"Dad, you look nervous…" Kate said as she passed her father in the tight space she had to walk between the aisles of the football stadium seats. She found her spot between Tim and Cale.

Cale was Kate's boyfriend of about a year now, and he blended in well with the family. This was his second time to watch a football game with Kate and the rest of the Gibbs family, it was a long ride to Columbus, Ohio from DC but he still wasn't used to being well acquainted with one of college football's stars. If your house watched college football, Tony Gibbs was a household name. A great wide receiver for the Buckeyes, and an equally great point guard for their basketball team. He wouldn't miss a ticket to this game for anything really …. The UofM v. OSU was one of the most famous rivalries in college football. And he dated one of the heavy hitters' big sister. This was going to be a great day..

"I'm not nervous, Kate.. Just anxious. Ready for the game to start…" Jethro's eyes didn't leave the field as he watched the band play.

"Well, im nervous!" Abby said. "I want to win soo bad!"

It was Tony's senior year here at Ohio State, and he had a good chance of getting drafted. He had an outstanding career in his four years at the school and sports had meant everything to him.

"I do too!" The blonde haired girl next to Abby said excitedly as she smiled at the family, her energy contagious. The blonde haired girl was Kelly Henderson, the same girl he went to Prom with his sophomore year. They had dated for a while in HS, but eventually called it a mutual quit and started seeing other people when Kelly went off to college. But somehow they had found their way back to each other, and had been dating for around nine months now.

She was as pretty as ever, and she and Tony got on great. The family liked her too, she would tease and hit Tony and take no crap from him… something most other girls failed to do.

Just then the band was clear of the field and the players made their charge onto the field. The stadium erupted and everyone was on their feet and cheering wildly.

A few hours later, after their QB had run the ball in for a touchdown, and Tony had a miraculous catch in the end zone for a touchdown only to have their kicker miss a field goal… which left the game in a 13-13 tie in the fourth quarter.

"We need Tony to make another one of those catches!" One of the linebacker's parents had season seats just in front of the Gibbs, and the camaraderie between the parents was always appreciated in celebrating great plays and cheering their son's team on through the thick of it.

"Tell me about it!" Jethro clapped the man on the shoulder and kept his eyes on his son as they saw him in the huddle. If they lost this game Tony wouldn't ever forgive himself. He took it way too personally when they lost.

Tony had taken a few good hits throughout the game, but had always gotten up, just as his resilient self always did. All their eyes were on Tony as he listened intently to the QB in the huddle.

They all took place in the O H I O cheer and watched with their adrenaline pumping as the clock ticked and the buckeyes lined up against the wolverines, preparing for a drive that would hopefully win the game.

The ball was snapped and they saw the team scatter, and block and push and shove… and they saw Tony run and juke, and turn just in time to catch a bullet high in the air from the QB. His cleats hit the muddy grass and he spun to avoid a defender. He made it past him and the crowd cheered wildly as he stayed on his feet and continued to further the play.

He ran past another, and jumped over the other.. And the crowd had never cheered louder. He was at the 20. The 15, when the two safeties collapsed in to catch him. He made it to the 10 and tried to jump out of the way of one of the defenders when the other one hit him hard from the side. Then another one.. Then a snap, and a pop. Then another hit from the side.. And another and Jethro heard Jenny hold her breath and wince. He tried to fight his guts probing as the dog pile continued to grow.

Tony ran as hard as he could with the ball. He knew the clock was ticking down, and he knew that he had to get to the end zone, or as close as he possibly could. He evaded a few defenders, but as spun around another one, he had never seen the safety dive at him from the left. He felt himself get airborne. He knew his duty was to hold on to the ball no matter how hard this hit would be.

He gripped the ball and felt another hit from the other side, and he felt himself propelled backwards, and he knew his head was going to hit first, so he hit attempted to right himself. His head hit first, and his vision went black. But just as his legs hit behind him he felt a freight train ram into them. His cleat was stuck in the ground, but his knee was rammed to the side. A snap and a pop, and more pressure on his whole body, he couldn't even cry out in pain as the assault on brain from the collision with the nearly frozen ground claimed his consciousness.

Brad Pitt had rammed into the receiver with all his might. It was his duty to defend the end zone and he wasn't going to let Gibbs get any further. He tackled the almost down player.. And he felt his stomach twinge as he heard the pop his helmet had created as he helmet accidentally connected with his knee.

Oh no. Before he could get up and check if Tony Gibbs was alright, one of the Big 10's best players, he felt the players begin to pile up on top of him.

Jethro watched as teammates and referee's tried to clear the dog pile. One large player after the other removed themselves from atop Tony, and Jethro didn't have a good feeling. He tried to crane his neck around the group of players to see what was going on, looking for Tony to get up and join them, and celebrate the big gain.

The crowd was high fiving and celebrating the run, but Jethro, Jenny, Kate, Cale, Kelly, Tim and Abby stood still in concern. The nerves they felt pre-game were incomparable to that they felt now. That was a hard, hard hit.

Just then he saw the players clear and a few ref's and players signal for the trainers, almost frantically.

Oh god. Jethro stole a glance at the jumbo-tron and he felt his heart sink. On the oversized screen he could see Tony laying on his stomach, helmet turned to the side, ball still held protectively beneath him, and his left leg sitting at an unusual angle.

He wasn't moving. Not an inch, not a finger.

He could hear the scared protests of his family beside him, but he could do nothing but stand and stare at the scene on the field of medics fast approaching, the head coach as well, as the players on the field held a respectful kneel with their helmets at their sides.

"Come on Tony," Jethro said to himself. "Don't do this, come on kid."

He watched as they stabilized him and moved him onto a stretcher, and carted him off the field on the medic's motorized cart.

Jethro was pulling at his hair and Jenny was whispering prayers as the rest of them stared at the tunnel they had just taken Tony through in shock.

XXXXX

Tony first recognized the smell. It was stiff. Then he felt the presence of someone holding his hands and he shifted his fingers slightly .

"Huh..I think he's waking up again," the voice said in a quiet whisper he could only recognize as his little sister Abby.

