Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or JAG

CHAPTER 1

NCIS Headquarters

Monday

0815

It was 0815 and only two of the four desks in the bullpen where occupied. McGee sat at his computer finishing up work from the case they had just closed last Friday. Tony sat at his desk also working filling out papers, though not as hastily. Tony's head shot up to the sound of the elevator opening up, him ready to greet his partner as soon as she came around the corner, a little curious as to why she was coming in later than her usual self at 0700.

"So Zee-vah," Tony said dragging out her name in a teasing tone "seems I've beat you here toda-" Tony was cut off as Gibbs, his boss walked around the corner instead of his partner.

"DiNozzo." Gibbs greeted Tony.

"Morning Boss." Tony replied.

Gibbs nodded his head towards his senior field agent, acknowledged Ziva's empty desk with a questioning look, then sipping his usual extra large cup of coffee and walked straight up to the Directors office after greeting McGee in the same fashion.

McGee continued to work as a paper ball flew thru the air, hit him in the head and bounced off landing on his keyboard. McGee looked up to glare at his senior field agent then began to return to his work being that this exchange was common between the two agents.

"Hey McGeek," Tony said ignoring McGee's glare "did Ziva say anything about coming in late today?"

McGee simply shook his head as he returned to typing furiously on his keyboard discarding the paper ball in the waste basket, missing the building concern look on Tony's face.

Tony slumped back in his chair and stared at the desk across from him thinking of the last time Ziva had ever been late to work. It had been a week after she arrived at NCIS as their liaison officer a little more than three years ago. And even then she was only late because she had gotten lost, still getting used to the new city and all. So this was strange, she was always here before everyone else on the team and she never took personal days off of work. Tony's thoughts began to wonder off thinking of his partner. Recently Ziva had been a little distant with him, let alone the rest of the team, they'd stopped hanging out after work, and she hadn't been over on Fridays to his house for their movie nights in weeks. She had been making excuses as to any reason to avoid spending time with him. And it was beginning to bother him.

How could she be so…so selfish was the word. How could she be so selfish to deprive me of her. Tony thought to himself. Over the time they spent together, in the field and having to trust one another with their lives the way they did, which Tony trusted Ziva with his life completely, they had grow extremely close to each other. Ziva had confided in Tony about her father's cruel acts and her sister Tali that was killed in the car bomb in Israel. Ziva had allowed Tony to see a part of her that she kept off limits to everyone else. She had let him see her heart, even if it was only in small parts, slowly Tony was able to break down the bars that she placed between her feelings and him. Using the 'DiNozzo charm' he uncovered the tough Mossad agent mask she wore all the time.

Though it was not only her who had changed from their growing relationship, Tony as well had noticed some transformations in himself as well. When Ziva first joined NCIS Tony was quite a player with the ladies, having a different girl every week. He didn't know how to have a relationship with someone and at the time didn't really care about maintaining a relationship. Though after being with Jeanne he just couldn't settle for those types of girls he used to date. Jeanne had taught him how to care deeply for a person and even though their relationship had ended quite terribly while it was at its high point he had some great times and actually thought that he loved her. When however his relationship with Jeanne did end he didn't know what he would have done without Ziva. That was when they started to get really close with one another and during the time Tony was healing from Jeanne and spending more and more time with Ziva, she had managed to capture his heart without either of them realizing it.

Now as Tony sat in the bullpen at NCIS headquarters he couldn't help but think 'what had gone wrong for her to retreat back into herself all of a sudden over the past couple of weeks and more importantly where the hell was she?'

As if reading his mind Gibbs walked down the stairs from the director's office and sat at his desk still looking at Ziva's desk aggravation apparent on his face. He looked at his watch which now read 0930, then to the two of his three agents.

"Does anyone know why it is I am one agent short?!" Gibbs asked the irritation in his voice evident.

Both agents looked up at him with just as much confusion on their faces as to where their normally punctual agent was, as Gibbs. Tony's face holding a little more concern than confusion.

"Ok Tony, call Ziva's home phone and if she doesn't pick up, try her cell phone. Tell her to get her ass in here now or else I'll stick her with enough desk work to last her a year! McGee you got down to Abby and track her phone lines from the past 48 hours and anything else you can think of, I want to know what could have been so important that she would be coming in late to work."

McGeek got up from his desk and went to the elevator to go down to Abby's lab, Tony just stared past Gibbs as if he were lost, deep in thought.

"Did you want an invitation to get to work DiNozzo?!" Gibbs asked annoyed by his agent's distraction.

Tony jumped a little startled by Gibbs slightly raised voice pulling him out of his trance, "Sorry Boss. On it Boss."

"Don't apologize DiNozzo it's a sign of weakness, just call Ziva and tell her to get in here now!"

"Got it Boss." Tony picked up his phone and dialed the familiar number he called many times before. After several rings the home phone went to a recording saying that 'This line has been disconnected' Tony hung up. It was not unusual that this happened, Ziva didn't really bother with paying her home phone bill being that she never used it, everyone always contacted her from her cell. He tried the home phone 2 more times then pulled out his cell phone pressing speed dial #2, Ziva's cell popped up on the small screen and he pressed the call button placing the phone to his ear. He waited a few seconds for the phone to ring then was met with a recording

"This line is no longer in service-" Tony took the phone from his ear and looked at the number that was on his phone, checking to make sure that it was correct. It was.

"That can't be right," Tony said. He pressed the 'end call' button on his phone and repeated what he had done before only to be me with the same announcement that said her line was no longer in service.

"What is it Tony?" Gibbs asked noticing the look on Tony's face.

"Phone lines have been disconnected Boss."

"Both or just the home phone?" Gibbs questioned also knowing how it was common for Ziva's home phone to be disconnected.

"Both." Tony said looking into Gibbs hard gaze.

On cue McGee walked in from the elevator with Abby right behind him.

"Boss we ran the search to trace Ziva's phone lines for the past 48 hrs and there was nothing."

"Her cell line has not been in use since last Friday at 1233 and the call was placed to you Gibbs," Abby continued "when you guys were finishing up that case last week."

Everyone was silent for a moment.

Tony was the first to speak, "Boss?"

"Gear up." Gibbs said simply.

"No," Tony lashed out anger in his voice "we can't go on a case without knowing where Ziva is, you can't do that we have to find out what's going on. She could be in trouble she could have been captured by some crazed Israeli maniac who is holding a grudge over her for killing his family when she was with Mossad." Tony knew that he was exaggerating but it could happen, "she would never just up and leave, we have to find her!" Tony's face was red with furry that Gibbs would not even be concerned as to where Ziva was, after all this never happened before.

Everyone looked at Tony. "Are you done Agent DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked with a stern look on his always serious face.

A second passed "Yes," Tony shortly replied

Gibbs walked towards the elevator, "We are going to Ziva's apartment." Gibbs said stopping right in front of Tony so that they were eye to eye. Tony winced back a little then Gibbs after a second continued to the elevator not before slapping his senior field agent in the head. "What are you waiting for?" he asked from inside the elevator to his two agents.

McGee and Tony then quickly grabbed their gear from behind their desks and jumped into the elevator before the doors could close, leaving Abby behind in the bullpen.

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