Authors note: Thank you so very much Aliyah! Ryalin! Greeny13! and Hellishrose! ME! Com2MeZT! Schmaltzy! I cannot express how much I appreciate your kind words and feedback. It is good to know you are enjoying the tale. There is still more to tell. And yes there will come a point when I reveal what her mission is. I LOVED that you guys enjoyed the little nesting details. I rather enjoyed writing that too :).

"I have to leave in a few days...a week," Ziva leaned against the sill her hands on her tan cargo pants. "I have a job that I need to get back to and finish."

Gibbs stepped in front of her and studied her for a moment. She looked so young; almost the same as the first day he'd met her in the bullpen. Her hair was loose and curly and she was wearing little makeup. But it was her eyes that caught his attention; the first time they'd met her eyes held a fierce determination, a self confident fire that struck him immediately. On occasion that fire would dim but it would always rise again. Ziva was his soldier, stubborn and relentless and always fought with everything she had. But now, her eyes told a different story. He saw it as clear as day, he knew her so well; he saw himself in her so many times. Her eyes reflected the pain she didn't want Tony to see, the sadness she didn't want Abby or McGee or Ducky to feel in her but what disturbed him the most, what had anger well up in Gibbs was that he saw resignation in them.

"What is this job?" Gibbs didn't ask he demanded to know.

"I cannot say," Ziva shook her head. "And you understand these kind of things better than most, Gibbs."

"I don't understand it now," Gibbs wasn't going to let this go easily, "I know you are not working for Mossad. We spent a long time looking for you. Tony used every contact he'd ever made, hell every contact NCIS had to track you down. You've been bouncing around the world under different aliases; Tony got a bead on you because of Agah Bayar and the weapons you bought from him. Why? What is this about?"

Ziva straightened and took a step away from Gibbs, "I am glad that you managed to strike a deal to make Parson's accusations go away. It is good that you and Tony and McGee are back at NCIS. But you should never have had to do that. My actions opened a bag of worms that should never have touched you or the team."

"Is this about Bodnar in some way?" Gibbs touched her arm having her turn to look at him straight on, "Ziva what aren't you telling me? You have to clue me in; we can handle this together."

"This is not about Bodnar," Ziva stated. "It is simply something I must do." Ziva stood tall and proud and gave Gibbs a slight nod, "It is an act of conscience."

"I will not let you give your life because you feel guilty about something," Gibbs' tone brooked no argument. "Is it about Eli? What?" Gibbs struggled to comprehend all of this, "does it go as far back as Ari? What is this?!"

"You have given me so much, Gibbs," Ziva squeezed his arm, "if you had not allowed me to join your team I would have returned to Mossad. And I likely would not have lived another year. I had served in many departments of the Mossad but ultimately I was Kidon, but you know that don't you. You know Eli would sacrifice his daughter for the cause. The only life, real life I have had has been here with all of you...with Tony."

"I won't sacrifice you, Ziva," Gibbs brought his hand down on another chair back, "you are one of mine now. You have been for a very long time and I do not want to lose another daughter!"

Ziva closed her eyes and clearly bit back her tears, "You gave me time I would not have had. I found real friends...family because of you. You gave me more than I can ever repay and I want you to know how grateful I am."

"Ziva," Gibbs took hold of her arms and was having a hard time controlling his own emotions, "I don't want your gratitude. I want to protect you. Whatever this is I know that you think you are not going to come back from it. I can't allow that. It would devastate Tony, it would wreck the team and I don't think I could live with it. So stop it. Give up this act of conscience and either tell me or let it go."

"I cannot let it go because it is the right thing to do," Ziva patted his chest and smiled up at him, "But, I might not die. I might come back. And having all of you and Tony...I will fight I promise you."

"Then why don't I see it?" Gibbs shook her slightly, "where is my Ziva? Because the woman in front of me right now is lying to me and is resigned to die."

"I am not resigned to die," Ziva shook her head, "but I know it will be difficult to avoid."

"We can do anything, Ziva," Gibbs nodded. "We have taken down terrorists half way around the world and survived more hits than I can count. We can also make you and Tony disappear. You can go somewhere safe."

"I will not run from this," Ziva took hold of Gibbs arms in turn, "Gibbs, enough. Accept."

"No," Gibbs stepped back, "why should I accept that you want to go off on some unknown mission that will likely get you killed? When you have all of us here and willing to help? When you have Tony and you know how he feels! This team would claw anyone's eyes out. They already have for you!" Gibbs pulled her in close to him, "What is this?"

"Please do not hate me," Ziva felt small in his grasp, she'd never felt so small before, "I swear to you, Gibbs, I do this because it is right."

Gibbs pulled her into an embrace and knew she would never tell him what she was involved in. He knew now there was nothing he could do to change her mind; he had to pray now - pray that Tony could change it; pray that she would survive this. Pray that they'd get her back.

"Sometimes," Gibbs voice cracked, "you need to be selfish. Don't do this for someone else - think of your own life of what you want and hold onto it. If you don't you will be destroying us all...destroying Tony."

"I should not have come," Ziva pulled away from Gibbs and lowered her head. "I was being selfish and I think I am doing more damage than I should." She raised her head again and looked directly into Gibbs' eyes, "I cannot stay. I agreed to give this time to Tony but now it is too real and I do not know what I will be leaving in my wake. Please, do not let Tony keep my things here. Please, see that he rids this place of them soon. I know I am hurting him by staying-"

"These days are mine," Tony entered the room, went directly to Ziva and pulled her into his arms. "You are not leaving early. I don't want you to leave at all but for these next seven days I want you to be happy. I want to be happy with you." Tony held her tight and Gibbs heard her mutter that she was sorry as she cried into Tony's shoulder.

Gibbs backed off and left the dining room, closing the door again and turned to face the others. Tears streaked Abby's cheeks and McGee and Ducky looked like they'd just been stabbed in the hearts. Obviously, Tony told them the situation. To his surprise it was Abby who spoke up first.

"We have to find a way to track her," Abby choked backed her tears and whispered. "Tony said he was living his life in these days with her but that he wasn't blind. He wants to protect her, he wants to find out what she is working on. Did she give you any clues?"

"No," Gibbs replied simply. "She wouldn't say a thing. I don't think she will, Abby."

"Then we use other methods to find out," McGee chimed in. "I am going to need something she is going to keep on her person. Maybe her necklace?"

Gibbs nodded. "Let's do what we can."

Ducky stepped forward, looked to the closed door then back at the group, "Whatever this is; she feels it is important enough to give her future, her life for it. What is that important?"