Chapter 12 – Goodbyes
Gibbs and Director Vance walked down from his office
"Well Gibbs, I'm off to LA, I trust the building will still be in one piece when I get back"
"Wouldn't have it any other way Leon"
"And you won't intimidate my replacement?"
"Wouldn't dream of it"
"Good", Gibbs shook the director's hand before he moved into the bullpen, Vance followed, "DiNozzo"
"Yes director?"
"Make sure he stays out of trouble"
"Yes sir"
"And McGee"
"Ah, um, yes director?"
"Make sure DiNozzo stays out of trouble", Gibbs laughed
"Sure thing Vance"
"And Ziva I know I can trust you to keep an eye on all of them", Vance turned around to see an empty desk, "Gibbs"
"Ah huh"
"Where's Ziva?"
"Late"
"Tell her I said Goodbye"
"Got it", Director Vance walked towards the elevator and waved goodbye before he stepped in and the doors closed
"You can come out now, Ziva", Ziva popped up from underneath Gibbs' desk, "Told you he'd never look there"
"I know, you were right"
"Aren't I always, come on, grab your gear, dead marine wife in West Virginia"
"Got it boss" they all said in unison, McGee, Tony and Ziva gathered their gear and headed towards the elevator
"Not you Ziva"
"Gibbs, why not, you've never made me stay back before"
"Vance is gone Ziva, we don't need to keep up appearances anymore"
"Gibbs I will not be left behind", Gibbs gave Ziva a look as the elevator doors closed with Ziva still standing outside, "Urgh", she walked back to her desk and sat down, "I don't think I can take a whole two months of this"
2 months later...
It was the end of the day, most people had already gone home, but Gibbs and the team were still in the bullpen wrapping up a case, they had caught the killer before he had a chance to kill his next victim, they were now all done with their reports and hanging around waiting to be told they were done for the night
"Ziva", Gibbs said from his desk, he got up and motioned for her to follow, he took her to the corner under MTAC, "Director Vance comes back tomorrow", Ziva looked at her feet
"I know"
"What do you want to do?" he already knew the answer but felt he still needed to ask
"It's going to drive me crazy, not going to work for six months, but I can't risk Vance telling Eli"
"Why are you so scared of him Ziva"
"Because I know what he can do"
"He can't hurt you anymore", Ziva's reply, more to herself than Gibbs, was less than a whisper, but he heard
"That's what Tali thought", Gibbs was very confused and shocked, but he did a good job of hiding it because what Ziva had just said, was not meant for his ears
"Goodnight Ziva"
"Goodnight Gibbs" Ziva and Gibbs walked back into the bullpen
"Ready to go?"
"Yes Tony, just give me a minute"
"Where are you going?"
"Abbey will kill me if I don't say goodbye"
Ziva walked into Abbey's lab
"Abbey..., Abbey!, ABBEY!", Abbey turned around, when she saw she had company she quickly flicked off the loud death metal playing on her stereo
"ZIVA!", Abbey ran over and crushed Ziva in one of her enthusiastic hugs
"I came down to say goodbye"
"Goodbye, where are you going?", Abbey was suddenly very worried
"Director Vance comes back tomorrow"
"So?"
"He does not know, and I would like to keep it that way"
"Aw, I'm gunna miss you Ziva, who am I gunna talk to?"
"McGee is still here, and Tony, Gibbs, Ducky, and Palmer"
"Autopsy gremlin can creep me out sometimes, how long are you going, when are you coming back?"
"I am supposed to come back the beginning of June", Ziva was cut off before she could finish
"6 MONTHS!"
"Shhh, but I think I am not going to take the two months, just two weeks, so I will be back around the middle of April"
"Well when's the baby due?"
"I thought you knew all this?"
"No, for me I know surprisingly little, I haven't seen you very much lately so I haven't had a chance to talk"
"Oh, we will have to catch up when I come back then"
"So?"
"So what?''
"Due date?"
"Oh, um, March"
"March, that only leaves you like a month with the baby, what date?"
"I, don't remember"
"Come on Ziva", Ziva sighed
"March 29"
"29!, Ziva that's two weeks, and one of those will be spent in the hospital"
"I know"
"You sure, why wouldn't you take the two months?"
"I, Abbey I do not know"
"OK, but I will miss you, and don't be surprised if I show up at your doorstep, I can only live without people for so long"
"Goodbye Abbey"
"Bye Ziva", Abbey pulled her into another tight hug, before Ziva left to say goodbye to Ducky and palmer, she would talk to McGee when she got upstairs
