AN: I really apologize for telling you all this was to be the last chapter...its not. I give up on predicting how long this is going to be, its just gone off in a new direction that I didn't expect so I'm just going with it for now. I probably ought to try to keep a little bit more control with these stories, but I usually just go wherever my muse takes me. Thanks very much to those of you who have reviewed. I really appreciate it :)
xxxxx
The first thing Gibbs noticed as he struggled to regain consciousness was the strong smell of smoke providing a sharp contrast to the cold night air. He opened his eyes and saw his house, totally engulfed in flames. He was so devastated by the sight that it took him a few moments before he was even aware of the fight taking place over to his right. DiNozzo appeared to be on the losing end of a fierce struggle with a man who outweighed him by quite a bit. Gibbs couldn't clearly see the man's face, but he knew that it was Bittner. The man drew Tony into a choke hold and the young agent quickly began to lose his grasp on consciousness. It was then that Gibbs saw the gun on the ground. Shaking the last few cobwebs from his head, Gibbs lunged for the small revolver and grabbed it.
"Let. Him. Go," Gibbs demanded, his voice hoarse from the smoke, but deadly intense as he stood and pointed the gun at Bittner. "Now."
Bittner released his grip on Tony, smirking as the agent fell limply to the ground. "You won't shoot me," he said, slowly starting to back away.
"I wouldn't bet on that. Lie down on the ground...on your stomach, hands behind your head."
Bittner stared at Gibbs, knowing full well he was heading back to prison. But, at least this time he would deserve to be there. Kidnapping, arson and murder were fine prison-worthy accomplishments. His only regret was that he hadn't been able to take down a few more agents before he had been apprehended. He glanced down at DiNozzo and saw that he was starting to come around. He smiled as he realized he had one last opportunity to damage these two NCIS agents. He couldn't kill them, but he could certainly fuck with their minds. "It is truly a shame about your home, Agent Gibbs. Just think, if you hadn't rescued Tony-boy here, this never would have happened. He'd be dead, but your home would be intact. So many memories in a man's home...so many memories now gone forever..."
Tony looked at Gibbs and saw the sorrow and devastation on the man's face. He was immediately overcome with guilt. Bittner was right. Gibbs' home had been destroyed and it was all his fault.
"I said lie down on the damn ground!"
Smirking again, Bittner followed Gibbs' order, but not before he saw the guilt in Agent DiNozzo's eyes. That really had been way too easy...
xxxxx
Tony and Gibbs were lying on beds in the ER treatment area. The curtain which was used to separate the cubicles had been left open so they could talk, but so far, neither man had uttered a word except to answer questions posed by medical personnel. Tony, for his part, had been trying to muster up some sort of an apology, but every time he tried, the words died in his throat. Gibbs looked closed off in a way Tony had never seen before and he had no idea of what to say. 'Hey boss, I'm sorry I destroyed your home and your life' just didn't seem to cut it.
"Agent DiNozzo?" Dr. Hughes, the ER physician who had been treating him and Gibbs came over to his bedside. "I'm going to release you. I see no reason to keep you here. If you experience any problems, either follow up here or with your primary care physician."
Tony nodded. He had insisted he was fine except for some bumps and bruises sustained in the scuffle with Bittner. Luckily he hadn't broken any ribs and he had deliberately neglected to mention his steadily worsening headache. "What about Gibbs?" he asked quietly.
"Well, I think it would be prudent to keep him overnight for observation. He did sustain a concussion and some smoke inhalation."
Tony nodded, expecting Gibbs to offer some form of a protest, but he didn't. "Agent Gibbs? I'll get you set up with a room and we'll get you transferred upstairs, okay?"
Gibbs nodded silently and the doctor headed out of the cubicle, leaving them alone once again. Tony was staring at Gibbs, his eyes filled with dread and his stomach a tangled up mass of knots, but Gibbs didn't even acknowledge his presence. Tony wasn't even sure if Gibbs knew that he was in the room with him. Tony tried again to say something, but once again he failed to get the words out and the silence stretched on.
Finally, an orderly arrived to transfer Gibbs to his room and Gibbs finally broke his silence. "Go home, Tony."
Tony was as startled to hear Gibbs speak as he was by his words. "What? No, boss. I'm going to stay here with you. Anyhow, I have to stay here overnight too," he fibbed, figuring that Gibbs might not have processed what the doctor had told him.
"I heard what the doctor said, DiNozzo. He told you to go home. I'm ordering you to go."
"Boss, I'm really sorry about what happened...I...I'm sorry I didn't hear Bittner break into your house. Please, boss, let me stay," Tony pleaded. "I...I...let me help you. I'm really sorry..."
Gibbs' head was throbbing and all he wanted to do was sleep and try to forget what had happened, at least temporarily. He heard Tony's voice in the background, but his brain wasn't registering what the younger man was saying. He just knew that he needed to go home and get some much needed rest if he could. "Go home, Tony," he said again right before he succumbed to the overwhelming exhaustion he was feeling and fell asleep.
His eyes filled with despair, Tony watched as the orderly finished transferring Gibbs to the gurney and then pushed him out of the cubicle. He stood silently for a few long minutes and then made his way out of the ER treatment area. He was so upset and caught up in his own thoughts that he passed right by Ducky who was sitting in the waiting room, without even noticing he was there.
