Author's Note: Hey there guys, hope everyone likes the fic so far. In the next chapter (or the one after that) finally one of the members of the team will be able to reach Ziva--depending on how long the next chapter is. Hope ya'll enjoy this chapter. Later Days--GEEK (Sabrina)

Chapter 7: Private Matters

He shouldn't have; the team was still incredible weak, especially Abby who had been scared for her life and McGee who had lost a considerable amount of sleep worrying about her. Without a solid break in the case, Gibbs would not allow anyone any down-time. So Tony went to the Director and dealt with her for the third time, despite everything Gibbs had warned him of.

Director Shepard allowed him the time away from the office, while on duty, to go chasing after an ex-team mate. Regardless of her uneasiness, she could not deny the longing in his eyes nor could she ever forgive herself for helping in the process of breaking his delicate heart. Giving him approval was her only way; the least she could do after all the pain she had caused him.

Her only error had been not allowing him to take any other Agent with him as backup. The move was irresponsible, but her mind had been focused on the possibly problems any of his errors, while there, could bring to the entire Agency. It could ruin her position as the Director of NCIS, as well as any position any where in the entire building and the Agency. She worked far too hard to throw it all away for a specialized and determined Agent such as Tony; even for a said friend that had saved her life once before, such as Ziva.

Tony managed to get in and out of her office before the morning sunrise. Her words of courage had been somewhat forced and extremely unlike Gibbs would have offered him, but he could not focus on Gibbs and all the things he could have said.

Gibbs had no idea what Tony's plans had been and in return this made Tony just as irresponsible as the Director herself. Perhaps too many exchanges passed through the tight circle the Director and Tony had created during Gibbs' retirement and his return; they were more in-tune to each others feelings and intentions.

Right under Gibbs' defined nose, Tony DiNozzo went against the grain and purchased a ticket to Tel Aviv with one thought on his mind.

Ziva.

Abby sits quietly as Gibbs pounds into her with his stern tone of voice. Each word feels like a sharpened nail digging into her flesh.

"I said I was sorry, Gibbs." Her voice is small. "You can't help love…right?"

"This isn't a joke, Abby."

She straightens her back at the intensity in his tone. Still, her fingers come together to occupy her during the lecture he insists she needs.

"Where the hell do you meet these guys?"

"…online?" She sees his angry stare darken. "…no?"

"No?"

"…No…" She sighs. "…okay, yes…but it's not what you think, Gibbs--"

"I don't understand the usage of the internet."

"…I'm not sure you understand the usage of a computer…" She grins, hoping he will catch on to her playfulness and agree to changing the feel of the air around them that seems to be stifling her.

He walks to the opposite end of her lab and then back again. He is pacing, a new habit he has developed since Ziva left for the second time, except only Abby knows of it.

"Computers is the only way we solve cases these days, Gibbs. Computers cut corners like no average human being can do…not even you…" She opens her hands in front of her and mimics an explosion, "BOOM! Computers just explode in front of your eyes…right at the touch of your fingertips…" She begins to grow nervous because he has not stopped pacing. "…Computers are love, Gibbs."

"Damn it, Abby!" He abruptly stops. "I'm not here trying to figure out the significance of computers--I'm here to try and find a reason, any reason, I shouldn't put a tracking device on you so I can monitor what it is you exactly do and who you exactly hang out with when you're outside of this lab."

She frowns. "That's a little creepy, Gibbs…"

"Why can't you pick normal, average, everyday--the damn boy next door, guys?"

"…because they're not exactly all that cute?" She puts her head to the side. "Unless they were you, because you're like the average, everyday, boy next door type of guy…and you're normal too, er…well sometimes…eh…and you are very handsome."

He turns his back on her and begins to pace once again.

"Okay…" She wait's a few more seconds. "Okay, please stop doing that--you're making me nervous as if you're waiting for a bomb to go off."

"Sounds about right."

"Don't joke about things like that Gibbs--there is no bomb in this room."

"I'm the one that's about to go off." His words are said very clearly so she can understand the level of his seriousness. "I want numbers."

"Ya gonna play the lotto?!" Her eyes light up. "Not that I'm…some uber-crazy lotto swinger…but I must say, the Sisters and I sometimes get together for a game of bingo."

He chooses to ignore her. "Numbers of all the guys you hang around with. Boyfriends, ex-boyfriends, male friends…online companions--anything, I want it all." He stops pacing and looks at her. "On my next in the next ten minutes."

"Whoa--Gibbs, ten minutes? I'm going to at least need twenty."

"Fifteen--no later." He warns her before fleeing her lab.

McGee sits quietly in Gibbs' bland living room. It is an odd setting for him only because he never once thought about the rest of the rooms Gibbs' home has. Still, he feels the tiredness in his bones as he sinks further into his living room couch. He can rest for a few moments…

Ducky looks ashamedly towards Gibbs who is working open the cap of a new bottle of bourbon.

