Chapter 1

“So explain to me again why we’re going to the NCIS Washington field office?� Elizabeth asked her supervisor, Senior FBI Agent T.C. Fornell, as she settled back into the passenger side of the nondescript government car that they had been assigned to drive to their destination. She was far from stupid, but she didn’t quite understand why her boss was going out of his way to help another government agency, especially one that was top-notch in the country. “And why do you need me again? Because I would have thought that a field agent would probably be more welcome than some computer hacker.�

“An old friend called and asked for my help profiling their suspect; I owe him a favour,� Fornell replied as he exited the FBI compound and started the drive to the Washington NCIS field office. “Special Agent Gibbs mentioned that there was a rather complex computer situation, and since I know nothing about computers, you were my first pick to come with me. Although I wish you’d worn something a little more appropriate. We have a dress code, you know.�

“Not an agent and nobody ever sees me; kind of a side effect of being locked in a basement for at least eight hours a day. Most people at the agency have never even seen me,� Elizabeth replied with a shrug. She was wearing black pants, skate shoes and a t-shirt that read “I Got Out Of Bed For This?�. Her hair was dyed black with blue streaks and perched on her nose was a pair of black framed glasses. “And really, it’s not entirely my fault; if you’d given me more warning, I would have pulled out something a little more professional, you know that.�

“Not my fault either, you can blame Special Agent Gibbs,� Fornell replied. Elizabeth nodded in understanding; so she was finally going to meet the infamous NCIS Special Agent Leeroy Jethro Gibbs, friend and thorn in the side of her boss. While she had only been with Fornell’s team for a little over a year, she had heard many a story from both him and his team about the NCIS agent that Fornell worked with from time to time.

“So what’s the situation?� Elizabeth asked, trying to keep the conversation going. She wanted to know as much as she could before going in; even though she wasn’t an agent, she helped with a lot of cases and it helped her when she knew what she was up against.

“What looks like a serial killer is preying on the military,� Fornell replied as he pulled up to the security booth at the Navy Yard. He gave his identification to the attendant before gesturing to Elizabeth to hand over her own. She gladly obliged, excited to get going and to start working with different people. “Whoever it is either is a computer hacker or is working with one, and whoever it is, is hacking into databases and altering information in personnel files and autopsy reports.�

“Wow, whoever it is has to be pretty damn talented to get past that kind of encryption,� Elizabeth replied with a low, impressed whistle as they were given back their identification and Fornell started driving towards the visitor’s parking.

“Why do you think I brought you along?� Fornell asked her as he pulled into a parking spot. Elizabeth shrugged as the two FBI employees got out of the car and started walking towards the main building that housed the Washington NCIS field office. They checked through security with no problems and were on their way to the third floor, where Gibbs and his team were stationed when they weren’t out working on a case.

The two rode up in the elevator in silence, Elizabeth trying to quell her nervousness. She never really left the FBI field office, rarely even leaving her basement office. She was rather socially inept, and large groups of people made her a little nervous.

“You’ll be okay,� Fornell reassured her with a smile as the elevator chimed. The smile was wiped off of his face as he strode into the bullpen as if he owned the place. Elizabeth followed behind dutifully, keeping to Fornell’s shadow. It was easy enough; she was used to hiding and keeping attention off of her; it was how she went through life and it was second nature now.

“About time you got here, Fornell,� Gibbs said when they came into view of the team. Elizabeth surveyed the NCIS team; it kind of reminded her of Fornell’s team, really, although she’d never say that out loud if she wanted to avoid incurring the wrath of her superior. There was an older man with grey hair, who Elizabeth assumed was Gibbs. The lone woman standing there had seen her instantly, her eyes locking with Elizabeth’s. Elizabeth cowered and looked away first, her eyes settling on one of the two remaining men standing there. He was cute, in an adorable puppy way and she just want to take him home and… no, not good thoughts going on in her head there. Then there was the last man standing there, one that looked awfully familiar. He was talking to the cute guy, teasing him from the looks of it, when he looked at her. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw her, and Elizabeth grinned.

“TONY!� she exclaimed, breaking away from the protection Fornell’s form had afforded her as she ran as fast as she could, launching herself at Special Agent Tony DiNozzo with such force that he stumbled back a few steps before regaining his balance.

“Munchkin, what the hell are you doing here?� Tony asked as he hugged Elizabeth back, picking her up off of the ground. “Aren’t you supposed to still be in school?�

“Graduated over a year ago, Jerkface,� Elizabeth replied with a cheeky grin, pushing her glasses up her nose as he let her back down. Three NCIS agents and one FBI agent were looking at the duo strangely. “If you’d told me your new email address, you would have known this.�

“Sorry, kiddo,� Tony replied with a smile as he affectionately ruffled Elizabeth’s hair. She batted his had away before realizing that she was getting odd looks from the other four people in the immediate area. She was about to explain when two questions were shot at her at once.

“How do you know Special Agent DiNozzo?� Fornell asked.

“And who the hell are you?� Gibbs shot out immediately after.

“Special Agent Gibbs, my name is Elizabeth DiNozzo,� Elizabeth replied, stepping away from Tony and heading to where her supervisor and Gibbs were situated. “Tony’s my older brother and I haven’t seen him in a while, sorry if I got a little carried away.�

She stuck out her hand for Gibbs to shake, but dropped it when it was obvious he wasn’t going to take it. The NCIS agent glared at the FBI agent, obviously unhappy.

“What’s she doing here?� Gibbs asked Fornell. Elizabeth had a bad feeling about this; she shouldn’t have let Fornell talk her out of leaving her office and, by default, her comfort zone.

“You know that specialist I said I’d be bringing with me?� Fornell asked. Gibbs confirmed this information with a curt nod. “Well, meet the specialist.�

“She looks like she’s a teenager,� Gibbs replied, examining the girl with a sharp eye. She definitely didn’t look like anyone who would be hired by the FBI, or any other government agency for that matter.

“I turned twenty-four last month,� Elizabeth cut in before turning and heading back to where her brother and his fellow agents were standing, talking about something. They silenced when they saw Elizabeth coming, which obviously meant they were talking about her.

“So, you’re Tony’s sister,� said the woman, sizing her up as Elizabeth approached and took a position next to Tony. Elizabeth shifted under the other woman’s stare, obviously uncomfortable. She wasn’t used to being scrutinized.

“Lay off Ziva, you’re scaring the kid,� Tony said, wrapping a protective arm around Elizabeth. “Lizzie, I’d like you to meet Ziva David and Timothy McGee. Ziva is a Mossad liaison officer and McGee is an NCIS agent.�

“Nice to meet you both,� Elizabeth said, blushing a little as McGee smiled at her. “And Tony, I’m not a kid anymore, so stop calling me that.�

“Whatever you say, Munchkin,� Tony replied, noting the blush on her face and the way she looked at McGee. He filed that information away for later, not sure how he’d use it, but he’d find a way.

“Tony never said he had a sister,� Ziva stated, settling her sharp gaze on Tony. Elizabeth was pleased to see that he seemed just as uncomfortable under her gaze as she did.

“Tony doesn’t say a lot of things,� Elizabeth replied for Tony. “Frankly, I’m not surprised.�

“So, what are you doing here?� Tony asked, trying to get the topic away from the lack of discussion of his family. He had mentioned his father a couple of times, and an uncle in England that he still owed money to, but other than that he didn’t speak about his relatives.

“Fornell came into my dungeon this morning and said he needed help with a case,� Elizabeth replied with a shrug. “Convinced me to get into the car and we drove over; he explained the situation on the way.�

“Not quite what I was looking for, but okay,� Tony said with a shrug. “What I meant is, why are you here, in DC? Shouldn’t you still be in Baltimore or something, going to art school and not working for the FBI?�

“I went to school in New York,� Elizabeth corrected him. She shrugged again. “Dad only told everyone I was going to art school because he thought it would be less embarrassing than what I actually studied. And as for working for the FBI, it’s kind of complicated.�

“I’ve got time,� Tony said, just as Gibbs walked up.

“No, you don’t have time,� he said, his voice little more than a growl. Even though Elizabeth didn’t know the man, she could tell he was far from happy. “Ziva, Tony, we need to brief Fornell. Conference room one, go. McGee, show Miss DiNozzo to Abby’s lab; she’s expecting you and she’ll explain things to her. Get back to the conference room when you’re done that.�

When it took more than thirty seconds for everyone to move, he levelled them with a glare. “Today, people!�

Elizabeth glanced at Fornell, who shrugged and followed Gibbs out of the bullpen, supposedly to a conference room. Tony smiled at her once more, and Ziva gave her another critical look before following Fornell and Gibbs to the conference room. This left Elizabeth and McGee standing there, looking somewhat uncomfortable.

“Shall we, Miss DiNozzo?� asked McGee, gesturing towards the elevator.

Chapter 2

“It’s Liz or Lizzie,� Elizabeth said as she and McGee stepped into the elevator. She couldn’t have him calling her “Miss DiNozzo�; it was too weird, and it made her feel like she was in trouble.

“I’m sorry?� McGee said, looking at Elizabeth curiously.

“Please don’t call me Miss DiNozzo, Special Agent McGee� Elizabeth said, looking up at McGee. She threw in the “Special Agent McGee� bit in the hopes that he would see how ridiculous it sounded. “It makes me feel like I’m in trouble. I suppose you could call me Elizabeth if you really want to, but I prefer Liz or Lizzie.�

“If that’s the case, you can call me Tim or Timothy,� McGee said. She beamed at him and he smiled shyly back at her. Yes, progress, Elizabeth thought gleefully as McGee pressed the “B� button that would take them presumably to Abby’s lab. “So, what’s a girl like you doing working for the FBI?�

“Huh, what?� Elizabeth asked, blinking a couple of times to bring herself back to the present. She worked around guys all of the time, being the only girl in the department, so why was this one having such an effect on her? Then again, she thought of those guys as family; this one she was having far from familial thoughts. Smooth, real smooth, Elizabeth thought. He probably thinks you’re a huge dork now, Elizabeth thought, mentally cringing, not that I blame him. I mean, I work with computers, how nerdy can you get?