"Anthony." Ducky got up and went after Tony after he walked by him. "Anthony?" He placed his hand on Tony's shoulder, startling the younger man and causing him to jump.
"God, Ducky, you scared the crap out of me," Tony said, whirling around to face the older gentleman. "Why did you sneak up on me like that?"
"I didn't sneak up on you. You walked right by me. Are you alright, Tony? Is Jethro?" Ducky looked at Tony with concern. He looked wiped out and there seemed to be a deep sadness in his eyes. Something was very wrong.
"I...I'm alright...Gibbs...he has a concussion, but he should be okay. They're keeping him overnight," he replied with a tremor in his voice. "Did you hear about Gibbs' house?"
Ducky nodded solemnly. "Yes...yes, I heard. Its a terrible shame. I just thank God that you and Jethro managed to escape and Bittner will be behind bars where he belongs. You both could have been killed."
"Its my fault, Ducky," Tony blurted out. "Gibbs' house is gone and its all my fault."
"What?" Ducky looked at Tony in surprise. "Of course its not your fault, Anthony. Why would you even think such a thing?" He put his arm around Tony and led him over to a waiting room chair. He could feel Tony's body trembling under his touch.
"Be...because its true." Tony offered no resistance as Ducky gently pushed him into a chair and sat down next to him. "Gibbs thinks so too. He blames me, Ducky. I apologized, but he wouldn't even listen to me. Not that I blame him...Everything is gone now and its all because of me. If Bittner had just blown me up the first time, none of this would have happened."
"Tony, you are talking utter nonsense," Ducky said with a look of shock on his face, The boy was in such a state, he was beginning to wonder why the doctor hadn't kept him for the night as well. "Don't let Jethro hear you talking like that."
"Why not? He'd be the first one to agree with me."
"That simply is not true. Of course, Jethro is very understandably upset right now, but Tony, you are more important to him than his house. I guarantee it."
"You think so, Ducky?" Tony asked. "More important than a lifetime full of memories? More important than items that belonged to his wife and daughter that can never be replaced? More important than photographs that are now gone forever?"
"Yes, Tony. You are far more important than all of those things."
"Well thanks for the vote of confidence, Ducky. I'm glad you think so, but Gibbs definitely does not."
"Oh Anthony, you have no idea just how wrong you are." Ducky was distressed to hear the way Tony was talking and needed to find some way to snap him out of it. "Let's go up and see Jethro. You'll see that I'm telling the truth."
Tony shook his head adamantly "He doesn't want me there. He told me to get out."
"I'm sure he didn't mean it, Tony. He's injured and has suffered a great loss, but he cares about you very much."
"He cares about his family more than anyone. That's the way its supposed to be." Tony's head was pounding again and he was starting to feel a little bit nauseous. He wanted Ducky to just stop talking.
"Shannon and Kelly are gone. They've been gone for a very long time. You, my dear boy, are still here and thankfully are very much alive."
Tony said nothing. He was tired of listening to Ducky speak. Maybe if he stopped replying, he would just go away and leave him alone.
Ducky sighed. Perhaps if Tony got a good night's sleep, things would look better to him in the morning. He had wanted to go up and see Jethro, but it was obviously more important to get Tony home. "Come on, Anthony. I'm going to take you home so you can get some much needed rest."
Tony shook his head. "Don't have keys. They were in Gibbs' house." Along with his wallet, gun and cell phone. If it bothered him to lose those small items, he couldn't begin to imagine what Gibbs was feeling right now.
"Well then you'll come and stay with me tonight. I'll take you to your landlord to see about getting a new key in the morning then we will come and pay Jethro a visit, alright?" Ducky knew Tony could very easily get into his apartment if he wanted to, but it was very obvious that the boy wasn't thinking clearly at all. He badly needed to rest.
Tony fought not to roll his eyes. Ducky wasn't going to give up. He was going to have to pretend to go along with him. It was probably the only way he'd be able to get away from him. "I...I don't want to leave before you check on Gibbs. That's why you came here, isn't it?"
"I came to check on both of you. Right now, I think I need to get you out of here. You need to sleep."
"Can't you check on Gibbs first? Please, Ducky?" Tony asked with a pleading look. "I won't be able to sleep if you don't."
Ducky sighed. "Alright, Anthony. Come along. We'll go check on Jethro and then I will take you home."
"I already told you...he doesn't want me with him," Tony protested. "I can't go with you. I'll just wait here."
Ducky looked at Tony suspiciously. "I'm sorry, Tony, but I'm not comfortable with that. You either have to come with me or we are leaving right now to head to my home.
"Wow, Ducky...if I didn't know any better I would think you don't trust me," Tony said giving his very best wounded look. "I'll stay right here. I promise."
"You wouldn't lie to me, would you?" Ducky asked.
"I wouldn't lie to you, Ducky..." Tony looked back at Ducky and the medical examiner decided to take him at his word.
"I won't be long at all," Ducky stated.
"I'll wait here."
Tony watched as Ducky headed down the corridor and waited a few minutes more. He wouldn't put it past him to come back to make sure he was staying put. He felt badly about blatantly lying to and manipulating the older man, but he just needed to be by himself right now. He would apologize later on. Ducky would forgive him eventually. Taking a deep breath and steadying himself against a brief wave of dizziness, Tony left the ER and headed out into the cold, dark night.