Disclaimer: I don't own Navy NCIS and it's characters both screen and book.
The case was finally over and Ziva was grateful in that aspect. After all when your co-workers obsessed fans all of a sudden thinks fiction is real what would expect would happen? But it didn't help that McGee based the story of real people. At first they made it to be a bit of a joke because of him denying the obvious fact that his characters was based off the team. They even found it funny that he had Palmer's character engaging in necrophilia. That part always made her chuckle because she could honestly see Ducky's assistant doing just that. If not having sex with a very much alive woman in there.
But as she laid on her bed something in the back of her mind was nagging away at her. Like something she forgot about and didn't realize it until being put in front of her face. Normally it was something inconsequential like her forgetting to set the coffee maker to her normal wake-up time, but, this time was different. The nagging thought kept telling her to read that part about Lisa's memento again. So deciding just for the hell of why not read the probie's book on more time. As she read she couldn't help but have a small twinge of flattery come over her. After all he could have wrote a character that was similar to Kate. Caitlin Todd did know him first. So why not write about her.
Ziva remembered how some of the other members of the team treated her in the beginning after Kate's death. The only one that didn't react towards her harshly was McGee and Ducky. Then again Dr. Mallard was probably older then Gibbs and being from England it was to be expected from him, but, McGee was a bit of a mystery. Even though he did joke about him not having to worry about being the new person on the team something about him said it was more then that. Then it hit her. With him being the nerdy type he was probably picked on a lot growing up, and seeing as she was being roughed up in the figurative sense he didn't have the heart to do it to her as well.
Ziva couldn't help but smile as she read a part of Lisa and Tommy's innuendo/flirtatious banter. He really did hit the nail on the head when it came to herself and Tony's normal behavior around each other. The only time that didn't happen was after Roy died. Somehow the hairy butt knew the mossad officer was hurting and he backed off. Despite the on and off switch she had for her emotions Dinozzo knew she was in morning for a love that never came to be. As soon as Ziva had that very thought everything clicked together. McGee knew that little memento she kept around her was a gift from Roy. Partially angry, and partially curious about how the M.I.T. graduate knew she stormed out of her apartment barely taking enough time to dress properly and headed towards the apartment of one Timothy McGee a.k.a. Thom E. Gemcity.
--
McGee didn't know what came over him. Over the past weeks he was hitting a major roadblock in his writing, but now that the case is over and Landon is behind bars for awhile until they put him in a psych ward lighting bolts have been striking him left and right. Ever since Abby told him that Amy and McGregor weren't right for each other it broke through the dam that was his creative process and he couldn't help but write, and he felt that it was ok to go with a particular sub-story. He honestly hopped Abs wouldn't mind what was going to happen even though she already gave him the word that they were through for good. Then again maybe he was focused on the forensics expert so he wouldn't have to worry about the other person that would at the very least maim him.
Heck in all honesty McGee was already worried about what Gibbs was going to do to him. After all some how Tibbs's current love interest reflects his boss in a way. He just wrote that in there because of what Tony said long ago on that golf course. He didn't expect it to actually happen. That was always a bad part of his writing. A high majority of it came from impressions of what he saw. All of the main characters in his book were written characterchers of his co-workers personalities. Tommy was an exaggerated version of Tony's tendency to be a chauvinistic playboy, and Lisa's cold-heartedness was just the usual front Ziva puts on when a case tends to get emotionally charged in away she doesn't normally express. Tibbs's team was just an exaggerated form of the team.
When McGee was through with all of his typing it was now 0200 hours and thankfully tomorrow was a weekend so he can sleep in. As he looked at the page that he was hammering away at for the past 6 hours he was shocked on how much he actually wrote. He was just so much in the zone and focused he didn't even realize he nearly tripled the chapters and he was almost done with the book. All he need was a couple more chapters and he would be done by the deadline. McGee had a smirk of self satisfactory in this knowledge. Until he heard a slight grumble in his stomach. Being so focused on the book he didn't realize he forgot to eat dinner. So he decided make himself a sandwich that would tied him over until morning. As he made his way to the kitchen a knocking came from his door that he was grudgingly went to answer. As he looked through he saw the dark brown hair and tanned skin of a woman. And there was only one woman that he knew falls into that category.
"Hi, Ziva." The third year NCIS special agent said to the mossad officer after opening the door.
"Hello, McGee, do you mind if I come in?"
"Sure. I was about to make myself a snack," The Israeli woman stepped in as her American counterpart moved to the side granting her access, "do you want me to make you something while I'm in the kitchen."
"That is ok McGee. I wasn't planning on staying long."
"Ziva, I wouldn't feel right if I was eating in front of you. So I insist on at least making you a sandwich."
"Fine. What were kind of sandwich were you planning on making?" she asked following the man to his kitchen/ dining area.
