NCIS 1. Chapter 1: Question Everything

**Hello! This is a Tiva / McAbby Fanfiction. It is going to begin a little like a casefic, but go into Tiva and McAbby for the most part.**

**If you don't know, Tiva is the ship name of Tony DiNozzo and Ziva David and McAbby is the ship name for Timothy McGee and Abigail Sciuto.**

**I am very excited to begin my first Tiva and McAbby story, so I hope it goes well. I really hope you like it. (PS: For the sake of my story, Ziva is still there and Bishop is not)**

**Anyway, this is a story about how Tony and Ziva get together, and how Abby and McGee get together. I have read many of them, but they seem unrealistic or OOC. I am going to try to stay in character, so tell me how I am doing.**

**I have decided to post this chapter now so you can read it and tell me what you think of the story. I just want to test how it does with you guys before I get too far into it. The rest will be a while till it is ready and then I will post it.**

**Be sure to add me and this story to your favorites or follows so you'll get updates when I post chapters**

**Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS, but that would be extremely cool.**

**Here we go…**

Life Won't Last Forever: Chapter 1- All Shook Up

A pretty young lady sat in interrogation. She was quiet and nervous looking while she waited for Gibbs to enter. Tony, Ziva, and McGee stood in the back room watching through the one way mirror. The door suddenly clicked open and Gibbs walked in. The woman was a bit jumpy and couldn't sit still. Upon Gibbs' entering, she stood up.

"Please, Sir. Why am I here?"

"You'll know in a second. Please sit down." She sighed nervously and sat down like she was told.

"Miss Andersen," Gibbs began as he opened his case file. "One of your coworkers told us that you were close to Mr. Jameson." She nodded.

"Yes, that is true."

"Would you care to elaborate the status of your relationship?" She turned her head sideways, then nodded. Tears were filling her eyes. "I'll do anything if it helps you find whoever killed Mason." She nodded before beginning, "We worked together… We have for six years now." Gibbs scribbled in his notebook as she talked.

"And your _out of work_ relationship?" Gibbs questioned.

"We are… were good friends. Sometimes we'd go to a bar or maybe a movie… I'm sorry." She tried to hold back sobs that were fighting to escape her. She took a deep breath before continuing. "We liked to tease each other. Sometimes he'd flirt, and sometimes I'd flirt back." Gibbs pulled out a picture of the victim out of the folder and slid it to Miss Andersen. Her breathing shuddered as she stared down at the gruesome photo. Tears started to fall down her cheeks. Gibbs watched with his poker face remaining unmoved as the woman broke down in front of him. Either she was about to confess, or they had the wrong suspect and their relationship was more than meets the eye. "I- I never got to tell him…" She said between sobs."

"Tell him what Miss Andersen?"

"That I loved him." She whispered. Gibbs stood from his chair, thanked Miss Andersen, and left the room. As Gibbs left, the 3 agents from the observation room returned to the hallway with him.

"Well, it's definitely not her," Tony observed.

"Yeah, I know…" Gibbs agreed. "David, take Miss Andersen to the conference room and assure her we're going to find whoever did this. McGee, call Abby, Ducky, and Palmer and tell them to meet us in the bullpen for briefing. DiNozzo, Start looking for a connection between Petty Officer Jameson and anyone at the recruitment office or people that have been there in the last 3 days. Go, NOW!"

Everyone scrambled to their duties and Gibbs sat down at his desk. He rubbed his hands over his face and thought. "You okay boss?" Tony asked. Gibbs looked up and replied, "Yeah, fine." Tony nodded and returned to his research. Soon the whole team plus the M.E, assistant, and Forensic Scientist were gathered in the bullpen, standing in front of the TV monitor. "McGee," Gibbs called as he tossed the remote to the Probie. McGee started, "Right. Meet Petty Officer Jameson. Age 26, born in D.C., and grew up as a Navy Child. His father, Lieutenant Commander Michael Jameson, worked at Quantico and was highly decorated." McGee continued with his briefing. He explained the Petty Officer and Miss Andersen's relationship, and who they've ruled out as suspects."

Once he was done, the team was silent. "Get to work." Gibbs broke the silence. Ziva went to the lab with Abby to sort through the evidence, Tony and McGee stayed to work on their computers, and the Medical Examiners went to start the autopsy.

Ziva and Abby dug through the boxes of evidence while listening to some bizarre music, and Abby sipping Caf-Pow. Suddenly, Abby stopped working and turned toward Ziva. "Hey." Ziva turned.

"Yes, Abby?"

"Can we talk?" Abby turned off her music and sat down. Ziva noticed her upset look. "Sure, anytime."

"Listen. We… don't know when we're gonna… you know… gonna—" Abby looked pained as she tried to say the word. "Die?" Ziva finished.

"Yeah."

"What about it Abby, what made you think of that?" Ziva questioned.

"It's just… That woman… In interrogation… She reminds me of someone, and, it really freaks me out."

"She 'freaks you out'? Why?"

"She reminds me of you, okay Ziva?" Abby bursts out.

"Me?" Ziva clarified. "How does that girly, nervous woman remind you of me?"

"Tony." Abby said simply. Ziva sighed. "Her relationship with that petty officer is a lot like you and Tony." Abby continued. Ziva was quiet. Finally she said, "I see."

"Ziva, you and Tony have a super dangerous job. You never know when you will say your last words! You can't let things go unsaid."

"I do not have anything to say to Tony."

"Yes you do."

"Do not"

"Do too."

"I am not doing this Abby." Ziva concluded.

Abby begged. "You have to! What if he never knows?" Ziva sighed. She knew she was right, but she couldn't do it. It was too big a risk. "And what about you?" Ziva asked Abby. The tables had turned.

"Me?"

"You and McGee."

"That was a long time ago, it doesn't count," Abby declared.

"I do not think so, Abby," Ziva responded.

"Okay, let's just pretend we never had this conversation," Abby said.

"Fine by me," Ziva agreed. Then the two women picked up on their work.

**That's it for now. I'm not sure how long I'll make this story, but we'll see.**

**Anyway. I need to know how I'm doing. Tell me if I am staying in character, if you have a question, etc… You can even PM me if you have an idea for a date they will go on, other events, or whatever you'd like.**

**I accept constructive criticism! It helps me learn and fix mistakes that I might make.**

**(It will be a while. I am writing most of it before I post more chapters, that way you won't have to wait weeks in between chapters)**

**Additionally, I wrote a NCIS secret Santa story at Christmas and I encourage you to check it out. I think it turned out rather well. (It's Called NCISanta)**

**Now I'll stop rambling. Thanks so much guys!**

**Till next time!**

**~NCIS Obsession**


	2. Chapter 2: A Change Among Us

**I'm excited for chapter 2! I realized that chapter one isn't much of an introduction to what the story is about, so I've decided to post chapter 2 so you can get a feel for what it's like. Once again, I hope you like it. This is where my train of thought starts to make sense.**

**Disclaimer: I no own NCIS **

Life Won't Last Forever: Chapter 2- Repealed

McGee, DiNozzo, and Gibbs sat in their desks silently working on their research. Gibbs could tell that everyone was rattled by the interrogation that had taken place. He himself could barely focus. The image of Jenny Shepard flashed through his mind and he had to shake it off so he could get some work done. Since poor Miss Andersen described her relationship with the Petty Officer in autopsy, he had called into question his own rule: #12. He had thought about revoking it for some time now. He knew it was the only thing in the way of his own team, but he had his reasons for creating it in the first place. His relationship with Jenny was wonderful. She was probably the only person who could have ever filled the void that Shannon had left, but she was gone. So many things he could have said to her, but he'd never get the chance. So to save others that same pain, he had formed a rule against dating a coworker. You couldn't get too attached, or it would inevitably bite you in the butt someday.

After going back and forth for a while, the jury that was Gibbs' mind decided on a verdict. The rule would stay in place. It was the best for everyone, and his initial judgment was correct. It had to stay, period.

A few weeks went by and the team wrapped up their case. Their productivity was low and they weren't their usual selves, making the case last longer than expected. Tony would barely talk to Ziva and vice versa. McGee wouldn't willingly step foot in Abby's lab, and Abby worked slower and quieter when McGee was present. Gibbs noticed the divide in his team and knew what was causing it. He had to do something before he lost his whole team.

Late on a Saturday night Gibbs called his team plus Abby to his home for an urgent meeting. This was getting ridiculous. All he was doing was delaying the inevitable, and it wasn't doing his team any good. Everyone was soon seated in his 'cozy' living room, attempting to predict the cause of this meeting. Gibbs interrupted their speculating and got right to the point.

"Listen up, you're all acting like idiots, but it's mostly my fault. I'm sorry." A couple of confused glances were shared. Had he just broken his rule number 6? "I know my rules are getting in the way of your personal lives, but now it's affecting our work. Just tell each other. You have my blessing." Gibbs finished and left toward his basement, pausing before he got to the steps. "And remember—Rule 8." He then descended to let them have their private conversations. Everyone was too surprised to speak.

There was an awkward silence until Ziva finally started them off. "Tony, may I speak to you in the kitchen, please?" She asked quietly. He nodded and Abby and Tim were the only ones left seated on the sofa.

McGee was blushing an impossible hue and fumbling for his words. Abby smiled nervously. "Just say it, McGee," she said kindly. McGee took a deep breath. "Abby; When you broke up with me all those years ago, I was upset. I still loved you."

"I know. I'm sorry." Abby apologized.

"The thing is… I- I still like- _love_ you Abby." He finished. He turned away from her so he wouldn't have to see her pitying expression. When he did look, she wasn't pitying, but confused. "You mean, since then you've always loved me back?" She clarified.

"Loved me back? You love me too?" McGee asked happily. Abby nodded, causing her pigtails to bounce. Both were smiling. "I didn't know you felt the same way!" McGee said feeling very relieved. "I couldn't tell you because of Rule 12," said Tim.

"Well now that's not a problem anymore," Abby said, hinting to McGee as to what he should say.

"Abs, I love you," McGee finally said.

"I love you too, Timmy!" Abby said through tears. They leaned in for a soft kiss. Tim put his arm around Abby and they sat and talked about everything they've been wanting to say to each other.

"Do you want to give it another chance Timmy?

"More than anything," He said as they kissed again.

"You know, I just realized we could have used rule 18 against him." Abby said.

"Rule 18?" McGee asked, "It's better to seek forgiveness than to ask permission!"

"That's the one!" Abby confirmed. "We could've dated behind his back, then asked for forgiveness."

"Why didn't we do that?!" McGee mentally slapped himself. He could find loopholes in laws, computers, anything. Somehow he had missed that one.

"Abby, now that we're dating again, you've got to drop that whole 2 month thing, okay?"

Abby looked as if she were deeply pondering, "Well, okay." She said after a minute.

Tim smiled in return. His dreams were finally coming true. Who knew Gibbs could play matchmaker?

Tony and Ziva stood across from each other in the kitchen. "Tony," Ziva started, with her face blushing. She pushed a strand of hair out of her face and continued. "This is not easy to tell you. It is very complicated." Tony stared into her chocolate eyes and stepped closer to her. "I know," he said. He would give her time to continue, he knew it was difficult for her to say.

Neither could deny the feelings they had for the other, but Rule 12 was an invisible force capable of pulling apart two super glued objects. Now that it-by some miracle- had been revoked, an opportunity showed itself. Tony had been waiting for this day for years. For a while, he had feared it would never come and now bits of doubt covered Tony. He wasn't sure if she would turn him down, or fully confess. Ziva noticed the breath Tony was holding in and decided to just tell him.

She was about to start, but found herself unable to speak. Tony put his hand on her cheek, and gently moved her face closer to his. They stared into each other's teary eyes, silently confessing their love for each other. They gave in to the magnetic pull between them and their lips finally touched in a kind, gentle, loving kiss. Tony and Ziva stood with their arms wrapped around each other and Ziva rested her head on Tony's shoulder. "Tony, I love you," The words finally escaped her. "I love you, Ziva," Tony replied. Tears streamed from Ziva's eyes. Tony hugged her tight, never wanting to let go. At last, she was his and he could not lose her. This was the best night of his life.

**There you have it! They've finally confessed! I really need to know how I did. I hope it was believable and in Character. Please review and tell me! The rest will be up in quite a while. Please review so I can continue. I still have to write a lot. Sorry. Anyway, thanks for the reviews I've received so far. Keep 'em coming!**

**~NCIS Obsession**


	3. Chapter 3: First Date Jitters

**I've been dying inside from withholding more chapters of this story, so I finally caved and decided to post another chapter. I'll probably post another tomorrow.**

**So far, I have written 9 chapters of this story, and I'm almost to chapter 10. Writers block seems to find picking on me especially funny. If you have any ideas I would love to hear them.**

**Hope you enjoy!**

**Ready for chapter 3!**

**Disclaimer: NCIS is not mine**

Life Won't Last Forever: Chapter 3-

Ziva was amazed at how amazing it felt to finally say those three simple words. She had never thought it would be so relieving. She stood hand in hand with Tony on the way to their first date. They had settled for the classic dinner because Ziva did not want to rush their relationship. Tony was fine with going slow, anything was faster than not moving at all. Finally they arrived at the restaurant. Tony and Ziva both ordered. They were still getting used to the change in their relationship status. It was so surreal!

"I wonder what made Gibbs take back rule 12," Tony pondered.

"It must be something to do with our previous case," Ziva offered. Tony nodded, thinking back to the grieving woman in interrogation.

"I'm glad Gibbs changed his mind." Tony said while scooting closer to Ziva. As the gap between them closed up, Ziva's heart began to pound faster.

"I agree," said Ziva. Tony gave her a kiss on the cheek just as the server brought out their food. She blushed. Ziva wasn't really used to Tony kissing her, and she wasn't sure if she ever would be! Public displays of affection weren't really her thing, but being with Tony made her forget about it. She loved him and she didn't care who knew.

Abby and Tim were excited to pick up on dating. They were calling it their second first date. Abby requested to see a scary movie, and McGee regretfully agreed. He had heard that horror movies were great for going on a date, and the girl would seek comfort in your arms. He didn't take into consideration that he was dating Abby, not some girly girl. He'd never actually been to a scary movie, but he _had_ seen the Lord of the Rings, and the Orcs were pretty scary, right?

They settled into their seats with a fresh bag of popcorn and a soda to share. Abby wanted a Caf-Pow, but McGee couldn't handle the caffeine, so they compromised. They were good at making decisions together. Slowly, the lights dimmed and the movie started. It opened to a very bloody and gory scene. Even though McGee's job involved visiting extremely bloody crime scenes, this much blood made him sick. He fought back nausea, and when Abby looked at him worriedly, he faked a smile and did a thumbs up sign. She smiled, not quite convinced, and turned back to the movie.

McGee only half watched. He was mostly staring at Abby and marveling at how beautiful she was. He could not believe Gibbs' change of heart. He was happier than he had ever been. During a particularly scary moment in the movie, Tim put his arm around Abby, more for his own comfort than hers. He felt comfortable with her in this position. She didn't seem to mind either. When she felt his arm lay gently on her shoulders, she relaxed. She had been so nervous about starting dating Tim again, but she was so excited to finally be able to have him for her own, rather than watching him date several girls he doesn't really care about. In response to his loving gesture, Abby rested her head on McGee's shoulder. They both looked at each other, then leaned in for a kiss. Just when their lips were about to touch, a young kid with spiky hair sitting behind them leaned forward and whispered loudly, _"HEY, this is a horror movie, not a romance!" _Abby quickly retorted, "I think you're in the wrong theater kid, the Barney movie is next door!" At that he stuck out his tongue, leaned back, and shut up. Abby and McGee high-fived and went back to watching the movie.

The next day was a Monday. They went in to work, just a boring day of paperwork ahead of them. Ziva arrived first and sat down at her desk. "David, MTAC," Vance said. Ziva looked up at the catwalk and made her way to the door. Once she had entered she saw an unwelcome face on the screen. Her father, Eli David. She did not come fully inside the room, but rather lingered near the door. "What do you want, Abba?" She asked.

"I am merely calling to check on my favorite daughter," He explained.

"Please, Abba. Why are you really calling?" Ziva responded impatiently, not even looking him in the eyes.

"I have heard things about you," he said simply.

"From whom?"

"I have my sources, you know that."

"Abba, I am old enough to decide who I want to be with. I choose Tony. You can stay out of it." Ziva ordered.

"Ah, so Tony is the boy they told me about."

"He is a man, Father, not a boy. And you will stop spying on me or I will never speak to you again. Am I clear?" Ziva warned. Eli looked hurt, but she knew it was just part of his game. Make you feel guilty, then you get too close, then you get hurt. She wasn't falling for it this time. "Does Special Agent Gibbs approve of this?" Eli asked.

"Yes _Eli_, he is the one that helped us get together," Ziva said matter-of-factly. The Mossad director looked astonished. "I love Tony and it is _my_ choice. Goodbye, Eli." Vance signaled for the technicians to end the call. The multicolored default screen returned and Ziva left MTAC with an emotionless face.

When she returned to her desk, Tony was waiting. "Good morning Zee," He greeted happily.

"Not now Tony," She waved him off. He could tell that whatever had happened in MTAC she did not want to talk about yet. "How about we talk over lunch?" He asked and she agreed.

Just then Tim walked into the bullpen. "You look a little McQueasy, McTardy!" Tony remarked as the younger agent sat down and sipped his coffee. "Abby and I saw the new horror movie last night…" McGee explained.

"Aww, couldn't handle the gore, could you Probie?" Tony egged him on.

"Actually Tony, I couldn't. It was an unrealistic amount of blood and entrails, and it gave me nightmares all night." Tim retorted as he booted up his computers.

"You have sacks under your eyes," Ziva commented.

"Bags," Tony corrected. Ziva rolled her eyes, "Whatever."

"Are they really that bad?" McGee asked concerned. He rubbed his face and decided to go to the bathroom to check. Tony followed right behind him. When Tony opened the door, poor McGee was splashing his face with cold water to wake himself up. "So, McGee… Did you and Abby kiss last night?"

"Kiss? It was a first date!" McGee replied.

"Not really…" Tony said, "Well did you?"

McGee sighed and then answered, "We were about to, but an annoying kid interrupted us." He looked upset.

"You'll get 'em next time," Tony reassured.

"Did you and Ziva kiss?" McGee asked in return. Just then, Ziva walked into the men's room so she wouldn't be left out of their conversation.

"Yeah, Probie," Tony replied cockily, and then McGee noticed Ziva.

"It went like this," she said as she pulled Tony closer to her, then they kissed for a long time, just to make McGee uncomfortable. McGee looked away and his cheeks turned pink. This would take a while to get used to.

**I couldn't resist putting Eli David in. I know he's dead, but we'll say this was set a few seasons ago, before everyone's family died.**

**Please Review, I just really hope I'm doing okay. I need to know so I can fix things! More to come.**

**Till next time!**

**~NCIS Obsession**


	4. Chapter 4: Comfort Zone

**Yesterday was the first day I haven't watched NCIS in at least a month, since I got a few seasons on DVD to keep me occupied. I have currently seen seasons 1, 2, 3, most of 4, some of 5, some of 6, some of 7, most of 8, all of 9, 10, 11, and 12. Wow. I can't tell you how much I love it.**

**Anyway, time for that conversation Ziva promised Tony in the last chapter.**

**Disclaimer: NCIS is from the mind of a genius. No, not me… another genius.**

Life Won't Last Forever: Chapter 4- Lunch Break

When Ziva arrived in the break room, she saw Tony sitting with an "elaborate" arrangement set up. He had lit some half melted candles he had found, and placed some delivery Chinese food on paper plates with plastic utensils. It was romantic in its own way.

She sat down and greeted Tony. "What is all of this?" She asked, bewildered.

"Lunch!" He replied. She giggled—well, as much of a giggle as could come from Ziva—and she sat down across from Tony. After a few minutes of eating in silence, Tony decided to address the elephant in the room. "Zee, listen; about your dad…"

"There is nothing to say about my father!" Ziva snapped, angrily slamming her fork on the table. She looked him in the eyes and their lunch was momentarily interrupted. Tony decided to play it safe and go easy on her rather than shout back. He walked around the table and stood behind Ziva who sat still. She did not want to speak to Tony at the moment.

Tony began to massage Ziva on the shoulders. Her tightened muscles relaxed a bit under his gentle, caring touch. "You can talk to me, remember Ziva?" Tony encouraged quietly.

"I know…" Ziva replied in a whisper. Tony reached for Ziva's hands and pulled her up so she was standing in front of him. He tousled her hair, which made her smile a little. Tony pulled Ziva in for a hug. She rested her chin on his shoulder and thought about what had happened with her father.

"I am alright, Tony," Ziva finally said. The couple sat down leaning against the wall near the vending machines. "Tell me what happened," said Tony, and Ziva leaned against him for support.

