Passing On A Legacy

Rating: T

Disclaimer: They're not mine. They belong to DPB and CBS.

Summary: A tragedy rocks the NCIS team to the core. It will take a lot for all of them to get through it, but not all of them will and more than one legacy will be passed on.

This fic is set around the cast in season two.

Thanks to Annie, Loz and Mel for their support for this fic. It has been incredibly difficult to write. I hope you enjoy it.

Part 1

Gibbs leant back against the door of his car in the hospital car park and stared blankly at the cell phone in his hand. He knew he had to make this phone call, but he honestly didn't know what to say. Thousands of different emotions were running through his mind and he was struggling to keep his composure. Instead, he focused on getting the team together at headquarters and breaking the news to them there. It wasn't the first time he'd contacted them at such an early hour, but it was the first time it wasn't about a case. This time, it was personal and it was going to change everything they'd come to accept as 'normal'. Taking a deep breath, he pressed '2' on his speed dial and slowly brought the phone up to his ear.

Tony groaned in frustration as the ringing of his cell phone woke him up from a peaceful night's sleep. He ignored the annoying sound and rolled over in bed to snuggle up closer to his wife. "Answer it," was the response his wife gave him, along with a sharp elbow to his ribs. Tony lifted his head off the pillow and squinted at the alarm clock on the bedside table. It was 0500.

He rolled back over and reached for his cell, knowing full well who was on the other end of the call. The only other person who contacted him at this hour was Gibbs and it was always to tell him to get out of bed and get to work because they 'had a case.'

"DiNozzo," Tony answered sleepily.

"I need you and Kate at headquarters." Tony groaned loudly.

"Boss, this is our first day off in two weeks." Kate rolled over and snuggled up to Tony and let her eyes flutter open lazily. If Gibbs was calling them into work, then she was going to enjoy her last few moments of rest.

Gibbs sighed loudly on his end of the phone. "It's not a case, DiNozzo." Tony tilted his head and looked down at his wife with a confused expression on his face.

"If it's not a case, why do you need us at headquarters?"

"I'm not in the mood to argue with you, DiNozzo," Gibbs barked. His voice was so loud that even Kate heard it. She frowned in confusion.

"Alright, we won't be long. We'll just have to find a sitter for Zoe and then we'll come in." Kate sat herself up and stretched her arms before sliding herself out of bed. Just as she pulled the covers back, Tony's hand on her arm stopped her.

She turned around to see his face wrinkled with confusion as he listened intently to what his boss was saying. "You can bring Zoe with you. It's not a case. It's personal. Now get a move on," Gibbs said as he ended the call. Tony pulled the cell away from his ear and stared at it blankly.

"What's going on?" Kate asked.

"I don't know," Tony replied. "Gibbs wants us at work."

"But it's our day off," Kate complained.

"He said it wasn't a case. He said it was personal." He tried as hard to keep the feeling of concern out of his voice, but his attempt was unsuccessful.

"I'll try and find a sitter for Zoe," Kate said, "and you can get her things together."

"No need for that, Kate," Tony replied as he got out of bed, "Gibbs said to bring her with us."

"What?" Kate asked, her eyebrows arching in surprise. Tony merely shrugged his shoulders.

"Come on," he said, "let's get moving. Gibbs sounded pretty weird."

"Weirder than normal?" Kate joked. Tony stood still for a moment and looked thoughtfully at Kate.

"He sounded sad," Tony said quietly.

"I'm worried," Kate whispered.

"I'm sure everything is fine," Tony replied, smiling at her reassuringly. He walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower. Kate walked out of their room and crept lightly down the hallway to their daughter's bedroom.

The door creaked as it opened and Kate walked quietly over to where their daughter lay in her crib. She bent down and scooped her up gently and began whispering in her ear. "Hey baby-girl," she said, "we're going to take you to work." Zoe stirred in her arms but continued sleeping. Kate looked down at her daughter and rocked her gently. She was getting bigger now, and had grown a considerable amount in the past few months. Kate kissed Zoe lightly on the head and walked out of the nursery and back to her bedroom.

She sat down on the edge of the bed and cradled her eight-month-old daughter in her arms until Tony returned, dressed casually, from the bathroom. "Can you take her while I have a shower?" Kate said softly.

"Sure," Tony replied. He walked over to Kate and he gently lifted his daughter from her arms. "Morning beautiful," he said as his and Kate's arms brushed together. Kate smiled at him and he leant down and pressed his lips to hers for a quick kiss.

She stood up from the bed and made her way into the bathroom to have a quick shower and throw on some clothes.

Barely forty-five minutes later, Kate and Tony were on the way to NCIS Headquarters to see Gibbs. Zoe hadn't woken yet, despite being passed from parent to parent and then placed in her baby seat in the car. She turned in her seat and looked at her daughter's sleeping form and then looked at Tony. "Something is wrong, isn't it?" Kate asked quietly. Tony kept his left hand on the steering wheel, and with his right hand, he reached out and linked hands with Kate.

"I'm sure everything is fine," Tony replied just as quiet. He'd said the same words he'd said to Kate just before she went and had a shower because he honestly didn't know what else to say. Kate sighed and let her head rest on the back of the seat. Neither of them were sure what was happening, but they both had a feeling that something wasn't quite right. Gibbs had never told them to bring Zoe with them to work before, much less had he ever called them into work when there wasn't a case.

Tony had his hand on Kate's lower back as they made their way into the bullpen and Kate carried Zoe in her arms. She was wrapped tightly in a blanket because the morning air was quite chilly. Her little pink beanie was pulled down firmly over her head to keep her warm.

"What's going on, boss?" Tony asked as they approached Gibbs at his desk. The bullpen was deserted; the only light was coming from the small lamp on Gibbs' desk or from the street lights outside. Gibbs looked up slowly and met Tony's eyes.

Tony's heart began to beat wildly when he saw the distraught look on his boss' face and he pulled Kate closer to him. "I'll wait for McGee, Abby and Jimmy," Gibbs said in a tone so quiet, he was barely audible.

"What about Ducky?" Tony questioned. "Don't we need to wait for him, too?" At the mention of their Medical Examiner, Gibbs turned his head away quickly and sank lower in his chair.

"Gibbs?" Kate said in an attempt to get a response. When he didn't look up at her, she knew something was definitely wrong.

"Boss?" Tony asked hopefully. Slowly, Gibbs turned his head and looked up again at his two best field agents. Gibbs bit on his lip in an attempt to keep control of his emotions and explain the situation to them.

"Ducky had a heart attack," he said softly. Kate gasped in shock and looked to her husband for support. Tony pulled her even closer to him and gripped onto her hip tightly. "He didn't make it."

Ok… that's it for chapter one… I promise its going to get better. It's not going to be a 'ship' fic, either. Of course, the ships are there, but this fic is going to focus on what happens to the team with what has happened… please review. I'd really like your thoughts on it.