Author’s Note: 4th Story in the With Honors Series.
Warning: Spoilers for previous stories in the series. Spoilers also, if you don’t know about Gibbs’ past on the show and what happened with his first wife/daughter.
Disclaimer: Not mine, but I wish they were! The timeline is not accurate to the show or to the Tony/Gibbs you all know, but I’m chuckin’ it up to creative license. Work with me on it.

Faith Like A Child
by WCUGirl

Chapter One
Baltimore, Maryland
July 1995

The ring of the door bell pulled Tony out of a sound sleep. He ran a hand over his eyes and blinked blearily at the alarm clock on the bedside table. 11:43am. He’d been asleep exactly three hours. The three hours he’d slept was the first sleep he’d had in almost four days. This better be important. He staggered sleepily to the door, didn’t bother to check it and unhooked the chain and the lock. He opened the door and blinked in surprise.

“Dad?�

“Hey Tony! Did I not teach you anything? You didn’t even check your door before you opened it! Are you trying to get yourself shot, killed or kidnapped?� His dad bantered with him easily, though there was a trace of seriousness in his tone as he entered his son’s apartment.

“What are you doing here at lunch time on a Monday morning Dad?�

“Well I know with your work rotation you’d be off today, so I thought I’d come take you out for the afternoon for your birthday.�

His birthday. He’d completely forgotten it. He fought down a yawn. Gibbs noticed.

“You ok? You look like hell.�

“Had an undercover op this weekend.�

“You sleep any?�

“Thursday night.�

Gibbs eyed his son carefully. Deep circles of exhaustion ran under his boy’s eyes. The slump of his shoulders told of his fatigue and the droopiness of his eyelids showed him he was dead on his feet. Gibbs’ eyes narrowed.

“They didn’t give you a break at all in four days?�

“Nah, there was no one else.�

“You were working an undercover op alone?�

Tony scratched the back of his head and had the audacity to look sheepishly at his dad. “Um…yeah?�

“And there was no one watching your six?�

“Sure there was.�

“Who?�

“Me.�

Gibbs walked into the kitchen and started a pot of coffee. Tony followed him. While the coffee was brewing, Gibbs looked at Tony.

“How long are you off?�

“You mean when do I have to be back at work?�

“Yep.�

“Tonight.�

“You’ve worked four days straight with no sleep and no backup and they don’t even give you an entire day off to rest?�

“Nope.�

They were starting down a familiar road; one Tony knew would lead to an argument. In his current state of exhaustion he didn’t think he’d manage to win, so he decided to nip the conversation early. His dad beat him to the punch when he pulled out his cell phone.

“Who are you calling?�

“Shh.�

“Dad!�

Gibbs raised his eyebrows at his boy. “I said be quiet,� he said. Then he spoke into the phone. “I need to speak to Detective Sam Boyes…yes it’s important!�

“Dad you really don’t have to�"� Tony was silenced by the infamous Gibbs Glare. He was surprised when Gibbs pushed the phone into his hands.

“Tell him you’re not coming in tonight. You’re coming home with me.�

“Dad�"Heeeeeyy Sam it’s Tony. Yeah look I’m not gonna make it in tonight…why? Because I’m beat man. I covered the whole weekend by myself without you backing me up…Yeah I know you had a hot date…I’m glad it all worked out…no there’s no hard feelings, but it’s my birthday and I’m exhausted…nah the op’s not supposed to go down til this weekend. It’s purely observation right now…yeah I know you hate watching and waiting, so do I…no I’m not gonna rat you out to the lieutenant unless you rat me out for calling in…I know…yeah I hear ya…ok man thanks…uh huh…alright later.�

Tony snapped the phone shut and handed it to Gibbs without a word. Then he turned around and walked back to his bedroom. The room was dark thanks to the shades he’d gotten that were like the ones in his room back at Gibbs’ house. He flopped down on his bed. At least now he could sleep for…thirty six hours at least before someone woke him up.

He made it twelve minutes.

Gibbs was furious. Boyes had a date this past weekend and had left Tony with no backup while he was undercover? Listening to Tony, it seemed that no one knew Tony had been without backup. Boyes hadn’t called to tell anyone, because he knew he’d get in trouble for leaving in the middle of an op. He watched the coffee pot as it trickled then dripped and then finally stopped. He reached into the cabinet and pulled out the coffee mug he always used here. He figured Tony had gone back to bed. Gibbs carried the cup of coffee down the hall to his boy’s room.

Tony was lying sideways across his bed, ankles and feet dangling off one side, mouth hanging open, snoring softly in the dimly lit room. Gibbs walked over to his son, smacked him lightly twice on the bottom of his right foot and grunted at him to wake up. Tony raised his head and blearily looked around.

“Christ Dad what? I just want to sleep!�

“Get up and grab your go-bag. You’re coming home with me. Come on. I’ll bring you back when you’ve rested enough to satisfy me.�

Tony looked at him. “Now wait a minute. I’ll go with you but only under the condition that you bring me back in time for the op to go down this weekend. I’m a key player. I’m the contact person. You have to have me back here.�

Gibbs smirked at Tony and nodded. “Alright. Back by the weekend, sure I got it, no problem. You’re the undercover star after all. Can’t have you missing out on the fun. They won’t miss you until that point?�

Tony shook his head. “We’ve set it up so that it looks like I’m in and out of town a lot so I can work on other stuff in the mean time. They figure I won’t be back til the weekend.�

Gibbs nodded. “Let’s make it a believable image. Get your bag. C’mon.�

Jethro waited in the living room while Tony gathered his things. He recalled what had taken place four years earlier, just after Gibbs had married his first ex-wife, Lauren. Tony had been stalked and eventually his apartment was attacked by someone who turned out to be working for his father. Tony’d been deeply hurt and upset by the ordeal, but his relationship with Gibbs had only gotten stronger in the time since then.

When Gibbs had met his new wife, Diane, Jethro did things differently. He’d learned from his mistakes. He was up front and honest with Diane about what had happened with Shannon and Kelly, as well as up front and honest about Tony. Diane didn’t like that Gibbs had a “son� who drifted in and out, popping in for unexpected visits and sometimes staying for days at a time.

Gibbs had maintained Tony as his top priority in the years since his father’s attack. If the boy was injured or sick (which seemed to happen rather frequently�"especially the injuries) Tony came to stay at Gibbs’ home until he was better�"by Gibbs’ standards, if not the doctors’. It drove Diane batty. She had always wanted children, but she’d wanted a little girl�"someone she could teach to play with dolls and play with their hair and do their make up. She didn’t want a full-grown boy’s boy who sometimes gets in bar fights, who watches football, beats up bad guys and steals the attention of her husband away. Indeed whenever Tony was around, it seemed to Diane that she didn’t exist.

Gibbs looked up when Tony entered the room. He really looked awful.

“C’mon son,� he said softly. “You can sleep on the way home.�

A while later they pulled up in front of Gibbs’ home. Gibbs turned and looked at Tony who was slumped heavily against the door, head bent forward and caught on the seatbelt, hands hanging listlessly in his lap.

“Some birthday,� he whispered. He reached out a hand, calling Tony’s name softly before he touched his son on the shoulder.

Tony jerked awake. He looked around for a moment, trying to piece together where he was, then blinked at Gibbs.

“We here?�

Gibbs nodded. “We’re here. Let’s get you inside so you can rest some more.�

Tony nodded and opened the door. He stood up and stretched, his spine cracking and popping delightfully and making Gibbs shiver. Tony seemed half asleep still; Gibbs knew it would probably be tomorrow at the earliest before his boy woke up if he was left alone and undisturbed. Gibbs opened the door to the house and stood aside to let Tony go in first. Tony made a bee-line for the staircase and started toward his bedroom without a word.

Gibbs shut the door and looked around. He’d seen Diane’s car in the garage, but there wasn’t any evidence of her downstairs. Before he could call her name, a yelp of surprise came from upstairs and had Gibbs hurrying to intervene.

Tony had gone to hit the head on his way to bed, and in his sleepy state hadn’t really noticed that the shower was running, complete with a very naked step-mother inside. He’d just gone about his business, lowered the lid and flushed. He’d turned to wash his hands when the water scalded its showering beauty, thanks to the flushing of the toilet. She’d yelped in surprise at the sudden heat on her skin, and this had caused Tony to snap to attention and realize that he wasn’t alone in the bathroom.

“You sick sonofabitch what the hell are you doing in this bathroom? What are you even doing here? Why are you here in the middle of the week? GET OUT OF HERE!!!�

Gibbs suddenly appeared in the doorway. Tony held up his hands placatingly. “I can explain Dad, honest. I just went to hit the head and was so sleepy I just didn’t realize the shower was running. Diane I am SO sorry, oh God I am so embarrassed. I’m just going to go to my room now. Forget I’m here. Carry on as normal.� He moved to duck out of the bathroom but Gibbs stopped him.

“Diane that was uncalled for. I mean he didn’t try to look in on you or anything, right? It’s not as though you’ve been violated�"besides, why didn’t you use the en suite shower? It’s why we put it in�"because you wanted it?�

“You’re going to stand here in my house and defend that…that deviant boy of yours after he practically attacked me in the shower? Jethro Gibbs this has gone far enough!�

“Tony went to take a piss is all that happened; Diane will ya calm down?� He looked at Tony. “Just to clarify�"you didn’t try anything, correct?�

Tony shivered. “Please Dad, that’s my step-mother. I wouldn’t do that. That’d be just…� he shivered again, “just weird. Eew.� Gibbs nodded. He knew his boy wouldn’t lie to him.

“Get to bed kiddo. I’ll check on ya later and wake you for dinner.�

He affectionately swatted Tony on the back of the head as he walked by and then turned his burning gaze on his wife.

“I don’t know what your issue with Tony is, but Diane this was totally uncalled for. I get that you didn’t know he was in here. I get that you were surprised. But he wouldn’t do anything�"he didn’t do anything, except flush the toilet and inadvertently scald you. Now come on, we can work this out…right honey?�

Diane narrowed her eyes and ran a comb through her hair.

“It just seems like every time I turn around he’s here, Jethro. He’s twenty five years old, when’s he going to get out on his own?�

“Actually today he is turning twenty-seven. He’s been on his own basically since birth, if you recall anything I’ve told you about Tony’s past. I’m his dad in all but blood Diane, and you have got to understand that. Too many people in his life have made Tony think he’s not worth being loved, and I refuse to be another person on that list.�

Diane huffed but didn’t say anything. She knew Gibbs was right. She didn’t have to like it, but she had to accept it. It was basically carved in stone�"it wasn’t going anywhere. But there was nothing that said she had to stay…

TBC…

Chapter 2

Tony spent three days in DC with Gibbs. On Wednesday, Gibbs got a call that there was drugs being circulated at the base in Quantico. Gibbs put his team on the case, and took Tony back to Baltimore. Tony promised to keep in touch and let him know when their undercover op was cleared this weekend. Tony knew Gibbs didn’t sleep whenever he knew Tony was undercover. That was why Tony typically waited until after an op was completed before he told Gibbs about it.

In the station in Baltimore, things seemed a bit off between Tony and his partner. His partner seemed irritated with him over something, but whenever Tony asked him about it, he’d brush it off and say it was nothing. Tony didn’t like the feeling he had in his gut. He couldn’t pinpoint what was causing itâ€"whether it was the upcoming bust, the unspoken…whatever it was…with his partner, or knowing that Gibbs was working his own drug case at the same time. As far as Sam was concerned, Tony figured he was just pissed that Tony had taken time off this week. He had other things to worry about. Like the upcoming drug bust.

Drug busts were tricky. Often they involved running into a person or group of people who were under the influence of something. This caused people to behave differently than they may otherwise; it raised the stakesâ€"do you attack innocent people who are unfortunate victims of circumstance? Do you open fire on drug dealers and drug users? Can you tell the difference between people who choose to use and people who may be forced? Stoned is stoned, and no matter the cause it can make you crazy as hell.

Friday morning, Tony’s gut was alive and kicking. Something wasn’t right. Tony felt like he was missing something. Something big. Something important. He went back over the evidence again, sitting at his desk. He looked over the reports again over his coffee. He went back through the last few weeks piece by piece, day by day, moment by moment, looking for it. Whatever “it� was. Boyes noticed and rolled his eyes.

“Whatsa matter, DiNozzo? Gettin’ cold feet? You’re jumpier than I ever saw you before.�

Tony ran a hand over his chin. “Dunno Sam. Got a bad feeling ‘bout all this. Something’s missing. I’m not getting something.�

Sam stared at him intently. “What is it you think you’re missing?�

Tony flipped through some papers, ignoring his partner’s stare. “We’re missing a key player. We’re missing the supplier. I think we’re barking up the wrong tree here.�

Sam leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. “That so?�

Tony nodded. “Yeah.�

Julie Robbins from Vice popped her head into the squad room. “Time to roll Tony.�

Tony stood up and casually saluted Sam. “Guess we’ll find out. See you on the other side.�

Sam nodded.

**
On Saturday night, Gibbs hit the gas harder, urging his car to go faster. He had to make it to Baltimore in time to catch the supplier dealing to their petty officer. They’d tracked down the name of the petty officer who was circulating the drugs. He was getting his supply from a guy in Baltimore. As he drove, Gibbs dialed Tony’s cell phone.