“You don’t seem the type to be hired by the FBI,� McGee explained with a shrug. “I was just wondering what you were doing with the FBI.�

“Well,� Elizabeth began, hitching the messenger bag up on her shoulder a bit, not sure if she was allowed to reveal what she actually did with the FBI. “When you have skills like mine, you’re either hired by the government or you’re watched by the government. My official title is Computer Systems Analyst.�

“And your unofficial title?� McGee asked as they exited the elevator and headed for what Elizabeth presumed was Abby’s lab. She heard pounding bass filtering into the corridor, and if it hadn’t been for the stringent soundproofing she was sure that the walls would be shaking.

Elizabeth was going to answer McGee’s question, she really was, but as soon as they entered the lab McGee was practically tackled by a tall, pretty, gothic girl. I stand no chance, Elizabeth thought, slightly dejectedly, as McGee hugged the other woman back.

“Hi McGee!� she exclaimed with a grin. It took a moment before she peered around McGee to Elizabeth, who was trying very hard to appear inconspicuous. “Who’s your friend?�

“Abby, this is Lizzie DiNozzo,� McGee said as Elizabeth walked forward a little so it didn’t seem like she was skulking in the shadows. “Fornell brought her with him to give us a hand.�

“Any relation to Tony DiNozzo?� Abby asked, scrutinizing Elizabeth. She shifted uncomfortably under the taller woman’s gaze, not used to being visually dissected more than once a day.

“Yeah, he’s my older brother,� Elizabeth replied, tilting her chin up a little and trying to appear confident. “What about it?�

“Funny, he’s never mentioned you,� Abby said. Elizabeth was beginning to regret leaving the FBI compound, and now she didn’t even have an escape route because Fornell had the car keys. He either knew she’d try to escape if he left the keys with her, or he didn’t trust her behind the wheel of a car and that was why he had driven in the first place.

“As I told everyone upstairs, I’m not entirely surprised,� Elizabeth replied with another shrug. With the rather large age difference between herself and Tony, the two were not particularly close to begin with. Coupled with the fact that Tony had been disowned when Elizabeth was quite young didn’t help; when asked, her father changed the subject, but Elizabeth suspected Tony was disowned because he had decided to become a cop. They still kept in sporadic contact, although it was more of an uncle-niece relationship, and not a brother-sister relationship. If Elizabeth had anything to say about it, from then on things were going to change.

“Um, Liz here is a Computer Systems Analyst with the FBI,� McGee said, breaking up the tangible tension between the two women. The way Abby was looking at Elizabeth was making him uncomfortable, and the gaze wasn’t even directed at him. Abby glanced at him before glancing back at Elizabeth. Her expression had changed; it was softer, a smile spreading across her face.

“Computer Systems Analyst my ass,� Abby said. Elizabeth covered her face with her hands and groaned, knowing what was coming next. She’d been found out.

“What do you mean?� asked McGee, glancing from one woman to the other again, confused. “You’re saying she’s not a Computer Systems Analyst?�

“Oh, she is. Officially, anyway,� Abby explained. “She’s also known as a Hacker Tracker.�

“Dear Lord, I hate that nickname,� Elizabeth said, pinching the bridge of her nose. “I swear, if I ever find out who started calling us that, I’m going to do something I’m probably going to regret. I don’t know what, but I’ll do something!�

“Can I ask exactly what a ‘Hacker Tracker’ actually does?� McGee asked, putting air quotes around the aforementioned hated nickname.

“We’re a small, dedicated group of computer hackers that monitor and catch other hackers when they do something illegal,� Elizabeth replied. “The government recruits from the hackers they monitor, deciding who could be useful.�

“And when did you get recruited?� Abby asked. She seemed to be getting excited about this conversation; her eyes were shining with a contagious energy.

“Just before I graduated,� Elizabeth replied with a shrug.

“So, you were recruited a year ago?� McGee asked, remembering that she had mentioned graduating a year ago.

“I should have been more specific,� Elizabeth said, shifting uncomfortably again. Most people didn’t believe her when she told them what she was going to say next. “I was approached just before I graduated high school; I’ve been writing code since I was fourteen years old, hacking not long after that. They didn’t want someone straight out of high school, so I had to get a degree while taking training courses a couple days a week in my last two years.�

McGee stood there, speechless, and Abby had an amused little smile on his face. Elizabeth decided that today was going to be interesting, even if it meant that she couldn’t escape of her own volition.

“Well, you got me down here safe and sound,� Elizabeth said, trying hard not to giggle when McGee had to blink a couple of times and shake his head to come back down to earth. “Thanks, Tim. I’m sure Gibbs and Fornell won’t be happy if you stay down here all day.�

“I’ll, ah, I’ll just be going,� he said, jerking his thumb towards the elevator before turning around and hurrying out.

“I think I broke him,� Elizabeth said as she watched him leave.

“Nah, he’s just not used to the possibility of another girl who can out-hack him,� Abby replied. Elizabeth arched an eyebrow, but didn’t say anything. McGee was looking better and better by the minute; too bad he was with Abby. That hug she’d greeted him with seemed more than just friendly hug.

“So, what’s the situation?� Elizabeth asked. She really wanted to ask about McGee, but she also didn’t want to seem obvious. Maybe she could pump Tony for information later if she got him alone. “Fornell gave me the gist, but I was told you’d give me the full lowdown before I got down to work.�

“A serial killer is targeting army, navy and marines and hacking into databases to alter reports and evidence logs,� Abby replied. “We don’t know how they’re doing it because they’re not leaving any tracks, no signature at all. Even the best hackers leave some kind of trail behind.�

“Yup, that’s pretty much what Fornell told me,� Elizabeth said with a sigh, trying not to let her fear and worry show. There were hackers that could leave no trail, and they were all people she worked with. She was sure that they wouldn’t do something that stupid, would they?

“Hey, are you okay?� Abby asked, shooting a concerned look at the shorter girl.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just thinking,� Elizabeth replied, shaking her head. “Where can I set up my stuff? If you have secure wireless down here all I need is an outlet and a comfortable place to sit. You won’t even know I’m here!�

“Will the couch work?� Abby asked, gesturing to the couch in the corner. “I mean, if you want a desk I can clear some space…�

“Nope, couch in the corner as perfect,� Elizabeth replied with a grin. She trotted over to the couch, fully intending on sitting down and setting up shop. However, when she sat down, something underneath her made a very loud, very rude and very realistic fart noise. Abby’s head shot up and Elizabeth could feel her face redden in mortification as she jumped up from the couch. “It wasn’t me, I swear!�

Elizabeth rummaged around on the couch, knowing that it hadn’t been her that had made the noise. The only thing she could find was a stuffed hippo. She squeezed it experimentally, a shocked giggle escaping her as the stuffed animal made another farting sound.

“You found Bert!� Abby exclaimed as she rushed across the room, grabbing the stuffed hippo from Elizabeth and squeezing it. “I’ve been looking everywhere for him, thanks for finding him!�

“Glad my ass could be of service,� Elizabeth replied with a grin and a roll of her eyes as she sat back down on the couch, digging out her laptop and power cord from her messenger bag. She plugged everything in and booted up her computer, plugging in a pair of headphones so that her music wouldn’t meld with Abby’s and settling in for a long day.

The morning passed pretty uneventfully; Elizabeth was lost in her own world, going through the code of the systems that had been hacked, looking for something, anything that could give her some kind of hint as to what had been done and who had done it. Nothing, absolutely nothing.

She was so lost in her work that she didn’t realize what time it was until someone tapped her on the shoulder. She jumped and glanced up, smiling and blushing when she saw McGee standing over her holding a take out box and a set of chopsticks.

“For me?� Elizabeth asked, slinging her headphones around her neck before grabbing the box and chopsticks. The smell of the teriyaki and rice made her stomach rumble, making her realize that the last thing she had eaten was a bowl of Raisin Bran at about seven in the morning.

“Wasn’t sure what you’d want, so we got something safe,� McGee replied with a shrug as he glanced at her computer screen. “How’s it going?�

“I got nothing,� Elizabeth replied with a sigh and a groan, digging into the box. Teriyaki sauce, chicken, rice, Asian vegetables and a little bit of spice. Perfect. “Ever had a crime scene with no evidence, no trace of anyone ever having been there?�

“Never happened,� McGee replied, sitting down next to Elizabeth on the couch and looking over her shoulder at her work. “People are always shedding something or leaving something behind.�

“Well whoever did this is good… very good,� Elizabeth said with another sigh. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say it was one of the other hacker trackers, because they’re some of the only people I know who could do this and not leave anything behind. There’s nothing, no broken code, no added code, no signature, nothing! It’s going to drive me nuts!�

“I thought you were already nuts, midget,� Tony said as he walked up to them. He ruffled Elizabeth’s hair, causing her to glare at him.

“Stop teasing me about my height,� Elizabeth grumbled, batting his hand away. “What are you doing down here? Not complaining or anything, but this is weird even for you.�

“Do I need a reason to see my kid sister?� Tony asked, gesturing for McGee to move over and make room before settling between the junior field agent and Elizabeth. She narrowed her eyes at him, wondering what he was doing. She’d just met McGee, hardly enough time to display anything but a passing attraction, so why was he doing what he could to split them up even though they’d just met?

“With you, usually,� Elizabeth replied with a snort, spearing a piece of chicken with a chopstick.

