Disclaimer: Do not own

Author's Note: No excuses, just a new chapter. Sorry for the long delay.

They had no idea where they were going. They had no idea what to do. There was no plan, no direction in mind other than to flee the scene of the disaster.

The officer aboard simply ordered the women to row in a direction that was away from the Titanic and the panicked women followed his orders, rowing into the darkness.

Ziva was not near an oar. She wasn't sure if she was glad of this. Though rowing was keeping those doing it warmer, Ziva did not think she could actively participate in something that was dooming her friends. Instead she simply stared at the horizon, trying to comprehend the night's events.

It was therefore obvious that Ziva was the first to spot the ship's light in the early dawn.

'SHIP! There's a ship!' she screamed. Those able looked where she pointed, a small point of light on the horizon. The boat rocked as everyone twisted to see.

"Just a star." One woman muttered. In the absolute stillness of the night, her voice burned into the night. Others murmured in agreement.

"It's a ship!" Another woman argued devoutly. "They've come to rescue us!"

An argument broke out.

Some of the women wished to keep rowing the way they were going, others towards the light Ziva had seen. Eventually, the crew member who had stopped them going back declared they had nothing to lose, and everything to gain by going towards the light. Hope rising, they began to row towards it.

Ziva kept silent the whole time they were arguing, feeling numb. Instead, she kept her eyes on the light, never blinking. If this ship came to rescue them, would it go back for Tony and McGee?

But no… they would be dead by the time it arrived. No one could survive hours in this water at these temperatures…not even very Special Agents from the future.

She's not coming back. She's not coming back. Oh God, she's not coming back…

Tim struggled to continue treading water, even as more voices went silent. It wasn't going to be long now… if he just closed his eyes… wanted to sleep.

Did he care about waking up? Inevitably, he knew, befuddled as he was, that sleep was coming. And that would be it for Tim McGee.

Tim blinked as a bright light burned into his retinas. He raised a numb Popsicle arm to protect them from the sudden glare and heard loud voices calling out at his movement. Blinking, he tried to look beyond the light.

Something bumped into him, gently knocking him. Tim tried to glare at it, but only in his mind could he find the energy. He was quite certain that he hadn't actually moved. Something else grabbed him under his arm, pulling him clear of the water.

It hurt.

It was then he realised how cold it was. He was pushed down to a solid surface and he buckled. Something heavy was thrown over him. A voice spoke to him, but it was indistinct and Tim ignored it.

Sleep…I wanna sleep… just sleep.

Tim's world faded to black.

Within two hours the ship was close enough and the sky light enough for even the most hopeless of women aboard Ziva's boat to believe it was a ship. Even with the renewed effort in rowing this hope caused it still took another hour to get close to the ship so they could see it was the Carpathia, and another half hour for them to be close to her to be able to board. They were given a choice- climb aboard via a rope ladder or be lifted in a swing.

Ziva chose the ladder—she was not injured. Even as she climbed she could see the many people lined up along the ship's sides watching them come aboard. They were all survivors, searching with fading hope for their missing loved ones.

This was the last lifeboat of the Titanic, and if they weren't here…

"Your name, miss?" A voice suddenly asked. Ziva half turned to see a man with a clipboard and pen waiting expectantly beside her. "For the records, miss." He explained at her bemused look.

"Abigail." She said, Tim's last words coming to her. "Abigail Gibbs. Are Timothy Gibbs or Anthony DiNozzo on your list?" she asked in return.

The man checked quickly. "No miss, but this isn't the only list. I'm sure your brother and…" he trailed off, unsure of the relationship between Ziva and Tony. She was too.

But she was a master of deception, an assassin. A ninja. That was of course why the word came so easily.

"Fiancé."

"Well, I'm sure your fiancé are fine." He smiled reassuringly. "Why don't you have a cup of coffee Miss Gibbs?" He waved over a man carrying steaming cups. As Ziva tried to ask him more questions he walked away, leaving her to fend off the coffee carrying man. She didn't succeed and was lead through to an area on deck filled with well-dressed ladies.

And so very few men.

"Son…can y… hear me? Come… I need … to wa… up." A voice broke the darkness surrounding Tim's mind.

"Uh?" he muttered.

"I …your na…, son. Then you … go ba… to sleep, the do…or's look…g af… you."

Tim tried to make sense of what it was saying, but the voice eluded him.

"…name, son. I need…a name."

Name? What name? A name of someone to help? Tim could do that. "Gibbs." Tim wheezed out "Gibbs…"

He descended back into his dreams.

NCIS, Present Day

Abby was going all out on her research on the Titanic. She had no idea why Gibbs wanted it, but he had sounded so desperate she had to help. Somehow this was helping find their missing team-friends. Missing family almost, and she was going to do everything she could.

She didn't hear Ducky come into the lab, but she did feel the hand he placed on her shoulder, causing her to jump.

"Ducky! What is it? I'm just researching the Titanic, because Gibbs said it's going to help find Tony and Ziva and Timmy, and do you remember it's Timmy's birthday—"

"Abigail, how many Caf-Pows have you had?" Ducky asked gently.

Abby blinked as she tried to think. "I don't remember. A few?"

Ducky shook his head. "No more I think, my dear. And…I just got a call from Jethro."

"What? When? What did he say? Have they found them, are they—?"

Ducky put a finger to her mouth to quiet her. "They have found Anthony. He was in the water, and is on his way here via helicopter to be treated. I'm afraid, it's not looking good. Jethro is with him now." Abby crashed back into her chair, relief warring with fear and anxiety.

"And Ziva? Timmy?"

"No sign of them yet." Abby choked back a sob and Ducky went to hug her, pausing when something odd happened to the computer screen.

'Abigail, I may not know a lot about computers, but is it supposed to do that?"

Abby turned to look. On her screen she had a list of survivors up, and in between the names Mr Jacob Williams Gibbson and Mrs Pauline Caroline Gibson two names kept appearing and disappearing.

"Abigail and Timothy Gibbs." Abby read out bemused, when they were there.

"Gibbs? But…how?"

As confused as Abby, Ducky replied, "I do not know my dear."