Chapter Text
Roberto kicked Tony in the face, after a coughing fit Tony looked up at him; He knew he just had to move, to get into the right position.
"I will finish you this time, no more playing games. I will fulfill Rene's last wish and bring your son up as my own." Roberto taunted him.
"Bastard," Tony spat, crawling away from Roberto's boot a second time.
"It is a pity I cannot keep you alive, you were a most enjoyable toy to play with," Roberto taunted. Tony flinched as he remembered that everyone in the diner could hear them and he prayed Jackson had his son safely somewhere else.
Fornell watched in horror as Tony endured the beating and slowly crawled around the room.
Suddenly it hit him what Tony was doing. "Good Boy DiNutso!" he cried. The others looked at him as if he were mad.
"What?" Ed asked
"Can't you see he's figured out that Gibbs will have his back and he's obviously guessed where he'll be and is moving Roberto so he can be in the right position for Gibbs to take him out!" Fornell said smiling.
"Tony obviously knows to protect his son and Gibbs and Jackson, Roberto has to be taken out and with his injuries he can't do that. But how does he know that Gibbs will be up there with the rifle?" Ed asked.
"They are partners and have been for years." Fornell explained, "They're family. They can read each other."
Ed watched the drama in the store unfold wishing his department worked as a unit the same way Leroy and his boy did.
Tony started coughing up blood but had his eyes fixed on a certain point on the floor. If he could just get Roberto to stand there, he knew Gibbs would have his back and it would all be over.
The small nagging voice from his days as a child ventured out. "What if he isn't there for you…..you're not worth it…too much trouble…." It said.
"SHUT UP!" Tony growled out.
"Don't talk to me like that!" Roberto said and kicked him in the stomach.
Tony let out an involuntary sob and crawled the last few inches.
"Time to die now." Roberto sneered and pulled out a gun and aimed.
Tony closed his eyes thinking about his son and Jeanne when he heard the gun shot and felt warm rain.
"Oh?" He said, 'it rains in heaven….'
He thought about opening his eyes and then realized he could not, he was still in pain. 'Maybe Roberto missed?' he thought unconsciously pulling himself into a ball.
He heard a bell and movement and he braced himself for the next attack.
"Tony?" said a voice and something touched his shoulder.
Tony whimpered and tried backing away but found he was in the corner already.
"Tony….it's Fornell…its over." He said hoping Tony could hear him.
"….they….safe?" Tony mumbled and spat out more blood.
"Everyone's safe, your son is ok….how are you doing?" Fornell asked concerned, but knowing a paramedic was already on the way.
"…'m fine…" Tony managed to get out before he fainted.
At the hospital, Gibbs and Jackson sat in the waiting room as Kort walked in holding Luca.
"Still feel bad I didn't make it in time for him dad." Gibbs was saying to his father.
"Leroy, you were on your way, if you hadn't stopped to help us you would have been in time to take the shot." Jackson said.
"Damn lucky Kort was there though." Gibbs said acknowledging the man as he sat down and put the sleepy five year old in his great grandpa's lap.
"Weren't lucky, I just figured he hadn't been accounted for so I went looking, I am sorry I could not save the couple at the motel though." Kort admitted.
"You aren't to blame for that." Jackson said.
"Coffee," Fornell said walking into the waiting room as all the adults turned to him. "Any word on DiNutso yet?" He asked.
"Still in a coma, they are doing some more tests." Gibbs said.
It had been 3 days since the incident in town. The store was boarded up and closed. Gibbs and Kort had been sitting in vigil at Tony's bedside while Fornell and Jackson looked after Luca and brought him to the hospital a few hours a day to sit with his dad.
The doctor walked out of Tony's room and over to the group of men.
"Well everything is looking good, we have taken him off the pain meds and hopefully he should wake up tomorrow, his body is still healing so he should sleep for the rest of this evening. I suggest you all go home and come back in the morning." The doctor said.
Jackson and Fornell gathered up Luca and left. Kort and Gibbs stayed behind as the Doc walked past again.
"Aren't you two leaving as well?" he asked.
"Tony hates hospitals. We'll be here in case he wakes up." Gibbs said.
The Doc nodded his understanding, "OK, in that case let me show you where we keep the 'real' coffee." He said
The next morning Jackson and Fornell arrived with Luca, Gibbs and Fornell were already waiting for Tony to wake up, He had had a few nightmares but still had not been able to pull himself out of them.
"Tony…come on son, come back to us, it's safe now." Gibbs said.
"Let Luca try?" Jackson said.
Gibbs was skeptical but called him over. "Ok kiddo, It's time to wake daddy up can you do that for me?"
"On it boss!" Luca grinned at the fact he was allowed to wake his dad up and walked over to him, he pulled a chair up to the bed and climbed up.
"Daddy…..Daddy!" Luca called.
He woke up to a small hand touching his face.
"Daddy…Daddy, Grandpa Boss said you have to wake up."
Tony opened his eyes. "Luca?"
"DADDY!" Luca screamed and hugged his dad.
"Careful there," Gibbs said
"Where am I?" Tony said looking around.
"Hospital, Tony." Kort said.
Tony did his usual mental checklist for injuries he was relived to find not as much hurt as expected.
"How….long?" He asked his throat sore,
Gibbs passed him some ice chips "Three days." He said.
Tony closed his eyes, Three days and he had not had their backs, what if…!
Despite the intense pain, it caused him he shot upright "Roberto!", he exclaimed.
"It's ok, He's dead." Gibbs said.
"Knew you'd have my back boss," Tony said laying back.
Gibbs smiled "Not me Tony, Didn't make it in time." He admitted.
"Who?" Tony asked.
"Kort." Gibbs told him.
"Thanks Cuz," Tony said and fell asleep.