After they got checked out by the EMT's, Gibbs went to the room and packed up their things, while Tony was still finishing up his statements to the LEO's and FBI.

He called DC and let the team know they were safe. He packed up the rental car, and checked out.

By the time he was done, most of the chaos was over. Fornell had already left, as did the ambulance, and there was only one police car in front of the hotel.

Tony was outside, leaning back to sit on a retaining wall. He was pale and still.

"DiNozzo, let's go," Gibbs called gently to him.

Tony looked at him. He was less of a mess now after the paramedics had cleaned up the blood off his face. But he still looked a bit disheveled and worn.

"What makes you think,"he said coldly, "I'm going anywhere with you?"

Gibbs sighed and tilted his head, "Besides the fact that I'm your friend? And you just got kidnapped and beaten today? I guess because I'm your ride and I already packed all your stuff in the car."

Tony rolled his eyes just slightly and shook his head.

"I should'a known," he mumbled angrily.

Gibbs ignored him and walked towards the rental car.

Tony had been trying to collect his thoughts, sitting outside in front of the hotel, but he was exhausted. He felt confused, betrayed...and alone.

And conflicted…

He was angrier with Gibbs than he had ever been. And was not sure if there was a way back after what Gibbs had done.

He also couldn't bear to think their friendship was done…

While he was still turning it all over in his mind, Gibbs pulled the car up.

He looked at Tony with a raised brow, expectantly.

Tony scowled, and sighed in frustration.

Then he got in the car, and buckled himself in without a word.

Tony was so tired that he started to fall asleep only thirty minutes in to the ride. He imagined Gibbs would be taking them to an airport, to catch a flight back to DC, where undoubtedly he was planning to drag Tony to see Rachel Cranston.

He dozed for a while, but occasionally opened his eyes to glance at the scenery drifting by the car window.

Suddenly he realized, they were backtracking.

"Where are we going?" he asked, turning his head to look at Gibbs.

The older man kept his blue eyes on the road.

"Still got some time off, remember?"

Tony was once again, confused. Did Gibbs mean to hang around with Tony somewhere for the next couple of weeks?

Oh, Hell no, he thought. How could Gibbs even imagine to doing such a thing?

"Where. Are. We. Going?" Tony tried again, in a steely tone.

"To Sharlee's."

It was a shock to him. He didn't know how to respond right away.

"I don't…"

"You really didn't get a chance to catch up. And I thought you might want to see her…to see if she's okay." Gibbs said the words without reproach.

Tony was slightly shamed by them, nonetheless. And felt a twinge of guilt, knowing in a peripheral way that he had been very wrapped up in himself for the last week plus. He knew it was the right thing to do.

He had been terrified that Campanelli's men were going to kill her. And he was grateful that Fornell had been on top of things.

He knew Gibbs was also part of the plan, and he had probably saved Tony's life again. But it was so hard to feel grateful, when Gibbs had also betrayed his trust.

Tony swallowed, shifting in the car seat a little, trying to release the new wave of tension in his body. Then he nodded his approval, "Okay."

The car was quiet for a while.

"What are you going to do?" Tony asked Gibbs, looking out the window again and absently picking the seatbelt.

"Oh, I'm stayin' too, for a little bit." Gibbs saw Tony's hands fall to his lap and clench from the corner of his eye.

Tony sighed again, deeply. Gibbs didn't know if it was sadness or anger.

"Where?" Tony quipped. "Where are you staying?"

"With you, at Sharlee's."

"At Sharlee's?"

"Yep. Spoke to her while you were still giving your statement. She has a basement apartment with no tenant in right now, and welcomed us both to stay and visit for a week or so."

Tony rubbed his eyes. His head was pounding now. A week or so. With Sharlee, and Gibbs. And her kids. And her dog.

Suddenly, Tony wanted to throw up.

"You're outta' your mind, do you know that?" Tony yelled suddenly at Gibbs, snapping his head to glare at him. "I don't …why the Hell are you staying?"

"You know why."

Gibbs seemed unaffected by Tony's outburst.

He had expected it.

Not another word passed between the two heading back to Paradise.

Tony had fallen asleep again, and when they pulled in to Sharlee's, Gibbs smiled that the house literally had a white pickett fence around it. It was a light blue and white colonial. The front yard was full of bushy wildflowers and cacti.

Gibbs parked in front of the stone walk that lead up from the curb to the house, since Sharlee's car was parked in the driveway.

Tony seemed barely awake, as Gibbs roused him to come inside.

When he knocked on the front door, a dog barked from inside the house.

Sharlee flung open the door, smiling, and then took in the haggard looks of both men, with their bruises and cuts.

"Oh Lordy, you two look like somethin' chewed your asses up and spat you out." She quickly opened the door and motioned them in.

Tony barely took in the light grey and cream livingroom, decorated with simple but warm modern furnishings.

He made straight for the immense grey leather sofa.

Though he tried to have some manners, smiling at SHarlee and weakly saying, "Hi Shar," his head leaned back and his eyes closed almost immediately.

She shook her head, watching her puggle, Bandit, sniffing Tony's legs with his nose twitching, letting little puff of air out as he sampled the man's scents.

She looked at Gibbs, whose eyes drifted over Tony almost sadly.

"He's that tired. Wow," Sharlee said softly, and then said "How bout' I get you some coffee brewing and we can talk in the kitchen. The kids are out at the movies with friends but they'll be back later."

Gibbs nodded appreciatively. "Thanks Sharlee. And…thanks for letting us both stay."

