HI GANG! Just want to apologise for the slow updates, rest assured - ncisgirl101 has NEVER had a story without a 'complete' sign next to it so - even if it takes me years, I will finish this story… but it won't take me years, so don't loose any sleep.

Alright, so this chappy is a tiny bit confuzzling - I switch from present time to fifteen hours earlier VERY frequently so please don't be confused. I feel like a bi-atch pointing that out to you all but I really don't want anyone to be like 'what the?' so all 'fifteen hour earliers' are in italics. Again, sorry for pointing that out.

Okay, people. I have devastating news for anyone who has not already heard. POTENTIALLY VERY devastating news.

ALL SPOILERPHOBES LEAVE NOW - I'm not kidding. This is serious stuff here…

Question: Rumors are flying that Michael Weatherly won't be returning next season on NCIS. Please tell me that it is not true! -- KristenAusiello: Michael Weatherly isn't the one you should be worried about.

Guys - I SO can't do this again… I can't live for over a month AGAIN thinking the Cote de Pablo is leaving… cause if Michael isn't what if Cote is? I can't deal with anyone leaving. I love them all - even Vance, that rat bastard - I just love him.

Anyway, sorry for that low - here's the next chapter:

XXX

Chapter four: Of friends and lovers

Fifteen hours earlier:

Tony sat on his sofa, watching the beer bottle that sat between his interlocked fingers more intently than necessary. This 'Ziva and Sean' thing had formed a knot in his stomach and he had no idea why. He was happy for his partner - he was. He was happy for his best friend, too. He just had this feeling in his stomach that erupted every time the thought crossed his mind.

He ran a hand through his hair and downed the rest of his beer.

Okay. So maybe he wasn't okay with the whole thing. But he couldn't say anything now, could he? What was he going to say? That he 'wasn't comfortable' with his best friend dating his partner… Why would that even matter - Kate used to date one of his frat brothers and it never got to him.

Why should he want to ruin something that makes two people he cares for happy? It's not like he wanted Ziva for himself…

Oh who was he kidding? He wanted her. To what extent he was unsure but he knew he wanted her - from the second Sean asked his permission to ask her out he had not taken a single easy breath.

He shook his head and looked at the clock, trying to decipher whether or not drinking alone past 8 o'clock was considered sad.

After a few minutes, he decided it was. That, however, did not stop him from retrieving another beer from his fridge.

The second he relaxed back into his sofa, there was a faint knock at his door. He furrowed his eyebrows together and got up, carefully placing his beer out of eye-shot.

He pulled his door open to reveal a very dazed Ziva David. Her face was expressionless and she had dark rings under her eyes.

"I do not know why I am here." She stated flatly.

"Didn't ask." he responded, stepping aside to allow her to enter his apartment.

XXX

Suddenly the door clicked open and Tony barged in. Both Fornell and Ziva stood up. Ziva shot Tony a deadly glance, telling him to back off.

"Ziva couldn't have murdered Sean." Tony stated flatly. "She was with me."

"What?" McGee blurted out, unable to reel in his surprise

"What?!" Abby smiled hugely; half for the fact that Ziva had an alibi, the other half for the two finally getting their act together.

"What?" Fornell asked, exchanging looks between Tony and Ziva. "You did not think to mention this earlier, David?"

Ziva did not reply, instead she shot daggers at Tony. She had it under control - he was going to get them both fired.

Fornell shook his head and paced away from the desk, muttering something about 'NCIS' and 'Every time'. He hit the one-way glass once with his palm.

"Agent Mazzone, get me Special Agent Gibbs… Now!" he ordered before turning back to Ziva and Tony

"Gonna try and get us fired, Fornell?" Tony asked bluntly; a joke somewhere in his features. Even though this was a serious situation, he couldn't help but screw with the man.

"Might succeed this time, DiNutso" he smiled back bitterly.

Tony nodded and turned toward Ziva, trying to measure her expression. She met his glance, the anger once there still burning in her eyes. He could see that she didn't understand that he was doing this to protect her.

