Here's the second part! Yay! :)

I DO NOT OWN NCIS OR THE SONG BRING IT ON BY TRACE ADKINS.

Set during 'Requiem'... That episode always makes me cry... :'(

I know Gibbs looks quite happy at the end of Requiem but I'm ignoring that bit. :P

Italics mean song lyrics unless there is a flashback marked. Edit: Song lyrics had to deleted to prevent the story being removed like the original was. Hopefully this will be alright since it only uses a small section that I couldn't really delete since it was dialogue... I have given credit to the artist of the song and have added a disclaimer for it too... Just have to hope that's sufficient.

Mild slash.

Bring It On

Once again, DiNozzo could be found outside his boss' house but this time he knew exactly why he was there. The events of that week, specifically that day, had had a major effect on him and he could scarcely imagine how it had affected Gibbs.

~Flashback~

Tony PoV

Everything went in slow motion as Gibbs reversed the car straight into the lake and I was diving in after it before the vehicle had even stopped sinking.

The shock of the cold water didn't hit me until a few seconds later but was quickly forgotten as the car came into view through the murky water. I swam towards it as fast as was possible and tried to keep focused and composed at the sight of Gibbs stuck and surrounded by water, concentrating on the relief I felt when I saw that he was still awake and moving.

With his help we got the girl, Maddie, out of the car and I dragged her with me to the surface, already feeling the burn in my lungs and my muscles. I wished I could have freed Gibbs first but I knew that the girl may not have lasted that long since she was already unconscious when I got to her.

When we surfaced I pulled her onto dry land and lay her down before immediately jumping in again to find Gibbs. My muscles were protesting strongly but the mere thought of losing Gibbs made me push far beyond my limits and keep going. I knew I would be paying dearly for it the next day but that didn't matter; all that mattered was saving Gibbs. When I reached him, what felt like hours later, he had lost consciousness and I had to fight to keep my panic at bay.

'He's not dead. Leroy Jethro Gibbs would not die so easily. He is not dead. He is not dead, just unconscious. He is not dead.' I began to repeat that, like a mantra, to keep me going and not to give into the panic threatening to overwhelm me. In a miraculous, adrenaline-fuelled feat of strength I broke the steering wheel off to give me enough space to pull Gibbs free. Exhausted, I swam with him to the surface and lay him down next to Maddie. Checking for breathing, I performed chest compressions and, with no hesitation, mouth-to-mouth. At any other time I would have relished in the feel of my lips on his but this was too serious, too life threatening, for such thoughts.

I continued for several minutes, desperation beginning to seep through. He couldn't leave me! Not again! I couldn't live with it if he died, especially knowing I was right there and still couldn't save him. I realised that I was saying some of this aloud but I didn't care. All I cared about was stopping those blue eyes looking so dull and lifeless. I didn't think I would ever forget that image...

As much as I wanted to continue CPR, in the hopes that he would come around, one look at the girl next to him showed me that she needed my help too. I may not have known her but I couldn't just let the girl die while I tried, possibly in vain, to resuscitate my boss. I turned my attention to her though my mind stayed with Jethro. Only a minute or so later, she began to awaken and only minutes after that I heard quiet noises from behind me. I span around and saw Gibbs, still laying in the same position as before, having hardly moved but I could see the small differences and I nearly cried in relief and joy. His chest was rising and falling, albeit a little unsteadily, and his eyes had regained the life that I had longed so much to see. My heart was pounding, my own breathing was still a little unsteady and my muscles burning like I had never felt before but the relief I felt in that moment outweighed all of that. No words could describe the pure terror that I had felt when the older man had not responded to the CPR and I hoped to never feel that level of fear again.

~Flashback over~

DiNozzo walked through the familiar house, knowing the way despite the all the lights being switched off. Well all but one of course. He headed towards the basement where the only light in the house was and where he knew he would find his boss working on some kind of woodwork project, usually the wooden boat that took up a large portion of the room.

What he did not expect was to see was the older man slumped down against the wall with an almost empty bottle of bourbon in his hand.

