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WOW. All I can say is thanks for the great response. I've never had that on any of my stories before, so thanks for being so awesome! ;). Okay, so I'm not entirely happy with this chapter, but it sets up some other important things. Trust me, it may seem unrealistic, but it's all connected and relevant to the outcome.

So, if you want more review! And feel free to give me any tips or anything on writing, etc.

Enjoy, and review!

Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs had never felt the way he did at that moment. The moment in Vance's office, when he had learned the truth. He'd hidden it well; the surprise, that is. Anyone might have guessed that he'd known all along of Ziva's betrayal. But no. For the first time in his life, he hadn't known the truth. His gut just hadn't kicked in.

He glanced around the squad room, remembering the blasé manner in which Vance had told him the truth. As if it was unimportant, an insignificant detail. Gibbs sighed quietly and took a sip of his coffee. It wasn't nothing. It was everything. He'd trusted her from the first moment, based solely on one detail, one moment.

"Sorry to spoil your-"

Bang. Footsteps. Ziva. Crying.

He shook his head and dropped his now empty coffee cup into the trash. He couldn't believe he'd been fooled. He thought he knew her. He thought he trusted her. He'd been wrong. And he needed caffeine. He left the squad room, brushing off McGee, and walked straight to the café down the road.

Usually he'd get a feeling, just a small inkling that something wasn't right. But when he thought about Ziva, he knew that just hadn't been there. He hadn't had a clue. And somewhere, deep down, that made him think that perhaps it wasn't all a mission to her. At the beginning, maybe, but he was sure after the initial awkwardness, she began to feel like part of the team.

He bought his regular coffee- all the workers at the café knew him by name- and made his way back to headquarters. He was about to step into the elevator when a voice cut into his train of thought,

"Agent Gibbs?"

Gibbs turned around to see the slightly out of breath mailman holding out a manila envelope. "Yes?" He raised his eyebrows expectantly.

"This just came for you. I would have brought it up, but you were here so-"

"Thanks," Gibbs said, cutting the young man off abruptly and taking the envelope out of his hands.

The mailman nodded, somewhat awkwardly, and scurried away. Gibbs resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he turned back to the elevator and stepped inside. DiNozzo curiously eyed the envelope in his hand as he stepped into the 'bullpen' and sat down in his chair. He threw the envelope onto his desk with an audible thump, took a sip of his coffee, and turned back to his computer. Only a moment later, his desk phone began to ring.

"Special Agent Gibbs," he said, answering his phone in the usual fashion.

"Hey, it's Mulvaney from Dispatch. We got a call in about ten minutes ago requesting you guys out to a scene in Virginia." He paused, presumably looking over files. "Not really sure of the authenticity of it. Didn't give us much; just asked for you, gave an address and hung up."

Gibbs ran a hand through his hair and glanced around the squad room. One look at his senior field agent told him it was not a good idea to send him into the field just yet. McGee only looked moderately more able. He turned his attention back to the phone call.

"Address?"

Mulvaney gave him the directions and Gibbs wrote them down on a note pad.

"Okay, got it."

After hanging up, Gibbs turned to McGee. "Grab your gear."

"Boss?"

"Got a case. Let's go."

Tony made to get up too, but Gibbs made a sit down motion with his hand. "I don't want you out in the field today."

Tony opened his mouth to protest, but Gibbs cut him off before he could speak.

"You aren't focused. You'll just be a liability. You're staying here." He was resolute.

Tony just stared at the two other agents as they walked toward the elevator, McGee dropping one apologetic look back toward Tony as he stepped out of view.

The ride to the scene was awkward. It was McGee who eventually broke the silence.

"Hey boss? I was wondering... I mean... I thought maybe I..."

"Spit it out, McGee." Gibbs didn't even look at the younger agent as he spoke.

McGee sighed inwardly. "What's going on with Ziva?" he finally blurted out.

Gibbs took a sharp right. "She's in Tel Aviv."

"I know that, but..." McGee tried to form a coherent sentence, but there were so many things he was confused about, so much that hadn't been cleared up. "But why?"

"She wasn't ready."

McGee furrowed his brow. "I don't understand."

"You don't need to, McGee." Gibbs took another right; McGee grabbed onto the side of the car to steady himself. "It all comes down to trust." Only Gibbs fully understood the implication of his words; the double meaning.

"Trust? I'm still not sure-"

"Just remember McGee," Gibbs said, pulling into a driveway and parking the car. "Things are not always as they seem."

McGee was about to speak again, feeling even more confused than before, but Gibbs again cut him off.

"Where are the local LEOs?" Confusion.

McGee shrugged, looking around at the empty surroundings. The house before them was a typical suburban house, painted a rich shade of crème. Both of the agents stepped out of the car and walked around to the trunk, opening it and pulling out their coats and caps.

"Ah well, let's go in and find out what's-"

Suddenly, there was a flash of light both agents were knocked off their feet by the force of the explosion. The ground trembled ominously and flaming debris scattered around their prone bodies. Gibbs was only vaguely aware of the screams, intense pain, a shout and then nothing.

A/N: So... thoughts? Anyone got any theories? If you enjoyed it, please review!