“I want to know what’s going on with you,� Tony said, turning to Elizabeth and completely shutting McGee out. “Why didn’t you tell me you were in DC?�

“Do you think we should be having this conversation here?� Elizabeth asked, arching an eyebrow. She didn’t really feel comfortable having this discussion with her brother, what with Abby and McGee watching. She knew they were watching, although they were trying hard to hide it.

“Where should we be having this conversation?� Tony asked.

“You take me out for dinner and we’ll have a nice, long, catch-up chat,� Elizabeth suggested. “You can take me to that new sushi place that just opened up.�

“It’s a date,� Tony said. He glanced over at McGee before resting his gaze back on Elizabeth. “You and I are going to have a very long talk, missy.�

“Looking forward to it,� Elizabeth with a grin, although it didn’t quite meet her eyes. Tony got up and pointed at McGee. “Keep a safe distance away from my sister, Probie. I’ll see you later, Liz. Not sure when I get off, but when I do you’ll be the first to know.�

“I’m going to need a lift back to my office,� Elizabeth said as Tony turned and left, waving a hand over his shoulder to indicate that he’d heard her.

“Why is Tony telling me to keep a safe distance from you?� McGee asked, slightly confused.

“He does that with any guy under thirty who is at least halfway good looking and glances my way,� Elizabeth replied with a shrug. “It’s the whole “you touch my sister, I break anything on you that touched her� kind of thing. I let him do it because it makes him feel like he’s being a good big brother.�

“Well, I guess I’m safe,� McGee said with a smile. Elizabeth glanced at him, arching an eyebrow.

“Please don’t tell me you think you’re ugly,� Elizabeth said.

“Nope,� McGee said, shifting so that he was sitting where Tony had been so that he could look over her shoulder at what was on the computer screen. “Would this be considered a safe distance?�

“I feel safe,� Elizabeth replied with a shy smile. She grabbed her bag and rummaged around in it for a few moments before pulling out a jewel CD case with a burned CD in it. “I think it’s about time I pull out this bad boy to see if it actually works.�

“What’s that?� Abby asked, coming over to see what Elizabeth and McGee were doing. Elizabeth’s cheeks reddened as she shifted, putting some distance between herself and McGee. It wouldn’t do to have the other woman think she was horning in on her territory.

“Program I wrote,� Elizabeth replied with a shrug. “It’s supposed to alert me when certain systems are being hacked or altered. I haven’t tried using it before because coding is constantly being changed on all of the systems, and this thing would be going off constantly. However, if it means we’ll catch whoever’s hacking the system, I can live the annoyance for a short while. It even sends me a text message if I’m away from my computer and something goes wrong.�

“That’s kinda cool,� Abby remarked with a grin. “When this thing is over, I wanna take a look at that if that’s okay.�

“Sure, be my guest,� Elizabeth replied with a grin of her own. Abby turned and left the two of them again, having forensic work to do. McGee had shifted so that he was sitting close to her again, staring at the screen.

“I’m really interested in how this program works,� he said. “Care to explain it to me?�

“Uh, sure,� Elizabeth replied, feeling decidedly uncomfortable as she began explaining everything that she had put into the program. McGee was sitting far too close for someone whose girlfriend or significant other was standing on the other side of the room. However, he listened and understood when she spoke, something that didn’t happen very often. She smiled to herself, deciding that today had definitely been the best day she’d had in a while.

If only McGee were single…

***

Chapter two DONE! Let me know what you think. Next up… dinner with the DiNozzos!

Chapter 3

Tony wondered what had happened to McGee; it had been over two hours since he had left the other agent in Abby’s lab. Gibbs and Fornell were having a pow-wow with Ducky, and Ziva was doing background checks on the dead officers. Gibbs had told McGee just before he had gone downstairs with lunch for Abby and Elizabeth to help “the DiNozzo kid�, but Tony had thought McGee would have brought Elizabeth back upstairs.

“Going down to Abby’s lab, be back in a bit,� Tony told Ziva. She nodded, watching him stalk to the elevator and pound on the down button. She didn’t look away until Tony had disappeared inside the elevator and the doors had shut behind him.

Ziva wondered what kind of relationship Tony had with his sister. They obviously weren’t very close, especially since he had never mentioned her in conversation in the four years that she had been with NCIS. Then again, the way the girl had tackled him also belied affection between the two. And then there was the age difference. If Tony’s identification was correct â€" and Ziva had no reason to believe it wasn’t â€" then there was a fourteen year age difference between Tony and his sister. She would try not to let the mystery of Elizabeth DiNozzo bother her, although that may be a bit of a task all on its own.

Meanwhile, in Abby’s lab, Tony entered the brightly lit room. He stumbled back a few paces as Abby hugged him, making a mental note to himself to get used to people tackling him. After working with Abby for so long, he should have been used to it by now.

“Hey Abs,� he greeted, hugging her back. “Have you seen McGee? Need to talk to him.�

“More like he’s never left,� Abby replied, jerking her head towards the couch. Tony glanced in the direction indicated, the computer screens Abby had up offering some cover for him. He snarled a little; McGee was sitting far too close to his baby sister, his arm resting on the couch behind her shoulders, his upper body angled towards her. He leaned in to see what she was pointing at on the screen. Tony was about to stalk over there when Abby put a hand on his arm to stop him.

“Please don’t go over there and do anything stupid,� she begged. “It’s not like they’re having sex on my couch or anything.�

“Not the imagery I needed, Abby,� Tony remarked, rubbing the heels of his hands over his eyes, presumably in an effort to expunge the image from his head. “Besides, it’s my baby sister! And he’s way to old for her!�

“Yeah, and that’s my best friend sitting with some strange girl I should have known about because said girl is my other best friend’s kid sister!� Abby hissed back. Tony had the good grace to look abashed; he really should have mentioned Elizabeth a couple of times, even if just in passing. She was one of the only members of his family he actually liked, and that was saying something. “Look, I want to see McGee happy. Don’t you?�

“Yeah, just not with my sister,� Tony replied with a scowl. “I don’t like it.�

“You don’t have to like it,� Abby said reasonably. “However, she’s an adult and adults can spend time with whoever they want to.�

She glanced at the pair on the couch; it seemed like they were completely oblivious as to what was going on, on the opposite side of the room. Good.

Tony huffed before slumping his shoulders; he knew Abby was right, even though he didn’t, as she had said, have to like it. He glanced over at the duo and, upon considering the situation, thought that they may just fit together; they definitely suited each other. Tony still couldn’t get over the fact that it was McGee, though.

“Well, send her up in a little while, will you?� Tony asked. “I want to keep an eye on her.�

“Will do,� Abby replied, watching as he left. She waited until she heard the chime of the elevator before bounding over to McGee and Elizabeth. “I think he’s gone now. I gotta admit, that was evil.�

“I love torturing him,� Elizabeth replied again. “Thanks again for going along with this, I really appreciate it.�

“No problem,� McGee said, returning Elizabeth’s smile with one of his own. For what seemed to be the umpteenth time that day, she blushed red. “Besides, it’s kind of nice to have someone else besides Abby to talk shop with.�

“It’s no problem. It’s not every day I have someone like you holding on to my every word,� Elizabeth replied with another grin, before her face fell. She glanced over at Abby; thankfully, the other woman either didn’t catch the obvious flirt or she didn’t find it threatening, because she hadn’t reacted at all. “I’m actually going to have to go upstairs and see him, aren’t I?�

“Might be a good idea,� Abby agreed. “A cranky Tony is not a fun Tony.�

“Fine,� Elizabeth said with a sigh. She didn’t want to be the one who inflicted a cranky Tony on the masses, although with what he had seen he was probably already cranky.

“I’ll walk you up,� McGee said quickly.

“You don’t mind?� Elizabeth asked. Both Abby and McGee were surprised when the question was directed at Abby, not McGee.

“Why would I - ?� Abby began, before she stopped herself. Then it clicked, and Abby nearly laughed hysterically. She thought it would be a bad idea, though, and bit the inside of her mouth. “Nope, I don’t mind at all.�

“Okay then,� Elizabeth said uncertainly. She probably thinks I’m not a threat, Elizabeth thought. Elizabeth had always been the non-threatening female friend, bully for her.

“Come on, I’m sure Tony’s having kittens or something by now,� McGee said, getting up. Elizabeth sighed and started gathering her things, unplugging everything and stowing it in her bag before standing up, moving to haul the heavy bag onto her shoulder. “Here, let me carry that for you. If I’d known how heavy it was, I would have offered to carry it on the way down.�

“Nah, I can handle it,� Elizabeth replied. She may be a girl, but she wasn’t a weakling. She was used to schlepping the fuzzy, green, monster-shaped bag with all of her computer gear in it. She moved to put the bag on her shoulder again, but this time McGee took the strap from her hand and took the bag from her.

“My mother raised a gentleman, and a gentleman doesn’t let a lady carry anything heavy,� McGee said.

“Even when the bag you’re offering to carry looks like a fuzzy, green, googly-eyed monster?� Elizabeth asked, arching an eyebrow.

“Even then,� McGee replied. “Besides, a little more Tony torture won’t hurt anyone.�

“Well, it won’t hurt anyone except Tony,� Elizabeth said with a giggle. She waved at Abby. “Thanks Abby, both for letting me use your couch and loaning yourself out so that I could annoy my brother a bit.�

“No problem, it was really nice meeting you,� Abby said with a warm smile. “You are going to tell Tony it was a prank, right?�

“Maybe later,� Elizabeth replied with a shrug.

“Are we ready to go?� asked McGee.

“Ready when you are, Tim,� Elizabeth replied. She waved once again to Abby, who returned it with an exuberant wave of her own, before following McGee and her monster bag into the elevator.

They rode back up to the third floor in silence, although McGee kept shifting so that his left hand bumped into her right. She glanced up at him; he was staring straight ahead, as though he wasn’t aware of what he was doing. However, the bumping continued until they got up to the third floor. They entered the bullpen, Elizabeth following behind McGee as he headed towards his desk.

