𝐍𝐎 𝐑𝐔𝐋𝐄𝐒 ━━ 𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐲 𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐨𝐳𝐳𝐨

SEVENTEEN | smartest guy

Sunglasses teeter on the bridge of my nose, my legs shaky with each stumbled step I take towards the bullpen.

"Morning —"

"Too loud."

From across the room, Tony's dazed figure dumps Tabasco sauce into two glasses of water, Worcestershire sauce, tomato juice, and a lemon: the DiNozzo Defibrillator.

"Sake bombs?"

"It's what I get for thinking I could drink like my college years."

Unbeknownst to me, Ziva maneuvers the desk chair so I don't fall onto the ground flat on my ass.

"DiNozzo."

"Yes?"

I've grown accustomed to people either thinking I'm already married to Tony or assuming I've taken his last name.

Hence why I subconsciously answer "yes" with Tony.

"Tony. . ." Gibbs clarifies with a glance in my direction. "Where were you last night?"

He smiles goofily. "Drinking."

"You alone?"

"Of course not."

He and I lock eyes, and I shoot him an obvious look.

"Not that there's anything wrong with drinking bourbon alone. . .in your basement. . .with a boat — what were we talking about again?"

"Your alibi."

"My alibi? For what?"

And this marks the first — and last — time I ever show up to work with a hangover. And seeing as Tony's being accused of murder again. . .he won't be drinking for a while.

But we find our prime suspect sooner than later when he confronts Tony by the truck.

"McGee, zoom in right there."

With the remote, McGee expands the highlighted area from the hotel's security footage.

"There's Tony's impersonator: Renny Grant."

"But he didn't check out of the hotel till three hours later."

"So, where is he going?"

"Dinner." Tony enters the office space, Gibbs directly behind him, after interrogating Grant. "Or so he says."

"What have we got?" Gibbs nods towards the plasma.

"Our suspect. All over Rosewood's surveillance video."

"But no sign yet of our victim."

"Keep looking."

Clearly, Tony's in charge of this case. Just like he was three years ago.

"McGee, victim's background. Credit cards, bank statements, everything. Gibbs, take a look at Renny's appeal. Use it to catch yourself up on the original embezzlement case, then work with McGee."

"On it, boss."

Hearing those three very words leave Gibbs' mouth sends chills down my back. The universe is a tiny bit off balance, that's for sure.

"So. . .Tony's in charge again, huh?"

"Yes."

"How do you feel about it, Eva?"

"Hmm?" I glance up from my computer. "Feel about what, McGoo?"

"You know, Tony being in charge." McGee raises a single brow.