He blinked his eyes open slowly, and let them adjust to the dim light. He turned his head slowly to the side, man he felt groggy. He saw Abby who was smiling down at him, but he recognized the sadness in her eyes.

"Hey Abs," he said, his voice raspy and low. Man his head hurt. He fought down nausea and avoided the light coming from her side of the room.

"Hi Tony…" Abby said and then Tony looked over to see his parents on the other side of the bed. Tim standing awkwardly in the distance.

"Hey, Tony.." Jethro said, and his eyes showed ..heartbreak. Why was everyone on the verge of tears or something.

"Hey…" Tony recognized he was in the hospital and was trying to place his finger on why he was there… in the bed. Now that he thought of it.. Not only did his head hurt, his leg wasn't exactly feeling too stellar either.. But the pain seemed far away. Then he remembered the football game. And the tie and the clock and the throw and the catch and the end zone and -

"Did we win?" he asked groggily closing his eyes in anticipation and fear of why he was laying in a hospital bed and not in the training room for a small injury. Or with his team, where he belonged…

Jethro let out as small a laugh as he could tolerate, of course that was the first thing Tony would ask.

"Yeah, they did… " His eyes were downcast.

Tony's eyes were still closed as he smiled groggily from the meds. "We're going to the Rose Bowl".

Jethro looked at Jenny who frowned at that, what Tony was about to hear would break his heart.

"Tony, do you remember what happened?" Jethro asked

"Yeah, I was at the game, caught the ball… we were tied.. Ran towards the end zone but I …didn't make it." Tony started putting the pieces together. He could feel something wrapping tight pressure all down his left leg. He tried to move it but something was immobilizing it.. What the…

He sat up, ignoring the nausea from moving so suddenly and his eyes caught the puffy and elevated spot on the bed where his left leg should be … something was.. No- they were going to the rose bowl … finally. He was going to play in it .. Then he was going to play all basketball season on it and -

"Dad," He swallowed and laid back down. He swallowed hard again and fought the rising panic as he stared at the ceiling. "Dad, why is that on my leg?"

"Tony, listen to me-" Jethro could se e the distress

"Don't tell me something bad, please." Tony felt Abby squeeze his hand in support.

"Tony, when you fell you hurt your knee.." Jethro put a hand on his shoulder and searched his sons face as he gave the news, but Tony refused to remove his eyes from the ceiling tiles.

He saw Tony swallow a lump, and his eyes closed. "Dad.. don't. It's fine, okay. I'm fine.. I don't want to to hear it. Please… I don't want to hear it." Tony begged his eyes still closed as if he was going to try and go to sleep, and wake up in a bit and it was all just a nightmare.

"Tony..you tore a few ligaments… your-"

"No.. No! Its fine, my knee is fine…" Tony let go of the hands holding his and he put them on his aching head, and rubbed his eyes to scare away the tears that were threatening to form.

Jenny started crying at her sons heartbreak, and she knew what her son needed. She made eye contact with Tim and Abby and the three of them left to go join Kate, Kelly and Cale in the cafeteria to tell them that Tony had awoken again.. And this time was lucid. And wasn't taking the news well, as expected.

Jethro pulled his chair a little closer to the bed and took a seat. His own heart was broken, not for some dream of his that he would have a son that played professional football and finished the season at the Rose Bowl winning, or led the basketball team to a Final Four … but because that was what Tony had wanted.

It was all he had ever wanted.

He had been through enough, more than almost anyone his age. He didn't deserve this, he deserved to play the sports that he loved, and that he was the best at. He deserved to be happy damn it.

He let Tony have his thoughts for a moment, when Tony wanted to talk, he would be ready.

He watched Tony rub his eyes and his mouth, and stare into the ceiling.

Jethro took his hand and let it run through Tony's hair.

"I'm all done, huh?" Tony said sadly.

"Yeah, Tony… tore a few ligaments and the knee cap is broken." Jethro broke the news sadly.

"Figures…" Tony exhaled.

"You hit your head on the way down too.. Gave yourself a nice concussion. Again.." Jethro added.

"Surprising," Tony said sarcastically. "Can I have a drink.." Tony was suddenly overcome with a wave of emotion as it finally hit him.. He would never lace up his football cleats again … which was something he had planned on doing everyday until he was in his thirties. He would never stand on the court as jump ball went up, ready to play for hours. He would never go to the locker room with his team, and hear the coach's rally speech. He would never hear the crowd cheering his name again, or see his face on the jumbotron.

See the pride in his dad in his mom, in his sisters and brother, in his friends.

That was his life .. It was who he was.. And now it was over.

Jethro looked at Tony who was still avoiding his eye contact strongly, and he saw a tear slip down from the corner of his eye.

Jethro took a rough and calloused thumb and wiped the tear away gently.

"We'll get through this Tony…."

Tony swallowed hard, and nodded his head; eyes closed gently as he let the emotions of having his dreams ripped from his clutched over take him… and he let more tears flow from his closed eyes as he let the exhaustion and medications take him back to the darkness.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Hey Cale, you ready for some sun!" Jenny said happily as she waddled out of the front door, her large suitcases in tow. She was bundled in her parka and ear muffs as she braved the winter cold on her journey out to the car.

"Of course Jen! Cant wait!" He closed the door from his SUV and went to help Jenny wrestle her bags into the trunk of her car.

"Kate and everybody else is inside…that's the last of the bags I think. Time to get a move on I suppose!" They headed back towards the front door.

"Alrighty. Hey, so how'd Tony's surgery go?" Cale asked before they got inside. "Kate said it was all good but, you know, how's Tony doing?" He was referring to handling the death of his sports career.

"He's … " Jenny paused at the door and huffed out stressfully. "I'm worried about him. That's part of the reason we are taking this cruise, get his mind on something else, hopefully get him happy again."

"Yeah, yeah. I understand.. We'll get him cheered up, no worries… the Bahamas can make anybody happy!" He smile and opened up the front door.

"Hey Cale," Tim said from his spot on the stairs where he was still lacing up his winter boots.