"Turkey Pastrami and Munster on wheat. I would offer lettuce and tomato but I'm out." McGee called from the refrigerator gathering the meat and cheese and two condiments.
"That will be good enough. I don't normally like that stuff on a sandwich anyway." Ziva said taking a seat at the table.
"Neither do. Unfortunately whenever Abby decides to randomly pop in she forces me to eat what she calls a proper sandwich which is with lettuce tomatoes and onions. Mayonnaise or Mustard?" He said as he pulled out a loaf of bread from his bread box.
"Mustard."
"I hope you don't mind but all I have is spicy mustard."
"I don't mind. I personally prefer spicy mustard."
"Same here. If Abby was here she would make me use the mayonnaise." The youngest male member of the team said after pulling out two saucers to place the sandwiches on.
"Then why do you have it?"
"Besides the random times Abby decides to visit me? For stuff like chicken salads or deviled eggs"
"So I guess you two had a sling?"
"I think you mean fling, and yeah we use to go out together."
"I see. I guess that was why she gave me the evil eyes whenever I got close to you and she was around."
"That's Abs for you. She got mad at me when I told her that you gave my butt a 4 out of 5." McGee commented as he placed a saucer in front of Ziva before taking a seat opposite of her.
"You told her about that?"
"Well at the time Abby was being Abby saying we need to look at the case from a different angle. That was when she bent over and said I have a scrawny butt, and instead of saying you dated my scrawny butt like most men I said that." He said with a slight blush of embarrassment remembering the entire scenario.
Ziva simply shook her head picturing the story in her head. In all honesty she wished she had installed a hidden camera in the lab just to see the man across from her stumble and become self-conscious while facing a person that could kill and not leave a single trace of evidence to prove it was her. Everything about it amused her to no end. It was so amusing in fact she almost forgot about why she came over while biting into her simple sandwich. Almost.
"McGee, you know how you base your characters off the team?"
"Yes, Ziva."
"How do you do it?"
"I guess it's just the usual impression you give to me or other people. Like how I got the impression that Adrianne Corbet was a playboy. The look or nuances of the person gives me the ideas that I have when I write."
"Then how did you know that I still carry a scorch for Roy?"
"Torch, Ziva, and it is how you carried yourself after he died. I mean you were still you but you were softer in away. Like you allowed yourself to get closer to us while shielding us from you."
"Oh I see. Then how did you know about the memento he gave me?" The mossad attaché said in a calm voice.
"It's fairly obvious he gave it to you because I never saw you wear it until after he…" McGee didn't finish not feeling he should repeat himself.
"You know, McGee, if you put some of those observational skills to the field you might become a better investigator then, Tony."
"Maybe, but, being around him for the past three years made me feel like I was Ben Grim to his Johnny Storm."
"Excuse me?"
"The Thing to his Human Torch. You know the Fantastic Four."
"I know who you meet but I thought everybody liked The Thing?"
"Yeah but in the comic Johnny was more of a ladies man compared to Ben. Not to mention he is better looking then Ben."
"If I'm correct in your description normally others would say you played Robin to Tony's Batman."
"Yeah and I didn't feel like using something cliché. Besides you know its the truth. Tony use to flirt with you every chance he gets. Not to mention he did that with Kate also. Just usually with them it ended in something childish like the time he found a photo of her as a winner of a wet t-shirt contest and she talked Abby into photo-shopping him into a picture from a gay porn film." After the release of that tidbit of information Ziva cracked up laughing. With every moment she found the mental image she had in her head funnier and funnier.
"I have to see that picture."
"I'll ask Abby if she still has it saved on her computer." He said before noticing both Ziva and himself had finish their respective snacks. So being the kind of person that doesn't like putting things off he picked up the two dishes took them to the sink and began washing them.
"McGee, when Gibbs told you to give Landon the ending of your book. Was that the ending you were planning on?"
"No. I just made it up on the spot. I had to think of away to save Abby and get him to surrender so it hit me that he would like the idea of McGregor and Amy getting married."
"I see I'm surprised it would be something so simple."
"Same here. It's surprising what you can find on the internet."
"Pardon?"
"Don't tell Tony this but occasionally I go to this one website called fan fiction something or other just to relax and do some casual reading. Well I happen to find that some people wrote fan fics about my book and some of them are quite interesting. I swear some of the people are just in tuned with the characters as me if not more so. Anyway I some of stories I read I find completely ridiculous while the others I can't believe because I was leaning towards that way while writing this book."
"Leaning as in…?"
"Like a particular relationship. Some of the ships as they call them I've been tempted to show Tony just as a means to shut him up about my love life."
"How so?"
"What would you think if I decided to write Tommy and Tibbs had a late night rendezvous that didn't involve a case?"
"I think if Tony didn't kill you Gibbs would." Ziva said trying to keep her mirth from showing at the idea.
