Okay umm a new chapter is up. Not sure about how this ended but i had to get the whole Tony Ziva thing out there for them to deal with. Umm not sure how in character it is but hopefully i am not too off. I dont have a beta so all mistakes are mine and just to let you know I think i kinda repeated myself a few times in Zivas dialoge. sorry.

A/N: Dont own NCIS

3:00 am Bullpen

Ziva and McGee sat at their desks, barely staying awake and fighting off the drowsiness that permeated them. Ziva was going through files checking obscure family members and friends of Ryan Johnson gathering numbers to call at a more decent hour. McGee was typing at his keyboard finding any and all financial information and cross-referencing the data with maps trying to figure out if there was a pattern that would give any clue or indication as to his whereabouts.

Taking a small break to stretch her legs Ziva stood from her desk and walked over to Tony's. She had wondered where he had gone. He had made a phone call two hours ago and left in a hurry telling Gibbs that he might have something. She absently ran her fingers over the top of his desk and began to play with his letter opener, deftly spinning it between her fingers.

McGee noticed what she was up to and asked, "Ziva, you okay?" She responded, "I am fine, McGee. I was just thinking of something." "What were you thinking about?" he asked cautiously not sure he wanted to know. She gently placed the letter opener back on the desk and walked to her desk. "Nothing. It is unimportant." She said. McGee frowned at her but knew better than to dig any deeper. He had seen Tony attempt to do the same and have mild success but his and Ziva's dynamic would never be at the same level as Tony and her.

She sat back down at her desk the same thoughts still pumping through her mind. Him laying in her arms down in the lab. Her brushing her fingers through his hair and whispering soothing words to him while he slept. She told herself that it was just her concern for him. That he needed someone there even if they didn't talk about anything just her presence seemed to calm him. That was why she did it. Wasn't it? Yes that was it. It was nothing else. They were friends and friends help each other in times of need.

But there was something nagging in the back of her mind that she couldn't place. She thought of Tony throughout the years she had known him, he had grown so much. At first she just regarded him as an overgrown immature child. And she was right but after knowing him she began to find it slightly endearing. Now it seemed that he had for lack of a better term grown up, he still had his immature side yes but it was more tempered. The interoffice bickering had always been there but he was more aware of his teams' moods and didn't pick on them when they were down, instead he would recruit them to harass the others. When Ziva and McGee were having a hard day and Gibbs was pissed he would take the brunt of his anger instead of directing it their way. He had always shown complete loyalty to Gibbs and Abby but now it began to encompass McGee and herself as well. A little too overprotective if you asked her. But something in their dynamic had changed. He was growing and she liked that. He was becoming the man she knew he could be and that was frustrating her but she didn't know why. "Why am I getting upset?" she asked herself in a whisper.

"What was that officer David?" Gibbs asked as he walked past her desk just returning from MTAC. His words shook her from her reverie. "Oh, nothing Gibbs." She answered to his questioning glare. "What have you got?" He asked to the bullpen in general. McGee was the first one to speak to his demanding question, "Got nothing boss. I can trace everything up until he went to prison, but then nothing when he got out. Bank account and credit cards are still active though and I have it set if he uses either we'll be alerted right away." Gibb's brow furrowed in a frown then turned to Ziva. "I have a compiled a list of known associates and family. I have called almost the whole list but will finish when it is a more decent time tomorrow. Last know address no longer exists. It was bulldozed 6 months ago and is now a parking garage. The people I contacted said they had not heard or seen from him since before he went to prison and I am checking all phone records from the prison to see in any calls were made from or to the numbers on the list." Ziva answered. He nodded at her and turned to DiNozzo's desk waiting for his answers. Noticing her wasn't there he looked at Ziva and McGee who had gotten up and stood before his desk while reciting their research. "Where is DiNozzo?!" Gibbs asked forcefully. McGee stuttered over his response until Ziva cut him off, "He left two hours ago after making a phone. He said he might have a lead and would be back in a few."

Gibbs look could have frozen lava as he leveled a stare at the two agents in front of him. "And you two let him go by himself?!" Gibbs yelled. He did not wait for an answer but continued yelling, "McGee, get him on the phone!" McGee scrambled back to his desk and began dialing. "And the next time he tries to go anywhere alone while working this case you go with him!" While he said the last sentence he stared straight at Ziva. Gibb's phone began ringing. He quickly snatched it up and barked into the phone, "Gibbs!" He listened for a moment before standing up and heading to the stairs to MTAC. As he walked by Ziva on the way she asked in a quiet voice, "Are you worried about Tony too?" Gibbs kept walking while replying over his shoulder, "No David, I am worried for the bastards we're looking for if DiNozzo catches them alone! I want him back here when I get back." And with that he climbed the stairs.

