Author's Note: Hey all, sorry for the careless mistakes I made in the previous chapter. I should really find more time to proof-read--but I was rushing. Anyway, hope you enjoy the new episode of NCIS tonight--poor Gibbs huh? Meeting up with his mother-in-law. Anyway--I hope you enjoy the episode. Later Days. -Geek (Sabrina)

Chapter 21: Closeness

The hospital hallway is nearly empty. McGee is awarded an operation in the private area of the facility. The bullet is lodged in the front of his upper leg.

"A few inches to the left and McGee's 'band of brothers' would be no more." Tony comments, his back flush against the wall.

Ziva is near rolling her eyes, but there is a certain humorous flare within them that can not be denied.

"Knock it off, DiNozzo." Gibbs only warns him with a look this time. His energy is interested in something else entirely different from head-slapping. "Ziva--I wanna talk to ya."

Tony's ears perk at the request. It is not out of excitement, but out of curiosity. Ziva, on the other hand, looks uncomfortable; unsure, really--but follows Gibbs into the connecting hallway for minimal privacy anyway.

It does not take long for Gibbs to trap her between the wall and himself. "Talk." His hand threatening to reach across and lay flat against the patch of wall near her head.

"Here?" Her mind focusing on their issues more than the one at hand.

"McGee's lying on a damn operating table--yes, here--NOW!"

"This is about the case." She says it more for her benefit, but he is too close not to hear or register what she was thinking. "I did not know this would happen." She sees he is not making an effort to move away from her. She begins to feel his body heat and she finds herself unsure on how to react to it. "I told you the truth, Gibbs."

"I'm not sure I believe that." He doesn't care how dark his voice is becoming. "My team has no room for error--so this wasn't our faults."

"I'm not sure it is wise to blame anyone."

"Oh--is that so?" He pushes himself away from her by shifting his weight backwards. "We're letting Branson fuck us."

She twitches now. His words biting into her deeply. He catches her reaction, but does not say anything--even though he regrets it.

"He's play with us." He says carefully, but keeps the roughness in his tone. "He knew we'd be there. I told him if I caught him again I'd kill him."

"But you didn't catch him--he caught McGee…he shot McGee." She feels the situation becoming worse. "What if his plan is to target every single one of us?"

"I'm not leaving him with that option."

"It wouldn't hurt to take precaution."

"MY TEAM ALWAYS TAKES PRECAUTION!"

The few nurses walking and talking inside the short-ended hallway slow their steps; moments later coming to a complete stop. They gaze over their shoulders at the two NCIS Agents--ready to go over to them and warn them for creating a hostile environment inside of a medical hospital.

"I would advise you not to draw anymore attention…" She does not turn her head, but her eyes do so for her. After a second she focuses on her aggressive ex-boss. "What would you suggest we do?"

He knows she is within good reason, so he tries to calm himself while forming a sentence, "Suppose he's eliminating us, the next one could be just about anybody from the team."

"I am not a part of your team." The truth had never been spoken so clearly. "It would not be me."

"He got to you once--you're not off the hook." His tone serious. "He wouldn't touch Ducky--Palmer or Abby."

"What makes you so sure?" Her expression flashes with intrigue.

"He wants those that nearly took him down." He moves in closer, but does not crowd her like he had before. "Has he ever called you?"

"No."

"Contacted you in some other way?"

"No."

He nods, but the look she manages to catch in his eyes tells her that he is not saying something that could be of good use to them. "He has spoken to you." Her ability to read him is not as clear as it once was, but there is something about his expression that makes her confident enough to state her question as a fact. "When?"

"Once a few months ago. Once…earlier today."

"You spoke to him today?" He takes a step back as if her tone is pushing him away. "Were you not going to tell us?"

"It had happened moments before you gave us the location of the warehouse. DiNozzo and McGee knew about it--I tried to have them trace the call."

"He wouldn't be so stupid." She huffs. "It would have served me well if I would have known you were in contact with him."

"It wasn't as if we were planning a game of poker--Ziva. The bastard found my number and called me--just to push my buttons."

"Did he?"

"YES!" He admits it through an anguished growl. "Ziva--he's fucking with me and I can't seem to catch this son-of-a-bitch!" His sane battles his insane. "The team and I tried to get him when you left, but it was impossible. He blended in with the rest of the underworld--not even our sketchy informants could pin-point his locations. We were fucked and he knew it."

She feels because he feels. She knows this because his voice has become hoarse.

"With McGee down that leaves the three of us…" He tosses a look over his shoulder. "Maybe I ought to just put a bullet through the bastard--all tactics of being an investigator completely lost due to one whack-job who had it comin'."

Ziva is disturbed by the smirk that has taken residence on his lips. "Maybe I should play dirty."

"I would think twice about that, Gibbs." She wants to reach for him, but she knows it is not a move she should make. "He isn't worth the rest of your life." Her eyes reach the floor because she is more comfortable looking away from his clear, blue eyes these days. "Killing him will never take back what he did to us."

"No, but it'd all do us some good."

She is not in agreement with this, but she nods anyway. "Do you believe he murdered the missing Marine?"

"Sometimes yes. Sometimes no."

"The correct thing would be to take him in for questioning--hold him there until he confesses…if at that moment you feel he is the one to blame." She knows he does not like the idea of having to face the man, but it is in his job description to give any person, criminal or not, the chance to defend themselves. "You must give him justice, Gibbs."

"Don't want to--Ziva."

