AN: My fic takes place in summer. I'm an Oregonian, and I;m soooo sick of winter!!! Record rain, record snow (500 of normal in the mountains), and its just too cold. I could add more chapters to this, or leave it a one-shot. Reader's choice!

Enjoy y'all!

It was mid-August and one of the hottest summers on record. The temperatures had been in the triple digits all week, and the lows were in the nineties. This all may have been bearable, if the humidity wasn't unreasonably high. To make matters worse, the AC in the bullpen, which was notoriously flighty, had given out. Rolling blackouts made fans virtually useless, and due to a recent water conservation Bill passed, they had to use as little water as possible to avoid being fined.

The heat did seem to ease up during long nights. Windows were thrown open in a feeble attempt to tempt in an illusive, virtually non-existent breeze. "Oh! Oh! Wind!" Tony yelled as he bolted to stick his head out the over-sized window. "Oh yeah, this is better than sex!"

"Um, might I say, eew!" Abby said with a scrunched up nose. Tonight, she felt useless. The team was working cold cases with no real leads, and therefor nothing for her to process. Instead, she left her cool basement crypt to visit the team. She was sharing one half of Ziva's desk chair, while the two played computer chess when Gibbs wasn't looking. "Checkmate!" she screamed, declaring victory over her adversary.

All heads in the bullpen turned to the two. "I mean," she whispered, "Checkmate..."

"Come on, Tony! It isn't that warm. The humidity makes it more bearable, and I am actually quite comfortable." Ziva told him while she started a new game with Abby

Tony turned and glared at her, "You grew up in a freaking desert, Ziva! I'm from Long Island! I'm used to seeing one heat wave a summer, and snow all winter! All those in favor of excommunicating the Israeli, say aye?"

"I am not Catholic, Tony. Therefor I cannot be kicked out of the Catholic Church. Also, your complaints are not helping the situation! Check." Ziva snapped, "Look at McGee, he is still at work and just as hot as you are."

"One, never compare my hotness to McGoogle's. Second, McGee is not working. When Gibbs went out for coffee five minutes ago, Abby helped him paint his eyelids. He has a recording of typing sounds and a screen saver going."

"Its true." Abby piped in, "Damn, 4-1. How did you get so good at this?"

"Israelis invented it Abby." Tony informed her

"No, the Arabs did." came a voice from above. Director Sheppard stood on the catwalk looking out over the bullpen. "Abby, what have I told you about the dress code?" She asked

"But, spaghetti straps aren't that bad! Besides, its like, 85 in here! Come to think of it, I think your skirt is a little racy Director." Jen glanced at Abby's black spaghetti strapped blouse, then at her own skirt, handing just above her knee. It was tasteful enough.

Jen rolled her eyes and made her way down the stairs. My skirt isn't that bad. Jethro didn't seem to mind. "I come bearing candles. Half of DC has lost power, and ours could go at any time. Also, there are thunderstorms on the way. We have a backup generator, but it will only last us six hours. Shut down any unnecessary electronics. We have surge protectors on the wires, but we don't want to loose millions worth of computers. Abby, is your lab shut down?"

"Yep, the babies are sleeping." Unfortunately, chess tournament would have to resume another day. She shut down all the computers in the bullpen. Just as the last one shut off, the power went. Eerie red lights cast a dim glow across the room. Ziva and Tony began to light candles on their respective desks.

"Well, we're drilled." Ziva sighed, repeatedly striking her head against the window

"How so, Officer David? And its screwed." Tony teased

"For one thing, all the locks on the building are electronic. It is used as an anti-terrorism tool. No one can get in or out until the power is restored." Ziva groaned, sinking down into her chair. Tony noticed a rivulet of moisture trickling down from her forehead and down to her clavicles. Her face was flushed and she looked a little woozy

"I think you're getting a little overheated there, Ziva." he told her, reaching to feel her brow. She jerked awayfrom him as though he were going to strike her.

"I am fine, Tony. Just a little tired, and sore. Do you think the showers still work?" he asked, hoping to throw him off topic

"No, those are for decontamination anyway. Probie!"

McGee bolted up, falling out of his chair. A quick glance around the room told him what he had feared all week. The power was out, and they were stuck.

"Probie, got any Aspirin?" Tony asked, overpowering Ziva, holding her by her wrist, in order to check her temperature, "You're burning up. Have you been drinking enough?" his voice was laced with concern for her. Still, she would not admit to weakness.

