Previously
"Something is up, and it's nothing good," countered Gibbs.
"As long as you make sure I get my job back afterward, I'm with you on this."
Gibbs laughed at this but nodded his assent.
With his team out of commission Gibbs decided to call it a day and to check on his agents. His first stop was Bethesda.
Walking through the nearly deserted corridors of the hospital, he finally reached the room he was looking for and knocked on the door frame as the door itself was already wide open.
"Hey Tim."
"Boss! Have I slept that long? Visiting hours already?" His agent greeted him drowsy.
Gibbs snorted, "Since when do I need visiting hours?"
"Right."
"Just checking on ya."
"Oh."
"So?" Gibbs asked expectantly.
"Sore but good. This place actually gave me some inspiration for my new book."
"You really wanna risk getting killed by your co-workers?"
"You would kill me?"
"Not me. Speaking about the joker and his ninja."
McGee grimaced, "I might take Jethro to work for a while once the book is released."
"Tim, you won't guess what..." a blond nurse entered the room, but stopped mid-sentence when she noticed the guest, "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know you had a visitor. I'll come back later," she said and left hurriedly. But not before winking at the hospitalized agent.
Gibbs groaned inwardly at hearing someone apologize, while a smile stole onto his face.
"Met someone, McGee?" His eyebrows raised in question.
"Uhm..."
"Good for ya, Tim," winked Gibbs, smiling as he stood up.
"Call me if you need anything. I'll need to head back home now."
"Sure boss," McGee answered slightly stunned, "See ya."
(Gibbs House)
"Four days," thought Gibbs as he ascended the stairs to the room where his sick agent slept, "She should feel better soon."
"Hey sleepyhead," Gibbs called grinning as he entered his guest room.
"Hmpf."
Gibbs pulled the blanket of her head, "Wake up, you slept long enough."
"Did not," she coughed, trying to pull the blanket back up.
Not rising to the bait, he kept a firm hold on the blanket while checking her temperature.
"You seem warmer than yesterday," he noticed, "Let me get the thermometer and then we'll go downstairs and cook something."
"You allow me to cook?" She croaked wheezing.
"Nope, you'll be on the couch," he called from across the hallway as he searched for the thermometer.
"You don't sound good. Didn't take your medicine, did ya?" He asked as he returned.
"The pills fell to the floor," Ziva admitted, "Going downstairs was..."
She was interrupted as Gibbs placed the thermometer into her mouth.
"Too strenuous," he finished her sentence, making her nod in agreement.
"Next time you call me," the agent scolded.
"Okay," she mumbled around the thermometer.
"Don't talk," smirked Gibbs.
Ziva nodded sleepily. A moment later the thermometer beeped, alerting them.
"Your fever has gone back up, maybe it's better if you stay here."
"Gibbs!" she looked at him pleadingly, their eyes fighting a silent battle.
"Thought you didn't want to leave your bed," smirked Gibbs after a while.
"That was before you made me hungry and wanting company." She mumbled barely audible, not used to voicing her feelings so openly.
Her tone and downcast posture being the last straw to make a decision.
"Alright," he patted her knee, "But you'll stay put and not wander around."
"Toda," Ziva gave him a small smile.
(Living room / kitchen)
"What.. did .. Peterson say?" The Israeli managed to say between coughs as she settled on the couch.
"Ziva?" Gibbs stuck his head out of the kitchen, "Stop talking and just listen."
She waved her hand in a dismissing manor but kept silent.
"Peterson and the dead PO had an affair. Obviously it was more serious for the Petty Officer than Peterson. The Commander made the usual promise about leaving his wife but never planned to do so.
After a while the PO seemed to have realized that too. She treated Peterson to make their affair public."
"So Peterson killed her," wheezed Ziva, making Gibbs look at her sternly.
"Said it was an accident," he said scoffing, "And when he saw DiNozzo and McGee taking the PO's laptop with them, with all evidence of their affair, he freaked out and shoot at them."
"Idiot," mumbled Ziva.
"That's why love triangles are dangerous," smirked Gibbs, setting a bowl in front of his agent.
"What is this?"
"Food, now shut up and eat."
(Outside of Tony's apartment)
"Target is home." The leader's sidekick spoke into his cellphone.
'Roger. The female?'
"There too."
'Clear shot?'
"Not from the street, but the apartment building across his should do."
'Go and get into position.'
"Roger that."
"Let's park the car somewhere next block and then go and make an apartment available." The sidekick told the men on the backseat coolly.
TBC...