Walking cautiously over to Gibbs, he studied the man. Tony had never seen the man like this. Even after a particularly sensitive or difficult case, Gibbs had never gotten this drunk before and Tony didn't know how to handle it. What kind of drunk was Gibbs? When he was within an arms length of Gibbs, DiNozzo spoke up.

"Hey boss?"

The older man's head lifted to look at the visitor and a small smile took it's place on his face when he managed to focus his eyes enough to figure out who it was.

"Tony!" Gibbs said with a slight grin. "Don't call me boss. We're not at work and I'm drunk out my mind so I don't exactly deserve your respect right now..." He slurred, his grin diminishing a little.

"Alright Gibbs." Tony said, uncertainly.

"Jethro. Just call me Jethro, Tony. I think we know each other well enough for that by now." Gibbs mumbled.

"Alright... Jethro..." Tony muttered, trying to ignore the speeding up of his heart at merely being allowed to call Gibbs in such an intimate way, unaware that Gibbs himself was doing the same. "How are you doing?"

"Could be better." Jethro slurred. "Bad memories..."

"Yeah, I bet." DiNozzo replied, trying to think of something appropriate to say. In typical Tony style, what came to mind was a quote, though not from a film as normal.

""It's not too late to fly away

And I won't try to stop you

So you do what you've got to

I'll understand

But if you need a place to land

A haven, safe and certain

Someone to share your burden

Then take my hand.""

He held out a hand as he finished speaking and looked straight into the blue eyes that had caught his as he had recited the lyrics.

He was a little surprised when Gibbs actually reached out and grasped the hand he had extended towards him and Tony pulled him up from the floor. Not letting go of his hand, he led the older man to the stairs and sat him down, then sitting down next to him. He placed an arm around his boss' shoulders and tried to mentally prepare himself for the conversation that was to come.

"Gi- Jethro, I know about Shannon and Kelly. I have done for years but you never brought it up so neither did I." Tony whispered and he felt the man next to him at the mention of their names.

"You knew? Well, I guess that saves me having to tell you the story then at least... I don't know how you found out but, to be honest, I don't really care right now... I should have been there..." Jethro told Tony.

When Gibbs saw Tony's questioning look, he asked, "I guess you don't know the whole story then." DiNozzo shook his head. "When they were... killed... I was out of the country with the marines. I should have been there with them, to protect them. I could have saved them or at least tried! Or I could have been there with them at the end, reassured them that I loved them, done something!" Gibbs trailed off a little, his voice having risen during his short tirade. He continued in a softer voice. "I felt a bit better after I killed the bastard that did it but... I was in a pretty bad place for a while. You know, I almost killed myself once. Had the gun in my hand ready to just shoot myself through the head and make it all end but... something stopped me."

Tony was gaping at the other man. He had never even suspected that he had even considered it let alone almost done it! He was shocked and... scared. What if this upheaval of memories and emotions caused him to try it again... Maybe he'd really do it this time... What would Tony do if that happened?! He couldn't even imagine it; didn't want to imagine it!

"Do you... do you feel like that now? You know... like you need to... end it all?" Tony whispered, voice cracking a bit as he tried to voice his fears.

"No! No, Tony, I'm fine this time. Well not exactly fine but i'll get over it... I regret trying it then and I have things to live for now. People to live for." He assured, his gaze lingering on Tony as he spoke the last sentence, his look pointed and expressive.

When Tony could finally tear his eyes away, he did. Reminding himself that, although he was a rather eloquent drunk, Gibbs was in fact still drunk and anything Jethro did now, he may very well regret by morning.

Giving a gentle but reassuring squeeze to the older man's shoulder, Tony said "Thank God. I couldn't deal with that..." before standing up and turning to ascend the stairs.

"You can crash on the couch if you want." Jethro told him.

"Thanks boss."

"What did I tell you about calling me boss at the moment?"

"Right, ok... Jethro." Tony spoke, voice close to normal as the conversation became less serious and his playful personality began to come back into play.

"Before you go, Tony. What was that quote from earlier?"

"Quote? Oh, that was from a song. 'Bring It On' by Trace Adkins. Night Jethro." Tony answered then headed up the stairs.

"Good night Tony... Thank you." Gibbs whispered although he knew that Tony was already upstairs and wouldn't hear him.

Bring It On

The end! Hope you liked it! :D