“What are you doing, Probie?� Tony asked as McGee grabbed a spare chair and wheeled it over to his desk before clearing a laptop-sized spot.

“Uh, I’m getting Liz a chair so that she can sit down?� McGee said, a little uncertainly.

“And since went are you allowed to call my sister Liz?� Tony asked, arching an eyebrow.

“Since I said it was okay,� Elizabeth replied. She stepped in between the two agents, glaring up at Tony. Man, I so feel like a midget right now, she thought, realizing that she only came up to shoulder height on both of them. She was well aware that her glare had little more effect than an angry kitten that had been left out in the rain, but she had to try. Maybe if Tony saw how annoyed she was, he would back off. Pfft, yeah, right, she thought. “It’s my name, you know.�

“Actually, your name’s Elizabeth if you want to be technical about it,� Tony said, arching an eyebrow in a challenge. He glared at McGee again, positioning himself so that he was in a protective stance around Elizabeth.

“Stupid boys and their stupid boy penises,� Elizabeth muttered under her breath in Italian. Tony blinked and McGee looked confused.

“Since when do you know Italian?� Tony asked, narrowing his eyes. His Italian was a little rusty, so he didn’t quite understand what Elizabeth had said.

“And what’s this about… penises?� Ziva asked, also slightly confused. She hadn’t quite caught what the younger girl had said because she had spoken so softly, but a couple of words really stood out to her.

“Nothing,� Elizabeth said, blushing darkly. If she had known that there was someone besides Tony who would be able to understand Italian, she would have kept her mouth shut. Although, now that she saw him, she thought McGee looked really cute when he was confused.

Tony was about to say something when his cell phone rang. “DiNozzo,� he greeted. He stood there, silent for a moment, listening.

“On it, Boss,� he said before hanging up. “Come on guys, grab your stuff; we got another one. Gibbs is waiting for us downstairs.�

Ziva and McGee did as they were told, grabbing badges, guns and kits before quickly heading for the elevator. Tony turned to Elizabeth, apologetically.

“I’ll be fine,� she said, waving him on. “It’s not like you can control when you have to go to a crime scene. I’ll just wait for you guys until you get back.�

“I’ll see if I can stop and bring something back for you,� Tony said as he grabbed his things. “It’s going to be a long night.�

He turned and left, running slightly because McGee was holding the elevator for him. Elizabeth sighed to herself and set up her computer, plugging the power cord into one of the outlets on the power bar at McGee’s desk, hoping that he wouldn’t mind. As soon as everything booted up, her computer started beeping.

“Oh no you don’t,� Elizabeth muttered to herself as she settled in. A little thrill of accomplishment wove its way through her body as her fingers started flying across the keyboard; she was glad that her program had worked. Now all she had to do was out-hack whoever was tampering with the multiple systems.

***

Four hours later

Ziva, Tony and McGee entered the bullpen, looking drawn and tired. It had been a long day, and it wasn’t over yet. Gibbs and Fornell trailed in after them, Gibbs heading straight for his desk and Fornell making a beeline for Elizabeth.

She was still typing away frantically.

“What have you got?� Fornell asked, standing at Elizabeth’s shoulder. She didn’t flinch or make any indication that she had sensed his presence.

“Someone’s been trying to hack the systems and I’ve been trying to stop them,� Elizabeth replied, not looking up. “Instead of giving up like most normal people would after being blocked two or three times, whoever it is, is being completely relentless. I haven’t stopped typing since you left.�

“Anything I can do to help?� McGee asked, shuffling behind her so that he could reach his seat.

“Don’t distract me and stay the hell out of my way,� Elizabeth replied, her eyes never leaving the screen. She blinked sporadically as her fingers flew across the keyboard, writing line after line of computer code in an attempt to stop whoever was on the other side of the connection or, at the very least, pin down their IP address and possibly nail down a location.

“Haha, I think I have you now, sucker,� she muttered to herself, as if unaware of the fact that she had an audience. She wrote one last line of code and stopped, a triumphant smile on her face as she sat back and flexed her fingers. Her smile dropped as soon as she saw what was on the screen. “Oh crap.�

“Oh crap what?� asked Fornell, looking but not actually understanding what was happening on the screen.

“Well, each computer has an assigned address, a string of numbers,� she explained. She pointed to the last line of text on the otherwise black screen. “See that number there? That’s the address to my computer in my office. Unfortunately, that means someone is using my computer, or they’re making it seem like they are.�

Fornell swore under his breath before grabbing his cell phone and stalking off. Elizabeth sat back and rubbed her hands; they were killing her.

“Oww,� she whined, kneading her joints. “I do not recommend four hours of top-speed typing.�

“Here, give me those,� McGee said. Before Elizabeth could protest, McGee grabbed Elizabeth’s hand and started massaging it, hitting all of the places where she had pain.

“Not that I’m complaining or anything, but you might want to stop that,� Elizabeth said.

“Why?� McGee asked, not ceasing his ministrations on her hand as he looked up at her.

“Because Tony might beat the crap out of you if you don’t,� Elizabeth replied, glancing over her shoulder. Sure enough, Tony was glaring at McGee so hard that if looks could kill, McGee would have keeled over.

“No beating the crap out of McGee, Tony,� Gibbs said from his desk, not looking up. Elizabeth turned and stuck her tongue out at Tony, causing him to scowl.

Fornell chose that moment to re-enter the bullpen, snapping his phone shut and putting it in its holder before making a beeline to where Elizabeth was sitting. He paid no mind to the fact that McGee was massaging Elizabeth’s hands, instead addressing Elizabeth directly.

“We’ve got our people going through your office with a fine-toothed comb,� he said. “If anyone was in there, we’ll find out.�

“Hmm, maybe they’ll find out whoever’s been going through my candy stash,� Elizabeth joked, grinning. However, the grin quickly dissipated when Fornell glared at her sharply. “Sorry, humour is how I deal with this kind of thing. I’ll shut up now.�

“I think it’s about time you got out of here,� Fornell continued. “I’ll call you a cab to get you home.�

“Bus works just fine,� Elizabeth replied. “Besides, what about my car? It’s still sitting in the parking lot back at the office.�

“I can take her home,� Tony said. Elizabeth and Gibbs both looked up, the former surprised and the latter slightly annoyed. “I mean, if it’s okay with you, Boss.�

“It’s about time the lot of you went home and got some rest anyway,� Gibbs said. “I’ll call if something comes up, but I want you all back here at oh-seven-hundred hours tomorrow.�

“That goes for you too, DiNozzo,� Fornell said, addressing Elizabeth. It was all she could do to bite back a groan; she was not a morning person.

“Come on midget, I’ll take you home,� Tony said, coming over and clapping a hand on his sister’s shoulder. McGee dropped her hand as if it had burned him. “Wise choice, McGropie.�

“See you tomorrow, Tim,� Elizabeth said with a smile. “My hands thank you for the massage.�

“Don’t mention it,� McGee replied.

Elizabeth began gathering up her stuff, diving under McGee’s desk to unplug the power cord to her laptop. Before long everything was tucked away and the bag was slung over her shoulder. Silently, Tony led Elizabeth to the elevator amidst the other agents getting ready to leave for the night. Elizabeth supposed they were stalling so that she and Tony could have some alone time; it definitely wouldn’t be difficult for either Ziva or McGee to pack up quickly and catch the same elevator downstairs.

“You and I need to have a little chat,� Tony said as they entered the elevator, the metal doors closing and encasing them in the small metal room.

“What about?� Elizabeth asked, trying to sound calm. She wondered what he would ask about first.

“What the hell are you doing working for the FBI?� Tony asked as the elevator started its descent. “Don’t you know how dangerous that is?�

“There’s nothing dangerous about sitting in front of a computer screen and writing code all day,� Elizabeth replied with a snort. “The only injuries I’m at risk for are eye strain and Carpal Tunnel.�

“Haha, funny,� Tony said sarcastically. “Then tell me this; how did you get in? Don’t you need years of either experience or school to even be considered?�

“Tony, I’ve been writing code since I was fourteen and hacking since I was fifteen,� Elizabeth replied. “And I have a degree in Computer Science with a minor in Psychology. I know, completely unrelated but they interested me. Did you know that your computer was the first one I hacked into? I gotta say, your firewall sucked.�

“You mean…� Tony said, his voice trailing off and his eyes going wide.

“Yep, I’m the one who made sure you had so many gay porn pop-ups that you probably had to take your computer in to a pro to get the hard drive wiped,� Elizabeth replied with a gleeful giggle.

“You sneaky, evil little brat!� Tony said as the elevator chimed and opened up, revealing the main floor.

“Learned from the best, you old fart,� Elizabeth replied with a grin as she bounced out of the elevator. “So, where are you parked.�

“You’re so going to pay for that old fart remark,� Tony said as he waved and winked at the receptionist, a pretty young thing who giggled and blushed at the attention. Elizabeth idly wondered why someone was manning the reception desk so late in the day, but didn’t put more thought to it. “And I’m parked in the staff parking lot.�

“Lead the way, then,� Elizabeth said, following Tony into the chill night air. It was early October and the evenings had a bit of a bite to them. Too bad she’d left her jacket in her car, which was currently in the staff parking lot of the DC FBI office.

“You gonna be okay?� Tony asked as he unlocked the door of a Mercedes, a few years old but in excellent condition. He opened the passenger side door to allow Elizabeth to slide in before walking around and opening the driver’s side door. “I think I’ve got a sweatshirt in the trunk or something.�

“I’d rather be chilly than wear your stinky gym clothes,� Elizabeth replied with a wrinkle of her nose.

“Such a critic,� Tony said as he started up the car. “So, where do you live?�

“You’re not taking me home,� Elizabeth replied as Tony pulled out of the underground parking.

