I looked up and shook my head. Tony clearly was not working on his report and if he did not at least appear busy before Gibbs got back then he was in for a serious Gibbs slap. I looked over at McGee and saw that he was studying Tony also. He looked over to me and shrugged before turning his attention back to the computer. Tony had been acting strange for the past few weeks. I heard footsteps descending the stairs and did not even need to look up to know that those determined steps belonged to Gibbs. A quick glance at Tony confirmed my suspicion that he didn't hear him coming. I winced as Gibbs slammed his hands down on Tony's desk.

"Dinozzo!"

Tony jumped, as he answered Gibbs with a yelp, "Yes, Boss?"

"The director wants to see you."

"Now, Boss?"

"We'll, that would be nice, Dinozzo. Unless there is a reason you feel like keeping him waiting?"

"Umm, no, boss. I will go right now." Tony said, as he fumbled with the keys on his computer trying to quickly close whatever he had open.

"Now, Dinozzo!" Said Gibbs. With one last look to his computer screen, he stood up. He glanced at me with a pitiful look before walking out of the bullpen and up the stairs to the director's office.

I snuck a glance at McGee. He looked terrified. I knew he was praying that whatever Tony was in trouble for did not involve him.

Gibbs went to his desk and got his gun and badge and said to us, "I will be back after lunch."

As soon as the elevator doors closed behind him, McGee looked over to me and said, "Ziva, Any idea why he is upset?"

I shook my head and glanced upstairs at the closed door leading to the Director's office wondering what sort of mess Tony had gotten into this time. It was a good 20 minutes later that Tony walked back down and slumped down in his chair.

"Is everything ok, Tony?" McGee asked.

"Yea, Probie. You guys want to check out that new cafe for lunch?" Tony asked, looking over at me.

"Sure." Said McGee.

"That is fine with me." I said, as I looked pulled out my phone to check my messages.

We headed towards the elevator as Tony said, "Hey guys I have to make a call real quick. I will meet you there. Hey! Go see if Abby wants to go too."

McGee and I headed down to Abby's lab. I looked at McGee and asked him, "Do you have any idea why Tony is acting like this?"

"I have no clue, Ziva. Maybe he will tell us over lunch."

We walked into Abby's lab and I covered my ears. The music was louder than normal.

"Hey, Abby!" McGee yelled, as he tapped her on the shoulder.

A few minutes later, Abby, McGee, and I arrived at the Cafe and got a table to wait for Tony.

"Do you have any idea what's up with Tony?" I asked.

Abby shook her head, "He has been acting funny all week. Wow Ziva, it must be something big for you not to know what's going on."

Tony walked up to the table and sat down in the empty seat. After taking a deep breath and seeing his teammates watching him with interest, he began to explain the mess he had gotten himself into. "Ok so I know I'm not very good at hiding things, but I kind of have gotten myself in pretty deep. I need some help if anyone is willing but if you don't want to risk getting in trouble then I understand completely."

I didn't even need time to think about it, "whatever it is, Tony, I have your back."

"Me, too," said Abby as McGee nodded his agreement.

"Ok, then, if you're sure, here's the story. So you know how I asked Gibbs for Tuesday off next week?"

"Yea that he said no to?"

"Yes, McGee, I tried to use a doctor appointment as my excuse and he told me to reschedule it."

"Why did he call you up to see the director?" I asked.

"I'm trying to explain!" Tony exclaimed, and then gave a soft laugh, "Look I'm sorry guys, I'm just a little tense right now, Director Vance gave me an assignment next week, probably on Gibbs' order, to keep me busy so I can't do whatever Gibbs thinks I'm up to. Although it's not what he thinks, it's actually really important."

"Well, Tony, what is it?" Abby asked gently.

"I have to find someone." Tony replied.

I waited for him to continue, but after a few minutes I realized that he was lost in his thoughts."

"Who, Tony?" I asked.

"Do you remember when I was telling you about that guy I was good friends with in college?" He said, turning to me, and seeing me nod he continued, "He called me a few weeks ago and said he needed my help. Someone was after him and he was scared. He needs my help."

