One more chapter up and running. Pretty pretty please review and tell me what's going on in all your beautiful minds!
"You thought you could leave. You thought you could get away."
The laughter echoed, it came from the floor, the walls the ceiling, seeping, growing, stretching. Like the sound of a broken funhouse, a deserted circus, surrounded him, choking the life from him.
Tony turned to run, but stopped.
He didn't want to run.
He was angry.
The laughter became louder, it thought his anger was funny.
He hated that sound. It was cruelty, mockery, bitterness.
It was hatred.
Tony put his hands over his ears as the laughter grew louder and louder and twisted until it was shrieking, keening, wailing.
The world began to shake. Tony pressed his hands tighter over his ears, but the sound fought its way in.
Tony held his breath as the walls began to crumble and the ceiling shattered.
The laughter grew and grew until the world splintered and fell to pieces. Tony cried out and fell with the shards into the dark.
The laughter stopped and there was nothing but silence and darkness and a continuing plummet.
Tony cried out but there was no sound.
The laughter had taken it away.
There was nothing.
Only silence.
And darkness.
And falling.
…
Fornell and Mike were contemplating murder.
In the process of trying to find where DiNozzo could have gone, Gibbs had given them the information he had gathered nearly two months ago, sitting in his basement trying to figure out what had intrigued him so much about the lonely little boy.
After reading the third ER report Franks muttered something about justifiable homicide and Tobias was looking into ways to ensure the evidence would never surface.
Somehow seeing their anger soothed the beast raging in Gibbs soul.
He reached for the pot of coffee and poured himself another mug, swallowing the luke warm beverage like the solution to all their problems was laying at the bottom on the cup. The taste was bitter and did nothing for his mood.
He looked towards the hallways and winced, it was nearing close to midnight and Tony had been asleep for just over an hour and with any luck he would stay that way.
He wasn't counting on it though.
...
Tony listened to the hum of conversation that was his lullaby. Although it was a lullaby that was keeping him from sleep, rather than guiding to it. It didn't really matter, he wasn't sleeping regardless. Neither he nor Gibbs had gotten a full night of sleep since Tobias had given them the news, Tony had been tormented by screaming nightmares to the point where he didn't even want to go in his room anymore. Gibbs had to sit with him until he fell asleep and more often than not just fell asleep in there with him.
Not tonight though.
He had fallen asleep with Gibbs next to him and woken up less than an hour later, sweat on his forehead and the blanket gripped in his hand, the broken laughter still echoing in his ears. He must not have been loud enough to alert the men downstairs though.
Tony sighed and tried to make out the words drifting up the stairs but couldn't hear anything except the dull murmur of Toby, Mike and Gibbs. He rolled over yet again and stared at his window, just barely able to make out the two brightest stars peaking through the branches of the tree next to his window. He tapped his fingers on his leg and then pulled himself out of his bed, unable to sleep or stay still. Ditching his pajama's, he pulled back on the soft faded jeans and black teeshirt Abby had given him. Gibbs had rolled his eyes and put his foot down after the fourth black shirt, but Tony didn't mind. For once he felt like he was dressed like he was a kid rather than a miniature business man. Not bothering with shoes, he found some old wool socks he had stolen from Gibbs and an old NIS sweatshirt Gibbs had left tossed over his desk and padded out of the room.
"G-Gibbs?"
He heard no answer so he continued down the stairs, careful not to slip down the hard wood in his much too big borrowed socks. He pushed the sleeves of Gibbs' sweatshirt up and gripped the handrail, listening closely.
He followed the noise to the kitchen where he saw the three men gathered around the kitchen table, several containers of take-out scattered between them, open files and papers spread on every available surface.
"G-Gibbs?"
The man looked up and smiled at the sight.
Tony stood in the doorway, one sock bunched around his ankle while the other was half way over the bottom of his jeans. His sweatshirt was so big that it was about to fall of his shoulders and hung all the way to his knees. His hair was going in several different directions and one hand caught in the sweatshirt sleeve was rubbing his eye.
"Hey Tony, what are you doing up?" He asked moving towards the boy.
Tony shrugged and leaned into Gibbs who picked him up and carried him to the table, settling the still too small boy on his lap.
