Warnings: Slight spoilers for "Enemies Foreign"

A/N: I apologize for the longer than usual wait. Hope you enjoy this chapter. I'll try to get back to regular updates but real life has gotten insanely busy and the holiday season is fast approaching!

"Hey, Gibbs," Tony greeted when the team leader opened the back door and stepped into his house. "I made dinner. Homemade meatballs and sauce."

"Where's your sling?" Gibbs snapped, more forcefully than he intended but given his high stress level, it was understandable.

Tony grinned and spooned the meatballs and sauce into a big bowl. "Natalie and I had the same argument about four hours ago now. I'm fine, boss. It hurts, but nothing that I can't handle. The sling was just getting in the way and I promise that I'll take it easy."

Gibbs watched as his senior field agent took the food to the dining room table. He noticed that Natalie was on the sofa, reading one of the books from his shelf. Both of his agents looked relaxed and rested. He wished that he didn't have to bring up the inquiry and Eli David. "Probably best you don't have the sling—you're going to need your best suit."

Stopping what he was doing, Tony looked up at his boss, perplexed. "My best suit for what, boss?" he inquired. Immediately the younger man could tell that something was wrong, just by the look in Gibbs' eyes. "Boss? What's going on?"

Natalie perked up with that question. She bookmarked where she was in her book and got off the sofa. She might not have worked as long with Gibbs as Tony had but she was learning the signs of when the team leader was worried about something. He got this certain look in his eyes and he was giving that look to both of them right now. "Does Tony have to testify for something?"

"I think you both should sit down for a second," Gibbs said, stiffly. "We need to talk."

"Talk?" Tony repeated. "Are you breaking up with us, boss?"

"DiNozzo," Gibbs sighed, "sit down, please."

Tony glanced at Natalie and lowered his body into a seat. "Boss said please. This can't be good."

Natalie slowly sat down next to Tony. "Is this about last night?"

Gibbs shook his head. "No. It's about your report on Somalia, Callahan."

"What? My report? I wrote that a year ago."

"Appears it's caused quite the stir. There's going to be an inquiry into Eli David's actions regarding Somalia."

Tony reached underneath the table and grabbed Natalie's hand. "You mean someone was a little upset that he used us as bait?"

Gibbs nodded. "Yes. You're both going to have to testify."

Natalie instantly felt panic. She had come to terms with what happened in Somalia through therapy sessions but she was in no way shape or form ready to speak about it again. Why wasn't her report enough? Why did she have to get up there in front of strangers and talk about what she'd seen, been through in that awful little room? "Why do they want us to testify? Everything that happened to us is in those reports."

"It's more powerful coming from the witness," Gibbs told her softly.

"I get up there and speak out against Mossad—I'm writing my death sentence," Natalie snapped, tears forming in her eyes.

"Not speaking out against Mossad—Eli David."

"Fine, still writes my death sentence."

Gibbs could see the turmoil clearly in her eyes. "I wish you didn't have to testify either, Natalie, but if you refuse, you're going to be subpoenaed."

Natalie let go of Tony's hand, pushed her chair back, and fled up the stairs to the guest room. Both men jumped slightly when the door slammed shut.

Tony glanced sadly at Gibbs. The senior field agent had been comforting and helping Natalie through her nightmares from Somalia for a year now, they would probably never fully go away and he understood her fear in speaking on the matter. "She's right you know. Eli isn't afraid to kill to keep his position of power. If he thinks it's necessary he'll silence her. She's the one that can bring him down."

"Believe me the thought has crossed my mind."

"So, what do we do to make sure it doesn't happen, boss?"

"We just need to be on high alert."

"Not going to be good enough for her," Tony said, standing. "Not sure it's good enough for me, boss."

Gibbs watched as Tony disappeared up the stairs to go coax Natalie back down for dinner. He took his cellphone out and dialed. The person he needed to contact picked up after the first ring. "McGee... I need you to get the safe house ready."

"You realize this safe house isn't going to stop Mossad," Natalie said as Tony opened the door to a small, hidden cabin.

"Harder to find you here than at your apartment or mine," Tony said, stepping into the cabin. He flicked a light on. "And Ziva doesn't know about this one."

Natalie stepped inside and dropped her bag by the easy chair. She was exhausted. She had not slept at all the night before, no matter how much Tony assured her that she was going to be safe, that Gibbs was not going to let Mossad hurt her—she couldn't shake the fear or paranoia. Her testimony had the potential to bring Eli David to his knees...

Tony wanted to take all her fears away and perhaps that couldn't happen until Director David was dead. The man was always going to be a constant threat as long as he was alive and breathing. "Nat," he whispered, "it's going to be fine. Once you settle in here and get some sleep... you'll feel better. I know everything feels bleak right now because you quite possibly have an agency of assassins after you."

"Great, Tony, is that supposed to make me feel better?" Natalie snapped. "Because it doesn't!"

"Come here, beautiful," Tony whispered, opening his arms to her. When she shook her head, he countered, "Just come here for a second, okay?"

Giving in, Natalie collapsed into his arms and buried her nose into his shirt. Immediately the scent of his cologne washed over her. She felt her muscles relaxing, the tension leaving her body and sleep starting to overtake her. It was the first time she had felt safe since Gibbs had come home and informed them that they were going to be testifying at this inquiry.

Tony quietly reached down and lifted her into his arms. He carried her into the small bedroom and laid her down on the bed. Natalie watched as he slipped her shoes off and then pulled the throw blanket at the end of the bed around her. Gently he kissed her cheek. "Go to sleep. You'll feel better once you're rested. And I promise, I'm here, nothing is going to happen to you."

Natalie snuggled underneath the blanket. As she gave in and started to drift off to sleep, she heard Tony on the phone with Gibbs. "Yeah, we made it," he said, softly, "and yes, I finally got her to sleep."