"Uh, no. Do you want me to go get Ducky?" McGee asked, frantically searching his desk

"Yeah, I think so."

"Tony, I'm fine. I just need a shower, and a good night's sleep. You can back off now!" she warned. He had her cornered in her cubicle. He forced her to remain in her seat, and offered her a bottle of water he kept in a mini-fridge under his desk, which she promptly refused.

"Did someone call?" came the Scotsman's familiar warm voice, "Unfortunately, I cannot do any work right now. The bodies need to be kept chilled to prevent further decay, and right now the temperature is quickly rising down there. It reminds me of when I was in Ghana-"

"Ducky!" Jen snapped, "Reveries later, check Ziva out now."

"Yes, of course. My guess is that heat exhaustion is to blame," he trailed off, crouching next to her chair, "I hear that you have a bit of a fever. Here, take your temperature dear."

The thermometer read 101.2 in her mouth. He offered her a couple of Tylenol to help her fever down. "My best guess is that you simply are a little overheated. Have you been doing any sort of, shall we say, vigorous activity?" he asked with a gleam of mischief in his eyes

"No, Ducky. I'm fine, really!" she insisted, refusing the offered medication

"Do you have any other symptoms, apart from the fever?" he asked, checking her blood pressure.

"No. I have no symptoms! Perhaps your thermometer is off because it is 101.2 degrees in here? However it honestly does not feel that warm to me, if anything it is cool. They will not stop whining over it though!"

"So it feels cool in here to you? Odd." he continued, pressing on her upturned palms, "You are somewhat dehydrated. Not too much a surprise, considering the circumstances. How many trips to the head have you taken today?"

"Ducky, what does that have to do with anything? Do you really have nothing better to do with your time than to interrogate me about my bodily functions."

"She's been bitchy all day." Tony offered, "She's also made a lot of trips to the head today. She's not PMSing though, that's next week."

"You keep track?!" Ziva hissed at him

"Only for my own personal safety, Ziva." he defended himself, though he could feel here eyes boring holes through his head

"Number one, or number two?" Ducky asked

"One or two what?" Ziva asked, completely dumbfounded. Ducky whispered something in her ear, and she rolled her eyes, "Number one."

Ziva's desk had drawn quite a bit of attention. With no electronics, cases, or escape, people flocked around the cubicle to watch the drama unfold. "People! Back to your desks, now!" a voice commanded, "It took me ten minutes to get coffee, and ten to get up here taking the stairs. Any of you want to tell me what's going on?" Gibbs inquired of the remaining staff.

"Ziva's not feeling good." Abby informed him

"Abby, I'm fine." Ziva snapped. While she knew they were concerned, her body was no one's business but her own.

Gibbs sat next to Ducky on the floor beside her chair. He spoke softly to her, "Hey, everything okay?"

"Yes, Gibbs. I just-"

Ziva tackled Ducky out of the way, and clung to the small wastebasket near her desk as if life depended on it. Tony brushed her hair back while she violently wretched into the can. Across the room, McGee mixed some Alka-Seltzer in a bottle of water and handed it to Tony. Once she began to sit up, Tony helped her take a few sips and rinse her mouth out. Her face was pale, and her breathing was erratic. A moment later, the sips of water were purged as well.

Once her stomach began to settle, she leaned back into her partner's arms. Her friends were all looking over her, concerned and cautious. Tony tried to move his arms around her middle to steady her, but the moment he touched her abdomen, she lashed out. She cursed in a foreign tongue, and slapped his hand away. Tony moved back, and gave her some space. She was panting, and tears were threatening to form in her eyes.

"Abigail, go fetch a damp rag. Cool water, if such a thing can be found. Ziva, lie down." he told her gently. He removed his overshirt, and folded it up to make a pillow for her. "Just lie still on your side, dear. I think you're through the worst of it."

"Your're not pregnant, are you?" Tony asked, earning himself a well deserved slap upside the head

"No, Tony! Is everything in your mind linked to sex?!" she snapped as she eased herself onto her left side

"Ziva, is it alright if I check your abdomen?" Ducky asked once she had settled down a little

"Check for what?"

"Well, that I do not know yet, but I intend to find out. You may spend the rest of the evening on route to Bethesda if you aren't careful. Just try to relax your muscles for me," he whispered as he slipped his hand under her blouse. Her skin was hot and damp with sweat, and her muscles reluctantly relaxed under his hands. He gently pressed all around her small belly. Every time he hit a sore spot, though her eyes betrayed nothing, he felt her body tense. "I do not mean to cause you discomfort, but this whole thing has me a little worried about you, dear."

