Authors Notes - Thanks to all my readers and rewiewers, especially southerncrossgirl, jtbwriter, skirik, Malaskor and warrior of the shadow.

Enjoy!

Chapter Nineteen

Tony pulled his car into the garage of his apartment block and headed upstairs. Fatso had given a sketch artist a description of Jason. It was a start. He was tall, well over 6ft, muscular, brown eyes and a mocha skin tone. Fatso hadn't remembered much else but it was a start.

He was surprised to find lights on in his apartment. He grabbed his gun. Aurora wasn't coming over tonight, unless she had changed her mind, and he hadn't left any lights on,

He moved into the kitchen and was surprised to find Aurora at the table with the first aid kit beside her, gun in hand. 'I'm fine,' Aurora muttered, putting down the gun and grabbed a bandage from the kit.

'Oh my god, what happened?' he looked at her, noticing a bad scrap on her shoulder, a small cut across her collarbone, a bruise starting on her upper arm, the cut on her head had opened up again.

'Occupational hazard. You can understand that,' she looked up at him.

'Yes but...' he frowned, going to her. 'Let me help,' he grabbed the antiseptic bottle.

'Tony no it's okay,' she shook her head. She had patched herself up so many times before she had lost count. She wasn't used to someone else helping her.

'Aurora, I want to help,' he said gently. 'Please,' he touched her arm.

'I know you do Tony but it's okay.' she pulled away

Tony frowned but moved away slightly. 'Okay,' he nodded. 'What happened?' he looked her over.

'It's better if you don't know,' she told him simply.

Tony frowned. He was worried about her but knew he couldn't argue. Still...

'Was it Jason?' he asked her.

'If it had been I wouldn't be here, leading him straight to you, would I?'

Tony remained silent for a few moments, watching her patch herself up.

'Stop staring, I'm fine,' she assured him, ripping some tape to cover the cut on her upper right arm.

'I'm not staring,' he muttered heading into the kitchen. 'You want some dinner?'

'No, I'm going to take off once I've done this,' she said. 'Just needed a safe place to patch myself up,'

'Oh okay,' Tony muttered as he went to the fridge and made a show of looking busy looking inside.

The room was silent, except for Aurora ripping the medical tape as she covered her wound. Tony wanted to tell her to stay, wanted to know what happened, tell her...

She doesn't want to stay, she doesn't want to tell you and she doesn't really want to know you Tony so wise up and stop acting like a love sick calf he silently berated himself.

'It's not true you know,' she said softly. She was standing beside him and he had been so lost in thought, he hadn't noticed her move toward him.

'Huh? What's not true,' he asked wondering if he'd spoke out loud or if she'd really read his thoughts.

'That I don't want to be here or with you or tell you what's going on,' she said softly. She knew what he'd been thinking. 'I have to, to keep you safe,' she said, her eyes sad but serious.

'I'm not helpless Aurora, I survived years in the PD, Homicide, here at NCIS, I'm not totally helpless you know,'

'I realise that Tony,' she touched his hand. 'But I never forgive myself if you were hurt, or worse, on account of me,' she said. 'These guys mean business, they want me dead and don't care who they kill to get to me,'

'Its my choice Aurora. It should be my choice.'

'To get yourself killed?' Aurora asked. 'Who would make a choice about putting themselves in he line of fire?' she asked him.

'Hey you know me. Forever reckless.'

'Tony, I..' Aurora shook her head. 'I should go,'

'Aurora, wait,' Tony moved after her. 'Please, just stay for dinner. Take a shower, get changed if you want and stay for dinner. Then if you want to go, you can,' he told her, his eyes hopeful.

'Hey,' she stroked his cheek gently. 'I'd love to but I can't Tony I just can't '

'Why?' he asked her seriously. 'If you were safe here to patch up, why not for another hour or two?'

'Because you're here now and,' she closed her eyes. 'And if anything hppened to you not only would Gibbs put a bounty out on me I don't think I could live with myself. It might come as a surprise to you but you are one of if not the best thing to have ever happened in my life Anthony DiNozzo and I don't want to be the direct or even indirect cause of you dying.'

He was slightly stunned by her words. The best thing to have happened in her life? 'I.. Aurora,' he whispered her name, reached for her but she stepped back.

'Don't Tony, please,' she said. 'Please don't make this any harder then it has to be,' she told him. She wanted to stay, stay for more then just a shower and dinner.

'I never knew,' he said softly.

