"DiNozzo! You're late!"

"Only five minutes, Boss! Sorry – no, that's a sign of weakness, never mind. It's just when I left the apartment, the girl in Apartment C – she's only nine, Boss, was crying because her cat was stuck in the tree by the courtyard, so I had to coax it down. And then half way here an older woman was trying to cross the street and the jerks in the city don't know what a cross walk is or how it works so I pulled over to help her. When I got her across the street, a bus was barreling down and if I hadn't been there to pull the kid off his bike, he would have been bug splatter. Then, once I got back to my car, I had to talk a meter maid down from giving me a ticket for double parking even though she saw my heroic actions! It hasn't been my morning, Boss."

"You're riding the desk today, DiNozzo."

"Aw, come on! I didn't do this on purpose! I'd had time to get you your morning offering of coffee and had still been early, but all those things…"

Gibbs phone rang. "Save it."

"Yes, Boss."

Breezing into autopsy he greeted, "Hey Duck. What'cha got?"

"Jethro, my man. Let's have some tea, shall we?" Ducky's hands shook as he steered Gibbs into his office.

"You don't ever ask me to have tea. What's going on?" he asked as he took in the rattled expression on his friend's face

"Um, well…"

"Duck?"

"Ahem. Metro had a call early this morning. Seems…" and that was all he could manage before the unflappable Dr. Mallard broke down.

"Aw, Duck. Just tell me." Gibbs pulled him into a manly embrace trying to comfort the elderly ME.

Pulling away Ducky continued, "A good Samaritan saved a young boy from certain death as he sped through an intersection on his bicycle unknowingly into the path of an oncoming transit bus. He jerked the boy to safety, but lost his own in trade."

"Who?"

Ducky shook his head.

"Who is on your table, Duck? You tell me right now!" He grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him.

Gibbs immediately regretted his forcefulness and tone of his voice when he looked into the older ME eyes, dropping his hands to his sides.

"Duck?" He tone had changed completely, projecting a tentative sadness and trepidation of the answer to his question.

Tears welling up in his eyes the older man nodded. "I'm sorry Jethro."

Gibbs whirled around and saw the body of his second in command, his friend – his lover/

"No, I just talked to him upstairs. He-he said he was sorry for being late…" Gibbs staggered backwards until he hit the doorframe and crumpled to the floor.