~Hi you’ve reached Detective Anthony DiNozzo. I’m unable to take your call at this time. Please leave a name and number and I’ll get back with you. BEEP!~

Gibbs didn’t bother leaving a voicemail message. He knew that Tony was working undercover this weekend, so if he wasn’t answering it probably meant he was already in play. Oh well, no matter. He’d catch up with his son later. Gibbs saw the sign for the exit and swerved off to the right, leaving the freeway and cutting off three different cars in the process. Gibbs rolled his eyes as horns blared. People needed to learn to drive.

**
DiNozzo smiled at the slimy bastard he’d been dealing with for weeks now. He gestured at his vehicleâ€"a beautiful 1970 Chevelle, complete with a racing stripe, fake tags, and a huge trunk to store all of his goods in. It would be a hot car if it wasn’t being used in undercover work on a Saturday night.

“You see I am ready to go,� DiNozzo said with a carefully constructed Mediterranean accent. His Italian background and olive skin made him look like a Greek god. He could pass as a foreigner when he accented his voice.

“I see,� Monty replied. He was waiting for the signal from the boss. He didn’t know what was taking him so long, but he was sure that his boss had told him the deal had to go down tonight.

At that moment, the warehouse doors burst open and Sam Boyes entered the warehouse, backed up by Julie Robbins from Vice.

“Freeze! Put your hands in the air!�

Playing along, as was the role he’d been assigned, Tony raised his hands into the air, along with Monty. The two officers approached them carefully, handling the situation thoroughly and professionally, checking each side and making sure the room was clear before entering it too far. Finally satisfied that the four of them were alone, Sam and Julie lowered their weapons a bit.

Tony turned around and faced Monty. His gut was still screaming that he was missing something, but it had all gone down like clockwork. Maybe he was just getting paranoid.

“Sorry Monty, but I’m afraid I have all that on tape. Baltimore PD. You are under arrestâ€"â€�

Tony didn’t get to finish his sentence as he was suddenly struck on the back of the head from behind. Dazed, he fell to his knees then collapsed to the cold concrete floor, trying to understand what had happened. Feet moved around him, voices spoke but sounded muffled. He must have a mild concussion. What the hell hit him?

Blinking several times and gathering his wits about him, Tony moved to push himself up when he found himself suddenly pinned to the floor. A hand was on the back of his head, forcing his face down onto the cold concrete, while another arm twisted his gun arm painfully up behind him.

“You move and I’ll blow your head off,� a voice hissed into his ear. Boyes. Tony fought down the groan at his own stupidity. How had he missed that? Obviously Julie was in on it too. Tony struggled some more, but Boyes wasn’t wasting any time with Tony. He grabbed him roughly by the hair, lifted his head high then slammed it down hard onto the floor. Tony stayed still, thoroughly dazed and nearly unconscious at this point. Blood was running from the gash in his forehead, dripping into his eye and making it nearly impossible to see out of his right eye. Boyes roughly let go of his partner’s head, and Tony’s face once again bounced off the floor. He groaned loudly.

“Gimme that,� Boyes barked. A moment later Tony heard a ripping sound. Then Boyes had him by the hair again and lifted his face off the floor. Pulling his head even farther back this time, he slapped the strip of silver duct tape over Tony’s mouth effectively silencing him. He let go of Tony’s head and reached into Tony’s back pocket. He produced Tony’s handcuffs and opened them. Tony began to struggle, quickly realizing what was going to happen next. Boyes locked a handcuff around the wrist he already had pinned. Tony’s other arm was tucked uselessly up under him, immobile under all the weight. Boyes twisted Tony’s arm painfully in the cuff, his elbows and palms both facing out, making it nearly impossible to move his arm. It didn’t take him long to secure Tony’s other arm which he twisted in the opposite direction. Duct tape wrapped around his ankles left him sufficiently unable to move.

Tony was writhing on the floor trying to get away from his captors. He understood now. Boyes must be the supplier. Would explain the instances of missing evidence that had disappeared regarding drug cases in the last few years. Tony silently berated himself. How could he have missed this? How could he be so stupid?

Hopefully there would be time to worry about all that later. Right now he needed to figure out how the hell to get out of this mess. Then he’d leave Baltimore and go…somewhere. Then he’d figure out what the hell had happened once he was safe again. Tony groaned into his gag and was rewarded by a sharp kick to the side of the head. He blinked hard and groaned again in protest, only to be given a sharp slap.

“What we gonna do wit’ him boss,� Monty asked Boyes.

“We’re gonna get ridda him once and for all. Prick’s been gettin’ on my last damn nerve for years. Time to be ridda him. Smartass do-gooder white boy wants to catch all the bad guys. He overlooked the one ‘watching his six’ for all these years. Hear that white boy? I’m the baddest guy you ever saw. I’ll kill you right here and not even blink about it. That what you want? Huh, white boy? You wanna die tonight? Nice night for it.�

He pulled Tony’s SIG from his ankle holster. He clicked the safety latch off right beside Tony’s ear and Tony tried not to flinch at the sound. It was a cop’s worst nightmare. Made undercover by a dirty cop; handcuffed with your own cuffs and held at gunpoint with your own duty weapon. Tony thought he just might throw up.

“One shot white boy. ‘S all it would take. Want that? You want to die tonight boy?�

Tony didn’t respond. He just laid there on the floor. He was in no position to argue here and he knew that. He was completely at the mercy of his captors. He closed his eyes and waited for the shot that would end it all. Christ, Gibbs was going to kill him.

“B-boss?�

“What!�

“What…what if we don’t shoot him yet? What if we just give him a good trip with that new stuff you got? Everyone on the street says a big enough hit of it will kill ya anyway. Might be fun to watch? If it don’t kill him we could always shoot him.�

Boyes chuckled. “I like the way you think Monty. Get it.�

Tony began to struggle again, but couldn’t really move, thanks to his bonds and his injuries. He heard more feet moving around and tried to see what was going on, but now his eye was swelling shut and his head wound was still trickling blood into his other eye.

The cap of a needle landed in front of him. God help him, they were going to dose him with something. They were going to give him a trip. He hoped he’d live to tell about it, but it wasn’t sounding like he would. Tony closed his eyes tight as he felt the needle begin to piece his skin. He was SO going to need a blood test or twenty when this was all done. Before Boyes could shoot any of the drugs into his body though, the warehouse doors burst open again.

“FREEZE, NCIS! PETTY OFFICER FRANK MONTY YOU ARE UNDER ARREST! THE REST OF YOU DO NOT MOVE OR WE WILL OPEN FIRE!�

Tony thought he’d died and gone to heaven. That was his dad’s voice; he’d know it anywhere. He groaned again into the gag, and struggled against his bonds. He heard a gunshot. Close, firing away. Then another shot. Farther away firing closer. Bullets pinged off the walls and the cars in the warehouse. Crates of cocaine burst wide open and showered the room with their contents. Curses were yelled and shots continued to be fired.

“STOP!�

Petty Officer Monty. Tony heard the safety of the gun click off again. If Tony had been able to see the room, he would have seen Boyes ducked behind a car, the man’s chocolate colored skin concealing him in the darkened warehouse, keeping him thus far unnoticed by the NCIS agents. He would have seen Julie Robbins with her gun trained on Vivian Blackadder. He would have seen PO Monty’s gun pointed at Stan Burley who was covering Gibbs. He would have seen Boyes holding Tony’s own gun pointed right at him.

But he couldn’t see anything really, so he did what he thought was most effective to make himself known. He groaned again into the gag, and wrestled weakly with his handcuffs.

This, unfortunately, distracted the NCIS agents enough for Monty to get a lucky shot off and fire at Burley. Blackadder fired at Monty, killing him even as Burley fell, struck by a shot to the shoulder. Robbins aimed to fire at Blackadder, but Gibbs took her out with a single shot to the forehead.

By this point, Sam Boyes was done. He’d had enough. He grabbed Tony by the collar and used him as a human shield when he stood up. He had the needle just barely touching the side of his neck.

“Stop. Right. There,� he said quietly, voice laced with a malicious confidence that filled Tony with dread.

Tony heard the near silent gasp and tried to look up. There was his dad, staring right at him. Tony lowered his gaze, unable to hold the man’s stareâ€"the man he respected more than any person in the worldâ€"the man he’d give his own life to saveâ€"the man he believed in with faith like a child; he believed that if anyone in this world could save him, it was Leroy Jethro Gibbs.

Dizziness swept over him in waves as he was dragged to his full height. Tony leaned his weight back against Boyes and his eyes fluttered shut, groaning softly as the world moved around him, nearly unconscious.

“Now,� Boyes said, “Detective DiNozzo and I are leaving, and you all are going to let us. You wouldn’t want anything unfortunate to happen to our innocent police detective now would you?�

“Let him go.�

Tony managed a blink. Gibbs was going to beg for him? Surely not, but that’s how it sounded, at least to Tony.

“How important is he to you, Agent Gibbs? Oh yes, I know who you are. I saw the look on your face when we stood up. You didn’t know your son was here tonight, did you? You just thought you were busting a Petty Officer, didn’t you?�

“Let. Him. Go. I won’t ask again.�

“No.� Boyes smiled and stuck the needle into Tony’s shoulder, squeezing the plunger. Heat soared up Tony’s arm and he groaned and shook his head weakly in protest. A single shot fired and then Tony was falling.

He didn’t know what was in that syringe. Blackness and heat were already engulfing him. Oh God he hoped he didn’t die in front of his dad. He struggled weakly against his bonds, feeling the needle still sticking out of his arm.

The last thing he heard before darkness closed in completely was his father’s voice speaking to him softly.

“Hang on Tony. I got your six. Help’s coming.�

TBC…

Chapter 3

Consciousness returned as quickly as it had waned, and in an instant Tony had moved from blissfully unaware of anything to being fully alert to every sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste his sensory system encountered. His brain could barely register all of the sensory inputs around his thoughts which were racing at mach-3 without any direction or coherence at all.

HOT!â€" HURTS!â€"There’s a bug crawling on the floor beside me…wonder what it’s like to be a bug…I’d get squashed…squash is yucky…tastes too healthy â€"is that blood in my mouth I’m tasting or something else?â€"...not feeling very healthy now…kinda feel sick…might throw upâ€"what in God’s name was in that needle?â€"…up the elevator down the stairs across to the basement out the window goes the little rabbit hippity hop away we go up in a hot air balloon across the sky til we run into a thundercloud â€"what is all that noise?â€" …bouncing like a bunny in the air…smells like music…â€"is someone talking to me?â€"…what does music smell like…music smells…like…green of course…â€"feeling like I might throw upâ€"could go play golf…I hate golf why would I want to go play golf…rather play football…broken legs, knees aching, surgeryâ€"oh God my whole body hurtsâ€"…dad’s face over me in the hospital…larger than life…seemed so huge…was so stoned…â€"am I really seeing Gibbs looking down at me? Is he really here or am I imagining that?â€"…at the bottom of a tunnel, crawling my way back out I’m like a spider…itsy bitsy To-ny…went up the water spout…â€"oh God I’m losing itâ€"…spout…hate brussell spouts…oh wait, brussell sprouts…mom always made me eat my veggies…â€"oh Godâ€"Shannon…Kelly…oh God Mom…

Tony yelled suddenly into his gag. Gibbs had been leaning over him, speaking to him the entire time, and when Tony suddenly showed some sign of life other than the blinking, gasping and writhing he’d been doing, it startled him. He jumped back a bit, then his hands were on Tony’s shoulders trying to get him to be still.

“EMTs are on their way in Tony, just relax, it’s ok son, I’m right here…I know you’re scared, but it’s going to be fine.�

Tony began struggling with the handcuffs. He was lying on his side, gentle fingers touched his face and removed the duct tape from his mouth. They didn’t uncuff him though and his legs were still bound. Tony had to get freeâ€"had to get awayâ€"had to find Shannon and Kellyâ€"had toâ€"

With an audible crack, Tony pulled one of his hands through the bracelet of the handcuff, successfully freeing his arms. He didn’t notice that he’d broken his wrist in the process and nearly scraped all the skin off of his wrist and hand. Gibbs immediately was on top of him, trying to calm his flailing arms as he fought off the hands that held him downâ€"hands he could see and hands he could notâ€"trying to get at his feet so he could get them loose tooâ€"he had to get away, had to get up, had to get moving, something wasn’t right but he couldn’t figure out what it was…

“TONY!�

Gibbs blinked in shock as Tony immediately stilled when his dad barked his name. All struggling ceased and his boy went completely limp on the floor, though Gibbs could tell he was still listening and aware of…everything it seemed.

“Tony can you hear me,� he asked softly.

Tony nodded, his movements shaky and jerky as though his body was about to fly apart and he was trying mightily to hold himself together.

“Tony it’s Dad, do you understand what I’m saying?�

Tony was fighting through the hallucinations, trying to understand what was happening, where he was, and what was going on. At the word “dad� though, Tony lost it again as unwanted memories came flying back to the surface.

