"Abby? I brought you a visitor!" called Ziva.

"Yayy! McGee!" Abby rushed over and squeezed McGee tightly.

"Woah Abs! Cool it." McGee said. "I've just been shot."

"I'm sorry McGee." Abby apologized. Ziva walked him a little farther into the lab.

"Merry Christmas Abs—" McGee began. But before he could finish, Abby ran at him and kissed him full on the lips. Ziva smirked, let go of McGee's shoulders and snuck out of the room. When Abby let go of McGee, he stared at her.

"Wha—why—I—" he stammered.

"Mistletoe…" whispered Abby, obviously disappointed in his reaction. But then McGee grabbed her and kissed her, more in-to-it than last time. Abby returned the kiss and the two stood there kissing with much gusto. Suddenly Director Vance walked silently into Abby's lab. When he saw the couple lip-locked, he raised his eyebrows and back quietly out of the room.

"Megan Layen. Might I ask where you were approximately two hours ago?" asked DiNozzo. They had Megan Layen handcuffed in the interrogation room. DiNozzo was doing the interrogation and Gibbs was watching.

"I told you, I was at my mom's house." Megan said vaguely.

"What happened?" DiNozzo questioned.

"I was upstairs when suddenly I heard a scream. I ran downstairs and found my mother…lying there, in the kitchen, dead."

"Oh?" said DiNozzo. "Are you sure that you weren't downstairs, then ran upstairs, caused the scream, and then found your mother dead? Your causing?"

"Alright alright. Sure, I killed my mom. And my…and my brother." Megan confessed suddenly. DiNozzo looked taken back.

"Ohh."

"Boss!" Ziva entered the observation room quietly.

"Yeah?"

"Abby ran the latex gloves we found. There were prints inside the fingers and guess who they belonged to?" Ziva said.

"Oh no, not the guessing game! You've spent too much time with Abby," muttered Gibbs.

"Sorry boss," apologized Ziva. "The prints matched Michael Arbeit's! Megan didn't kill her mom." Gibbs rushed out of the room and into the interrogation room. He banged his fist on the table.

"You're lying. You did not kill your mother. Why are you covering for Michael?" snapped Gibbs. DiNozzo backed up. Megan started crying—real tears.

"C'mon sweetie," said DiNozzo without thinking. Gibbs glared at him. "I mean, tell us what you know and we'll put in a good word with the judge. Tell us why you're covering for your ex, tell us where we can find him. Tell us who killed your brother."

"I-I killed George. I'm really sorry, I had to. Michael was blackmailing me. He kidnapped me. I had no money, he…he said he was going to kill my mom if I didn't pay him. Then he did, and he said he was g-going to kill me!" Megan sobbed. "I killed George only because Michael forced me to. He s-said that by k-k-killing him, we…he…could collect George's fortune a-and I'd be free."

"Is that the truth?" demanded Gibbs.

"Yes…yes sir. The truth and only the truth."

"I believe her boss," said DiNozzo, his eyes not leaving Megan. Gibbs ignored him.

"Why did you shoot McGee?"

"So Michael could escape with out you finding h-him!" explained Megan.

"Where can we find him then? Where is Michael Arbeit hiding out?" asked Gibbs.

"T-try my mother's house," Megan stuttered. Gibbs grabbed DiNozzo and they walked out of the room, leaving Megan alone.

The team walked into the Layen's house for the third time on that late Christmas Eve. DiNozzo, gun out, knocked down the door and they all raced inside, guns pointed. They heard a clatter coming from upstairs, and they rushed up. Michael Arbeit was in the second bedroom, packing bundles of money into his back. Sticking out of his back pocket was a gun.

"Hands on your head!" shouted Gibbs. Michael whirled around, and pulled the gun out from his pocket.

"Drop the weapon!" demanded DiNozzo. Michael pulled the trigger twice, but the agents dodged the bullets. Gibbs immediately shot at Michael; he dodged them. Then DiNozzo shot at Michael's hand, and it hit. Michael dropped the gun automatically, and Ziva scooped down to pick it up. Gibbs grabbed Michael and hand-cuffed him. Together they pulled Michael out to the NCIS van.