Sorry it took so long to get this up. I've had it written for a while now, but I have made a vow not to post until I have the next chapter written so if something happens there is something there. I was having a hard time getting back into the swing of Ducky's because I lost the document after writing the first half and just hadn't had the time to get it written properly again. So this takes place very soon after the previous one. So the evidence Abby is processing is the same evidence McGee brought her in the last chapter. I really loved how Abby and McGee's contrasting Kates were both in the same scene so I did something like that here. You'll see. Anyway, enjoy and I'll hopefully have Tony's up by the end of next week and then maybe another Gibbs chapter (I got a few reviews for more Gibbs insight) and then I think I'll have some Tony mini-visions in a chapter or two after that. Let me know what you think.
Oh, and thank you to everyone who reviewed or favorited or alerted or just read the story. You all make my day. As Abby would say "I'm hugging you all in my mind!"
Fun fact: The Damacles (pretty sure that's how you spell the ship Ziva was on) sank on my birthday.
The bullpen was quiet as Gibbs and Tony were both out picking up a suspect and Abby was still processing a boatload of evidence that had been brought down earlier. Tim McGee was sitting at his desk alternately typing up part of his report and trying to write a chapter for his latest book. He was figuring out what he wanted to happen between Tommy and Lisa and was having a particularly difficult time writing what she would say in the situation and making it feel right for the characters.
"Just think of what I would do McGee. It worked before, why should now be any different?" Ziva's voice said from somewhere to his left. He looked over and spotted her standing in between his and Tony's desks with the clicker for the plasma screen in her hand, looking over the evidence for their case like usual. Unlike usual, however, she was clad in a very form-fitting pair of black jeans, a figure hugging black leather jacket with a red lace camisole peaking out from underneath, her long dark hair straightened with a slight curl at the ends and a pair of black patent leather peep-toe heels to top off the super ninja chick ensemble.
"Wow," McGee breathed. "Oh God, I've been hanging out with Tony way too much." Ziva turned toward him and took a few deliberate steps to lean against the edge of his desk.
"Will you keep me in the books even though I know you doubt you will ever see me again?" she asked simply, not moving from her position next to his monitor.
"I, uh, well, um, I'm not, yeah. I would never take you out of the books Ziva. At least I can make life the way it should be in the story, even if it doesn't work out that way," McGee said by way of explanation.
"I am glad. I would hate for you to lose that creative outlet. And you are very difficult to be around when you can not write, McGee," she continued, pushing away from the desk and going back to the plasma. "You really should arrest this meth dealer soon. It is too bad I am not here to interrogate him. I am sure he would confess."
A thin smile found its way across Tim's lips. "You always were like a human lie detector, Ziva."
She chuckled lightly in assent before plopping gracefully into Tony's desk chair and putting her feet up on the desk top like he always did. Her fingers alighted on a pen that was sitting on his desk and she picked it up to fiddle with until Abby came rushing in with news for McGee. She bounded through the bullpen, coming to rest in the space that Ziva had previously been standing in. By the time she finished spouting off the results of her various tests and Tim could get a look at the chair their missing friend had been in, his daydream image of her was gone and all he got was a funny look from Abby.
"What is it Timmy?" the goth asked worriedly.
"Oh, uh, nothing. I was just thinking about Ziva," he replied, glancing once more around the office, only to see her sneaking, with a sly smile on her face, into the men's room like she usually did to confront Tony.
Abby smiled softly as she glanced over her shoulder to where her own Ziva image was gracefully reclining against the side of her desk with her arms crossed in front of her and the sunlight from the windows dancing across her features. "Yeah, me too."
So please leave a review and let me know what you think and how exactly you would like this to continue after Tony's. If you like my original thought as listed above or have a suggestion or anything I would love to hear it. =]