Do They Know?

Hold your own in the situation, don't be afraid to be a friend...

-Zombie, Jamie T

I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. Please don't hesitate to tell me what you think! Also, let me know if you know any of the songs that I put at the beginning of each chapter!

DiNozzo was sat at his desk, his eyes glued to the computer screen in front of him. McGee and Ziva strode out of the elevator and perched themselves back at their desks. The atmosphere of the bullpen had changed since Ziva returned, but more so over the past week. There was an unnatural feeling; emotions were laid out and it had everyone on edge.

"Find anything out?" Gibbs questioned as soon as they'd resumed to their usual positions at their desks.

"She seemed rather shocked to hear the news but McGee and I noticed it seemed very rehearsed. As if she'd acted it out repeatedly in the case that anyone would come by with questions." Ziva explained plainly.

"We didn't want her to think we were on to her so we said we'd be in touch. Not to mention, we hadn't heard anything from Ducky or Abby at that point." McGee elaborated on their visit to Jessica Moller's house.

"Right, I'll head down to Ducky and see what he has. Find out any background information on Moller." Gibbs dished out everyone's tasks and the team nodded their heads as a confirmation.

"McComputer, do as Gibbs says. Ziva, join me to the break-room?" McGee glared at Tony for leaving him to do the work. Ziva got up from her desk and followed Tony to the break-room.

"Yes?" Ziva questioned to why Tony had made her come here.

"Get anything out of McGee?" DiNozzo's smile turned eager for a response.

"I tried, but I think he suspects that we know." The smile disappeared off Tony's face.

"What? How?" There was shock in his tone as if somebody had just discovered a dangerous secret.

"How am I supposed to know?" Ziva's voice raised in pitch as she walked over to the vending machine. "Does it matter if he knows we know?"

"Yes, it does matter, Zee-vah. Two of our best friends are seeing each other behind our backs and we're just supposed to sit back and let it happen?" DiNozzo took a seat at one of the tables.

"Yes." She gave the vending machine a hard kick and out dropped a chocolate bar. Tony flinched at the sudden outburst.

"Jesus, Ziva. Calm down. Anyway, Abby admitted it earlier..." Ziva's head shot up at the statement.

"What? Why didn't you tell me?" Now it was Ziva's turn to ask the questions.

"Well, she didn't exactly come out with it. But, I was just about to leave and she asked why McGee wasn't sent down. I told her that Gibbs had sent him with you and I heard her mutter something to herself." DiNozzo ruffled his hair slightly while Ziva started to eat the chocolate bar she'd just 'acquired'.

"Did you hear what she said?" Ziva asked with a mouthful of chocolate which made Tony grin.

"She said 'he knows'. Meaning Gibbs I assume. That's practically a confession." DiNozzo reached over to try and steal some of the chocolate, only to be hit by Ziva.

"That's hardly a confession. Anyway, I thought you told me to wait for them to tell us?"

"You're right. Well, just pay attention to them. Try and bring it up with Gibbs. See if he'll let on that he knows."

"Gibbs? I think you're forgetting rule #12." Ziva got up and walked over to the bin to dispose of her wrapper.

"They already broke it ages ago. Doesn't count. Not to mention, they're nothing like us so they definitely would keep it out of the office." DiNozzo raised his eyebrows as he followed Ziva out of the break-room.

"Hey Duck." Gibbs greeted as he entered the autopsy.

"Hello Jethro." Ducky greeted back in the upbeat tone he always had.

"We got a COD?" Gibbs always got straight to the point when he visited Ducky.

"It would appear our young fellow died from asphyxiation through submersion in liquid." Ducky proceeded to take off his rubber gloves and protective clothing, throwing them away and taking a seat at his desk.

"So he drowned?" Gibbs managed to translate it to simple terms.

"Well...yes. Or rather he was drowned." Ducky got up and walked over to the body. "See these bruises on his neck?" Ducky pointed to the fingertip-like bruises on the victims neck, Gibbs nodded. "I suspect they're from his attacker forcing him under the water."

"Do we have a time of death?" Gibbs never retrieved this information at the scene due to drama within his team.

"Approximately between the hours of 10 and 11pm, Jethro."

"Thanks Duck. Anything else I should know?" Gibbs paused at the doors.

