Disclaimer: I don't own any characters save those who are not official cannon. The rest I made up.Tthe others belong to Donald P Belisario.
A/N: Well, here the second story and I can't tell you how great I feel from all the responses from all you guys and girls. Thank you, I really appreciate them. ED- Revised edition
McGee dropped his backpack by his desk and switched on his computer. He waited for the comment that Tony usually threw his way. McGee glanced over. Tony wasn't sitting at his desk. He hadn't been sitting at his desk for the past week. Not since the Lombardi case. Tony had been badly wounded by a bomb that had been placed under his car. McGee was missing him even with his smart aleck comments and misogynistic innuendos. The guy was almost like a brother.
"Missing him too, yes?" The comment was directed at him from diagonally across from him.
"Hey Ziva!" McGee said looking over at the Israeli intelligence officer from Mossad. "How was he yesterday?"
Ziva smiled at McGee. "Quiet, nice for a change." Ziva had been to see Tony a couple of times. Ziva had seen him the half an hour after Lombardi had been killed. Tony had been in no position to talk due to the morphine. When Ziva hadn't been sleeping she would disappear to Bethesda a couple of times. Just to spend time with him, to watch him sleep peacefully. She had felt calm watching him. As he slept blissfully unaware that she was there at the time. It wasn't like she hadn't visited him it was just that he didn't know. That she had been there. Ziva still felt guilty and ashamed for insinuating that he was like Ari. She felt though since the incident with the cargo ship containers he had paid less and less attention. Sure he had continued play the opponent in their intellectual banter. But something had changed on that day and she couldn't work it out. Coming out of her thoughts she realised that McGee had said something. "I'm sorry McGee did you say something?"
"Yeah?" McGee nodding as he asked again. "I asked how he was feeling."
Ziva smiled. She had read his medical chart. After lifting it from a nurse that was. "On the mend in some areas, he still has a lot to improve before they discharge him."
The elevator opened and a tall thin man wearing his NCIS jacket and hat walked in. He stood quietly in the centre of the bullpen. "I'm looking for Gibbs, has he arrived yet?" The man said and stood waiting for an answer.
McGee looked up and him. "He hasn't arrived yet, but if you want to…"
He was stopped in mid sentence as he watched the man shrug his shoulders. Drop his bag down by Tony's desk and pull his jacket and hat off. Then lay the jacket on the back of chair and place the hat on the desk. He dropped into the chair and booted up the computer, "I can wait!"
McGee and Ziva both stood up and walked over to the desk. "Can we help you?" Ziva asked arms folded across her chest.
"Who are you?" McGee said his brows furrowed again.
The man looked up and Ziva was totally taken in by him. He was a handsome man in his early thirties with blond hair and blue eyes. She was almost willing to think. She was attracted to him then saw the ring on his left hand and stopped.
He smiled a smile that would stun a whole group of girls. "Special Agent…"
"Stan!" Gibbs shouted as he descended down the stairs surprisingly quickly. He walked round into the bullpen.
Stan rose from his seat. Gibbs gave the man a hug. "Hey boss, great to see you."
"What are you doing here, Stan?" Gibbs said his smile shocked both McGee and Ziva. Who had only seen him sullen for the past week?
"The Director didn't tell you?" Stan said looked at Gibbs.
"Nope." Gibbs shook his head. He glanced up at Director Jenny Shepard who was standing on the stairs. She smiled happy to see Gibbs smiling again.
Stan continued his smile still not fading. "The Eisenhower arrived a couple of days ago. I had sent the Director an application requesting three weeks leave." He paused. Stan had to explain to Gibbs, because Tony obviously hadn't told him. "For the birth of our first child." Stan paused. "The Director informed me that you needed an extra Agent for a couple of weeks and I jumped at the chance."
"That's great Stan, congratulation of the baby." Gibbs said his smile back on his face. He turned to McGee and Ziva. "Stan, I'd like you to meet Special Agent Timothy McGee and Mossad Officer Ziva David." He smiled. "This is Stan Burley, he was Tony for five years, before DiNozzo arrived!" His smile faded as Gibbs was once again reminded himself of Tony.
"I heard Boss." Stan said lowering his head a bit. "I'm sorry!"
"Hey, What was the rule?" Gibbs said looking at him.
Stan cut him off before he could say it. "Never say you're sorry, it's a sign of weakness."
"That's right." Gibbs said nodding. "Still quick to cut me off aren't you!"
"Hey Boss." Stan asked still grinning at the compliment. McGee and Ziva thought they were looking at a different Gibbs.
"Yeah?" Gibbs said looking at him.
"Where's Kate, I was hoping to see her and catch up?" Stan asked innocently. Ziva and McGee realise that was there cue to return to their desks.
"Sorry Stan." Gibbs sobered up as the question struck home. "You wouldn't have known."
"What boss?" Stan looked at Gibbs anxiously.
Gibbs lead him towards the stairs. "She was killed a year and a half ago."
"I'm sorry boss." Stan said again.
Gibbs pressed his face in close to Stan. "What did I just say Stan?"
"Yes Boss." Stan said as Gibbs started towards the stairs Stan sped up the catch up as Gibbs ascended the stairs.
"Do you need a invitation Stan?" Gibbs said now his old self, reappearing.
"Coming boss!" Stan said climbing the stairs. "Just like I never left!" Stan mumbled as he felt his stress levels already rising once again. It was a Gibbs thing, he always did raise Stan's stress levels.
"He seems to be a nice guy, yes." Ziva said and then added. "Refreshing compared to Tony.'
"Yeah, I heard Tony talk about him a couple of times." McGee nodded and went back to looking at the computer. "Tony has great respect for him." Someone rushed past his desk like the speed of sound. McGee looked up he watched as a person dressed in black disappeared around a partition and was lost to view.
