„Boss!"

Gibbs took his arm from around Ziva's shoulder and turned around. The door to the bar just fell closed behind Tony as the younger man stepped outside. The senior agent sent Ziva a quick look, motioning for her to go to his car. "Come on, I'll be right behind you." Ziva sent Tony a quick look, before nodding curtly. Only then did Gibbs face Tony again.

"DiNozzo-"

"What the hell is going on?" Tony interrupted him, trying to make a beeline for Gibbs' car, where Ziva had just sat down in the passenger seat. "What's with Ziva?"

Gibbs quickly moved in front of his way, holding his hands up. "Leave her alone, DiNozzo."

"Like hell." He tried to push his way past Gibbs. "What's up?"

"She's fine, DiNozzo. So why don't you go back inside."

"Yeah? Let me talk to her!"

"DiNozzo!" Gibbs had to push Tony back by the shoulders. "You've been drinking. Go back inside or go home."

"Don't tell me what to do!" Tony lashed out at him. "I want to talk to Ziva!"

"She doesn't want to talk to you, DiNozzo."

Tony's eyes were set on the car, but Ziva wouldn't meet his gaze. After a long moment of pondering he turned to Gibbs, his frustration now accumulating onto him.

"Who are you to decide that?" His gaze was fiery and Gibbs noticed Tony clenching his fists. Trying to keep his cool, he took a step towards Tony, being well in his personal space, and sent him a chilling look. His voice held a clear warning.

"DiNozzo. It's late and you are drunk. Go home. Sleep it off." Tony seemed as if he wanted to say something, but before he had the chance, Gibbs caught his raised fist. "Don't even think about it."

The senior agent turned around without another word and only when he heard the door shut behind him, did he dare to release the breath he'd been unintentionally holding.

Tony gave his reflection on the doors a last cursory glance. Today was not going to be his day. He rearranged his sunglasses just as the elevator doors opened with the familiar sound, making Tony flinch. Strolling over towards his desk, balancing two cups if coffee in hand, he was surprised to find he was not the first one to arrive this morning.

Setting down is things he turned towards his partner. "So… you left with Gibbs last night."

Ziva barely looked up from her computer. "And a good morning to you, too, Tony" she murmured, raising her eyebrows in irritation.

Tony scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, that too. So… you? Leaving with Gibbs?" he trailed off. Only then did Ziva look at him. And she was not happy. "Is none of your business, is it now?" She even got up from her desk, crossing her arms over her chest.

But Tony didn't take no for an answer. "What was going on last night?"

"That is none of your business, Tony. Now leave it alone."

"It is my business!" He cried out. "Or at least it should be." Tony added in a whisper.

Ziva shook her head and snorted. "You decided that it is not your business, Tony. So deal with it." Just then, McGee appeared next to them, looking as tired as they felt.

"McGee!" Ziva left the utterly confused Tony standing beside her desk and followed the younger agent to his. "McGee, I'm-"

"It's okay, Ziva" McGee wearily said, putting his stuff down and taking a seat at his desk.

"It is not okay, McGee." Her voice grew softer, almost tentative. "Have you talked to Abby?"

"No" he sighed, "she ignored my calls and hasn't returned any of my messages."

"Well then" Ziva squared her shoulder, "I will go and explain everything."

The younger agent threw her a sympathetic look. "Want me to come with you?"

Ziva shook her head. "No, I will be fine."

"Abby?" Ziva tentatively asked when she entered the lab mere minutes later. She was greeted by blasting music. Abby sat at one of her work stations, apparently compiling a play list.

"Abby?" Ziva tried again louder. Only on the third try did the scientist hear her. But that didn't make her turn down the volume of the music. After a quick glance over her shoulder, she chose to ignore Ziva and minded her computer again.

Taking a deep breath, Ziva walked over to her and grabbed the remote, effectively shutting off the music.

"Abby-"
"What the hell do you think you're doing, David?" Abby spun around on her stool, grabbing the remote out of Ziva's hands. But she didn't turn the music back on. Ziva saw this as a good sign.

"Abby, I just wish to speak with you."

"Well, good luck then, 'cause I'm not talking to you!" The scientist turned towards her computer again, furiously hacking away on her keyboard.

