Soo, here's the new chapter! I'm so sorry for updating this late (damn exams), the next chapter should be up sooner.Enjoy! ;)


Ziva was unable to say a word, or to make a move; she just sat there and watched Tony being put in handcuffs. It had to be some kind of a joke. This couldn't be happening for real.

When Tony was taken into custody, Ziva went straight to Vance's office. She let herself in, without even bothering to knock, and didn't wait for him to hang up on whoever he was on the phone with.

"How can you let them do this?"

Vance hung up and went to close the door she had left open. "I told you I want us to work as a team. DiNozzo didn't stick to the plan and confessed to the murder. What do you expect me to do?"

"I expect you to call someone and get it cleared up."

"What am I supposed to say?"

"That Tony is innocent."

"Would an innocent person confess?"

"You-you actually believe he would...you think he killed him?" she stammered.

"I don't, but they might, and they probably do, since he confessed."

"They can tamper with evidence! It has been done before. They will make it look like it was him, because they do not have anyone else to blame for it, and you know that!"

"I'm sorry, Miss David, but I'm afraid can't do anything right now."

"Well, I can," she said firmly, turned around and stormed out of the room, before he could respond.

Vance pounded the table with his fist. "Where the hell is Gibbs when I need him to make his children behave?" He pushed a button on the intercom. "Cynthia, get me SECNAV on the line."

...

It was the first time she visited the FBI headquarters, and she was hoping it was also the last time. Fornell was surprised to see her when he got to the reception.

"Can I see him?" she asked, when he opened his mouth to greet her.

"I shouldn't let you."

"You can sit there with me if you want."

He looked at the pizza box she was holding. "I hope you don't have a gun in there."

"No, but you know I do not need a gun to hurt someone."

"Right."

"He did not do it," she said shakily.

Tobias Fornell has always had a soft spot for beautiful women in despair, so there was only one thing he could do. "Okay, I'll take you to him, follow me."

Tony was locked up in a small cell, awaiting further interrogation. He was counting the cracks in the wall when the door opened.

"You have ten minutes," he heard Fornell say and then Ziva went in. Tony stood up from the bed and looked at the box in Ziva's hands.

"You brought me pizza? You're a treasure," he said and a broad smile appeared on his face.

She put the box on the table in the corner, made two steps towards Tony and slapped him so hard he almost fell on the bed.

"What were you thinking?" she blurted out.

He rubbed his cheek and gave her a confused look. "I wanted to help you."

"By confessing to a murder?"

"Yes," he said hesitantly and took a step back in case she wanted to slap him again.

"You are an idiot!"

"Maybe I am. Are you here to yell at me, or did you come here to ask me if I killed him?"

Ziva picked up the pizza box from the table and handed it to him. "Why would I ask when I already know the answer?" her voice was calmer. The slap helped.

Tony took the box and opened it. "Hmm, my favourite. So you think I don't have what it takes to kill somebody?"

"I think you are better than that. I just cannot understand why you would do such a stupid thing like confessing."

"I panicked," he shrugged, sat down on the bed and started eating.

"What do you mean, you panicked?"

"He was making you uncomfortable there."

"I can handle myself."

"We both know that you've been having problems with that lately."

"Are you telling me you burst into the interrogation room because you were scared I would hurt him?"

He took a bite and smiled. "No, I burst in there because he was hurting you."

"I had the situation fully under control. It should have been me sitting here," she looked around the shadowy cell.

"Okay, look, Ziva, maybe I didn't make myself clear the first fifty times I said it, so I'm gonna say it again," he put the piece of pizza down. "I will always have your back, no matter what. I won't let anyone hurt you."

"You are not my partner anymore."

"But I am still your friend. I am aware you can take care of yourself, but you just have to accept the fact I'm here, I'm in your life and I will fight for you. It might annoy you, but I don't care. That's what I do for the people I...care about. I'd take a bullet for them, and I'd confess to a murder I didn't commit to get them out of trouble. End of story."

She stood there in silence, watching him eating pizza, trying to collect her thoughts.

"Parsons has dug up some nasty things on you," Tony said suddenly. "If any of them got out, you'd be deprived of your citizenship and you would be prosecuted."

