„ALISHIA ABIGAIL GIBBS!"

The words carried over the playground and let several mothers looked decidedly shocked as the silver haired man walked towards his daughter. Whereas all kids quickly went somewhere else one girl stood her ground and waited for her father to arrive. The two boys, who have been with said girl were vanished as if the ground had opened and swallowed them. The silence, which was already highly unusual on a playground, was absolute. Parents were wondering what the girl had done to enrage her father that much, the children knew. Gossip always travels fast, even in kindergarten, though, of course, it wasn't as half as bad as most of the kids thought.

Finally the huge man stood in front of the little girl, his hands pushed into his sides and he raised one silver eyebrow. She looked at him with big icy blue eyes and an almost innocent smile. He snorted and nodded towards the brunet man at the exit waiting for them. She sighed softly and made her way, followed by all eyes. Kids looked at her as if she was going to the gallows, some waved reluctantly at her as if they would never see her again. As she reached her other father he didn't say a word and just turned and they left the ground of the kindergarten.

„Hold it, Tony."

The silver haired man warned as they climbed into the car. Once they were out of sight of any parents or teachers the younger of the two couldn't hold it any longer and started to laugh. Confused the girl stared at her Daddy from the backseat.

„Tony."

Jethro said but it didn't hold any fire and a smile lurked around the corner of his mouth. He glanced into the rear view mirrow and saw that his daughter was looking extremely puzzled.

„Em...aren't you angry?"

„About what? I think it was hilarious! I wish I'd been there."

Tony laughed on the passenger seat. Jethro shook his head, his smile finally broke through.

„Where did you get the idea? Or better, who teached you to pick locks?"

The two men looked at eachother.

„Ziva."

„So, am I grounded?"

They shared another look and then sighed.

„Ok...you won't see anybody from your kindergarten the next two weeks. But you can play with your other friends. We have to make sure the other parents think you were grounded."

She nodded but still looked confused.

„So...you're not angry?"

„Well, Lish, you know that you shouldn't have done it. And we're making a clear point that you shouldn't have done it, but on the other hand, you only gave the toys out. But one is important. Picking locks is not alright, got me?"

Tony turned to look his daughter in the eyes.

„Yes, Daddy."

He nodded and turned back.

„So...what do we do now?"

„Not McDonalds."

Jethro answered curtly and threw Tony a look.

„Ok, how about KFC?"

„Sounds good, Lish?"

„Great!"






„So, I've went down into the evidence locker, and there was Sheryl, with a y. She was begging me for a date, don't know where she's been the last six years. The whole building knows that I'm married and still I get asked for dates. Anyway, after I told her that she'd have to ask you she was going round. It was meant as a joke, I tried to explain her that we have a daughter and are married and so on but she thought I was talking professional. Then, Maggie explained me that Sheryl was in the mental hospital after she went out with Tommy, and now she thought I'm Tommy...could have known when she called me Agent Tommy but I thought she's talking about Tim's book. Hey, has he told you that he's writing a sequel, again. Agent Dona and Tibbs are going to have a baby. Really, I don't know where he gets those ideas from."

„Stop!"

Tony and Lish looked up from their chicken wings and raised their eyebrows.

„Tony, you know I love you, but please, shut up."

Jethro pressed his fingers against his temples.

„You getting a headache?"

„Yeah...It's building since I woke up this morning."

Tony took another bite and then tilted his head.

„Well, you could tell the doc about it."

„The doc?"

„Yeah, Jethro, your doctor? You have an appointment tomorrow. Don't say you didn't know, I told you. And I made sure you're off tomorrow morning."

Tony grinned mischieve and took another chicken wing from Lish's basket.

„You're eating quite a lot, aren't you?"

The older man frowned as Tony munched away.

„Not more than usual."

Shaking his head Jethro took a sip of his coffee and returned to his own meal.

It was four am when their phone rang.

„Gibbs?"

„Jethro, it's Fornell."

„Tobias. Do you have any idea what time it is?"

„You mean you and Tony actually slept?"

Snorting Jethro stood up and went out of the bedroom. He didn't know how Tony could still be asleep but he didn't want to wake him.

„Why do you call, Tobias?"

„Have you heard of the playground scooter?"

Jethro put down the cup he had just taken out of the cupboard and sat at the kitchen table.

„Playground scooter?"

„Yeah. Five children have been abducted on playgrounds. I didn't expect Jen to tell you."

„Why should she?"

Jethro had a suspicion why she hadn't told him and he didn't like that.

„She turned over one of the cases. It's a daughter of a Navy Admiral."

‚I'm gonna kill her‘ he thought but took a deep breath.

„You still haven't told me why you're calling."

„We're not getting any further in this case. I thought if I tip you that we have this case you might storm into the office of your director and demand jurisdiction. We both pull our bastard show, Tony could use his „it could be my daughter" line and we can solve this case and get that bastard."

Jethro turned when there was a sound at the door. Tony slurfed into the kitchen and kissed Jethro on the top of the head.

„Work?"

„Could be."

He took another breath before he talked to Fornell again.

„I gotta think about it, Tobias. But if you haven't heard of me or Jen until tonight you know my answer."

With that he closed his cell phone and put it on the table. Tony sat down with a frown on his face.

„What's going on?"

„Tobias said they have a case and they're not making any progress. He asked me to join the investigation."

„You? Working with the FBI? Gotta see that."