Four years old, on the floor crying, a hot poker resting across his back burning into his skin…Six years old, at home sick with the stomach flu, being thrown down the stairs into the basement when Tony nearly threw up on the old man…Ten years old and left in a hotel room in Hawaii for two days all alone because his parents forgot him…Six years old being taken to the hospital because of a broken arm and because he was so dehydrated from being sick in the basement for four days that he’d nearly died…Feverish nightmares when he was eight because he had the chicken pox and his father had called him a diseased yard boy…whippings with a belt when he was seven because a note from the teacher on his report card said he liked to talk in class…soap in his mouth while he was whipped to keep him from crying out and to wash his mouth out with soap after he yelled for his daddy to stop hurting him during one of his beatings when he was nine…his mother standing over him in the bathtub when he was eleven…insisting that she has to wash him…down there…has to get him clean…then running her hands over his body parts when she was finished washing to make sure she hadn’t missed anything…his body responding in ways he didn’t understand…his beautiful mother smelling of vodka and rum…her eyes were glazed and unfocused as she turned on him with a silver plated serving platter when he was five, smacking him in the head and face with it for spilling his juice on the tile floor…�You’re useless Anthony,� she’d screamed at him when he was ten…�I hate you, you little bastard,� his father had told him when he was four…�You’re only good to be a silent little toy,� his mother slurred at him one night in his bedroom when he was twelve…�Just let me play with you,� his mother had whispered when she woke him from a sound sleep at the age of nine…�You useless sonofabitch if you’d been here instead of out at school your mother would still be alive,� his father had told him when he was sixteen…the empty feeling in his gut when he found out his father wasn’t coming to his high school graduation when he was seventeen…�You’re worthless Anthony…you’ll end up in the gutter like all the other worthless trash,� his father had yelled at him when he was twenty-three…�Dad let me help you…No,� Gibbs had told him after Shannon and Kelly had been killed…�watch your six mom,� he’d told his new mother only to hear her murder on the other end of the line…

Gibbs tried to gently restrain Tony and leaned over close to Tony’s ear. “Shh Tony…shh relax…just breathe Tony…shh, it’s Dad Tony, it’s Dad…shh� Tony mistook “Dad� for Anthony Senior again, and began screaming “Don’t hurt me� and “No more!� and trying to get away from Gibbs. His arms were flailing trying to get away and the loose handcuff hit Gibbs in the face. Gibbs reached out and grabbed it and forced Tony’s arm down. It was too much, Tony continued fighting, convinced the man standing over him was Anthony DiNozzo, Senior, the man he hated more than any person in the world. The one who was supposed to look out for him and be there for him, no matter what, was one person who had hurt him so deeply he didn’t think he’d survive it all…

Tony fought his father hard with his free arm, trying to make up for years of past abuse, screaming at him and crying and begging him to just love him and why did he always have to hurt him and what had Tony done to deserve all the treatment he’d received…it was gut wrenching for Gibbs to watch as his precious boy cried to his daddy, begged him to love him, begged him to stop hurting him…

Gibbs grabbed Tony’s face and forced him to look at him. Tony’s eyes were dilated and unfocused and were twitching back and forth rapidly with the drug induced nystagmus.

“Tony!� his voice is sharp and it cut through Tony’s drugged haze. “It’s Gibbs. Calm down. Slow down your breathing son.�

Everything came to a grinding halt at the words. Tony immediately stilled, and quit struggling. “Gibbs,� he whispered, scared to believe his dad was really there. He wasn’t that lucky.

“Yeah Tony. It’s me. Just hold on to me, alright? Help’s coming.�

“Dad,� he whispered, blinking his eyes, trying to get them to focus. His hands clung to Gibbs’ arms, despite his broken wrist.

“Yeah Tony, it’s Gibbs; it’s Dad, just stay still you’re going to be alright. We’re going to get you to the hospital. It’s ok son, I’ll stay with you the whole time, you’re going to be fine.�

“I dunno w-what they g-gave me,� Tony moaned, fighting down the need to try and get away. He looked over Gibbs’ shoulder where Blackadder was kneeling over Burley and he screamed when he saw her.

“NO! MOTHER YOU’RE DEAD! GET AWAY! GET AWAY! GO AWAY! GO AWAY! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!�

Vivian Blackadder looked at him with a confused look on her face. “I don’t understand, Gibbs? What’s he going on about?�

Gibbs looked up at Blackadder, a pained exasperated look on his face. “He’s hallucinating. I think he thinks you’re his mother…Maybe back up so he can’t see you. He’s out of control right now, I dunno what they gave him. He could be seeing anyone.�

Gibbs turned back to Tony as Vivian moved out of Tony’s line of sight. “Who ya see Tony? Who is it?�

“Mother,� Tony moaned, “My mother…oh God Dad she…she used to…oh God please don’t let her get me, Daddy, please I’m begging you….please no more,� Tony whimpered.

Gibbs scooped his boy up into his arms and hugged him gently. “Won’t let anybody hurt you Tony. You’re safe with me. I got your six. Just relax.�

Gibbs heard the ambulance’s wail as it arrived and maintained the gentle reassuring contact he’d finally established with his son. “Tony in just a moment you’re going to see some people you may not know. Don’t fight them Tony, they’re coming to help you. They’re going to take you to the hospital, and I’m going to ride with you. Just try and relax. I am not leaving you.�

Tony did his best to remain calm when the EMTs arrived. They recognized Tony from the BPD but in his haze, Tony had no idea who they were. They were speaking gibberish; he didn’t understand what any of it meant. He knew his dad was there so things would be okay. That was until the EMT lifted up a needle to start an IV.

“Ok Tony we’re going to start an IV in your arm you’re going to feel a sharp stick. Just relax.�

Tony recoiled at the IV. “NO! No more, can’t take anymore drugs, please no more, I can’t do it,� Tony began fighting the EMTs. Gibbs tried to hold him still to no avail, and after turning Burley over to another EMT, Blackadder moved in to try to help and Tony lost it completely.

The EMTs finally managed to get Tony lifted onto a gurney. Tony was fighting and struggling and he didn’t notice it when one of the paramedics held up a soft Velcro strap. Gibbs ran a weary hand over his face and nodded, his eyes closed. Tony was going to injure himself worse than he already had if they didn’t do something. The EMT caught the flailing handcuff and held it while he gently slid the strap over Tony’s arm and secured it to the side of the gurney.

“It’s alright Tony; it’s ok they aren’t going to hurt you, shh…� Gibbs moved up to the head of the gurney to try and talk Tony through what they were doing. He put his hands on Tony’s shoulders and eased him back as he tried to escape again. He was still putting up a good fight with his other arm, despite the broken wrist, and Gibbs told them to be careful when they grabbed that arm, be mindful of the broken joint. The EMT at the foot of the gurney managed to get Tony’s legs secured down. They gently eased the other arm into a splint with Velcro on it. They used a soft Velcro strap across Tony’s arms and chest to secure him to the gurney so he wouldn’t fall off and then they attached the splint to the strap, effectively pinning Tony.

Tony screamed pitifully for help. He’d screamed so much now he was losing his voice and his throat sounded scratchy and raw. Gibbs stayed right beside Tony’s face so Tony could see him, the whole time reassuring him that it would be alright and that the EMTs were making sure that Tony didn’t hurt himself. They were helping Tony, and they weren’t going to hurt him. “You’re safe Tony,� Gibbs said over and over again. “It’s alright, I got your six…you’re safe, son.�

As they loaded Tony into the back of the ambulance finally, one of the paramedics turned to Gibbs. “I can’t give him anything to calm him down until we know what they gave him. I’m sorry we had to strap him down like this, but there really was no other way.�

Gibbs climbed in the back of the ambulance and nodded in agreement. He’d seen the same reaction that they hadâ€"he honestly would have done the same thing. Once the ambulance was moving, the EMT in the back started an IV in Tony’s good arm. Tony moaned and struggled, but couldn’t really move. Gibbs leaned over so his face was close to Tony’s.

“It’s Gibbs Tony. I’m right here. I’m watching everything they do and I’m not going to let anyone hurt you. Just relax.�

“Dad,� Tony whimpered, “Daddy help me, please,� he whispered. “Daddy…Sam, he…he…�

“Shh,� Gibbs ran a soothing hand through his son’s sweaty, matted hair. “Shh…sok I got you, sok now…�

Tony closed his eyes and tried to calm his breathing. Gibbs was with him; he’d be fine. He’d be fine. It’d be ok. He’d get through this. He’d…he needed to be sick.

“D-ad,� Tony choked out, trying to raise up, “si-ick…� The EMT loosened the strap only enough to let Tony lean up to vomit. He gently cleaned the detective’s face with a cool damp cloth when he was finished.

“Tony my name’s Mick, I’m an EMT. Can you hear me?� Tony nodded, eyes closed. “Good. Do you know what drug you were given?� Tony shook his head, eyes still closed. “Alright. I can’t give you any medications until we know what they gave you okay? I don’t want to make you feel worse.� Tony shook his head again.

Mick looked at Gibbs. “We’re buddies. We eat lunch together a lot. Whatever they gave him, really has him messed up. He doesn’t even recognize me.�

Gibbs smirked. “I’m his adopted dad and he didn’t recognize me. He thought I was his biological father instead.�

Mick winced. “Ouch.�

Gibbs nodded. “He gonna be alright?�

Mick looked over the monitors he’d managed to connect, and then looked at his patient. “I think so…hard to say…whatever they gave him…it’s bad shit.�

Gibbs ran a hand over Tony’s forehead. He seemed to have drifted off to sleep or passed out one. “You’re not kiddin,� Gibbs said. “He sleepin?�

Mick checked the monitors again, and this time frowned at one of them. “His blood pressure is dropping…� suddenly he pounded on the window to the front of the ambulance. “STEP ON IT STEVE!! HE LOOKS LIKE HE’S GOING TO CODE ON ME BACK HERE!�

The flat line of the heart monitor echoed through the tiny space, as the ambulance picked up speed on the dark streets of Baltimore. Gibbs leaned over and held Tony’s hand gently as Mick worked feverishly on him.

“You. Will. Not. Die.�

TBC…

Chapter 4

...beep…beep…beep…beep…beep…

The steady beep of the heart monitor was the most comforting sound in the world to Jethro Gibbs. He sat sentry in the chair next to his son’s bed, refusing to let anyone other than medical professionals near. No one blamed him, so far. After all, his son died last night.

For two minutes and twenty-three seconds, Anthony Gibbs-DiNozzo was dead.

Thanks to the quick work of Mick, the skilled EMT working in the back of the ambulance, Tony had been revived and there hadn’t been anymore scares since that incident, nearly six hours earlier. Toxicology scans in the ER had revealed a potentially lethal dose of condimethyltrioxilate, CMT on the street. Drug side effects include severe sensory sensitivity, hallucinations, synesthesia (seeing sounds, hearing smells, etc), feelings of euphoria, anxiety or extreme fear, and severe side effects include heart or respiratory failure, as well as brain, liver, or kidney damage.

Once the doctors knew what they were dealing with, they determined that it would be acceptable to give Tony a very light sedative to help him get some rest while the major effects of the drug wore off. They’d admitted him into the detox wing at Sinai Hospital, and he’d been asleep ever since.

Not a peaceful sleep, but sleep nonetheless.

He was still restrained.

He was still in an unpredictable state of mind, and would be for quite some time, the doctor said.

Gibbs didn’t care. His boy was alive. He’d be pissed about the restraints, but for now it was necessary. They’d splinted his broken wrist to keep the damage from increasing; until enough of the drugs were out of his system to deem him stable enough for the operation required to reset the bones in the wrist he crushed when he pulled his hand out of his handcuffs, the splint would be worn.

Tony moaned softly, immediately drawing Gibbs’ attention. He stood up and moved to the side of the bed, taking his son’s good hand in his own, and squeezing gently.

“Tony? You with me,� Gibbs called softly.

Tony moaned again, and his eyelids fluttered a bit. Finally they slid open just a bit. Green orbs moved unevenly, trying to focus on the room, before sliding shut again.

“Tony, wake up. Come on you can do it.�

Tony’s eyes slid open again. There was Gibbs, right there beside him, like he always was when he was sick. Was he sick? Had something happened? Where was he? Tony glanced slowly around the room. Hospital? What had happened? He tried to lift his hand to his face, but found he couldn’t lift his arms. Fighting down his rising panic, he wondered what was going on.

He licked his lips slowly. “H-hap-pened,� he croaked.

Gibbs ran a small ice chip over his parched lips to moisten them before sliding the ice into his son’s mouth.

“Easy. Want another?� Tony nodded.

Once Tony was sucking on the ice, Gibbs answered him.

“Op went bad. You were made. Do you remember?�

Tony thought back. The op had gone bad? It was foolproof. There was no way he could have been made…what had happened? Sam and he had…oh God…Sam…

Tony gasped as he was suddenly assaulted by the memories of what happened and the fingers of his good hand gripped the bed sheets tightly.

“Hey easy…you've got to stay calm or they’ll make me leave. These guys here don’t screw around. Behave yourself, alright?� Gibbs grinned at him.

Tony nodded just slightly before a small yawn overtook him.

“Rest son. It’s alright now. Doc’s coming by later to see how you’re doing. When he does we’ll see about getting the restraints off. Get some rest.�

Gibbs pressed a kiss to his son’s forehead. “I got your six Tony. I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be right here when you wake up.�

With that reassurance, Tony fell asleep.

**

Gibbs was shocked when, around lunch time, Diane showed up. She held three strings with balloons attached to the ends and set them in the window when she came in.

“How is he,� she asked softly, seeing her sleeping step son on the bed in front of her. Gibbs had called her once they arrived at the hospital to let her know that Tony had been injured and that Gibbs was accompanying him to the hospital. She hadn’t asked what happened, and he hadn’t offered the information. He knew that would be a fight when it came out. She’d been indifferent on the phone at 3:30a.m. which led to some of Gibbs’ surprise when she showed up.

