Chapter Seven

7:45pm
NCIS HQ

McGee steadies his quick hands because he is out of outlets in which he should continue searching in.

Tony is relaxing. His eyes are close. He is imitating his favorite actors in their best action adventures just to amuse himself and pass the time.


7:55pm

Ziva slows her steps while in the staircase. After a moment or so she completely stops. Resting her back against the wall she tries to get a hold of her emotions.

Her heart is in the right place, but her mind wanders with uncertainty.

She never thought she would ever feel like this.


8:30pm

Tony nearly lands on his ass when McGee says hello to Ziva.

"Find anything?" Tony's question is on the case, but his mind is reeling with endless questions for his partner.

"No." She is flippant.

He stands there wondering why she chose to answer him in such a way, but he refuses to get into anything 'serious' in front of McGee.

"This case is going nowhere." He mutters.

"It just went somewhere…"

The three Agents turn their heads in the direction of Gibbs's voice.

Gibbs moves to the side as a dead body lies on the floor of the elevator.

"Not exactly what I'd call room service…"

No one made a comment at Tony's offhand joke.


9:55pm

"I want every security tape in and outside this building grabbed." Gibbs held his breath. "NOW! GO! NOW!"

McGee was the first one to leave his desk.

Ziva followed quickly without any hesitation.

"Think it's one of us?" Tony asks his superior.

"Could be, DiNozzo."

Tony feels his last nerve snap in half at the gruff tone Gibbs gave him.

"At the result of sounding like I'm full of myself for talking about myself…yet again, enough's enough boss." He let out a heartless chuckle. "Don't you think I suffered enough for one lousy mistake?"

Gibbs sat in his chair and squinted at Tony.

"Ziva wasn't even in any trouble. What's the big deal?"

"It's the principle that counts." Gibbs tells him straightforward. "You're supposed to be on-call at all times."

"Really?" Tony finds that hard to believe. "So when you escape spontaneously for a weekend and you leave your cell phone buried somewhere in your basement along with your godforsaken boat…" He stops when Gibbs begins to glare. "…And you tell the rest of us to enjoy our weekend…we're supposed to be on-call, too?"

"Do you get paid to question me?"

"It's a legit question."

"The only thing legit is that dead body in the elevator!" He pushes himself away from his desk. "Help the others gather those tapes, DiNozzo--you're wasting time!"

Tony literally bit his tongue before stalking off.

Gibbs gets on his phone and phones Ducky. He hates to call him in at such an hour, but he is needed.


10:35pm

McGee and Ziva appeared with their hands full the security tapes from around the building.

"Split the pile." Gibbs orders. "Find a room with a TV in it and start looking for anyone or anything that put that body here."

Tony grabs a few from Ziva while leaving McGee with his huge pile. McGee glares momentarily at Tony's rudeness, but grabs the control for their big screen.

"No fair McGee!" Tony growls in a low whisper.

"It's just a television, Tony." He smugly grins.

"Oh yeah? Then let me have this one while you prance around finding another one?"

"First of all…I do not prance." McGee looks as if he is going to polish his nails against his suit jacket just for good measure. "Second of all…no."

"Come on." Ziva calls for him. "This way, Tony."

Gibbs hears the conversations between his Agents, but makes no move to threaten and/or scold anyone of them.

"You're lucky I'm needed elsewhere, Probie."

McGee rolls his eyes at Tony's idiotic ways before stuffing a tape into the VCR that he has hooked up to his computer.

"Separate rooms." Gibbs tells them.

Ziva nods at Gibbs while Tony fights the urge to ask why.


11:15pm

Gibbs eyes the footage in front of him while McGee holds the clicker in his hand.

"How many more McGee?'

McGee looks at the remaining tapes while Gibbs looks over his shoulder.

"Give the rest to DiNozzo."

"What if he's not finished with his pile?" He asks as he pauses the tape.

"He's got a real sharp eye." He grabs his weapon and his badge from his desk. "I'm gonna go check on Ducky's progress. Do me a favor, call Abby and tell her to get down here."

"But…she's at a concert." McGee waits. "…With all that loud music, she won't hear any phone ringing much less hers."

"It vibrates."

"…What?"

"It Vibrates McGee! Her phone!" He is impatient. "She'll feel its buzz."

"Right. I knew that."

He rolls his eyes at McGee before leaving his desk.


11:40pm

Tony ejects the last tape out of the VCR. Getting off the hard, metal chair, he stretches and rubs the back of his neck.

McGee knocks on the door, a small pile of tapes in his hands.

Tony opens the door with a paternal look.

"You've got to learn to sleep in your own bed at night, Timmy." Tony makes a 'tsk-ing' noise. "Otherwise all the other kids will laugh at you when they find out you aren't able to be by yourself."

"Okay Tony, enough." McGee is irritated and tired. "Gibbs told me to drops these off."

