Here is a little one to go with the last chapter. My many thanks to WmGeorge for all of her hard work in making sense out of my drabbles.

Payback.

He walked into the bullpen carrying a tray of coffee and tea for his team. Dropping them off at each of the desks he gave Gibbs the largest one. "Your favorite barista asked me to tell you that the coffee machine is now working, and this one is on the house." Then he placed a cup of coffee on his desk.

Gibbs just looked at him and glared. Tony shrugged. "I'm just the messenger, boss."

Tim gave Tony time to read the new bulletins from the other NCIS offices and then broke the silence. "Tony, did you read the report about the SEALs?"

"What report, McGee? I've only just finished the overseas offices."

"The one from Norfolk. Seems some SEALs are walking around all beat up and bruised. Black-eyes, broken noses, one of them on crutches, and two of them in slings with dislocated shoulders. By last count, there were ten of them. The kicker is they won't say what happened."

"Did they say why they won't talk? I mean these are big, bad ass SEALs. Seems they'd want to finger whoever dealt them damage."

"All they would say was they were more afraid of their CO then anything the NCIS offices could do to them. Oh, and that they would be battle ready in three days, two if necessary."

"I do not understand why they will not say anything. Will they not be in trouble for remaining silent?" Ziva moved closer to Tony's desk as she spoke.

Gibbs snorted. "The only way they can get into trouble is if they started the fight, or if they'd been drinking and fighting at the same time."

Ziva frowned, her eyes on Tony's hands. "So, not say anything means they are either protecting themselves or someone else, yes?"

"Something like that." Tony nodded as a smile ghosted over his handsome face.

"Then they should practice more and stay alert at all times. Just as we do in Mossad. It looks like you should have stayed alert as well, Tony. You have been fighting." She pointed to his skinned knuckles.

Hearing those words, Gibbs went to Tony and gave him a mild glare with a raised eyebrow. Tony sighed, stood up, and held out his hands to Gibbs.

"It's nothing, see. My neighbor's ring went down the drain. I got it out and scraped my knuckles on the pipe. No big deal." Gibbs let go of his hand and opened his mouth to say something but Tony beat him to it.

"Yes Gibbs, I remembered to use tape on the pipes before I screwed them back together. When I finished we went out for Chinese."

Ziva smirked at him. "Your neighbor must be very pretty if you gave up a date night to … fix her pipes."

Gibbs held back a laugh as he went back to his desk. Tony shook his head to clear the vision Ziva's words created. "My neighbor, Pat? I would never say he was pretty. Handsome, maybe, but not my type. He was a Navy corpsman. He's a really nice man, but he has a bad case of arthritis and can't hold the wrench tightly enough. His wife, Violet, called me and asked if I could. Now, she is pretty. She's in her late sixties and has snow white hair, blue eyes, and stands all of five feet tall. But she keeps her man in line."

"I suppose that was nice of you."

"It didn't take long and I like them both. Besides I'm nearby, and I don't make them pay like the landlord does."

"Getting back to the SEALs, Tony." Tim stared at the other man. "The investigating agents are looking for input from other agents as to what to do."

"From what I gather Probie, SEALs take care of their own, be it having fun, kicking ass, or taking punishment. It's a SEAL thing, they don't talk about it. Right Gibbs?"

"I'm going for coffee. You go see Ducky for some antibacterial cream." Gibbs barked out the order, already halfway to the elevators.

"Yes boss." Just before the elevator doors closed Tony caught a few notes of the tune that Gibbs was whistling.

"What tune was Gibbs was whistling? It sounded familiar." Ziva finally walked back to her own desk.

"I wasn't paying attention. Were you, Tim?" Tony looked over at his partner.

Tim turned away from his computer screen. "What? What whistle?"

Ziva sighed. "Never mind you both are so. . ."

"Smart?" Tim asked.

"Good to work with?" Tony added.

"I'm going to see Abby." She left in a huff.

"Come on Probie, let's go see Ducky. I have some cookies for him in my backpack. Violet makes great sugar cookies, and I brought enough to share.