Vance's Office

As Gibbs approached Vance's office, the secretary attempted to stop him before he barged through the door. He was taken aback when he found Vance standing at his desk across from a scruffy looking DiNozzo.

"DiNozzo!" Gibbs shouted. "Where the h*ll have you been?" As Gibbs approached, he took in how bad DiNozzo looked.

"Boss!" DiNozzo said, visibly shaken by Gibbs' intensity as he entered the room. "I am sorry. You weren't in the squad room. Otherwise, I would have come to you first."

"What happened, Tony?" Gibbs asked as he came closer to Tony and saw how ragged he looked. "Where were you? I talked with your dad. He never saw you."

"I know. I can explain." DiNozzo said, agitated by Gibbs' intense questioning.

"Gibbs." Vance intervened, giving Gibbs a concerned look wanting him to calm down.

"After I flew into New York. . ." DiNozzo started to explain to Gibbs looking at him apologetically. "I rented a car and took a little side trip to my mother's grave and the car crash site."

Gibbs nodded in understanding, as he continued to examine DiNozzo.

"Tony, it doesn't take that long to drive from there to D.C." Gibbs asked, suspiciously. "Where else did you go?"

"I can show you the rental car receipt, Boss. I just drove a lot." DiNozzo answered, noticing the unsatisfied, Gibbs-the-investigator stare.

"Gibbs." Vance said. "He answered your questions. Now, Agent DiNozzo needs to submit to a polygraph and to a visit with Dr. Cranston." Vance said giving Gibbs a persuading stare.

"I want you to report to interrogation." Vance ordered DiNozzo. After DiNozzo left the office, Gibbs looked at him critically.

"What are you doing, Leon?" Gibbs asked. "I know you could not have bought that half-assed story. He is leaving something out."

"I want you to calm down. I do agree with you. Let's see if Fornell can get some information before we start asking him more questions." Vance offered.

"Let me talk to him. I don't want him being interrogated by Fornell, while he is hooked up to a polygraph." Gibbs stated. "He has just been through too much lately."

"You were interrogating him right here a moment ago, and you weren't being very successful." Vance argued back.

"He isn't telling us everything." Gibbs retorted.

"And, I already said that I agree with that assessment, Gibbs. Look, I know you are just concerned about your agent." Vance responded. Gibbs shot back an irritated stare. Since Vance knew Gibbs would continue to argue with him about this, Vance surrendered to the Gibbs' intimidation stare.

"As long as you don't interfere, you may stand in the observation room. In fact, I'll go with you."

Observation Room

"He doesn't look right, Leon. Something is wrong." Gibbs said again looking into the interrogation room.

"Let's just see what happens." Vance responded.

Interrogation Room

"Agent DiNozzo, come on in." Fornell said, as he noticed DiNozzo standing in the doorway. He was taken aback by his scruffy, untraditional appearance.

"Come on." Fornell said again waving him in. When DiNozzo sat down, Agent Grady started to hook him up to the polygraph.

"Okay, I just have a few questions for you, Tony. Okay?" Fornell said, sensing how agitated DiNozzo was. "You all right, Tony?"

Tony just nodded, as he avoided eye contact.

Observation Room

DiNozzo continued to sit at the table in the interrogation room as Grady and Fornell reviewed the results of the polygraph.

"Why would he be asked that question twice?" Vance asked as Gibbs and Vance watched Fornell question DiNozzo.

"Did he pass?" Gibbs asked, doubtfully. They watched as Fornell left the room, leaving Tony hooked up to the polygraph in the interrogation room.

"Vance." Vance answered his ringing cell phone. "Yes, we are watching from the observation room." Vance closed his cell phone and looked curiously at DiNozzo through the glass. "I'll be right there."

"He just failed three of the questions." Vance informed Gibbs. "He failed the repeated question about being blackmailed and the one about being threated or stalked."

"Let me talk to him. Fornell won't get any further with him." Gibbs said forcefully. Vance considered Gibbs' request.
"SecNav wants someone from outside of the agency to run this investigation." Vance reminded him. Gibbs looked at him ready to argue.

"Just give me a minute." Vance said, leaving to talk with Fornell. When Vance returned, he reluctantly agreed with Gibbs' request.

