"Hey Boss," Tony asked when Gibbs got back from checking on his wife, "is Je...the Director okay? I saw her leaving a little while ago, she didn't look so good."

Gibbs glared at him and Tony winced, expecting a headslap to tell him it was none of his business. Instead, the man showed a rare moment of emotion and sighed, wishing no one else was around because he knew the other members of the team were listening closely to their conversation.

"I hope so Tony."

"Yeah, me too," he answered as Gibbs went to his desk. Tony cast a worried gaze at his boss.

I can't even imagine, he thought, suddenly finding that his eyes had drifted to Ziva. He quickly pulled them away before she had a chance to notice and subsequently murder him for it. Thank God she seemed to believe that everything about Monday night was alcohol induced. Maybe some of it was, he reflected. Tony tried never to be that obvious about how drawn he was to Ziva sometimes.

On second thought, it might be worth a shot to be 'undercover obvious'. He sat and watched her out of the corner of his eye for several moments before finally making his decision. He sauntered over to her desk and leaned against the corner.

"Hey Ziva," Tony flashed a grin at her. "You up for a movie night tonight? I got a great new DVD that's going to rock your world."

His partner looked up at her, one graceful eyebrow arched. She knew there was a couple of meanings to the phrase Tony had used and she wondered which one was going through his head right now. Probably better not to know. Still, it would be nice to just spend a night on the couch doing nothing. Ziva leaned back and crossed her arms.

"You will have to feed me first," she said, attitude showing through her words.

Tony looked surprised. "Do you think I would offer a movie night without pizza?" He shook his head. "Ziva, I'm offended."

She rolled her eyes. "You are very easily offended Tony."

"So is that a yes?"

"Did you want to invite the others? Maybe Abby and McGee or Gibbs and Jenny would enjoy a movie night as well?" She was just teasing him. Whenever they had movie nights, it was only ever just them. If Tony wanted the team involved, they made use of the plasma in the bullpen or the large screen in MTAC.

"Ziva," he gave her an impatient look, "you know the boss doesn't watch movies. Heck, sometimes I'm not even sure he knows what they are." He lowered his voice. "The last movie he saw was probably in black and white!"

"Watch it DiNozzo," Gibbs growled from the desk beside Ziva. Tony gulped and looked away.

"And Probie and Ms. Goth probably have," he wiggled his eyebrows, "other plans tonight."

Ziva left his unspoken meaning go untouched. She thought Abby and McGee were sweet together. Tony kept waiting for something inappropriate to happen.

"Fine Tony," she agreed at last, "I will join you for movie night."

"Yes!" Tony pumped his fist in victory.

"Ziva!" McGee complained from across the room. "What did you say yes for? Now he's going to spend tomorrow telling us absolutely every single fact, detail, award, scene and all about each character in whatever movie you watch."

Ziva shrugged at him. "And how is that different from every other day McGee?"

The computer geek paused for a second and nodded. "You have a point there."

Gibbs looked up. "Hate to interrupt your precious social lives, but there's a case to be solved." All three agents snapped to attention. "Do you mind telling me how we could've been wrong?"

Tony frowned. "I don't know Boss. Everything Abby gave us from the car pointed to the guy we brought in."

Gibbs focused his stare at the senior field agent. "I don't want to hear 'I don't know' DiNozzo!"

Ziva stood up and walked around her desk. "So, what? Someone shoots the Petty Officer, then goes to great lengths to frame another man?"

McGee shook his head. "He would've had to set up everything to frame someone before he shot the Petty Officer Ziva. Mitchell lost control of the car when he was shot and ended up in the lake seconds later. No time to plant evidence...unless you're wearing scuba gear."

Tony tossed a ball of crumpled up paper at McGee's desk. "Nice theory McLame."

"You got something better DiNozzo?" the boss demanded.

"Uh...working on it Boss."

"Work faster. I'm going to see Abby again."

Gibbs' phone rang as he was on his way to the back elevator. He stopped in the little alcove beside the stairs. "Yeah, Gibbs."

"Jethro, it's Bill."

Gibbs let himself sag against the wall, closing his eyes. "Bill."

The older man was silent for a moment, perhaps waiting for his friend to speak. "I wanted to see how things were going with you and Jenny since we talked Sunday night."

Gibbs sighed. If that didn't feel like a hundred years ago, so much had happened in the last three days. "We were better. The note and her therapy session helped, I think. And we were talking again. Tuesday was good. But today is back to 'I don't know'."

"Why?" Bill asked.

"Hard to explain." Gibbs rubbed his hand down his face. "She woke up this morning in the same mood she had a couple days after she got back. I know she's trying harder today to let me in, but it's so hard to take everyone's advice about not letting it get personal when she can't have me near her."

Bill held his tongue for the moment, thinking. Nothing he could say would comfort the other man. "Would you like Merry to come over and talk to her sometime? She may not know what Jenny went through, but she's really good at listening."

"Jenny won't even talk to me Bill," Gibbs explained, "thanks though."

"Is she at work today?"

