Warning: Following chapter makes very little sense, contains random ideas and can mostly be considered as a filler chapter.

That said - sorry for the long time between updates. I'm a lazy, lazy person.

And if you think the last chapter was a lot of dialogue? You ain't seen nothing yet. I don't know why I suddenly have troubles with that. But I already started writing the next chapter and it's a lot better, I think.

Disclaimer: If NCIS was a fairytale and Tony and Ziva were prince and princess and they wouldn't be together by now I would start crying and throw the storybook away.


Chapter 7 - Bullpen

Filling out paperwork is his least favorite part of the job. In his opinion NCIS should make all probies do the work as part of their job instead of the SFAs. This is just plain boring. And Tony DiNozzo doesn't do boring. He sighs and squeezes his eyes shut for a moment, hoping the files on his desk will miraculously have disappeared by the time he opens them again. Of course he doesn't have such luck and his report is still lying right in front of him, mocking him. He mumbles something under his breath before he sighs and continues with the dreaded paperwork. Their last case has been blatantly obvious and he thinks some of the details that need to be reported are absolutely unnecessary and just there to make him slowly but surely fall asleep.

He looks up as he hears someone approach the bullpen but when he doesn't see anyone he just shrugs and re-reads what he's written until now. Soon he hears muffled voices discussing something and he decides to ignore it – very unlikely for him, as he usually gossips like an old lady and loves to eavesdrop – but then he thinks he can hear his name. Now that's interesting. He gets up, paperwork forgotten, and sneaks towards the partition next to McGee's desk. He can hear the Probie and his partner talk now.

"McGee, you are being ridiculous. It's Tony we're talking about," says Kate and he smirks as he hears the smile in her voice.

"I know what I saw! He was actually writing his report during working hours and not only a couple of hours before the deadline at around two a.m. …and he seemed to take it seriously!"

Kate huffs in disbelief and his smirk disappears. His co-workers really don't think that he can do this job? "Okay, okay. So Tony is doing his paperwork at appropriate times now, so what?"

"It's not only that. He offered to get me some coffee yesterday and he actually sounded sincere," the Probie continues frantically.

"He always gets me coffee," Kate states matter-of-factly.

"Yeah, but you're his partner."

"True." They are silent for a moment and he almost decides to step out of his hiding place and interrupt their little DiNozzo talk. He usually likes people talking about him but this is kind of weird. Kate continues talking before he can do anything. "And you really think that it's still because of that Mossad person?"

No. It's not, he thinks immediately, and her freaking name's Ziva!
When McGee doesn't say anything he guesses that he either nods or shakes his head. He hopes it's the second.

"Anyway. We need to start working or Gibbs will…I don't even want to know." Kate chuckles and he turns and sprints back to his desk. He makes it just in time and manages to look up in a way that he hopes looks bored when his team mates enter and wish him their good mornings. He nods at them and smiles brightly before finishing the last page of his report.

Glad that this is done he starts randomly clicking through the opened websites on his computer – most of them not suitable for work. He stops as he sees that he's got a new email from Vance and wonders why the Director didn't just call him up to his office.

"Um, guys?" he calls out, getting his co-workers' attention, "Did Vance send you that file too?"

McGee looks confused for a moment and checks his inbox. "Nope…why? What'd he send you?"

"Tanya Ribbons from Quentin's MCRT gave birth to a healthy baby girl last Wednesday…they're looking for a temporary replacement."

"Tanya's baby wasn't due until August 27th, it's only June!" Kate cries out. "Why hasn't she called me?"

He narrows his eyes at his partner. "And since when are you and dear Tanya BFFs?"

"We're not but she always showed her ultrasound photos around in the break room. She was so happy that everyone around her was happy too. I hope her baby really is okay, I mean two months early is quite some time."

"I was two months early," says Palmer suddenly as he appears in the middle of the bullpen "I turned out okay." They greet him with silence, trying hard not to laugh. "Anyway, Agent Gibbs sent me to tell you that he'll be up at MTAC for the rest of the day. Something weird is going on, but he wouldn't tell me what."

"Thanks, Palmer," he says and waves him off when he doesn't leave straight away. This guy really is giving him the creeps sometimes.

The rest of the day goes by too slowly for his liking and he actually really hopes some Marine gets kidnapped or at least arrested for drunk driving so that there is something to do. He doesn't even have any more paperwork to do and he decides to just go on a coffee run. He really is becoming like Gibbs whenever the silver-haired fox isn't around.

Kate looks up as he starts to leave and he knows that she wants to say something. She bites her lip for a second before she gets up from her chair as well and walks towards him. "Can we…talk?"

"Sure…you comin'?" She nods and they both stroll into the elevator. He's not surprised as she turns the emergency switch and the lights go out.

"Listen…McGee and I - and Abby too, for that matter – we noticed that you were acting very…odd lately."

He sighs. "Odd how?"

"McGee saw you doing paperwork this morning."

"I was bored."

"You stopped calling McGee by crappy nicknames."

"I couldn't think of any. And they're not crappy."

"You didn't tease Palmer earlier!"

"He's a good kid…"

"Tony. All of this is very nice and thoughtful but it's not you! Ever since we came back from Tel Aviv you stopped being yourself. And please don't tell me it's still that girl."

"What if I told you it was?"

She sighs and leans back against the metal wall of the elevator. "It's been a month. She could have contacted you easily, but she hasn't. What does that tell you?"

He doesn't say anything.

"That's what I thought. Now just move on, okay?"

"What the hell is wrong with you? In Israel you already told me the same thing. Then, back in DC, you told me I deserved to be happy and now you're telling me to forget her again?" He's suddenly yelling at her, angry. Who does she think she is?

"It's better this way. Believe me."

