Gibbs tucked the ID card of Agent Langer in behind the framed photo's of other agents fallen in the line of duty and returned to the bar to finish his drink.

The bartender had asked him if he was drinking alone that night and he'd simply answered "no" in a way only Gibbs could manage, a single word that in itself said more than any lengthy sentence.

It had been a long day, but ultimately successful, they'd closed the case with the Quantico bank robbery and murder of Vittorio and solved an old robbery of a jewelry store to boot. He'd recommended that the rookie agent Dwayne Wilson be taken on board full-time and tried to put aside the self-doubt Ducky had told him he'd been harbouring since the day they had found out that Langer, a guy he'd recommended, had betrayed the agency and his country.

Success or not, there were a few things that were still on his mind. First, he did not think his gut had got it that wrong about Langer and kept telling him to look closer into Agent Lee. Second, and personally the most important worry was that Vance had said to him that the new agents should be more like McGee than DiNozzo. Was the Director planning on getting rid of Tony again, sending him off as agent afloat or to another team? He didn't think he'd cope with that, he knew Tony wouldn't and yet Tony's behaviour was playing right into Vance's hands.

His musings were interrupted by the ever-cheerful voice of his son.

"Hey Dad you said you wanted to see me," grinned Tony, "are you buying?"

"Yeah, what are you having Tony?" he answered.

"Er, just a light beer," he replied.

"You driving?" asked Gibbs slightly taken back that Tony had chosen this option.

"No, I'm er doing some erm, extra bits and pieces at work," explained Tony, "want to make sure I've got a clear head and all for the morning."

"But we are all off duty for the next three days," stated Gibbs confused.

"I know but they needed a bit of help down in the evidence garage with an audit, so I volunteered to help," said Tony, taking a sip of the drink and averting his eyes from his Dad.

The evasion was not unnoticed by the father.

"You alright Tony?" he asked, "I thought you had a meet up with your college buddy's this weekend, what's changed?"

"Nothing Dad, just thought I'd help out, is all," said Tony, "no big deal."

Gibbs scrutinized the face of his son, something was most definitely not right and if Vance had said or done something to make Tony feel that he had to volunteer to do Probie work to get into his good graces in order to stay on the team he'd have something to say about that. Vance had been so disparaging about Tony, he clearly hadn't read the kids file. McGee was not the only one with stellar results and degrees, Tony had too, it was just that he didn't brag about them, if anything he played the whole thing down. Sure McGee was the go to guy on computers but cases needed far more than just technical know-how.

"Has someone made you think that you need to do more than you are already doing Tony?" Gibbs tried again.

"No Dad, can't a guy just want to help?" asked Tony.

"Sure, but you hate the evidence garage at the best of times, why would you volunteer your weekend off to help out, I don't understand," continued Gibbs.

"Dad, please just leave it, ok," said Tony finishing his drink and standing up to leave, "I volunteered ok."

"Hey what's with the attitude?" asked Gibbs, "I'm only worried about you, just wanted to spend an hour with my son before he spent the weekend with his buddies and left his old man to his boat and basement."

"Sorry Dad," said Tony, "I didn't mean to snap, just could do without the twenty questions."

"Fine, fine," said Gibbs, "but if there's something bothering you, if you've fallen out with your friends or someone has made you feel that you don't do enough around here, you'll tell me right?"

"Er yes sure," said Tony, "look I am sorry and a bit tired, I'm gonna get an early night."

With that Tony quickly hugged his Dad and made his way home. Gibbs ordered up another drink and called Ducky.

"You busy Duck?" he asked.

"Not at all Jethro, what brings about your unexpected but welcome call at this hour?" asked the Doctor, "Is everyone alright?"

"Yeah, I think so," answered Gibbs, "but I don't know."

"Is that famous gut of yours and your recent bout of self doubt still troubling you, if so than I can tell you that I think your assessment of Agent Wilson was spot on, I heard about his instincts at the cemetery, smart kid there, reminds me of Tony, and you when you were younger, you know I used to know a fellow in Edinburgh who…" Dr Mallard was under way.

