Warnings: Some language this chapter, angst, etc.

A/N: Ok so I rewrote this chapter several times. I hope you like the final outcome and please let me know what you think. Thank you everyone for you support and encouragement through all of this. I've certainly hit some bumps in this one and appreciate all your feedback and positive responses that have helped me stick with this story.

Rilain- Here is the next installment. I hope you like it!

amaia- I've felt that way about other stories as well, like they can't be finished fast enough haha. Hope that you enjoy this! And I promise to keep updating quickly as much as I can. I hate to leave you guys with cliffhangers for too long.

patncisfan- The end of this chapter might make you smile the

It was like looking into the eyes of the Devil.

Leah was glad that Gibbs and Fornell were giving her this opportunity to confront Tony's attacker but she would also be glad when it was over with. She felt as though this monster was eating her alive with his dark look alone. If her husband knew she was here he would probably have a conniption but this was something she felt compelled to do. This sociopath had turned their lives upside down and someone had to stand up for her family. Tony wasn't available to do that and she was willing to take his place.

Wayne sat casually in his holding cell, handcuffed, staring emotionless at her. Leah half expected to see horns coming out of his head, a pitchfork in his hand. "Did you come to see if I would disappear into flames?"

"No. I came to ask you why," Leah responded.

"And your personal body guards—are they going to stay back there?" Wayne inquired, eyes drifting behind her.

Leah looked over her shoulder briefly at Gibbs and Fornell, giving her the space she needed but their obvious body language suggested that they would pounce if the kid tried to hurt her. "What I have to say doesn't concern them. So, yes, they are going to stay back there provided that you behave."

Wayne chuckled, low in his throat, and ran a finger along the cold brick wall of his cell. "Wouldn't want to give them anymore reasons to kill me. They're pretty twitched up about Marks. It was the Sheriff's own fault. He should have let me hunt and left my prey alone."

She swallowed the bitter taste in her mouth. "People are not like the animals you hunt. They have lives and families… and you hurt them. It's not a game."

"Oh but it is a game," Wayne said, grinning at her. "Hunting is all apart of the thrill. Haven't you ever wanted to play God?"

"No," Leah stated. "It's not my place to say who lives or dies."

He threw his head back and laughed sending a shiver down her spine. When he looked at her again there was that same evil, dark look and he smirked, "But… you want me dead, don't you? Ironic isn't it?"

She glared at him. "You murdered a police officer and you wounded a federal agent that is fighting for his life right now… and who knows how many other men you killed before that."

"Does it really matter?"

"It matters to me."

"Started killing when I was a kid… I liked how they screamed… the power that they gave me," Wayne answered, remorselessly. "No jury can take that away from me."

"But they can take your life," Leah said, her hands shaking a little.

Wayne shrugged and smirked once more. "If they think I'm sane enough to stand trial. I fooled teachers all those years, I can fool a lawyer and a jury into thinking that I had any control over my actions."

Leah didn't flinch or back down. She set her jaw. "Then I'll testify to this conversation. I'll tell them that you knew right from wrong, that you know how to play the system and confessed to going to do it. No grand jury is going to buy it. So you'll go on trial and be convicted because my husband is going to survive and he's going to be there to see it through, to be sure it happens, and then we'll both be there to watch them put the needle in your arm."

Wayne snarled and curled his lip at her. "Shut up, bitch," he hissed. "You don't know anything about me. I'm a poor, misunderstood kid. They will not execute me."

Leah could see the fury just bumbling underneath the surface. "Misunderstood? Is that how you see yourself?"

"What do you see?"

"I see a monster that hurt my husband. A demonic soul that tried to take my baby's father from him because you needed to hear someone scream—to play God, a coward that is going straight to Hell."

Fittingly a demonic growl emanated from Wayne as he launched off the cot, handcuffs clanging against the bars as his hands reached out through them and grabbed a hold of Leah. She gasped and fought against his hold. "Bitch!" Wayne shouted, "I'll kill you!"

Leah pulled back, the sleeve on Tony's sweatshirt tore at the shoulder seam, and she felt herself falling backwards.

"HEY!" Gibbs shouted. "Let go of her!"

Wayne refused. Fornell grabbed onto Leah pulled her away as Gibbs managed to reach through the bars, grab the kid by the collar and slam him into the metal barrier to disarm him. "You can't touch me!" Wayne shouted, spitting and snarling at all three of them. "You'll pay! You'll all pay!"

Gibbs clenched his fists at his side to stop himself from hurting Wayne again. "You don't know who you're messing with, kid. You're lucky I didn't shoot you."

"Why not? Don't have the guts for it?" Wayne snapped at him.

"I have the guts. But killing you would have been the easy way out for you."

"Do you want to see me fry?"

"I'd like to see you rot."

Wayne shifted his gaze back towards Leah and grinned, hatefully. "Bet I'll live longer than your husband… shot in the chest… survival rate is very low. I'm surprised you came here and didn't spend his last few hours alive with him."

Leah let out a stifled cry and stumbled down the hall, trying to regain her composure. Tears burned the backs of her eyes. It was no wonder Tony hardly talked about his job with her, if he was facing evil like this everyday, he would need the escape. She would be haunted by that conversation for the rest of her life. Outside the station the cold air hit her square in the face and started to freeze her tears.

She took a deep breath, the feeling of the fresh, clean air calming her. Out here it was free of the evil and malice that was inside. She could briefly forget what Wayne had said and what he had done to her. And Tony's favorite sweatshirt, how was she ever going to explain that?

Gibbs joined her, reaching out to inspect the tear in the sweatshirt. "We should be able to get that fixed. Simple seam."

"I'd hate for Tony to lose his favorite sweatshirt."

"I think he would hate to lose you more."

