Tony had been staring at his computer for what felt like hours now. He was typing, using both hands, and hadn't even taken a break in, he stopped to check the clock, twenty minutes! According to the clock, however, he had only been at the computer for a couple of hours. Still, he had been more productive lately than he could ever remember being. He went back to the report he was working on when McGee strolled out of the elevator. His surprise at seeing Tony at the office so early was evident, based on him nearly dropping his coffee all over the desk.
"Tony?" he asked in shock. "What are you doing here this early again?" he ask, dumbfounded. Tony glanced up from his computer. He immediately registered that Tim had apparently opted into the "skinny pants" trend. However, no quips or remarks jumped to his mind.
"I had some work to catch up on. And I couldn't sleep." Tony explained. McGee was still eyeing him suspiciously. He walked to his desk, glancing over his shoulder at his coworker. Tony typed on. He watched for a full five minutes and Tony never once stopped working.
"Tony," McGee said, "What is going on with you?" he asked. Tony merely raised his eyebrows.
"Whatever do you mean Tim?" he asked in a voice that was just a notch too polite. The use of his first name, and not a play on his last name, he registered immediately as a red flag.
"First you join a men's support group, now you're coming to work early, and today!" he exclaimed. "Today you didn't even comment on my pants!" Tony finally looked up from his screen.
"I think your new pants are, just a great look McGee. Very, stylish." Tony said calmly. McGee's jaw dropped. Something was definitely wrong. Tony had only been this off balance once before. A dim flicker of explanation sparked at the back of his mind. There was something in common with both of his character lapses. His eyes flicked to the desk formerly occupied by Ziva.
"Tony," he said again as he crossed back over to his desk, "Seriously, you haven't been the same since-" McGee trailed off as his eyes caught something shiny in Tony's open desk drawer. It looked like a small gold chain. He craned his neck to investigate it just as Tony noticed his attention and slammed the drawer shut.
"Since what, McNosy?" Tony demanded. Despite his obvious anger McGee was glad to at least get a rise out of him. Tony was glaring up at McGee with a challenging look, as if daring him to say what he had been about to. His hand lingered protectively on the drawer.
"Since…Tony, is that…?" McGee asked, pointing towards Tony's drawer. He wasn't sure if he had seen it correctly, but he could have sworn he saw a very familiar necklace. Tony's glare remained intact, but he slowly pulled his hand away from the desk. As McGee reached for the drawer he had the distinct feeling that he was putting his hand into the lion's cage. He gingerly pulled open the drawer, half expecting Tony to slam it shut on his hand. He quickly found what had caught his eye earlier; sitting neatly in the back of the drawer was a small golden Star of David hung on a chain. McGee pulled it out to examine it closer. With the exception of a handful of undercover missions, in the eight years he had worked with its owner he had never seen her without it.
"Tony, what really happened in Israel?" he asked, throwing caution to the wind. He was much too curious not to get the full story, no matter what the cost. For years he had been wondering if anything had ever happened between the two of them. From their frequent overnight missions, to the often overly long stares across the bullpen, to their mutual reactions anytime one of them dated. He had pushed his suspicions to the side for years because of rule 12, not to mention the fact that they more or less hated each other when they met. But something had changed the last year or two. He wasn't the only one with suspicions either. They had all pondered whether anything had happened between them, and now he seemed to be dangling the proof that something indeed had from his fingertips.
"You really want to know what happened in Israel, Tim?" Tony snapped as he snatched the necklace from McGee's hand. "You really want to know what happened between me and our former partner, Agent Ziva David?"
Suddenly, McGee wasn't quite sure that he wanted to know after all. Tony continued anyway.
"I asked her to come home McGee, and she said no." Tony said, standing and leaning towards McGee.
"She told me she loved me, and then she left." He said evenly. McGee fought to control his visible reactions upon hearing the word "loved".
"You two…?" he asked faintly. He wasn't even sure what questions to ask. His mind was racing everywhere, wondering when, how long, and seriously? Sure, there had been an unspoken understanding that the two agents had an inexplicable closeness, but that they were in love was hard to grasp. McGee bit his tongue to keep the questions at bay. In that moment Tony looked so angry and so hurt that he wished he had never asked. Somehow, he had completely underestimated the situation. After a heavy moment Tony finally leaned away from McGee. He picked up Ziva's necklace and ran the smooth gold between his fingers.
"Well I always wondered about Paris…" McGee mumbled as he tried to regain himself. "But I-I didn't think, I didn't re—"
"Okay enough McStutter!" Tony barked. "It's done. Over. She left; she's gone; that's that. Can we move on now?" For the first time that morning Tony actually yelled at McGee. His hand closed into a fist around the necklace.
"You,love her?" McGee asked quietly. Instead of yelling anymore, Tony ran his fingers through his already disheveled hair and let out a heavy sigh. The fight seemed to have left him as quickly as it had hit.
"Yeah, McGee. I really do." he admitted. Most of the anger had fled his voice. He now sounded defeated, tired even.
"And she loves you?" McGee asked tentatively. He braced himself for another outburst but Tony remained calm.
"Yeah, well, at least I think so." Tony said. He looked back down at the necklace in his hand. Holding it made him feel just the smallest bit closer to her. She had given him a piece of herself; given it to him and only him.
McGee was still mystified. His mind was struggling to wrap around all the facts. Anthony DiNozzo, the notorious womanizer, had fallen in love, with Ziva.Ziva David had let her guard down long enough to really love someone, to love Tony. And to top it all off he had just lost $50 to Abby thanks to them. He might not have believed it at all were it not for the necklace in Tony's hand, the picture of him they had found taped to her computer monitor when she left, and the look on Tony's face right then.
"Tony," McGee said as he once again tried to regain control of the situation. "Ziva is without a doubt the most loyal person that I have ever met. If she loves you, then it's not done. It's not over."
Tony lifted his eyes from the necklace to McGee. For a flicker of a moment McGee saw a new emotion reflected in Tony's face. For just a split second, before he could hide it, Tony's eyes were filled with hope.