"I don't think so. Until next time, Jethro." Ducky nodded his head to Gibbs then took a seat back at his desk. Gibbs headed back up to the bullpen.

"What do we have on Jessica Moller?" Gibbs asked before he'd even entered the bullpen. Tony and Ziva looked to McGee. After all, they had left him to find out all the information while they escaped to the break-room.

"Moller's 22 years old, comes from a middle class family. She'd been going out with Merlo for about 8 months. She also has a criminal record, Boss." Gibbs glared at McGee to carry on.

"Uhhh, for theft and assault. When she was 18 she stole $300 from her boss. Then at the age of 20, she was arrested for assaulting her boyfriend but claimed it was in self defence." McGee finished giving a background check on Moller.

"Good job, McGee. Ziva go and question Moller again, and take DiNozzo with you." DiNozzo grabbed his gear straight away, glad that he'd been sent with Ziva this time. They headed for the lift and to Moller's house again.

Ziva knocked on the door, only this time Moller answered straight away.

"Agent David, was it?" Moller questioned.

"Yes, that is correct, and this is my partner Agent Anthony DiNozzo." Ziva pointed towards Tony who was standing next to her.

"That's Very Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo." Tony corrected as he held up his badge and glared at Ziva.

"Come in. I assume this is about my boyfriend again?" Jessica took a seat and Ziva and Tony sat opposite.

"Yes. We were wondering if you could answer some more questions? Would that be ok? I know we weren't here long ago but we have a bit more information this time." Ziva took the good cop approach.

"Yeah, that's fine." Moller seemed rather different today. She seemed subdued and as if she'd just woken up.

"Where were you last Friday between 10 and 11pm?"

"I was here all night."

"Can anyone confirm that?"

"No, I was alone. Do you think I had something to do with it? Like I'd kill my own boyfriend?" Moller's temper was thinning so DiNozzo stepped in to try and calm her down.

"It's a simple process of elimination, Miss Moller." Tony nudged Ziva, urging her to ask a different question.

"Did your boyfriend have any enemies? Anybody he didn't get on with?"

"No. Everybody loved Hector. I can't think of why anyone would want to hurt him." Jessica began to cry. DiNozzo rolled his eyes at how fake it sounded. He glanced around her house when something caught his attention. A cardigan draped over the edge of a sofa. Similar to the colour Abby had described to him. DiNozzo made a mental note to remember that he'd seen it. It can't have been a coincidence, rule #39 prohibited such thoughts.

"Well, that's all the questions we have for now. We'll contact you should we need anything else from you. Oh, and please don't leave the city without informing us." Ziva explained and got up to head for the door. They headed back to Navy Yard but got stuck in traffic.

"So, how's the ninja doing then?" DiNozzo asked with a smile, surprised at himself that he let Ziva drive.

"I'm good thank you, yourself?" Small talk wasn't an area they were good in. They usually spoke in riddles or with their eyes.

"Yeah thanks, I'm good too. I was thinking..." He paused at what he was going to say as if he was awaiting permission from Ziva to continue.

"About?" Ziva waited for him to carry on.

"Although a lot has happened between us since you returned, we haven't really spoken much..." He was finding it difficult to try and voice what he meant.

"We are speaking now, yes?" Ziva focused on the road ahead as the traffic started moving slowly.

"Taking that approach, are we?" DiNozzo turned in his seat to face her.

"You're right. What is it you want to talk about?" Ziva questioned, still keeping her eyes on the road as the traffic finally started moving. DiNozzo wanted to discuss living arrangements with her. Ever since Ziva had returned, they'd spent every night together. He thought it was about time they got a place together. But every time he even slightly hinted at it, she changed the subject or would start messing around the apartment.

"It doesn't matter actually." DiNozzo turned back in his seat and let irritation wash over his body.

They eventually arrived back at the Navy Yard to be greeted with a glare from Gibbs and a smile from McGee.

"What took you so long?" Gibbs growled.

"Traffic, Boss." DiNozzo answered as he slumped in his desk chair and started typing.

"What did Jessica say?" Gibbs questioned.

"She said that she was alone at the hours that Hector was killed but has no alibi. We asked if she would know who could possibly do this to him but apparently he had no enemies and everyone liked him." Ziva reported to Gibbs.

