Chapter Fourteen - "Moving on"

McGee walked off the elevator and straight to Ziva's door. Everyone called it a night at work, so he figured he'd stop by and see Ziva. Though he was most likely sure that Ziva wouldn't want to see him, because Gibbs and Tony were there. He just needed to see her for himself. He walked up to the door and knocked.

"McGee" Ziva said after she opened to door to find him standing here.

"I'm sure I am the last person you want to see, but I needed to see you Ziva" McGee said to her.

"Come in" She said. She moved out of the way to let him in. McGee walked in and Ziva closed the door. The two continued to her living room. "I am glad you came."

"Are you?" McGee said. "I was sure you'd be sick of us by now."

"Why would you think that?" Ziva questioned.

"Gibbs and Tony have they not been here?" McGee asked.

"Yes" Ziva answered. "You are not them McGee."

"What if I was here to tell you, you are crazy and making a huge mistake" McGee said.

"Are you?" Ziva asked.

"No" McGee responded. "We both know you love NCIS, but sometimes we need to do what we need to do."

"Yes" Ziva said.

"So there is something any of us can say that will make you change your mind?" McGee asked.

"No" Ziva said shaking her head. "This is what I need to do"

"I don't like it, but if it's what you need to do then I'll support you" McGee said to her. "Just don't expect me to stop caring about you, okay."

"Never" Ziva said to him. "I am glad to have known you McGee and am thankful you are my friend."

"If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were leaving us completely?" McGee said questioning her statement.

"I could never do that" Ziva said to him. "I just need some time alone for a bit."

"Okay, just be sure to call Ziva. Day or night" McGee told her.

"Thank you" Ziva said to him. "You will make an amazing leader one day McGee. Of that I am sure."

"I hope one day I'll get that chance" McGee said.

"You will" Ziva said.

"Take care of yourself, Ziva" McGee said. "And always remember we love you."

"I will" Ziva said. McGee gave her a smile before head out of her apartment and back to his car.

"That self-centered…" Tony started to ramble on as he walked over to his and desk, he then started going through his desk, looking for something and yet looking for nothing at the same time. "How could she just walk away and not expect us to care" Tony said and then slammed his draws of his desk shut. He then looked up and saw Melissa sitting in her desk, which was Ziva's desk.

"Agent's Gibbs and McGee took off; I was just finishing up some paper work. I swear I was not trying to listen to anything you had to say" Melissa said to him. She got up from her desk and picked up a folder. She walked over to Gibbs desk and placed the folder on his desk. She then turned back to go to her, but stopped and walked over to Tony's. "I know it's none of my business, but she's a fool for leaving" Melissa said before walked back over to her desk.

"You're right it's none of your business, but you're part of this team now whether we like it or not" Tony said to her. Melissa stopped what she was doing and turned to face Tony.

"I don't know the history between the two of you, or the history between her and this team and I don't want to talk about things I don't know, but what I do know is you all really cared for her. So this is a big loss for you all and I don't want you all to think I am replacing her" Melissa said to him. "I'm good at my job, Director Vance asked me to fill a vacant spot on this team and I agreed. I love my team and everything, but this team is kind of legendary so it's kind of dream to work with you all."

"Well it seems that was all for nothing" Tony said to her bitterly.

"I see it differently" Melissa said to him. "You pulled off a rescue mission and came back all in one piece. That is a type of thing that doesn't happen every day."

"And yet she walked away from this team" Tony said to her.

"No one stays an agent forever" Melissa said to him. "Sooner or later you realize there is only so much you can do and it stops being something you love. That is when you know it's time to go."

"Why are you still here?" Tony said to her.

"I told you, paper work" Melissa said to him.

"No I mean why are you still here, in this office" Tony said to her bitterly.

"Not replacing Ziva" Melissa said to him. "It was a favor to Director Vance. None of you might not like it, but it is what it is. I'm not going anywhere, until Director Vance tells me too. You can hate it all you want or me, but when it comes down to it I am serious about my job. I will not let you or anyone mess with that."

"Then you are in for a rude awakening" Tony said to her, as he got up from his chair.

"Is that a threat?" Melissa snapped at him.

"No it's a promise" Tony said to her. "Because Gibbs doesn't like anyone, you'll be lucky if you ever gain his trust."

"I'm not looking for hand holding or team bonding, I'm here to do a job and I'm damn good at mine" Melissa said to him. "I don't care what you think about me, but when it comes down to it I'll have your back. That's all that matters right now."

"You practice that speech, making sure you got it right so you could say it to us all?" Tony said to her. He grabbed his badge, gun and bag and walked over to Melissa's desk.

"She really made your heart cold" Melissa said to him. "Just do me a favor, when we are on the job keep it professional, because if you don't that's how people get killed." Melissa grabbed her bag, and walked out from behind her desk and towards the elevator. Tony followed behind.

"There might be hope for you yet, Daniels" Tony said to her as the got on the elevator. Melissa let a small smile slip out, before hitting the button to go down.

Ziva walked into the house she knew too well. She couldn't help but remember back to that day, when she came looking for Gibbs comfort and left without saying a word. She was just glad Gibbs hadn't even noticed she was even there that day. She shook the thought from her head, and continued on her way to the basement door. Once she reached it, he reached out for the door knob and stopped. She didn't even know why she was even here. They had words at her apartment; they had said what needed to be said. Yet here she was still here. She opened the door and started to head down the stairs. How she knew he would even be here and not at NCIS was a mystery, but she just had a feeling. Once she reached the bottom, she saw Gibbs standing by his tool bench as if he was waiting for her to show up.

"Are you ready to talk now?" Gibbs said to her.

"There is nothing to talk about" Ziva said as she moved a bit closer to him.

"Then why are you here?" Gibbs asked her.

"You have been nothing but kind to me and I want you know how grateful I am" Ziva said to him.

"Why does it sound like you are leaving" Gibbs said to her. He moved closer to her.

"I think it is best, for a bit, that I distance myself from NCIS" Ziva said to him. She hated telling him this, but this is what she needed to do. Wither she liked it or not.

"Where is this coming from?" Gibbs asked her.

"I need time" Ziva said to him. "Things are not as simple as they should be. I just need to figure it out, before I can come back."

"Something else is going on" Gibbs said to her.

"It is what it is. I cannot change it and neither can you" Ziva told him. She tried so hard to hold back the tears that were staring to form in her eyes. "Can you look after Tony? I have hurt him and I do not want to see him do something reckless."

"Tony can handle himself" Gibbs said to her. "This here Ziva, this isn't you." Ziva just moved closer to him, till they were only inches apart. She leaned in and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"I am sorry Gibbs" Ziva said to him before moving away from him and headed back up the stairs and out of the house before Gibbs could even say another word.