"I see how it is." Kate slams the back passenger door shut. "The second Tony's in trouble, your driving just worsens."

"Still better than you." I scoff. "Hey, wait a —"

But she shushes me. "Too late." There's this smile on her face that's brighter than an Arizona sun.

Gibbs comes back from talking to the bus driver and police officer. "Abby's on video." He reaches over and clicks the space bar.

"I thought you said you had him."

"The GPS system has his position within four feet. You don't have him in your car?"

"No, Abby, I do not!" I press a button to turn on the GPS system in the car. "Okay. I got him now."

"You forgot to turn it on." She snickers slightly.

After requesting McGee to fix his calling problem, Gibbs shuts off the video, and we are back on the road.

We stop on a bridge, waiting for an update from either Abby or McGee.

"I don't have a VW for sale!" Gibbs yells at whoever's on the phone. A moment later, he sits back in the passenger seat, switching the laptop on.

"The Deputy Secretary of State is coming in on MTAC in five minutes, and she wants to speak with you."

And it's not even about Tony.

Gibbs gives the young agent the same answer he's been giving since the undercover mission started. "Handle it, McGee."

"Uh, excuse me?"

"You are the highest-ranking member of our team in the office." That's definitely one way to convince him. "Deal with it."

"D-Do you think that's a good idea? This is a very powerful and important government official —"

And Gibbs turns off the car feed.

"They're moving." Kate pipes up from the back.

I flip over the engine, starting the car. "Buckle up."

Just a few days ago, Tony had come over to my house after a long, painstaking case. We all needed to cool off after it.

- - - - - - - - - -

"I have beer and. . .yup, it's all beer." I grab two bottles from the fridge, sliding one over to Tony who's sitting behind the counter.

He pops off the cap before taking a long swig. "As long as it's cold and gets me laid."

"Wouldn't count on the latter." I take out a pot and two boxes of pasta. "I really need to go grocery shopping. All I've got is spaghetti and beer."

"Why go grocery shopping when you won't eat a damn thing?"

That does it for me. But instead of saying anything, I just turn on the stove and begin boiling the water for the pasta.

The chair scratches against the hardwood floor. "Did you call the number I gave you?" His footsteps come closer, stopping just behind me.

"That case was absolutely draining, Tony." I rub the top of my brow.

"You promised you would, Eva."

"Well, you're the only one who thinks I have a problem."

"Because I'm the only one who cares!"

- - - - - - - - - -

His words echo in my head like a baseball repeatedly hitting a wall. It just keeps going and going, getting louder each time.

"Pull over." Gibbs points to the right, and I do as he says. "Lost him, Abbs."

"I lost him, too! There's something wrong with the GPS." She looks back at the video camera in Forensics.

But just ten minutes later, a silver GMC Sierra crosses the bridge up ahead. Specifically, the truck we had set up for Tony.

"We got a signal from the truck." Right that second, a red dot flashes on the GPS screen. "We are back in business, Gibbs."

So as to not alert Jeffrey White — the prisoner Tony is chained up to — the three of us stay behind for a little bit.

"Gibbs, it sounds like Tony was in an accident." I run over a few potholes on the offroad.

"Got it, Abby. We're on it."

Meanwhile, Kate is having a tremendous time riding in the back of the sedan. "How in the hell are you worse than Gibbs?"

"Take that back right now!" I scoff in offense.

Soon, we stop again when a man waves us over. He's standing next to a crashed truck. Tony's getaway truck.

"My bike was stolen. You gotta help me." He tells us.

"Who stole it?" Kate is the first to step out of the car.

"Two guys — their truck went off the road. I was helping them find their dogs."

I furrow my brows. "Dogs? What dogs?"

"Two Saint Bernards named Copper and Todd. They said they were big enough to knock a grown man onto his back."

Yup. That's our Tony.

"How much gas do you have left on your tank?"

"Almost nothing. Half a gallon, tops."

"Let's go."

The three of us head back into the car, leaving the guy to find the dogs. We stop by the nearest gas station, showing the owner a picture of White and a fake mugshot of Tony.

