AN: Wow! Overwhelmed by the number of follows already. I should warn you that this story is over 50,000 words so it is technically a novel! it has 23 chapters at present (number may alter as I go through and edit each chapter) and I will be posting one a day or every second day so you have a few weeks of NCIS angst ahead of you. Again, thank you so much for all the follows and those of you who have been kind enough to leave a review. Here is chapter two.
Chapter 2:
It was seven am on Tuesday morning when Tim walked into the NCIS squad room. Ellie Bishop was already there, concentrating on some files while munching on a breakfast burrito. Obviously needing to make some sort of connection in her head she was hoping the Mexican goodness would help. Tim didn't really understand how her brain worked, and he was pretty sure she didn't either, but somehow it did. "Morning Bishop," he said as he walked past her desk.
"Huh, oh yeah, hi Tim," she frowned and went back to her files then cried out, "OREOS!" before jumping up from the desk and running towards the break room. Tim shook his head. No definitely didn't understand her head at all.
He glanced over at Tony's desk whose current, temporary occupant, Ned Dorneget, was nowhere to be seen.
Tim threw his pack in its usual place behind his desk and settled in for the day. The last couple of weeks had been hell. They had worked all weekend only finally closing the case yesterday, Monday morning. Gibbs had been kind enough to let them go about three yesterday afternoon and McGee, while having finally had a good and long nights sleep, was hoping for a bit of break before another case came down.
Gibbs strode into the room with his morning coffee in hand and settled in behind his desk with nothing more than a tilt of his head in greeting to Tim. "Morning Boss."
Ned finally arrived ten minutes later looking like he had been pulled through a bush backwards. His hair, while usually scruffy, was a mess, even for him. Shirt ruffled and tie untied and he was carrying his shoes and socks. He tore into the squad room obviously panicked. Tim was worried. "What happened Ned?"
Ned began in his surprisingly high pitched but husky voice, "I know I'm sorry. The power in my building went off and then the alarm on my phone didn't go off like it usually does and when I woke up I just grabbed my stuff and ran out the door. I dressed as well as I could at the traffic lights, but today I didn't seem to stop at too many so I'm sorry I'm late and it won't happen again Gibbs," he finally took a breath, "please don't fire me!"
McGee and Bishop both looked over at Gibbs to see his reaction. Gibbs looked up at the tall man, his expression unreadable. In a voice as cold as steel he said, "Dorneget, do you know what time it is?"
"No, am I really late? I mean I just didn't stop and look I just … you know … bolted as soon as I saw my clock flashing."
Bishop couldn't stifle her giggle. Ned looked over at her then up and down at himself hoping he hadn't left his fly undone or something.
"You know work starts at oh-eight-hundred, Dorneget."
"I do agent Gibbs, I really do! I'm so sorr… Rule 13! Sorry! Damn it!"
This time it was McGee's turn to laugh. Gibbs also couldn't help the smile that came across his face. The look of surprise and confusion on Ned's face just made Tim and Bishop laugh all the more.
"Dorneget, it isn't even oh-seven-fifteen yet. You aren't late, your forty-five minutes early." Gibbs smiled before saying, "keep up the good work."
It was at that moment that Tim took a photo of Ned's face as the realisation of what had happened hit him. Tony was going to get a kick out of this one!
Dorneget slumped into his chair muttering under his breath something that sounded to Tim very much like, "I am such an idiot," as he started to put his shoes and socks on. Tim decided this was too much for a text and started to type up an email to Tony. Tony will be so pissed he missed this.
However, before Tim could finish the email and send it, Director Vance entered the squad room and stood in front of Gibbs desk.
Gibbs glanced up and quirked an eyebrow, "Something I can help you with Director?"
Vance looked as if he was trying to consider his words before he finally asked, "Have you heard from DiNozzo?"
Gibbs sat up straighter, "Not since last week? Why?"
"It's probably nothing, don't want to alarm you but…"
"But what Leon?"
"I didn't receive Tony's weekly report yesterday."
"And …?" Gibbs looked at him like he was crazy. "I'm still waiting on reports from DiNozzo from last decade!"
"I know, it's just since he has been in the Northwest office he hasn't missed sending in his weekly status report. Every Monday, straight after lunch there it is. When I hadn't received it by last night I called the office and they said that Tony hadn't turned up to work." The other members of the team didn't miss Gibbs head tilt and the slight frown that crossed his features. Something wasn't sitting right with him. Vance continued, "They assumed he was having the day off because he said he thought he was getting a cold but it isn't like DiNozzo to not tell someone if he isn't coming in."
