A/N: Major thank yous to everyone who reviewed and set themselves up with a story alert after the last chapter! I made the most ridiculous mistake at work on Monday and was just sick to my stomach all afternoon thinking about it (because us introverts tend to internalize things like that) so it was amazing to be able to come home to an inbox full of positives! It made me feel a whole lot better...

Enjoy! :-)

Tony and Gibbs were in the elevator when Tony's phone rang. He answered with his typically brusque, "DiNozzo," and listened for only a moment before adding. "We'll be right there." Snapping the phone shut, Tony punched a different button on the elevator control panel and Gibbs, noting the number he'd pressed, let out a heavy sigh.

"Didn't think he'd get to us so quickly," Gibbs commented.

Tony just shrugged, but Gibbs read the defensiveness in the younger man's body language as he leaned back against the elevator wall, hands shoved into his pockets and darkness spreading rapidly across his eyes. Tony was already preparing for battle, and Gibbs wasn't sure if that was the best strategy for the upcoming encounter, but he was sure that they had the upper hand either way. That was the advantage of having little to lose, lots of courage, and the loyalty of a team that stretched beyond the reaches of just the bullpen.

The elevator doors opened and Tony led the way out, crossing in front of MTAC and barging into the Director's office with a dismissive wave at the Director's assistant. Gibbs tossed the annoyed woman a half-hearted grin and a shrug of his shoulders, but he didn't think it made her feel any better.

"Agent DiNozzo," Director Sullivan said dryly, obviously unsurprised at the manner in which Tony had entered his office. It almost made Gibbs smile, thinking of how much like himself DiNozzo had become - in some ways. The ways that made him proud. "And retired Special Agent Gibbs," the Director added, as Gibbs took up a position by Tony's shoulder.

"Somehow," the Director continued, "I was not as surprised as one might have thought when Security called me to inform me of your arrival, retired Agent Gibbs."

"What's your point, Director?" Tony interrupted. "Because if you don't have one, we have a situation that requires our attention." Sullivan leaned back in his chair, surveying Tony critically across his desk.

"I don't think you should be working this case," the Director said.

"Not a chance," Tony growled in response. The Director raised an eyebrow at the blatant disrespect, but Tony's expression showed not a single glimmer of remorse or the slightest indication that he would back down.

"Investigations should be run by Agents who can keep their minds clear, you know that. Anger, emotion - distraction of any kind - and you miss things."

"I am not about to sit on the sidelines while my wife and daughter are missing," Tony almost shouted.

"And you trust yourself, Agent DiNozzo, to do your best work - the kind of work that will bring Ziva and Adina home safely - when you're scared out of your mind that they won't?" Director Sullivan could see Tony's jaw working furiously, but the Lead Agent did not have a ready response for that, which Sullivan took as confirmation that he had hit his target. His eyes shifted to Gibbs.

"Of course you don't," he said. "Why else would you have called in your Boss?"

"And I am more than happy to help," Gibbs interjected.

"Of course you are," Sullivan said. "I just wonder if you're really any more objective than DiNozzo." Silence stretched after that for a long moment in which Sullivan weighed his next words carefully. His eyes traveled over the two men standing before him and he was struck by the similarity in their posture, and in the mulish expressions on each of their faces.

"Thank the Lord I only have to deal with one of you every day," the Director muttered. Seeing that Tony was about to interrupt, Sullivan waved his hand sharply at the younger man to cut him off.

"Tony, I don't like it," Director Sullivan continued. "I don't like having you on this case, and I don't like Gibbs working it, either, but Ziva and Adina are your family. I'm not stupid enough to think that I can keep you away, especially when my forensic scientist and medical examiner are unquestionably in your court. Do what you think is best, Agent DiNozzo, just know that you do so against my advice."

"Acknowledged, Director," Tony answered, lingering irritation clear in his voice. The Italian spun on his heel and made for the door, Gibbs following closely.

"Gibbs," Sullivan called before they could make it out the door, "a moment please." DiNozzo and Gibbs paused at the door for a half-second before Gibbs pushed Tony on out, closing the door behind him and turning to face the Director again.

"Director," the retired agent said, taking a few steps closer to Sullivan's desk before planting himself.

After a small hesitation, Sullivan pushed himself to his feet and walked around his desk, crossing his arms over his chest as he stopped a few feet from Gibbs. "You had better know what the Hell you're dealing with here, retired Agent Gibbs."

"I know," Gibbs assured him.

"From what I've read of your record, I'm guessing that you do, which is why I'm not locking DiNozzo in Interrogation until this is over. Although I'm of half a mind to lock both of you in there for the very same God damn reason."

"My mind is clear, Director," Gibbs said. "I promise you that."

Sullivan sighed. "His isn't," he said, pointing towards the door for emphasis, "so you'd better be prepared to keep him from getting himself or his family killed."

"I am," Gibbs said.

The Director uncrossed his arms. "I hope you're as good as they say you are, Gibbs. I'm not ready to lose two of my best agents."

Gibbs just nodded once, then turned and headed for the door. Director Sullivan let him go.

