SQUAD ROOM - MONDAY MORNING

Sam came in, bag in one hand and coffee in the other. Tony sat at his desk. Amaia was fussing around her computer. McGee and Ziva were also busy setting up for the day. A chorus replied to Sam's cheery "Morning."

"You're cheerful this morning," McGee observed. "Good weekend?"

Sam dropped her bag behind her desk and nodded. "Yes."

"Do anything exciting?"

"No. Just a cozy weekend at home. Took a walk in the park. Fed the ducks." Sam avoided looking at Tony.

Ziva looked puzzled. "What did you feed the ducks to?"

"Fed the ducks bread, Ziva. Not feed them to anything."

Sam looked along to Roslyn's desk. "Where's Ros? She's late."

Sam looked back at the others. She noticed a worried frown flicker across Tony's face.

Amaia laughed. "She said she had a date last night. Must have been a hot one as she never came home."

Sam was still looking at Tony. The worried frown turned into a look of outright panic before he could compose his features. Uh Oh. That doesn't look good. What does Tony know that Amaia doesn't?

Gibbs strode in. "Where's Ros?"

"Not in yet," Ziva replied. "It seems she had a hot date last night."

Gibbs looked at his watch. "She's got ten minutes to show up or she goes on report."

One of the Marines who served as security at NCIS headquarters came into the squad room with a large, white envelope in his hand. He snapped to attention in front of Gibbs. "This was left at the gatehouse for you, Agent Gibbs."

Gibbs took the envelope from his hand and frowned at it. The words 'Special Agent Gibbs' were carefully spelled out on the envelope using letters cut from newspaper. "Did the gatehouse get a look at the person who delivered it?"

"Man on a motor cycle, Agent Gibbs. Wearing full leathers."

"Tell them I want the security footage."

"Yes, sir." The Marine turned around and marched briskly out.

The team looked at each other and then back at Gibbs. "Security footage, boss?" Tony asked. Gibbs held the envelope up so that they could all see it clearly.

"That does not look good," McGee observed.

"Ya think?"

Gibbs placed the envelope on his blotter, and reached into a drawer for a pair of latex gloves. The team clustered around his desk watching closely. Opening his knife, he carefully slit the envelope open and tipped the contents out onto the desk.

Breaths were drawn in sharply all around the desk. On Gibbs' blotter lay an item every single one of them was familiar with, along with a piece of some sort of vine, and a note. Gibbs lifted up the familiar leather folder. He opened it. Roslyn Danver's photo stared back at him. He laid the folder open on his desk. Shocked murmurs came from his assembled watchers. Gibbs picked up the note. In letters again cut from newspaper were the words 'Do Not Interfere'.

The team watched in silence as Gibbs took evidence bags from his drawer and packaged everything up. He handed them to Ziva. "Get these to Abby. Tell her I want everything she can give me as soon as she can. Priority." Ziva nodded, her face shocked, and took the evidence bags from him.

McGee's voice cut the shocked silence. "Boss. I think I can help. That vine. It's oriental bittersweet. A non-native invasive plant. It's found in parts of Rock Creek Park. I go there a lot with my scout troop."

"Can you identify whereabouts, McGee?"

"I think so, boss."

"Then do it, we're going to need somewhere to start searching."

"Rock Creek Park is a big place."

"I know, McGee. That's why I am going to organize some help."

His face set in a grim expression, Gibbs ran up the stairs to Vance's office.

Tony returned to his desk, sinking down into his seat with his head in his hands. Sam looked at him. He knows something. She looked up towards the Director's office, bit her lip, then headed up the stairs after Gibbs.

VANCE'S OFFICE

Vance's face was grim as he hung the phone up. "The commander at Quantico will have a contingent of Marines ready to help us with a grid search of Rock Creek Park within an hour. As soon as McGee can give us possible search parameters, we'll be able to move."

Both men looked around as Sam came into the room. Vance raised his eyebrows at the intrusion. It's got to be important for Samantha to be this rude.

