Muted

A/N: This is my first stab at writing fan fiction so please bear that in mind. I've tried to stay true to the characters but this is a lot harder than I thought it would be. Also, I'm not an expert on, well, anything, so keep that in mind too! Please read and review, let me know if I'm on the right track! Team friendship story (centered around Tony), NO SLASH.

By the way, I do not own NCIS or any of the characters. Although it would be nice if I did!

**********

Tim sighed.

Without Ziva there to deflect some of Tony's attention, DiNozzo had been driving him up the wall all morning. Throwing wadded up paper and carefully blowing straw wrappers in his direction, not to mention chattering incessantly. At one point he had caused Tim to hit his head. McGee had been underneath his desk, hooking up his new computer when Tony chose that moment to sneak up on him. By now, Tim had had just about enough.

"INCOMING!" shouted Tony, as yet another paper missile bounced off McGee's head.

"Tony, please!!" pleaded Tim. "You may not be busy, but I'm trying to get some work done. Will you just leave me alone?!"

DiNozzo momentarily stilled and appeared to be considering it. Then he grinned. "What are you so busy with, Elf Lord?" he teased. " Trying to save the princess from an evil monster?"

Tim rolled his eyes and for the thousandth time thought Get well soon, Ziva, I can't take much more of this special one-on-one time with him. Thankfully, right about then Gibbs charged into the bullpen. "Gear up! We've got a dead Marine. DiNozzo! You and McGee head out to Quantico, I've got to be in MTAC. Fifteen minutes at most. I'll be right behind you." He tossed the keys at Tony, who caught them mid-flight and dangled them in front of Tim's nose. "Come on, McGeek, I'll race ya to the car."

DiNozzo kept it up during the drive to Quantico, teasing Tim mercilessly and mocking his alter ego Thom E. Gemcity. Finally McGee reached his limit and snapped. "GOD, TONY, JUST SHUT UP. I would be THRILLED if I never had to hear your voice again! You are the most obnoxious person I've ever met, and I don't know what I did in a past life to deserve being stuck here with YOU. God hates me, that's what it is. Or maybe just Gibbs hates me."

Tony chuckled. "Aw, come on Probie. You'd miss my witty banter. You know you love it!"

"Whatever," McGee grumbled. "Just give it a rest, will you?"

They pulled up to the base entrance at Quantico and Tony showed the guards his ID. Once inside, they carefully drove through the winding streets to reach the crime scene, which had been cordoned off by the MPs. The agents pulled their equipment out of the trunk and quickly got to work.

Tim started tagging evidence and Tony was at the edge of the trees taking photos. At that moment Tony noticed a path of trampled grass heading deeper into the woods. He saw movement out of the corner of his eye.

Tony didn't know what had run past him, but his gut told him that it was somehow involved with the case. He pulled his gun and was quietly following the trampled path when he heard a twig snap nearby.

The attack came out of nowhere.