A/N: Hi all. First of all, I'm sorry for the really late and slow update. I told you about my illnesses and it hasn't been good for me, I was in the hospital a lot, and I had family stuff going on too and then my husband and I were forced to move and it's just been really hectic overall. Besides currently being sick with the flu, again, I am starting to do better for the moment, and I'm hoping this continues with me being steady, instead of continuing to get worse. So, this is the new chapter and I have already begun writing the next chapter as well, as well as working on some other stories.

So, this chapter is my longest yet, and also a lot darker again than the previous chapters (I did say it would turn darker again). I would also like to make clear that this story, to me, isn't really about the capture about Harper, and besides the Tony parts, you may have noticed I haven't put a lot of attention on that part of the story, which is on purpose. Because to me, this is Tony's story, this is about his struggles, his secret coming out and how he is dealing with everything, that's what this story is about to me. The abuser can go to hell, this story is about the victim, and how the victim, being Tony, became the victor in life, and how he is going to overcome this. Personally, I feel, when it comes to writing about abuse, that the abuser doesn't matter at all, because you're not telling the abuser's story, you're telling the victim's story, which I think is a lot more important. I think there's always too much attention on the abusers, and not enough on the victims who survived more than they should, so, remember, this is TONY's story, he's the important one to focus on here. Thank you.

Eventually, they all settled down to watch another movie. Tony let Abby pick and she picked Grease, one of her favorites. Tony even joked around a bit, teasing her that it was only her favorite because of John Travolta, whom they all knew she had a crush on. She'd stuck out her tongue at that, causing them all to lighten up a bit an laugh. Yes, it was a very good thing Abby had chosen to come over after all.

Chapter 11

Abby eventually ended up staying the entire night, falling asleep in Tony's arms in the middle of 'Coach Carter' (Tony did always love sports movies, especially those based on true events) and ultimately, even Tony himself managed to fall asleep.

Gibbs was too anxious to sleep, opting to keep an eye on his 'kids' while they slept, especially keeping watch over Tony, prepared to wake him immediately at any sign of a nightmare. Yet, it seemed Abby's presence there was even better than he'd hoped for, as it seemed having her in his arms kept the nightmares at bay for once, something Gibbs was extremely grateful for, as he wasn't sure how many terrible nights in a row Tony could go through without cracking completely.

As the sun rose high in the sky that morning, Gibbs decided to let the two 'youngsters' sleep a little while longer as he prepared some breakfast for the three of them. He was about to wake Abby and Tony when the ring of his phone did that for him. Tony shot up, a wild look of fear in his eyes at the unexpected sound, while Abby slowly stirred, stretching her limbs like a cat would do, rubbing her eyes to remove the last of the sleep there. Gibbs wanted to say something to Tony, but the ringing of his phone would not stop, giving him no choice but to answer first.

"Gibbs!" he barked, annoyed at being disturbed this early in the day, especially when they were finally having the first good morning since this whole mess had begun.

Tony, now fully awake, watched warily as he saw Gibbs' expression change from annoyed to anxious to downright pissed off. This was not good, not good at all, and he couldn't fool himself into thinking this call had nothing to do with him, he knew better by now.

"Tony?" He jumped, having momentarily forgotten Abby's presence there. She was looking at him (still with those sad, loving doe eyes), confusion shining through, she clearly had no idea why the mood in the room was dropping so rapidly. She was not used to dealing with stuff like this, which Tony thought was a blessing for his 'little sister'. He would keep her out of this as much as possible.

"It's fine, Abbs, they probably just want us back at the office," he said, though he knew he didn't sound fine, not to his ears, and surely not to Abby's either. She frowned, but said nothing, opting to simply hug Tony, clinging tightly to him, trying to offer all the support she could without speaking any words, that, most likely, would be meaningless in the face of all this.

Gibbs took a deep breath as he hung up the phone, trying to keep his anger at bay. The last thing Tony needed right now was for him to lose it now, because if he did, he was sure Tony would fall apart completely. He needed to talk to Tony, but first, he needed to get rid of Abby. She didn't need to be here for this talk, nor did he want to make Tony feel even more exposed than he already did.

"Abbs, you should probably go now, alright?" He said gently, but in a tone that indicated no room for refusal. Abby frowned, biting her lower lip as she sometimes did when she disagreed over something, but she was smart enough to recognize when she was not wanted somewhere (and people didn't want to say so outright as not to hurt her 'delicate' feelings) and did not argue. Instead, she gave Tony one last hug, assuring him she was there for him whenever he needed her. She then hugged Gibbs, whispering in his ear to take good care of their boy, then left quickly and quietly.

