Disclaimer: I own the season three DVD. Does that count? No . . . oh, well. NCIS is not mine.

A/N I'm finally back in business. School is over for 2007 and I finally have time to get back to the important things in life (like fic writing). I am so sorry that it has been ages since I updated, but school and work got in the way big time. Plus I had major writer's block on (grrrr . . .) with this chapter, but I finally found the groove again. Hopefully people are still reading this and thanks to everyone who has stuck by me and waited for this long overdue update. I still have nine more planned chapters so bear with me (I know it's gonna be pretty long). Also thanks so much to my beta, Kandon Kuuson, who gave me most of these ideas of the stuff with Palmer and Lee.

"Our greatest joy-and our greatest pain comes in our relationships with others." - Stephen R. Covey
Chapter Fourteen: Relationships Are Important

Present Time – NCIS HQ

"Any word on Ziva," Abby asked, her pigtails whipping against her neck as she bounced up to Tony.

"Sorry, Abs." Tony looked downcast as he stared at his blank computer screen. "I think McGeek went to visit her."

"What!" Abby spun around. "Timmy went to see Ziva and didn't take me . . . humph."

Tony looked sympathetic. "I'm sure it was a . . . spur of the moment thing."

"He still should have told me," Abby grumbled, crossing her arms exaggeratedly.

"I sent him," Gibbs stated, not looking up from the report he was reading at his desk.

"What!" Now it was Tony's turn to be surprised. "Why . . .?"

"Because," Gibbs replied curtly.

"Because what?" Tony questioned.

Gibbs shot Tony his customary stare. "I just did, DiNozzo."

"But . . . I . . ." Tony trailed off.

"Yeah, me too," Abby added grumpily.

Gibbs sighed. "One: Abby, you were busy. Two: You know why, DiNozzo."

"Oh, great," Tony rolled his eyes and muttered as he opened the filing cabinet behind his desk. "Just because you think Ziva and I are sleeping together . . ."

"DiNozzo," Gibbs said warningly.

At the same time Abby said, "You? Ziva? Together! Doing it together?"

"No, Abby," Tony hissed as he firmly, but loudly, slammed a file into his filing cabinet. "Ziva and I are not doing it." He stressed the word 'not'.

"Oh." Abby looked thoughtful. "Well, you did make pretty ugly babies, you and Ziva that is."

"Hey!" Tony exclaimed. "My genes are good."

"I wonder why nobody wanted to use it then, DiNozzo," Gibbs added, a small smirk on his face.

"How? Whaa . . .?" Tony spluttered. "Damn, Ziva. Even in a coma, she still . . . . eurgh."

Abby giggled. "Ooh, so there are no little DiNozzo's running around then?"

Tony buried his face in his hands. "Shoot me now."

Abby giggled again. "Cheer up, Tony. I'm sure you and Ziva can make cute babies."

"I'm not making any babies with Ziva!" Tony exclaimed loudly, pulling his head up from his hands.

"You and Ziva are making babies?" McGee asked nonchalantly, walking into the bullpen. He did a double take. "What?"

"Long story, Probie, long story," Tony sighed.

"You want the full version or the Reader's Digest version," Abby offered, looking at McGee. "But you're still not off the hook, Timmy."

"Off the hook?" McGee looked confused as Abby hit in him the shoulder. "Hey! What was that for?"

"Not taking me to the hospital," Abby pouted.

"Sorry?" McGee offered sheepishly, still looking a little confused. "But Gibbs said . . ."

"Said what?" Abby asked accusingly.

"Err . . . never mind." McGee was quick to change the subject.

"How's Ziva, Elford?" Gibbs asked from his desk. Tony smirked and Abby whacked him on the shoulder.

"Hey!" Tony exclaimed.

"Leave Timmy alone," Abby replied before turning to McGee. "How's my girl?"

"Since when is she your girl?" Tony asked, amused.

"Since now," Abby replied with a smile. "You jealous, Tony?"

"N . . . no." Tony shot McGee a look, changing the subject. "Probie!"

"What?" McGee looked offended. "Why is it my fault?"

"Who said anything about fault?" Tony shrugged his shoulders. "I was gonna ask how Ziva was."

"The same," McGee replied.

"The same?" Abby repeated. "The same as what?" She looked darkly at Gibbs. "I would know if somebody let me visit her."

"She's still in the coma," McGee clarified.

"Oh." Abby looked sad. "She'll be okay, right."

"Sure she will, Abs," Tony tried half-heartedly, but failed. "Ninjas don't die."

"This is not one of your movies, Tony," McGee amended.

"Well . . ." Tony looked pensive. "I did see this movie once . . ."

"You'll have to save it for later, DiNozzo," Gibbs barked as he stood up. "We've just got a hit on the BOLO for Petty Officer Cays' car." He tossed the keys to Tony as he exited the bullpen.

"On you six, boss," Tony replied, hurrying after Gibbs. "You coming, Probie."

"Right, coming." McGee turned to Abby. "She will be okay, Abs. I know it."

Abby smiled at McGee. "Thanks, Timmy."

Bethesda Naval Hospital

"Are you sure this is a good idea, Jimmy?" Michelle Lee asked as she and Jimmy Palmer hovered in the doorway of Ziva's room. "I mean, Officer David, well, you know . . ." She trailed off helplessly.