"He has been spying on me, on us," she explained. Tony nodded, he wouldn't put it past Eli David to do such a thing. "So, what does Daddy David have to say about our relationship?"

"Not much."

"He doesn't like me does he?" Tony asked for confirmation.

"He never has."

"True, but now he has no choice," Tony joked.

"I have told my father that I am done dealing with him, and he will not bother us again," Ziva reported.

"That's good, I guess."

"It is," Ziva agreed. She and Tony kissed lightly just as Gibbs walked through the break room with a fresh cup of coffee.

"For goodness sake, not in the office you two," Gibbs said with slight disgust."

"We're not in the office, we're in the break room," Tony responded sarcastically. At this Gibbs turned around, walked back to Tony, slapped him in the head, and then warned him, "Don't talk back to me, DiNozzo!"

McGee went down to Abby's lab, since he had nothing better to do. He, being the hard working agent his is, had already finished his paperwork, leaving with him with lots of time to kill. A note on Abby's door read, _Be back soon, went to autopsy._ McGee got back in the elevator and pressed the button to go down one level.

Ironically, Ducky was in the middle of an autopsy for another team when the still nauseous McGee walked in. Abby noticed his reaction to the scene as he entered, and chuckled to herself.

"Hey McGee! Look at this brain!" Abby held up a swollen brain, making McGee fight back the urge to vomit. "Abby, please…" McGee begged, closing his eyes.

"I'm just messing with you," Abby said, "Wanna go get lunch?"

"Sure." Abby took off her scrubs and the mask she was wearing, and walked hand in hand with Tim out of autopsy.

"Sorry about last night," Abby said as the elevator doors opened.

"Its fine, you'd think I'd be used to gore by now."

"To make it up to you, we could do something you want to do tonight," she suggested.

"Abs, you don't have to do that," McGee said, smiling.

"No, Timmy. I want to!" She smiled back, hugging him around the waist. She'd do anything for him.

"Well, alright. Meet me at my place at 8:00. I've got an idea."

"Okay…" Abby agreed, not quite sure what she had gotten herself into.

Almost exactly at 8:00, Abby arrived at McGee's apartment. She heard loud, violent, banging and shooting noises coming from inside, so she grabbed her pepper spray just in case. When she opened the door, she saw her boyfriend standing in his living area wearing a cyber-helmet and headphones, and holding a fake sword and waving it around.

"Abby!" McGee greeted happily. He removed his gear and rushed over to give her a kiss. "I'm glad you came."

"So am I… I think…" Abby said uncertainly.

"Come on," Tim pulled her over so they were both standing in front of the TV screen.

"Hey guys, I'm back!" McGee said to his gaming friends.

"Dude, where'd you go?" Asked a voice on the TV.

"My girlfriend just arrived," McGee explained.

"Ha, good one Elf Lord," another voice said. Abby stifled laughter, and poor Tim was embarrassed from having his gaming title used in front of Abby.

"I'm serious guys, stop it," he demanded, frustrated. "Abby, say hello."

"Hi, I'm real, I promise," Abby said cheerfully.

"Whoa!" one gamer exclaimed. "Sorry we didn't believe you Elf Lord!"

"Guys, uh…" McGee began. "Don't call me Elf Lord while Abby is here." The tips of his ears turned a bright pink.

"It's okay," Abby stepped in, "I like it. I need a nerdy name too!"

McGee didn't know if he should be offended, or honored, but he thought hard for a name for his girlfriend. Finally, he decided.

"Okay, how about Gothic Princess?"

"I LOVE IT!" Abby shouted excitedly.

"Cool name," a gamer agreed.

"Okay, so how do I play?" asked Abby. McGee showed her the controls, and soon they were fighting off angry monsters and dragons that breathed fire.

"Elf Lord, look out! On your left!" Abby warned. McGee's elf character dodged.

"Thanks Abs- I mean Gothic Princess." The two characters made their way up some spiraling stone stairs.

"You're really good at this Abby, are you sure you haven't played before?"

"I've played something like it, but it was on the computer," Abby answered while slashing a giant mutant spider.

"We're almost to the lookout tower. There we can conquer the kingdom, but we'll have to defeat the boss first." McGee explained. They stepped cautiously onto the roof of the castle, scanning the area for attackers. Just then, a giant spike impaled the Elf Lord.

"NoOoOoOoO!" Abby shrieked. "Why?!"

"Dang it," McGee said, setting down his sword. "That's the 4th time I've lost that level. That spike came out of nowhere."

"Come on, we can do it. Let's try again." Abby's pep talk gave Tim a newfound sense of determination.

"Okay, let's do this." He picked up his weapon and the two began their journey out of the abyss of the castle dungeon.

**Tell me what you thought in a precious review! I hope you like it. More to come!**

**~NCISObsession**


	5. Chapter 5: Shots Fired

**Chapter 5- **

Five hours, 3 Caf-Pows, and 6 tries later, Elf Lord and Gothic Princess returned from their quest triumphantly.

"YES!" Abby said excitedly. Way too excited for two in the morning. "We did it! She and McGee took off their battle gear and high fived.

"Did you like the game?" McGee asked. On the screen, the characters were receiving their awards and treasure.

"Did I? When can we play again?" Abby asked. McGee admired her never ending energy, and he smiled.

"Not now, I'm exhausted," he replied, "I barely slept last night, and it's already two."

"Oh my gosh! It's been 5 hours? We have work tomorrow, I'd better go." Abby started toward the door.

"Goodnight Elf Lord," said Abby.

"I love you Gothic Princess." Abby smiled and kissed Tim without hesitation, and he kissed her. She adored that Tim finally had the courage to tell her that he loved her. "I love you too. See you tomorrow." McGee closed the door after Abby, and watched her return to her car, to make sure she was safe.

Tony stepped out of the elevator to have a bag thrown into his gut, knocking the wind out of him. "Come on, DiNozzo," Gibbs said, pressing a button on the elevator, "Dead petty officer at Norfolk."

"Coming boss," Tony turned around and rubbed his abdomen. Ziva was already waiting for them.

"McGee," Gibbs called impatiently.

"Coming boss, I just had to grab a few things. Tim made it to the elevator just in time before the doors closed.

At the crime scene, McGee was interviewing witnesses while Ziva searched for the missing murder weapon and Tony took photos.

"A man in a grey hoodie and a red ball cap came to my door to ask me to buy some watches. They looked stolen, so I turned him down," a frightened looking neighbor explained. "That's when he pulled out the gun. Blake, err… your petty officer, had just returned home and he saw me being threatened, so he ran over to help."

"What happened then?" Gibbs questioned, but the lady seemed too shaken up to answer. "It's okay Ma'am, you're safe now. We need you to tell us what happened after Petty Officer Wallace came to help." She nodded. "Well then Blake jumped on him from the back, and the gun in the criminal's hand went off. It hit the wall behind me, missing me by less than a foot."

"Could you show where it went to us?" The woman led Tony and Gibbs to a rather nasty hole in the wall. "DiNozzo, retrieve the bullet and bag and tag it."

"On it Boss."

"What happened to Blake Wallace?" said Gibbs.

"The man elbowed him hard in the stomach, which threw him off. I went to call 911, and that's when I heard a shot. I ran to see what had happened, but he was already dead, and the murderer had disappeared. I wish I could have done something to help." She wiped away a tear.

"Anything else ma'am?" Gibbs asked.

"Not that I can think of. I just want this man punished for what he did. Blake didn't deserve this. He was a hero. Now he looks so helpless." She gazed sadly at the body on the pavement.

"If you think of anything, don't hesitate to call." Gibbs handed her a business card.

"There is one thing…" She said, stopping Gibbs in his tracks. He looked at her inquisitively, waiting for her to continue. "I think I could describe the murderer's appearance, I got a pretty good look at him."

Gibbs nodded and motioned for her to follow him, "Then if you don't mind, would you come to NCIS and describe him for our forensic scientist. She'll create a digital rendering of him, so we can I.D. him.

"Yeah, sure. Let me just grab a few things." She headed off into the living room, leaving Gibbs standing in the entryway. Suddenly, a gunshot sounded throughout the block. Agent Gibbs ran to the living room to make sure the witness was okay. They almost collided on their way to find each other.

"Are you okay?" Gibbs asked frantically, gun drawn.

"I'm fine, it came from across the street." She grabbed a bag and followed Gibbs out the door.

"NO!" Gibbs ordered. "You stay HERE!"

"I'm just supposed to sit here waiting for the killer to come back?" She screamed in disbelief. Gibbs sighed in exasperation. "AGENT MCGEE! PROTECT MS. WILLIAMS, NOW." He was met with silence, except for emergency sirens sounding and panicked screaming in the neighborhood. "MCGEE!" He yelled again. Tony ran up to the house, blood staining his suit. "Boss, it's Tim," he said, using his friend's first name.

Gibbs followed Tony to McGee, who was lying in a pool of his own blood. Ziva was pressing her jacket to his wound, trying to stop the blood flow. Gibbs saw Tim mouthing words, trying to get them to escape his mouth, but the pain was unbearable. He fumbled with his fingers, attempting to move them and his arm to hand a shiny object to someone. Gibbs knelt closer, his ear next to McGee's.

"Abby," he heard Tim breathe. Gibbs looked at the object in his agent's hand. A blood-stained ring with a shiny black band and a beautiful diamond sitting on top. Gibbs pushed Tim's hand away.

"Oh no," he said, "I'm not giving this to her, that's for you to do later." McGee insisted, "I- won't- make it- Gibbs…" Every breath was labored and painful, his chest rising and falling as if in spasms. Tony and Ziva looked at each other with tears in their eyes, not knowing what to say.

"Hang in there Probie," Tony said encouragingly as the paramedics loaded Tim onto a gurney. "You're gonna make it." The doors to the ambulance slammed shut, and the vehicle pulled away, sirens blaring. The team was left behind, feeling crumpled and afraid.

"There!" Ziva said quietly. Everyone turned to look where her gaze was leading. Before they knew it, she was running across lawns and jumping picket fences. "David! Stop!" Gibbs yelled.

"NO, that's our guy! Ziva yelled in return, not fazing from her mission. She had her gun in hand, ready to shoot. She suddenly stopped and aimed to kill when Tony ran up behind her. He saw the fugitive pull out his gun, and aim at Ziva. Tony tackled her, just before a bullet whizzed past the location that she had been standing only a moment before.

"I can't lose you too," Tony said, still lying on top of her. He helped Ziva up, and they were out of breath from all of the running.

"What the heck were you thinking?" Gibbs yelled.

"If I could have gotten just a little bit closer—"

"NO!" Gibbs screamed, "Don't EVER do that again. I've already got one agent in the hospital, I need you to help get this guy. I can't have you injured or killed too."

"I am sorry," Ziva apologized, wiping the dirt from her brow.

"_Never_ apologize David." She nodded, remembering the rule, but that couldn't stop her from the guilt that she was feeling.

A red 1931 Ford Coupe pulled up and came to a screeching halt next to the crime scene. A very emotional Abby came running out of the car. "Where's Timmy, where's Timmy, where's Timmy, where's Timmy?" she repeated over and over, tears running down her cheeks. Gibbs pulled her into a hug, rocking her back and forth as she sobbed into his shirt. "Why?" She cried, staring at the massive puddle of blood on the sidewalk next to her feet.

**Oh evil me… Oh well. Next chapter to come soon. After 10 chapters, I'll take a break to write up to 20, then post those as well, provided the reviews coming in are numerous and helpful **

**Also, I've been binge reading a story called "My Girl". I can't remember the author's name to save my life, but it has 3,000 some reviews, and it is quite good. I highly recommend it. Obviously it is NCIS. The plot is Tony has a daughter that is suddenly in his care, and the team supports him.**

**Sound boring? I think not. That's not all this story contains, there is a baby McAbby, and many ups and downs. Oh, Tiva. Sweet, sweet Tiva.**

**Stay with me here on my story. I hope you all are liking it and it is worth your reading and reviewing.  
**

**Bye for now…**

**NCISObsession**


	6. Chapter 6: Bethesda

**Wow, I could barely withhold this chapter for 20 minutes, but I managed to keep it till today. I know I left you with a cliffhanger, so here is the next chapter.**

**I'd like to say I'm sorry for the cliffhanger, but I'm not. I guess I just really like them.**

**So… Without further ado-**

**Chapter 6- Bethesda**

The team pulled up outside Bethesda and jumped out of the car, leaving it parked in the fire lane. There was no time to regard parking laws. They rushed inside, flashing their I.D.s at the nurse. She tried to stop them, but they pushed their way through to their destination. "Stop!" She said, trying to maintain a calm and hushed voice. "He's in surgery right now, you'll have to wait.

"How is he?" Abby spoke with a small voice.

She answered, "Not so good, the bullet went clean through his left shoulder. A few inches and it would have struck his heart." A sob escaped her, and Ziva put her arm around her friend to comfort her as she cried. Ziva was trying to stay calm and firm for her team, but she was just as scared as they were. Even Gibbs was beginning to show some worry and emotion.

"If you'd like, I can show you all to a waiting room." The team obliged, seeing as it would be awhile before any news arrived, and they followed the nurse down the hall to a room filled with a few chairs, books, and magazines. Gibbs stayed behind, staring blankly at the door to the emergency room. He could hear frantic voices and urgent demands being said, as well as a steady, but quick beeping sound. A cart with lots of medical equipment came crashing by and through the door to McGee's room.

Back in the waiting room, Abby and Ziva were sitting huddled in a corner, Abby holding tight to Bert the farting Hippo for comfort. Ducky had brought it and a Caf-Pow from NCIS. He had decided to hold out on the autopsy until he had an update on Tim's condition, because he didn't know if he could handle the stress and uncertainty. Abby's Caf-Pow lay untouched on a table, and Ziva offered a handkerchief for Abby to dry her eyes with.

"Ya think we should watch Batman, or Superman?" Tony asked, holding up two DVD's he had found next to the TV. Ziva looked up at him and shot him a sharp glance. "How could you think of a movie at a time like this?" She asked in disbelief.

Tony defended himself, "I need to get my mind off of this, or I'll go crazy. Women cry to make themselves feel better. Well I watch movies." He put in Batman, and sat down at the uncomfortable couch in front of the screen and pressed play. Tony sat silently the whole time, not commenting on the movie once, while Ducky, Ziva, and Abby stayed together. Ducky was whispering words of encouragement to Abby, trying to make her feel better.

"Do you think he'll be okay?" Abby asked.

"It's hard to say, my dear." Ducky answered. "He's lost a lot of blood, so it's up to the doctors for now, I'm afraid." Abby buried her face in her hands. "Abigail, the most you can do for him right now is not worry. You mustn't put the stress on yourself. Here, drink your Caf-Pow." She took a sip and felt a little better. At least she stopped crying.

Throughout the night, people from NCIS and McGee's family stopped by sporadically. Vance came by to get an update, which wasn't much, and to offer advice to Abby, since he had been in a similar situation. The nurses came by every so often, giving them bits and pieces of information, which they shared to anyone who came by. Sarah, McGee's sister, came by crying. Abby ran to her and they hugged and cried and hugged some more, trying to find relief in each other. Tim's parents looked worn down and tired from the horrible day they were having, so they paid for a hotel room next to the hospital, and gave Ducky their phone number, in case more information came to them. Palmer stopped by with Breena, but wasn't really sure what to do. He was too shocked and upset to stay there, so he and his wife headed home.

Tony found a bit of peace in sleeping. It got his mind off of his 'brother's' condition, and provided a little escape for him. He lay on the couch, with a sports magazine covering his face so his coworkers couldn't see the streaks of tears that were on his face.

Abby and Ziva prayed much of the time. Ziva prayed in Hebrew, and Abby in English. They were on their knees looking out the window over much of Washington D.C. "God, please keep my Timmy safe. Please, please, please…" Abby cried. Tony woke when he heard Ziva singing softly in Hebrew. Abby smiled, and Ziva kept singing a peaceful song, almost a lullaby, to calm Abby some more.

Throughout the whole endeavor, Gibbs had not moved an inch from his position. He heard Tim's heart rate slow down to a more regular rate, which was a good sign. The hectic atmosphere surrounding the hospital room died down a little, and a few nurses made their way out. "Hey, what happened?" Gibbs asked one, who was about to leave.

"We got him stabilized. He's still in critical condition, but he'll live." The nurse looked exhausted.

"Thank you." She smiled at him as she left.

Gibbs walked into the waiting room and sat down after hours of standing. "He's stable," he announced to his team. It was about 0300, and everyone, if they weren't asleep, looked like they needed to be. Abby cried a little at this amazing, miraculous news. _Thank you God!_ She silently prayed. "Go home, we'll find the guy who did this tomorrow," Gibbs ordered.

"I can start the autopsy now," Ducky offered, to which Gibbs replied with a strict "NO!" He insisted that they needed rest, so the team left with a newfound feeling of relief.

Abby and Gibbs were the only ones who hadn't left. "Aren't you leaving?" Abby asked Gibbs quietly. He shook his head. _Of course he wasn't. He would stay until Tim was conscious._ "You need to leave," Gibbs said to Abby.

"I can't," Gibbs knew how Abby felt. He nodded. "Ask one of the night nurses if they have an open room that you can sleep in. That way you can stay here all night. They're moving Tim to a standard room."

Abby went and asked just like Gibbs told her to. The nurse smiled, and showed Abby to an open room just across the hall from McGee. "We'll make sure to tell you if he wakes up. I'm sure he'd love to see you." Abby nodded and thanked her for the room, and she fell asleep the instant she laid down in the bed, flooded with relief and hope for the next day.

**So. How did I do? Did you cry? Please tell me in a review, it would be helpful. I promise, I don't bite and reviewing only takes about 10 seconds anyway. **

**I will be updating soon. I'm working on chapter 10 as we speak this is officially my longest story, the previous record being 9 chapters.**

**Bye for now!**

**~NCISObsession**


	7. Chapter 7: Making Progress

"Miss Sciuto?" came a kind voice. Abby opened her eyes slowly, and nearly forgot where she was. The events of the day before came back to her, making her realize that her situation was indeed reality, not just a nightmare. She looked at the clock and saw that it was 1:00 in the afternoon, way past when she was used to waking up. "Is McGee-?" Abby began, but the nurse stopped her. "Your friend is awake. He was just asking for you." Abby grinned from ear to ear. This was the most relief she had felt in a long time. She half walked, half skipped across the hallway to McGee, unable to bear waiting any longer.

"Abby," she heard him choke out. Tears welled up in her eyes. "Oh, baby. Look at you. Does it hurt?" She gently touched him on his shoulder, but that was enough to make him wince. "Sorry."

"It's okay," he responded in as much of a voice as he could muster. Abby noticed that the oxygen flowing straight through her boyfriend's nostrils made it nearly impossible for him to talk.

I love you. McGee signed with his good hand. "I didn't know you knew sign language!" Abby said aloud, smiling at Tim. He nodded slowly. I've been learning it just for you. A few tears streamed down Abby's face, and McGee was getting choked up too. Timmy, you're my hero. Abby signed, which made him smile a little.

McGee pressed his nurse call button, and a young woman shuffled her way into his room. He gave her a short nod, and she nodded in return, knowing what he was telling her. She left the room again, only to come back a minute later, hiding something in her hands. She slipped it under Tim's sheets, and he grabbed it with his feeble hands before speaking a quick thank you.

"Come here," McGee instructed Abby, patting the portion of the bed next to him. She sat down, looking him in the eyes, seeing his injuries and his pain, but she also saw a bit of something good. Was it hope, excitement, or happiness? Surely not in a time like now. What could make him feel this way when he has every right to feel sorry for himself? Immediately, Abby knew the answer. It was her, she made him happy, and that meant the world to her. He weakly moved his arm from under the sheet, and enclosed in his palm was a neat little box, which he gave to Abby.

Abby looked at the box in shock, then looked at McGee with tears in her eyes. Abigail Sciuto, will you marry me? Tim asked in sign language.

"Yes! Yes, yes, YES!" She replied, giving him a strong, yet gentle hug. He gasped a little at the pain, but the feeling of love was stronger, and he was happy. He slipped the ring on Abby's finger and she grinned, then leaned in for a kiss, making for an awkward situation for the nurse standing behind them.

"Miss Sciuto, I'm afraid your _fiancé_ needs to rest some more. You can come back and visit a bit later." Abby smiled and thanked her for all that she had done for them. "I need to go into work, but here is my cell number so you can contact me," Abby said, writing down her number on a sticky note and handing it to the nurse.

"Good luck finding your fugitive!" She responded happily, and Abby was out the door.

Abby strode into her lab, setting down her bags, and she turned on her "babies". As if right on cue, Gibbs walked in, holding the mother of all Caf-Pows. At this, Abby's eyes widened, and she gratefully accepted the caffeine. Gibbs turned to stare at the forensic scientist with a half-smile on his face.

