Gibbs walked, quick as a flash, in Fornell's direction, discovering the crowd of passerbys, witnesses, ambulances and police cars around...and of course, the press. No possibility to keep them away, this time, someone had obviously provided them a perfect situation to focus on, and they wouldn't step back. He sighed with exasperation, not aware himself yet of all the details. NCIS pointing a gun at someone for no evident reason, the place evacuating in the middle of a Friday night...that was bad for them. Really bad.

''Tobias,'' he finally said as he faced him, ''what the hell is that ? What happened ?''

''Please come inside, Jethro'' his interlocutor answered, grinning.

Gibbs instantly did so, visibly nervous, and took a look at all the elements on the floor. He immediately noticed the blood and desperately stared at the ceiling for a second. He couldn't handle it. Not another situation like this. And by saying 'he', he wasn't talking about McGee.

''How ? What led us to here ? I need someone to explain'' he restarted speaking, secretly nervouser. ''Whenever you want, Tobias, I'm free for the night !''

''Calm down, grumpy. You want to know what led us to here,'' he continued, making a few steps forward, ''I mean besides the pub's tapes, and the lot of people in there who perfectly heard McGee introduce himself after pointing a gun at someone ? Your agent took the liberty to trace him.''

''Which one ?''

''The movie guy.''

Gibbs walked away from Fornell a second later, focused.

''Why are you even here ? Don't you have a FBI fake agent to find ?'' he pronounced.

''It could lead us to Pierce, so that is related.''

''And you couldn't give me a damn call ?'' Jethro kept talking from afar.

''I've always loved to spend some time in pubs. You should try, you old man !''

Leroy Jethro Gibbs finally completely disappeared from his sight, so he decided to go back inside and keep working.

''DiNozzo !'' he called.

''Uh oh.''

''You said it, David...'' Tony lowly commented, finishing his coffee in a hurry. He finally threw the cup in the trash can nearby and gave a last look at Ziva before approaching Gibbs. He sighed but tried not to make waves...after all, it was McGee that truly mattered now. ''Hi boss, you need me ?''

Jethro came closer, quietly threatening.

''I don't know, DiNozzo, should I wait for your orders ?''

Tony noticed the fake smile, the one Gibbs always had when he felt frustrated about something but was trying to hide it. Men's ego.

''Meaning ?'' he asked willing to not turn yet into someone aggressive.

''Meaning I am your boss but you are here with Ziva before I have a chance to drive to that location. May I believe this is your case now, Special Agent DiNozzo ?'' Okay. Really frustrated. Tony tried not to say any bad word but the chuckle escaped instead. ''What ? What can be so funny about it, Tony ?''

''Sorry, boss'' Tony apologized, smiling before turning cold. ''Is it...is it a joke or something ?''

"A joke ?" Gibbs instantly repeated, furrowing both eyebrows.

Tony came a little closer as well. Enough was enough. He couldn't hold it back anymore.

''Yes, boss...a joke ! You perfectly heard me ! What the hell, boss ? Aren't you 'Master Gibbs', supposed to know everything before everyone ?''

'''Master Gibbs' ?'' he uselessly re-pronounced, knowing that wasn't the point Tony was trying to make.

''Yes ! That's your...job, or maybe your talent, I don't know, and for now, actually...I don't give a damn ! But are you seriously saying that you're mad at me for setting up that whole thing because I had the decency to check on your agent ? Yes, you know, the one you didn't want to contact because little Tim had decided to be off, so that was his fault, and...''

''Never said it was his fault.''

''Of course you did ! We can go through trauma anytime, we knew it at the moment we signed the paper for joining NCIS, but...yeah, let's say it, even though I'm not telling you this is something fully conscious of yours, you are, somehow, expecting us to be stronger than we should. Admit it, Gibbs'' he continued, almost challenging him. "It's maybe just a very small detail, but somewhere, inside that brain of yours...there was a little hope, a little voice speaking, and expecting for McGee to go back to NCIS right after he had Vance's agreement.''

''You traced his phone ?'' Gibbs said, almost like a warning, although it was obvious he was trying to change the subject.

''Really, boss ? You're blaming me for that when you're asking for worse from McGeek when you need confidential infos ? Yes, I traced his phone after these guys in front of his place told me he had left for the evening. And you know what, boss ? I'm glad I was right, and I do not feel sorry about a damn thing ! You...you constantly do that, how can you blame me for...''

Tony reflexively rubbed his face after his umpteenth speech, as if to clean the desperation from his skin, but tension was still running through his veins, like a terrible venom he couldn't get rid off. He was finally fighting, and maybe it was adrenaline or something, but it was, somehow, making him feel a bit better...but all in all, McGee was still missing. And there was still blood of the floor.

''Tony ?'' Ziva called him in the end, although he could imagine she had nothing to say, that it was just an excuse to save him, or at least take him away from that situation...

''You are not coming back inside, DiNozzo."

"So what now ? I'm punished ? You can't keep me away. I brought you here when you were about to drink whiskey with your shadow and build a millionth boat.''

''What's wrong with you, DiNozzo ? You want to fight or something ? Your want your revenge ?'' Jethro challenged him, calm again.

''Don't tempt me, boss.''

''Go on, Tony. Punch me. Maybe that'll make you feel better and we'll be able to focus on why we're here !'' he kept insisting.

''Oh really ? And how am I supposed to focus on anything if you do not want me to come inside and...''

''Okay, okay, boys, that's enough'' Tobias suddenly interrupted them, joining the duet.

''Answer me, boss. You want me to wait outside and read some newspaper with the hope that McGee's face will show up in one of their articles ?'' Tony couldn't help but continue saying, angry. '''Lost agent in need of his family : please contact this number' ! ''

Fornell raised a hand in front of him and started whispering, now looking embarrassed. ''Guys'' he insisted. ''There are people listening to us, if you know what I mean...'' he discreetly articulated as well, moving his head in the press' direction. ''You both heard me ?'' he lowly continued, trying to calm them down. ''Good. Very good. Now why don't you guys just go in two separate directions for a while, uh ?''

''I'm good, Agent Fornell'' Tony finally commented bitterly. ''I'm just gonna go back to NCIS for now.''

''Good. Just do that, then. And you, Jethro...why don't you come inside with me again, hmm ? To show these people here NCIS and FBI are really working together on that case, and doing great.''

Gibbs simply sighed and Tobias understood it as an agreement. He quickly took a look at Tony, rejoined by Ziva.

''Ziva ? With me. Tony...'' he pronounced, holding back a groan. ''I see you at NCIS.''

''Yeah. Let's do that.''

The agent watched Ziva approach Gibbs and quickly observed them leave, his mind full of so many different feelings... What was the word to use when there was no pure hatred but a real, true anger against someone, some anger you thought you couldn't control anymore as things were only going worse and worse, weeks after weeks...? He clenched a fist and kept himself from punching the wall, knowing the press was still around.

''Goddamn it, Gibbs...!'' he ended up saying a few minutes later, once locked in his car, punching the steering wheel. ''Goddamn it,'' he said, louder this time, ''you're not the king of the universe !''