A/N: I haven't said it for a while, but THANK YOU to all who have taken the time to read and review. It is much appreciated and often inspiring.

We are starting to get into some serious stuff, so chapters may take a bit longer to post than usual. I hope you'll all hang in there. Gotta get through some angst for at least a couple of chapters, which is not easy (for me) to write as I love these character so much.

Disclaimer: Don't own, not making a cent, yabba yabba.

Ch 14 – Searching

Tony pulled into his parking space and switched off the engine. He caught a glimpse of himself in the rearview mirror and noticed that he was grinning like a fool. As much as he wanted to solve Greg's murder and catch Thorson, he was excited at the thought of staying with Gibbs until the case was over. He grabbed his backpack and stepped out of the car, still grinning. He hesitated after reaching the top of the stairs and looked down the hall in both directions before slowly making his way toward his apartment. He let out a sigh of relief when he saw that his front door was, thankfully, unadorned with flowers. Tony unlocked the door and stepped into his apartment. After a brief glance around he headed for the kitchen. He grabbed a beer out of the fridge and took a long pull from the bottle. Not knowing how long he would be staying with Gibbs, Tony checked the fridge and tossed out anything that was close to turning into a science project. He pulled the full bag from the trashcan and tied it closed. He would take it out to the Dumpster when he left.

Tony heard the muffled sound of "Reveille" from his cell phone and grinned as he pulled his phone from his pocket, having assigned that particular ringtone to Gibbs. He flipped the phone open and asked sweetly, "Awww, you miss me already?"

Gibbs smiled and chuckled, "Just making sure you got home, and I wanted to tell you to pack enough for at least the weekend." Tony smiled at the emphasis.

"Sure thing, Jethro," Tony said as he looked at his watch, "I'll be there in thirty minutes, okay?"

Tony could swear he actually heard Gibbs grinning. "Yeah, see you in a few." Tony was about to close his phone when he heard, "Hey Tony? I love you."

"I love you too," Tony said softly before ending the call.

A hundred thoughts ran through his mind about how his life had changed so much in such a short time. For the first time in his life, Tony felt like he really belonged. He no longer had to pretend to be someone or something he was not. Gibbs loved him despite his issues and insecurities, and the team was his family. He chuckled to himself as he wondered what Kate would think of his relationship with Gibbs. Tony looked up as if speaking to her in Heaven, "I know you wouldn't approve Kate, but I love him."

Tony switched on the TV as he walked past it on the way to his bedroom. He went to his dresser and opened a carved wooden box and placed his Sig inside. He found the box at an antique store in Georgetown that Jeanne had dragged him to. He then went to his huge walk-in closet and pulled a Louis Vitton suitcase down from the shelf above his rack of suits and placed it on the bed. He hung the dark blue Armani suit he had worn that day in the closet leaving him in only his shirt, socks and boxer briefs. He quickly stripped out of those and threw the garments in the hamper. Not having time for a shower, he pulled on his favorite tight black jeans and a soft red v-neck sweater. He checked his reflection in the full-length mirror and finger-styled his hair into some semblance of order. "I guess that will have to do," he muttered to himself.

Tony decided to take a variety of clothes with him. He carefully put a couple of suits into a garment bag and threw more casual selections from his extensive wardrobe into the suitcase. He quickly splashed on some cologne and grabbed his toiletry kit from the bathroom. He pulled a pair of socks from his dresser and headed back to the living room to grab his favorite sneakers from the coat closet next to the entryway. He only made it a couple of steps into the living room when he felt a sharp sting before everything went black.

Gibbs had showered and dressed and was now pacing around his kitchen, coffee mug in hand. He had chosen this best jeans and a grey button down dress shirt for the evening. He had a pretty good idea what Abby and McGee were going to announce so he thought he owed it to them to dress up a bit for the occasion. He looked at his watch and frowned; it was already 6:45 and Tony had yet to show up. Gibbs pulled out his phone to call Tony. It rang four times before going to voicemail. Gibbs thought Tony must be in traffic if he didn't answer. Tony never let his phone ring more than twice before answering. At the prompt he barked, "You're gonna have to explain to Abby why we're late if you aren't here in the next two minutes." He tried Tony's home phone with the same result.

At 7:15 Gibbs' phone rang. "Shit," he muttered to himself before flipping the phone open. "GIBBS," Abby shouted into the phone. "Where are you guys? Everyone's waiting." Abby sounded more excited than worried. A thought struck her and she suddenly lowered her voice into a seductive tone. "Couldn't resist a little Tony lovin', eh bossman?" Abby snickered by tensed when Gibbs didn't immediately reply. "Gibbs, you there," she asked, concern creeping into her voice.

Gibbs cleared his throat as he continued to pace nervously. "Tony's not here yet, Abs. He should have been here half an hour ago."

Abby gasped, "Have you called him? I mean, Tony is never late, Gibbs."

