A/N: Big thanks again for all my readers & reviewers - you guys are awesome! Last chapter tomorrow.
Chapter Ten
Down below in the bullpen, the Anderson case was finally heating up. The recently moved neighbor, Eddie Callum, had changed his name a total of five times that Tony could find. Running the database for missing men matching Anderson's description in the five different places 'Callum' had lived during those names came up with nothing significant. But checking on missing women did show a stronger than average trail, near each of those locations and across three states. Even more suspicious, the seven missing women all shared attributes; all were petite blonds, between the ages of 25-35. Still no definite tie-in to the disappearance of Anderson, but plenty enough for a warrant to search the property currently for sale.
Tony filled Gibbs in when he came back downstairs, noting the warrant had just come in.
After meeting Ziva's eyes and seeing a nod, Gibbs said, "You and McGee go check out that house, then you set him up to run whatever comes up from it. Ziva and I are gone for three days starting this afternoon. DiNozzo, you'll be TAD closing out the Bush's Agent Afloat reports, then if Vance has a new A.A. assigned when you get done, give that agent a handoff training run.
Subtly concerned, Tony cocked his head to the side slightly, "Boss? Did a case come in? Why are you two…?"
Gibbs still stood in the center of the bullpen. He met Tony's gaze levelly and shook his head once, "Vacation days. Pollen."
"Pollen."
"Pollen."
Tony blinked.
Gibbs didn't. He sipped his coffee, eyes never leaving Tony's incredulous gaze.
The mutual staring continued.
Tim sighed... and internally rolled his eyes. Not again, he thought. And so begins another lengthy conversation in SA/SFA mental telepathy... Nothing wrong with words you know. Share people... Share with the class. Glancing beyond Gibbs, he saw agreement in Ziva's eyes; a moment of Junior agent solidarity.
Tim thought he heard a partial snort and maybe saw a barely perceptible nod on Tony's part… or maybe it was indigestion.
"Right. Damn those allergies. Safe travels to you both." He leveled a glance to Ziva that spoke clearly her responsibility to protect their Senior Agent. She nodded back.
Great, she's doing it too. Tim did roll his eyes this time.
Tony took a breath and plunged into his deep end of worry. "So, how T is my TAD?"
Gibbs shook his head briefly. "As long as it takes you to closeout, don't imagine it'll take you longer than three-four days. You?
"Depends on the mess, sounds about right. If anything develops with Anderson?"
"You two can handle it, not that far of a drive back up from Norfolk. McGee, pull Dorneget to collect evidence if you get warrants for other houses. DiNozzo, go ahead and take what you have on this 'Callum' to Ducky so he can get started on a psych workup."
After DiNozzo gathered some files, Gibbs joined him in the elevator. Tony didn't say anything, but had that mournful hound expression of anxiety.
DiNozzo didn't last three seconds in the elevator before, "Did he find out about yesterday?"
Gibbs was at least glad to hear the level tone in Tony's voice. Getting him to stay over again last night for steak and the ball game was a good idea. The seven solid hours of sleep may have been the first he's gotten in two weeks.
"He didn't mention it, so either he doesn't know, or didn't feel it rated conversation." Gibbs stopped the elevator. "This is not punishment. You're qualified a hell of a lot better than the TAD spinning his wheels there now. Vance knows you can do it, I know you can do it." Gibbs shrugged and spoke simply, "Needs to get done. And… it's… temporary. You got that DiNozzo?"
Gibbs started the elevator again as he saw the confidence return to his second's eyes, "Got it Boss."
Out at the Callum house, Tony drew curious looks from the real estate agent while squatting over the floor in the darkened living room.
"Oooo! Can you say bodily fluids Timmy?" Tony said as the luminol showed a large purple highlight on the floor.
Deep, deep inside, Tim was secretly impressed Tony's original hunch was paying off. "I can, I just choose not too. I'll go get the rest of the gear." Tim replied, grinning as he left the house. Well, take that team Balboa, team Gibbs still the best!
The real estate agent muttered as she walked out, "And I had a definite nibble from a family of three."
Less than an hour later, they were almost done processing the scene when Tim decided to interrupt Tony's current monologue about the history of baseball game color broadcasts with a question. "Tony, you ok with Gibbs and Ziva doing… what they're doing?"
Tim was glad the silence wasn't all that long; one of the easier mood-o-meters of the team's SFA.
"Yeah, I guess. It's not that I'm not grateful. I just… Can't you guys just… leave it be, especially now? I didn't want anyone else to get messed up from this. Don't want you to get pulled into my… that man's games. It doesn't have to affect you other than putting up with me being… weird for a bit. And you're all really good at that by now - lots of practice there."
Shaking his head, Tim was sometimes amazed and appalled by Tony's complete lack of ability to factor himself into the mix when making the connections he was usually so good at. "Imagine if it was one of us this had happened to Tony? I got my ID stolen and you went and found the kid responsible for me, right? Well, helping each other in the team isn't just trickle-down. Imagine if this was happening to Gibbs of all people and he didn't want any help with it. You know you'd do something, either to help him or to try and fix it. You'd have to do something, right?"
Tony thought for a moment. Tim was then caught by the level green-eyed gaze, saw a slight smile and tiny head bob directed at him, and amazingly, the SFA/Junior Agent mental telepathy kicked in. It was obviously Tony saying: Tim, you are both wise and kind, and, as you often are, right in this instance. Thank you my brother.
...or maybe it was indigestion.
Two days later, Abby and Tim urgently contacted Tony on board the U.S.S George H.W. Bush via Skype.
Tony answered while bookended by large stacks of folders and boxes. "Tell me you've got something good from the outside world guys. Sitting in here all day is so not good for my tan. I'm cutting cords through this mess though, just about got it squared away."
Abby was excited to see Tony again, and excited in general, "Tonyyy! We got the goods Tony-boy. I told you we've gotten even more trace evidence from the other houses; it all ties together with several of the missing women. We even got blood from Anderson in the next house multiple-alias-man, hmm, MAM lived in, probably off a weapon. Don't have that yet, but I can tell you it was rusty and had at least three different plant juices on it; probably a yard utensil. What's even more awesome of us though, is that we found a way to find him now."
"Wait, do you have an address? I can leave now. I would love to leave now..."
McGee held up his hand, "Hold up Tony, it involves using the drive-through cameras at his favorite fast food chain and adding a little facial recognition…" he stopped surprised as a beep was heard. "We have a ding? Already? How many burritos does this guy eat?"
Across the Skype feed, Tony's eager face filled the screen as he peered in the background, "It was more of a beep, I heard a beep."
Delighted, Abby agreed, "Definitely a beep Tony."
McGee muttered in the background, "It was a ding."
Abby continued, "And it means you get a road trip to lovely picturesque... Warsaw, Virginia Tony!"
Tim chimed in, "I'll contact you with his current address on the way, it'll take me just about as long as you to get there. And it was a ding."
"Beep." Tony shut the connection before racing out of the ship.
Abby spun on her chair in the empty lab, slurping happily on her Caf-Pow, and telling the mop-faces of Gibbs and Ziva, "Definitely a beep."