The Israeli woman sighed, kneading her fingers in frustration. "Well then, maybe you will listen. Abby, what you saw yesterday-"

"I know what I saw, Officer David. You were taking advantage of Tim. You were using him as revenge!"

"Hey!" Both women turned around to the doorway. "Ziva didn't take advantage of me, okay?" McGee commented indignantly. "And she sure wasn't using me. I'm not a helpless puppy, Abby!"

"Tim-"

"No Abby. I can take care of myself, thank you very much. She didn't use me." He flailed his arms around, trying to get his point across. Ziva bit her lips. This was not going like she had hoped.

Abby got up from her stool, pointing an accusing finger at Ziva. "I know what I saw, McGee. You and Ziva were-"

"Were nothing Abby!" McGee cut in. "Nothing happened."

But before Abby had a chance to reply, Tony appeared in the doorway. "Would somebody please explain to me, what the hell is going on?"

All three occupants of the room turned towards him, and both Ziva and McGee were quick to answer. "Nothing."

Abby just snorted and turned back towards her computer. Tony eyed his team mates warily and took a step closer to Abby. "Abby? What's going on?"

McGee and Ziva shot each other a worried glance, but Abby remained silent. "Abby!" Tony's voice was sharper now. Without tuning to look at him, Abby answered. "I'm not talking to you."

Tony did a double take. "Excuse me?"

"You heard right. All of this is your fault. So I'm not talking to you." Abby did her best to remain facing her screen.

"What?" He turned around, facing everybody in the room. "Something here doesn't add up. And unlike McGee I don't like mysteries. What the hell is my fault?"

Ziva quickly captured McGee's eyes, trying to shake her head as subtly as possible. But Abby couldn't seem to restrain herself anymore. "Aargh! Tony!" She spun around on her stool, hands on her hips. "Can't you see? Ziva-"

"Abby!" Ziva quickly cut in. "Don't."

"What? Don't tell him what he should already know? If you're not going to do it, I'll have to!"

This time it was McGee interfering as he stepped forward, trying to reason with her. "Abby, leave them alone! This is none of your business!"

Tony threw them curious glances, his face hardening. "Why do you suddenly feel the need to defend Ziva? What is it, that has you protecting her, Probie?" He sent Abby a questioning glance, but the Goth looked down at her boots, chin stuck out. But before McGee or Ziva could answer, Tony had come to his own conclusions. "Is there something going on with you two?"

"What?" Both agents were flabbergasted.

"Yeah" Tony explained, "all the secretive glances, shared private conversations, bringing each other coffee in the morning." He fixed his gaze on Ziva and she could clearly see the hurt in his eyes. As if he was wordlessly begging her to contradict him. She would not.

Ziva had spent the last months watching Tony with plenty of girls. He had gloated about it. And never had he cared whose feelings he might be hurting. What right did he have to feel hurt now?

When nobody answered him, Tony turned towards Abby for confirmation. "Abby? You know something. Tell me."

Abby threw Ziva a quick glance and then shook her head. Tony was growing irritated and he faced McGee, taking a threatening step closer to him. "If you and Ziva are…. So help me God, McGee, if you so much as touched her-"

Ziva had had enough of this. She stepped forward, meeting a furious Tony head on. "You what, Tony? You don't get it, do you? There is nothing going on between Tim and me!" Tony gaped at her, but the Israeli wasn't finished yet. "So what if there was, huh? It is none of your business. Nothing we do is any of your business. But you don't care about that, do you? You always have to know everything about everyone, and make sure to spoil it for them. Because when Tony DiNozzo cannot have what he wants, why should anybody else? But you do not even know what you want! Here you are, speaking as if you have some claim on me, when in reality you make the choice not to give a damn about me. You make that choice over and over again, every time you touch one of those girls in the bar." Ziva seemed to have deflated and Tim, standing nearest to her, thought he could see tears brimming in her eyes. Taking a long look at Tony, she only murmured a quiet "I'm done" before fleeing the room.

Tony stood at the large windows, overlooking the city's night lights across the river. He didn't feel like turning around when he heard shuffling feet behind him, but was left with no choice when an iron fist grabbed his shoulder, yanking him around.

"Ow!" He tried to loosen the hand, pressing into his shoulder. "Abby, that hurts!"