"What?" Abby asked, matching his stare. "Aren't you going to tell me 'You shouldn't be here, you should be taking it easy after yesterday, blah blah blah'?" She imitated his gruff voice, to which Gibbs shook his head in amusement.

"No," he said simply, giving her a smile. "You can stay, I need you."

Abby gulped down some of the Caf-Pow, and thanked Gibbs. "I'll call when I've got something." She got right to work, pulling fabric samples and running tests, studying tire tracks and running tests, finding a mysterious powder and running tests, running tests, and more tests. Abby gave credit to her Caf-Pow for her extreme multitasking skills.

A beeping sound resonated through the room, alerting Abby of a visitor. She saw a woman walk in the room, who could only be the witness Gibbs had told her about. The poor middle-aged lady covered her ears to block out some of the heavy metal music that exploded from the CD player. Abby rushed to turn down her music, so she could speak to her now-half-deaf witness.

"Sorry about that," Abby said, slightly embarrassed.

"What's that?" her eardrums were still ringing, and she couldn't hear Abby properly.

"I'm Abby," The scientist said loudly so the woman could here.

"Kathy Williams. Nice to meet you!" She extended her hand and Abby happily shook it.

"I hear you got a pretty good look at the suspect!" The woman nodded. "I hope you haven't forgotten what he looked like."

"How could I forget? It was the scariest moment of my life!" The woman seemed to flash back to the moment it had happened.

"Sit down over here, I think we can make the best sketch ever."

After McGee confirmed that the man the sketch program had drawn up was their guy, Abby ran facial recognition, had Tony put out a BOLO, and Ziva issued a warrant for his arrest. Despite the open-shut façade that the case showed, a trip out to the suspect's house on a farm told them otherwise. All that they saw when they arrived was a smoldering pile of rubble. As ironic as it was, their only lead had been burned to the ground, and the case quickly went ice cold.

McGee was recovering quickly and well. The whole team went to visit him at the hospital after reaching the block in the case.

"Hey Probie, how ya doin?" Tony asked upon entering the room.

"I got shot, Tony," he answered, giving him the 'did-you-really-just-ask-that?' look.

"We are glad you are getting better," Ziva interrupted. Abby smiled and said, "Me too." She had been sitting on the edge of McGee's bed for most of the morning, holding his hand and discussing wedding plans. It would be a grand celebration, taking place at Abby's church. The main colors would be black, Abby's idea. She hoped she could find a black wedding dress, but she wasn't sure how common they were.

Tim then said that if Abby was going to wear a black dress, he would wear a white tuxedo, which Abby had agreed to. They stopped their discussion when their team entered. Tim looked at his fiancé and they silently agreed to see how long it took their friends to notice the ring on Abby's finger.

Gibbs, of course, noticed first. He just raised an eyebrow, wanting to see how long it took Tony to realize. Nothing got by Gibbs. Tony blabbed random stuff as always, too caught up in his own words to see what was right in front of him.

Ziva ruined the whole surprise for Tony, saying, "Oh my goodness!" and seizing Abby's hand. "There is a ring on your finger Abby!" Abby beamed happily at her. "This is wonderful!"

"Way to go, Tim," Tony said, clapping him on the good shoulder and grinning. McGee smiled and nodded in appreciation.

"Are you happy?" Gibbs asked the couple.

"Yes sir," Tim replied and Abby nodded in agreement, wrapping her arms around her fiancé and resting her head on his shoulder. "We are." Gibbs raised his eyebrows and shook his head. "Then I guess there's nothing I can do to stop you." Abby jumped up and down excitedly. She asked Ziva to be the maid of honor, and for Gibbs to walk her down the aisle. Both immediately agreed, and Tony agreed to be Tim's best man.

"So when is the big day?" Ziva asked.

"Well, Abby wanted to get married on Friday the 13th. Don't ask me why."

"It's just sooner than expected, but I can live with that," added Abby. Tony looked at his calendar to find the nearest Friday the 13th. "Oh my gosh, that's March 13!" Abby nodded slowly. "Now you know what we mean by soon."

"I'll be there," Gibbs said. Abby rushed to give him a hug. "Thank you Gibbs."

"Anything for my girl."

**All for now. I got a big surprise in store for chapter 10. Can't wait to post it!**

**See ya!**

**~NCISObsession**


	8. Chapter 8: A New Friend

**I'm actually pretty proud of this chapter. I hope you like it.**

**Disclaimer: Me no own… Me just having fun…**

**PS: I ran out of season 5 to watch on DVD **** Now I have to go borrow season six!**

Ziva and Tony had just finished watching The Proposal at Ziva's apartment (they alternated who hosted movie nights), and Ziva rested comfortably on Tony's chest, with his arm wrapped gently around her. He loved holding her close like this. It was moments like these when he felt most at peace and happy. Sometimes he'd daydream about his life with Ziva, and quite often, with a few mini DiNozzos.

He was having a similar fantasy at the moment. Little troublemakers were running barefoot around the apartment, chasing each other and giggling uncontrollably. He smiled, imagining the sensation of being a father. He hoped that one day, he would be, as scary as the concept sounded. They both didn't exactly have the best role models. Ziva, however, seemed like she longed to be a mother more than she let on. While undercover as a pregnant woman, she smiled a smile that couldn't be faked. Not to mention her natural fondness and care for children, such as Director Vance's kids when she babysat them.

Ziva turned her head to look up at Tony. "That was a good movie, yes?" Ziva inquired with her chocolate brown eyes gazing up at Tony's green ones.

"Hmm?" Tony said, being shaken from his imagination. "Oh, yeah."

"What is wrong?"

"Nothing." Ziva dropped the subject, but she knew Tony was thinking about something.

"I did not take you for the romantic comedy type, Tony." Ziva teased.

"Well this is one of my favorites." He replied. He could connect to Andrew, the main character. Sometimes he felt like he was being used by Ziva, and just being dragged along for the ride. She was stubborn, strong willed, and not from America, just like Margaret, except Ziva wasn't being deported. And he and Ziva had pretended to be married, just like the characters in the movie. The resemblances were uncanny.

Tony thought about his happy ending. Would it be as happy as the one the characters in the movie enjoyed? McGee had already popped the question to Abby, and Tony found himself considerably more fluent in the language of love than the Elf Lord himself. However, the Probie had beaten him to it, leaving him puzzled, and nursing a slightly damaged ego. Tony decided he had better hurry, lest he risk the longevity of his dream relationship. He couldn't lose it this time, they were perfect for each other, and ruining their relationship would just prove Gibbs' rule 12 was good after all.

Ziva snuggled into Tony a little more, her eyes beginning to feel heavier by the minute. Soon she was snoring loudly in Tony's ear, with a little drop of drool threatening to fall from her mouth. Before Ziva, Tony would have found this incredibly disgusting in a woman, but against all odds, the sight before him was nothing but beautiful. He didn't know how a slobbering, messy haired, bear-snoring woman could make him smile-rather than run for the hills—but it did, and he felt like the luckiest man alive.

Tony shifted slightly, trying not to disturb Ziva's slumber. He managed to get off of the couch, and lift her up into her arms without waking her. Usually, the former-Mossad-Israeli-ninja-chick would have aimed her gun before he'd even left the couch, but the last few days had hit her hard with exhaustion, and she slept peacefully as Tony maneuvered her into her bedroom, and laid her gently on her bed. He pulled the covers up over her, and gave her a soft kiss on the forehead.

"Goodnight Sweet Cheeks," he said quietly as he turned out the lights and left Ziva's apartment.

Once in the hall, Tony let out a huge breath. Tonight couldn't have gone better. He leaned against the wall for support while his mind debated on what he should do next. Part of him wanted to propose immediately, but the other part of him wasn't ready, and he doubted Ziva was ready either. It was all happening so fast. Only a few weeks had passed since the revoking of rule 12. The only reason McAbby, as Tony had taken to calling Tim and Abby, were engaged already was because of their previous relationship years ago, and the accident that Tim had been involved in.

After a while of mental back-and-forth, Tony was still undecided. He rubbed at his temples, willing the impending headache to go away. He sank to the floor, frustrated.

"Why are you sitting on the floor, boy?" Asked an old man who had just entered the hall. He was kind looking, with short curly white hair and thin glasses. He had a mustache that resembled the one Gibbs had grown after his memory loss incident, and a cane to aid in his walking.

"I'm just thinking," Tony replied. The man removed his glasses to take a good look at Tony.

"Why are you _thinking_ on the floor?" he rephrased his question.

"It's this girl…" Tony said, gesturing to the door to Ziva's apartment. He didn't know why he was opening up to this stranger, but he felt like he needed to talk, so he did.

"Ah, Ziva," The man nodded knowingly. "Sweet girl, although rumor has it she is ex-Mossad. I'd be careful if I were you."

Tony nodded, "We work together. I'm an NCIS agent."

"HA! And I'm the Pope!" He said, turning away and shuffling back to his apartment.

"What makes you think I don't work for NCIS?"

"You're too pretty. Pretty boys don't like to have their face blown off by a bullet." The old guy said.

Tony flashed his badge, and the man squinted in an attempt to read the lettering. "Well I'll be," he said, holding out his hand, "I'm Marty, I live across the hall." Tony shook his hand.

"Tony DiNozzo."

"Italian!" He said, amused.

Tony smiled. Everyone said this to him upon meeting him. "That's what they say."

"So what seems to be the trouble? Is Ziva in in danger?" Marty questioned.

"No, no. I- I just don't know what to do." Tony explained how he and Ziva had met, everything they had been through, and even Gibbs' rules and how Ziva became his official girlfriend. Marty nodded and listened through the whole story. When it came to an end, the two men sat quietly in the hall for a while.

"Sounds to me this has happened pretty fast," Marty observed.

"It really has, but we've known each other for a long time. It has always felt like she was the one for me, if you know what I mean." Marty nodded and pulled out his wallet.

"This is a picture of my wife, Barbara," he began, pulling out a picture of a smiling old lady with her wrinkly lips placed on the cheek of Marty. They both looked very happy.

"Wow," was all Tony could say. He hoped he and Ziva would grow old together, just like that.

"She died last April. Cancer."

Tony was saddened. "I'm so sorry."

"We had 50 great years together," he said, smiling sadly at the photo. "But it was love at first sight. I knew she was the one for me from the moment I laid eyes on her. We were soulmates."

"That's how I feel about Ziva!" Tony interrupted. Marty patted him on the shoulder.

"Then if that's how you feel, you should propose, as soon as you're ready. What I would do is buy the ring now, keep it with you, and when the moment presents itself, propose. Simple as that." He waited for Tony's reaction to his advice. He was pondering this new solution to his problem, and could not find any reason not to do it. He nodded slowly. "Okay… I like it." Now he had to get the ring. He got up quickly and sprinted down the hall, but having forgot to thank the kind old man for his advice, he turned around and ran back. "Thanks Marty!" He said, shaking his hand quickly, and he ran off again.

"Anytime!" The man called back. "Where are you going?"

Tony's answer came while still running to the elevator and frantically pushing buttons. "To buy a ring!"

**Yay! Chapter 10 and 11 are rapidly approaching! Can't wait!**

**I'll probably put 10 and 11 up within a day of each other, they kind of go together. Then I'll take a short break so I can get ahead on writing.**

**Sincerely, NCISObsession**


	9. Chapter 9: A Ring

**Why hello there! I am very happy and motivated from reviews and PM's I got last night to post this chapter bright and early in the morning. Well, it's Saturday, so 10:00 seems early. I haven't even left my bed yet!**

**Here you go! Keep reviewing, my heart skips a beat when I get an email telling me I have a review!**

**Chapter 9**

Tony arrived at the jewelry store at 9:00 pm. He was lucky to have found a jewelry store that was still open this time of night, and he threw open the door. A bell jingled as he entered. The sight that met him was very unfamiliar to Tony, a man with extreme commitment issues. He had never really gotten to the point in a relationship when he had had the desire to buy jewelry for a special woman, much less an engagement ring. His first thought was to turn around and run out, but he decided to stay anyway. He searched the area for a clerk to help him out.

"Hello! Welcome to Atara Jewelry! What can I help you with sir?" Asked a man with a thick Middle Eastern accent.

"I'm looking for an engagement ring." Tony said eagerly. He could hardly wait, and he was nearly jumping out of his skin.

"Come," The man beckoned with his finger. "Here are the most beautiful rings we have to offer."

"Great, thanks." Tony browsed for a while.

"And who might this special woman be?" The clerk asked.

"Her name's Ziva. We work together." Tony answered.

The man raised his eyebrows. "Ziva! What a beautiful name. Do you know what it means?"

Tony shook his head, "No."

"It means 'brilliance, radiance'." Tony's attention was focused on finding the perfect ring, but he nodded, just to show he was listening.

"Tell me, is Ziva Jewish?" He asked. Tony replied, "Yes."

"She will want a Jewish ring then, most likely. Come, I will show you." He pulled out a beautiful wooden box and placed it on top of one of the glass showcases. Inside was an assortment of display rings, all of which were beautiful and definite possibilities for Ziva.

"We can have it engraved with her name, in Hebrew, English, or both. The Star of David can easily be added as well. If you desire a diamond or some stone, I can show you some options. Do you think this is something you would like to consider?"

Tony scratched his head, "Absolutely." He looked closely at each ring, finally selecting a gold one, with a small diamond on top, and a name carved on both sides. "This one," he said finally.

"Ah, this is one of my favorites. You know, when you are ready for the actual wedding ring, all you need to do is put this ring inside the other. They fit together like a puzzle."

Tony nodded frantically, "Yes, great. Perfect. I want this one." The man chuckled at his eagerness.

"You do want it engraved, yes?" Tony had almost forgotten.

"Yes please. He followed the man to the paperwork."

"If you would fill this out, it would be a great help to us. Put the special girl's name down, so we know how to spell it. Then put your name in the other blank. It goes on the other side of the ring. As for the payment, you can pay up front, or month by month till it is paid in full."

"I'll pay now," Tony answered while filling out the paperwork.

"Cash or credit?"

"Credit." Tony handed his card over. After swiping it, the clerk handed it back.

"Thanks so much," Tony said as he passed the finished paperwork to the man.

"Splendid! What a lucky girl to have you for a boyfriend!" The man handed the paperwork to another guy in the back room, and instructed him to engrave the ring right away.

"Do I need to come back another day to pick it up?" Tony asked, readying himself to leave.

"Nonsense! We will have it ready in 30 minutes, maximum." He smiled. Tony took a seat and waited.

-.-.-.-.-

After the ring had been engraved in his and Ziva's name, both in Hebrew, Tony left the store with a small bag and a huge smile.

Back in the store, the clerk picked up his phone and dialed a number.

"Hello Director," he spoke in Hebrew. "A young man, DiNozzo, just left the store… Yes, he said it was for Ziva… No he did not specify when… I will… Thank you Director… Shalom."

He hung up. Mossad had been keeping tabs on Ziva for some time. Tony had fallen right in their trap. Whatever Eli David had planned for the couple was unknown to the clerk. He was simply a spy, an accessory, but he knew that the bug he had planted in the ring would do just the trick for whatever the director had in mind.

-.-.-.-.-

The next morning Tony jumped out of bed when his alarm rang. He didn't even know why he was so alert at this time of day, but he figured it had something to do with his latest purchase. Even though he didn't know if today would be the day he proposed, he was ready for when the time did come. After getting ready, he slid the small box into the pocket of his coat, grabbed an umbrella, and headed out on his way to work.

It took all his self-control not to sing and dance in the streets. He allowed his massive grin to remain on his face, even as he stepped off the elevator and into the bullpen.

His grin was smacked off of him by the sight that met him upon entering his cubicle area. Abby sat on Tim's lap, giggling and playing a videogame on the computer with him. Tim was still not cleared for duty, but he had come in to visit this morning, something Gibbs would not be happy about. He'd rather McGee stay home and get better.

"Ugh! Probie Display of Affection!" Tony announced loudly, turning up his nose at this new side of Tim he hadn't seen.

"What's wrong with hanging out with my fiancé?" McGee asked, egging him on.

"Ziva and I can't kiss in the office… not even hug. I think it makes the boss uncomfortable…" Tony rambled on, "he never has been one for showing emotions. He may even be an emotion sensing robot, whose sole purpose is to seek out love and stop it from happening in public. It's a viable theory, you have to admit. I'm pretty sure—" he stopped suddenly, "He's right behind me, isn't he?" McGee nodded and Tony braced for the head slap, which came with no surprise. "DiNozzo, get to work. Abby and McGee; NOT IN THE OFFICE. He slapped Tim on the back of the head, then turned to Abby.

She scrunched up her face, "Go ahead, I can take it. You can Gibbs-Slap me, just like the rest of the team. I'm ready." Gibbs hit her on the back of the head, but he did it very lightly.

"Ouch." Abby said, rubbing her head. "Now I understand. I'm enlightened. Everything seems so clear now…" Abby rambled. To shut her up, Gibbs bent down and kissed her on the head, right where he had Gibbs-Slapped her. Abby smiled wide, pleased with herself, and left for her lab. Tony saw this slap and kiss technique, and decided to try it on the probie. He slapped Tim hard on the head, to which came the response, "OW! TONY!" Then Tony bent down and kissed McGee on the head. Tony devilishly grinned, and Tim looked absolutely disgusted.

"I think I'd rather be headslapped."

**I am about to start on a writing tips forum, which I think will be helpful to anyone. Go check it out!**

**And review please **

**~NCISObsession**


	10. Chapter 10: A Surprise

**I know this is a really short chapter, but I couldn't help but end it like I did.**

**I truly am sorry though, it's gonna make you want to yell at me for stopping.**

**Chapter 10- Surprises**

The team had still been working hard on the case that had critically injured McGee. Abby had finally found a small lead in the rubble of the burned home, after hours of going over evidence in her lab. There was a hair found underneath the busted fridge, and since it was still intact, she was certain she could get a match. At the moment, she was searching every single database using CODIS and had yet to find a match. The search ran late in the night, and Abby had fallen asleep on her desk.

"Abs, wake up," Gibbs said, setting a Caf-Pow down next to the microscope.

"HUH?" Abby woke with a start. Her face was imprinted with keys from the keyboard, due to her rather uncomfortable makeshift pillow, her keyboard.

"Waddaya got?" Gibbs said impatiently. Abby looked up and saw that her search had been successful.

"I got a match!" She said excitedly, holding her hands up in triumph. She clicked on it nervously, to reveal the name that CODIS had come up with.

"Jarrett Abney." Abby reported, and Gibbs was already out the door.

When Gibbs entered the bullpen, he hastily walked to his desk, immediately opening his drawer to pull out his weapon and badge.

Tony began, "Boss, BOLO came back on the car that matched the tracks at the scene, it belongs to—"

"Jarrett Abney," Gibbs finished, leaving the bullpen already. The team rushed to follow him to the elevator.

"Where is he, David?" Gibbs asked.

"The BOLO said he is parked outside of an old warehouse in Falls Church." Gibbs nodded in reply.

"I'll drive," Tony offered.

"No. David, you drive." Gibbs responded.

"Gladly," Ziva smirked as Tony unwillingly tossed her the keys, cringing at the memory of her driving.

On the ride to the scene, Gibbs received a call from the director.

"What was that about?" Tony asked.

"Puppetmaster," Gibbs replied bluntly.

"They've struck again?" he asked. Gibbs only nodded. Puppetmaster was a nickname for a group of criminals that commit crimes all around the world, and manage to escape capture every time. They called it Puppetmaster because it seems like there is one person in charge, with the other people acting out less, and following orders. It had been a thorn in Gibbs' side for nearly 24 years. Lately, however, they hadn't attacked in 2 months.

The rest of the ride was silent. The box was burning a hole in Tony's pocket, and he couldn't stop staring at the back of Ziva's head as she swerved all over the road. He started to feel woozy, from not knowing if he'd survive the ride to pick up their suspect. The smell of Ziva's hair calmed him and made him forget about the danger he was currently in. He leaned forward, earning a very strange look from Gibbs, who caught him trying to sniff Ziva's hair. Tony leaned back in his seat and was quiet for the rest of the drive.

Their car came to a screeching halt in the alley beside the warehouse, and Gibbs, Tony, and Ziva exited the car with their guns drawn. They prowled up to the stolen delivery truck silently. Gibbs jumped in front of the truck, aiming his gun at the man in the front seat.

Jarrett Abney.

He matched his I.D. photo that CODIS had pulled up, but he looked a bit older in person. Jarrett sighed in submission and held up his hands. Gibbs put away his weapon and cuffed their suspect, reading his rights, as required. All he really wanted to do was shoot him in the shoulder, like what he had undoubtedly done to McGee.

