Turns out, no spanking in this chapter either (I should stop trying to predict it in the previous chapters since I keep getting it wrong; I post warnings at the front of chapters anyway so just check there if that is something that you avoid). My story line is meandering on me again. :) I don't mind too much and I hope that you won't either. :D

Sorry for the wait. My assignments all started coming due and that took up my time and brain cells. I have exams and more assignments due this week and into the beginning of next, but I do hope to be able to have another chapter ready soon. :D

Thanks to those who reviewed the last chapter - Troubled-Angel-26, Queenofwheels, DS2010, Rocketgirllily, Fashionista-girl, xstargirlx123, didodado, A, Ludy, Fan, S, Rhi, Guest, and Misdiagnosed (who has just joined us - welcome!). I hope that you are all taking care of yourselves and staying safe and sane in these difficult times. :) Virtual hugs and encouragement to you all!

Thanks to fiftyshadeswritergal's excellent editing. One of her notes made me go back and read over the story. I had to make a few edits on chapters 26/27/28 to make the timeline fit together correctly (with it having taken so long to write it was easy to mess up the timeline at that point), but this entire story has only be over the space of two weeks! I've been working on it since June 10th last year and without counting this chapter the current word count (including author's notes) is 68, 820 words - longer than some novels! Originally it was meant to just be over the summer. Now we are at 33 chapters and 373 reviews, nearly two school semesters later and in the middle of a pandemic. And still ... the whole story line fits into a span of two weeks! But I absolutely love this story and we still have a while left to go.

So ...

Enjoy!

...

Wednesday started well. Yesterday's problems could stay there. Ziva was determined that they were going to play darts and she was trying to prove that she could behave well. She offered to help Gibbs clean the house and he had accepted her offer. She even convinced Gibbs that they needed music on the radio and then ended up dancing around with the broom as she cleaned. Gibbs even laughed as she pirouetted while dusting the book shelves. The idea that she would be un-grounded tomorrow was exciting and her mood was in a good place.

After they finished cleaning and Gibbs had consumed his third cup of coffee, he turned to her with a question.

"I'm going to go in to the office for a bit to check on how everything is going for Tony. Do you want to stay here or go in with me?"

"Go!" Ziva replied instantly and eagerly.

"You won't be working," Gibbs warned her.

"That is fine!"

Working did not matter. Just being out, being back at the office even for a short time, would be wonderful. And now that her body was almost healed maybe it would not be too long until she finally got to go back to her job.

When they got to NCIS she took off on her own. It had been a very looooooooong two weeks to the day that felt more like several months. She could not squelch the feeling that she had missed out on mountains of exciting cases and captivating puzzles. There was so much to catch up on and so many people to visit. She would start at the very bottom and make her way up to Jenny's office.

First stop - autopsy.

"Ziva!" Jimmy exclaimed as she arrived at the door. "You're back!" He hurried over to hug her, then paused to check that he was blood-free before embracing her. She smiled.

"No, she is not back," Ducky announced from where he was elbow-deep in his work. He turned around and frowned thoughtfully before continuing. "Oh - Ziva, dear! What are you doing here?"

"I am just visiting, Ducky," Ziva laughed. "I am sure that Jenny will not let me come back until you say I can."

Ducky smiled sympathetically. "Well, I hope that will be soon but I am glad that you are in for just a visit for today. " He gestured to his desk. "You know where the peppermints are."

Ziva grinned.

"Want one, Jimmy?"

"Sure."

The two snacked on peppermints until Ducky needed Jimmy. Ziva gave him a final hug, confirmed that she would see Ducky the next day, and headed up to her next stop - Abby's lab.

"Ziva!" Abby squealed nearly dropping evidence at her excitement over seeing her friend. "You're back!"

"Just for a visit. At least for now." Ziva did not want Abby to get the wrong idea but she was delighted to feel so wanted.

"Does Gibbs know you're here?" Abby asked suspiciously.

"Yes. I did not run away," Ziva replied, mildly offended.

Abby caught onto Ziva's tone. "Sorry, Ziva. I've just ... well, once upon a time I was supposed to be at Gibbs' house while grounded when I was not at work but then I lied about having a special call in to work and then I came here just to hang out with Tony and Tim who I knew were catching up on paperwork but then Gibbs found out and ... anyway, just I didn't want you to get in trouble."

