In hindsight this was not a good idea. Scratch that, it was a terrible idea. And it was mainly because Gibbs was glaring at him as he stormed over. Look, it had seemed like, well, not a good idea but a better idea at the time. Now, not so much. Maybe this was for the best, it wasn't like they'd had a sound plan to resolve this whole situation.

"DiNozzo, you better have an explanation and it better be a damn good one," Gibbs growled but Tony say the brief flash of astonished disbelief (was that even a thing?) in his eyes.

He didn't blame the man, he was the one who had made this particular incident happen (Well, him and Ziva) and even he couldn't quite believe what had happened.

"I really don't have an explanation for this, Boss," Tony replied sheepishly.

Of course that didn't fly. He hadn't expected it to, hoped it would but not expected it. But in all seriousness, he didn't have an explanation for this. Not one that made even a little bit of sense anyway. Hell, he'd been there and saw it all happen and he was still trying to make sense of it. It just didn't make sense.

"You better come up with one then."

How exactly was he supposed to explain this? What did Gibbs want from him?

"I didn't think my day would start out with a goat, but here I am. With a freaking goat," Tony said in exasperation, glaring at the animal in question.

The animal which bleated in agreement and then promptly tried to take a bite out of Tony's jacket. Something he just about managed to avoid.

"Hey! Watch it, that's Italian."

The goat looked unimpressed with that statement and tried to lunge at him again. This time, Ziva took action and grabbed it by the neck and yanked it away. The goat was not happy with this and bleated loudly. Tony winced, he hadn't realised just how loud a goat could be. Apparently no one else realised this either because now the entire floor was staring at them. This was not something that Tony wanted to be stared at for. Pranks? Yes. Goat in the office, absolutely not. He did not want to become known as the Goat Agent.

At least its attention was diverted to Ziva. The thing had been going for him the whole way back to the office. That's what it felt like, anyway. The thing just didn't like him for some reason. Or thought he was tasty, Tony didn't know which option was better there. But yes, there was a goat in the bullpen. An actual goat. The farm animal. It was right here, in front of them and he and Ziva had been the one to bring it up. Hey, it was better than it being in the car, okay? A hundred times better than it being in the car. They probably weren't ever going to get that smell out. Who knew goats smelled that bad?

"Ziva?" Gibbs turned his glare on her.

"I do not have an explanation for this either, Gibbs, except that it was the goat's fault."

"The goat's fault?" He repeated, not looking impressed with that explanation at all either.

Both Tony and Ziva nodded at this. Tony was grateful that she was not trying to blame it all on him. And technically what she said was true. It wasn't like they could control the damn thing. Trust him, they'd tried. Not for very long but Gibbs didn't have to know that.

"Baa-aa!"

That was an accusing bleat if he ever heard one. Could goats glare? Because it was defintiely glaring at Ziva with those weird rectangular pupils of its. Ziva glared right back at it and it actually turned away! What the hell? Even goats were intimidated by Ziva? That just wasn't fair. Why didn't it try and take a chunk out of her clothes? And now it was looking at him again. Fantastic.

"Stay away," he told it.

Ziva rolled her eyes at him but thankfully kept a firm hold on its collar.

"Just how did you end up with a goat?" Gibbs demanded, looking throughly unamused by this whole exchange.

Tony and Ziva looked at each other.

"Well?" He said impatiently.

"It is all Tony's fault," Ziva said.

So much for partners always having each other's backs! Apparently not when goats and Gibbs were involved. When you put it that way Tony couldn't really blame her. Was he going to admit that? No he wasn't. Was he going to try and implicate her so they both had to bear the brunt of Gibbs' wrath? Absolutely. Because it wasnt just his fault! In fact, he'd tried harder than her!

"It is not!"

"Yes, it is."

"I can't help that it followed me."

"It is a she and you, she followed you therefore it is your fault."

"You just called it an it too!" Tony said childishly.

"She."

Seriously, when did Ziva even check what sex the goat was? Why would she do that? Tony barely wanted to be at the horned end of the goat, you couldn't pay him enough to he at the other end, let alone check something there. No. No, thank you.

"Who cares what the goat is! What matters that we brought it back with us!"

"We did not have a choice! And you were the one that gave up and said to bring it back!"

That was beside the point and did she really have to say that out loud when Gibbs was right there? Bwcause he really didnt need Gibbs knowing that.

"Baa!"

Tony didn't know who the goat was agreeing with. Why was he even trying to imagine that the goat understood? It was a goat. They had bigger problems than it trying to interrupt their conversation. Like the fact that it was here at all and Gibbs was looking more pissed off by the second.

"One of you better start explaining now," Gibbs barked.