Morning arrived and Tony was surprised to see Ziva still in bed with him and not out doing her morning stretches. He glanced over her shoulder and saw her sound asleep. As Tony carefully extricated himself from bed he realized he'd left her chair in the living room and went to roll it over next to Ziva's side. Then he went to wash up; just as he was about to get into the shower he decided he needed to wake Ziva. He sauntered back to the bedroom and sat on her side of the bed.
"Hey, mon petit pois," Tony smoothed the hair from her face. "Want to shower with a dashing Federal agent?"
"That is my line," she mumbled, "mon petit pois. I can shower later, Tony." Ziva blinked several times and turned to look at the clock. "You should go in early today since you left early yesterday."
"Don't worry about it," Tony said as he helped her up into a sitting position. "I want you to come into the office with me today."
"Really?" Ziva peered at him curiously, "while I would love to; I do not know how practical that would be, Tony."
"I am not staying all day," Tony assured her. "I'm just going in to talk to Gibbs and Vance and maybe do a little work."
"Hacker…no that is not it; Slubber? Slackette!" Ziva pronounced.
"Slacker," Tony intoned. "And am not! Hey I could still be on family medical leave but you pushed me out the door!"
"Why do you want me to go to NCIS today?" Ziva pushed herself further up on the bed.
"I don't like that EJ was sniffing around last night," Tony answered honestly. "And you escaped yesterday and suddenly you think you can shower by yourself."
"You caught that, huh?" Ziva smiled as Tony looked sideways at her. "All right, I will go to NCIS with you today. But I am staying with Abby. I do not want to have to stare at that girl at my desk."
"Ok, I am sure Abby will love it!"' Tony exclaimed as he lifted Ziva into her chair, kissed her and let her alone in the bathroom for a few minutes while he set up to make omelets after the shower.
They showered and Tony washed Ziva's hair. He didn't know what it was about washing her hair but he enjoyed it immensely. The first time he tried, Ziva had swatted him away and said she was capable of that but then she'd realized it wasn't that he was treating her like an invalid but that he truly enjoyed the connection between them when he did it. There was something sensual in the act of washing a woman's hair. They'd developed a routine in the shower that while didn't always end with them making love - did cement the intimacy between them. Maybe it'd been that first shower in Brazil or the first one here but showering with Ziva had become a favorite part of his day.
Afterward, they dressed and ate and were startled by another knock at the door.
"If that is Trent," Tony muttered, "I am not responsible for shooting him."
"Tony-" Ziva shook her head as Tony opened the door.
A messenger held a secured packaged and asked for "Ziva David DiNozzo."
Tony took the package as Ziva signed the messenger's electronic gizmo and then he closed the front door.
"It's from the CIA," Tony scowled as he placed in on the kitchen island.
"Open it," Ziva said simply.
Tony took a sharp knife from the butcher block and sliced open one end and pulled out several files. He opened the first, "Looks to be updated credentials for you and a work statement...and a check," Tony's eyes bulged as he read the check," oh yeah some check."
He handed Ziva the check and she read it as four hundred and twenty-two thousand dollars after withholding according to the pay stub.
"Gotta say, Ziva," Tony started. "I didn't know they paid that well."
"Let me see the statement, Tony, please," Ziva asked and Tony handed it to her.
Tony flipped through the other papers which were just her health insurance confirmation and coverage forms and disability papers.
"Apparently," Ziva said, "this check represents a year of normal pay plus a year of hazard pay and a bonus for completing the Cortez mission. I have to say, Tony, I did not expect this. I did not even think about it. My only concern was the paperwork from CIA."
"I know," Tony moved closer to her, "but hey this check is the least the CIA can do."
Ziva smiled, "We should deposit this in a joint account."
"Joint?" Tony grinned. "I'm rich!"
Ziva chuckled, "Want a Ferrari?"
Tony laughed, "Nah," he bent down, "All I want is a certain ninja's lips," he kissed her. "And fingers," he brought her hand to his mouth and kissed her fingers, "And-"
"If you continue this, Tony, we will never make it into work," Ziva kissed him.
"Always the practical one," Tony kissed her nose then they headed out.
A short while later he wheeled Ziva into the bullpen and Gibbs and McGee were elated to see her back in the building - well as elated as Gibbs got anyway. Tony probably wouldn't have noticed Bishop if she hadn't come over to Ziva and told her she looked well. Ziva didn't make it down to Abby for a few hours as new leads in the Hoffman case developed and Ziva stayed with McGee - at his desk - reviewing the several identities taken from Navy death rolls.
McGee set up a wireless keyboard for her and she primarily worked off the plasma with the keyboard on a cork board on her lap. Vance had come down to see her working and wondered if he needed to give the CIA a call sooner rather than later and officially get his agent back. Ziva chuckled and told him to consider her an unofficial official liaison from the CIA instead of Mossad this time. Vance laughed and was obviously genuinely happy to see her back.
Tony for his part had disappeared up into MTAC with Gibbs and later Vance. He told them about EJ's late night visit and they all started their inquiries into different CIA sources.
When Tony returned to his desk; Ziva was crossing off fake IDs that were created to get credit cards and IDs that seemed to be active people from a fairly huge list. Bishop was standing over Ziva's shoulder asking a million questions about how Ziva crossed referenced. Ziva was answering her and showing her what to look for but Tony noticed that she looked tired.
"Ok, ninja," Tony went and took her keyboard set up away," time to head down to Abby and say hello or she will skin us alive and leave no forensic evidence."
"But-" McGee started.