Once Abby had gone, Tony sighed, turning to Gibbs, eyes downcast. He didn't want to know what Gibbs had to say, but he knew it would be said anyway, and he knew whatever it was, that it was nothing good, nothing good at all. He'd know that ever since seeing Gibbs' demeanor change so drastically during that phone call.

"Go ahead, lay it on me," he muttered. He was trying to sound strong and self-assured, but he only managed to sound like a weak, scared, little kid in his ears, something he hated himself for. If there was one thing he hated being, it was being weak. He wasn't that kind of person, not anymore at least. But ever since this ordeal started, he felt like he was nothing but weak and pathetic, and he wished he could beat himself up for that.

Gibbs sighed, seeing where Tony's thoughts were taking him – he would have to address that sooner rather than later – but had no choice but to relay the message he'd just received.

"That was Fornell on the phone, he needs you to come in…," pausing, Gibbs was unsure of how to say this next part, knowing this could break his son if they weren't careful.

Tony, meanwhile, watched Gibbs with suspicion. He knew his boss/surrogate dad better than he knew himself. Gibbs was rarely this worried or, dare he think it, scared? He HAD to know what the hell was going on, the uncertainty was eating at him. "Just spit it out already," he said. He sounded angry, frustrated and scared all rolled in to one. He wanted – no, NEEDED to know what was going on, but at the same time, was afraid to know, wishing he could hide away for a while where no one could find him. His emotions were so conflicting these days, it was starting to give him a headache.

"Last night, they identified the man from the sketch. His name is Nigel. Nigel Fergusson. They picked him up a few hours ago…" Again, a pause. This was so unlike Gibbs, it was scaring Tony more and more.

"And?" Tony urged. "Has he said anything?"

Gibbs sighed. How he wished he could just scoop Tony up and take him far, far away from here, protect him from ever getting hurt again. But, he knew that was impossible. All he could do was be there for his son, no matter what.

"They questioned him about Harper… and about you. He cracked instantly when they showed him a picture of you as a child; he admitted to raping you repeatedly. He also stated he could take them to the cabin where the abuse happened, but there's a problem…," Gibbs paused yet again, he really had no idea how to relay this next part.

But Tony wasn't his best investigator for nothing, he could see the wheels turning in his mind, could see him make the awful connection, finally understanding dawning upon his face. Tony knew how animals like Fergusson worked. "He won't say more till he gets to talk to me, is that it?"

Gibbs nearly felt his heart break in pieces as he saw the terrified look on Tony's face as he posed the question he already knew the answer to. At this moment, he wanted to do nothing more than to kill everyone who had hurt Tony; Fergusson, Harper. Hell, even Fornell for bringing this all back to the surface. But all he could do was stand by and watch his boy suffer, unable to do a single thing about it. Offering comfort just didn't seem like enough anymore.

"Listen, Tony, this is your decision, you understand? No one, not Fornell, not anyone can make you do this. You decide you don't want to talk to Fergusson, we'll all understand," he started, but despite his inner objections, he needed to say more, "But you also know Fergusson is our only chance to find Harper, at this point. Without his statement, we've got nothing. And I'm not sure if you'd be able to live with yourself if you didn't take this opportunity to try and catch that SOB."

Tony wanted to scream at Gibbs to get the hell away from him, angry that his only father figure was playing on his guilt, practically ensuring he would be forced into sitting down with one of his childhood tormenters, but at the same time he knew Gibbs was right. If he did nothing, and this resulted in them missing their chance to catch Harper, and the bastard hurt another child because of that, he would never ever forgive himself. Gibbs said it was his choice, but ultimately, it wasn't much of a choice either way. He had to do this, there was no other way.

Slowly, he found himself nodding, "Fine, I'll talk to him."

-X-X-

Tony was shaking like a leaf as he stared through the window in the observation room. Yes, he had always been drugged and his memories of his time in the cabin were fuzzy, but looking at Nigel Fergusson, he knew he could never forget that face. The face of a monster who had terrified him nearly as much as Harper did.

This moment, confronting one of his abusers, could either make or break him. He desperately wished Gibbs could be in the interrogation room with him, but Fergusson had made it clear he would only talk to Tony, no one else was allowed to be in there with them or he wouldn't say a word.