"Couldn't sleep. W-what are you d-doing?"
"Just working. Want to sit with us a while?"
Tony nodded and laid his head on Gibbs' shoulder.
"P-please."
Tobias smiled at Mike who struggled to maintain his gruff demeanor when Tony closed his eyes and began to doze on Gibbs' chest, trusting instinctively in the man to keep him safe.
The room was quiet until Tony fell into a deeper sleep than he had been in since this whole fiasco had started.
Ducky had spoken about giving Tony a sedative but the idea of Tony being unable to wake up from his nightmares… Gibbs didn't even want to think about what that would be like for the boy. The past few weeks had been hell for them both, with Tony screaming until he was hoarse and holding on to Gibbs so tight that his fingernails cut into his skin and drew blood.
He didn't want him trapped in that.
Gibbs sighed in relief seeing the smooth plain on Tony's face, showing that he was undisturbed so far in his rest.
"Finally. He hasn't been sleeping. This has been….this needs to end."
Tobias nodded and Mike unconsciously stroked the gun constantly strapped to his belt.
"Soon probie. We're makin progress."
Fornell picked up another file and cross referenced it with a piece of paper.
"He can't hide forever Gibbs. We'll find him. Everyone messes up sometime."
Gibbs looked down at the boy curled up in his arms, his gut twisting in foreboding .
"Yeah, I just hope we don't mess up first."
Mike and Tobias exchanged hard looks before meeting Gibbs' eyes.
"We're not going to let that happen."
…
Tony blinked his eyes open and looked around the room, confused.
Didn't he fall asleep in the kitchen?
He glanced around and smiled when he saw the company he was keeping.
Gibbs was on the couch next to him, his head leaned back and his mouth open. Tobias was sprawled in the recliner with one leg dangling over the side and an arm thrown over his face. Mike was the best of him all. Flat on the floor, he had one foot actually inside the empty fireplace and the other propped up on the edge of the couch so that it was inches from Tony's face. He had one hand in a death grip around his pistol and the other straight above his head.
Tony shook his head and carefully moved off the couch, tip-toeing past the slumbering men. He held his breath as he crept past, not wanting to wake any of them, knowing that Gibbs had gotten even less sleep than he had, and Mike and Tobias hadn't seen the inside of their own homes for days. Gibbs had told him that the FBI had assigned Toby to help find his father, apparently he was in trouble with more people than just Gibbs.
Tony slipped down the hall and headed towards the kitchen, glancing at the clock that showed brightly that it was approaching three in the morning.
He poured himself a glass of water and stretched, reaching to the ceiling until he stood on his toes and his fingers were pointed, popping his back. He sighed and turned to put his glass in the sink when a flash of movement caught his eye from the window.
Glancing over his shoulder to make sure the men were within shouting distance, Tony went to back door and eased it open, peaking his head into the night.
The backyard was empty.
Tony let out a rush of air seeing no one, but instead of going back inside he stepped further out into the dark. Glancing around himself he sat on the back step and looked up to the sky, happy to finally be back outside.
He hadn't been to his park in weeks and being cooped up in the house with Gibbs watching his every move like a hawk and Toby and Mike acting like he was made of china- he was about to go crazy. Not even Miguel and Mayer ever treated him like he was this breakable and they had seen him when he was actually broken.
Stop whining. You don't really mind.
Tony dipped his head at the self reprimand. No he didn't mind, it made it feel...like he mattered. That someone worried that much about him, made him feel warm and safe on the inside, like someone had reached inside of him and found a place that he didn't even know existed.
He ran his hand over the rough concrete step and felt the breeze ruffle through his hair. He took a deep breath of the night air and fought the urge to wander down to the park. He was miles away from it, and Gibbs would be so angry with him if he even tried. The good kind of angry though, the kind where he was worried and scared and happy he was safe and all the feelings were mixed together until it came it in a burst of fury. Tony could handle that kind of angry, where he could see the relief in Gibbs' eyes and feel the gentleness in his hands when he pulled him into a hug. He was learning there was a difference. It was obvious the contrast between his father's anger, all rage and hatred and violence, and when Gibbs was upset.
What Gibbs was wasn't angry.
Not to Tony.
It was…
Different.
A good different.
