Author's Note: Okay, this is set two months after the last chapter. It's named after the very awesome song, Harder To Breathe, by Maroon 5.

Thanks to Elle for being my wonderful beta...

I don't own NCIS, unfortunately...

Review Please

Enjoy

xxxPippy

Chapter 10

Harder To Breathe

It had been about two months since Abby and McGee had found out the sex of their baby. They were still going strong, Abby was buying loads of baby clothes, most were black or red and had things printed on them. Abby and McGee had decided to get married before Hilary was born; the set day was in about three weeks. They had chosen to go to Hawaii for their honeymoon straight after. Tony and Ziva were doing great, and so were Jenny and Bobby… Much to Gibbs extreme dislike.

"Date's are expected Jethro." Jenny told Gibbs.

"I'm not going." He replied simply

"This is a direct order, you must attend Agent Gibbs."

"Do we have to go Boss?" Tony complained.

"Direct order from Jen, uhh Director Shepard."

"Stupid work picnic." Tony mumbled.

"Come on DiNozzo, it'll be fun." McGee smiled.

Tony smiled sarcastically. "Ha ha." Ziva smirked. "Sweetcheeks?"

"Yes?"

"Would you like to be my date to this stupid work picnic thing?"

"Of course."

That Saturday, the team slowly arrived at the decided nature park. Jenny arrived first, Bobby at her side. Mary had also tagged along, because she didn't have anything better to do. Ducky arrived, and then McGee and Abby arrived next. Abby was now just more than five months pregnant and she was showing. Gibbs came after them…By himself. He approached Jenny, Ducky, Bobby and Mary.

"You were supposed to bring a date Jethro." She sighed.

"You know why I didn't" He said glaring at Bobby.

"Have you met Mary?" She asked Gibbs, pointing to the woman standing next to Bobby.

"No." He said unenthusiastically.

"Mary, this is Special Agent Gibbs. Jethro, Bobby's sister, Mary."

"Nice to meet you." She smiled. Gibbs nodded.

"You too." Gibbs wasn't really pleased to meet her; he just thought he should play nice.

Tony and Ziva then arrived. They joined Abby and McGee near the table with all the food; they narrowly missed the assisting director, Leon Vance.

"You look nice." Abby complemented Ziva, who was wearing a brightly coloured low-cut, but not too revealing, t-shirt with tight jeans.

"Thanks Abby, so do you."

"No, I look fat…"

"You don't look fat!" Everyone immediately assured. They didn't get to have a very long conversation before Vance came over anyway.

"How are we all?" He asked, even though he didn't seem interested. They each answered with 'Fine' or 'Good'. Vance glanced over at Jen, Gibbs, Bobby and Mary. "Who's the pretty woman Gibbs' with?"

"Aren't you married… With kids?" Abby asked.

Vance sighed. "She took the kids and left."

"When?"

"I little over a month ago."

"She is not with Gibbs." Ziva said quickly. A smiled spread across Vance's face... Which scared them. Vance grabbed a snack before leaving, he went over to Mary.

"Hey." She greeted.

"Hey there, I'm Leon Vance, NCIS assisting director." He held out his hand and she shook it firmly.

"Mary Swanson, my brother is dating your boss."

"Nice to meet you," He said, their hands lingered for longer than necessary. "Would you like a drink?"

"Sure." They headed back over to the table, flirting madly.

Abby watched them, utterly disturbed. "Oh. Oh eww." McGee laughed.

"Do you want to go for a walk?" He suggested.

"Sure!" Abby agreed. "See you guys later." She took his hand and they walked off down the dirt track.

"Where you think their going?" Tony asked.

"I do not know, My Little Hairy Butt." She tilted her head back against his chest and he leaned down to kiss her. She spun around in his arms and hugged him.

"I love you Ziva."

"I love you too Tony."

"Jenny?" Bobby asked quietly from his position next to Jenny on one of the picnic rugs.

"Hmm?"

"I just need to use the bathroom," He pointed to where he would be.

"Okay."

"Excuse me for a minute." He said to everyone else he was in the middle of convocation with. They nodded and he walked away. Gibbs glared at him suspiciously.

"Who are you?" Vance asked a teenage girl who was walking out of the female toilets.

"None of your business," She said putting her hands inside her pockets. Vance shrugged and walked into the toilet block.

Moment's later Palmer arrived, he was very late. Michelle was at his side and she had a nearly one year old girl in her arms.

"What. The. Hell?" Tony asked, looking up at them. Ziva walked over to greet them.

"Who is this?" She asked kindly, grabbing the child's tiny hand.

"This is Catherine." Michelle answered smiling.

"That is a lovely name." Ziva commented.

"You two have a kid?" Tony questioned still shocked, as he approached them. Palmer nodded proudly.