Tony pulled open the back door to the truck, to see a scared looking woman in the back. He and Ziva confusedly withdrew their guns. Gibbs came around the back, dragging the suspect along with him. When he turned the corner, he pushed the man roughly to Tony, who took custody of the man. Gibbs peeked into the truck to see what everyone was so confused about.

The woman, who looked to be around 30, stared back with eyes red from crying and begging. Her face was gaunt and pale, malnourished. She held up her hands, but put them down as Gibbs looked at her. Tears filled her eyes.

"Dad?"

**Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry. And sorry.**

**I know, a cliffhanger. What's worse, I probably won't update for a while. I want to get ahead a bit, but I think reviews, and lots of them, would motivate me to write every day. Imagine if everyone that read reviewed! Sounds like the perfect world to me!**

**Anyway, thoughts? Who saw that coming? I was going to make a story like this where Gibbs suddenly has a surprise daughter show up, but I decided Gibbs was kind of boring in this story, and needed a bit of a surprise to add to his storyline.**

**Hopefully, I will update soon. **

**~NCISObsession.**


	11. Chapter 11: It's A Girl

**Why hello there! Welcome back. My writers block is awfully deadly, and I hardly got ahead at all, but I could not withhold this chapter any longer.**

**Thanks for being patient, I am super excited for you to finally read this.**

**Disclaimer: The true writers are far more consistent with updating the show- Therefore, I do not own NCIS.**

Gibbs entered the back of the truck and began untying the ropes that bound the woman's hands. Without so much as a word, Gibbs and his "daughter" exited the truck and walked over to the car to go back to NCIS. Gibbs decided to drive and the mystery woman sat in the passenger seat. Tony and Ziva sat silently like chastised children in the back, not really sure what to say. They shared astonished looks, but the ride seemed to go on forever, the silence penetrating everyone's minds.

As they entered the squad room, Tony noticed McGee's presence. Today marked the beginning of "desk duty" while he continued to recover. In 3 weeks he was promised to be back to field work, fewer if his physical therapy helped enough. He saw Tony approach him, as he was purposely striding ahead of Gibbs so he could fill McGee in on the current situation.

"Tell me, quick." McGee urged.

"We opened the truck, she was inside. Claims to be Gibbs' daughter." Tony answered quickly, looking over his shoulder anxiously. McGee looked incredulous, his mouth open a little.

"Wow. I forgot how much drama goes on in this office. Do you know if she's telling the truth?"

"Don't know. Could be one of the ex-wives' kids. Still doesn't explain the whole back-of-the-truck thing."

"I've seen weirder cases." McGee commented. "You know, I always thought you would be the one to have a random kid show up." To this, Tony scoffed and smacked McGee who in turn punched him back.

"You two done with your chit-chat?" Gibbs asked, finally arriving with Ziva. The two in question straightened up immediately. "Sorry boss."

"Sit down," Gibbs said impatiently, but there was a different tone to his voice. It wasn't his usual impatient snap. If Tony didn't know any better, he would have said there was a little bit of nervousness behind what he said. Everyone did as they were told. Vance stood undetected up on the catwalk, watching the situation unfold.

Tony timidly held up a hand. Gibbs rolled his eyes, "You got a question, DiNozzo?" He nodded slowly, "Many."

"Fine. I have answers." With a finger, he beckoned for the woman to come join them. As she arrived, Gibbs put his hand on the small of her back, pulling her closer to him.

"Everyone, this is Kelly, my daughter."

He let this sink in for a while, and many more questions found their way into the minds of the team. McGee suddenly got a text from Abby, telling him that she was on her way up. He had sent a message to her alerting her of high drama about to unfold in the bullpen. She couldn't say no to that. Right on cue, the Goth stepped into the squad room, confusedly looking around. She made her way to McGee's desk, asking him what she had missed.

He was too shocked to answer her.

Abby got the gist. She could tell the way Gibbs and the woman—Kelly—looked at each other. She felt a slight pang in her heart when he kissed her on the head, the same way he did with her. She didn't want to be replaced. Gibbs belonged to Abby. He was already her dad, she didn't want that to change.

Although she was sad, she couldn't help but smile at the grin that was on Gibbs' face. She hadn't seen him smile a toothy smile like that in… well, ever. Maybe in a picture that she had seen at his house, one with Kelly and Shannon in it, but otherwise, never. The closest he had come to smiling like that was in the time after he had retired, and he had come back with that freak-of-nature of a mustache. At least he was happy, Abby supposed, that was all that mattered.

Happiness was, however, put on hold, as the case was very much active, not finished yet. Gibbs took the team and Kelly into the conference room, so they could figure out what the heck was going on.

"Can I get you anything to drink?" Tony asked Kelly.

She replied, "Coffee would be great..."

"Of course," Tony murmured. She certainly was Gibbs' daughter. "I suppose you'd want the coffee black too, huh." Kelly was surprised by Tony knowing this. "How did you know?"

"Gibbs—err, your dad. That's all he drinks. Ever."

She laughed. "I should have known I got that from somewhere." Gibbs smiled proudly and reached his hand out for Kelly to hold. Tony set down the girl's coffee, and they knew it was time to get down to business.

"Kelly," Gibbs began, "We need to know what you were doing in that truck. Who put you there? Where were they taking you?" She looked away and bit her lip. Tears filled her eyes.

Ziva stepped in to help out, "I know it is hard, Kelly, but trust me, you will feel better if you tell us. I know, I have been there." Kelly nodded and gulped, ready to tell her story of what she's been doing for the past 24 years.

"I was eight," she began, eyes squeezed shut, trying to remember every detail of that day. "Mom… and I were in the van with the agent, being escorted." She barely choked out the word 'mom'. The memory of witnessing her mother's death still haunted her today. "Pedro shot the driver," she said, flashing back to that moment, and trembling at the memory. "We—we spun out of control, flipping over and over. I think we crashed into a guardrail, I don't remember. I was so scared. I ducked and covered my head and neck, just like you taught me to do." She leaned against Gibbs and breathed in his comforting scent, mostly sawdust and bourbon. She took a deep breath and continued, "Mom… mom's head hit the glass," she cried out, tears beginning to stream fiercely from her eyes. She covered her mouth with her hand, stifling her cries a bit. Gibbs pulled her closer, smoothing her hair with his hand. A single tear escaped from Gibbs' eye. He and Kelly silently sobbed together, Gibbs trying his hardest to keep it together. The thought of his wife, his _precious_ wife, feeling that kind of pain was unbearable to him. All of the wounds that had finally started to heal after 2 decades were agonizingly reopened, for the whole team to see. Ziva, too was getting emotional, although she tried to hide it. Tony and McGee didn't want to watch, as seeing Gibbs this way was upsetting the delicate balance the team had built. Gibbs was their rock, the one to hold it together in times like this. Seeing his emotions for real right now was strange, and they had no idea what to think of it.

"After the crash, Pedro came to make sure we were dead. I was still alive. My legs were broken, and I had a few fractured ribs. I tried to pretend I was dead, so he'd leave us alone, but he knew I was faking it. He—he pulled out his gun… I thought he was gonna shoot me…" Kelly cried again.

"I was so scared, Daddy," Kelly said. Tony found it incredibly weird to hear someone call him that. It seemed he was a teddy bear to some, and a grizzly bear to others.

"He didn't," Gibbs replied. She nodded, "Instead, he picked me up and carried me." Gibbs was sickened at the thought of a murderer laying his hands on his little girl.

"I thought he'd maybe take me to a hospital, but he took me to a house. They fixed my broken bones there, at least. As soon as I was mostly healed, they put me on the black market to be sold to the highest bidder." Ziva's heart broke at this new bit of information.

"Where did they sell you to?" Gibbs asked, hating to say the words 'sell you'."

"They only ever told me his screen name."

"What was that?" McGee asked. They were venturing into his area of expertise.

"It was… Puppetmaster, I think." She said. The team shared looks of worry, and Vance barged in, interrupting the interview. He had clearly been watching on the security camera.

"Gibbs, a word?" He asked. Gibbs squeezed Kelly's hand and followed the director into the hall.

**Ooooh, Kelly's back!**

**Who likes this? More daddy Gibbs to come.**

**Can we get ten reviews for this chapter? Maybe? I'd like to try, I love when you guys review.**

**Quick thank you to all reviewers, especially AthenaMay24 who reviews each chapter, and ncismcabbyfan101 who also very frequently reviews. Keep those coming, I really really really love reading everyone's comments and I look forward to them. Thanks for taking the time to write them.**

**Another side note: I made a forum on writing tips. I am still working on it, but it has a good amount of information on it so far. If you have a question, or something you want me to write about on it, I would be glad to add my thoughts on it. If writing seems hard to you, or you want to improve a bit, I would love for you to check it out, it will help.**

**Thanks for reading. I'll probably update in two days. Hopefully I will find time to write, and I'll get ahead a bit.**

**Bye for now!**

**~NCISObsession**


	12. Chapter 12: Explaining Puppetmaster

Ziva, McGee, Tony, and Kelly were all still in the conference room, and Gibbs and Vance had ventured into the hallway.

"So, Kelly. Do you know all of Gibbs' rules too?" Tony asked, while Gibbs was in the hall.

She looked confused, "Rules?" Tony grinned.

"She doesn't know the rules." Kelly laughed a little.

"What rules?"

"Tell her Zee."

"Tony, that would take 20 minutes." Ziva reminded.

"How many does he have?" Kelly was a little astonished by this last remark.

"We lost count a long time ago," Tony answered.

"Tell me the most important ones then."

"Hmm… let's see…" Tony began.

Ziva started them off. "Never be unreachable."

Then Tony, "Never screw over your partner."

"Always wear gloves at a crime scene."

"Ooh, never mess with a Marine's coffee."

"Ah, yes. That is a good one."

"We can't forget rule 12," Tony added.

"That has been repealed," Ziva countered.

Kelly thought she had missed something, "What's rule 12?"

"Never date a coworker."

"Why did he repeal that one?" Tony and Ziva looked at each other, and Tony reached out for Ziva's hand. He traced patterns on it and she leaned in closer.

"He couldn't keep us apart any longer." Tony smiled wide. He loved telling people about he and Ziva's love for each other.

"And me and Abby!" Tim butted in.

"Sounds like I've got a lot to learn." Kelly said. "Do you happen to have a list of his rules?"

"As a matter of fact, I keep one on me at all times." Tony answered.

"You do?" Ziva asked, both amused and shocked.

"Yes, Zee-vah. You never know when it will come in handy." He reached into his pocket to pull out the piece of paper. As he grabbed the list, his hand brushed past the box he had been carrying. Just the feel of it sent a chill up his spine. He shook off this feeling and handed Kelly the list.

She looked it over for a minute, "There's two rule number ones?" She asked.

"Yeah, and two number threes," McGee answered. She shook her head, laughing at her dad's tight ship he ran. "So, is this the whole team?" She asked them. "I get the feeling you are all very close."

"We are a family," Ziva answered, "and no, this is not everyone. There is still our forensic scientist and McGee's fiancé, Abby. And our M.E. and assistant M.E, Ducky and Jimmy."

"I would love to meet them sometime."

"I'm sure they'd love to meet you. Gibbs doesn't talk about you often." McGee offered.

"Oh," she said, kind of disappointed.

McGee was quick to recover his comment, "He just sort of shuts us out when it comes to his personal life. He never really got over you and your mom."

Kelly was sad to hear of her father's current state. When she had known him, he was always smiling, loving, and fun. It hurt her to hear that her disappearance and her mother's death had sent him into this state of mind.

-.-.-.-

Gibbs and Vance stood in the hall. Gibbs knew he was telling him something, and that he should probably listen, but all he could think of was the woman on the other side of the door.

Vance rambled on about Puppetmaster, all stuff he'd heard before.

One comment drew him out of his thoughts. "I've been after this guy since I became Director, Gibbs."

Gibbs was almost offended by this, "Yeah? I've been after this guy since I joined NCIS in the 90's." Vance removed his toothpick and stared Gibbs in the eye, something most people never dared to do.

"Very well. After this interview is over, you and your team will go home and get some sleep. That's an order. It wouldn't hurt to catch up with your daughter too, Jethro. I can't imaging missing 24 years of Kayla's life. Go be a dad, enjoy it. We'll see you back here in the morning." Gibbs nodded and turned back to the door to head inside. He drew open the door, taking his seat next to Kelly.

"Can you answer a few more questions, Kel?" Gibbs asked, using her old nickname. She nodded, turning serious again. Gibbs signaled for Tony to ask the next question.

"How did you get away?" Tony asked. Gibbs added, "They confirmed your death."

Kelly shook her head. "I don't know how they faked my death. When they took me, I couldn't run. My legs were broken. I told them that my daddy would find me, I was sure of it. They just laughed at me." She spit out, "They told me I was dead to you. No one would ever look for me."

"Where did they take you?" Ziva asked gently.

"To the airport. They had me pose as one of the escorts' daughter's, and we got on a plane to Russia. They took me somewhere, we met in an alley. The man, the Puppetmaster, took me back to his headquarters. I don't know where it is, they had a bag over my head. There were a lot of other kids and women there. We were all forced to carry out crimes that the Puppetmaster requested. He stole things and used the money to pay for our plane tickets to wherever we were sent. Our orders were to do the deed, then leave. If we got caught, we were to take all the blame and not say a word about the operation. Some people were brave enough to say 'Puppetmaster' but he had them killed before they could divulge any other information. They even had us kill each other if the other said anything to anyone. He'd send people to kill people he didn't like, or people that hadn't followed his orders." She paused and looked away. "Dad, I killed someone."

Gibbs' heart broke. His innocent girl was becoming less innocent by the second. "How old?" He asked her.

"I was 12." She responded, face hardening at the memory. She had been sent to kill a middle aged man who refused to follow the Puppetmaster's commands. The poor man had been promised his daughter back, if he did what he was told. Instead, he told the police. The man's daughter had been her best friend while held captive. She couldn't even forgive herself, and her best friend certainly couldn't forgive her.

"What were the conditions like?" Tony asked.

"They fed us poorly. We slept on mats in the compound, but they'd bring everyone a glass of water in the morning. Most of us were malnourished, unless you had fulfilled your duty exceedingly well in his eyes. Many people died there. I don't know where they took the ones that died. Some died of old age, they never got to leave. Even a few babies were born there. He wouldn't let them leave, even for hospital services. I assisted in a couple births before I was assigned to missions outside of the compound. I liked to help bring life into the world much better than taking it away." She finished sadly.

Ziva took notes, not wanting to look at this woman who had been through so much. She had more in common with her than she thought. Her history sounded an awful lot like her own history in Mossad.

Tony looked at Gibbs, "That's all the questions we have, boss."

Gibbs nodded and took his daughter's arm. "Come on, let's get you home."

"Yes," she agreed, "home…"

-.-.-.-

Abby rushed down to Autopsy, since she wasn't allowed in the conference room right now. She was in the middle of a slight panic attack, and needed counseling immediately. Ducky was blindsided by the Goth stampeding into his work realm. The collision nearly knocked the clipboard he was holding to the ground.

"Abigail! You gave me a start." Ducky said, covering his heart and calming down from being surprised like that.

"Sorry, I'm just really worried. Everything's just changing so fast, I don't know what to do. I can't handle it." Abby spoke quickly, hyperventilating.

"Whoa, whoa, slow down dear girl." Ducky pulled her gently to some chairs to sit down. "Breathe, yes, that's good. Now, tell me what happened.

"Gibbs went on a run to pick up a suspect, just like any other old time. Then he… he…"

"What?" The doctor burst out suddenly, thinking Abby was telling him that Jethro had been shot or killed.

"No, no. Not that," Abby was quick to ensure. "Gibbs ran into someone he hadn't seen in a while." Abby started, not quite sure how to tell Ducky what happened.

"Who? Was it one of his ex-wives? Fornell?"

"No, it was Kelly." Ducky looked confused, still thinking Gibbs had gone to Kelly's grave, or seen someone that looked like her. "See?" Abby showed Ducky a picture of Gibbs smiling at Kelly that she had taken in the bullpen.

"Oh my…" The doctor stared at the picture, still wondering why Abby was so upset about this happy situation. "So what's the problem?"

Abby was quiet for a while, "I don't wanna be replaced, Ducky." She swiped the screen to show him the next picture, of Gibbs giving Kelly a kiss on the cheek. Tears started to come down her cheeks.

"You're not being replaced, Abigail. I'm sure he has enough room in his heart for two daughters."

"I already let Ziva in, I don't think I have room for another." Abby pouted.

"You will always be special to Jethro, Abigail, just like Kelly will always be special to him. You are each special in different ways." He paused, letting her absorb this, "I do not see Kelly wearing platform boots or necklaces with studs on them, do you?" Abby looked at the picture, and shook her head. "And that is not Gibbs' blood running through your veins, is it?" He tapped Abby's arm, and she looked down.

"No." She answered quietly.

"But has he loved you any less, just because you are not his daughter by blood?" Abby shook her head again, wiping a tear with the back of her hand.

"What if a new best friend just walked into your life, and you didn't even realize it?" She looked up, suddenly thoughtful and a little less pouty. "That's right, you would be like sisters. I bet you'd like that." Abby nodded, getting more used to the idea of 'Kelly'.

"Are you going to be okay now?" Ducky finished, trying to look into Abby's eyes. When she returned the look, tears welled up in her eyes and she threw her arms around the Doctor, laying her head on his shoulder. He patted her back and whispered words of encouragement to her while she cried.

"Thank you Ducky," she said in a shaky voice, and she grabbed her bags and left, leaving Ducky wondering how Gibbs would handle the situation, and how it was even possible in the first place.


	13. Chapter 13: Carpooling

_I wanted to post this now since I'll be gone all weekend. Thanks so much to everyone who has read and reviewed! This one goes out to you guys._

_-.-.-.-_

Tony and Ziva had started carpooling to and from work. Their cars both worked perfectly fine, but they liked getting to spend a little extra time together. The saving money part was just a bonus.

"I think it will be nice for Gibbs to get to be a dad again," Tony observed.

"Yes, I agree. He has missed it, I am sure." Tony nodded. He felt bad that Gibbs had missed out on a normal family life this whole time.

"I hope it works out well," He said.

"It will," Ziva assured him. They drove on in silence for a while.

"I know what she is going through," Ziva blurted out. She usually wasn't the type to tell about her past, or her emotions. Tony didn't say a word, he knew this was a sensitive subject for Ziva to talk about.

"This was her Somalia, only it lasted for 24 years." After saying this, the conversation was ended. The horror and shock of what happened to Ziva, and now to Kelly left both people speechless.

The car arrived outside of Ziva's house, and Tony followed Ziva out of the car. Together, they walked up to the door to Ziva's apartment. Standing outside, Tony reached inside of his pocket, wrapping his hand around the box.

"I will see you tomorrow, Tony," Ziva said. Tony changed his mind and pulled his hand out of his pocket, running his hand through his hair.

"Yeah. I'll pick you up at 0630?" Focusing only on her, Tony tried to act natural.

"I can pick you up, I do not need to be chauffeured everywhere."

"Okay. 0630." They agreed. Tony reached for his pocket again. Ziva noticed, but wasn't sure what to think of it, so she decided to let it go for now.

"Goodnight Tony."

"I love you so much Ziva." She smiled warmly and placed her hand on his cheek, bringing him in for a kiss. As she entered her apartment, Tony leaned against the wall and sighed.

"Back again?" A familiar old voice asked.

"Hi Marty," Tony responded, not taking his eyes off of the door.

The old man's bushy eyebrows wagged up and down as he talked. "Do you make a habit of staring at doors?"

"Only this one." There was a pause.

"Why don't you come for a visit? I've got coffee brewing." Tony unwillingly pulled himself away from Ziva's door.

"Yeah, I could go for some coffee."

The pair entered Marty's apartment. It showed signs that it once was touched by a lady, but now the elderly man side of it was dominant. Pictures of Marty and his wife were everywhere. They seemed to be the only thing the man kept free of dust. Every other surface was covered in the fuzz. Mismatched furniture adorned the place, with retro fabrics and worn out pillows. Despite the 'oldness' of the place, Tony felt comfortable and at home.

Marty was in the kitchen, filling two mugs with black coffee.

"Do you want sugar or cream?" He asked in his raspy voice.

"Cream please." Tony said politely. He wondered what Ziva would think of him hanging out with her neighbor. He wondered if she even knew he existed. Marty sat down across from him in an old rocking chair, setting the coffee on the end table.

They warily sipped the scalding liquid, till Marty finally broke the silence. "Did you follow my advice?"

"I did," Tony said proudly.

"You did!" The old man said happily, clapping his hands, and his face lighting up like a kid on Christmas. "That's wonderful!"

"I still haven't asked her…" Tony's face fell a little at this.

"You remember what I said. 'When the time presents itself'. You may just have to wait." Tony nodded at this. "Such a lucky girl."

"That's what I've been told, but I still feel like I'm the lucky one."

