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Major spoilers for Season 9 episode 15!
All mistakes are mine.
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Tony wasn't sure how long he'd been out, but surprisingly and true to Ducky's words, the next time he opened his eyes, he was feeling better. He wasn't feeling as tired as before and it actually was easy to keep his eyes open. It took some seconds, but finally even the vertigo subsided.
"About time."
Gibbs' voice startled him a bit. Turning his head around, he found his boss on the chair that once had been occupied by Ducky. "Hey." Again his voice was raspy, clearing his throat, he continued. "What are you doing here?"
Gibbs raised his eyebrow.
"Ah, not that I'm not happy to see you, but-... Um, the case?"
"It's the middle of the night, DiNozzo. I know you want that bastard, I want him too, more than you do, but we have to wait for the test results. We couldn't do anything this late. "
"Oh. Didn't realize it was so late." Tony shifted in his bed and winced. "In that case, shouldn't you be at home? Resting?"
"Trying to get rid of me, DiNozzo?"
"What? No, Boss. Never." He sighed. "So? What have you got so far?"
Gibbs hesitated for a few seconds, should he talk to Tony about the case? He was in a hospital bed for God's sake. But then he thought about why he'd ended up there. It was Tony's case. "How many strangers have you had to your place, lately?"
"There are too many fingerprints, huh?" Tony smiled. "Well, last weekend I had some guests. Friends from college. I'm sure you can find their fingerprints even under my bed." He rolled his eyes. "Then there was this girl, Lily. A real babe." Tony grinned. "And not much younger than me. But... Whatever. And... Umm, that's it I guess." He scratched his head.
"And there were the paramedics. They had their gloves on most of the time. But their fingerprints were still there on the doors."
"So you don't have anything, yet?"
"We're working on the list of people who want you dead. Damn longer than the last time." Gibbs pointed out. "But we've managed to narrow it down to 10. The rests are either still in the jail, out of country or have a good alibi for that night."
"The girl?" Tony asked in a quiet tone.
"By the time we heard about it and started checking the missing children reports, it was almost 10.00. We've got two girls; one has been found and I'll go and meet her, first thing tomorrow morning. How old do you think she was? Can you describe her?"
"Ah... Well, she couldn't be more than 4 years old... She was so scared." Tony added the last part quietly and closed his eyes to recall the face of that little girl. It was a hard task; everything was fuzzy about that night; last night? WOW, it seemed more like last year. Whatever... She was... "She was kinda chubby; blond hair. Her eyes... her eyes... Dammit." Tony rubbed his temple.
Gibbs wanted to soothe the younger man, but knew that he wouldn't like it; so he just remained silent.
"Her eyes... It was dark, I can't be sure, but I think they were green. She was wearing a pink tee, with a... I don't know, something was written on it, I'm not sure... It's too fuzzy, can't remember the words." He sighed. "Sorry, Boss. Not helping much. I know."
"It's alright. You've already given us more than enough. We'll find her."
"The question is in what state." Tony murmured.
"Alive. She'll be fine." Gibbs said firmly. "But even if she's not, it won't be your fault. There was nothing you could've done to help her." He'd talked to Ducky and knew that Tony was blaming himself for what had happened to the little girl.
"How could you say that?" Tony seemed agitated. "She wouldn't have been there if it wasn't for me. I'm the reason she was there. Even if she's alive, she'll be traumatized for the rest of her life. How can I forgive myself?"
Gibbs slapped his head gently. "You did nothing wrong. You didn't ask for it, did you? You willingly sacrificed your life to save her."
"Would you say the same if she was your kid?" Tony snapped and regretted it the second the word left his mouth.
Gibbs' eyes darkened, but he didn't say anything. He knew how guilt could destroy a man.
"Sorry, Boss." Tony apologized. "I... I didn't mean anything by it."
Gibbs remained silent.
"I... I think I'll get some shuteye. Maybe you should go, too. Thanks for stopping by." He was visibly shaking.
Gibbs' heart clenched in his chest. Yes, the mention of his girl had hurt him, but he was mostly silent because he was thinking of a way to ease Tony's guilt. And unconsciously he'd added to it. Great. Now Tony was blaming himself for Gibbs' pain too.
"I don't need rest; not finished here, yet. Are you that tired?" He asked.
Tony opened his eyes; they were filled with guilt and sadness. "No, is there anything else I can help you with?"
"Yes and no."
Tony just frowned.
"First, I know how you feel, so, stop blaming yourself for what you said. Yes, even if it had been my kid, I could never blame you. She must've been an easy target to end up in that dirtbag's hands. Her parents should take better care of her; but in any case, you are not to blame. You hear me, DiNozzo?"
"Yes." Tony whispered, trying hard to suppress his feelings.
"Would you blame m, if I was in your place?"
That finally got Tony's attention. "No, of course not."
"Then what's so different about you? You think you're better than me?"
"Huh?"
Gibbs smirked. "You don't have superpowers, DiNozzo. You're just a human; you couldn't possibly do anything about that night and that girl. Hell, you almost killed yourself to save her. What would you call me if I had done what you did?"
