So I was off work today and promised myself that I was going to get a chapter up. And what do I do? Wait until 1:00 AM to start writing it. But hey, it's here, right?

I guess it's time for another disclaimer: Want them? Yes. Own them? No.

Ziva took a deep breath and stepped out of the elevator, not at all ready or wanting to face anybody today.

She was exhausted, for she didn't get a wink of sleep last night. She tried, but she couldn't get her mind off of the humiliation she knew was coming from the next work day.

Dealing with Abby, McGee, and Palmer constantly asking her if she was okay was not something she looked forward to. Besides the urge to kill a certain human being, and the hand print marks around her wrist and slight ones on her neck, she was fine.

Then she knew that she'd have to deal with Gibbs and his insistence that he'd find this guy and kill him.

Dr. Mallard would love nothing more than to go on and on about a girl who went through the same thing years ago and that girl had a broken collar bone that caused her much pain later because she didn't get it checked out, so she should let him do a thorough examination on her, just in case.

That was not happening.

And then, there was Tony.

The whole reason she considered calling in sick to work today, but Tony would know something was up and come to her apartment on his lunch to check on her. Earlier, she had decided that there was no way around it, besides going back to Israel and having to explain such marks to her father.

She was going to have to face Tony, and she wanted to rip that bandage off now.

As she rounded the corner to the squad room, she was relieved to find that it was empty. She sat down at her desk and un-clipped her gun from her side, putting in it's usual drawer. Her hand actually ached from holding it all night, but she wasn't taking any chances. She looked at the stack of paperwork that needed to be completed. Groaning, she took one of the folders off of the top and began to work on it. Again, paperwork was not high on her to-do list today.

Gibbs was the next one to come into the squad room, as expected. He'd only glanced in her direction at first, but when he saw the state she was in, he took three steps backwards and looked at her more closely. She looked up at him with her tired eyes and waited for him to speak.

"Morning, Ziva." Gibbs finally said.

Ziva swallowed the lump that was in her throat, "Shalom, Gibbs."

He took a sip of the large coffee he had in his right hand and decided to ask the obvious question, "What happened?"

She looked down at the pen she was twisting nervously in her hands and then back up into his blue eyes, "Nothing, I am fine." He continued to stare at her as if he didn't believe her answer, "And I am handling it." She concluded.

He took another sip of his coffee. This was not going to cut it. He wanted, no, needed more information about why she was in this sort of state. "What are you handling?"He said, his voice no higher than a whisper.

She sighed. This is exactly the kind of conversation she wanted to avoid. "Gibbs, I do not want to get anyone else involved in this. I am fine, and I want to resolve this problem by myself!" She almost yelled. She blamed her mood on no sleep and the fact that Gibbs was pushing her buttons a little too hard this morning.

"Ziva..." He started, but stopped when she looked up with eyes that clearly stated she didn't want to talk about it anymore. "I'll be here." He said, softly, and quickly added, "If you need me."

"I won't." Ziva replied. He went around his desk and then she added, "But thank you." Gibbs nodded and turned on his computer, and that was the end of the conversation, much to Ziva's relief.

McGee walked in the squad room soon after and, as expected, stopped in front of Ziva's desk. He opened his mouth to ask her what was wrong, but caught a glance from Gibbs that screamed not to go there. McGee closed his mouth and tried again, "Morning Ziva, boss." It was his usual greeting, plain and simple, but it worked to clear the awkward silence.

Ziva wanted to get up and hug Gibbs for silently telling McGee not even to go there. She took a deep breath. Two down, one to go.

At least, in the squad room.

Thirty minuets passed the time he was supposed to be there, Tony strolled in the squad room, whistling as usual. Ziva followed him with her eyes and briefly wondered if his chipper mood was because he hooked up with someone after she had almost killed him.

But once he saw her, he stopped and stared. Ziva could feel his eyes on her, as she usually did and she returned the gaze. He stared at her for several seconds, shook his head, said nothing and put his gun away. Ziva only rolled her eyes and sighed.

She knew that was coming.

But it didn't.

Not even at lunch, when he followed her to the break room. He went to the vending machine, got himself a candy bar, gazed at her for a couple of seconds, and then nodded at her and left.

Not a word.

She'd endured Abby's bone crushing hug, Ducky's lecture and Palmer's lecture. When 1700h rolled by, McGee left first, telling her goodnight, and not too long after that, Gibbs left.

Since they had paperwork all day, Gibbs said nothing to make them stay past the standard 1700h. Ziva looked up with her tired as at her partner again, and he made no move to act like he was going anywhere. She looked at her paperwork stack, which was slightly smaller, but not near finished.

Her mind raced.

Why hadn't Tony said anything? Scenarios had ran through her head all day, and she was prepared with multiple things she could shoot back at him.

But...he said...nothing.

Ziva had caught him staring at her several times that day, but he would just stare into her eyes for a few seconds and return to his work. She didn't understand it.

Finally, at 1930h, she finished her paperwork and stood from her desk. She clipped her gun to her side, put on her jacket and threw one strap of her NCIS issued backpack over her shoulder. As she took a few steps towards the elevator, she stopped when she heard Tony's voice for the first time that day.

"Hey Ziva?" Tony said, standing from his desk quickly to catch up with her.

She closed her eyes for a second to prepare herself. After a long day of silence, he decided to give her the blow now? She sighed and decided that it was better at this moment than in a room full of people. Spinning on her heel, she faced him. "What?"

He looked down at the ground before back into her eyes, "I um...just wanted to say..."

She rolled her eyes. Her mood was not any better, "Spit it out DiNozzo." She said harshly.

He sighed, "My phone will be all night if you need to call me."

She looked into his green eyes and shook her head, her exhaustion and anger evident in her face.

"I won't."

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