Tony stepped out of the elevator in shock. He had been in a sort of shock going into the elevator but this was different. What Commander McGee told Tony made weird sense but it also meant that this whole mess was true. It wasn't a terrible nightmare he was going to wake up from. It also meant that someone he considered a friend was literally on the run for his life. And not just from prior warning before shooting Federal Agents either.

Tony turned and addressed Commander McGee.

"Thank you. I will try and let you know if we find him. And please if he contacts you or anyone else let us know"

The Commander nodded briskly.

"Of course and thank you Agent DiNozzo"

Tony smiled briefly "I wish we had met under different circumstances"

The Commander smiled "Definitely. Timothy was always very complimentary of you and I think I can see why."

"He was?" Tony found himself surprised. He kind of figured that McGee would have told his family about his paper throwing, skirt chasing, super gluing antics with some vigorous eye rolling disapproval.

"Of course. He admires you very much. He was very proud to be on this team and spoke of you all often."

Tony smiled and shook hands with the Commander. There was a stern righteousness in the Commander that Tony could see in McGee's own behavior. Tim always offered to carry the heavier equipment rather than leave it to Ziva, he always tipped well, opened doors first and had probably helped old ladies across the street.

Tony stood in the empty bullpen and remembered it had only been a few days ago they had all been sitting at their desks, laughing and annoying each other. He had warned McGee to brush up on boat building in case he needed something to talk to Gibbs about on the plane. McGee had immediately got that little worried pouty look as he contemplated potential topics of conversation.

It had made Tony laugh at the time and it had seemed like the most worrying part of McGee's eagerly anticipated trip to L.A.

Tony hoped Tim was still alive.

No don't go there. He had work to do.

Tony tried to calm his turbulent thoughts. Who to see first?

Vance

Tony pounded up the stairs and doing a Gibbs burst into the Directors office.

Vance turned from where he was working on his computer and frowned at Tony.

"I hope you have a good explanation for barging in here Agent DiNozzo"

"As a matter of fact I do Director."

Tony turned and quickly closed the door behind him and then launched into a brief explanation of what he had been told.

Vance looked quite relieved initially and then he went back to troubled again. He had been as shocked as the others that the young agent he had trusted with some of the Agency's highest security clearances had suddenly apparently gone rogue.

"Well obviously until we have confirmation I shall still have to proceed under the assumption that McGee is a possible risk to the agency. But still it is an interesting theory. Keep me informed DiNozzo."

Tony nodded and left Vance deep in thought as he sat at his desk with his hands clasped together.

"Tony?" Vance lifted his head, his eyes determined

Tony stopped at the door and turned, eager to get on with the thousand and one things he needed to do.

"Try and bring him home safe"

Tony smiled quietly and nodded briskly, just once. He had forgotten that Vance had come to trust McGee too.

"Yes Sir"

With that Tony disappeared out of Vance's office and down the stairs.

What next? What next? What next?

Abby. She would need to know.

Tony dashed down to the lab and was pleased to find Ziva there as well. She seemed to be talking quietly with Abby and had her hand on top of the tall Goth girls own pale one, as if lending support.

They both looked up as Tony came in and Abby surreptitiously wiped the tears from her eyes. Tony took a deep breath and started into his explanation.

"Abby. Ziva. Ok I have something to tell you. It's about McGee. I kind of had a Luke, I am your father moment with McGee's Dad just now. Actually it was more like Lucas, I am NOT your father but the shock was still the same. You remember that first time you see Star Wars and you're like no way! Darth Vader can't be Luke Skywalkers father? But then it sort of makes sense too?"

"Tony!" Ziva was impatient. This was not the time to be talking about movies.

"Yes?"

"What on earth are you talking about?" Ziva was looking at him strangely as if her suspicions about him cracking under the pressure were true.

"Oh ok yeah right sorry you don't know. I think I know why McGee shot Gibbs"

Abby shot her hand in the air and started practically jumping up and down

"Oh oh. I know I know. I have been thinking about it and the ONLY way it could be possible is that there are TWO McGee's. The real McGee is captive somewhere and refusing to talk or hack or whatever they want from him. The other fake McGee was someone who with the help of some plastic surgery replaced the real McGee the day before the trip to LA and then when he got Gibbs alone. Bang. Poor Gibbs.

So now we have to marshal the forces and go find poor Timmy chained up a basement somewhere. I vote we catch the fake McGee and put thumb screws on him until he squeals and then.."

"Abby." Tony put his hands up to try and stop the onslaught

"But Tony that HAS to be the reason. Nothing else makes sense!"

"Except that he is a mole and a foreign agent" Ziva said calmly

"Ziva!" Abby was horrified. Her Timmy was being beaten and held captive in a dark dreadful dungeon somewhere and they had to hurry up and get him OUT!

Abby glared at Ziva "You take that back Ziva! Tim would NEVER betray his country."

Ziva shrugged "No. I will not take it back. I am only saying what everyone else is not. It would be foolish to not acknowledge the obvious. We are investigators. McGee shot Gibbs. I don't like it but I have seen deep cover agents before. It is something that should be considered."

"Tim was horrified when he thought I might be the Domino traitor because I had the radioactive dye on my hands. He came into interrogation and pleaded with me."