Tony sighed. Point taken.
Gibbs nodded triumphantly. "By obeying your captor's order, you've probably saved the girl's life. You said so yourself to Ducky; had you tried to disarm or kill him, he'd have killed the girl in cold blood."
That could be true, or not. He'd actually thought about it before taking the pills but there was no way he'd try it. "Thanks, Boss. What I don't understand is why he didn't just kill me himself. There are easier ways than kidnapping a girl and then forcing your enemy to take some pills."
"He wanted it to look like a suicide."
"Whoever had done this must be really dense. Didn't he know that I could be saved in time? Why pills?"
"You were lucky, don't forget that, DiNozzo. Your kidneys, lungs, liver or heart could be damaged. Or worse, you could've ended up brain-damaged. It would've hurt you more than dying. He wanted you to suffer."
Tony cringed at that. "That's true, I guess."
"That's not what happened, though. So don't go there. You'll be fine and back to work in no time."
Tony nodded. He was still worried about the Gastritis, but there were agents with bigger problems on active duty. He wouldn't let that stop him. "I owe you a thank you, you know, for coming to my apartment and well, saving my life."
"Anytime; but that's what you would've done for me. I've got your six" Gibbs paused. "One more thing."
Tony looked back at the Boss, waiting for him to continue.
"Do you have any problem, Tony?"
'Uh-oh, he called me Tony, again.' "What do you mean?"
Gibbs just tilted his head.
"Boss, I did not try to kill myself." Tony couldn't believe it. After everything they had talked about, Gibbs was still worried about that?
"I didn't say you did."
"But you think I might do it?" He was shocked. "I'm not suicidal. Whatever happens I'm not gonna take the easy way out. I've seen many things, I've seen many people with greater pains, I'm not gonna take my life just because I'm tired or my feelings are hurt."
Gibbs nodded. "Good to know. You should understand, though, it wasn't easy for any of us. Finding you there, with that empty bottle-" he frowned.
"Well, I'm sorry. But-"
"I know, DiNozzo. Just wanna make sure you know that you're not alone. You can count on us; on me."
"I know, Boss. Never doubted that."
"That why you stopped coming to me after that thing with Wendy?"
Tony winced. Gibbs had noticed. Of course, he'd noticed.
"I should've realized sooner, but I just got it yesterday. When I found you there, I realized that you haven't been to my place since then. I have a basement and working on woods in there helps me deal with my demons. What do you have?"
Tony looked away. He liked to say watching movies was his way to cope, but that wasn't true. He actually didn't have anything these days.
"I've lost your trust over Wendy, haven't I?"
"I... No, Boss."
"What's it then?" He challenged.
Tony took a deep breath. "I trust you, Boss. I do. I just-"
"I just wanted to help." Gibbs justified his action.
"I know. I know you wanted to help and I know you wanted the best for me. But the way you did it... Setting me up like that..." He shook his head. "It's my private life, Gibbs. You shouldn't order me to do things when it's not work related. I know I talk to you about them and... I know I probably have been too annoying. I whine too much and-... Well, let's just say that I figured I probably have whined about my personal life too much. Everyone gets tired eventually."
Is that what this was about? Gibbs couldn't believe it. 'Damn that stupid bastard father of yours for ruining your self-esteem so bad.' "You think I was tired? You... You actually think that I made you go with Wendy because I wanted you to stop talking about it?"
Tony didn't answer.
"Dammit, DiNozzo. It wasn't like that. I wanted to help you be with the right woman; to correct a mistake. I wanted to help you the way a father should-" he stopped abruptly.
Tony turned slightly red, but smiled. "I'm not 18, Boss. I might act like one, but-"
"I know you're not. But when you get older, it gets harder to decide about your love life; you get choosier and you need more help from the outside to settle down with your girl."
That sounded somehow true. But still. "Well, thanks, I guess."
"That didn't go well. Did it?"
"What? Me and Wendy?" Tony chuckled. "You could say so. I'm not sure, yet. She said she left me the night before our wedding just because she wasn't ready to be with the right man. How stupid is that? And now suddenly she's ready." Tony sighed. "I'm not some toy she can throw away whenever she gets tired and grab when she feels like it."
Gibbs couldn't believe it; he'd always thought; well, Tony'd always said that it was him breaking up with Wendy because of his job. He somehow felt responsible for that. After all, It was him who had kept Tony at work longer than usual. He just wanted to fix what he thought had been his mistake. He would never put Tony in that position if he knew Wendy had done something like that to him. "I thought-"
"Yeah, I know." Tony nodded. "According to her, I'm one the most honest people she knows, just... To everyone else. I've lied to myself so much that I've believed many of them."
"I would never put you two together if I knew."
"Well, you see, that's my fault again."
"Not really, it's a self-defense mechanism." Gibbs noted. "Wasn't my place to interfere. You're right; shouldn't order you around when it comes to the personal stuff."
"I'd appreciate it." Tony smiled tiredly.
"Consider it done. We good?"
The younger man frowned. "Of course. We were good before this talk."
