(Washington D.C that same day)
"Ouch!" A high pitched voice cried out after being hit in the ear with a flying paper ball. "What was that for?" Probationary agent Jennifer Cushman demanded as she adjusted her glasses carefully back into position on her nose as her temporary boss aimed yet again from his temporary desk at his temporary shooting target.
"For being so tempting to hit." Tony DiNozzo responded plainly as he attempted yet again, but failed to hit the blonde haired geek at the desk across from him. "Dang it…" He muttered to himself as he slid his feet onto his desk and leaned further back into his chair.
"Its okay Jen," Special agent Timothy McGee assured her. "When I sat across from him he'd use rubber bands." The probationary agents' eyebrows rose without interest as she stared at the men in two desks side by side one another.
"Hey," Tony snapped. "I'm even closer to you now McGeek, I wouldn't push it!" He reminded him of the temporary desk switch they had made due to the change of rank due to the absence of the two team members.
McGee rolled his eyes as turned to face Tony. "Well maybe I wouldn't be so close if you would put me at your old desk!"
Tony shook his head and gave a slight chuckle as Jennifer watched her two team members begin to face off. "You are not sitting at my desk." He repeated for the hundredth time.
"Why not?" McGee challenged.
"Because it's my desk! And Probie's do not sit at Anthony DiNozzos desk."
"Don't you think its time for Agent Cushman to take over the name Probie?" McGee complained.
Tony stood up from his desk and looked his partner in the eye playfully. "Never said I couldn't have two Probie's could I?" He teased as he leaned over his computer to check his emails.
"Three, if you include Ziva." McGee reminded him.
Tony furrowed his eyebrows. "Ziva's not a Probie," He mumbled as he exited out of his computer screen. "Gear up!" He ordered.
"What makes her not a Probie?" Agent Jennifer asked curiously as she scrambled to collect all of her gear.
"Seeing that she can take out both me and McGee with her bare hands at the same time, I've been smart enough not to call her that anymore." Tony explained.
"Then why do you have McGee sitting at her desk?" She asked curiously.
"She won't find out." He laughed, which only helped him find himself to be even more un-convincing as he made his way to the directors office.
"Ziva knows everything Tony." McGee called out to him as he and Agent Jennifer made their way to the elevator.
"You'd be surprised." Tony mumbled as he bolted up the stairs. As he waited in near the secretary's desk to speak to Vance, a memory slowly crept back into his mind…
Tony shifted uncomfortably in his sleep as a familiar sensation presented itself to him, one that he longed for but only got to enjoy on a rare occasion or two.
"Ziva..." He muttered under his breath as a sudden amount of pressure was applied on top of him.
Tony wearily peeled back his eyelids, only to be met with the familiar gaze of Ziva's chocolate brown eyes. He opened his mouth to speak once more but she placed a finger to his lips.
"Listen to me." She ordered softly as her eyes searched his longingly as he became more aware of the current situation with each passing second. It was the night before she was supposed to leave. Two nights after there conversation in his room a few days earlier. She had left… but now she was here?
Tony attempted to sit up but she held him down firmly in place.
"Tony," She started again her voice a little more hurried. "My flight to Afghanistan leaves in forty five minuets…."
The moment was becoming clearer to him.
"I need you to tell me something." She cupped her hands gently around his face not wanting him to break eye contact.
Suddenly, his alarm clock began to sound, without looking he knew it must have at least been five in the morning.
"What?" He asked, seeing the sudden stain and urgency added into the mixture of emotions that could only be shown through her steady gaze.
Her voice was hurried. "Tell me what you said to me in the elevator." She almost begged as he furrowed his eyebrows. "Please Tony?" She pleaded as she looked between the clock and him. Tony could feel he was wasting unknown precious time.
He uttered something very quietly under his breath that not even Ziva thought she heard clearly.
"What?" She gasped urgently as she allowed him now to sit up straight.
There was a few second silence between them other than the buzzing of the alarm clock as he searched her eyes one last time.
"I love you Ziva-"
Almost before he could utter his last words she embraced him with a long kiss.
Tony could feel this was different so he savored every second by running his free hands over every part of her possible, trying to memorize her perfectly in his mind. And before he knew it, she was gone…
"Agent DiNozzo, Director Vance will see you now." The receptionist interrupted his thoughts before he was allowed entrance through the double doors in front of him.
The director was sitting not at his desk, but strolling around his gallery of black and white photographs hung along his wall. Tony cleared his throat as he entered, causing the man to snap out of his trance with one picture and regain focus on the agent before him.