"You can go talk to him, but we will be watching." Vance said intensely. Gibbs nodded and approached the interrogation room.

Interrogation Room

"Agent Grady." Gibbs said as he entered the room. "Take five."

"Yes sir." Agent Grady said as she started to leave the room. She stopped as she planned to disconnect the equipment.

"No, leave him hooked up." Gibbs said as he eyed his distressed agent.

Now alone in the room with DiNozzo, Gibbs sat down and looked at his agent critically.

"Are you all right?" Gibbs asked. DiNozzo's eyes were bloodshot with dark, heavy bags underneath. He had a pale complexion. It looked as if he wore the same clothes for the last two days, and his hair was uncombed.

"Yeah, fine Boss. I am just tired." DiNozzo answered.

"Yeah, I can see that DiNozzo. Why aren't you sleeping? You were just on vacation." Gibbs said, eyeing DiNozzo closely for a reaction expecting DiNozzo to become defensive, but Gibbs continued since DiNozzo did not answer his question.

So. . .who is blackmailing you, Tony?" Gibbs asked, not expecting a real response immediately.

"What?" DiNozzo asked, shaken by the question. "I am not being blackmailed." DiNozzo said laughing.

"The polygraph says otherwise. You failed that question." Gibbs informed him.

"Who threatened you then?" Gibbs asked watching for DiNozzo's reaction.

"I am not being threatened." DiNozzo answered, with an awkward laugh.

"Is someone stalking you then?" Gibbs asked, as he watched how visibly agitated DiNozzo was.

"The assignment that SecNav gave me made me feel like I was." DiNozzo admitted. Gibbs titled his head and glared at him.

"Can we talk in private?" DiNozzo asked looking around the room through the glass window at Vance, uncomfortably.

"DiNozzo." Vance said, entering into the interrogation room. "That isn't going to happen. You tell us what is going on now here."

"Sir, I am sorry. I don't know why Agent Fornell is here, but I am not the one being blackmailed."

"Director." Fornell said barging into the interrogation room, with McGee standing behind him. Vance looked at both Gibbs and DiNozzo for a moment before leaving to talk with Fornell and McGee. When Vance left the room, Gibbs gave DiNozzo a critical stare. He got up and disconnected the camera in the corner.

"Talk to me." Gibbs ordered as he returned to his seat across the table. DiNozzo stuttered over his own words, as Gibbs continued to treat him with his glare.

The door slowly opened and Vance walked in.

"Gibbs, I need to see you in my office." Vance said. As Gibbs stood up to follow him, he once again looked his agent over.

"Tony, go see Ducky. Get yourself checked out." Gibbs said, anticipating an argument.

"I agree. Then, go home and get some rest." Vance ordered, again taking in his poor appearance. "You can talk with Dr. Cranston tomorrow. The comment eliminated an argument that DiNozzo would have engaged in with Gibbs. As Gibbs followed Vance back to his office, McGee followed DiNozzo as he left the interrogation room.

"Tony." McGee said, walking up to the scruffy looking DiNozzo, who looked ready to growl at him. McGee got into the elevator with DiNozzo giving Tony a moment to settle down.

"What is going on?" McGee asked. DiNozzo shook his head back and forth. "Tony, I didn't tell Gibbs this yet, but I did pull up the rental agreement for the car in New York. You drove home to D.C. from New York the same day that you flew to New York. Why didn't you just tell us you were in D.C. all week? And, why do you look like this?" McGee asked accusingly but also concerned.

"I can't. . ." DiNozzo started to redirect McGee, but then the elevator doors opened to reveal Ducky in autopsy. "It's nothing McMother."

"Ah, Anthony." Ducky said. "I was wondering if you were coming. Based upon what Gibbs has told me, I agree with his concern in your appearance. Come with me."

Vance's Office

"Agent McGee found the source of the information leak. It was a student doing an internship here at NCIS last week. I sent Agent McGee and David to pick him up for questioning. I am putting your team in charge of that investigation now. If you want Fornell's help, that is fine, though."

"Now, what is going on with DiNozzo?" Vance asked with very apparent concern. Gibbs shook his head. Vance moved back behind his desk.

"I am on it, Director." Gibbs said heading down to autopsy.