When Tony awoke, he could hear people talking. One of them he recognized immediately as his father and sighed heavily, not wanting to have anything to do with the man. He heard Ziva's father's voice and his eyes fluttered open slowly. Grimacing in annoyance, he stared at the two, sitting at a table in front of Tony. Blood was running down Tony's lip, making him wonder what they had done to him while he was asleep. He heard Antonio, his father, snarl, "He's awake." Eli looked over at Tony and Tony swallowd, breathing heavily as he tried to stay awake, his eyelids were heavy. He grimaced angrily when Antonio walked over to him and grabbed his hair, yanking on it. Antonio laughed as he growled, "You're a sorry bastard of a son...Glad I can do this to you."
Tony grinned as he replied with a growl, "Do your worst, asshole." Antonio glared at him with his cold eyes before looking over at Eli, watching as Eli grabbed knife. He walked towards Tony slowly and murmured, "We are miles and miles away from Jethro, Anthony." He tapped the knife against Tony's neck, grinning like mad. "You will not be able to cry for him, to yell for him or get out of here with him." Eli dragged the blade of the knife across Tony's cheek, murmuring, "And after this, there will not be anything for Jethro to find in the first place." Tony nodded as he grinned, feeling the blood trickle down his face and he growled angrily, "I don't care where the hell Gibbs is. Just do. Your. Worst." Eli grimaced, looking like he was thinking for a minute, before stabbing the knife into Tony's left shoulder, making the younger male cry out in pain. "Fine. I shall do my worst and I shall make sure that this cocky attitude is buried with you."
~Break~
"Where the hell is my agent?" Gibbs shouted, looking at Abby. Abby sighed as she replied quickly and with worry, "I don't know, Gibbs! It's giving me five different points!" Gibbs was about ready to brek something and having a worried, pacing Ziva behind him simply made everything worse. He walked up to the big screen and stared at it before pointing to a point and asking, "Where's this?" Abby punched in a few numbers and letters before she felt her breath hitch. She looked up at Gibbs and said with eyes the size of saucers, "That's...Uhm, that's Tony's father's house, Gibbs." Ziva felt her eyes widen as she looked at Gibbs and then at Abby. Gibbs felt anger rise up in his body before storming out of the room with Ziva on his heels. She looked at him and asked, "Do you think Tony is okay, Gibbs?" Gibbs ran up the stairs as he replied with full confidence, "Course he is."
In the next half an hour, everything happened extremely fast. A SWAT tearm had the building surrounded with guns loaded and ready to be fired. Police and a few ambulances stood off to the side as Gibbs, Ziva, and Ryan began putting on their bullet proof vests. Gibbs looked at the SWAT team and pointed to the house, watching the leader nod and then the team split up. They fanned out the area, standing guard at all of the doors. Gibbs looked at Ryan and Ziva and Ryan smiled, walking over to the front door. He heard something inside the house shatter and he grinned, looking at Gibbs. Gibbs rushed up to the door, kicking it in and running in, the SWAT team following. He aimed his gun at everything that moved, made a sound, and anything that seemed like an opening. He heard a door slam and he grimaced angrily, running up the stairs. Ryan followed and looked down the hallway, before running towards a door and kicking it in. He looked around the room before walking over to the closet. Opening it, he heard a loud gun shot.
Gibbs flinched at the gun sound and rushed into the room, looking at a dead man in front of Ryan. He glared at him and Ryan looked over at Gibbs, smiling as he reassured him, "Scared em to death! I thought he was gonna blast my brains out!" Gibbs rolled his eyes and heard a loud THUD from below them. He watched Ryan run from the room and suddenly, Gibbs realized something that they had missed. He ran down the stairs and towards the kitchen, knowing exactly where the two bastards hid Tony DiNozzo; his agent and his family.
~Break~
Tony smiled as he sat on the cold, damp floor, his wrists and ankles bound tightly by a plastic zipper. He was seeint spots and occassionally, he saw Bryce glaring at him. He saw Bryce with a gun and he saw Jenny dead in front of him. He laughed as he sat there, hearing the people above him running around. He knew where his father went; back to Israel with Eli David where Eli would then blast his brains out. No, they hadn't killed him as promised, but Eli had ceratinly gotten him to back off of Ziva. After this, Tony thought about calling it off and just trying all over again. He thought about going home and staying home. He thought about why Eli had let him live...When he could've killed him.
Someday the rains will fall,
When you expect it least,
Someday the rains fall,
Someday the rains will fall,
When you expect it least,
Someday the rains fall,
When I first come down here,
From the country,
Came to a fork in the road.
One way went, nowhere
And the other,
It carried a heavy load,
His heart beat was slowing rapidly as blood began to dry on his face. Tony grinned as he heard heavy footsteps overhead and knew exactly who it was; Gibbs. His eyelids fell over his eyes and he felt his body slowly beginning to grow limp. He opened his eyes again and took heavy breaths, almost appearing as though he were sleeping, but with his eyes open. He heard the sound of snapping metal before a bright light filled the once dark room. Gibbs came thudding down the stairs and Tony whimpered softly, seeing Bryce take Gibbs' place. He flinched, listening as Bryce told him to calm down. Bryce grinned as he reached for Tony and Tony kicked him in the legs several time, shouting threats to him as he did so. He felt his eyes dance across the room as he tried to focus but this was taking way too much energy out of him. He was panting heavily now and felt a burst of pain erupt from his heart, then throughout his body.
Tony grimaced and felt a hand on his shoulder, making him wince slightly. Before he knew what was going on, Kate, Bryce, his father, his step-father, and Eli all stood before him with Gibbs crouching down in front of him. He was saying something calmly, trying to keep Tony steady as Tony began drifting. He looked at Gibbs' light blue eyes before smiling gently. Gibbs whispered softly, "DiNozzo, you're safe. I'm here now, alright? I'm proud of ya, so keep fighting." Tony nodded and finally, he felt his eyes close and he didn't feel a single thing anymore, didn't hear anything, and didn't see anything. Tony knew that the minute his eyes closed, they would never open again.
