Thursday, 0956, NCIS Headquarters

"He's doing what?!" Ziva exclaimed. The upswing tension made McGee wish he could turn around and leave, but he was just arriving for work, already late due to a scheduled appointment, so that really wasn't an option.

"It's his decision, Ziva," Gibbs said.

"It is insane!" Ziva replied. "She cannot be trusted. Could you not talk him out of it?"

"I didn't try." Gibbs turned away to sit down at his desk.

Ziva started to follow him. McGee stepped forward. "What's wrong?" he asked to forestall her. He could see that Gibbs wasn't in the mood to be interrogated, and the day had already started badly from his perspective. It didn't need to keep going badly.

"Tony is moving in with Dr. Benoit," she said. "No doubt you will tell me there is no reason for concern."

McGee blinked at her. "He's what? Is he crazy?"

Ziva nodded. "You see, Gibbs, even McGee sides with me."

That was taking things a bit far. Gibbs had a tendency to take statements like that at face value without checking them with the third party, and, in fact, he was at this moment glaring at McGee. "I don't side with anyone," he said hastily. "I just think it sounds a little unwise."

"Lots of things are unwise, McGee," Gibbs replied. "That doesn't stop people from doing them."

"But you can advise your friends not to do unwise things, can't you?" Ziva asked.

"He'd already signed the lease when he told me," Gibbs said mildly. "It was a done deal."

"He's under a great deal of emotional stress. It could be argued that he was not –"

"Not what?" asked a voice from behind them, and McGee turned slowly. It was something about this job – or maybe this office – that guaranteed that comments would be overheard by the least appropriate person. "Not competent?" Tony supplied brightly, his expression a bizarre combination of manic glee and irritation. Jeanne was a few steps behind him, her eyes wide.

"I did not know you were there," Ziva said, her expression troubled.

"That much is obvious," Tony said.

"What are you doing here, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked.

Tony shrugged. "HR told me I'd have to put in for the leave in person, I need to change my address, and I guess I need to schedule some appointments, so I thought I'd come in. Jeanne came along because we have plans in this direction, and she wanted to say hi to everyone."

McGee transferred his eyes to Jeanne's face. She looked uncomfortable, but not at all abashed. Raising a hand, she said, "Hi." McGee responded in kind, and Gibbs nodded at her. Ziva looked like she couldn't decide which she wanted more, to fall through the floor or to continue the argument.

"Can someone walk her down to see Abby?" Tony asked. "I want to get this HR stuff dealt with as quickly as possible, and she's got something to tell Abby."

"Sure, DiNozzo," Gibbs said. "Jeanne?" He gestured towards the elevator.

"Thank you, Jethro," she said, nodding, and they left the bullpen.

When they'd disappeared into the elevator, McGee turned to find Ziva and Tony staring at each other, neither speaking, but not giving any ground either. He cleared his throat. "Jethro?" he repeated, a little startled by Jeanne's informal address towards their boss and Gibbs' calm acceptance of it.

Both Tony and Ziva turned towards him. "No idea," Tony said in response to the implied question. "That's a new one on me."

"How can you even think of moving in with her, Tony?" Ziva asked in an undertone. "It makes no sense."

Tony turned towards her, his expression totally flat. "I don't think that's any of your business, Officer David," he said in clipped tones, and then he started towards HR.

"Tony?" McGee said hesitantly. Tony turned back, his eyebrows up, his expression unchanged. "It does seem a little sudden, and a little soon."

Tony grimaced and he shrugged, a little of the stiffness dropping from his manner. "I get that, McDoubtful, but in this case, I think I know what I'm doing." He grinned suddenly. "We're taking up where we left off, both of us a little older and a little wiser. Can't go wrong with that." With that, he turned and headed off towards HR with a jaunty swagger.

"I do not like this," Ziva muttered.

McGee sighed. "It's not really any of our business," he said slowly.

"He is our teammate. It is our business. If you were moving in with a woman who had attempted to have you put in prison for murder, don't you think he'd advise you against it?"

"Probably, but that doesn't mean I'd listen." She pursed her lips at him irritably. McGee shrugged and went to his desk to get to work. Gibbs would not be happy if he came back upstairs and found them still discussing a matter he clearly considered to be closed.

"Well, that was awkward," Jeanne said once they were on the elevator. Gibbs just nodded, not saying anything. "Are you bothered by this move?" she asked, glancing over at him.

"Not my business," Gibbs said, and Jeanne eyed him thoughtfully. She had a feeling that if Gibbs did have an objection, he wouldn't be shy about stating it. She'd have to check with Tony later, but from her read of Gibbs' personality, saying it wasn't his business was almost as good a blessing. He left her at Abby's door, and Jeanne walked in a little hesitantly, not sure what her welcome would be. "Abby?"

"Jeanne, hi," Abby said, emerging from her office. She seemed alarmingly neutral. "I hear you and Tony are moving in together."

"It seems everyone's heard," Jeanne said uneasily. She'd hoped to tell Abby herself. Biting her lip, she stood still, waiting for the explosion.

