Tim sat at the setup he'd created in Eli's office and patched himself into the central mainframe of the Mossad database. Despite the use of an alternate operating system, McGee was able to weave his way through the mangle of operations. The communication link was seemingly routine and he was just about to complete the assignment after only one day.

"You have been working for hours."

Tim looked up to Ziva leaning against the doorframe. He smiled as she clasps her hands behind her back and lightly kicked the frame with her foot. Tim still couldn't help but to be mesmerized by her; she was beautiful with a slight dangerous side.

"What are you thinking, Tim?

Tim straightened slightly as he glanced back to the computer in front of him. A few more key strokes and then he'd call his doppelganger back in DC to check the link. Of course, then he might be shipped back to the US; that thought made him feel awful at how fast he'd worked.

"Just wondering if perhaps I should take that guy's advice." Tim laughed. "He stopped me when we were leaving the other night. Told me I should be careful. Apparently guys don't do so well with you."

Ziva shrugged, "Depends on the guy."

Tim smiled again and instantly attempted to cover his nervousness. He cleared his throat and pointed toward the machine. "This should be nearly done. I just have to call Special Agent Wright in the morning and have him check the link on the DC side."

He glanced up to see Ziva shift off of the doorframe and start walking toward him. She leaned against the window frame behind McGee. "Uh, I also increased your father's, um, speed and memory on the hard drive."

"You did not have to do that. You are already doing enough-"

"It's just a thank you for allowing me into your home."

"It is more of a dwelling. It has not been much of a home since my mother and sister died."

"Oh," Tim said and turned to look up at her. "Sorry to hear about that."

"It was a long time ago." Ziva shrugged. "My brother visits on occasion but my father has him working so much that our communications are limited to secure emails and phone calls."

"That doesn't sound like very much fun." Tim said. "As much as she torments me, I don't think I could go long without at least talking to my little sister."

"You only have one sister?"

"Yeah, uh, Sarah. She's- she was kind of a surprise to my parents." Tim laughed.

"Tali as well." Ziva smiled, thinking of her younger sibling.

Silence fell over the pair as they simply studied one another. He watched as she crossed her ankles and looked down to the floor, crossing her arms over her chest. Tim glanced down and brushed some non-existent lint from his thighs; this allowed Ziva a change to sneak a peak at him.

"You have not left this room for hours. Did you even stop for lunch?" Ziva asked.

"Yes," Tim said, receiving a look of disbelief. "Well, I- I mean I had a Nutter Butter."

Ziva shook her head slowly before pushing herself away from the window sill and held her hand out. "Come on. We are going out."

"Out?" Tim asked, not moving.

"Yes, out. I will show you a little bit of Israel." Ziva said, shaking her hand a little.

Tim swallowed the nervousness and fear as he took her hand and climbed to his feet. The electricity he felt in his hand ran the length of his body and brought a slight pink tint to his cheeks. Ziva had smiled as she pulled Tim from behind her father's desk and out into the halls of the house. She chuckled as he nearly tripped over the rug in the hall, catching him before he tumbled down the staircase.


"I can't believe your secret hiding spot was the college library." Tim laughed as they were seated in an outdoor dining area.

Ziva smiled lightly as Tim waited for her to sit before he lowered himself into the chair opposite her. She'd decided that he must have been raised by grandparents or strict parents. He was a gentleman in every sense of the word; the first time he'd held the door open for her hadn't even registered in her mind until he opened the car door when they left the library.

"Well, my father would have never thought to look for me in a college library. Especially when I was too young to be a student." Ziva confessed.

"What would you do? I mean, those books are too advanced for a young kid."

"I did nothing, really. I would either bring my own book or just go around picking up abandoned books and taking them to the Librarian. Some of the students would sneak in treats and give me some." Ziva smiled. "My father was always busy with my brother and Mother was fussing over my baby sister. They rarely noticed when I was gone until dinner time."

Tim lowered the menu he was looking at and glanced to her. It didn't seem to bother her how sad it sounded; her parents had basically forgotten her in lieu of her siblings. Tim had always heard that being a middle child was rather difficult but he had never experienced it.

"I suppose how overbearing my father was could actually have been a good thing. I had always wished he'd allow me to blend in with the couch cushions but he needed status reports on my daily routine. Being ignored doesn't sound too pleasing either."

Ziva shrugged a single shoulder as the server returned to their table. "It gave me time to appreciate how important family time was."

The pair ordered drinks and once again surveyed the menu in front of them. Thankfully, the menu was also written in English and some of the dishes sounded fantastic. Tim looked at two different dishes, trying to decide which to try, when Ziva closed her menu and laid her chin on her hands.

"Find anything good, Tim?"

Tim nodded his head. "A few things actually." He glanced up to her over his menu and smiled.

A single eyebrow arched as Ziva smirked. "Is that so?"

Realizing what she must have thought, words started to tumble out of his mouth at random speeds causing them to bump into one another and leaving a sentence that would have confused Einstein. He stopped, inhaled deeply and tried again.

"I meant the Lamb Fricassee or the-" Tim started.

"They have very good lamb here." Ziva replied.

Tim stopped and folded his menu, placing it next to hers. "Well that settles it then."

An hour later Tim pushed the plate away with a soft groan. The bottle of wine that Ziva had insisted on was sitting next to her elbow and nearly empty. She had also pushed her plate away, laying her napkin next to the white dish. Ziva watched as he wiped his mouth with the napkin and then reached for his wallet.

"No-"

He looked up at her instantly. She had reached her hand out and set it atop his attempting to stop his actions; the tingles in his hand exploded once more and he saw her look down to their hands as if she felt the vibrations as well.

"I was taught to always pay for a lady's meal." Tim commented.

