Chapter Two: The Truth Comes Out

Disclaimer: I do not own anything, obviously!

A/N: At the end of the whole thing, there will be a chapter solely for the purpose of translating the various languages used throughout the story. Please read and review! Enjoy!

Timothy McGee on the other hand, went straight to work. Gibbs would want to hear about this, and would not be happy if McGee came in late to tell him. He entered the bullpen to see Tony, Gibbs, Abby, and Ducky all staring at him like he had sprouted a second head.

"Timothy, what have you done dear boy?" Ducky questioned the rain soaked young man.

"Ziva- park- crying- rain- ran…" Tim gasped for breath as he tried to tell the story. A hand collided with the back of his head.

"Get a hold of yourself, McGee! Then tell the story!" his boss reprimanded. McGee inhaled and exhaled deeply, then said,

"I went for a run this morning, just like I do every morning, except today it poured, so I took shelter in a pavilion in the park along my route. So I'm sitting there minding my own business when this rain soaked woman comes running up. She didn't ever look up, so I couldn't see her face, but she looked so familiar. She just sat there with her face in her arms crying and I wondered why, but I didn't want to be nosey or anything-" he was cut short by Abby shouting,

"On with it, Timmy!"

McGee sighed and continued, "So then it hits me, the woman is Ziva! So I call her name and she looks up and her eyes were all puffy and red, and she just ran!"

"Where'd she go, McSensitive?" Tony demanded. Everyone glanced at him, his tone was so…Un-Tony.

"Um, I don't know. Her apartment I guess," McGee said slowly. Tony gave him a glare worthy of Gibbs. "I didn't follow her! You do know she would've killed me and I thought you guys would like to know!" He defended himself. Abby patted him on the back before turning to Tony.

"Don't yell at Timmy, he didn't do anything wrong. He just wanted us to know so we could decide what to do."

Gibbs snapped into action, "McGee: cell records. Track her phone use, her computer use, any kind of use! DiNozzo: call her house, her cell, email her! I'll be back!" He ordered before storming up the stairs to the director's office.

He burst through the door of Cynthia's office, scaring the poor receptionist out of her wits. She didn't even try to stop him as her burst into the director's office. Jenny looked up from her paperwork, unfazed.

"Hello, Jethro," she said levelly. He glared at her, but she only smiled. "You know that glare doesn't work on me."

"Where is my agent?" he demanded. Jenny's smile fell.

"I don't like that tone Special Agent Gibbs," she said cooly.

"Just answer the question Director Shepherd," he said, angry in his bright blue eyes.

Jenny sighed. She really didn't want to do this right now.

"She's at her apartment packing."

"Packing for what exactly?"

"She's going back to Israel. She handed in her resignation last night. Her father needs her back there and she agreed to go."

"Why didn't she tell me?" Gibbs was growing angrier.

"Maybe because she thought you'd react like this. Maybe she thought you'd try to stop her."

"Damn right I would!" Gibbs shouted before storming back down to the bullpen.

McGee leapt up first when Gibbs entered.

"She's made three calls to Israel, all the same number. I tracked it to the known number for Mussad Headquarters in Tel Aviv. Her internet log shows real estate searches and Facebook chats with named Mikel David, no apparent relation, but I did find something odd about their chats," McGee said in one breath. "I had it translated the best I could, and they're taking about dates and dresses and invitations. Boss, it sounds like their planning a wedding."

Tony stopped what he was doing and stared. A wedding? There's no way it was Ziva's. She would have told him. Was he jealous? No, of course not! Just put off that she didn't share that small piece of information with the team.

"DiNozzo! Pick your jaw up off the floor and tell me what you got!" Gibbs barked.

Tony shook the thoughts from his head and focused on the information he had collected. "No answer at her house, or on her cell. I sent her an email, text message, and Facebook message, no reply."

Gibbs turned on his heel and swiftly walked towards the elevator. He stopped at the doors and turned back to the bullpen.

"You waiting for an invitation?" he snapped at the two men standing dumbfounded in the center of the room.

"We need our gear boss?" McGee asked.

"Ya think, McGee?" he answered as they grabbed their backpacks and ran to follow their fearless leader.

(Ziva's Apartment) Ziva sat on the floor in the middle of her living room and glanced around her apartment. A few boxes were stacked along the wall next to her entrance way. She didn't have much, all her clothes fit into two suitcases, and the rest of her belongings into less than twenty boxes. She didn't have a TV, so she didn't have any movies. Basically all the boxes contained were pictures, dishes, cutlery, and various knick-knacks she had collected her three years in America. As her gave settled on her laptop, her thoughts drifted to the conversation she had last night with Mikel. They were partners in Israel, and he was a good man. Their parents had arranged their marriage before either of them could talk. They were good friends, and he was a good match, but her heart sank every time she thought of what she was doing when she arrived home. They had to plan a wedding in a week, and last night, that was all they talked about for hours. She did not have to worry about finding a house because Mikel already bought one for the two of them to live in once they were married. He had given her a website to look at to see the house. It was small, but it was the perfect size for two people. She was pulled abruptly out of her thoughts by a sharp knock on her front door.