"If any of them got out."

"Well, I'm not gonna risk anything. Now that I've confessed, they are focused on me and they will leave you alone."

"What is the next step in this brilliant plan of yours?"

"I didn't really have time to think it through properly, but I'm sure someone will save my ass eventually."

"How can you be so calm?"

"I slept for four hours, I'm eating pizza now, and you came to visit me," he said teasingly and smirked at her.

Ziva suddenly felt the need to punch him again. She was worried sick, and he was making jokes.

I burst in there because he was hurting you.

I won't let anyone hurt you.

I'm in your life and I will fight for you.

His previous words echoed in her mind and made her calm down. This was one of the moments she wanted to slap him and kiss him at the same time. But she did neither of those things, mainly because the door opened again.

"Your ten minutes are gone."

...

"What's going on, Leon? I'm about to have lunch with the Secretary of State. Make it quick."

"I have an ex-agent who confessed to a murder he didn't commit and an angry former Mossad officer who will probably kill somebody if I don't do something."

There was a second of silence. "Gibbs' team, of course. What do you want me to do?"

"I need Gibbs back. And I need to find Parsons' killer."

"I can get you the best lawyer I know. I also might be able to reach Gibbs on the phone, but how the hell am I supposed to find Parsons' killer?"

"I don't care who. We need to put somebody behind bars."

"You want me to arrest some random person just because people who used to work for you are in danger?"

"They are still my people and they are your people too. Besides, you owe me, Clayton. I need to find someone to blame before FBI charges DiNozzo."

"I'll see what I can do," Jarvis said and hung up.

...

"You have a phone call, DiNozzo."

Tony got up from the bed and yawned. So far, he felt quite fine in the FBI's custody.

"Let me guess, Ziva wants to apologize," Tony laughed and took the phone from Fornell.

"I thought I taught her not to apologize," the voice from the phone said. It was Gibbs and he was on speaker phone.

"Boss?"

"I've been away for two weeks and you're already facing murder charges?"

"That's just a misunderstanding, boss."

"Really? I heard you confessed."

"Would it help if I said I did it for the greater good?"

"It was a pretty dumb move."

"Are you calling to tell me off for it?"

"No. Fornell said you covered for Ziva. Is there anything I should know?"

"I wanted them to leave her alone. Look, she's been through hell lately, and they decided to go after her; I just wanted to help. I'd do it for anyone on the team, just like you would."

"Listen, DiNozzo, don't you say another word to those FBI douchebags. They will use everything against you, not to mention the things they will make up."

"Thanks, Jethro, I didn't know you think so highly of me," Fornell said with a sarcastic smirk.

"You're not trying to put my people behind bars, Tobias, there's a difference."

"Okay, boss, I won't tell them anything. So what's the plan?"

"The plan? I don't have one. I'm miles away and I have my own business to mind. But hell, you have a whole army of people who'll try to get you out of this. I just wanted to tell you to headslap yourself."

"Ziva already took care of that."

"Good girl. Hang in there, DiNozzo."

"Will do, boss. And, uhm, good luck with...whatever you're doing...wherever you are."

He handed the phone over to Fornell and sat down on the bed. Suddenly, he realized things were not so great as they'd seemed. This was not a game and it was definitely not a misunderstanding. He just hoped Gibbs was right and people out there were trying to get him out of it.

...

Well, they were. Vance was making phone calls all day; he didn't even go get lunch. McGee made an office from one of the interrogation rooms and together with Delilah they tried to access Parsons' documents that could be used against Tony. Ducky got the autopsy report, photos from the crime scene and some organic samples from his friend at the FBI. He passed the samples to Abby, who drank four big Caf-Pows in an hour so it was clear she wouldn't be sleeping for the next three days. Ziva, on the other hand, was so tired she fell asleep multiple times on the table while she was supposed to help Abby.

"I'm gonna get you a Caf-Pow," Abby offered her when she woke her again.

"Thank you, that will not be necessary, I am perfectly awake now."

"When was the last time you got a quality, eight-hour sleep?"

"Last week."

