Authors Note - Thanks to all my readers and reviewers. Hope you enjoy the latest chapter. There is one profanity inthis chapterbut other then that, it's fairly safe. Let me know if you need a safe chapter :) Individual replies for reviews at the end.

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Chapter Twenty-Two

'Abby,' Gibbs entered the lab and found her hunched over her desk.

'Gibbs,' she looked up. 'What do you need?' she looked, looking at the brown cardboard box in his hand.

'I need this stuff checked for prints and DNA,' he indicated the tissue.

'And you need it as of yesterday right?' she grinned, taking the box from him.

'I need it as of a week ago,' he smiled before he left and headed up to the bull pit.

Aurora had left him to come back to NCIS. She had been vague about her exact plans but told him to call if he got anything or needed anything.

Cait was standing there, waiting for him. 'McGee is in the safe house with Tony and he took some clothes for him,' she said. 'What did you get from the address Nick gave you?'

'Some bits and pieces,' Gibbs said. 'Hopefully some prints can be identified. We also got a bloodied tissues, so possible DNA match too,'

'That's something,' she said. 'Where did Aurora disappear to?

'Your guess is as good as mine,' Gibbs muttered as he turned to his computer.

Meanwhile at the safe house, Tony was pacing like a caged tiger. He wanted out of here. He had only been here... he glanced at this watch... 6 hours... 29 minutes and 35 seconds but he was bored out of his mind. He should be out there, catching the bad guy.

Hell, they could set a trap, he could be the bait. It would draw these bastards out and hopefully away from Aurora and into a jail cell.

'You're wearing a groove in the floor,' McGee looked up from the newspaper.

'I can't help it,' Tony mumbled. 'I should be out there,'

'And get yourself killed,' McGee said.

'No, to help catch these guys,' Tony said.

'They're after you and if they find you, you're as good as gone,' he said. 'You need to stay put and be safe so the others can find these guys and get them,'

'Yeah yeah,' Tony muttered. He wanted out of here.

'Yeah, yeah,' McGee shook his head. 'You want out. I know. I can see that. I'm not blind but we have strict orders to shoot you if you try to get out,'

Tony gave him a look that said 'bullshit'.

'You don't believe me?' McGee asked.'Then try but those marines will shoot. Not to kill of course but it will bloody hurt and you'll spend time in hospital.'

'Fuck Gibbs,' Tony growled.

'Pass,' McGee grinned. 'But you're staying here,'

Tony shook his head and dropped onto the couch. He was trapped here and he knew it.

Sitting at the back of a coffee shop near NCIS where she had told Gibbs she would meet him, Aurora was like a caged tiger. She knew that Tony was safe but Jason was still out there and that worried the life out of her She knew Gibbs would have the best people looking after him but were they enough? Was it enough to keep him safe? Jason would do whatever it took to get the job done she was scared for Tony.

She wanted to contact him but knew it was too dangerous. It could lead Jason straight to Tony.

But there had to be a way, she knew that there had to be a way, someway to do contact him

She wondered if she could write him a letter. Gibbs had mentioned something about going over to see Tony, maybe she could...

But would Gibbs take a letter to him? And what were the chances that he wouldn't read it before handing it over to Tony.

Aurora sighed. Was there anyway to contact him and... or was it better to leave it? Once Jason was gone and no longer a threat to Tony, she was leaving again anyway.

'Aurora,' Gibbs voice startled her.

She looked up at him, startled by his voice. God, she had been so lost in her damn thoughts, she hadn't even heard Gibbs approach. Damn Tony for having that effect on her.

'You're worried about him aren't you?' Gibbs asked, although he knew the answer.'He's safe Aurora, he's totally safe.'

'No he's not,' Aurora shook her head. 'I know you have the best people looking after him Gibbs but... he can't be totally safe from Jason until the threat is completely removed. To think otherwise is foolish,' 'This man is that dangerous, really that dangerous.'

Gibbs frowned. 'What haven't you told us?'

'I've told you Gibbs,' Aurora said. 'He'll do whatever it takes to get the job done. Anything,'

'So okay,' Gibbs frowned. 'What say we take Tony out of the picture permanently. Well not really but do a little faking.'

'Say he's been killed?' Aurora looked a Gibbs.

'Okay,' Gibbs sighed. 'Not a good idea. Damn I need coffee.' he took a heafty sip take the take away cuo he held.

'No it's possible,' she said. 'But how? I mean we can't put him out there in the open and I'm sure Jason would know by now he is in protective custody,'

'As I said not a good idea or one I should have come up with earlier but then it will look pretty convenient if we have him suddenly die right now,'

Aurora nodded slightly. Jason wasn't stupid. 'He won't fall for it,' she sighed, running a hand through her hair.

'No that was a stupid thought,' Gibbs conceded

'Nothing is stupid,' she told him, Except me, she thought but didn't voice. She was stupid coming here and endangering Tony.

'Don't be so hard on yourself,' Gibbs startled her.

'What?' she looked at him. God people couldn't read her that easily right now, could they?