"Haven't seen 'em." He shakes his head.

"Well, here's our number if they come in." Kate passes him her card, and we're off.

Again.

- - - - - - - - - -

"I don't know why Gibbs is making me get you ready for the mission, but I don't like it as much as you do. Maybe even more."

In front of me is Tony with his stubble grown out much more and his hair falling into his eyes.

"I never said I didn't like it." His usual smile is missing as he lets me work on him.

Using the gel, I run my fingers through his hair and slick it back. "You're starting to look like Andy Garcia. Or the blonde kid from the Harry Potter books."

"You're not going to worry about me this time, are you?" While I focus on his hair, his eyes never seem to leave my face.

"The only reason I worry is because you can act a little irrational at times."

"But there's a chance I could die on this mission. White might kill me at some point."

"Just remember you've got your reputation to worry about." I crack a small smile. "Who knows? Gibbs could appoint me top agent while you're gone."

"In your dreams, Eva."

- - - - - - - - - -

Night falls, and we are nowhere close to arresting White. Or bringing Tony back.

When someone knocks on the window, I point my gun at the perpetrator, only to see Gibbs standing with a tray of coffee cups and gas station food.

"Kate's asleep in the back." I grab the drinks and unlock the doors. "I'm sure she'll be hungry when she wakes up."

Gibbs takes a bite of a hotdog, holding out another one. "Eat."

"I'm vegan."

"You ordered a chicken sandwich two days ago." He continues to hold out. "Just eat it, Eva."

"Not hungry."

Abby informs us about open homicide cases dealing with a Bill Collins — also known as Lane Harrison — who she identified from the video footage. He cuts his victims' throats from behind, similar to Mack the Knife.

The next morning, we find a set of keys belonging to the pickup inside the payphone. McGee calls back with a history of the calls from the payphone, one distinctly leading us to a hunting cabin outside of Richmond.

Clearly, Tony and White had stayed in the cabin overnight, but they're long gone once again. We find the motorcycle in the back.

And there's a body hidden. Billy Collins, with his throat slashed to the spine.

Jeffrey White's the real killer. And Tony doesn't even know.

Throughout this time, Gibbs has been receiving random hangup calls, which he thinks are coming from Tony.

Wherever he is.

"You're really worried about him, aren't you?" Kate leans forward against my seat, her brows furrowed in realization.

"You're not?" I glance back at her.

There's a moment of silence before she nods her head. "He can be a good guy when he wants to be."

"It's Lane Harrison's cellphone." Abby manages to track the cell. "Highway 14, just past Newport News, Virginia."

"Stay on the phone and guide us there."

I barely wait for the other two to get settled into their seats.

"Are you alright?" Abby asks when Kate yelps in surprise.

"Eva's driving."

"Don't you mean Gibbs?"

"Nope."

Tony calls Gibbs' cell once again.

"He's coming down 14th, headed for the west side." Abby directs me. And just moments later, she shouts, "I lost the signal!"

McGee tracks a long distance call from tohe cabin to a Mr. Haru Owagawa, the buyer. We use his GPS location to find Tony and Jeffrey White.

Gibbs and Kate arrest the buyer, leaving me with the stolen car. There's blood sprayed across the windows, and I can already feel the tears pricking my eyes.

But I see Jeffrey White in the back, still as ever with a gunshot wound in the neck.

"I really liked him."

His voice. . .my stomach just drops.

That night, I invite Tony back to my place. Just for some drinks and maybe a movie. Nothing more, nothing less.

"Kate told me you were worried." Tony wraps the blanket around his shoulders, trying to warm himself up in front of the fireplace. "Couldn't even eat."

"Here." I set down a mug of tea on the coffee table before opening up the first aid kit.

He stares at the flames while I work on the minor cuts across his face. "What are we, Eva?"

"What?"

"What are we?" I try to ignore him, but his hand grips my wrist tightly. "Because I don't think coworkers — or even friends — have casual sex whenever they want."

I rip my hand out of his grasp. "We talked about this months ago, Tony. Neither of us want a relationship any time soon."

"And what if that's changed?"