His hands were pressed into the younger man's chest trying in vain to stem the steady flow of blood emitting from the gunshot wound. The blood was seeping unstoppable through the strands of the light fabric of the shirt staining it a glistening bright red. His hands were covered in the viscous liquid; it had quickly made its way under his nails and into the rivets creating his fingerprint, splashes splattering upwards and staining his own shirt.
The world had slowed down around him, the voices of Ziva and McGee nothing but a distant murmur in the background. He couldn't feel the wind lashing at his body, swirling his hair around his face, and whipping his clothes against this body. He ignored the rain as it began to fall, droplet at a time, mocking him. He tore his eyes away from his senior field agent long enough to look skyward. Feeling the first drops hit his face mingling with his tears. As the rain began to pour he didn't feel it soak through his clothes, gripping his body in a freezing chill, plastering his hair against his wet face. Although he could only watch on as the water mixed with blood as it began to pool on the ground around them.
He felt a slight movement beneath him and hope immediately surged through his body. He saw Tony open his eyes for the first time since he'd been here by his side.
"Boss?" it was whispered, in a croaky voice, barely recognizable as belonging to the man that spoke the word.
"Yeah DiNozzo, it's me" he whispered back, afraid that if he spoke too loudly he would break the spell that seemed to be surrounding them.
"Take good care of them ok?" he felt dizzy at the words, his heart stopped for a second, and the pressure he was applying to the open wound waivered in that moment.
"DiNozzo. I don't give you permission to die. You hear me?" his tears were falling thick and fast now.
"C'mon Boss. I don't think that's gonna work this time." he managed through his wincing pain.
He nodded, smiling in spite of the situation and watched as the young man returned the gesture, weakly and slowly, draining the remaining strength he had left, his eyes closing one more time.
"DiNozzo? Tony?" the words escaped his mouth in desperation, as a sudden overwhelming anger coursed though his body, coupled with the deepest grief and regret imaginable.
His eyes opened wearily for what he knew would be the last time a small smile gracing his features, lightening up his paling face.
"I hope I did you proud Boss." The last words slipped away with the life that had been taken too soon.
With that he watched as the man lying before him closed his eyes that small smile still playing on his lips.
He could feel the muscles relax beneath the rain soaked clothes which clung tightly to his body.
He felt the pain that comes with sudden unbearable loss, overwhelming emotions taking hold of his body as the last ragged breath leaves his body and then silence, the finality of that last resounding breath, despite the storm brewing around them, the muffled cries of the rest of the team, the sound of sirens screaming in the distance.
He closed his eyes, tears streaming down his face freely mingling with the rain and aware that his hands were still pressed tightly against his chest, redundant now.
He didn't know how long he sat there until he felt a familiar soothing hand on his shoulder and slowly the pressure he was exerting eased off until he removed his hands altogether, he gripped them into balled fists unsure what to do with them and watched mesmerized as the blood trickled down over his knuckles and fell away to the ground.
He felt the force of the hand on his shoulder turn him around slowly bringing him back into the present. A present which he didn't know if he had the strength he had to face, but knew he had to find the courage to as he felt the team congregate around him, Ducky's hand still planted on his shoulder, the heartbreaking sight of Abby running towards them, arms wide open, face tear stained and a look of such pain in her eyes that he couldn't bear to meet them. He couldn't help but glance over his shoulder at the body that lay lifeless on the ground and he wondered if without him that look of pain would ever go away entirely, but he knew that it wouldn't. He was gone and no amount of tears or grieving would bring him back.
Gibbs pulled himself away from the group and they let him walk undeterred over to body of his fallen agent. Passing the body of the gunman, riddled with bullets. His head held high facing his destination. The rain beating down so hard against him that he was beginning to feel numb. That penetrating pain that had sliced through his heart as the bullet had met it's target still aching like it always would be. One loss too many to allow his broken heart to be mended.
He knelt down beside him, gripping his hand in his own the other caressing his cheek gently. His final tear strolling down his cheek and falling onto the chest steeped in blood, still and unmoving in death.
I hope I did you proud Boss.
"More than you'll ever know DiNozzo. More than you'll ever know."