Disclaimer: Not mine.

Half an hour after their speculation session, McGee and Abby found out just exactly how much Gibbs didn't like the situation when he came down to the lab for a status report.

"What did you find in the emails and…" Gibbs searched his tech-illiterate brain for the right term, but gave up. "Thingamies."

"Nothing that can tell us where Ziva might be," Abby said, then quickly added, "And no evidence that Tony knew about Yasar."

"Doesn't mean he didn't," Gibbs grumbled.

Abby shrugged and spoke without thinking. "No. But…so what?"

Gibbs turned narrowed eyes on her. "Excuse me?" She was his Abby. Not Tony's. Why was she going to Tony's defence?

Abby realised what she'd said and winced internally. But then, instead of taking it back, she steeled herself against the glare. "Ziva didn't do anything wrong, right? We're looking for her because we're worried about her, not because she's a felon on the run. So even if Tony did know exactly what was going on…so what? He's not aiding and abetting."

McGee backed her up when he saw the smoke starting to leak from Gibbs' ears. "Tony probably knew that Ziva was going someplace secret, but I really don't think he knew everything. Maybe not even why she was going."

The glare swung to McGee. "How's that?"

"Well, I've read more communication between them that I would ever care to, and I spend about 80 hours a week three feet from them. I know their partnership. And I do not believe that Tony would have been as calm as he has been over the last few days if he knew someone like Yasar was chasing Ziva."

Gibbs considered that, and damn it, he knew McGee is right.

"Besides," McGee continued when it looked like he had Gibbs' attention, "Tony wouldn't help Ziva hide something like that if he knew, right? He'd tell you."

Realisation slapped Abby in the face. "Oh," she said quietly to herself.

Gibbs and McGee looked at her expectantly, and Abby's eyed widened. She tried to cover her ass.

"Oh. Nothing."

"Give it up, Abby," Gibbs warned.

She shook her head. "It's probably not important."

Gibbs pulled out his Dad voice. "Abby."

This time, her wince showed on her face. "Um…well, Ziva and I had this conversation last week during which it kind of came up that Tony would definitely help Ziva cover up a MOAS if she needed him to."

At Gibbs' blank stare, Abby translated for him. "Mother of all secrets."

Gibbs' face took on the expression of someone fighting to control their skyrocketing blood pressure, before he dismissed it and turned to McGee. "There wasn't anything you could find that would be a clue to where Ziva is?"

"Nothing."

Gibbs didn't believe it. "I want to see those emails."

As intimidated as he was by his boss most days, McGee knew he could not let that happen. Although nothing explicit had been said, the IMs and texts were clear evidence of a very blurry line between personal and professional. If Gibbs read them, McGee could not be sure that he wouldn't split them up. And as tiring as Tony and Ziva could be on some days, McGee couldn't imagine coming to work if one of them wasn't there.

He borrowed some of the backbone Abby had just been using. "Boss, there's really no need. I pulled out everything that could be remotely relevant. If they discussed where she was going, they did it verbally."

Gibbs' eye began to twitch. "Am I hearing this?" he yelled. "You two are still on my team, right?

Abby crossed her arms angrily at what Gibbs was suggesting. That he thought it was him, Abby and McGee against Tony and Ziva. She would not stand for such a split.

"We all are, Gibbs," she said firmly.

"Then when are you gonna start acting like it?" he shot back. "Find me Ziva."

"I don't think she wants to be found, boss," McGee tried to reason. "She knows how to stay off the grid. We should be looking for Yasar."

Gibbs stepped up to McGee, so close their noses were almost touching, and for a horrified second Abby thought he would start swinging punches.

"CIA's all over that, Agent McGee," Gibbs said. "And I don't much care about him. I care about the safety of my team. Of which you are part, for the moment. If you can't find anything useful here, then you get your ass over to David's house and you find me something that is useful."

McGee swallowed. "Yes, boss."

Gibbs stepped back and McGee let out a breath.

"And if either of you see DiNozzo," Gibbs yelled as he left the room, "you tell him I'm looking for him."

A much shorter chapter, but you got two in one posting, right? More coming in a few days' time. I'd love some more reviews...