Chapter 13- Home

About 10 minutes ago

Tony shuffled slowly and painfully out of the warehouse leaving a light blood trail, his blood oozing out of the lashes on his back, his muscles weakening, his head pounding. He also, left behind the bloodshed of his escape. He hoped that he came across someone that could help him, secretly he was hoping for Gibbs to find him, it was Gibbs' voice, Gibbs' order that he had latched onto, during his conversation with Kate. Gibbs had said that the team needed him, so he would carry on and get back to them. The team had become his family, no matter what happened, they had always been there for each other, he remembered now, NCIS was his home.

Thinking of home he trudged on, wavering slightly, he stumbled, tripping over rubbish bags full of warehouse waste, he regained his footing and continued, he wasn't sure where his was at the moment, but he knew that he was still in the city, soon he would see something familiar. Stupid DiNozzo, you shoulda taken the phone and called Gibbs he berated himself, well it wasn't like he was thinking to clearly at the moment anyway.

The smell of death still clung to his nose, his clothes, but he was safe now. Wasn't he? He was all alone now. He was scared, scared of might of happened to his team because he hadn't been there to help, scared of if someone found him, they may have something to do with her and want to hurt him again. His mind and body were spent, the energy he had been granted was ebbing away, his vision darkening, he was just too weak to carry on, too exhausted to try and get back home, the walk had turned into a crawl when he had fallen and couldn't get back up, the crawl stilled and he collapsed the rest of the way to the floor. Gibbs would be angry, but worse he would be disappointed. Tony could take angry, but knowing that his boss was disappointed in him was harder, it hurt more, to know that he let the team down. His last words before he slipped back into the darkness, for what he thought would be the last time, were so quite and weak nobody would hear it, but it needed to be said.

"Sorry boss" and he knew nothing more…

x-X-x

Gibbs had the team spread out and search the rest of the warehouse as quickly and efficiently as possible, it was still a crime scene after all. Something in his famous gut told him to look outside, behind the warehouse, he followed it, he knew that it had something to do with Tony. His feelings about Tony had only strengthened since being taken away, he missed how the agent could lighten the mood if needed, he respected the agent, he loved Tony like the son he never had. He never thought he would feel that way about another person, not since Kelly, but that's what his heart was telling him; for once he would follow it. Now, all he needed to do was let Tony know it with out freaking the kid out, or sounding like he wasn't being sincere.

His eyes searched the disturbed rubbish strewn about the back of the warehouse, it had been moved by shuffling feet, specks of blood could be scene along the way, he'd been walking for a minute or two taking note of all the blood specs, when he saw a limp figure sprawled out on their front, he rushed over knowing it was Tony, he was still wearing hospital clothes. The shirt was in tatters, red angry cut across Tony's back, cloth embedded into some of them. For some reason Gibbs was more afraid of this scene than the earlier one he had found Tony in mere days ago. He hoped that he had been in time, he needed Tony, he couldn't lose him, and not after he had admitted to himself that Tony was like a son. No, please be alive Gibbs pleaded in his head. Tony was still and pale, more so than a few days ago, he looked dead, he had to check, he'd completely forgotten about the rest of the team searching the building. He was concentrated on Tony for the moment, needed to make sure he was alive, he pressed a shaky hand to Tony's neck and felt for a pulse, he found one, but it was weak, most likely from the blood loss.

Tony groaned a little having felt a light pressure on his neck, someone was next to him, who is it? What do they want? He thought fearfully, a calm voice broke through his grogginess; it was soothing almost, was that bad? He tried to turn over on to his back but remembering what a bad idea it would be. The voice was talking again, this time he could hear what it was saying.

"Tony?... calm down, it's ok, your safe now" it was Gibbs he noticed, the words still caused panic within him, he tried to move but pain stopped him, causing him to cry out a little. He shivered, he was really cold, he felt a jacket being placed around his shoulders, he tried to move it off but didn't have the energy. Gibbs spoke softly to him again, trying to calm him down; he could see the struggle in his tired eyes. Tony was now lying on his side now with Gibbs' jacket around him; Gibbs was trying to sooth Tony shivering by rubbing Tony's arm. The closeness calmed the agent down enough to speak in a scratchy voice.

"B-b-boss…I'm…S-s-sorry…I messed up" Tony's voice was shaky and raspy. He was struggling to keep his eyes open. Gibbs was damned if he was going to let Tony blame himself for this, he got lower down, to be level with his senior agents eyes, looking straight into them.

"Listen to me Tony" Gibbs gently held Tony's face, Tony flinched a little but stopped when he saw Gibbs' friendly express, on of caring and carried on talking softly "I'm sorry, I should have been watching out for you more." Tony was shocked and a little disbelieving at this admission from his boss, Gibbs never apologised, for anything, but he was now, he saw the sincerity in Gibbs' blue eyes, he was finally safe and cared for, swain had been wrong. Tony smiled tiredly, Gibbs saw the glimmer return to Tony's eyes and fall unconscious. Gibbs panicked for a moment but found a pulse again. Tony needed medical attention and quick, but at least now he knew none of it had been his fault. Gibbs smiled a little too. It was going to be okay. Gibbs heard sounds behind him, it was the team. All three members grasped at the sight of their friend, Gibbs thought about how it would look and spoke first.

"He's alive, Ducky we need the ambulance now" Ducky nodded, they all sighed in relief, but were still worried. Tony looked so fragile, but they believed Gibbs, they believed that Tony would also be ok eventually as well. The last conversation in the hospital gave them hope that he would be the same even after being taken again, they had seen all of Tony's captors had been killed, and apparently by Tony's own hand. If that wasn't enough to give them hope, the small smile that now graced Tony's face was. He would need everyone to help him for the next couple of weeks, but they could do it, they could finally take Tony home…

The End

Firstly thank you all for reading/reviewing, especially the ones that reviewed every chapter, you are all great.

I felt like ending it here seen as he's now been rescued, I hope it was the ending that you wanted.

I really hoped you all enjoyed reading my first NCIS fic as much as I enjoyed writing it. I have no idea when I'm going to get the sequel out but one will come, it will deal more with his recovery and why they found files with the NCIS insignia on it. hehe, you'll have to out me on alert though to catch it lol. Please read and review let me know what you thought.