It all started with a cup of coffee. Looking back McGee couldn't help feeling like he should have know something bad was fixing to happen. He wasn't sure how, but there was a strangeness about the day from the time he woke up. It wasn't anything he could specifically put a finger on. Getting up to get ready for work a sense of forboding began filling the air. He shook off the odd feelings and got ready to begin his day.

Crime seemed to come to a stand still lately so they were keeping themselves occupied with cold cases. While the slow crime rate should have been reassuring, but the lack of activity was taking it's toll on everyone. Gibbs was more snappish than normal, Ziva was more withdrawn and Tony was... Well, Tony was even more Tony-ish than normal. McGee frowned at that thought. Something had to give soon before someone ended up killing someone. He prepared to leave the elevator and stopped short when he came face to face with Gibbs.

"McGee." Gibbs nodded once in acknowledgement.

"Gibbs." McGee replied.

"Going for coffee. Want to come?" asked Gibbs.

"Sure." answered McGee.

The odd trepidation returned and McGee shoved it aside. There's no logical reason to believe anything bad was about to occur. The soft sound the elevator doors made closing did little to alleviate the odd feelings. McGee exited the elevator but when Gibbs exited the building McGee stopped. Internal warning alarms began going off the charts for no reason McGee could fathom.

"McGee?"

McGee looked up and met Gibbs' eyes. Gibbs didn't look like he had noticed anything out of the ordinary. If something was wrong Gibbs would know, McGee was sure about that. McGee mentally head slapped himself and forced his feet to move. Though the walk to the coffee shop passed without incident McGee's unease grew. Stupid, McGee thought to himself. If something was wrong Gibbs would know, wouldn't he?

Gibbs pulled the door open and turned towards McGee as they entered. Gibbs' mouth opened as if to speak but the next thing McGee heard was the gunshot. McGee instinctively pulled his own gun but the man had grabbed a hostage leaving McGee with no clear shot. The gunman exited the building and McGee started to chase after him. He turned to Gibbs for some reason he would never remember later. There was a brief moment of confusion before McGee reallized Gibbs had been shot. Without a thought he dropped to check on Gibbs.

"Why are you... still here? Go... Get that bastard..."

Without thinking McGee automatically turned to obey his boss' order. He had a few second thoughts about leaving Gibbs, but he'd already began to pursue the gunman. Besides Gibbs would be fine. He had to be. If Gibbs died... McGee refused to finish that thought. There was no way Gibbs was going to die, he was all but indestructable. With that last thought McGee turned his full attention back to the chase.

The gunman had apparently released his hostage shortly after exiting and was waving his gun at anyone in his way. Chaos began to set in as people began yelling. They scattered in all directions. McGee coming up from behind the already spooked civilians with his own gun drawn just made the confusion worse. Another gunshot rang out and McGee tried to get a shot at the man that shot Gibbs. Terrified pedestrians attempting to flee kept running between him and his target.

"Dammit!"

**back at NCIS**

"They have been gone a long time."

"You really that anxious to deal with an annoyed Gibbs, Ziva?"

Ziva sighed and watched Tony. He was playing another one of those stupid games on his phone with his feet propped on his desk. She shook her head. With all the times Tony's gotten yelled at for goofing off, you think he would know better. She tried to concentrate on the case she was working on, but her mind kept wandering. Gibbs and McGee had been gone a long time. Much longer than it should have taken to get coffee.

"Where's Gibbs?"

Tony and Ziva looked up at the same time. Vance stood a short distance off with his arms folded across his chest. His face was fixed with a look of extreme irritation. Tony immediately dropped his feet off the desk. Ziva quietly shook her head as she watched Tony palm his phone and begin to answer the director.

"Uh, he and McGee went for coffee last I heard."

"Coffee?" Vance did not look happy. "Doesn't he have some rule about not being unreachable?"

"Yes, rule number three. I can call him if you like." Ziva offered.

"I've been calling him and he's not answering. You two go find him, you've got a case."