Bobby re-joined Jenny and the rest of the people she was talking to.

"Back." He said kissing her cheek. Jenny smiled.

"Hey, can you smell that?" She asked.

"Smell what?"

"Smoke?"

"No, I can't smell anything." Bobby assured.

Abby and McGee couldn't find their way back to the group.

"It's that way!" Abby said.

"No, I'm positive it's that way" McGee said, pointing in the opposite direction of Abby. She glared at him evilly. "Okay! Okay! We'll go your way." He said giving in. "Stupid hormones." McGee mumbled under his breath.

"Is it getting warmer, or is it me?" Abby asked. They walked for a while longer before they couldn't see any further forward.

"Uh-oh." Abby said quietly, within seconds they were surrounded by smoke. "Oh. My. God." She coughed. "The. Baby."

"Stop breathing!" She glared at him again. "Okay that didn't mean to come out like that."

"Really?" Abby replied sarcastically. McGee reached into his pocket and pulled out a clean hanker-chief he handed it to her and she covered her mouth and nose with it.

"Come on let's go!" McGee said leading her back the direction they had come. "Take my hand. Take my hand and don't let go."

One of the agents looked up and saw a bright orange glow and lots of smoke, not to far away from them. "FIRE!" He yelled, everyone turned to see that he was right. People jumped up and had started running around everywhere. Jenny looked at Bobby hopefully. He whistled loudly.

"HEY!" Everyone stopped running and crowed around him. "LISTEN UP!" Everyone went quiet. He pointed to a random person in the crowd. "You. Call the fire brigade," They nodded and walked away to make the call. "Okay everyone need's to grab as much water as they can." People started to run again. "NOT NOW!" He yelled. They re-grouped. "Okay, everyone needs to grab loads of water and get out as quickly as possible. Head that way," He pointed which way he wanted them to go. "And try to help each other out."

"What about McGee and Abby?" Ziva asked as people ran past her, trying to get them selves out of danger. "They went that way." Ziva pointed in the direction of the fire.

"They're going to have to find their own way out, we have to leave now." Bobby replied.

"WHAT?!" Gibbs said angrily. "If you're not going to help them, I will." He walked off.

"Jethro, wait!" Jenny screamed running after him. "It's too dangerous!" She called, he disappeared into the smoke. "Dammit" She muttered she went back to Bobby, "I don't know where he went." She worried.

"You'll have to leave him. We've already waited too long." Bobby said. Everyone had left by now, only Bobby, Jenny, Ducky, Tony, Ziva, Michelle, Palmer, their daughter Catherine, Gibbs, McGee and Abby were left. Bobby led them in the direction that everyone else had gone. There was now fire blocking that way. "I saw a small building over there." He pointed in the opposite direction, "We should be safe there until it's over." They eventually made it to the building and got in, Michelle sat down on the ground.

"Jimmy. She's dehydrated, and I can't find her bottles."

"You must have dropped them on the way." He said

"I know."

"Here," Ziva found a water bottle and tipped some water onto a small section of Catherine's blanket, Ziva put it in the baby's mouth and she started to suckle on it.

"Thank you." Michelle said gratefully. By now Jenny called Gibbs' cell several times with no answer.

"I have an idea!" Palmer announced, "I'll go get Catherine's diaper bag and while I'm out there, I'll look for Agent Gibbs, Agent McGee and Abby."

"No." Michelle said firmly.

"Don't worry, I'll be okay."

"No." Catherine started to cry. She sat her up and hugged her tightly. "But we do really need the bottles."

"I'll go." Palmer said.

"Okay." Michelle reluctantly agreed. "I love you."

"I love you too." He said kissing her. He placed a small kiss on the top of Catherine's head before looking back up to Michelle. "I'll be back, I promise." Palmer disappeared out the door before anyone else could stop him. Ducky walked over to Michelle.

"I think she will be okay" He said. Examining Catherine, "She doesn't seem to have inhaled too much smoke." He paused. "I do hope Abigail has gotten out of all this." Ducky said. "It really isn't good for her un-born child"

Gibbs walked away from the rest of the group, he knew this was probably not the smartest idea, but he had to find Abby and McGee. He didn't get very far away before he couldn't see anymore.

"Abs?" He called. "ABBY! McGEE!" He coughed; the smoke was filling his lungs quickly "ABBY! McGEE! Where are you?" He got out his cell, and ignoring the seven missed calls from Jenny, he called Abby. It rung out. He dialled McGee's number. This also rang out. As soon as he hung up his phone started to ring in his hand. He picked it up.

"Jethro? Are you there?" Jenny's voice came though the phone but Gibbs didn't hear it, he fell to the ground, finding it harder and harder to breathe. He slipped unconscious. "Jethro? Are you okay? Jethro?"

A/N: Will he live?

Review

xxxPippy