Chapter 6

Wow, I must be spoiling you guys! Two chapters in three days! But hey I hit a brainwave, and this is the result, so enjoy!

Maybe something was wrong with Tony. I mean, Abby's not usually wrong about this sort of thing, and she seemed pretty convinced that something was definitely wrong. But Tony would say something, wouldn't he? . . . Of course he wouldn't, he's Tony. He could be dying of terminal cancer and he wouldn't tell us . . . oh, god, he's not dying is he? No, he would've told Abby. He tells her everything. Well, almost everything. Seeing as he won't tell her what's wrong. Should I ask him? No, he'd just brush me off. There's got to be some way to find out what's going on though.

"Is there something troubling you, McGee?" Ziva called across the otherwise empty bullpen.

"Is it that obvious?" damn, I have to work at hiding my emotions. Gibbs and Tony do it so effortlessly . . .

"You wear your emotions in your pocket, McGee."

"It's on your sleeve." I corrected absently. Maybe I could get Tony drunk . . .

"What is on my sleeve?"

"The expression, it's 'you wear your emotions on you sleeve.'"

She still looked confused, but she let it go, returning to her earlier question, "So, is there something troubling you?"

"Has Tony seemed . . . different, to you?" I asked cautiously. I'm still not sure if he and Ziva ever had a thing, but she dating that bartender now, and they seem pretty serious . . . although she was uncharacteristically concerned for Tony during the Jeanne thing. Hm.

Ziva jumped out of her chair and pointed at me dramatically. "You see it too!" she exclaimed. So she thinks something's up too, huh? What, was I the last to realize this or something? Or maybe it's just a woman thing . . .

"Yeah, I'm just not sure what I'm seeing. I mean, he's seems fine one minute and all closed off and stoic the next."

"He is hiding something." Ziva stated. Was that what it was?

"But what is he hiding, though? If it was a new girlfriend, he'd be telling us all about her."

"Something to do with his family, perhaps?"

"Maybe . . ."

We sat in silence, both thinking about Tony. Well, I think we were both thinking about him. It's hard to tell what Ziva's thinking. "Maybe we should talk to Abby. She seemed to know something."

Ziva nodded, "At the very least, she will give another opinion on the matter."

"What do ya got for me, Abbs?" I asked, well, demanded, as I walked into the lab. Abby, Ziva and McGee all turned from there conversation and stared at me. "What?" I asked.

"Gibbs!" Abby ran up and hugged me as if I could make all her problems go away. That worried me. Not that I'd show it, of course.

"Someone want to tell me why the three of you are just standing around here talking instead of working?"

Ziva and McGee looked sheepish, but Abby just glared at me. "Gibbs, how could we possibly work right now?"

"Abby, what are you talking about?" We're in the middle of an investigation, a joint investigation, with the FBI, about a serial killer, and she asking me how they can work?

"Tony, Gibbs!" She looked at me pointedly.

"What about Tony?" Sure, he looked a little tired, and stressed, but was that really worth stopping all work for?

"Something's wrong with Tony, Gibbs. I can feel it!"

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh really?"

"Really, Jethro," Ducky said from the doorway behind me. He closed the door, locked it and stepped farther into the room. That really got me worried. Ducky obviously didn't want anyone to overhear what we're saying. It must be bad. "Anthony does not look well, and as his physician, I am becoming concerned. He refuses to let me do an examination, and claims that his current condition is due to lack of sleep."

"So? That's probably what it is then." I felt a twinge of . . . something over the fact that Tony was losing sleep because of something, probably someone, but I dismissed it. Tony was my SIC, of course I'd be concerned that he wasn't at his best. Really, I didn't see why they were making a big fuss over this. "Tony found a new girlfriend, it's about time he did." Why did it hurt to say that? If Tony found someone who actually appreciated, or at least tolerated, his insanely annoying quirks, I should be happy for him, right?

But Abby was shaking her head. Why was Abby shaking her head? "Gibbs, Tony always talks about his dates. The only time he didn't was when he was working undercover for Director Shepard."

