The first thing they heard when they stepped out was Abby.

'Oh yay! You're home! Welcome back! Oh…' The Goth trailed off, finally noticing the two other people standing next to Tony. Her eyes narrowed and then widened comically.

'Oh my god! This is the best present ever! Who knew you could pick up a Mac in Dusseldorf?' Abby exclaimed before throwing her arms around Mac, almost sending the Marine off her feet if not for the steadying hand Harm placed on the small of her back.

Germany?

Mac sent Tony an enquiring look.

'Security conference. I was on my way back to the Yard before the Director told me to bring you in,' Tony answered before zeroing in on the third longest serving member of the current NCIS Major Case team.

'McGee! Look at you in your big boy pants! You're all grown up. Did anything happen in the two weeks I was gone?'

'Well, nothing I couldn't handle. Hey Sarah,' McGee greeted her cordially though there was a trace amount of confusion as well, directed mostly at Harm who had chosen to remain discrete.

'Hey Tim,' Mac replied warmly, gently disentangling herself from Abby's somewhat suffocating embrace to wrap her arms around McGee. The younger man had shed a few pounds, Mac noted, but the same open, friendly nature that the former probationary officer had carried around with him still remained.

'Officer David is late, Sir. Second time this week,' a petite Asian woman spoke up. The sigh of exasperation emanating from Tony was barely audible. Mac resisted the urge to raise an eyebrow.

'Agent Lee, my favourite probie-slash-hall monitor. When you first joined Team DiNozzo, what did we say about worrying?' Tony retorted, leaning against Ziva's desk.

'That it was your job,' Lee replied mechanically. 'But she's over an hour late, which is unusual for her. And she's not answering her – I'm sorry Sir. She's not answering her cell phone either.'

'There's one thing you need to know about Officer David-'

'Not to make her angry,' Lee interrupted.

'Well, okay, two things. The other is that she can take care of herself,' Tony finished, flashing Lee a pointed look. 'Now gather round Team DiNozzo. There's some people I'd like you guys to meet. Most of you already know her but this is Colonel Sarah Mackenzie and her partner Commander Harmon Rabb from JAG.'

Harm lifted a hand in greeting, feeling uncomfortable under the pressing gaze of both McGee and Abby, while Mac shot Tony an icy look at his introduction.

'JAG?' McGee asked. 'Why do we need JAG?'

'That, Probilicious, is need to know. And right now, you're not on the list,' Tony remarked. 'Just, you know, give them the good ol' NCIS hospitality that we don't normally reserve for the rest of the acronyms.'

A phone rang and Mac watched as Lee went to answer it.

'So you're Harm. I thought you'd be, I dunno, more blonde. Like Norse mythology blonde rather than California bleached,' Abby said, circling around Harm. Tony snorted while Mac smirked.

'Ma'am?' Harm's perplexed look almost sent Mac into hysterics. Seeing Abby place her hands on her hips and level a murderous glare in Harm's direction, Mac suddenly felt the need to remove her colleague from the forensic scientist.

'Let's make one thing clear,' Abby started, jabbing a finger at him.' You look like a nice guy. Freakishly tall but harmless with that flirty grin. But know this Harmon-'

'Director Shepherd would like to see you Sir, along with Colonel MacKenzie and Commander Rabb, up at MTAC,' Lee's directive proved a divine intervention.

'The Director?' McGee said, his eyebrows shooting up. 'Boss-'

'Later McGoo. C'mon guys, let's go. The Director gets antsy whenever we keep her waiting,' Tony announced, placing a gentle arm on Mac's shoulder and guiding her towards the stairs.

'I still need to discuss a few things with you Harmon-'

'Abby,' Mac said, voice warning. Catching the look Mac was sending the other woman, Harm wondered what Mac had told these people about him. From the look of things, he thought, nothing good so far. That heavy, pressing weight in his stomach felt more leaden.

'I'll see you later, alright?' Mac almost seemed to plead. Now that he reflected on it, Harm imagined McGee giving him what could be described as a displeased look. Shaking his head, Harm followed after Mac and Tony. Tony still had a hand on her shoulder and Mac, who normally resisted such contact, seemed more than happy to let the Italian maintain it.

As Tony leaned over the corneal recognition pad next to the door, Harm leaned over. 'There something here I'm missing MacKenzie?'

Mac seemed to stiffen at his close proximity, subtly inching away from him while she answered. 'Don't worry about it Harm. NCIS just don't take well to strangers.'

Right.

The metal door opened with a hiss and Harm inclined his head as Tony held the portal open for them to pass. Stepping inside, Harm took in the control panel that ran the length of one side of the room as well as the huge, full-length screen projected onto the main wall in front of them. Currently, a row of boxed, live video feeds of a ship were being run. One of them was smoking.

'Commander Rabb. Sarah,' a woman with closely cropped red hair greeted them, removing the headset that she had been using. A sharp nod of her head and the screen went blank. 'Thank you for agreeing to work with us.'

'Working on what exactly ma'am?' Harm asked, realizing neither the Admiral nor Mac had mentioned why NCIS had requested their assistance in the first place.

'Officer Ziva David's in trouble,' Mac said, glancing at him before looking back at Jenny. 'That's all Tony mentioned when he saw me. Congratulations, by the way Director Shepherd,' Mac added meaningfully. Jenny gave her a smile in response.

'Tracy, could you bring up the file the FBI sent us?' Jenny requested.

'Terrorism?' Harm voiced, seeing the hollowed out and smoking remains of a café. Mac squinted, recognizing something amidst the rubble, broken glass and wounded civilians.

'Is that Ziva's car?' Mac raised, hoping she didn't sound as alarmed as she felt.

'At approximately 0630 this morning, a bomb went off at Mulaney's Café in Georgetown. Metro Police found her Cooper on the sidewalk,' Jenny's mouth kicked up in an cynical half-smile.

'Not that unusual with Ziva's driving,' Tony chipped in.

'Believe me DiNozzo, I drove across Eastern Europe with her. I know. As I was saying, I received a call from Agent Sachs a few minutes after the incident.'

'You're kidding me? Sachs?' Tony exclaimed, not bothering to conceal his distaste.

'Apparently two FBI agents were caught in the crossfire. Fatal,' Jenny finished ominously.

'They're out for blood,' Harm murmured.

'Look Mac, I know this isn't what you do anymore. But Officer David-'

'Jenny,' Mac hesitated before reverting to the more familiar tone she used with the older woman. 'We'll get her back.'

She's family.

The NCIS Director looked visibly relieved at Mac's reply. 'Commander Rabb, I requested your assistance as well because I heard how well you and Sarah work together.'

'I'll do my best ma'am,' Harm replied, holding Jenny's gaze.

'We need to do this by the book. Which means co-operating with Sachs and his team. Am I understood, Agent DiNozzo?'

'This is complete bullsh-'

'Tony,' Jenny all but barked. 'This is an order form your Director. Is that clear enough for you?'

'Almost crystal,' Tony replied glibly. Jenny shook her head.

'Sachs will be here soon. Mac, make sure this doesn't escalate into an international public relations nightmare, would you?'

Casting her eyes briefly over at Tony's scowling face, and Harm's stoic façade, Mac refrained from smiling.

'Almost crystal Director. Almost crystal.'