Gibbs and Vance

Gibbs waited outside of Vance's office. He was waiting to talk to him. For some strange reason Vance wanted to talk to him urgently just as their case was ending. He did honestly feel bad for leaving his entire team with the paperwork, but he needed to do what Vance told him to do.

Gibbs was standing on the catwalk above the squad room and looking down at his three agents. Everything had changed about the team since they had gone to Somalia and brought Ziva back home. Ziva was a little distant and very internalized since her return. She was internal about her private thoughts and emotions before, but this was moreso. This concerned everyone of them, a lot. Gibbs almost as much as Tony. That relationship was very strained.

He had watched them over the last several months. He watched how carefully Tony worded everything around her and how she avoided his looks and any physical contact or closeness with him. Tony was reading into it as she had gone through something terrible, which she had and Gibbs knew what it was, because he had read her medical file before putting it away safely again, where no one else could read it.

He knew what she had gone through and didn't really blame her for internalizing whatever she must be feeling. But, Tony was concerned as always. He was perceptive and could see that Ziva was not fine, when she bothered to look him in the eyes. Gibbs sighed as he heard the office door open that led into Vance's office.

"Gibbs, come on in," Vance said.

Gibbs turned away from his team and walked into the Director's office and sat down at the small conference table that was at this end of the room. He looked at Vance as Vance joined him.

"What's this about, Leon?" Gibbs asked.

"Well, it's about me having something that I need done," he said honestly. "I'm struggling with who to send on this mission. There is a witness in Paris, France, that I'm sure is in trouble. We think that someone is after her life and I need to send two good agents. Normally, I would pick DiNozzo and David for something like this, because usually they work wonderfully together. But, when they're here I can see that something's off about them."

"Something's definitely off," Gibbs said. "It has to do with David thinking she's okay and DiNozzo worrying about her. But, that's beside the point. They are both still very good partners, some of the best. They are just not at their personal best at the moment."

"What would you do in my position, Gibbs?" Vance asked.

"I would send them to Paris," Gibbs said. "For better or worse, right?"

"You make it sound like I'm forcing them to get married," Vance said with a slight chuckle.

"Here's my thoughts, Leon," Gibbs said slowly, making it obvious that he was thinking out loud. "There's something off with them. They are not communicating as well as they used to, not that their verbal communication skills have ever been very good. But, they are not communicating through body language and eye-contact as well as they used to. Something's got to give, sooner or later. This will either make them or break them, the way I see it. They will come back changed. I will then need to know if I need to switch partners and find Ziva some help, or I will see something entirely different. But, Leon. They will never go back to the way they were, I think we both know that…."

"Yes, I certainly know that," Vance said quietly. "I know what could happen. They will be in Paris alone for two days. That's far away and it's the city of love. I know what can happen. I'm fully aware of it. But, like you said, something's got to give sooner or later. I need those two at the top of their game and if that means that something has to change between them forever, then so be it. It will give them a chance to talk it out away from everyone, or to stop being afraid to communicate so effectively like they used to. Something's got to change, though."

"I whole-heartedly agree," Gibbs said. "Send them. But, don't tell them today. We've had a rough case and I want them both rested and able to think clearly when you are telling them where they are going. I also would like to be here, to see their reactions. Book one room for the two of them. One bed. I don't know what will happen, but perhaps it will be good for us. Anything will be better than those two dancing around these negative things of her past."

"Thank you, Jethro," Vance said quietly. "I will talk to the three of you on Monday when you're all back for work. Have a good weekend, Jethro."

"You too, Leon," Gibbs said as he got up and left the Director's office.

He walked back down the stairs and into the squad room, looking at the two agents that he was so concerned with. They would glance in the direction of the other but never allow their eyes to meet. It wasn't just Ziva that was hiding her feelings and thoughts from the other. Tony was doing it too, he noticed.

"Alright everyone. Go home. None of you are on-call this weekend. So, enjoy the time off," Gibbs said quietly as he sat down at his desk to do his share of the paperwork. "If your papers are done then give them here. If not, I will finish them for you. Have a good weekend."

A/N – Here is the first chapter of the full story of "Forbidden" (another story of mine). "Forbidden" is somewhat of a string of one-shots that all tie together to make a whole story. However, this story is going to dig into the details that the other misses. I am going to try to update this everyday, but no promises on it. I decided to begin this story before the other one starts with Vance and Gibbs' conversation on sending Tony and Ziva to Paris together, since it was important in my mind while writing the other story. This story will also include what you saw in the other story, we will just get to see the full journey here. I hope you like it. Please review and let me know what you think as we go.