"Duck sorry to interrupt the story but have you got a spare hour or two?" asked Gibbs.

"For you Jethro as much time as you need," replied Ducky, "are you at home, I can pop right over?"

"No I'm at that cop bar down by the gates to the base," answered Gibbs.

"I'll join you there," said Ducky, he could hear that there was something amiss in Gibbs voice, "give me 20 minutes."

With that he hung up and made his way over to the bar. As he walked in past the wall of frames with pictures of the fallen on it, he couldn't help but notice the picture of Langer tucked into the midst of them.

He pulled up a stool alongside Gibbs who was on his third drink and looking morose.

"I hope you're not planning on trying to drink your troubles away Jethro," he started, "nothing worse for that gut of yours than too much bourbon."

"Please Duck spare me the lecture, I just needed to talk to an old friend," begged Gibbs.

"I'm sorry Jethro, its just the ME in me that has seen one to many badly damaged livers in his time," said Ducky, "shall we start again and let me get you something to eat alongside that drink of yours?"

"Thanks Duck," he smiled, "food would be good."

They took a table at one of the booths by the window and waited for the meals to arrive. Ducky was keenly observing his friend for signs of what was bothering him.

"You feel guilty don't you?" he questioned.

"Me, about what?" asked Gibbs mildly surprised.

"I saw you put his ID up on the wall over there," said Ducky, "that gut of yours doesn't think he did it and you feel you've let him take the blame."

"Yeah in part," answered Gibbs, "but I'm working on a solution to that, and that's not the problem."

"Oh," replied Ducky, "then you'd better let me know what you think the problem is and let me try to help you."

"It's Tony," said Gibbs, "I think Vance wants to send him away again or maybe even get rid of him, and he's volunteering for all this extra work and giving up his time with his buddies."

"Yes I heard about it," said Ducky, "Jimmy had been looking forward to going with Tony this weekend, he gets on well with Tony's college friends, he was most disappointed when Tony said he'd cancelled it."

"Did he tell Palmer why?" asked Gibbs.

"Not really, but Jimmy had seen he had been called in to see the Director and figured that it was another undercover op and that took priority," said the Doctor, "the lad was a little concerned that Tony was going undercover again without telling you and having proper back-up, he recalls how annoyed you were with Tony last time, the two of them have become quite close friends you know."

"Did he say it was an undercover op?" asked Gibbs.

"Well, you would need to ask Mr Palmer directly about that," answered Ducky, "but that is certainly the impression he seemed to have been given by young Tony."

"He told me he was volunteering to help audit the evidence garage?" said Gibbs.

"What Tony?" asked Ducky slightly taken aback, "I thought he did everything he could to avoid that place or spending too much time down there and why would he give up a weekend for that. Sounds more like a punishment detail to me, you know I when I was a young officer in the RAMC I once got assigned extra duties for an entire month with the quartermaster in his stores for being late back to barracks."

"Sounds a bit of a harsh punishment Duck, how late were you?" asked Gibbs.

"Oh only half an hour," replied Ducky, "but so was the Majors daughter who had accompanied me on my little jaunt and I think he wanted to impress upon me a lesson about timing and dating his daughter. He took up all of my free time and by the time I'd finished my extra duties she had found a new love." Ducky paused, "you don't think our Tony has got himself into trouble with the Director do you?"

"I don't know Ducky," mused Gibbs, "but I'll find out."

"Oh dear, I do hope not," said Ducky, "is there anything I can do to help?"

"No, I'll investigate Duck," said Gibbs, "but if he has done something stupid you might need to be there to make sure he can sit down after I have finished with him."

"I'm sure it will be fine Jethro, the young man has been relatively well behaved since he came back from being Agent Afloat, I've hardly seen a head slap," smiled Ducky.

"Lets hope you're right Duck," sighed Gibbs taking another bite of his meal and sip of his drink, "let's hope you're right."