Sam looked at Gibbs and then at Vance. "I think Tony knows something. When I commented that Ros was late, he looked worried. When Amaia said she had gone on a date and not come home, he looked scared. Gibbs, I think this ties in to Ros and Tony's efforts on Saturday."

"What happened on Saturday?" Vance asked.

"Neither Tony or Ros were convinced that Sam and I are a couple. So they followed us."

"They did WHAT?"

"Followed us. They weren't very good at it." Sam essayed a small smile. "It's kind of hard to out fox the silver fox. Gibbs spotted Tony almost immediately."

"Both of them have good instincts, Leon. They knew there was more than they were being told."

Vance stalked across to his desk and hit a button on his telephone. "Get Agent DiNozzo up here, immediately."

It was a rather timid Tony who opened the door and came into Vance's office. "You wanted to see me, Director?"

Both Vance and Gibbs' faces were expressionless. Sam sat at the conference table, her face white and drawn.

"Care to tell me why you and Agent Danvers were following Gibbs and Wallace on Saturday?"

Tony looked at Gibbs. "You knew?"

Gibbs raised his eyebrows. "Answer the question, DiNozzo."

Tony swallowed. "Neither Ros or myself believed the Gibbs and Sam are a couple. Roslyn believed that it was a cover that somehow tied in with the events at the Franklin Club, and the meetings between yourselves and the FBI, and with Amaia's friend Kepa Urkullu."

"Go on." Vance's voice was silky.

Tony swallowed again. "So we decided to follow Gibbs and Sam and see if we could discover whether they were a real couple or whether it was a cover." He looked from Gibbs to Sam and back again. "What we saw made us think we were wrong and it was real, but since you knew we were following..."

Gibbs had moved to stand behind Sam. He gently stroked her shoulders. She leaned her head back against him. They both looked at Tony. Tony looked at the floor. I don't know what to think anymore. Except that the rest of my career may be spent serving fries with burgers.

"What did you know of Agent Danver's plans?"

Tony looked at Vance. "She had set up a meeting with someone for last night. Someone who could give her information on Kepa Urkullu."

"WHAT?" Sam stared at Tony, horror stricken. She slammed her hand hard against the table. "I told her not to do that. Not to get involved. She promised! She PROMISED!" A ragged sob broke from Sam's throat. Gibbs turned her so that her face was buried in his shirt.

Sam leaned against him for a moment, before pulling away and getting to her feet. She stalked across the room towards Tony. "Why didn't you go with her? If you were so damn interested, why weren't you watching her back? You let her walk into a trap! Fury danced in Sam's eyes. Her hand came back to strike Tony. Gibbs grabbed her from behind, hauling her into his embrace. He wrapped his arms around her, holding the struggling woman securely.

"That's enough, Sam. It isn't Tony's fault. And it isn't yours." As always, Gibbs saw straight to the heart of the matter.

Tony came forward. "I'm sorry Sam. I offered to go with her. She told me no. I wish I had ignored her. Maybe if I had..."

Vance's phone rang. He picked it up and listened, then thanked the caller and hung up. "The Marine's are ready for the search and McGee has some search site possibilities." He looked at Tony. "We will finish this discussion at a later time, Agent DiNozzo."

"Yes, sir."

Gibbs let go of Sam. The four of them exited Vance's office and headed down into the squad room. Ducky was waiting for them at the foot of the stairs.

"Ziva told me what happened. Jethro, be careful in Rock Creek Park. You're dealing with a very dangerous man. That piece of vine was a clue to point you to Rock Creek Park. He knows you will follow any and every clue. You could find more clues at your destination, or perhaps some sort of trap. The package was addressed to you. You could be his intended victim, and poor Roslyn nothing more than a distraction."

He turned and gestured to where Jimmy Palmer stood with Ziva, McGee and Amaia. "Mr Palmer and myself would like to join the search, Jethro. We are both rather fond of Ros."

"All help is gratefully received, Dr Mallard," Vance told him. He headed towards the elevator. Everyone looked after him. Vance stopped and looked back. "One of my agents is missing. Do you honestly think I'm going to sit on my butt in my office?"

Gibbs and his team followed Vance out of the squad room.