"Hey Tim, how's it goin? Ready for a vacation?" Cale knew Tim was always burying himself in schoolwork and books, his elevated IQ and thirst for knowledge always choosing studying over fun.

"Cant wait… we haven't taken a family vacation since I was just a kid. This will be great!" Tim said with a smile.

Cale was nearly tackled by a surprise hug from Kate, and he greeted her with a smile and a kiss, "Well hello there."

"Ready for the Bahamas!" Kate said happily.

"Yeah, wanna get a move on? I will get your bags loaded up in the car," Cale grabbed her suitcases and headed out to the car.

"Hey Kate," Jethro rounded the corner. "It okay with you and Cale if Tony and Kelly ride with you in Cale's car? The Charger isn't big enough and id rather not have Kelly drive Tony's mustang and-"

"Yeah, yeah that's no problem."

Just then Kelly appeared atop the stairs hauling an oversized OSU gym bag and a large suitcase with a smile on her face, as always. Tony was just a few steps behind her, making some joke about her being his pack mule, his crutches being pushed to the side as he hobbled down the stairs behind her.

"Hey Tony, got everything?" Jethro asked.

"Yeah you almost packed more than Kate!" Tim said with a smile.

"Ha-ha," he said sarcastically. "Yeah mom, I got everything,"

Tony wasn't exactly thrilled about the trip. He hadn't really ever spent Christmas away from home. None of them really had, and now they were going on a cruise to the Bahamas from Xmas. He wasn't mad about it, and he was grateful his parents were willing to pay for Kelly to come with them and had even offered.

He just didn't see the point. He had just had knee surgery a week and a half ago to prepare his ACL and MCL, and his patella was still healing slowly, so he couldn't exactly do a lot of hassle free things while on a moving boat. But his parents had thought of it as a way to heal his leg, and his mind, in the sun.

Tony was willing to bet they did this for him, as a way to pep him up or something, and he was grateful for that. He just wasn't happy, but for his parents and his family and his girlfriend, he would try.

Jethro met Kelly halfway up the stairs and helped to lighten her load. "You two are riding with Cale and Kate to the airport, okay? We will meet ya there, we are picking up Ducky on the way.." "Yeah, sounds good." Kelly smiled at his family as they smiled back.

"Okay," Cale entered. "All aboard for the Royal Caribbean.." he brushed the snow off of him as he grabbed Tony's bags from Jethro and shook his hand in greeting in the process.

And with that they were off.

"Poor Tim, who knew he was so seasick." Jenny said as she closed to door to their stateroom where Tim decided to stay for a few hours and consequently empty his stomach contents as a result of the barely perceptible sway of the oversized and elegant cruise ship.

"Yeah, did you give him some Dramamine?" Ducky suggested from the end of the Gibbs family huddle in the corridor of their section of the ship. "And lots of water, wouldn't want Timothy getting dehydrated"

"Plenty of it," Jenny frowned.

"He'll be alright," Jethro said as he gathered his wife under his arm. "Let's head aft and catch some lunch poolside."

"Ay yi Captain!" Abby said as she led the way.

"Man the sun feels good!" Kate said as she got comfortable at the table where the oversized family would sit.

"Sure does!" Cale agreed.

Eyes fell on Tony as he all but mope-fully fell into his chair at the table. Tony stole another glance at the kids playing basketball at the court just across the ship's hull. They all saw his sorrowful stare, but didn't dare bring it up.

"So Kelly my dear, I hear you are entering a career in nursing?" Ducky, the family's designated talker decided to start the lunch conversation taking the awkwardness out of the occasion.

"Yes, I am. I love it so far!" Her blonde braids and blue eyes shone brightly as she talked.

"Why that is quite admirable, that career is one I hold with the utmost respect," Ducky said, and Kelly nodded with a glint in her eye. "And also will come in quite handy while hanging around our young Anthony."

The table laughed, and Tony blushed bashfully, a smile playing at his lips.

"Anthony has a way of finding some sort of trouble no matter where he goes," Ducky added. "it is why the family keeps me so close I presume." The table laughed again and Jethro clapped him on the shoulder playfully.

"Can I start you guys off with something to drink?" A waitress came up to the table and asked.

"I will have a margarita," Jenny said happily.

"Ohohooo" Tony played. "Staring things off seriously, I like where your heads at mom."

"I will take a Rum and Coke." Jethro liked where her head was at too. He could go there. "And a beer as well. Whatever's on tap." He smiled as Kate and Tony rumbled in amusement.

"I will take the same," Ducky smiled.

"I will have… a red bull please!" Abby said, and that was as good as alcohol to her.

"I will take a long island iced tea" Cale said with a grin as the table 'ooh'd' and 'aaah'd'

"I will have a strawberry daiquiri, and so will she" Kate ordered for Kelly, receiving an excited smile.

"And for you?" The waitress asked Tony.

He smiled a looked at the expectant crowd … "A long Island as well.." He smiled.

A few drinks later and the table was full swing.

"No no no, that's not how it happened," Jethro defended as Ducky told a story about him in middle school almost starting the school on fire.

"And you wonder where Tony got it.." Jenny said as she laughed.

"Kelly, did Tony ever tell you about the time he climbed so high in a tree and got his foot stuck on a branch we had to call the fire department?" Kate teased Tony, who looked bemusedly at his sister.

"No, he hasn't mentioned that one," she smiled at him. "Sound about right" the table laughed.

"Yeah, or the time we were racing our bikes around the block and he disappeared off the face of the earth?" Kate said.

"No," Kelly giggled and looked to Tony for verification.

"Oh yeah, turns out he fell through a man hole in the street that was under construction. He was totally fine, even made friends with the guys down there with him." Kate finished.

"Jesus, Ducky was right, you sure know how to find trouble.." Kelly leaned playfully into his shoulder. Tony just smiled and ran a hair through his spiky hair. "I mean I remember prom when you got in a fight and bumped your head." She rubbed the back of his head playfully earning a smile from Tony.

"Ah yes, I remember that one," Ducky confirmed from across the table.

"We all do," Jethro said, sounding kind of forlorn, probably because he was remembering the assault on Kate.

