A/N: Woohoo! Spring break baby! Well i wrote this one while down in Florida on vacation, and I'd say I'm pretty happy with it. Okay, so I know some of you are wondering why SecNav is even interested in the team, or are worried that this is gonna be one little, happy-go-lucky, OOC fic. Well hopefully, it's not going to stray too far from the show's usual character. I still have some tricks up my sleeves, and I promise to try and resolve every question in the end. Well, not every question, because what fun would that be? That said, this isn't the last chapter. Not yet. Please read and review!
No. This was not happening. Not again.
He wasn't sure if he could handle losing someone else he loved.
Kate.
Paula.
Jeanne.
There was no way her name could be added to that list. He wouldn't let the scene in front of him play. There was so much that was never said, so many tensions left unresolved.
He wasn't ready to watch his last chances slip through his grasp.
"ZIVA!"
-----
About half an hour earlier
Tony tried to register the emotions and feelings coursing through his veins as Tim's news sunk in.
Confusion.
Fear.
Instinct.
Need.
The need to protect his friends. His partner.
And the fear. It was overwhelming, and Tony wasn't used to its obvious presence. It wasn't even clear if he was afraid for his own safety, or fearful of losing another teammate.
Ziva recovered from the slight shock faster than he did.
"Problem?"
McGee nodded, but before answering, noticed Abby shaking beside him, so he wrapped his arms around her, hugging her form closer to his own body.
"Boss called. He sounded distracted and out of breath. He said that they located a...'stalker', during dinner. He and the director are trying to lose their unannounced guest now."
Tony snorted. "Well you know then we can't exactly blame the man for sounding busy, can we McGoo?"
Ziva back-handed his chest lightly. "Now is not the time."
As she scolded Tony, her eyes scanned the shadows of the park. "I assume we are not alone either."
On instinct Tony's hand dropped to his SIG, and he too began to survey the dark landscape.
For a moment they stood in silence, Tony and Ziva checking out their surroundings, Abby resting her head on Tim's shoulder but never letting her eyes linger on one spot for too long, and McGee staring down at Abby in faint adoration.
Finally, McGee looked up, and voiced another setback. "There's only one car. We can't all stay together. That'd be too easy."
Ziva and DiNozzo both stopped looking around, and all three agents locked eyes. They came to a silent consensus at once.
"No," Ziva agreed, "we cannot. So Tony and I will lose them on foot, while you and Abby take the rental."
As McGee nodded, Abby opened her mouth to protest, but Ziva spoke first.
"We will be fine Abby."
The goth ignored her friend's assurance. "How do you know that, Ziva? I've watched agents walk out on assignments and never return. How do you know that won't happen again, how are you certain this isn't one of those times?" Her voice was pure distress and worry.
Tony had been letting his partner take care of the situation up until now, but he surprised them all and stepped in before the Israeli could reply.
"Abs, that's a risk we take everyday. It comes with the territory. You need to stay calm. The two of us are trained agents. Ziva's freakin' Mossad here. We can handle a creeper or so." His tone was collected, commanding.
The other two agents shot him bewildered looks at his show of authority, but the upset scientist wouldn't back down.
"Calm? You want me to stay calm? Who said it was only a pair of creepers, Tony? What if it's a creeper with a C4 bomb strapped to his chest and--"
Tony didn't let her continue, cutting her off in mid-sentence.
"No, we're going on foot. I'm senior field agent, and it's final. Now get in the car."
For a moment, no one spoke. Tim's eyes flicked back and forth between the arguing duo nervously, while Ziva watched Tony, a glimpse of awe written across her features. Tony regarded Abby with silent determination, hands shoved in his pockets. Abby glared back in defiance, hands stuck on her hips.
Her eyes narrowed as time passed, but she figured out that this was a battle she would lose, and spun around on her heel, heading for the car.
McGee wasted no time in reacting.
"I'll take care of her," he got out as he turned.
As he receded towards the black Nissan, he called to his partners once more. "You guys watch each other's sixes, okay?"