Gibbs gave her one of his rare smiles. 'Don't freak like Tony and Cait do when I do that to them. ' he told her. 'It's a gift. No you're not at all that transparent.'

'Thank god,' she muttered softly. 'I should have just left the past alone and done the job I was paid to do,'

'Sometimes that's hard.' Gibbs told her gently. 'Sometimes we have to confront unresolved parts of our past before we can really move on.'

'Sometimes it makes it all the more harder to move on,' she said softly.

'Sometimes it does,' Gibbs said. 'But you will, you both will.'

'We both have to,' she muttered, although moving on was the last thing she wanted to do.

'Well you don't have to if you don't want to you know. Tony could do with someone like you in his life. I don't know why but he's been completely different person since you've been around. Hmm well I've got a fair idea why but it's only a theory. Then again you can't stay because you'd feel you were putting him in constant danger and working for the orgainstion you work for it's hardly possible for you to settle down is it.

She shook her head. 'I cant do that to him,' she said. 'I'd turn his life upside down and Jason isn't the only bastard who would come after Tony to get at me. Even if I left the organisation, I'll always have enemies and..' she sighed. 'He doesn't feel the same way anyway,'

'You don't know Tony as well as I thought you did then,' Gibbs shook his head. 'He loves you Aurora. We can all see that and he's not trying to hide it all that well either. Maybe you don't see it because you don't want to see it.'

She looked up at him. 'You think he...?' she asked him.

'I know that he,' Gibbs smiled. 'Probably always has. That's my guess why he's a smart alec, womaniser because he lost the love of his life or was hurt at some stage and is afraid to love again, its all just sex to him now which is stupid but it's his defence I guess. Nobody's fault but I really believe that this is the way it is.'

She looked at Gibbs. She could tell he was being honest. 'He didn't say.. the other night...' she shook her head.

'He wouldn't do that Aurora and you know that as well as I do.'

She shook her head slightly. She wished he had said something for she knew if he had, all her defences would have broken down and she'd have stayed.

And yet it was probably better he hadn't as now, once this case was over, she had to walk away. She had to keep him safe and if walking away from him meant that, then she would.

Still Gibbs words however generic they were she knew that is was probably she who had broken Tony's heart, turned him into the smartass womaniser that the others saw him was when she knew the real Tony DiNozzo that lay beneath that facade.

She had broken things off. After an on and off again 3 year relationship, she had called things off. She was getting further and further into cases at the FBI, the bad guys she was after were getting more serious and deadly. She knew it was only a matter of time before Tony somehow got caught up in everything, so she had ended it.

She knew he was a cop, he could have handled himself, he wasn't defenceless and yet... Anyone could get hurt, including her herself and she couldn't let the only man she had never truly cared for get hurt, or worse, because of her.

'You alright?' Gibbs asked her

'Yeah I'm fine,' she nodded, snapping out of her personal thoughts and back into her professional mode in front of his eyes.

'Okay then lets go,' he inclined his head. 'If you want to see him I can sneak you in, it's against my better judgement but,' he rolled his eyes. 'I guess I can bend them a tiny tad but just a tad.'

She looked at him at. She knew she shouldn't, knew it was a bad idea. What if it led Jason to him? And yet she wanted to see him and...

'You coming?' Gibbs grabbed the keys.

'Gibbs I want to,' she told him honestly. 'But I can't. I'll be walking away again when all this is over and it will just,' a tear slipped down her cheek. She was torn, oh God help her she was so terribly terribly torn.

Gibbs was stunned for a moment when he saw the tear. He hadn't even known this woman was capable of showing any emotion and yet here she was in front of him, looking like a scared and upset little child.

'Aurora,' he took a step towards her. 'No body will even know that you are there, you love him I can see that, and he loves you and you're never going to see each other again when this is over. He was willing to toss his job for you Aurora, he was willing to put it all on the line and I honestly think you owe him one last goodbye before you disappear again. Don't you.'

Aurora nodded slightly, wiping at her eyes. She wanted the chance to say a proper goodbye to him, not just one said as she ran out the door, which seemed to have happened lately. 'Okay,' she nodded, standing.

'Come on then,' he smiled at her.

She nodded, following him out. Damn Tony for making her look more... human. She smiled slightly. Tony just had that effect on her, another reason she knew they couldn't be together.

With a sigh, she climbed into Gibbs car and they headed for the safe house.

shirik - Thanks for reading :) I really enjoy getting reviews, as I know someone is actually reading my story :P Thanks for reviewing :)

warrior of the shadows- Here is another chapter, I hope you enjoyedit :)RL can get hectic but I mostly post once a week

jtbwriter- I love writing Gibbs and Aurora together, they're fun as I think they bounce off the other well writing wise :) All the characters are great to write and yep, ony and McGeecan be so funny together. Thanks for reading :)

rozzy07 - I wouldn't hurt our dear Tony would I? Me? (insert evil laugh here) Thanks for reviewing, glad you're enjoying it so much :)

mtee1958 - Thanks for enjoying. Yes, I think Tony isn't really how he portrays himself and I think there is alot we dont know about the character.

Thats all for this update :) Hope you all enjoyed