SOOOOO sorry for the long wait. I have been completely swamped with school or other things DD: However i hope you find this chapter enjoyable. This and the next will probably be more character driven, but no worries! We shall be back to the story line in no time!

Auggie's words sent chills down her spine, who could be after her? She shivered under him, then cringed. Her arm was aching once more. She hoped it hadn't started bleeding again.

"Annie!" Auggie said forcefully, his voice commanding her back to the present. She started back to reality, taking in her immediate surroundings. The office was slowly beginning to quiet down. A phone rang. Auggie's face was a few inches from her own.

"I don't care! Get someone on it!" Gibbs barked in irritation from behind his desk.

"Auggie, who wants me dead?" Annie whispered, hoping the two NCIS agents were too preoccupied.

"I was hoping you could tell me." His sightless eyes were scarily accurate in locking gazes.

"You'll both be telling me what the hell is going on!" Gibbs had heard, and his commanding growl carried clearly across the room.

She tensed, trying to think of a lie of some sort in the few minutes they would have before it was safe to move again. Gibbs was good, he would see right through any of the normal BS she fed Federal Agents. "I told you it would go well." She said. Auggie snorted.

/\/\/\/

Annie was listening to the sounds around her. Auggie's breathing had slowed beside her. Gibb's was answering his cell phone again. DiNozzo was yelling at someone who had just come out of the elevator to stay put.

"They've just gotten someone to the scene. Snipers gone, he didn't police his brass." Gibbs stood, heading for MTAC. A sigh of relief seemed to wash over the office. Auggie and Annie sat up slowly, and Auggie felt along the side of his head gingerly.

"Do one of you want to tell my boss what the hell's going on?" DiNozzo crawled out from behind his desk and brushed some dust from his suit. In the moment, Annie's phone buzzed. A text from Joan.

I heard what happened, don't say anything.

Annie winced involuntarily, wondering if she would be off the case. Then she looked up at DiNozzo and smiled.

"My boss will be speaking to yours." She stood slowly, helping Auggie up as she did. "Are you okay?" She asked in a low whisper. He nodded, but she lifted his hand from his head and took a look for herself anyway.

"Are you?" He questioned.

"Fine." She said distractedly. There was a huge red bump forming on Auggie's head, but other than that, he was fine. She tried not to think about the bullet, which was embedded in the carpet with the small amount of blond hair it had taken with it. She tried not to think about how close it had come to ending her life, but before she knew what was happening she giving a lame excuse and walking quickly to the bathroom. She locked the door behind her, leaned against it, and took a few shaky breaths.

/\/\/\/

Auggie sighed as he heard Joan's heels click out of the elevator and then become a softer, though still recognizable, sound in the empty squad room. Annie's shoulder tensed beside him, she had been a little closer to him than usually upon her return from the bathroom.

"Auggie. Annie." Joan said coolly. She was mad, though it was yet to be seen whether it was at them or the bastard trying to kill Annie.

Within minutes the trio were inside the director of NCIS's office, and Auggie could already sense the power of two big leaders squaring off.

"You care to explain who the hell you are?" Director Sheppard stood from her desk, and Gibbs seemed to be and entire presence around them like a dog waiting to bite. Annie was still tense beside him, but luckily Joan knew exactly what to say.

"The marine whose death you're investigating was helping us with an investigation. I have reason to believe my operative was the real target." She neatly avoided who exactly they worked for, though Sheppard wasn't deterred. A phone rang.

"Yeah, Gibbs. Got it, Abs." There was a moment of silence, though Auggie could assume some pretty hostile glances were being exchanged.

"We found fingerprints in the hotel room. They match Walker's." Gibbs stated. Auggie didn't know how they had gotten her prints, but it didn't matter anymore.

"Auggie, Annie, go home. Get some rest. I'll see you in the morning." Joan said, and Auggie could tell from her voice she hadn't stopped starring at the strangers across the room. They headed for the door without question, but Joan stopped Auggie for a moment.

"Don't let her out of your reach, Auggie." He nodded, he wouldn't have either way.