Rain was pouring down the windows, bringing visibility down to zero even with the wiper. It made a fitting start to their evening as the agency sedan crawled along the freeway. Ziva, who was sat shotgun, could hear the occasional curse Gibbs muttered under his breath every time he was forced to bring the car to a halt.

"Why are we doing this Gibbs?" She leaned over, speaking only to him, "surely another team could have taken this one."

Gibbs didn't take his focus off the queuing traffic ahead. "We're on call." He said simply, with a hint of danger that would have normally ended the conversation if he were speaking to anyone but a Mossed trained killer.

"I'm sure the director would have understood…" Ziva continued, managing to sound only mildly affronted by his matter of fact tone. "You and Tony did nearly die today."

"We did not nearly die." Gibbs snapped at her assertion.

"That's what I've been saying!" McGee jumped in on the hushed conversation from the back seat, where until now he'd sat still and quiet with a dozing DiNozzo.

Ziva turned her steely gaze on him, alternately eyeing McGee with what looked like malicious intent and then more softly Tony, who was unmoving, eyes closed and seemingly oblivious to the world around him for a change. He'd not spoken much since leaving the Bullpen and that alone had her highly tuned 'Ninja senses', as Tony would say, working overtime. Seeing him so vulnerable, she was baffled at how no one else saw what a bad idea this was or why they insisted on acting like what happened today was completely normal and ordinary. It seemed only Abby was on the same page as her. Or was it she was on the same page as Abby? Either way, that was rare and mostly unheard of so Ziva knew it meant something profound.

"I did not ask you." She spat at McGee, venting more of her irritation at him than he probably deserved, before redirecting her gaze to the rainy road ahead and resuming her mostly one-sided conversation with Gibbs.

McGee let Ziva's attitude roll off him without rebuttal and focused his attention on the man sitting next to him. Tony was slumped sideways with his head resting against the misted up window. The seatbelt was cutting across his face and it looked incredibly uncomfortable. Knowing it would leave a mark if left where it was McGee itched to move it. His hand actually twitched forward at one point, but he pulled back at the last second, well aware of the ribbing he'd get if Tony caught him in the act.

"McGee?"

"Yes Boss?" McGee jerked away completely, responding on auto-pilot.

Gibbs' glare reflected back at him in the rear view mirror and he realised the Boss had been watching him watching Tony.

"Er…he's okay…" He stole another glance to make sure. "I think… erm…just sleeping." McGee swallowed his stammer, feeling the flush creep over his face.

Gibbs' eyes soften a little and McGee caught the quick nod before his gaze returned to the road. Ziva, who had given up on trying to change the boss' mind about taking the case, briefly turned around to make her own assessment, sitting back in her seat when she too was satisfied.

"You and Tony should go home before one of you gets sick and we all have to suffer." She lamented, loud enough for them all to hear over the noise of the pelting rain impacting the cars roof.

"He's already sick." Gibbs announced without preamble, sounding more world weary than he had in a long time.

Not picking up on the guilt hidden within that short statement McGee looked at Tony again, this time taking in the dark eyes and too pale complexion. He wanted to ask for more details, but was afraid Gibbs might actually give them and turn his fears into hard reality. No one needed to remind him why it was SOP for DiNozzo to be hospitalised if he caught so much as a sniffle. He suddenly recalled Tony telling them he was fine back at the office and given that DiNozzo moaned like hell whenever he got so much as a paper cut McGee knew this had to be bad for him to want to hide it from them. Maybe Ziva was right, maybe they shouldn't be doing this…

"Thanks for the announcement boss." Tony sat up slowly, blinking the sleep out of his eyes and rubbing the sore spot on his face where the seat belt had rested.

"I knew you couldn't be asleep." Ziva broke the beat of silence where it felt like the entire car had collectively held their breath.

"And how's that?" Tony groaned, sensing everyone waiting on him, already resigned to the fact he'd get little reprieve tonight.

"You were quiet."

"For the last time," he started calmly, "I do not snore!" Tony threw both hands up and missed hitting McGee by an inch.

Gibbs, face impassive, cut Ziva off from a retort. "You feeling okay DiNozzo?"

"I'm fine boss." Tony bit hastily, tone low and lacking conviction.

"Ah huh."

McGee looked between his boss and his - kill him if he had to admit it out loud- friend. Their silent conversations were nothing new, but somehow when he looked at them now or heard them speak to one another he felt like something had changed since yesterday. He couldn't put his finger on exactly what though and that was irritating.

The traffic started moving more fluidly the further they travelled out of the city and the sedan picked up speed once they cleared the George Mason Bridge. Tony wiped his palm across the condensation on the passenger window, looking out and down at the slow rising water of the Potomac.

McGee could see the water too and seeing into the murky depths his thoughts took him back to the events of that afternoon. Images flashed before his eyes, but the one he got stuck on was the snapshot of Gibbs, looking barely alive himself holding onto an unconscious Tony. He hadn't been able to describe the scene to Abby once they were back at NCIS, it just all seemed so wrong. They investigated crimes, they protected people. They weren't supposed to be the victims...

"Stop staring Probie."

McGee didn't stop. "… Sick how?"