"Was that who I thought it was?" McGee asked as his brows furrowed.
"Yes, McGee." Ziva said without looking up a small smile on her face. "That would be Abby.'
Abby returned two minutes later and stopped in front of McGee's desk. "Where's Gibbs, Timmy?"
McGee tilted his head sideways. "Hey McGee or Hey McGee, where's the boss man would have been nice?"
Abbey sighed. "Sorry." She brightened. "I'll start again, Hey Timmy, have you seen Gibbs?"
"Yeah." McGee nodded still a little confused. "He's up with the Director and our new Agent."
Abby brightened immediately. "Burley's here?"
"Yeah." McGee said surprised. "You know him?"
Abby smiled, nodding her head vigorously. "Yep, Stan and me go back a long way."
"Well I don't think your going to see him he and Gibbs…" McGee was cut off.
"Stan." Abby shouted as Gibbs and Burley descended the stairs and entered the bullpen. Abby raced round and flung her arms around Burley. "You're back!" She exclaimed.
"Hey Abs." Burley struggled to for breathe. "Hey you're choking me Abs."
Abby let go and stood back. "Wow, your back, I bet Ducky has a lot to talk to you about."
"Later!" Gibbs said interrupting the conversation throwing the keys at McGee. "McGee gas the truck, everyone grab your gear." Burley reached for his gear, as did Ziva and McGee. Abby watched them depart and then headed back down to the Forensics Lab.
xxxxxxxx
"Morning Mr DiNozzo." The Doctor, a naval commander said walking in to Tony's room up on the ICU ward. "You're being transferred today, to the general private ward."
"Thanks Doc." Tony smiled in his forty-five degree position sitting in bed.
"Not a problem." The doctor smiled then it drained away. "You probably haven't heard?"
"Nope, I just sit here all day and play cards." Tony said smiling at first then his face changed. "What happened Doc?"
The Doctor sat down in the seat next to the bed. "NCIS has arrived just now after Lieutenant Commander Wilson from the pharmacy. Found his commanding officer Captain Randy Newman dead this morning."
"Can I get down there?" Tony tried to rise but the doctor forced him back down.
"No I'm sorry Mr DiNozzo." Doctor smiled. "I can see by your face you don't want to stay any longer than you have to but. I can't allow you to get up." The Doctor said his voice serious. "The wounds on your back are still liable to cause you damage. Your head injury as Doctor Ingles has already pointed out. If you get a blow to your head or a severe bump to your head. You could end up having a form or type of amnesia. Which could be dangerous. But your back is still healing and any movement more than what your doing will keep you here longer."
"I understand Doc." Tony nodded.
"Alright." The Doctor rose from his seat and headed for the door. "I'll see if I can find the nurse whose doing up your transfer."
"Ok." Tony said absent-mindedly as he stared out of the window.
When the Doctor had left. Tony thought about his confrontation with Ziva. He had tried to forget the argument. Now he thought about he wasn't sure she was picking an argument. He felt guilty for his part in the argument. And actually getting angry with her was so out of character. But she always did bring out his dark side it was something about Ziva. Even when he had first met her she seemed to be his equal or better. He had to admit he felt complete when she was around. If she didn't forgive him he knew that his heart would break, you love her you, Idiot! He smiled to himself the Queen of Hearts. That was her she held his heart and she would either destroy it or he shook his head. "What are you thinking about that Crazy Chick for, DiNozzo?" Tony's mind returning to Gibbs for a moment. "Remember rule twelve!"
Tony pulled the bed table over trying not to put to much pressure on his back. He picked up the deck of cards and began to shuffle. "Now what can I play today?" He had to get away from thinking about her it was killing him. He shuffled for a few minutes thinking about it. "Texas Hold Em Poker sounds good!" Tony dealt two cards to himself and placed the pack on the table. He flicked a glance at his cards two jacks a spade and clubs looked at him. He shrugged and dealt out the flop. The king of diamonds a two of spades and a four clubs were shown. He dealt out the next card, the ace of hearts. He smiled to himself hoping for the ace or jack or king. He dealt out the last card, the queen appeared. He stared at it, the Queen of Hearts. He shook his head. "Nah couldn't happen again." His mind drifted to Ziva, her smile, the way she moved, her face. Her personality, Tony shook his head. "Come on, Tony get your head in the game!"
Tony returned to his cards. Scooping up the cards once more, he shuffled the deck once again. He dealt two cards to himself. He glanced at them once more. The two cards turned out to be a Ten of spades and a jack of clubs. He dealt out the flop again, an ace of clubs appeared, a five of spades and two of diamonds. He shrugged. He had three cards for a straight. He dealt out the next card, and flipped it over the King of Hearts flashed up. He froze, "What the?" Tony couldn't believe what was happening with the cards. It was as if they were showing him the direction he had already chosen to take.
He was the King of Hearts, he hadn't thought of it like that but there it was. He needed a Queen he just hoped it wasn't the Queen of hearts. His mind drifted towards her again. That mischievous smile on her face, the amount of times he'd seen that smile almost drove him crazy recollecting it. He closed his eyes and tried to think of someone else besides Ziva. He dealt out the last card, the flipped it over the Queen of Hearts stared back at him. He sat stunned for ten minutes he just sat looking at the card that had answered all his inner turmoil. Of all the cards that could have flipped over why did it have to be this one card? He smiled his grin as realization finally washed over him his mind gave into his heart. "You are my Queen of Hearts, Ziva David!"
A/N: Well what do you guys think is it a viable lead into a relationship or does it sound to corny I think it does but that's my point of view, your thoughts would be great.