"Yeah," Kelly said as she looked at Tony again. "And the car accident off of Leonard"

"Yeah with the drunk driver," Jenny said in affirmation as she nodded her head in remembrance.

"Mhmmm," the table reminisced silently.

"What about the time we went camping and Tony almost drowned in the river," Abby spoke up as she took another sip of her red bull.

"Damn Tony," Cale laughed in disbelief. "Have you counted how many of your nine lives you have left?"

"Well if there's nine he woulda been out a longgg time ago," Jethro said jokingly.

"Yeah, I mean I don't think hardly anyone, but you and Kate, can say they've been kidnapped, and lived to tell the tale." Kelly spoke up.

"Kidnapped?" Cale nearly spit his drink out. He coughed for a second. "What?"

Kate dropped her head sadly.

Again, kind of awkward. Ducky's cue: "Ahh yes, Caitlyn didn't tell you? Why it was just a few years ago… Rather dark times I'm afraid. We thought we had lost Anthony…"

"What uh.. What happened?" Cale put his arm around Kate as he noticed the discomfort. But his curiosity piqued him to know more.

"Russian guys with a chip on their shoulder, mad at Jenny and I over a case, criminals nonetheless," Jethro said matter of factly.

"It was just a few years ago," Kate said solemnly, the memories of watching Tony get struck again and again flooded her mind.

"Wow… well I'd say you've got someone looking out for you somewhere Tony," Cale said in exasperation. "A lucky kid, that's for sure.."

"A tough one at that.." Ducky added as a fact.

"Yes, resilient," Jenny added

"Tough as nails," Jethro piped up, locking eyes with Tony whose cheeks flowered a shade of pink.

"And we are all soooo very glad that you are!" Kelly said sweetly, trying to brighten the mood a bit yet convey the love they all felt for Tony. She placed a gentle peck on his cheek, and he smiled at his family.

"Yeah well I will drink to that.. My track record of crappy luck that ive somehow managed to survive," His grin was crooked and he raised his glass along with the rest of his family.

"Aw, we love you Tonyyy," Kate said with a genuine smile as she clanged her glass on his. " And you need to be more careful, or you will surely give Dad a heart attack soon." True Kate fashion, adding a little stinger on the end.

They laughed, clinked glasses, and hoped that from now on out their luck would get better.

"To Tony!" Abby cheered and the bottoms were in the air.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Man, getting drunk while on crutches isn't the best of ideas," Tony said with a giggle. But man did being drunk feel good. He hasn't been drunk in forever. He took his sports too seriously, even as a senior in college, he had gave up drinking to better his sports performance. So much for that ..

"Hahah oh but its so cute watching you stumble around with those crutches!" Kelly giggled as she swatted him on the butt as they hobbled down the corridor. Kate and Cale just behind them. All of them pretty sauced up.

"You look like a .. baby giraffe," Kate giggled as she clumsily ran into Cale and they stumbled into the wall.

"Well, personally I liked … the dancing," Cale laughed.

"Oh that was soo adorable," Kelly sounded truthful.

"Haha whatever you guys," Tony smiled lazily and hobbled along. "When you get too drunk to walk you are going to wish you had these crutches to help hold you up see…"

"Hey! You guys mind?" Some gross guy emerged from the door just in front of Tony no shirt on and weird boxers, a beer gut and hair covering it. "Some people are trying to sleep here!"

"Yeah man, sorry.." Tony nodded his apologies. The man began to walk back into his room until he heard Kate and Kelly giggling.

"Will you be quiet?" The guy aimed it at the girls.

"Will you put a shirt on?" Kelly murmured to Kate, eliciting a laugh from Kate as she tried to stifle it. Cale and Tony smiling along with it.

"I heard that you little bi-"

"Hey! Listen," Tony was resting on his crutches and didn't want any trouble. "We are almost to our room, we'll be quiet shes sorry im sorry we are all very sorry." Tony rambled.

The guy stood up defiantly to Tony. "Keep your girls in line next time Playboy.." the gross guy said as stared.

"Ya.. Okay.." This guy was crazy. Tony made a move to walk around him but his crutch got in the way of this guys foot, and before he knew it the crutch slipped back and he was forced to put wayy too much weight on his left knee, and he grunted in pain as it twisted. Damn that hurt.

"Ahhh." He let a cry escape his lips, and Kelly moved to catch him as best he could, and he got the crutch back underneath him as he breathed through the pain.

"You bastard" Kate yelled. "he's hurt"

Cale stepped forward immediately. "Okay dude, you need to move." His face was serious.

"Yeah well if your bitch would stop with the insults there wouldn't be any probl-"

Before he could finish it, Cale shut his mouth with a solid hit to the jaw, and shove back in his room.

"Ohh.. Hoho! Cale!" Kate was astounded, she had never seen Cale lay a finger on a fly.

"Well Jesus, he was an ass," Cale put his arm around her. "And he hurt my bro." He smiled as he fake punched Tony in the cheek.

"Haha that's what's up.." Tony laughed as he felt his knee throb in pain and tried to ignore it.

"Let's get to bedded," Kelly said as the door to the gross guys room slammed shut. "Agreeed," Kate said.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Hey, you didn't want go with Cale and Dad to the casino?" Kate sat in the lounge chair in the sun beside her little brother.

"Nah," Tony said plainly as he stared at the kids in the pool blankly, more like nothing in particular.

"Well here have Cale's beer then," Kate handed it over with a frown, to which he gratefully accepted. "Why not? They were going to do sports betting mainly? You know more about that than both of them combined and you would do anything for money, what gives?"

" I don't know," Tony shrugged nonchalantly.

"Well where's Kelly?" She realized her absence.

"Uhh her and mom went to do some shopping," Tony said plainly his eyes squinting into the sun.

"Oh, man this ship has like literally everything," Kate realized Tony's down mood again today. Something had to have thrown him off, he was doing so good up until now.

"Ya."

"Tony, what's up?" Kate looked over at him sensitively.

"Nothing Kate, don't wanna talk about it," Tony replied flatly.

