Holly tossed her overnight bag on the twin bed, in Jimmy's spare room. She was glad that the Palmer's had volunteered to keep her and Noah until their dad got better or at least until he was well enough for Gibbs to leave his side. Surprisingly Jimmy was the best person to be with in a time like this. Abby went into full on Abby mode and tried way too hard to make everything OK, McGee got so hysterical that most times Holly ended up comforting him, and Ducky tried way too hard to explain what exactly was wrong with whoever was injured. Jimmy and Breena were like protective older siblings. Making sure the twins were comfortable and felt secure.
"You OK, Holly?" Breena asked as she entered the room carrying neatly folded sheets.
"Yeah, feeling better than I did at the hospital." Holly replied.
"Are you sure you don't mind sleeping in here?" Breena asked.
"No it's fine." Holly assured.
"Just try to get some sleep. I will get you up for school at six forty-five, just let me know what you want for breakfast. Oh and Jimmy called and said that he was on the way home." Breena explained,
"Any news?" Holly asked.
"No but no news is good news and as long as he remains stable he won't be needing anymore tests until morning." Breena explained.
"Yeah I know I am just worried." Holly replied.
"I know but your dad is strong and I know that he won't leave this planet until he sees how amazing you and Noah have become." Breena explained.
Noah found himself unable to sleep that night. He was scared to death, he knew that his dad must be in really bad shape if even Holly was scared. He felt like a failure for not being able to calm his sister's fears or help her. He was the older twin and he was the brother. He was supposed to be the brave one and the defender. Instead it was always Holly who kept the family in order and kept him calm when he was afraid. Just like Breena had said, Jimmy knocked on his door at six forty-five in the morning. If he were at home he would have been able to sleep until seven but the Palmer's were zoned for the other middle school so Breena would have to drive them to school on her way to work.
"Come on, Noah get up." Jimmy called.
"I'm up" Noah groaned.
"You OK?" Jimmy asked.
"I couldn't sleep last night." Noah admitted
"Neither could I. In fact Breena and I were talking about it and we decided that Breena would stay home just in case you guys wanted to stay home. With everything that's going on I am sure your teachers will understand." Jimmy explained.
"I think I am going to stay home." Noah replied.
"OK I will tell Breena. Holly already told us that she is going to go. You know how she is." Jimmy replied.
"Always trying to stay on top." Noah finished.
Holly took the binders for her first three classes out of her backpack and then tossed her backpack into her locker. Julia came up behind her. She opened her locker which happened to be just two down from Holly's and did the same routine with her books.
"Oh Holly! I am so sorry! My dad told me what happened." Julia cried embracing her friend.
"Thanks" Holly replied, returning the hug.
"Is he going to be OK?" Julia asked.
"They will know more by this afternoon. We are staying with the Palmer's for now and Noah stayed home today with Breena. They are going to pick me up and we are all going to the hospital after school." Holly explained.
"You want Delilah to bring me and Chris down there?" Julia asked.
"No, Noah and I can't even see him yet. We are probably just going to get an update and maybe give Gibbs a respite and then go home." Holly explained.
"OK well text me if you need anything." Julia replied.
"Yeah thanks, I will." Holly replied.
Gibbs threw his lunch in the trash and headed back up to the Intensive Care Unit, waiting room. He was starving but he hadn't been able to eat since the night before. He had only left the waiting area twice since Tony was brought in.
"Boss!" McGee called entering the room.
"No news yet, McGee. They are taking him for a scan in an hour though." Gibbs explained.
"I didn't figure there was any news but I do have an update." McGee replied.
"What's up?" Gibbs asked.
"We have a name for Tony's attacker. Witnesses say that they saw a tall, Latino man. At first they thought he just accidentally bumped into Tony but then he started yelling and shoved him. So anyway we went to the store and asked if anybody fitting that description. Who would have been there around the same time as Tony. An employees said that the man had followed Tony around the store. Abby went on a hunch and checked our security cameras. Sure enough the man was seen speeding after Tony after he left. I checked the license plate number and the car is registered to a Ray Cruz. He fits the description of Tony's attacker to a T. We brought him in and he confessed to everything." McGee explained.
"Good job McGee take the rest of the day, tell Abbs good job too and bring her an extra Caf-Pow." Gibbs replied.
"Already did it." McGee replied.
"You have become a great agent, now do we have a motive?" Gibbs asked.
"Yes Ray is engaged to Ziva David." McGee replied.
"Son of a bitch!" Gibbs cried.
"I know it's sad." McGee replied.
"Stay here in case there is an update on Tony! I am going to deal with that bitch!" Gibbs cried.
The can opener whirred as Ziva opened the can of Chicken Noodle Soup. Eliana had woken up with a high fever and sore throat. The pediatrician had diagnosed it as a mild case of strep throat. At least it wasn't anything too serious but she would still have to take precautions before going in to work and being around her students. She heard a knock on the door and sighed setting down the can opener and leaving the soup half opened on the counter. She opened her front door and saw a tall man with gray hair and tired looking blue eyes standing on her front step.
"May I help you?" Ziva asked.
"Are you Ziva David?" The man asked.
"Yes I am, why?" Ziva replied.
"Jethro Gibbs, NCIS!" Gibbs cried.
"What? NCIS? That's Navy cops? Why is a Navy cop here? Oh no did something happen to Tony?!" Ziva cried.
"Your damn right something happened to Tony and you better give me a damn good reason not to arrest you as an accessory!" Gibbs railed.
"I don't understand." Ziva commented.
"Your fiancee attacked Tony in the grocery store parking lot yesterday. He is at Bethesda in a coma, with swelling in his brain." Gibbs explained.
"What, no! I...I have to get out of here. Just take my daughter. Put her in foster care. I can't make her be on the run. It wouldn't be right. She shouldn't have to pay for my sins." Ziva rambled.
"She won't have to pay if you turn yourself in. If you just face it and get a good lawyer you may get a light sentence." Gibbs explained.
"No you don't understand. I was engaged to Ray. Past tense, was! We broke up three years ago! He left my daughter with a murderer and threatened to murder me and throw me into a mine with Eliana still alive. God, that's why I moved out here. I needed to get away. The cops in my old town looked out for me but I was praying a fresh start would be good. I was hoping he had given up. It's been over a year since I last heard from him. God now Tony is hurt and probably going to hate me. I felt so safe with him. Safer than I have since the day Ray went crazy on me." Ziva rambled, she was on the floor crying by the end.
"It's OK, Ziver he is in custody and I am going to get you protection detail. I am sorry I was so rough on you. I barely slept last night and I already lost one child to a psychopath." Gibbs explained.
"It's OK I understand. Truth be told I would have had the same reaction." Ziva assured.
Gibbs left Ziva's house feeling like the scum of the Earth, right now he was almost as bad as Ray. He should have never gone to her house. Not only was there no reason for him to go after her but also he had way overreacted. He was fully prepared for Ziva to press charges against him and for him to lose his job. That's what he deserved. He got back to the hospital just as Tony's doctor was coming into the waiting area. The twins were seated on either side of Breena on the couch and Jimmy and McGee were sharing a smaller couch. Ducky and Abby were in the two chairs behind Jimmy and the twins.
"Agent Gibbs I was just about to call you." Dr. Fowler said turning to face Gibbs.
"How is, he?" Gibbs asked.
"I am sorry but the swelling has not gone down as much as we would have liked. We are going to have to operate." Dr. Fowler replied.
A/N: Poor Tony but he will be OK soon enough. New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.