'You weren't suppose to know, I didn't let it show.'

Tony bit his lip for a moment. 'I.. is that why you came here that first night?' he asked her softly.

'I came by because I missed you,' she told him. 'I'd wanted to see you for ages but things had always come up and...' she sighed. 'I was going to come to see you in a few weeks anyway, but this case came up,'

'Oh Aurora,' he reached out for her again and this time she didn't back away.

She closed her eyes. Damn it, it shouldn't feel this good, being in his arms. She couldn't stay, couldn't be with him.

'I've said more then I should,' she pulled from his embrace. 'Have a wonderful life Tony. You deserve it. You're a good man and just drop the act you put on around the others, it doesn't do you any credit,' she turned to leave.

'Aurora, wait,' Tony said and Aurora turned to look at him.

'What?' she asked softly.

'I,' he paused. 'Take care okay.' He wanted to say more. So much more but how could he? She was walking out the door.

'You too,' She nodded, she understood.Grabbing her bag, she opened the front door,turning back only towhisper softly'Bye Tony,'

Tony stood silently and watched her leave, he knew this was the last time he was going to see her.

He wanted to run after her, tell her to stop, that he didn't want her to go either and that he'd take whatever risk it took if it could at least give "them" a chance. But he didn't, he stayed where he was and listened, hearing a car take off down the road and knew it was hers. He sighed softly. He had had no idea how she felt, hell she had said she had hidden it but he had had no idea.

He'd loved her, there was no other way to put it. He'd been in love with her and when she'd left he'd been devastated to the point where he'd never allowed himself to love and trust another woman again. That was the reason why he was such a womanising and probably sexist asshole and while he knew it was no excuse and he was hurting woman who did not deserve to be hurt and his colleagues thought he was a prick at times he didn't care, he couldn't help it. It was his defence mechanism against being hurt again.

Aurora had ended their relationship all those years ago, he remember she had shown up one night as a surprise and had ended it over dinner. He closed his eyes, remembering that night.

He'd never seen it coming, not really. It had knocked him off his feet with a feather literally and she'd never really given him an adequate reason why. Not she'd really had to.

They'd shared one last night together and it had been incredible. He had fallen asleep some time around six am and when he had awoken two hours later, she had gone, leaving a note that only said "Goodbye"

He'd tried to contact her but she'd never return his calls and he'd believed at the time that he would never see her again.

And yet only a few days ago, she had turned up at his doorstep, churning up all his old feelings for her.

Didn't she realise what her reappearance would do to him and now she was saying he was the best thing to happen to her. God he was so confused.

He wanted them together but how could they be? Did she want that too? How could they work out?

They couldn't that was the bottom line, they couldn't be together

With a sigh, he moved into the kitchen, forgetting about food but grabbed a beer instead.

This is real smart DiNozzo! Drink away your problems and your heartache way to go son he silently berated himself.

But damn it, a beer or two couldn't hurt. He'd have dinner and get an early night before he could get too drunk and then do something stupid.

Besides he couldn't get drunk, he didn't know when Gibbs would call on them to roll but two beers wasn't getting drunk.

He took a long drink before he moved to make something for dinner, berating himself for not going after her. Why hadn't he taken off after her? Asked her to come back so they could talk?

Because he'd known it was futile to do so. That was why. Absolutely and totally futile.

After dinner, he had a shower before he moved to bed. He'd had threebeers but not enough to make him drunk and it took the edge off.

He stripped his clothes off and climbed into bed, wishing he wasn't alone before he fell asleep.

He was awoken by the insistent ringing of his phone and blindly he groped for it. 'Yeah' he muttered with a voice thick with sleep.

The line was bad and he couldn't hear the other person. 'Hello?' he said again.

'DiNozzo,' Gibbs voice rang through the quite bedroom.

'Yeah Boss,' Tony immediately sat up. 'Where and how soon?' he asked, raking a hang through his dishevelled hair.

'Headquarters, ASAP,' Gibbs said. 'Local cops picked up someone who matches Jason's description,' he said.

'I'm on my way,' he kicked back the covers.

He dressed in record time and was racing down the stairs to his car, still doing up his shirt as he climbed into the car.

Was it possible that Jason had been captured, he really doubted that the person Fatso had described was even Jason in the first place but one could only hope

Jason would have other people doing the dirty work for him and it was more then likely some lackey Fatso had spoken to, not the head honcho.

But it would be another brick in the wall so to speak another link to the man they were after.