CHAPTER 2

Ziva's Apartment

Monday

1005

When they drove up to Ziva's apartment Tony was the first one out. He raced up the stairs not wanting to take the elevator because it would take longer, then he dashed down the hall till he got to her door. Gibbs was right behind him and McGee a little slower but was there a few seconds behind.

Tony not bothering to knock on the door took out his copy of Ziva's apartment key she had given him and unlocked the door walking right in ignoring the questioning look he knew Gibbs was giving him as to why he had a key to Ziva's apartment. At this point though Tony didn't care about Gibbs and his stupid rule number 12. He would let his boss think that he had broken it for now, it didn't matter to him, he just wanted to know what was going on with Ziva.

Gibbs and McGee followed Tony into the apartment in the same fashion he did, pulling out their guns and scoping out the place shock written on their faces as to what they found, or didn't find. First, all furniture in sight but a small coffee table in the center of the room was gone. The team was quick to look through the rest of the place only to come up with the same result, every room was empty but that one coffee table.

There were series of 'Clears' that ran out through the apartment to confirm that no one was there including Ziva which drew up a worried look on Tony's face. Where the hell is she!

The team put their guns away and walked over to the coffee table. Gibbs noticing a drawer on the side of the table pulled it out to find a folded piece of paper inside. 'Tony' it was addressed in Ziva's hand writing.

Tony watch as Gibbs pulled out the folded paper from the drawer in the coffee table and saw that it was addressed to him. Without thinking he grabbed the paper from Gibbs unfolded it and began to read.

Tony

This is very hard for me to do and I know that you won't understand why I am doing this but I just have to. I am leaving Mossad and I cannot do that and keep you and the team safe without leaving NCIS as well. If I don't leave NCIS I would be putting the team and most importantly you at risk of them coming after you to get to me. I know that I could not handle it if they ever hurt you Tony because of me. You mean too much to me that I'm sure I would not be able to take the pain that would come with loosing you. That is all I can really say about that. I know that you won't believe this letter and probably think that my father tried to take me back to Israel like he did before or I was kidnapped like in one of your movies but that is not what has happened. I chose this myself. I am tired of my father being in control of me. The last thing I want to do is leave NCIS and hurt you Tony. NCIS is probably the best thing that has ever happened to me because it gave me you, but this kind of hurt, me leaving is better that you or anyone on the team dead. Besides I don't think that I could take it any longer coming to work, seeing you and not being able to be with you, it would just hurt too much. Don't try to find me because knowing you and Gibbs you just might. This is for the best. Goodbye Tony

Ziva

Tony let the paper drop to his feet. McGee and Gibbs just looked at him wondering what the letter could have said, when he was reading the letter his face had been neutral though now all types of emotion was spreading across his face from sadness, to concern, they could have sworn they saw a glint of happiness, which was quickly replaced with sadness again, then finally settling on anger. Tony's face was in full blown furry.

"How could…she just…what was going through her…of course she could have stayed…no other choice…her father...bastard!" Tony kicked the coffee table over and had a sudden need to punch something, so he went to the wall and punched it leaving a large dent. Then he slid down the wall his back to it and placed his head in his hands.

Gibbs somewhere in the middle of Tony's raid had grabbed the paper and began to read as he reached the end he held a similar fury on his face as Tony's, only his fury was a mixture of why Ziva ran thinking that they could not protected her and themselves, and the now growing knowledge that his field agents had some sort of relationship together in spite of rule number 12.

"DiNozzo, would you care to explain to me about this?!" Gibbs threw the paper in Tony's face as he looked up at him.

"I don't know boss," was all Tony could muster. The anger had left his face as quickly as it had appeared it was replaced with grief. Gibbs looked at his senior agent the loss he saw there in his eyes, the sudden emptiness, the feared loss of a love, it was the same look Gibbs had when Jenny was killed. He couldn't be mad at his agent but he didn't have to like the situation.

"Well obviously you know something, how long has this been going on?" Gibbs said referring to Ziva and Tony's relationship, his voice a little softer than before but still holding the same expecting tone.

Tony looked at his boss with uncertainty.

Gibbs continued trying to repress his building irritation with the unanswered question, "How long have you and Ziva been together?" he asked again

At that Tony was shocked he hadn't been expecting that question, "We're not."

"Then how do you explain this?!" he asked grabbing the letter up angry again reading a part aloud, "You mean too much to me that I'm sure I would not be able to take the pain that would come with loosing you."Gibbs read in a telling tone.

McGee who had been in the dark of what was going on for a while now in the empty room began to understand and decided to leave to call and catch Abby up on what had happened.

Tony winced back at the sting of the words Gibbs had read. Ziva had left because of him, to protect him and according to the letter it implied just what Gibbs was getting at, that she had feelings for him. Feelings that he now would never get to explore with her because she was gone. He would never be able to tell her the way he felt about her. That every morning when he woke up he wished that she were there with him, that every night he wanted to fall asleep with her laying in his arms, that he loved when she'd flirt back with him at work or allowed him to play with her curls in her hair. He wanted to tell her that she was beautiful, that he wanted to spend every moment for the rest of his life with her. That he loved her so much that it hurt whenever she wasn't with him, and right now knowing that she was long gone his heart ached more than it ever had. He could only imagine the hurt Ziva must be going through.

She had said that she couldn't bear coming to work and not being able to be with him. She must think that he didn't feel the same way as she did. If she'd only known how wrong she was. Tony thought placing his head back in his hands and let out a low groan.

"Come on Tony let's get back to NCIS. You won't find her just sitting here on her floor. McGee will start a search and we'll place some warrants up for her. You aren't the only one who wants her back." Gibbs stated meaning every word. Gibbs thought of Ziva like a daughter and wanted her return maybe not as much as Tony but enough to do anything to get her back.

Tony suddenly changed his entire demeanor, his mind set on only one thing, 'finding Ziva' and the sooner he found her the sooner he could hold her in his arms and never let go. That is if she allowed him to.

Tony stood up and nodded his head to his boss. He was right they needed to get her back and wallowing wouldn't do him any good. Mossad was bound to go looking for her when they found out that she had fled and they needed to find her first to protect her from the wrath of her father. Ziva's leaving, he was sure would not go unpunished by the Director of Mossad aka her father.

As Gibbs and Tony headed out of Ziva's apartment Gibbs could not miss the determination on Tony's face along with the worry, no doubt about what could happen if Mossad found her. Tony had to find her, where ever she was, and hopefully he hadn't done too much damage in ignoring her feelings for him for her not to want to be found.