"So why don't you tell Gibbs?" McGee asked?

"Because, McQuestions, If Gibbs finds out that I have been using NCIS resources for non work stuff for the past month he will freak out!"

"A whole month, you have been hiding this!" Abby exclaimed.

"Yes, and I finally realized that I am in way over my head and I need your help, guys. We are a team and I guess I just thought I could handle it on my own, but I cant. So I am asking for help. But if Gibbs does find out...we are all in very big trouble."

We all sat back to process this information. I looked over at each of my teammates. Abby was squirming in her seat, no doubt nervously thinking about what will happen when Gibbs finds out about this. McGee was in deep thought most likely weighing the pros and cons of helping Tony. I spoke up first, "I am in. Tony, I will help with whatever you need."

"Thank you, Ziva. Abby? McGee? Are you going to help us?"

"Yea, I'm in, Tony." McGee said.

"Me too." Said Abby, although we could all tell what she was thinking about by the miserable look on her face.

"Abbs, you don't have to, if you are that worried about what Gibbs is going to say." Tony said gently.

"What he is going to say? Tony, I'm a lot more worried about what he is going to do! You do realize how this is going to end, don't you?"

Tony blushed, "Yea Abbs, we all know how this might end."

"And you're sure we can't just go to Gibbs now and ask for help?" McGee asked.

"No, Probie, I'm already in too deep. If you want out now is the time to say so."

"Alright, Tony, I'm in." McGee said, without any hesitation.

"Ok, guys, here's the plan. I have a plane ticket booked for next Tuesday. I leave at 4am and return by 11pm. I will have about 13 hours on the ground in Atlanta to find the guy. I need you guys to cover for me, and to help if I need you to look up anything or trace any calls. You think we can pull it off?"

I was shocked, "Tony, you expect us to keep Gibbs from finding you for an entire day! An entire workday! If we say you are sick, he is just going to go to your apartment."

"I know, Zi, we have to figure out a way to keep him from finding out."

"Maybe we can say we have already stopped by to check on you before work?" Abby suggested.

"Hey, that's a good idea, Abbs, and maybe one of you can say you are going to check on me over lunch!"

"Ok, Tony, we will all meet up at your house tonight after we get off and you can let us in on everything we know so far." I said, checking my watch and realizing that we needed to get back to work quickly before Gibbs came looking for his team.

Later that evening we had all arrived at Tony's apartment with food and drinks. Abby was the last to arrive and carried in two boxes of pizza. "Just thought this seemed like a pizza kind of night." She shrugged as she put the pizza on the counter beside the chips McGee had brought.

"Alright this is what I know so far," Tony began as we all sat down on his couch, "Trevor called me about 3 weeks ago. Someone had broken into his apartment. They destroyed everything but nothing was taken. He realized that it wasn't a burglary as the TV, computer, artwork, none of it was taken. He grabbed what he needed and hasnt gone back since. He showed up to work the next day and his boss called him in and said someone had called to request information on him. He immediately put in for a leave of absence for a month or two. He was using his normal cell phone to talk to me up until that was compromised last week. He is scared. He isnt into anything illegal and has no idea why someone is after him. He looks like he might have a lot of money to someone who doesn't know him but he isn't rich enough for money to be the reason for all this."

"So what is the plan in Atlanta? You just fly down there and find the guy in one day?"

"We are going to try to set a trap and see if he falls for it."

"Then what?" I asked.

"I guess then, I will have to involve local LEO's and deal with Gibbs at that point, but at least Trevor will be safe."

"Here is the phone calls I have traced up until this point." Tony said, handing McGee a thick folder.

"Wow, Tony, I'm impressed. You traced all of these by yourself?"

"Yes, McDoubtful, I did." Tony said, turning to me and Abby, "Here is the prints the guy who broke in left." He handed several baggies to Abby. "Trevor's ex-girlfriend taught him how to take prints off pretty much anything. And here is the map of where I have traced the calls from so far." He handed me a map of Atlanta and the surrounding area.