"Ziva, you're exhausted, go get some rest in the ballistic room, there's a mattress and-"

"I am fine, Abby. I will get some sleep when Tony is out of this."

"Okay. Can you pass me that green thingy over there?"

Ziva reached for a test tube with a hair sample in it and gave it to Abby. "So, what are we looking for again?"

"Anything that can prove Tony didn't kill Parsons. Whoever killed him left no trace, though, so it's gonna be tough. But I have never given up on forensic evidence and I'm not gonna start now."

"Can I do something?"

"We have to wait for the results."

"Ugh, I cannot bear to be idle. There must be something I can do to help."

"I know you're worried, Ziva, we all are, but it's Tony, he's gonna be fine," Abby hugged her. "Can't you just tell them you're his alibi? Like you were with him the night it happened?"

"I thought of that, too, but there is a camera outside my apartment, which shows I did not leave until six in the morning."

"So you're not a suspect anymore, that's great!" Abby smiled and gave her another hug.

"There is no camera outside his apartment," Ziva sighed.

"That doesn't prove anything."

"It cannot prove his innocence, Abby."

"But we can, and we will."

"I am sorry Abby, I did not mean to whine, I am just-"

"Tired, I know."

"I am going to get a coffee. Do you want a Caf-Pow?"

Abby looked at the four empty cups on the table and nodded. "I'm gonna need it, thanks."

When Ziva got off the elevator on the first floor, she heard a familiar voice. There was a man at the reception, trying to explain something to the lady behind the desk.

"What do you mean he doesn't work here? Of course he does, he's the best damn agent you have here!"

"Mr. DiNozzo?"

The man turned around. "Ziva! Oh, thank God, this lady must be new here, she won't let me go upstairs to see Junior."

"I am afraid Tony is not here."

"Where is he, then? Oh, let me guess, he went to grab something to eat."

"Can we talk somewhere else?"

She took him outside the building, where they sat down on a bench.

"Tony is at the FBI right now. There has been a misunderstanding, but we are trying to clear it up."

"What kind of misunderstanding?"

Ziva bit her lip; she didn't feel like telling him.

"Ziva, please, I need to know what's going on."

"He is a suspect in a murder investigation."

"Oh my God, Junior is a murder suspect? But - but he didn't - he's going to be fine, isn't he?"

"We are doing everything we can to work things out. It is just a matter of time when they realize they have the wrong guy."

"Of course they have the wrong guy! I just don't understand why would the lady say he doesn't work here anymore?"

"Well, the thing is, he, um, we resigned. I am here only to help with this...thing."

"Wait, you resigned? Why?"

"There was a man who used our past failures against us in order to harm the agency. But that has already been taken care of. So, did you come to spend some time with Tony, or...?" she tried to change the subject.

"No, actually, I came to ask him if I could stay at his place for a few days. Part of my apartment's burnt down and they haven't finished with the renovations yet."

That wasn't really the change of subject she'd had in mind. "Burnt down? What happened?" she lowered her voice and looked at Senior with concern.

"I don't know, I was in Monte Carlo with a friend of mine, and when I came back, half of my apartment was in flames. Fortunately, I have great neighbours and they called 911 early enough so that the fire didn't destroy the whole place. I was quite lucky, you know, if I had arrived earlier, like I had planned, I would've been asleep in my bed when the fire started."

"Did the firemen tell you how the fire started?"

"Short circuit, I guess," Senior shrugged. "But I'm fine," he added when he noticed the worried look on her face.

Ziva David had been an investigator for too long to believe this was a coincidence. Plus, there was rule 39. Her gut was telling her it was an intentional attack. And then, suddenly, the pieces started to fit together.

That's what I do for the people I...care about. I'd take a bullet for them, and I'd confess to a murder I didn't commit to get them out of trouble.

The game was still on.

Someone way worse than Parsons was going after the team and Tony seemed to be first on the list.


What you can expect in the next chapter:
- Tony's interrogation,
- Ziva's tears,
- a helping hand from an old...acquaintance
.

Thank you for reading, and as always, I'll be happy to know how you liked it, so go ahead and review! :)