"Yeah, I know" Gibbs sighed, "got his voicemail and answering machine." Gibbs heard a car coming up the street and peered out the window. "Damn," he thought to himself; it was just Bill Nelson from next door. "I'm gonna drive over to Tony's and see if he's still there. Let me know if you hear from him." Gibbs cut the call before grabbing his keys and running out the front door.

Gibbs couldn't shake the nagging feeling of dread as he made the twenty minute drive to Tony's in less than fifteen. He squealed to a stop in the empty parking space next to where Tony usually parked. He quickly jumped out and ran toward the building. Taking the stairs two at a time, Gibbs was at Tony's door in less than a minute. He raised a hand to knock when he noticed that the door was slightly ajar. Gibbs drew his Sig from its holster and slowly pushed the door open. He silently entered the apartment and cleared each room finding no sign of Tony.

He noticed the garment bag and open suitcase lying on Tony's bed. It didn't appear that anything in the apartment had been disturbed. Gibbs knew that Tony frequently visited with and helped out some of the elderly people who lived in his building, but he also knew that Tony would have called him if he was running late. Gibbs stood in the middle of the living room as fear crept over him. "DAMMIT," he yelled into the empty room, "I never should have let him come here by himself!" He frantically pulled his cell phone out and hit speed dial for McGee. While he waited for the call to connect, he thought, "Abby is going to kill me!"

McGee, Abby, Ziva, Ducky and Palmer were sitting around a large round table at La Casa working on their second round of drinks. La Casa was a popular Mexican restaurant in Georgetown. Being a Friday night, the place was packed and the mood festive. A local band had just started playing and the dance floor was crowded. The team had to shout across the table to each other in order to talk.

McGee suddenly felt his phone vibrate and unclipped it from his belt. He saw that it was Gibbs on the caller ID and immediately unlocked his iPhone to answer. "Hey, boss. We get a case or something," McGee shouted into the phone before hearing a heavy sigh on the other end.

"I wish, McGee," Gibbs muttered as he leaned his head back and closed his eyes. "Tony's missing," he forced out around the lump forming in his throat.

McGee stood abruptly and walked several feet away from the table so that he could hear better. He turned away, stuck a finger in one ear, and whispered into the phone so as not to alarm Abby. "Missing, boss?"

"Um, yeah, Tim. He was gonna drop by his apartment and pack some clothes to stay with me until we catch Thorson. He was supposed to show up at my place at 6:30. I'm at Tony's apartment now. The door was open when I got here. His car is gone, his TV is on, but there's no sign of him. He's not answering his phone, either."

McGee pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath. "Look boss, everyone is here. What do you want us to do? We can all be at Tony's in ten minutes, or…," he trailed off as Gibbs interrupted.

"McGee," Gibbs shouted before swallowing hard and lowering his voice, "I need you and Ziva to come here. Have Abby go back to the office and try to track Tony's phone. It keeps going straight to voicemail."

"You got it, boss. See you in ten," McGee said before ending the call. He stood silently before turning back to the table. He immediately noticed the questioning expression on Ziva's face. "How the hell do I tell Abby that Tony is missing?" McGee thought to himself. He stood up straight and saw that everyone at the table had ceased talking and were all staring at him. He cleared his throat before calmly saying, "That was Gibbs. Tony never made it to his place; he's…missing."

Abby jumped up and threw her arms around McGee's neck. "OH NO, TIMMY! What did Gibbs say? Where is he? Timmy, talk to me!" Utterly distraught, Abby started to sob and tears began streaming down her cheeks.

Everyone started asking questions at once, all of them obviously concerned. McGee gently peeled Abby off of him and held his hands up in front of him. "Gibbs is at Tony's apartment. Ziva, he wants you and I to get there … NOW." He turned and pulled Abby into a hug and tried his best to calm her, "Shhh, shhh, Abby, it's gonna be all right. We'll find Tony; just like we always do when he goes missing." He held her at arms length and looked into her tear filled eyes and tried to summon an encouraging smile, "Gibbs needs you to go back to the Navy Yard and try and track Tony's phone. It's just going to voicemail."

Abby instantly grabbed her jacket and purse and started pacing. "Yes, yes, right, of course." She was about to bolt for the door when she realized she did not have her car there. She turned back to McGee and whispered, "I don't have my car."

Ducky overhead this and immediately stepped in and placed a comforting arm around Abby's shoulder. "That's quite all right, my dear. Allow us to drive you." He turned to Jimmy Palmer who was standing quietly next to Ziva with his hands stuffed in his pockets. "Mr. Palmer, if you will help me escort Abigail back to NCIS, please?"

Palmer nodded and moved to join the ME. "Of course Doctor Mallard, anything I can do to help. Come on Abby," he said calmly to her, "my car's right out front." Jimmy took a firm hold of Abby's arm and steered her to the door and out to his car.

Ducky smiled at Jimmy and nodded his thanks before turning to McGee and Ziva. He saw the concern written on their faces, and in his most grandfatherly voice said, "You two had best get to Tony's apartment straight away. I am sure that Jethro is quite frantic by now. Mr. Palmer and I will stay with Abby and help in any way we can. Please keep us informed, will you?"

