I do not own NCIS...

Jessica, maybe? It'll probably be a while though... I don't really know how to do that...

Now to the story what you've all been waiting for!

The next morning, Ziva woke up stiff and sore. Barely able to pull herself off the couch. Somehow though, she managed, her rib aching in protest, making her hunch over her arm. She didn't realize that she had woken Tony up in the process.

"Don't you have some pain meds or something." His voice cut the dark and caused Ziva to jump, but her Mossad training enabled her to show no change in expression, expect for her head slowly raising.

"Yes Tony, but I have to take them with something in my stomach. Talking about breakfast, if you don't want a repeat of yesterday, you better take me home." Ziva desperately wanted her house, her life back. She could see Tony giving in a little.

"Please Tony?" She made her voice super sweet and practically batted her eyelashes at him. Him being a guy, obviously, fell for it.

"Fine, just don't tell Gibbs." A grin spread on Ziva's face.

"Deal."

A half an hour later, and Tony was stepping out of the car in front of Ziva's house. She looked him up and down.

"Tony you better go back and get ready for work, you're going to be late." She snickered as he looked down at himself in a t-shirt and sweat-pants. He looked back up at her.

"But-"

"Tony I'll be fine, no stairs in my apartment remember." Tony sighed, he could feel himself giving in. He was so tired of taking care of himself and Ziva lately, the stress leaving him awake most nights. Ziva could see this and pushed further, closing the gap between them and lifting herself on her tiptoes to kiss his forehead lightly.

"I'll be fine. I eat, take the pills and probably nock out on the couch." Tony felt himself giving in completely.

"Ok, I guess your right, I'll call to send Ducky." He was still flustered from her kiss, a unusual sign of any emotion whatsoever from Ziva. Besides, she could take care of herself better than most people he knew, blindfolded with both her hands tied behind her back. He got back into his car and drove out of the driveway, after watching her enter her house safely. He stopped shortly after he left to text her.

IT S KONK OUT...

He smiled and drove back to his place and then to HQ.

As soon as Ziva saw Dinozzo back completely out of the driveway, Ziva raced to get dressed, and jumped into her mini. She raced off to NCIS, hoping to get there before Tony.

Once there, she parked her car in the farthest corner and limped all the way to the building, stopping multiple times to catch her breath and wipe the sweat shining on her forehead. She raced into the basement, off the elevator, pausing only to preen her hair and unbutton her blouse one button. She gathered herself and concentrated on walking very promiscuously into autopsy one where she knew Palmer was. She had double checked to make sure that Ducky was gone. Palmer glanced up, seeing Ziva. He couldn't help but stare.

"Oh hey Ziva! I didn't know you were coming in today. Ducky just left to check in on you."

"Oh I saw him on the way over, just a misunderstanding. You know Jimmy, we really haven't had any time to get to know one another. Maybe you would like to grab a drink sometime?" Ziva gave her most charming smile, and stroked the autopsy table, leaning on it slightly.

"Well, Brina did say I should go out more." He was smiling at her, happy that one of his 'higher ups' wanted to spend time with him. Ziva looked at him, her hair curly seductively around her face.

"Jimmy, I think I would really enjoy that." She purred to him, stroking his male ego.

"Would Agent Dinozzo be there?"

"I was thinking it could be just the two of us, get some, what do you call it, bonding time in. No?" Jimmy was completely falling for her act, he had stopped all activities and was leaning against the autopsy table staring at her. She wound a piece of hair around her finger glancing up at him.

"Maybe, you could do me a favor?" He looked up, eyes like a puppy dog, willing to do anything that would please her. "Do you think you could get all the inside scoop on my case and update me?" Her spell almost broke on him as confusion muddled his features.

"I thought you said you were supposed to be here. Can't you ask yourself?"

"Well you see Jimmy, I was assigned to another case, conflict of interest, so they can't tell me anything legally, but you. You they can talk to all they want. And then you can text me." She pulled his phone into her hands, typing in her number and leaning really close to him.

"But we can't tell anyone, not even Ducky, because the whole team might lose their jobs..." She whispered the last part, almost nose to nose with him.

"Oh I get it." He was staring entranced with her lips and what lie slightly below, tantalizingly hidden. Ziva reached up and stroked his hair gently.

"I wish Tony was more like you. Smart, good-looking, sweet, honest and so tough!" She laughed as she squeezed his bicep and leaned backwards a little trying not to show the pain that rippled at each movement. Palmer was practically drooling.