Gibbs, seeing the internal struggle his son was going through, gently placed his hand on Tony's shoulder and felt the shaking subside a little.

"You can do this, son. Just remember, get him to talk about the cabin and its location. He might try and taunt you, ignore him, guys like this get off on power. Don't give him that." Tony gave him a grateful look, took a deep breath, then left and entered the interrogation room.

"You sure he can do this?" Fornell asked once Tony left. Gibbs watched silently as Tony entered interrogation, giving no emotion away, and seated himself opposite Fergusson.

"He's stronger than you think, Tobias. If anyone can do this, it's Tony."

-X-X-

Inside, Tony felt like a scared, little kid, tied up on a bed in a rundown cabin where he was being abused by men decades older than him, terrified to death. On the outside, he gave nothing away, seemingly the epitome of calmness. He was not the best undercover operative NCIS had for nothing, and it was time to use that skill. If he didn't, he would've already run out of this room looking for the first place to hide.

Fergusson smiled at Tony as he sat down, a sickening smile, showing exactly what kind of person he was. Gibbs was right, this bastard would try and taunt him, try and get him to break down, assert power over him. But Tony would never give him that. There would be plenty of time to break down later when he was alone, but here and now, he refused to give that bastard anything.

He said nothing, waiting for Fergusson to make the first move. He knew how guys like this worked, how they 'played', they just didn't know Tony could 'play' better than the 'best' of them.

Finally, it seemed Tony's stony silence began to unnerve Fergusson (who had been of the thought that Tony would break down as soon as he saw him), there was a small twitch of his eye and that was all that was needed for him to be the first to break the silence.

"Ah, little Anthony, you grew up real nice. Though not as delicious as you were as a boy," Fergusson leered at Tony, trying to elicit some sort of reaction. Still, Tony gave nothing away, no matter how much he was breaking on the inside.

"Where is the cabin, Fergusson?" Tony asked, knowing he'd gained the upper hand, confusing Fergusson by his stony, calm composure. He didn't answer, though.

Suddenly, Fergusson leaned forward, as much as the restraints allowed him to, eyes leering at Tony, licking his lips. It was clear he was trying whatever he could to unsettle Tony and gain back the upper hand. He liked being in charge too much, he was itching to gain back the power he felt he'd lost.

His next words nearly shattered Tony inside, but outwardly, it seemed they had no effect on him at all. "You were such a good, tight fuck," Fergusson grinned maliciously. "I loved the way you squirmed and cried. But you know what I loved most?" He paused, apparently trying to ascertain whether or not his words had any effect on his victim. "I loved the way you begged and screamed. I get so hot and bothered whenever I think about it. You truly were the best lay I ever had."

Tony felt like throwing up with every word Fergusson spoke. Yet, he still showed no emotion on the outside, knowing he had to get through this if they wanted to get one step closer to catching Harper. But on the inside, he felt like he was shattering into a thousand pieces, and he had no idea if anyone would be able to put him together again after this. He wasn't even sure if Gibbs, who could always bring him back from the edge, would be able to help him when this was over. Still, on the outside, he was a statue that nothing could touch, not even Fergusson.

"The cabin, Fergusson. Now." He said, his voice as thick as steel. He knew it disturbed and unnerved Fergusson that he gave no reaction to the vulgar words that had been thrown his way. This bastard was used to having power over his victims, even years later, yet when that power was taken away as it had been now, Fergusson seemed lost and scared. Exactly where they wanted him.

"Fine, fine, I'll tell the Fed where the damn cabin is, just get the hell out!" Fergusson's voice trembled as he made the 'demand'. Clearly, Tony's stony resolve had won out and had unsettled Fergusson so badly it seemed he was now scared to be in the same room as Tony. Tony stood up and walked out without reaction. He'd done it, he got them what they needed.

-X-X-

As Fergusson started to taunt Tony, Gibbs seemed to forget his own advice of ignoring it and nearly stormed in there to kill the bastard himself, only Fornell stopped him from doing so. Gibbs wanted this monster to suffer and die, wanted to slowly strangle him with his own hands. He wasn't stupid, he knew they couldn't arrest Fergusson for raping Tony, it was beyond the statute of limitations, yet Gibbs knew he couldn't just let this bastard walk out of here when this was over. That was unacceptable to him.

"Can you get him on anything?" He asked Fornell. Fornell had expected this question sooner or later, and was thankful he had a satisfying answer to give that would prevent Gibbs from going to jail for murder.