„Well, if I do, you will. He said that it's a serial crime and one of the abductions was in NCIS jurisdiction but Jen turned it over."

Tony's frown became a little deeper as Jethro filled two cups with coffee and sat down again.

„What are you waiting for then?"

„Tony...it's about children."

The younger man sat back in his chair and nodded slightly.

„What happened?"

Jethro gave a half shrug.

„Five children have been abducted on playgrounds. That's all I know so far. You know how I am on such cases, I won't sleep until we have that dirtbag."

„Yes, I know. And I know that I won't sleep either. But the question, Jethro, is, can you sleep if you're not doing anything?"

Jethro sighed deeply. Tony was right, no point to argue. Now that he knew that there was somebody taking children, girls that probably indeed could have been his daughter, he felt sick. He wanted to throw up, as always with such cases. He knew that the longer he was sitting in this kitchen waiting for the answer to come the smaller were the chances to find those girls. On the other hand now he didn't have pictures of them in his head. He wouldn‘t see them cry in his dreams and he couldn't have to blame himself if they didn't find them.

„We can't do anything right now. Let's go to bed and we'll see tomorrow."

Tony nodded, knowing he would lose every following argument and accepted this as almost won. For Tony it was a clear thing that they'd take the case. He definitely couldn't sleep very well knowing that children are in the hands of some psycho who did things with them he didn't even want to think about.

„Ok, let's sleep for a few more hours."





„NO, JEN!! It's our responsibility!"

Tony startled out of sleep and sat upright in the bed. Lish was lying next to him on Jethro's side and suddenly, the house was very silent. Too silent. The door opened and Jethro entered the room. He picked his still sleeping daughter up and went back to the door.

„Get dressed, Tony. We're heading into work."

With that he left Tony alone, puzzled as he was. Still dazed he always needed a few minutes to really wake up so Jethro was back in the room before Tony was even up.

„Why are you still in bed?"

„Aren't we off today? It's sunday...oh...you decided?"

„Yeah, Tony. I decided. We're dropping Lish at the day care and get going."

Tony slowly stood from the bed and rubbed his eyes.

„Why do we have to bring Lish to day care? Can't Ducky watch her?"

„Ducky comes in aswell. We'll need a profile."

Tony frowned as he brushed his teeth. He stuck his head back into the bedroom.

„Hasn't the FBI done one?"

„I want Ducky to do another!"

Jethro answered angrily and then closed his eyes and pressed his fingers against the bridge of his nose.

„I'm sorry, Tony...I haven't slept well."

Bitting back the „I told you" Tony came back into the bedroom and started to dress.

„Didn't find any?"

„Worse. I had a nightmare. I thought without the pictures of the kids it would be easier, it wasn't. I saw Lish all the time. Sitting in a dark room crying, sobbing our names."

Tony looked at his husband for a long moment. Then he crossed the small space and kissed him softly.

„We'll take care that Lish is not alone for one single minute until this bastard is behind bars...or in the morgue...can't decide which one I'd prefer."

Jethro nodded curtly and went to the door.

„I do."

„Can we finally get started?"

Jethro asked annoyed as he paced up and down in front of McGee's desk. The young man tried to get the memory chip Fornell had brought going so the FBI agent could start his briefing.

„Yes."

He handed Fornell the remote and they turned to the plasma.

„Ok, we have five victims so far. All girls, between 3 and 6, abducted on 5 different playgrounds in DC. They were in different kindergartens and schools, haven't visited the same day care or are anyhow connected."

„They resemble eachother?"

Tony asked hoping to have at least a lead for what the kidnapper is looking.

„Not really."

Fornell pulled five pictures onto the plasma.

„Alexandra Elaina Stavros, 4, her parents run a greek restaurant down town. Olivia Sola Marino, 3, her father is the Navy Admiral. Samara Jamila Karim, 6, her family immigrated a short time before the II. Iraque War. Her father is a human rights lawyer and her mother works as a bilingual secretary for Amnesty International. Drew Nimee Sha Hicks,5 , her father is African and her mother American. And Ivi Ricci Russo..."

„I know that girl!"

Tony said and jumped off his desk. He went to the plasma and stared at the little girl with the black hair and the big dark eyes.

„I saw her on the playground when I was there with Lish...I talked to her mother...a very nice woman. Ivi played with Lish the whole morning and...they wanted to see eachother again...I gave Maria our number but she didn't call...when was she abducted?"

„Tuesday, two weeks ago."

Tony looked at Jethro with big eyes.

„It was the day we met...she was abducted the day I was there..."

Everybody standing there swallowed thickly. They realized just how close this case went and even if they had intented they couldn't remain on distance now.

„Have you seen anything?"

Fornell asked, the absolute wrong thing to do in this situation.

„Like what, Fornell? A crying girl on the arm of some man? Yeah, one or two! But it's a god damn playground! Kids are crying all the time there! And what should I have done? Stop everyone walking past me only because their daughter didn't look happy? I had no idea that I had to be attentive! I had no fucking idea that there was a kidnapper running around! And if I did I wouldn't have brought my daughter there!"

Tony went into the older man's face until Jethro and McGee together managed to pull Tony away, before he'd do something he would regret later.

„Everything was normal. Kids were playing, kids were laughing, some kids were crying. All I know is that when I left Ivi was with her mother."

„It's ok, Tony."

Jethro soothed and seated the younger man in his chair. He gave Fornell a death glare before he looked at the five pictures on the plasma. He turned to the ME.

