Warnings: No spoilers, not Ziva friendly

A/N: Ok here is some more. Hope you like it! Like I said, kitty claws come out in this chapter, but I don't think it's too out of character for Ziva, especially if you think back to this time in the series. She never had to face what happened to her in Somalia, so she is very mentally unstable. Enjoy!

DiNozzoDame- Thank you! I'm glad that you like the story!

Gibbs came swiftly into the bullpen after the phone call from Tony, fresh coffee in his hand. "Talk to me, Callahan."

Natalie grabbed the clicker and put the service record of PFC Charles McKnight up onto the plasma screen. "I went back and profiled every solider that trained with the Israelis while they were here. PFC McKnight's brother, Lyle, is a member of a large white supremacy group in Virginia. Their main targets are Jews, African Americans... Muslims... this wasn't an act of terrorism. It was too messy, too bloody. A professional killer wouldn't have left the body out in the open like that. It was discovered so late because of the time of year. This was a hate crime. And PFC McKnight is our best bet to be the culprit."

"You told us that Abby said it was a professional hit man," Ziva snapped near by. Her brown eyes narrowed and darkened. "It cannot be both."

"We told you it appeared to be a professional hit man," Natalie threw back at her, hotly. "You just assumed we were right."

Gibbs stepped in between them to get Natalie's attention off of Ziva's attempts to derail her. "Why do you think it was McKnight?"

Natalie pressed the clicker again to bring up the service record. "His file is littered with incident reports... racial slurs... fights... refusal to follow orders given by an African American superior officer... it all points towards McKnight as being a racist."

Malachi was skeptical, like Ziva, but he wasn't as forceful when he asked, "And all this leads to him becoming a killer?"

"Oh yes, absolutely," Natalie replied with a nod of her head. "He shows a pattern of violence. An Israeli handing out orders to him could be just the thing that drove him over the edge to become a killer."

"I spoke to McKnight's commanding officer over the phone, boss," Tony said. "He says that McKnight was vocal about the training and made it known that he hated the idea. He came to blows a few times with a couple of the Israeli soldiers as well as had some words with Eshkar the night he was killed."

Gibbs turned his eyes towards Ziva. She was standing there, her arms crossed over her chest, glaring at Natalie and Tony. It was then he saw the desire to hurt someone gleaming in her eyes. And he could guess who Ziva was going to go after first... "Did you know about that confrontation?" he asked her.

Ziva licked her lips and shook her head. "No. I did not."

"So where were you when it happened?" Tony inquired, his voice heavy. "Shouldn't you have been on base?"

"It is none of your business where I was," Ziva snapped at him.

"It is if you left him on that base alone and he's dead because of it!" Tony yelled at her, crossing the space between them. "You like to leave your partners in the lurch don't you, Ziva? What the hell could you have possibly been doing while he was getting his brains blown out?"

Natalie saw the young Israeli woman's eyes flash with a couple of different emotions and immediately she knew where Ziva had gone. "Tony," she warned him, reaching out and pulling back on him. "It's not worth it."

Ziva's nostrils flared. She took two sure strides towards this encroacher and snarled, "Are you suggesting what he has to say to me means nothing? That my relationship with this team means nothing? I worked here longer than you have, I know them better than you do!"

"No! That's not what I'm saying at all!" Natalie fired back, clenching her fists. "I'm suggesting that standing around here arguing over all of this is a waste of time! Stop trying to make this whole thing about you! It's not! Officer Eshkar is dead and you don't seem to even care!"

"Excuse me? Who the hell do you think you are? Benjamin was my friend! I want to find his killer just as much if not more than NCIS!" Ziva contested.

Natalie didn't back down and blew out, under her breath, "Really? You have a funny way of showing it."

Ziva nearly snapped then. If both Gibbs and Tony were not standing in her way she would have taken the probationary agent down and punched her in the face for daring to accuse of her not caring. Her eyes filled with sheer rage, the same kind that Tony had seen when she had taken him down in Israel. But before she could lay a finger on Natalie, Gibbs reached out and shoved her back, "HEY!" he shouted. "ENOUGH!" He pointed a finger at Tony and snapped, "Take Callahan and go pick up McKnight. And you," he directed at Natalie, "come back with a cooler head, do you hear me?"