"No it's not. Did you try calling him?"
"Of course, but it went straight to voicemail. That was why I was wondering if you had heard from him. Like I say it is probably nothing."
"No, that's not nothing. Something is wrong."
Vance sighed, "Now don't jump to conclusion Gibbs." But Gibbs was already out of his seat and heading to McGee.
"When was the last time you heard from Tony?" Gibbs asked McGee.
Tim thought back, "Ah, I received a text on Friday night."
Gibbs turned and looked at both Bishop and Dorneget but they both shook their heads indicating that they had heard nothing since then.
He turned back to McGee, "Call Abby and see if she has heard from him. She usually calls him over the weekend." Gibbs strode back to his desk and picked up his own phone.
Tim picked up the phone and dialled Abby's lab. He knew he would have to tread lightly with Abby or she could fly into a panic, "You have reached the amazing and talented Miss Abigail Scuito. How may I help you this fine day?"
"Hey Abby, I was wondering when did you last hear from Tony?" He held his breath hoping his voice sounded light and easy and didn't betray any of the worry that was starting to seep into his bones.
"Why, what's wrong, what's going on, is something wrong with Tony?"
"No Abby nothing is wrong," he crossed his fingers under the desk as he always did when he had to lie, "we just … um… think there is something wrong with his phone. Yeah that's it, and we need to know when it stopped working."
Abby remained silent and he could just imagine her squinting her eyes as she realised he was lying to her, and not well. "Something is going on and I need to know what it is."
Tim sighed, realising the jig was up, "Look Abby I will explain it all in a minute but can you just tell us when you last heard from Tony."
"I called him Sunday night but it went to voicemail so I assumed he was trying to sleep off his cold but before that…" he could hear her scratching around before she finished, "yeah here it is, I received a text from him on Friday night at 9:33. What's going on McGee. Is Tony alright?"
Tim covered the mouthpiece and told Gibbs about the text and then returned to Abby. "It's probably nothing but the director didn't receive a report from him yesterday and he didn't turn up to work."
"But Tony wouldn't do that McGee, he always calls in when he is sick! In fact he doesn't call in, he comes in because I can count on one hand how many times Tony has missed work because he is sick and a little cold would not keep Tony away from work. He came in after the plague McGee. The pa-lague! Something is wrong, something is very wrong. Trace his phone McGee. Find where his phone is. Hurry up!"
Tim started to do just that, "Good idea Abby." He typed in Tony's number to the program that locates phones but there was no response.
Gibbs had just hung up from Ducky who also confirmed he and Palmer had not heard from Tony since last week. "Trace his phone McGee."
"Ah, I am, I mean I did, well I am trying to do that but his phone must be turned off."
"What about his last location? Can you find that out?" Gibbs asked, now leaning over Tim's shoulder. He could feel the nervous energy waves coming from Gibbs. Or maybe they were his.
With the phone still cradled between his shoulder and his ear he started typing away. After a few minutes he confirmed that the text to Abby was the last action and he had a street location.
Vance looked at the address, "That is just near the apartment he is staying in. See he probably is just sick and forgot to charge his phone."
Gibbs was unconvinced, as was Abby on the other end of the phone who both started to voice their opinions… loudly.
"Look, calm down everyone. The Seattle office will be open in a few hours, I will make a call and if Tony still hasn't turned up I will send one of them around to check on him, OK."
Gibbs nodded his ascent but everyone could tell he wasn't happy about it. Tim and Bishop made mental notes not to annoy Gibbs for the next couple of hours and they silently prayed that Ned would do the same.
The next few hours dragged by even with the constant calls from Abby asking if they had heard anything so when the Director finally came down the stairs at half past eleven, all eyes looked his way. "He didn't turn up again this morning so I sent Special Agent O'Malley out to check on his apartment but he wasn't there."
"Director…" Gibbs began.
Vance held up his hand to stop him, "Wait, there's more. I have just received another phone call, this one from the Seattle police force. They arrested someone last night during an armed robbery and they have just traced the gun used. It's registered to Tony. His back up piece I am assuming." Gibbs looked at Vance, their facial expressions having their own conversation. "There is an army plane leaving for Alaska in an hour and they have agreed to make a detour to drop you off."
"McGee, you're with me." Both men grabbed their packs and were out the door to Andrews Air Force Base to catch their plane to Seattle.