"Tony." McGee greeted him as he entered to Bullpen.

"Probie." Tony responded.

"You all right?" McGee asked.

"Yeah, why do people keep asking me that?" Tony lightly snapped more in confusion of having to ask.

"Well, Tony. . .you are acting a bit odd. . .even for you." McGee answered.

"What am I doing that is so "odd" for me?" Tony asked irritated.

"You have Gibbs concerned." McGee said in a whisper as he looked around carefully as he said it.

"Really? Is he really concerned?" Tony asked feeling guilty. "I am not acting that odd. Nothing is wrong with me."

"Let me see. You were following Ziva's Mossad boyfriend. You were attacked and forced to kill her boyfriend in self-defense. You fractured a few bones in your arm in the process. You had to justify what you did to Mossad and were interrogated by Ziva's father. Ziva hasn't forgiven you for having to kill Rivkin. She doesn't trust you anymore and chose to stay in Israel. Now you have scheduled more than one date per night at least three days this week." McGee played back all the events. "No, this is all normal stuff for you." McGee snapped sarcastically at Tony. McGee heard a deep breath from Tony, who was looking down at the floor.

"Thanks for your concern, Tim." Tony remarked slowly and softly thru his teeth at McGee. He stood up angrily regarding McGee and then went to the elevator.

"Oh my god~Oh my god." Abby repeated as she hurried into the bullpen. She passed McGee's desk but completely stopped half-way to Tony's desk, when she realized Tony wasn't there.

"Where is Tony?" Abby said with a pout as she stomped her one foot. "I haven't checked on him in almost an hour."

"I. . .uh. . .upset him I guess." McGee tried not to show the guilt he was feeling.

"Oh my god! McGee! Where is he? I have to see him. He was almost killed, and he was forced to kill Ziva's boyfriend in self-defense. And, it doesn't look like she is forgiving him. . ." Abby babbled turning in circles as she laid out all the details. Gibbs was listening as he slowly entered the bullpen.

"Abs?" Gibbs questioned as he slowly walked up behind her.

"Oh Gibbs!" Abby said as she wrapped her arms around him for an embrace. "Is Tony okay?" She asked as she buried her face into his shoulder.

"Why don't you ask Tony how he is doing?" Gibbs responded questioningly.

"Tony's missing! It is all McGee's fault." Abby announced her accusation. McGee lightly cringed in response to Abby's emotional accusation.

"Tony will be fine Abby. He'll be right back. I'm sure." McGee responded. Gibbs squinted at McGee after his comments and let Abby's words sink in before sitting down at his desk.

"Gibbs." Abby started another rant.

"Abs." Gibbs addressed her. "Tony will be fine. I'll make sure of it." Gibbs finally added some assuring words as she was about to leave. As she left, Gibbs treated McGee with a real Gibbs' stare.

"Boss. . .I. . ." McGee started, knowing that Gibbs had heard his confession to Abby. "I didn't mean to upset Tony. I am not exactly sure what upset him though." After hearing McGee's confession, Gibbs nodded in agreement. He then stood up with his coffee cup and went for the elevator.


By this time, Abby and Gibbs had been gone awhile. McGee sat at his computer wondering if the team would recover from this, if Ziva did not return. Seconds later, Tony emerged from the elevator with a large pizza. He sat down at his desk opening up the box, and he tore the top part of the box off. He slapped half of the pieces on the top part of the box and walked it over to McGee. He set the top half of the box with half the pieces of a large pizza in the middle of McGee's desk on top of his keyboard.

"Peace, Tim." Tony said with pizza in his mouth.

"Thanks, Tony." McGee said in shock. He also didn't know what he would do with all of this pizza.

tbc