Tony's low voice had brought McGee back to the present with a swift kick, tricking him into giving voice to a fragment of his thoughts. The atmosphere in the car hadn't been great to begin with, what with Tony looking and sounding like the world was about to collapse on top of him, Ziva annoyed at Gibbs for making them take the case and Gibbs just plain annoyed. Now McGee felt like he'd just placed the proverbial straw on the camel's back.

"Possibly… a touch of… pneumonia?" Tony's lopsided smile contrasted poorly with the apprehension he had failed to keep out of his tone.

"Oh is that all?" Ziva's sarcasm filled the car. "You should be in bed Tony."

He leaned forward, head poking between the two front seats. "That an offer Zee-Va?"

Gibbs continued to drive and Ziva pretended to focus on the traffic in front.

"I was not suggesting my bed." She finally answered him.

"Not sure if my place will be up to your standards," he snubbed, sitting back and resuming his gaze out of the window.

"Not if your desk is anything to by-"

Tony snorted, enjoying the by-play but really feeling too exhausted to keep it up with his usual gusto.

"Don't people die from pneumonia?"

"McGee!" Gibbs barked, clearly having reached his limit with the lot of them.

"Sorry" McGee scrunched his face in apology.

"It's fine Probie, I'm fine, it'll be fine… " Tony forced an amused smile, turning away from the darkness outside the car as they progressed along the freeway at a more Gibbs-worthy pace.

"You don't look fine, DiNozzo."

Tony could practically hear the frown form on Gibbs' face. The little talk they'd had while fetching coffee had eased Tony's fears enough to last the day out and hopefully get a good night's sleep, but it sounded like he needed to return the favour and ease his boss's guilt before they could successfully call it a day.

"Nothing bad will happen," he appeased lightly, "and besides! I can't leave you guys… you can't live without me…" Tony forced another smile, "I just need to go home to bed, rest, watch a movie and all will be better tomorrow."

Gibbs took one hand off the steering wheel and pointed it at the beaming refection of Tony in his mirror.

"You think I'm letting you alone after the last time, you've got another thing coming, DiNozzo."

The car swerved dangerously into the next lane, but Ziva's lightning fast reflexes had her grabbing the wheel, and straightening the car before they left the road altogether.

"You can't still be mad about that." Tony shot back, once Gibbs refocused his attention on driving instead of yelling.

"Wanna bet?" Gibbs reacted immediately to the faces he knew Tony was pulling behind him. "I saw that, DiNozzo."

Rolling his eyes and throwing a disgruntled 'who me?' look at Ziva and McGee's stunned faces Tony sunk lower into his seat with a pout. Ziva quirked an eyebrow at McGee, signalling that she wanted more details on what could possibly make Gibbs loose his stoic coolness and why Tony suddenly felt brave enough to openly mimic their boss.

"Two years ago while in hospital recovering from the plague, Tony went missing…" McGee eyed Tony nervously, expecting him to jump in and stop him any second.

"How? Were you kidnapped?" Ziva was confused and it showed.

"Noooo" Tony laughed out loud before returning to his pout.

"He signed out AMA as soon as he was transferred out of ICU." McGee said quickly, earning himself a reproachful glare off Tony.

"Something he was expressly warned not to do." Gibbs added coolly.

Hearing Gibbs chime in had Tony covering his face with both palms, though he knew that didn't stop the glares he was receiving through the rear view mirror.

"Are we there yet?" He shouted out of desperation for a change of topic.

His cry brought a halt to any more discussion on the subject and as if on purpose Gibbs took the next exit off the freeway. They continued the rest of the journey in silence until Gibbs made a left onto a narrow dirt road.

"Couldn't get much more out of the way," Tony commented, noting the lack of anything in the general vicinity of the welcome to Lake Barcroft sign.

"There are a few cabins but they're all spread a fair distance apart around the lake. Summer homes mostly." McGee added. "Unlikely we'll find many people nearby at this time of year."

Ziva was the first to notice the large body of water, "Lake Barcroft I presume?"

"Oh goodie, more water."

Gibbs' sighed at Tony's tone. He wasn't exactly thrilled with the concept either, but as long as he kept his Senior Field Agent well away from the edge he didn't perceive a problem. Pulling up at the police tape he'd barely put the car into park before Ziva and McGee grabbed their gear and got out, heading towards the taped off crime scene. Tony was a little slower, showing no enthusiasm for the reason for their visit and if Gibbs was reading him right, looking more than a little disoriented. Watching him finally get his bearing and take a step out of the car Gibbs quickly jumped out and circled the sedan, walking up to DiNozzo with a determined stride.

"Boss?"

Gibbs ignored the mixed look of confusion and panic on Tony's face as he entered his personal space and reopened the front passenger door Ziva had shut behind her. Placing his hand firmly on the top of Tony's head, much like he would an arrestee, Gibbs' forced him to sit back down in the car.

"Stay." He commanded, poking him in the chest for added emphasis.

"Boss you're kidding right?"

Gibbs slammed the door shut without replying, locking it with the key fob as he walked away. Ziva was stood a few feet away watching them, clearly trying with supreme effort to hold on to the laugh that was bubbling up inside her.

"So Tony's only here because…?" she grinned slipping under the police tape on his approach.

"Because I'm not explaining to Ducky how I lost him a second time," Gibbs didn't miss a beat, ducking under the tape himself and walking passed her up to McGee who was talking to a local LEO. "What we got?"

TBC…