— He's home, boss.
— Is the man in charge of his protection still there ?
— He is.
— Fine.
— B…
Tony stared at his phone's screen after Gibbs hung up and deeply sighed inside his car, eyes on Tim's building.
He had never seen Gibbs that angry, nor Tim, by the way…or at least so rarely that it was then truly scary watching his boss react this way… He hadn't even heard that conversation they had in that parking lot, but according to McGee's face when he had received the task to drive him home…yeah, that mustn't have been very great.
Tony sighed another time and moved the key between fingers, the roaring of the vehicle now signaling him its departure…
— ...Anything new, Ziva ? he asked, entering the bullpen.
Ziva ended her current call and raised her head in her teammate's direction, Tony finally noticing Gibbs' presence when he reached his own working space.
— Seems like Prescott has been seen around here. A man from some hardware store was checking his security videos when he saw someone corresponding to our man.
Gibbs almost immediately stood up and walked in the middle of the bullpen.
— Alright, Ziva, Tony...go and visit him.
— Oh please, boss, let me g…wait, what ? Tony suddenly stopped, staring at Gibbs. You…you're not coming ?
— You've got a problem with that, Dinozzo ? Maybe you prefer staying here, writing reports ?
— On it, boss, Tony immediately said, grabbing his bag, following Ziva to the elevator…
— — — — — — — —
— ...Gibbs staying at NCIS rather than meeting someone who might help us with the case ? Sounds pretty disturbing…Ziva said as she went out of the car, taking off her sunglasses.
— Since when do Mossad Agents think something is disturbing ?
— Oh, come on, Tony ! You know what I mean.
— Yeah, well, I'd rather not talk about McGee right now, if you don't mind, because I'm pretty sure it's related to him.
— McGee is home, Tony…why would Gibbs stay at NCIS ? It's not like if he was willing to visit him, or something…
— Definitely not, if you want my opinion…especially after what I saw.
— Wow, wow, wow…Ziva suddenly ran to him, what did you see, Dinozzo ? No one kept me informed about any of this !
Tony stopped right in front of the hardware shop and tried facing the woman the way he could, bright sun over his head now half blinding his eyes.
— Are you kidding me, David ? You really want to have gossips ?
— What's wrong, Tony ? Ziva finally slowly asked, suspiciously looking for any clue he could be giving her.
— Forget it, we have someone to talk to...
— Spit it out, Tony ! We can spend a minute talking, it's not like if Prescott was about to come back any soon !
— Okay, David, Tony suddenly accused her, deeply gazing into her eyes, you and Gibbs interrogated Linkers that other night and no one ever thought of telling me that ?
— It was written in our reports…and you would have known it the next morning with McGee, it's not a big deal !
— Oh, you know what I mean…! Did you ever wait to read a report to know about an interrogation ?
— So what would you have wanted ? For us to interrupt your date of the night, in order to let you watch us from behind that glass ?
— Uh…yes, Ziva ! That's our job, remember ? And as far as I hate coming back to work when I'm already home, I know what I signed for !
Ziva sighed and took a look at the shop…
Maybe Tony was right…maybe they should have contacted him…somehow.
— It was definitely a last minute thing, I was here with Gibbs, and we only needed two people…she started speaking again the wrong way. But I guess we could have left you a message…she finally admitted, Tony noticing now the slight uneasiness in her voice.
— Yeah, that would have been nice, he gritted his teeth.
Ziva briefly glanced at the man inside the building.
— Happier ?
— Yeah, Tony ironically whispered, before heading to the door…
— — — — — — — —
— Anything new, Agents David and Dinozzo ? Director Vance asked as soon as they entered the bullpen again, both arms behind his back.
— We've talked to that man and watched his security tapes. We identified Prescott.
— And when was it ?
— Last night, Director, Tony answered.
— And a civilian identified our man at night from a security video ?
— He has a son in the Navy, so he's watching and reading a lot of informations about us. He found out about our Prescott's Wanted notice and thought he had recognized him.
— We spent hours outside, talking to a lot of people, Ziva gave him the answer he truly wanted before he even had to ask for it. No sign of him, Director, she finally shook her head.
— Anything on Miss Sciuto's side, then ?
— Still working on the computer, Leon, Gibbs added from behind his desk, quickly looking at everyone. She'll tell us as soon as she has some news.
Leon Vance sighed and suddenly stared at Tim's empty desk, now speaking louder than before.
— Is Agent McGee feeling alright, Agent Gibbs ?
— Everything is under control, Director, Jethro simply commented.
— Well, I guess you'll tell me about it later, Leon briefly said before heading to the MTAC again, a million thoughts inside his head…
— — — — — — — —
…Everyone had been working in the strangest discreet atmosphere ever for quite some time now, when Abby's face suddenly appeared on Tony's screen, blocking his view on his previous files.
— Hello, hello…! she exclaimed before stopping, noticing the surprise on his face. Wait, this is not Gibbs' computer !
Gibbs immediately walked to his agent's furniture, Ziva then reflexively joining the weird trio...
— I'm here, Abbs, what's new ?
— For now, I'm trying to understand why this hasn't been working the way I wan…
— Abby…the three NCIS Agents unexpectedly sighed at once, all momentarily looking at each other.
— Alright, alright ! McGee isn't here ?
— Not at the moment…Ziva calmly said, waiting for the info.
— Alright, then... I need all of you to join me to the lab ! she almost ordered. And tell Director Vance as well, please, guys !
— Director Vance ? Tony questioned her, Gibbs silently asking the same question.
— Oh, why don't you just come…! Abby complained in the end, before switching off the mysterious video chat.
The whole team, or at least the one available at the moment, finally reached the elevator, all guessing what would Abby be saying, but more importantly, wondering if they'd finally get something to really move on with the case…
— We're here, Abby.
— And I'm here as well, Miss Sciuto...
— Hey…hi ! I mean, hello, Director Vance, she nervously smiled. Alright, she quickly continued, already feeling the pressuring impatience flying all over the lab. I finally found the message I was really looking for, the one confirming the conversation between Prescott and Linkers. He had all everything wrong...! Great brain, she mumbled, but no memory at all...
She stopped a second and stared at the natural empty space left between the members of the team, that same space visibly due to the absence of Tim…
— Is anyone angry at McGee at the moment...? she asked.
— Abby...Ziva sighed, I already told you that he was…
— No, no, I don't mean right now, « right now », she begun weirdly gesticulating with both hands, I mean at the very moment !
Everyone started looking at her with deep incomprehension, wondering what she could be talking about…so Abby quickly typed a few words on her keypad and let them watch the Marine's ID in the middle of her large screen.
— Prescott has been asking for informations about a former potential dead Marine…she scarily sighed. Not Thomas, or anything, no… The Marine Timothy McGee.
Both Gibbs and Leon Vance suddenly silently approached that same screen, the rest of the team now standing still behind in a complete state of shock, and stared at the serious facial expression and half body in uniform, reading the various details next to it...
— This cannot be a real picture, Miss Sciuto.
— I know, Director...! Abby instantly reacted, visibly alarmed. But...Simon Prescott seems to think that McGee is responsible for something, and right now…she begun shaking both hands again, well, I'm very sorry for speaking that way, Director, but I'm really...really freaked out.
