Wednesday went by quickly. Things were calm and quiet in the office. Abby had scanned all of the computer and found them to be clean so now they were more confident in the e-mail method. Vance had sent Gibbs' team to a crime scene but as soon as Gibbs had discovered Metro Police were involved he happily handed the case over. That gained Vance's attention all the more, Gibbs would barely cooperate with other agencies never mind completely hand it over. However the director didn't question him. If this kept up though he may be paying a visit to Abby though. It usually proved useful.

Thursday was just the same, a blur of quiet actions. Each person on auto-pilot for what they know they should be doing, where as their actual attention was set towards more planning. There wasn't really much more to plan; they were mostly reviewing the plans but it was better than sitting there. The bullpen was too tense for anyone to get bored, yet too still for anyone to feel the full effects from the tension.

Ziva's father had called a few times. He hadn't seem to know of the fact that they had changed the feed or at least he had not let on if he did. Eli had requested for Ziva to meet with him on Friday night and of course again on Saturday before the event. In order to...Put things in place. Ziva, of course, had reluctantly agreed- the option was more of an unnecessary courtesy than an actual option. Abby and McGee were going to interrupt the wire's feed again before both meets in order for the team to talk freely. Gibbs had sent Ziva home early on Friday, at least that's what Director David thought, which gave the team an hour to talk. They had already decided that Gibbs and Tony would go for back up although they knew it was unnecessary. Eli wouldn't pull anything hinky this short of time before the mission was about to be completed, and if he had discovered that Ziva had revealed what was going on to Team Gibbs both Gibbs and DiNozzo knew that there wouldn't be enough time for either of them to go protect her before she was killed. However they still insisted she didn't go alone so they would be in the car a couple blocks away.

Ziva sat downstairs in Abby's lab at the moment, cleaning her gun even though she hadn't used it since the last time she had cleaned it. Yesterday. Night's had left her very bored and anxious. Good time to clean her weapons, however less than an hour before she was to go meet the man who was slowly destructing her life left her rather anxious as well. Ziva had become rather frustrated upstairs as Tony Gibbs and McGee continued to speak of her as some helpless person who constantly needed protection. That's why she had found her way to Abby's lab. Abby however had been rather quiet, well quiet for her at least. Ziva was content with the silence though. She did not feel like making small talk and didn't think she could handle holding up an even end of a conversation. She was not used to being so worried before a mission. Except this wasn't a regular mission. If this kept up though she wouldn't be any good and how would she do tomorrow? This was nothing compared to the what she, the whole team, would be encountering tomorrow. Tonight was a talk, one way discussion, tomorrow would be the action. Slowly she reassembled the gun, hearing the click as the loaded magazine of the gun reconnected.

She reholestered her gun and went to get her back up out, but caught a glance of Abby's lip trembling when she looked up. "Abby?" Ziva asks quietly and she turns from her desk running over and crushing Ziva into a hug. "It will be fine, Abby."

"Then why is everyone so worried?" she questioned, pulling away from the hug, even though she knew the answer. It very well could not all be okay. It could very easily all go terribly wrong.

"Abby-"

"No! You all having something to do. You can make all these plans and perfect things even more. All I can do is stand down here and worry and wonder. You may not be scared but I am!" she finishes near hysteria. How could Ziva be so calm and composed? How could she take everything so coolly. She could very well be walking to her death and she didn't even show the slightest hint of fear.

"Fear will do us nothing, Abby. All it will do is prevent us from doing our jobs the absolute best way that we can. Now take a breath. Things will be just fine."

"You bet I've even got another Caf-Pow for you right here, Abs," Tony says as he comes strolling in. Hearing no more of the conversation besides Ziva's last comment.

"Where's Gibbs?" she demands taking the Caf-Pow from him despite her displeasure with the deliverer of it.

"In MTAC, with a very questioning Vance."

"And McGee?"

"Doing some very McGeeky things I'm sure," Tony tells her giving her a DiNozzo grin in a pitiful attempt to cheer her up. They were all distressed, Abby was just the worst at hiding it; or perhaps the best at showing it. "I think McGee wanted to talk to you about the chip with your microphone over the IBS connection for the...Ya know other thingy." Tony finally gives up the tech talk and switches over to Gibbs' way for describing it. Much easier that way.

"Oh, alright," Ziva says and leaves the lab with a final, encouraging smile to Abby. Tony follows her out and into the elevator. Much as Ziva had expected he reaches over and flips the emergency brake. "We should really consider a different place to talk."

"You honestly not scared?" Ziva looks over at him in surprise. Did he know her at all?

"It is a mission, Tony. Why would I be?"

"'Cause this is as much of a mission as Gibbs' pursue of Ari was or as much as my relationship with Jeanne was. This is much more than a mission, Zi."

"Yes, I know that. It does not change who I am or what I said. Being afraid will just get us hurt or killed." Tony finally turned his gaze on to her staring in the silence. "Are you Gibbs now? Do you plan to stare at me until I do or say what you want me to?"

"I was actually hoping for the truth. I thought maybe we'd gotten to the point where secrets weren't necessary."

"You believe me to be lying?" A hint of anger creeping into her.

"No, I know it. I thought we were past screaming at each other though."

Ziva takes a breath, exhaling slowly and places her head in her hands, slowly letting them fall from her face. "I am sorry."

"Again?"

"Still. I just am not quite...Ready yet."

"For?" Tony questions simply. Wanting to encourage her to continue but not push her to rebuild her wall.

"So much. I'm not ready for tonight or tomorrow. Not for what my duties may very well demand me to do. Not for becoming what Hannah needs me to be. Not for the inevitable," she finally admits. It was the easiest way to sum it all up, it covered all bases. "I am rather used to having a choice and of being in control, at least somewhat. Such unpreventable and brutally permanent actions are things I am not ready to act on. I do not know if I can do this. Not now, not ever. Yet I know I have to and if I were not to the consequences would be much worse than the end result of this path. It does not make it easier, it does not make it less complicated."

"We have faith in you," Tony reminds her, "Trust too."

"It is unearned."

"It's very well deserved, Ziva."

"I am much more than scared, Tony, and far past frightened," Ziva informs him in a whisper. "So much is at stake. It began with my life and hundreds of others. It continued to involve you and then Gibbs, McGee, Ducky, and Abby. Now Hannah." She pauses smiling as she remembered the little girl, so much of Ari was in her and Ziva saw much of herself as well. "You must promise me, Tony. Promise me that no matter what the outcome is, if you survive that you will care for Hannah."

"No."

Ziva's eyes widen in shock and her calming techniques vanish. She was very well ready to kimbo-slice him now.

"You will," Tony fills in quickly. He'd been hoping to go for more of a dramatic pause as they do in the movies but when Ziva became angry it scared him so he figured continuing would be a better choice. "It will work out and you'll be here to love and raise Hannah."

"If I am not able to?"

"You will," is his simple response as he restarts the elevator. One day he was sure they were going to do that only to be met with a "Cu-clunk" of the elevator breaking.

"Thank you, Tony." She was still worried, they both were. However the reassurance had managed to calm their nerves slightly. The future was as unknown as it was understood. Events would come and pivotal changes would be brought to both their lives. They both knew that something would remain the same and just why they were doing this. Each other.

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Sorry it's so short but I thought it would be better as a standalone chapter instead of continuing on into the next segment. I hope its still decent even in the choppiness of the chapter. Next one will be longer I promise! I hope you liked and please review! Have a great week :)