If anyone was wondering the song being used for the last chapter it was Lacrimosa from Mozart's requiem….also a few people alerted me to the similarity in my summary for this story and another one on the site, as far as I'm aware though that story goes in a different direction to the one I'm planning with this so enjoy…also this is set early on as my mind wants Kate to be there for this one.

Chapter 1

Blinking, he tried to clear the fog from his mind, getting from his apartment to his car seemed to have vanished from memory; like a puzzle piece had been removed at random. Turning on the car radio in effort to calm his nerves, it only proved to drive fear deep within his bones, immediately switching it off he focused on the road before him.

Yet the silence seemed to unsettle him, creating a wall of uncertainty around his mind.

Maybe he was just having an off day he wondered briefly, just nervous about going back into work after some time away….wait, he'd gone away? Where, and for how long?

Questions pulled at his mind, leaving him with an aching head as he turned the last corner to the building where he worked. Maybe he'd just drunk too much and was suffering the after effects.

Maybe not being there was the issue, call it what you will but he didn't like missing things. It had to be that, right?

Pulling into his usual driving spot, Tony DiNozzo was happy to be back in work. Exiting his car he grabbed his bag and donned his usual chipper mask and made his way towards the bullpen.

As he made his way up in the elevator it seemed to go insufferably slow, the numbers sliding past with the speed of a slug. Jumping a little at the ding as it indicated it was his turn to depart the cold metal box, he noticed that his chest, which had become tight, had relaxed a little upon leaving its confines.

You're losing it DiNozzo.

Shaking his head at the strange feeling, placing a firm mask on his face and making up a story if they should ask, he strode with purpose towards the part of the bullpen which held his team.

His mask almost slipped when the sounds greeting him seemed far too loud for his ears, but he shuck it off and grinned mischievously while he walked over to his desk and took his seat.

"Have a good vacation, Tony?" His partner's voice spoke out from across both desks.

"Ahhh, Katie, wouldn't you like to know." He winked for effect, after getting the intended look of repulsion he calmed into his usual bantering mood, putting to the side the strange thoughts of the morning.

The voice in his head telling him he would like to know as well.

Why he felt the need to hide it though was beyond him if he was honest, it just seemed like the thing to do, he didn't want to burden them with his problems as he was the one to help everyone else out when they needed help.

Immediately on edge again as the elevator dinged in the background, Tony tried to relax his body at the approaching heavy footsteps.

"Tony! You're back." Abby squealed in excitement, launching herself at him and hugging him tightly. "You must tell me everything that happened, in detail."

Pulling away a little, as he usually would, he plastered that oh so bright smile on his face and launched into his latest drinking binges with his old buddies and how they had been on the search for women, as per usual.

Kate, buying it easily, returned to focusing on her work. Abby frowned at first at his hesitant response, but seemed to calm when he went into copious amounts of detail of his antics.

After a painful ten minutes of lying to one of his best friends, Tony was saved by Gibbs sweeping past and gently nudging Abby back towards her lab and asking her to stop disturbing the team while they were working.

Feeling partly relieved and partly guilty, Tony returned to his paper work and ignored the confused look upon Gibbs' face as he past his desk towards his own. The knot in Tony's stomach growing ever heavier as he'd weaved him self that elaborate lie and was now avoiding his Boss' questioning gaze.

Knowing he had to find some way to distract Gibbs, he launched a paper ball towards Kate when he thought Gibbs wasn't looking.

"DiNozzo, get back to work." Gibbs sounded and looked more annoyed now than concerned. An annoyed Gibbs he could contend with. I mean there was no point worrying them with something that he didn't remember anyway, right?

As long as everything remained normal he would be fine.

Trying to concentrate on the boring paper work that he'd been putting off since before he had taken his vacation; he became very aware that everything around him seemed to be watching him...studying...even random office objects.

Really losing it...

While he continued to type he realised his hands were trembling slightly, scrunching his hands in to fists in order to stop the tremors he realised that it wasn't just his hands, he felt shaky, unnerved. Not remembering eating this morning he put it all down to hunger and not being in work for a while.

Shaking his head a little he returned back to staring at his computer screen and before he knew it a couple of hours had passed and it was lunch time.

Where the time had gone he had no idea. It was like he'd just existed for the past couple of hours and not done anything. Like he'd merely just stared aimlessly at the random bits of information flashing past his confused eyes.

"Ready to go to lunch, Tony?" Kate asked watchfully.

Tony's eyebrows rose in surprise and smiled that oh so gleaming smile of his; washing away all the worry that Kate's face had held.

"You asking me out on a date, Katie?" Tony asked mischievously as he moved around his desk.

"Tony!" Kate complained while elbowing Tony in the ribs when he got close enough.

Tony smile brightened at the normalcy of it, though his ribs smarted a little more than usual at the action.

While walking out of the building they decided upon a local diner and chatted good naturedly about anything.

Tony tried to ignore the unease that was creeping up his spine as they stepped across the road, a light rain had covered the ground in moisture and a few puddles had gathered near the kerbs. Tony, also happened to step in one of the larger ones and a splash of water leaked inside his shoe.

"Eww." Tony wined as he usually would while Kate smirked at his misfortune.

Tony looked down to check the damage to his pant leg and almost flinched at what he saw.

It wasn't water that clung to his leg. It was more sinister than that.

It was blood. Who's, he didn't know.

It was clotted and dry, as if it had been there for hours.

He blinked and it was gone in a flash of white light and a sharp but short lived pain in his head.

Kate, having not noticed anything but the water, simply dragged her partner along and told him it would dry soon enough, still smirking.

Tony shook his head and told himself that it was down to his over active imagination because they were stuck doing paperwork all day.

Though considering everything else that had happened throughout the morning he was starting to doubt his own sanity.

Selecting his food when at the diner seemed an unusually impossible task, he wasn't sure he was hungry anymore but had to keep up the illusion that everything was fine so decided on a big greasy burger with fries. Kate looked disgustingly at it while she stuck with some type of salad and he knew he's chosen the right thing to choose.

The only thing was though; even looking at the food when it arrived made him feel nauseous.

"Still recovering, Tony?" Kate mocked, not seeing the hesitation in his eyes.

Tony merely grinned and started delving into his food so she didn't get too suspicious.

The knot having grown heavier as the morning turned to the early afternoon.

Either something was going on and a prank of large proportions was being played on him, or he really was losing it. Either way, he couldn't let them know anything was wrong, that was the only thing he knew for sure.

And, personally he was hoping for the first.

TBC

So what is really going on that Tony won't ask for help? Hope you enjoyed this one, please review!