NOTE: Okay, so it's been like a week since i updated, but i've just been liek really really busy with school crap and homework and stuff. So basically, this is the first chance I've had to really sit down and write anything. I'm really tired right now anyway, so i'm just gonna jump right in. This is a really long chapter, but mainly because it has alot of explaining and stuff. I may edit it or even rewrite parts of it, but for now, this is it. I'll try to do one more chapter this weekend, but i seriously doubt i'll have time. So please review and give me ideas or whatver you want, I just liek to know people are actually reading and what they think. Just say anything, even if it has nothing to do with the story. I dont mind. Oh yeah, and NCIS premiere on tuesday, so much awesomeness...

Long Nights

"TONY!" Tony looked up from the mountain of papers piled on his desk just in time to be trapped in one of Abby's vice-like hugs.

"Ab-Abby..." He managed to choke out. She quickly released him and darted over to Ziva's desk.

"ZIVA!" She shouted as she grabbed the other woman in an equally tight hug.

"Shalom Abby." Ziva responded amusedly. "Again." She added.

"Abby," McGee interrupted their reunion. "Tony and Ziva have been here for a couple days now. And you've done this everyday since then."

"Oh, McEnvious sounds a little jealous to me. What do you think Ziva?" Tony smirked at his partner.

"He does." She nodded solemnly.

"Timmy," Abby put her hands on her hips. "You were here all the time. You shouldn't be jealous of them! You don't know what they went through! They were in the line of fire for eight horrible months. Their lives in danger every second of every day." She narrowed her eyes. "They were literally putting their lives on the line every time they woke up to do their jobs. You were here, at NCIS headquarters the entire time, safe!"

"Ziva was working at the embassy and was stationed on an aircraft carrier that spent the entire eight months doing training missions!" McGee protested.

"That's not entirely true probie, we had to deal with," He paused for dramatic effect, "The storm. It started as an ordinary sunny day, but soon, there were waves taller than this building crashing against the side of the ship. I saw a fishing trawler get vanish into the waves and I was sure we would be next." He shivered at the memory.

"See McGee? Look how selfish you are! You know what? I can't even talk to you right now." Abby exclaimed before turning on her heel and heading back to the lab. McGee turned to Tony.

"That was the plot line to the perfect storm, wasn't it?"

"Yep."

"Cute Tony." McGee snapped at him. Ziva suppressed a giggle.

They then reluctantly returned to pouring over the vast amount of information regarding their wayward director. McGee let out a sigh as he tossed yet another one of Vance's old case files on the ground and picked up the last folder on his desk. He quickly skimmed it and threw it on the finished pile beside him. This was pointless. He then realized that something in the last folder had stuck out to him. It tickled something in the back of his mind.

On impulse, he reached down and retrieved the file he had just discarded and began to read it again. Carefully this time. His heart began to race as he realized what he may have uncovered; partly because it could save their director but mostly because it meant he could stop futilely combing through ancient cases.

"I...have to check something." He announced to the confusion of his teammates before rushing to the elevator.

"McGee! Probie!" Tony called after him. "Where do ya think he's going?" He glanced in Ziva's direction.

"Maybe he is going home?"

"Ha, I'd like to see Gibbs face when he finds out McGee-" He broke off. "He's right behind me, isn't he?"

Ziva quickly scanned the area before shaking her head.

"I do not see him." Tony gave a sigh of relief.

"Maybe we should follow his lead, I can think of a few things I would like to do in your apartment."

"I really do not think this is a good time for us to begin bargaining about sex Tony."

"You read my mind, Officer David." Gibbs commented calmly as he strode into the bullpen.

"Gibbs-I uh...what I meant was..." She stuttered.

"I know Gibbs, she just keeps wanting to get in bed with me. Very distracting. I'm working through it though, don't worry." Tony said with a completely straight face. Ziva's hostile glare failed to break him.

Gibbs ignored the him.

