-Abby? No answer. Abby? Tony looked around a corner, no Abby.
-Yep! What do you want? Abby poked at Tony's shoulder from behind and he turned around in fright.
-Never, ever do that again! Tony exclaimed and glared.
-Do what? Abby said and put on her puppy face.
-Here, I came to give you this, McGee found it on the crime scene. Gibbs want you to analyze it, think it belongs to the victim. He gave the bagged and tagged T-shirt to Abby and went for the door.
-Thank you! And say hi to McGee from me! Abby said while the door closed.
-The name of the victim was Michael Cowell. He was a staff sergeant, been in the Navy for almost six years. Twenty-eight years old, not married, doesn't have any children. That's it. Gibbs looked up at the rest of the team, which seemed impressed.
-Nice job! How did you… They doesn't even talk to… Did you go with your interrogation style, or maybe like Le Chiffre, when he tortures Bond in Casino Royale!
-Just, back to work DiNozzo! McGee! Help him! Ziva, you're with me!
-Where are we going? Ziva asked while she jumped over an old rotten log.
-To see Ducky, and find out the cause of death!
- Duck! Can you give us a time of death, and a cause?
- Hello to you too Jethro! I have not estimated the time of death, not yet, but I can say that it was within a week from now. The cause of death was a heavy thing towards his head, but he does also have wounds on the rest f his body, I guess that he was beaten, hard, and according to the many different colors of his bruises, many different times.
- Alright, thanks Duck! Gibbs said and smiled. Ducky blinked at Ziva and she blinked back.
The short time that Ziva was away from him, Tony felt horrible, he wished that Gibbs had taken McGee with him instead, so they got some lone-time. He just couldn't stop thinking of her.
- Tony? Stop thinking of her! Please? McGee said after a long brake of Tony's.
- Of who? Tony turned his head fast towards the irritated McGee.
- Of Ziva of course! Who else? Don't think I'm stupid, I can see how the two of you are looking at each other!
- Like you look at Abby? Tony replied.
- Maybe… And so if I do? That's my problem, not yours! McGee walked away, but with relief, he could rely on Tony, he went through the same thing, except his girl loved him back. "I wonder if she loves me, like loves (!) or just loves me like she loves the rest of the team…"
- Right! McGoo! She told me to say hi to you from her! Tony yelled after McGee and leaned back towards the tree he had marked as his own, or all his things were spread all over the place. He dragged the hat over his eyes like a cowboy, put a grass straw in his mouth corner, and fell asleep.
- Look who´s relaxing, not working and asleep! Surprisingly it´s the one and only Anthony DiNozzo Jr! Ziva exclaimed after coming back with Gibbs. She saw Tony lay down under a tree, with a hat over his face and a grass straw in his mouth. She went towards him, with her bottle of water, tipping it over, on his hat. He said:
- Relaxing? Me? I'm thinking over the case!
- Well, who was it then? The wife?
- Yes! As always! Tony said and sat up, Ziva sat down beside him.
- Then, what's the stick for then? A "Thinking Stick"?
- No, it's not a stick, it's a straw!
- Straw, like in strawberries?
- No, straw like in stickberries! Yes of course like in strawberries! Don't you have strawberries in Israel?
- Of course we do, I just… don't like them!
- You don't LIKE them? You are a really weird woman Ziva David! Tony said and added, quietly. But a really beautiful wo…
- GUYS! Back to work! Now! What's the problem with you? I've yelled two times and you didn't hear! Gibbs yelled and looked really angry at them.
- Better get back to work, Tony said, raised and helped Ziva up.
The minute they came up to Gibbs and McGee it started to rain. A lot. Gibbs muttered and Tony complained about him getting cold. But Ziva loved the rain, the smell of everything getting refreshed, the sound, the feeling of rain in her face, and last but not least how good she felt after a evening run in the rain. She used to have the window open in her apartment to hear the sound of the rain against the roofs, streets and windows, and feel the smell from the trees.
But with the case there was no success. They didn't even find a hair.
- Well, let's get back to the hotel, it's getting dark. We can't find anything now, we have to wait for Abby's and Ducky's results. Gibbs said after three hours search after something that they didn't know what it was, in the rain.
Back at the hotel they sat and watched "American Idol". Gibbs muttered something about teenagers, irritating music and humiliation. Ziva fell asleep against Tony's shoulder. She sat between him and McGee and Gibbs sat alone in an armchair. Soon McGee also fell asleep, leaning his head backwards against the couch with his mouth open. After a while Gibbs turned his head and looked at Tony.
- What? What is it? Tony whispered, and looked suspiciously at Gibbs. Gibbs looked at him and then at Ziva, whom had almost fallen down in his knee in the sleep.
- I know about you two and…
- I KNOW, rule nr 12. "Never date a CO-worker". But… I just can't let her go, I just can't!
- I was going to say, I know how you feel and I understand, DiNozzo. But the rule exists of a reason.
- How can you understand? The Director? But wasn't that like years ago? Did you form that rule after her?
Gibbs just looked at him and turned on the TV.