McGee could only frown and watch as Palmer led Abby out of the restaurant. "This was so not how this night was supposed to go," McGee thought.

Noticing that McGee was just standing there, Ziva spoke up and addressed Ducky, "Yes, of course Ducky. We will call if we find anything." She gently tugged on McGee's sleeve and gave a tight grin when he finally looked at her. In her usual calm, cool and collected manner, Ziva quietly said, "Let us go, McGee. Tony and Gibbs need us. I will drive." McGee said nothing, instead absently nodding as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his car keys, which he dropped into Ziva's waiting hand.

Gibbs stood in the middle of the living room trying not to assume the worst, but he couldn't shake the notion that Tony was, once again, in terrible danger. He suddenly noticed that it had gotten dark, so he walked over and flipped the light switch by the door instantly bathing the room in soft, warm light. "Okay Marine, focus!" he scolded himself. The seasoned investigator in him took over and he bolted back to Tony's bedroom. He knew that Tony kept his Sig in a velvet-lined walnut box on his dresser. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and carefully lifted the lid by the corner to find that Tony's Sig was gone. A few minutes later he heard a soft knock on the front door as McGee and Ziva arrived.

"Gibbs, we are here," Ziva called out as she holstered her Sig and carefully stepped into the apartment.

Gibbs came back out into the living room and noticed that McGee was staring at a spot on the tile floor in front of the coat closet. "You got something, McGee," Gibbs asked as he moved to where McGee was now kneeling.

"Looks like a single drop of blood, boss," McGee replied as he pulled a test kit from his backpack and started swabbing the blood drop. McGee quickly checked the rest of the floor around him. "I don't see any more."

Ziva saw the concern on Gibbs' face and stepped over to him. She put a hand on his arm and asked softly. "Gibbs, do you think Thorson has Tony?"

Gibbs concerned eyes locked on Ziva's. He nodded slowly and with a shaky voice replied, "Yeah, Ziver, I think he's got him."

Ziva paused for a moment, knowing she was about to make a dangerous suggestion. "I think we may need to let Director Vance know what has happened. He can send another team to help." Seeing Gibbs sadly shaking his head no, she sighed and pulled Gibbs over to the couch and sat down with him. "I do not think you need to tell him about your relationship, but he will want to know that one of his agents has gone missing."

Gibbs looked up and met Ziva's determined gaze and ran a hand down his face. "You're right," he sighed before clearing his throat. "I need some air. I'll go outside and call him," Gibbs said as he stood from the couch and looked at the young agents. "You two; make sure and dust Tony's dresser for prints. His Sig is gone from the box he keeps it in." Gibbs slowly headed for the door, turning back and taking a last lingering look around before stepping out into the hallway.

The only light visible in the lab was the lamp shining down on Abby's desk in her office off of the main lab. Abby sat in her chair and twisted back and forth and hugging Bert the hippo close while her computer booted up. Once it pinged to life, she dropped Bert into her lap, her fingers flying over the keyboard as she launched the program and began running a trace on Tony's phone. "Damn," she shouted as she slammed her fist down on the desk.

Ducky had just walked into the lab to check on his young friend and witnessed her outburst. He quickly made his way over to her and patted her shoulder. "There, there Abigail. It will be all right."

Abby turned her tear stained face up to look into the concerned face of her de facto grandfather. Tears again began to run down her face as she sobbed, "No, Ducky, it won't. Tony's phone is off and I can't find him."

Ducky pulled a linen handkerchief from his pocket and offered it to Abby. She gratefully accepted it and began to dry her eyes. She stood and let herself be drawn into Ducky's open arms. Even though she towered over him wearing her platform boots, she took comfort in the hug. Ducky released her after a few minutes of quietly rocking the distraught scientist. "All better now," he asked with a hint of a smile on his face.

Abby sniffled a few times, wiped her nose and tried to smile. "Yeah thank you. Your hugs always help, Duckman." Abby and Ducky exchanged tired smiles, and she kissed his cheek.

"Any time, my dear," Ducky said with a wink, "all you have to do is ask".

Palmer had stood quietly in the outer lab not wanting to interrupt Ducky's attempt to calm Abby. After a few years of living nervously on the edge of Gibbs' team, Palmer was starting to feel like he was becoming one of them. Gibbs still made him nervous to the point of stuttering and stammering, but not as often as he used to. McGee had told him that sometimes Gibbs still had the same effect on him, so he shouldn't worry about it; some things you never get used to. Palmer smiled as he saw Abby start to regain her composure, when suddenly a thought popped in his head.

Ducky and Abby were startled and jumped when Palmer practically ran up to them. After taking a second to catch his breath, he asked excitedly, "Abby, can you track Tony's car? He told me he had GPS installed in case this one got stolen like his last 'vette."

Abby jumped up and squeezed Palmer. "YES! Jimmy, you are a genius!" Abby plopped back down in her chair and started to work her magic. After several minutes, she picked up her phone and hit speed dial. "GIBBS!" she screamed into the phone, "we found Tony's car."