A/N: Hello my fellow readers, it's me Ash! I'm so glad to be back writing for you guys. Thank you for all the reviews, both Sophy and I appreciate it. Please enjoy chapter II!

II. Seek for Help

13 Days before Valentine's Day

.::.

"Two crime scenes in three days?" Tony gave a huff as they stepped out of the van and lugged the equipment from the back. They were called in when another Petty Officer was reported dead with similar abrasions found on his body that raised a question to whether the two officers' deaths were somehow linked.

"That's gotta hurt," Tony winced as they entered the crime scene to be faced with a dead petty officer in a rather… awkward position. Ziva smirked and stopped beside him, their bodies too close to have been considered friendly.

"Would you like to try, Tony?" she said, her infectious laugh crept up before she was met with a light slap to the back of her head.

"Do you think this is funny?" Gibbs squatted and examined the man that lay before them.

"No, Gibbs…" Tony snickered quietly and was met with a painful nudge to the side from Ziva. She gave an innocent smile and continued to snap photographs.

"Oh my, poor lad… Now what did you do to face such a horrid demise young man?" Ducky stumbled in with Palmer close behind, "Sorry Jethro, Mr. Palmer here still hasn't grasped the concept of driving even at his age."

"Looks like a terrible case of stretching gone wrong," Palmer laughed and stopped abruptly when Ducky looked up disapprovingly, "Sorry Dr. Mallard." Ducky gave an exasperated sigh and continued with his examination.

"Got a time of death Duck?" Gibbs pulled out his notepad and scribbled some notes.

"Well… let's see," Ducky withdrew the metal instrument and brought it closer to his face to check the readings, "My estimation puts this poor fellow's untimely death at around 0200 this morning."

"Alright Duck, let's get him back to autopsy, you three finish up and head back," Gibbs took a sip from his coffee and left the scene.

"Is it just me or is Boss a little irked today?" McGee commented as he tagged the last of the evidence.

"Yes, well Timothy it's less than two weeks to the day we all know as Valentine's Day…" Ducky and Palmer secured the petty officer onto the stretcher and exited through the door Gibbs did a mere minute ago.

"And?" McGee rose to a standing position and approached his two colleagues.

"And his ex-wives get a little noisy around this time of year," Tony gave him a pat on the shoulder and followed Ziva out. McGee sighed and picked up the equipment they'd dumped on him.

.::.

By the time the three Special Agents arrived back at the bullpen, Gibbs was already at his desk which were guarded by three Starbucks' cups, while he busied himself by rummaging through his drawers. They exchanged nervy looks and dispatched to their own desks, respectfully.

"What ya lookin' for Boss?" Tony gave a quirk of the eye towards Gibbs as he lowered down on his chair.

"Nothin'," Gibbs rubbed his eye in frustration, then after much debate in his head he rose and headed towards Abby's lab, hoping for a turn of events.

"Man… and I thought I was the one acting weird," Tony mumbled and shook his head; he regretted those words the moment Ziva's eyes darted up to his.

"Why are you acting weird Tony?" she stopped her work completely, leant over her desk and eyed him.

"Nothin'," he mirrored her actions. He gave himself a mental head slap for letting his tongue slip up like that.

"Tony, is something wrong? You –"

"Everything's fine, everything is juuust fine," he dodged her eyes and concentrated on the paper in front of him, which was an incredibly difficult task as he could still feel her eyes on him like a shadow. After much effort to divert his eyes to anywhere but hers, he failed and his greens fell back to her browns. He was surprised that she seemed more hurt than curious, and he wanted to tell her, to tell her that she was the reason for the anvil that was pulling at his heart and the odd fiery sensation that was eating at him.

"I'm gonna go get a Nutter Butter," McGee eased himself away from the intensity that was emanating from the two, which had turned out to become something very frequent lately.

"I'll come with you McHealthy," Tony replied almost immediately and sped to McGee's side. Ziva's eyebrows dipped in confusion as the two men wandered around the corner and left her on her own. Usually Tony would love the banter that would come forth and something in her clutched at his avoidance.

