After one last look around his neighborhood knowing he probably wouldn't return until after his 18th birthday when he was finally free of his father's rules Tony didn't expect to see their California home again. Heading back home, Tony froze when there were gunshots, and then a car crashed almost in front of him. As the shooter's car took off Tony rushed to see if there was anything, he could do. Finding the driver and passenger in the front seat dead Tony looked into the back to find a woman slumped over and a small girl under her.
"Hello, are you okay?" The woman didn't move but the little girl looked up at him with tears in her eyes.
"Is my mommy okay?" Tony gently shakes the woman's arm and she doesn't move.
"I don't know but let's get you out of the car. I'm sure someone's called the police I can hear sirens." When she was out of the car crying quietly there was a screech of tires and more gunshots. Tony's instincts kick in and he throws himself on top of the girl to keep her safe but still is hit in the arm. The little girl cries harder but doesn't move as Tony lie on top of her. "Shh … it's okay just stay down." As the car sped away another car came screeching up and stopped nearby but Tony still didn't move unsure if the people in the car were more shooters or what. They lay still until Kelly hears the man yelling and looks up.
"Where's the little girl? Where's Kelly?" Tony and Kelly slowly sit up as the agents look in the car and in the gathering crowd. "Kelly Gibbs, she's 8, this tall and she was in the car with them." One of the female agents spots Kelly and Tony.
"Agent Franks," The woman points to Tony and Kelly on the sidewalk and Mike rushes over to them.
"Kelly, are you okay honey?" Kelly nods slowly though she appears to be in shock and Mike notices Tony sitting close to her with his good hand covering his bleeding arm. "I'm Agent Mike Franks with NIS. What's your name kid?"
"Anthony DiNozzo Junior, sir." Franks groans but waves over a paramedic.
"Okay Anthony and Kelly, this paramedic's going to check the two of you out while I interview some witnesses. Sit tight and I'll come back to you." When Mike returned Tony's arm was bandaged and he was hugging Kelly who was frightened.
"What's going to happen to us now?"
"Well Kelly and her mother were in protection and it looks like they found them. How did you end up here and shot?"
"I uh … I heard the gunshots and then the crash. When I went to see if I could help, Kelly got out of the car and they started to shoot again." The paramedic looks at Mike.
"It's just a graze so it didn't hit anything major but he might still need some stitches. I suggest they both go to the hospital to be checked out if the girl was in the car when it crashed." Tony was worried about something but Kelly was frightened.
"Okay, we'll do that. First … where's Fluffy?" Tony had no clue who that was but Kelly pointed to the car and he calls to the other agents. "Did anyone find a stuffed cat?" The lady agent who spotted them earlier holds up a raggedy tiger-stripped cat.
"Is this yours honey?" Kelly nods and the agent gives it to her. "He was looking for you." Kelly clutches it tight.
"Thank you," Mike smiles at Kelly and turns to the agent.
"I need the permission forms for a minor child and for someone to get in contact with his parents. They'll need to meet us at Mercy Care General to sign the paperwork. Tell Walton we have a new witness to today's events he'll need to be taken into protective custody." Tony didn't like the sound of that.
"Wait a minute, I haven't done anything. Why are you arresting me?" Mike sighs trying to remember Tony was just a kid.
"You're not being arrested just taken into protective custody so we can keep an eye on you for your safety. We're already working on bringing Kelly's dad home but we need to keep you safe since you're in the middle of this." Tony doesn't say anything knowing his dad will blow his top hearing what happened. "Don't worry we just need your information to contact your parents." Before he could get the contact information, they heard Anthony Senior fighting with another agent.
"What do you mean I can't get through? That's my son right there. I have to go to him and see what happened. Junior, what are you doing there? Get away from there right now." Mike sighs looking between Senior and Tony.
"That your old man?" Tony nods embarrassed.
"Yes sir," Mike pats his shoulder.
"Don't worry about it, I'll talk to him." Mike goes over and Tony can't hear what is being said but he could tell Anthony was upset and something about a lawyer. Mike returns shaking his head. "Your father isn't pleased that you stopped to help. He will meet us at the hospital with his lawyer but I've made it clear you have to come with us."
"I don't think ..." Mike crouches down in front of him to look Tony in the eyes.
"Anthony ..." Tony flinches and Mike tries again. "Tony? Tony, look you might not have seen anything but the men who shot at you saw you. They were trying to finish the job they started and might come back after you. It's our job to keep you safe especially after three people already died when they came after them." Tony sighed as a paramedic came over with the female agent.
"Agent Franks, are the children coming with us?" Mike nods before helping them up off the ground.