„Ducky, can you give me anything?"

„Well, Jethro, in this case it is easier to go by elimination than anything else. Obviously the perp doesn't try to replace somebody, then the victims would resemble eachother. And I can't see any preferences in this seemingly random choice. The only thing these five have in common is that they're all beautiful, by the modern standarts."

With that Ducky definitely was right. Green, blue and brown eyes, but all bright and big. All of them had a smile that would light up the day of every proud father or mother, and everybody around. There was a girl with shiny red hair, a cute brunet and sweet black haired. Different skin types, different origins, probably different characters. Jethro really couldn't see any pattern...except...

„They're too different."

Tony looked up at that statement and stepped to the plasma next to his husband. As he looked at the pictures, he suddenly knew what Jethro meant.

„He's collecting them."

„Collecting them?"

Ziva repeated.

„Like stamps?"

„More like dolls, Ziva. Can't you see it?"

She tilted her head and then frowned.

„Why would somebody collect children?"

„Why do you train every sunday? Why does McGee write? Why does Jethro build a boat? Why do some people paint, why do people collect stamps, coins or postcards? It's their hobby, as macabre as it sounds."

Tony explained heatedly. He hated the image this thought created but it was the most plausible explanation, or at least the only one at hand.

„That actually sounds quite reasonable...in a very desturbing way."

Ducky agreed and then a heavy silence followed.

„Does that help us?"

McGee finally asked and again nobody spoke for a moment.

„Well, let's go with this doll theory for a moment. The perfect doll is nothing without the perfect dress, right?"

Tony asked taking his knowledge from his daughter. She wasn't really the doll type girl but she insisted to have a business barbie and not the miami barbie, though the doll is the same. Relunctant nods came from various persons.

„Ok, so...he, or she, though I'm pretty sure we're talking about a man here, has to buy those dresses somewhere. So, how about checking out the stores that have those kind of dresses dolls wear?"

„That have to be hundreds of stores, Tony."

Ziva reasoned with him.

„That ever stopped us before?"

Jethro snapped and suddenly there was movement. McGee was hurrying to his desk, mumbling something about finding doll and pupper collector web sites and Ziva went to get a list of children cloth stores.

„They're right, Jethro. The lead is too weak. He still could order the dresses online."

Tony said once more resigned.

„We'll try, Tony. If it's leading us nowhere we're not falling back. Every lead is a lead, no matter how weak."

Jethro squeezed his shoulder once and then sat down at his own desk. Fornell resumed the desk he has gotten next to the actual bullpen and Tony remained, staring at the picture of the little girl who has played with his daughter only two weeks ago.

The door to the room was closed, but not locked. Tony slowly walked towards it, knowing he wouldn't like what he'd see but still, it was his duty to go in there. He had the doorknob in his hand but he couldn't move. His feet were nailed to the floor, his breathing was short and didn't bring nearly enough oxigen to his lungs. He thought he was going to suffocate and had to work up all his strengh to open the door.

„Tony, wake up!"

He opened his eyes and blinked confused. He sat in his chair at his desk. There was no door in front of him and his breath was short but his breast felt a lot less heavy. It was just a dream. Finally his eyes focused on the blue eyes over him and he sat up. He noticed that everybody else was gone.

„What time is it?"

„3 am. I send them home. There's nothing we can do tonight."

„Did anyone pick up Lish?"

Since he had arrived at the office he hadn't spend a single second to glance at his watch. He had worked without a break until he had fallen asleep over some research.

„Yeah, Ducky picked her up and took her home. We really didn't need him here."

Tony nodded and narrowed his eyes on the screen of his computer again.

„Oh, no. You're not going to work through the night."

The younger man looked at Jethro with his mouth open for a moment.

„But...the girls..."

„Yes, and there's a 4 year old girl waiting at home. C'mon, Tony. You need to eat something and then get a few hours sleep in something more comfortable than your chair."

Tony sighed and made to grap his stuff.

„We don't really have anything eatable in the house. Didn't have time to shop."

„That's alright. You go home, I'll run into the 24 supermarket and get something."

They shared a short kiss and went seperate ways. Tony drove home, his dream still vivid in his mind. Should he have told Jethro? He had told him openly about his nightmare the other night. But then, what was it about? A door he didn't dare to open? Well, surprise! He parked the car and went inside. He found Ducky snoring lightly in the guest's room and smiled slightly. As he came to the bedroom he glanced to his left. The door to Lish's room was slightly apart, as every night. It wouldn‘t hurt to look and see that she's alright, would it? But as he stood there watching his little sunshine sleep he couldn't help it. He went over to the bed and picked the girl up. Slowly she was getting too heavy to carry around but Tony didn't really care. If he had to he would carry Jethro, so a four year old wasn't a big problem. He put her down on the king sized bed in the master bedroom and then changed into the silk pyjamas Abby had given him for his last birthday. Once he was under the covers his daughter wrapped around him and he protectively put his arms around her and squeezed a little.

About twenty minutes later Jethro entered the bedroom. When he saw his family he had no thought left for food. He quickly changed himself and completed the protective circle around his daughter. He could never understand how somebody could hurt something as sweet and innocent as a child. But he knew that if anybody ever tried to take him his daughter away they would be lucky if they survived that.





„PAAAAA!!!! WAKE UP!!!!"

He was shook but by now this didn't necessarily lead to the kill-reflex anymore. His brain took in the size of the hands shaking him and gave green light. His daughter. Slowly he opened his eyes, turned and raised an eyebrow at her.