Abby just smirked. "Stop crying, DiNozzo." McGee next to her couldn't help but smile.

Tony circulated his shoulder, massaging it with his other hand before acknowledging his company. "I'm assuming, since you already went ahead and took everything else, that you're here for my self-respect. But there's bad news on that one, kids, I already lost it."

"Oh stop being such a drama queen, Tony!" Abby commented. "Someone had to tell you what an ass you were to Ziva sooner or later. That it was Ziva herself…"

Tony frowned. "How was I supposed to know that Ziva … you know!?"

Abby just raised her eyebrows, so Tony turned towards McGee. "Come on, Tony. She was practically throwing herself at you for the last months!" – "What? But she never said anything!"

"Tony." Abby took him by his shoulders. "This is Ziva we're talking about. She's just as afraid to get hurt as anybody else. I bet she's frightened." She released him again, but when he didn't do anything, she punched his shoulder.

"Ow! Abby! Stop it!" Tony rubbed his sore muscles.

"Well? What do you plan to do? Because, seriously, it better be something good!"

Tony looked down at his feet, before meeting his friends' gaze again. "She won't talk to me. I tried calling her all day. I even drove by her apartment!" Both McGee and Abby watched him with pitiful eyes.

"Tony. Maybe the time for talking is over. Go do something." Abby insisted.

The senior agent frowned at her. "You sound like a fortune cookie." McGee sighed next to him. "But she might be right about this, Tony. Opportunity does not knock. Then knock again. And then leave a note saying 'Sorry I missed you'."

Tony pounded against her door once more, raking through his hair in frustration. "Ziva!" He directed his anger at the piece of wood in front of him. "Dammit Ziva! Open up! I know that you're home!"

He took a deep sigh, forcefully banging his fists against the frame. "What do you want?! You want me to beg? 'Cause that's not going to happen!" The volume of his voice was steadily increasing. Maybe she would open up, if he just shouted loud enough. He actually had to chuckle at that idea. No, she wouldn't. She would watch him being arrested for disturbing her neighbours.

"I'm sorry, dammit, okay? There! I've said it! I. Am. Sorry." He leaned his head against her doorframe, feeling deflated. "Ziva… somehow, we're miserable when we're together, but the truth is… I'm even more miserable when I'm not with you. I would love nothing more than to engage in our patented, meaningless, good-humoured Tony-Ziva fag-hag banter, but... this thing with us is real. It's so real that it's kept me moving, mostly running from it, never ready for it… I know I'm not the subtlest guy when it comes to women and I probably said something insanely inappropriate again, but I… I kinda like you. And I never slept with any of these girls." He suddenly added in a low tone as an afterthought. He laid his palm against her door, as if willing it to open. When it didn't, he opened his mouth to say something, just to close it again. In the end, he couldn't keep quiet. "I thought you deserved to know that."

With a last reluctant glance at her door, he stepped back and turned around to leave.

"Tony."

Tony spun around, when he heard his name. Ziva stood in the doorway, slightly leaning against it's frame, a small smile on her lips.

"You running again?"

He quickly shook his head, holding up his occupied left hand. "I brought pizza and a movie."

Ziva's smile widened. "I hope it's not a hen flick."

"Chick flick." Tony corrected her as he crossed the distance to her front door. "It's called a chick flick, Zeevah. And no, it's not. 'Spy Game'. Robert Redford, Brad Pitt…. Great movie, always been underrated." He stood directly in front of her now, yet she didn't move out of the doorway.

Ziva looked up at him, a mischievous smile playing on her lips. "So… you kinda like me, huh?"

Tony seemed to think about this for a moment, frowning slightly. "Yeah. I guess so. Hope that's not a problem for you, sweetcheeks."

Ziva moved aside, trailing into her apartment, leaving the door open for Tony. "No. I guess not."

When we're headed toward an outcome that's too horrible to face, that's when we go looking for a second opinion. And sometimes, the answer we get just confirms our worst fears. But sometimes, it can shed new light on the problem, make you see it in a whole new way. After all the opinions have been heard and every point of view has been considered, you finally find what you're after - the truth.

But the truth isn't where it ends, that's just where you begin again with a whole new set of questions.