Chapter eight

Leroy Jethro Gibbs hands actually shook as he hit speed dial.

"Duck I need you at Tony's can you meet me?"

"Of course Jethro, what's going on?"

"Something bad Duck, bring your gear."

It had been fifteen minutes since he'd talked to Abbey; he blew through every red light and intersection to get to Tony. He knew his father had done something, why hadn't he seen this coming? He had promised Tony he wouldn't let him hurt him anymore, and then he'd sent him home alone.

He pulled up in front of Tony's complex, and took the stairs two at a time. The front door was still open, as he entered and he took in the mess. Heart in his throat he called out to Abbey.

"In here Gibbs, hurry." Ignoring the soaked carpet in the hallway he ran into the bathroom full steam. Blood covered the floor mixing with the water that had overflowed from the tub Tony still lay in. Abbey had drained the water, and covered him with a blanket. He had begun to shiver though he was still unconscious. Abbey looked up at him tears streaming down her face.

"I tried to get him out, but I was afraid I would hurt him more."

"It's okay Abs, you did good. Where's he hurt?" He's voice was choked even to his on ears. Tony looked like death.

"His wrists, somebody sliced his wrists Gibbs. I found some bandages in his medicine cabinet, and did my best to stop the bleeding, but I can't get him to wake up." She had started crying full force now.

"He's gonna be okay Abbey, let's get him out of here, Ducky's on his way." Even as he spoke the words, he didn't know if what he said was true. Bending down he scooped Tony up blanket and all and carried him into his bedroom, back protesting the entire way, but he'd be damned if he was going to let him lay in that damn tub a minute longer. He laid him down, and immediately placed two fingers to his pulse point.

"Still with me DiNozzo?" His pulse was thready but still there. "Abbey, see if you can raise Mcgee and Ziva tell them to get there gear, anything they need for a crime scene and get over here." He looked over towards the door way where she stood.

"He's gonna be okay Abbey, we need the rest of the team here so we can get the bastards that did this." She wiped her eyes, and seemed a bit more in control.

"On it Boss." She said turning and leaving the room.

Gibbs sat down on the edge of the bed, reaching for the nearest wrist he turned it over in his hand looking at the taped wounds, blood still seeping slowly out of the edges.

"I'm so sorry Tony, I should have been here, you should've been with me, anywhere except alone. I failed you Tony. Just like Shannon and Kelly. You can't leave me now when I just got you, I don't think I could take it." He laid the damaged wrist back down and ran a hand through Tony's hair cupping his face. "Come back to me Tony." He heard a slight cough from behind and saw Abbey standing in the doorway.

"They're on their way bossman. She said quietly.

"Thanks Abs."

"Jethro?" Thank God Ducky was here.

"In here Duck." he called.

"Oh my, what's happened to him Jethro?" He asked coming into the room removing his trademark coat and hat.

"His wrists Duck, there sliced open and he won't wake up." Ducky moved towards the bed to examine his patient further.

"I'll need you both to wait out in the living room while I have a look."

"No way Duck."

"Jethro, please." He gestured towards Abbey who stood in the doorway tears streaming down her face. Reluctantly he made his way to her putting an arm around her shoulders steering her towards the living room.

"He' gonna be fine Abs, Ducky's here, he's gonna be fine." He kept saying the words over and over as he held Abbey on the couch trying to comfort her as much as he was himself.

The rest of the team arrived, and were filled in on what had happened, combing the apartment, pictures were taken and evidence collected.

"They were very sloppy." Ziva commented as she bagged up the broken vase to check for DNA.

"They thought Tony was dead Ziva. There would be no reason to be careful if everyone thought it was a suicide. Thank God you found him Abbey." McGee said putting his camera back in the bag.

"If I had been a little later…"

"But you weren't Abs, he' gonna be okay." Gibbs said giving her a squeeze.

The team headed out Abbey in tow with promises of a phone call when Tony was awake.

It seemed like hours until finally Ducky came out of the bedroom.

"Jethro, could I have a word?" He jumped up from the couch crossing the room in two strides.

"How is he Duck?"

"He's been drugged Jethro, some sort of tranquilizer, and someone cut his wrists. He has three horizontal cuts on each wrist, fairly deep, but I don't think he'll have any permanent damage. I took a blood sample to find out what sort of drug he's been injected with, and I stitched up the wounds. Someone tried to make this look like a suicide."

"How long before he wakes up?"

"Actually he woke right after I finished his last stitch; he was calling your name right before he regained consciousness, Jethro I believe he said. I didn't know you two were on a first name basis Jethro." Gibbs gave him one of his famous stare downs which of course with Ducky had no effect.

"I'll wait in the living room." Ducky said giving him a wink.

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I felt like a jackhammer had taken up permanent residence in my head. I kept my eyes closed, even the light from my side lamp hurt. I still couldn't believe what my father had done. I knew he hated me, but kill me? Ducky had explained what had happened after Geno the bull had shot me full of some sort of tranquilizer. They had stripped me, put me in a tub of running water and slit my wrists. I guess if the cuts on my wrists didn't do it he was hoping the water in the over flowing bath tub would. It might have if Abbey hadn't got here when she did. According to Ducky even though the cuts looked bad, I hadn't lost that much blood, the dumbasses cut me the wrong way horizontal instead of vertical. I heard the bedroom door open, and cracked my eyes enough to see Gibbs ease in.

"Fancy seeing you here." I said.

"No jokes Tony, you could have died." I opened my eyes a little wider, and he was still standing in the doorway an unreadable look on his face.

"Hey, come here." I said patting the bed. He moved hesitantly towards me, and sat on the edge of the bed facing towards the opposite wall.

"I could have lost you tonight." he said barely above a whisper. "Would've been my fault to."

"Jethro, look at me." He ran a hand across his face, and slowly turned. There were tears in his eyes.

"I promised he would never hurt you again Tony."

"Jethro you couldn't have known, hell he's my own father, and I couldn't have known he would have pulled something like this." I reached over and covered his hand with mine. Letting him just feel me.

"I should have known Tony; it's my job to know, to take care of you, to…"

"Enough." I said firmly. "Unless your psychic, or whatever, there is no way you could have known this, and you do take care of me, you take care of all of us. You will not carry this around with you Jethro; the only thing I want is for you to bring this bastard down, whatever it takes." He looked at me searching my eyes looking for something, anything that might say I blamed him.

"Alright Tony. I've had the rest of the team in here, bagging up any evidence they may have left. I'm calling the director, and having your father, and his crony brought in for the attempted murder of a federal officer. I wanna have a little chat with those two."

Authors note:

Thanks so much for all the reviews. I know I threw in a little curve ball, but I wanted to keep you guessing. I think there maybe one or two chapters left, and I'll be finished with my first fic. Let me know what you think.