A/N: Finally……….the last chapter and wow is this chapter a long one!!!!: I would like to say thanks to all the people who reviewed this story…it's been a blast .. as a final thank you I dedicate this last chapter to you all!

Previously: shaking his head in amusement James chuckled "Gibbs, Gibbs….I'm not that stupid you know. You can't possible think that you can stall me long enough to save you 'lover' as well as your own life.." Wiping the smile of his face and once again tightening his finger around the trigger he finished his sentence, "…and now agent Gibbs you really are going to die."

And now for the conclusion ( I always wanted to say that )

Gibbs had heard of the assumption that when you were about to die, your whole life would flash before your eyes. He had also heard stories of people rethinking their lives and all the failures the had made in their lives in those few seconds. Gibbs had always found those ideas crap, and when James fired his gun and the bullet slammed into him, throwing him on top of Tony's body, he only had time for one thought before the darkness claimed him.

And that thought was not one of failures or love... just one word: 'Crap.'

When Ziva and McGee reached the door to Tony's room and found it locked they had found it bizarre... after all, shouldn't all doors be open in case there was an emergency and the doctors had to help??... but looking at each other they both had thought that perhaps Gibbs had anticipated the fact that they would want to see Tony as soon as possible. And perhaps Gibbs really wanted a few moments alone to talk to Tony, but after turning away from the door with the intention to walk back towards the waiting room they heard a gun shot. And while Gibbs could be a bastard sometimes neither of the two agents could come up with a good explanation why Gibbs would want to fire his gun while Tony was injured... leading to the amazing realisation that: A) a hurt Tony B) the incredible fact that Tony always managed to get himself in trouble C) a emotional Gibbs who was distracted D) a locked hospital room and E) a gunshot all lead to F) There was someone in the room who was not Gibbs and was trying to kill Tony and quite possibly Gibbs too.

All these thoughts were taken into account and shared in just a second before McGee turned around, grabbed his gun and with a move that would undoubtedly have lead to a comment from Tony, kicked the door in. Letting the speed carrying him into the room, while noting from the corner of his eyes that Ziva followed him, he quickly scanned the room. Noting with a strange sense of detachment that the door he had kicked in had apparently thrown the shooter on the ground in an unconscious heap, but his eyes were more interested in finding Gibbs and Tony... alive.

Seeing his Boss sprawled ( and bleeding!, McGee!) on top of Tony was enough to spurt him into action, Ziva was already calling out for help while checking on the shooter, giving him the opportunity to go see how Gibbs and Tony were (please, please let them be OK). Putting his trembling fingers to his Boss neck he was relieved to find a weak (but present, Tim!) pulse. Not daring to move Gibbs, afraid to injure the man more, he reached around the man to feel for Tony's pulse. Sighing, when he found that one strong, it almost turned into a shriek when a hand landed on his shoulder. Half turning his head, he saw that in those few seconds that he had been checking on both men the room had been swarmed by doctors and security personnel.

However before he even had the change to think about the fact that he had totally missed their appearance and the removal of the gunner from the room, Ziva's voice called for his attention.

"McGee?, you need to move over. The doctors need to check on Gibbs and Tony. Come on McGee. We need to let them work..." And with a smile that reminded him a lot like a shark about to tear it's prey asunder she added, "...and so do we, there is a person we need to ask some questions."

…….Two days later………

"So let me get this straight: this guy… James killed that guy on the mountain because he discovered that James dealt in drugs. And then he decided to kill me because he thought that I heard the actually killing? So, he killed a rescue worker to get near me but then gets this crazy idea that Gibbs and I have a hot lovers-affair, and that I already told him about what I heard in a freaking storm, so he decided to kill him to?" Tony's eyebrows were almost completely gone from a complete lack of belief that such a figure was for real.

Ziva's just smiled, while McGee managed to answer: "Yes, Tony. Thank god that you found someone whose even more unbelievable then you" before bursting into laughter himself.

"Very funny Probie. But I still don't understand one thing." Tony said, while pulling himself into a more comfortable position. Even if Tony had been in a hospital more times then he could remember he would never be able to find a nice spot to lie in…but of course if he thought about it that could also be due to the fact that he was always too beat up. Groaning he decided to give up on trying to find a spot on the bed, that did not make him ache all over, but instead just asked the question that had been bothering him for a while now. "I don't understand why that guy thought that Gibbs and I were an item, I mean: I was unconscious so it wasn't me that was giving him those thoughts and I can't see how Gibbs could have so..how in the world did he come up with that?"

Both Ziva and McGee shrugged their shoulders, before Ziva did her best to answer the question.

