Chapter 11
AN: Thank you so much for the support. I have officially written all the chapters for this story, so I hope you like what's to come. I plan to continue to update once a day, but I may increase that to get through all the chapters sooner; if that's what people would like. PLEASE REVIEW
After the first bullets come through the window it takes both Gibbs and Jack a split second to react, and they both react in the same way, by pulling Tali to the ground.
"Tali, are you okay?" Gibbs asks worried, as he and Jack both move closer, with Tali between them, being protected by both of them, so that she is protected.
"Yes Saba." Tali answers, looking upset, as both Gibbs and Jack pull their guns.
"Tali, we need you to cover your ears, okay?" Jack asks, purposely keeping her voice calm and kind, and Tali nods and does that, as she does Jack realises something, "Jethro, you've been hit." Jack says, worried, and because of everything that is going on neither of them realise that that is the first time, ever, Jack has called Gibbs Jethro.
"It's just a graze." Gibbs says, as more bullets come through the house, as they do both Gibbs and Jack know what they have to do and so without words they look at each other and nod, "Tali, stay here." Gibbs tells her as at the moment, where she is, Tali is pretty protected, and having her move will risk putting her in danger.
Once Gibbs speaks to Tali he and Jack move closer to the window, though opposite side, which has shattered, and use the frame as cover as they both start to fire back outside, aiming from where, they think, the bullets came from.
For about twenty seconds Jack and Gibbs fire back at the area where the bullets came from, until the return fire stops, and as it does Jack and Gibbs exchange looks. As the return firing stops both Gibbs and Jack know that they might have stopped the guy, but it also might be a way to lull them into a sense of safety.
Being as careful as possible Jack moves slightly out from behind her cover, but the second she does she is hit,
"JACK!" Gibbs yells, in complete horror, as Jack falls to the ground and he starts to fire back.
The second he saw Jack fall Gibbs fires back at where the bullets came from, as he makes his way over to where Jack is.
"Talk to me Jack." Gibbs says worried, once he gets to Jack's side.
"I'm fine…" Jack says, through granted teeth, as she holds pressure on her right shoulder, which is where she was hit, as she is pretty sure it is just a through and through wound, through it does make returning fire slightly more difficulty, "Get them Gibbs, I'll get to Tali." Jack instructs, as even though she can shoot with her left hand, and her aim is still really good, right now she needs to try to stop the bleeding, which she needs both her hands for, and she knows one of them have to stay with Tali.
"Jack…" Gibbs starts to say, as Jack puts her gun in her holster.
"GO!" Jack urgers, as she does her best to ignore the pain in her shoulder, "We're sitting ducks." Jack says, and Gibbs knows she is right, and so he nods and heads out of the house.
As Gibbs heads out of the house Jack, using her arm that does not have a bullet wound in it, pulls herself along the floor and to where Tali is, hearing gunfire as she goes.
"Tali, talk to me, are you okay?" Jack asks worried, as she gets close to Tali, and Tali nods, "Come here." Jack says, pulling Tali in close, so that her body protects the little girl, as she once more resumes putting pressure on her right shoulder.
"You're hurt." Tali says, worried, and through tears.
"I'm okay, I'm going to be okay." Jack says as Tali cuddles into her side, and Jack kisses her head, wanting to reassure the four-year-old, even though she is bleeding, or rather because of that.
"Saba?" Tali asks worried.
"He'll keeping us safe." Jack explains.
After seeing Jack go down Gibbs became even more determine to get the person who is firing at them and using as much cover as he can Gibbs makes his way outside, during which time he is constantly fired upon. Once he is outside Gibbs sees where the gunfire is coming from, a car, and so he shoots out the tires, and then shoots into the car itself.
After he fires those shots into the car the return fire stops, and being careful as they have already been burned once, Gibbs makes his way towards the car, being ready to fire back if needed. Once at the car Gibbs finds a dead man, and so he pulls his phone, which amazingly didn't get damaged in the fire fight, and makes a call.
"McGee." McGee answers.
"Tim, Jack, Tali and I were shot at. We need EMTs and crime scene at my house, now!" Gibbs exclaims, as he runs towards the house, hanging up the phone before McGee can ask anymore, "TALI! JACK!" Gibbs calls as he runs back into the house.
