Ducky came through the doors in haste, with Abby wrapped around his arm like a child wrapped around the leg of his mother. They met Gibbs pacing back and forth in the waiting room. Abby quickly released Ducky and pulled Gibbs into a hug. The doctor observed his friend, and noticed the intense look of pain and shock in his eyes. He looked him up and down and saw the dried blood on both his hands, and some that had apparently dried on his face as well, that Abby was now attempting to wipe off.

"Leave it Abs, it's alright."

She lowered the handkerchief that Ducky had given her, and slipped it into her pocket. She was still snuggled tightly around his waist as she stood there.

"They're all okay right?"

Gibbs shook his head. "Don't know Abs."

Ducky made eye contact with his friend and knew what he wanted him to do. "Abby why don't you come and sit, let Gibbs get cleaned up."

She squeezed Gibbs tighter. "I want to stay with him." She looked up, then rested her head on his shoulder.

Ducky motioned for her to come back over to him. She shook her head reluctant to let go. Gibbs then wrapped his arm around her waist and headed towards the chairs in the corner to sit down.

"Abby listen, I know you want to stay close to me right now, and I love you for that. But I need some time to wrap my head around this, I won't be far, and Ducky will stay here with you."

Tears started to stream down her cheeks, and Gibbs wiped one away, accidentally brushing some dry blood onto her cheek. The mere sight of it caused Gibbs to cringe, and he grabbed her handkerchief from her pocket to wipe it off.

"You haven't heard anything Jethro?"

He shook his head in response. "DiNozzo doesn't seem too serious."

Gibbs motioned for Ducky to follow him a few feet away, and Abby nodded in understanding as the two walked a slight distance from her.

"I was set up Duck. Someone called and told me to meet at Shannon and Kelly's grave sites to tell me who was really responsible for their death…when I arrived I was ambushed near my car, I was able to take out a couple of them, then retreated till I could get the others. I should've called into the office and lied; they should've never come there for me."

"But they did Jethro, and that's of no importance now, what matters is their recovery. How badly were they injured?"

He started to chip some of the blood off his hands. "McGee was hit in the shoulder, Ziva took two, one in the back, the other in her shoulder or chest maybe, DiNozzo got hit near his ribs…"

"Good lord Jethro, who are these people that are after you?"

Gibbs shook his head, almost in disbelief. "Hell if I know Duck, all I do know is they messed with the wrong marine."

Ducky smiled slightly as he knew DiNozzo would've loved the Few Good Men reference Gibbs had just offered.

"You're going out to find them aren't you?"

"I am…I need you to stay here." He motioned towards Abby who was now sitting with her hands folded.

"She will be fine. I will call and update you should anything change."

"Alright." He walked over and gave Abby a kiss. "I'll be back soon, stay here with Ducky." As he walked away, she grabbed his hand to stop him, pulling him back in for another hug. "What if, what if you get hurt too Gibbs? I can't-I can't deal if you die too."

He tried to soothe her by hugging her tighter. "No one has died yet Abs."

She released him and wiped her face. "I know, I shouldn't have said that, it's just the odds are…one of them…"

He stopped her before she could continue. "If I was a betting man, my money would be on all three of them coming out of this…now you hang here, I'll be back soon, I promise."

Abby took a seat and Ducky slowly took her hand. "He's not a betting man is he Ducky?"

"Today he is my dear, today he is."

---

The drive to headquarters couldn't have been any more silent. He ignored lights and cars and horns. It was like he expected it all to be a dream and he would wake up any minute, but the stares that were aimed at him when he exited the elevator proved that theory wrong. They were stares of sorrow, anger and curiosity. He didn't speak with anyone, but no one expected him to. He sat down at his desk, and did his best to keep his gaze away from the empty desks around him and to the front of his computer screen. He punched a few keys then picked up his phone, speaking only a few words before hanging up.

The Director was out of the country and had been calling his cell phone constantly for an update, but he didn't oblige. As far as he concerned where this case was taking him, may result in losing his badge or his life, whichever came first, and he didn't need the static.

His heart hadn't stopped racing, he kept replaying images of Ziva hitting the ground, and driving to the ER. He couldn't shake them, but in a way he didn't want to. He knew it would help drive him towards whoever was responsible and right now, finding him was more important than anything he used to think mattered. As he left the office, the stares burned a hole in his back. He didn't have answers, but that's exactly what he was going to find. He knew it would be then and only then that he would come back to that office.

He arrived at his destination, and sat quietly at a nearby bench, with a friend coming to sit down beside him only moments later.

"Tobias."

He nodded. "Jethro."

"Tell me you have a name."

He reached into his coat and handed him a folder. "You realize it could cost me my badge and then some for getting this."

"Look in my eyes and ask me if that matters to me right now Tobias."

"I know, just throwing it out there."

Gibbs searched through the file. "You mean to tell me, this guy's son may be responsible…after all this time?"

"You know this works Jethro, a cell of agents followed his gang's activities for the past ten years or so, and it wasn't until his kid got old enough that he started taking people out to re-claim the family business."

"Why now?"

"We don't know. We're assuming the age, and his means. He was finally able to find the guy who killed his father, little vendetta; Mexicans take this stuff pretty seriously, probably even more so than the Italians... it wasn't until now that he had the power and means to kill a cop…"

"Well he may have killed more than one, and the bastard aint going back to Mexico walking that's for damn sure."

"I got a search going for him Jethro, but it won't be easy, he's probably half way to Mexico already."

"He's not." He got up and started towards his car.

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because, I'm still alive…but he won't be for long."

Fornell sat there for a few moments and remembered how it felt when he lost one of his agents, he tried to block out the thoughts of losing his whole team, and hoped for his friend's sake, he wouldn't have to experience it.

--

Jorge Manuel Perez; a name that would now be etched in Gibbs mind, until that name was on a death certificate in his hands. He was headed to visit Jorge's last known contact in the area, when his phone jolted him out of his thoughts. The caller ID read 'Ducky', and after taking a long labored breath, he answered.

"Jethro, you'll want to get over here right away."

"What is it?"

In the background he could hear Abby saying his name frantically. And after the next few words from his friend, his phone gradually dropped from his hand, and he spun the car harshly in the direction of the hospital.

--

AN: Attention, Cliff ahead. Please do not fall…Does anyone know if they mention the 'name' of the guy who killed Gibbs wife in the series? Thanks for the reviews!! More I get, sooner I update :)