Okay, here's chapter two. Thanks for the reviews and alerts, you guys!

This chapter is from Gibbs' point of view.

"He was protecting me. It was all my fault."

I didn't want to believe her, but I somehow did.

Knowing that DiNozzo was on his was to the hospital didn't make things better at all. They wouldn't tell me, but I knew from the paramedics' looks that they didn't give him great odds. Dammit!

When I looked up at the woman again, I could see she was crying. Not hysterically, but tears came in a steady, calming stream. Releasing pent up emotion, one of my ex-wives explained it to me once.

Hell, I sometimes wish it were allowed.

And to think the morning started out so quietly. No calls, no dead marines, nothing. Just a whole lot of paperwork and DiNozzo's interpretation of 'paper work'. The paper planes flying through the air were numerous. I was actually allowing myself to think it was a boring day. That's when I jinxed it, I guess.

All I knew was that Tony and Ziva hadn't come back from their lunch break in time. I was more than a little annoyed with them just then, cursing and growling, making McGee hide behind his desk. Sometimes I'm very much reminded that he's still the youngest and greenest on my team.

When I heard the breaking news that a bank was being robbed and there were hostages taken, I just knew they were in trouble. I knew it. I was cursing the whole way down to the garage, my youngest and greenest agent in tow.

I arrived just in time to demand to be in on the bust. In retrospective it might have been better if I just didn't. I will never forget the onslaught of sensations as I came busting through the doors of the bank. Hysterical people screaming and the stench of gunpowder and blood hanging thickly in the air. My marine-self told me to secure the room first - always secure the premises first - but it was damned hard when all I wanted to do was make sure my agents were safe.

Concentrate!

I caught sight of them by the windows and it was like the din of voices muted into the background. There was blood; blood everywhere. Tony lying too still and Ziva out of her mind - that's something I will stuff deep down inside me, together with my memories of the reports of Shannon's and Kelly's deaths. I had hoped I never had to bring those images to the surface again, but seeing him like that just made them crawl their way back up into my conscious mind.

Concentrate!

I did what a marine would do. I roared a 'clear!' and called in the paramedics.

"Special agent Gibbs? Are you all right?"

"Tell me what happened."

"He…he was just lowering his hands, gun pointing straight at his head, when they dragged his girlfriend by the arm. She...I guess she really is very strong, because she managed to kick one of them to the floor. Tough Guy didn't like that at all. He ordered his other thug to shoot her if she did anything as stupid again and to search her for a gun. I saw Casanova and his girlfriend exchange glances, but I had no idea what they would do…"

As I stood there, watching helplessly - hopelessly - my gut was screaming at me to do something. Do something! But all I could do was watch. Watch as Ziva was shuffled out of the way. Watch as pressure bandages were applied. Watch as they put an oxygen mask over his face, fighting him as he tried to reach for Ziva. Watch as the ambulance screeched off, sirens blaring.

I felt numb. Empty.

I did what a marine would do. I went to interview the witnesses.

"What did they do?"

"It was almost surreal. I can't remember much of how it happened, but as Tough Guy ordered his man to search her for a weapon, she - it's amazing - she managed to somehow elbow him in the face and draw her gun. I've never seen anything like it. She hit her gun in his temple in a matter of moments. Two robbers out."

"Game over?"

"No. Not in the least."

As I crawled down the stairs to autopsy later that night, my mind was reeling. It was testament to my ruffled appearance that Ducky didn't greet me with his usual exuberance.

"Hello, Jethro." His eyes were worried and he immediately withdrew his hands from the body he'd been working on.

"Duck."

"How is young Anthony doing?"

I glared at the body. It could have been Tony. Could still be Tony. "Don't know. Haven't heard from Ziva in a while."

"And may I ask why you aren't at the hospital?"

"No." I knew it sounded juvenile and terrible, but what was the point? If he was going to die, I couldn't do anything about it, could I?

"Jethro…" No one can scold you like Ducky can. And only with a word or two.

"I went to see him, Duck! But he was still in the OR and I couldn't. I just couldn't stay."

He washed his hands calmly and steered me to his chair. Put a glass in my hands and poured me a generous amount of his finest single malt.

"Tell me."

"Tell me."

"He - Tough Guy, just let out a laugh. And it sounded just crazy. Absolutely crazy. He was breathing very irregularly. He was holding my arm, bruising it I guess, his gun pointing steadily at Casanova's head. 'Let her go', they both said, but he wouldn't, I could tell. 'Drop your guns!' he hollered at them both, 'or I'll shoot!'. The lady did as she was told, and Casanova said 'All right' very casually, gave me a firm look, then slowly reached into his jacket and presented his gun. It was when he bent down to lay it on the floor, that Tough Guy started following him with his barrel in stead. And he got jumped."

"Jumped?"

"More like tackled by a football pro. That's when the gun went off."

I did what a marine would do. I thanked her for the information, left my card and stumbled to the car to beat the crap out of what ever came in my way. I shook with anger and fear.

I did what a father would do.

"I hate that I worry about them like this, Duck."

"Well, Jethro, one can't choose one's parents any more than one chooses one's children."

And of course he was right. Ducky's always right.

"D'nt mean I have to like it."

"Here, I'll drive us to Bethesda."

Gibbs may seem a little OOC in this, but I think he's really uncapable of expressing his worry that he's obviously feeling. Just think of SWAK and Chained.

The only reason I managed to get this story finished is that I have a terrrible bout of the pneumonic pl... no, wait. Just the flu. But still, a little review would probably make me recover sooo much quicker! ;)

/Belker