"We really don't know why he thought that. It was the one thing I... we could not get out of him. It's possible that Gibbs did say something up that mountain but since we weren't with him we really can't answer the question." Looking over at her left she, were a curtain was drawn around a bed, she was silent for a few seconds before she said, "I think that you should ask Gibbs that question." And with a nudge to McGee's shoulder and a nod to Tony both agents stood up and left the room, leaving Tony with his thoughts.

"Great", Tony mumbled, while looking at the curtain Ziva had been staring at a few minutes ago. "Just great, how on the world am I going to do this? Just say... Hey, Boss: did that guy think we were lovers because you said something to him that he might have interpreted with his twisted mind as a confession that we were lovers or did you really proclaim your undying love for me up there?. Because if it's the first one: Ha, what an idiot... if however it's the second one: You idiot why the hell didn't you tell me sooner! ... What the hell am I suppose to do?"

"You know DiNozzo, staring at the curtain will not give you your answer." Blinking furiously Tony was startled out of his musings 'How did Gibbs do that? Here the three of them had been sitting together all of them thinking that their Boss had been sleeping while all the while he had been listing... the Bastard!!!'

When Gibbs had woken up, and had heard the conversation his three agents were having he was sure that he was going to die of embarrassment. However since he had heard Tony's mumblings and remembering the promise he had made to himself to confess his feelings (the time for fear was over)... He knew that it was now the time for the truth.

Thus shoving the curtain away with his good arm (thank god James had a lousy shot and had only hit him in the arm), he faced Tony.

"So DiNozzo ask your question."

"..."

"Come on DiNozzo, I heard the conversation and your mumbling…..and no I'm not angry, disappointed or embarrassed...so go ahead and ask your question.

"WhydidthatJamesthinkthatwewereanitem?"

The first thing that went through Gibbs head after hearing that mumbled sentence was 'Huh?' but knowing that Tony would probably not repeat it, he decided to ignore it and just answer the question.

"It's my fault... when you didn't come back when the storm started, I panicked. Yeah that's right I panicked, I dropped everything... didn't even warn McGee or Ziva... and just went after you. Even when it became clear that looking any further would become dangerous, I wouldn't stop, that bastard saw that and interpreted rightfully how I felt about you. That's right Tony, he interpreted it rightfully! I LOVE YOU! I know that I normally don't express my emotions but when I discovered that you were gone and I couldn't find you I completely lost it. Finding you bleeding and hurt made me find my lose it even more but it also mad me find my way again... I promised myself on that moment that when we were safe and you would have recovered I would tell you how much I loved you. I know that you think that I'm a bastard for not saying this sooner... your right I'm an idiot, but I was too afraid. I feared that you would reject me, would quit your job... but then I realised that what I feared the most was that you would die without me telling you how I felt. So I'm telling you now that I Leroy Gibbs love you Tony DiNozzo!'

Looking intently at Tony the entire time, Gibbs was relieved to see that Tony was not looking in disgust at him (he had heard Tony's mumbling love declaration towards him, but you could never be sure enough, could you?). Instead DiNozzo's face was practically glowing with happiness, before a pout materialized upon his face.

"Hell you sure pick a time to confess your undying love for me boss. With us both confided to our beds, how are we supposed to give this story a fairy tail ending? You know that these kind of confessions always end with a kiss and a happily ever after. Don't you boss?"

Smiling and shaking his head Gibbs answered (even if he too was disappointed at not being able to kiss Tony) "Yeah DiNozzo I know but those are fairy tails and we both know that in real life things don't work that way. We're going to work for our relationship Tony. I'm... WE'RE not going to screw this up. We just gained something now so let's not lose it. We're going to take things slow...and if that means no kissing for the time being then so be it. I'm not going to lose you Tony... ever!"

During this speech the door to the two men's room had opened slightly, (Ziva and McGee had been to curious) and after watching the faces of the two men and the clear disappointment that showed upon their faces when they discovered that they could not seal their 'undying' love with a kiss they barged into the room (after a short look at each other) and shoved the bed of a startled Tony's against that of an equally startled Gibbs.

"Now I may be not to familiar with English expressions," Ziva said, "but sometimes real life deserves a happy ending so I suggest that you two... shut up and kiss each other now."

For a moment the two man remained stunned, not only had they declared their feeling for each other but they had apparently also 'outed' themselves to their friends and co-workers. But seeing the faces of them they realised that the two agents were generally happy for them so shrugging their shoulders (for so far that was possible with their injuries) they both leaned forward to have their fairy tail kiss.

Lifes a funny thing; you can gain something incredible fast, but you can also lose it very quickly. If you want to hold on to it you've got to fight for it... always. Don't think that it's a run race... fight for it every moment in your life... always... and maybe then you'll be able to keep it.

Fin

A/N: This was the last chapter for this story line, but that doesn't mean that I don't like receive some reviews………so FEED ME ;)