As his mind slowly returned to reality he didn't open his eyes. He felt that he was lying on a bed and he heard soft talking, a moment later he recognized Jethro and Ducky.
„Hey, Tony, are you with us?"
The words were followed by a hand stroking over his cheek. He blinked his eyes open and slowly the events of the last days returned. The case with the five missing girls, throwing up every night at 4 am, Lish missing. His stomach clenched and tears shot in his eyes. He covered them with his hands and turned to his side.
„It's alright, Tony."
„How can you say that? My baby is the hands of some psycho and they tell me to sit around and do nothing! I can't do that!"
Jethro sat on the edge of the bed and let his husband yell at him. He knew that he had to let his anger out of somebody.
„I was saying it's alright to cry, Tony. I talked to McGee. He said they have a pretty good describtion of the dirtbag."
Tony sniffed and sat up in the bed.
„How's that? I thought nobody ever saw anything."
„Well, apparently Alishia choose to yell „fire" instead of anything else."
Ducky explained and now stepped into the bedroom.
„It certainly got more attention that a child crying „I don't want to go" or something like that. People turned to look, some even tried to get to Alishia as they realized what was happening but the culprit could flee. Timothy was right, though. We have a pretty good description and a car with plate. It's only a matter of time until we find him."
„Time we don't have."
Tony said resigned. Jethro's cell phone rang and he turned away a bit to talk.
„Check out the owner anyway. And keep me posted."
He hung up.
„That was McGee. The car came back stolen. It still could be the owner, couldn't it?"
„It could."
Ducky agreed and then opened his bag.
„Well, Anthony, let me check you once more before I go..."
Tony had just faded into a dreamless sleep, the first time since they had gotten the case, as the phone rang. He waited a moment, hoping that Jethro would pick it up, but then he remembered that Jethro was meeting Fornell.
„Gibbs-DiNozzo residence. DiNozzo speaking?"
He answered after he had more or less run down the stairs.
„Hi, Tony. Sonja here."
Dr. Kiefer greeted him happily.
„Hi, you got the results?"
„Not in the mood for small talk, huh?"
„I'm sorry but I'm really not."
Tony rubbed his eyes. They were burning from crying and a headache was pulsating heavily behind his left temple.
„Well, maybe you'll be in a better mood after this. Congratulations, Tony. You are going to be a father again."
‚Ironical‘ Tony thought and didn't knew if he should laugh or cry over the situation.
„Thanks for the call, Sonja."
Tony was about to hang up.
„Tony, is everything alright? You seemed to be happy at the prospect of being pregnant again when you were here."
„I'm fine...it's just...we have a major problem at home..."
„You and Jethro?"
He sat down on the couch and took a deep breath.
„No...I'll call you for an appointment. I gotta go now...bye, Sonja."
Before she could say more he hung up and let himself fall back into the cushions. He closed his eyes and hoped he would wake up and see that this was just the worst nightmare of his life.
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