"No buts, McSlavedriver," Tony handed him the keyboard set up. "Bishop can help you were Ziva left off."
McGee muttered, "Not really," then stood and gave Ziva a kiss.
"Send me the list, McGee, I'll continue at home later," she said as she kissed his cheek.
"Not tonight; tomorrow ok?" McGee said as he winked at her.
Ziva nodded and Tony rolled her down to Abby's lab.
"Ziva!" Abby shrieked and gave her the Abby treatment as she entered the lab.
"How long have you guys been here?" Abby asked.
"A few hours," Ziva answered. "I was helping McGee with a list upstairs."
"Hours? I would have come up sooner but I've been swamped processing the evidence that leads nowhere," Abby said. "This Hoffman character didn't leave much behind in his office or house. I can't seem to pinpoint his DNA on anything. Strange."
Tony grabbed his cell as it chirped, "Yeah, boss. Ok. Right up."
"Ladies, I have to run up to MTAC for a short while." He leaned down by Ziva, "You should lie down soon," he whispered in her ear. "I'll-"
"I am fine, Tony," Ziva gave him a peck on the cheek, "go see what Gibbs wants."
Tony gave her a quick kiss on the lips, "Be back soon," he said before running off.
Ziva wheeled up to Abby's table, "No DNA at all on anything?"
"Yeah," Abby nodded. "I don't even know how that is possible. I have nothing to compare any samples to if we get anything from a victim."
"He really is a ghost then," Ziva said with a strained voice.
Abby crouched by her chair, "Ziva, are you all right?"
"Yes, Abby," Ziva smiled. "I am fine. My back is just sore today."
"I can ask Ducky to come up-" Abby started.
"No," Ziva patted Abby's hand. "I am OK. But would you please get me some water? I am going to take one of these pills-" Ziva reached into one of the wheelchair's side pockets and pulled out a prescription bottle.
"You are not OK," Abby frowned. "I know how you hate taking these." She turned and clicked on the video conference to autopsy, "Ducky?"
"Abby, it's fine," Ziva said.
"Hello, Abigail," Ducky smiled into the camera, "is that Ziva behind you?"
"Yes," Abby nodded. "And she isn't feeling well..."
"Say no more," Ducky pushed his chair back. "I will be right up."
"Abby this happens from time to time; you should not have bothered Ducky," Ziva slipped the bottle back into the side pocket.
"Pain is an indicator that something is wrong. How long have you been hiding it?" Abby narrowed her eyes.
"Abby is right," Ducky said as he entered the lab. "How long have you been experiencing discomfort, Ziva?"
Ducky came up next to her and looked into her eyes, "Well?"
Ziva shrugged, "since last night."
"Lean forward," Ducky instructed and Ziva complied. Ducky slid his hand to her lower back and felt the inflammation hardening. "It feels like last time, Ziva. I think you are accumulating fluid again. We should get you to hospital and take care of this early."
Ziva stared up at him, "Oh the fluid again? So soon?"
"Yes," Ducky nodded. "It seems someone might not be resting as much as she should?"
"Ducky and I can take you," Abby started shutting down her computers.
"No," Ziva sighed. "I do not want to take you away from here. You both have cases to work on."
"I was simply doing reports and those can wait, Ziva," Ducky told her, "you are far more important.
"And I am looking for evidence that doesn't exist and if it does it will be here tomorrow," Abby went to Mass Spec to shut it down. "I'll call Tony and let him know," she said as she pulled out her cell."
Ziva sighed but then she grimaced as the pain in her back increased. She took a deep breath and tried to control it. Her lower back felt like someone was squeezing her spine none too gently.
Abby listened to the cell ring and then groaned, "Damn, I forgot he went up to MTAC and they have that new MTAC operator who makes everyone leave their cells in those damn cubby holes! I hate those cubby holes."
"Let's not mind that," Ducky started wheeling Ziva out of the lab. "We'll call and leave a message for Tony. It is best we get her to the hospital now than wait on them to get out of MTAC."
"Should we call an ambulance?" Abby asked.
"Oh, no," Ziva said. "That would scare Tony if he heard I left in an ambulance."
"Let me call, McGee," Abby took out her cell again, "Ducky has a Morgan and I have a hotrod and neither will be easy for you to get into, Ziva." Abby waited for McGee to pick up his desk phone but it just kept ringing; just before she was about to hang up she heard Bishop say hello. Abby asked for McGee but Bishop told her that McGee, Tony and Gibbs were in MTAC with Vance. Abby asked Bishop to go down to the motor pool and get a car that they were taking Ziva to the hospital.
A short while later; Bishop had done as instructed and gotten the car; Ducky and Abby helped Ziva into the backseat but Ziva had pulled herself most of the way into the car and Bishop noticed the pain on Ziva's face after that effort. She drove them all to the hospital as quickly as possible and left a message for Gibbs and Tony regarding the Ziva situation.
Once at the hospital Ziva was placed on a gurney and taken into emergency. Ducky, Abby and Bishop were asked to wait outside as the nurse went to get an IV and morphine for Ziva's pain.
Ziva waited behind the curtained area and then heard some talking just the other side of the curtain. A moment later a nurse, with a face mask on, pulled back the curtain and wheeled the gurney out.
"Are we going into surgery already?" Ziva asked voice strained, eyes unfocused from the pain.
The nurse nodded and pulled her through a set of heavy doors and then another set of doors. They seemed to be going a long distance and then she was wheeled into an operating room.
Only problem was the room was dark and there was no one else there. "What is going on?" Ziva asked.
"We need to talk," EJ said after removing her surgical mask.