"Over here." Jack responds, and Jack hurries to where Jack's voice came from, on the ground in the corner of the couch, "Did you get him Cowboy?" Jack asks.
"Yeah." Gibbs confirms, "Tali? Are you okay?" Gibbs asks worried.
"I'm okay." Tali answers, "Jack is hurt Saba." Tali says worried.
"I know." Gibbs says as he takes over holding pressure on Jack's wound, "I called McGee, backup and medical is on it's way." Gibbs explains.
"Good." Jack says, knowing they are going to need it.
"Saba, you're hurt too!" Tali says worried, noticing blood on Gibbs's arm.
"It's just a scratch." Gibbs explains, as he can tell that, just like he can tell that Jack's wound while a through and through is a rather serious through and through, "I'm okay, Tali." Gibbs assures his granddaughter, trying to be as reassuring as possible.
Over the next few minutes Gibbs, Jack and Tali wait for help while Gibbs and Jack try to control the bleeding from Jack's wounds, until they finally hear sirens and Gibbs looks up and sees the ambulance arrive.
"Agent Gibbs?" A voice asks about a minute later.
"In here." Gibbs responds as two paramedics come running into the room, "GSW in the right shoulder, looks like a through and through." Gibbs explains, as the paramedics get over to him, Jack and Tali.
"We've got this, Agent Gibbs." One of the paramedics says, and once they do Gibbs picks up Tali and takes a step back as more paramedics come in, while the two original start to help Jack, talking to her as they do.
"Agent Gibbs, you're bleeding." One of the paramedics says.
"It's just a graze." Gibbs once more says.
"Let me check." One of the paramedics says, "Sit down." The paramedics says, and still holding onto Tali, Gibbs, quiet reluctantly, does just that.
Over the next few minutes Gibbs and Jack both get their wounds treated, and Jack has been loaded onto a gurney,
"I don't need to go to the hospital." Jack says, as she really hates hospitals, mainly because she spent way too much time in them after Afghanistan.
"Yes, you do, Jack." Gibbs says, from where he is standing right next to Jack, holding her hand with the hand that isn't holding Tali.
"Agent Gibbs is right, Ma'am. You need more medical treatment than we can provide." The Paramedic says.
"Jack, let them do their job." Gibbs requests, as he gently squeezes Jack's hand, being able to guess why Jack doesn't seem too eager to go to the hospital, but because of how well he knows her he knows that she won't want to talk about it.
"Fine." Jack says, rolling her eyes, and the paramedics take Jack out of the house on the gurney, and Gibbs walks out with them, and to the ambulance.
As Jack is loaded into the ambulance Gibbs is forced to let go of Jack's hand,
"I'll see you soon." Gibbs assures her, as cars arrive.
"I'll hold you to that." Jack says as the ambulance doors close, as it would certainly help her feel more comfortable.
"GIBBS." A voice calls and Gibbs turn to see Vance, McGee, Ellie and Torres hurrying towards him, it being Vance who spoke.
"What happened?" Vance asks as he looks over Gibbs and Tali, noticing that while Gibbs has blood on his arm he sees okay, and Tali seems completely okay.
"We were having dinner and we were fired upon." Gibbs explains, "Jack and I protected Tali and retuned fire. Jack was hit, she went to protect Tali, I went after the shooter, he's dead in his car." Gibbs explains, and even though everyone looks like they have questions he doesn't care, "This is our judication now." Gibbs says, looking at Vance.
"It is." Vance confirms.
"I need to meet Jack at the hospital." Gibbs says, doing a horrible job at hiding how worried he is.
"I'll drive." Vance says, as he wants to check on his friend.
"Figure out who the hell that guys is." Gibbs instructs, looking at the team
"Yes Boss." McGee, Torres and Ellie say together.
"Boss, what about Tali?" McGee asks.
"She's not leaving my sight." Gibbs reveals as he starts to walk to Vance's car, carrying Tali.
A little while later Gibbs is in the passenger seat of Vance's car, holding Tali, as they drive to the hospital.
"Where was Jack hit?" Vance asks, clearly worried for his friend.
"Shoulder." Gibbs answers.
"Jack's tough, she….. she'll be okay." Vance says, sounding almost like he is trying to believe it himself as Jack his friend, like Family to him, and so he doesn't want to lose her, he can't.
