Tony let as the small, yellow, metal car slid across the floor. Him and the car had a lot in common; both had their battle scars and both had been mistreated and abandoned. Tony found the car under the park bench. Back when his mamma was around to take him to the park. In fact he found it that day. The day that changed his life forever. The police officer had given it to him. After mamma... He shook his head he couldn't remember that. Senior had found the car when he was going through Tony's room in a rampage and thrown it in the trash but Tony had snuck downstairs and taken it out of the trash while Senior was passed out. After that he made sure that the car was hidden in his hidey place. The hiding place was actually a hole that Senior had made during another rampage but Tony took what he could get. Senior hated him. That much was clear. It was four days until Christmas and Tony had not seen his father in a month. He left with a girl just before Thanksgiving. He said that he would be back in the morning but he never returned. Secretly Tony wished that Senior would never come back and that somebody would take him to a nice family but he knew that would never happen. He was worthless and unlovable...

Tony had just picked up the car when he heard the front door slam. Even though he was down in the basement he knew exactly what that meant. He heard the yelling and cursing get louder and louder as Senior approached his room. He tried to run but it was too late. His door swung open and Senior storm/stumbled into the room. Tony gagged at the smell of booze and cheap perfume. He hated it when his father came home. Senior yanked him by the leg and flung him around until they were face to face.

"Dammit boy! You stand and address your father! Don't run from him!" Senior bellowed.

"Sorry sir" Tony apologized.

"Liar!" Senior bellowed slapping Tony hard in the face.

"Ow" Tony whimpered his body was shaking so badly that his car fell from his hands.

"What in the hell is this?!" Senior demanded.

"Nothing" Tony lied.

"It ain't nothing! It's the car! I told you to throw this God Dammed thing out!" Senior snapped.

"I'm sorry. I just wanted a toy." Tony sniffed he could feel his pants getting wet.

"A liar and a pants wetter! You ain't nothing but worthless little baby!" Senior bellowed.

Senior threw Tony down onto the bed and yanked off his pants. He swung them around and then hit Tony hard in the face. The urine stung in Tony's eyes and nose. He gagged when the liquid landed in his mouth. Tony made himself small as Senior put the wet clothes back on the child. Senior picked the child up and threw him hard onto the concrete floor. Tony felt his skin tear on the sharp grain. Even though he hurt just about everywhere he tried not to cry. If he cried Senior would only beat him worse. Senior kicked and punched Tony until the child was beaten and bloody. Tony held out as long as he could but eventually he could not hold back anymore and he started to cry. Sure enough crying only made things worse. Senior began shouting out a string of obscenities and ranting about how worthless his son was. With one final blow he kicked Tony hard in the back. Tony heard a horrible cracking noise and then felt the worst pain he had ever felt in his life. As he was blacking out from the pain he realized that he had lost all feeling below his waist.

TIME SKIP

If there was one thing John Gibbs hated it was working on Christmas Eve. It was the worst day of the year to be a doctor. So many patients brought in, in such bad states. It was always tragic cases too; car accidents thanks to drunk drivers or being too tired from rushing around, suicide attempts, frost bite, shootings, stabbings, beatings, and worst of all child abuse cases. Working in the pediatric trauma ward was not for the faint of heart on a good day and Christmas was far from a good day. It took all John had to get through those shifts and most times he would break down on the way home. Somehow he knew that this year would not be any different.

"John get in here. Tony's back." Nurse Nicole announced.

John instantly felt as though he had been punched in the heart. Tony was a repeat offender. He had been in the hospital seven times in his short five years of life. Tony was a victim of brutal child abuse at the hands of his father. It had been painfully obvious from Tony's first hospitalization when he was only eighteen months old that he was abused. John had reported it but Senior lawyered up and Tony left the hospital with him. After that every time Tony was brought in, Senior's lawyer beat the ambulance. It made John sick to think about what that poor child had endured. John stepped into the room and studied the boy who was lying on the bed. He had tubes and wires coming in and out of his body and his neck was immobilized.

"What happened?" John asked.

"The nanny discovered Tony lying on the floor of his room. He has fist and boot marks all over his body. The largest one is on his back. His spine is broken and he has no movement below the waist. It appears that he lay on the floor for several days before being discovered." Nicole explained.

"Good lord. Where is that bastard now?" John asked.

"Nobody's heard from him in three days but a BOLO is out for him." Nicole explained.

"That bastard better rot in prison this time." John muttered under his breath.

John had finished his shift ten minutes earlier. He was already running late and knew that he would get to midnight mass at least ten minutes late but he needed to see his little buddy. Tony was in a drug induced coma but John just wanted a few minutes with the little guy. He was hurt pretty bad and the last he had heard. It was unknown if he would survive. One of his co-workers, Dr. Walters was standing over the boy's bed.

"Go home John. It's Christmas." Dr. Walters ordered.

"I just wanted to see how our boy is." John replied.

"He's expected to survive but that's all I know as of now. Also his father has been arrested. He needs a family." John explained.

By some miracle John managed to get to church only five minutes late. He saw Jethro standing in the parking lot. He had his hands shoved in his pockets and he looked downright depressed. Jethro always got depressed this time of year. He mourned for his family and it was impossible to get into the holidays. John studied his baby brother. Jethro had been alone for so long and yearned for a family. Tony had finally been liberated from his father but now he needed a family.

"Jethro" John called.

"Finally" Jethro remarked.

"Sorry I am late. It was a rough night." John replied.

"What happened?" Jethro asked.

"That kid was brought in again, Tony." John explained.

"How bad is it this time?" Jethro asked.

"Broken back, prognosis unknown. He's going to live but they don't know if he will walk again. The good news is that his bastard father is finally getting put away." John explained.

"What's going to happen to him?" Jethro asked.

"That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about." John replied.

"What are you getting at?" Jethro asked.

"Tony needs a family and Jethro so do you." John explained.

A/N: What do you think of the reformatting? New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.