.::.

"My silver-haired fox, how nice of you to visit me," Abby said while she poked around in the evidence box. Gibbs mouth gave a little twitch that resembled a smile as he gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"I haven't done anything to deserve that yet Gibbs…" she accepted the Caf-Pow! and took a long savoring sip, "what's wrong?"

"Nothin', any luck on any of the evidence yet?" He followed her to her desk where she flipped up different boxes and rectangles.

"Sorry Gibbs," she turned towards him a twinkle in her eye, "Gibbs –" his finger came up to her lips to silence her, he gave a little chuckle and exited the lab. She heaved a sigh and turned towards her paper cutouts of the team.

"Something's up with my two favourite guys…"

.::.

"McGee, you're with me," Gibbs held up the address and strode off towards the elevator, "Hurry up Elf Lord!" McGee nearly tripped over his own feet as he grabbed his gear and slid through the elevator doors just in time.

Tony zoned out of the words that stained the brightly lit screen to waver over to his right for a glance at Ziva's form, but was perplexed when all he saw was an empty chair, swiveling from left to right.

"Looking for me Tony?" he knocked her on the head accidentally as he leaped out of his chair from shock.

"Oh my! I am so sorry!" his hand moved over to cup her face instinctively, her laugh exploded through the bullpen and she didn't seem to mind his gentle touch, "I told you never to sneak up on me!"

"It is okay Tony," the deep sound from her throat came to an abrupt stop as she realized his hand on her cheek and how close his face was to hers. His thumb softly moved over her smooth plane unknowingly, and he felt like just diving in to delve on those beautiful plump lips of hers. But he didn't of course, because that'd not only leave him with a very sore head but a possibly sore heart.

Her eyes said she would but her actions differed, she pressed her hand to his chest and kept them at a distance she considered "safe".

"Ziva," he spoke her name quietly, almost in appreciation of the sound that fell off his lips so easily. Once again they fell into that trance as they stared at each other longingly, the people around them all but forgotten. Eventually though, she straightened her arm, and broadened the distance between them, just far enough to not fall and get lost.

"My apologies," she gathered up the strength to let her hand slip from his sturdy defined chest and returned back to her desk still a little dazed at their short lived propinquity. Tony cleared his throat and lowered his hand from where Ziva's face had once been before he headed towards Abby's lab.

"I'll go check on Abby."

.::.

He strutted in his usual swagger tainted with distress and came to a sudden halt just beside the door; he turned and closed it with a light click.

"Wow this is a first," Abby looked at him curiously as he let out a shaky breath.

"Abby… I need your help, and I need your confidentiality," he leaned against the door, still deep in thought.

"I'm listening…" there was nothing but silence after that, and she wondered if he had let go the breath he had nervously held on to.

"It's about –"

"Ziva?" a smile propped into place as she squealed and jumped around the room.

"Abby! Get a hold of yourself!" he grabbed her by the shoulders and steadied her.

"You just leave it all up to me Tony," her eyes widened in excitement.

"Leave what up to you?"

"The plan!" she said a-matter-of-a-factly, "Look, I'm not stupid Tony, I know you would eventually ask her, it wasn't a matter of if but when," she pulled out a freakishly thick notebook and began to jot down words.

"What is that?" he inched closer to take a sneak peak.

"Well I was thinking, we should go all out, y'know everything! The flowers, the dinner, the chocolate, we'll pull the best Valentine's Day plan anyone has ever thought of!" her words came quicker and quicker as she got caught in her little world.

"Abby! No!" he shook his head, and her eyes dropped.

"What do you mean no?"

"I mean, this is difficult for me…" he confessed.

"That's why I'm helping you!" she laughed and began to scribble down on her notepad once again.

"No! I want to do this right…" and that brought Abby to a standstill, and she looked up at him expectantly, "Look, Ziva is more than just a 'girl' to me, and I don't want her to be another one of my one night stands… she's more to me than that."

"Okay Tony we'll do it your way, what do you have in mind?"

.::.

A/N: It's all yours Soph, have fun!