3:36 am Bullpen

Gibbs trotted back down the stairs and into the bullpen looking pointedly at Tony's desk. "MCGEE? Where is DiNozzo?" He yelled.

McGee stuttered, "I…I just got off the phone with him boss. He just pulled into the parking lot a few minutes ago and should be here any second." Gibbs just nodded at him and McGee felt a wave of relief pass over him at the fact that his boss's ire was no longer directed at him.

Gibbs sat at his desk and opened one of the many file folders that sat there. He began to read as he waited for his senior field agent to return with what was hopefully good news. A few moments passed until he heard the telltale ding of the elevator.

DiNozzo strolled into the bullpen holding a file folder in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. He flashed a smile at Ziva as he walked straight up to Gibbs' desk.

"Where you been DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked icily as he stared hard at the younger man.

Tony knew that Gibbs was in a foul mood but smugly smiled at him anyway hoping that the new information he found might calm the ex-marines anger, "Talked to Johnson's P.O. boss. After he was released from prison Johnson apparently wanted to change his name. Seems while in prison he converted to Islam. P.O. gave me a last known address and the place where he was working. P.O. didn't know what Johnson's new name was however, last time he met him he was still going by Johnson. Ran over to a friend of mine at the social security office and found out his new name." Tony placed the file of Gibbs desk and continued talking while he turned to all members of the team. "Muhammad al Shaleed." He said to the room at large.

Gibbs looked at the file that Tony had given him. He glanced up at Tony with a wry smile, "That's good work Tony." He got up off his chair and began around it towards the stairs. The large smile on Tony's face quickly vanished as he was on the receiving end of one of Gibbs' slaps. Gibbs invaded Tony's personal space and went nose to nose with him and whispered, "Next time you leave this office on anything related to this case you take Ziva with you. I don't care if it's to get coffee across the street. You got me?" Tony responded with a, "Yes Boss." With that Gibbs took a step back and nodded before heading up the stairs to MTAC to update all the agency heads that were working this case with them. From the top of the stairs they heard Gibbs yell, " Go home, all of you. Back here 9 o'clock tomorrow morning."

Tony didn't argue for once about not staying and walked back to his desk he could feel Ziva's eyes on him. He cast a quick glance in her direction and noticed she turned away quickly. He let out a large sigh as he began packing his things. McGee and Ziva were doing the same. McGee was moving very quickly hoping to get at least four good hours of sleep in his own bed. Ziva was packing slowly, she had something she wanted to ask Tony but wanted McGee to be gone before she did, even though she didn't know what she wanted to ask him. Her mind raced with questions. The biggest of these was what had changed between them. Maybe it was just her who felt this but she had to know if he felt it too. Something was different between them over the last few weeks. It didn't feel like something was wrong it just felt…off. And she had to know what that might be.

McGee quickly finished with bagging his stuff and walked quickly to the elevator saying his good-byes to Tony and Ziva.

Tony and Ziva finished packing their things and she walked with him to the elevator. As they stood next to each other waiting for the doors to open he looked down at her and said, "So, you're my new babysitter huh?" She cast a puzzled look up at him and he continued, "Gibbs says I can't go anywhere with out you anymore. Thinks he knows something we don't?" He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at her and she rolled her eyes. "Yes Tony, Gibbs knows you get into way to much trouble by yourself."

Tony laughed and smiled down at her, "Well at least I get you to make sure I don't get into trouble. I could be saddled with McGee." Tony shivered with those words and Ziva let out a small chuckle.

She bit her lower lip in thought on how to ask him but when she opened her mouth to speak the doors to the elevator opened. She closed her mouth quickly and decided when they were alone in the elevator she would pull a classic Gibbs and hit the emergency stop. They would have privacy and she could get to the bottom of their problem, at least from her point of view. She walked into the elevator side by side with Tony and she positioned herself in front of the controls. She pressed the lobby button and waited until the elevator started to move before she hit the kill switch.

Tony was slightly worried and concerned when Ziva hit the kill button. He didn't know if he had done anything to make her mad in the past few hours and he knew she would never really hurt him, but the prospect of being hurt a little was still prevalent in his mind. He said, "Um…Ziva. This isn't the lobby." She turned and glared at him. "This is not a good situation for me." He thought to himself. "Look, um…if I made you mad at all today I didn't mean it. I swear." He said in an apologetic manner. She smiled and shook her head at him. "You did not make me mad today Tony. I just wanted to talk to you in private." She said.

