A/N Alright, just a little more fluff, then the case. Plz review. Thanks for all the reviews. And now for your viewing pleasure…Chapter Eleven.
Ziva drove home as fast as she could, faster than her usual fast. After Gibbs told her to get Chelsea and McGee and bring them back to NCIS, Ziva couldn't move fast enough. She drove on pure adrenaline induced by the words carved into the Lt.'s shoulder. No one was going to hurt Chelsea. Or McGee.
She arrived at in front of her building, where McGee stood with Chelsea, who was asleep in his arms, a suitcase next to him. She had called him the minute she saw the threat.
"McGee! Chelsea!" she gasped, getting out of her car.
"We're ok Ziva." McGee attempted to quietly calm her as she brushed a kiss on Chelsea's little pale face.
Ziva's head snapped up, eyes ablaze. McGee stepped back.
"We are not ok." she hissed, "There is someone after our daughter."
With that Ziva gathered Chelsea in her arms and began to strap her in her car seat. McGee remained where he stood, frozen by the two words 'our daughter'.
"McGee!" Ziva snapped, waving a hand in front of his face, "We have to-"
In one swift move McGee grabbed the hand in front of him, pulling Ziva to him. Not even thinking of how many ways she could kill him, he cupped her face and then roughly brought her lips to his. Ziva stiffened, then relaxed into it.
"Daddy?"
The two jumped apart with a gasp at Chelsea's sleepy murmur.
"We have to go." Ziva said, going around to the drivers side, avoiding his eyes.
McGee watched her. She had done it again. Shut him out. Then again, he was lucky she hadn't shut him out of the world.
Gibbs waited impatiently for Ziva, McGee and Chelsea to arrive back at NCIS. Nobody was allowed to hurt his people or children. Gibbs was leaning back in his chair with his eyes closed, pretending to be asleep. He wanted to think without Tony's chatter.
"Boss!" came a hissed whisper, "Boss!"
Gibbs growled. Apparently, DiNozzo couldn't help himself.
"What!" he barked, snapping his eyes open.
Gibbs watched Tony jump back from his desk.
"Uh-hey Boss." Tony said, straightening his tie nervously, "Ducky just called me and is asking for you."
After smacking Tony and instructing him to call him when Ziva and McGee got back, Gibbs headed down to Autopsy.
"What's up Ducky?" Gibbs said, stifling a yawn as he entered the room.
"You need rest Jethro." Ducky said, smiling.
"Not yet Duck." Gibbs said, glaring, "Tony said you wanted to see me?"
"Yes," Ducky nodded, "I wanted to talk to you about what else I found on Lt. Brenner's body."
"Another message?" Gibbs questioned, stepping closer to the body Ducky stood over.
"Perhaps." Ducky said, "Do you see this scarring upon her other shoulder?"
"Yes." Gibbs said, squinting, "What is it?"
"Where are your glasses Jethro?" Ducky scolded, then continued, "Our Lt. here had a tattoo removed."
"Is it possible to uncover it?" Gibbs asked curtly.
"Gibbs!"
Gibbs headed over to the little monitor set up at Ducky's desk. On it, Abby was shaking with excitement.
"What do you got Abs?"
"I uncovered the tattoo Gibbs!" Abby answered happily.
"Well?"
"It is a flower with the words 'The Gifter' in it!"
"Thanks Abby," Gibbs said, "I owe you."
Gibbs shut off the monitor before Abby could start another monologue. He turned to look at Ducky who had resumed one of his one sided conversations with the dead.
"…and he just doesn't realize that it is not his-"
"The tattoo was a gift." Gibbs interrupted.
"A gift?" Ducky said, "From whom?"
Before Gibbs could answer, his cell rang. He merely waved as he left autopsy, leaving Ducky confused.
Tony knew something was up when McGee and Ziva arrived with Chelsea. Believe it or not, Tony was very observant. And when they arrived, Tony watched their body language, quite intrigued. Ziva looked extremely conflicted. She obviously was being pulled apart by her Mossad ways and true feelings. She was also very stiff, which meant that she was distancing herself. McGee looked green around the gills. That meant he was either nervous or embarrassed. Then again, that could be the result of Ziva's driving. But he also looked disappointed and regretful. But before Tony could say anything, he saw Chelsea in McGee's arms.
"She looks like she needs to go to the hospital!" Tony whispered loudly as he approached McGee.
"I am taking her down to Ducky." McGee said, walking through the bullpen, "Wanna come?"
Tony nodded. McGee was telling him that he wanted to talk.
"What did you do?" Tony whispered.
McGee just sighed.
Ziva watched Tony follow McGee out of the bullpen. She saw how they had quietly spoke. McGee was going to tell Tony, mostly because Tony was like a big brother to him.
Her mind was whirling. Ziva had been kissed many times, from a few boyfriends here and there, undercover kisses, she had even kissed Tony. But nothing could compare to McGee's.
"Where are Tony and McGee?" Gibbs barked, jolting her out of her musings.
"They went to take Chelsea to Ducky," Ziva said, sitting up straighter, "Her fever went a little higher."
Gibbs stopped behind his desk and took a closer at Ziva. She was a wreck. And he had a feeling he knew why.
"Conference room Ziver." he told her, using his pet name for to ease some tension.
It worried Gibbs that Ziva hadn't put up a fight. Usually she would bombard him with defensive questions or blame Tony for something. But she followed him quietly into the elevator.
"What's the matter Ziva?" Gibbs asked, the second he flipped the power switch.
"It is nothing Gibbs." Ziva answered, head held high.
"That is a load of crap." Gibbs promptly retorted.
"I promise." Ziva said, stone faced.
Gibbs resisted the urge to head slap her. It was time to bring out the big guns.
"I am beginning to think that you need off this case." Gibbs said, tone serious.
"That is not necessary!" Ziva gasped.
"Well then," Gibbs said, knowing he'd cracked her, "tell me why I shouldn't."
"I am just worried about Chelsea." Ziva admitted, all though painfully.
"And..?" Gibbs prodded.
"McGee and myself." Ziva finished in a hurry, "But it will not effect my work, Gibbs."
Gibbs stared at her for a moment, then nodded slowly.
"Rule number 12." was his reply, sending the elevator to their correct floor.
Meanwhile; another elevator was stopped in the building.
"So what's going on McGoo?" Tony asked lightly.
"I kissed her." McGee blurted out, a pained look on his face.
Tony stared at him, wide-eyed and open-mouthed. Tony was shocked silent.
"Uh, Tony?" McGee said carefully.
"Like- your lips touched- uh- hers!?" Tony asked, his voice a few octaves higher than normal.
Feeling his face go scarlet, McGee merely nodded.
"And she didn't kill you!?"
McGee shook his head, slightly annoyed at Tony's incredulous tone.
"She ignored me." McGee said.
"Oooh." Tony said, cringing, "That's bad. What the hell possessed you to kiss Miss Mossad Ninja!?"
McGee continued to feel stupid as he told Tony a quick synopsis of what had happened.
"So because she called Chelsea 'our daughter' you had to kiss her?" Tony summed up, a goofy grin on his face.
"Yes!" McGee said defensively, "Don't laugh!"
"You're a sentimental guy, Tim." Tony said, clapping a hand on McGee's shoulder, "And boy, has that caused you hell McHallmark!"
McGee just turned on the elevator as Tony cracked up beside him. It was an almost decent conversation.
Tony punched his shoulder. That was as close as Tony got to "I got your back bro!"
PHOOMPH!