Lie Again

The Goldfish Question

There was a different Ziva in the bullpen the next morning. Sure, she was sitting at her desk, quietly checking her email, and that was normal enough, but her brows were drawn, her jaw clenched.

"Something up?" Tony asked, not really expecting an answer.

She gave him a half-second glance and that was it.

"Good talk." He went to his own desk and dropped his bag.

McGee walked in, totally oblivious. "Nice weather we're having."

Tony gave a noncommittal grunt.

"Do you need an engraved invitation?" Gibbs asked from behind them, effectively startling everyone. Even hyper-aware Ziva. "Why are you still sitting around?"

"Sorry, Boss."

"Rule number six."

"Never say you're sorry." Even this far into his working with Gibbs, Tony still constantly forgot the rules (this isn't to say he couldn't recite them in his sleep, though).

Ziva sped off to the elevator before anyone could say another word.

Gibbs watched her leave with something like concern on his face, but because he was Leroy Jethro Gibbs, he didn't ask about it.

***

The entire day passed like that, with Ziva speaking only when prompted repeatedly, and then tensely, in as few words as possible.

It was really starting to worry Tony, but he couldn't think of a way to ask her about it without getting punched in the gut.

"Ziva, is something wrong?" Leave it to McGee to go right out and ask.

The Israeli looked up, seeming almost surprised. "No, McGee."

"You seem a little on edge today, that's all."

"It is nothing."

It was definitely something.

When Ziva got up to go to the break room, Tony followed her. He knew he was taking a risk, following her when she was in a mood, but he needed to know the reason behind her dramatic mood swings.

"What, Tony?" Her exasperated voice caught him by surprise.

He almost stepped on her heels. "Just grabbing a snack."

"At the same time as me? How coincidental." Of course she didn't believe him.

"Okay... I was thinking about getting a goldfish, and I was wondering what your opinion was on the matter." Tony silently cursed himself. He was an investigator, heard all sorts of stories every day, and this was the best he could come up with? A goldfish?

She gave him a weird look out of the corner of her eye. "A goldfish?"

Great, she thought it was stupid, too.

"Yeah, nothing fancy. Just a low-maintenance pet to keep me company."

"Company."

He vaguely wondered if she was just going to repeat everything he said, like that copy cat game little kids play. "Speaking of which, is Ray back yet?"

Even from several feet away, he could hear her sudden intake of breath.

Her eyes were smoldering when they met his. "That is none of your business."

That meant 'no.' "Sorry." He raised his hands in a gesture of harmlessness. "I was just hoping to have a word with him when he got here."

"You aren't getting a goldfish," she accused. "You just want to interrogate me about Ray. You are such a child." And she stormed out.

***

What on earth was he thinking?

Ziva dropped onto the couch.

Tony knew well enough by now that she didn't appreciate his questions, and yet there he was, prying into her personal business again.

She slipped the bookmark out of the novel she'd been working through, but she was too angry to read.

Her phone rang, and she was pleasantly surprised to see the time. "Ray."

"Hello, Ziva. I am on my way to the airport right now. I should be back in D.C. by noon tomorrow. I have some business to attend to in the afternoon, but I'll be waiting for you at the restaurant come nightfall."

Ziva found herself smiling. "Do you promise?"

"I promise." He broke his promises all the time, but she tried not to think about that whenever he made another promise to her. Promises were made to be broken, were they not?

"Abby helped me pick out a new dress for tomorrow night," she said, on a whim.

He smiled through the phone. "I can't wait to see it. I have to get on the plane now, but I'll call you when I land. Love you."

He never said all three words.

"Love you, too." So she didn't either.

Her heart seemed to sag in her chest after he hung up. She wanted so badly to talk to him, to see his face again, to feel his lips on hers. But all of that was still another day away, and all the wishing in the world wouldn't bring it to her sooner.

***

Tony was scowling as he poured a stiff drink. Ray would be back in town tomorrow, and that meant Ziva was that much closer to being dragged onto another emotional roller coaster, courtesy of her neglectful boyfriend.

The shot glass clunked satisfyingly on the coffee table. Tony sat back on the sofa, resting his feet on the edge of the table. He turned the TV on but his attention was inevitably drawn back to the wild socks on his feet.

Ziva had gotten them for him a couple years ago, after he made a comment about Dobby the House Elf. After he explained Dobby's fascination with socks, Ziva took it upon herself to go out and find the stupidest looking socks available in the tri-state area.

He hardly ever wore them, for obvious reasons (come on, they were neon green and dotted with mustachioed tacos), and it was a mystery to him why he was wearing them now. He blamed it on the alcohol.

The TV blared at him and he jumped, not realizing until now that the sound was up way too high.

"She keeps going out with this other guy. He's no good for her," the movie character grumbled to his buddy.

"Well, why don't you do somethin' about it?" the buddy slurred back, clearly just as drunk as Tony.

"She loves him, and he loves her. How can I justify getting in the way?"

The friend was silent for a moment. "You can't."

Tony snapped the TV off and stomped back to the kitchen for another round.

*****

Let me know if you like it!

Things should start to pick up in the next chapter. We'll see.