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Last chapter of "Versus"!
Chapter Five
All of them stop before they exit the door. Tony is very tempted to fight the three off so he and Timmy can get away, but the fact that Hutch is grasping the back of his jacket and pressing a knife on his side, Ray's hands are fastened on his shoulder and arm, and Ray is holding the little boy tightly, the appeal of the idea diminishes into a wishful thought. If only there is something he can do.
"Here's the deal," Hutch tells both of them. "You scream, he dies," he says to Timmy, pointing the knife from him to Tony. Then, he turns to the older boy. "You make any noise," he threatens him, "the kid gets iced. Understand?"
Both of them nod, Tony begrudgingly so.
"Good. Now, walk as quickly as you can to the truck."
A cool breeze blows against them when Hutch opens the door. The moment they are pushed outside, Tony feels the refreshing raindrops gently collide with his face. He lifts his eyes and finds a white Dodge Caravan parked a few steps ahead. He knows that once they step inside, it will be the end of both of them. Glancing behind, he sees sadness streaking Timmy's face.
He clenches his jaws. Timmy has nothing to do with any of this. He's just four. He does not deserve to face death at his young age. He's supposed to enjoy his cartoons for a few more years, play video games later, then get his driver's license, meet a beautiful girl, get married someday, and experience having children that are as assertive as he is. He's not supposed to suffer.
He looks around, hoping that a neighbor is peaking at the world outside. None. Although, in the shadows of tall trees lining the side of the Gibbs' house, he sees a familiar object that catches his attention. However, he quickly dismisses it simply as a mirage.
By the time the two captives are told to halt at the back of the van, all of them are drenched.
"Start the van, Ray," Hutch commands after unlocking the doors in the back, tossing the keys to the other boy. "Oliver will catch up with you after we stuff these guys in the back."
Ray obeys the order, and then immediately leaves. Oliver, meanwhile, takes over in holding the youngest captive.
Hutch regards the two with interest. "Nothing you expected from a geek, huh?" he asks Tony.
Tony disregards his mocking but turns his attention to Timmy instead. He smiles to him. "Timmy?" he says, soft enough to reach only the ears of the three people around him. Timmy lifts his head up to him, a pout formed on his lips. "You've been really brave. I'm proud of you," he adds, aiming to console the boy this one last time. Timmy smiles slightly.
Oliver scoffs. "Very touching, Tony," he mocks. "Now move it."
When Hutch and Oliver open the door, however, they are surprised by the number of guns pointed at them by the police. "Back away from the boys, and no one will be hurt," the policeman in the middle orders. Glimpsing to the front of the car, they see Ray holding his hands up, a policeman pointing a weapon at him.
Still in disbelief, Tony and Timmy say nothing.
Oliver understands his defeat. He drops his weapon then steps away from Timmy. Hutch hesitantly takes a half pace back, but surrendering does not seem to him as a good option. So, he seizes Timmy from the ground, eliciting a scream from him, and then holds his knife against the boy. With everyone's attention on him, he snickers. Tony's fist clenches tightly. If he dare hurt Timmy, he'd retaliate himself. "You take me, this boy's going to get hurt," he hisses.
"I don't think that's the brightest thing to do, kid."
Hutch turns around challengingly to whoever spoke, equipped with more full threats of harm. But, those die in his throat when he sees Gibbs standing only several feet away from him drawing a red dot in the center of his head.
"Why don't you let my son go and we call it a night?" Gibbs smiles, his focus on the boy unfaltering.
Left with only his life as a choice, Hutch puts Timmy down on the ground. He tosses his knife to the ground next, and then puts his hands behind his head. Gibbs, concluding that the three boys present no more danger, lowers his gun. With the situation controlled, the policemen completes the arrests.
"Daddy!" Timmy says delightfully. He runs to his father's open arms, excited to see him. Tony moves away from the van, smiling as he watches the two embrace. Timmy chuckles as he buries his face on Gibbs' shirt.
"How are you feeling, buddy?" Gibbs asks his son with much concern. "Are you hurt? Did they do something to you?"
"Timmy!" The three of them swivel their head to the source of the call and spots Mrs. Gibbs running towards them. Right behind her is Abby.
"Hi, Mommy."
"Oh my baby," Mrs. Gibbs anxiously takes the boy from her husband then hugs him tightly. Then, she caresses his small face, scanning it for any bruises. "Oh, I'm so sorry, darling. Does something hurt? Huh? Tell Mommy. We'll take you to the hospital, right after I kick those boys'—"
"Mom," Abby warns, halting her mother from saying something inappropriate.
"I'm okay, Mommy," Timmy says, beaming at them. He glances at Tony. "But Tony's hurt because of me."
The rest of the family looks at him. Tony suddenly feels uncomfortable. "No," he waves his hands in front of him, laughing nervously. "No, it's…Really, I'm-I'm okay."
An ambulance turns from the corner, heading their way.
Abby's brows knit while she walk towards Tony. "Okay?" she asks almost in a panic. "Tony, your neck is bleeding! And you're going to tell me you're okay?"