After he was certain McGee had driven an adequate distance from the park, DiNozzo turned to find his partner scrutinizing him silently. He raised his eyebrows.
"Yes?"
Ziva found herself smiling at him. "Well done."
He shrugged.
They shared a look before flipping the switch and going straight into business mode. Every creak, rustle, or crack set their alarms off.
Their opponent made the mistake. The shadow had darted out too far, too quickly. Ziva picked up on it immediately. She gestured towards the figure.
"Found our man. We need to move, now."
Her companion nodded, and the set off to the main street. Large crowds provided sufficient cover, and the bright lights seemed like they would never go out. The Paris natives didn't seem to mind the lateness of the hour.
The NCIS duo flowed through jovial floods of people, ignoring the murmur of laughter and talk around them.
As casually as possible, they dropped out of the wave of pedestrians and ducked into a dimly lit alleyway, following the path onto another, less populated street.
Coming out of the pass, Ziva picked out a hooded man heading there way almost instantly, and pointed him out to her partner. Tony grabbed her by the hand and they strode further up the street. They both struggled to ignore the shock running through their interlocked fingers. Looking up, he saw another figure coming towards them, and guided Ziva across the street.
The longer they fled, the more DiNozzo realized that they were being herded in one direction.
Tony became oblivious to everything else but the mission in his hands.
Watching Ziva's six, (and if he was honest, he had stolen a few glances at it), protecting her, keeping them safe; it consumed his thoughts.
The cool breeze didn't affect him at all, buildings blurred together, and the cracked pavement under his feet wore away at his soles. The scenery passed him by, but he never took it in.
Then everything changed.
The streets were empty.
The low hum of conversation had died out.
They were alone.
And facing them was a huge brick wall, a dead end.
Tony stopped, staring at the road block in front of him.
Ziva's warning came just a moment too late.
-----
Present Time
"ZIVA!"
The shots rang through the air before he even saw the shooters.
But he did see her take two rounds and hit the cement.
Even as she fell, her attackers fell to the ground seconds later, confirmation that her outstretched gun had done its job.
Letting her arm drop, Ziva put a hand down on the road below her to steady herself, her eyes shut, and face screwed up in pain. Unable to hold herself any longer, she collapsed to the ground, quickly succumbing to darkness.
Moving to help his partner, Tony saw a third shooter move into view, gun at the ready.
Just as the dark assailant pulled the trigger, DiNozzo flew in front of Ziva. His SIG was out, and he fired three bullets in the air.
The assaulter fell just as Tony slammed into concrete. His head made contact with the gravel and he fought the urge to black out.
Air came in shallow breaths. Gasps of pain seemed to echo of the brick walls.
Sirens and car horns blared in the distance.
Tony and Ziva never heard help coming for them.
-----
High in the sky, the moon was barely visible behind the menacing clouds. Rain had finally begun to pelt the landscape below.
Gibbs practically jumped out of the car before it had even stopped, Jenny quick on his heels. He had ordered McGee back at the hotel with Abby, knowing that she wouldn't be able to handle this crime scene.
His own stomach churned as his eyes fell upon his two agents, crumpled, bloody, and broken, being loaded on to stretchers by the French police. Suddenly his feet stop working, and the sound of sirens seemed to fade out. The sight of his defeated agents was unbearable, and Jethro felt his heart break ever so slightly.
Jen stopped at his side, and neither spoke until the ambulance had driven off into the night. Gibbs's eyes lingered on the vehicle's trail, even as Jenny spoke.
"They identified the three deceased shooters."
He ran a hand through graying hair that was now plastered to his forehead, due to the rain. His eyes narrowed at the thought of someone harming his people.
"Yeah?"
Jenny waited for him to make eye contact, then continued again.
"Two Mossad officers, one NCIS agent."
A/N: I almost feel bad for leaving it at that. Oh well, a writer's gotta do what a writer's gotta do. Wonder if our favorite agents will be okay.