"Ziva! We know you're in there!" a male voice shouted through the door.

Tony? She thought bewildered. What is he doing here? She glanced at her phone: five missed calls, thirteen unread text messages. Great, they were trying to contact her.

"If you don't open this door on the count of three, we will be forced to break it down, David!" she heard Gibbs shout. She stood up and walked over to the door.

"One, two, three!" McGee counted. She opened the door just as one of the men threw himself at it to break it down. The result was him landing on top of her in her foyer.

"Hey, Sweetcheeks," Tony whispered in her ear. She pushed him off of her and stood up.

"What are you doing here? And why did you break down my door?" she demanded angrily. She watched her team carefully as they took in the site of the nearly empty apartment.

"Going somewhere, David?" Gibbs asked quietly. Ziva looked down at the floor, unable to look any of them in the eye.

"Tel Aviv. My flight leaves tomorrow afternoon," she replied just as quietly.

"When are you coming back?" McGee asked.

She glanced up at him quickly then looked down as she answered, "I do not know. I may not come back."

"What?" Tony asked sharply. Ziva was surprised by his tone. He sounded very angry. She did not want to see him like this; she did not want him to see her like this. She blinked back tears and sighed heavily. Her dark brown eyes locked with his green ones.

"I said I may not return. I am going to Tel Aviv to finish some work for my father," she said, never breaking their gaze. Gibbs and McGee looked on with interest.

"What about the part where you're getting married?" he asked dangerously soft. She saw fire in his soul. It was a low blow, but she deserved it. Wait, how did he know about that? He read her mind, "McProbie probed into your computer records."

"It was arranged many years ago. I do not have a choice. I have an obligation to my father, my country, and Mikel," she said softly. His expression changed to a mood she had very rarely seen in her partner, hurt?

"Oh, I forgot about dear Mikel. Wouldn't want to disappoint him, now would we? When exactly were you going to tell us about the whole 'you getting married' thing?" he spat.

Ziva looked down, "I am sorry, Tony."

Gibbs broke out of his reverie, "Don't apologize, it's a sign of weakness."

Ziva nodded silently, not taking her eyes off of the floor. She felt a hand on her shoulder.

"I think we should leave her to her packing," Gibbs said quietly. "McGee, DiNozzo, take the rest of the day off. We'll miss you Ziva," he patted her encouragingly on the back before turning and leaving. McGee followed behind him after giving his former coworker a friendly hug. "You kick ass," he whispered so only she could hear. She smiled a little as she watched her friend and her boss walk down the hall away from her apartment. She turned to Tony. He ran a hand through his messy brown hair. He couldn't deal with this. He didn't want her to leave. When she first came, he didn't like her. He was mad she was replacing Kate. Over time, they became friends. They had each other's six. Now she was leaving him. She wasn't being taken away, she was leaving. He didn't want to let her go.

"Ziva-" he began.

"Please, Tony, do not say anything. I have to leave for my father. I did not want to tell you because I thought you would ask me to stay, and if you asked, I do not think I would have been able to say no. Now I see you only came to yell at me, so please leave," she said quietly.

Tony looked ashamed. "I'm sorry, Zi. I wish you would've told me," he whispered into the silent apartment. He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her, enveloping her in a warm embrace. To his surprise, she did not pull away. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face in his shirt. He held her close to him as she cried. "I just didn't want you to be here one day, and gone the next. You know I've got your six. I want you to be happy."

The two stood in the middle of the living room embracing, neither one keeping track of how long they stood there. It was warm in each other's arms. Neither wanted to pull away.

This is very weird, Tony thought. She's not pulling away or killing me, she's actually hugging me back. And I like it. Do I like her?

This is bad! Very, very bad! Ziva thought. At this rate, I will never want to leave. Why did I want to leave in the first place? Why am I hugging him? Why do I like it? Do I like him? It that what this is?

Tony pulled back and held his former partner at arm's length and just looked at her. She gazed up at him, eyes filled with curiosity. They stepped closer together. Their faces were mere centimeters apart. Tony leaned down, bringing his face even closer to hers. Ziva inhaled. She could faintly smell his cologne. She quickly stepped back before she completely lost herself. Tony looked hurt. He muttered a quick, "See you around," before retreating through her still open front door. Ziva watched him until he disappeared down the stairs. She closed the door and slid down it to the floor. She sat for hours in front of the door crying until she fell asleep where she sat.

(Tony's POV) Their faces were so close, when she pulled back. He muttered a quick, "See you around." As he fled down the hall, he could feel her watching him. He could imagine the hurt and sadness in her eyes. He turned down the stairs instead of continuing to the elevator. Her apartment was on the third floor of the building, so he had two more flights of stairs before the roof. As he burst through the door, a gust of cool air hit his face. He walked to the edge and gazed out across the city. From the roof, he could see the Capital building, the Library of Congress, and the Potomac. He sat down, he back against the short wall that separated him from the open air. He propped his elbows up on his knees and dropped his head into his hands.

