I have decided that if I can drag it out long enough -and remember, I'm not a miracle worker- then I'm going to end this story with fifty chapters and a final 'Author's Note'.

Sound good?

I hope so because I'm trying my best to get three chapters out a day.

Don't ask 'why three' because it just seems to be the number my fingers always type.

I'm not trying to produce a certain amount each day I just seem to always update with three new chapters each evening.

Oh well.

Alex got to NCIS just in time to slid in between the elevator doors and ride up with Tony and four steaming cups of coffee.

"I wasn't sure if you were coming." Tony grumbled as he glanced down at the four cups.

"It's fine. I don't need coffe-" Alex began but was cut off.

Tony interrupted the teen by handing Alex a warm cup. "Nonsense! I didn't know if you were coming but I got you a cup anyway. Anyways, I'm mad at Ziva and didn't feel like getting any." Tony pouted like a child, even sticking his lower lip out for dramatics.

"Ahh, she turn down your pick up lines again?" Alex asked, only half joking.

Tony blinked before reached forward to turn off the elevator.

"Okay..." Alex mumbled, turning to face the older man with a tray of steaming beverages clasped between his hands.

"She didn't turn me do because I didn't offer! She did! She turns off the elevator and we start making out and then she say that I should invite her to my place and I, of course, tell her that's a bad idea. No because I don't want to go but because my place is a mess. Then I say I'd be happy to go to her place and she says she'll think about it and turns the elevator back on!" Tony babbled while Alex just stared at him.

Sighing, Alex realized that he was going to have to play 'team counselor' again. "And how did that make you react?" Alex purposefully didn't ask about feelings because it was the one area he knew next to nothing about.

"I was... uncomfortable..." Tony said meaningfully. "You know, like only a guy can be?" He asked, trying to convey his meaning. "Don't tell me you've never-"

"Tony! I'm a teenager! You don't ask us these kind of questions because we're taught to avoid answering them at all costs!" Alex whispered, horrified. "Besides I'm not about to talk about sex in an elevator with another guy!" Alex exclaimed, backing away as far as he could in the small space.

"Right!" Tony agreed and turned the elevator back on. "Sorry. Won't happen again, buddy."

Alex smiled and shook his head, knowing that Tony would always be Tony.

"When will you ever learn?" Alex asked and Tony smiled bashfully.

Alex and Tony exited the elevator laughing loudly.

Gibbs glanced up as the elevator opened, expecting Max and DiNozzo. Instead, Trent Kort appeared, grinning broadly. "I'm here to meet your little English agent, agent Gibbs."

"Special Agent Gibbs." McGee corrected as he stood.

"Hmm," Kort hummed as he glanced around the bullpen. "Where is he? And where is your Anthony?"

Ziva cringed when Kort used Tony's first name.

"DiNozzo's getting coffee, the 'agent on loan' hasn't show up for work yet." Gibbs answered before McGee or Ziva could.

"I see..." Kort said with a smile, trying to hide him from me, are you?" He asked, clearly not looking for an answer since he believe Max's absence spoke for its self.

All of a sudden the elevator doors slid open once more and the sound of laughter spread across the floor.

"I guess Max is all it took to cheer Tony up." McGee muttered as the two grinning men appeared.

"Sorry I'm late, boss." Max muttered sheepishly, his gaze never flickering to Kort.

"It's fine, don't be late tomorrow." Gibbs replied before waving the 'man' away.

Kort, Gibbs, Ziva, McGee, and Tony all watched as Max passed by Kort without seeing him and took a seat at the desk just outside of what was considered the bullpen. Max had sat down at the desk Gibbs use to make Ziva sit at after Kate's death.

The entire team realized what Max was doing and acted as if the young man always sat so far away with his gym bag on the desk besides him and a slight smile on his face. The team had also noticed that Max has switched back to using the drawl with no geographic trace that he'd first spoken with when he'd come to NCIS.

"Would you like to meet Max?" Gibbs asked Kort as the man eyed Max with skepticism.

Kort sneered at Gibbs and moved to stand in front of Max's desk.

Max glanced up after a moment and jumped, his eyes going wide. "Sorry," Max said with a small grin. "I didn't see you there. Is there something I can help you with?"

"You got an ID?" Kort asked without pause.

Max's smile faded and his eyes flickered to Gibbs.

"Give it to him." Gibbs said while nodded.

Max slowly nodded too and pulled his gym bag towards him before reaching in and ruffling through it.

"You need to wash your gym clothes." Gibbs said as Max pulled out his wallet.

Max sent Gibbs a brilliant grin as he handed over his drivers license, his visa, and a student ID card that all claimed Max Payton was a twenty two year old British college exchange student with clearance to work for NCIS.

"Hmm, you're twenty two?" Kort asked, staring down at the man that looked older.

"I smoked... a lot..." Max said, blushed deeply as he's eyes dropped shyly.

"Hmm," Kort muttered again as he tossed the cards to the floor. "Gibbs!" He called.

Much to everyone's surprised, Gibbs followed Kort to the elevator where it was immediately turned off.

"So, who do you think he is?" Gibbs asked.

"Well, it's not Jameston and it's not Rider." Kort replied, his eyes thoughtful. "I actually don't know who he is. Let me get back to you on that. He might not be British at all." Kort said after a moment and turned the elevator back on and opening the doors so Gibbs could set out before Kort continued down and out of NCIS.

"Well?" Alex asked, standing next to Tony's desk; he wasn't sitting in case Kort came back and his stuff remained at the other desk.

Gibbs knew something was wrong because Alex continued to use his elusive accent rather than switching back to his natural British one.

"He doesn't think you're from Britain." Gibbs replied, following Alex's gaze to find the bugging device planted under the rim of his desk.

Alex snorted. "I hate to disagree... but..."

"Then don't. Leave the idiot to his own means, Max." Gibbs said and plucked the bug off his desk and crushed it. "No one says a word about anything confidential until Abby's run a search. Got it?" Gibbs asked, making eye contact with each member of his team.

Tony, Ziva, McGee, and finally Alex all nodded.

"Good. Get back to work." Gibbs said and headed for his phone. "Hey, Abs,"