A/N: Hello my faithful readers, I'm sorry it's taken me a bit to update. It was Halloween this weekend, so I wasn't really in any state of mind to be writing coherently. Also I learned that I write the best at 3am and during my boring classes. So thank my communication research methods professor, for it is in his class that this chapter was born. :)
Disclaimer: Not mine. :(
Ziva willed herself to stop shaking. Since she had left Tony's that morning she just couldn't stop. She drove home trembling because of her tears. Then to try to get her mind off of her situation she went for a run, exerting herself so much that her legs were shaking so badly she very nearly collapsed before she made it home. Now standing in the elevator at NCIS she was so nervous that her hands refused to stop twitching. She took many deep breaths while having a silent conversation with herself.
"This will be fine," she said to herself. "This is what he wanted. You knew what you were getting into when you started this whole thing. When he starts talking about a date he has tonight or anything of the sort you will just have to deal with it. You have been doing so for some time now, and today should be no different."
She continued to breathe, trying to summon up that steely facade that used to come so easily not too long ago. She took one final deep breath to settle herself as the elevator doors opened and she strode into the bullpen trying her best to look more confident than she felt. She sighed in relief when she saw she was the first to arrive. She sat down at her desk and only glancing at the empty desk that would soon hold her partner, the pain in her heart and the shaking of her hands began again.
When Gibbs strode into the bullpen with his second cup of coffee of the morning he could sense that something was wrong. Ziva was practically vibrating with tension. He could tell she was trying her best to hold herself together, and to anyone else she looked perfectly put together, but he was one of the few that could see the cracks in her shell. He didn't get any distressed phone calls in the middle of the night, so that ruled out Eli...this was probably DiNozzo's fault. He scowled at the notion. He sat down at his desk as the elevator dinged once more and Ziva jumped. Ziva doesn't jump. Just then DiNozzo came strolling into the bullpen. He glanced at Ziva, and by the way her jaw tightened, he could tell she was just setting her resolve before putting on her clam, mona lisa-smiley face.
He turned his attention to DiNozzo. He was walking oddly, lacking the ease that normally dominated his form. His shoulders were set, hands clenched and his movements tight and controlled. Whatever happened between them, it was worse than he thought. He shook his head, knowing that today would be much tougher than the one before.
Tony entered the bullpen, only glancing at Ziva before giving her a clipped "good morning"
"Good morning, Tony," she said calmly.
He sat down heavily, refusing to make eye contact with her. She watched him for a moment, confused. He was angry with her. Why was he angry? He had no reason to be. He wanted Ziva from five years ago, and that is exactly what she gave him. She had given herself to him, and he was the one that was going to move on to the next thing in a skirt within the week. She shook her head slightly in disbelief. She turned back to her computer, waiting to get a call out.
An hour later they finally got a call. Ziva sighed in relief that she could move away from her desk and Tony's withering stare. Gibbs barked orders about a dead marine in Norfolk, and to get McGee to meet them there, wherever he may be. Anything to get away from the inescapable tension that had settled over the bullpen.
A few hours later they returned with the body of Sergeant Amy McKinnon, who had been shot execution style and left in the woods. Some hikers had stumbled upon her body and immediately called the police. They didn't know much, which was adding to the quickly mounting pile of negative energy floating around the office. Gibbs had gone to check in with Abby, leaving the bullpen lacking a certain amount of stress, a nice break after the long day of barking orders that preceded.
Ziva was still dodging glares from Tony, providing none of her own thus far, hoping that she wouldn't make the situation worse. Tony was throwing paper balls at McGee, who had a good deal of car trouble this morning and was in a grouchy mood all his own. He refused to engage with Tony, allowing the balls to continually bounce off of him. Ziva could tell McGee was getting frustrated with the situation and was about to stick up for him when Gibbs re-entered the bullpen.
"What have we got?" He said, daring them to tell him they hadn't found anything.
"Throw it up on the big screen, McTechie." Tony said as he and Ziva got up from their desks with their findings.
"Amy McKinnon, 30, died from a gunshot wound to the head approximately 24 hours ago," Ziva recited."Exemplary military record, no complaints of odd behavior from any of her superiors, and no reports of any known enemies. She was, however being considered for a special mission."
"What kind?" Gibbs asked.
"We were told that it was confidential and that we were not privy to that information." Ziva explained.
"McGee, do some poking around."Gibbs said
"You mean the illegal kind?" he asked
"Yeah. That kind," He turned back to Ziva. "What about personal life?"
"She has a husband, Kyle McKinnon with whom she was having some marital problems. Her husband said that she left him over a month ago."
"Why do you think she left?" Tony asked "I mean, what could be so bad that she would just up and leave him like that? What do you think, Ziva? I mean, you have a bit of a reputation for leaving when things get tough."
"DiNozzo." Gibbs said warningly
"I assume it had something to do with her marital problems, maybe with this secret mission." Ziva explained, but she could tell it went unheard, at least by Tony.
"I just want some insight." He said, gesticulating towards Ziva, his tone growing more hostile. "I mean, you have to admit she doesn't have the best track record for sticking around when things get a little bit hairy, a little emotional even. The ice queen shuts down and runs away from anything that could possibly thaw her out, and she leaves the rest of us behind in the dust."
"DiNozzo!" Gibbs said forcefully. He glanced over at Ziva, and she looked like she'd just been slapped.
DiNozzo looked around for a second before turning on his heel. "I need to hit the head." He said. It took Ziva less than 30 seconds to take off after him.
Gibbs sat back down in his chair, intent on looking up more information on the husband.
"Boss?" McGee asked.
"Let them work it out on their own, McGee." he said.
"Even if they rip each other apart," he thought, "at least they'll resolve whatever rule-breaking issue is causing this mess. All that's left is to wait."
I wasn't entirely happy with this chapter, but I hope it suits your fancy. I am almost finished writing the next chapter, you'll have it as soon as I'm done. Until next time, Em.