Oh my goodness I have been so busy and so blocked! At first I wasn't busy, but had such bad writer's block I can't even begin to describe it. Then I was busy and blocked. Now I've finally been able to think about writing but haven't had any time to actually put pen to paper (or, really, finger to key). It's been frustrating, to say the least.

You know how some people post notes in their stories explaining why they haven't updated in awhile? I always find those annoying, because it gets my hopes up that there's another chapter and then it's just such a let down. So I didn't do that to you. Um, why am I telling you this again? Oh yeah, so hopefully you won't hate me for not updating sooner.

So. Nofia has read Team Gibbs in on the mission. Of course you guys don't get to read that chapter because then you would know the plan and that's no fun. Not that the team won't be getting some surprises as well…

So the notebook of code names is being used again. Remember I told you guys how one of my notebooks that I use to write fanfics is entirely in code? Because for some reason this is the one my friends pick up and look through. And they highly disapprove of fanfiction, so it's just better if they don't know. You know? But so if you happen to see a Sarah instead of a Ziva or Gabe instead of Gibbs, etc., my apologies. I'm copying this from said code book, and I'm bound to forget to change it at some point.

;-) ;-) ;-)

"Why are we doing this again?"

Not for the first time since taking their positions at the café, Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs longed to smack his Senior Field Agent upside the head.

"Because, DiNutso, Abby's in danger."

Hiding his grin behind his oversized coffee mug, Gibbs saw DiNozzo sit bolt upright.

"What'd you call me, McWannabe?"

"You think you're the only one who can play with someone's name, DiNuisance?"

Suddenly a much smoother voice came in through the guy's earwigs.

"Just for the statement-"

"Record, Nof."

"Yes, whatever, you two look like you are speaking to yourselves. Could try to be slightly less conspicuous?"

She had a point. Not that there wasn't anybody is DC who talked to themselves, but they usually did it in their heads. Speaking to themselves out loud was, well, conspicuous. Still, Tony didn't like getting advice from an inexperienced little girl who had manipulated them all and was now getting treated like a queen. No, he didn't like it at all. Gibbs could see the retort coming, but couldn't stop it from leaving DiNozzo's lips from across the café.

"Yeah, sorry we're so bad at deceiving people. Maybe you could come down and show us how to do it? After all you seem to be the expert. Does you dear blind sister even know who you are? Or do you lie to her, too?"

Silence. McGee couldn't believe his ears. Tony must have lost his mind, saying something like that. Not that he ever exactly stayed withing the confines of what was acceptable or socially appropriate, but he usually toed the line that bordered full out attack. And he never went out of his way to hurt someone seriously, especially not someone who had already been hurt. Except he just had. Honestly, McGee was surprised Gibbs hadn't compromised their position just to give DiNozzo the smack he deserved. But he knew that no matter how angry Gibbs was, he had nothing on the fury stewing in a sniper's nest half a mile away.

Smoke was coming out of Ziva's ears she was so furious. How dare he. Tony had no idea what he was talking about. Without being there, sitting in that hospital, the months when Nofia wouldn't wake, the year she couldn't leave. Or how, when she finally woke, Kitra had a cold and couldn't come visit because no illness could come near the open sores. But Nofia was convinced Ziva was lying, that Kitra was dead. And she hadn't screamed or cried, simply said "I failed," and stared at the ceiling, refusing to eat, drink, or communicate at all. The only person who's eyes she'd meet was Tali, but even then her eyes were dead. She was only seven, but already withered. Ziva shook her head before she became trapped down memory lane. When Nofia spoke, cold, heartless, she was dragged back to the present with an unpleasant jolt.

"This is not about you or me, Special Agent DiNozzo. This is about hundreds of innocent lives, including your friend's. You are not necessary for this mission's success, but I thought you would want to help. However, if I was wrong, and you would just as soon watch these people die, then you are welcome to leave."

Damn. Gibbs was impressed. No matter her slight build and wide eyes, this girl knew how to take care of herself. Her verbal rebuke was as good as his any day, though he did feel the lack of a head slap to go along with it. on the other hand, the girl was currently holding a sniper rifle, and for all he knew, it was currently pointed at DiNozzo's head.

"Look, you guys? I don't mean to be a pain, but… could we maybe not talk about dying?"

