FIVE
This explains why we weren't able to find him earlier." Calloway said. "Cripes. It's déjà vu all over again. I'd like to know who the hell I pissed off."

"I'd rather know who he pissed off." Gibbs nodded at the lifeless body of Calloway's former teammate, Jamie Lutz. He floated face up, his unseeing eyes foggy. "He the only other guy working the case besides you?"

"Yep," she said. "Well. The bonus is we're shipping him directly to Dr. Mallard." She pulled her sketchpad from her backpack and began to draw the scene "This isn't so bad. It's October. Bodies get super stinky down here in the summer."

Gibbs phone rang. He snapped it open. "Yeah McGee."

"We tracked down the doctor who delivered Mary Liptak. She's Meg's biological daughter alright."

He hung up on McGee mid sentence and turned to Calloway.

"I heard." She said. "I wonder if Liptak had any idea Mary might not be his."

"I'd be tempted to kill over that."

She raised an eyebrow. "Maybe he did."

X

Tony put the Jeep in neutral and pulled up the emergency brake. "I've entered the twilight zone."

"Why do you say that?" Ziva jumped down lightly from the Jeep.

"Because I'm at a neighborhood potluck accompanied by a super spy bearing a crock pot full of tiny little meatballs."

"I thought the term was pot yuck." She said as she retrieved a white crockpot from the wheel well. "And you told me meatballs was the thing to bring."

"Pot Yuck's probably more accurate. And yes. They are." He laughed. "Ziva-"

"Sara." She said. The buzz of conversation grew louder as they walked up the driveway.

"You still need to see the doctor." He placed his hand on the small of her back.

"I made an appointment."

"When?"

"Why? You going to come with me?"

"If that's what it takes."

"Sara!" Meg's voice boomed from the front stoop. "Hi! I'm so glad you came! Come on in. Everything's in full tilt." She reached out for the crock pot. "I'll take that for you." She peered through the moisture dotted plastic lid. "Yum. Meatballs."

Tony grinned at Ziva. I told you so.

Meg flashed him a mega watt smile. "The men are out back. The beer's cold and the grill's hot."

Sounds like the start to a Darwin Award. "Thanks." He said.

He kissed Ziva lightly. "Let me know if you don't feel well. We'll go."

She nodded yes.

"C'mon, all us women are having margaritas in the living room." Meg said. "This way." She paused at the kitchen table to set down the crock pot before passing through to the living room. The women sat huddled around the coffee table, margaritas in hand. "Every one, this is Sara." Meg said. "Sara this is Janie-it's her house-Brigitte, her daughter Bella, Lori and Marissa."

Ziva sank into an overstuffed armchair. "Nice to meet you."

Bella, a cherubic blond looked up from her mother's lap. "Have you seen Mr. Whiskers?"

"A cat." Her mom. "Old grey cat. You can't miss him. He's got one eye, he's missing a leg and his teeth. He dribbles pee everywhere but Bella loves him."

"Mom says he might have run away to a farm." Bella concluded.

"I'll keep my eyes open." I wonder if 'run away to a farm' is a euphemism for dead.

Janie raised a pitcher. "Margarita?"

"Water will be fine, thanks."

"I'll take that." Meg snatched at the pitcher and poured herself a glass. "Marissa and her husband just transferred here too a week ago. They're newlyweds."

Marissa looked like she couldn't have been more than eighteen. "We're down from Little Creek. What about you?"

"We were stationed in Rota." Ziva said.

Janie handed her a margarita glass filled with water. "Is that where you met?"

"Yes. Well, actually it was a topless beach in Cadiz" I'll have to remember to tell Tony. He'll get a kick out of it.

"Got kids?" Marissa asked. "I love kids. I can't wait to have them."

Ziva swirled her glass and let the ice clink against the sides. "I'm not sure I want any. Tony definitely doesn't."

Meg knocked back the last of her margarita. "Don't rush it. I love Mary but man. Babies do a number on your sex life. They're just not happy unless they're excreting something. And they cry at the wrong time. Some how though, that's only ever a problem for the wife."

All the women nodded in agreement.

Undeterred Marissa asked. "What about you Meg? What's your story?" Ziva mentally thanked her for asking all the girlie gossip questions that quite often led to good intel.

"It was just after high school. I was a waitress at a little Inn on the coast in Maine. He was the groundskeeper. And the rest as they say, is history."

X

Liptak was roughly the same size and shape as a refrigerator and could probably hold as much beer. He had worked his way through one six pack. He had yet to start slurring but his lips were definitely loose. Tony let him talk. In his experience guys like Liptak gave away the best information purely by accident. "What do you think of my wife?"

"Nice girl." Tony said.

Liptak crushed his empty beer can. "Ever go near her and it'll be the last thing you do."

"We're even then because I feel the same way about my wife." Except she'll be the one to do you in.

Liptak snorted a laugh and clapped Tony on the back hard enough to rattle his teeth. "I think we're going to get along just fine, Newbie." He cracked open another beer. "It's been the week from hell. Lost my best friend and the damn navy cops are up my ass about it."

"Man those guys really piss me off. I tangled with them a while ago." Tony took a small sip from his beer. It always paid to be the more sober than your suspect.

"Yeah?"

"Sara had an affair. I went looking for the guy."

"I wouldn't' have thought if of her. She looks more like a cold fish." Liptak drained the can, crushed it, and started another.

Tony felt Ziva's hand on his shoulder. "Babe? I'm not feeling well, can we go home?"

He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her in tight, supporting her weight against his body. "Okay."

He held the Jeep door open as she hopped up onto the seat. "You feeling dizzy again?"

"I lied about being sick. I have to get out of here."

He got in and turned the engine over. "I can live with that."

"Tony." Her fingertips played softly against his neck. He felt a familiar tingle shoot its way down his spine. Her hand cupped the back of his head as she pulled his face to hers. She kissed him, her tongue delving deep into his mouth. Instinctively his hand went to the back of her head as he deepened the kiss.

She licked her lips as they broke apart. "So I'm a cold fish am I?"

He shifted into gear and took off. "With me yes. But maybe your boyfriend has better luck."

"What?"

"Your boyfriend? What's his face the cop?"

"Hale?" She wrinkled her nose. "It's been over for weeks. Don't you pay attention?"

"What's the matter? Did you give him the same ultimatum?" As soon as he said it he regretted the bitterness in his voice

"What ultimatum?"

"The 'Let's get married now or move on,' that's a big step from 'one day at a time.' "

"I never said that. You said you-" She rubbed her hands briskly over her face. "I'm sorry. It was all a misunderstanding."

He pushed the gas pedal to the floor.

"Don't you have something to say?" She prodded. "Like, "I'm sorry too Ziva."

His hand moved from the gearshift to her upper thigh. "How about 'I want sex. Now. A lot of it."

"