“Then where am I taking you?� Tony asked, arching an eyebrow. “Please don’t say McGeek’s or I’m going to have to hurt you.�

“What kind of girl do you think I am?� Elizabeth asked. “And you’re taking me back to my work. There’s no way in hell I’m leaving my car overnight in the parking garage. Besides, I need a way to get back here in the morning.�

“Can you get in after hours?� Tony asked.

“Yep,� Elizabeth replied, holding up her car keys; they had a remote attached, one that would open the gate to the parking garage. “If it makes you feel comfortable, you can follow me home to make sure that no creepers try to grab me.�

“You know me so well,� Tony said with a winning grin. “So, what’s between you and McGee?�

“Absolutely nothing,� Elizabeth replied. Tony turned his head, taking his eyes off the road. “Oi, watch what you’re doing! I do not want to die in a car crash because my older brother can’t keep his damn eyes on the road.�

“What do you mean, absolutely nothing?� Tony asked.

“Exactly as I said,� Elizabeth replied with a shrug. “Abby was kind enough to loan Tim out so that I could totally torture you. Other than that, I steer clear of another woman’s territory.�

“What the hell are you talking about?� Tony asked.

“Uh, Abby and Tim are an item and I’m not going to mess with that?� Elizabeth said, somewhat uncertainly. “Hang a left here.�

“Abby and Tim aren’t dating,� Tony said as he took the turn. He was now heading towards a gate leading to an underground parking lot. Elizabeth took out her keys and pushed a button, causing the gate to rise and admit the car. “At least, not that I’m aware. I mean, they were an item before but now they’re just friends.�

Elizabeth fell silent as Tony drove into the parking lot, slowing the speed to parking lot acceptable levels. She had a lot to think about; if Tony was right, there were a lot of things she had to think about before she got back to the NCIS office at some ungodly hour the next morning.

“So, I don’t even know what you drive,� Tony said, changing the subject.

“Green Volkswagen beetle,� Elizabeth replied. It wouldn’t take long to find; her car was the only green one in the lot, standing out like a sore thumb amongst the regular, neutral coloured cars.

“Should have known,� Tony said as he slowed the car to a stop. “Look, I’m really sorry dinner got cancelled.�

“It’s fine,� Elizabeth replied. “You’re working a case, stuff comes up. I’ve got a feeling I’m going to be working those late nights right along with you.�

“I’ll make it up to you, promise,� Tony said. He looked at the green Volkswagen parked next to him, noticing something odd. “Uh Liz, I think there’s someone sitting in your car. Stay here, I’m going to check it out.�

“Like hell I’m staying here,� Elizabeth muttered under her breath as she got out of the car right after Tony. He glared at her and motioned her to stay back as he approached the car, his hand hovering over his gun, ready to draw it at a moment’s notice.

“Federal agent, I’m armed,� Tony said in a firm voice as he tapped on the window. Elizabeth waited with baited breath, wondering who the hell was sitting in her car and how the hell they had gotten there…

***

Chapter 3, yay! I know I said dinner with the DiNozzo’s would happen but… well, I wanted to go one way and the story kind of yanked me in another way. Soo… yeah…

Chapter 4

Elizabeth watched with trepidation as Tony knocked on her car window. The window was slowly rolled down and she could hear a frantic voice coming from inside.

“Don’t shoot man, don’t shoot!� the guy said. “I’m just in here waiting for Liz!�

“Oh God,� Elizabeth groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Tony, back away from the car and get your hand away from your gun, it’s just Joey.�

“And what’s Joey doing sitting in your car?� Tony asked, arching an eyebrow. Elizabeth was pleased to see his hand had dropped from his gun, although he still hadn’t backed away from the car.

“I was supposed to give him a ride home from work today,� Elizabeth replied, walking towards the car. “I’m so sorry Joe, my day’s been crazy.�

“So crazy that you forget to lock your car?� Joey asked.

“Shut up if you still want that ride home, Joe,� Elizabeth replied with a glare.

“Shutting up, ma’am,� Joey said, cowering a little. Elizabeth couldn’t tell if he was joking or not but decided not to dwell on it. “So, who’s the Fed? You don’t have someone on protection duty, do you?�

“Nah, this is just Tony, my overprotective, overbearing, over-annoying older brother,� Elizabeth replied with a roll of her eyes. “Joey, meet Tony, Tony, meet Joey Winters, one of the guys I work with.�

Tony scrutinized the man; he was about McGee’s age and, if possible, looked even geekier than the junior field agent did. He was maybe a few inches taller than Elizabeth, skinny and he wore glasses. His hair was gelled back and his clothes were plain.

“Nice to meet you,� Joey said, smiling up at Tony. Tony glared at him and again, Joey cowered.

“Tony, stop scaring him,� Elizabeth said, getting closer and gesturing for Joey to scoot over. He did, shifting over so that he was sitting in the passenger seat. Elizabeth jogged to Tony’s car, grabbed her bag from the passenger side and jogged back, hopping into the driver’s seat. “I’ll see you tomorrow Tony, bright and early.�

“Yeah, sure, whatever you say kiddo,� Tony said as Elizabeth slammed her door shut and started her car. Tony made his way back to his car as Elizabeth pulled out of her parking space. He watched as she drove away, waiting until she was out of the parking garage before he climbed back into his car and followed suit.

There was no way in hell Tony was going to let Elizabeth drive off alone, especially now because she had a strange guy whom he had never met in the passenger seat. He intended on following from a distance, knowing that keeping an eye on her car would be far from difficult; there were only a few new Volkswagen beetles on the roads in DC and Tony doubted he’d find another one in the shade of green Elizabeth’s was.

“Uh, Liz?� Joey asked glancing behind them as she drove, manoeuvring her car through the last bits of late commuter traffic.

“Yeah Joe?� Elizabeth replied, keeping her eyes on the road.

“Did you know your brother’s following us?� he asked, glancing behind them again. Even though he was about three cars away, the shiny almost new Mercedes was hard to miss.

“Yeah,� Elizabeth replied. “It makes him feel better. As I said, he’s overprotective.�

“You never said he was a Fed,� Joey remarked. “What agency is he with?�

“NCIS,� Elizabeth replied as she turned onto a suburban, tree-lined street. “And I was never asked, so I never told.�

“Fair enough,� Joey said as Elizabeth turned into a driveway at the end of the street. “So, where did Fornell drag you off to? He didn’t even give you time to let anyone know where you’d gone!�

“NCIS headquarters,� Elizabeth replied. “Special Agent Gibbs called Fornell, asked for his help and Fornell dragged me along with him. I’m sure it was luck of the draw; if anyone else had been there when he came calling, it would have been that person having to get a cab back to the office to get their car.�

“Oh please, we both know you’re Fornell’s favourite,� Joey said with a roll of his eyes. “The other guys know it too; he would have waited around if you weren’t there.�

“Sure, you just keep telling yourself that,� Elizabeth replied, matching Joey’s eye roll.

“So, am I going to have to drive my sorry ass to work tomorrow?� Joey asked. “Or am I going to have to con Amy into giving me the car tomorrow?�

“Well, I suppose I could swing by and pick you up at 6:30 tomorrow morning before I head to NCIS,� Elizabeth replied.

“Uh, no thanks, I think I’ll take my chances with Amy,� Joey said, wrinkling his nose.

“Thought you might say that,� Elizabeth replied. “Now get your sorry ass inside before your sweet wife has a reason to be not so sweet to me.�

“Alright, alright, I’m going,� Joey said, unbuckling the seatbelt and putting his hand on the door handle. “Do you know when you’ll be back?�

“No idea,� Elizabeth replied with a shrug. “Now go, I think I see Amy moving around in there.�

As Joey opened the car door, the front door of the house opened and a small, blond haired woman stepped onto the stoop. Elizabeth waved at her, and although her expression was a little cool, she waved back. Joey waved good-bye to Elizabeth before getting out of the car, slamming the door behind him.

Finally free of her passenger, Elizabeth backed out of the driveway and continued on to her own residence. She was unsurprised to see that Tony was still following her; she doubted he would let up until he knew where she lived.

It wasn’t long before Elizabeth drove up to an old, stately house at the end of a dead end street. She pulled into the driveway before killing the engine. Grabbing her things, she got out of the car as quickly as she could, shutting the door as quietly as possible.

“Nice place you’ve got here,� Tony said as he got out of his own car, slamming the door loudly. “How can you afford it?�

“I rent the basement suite,� Elizabeth replied, looking up at the big picture window in the front of the house. As she expected, the drapes were closed except for a gap caused by someone pulling the curtains open just enough to see what was going on. Elizabeth groaned. “Now you’ve done it.�

“What have I done?� Tony asked, coming over to stand next to Elizabeth. “Aren’t you going to show me where you live?�

“Mrs. Robinson saw you, which means I’m probably going to get a lecture about how young women shouldn’t be around men while unchaperoned,� Elizabeth replied with a shake of her head. Tony’s mouth spread into a grin, but before he could say anything he was surprised to find a warm hand covering his mouth to keep him from speaking. “If you make a single joke about The Graduate I’m going to have to hurt you. And then I’m going to have to hack into your computer and porn spam it again.�

Elizabeth removed her hand and was pleased to see that Tony’s mouth had snapped shut and he was blinking in surprise. She turned and made her way down the driveway to the gate that led to the side of the house.

“You coming or what?� Elizabeth asked as she unlatched the gate and headed to a door in the side of the house.

“Since when do you know about The Graduate?� Tony asked as he jogged down the driveway. He followed Elizabeth into the house, standing in the doorway as if unsure what to do.

