The elevator doors close and it is just Tim, Tony and Nick Miller, the little spoiled brat who'd had too much unsupervised time on his hands as well as unlawful access to the apartment complex keys, thanks to his mother who just happened to be Tim's landlady, riding in the car as it took them down to the street level to sign out. And while Tony had egged Tim on to stop being so responsible for a moment and just go with the idea of escaping to goof off with him and the little crime bandit; Tim's better judgment was now careening around the corner, screeching in his ear that he knew better and it didn't matter what Tony's opinion was because Tony always skated by with Gibbs and Tim never could.

With Tim, things were different. Tim was held more accountable for his actions and what's more, he didn't even like this kid. What Nick had done was criminal, pure and simple. So criminal, in fact, Tim had been close to becoming embroiled in an active investigation into identity theft at the hands of the FBI because of it; as their main suspect, instead of the innocent victim he'd been! It could have ruined his career! And besides, wrong was wrong and skipping out on work, especially without the boss' okay, was definately wrong!

It was not surprise that Tony was taking it so lightly, as if it hadn't mattered that what this kid had done was illegal enough it would have landed him in jail, had he been old enough to serve the time. After all, it hadn't been Tony's apartment the kid had snuck into repeatedly; it wasn't Tony's computer that had been hacked into. And it wasn't Tony who'd had thousands of dollars of charges rung up on his credit cards! Why would Tony take it seriously? After all, he was too damn busy getting a kick out of Tim's problems; again!

The more he thought about it as they rode the elevator down together; with Tony and this brilliant smart ass of a criminal in sneakers who hadn't even made it out of junior high yet, talking and cutting up like they were the best of friends; and Tim silently pondering what he was allowing himself to be drug into and let this kid get away with; the more angry Tim got.

It wasn't helping that Tim was mentally head slapping himself now because he knew he should have been more careful with his identity and information, that he'd had this happen before when that crazy woman had stolen his mail and taken credit cards out in his name, just for the kick of it a couple of years ago.

All of this was whirling around in his head and amping the anger that had been steadily getting hotter as this problem had escalated throughout the last couple of days. When the elevator stopped on the floor they needed to sign the kid out, Tim's feet remained rooted to the floor in the elevator.

"Probie! You comin'?" Tony asked impatiently.

"No, Tony. No, I'm not. I've got work to finish up back up at my desk." Tim answered quietly.

"Seriously, Probie? You've given up your moment of spontaneity?" Tony goaded him mercilessly. "You've decided to go back to being predictable and boring already?"

"Yeah, Tony. I have. I shouldn't have let you talk me into it in the first place. Thank you for finding out who was doing this to me, I appreciate it very much, but I can't skip out on my responsibilities just to go do something different. Besides, after I finish my work here, I have a police report to file. The truth remains, DiNozzo, that what he did was criminal" Tim answered pointedly.

"Say what?" Tony asked incredulously.

"Wait a minute! Are you seriously gonna file charges against me?" Nick demanded daringly.

"Yeah, I am. What you did was criminal. We hunt criminals and put them behind bars for a living. If I let you get by with what you've done, I wouldn't be doing my job of upholding the law. Not all of us find it funny because the criminal in this case happens to still be in short pants!" Tim bit out angrily, as he glared at both the half-pint and Tony in turn.

"But..." the kid objected.

"No buts! You may have thought it was a real practical joke and a whole lotta fun, but it was wrong and you knew it. You could have cost me my job, my reputation, everything! And for what? Because you were bored? Because you wanted to show me up? Well, I'm sorry, but that's not good enough. You're old enough to face the consequences of your behavior and it would be wrong of me to sit back and let you get by with it! I'll be in touch with your mother as soon as I file the report." Tim answered.

It was with the greatest feeling of satisfaction that Tim pushed the button to close the elevator doors between himself and the now slack-jawed Tony and juvenile delinquent alike, a firm line drawn between the truth and the arrogance of wrong.