Chapter Two

Her first reaction was shock. "What?" she asked.

"He was found in his home . . ." Gibbs started to explain, but Ziva waved his words away.

"That is not what I am concerned about," she said. "Why was I not notified?"

"That's what I'm doing now, Ziva," Gibbs said, the picture of calmness. "It just happened. You were still on your flight back."

Ziva let out a breath, nodding to herself. She remained silent, though, taking everything in.

"I'm assuming you'll want to return to Israel for some time. It's been cleared with the Director . . ." Ziva just stared at him as he spoke, not finding the words she was looking for. "Someone can go with you if you prefer . . ."

"You," Ziva blurted, causing Gibbs to stare at her.

He let out a sigh. "Ziva, I can't just up and leave the country. I have responsibilities here." Ziva continued to give him a pleading look. "At any other time, I would. But Tony and McGee just got back, too. There's too much going on case-wise for me to leave." Ziva let out a tiny sigh, which Gibbs echoed as he said, "You can take one of them."

Ziva narrowed her eyes. "One of them?" she repeated.

"Tony or McGee," Gibbs replied, running a hand through his hair. "I want you to have someone there who knows how to handle a gun."

Ziva scoffed. "I can protect myself, Gibbs."

"I know that, Ziva. But this is going to be a high profile funeral. Your father was the Deputy Director of Mossad. It's going to be a prime target for terrorism."

Ziva fixed him with a steely look. "Yes, and I am sure there will be plenty of security. Besides," she looked down at the floor, "if I go alone and something happens, you will only be losing one member of the team."

Gibbs was quiet for a moment, then lifted Ziva's chin with his finger. "Nothing is going to happen, Ziva. And you're taking one of them. I don't care which one, but you're not going alone."

She quickly blinked back the tears she felt threatening to fall. She didn't want to have to make that decision. She knew that whatever way she decided to go, she would end up hurting someone's feelings. They both cared for her and, to be honest, she cared for them both, too. She didn't normally get so caught up in relationships, but now – especially with what Gibbs had just told her – NCIS was all she had. She didn't want to risk losing them, too. She had gotten too close to them for that to happen. And then . . .

"They have never seen me cry," Ziva said, as if she had just realized it.

"Is that what you're worried about, people seeing you cry?" Gibbs asked incredulously. "I know you don't show a lot of emotion, but you're human, Ziva. No one's going to think any less of you crying at your own father's funeral."

She shook her head. "No, there is more to it than that." Her voice dropped. "There always is."

Gibbs frowned. He hated seeing his team like this. They were all so close, he wasn't surprised something like this would happen. But that didn't mean he liked it.

He placed a hand on her back and gave her a comforting pat. "Whoever you don't choose will understand." She gave him an unsure glance and he nodded. "I'll make sure of it. Now come on, you have to get back to Israel. And you have a decision to make." He removed his hand from her back, flipping the emergency switch back on.

The elevator opened and Ziva looked out on the squad room before exiting the car. Tony and McGee had both noticed the ding and were watching Ziva walk back to her desk. She avoided their eyes; she would have to deal with them soon enough.

The two men waited for her to say something, looking from each other to Ziva, and when she didn't, Tony spoke. "Everything okay, Ziva?"

"Well, Tony, if you really must know," Ziva said, clicking through some documents on her computer and then lifting her gaze to meet his over the monitor, "no. Everything is not okay."

Tony and McGee exchanged worried looks. McGee spoke this time. "Can we do anything to help?"

"One of you can," she responded. The men looked confused. "I . . . It is complicated."

"I thought you didn't like that word," Tony mumbled, remembering a conversation they had once had.

"I do not believe I fully understood what it could mean," Ziva said, her voice quiet.

"Ziva?" McGee tried again. She met his gaze. He found himself losing his train of thought as his eyes met hers. There was definitely something going on, that much was obvious. He shook his head. "Sorry. Forgot what I was going to say."

"That is alright, McGee," Ziva assured him. She then took a deep breath, preparing to let them know just what Gibbs had told her. "I have to go back to Israel."

"What?" McGee spluttered. "But you just got back!"

"Let the woman speak, Probie," Tony said, his voice betraying his emotions.

"It is nothing work-related," Ziva said. She looked both of them square in the eye and spoke just the way Gibbs had to her. "My father is dead."

McGee let out a breath. "I'm sorry, Ziva."

She nodded, accepting the condolences. "Gibbs does not want me to go alone, and he cannot go. Therefore . . ."

"It's me or McGee," Tony finished.

Ziva nodded. This was the part she was dreading. "Yes. I would take you both if I could . . ."

"It's okay, Ziva," McGee said. "It would be pointless for both of us to go." He paused. "I mean . . ."

Ziva quirked a smile. "I know what you meant, Tim." Tony frowned slightly at her use of his first name. She let out a breath. "This is not a matter of me liking one of you more than the other, so do not go tying your underwear in knots over this."

Tony and McGee both gave her strange looks. "The expression is knickers in a twist," Tony corrected.

"Or panties in a bunch," McGee added, then thought about his words and said, "though we're guys so that might be a little . . . weird."

Ziva rolled her eyes. "I do not care what the correct expression is! I want you to know that I am not picking favorites. I am making what I feel is the most logical decision."

"Taking lessons from McKlingon over here?" Tony asked.

Ziva and McGee both glared at him. "I think it's smart," McGee said.

Tony rolled his eyes. "Of course you do. You think via your hard drive."

McGee steeled his jaw. "Maybe that's because every time I make an emotional decision, it always ends badly for me."

Ziva rubbed her temples as she listened to their argument. Finally, she couldn't take it any longer. "Would you two stop fighting!" she cried out, effectively silencing them.

Both men looked sheepish as they realized how selfish they were being. "Sorry, Ziva," they both said nearly in unison.

She closed her eyes. "Would you care to know who is accompanying me?" She opened her eyes again, watching them nod.

She let out a deep breath and pointed her finger. "You."