The doctor had come by earlier and decided to remove the arm and leg restraints from the bed. Tony had immediately curled onto his side, facing towards Gibbs, good hand clinging desperately to his dad, and had been sound asleep ever since he left. He looked pale and drawn; he’d had several nightmares to disrupt his rest, and now the cuts and bruises stood out in great contrast to his blanched skin.

“Finally resting some,� Gibbs answered, kissing her cheek softly. “Had a helluva night. Went into cardiac arrest on the way here.�

“Oh my God,� Diane exclaimed quietly. “What happened?�

“Op went bad. The perps nearly killed him. They’re going to have to run tests on his brain, liver, and kidney function to make sure there was no organ damage. He’s pretty messed up.�

Diane looked at Jethro. He looked awful. “I know he and I don’t get on that well, Jethro,� she said softly, drawing up a chair beside Gibbs and sitting down. “I don’t want him to be sick or injured or anything though,� she added after a moment.

Gibbs turned on her sharply. “That because you don’t want him at the house Diane? You know he’ll be there for a while til he gets back on his feet.�

Diane bit her lip. “You all couldn’t stay at his place? Wouldn’t he be more comfortable at home?�

“He’s not safe in Baltimore. His partner did this to him. Baltimore PD has some explaining to do.� Gibbs’ words were bitter, barely biting down his anger.

“His partner at the police department did this?�

“YES! He won’t hurt Tony anymore though.�

“Is heâ€"â€�

“Made sure of it.�

Diane was quiet for a moment. Tony stirred and blinked his eyes open a tiny bit.

“D-dad,� he whispered.

“Right here bud. How you feelin’?�

“Mmm…ugh…�

“That good, eh?�

Tony nodded only slightly then his slightly unfocused gaze turned to his step mom. “Di-diane?�

“Hey Tony. Brought you some balloons.�

Tony blinked his eyes at them. He could vaguely make out their form, but not their color or designs. Between the drugs, the whack to the back of the head and the beating that had followed it, Tony was still pretty out of it and his vision was shot.

“Th’nks…can I…water please?� His voice was a quiet, defeated whisper, unlike any tone of voice Diane had heard him use before.

Instantly, Gibbs held a cup with a straw up for him so he didn’t have to sit up to drink. Last time they’d tried to sit him up, the concussion had reared its ugly head and he’d managed to throw up all over himself and the bed. Tony took several sips of water before blinking his eyes shut again.

“S-sleepy,� he said softly.

“Get some sleep son. I’m right here.�

Tony drifted off again without another word.

Diane stared in awe at the boy who was normally so cocky and outgoing.

“He seems so…fragile,� she said, a hint of fear and wonder in her voice.

“Wouldn’t you be,� Gibbs snapped. Then he stopped. “Sorry. Haven’t had any sleep.�

“I know. I’ll make sure his room is ready at home.�

“Thanks.�

She left without another word. Gibbs found he preferred it when she wasn’t around. That couldn’t be good, now could it?

**

Tony was dreaming. He knew he had to be dreaming, because he felt like shit when he was awake, but here he was feeling pretty good. He was back in the warehouse. He knew Sam was the supplier…knew Monty was the fall guy…he and Gibbs should have compared cases earlier in the week…Tony should have dug a little deeper when he went back through his case file. Sam was standing over him with the needle…he felt a prick…his head dropped. Things should have been different...

His dream shifted. Now he was in the hospital. Was it a hospital? It looked like a hospital…only the people…they didn’t look right…some were quiet, staring off into space…some were moaning, some were wandering, others were crying out in fear or pain. Most of them were old. Like, really old. Tony found himself strapped into a wheelchair and sitting next to a wall in a hallway. He was wearing striped pajamas…light blue ones like the ones his mother used to dress him in as a child.

He could feel drool running from his mouth down his chin and he lifted his gun hand toward his face to awkwardly wipe at it. What as wrong with his hand? It looked so gnarled and deformed…it hurt terribly…it hadn’t always been like that had it? His hand batted uselessly at his face, finally reaching it but missing the drool. A nurse walked by and he attempted to ask her what was wrong with him but his voice only made a quiet slur of gibberish sounds. His tongue felt thick and heavy…what was wrong with him? He felt like he was locked inside his own body…He felt like his brain had been transplanted to a defective body. What the hell was going on?

At the end of the corridor a door opened and a familiar silhouette filled the doorway then entered the building. He breathed a sigh of relief. He knew this person! They could explain to him what had happened! They could tell him what was going on and he could get them to help him. He was so excited to see…what was the man’s name? He knew he knew himâ€"should be able to produce his name…produce the relationship they had…something was wrong…who was this person?

Then the salt and pepper haired man was standing over him. He was wearing a big smile on his face. That didn’t seem normal. This man didn’t normally smile like that. “Hey Tony-boy! How ya doin today?� Why was this guy talking to him like he was a kid? Tony thought he was a grown up…what had happened? Had somebody turned him back into a child? Tony grinned up at the familiar stranger. The man reached out toward his face with a handkerchief. “Let’s clean you up buddy. Want to go outside for a walk? Nice day out today. C’mon I’ll drive.� Something about that statement should bother him too…

The dream shifted again. He was still strapped into the infernal wheelchair, still unable to move or speak properly, but now the nice man was gone. His father and mother stood over him…both wearing the expressions they always had right before Tony got punished. Wait. Maybe that was it. Had he done something wrong? Was he being punished for something? There was something about the undercover op that wasn’t right. Maybe he’d screwed that up? That would be an important thing to screw up. Maybe he deserved to be punished.

His father drew back and swung down hard with a large club, landing right on his wrist. Damn, but that hurt! His father hit him again and again, all of his joints, his head, his wrist was hit repeatedly…what had he done that was so bad?

“Dad…Daddy stop…Father please…I’ll be good…I didn’t mean to screw it up…I’m sorry I should have known better…It won’t happen again…please don’t hurt me…please.�

**

Gibbs heard Tony’s quiet litany while he lay still on the bed. He looked like he was sleeping peacefully, but his face told another story. Suddenly Tony started moving aroundâ€"little jerky movements. It wasn’t as though he was having a seizureâ€"the movements were too coordinated for that. No…Gibbs quickly picked up on what was going onâ€"Tony was flinching…he was being attacked in his sleep.

“Tony, wake up son. C’mon Tony, time to wake up. Snap out of it.�

Gibbs reached out and touched Tony’s shoulder. Tony’s eyes shot open and his unfocused gaze stared wildly around the room for a moment before finally managing to focus on…the face of the friendly man from his nightmare…Gibbs, of course, how could he have forgotten?

“Tony? You with me now?�

“D-dad?�

“Yeah, Tony, I’m right here. You were dreaming. You’re safe. No one here is going to hurt you.�

Relief flooded through Tony. It had all been just a horrible dreamâ€"a huge misunderstandingâ€"the warehouse, the weird hospital with all the old people, Gibbs talking to him like a kid, his parents…it was all just a dream. He could move. He could speak. Things were fine. It was all good. Thank God.

“Dad…what happened? How’d I get here? Where am I?�

“Tony do you remember the undercover op you were working on?�

Tony thought hard for a minute. Sam. Yes he remembered. But he wasn’t sure anyone else knew about his partner.

He nodded slowly. “I remember.�

“Good Tony. Do you remember your partner’s role in what happened?�

It was big…a huge piece…Sam was standing up close to Tony…behind him? Holding him…were they lovers? No…Sam was married and Tony liked girls…in his mind, Tony felt the pierce of the needle again and gasped softly, his good arm going to his injured arm, and wrapping around the shoulder.

“Take it easy. You were drugged. It’s working its way through your system. Once you’re feeling a bit better you’re going to need surgery to repair your wrist.�

“…Happened to my wrist?�

“Before you were drugged, someone handcuffed you…while you were reacting to the drug you pulled your hand out of one of the bracelets on the cuffs. You basically crushed your right wrist, Tony.�

“Julie…�

“Who’s Julie Tony? Do I need to call her? Is she a lady friend of yours?�

Tony shook his head. “Vice…was with Sam…�

Gibbs realized he was talking about the other person at the bust. “She must have been in on it, Tony. She shot Stan. I shot her.�

“Stan…is he ok?� Tony tried to sit up but a wave of dizziness pushed him back down.

Gentle hands eased him back down and then fingers brushed comfortingly through his hair. “Easy…he’s fine. Through and through. Left shoulder. Some PT and he’ll be good as new.�

Tony nodded.

The pair was quiet for a long time. Finally Tony looked at Gibbs.

“Dad?�

“Yeah, Tony?� Gibbs leaned forward a bit, looking his son straight in the eyes.

“I don’t think I can go back to work here.�

“Ya think?�

There was another period of comfortable silence before Tony spoke again.

“Dad?�

“Yeah, Tony?�

“I’m scared.�

TBC…

Chapter 5

“Family for Anthony Gibbs-DiNozzo?�

Gibbs shot up out of the chair in the waiting room where he’d been sent for the duration of the operation. Coffee cup firmly inserted in his right hand, Gibbs approached the nurse standing in the doorway.

“Yes? I’m his father. Is Tony alright?�

The nurse nodded. “Come with me please sir,� she replied, turning and walking back down the hall without looking to see if Gibbs was following her or not.

Gibbs followed the young woman through the maze of hallways until they reached a ward with a sign on the door indicating they were entering the recovery/resuscitation ward. Just before they entered the area, the nurse pointed out a sink at the doorway.

“You have to scrub up before you are permitted to enter,� she said softly. Gibbs nodded and began washing his hands. The nurse continued while he washed. “Mr. Gibbs-DiNozzo did well in the surgery; he didn’t experience any complications or anything. The doctor will come by to check on him in just a few minutes, but we had orders that you were to be allowed back to join him as soon as possible.�

“That’s right. He’s under protection detail. He’s a police officer.�

The nurse nodded. “Follow me this way,� she said, entering the ward.

Gibbs breathed a sigh of relief as soon as he saw his son. Flat on his back, there was a nurse standing beside his bed checking his vitals. She was carefully monitoring his respiration and heart rates, checking the incision site and monitoring Tony’s level of consciousness. She turned and saw Jethro and smiled.

“You must be his father.�

Gibbs nodded; his eyes were glued to his son’s still form. Though he knew he was alright, seeing Tony so still was always unnerving to himâ€"Tony was never still. He didn’t have the conscious ability to be still. Something on him was always movingâ€"his fingers, his foot, his eyes, something. Seeing him like this…Gibbs fought down a shudder. Get control Gunny, he told himself, he’s fine. He’s just fine. All you got to do is protect him here until you can get him home where no one can hurt him.

The nurse indicated a straight backed chair that had been brought in for his benefit. Gibbs cautiously took a seat and lifted Tony’s good hand into his own and gently squeezed it.

“Hey Tony. You did good in surgery kiddo. They said you had no complications or anything. Sooner you wake up, sooner you get to go home. Let’s get the show on the road, eh, Tony? What do ya say?�

The nurse smiled. “It’s always refreshing to see someone who doesn’t mind having a one-sided conversation.�

Gibbs cracked a half smile at her. “Tony would laugh at you for saying that. He tells me all the time that I could be a functional mute.�

“…stand…by that…too…� a soft voice whispered from the bed.

The nurse leaned over him. “Mr. Gibbs-DiNozzo, can you hear me?�

“Tony,� he said softly, his eyes still closed.

“Tony,� she agreed, smiling down at him, “My name is Tina. Can you open your eyes for me?�

Green eyes slowly blinked open. Immediately Gibbs could tell that Tony wasn’t entirely coherent. He couldn’t blame him though, after being under anesthesia, coherency wasn’t expected really. At least not by Gibbs.

Nurse Tina smiled down at him. “I need you to help me rate your pain level, Tony. Scale of one to ten. One is no pain, ten is excruciating.�

Tony’s forehead furrowed in thought and he blinked his eyes several times. “Where’s my dad,� he asked softly after a moment.

“Right here son,� Gibbs replied. “Answer her question Tony. One to ten, how bad’s it hurting?�

“Uh…like a…mmm…like a seven?�

Nurse Tina smiled and patted Tony softly on the shoulder. “Let me go get you something for the pain, sweetie. I’ll be back in just a second alright?�

“Mmm…kay…� Tony mumbled, eyes sliding shut. He was still fighting off the effects of the anesthesia. Gibbs moved in close where the nurse had been standing.

“You with me Tony?�

“Hey…Dad.�

Gibbs smiled, in spite of himself. Tony always made his world brighter. “Hey yourself, son. You just rest. I have your six.�

“Mmm…� Tony sighed and his body relaxed into sleep almost instantly.

Nurse Tina returned and just as she picked up Tony’s IV line, a voice at the curtain stopped her.