"Well too bad, you cant just keep everything inside Tony, talk to me about it," Kate said truthfully.

"Its fine, Kate. Swear," Tony closed his eyes and pretended to want to go to sleep.

"Tony, we all know that's not true. Your hurt, and we all know the consequences of that and we want to help you," Kate put a hand on Tony's thigh assuring-ly. "What's goin on in your head?"

"Katie, don't worry about it. I'll be fine."

"Tony," Kate pleaded. She remembered a few years ago when Tony was hit by the drunk driver, two weeks from track state finals. He was devastated, and this was like .. So much worse.

"Katie…" His defense mechanism of 'smart-ass' was fully in place.

"Tony, come on. You cant go on like this forever. Moping around one day, happy the next, moping the next. Its .. Creepy and not like you, and you should be happy."

"Happy? Happy about what Kate?" That got him going.

"That you are here on this awesome cruise with a family that loves you, and a great girlfriend that you have somehow managed to land." She added the joke for familiarity, it usually helped Tony relax. "And to be healthy, and alive and-"

"Kate, I am happy for all that," Tony put his hands over his face in distress before removing them. "But deep down I don't think you know-" he stopped.

"What?" Kate had almost cracked open the chink in Tony's armor.

"I just… Its just.. I have never wanted anything else in my life more. It was in my heart and my mind and my soul everyday to work hard, harder than everyone else, and that I would make it. And I did.. Almost. I could taste it, I could smell the trophy from the Rose Bowl. I could smell the Final Four for basketball, I could feel an NFL jersey with my name, our, name on the back. I could see the light at the end of the tunnel that I had worked so hard for .. And then poof. I wake up in a hospital bed and its over."

Kate tried hard not tear up at her usually guarded little brothers admission of pain, of heartbreak. "We are all so proud of how hard you worked Tony, we know it, hell most of the country knows it. Your great Tony, and-"

"Were. Past tense, Kate."

"Tony, sports aren't everything-"

"They are everything to me, Kate. There was never a second option. Ever. Do you remember when I was little and Dad took me to a Redskins game when I was like five or 6?"

"Mhmm,"

"Ever since that moment I have spent every weekend playing catch with Dad, or when he was busy with the neighbors. And yeah it was for fun, and I loved it, but it was also cause I see myself on that field. I have never wanted anything else, and I almost made it. 20 some years into a goal, and then bam some guy ends it all. Just sucks…" Tony sniffled hard and let the forming tears absorb back into his eyes.

"Oh Tony, Im so sorry this happened to you," Kate sniffled too. "You deserved it. More than anyone."

Tony scoffed. "I mean, what the hell am I supposed to do now?"

"Finish school and-"

"Kate, I'm a frickin Phys Ed major," Tony retorted. "I don't want to do that crap. I only did it so I could focus on football and on basketball. Look where that got me.. Im so screwed now. My whole life its just .. Pointless."

"Tony, don't say that.. Ever!" Kate angered slightly. "Do you know how many people love you? Know how great of a guy you are? Would die to have your talent? Or your humor?"

"Doesn't matter. I just cant stand the feeling of how wrong it feels that I will never, ever again lace up my football cleats. Or jump up and catch a ball. Or be in a huddle, or do any of the things I had planned to do for the rest of my life. The things I love most. The things that are my life …." Tony wiped the one tear shamefully before resting his head back against the pool chaise.

Kate couldn't combat with that. She wiped a tear and rubbed his hand comfortingly. Pausing is sadness, gathering her own thoughts … it was even sadder than she thought. His spirit was crushed. Even when he had appeared happy the last few days, it was only the surface. Deep down Tony was ..depressed.

"Tony, we'll get through this," Kate was positive of it. "You will be okay. Ya hear me? Your going to be okay."

Tony just sat there, he hated making his sister so sad, and his family. It was why he had been painting on the smiles and the laughs and retorting the jokes when he could. It did feel good to talk about it …

"Thanks, Kate." Tony finally looked over at her. His own watery and saddened green ones meeting hers.

"I love you, Tony." She allowed a warm smile to hopefully spread unto him.

"Love you too, Katie-bear." He smiled, receiving a playful punch in the arm at the annoying nickname he historically used to agitate her.

"Let's drink.." Kate said flatly as she lifted her daiquiri to his beer. They learned their emotional numbing skills from none other than their Dad.

"A fine idea sister.." Tony said playfully before taking a refreshing sip.

"The boat is making a stop today at Nassau," Jenny read to the table at breakfast. "And since we haven't been able to see much of Tim, we are going to go to land and let him pick some fun stuff for us to do okay?"

The fam nodded their agreement, Tim hadn't even been able to do anything on the cruise so far. Except get very acquainted with sleeping pills, Dramamine and the toilet bowls.

"Anthony how is the knee doing?" Ducky asked as Tony was taking a long gulp of orange juice.

"Same ole, Ducky…" Tony said as he took a bite of his toast. That was a lie.. But one Tony often thought of as a white lie. It was pretty stiff today, and tender as ever. That little slip last night surely wasn't the best thing for his recovery. Oh well.. Stuff happens.

"Aha, well soon I would like to take a peak at what it looks like under that immobilizer if you don't mind," Ducky asked.

"If you say so Doc," Tony smiled at his caring Uncle.

"Okay, Tim so what do you want to do? You've looked at all those brochures I gave you right?" Jenny asked.

"Yeah, uhh," Tim was trying to find activities that wouldn't be too limiting for Tony to do either. "Let's go to the beach if that's okay? Haven't really gotten to see much of the ocean while we've been gone, just the inside of the room." He said sadly, mad at his stupid stomach for never letting him do things that most others could.

"Sure, Tim," Jethro held Tim by the shoulders as they made their way off the ship.

XXX

"Come on Tony, don't you wanna come swim with us? We are going to go snorkeling!" Kelly dropped into the sand in front of Tony her face sad that he didn't wanna join.

Tony looked at Kelly in her strapless bikini and tanning skin and brightening blond hair. Her blue eyes pouting and her lip pouring over. "Pleaseee." Tony reached up and pinched her cheek affectionately.