“Shoes off,� Elizabeth said, pointing at his feet. Tony obliged, toeing off his shoes. “And I know about The Graduate because my high school English teacher wanted to do a study on Simon and Garfunkel lyrics and thought that movie would be a good idea to see them in context.�

“You had the coolest English teacher ever,� Tony said in awe. He looked around, taking in his surroundings. “Nice place you got here… for a basement, that is.�

The apartment was painted in bright colours; the living room was yellow, the kitchen was red and even though he couldn’t see it, the bathroom was bright green and Elizabeth’s bedroom was painted in blue. The furniture was all in black, brown or white; the accessories in the kitchen were black, white and red. All in all, it was basic, well decorated and didn’t look like it belonged to a twenty four year old computer nerd.

“Thanks, my mom helped me decorate,� Elizabeth replied as she headed into the kitchen. “Sit, make yourself comfortable. Do you want anything? I think I might have some pasta sauce or chilli left over from my last cooking binge.�

“How is your mom, by the way?� Tony asked as he sat down on the sofa. “And I’m okay, thanks, I’ll pick something up on my way home.�

“She’s doing good, still doing the interior decorator thing. I’m kind of surprised you’re asking about one of your evil stepmothers,� Elizabeth replied with a grin as she started rummaging around in her freezer. “Are you sure about not wanting anything? It’s Mama DiNozzo’s recipe, and I think I might have it just right.�

“Your mom probably was the only one that wasn’t evil,� Tony shot back playfully. “After all, she gave me you, didn’t she? And you didn’t say it was Mama DiNozzo’s recipe. If you were going to make some anyway, I’ll get in on that.�

“Please, you’re not trying to tell me you actually wanted a sister?� Elizabeth asked as she pulled a box of pasta down from the cupboard.

“Well, maybe I didn’t show it too well, but I’d always wanted a younger sibling,� Tony replied with a shrug. “I just didn’t want someone as young as you.�

“Thanks, I’m touched,� Elizabeth said sarcastically as she walked over to the living room and flopped onto the couch. Two pots were on the stove now, one with a frozen block of sauce in it and the other with water ready for boiling. “Ugh, I’m beat.�

“So, how did you enjoy your first day working with NCIS?� Tony asked as Elizabeth flipped on the television.

“I liked it. Abby’s cool, and it was great to finally see where you worked,� Elizabeth replied. “Although I don’t think Gibbs likes me all that much and Ziva kind of scares me.�

“Of course Abby’s cool, she’s Abby. Gibbs doesn’t like most people and Ziva scares nearly everyone when they first meet her,� Tony said with a smirk. “So, how come you never told me you were working in DC?�

“I wanted to make sure I was settled before I mentioned it to you,� Elizabeth replied with a shrug. “You know my history with jobs.�

“Yeah, but a year?� Tony asked. “That’s a little long, don’t you think?�

“Maybe, but I wanted to make completely sure this was for me and this was where I belonged,� Elizabeth replied. “I was going to tell you, I just wanted to make sure I fit in. Out of the family, only Mom and Dad know I’m here.�

“And do you think you belong here?� Tony asked. Elizabeth couldn’t be sure, but she thought she heard a hopeful note in his voice.

“Yeah, I think I do,� Elizabeth replied. “I love my job, I love the people I work with and besides the fact that Mrs. Robinson is nosy and a little more old-fashioned than I’d like, my place is pretty great too.�

“Good, ‘cause I’ve missed my annoying bratty kid sister,� Tony said with a grin. He had, really; it was probably why he had treated Kate like a sister when she had been alive.

“And I’ve missed my overprotective old fart big brother,� Elizabeth replied, poking him in the ribs once before getting up to check on dinner.

“Need any help with that?� Tony asked, turning around to see what Elizabeth was doing.

“Nah, don’t worry about it,� Elizabeth replied as she puttered around the kitchen.

“So what was with McGee and the hand thing?� Tony asked, turning back to the television and flipping through the channels. It was Monday night, which wasn’t very good for television anyway.

“You don’t have to watch TV,� Elizabeth said as Tony channel surfed. “Pop in a movie if you want; DVDs are in the left hand drawer under the TV.�

“But your taste in movies sucks,� Tony whined, although he still crossed the room and started rummaging in the drawer. “And you still didn’t answer my question.�

“Damn, and here I thought distracting you with movies would make you forget about that,� Elizabeth joked as she stirred the sauce and turned the water on to boil. “And there was nothing about it. I didn’t even ask for it, he just grabbed my hands and started working his magic on them. I guess he understood how typing at top speed for four hours is on the hands.�

“Would have worked if I didn’t really want to know the answer to that,� Tony replied with a winning grin as he pulled out a DVD. “I don’t think I’ve seen this one.�

“A movie you haven’t seen?� Elizabeth asked. “That’s not something you hear every day. What one is it?�

“Sweeny Todd,� Tony replied. Elizabeth grinned; it was one of her favourites. “Is it any good?�

“Well, I loved it,� Elizabeth replied with a shrug as she started dishing up pasta and sauce. “If you need a TV table, you might want to grab one now.�

“If that’s the case, then it must be crap,� Tony remarked with a smirk as he spotted the TV tables.

“Don’t be insulting the person feeding you, Tony,� Elizabeth replied as she brought the plates of pasta and homemade sauce over to the living room.

“I wasn’t insulting you,� Tony said as he settled in.

“You insulted my taste in movies, which insults me,� Elizabeth retorted as she set down the plate in front of Tony before heading back to the kitchen to grab a glass of water. “Besides, it’s different from other musicals; probably one of the reasons why I like it so much.�

“Okay, fine, I’ll give it a try,� Tony said with a sigh.

“You’re so hard done by, you know that?� Elizabeth said sarcastically as she sat down on her sofa, balancing her plate on her knees. She grabbed remotes for the TV and the DVD player and pressed a couple of buttons, making sure everything was on the correct modes before starting the movie.

A hush settled over the room as two movie enthusiasts sat, enthralled with the images in front of them. The only sounds made besides the movie soundtrack were the sounds associated with eating a delicious meal, and after that complete silence. Elizabeth had to resist the urge to sing along with some of the songs because she knew it would annoy Tony; even though annoying Tony happened to be one of Elizabeth’s favourite pastimes when they got together, she really didn’t want to detract from his enjoyment of the movie.

“So, did you enjoy the movie?� Elizabeth asked, turning to Tony. Her face fell a little when she saw that Tony was fast asleep, his head lolling on the back of the couch and his mouth slightly open. Grinning evilly, she stuck her finger in her glass of water and wriggled it around in Tony’s ear.

Tony squealed and jumped up, rubbing his hear; Elizabeth laughed so hard she fell off of the couch. Wiping tears from her eyes, she sat up and leaned against the couch, watching Tony.

“Real mature, Lizard,� Tony said with a glare. “I think you might have inherited your mom’s evil genetics.�

“You’ve already said my mom wasn’t evil,� Elizabeth retorted. “Besides, you fell asleep; I had to wake you up somehow.�

“Can you blame me?� Tony asked. “Before you and Fornell were brought in we’d been dealing with two other cases. Now we got another one this afternoon and we still have no leads.�

“That’s what I’m here for,� Elizabeth replied. “The helping with the leads, not the blaming. “You’d better get home then, especially because we both have to be back at NCIS bright and early tomorrow morning.�

“Yeah, bright and early,� Tony said, making a face. Elizabeth grinned, remembering that Tony wasn’t a morning person either. Must be a DiNozzo thing. “Do you need a ride tomorrow?�

“No, I’m fine, I’m sure I can get in on my own,� Elizabeth replied with a sigh, wondering why people seemed to think she was incapable of driving her own car.

“You sure?� Tony asked. “I know you got in pretty easily this morning, but you were with Fornell. They might not let you in if it’s just you.�

“I’ll burn that bridge when I get to it,� Elizabeth said with a shrug. “Now get out of here before you fall asleep again.�

“Ma’am yes ma’am,� said Tony with a mock salute. Elizabeth got up to show Tony to the door, and was surprised when he pulled her into a one-armed hug. “It’s got to have you around, kiddo.�

“You too, old fart,� Elizabeth replied with a cheeky grin. Tony sighed and tapped her on the back of the head before grabbing his jacket and slipping his shoes back on.

“See you tomorrow Munchkin,� he said, ruffling her hair before heading out. Elizabeth grinned to herself, closing the door and locking it behind Tony. Grabbing the plates, she placed them in the sink before heading to bed, turning off all of the lights on her way.

Chapter 5

“I’m sorry Miss, but I can’t let you through and Special Agent Gibbs isn’t answering his phone,� the security guard said sympathetically. Elizabeth huffed and took a sip of her tea to calm herself. She should have known better; Tony was right. While she had had little trouble getting into the compound and finding a parking space, she wasn’t allowed past the security checkpoint at the entrance of the building.

“Try Special Agent DiNozzo, then,� Elizabeth replied. The security guard looked at her sceptically but nevertheless dialled the number. Elizabeth didn’t even try to listen in; it would have been futile anyway, as the guard was speaking softly and quickly to make sure that she didn’t hear him. She waited until he hung up the phone before making any indication to remind him that she was there.

“Special Agent DiNozzo is on his way down to get you,� the guard said apologetically. “Next time, make sure they know you have to be put on the list to avoid this kind of thing.�

“Will do,� Elizabeth replied with a smile, standing off to the side so that she wasn’t in the way. She sipped her tea, waiting for Tony to arrive.

It wasn’t long before Tony was exiting the elevator, a smug smirk on his face. Elizabeth rolled her eyes, bracing herself for the “I told you so� that would eventually come spewing from him. To her surprise, Tony silently placed a hand on her shoulder and gently guided her to the elevator. Both were silent until the doors closed and Tony pressed the button to get them to the squad room.

“Okay, get it over with,� Elizabeth with a sigh.

“Get what over with?� Tony asked innocently, the smug smirk still firmly in place.

“You know,� Elizabeth replied with a roll of her eyes.