Abby had returned with the rag, which Gibbs used to rub the back of her neck. The cool moisture was a welcome recess from the hot summer night. She could feel two clammy hands over her own. She looked over to see Tony holding her hand in both of his own. She smiled a little, and closed her eyes. She tightened her grip on his fingers as Ducky's hands moved down her abdomen. Finally, Ducky struck the last nerve. One tiny region that Ducky barely grazed with his fingertips, set her side on fire. She couldn't help but to cry out in pain. A cry that chilled her friends to their bones. Ducky immediately moved his hands away from her as she thrashed around under his grasp. "Jethro, I barely touched her!"

Gibbs moved his hand to Ziva's face, "Hey, you're not 'fine.' What's wrong?"

"I don't know," she whispered weakly, trying to regain her composure. Her eyes were freely flowing with salty tears, and each breath was sharp and short.

"Ziva, have you ever had appendicitis before?" Ducky asked her, reaching to further examine her tender abdomen. She slapped his hand away, and pulled out her SIG

"Ducky, please. Never do that again." she breathed

Ducky raised his hands in defense, "Easy there, dear. I won't touch your stomach, I promise. If you answer my questions."

She lowered her weapon, which Gibbs then relieved her of and handed off to McGee. "Okay. This... appendicitis, you called it. What is it?"

"An inflamed appendix. The symptoms of said condition are similar to the ones you are experiencing. Fever, nausea, intense abdominal pain, particularly on the lower right side...have you ever had symptoms like this before? When you were a small child perhaps?"

"No, never anything like this." She panted, finally admitting to her weakness.

"Well then, that I suspect is the culprit. We need to get you to the hospital my dear. Timothy, would you kindly call for some assistance?" Ducky inquired

McGee darting quickly to his desk and picked up the phone. Ziva tried to sit up, but Gibbs held her down. "No, you just rest here for a moment." he soothed. His mind flashed back twenty years...

"Daddy!" a four year old Kelly came into his and Shannon's bedroom in tears. "My tummy hurts, Daddy!"

He opened his arms to the whimpering child, "Come here, babe." Beneath her auburn bangs, her brow was hot to the touch. "Shannon, wake up sweetheart."

His bride finally stirred from her deep sleep, "What's wrong, Jethro?"

"Something's wrong with Kelly, can you call the doctor?"

"What?! What's wrong baby?"

"My tummy..." she moaned, snuggling into her father's chest. "Please mommy, make it stop!"

Kelly's appendix had ruptured before it was removed. The doctors told him that he may never see his daughter again. He remembered sitting next to her bed, reading her Goodnight Moon, the book they planned to finish later that night. He nearly lost one child to this ailment, he wouldn't risk another.

"Gibbs?" Ziva asked, "Are you alright?"

He turned to her, "Yeah, I'm fine. You will be too, I promise."

She slowly nodded, "How can I get out of here with the electronic locks?"

As if on cue, the lights came back on, and a chorus of sighs of relief filled the bullpen. Not only could they leave now, but the air conditioner roared back to life. McGee sat on the floor next to the others. "EMTs should be here in about five minutes, Boss."

Abby joined him, patting Ziva's hand in reassurance. "Don't worry about this whole thing. I had my appendix removed when I was 10. And it. Was. Awesome!"

"How is this 'awesome' in any definition of the word, Abby?"

"Well, once you get there, they get ya all tucked in, in one of those dorky gowns. Then, they put an IV in your arm. Don't worry, it doesn't really hurt, kinda itches though. Then, you fall asleep, but you don't remember falling asleep. You just wake up in bed, and you stay in the hospital and rest for like, a few days. Then, you get to go home and get pampered by family and friends because you can't lift things, do anything strenuous, or go to school, or in your case work, for six weeks!" Abby told her, "You don't feel a thing, but you get a 'get out of work free card' after. The best part is, no solid food the first few days! Basically, all you can eat is Jello, ice cream, and smoothies! Cool huh?"

"Yes, cool." Ziva groaned, "When does the 'you don't feel a thing' part start?"

"Well, apparently pretty soon." Tony told her. The EMTs had arrived and ushered everyone away for a moment so they could take care of her. "Dibs on riding in the ambulance!"

AN: Reviews are like my caffeine, they make me happy and write faster!