This happens while the rest of the team are covering Ziva and Gibbs, and twenty-four hours after that.

Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS or any of its characters.

Violet Tomlin, the Director of the Gdynia NCIS, originally from Chicago, poked her head out of her office, "Special Agent McGee?"

McGee's head snapped round, "Yes?"

"Director Vance called. He says if you're not on a plane in the next half hour, you're out of a job."

McGee grabbed his stuff, "Lucas, I want a phone call if there are anymore developments."

"But, Boss, we're off after Zee-"

McGee looked like his panicked younger self, at the same time as keeping some of his "Boss" persona in the voice, "Logan, I am aware of that, now tell Tony, something's cropped up in Washington and I needed to get back."

Lucas and McGee were the only ones left in the bullpen, therefore Lucas felt that this was an excellent opportunity to goad his boss, and though many people wouldn't realise it from their working relationship, friend. He cackled, "Oh my great Director, you forgot about Sophie's birthday party, didn't you?"

McGee rounded on Lucas, "You knew!"

"You knew too." Lucas came up on the defensive.

"You knew the whole week, and you didn't once remind me. What's Rule 1, Skywalker?"

"Never let suspects stay together, Elf lord?"

McGee shook his head confused. "Gibbs should have written these down, the other Rule 1!?"

"Oh, uh, never screw over your partner." Lucas said confidently. "The only thing is, Bossy Boots, You're not really my partner anymore. You're my boss. That makes the rule: Never screw over Tash or Jamey."

Lucas grinned. McGee sighed, "Okay, I'll start my own set, Rule 1: Never let your boss forget his goddaughter's birthday party that he could lose his job for missing."

"Yessir." Lucas saluted, "We should probably head to our respective 'I need to save my job' zones."

"We probably should, good point." McGee strode off pulling out his phone. "I need a really fast plane to Washington, and I need it to be ASAP. Money no object."

-----

The world's most jetlagged NCIS agent staggered into the Vance's household. It was crammed full of screaming children, one barrelled into McGee's legs, "Tim-o-tee!"

He picked up the child, ignoring the screaming in his head of, SLEEP, YOU IDIOT, SLEEP!, and swung her round, "Hey, Sophe."

"Presents?" The little girl's dark brown eyes widened as he put her down. McGee smiled down on her.

He pulled a wrapped box from under his jacket, as Leon walked through, "I didn't think you'd make it, Tim."

"Neither did I."

"You look awful," Leon remarked, but he was smiling as he watched his kid run off to open her present. "What did you get her?"

McGee tapped his nose infuriatingly.