I know this chapter is short, but seeing as everyone was looking forward to an update and it was taking me a while with the next chapters, I figured I'd post this to appease everyone while I finish the second half. Sound good?
DISCLAIMER: I don't own it!
And a HUGE thanks to all of my lovely reviewers! I love getting reviews and love that you all take the time to write them. :D
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I jerked the car into the lot of the local ME's, narrowly missing an oncoming driver.
My anger had reached the boiling point a long time ago. He had lied to me. He had lied to me about Tony's being alive and I wanted to know why. Why he had told me Tony was dead when he actually wasn't. I needed to know.
If he had told me the truth it would have saved me, and everyone else, a week of hurt and anguish.
I got out of the car, slamming the door shut allot harder than necessary.
I saw Ducky unfastening his seat belt and heard the rustling of the others from back as they made to get out too.
Leaning back in through the window, I gave them a simple order. "Stay here."
My order was instantly met with protests and cries of disagreement but I wasn't having them come in with me. This was something I had to do. And besides, it wouldn't be a good idea to have witnesses.
"Hey! I said, 'stay here'!" I yelled over the sound of their voices.
"But Gibbs! This guy lied to us about Tony! He told us Tony was dead!" Abby said willingly "Theres some top forensic equipment in the back. Maybe I could boil him! Or maybe I could poison him! I have some good ideas." she informed me.
I saw some of the others throw her a slightly frightened look, but none of them seemed to object to her ideas. But then neither did I.
"Stay here, Abs. I'll handle it." I said, giving one last order, "Believe me, he's not getting off easy." I assured as I turned to leave, my voice dangerous. They all knew that tone by now. And they knew it meant I was on a mission to make someone suffer and it was best to just stay out of the line of fire.
Practically punching the door open, I stormed into the simple autopsy room to find a man whom I guessed to be Meyers, nearly ready to start working on a body.
He jumped as his door flew open and I stalked in.
"Can I help you?" he asked, slightly nervous, holding his scalpel almost like a weapon.
"Oh, you better hope so." I replied.
He took a single step back as I advanced further.
"What---what's your name again?" he asked, stuttering slightly and completely forgetting I hadn't even offered my name yet.
"Gibbs." I said simply, stopping a good ten or so feet from him.
"Oh......Oh! Agent Gibbs! Yes, I remember you." he said, his face paling. " Is there a problem?" he asked as if he were fearing the answer.
"Oh, yeah. There's a big problem." I answered, my eyes narrowing slightly.
"Well, I can assure you, Agent Gibbs, that as soon as your Agent left my table he was no longer my responsibility. You may want to take whatever problem you have with someone else." He stated with allot more confidence than he surely felt.
"Now, see that's the problem." I said, advancing on him again.
"Oh....and what....what is that?" he asked, not realizing I had him backed against the row of of body drawers.
"It wasn't my agent." I said, my voice a deadly whisper now.
"I assure you, Agent Gibbs, I have no idea how----" he hurriedly started to reply.
But I had had enough. He was lying through his teeth. It hadn't been Tony and he knew that. He had lead me to believe Tony was dead.
I grabbed hold of his shoulders, shoving him into the row of drawers behind him, the scalpel clanged to the floor.
"You knew!" I yelled angrily, "You knew it wasn't him!"
"Agent Gibbs....Pl-please I didn't----"
"Didn't what?! Think you'd get caught?!"
"No! I...I...just thought maybe you would...."
"Hey!" I yelled, interrupting whatever he was struggling to say and he shut his mouth almost instantly, "I want to know why!"
"W-why?"
"Yes, why! Why did you lie?!" I yelled slightly louder. I was done playing games.
"He said he would kill them!" he answered in a rush."
"Who?" I asked, my voice a whisper again.
"Who was he going to kill or who was it?" he asked quickly.
"Both!" I yelled.
"I--I don't know who he was!"
I shoved him harder into the wall.
"He just showed up here, he had a gun! He told me that I had to ID the body from the fire as some Tony DiNozzo or he'd kill Lindsey and Sam!" he said all in a rush.
"Who?" I asked again.
"I told you I don't know who he was!" he yelled in panic.
"No! Who are Lindsey and Sam?!" I yelled.
"My kids!" he answered quickly, even closer to a full blown panic attack.
"Your kids?" I asked, my voice softening slightly with surprise.
"That's right." he said, slightly calmer now that I wasn't yelling. "Lindsey's my daughter and Sam's my son. She's only six and Sam's eight. He said he'd kill them both if I didn't do it."
I continued to glare at him but I wasn't sure what exactly I wanted to do anymore. He had lied to to me, made me believe Tony was dead when he wasn't. Which was simply unforgivable.
But what would I have done if I had been in his position? If it had been Tony, Abby, McGee, or Ziva who had been threatened? If someone threatened to kill one, or all of them if I didn't do as they asked I would be hard pressed not to do whatever they wanted immediately.
