Lie Again

Packing Up

Don't know where I'll go with this update, but waiting for my first class is driving me insane and I have to do something.

*****

"I need to go back to Israel."

Gibbs looked up in actual surprise.

"Israel?" DiNozzo demanded.

Gibbs didn't take his gaze off Ziva, but he knew DiNozzo was on his feet, ready to argue.

"I have a lead," she said simply.

"Okay," Gibbs replied. He leaned back in his chair, fingers laced behind his head. "How soon?"

"Today, if possible."

"You can't just leave," DiNozzo said, his voice barely staying calm.

Ziva hardly looked at him. "I would like to go alone."

"Alone? Are you crazy?"

"DiNozzo." That was enough to silence him, but there was no question about it he was furious. "Talk to Vance. He'll get you on a flight as soon as possible."

"Thank you." She turned on her heel and strode away.

"You're going to let her go? Alone? Just like that?" Now that Ziva was gone, DiNozzo stepped forward to take her spot.

"Ziva can take care of herself."

"That's not the point! Her ex-partner was just murdered! She could be next, and you're letting her go off by herself to the other side of the world!"

"She won't be alone."

"What, like her father would really care enough to give her some backup? You remember what happened the last time Ziva relied on her father. She ended up in a terrorist camp, waiting to be killed. There is no way in hell you can expect me to just sit here and wait for the news-"

Gibbs decided that he had gone on long enough. "I said she wouldn't be alone." He stared at his senior field agent for a good minute before realization dawned on him.

"Oh."

A small smirk crossed Gibbs' face.

"But she wants to go alone. She won't let me go with her."

Gibbs shrugged. "You'll figure something out."

"Thanks, Boss."

"Mmhm." He waited for DiNozzo to walk away before picking up his phone and calling Leon.

***

After making travel arrangements with Vance, Ziva went hone and got to packing. She didn't know how long she would be gone, but she packed light anyway. She could always do laundry or wear something twice. Clothes weren't her priority.

She kept replaying the bullpen conversation in her head. She hadn't expected Gibbs to let her go so easily. He didn't even try to argue with her. He didn't usually, sure, but he didn't even seem to hesitate in letting her go after the killer all by herself.

What was she supposed to think of that? Did he know how badly she needed to do this alone? Did he trust her to take care of herself?

Or did he just not care?

She shook her head immediately. Gibbs cared. He definitely cared. About her, about everyone else on the team. He just didn't do a great job showing it.

But the doubt was still there. She remembered how Gibbs had left her in Israel. She didn't want to remember, but she did.

"You have got to be kidding me," Ziva said to herself when someone knocked on her door. She tossed the shirt she had been folding into her duffel bag and sighed as she went to answer the door.

Tony.

***

"What do you want?" She stood firmly in the doorway.

He held up a plane ticket. "I'm going with you."

"No, you are not. I am going alone."

"Whatever. I'm still going with you."

"Do not-"

He reached up and brushed the hair out of her face. She stared at him, frozen and wide-eyed at his touch.

"Sorry," he said. "You had a hair..."

She still stood there unmoving, and Tony mentally smacked himself for touching her in the first place.

"I just want to do whatever I can to help you. You shouldn't have to do this alone. Catch your partner's killer, I mean."

She blinked. "You are my partner."

"I am."

"You always have my back."

"I try."

She gave him a curt nod and then stepped back to let him in. "I am still packing."

"I figured."

"I take it you have already packed?"

"If by packed you mean throwing a bunch of clothes in a suitcase, then yes, I have already packed."

She rolled her eyes at him and then disappeared down the short hallway that led to her bedroom.

Tony stayed in the living room, not wanting to test any more boundaries for the day. He spent a few minutes reading the spines of the books on Ziva's bookshelf, and then went to sit on the couch.

"Tony," Ziva called.

He jumped to his feet and cautiously walked to her room, pausing in the doorway.

She was folding a shirt, her back to him.

He cleared his throat slightly.

"I am sorry about yesterday," she said, turning around to look at him. "I should not have shut the door in your face like that. You were only trying to help."

He shrugged. "No big deal. I get it. You were upset. Tired. It was a long day."

Ziva shook her head. "That does not excuse my behavior."

"It does in my book."

"Perhaps, but not in mine."

"Alright. You want to make it up to me, then I'd like for you to make out with me." His goal was to make her stop feeling bad about nothing, but all he got from her was a thoughtful expression. She wasn't actually considering it, was she?

She better not be actually thinking about making out with him!

Yeah, she was Ziva, she was totally his type, but she was Ziva. His partner. His best friend. He couldn't make out with her.

He knew he had very poor morals when it came it women, but he wouldn't dare try anything when it came to Ziva.

"Okay," she said.

"What?"

She smirked at him. "I already feel better."

"That wasn't nice."

"But it was fun."

"For you."

She nodded and went back to neatly folding her clothes.

*****

What do you think? Is there going to be any funny business when they go to Israel?

These are being posted a couple days after I type them, just because I'm not sure when I'll have time to write them. I'm keeping a few stocked up so you guys won't have to wait on my lazy butt. I'd like to keep updating every 3-4 days, so... I guess it doesn't matter to you, but I'll know that the author's note at the beginning is no longer relevant by time I post.

If that made any sense.

Okay, well thanks for reading!

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