Disclaimer: I don't own the NCIS characters but the LOLs Lil, Carla and Rae are all mine. Alas I am not benefiting financially from this story, it is purely for entertainment purposes.

Rating: T mainly to be safe for some bad language.

This story isn't beta'ed so please excuse my less than perfect punctuation. Oh and for people not familiar with me, being an Aussie I use English spelling but try hard not to use English/Aussie idioms expressions except of course for dear old Ducky.

A/N Wow, first off thank-you for the response this tag has generated in only the first chapter. I am pretty overwhelmed and grateful for all the people who have the story on alert, have made it a favourite and left lots of kind reviews. I notice quite a few people that are new to my stories so I just wanted to explain a couple of things to readers. Due to technical issues and also download constrictions, I have been forced to give a collective rather than an individual than-you to all my reviewers in recent times, many of whom are incredibly loyal and review everything I upload. I do notice you guys and appreciate your kindness and am thrilled to bits to hear from new reviewers too. Positive reinforcement does work wonders for a writer. Second thing, is that I do know that I have several outstanding stories already started and I just wanted to reassure you that they are progressing. I have edits to do on one and will be uploading later today and the other is progressing well too. Both will be finished in the near future. I don't abandon stories because I always work to a story outline and because frankly, as a FF reader, nothing infuriates me more than to get involved in a story and then for it to be abandoned.

Finally, because this A/N is becoming longer than the chapter itself, in response to a reviewer who posed a valid question about why Tony didn't just got to a motel, I wanted to respond. It was also a question I asked myself while watching the episode. Just like I asked myself and I noticed that Ibinkeybella did too, what could Tony have done while staying at Gibbs house that was so bad that he would turn down a rare request from his 2IC for help? That was partly what prompted me to write the tag, as I tried to come up with an explanation to both those questions. One will be answered in chapter three and the other in chapter 4 and 7.

Left For Dead

Chapter 2

Gibbs was getting ready to head into the office and he took a last mouthful of his morning coffee, before rinsing the cup and leaving it to drain, inverted on the kitchen sink. Just as he picked up his car keys, ID, wallet and his cell phone, it rang. Knowing it would be work related at 0600 hours, he barked in his usual abrupt fashion, "Gibbs."

He was right. It was Supervisory Special Agent Chris Pacci whose team had been on call overnight and he was at the hospital with DiNozzo who was undergoing surgery for stab wounds. All Pacci would say was that Tony had been stabbed and it was serious. Leaping into the car he headed for the hospital at his usual breakneck speed while calling Cate, Ducky and Abby to tell them that he wouldn't be into work and neither would Tony.

Of course he wasn't surprised when they all insisted on coming down to the hospital to make sure their team-mate was alright. It made Gibbs feel proud of his team that they cared so much about each other. It was part of what made the MCRT so damn good.

He remembered how concerned Tony had been over Cate two weeks ago, after that mad bitch blew them all up and their probie realised that she'd been taken for a ride by someone who had turned out to be a murderer. As he pulled into the hospital car park, he realised that Tony had been unusually quiet since that case but then so had Cate, whose confidence had been shaken by her blunder. He'd just assumed that it was quiet because Cate was missing her usual piss and vinegar attitude and Tony was giving her space, like he'd advised. Now he wondered if he was withdrawn because of a more sinister explanation. Maybe something or someone was troubling him but surely if that was the case he would tell Gibbs, wouldn't he?

~ Left for Dead ~

Chris wasn't surprised to see Gibbs roll up to the hospital at least ten minutes before he expected him, in spite of the fact that he had to drive in from Alexandria, even if the traffic was lighter at that time of the morning. Anyone who knew anything about the diving habits of the leader of the MCRT, knew that Gibbs' normal driving speed rivaled that of a car travelling on a German Autobahn which unlike their freeways, didn't have a general speed limit. The difference being that Gibbs always drove everywhere as if he was on the Autobahn, regardless of the type of road or the driving conditions. Even still, he'd managed to arrive at the hospital sooner that Chris had expected. In typical Gibbs mode, he strode in, dispensing with any pleasantries, demanding a SitRep but was interrupted constantly as one by one, the rest of his people rolled in too.

Predictably enough, Ducky wanted to know everything about Tony's injuries and Chris was only able to tell them that Tony had numerous abdominal wounds and several blows to his face. The doctors' thought based upon tests, that he might have a perforated intestine and a lacerated liver. He'd been in surgery for approximately ninety minutes and everyone looked grave.

Gibbs glared at Pacci. Why wasn't I notified sooner, Chris? I'm his emergency contact person. More to the point, who signed the consent forms for treatment?"

Chris shrugged. "He did Gibbs, while he was still conscious. He told me not to call you until you were leaving for the office. Said he didn't want to be a bother and I'm quoting him."

Gibbs, Ducky, Abby and Cate all looked confused before Gibbs demanded to know exactly how DiNozzo had been wounded. Chris grimaced, trying to organise the facts into a cogent report, just the way Gibbs liked them, salient points all condensed into bullet form. Unemotional, just the facts but he was also struggling to keep his emotions in check. Special Agent Pacci had developed a soft spot for DiNozzo over the two and a half years that he'd know and worked with the young agent and his emotions were making it difficult for Chris to think rationally. He felt proud of the kid's courage and determination to protect individuals that he felt needed protecting and also anger because Tony was so darned stubborn and proud. If only he had taken up Chris' offer of a room at his place until his building was habitable again, he never would have been in the situation where he was stabbed and nearly died. As it was, he was going to face a long and difficult recovery, if he was lucky.