"Nah.. I think swimming might agitate the ole bum knee," he smiled. He was in his trunks, his well toned body getting tanner by the second, and his knee taking a break from the immobilizer and for the first time they could all see the surgical scars and the swelling.

"Oh.. Well I will just sit here with you.. Keep ya company!" Kelly said happily.

They had found a pretty remote spot on the beach. The closest people a good hundred yards or so away. And the family was getting ready to go snorkeling. Ducky had said it may be therapeutic for Tony do go in the water, and just sit or something. Tony didn't really think that sounded too fun.

However, he didn't want to spoil Kelly's trip, and he saw his family waving them over to join them snorkeling.

"Ahhh, let's go.." He said defeated. "I can come in the water a little at least."

"Yayy!"

Jethro and Jenny had swam towards a cove a bit further down the coast. Ducky, Tim and Abby had found interest in a coral reef a few yards closer to shore, and Tony and Kelly were swimming and flirting gently from their noodles, compliments of Ducky, abut 20 yards from shore. They were looking down at some fish with their masks occasionally, but were mainly interested in each other.

Cale and Kate decided to explore a reef a bit deeper out, but Tony didn't want to swim that far, the kicking agitating his knee.

Kate came swimming back towards Tony and Kelly, who were sharing a noodle, Kelly sitting comfortably on his lap as they talked.

"Hey.." Kate said as she got closer "I cut my arm on some coral, look at that," Kate held up her forearm and a small scrape was visible.

"Oh gross," Tony said. "Get outta here Kate, havent you seen Jaws? The sharks are going to smell you a mile away…. We are all goners!" Tony said with fake drama.

"You and your movies," Kate said as she rolled her eyes. "Well the water is stinging it.. Im going to go in. Cale is like freakishly interesting in the reef haha hes going to stay out there.. I don't know how much longer, im getting exhausted we will see how long he lasts before he starts floating.."

"Okay, I think we will be in soon too," Kelly said with a smile. A few

A few minutes later, just as Tony and Kelly decided it was time to head in after Tony lost his mask to the bottom of the ocean, and the saltwater started to dry out their skin they heard Cale give a call of help.

Their heads snapped to see him struggling to stay afloat, and being pulled rapidly fast out to the ocean.

"Whats wrong with him?" Kelly asked scared.

"I think hes caught in a rip tide!" Tony said as he immediately began to leave the noodle and swim out to where Cale was trying to swim. He felt Kelly swimming behind him, all things forgotten, and he felt his knee protest with every kick he made, but as he saw the distance between him and Cale increase as the tide pulled Cale even further out to the sea Tony disregarded all the talk in his head that said to favor his knee and he dove his head into the water and began swimming to the side of the rip current as fast as he could.

Kelly didn't know when Tony had learned to swim like that, but all she knew was she was being left in the dust despite her greatest efforts to keep up. Tony was doing a pretty impressive Michael Phelps impression right about now, and she decided to keep her eyes on Cale. Tony seemed to be gaining a lot of ground on Cale. She suddenly could hear Kate and Jethro and Jenny all yelling for Cale to swim parallel to shore and were working their way out to them as fast they could.

Cale was kicking around and following a pretty looking fish when he suddenly felt like his body was in the rapids of a river and he couldn't stop himself from being forcefully pulled out to the ocean. All he could do, with everything he had, was barely keep his head above water and yell for help.

Then after a particularly scary long minute of being swirled under the water, he debated which way was up before he felt the godsend feeling of arms wrapping around him, and hauling him up, he tried his best to help, but he was very exhausted after this battle with the ocean, and knew he wasn't helping much.

Once they surfaced he looked over his shoulder to see an out of breath of none other than Tony with a look of determination.

He'd never really thought you could look up to someone who was younger than you, like as a role model, but as he felt his life being saved by a kid who had already been through hell and back, he knew it was just fine to admire someone younger than you. Especially when they are your savior.

"Cale, we …gotta swim parallel.." Tony tried to explain what he was doing, and to his avail he could feel Cale attempting to kick and move his arms in the same direction Tony was. Anything would help, his knee was really, really starting to bug him, and he was starting to not be able to use it as it was stiffening up a great deal.

To top things off, on is dive for the deep six-ing Cale, Tony must have scraped his leg on some coral or something because he had felt a strong sting or a scrape on his calf.

Tony could see Kelly with her noodle and Jethro quickly catching up to him, but he could still feel the rip tide pull them a slightly further away as he still fought the current and tried to swim out of it.

Finally he could feel the waters surrounding him calm, and he swam a bit further before deciding they were in the safe zone and that it was safe to stay still and get his breath back hopefully. He looked back towards shore and saw Kelly and his Dad approach.

"You okay Cale?" Jethro asked hopeful.

"Yeah I am, thanks to Tony. Jesus.. All the sudden I was … that was crazy.." Cale was still trying to catch his breath. Tony was huffing heavily beside him too.

"Here," Kelly wrapped Cale's arms over the noodle. "Tony you okay?"

"Let's head in to shore, glad you boys are alright," Jethro said as he treaded water and they began their slow journey back to the shore where everyone else was anxiously waiting.

"Tony, you doing alright?" Jethro could see the strong grimace on Tony's face as they swam.

Tony chose not to answer. His knee was on fire and the rest of his leg was burning badly along with it.

The eye contact he made with his Dad said enough, that he was hurting.

Cale turned around and suddenly remembered about Tony's knee and how bad that it must be hurting.

"Oh shit Tony your knee! Im sorry man, here.. Take this so you don't have to kick anymore." he handed over the noodle.

Tony nodded his appreciation, but decided to stay silent. He was pretty nervous for when they got to sure, if it hurt this bad in the water, he was positive he wasn't gonna be able to walk on it. And he had hobbled from the towels crutch-less. This was gonna be so embarrassing.

They reached the rest of the family who was relieved to see them all still breathing and alive.

"Cale are you okay?" Kate gave him a quick hug and kiss they still walked through the water back to shore.

"You alright Cale?" Jenny asked, Ducky hovering behind her looking for any trouble..