Abby tilted her head, raising her eyebrows. "Gibbs just said Georgetown. Where at?" There was no sign of annoyance or Ziva's justified paranoia.

"I don't remember the address yet," Jeanne said with a relieved laugh. "What I remember is how Tony keeps describing it." Abby raised her eyebrows. "A couple of blocks away from the stairs in The Exorcist. I don't think the post office will recognize that address, though."

Abby's eyes went wide. "That's cool! Tony must be excited."

"Just a little," Jeanne said. "So, you're okay with this?"

Abby shrugged. "Yes and no," she replied frankly. "Yes, because I can tell that the two of you are head over heels in love, and I want that to work for both of you." Jeanne nodded. "No, because you slammed him harder than anyone has ever since his father stopped mattering to him, and that's saying something. Tony's been slammed more than a few times."

Jeanne grimaced. "I realize that, but –"

"Look, it's done," Abby said. "No point in making a fuss about it, and Gibbs seems okay with it, which says a lot for me." She tilted her head. "Just so long as you remember that he's my Tony, and that I could commit a murder and totally, totally get away with it."

Jeanne nodded slowly. "I'll remember," she said, with absolutely no doubt at all that Abby meant every word she'd said.

"Good," Abby replied with a single nod. "So, tell me about the house. What's it like?"

"Well, it's Georgian and absolutely beautiful." Jeanne got lost in a description of all the possibilities the house presented, and Abby seemed equally interested.

"I didn't know you liked to garden," she remarked when Jeanne finally wound down.

"I do, when I have time," Jeanne said. "You should come over sometime soon and see the place."

Abby grinned. "When are you guys moving in?"

"Well, my stuff has to come out of storage, and the FBI still hasn't released his apartment," Jeanne said.

"Gibbs will take care of that," Abby said with assurance. "Now that you're ready to move, he'll make Fornell get off the dime."

Jeanne thought it would be convenient to have people around who could make law enforcement hop to it, but she had a feeling it would be more complicated than that. "And now I've just got to figure out how to tell all my friends that Tony and I are back together, and that he's not a film studies professor. And then there's always Tony needing to tell his friends that he had a relationship with me despite the fact that he never told anyone anything." Put like that it sounded even more daunting than she'd realized.

"Have a party," Abby suggested brightly.

"A party?"

"A house warming party," Abby said, getting visibly excited about the idea. "Once things are at least minimally set up, get all your friends and all his friends together and make the announcement. That gets it over with all at once, everyone can gossip and chatter as much as they like, and if you can't handle it, you guys can always hide upstairs."

Jeanne blinked. "I suppose that would work."

"We'll just have to come up with a good story to cover up the classified stuff," Abby added thoughtfully. "But that shouldn't be too hard."

"That's . . . a brilliant idea," Jeanne said. "If Tony's up for it. I wouldn't want to do anything that made him uncomfortable."

Abby shook her head vehemently. "No, absolutely not."

"I think it will have to wait until after we get back from New York, at the very least," Jeanne said.

"You're going to New York?" Abby asked. "To visit his family?" She sounded faintly disbelieving.

"No, I've already met his father and we're having lunch with his stepmother on Tuesday," Jeanne said. "We're going to go look at the stuff he has in storage."

Abby stopped dead and turned to look at her. "He's pulling his grandma's stuff out of storage?" she asked incredulously.

"Some of it, at any rate," Jeanne said, and Abby's eyes widened slightly. Jeanne shook her head. "Why do you look so stunned?"

Abby blinked, and then she smiled. "No reason," she said cheerily.

Jeanne was about to pursue what was obviously a fib, but a voice from behind her forestalled her. "Dr. Benoit, how lovely to see you again."

She turned to greet Dr. Mallard with a smile. "Good morning, Dr. Mallard."

"So, I gather you're going to be looking more closely after Anthony's welfare very soon," the elderly doctor said, and Jeanne blinked.

"He means he's heard that you're moving in together," Abby said.

"Oh." Jeanne nodded. "Yes, we are."

"I'm glad to hear it. He needs someone to look after him." He turned to Abby. "Abigail, have you found anything in the stomach contents yet?"

Recognizing that she wasn't needed for this conversation, Jeanne walked out and went to the elevator to return to the bullpen. She had a feeling Tony had sent her down here to protect her from Ziva's sharp tongue, but she was a big girl. She could handle whatever was thrown at her.

The elevator doors opened and she came face to face with Director Shepard. Blinking back her dismay, she stepped onto the elevator and the doors closed. There was a moment of tense silence, and then Director Shepard spoke.

"I understand we're going to be neighbors," she said.

Jeanne glanced at her and saw that the other woman looked icy but very controlled. "Are we?" Jeanne asked, raising her eyebrows.

"I live on O Street near 33rd," Director Shepard said.

Only a few blocks away from the new house. Jeanne blinked. "So, then you know all the best delis locally."

"I do." Director Shepard was silent for a moment. "Luigi's is rather good."

