A/N: Thank you guys SO SO much for all your positive reviews! You have no idea what that means to me! You rock! Abby is still alive but barely. Will she make it through?

Tony was glad that he was able to get his message to his boss. He was even more glad that he had nagged Abby a couple of months ago to teach him sign language. Of course the reason he wanted to learn it was because he wanted to know what Gibbs and Abby were saying about him when they were signing in his presence. Never had he imagined that he would end up in a situation like this, and he realized that knowing sign language could save peoples lives.

After Gibbs motioned him to update Palmer, he really felt that he needed to do something. But he wasn't sure because the whole situation was so overwhelming. Usually he got right on track with every investigation, but his judgment was clouded now that it was one of their own that was in danger. He started pacing up and down the street, and not much later Tim and Kate arrived.

"Wow, is Gibbs ever going to learn to not ignore red traffic lights?" McGee said to no one in particular while wiping sweat off of his forehead. The follow up ride here had been quite nerve-racking to say the least.

"Good. glad I have you all here." Tony started out, nervously stepping from one foot to the other, unable to stand still.

"Fill us in, Tony." Kate said, trying to get her coworker to start talking. She understood that he was nervous and afraid, they all were, but they needed to get going.

"As for now, Gibbs is in front of the gas station, trying to get a view of Abby. He motioned me to update Palmer and that is basically it, haven't heard from him since. I do wonder why all those reporters are still here, knowing Gibbs and his ability to make everyone wet their pants just by staring at them, I'm surprised that they all haven't been running to mommy, crying for help yet." Tony took a deep breath and looked at the other 3, waiting for one of them, any of them, to chime in. He was out of options.

Kate started pacing, her mind racing at top speed trying to figure out what their boss was doing.

"I'm sure Gibbs has a plan with those reporters," she started thinking out loud. "I'm sure he would never, ever jeopardize anyone like this, if it wasn't truly necessary, would he?" she came to a halt next to DiNozzo.

"Unless there are any reporters out there that he has an axe to grind with, and I'm sure there are because Gibbs, right? Second b doesn't stand for bastard for nothing." Tony ran his hand over his face, trying to collect himself. "No, there's gotta be another reason..."

Then they heard Abby screaming.

They all looked at eachother in agony.

"Goddammit, I gotta get in there!" Tony started running towards the front entrance of the gas station, but McGee stopped him.

"No, Tony, you can't go in there through the front gate! All hell will break loose, are you out of your freaking mind?!" He could not believe Tony would do such a stupid thing in the first place.

"You have a better idea, McPartypooper?" Tony snarked.

"As a matter of fact, I have, yes! Not sure if you are aware of the fact that pretty much every gas station in America also has a toilet, but guess what Tony? That might be your way in." McGee retorted. He was used to Tony bullying him pretty much every single day, but now was not the time to shove that in his face.

Tony's face lit up and he said: "Wow! Well done, McWiseass, I owe you one." Relief came over his face as he knocked him on the shoulder. "Listen, I'm going in alone, there's no need to get us all killed. I probably won't get in touch as it is too dangerous, but be ready. Just be ready." He cracked his knuckles in an attempt to gather courage for what he was about to do.

"Good luck, Tony" Kate spoke softly as she grabbed his hand and squeezed it.

So that was how he ended up in this shenanigan. Once he entered the gas station through the toilets, that also had an entrance on the outside, he got rid of everything that would make noise. He took off his shoes, belt and jacket, leaving them there in the toilet. He hoped that once all of this was over he wouldn't forget his stuff, because he was pretty sure he would get himself in a pickle when his pants would fall off in front of the world to see.

He dropped himself on his stomach and started crawling into the store.

The first thing he saw were bombs, lots of them, and he felt his stomach sink to his feet. But, he had no time left and moved further while carefully looking around.

The next thing he saw from under the shelves was Abby. She was lying awfully still and for a second he was afraid that she'd be dead, but then he saw her chest moving up and down. Good, that meant he could continue.

He came to a halt next to a couple of warehouse shelves that separated one isle from the other, and he counted one, two, threee, four, fiiiive camera's. Yup.

Suddenly he heard movement and he held his breath, scared that Mikel had heard him. Footsteps came closer and closer and he felt his stomach cramp up, sweat started to form on his forehead and he couldn't swallow anymore.

But Mikel wasn't coming his way. He stopped in front of the door, gazing at Gibbs who was having his meltdown and he started laughing like a maniac.

"Yeah Gibbs, you cry like a little baby" he whispered, his tone psychotic. "Maybe you'll stop being so chicken shit and get that ugly face of yours in here. I have a big surprise for you!"

Tony could only imagine what that surprise would be, and he took the opportunity to scoot as close as possible to Mikel. "What the..." his gaze fell on Mikel's waist and he saw the bomb strapped around it. Great! Like this situation wasn't terrifying enough as it was already. And to top it all off there were 3 knives lying there as well. For a moment he was just paralyzed with fear. There was no way that anyone was going to get out of this alive.

Scanning the outside area from where he was lying he saw Fornell trying to calm down Gibbs. Trying to figure out how to get his attention without Mikel finding out, he saw Fornell narrowing his eyes looking in his direction. So he waved. And he saw Fornell putting the pieces of the puzzle together so he motioned him to get Gibbs' attention.

After updating Gibbs about the situation he was in, Gibbs signed: "You taking him down? You crazy?"

"Believe me, the crazy train passed me by a long time ago, compared to this whackjob here. You ready?" Tony's fingers signed so fast that Gibbs could hardly keep up, but he nodded anyway.

One of the advantages of working with Tony for as long as he had, was that they didn't need to say anything when the going got tough. He knew exactly what his senior field agent expected of him and he patiently waited for a sign.

He didn't have to wait long. Almost right after Tony asked if he was ready he saw him signing, "Boss, Get ready. In 5... Gibbs got up on one knee, feeling the tension building up in his chest. 4... 3... 2... NOW!"