"How do I know you are not making this up to cover her ass?" Deadpan. Fornell was pissed.

Tony laughed through his nose, a smirk forming on his lips. He walked a few paces, closing the gap between the FBI agent and himself until his lips were mere inches from his ear.

"You need evidence, look in my bin."

The door burst open and Gibbs walked in. His expression unreadable. No words were exchanged in that room. Tony and Ziva waited for the impending doom that would fall upon them, both assuming the worst; however nothing but silence filled the room.

Fornell exchanged a glance with Gibbs and before anything could occur, the two were gone, leaving only Tony and Ziva to wait in that same thick, ugly silence.

XXX

Tony stared intently at Ziva. Ziva stared intently at the floor. Both too scared to say anything for fear of getting hurt.

Finally, Ziva looked up, her eyes meeting Tony's for the first time since she'd begun dating Sean. He almost looked away - for a second he was convinced she could see what he was thinking.

"I should go." she finally spoke - her voice husky.

Tony straightened up and walked to his partner and nodded, their faces inches apart.

Slowly he closed the gap between them until mere millimetres remained.

His hand moved to the side of her cheek and he brushed the tips of his fingers lightly against it, causing Goosebumps to form on the back of her neck.

XXX

Gibbs hit the switch on his and Fornell's makeshift office with more force than usual. The two waited patiently as the elevator shuddered to a stop and the emergency lights went into effect.

"Did you know about this, Gibbs?" Fornell was met by a pair of unimpressed blue eyes. "Yeah, didn't think so." he said the second bit more to himself then to his friend.

"I guess that gives her an alibi." Gibbs noted blankly.

"We still need to get their statements… As well as…" he faded out as Gibbs' eyes met his harshly.

"Other things…?"

"I'll go with that." Fornell could not help but smirk at the awkward situation Tony had put upon the entire team. "Looks like 'Team-Gibbs' has wiggled away again."

"Well, Tobias - it's always well worth it if it pisses you off." Gibbs' smirk was short lived. "You don't believe DiNozzo." Half a question - half a statement.

XXX

"I understand." He whispered, his breath brushing against her lips.

She stood, that expressionless façade quavering. She was torn between running out of the room or closing the millimetres between them.

"It's your call, David."

XXX

"I know that you trust your people, Gibbs but I need to know that he's not just covering her ass." He knew that forensics and testimonies were more than enough but he needed to clear this with his friend first - if Gibbs said there was no way; then there was no way.

XXX

Slowly, yet still too quickly to keep up with, she leant up and closed the gap between them.

XXX

Gibbs did not respond, his expression was inscrutable. Fornell moved closer to his trusted peer.

"Jethro… Is there any way that Agent DiNozzo could make this up to cover for his partner?"

XXX

The first kiss, delicate.

XXX

"Dammit, Gibbs." Fornell slammed his fist against the side of the elevator.

XXX

The second, passionate.

XXX

Finally Gibbs looked up from his trance and met Fornell's steel gray eyes.

"He's telling the truth. Get your statements."

XXX

The third, impregnable

XXX

Okay - maybe I went a tiny bit over board with the artsy commentary but it just worked for me.

I enjoy switching from past to present, it makes me smile.

Sorry for the slow updates, gang - won't bore you with the boring details.

Oh - and for all you who are worrying, I am getting the homework done :P

Anyway, I hope everyone has an AWESOME day… I have not stopped freaking out about the finale and now every time I think about future episodes, (SPOILERPHOBES, vamoose) I count the amount of times I could possibly see each character.

I can't do it again - I just can't. Last season when I heard someone was going to die I didn't actually breathe properly for the two-three months that led up to the big event.

Sound off on what you think about the spoilers (Or, of course… the chapter… but I'm more interested in what you think of the spoilers)

All suggestions are welcomed with open arms.

Love you guys.

Enjoy your weekends!

Xox. Mel.