"Really?"

"Of course! If I had have known when you were single I would've stitched you up myself. So I see no reason why we wouldn't be really good friends." She purred to him as she meandered towards the door, showing her curves and muscular frame off. Palmer practically fell off the autopsy table watching her.

"Yeah I usually have that effect on the ladies." He straightened, trying to coolly lean on the metal. Ziva laughed lightly over her shoulder.

"Be in touch with you soon handsome!" With that the autopsy doors closed and she quickly changed demeanor, her no non-sense walk reappearing and her hair whisked into a ponytail. A smile danced on her lips as she reminisced on how she masterminded her morning. The elevator doors opened before she could move or seek refuge and Gibbs appeared.

"David?!" She kept walking; hoping that he would leave her alone or forget she wasn't supposed to be there. She wasn't so lucky.

"Ziva!" His tone was warning and she slowly turned to face him, the smile turning into a grimace.

"What are you doing here?" Ziva raced to find an excuse.

"I had to... To ask Abby for some girl help." Gibbs looked at her suspiciously. He knew something she didn't.

"Abbs isn't here David. She never comes in this early." Gibbs held the silence making her squirm. "But Dinozzo isn't here either so how did you get here; Ducky is on his way now so neither of them have you a lift." Ziva squirmed uncomfortably but held her place, making her face a mask to all who dared read her expression.

"I drove myself." Her voice was stony. Gibbs looked incredulous; his face switched to anger and flipped varying shades of red as he fought for composure.

"You stay right here or I will use my handcuffs on you." Ziva thought her voice was as stiff as one could get but Gibbs had just shown her up, tenfold. She decided to comply, the days excursion exhausting and painful as it was. Gibbs turned and briskly marched into autopsy and Ziva slid to the floor.

"What'da'ya got."

"Oh hey Gibbs! I uh haven't had a chance to start yet." Palmer stuttered, his face turning a abnormal shade of fuchsia. Gibbs felt something off and looked back at Ziva who was sitting against the wall. He shook his head disbelieving.

"Well hurry up Palmer." He turned to leave.

"Oh wait Gibbs!" He turned, Palmer faltered. "I was just wondering how Ziva's case is doing." Gibbs eyes him suspiciously. "Just because I think this would be hard for all of you and she means a lot to everyone here." Palmer stuttered to cover up.

"Got a possible suspect."

"Are you going to do anything about it or?"

"What-da-ya think?" Palmer flushed, it was quite comical.

"Well I just uh, was thinking maybe you would need me to tag along or..." Gibbs laughed, almost.

"Look Palmer, you're very...convincing... But I know Ziva put you up to this." Gibbs could practically read the thoughts passing through his head.

"But I uh- no! Well I mean-" he scratched his head awkwardly. "So what do you want me to tell her."

"Exactly what she wants to hear." Gibbs turned and walked towards the door again. "Let's just keep this little talk between two little birds then." He marched out, leaving Palmer staring after him. He walked past Ziva, not bothering to stop but instead called over his shoulder,

"David. Car. Now." She jumped up, blinking away the black spots in her vision. Following him into the elevator she wavered a little and felt Gibbs's eyes boring into her but he did not move to help her.

Once at the car, Gibbs still hadn't spoken anything so Ziva continued to walk towards her car, hoping that she could get away with it.

"What the hell do you think you re doing David." His anger was back, not a good sign, it meddled with the undertones of his voice as he contained it, bottled it up as to not hurt her.

"I do want my car to be towed."

"You shoulda thought of that earlier." Ziva sighed, not wanting to push the matter much further, but feeling stressed and annoyed and vulnerable she opened her mouth as soon as she got in Gibbs's rental car.

"I need my car Gibbs. It will be towed if I leave it here. No?"

"It could be towed, impounded, set on fire for all I care right now."

"That is not your decision to make!" Ziva pulled the door handle, Gibbs had started to move toward the exit of the lot, the door swung open and pavement blurred below Ziva.

"Close the door David!" She looked at him, daring him to make her jump. He stared back, almost clipping another car, but still he did not stop. The truck revved as Gibbs accelerated.

"If you re gonna do it, at least do it well." He spat at her anger about to boil over. Ziva turned letting her feet dangle out of the truck as she prepared to jump. As soon as her muscles tensed, a hand grabbed her arm, hard, painfully hard, and pulled her back in the car.

