Thanks for all the reviews so fast and story alerts, they made me smile. Now for the next chapter…

Chapter 2

"You wanna tell me why you didn't answer your phone last night?" Gibbs growled as he passed Tony's desk.

Tony knew that this question had been coming and had already figured out an answer. "I guess I was asleep, Boss, like normal people at night." Gibbs glared at the witty come back, seeing the look Tony backed down a bit. "Won't happen again boss." Tony stated with his defensive bright smile. Tony thought that was it but by Gibbs' look he knew more was coming; he had pissed Gibbs off a lot recently. What with being framed for murder as well in the last month. He must have been a disappointment to the agency by now.

"Damn right it won't happen again! The next time you're unreachable don't bother coming back to work in the morning." With that Gibbs walked towards MTAC.

Tony didn't have long to think about it as Ziva stepped off the elevator. He put his mask firmly back in place, as if the comment hadn't affected him, even though it did. The little hope he had clung on to while running last night was that he would always have his job in some way, now, he wasn't so sure that it was safe. That little fact just made him feel more worthless. If he couldn't do his job he couldn't help people, which, contrary to popular belief, he did care about and like doing.

"Thinking about a woman Tony?" asked Ziva curiously.

"What, no, I do think about other things, Zee-vah" to this she laughed. He of course ignored it, it wasn't like he cared what they said now. He already knew they didn't want him.

About an hour later…

Having gotten back from MTAC to find his team working for a change shocked Gibbs; he usually had to stop DiNozzo from his childish antics. He found the reason immediately. DiNozzo wasn't anywhere to be found. What the hell was DiNozzo up to? Was he trying to push his buttons recently or what? He had found himself shouting at the younger agent more since he and Ziva had been trapped in that shipping container. He knew that he had been harsh towards the two; there was a reason it was called tough love after all. They had just worried him; he didn't want to lose any of his agents. Not if he could help it.

"Where the hell is DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked McGee and Ziva.

"Erm…ahh…well" stuttered McGee

"Spit it out, McGee!" Gibbs shouted.

"He said he had to go to the head." replied McGee. Gibbs merely growled then sat at his desk.

Seeing that Gibbs was in a really bad mood, McGee and Ziva quietly got back to work. Ziva couldn't help but think that there was something wrong with Tony. His bright smile this morning hadn't reached his eyes, which themselves looked troubled. Not that she thought anything could trouble the carefree agent. She pushed her doubts away as he came back to the bullpen wearing a disarmingly bright grin.

For the next couple of hours DiNozzo had pushed everyone's buttons, especially with Gibbs. Gibbs didn't like Tony when he got hyper, like he was being. Tony had a tendency to goof off but he still got work done. This time, however, he didn't seem to be getting any work done. Gibbs was starting to get royally pissed, but also concerned. He could see that Tony was overcompensating, yet for the life of him he couldn't figure out why. Some of Tony's comments recently had kept people at arms' length. Why was he only realising now? He knew that Tony's arm still bugged him a little; he had seen the younger agent wince when others hadn't been looking. Tony hadn't complained once though- that is what worried him the most, usually Tony complained over a paper cut. Tony was only ever quiet when something was badly wrong. He pushed away these thoughts, he figured that if his agent had a problem then Tony would speak to him. He had no need to get involved for the moment. Did he?

Gibbs was just about to shout at DiNozzo for the third time that morning when his phone rang. After listening to the person on the other end, he turned to his team.

"Go home and pack; we're going to be away for a couple of days." Everyone's eyebrows rose. They hadn't had to packed for a case in a while. Gibbs could see the excitement in Ziva and McGee; in Tony, he could see a little fear too. What the hell? He thought. Where had that come from?

All Tony could think of was, how the hell was he going hide from his boss' glare now. How was he going to not mess up and disappoint Gibbs this time? would Gibbs even want him to stay if he couldn't be professional like Gibbs had said earlier? He wasn't even professional enough to work quietly. His fathers voice echoed again in his mind.

"You're worthless, nobody is going to care when you die."

He really was starting to believe everything his father had taught him. But, he still clung to the hope that maybe somebody cared. Maybe, just maybe he would see it in this case when they were working closely together…

TBC

I know not much happened in this chapter and it was really short but bare with me. Hmm why is Tony scared to be spending time with the team on a case, now Ziva and Gibbs are a little suspicious. You will have to wait and see.