„Any reason why you're in our bed?"

„Don't know. Woke up here."

For a moment Jethro went through the events of last night, coming to the end that Tony had taken Lish to their bed. She hadn't slept with them anymore since she was two and a half. Even after the worst horror movie she could sleep without nightmares. So he concluded that Tony had felt the need to have her there, not the other way around. He could understand it, he had felt the same need just a night before.

„Ok...and what reason, young lady, do you have to wake me the way you did?"

„Daddy told me to wake you."

Jethro sat up and looked stern at her.

„And Daddy told you to jump onto the bed and shake your Pa and scream?"

„Em...yeah."

He raised his eyebrow a little higher.

„No, Daddy said I should tickle you. But you slept on your tummy."

Jethro shook his head and gave his daughter a soft headslap.

„Before you complain, Daddy will get one, too. Now, let your old Pa get out of the bed."

„You're not old, Pa."

He snorted at the pathetic reassurance and stood up. Lish was at the stairs before him and jumped down the last two steps.

„NO JUMPING!"

Jethro and Tony called at the same time. She, once more, gave them an „I'm an angel"-smile and went into the living room to watch her morning dosis TV.

„She's going to be real trouble someday."

Jethro said as he kissed Tony on the cheek.

„Why someday? Anyway, I talked to Su..."

„Who's Su?"

Tony shook his head.

„Neighbour? Two doors to the left? She's on the list to pick up Lish, Jethro!"

„Oh...you mean Susanne, Mike's wife."

„Yeah, Mike's wife. And I talked to her. She's going to pick up Lish today from kindergarten. She said I'd be no problem if she stayed a few days with her."

Jethro sat at the table and sighed. He took a sip of his coffee and then looked at Tony.

„You wanna take her up to the offer?"

„I told her, Jethro. I had to warn her. She promised me to not tell anybody but she'll sleep just as bad as we will until we catch that bastard. And if we have our mind off Lish it might help us focus on those other girls for a few days."

„You really thing we'll have our mind off Lish?"

Tony glanced into the living room.

„No. But still. I think it's a good idea."

„Well, at least we know she's far away from any playgrounds."

Tony took a deep breath as Jethro knocked on the door. It took a moment before a spanish-looking woman opened the door. She was in her late twenties, maybe early thirties and could be considered as very attractive. But she had dark rings around her eyes and her tanned skin seemed pale.

„Special Agents Gibbs and DiNozzo, NCIS. We're here to talk about your daughter."

Jethro said softly and the young woman nodded. She lead them into the living room and they sat on the couch.

„Can I bring you a coffee?"

„Thanks."

They both said and waited patiently until she returned.

„So, NCIS finally joined in? Is there anything new?"

She asked with a slight accent that served her pretty well.

„We just joined the investigation, Ma'am. I'm sorry you have to go through that again, but could you tell us what happened on the playground?"

Tony asked not taking his eyes off her for a single moment. She sat back in her seat and took a deep breath, tears glistering in her eyes.

„I was there with Olivia everyday. At that day, I wanted to buy her a soft ice. I just turned my back to the ground for a moment, she was in the sand box...and then...she was gone..."

Tony looked down to his notes in a try to hold his own tears. These cases effected him a lot more nowadays.

„Mrs. Marino, it is very important. Have you seen anybody suspicious? A man who acted out. Somebody who wasn't with a child or talked to many different kids?"

She shook her head and sniffed.

„I was watching Olivia all the time. And I was talking to other mothers. I didn't spent attention to men..."

‚Naive‘ was the first word that came to Tony's mind but then he realized that he wouldn't have acted differently.

„You don't think you'll find her, right?"

She asked and Tony looked up.

„We'll do everything to safe your daughter, Ma'am."

„You know what Sola means?"

„She who lives alone."

Tony answered and Jethro shot him a surprised look.

„Yes...After the birth the doctors told me that I can't have another baby...we wanted to have lots of children, you know?"

A sad smile appeared on her face. Tony felt Jethro shift a little closer.

„Do you have children?"

„One."

They answered together.

„You...two?"

They nodded.

„Yeah, we have a daughter. She's four. We can fully understand your situation and we really try everything to get that bastard so our children can play again. And we'll try everything that your daughter can play again."

„Thank you, Agent DiNozzo."

She smiled softly and they left her alone again, with a very bad feeling in their guts.



The drive back to the office Tony was completely silent. The conversation with the young mother had shaken him.

„You shouldn't have said that."

Tony turned his head to look at his husband. Apparently he had said more before and the one sentence didn't make much sense.

„I shouldn't have said what?"

„Tony, the girl is missing for more than three weeks."

He looked at Jethro but he didn't understand what he was trying to say.

„I still don't..."

„You shouldn't have given her hope. The chances to find the girl..."

„Her name is Olivia!"

„I know what her name was."

If they had stood at a streetlight Tony would have fleed the car but he had no choice.

„You don't know if she's dead! Don't assume that she's dead!"

„Tony, I'm just realistical!"

Jethro said reasonable and calm but it only enraged Tony even more.

„Why the hell are you working this case if you don't have any hope? Are you really that bitter? Did this job kill all optimism in you already? What if it had been Lish? Would you want the police to talk about her as if she was dead? Would you?"

Tony yelled and Jethro's jaw was set tight as he pulled into a space at NCIS.

„Get out."

