A/N: Ugh, okay, WOW I have no idea how this got started…but a bunch of boys started calling me a skank. Okay then…that didn't exactly make me feel good. Maybe a review or two could bring my spirits up. :/

Anyway, this story's plotline will pick up fairly soon, so hang in tight for those of you that are wondering if this fan fiction has a point.

One last thing…this story will be following along with how the characters develop in season 3, meaning the major events that happened might be mentioned, but not exactly shown.

Chapter 4

I skipped gleefully into the bullpen, excited for the plans McGee made with me tonight. It had been one month since we started dating. Since then, there had been word of action from the Mossad all around D.C. and the bodies started piling up like crazy. Kate was soon forgotten, and became nothing more than a whisper in my head. Ziva became more distant, but I was so happy about being with McGee that I scarcely noticed. So I was surprised to see an unfamiliar man as I entered the bullpen, talking to Ziva.

"Ziva, darling, it is very simple," the man said. I recognized an accent that was similar to Ziva's.

"Father, I do not think you understand," Ziva murmured, keeping her eyes down. Father? My eyes went wide in shock.

"What is there not to understand? You are part of the Mossad, not this…NCIS agency that means nothing to us. If you don't leave them soon, you will be punished,"

"I am not a child anymore," she hissed. "There is nothing you can do to me that could possibly concern me in the slightest," I stood there, frozen in place. Nobody seemed to have noticed me yet.

"What about the people you work with here? Haven't you gotten close to them in the past month or so?"

"Not particularly, as you haven't given me the chance to let me break my ties with the Mossad,"

"What does that have to do with anything?" Ziva's father demanded, glowering at the woman.

"It's just as you said, being connected with the Mossad means don't trust anyone, yes? That means no friends whatsoever in my book. Until now I have been able to survive that way. Then there is the concern of Abby, who loves everyone, no matter how much I try to resist. She has a certain charm that is impossible to ignore, Father. I'm sure she'd understand our…situation, if you just let me explain myself to her-" The gray haired man furiously shook his head.

"No exceptions, Ziv, darling. Just push her away harder. I better hear about an update on her plans being thwarted sooner, rather than later," I shrank into a hidden corner as he stormed out. Try as I did to remain invisible, Ziva's eyes locked on mine. Her face was cool and calculating and calm, despite what had just happened.

"Sorry you had to see that, Abby," Ziva said, brightening up as the elevator doors closed. "Just a little family matter I had to settle," I shook my head and ran for the stairs. Ziva, someone who I hoped could be my friend, was keeping secrets. Why? My head was swirling with a million questions, and I was so preoccupied with thoughts of Ziva and her father, that I slammed very hard into Palmer in the autopsy. He fell to the ground at once, and I sprawled out on the floor in a tangled mess of black skirts and jingly jewelry. I lay there for a moment, dazed. Palmer mumbled an apology and stumbled into the autopsy table in an attempt to leave the lab. A second later, Director Shepard was there, pulling me to my feet.

"Are you all right, Abby?" she asked. I nodded uncertainly. My head pounded from the intense impact.

"My head hurts, but I'll be fine," I said.

"What happened here?" she inquired.

"It was my fault, I wasn't paying attention…oh, Palmer shouldn't have taken the blame! I should go find him,"

"It isn't a big deal, don't worry about it. I'll see if he is fine. Why don't you just sit down for a minute? That was a pretty hard fall you took there," I nodded and sank into a nearby chair. Ziva was keeping something major not only from me, but everyone here at NCIS. Was her father that important of a person to appease? I frowned, examining that statement. Family was family, after all. Maybe I should just do a little investigating, and then have her tell the truth herself when I was sure of my research. In the meantime…my thoughts returned to McGee. For now, I would just think about tonight. The Director returned, a relieved expression on her face.

"All's well that ends well. Why don't you return to your lab and finish up with that evidence for the court session tonight?"

-Meanwhile, in the bullpen-

Ziva POV

Great, now Abby will probably be demanding answers from me. I had to come up with a way to avoid her. This dilemma isn't exactly easy to deal with…being a part of the supernatural world. No, I'm not a vampire, but that would be a relief compared to what I actually am. My father, Eli David, performs unusual experiments. Genetic engineering. He studied World War II genetic testing with such feverish obsession in the past few years I grew worried about him. Then, suddenly, just before Ari was given his little fateful assignment, he approached me in our usual meeting place, a dilapidated hotel not far from D.C. He performed many experiments on me. Finally, some days later, he successfully turned me part wolf. Of course, I wasn't even aware of it until Kate died. At the moment I watched her body sink to the ground, I felt some…animal instinct to defend my claim. I felt so strange that I just ran off before anyone could see me. The other reason, a secondary one, was the fear of being discovered of course. But, knowing Abby as she was, she'd probably accept me anyway without question. I had to listen to Father, though. Ugh! Why did this have to be so confusing? I sighed and gave up on wrapping up on the paper work sitting on my desk, unable to focus.

"Something wrong?" Tony asked me as McGee silently drifted toward the elevator, probably intending to visit Abby.

"It is none of your business," I mumbled, my father's words echoing in my head.

"'Course it is, you're my friend, aren't you?" he said.

"I don't have any friends here," I replied, instantly feeling the pain and emptiness as I said it. I was careful to keep my face blank and unreadable as the hurt spread across his. I wandered over to the vending machines, hoping he'd gain the sense to ignore me for the remainder of my time here.

"But…I thought…" he protested in a sad voice. "I thought you liked me," I paused.

"What?"

"I thought you liked me as a friend, Ziva…don't you trust me?"

"I trust no one," I walked off, trying to ignore the hurt that wasn't supposed to happen. I didn't need anyone. So why did a life with no friends sound so lonely and depressing now?