"Yes, Gibbs," she whispered, grabbing up her gear and following behind Tony.

"McGee," the team leader growled when Tony and Natalie were gone, "Take these two upstairs."

"I want to be in the room when you interrogate PFC McKnight," Ziva demanded, still hot from her tiff with Natalie.

Gibbs set his jaw. "You can observe. That is... if you leave my team alone and let them do their jobs."

Ziva scoffed and cursed at him in Hebrew. She didn't go up to the conference room quietly, and Gibbs hoped that Natalie's theory panned out because he really wanted to be rid of Mossad before Ziva tore his team to shreds. He hadn't seen it before now but she was poison. And the longer she was around, the more of that poison his team drank.

There wasn't enough coffee in the world that was going to get him through this case. Gibbs knew that they were just going to have to power through and hope that they came out on the other end with minimal damage.

Natalie hadn't really cooled off, despite Gibbs ordering her to do so,Tony noticed while he drove towards the base. It had probably been a good thing that Gibbs had sent them on this field trip to pick up McKnight... or the bullpen could have become a war zone.

Tony realized that this field trip wasn't just for the benefit of allowing Natalie to regroup, it was for his as well. He had gotten pretty hot with Ziva too. And if he kept looking at Natalie like she was vile... things were not going to get better. "Listen," he finally said, breaking the silence of their car ride, "her attitude towards you has nothing to do with how well you do your job... it has everything to do with the fact that she thinks that spot belongs to her."

Leaning back against her seat, Natalie looked out the window. "If she would just set her ego aside, she'd see that this is our best lead."

"Setting her ego aside has always been a problem for her," Tony said with a shrug. "I blame her father. She grew up thinking she could do no wrong."

"Obviously if she wants you to think she never meant to hurt you."

"You heard that?"

Natalie nodded. "Yes. I was on my way to find you to let you know what we found. I was going to slap you on the back of the head if you bought it, by the way. She can spin it all she wants... she thought you killed Michael Rivkin because you were jealous and then she took you down, pointed a gun at you, and authorized you to be used as bait. She must think you're incredibly stupid if she thought you'd believe her."

Tony grinned. "I didn't buy it for a second, actually, but it's nice to know that if I do loose my mind that you'll be there to slap the sense back into me. And I bet your touch is a lot softer than Gibbs."

"Just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I hit like one."

"Never suggested that you do."

"Tony," she said, softly. "Tell me the truth. Did you love her?"

Slowly, he let out a breath, to steady himself. "I was attracted to her. I found her...lethal nature hot, sexy... call it a fatal attraction if you will. But love? No, I don't think I loved her. I think I tricked myself into believing that I was in love with her. But... I don't love her, not anymore."

It was apparent in her eyes how relieved she was to hear him say that, even if she was still in denial about how she felt about him. "See... you didn't need me around to have a moment of clarity when it came to Ziva."

"Actually it was you that made me realize how wrong I was about her," Tony confessed.

"Me? I don't understand," Natalie replied, confused.

"You showed me that partners shouldn't be keeping secrets, that we should be honest with one another... trust one another," he replied.

She seemed to understand now. "Ziva was never loyal to NCIS, Tony. She was loyal to herself and her father. Plain and simple."

He turned slightly towards her, briefly taking his eyes off the road so he could smile at her. "Well, I'm glad we have you now."

Natalie blushed, a little, at his tender gaze. It was only a second that he looked at her that way, but in that second she could see how much he did care for her. And that instantly calmed her, helped her get back to that cooler head that Gibbs had ordered in the bullpen earlier.

Tony pulled the car up to base security and flashed his badge. They were allowed to continue their travels, pushing their personal conversation aside for the time being and focusing on their job. The pair of NCIS agents found their prime suspect training with his unit. "PFC McKnight?" Tony questioned, sliding back his jacket to flash his badge. "NCIS. We have a few questions for you."

McKnight paused and then took off running, jumping over training equipment as he went.

"Son of a bitch!" Tony cursed, taking off after him. "I hate it when they run!"

"He's heading for the officer's club!" Natalie shouted, following suit.

Tony crashed his way through training marines, knocking a few off their feet as he went. "McKnight! STOP!" he yelled after their suspect, jumping over fallen branches and ducking out of the way of trees as he went. He had lost sight of Natalie while he sprinted after McKnight. "I SAID STOP!"