Ziva relaxed, suddenly understanding the motivation behind Abby's questioning. Thank you for caring was still well outside of her vocabulary but she was still grateful.

"That does not sound like it went well," Ziva commented instead.

"Yeah, well, it wasn't an experience that anyone should have," Abby said, shifting uncomfortably at the memory. Ziva recognized that little shuffle from whenever she thought of Jenny and Gibbs' ... application of ... correction? Discipline? Love? Time to change the line of thought.

"How is your working going today?" Ziva asked, moving forward with a new discussion topic.

"Great. It'll be even better when Gibbs stops by with a Caf-Pow! but even though Tony forgets my drinks sometimes he brings in doughnuts for breakfast at least twice a week. I like the sprinkly ones."

Something in Ziva's stomach tightened as she felt a wave of loneliness despite being right there. She was used to being involved as much as possible and now she was back to being an outsider. Her face drooped a little.

Abby, sensing the change of mood, came up behind her and gave her friend a big hug, being careful of the location of the healing cut. "I'm planning on coming over on Friday night to help Gibbs make my bed. I've pre-ordered a bunch of gourmet cupcakes for then so that we could have a fancy dessert." She tilted her head and smiled at Ziva. "Won't it be great? When we both have beds we'll be able to stay at Gibbs' overnight together! Just we'll have to make sure that it's for fun, not because we're grounded. I've been grounded there with Tim and Tony before but it's much fun. Gibbs makes us do chores and go to bed on time and we don't get to watch movies or do anything really fun. Gibbs can get pretty diabolical. He can make being with three of my favourite people for a few days into the most boring thing in the world. It's just not fair how good he is at it."

"Good at what, Abs?"

"Gibbs! Gibbs! Gibbs!" Abby squealed, turning around and hugging Gibbs tightly. Ziva stepped back to give them some time together. Abby needed some time with Gibbs. They had such an easy, relaxed, special relationship. Ziva had heard many people say that they were a perfect "father/daughter" match.

It was the kind of relationship that could make someone on the outside feel like they were intruding.

It could remind someone of all the times that they had been unimportant and pushed to the side for more important people.

That someone could be reminded of a lot of things and time that they would rather forget.

Someone like Ziva, who edged toward the door as Abby began chattering with Gibbs.

But her retreat was not unseen. Gibbs turned and gave her a smile and a wink. "Make sure to go see Tony next. He has a box of doughnuts and if you're fast maybe you can get one before they're all gone."

"Save me a sprinkly one!" Abby added, her green eyes twinkling at the idea of pastries.

"I will," Ziva promised before hurrying out to locate DiNozzo and his doughnuts.

"Ziva!" Tony and McGee chimed together as she laughed after having triumphantly sneaked over and claimed three doughnuts - including a sprinkly one that she was going to run back to Abby - before they noticed her appearance. It spoke a lot about how happy he was to see her that Tony did not immediately make a fuss at a quarter of his doughnuts having been stolen from his desk. After both young men got a chance to hug their dearly-missed teammate/sister, they caught each other up on all the latest news. Eventually they settled into their desks, snacking on the pastries and drinking coffee together. Ziva had audaciously stolen her beverage by helping herself to half of Gibbs' temporarily abandoned cup on his desk, pouring it into a mug that she kept at her desk.

"He will not know," she explained to the boys. "How could he? He drinks so many cups each day that he cannot possibly remember how much he has left every time."

"Well, it was nice knowing you," Tony said stoically, resigned to her fate.

"Don't you know the rule about not messing with a Marine's coffee?" Tim spluttered.

Ziva, queen of confidence for the moment, shrugged. "He would not want me to choke on my doughnut, would he?" She looked at both of her teammates and her smile quavered. "Would he?"

The ding of the elevator warned them of Gibbs' approach and Ziva suddenly remembered that she still had someone left to visit. That was why she was running up the stairs. The exercise was nice. No other motive. None at all.