“Wait.� Nurse Tina turned around, surprised to see a police officer standing at the entry to the cubicle. “My name is Detective Stevens; I’m from Internal Affairs, Baltimore Police Department. I need to ask Detective DiNozzo some questions.�

Nurse Tina set the syringe down and inserted herself between her patient and the police officer before Gibbs had a chance to react. “You will just have to wait. The detective is just out of surgery. He’s barely coherent. I’m sure we can arrange for his father to step out and give you an update. He can also call and arrange for your interview when his son feels up to it.�

“I’m sorry ma’am, but I have a court order that says I talk to him today, or I take him into custody. He’s currently under investigation for some wrongful death claims related to an undercover operation that took place this past weekend.�

Nurse Tina’s eyes widened slightly. She glanced at Gibbs, whose face was red with anger. “I’m sorry. I can have you speak with the doctor to work out when would be an appropriate time. Detective DiNozzo is still under the effects of the anesthesia from his operation. This is completely inappropriate.�

Gibbs slipped out and found the doctor and a security guard. He quietly and quickly explained what was going on. He didn’t want to cause a big sceneâ€"it seemed Tony was in enough trouble as it was; but he’d be damned if he was going to let this pompous ass waltz into the recovery ward of the operating theater and start questioning and interrogating his heavily medicated son. Who knew what Tony would sayâ€"he always reacted terribly to painkillers!

The doctor hurried into the cubicle, where the IA officer was trying to move past the nurse. “If you’ll excuse me ma’am I have an investigation to complete. This will really be quite painless if you’ll just let me pass.�

“OUT!� The doctor boomed. He was a ‘my-way-or-the-highway’ kind of guy. There would be no arguing.

“Doctor I understand what you’re trying to do here but you’ve got to realizeâ€"â€�

“I SAID OUT! People are trying to rest hereâ€"they need a peaceful environment to recover from surgeryâ€"you are not giving these people that! Get out now or I will call and report you to your chief. You may contact my patient once he’s had the opportunity to fully regain consciousness from his operation. Now leave or I will have you escorted off the premises.â€�

The officer smirked. “Yeah ok,� he sneered. He looked at Tony. “I’ll be in touch DiNozzo,� he said, a slightly threatening tone in his voice. Gibbs frowned. He didn’t like it. He couldn’t put his finger on what “it� was, but he knew something wasn’t right here. He was missing something. He could feel it in his gut.

The security guard followed the officer out, and Nurse Tina ran a hand over her forehead. “I hate it when police officers try to bully their way into places they have no business being,� she said, forgetting for a moment that she was taking care of a police officer guarded by a federal agent. “Sorry,� she said, realization creasing the lines around her eyes. “I didn’t mean anything about you or Tony,� she continued.

Gibbs nodded. “No harm, no foul. How’s Tony?�

Nurse Tina glanced down at Tony. “He seems to have slept through the entire affair,� she said, smiling gently. She picked up the syringe again and frowned at it.

“What’s wrong,� Gibbs asked, immediately picking up on the confused look on her face.

“I thought I set the syringe down on the tray,� she said. “This one was sitting on the bed. The dosage looks right though…perhaps in all the commotion I just didn’t put it where I thought I did.�

“Don’t give it to him. Put it in a baggie and let me take it to my lab at NCIS. Tony was given a large dose of a potentially lethal drug by another detective in the BPD. It’s why he’s here to begin with.�

Nurse Tina set the syringe down. “Do you think that officer switched needles on me while I wasn’t looking,� she asked, shocked.

Gibbs looked at her. “I left to go get the doctor. Did you turn your back on the syringe tray or the needle at any time?�

Nurse Tina nodded. “Tony moaned like he was in pain at one point and I turned around to check on him. Do you seriously think someone would switch needles on me?�

Gibbs nodded. “After everything that’s happened, I think they’re going to try to keep Tony quiet.� He pulled out his cell phone and called his boss. He explained what was going on, how Tony was involved, and asked him what he should do.

Tom Morrow stroked his chin thoughtfully, seated at his desk in the NCIS headquarters. He turned around in his swivel chair and looked out the window. Gibbs was hands down, his best agent. He knew how devastated the man had been when Shannon and Kelly had been murdered. He could only imagine how he must be feeling now.

“Bring the syringe to Abby and have her check it out. Until we know who the supplier is and where they’re working from, I’d rather Tony not be given any pain medication that can’t be tracked. Then talk to the doctor and have Tony transferred to Bethesda. I’ll have Marines on stand-by to guard his room. No one but medical personnel gets in, except you. Everyone will be required to present ID at the door, no exceptions, no police at all until we figure out what the hell is going on. I thought you all busted the supplier in the warehouse?�

Gibbs ran a hand over his head. “So did I, but apparently we were set up with a hoax. I think Boyes was involved deeply, but I’m not convinced he was the supplier. BPD is working hard to cover all this up…it could be a huge inside job involving nearly everyone. We’re just going to have to keep investigating.�

“I’m going to call Fornell and get the FBI on the case. Tony’s a civilian Jethro. I know he’s your boy, but he’s still not military.�

“I want to be read in to the case and be updated on what is going on.�

“Agreed. You’ll be kept informed, but you need to stay with Tony for now. You can guard him yourself, but I’m still going to post marines outside the door to his room. Let me know when you’re ready to move him.�

“Yep.� Gibbs shut the phone. He took a deep breath and turned to Nurse Tina who was waiting for instructions. “You can’t give him anything for the pain right now.�

The nurse blinked in shock. “What do you mean?�

Gibbs ran an uneasy hand over his forehead. “Until we know who is trying to poison him, where they are, who they’re working for, and why they want to hurt Tony, we can’t risk giving him anything that could be tainted. He’s going to have to do this without meds for a while. I hate it, but there’s no other choice.�

Tony groaned and his good hand moved to the arm that was in the sling. He didn’t wake up, but it was obvious he was hurting. Gibbs closed his eyes. This was out of control and he didn’t like that. His boy was hurting and he couldn’t make that go away. Letting out a long breath he stepped up to Tony’s bed.

“Tony,� he said softly. Tony groaned and moved his head, but didn’t open his eyes.

“Wake up Tony; I need to talk to you for a minute,� Gibbs tried again.

This time, Tony’s tired eyes blinked open just slightly.

“’s goin on? Dad?�

“Right here son. You ok?�

“Hurts,� Tony moaned softly. Gibbs knew it must be bad if Tony was admitting pain. Tony’s eyes started to slide shut again.

“Stay with me, just a minute Tony, then you can go to sleep.�

Tony slowly opened his eyes again. He blinked a couple of times and really tried to get his eyes to focus on his dad.

“Tony an officer from Baltimore PD came by. We have reason to believe he may have made an attempt to drug you again. I’m not sure we busted the entire organization at the warehouse, son. We’re going to put you on protection detail. We’re going to have you transferred to Bethesda and Morrow is going to have Marines put on your door checking IDs of people trying to get in and out. I’m going to be in the room with you at all timesâ€"you will not be left alone. As soon as you are well enough you’ll be released and we will continue the protection detail at home.â€�

Tony tried to process what was going on. He really was trying to understand. But he was so sleepy, and his arm was hurting…not too badly yet, more of an annoying ache…he just couldn’t figure out what Gibbs was talking about. He knew it was big, knew it was significant…he just couldn’t make sense of it.

Tony reached up with his good hand and grasped at his dad’s arm. “Trus’ you…Dad…keep’m’safe,� Tony slurred, consciousness fading quickly.

Gibbs grabbed his son’s hand and squeezed it reassuringly. “Get some rest Tony. I got you.�

The doctor returned and Gibbs talked to him about what was going on. The doctor agreed that Tony would be safer outside of Baltimore. Gibbs nodded. He pulled out his cell phone and called Morrow.

“We’re going to move him. Have the guards on stand-by. Did you get in touch with Fornell?�

“Yeah Gibbs, he’s pulling together a drug-taskforce team to start an internal investigation. He’s already confiscated all of Tony’s notes. Good information thereâ€"your boy’s a good cop.â€�

“He’s a very good cop, which is what worries me. Good cops working in a dirty PD get killed. This organization needs shutting down, and Tony’s getting out of there.�

“Agreed. Might be time to find him a position closer to home where you can keep an eye on him.�

Gibbs wondered what Tom meant by that, but didn’t figure this was the right time to ask. Right now he had to concentrate on keeping Tony safe, getting Tony out of the hospital and transferred to Bethesda, and getting Tony better. He’d promised to keep his boy safe. Tony was trusting him to keep him safe.

Gibbs knew he’d been given second chances more times than he deserved.

Tony was counting on him to not screw this up. He was a federal agent. He could do this. He could keep Tony safe from the people that wanted to hurt him.

Gibbs knew that their past was peppered with blotchy moments where trust had been questioned and feelings had been hurt. He looked down at his sleeping son. He knew that once Tony fully regained consciousness things would be different. Tony was traumatized. He was going to feel scared, worried about his friends at his job, worried about his career, and concerned about the right people getting punished for the right crimes.

But Tony trusted Gibbs. Tony, his grown up son, had a child-like faith in him that never wavered. Gibbs knew itâ€"could see itâ€"could feel it. It was as much a part of their relationship as the physical or emotional connection. Despite their rocky past, Tony trusted Gibbs. One hundred percent. No questions asked. No matter how bad things were at the end of the day, Tony trusted Gibbs, and only Gibbs.

Gibbs ran a weary hand over his forehead. He’d keep his boy safe.

He wouldn’t screw this up. If he did, he didn’t think he’d be able to live with the consequences.

TBC…

Chapter 6

“Mmm…hello?�

“Diane it’s me.�

“Jethro? What’s going on? Why are you calling me in the middle of the night?�

“I wanted to let you know we’re moving Tony to Bethesda. He’ll be safer there.�

“You woke me up again to tell me about Tony?�

“Obviously I made a mistake. Your actions the other day were misleading.�

“Jethro, Iâ€"â€�

“Save it.�

Gibbs snapped the phone shut, ending the call. What would have possessed him to think that his wife actually gave a damn about Tony? Better question would be why he married a woman who so openly didn’t like his son to begin with. Gibbs looked at Tony, reclined on the gurney, eyes closed, sound asleep. It wasn’t SOP for the hospitals to do patient transfers in the middle of the night, unless it was a life or death emergency situation. However, it had been decided that it would be more discreet if Tony were moved in the early morning hours, than it would be if he were moved during the day.

Once Tony was settled into his room, Morrow stepped inside with two marines just behind him. “Gibbs these boys are here to guard Tony’s door. I’m posting another two guards at the door to the hospital, restricting any Baltimore Police Department officers from coming inside. Everyone entering and leaving the hospital must show identification. Family members of patients are being notified of this as we speak.�

Gibbs nodded. He nodded his head in greeting to the two young marines. “Just so we understand each other,� Gibbs said, “this is my son. You will protect him as if you were protecting your own family. Do you understand?�

“Yes sir!â€� the two marines didn’t bat an eye at the order. They’d been warned that Gibbs was a gunny. They’d been through basic trainingâ€"they knew what they were dealing with. It wasn’t difficult to see the angry man hovering just beneath the surface here.

Gibbs nodded. He didn’t say anything to anyone else, merely turned around and assumed his post at Tony’s bedside. Tony was groaning in pain. The anesthesia was finally completely wearing off. They’d made the smart move to transport Tony while he was still out of it from the surgery. Nurse Tina had accompanied them in the ambulance; she’d been reluctant to let her patient go, but she understood the necessity of it.

However, now Tony was fully regaining consciousness. He was moving around more on the bed, which was causing him more pain. Gibbs rested a hand lightly on Tony’s shoulder.

“Easy Tony. I know it hurts. Gonna fix that here in just a second, alright?�

“D-dad?�

“Right here Tony. I’m right here with you.�

“D-daddy…hurts,� Tony whimpered. Gibbs hit the call button. Tony only ever sounded like that when he was deliriously sick or really injured. A nurse appeared in the doorway and was immediately stopped by the marines. Gibbs smiled. His boy would be safe here.

Two hours later, the sun was just beginning to rise. Gibbs was pacing the room, watching Tony sleep in his painkiller induced haze and wanting a cup of coffee so badly he could practically smell it. Just after sunrise, his cell phone rang.

“What have ya got for me, Abs,� he said as greeting.

“GIBBS, GIBBS, GIBBS! I tested that syringe that you sent me yesterday and you aren’t gonna believe this!�

“What, Abs,� Gibbs nearly growled at her. Lack of sleep and caffeine were beginning to cause his patience to wear thin.

“Grumpy this morning,� Abby commented mildly, “anyway, the needle that you sent me to test was a hot-shot.�

Gibbs blinked at the unexpected answer. “A what?�

“A hot-shot, Gibbs. Heroin laced with fentanyl! It’s commonly used by drug dealers when they think someone is going to turn them in. Dealers give it to undercover cops all the time! It’s usually lethal because no one typically finds the cops before it kills them. How big is the officer who almost got this shot?�

Gibbs hadn’t told anyone about Tony, except Ducky and Morrow. In his line of work, the less information people had about his personal life the better off he felt. It gave people fewer targets. He’d turned the syringe over to Abby, telling her only that a Baltimore police officer had nearly been given this shot, he was working a case with Gibbs, and Gibbs needed to know what was in the needle.

“He’s six-foot-two, ‘bout 180 pounds, Abby.�

“With a dose this big…Gibbs he would have been dead before the needle was pulled out of his arm. It was that poisonous.�

Gibbs covered his mouth with his hand. He blinked several times and looked over at Tony, reassuring himself that he was still alive.

“Call ya back Abs,� he finally said softly, the shut the phone before she could respond.

He could see Tony. Could see that he was safe. Could see that he was alright. But this was his son! Gibbs found that he couldn’t help himself. He moved to Tony’s bed and scooped his boy up in his arms, resting him against his chest and rocking him slightly. Someone tried to hurt his son…again…this time they’d nearly killed him…

Tony groaned at all the sudden movement and for a moment struggled against Gibbs, not knowing who had him.