Tony shrugs. Truthfully, it hasn't been hurting until she mentioned it to him. "Well, you know," he says nonchalantly. "It…it happens."
Abby is taken aback. "It happens? A bleeding neck?" she repeats slightly hysterically. "Tony-"
"Abby," Gibbs calls his daughter before she loses self-control to worry. Abby turns towards him. "DiNozzo's been through a lot tonight," he adds, with a curve of the lips that Tony thinks is a smile of approval. "He deserves to be let off the hook for the meantime, don't you think?"
Abby sighs. "Okay," she agrees, looking back to Tony with a smile.
Tony reciprocates it with a grin. The happiness on her face, although only a smidgen, wakes him slightly from the trance the danger their unwelcome visitors took him in an eternity ago. A question that immediately pops up in his head caused him to look at his watch. 12:15 AM. "Wait. I thought you won't be home until 1 AM?" he asks.
"We left the competition early," Abby answers. "We had to make sure that you two wouldn't be hurt when the policemen catch those lunatics."
Tony frowns. "How'd you know?"
"Alan called."
"Alan the electrician?"
Abby and Mrs. Gibbs nod. "He said he listened to the voicemail you left when you called him," Mrs. Gibbs explains. Slowly, Tony remembers making the phone call. "He called us, said he was pretty sure he heard Timmy screaming while you and those boys are scuffling."
"Dad and Mom wouldn't tell me why," Abby chimes in, "but I know something really bad is happening. Mom has her worry face on, and Dad has his sniper face on." Tony chuckles. "I told Kate and Paula that they'd have to finish without me, and…here I am."
"I'm glad you came," Tony says. He looks to Gibbs. "Thank you for coming, sir."
The elder Gibbs shakes his head. "No," he corrects him. "Thank you for protecting my son the best way you can. I owe you a lot."
Tony smiles contentedly. He recalls everything that he and Timmy had been through that night and honestly, he doesn't find it fitting that they are deeming him a hero. It is his responsibility to take care of Timmy, no matter what. He was also thinking of the money he can, or was hoping to get, from the job. Plus, he is mainly doing it for Abby and to earn approval from her parents.
Well, maybe he did protect the little boy because he cares about him, too. Perhaps he is a hero.
"Sir?" a medic standing behind him disturbed his thinking. "We need to take a look at you."
"Oh" is the only thing he managed to utter.
"Me, too?" Timmy asks.
The medic smiles. "Yes," he answers. "Especially you, little fella."
Mr. and Mrs. Gibbs follow the medic to the back of the ambulance. Mrs. Gibbs stops momentarily then kisses Tony lightly on the cheeks. Tony's smile widens, acknowledging the mother's thank you. Gibbs only nods at him, but Tony knows he's grateful, too.
"Thank you, Tony," Timmy shouts to him happily, lying his head on his mother's shoulder.
"No problem, buddy," Tony says, genuinely satisfied that the little boy is now safe.
"Hey," Abby nudges him.
"Hmm?"
Abby tiptoes to give him a kiss on the lips.
Tony is surprised then enamored then scared by her action. "Abby!" he protests silently. "Your parents are here."
When both of them check the couple, they find them chatting with their youngest kid as he comments on the rescue. "I don't hear them complaining," Abby points out.
A greedy grin slowly forms on his lips. "Well, in that case," he says, and then prepares to kiss Abby again.
"Don't push it to the limit, DiNozzo," Gibbs says loudly, halting both of them. His warning repels them back to how they were formally. "I can only turn blind once."
Abby sighs, rolling her eyes, while Tony purses his lips.
"Anyway," they hear Timmy continue his own version of what happened, "it was cool! They opened the door, and we…"
"You know? Tony?" Abby resumes speaking again.
"Yeah?"
"I really am thankful that you stuck with Timmy. And you protected him," Abby says. Then, she encases Tony in a warm embrace.
Tony thinks of things to say, but he comes up with none. Honestly, he just wants to enjoy this moment, where he and Abby are close together under the rain, and the rest of her family are pleased with him.
"You were awesome, Daddy," Timmy continues enthusiastically.
"Thanks, Timmy," Gibbs replies, relieved by knowing that his son is relatively unharmed.
"Daddy, you're a geezer!"
Tony's eyes widen open. Abby frowns, her mouth slightly agape. Immediately, they snap out of their embrace.
Mrs. Gibbs' jaws drop. Beside her, Gibbs remains speechless. "Timothy!" she chastises the boy.
"What?" Timmy asks, alarmed by the effects of his innocent words to everyone.
"Timmy!" Abby walks to him. "Why would you call Dad that?"
"Because he is," Timmy defends himself.
"Do you even know what that means?" Abby asks.
It means…it means superhero. Yes! Super. Your Dad's just fantastic, really. Tony wants to run away then, but his feet are cemented to the ground by too much embarrassment.
"Superhero," Timmy replies. "That's what Tony said."
When Abby and her family look at him again, he feels uncomfortable once more. This time, however, it is the horrible kind of uncomfortable. He sighs. Well, the babysitting was good while it lasted, he resigns inwardly.
END.