"She has to be." Gibbs says, before kissing Tali's head and looking out of the window, feeling guilty about what happened to Jack and that he cannot bare to lose her.
After Vance drove in a way that could rival Gibbs the two of them, and Tali, who Gibbs is still holding, have arrived at the Hospital where they go straight to patient enquires in the emergency room.
"We're looking for Agent Jacqueline Sloane, she was brought in by ambulance with a GSW in the shoulder." Vance says, showing his badge.
"She's in bay four, the doctors are with her now." The nurse says, but before she can tell Gibbs and Vance that they can't see Jack left they are already walking towards the right bay.
When Gibbs, Tali and Vance arrive at the right bay they find Jack being treated by doctors.
"Gibbs, Leon." Jack says, as she sees them.
"How did you two get in here? You can't be in here." The Doctor who is treating Jack says.
"I want them here." Jack reveals at the same time Gibbs says,
"I'm not going anywhere."
"Fine." The Doctor says, getting the impression that he wouldn't be able to get Gibbs and Vance to leave, "We've stopped the bleeding for now Agent Sloane, but we need to take x-rays to look for bullet fragments, before determining what we do next." The Doctor explains.
"Okay." Jack says.
"I'll go see how long to x-rays free." The Doctor says, before leaving, leaving Jack, Gibbs, Vance and Tali in the room alone.
A while has passed since the Doctor Told Jack she needed an X-Ray, which she has now had, and she, Gibbs, and Vance are waiting for the results. Tali is no longer behind held by Gibbs but rather lying in a chair next to her as she has fallen asleep.
As there is a clear tension in the room Vance knows he cannot handle it anymore,
"I'm going to go get some coffee, Gibbs?" Vance asks and to the shock of both him and Jack Gibbs shakes his head.
"I'll take some." Jack says.
"Not until the doctors say you can." Vance tells his friend, "I'll be back." Vance says, before leaving, hoping that Gibbs and Jack actually talk, but not having much hope.
After Vance walks out of the room Jack gets up and walks over to Jack, where he sits down on the edge of Jack's bed,
"Jack, I…" Gibbs starts to say.
"Don't Gibbs, don't break your own rule." Jack says, knowing what he is going to say, "There's no reason."
"No reason? Jack, you're hurt." Gibbs reminds her.
"But that's not your fault." Jack tells him, "Or Ziva's, or Tony, or anyone else other than the person who shot at us, and the person or people, who hired someone to kill a four-year-old girl." Jack tells Gibbs.
"I shouldn't have gotten you involved." Gibbs says, feeling guilty as he doesn't want anything to happen to Jack and now something really bad has.
"News flash Cowboy, you don't control everything." Jack tells him, "I told you, I've got your back, this doesn't change that." Jack reveals.
"Jack…" Gibbs once more starts to say and Jack reaches over and, using the hand that isn't shot, Jack takes his hand.
"This is nothing Gibbs, I've had worse." Jack assures him, not wanting Gibbs not to blame himself.
"Are you gonna let me talk, Jack? You're the one always pushing me to." Gibbs comments.
"Yeah, once I'm sure you're not going to say something stupid or blame yourself." Jack reveals.
"It could have been so much worse." Gibbs comments, as he looks between Jack and Tali.
"But it's not, Gibbs." Jack says, "Which is why you and Tali should go back to NCIS." Jack reveals, and Gibbs gives her a look, "Look I hate hospitals, and really hate to be alone, but Leon will stay, and I would hate more if is if these people got away with everything they've done because you're not working the case." Jack reveals, "Go lead our team." Jack says, "I know you want to get these people as much as I do" Jack says, though right now she suspects that Gibbs will want to get them more.
"If you need anything, call." Gibbs requests.
"I will." Jack confirms, and once she does Gibbs leans forward and gives Jack a gentle kiss, one that only lasts a few fleeting seconds.
"Don't give the docs too hard of a time." Gibbs says, once they break apart.
"No promises." Jack responds, to Gibbs's amusement, and once Jack speaks he gets up and walks over to Tali, who he gently, as he doesn't want to wake her up, picks her up and after giving Jack one last look heads out of the room, holding Tali close.