"She was. But something must've happened when she was overseeing a mission, because she wasn't doing that great when I went to check on her. I sent her home to sleep."

"Sleep is supposed to be healing," Bill mentioned. Then he decided a phone conversation wasn't good enough because he couldn't see Gibbs to read him. "Want to go for coffee later?"

Gibbs nodded slowly, even though his friend couldn't see him. "Yeah, I do. Gotta wrap up this case first, might be later."

"Merry won't mind if I leave for awhile tonight. Give me a call Jethro."

"Thanks Bill." Accepting help may not come easy, but having a friend like Bill certainly made it easier.

NCIS

"I can't believe I was wrong Gibbs!" Abby had her arms crossed and was pacing back and forth in front of her computers in a frustrated huff. "I gave you everything I found, and it all pointed to that creep you brought in." She faced him, her eyes boring into his. "Are you sure it wasn't him?" Then she shook her head. "Of course you're sure, you're Gibbs, you're right about everything."

Gibbs rubbed Abby's shoulder reassuringly. "Only most of the time Abby."

She wrinkled her nose at him. "What can I do? I've already been back over all the evidence, it's still telling the same story. And I don't have your intimidating presence to make it talk."

Gibbs smiled. Abby always cheered him up, even when she was angry about something. "You need a different perspective."

She shrugged. "I already tried standing on my head. It didn't help and I just got lightheaded."

He handed over a Caf-Pow. "Maybe this will help?"

Abby reached for the drink, finally smiling. "Maybe a little. Thanks Gibbs."

He tweaked one of her braids. "Go over the evidence again..."

"But Gibbs!" Abby protested. He put a finger over her mouth.

"Listen Abby. Go back over the evidence and tell me how else it could've gotten in the car."

Her eyes lit up and Gibbs could see the wheels turning. She threw her arms around his neck, very nearly showering him with Caf-Pow.

"You are a genius Gibbs."

"Nah," he grinned at her, "I leave that title for the professionals." He winked. "Now get to work."

"Yes sir."

"Abby..." She knew he hated the title.

She twirled around and grinned. "Yes Boss."

"Oh great, now you sound like DiNozzo."

She shrugged. "It was bound to happen sooner or later. He infects everybody."

He groaned and shook his head. "Don't remind me. Let me know when you've got something Abs."

"As soon as I know something, you'll know."

He headed for the elevator. "Thanks Abby."

"For you, anything." She smiled at the elevator doors closed. The killer might have gotten past her once, but he wasn't going to get away with it twice. She had a dirtbag to find.

NCIS

"What time will Jethro be home?" Rachel asked as she cut up lettuce for a salad. Noemi was taking care of dinner but she and Jenny had insisted on helping with something.

Jenny was slicing vegetables on the cutting board. "It depends. His team got a case this morning. He won't leave the office until they catch the guy who killed a sailor. It could be now and it could be in five hours when he finally makes it home."

"Do you worry about him, when he's out chasing the bad guys?" Rachel asked, reaching for another leaf of lettuce.

"Every day," Jenny admitted, scattering a handful of cucumber pieces into the bowl. "Jethro is one of the best agents we have. He shoots better than the younger guys, even with his nearsightedness; he doesn't hesitate to do what needs to be done; and he can get a confession faster than I can." She shrugged. "But he's still my husband and my worst fear is something happening to him." She looked over at Rachel. "Seven months is too short to make up for the seven years we were apart."

"Nothing will happen to him," Rachel said confidently. "After all, if it did, he'd have to leave you behind, and no guy in his right mind is going to give up you without a fight."

Jenny shook her head. "You're biased."

Her friend shrugged. "Best friends are like that Jen."

"So tell me about this new job," Jenny changed the subject. "When do you start?"

"Monday. But I have to go in early Friday morning and fill out all the paperwork so they can get my ID made up and all the other stuff they need to make me official."

"Where's your apartment?"

"Over in Deanwood."

Jenny raised her eyebrows. "That's a bit of a drive from the Naval Academy Rach."

"I know. But I'd rather be closer to you and have to drive a little further to get to work."

"You're not going to get clingy now that we live in the same area, are you?" Jenny teased.

Rachel shoved her shoulder. "You never know. We do have fifteen years to catch up on."

"I don't think we'll be able to do what we used to in college - talk all night to catch up."

"What? No sleepovers?" Rachel looked shocked.

Jenny laughed. "You're never going to grow up, are you?"

"Where's the fun in that?" Rachel asked, grinning. "You know your life would be boring without me."

"I'm not sure about boring," Jenny said thoughtfully, "but it sure it going to be a lot more interesting with you back in it."

"That's my job, keep life interesting."

"It's good to have you back Rach," Jenny's eyes were serious.

"Someone had to keep you from going crazy." Rachel's words were teasing, but she meant the words literally. They needed each other and Jenny knew it.

Noemi looked over at them and sighed. "You two talk more than Marisol and her friends. Are you ever going to finish my salad Senoras?"

Jenny and Rachel looked at each other and laughed, then quickly focused back on their task.