Neither said another word as the waitress returned and collected their bill and Tim's credit card. Ziva continued to watch him while he nervously looked anywhere but at her. For some unknown reason the passerby's were interesting to Tim McGee.

"There is another reason I brought you here, Tim." Ziva said.

Tim looked up to her, attempting to calm his nerves again. He could have been reading her wrong but he was not used to beautiful women taking interest in him. "Really?"

"It is beautiful, yes?" Ziva said as she looked over to the beach.

The night was cool but there were still several people walking along the sidewalks that edged the beach adjacent to the bistro. Salt air and the sound of the waves hitting the sand had the most calming effect and Tim was surprised that he hadn't noticed them in the time they'd spent eating dinner.

"I come here every morning to run. The morning sun is the most incredible view I've seen, and I have seen a few from all parts of the world. It is different here though."

"This is your home. Of course the sunrise would hold a different meaning here." Tim spoke.

The waitress returned with the leather folder and Tim signed for their meal, leaving a $10 tip as well. "Come take a walk with me, Tim. The beach is just as beautiful at night as it is in the day."

McGee smiled and got to his feet. Ziva also climbed out of the chair and smiled as he accepted her invitation. She hooked her hand around his elbow and grinned as she felt him tense slightly and look down to his arm. So as to not embarrass him further, Ziva kept her eye trained on their destination.

"Tell me something, Tim." Ziva said. "What brought you to NCIS?"

McGee sighed heavily. It had always been a question he despised; only his family had ever come out and openly asked the question. Sure, he'd heard whispers from coworkers wondering the same thing, especially after learning his educational background. To him it seemed like a reasonable answer but no one ever understood it, namely his father.

"I was always good with computers and electronics but I dreamed of being a police officer. I figured it was a good choice; computers are more and more depended on in the field so it wasn't much of a stretch." Tim told her. "My father was a Navy Admiral and when I told him I wanted to be a cop, he sort of laughed it off. He always wanted me to go into the military like he did. When I heard about NCIS I thought that maybe I could follow my dream but also make him proud as well."

"Did it work?"

"Well, no." Tim said softly. "I haven't spoken to him since I graduated FLETC. My sister and my mom try to get him to talk to me but it's like I've become the black sheep."

"Ah, yes." Ziva nodded. "Father's do have a knack for making their children's lives unbearable sometimes."

"Your father seems to love you." Tim observed.

"As long as I keep my mouth shut and do what he says," Ziva countered. "He raised me to shoot first and ask questions later."

Tim swallowed as they continued down the pathway. A few couples past by them with their arms wrapped around each other or holding hands and huddled together in blissful oblivion. Next to him, Ziva had gotten quiet after her confession.

"You've killed people?"

Ziva nodded her head. "I have killed dozens; many of which I didn't even know their names."

"That doesn't bother you?" Tim asked incredulously.

"Not anymore," Ziva stated. "Though I will tell you a secret."

Ziva lowered her hand as they stopped and Tim turned toward her. As Tim waited for Ziva to continue a woman walked past them with a small dog and had to wrestle with the leash to untangle from around their legs.

"Ziva?" Tim asked after a full minute of silence.

"The first person my father sent me to kill was an easy mark. Though it wasn't as easy then. I was nineteen and after the mission was completed, I went back to the library and ended up crying in one of the back corners."

Tim paused for a moment trying to imagine the woman in front of him actually taking the life of another human being. There was a tear in her right eye at the memory and Tim found himself reaching for her. He pulled her to his chest and wrapped his arms around her; Ziva tensed slightly before relaxing slightly and allowing him to console her.

"Come, it is getting late and a bit cold." Ziva laughed, trying to cover the uncomfortable memory.


The pair strode up the steps to the third floor of the house. Even after three days in the place, Tim
still had trouble finding the room in which he stayed; Ziva normally walked with him which gained numerous amused glances from Frieda.

Tonight was more of the same. Tim and Ziva had walked into the home with somber gazes and marched up the steps while Frieda and Maks whispered quietly to one another. They walked up to the third floor and made it to the hallway that would lead Tim to his room. She smiled lightly as they walked.

"I am sorry for upsetting you earlier." Ziva said.

"You didn't upset me. I- I thought that you were…" Tim stopped. "Sorry, I misunderstood."

"Misunderstood?" She asked as they came to the hall that housed the staff quarters.

"I thought that you were upset about-" Tim shuffled his feet and stuck his hands into his pockets. "You know what, forget it."

"I will not forget it." Ziva claimed. "It was rather sweet; unnecessary but very sweet."

Silence fell over them again and Tim quickly returned to his nervous self. His hands came loose from his pants pockets and he was slowly wiping them against his leg. She smiled at how discrete he was trying to be; never before had a nervous guy standing in front of her been so adorable.

"I guess I should be going. This time difference is really going to screw me over when I get back home."

Ziva smiled. "Tim, contrary to some beliefs, I am not really the type to kiss on a first date."

The movements of his hands increased as he started to stumble over his words once more. "No, I-I wasn't insinuating-"

"But," Ziva continued. "I think, tonight, I will allow it."

"What?" Tim asked sheepishly.

Ziva smiled lightly and inched toward him; drawing up onto her toes, her hands clung to the fabric of his jacket as she kissed him. It took a moment before Tim realized what was happening and another moment for him to respond. The two sides of his mind were at war with one another. Here he was in another man's home, kissing the man's only daughter; the incredibly beautiful daughter who had captured his gaze upon sight.

Ziva drew back after another few moments, trailing her hands down his jacket and smiling lightly. "Goodnight, Tim."

"Uh," He stumbled as he watched her walk away from him. "Go-goodnight. Ziva."