Jeanne nodded, and the elevator doors opened. The two women stepped out, and Jeanne turned to the director. "You know, even though you work with Tony and we'll be living in the same neighborhood, there's no real reason we should ever have to see each other."

Director Shepard gazed at her for a moment, then nodded. "I agree," she said curtly, and then she walked swiftly away.

Jeanne walked over to the bullpen and saw Agent Gibbs catching up with Director Shepard as they both went up the stairs.

"Tony should be back soon, I think," Agent McGee said.

"Thank you, Agent McGee," Jeanne replied. Ziva was ignoring her, and Tim returned immediately to his work. She walked over to stand by the windows so that she wouldn't feel quite so out of place. She sensed that people looked at her curiously as they passed by, but no one said anything.

"What is he thinking?" Jen demanded as soon as her office door was closed. "Moving in with that woman after everything that's happened."

Gibbs blinked at her. "Is this the part where I act like you never said that so you don't have to be embarrassed by un-director-like behavior, or do I talk to you like you're an old partner who's being an idiot?"

She whirled and glared at him. "Idiot?"

Tilting his head, Gibbs said, "Would you prefer jackass?"

Jen crossed her arms and glowered at him. "Exactly what is idiotic about thinking this is a bad idea?"

"Of all the people in DiNozzo's life, you are the least entitled to an opinion on this subject, Jen. You can't possibly be objective."

She gaped at him, but recovered her voice quickly. "I very much doubt I'm the only one who finds it disturbing. What did Ziva say?"

Gibbs shrugged. "Ziva also has a minor problem with objectivity in this situation, but that's neither here nor there. It's no one's business but theirs."

Jen gave him a dubious look. "If you had a problem with it, that wouldn't matter."

"If I had a problem with it, there would be a reason, Jen," Gibbs replied unflappably. "Not like this knee-jerk reaction to a situation you set up – and set up poorly, I might add – going in a direction you didn't anticipate." Jen turned away and went around behind her desk. "Now, is this all you called me in here for, or did you have something case-related that you wanted to talk about?"

Her eyes were narrowed when she looked up at him. "Have we managed to locate the remaining two victims the CIA identified?"

Gibbs sat down. "McGee found one of them, we think. The FBI is sending someone out to check it out now."

"Let's hope he's willing to stand up and speak," Jen said.

Gibbs nodded grimly. Once he'd filled Jenny in to her satisfaction, he went back downstairs and got to work. The day passed without any startling revelations. His cell phone rang at around four, and he picked it up, squinting at the readout. Fornell. Since he and Glick had gone out to interview the guy McGee had found, he assumed Fornell was calling to report on that adventure.

"Gibbs," he said.

"Jethro, we have a problem," Fornell said instantly, actually talking over Gibbs' brief greeting.

"What?" Gibbs demanded. Both McGee and Ziva looked up at his tone, but then they returned to their work.

"Harris is out," Fornell said curtly. "Has been since ten a.m. or thereabouts."

"How the hell –"

"Now isn't the time. Do you know where DiNutso is?"

"Out and about with Jeanne," Gibbs said. "Son of a . . . McGee," he snapped, and the younger man's head came up. "Call DiNozzo. Find out where he is. If you can't reach him, try Jeanne."

"Sure, Boss," McGee said, already dialing.

Ziva rose and came over to stand by his desk. "What is wrong?"

"Harris is on the loose," he said. "Fornell, we're locating DiNozzo. What the hell happened?"

"CIA borrowed him after Glick and I were on the road, and no one saw fit to tell us. No one at the Agency is being real forthcoming about what happened, but we got the call about an hour ago that he'd been on the loose since roughly ten this morning."

"An hour? Fornell –"

"I only heard the minute before I called, Gibbs," Fornell said earnestly. "Heads will roll all over the place for this screw up."

Gibbs flipped his phone shut and looked at McGee. "Well?"

"No answer from either of them," he said. "Tracking Tony's GPS chip now."

Gibbs made a call down to Abby. Words poured into his ear in a rapid torrent. "Gibbs, I don't have anything for you, but your radar is getting a little better, I have something for –"

"Not now, Abby," he said sharply, and she fell silent. "Did Jeanne tell you anything about their plans for today?"

"No," Abby said. "What's wrong?"

Gibbs hung up and looked expectantly at McGee. "Nothing yet, Boss. I –" His eyes focused on the screen abruptly. "11th Street NW, between E and F," he said, already gearing up. Gibbs couldn't fault him.

"The E Street Cinema," Ziva exclaimed after a brief moment of thought. "They must be at a movie."

Gibbs nodded. That was a good bet. They were on their feet and waiting for the elevator within moments. "Does Tony go there a lot?" McGee asked.

"Haven't you heard him talking?" Ziva replied as the doors opened. "It is his home away from home."

"During the last four months?" Gibbs asked, walking into the elevator and hitting the button.

"Certainly," Ziva said.

"So Harris might have seen him there," McGee said.

Gibbs started forward as soon as the doors were open again. "Ya think?" He took out his phone and dialed Fornell. "Keep trying DiNozzo," he ordered. There was going to be hell to pay.