"Can you tell the court what your reaction was when you learned of the extent of Tony's injuries?"

Gibbs sighed. He knew the question was coming, but he had hoped Tony wouldn't be there to hear about it.

"Agent Gibbs?"

"I was pissed off, angry. I was scared too. Tony's been injured several times before, but only once has he come close to death before this. I was scared then, and terrified now. Fear was coursing through my body at the thought that Tony's injuries were too severe for him to recover from. All I could think about was getting Tony back to DC, back to the safety of Bethesda Hospital and the doctors and nurses that know his medical history. I wanted to stay with him, to forget about everyone and everything else. I wanted Tony to know that I care about him, that I would do anything to keep him safe. By the time I got to DC, Tony had been unconscious for two days, and no-one thought he was going to get better by that point. The care he was getting was more to make him comfortable than to help him. It was heartbreaking to see. When I went into Tony's room, he looked like he was a child. The machines in the room, the tubes and wires he was hooked up to, it all just seemed to be too much for someone that truly does not deserve the treatment he gets. I'll admit that I've not always been kind to Tony, but I don't intentionally do it. The people in his life, they do it to him purposefully. I chose to sit with Tony and talk to him, just like he did for me when the situation was reversed. I didn't know if he could hear me, but I wanted him to know that I was there, that I would do my best to protect him from that point on."

"What did you think about the people that hurt Tony?"

Gibbs snorted. "I don't think you want to hear my answer to that question."

"And why is that?"

"It's not going to be very nice."

"Tell us anyway."

Gibbs shrugged. "I was ready to kill the people that attacked and kidnapped Tony. I swore to myself that I would find them and make them pay."

"Pay, how?"

"Prison. I wouldn't hurt them, ever, even though I think they deserve to feel just as much, if not more, pain that they caused Tony to feel, and possibly live with for the rest of his life."

"Did you see the man that attacked Tony outside the hospital?"

"Yes."

"Can you tell us who that man is?"

"Sure, it's the defendant, Max Johnson."

"Thank you." Bud sat down and Willis got up.

"Agent Gibbs, do you wish to see these two people go to prison at the end of this trial?"

"Of course I do. They've committed a crime and need to pay for it."

"How can you be sure they are the ones that came up with the plan for this heinous crime?"

"Because I have statements from Mr Johnson, and another person, that corroborate each other. Both statements say that Mr Johnson and Miss Keller chose to kidnap Tony and make him pay for hurting Miss Keller's sister."

"Couldn't they have just made that up? Or isn't it possible that Mr Johnson and Ms Keates were working together to coerce Miss Keller?"

"No. We have evidence showing that Mr Johnson willingly attacked Tony and kidnapped him. We have evidence that proves Ms Keller masterminded the whole attack." In truth, this evidence was only circumstantial, but the defence didn't need to know that.

"But, is it possible..."

"Miss Willis! Stop going around in circles," said the judge. "Either move on, or sit down."

A few quiet snickers were heard in the background, but nothing more. Willis frowned but wisely chose to sit back in her seat.

"Nothing further," she said.

Gibbs stepped off the witness stand and went to sit next to Tony, avoiding eye contact. He was saved by the next witness coming in. Zoe sat in the chair Gibbs had just vacated, looking like she was defeated.

"Ms Keates, you have chosen to testify today. Why is that?"

"Because I hurt Tony, and I caused him the extra pain. I have come to terms with my punishment, but I want Tony to have justice, and that can't happen if the two people that are still roaming around don't get punished too."

"Can you please tell the court what happened on May 3rd?"

"My sister, Tracy, had promised to help me fight my conviction and free me. I didn't know she was going to break me out of prison until it was too late to back out, so I just went along with it. She had told me that she had a plan to get Tony back for me to have a relationship with him. I didn't realise what that plan was until we were at an old safe house I had used for work years ago, and Max dragged Tony in. Tony was unconscious, and even from where I was sitting on the other side of the room, it was obvious that the back of his head had been injured. I asked them why they had hurt him, and they both just told me that it was going to be fine and that I didn't need to worry about it. I just had to go along with the plan."

"When you called Agent Gibbs, where were you?"

"About two hours out of DC, on the way to LA."

"And where was Tony at the time?"

"In the trunk of the car. He was still unconscious."

"How long did it take to get to LA?"

"Roughly five hours. The plan was to drive all the way, but we ended up sneaking into the luggage compartment of a plane heading to LA."

"What happened when you arrived in LA?"

"We were waiting until all the bags had been taken out, but Tony accidentally rolled out and landed on top of the luggage on the tarmac. That was when we were found."

"Why didn't you call the police?"

"I called Gibbs, because I knew that he would listen, and would believe me, even if he hated me. I know that he cares about Tony and that he would do anything to find him."

Bud asked another question, but Tony had stopped listening. He had always known Gibbs cared, but hearing what his boss had said earlier made him feel very loved. He had to thank Gibbs for it as soon as possible.

"Thank you Miss Keates. You will go back to Leavenworth now," said the judge, snapping Tony back into reality. He hadn't realised that he had lost track of the time. "Court is adjourned until tomorrow morning, at which time, you will call your first witness, Mr Fields."