Tony smiled at her once he realized he wasn't in trouble and said, "Okay. So…here we are in an elevator. Quarter to four in the morning. No one is around and no one is going to be using the elevator for at least another hour. And you look quite sexy in your cargo pants and I am looking ruggedly handsome as usual." He wiggled his eyebrows at her and gave a big smile, "What you wanna talk bout?"

She shook her head and sighed loudly wondering if this was such a good idea after all. She steeled her nerves and asked, "What is different between us?" He looked at her in puzzlement. "What do you mean exactly, Ziva?" She shook her head and her hands flew up in the air, "This. Me. You. There is something different. Everything seems the same but something is off. I know it and it is nagging me in the back of my mind and my gut but I do not know what it is and I need to know so we can fix it."

His mind flashed in panic quickly thinking that she knew how he felt about her. But if that were the case the conversation would have been completely different he thought. He had made his mind earlier to tell her everything but now that the situation is right here he didn't know if he could just come right out and say it. No. He would poke and prod until he found a way to explain that would be easier to say.

"Okay, calm down Zi. Now can you tell me exactly how things have changed?" He figured he would throw that out just to see if she was hinting at anything in particular. She began pacing in the small room and before she knew what she was saying she began to rant, "You…you have changed. You were an immature little boy when I met you and now you are…different. You are nicer to McGee and I and take all of Gibbs anger to spare us. You defend McGee and I and are overprotective of us especially me for some reason. You are changing Tony and it is a good thing but it is frustrating as hell!"

Tony was taken aback by her rant and when he caught up he asked, "Why is that frustrating Zi?"

"I…I don't know. And that makes me angry that I do not know the answer." She stopped pacing as she said this and turned to Tony who was now leaning up against the wall watching her. She exhaled a large breath and asked him, "Why are you changing Tony? What was the impetus for this?" Her eyes were begging for an answer and he was gauging his response.

He sighed to himself and thought, "I'll be honest with her. She needs to know so bad so I'll tell her." He closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the wall. The case, the little girl, and now this, he was getting more tired by the second. Without opening his eyes he said, "You really wish to know?"

She scoffed at him for asking a question to which he already knew the answer, "Yes Tony, I wish to know."

In a firm and even tone he replied, "Careful what you wish for." She looked at him, puzzled by his statement. He continued in more relaxed tone, "See I met a girl a few years ago. Not my usual type but oh my god is she gorgeous. Great sense of humor. Brilliant. Only other word I can find to describe her is…perfect I guess. We eventually became friends and it was great, you know. Not having to be something your not to impress her just being completely comfortable with them." He looked down at her and he continued. "Then one day, I don't know how or why it happened my feelings for her started to change. Subtly at first but then more and more I started to fall for her. And then one day I asked her a question in a joking yet serious kinda way. You know what her response was?" He asked her. She looked at him quizzically shaking her head no and wondering what girl he was talking about that had captivated him so. She thought she would have heard of her before now. He continued with his story, "She said she could never date someone who wasn't a grown up. Well I'm kinda paraphrasing there but still. And then when I was at sea I kept hearing her say that over and over in my head. And I told myself that it was time to grow up. Not all the way mind you. So little by little I started changing. After a while I finally figured out that I was happier for it."

"Basically in a nutshell, she makes me want to be a better man." He finished as he leaned past her to flip the emergency switch back on. She took in all that had said to her. She could not believe that Tony was so entranced by a woman that he would change himself and actually be happier for it. Whoever this woman is she must be quite something. At that thought something pained her in the back of her mind. What was that jealousy? No. Maybe. "Well…" She thought, "Any woman would be jealous of a girl that could get Anthony DiNozzo to make the changes he did without even asking. Tony sharing this story with her really touched her and she hoped that this woman would really see that Tony was making an effort and give him a shot.

They reached the lobby and before they got out she asked, "I think you should tell her this Tony. This woman. You need to tell her and if she does not return your feelings she is a stupid, stupid woman." Tony started laughing hard before straightening up. He chuckled as he said, "I don't think you should call her a stupid woman, Zi." She looked at him with a grin on her face, "Why not?" He quickly leaned in and brushed his lips against hers before he told her in a serious voice, "You should never call yourself stupid."

He turned and left the elevator and she stood rooted to her spot completely and utterly shocked. After a moment of walking he turned and began walking backward through the lobby and waved at her as the elevator doors closed