Vance turned and left without another word. Tony and Ziva exchanged looks, but neither said anything. As soon as Vance left they silently gathered their jackets and made their way to the elevator. They were almost at the exit before Ziva finally spoke up.

"Tony, something is not right."

"Don't go there Ziva."

It was then that she reallized the tension that filled Tony. She frowned at him.

"You are worried too." she stated.

"Don't go there Ziva."

"Tony-"

"They just went to get coffee Ziva, there's nothing wrong."

"Then why would he not answer his phone?"

"Maybe he just didn't want to talk to Vance. Drop it Ziva, nothing's wrong."

"Then why are you almost running?"

Tony slowed his pace but didn't respond to her.

**A short time later**

There is nothing wrong, he told himself over and over again. Truthfully he had already reallized Gibbs and McGee were overdue. He'd been pretending to play games on his phone as a subterfuge to keep an eye on how long they'd been gone. He had to admit he was also toying with the idea of calling Gibbs. It had already been long enough that Tony knew he should have already called Gibbs.

He stubbornly refused to answer Ziva. He didn't want to say anything out loud. It was as if putting it into words might some how make it real. As long as no one said anything, then nothing bad could have happened. Tony knew it was stupid but the alternative was worse. If anything had happened to Gibbs and McGee...

Rounding the last corner the was like walking straight into the nightmare he'd been trying to avoid. Two cruisers were parked near the coffee shop blocking trafic, LEO's were questioning civilians, and red and blue lights flashed across the whole scene. Tony stopped walking scanning the scene for anything that might tell him what happened. Ziva placed her hand on his arm.

"Tony." she said quietly.

"No." He shrugged her hand off. "No, no, no."

Tony started forward again. He'd only gone a few steps before he was running. As he closed the distance a LEO stepped in front of him. Tony dodged him but the man grabbed Tony's arm slowing him down. The struggle was brief but by the time Tony had freed himself two others arrived to bar his path.

"NCIS!" he shouted at them digging frantically for his badge.

"Agents David and DiNozzo, NCIS." Ziva reiterated flashing her badge.

The LEO's exchanged looks that let DiNozzo know just how bad the situation was. Tony turned and looked at Ziva. He tried to talk to her but for some reason his voice wouldn't work. She laid her hand on his arm again and he quit trying to speak. For a while the two of them just stood there. The officer cleared his throat. Tony couldn't bring himself to meet the man's eyes.

"What happened?" Ziva asked quietly.

"A man came in and robbed the place. Your partners showed up at the wrong time."

"Both?" Tony whispered. He couldn't believe one man bested both of them.

"Oh. No, Agent McGee is fine. Apparently he chased the suspect for a while before the suspect got away. We should probably go see him. We told him he could call after he was done giving a formal statement. He's probably almost finished."

"What hospital is Gibbs in" Tony asked, still unable to raise his voice above a whisper.

The officer shifted uncomforably. "I'm sorry. He didn't make it."

Tony's voice failed him again. Gibbs was dead? He couldn't be.

"Call Ducky." Tony turned to Ziva as he spoke. "Ducky is the only doctor Gibbs will let treat him. He needs Ducky."

"Shh Tony." Ziva pulled Tony closer and wrapped her arms around him.

He wanted to tell her the cop was wrong. He wanted to tell her that they had to get Ducky to fix Gibbs. Didn't want to accept that Gibbs was gone. He tried to protest again but he broke down instead. He wrapped his arms around Ziva and held on to her as tightly as he could. He couldn't loose her too.

"Tony. We need to find McGee." Ziva said making no attempt to move.

He raised his head and met her eyes before giving her a brief nod. They walked silently into the coffee shop. McGee was standing by the far wall with his back to them. An officer was standing with him talking to him. Almost as if he sensed the arrival of his partners he turned in their direction. He said something to the officer who nodded back before walking over and joining them.

"Come on, I can't stand to be here any longer. Let's go back."