“No, I don’t,� Tony said. The smirk didn’t diminish as the elevator chimed and admitted them to the third floor squad room.

“Do too,� Elizabeth shot back as they made their way to the bullpen.

“Do not.�

“Do too!�

“Do not.�

“Do too!�

“DiNozzo!�

“Yeah, Boss?� Tony said automatically when Gibbs’ sharp exclamation broke through the sibling bickering.

“Not you DiNozzo, the other one,� Gibbs said, his steely gaze settling on Elizabeth. He stood a short distance away, a cup of coffee in one hand and a large Caf-Pow in the other. “You’re with me.�

“Uh Boss, you don’t have to do that,� McGee interjected, but was quickly silenced by a glare from the more senior agent. He and Tony gave Elizabeth a sympathetic look as she turned and followed Gibbs meekly back to the elevator. Because of his longer legs, Gibbs had a head start and the elevator doors were almost closed as Elizabeth slipped inside. Gibbs remained silent until the doors slid shut and he pressed the “B� button. No sooner had the elevator started moving, he pounded the emergency stop button, causing the elevator to stall in between floors.

“Why the hell should we trust you?� Gibbs asked, rounding on her and pinning her with a steely gaze. It wasn’t quite a full on Gibbs glare, but it would make most people pee their pants in fright. Thankfully, Elizabeth dealt with Fornell on a regular basis so it took a little more to make her wet herself.

“Why shouldn’t you?� she shot back, lifting her chin a little in defiance. “Have I given you any reason not to?�

“Everything can be traced back to your computer,� Gibbs said, his voice a low growl. “Fornell had a team go through your office with a fine-toothed comb and there was only evidence of you being in there. Coupled with the fact that you’ve been breaking the law since you were fifteen years old doesn’t exactly bolster my confidence in you. You might have Fornell fooled, but I’m not that easy.�

“Do you really think Fornell would have brought me into this investigation if he didn’t trust me?� Elizabeth asked. “Did you even read my entire file, or did you stop at the part where it says I have ten years of hacking experience? Do you even know where I got my experience or how I used it? There are many dangerous hackers out there creating viruses and raising all kind of cyber anarchy because they think it’s fun, but I’m not one of them. If you really want to get me out of this investigation, talk to Agent Fornell. I’m sure he’d love to hear what you have to say about me.�

She stared at him, meeting his gaze while trying very hard not to turn away. She couldn’t show weakness, not now, not when she was trying to make a point.

“Well, if it’s not you then who is it?� Gibbs asked.

“Hell if I know. I’m doing the best I can to find out, same as you,� Elizabeth replied. “From what I could tell, whoever is messing with the electronic records is probably one of the top hackers in the country, which means I either work with them or I track them. As soon as I know, Fornell will know and as soon as he knows I presume you’ll know.�

Gibbs stared at her once more, looking straight into her eyes. He must have seen something conveyed there, some kind of truth or passion or something, because he nodded in satisfaction before pounding on the emergency stop button again, causing the elevator to resume its trip back down to Abby’s forensic lab. Elizabeth stood in silence, not quite upset but feeling like she had to prove something, that she was loyal to her country and her agency. Fornell knew this, as did the rest of the FBI, but she felt the urge to prove this to Gibbs.

The elevator came to a full stop at the basement level that Abby’s lab was located on. Gibbs exited first and Elizabeth followed close behind, not wanting to be left in the dust. He led her into Abby’s lab, which was in full operation mode as Abby went through the evidence that had been collected from the three crime scenes.

“Morning Gibbs!� she chirped happily. Gibbs handed her the Caf-Pow, which she gratefully accepted.

“Got anything for me, Abs?� Gibbs asked.

“Well, the bullets from the first two crime scenes have the same striations, but not enough specific characteristics to match it to a precise gun,� Abby replied. “Going with that, it means that the scenes are connected. I’m still running hair samples and the bullets that were found on the scene from last night, and fingerprints are going through all of the national databases.�

“As soon as you find something, call me,� Gibbs said, turning around and heading back to the elevator.

“Looks like you’re Lizzie sitting again,� Elizabeth said with a self-depreciating grin as she approached Abby. “Knew he couldn’t be a Caf-Pow person.�

“What did Gibbs have to say to you?� Abby asked.

“All but accused me of committing this stuff,� Elizabeth replied. Abby’s eyes widened in surprise, but Elizabeth waved it off. “I’m an extremely good government sanctioned hacker, and whoever is doing this is most likely another extremely good government sanctioned hacker. Coupled with the fact that everything has been tracked back to my computer, he has every right to be suspicious.�

“But still…� Abby said, not quite sure what to say.

“Look, I don’t really want to talk about it. Can I just set up my stuff and get to work?� Elizabeth asked. Abby nodded mutely, waving her over to the couch. As she did so, the door to the lab whooshed open and a young, thin man with dark hair and glasses dressed in green scrubs carrying a plastic tub full of evidence and specimens entered.

“Here’s some more evidence, fresh from the morgue,� he said, setting the tub on the table. He caught sight of Elizabeth and smiled warmly. “Hi, I’m Jimmy Palmer, Dr. Mallard’s assistant. And you are?�

“Liz DiNozzo,� Elizabeth replied with a small smile. Jimmy looked at her curiously, cocking his head to the side. “And yes, before you ask, I’m related to Tony DiNozzo. I’m his sister.�

“Really? Because he told me he was an only child,� Jimmy replied with a shrug. Elizabeth arched an eyebrow; so Tony was passing himself off as an only child? Curious. “Oh well. Nice to meet you, Liz. See you later, Abby.�

“’Bye Jimmy,� Abby said with a wave. Jimmy smiled, waved and exited the lab. After he was gone, Elizabeth turned and headed over to the sofa, setting up her things quickly and putting her headphones on, blocking out the rest of the lab. Her tracking program up and running, she began going through the logs of the work she had done last night, trying to find some kind of signature or something of whoever had been hacking the system the previous night.

She was so caught up in her work again that she didn’t hear or sense someone coming near her until she felt a tap on her shoulder. Startled, she jumped and looked around wildly, her eyes narrowing when they fell on Tony.

“Jesus fucking Mary and Joseph, Tony, don’t sneak up on me like that!� she exclaimed, glaring. Tony’s smile fell when he saw the look on her face and heard the words coming out of her mouth.

“Something wrong, Liz?� Tony asked, concerned. His sister rarely swore, so when she did it was something to worry about.

“Do you tell everyone you’re an only child, or did you just say that to Jimmy?� Elizabeth asked, deciding that beating around in the bush was not an option, not today.

“Ummm…� Tony said, lost for words.

“It’s a simple question, Anthony,� Elizabeth said calmly. Tony was beginning to get a little frightened. Elizabeth had a long, slow-burning fuse, and she could be quite scary when angered; must be the Italian passion or something. When she reached the end of it she called people by their full first names. “Do you tell everyone that you’re an only child?�

“Um… no?� Tony offered. Elizabeth rolled her eyes and Tony cursed under his breath.

“I can’t believe you would do something like that,� Elizabeth said, blinking. “Am I really that embarrassing? Do you still despise the fact that Dad knocked someone else up and you weren’t the only kid in the family anymore? Wait, never mind, I don’t think I want to know. Just… go away and let me work.�

Tony opened his mouth to speak as Elizabeth put her headphones back on and turned back to her laptop, completely oblivious to his presence again. Abby came up behind him and clapped a hand on his shoulder, startling him so much that he allowed her to lead him to the other side of the room with no protests.

“You might want to listen to her,� Abby advised with a sympathetic look. “She’s had a rough day already, you don’t want to make it worse.�

“Could you maybe try and talk to her?� Tony asked. He was getting worried; normally he and his sister got along pretty well when they were in the same room together, despite the huge age difference. It wasn’t like her to shut him out like that. “See what’s going on?�

“Well, it’s kind of obvious, but I’ll do what I can,� Abby replied. “I need to wait for the fingerprints to come up anyway, so I’ve got a few minutes.�

“Okay Abs, thank you,� said Tony. He glanced back at Elizabeth one last time, a little surprised to see that her eyes were rimmed in red, before turning and heading back to the squad room. Abby sighed and headed back to the sofa, plopping down next to Elizabeth and causing her to jump.

“Wanna talk about it?� Abby asked as Elizabeth removed her headphones.

“Talk about what?� Elizabeth asked innocently.

“That thing with Tony just now,� Abby replied. Elizabeth looked at her blankly, as if she didn’t know what Abby was talking about. “Don’t act like you didn’t just almost blow up at him a couple of minutes ago. I know you don’t know me or anything, but sometimes it’s good to vent to someone you don’t know.�

“That’s what my blog is for,� Elizabeth replied with a sniffle.

“I promise I won’t tell Tony, or anyone else,� Abby said, crossing her heart. “And come on, a blog can’t hug you or wipe your tears away or give you advice.�

“You’ve got a point there,� Elizabeth replied with a small smile and another sniffle. “It’s just that… finding out that Tony doesn’t acknowledge me when I’m not around kind of stung, you know? I was sure that he wouldn’t talk about me much because he doesn’t particularly like our family, but I always thought he wouldn’t deny the fact that he had a sister. Kind of reminded me of how my dad didn’t want me in the first place. He never said it to my face, always playing the part of the dutiful father, but I overheard my parents fighting shortly before they split up when I was a kid. I’d always thought that Tony liked having me around, he even said so last night. Now I’m not so sure, especially because he’s been passing himself off as an only child, like I don’t exist in his world. Coupled with the Gibbs thing and the fact that someone might be framing me for all of this and I just feel helpless right now. I’ll be fine, though, just have to keep my mind on the case. I can be pissed off at Tony later.�

Elizabeth was surprised when Abby wrapped her in a tight hug. After sitting there, stunned for a moment, Elizabeth hugged her back, squeezing tightly.