Undercover . . . tired . . . not talking much . . . Tony was in Vance's office the other day . . . "Shit." I stormed out of Abby's lab, calling over my shoulder that I was going to see the director. Of all the reckless, stupid, insubordinate things for that boy to do . . . you'd think he'd have learned his lesson the first time.

I slammed the door to Vance's office open, not bothering to knock. I've never done it before, so why should I start now? Especially when I have a perfectly legitimate reason to be pissed at the director. I had hoped to find DiNozzo there with him like I did the first time, but Vance was alone. Oh well. That could work too. "Why is Tony working an undercover op when we're in the middle of a high priority investigation?"

The Director looked momentarily surprised, "He told you?"

"No."

Vance sighed and leaned back in his chair, "Agent DiNozzo is assisting in the detection of an Al Qaeda sleeper cell. We were going to bring the rest of the team in when it came time to arrest them."

"Why Tony?"

"Because Agent DiNozzo was the lead agent on the original case, so he knows the case better than most. I believe it was when you were taking your vacation in Mexico." He glared at me, but I didn't twitch. If this tech nut thought he was going to intimidate me . . . "Agent DiNozzo is also one of the best undercover agents NCIS has. He was the logical choice for the mission."

"I almost lost him the last time a Director thought she could use him for her personal agenda!"

Vance stood, "Because he got too emotionally involved! This is nothing like that. And you would do well to have faith in your agents." He sat down, clearly indicating that he felt that this conversation was over. I turned to leave, but as I had my hand on the door, I turned.

"Tony's not the one I don't have faith in." I left without another word and didn't look back.

Why do I tell Spencer things that I wouldn't even dream of telling Abby? I mean, we're best friends, I tell her everything. She's the only person on the team that knows my escapades aren't exactly limited to pretty girls. But I made sure I never told her anything more than that. I can't. If I told her that I – well, I just can't tell her. Not without constantly worrying that she'd tell him. Then, I'd have to transfer out and I'd never get to see her or anyone on the team ever again. That would kill me. Even if we're not a family, even if we don't click like we used to, I still care about all of them, about what happens to them. I can't just leave that all behind. I can't risk losing them, not when we have a chance to fix what Vance broke. Not that I'm helping that any, taking on that damn undercover mission.

So why would I be so stupid as to almost tell someone I barely know one of my worst secrets? That's just begging for trouble. I mean, I trust him, I guess, especially 'cause I'm probably the only one who knows just how broken up he is about losing his teammate. Maybe that's why. He trusted me with that, so I feel like I can trust him with this. It feels weird, though, having someone like that. It's kinda nice, though. Comforting.

I stepped into the elevator with a sigh and hit the button for Abby's lab. Halfway down I hit the emergency stop and leaned against one of the wall and sighed again. Why does Tony do this to himself? What is he trying to prove? Can't he see how badly he's worrying this team? How much we all care for him?

I flicked the switch again with new determination. No one on the team is going to talk to him until he and I straighten things out.

The elevator dinged and the doors opened to Abby's lab, with everyone right where I left them. Had it only been 15 minutes? It felt like hours.

"So? What did Vance say?" Abby bounded up to me, a tall, gothic armful of nervous energy.

I chose my words carefully, "The Director and I talked, and I don't want any of you to try and get anything out of DiNozzo before I've had a chance to talk to him, ok?" I gave them all one of my best glares to show that I was serious.

However, my little speech seemed to have the opposite effect. Abby gasped, her hands over her mouth, "It's bad, isn't it? Oh, I knew it, something bad is happening with Tony! How will -"

"Abbs!" I cut her off, because I knew that if I let her talk, she would just worry herself more. "Nothing's . . . I just need . . ." I sighed running a hand through my hair, "I just need to talk to Tony first, Abbs. I heard Vance's side of things, but I need to discuss it with Tony, I need to . . ."

"Get his perspective?" Ducky finished where I trailed off, and I nodded. I needed to know why Tony would do something like this, especially after the Frog op ended so badly. And I needed it from Tony, not the Director.

So, the team finally figured it out. How will Gibbs go about asking Tony about the undercover op? Find out next time!

Oh, and the next chapter will definitely have more of our beloved BAU, I just needed to get this bit about the team and Tony in there.

So, see ya next time!