* * *

Still feeling the residual aggravation of his conversation with the Director, and the added resentment of the fact that Sullivan was now probably talking about him behind his back, Tony blew into the bullpen with an intensity that made his agents hesitate before lifting their eyes from their computer screens. Forcing himself to stop when he reached his desk, Tony's hand landed on its surface a little harder than he'd intended, but he didn't pause to consider that. Turning to face the center of the bullpen, he clenched his fingers over the desk's edge and growled at his agents.

"Tell me we have something."

"We don't," Lena said softly, raising her eyes at the last moment to catch Tony's face.

"Not for lack of trying," Bowman blurted out, diverting Tony's glare to himself, and immediately regretting his instinctual urge to defend the innocent. He and Lena were both innocent, but she was a lot more likely to come out of a skirmish with the Boss unscathed; it was a talent of hers.

"Glad to hear you're trying, Bowman," Tony said caustically. "Because I'm sure the dirt bags will send my wife and daughter back if we just try hard enough."

"Boss," Lena said, pulling DiNozzo's attention back to herself, "We've eliminated all the potentials we came across, and Ziva's team went out to check into a lead based on a recent case of theirs, but it's a huge long shot. Our best bet is gonna have to be the IDs of our dead guys."

"You may have noticed we don't have IDs on our dead guys yet, Sanders," Tony spat.

"I know that, boss..." Lena began, but before she could finish she was interrupted by Gibbs. The retired agent was resting his arms over the partition behind Bowman's desk and cleared his throat loudly. Agent Bowman startled so badly he almost fell out of his chair, but Gibbs didn't seem to notice.

"DiNozzo," Gibbs said quietly. "Get the car."

Tony didn't respond right away, and, for what seemed to be a very long moment, the junior agents almost thought that he was going to start shouting. The moment passed, however, and Tony stalked to the other side of his desk to collect his gun, badge and keys before heading for the elevator. He didn't say a word, and Gibbs didn't even glance in his direction as he departed, keeping his ice-blue eyes focused on the other agents as they stared after their boss. When the elevator doors slid shut, all three pairs of eyes shifted almost comically to Gibbs.

"Bowman," Gibbs barked.

"Boss!" Bowman said, snapping to attention in his chair.

"I'm not your boss," Gibbs said.

"Sor...yes. Gibbs," Rob replied. Gibbs smirked at the stifled apology.

"DiNozzo told me you were a Marine, Agent," Gibbs said, glaring hard at the young Agent. Much to the older man's satisfaction, Bowman seemed to grow under the glare, instantly recognizing and thriving on the familiar pressure. The response that followed was a somewhat redundant confirmation.

"I am, sir," Bowman acknowledged.

"Just making sure," Gibbs smirked. "I've never seen a Marine spook so easy." Without waiting for Bowman to think of a response to that, Gibbs turned to Lena. "Keep working. Call DiNozzo if you find anything."

"Where are you going?" Lena asked, before Gibbs had even taken two steps towards the elevator.

"The crime scene," Gibbs called back over his shoulder, and, after a moment's pause at the elevator doors, he was gone.

Lena twisted in her chair to face the bullpen, but the thought that was running through her mind was promptly knocked off track when she caught sight of Rob's bewildered, deflated expression. Unable to help herself, she burst out laughing.

"What are you laughing at?" Rob asked.

"You, Rob," Lena said, between giggles. The momentary mirth was such a relief from the stress and worry and pressure that she could hardly restrain herself. "You look like Gibbs just kicked your puppy."

Rob threw a glance at Heather, only to see her smiling as well. "It's true, Rob," Heather said, amusement filling her voice. "I've never seen you look so...shattered." At this, both she and Lena burst into a second round of laughter.

"Fine," Rob said, turning back to his computer screen, "you two go right ahead and entertain yourselves with my pain."

"C'mon, Robby, laugh a little - it'll do you good," Lena said, lobbing a crumpled paper ball at him. The projectile hit him on the side of the head, and, though he acted as though it didn't exist, Lena caught the twitch at the side of his mouth that meant he was holding back a smile.

A smile lingering on her own face, she returned to the file she had been perusing, and, when Bowman burst into laughter a full five minutes later, she and Heather exchanged nothing more than a quick grin.

* * *

"Thanks, Boss," Tony murmured, as Gibbs slipped into the driver's seat of the navy-blue Charger.

"For what, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked, buckling his seat belt before pulling away from the curb.

"For keeping me from chewing my team out for no reason," Tony sighed.

"No good reason," Gibbs corrected. Tony shot him a sideways glance.

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" he asked.

"Did it?"

"No."

Gibbs just shrugged.

"They're probably up there right now," DiNozzo went on, "gossiping like cheerleaders who just saw their squad leader back down from a cat fight."

"Nah," Gibbs replied. "I distracted them." Gibbs ignored the curious look DiNozzo tossed him, and went on. "Besides, they're a better team than that, and they like you too much."

A/N: Well?? Whatcha think? I am dying to know - so if you want to read the rest of this story, save my life by pressing the review button...Just kidding, of course. ;-) The rest of this story is guaranteed regardless, but you get the picture.

Also, this may be cheating, but I noticed that I referred in this chapter to the forensic scientist and medical examiner being in Tony's court... Of course, we've already seen Abby, but I just realized that the reference to Palmer in the first draft was a victim of revision, so I'm just going to come out right here and tell you: Palmer is the medical examiner, but please don't expect to actually see him in this story. You will, however, get a little Ducky time in the Epilogue. :-)