A/N: Hello, all. Sorry for the long wait, but here's today's new chapter. It's a little interesting, I think. I know it's kind of short and not particularly thrilling, but I love the Gibbs/Tony conversation about Ziva that we get to see. I wish I could take credit for this story, but really, I gotta hand it to Don Bellisario and his awesome writers for creating these characters. Their words just spill onto the page and I just piece it together. Anyway, I worked out the next plot that begins (sort of) after this one ends (sort of) and dangit, I am so excited. You guys are gonna love this. It gets really, really amazing in a little bit here. We're just a little more than half-way through what I've already written, and I have so much left to write, so yay for you guys! And just remember, the short chapters and long waits make it last longer, no?

Now. 32 days and 6 hours until the season premiere of NCIS. Finally!!

Autumn

"Me?"

"Yes, Agent DiNozzo, you,"

"What could I possibly have that you would want? Have you seen my paycheck? And who are 'you' anyway?"

"No one you want to anger,"

"I'm more afraid of Ziva than I am of you,"

Another cackle followed. "Well you shouldn't be,"

"And why is that?" Tony asked. The line went dead. Tony closed his eyes in frustration for a moment before looking to McGee.

"All I know is that they're here, in DC," McGee said, his voice sounding defeated.

Tony he leaned over and slammed a fist on his desk. "Can we do anything right today?"

"They'll call again," Gibbs reminded them from his desk. "Demands still have to be made,"

Tony sighed and ran a hand through his hair, other hand resting on his hip. "You're right, I'm sorry," he said, not caring about Gibbs' stupid rules. He looked over at Gibbs, eyes confused. "What do they want with me when they could have the daughter of the daughter of the director of Mossad? I mean, there's just no reason…"

"There's always a reason," Gibbs replied.

"We still think it's terrorists?" McGee asked.

"His accent was as thick as curdled milk," Tony said sharply. Levin made a nauseous expression and walked back to his desk. Gibbs looked at Tony before walking towards the elevator, motioning Tony to follow.

"Go through the information Eli sent, see if there's anything there," Gibbs said as he walked away, Tony trailing him.

Levin looked at McGee. "Okay, I have to know. Tony goes gallivanting off all over the place, and even though someone tried to blow up Tony's car, Gibbs didn't put him under protective custody? And then Tony almost gets shot and he does get put under protective custody, but he still gets to trapse all over the world? Gibbs is famous for his use of protective custody when it concerns his team,"

McGee shrugged. "Gibbs has his own methods,"

"But Tony could still be in danger. I mean, he probably still is! That bomb was designed to go off when he was in the car. It was designed to kill!"

"Maybe whoever planted it designed it to scare him but give him enough time to get out?"

Levin shook his head. "No, there's no way. Tony should be dead, and he isn't dead, he should be under heavy security," he insisted. "What's so different about this time?"

"This time… This time, DiNozzo's the one calling the shots,"

"But he's not the boss, he's not Gibbs,"

"But Ziva was Tony's partner. They probably never even talked about it. But I know Tony. Even if Gibbs did put him under protection, he'd still find a way to get out. And he's a trained Federal agent. He knows how to take care of himself,"

"And Ziva was Mossad,"

McGee sighed. "You have to realize something: around here, around Gibbs and Tony and Ziva, there are just some things you'll never get the answers to. And with those things, you don't ask, you don't question,"

"You just follow blindly, got it," Levin replied sarcastically.

"No," McGee corrected. "You trust them. You trust your partner,"

Tony and Gibbs walked inside and almost immediately, Gibbs turned it off and looked at the younger agent expectantly.

Tony sighed and moved toward the Emergency Off switch impatiently. Gibbs put a gentle hand on Tony's shoulder and guided him back to his previous postion. "What if they call again?"

Gibbs cocked his head a little. "You need to cool off,"

"I'm fine,"

"No, you're not,"

Tony shook his head and looked away. "My partner is out there with these, these terrorists, and if I don't give them what they want, they'll kill her!"

"You don't know that,"

"I know that my partner needs me,"

"You're right. She needs you. But she needs someone who she can trust to not lose it, who can make a decision that's not going to hurt him or her," Gibbs said, his voice serious and instructive, eyes determined.

Tony shifted in place. "I just hate knowing that there's nothing I can do to save her,"

"But you will," Gibbs replied, echoing Abby's words to him not long before. He sighed. "Over the past few months, you… You've grown up a lot, DiNozzo,"

"Death can do that to a person," Tony said, looking away.

"It was more than that," Gibbs said knowingly. "What'd she say? In her letter?"

Tony smiled a little despite the heaviness he felt in his heart. "She told me that I helped her change. That I inspired her to feel…" Tony ran a hand through his hair. "To love…"

"She loved you," Gibbs said, his words not a statement and not a question, but an irrefutable truth.

"Yeah," Tony said softly, not allowing his voice to break. "She asked me to promise her that I'd find purpose and happiness and to do something good with my life," he stopped.

"And?" Gibbs prodded intuitively.

"She told me try and find love again," he said quietly. He chucked a little. "The only thing I can never do,"

"You won't have to if you do your job,"

Tony looked at Gibbs for a moment. "Alright. Let's do this."