"Tony," He greeted with a nod, keeping his face expressionless. "How is Agent Cushman doing?" He asked curiously as he pulled a freshly wrapped toothpick from his suit pocket and placed it between his teeth.
Tony flinched at the sight before answering. "Very well sir, she's quit a computer chip I must say." He joked poorly as Vance frowned unenthusiastically.
"Mhmm," Vance mumbled to himself as Tony shifted uncomfortably before him. "I've arranged a teleconference with agent Gibbs and David in a few hours."
Tony immediately shot to attention.
"They've gathered Intel from locals and other troops stationed throughout Afghanistan that may help us take out the cell we're trying to locate." Vance eyes flashed with the same intrigue as Tony's. "I need someone with experience to join me." He chewed slowly as he watched Tony's lips flicker into a smile.
"I'd be happy to accompany you director." Tony offered quickly.
Leon opened his mouth but then closed it again. "Actually I was going to ask if Agent McGee is clear to help translate some coded transactions the Commander has for us."
Tony's face fell. "Oh, right McGee. Ya he's free, just this crime scene and then he'll be… free." He gave a slight chuckle before another awkward silence.
The two stared at one another for an awkward moment.
"So," Tony said slowly. "Can I go now?"
Leon's eyebrows shot up. "Of course. Thank you Agent DiNozzo, Gibbs would be proud." He added as Tony opened the door to leave.
"Right." He laughed half heartedly.
Back at the crime scene, Tony informed McGee of Director Vance's orders.
"He wants me?" McGee asked with a hint of surprise in his voice. "Why would he want me?"
Tony shrugged as he made his way around the body of the dead petty officer. "I don't know," He thought as Agent Cushman snapped a few pictures. "Geek stuff."
McGee rolled his eyes as Ducky and Palmer both ducked under the yellow crime scene tap. "Well it will be good to hear from boss and Ziva again."
Ducky appeared at his side. "What about Ziva?" He asked, missing the first part of the conversation.
"I'm going to have a teleconference with her and Gibbs when I get back." McGee said casually as he placed a round of shells in individual containers.
"Ah," The medical examiner responded in interest slipping on a pair of white rubber gloves. "Well give both of them my best; tell Ziva I've a package coming to her in a few days; my biography on Thomas Jefferson." He said proudly.
"She's still reading all that history crap?" Tony mused without interest.
Ducky shot him a glare as Tony felt a sudden feeling of regret washing over him. "I'd advise you to read it as well Anthony, but seeing that you have no sharing interest in our nation's history as she you may sick to your monthly issue magazines."
Tony cringed as he shot him an apologetic look.
"Tell them Palmer says hi!" Ducky's current sidekick added as he helped load the body onto the gurney.
McGee nodded as Tony silently stood in jealousy. He could only wish he were the ones delivering short messages of how do you do's to his two absent team members. He'd give anything just to see Ziva again.
"Well, looks like this ones going to have a lonely night in autopsy." Ducky commented with a slight sadness.
They all understood what he was talking about. These past few weeks had been slow, barley anything had been going on, not that having less Naval officer deaths was a bad thing, but it had almost put the whole agency to sleep.
"Yea," Palmer agreed sadly. "Ever since Gibbs left I've always been finding time to do things I never knew I would be able to do at work."
Tony narrowed his eyes curiously. "You aren't sitting at my desk are you?"
Palmers face fell. "Well… no not necessarily-"
"C'mon Mr. Palmer lets get him to the truck." Ducky interrupted as Tony's eye followed the assistant back to the parking lot.
The whole team reluctantly headed back to headquarters to further investigate the case. As they appeared at their second floor office Tony noticed a certain black haired forensic scientist twirling playfully at his old desk.
"Abby!" Tony exclaimed as Agent Jennifer hid a small smile and slipped to her assigned seat. "What are you doing up here?" Tony asked as he pulled her from behind one of his desks and sitting her at the other.
"Tony, try sitting all day alone in your lab with absolutely nothing to do. Do you know how that feels?" Abby demanded seriously.
"I don't have a lab Abby." Tony admitted as the goth gave his shoulder a punch of annoyance.
"Ow! What was that for?" Tony demanded rubbing his joint.
"For not giving me work!" Abby exclaimed.
"How do I give you work?!"
"By being Gibbs."
"I'm not Gibbs."
"Well obviously, or you'd get more cases for me to work on." Abby pointed out.
Tony sighed. "The whole agency has been on a low Ab's, I can't just go out and shoot Marines."
Abby gasped. "I would never ask you to commit murder!"
Tony saw McGee roll his eyes.
"I'm only asking you to bring Gibbs back."
