A short look into the minds of Eli, Gibbs and Tony, to have a little set up for all the other chapters. If you have hopes or idea's for the story please let me know. (Yes in this story Eli will be a lot eviler than in the show)

Eli was annoyed when Officer Tuvia left his office. He had big plans in place for Ziva, missions she was vital for. He had finally been able to convince the new director at NCIS, Leon Vance, an old friend, to send his daughter back to him. The recently deceased director Jenny Sheppard had been a big pain. Being to loyal to Ziva to care for the politics of not sending her back. After Ziva's first year at NCIS he tried and get her back but being stonewalled every time. He had wanted his best agent back for some time. And now this, when he finally had her back. He had read the reports. Knowing officer David was off duty and should have let the active agents and police handle it.
He had been surprised when Officer Tuvia tried to go against him on behalf of Ziva. He remembered her as skinny young girl, playing with both of his daughters, always seeming to hang around. He never would have thought she would become as good of an officer as she had. There was however a big flaw he now found out, having hoped with the years apart that it would have faded. Loyalty. The wrong kind of loyalty not to country but to a friend. Another person with too much loyalty to Ziva not to their country.

Even though the hour was late he placed a call to Officer Hadar. Telling him he needed to be assured word of Ziva being in the hospital would not get out. Make sure that little detail would be erased from the reports both the one from officer Tuvia as well as from the ones form the police. Just as well as any mention from any news outlet that a Mossad officer had been involved in any way shape or form with the drive by. Having already send a couple of agents to deal with the perpetrators was enough.

Right before he finally left for the night he left a note for his secretary to inform the hospital to contact them when his daughter woke up. For he could not spare the time to go to the hospital. She was in a coma after all, and would not notice him not being there. Further it would not look good for the director of Mossad to spent his time in the hospital. Their enemies might get the wrong idea's. Thinking him old and ill. And trying to uproot everything he worked for. No, duty came first.

Late at night working on his boat, only the working light on Gibbs tried to work out his frustration. He did not like being blindsided by Leon Vance like that. With one short meeting, an ever shorter list of orders he lost his team.

Something that Gibbs would never admit to anyone out loud was that his team brought great comfort to him. After all the hurt and pain in his early life he could not deny that every single one of those kids meant something to him. That was one of the big reasons he had come back after his brief stint in Mexico.

Tony, Tim and Ziva. When the games Leon was playing had finished he would get them back where they were supposed to be. Having been lost deep inside of his thoughts something made him snap out of it. Looking at his phone for the time he saw it was time to go.

The first email from Abby and McGee had finally gotten through. Just like he'd thought, they had responded almost immediately to him. Something to do with his clearance level and the internet. Believing the young marine who'd finally helped him out Tony did not. The marine probably believed Tony to be bad with computers since he seemed to dumb down the way he talked after he asked Tony to type in his password to unlock the laptop so he'd be able to look at it.

Fine, Tony thought, as long as things worked right now he did not mind being viewed as a bit of a luddite. Still no email from Ziva. Why had he agreed not to call her, he was itching to do that right about now. Wanting to hear her voice, talk to her, get his head on straight. The first case on board had not been an easy one. A lot of suffering, a marine who went home just a bit more broken than before. He needed his friend to talk him through it. Finding out how much for granted he had taken her silent support the past years. Abby would not be an option. McGee would try to understand but in the end he would not fully, for the side of Tony he didn't let anyone see was the one needing the venting, the emotional release. Ziva, he needed Ziva, he needed his best friend.

"You cannot email me Tony" She'd said. Not trusting her email wasn't being watched. Even the secure and secret one she would email him from.

Not really realizing what he was doing until the first words were written down. He'd taken up a pen and paper and had started to write. Actually write a letter, a bit old fashioned maybe. As he poured all his thoughts out on the paper he hoped Ziva would appreciate his effort. Knowing her love for ready books he hoped it also extended to handwritten letters. For the first word he'd written was her name. Addressing the letter to her.

'Ziva,

Look at me, actually writing with pen and paper. Isn't that something a dashing fellow would do in one of your Israeli romance novels? Just as this.

I miss you.

Yes I know. Me, admitting to missing you. It's been close to two weeks. I still haven't heard from you. '

For a moment resting the pen, hoping that writing everything as if she'd answer him would help. He picked the pen back up and continue writing the letter, everything he needed to share with her. With her name and after the rest of the letter a new habit had formed.

Each time his head was full and he needed to share what he couldn't with McGee, each time he thought of her and all the things he'd wanted them to do and discover together, he wrote.

These letters could never be send out. Tony would make sure to save them all and once he would get back to NCIS keep them with him. One day, when Ziva and him would take their chance he would make sure to let her read them.

AN: A short filler chapter. The next chapter will be posted sometime in the weekend is around 4,000 words to make up for it.