Rifiuto: Non Miriena
A/N: The alternate title for this: Playing Politics. But that title didn't seem to fit as well as Directing Chaos.
Thanks to DS2010, countrynciscatlover and Reader for reviewing 10.
The breeze was warm, and Ziva took a deep breath, breathing in the rain-kissed D.C. air. She took a seat on a bench, watching people come and go, heading to the Navy Yard or just being out and about. But one person in particular caught her gaze. No, that couldn't be.
"Director McGee." Tim turned, hiding the surprise he felt at seeing Ziva sitting in the common, a cup of coffee in her hands.
"What are you doing out here, Director David?" He took a seat beside her, studying the younger woman. She seemed to be the exact opposite of Talia- smaller, yet much more... blunt. She was very pretty, petite; almost as if she'd been shoved into a cabinet and hadn't quite stretched out to her original height yet. She'd managed to pull her unruly hair into a ponytail that ended in a wild mass of tangled curls down her back, and she wore a pair of black slacks and a blue blouse; her jacket lay next to her, tossed over the bench as though it were a sofa.
"I could ask you the same, Director McGee." She replied, meeting his gaze. He studied her eyes, before taking a sip of his coffee.
"Came out to get some air. There are just... days when I can't stand being in that office." Ziva nodded; she knew all too well what it was like to be cooped up in an office, dependent on herself and being forced to be the one everybody turned to. Not that she didn't mind being Director, there were just days when the job got to her, and all she wanted to do was tear her hair out. But her father had handed the position down to her, not her brother or her sister or anyone else, and it was up to her to keep Mossad from imploding, just as it was up to Tim to keep NCIS from imploding.
"I know the feeling." They locked eyes, before she sighed. "Talia told me."
"Look, I need to know." He shifted to face her; their knees brushing. The simple contact sent Ziva's heart racing. She forced herself to stay where she was; the last thing she needed to do was kiss him here, in front of random strangers.
"About what?" She whispered softly, gaze going from their touching knees, slowly up the length of his torso.
"About why you're really here. And why you're demanding Talia stay once you leave. And I also need to know about Ari Haswari." Her dark eyes snapped up to meet his, and she opened her mouth, but he beat her to it. "I asked her yesterday, and she told me. About your mother, and how you're bent on revenge. But what I need to know, is where Haswari fits into all this. And Talia. I know where you fit in, but I need the other two pieces of the puzzle for it to make sense."
Ziva rolled her eyes. She was gonna kill Tali. The girl could keep her mouth shut when she damn well wanted to, but if she even had the slightest chance of blabbing, she took it, telling anyone who would listen- at least, when she deemed the information important enough. Clearly, she'd not only told Tim yesterday, but had caught up to him this morning as well, and reiterated the death of their mother's murder; essentially, she was trying desperately to turn him against her sister. The Mossad director snorted softly.
Two could play at this game.
"Director McGee, what Talia told you yesterday was... a fabrication. A story. She was distraught when Ima died, and blames me for her death. I love Tali, but when it comes to Ima's death, we have never been able to agree." Then, she stood, grabbing her jacket and turning to go when she stopped and turned back. Before she could back out, she leaned down, pressing a kiss to his cheek.
Her back hit the wall of the bathroom before she could blink. "Why Director McGee, you are aware this is the ladies' room, yes?" But Tim just narrowed his eyes, keeping her pressed against the wall. She hadn't been aware that he'd followed her minutes later from the commons, but instead of heading upstairs, he'd grabbed her arm down in the lobby and yanked her into the nearest bathroom, pressing her up against the door once it closed behind them.
"Now you listen to me, Director David." Tim growled, studying her gaze. "I don't know what game you're playing, but whatever it is-" She glanced down at their bodies, realizing how close their hips were, and slowly, slid an arm down around his waist, slowly pressing her hips against his.
"I don't know what you're talking about, Director McGee." She purred, meeting his gaze as she slid her other arm up, cradling his head in her hand and pulling him down to capture her lips in his. He pulled away after only a couple of minutes, but it was long enough to send his heart leaping into his throat with desire.
"I'm not stupid, Director David. I know you want revenge for the men who killed your mother, but leaving Talia here isn't going to get rid of the problem. If you're leaving her here for some reason other than your mother's death, I need to know. And I need to know before you board that plane on Friday." Her dark eyes searched his as she sighed, gently playing with his shirt buttons.
"Maybe I should stay then, if you do not trust me. I can just as easily run Mossad from Washington D.C., as I can from Tel Aviv. And you will get the... answers you so desire." He narrowed his eyes.
"If this is some sort of..." He took a deep breath. "If I find out you're playing politics with my agency, Director-"
She chuckled, eyes moving to meet his as she wrapped her arm around his neck and pulled him down for another kiss that this time shut him up. "I do not know about you, Director McGee, but I do not play politics."