Taking a deep breath he began to report. "He was at the 24 hour coin operated laundry a few blocks from his building at 0230 when he heard someone screaming in the back alley. He ran out and found a man raping a young runaway, who was turning tricks. While he was arresting the dirtbag, a second guy came up behind him and stabbed him multiple times before kicking him in the head, and then they ran of togetherf. Tony did manage to get off a couple of shots and it looks like he winged at least one of them, going by the blood in the alley before he collapsed. The manager of the laundry called 911 and managed to stem the loss of blood til the EMTs arrived." He reported dispassionately.

"What the devil was he up to, out doing his laundry at 0230 in the morning, Chris?" Gibbs demanded shaken.

"Yeah and more's to the point, why was he doing it at a 24 hour laundry. Tony has a brand new washer drier in his apartment. That just sounds too hinky." Abby threw in her two cents worth, upset to hear the seriousness of the injuries.

Pacci rolled his eyes, wanting to strangle these dense people. "Well to answer both your questions, he's been working such long hours lately, as you know, so he hasn't had a chance to get to the laundry. He finally ran out of clean clothes and when he got home last night, he realised he didn't have anything to wear today. So he went out to do a load of laundry before he grabbed a few hours of sleep. And yeah Abby, you're right, he does have a washer drier in his apartment but he has no heat or power so he couldn't use them. Hasn't had any for over two weeks now and won't have any for another three weeks, at least."

Abby like the others, looked confused. "So where's he been staying, then? Has he been with you?"She stared at the trio who all shook their heads. "I just figured he was staying with one of you guys," she looked at the other,s who looked equally nonplussed.

Chris looked at the group, wondering how such so-called hotshot investigators could be so dumb. "He's been staying at his apartment."

"Why is the idiot staying in an apartment without heat or power in the middle of winter? I told him my door was always open. Damn him."

"I found him sleeping at the office the night of the BFF bombing but unfortunately so did the Assistant Director on night duty and he told him unless he was working an active case, to go home to sleep. I wanted him to come back to my plac with mee but he said he needed to stop being a weakling and expecting other people to clean up his messes. Said he always ended up hurting those people who were important to him. He went to try to sleep in his car, but security reported him to that asshole Assistant Director Kersh and he threatened him with a suspension if he didn't follow his direct order not to sleep on the premises, so then Tony went home."

Gibbs exploded, "Why didn't he come to mine? I told him to, before he left BFF."

"Tony told me. He said you didn't want him there when he asked you but after you all got blown up and nearly died, you took pity on him. You know as well as anyone Gibbs, how much he hates to be pitied since he thinks it means he's weak and apart from which, he's too busy blaming himself for Cate getting emotionally involved with the whack job McNeill. Said that if he wasn't such a terrible partner, that she wouldn't have felt so compelled to drag home a total stranger, just so her spare room was occupied if he asked could he stay. So the idiot feels like it's his fault that she is feeling so bad about being duped by a murderer." Chris took a breath and looked at the group.

Abby glared around at her friends. "Where on earth would Tony get a dumb idea like that from? I'd don't understand how such a brilliant investigator can be so dumb when it comes to himself. "She looked at Gibbs and Cate who were looking uncomfortable. "What? Where did he get that crazy idea from?"

Gibbs was looking rather awkward. "Gee Abby, maybe because Cate told him that was why she was bringing Jane Doe home with her, so she didn't have to refuse him when he asked."

Abby's normally alabaster complexion, a combination of naturally fair skin and a cosmetically enhanced cocktail of chemicals, coloured up like a switch had been hit. Two fiery spots of red appeared on her pale cheeks before launching herself at Cate, in a blinding rage.

"How could you be such a cow Cate, how could you hurt our Tony like that? Surely Little Miss Profiler, you've figured out by now that the DiNozzo swagger is just a camouflage for someone who is far too sensitive?" she bellowed at the shocked agent.

Fortunately, Ducky and Gibbs had seen the signs that Abby's quick temper was about to erupt and they moved together in a concerted move to restrain her, blocking her access to the hapless Cate Todd.

"Enough Abigail, this is not helping young Anthony, at all. In fact you may well get us thrown out of the hospital if you don't cease screaming like a banshee, my dear girl. Take some deep breaths and settle down, immediately," the medical examiner scolded.

When she had calmed down a little, Pacci regarded the Goth scientist gravely. "Perhaps you should examine your own behaviour too, Abby before throwing stones. You're not blameless either. It was all over the building that none of you would give him a place to stay and everyone was joking at his expense, but then again, what else is new?"

"Hey Chris, no fair. Tony only had to ask and I would have let him stay on my couch. You know so much, tell me why he didn't just ask me?"Abby protested.

Chris regarded her with more than a touch of scorn, that she could be so obtuse about someone she claimed to be such good friends with.

"Gosh Abby, maybe because he thought you'd turn him down like Ducky and Gibbs or rent your room out so you didn't have to say no and he didn't want to put you in that position. And anyway, you knew he didn't have anywhere to stay, so why didn't you simply offer him a bed? He wouldn't accept one from me but he just might have if you'd offered."

"Why didn't he just get a room somewhere? I bet if he spent less on clubbing and dating bimbos and wearing designer clothes, he could afford a motel room somewhere, like a normal person." Cate demanded nastily, feeling guilty and defensive about her actions, especially when she had really stuffed up badly.

Chris just glared at her. "Not my business, Agent Todd." The unspoken implication was that it wasn't hers, either.