"That's good. Hold on to that feeling. It's what keeps the relationship going." He cautioned.

Tony took in all of this advice and information. It was all so weird for him. He was used to hanging out with pretty girls or lonely guys at a bar, not sipping coffee with an elderly man, except for Gibbs. He could almost feel the head slap that would have come if he had thought something like that with Gibbs around.

"Thanks, Marty," Tony said, preparing to leave.

Marty waved him off, "Don't mention it. I love having company. It gets lonely around here sometimes."

"No, really. Thanks. It's nice to be able to talk to someone about all of this." Marty patted Tony's hand.

"You're welcome Anthony."

-.-.-.-

"There is someone there with him, Director."

They were in a darkened surveillance room, listening to the feed coming from the ring bug. There was a team assigned to monitoring it 24/7, per director's orders. He had teams standing by in the DC area, in case he decided to put something into action.

"Who?" The Director asked impatiently.

"Sounds like an old man. His father maybe?" Eli nodded to an agent, silently ordering a team to hunt down the father of Anthony DiNozzo.

"Can we track the location of the ring?"

"Yes sir, we could, but it could possibly alert him to our presence." Eli took a moment to consider this.

"Do it." The technology expert nodded and got to work tracking its location, typing and clicking away.

-.-.-.-

Abby and McGee were together at McGee's apartment. Abby was playing one of the many video games, and Tim was working on his newest novel. Dinner together had been amazing. Tim had been surprised to find out his fiancé was an exceptionally good cook, and was still full from stuffing himself. Abby was Tim's caregiver while he recovered, driving him to and from work, and to his doctor's appointments. He didn't mind. The extra time with her was special, and he treasured it, having thought his dreams would never become a reality.

Abby's character blew up, for what had to be the fourth time that night, and she decided to give up. Turning around, Abby watched as her soon-to-be-husband typed away at his typewriter, every so often ripping out a page and shredding it.

"We should work on wedding details," Abby offered after a while. He turned around looking stressed. "What's wrong? Writer's block?" Abby asked.

"Not really. More like I have too much to write about and too little time."

"Oh. We can do wedding stuff later, it's not a hurry—" McGee was quick to stop her.

"No, no. I can spare a little time. I need to take a break anyway." Abby smiled. She knew she could get him to agree. The pair sat down at a table, sipping their favorite drinks while they glared down at the list of things that needed to be done.

"Do you have a dress yet Abs?" McGee asked.

"No. Ziva and I are going shopping on Saturday for one." McGee nodded.

"I still need a tux…" He didn't know what to do next, "When should I get one?" Abby rolled her eyes. Clearly she'd be doing all of the planning and shopping in this relationship.

"You and the rest of the guys can go Saturday too. It should only take 45 minutes tops, to find one and get it fitted. Then you guys can go hang out or something." McGee blushed. _Why hadn't he thought of that?_

"Okay. Next we need a cake…"

"We need two cakes," Abby corrected.

McGee was incredulous, "Two?!"

Abby nodded slowly, "Yes, Timmy. The groom gets a fancy cool cake, and the bride gets a fancy white cake."

"I do! Cool." He was getting really excited. "Can it be chocolate? Can it be in the shape of the map of the Shire? Can it have little Hobbits and wizards on it?" He rambled on and on about the cake he wanted, and Abby smiled, enjoying watching him get excited about their wedding. She'd let him have any cake he wanted if it made him enjoy their special day even more.

_Don't forget to review! I'd better go or I'll be late for school, but I love checking my phone between classes and seeing reviews in my notifications. It will help keep me going throughout the day._

_Bye!_

_~NCISObsession_


	14. Chapter 14: I've Missed You

**Hello, and sorry. I have been updating very irregularly lately. Recently though, I was on a school trip to Chicago, so if you saw a group of about 104 string players parading the streets in matching clothes, that was us. We even played at the field museum!**

**Anyway. I am very behind on writing. In fact, I am still writing chapter 15. Oops. I would like to get on a temporary schedule. Very temporary. I will try to do every three days, but at the end of the week, I will be travelling, again, this time to visit family in Iowa. Now, however, it is spring break, and winter has decided to return, so I will be writing hopefully more often.**

**I'll stop now. Here is chapter 14.**

Gibbs and Kelly stopped at Target on their ride home from NCIS to get some new clothes for her. Gibbs seemed so out of place, wandering the women's aisle. He hadn't bought clothes since his wives made him go shopping with them, and even then, the shopping was just for them. Her captives had only given her clothes if she had grown out of her old ones, and she was currently wearing grime covered jeans and a dark shirt.

Meandering the aisles, Gibbs attempted to be helpful, combing through the racks of shirts and dresses. Kelly seemed a bit more efficient in her search, already compiling a handful of outfits. She looked up at her father, who was currently examining a sparkly shirt that said 'Diva' on it. She smiled and rolled her eyes. He sure was struggling. Their excursion brought back memories of their shopping endeavors when she was a kid.

_It was the last time Gibbs ever took his daughter shopping. She was eight, and enthralled with all things Barbie. Her beaming smile brought a feeling of warmth when he triumphantly held up a Barbie themed shirt. She gleefully jumped up and down, telling Gibbs that he had done well using only three words._

"_I LOVE IT! I LOVE IT! I LOVE IT!"_

_He watched as she emerged from the changing room, trying on the shirt. She posed like a model, walking down an invisible runway, and blowing a kiss to him at the end of the walk, then turning around. He smiled and blew her a kiss._

"_You look great, Kel," Gibbs said, resulting in a mile wide smile from his daughter. After she had changed back into the shirt she came in, she leaped into his arms, hugging him tightly around the neck._

"_Thank you Daddy." He smiled and whispered into her ear, "I love you Kelly."_

"What about this one?" Gibbs asked, still holding the sparkling shirt.

Kelly considered her answer carefully. She knew he still thought of her as an eight year old, explaining his inclination to look for kid clothes. She knew nothing would make him happier than her saying yes and maybe even wearing it. "Sure, Daddy."

He smiled that half smile of his, putting the shirt in the cart. Kelly proceeded to place a dress in as well.

"What's this?" Gibbs asked, holding up the piece of clothing.

"A dress," she teased, "You have seen one before, haven't you?"

"This is a hooker dress," he retorted.

"No it's not. Dad, come on, it's just a dress."

"I have _seen_ a hooker wearing this dress during a case once. You're not buying it." His word was final and Kelly put the dress back on the hanger.

"Okay." She appreciated his protectiveness of her, and-she decided-she really didn't want that dress anyway. She preferred the kind that brought a smile to her father's face. An idea came to her, and she pulled a dress that fit the description perfectly off of the hook, and hid it from Gibbs' sight.

"What's that?" He asked, observing her sneaky behavior.

She smiled tauntingly at him, "A surprise, you'll see." She closed the door behind her and smiled giddily.

After a few minutes, Gibbs leaned forward in his waiting chair, and saw what may have been the most beautiful sight in the world. Kelly came out of the changing room wearing a gorgeous green dress, with sleeves that carried down half of the length of her arms. As she twirled, the skirt flowed around her like a movie star, and she grinned. Sparkles adorned her dress, a feature she was sure her father would love, and a feathery fringe laced the bottom of the skirt. It was grown up enough that she wouldn't be embarrassed to wear it, but it was kiddie enough for Gibbs to approve. He smiled as she emerged, just like old times, walking down the runway and blowing kisses to the invisible audience. Finally, she reached him, and threw herself into his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly.

"I love you Dad." She said.

Gibbs squeezed his eyes shut and hugged her like his life depended on it. He swallowed the lump in his throat. "I missed you Kelly," he breathed out.

Their moment ended, and Kelly said, "I think I've got everything." So they went to check out, grabbing a candy bar for Kelly just like she used to convince him to do each time they went shopping.

Kelly drew a shaky breath her old home came into view. Gibbs pulled into the driveway and parked the car, pausing to take Kelly's hand.

"Welcome home Kelly." Tears filled the girl's eyes, and she smiled back.

"I'm glad to have a second chance. Is everything the same?"

"Mostly. A few paint color changes here and there." Gibbs purposely left out the part where he told her that the paint changes were due to one of his ex-wives' demands. Kelly took a deep breath, stepped out of the car, and took a few slow steps toward the front door, Gibbs giving her some space and walking behind. Once she had reached the door, Kelly stopped and stared, unable to move. Finally, she reached out a wary hand and cautiously turned the handle on the door, which swung open with a creak.

Kelly swallowed a lump in her throat, taking in her surroundings. It felt so unfamiliar, like shorts do after a long winter of being bundled up. Despite not being used to the place, she still felt at home.

A floorboard creaked and Kelly turned around to look at her father, who had just stepped inside, closing the door behind him.

"Oh, Daddy," She said with a sniff, hugging him again. Gibbs figured her incessant hugging was as a result of trying to make up for the 24 years without hugs, but then again, so was he. He jumped at any chance to tell her he loved her, and that he missed her.

After they pulled away, they were met with a deadly silence. Kelly wiped her eyes, and looked around.

Gibbs—to break the silence—decided to ask a question. "Do you drink whiskey?"

Kelly laughed, shaking her head. _Just like her mother._ Shannon could never stand whiskey either. Gibbs poured himself a glass and got a glass of water for his daughter.

Sitting down on the couch, the reunited family began to catch up. "I can sleep at a hotel tonight. I wouldn't want to—"

"No."

"No? Didn't think so. So where can I sleep?" Gibbs pointed up the stairs, to the door that opened to Kelly's old room.

"It's still here? It's not a poker room or something?"

"Don't play poker." Gibbs explained.

Kelly excitedly climbed the stairs, Gibbs close behind. She eagerly entered the room. It was a light shade of purple, with a blue ceiling fan and a pink Barbie bedspread. A very thick layer of dust and cobwebs adorned the space, looking awfully eerie and abandoned. In shock, Kelly turned around to see her dad standing in the hallway still, watching her from out there.

"Why don't you come in?" She asked.

"Haven't been in there in 23 years."

"You can come in now." Kelly took his hand and pulled him inside. "It might need a little work, but I think this will be the perfect room for me to stay in. Do you have cleaning supplies?"

"Nope."

"Really? Ok. We can go to the store tomorrow. Till then, I can sleep on the couch."

Gibbs shook his head, "Couch is taken."

"By who?"

"Me." Kelly let this sink in. "Don't you have a bed?"

"Yep. I don't use it."

"What else has changed since I left?"

Gibbs rubbed his face and replied, "Sit down. I'll show you."

**You can expect a new chapter on the 20****th****. Happy St. Patrick 's Day and Happy Spring Break!**

**~NCIS Obsession**


	15. Chapter 15: Catching Up

**Okay, I did enough writing that I feel comfortable posting this now, so that old schedule is completely out the window. I'm done with schedules.**

**I'm afraid all I have for this chapter is more Gibbs and Kelly. I hope that's okay. I too want to get back to some Tiva and McAbby but I seem to have hit a momentary block in their stories. Right now, Gibbs getting caught up with Kelly is more important, but I promise there is MUCH left in store for our couples.**

**Thanks to my reviewers! I thought you should know that each time I get a new review, a feeling that is remarkably similar to fangirling goes through my system. It is quite the phenomenon, and I love it.**

**Disclaimer: Kelly is still alive, I guess that's enough proof that I don't really own NCIS**

Kelly and Gibbs sat down on the couch again, this time with a stack of photo albums laying on the coffee table. Kelly grabbed the first one, and opened it up, unsure of what she was going to find.

First were pictures of her and Shannon's funeral. Someone had brought a camera and insisted on taking at least a few pictures to help Gibbs to never forget them.

Next was a photo of Gibbs and another woman, dancing on a dance floor while wearing a tuxedo and a white dress. The caption said 'Jethro and Diane', and their wedding date. They both looked happy, and she thought that maybe her dad had moved on.

"You remarried!" Gibbs nodded, looking at the photo regretfully. She flipped through the pages of honeymoon pictures and eventually came to a picture of Gibbs drinking at a bar, alone. This one Mike Franks had taken so he could show Gibbs how stupid he looked moping around like he was. It worked.

"What happened to her?" Kelly asked, fearing her father had lost another love.

"Divorced." Kelly frowned and turned the page again, seeing yet another wedding photo. "Jethro and Rebecca". Flipping through the next few pages, Kelly's heart started beating faster. One- Two- Three ex-wives. Each one pushed Gibbs further and further into himself, creating a shell of the man she once knew.

"They all had red hair…" Kelly concluded sadly.

"None of them could replace what I had with you and your mom. I know that now." Kelly clenched her jaw and nodded. Gibbs pulled the book away from her and rubbed her back gently.

"That's enough of the sad stuff. Here." Kelly set the new album in her lap, opening it to page one.

"That one is the day I got my own team." The picture he was pointing to contained a fairly happy looking Gibbs, holding up his newly promoted I.D badge. A few pages later Gibbs was moved to MCRT team leader, taking charge of a group of people she didn't recognize.

"Gibbs pointed to a strange looking woman in another picture. Her jet black hair was in pigtails, offsetting the dark and fierce looking clothes she wore.

"Abby." Gibbs said, seeing the picture Kelly was looking at. "She's our forensic specialist." Kelly nodded, sensing it was more than that. "She helped me recover after you guys were gone."

"_She_ did?" She couldn't imagine her being a very comforting person.

"You'll have to meet her to understand."

Gibbs also showed her a picture of an old ME, wearing a fedora and sitting in a bar with him. "That's Ducky." He said, pointing to the other man.

"Ducky?"

"Donald Mallard."

Kelly thought about this for a while. "Donald… Duck. Mallard is a Duck. I get it! That's pretty clever."

"You'll have to meet him too…"

A few pictures of Gibbs' most recent wife, Stephanie, found their way onto the next pages, but it was evident they were in the middle of another divorce. Amidst the couple's trouble came a new agent, this one Kelly had met. The caption read, "Anthony DiNozzo" and he and Gibbs were shaking hands. Tony's face was adorned with a million watt smile.

"He was a lady chaser back then. Still was till Ziva came. Even a little after that. When I first met him, he worked with Baltimore PD. He chased and tackled me because I was a suspect in a case he was working." A few more pictures came around, but the next notable one was a picture of Gibbs next to President Bush. They too were shaking hands.

"You met the President?!"

"Yep. Worked a case on Air Force 1."

"Whoa." She rubbed her fingers across a picture with a Secret Service Agent, inspecting it. This one had "Kate" scribbled in her father's scratchy writing.

"Who is she, besides Secret Service?"

"She became one of our agents. Special Agent Caitlin Todd. Darn good agent."

"Where was she earlier? I didn't see her in the conference room." Gibbs flipped a few more pages and pointed to a picture of Kate lying in a casket, prayer beads in hand. He flipped back, trying not to make his daughter pity him too much. "She was killed by a terrorist. Died right beside me. Don't worry too much. Ziva wouldn't be with us if Kate still was. It was a horrible thing to happen, but I think the best came of it." Kelly nodded.

A few pages before Kate's funeral pictures, a new young agent, transferred from Norfolk, made his way into the album. Timothy McGee. One of the pictures showed Abby giving him a kiss on the cheek, and he smiled contentedly.

"They've been dating for that long?"

Gibbs chuckled. "No. Abby dropped him after a while."

"Oh. So they just got back together?" Gibbs nodded again, smiling a little.

Next, Kelly flipped ahead to see a few pictures of Ziva, who had just become a long term liaison officer. McGee had taken one picture, intended to blackmail Tony if he had to, and it was of Ziva sitting perched on the edge of Tony's desk, staring deeply into each other's eyes. Such love had always been displayed by the two, but nothing ever came out of it, for the most part. Occasional slips were always a possibility. McGee had spilled it to Gibbs that Tony had told him in confidentiality that he couldn't live without Ziva. It was sweet, but it was also true. Those few months had been death to Tony.

Ziva's citizenship ceremony was also pictured, along with some pictures of Jimmy Palmer's wedding. A few pictures had another red haired woman in them, but Kelly stored that piece of information in the back of her mind for later, if it appeared to be important.

The last picture in this album was of the whole team at a bar, talking and laughing together. The owner of the bar had seen the scene that was taking place; a whole group of people, as close as a family, having a great time at his bar. One copy of this picture had been mounted in a frame on a wall at the bar, for publicity purposes, and the other copy was given to Gibbs. The owner had also congratulated Gibbs on having such a great group of people for his team.

Gibbs and Director Vance were the furthest right in the picture, laughing at some story Gibbs had told about his ex-wife number three. Gibbs seemed to be smiling more than usual, genuinely enjoying himself, much to everyone's surprise.

To the left of Gibbs and Vance was Palmer and Ducky. Ducky was telling yet _another_ story, this time about a time when he was a young twenty-something and he was at a bar with a lovely Swedish girl. Palmer was absolutely fascinated and entertained by the older ME's story.

Abby stood behind McGee, smiling at what was happening before her. She had a drink in one hand, and the other was lingering near McGee's, as if she wanted to hold his hand, but had decided not to.

McGee was being teased by Tony and Ziva, who often teamed up on him. He would let it go that night. He knew that was how Tony showed love, and Ziva would follow whatever he was doing, though she'd hate to admit that.

Ziva's hand rested on Tony's shoulder lovingly. To outsiders, it seemed like a casual, friendly gesture, but to a more trained eye, one could tell that such love was distributed through this gentle touch. It was the closest they could get without raising too many eyebrows.

Gibbs got up and searched through a hall closet, looking for a padlocked box. His flashlight illuminated the small space, and finally, he pulled out a dusty old trunk, and placed it on the floor. Using a key, he unlocked the case, and pulled out another album, this time labeled "Under Cover".

"Had to keep this one locked up for security reasons."

Kelly opened it up, and saw a bunch of pictures of her father wearing various different costumes, ranging from janitor to politician. The red haired woman eventually made another appearance.

"Want something to eat?" Gibbs asked Kelly.

"I don't suppose you still make good steak?"

"I do."

"Can you make that?" Gibbs nodded, got out the necessary supplies, and began to cook steak over the fire.

"Is this another wife?" Kelly asked

"No." He answered quickly. "She was an agent. Later she became Director of NCIS."

"You sure she wasn't more than just an agent?" Kelly asked slyly.

"Yeah." Gibbs lied, swallowing the lump in his throat.

Kelly raised her eyebrows when she came to the next photograph of Jenny and Gibbs kissing at a café in Paris. She decided to keep herself quiet about it for now. He wanted to hide it for a reason.

While the steaks continued to grill, and Kelly was occupied with the album, Gibbs returned to the dusty trunk and pulled out an envelope that was laying at the bottom. Scrawled across the slightly yellowed paper was the words "Dear Jethro," written in Jenny's beautiful handwriting. Gibbs fought back the emotions that kicked at him from the inside, and slid the unopened letter into the pocket of his NIS sweatshirt. This would have to be saved for later. These were the last words Jenny would ever say to him, and he knew he wouldn't be able to keep it together if he read this letter. Better to read it later when Kelly was in bed, so he could let it loose alone, without fear of being seen.

"Oh my gosh! Is that Tony and Ziva?!" Kelly said suddenly, holding up a photo of a couple kissing passionately.

"Uh huh. That mission required them to impersonate two married Canadian assassins. Interesting case, one I was happy to not watch."

"Wow. You guys have been through so much together," she turned a few more pages, "When was Ziva pregnant?" She asked confusedly.

"Never. That was under cover too."

"Oh. That makes more sense."

There was a momentary silence while Kelly finished looking at the albums.

"Steaks are done." Gibbs said finally.

"I'll get the plates and silverware." Kelly offered, running off to find where they were kept, and finding them exactly where they had always been.

Soon the father and daughter sat at the kitchen table, enjoying the delicious steak, just like old times.

After dinner, Gibbs and Kelly trudged up to her bedroom, both feeling extremely full of food, and refreshed from catching up a little after so long. She wore her new pajamas that she had bought at the store earlier. Being back in her room was weird. She hadn't slept in a bed in 24 years. In fact, she wasn't sure she would even be able to sleep in a bed since she wasn't used to it, but she climbed in anyway, letting her father tuck her in like he used to do.

"Goodnight Kel," he said, tousling her hair like always.

"Goodnight Daddy," she replied with a smile. "I love you."

"I love you too sweetheart. Welcome home."

Gibbs closed the door behind him, standing in the hall wondering what to do next. It still hadn't sunk in fully that he was a father again. Gibbs took a deep breath, looked down at his pocket, and slowly pulled out the old envelope. He sighed and stepped down the stairs, each step feeling as if it were taking him another step closer to closure. Eventually he landed in his basement, where he pulled out a sawhorse for a bench. He poured himself a large jar of bourbon and readied himself to open the envelope. Before tearing it open, Gibbs straightened out his reading glasses and turned on the lamp next to him. After all these years, Gibbs finally pulled out the letter that had for so long been hidden from view. He took a sip of bourbon and began reading.