He finally caught up to the marine and tackled him to the hard ground, banging his shoulders and sending pain shooting up his side. Tony cursed as the suspect struggled against his hold, managing to break an arm free and landing a right hook in Tony's jaw. The senior field agent twisted about, got McKnight on his back and landed his own punch in before Natalie appeared, gun drawn. "He told you to stop," she said, breathing heavily.

McKnight stopped his struggle and Tony pulled him to his feet, whirling his about and pinning his arms behind his back to cuff him. Wiping the blood from his lip, he shook his sore hand from striking McKnight, and cursed. "You picked the wrong day to piss me off. I might just hand you over to our Israeli friends and let them treat you to their idea of justice."

"Shut up," McKnight snapped. "I didn't do anything."

"Yeah? So why did you run?"

"You flashed a badge and a gun."

Tony scowled and grabbed him by the shoulder. "Let's go wise guy. You have a date with one Leroy Jethro Gibbs and we wouldn't want you to be late."

Natalie could feel what little energy she had left draining out of her as she stepped into the staff lounge to find coffee. It had been an incredibly long day and now that they had McKnight in custody, searched his barracks... it was no where near over.

"Damn," she muttered when she found the pot empty. "Guess everyone is having a rough day."

"Don't worry about making coffee," Tony announced, appearing by her side, holding an ice cub to his lip. "Gibbs went to get us all more and said when he gets back he wants us in the Interrogation Room."

She was surprised that the former marine didn't want to question McKnight himself. "He wants us to question the Private?"

He nodded, pulling the ice cube away from his lip and frown at the trace of blood there. "Yep. It was your break in the case anyways. This is his way of rewarding you, Nat." Tony smiled warmly at her again, "You did good, kid."

Natalie felt her cheeks flush again when he ruffled her hair and walked away. Turning away slightly, she tried to shake the sudden feelings that rushed at her. She thought she had them under control... apparently she did not... but she better get a hold of them and fast before Gibbs blew a gasket at them. Straightening her white blouse, Natalie turned to head back to the bullpen and found Ziva standing in her way. "Ziva. Can I help you with something?"

Ziva's lower lip curled in annoyance. "I came down looking for a cup of coffee."

"Pot is empty," Natalie stated, keeping her cool. "I can show you were it is if you want to make some."

"I do not need your help," Ziva spat. "I worked here, I know where the coffee is kept."

Natalie stepped aside and allowed her to enter the staff lounge. She turned to go herself but something was tugging at her. Something she had been thinking about since returning to NCIS. Biting down on her lower lip, she spun about and stated, "You didn't want to tell Gibbs where you were the night Eshkar was murdered because you went looking for Tony, didn't you?"

Ziva had found the coffee and was preparing the pot to brew some. "So what if I did? My reasons for going to see Tony are private, they have nothing to do with this case."

"Tony wasn't at his apartment that night," Natalie said, clenching her fists tightly at her sides.

"No. He was not," Ziva replied, curtly. "I waited for him but when it was apparent he was not coming home... I went back to the base. It was the next morning that I realized Benjamin was missing and reported it to my father."

"Why didn't you report it to the base commander? Or the police?"

"Benjamin and I were supposed to keep our visit low key."

Natalie watched as the Israeli woman turned towards her, waiting for the coffee to brew. Her brown eyes had a dark look in them and the probationary agent felt like she was being hunted. "You thought he went Rogue... just like Michael Rivkin... just like Ari." When Ziva's eyes flashed surprise, she confessed, "Yes, I know all about NCIS history with Mossad."

Ziva took a deep breath and hissed, "Well then, we have nothing left to chat about."

"Actually," Natalie said, firmly, "We do."

"Oh?"

"Tony. I know you think he still loves you, and I'm not going to try to convince you otherwise, but leave my partner alone. You've hurt him enough."

Ziva glared at her, took one step forward, flexing her right hand. "You know nothing about what I have with Tony. You weren't there. He killed Michael because he was trying to protect me, because he loves me. It is none of your business what happens between the two of us."