"We're charging him for possession of child pornography, his laptop was full of it, as well as the abuse and rape of three other boys, all within the past four years. He was meticulous in documenting the abuse, and freely admitted to it. When we're done with him, he'll be going away for life. That is if he survives prison, because I'm sure someone will make sure the other inmates know exactly what he's in for."

Gibbs nodded, satisfied at the moment with Fornell's answer, but should this monster happen to walk for any reason, he wouldn't walk far before ending up with a bullet in his brain, that was a given.

"Your boy's damn good, Jethro," Fornell said once Fergusson demanded Tony to leave and that he would give the FBI the information they needed. Fornell had doubted Tony would be able to do it, yet had been surprised (not for the first time) by the respectable NCIS agent.

Fornell exited observation just as Tony entered, his appearance completely different from what it had been in interrogation. Instead of the calm, stony interior he had shown there, he now looked sick to his stomach, his entire body shaking, his eyes filled with tears that wouldn't fall.

Gibbs was about to say something, try and offer some comfort (though what comfort could he even give in a situation like this?) when Tony pushed past him, grabbed the waste basket and threw up. After minutes, Tony was left dry heaving over the waste basket as Gibbs rubbed slow, soothing circles on his back, offering some silent measure of comfort. He wished he could fix his broken son, but he no longer knew what to say or do, not after what he just heard from the mouth of that sick, perverted bastard.

"Come on Tony, let's go home," Gibbs said. He knew Fornell would call if they needed them, and he also knew he needed to get Tony as far away from here as possible right now. Tony looked ready to drop where he stood; he was silent and had stopped shaking, to Gibbs, it looked as if Tony was shutting down, which was the last thing he should be doing right now, and Gibbs knew he needed to get him home and talking, before he lost his son to his own memories.

-X-X-

In a way, the drive home was a lot like that first day when this whole mess started, Tony was unnervingly quiet and unmoving. But, unlike that first day, this wasn't a silence of shock; Tony responded to Gibbs, he just seemed like he didn't care anymore, he had shut down, and Gibbs was unsure what it would take to get him back.

Even suggesting another movie night did nothing to pull him out of the numbed state he was in. Tony simply shrugged his shoulders to whatever Gibbs said. Gibbs suggested calling Abby over, Tony simply shrugged. He suggested they talk over what happened, Tony shrugged, never saying one word.

Tony knew he was scaring Gibbs with this behavior, but he couldn't help it. After what happened in interrogation, he felt like he was drowning, and the only way for him not to sink was to shut it all out, shut everything and everyone out, pretend it wasn't happening. Feeling numb felt a whole lot better to him than feeling anything else at the moment.

Eventually, Tony headed to bed, still as silent as he had been since he left interrogation. The little boy inside him wanted to cry himself to sleep, the man in him suppressed that, embracing the numbness over the pain.

Meanwhile, Gibbs headed down to the basement to work on his boat and drown himself with some bourbon, trying to think of some way to help Tony get back from this setback. Because that's what today was for Tony, a setback. It might have been a win for Fornell, but for his son, this seemed to have been the final straw, and now he was just giving up. No, he didn't think Tony would kill himself, but losing the will to live, giving up, seemed like killing himself either way, just at a slower, more painful pace.

Making the decision, Gibbs fished out his cell phone and dialed a number he rarely called (despite the slow restoration of their relationship the past couple of years), someone he was going to reach out to once this was all over, however, he needed advice now, and no matter how good Ducky was when it came to matters of the mind, he needed this person right now, not Ducky or anyone else on the team.

The phone rang for what seemed a long time, which didn't surprise him, it was almost 1AM after all, the man was probably asleep. Eventually, he got an answer, "Whoever this is, better have a damned good reason for waking an old man this early," the voice grumbled, sounding an awful lot like himself. Gibbs hesitated, then spoke, "Dad, it's me."

"Leroy? What is it, what's wrong?" His dad asked. Off course he was immediately alarmed when he heard his son's voice, after all, Gibbs never called his dad this late, so Jackson knew this was anything but good news.

And so, Gibbs slowly filled Jackson in on everything that had been happening lately. He hated going behind Tony's back like this, betraying his trust, but he felt he had no other choice. If he didn't act, he was afraid he would lose Tony completely, which would be a lot worse than simply losing his trust. He would rather risk their relationship than risk Tony's life. He just hoped his son would be able to forgive him for this.