Gibbs wasn't surprised that Eli David sent one of his minions looking for Natalie and Tony. Even less surprised that Director David was more interested in Natalie than Tony and wanted to speak with her personally before she was called before the inquiry board. "Agent Callahan is at a disclosed location until her testimony," the lead agent told Amit Hadar. "When the hearing is over, if Director David wishes to speak to her, he can—under my supervision."

Hadar's young partner, a woman, Liat Tuvia, scowled. "What is so valuable about this woman that you all protect her like prized gold?"

Vance set his jaw. "She's a good agent and I protect all my agents in my agency, equally. Mossad has quite the history with Agent Callahan, and not a good one. I don't exactly trust Director David in this case."

"Then I propose we do this supervised visit before the hearing," Hadar said, softly.

"No," Gibbs snapped.

"No?" Liat repeated. "She is the only one that can stop this madness!"

"And she's also the only one that could send your boss to prison," Gibbs replied, angrily. "You've used her as bait once, Officer Tuvia. Surely you can understand why I do not trust you."

Liat looked like she was about ready to go off on Gibbs when Hadar held his hand up. "Director Vance I really do not want to get our embassy involved with your state department, but believe me," he said, "I will if I must. Mossad has every right to speak with Agents Callahan and DiNozzo."

Vance narrowed his eyes. "You spoke with Agent Callahan just a few weeks after she returned from Africa. Office Bashan took her statement. As for Agent DiNozzo, I forwarded his report to Mossad as well. What more do you think they have to say on the matter a year later?"

Hadar glanced at Gibbs for a moment. "Do you realize the danger that Director David is in because he has to travel to America? As we speak assassins are on their way right now to take him out. A man of his stature has made quite a few enemies throughout the years."

"Secretary of the Navy and the Secretary of State has authorized NCIS to provide a full protection detail if need be," Vance stated, calmly. "And the FBI, along with Homeland Security is tracking the assassination team as we speak."

"If Director David dies because we were not allowed to speak to your agents, it will be his blood on your hands," Liat snapped before opening the door and storming out of the NCIS director's office.

Gibbs didn't flinch. His top priority was to keep his agents safe. If Eli David were to die on his trip to the United States, well, he had certainly dug his own grave with his past actions. The NCIS team leader was not about to sacrifice his agents' lives for the Israeli. Natalie had almost given up her life once because of Mossad. And Tony was willing to die for Natalie out there in that desert... it was not an option letting Mossad speak to the agents before their testimony.

Hadar said nothing when he left, his dark eyes falling on Gibbs with a look of understanding. Gibbs had always felt that Hadar got him and his desire to keep his people safe but he was not about to speak out against his colleagues.

Vance sighed when both Israelis had left. "Won't be long until they realize that you stuffed Natalie and Tony away in a safe house."

"I'm not worried about it," Gibbs said. "They're there for a reason and they're going to stay there until Eli is back in Israel."

"Or dead," Vance quipped.

"Whatever comes first I suppose."

"You better hope that Mossad doesn't learn the location of that safe house."

Gibbs shrugged and smiled. Vance rolled his eyes and told him to get back to work.

Dusk had settled over the mountains and the wind had picked up rattling the bare branches against her window. Natalie woke up with a bit of a startle, forgetting where she was and why she was there in the first place. "Tony?"

In the other room she heard some movement and then a tall shadow appeared in her door, drowning out the light. "I'm right here, Nat," Tony's voice said, assuring her. He sat down on the edge of the mattress and reached out to smooth her mussed hair. "I'm not leaving you."

"You lied," she whispered, "I don't feel better now that I've slept."

"Natalie, I'm going to protect you. Eli David is going to have to dispose of me to get to you," Tony said, eyes darkening.

"And that's scares me, Tony," Natalie confessed. "I don't want anyone to die for me over all this."

Tony sighed and reached for her, pulling her tightly against him. He softly kissed her temple. "In a few days this will all be over, darling, and things will go back to normal. I promise."

Natalie closed her eyes. "You can't make promises like that, Tony. We don't know what's going to happen..."

In the other room the front door of the cabin rattled. Tony immediately let go of her and drew his weapon, positioning himself protectively in the door way with the gun aimed right at the front entrance. The heavy door swung open and Gibbs stepped in from the shadows, a cloud of dead leaves rushing into the room with him. "Put that thing away, DiNozzo," he scolded the SFA.

"Thanks for the heads up that you were coming, boss," Tony snarked, putting his weapon back into his holster.

"Had to remain silent incase Mossad is listening in on my calls or tracing my cell," Gibbs said, putting a bag of take out food down. "Figured you'd be hungry."

Tony opened the bag and took out the containers. "Thanks, boss," he said with a smile.

Natalie peeked her head out of the bedroom. Shyly she stepped into the large common room in the cabin and went to the table. She hadn't seen Gibbs since she had stormed upstairs to his guest room and she wasn't sure how he felt about that. The team leader placed a large soda in front of her and when she looked up at him, he smiled at her gently telling her all she needed to know. "Is Mossad pissed off?"

Gibbs chuckled as he shoveled food into his mouth. "They'll get over it."

"You staying the night with us, Gibbs?"

"Someone has to watch your six, DiNozzo."

"No arguments from me then, boss."

Shifting, Natalie almost immediately felt relieved. She wasn't sure why. Was it the simple thought that both Gibbs and Tony were there to make sure she was safe? They had both been there the night before and she hadn't been able to sleep at all. Perhaps, Tony had been right, that once she got some sleep she was going to start to feel better.

Tony leaned over and kissed Natalie's temple, seeing the obvious change in her demeanor as her shoulders eased. "See," he whispered, "I told you that everything was going to be fine."