Natalie didn't back down. If the roles were reversed, she knew that Tony wouldn't back down... that he'd do everything to make it clear that he would protect her. She was going to do the same for him. "What happened to you in Somalia was awful, but you cannot possibly think that after everything Tony and I went through in Africa that we'd trust you? That he'd still have feelings for you? I can tell you, he doesn't. He saw you for what you really were, Ziva. And he doesn't want to be with that."

Her nostrils flared in anger and she took another step towards Natalie. "And what exactly am I, Natalie?"

"You need help. No one can just go back to their way of life after surviving that camp."

"So, you are saying I am crazy."

"Crazy? No, angry, upset, maybe a bit delusional."

Ziva strode across the room and got within inches of Natalie. "You do not know me. Stop pretending that you get me."

Natalie swallowed, nervously, but still not backing down. "Your intimidation tactics don't work on me. So, I'll say it again. Leave Tony alone." She took a step back when she heard the coffee pot signal it was done. "Your coffee is done," she said softly.

"He will never love you," the Israeli snapped, "You will never be able to take my place in his heart or on this team. It is only a matter of time before I am back here at NCIS, back in their lives."

"Tony doesn't love you, he told me so himself. And I'm not looking for his love or his loyalty like you are... I know I already have it," Natalie threw back, stepping back further to walk away, but immediately realizing her mistake, as Ziva's eyes darkened and her stance became predatory.

She came at Natalie fast, so fast that the probationary agent had very little time to react. Natalie found herself crashing into the cabinets, her knee connecting with the metal handle and she felt pain shoot up her entire left leg. Scrambling along the floor, Natalie bounced back to her feet and managed to thrust her fist out and connect with Ziva's nose as the other woman came at her again.

Ziva snarled as blood came out of her nostrils and her hands grabbed Natalie, roughly by her blouse and taking her down again to the ground. Her knee pinned Natalie underneath her and she wrapped her hands around the NCIS agent's neck.

Natalie struggled to got out from underneath her but finally got her good knee free and swiftly connected with Ziva's gut, tossing the woman off of her, sending her flying into a few nearby chairs. "Get off of me!" she screamed, frantically trying to get back to her feet to get the hell out of here before the Israeli ended up killing her in a blind rage.

She was ready for Ziva's relentless attack on her this time, rocking back on the balls of her feet to absorb the punches, blocking them with her forearms like her partner had trained her to do, and then she surprised Ziva, but ducking just as the Mossad officer was going to head butt her. Ziva's face connected with the wall and both women heard the break of Ziva's nose.

Natalie moved away, fearing that she had angered the assassin just enough that she wouldn't be able to fight her off this time. But she tripped over a discarded chair and found herself on her backside, staring up at the ceiling.

Ziva was on top of her fast, her fist connecting with Natalie's jaw and she growled, like a lioness that had just taken down its meal.

"Natalie!" Tony's voice cut through her disoriented fog. He ripped Ziva off his partner and threw her down the hall away from Natalie. "Get off of her!"

"Stay out of it, Tony," Ziva growled, wiping the blood off her face on the back of her hand.

"Give me one good reason I shouldn't kick your ass right now, David?" Tony snarled, balling his fists up.

"What the hell is going on?" Gibbs shouted, having been drawn the staff lounge because of the commotion.

Natalie gasped and tried to stand up, but her knee gave out. Pain shot through her entire body. "I'm sorry, Gibbs... I, I pushed too hard... I just... I didn't want her hurting you or Tony anymore! She came at me..."

Ziva moved towards her again but Gibbs pushed her back. "You provoked me! You started it!"

Gibbs watched as a tear leaked out of Natalie's eye and down her bruising cheek. By nature his probationary agent was not a violent woman, if anything she shied away from physical confrontation, even when he had been training her. She would fight back if need be... but she wouldn't actively go seeking a fight, which led him to the conclusion that she had angered Ziva enough to provoke the attack. "Tony. Take Natalie down to see Ducky, have him check her out. I'll make sure Officer David gets to the ER." And then on a plane back to Israel, she can be Eli's problem.

Tony, jaw still tight, reached down and lifted Natalie up into his arms, carrying her towards the elevator. He felt her arms tighten around his neck, the slight tremble of her body. Natalie could be tough when she wanted to be, but he knew that engaging in a fight for her life had jarred her. And for this alone, he was going to make Ziva realize that there was nothing between them anymore. He was in love with another woman. He was in love with Natalie.