"Exactly, but, then again he would probably use it on you, and, you'll kill me while Abs would dispose of all forensic proof." McGee said as he faced her after rinsing, drying, and putting away the dinnerware. The woman in his apartment stared on in confusion until the subject hit her like a ton of bricks and Tony's B.O.
"You must be joking."
"I wish I was, but, then again I was the one that made Palmer have sex with a corpse."
"Well I must go now. I haven't rested since yesterday and I feel like I'm about to bash."
"Crash. Why don't you just stay here Ziva? You can take my bed and I'll sleep in here on my typing chair."
"I could not throw you out of your own room. I'm certain I can make it back to my apartment."
"Ziva, your driving is freighting enough when your awake. I don't even won't to worry about it when you are almost dead to the world. Besides I'm sure you can torture Tony just by saying you were in my bed." Tim added as he watched Officer David's eyes light up at the prospect of releasing sweet torture on Dinozzo, and nothing could be sweeter then hearing that 'Probie' got her into his bed.
"All right McGee. I'll sleep in your bed." She said somewhat grudgingly despite enjoying the thought of shocking the senior field agent.
--
Several hours later at 0800 hours Ziva woke up in a strange bed. For a split second she panicked at the thought of being captured until she remembered that McGee insisted on her staying over for the night despite her living close by. Not really believing she slept in so late despite going to bed at the wee hours of the morning she shucked the covers off and redressed herself in the clothes from the night before. So silently exits the room and checks on the teams residential genius.
As she walks into the lounge Ziva see's him with his head drooped down on his chest facing his beloved typewriter. At times like this she finds it hard to believe he could be so young to be a federal agent. Upon moving closer she sees a piece of paper sticking out and just above the band that holds in place read the words 'The End'. A soft chuckle escaped her lips while a devious thought entered her mind. Looking around she saw a respectable stack of papers that practically said the rest of McGee's book. As quietly as her Mossad training taught her she flipped over the stack and took them to the dinner table and proceed to read each page.
In all honesty she understood everything that happened in the six chapters McGee gave to her and Tony to read. She just confused on why he couldn't continue on and finish the book. As she read the words on the page she couldn't help but to be sucked in to this semi-fantasy semi-real world. Eventually she got to the end of the stack and not wanting to wait she snuck back over to the type writer and read the last page while bringing it to join the other pages. She couldn't believe how he finished up the story until she read the couple of paragraphs.
McGregor stood outside Lisa's apartment nervously fidgeting as he awaited her to answer. He knew that by the end of his visit he would either dead or broken hearted. Possibly both. But holding on to the small glimmer of hope he took a deep breath as she opened the door.
"McGregor, what are you doing here?"
"I'm sorry, Lisa, I just wanted to talk to you. May I come in?"
"Of course." Lisa said stepping to the side granted her co-worker access into her domicile. Every time he entered this apartment the few times before he was overtaken by the simple beauty of the art work she had hanging on the walls. He never could believe such a complex woman loved the simple things.
"What did you want to talk about?"
"Well I was wondering if you wanted to go out to dinner sometime? Maybe a movie after words?"
"If you just wanted to ask me to go to dinner and a movie you could have just gave me a bling."
"Ring, and that isn't all I'm asking you." McGregor said ambiguously. It took seconds for Lisa to figure out what he had meant and during that time her face became unreadable.
"Oh. What about Amy?"
"Me and Amy have been done for a while. We're just not right for each other."
"And we are?"
"I don't know, Lisa. Ever since I first meet you I've been slightly attracted to you, but, I've kept my distance because of Tommy."
"So you have a crush on me. Correct?"
"Yes. I want to at least try to see if we could have something. Do you?
The End.
Ziva was blown away by this. Since everybody on the team knew he based the characters off them something told her there was a hidden meaning behind the ending of the book. Maybe McGee has a crush on her. Well she is going to figure that out soon. Before the Rock Hollow will be published and sold to the masses and Tony decides to tease him. It will take a clever calculating plan to do so, but, being apart of Mossad developing plans was her strong suit. When she heard McGee moan she realized she had been reading longer then expected and hurriedly but the final page on top of the pile and returned it to the desk just seconds before he woke up.
"Good Morning, Ziva."
"Good Morning, McGee."
"What time is it?"
"1200. I notice you finished the last page of your book so I placed it on the stack."
"Thanks, Ziva. You didn't read it by any chance did you?" he asked nervously
"No. Is there a reason I should?" she lied
"No. I already let you and Tony read the first six chapters I don't want you to find out the rest until it's published."
"Ok. I'll head home now." Ziva said going to the door.
"Um, Ziva, since breakfast is out of the question do you want to get some lunch in about an hour?"
"It's a date." Ziva smirked as she left the apartment and a stunned Timothy McGee by her choice of words.
(a/n: I just want to thank silverfanfic for pointing out a goof I did. I just corrected it so enjoy and give silverfanfic a cookie for pointing it out.)