"Yeah and so is Agent Gomez. Yvonne, go with the kids to the hospital and make sure no one other than the doctors or nurses sees them. Check IDs and typical protocol." Yvonne Gomez nods and climbs into the back of the ambulance with them.
"Are you guys okay? Do you need anything?" Tony shakes his head as the paramedic checks his arm. "Don't worry; we'll take good care of you Anthony. Or do you prefer Tony?"
"Tony's okay, they don't call me Anthony unless I'm in trouble or at my boarding schools."
"Well I'm Agent Gomez and I'm pretty sure I'm going to be staying with you guys, I'm just not sure of where yet. We have to move locations." Kelly sniffs clutching fluffy.
"Do you know where my daddy is? Mommy promised he'd come home soon."
"Sorry honey I don't know but I'll try to find out for you." Tony hoped Kelly's dad would come home because it was bad enough to lose your mom without losing both parents though Anthony wasn't much of a parent to Tony. "Don't worry about your dad Tony, there's nothing much he can do about this unless he wants to put your life in danger."
"Yeah well if he's involving his lawyer who knows." Tony just stares out the window and Gomez doesn't bring it up again. At the hospital, Tony was given stitches and antibiotics while Mike and Anthony sorted out the details and then Anthony asked to see Tony.
"Junior, I don't know what kind of mess you got yourself into but these people say you have to go with them. They told me you didn't see anything."
"No, I just ran to see if I could help after I heard the crash." Anthony sighs looking him up and down. "I couldn't sit and not do anything when I saw the accident. Maybe it was stupid but they would've shot Kelly and that would be worse than being hurt helping them." Anthony sighs,
"Agent Franks says they'll take you by the house to pack a bag or two. Don't take anything that doesn't belong to you." Tony nods unsure what the agents must think of him. "Your albums are in my office and you can take those but don't go poking around."
"I won't Dad." Anthony hugs him.
"Be careful and listen to the Agents. They want to keep you safe."
"I will and thanks." On the way to Tony's house, it was just him and Mike.
"Your old man isn't happy you're coming with us but we couldn't just leave you unprotected. When we offered to let him come along, he declined saying we'd be better off with you." Tony sighs but doesn't say anything since it wasn't a huge surprise to him. "He said you were a good kid just different since your mom died."
"She died when I was 8 and he never was the same either. I guess we both changed over time but I think he's just glad to get rid of me." Mike doesn't know what to say to this. "I mean it was always boarding schools or summer camps. My Aunt and Uncle or my Grandparents wanted me but he didn't want me to go with them. He married my stepmom and they tried but things didn't work out for us as a family."
"Sometimes the effort to try is more than the effort needed to keep a happy home but that's fine and we're looking for the … for the person who is behind this so it probably won't be long. You might even be home before the summer is over." Tony didn't say anything and after packing up his clothes and some personal things he didn't want to leave behind they headed out to the store. "We need to pick up some stuff to keep you and Kelly busy. Some books, maybe a coloring book or two for her. She already has her stuffed bunny."
"Yeah, she was holding onto it like … I used to with my stuffed monkey." Mike doesn't know what to say to that.
"Well, hopefully, we'll be able to get her father home soon. With her mom gone … it's only right that we don't put her father at risk." Tony takes a deep breath.
"My father … he seems pissed about this."
"He is because he doesn't want you involved in anything but he said he can't really guarantee you'll be safe with him or some boarding school. He wants to help but he agrees you'll be safer with us. I hope you don't mind but we're putting both you and Kelly up together. It'll be a motel in case the safe houses are being watched."
"I don't care, she seems like a nice kid." Tony sighs. "I mean it doesn't matter where as long as she's safe. Safehouse, hotel, motel …" Mike nods,
"She is just scared since this started and now … I don't think it's hit her yet. There will be at least three agents during the day and two at night. Agent Gomez will stay with Kelly in one room and probably Agent Gilbert Inez with you in yours. They'll do the ordering of food, shopping for anything you guys might need and if you need anything all you have to do is ask." Tony wondered if it was that simple but didn't question it.
"Okay," After picking out coloring books, crayons and some things for Kelly Tony looked for a couple of puzzle books that would be cheap and keep himself busy. Mike insisted he get stuff he wanted to do since there would be long hours so Tony got some books to read as well. At the hotel, Kelly was lying down with fluffy not even looking up when there was a knock on the door but jumped up when Mike and Tony walked in. "Hey Kel,"
"Tony, you came back." She jumped up to hug him and Tony felt her shaking.