Jethro said forced calmly.

„No, Jethro!"

„GET OUT, DINOZZO!"

Everthing froze. For five years Jethro hadn't called Tony DiNozzo anymore. The younger man's eyes filled with tears and Jethro wanted to say something, to apologize, but Tony opened the door, got out and closed the door. The soft click of the lock was deafening and much worse than if Tony had slammed the door shut.

Three solid days Tony and Jethro didn't talk more than absolutely necessary. Suddenly they went back to Gibbs and DiNozzo and everybody around knew that something had happened, and if they couldn't work out whatever it was, and soon, this could be the end of something they thought would last forever.

That day the bullpen was silent. Ziva and McGee were following tips they had received in the last days and weeks, but none of them really lead anywhere. But suddenly, from the stairs, loud voices arrived in the office.

„WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU DOING?"

„I DON'T THINK THAT'S ANY OF YOUR BUSINESS!"

„I'M STILL YOUR HUSBAND!!!"

The door flew open and Tony stormed into the bullpen. He slammed his backpack onto his desk and put his things into it.

„Where are you going?"

„I'm going to get my daughter!"

Tony said angrily but McGee and Ziva could see his hands shaking.

„You're on duty!"

The younger man looked up with a gaze as cold as ice. He took his gun from the drawer but instead of pushing it into its holster he put it on the table, his badge on top of it and pushed it towards Jethro.

„No...Tony, no!"

„Now I'm Tony, huh?"

He shouldered his pack and started towards the elevator.

„AGENT DINOZZO!"

The female voice was clearly pissed and Tony froze. Slowly he turned and saw Director Shepard standing on top of the stairs leading to MTAC.

„You and Agent Gibbs. My office."

As neither of the men moved she let out an exasperated sigh.

„NOW!"

Reluctantly and with as much distance as possible they went upstairs. She sat behind her desk and looked sternly at the men standing in front of her.

„I want to know why my agency suddenly seems like a bad soap opera."

Tony glanced at Jethro but didn't say a word. For a long moment she watched them.

„Ok, if you don't want to talk about it. Agent DiNozzo, I'm not accepting your resignation. You will finish your current case and if you still have the wish to leave Agent Gibbs‘ team we will talk about it then. Until then I'm expecting you two to behave like adults and work together. Dismissed."

The two turned around and left the office without any word. They sat behind their respective desks and worked silently.







„Daddy!"

He heard her cry and he knew he had to open this god damn door. But still his feet wouldn't move. His hand clenched around the knob and his knuckles turned white. His heart felt like a stone in his chest and with sheer will he pushed the door open.

His daughter sat in the middle of the room, blood and small body parts covered the floor almost completely and Lish was missing her hands and legs, blood steaming from the missing limps.





Tony sat upright and run off to the bathroom, his hand tightly in front of his mouth. He could hold it until he had reached a cabin. The splash of his vomit against the china of the toilet was deafened by the blood rushing in his ears.

He closed his eyes in a try to control his stomach but the retching continued. He couldn't hold it and after ten minutes it faded completely. His forehead was damp and his neck hurt but otherwise he didn't feel any different than all day. He exited the cabin but only reached the wall where he sat down, resting his head against the cold tiles. He felt somebody sit next to him but didn't open his eyes.

„Better?"

He nodded and swallowed hardly.

„What time is it?"

„4 am."

Came the prompt answer and he opened his eyes. The room wasn't spinning or anything and apart from his rough neck he felt completely fine. There was only one explanation for this.

„It's not completely unexpected."

Jethro said next to him. Tony smiled slightly as he recalled the night he had told Jethro that he was pregnant with Lish.

„And not completely unintented."

They looked at eachother and in that moment Tony knew that everything was forgotten and forgiven. All what mattered was their family and they just had to be reminded of that.

„But good."

They said together and smiled. Jethro's hand entwined with Tony's and the younger man put his head on his husband's shoulder. For a few pleasant moments their world seemed perfect again. But of course, their moment was destroyed as the door opened and McGee looked at them with big eyes.

„Are you ok?"

„Better than ok."

Tony mumbled and smiled sheepishly.

Jethro sat at his desk looking through all statements of the parents. He closed the statement of Navy Admiral George Marino, father of Olivia Sola. As he stared at the top of the folder his thoughts went out of the building.

„Hey, bossman. Where's Tony?"

„Not here."

Abby raised her eyebrow, obviously not in the mood for jokes, as most of them.

„He's at his doctor."

„Because he threw up?"

„McGee told you?"

She went around his desk and half sat on it. She lowered her voice to a private level.

„Yeah. He told me that Tony suddenly jumped off his seat and ran off to the restroom. Did he throw up again last night?"

„Why do you think that?"

She sighed annoyed.

„He threw up at four am and was completely fine afterwards. And McGee said you and he suddenly were fine again. So...is Tony pregnant?"

„Abby, what do you think why he's at his doctor? He threw up last night. At four am. Tony's never punctual, but his morning sickness is."

She nodded and watched as Jethro took another file.

„So, was it planned?"

„Partly."

„Partly?"

He sighed and looked at her.

„Tony tried the pill when we married but he didn't took it. So we used condoms. But you know how it goes, sometimes, when things heat up... we are married and if it happened we'd have another child to love. So, we didn't exactly tried to get another one, but we wouldn't mind it either."

„So, you talked about what happened between you?"

What? Was it the „ask uncomfortable question" day?