**Before I sign off, I would like to tell you that my next chapter is not Tiva or McAbby either. In fact, it should be fairly emotional, as Gibbs will be reading Jenny's letter. It ended up 1,500 words, so it will take up its own chapter. I hope you will stick with me, I promise, chapter 17 will have some relationship stuff in it. I simply had to write a letter, and it was emotionally draining to write. Can't wait to post it!**

**R&amp;R!**

**~NCIS Obsession**


	16. Chapter 16: The Letter

**This one probably is a bit slower, but the next chapter isn't and I am going to put that up today too. I hope you like this closure for Gibbs and Jenny, it was really cool to write.**

**Chapter 16: The Letter**

_Dear Jethro,_

_I assume I am dead if you are reading this right now. I've probably even been dead for a few years. You never are motivated to do the emotional things, and you probably had this hidden from your memory so you wouldn't read it. Before I continue, put down that bourbon I know you are probably drinking. Sometimes I think I know you too well. It would be better if you were sober when you read this anyway._

Gibbs looked at the jar which was still filled with the amber liquid, and put it down on his work table. He smiled and shook his head, and returned his attention to the words scrawled on the page.

_I know I should have told you about the disease that was killing me, but I didn't want it to effect the way people treated me at work, especially you and the team. Tell Ducky thank you for being there for me, he was the only one that knew. He said I only had a few months to live, so I knew I had to tie up any loose ends, you being one of them. I guess this letter is my way of doing that without hurting you too much, but we'll get to that later._

_I guess you should know that someone is trying to bring back our mission from Paris all those years ago. They are a threat to our lives, and I need to stop them so they can't get to you. That is the other reason I am writing a letter rather than talking to you. I know you would stop me or come with me. I need to do this alone. I have less to lose. You have a whole team that loves you like family. I love you._

_Now, I don't know how I died. Maybe I completed my final mission and then died from this darn disease, or maybe I died trying. Whatever my end was, I hope you and the team are safe. I hope those horrible people did not get to you._

Gibbs took a gulp of bourbon, despite Jenny's wishes. He was gonna need it. He mentally beat himself up for letting another woman die to save him.

_I understand now why you trust Mike Franks so much now. He is one of the most loyal people I have ever met, and if I don't live to thank him myself for his help, I hope you will pass on the sentiment for me._

_I don't want to admit it, but I am scared. I'm not ready to leave this world, and I don't know how to say goodbye. I hope I get a chance to. I really do fear the worst will happen to me. However, if a sacrifice of an already dying woman is what it takes to save you, then I would do it a million times._

_That sounds really sappy coming from me, and you are probably rolling your eyes right now, but I'm being serious. Having death looming over you tends to change a person. That brings me to the next topic. Us._

_This is the most difficult thing for me. Everything that we've ever been through together ended because of me. I destroyed everything we had, and for that I am sorry. We could have been great. I could have been wife number five! (That thought is slightly frightening, most likely for you as well as me, but I can't help but feel that way.) I long for the feeling of a ring on my finger, and to again feel your lips press against mine. It was not my first choice to die single with no kids, but my life was full of regrets that I have no say in anymore. I know it is kind of late for me to be telling you this, and that it is incredibly unfair for me to not have told you this while I was still alive, but none of this was of my choosing. If you want to start a fight with fate, have at it, and I wish you good luck, but something tells me that won't work._

_I also didn't want to hurt you too much by telling you my true feelings, then dying anyway. Contrary to fairy tales, love does not reverse death, and I'm afraid telling you would have made my death hurt worse for both of us._

_It is okay now for me to tell you. I love you. I really love you Jethro. You were always the only one for me. I suppose that is why I never married._

_Looking back at those words which I have just written sends a chill up my spine. I can't believe I am finally telling you these things. I am Gibbs slapping myself just for acting like a giddy schoolgirl with her first crush. Oh well, no time for regretting telling you._

_Before I get to my final point, I would like to give you a few words to say to everyone else. Enclosed are some letters for you to give to everyone, respectively._

_Tony: You are not responsible for whatever happens to me. If I die on this mission, I know it is because I send you and Ziva away. Please do not feel guilty if indeed this is what happens. Continuing with this scenario, I hope Gibbs is not giving you trouble about it either. It's not your fault. Besides me dying, I want to congratulate you on your success within the agency. You are an exceptional agent, and one day perhaps you will make a strong Team Leader. Keep that McGee in check, but don't tease him too much. I see a bright future for him at NCIS. Keep up the good work and thank you for everything you have done for me. Sincerely, Jennifer Shepard_

_Ziva: Like I told Tony, you are not responsible if I die. On a happier note, I enjoyed working with you in Cairo, and thanks again for saving my life. You are adapting wonderfully into Gibbs' little clan, and I wish you the best of luck with all of them (especially Tony). Continue on any endeavor you choose with the strongest faith in yourself and your own judgment. I wish you the happiest life. Sincerely, Jenny_

_Tim: Thank you for helping me with whatever I asked you to do. Many agents would have been too curious for me to trust them with sensitive information, but I always knew I could trust you. You are one of the kindest and honest people I have ever met, and I truly am grateful for your presence in my life. Good luck on all of your books and projects, but most of all with Tony. Seriously, I—as Director of NCIS—grant you permission to boss him around once in a while. He needs to be put in his place every so often. Best of Wishes, Jenny Shepard_

_Ducky: You are so great for helping me with my illness. I can't imagine telling anyone but you. You helped me so much simply by being there for me despite the prognosis. My autopsy can't have been easy for you, but thanks for not telling anyone about my Eiffel Tower tattoo. I'm sure you kept that a secret, and that's why I love you. If you are retired now, and Jethro really did wait forever to read his letter, have an amazing retirement, and don't forget to give Palmer my best wishes. Love, Jennifer_

_Abby: Let me begin by apologizing. I shouldn't have to apologize for dying, but I know you, and I just feel like I should. I know you will miss me a lot, and I will miss you too. You are the best forensic scientist and I am proud to say I have worked with you. Thank you for handling my private investigations like you have. I didn't really expect you to hide my secrets from Gibbs or McGee, but you sometimes did, and that's what counts. Please don't grieve for me in excess. I will be fine, and you will be too. I will put in a word with the Big Guy to send some extra love your way. Who knows, maybe he'll get Gibbs to let you and McGee get together. Don't pretend you didn't like him, I know you did. Goodbye Abby. Never stop smiling. Sincerely, Jenny_

_One last thing before I say goodbye. I know rule twelve probably has something to do with me and Paris, but I think it was a mistake. Dating a coworker can be beautiful, it can be the highlight of one's life. You cannot ignore soulmates Jethro. If you don't know what I'm getting at, I suggest you take a good look at your team. Don't hold them back. Let rule twelve go, I'm sure you'll come up with a new one, maybe like 'Always follow the Director's orders unless it could get him/her killed', yes I think that would be a good one. I hope you'll listen to my advice, you are the only thing holding them back._

_Okay, now that that's taken care of, I guess all that's left is me saying goodbye to you. This is the hardest part, and my heart is heavy at the thought of leaving you. I can't seem to tell you enough that I love you, and I always have. I guess I just want to make sure you know that. I know you took Shannon and Kelly's deaths pretty hard, but I hope mine won't throw you back into that state. You have to move on. That is a direct order from your Director, so don't bother to ignore me. Jethro, I say this with all of the love that is contained in my heart. Find love, I know you still have it in you. Find happiness. Yes, I know it seems impossible, but it is still there. One last time, I will tell you I love you. I love you._

_Goodbye Jethro._

_Love, Jen_

**You like?**

**Review Please! Next Chapter will be up in a sec.**

**~NCIS Obsession**


	17. Chapter 17: Upside Down

Gibbs set the letter down on his lap and he removed his glasses to wipe away the tears that were almost escaping. He reminded himself that he was alone and that he could finally let it all loose. Deep in his heart he had known all along that she had felt that way. It was partially his own fault for not bringing it to her attention. Granted, she was his boss and could have fired him, but with what he had just read, that would have been highly unlikely.

Finally, Gibbs let himself cry in a way that he hadn't since he was informed of Shannon and Kelly's murders. He heaved silent sobs, each one wracking his body with unusual force. The pain that he had kept bottled up since that day in the desert was finally being set free, and Gibbs was powerless to stop it. Rage, fear, and most of all sadness radiated off of him.

Let me go, Jenny had essentially told him. This was his way of doing it. He had to let it all out at once, and then maybe he would finally be free of these feelings.

-.-.-.-

Tony and Ziva had gone out to eat, fully taking advantage of their early release from work. Tony, again, thought about popping the question, but like every other time the thought occurred to him, the time didn't seem quite right. What a story it would be to tell someday. "Oh yeah, that day we found Gibbs' long lost daughter, oh, and Ziva and I got engaged." One of those seemed to outweigh the other, and Tony wanted the day to be memorable for only one reason. Everything had to be perfect.

Besides, he hadn't even talked to Gibbs about it. Some fathers are especially pleased when the man asks him for permission to marry his daughter first. It may be traditional and outdated, but those words almost perfectly describe Gibbs, so Tony wanted to do that. It was classy, and classy describes Tony as well. This, combined with the need for some quiet boat, bourbon, basement time led Tony to drive straight to Gibbs' house after his date with Ziva.

The lights in the house were all off, not unusual for this time of night. He crept inside, quietly closing the door behind him. Tony looked at the couch in the living room where Gibbs usually slept, but it was empty. Knowing exactly where Gibbs was, Tony tiptoed down the wooden stairs to the basement.

Exactly where he had figured, Gibbs sat with a glass of bourbon in hand. However, something was definitely off. He wasn't working on his boat, and there was a paper in his hand with words that Tony couldn't make out from this far away. That was when Tony noticed Gibbs' crying.

Something snapped inside of Tony when he saw his strong and mighty boss sitting there, sobbing. His world was turned upside down. His rock, the one who you could always count on to be in control, was crying. Tony crept back up the stairs, careful not to let Gibbs see him.

As he stood in the living room, Tony's world started spinning around and the edges of his vision were blackening. He leaned on the wall, trying not to fall over.

_What else will change? Nothing will ever be the same again._

What could have sent Gibbs into such a vulnerable state? Tony decided he didn't care, he didn't want to know. He would try to erase the image from his mind, but that didn't seem to be working.

So he did the only thing he could think of doing. He mindlessly drove the route that was so familiar to him, and he ended up parked in a street outside of Ziva David's building. He knocked on her door, not even giving himself time to rethink what he was doing. It was one o' clock in the morning, and he knew he should not wake her, but he really needed the comfort. A scraggly haired woman answered the door with bags under her eyes. There was no time for a welcome, Tony pulled her into his arms and breathed the fresh scent of her hair, taking deep breaths and trying to calm down.

"Tony, what is wrong?" asked Ziva finally. Tony shook his head, not yet able to speak. Ziva stroked his arm lovingly and grabbed his hand, pulling him toward the couch. "Can I get you anything?"

"No. I just need you here, with me." He pulled her close and she snuggled up to him, resting her head on his chest. He laid his arm over her shoulders and stroked her hair.

After a while of sitting like this, Ziva needed Tony to talk to her. "Tell me what happened."

-.-.-.-

Late in the night, Eli's team prepared to strike.

"Team six in position," whispered one of the agents, pressing his ear to get his message to the rest of the teams.

"Status update Team four," requested Eli, who was observing from a black sedan.

"We are ready to go, Director."

"Wonderful. Whenever you are ready." The teams, clad in black, surrounded the apartment. Some agents scaled the walls and prowled outside the windows, and others blocked off the hallway. Guns ready to fire, team six jogged up to the door, and as quietly as possible, picked the lock and let themselves in.

"Target secure," they reported. Their target, an old man, was asleep in bed, pill bottles adorning the nightstands around him. They rushed to grab him, and when he began to struggle, they sedated him with a rag that had been soaked in knockout gas. The propped open the window, and pushed him out to the awaiting team, who carried him out to their truck. Lastly, they shut off all lights, and closed the window after them.

"Mission accomplished Director,"

There was a silence on the other end of the line. "Splendid. I will see you back in Israel."

-.-.-.-

Tony finally felt better. Talking to Ziva calmed him much more. She had told him that even Gibbs had to cry sometimes. The world wasn't ending.

To get Tony back to his usual self, the couple decided to watch a movie. It didn't last long, as Ziva fell asleep halfway through. Tony shut off the TV, and put Ziva in her bed, covered with the warm blankets.

"Goodnight Tony," she mumbled with a smile.

"Goodnight Sweetcheeks." He gave her a soft kiss on the hand, and made his way out of her apartment.

Tony sighed. Even though it was the middle of the night, Tony was not tired. In fact, he felt like talking to someone. He remembered that last time he had visited, Marty told him that he was often awake in the middle of the night, unable to sleep. He decided to give it a shot and he knocked lightly on Marty's door. No answer. He tried again, this time louder. Still nothing. Eventually, he decided to try the spare key Marty had given him, in case something had happened.

When he got inside, all seemed normal. Tony almost felt bad for intruding, until he noticed the mud stain on the carpet. He bent down to observe it closer. It was a combat boot print, something Marty definitely didn't own. Panicked, Tony rushed to the bedroom. The sight that met him was not one he wished to see. The lamp and several pill bottles were spilled on the floor, and the bed sheets were messed up.

Tony's mind raced. Who would kidnap an old man? He promised himself he would find whoever did this, and bring justice for his old friend. He pulled out his cell phone and quickly dialed Gibbs' number.

-.-.-.-

Gibbs was still in his basement when his phone rang. He put down his chisel and answered with his usual "Yeah, Gibbs."

"Boss. It's Marty."

"Slow down DiNozzo, who's Marty?" Gibbs asked, squinting in confusion.

"Ziva's neighbor, my friend. We have to help him. I need your help, boss." Tony sounded close to hysterical. He had grown close to this old man since they had met. He was like the grandfather he had never known. "Can you help me?" Tony was desperate.

"Uhh…" Gibbs looked toward the upstairs, thinking of the sleeping woman in the forgotten bedroom.

Tony covered his face with his hands. "I forgot boss, Kelly."

"It's okay. I'll figure something out. Be there in fifteen."

Gibbs walked upstairs to Kelly's room. He shook her gently. Her eyes opened slowly.

"Yeah Dad?" she said sleepily.

"Kel, something came up at work. Will you be okay here for a while?"

"Yeah I'll be okay. Stay safe." Gibbs smiled and gave her a kiss on the forehead.

"I will, now that I have you. I'll be back soon." Kelly drifted back to sleep as Gibbs left for Ziva's apartment complex. Whatever this was, it probably wasn't good. Gibbs never believed in coincidences, and something this close to Ziva and Tony had to have something to do with them. He would just have to wait to find out.

**Please Review! I really hope you are liking this story! I have absolutely no clue how much longer this story will go. There is so far no end in sight, and that both scares and excites me.**

**Happy reading!**

**~NCIS Obsession**


	18. Chapter 18: The Scene of the Crime

**Sorry it's been so long since I updated. I was really busy, and didn't find the time. Fortunately, it is the weekend, and I will now have time to write some more and get ahead. I really can't wait till it is the summer, and I can write whenever I want.**

**Disclaimer: Ziva is still here in my world. I guess that's how you know I don't really own NCIS.**

**Chapter 18:**

Gibbs arrived just when he said he would. Tony was pacing the hallway, biting a nail when he got there.

"Boss, thank you for coming. I didn't want to wake Ziva. I don't think she knows I've been hanging out with her neighbor." Tony would have kept talking if Gibbs hadn't stopped him.

"Relax, I've called McGee. He should be here any minute now." Just then, McGee walked in hurriedly, carrying a load of evidence collection supplies.

"I'm here, I'm here…" McGee seemed to have forgotten the time of night, and was quickly shushed by Tony who gestured toward Ziva's door.

He brought his voice to a whisper, "Oh, sorry. I forgot."

Tony opened the door and showed his team around the apartment, taking extra care not to disturb any evidence. McGee photographed the boot print and collected all of the spilled items in the bedroom, marking them accordingly. Gibbs and Tony discussed what was happening.

"Marty and I just kind of met. I was leaving Ziva's one day, and I took some advice from him. A real nice guy, I hope he's okay, wherever he is. We _have_ to find him, boss."

Gibbs nodded, "We will."

"I don't know why anyone would kidnap him. I have absolutely no clue."

"Could it have anything to do with you or Ziva?" Gibbs asked. There was a long pause.

"Why would it?"

"Things like this don't usually just happen. Especially to an old man that hardly gets out of his apartment." Tony nodded in understanding. Just then, Ducky and Palmer walked into the apartment.

"What are they doing here?" Tony asked.

"I didn't know what 'come quick, it's Marty' meant, DiNozzo. I came prepared for the worst." Gibbs answered with a slap to Tony's head.

Tony rubbed his head. "No body here Duck."

"Do you mind if I take a look anyway? From a psychological standpoint?"

"Couldn't hurt," replied Gibbs. Ducky walked inside and set down his equipment that he wouldn't need.

"Most of this I am sure Anthony knows already. One thing I did notice however, is that no pill bottles were taken with him. With these medications I can presume that dear Marty was suffering from atherosclerosis."

"English, Duck." Gibbs reminded.

Palmer stepped in, "The build-up of fats on artery walls."

"What are the symptoms?" Tony asked worriedly.

"Some can be pain in the chest, or shortness of breath." Ducky explained.

"Is that it? That's not so bad."

"I'm afraid not, dear boy. Atherosclerosis can also lead to heart attack or stroke."

Tony's face fell. "Will he be okay without his medicine?"

"It's hard to say. You can never predict stroke or heart attack. We must work quickly to find him, that is all we can do."

Gibbs was quick to call out orders. Any friend of Tony's was a friend of his. He could tell how much this old man meant to him.

"Boss, I have a question." McGee stated.

"Go on."

"Right. See, this building is really quiet, and I was trying to figure out how they got Marty out without causing a scene." Gibbs nodded and waited for McGee to continue. "They couldn't have taken him out the door, security would have definitely noticed, and it would have caused a commotion."

"Do you have a theory, or are you just wasting my time McGee?" Gibbs asked impatiently.

"I have a theory. Notice how the bedroom smells like knockout gas? I think they sedated him, then carried him out the window."

"If that were true, that would be a huge operation," Tony observed.

"I know. _But_ it would mean there might be evidence of grappling hooks or something on the roof."

"Good thinking Probie, it's worth a shot. Let's go." When the team rounded the corner, Abby came barreling into them, causing McGee to drop some bags of evidence.

"Oops, sorry. I just got your text McGee, is there anything I can do to help?" Abby was wearing all black, something she only does when something bad happened, or she has to go to the dentist.

"Late night dentist appointment?" Tony asked.

"_No._ I heard something happened to Marty! I don't know who he is, but it sounded bad, so I came prepared." She bounced up to Tony and gave him a bone crushing hug. "Is everything okay?"

"A friend of Tony's was kidnapped." McGee answered.

"I can't believe you called Abby. You can't keep anything secret." Tony whispered loudly to McGee.

"Hey, in my defense, we're gonna need her to process all of this evidence. She'll help find Marty faster." McGee defended. "Abby, can you go check the window for prints? The rest of us are going to check the roof for any evidence.

"Sure. Where's Ziva anyway?" Abby replied.

"She's still asleep at her apartment. Tony doesn't want her involved for some reason."

"Well, okay. I'll be here."

Gibbs, Tony, and McGee made their way to the roof. They bagged a few shards of rope and cable, hoping it was something that could help them find Marty. Other than that, the place was clean, and they returned to the hallway where Abby was preparing to leave.

"Hi! I didn't find any prints on the window, how did your search go?" She asked.

McGee smiled wide and handed Abby the bags with the results of their examination in them.

"Ah, thank you kind sir!" Abby said upon accepting the bags. "I will be in my humble lab. Hopefully I will have some results for you when you come into work tomorrow, or should I say, later this morning."

"You sure you don't need any help?" McGee asked, to which she replied with a nod. Abby gave Tony one last hug before carrying the box of evidence out to her car and driving to NCIS. 'You do what you've got to do for family' she recalled. There might not be a more true statement on earth.

-.-.-.-

Gibbs finally arrived home at around 4:45 in the morning. He decided it was not worth it to try to sleep at all. He had spent many nights with no sleep, and he knew he would survive this one as well as any other. Instead, he walked quietly into Kelly's room, where she still lay asleep, snoring softly like Shannon used to. Gibbs sat down in a bean bag chair that Kelly had gotten for her seventh birthday. In his opinion it wasn't as comfortable as a wooden sawhorse, but it would do. He wasn't there for comfort, he was there to observe his beautiful daughter. He didn't want to take anything for granted this time.

