Chapter Fifteen - "Two Years Later"
"So I was thinking maybe drinks tonight?" Melissa said to Tony off the walked off the elevator and towards the bullpen.
"Missy we talked about this" Tony said to her, as they walked over to their desks. "What happened shouldn't have happened."
"So is that a no on the drinks?" Melissa said to him. "It'd be you, me, the love birds and him if he decides to show up."
"Okay fine" Tony said to her.
"I swear nothing will happen. Like you said it shouldn't have happened in the first place, but I think you're just sorry it happened with me of all people" Melissa said to him.
"I happen to like you Missy, you know that" Tony said to her.
"Yeah after I fought my way through that wall you built up" Melissa said to him. "I get it; I wasn't welcomed the first week I was here. I replaced a team member that you all loved and you hated that. You know what I left behind a team I cared about as well, as a favor for Director Vance."
"Don't start this Missy" Tony said to her.
"Don't start what? That you still can't approve of me being here. You claim you are okay with it and all that, but in truth you are still waiting for Ziva to walk through those doors and take her desk back." Melissa snapped at him.
"Missy you are quickly crossing a line you don't want to cross" Tony snapped back at her.
"I can hear it in your voice Tony. It's there wither you want to admit it or not." Missy said to him.
"This was her home, we were her family and she just walked away like we were nothing. She doesn't get to come back." Tony snapped at her again.
"Tony" Melissa started to say as he realized what she had done.
"Ziva is gone and she's never coming back" Tony said before getting up from his desk and walking away.
"What did I just miss?" McGee questioned as he walked into the bullpen and over to his desk.
"I screwed up." Melissa said. "Tony told me something and I used it against him. I wasn't thinking and I brought up Ziva." She explained to McGee. "I didn't mean too."
"I thought we were past this Missy?" McGee said to her. He placed his bag down before walking over to her desk. "It's been two years if we wanted you gone, you would have been off the team a long time ago."
"I know, but Tony still has this wall up because of Ziva. I just don't feel he can really accept me as his new partner, no matter how much time passes" Melissa said to him.
"Tony and Ziva have a long history, I don't think anyone could fill that void" McGee said to her. "I'll go see if I can find him, maybe talk to him."
"Thank you" Melissa said to him. "And I really like you all here. This is an amazing team."
"Yeah we are" McGee said to her, before heading out of the bullpen.
"Then there was one" Melissa said to herself.
"Excuse me" Melissa heard a voice with an accent said she turned and looked to see a women standing there.
"Can I help you?" Melissa said.
"Yes" She said. "I am looking for your Director"
"He's up there" Melissa said, pointing to the door at the top of the staircase.
"Thank you" She said with a smile, before heading towards the staircase.
She walked up the steps of the staircase towards the door the lead to the Leon Vance's office. Once she was at the secretary's desk, she stopped. The secretary told her she could go in and she walked through the doors, made sure to close them before walking over to Vance's desk.
"I didn't think I'd be seeing you again." Vance said to her. "I was informed I would not be seeing you again."
"We made a deal" She said to him. "I lived up to my end, now you have to live up to yours."
"And I will, I am a man of my word, but" Vance started to say.
"It has been too long, so you had to fill the vacancy" She said to him.
"Ziva" Vance said to her. "It's not like that."
"Then what is it like" Ziva asked him.
"In order for this all to work, I needed to make it believable on my end as well" Vance started to explain to her. "Otherwise it was doomed to fail, but Ziva just like last time, you need to have everything up to date and a psych eval. Then we will go from there, but right now I can't make any promises" Vance said to her. "I will do what I can, but it's up to someone else too."
"Gibbs will understands" Ziva said to him.
"It's not Gibbs I am talking about Ziva and I know you know that, but that would be a good place to start" Vance said to her. "When everything is done, I will let you know what comes next."
"So we on tonight?" Abby said, as he walked into the bullpen and over to Melissa's desk.
"We were" Melissa said to Abby.
"What happened?" Abby questioned.
"I opened my big fat mouth about Ziva and now Tony is pissed at me" Melissa said to her. "I should know that is still a sore subject for him. I mean I can't even get him to notice me and I'm emotional wreak. So it's got to be ten times worse for Tony since he's in love with her and she just walked away. "
"Wait, wait Tony actually said he was in love with her?" Abby questioned. She always knew the two cared about each other. The two just never wanted to admit it.
"So you do know?" Melissa said, slightly relieved. "I kind of thought you all knew. After all it's written all over his face."
"Well we all knew he cared for her, but Gibbs has this rule. So McGee and I figured the two just weren't saying anything because of Gibbs rules. Plus I think maybe they thought it might mess up their partnership." Abby said.
"I think he just didn't want to admit it to himself. He wanted it to be strictly business" Melissa said to him. "I don't know their entire past, but I do know about the rescue, heck who doesn't know in NCIS, but in my opinion you don't go risking your life in the desert after they walked away for no reason."
"Tony is a caring person. Sometimes he doesn't show it, but when it comes down to it he'd lay down his life for you" Abby said to her. "That's what makes him a good Agent."
"I don't doubt that" Melissa said to her. "He's got a really unique way of working things" Melissa said with a laugh. "I have to say I really thought I would hate it here, but this is one of the best teams I've worked with. I know this was only temporary, but I really don't want to leave."
"Good because we don't want you too" Abby said with a smile.
"That's really up to Director Vance" Melissa said to her, as a few tears fell from her eyes. She quickly wiped them away.
"Why do you think your leaving all of a sudden" Abby questioned her.
"Director Vance told me when he asked me to join this team; it was only for a little while. I guess maybe he thought Ziva was coming back" Melissa said to her. "My stay was never permanent; I knew that from the start."
"Well maybe it can be now" Abby said to her.
"Maybe, I certainly would be happy if I could stay here" Melissa said with a smile.
"So would we" Abby said to her. "I have to get back to my lab, but tonight drinks, right?"
"Yup, You make sure Tim comes and I'll make sure Tony comes. We'll have fun" Melissa said.
"Kind of like a double date maybe?" Abby joked.
"Don't even start that" Melissa said, with a small laugh.
"I said nothing" Abby said with a smile and a laugh before heading off to the elevator.
"Oh trust me Abby, he's never liked me like that" Melissa said to herself. She was about to get back to work when she noticed the women from earlier walking passed the bullpen. "Excuse me"
"Yes" Ziva said as she stopped and turned to face Melissa.
"I know it's none of my business, but you weren't talking to Vance, I mean the Director about a spot in Special Agents Gibbs team were you?" Melissa asked. She knew as soon as it came out of her mouth she shouldn't have even asked.
"You are right; it is none of your business" Ziva sad to her.
"I am sorry about that" Melissa said.
"Never apologize, it is a sign of weakness" Ziva said to her.
"So I have heard" Melissa said. "You were just on your way out and I stopped you. I was completely out of line and I'll let you go."
"Rule number eight" Ziva said to her, before walked towards the elevator and leaving.
"Rule number eight?" Melissa questioned, as she walked back over to her desk.
"Never take anything for granted" Melissa heard a voice say. She looked over and saw Tony walked into the bullpen with McGee not far behind. "It's a Gibbs rule, ones you should know by now."
"He has 52 of them and not written down anywhere. How am I supposed to remember them all?" Melissa said to him.
"By learning Daniels" Gibbs said as he walked into the bullpen and over to his desk.
"We got a case Boss?" Tony questioned him.
"Yeah missing Agent just been found" Gibbs said. They all looked at him waiting for more. "About to go find out what happened. You all stay." Gibbs then walked out from behind his desk, with his jacket and headed towards the exit.