"Yeah, yeah Im fine. Thanks to Tony," He looked ashamedly over to Tony who was making his way out of the water his jaw set firmly and his eyes showing nothing but pain.

Jethro recognized this immediately and guided Tony's arm around his shoulders before he was fully out of the water and together they hobbled onto the shore.

"You okay Tony?" Abby saw the look in his eyes.

"Yeah, just my stupid knee. A little sore," Tony always wanted to reassure his little sister who often worried a little too much over him. Though most times she had a rather viable reason.

"Let's get you to the towels and the chairs and we'll let ya rest." Jethro said and they hobbled painfully through the sand to their 'camp'.

"Ahh that's nice," Tony said as he laid down on his towel.

"Hey, Tony your bleeding!" Kelly was surprised by the red streaks marking the lower half of his left calf.

"Yeah, scraped it on something," Tony wiped the tender leg off gently. "No biggie."

Tony and Kelly and Kate and Cale decided to take it easy on the beach the rest of the day as the rest of them did some infamous tourist things before the sun began to set and it was time to head back to the ship.

They had fallen asleep, but Jenny awoke them with a gentle call. "Sleepyheads, time to go!"

Kelly woke up with a smile and a stretch from beneath Tony's arm. Kate and Cale sat up and did the same, a large yawn escaping their mouths.

Tony still slept soundly. Kelly tapped him in the abs playfully. Still he slept. Tony was always a sound sleeper, but usually not during a ten minute nap, or to his mothers voice.

"Tonyyyy, time to wake upp!" Kelly said cheerfully and she smacked his cheek lightly. He started to stir and moan. "Jesus Tony, wake up." She shook his shoulder.

"What?" He said grumpily and turned his head to the side.

"Come on, we gotta go!" Kate nudged him in the shoulder.

"uhhhhh," And Tony sat up, lookin sleepier than ever. "Man I am tired…"

"We noticed," Jethro said as he folded the towels and grabbed their things. "let's get a move on people."

Tony strapped his immobilizer back on, and as he did so he noticed the bloody marks where he must have ran into the coral or whatever that was and decided to ignore it for now. He joined the group and then the family made their way back to the ship.

Once they made it back to the room, and they felt the ship take off from port. Tony changed out of his trunk and into some gym shorts and a tee shirt and a baseball cap.

Cale came out of the bathroom, as they shared a room. "Hey Tony, sorry about what happened snorkeling today. I shoulda been more careful, but thanks for helping me out.. Im sorry you had to do that and I hope your knee is alright.." Cale walked over and bumped knuckles with Tony.

"Its all good, don't worry about it," Tony smiled "I know you would do the same for me" Tony could see his calf where he had scraped it on something in the water looking angry and red and swollen. There were two or three main holes in his calf that were colored funny, but because of the nature of his knee he couldn't get a good look at it or bend his leg. He strapped the immobilizer on and decided not to mess with it, touching it usually made those kind of things worse… like the chicken pox he had when he was little.

There was a knock at their door. "It's Dad, we are gonna head up to dinner now, you boys coming?"

They followed them out and Tony was met by his dad who grabbed his neck and pulled him forward and kissed him on the forehead. "Good work today, Kid."

Tony smiled ruefully but didn't want to answer. Jethro was proud of Tony. He very well may have saved Cale's life today.

"Hows the leg holding up?" Jethro eyed the immobilizer and brace cautiously.

"Holding up.." Tony said as the group made their way down the hallway. As Tony began to hobble further down the hallway his vision began to swim. He blinked and swallowed hard as his throat was becoming conspicuously dry. Suddenly it felt as if the whole ship was rocking, as the skinny hallway before him began to turn.

His body was hit with a wave ok weakness and before he knew it, he had misplaced his crutch and fell forward suddenly. His vision was black, and he felt that he had taken someone with him on his way down, and they were partially trapped beneath him, but he wasn't able to move.

The black spots in his vision began to grow, and the voices talking to him were distant, very distant. He felt like there was an elephant on his chest as he felt his body being turned over. When had it gotten so hard to breathe?

Jethro had been following his hobbling son, when he noticed the pace begin to slow and before he knew it his crutches went out from beneath him, and the next thing he knew Tony went down in a heap landing ungracefully atop the much smaller framed Kelly.

Kelly turned around from her place on the ground, stunned in a moment as she tried to figure out what had happened. "What the.. Tony?" She noticed his blank stare into the wall.

"Tony? You okay?" Jethro asked, and the others who had heard the collapse turned and looked on worryingly. "Hey, Tony!" Jethro turned Tony on his side as Kelly moved out quickly from beneath him.

Tony was staring up at the ceiling, and his chest was taking big, deep heaves. A wheezing sound coming quickly from his throat.

"Duck!" Jethro looked up to see Ducky already kneeling at his nephew's side.

"Anthony! Can you hear me?" Ducky got in his face, and Tony nodded slowly but began to struggle even further to draw air into his lungs. "Sit him up!" Ducky recognized the distress, and Jethro immediately hoisted Tony into a limp up right position.

"Whats going on Duck?" Jenny dropped to her knees.

"I am not sure exactly, he is having difficulty breathing and-" Just then Tony struggled out of the hold his Dad had on him and he turned his head and vomited pitifully onto the floor.

"Okay, someone go and get help! Tell the nearest employee to send the medical team this way!" Ducky ordered someone as he turned Tony back to face him after the puking was done.

"On it," Cale ran off in the direction they had been headed.

"Talk to me Tony, you okay?" Jethro wiped with his hand Tony's mouth.

Tony was focusing so hard to breathe he didn't want to answer, but he forced out, "Leg.."

He closed his eyes and continued the fight against more nausea and lightheadedness and the fact he could barely breathe.

Jethro looked down at Tony's leg, and nothing seemed misaligned or of immediate concern, confused he looked to his brother for answers.

"Oh my god, his leg…he was bleeding after he got out of the water!" Kelly put two and two together.

Tony heard Kelly get to what he was thinking, he knew he kept her around for a reason.

