a/n - A normal sized chapter as we shift gears to deal with the aftermath. We've still got a ways to go, but thank you for all your reviews

Gibbs wasn't surprised when Sarah wouldn't look at him when she passed him in the hallway, sandwiched in between Sacks and DiNozzo, Greg Hall bringing up the rear. Instead of trying to force any contact, Gibbs made sure none of the Metro detectives caused any problems. Word has spread quickly and agents were lined up for the chance to escort them out of the building and far away from the sister of their fallen colleague.

From his vantage point in the interrogation room, Vance watched as Gibbs stood in the hall, while the rest of the observers filed out of the other room. Ducky reached out and touched Gibbs' shoulder as he passed, while Ziva just glared. Fornell hung back, watching as Gibbs stormed into the interrogation room to pace.

"You all right?"

Instead of answering, Gibbs picked up a chair and threw it at the corner.

Vance didn't even flinch. "I'll take that as a no." He watched as Gibbs continued to prowl the room. "You do realize that we may not have been able to prevent this, even if we'd known. Fornell and his team knew and it didn't change the outcome." Both men looked up at the FBI agent standing in the doorway.

"In my defense, I honestly didn't think it was this bad." Despite his protests, Fornell looked like he felt guilty. "I spoke to the old man this morning. He didn't seem upset about going back into rehab. It sounded like he accepted it."

"You knew his wife was missing, you were there when he attacked Tim." Gibbs ran his fingers through his hair as he resumed pacing. "You've never missed an opportunity to rub my face in a mistake, why the silent treatment this time?"

"It's embarrassing for an agent to have something like this to be public knowledge. I thought I was respecting his privacy... and yeah, I admit I was enjoying the fact that I snagged him right out from under you." Fornell pinched the bridge of his nose as he pursed his lips. "Would I have handled it differently if weren't for our history? I don't know, Gibbs, and that is something I have to live with." Fornell looked like he had something else he wanted to say, but eventually he shook his head and walked out.

---NCIS---

"Sarah." Abby stood up and opened her arms to the young woman. In response, Sarah threw herself into Abby's arms and sobbed.

"Is he... did I get here in time?"

Jimmy was standing nervously next to Abby and haltingly answered her questions as he looked back and forth between her and the men that had brought her to the hospital. "Tim's still alive. They haven't told us much, just that he's alive and that they're still assessing his injuries."

"They will tell me more." Ducky didn't slow down as he and Ziva arrived. Ziva joined the group waiting for answers while Ducky continued on, using his identification and powers of persuasion to get past the nurses and into the emergency room. Fornell arrived a few minutes later, followed by Gibbs who silently sat on the edge of the group.

Just as Tony was preparing to storm the exam room Ducky came out, holding his hand up to forestall the stream of questions he could see coming. He pulled a chair close and sat in front of Sarah, taking her hand. "Everyone in this room is here because they are concerned about your brother, Sarah, but it is in your right to hear this in private. Would you like me to find somewhere else where we can talk?"

Sarah looked up and around the waiting room, taking in the worried faces before shaking her head. "No, just tell me."

"All right, my dear." Ducky was holding both of her hands now. "First off, Timothy has suffered multiple broken bones. The two fractures in his right arm will heal with little problem, but the bones in his left arm suffered multiple breaks. It will take a surgical procedure to pin the bones back into place, but that will have to wait until his other injuries are stabilized." Sarah nodded as she listened to him.

"His jaw has been both dislocated and broken, and will also require surgery. There are also several other fractures involving his cheekbone and the bones around his left eye. Right now, his eye appears to be intact, but they'll be watching it very closely." Ducky paused, observing Sarah as she took it all in. "But for now, Sarah, our biggest concern is his head injury. The skull fracture seems to be stable, but the pressure against his brain is increasing."

"What does that mean?"

"If the pressure becomes too great, it will cause brain damage. Now, they are trying to stop it. They've already given him a medication to lower the pressure, but it's not having enough effect, so they are going to try lowering his core temperature."

Sarah frowned as she tried to understand. "How will making him cold stop the pressure from increasing?"

"It will slow the flow of blood and fluid to the site of the injury. That will allow the injury time to heal properly with the minimum amount of damage."

She sniffed and rubbed her eyes. "Tim hates to be cold."

"I understand that, my dear. He won't feel it much because he's going to be in a coma for a while. Now, the doctors are going to allow you to see Timothy for just a few minutes. Are you up to this? "

Sarah nodded as she stared at the floor, then looked up in alarm. "Tim has a living will, do they know that?"

"A copy is in his file here. Hopefully, it won't come to that." Ducky stood and helped Sarah to her feet before escorting her past the double doors.

Ziva had listened closely and turned to Tony after they left. "Did you know he had a living will?"

"No, but remember, he had a degree in Biomedical Engineering." Tony leaned back in his chair, looking up at the ceiling as he blinked back the moisture that threatened to fall. "He probably knows exactly what he would want to survive and how much damage he would consider too much."

---NCIS---

Jackie Vance looked up as the front door opened. Her husband was not only early, he had a strange expression on his face. "Leon, what's wrong?" Without answering he swept the kids up in a hug. "Leon?"

Not knowing what had upset their father, Jared and Lily returned the hug. Eventually Vance kissed them both on the top of their heads and straightened up. Lily watched her dad closely. "You okay, Daddy?"

"I am now, sweetheart. What do you say, why don't we take a family vacation as soon as..." He froze when he realized what he was about to say.

Lily didn't know what the timetable was, but she could guess. "As soon as this case is done?"

"Something like that." He pulled them both close again before releasing them when a car honked outside. "Sounds like your ride here."

Jared, too, was carefully watching his father. "We don't have to go, Dad."

"No, it's all right. You kids go have fun." To convince them and himself, he reached over and picked up their backpacks. Knowing that Leon wouldn't talk in front of the kids, Jackie encouraged them out the door.

Door closed, Jackie leaned against it and crossed her arms. "Okay, Leon, what's going on?"

"Do you remember Agent McGee?"

"Of course. He helped me make sure Jared was playing that online game with only kids his own age. I know he was shot Monday, but I thought you said he was all right."

"His father's in town – his abusive, alcoholic father." Vance walked past Jackie and into the laundry room. "He lost control because he didn't approve of the way Tim's sister was ironing a shirt." Jackie listened in shock as Leon picked up her iron to feel the weight in his hands. "That bastard slapped her and then tried to hit her with the hot iron. Tim stepped between them and took the beating."

"Oh, no, is he going to be all right?"

"I don't think so, Baby. I'm going to the hospital to see him." He set the iron down and pulled her close. "Promise me, Jackie, if I ever turn into that kind of a monster, you take the kids and run."

"Leon, you would never..."

"Promise me, Jackie."

"Okay, Leon, okay. Their father's in jail now, right?" She lovingly patted his chest, not understanding why he was so worried.

"He's dead. Sarah shot him to save her brother." Leon flashed back onto only a few months earlier when it was Jackie with a gun in her hand, saving his life. Jackie seemed to be remembering, too.

"That poor child. Let me get my coat, I'm going with you."