"Where the hell is McGee?" The bickering between his two remaining agents quickly came to an end.

"He uh..." Tony began.

"Is right here." McGee finished for him and quickly returned to his desk. "You're never going to guess what I found."

"I don't want to guess, McGee. I want to know. Now." McGee swallowed.

"Right." He typed a few keys on his keyboard causing Vance's personal file to appear on the screen.

"Director Leon Vance. In his dossier, there are numerous commendations from his superiors and co-workers, however, all of those before he joined NCIS are either missing, or not included. But, I found a mention of one from when he was attending Harvard which I think may be very important. So I had to go call a friend who works in the city archives to get the details. He's emailing them to me now."

Gibbs gave him a look that clearly said he didn't see the importance so far. A few more keystrokes and a more complete file appeared.

"Vance attended Harvard first, before Annapolis. The summer after his first year, he received a commendation for helping to catch a bank robber who had stolen several hundred thousands of dollars the year before. Vance's testimony is what put him away." McGee stopped reading as he realized the description of the case was extremely familiar. "You know, I was actually there at the trial, I can't believe I didn't realize I had seen the director before. I used to go to court with my dad as a sort of bonding experience-"

"Wait, you and your dad bonded at court trails?" Tony interrupted.

"Um...yeah." Tony thoughtfully scratched his chin.

"That explains a lot actually." He was about to say something more but Ziva elbowed him n the stomach.

"Continue." He wheezed. McGee however was still reminiscing about his past

"Those were good times. I was about twelve, maybe thirteen, and I remember that they didn't find all the money. For months I wondered where it was and would spend my weekends trying to find it."

"Wanted a pocket protector didn't we?" Tony managed to slide in before Ziva silenced him with another glare.

"You know, I think that may even be the reason I decided to join NCIS, the whole crime fighting thing. Anyway," He snapped back to reality, "I checked the prison records, and he was paroled last month."

"So, this could be about revenge? The Vance's testimony put the man in jail, and now he wants forward payment?" Ziva surmised.

"Yeah, it could be about payback," Tony put emphasis on the last word. "Very good Officer David. Good to know you haven't lost your edge."

"Neither have my knives." She hissed back. Meanwhile Gibbs was carefully studying the screen.

"Why'd he drop out of Harvard?"

"What?" McGee said.

"He was going to one of the best law schools in the nation and after he catches a felon, he drops out. Why?"

"Does that really matter?" Tony made a buzzing noise.

"I'm sorry, but that is the wrong answer. We were looking for 'on it' or 'right away boss'."

"Right. I'll find out. McGee grabbed the file and hurried away. Gibbs turned to Tony and Ziva.

"You two, find the man he sent to prison." He shot them a look. "and try not to get...distracted." He hid his smile at their dumbfounded expressions before he too left.

"You know what I just realized?" Tony finally said as they both stared at their boss's retreating figure.

"Everyone thinks we're sleeping together?" Ziva answered.

"No. We really should have asked McGee the name of the bank robber before he left." Tony rushed over to the other man's computer.

"Shit, he logged off...and I don't have the password."

"Why don't we call him?" Ziva suggested.

"Oh! Thats a great idea Ziva, why didn't I think of that? Oh yeah, I remember." He held up McGee's cell phone which was lying on his desk.

"Great, now we have to go through the files of every bank robber in the past twenty years. I thought we were done with paperwork." Ziva laughed.

"Do not worry Tony, I have had enough paperwork in the last few months that a little more is not so bad." Tony remained unsatisfied.

"It's gonna be a long few nights." He moaned as he stared at the paperwork piled on his desk. He glanced back to his partner and was startled to find her face suddenly mere inches from his own.

"Well, when this is over, I will do my best to make future nights much more...enjoyable." She whispered seductively.

"Really?" Tony's smile increased by several watts.

Ziva whirled around and strutted back to her own desk.

"I may put another pillow on my couch for you." She called back to him.