"Please, Agent Gibbs." he begged, and I realized I still had him pinned against the wall.
"I am so sorry, I never wanted to do it. But I had to protect them. I couldn't let him kill them. I don't know what I'd do without them. Please."
My resolve softened as I thought more about it.
I know I would have done the same thing he had done.
I let go of his shoulders and dropped him back to the ground.
I simply stared at him a moment, which unnerved him slightly, but I couldn't help thinking about what he had said. I was angry that he had lied, for what he had helped the others put me and the team through, but again I couldn't be angry with him because I know I would do the same. Besides, I could always take it out on the ones who had actually taken Tony. The ones who had hurt him. But I couldn't take it out on Meyers. He was just protecting his kids. Like any parent, myself included, would do.
Without saying I word, I just turned and walked away.
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As soon as I re-entered the SUV questions were flying. Wanting to know what I had done and if the unfortunate ME was still breathing or not.
I answered with a simple "It's taken care of." and left it at that.
Not an answer they were happy with, but one they finally had to accept after realizing they were never going to get a better one. Soon they merged back to their banter as we made our way home.
First though, we stopped to get something to eat. None of us had eaten much the past week, especially Tony. He had admitted that his abductors had barely given him enough to live on, so we pulled into Natizo's for Pizza. (It was also Tony's favorite place, but I wasn't about to admit to anyone that was the reason I had chosen that specific restaurant.)
We ordered a few large pizzas and the chatter continued as if it had never stopped.
I shared a smile with Ducky as we both listened to the blessed sound. It was nice having all of the 'kids' together again.
Leaning back and munching on a pizza slice I listened to their familiar joking and teasing and it made me feel at home.
Tony was back, which re-filled the hole that had been emptied when we thought he had been killed. Everything was as it should be.
I took a deep breath, savoring the feel. This was my family.
I snuck away at one point saying I had to use the head, but instead went around the corner and called Vance. I informed him of DiNozzo's predicament and that he could stop trying to shove another agent at me.
He was surprisingly understanding about the situation, saying he would put a team on the trail of finding DiNozzo's kidnappers and giving the entire team, including Ducky, Abby, and Palmer, the rest of the day off.
I snapped the phone shut, still slightly shocked, and headed back out to the others.
After everyone had their fill and the bill was payed, we headed to my place. Tony had tried to insist going to his apartment but the farthest I would go was to stop at said apartment building so he could pick up some of his cloths and essentials. Becuase, as I had informed him, he would be staying with me for a while.
He tried to say there was no need but I argued the point until he relented and agreed, pointing out the fact to him that it would be difficult to do allot of things by himself with one arm in a cast. We both knew from experience that it would be, but I was the only one who knew that that was only part of the reason.
I wanted him where I could keep an eye on him, make sure he was safe. I needed to know that he was alive and well and the best way to keep myself assured of the fact was to have him around where I could keep tabs on him without being obvious about it. I needed to know he was there.
The team stayed well into the night, wanting to be with Tony as long as they were able. Posibly for the same reason I was having him stay there, so they could see for themselves he was okay.
After Tony had gotten a long, hot shower and changed clothes, we stayed in the living room, talking. How they could find so much to talk about I don't know. Seeing as Tony was only gone a week. A fact which I had to keep reminding myself of. It seemed allot longer than a week.
Glancing over at Tony I noticed his eyes drooping, he'd jerk himself awake only to fall asleep again a few seconds later.
I pointed this out to Abby in a whisper and she was able to shoo everyone out so Tony could get some much needed rest.
"Come on! Move it! The man needs sleep and he's not going to get it with all of you vultures around, pecking away for his time! Now, march! One, two, three! One, two, three!" she all but shouted as she ushered them out the door.
I smirked to myself at her antics as I shut the door behind them.
"Alright, DiNozzo." I said, patting his arm to wake him from the chair he fallen asleep in, "Bed time."
"Not a kid, boss." he objected, tiredly.
"Course not," I replied under my breath as I all but shoved my half asleep agent up the stairs to the guest room.
Successfully steering him into to the room, he barely made it as far as the bed before flopping down, face first, and falling asleep.
I rolled my eyes and a small smile tugged at my lips as I threw an extra blanket over my agent and took off his shoes.
After I ran a careful hand through his hair, smiling fondly at him, I left for my own room to get some much needed sleep.
Like Tony, I barely made it to the bed before practically falling onto. The past week and today itself, had taken such an emotional toll that I simply had no energy left.
The adrenaline rush had left my body hours ago and was replaced with pure exhaustion.
Kicking my shoes off onto the floor and pulling the covers over myself, I fell asleep.
In the morning I would realize it was the first time I had gotten a decent night's sleep without the usual night terror since that wretched phone call over a week ago.
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Hope you enjoyed it! (Even if it was too short) More will be up soon! And PLEASE leave me a review!! :)