He wished he hadn't forgotten his own rule number 3, 'Don't believe what you're told, double check'. Maybe if he'd done this, he'd have realized Kelly wasn't really dead, and he'd have saved her years ago. Instead he felt sorry for himself, and he moped around after they were gone. _The past is the past_ he reminded himself. There was nothing he could do about it now but do better this time. He was going to be there for her this time. He would take care of her. He finally had someone to love, in a way that no one on the team could fulfill. They had each other, that was what really mattered. This time, he wouldn't screw it up.

**Please take the time to review. It's not that hard, and they make me so happy! Right now the same few people review a lot, and I love it so much, but it'd be nice to see some new names too now and then.**

**Thanks so much for sticking with this. I can't wait to see what else this story has in store.**

**~NCIS Obsession**


	19. Chapter 19: Who is Behind This?

**Sorry it's been so long since I updated. Things have been hectic lately. I severely underestimated 4****th**** quarter of high school. Add hosting Easter this year and I get zero time to write. I can't wait till summer.**

"Morning Kel, how'd you sleep?" Gibbs asked as Kelly came downstairs rubbing her eyes.

"I haven't slept that well in 24 years," she answered. She sniffed the air. "What's for breakfast?"

"Cinnamon rolls to-go. We'll have to eat them on the road. Work starts extra early this morning."

"Are you working on my case?" Kelly asked.

"Not right now. A time sensitive case came up early this morning, and we need to work on that first. Is that okay?"

"Yeah. Do I need to stay here, I don't want to interrupt or anything," Kelly began.

Gibbs shook his head, "Nah, I think today is the perfect day for you to meet Abby."

"Really! So it's like bring your daughter to work day, huh?" Kelly asked, smiling.

"It can be that way every day if you want." Gibbs looked as excited and happy as his demeanor allowed him.

Kelly chuckled at her father's offer. "I don't know, I might have to get a job of my own someday."

Gibbs' smile faded. He had forgotten that she was grown up now. Someday, she might want to get away for a while. "Who knows, maybe you can work at NCIS somehow." He suggested. Gibbs wanted her close. He couldn't imagine being away from her now, all he wanted to do was be with her every moment of the day.

"Maybe."

Gibbs packed his and Kelly's breakfasts so they could eat when they got to NCIS, then they got in a car and drove.

-.-.-.-

Abby had been in her lab working since 0400 that morning, and her energy was starting to fade. The sound of an elevator ding perked her up a bit, and she turned to see who had come down to see her.

Gibbs, Tony, and McGee stepped into the room, followed by Kelly, who stood in the back, barely in sight. Ziva wasn't due to arrive until 0800, and everyone else had agreed to arrive an hour early so they could work on this case in secret.

"Hey Abs, how did you do?" McGee asked.

"How did I do? Do you doubt me McGee?" Abby teased.

"N-no."

"Sorry Timmy, I haven't had a Caf-Pow yet today. I'm a little cranky. And to answer your question, I did very well. Want to know what I found?"

"Yes." Tony answered for him.

"Okay. Brace yourself. Whoa, am I glad Ziva isn't here right now. If she was—"

"ABBY!" Everyone said loudly.

"Yeesh, impatient this morning. Okay. This boot is a military boot, only used by some agencies and militaries."

"Were you able to narrow it down to one?" Tony questioned.

"Oh yes. I did better than narrow it to one agency. I narrowed it down to a single person."

Gibbs was curious. "Who?"

Abby took her time in revealing this bit of information. "Eli David."

"MOSSAD IS BEHIND THIS," Tony asked hysterically.

"I'm afraid so. The rope and cord you brought me were exclusively made for Mossad."

"What does Mossad have to do with Marty?" McGee asked confused.

"Me." Tony answered dully.

"You?" McGee clarified.

"Yes me. Eli knows I am dating Ziva. He's trying to get at me. But I don't know how he found out about Marty. I haven't told anyone about him before."

"We swept the place for bugs. It was perfectly clean." McGee stated.

Tony's heart nearly stopped. He remembered the Israeli accented clerk at the jewelry store. How could he have been so stupid! The ring was the bug, or rather, it contained the bug. In disbelief, Tony pulled out the box he had been carrying with him since he bought it. _No, this couldn't be happening._

When the ring was brought to everyone's attention, a gasp filled the air. Tony looked up, feeling extremely guilty. "It was me."

No one responded. They were too shocked to console Tony for his oversight. No one thought he would even consider proposing this soon.

"Tony! Is that for Ziva?" Abby asked finally, excited.

Tony was still horrified. "Yes. She can't know anything about this."

McGee put two and two together, and realized the bug was in the ring. "I think I can get the bug out, and you'd still get to use the ring. I might need Abby's help though."

Tony nodded and agreed. "I'm not sure how I feel about all of you knowing before I've even asked her yet. Please don't say anything to her. I'm waiting for the right time to ask." He looked around uneasily.

"Our lips are sealed." Abby promised.

Tony still seemed unsure, and he warily left the ring on the counter. "Okay, I'll meet you upstairs I guess."

After Tony left, Gibbs walked over to Abby, Kelly close behind him. "Abs."

"Gibbs," she said, hard at work on the ring already.

"Can Kelly stay down here with you while we work?"

"Do I have a choice?" Abby taunted, raising an eyebrow as she stared into the abyss of Gibbs' eyes.

"No…" Gibbs responded.

"Okay. Do I get a Caf-Pow?" Gibbs pulled a red and white cup from behind his back, and handed it to a grinning Abby. "Thank you kind sir."

Gibbs turned to face Kelly, and beckoned her to follow him. He got her situated at the metal table behind where Abby was sitting, setting up her breakfast he had packed for her. Abby swiveled around and saw the little breakfast Gibbs had made.

"You made her cinnamon rolls?" She asked, interrupting Gibbs.

Gibbs walked over to Abby, took her attention away from the meal, and to his eyes. He gave her a kiss on the forehead, and pulled a container out from behind his back. "Relax, Abs. I made one for you too."

Whatever irrational fears Abby had about "getting a new sister" were instantly relinquished. She smiled warmly to herself as Gibbs left the lab for the bullpen. Perhaps this wouldn't be so bad after all.

-.-.-.-

Tony and Ziva were working when Gibbs and McGee came back upstairs. McGee had been dismissed by Abby, who was certain she'd be fine working alone, and she'd call if she needed anything. Everyone got straight to work. Gibbs decided he'd work on the Puppetmaster case, which Ziva was also working on. McGee would be working on both cases, and Tony, of course, would only work on finding Marty.

After about an hour, everyone's minds had wandered to the secret that Tony had kept for over a week. They all stared at Ziva, thinking about that morning's events.

Ziva ignored them until she couldn't take it anymore. "What are you all staring at? Is there food in my teeth?"

"Nothing." McGee answered, almost too quickly.

Ziva prowled over, preparing to extract the truth from him. "Nothing, hmm. What does nothing have to do with me?"

"I—I was… I—" McGee looked at Tony for help, who silently told him he was on his own.

"Spit it up McGee." Ziva demanded curtly, enunciating each syllable with a sharpness that could pierce concrete.

"Spit it _out_ Zee-vah. Not spit it up. Spit up is for babies." Tony corrected.

"Up, out. Makes no difference to me. The truth, McGee. Now!" Ziva was within inches of McGee's face, and he swallowed hard, trying to come up with a new excuse.

"I… I was thinking about my cake."

"Your cake?"

"Yes, my groom's cake."

"Again, what does that have to do with me?"

McGee was caught again. "Hobbits?" He said, almost a question, but enough of a statement that he hoped she would take it.

"Hobbits? Those little hairy feet creatures from Lord of the Rings, yes? You are going to have them on your wedding cake?"

McGee responded quickly, "Abby said I could."

"Ah. So you are going to have little Hobbit versions of all of us on your cake." Ziva concluded.

McGee thought for a second. "Yes," he answered slowly.

"Well then, I expect to see me in Hobbit form on your wedding night. If they are not there, I will know you have been lying to me, and you do _not_ want to know what happens then. Are we clear?" Ziva made sure to make the last part seem even more like a threat, and Tim gulped. He hoped he could find someone to make realistic Hobbit figurines in time for his wedding in a week. If he couldn't, well, he feared for his life.

-.-.-.-

Gibbs went downstairs to collect Kelly during his lunch break. He hoped she and Abby were doing okay down there. He knew Abby could be protective of him, and Kelly could seem like a threat to their relationship.

He did not expect to find his two girls laughing and talking, while Kelly painted Abby's nails.

"Don't look, don't look! I'm not done yet!" Kelly was saying, laughter lacing her voice.

"Okay! Gosh, I can't wait to see!" Abby smiled, a blindfold covering her eyes.

"Everything okay down here?" Gibbs asked, not sure if he should intrude.

"Master Gibbs!" Abby exclaimed. "Everything is AWESOME! Kelly is AWESOME! I wish I'd met her years ago. Did you know she likes Plastic Death music?"

"No."

"The guards listened to it at the compound. It's not my favorite, but I learned to tolerate it and even sometimes enjoy it. Music is a way to take you away from the bad things, and give a little happiness."

"That's how I feel!" Abby said. "We're so alike." Gibbs chuckled.

"Okay… done!" Kelly told Abby, and she pulled off the blindfold for Abby to see her new nail art.

"OH! This is so good! How did you learn to draw skulls so well?" Abby asked.

"Puppetmaster liked to have us brew poisons for him, most of them lethal. We reused old bottles, and he had us label each one by hand. I had a lot of practice drawing skulls."

"Oh. Well at least now it can be used for good, like manicures!"

Gibbs took a look at each woman's painted nails. Abby had painted Caf-Pow on Kelly's nails. "Do you even know what Caf-Pow is?" Gibbs asked.

"I didn't, until Abby let me try some. It's really good, do you want some?" She held up a cup for Gibbs, who pushed it away.

"Did you actually do work while I was upstairs Abs?" Gibbs asked, changing the subject.

"I did. Tell Tony his ring is now bug free." She handed the ring to Gibbs so he could return it to him. "I also traced it, and it confirmed it was planted by Mossad. Ask Tony where he bought the ring, maybe you can find the people who sold it to him and get more information.

"So we still have no idea where Tony's friend is?" Gibbs confirmed, agitated.

"No." Abby pursed her lips.

"Keep looking for answers. After we have lunch." He supplied some sandwiches he had bought at a stand in the park out and he put them on the table. One for each of them.

"YUM!" Abby said. And they all dug in together, as a family.

**There you have it. I truly want to write more often, but if that doesn't happen, I'm sorry.**

**This story WILL continue though, don't worry.**

**And for those celebrating, happy Easter and have a great Passover!**

**Bye for now!**

**~NCIS Obsession**


	20. Chapter 20: Twenty-Eight Tuxedos

**Welcome back! I'm updating again because, well, I just finished chapter 20, and I still feel bad about the irregular updating. Before we start here, I would like to announce a new poll I would really like to have you all take part in. It will be on my page ASAP. The subject of this poll is the plot of my next story. Though this story has a lot left to give, I want to get a head start on what I will be doing next, so by the time I am ready to write, I will have enough votes to know what the people want. This is probably a few months or more out, but I like to be proactive.**

**Anyhow, enjoy this chapter to spruce up your Monday!**

**Disclaimer: *Insert clever reason why I don't own NCIS***

Tony and McGee had to delay lunch. Instead, they went back to where Tony bought Ziva's ring, and promptly arrested the store clerk. Tony showed no mercy. He was still furious about being tricked, and getting Marty kidnapped, and he wouldn't rest until he was back home safe.

McGee tried to step back. He did _not_ want to be stuck in the middle of this right now. An angry Tony was not a force to be reckoned with. They took the man to interrogation, where he sat quietly, refusing to talk. Tony groaned in frustration and banged his head against the window peeking into the small gray room. It had been 45 minutes, and every minute slimmed their chances of finding Marty. Gibbs eventually stepped into observation, and dragged Tony out to the hallway.

"You had lunch yet, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked.

"No boss."

"Fine. You and McGee go grab a quick bite, then go buy a tux for his wedding."

"Buy a tux?" Tony asked confusedly.

"Yeah, DiNozzo. A tuxedo. Go, buy one." Gibbs replied as if he were speaking to an idiot.

Ziva suddenly made an appearance and walked around the corner, apparently having heard the whole conversation. "Unless you want to go naked to McGee's wedding, Tony." She smiled sarcastically, and bumped him gently as she walked by.

"You know, I think I had a dream like that once, only it wasn't a wedding, it was work, and I was trying to catch a suspect but I wasn't wearing anything but my boxers. Talk about awkward." Tony followed her closely behind, trying to keep up with her quick strides as he told her about his weird dream.

Suddenly, Ziva turned around. "For goodness sake, Tony. You can procrastinate worse than anyone I know. Go! McGee is waiting for you at the elevator." She pointed sternly at an impatient looking McGee.

"Okay, okay, I'm going…" Tony said as he was being shoved in the direction of his waiting friend.

"Finally, you're here." Tim said upon Tony's arrival. "I don't think you're taking the best man duties very seriously, if you don't even have a tux."

"I have plenty of tuxes. None of them are white though, and you guys just _had_ to be weird and flip the colors on me. I _have_ a bachelor's party planned."

"You do?" McGee asked.

Tony put on his most truthful smile. "Yeah!" He answered, completely lying through his teeth. He was hoping he could come up with something quickly. Ziva had already boasted about being done with bachelorette party planning.

The elevator dinged and Tony and Tim walked to the car, where they drove over to In 'N Out burger for a speedy lunch before heading to the tuxedo store.

Endless "Bond" references accompanied the trip, and before long, McGee had found the perfect white tux. Tony had been browsing part of the time, the other part spent watching Tim stare at himself in the mirror. Tony avoided the "makes you look fat" comments, since McGee had lost a lot of weight lately. _Never mess with a guy who's about to get married, he's braver than you. _Tony thought. It sounded like one of Gibbs' rules, and it was probably one he would have too.

"Your turn Tony," McGee announced.

"_Finally,"_ Tony teased. McGee rolled his eyes and handed a pile of tuxedos to the senior agent.

"Never thought I'd have to let _you_ pick out my clothes, McArmani."

Tim ignored him, "Just try them on Tony."

"Fine," he replied, closing the door to the changing room behind him.

Tony took over an hour trying on tuxedos, flashing his smile and fixing his hair each time he passed a mirror. Tim looked at his watch several times, worried about the dwindling break time. After they had exceeded their time by fifteen minutes, McGee decided to give his boss a call.

"Yeah, Gibbs." Came the answer.

"Boss?"

Gibbs sounded agitated, "Yeah, McGee. You're late. Gonna explain?"

"Uh, huh. It's Tony—" McGee answered quickly. Upon hearing his name, Tony spun around to look at who had said it. McGee froze and smiled and waved at his coworker, hoping to avoid a confrontation. Tony eyed him suspiciously and turned back to the mirror.

"Sorry boss. Tony takes longer to find a tuxedo than a bride does to find her dress!" McGee whispered into the phone with extreme impatience lacing his voice.

"Alright. You're excused, but I expect you back before the hour." Gibbs warned before flicking his phone shut. McGee stashed his phone in his pocket and strode up to Tony.

"We gotta go, just pick one Tony." McGee said with authority.

Tony stared at McGee, daring him to stand up to a senior field agent, but eventually backed down. "Okay McPatient. I liked number eleven best." Tony walked over to grab said tuxedo and walked to the counter to pay.

"Number ELEVEN? How many did you try on?!" McGee asked in disbelief.

"Only twenty-eight," Tony replied with nonchalance.

_Ugh. I should have thought of this before I chose Tony as my best man. _Thought McGee. Oh well. In his heart of hearts, Tim knew he wouldn't have it any other way.

-.-.-.-

The week had passed quickly with hardly any advance on the case. The day before Abby and Tim's wedding, Gibbs called off the search for Marty, if only temporarily. Tony had heavily protested, until McGee suggested that they mail the proper medication to Mossad using overnight air transport.

At first Tony had rejected this as a stupid idea, but he started thinking about it. Gibbs argued that Mossad probably already knew they were on to them. If not, why had they been so careless with the evidence they left behind on the roof? They composed a note and sent it promptly with the medicine, hoping it would save Marty and give them time to save him, wherever they were keeping him. If they sent the medicine to Mossad headquarters, they hoped it would be redirected to Marty's holding place as quickly as possible.

Ziva still had no idea about the secret operation that the rest of her team was working at diligently. She occasionally got the feeling that she was missing something, but never thought much of it. Her progress, however, in the Puppetmaster case would be very beneficial to them when it came time for the rest of them to turn their complete focus back to that case.

All of the work left hardly any time for relationships. Gibbs and Kelly were separated much of the day, as she often opted to stay and fix up the house that had for so long been a shell of a home. McGee and Abby finalized wedding plans and decided they would stay separated until their wedding day, so it was all the more special to see each other then. Abby reminded Tim over and over not to see her or her wedding dress before the wedding day, or it would be bad luck. He relentlessly nodded and agreed, just wanting to spend some time with her and no one else. Ziva and Tony continued with their snail-paced relationship, where Tony would sometimes try to find the right moment to ask the question. Each time still seemed wrong, despite his eagerness to get things moving. She was definitely worth waiting for, he thought. He'd waited all his life for this to happen, and he wanted to do it right. Things in team Gibbs were just starting to get exciting.

**Yay! Next chapter we have a McAbby wedding! SURPRISE! That sure popped up fast. It doesn't seem like it's been 20 chapters, well, yes it does. Can't promise a speedy update this time either. Tomorrow is Tuesday, biggest TV night of the week, so I'm busy then. And yes, I do wear an NCIS shirt most Tuesdays ****. A couple weeks ago, some random guy screamed "NCIS!" when I walked by in the hall. Me, an introvert, found that extremely weird. Anyway, I also want to make sure I get everything right in the wedding chapter, so that's another reason it might take a while. If there is something specific you want to see in the wedding or parties around it, PM or put your suggestion in a review, and I will try to incorporate it somehow.**

**Hey, good things are worth waiting for, right?**

**One last thing… If you didn't watch The Dovekeepers last Tuesday and Wednesday, I strongly suggest—no—you HAVE to watch it. Mind blowing performance by our Cote de Pablo. I mean fantastic. Words actually cannot describe it, so I don't know why I'm trying to. Just watch. It was adorable, her daughter in the show calls her Ima, like lots of fanfics say when Ziva has children. Amazing.**

**Bye for now! See you at the wedding. Consider yourselves all formally invited.**

**Review and tell your friends if you think they'd like this story, and thank you guys for being so loyal. I love my readers so much. You're awesome!**

**~NCIS Obsession**

**PS. Even if you don't watch NCIS anymore, which is sad, you should watch last week's. It was funny, just like it used to be, but maybe a little less. Still, it's getting there, and their relationships with Bishop are getting less awkward. She's starting to be accepted into their little family. It's cute. We will always miss Ziva. I do so badly, but I will never give up on my favorite show. Just my little rant here. **


	21. Chapter 21: Engaged Anxiety

**Ah, the long awaited wedding chapter is finally here. I regret to inform you that this will be a two part special. This preparation chapter was already the usual length, and I don't want to rush such an emotional and special chapter. Anyway, I am at school writing this. Sorta awkward, but I have time right now, so why not. If you would like to see the wedding dress I envision for Abby, here is the link. (PS. My friend keeps reading what I am writing out loud and laughing. Wow. LOL)**

**And Ziva and Kelly's dress:**

** images/2013_bridescom/Editorial_ **

**Enjoy!**

Gibbs and Kelly were getting ready for the big wedding. He hadn't been to church since he got married the last time, and was sort of nervous to go back. Kelly helped him tie his tie, and after it was tied carefully around his neck, she wrapped her arms around him, embracing him tightly.

"You look beautiful, Kel," Gibbs said.

She blushed and brushed her hair out of her face. "My hair isn't even done yet, Dad."

"I know. Still beautiful. Just like your mother."

"Thanks. I'd better go. I'm helping Ziva do Abby's hair, then they're doing mine. I haven't gotten to hang out with Ziva much yet."

Gibbs started to grab his jacket, "I can drive you."

"No, I'll be okay. I like walking. I'll meet you at the church." Kelly said with a kind smile and she walked out the door into the cool spring air.

Gibbs looked unsure, "Okay."

The sky was dark with clouds. It had not yet begun to downpour, but it was blowing a light mist in Kelly's face. The drops made her hair sparkle like the water on a calm, clear lake. The pavement was wet from the rain shower that had occurred earlier that morning, and as she walked, Kelly would occasionally step in a shallow puddle. She knew Abby would be happy to have rain on her wedding day. She liked all weather, but rain had a certain calming effect that made her happy and peaceful.

After her walk, Kelly made her way up to Abby's apartment where Ziva was just starting to work on Abby's hair. Abby had said she had done this hairstyle many times before, and she could do it just fine by herself, but Ziva insisted, stating her argument that it is a tradition to have her bridesmaids do her hair. Abby eventually agreed, wanting to take in the full effect of getting married.