"Get back in the car!" She glared at him, realizing the consequences of her actions would be too great. She crossed her arms in silence. They passed through the gate without any further incidences, and it wasn't until they were ten minutes away from NCIS that Gibbs spoke again.

"Jesus Ziva, do you have a death wish? I don't need your body on a slab." She glared at him.

"You refuse to let me come to NCIS so I arranged ways of my own method. It is not my fault."

"You want in Ziva? Ok well here ya go, it's all in for you!" Gibbs did a rough U-turn, causing Ziva's body to slam into the door, making her wince while tires squealed against pavement. Gibbs floored it back to NCIS, and marched into the bullpen, Ziva struggling to keep up behind him. Her face was hard with determination and both Tony and McGee feared to ask the two angry agents any questions.

"Ready to go boss?" Tony stood swinging his pack over his shoulder, his jacket over the other.

"Let's go." Again Ziva jumped up, swinging around to try to keep up, out of breath.

"Ya need your pack David." Gibbs's voice wafted over all other noise and she rolled her eyes and marched back to her desk to get it, frustration coursing her veins. In the elevator, Tony any McGe exchange puss led glances behind Ziva and Gibbs but continued to ask no questions.

"Bring Agent David up to speed Dinozzo."

"Sure thing Boss. Our Vic from the warehouse provided us with a lead, he had traces of c4 under his fingernails from doing some special op. wanna be gigs which in turn led us to a fan club he was a part of. Turns out one of his buddies has a girlfriend who has a brother who is a real hater of you Zee-vah. Mr. Admir Allah has special training in the building of bombs and other such explosive materials along with a common friend Mr. Charles Darwig, that is another Charles Darwig than the one we had in custody only the other day, and it seems that Mr. Allah had a close buddy that was taken down by Mossad by a nice young agent by the name of David. In other words he hates you and wants you dead." By the time Tony was done, they were already in the car heading to Admir Allah's house. Ziva nodded, feeling slightly lightheaded and very overwhelmed. The rest of the ride was spent in silence.

They arrived at the house with the sun high in the sky and burning down on them. The yard was overgrown and the neighbors barely visible though the cracked pavement and scorching heat making Ziva feel as though she was back in the Middle East. Gibbs opened the trunk and strapped on bullet proof vests. Ziva struggled to get the sides of hers properly tightened so Tony reached over and gently tugged it tight, the small movements made her grit her teeth. Gibbs passed her a gun and they approached the door. Gibbs signaled for Ziva to go in first while McGee circled around back.

"You wanna do the honors David?" Gibbs pressured at the front door and Ziva glared at him.

"NCIS open up!" She yelled, pounding on the door. There was no answer so she kicked the door open almost crying out in pain and quickly fanned out clearing each room. Ziva's vision swam as she Looke in each room. Double vision obscuring it but still she pressed on, she had to prove Gibbs wrong. She met Gibbs and Toby in the main room, after all the rooms were cleared. Gibbs opened his mouth to speak but a board creaked behind them and Ziva whirled around. The man fired one shot that hit Ziva square in the chest, knocking her off balance and her let off another one that missed her before McGee tackled him from behind. Ziva toppled back, colliding with Tony who stumbled. She hit the ground, half his body cushioning her. Quickly she sat up and looked down when Tony did not do the same. Blood dripped down his neck where the bullet had grazed him.

"Tony!" Ziva screamed, his eyes fixated on her and his hand reached up to touch her face as she leaned over him. Her vision blurred as she felt something funny pull on her eyes and everything went black.

NcisNcisNcisNcisNcisNcisNcisNcis

Gibbs watched in shock as a man appeared out of the room Ziva had just cleared. He didn't have enough time to react as the man fired two successive rounds, toppling both Tony and Ziva. Ziva recovered quickly but Tony did not move. He watched in slow motion Ziva's features distort in terror as she screamed his name. He looked at her but Ziva's eyes rolled back and she passed out on top of Tony's stomach. Gibbs watched his agent sit up and call Ziva's name, more worried about her then himself. Blood oozed at his mouth and Gibbs watched life fade from his eyes as he pressed his hands on Tony s neck as hard as he could to staunch the bleeding. Sirens sounded in the distance and Gibbs hoped they would get there in time.

Yeah I thought I was too nice at the end of the last chapter... Do you guys like cliffhangers or would you prefer if I'd leave it like the last chapter? Please comment!

Read and review! Stress on the review! It makes me soooooooo happy!