"His bad leg," Kelly said as they inspected the un-braced leg. "Like on his calf"

Tony felt them undo the Velcro on his brace but his vision had been fully assaulted with black dots and his body felt heavier. He couldn't hold himself up anymore, and he felt himself collapse into his dad's arms before his hold on consciousness escaped him.

"Anthony!" Ducky saw Tony's eyes drooping, and just as they closed he reached up and tried pinching Tony's chest hard in an attempt to keep him awake.

"He's out," Jenny said frantically as she grabbed Tony's limp hand and willed it to move, and rubbed and slapped it.

"Med team is on their way!" Cale voiced his return.

Ducky put his fingers on Tony's wrist, and felt his pulse. It was weak and it was ever so slow.

"His pulse is very slow, bradycardia zone.." He then lifted Tony's leg ever so gently, cautious of the bum knee. He could see four dark spots spread out on Tony's calf and the entire lower leg was swollen painfully looking and read.

"Dear me, why wouldn't Anthony mention this," Ducky carefully set it back in the open brace. "That is no scrape! He had been stung by something! A scorpion fish most likely, looks like he was stung twice!"

"Is that .. Deadly?" Abby piped up from behind the crowd that had gathered that was their family.

"No, not commonly," Ducky answered somewhat reassuringly as he stuck an ear to Tony's barreling chest. "Depends on the amount of venom injected and on the victim of course. It seems to have slowed Tony's breathing and likely blood pressure."

"Where's the damn medical team!" Jethro was growing anxious. Just on time, maybe a little late, but on cue more-the-less, the medical team arrived with a stretcher and the next thing they knew they were in the sick bay's waiting area.

"Im sorry, this is my fault," Cale said as he ran a stressed hand over his face.

"Cale, don't be ridiculous," Jenny looked up. "This is no way close to your fault."

"Tony is such an idiot! Im such an idiot!" Kelly spoke up from her pacing. "I saw that he was bleeding when we got out of the water, but he didn't say it hurt or anything and he said it was a scratch and-"

"Hey its no one's fault. Tony is responsible for his own health, he is an adult and he shoulda got that checked out," Jethro spoke up. It didn't come from the heart though. He knew Tony probably had no idea what it was, and was already so sick of his knee injury he didn't want more pity by bringing up something that could've been nothing … thing is, this was far from nothing.

"Okay," The doctor came out from the cubicle. "We have him on antibiotics and something for the nausea. There is no anti-venom, as we don't have a for sure idea what he was bitten or stung by, but we have him on oxygen for right now and we are hoping things don't get worse as we head out to sea.. "

The family nodded.

"Or we can take drastic steps to get him on land and better care, but for right now we will keep him in here nad hope for the best. He's awake right now, he has vomited once and it dry heaving occasionally his fever is raising somewhat dramatically since the hallway episode, but we are hoping to keep it under control. If you don't have any questions, you can go in and sit with him."

Nothing really to ask, and they were all eager to see Tony awake.

They all piled into the large sick bay, and cautiously gathered around Tony who sat shirtless in the upright hospital bed in his gym shorts. His hair was a sticking to his forehead, and a thin sheen of sweat was glistening on his skin. EKG pads and wires were hooked to his chest, and an IV and pulse ox in his hand. A blood pressure cuff was on his bicep, and his leg was free of the immobilizer, but a white wrap was covering his shin and calf area. The scars on his knee were vividly visible, and the basin in his hands told them he was prepared to throw up if the occasion should arise. A bulky oxygen mask on his face.

He looked like he was pretty sick… that is until one could see the amused smile beneath the oxygen mask and the twinkle in his sparkling greens. What the?

"What are you smiling at?" Jethro couldn't help but smile at that contagious smile of his … no matter what the circumstances.

"The Tony Curse lives on…" was the muffled response beneath the mask, and the answer eased the tension of the previously concerned family as they chuckled. Only Tony.

"Yes it does, ya feeling alright?" Jenny put a gentle kiss on his forehead.

"I've had it worse," Tony said as he held his hand out and waited for Kelly to grab it.

Kelly grabbed it with a bashful smile, and Tony pulled her in closer until she was curled under his arm, snuggling on his shoulder. Suddenly she balled a fist and slammed it not so gently into his good thigh.

"Oww," Tony yelped before shooting a hurt glance towards his girlfriend.

"Oh don't give me that look, you know what you did. You had us all scared to death, passing out in the hall like that and now your all better," she dramatized with her hands. "when you were too stubborn to get that checked out sooner." she really wasn't mad at him, but expressing her own distress for his neglect for his own health.

"I didn't know!" Tony shrugged his shoulders defensively.

"She's right Tony, quit being a bonehead!" Jethro rubbed a hand in Tony's messy hair, as usual.

"Yeah, like I said before," Kate stood at the end of the bed under Cale's arm. "Dad is going to have a coronary one of these times!" She said with fake seriousness.

The family laughed at the joke, knowing how much it did cause Jethro distress when Tony was hurt or sick.

Jethro just blushed and smiled. He knew he would never have a coronary, but he didddddd tend to get a bit tense when Tony was down for the count.

They all sat for a few more hours until it was time to let Tony get some rest, and with that they left Tony and Kelly asleep in the bed and found their way back to their own comfortable beds for the night.

XXXX

"Ahh.. This is the life!" Tony said as he laid on the lounge chair on the deck of the cruise ship by the outdoor pool. An umbrella drink in one hand, his designer shades on, his girlfriend at his side, his family having fun around him, and his injured knee heeling propped up on a pillow as the warm sun soothed his skin.

Jethro sat in his chair beside Tony and heard his son happy, truly at ease, for the first genuine time since he saw him get tackled a few months ago on the football field. He felt his wife's hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze.

He could see Kate and Cale giggling with their feet dangling in the water of the pool, and before them was Tim and Abby swimming around in the water, making friends easily with a few other vacationers.

Ducky was rambling somewhere behind him to a lovely lady his age, who had a great ear for listening and a few good stories of her own.

Jethro finally felt happy since that day too. His family was happy, they were healthy, and they were all around him.

"For once, Tony's right." He smiled slyly. "This is the life."