TONY'S MOAS.
He sits at the end of the bar sipping his beer occasionally nodding or calling out a greeting to another patron and delaying going back to his empty apartment. This is not the bar the team frequents of a TGIF end of week or to celebrate the end of a case. Nor is it one of the many cop bars where he'd know every face and each would have a story to tell. This was just the bar near his place where he could get the odd beer, watch the game and be welcomed but not hassled by people who knew of him but didn't know him.
Jeanne was working and he was not needed at work so he was at a bit of a loose end which was giving him time to do the one thing he dearly wished to avoid, think. He could've gone with McGee to cheer on Abby in some bowling competition she was in or joined Ziva in some shooting practice at the range. They had both invited him but as things had progressed with Jeanne he was finding it harder and harder to be in their company. More and more difficult to lie to them.
He'd had no problem with it at first. He'd been excited by the opportunity to lead the team through the challenges facing them after Gibbs had left. When the Director had given him the undercover assignment it had seemed a further confirmation of her approval of him. A sign he was on his way. Anthony DiNozzo, team leader and undercover agent! Then as the months had gone by and his feelings towards Jeanne had started to change and the Boss had come back it had all become so much more complicated. He really did hate lying to Gibbs. Of course the very nature of the problem meant he could not share the burden with anyone.
Today in Abby's lab her innocent words about the loss of a job, self respect or friends on a MOAS being exposed had hit a raw note; a painful place in his heart. He was starting to fear that this would not end well. It would change forever his relationship with the team and perhaps more importantly with himself. He sighs, takes a final sip of his beer, places it on the bar and leaves.
Rule 4 - The best way to keep a secret. Keep it to yourself.
Second best. Tell one other person - if you must.
There is no third best. Blowback.