Why had he done that? Why did he have an urge to kiss her all of a sudden? Maybe because you love her. Love is a strong word. I loved Jeanne and look what happened with that. But Ziva's different, isn't she? She's your partner; she knows everything about you and is still your friend. But do I love her? I know there's a lot of sexual tension, but love? Yes, love. It's that little thing people feel when they like each other despite their flaws, that little thing that make you feel all warm inside and urges you to kiss her. Oh, God. How do I tell her that? She's leaving tomorrow to go home and get married. She seems to like the guy if she's gunna defend him. What if she doesn't feel the same and I make a fool of myself and she hates me? It's better to let her know and know what she feels instead of going your whole life wondering what could've been. Find out her flight schedule; catch her before she leaves you forever. Thank you, random voice inside my head. No problem Tony.

Tony picked himself up off the ground and made his way back down the five flights of stairs. Once he reached the parking lot, he fired up his Mustang and sped back to NCIS headquarters. He flew up the stairs instead of waiting for the elevator, which he suspected Gibbs had stopped. He ran into the bullpen and came to a halt in front of McGee's desk. Unfortunately, McGee was nowhere to be found. He ran up the stairs to the director's office. Cynthia let him in after making sure the director was no occupied. Tony was breathless as he stumbled into the large office. The director looked at him with concern.

"Tony, all you alright?" she asked.

"What time is Ziva's flight?" he replied to her question with a question. Ziva hated when he did that.

"Two o'clock tomorrow afternoon. Tony, what are you going to do? It's hard for her already, so please don't make it harder," she replied, choosing her words carefully.

"With all due respect Jenny, I have to tell her how I feel," he told her.

She looked up at him, "And how is that Tony?"

Tony took a deep breath, "I love her."

Jenny smiled, he reminded her strikingly of Jethro, "Then go get her."

Tony hugged her with a grin and sprinted down the stairs. He flew into his chair and turned on his computer. McGee came into the bullpen looking slightly ruffled.

"Where have you been, McHomeless?" Tony asked jovially. McGee raised an eyebrow and blushed slightly.

"Down in Abby's lab. Where have you been?" he replied.

"I, McLover, have been sorting out my thoughts," he said smugly. Now that he deciphered his feelings, he felt really good.

"Which are?"

"None of your business, McNosey." Making up new nicknames for McGee was fun.

"Ok, Tony…" McGee shook his head. Tony was never this happy. Why was he so giddy all of a sudden? Shouldn't he be upset his partner is leaving? Well, Tony was always kind of confusing.

Several hours passed, and to McGee, Tony got weirder by the minute. When Gibbs showed up (finally), Tony asked to take Monday off. Timmy's had to pick his jaw up off the floor when Gibbs said he could. The insanity was too much for poor McGee. At seven o'clock, Gibbs let them off, since they hadn't been working on a case. As soon as the Boss-man said he could, McGee ran straight to the elevator and rode down to Abby's lab, thankful to get away from nice Gibbs and even nicer Tony.

He sped into Abby's lab and promptly tripped over a figure lying in the middle of the floor. The figure yelped and shot up; causing the stuffed hippo it was lying on to let out a loud fart.

"McGee! Where are you going so fast?" Abby gasped.

McGee smiled at her apologetically, "Sorry Abbs, I was trying to get away from upstairs as fast as I could. Why were you lying in the middle of the floor?"

Abby frowned in frustration, "What's going on upstairs? And I can lie anywhere I want, it is my lab."

"Well first Tony doesn't come in until a couple hours after us, and then he goes up to the director's office, and he comes back happy. And then when Gibbs comes, Tony asks for Monday off, and Gibbs let him take it! And then Gibbs let us off early! It's like everyone's going insane up there!" McGee shouted frantically, trying to get Abby to understand the gravity of the situation.

Abby put her hand comfortingly on Tim's back and smiled at him. "Timmy, let our fearless leader be happy and let Tony be Un-Tony. I'm sure Ziva will sort them out."

Tim's face fell and he looked away from the Goth forensic expert. She put both hands on his shoulders and turned him to face her.

"Timmy, what's wrong with Ziva?" she asked quietly, fearing the answer.

He sighed and led her into her office in the back of the lab. He sat down on the bench and patted the spot next to him. She sat and faced him. He took a deep breath.

"Ziva is going back to Israel, maybe for good. She's following through with an arranged marriage to her old Mossad partner," he explained. Abby's eyes widened.

"She's not coming back?"

"No, Abbs, probably not."

"No Timmy! I can't lose Ziva! I lost Kate to Ari, but Kate didn't have a choice! Ziva has a choice and she's leaving me, leaving you and Gibbs, leaving Tony!" Abby wailed. She began to sob, and Timmy slid her closer to him. She turned her head so she cried on his shoulder, their arms around each other. When Abby finally stopped crying, McGee asked her if she wanted to go out for a drink. She agreed, and he helped her turn off all her computers and machines. The two walked out of NCIS headquarters hand in hand.