Charity sat in a fort made of pillows and blankets. She looked to her side and there was Kelly, four-years-old and grinning at her. "Sissy, dis is fun." Kellly told her with a giggle.
A giggle bubbled from Charity's own lips and she grinned back at her little sister. "Yes it is. This is our castle."
"So that means we are pwincesses?" Kelly asked, sounding excited.
"Yup." Charity told her.
"Yay!" Kelly squealed.
"Girls!" Their mother had called. "Come down here, I have a surprise for you!"
"Coming Mommy." The two sisters replied in unison. They climbed out of their fort and started down the steps. That was when they saw him, standing at the bottom of the steps, waiting for them.
"Daddy!" They squealed.
Their father squated down and opened his arms. They ran into them happily. He hugged them close, he stood up, picking both girls up. He kissed their foreheads. "How are my girls?" He asked.
"Good." Kelly answered.
"Better now that you're home." Charity had answered and then wrapped her arms around her father's neck.
"Oh, I'm happy to be home." He said. "I missed my girls."
"We're all together again." Their mother spoke, a soft smile on her face.
"Together forever." Charity said, hugging herself closer to her father.
The family ate dinner and played together. Before long though their mother uttered those dreaded words. "Bed time girls."
Time seemed to fastforward and suddenly Charity was fourteen and in the backseat of a car. A man sat in the driver's side, her mother in the passenger seat. Kelly was sitting in the back, by her big sister.
"Don't worry girls, I'm taking you all some place safe." The man had told them, a kind smile on his face. He turned his eyes back to the road.
"But will Daddy know where to find us when he comes home?" Kelly had asked.
"Don't worry sweetie, Daddy will be with us again." Their mother had answered.
That was the moment that everything had changed. The drivers' side window shattered and the man fell forward, blood coming out of his head. Then there was a crash and blackness.
"No!" Charity cried out as she woke from her dream.
Instantly a woman in scrubs was right there. She appeared to by in her fifties. "Calm down sweetheart. It was only a dream."
Charity looked into the kind eyes of the nurse and felt instantly soothed. "Where am I?" She asked.
"The hospital sweetie." The nurse answered.
That was when the events of her plan to capture Weems rushed to her brain. "Your friends will be happy to know you're awake." The nurse said, breaking Charity from her reverie. "I'll go let them know." She then left the room.
Shortly after that, a little goth blur rushed into the room and was hugging Charity. "Oh my gosh! I'm so glad that you're okay."
"Good to see you awake, boss." came McGee's voice.
"Glad you're alright." came Burley's voice.
"You're color's back. That's good." came the voice of Detective Williams.
"You look much better my dear." came the endearing voice of Ducky.
Everyone was there, except DiNozzo. Charity wasn't sure why she cnoticed or even cared that he wasn't there, but she did. Of course she didn't dare mention it aloud. She suddenly felt a burning sensation on her back. "What happened?" She asked.
"Well, you were drugged and knocked out." McGee answered.
"Way to state the obvious, McGee." Charity told him. "I mean after that."
"We aren't exactly sure." Burley answered. "All we know is that when we went into the house, DiNozzo found you on the floor of the basement. Weems had already carved his mark in your back. Then he and Weems fought. When we got down there, DiNozzo had just checked your pulse and said to call an ambulance."
"You mean, DiNozzo...saved me?" Charity asked, feeling shocked.
"Yup." Dan had answered.
"That bastard." Charity muttered. He had saved her life because of her mistake. She should have known better than to eat and drink the food Weems had offered her, but she did it anyway. Then that had put her in the position of need to be rescued and DiNozzo had done that. Damn him! Now I owe him!
The next day...
Charity was released from the hospital. When she arrived home, she quickly changed into a pair of jeans and a tshirt. Then she made her way to the garage and slipped herself under the car.
"Do you just love under this car?"
"What are you doing here, DiNozzo?" She asked, keeping her tone indifferent.
"I heard you were released from the hospital." Tony replied. "I thought I'd come and check on you."
Charity slid herself out from under the car. She stood up to look at him. "That's not the only reason." She said.
"What other reason would I have?" Tony asked.
"To rub it in my face that I made a rookie mistake and you had to come to my rescue." She answered.
"No." Tony replied. "I don't feel like that's anything to gloat about."
"Really?" Charity asked. "That's surprising." She then stormed passed him and into the house.
Tony followed her. He gently grabbed her by her upper arm. "Listen here Miss Gibbs. I didn't come here to gloat or to say that you owe me one." He told her, a hint of anger in his voice. "I came here to check on you."
"Why?" Charity asked. "Why do you care?"
"I don't know." Tony said back to her, letting her arm go.
Charity made sure that she was facing him. "I want you out of my house." She told him.
"You know the least you could do is say thank you for saving your life." Tony countered.
"I'm still angry with you for digging into my past." Charity fired back.
"If you would have just told me about it, I wouldn't have had to dig."
"Why couldn't you accept the fact that I don't like to talk about my past?"
"Why don't you want to talk about it?" Tony asked. "Is is just because you're afraid to let someone else in? Is that the only reason? Or is it perhaps something else?"
"It's still too painful!" Charity shouted at him, tears stinging her eyes. "How would you feel if you lost the most important people in your life in just a matter of days? Would you like to keep talking about it? Would you like to have someone dig it up and bring up all those memories?"
"You have to talk about it." Tony told her. "It's the only way it won't be painful anymore. I mean look around this house. You haven't changed anything in it. You didn't take any new pictures. You're living in your past."
"I hate you." Charity spat at him, getting into his face.
"You know what? I hate you, too." Tony replied. "I've tried to be friends with you, but you just won't have it."
They stood there glaring into each other's eyes for several long moments. their gazes boring into each other trying to burn each other. It was then that it happened. Their lips met in an intense firey kiss, their arms wrapped around each other and they were lost in the passion of the moment.