„Yeah. We both went too far but we're ok now. This case is effecting both of us extremely and we both are on our limits. Did he tell you that he knows one of the girls?"

Abby nodded sadly.

„She's the one last abducted."

Jethro nodded and frowned.

„Isn't it weird? The time frame between the abductions is so..."

„Random? Well, the choice is, too. And if Tony's right and he's collecting the girls he's only taking the right ones. Collectors are really patient."

„Yeah, that's why I never collected anything."

She smiled softly and then patted his shoulder as she stood.

„Tell me if I have to prepare for a new godchild, ok?"

„Sure, Abs, as soon as I know more, we'll tell you."

She went back to her lab, not as bouncy as usual. Jethro rubbed his eyes. More than anything he wanted to go with Tony but it was enough that one of them wasn't there. And since Tony was doing a blood test they would get the result in a few days and not that day. He took a deep breath as he opened the next file. Going through them was nearly completely useless. All parents said more or less the same. They had watched their kids but for a moment and then they were gone.

He shook his head and glanced at his watch. Grapping his coat he stood from his chair.

„Where are you going, boss?"

„I'm heading over to Tony. I need to talk to him. If anything comes up, call me."

With that he left the office. Without any lead there was nothing to do anyway. The drive to the doctor's office he used to rethink the whole collector theory. It had to be some help.





„I'm no profiler, Jethro."

Tony reasoned as they entered the coffee shop near the office. Tony had just been done when Jethro arrived so they drove back and met at the shop.

„And still you had the best ideas so far."

„Well, what Abby said is definitely right. Collectors have a lot of patience, one reason why I never collected anything."

Jethro grinned slightly at Tony's statement.

„Coffee, black."

He ordered as they stepped up to the counter.

„Co...no..."

Tony sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. With a lot of effort he ordered decaf.

„I already hate it that I have to stop coffee and sugar this time."

They took their drinks and went out, slowly walking back to the office.

„So, does this patience thing help us?"

„Not really. All we know is that if we don't find him he'd be able to go on forever...though...He's looking for the perfect ones, right? Well, collectors usually watch the objects they want before they get it. I think that's the fun in it. To see something and knowing that you want it, but you wait for the perfect moment to get it."

They glanced at eachother, thinking exactly the same, and then they moved on.

„I guess it would be the same with our collector, wouldn't it? He's watching the children, always one girl at the time. He's waiting for the opportunity and when it's there, he gets them."

„So, maybe we have to question the parents again. This time not only about the day the girls were abducted but the time between the abduction before and their abduction. Maybe they saw somebody more than once...or maybe they can give us locations with video surveillance and we can check the feed."

Jethro considered as they stepped up to the NCIS building. Before they entered Tony stopped him.

„Jethro, I've been thinking...what do you think he's doing with them?"

„I really don't want to think about that, Tony."

„I think we have to...I keep dreaming the worst situations. When we find him we will find the girls and we will find out what he's doing with them. I don't think he's taking them only to sit them all in a room where they can play tea party."

Jethro took a deep breath and looked up and down the street, nodded to Agents passing them, looking anywhere but at Tony.

„I don't think that either. What were you dreaming?"

Now it was on Tony to avoid his husband's eyes.

„Mostly it's a mixture of former cases. Cut off limps, rape, torture... I don't think we'll find anything of what I've been dreaming, but I don't think it'll be better either. And you've been right. I don't think they're all still alive either. But what's worrying me the most is, that he's probably looking for his next victim."

Jethro nodded darkly and squeezed Tony's hand in reassurance.

„Let's catch him before he can extend his collection."

He softly stroke over his husband's serious face. The smile he loved so much was gone and there was noone taking the pressure of this case off his shoulders. Secretly he was thankful that Tony's possible pregnancy happened just now so they had something else to think about. Otherwise he wasn't so sure they both wouldn't turn crazy over stress and worry.

As Tony entered the lab he was hugged tightly and for a few seconds he let it happen, though he wondered what gave him the pleasure this time.

„So?"

Abby asked as she finally released him. He raised an eyebrow and then frowned.

„Em...actually, I wanted to know if you found anything useful in the evidence by now..."

„The bossman checked it and I already told him that there were footprints. But it's a playground, so...I was talking about the results! You got them?"

„Jethro told you?"

She rolled her eyes and strolled to her computer.

„Tony, you threw up in the middle of the office."

„I didn't throw up in the middle of the office!"

„Ok, you didn't. But everybody noticed. Everybody thought you might had a nightmare about slaughtered children..."

„And I had!"

Her eyes went big.

„You did?"

„I dreamed...I don't wanna talk about it. I dream of crying girls every night...."

She tilted her head.

„But Gibbs told me you threw up again at four am. Like when you were pregnant with Lish."

He sighed and looked around, unnecessarily making sure that noone was around.

„I threw up this night again. I'm pretty sure I'm pregnant but I made a blood test, just to be on the safe side. I don't have the results yet and I don't want anybody to know, at the moment."

„Why not?"

„I don't want them to worry about me. If they know they'll harrass me if I'm eating something sweet of if I drink a coffee..."

His cell phone interrupted him.

„DiNozzo?"

Abby watched him and saw that his face paled. He grapped the table in the middle of the lab and looked at if he was fading out.

„Tony?"

He shut his cell phone and stared into thin air.

„He's got Lish..."










