Once you cared about a person, it was impossible to be logical about them anymore.

Gibbs couldn't help but feel unusually awkward as he stood in the hallway that led to Abby's lab. She would be furious with him after last night, he knew. Well, he was prepared for that. He wasn't going to let anything happen to Abby, no matter how much she hated him for it. He had gotten what he wanted, and now had to receive the consequences of his actions.

He swept through the door of Abby's lab and immediately stopped. The lights were all turned off, the equipment – Abby's "babies" – were dead and no rock music greeted him today. No scornful, pigtailed forensic scientist, either.

Abandoning his bribe for forgiveness – an extra large Caf-Pow – he hurried back to the office, checking his e-mail, and then his cell phone for some indication of Abby taking a leave of absence. None. Even if Abby had been upset, she wouldn't have made them all worry, would she?

Barking at McGee to check his e-mail and phone for some sign from Abby, Gibbs thought over the situation. Was this Abby getting back at him for yelling at her? She was prone to overreaction… What if she really was just taking a leave of absence? Would intruding on her vacation time be another strike against him? She was already so mad…

"Boss I've got nothing on Abby." Screw it, he was finding her whether she liked it or not.

"Start a trace on her cell McGee. I'm going over to her house." He picked up his gear and was headed to the elevator when –

"Hold on Jethro. I know where Abby is." He turned to find Leon Vance, with an unreadable look on his face, holding Abby's cell phone.

"Tony be careful!" Ziva called out sternly as she watched him stumble over a large pile of rocks. Although he had been declared well enough to continue the mission, Ziva was still concerned about the large bruise on his shoulder. She was still a bit upset that instead of coming back with an ambulance as promised, the citizens of Haven had only succeeded in bringing the local doctor. They had claimed they didn't think the wounds would be as bad as the looked, and they really weren't. But Ziva was still slightly nervous about how close he was cradling his right arm to his body.

She supposed she should also be concerned about his head, but why waste energy on something she worried about everyday?

Together, the partners made their way to the edge of the cliff they had recently almost lost their lives to. Ziva stared down at the rushing water, grey today, to match the cloud-filled sky. As the white foam crashed against the rocks, which looked so small from where she stood. She shivered and crossed her arms.

"You were looking down here," Tony said, pointing, "and then someone just pushed you in?" He stared down at the ice cold water, too.

"Yes. It-" She looked up and saw the purple, now slowly yellowing, bruises that covered his face, then had to look down again. "– it was my fault. I should have been more observant of my surroundings. And never have taken a walk at night."

"Hey." Tony gently caught her chin with one of his hands and brought it back up, making her eyes meet his. "This isn't your fault."

He let his hand drop, and Ziva suddenly realized, with more force than she had thought, that she and Tony were all alone. The breeze caught and played with her hair as she stared into Tony's eyes. Once again, she reached her hand up to touch the bruise that ran down the side of his face. Just as she was at the end of it, about to return her hand to her side, Tony moved his own hand up to hers and held it against his face for a long movement. His other hand brushed away a lock of hair dancing in front of her face, tucking it behind his ear. Their bodies moved closer to one another, their faces just an inch apart. Ziva felt her mouth open slightly; her eyes slide halfway shut in a dreamlike manner…

"Tony! Ziva!" They turned to see Astrid run toward the cliff without fear, only stopping when she reached them. "I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't interrupt your…investigation…" She said, now finally seeing the two of them fully for the first time. A startled look came over her face and she backed up a few feet. "It's just…I thought you might want to know we found an unconscious camper in the woods, just a few miles from Haven."

You've got about ten seconds to tell me where my forensic scientist is, Leon." Gibbs stared into Vance's hard eyes. They were standing in the privacy of Vance's office, Gibbs tense, Vance alert. He raised an eyebrow at Gibbs, but began to speak.

"At around 11:30 P.M. lat night Ms. Sciuto called me and told me she had some important information to share concerning your Haven investigation…"

Ice gripped Gibbs' heart. No, please, no.

"She gave me the said information and also gave me a useful strategy to using the information…"

Tell me you didn't, tell me you didn't let her go…

"So I let her take a leave from her forensic duties and take an undercover position in Haven…"

NO.