"But I already watched my portion."

"Well, you haven't watched these yet." McGee let's them fall on the table.

Tony wants to make a fuss so he makes a fuss.

"I've got something to do."

"So do I. Gibbs told me to call Abby."

"How about I call Abby for you?' Tony puts his arm around McGee and grabs the back of his neck sharply. "Let a friend help a friend."

"No Tony. Gibbs told me to call her. He wants you to watch these tapes."

Tony nods. He understands, but he still does not want to do it.

"I should be the one to call Abby."

"No Tony, she's already in my speed-dial. It's must faster if I call her."

"Oh…well she's in my speed-dial, too." Tony pats McGee's back aggressively.

"Ow!" McGee tries to get away, but Tony grabs a hold of him again. "Let go of me, Tony."

"Look!" Tony's eyes are fire. "I've got something very important I need to ask someone and you're behaving like a spoiled brat--"

"No I'm--"

"Let me finish!" Tony's hand tightens a bit more. "Why don't you get the tapes going and I'll be right back."

"I'm not falling again for that one, Tony." McGee's lips are tight.

"Either you trust me…or I'll tell Abby that you dream about her."

"I do not!"

"I heard you McCreepy. Last Tuesday you fell asleep at your desk."

"You're lying."

"I recorded it on my phone. I wouldn't test me if I were you."

"Alright!" McGee finally gives in. "I'll start the tapes, but you've got to come back as soon as you can otherwise Gibbs will find out."

"Don't worry, Probie." Tony grabs his suit jacket. "I wouldn't want to ruin your 'suck-up' streak with Gibbs. I'll be back in a few."


11:53pm

Tony knocks the little window of glass on the door to get her attention. When she notices him, she makes a comment to herself before opening the door.

"Tony, we're supposed to be viewing the surveillance tapes."

"Gibbs told McGee to handle the rest."

Ziva gives him a look. She knows he is lying.

"You finished?"

"Almost." She walks over to the TV to press pause.

"There's a pause button on the remote control."

"Yes, I am aware of that Tony." She is tense. "Is there a reason for you being here?"

He nods slightly while reviewing the words in his head. He wants not to fail at this attempt he seldom offers.

"I want to…offer you an apology."

"Do I have to take it?" She asks.

"Well, I'd like it if you did." He clears his throat. "I would have been there if I--"

"Weren't so busy with what's her name? Oh, Ava, was it?"

"Come on Ziva, there wasn't anybody at my apartment the other night."

She makes a nonchalant face while shrugging. A few incoherent sounds escapes her.

"I'm being honest." His eyes light up; a crooked smirk on his face. "The only Ava I know has the last name Gardener."

"I do not need to know her last name Tony!"

"No, Ziva--listen. She's not a real woman…well she is a real woman…" His mind wonders. "…A real beautiful…beautiful…beautiful, real woman…"

"Alright Tony, I get it. She's a hootie."

"Hottie." He corrects her.

He catches her pain stricken face.

"She's a movie star, Ziva. I was by myself that night." He begins again. "I was watching an AMC special…old Hollywood…black and white, a little bit of color." He stomps his foot to bring him back to the point of this meeting. "I misplaced my phone and then I overslept. I didn't ignore your call because I wanted to be a jerk about things."

She stands there listening. Her arms are cross over her chest.

"I'm not that bad of a partner, Ziva. I would help you or anyone else if it meant helping a friend or a partner…"

"Or a lover?"

His face is flush now. The palms of his hands feel cool and wet; sweaty. He feels his heart skip three or four beats quickly.

There are loud footsteps outside of the room.

"Gibbs." Ziva says when she sees him standing in the door frame.

Gibbs looks to Tony who tries to cover his emotions.

Ziva feels a slight fear in the pit of her stomach. The situation looks and feels eerie.

Gibbs looks to his feet and swallows. Taking a moment to keep his feelings in check, he looks up with the same pair of professional eyes his team knows all too well.

"It was Methanol that killed the man in our elevator." He says. "A stab under his left arm."

"Looks like we're right back at square one."

"Abby--" Gibbs's voice cracks uncontrollably. "Abby found something in the pocket of the pants he was wearing."

"He a Officer, too?" Tony asks.

Gibbs nods slightly; his gaze not sure where to fall.

Tony is making him nervous.

Ziva is breaking his heart.

"DiNozzo!" He finally snaps. His anger seeping through his voice. "Don't just stand there, get McGee for another stakeout."

"Aw boss--"

"At the Navy Yard this time."

"Yes!" Tony pumps his fist.

"I'll see if I can lend Abby a hand…" Ziva says.

"You're with Tony and McGee." He tells her.

She stops in her tracks and turns around.

"I think it would be better if I--"

"It wasn't a choice, Ziva. You're with Tony and McGee."

He stares at her; his face blank.