"She may not have an alibi Boss but she has something that links her to the case." Tony stated which caused Ziva to raise an eyebrow questioningly. Gibbs raised his eyebrows too but as an encouragement for DiNozzo to carry on.

"When we were questioning Moller, I scanned the apartment and noticed a cardigan draped over the couch. It looked like the same the colour as the fibres that were found on our vic."

"Good find, DiNozzo. Hold off on going to pick her up for questioning." Gibbs ordered which confused the team, but they knew he must have good reason for it.

"Uh Ziva, Abby wanted to see you." Tim told Ziva.

"Thank you for telling me, McGee. I'll head down now." Ziva smiled to McGee and headed down to Abby.

"You wanted to see me?" Ziva questioned as she entered Abby's lab.

"Hey! How are you?" Abby asked as she turned round to face Ziva.

"I'm fine, thank you..." Ziva trailed off in suspicion of why Abby would call her down for simple chit chat. "What is it you want?"

"Is it a crime to want to talk to my best friend?" Abby returned in an offended tone.

"Well...no." Ziva replied plainly.

"How are things with DiNozzo?" Abby's eyes lit up as she waited for an answer.

"It's going well. We haven't really had much time together recently."

"That sucks. I thought you were living together? Surely you see each other?"

"No, we are not living together. We just happen to spend every night with each other at each of our apartments." Ziva didn't know where this conversation was heading.

"What?! That's practically living together so why aren't you properly living together?" None of it made sense to Abby.

"It just hasn't come to mind. Look, Abby can we talk about something different?"

"I don't know why you're getting so defensive, but sure. How's everything going with working back here?" Abby changed subject as requested.

"It's going well, thank you. Although our suspect is not co-operating as much as we wish she would." Ziva decided to voice her frustrations.

"It would be too difficult for them to actually try and help." Abby smiled at Ziva.

"Right, I should probably get back to the bullpen. Gibbs isn't in the best of moods." She hugged Abby and headed to the lift.

"Seeya! Oh, will you ask DiNozzo to come down?" Abby questioned.

Ziva raised her eyebrows in suspicion. "Sure. Abby, what are you up to exactly?" Abby usually broke easy, so now it was time to test this trait. Abby avoided eye contact as soon as Ziva asked.

"I just need to ask him something only he can answer." Abby replied, hoping she'd got Ziva off her case. It was true after all, only Tony could answer her queries. Or at least try.

"I thought you would've been down there longer." McGee challenged. Ziva simply sat down at her desk.

"Tony, Abby wishes to speak to you."

"Then I shall go and grant her that wish." DiNozzo winked and danced stupidly to lift down to Abby's lab. McGee and Abby both watched him leave. They looked at each other, shook their heads, and got back to work.

"Hey Abs! What's up?" DiNozzo walked over to stand next to Abby at her computer.

"Hey Tony! Can I ask you something?" For once, Abby asked permission rather than just blurting out her thoughts.

"Go for it!" DiNozzo smiled as he leant on her desk.

"How come you and Ziva aren't living together? I thought everything was sorted between you two now?"

"I don't know really. To be honest, every time I mention it to Ziva she avoids the question or gets up and starts doing something else." DiNozzo explained. Maybe Abby could give some perspective to why she acted that way when the topic of conversation came up.

"So you have mentioned it to her?" DiNozzo simply nodded because he could see Abby wanted to continue. "I asked her about it just before I asked her to send you down, and she told me it hadn't come to mind. She got really defensive about it too!" Abby put on her 'angry' face. She didn't like it when her friends felt like they couldn't tell her things.

"I've tried speaking to her about it but she refuses. I really have no idea why, but I'm planning on finding out tonight." Tony smiled cheekily.

"And how do you plan on doing that if she won't speak to you about it?" DiNozzo wiggled his eyebrows showing that he had a plan.

"I'm going to surprise her by cooking for her, then she'll have no escape. She'll tell me eventually." DiNozzo crossed his arms, impressed with his plan.

"That's a good idea. Well, I hope it works. Let me know how things go?" Abby smiled as she clapped her hands.

"Will do!" He flashed his grin and left Abby's lab.

Please review - it makes me SO happy! I hope you're enjoying so far! Things will start to pick up over the next few chapters. I'll be uploading another chapter on Wednesday too!

Remember, you're fabulous!