“Easy Tony…shh…it’s me…you’re safe…oh thank God you’re safe…� Gibbs whispered.

“’s’goin’on?� Tony mumbled, snuggling against Gibbs as though he were a large teddy bear.

Gibbs laid his boy back on the bed. “Sorry,� he said contritely when he saw the lines of pain around Tony’s eyes. “I just…I’m just glad you’re alright, Tony.�

“You been actin’…weird…ev’r since…s’rg’ry…� Tony slurred.

Gibbs knew it was not the time to tell Tony what had happened in detail. But he knew Tony wouldn’t let this drop. He was acting out of character and that always bothered his boy.

“Someone from Baltimore PD tried to kill you yesterday Tony,� he said softly.

“Wha? Who? What’d I do…make them hate me so bad…�

Gibbs sat on the edge of Tony’s bed and took his son’s face in his hands. “You didn’t do anything to deserve this Tony. All you have done is the job they hired you to do. This. Is. Not. Your. Fault.�

Tony looked confused for a minute before he relaxed back against the bed. “Ok…� he whispered.

**
Tony was having some residual nightmares from the large dose of CMT he’d been given. Before he’d been released from the hospital, the doctor had given him a prescription of tranquilizers to help him rest.

Gibbs helped Tony into the house. Tony had been unsteady on his feet ever since he was attacked, and with the concussion on top of the drugs, it was a struggle just to keep him upright.

“Ok c’mon now we gotta get up the stairs; you can do it Tony, c’mon.�

Tony stopped at the bottom of the long staircase and stared up at the top. It was a long way to go.

“Can’t I just…rest on the couch?� Tony blinked his eyes tiredly. Who knew getting to go home from the hospital could be so exhausting?

Gibbs looked at Tony and saw how exhausted he looked. The couch was much closer than Tony’s bed. Gibbs nodded and turned him around. “C’mon. I’ll get you settled then see about finding you something to eat.�

He helped Tony get situated on the couch, covered him with a blanket Shannon had made, and patted him on the shoulder. “Any requests?�

“Pizza and beer?� Tony grinned as his dad swatted him lightly on the back of the head.

“Try again,� Gibbs said, fighting down the smile at his irrepressible son.

“Um…I guess just a sandwich or something. Don’t go to a lot of trouble Dad, I’m really not that hungry.�

“I’ll fix you something. Try to relax; I’ll be in the kitchen if you need me.�

Tony nodded and clicked on the TV. He turned the sound down low because too much noise only accelerated his headache. He could hear his dad bumping around in the kitchen and smiled at the domesticity of it. He heard a car pull into the driveway and bit back a groan. He was willing to bet that meant Diane was home. She was never glad to see him. Not even on holidays.

A moment later, the busty redhead sprang into the house, arms laden down with shopping bags and another woman trailing behind her. They were talking and laughing and being exceptionally loud and Tony cringed at the volume. Diane stopped short when she saw Tony lying on the couch.

“What the hell are you doing? Why aren’t you in bed,� Diane snapped.

“Dad told me it’d be ok for me to rest on the couch for a while,� Tony said quietly. He always felt out of place with this woman. She was beautiful to be sure, and she wasn’t much younger than Gibbs, but that made her not much older than Tony. Indeed, when Tony was seventeen and being taken in by Gibbs, his dad had only been 31 years old.

Diane looked at her friend, her face flushing with embarrassment. “Forgive my step-son,� she said, “he’s a bit of a wimp.� She cut her eyes at Tony, daring him to say anything. Tony, smartly, remained quiet and turned back to the television without comment.

“He’s a good looking boy Diane…I dunno how you keep your hands off of him,� he heard Diane’s friend comment and fought down a shudder.

“You don’t want to go near that one Stephanie,� she said, “he’s got a different woman every night of the week.�

It was a ruse of course. Tony had her (and many others) thinking he had a woman for every night of the week because that is what she wanted to think. In truth, Tony hadn’t been on but a few dates in the last few months, and those dates hadn’t ended in any sort of sexual encounter. Sure he’d had partners in the past, but it seemed he’d hit a dry spell. Then again, with women like Diane describing him…he’d never find a date again.

“Hey Diane, Stephanie,� Gibbs said as he returned from the kitchen. He carried a tray holding two plates, two mugs, and two glasses of water. “I didn’t make you all any lunch…I didn’t know you’d be home.�

“It’s alright Jethro. Stephanie and I were just leaving,� Diane said, dumping her shopping bags on the floor. She didn’t miss the way Stephanie looked at her husband.

“Have a nice afternoon ladies,� Jethro called as they both left. He noticed Tony was very quiet. “You ok?�

Tony shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. Diane just doesn’t like me and I need to just accept that.�

“What’d she say, Tony?�

“She asked me why I wasn’t upstairs in bed…why I was on the couch instead. She told her friend that I’m a wimp.� Tony wasn’t indignant. He wasn’t complaining. He actually just sounded resigned to the facts.

Gibbs looked at the front door and scowled. He hated the way Diane treated Tony. Tony, for the most part, tried to be inconspicuous whenever he came home. He cleaned up after himself, helped with the household chores, even cooked on occasion. For some reason though, Diane detested him.

“Well you aren’t a wimp. I hope you know that much.� Tony nodded. “And her friend…well I wouldn’t worry about her either,� Gibbs said softly. “You’re a good man Tony. You’re brave and you’re strong. You don’t scare easily and you look danger in the face and don’t even flinch. Don’t listen to them. Hell with them. I’m proud of you.�

Tony raised his gaze to look at his dad. “That’s all that matters to me,� he said softly, a small smile on his face.

The two ate for a while in companionable silence before Gibbs spoke. “I know it may be early to ask…but have you given any thought to where you want to go to work after you leave BPD?�

Tony took a bite of his sandwich and chewed it thoughtfully. “Not really. I wanna stay close to DC because I like being close to you, but I don’t know if any departments are hiring or not. Do you think there is any agency out there who would even consider me after all the shit I’ve caused at BPD?�

“HEY!� Gibbs’ sharp tone surprised Tony. “You didn’t do anything wrong! You hear me? You didn’t cause any shit at BPD…you just stepped in it, that’s all.�

Tony couldn’t help but laugh at his dad for that comment. “I did do that, didn’t I,� he laughed.

Gibbs joined him in laughter. “Yeah, you did.�

**
Tobias Fornell let out a long sigh and rolled over to his back. The beautiful woman next to him let out her own contented sigh. He looked over at her and smiled. He tried to rationalize that this wouldn’t burn any bridges. No one needed to know. He kissed her softly and brushed a strand of hair from her face. Then he rose from the bed, pulled on his pants and grabbed his badge. He went around the room collecting the rest of his clothes and shoes and belongings, leaving no trace of where he’d been.

“Gotta run now Shelley. Can’t stay today. Working a hot case.�

“You law men are all the same,� she drawled at him. “All work and no play makes Toby a dull boy,� she purred, as she ran a finger seductively up his chest. He smiled at her and kissed her again.

“Friend of mine’s kid was attacked last weekend working a drug bust. We’re still lookin’ for the supplier. The supplier is after my friend’s kid now. Keep makin attempts on his life. Shame, too. He’s a nice kid, only just turned twenty-seven last week. My friend says the hospital’s letting him out today. So I need to get with the program and figure out how to keep the kid safe once he’s at home, and we have to figure out who it is that’s trying to kill him. I have to go.�

Shelley smiled and nodded. She knew all of this already. Jethro was keeping her well informed on what was going on with him and his son Tony. She knew they were releasing Tony from the hospital. She knew all she had to do was wait for her opportunity. This time there would be no death threats. That was becoming too obvious. No, this time there would be something much worse. This time she would destroy the father’s faith in the son. Once that was done…well then she could do as she pleased.

**
That evening Diane sat down next to Tony on the couch. Tony scooted over to the other end to make sure she had enough room, and to make sure she didn’t misinterpret…anything.

“So Tony,� Diane started, “what did those guys do to you last weekend?�

Tony glanced across the room at Gibbs who was reading a book on building glued lapstrake wooden boats. Gibbs glanced up over the top of his book and gave Tony a silent look. He could tell if he wanted to, or not. Gibbs would back him either way.

“I was uh…given some drugs…they held me down and gave me the shot…the reaction was pretty bad. I broke my wrist by pulling it out of the bracelet on my handcuffs.�

Diane smirked. “Why were you handcuffed with your own handcuffs? You do know those are supposed to go on the criminals right?� She laughed.

Tony frowned. “I was undercover. They made me. They figured out I was a cop. I was attacked by more than one person and held down. I didn’t have a lot of control over what happened Diane.�

“Seems like a rookie mistake to me to be cuffed with your own cuffs! What’d they do, hold you at gun point with your own gun too,� she taunted.

“Yes,� Tony whispered, fighting down the shudder as the memory of what happened played through his mind. “I’m goin to bed,� he said quietly, quickly making his way out of the room.

Immediately Gibbs and Diane were at each other’s throats. “What the hell is your problem with him,â€� he roared. “I told you he’d been attackedâ€"why’d you have to bring it all back up for him? Huh? Don’t you know a cop’s worst nightmare is being killed with your own duty weapon? And it was his partner who did this to him! Do you have no soul? Those were terrible things to say!â€�

Diane narrowed her eyes at him. “I always knew he was a useless worthless boy! Now he tells us he’s using drugs?! And youâ€"you just let him get away with it, knowing full well that next he’ll start stealing from us, selling our possessions, taking our moneyâ€"and you’d just let him get away with it! I swear it’s like that boy walks on water with you! What if he attacks us? Huh? What if he does something to me?! What would you do? Whose side would you take then, Jethro?â€�

Gibbs shook his head. “You are unbelievable,� he said quietly. “I’m not going to even grace those comments with a response. You obviously haven’t heard a word either of us said. You need to find another place to stay Diane. This isn’t working out.�

Diane got right up in Jethro’s face. “I’ll be out of the house by the end of the week,� she bit out. “You ignorant bastard.�

At the top of the stairs, Tony heard the argument, leaning his back against the wall. He hadn’t meant to eavesdrop, but once he heard them start, he heard his name, and he knew that this time, it would be his fault if Diane left. He heard Gibbs tell her she needed to find somewhere else to go and closed his eyes briefly. Silently he walked to his room and closed the door. He just seemed to continuously ruin his father’s life.

TBC…

Chapter 7

The next day, Gibbs had to reluctantly return to work. He made sure Tony had all of his medications before he left, wrote down the times he was supposed to take the next doses and promised to call Tony at lunch time if not before.

“Gonna just sleep all day, Dad,� Tony said. “Maybe watch a movie or two. Mainly I just wanna stay out of Diane’s way.�

“Good plan, kiddo. See ya this evening.� Gibbs quickly kissed Tony on the forehead and left, closing the door behind him.

He paused right outside the door to his son’s bedroom. His gut was churning again. He didn’t know why, but he knew it had something to do with Tony. Turning back, he opened the door.

“Hey Tony?�

Tony looked up, surprised to see his dad back. “Yeah? Dad you ok?�

“I’m fine Tony. Just…watch your six today, alright?�

Tony nodded. “Your gut churning too?�

Gibbs nodded. “Yeah. Call if you need anything?�

“Sure. Hey Dad?�

“Yeah, son?�

“Look…about last night…I didn’t mean to, but I heard what you and Diane were saying. I want you to know I’d never…�

“Hush. I know you’d never do any of those things she accused you of. She’ll be gone soon. Don’t worry.�

“Dad?�

“Yeah Tony?�

“If you love her…don’t kick her out because of me. I mean we can figure out something, y’know? If she makes you happy…don’t give that up on my account.�

“Tony you are my son. You were my son before she was my wife. She knew that when this relationship started. You are my son. You come first. You will be chosen over her. Every time. She knows that. It pisses her off, but she knows it. And the way she treats you does not make me happy. If she can’t love you then she isn’t loving me.�

Tony smiled. It was probably the first genuinely bright smile Gibbs had seen since the op went bad. “Thanks Dad. See you tonight.�

“Alright.� Gibbs closed the door and went down the stairs.

**
Just before lunchtime, Gibbs’ cell phone rang. “Yeah, Gibbs,� he answered without checking the caller ID.

“Um…D-dad?� Tony’s voice was low, nearly a whisper and slightly slurred. He sounded scared.

“Tony? You ok?�

“I…’m not sure…I th’nk…need t’come…home…I th’nk…something’s happ’ned.�

“What’s happened Tony? What’s going on? Are you alright? Where’s Diane?�

Tony looked over at the woman lying naked in his bed with him.

“She’s right here.�

**
“Oh Jethro it was terrible! Tony was calling for help, so I went to check on him. When I got in there, he grabbed me and ripped off all my clothes and he…he…oh God, Jethro…he made me have…he raped me, Jethro!�

Diane leaned weakly against her husband as he blinked in surprise, trying to understand what the hell had happened.

Tony was sitting with his back against the wall, his naked body sitting with knees tucked tightly to his chest, one hand covering his eyes, head bowed low, casted arm hanging straight out in front of him. He’d been sitting there when Gibbs arrived home, and since then he hadn’t moved or spoken.

Gibbs looked from Tony to Diane and back to Tony. There were bruises on Diane’s wrists. She was naked and her body smelled of sex. A smell he hadn’t smelled in quite some time. Then there was Tony. He looked completely disheveled. He looked scared. He looked…drugged?

