Another empty coffee cup fell carelessly into the trash can next to his desk. He let out a yawn and stared at the clock; three thirty -two in the morning…almost exactly twelve hours since Ziva had been arrested for murder. He had diagnosed and researched every possible thing there could be about the marine and his girlfriend, Sarah Taylor, but he had yet to find anything except that he was getting ready to be deployed to Iraq in a couple of months. Sarah Taylor had absolutely nothing on her record, not even a speeding ticket.
"Damn it!" Tony cursed, slamming his fist down onto his desk, causing the computer monitor to slightly shake. He put his head in his hands and rubbed his heavy eyelids. He grabbed the coffee and took another sip, before realizing that he was out, "Gotta get a refill." He muttered, and noisily got up towards the break room. Hopefully they still have some coffee left from this afternoon. Hopefully Gibbs didn't drain it all. He peeked into the dark break room and flicked on the light, loosening his tie so that it was free from his collar and hung loosely around his neck as he did so. He stared at the coffee pot and smiled. There was a little left.
He walked over and dumped the rest of the coffee from the jug into his cup and grabbed the sugar, pouring in a couple of spoonfuls of sugar. He stirred it and then left the break room, switching off the light. He made it back to his desk and set his coffee down, while taking off his jacket and un-tucking his shirt. He sighed and rubbed his eyes again, shaking his head as if to try and make himself less sleepy. He groaned and looked up at the high ceilings.
But, even though Tony was tired, he still was able to spot out the small amount of light that was stretching across the hallway, from the director's office.
Tony, being the trained Special Federal Agent that he was, grabbed his gun and quietly ran up the stairs, slowing as he reached the director's office. The door was opened ajar, but he couldn't hear anything. He immediately thought the worst, but then shook his head of that as he kicked the door open, drawing his gun at Jenny Shepard's face.
"Tony," She smiled, "Why are you still here?" He immediately withdrew his gun and placed it back into his holster.
"Working, Director."
"Come sit, Tony. I was just about to call it a night myself. Of course, my night's almost done. I'm due back here at 0600." She sighed and frowned at the black couch up against the wall, "I guess the couch will just have to do."
Tony took a seat in one of the chairs, leaning back as he did so. He sighed.
She walked over to him, leaning up against the side of the table, next to him, "What's wrong, Tony? You seem upset. Was it because of-" She started, but he cut her off.
"Ziva didn't do it. I know her. She didn't do it, Jen."
"I know she didn't, Tony."
"You told me not to screw over my partner! Well guess what?" He asked, even though he didn't want an answer. He stood up in the process, "I screwed over my partner! Now, because of me, instead of interrogating her at her apartment…anywhere else where Gibbs wasn't, she's sitting in a jail cell probably wondered why the hell she joined NCIS in the first place! I know what it's like to be in a jail cell, Jen, and trust me, it's not fun. Soon, Ziva, being the Mossad assassin that she is will probably start killing herself! I saw the hallucinations, Jenny, it's not something that I should be proud of. I screwed my partner…literally, I screwed her over…" He sighed and stopped pacing, taking a seat down next to Jenny, who hadn't moved from her original position, before he stood up, "I messed up, Jen. You can say it."
"It's not your fault, Tony. Ziva's probably being framed, just like you were, Tony." She reassured him.
"I don't think she's being framed." Tony shook his head.
"How can you be so sure?"
"I saw the blood on her knife."
"What knife?"
Tony gulped. I just screwed my partner over twice…in one twenty-four hour period, "Okay, so last night, Ziva was over at my house, it was dark, around this time…" Jenny's eyebrows went up, but DiNozzo decided to ignore it, "She got upset, reached for her gun, couldn't find it, reached for her knife. Found that…she always has a knife on her. Gibbs' rule number nine, never go anywhere without a knife. She found blood…on the knife. Haven't run blood tests on it yet…haven't been back to my apartment to go and get it."
"Why did she get upset? So upset that she had to reach for her gun?"
"What is this an interrogation session? I don't want this. It's almost four in the morning, Jen. Why don't you get some sleep before Gibbs comes in here all-"
"Forget about Gibbs, Tony. I'm worried about you."
"That's a first." Tony grinned as Jenny walked towards him.
"Why did she get upset, Tony? Was it something you said?"
"More like something I…did."
"Another woman? And she got jealous?"
"No…more like a drunken Ziva, who didn't understand what I was doing in bed with her…"
Jenny smiled, "Ah, I see."
"Hey, she asked me to do it!"
Jenny laughed, "I understand, Tony. I was once in love with a co-worker as well. Also my partner. My field agent." She turned around, thinking briefly back to her moments with Gibbs, went they went undercover in Paris. She started towards her window, her back turned to Tony, "We first fell in love when we went undercover. When did you fall in love with Ziva?"
"The first time I met her. I remember the first question she asked me too, 'Are you having phone sex?'" Jenny and Tony both laughed, but let their laughter die as the director turned back around.
"Go home, DiNozzo. You look tired. Ziva would want you to go home."
"Ziva would also like to be at home instead of in a jail cell…she'd probably rather be here writing reports for Gibbs then there."
Jenny smiled, "DiNozzo. Did you hear me? Go home. Get some rest, come back tomorrow. You'll be able to think more clearly with some sleep. Even Abby went home, Tony, and you know how much she cares for the three of you."
"I know." Tony said, at a loss of words for once, "Look, Jen. I'll go home if you promise me you'll do one thing…"
"Of course, Tony."
"Wait, no, two things."
"Sure."
"One…don't tell Gibbs about this conversation."
She smiled, "And?"
"And get some rest."
"Will do, DiNozzo." He smiled.
"Thanks, Jen."
"Of course."
He started for the door and opened it, stepping one foot into the hallway before turning back, "Jen-"
"We'll get her back, Tony. I promise you."
Tony smiled, sighing as if a big burden had been lifted off of his shoulders, "Thanks. Hey, you know, about that conversation we had…"
"What conversation?" She smiled, and Tony grinned widely.
"I knew I always liked you! Goodnight, Madame Director." He said, bowing in a very dramatic manner.
She laughed, "Go home, DiNozzo. And bring back that knife tomorrow morning," She said, starting towards the couch.
"As you wish…milady." He said, in a British accent as he closed the door and started down to the squad room. He stared at his desk and then back up to the director's office. He saw the light that had been shining on the ground, across the hallway go off. "Go home my ass," He muttered as he sat down at his desk, taking another swig of coffee before turning back to his computer, "I'll save you Ziva, I promise." He glanced up at her desk and smiled to himself, "I promise."