Meanwhile, Tim and Tony watched Gibbs carefully. He sat down and took a swig of coffee. His face remained expressionless as he set the cup down and began on the small pile of paperwork that, due to his position as team leader, had still accumulated despite DiNozzo's stellar temporary leadership. Tim and Tony exchanged a look of hope. Ziva was going to get away with ...

"I know what she did," Gibbs said sternly without even looking up at them. "And what did you do to stop her?"

"Warn her not to," Tim immediately responded.

Traitor! He couldn't have really known and you just told him! Tony mouthed at Tim, who shrugged back in irritation.

I can't lie to him! He knows everything, Tim silently argued back in his defense.

"Not everything. Just enough to keep you four in line," Gibbs replied calmly.

Tony and Tim looked at each other with eyes nearly double the natural size.

"We won't let it happen again," Tony spluttered.

"No, you won't," Gibbs said menacingly while signing another form. "And neither will Ziva. And next time you make sure that you don't let her take my coffee or I'll be holding you both accountable as well."

"Yes, Boss," the two meekly echoed in sync.

"Good." Gibbs picked up his cell phone and called a number. "Jen? Please tell Ziva ..."

...

"You can go in," Cynthia said. Ziva smiled and entered Jenny's office.

Jenny stood and held out her arms. "Come here, Ziva. I'm so glad that you came by for a visit."

Ziva hurried over and hugged Jenny.

"I hear that you have been causing trouble," Jenny said.

"No!" Ziva protested a little too quickly.

Jenny held up her phone. "Jethro just called."

"Oh," Ziva said softly. "It was just ..."

Jenny smiled and kissed her cheeks. "Good for you! Jethro does not need that much caffeine anyway."

Ziva smiled at the unexpected support.

"But Jethro did leave a message."

"What was it?" Ziva asked, lightly biting the inside of her lip.

"Behave!" Jenny chuckled.

"Was he mad?" Ziva checked nervously.

Jenny smiled. "I think that he was making sure that the others were not going to get any ideas. I would not test him and do it again, but I think that he will leave it at that as long as you do not repeat offend."

"I will not," Ziva assured Jenny. "It was too close of a yell anyway."

"Close of a call?"

Ziva grunted in frustration at the intricacies of English and Jenny smiled before motioning for Ziva to sit down.

"We have not talked much about your counseling sessions, Ziva. I know you've been going for a few weeks and How about we talk about that now?"

Ziva, sensing a command rather than a request, slowly sat down and immediately crossed her arms defensively. All the fun from the visit was gone.

"Why are you wondering?" she mumbled.

"Ducky says that you're almost physically healed to a point where he would be okay with letting you return to work and I know that you have worked when injured much more seriously. That's not what's preventing us from letting you come back to work today. But due to the flashbacks and mental breakdown, I am getting you to take a psych evaluation before you return. And before that, your therapist, Ducky, and I all have to be in agreement that we think you have actually improved and are not just going to try to fake the test."

"I am fine!" Ziva mumbled, unhappy at the fact that Jenny knew her well enough that the regular tricks would not work.

"You had a breakdown after you were injured. That's why we have insisted on taking care of you, Ziva. And for some reason, something inside you did not let you search for help when you were re-opened the cut, leading to infection. I cannot let you go back in the field until I am sure that you are in a place where doing so would not be putting you at risk of having another breakdown or disregarding your health, putting your well-being at risk. And until we talk about it, then I cannot properly gauge ..."

"That is not fair! If I can pass the psych evaluation than I should be able come back. No one else's opinions should matter!" Ziva exploded in protest, standing up despite Jenny's raised eyebrow and motion for her to sit back down in the chair. "I do NOT feel like talking to YOU! Good BYE!"

She rushed out of the office with a little slam of the door.

Jenny remained behind her desk, rubbing her temples. "Sometimes she's a little too much like Jethro." She picked up her phone and made a call to Ducky.

"Dr. Mallard? I agree with your opinion. I think Ziva needs just a little more time as well. ... Yes, she is close. ... Just not yet. And yes, I"ll be having a talk with her soon. We have a few issues to discuss."

...

Oh, I have a feeling that Jenny's not just going to let Ziva keep ignoring this conversation. How do you think that's going to go?

Hugs! MM