However the feeling of unease did not really dissipate all night, despite Ducky's stories told to try to take his mind off of things and cheer his friend up.

Gibbs didn't really sleep that night, as he reviewed the last few days activities. Sure Tony had been chatting up the new recruits but that wasn't a punishable offence and other than his usual joking that he did as par for the course, he'd worked hard, desperately trying to impress his dad and Agent Wilson. There had to be something he didn't know.

Next morning he rose early and went for a run trying to clear his head. It didn't work and he soon found himself sat in his truck on to the way into the navy yard.

As he pulled up in the parking bay he bumped into Nigel, the guard from the security office.

"Morning Agent Gibbs," he smiled, "I didn't know your team was in today Sir."

"We're not, just chasing something up that's been bugging me," said Gibbs.

"Anything I can help with Sir," asked Nigel.

"Well I could do with access to the security footage," he said.

"Sure, I can set you up in our office," said Nigel, "I even have some of that coffee you like."

"Sounds like we have a plan," smiled Gibbs, "are you sure I'm not taking you away from your other work?"

"Not at all," he answered, "wife has the mother in law around this weekend and I'm trying to stay out of the way."

"I know your pain," laughed Gibbs, "I've had four of them."

"So what you looking for exactly?" asked Nigel.

"Well I know Agent DiNozzo got called in to see the Director yesterday," said Gibbs, "can you locate his whereabouts on the cameras, I'd like to see what was going on just before and after that meeting."

"Sure we'll start on the camera on the mezzanine level and get a time frame and then check him on the other cameras leading up to there," suggested Nigel, "say Agent Gibbs, this isn't anything to do with the CCTV that the Director had Bob download of Agent DiNozzo in the canteen area does it?"

"When did he do that?" asked Gibbs.

"Yesterday about an hour or so before you guys left," said Nigel.

"Do you know what was on there?" asked Gibbs.

"No but I could make you a copy of that too if you'd like?" he offered.

"Would you?" asked Gibbs.

"Sure it won't take long at all."

Forty minutes later, Gibbs had two discs in his hand. Now he just had to find somewhere outside of the office to play them. He didn't have the technology at home, his tv was practically steam driven, much to his sons despair and his computer had probably been used by Noah to design the Ark.

He looked down at the keys in his hand. The spare key to Tony's apartment was attached to his bunch. Not that he was sure why he actually kept any keys of his own as he rarely locked up.

He made his way over to Tony's and put the disc in the TV system and sat back to watch.

When Tony arrived home he collapsed onto the sofa and closed his eyes. He was worn out and ached, he needed a shower and he still had another two days of this. As he re-opened his eyes he noticed something on the table in front of him that hadn't been there when he'd left in the morning.

He reached forward and picked it up, a bar of chocolate, the type they sold in the vending machine at HQ. As he turned it over in his hand wondering how on earth it at got there he heard the creak of the floor boards.

Looking up he was met with a steely gaze, one that meant he wasn't going to get that relaxing shower or the early night.

"You still got that sweet tooth Tony?" asked Gibbs; the question rhetorical. "Thought you would have lost your appetite."

"Dad," said Tony, "I can explain."

"Oh good," said Gibbs, "I'm sure glad you can because there's a lot of explaining to be done the way I see it."

Tony gulped, "please Dad can I go take a shower first at least?"

"You have ten minutes Tony and then I want your butt out here and on that sofa," said Gibbs.

Whilst Tony showered and changed Gibbs went into the kitchen and made the kid a sandwich and poured him a drink whilst at the same time pouring himself a mug of coffee.

As Tony came out of the bathroom in sweat pants and t-shirt, his hair still damp he reminded Gibbs of a much younger Tony, the same look of guilt on his face as the 11 year old boy who had once found himself in the same position.

"Sit and eat something," he commanded.

Tony took a seat and did as he was told. He struggled to swallow the bites of the sandwich. His mouth was dry and his throat felt constricted. He knew he was in trouble and his appetite had suddenly gone.