"I'm all for sharing." Gibbs alerts his friend, hoping the look on his face will disappear, but the look only deepens. "You come here for any particular reason?"

"Timothy came to me." He flings a look towards the staircase. "Left him upstairs to rest."

Gibbs knits his eyebrows. McGee has been his least expected visitor through all the tiresome mess. "He alright?"

"He'll manage…" He pauses as Gibbs takes his first sip of the darkened poison. "…of course it wouldn't hurt the poor boy if you were there to offer him some advice. He has been on edge since this whole issue with--"

"Abby." Gibbs finishes, then takes another sip from his glass. "I know, Duck."

Gibbs crosses the room and rests his glass at will eventually be the opening of his boat. "I'm no love doctor."

"That you most definitely are not." Ducky sighs. "…but I do wonder if your priorities regulate depending on the person."

"…meaning?" He looks over at him, sand-paper folded and steady in his hand.

"Meaning your delicate behavior towards Abby has not gone overlooked nor does it come as much of a shock considering the team has known for quite sometime how she is your most favorite."

"…your feelings aren't hurt, are they--Duck?" He chuckles.

Ducky can not even find the strength to crack a smile. A few moments pass and Gibbs grows wary of the silence. Looking back to Ducky, he sees how serious he looks.

"…you're trying to tell me that McGee's jealous of the care I show to Abby?"

"Aw, for Pete's sake, Jethro--sometimes I think you can be rather dense." He watches Gibbs' eyebrows lift in slight surprise. "Did it ever cross your mind to have taken such care--such time for Ziva when she was here?"

He turns away from his eldest friend and begins to sand the wood for the first time today. He can feel his shoulders grow heavy as this enormous guilt cloud seems to hang steadily over his silver-y hair.

Ducky notices his reaction, but feels he should continue; even if the evident pain in his friend is agonizing to watch.

"The same can be said for the rest of your team…" He clears his throat. "There is no doubt in my mind that Anthony needs a shoulder of support to help him through the first heartbreak he has ever felt in his entire life--and Timothy, he is no exception. He has taken to your professionalism more than any other member of your team, yet I have never seen you offer him a moment to let out how he truly feels." He takes a step closer. "You know Anthony uses jokes to conceal his pain, but Timothy does not."

"Duck--"

He puts his hand up to continue, "You might think you are able to get away with the denial you show to Jasmine, but you have no right to treat her in that way. Yes, she is new, but she, within a year, has shown her strengths during investigations of some of your toughest cases--"

"Ducky, I don--"

"Not everyone can handle problems the way you can, Jethro." He reminds him easily. "Not everyone on your team has had a strong military training--there are those in your team who honestly can not hide their emotions." He sighs. "Abby shows you these things because you allow it!"

"You yellin' at me?"

"Indeed I am, Jethro!" Ducky takes a few more steps closer to his Marine friend. "The others keep things from you because they insist you could careless."

"That isn't true."

"It is how they feel." Ducky's voice is turning quiet. "Sometimes it would be rather nice if you went the extra mile to help them along…" Ducky sighs, tired already. "You failed Ziva when it comes down to this…do not fail you team…not when there is so much time left."

Grabbing the rest of bourbon inside his glass, he brings it to his lips, but can not find the extra push to let it spill into his mouth and drink what is left. Placing it down on top of a piece of wood, he looks to Ducky.

"Leave him here."

"I do not follow, Jethro."

"McGee--leave him here." He inhales deeply. "I'll talk to him, then bring him home later."

"Wouldn't hurt if you offered him to stay."

"Not while Abby's here." Gibbs becomes protective in an instant. "They still aren't on good terms with each other."

Ducky frowns.

"I know, Duck--I know." Gibbs gives a little shrug. "She blames Ziva for a lot." After he says this, he catches a cold-like look from Ducky. "What?"

"As much as Abby blames Ziva for a lot, the same should be said of you." Ducky shakes his head. "She wants to blame someone--and she is, she will…except she'll never hold a grudge against you."

"You're killin' me, Duck!" Gibbs insists, his voice raising ever-so-slightly. "Either way she's in no position to rethink how she feels--she's got some whacko after her."

Ducky realizes then that no matter how much he feels about the wrongness in his Marine friends ways, there is honestly nothing else left in him to say about it.

"I would like it very much if you would dedicate some of your time to Anthony as well."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah…" Gibbs walks behind his friend slowly as they climb the wooden stairs. "I'll clear my schedule and meet with everyone I know for a little heart-to-heart."

"Now you're making fun of me."

"You're leaving me no choice, Duck."

At the top of the stairs, Ducky turns and embraces Gibbs. Gibbs takes a moment to register what is happening, and then easily pats the older man on the back. "This is how rumors get started."

"I wouldn't worry about that too much, Jethro…" He lets go of the Marine. "If the walls of this basement could talk…my…there would be enough Headlines to grace the face of television for the next fifteen years."

Gibbs looks towards his feet for a moment. As he lifts his gaze to his friend, they brighten with his growing smile.