They arrived separately to work the next day. They had decided last night that they needed to be careful leaving the apartment and being at work together just in case someone was watching.
Tony immediately went up to MTAC for a call with the director. Ziva was the first of the team to arrive. She was use to it. She had always been the first one there back in DC.
DC. She began to wonder how Gibbs was going to react when he found out she had been relocated without telling him. Without him saying it was ok.
Vardigo was the first to arrive. He looked surprised seeing Ziva sitting at Tony's desk. "Does bossman know you're here?" He asked.
She glared in his direction. "Yes." She said simply. She did not like people who would abandon their partner for frivolous activities. Especially when their partner was in danger. Maybe Tony and Ziva had a unique partnership. Neither would have ever abandoned the other like Michael did with Nikki. But then again neither would have abandoned anyone on the team the way Michael did.
Vardigo ignore her glare and short response. He immediately started on the mountain of paperwork on his desk. This would be the only thing he would be doing for awhile. Tony had every right to suspend him and he knew it. He didn't even have an excuse for not backing Nikki up yesterday. He would take his punishment without complaining because he deserved it.
Nikki was the next to arrive. She glared so hard at Michael you would swear she was burning a hole threw him. He cowered a little under her stare as she threw her bag on her desk.
"Nikki. I am really sorry about yesterday. I have no excuse for not being there and I feel like the biggest jackass." He said seeming sincere.
She didn't care how sincere he was. He was supposed to be her partner and she had trusted him with her life. And because he didn't have her back she could have been killed. "You should feel like a jackass. You were supposed to be my partner. You were supposed to have my back Michael. You let me down. I can't forgive you Michael because I can't trust you." She paused taking a breath and near tears. "That's not good. I have to be able to trust the people in the field with me." She finished as a couple tears fell and she made a dash for the bathroom.
Tony came down the stairs just as Nikki ran out. He glared at Vardigo as he walked past to his desk.
Mannon walked into the bullpen sensing the tension. He noticed Nikki's bag on her desk but no Nikki. And he also noticed Vardigo looked like a dog that had just been beat on the nose with a newspaper.
"Good morning Ziva, Boss." He said trying to lighten the mood.
"Good morning Blake." Ziva responded. She liked Blake. He seemed like a sweet guy. A lot like Mcgee. She wondered if he secretly wrote books about his teammates as well. Vardigo and Jardine seemed interesting. Nikki had every right to be upset with Vardigo about yesterday. But Ziva had not expected her to cry. She wondered if there was secretly something more between the two of them. He train of thought was broken when Tony spoke.
"Mannon, Director Shepard wants to know what the connection between the frog and the dead marine was, like yesterday." He said.
"It looks like our marine was buying and selling stolen machine guns for the frog." Mannon said.
They worked up until lunch time trying to figure out where the marine was acquiring the weapons. Not being able to find anything Tony sent them on a break.
"Okay. Let's take a break. Get some lunch and get back on it after. " He said throwing a file down.
"Well then I have really good timing." Rivkin said stepping forward.
Tony narrowed his eyes at him.
"Michael what are you doing here?" Ziva asked throwing a worried glance to Tony.
"I was hoping to take you to lunch. So that we could go over the assignment." He said.
"Oh." She said not really sure what to say. "Okay. Let me grab my jacket. I will meet you at the elevator, Michael."
He nodded and walked over to the elevator. She walked over and grabbed her jacket stopping in front of Tony's desk. "I will see you in a little bit. I guess." She said noticing that he would not look at her.
"Okay." He said still looking intently at the file on his desk. She walked over to the elevator. Tony looked up right as Michael wrapped his arm over Ziva's shoulder. It took every ounce of strength he had not to run over an punch Michael in the face.
Once they were in the elevator Ziva took a step away from Michael.
"Is something wrong Ziva?" He asked eyeing her suspiciously.
"No. I would just prefer not to get, what is the term? Cozy? With someone whose job it is to follow me around." She said hatefully.
"Aw, Now Ziva. Let us not be so bitter. It is really unbecoming."
She glared. "What is this lunch really about Michael?"
"I just really wanted to take you to lunch." He said boldly placing his hand on her lower back. She grabbed his hand and twisted it behind his back and shoved him against the wall.
"Do not touch me." The doors opened and she let him go and stalked out. He grinned following her out. She was feisty. He liked feisty.
Back in DC
"What?" Gibbs yelled as Director Shepard told him about Ziva's transfer. "You know they're together right?" he asked incredulously.
"I do." She said not showing any emotion in her voice.
"So now we play matchmaker? We grant requests so that agents can be together when they want?" He yelled.
"Officer David is not an agent. And neither of them made this request. Director David has her on assignment in Rota. While she is there he wanted to keep relations open with NCIS." She said calmly still not letting his anger get a rise out of her.
"No. He has to have some other motive. How could you allow him to do this?"
"She is his officer, Jethro. His daughter. She is only a liason between agencies. He can recall her whenever he wants." She said making her point.
"I don't like this Jen. I don't like this at all." He said storming out angrily.
Back in Rota
After the others left behind Ziva, Tony opened the file again and began to work. After seeing Rivkin touching Ziva the way he did made Tony lose his appetite.
Ziva returned thirty minutes later with a brown paper bag. She smiled grimly when she saw him still sitting at his desk. She placed the bag on top of the file he was looking at. He looked up at her startled.
"What's this?" He said pulling open the bag.
"I figured you would probably work through lunch so I brought you something to eat." She said.
"Where's your new boyfriend?" He said not bothering to hide the jealousy in his voice. She smiled. She liked jealous Tony. She didn't know why. But she did. She walked around to his side of the desk and stepped between his legs. She bent down placing her hands around his neck and kissed him sweetly.
"I am looking at my boyfriend." She said against his lips.
He smiled. But still wouldn't touch her. He was still upset about Rivkin. She frowned. She did not like that he was not responding the way she wanted him to, to her kiss. She pulled back slightly but not fully. "What is wrong?" She asked a little concerned.
"Nothing. We need to get back to work." He said.
She walked back over to her desk and started looking through the files again. He could tell that he had upset her.
"Hey." He said from his desk. She looked up questioningly at him. He stood up and walked over to her. He leaned down and placed a chaste kiss upon her lips. "Thanks for lunch." He said smiling and walking back to his desk.
"You are very welcome." She replied.
A/N: Okay so this chapter isn't exactly how I wanted it to turn out. but I actually wrote it in a notebook and I do not like my sister's computer. so when I get home tomorrow I will write a better longer chapter on MY computer!!! lol please oh please hit the pretty green button and review!! :) much love to everyone who reviewed last chapter!!