Disclaimer: I own not. The below characters mentioned are property of CBS

As promised, here is my second fic to celebrate my finishing of my first semester of university. :D I actually wrote this a while back after watching Grace Period of the first time. Hope you all enjoy.

His Own Team

"Would you feel the same way if it was your own team?"

And, just like that, the images flashed through his mind. What if it had been his own team? What if those bodies were that of Tony or Tim or Ziva?

That was it all it took for Gibbs to instantly see it horrifically played out in his own mind.

McGee and DiNozzo are sat together on a park bench. Gibbs can see them from his position across the road. It's just a routine call out duty; anonymous caller claiming important information on a terrorist attack. Nearly three hours have passed since they first arrived and still no contact.

Gibbs can hear them talking, clear as day, through the comm. systems.

"How can you eat that crap, Tony?" McGee asks in disgust, looking down at the supposed burger his partner is holding.

"Easy," DiNozzo replies. "Like this."

"DiNozzo," Gibbs growls out and watches as his agent swallows the preposterously large bit he had taken before smacking himself on the back of the head.

"Better, boss?"

"Much, DiNozzo."

"Boss," McGee is beginning to complain, "this anonymous caller was supposed to meet us here three hours ago. How long we going to wait?"

"Until he contacts us, McGee," Gibbs reminds.

"Oh lighten up, McDull. At least we're out in the field. Think of Ziva with all that paperwork."

"Fair point," McGee reluctantly admits. "But still, how come we get these crappy jobs on weekends?"

"We don't," Gibbs reminds them. "First one we've done in a while." And it's true. He's always managed to get them out of it.

"Yeah, 'cause you keep fobbing them off onto another team," Tony replies, as though reading his mind. "And for that we thank you, boss."

Gibbs chuckles softly before his mobile rings. "Stand by," Gibbs tells the others. "It's him."

"About time," McGee mutters, before standing and stretching his legs. Next to him, Tony rises and chucks the remainder of his burger in a nearby bin. The two of them remained poised for their boss's next commands, just as they always are.

"He wants to talk inside," Gibbs relays the information to them. "Four o eight, Millstone Avenue."

"He here yet, boss?"

"I'd say so," McGee interrupts him and nods in the direction of a dark skinned man in a beanie and sunglasses. "Nice sunnies," he remarks sarcastically as an afterthought.

"Yeah," Tony agrees before cottoning on. "Hey! I have sunnies like that, Probie!"

"I know," McGee says and even over the comms. Gibbs can hear the cheeky smile in his voice. They are all happy; joking, yet professional and totally unaware that anything is wrong. It's just a routine weekend job. No one is expecting it to end badly.

"Pick him up," Gibbs tells them and instantly they obey.

"On it, Boss," McGee and Tony speak in unison and Gibbs give a slight smile.

"I'll be right behind you," he continues, watching through his binoculars as his two agents casually walk towards the building their source has entered.

And it's at that moment when Gibbs knows something is wrong. He can feel it in his gut and he knows something horrible is going to happen. Quickly he gets out of the car and touches the comms.

"McGee, DiNozzo!" He shouts to them, but deep down he knows it's too late already. They've entered the building. "Fall back!"

"Boss?"

"I said fall ba-" the last syllables of the shouted word are drowned out as the bomb goes off.

Gibbs automatically hits the pavement, before being covered in a layer of ash and exploded building. He is protected from the main force by the car, but for a moment the explosion blinds and deafens him.

It is mere seconds later when he is leaping up from the ground, ignoring the deafness roaring in his ears and the smoke stinging his eyes. It is through this watery haze that he sees what remains of the building and knows there is no hope. Not even he could have survived such a blast.

"No..." he doesn't want to believe it. "Tony? Tim?" He's tapping his comm. praying for a reply, but all he receives is crackly silence. "NO!" And he shouts it in pain and horror and failure. As it dawns on him, Gibbs falls to the pavement again, ignoring the new shards of glass as they cut into his leg. The pain feels so real and he hates it. He is too late.

It is his fault. He should have been there with them. He should have been the one to go in.

More flashes of images pass. It all seems so real to him.

Telling Abby and Ziva. And then Ducky and Jimmy and then Jenny. All of them dealing in their own way, but most of all Gibbs is torn apart by the former two as they collapse around him, their breaths coming out in shuddering sobs, as he tells them the ones they love are gone.

The ones he loves are gone. His team – gone.

Then, just as quickly, he is left with a blank mind and is back with Paula in the ambulance. He blinks back the unshed tears and suddenly he understands.

Of course she is blaming herself and grieving and in shock. It is exactly what he'd be doing in her place. And he can hardly blame her for that.

"Yes, I would."