'm just fine Tony, not a scratch on me. You on the other hand are a mess. Tell him Ducky."
Tony looked from Abby to the man standing next to her.
"Um...Ducky?"
"Doctor Mallard my dear boy, but my friends call me Ducky. And you are now free to count yourself among their numbers. Now about your injuries. You have what I believe to be a mild concussion, a couple cracked ribs, a sprained wrist, and a lot of deep muscle bruising. Not to mention the dislocated shoulder that my associate and I just put back into place. I am afraid that is what aroused you from your unconsious state. I would feel a lot better if I could take you to a hospital to have you checked out."
Tony shook his head and then winced. Bad idea with the concussion.
"No, no hospital...Ducky. Thank you though for all your help. I really appreciate it."
"Of course Anthony, anyone is who is a friend of our dear Abigail's is a friend of ours, especially one who saved our girl from such trouble."
Tony shrugged then bit his lip. Shoulder. Right. Could he do anything without it hurting?
"It was no big deal. I only did what anyone else would do. I'm just glad Abby's alright."
Ducky smiled and patted Tony's arm.
"It may have been what "anyone else would do" but no one else did it Tony, you did."
Tony blushed and mumbled something they couldn't quite catch.
Abby smiled about to interject in the converstation when a yawn inturupted her thought.
Ducky turned his attnetion to her.
"Abigail! My dear, you have been through quite an upsetting experience tonight and you need your rest. We should get you back to your hotel!"
Abby grimiced.
"Yeah about that Ducky, I lost my purse in all the confusion, and with that went my room key and I still don't know where my hotel it."
Tony began to push himself off the couch.
"You don't need to go back to a hotel, you all can stay here. I have a guest room. One of you can take that, one of you can have my room, someone can take the couch."
Ducky tutted.
"And where would you sleep?"
Tony grinned and gestured to the recliner.
"Toss a couple pillows on there and I will be just fine."
"I don't think so young man-"
Tony put a hand out.
"Ducky, I'm not going to a hospital, but I bet you would feel better knowing that I have a doctor in the apartment all night since I have a concussion. It would be so much easier if you just stay here so we all have peace of mind. It's not the first time I've slept on that chair and it won't be the last. I'm not making a lady sleep on my couch and I'm not making an elder do it, so you and quiet guy back there can battle it out for other bed, but I am very happy with my chair."
Ducky looked like he was about to argue but a sharp nod from Gibbs cut him off. He sighed and shook his head, insisting on helping Tony off the couch when he started to pull himself to his feet.
"Thanks Ducky."
"Of course my dear boy."
Accepting a hug from Abby, Tony began down the hall, offering to show Abby where everything was and find what he himself needed for the night.
Gibbs watched the two go down the hall with careful eyes.
Ducky walked up to his friend and stood quietly, waiting until the two disappeared into one of the rooms.
"Jethro?"
"What do you think of him Duck?"
Ducky looked towards the hall with renewed interest, thinking about all he had learned in a such a short amount of time.
"He sees a young woman in trouble and despite the odds stacked against him he steps in to help anyway. He is injured but refuses medical treatment, desiring to simply be left alone. Attention is drawn to his actions but he deflects it away insisting that anyone would have done the same. He does everything to downplay is own condition. But then when realizing that we have no place to stay he emphasizes it, claiming to desire medical attention to be close by just in case, therefore making sure that we have to remain giving us a place to stay the night. He is a very interesting yound man, even to the way he reacted when he first rose from unconsiousness. He could have incapcitated me, but he didn't, merely moved me out of his way so he could place himself between Abby and the perceived threat. There is a very defined protective streak there."
Gibbs nodded.
"Speaking of perceived threat, why the hell does he have a gun and why was it in a d*mn sugar tin? The way he reached for and reacted it's almost like-"
Gibbs stopped talking and blinked, his lips twitching into an almost smile.
"It's almost like what Jethro?"
Gibbs crossed his arms and leaned against the wall.
"Two options Duck, either he's the most morally ambigious criminal I've ever encountered, or he's a cop. The way he went after the gun...that's an officer going for his back-up."
Ducky nodded, pieced falling into place quickly.
"Well that certainally explains a lot."
Gibbs went back to silence and moved the living room.
"Take the bedroom Duck."
"But Jethro I-"
Gibbs glared at his friend.
Ducky paused.
"That look may make your agents quake in their books but it certainally doesn't work on me. I'll take the bed room, but only because I can tell you want the chance to get to know our young Anthony for yourself."
Gibbs' lips twitched into a smile again before he heard Tony coming back down the hall. His face straitened back as the young man wearily moved into living room. He had changed into a pair of Ohio State sweatpants and a black tee-shirt, clutching two pillows and several blankets. He dropped one pillow on the couch along with two of the blankets. The remainder he placed on the chair before turning to the guests he had found himself with.
"Abby is already settled in my room, the guest room is the first left down the hall and the bathroom is directly across. Help yourself to anything in the fridge, but don't get your hopes up, most everything in there has gone bad by now anyway, I'll order out for something in the morning."
Ducky patted him on the shoulder once again and thanked him.
"This is very kind of you my friend, thank you so much, we greatly appreciate your hospitality. I do however suggest an icepack for the bruising and some painkillers for the various aches and pain before you turn in."
Tony grinned at the doctor.
"Grabbed some Tylonol from the bathroom, I'm good to go. I don't have any icepacks though, don't even have a bag peas to use."
Ducky sighed and shook his head before saying his goodnights, promising to check on the man in the morning.
Tony and Gibbs prepared for bed in silence, Gibbs out of habit and Tony out of exhastion.
Flopping into the chair Tony wearily grabbed his pillow and curled up in his blankets. Gibbs watched as the younger man gave a sigh that spoke of so much more than just the incident with Abby. He looked back at the couch, and began to make his bed, thinking about the man sleeping only feet away. His gut churned, warning him there was something more here going on. There was something below the surface.
He turned back to Tony, and was surprised to see the man already asleep. His head was pressed into the pillow with one hand wrapped around it and the other holding on the blanket carefully draped over his ribs. Gibbs flipped the lights and settled on the couch.
The only sound was Tony's steady breaths and the never-ending traffic of Baltimore.
Until-
"Sleep Tight Agent Gibbs."
He quirked a smile.
"G'night Tony."
Could they be bonding already? This story isn't anywhere near finished yet, it has some interesting places yet to go and I hope you all stay with me for the ride! Please remember to review!