Leah wiped her tears with the back of her hand. "I guess you're right. I… I pushed him too far. He's a narcissist and truly believes that he had the right to play God. I used that against him and he… he snapped."

Gibbs chuckled and ran his fingers through her hair. "Took a page out of Tony's book. You sounded like a real agent in there."

She laughed, sadly. "I'm not cut out to be an agent."

"Well… good thing Tony doesn't need you to be an agent."

"What does he need me to be?"

"Don't you know the answer to that?"

Leah smiled, gently. "Yes. But it's always nice to hear someone else tell me."

Gibbs kissed her temple. "He needs you to just be you. So, let's get you back to the hospital."

Tony's condition had not changed since the last time Ducky had sat with him. This could be a good thing or a bad thing. It was good because it meant that Tony was not getting worse but it was bad because it meant that he wasn't getting better either. Ducky had seen his friend beat all kinds of odds and he was just praying that Tony's luck was not running out.

Ducky read his newspaper, silently, while Abby regaled the unconscious field agent with stories about Jack's adventures in rolling over. Much like Leah, Abby believed that if Tony heard people talking to him he would wake up sooner and fight harder. Ducky wasn't sure about that. Studies had shown that people in comas could hear their surroundings so he wasn't going to discourage the girl.

Besides, also like Leah, Abby took comfort in speaking to Tony. Ducky took comfort that Tony was still breathing, albeit the help of a ventilator, but still breathing nevertheless. Hopefully the weather would let up soon and Tony could be airlifted to Washington where he could begin treatment under the watchful and capable eye of Dr. Pitt. One glance out the window in the room told the medical examiner all he needed to know—there would be no flight today and Tony would have to stay here for another night.

"Look, Tony," Abby said breaking his concentration, "Delilah sent me a photo of Jack. Look! Look how happy he is today!"

Ducky looked up from paper and at Abby's phone. On the screen was a picture of a smiling Jack sitting in his high chair covered in baby food. The elderly doctor smiled himself at that sight. "I bet that smile would be bigger, Anthony, if you were to wake up and go home to him."

Abby put the phone away and grabbed Tony's hand, giving it a squeeze. "Leah should be back soon… please wake up, Tony and surprise her. She's been worried sick about you since you went missing. And I doubt she's sleeping that well," she whispered. "Please. Just wake up for a few moments and then you can go back to sleep."

"Tony will wake up when his body is ready, Abby," Ducky told her. "His doctors are very confident that he's going to be fine. He has made it this far and we both know that Tony is a survivor."

"Ducky… should we call her?" Abby asked, her green eyes uncertain.

"Her?" Ducky inquired even though he knew the answer.

"Ziva."

Ducky took a deep breath. If circumstances weren't what they were…

Tim's voice answered for him as he arrived back with coffee. "No. We can't call her Abby. Leah… I doubt she'd want her here."

Abby frowned. "But she's his friend, Tim."

"Yeah and we haven't heard from her in almost three years."

"I just think we should call…"

"Call? Call who?"

Ducky, Abby and Tim looked up to see Leah step into the room. She was wearing a tee shirt from the gift shop and had a bag of fast food for their lunch. Ducky stood and offered her his chair. "You, my dear, we were getting worried that you weren't back yet."

Leah glanced at them and it was clear in her eyes that she didn't believe them, but she let it drop.

Tim cleared his throat. "Delilah called. Jack is good but she thinks he's starting to miss you."

"Maybe I'll call him after lunch," Leah said munching on some fries. "I miss him too."

"Hopefully you will be home with young Jack by tomorrow," Ducky said with a sad smile. "Until then, he is in good hands." He pat her shoulder and turned towards Tim and Abby. "Why don't we take our lunch and let Leah have some time alone with Anthony."

Ducky took their bags of food and headed out towards the waiting room. He was not surprised to find Gibbs sitting there but he was surprised to find Ellie sewing up a tear in the sweatshirt that Leah had been wearing around. "Good, Lord, Jethro—what happened on that visit?"

Gibbs gave a little smirk. "Leah got under his skin a little."

Abby glared at him. "How could you let her see him by herself?"

"Tobias and I were nearby. He didn't hurt her. Shook her up. She's fine now."

"What did she say to him?"

"Called him a monster."

Tim gave an angry snort. "Well… that's what he is. Think of all the families he's ruined—he almost ruined ours. He deserves what he gets."

Abby hugged him tightly, knowing that Tim was right, that they had come very close to losing Tony and having their family ripped to pieces—and all before Tim's wedding. A long time ago she had told herself that Kate was watching over them, but after all this… she was beginning to think that Kate still had her partner's back from beyond the grave.

Jack was giggling.

Somewhere in the distance Tony could hear his son laughing. And he tried desperately to get to him, so he could see his face, because if he got to Jack then everything was going to be okay and he could go home. But it was dark here and hard to navigate.

Jack… I'm coming… I'm looking for you. Tony pushed through the dark, inching closer to the delightful sounds of his son laughing and playing, now joined with the sound of Leah talking and singing to their baby. Her voice alone pressed him onwards. Tony had fought to get this far hadn't he? Hadn't he fled that awful shed to give himself a chance to get home to his family?

He was not about to give up. Ever.

Tony?

Leah. I'm coming. I'm almost there.

Tony. If you can hear me… squeeze my hand… give me a sign.

Now he was confused. Squeeze her hand? Tony couldn't see her let alone feel her. She was no where close to him. I… Leah I can't.

Please, Tony. I'm here. See? That's me squeezing your hand.

Leah! Leah I feel it!

Tony could feel the warmth in her hand in his own and with what little strength he had left in his body he squeezed her hand, to let her know that he was there too and that he was still fighting to get home to her.