Someday the rains will fall,
When you expect it least,
Someday the rains fall.
Someday the rains will fall,
When you expect it least,
Someday the rains fall.
Your eyes and mind are always looking for trouble,
Try to take,
The shortcut home.
And you end up back where you started again.
~A few weeks later...~
Someday the rains will fall,
When you expect it least,
Someday the rains fall.
Someday the rains will fall,
When you expect it least,
Someday the rains fall
You hurry down the alley with another man's woman,
You don't care nothing about the ring on her hand.
You think surely you can get away,
And sometimes maybe you can.
Someday the rains will,
When you expect it least,
Someday the rains fall,
Someday the rains will fall,
When you expect it least,
Someday the rains fall.
We're all just a bunch of lies and liars,
Never seen a hypocrite before.
Then we love to judge each other,
But hypocrites we are forever more
Someday the rains will,
When you expect it least,
Someday the rains fall,
Someday the rains will fall,
When you expect it least,
Someday the rains fall...
Gibbs stood in the rain quietly, his hands folded in front of him as he listened to a man speak. He stared at the people around him, dressed in black and all with saddened expressions. Abby stood off to the right, the rain messing up her black make-up and McGee with an arm wrapped around her shoulders. He stared at the coffin placed in front of them and he began wondering just how much longer he could stand here. He coughed slightly, earning a pat on the back from Ryan as he smiled over at him. He then looked over at the coffin as well and then over at Gibbs, frowning sadly. He put a hand on his arm and Gibbs didn't divert his eyes from the coffin. He merely stood there, staring at it and wondering if things could've better. If things would've ended another way, would he have changed anything? Would he have increased the relationship between the two of them?
The rain seemed to be relentless as everyone began leaving except for the NCIS members. They all continued to stare, still amazed that this had happened to someone else they loved dearly. Still amazed at how fast it had happened.
~Later~
Gibbs sighed heavily as he climbed out of the car and stared at the building before him. He glanced over at the passenger in his car and began walking towards the building. He heard the person murmur something under his breath about not having anything to do here and he smiled. When they got up to the front doors, Gibbs turned to the man and looked him in the eyes.
Anthony "Tony" DiNozzo stared back with his tired, sad eyes. He smiled gently and as Gibbs hugged him, he sighed in relief and murmured, "Rehab suks..." Gibbs nodded as he whispered softly, "Yeah well...It's only for a bit, DiNozzo." Tony sighed as he pulled away and said, "Six months, Boss, is NOT only a bit." The older man nodded and Tony said, "Don't replace me, okay?" Gibbs laughed softly as he replied, "Yeah, I'll remember that, Tony." He stared at the man before saying with a smile, "Ryan's takin' your place and if you come back still screwed up, DiNozzo...I'm gonna pound you until you're fixed." Tony nodded as he smiled sadly and replied,"Yeah...I'd pound myself, Boss." He hugged Gibbs one more time before smiling and saying, "Call you when I can, Gibbs." Gibbs nodded and he smiled, watching as Tony walked into the building and was welcomed by a nurse. He sighed heavily, looking back at his car and walking towards it.
(Flashback: 2 Memories) "DiNozzo, get your damn legs off my table!" Tony looked up at Gibbs innocently before dropping his feet and saying, "But you don't use it!" Gibbs rolled his eyes as he glared at a very young, very strange nineteen-year-old Tony DiNozzo. "When the hell do you go to college?" Tony grinned as he replied, "Ready to get rid of me, Gibbs?" Gibbs walked into the kitchen and growled, "Ready to get you a job, DiNozzo." The young boy smiled as he nodded and yawned, staring at the blank television.
"This is Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo. He is your newest special agent, Jethro. Teach him well." The Director stood in front of Gibbs, before smiling and walking off. Tony shifted his backpack onto his right shoulder and smiled at Gibbs, saying, "Hey, Boss. Where's my desk?" He looked at the one closes to Gibbs and pointed at it, "Can I have that one?" "No," Gibbs replied, pointing at the one diagonal from his desk. "THAT'S your desk, DiNozzo. That way I can keep an eye on you." Tony grimaced as he walked over to the desk and tossed his bag on the floor. He sat down at the desk and began going through his drawers, putting things in them. He smiled and heard Gibbs walk by, saying, "Good job, Tony." He walked off and Tony smiled, watching him leave and then looking at his desk, turning on his computer. "Couldn't have done it without ya, Gibbs..." (End)
Tony smiled as he looked around his new room, setting his bag on the floor. He went through his bag before pulling out his cellphone and sighing heavily, flipping it open. He opened and closed it a few times before looking out his window at Gibbs' car pulling off. He sat down on the bed and played with the phone for a bit before he heard it ring. Blinking, he answered it and said cluelessly, "Hello?"
"You'll be fine, Tony."
Tony smiled at the voice on the other end and he nodded, feeling his eyes water slightly. He rubbed his forehead as he replied, "I know, Boss." There was a slight pause before Gibbs said softly, "My couch is gonna get lonely." Tony chuckled to himself as he said with a grin, "Your TV will too."
"Yep...See you when you get home, DiNozzo."
Tony nodded and as he hung up, he stared out the window and smiled, knowing that all would be okay. He knew that this would be the day that marked the start of a new life and the start of something so much better. If he kept hanging on to that little bit of information, he knew he'd be okay. And after the phone call with Gibbs and saying his good-byes, Tony knew that no matter what, he always had a family and friends to return home to and that he would make it out of rehab healed.