We spent the next few hours munching on snacks and formulating a plan. Around 3am I realized that Tony and I were the only ones still awake. McGee was asleep sitting up on the couch and Abby was curled up, fast asleep, with her head on his lap. "Tony, we should get some sleep before work tomorrow." I said, gesturing to the two sleeping on the couch. "You know how Abby is when she is tired."

"Yea, your right. Thank you, Ziva, for helping me. I couldn't do this without you guys."

"I know, Tony, but why did you wait so long to include me? Umm, us I mean, include us?"

"I guess I didn't want everyone to get in trouble. I know that Gibbs will be furious and I was just trying to make sure you guys didn't end up with the same dismal fate."

"Yes, well we all know what happens when we disobey Gibbs. We have all felt his punishing hand a time or two, Tony. We are helping you because that's what family does. We protect each other."

"Thanks Ziva" Tony said, as he stood up. "You can sleep in my bed. I will take the other couch." He walked over and got out blankets from the hall closet. He covered up Abby and McGee, and took a blanket over to the other couch.

"I can sleep on the couch Tony, you can sleep in your own bed."

"Nonsense, Zi, You take the bed."

"Ok, Tony, if you are sure."

"Goodnight, Ziva."

"Goodnight, Tony."

The next few days passed with so much focus and planning the team barely noticed Gibbs getting increasingly suspicious. Monday afternoon arrived and the team was nervously planning a strategy to deceive their boss the next day.

Gibbs walked into the bullpen and everyone jumped back into normal work. Reports were finished and everyone was getting ready to leave for the day.

"I trust you were able to reschedule your doctors appointment for tomorrow, Tony."

Gibbs asked.

"Um, yea boss, but im really not feeling too good. I feel like I'm coming down with something."

"You will be fine, Tony, I need you tomorrow. Good night Team, get some rest, we have a big day tomorrow." Gibbs said, as he grabbed his phone and keys and headed to the elevator.

"Tony," McGee asked, "what was up with that, what does Gibbs have planned for tomorrow?"

"I don't know, but I hope we can pull this off. Do you think Gibbs really has something planned tomorrow?"

"I do not know, maybe he just thinks we are up to something." I said.

"But we are up to something." McGee said.

"Yea Probie, I know. Alright everyone meet up at my place in 2 hours."

Abby was the last to arrive, as soon as Tony closed the door behind her, her phone started to ring. "It's Gibbs!" She said, looking down at her phone.

"Answer it! Or he will know something's up!" Tony hissed as she flipped open her phone.

"Hello" Abby said, trying to keep her voice normal, as she hit the buttons to answer her phone and put it on speaker.

"Hey, Abbs, are you busy?"

"Not really, what's up Gibbs?" Abby was trying and failing to keep her voice from betraying her.

"I need your help with something. Can you come by my house before you head home for the night?"

Abby was looking from Tony to McGee to me. I grabbed a piece of paper and scribbled movie night and then held it up for her to see. "Oh, I would but it will probably be pretty late, Tonys really not feeling good so we decided to have a movie night to help him feel better."

"I see" Gibbs said, "well that's fine, I will just talk to you in the morning. Tell Tony I said to feel better."

Abby released the breath she was holding as she hung up the phone. "Guys he knows. He knows we are up to something. We are in so much trouble."

"I guess nothing gets past Gibbs." Tony said. "I just hope I can get to Atlanta before he catches us."

"Wow, guys we are in big trouble. Don't you think that we would be better off if we just tell Gibbs now?"

"No! I have to get on that plane!" Tony said. "But as soon as the plane is off the ground, go to Gibbs. Tell him everything. He might be able to help."

"Tony, are you sure?" I asked.

"Yea, Zi, at least if we go to him he might have mercy on us."

"On our backsides you mean." Abby mumbled under her breath.

We stayed up most of the night finalizing the details of our plan. Tim would stay at the computer ready to look things up until he had to go in to work, and then would help from NCIS as best he could. Abby and I were going to drop Tony off at the airport and then head to Gibbs' house.