Keep them close.
"Someone is targeting you, copying the murders of loved ones."
Gibbs turned his head and looked at the three of his team in the bullpen willing his eyes not to stray to the one he wanted to keep safe most of all.
He turned to pick up his coffee mug and remembered that he wasn't drinking coffee for 72 hours on doctors orders.
He walked out of the bullpen and avoided the elevator, stopping for a moment he waited knowing what was coming next.
"What the hell J?" Tony's voice came softly from behind him.
"Sergei is targeting you all, I can't put you at risk." Gibbs sighed leaning against the wall his eyes closed.
Tony looked around and realizing they were alone he stepped closer, "J...it's ok. We know it's Sergei and we will be careful, we are all trained, Just relax."
"About Rebecca...I didn't…" he broke off.
Tony smiled as he looked into Gibbs worried eyes. "I know, you were both asleep when I came around last night, I heard you call my name in your sleep, I put a blanket over you both and left you there."
"You didn't think I had slept with her, scuttlebutt in the whole building said I did." he looked down at his shoes.
Tony put his hand under his chin and lifted it so he looked straight into his lovers eyes, "Leroy Jethro Gibbs, we have been together for over a year, I trust you and I love you and I know that you would never...ever cheat on me."
Jethro smiled, "No I wouldn't...but you left us there, you could have woken me?"
Tony gave a small laugh, "And out you to your ex, especially as she's friends with Diane, not a good idea babe."
Gibbs' eyebrow lifted at the term of endearment Tony had just used.
"You know you nearly gave yourself away earlier." Gibbs said as he stepped back.
"How?" Tony asked as he sat down on the nearest step.
"Rebecca…" Gibbs sat next to him.
"Rebecca?" it was Tony's turn to look confused.
Gibbs smirked. "I was just divorcing Stephanie when you joined NCIS, she was after Rebecca….you wanna explain to the others how you know so much?"
Tony laughed, "Nope...just let them think I have awesome detective skills." He stood up and straightened his pants down turned and held his hand out, "We'll get em boss." he smiled as Gibbs took his hand and Tony pulled him up.
"You want me to question her?" Tony asked.
Gibbs smiled he loved it when Tony was like this, "Nope. She's my problem, you go with McGee, see what else you can dig up, we need to find out where this guy is hiding."
Tony nodded and headed back to the bullpen knowing that even though Gibbs wasn't drinking his coffee his head was on straight enough now to cope with this.
A few hours later he was in shock as he watched Gibbs step off the elevator.
His heart leapt into his throat as he saw the blood up the side of his face.
"Boss?" he asked worried.
Gibbs shook his head, to let Tony know it wasn't his blood and Tony let out a sigh he didn't know he was holding in.
"Have you got anything?"
Tony shook his head, he didn't know what to say.
Gibbs walked out of the room as he turned the corner he shot Tony a look that Tony caught.
He followed him to the stairwell again where he found him sunk in the corner his head resting on his knees.
"J?" Tony said quietly.
Gibbs got up and walked down to the next level, "With me." he threw over his shoulder, Tony caught the break in his voice and followed him.
He opened a door to an unused office, waited for Tony to follow him in and locked the door.
"What happened?" Tony asked his hand shakily reaching to try to touch the rapidly drying blood on the side of his lovers face.
Gibbs moved out of reach a step.
"J are you hurt?" he whispered.
"She's dead Tony." He sat on the edge of the desk and looked at his shaking hands.
He didn't want to ask the next question, afraid of the reply but he did anyway, "Who?"
"Diane...The bastard is taking them out, He faked the call from Diane, she got a text from me."
"You don't text." Tony snapped wondering how she hadn't realized it wasn't from him.
Gibbs gave a small smile and ran his hand along the back of Tony's hair, he should have headslapped him for that, but he had lost enough people he had loved today.
Tony leant into the touch.
"She didn't know, she thought she was helping, we were across the street from where Kate died." He sat back again unaware his hands were shaking.
"Is that why you ordered me to stay here?" Tony asked, "Did you think I couldn't cope?"
Gibbs stood up and turned his back on Tony, for a moment. He turned back and grabbed Tony by the arms and pulled him close.
"No...I couldn't cope, I couldn't cope with you being the one bleeding out and dying in my arms if he was still around." he admitted.
Tony pulled him closer and held him tight breathing in the scent he had come to love.
"I will NOT die on you Gibbs, but I do have to do my job." he said quietly. He pressed a small kiss on the side of Gibbs' neck, "You have to trust I can do this J."
Gibbs stepped away and looked at Tony full of concern, "I know you can do this, it isn't about you not being able to do your job, it's about me not losing anyone else I care about, I have to go, look at her body to make a positive ID for the damn record, then I have to tell my best friend that the woman he loved and the mother of his child is dead, because of me."
"This is NOT because of you Gibbs, this is because Sergei is a sick son of a bitch who has a vendetta against you. I love you and I have faith in you, you will find him and you will kill him and it will be justified." He stared at him full of love. "You can do this, but you don't have to do it alone, go...see ducky and then we will see Fornell together."
Gibbs turned and grabbed Tony and pulled him in for a kiss, "I thought you said never at work?" Tony smiled, "If you're relaxing that rule we can revisit the elevator scene I wanna do with you."
Gibbs laughed, for a second everything seemed better.
"Not relaxing that rule, just needed to know you're alive." they touched foreheads for a second and Gibbs closed his eyes.
"Have you called Fornell?" he asked resisting the urge to pull him into another hug.
Gibbs shook his head, "He's in a classified briefing, can't be disturbed, I'm gonna go and tell him."
This wasn't something that could be said over the phone, he had to tell his friend that his ex-wife/current girlfriend and mother of his child was dead.
A familiar knot formed in his stomach, not only was it a replay of Kate's death, but it was a repeat of the death of Shannon, his first wife, he prayed that Emily was safe.
"Go see Ducky, I'll let you know if we get anything."
They walked out of the office, Gibbs heading to Ducky and Tony back to the bullpen for some answers.
"We have a location on Sergei." Tony said as he called Gibbs ten minutes later. He silently cursed as he realized that Gibbs was in the car on his way to Fornell by himself.
The car screeched as Gibbs turned his car on a dime and headed back to the address given by Tony, "Wait for us…" he said as Gibbs hung up the phone.
Tony swore as he ran to the car.
"Dammit J." he said under his breath as he started the engine, McGee and Bishop climbed in behind him.
They held on tight as Tony drove at a breakneck speed to get to Gibbs.
"Do you think he waited?" Bishop asked.
"Damn well better have." Tony growled.
He screeched to a halt in front of the apartment building just as a woman ran out screaming.
Bishop ran over to her, "Are you ok ma'am?"
"They're all dead….they shot each other…" Tony blanched and ran headfirst up the stairs towards the apartment Sergei had rented.
He pulled his gun as he entered and nearly dropped it.
"J!" he exclaimed as he saw Gibbs lying amongst the bodies in the room, "NO!"
Gibbs groaned and sat up, "I'm fine T," he said softly for a second he rested his hand on Tony's arm and locked eyes with him. "I'm fine." he said louder sitting up and rubbing his head.
He looked down, he still hadn't called Tobias yet, he'd been sidetracked on the way to seeing his friend.
He blanched as the phone rang and he looked to see Tobias' number on the phone. He looked up at Tony drawing strength from him there and he turned to answer the call.