"No, apparently we weren't. I want you at my place when you need to talk; or even when you don't need. Or I don't know when you think I need some company."
Tony chuckled. "Are you admitting that you might need more companies than your bourbon and some chunks of wood?"
"Only sometimes. The point is I don't get tired of listening to you, DiNozzo. I know I don't talk that much or show anything. But it was never about me getting tired of your presence."
"Thanks, Boss. Really. That means a lot." The appreciation was clear in Tony's voice and face. "You know, for a functional mute, you've talked a lot tonight. I should try taking pills more often."
The hard head slap wasn't unexpected.
...
It took them almost another day before finding the bastard who'd tried to kill Tony and close the case.
First they found the girl who'd been kidnapped and luckily her mother hadn't bothered to wash her clothes, or bury them, or burn them or drown them in acid! Luck was on their side for a change.
The prints on the girl's clothes were what they needed. With the help of Abby's magic, they managed to find the owner of those prints and put a BOLO on him. Around afternoon they got a call from the local police. Their guy, Bill Scott, had been seen in a restaurant in downtown.
They tried to corner him to avoid any commotion, but someone had recognized Gibbs and apparently informed Bill Scott.
Bill had pulled a gun and threatened to kill the waitress who'd been unlucky enough to be close to him. The good thing about the situation was that Bill had been scared and everyone knows that a scared man always makes mistakes.
One wrong move and Gibbs' bullet hit him between the eyes.
It was a too easy way out for him, if you asked Gibbs. The bastard had sent them all to hell and back; they'd almost lost Tony and if that had happened they all would think he'd committed suicide and that'd be really unfair to someone like Anthony DiNozzo.
With closing the case and finishing their reports, they found enough time to go and visit Tony in the hospital. He had to stay there another two days to be monitored; but the doctors were sure that he'd been very lucky and other than the damage to his stomach and some minor problems with his kidneys, he was almost fine.
"So, Boss; you never told me; how was that little girl?" Tony asked after Gibbs finally sent everyone else home.
He knew they'd found their guy and knew who Bill Scott was, he could remember him because he'd sent him to prison right before moving to Baltimore. The guy had promised to kill him when he got out; at least he'd tried to keep his promise!
Tony also knew that they'd managed to close the case with the prints on the girl's clothing, but he didn't know much about her well-being. He probably would never meet her or her parents again, but couldn't help thinking that her parents would hate him for what had happened to their kid.
Gibbs sighed. "She was fine. Physically." He wasn't about to beat around the bush. "She's shaken up. But it's mostly because she's witnessed a murder."
Tony's eyes widened. "What? Whose murder?"
"Yours, DiNozzo. She thought you were dead. She hadn't said a word since they'd found her yesterday morning. She'd just cried."
"So, how do you know what's her problem?"
"I asked her."
"And she told you?" Tony raised an eyebrow.
Gibbs gave him a look which said 'of course, she did.' "I told her about you and asked about what she saw. She couldn't believe you're alive."
"Poor girl. What about her parents?"
"Grateful."
"Excuse me?"
"You saved their little girl's life. Of course they're grateful."
"I didn't do anything. I just didn't fight."
"Which is exactly what saved her. I'm sure now; I've seen the guy. He wouldn't have hesitated to kill you both. He wanted it to look like a suicide and he sure wanted you to suffer, but I can say that he was ready to do anything if it came down to it."
Tony sighed. "Well, let's hope the girl starts healing sooner and forgets that damn night, one day."
"She's gonna be alright. Some nightmares will haunt her dreams, but she'll be fine. Kids are stronger than anyone gives them credit for."
"Hmm."
There was a knock on the door. A nurse popped her head in the room and looked at Gibbs, gesturing for him to follow her out.
"Everything OK?" Tony asked suspiciously.
"I should go and see to find out." Gibbs walked out of the room and was back less than 10 seconds later with a frown on his face.
"What's it?" Tony asked cautiously.
"Nothing." Gibbs shook his head. "You up for another visitor?"
"Visitor? I've seen everyone tonight. Unless it's-" he paused. "It's Vance, isn't it?" He whined. He was worried; seeing Vance was never a good thing and he was sure the Director of the Agency wouldn't come to the hospital to see him for nothing.
"No. Not Vance." Gibbs dismissed that idea. "Come in." He called out.
The door opened and a tall man walked in; Tony looked up and down. The man was a total stranger; he was sure that he'd never seen him before, but then he saw her; the little girl hiding behind his dad's tall legs.
"Oh."
The man smiled. "Hi, I'm Clay Mills and this little angel is my Annie. We owe you her life and I know that a simple thank you won't be enough, but that's all I can do right now. So, thank you."
Tony just blinked with his mouth slightly open; he looked at the little girl, then turned his gaze to her father, and finally looked at his Boss.
"She's gonna be fine, DiNozzo. And so will you." He said quietly and walked out of the room; leaving them to talk about that night and help each other heal.
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-The End-
Please let me know what you think! :) (Gibbs wasn't TOO nice or too OOC, was he?)
Once again, thanks a lot for your support!
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