"Of course I did. I have to stay in hiding just like you." Kelly thinks about this and Mike hands him the bag. "We got you some stuff to keep busy." Kelly looks into the bag but doesn't take anything out.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome, honey. Now let's see about getting you two something for dinner. How does pizza sound?"
"Okay," Mike looks at Tony who nods.
"Okay so Kelly you like cheese and what about you Tony?"
"Can I get half with pepperoni, sausage, and extra cheese?"
"Sure, if that's what you want or we can get you a small one like that." Later after they ate, Kelly fell asleep watching cartoons. Tony was too hyped up and his arm was starting to hurt so they gave him some aspirin. "Why don't you try to go to sleep? At least lie down and watch TV. I have to make a phone call but you can lie in the other bed for now and watch TV while we use the other room. Just don't answer the door or phone for anyone." Tony agrees and Inez and Gomez follow Mike into the other room.
"What's going to happen to the boy … Tony? When Gunny Gibbs comes and takes Kelly …?" Mike sighs,
"He's just going to have to be placed somewhere. Maybe move to another location until things settle down. The DC office has some good field agents and they won't think to look for him there."
"Washington DC? Do you think that's safe? We're based out of here."
"Yeah, and we already lost two men because they were being followed. Keeping them here isn't safe either, and keeping them locked up until we catch the killers isn't good for kids either. Tony was just trying to help and got dragged into this mess." They figured out what they were going to do for a few days with the kids while waiting for Kelly's dad to return and then what he wanted to do with her. Two days later Mike and another agent go to the airfield where Jethro Gibbs' plane was going to land.
"How do you plan to explain Tony being kept in hiding with Kelly? Gunny might not like a teenage boy hanging around with his daughter." Mike glares at the agent. "I'm just saying I wouldn't like a teenage boy hanging around my young daughter."
"If you would have a problem with the boy who saved your daughter's life when he didn't know her being held safe with her then there's something wrong with you. The Gunny doesn't decide and he can't change what was done. It's not like they shared a room or with only one agent together." The other agent makes a rude noise and Mike glares at him.
"Don't say I didn't say so." Mike rolls his eyes but when Gibbs got off the plane they could tell he was upset.
"Gunny, I'm Agent Mike Franks and this is Agent Timothy Aldean. We're sorry for your loss." Gibbs looks at him.
"I want to see them."
"I'm sorry?"
"The bodies … it feels like a nightmare I won't wake up from. My gut tells me they're both dead but my heart …" Mike sighs,
"Shannon was killed in the accident and we can take you to see her body but Kelly survived. She is at a hotel in protective custody with a boy who helped her out at the scene of the accident." Gibbs takes a deep breath and Aldean shoots Mike a look. "Tony got her out of the car and …"
"I don't care about the boy. I thought … I was told they both died. I want to see her. She's the one who … I need to see her."
"Of course, let's go to the hotel." They headed to the hotel where Kelly was curled up in a chair while Gomez read a book to her and Tony worked on a word search listening to them. He knew they went for Gibbs but like Aldean, he thought that maybe Gibbs wouldn't want him to be there with Kelly. When Mike let them in with the key Tony gathered his things to go into the next room causing Kelly to look up.
"Daddy!" She ran to Gibbs jumping in his arms and starting to cry all over again and Tony went into the side room. He closed the door most of the way and turned on the TV so they would have privacy before pulling out some pens and a pad of paper to doodle.
"Hey kid, are you okay?"
"Yeah, just thought they would want some privacy. I don't know what you guys might talk about so …"
"Nothing you couldn't hear. We talked about the non-sharing things before we got here. Picked up some things for you as well." Mike tosses a bag onto the bed and Tony finds a sketch pad and drawing pencils. "Told you if you wanted something to let us know."
"My dad says it's a waste of time so I don't …"
"You need things to keep you busy. It's not going to give you a career unless you're really good but it's something to do from time to time."
"Thanks, Mike." Mike was tired of being addressed as Agent Franks by Tony and Kelly so he told them to call him Mike. Kelly called him Agent Mike sometimes but Tony took to calling him Mike right away and seemed to relax as well.
"Are you okay?" Tony nods,
"Yeah, just restless from being here for days on end that's all. I don't watch much TV and there aren't many movies on during the week."
"Well, tonight if there are not too many people you can go swimming downstairs. They have an indoor pool. We were going to suggest it since the hotel isn't packed but we'll see."
"That might be fun and different," Gibbs spoke to Tony briefly thanking him for helping Kelly and saving her. After dinner, they went swimming but Gibbs didn't do much but watch Kelly though Tony couldn't blame him. He knew it was hard on his dad to lose his mom and couldn't imagine what Gibbs was feeling.