“Does Tony know about all of this?� Abby asked as she released the younger girl, although she continued to rub her back.

“Like he’d believe me even if I did,� Elizabeth replied with a snort and a shake of her head. “No, I don’t think he does. He didn’t live at home when my mom and our father were fighting and I’ve never told him.�

“Maybe you should,� Abby said. “Men suck when it comes to being intuitive; you pretty much have to hit them over the head with the information you want them to know.�

“Don’t I know it. I work in an all male department,� Elizabeth replied with a roll of her eyes. She sighed, swiping a hand under her eyes to wipe the few stray tears that had managed to leak out. She knew that she had to tell Tony, even though it had the possibility of turning into a screaming match. If they had one thing in common, it was their stubbornness and their temper, which was inherited from their father. “You know what, you’re right Abby. I’ll talk to him later. Right now, I have to figure out who thought it would be a good idea to frame me up for this.�

“If you need any help, let me know,� Abby said with a smile. “I’m pretty good with the computer stuff, and maybe a pair of fresh eyes could catch something you couldn’t.�

“Thanks Abby, I’ll keep that in mind,� Elizabeth replied, smiling back. Abby looked like she was about to say something, but at that moment a machine from across the room beeped.

“Looks like I’m being summoned,� Abby remarked, patting Elizabeth on the shoulder before bouncing up and making her way to the other side of the lab. She smiled a little to herself as she continued to look through the lines of code, wondering if she could catch something, anything, that would give her some indication of who was doing this. She only hoped that Abby was having more luck with the fingerprints, because that may be the only way they could catch whoever was doing this.

She looked up when she heard the door beep, admitting someone into the lab. When she saw that it was McGee, she did her best to hide her reddening cheeks behind her laptop as she typed away, concentrating on her work.

“Hey Abs, is Lizzie down here?� McGee asked. Elizabeth didn’t hear Abby say anything and assumed that the woman had given McGee a nonverbal reply because a moment later he was sitting next to her, a paper cup with a tea bag string sticking out from underneath the lid in his hand. “Here, I brought you something to cheer you up.�

“What makes you think I need cheering up?� Elizabeth asked, although she grabbed the cup. She took a whiff of the contents, growing suspicious. “How did you know I liked peppermint tea?�

“Tony told me,� McGee replied.

“Surprised he remembered,� Elizabeth replied with a scowl, taking a sip of the tea. Damn, it was hard to stay mad at someone who remembered your favourite brand and type of tea, as well as how many sugars you took.

“You know, he’s really worried about upsetting you,� McGee remarked. “Thinks you hate him.�

“He tell you that too, or are you just that perceptive?� Elizabeth asked, arching an eyebrow.

“Well, when he came back upstairs after coming down and visiting you he was visibly distressed,� McGee replied, stumbling over his words a little as he spoke. “I asked, he told me why and was trying to figure out ways to appease and apologize to you. I told him that when my sister was upset with me, I’d apologize and do something or make something or get her something she really liked. It always seemed to work for me. I have a feeling that if he wasn’t so stressed about it, he wouldn’t have said anything.�

“Has Tony ever told you he had a kid sister?� Elizabeth asked. “And if he wants to make amends, then why did he send you down with the peppermint tea? I didn’t think I was that terrifying.�

“Well, no,� McGee replied, growing worried when he saw Elizabeth’s scowl deepen. “But he didn’t say he was an only child, either. At least, not to me. And until she was part of a case we were working on, no one knew I had a little sister.�

“I’m guessing you didn’t trust Tony with the information?� Elizabeth asked with a cheeky grin. McGee looked shocked, but Elizabeth waved it off. “I know my brother well enough to know that he would flirt with any pretty girl who was legal age. And you didn’t answer my question.�

“I think Tony’s scared of you,� McGee said. Elizabeth snorted and was about to say something when she heard the doors to the lab open. She looked up to see Gibbs and Fornell enter; Abby must have called them when she got the results from the test she had been running.

“DiNozzo, get over here!� Fornell snapped. Elizabeth quickly placed her laptop out of the way before jumping up and hurrying over to where Fornell was standing.

“What’s up?� she asked.

“Does he look familiar?� Fornell asked, gesturing towards the screen. Elizabeth turned, her eyes widening and her jaw dropping when she saw whose fingerprints had been identified from the most recent crime scene.

“This has got to be some kind of mistake,� Elizabeth said softly, her hand instantly going to the cell phone resting on her hip. Fornell’s hand shot out, grabbing her wrist in a firm, but gentle grip.

“You’re not calling him,� he said firmly.

“You know this guy?� Gibbs asked, arching an eyebrow. Elizabeth knew that if she said yes, she would be digging herself deeper into the hole Gibbs seemed to think she was in. If she said no, Fornell would know that she was lying, which would make him very disappointed in her.

“Yeah, I do. His name is Joey Winters; he’s one of the guys I work with. We’re pretty good friends,� Elizabeth replied. “Although knowing him does not automatically mean I’m in cahoots with him, so you can stop that train of thought right now, Special Agent Gibbs.�

Gibbs just glared at her before turning and stalking off. Elizabeth rolled her eyes, getting the impression that she’d never be able to make amends with her brother’s boss. Oh well, it wasn’t her problem if the ex-marine had a stick shoved so far up his ass it would probably have to be extracted surgically.

Fornell grabbed Elizabeth gently by the wrist again and led her out of the lab, waiting until the soundproof doors slid shut before he spoke.

“What was that about?� he asked, arching an eyebrow.

“I don’t think Special Agent Gibbs likes me all that much,� Elizabeth replied with a shrug. “Seems to think I have something to do with all of this because I’m a computer hacker and everything has been tracked back to my workstation.�

“What did you say to him about it?� Fornell asked. He didn’t like the idea of the NCIS agent harassing Elizabeth, especially when he knew that she hadn’t done anything wrong.

“Told him to talk to you about it if he had a problem with me,� Elizabeth replied with a shrug. “You don’t think I’m doing this, do you?�

“Of course not,� Fornell said, patting her awkwardly on the shoulder. “I’m not any good at doing this whole reassurance thing, and I’ll deny it if anyone asks me about it, but you’re the only one of those computer people I actually trust.�

“Wish some of that trust would rub off on Special Agent Gibbs,� Elizabeth retorted with a roll of her eyes.

“Now you let me worry about him,� Fornell replied. “All I want you to worry about is helping us figure out who’s been killing the navy and marine servicemen. Got it?�

“Sure, I can do that,� Elizabeth said, feeling determined. She straightened her spine, standing proud. “Are you going to have to bring Joey in?�

“Unfortunately,� Fornell said with a sigh. “And I don’t want you going anywhere near that interrogation room; if something goes wrong, I don’t want you to see it. You stay down here with Miss Scuito and stay out of trouble. Are we clear?�

“Sir, yes sir!� Elizabeth exclaimed with a mock salute.

“Now you go in there and do whatever it is you do,� Fornell said, a small, nearly imperceptible smile on his face as he turned and headed to the elevator.

With a new resolve, Elizabeth straightened her back once more and headed back to the lab, only realizing after Fornell had left that she didn’t have the clearance to get into the lab on her own. Swearing under her breath, she was about to knock on the glass to get Abby’s attention so that she would let her back in when the elevator chimed again.

“What are you doing out here?� Tony asked as he exited the elevator. Elizabeth closed her eyes and counted to ten before turning around to greet him; she didn’t know if she was ready to deal with him yet, but then again she wanted some answers.

“Fornell dragged me out here for a talking to, and now I can’t get back in,� Elizabeth replied with a shrug. “What are you doing down here?�

“Well, I was coming down to see if McGee…� Tony began before cracking a smile and a small chuckle. “Okay, I can’t say that with a straight face. I came down here to see you.�

“Why?� Elizabeth asked, curious.

“Well, you’re mad at me and I want to apologize,� Tony replied.

“I thought sending Tim down with the tea was your way of apologizing,� Elizabeth said, quirking an eyebrow at him.

“That was my attempt at warming you up,� Tony said, rubbing his hand across the back of his neck. “Did it work?�

“Well, I’m not angry with you anymore, if that’s what you mean,� Elizabeth replied. “I’ve just had a really, really tough morning and I reacted badly. Forgive me?�

“There’s nothing to forgive,� Tony said. “So, whose ass do I need to kick?�

“The security guard in front, although that wasn’t really his fault, and Special Agent Gibbs,� Elizabeth replied.

“What did Gibbs do?� Tony asked.

“It’s fine, it happened, it’s over and done with and I set him straight,� Elizabeth replied. “And I think Fornell’s going to chew him out too, so I’m not going to worry about it. Much, anyway.�

“No, seriously, what did Gibbs do?� Tony asked, the muscle in his jaw twitching.

“It’s nothing, I’m fine. No permanent damage or anything,� Elizabeth replied with a shrug and a smile. Before either she or Tony could say anything, Elizabeth’s phone beeped, indicating a new incoming text message. She grabbed her phone from her hip and flipped it open, eyes widening when she saw what it was. “I gotta get back to my computer; the hacker’s back. Can you get me in there so I can do what I was brought in to do?�

“Sure,� Tony said carefully. The tone of his voice told her that he wasn’t finished with asking her about what had happened, and that he would get it out of her eventually. He reached over and punched a code into the keypad and the door whooshed open.

Elizabeth quickly made her way across the room where she had been set up, but stopped short when she saw McGee sitting there with her laptop in his lap, typing madly away. Her jaw dropped open; no one touched her computer without permission. Don’t freak out, don’t freak out, Elizabeth thought, taking deep breaths to calm herself before stalking over to McGee. She wasn’t going to hurt him… much.

***

Bah, not quite sure how happy I am with this, but here it is. Sorry it took me three… no wait, four months to get out.