"Just because you had a crush on Ari before he tried to kill you doesn't mean that Ziva is going to do the same thing to me!" Even before he finishes the sentence he knows that he's crossed the line. Kate stares at him, eyes wide and mouth slightly agape. He reaches out to touch her but she slaps his hand away.

"Don't."

"Kate, I'm sorry…I-"

"Shut it, DiNozzo. I don't wanna hear it!" she shrieks and turns the elevator back on. As soon as the doors open on the next floor she races out, leaving him alone in the cold metal box.

"You screwed up big time, DiNozzo. Well done," he murmurs to himself.

It's just after four thirty as Kate re-enters the bullpen without even a glance in his direction. He doesn't know what to say. He is sorry for what he said, even though he thinks that his words hurt her so much because they held more truth in them than his partner would ever admit, but he doesn't think that Kate will listen to him. Not today anyway. That's why he's so surprised as she sits down on top of her desk and starts talking.

"I spoke to Abby earlier…and she thought it was a good idea…so I spoke to Vance…" This didn't make sense and he wonders what it's about.

"Kate…have you been crying?" asks McGee, his voice higher than usual. And now he notices it too. Her redrimmed eyes and her smeared mascara…and the remains of a tissue in her hand.

She sniffs and her attempt to smile fails. It breaks his heart. "It's okay, McGee. I just…I think that working with Quentin's team for a while would be good for me."

He freezes in shock. She's leaving? No. No, no, no, no, no. That's not possible…she can't…just because they…Oh, God.

"You applied for the job? Why?" McGee sounds terribly young as he asks that. Kate sniffs again with a short glance towards him.

"You don't have to leave Kate! I'm sorry I screwed up…Hell, I can leave if you can't work with me anymore…"

"No! Tony, I know you're sorry. And I know you didn't mean what you said, but…it all came back. I still see his eyes before me whenever I try to sleep and it scares the hell out of me. And Tanya's position is mostly paperwork and politics, so I'm hoping to catch a break from the heavy stuff."

He tries to understand, he really does, but her words don't make sense to him. Their argument set a chain reaction off and now there's nothing he can do about it. He just smiles sadly at her. "If that is what you want…"

She nods.

"Does Gibbs know?"

"No, he's still at MTAC…I wonder what's going on.."

"Don't change the subject, Agent Todd." He says jokingly and his smile becomes more genuine as she sticks her tongue out.

"I'll miss you," McGee says suddenly but when she tells them that she won't be leaving until next week, breathing seems to be easier again. "Me alone with Tony? I think I won't make it until next month…" The three of them laugh and he's glad that she really seems to have forgiven him for his outburst.

"You won't be alone McGee. Vance got us a liaison." His head jerks up at his boss' voice. How does he do that?

"I was going to talk to you, Gibbs. I'm sorry," says Kate and steps towards the team leader.

"It's okay. The demons of your past will always haunt you and if this is going to make it any easier for you then I'll be the last one to keep you here." With this Gibbs smiles and offers Kate a hug which she accepts gratefully.

"Boss…you said something about a liaison?"

"Been listening for once, DiNozzo?" Gibbs sighs. "I think you've met."

As soon as the words are out of his boss' mouth a woman steps out from around the corner. Cargo pants, black tank top, hair up in a messy ponytail. His heart doubles its speed and his mouth goes dry as his lips instantly transform into a smile. Of all people in this world Ziva David is assigned as a liaison to his team?This was so cliché; in a movie he would call it dull. But right now it is the best damn thing that has happened in a month.

"Shalom, Agent McGee…Agent Todd." Ziva politely nods at his colleagues before her eyes land on him "…Tony."

"Hey there, Zee-vah." He sees from the corner of his eye that Kate and McGee exchange a knowing look and an eye-roll but he doesn't care. For now all he cares about are her chocolate brown eyes that he has missed in the past weeks.

"Earth to DiNozzo…you still with us?" McGee's voice makes him blink and he snaps out of his trance.

"Sorry McSpace…you were saying?"

Kate beams at him. "Glad to have you back."

"Gibbs wants to talk to you for a sec…" McGee nods towards the bossman, who motions for him and Ziva to follow him to the window front. Once there he starts to get nervous because he might have a faint idea what Gibbs wants to talk about. He swallows hard.

"You two…" Gibbs looks from him to Ziva and narrows his eyes "Rule 12."

Ziva looks confused. "What is-"

"Never date a co-worker!"

Ziva's mouth turns into a perfect 'o'-shape as she progresses the rule. And when their eyes meet after Gibbs turns back to the team she looks even more confused than before. They re-join the others at Kate's desk and she folds her arms across her chest.

"Gibbs, I have a question," Kate says and Gibbs tilts his head to side, waiting. "Ziva…I mean O-Officer David doesn't have any investigative training whatsoever-"

"Yep. That's why you'll help her for the next week."

"What? No, Gibbs, I can't do that. Agent Quentin's team is one man short-"

"You said it yourself – He doesn't need you until next week. For now you're still on this team…Always be specific when you lie, Kate." Gibbs looks sternly at his partner for a second before he leaves the bullpen.

"Rule 7…" Kate whispers with an eye-roll.

"Are there any more rules that I should know about?" The Israeli asks almost sounding desperate.

McGee chuckles. "Only about 50 or so…"

"Great," she murmurs under her breath and he pats her shoulder affectionately.

"Welcome to the world of Team Gibbs."


I'll try to have the next chapter up by Saturday.

And from now on we'll have a lot of Tiva and since Somalia never happened it's going to be a lot of happy Tiva :D

Hope you'll stick with me even if my updates are infrequent and this chapter sucked...I love you guys!

So, until Saturday...can I please get a review? Yes? Awesome! (: