Inside MTAC Ziva's stomach churned. The windowless room felt hot and breathless. To her it smelled of coffee, stress and deceit. She felt as though a giant hand was squeezing her lungs to bursting. She forced herself to breath slowly. The ability to function despite fear and nerves is what separated good agents from dead ones.

"Are you ready for this?" Ziva asked Tony. Her voice sounded distant, separate from her body. She was glad he was there. She found his presence comforting

"Ready as I'll ever be." He offered her his wrists. She clicked her cuffs on him as gently as she could.

"Ouch! Not so tight!" He winced in mock pain until he caught her expression. She was not happy. "If Gibbs wasn't watching us I'd…" He said in a low whisper intended only for her ears.

"You'd what?

"I'd either Gibbs slap you or kiss you. I haven't decided."

She glared at him. Sometimes when she looked at him he swore she could see right through him. As a college freshman he'd ripped off a road sign that said "Slippery When Wet" and hung it by his bed on a dare from a frat brother. He thought maybe he should pick up "Dangerous Intersection" for her.

Ziva stood in front of the gargantuan screen. Tony lay awkwardly at her feet, face angled to hide the fact that he was not who she said he was. He was uncomfortable. Some one really needed to do a better job cleaning the rug. It felt gritty against his face.

Gibbs waited alone on the edge of the room, out of range of the camera. He was alone. The team knew too much already. In his experience Mossad had a way of finding you and dealing with you before you even recognized that you knew something. He would run the risks alone. He hadn't wanted Tony to get more involved, but there was no talking him out of it. When push came to shove he was there for his friends. That, and he suspected his senior field agent was trying to get into Ziva's pants. Poor dumb bastard.

The blackened screen came to life with image of Ziva's father. Looking at the man Tony could see where she had inherited her soul-piercing gaze. Director David stared at his daughter with raptor-like eyes. The phrase "Battled hardened Soldier," came to mind. Tony hoped Ziva wouldn't take to long. He wanted to be done, to go home and see a particular green suit first hand.

Director David spoke first.

"You said this was urgent?"

"Why'd you do it Dad?" She asked. She spoke English. She didn't want to have to translate later.

"Do what?"

She knew better than to play this game. Even a new agent knew not to let their adversary get them off track. She wasn't surprised. He often underestimated her. This time that was his weakness. She'd play him. She'd win. "I can do this," she told herself. At 25 years old confrontation with him still made her palms sweat and her mouth go cottony.

She spoke. "In case you missed it I caught Peter. He told me everything. You had my home bugged. You had me watched. You think I'm a mole." Tony couldn't see her face but she sounded eerily calm.

The Director got up from behind his desk and stood in front of the camera. His face loomed ominously in the room. "I didn't do anything. If Peter did he acted alone. Maybe he's a mole"

"He's an idiot. You should have picked a better agent. He admitted everything."

The Director studied Tony, apparently trying to decide if his daughter's statement was true. He shook his head in disapproval. "I didn't want anyone else to know." To Tony he said, "I told you to steer clear of my daughter. You were supposed to stay out of sight."

"He can't answer you. I broke his jaw." She lied. They might look alike but they certainly don't sound alike she thought.

"You never were very nice to men." The director admonished her.

"Maybe I just don't know too many nice ones." She retorted. "Start talking Dad." The way he way lying Tony couldn't see her. She sounded angry. The calm, cool, collected agent was gone.

"There's no mole. I was worried after Ari turned that he might have taken you with him. Peter just needed a better reason to do it."

She snapped. "Ari didn't turn he was created. He used to be a decent person." She yelled.

"He was ultimately responsible for himself. As for you, we need you back here. You've had enough time to play NCIS agent."

"I'm not coming back." Ziva said, biting off the end of each word.

"Come back home. You're one of the few people I can trust."

"You just had me stalked! Now you're talking about trust? Which is it?"

"Come back home."

She paused. She was sweating and freezing cold at the same time. "I already am Home Director."

"You're Mossad. This is your home."

"That's where you're wrong Director. I'm NCIS now."

She motioned to Gibbs to severe the connection. The screen went black. "I am never going back. I can never go back now. I don't want to be a part of that world anymore." She thought.

She knelt and un cuffed Tony. For once he didn't have any snappy comeback. He just looked at her softly. She hated that look. It made her want to break down.

"Thank you."

He hugged her. "It's okay."

"Thank you too. For letting me handle this." She said to Gibbs.

"You're the best woman for the job." He said. He gave her the Gibbs sympathy look, squeezed her arm and left.

Alone in the room Ziva pulled Tony towards her and whispered in his ear, "Your place or mine?"

"Surprise me."

Oh, if only I could run & write (or box) at the same time this would be so much faster. Thanks for sticking with me. One more chapter to go. Saved the best for last. Tony gets better moves. Good stuff. Promise.