Gibbs stood staring down at the remains of the dugout lost in his thoughts. It was now 3 am and the portable lights that were illuminating the field caused a harsh light to fall over it. His initial anger had subsided for the moment to be replaced by faces of fellow agents that were now lying in the body bags in the parking lot. He squatted down to the ground to make like he was checking something but it was only to cover the sense of loss he felt. Memories rushed back to him matching the faces in his mind. Not one of the deceased agents had ever served on his team. All of them had contributed to his investigations over the years and had become a net that his team could rely on if they needed help.
He was snapped back to his senses when his cell phone began to ring and vibrate on his hip. He quickly grabbed it and snapped it open to his ear. "Gibbs." He said quietly into the receiver. It was Director Vance on the other end of the line asking for a sit rep. "Four dead. Fifteen wounded and four unaccounted for." Gibbs growled into the phone, his anger beginning to return. He listened to Vance on the other end of the line for a few moments. "NCIS Special Agents Hensen, Shaw, Hallsten, and Alonzo." After a few seconds more he slapped his phone shut and returned it to his holster. He took a large breath to steady himself before standing.
"McGee, David, Balboa, Jensen!" he yelled. The aforementioned people hurrying to stand before him. They had finished clearing the scene. Evidence was tagged a million photos were taken and Ducky was there collecting the bodies. "Balboa, I want you and your team going through all the cases of all of our agents that were here. Jensen, I want your team talking to every agency that there is. I want to know if anyone is taking responsibility, I want every bit of chatter or threats and I want it on my desk at 0800. " Balboa and Jensen nodded and ran to their assembled teams giving them their orders while Gibbs began walking towards their car. McGee and Ziva followed close behind. McGee stepped closer to Gibbs and asked, "You think this could have been targeted at one of them boss?" Gibbs ignored his question and continued talking, "McGee get back to the lab and help Abby. It's going to be a long night." He nodded and headed for he cars that had brought other agents to the scene.
"What about me Gibbs?" Ziva was right on his heels. She wanted to go to the hospital to check on Tony. She was scared for him. He had collapsed while she had tried to help him to one of the ambulances. The only reason she did not go with him was because Gibbs had placed a strong hand on her shoulder and told her to start sketching the scene.
"Go check on Tony." Was his reply.
He was in the dugout talking to his team about how they didn't need to piss their pants anymore because big bad DiNozzo was there now. They had a few minutes left before the game started so he started to tell them about the movie Bull Durham which was met by groans from his compatriots.
He thought to himself, "I wander if Ziva even knows what softball is?" It occurred to him to call her. He wanted to tell her to come down to the field on her lunch break to see him in action. Really he just wanted her there. She was his partner and friend but his feelings toward her had begun to move past friendship. He loved bickering and flirting with her; it was one of the reasons he enjoyed working at NCIS so much. He had begun to mature a little after his relationship with Jeanne realizing that there is more to life than meaningless sex and hollow relationships. Ziva would never want a relationship with him the way he used to be, but if he grew up just a little, maybe. He didn't hold out a lot of hope but he knew he was the better for it.
He reached down for his cell phone but it wasn't in the holster on his waist. In his hurry to get to the game on time he must have left it in the car. "Hensen, Shaw, I gotta run to my car real quick be right back." He said to his friends. He trotted out of the dugout and headed towards his car parked in one of the back rows of the small parking lot. He got to his car and opened the door quickly, leaning in to pick up his phone from the passenger seat. He just slammed the door when to explosion happened. BOOOOOOOOOOOM
Ding! The chime on the elevator startled Tony as his head jerked up from his desk, one of the papers sticking to the side of his face. He grabbed the paper from his face so he could see the elevator. He did not like what he saw, a visibly upset Ziva David marching towards his desk. He did not need this right now. He shook his head to clear the cobwebs and returned to looking at the files that were on his desk.
"Tony DiNozzo!" She yelled as she stood in front of his desk. "What are you doing? I have been ill with worry. I have been to the hospital your apartment then back to the hospital. You have a concussion. They want you to stay there for observation!" Her eyes were twin fires of emotion barely held in check. She had been franticly searching for him everywhere. Fear had begun to engulf her and she fought back the tears. Though now seeing at his desk anger had begun to burn the tears away.
Tony hid his emotions down deep at the site of his partner so obviously concerned for him. That tiny flicker of hope he had burned slightly brighter. "First of David, it is sick with worry. Not ill. Sick. Secondly I never did like hospital food. Thirdly I know I have a concussion considering it is my head that is pounding." He looked up at her with a smile that never reached his eyes. "And you were worried?"
She threw her arms up in exasperation, "This is not the time for jokes! How can I watch my partners back if I do not know where it is?" She started pacing back and forth in front of his desk as she vented her worries. She had unshed tears in her eyes but she would not let them fall. After she finished her rant about how amazingly juvenile and of all the stupid things he had done over the years this was the dumbest, she sat down on the edge of his desk next to his chair looking down on him. She was still furious at him but mad at herself for losing control. He had just been through a terrible ordeal and the first thing she does when she sees him is yell at him.
Tony reached out and placed a comforting hand on her knee. "I am fine, Ziva." He stood up not removing his hand and her gaze locked onto his eyes. He stroked her cheek with one hand "I am fine. If the doctors wanted to observe me the didn't do a very good job." A thought occurred to him and he wiggled his eyebrows her. "You could observe me all night if you want to." He flashed her his brightest smile he could muster. She looked at him knew by the way his eyes looked that he was hiding his pain. If this were how he wanted to cope she would help him with it.
She slid off his desk and pressed her body up against him. Standing on her toes she whispered into his ear close enough that he could feel her breath on his skin, "It would be boring if all I am going to watch is you work." She playfully shoved his shoulders and quickly moved to sit behind her own desk instantly regretting the lack of warmth that his body provided.