"Chelle, she's in a coma. There's not much she can do to you," Palmer replied exasperatedly, pulling his glasses off and rubbing his eyes. "Not that I'm speaking ill of the dead . . . err . . . unconscious."

"But . . ."

"Ziva is nice," Palmer stated. "I like her."

"I guess," Lee said hesitantly, "but she, you know, is a little scary."

"Once you get to know her, she's great," Palmer said enthusiastically. "Why, just the other night . . ."

"Oo-kay, Jimmy, I get it," Lee grumbled, slightly jealous . . . and scared of the pretty Mossad assassin.

"Don't look at me like that, Chelle," Palmer said nervously, noting Lee's stare. "You're the only woman for me, even if Ziva is kinda, you know, hot . . ." He trailed off when he saw Lee's stare hardened.

"No, no, not like that," Palmer stuttered. "Well, yes, like that, but no . . . no – your –"

"You're digging yourself into a hole there," Lee stated, with a hint of a smile. She liked watching Palmer squirm.

"Right," Palmer mumbled defeated, "sorry, Chelle."

"Oh, don't worry, Jimmy," she said lovingly and kissed him on the cheek. "You're the only man for me."

"Oh." Jimmy turned red.

"What?" she asked seductively, bringing her mouth close to her ear. "You think there are others."

"No," Jimmy stuttered. "Of course not."

"Good." Lee rolled her eyes. "Because you know there are plenty of other things we could be doing . . ." She smiled seductively.

"Michelle," Palmer admonished, "she's in a coma and you're thinking about . . ."

"Aren't you?" Lee batted her eyelashes.

"Well . . ." Palmer said hesitantly, not one to pass up an opportunity when he saw one. ". . . I'm sure on our way out we could find an empty on-call room . . ."

"I'll hold you to that," Lee smiled. "Okay, let's do this."

Palmer sighed. "You're not going into combat, Chelle," he said in response to her tone of voice. "We're just visiting a friend."

"Oh, okay." Lee didn't sound so sure.

Palmer sighed again and grabbed her hand. "Come on, Michelle. It'll be okay." He pushed open the door and pulled Lee in after him.

As Palmer and Lee walked quietly into Ziva's room, Lee let out a small gasp when she saw Ziva hooked up to all the machines.

"Oh, my . . ." she looked helplessly at Palmer. Palmer was also staring at Ziva, his eyes wide with shock. He shook his head and snapped out of it.

"It's okay, Chelle," he murmured, resting his hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure it looks worse than it is." He didn't sound too sure of himself.

"Yeah, I guess," Lee muttered in reply.

They both stood there for a few minutes, staring at the one person they thought that they would never see like this. Finally, getting as use to the machines and the beepings as she could, Michelle plonked herself heavily on one of the chairs next to Ziva's bed.

"I think I need to sit down," she said weakly. Palmer nodded and dragged over another chair and parked himself on Lee's right.

"Sooo . . ." Lee started hesitantly, looking at Palmer.

"Michelle and I have been sleeping together," he blurted out before he could stop himself. He covered his mouth with his hand as Lee glared at him.

"Jimmy!" she shrieked.

Palmer looked back and forth between Ziva and Lee sheepishly.

"Well . . . she is in a coma," he tried weakly.

"Still . . . still," Lee spluttered. "I . . . you know inter-office relationships are frowned upon!"

"You know, I did hear Doctor Mallard talking to Agent Gibbs once about Agent Gibbs and the Director . . ." Palmer smiled cheekily.

"No, no, no, we are not going there," Lee frowned, closing her eyes and shaking her head as if that would prevent the images that were already forming in her mind from appearing. "I do not . . . no, no Director and Agent Gibbs."

"I was just saying . . ." Palmer trailed off. "Anyway, what about Ziva and Agent DiNozzo?" He tried to change the subject.

"What about Officer David and Agent DiNozzo?" Lee questioned.

Palmer looked at her incredulously. "Are you blind, Chelle? Haven't you noticed, the whole office has noticed!"

"Noticed what?" Lee said, not totally comprehending Palmer's words.

"Ziva and Tony!" he exclaimed. "C'mon, you haven't seriously not noticed?"

"Oh, yes, I've noticed," Lee remarked dryly. "I just don't want Officer David waking up and finding you dissecting her love life. She'd rip your tongue out. And she's probably kill you, maim you and do all kinds of Mossad things to you."

"Oh." Palmer looked worried. "She wouldn't do that, would she?"

Lee shrugged. "You never know what a blow to the head can do. Look what happened to Agent Gibbs. He lost his memory and moved to Mexico."

"Well, Mexico is sounding real nice right about now," Palmer muttered, still wondering if Ziva was going to suddenly wake up and kill him then and there. "But Agent Gibbs came back didn't he."

"In the end," Lee agreed.

"Well, then, Ziva will too," Palmer declared. "Not from Mexico, but you know, this." He gestured to Ziva lying in the hospital bed.

"That's sweet, Jim," Lee smiled softly at Palmer.

"She will," Palmer stated defiantly. "I mean, the team doesn't need another crisis . . . like Agent Todd." Palmer suddenly looked downcast and turned away as he remembered the agent who had been gunned down.

Lee placed her hand on his shoulder leaned into him, her head fitting under his chin.

"I know, Jim," she said softly. "I know. It'll be okay. You'll see."

Palmer kissed the top of Lee's head. "I know, it has to be."

They sat like that until the sun disappeared behind the moon . . . together.