“Do I need to call for an ambulance, Diane?�

She shook her head. “No…I don’t want to get the hospital involved in this! I work there! I’ll never hear the end of it! Isn’t there someone you can call? Someway we can keep this all under wraps? I warned you Jethro! I told you something like this could happen with that…that junkie son of yours! Damn you! Damn him! How could you let this happen?!�

Gibbs nodded. “I can call Dr. Mallard and have him come check both of you out. If there are any tests that need to be run, he can have Abby run them anonymously.� Gibbs was concerned…but not so much about Diane…there was no way that Tony would have been able to leave bruises like that on both of Diane’s arms when he only had the use of one hand. What was going on here? His gut churned. He was missing something.

“Do it,� Diane snapped, pulling the covers up over herself.

Gibbs quickly made the call. Once Ducky was on his way, Gibbs turned his attention on Tony. This was so out of character for Tony…he just couldn’t imagine what could have happened to cause his son to supposedly act this way then call and act as though he didn’t know what had happened. Gibbs was missing something. His gut had been churning that morning. So had Tony’s. Gibbs narrowed his eyes as he thought about the situation. Something wasn’t right here.

For now, though, he needed to get Tony up off the floor and covered up before he caught a chill. In his gut, he didn’t believe for a second that Tony had maliciously attacked Diane. He didn’t believe for a second that Tony would ever intentionally hurt anyone unless he absolutely had no choice. No there had to be more to this story than what was being told. There was no way Tony had done this.

“Tony?�

Tony looked up at his dad. Well. He looked up at his dad’s shoulder. He couldn’t meet his eyes.

“Tony we need to get you off the floor. Can you stand up Tony?�

Tony seemed…disconnected. He looked like he was stoned. Gibbs reached out a hand to help Tony up and noticed the way Tony’s hand shook slightly as he reached out for the help. He wasn’t shaking in fear. He was trembling…from what? Gibbs pulled Tony to his feet, and the boy swayed dangerously before leaning hard on Gibbs, his forehead crashing down onto his dad’s shoulder.

“You bastard! What are you doing?! Why are you swaying like that?! There is nothing wrong with you! What the fuck is your problem you crazy bastard?! Why are you acting like that?! Jethro he’s tricking youâ€"he wants you to think something’s wrong so you won’t blame him for…for what he did,â€� Diane snarled.

Gibbs looked at her. “Stay here. I’ll send Ducky to check on you when he gets here. You are both my family, Diane. I have to look after you both. Right now I’m checking on Tony. You just stay in bed and try to relax.�

Gibbs carefully led Tony out of the room and down the hall to one of the guest rooms and on into the connected en suite bathroom. He sat his boy down on the toilet seat and knelt in front of him.

“Tony? You with me?�

In the bright light of the bathroom, Gibbs noticed that Tony had a faraway look in his eyesâ€"he didn’t look right, and he didn’t respond. Gibbs tried again.

“Tony? Tony can you hear me? Are you alright?�

Tony blinked and his eyes searched dizzily for Gibbs. Finally seeing him, his unsteady gaze rested on his dad. Gibbs narrowed his eyes. Something was very wrong with Tony. He reached up and slapped his son lightly on the cheek a couple of times, finally being rewarded with a slow blink.

“You with me?�

Tony finally nodded. “Dad,� he said hoarsely.

“Tony do you know what’s happened,� Gibbs asked him quietly.

Tony was quiet for a long moment before he slowly responded. “I don’t…I don’t remember doing any of what she said I did,� he finally said. “Dad?�

Gibbs ran a hand over his eyes. God what a mess. “Yeah, Tony?�

“Do you think…I mean is it possible that I could have…do you think I really did it,� Tony whispered, tears brimming his eyes. He didn’t like Diane one bit, but he never wanted to hurt her.

“I think if you did, it was because something happened to you as well,� Gibbs said quietly. He watched his son for a moment. “Are you feeling okay?�

“Feel…I dunno…like I’m in…mud…or something…everything is moving so slowly…feel so sleepy…so strange…�

“When is the last time you took your medication, Tony?�

“Only took…dose you gave me, Dad. Wasn’t time for more yet…?�

“You eat or drink anything this morning?�

Tony thought for a minute. “Diane made me coffee? Said she put the stuff in it that I like. Tasted kinda funny though…kinda salty…don’t remember anything after that, Dad,� Tony whispered, shaking his head sadly, eyes on his lap.

Gibbs closed his eyes and fought down his anger. She’d drugged Tony then blamed him for raping her when in actuality…God it was possible she’d raped him. He heard the front door open and stood up. Tony swayed dangerously on the toilet seat and Gibbs gently eased him into a standing position, wrapped Tony’s good arm around his neck and began leading him toward the bed in the guest room.

“Duck? You here?�

“Yes Jethro, where are you?�

Having Tony settled on the bed, Gibbs poked his head out into the hallway. He motioned for Ducky to join him in the guest room with Tony.

“Anthony! My dear boy, it’s been ages since I saw you last! How have you been?�

When Tony didn’t respond, Ducky looked at Jethro with questions in his eyes.

“He’s had a rough time of it lately Duck. He got made undercover last weekend. They drugged him out pretty good. Cardiac arrest, nightmares and hallucinations…it was terrible. Then he had to have surgery on his broken wrist. I brought him back here so he could recover…had to go in to work today. Tony called me about an hour ago and told me he needed me to come home. When I got here…Tony was sitting on the floor naked, Diane was in bed naked, and Diane is screaming that Tony raped her. I dunno though Duck. Look at him. Does he look like he could have raped anyone? He says the last thing he remembers is Diane making him a cup of coffee and it tasting salty.�

Ducky stepped over to the bed. “My dear boy. May I check you out and make sure you are alright?�

Tony shook his head. “Check on Diane first,� he pleaded, “I don’t remember it…make sure she’s alright…I never wanted to hurt her…can’t believe I hurt her,� Tony whispered. Tears were wetting his eyes, threatening to take over, but he was blinking them back furiously.

Ducky turned to Gibbs. “Jethro where is Diane?�

“Tony’s room, Duck. She has some bruises on her wrists.�

“Bruises? Already?�

It struck Gibbs then. He’d been rightâ€"Tony hadn’t hurt Diane. Someone else had bruised her wrists and she was trying to pin it on Tony. Gibbs realized then that he’d been correct in his assumption that Tony couldn’t have left those bruises because Tony only had one hand to use, and the bruises were too old. Gibbs knew he hadn’t done itâ€"he and Diane had been sleeping in separate beds for quite some time now, and for the most part the couple never touched each other.

“Go check her out Duck. Figure out what the hell is going on. I’ll stay with Tony and make sure he stays in bed until you get back.�

Ducky nodded, picked up his medical bag and left the room.

**
That night, Gibbs’ phone rang. Diane was in bed, sedated to keep her calm (“and out of trouble, Jethro,� Ducky had added once she was asleep), and Tony sat curled on the couch, knees tucked up to his chin, head bowed low to his chest, arms wrapped around his ankles. He had hardly spoken since Ducky left. He hadn’t eaten and had refused every drink anyone had offered him. Now Gibbs sat next to him, waiting to hear back on the lab results.

“Yeah, Gibbs.� His voice sounded old, even to him. He was tired. It had been a long day.

“Good evening Jethro. How is everyone?�

“Diane’s still sleeping and Tony…well he’s right here with me. Still pretty out of it though. He’s refusing to eat or drink anything.�

“After everything the boy has been through I wouldn’t be surprised by that at all.�

“What did you find out, Ducky?�

“There is no evidence that leads me to believe Diane put up as much of a struggle as she would like us to think, Jethro. The exam leads me to believe she had engaged in recent rough sex, but it was all consensual. There was no tearing or bruising on her body to make me think she was forced into intercourse against her will. The bruises on her wrists are consistent with someone holding them very tightly, but the size of the bruises doesn’t match with the size of Anthony’s hands. That, in addition to the fact that Anthony’s right hand is casted because he just had surgery for a broken wrist, leads me to believe that there is no way Anthony caused her bruising. There was also nothing to lead me to believe that Anthony had engaged in any intercourse this morning. There would have been some exchange of bodily fluids, and there was none on Anthony.�

“What about the lab tests?�

“The semen we found on Diane’s body does not match with Anthony’s at all. Nor with yours Jethro. That merely backs up the other evidence that Anthony was not involved. I ran the sample I found through the computers looking for any match I could find.�

“And?�

“Jethro…The semen matched Tobias Fornell.�

Gibbs let out a loud breath and blinked. Tobias Fornell. His colleague. His…friend? What the hell?

“What else did you find Duck?�

“Anthony’s blood contained very low amounts of GHBâ€"the very common date rape drug. It wasn’t anywhere near a toxic levelâ€"but he was most definitely drugged. I also found traces of a narcotic painkiller, as well as a benzodiazepine in his blood as well. Diane must have had sex with Fornell while Anthony was under the influence. Once Fornell was gone, she could have easily stripped Anthony down and slipped into bed with him. In Anthony’s intoxicated state it wouldn’t have been hard to make him believe he’d done something he hadn’t. It reminds me of a story I heard once, when the ambassador to Germanyâ€"â€�

“Ducky, He is taking prescription painkillers for his wrist and tranquilizers to help him sleep without the nightmares being so bad,� Gibbs explained, cutting his friend off before the story could get going.

“Did Diane know this?�

“Possibly, but I don’t think so. I haven’t told her. Tony was lucid enough to take his own medicines yesterday and this morning. There was no reason why he would have told her. If she knew, it was because she read the bottles at his bedside.�

“Under normal circumstances it would take a much larger dose of GHB to subdue a man of Anthony’s size. I am willing to bet Jethro, that she did know he was on those medications, and she reduced the dosage of the GHB drastically to avoid overdose-like symptoms or death.�

“What do I do with all this Duck? What would you do?�

“I would boot the vixen out on the street if it were me, Jethro. As for pressing charges…Anthony has grounds for a case, but ultimately it would be his decision on whether or not to pursue. There is no chance of rape charges holding up against Anthony when there is no physical evidence of him being anywhere near her at all. That coupled with the drugs in the boy’s system…he’d be well protected from the charges.�

“How long will Tony be out of it like he is?�

“I can come by and take another look if you’d like me to Jethro. The effects of GHB vary…but a typical dosage usually doesn’t last more than two or three hours. I believe what you are seeing now is shock, Jethro. Anthony has been under a tremendous amount of stress from what you’ve told meâ€"first with the case, then the attack, the surgery, the most recent attempt on his life in the hospital and now this. It’s probably some form of psychological shock. I will come by and check him if you’d like.â€�

Gibbs looked at his boy who hadn’t moved in hours. He was staring straight ahead at a spot on the wall. “Yeah Duck…that might be good. I’m worried about him.�

“Jethro…are you going to contact Fornell?�

“I haven’t decided yet.�

“You may want to decide quickly Jethro. There is one more bit of information I need to give you.�

“What’s that?�

“Diane is pregnant.�

TBC…

Chapter 8

Tobias Fornell poured over Tony’s notes that he’d confiscated from the Baltimore PD. There was good information hereâ€"ideas on leads, connections he’d made, things he’d observed. He’d made note of the tip they’d received about the supplier relocating to DC. That was when Fornell noticed the date.

The supplier had moved to DC the same date that Jethro and Diane had gotten married. Interesting.

He thought back over the nights and afternoons he’d spent with Diane Gibbs…“Shelleyâ€�…she was one hell of a lay; that was for sure. He thought back over what he’d told herâ€"hadn’t wanted to give away too much about the caseâ€"after all it did involve her step son and her husbandâ€"but he figured they were keeping her up on the details anyway.

Then again…she’d been acting strangely these past couple of weeks…and she’d had a sort of…self-satisfied smile on her face when he’d been telling her about it yesterday afternoon…

Fornell dug back through Tony’s notes. He’d seen something that caught his eye before, but he’d blown past it. Now though, it made a knot of fear, guilt and nausea rise in his gut. The report said that now, the supplier was supposedly was living in DC, under a name with the initials “DML.� It was the initials the supplier used whenever he or she communicating with someone. He’d been seeing DML all over drug cases for years. Tobias would love nothing better than to know who the hell DML was and to put them away for a very long time.

He thumbed through a stack of his own notes looking for a connection and noticed when something fell off of his desk. He picked it up and looked at the small square of paper. Oh God…Jethro’s wedding invitation from several months earlier. “You are cordially invited to attending the wedding celebration of Leroy Jethro Gibbs and Diane Michelle Larson…�

Diane Michelle Larson…DML…the initials matched up perfectly. Fornell recalled the way the busty redhead had caught his eye in the bar. “Call me Shelley,� she’d purred at him, “Nearly everyone does.�

In his drunken haze, he’d bought it. Hook, line and sinker. He hadn’t recognized Diane that night in the bar he’d been so intoxicated, and now he was screwing his best friend’s wife and it was such a convenient arrangement…after all Gibbs and Diane were barely speaking to each other anymore …dear God help him, they had both been screwing the woman who was the centerpiece to Tony’s big drug investigation. He’d been working on it for months. Fornell had noticed that Shelley had become increasingly tense in the past months. Now someone was trying to have Tony killed. It had to be her. Was she tense because Tony was on to her? Because he was getting too close? There were too many commonalities between Diane and the supplier…just like Gibbs, Fornell didn’t believe in coincidences.

