A/N: Thanks to anyone who took the time to review, to those who added this story to alerts etc and to those of you that just took the time to read :D All very much appreciated

Same drill as before on the typos etc - I wrote this in one go! (this therefore is the penultimate chapter). Thanks to crockettsgirl who pointed out to me my use of a British phrase, I am indeed Scottish, I try hard to write in US English but well... yeah so anyway just for clarity purposes 'lie in' is what we say when all you Americans say 'sleep in' (if that makes sense? you guys reckon I should go back and edit that?) Again apologies if I slip in anything else like that, just give me a shout if I have. Enjoy... and review :P

He shuddered as he replayed the last few minutes over in his head again. Today was his day to die. Not exactly a cheery prospect. Abby still had him held in a tight hug and as much as he loved her he loved being able to breathe too.

"Abs can't breathe" he whispered.

She relinquished her hold on him slightly and without a word.

"Abs it's ok. We won't let anything happen to DiNozzo" Gibbs tried to tell her.

She shook her head firmly.

"Abby he will be safe with us" Ziva too tried to reassure.

"Why do bad things always happen to you Tony?" she mumbled into his shoulder.

"I don't know Abs but if you find out before I do, would ya do me a favour and let me know? That way I might be able to stop 'em for a bit" he chuckled.

"This isn't a joke Tony" she cried, the tears finally getting the better of her as she stepped away from the warmth of his body and embraced McGee as he wrapped her arms around her soothingly.

The ding of the elevator alerted them to Ducky's arrival into the bullpen.

"Ah Anthony how are you holding up my dear boy?"

"I'm fine Ducky" he assured the old ME.

"Yes well no sense in worrying" he confirmed although Tony caught the worried look that he sent Gibbs, and that alone was enough to send him into full panic mode.

He looked around the dimly lit bullpen. It had been hours since the last phone call, proclaiming his imminent death. So long ago in fact that he was starting to think that it may have all been some sick joke after all.

The final phone call had been around the end of the working day so in the couple of ours that proceeded it the squad room had begun to empty as people packed up for the day and filtered out through the stairs and into the elevator. Hours later it was just Gibbs and his team remaining. It was dark outside and the lights in the building had been turned off save for their desk lamps which cast shadows all around them. Abby had had McGee bring her her futon from her lab upstairs and she now laid soundly asleep, her cheeks still tear stained and her eyes puffy. McGee too had finally surrendered to sleep in the past hour and with Gibbs and Ducky out of sight but no doubt not too far away that had just left him and Ziva. They had sat in silence neither wanting to wake Abby or McGee. Their eyes never wavered from each other as they conversed without words.

Tony noticed Ziva begin to blink more often and could see that the Israeli was trying to fight her tiredness. No doubt she'd been awake since the time of his first phone call since she had this bizarre habit of going out running at ungodly hours.

He eased himself out of his seat and pulled out his cushion from his desk and walked slowly and carefully over to her. Placed it into her hands before whispering into her ear.

"I'm going for coffee. Try to get some sleep. Okay?"

She looked up at him with her big brown expressive eyes and nodded.

He slipped away and out of sight and when he looked back he could tell that she'd already fallen asleep.

He walked to the furthest away coffee machine he could think of without leaving the building. He was pretty sure if he left the building, today would be the day he died, but at the hand of Gibbs rather than the crazed guy that had made the phone calls.

He glanced at the time and noticed that he had been away longer than he had meant to. He'd gotten lost in his own thoughts, tiredness slowing his pace. He scooped spoonfuls of sugar into his cup before raising it to his mouth and taking a tentative sip. He smiled as he felt the instant kick of the caffeine as the hot liquid ran down his throat.

He heard a squeak behind him and spun on his heel. Too late he thought to make for his gun. And as he felt an excruciating pain spasm through his head and down his neck he felt his grip loosen on the cup, his eyes close and then everything went dark.

Gibbs frowned, his worry increasing by the second. He looked around at his team, all present and accounted for except for DiNozzo. They slept soundly and he didn't want to wake them but after a quick search of the bathroom and still no sign of Tony he deemed it a necessity. He'd sent Ducky around the building in hunt for his missing agent and had phoned down to security desk who were looking through all the video surveillance of the building trying to catch a look at DiNozzo.

He gently shook Ziva awake and whispered her name.

"Gibbs" she was awake and alert instantly."Where is Tony?" she asked her eyes sweeping the bullpen.

"I was hoping you could tell me."

"He said that he was going for some coffee" she glanced at her watch "forty-five minutes ago"

Gibbs gut churned and Ziva stood up suddenly.

"Something is wrong. Something has happened to him. I should never have fallen asleep."

"Not your fault DiNozzo decided to go walkabouts" he tried to comfort her.

She looked up at him with a pained expression in her eyes, one that Gibbs had rarely seen her display, and he resolved that when they found Tony and this whole case was sorted out he'd remind them about rule 12.

They stood toe to toe, she awaiting instruction, him for news.

His cell phone rang and he answered immediately.

"Sir. We found your agent. You're gonna want to come down and see this."

His phone beeped alerting him to another call.

He cut off and answered the other call. It was Ducky.

"Jethro..." he didn't need to say anymore. Gibbs had already hung up and was bolting in the direction of the elevator, swiftly followed by Ziva and McGee who was still rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he stumbled blindly after them.

Tony knew immediately that something wasn't right. His head was aching and he had been gagged and bound. He sensed something else but couldn't quite identify it as his head was spinning and he was having a hard job trying to settle his vision. He glanced down at his waist to identify the offending object.

Oh boy. Not good he thought as he took in the sight of the bomb that was strapped to him.