The best kind.
Gibbs was unlike anyone he had ever known. Different from his father, from Miguel, Mayer. He was everything that Tony had prayed for, an escape, a friend, someone who wouldn't let him go. Someone who cared about him.
Tony felt the ripple of restlessness run through him again and he rose to his feet, wandering towards the tree growing next to his window.
The irony of it didn't escape him.
At both of his homes a tree stretched itself towards his window, giving him an escape, both offering themselves to Tony to be what he needed.
But right now he didn't know what he needed.
…
Gibbs woke with a start and looked around the room in a state of panic.
Where was Tony?
He jerked to his feet rushed from the room, his gun grasped in his hand, not bothering with Mike or Tobias, not even sparing them a thought.
Hoping, praying, the bathroom the kitchen...the backyard?
Gibbs felt his heart catch in his throat when he saw the back door cracked open.
Please please please.
He pushed the door the rest of the way open and in the brief seconds it took his eyes to adjust to the dark he saw the small form standing under the tree, facing the trunk. He slid the gun in the back of his jeans and spoke quietly into the evening.
"Tony?"
The boy flinched slightly then sighed at the familiar voice. Gibbs walked towards him and watched as Tony let his hands run over the rough bark while he looked up towards the top of the branches. Seeing the stars blinks between the clouds and the remains of the dying leaves Tony whispered-
"We had this pine tree in our back yard and I once tried to climb to the top of it. I thought if I could sit on the top branches God would see me and pick me up and take me to my mom. I sat in the tree for hours. I watched the sunset and the stars come out and I waited and waited and waited. Miguel and Mayer stood at the bottom of the tree and begged me to come down but I just couldn't. I prayed I would disappear, just vanish. I used to pray for that all the time...but I don't anymore."
Tony turned and looked at Gibbs, his eyes full.
"I've found something I want to stay for."
Gibbs closed the distance between them and pulled Tony into his arms, burrowing his head in the soft scent of his boys hair.
With his arms close around Tony and the night quiet, Gibbs realized.
Tony didn't stutter through any of that.
Despite the stress they were all under and that fact none of them had gotten a full night of sleep in nearly a month, Gibbs smiled.
Gibbs whispered into his hair.
"Then stay."
Tony smiled at the simplicity of it.
Stay.
Someone wanted him to stay.
Tony pulled away from Gibbs' chest, but stayed in the circle of his arms, looking into his eye.
The night was quiet as the two regarded each other.
Finally Tony whispered.
"I love you Dad."
Gibbs pulled Tony back to him, and pretended not to feel the tears slip down his worn face.
"I love you too son. Oh Tony I love you so much. Everything's going to be okay. I promise."
The voice behind him came at the same time that Tony's eyes widened.
"You shouldn't make promises you can't keep."
Before Gibbs could even shout for help or turn to meet the threat, a blow to the temple took him to the ground.
Tony opened his mouth to scream but the gun pointed at the unconscious form of Gibbs stopped the sound in his throat.
"One noise and Agent Gibbs will not wake up. Understand?"
Tony nodded, his eyes on Gibbs and his hands shaking.
The man reached out and grabbed Tony, yanking him forward.
"Your father is waiting for you. You have a plane to catch."
...
"Tony!"
The shout brought both of them to their feet.
Fornell and Mike's eyes shot to the couch and saw that it was empty. They both felt the fear grip them when they turned to each other, and saw what they didn't want to think about reflected in each others eyes.
"Tony!"
The two raced down the hall, searching out the voice, not wanting to know what would bring the owner of that voice to make such a desperate cry.
Fornell and Franks burst into the backyard, guns drawn and eyes ready.
"Gibbs! What's going on? Where's Tony?"
Gibbs turned to them, his gun out and his eyes frantic. The light shining from the open back door illuminated a trail of blood dripping down from his hair line and his hands were shaking as he tried to keep a grip on his weapon.
Mike stepped forward and bellowed at the man in his best marine yell, trying to get the lost look out of his friends eyes.
"Probie! Where's the kid? You tell me what happened right now, that's an order gunny!"
Gibbs unconsciously straightened as he looked at the men with tortured eyes.
"My son is gone. They took my son. They took Tony. He's gone. He...he's gone."