The silence was deafening as Tony and Jethro sat in MTAC. Nobody but Jen was with them in the room and she still stared ahead at the black screen. Only minutes before she had tried to talk to the SecNav that the two men could continue working the case. But there was no way. And more, the SecNav had suspended them both for the duration of the investigation, threatening them with other meassures if they were in office until they were cleared for work again.

Ten minutes later Tony stood from his chair and stormed out of the room. He rushed down the stairs into the office and without stopping at his desk went to the elevator, which arrived promptly. Distantly he heard Jethro and Jen go after him, Jethro ordering McGee to stop him but the doors closed in the younger man's face and Tony felt as if he was breathing for the first time since he got the message that Lish was missing.

He closed his eyes and the pictures of his dreams popped into his mind. Blood and dead girls, the sound of muffled cries and muttered names were echoing in his ears. The elevator doors opened on ground level and as he opened his eyes he stared into the icy blue ones of his husband. Without a word he pushed past him but Jethro grapped his arm.

„Lemme go."

He hissed but didn't look at him. Anger and sorrow mixed and his eyes filled with tears. He wasn't angry with Su, it wasn't her fault, he was angry with himself. He should have taken more care in protecting his daughter. She was his responsibility. He broke free from Jethro's grip and left the building. He realized that he didn't have his keys with him but he knew he couldn't go back into the office. He just kept on walking.

He heard Jethro talking but the words didn't make sense in his head. He didn't know where he was going. All he knew was that he had to go on. He had to move or he'd never move again. If he stopped now he would break down.

But some meters further he couldn't walk anymore. His throat was dry and he thought he was going to die that very moment. His vision became blury and the last thing he felt were hands on his arms and then he faded out.

As his mind slowly returned to reality he didn't open his eyes. He felt that he was lying on a bed and he heard soft talking, a moment later he recognized Jethro and Ducky.

„Hey, Tony, are you with us?"

The words were followed by a hand stroking over his cheek. He blinked his eyes open and slowly the events of the last days returned. The case with the five missing girls, throwing up every night at 4 am, Lish missing. His stomach clenched and tears shot in his eyes. He covered them with his hands and turned to his side.

„It's alright, Tony."

„How can you say that? My baby is the hands of some psycho and they tell me to sit around and do nothing! I can't do that!"

Jethro sat on the edge of the bed and let his husband yell at him. He knew that he had to let his anger out of somebody.

„I was saying it's alright to cry, Tony. I talked to McGee. He said they have a pretty good describtion of the dirtbag."

Tony sniffed and sat up in the bed.

„How's that? I thought nobody ever saw anything."

„Well, apparently Alishia choose to yell „fire" instead of anything else."

Ducky explained and now stepped into the bedroom.

„It certainly got more attention that a child crying „I don't want to go" or something like that. People turned to look, some even tried to get to Alishia as they realized what was happening but the culprit could flee. Timothy was right, though. We have a pretty good description and a car with plate. It's only a matter of time until we find him."

„Time we don't have."

Tony said resigned. Jethro's cell phone rang and he turned away a bit to talk.

„Check out the owner anyway. And keep me posted."

He hung up.

„That was McGee. The car came back stolen. It still could be the owner, couldn't it?"

„It could."

Ducky agreed and then opened his bag.

„Well, Anthony, let me check you once more before I go..."










Tony had just faded into a dreamless sleep, the first time since they had gotten the case, as the phone rang. He waited a moment, hoping that Jethro would pick it up, but then he remembered that Jethro was meeting Fornell.

„Gibbs-DiNozzo residence. DiNozzo speaking?"

He answered after he had more or less run down the stairs.

„Hi, Tony. Sonja here."

Dr. Kiefer greeted him happily.

„Hi, you got the results?"

„Not in the mood for small talk, huh?"

„I'm sorry but I'm really not."

Tony rubbed his eyes. They were burning from crying and a headache was pulsating heavily behind his left temple.

„Well, maybe you'll be in a better mood after this. Congratulations, Tony. You are going to be a father again."

‚Ironical‘ Tony thought and didn't knew if he should laugh or cry over the situation.

„Thanks for the call, Sonja."

Tony was about to hang up.

„Tony, is everything alright? You seemed to be happy at the prospect of being pregnant again when you were here."

„I'm fine...it's just...we have a major problem at home..."

„You and Jethro?"

He sat down on the couch and took a deep breath.

„No...I'll call you for an appointment. I gotta go now...bye, Sonja."

Before she could say more he hung up and let himself fall back into the cushions. He closed his eyes and hoped he would wake up and see that this was just the worst nightmare of his life.

„Tobias was really pissed. His director had pulled him off the case and our team's been pulled aswell. He said that they were all emotionally involved."

Jethro told Tony as they took a walk through the their neighbourhood. Jethro thought that fresh air would be good and not as depressing as sitting at home.

„Did Tim find anything before they were pulled?"

„Well, the car was stolen and the owner was a family father with three daughters in the age of 2 to 7. He didn't seem like the type for it. And he had heard of the incident when Lish was abducted...he said he'd grill such a fucking bastard and feed his guts to rats. And that's a quote."

Tony sighed as they walked on. The description of the car fitted to about a hundred thousand of minivans in DC alone, let alone in Virginia. And since the car was stolen only three days before Lish was abducted he probably used different cars every time. Maybe he was a fucking nut-job, but he was definitely not stupid.

With their team pulled they had not much left to get information, at least not much more than any other parents. They could hope that Jen would keep them in the loop but apparently she was fighting over jurisdiction with the FBI director. Tony plainly hated that guy.