The petrified note in Abby's usually peppy tone immedietaly shamed the agents. Before anyone could apologize Nofia's voice cut through the tension.

"Target approaching."

Like a faucet being turned off, the team became completely professional. Drinking coffee, eating donuts, typing on laptops. Completely inconspicuous.

The man approached the scientist, gave a perfect "oh wow, Abby Scuito!" hugged her and sat down opposite her, smiling broadly the whole time. Abby, for her part, 'oh wow'ed just as excitedly, hugged just as tightly, and smiled just as brightly.

Good girl, Ziva thought, as she watched through the scope. Don't let him know anything is wrong.

"Not even close," Nofia said softly, holding up Landow's driver's license picture. The man in the picture was green eyed, red haired, and had an air about him Ziva could only describe as jolly. The man at the table at the café, on the other hand, had classic Mediterranean features, dark eyes, dark hair, dark skin, though he didn't have an accent. Most likely, he was making his fake southern accent overpower his natural one.

"Had we not been here," Nofia paused to clean the scope on top of her rifle, "do you think she would have realized this wasn't Landow?"

"No," Ziva sighed, "I don't. she would have noticed the differences, but people change as they grow. Abby once told me as a child she was blonde! It would simply not have occurred to her that he might be lying."

"It is foolish to trust in a world of deceit."

"Their world isn't like our world, Nof, it's-"

"Is it our world?" For the first time in over an hour Nofia unglued her eye from the sniper scope and looked at her cousin. "Because ever since I have been here it has become increasingly obvious you have traded my world for theirs."

At once, Nofia jabbed her eye back into the scope, but not before Ziva saw the hurt there. Still, there was only one answer she could give.

"Can you blame me?"

"Haha!" Wow, Abby, you haven't changed. You know, I think I still have our old yearbook. I bet you look exactly the same."

"The yearbook? I haven't thought about that since I got it!"

"Well, come on. It's at my apartment. It'll be fun to take a stroll down memory lane. Especially if it involves lots of kids in disco pants!"

Two coffee mugs and one muffin were all put down simultaneously.

"Uh… I don't think I can."

"Why? We'd have fun."

"Gibbs won't let me."

"Your boss? Who put him in charge of you? It's none of his business. If you're worried about his disapproval just don't tell him."

"He'd know."

"He already knows."

Faux-Landow's head snapped up at that gravely voice and found himself staring into ice blue eyes.

"Abby doesn't go out to lunch with ex-cons without me."

As always, Gibbs was quiet but menacing as hell. Soon McGee and Tony were standing behind him.

"I think it's time you left."

Obviously surrounded, Faux-Landow surrendered. Almost.

"Wow, Abby… you know, I thought you were different. I thought you didn't judge me the way everyone else does. I guess you changed more than I thought."

Shaking his head and keeping his puppy dog eyes hooked on Abby's, he sighed and stood, before slowly turning and walking away.

"Abby, don't."

"He's playing you."

"Terrorist, Abby, terrorist. Not friend."

"Just let him leave."

Despite the two Israelis whispering urgently in her ear, Abby couldn't let him walk away. She couldn't be sure this wasn't her old friend Johnny. People are wrong sometimes, even Gibbs, even scary Mossad Officers. And it's not like she and Nofia had a long history of trust. In fact, they had a long history of deception and lies. So why should Abby trust her again?

"Johnny, wait!"

"L'azazel," Nofia whispered, her eye still in the scope. "Abby broke."

"I think we have another problem."

Nofia looked from her cousin's overly calm eyes to the gun pressed to her temple.

"Yes, I guess we do, don't we?"

:-O :-O :-O

Oh no! what now? So no comments to people who reviewed this time. Sorry! I will next time but I figured it had been so long since you guys got anything and I wouldn't be able to add the comments now and I thought you guys would prefer to have the chapter now sans responses than later with.

Note: whenever Ziva and Nofia are speaking to each other it's in Hebrew.

Let's play a game. Whoever gives me the definition of l'azazel gets to request a scene that I will put into the story if at all possible. (an example of impossible is saying you want a scene with Tali in it. she's dead. In my fic, she's staying that way. A possible one could be saying you want a Tiva scene or Daddy David to make an appearance. You get the idea.)