A/N: Again thanks for all the positive reviews, it's things like that which encourage me to keep on writing :) This is the final chapter hope you all enjoy it. As always let me know what you think, good or bad. So without further ado...
The team had followed Tony's progress as he wondered through the corridors of NCIS from the bullpen up until he finally got his coffee. There was a jump in the footage but then they continued to watch his journey in snippets now unconscious and being dragged through the building and out into the car park. Here they'd lost him again and the patrol at the gate to the Navy Yard had let the car he was being transported in out of the complex and out into the city. Gibbs's concern for his agent overpowered his rage at the fact that this had been allowed to happen. First he'd find Tony and then heads would roll for someone's total incompetence.
The team had been shocked watching the surveillance video but Gibbs had immediately sprung into action shouting out orders to his reaming team before calling in a few favours.
Tony had had a lot of close calls in his life. He sometimes wandered if there was such a thing as guardian angels because if there was he sure wanted to thank his. He'd had more chances than he probably deserved. Maybe now my luck has finally run out? He briefly allowed his memory to lapse into his previous encounters with bombs.
His first day back to work after his bout of the plague. He was looking forward to it but if he was honest he still felt like crap, but then medieval diseases had the tendency to do that to you.
At least he hadn't lost his touch through either his illness or his absence he'd thought as he'd led Kate to believe he'd just rescued her from a poisonous snake. He'd smiled triumphantly and felt the pleasure of being back at work until Probie had come along and ruined it.
"You're such a loser!" she yelled at him pushing him to the ground.
"All right, back to work. McGee, check the trunk. Nobody touches dead bodies until Ducky says all clear" he'd heard her say above him and suddenly he froze.
"Freeze, McGee! Don't move! Car's wired to explode. Looks like the detonator's tied to the trunk."
"What?" He could hear the sudden confusion and fear in the Probie's voice.
"How far did you turn the key?" Kate asked putting on a calm front.
"Uh… not sure. Almost all the way, I think."
"Okay, don't let it snap back, all right?"
"Yeah." He'd found himself taking McGee's place, leaving nothing between the bomb and himself.
"Let go."
"Okay."
"Okay, both of you run!" He heard himself telling them.
"Tony, we're not leaving you standing--"
"I'm a lot faster than you are! I'll be right behind you. This is not a debate, okay? This thing might be primed already." He watched them run for cover "Anthony, you should have taken that extra week." He thought miserably to himself, but determined not to let his friends be harmed.
He'd survived that time. Had felt a lot worse for wear afterwards but had remained fully intact which was the main thing. The incident had almost been forgotten in the events that had followed.
He smiled sadly as his thoughts of Kate swam around his mind.
...
Then another encounter with a bomb. A completely different situation yet he had found himself in the thick of the action again, again unwilling to leave it either, unable to risk anyone else's life.
"Ziva! Hey! What the hell are you doing?" crazy ninja chick he thought sourly yet he followed her regardless.
"I can disarm it."
"OK... Well, great. Let's go outside and talk about this." She wasn't for real was she?
"If it detonates before EOD gets here, we'll lose evidence." Evidence?!? She's got to be kidding.
"Well, what a bummer! That would be a real shame. Ziva! ZIVA! This has to be the stupidest thing any human being has ever done!" she really is serious he thought wonderment overtaking his disbelief.
"Then why are you following me Tony?" if only I knew he sighed to himself.
"I don't frickin' know!" he'd held his breath as he watched her climb on top of the bomb.
"Here, hold this." She said handing him the cell.
"Any idea what's going to happen if this cell phone rings?" although he didn't really want to think about it.
He watched her work on diffusing the bomb; he could feel her concentration and despite the situation can't help but let his eyes wander.
"I can see down your shirt right now."
"I don't think your new girlfriend would like that." He cringed as he thought about Jeanne
"What are you talking about? I don't know what you're talking about." He hated all the lying.
"I'm talking about you and the fact that you no longer stare at every woman when they pass you by."
"Well, I'm looking down your shirt right now."
"See anything good?" hell yeah
"Yeah. Real good, but I'm not entirely sure it's worth dying..." she clips the wire "... over."
"Not worth dying over" she zips up her jacket eyeing him knowingly "I'll remember that."
"What if I said it was?"
"Now you'll never know."
He survived that time too. Thanks to Ziva. Although it was because of her he'd found himself sitting next to the damn thing in the first place. He thought about his partner. The crazy ninja Mossad. The only girl he knew that could and probably would kill him with office stationary.
His thoughts were interrupted as the door was pushed open and he saw a familiar face loom in the doorway.
Gibbs looked up and thanked the Lord that had given them the lead. McGee and Abby had worked their magic and had managed to track down the car, he didn't know the specifics but he knew they'd played an important hand in saving Tony. They'd then managed to follow it via traffic cameras until it pulled off the highway. McGee had pulled up a map of the surrounding area and along with Ziva they'd determined which of the areas they thought Tony had most likely been taken to. There were several abandoned industrial estates and a disused railway line but without another lead heading in that general direction was there best chance.
Now they had were speeding towards their destination, Ziva driving to cut down on time. His mind was in overdrive. They still didn't know who they were facing or where exactly Tony was and what kind of condition he would be in when they found him. He could only hope they found him in time.
"Hello Anthony"
Tony's eyes tracked the man's footsteps as he walked towards him and when he came to a halt in front of his he raised his eyes and met his murderous stare.
"You remember me don't you?" he sneered the hatred evident in his voice.
Tony nodded slowly. Guy Smith. Ex-petty officer. Involved in heavy drug trafficking, amongst other things. Tony had ensured that his friends had been put away for a very long time. Smith himself had been freed on a technicality and had sworn his revenge as he was escorted from the court. It had been a long time coming but here he was. Strapped helpless to a chair tied to a bomb.
He watched as Smith twiddled with what he could only assume was the dead man switch in his hands.
"So Agent DiNozzo, before you die, tell me, what have you been doing these last few years?"
"Wow, a few years? Gee times flies doesn't it? It's taken you a while to plan all this out huh?" he said mocking Smith, knowing it wasn't his greatest idea but thought if this was it he may as well go out with a bang, he cringed at the pun.
"As they say, revenge is a dish best served cold" Smith replied his voice cold, inlaid with tones of pleasure as he watch Tony begin to sweat.
There was a quiet beep and Tony immediately sensed that that could only mean that things had only gotten worse.
At a glance to his waist and the bomb attached to him he saw the timer begin to count down from thirty minutes.
"Tick tock, tick tock. Not long to go now Tony" Smith smiled.
They entered the building silently. Fornell had shown up with a pack of his agents in tow behind him. From her lab Abby had managed to give them coordinates to a specific building where Tony was being held after his cell phone had been switched on briefly. He didn't have time to wonder why but could only imagine that the kidnapper had somehow slipped up and that mistake would cost him dearly.
They were so close now, close enough to see into the room. Guy Smith. That bastard.
Tony had watched helplessly as the numbers descended. Seven minutes left to live. He eyed Smith carefully and wondered if he intended to stay and watch the whole show and die alongside him.
He saw the briefest flicker of movement from the doorway. He internally let out a sigh of relief. Gibbs.
Oh crap. Gibbs saw the bomb but knew that it was too late to change the plan. They didn't have time.
Gibbs indicated the go ahead and they stormed into the room.
"Federal agents!"
Smith turned around to be met face to face with several guns pointing in his direction.
"Agent Gibbs. How nice of you to join us. Come for the show?"
"Come for you" Gibbs stated, his glance flitting briefly in Tony's direction zoning in on the bomb strapped to the younger mans waist.
"I don't think so"
"Oh I do" Gibbs retorted.
"This is the dead man switch" Smith said cockily indicating the device in this hand. "You kill me, I kill you all."
Gibbs shook his head "Not gonna happen"
"Well then place your weapons on the ground and back out of the room."
Gibbs stood his ground.
"McGee. Fornell." Gibbs said his tone defiant.
"Gibbs..."
"Boss..." both Fornell and McGee began in unison.
Gibbs shook his head.
"Go. Now."
They hesitated for a second longer before they, accompanied with the other FBI agents, placed their weapons' on the floor and backed out of the room. Fornell taking charge led them quietly and quickly away.
"Drop it Smith."
"I'd rather not" he said his thumb moving to hover over the switch.
Tony's heart skipped a beat as he looked once more down at the digital display. They weren't going to make it. This was it. Five minutes to live. He wished it could be so different. As the thought overwhelmed him his mind strayed to Ziva. Where had she been?
He looked up to meet Gibbs shining blue eyes and he pleaded with the older man to leave too.
Gibbs held his gaze and looked deeply into his eyes and it took Tony everything he had not to avert his gaze.
Smith made up his mind. It was now or never. What difference did five minutes make? He'd won either way.
"Last chance Agent Gibbs. I'm tired of this charade. Place your weapon on the ground or I kill him right now"
Gibbs lowered his weapon carefully to the ground his eye contact with Smith never breaking and DiNozzo always in his periphery.
His gun settled on the ground with a slight chink as the metal came into contact with the concrete floor.
He watched as Smith smiled triumphantly and turned to face Tony for the final time.
"Goodbye Tony" Smith said simply.
Tony took one final look at his Boss trying frantically to say everything he'd ever wanted to through his eyes. He was honoured that his Boss was standing with him.
He watched as Smith raised the device, a lifeless smile plastered across his face, his thumb dangerously close to the switch.
Tony closed his eyes, and awaited the inevitable.
He heard the shattering of glass and the familiar whistle of a bullet flying by and then the slump of a body hitting the deck.
His eyes pinged open to find Smith lying dead in front of him. Blood seeping from a single gunshot wound to the head. His hand still clasped around the switch.
Gibbs rushed towards Tony.
"Ziva!" he screamed her name and his eyes widened as he watched the clock enter its final two minutes.
He reached Tony and pulled the gag from his mouth. Tony gulped in a deep breath of air.
"Thanks boss" he said shakily
"Coffee on our floor not good enough for you DiNozzo?" he asked feigning anger, trying to hide his real concern.
Tony smiled "you know me Boss. I like the best"
He grinned as Ziva rushed into the room her eyes taking in her surroundings settling on the bomb strapped around her partner. Her heart skipped a beat as the clock began to count down its final sixty seconds. And that's when everything suddenly fell into place. Everything that had happened in the past few years. She'd finally figured it all out.
"You sure do DiNozzo" Gibbs replied as he watched his eyes light up at the sight of Ziva.
Ziva knelt down next to Tony and examined the array of wires.
She flexed and extended her fingers. Forty-five seconds and then they would all die.
Tony couldn't help but stare in amazement as she swept in the room and immediately took control crouching down beside him.
A bead of sweat rolled down his face and he could feel his heartbeat, hard and fast.
"Aren't you ever scared?" he surprised himself by asking it, but he had to know. It felt important, in a way he couldn't explain.
She knew instinctively what he was talking about "we all end up dead; it's just a question of how and why." She replied without looking up from the bomb.
"Wow. Ziva David." He said stunned, "Did you just quote William Wallace from the movie Braveheart? At least if I die now I'll die a happy man, knowing that I at least taught you something" he grinned.
"Nobody's gonna die DiNozzo" Gibbs growled, reinforcing his statement with a stern glare.
"Yes boss" Tony gulped back.
Gibbs allowed a small smile to creep onto his face but it faded faster than it arrived. Ten seconds.
Ziva looked up and met Tony's gaze and an understanding passed between them. Incredible in its simplicity.
Her knife poised under the wire she lifted herself up onto her knees.
Tony felt his heart flutter as she looked at him, the intensity in her eyes boring into him. There were no words left to be spoken by any of them. He couldn't help but count down in his head all he had left.
Six...
He could feel his skin burn under Gibbs's microscopic glare.
Five...
Ziva rose to her knees
Four...
This wasn't how it was supposed to end. He closed his eyes tight against the emotion. Against the tears that had finally threatened to spill.
Three...
Her lips suddenly grazed against his.
Two...
A tender and sensuous kiss. That seemed to linger beyond the time they had left. His body tingled with need and desire and his heart fluttered in his chest.
One...
THE END.