A/N: Sorry it is so short, but I had to regroup my thoughts.

Gibbs decided that the team would have a campfire. Things had begun to spin out of control and Gibbs needed control. He had the team meet him in a conference room.

He walked in to find the team already waiting, Abby, Ducky, and Jimmy included. Tony was dozed off in a chair, Abby was quietly doodling, Ducky was reading some files, and Jimmy was staring into space. But what interested Gibbs the most was the demeanor of McGee and Ziva. They sat opposite of each other, angry expressions on their faces. Last night they seemed fairly happy.

"We have a lot to do." Gibbs said, everyone turning their attention to him.

McGee was sulking like a child, and he knew it. But the event that took place early that morning pissed him off like no other.

"Gibbs wants us to come in." Ziva said, snapping her cell shut.

"WHAT!" McGee exclaimed, "We are supposed to be under protection."

"We are needed on the case." Ziva said, irritated by McGee's tone, "What is the matter with that?"

"People are after us Ziva!" McGee responded incredulously.

"So," Ziva said, hands perched upon her hips, "let's go solve the case."

McGee just stared at her in shocked silence.

"Why cant you let someone protect you!" he spat out, "Let your damn pride go long enough to see that you're not in this world alone!"

It was Ziva's turn to stare in shock. McGee had never, EVER, raised his voice to her like that.

"I don't-"

"I don't need protection." McGee finished sarcastically, supposedly mimicking her.

Ziva a was speechless. And mad. McGee was not a mean person, but you could hardly tell.

"That is the truth!" she yelled back, "I am a highly trained assassin."

"You can tell, always stone-faced." McGee said, his voice dangerously low, "You are not a Mossad agent any more David."

"And you need to stop acting like a mother goose, McGee!" Ziva responded, pointing at him.

McGee rolled his eyes at her idiom mistake, but she took it as a pass at her. So she shoved him a little.

"What the hell!"

"Just because you are soft," Ziva spat with just as equal venom, "doesn't mean others are. MOST others can stand for themselves."

Ziva instantly felt sick about what she had said. That was cruel of her. She knew McGee had worked hard from his probie days to become a strong field agent.

"I was beginning to think you had finally lost your heart of ice." McGee said in an almost whisper, "But I was wrong."

With that he went back down to the basement, leaving Ziva stunned once more.

"McGee!"

McGee jumped out of his thoughts at Gibb's harsh bark.

"You with us!"

"Yeah, Boss," McGee nodded, avoiding the Gibbs stare, "I'm with you."

Gibbs stared at McGee a moment more before continuing.

"We have several leads that need following." Gibbs said, sitting at the end of the long table. "and a few forensics needing to be looked at."

Gibbs tossed pieces of paper around the table.

"Tony, you are going with me to Hair Brained." Gibbs instructed, "Find out what you can about the synthetic hair."

"McGee," Gibbs said, loudly enough to bring McGee back to attention, "you work on getting the court order for the welfare records."

"Gibbs!" Abby piped up, "I have the results from the shooting."

"What does the ballistics say, Abs?"

"The bullets were basic 9mm." Abby said, "But that's it."

Gibbs sighed.

"I need you to examine those receipts Abs." Gibbs said, "And the fingerprints we found on the car."

"Sir, Yes Sir!" Abby said, jumping out of her seat, with a cheeky salute.

Gibbs smiled. He could always count on Abby.

"Ducky," Gibbs directed, "profile Petty Officer Wendell, figure her out."

"Most certainly." Ducky said, taking the file Gibbs was holding out.

"What about me, Gibbs?" Ziva said, looking quite upset that she was yet to get an assignment.

"You are going to look for any more connections between the victims, now that we have another." Gibbs said.

Ziva was less than pleased by the assignment.

"Everybody got what they are supposed to do?"

The team murmured their agreement.

"GO!"

Tony and Gibbs left immediately, Ducky, Abby and Jimmy went to their respective work spaces. That left McGee and Ziva in the bullpen.

They quietly went to work, not even looking at each other.

"Hello."

McGee and Ziva looked up at the owner of the voice.

"What are YOU doing here!"