Anastasia slowly opened her eyes and was surprised to find herself in the back of a moving suburban. She felt alone and groggy, but mostly alone. She opened her mouth to take in a breath and just how thirsty she was hit her. "Can I have some water?" She asked hoarsely.
She wasn't surprised when a bottle of water came flying from the front of the car without any communication she could understand from the driver. She gratefully took several gulps of the liquid before she tried to asses her situation further. The bruises up and down her legs were still forming and a scrape across the back of her back hadn't scabbed over yet. She winced in pain as she shifted positions.
It's okay Stace. She thought to herself. Wherever you're going Gibbs is going to be there to get you. You just need to stay calm… calm… Who am I kidding? I can't stay calm…He wants me dead… He could kill us both at any moment. She began to feel the hot tears stinging her cheeks as the car came to a screeching halt. Pain surged through her body as she slammed against the back of the car.
Anastasia quickly moved away from the door as she knew he was about to open it. "Get out." He demanded as soon as he opened the back of the suburban.
She tried to push herself up to no avail. "I… I can't…" She admitted and braced herself for some sort of punishment.
To her surprise he simply picked her up and took her into the alley near where he had parked the car. He set her down gently before looking her in the eye. "You run now and you'll regret it…" He warned her before looking around. "Agent Gibbs?" He called out and was surprised when he immediately turned to corner into the alley.
"Here's half." Gibbs said as he gestured to the briefcase he was carrying. "Give me her." He said sharply as he grabbed at the money.
"She's right there…" he said as he pointed toward the trashcan she was sitting behind.
Gibbs quickly made his way over to her. Can you walk? He signed quickly. When Anastasia shook her head in response he continued. Your Dad and Tony are here. I need you to sit tight while we take care of this guy. He directed quickly before he pulled his SIG.
"Where's my other half?" Mr. Edwards asked before he turned to see Gibbs with his gun pointed at him.
"You really think I'm paying you now that I have her back?" Gibbs asked in disbelief.
Mr. Edwards turned to run but was confronted by Tim and Tony. "You don't just kidnap my daughter and get away with it." Tim said angrily.
Gibbs quickly put him into handcuffs. "You're under arrest for the kidnapping and assault of Anastasia Mcgee…" He began as he took him to one of the cars they brought.
Tim and Tony quickly ran over to Anastasia. Tim took one look at her and wanted to kill the man that did this to her. Tony immediately took charge. Anastasia what did he do? He asked carefully as he overlooked her injuries.
She shook her head in protest. I want my mom. She was begging. I need my mom Tony. I need her or Ziva. She signed before she began to sob into her hands.
"Tony what's wrong?" Tim asked as he had missed her signing while he was spacing.
"She's asking for Abby or Ziva. She won't tell me anything." Tony replied.
Tim nodded before leaning down to Anastasia's height. He gently pulled her hands from her face. I'm taking you to Abby. He signed before picking his fragile daughter up in his arms and taking her to the car.
"Abby!" Tony said as he crashed into her room.
"What?" She asked groggily through impending nausea.
"Anastasia's downstairs…" He began before she sat up.
"Is she okay?"
"We don't know. There's no interpreters in the hospital and she refuses to tell anyone but you or Ziva what happened." Tony delivered his message.
Abby took in a deep breath. "I'll go." She said as she pressed the call button.
"Are you sure Abs?" Tony asked uncertainly.
"She's my daughter Tony…" Abby replied as the nurse came in.
"Mrs. Mcgee what can I do for you?" The nurse asked gently.
Abby shifted. "I need to go downstairs with my daughter. She was attacked and refuses to talk to anyone but me."
"Alright give me one minute…" the nurse said before she left the room for a moment and returned with a wheelchair. "You're going to remain hooked up to your IV, and if you need anything while you're down there talk to any of the nurses or doctors."
Abby nodded as they helped her into the wheelchair. "Tony can we go?" She asked impatiently.
"Abby you should know…" Tony began before Abby cut him off.
"Look… I've been assaulted before Tony. I know what could have happened to her. I don't need you to remind me." Abby snapped as they were waiting for the elevator doors to close.
The doors slid open and Abby was confronted by the crowded impersonal examination area of the hospital. "Abs." Tim said quietly before he pressed his lips to hers. "She's okay physically…"
Abby shook her head. "Thank you Tim." She said quietly. "I've been so out of all of this. I don't think it really registered what was wrong until it was right again… You saved our Stacey…"
Tim smiled as he pressed his lips to her forehead. "She needs you Abs."
Abby nodded as Tim pushed her into the shared examination room where their daughter was. Abby took in a deep breath when she saw Anastasia. Tim carefully parked Abby's wheelchair next to their daughter's bed and left the two of them alone.
Anastasia was staring out into space so Abby gently pressed her hand to her arm. Anastasia flinched in response before looking over. Anastasia are you alright? Abby signed slowly.
No. He hit me… hard. Anastasia signed back.
Abby nodded toward her legs. Bruises will heal sweetheart. It's what's on the inside that I'm worried about.
Anastasia looked down at her bare feet. He told me you killed his wife… Did you?
Abby sighed before shaking her head. He thinks that we were the ones to kill his wife but I can honestly tell you that we didn't.
Then why would he say... Anastasia began.
Abby shook her head. Sweetheart I don't know why people do what they do. It's hard… I don't think I'll ever understand. Do you think you'll be okay?
I just hurt… It really, really hurts. Anastasia replied.
Where? Abby asked and Anastasia pointed toward her ribcage. Abby gently lifted up her shirt and saw darkening bruises. She closed her eyes for a moment to recollect herself. She gently pressed down and flinched when her daughter screamed out in pain.
Ziva came into the room at that moment. "Is she alright?" She asked worriedly as she went to the other side of the bed.