About three blocks away from their house Tony stopped at a house. The front garden was neat, the windows had pretty curtains and it looked like a house from Pleasantville. It looked too neat. In a window on the second floor Tony saw a brown cat. But then he realised the the cat didn't move...it was a preperated animal.

„Tony?"

Jethro had stopped and turned to see why his husband had stopped but the younger man's gaze was fixed on the house. A black minivan stood in the driveway. Without much thinking he went to the car and as he came closer he saw sawdust on the floor behind the car, as if somebody had carried a bag with it and some of it spilled. He looked inside and saw bags of a children cloth store, but as he looked around he couldn't find any indication that children lived there.

„Fucking bastard!"

He muttered and went to the door. Jethro was short behind him as he hammered against the door.

„HELP!!!"

A child cried out and that was enough. Tony kicked in the door and ran inside the house, Jethro on his six. Once inside the house a man jumped at Tony from the stairs. The younger man needed only a second to turn the situation and the man was pinned to the floor and Tony was hitting him as if there was no tommorow. Between the sound of heavy breathing and fists colliding with flesh and bones Jethro could hear a girl crying and after a moment he recognized it as his daughter.

Knowing they were in trouble already Jethro tried to pull Tony away from the unconscious man. It took his several more hits before he finally managed to restrain Tony from beating. The younger of the two took heavy breaths and then broke free from Jethro's grip and ran upstairs to the room the girl was still crying. The door was open and Tony stopped as he saw his daughter and the little girl they had met on a playground sitting on the floor, their hands tied behind their backs, and Ivi had tape over her mouth, Lish's tape was hanging from her mouth, apparently they had managed to get it off somehow.

„Daddy!"

As the shock faded Tony found his feet moving and he was there hugging his girl tightly.

„Everything's going to be ok, honey. I promise you, nobody will ever hurt you again!"

As in an after thought he let go off her to loosen her ties. He opened the ropes around Ivi's wrists and ankles and then he hugged the two girls again. It took about five minutes before he let them go again.

„I called Jen."

He turned and saw Jethro standing behind him.

„She's sending someone."

He knelt down and took Lish in his arms, just as tightly as Tony. As much as he was happy that they had their girl back, and that Ivi was alright, too, Tony couldn't help but wonder what had happened to the other girls. He left the room and went through the house, finally reaching the door leading to the basement. He had the door knob in his hand but he didn't know if he should really go in there. But marcabre curiousity took the better of him and he opened the door. He took the flight of steps slowly and as he stood on the bottom he could only stare for a moment.

Then his stomach twisted and all he could do was running up the stairs, out of the front door and emptying his stomach onto the perfect lawn, or rather, onto the shoes of FBI Special Agent Ron Saccs. As he realized that he had hit somebody he wanted to apoologize but when he saw the man's face he thought ‚Oh, well...‘.

„Any reason you're puking on my shoes?"

„Check the basement and you'll know."

Tony answered grumpy and turned to the house. Jethro exited with his daughter on his arm.

„Tony, are you alright?"

„No..."

Six months later.

Tony sat in the doctor's office looking annoyed at his therapist. He had been ordered to see a counselor until he was cleared when there was a hearing because he had beaten the perp unconscious.

At first Tony had thought it was ridiculus but he had to admit that the doctor was helping him to forget the pictures of twenty little girls, stuffed and preperated like animals, sitting on shelfs like dolls. It had turned out that their dirtbag had abducted a lot more children than they had known of, in different states, different cities, and sometimes even different countries.

But now Tony felt fine. He was eight months along and really looking forward to have a baby to care for. Lish was seeing a therapist aswell, but hers was much more appealing and Lish was doing really good. She was seeing Ivi a lot and her mother and Tony became good friends.

The pregnancy was going fine, just Tony wasn't allowed to drink coffee, what made him grumpy, he wasn't allowed to eat too much sugar, what made him bitchy, and he wasn't allowed to eat too much fat, what made him unbearable. Only Jethro and Lish managed to get around him now a days.

„Mr. DiNozzo, after six months, would you say you would react the same way you did if you were in the situation again?"

A small smile appeared on Tony's lips. He thought back on the swollen face of that fucking bastard and the lisp he had when he had to testify in court. It wasn't satisfying, hell no, not even close, but it still felt damn good.

„Oh yeah."

He raised an eyebrow as he saw a half smile on the shrinks face.

„Well, Mr. DiNozzo, I think we're done here. Except you want to stay?"

Tony laughed and stood. As he shook the hand of the man, who was around Jethro's age, he smiled.

„You know, in the end, you are a nice person."

He grinned and left the office hopefully for the last time.







Epilogue


One months later on the exact predicted date Daniel Timothy Gibbs was born. He had just as blue eyes as Jethro and Tony's light brown hair. For the two men he was the cutest boy they had ever seen and for his big sister he was something she had to protect and care for. So it happened that she shot everybody a death glare who only looked too long at him and she was about to punch the nurse when she wanted to take him.



In the same month the director of the FBI was busted for manipulating investigations and Tobias C. Fornell was anounced new director. Tony had joked about Jethro becoming director but the older man had just given him a head slap and said „That'd be the day".




Two years after the case, at the first day of school for Lish and Ivi, Jethro had turned to Tony and said that he will retire and be a full time father. Tony had patted his arm and said „We'll see."




Story finished.

Series to be continued: Circle of Life