"She can give Tony and Ziva needed information I feel is vital to the mission, and of course a replacement for he will be called in-" He was cut off as Gibbs grabbed him by his collar.

"You had no right to reassign Abby, Leon." He growled.

"It is only for one mission Jethro. And let me remind you that, unlike your agents, she does not answer to you. She has other cases besides yours that are just as important, no matter what she has lead you to think. She answers, therefore, directly to me."

"She isn't prepared."

"Ziva and Tony are well trained agents that can protect Abigail. And as I remember from past cases involving her, she doesn't need much protecting. She does very well against an opponent on her own.

"And I feel I should remind you, Jethro," Vance continued, a steely look in his eyes now, "that since Abby is reporting to me, I control what information goes to your team. If you want to manhandle me, that's fine. But I'll never tell you a thing about Abby's mission, if you do."

There was a long pause and finally Gibbs, with a great amount of self control, let go of Vance's collar.

"Good. And Jethro?" He called out to Gibbs, who was wrenching open the door, "Don't even think of trying to pull some 'rescue' for Abby. I will simply send her back out, and she won't take too kindly to you for trying to control her. I think this was what influenced her decision in the first place." And with that, he nodded to Gibbs who stormed out of his office.

Vance tucked his collar back in and looked down at his desk, which had all of its contents on the floor, thanks to Gibbs nearly dragging him across it.

"That went well."

"Ok, you know what?" I'm never building a house in the woods, ever." Shaking her head, Ziva looked down at Tony who was flat on his back in the middle of the forest.

"This is what? Your third, fourth time tripping over roots?"

"Sixth, Zee-va, sixth." She simply rolled her eyes at his sprawled figure.

"What's taking so long?" Astrid called on from up ahead. "Everything ok?"

"Fine!" Tony called back, clutching a tree branch to help him get back on his feet. "I'm good, thanks." He directed towards Ziva. "I don't need any help, but thanks for asking."

Ziva ignored him and reached out a hand. He grabbed it and hauled himself to his feet. Tony's weight made Ziva move slightly forward, causing her to fall into Tony. She looked up into Tony's face and found him looking back down at her. There was a long, indescribable moment. Then Tony's squeezed Ziva's hand. "C'mon," he said, smiling softly, "can't be late."

As they began to walk again through the woods, Ziva marveled at the change their relationship had took. What had once been a simple and easy partnership he had changed into something…something that Ziva couldn't exactly describe. But seeing Tony dive into the water for her, fighting the current, screaming her name over and over before he was pulled into the deep water…Not seeing him come up, thinking he was dead…Ziva gave a small shudder…Then waking up again in the boat to see him dead again…The awful memories seemed to close in on her, and she suddenly felt claustrophobic, her breathing tight and body stiff. She began to run to try and catch up with Astrid. The crunching of leaves behind her told her that Tony was following her.

Together, they finally caught up to Astrid who began guiding them effortlessly through the woods again, speaking as she walked. "We found the camper just a few miles outside of Haven. We think that she was lost and heard the voices coming from Haven. We're not sure why she stopped. She doesn't have any signs of dehydration or starvation. It's possible she collapsed out of exhaustion.

"The only thing she had with her is her backpack and it didn't have anything threatening in it but some knives and matches, although that's typical for a serious camper. Ugh, I'd hoped that we would get here before the crowd started forming. Word travels fast around here, huh?"

It certainly did, as Tony and Ziva saw half of Haven crowded in a tight circle, all looking down at the something in the center. Astrid, with a few well placed jabs from her elbows to others' ribs, helped them get to the center to see the camper. As the looked at the body lying spread-eagled in front of them, Ziva and Tony felt similar jolts of shock.

Ziva was better at containing her surprise, keeping it limited to a raising of the eyebrows. Tony, however, had to quickly compose his face from the stunned look it had shifted into to a neutral, untroubled one. But they both turned their faces towards each other to acknowledge their recognition of the still body lying in front of them…

Abby.

I have seen Legend Parts 1 and 2 and my only thought is: Michael Rivkin must die.