He had finally caught up with him. It had taken days, days of driving, of ignoring the calls from the team, who he only partly blamed, from ignoring the pain in his chest that only got worse as time went on.

He was sitting outside, watching, waiting to make his move. The man stepped out of the building and crossed the road. He didn't look into the car, if he had, he would have noticed him, would things have been different then? Would he, too, have been killed in the line of duty?

He opened the door and slipped out, silently closing it behind him. His feet connected with the dew damp grass as he followed his victim, waiting for the right moment to pounce.

The man knelt to adjust his shoelace and he launched his attach. He hauled him up by the scruff of his neck and threw him again a tree. The man's back hit the trunk and his head connected with it with a sickening thud. He seemed dazed for a second, before his instincts kicked in and he fought back. The man threw a punch at him, he ducks and drove his fist hard into the man stomach, just under his ribs, ignoring the pain in his hand. The man doubled over and he drew his knee into his nose. The cry from the man was muffled as he enclosed his fingers around the man's throat.

He managed to throw him to the ground and tighten his hands. He stared down at the man as his life flowed from him. He knew he must look like an animal, there was no emotion in his eyes, there was no emotion in his body at all. But he didn't care, he wanted to watch the man die, he wanted him to know who killed him, he wanted to feel when his life left his body and he fell limp in his hands.

The man was struggling, desperately trying to rid himself of the weight on his chest and the vice like grip around his neck, but it was relentless, digging into his flesh, almost hard enough to crush his windpipe. He felt that darkness overtaking him as his attacker's hands tightened even more and a feral snarl escaped his throat.

How long he stayed on top of the man, with his hands clamped around his throat, he had no idea. But the hands of a friend landed on his shoulders and gently pulled him off and away.

"Boss...we need to move. Ziva, make sure there's nothing to tie him here." Ziva nodded once at Tony as he pulled Gibbs along to the car. The nameless man who killed their Director, Gibbs's lover, Ziva's friend, lay unmoving on the ground, his lifeless eyes unblinking. Ziva resisted the urge to spit on his body and pulled out her cell. Abby would know what to do.

"Boss…can you hear me?" Tony asked, staring slightly scared at Gibbs. Gibbs nodded once, and stared down at his hands.

"Boss, we're gonna take you home ok? This is just between us; no one else has to know." Tony turned to answer his cell phone which was beeping incessantly on the dashboard.

"Ok…fine…meet me at his house ok?" Tony snapped his phone shut and flicked on the ignition, he put the car in gear and drove back to Gibbs's house. All the while shooting worried looks out of the corner of his eyes at Gibbs.

"Stop it, DiNozzo." He said, so quietly Tony almost thought he imagined it. Gibbs's voice was quiet, unnaturally so, and to calm for someone who just killed a man.

"Sorry Boss." He replied, pulling into Gibbs's driveway. They sat in the car, uncomfortable silence permeating every nook and cranny of the vehicle until suddenly Gibbs moved. The door slammed as he left the car and stalked to his front door, Tony rushing to following him. Gibbs was disappearing down to the basement by the time Tony came through the door. He followed him down and sat on the steps, watching his Boss walk mindlessly round the basement, looking like he was trying to find something.

The quiet footsteps of Ziva behind him broke him out of his reverie. Gibbs spared her a brief look before she slipped down next to Tony.

"We're clean." She said simply. They both looked at Gibbs.

"What?" He snapped. "Goddam it what do you want from me? Haven't I given enough?" He shouted, when he got no answer from either of them, he visibly slumped and whispered, almost to himself,

"I've given so much…I…" He broke off and hurled a glass towards the wall, it smashed on the back wall, bourbon and broken bits of glass slipped down the concrete.

"Gibbs…" Abby's voice broke the stunned silence. She stepped towards him. He unconsciously stepped back, not willing to be near anything he cared about, not wanting another person he loved to die.

"Gibbs…you have to stop torturing yourself. It wasn't your fault…it wasn't Tony's fault…Gibbs…we all need you." Tears were flowing freely down her face now and Gibbs's face softened slightly.

"I can't be the strong one anymore Abs." She made it to him before he hit the floor, and wrapped her arms around him, rocking him gently as he clutched to her. "I can't do it anymore." He repeated.

Tony and Ziva stood motionless on the steps, unable to tear their gaze away from the breakdown happening in front of their eyes.

"Its ok," Abby whispered to him, "It will be ok." Abby repeated those words more time than anyone counted that night, and they all sat together on the floor, lending each other whatever strength they had left. It was only when the morning came and Tony flicked on the small TV in the basement did they hear the words that bough none of them joy, but a little bit of ease.

"The body of an unknown man has been found strangled in the park…Police have no leads."

I hope it wasn't too confusing at the beginning. Sorry he didn't use the knife Mary!!

V!

xox