Abby defended her sweet Timmy remembering how he had snuck into Interrogation and at her own admission of innocence he had kissed her in delight.

"Perhaps that was because he already knew who the real traitor was"

Ziva countered her argument with cool precision. Someone in this team needed to consider all aspects. It might prove to be the only way they could keep Gibbs and possibly even McGee safe.

Abby's eyes sparked furiously and she stepped towards Ziva who narrowed her eyes and subtly adjusted her balance.

Tony looked back and forth between them, worried and then stepped in between the two women with his hands in the air.

"Whoa whoa there ladies. Please no fighting. And for goodness sake don't shoot each other. This team has enough issues without you two being at each others throats. Now I have a possible reason for McGee shooting Gibbs but I don't think either of you are going to like it much. Are you two going to be friends and listen to me?"

Tony turned and looked at each of them sternly. Part of him wished McGee could be here to see a chic fight between Ziva and Abby over him. He would love that. But a bigger part just wished the whole mess would go away. Besides thinking about McGee just made something in his chest hurt.

"Ok?"

Both women grudgingly nodded and Tony quickly pulled them into a fierce hug and kissed the tops of their heads, holding them both tight for a moment in his arms before releasing them. Tony cleared his throat loudly. He was getting choked up about loosing them now. Gibbs had given them a fright, Probie was hopefully still alive and they were currently all that was left of his team. His family.

Tony sucked in a deep breath and blinked back tears. Damn it he wouldn't cry. What would that do to his reputation? He was currently Senior Field Agent and with Gibbs out of action that made him team leader. They were looking up to him to get them all out of this mess.

"Right. Campfire"

Abby and Ziva eagerly grabbed chairs and sat down next to Tony

"This is going to be difficult to explain so please don't interrupt" Tony gave Abby a warm smile and she nodded.

"Ok basically NCIS Special Agent Timothy McGee was born Lucas Bartlett. He was the youngest child to Sandra and Terrance Bartlett and little brother to Troy Bartlett. The entire family was in the Witness Protection Program. They were all killed in an execution style hit with McGee the only survivor when he was seven. McGee's father Commander McGee adopted him. He came to see me this morning. He believes that the Luciano crime family somehow tracked him down and threatened McGee and now he has gone to confront them over the deaths of his family. He thinks McGee shot Gibbs to cut his ties to the agency and essentially make sure he stayed safe out of the way."

Tony looked up from his clasped hands to see how it was being received.

"Oh. They killed his mother, father and brother? And now they are after him? Oh. That is terrible. Oh poor Timmy."

Abby's eyes were huge as Tony pulled out the photo Commander McGee had given him out of his pocket and showed them.

"Lucas" Tony interrupted

"What?"

"His real name is actually Lucas. Almost everything we knew about him is wrong. Where he was born. When he was born. Who his parents were. He had an elder brother not a younger sister. It's probably why he became a federal agent in the first place. Getting justice for those who couldn't, that sort of thing."

"I always thought Sarah never looked anything like him" Ziva mused

"Ok well I'm going to call Gibbs and give him an update. Who knows maybe some of this makes sense to him. Maybe McGee said something to him early in the day that didn't seem much at the time. But we need to make this the focus of our investigation. At least it's something to pursue."

Tony pulled out his phone

"Can I speak to Agent Gibbs please? Room 201….I'm sorry what? When? Do you know where he went?"

Ziva and Abby watched fascinated as Tony hung up and cursed softly.

"Gibbs has left the hospital. Checked himself out against medical advice. Didn't say where he was going."

Tony tried Gibbs's cell phone next. It went straight to message bank.

"Hey Boss? Tony here. Would you mind calling in and telling us WHERE THE HELL YOU ARE? I also have some information about McGee that you might find interesting"

Tony snapped the phone shut and stood there. Part of him wanted to celebrate. Gibbs the undeniable force was up and about. Cranky and probably in unbearable pain but still. Damn it. Where was Gibbs? Was he coming back to Washington? Was he going after McGee? Did Gibbs know something they didn't?

Tony turned and tapped his closed phone against his forehead. McGee – AWOL, Gibbs – location unknown. Seriously would everyone stay together in one place already?

Tony nodded to himself. Right well it was Team Leader time and he needed to get this mess sorted out. Besides Probie owed him $50 bucks in lunch money for the last couple of weeks.

"First thing I need you to do Abby is to get locator chips on everyone. I want to know where my team is at all times. And that includes Ducky and Palmer too. No one disappears without telling me where they are going first. Then get going on analyzing the security camera footage from outside the diner that was sent over. There must be something we can use.

Ziva. I need you to pull everything you can on the Bartlett murders. Who was there, any leads, everything you can on why they were under Witness Protection in the first place. Put a trace on Gibbs's phone as well as Commander McGee's and Sarah McGee's in case McGee tries to contact them."

"I will be getting up to speed on the Luciano Crime Family and see what the hell might have sent them off after McG…Lucas twenty five years after they killed his family."

Abby and Ziva smiled and hustled off to do his bidding with a chorused.

"Yes Boss!"

Tony smiled grimly and headed back up to the bullpen. Everything was going to be fine. He was going to make sure it was.