Tony sighed, this whole Ziva being pissed off at him thing, was dragging on a little too long… he was about to go over to Israel and bring her ass back, kicking and screaming… whether she liked it… or not…

"You didn't want her here in the first place Jethro… why should replacing her be so difficult?"

"First of all Jen, I always wanted her here, I just wasn't about to let her know that! Second, I don't want to replace her. If someone asks, she's taken personal leave, to bury her loved one and mourn as a true Israelite."

"Jethro!"

"End of discussion!" he stomped down the stairs towards Tony and McGee, "Anything come in while I was in MTAC?"

"No boss…"

"I'm about to Google for a case boss…" Tony stared at his screensaver of flying stars.

Gibbs head slapped Tony, causing him to hit his mouse and stop the screensaver.

"Stop starring into space Dinozzo… you're not an astronaut…" Gibbs sat at his desk and began to review a file.

"MaGee…"

"Yes boss?"

"Any word from…"

"No…" Tony answered before he could say her name.

"You reading my mind? Dinozzo? What's it telling you right now?"

"To never cut you off again if I value my life…"

Gibbs smiled, "I guess you are…"

The elevator dinged open and Tony looked up hopeful… he was always hopeful that ding would be her, coming back. Her, coming to tease him; her coming to hit him; hell he'd settle for her coming to kill him… if she'd just come back…

But it was another faceless agent… it was never… her…