Timothy McGee crossed the Navy Yard without a glance at anyone, only walking at a reasonable pace, fog inside his brain naturally getting rid of any thoughts, just walking.
Tony took a look at him from the car park where he had just arrived, taking off his sunglasses and opening his mouth in order to say something, but Tim simply kept on walking to the entrance of the NCIS, not looking, nor answering to the bodyguard's greeting…
If there was no official need to say anything in return, the man was used to McGee's famous politeness, and not hearing a sound back seemed to surprise him a bit.
Anyway, today was a beautiful day, and if he hadn't heard anything from Timothy, he could swear that he would endure Agent Dinozzo's good singing mood, and probably another stupid quote of another stupid movie.
Tony stayed still a minute where he was, slowly tapping the top of its vehicle, before Ziva's catastrophic car parked in the empty space next to his.
— What's up, Tony, she asked with a smile as she violently opened the door.
The agent almost ran to her and stared immediately at his car, his face mixed with anguish.
— Damn it, David, if you touch and hurt that beauty you'll have to pay me back for sure…
— Come one, Tony, you already have a new girlfriend ? I thought you were having a break.
— Very funny…he grinned, double-checking the one he'd just called his beauty.
— Why are you here, Tony ?
— Uh…work ?
Ziva squinted her eyes as if she wanted to kill him and begun speaking again.
— You usually don't like mornings, and now you're even here before me.
— I guess I have some blessed days…
— Yeah, she chuckled, right. In fact, she added, I'd even say that you look…happy today.
Tony put on his sunglasses again and revealed a bright smile he always loved to show.
— « This part of my life…this part right here. This is called happiness ».
Ziva chuckled another time and started walking to the building, looking awkwardly at Tony.
— Look a you, Dinozzo…a real poet.
— All Dinozzos are…Tony said as he furrowed his brows, but this is from a movie, David.
— Really, Ziva smiled and kept walking, not surprised by the revelation.
— Yes, really. The Pursuit of Happiness, 2006…Gabriele Muccino…director of Seven Pounds…Damn it, and you pretend you're American…
— Muccino doesn't sound American at all.
— Will Smith is American.
— Good morning Adam…she smiled before entering the building, the man greeting her back, his face changing as Tony appeared behind her. He, as expected, put his palm onto the man's shoulder and begun teasing him.
— Adam, Adam, Adam…what a beautiful day, isn't it ? Beware of sunburns, though, don't forget to hydrate and wear a cap…
Ziva chuckled and called his name emotionlessly, saving the bodyguard from this useless moment, perfectly picturing again the bright smile and excessive good mood style so proper to Tony.
In the meantime…
— Good morning, a woman smiled.
— Morning, Timothy answered, probably forced by the fact that he was stuck inside an elevator.
But he didn't mean it. In fact, he didn't mean any of his words.
The silver cage hopefully didn't open for additional employees anymore and he just let the woman go away when she finally reached her level, and he then stayed alone for a few seconds, maybe a minute…still lost and prisoner of his brain's invisible fog.
Ding…
He went out of the elevator and walked directly to his desk, as if an automaton had taken control of his own body and muscles, directing him from directions to other directions with no emotion.
His brain was so heavy…and so light…and his eyes seemed to weigh so much…and finally not at all… There was no word to describe what he was feeling at all, no right word to find in the middle, no word to explain…
His eyes had been and still were lost behind a blurry filter of nothing, and all he knew was that he had to go to his workplace and sit…where he belonged.