"Not everything is about you, Gibbs!" She balls her hands into fists. "Just because you want something it does not mean that you will get it or it will be given to you."

"It worked for you."

"I did not want to make the team suffer." She is growing upset, but she hides her raw emotions under layers of professionalism. "And--I have come back to realize that my leaving has done more harm than good." She is waiting for him to say something, but he does not even make the slightest move to open his mouth. "But I will not accept you becoming a killer!"

His eyes widen. "I've killed before!"

"Yes--but never without reason."

"That's the point--I've had my reasons."

"That is not the point--this is our reason!" Her fists loosen so her hands can act out widely in front of her. "There is no room for justice if you take it upon yourself to kill him." Her voice tightening with emotions. "Do you not see? I do not want you to shield me from confronting him. I want my chance--I need my chance to break him just as he broke us."

He takes a step closer to her. Her body is reacting in small shakes. It is her emotions--twisting and turning in every-which-way. "Will you please try and understand?"

"I understand."

He says it faster than he intended, but is happy that the words have left his mouth. If he were to have stalled, it would have stretched the already enlarged-gap between them.

"So then it is settled--we locate him and we catch him." She looks to him for confirmation and he gives it without a slight hesitation.

She reaches the handle of one of the doors and pulls it to her, but his hand comes forward and holds the door steady. "Not so fast."

"What is it?" She takes a step back.

"Why'd you flee the warehouse?" The mild distrust he has in her shows itself.

"I thought I could reach them."

"I better not find out that you knew Branson would switch locations."

"Why would I lie?"

"You've helped us--but CIA still plays dirty."

"That is not fair, Gibbs. Every Agency has its corruptions."

"And you're working with one of them." He retorts and pushes past her in order to reach DiNozzo.

She stands there shaking her head in a tiresome manner. She feels as if he just will never let up about her new position as a CIA Agent--or anything else.

McGee awakes to see her resting in a chair near his bed. Memories of what happen play inside of his head; making him grunt in displeasure. His right leg feels numb, while the rest of his body feels achy.

She opens her eyes when she hears his intake of air. "It is fine, McGee. You are safe now."

"Tell me I still have a leg--and it's my real one." His eyes are wide.

"You have a leg--your real one." She offers him a thin smile.

"Unfortunately the bullet was lost inside and your right leg will forever be attracted to anything metal." Tony adds to the conversation. It causes McGee's eyes to widen even more. "This is why your leg is being held down by large, hemp-like straps--"

"Tony--enough!" She puts a hand up. "Do not frighten McGee."

"You're no fun." Tony pouts, but soon a full-blown smile washes over his face. "Did any cute nurses touch you?"

"Answer carefully, McGee." Ziva playfully warns him

"I won't answer him at all." McGee mutters; his attention more on Ziva than Tony. "How are you?"

"Fine. I was not shot." She motions towards his injured leg even if it is underneath the blanket. "You are brave, McGee."

"Come on--he was shot in the leg." Tony rolls his eyes. "I nearly died from a gunshot wound to the chest."

"It was your shoulder, Tony!" Ziva and McGee say in unison.

"I don't like the air around here…" Tony gives them a flippant look and exits.

Several minutes pass, but neither will speak. Soon McGee grows restless and tries his best to reach for her hand. When his fingers touch hers, that lay on top of his hospital bed, her body relishes in the familiar, friendly touch.

"What is it, McGee?" She looks at him worriedly. "Is it a nurse that you need?"

"I'm fine--really Ziva, I'm fine." He assures her because he sees the worry still present in her eyes. "I just…wanted to touch you…talk to you…I kind of haven't since you've returned."

"I have not seen you at all…since I've returned." She tells him and he nods. "I understand all the problems that I have caused, McGee. I have heard that Abby hates me."

"That could be easily dismissible…knowing Abby."

"Perhaps I do not know Abby, anymore…" His hand on hers keeps her grounded, but alarmed. "Do you hate me, McGee?"

"I don't--Ziva. I really don't." His tone sounds ashamed.

"You did not show the other night--at the bar. It was only Tony and myself." He removes his hand and turns his head slightly; his gaze falling away from her. "I thought you would be there."

"I failed you?"

"No. I am afraid, yet prepared, to take on that responsibility." She ends with a small laugh. "I've failed the whole team."

"Things wouldn't have gotten this out of hand if either of you would have told us…" His eyes return to her, but she quickly looks away. "Well--more so you than Gibbs. It's hard to get anything out of him."

"I was the one that wanted it ignored. He only agreed--to make things easier for me." She is anxious, for a few possible reasons now. "I only managed to take his kindness for granted."

His hand returns to her. "Eh--don't be so hard on yourself. Gibbs probably deserved to be taken for granted." A smile creeping on his face. "Don't tell him I said that--he'd kick my ass."

"I will not." Her smile as warm as his. "Could I possibly ask you something, McGee?"

"I don't see why not." He lifts his arms; showing that he can only seem to move those body parts at the moments--besides his head and neck.

"Did this ever make you think less of me?"

"I only thought of you, Ziva." His eyes are warm pools. "And I missed you."

Her eyes slowly begin to grow red and blurred, but she blinks back the tears. It is no place for her to let them fall. "Thank you, McGee."

Tony bursts through the door. A small snack from the vending machine nestled in his hand. "What has McGeek done now?"

She turns to Tony with a wide smile. "He has been a friend…" She turns her gaze to McGee once again. "…always…a good friend."

Tony is unsure at this point, but soon their smiles become infectious--and his snack is long forgotten as he joins in their delight.