----Flashbacks are in italics---
Tony put his hands up. "Boss you can't know for sure that he'll let her go; even if you do this…we gotta find him first."
"And how do you suggest we do that DiNozzo?"
"Same way we always do, find a lead, follow it, get the guy."
"This isn't an episode of Magnum, P.I. Tony; this is real life we're talking about here."
He shook his head. "I know what we're talking about here." He gestured towards the gun in his hands. "This is about as real as it gets…now please, give me the gun boss…"
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Present - NCIS HQ
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McGee shook his head. "I can't go out there…"
Tony walked in front of him. "We're going out there together Probie…"
"Tony I cant."
"McGee, listen to me, you can choose to see her now or later, either way you're gonna have to face that fear…you faced it with Kate…you can face it again."
He ran his hand over his face. "I can't."
He placed a hand on his shoulder and nodded. "Alright McGee, you can stay here…we'll take it." He took in a breath and looked at his other two friends. "Let's go."
Ziva stopped at her desk to grab her pack and followed behind Ducky and Tony quickly; leaving McGee in Tony's desk chair, his face buried in his hands.
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"You kill me DiNozzo, or I'll take the liberty…"
Tony only stared back at him.
"If you don't, they'll kill Abby, is that what you want?"
"Of course not boss…"
"Then suck it up, and do what you're told."
Tony cringed at the sound of that phrase, one he'd heard often growing up with his own Father. "I never could do what I was told."
"Fine." Gibbs lifted his weapon towards his temple. "Then turn around."
Tony removed his weapon from his holster and aimed it towards him. "Boss don't." And before he or Gibbs knew what happened, he fired his weapon.
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Donald Mallard was sick to his stomach as he approached the front doors. Anthony DiNozzo wished Gibbs was telling him to go back upstairs like he had at the last scene. And Ziva David was restraining all her anger for the moment they got the man behind this.
Tony motioned for Ziva to get statements and took the job of taking photos on himself. He asked that Ducky wait a few moments so he could shoot a few more shots. It felt like every shot the camera took, he fought back the urge to scream out "This isn't fair." He stood by and watched Ducky turn her over, only to snap his head away and close his eyes, unprepared for what he was about to see.
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He knelt beside the body and took in a deep breath. "Sorry boss…you made me do it..." He stood up and paced around the boat a few times to gather his thoughts, before he glanced at his watch and ran up the stairs and out of the house.
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"Dear Lord…" the older man spoke softly to himself. "Tell me this isn't true Anthony?" He looked up at the younger man, and noticed he was turned away. "Anthony?" He shouted towards him and watched him open his eyes.
"I've already seen one team member shot in the head Ducky, didn't think I'd be lucky enough to see another one…"
The older man's head hung low as he peered down at the body that was now almost unrecognizable, and it wasn't more than a few seconds before his shoulders began to shake and he outwardly wept. Tony knelt beside him, and slipped his arm around his shoulder. "It's okay Ducky."
He shook his head vigorously. "This is NOT okay Anthony…you killing Gibbs is NOT okay…this…" He looked down at her body and sighed. "This is not okay."
He nodded and took in a short breath. "I know." He felt a hand fall on his left shoulder and looked behind him to see Ziva looking deep into his eyes. "I did this."
"You did not Tony, but don't think for one second, that we will not get the bastard who did."
He looked back down at the body and felt Ducky's arm on his back and joined his colleague in his tears.
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Timothy McGee was left alone to simply and regrettably remember her. He remembered their first official date, and the awkwardness of working with her at first. He remembered her uncanny gift to brighten any situation, but let a tear fall as he remembered that not even she could brighten the place he was in right now.
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"Ziva listen, I'm gonna take a team, and get the boss…please, make sure the Probie is holding up alright, and I still don't want anyone to leave the building, including Ducky."
She shook her head. "But Tony, getting his body, that will hard for you yes? Perhaps I should come along?"
"The hardest part was shooting him Ziva, getting the body can't be any harder than that." He sighed. "I need you take care of things here…I'll be back soon."
She nodded in agreement with him and turned towards the doors.
"And Ziva, tell McGee we're gonna get him."
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Tony paced down the basement steps to find the body just where he'd left it.
"You know DiNozzo; remind me to take you to the range when this is all over." He sat up and rubbed the back of his head. "Then again, hitting me over the head was effective."
"I learned from the best boss…" his gaze shifted to the floor.
Gibbs looked up at him. "Did you arrange the drop?"
"Sort of…"
"What do you mean sort of?" He took a step closer to him. "What happened?"
Tony still hadn't taken his eyes off the floor. "Abby…" Was all he had to say before Gibbs grabbed the nearest two by four and slammed it against the side of his boat. He closed his eyes as he listened to tools hitting the floor and glass breaking; it was a few minutes before the rampage came to an end. He opened his eyes slowly, to be met face to face with a look in Gibbs eyes that he'd never seen before.
"I want him Tony…"
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