"I think she has a couple of broken ribs at the least." Abby replied as she gently calmed her daughter.
Ziva looked at the side of Anastasia's bare torso. "Abby…" She began nervously.
"What's wrong Ziva?" Abby asked hesitantly.
"Her back…" She said as they both carefully helped her sit up.
"Zi…" Abby said quietly as she looked at the torn up skin. "I'm going to…"
Ziva quickly got up and handed Abby the trash bin which she promptly retched into. "Take care of Stace for me." Abby said quietly before she went with the nurse that had entered the room as soon as she heard Abby's vomiting.
Stacey can you feel your back? Ziva asked her slowly. Anastasia didn't reply and continued to stare forward. Ziva sighed and gently pulled Anastasia's hair away from her back.
Tony came in and saw the blood stained hair. "Is she alright?" He asked gently.
"I don't know…" Ziva replied quietly. "Can you go get the doctor… She really needs to get taken care of."
Tony nodded before heading back into the hallway.
Ziva wasn't sure what she could do for her so she simply held on tight to her hand. Despite the fact that she knew Anastasia couldn't hear her she began talking. "Everything's going to be alright. It's hard, and you'll never understand who could do something like this to you…But it gets better."
Tony stood awkwardly in the doorway until the doctor made his way into the room. "Did she tell you what's wrong?"
"Kind of…" Ziva replied. "Her back is torn up badly, and I think she has a couple of broken ribs… at the least."
"Okay let's get her into an x-ray." The doctor replied before snapping up the bars on the side of her gurney. Anastasia looked alarmed immediately and began to sign rapidly. Where am I going? What are you doing? Stop! STOP!
"Hang on!" Tony exclaimed seeing Anastasia's protests.
Ziva moved over to her. This is Dr. Parks. He's going to take some x-rays in order to see what injuries you have. Ziva explained.
Anastasia nodded and allowed Dr. Parks to take her to the x-ray center.
"Ziva?" Tony asked after a moment.
"Lei è solo una ragazza Tony." She broke down. "Lei non merita questo."
"Nessuno merita questo." Tony replied. "Lei è una ragazza forte. Lei andrà bene."
"Nessuno può essere a bene." Ziva snapped back.
"Am I interrupting something?" Ducky asked gently.
Ziva and Tony both turned to him, "Yes." Escaped Tony's lips while at the same time a sharp "No." came out of Ziva's.
"Belle mi ignorano." Ziva snapped at him. "Sienna's upstairs with Mcgee. I'll be there if you need me." She said before making her way out of the room.
"If I didn't already know the two of you weren't in a relationship, I would be quite concerned for both of you." Ducky said softly.
"Duck… What did any of us do?" Tony asked quietly.
"Anthony bad things happen to good people." Ducky replied. "You of all people should know that. There's nothing you or any of us did to deserve this."
"THEN WHY ARE WE PAYING SO MUCH!" Tony snapped.
"Anthony!" Ducky chastised. "I understand that this is hard for everyone. But perhaps instead of paying attention to the horrible things that have happened to you, you should think of the good."
"What good has happened in the last week?" Tony asked angrily. "Abby and Tim almost got divorced because he didn't want their baby, Caitlin's bellybutton piercing became infected, Ziva and I almost lost Sienna, Abby's morning sickness is basically killing her, and now Anastasia…"
"You have a daughter Anthony." Ducky pointed out. "The miracle of life is very good."
"You know how I feel about Sienna… I still don't know if I made the right decision. Maybe I just should have let Ziva do this by herself." Tony said obviously frustrated.
Ducky winced as he saw Ziva approaching from behind. "Anthony you know you don't mean that…" He tried.
Tony shook his head. "I don't want to be a father… I don't want the commitment. I thought that maybe once I saw her I'd feel different, but I'm not that type of guy."
Ziva stood behind him in disbelief. Tony turned around and mentally slapped himself. "Ziva…"
She responded by swiftly slapping him across the face. "You're really going to try and tell me you didn't just say you don't want our daughter."
"Ziva… What was I supposed to do?" Tony asked in disbelief. "I couldn't tell you how horrified I was… not while you were so excited about having a baby."
"EXCITED?" Ziva shouted. "You have no idea do you?" She asked in disbelief. "I was terrified. I still am terrified. I didn't want to be pregnant… I still don't know if this is what I want."
"Zi." Tony replied absolutely petrified.
Ziva shook her head. "Get your priorities straightened out before you try and see your daughter again." She said before leaving the room once again.
"You couldn't have said something?" Tony asked in disbelief before he followed after her.
Ducky sat down alone in a chair. "There's no way they're all going to survive this is there?"
"I've been wondering the same thing." Gibbs's voice came from the entrance to the room.
"What's next Jethro?" Ducky asked as his friend sat down next to him.
"I don't know Duck… I really don't know…"
Author's Note: I AM FULL OF EVIL IN MY BRAIN… I have only partially printed it for you to enjoy :D I hope you guys are liking this! This chapter is a bit shorter than I would have liked but it's something! Please, please review!
Also, I used some Italian in this chapter during the conversation between Tony and Ziva. Here's the translation:
"Ziva?" Tony asked after a moment.
"She's just a girl Tony." She broke down. "She doesn't deserve this."
"Nobody deserves this." Tony replied. "But she's a strong girl, she'll be alright."
"No one can just be alright." Ziva snapped back.
"Am I interrupting something?" Ducky asked gently.
Ziva and Tony both turned to him, "Yes." Escaped Tony's lips while at the same time a sharp "No." came out of Ziva's.
"Fine ignore me." Ziva snapped at him. "Sienna's upstairs with Mcgee. I'll be there if you need me." She said before making her way out of the room.