Chapter Text
Chapter 3: The Call
Leon Vance was pacing the floor of his office. It had been two days since Gibbs and McGee had been taken and still there was nothing. He was very worried about his old friend and Agent McGee, gods know what was happening to them right now.
And as for what remained of team Gibbs it was a mess. Abby was hysterical. Quinn was trying to comfort the Goth with Ducky’s help even though the pain in the ME’s eyes was clearly visible. Bishop hadn’t slept in days because she was trying every contact she had to try and locate Gibbs.
So had he and it like they had vanished off the face of the earth!
Delilah McGee was also a point of worry. He couldn’t give her any answers or hope. But at least she seemed to be holding up better than the others.
But there was one person he hadn’t had the heart to call. But he knew he could not put it off for forever. The person needed to know before he heard it from someone else. And as he was so well connected it was only a matter of time before he heard it from a different source.
Vance wouldn’t wish finding out like that on anyone. And another fact was that this man was STILL Gibbs emergency contact.
So, with a heavy heart he found the number and hit dial. It rang and rang until a voice says, "Who?" a raspy voice asks.
Tony DiNozzo was at the park watching his little girl Tali run around playing with her Grandfather. Senior was surprisingly a better Grandparent then he ever was a Father. And the two both adored each other.
Having Tali had helped heal part of his heart that had been broken from the need of Ziva’s death. But there were still parts of his heart that was still broken. And he didn’t know how to heal them.
These last couple of days haven’t helped matters. He felt something was very, very wrong. His gut was nearly as famous as Gibbs’s and it was screaming. That something was wrong. And in his dreams or you could call them nightmares were screaming the same thing.
Actually, he had tried calling Gibbs, but he hadn’t picked up or even called him back. That was alarming and even more alarming was that McGee wasn’t answering his phone either. He had assumed they were both two busy to answer his calls.
Both would have normally called him back by know. Even if they were involved in a big case.
Tony was taking this time while Tali and Senior were playing to try and get his thoughts in order. As he needed to consider what he should do next. Even though he already knew.
He was pulled out of his thoughts by a phone ringing. He quickly pulls it out and sees the Director of NCIS number he pales, and he knew he told the Director to call only in an emergency or if someone had died.
No, no this couldn’t be happening.
Tony felt a lump in his throat and a stabbing pain and dreaded fear go through his heart.
“Please God no”, he mutters.
He debated briefly whether to answer or not. But he knew he couldn’t ignore this.
Tony closes his eyes and takes a shaky breath and taps answer.
"Who?" he rasps.
He hears Vance give a weary sigh.
“DiNozzo . . .”,
It seemed to Tony Vance was hesitant to tell him the news Tony was sure was coming.
“Who Director”, Tony asks again.
“First DiNozzo are you at home?”
Tony decides to let Vance ask a few questions. He really didn’t want to hear the news he knew Vance called to tell him.
“I’m at the park with Tali”
“Is anyone else with you?”
Tony knew that question was basically saying someone should be with you to help you with the bad news you going to get.
“Yes, Senior is”
“DiNozzo why don’t you go home, and you call me back”
Tony knew why Vance wanted that. The Director wanted him to a privacy when he heard the news.
“Director, I know how this works, I’ve been in Law Enforcement for over twenty-five years, fifteen of those years were at NCIS and I know every trick in the book, just tell me”, Tony orders.
“DiNozzo, are you sitting down? . . .”
“Who Director?! TELL ME”, Tony growls loudly.
“Junior?” he heard his Father call out worriedly.
“WHO is injured or by the way you're acting who died. Which one of my family am I mourning?” Tony growls feeling a stabbing pain go through his chest.
A deep sigh was heard on the other end of the call and Tony was about to yell again.
“Tony I’m sorry it’s McGee . . .”
Tony shudders and lets out a little moan hearing McGee’s name. This can’t be . . .
“And . . .”, Vance hesitates.
“There is more?” Tony croaks out.
“Gibbs is also . . .”
But Tony wasn’t listening there was ringing in his ears, and he felt the pieces of his heart he had been trying to heal shatter.
He felt his world was turning upside down and he was drowning.
“JUNIOR!” a voice shouts out in alarm.
A voice on the phone was yelling too.
“Tony! As far as we know they are still alive, but they are MIA presumed kidnapped and being held hostage. . .”
But Tony wasn’t listening his world was tilting on its axis.
The two people out of only a handful of people he considered family were . . . dead? . . . Missing? . . . Kidnapped? . . . Or something that was only slightly better than death?
He tried to get up and push Seniors hand away but his legs gave out from under him. The last thing he remembers was Senior and Vance shouting his name and Tali’s scream before everything went black . . .
But his last thoughts were on Gibbs and McGee. And of the dreaded phone call he had hoped he would not get when he retired from NCIS . . .