Diane was a nurse. She’d know exactly how much of which drugs to give someone to kill them. She had to be the supplier. That morning at Gibbs’ house, Diane had assured him that Tony was sound asleep and wouldn’t bother them. Dear God…what if…Fornell grabbed up the notes, and took off. He had to get to Jethro’s house before it was too late and she did something irreversible.

**
“SHE’S WHAT?!�

Tony blinked at the sudden loud words from his dad. He flinched away out of reflex and nearly fell off the couch. Gibbs dove for him and caught him before he could fall, but Tony flinched away as though burned.

“Shh…hey Tony…I’m sorry, didn’t mean to scare you…it’s ok…you’re safe.� Into the phone he said, “Gotta go Duck. Tony needs me. Come by as soon as you can.�

“Tony?� Gibbs looked at his son, at a loss as to what needed to be done for him. He placed a gentle hand on his boy’s shoulder. “You with me?�

Tony blinked slowly up at him. “Dad? I…I don’t understand.�

“What don’t you understand, Tony? Tell me and I’ll see if I can help.�

Tony looked helplessly around him, fearing teasing his features. “Where’s Diane,� he whispered.

“She’s upstairs sleeping Tony. You don’t have to worry about her. She’s leaving. She’s not going to hurt you anymore.�

“I don’t understand…�

“She drugged you Tony. Then she had sex with Fornell. Once she was done with him, she stripped you down and crawled in bed with you. There was no evidence anywhere that indicated that you and she had sex. You didn’t do anything Tony. You woke up and saw her in bed. That’s all that happened. I promise.�

“I still don’t understand…�

Gibbs narrowed his eyes. “What don’t you understand?�

“I don’t understand why you’re keeping me. Why aren’t you making me go home? Why don’t you send me away? I don’t deserve all this. I don’t deserve for you to be nice to me! I only cause you trouble!� Tony’s voice hitched up, the desperation in his tone nearly broke his dad’s heart.

Gibbs cupped Tony’s face in his hands. “Why wouldn’t I want you? You are my son! I always want you hereâ€"I could never send you away! And you did NOTHING. WRONG. This is NOT. Your. Fault. I am not sending you away sonâ€"I love youâ€"I won’t ever send you away!â€�

There was a knock on the front door just before it opened. “Gibbs? You here?�

Gibbs’ eyes narrowed. “Tobias. What can I do for you?�

Fornell ran a hand over his thinning hair and gave Gibbs a helpless look.

“We need to talk.�

Gibbs crossed his arms, and didn’t move from Tony’s side. “I’d say so.�

“I know who the supplier is. I know why those people were able to get so close to Tony, and I know why his attackers seemed to be able to continuously find him.�

Gibbs blinked. That was a lot of information for Fornell to have produced in the 36 hours or so since he’d seen him last. Especially when at least some of those hours had been spent…here…with her…

“I’m listening.�

Tobias sat down on the recliner and worked his fingers nervously while they remained folded on his lap. “God, how do I do this…The supplier has moved out of Baltimore. The supplier is here in DC.�

“It’s a big city Fornell; we have to have more than that,� Gibbs snapped.

“The supplier’s name is Diane Michelle Larson.�

Gibbs nearly choked on the sip of coffee he’d just taken. “That’s my wife!�

Fornell nodded. “I know.�

Gibbs ran a hand over his forehead. Tony looked curiously from one man to the other, trying to make sense of what he’d just heard. Diane? She was the supplier? How had he missed that? What the hell had he been doing all this time? He’d been tracking the supplier, the business, the trade offs, the deals, all of it…and at the same time he’d been having Sunday Dinners with her and Jethro and keeping them updated on his big case and how close he was to finding out the mastermind behind it. Diane? Seriously?! How had he missed that?

Gibbs cut his eyes at Fornell. “There is something else you need to know about Fornell.�

“What’s that Jethro?�

“She’s pregnant.�

For one split second, Fornell shot a dirty look at his crotchâ€"betrayed by his own body?â€"how could this have happened?

“That’s…that’s uh…well…�

“That’s YOUR problem Tobias. I know for a fact the baby isn’t mine.�

“You’re her husband! How do you know that?�

“Because I haven’t slept in the same bed with her in months. We haven’t had sex in at least the last six months. I’d notice if she was six months pregnant I think. She accused Tony of raping her today. We had Ducky run the tests…your body fluids were the only ones that showed up on her.�

Tony let out a choked sob. He hadn’t said a word since Tobias arrived, but now it was too much. He’d screwed the pooch on this oneâ€"how could he not have known that his own step mom was the one behind all those deathsâ€"she’d been circulating tainted drugs and deadly combos…Diane? How had his dad not caught onto that? She was good; he had to give her credit. They’d neither one expected this.

Gibbs turned to Tony. “Tony? You ok?�

The front door opened and Ducky walked in. Tony’s body suddenly tilted forward, his head going to his hands, his shoulders shaking. He’d ruined everything. It was his notes that had given Fornell the information he’d needed to make the connection. Oh God…

Gibbs caught Tony before he rolled head first off the couch. He scooped him back up on to the cushions and tried to pry his hands away from his face. Ducky came over and sat down on the coffee table across from them.

“Anthony, my dear boy. Look up here now Tony. Let me see you, lad.�

“Oh God Ducky,� Tony whispered. “Oh God…dad I’m so sorry,� Tony choked out.

“It’s ok Tony. It’s ok. You did good. You did so good; I am so proud of you,� Gibbs said quietly, stroking his boy’s hair.

“There is one more thing you need to know Jethro,� Fornell said quietly.

“Jethro?� A sleepy, distinctively female voice came from the stairs.

Tony let out a low keening sound at the sound of her voice. Jethro pulled him in close and held him tightly, tucking Tony’s head into his own chest so that his son didn’t have to face this woman again.

“Diane.�

“What is going on here Jethro? Boys club?�

Her eyes flickered to Tobias. His gaze was cold and distant.

“Hey Toby,� she offered.

“Hello. Shelley,� Fornell bit out. Gibbs raised an eyebrow and looked at his friend curiously.

At the name Shelley, Diane paled slightly. They knew. The gig was up. The game was over. They knew. Shit.

“I’m…uh…going to get a drink. You boys want anything?� Maybe she could still sneak out the back.

Tony shook his head no, his movements seemed almost desperate. Gibbs and Fornell both declined, as did Ducky. She’d already drugged Tony; they weren’t taking the chances on her making any of them something to consume at this point!

“Suit yourselves,� she said sweetly, then disappeared toward the kitchen. She never made it.

“FBI GET YOUR HANDS IN THE AIR!� a voice called from the hallway.

“The other thing you should know is that I’m here to arrest Diane. I brought back up Jethro,� Tobias said quietly, pulling out his gun and going to the hallway to assist his partner.

Moments later, Sacks and Fornell dragged Diane out of the hallway. She was bound in handcuffs and struggling for all she was worth. Tony stared at her, still completely shocked by this turn of events.

“You dirty bastard,� she yelled at Tony, “all this time you’ve been snooping around, breaking up my deals and screwing up my business! You worthless, useless, piece of shit! I hate you! I HATE YOU! WHY DIDN’T YOU JUST DIE?!?! Why couldn’t you leave well enough alone, eh? What possessed you to keep pushing? You drove me to this, you filthy bastard, you did this!�

Tony didn’t answer, merely looked at his stepmom. Gibbs stayed where he was, with Tony. “I think it’s time you exercise your right to remain silent Diane,� he said gently, his anger boiling just under the surface. Indeed any resistance would lead to an altercation that he didn’t think Fornell wanted to have to deal with.

“Leave it Jethro. C’mon Diane.� Fornell gave her a sharp tug.

“Don’t pull on me you dumpy bastard! You think I’ve been fucking you all this time because I love you? I was doing it to keep an extra ear on the grapevine! I had to know what was being said about me! Let me go you sonofabitch!�

“THAT’S ENOUGH,� Sacks boomed, his voice echoing in the room. He looked at his partner, at Gibbs and at the kid from Baltimore PD. This was one seriously jacked up situation. He was silently glad that all he had to do was lead the woman out of the house. He was thrilled that he didn’t have to stay and pick up the pieces of what was left of these men’s lives.

**
There was no consoling Tony that night. Gibbs sat with him, ran a hand over his back, carded his fingers through Tony’s hair, did everything he knew to do, to no avail. Tony simply wouldn’t be comforted. He blamed himself for what had happened. He blamed himself for not figuring it all out soonerâ€"before his dad got emotionally invested in this woman. His dad was hurting and it was all because of him.

Tony thought he’d never be able to live with himself. He’d tried to leaveâ€"tried to pack his things and leave quietly, but Jethro blocked his way, pulling him into a tight, desperate hug and begging Tony to stay.

Ducky fussed around them both, wanting to put off giving Tony anymore drugs until it became absolutely unavoidable. Unavoidable finally came around 3am.

Gibbs had dozed off on half of Tony’s bed. Tony silently slid out of bed, needing to work out the pain in his heart he was feeling. He couldn’t stand himself for the role he’d played in all that had taken place. He walked quietly to the bathroom and stared at himself in the mirror. Suddenly he shot his casted arm out and struck the mirror hard, shattering the glass. He picked up anything he could find and smashed it, breaking containers and bottles all over the floor. He couldn’t stop himself, and he knew it was break everything in sight or hurt himself seriously. It was during this that two strong arms wrapped around him from behind and dragged him out of the bathroom, away from the broken glass.

Turning around in surprise, Tony saw both Gibbs and Ducky standing there. Their faces were concerned and their eyes were sad. Tony broke then. He dropped to his knees and Gibbs nodded to Ducky. It was time. Tony needed to sleep; he needed to be well rested so he could deal with everything that had happened. Tony yelled and protested, screaming and shouting “no� as Gibbs and Ducky helped him back to his bed, and then he fought even harder when Gibbs held him down while Ducky made the small injection into Tony’s bicep.

Green eyes filled with betrayal stared up at Gibbs until they finally glazed in sleep and slid shut. Gibbs pressed a soft kiss to Tony’s forehead and brushed his hair back from his face. He hugged his son closely and whispered in his ear, “Just rest now, son. I got you. You’re safe with me. I’ll protect youâ€"even if I am protecting you from yourself.â€�

**
The trial finally ended. Diane Michelle Larson (Gibbs had that marriage annulled in a big hurry) was convicted of multiple drug and trafficking crimes, as well as attempted murder, first degree murder, and the list of charges went on and on.

Tony testified. The jury believed him when he said he had no idea that his step mom was the drug supplier. They believed Gibbs when he said he’d had no idea either. Diane had told them both she worked a swing shift at the hospitalâ€"they never questioned her weird hoursâ€"always assumed she’d been working. The jury had a harder time believing Tobiasâ€"after all he was sleeping with his best friend’s wife. The fact that he’d been the one to make the connection and then make the arrest saved his career though. Diane was four months pregnant when she was sent off to the state security prison for women. Her unborn child would be delivered in the infirmary at the prison, and the child would then be sent to live with its father, Tobias Fornell.

**
Tony had been staying with Gibbs for quite some time now. He’d given up his apartment in Baltimore. He’d resigned from his position with the police department there. As it turned out, the officer from IA wasn’t really doing an investigation on Tony for the wrongful deaths of the two officers. The chief had only positive things to say about him, offering job references and help if ever Tony needed it. It seemed that the entire department was not corrupt, after all. Detective Stevens was brought up on attempted manslaughter charges. His career ended and he was sent to do several years in prison himself.

One bright sunny Saturday afternoon, just when Tony thought things couldn’t get any better, he and Gibbs were in the backyard working on the wooden fence and Tony’s cell phone rang.

“DiNozzo,� he clipped out. Though his license said “Gibbs-DiNozzo� he only went by DiNozzo at work. Cut down on the raising of eyebrows he got when people found out his dad was Jethro Gibbs.

“Tony this is Tom Morrow. How are you doing son?�

“Doing fine, sir. What can I do for you?�

Tony looked at his dad and mouthed, “Morrow� to him. Gibbs smirked and cracked a half smile before standing up and walking in the house. Tony wondered what was up.

“Tony I’d like to offer you a position on the Major Crime Response Team here at NCIS. I’ve read about your work at the Philadelphia, Peoria and Baltimore Police Departments and you have impressed me son. You’ll be working under the MCRT team leader, Leroy Jethro Gibbs. You’ve probably heard of himâ€"he’s somewhat of a legend.â€� Tony could hear the knowing tone in Morrow’s voice and decided to play along.

Tony smiled as he saw his dad returning with two bottles of beer. “I’ve heard of him sir.�

“We’d be honored to have you join us, son.�

Tony clinked his beer bottle with his dad and smiled. “It would be an honor to join with you.�

They worked out details on when they could meet. Tony thanked Tom, then he hung up the phone.

“What was that all about Tony,� his dad was smiling. The rat, he’d known all along.

“Job offer,� Tony said shrugging as though he got a million calls a day.

“You gonna take it?� Gibbs’ smile full of innocence. He was having fun with this.

Tony shrugged. “I dunno. Morrow didn’t make it sound too appealing. Said the guy I’d be working for is a real bastard.�

Gibbs narrowed his eyes slightly. “Said that, did he?�

Tony smiled. “Sure did. But I already knew that. I mean come on dadâ€"why else would you need two B’s in your last name?â€�

Gibbs swatted Tony’s head and Tony burst into laughter. It was a good day.

End.