"Agent Gibbs," she said softly but kept her dark eyes on him, "Dee saved me from raising my kids in a shithole, in a bad neighborhood…it's a long story, but I can never repay him for what he did for us. SO…I figure, since the danger's passed, and I can help out a little, it's not trouble. And I can tell what kind of man you are, and how much you care for him."

Gibbs smiled at her, but his eyes looked tense. "I wish he knew that."

She cocked her head, "C'mon, let's go sit and you tell Ms. Sharlee what's goin' on with you two…"

Gibbs knew Tony would be furious, if he knew what he told Sharlee. He avoided talking about some details about Tony's childhood and Tommy Anselmo. Normally, he would never talk so much. And sharing someone else's secrets was not his way. But the stress he'd been under in trying to help Tony, and deal with Campanelli was too much, and there was no basement stocked with Bourbon and wood projects available here. And he hoped to prepare Sharlee, in case Tony opened up to her, so that she could better help him.

Tony had slipped into a downward spiral that was devastating, and though the truth was finally out, he still wasn't sure Tony was coming to grips with it.

He was afraid for Tony to become anymore unglued than he already was.

After an hour, Sharlee sat back in her warm orange and brown kitchen, and looked at Gibbs, shaking her head.

"Agent Gibbs-"

"Jethro. I think we left formality a little while ago."

"Jethro," she smiled a little at him, holding her cup on the table in front of her,"I'm very sorry…that Dee's gone through all's this...but he's gonna' pull through."

Gibbs let out a shaky breath. "I've never seen him like this…"

"Dee was an only child, and left on his own, way too much. He's used to goin' off, lickin' his wounds on his own…from long before you ever laid eyes on him. I think…you saw that he was…overwhelmed this time, and hasn't been able to swallow it down. You did the right thing, getting him to talk."

She saw Gibbs' guilty expression.

"Oh I know he's not happy with you right now. He'll come around."

Just then, they heard Bandit's toenails hit the tile on the kitchen floor.

Tony followed after the dog, but stood in the doorway hesitantly, looking at them both.

He pushed away the idea they were discussing him.

"He Sharlee," he said quietly.

She got up from the table and immediately hugged him.

"I'm so glad you're okay, Dee."

He softly snorted.

"Me?" he pulled back to look at her. "Are you okay?"

"Oh I'm fine, sugar," she smiled like a Cheshire cat. "No one gets the drop on Ms. Sharlee anymore. Those days are long gone."

Tony smiled at her and nodded. But then suddenly looked crestfallen.

"I'm so sorry Shar," he almost whispered. "It's my fault you were in danger."

"Don't be ridiculous, Dee. You think I don't deal with dangerous people from time to time here in Paradise? And you didn't even know that guy was after you til' you were already out this way. How could you have known?"

Tony shrugged a little.

"Ohhh, right," she said facetiously, "I forgot you have one of them crystal balls to warn you, and neglected to take a peek before you came out here."

Tony scowled and then gave her a faint smile.

"Well," she laid with a chuckle, "you sit down at the table and I'll give you some coffee. And I can predict, you'll be feelin' much better soon."

He shook his head and sat, opposite Gibbs.

He would still barely look at him.

"How's your head?" Gibbs asked.

"Still on."

"That's debatable."

"If there's a doubt, maybe it's because I don't handle getting mind-fucked by my best friend so well."

Sharlee took in the tension that had quickly erupted between the two men. She put the coffee down in front of Tony, breaking their focus.

"Thanks," Tony said, looking away from Gibbs again.

No one spoke for a long moment.

"Sharlee, where's my car?" Tony asked, after sipping his coffee.

"Shipped it back to DC this morning, sugar," she said sweetly, going to her fridgerator to take out more cream.

Tony looked at Gibbs accusingly, but the older man's pale blue eyes were drifting around the kitchen.

"I see," Tony said plainly. "I suppose Gibbs told you to get it done this morning, so I wouldn't be able to leave when I got here."

She was about to try to smooth out the fuffled feathers, when Gibbs spoke up.

"You wanna' leave, Tony? I can't stop you. But look at what you've been doing! You know damned well that you're not thinking straight! How would you expect me to let you back on the team without a psych eval at this point?"

Tony clenched his teeth, narrowing his eyes at Gibbs. "Who says I'm coming back at all?"

Gibbs' eyes suddenly shifted, with something between sadness and fear. "You've proven to me more than once that you'll do whatever you like. But I'm gonna' ask you…" Gibbs couldn't help the mist coming over his vision. "Just…stay a few days. Give yourself a chance to stop running. Talk to me or Sharlee. I understand you're still pissed off. But…I…did what I did because…" Gibbs' voice broke a little, suddenly making Tony's resolve waver, "I'm worried about you. I'm worried you're gonna' do some serious harm to yourself. I need you to remember that…we're family."

Tony looked away, feeling suddenly frightened, and lost. It was so much easier just to be angry. Gibbs was letting the worry show, the fear, and the love…

Tony struggled inside, still feeling so unworthy.

"The team. Me. You. We're family. And…we can't lose you,"Gibbs forced out.

Sharlee had sat next to Tony, and put her hand on his, giving it a squeeze.

"It's just a few days, Dee. And I told the kids you were comin'. Jacob remembers you, you know. And he was excited to see you."

Bandit was again, pressing his nose up to Tony's knee, puffing out air through his nostrils, and then looked at Tony with his huge, soft brown eyes.

Christ, even the dog is in on this, he thought, with the hint of a smile on his lips.

"Okay," he said breathlessly. "A few days."

They were so exhausted after the chat in the kitchen, that they got their things from the car, and immediately turned in to the basement apartment. Tony was asleep again almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.

Gibbs was on the crimson suede couch, and fell asleep while wondering if he'd made the right decision bringing Tony to Sharlee's.