Kelly got to work brushing out the pigtail, making sure each strand of hair was where it should be. Ziva wrapped each pigtail tightly into a small bun, held high on her head, and added the finishing touch, a white net hairpiece. Abby looked at the reflection in the mirror.

"Oh my gosh. I'm getting married." She said as the realization hit her.

"You are not getting second words are you?" Ziva asked in worry.

"I'm assuming you mean second thoughts," Kelly remarked.

"No, Ziva. I love McGee so much. I'm marrying him, and I think I might have a heart attack. I just never thought I'd ever get to this point in life. I'm so excited and nervous. Gosh, my brain can't stop."

Ziva placed her hands on Abby's shoulders with gentle pressure. "Everything will be fine Abby. Just take a deep breath. Imagine when he sees you walking down the aisle." Abby closed her eyes, imagining that moment, and smiled.

"I can't wait to see him. I've been so busy with last minute details that I've had hardly any time to spend with him."

Kelly glanced at her watch and announced, "Only an hour and a half till you're married. You won't have to wait much longer."

Abby sighed and shook off her nervous excitement. "Well, I'm ready, except for my dress. Time to get you two fancied up!"

As Abby worked away at Kelly's braided hair, she talked about anything and everything.

"Do you have your vows memorized Abby?" Ziva asked.

Abby bit her lip. "Yeah. I'm still worried that I'll forget what I was going to say. I don't want to mess this up."

"You've got this Abby. I don't think you need to worry. I'm glad you decided to write your own vows, it is a lot more personal, and I think it means a lot more." Kelly remarked.

Abby nodded, "I know. I can't wait to hear what Tim has to say."

A knock could be heard over all of the girl chatter going on.

Abby suddenly stopped what she was doing. "LOCKDOWN PROCEDURE GIRLS! IT COULD BE MCGEE!" Ziva rolled her eyes, but obligingly hid the dress that was laying out on Abby's bed in the bathroom. Kelly, hair half done, opened the door slowly while Abby hid in the closet.

Kelly looked through the peephole to see who really was on the other side of the door. "Everyone, you can come out. It's just Tony," she announced as she opened the door.

Abby groaned. "Ugh. TONY! You didn't do the secret knock!" Abby said sternly, looking at him straight in the eyes.

"Sorry Abs. I forgot." He stood there with Abby staring at him for a couple moments before he remembered what he was there for. "Oh. Can I steal Ziva for a while?"

Abby squinted her eyes, her jawline tightly fixed. "Of course!" She said, suddenly out of her mock thoughtful state. Her sudden change of attitude made Tony jump, and he laughed nervously until Ziva walked by, slipping her hand into his as she walked by. She pulled him out of the room with a smile on her face, happy to have some time alone with him before he escorted her down the aisle.

As soon as the door had closed behind them, Ziva cupped Tony's face in her hands, bringing it closer to hers. Their lips connected softly, and Tony smiled against her mouth. "Hello to you too," he said.

"I am sorry. I have spent a lot of time with the girls lately, and not enough with you," Ziva apologized. She stood within inches of Tony, looking into his green eyes with such love that could melt a heart.

"Never apologize." Tony reminded her in a soft voice.

Ziva broke the eye contact and got to the point. "What did you call me out here for, Tony? Does McGee need some sense tapped into him?"

"It's smacked, and no. I took care of that. I actually just wanted to see you too. And give you this." Tony pulled out a plastic container with a fresh corsage laying inside. He slid it around her wrist, and gave her hand a kiss.

Ziva blushed. "Thank you Tony, it is lovely."

"Not as lovely as you. You look—wow." Tony took in Ziva's appearance, from her smooth, shiny, curly hair, to her magnificent green bridesmaid dress, she was flawless. She, still blushing, looked down at her wrist so she wouldn't have to stare at Tony's loving stare any more. She didn't want him to see her in such an emotional and un-Ziva state.

"Oh, this reminds me," Ziva began, gesturing to her corsage, "I have your boutonniere." She held up a finger for Tony to wait in the hallway while she went back into the room to retrieve his flower.

Once she had returned, she pulled Tony closer, and focused her attention on sticking the needle through the flower stem and his tuxedo jacket. After the boutonniere was firmly attached, she put her palms against his chest and leaned in closer, breathing in his calming scent. He wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing her forehead and resting his against hers.

"I love you Zee," he said stepping away. Ziva smiled. "I've gotta go help McNervous get ready. See you later."

Ziva stood and watched Tony walk away. "Goodbye Tony."

-.-.-.-

Tony arrived back at McGee's nerd cave of an apartment with the lunch he was told to bring back.

"Finally, I'm starved," McGee said, reaching for the burger in the paper Beltway Burger bag. Tony swatted his hand away.

"Not so fast chubby, we don't want to spill any ketchup on that white tuxedo, now do we?" McGee rolled his eyes.

"'I'll be careful." He reached forward again, but stopped when he felt Tony tucking a napkin into his shirt. "Seriously, Tony?!" He looked down at the napkin and sighed. Tony never did have much of a concept of personal space.

"What took you so long? I sent you out for fast food, and you came back 45 minutes later." McGee said with a mouth full of burger.

"I stopped by Abby's," Tony answered, wiping ketchup off the side of his mouth.

McGee suddenly stopped chewing, "ABBY'S!?"

"Mmhmm," Tony affirmed while taking a sip of soda.

"How is she? Did you see her dress? Is she nervous? Is she excited? Is she—"

Tony held up his hand to stop McGee, "Whoa, calm thyself Probie. Everything's fine. Just be patient. You'll see her soon enough." Tim took a breath.

"Okay. I'm calm." They finished up their burgers, and went back to getting ready. McGee kept messing with his hair, even though it looked fine and there weren't many different things he could do with it anyway.

"Hey McGee, you wanna practice your vows with me?" Tony asked raising an eyebrow.

McGee looked hesitant, but slowly replied, "Sure…"

Tony batted his eyelashes and walked up to McGee. "Oh Timmy, I love you more than Major MassSpec! This is a dream come true!" he said in his best girly voice impression.

McGee shook his head. "This is so weird," he said under his breath. He composed himself and started his speech with seriousness. "Abby—"

He was interrupted by Tony's sudden laughing fit. McGee waited impatiently as his coworker broke down in hysterics in front of him.

"I'm sorry…" Tony said through laughter, "I can't do this…" his laughter increased.

"TONY!" McGee said with a slap to his head. He immediately stopped laughing.

"Did you just Gibbs slap me?" he asked.

McGee answered bluntly and sternly, "Yes. What's so funny?"

Tony chuckled again and answered, "I just—I just can't pretend to be marrying you. It's too weird. You're on your own buddy." McGee rolled his eyes and got to work straightening his tie.

There was a knock on the door, and Tony opened the door to find Gibbs standing in the hall. McGee was a bit embarrassed to have his boss see where he lived, but Gibbs seemed curious and he took in his surroundings, while he stood there.

"You're up McGee. Gear up, gotta marriage to attend." McGee took a deep breath, and walked shakily out the door following Gibbs. Tony closed the door behind him and jingled his keys in his hand.

"Get ready Tony," Tony said to himself, "Work-life is about to get really weird."

**That's all you get for now. We were already at 1,800 words, and I didn't want to make a 4,000 word chapter, so the next one will have the actual wedding. Don't hate me. I thought this chapter would be the wedding too, but we'll wait one more. Sorry.**

**I will update ASAP with the actual wedding.**

**~NCIS Obsession**


	22. Chapter 22: McAbby Wedding

**I realized after I posted this the first time, that the links were not copying right. I quit trying. Apparently you can't put a link on the page, so if you are interested in seeing the dresses or the ring, PM me and I'll try to send the links to you. They are so pretty and perfect, I was having a hard time describing them.**

**Hope you really love this chapter!**

* * *

Abby sat on her bed, staring at the clock and waiting for 1:00 to come. Her foot was impatiently tapping on the floor as she counted down the seconds till she could leave for the church.

She counted softly, mumbling the numbers to herself, "twenty-six, twenty-five, twenty-four, twenty-three, twenty-two…"

"Hey Abby, are you ready to go?" Kelly asked.

Abby held up her hand, still mouthing numbers. "…six, five, four, three, two, one!" Abby sprung up off the bed, and darted to the door, throwing it open and running down the stairs holding her dress up off the ground. Ziva and Kelly chased after her, since she was their ride to the wedding.

"I guess she can't wait!" Kelly spoke to Ziva as they raced across the parking lot.

They piled in the car, Kelly helping shove Abby's poofy dress in the car so it would fit. Abby requested that Ziva drive, presumably so she'd get there even faster. Kelly closed her eyes most of the way, terrified by the sudden lane changes and 25 mile per hour turns. They screeched to a halt in front of Abby's church, and she scrambled out of the car as fast as she could with her dress restricting her. She held her shoes in her hand and lifted up her skirt with the other.

The priest was just arriving, walking slowly inside as he rehearsed his lines he was to be saying at the wedding. "Out of my way!" Abby called as she came barreling through. The priest looked astonished and stumbled out of her path. He chuckled to himself. _That's Abby_ he thought.

Kelly ran behind Abby, locking the car door over her shoulder. She slowed down as she passed the priest and apologized quickly before entering the building.

Ziva walked calmly behind, unwilling to make a scene in the house of God. Even if she wasn't a Christian, she still showed respect for all religions, and her Judaism wasn't going to stop her from attending her best friend's wedding. She paused a moment before ascending the steps into the cathedral, and following the trail of black wedding gown that had just turned a corner. She ended up in a bridal preparation room, where Abby could finish getting ready and prepare to walk down the aisle at 1:30.

Kelly touched up Abby's hair and makeup while Abby practiced saying her vows. She played around with the engagement ring, soon to be replaced by her wedding ring. She had been told that McGee spent a lot of time picking it out, and she couldn't wait to see it.

-.-.-.-

1:30 finally rolled around, and Abby couldn't have been happier to get the show on the road. She could hear the chatter of their guests from inside the sanctuary, and she was filled with nervous excitement as she stood on the other side of the door. She could hear the music start and her bridesmaids, Kelly and Ziva walked slowly down the aisle. Kelly turned around and gave her a thumbs up just before they closed the doors. Since there were no kids to be a flower girl and a ring bearer, Tony had been entrusted with the rings, and the bridesmaids tossed flower petals as they walked in. They looked beautiful in their flowing green dresses, especially Ziva, Tony noticed.

While she readied herself to walk through those doors, Gibbs came around the corner, offering her his arm. She smiled with teary eyes and gave him a hug. Her head rested on his chest, and he wrapped his arms around her. "Thank you Gibbs," she said in a tear filled voice.

Gibbs whispered in reply in his gruff yet gentle voice, "I love you Abs, and I want you to know I wouldn't have you marry anyone but Tim. I'm sorry for stopping you before."

Abby paused a while, shocked to hear those words come from Gibbs. "Don't apologize," Abby reminded him as she wiped a tear from her cheek, "It's a sign of weakness."

Gibbs looked Abby in the eyes, love filled within them. "You're my weakness, Abs."

The organ music started playing louder and you could hear the audience shifting out of their seats into a standing position. "Time to go," Gibbs announced, and he and Abby linked arms, her clinging on for dear life, unable to trust her legs which threatened to buckle.

_I'm getting married. I'm getting married._ Abby kept saying to herself over and over. Everything she had ever dreamed of was finally coming true, and none of it felt real yet. The big wooden doors opened and the first thing Abby saw was McGee, standing at the altar with his hands clasped together. He looked like a prince from a fairytale in his white tuxedo. There were certain aspects of the tux that were black, and it was all topped off with a black bowtie, a gift from Ducky. It was plain, but judging by the label, very expensive.

Abby smiled wide and took in the audience, mostly compiled of their coworkers. It was quite empty, since everyone but Jimmy, Ducky, and Vance were not involved in the ceremony somehow. Some of Tim's friends from MIT had made it to the ceremony, and Tim's parents were in attendance, despite their hesitance to accept a Goth Abby into the family. Sarah, Tim's sister, was happily sitting next to the team, excited to see her brother marry the obvious love of his life.

On Abby's side, her brothers Luca and Kyle had come, along with a few of her aunts and uncles. The nun bowling team also showed up, excited to congratulate the only member of their team that had not pledged to stay single on her marriage. Gibbs had invited Fornell too, as they had worked together often and had almost accepted him as part of their 'family'. He had brought along his wife (also Gibbs' ex-wife) Diane, and their daughter Emily.

Abby smiled at the team as she passed. Ducky winked with a smile and Palmer, who was sitting next to Breena, gave her two thumbs up. She felt the outpouring of love as she walked past everyone, even on Tim's side. She caught a small smile form on the lips of Tim's father even. As she got closer to the altar, her heart started pounding louder. Tears formed in her eyes as this long awaited moment was finally closing in. They stopped just before reaching the end of the aisle, and Gibbs gave Abby a gentle kiss on the forehead. "I'm proud of you Abs," he said in a whisper. She smiled and ascended the stairs, joining her soon-to-be husband at the altar.

-.-.-.-

Tim almost jumped when the huge doors opened. Abby, looking more beautiful than he'd ever seen her before, walked in, accompanied by Gibbs. Her gorgeous black and white dress flowed lightly against the ground as she walked in time with the music. It suited her style perfectly, and even came with a fancy choker necklace and a corset. As she walked closer, he could see the glint of tears in her eyes, one that nearly matched his own. He wiped a tear as he contemplated the miracle that it was that she chose him of all people. He also thanked God that she did, and that through an impossible situation, his injury, they had grown closer, close enough to be here right now, standing at the altar, about to exchange vows with the woman of his dreams.

As Gibbs sat down with the team, Abby ascended the stairs leading to the altar. Tim held out a hand to help her up, and Ziva was handed the bouquet of black roses with a few white ones thrown in.

Once they were together, Tim greeted her. "Abby," he said quietly, his voice on the verge of breaking.

"Timmy," she replied in an equally emotional voice. Their hands were joined in between them as they looked into each other's eyes. "You look gorgeous."

"Thank you," Abby replied blushing, "You look very handsome." He smiled that smile of his, and the Priest began his welcome to the congregation.

"Good afternoon. We are gathered here today to celebrate the union of Timothy McGee and Abigail Sciuto, in the presence of God. Please bow your heads and pray." The congregation folded their hands as the Priest prayed for the couple and their future together. Abby and Tim glanced at each other, both kneeled on the steps. McGee held Abby's hand, stroking it gently with his thumb.

The Bible was read, and Gibbs awkwardly fumbled with it in the pew, forgetting the feel of it in his hands. After the readings, the Priest spoke his sermon about the importance of love and marriage in a person's life. Tony was deeply moved, and his thoughts wandered to the ring he had back at his apartment. He had left it at home for the day, since it would obviously be a bad day to propose. This day was all about Abby and McGee, not him and Ziva. Soon, he hoped, he would get the opportunity to present it to her, along with his statement of his love for her.

For now though, he could enjoy the marriage of his best friend and the woman he thought of as a little sister. The time neared where the vows would be exchanged and they would be presented as husband and wife.

The Priest began by saying, "Timothy and Abigail, Will you love and honor each other as man and wife for the rest of your lives?"

McGee and Abby replied nearly simultaneously, "I will."

The Priest turned toward the audience and announced, "The bride and groom have written their own vows and will now share them with each other. Abby?"

Abby nodded, trying her hardest to remember how her speech started. "Timmy, we have spent almost every day together since you came into my life. At first, we were naïve, and our relationship failed. We thought that was a sign that we were not destined to be together, and we went our separate ways. Since then, I have grown close to you like family. We work so well together, complement each other's strengths and weaknesses, and love being in the company of the other. All those years I was ignoring the signs that you were the one. Even though it took a while, I couldn't be happier to call you my husband today."

The crowd clapped and McGee beamed. His turn came to say his vows. "Abby," Tim began. His voice was already breaking with the tears of happiness that had formed in his eyes. "I said I wouldn't cry, now look at me," he joked, bringing a smile to Abby's face. "Since we met, signs were all around us that we shouldn't be together, from Tony telling me I wasn't your type, all the way to rule 12. But since when is love easy? It wouldn't be half the fun without a challenge to conquer. There's no one I'd rather tackle the challenges of life with than you. Today, I'm not just marrying my coworker, my crush, or the woman of my dreams. Today, I'm marrying my best friend. I love you Abby." By the end of his speech, Abby was in tears, a huge smile taking place on her face. The crowd again cheered, even Gibbs was sitting there with a smile on his face.

The priest moved on to the next words, "Timothy, do you take Abigail to be your wife? Do you promise to be true to her in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, to love her and honor her all the days of your life?"

McGee flashed another smile, "I do."

"Abigail, do you take Timothy to be your husband? Do you promise to be true to him in good times and bad, in sickness and health, to love him and honor him all the days of your life?"

Abby had always longed to hear those words. "I do." As she looked in the audience, Abby could see some nuns wiping tears from their eyes with tissues.

The priest smiled. "Wonderful. May I have the rings?" Tony stepped forward and pulled out the ring boxes, and handed them to him. He distributed the rings to Abby and McGee, each one receiving the other's ring.

Abby took Tim's left hand in her own, and slid his ring on his finger slowly, saying, "With this ring, I thee wed. May it's presence on your finger be a reminder of our love and commitment for the rest of our lives together.

Next came McGee, who spoke to Abby just as she had to him. "With this ring, I thee wed. May it's presence on your finger be a reminder of our love and commitment for the rest of our lives together." He carefully slipped the beautiful black ring onto Abby's finger. She gasped a little at the sight of it. It was absolutely perfect for her.

The priest stood toward the audience and announced, "I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride." Tim smiled and leaned in, Abby doing the same. He cradled her head with his hands and their lips met in the perfect first kiss as a married couple. When they pulled apart, Tim whispered to Abby, "We did it."

She smiled, "Yeah, we really did." They clasped hands and held them in the air to announce their marriage. The whole audience clapped and stood as the couple walked down the aisle arm in arm, followed by Tony and Ziva, who walked down side by side, and Kelly bringing up the rear. After they excited the sanctuary, Tim and Abby McGee went to a room where they were told to sign their official wedding letters. After they had both signed their names, they walked to the doors where they would exit the church and head off to the wedding reception.

As they walked through the door and made their way down the stairs, they were showered with bubbles that their guests were blowing. Tony and Ziva were goofing off with theirs, Tony blowing them right in her face while Ziva tried to blow them at the McGee's through her laughs. Once they reached Abby's car, they made their first compromise as a couple. Abby agreed to let Tim drive her vintage car, so long as he promised to be very careful. Tony and Ziva had spent some time decorating the car with a just married sign and lots of soup cans dangling from a string in the back.

Tim held the door for Abby so she could get in, then he went around and sat in the driver's seat. They took off and the rest of the party followed them to NCIS where they were holding the reception, in the evidence garage. Vance had arranged for it to be cleaned and set up by the time they arrived.

Once they arrived, McGee helped Abby out of the car and gave her a kiss. He offered her his hand, and together, they walked inside, ready to celebrate the happiest day of their lives.

**There you have it! One big happy McAbby wedding. Next chapter will be the reception, then we'll get on with the other stuff, most likely.**

**Don't forget to review! I want to know what you think of this chapter, especially because it is a special chapter. It sure took a while, but it was worth it.**

**Bye!**

**~NCIS Obsession**


	23. Chapter 23: Food, Flowers, and Dancing

**Another Saturday Night and… SURPRISE! A new chapter!**

**Sorry this chapter took a while. To make up for it, it is triple as long (which basically happened on its own, but hey, I'll take it)!**

**Don't forget to vote on my poll! I need as many votes as possible, only 3 so far.**

_**By the way, there are songs that are danced to in this chapter. I highly recommend looking up the song and playing it as you read that section. They are beautiful and add to the emotion that happens. I listened to them while writing it! Anyway, the song titles are in italics. I could not make it sonfic-like because that is against site policy, so please do check those out. I'd love to hear what you think.**_

**Chapter 23**

The evidence garage was decorated elaborately, with several round tables spread about, clad in black, white, or green tablecloths. The centerpieces were Caf-Pow cups filled with black roses and also little strips of paper with geek speak phrases on them, like "we've cracked the first firewall" and other things Abby and McGee would say. A refreshment and snack table had been set up against a chain link wall, which had been strung with lights.

Finally, a dance area was placed in the center. Vance had found it strange to have a dance party at his workplace, but if it got Gibbs to dance, which he highly doubted, then it was worth it.

A DJ Abby knew from a small band she liked was hired to play the music, some of Abby's loud electro, and some of McGee's jazz. Other stuff the guests would like were also thrown in there so they wouldn't get annoyed.

"Wow, Abby, this looks… So you and McGee." Ziva said, struggling to find the words. It was classy and elegant, yet gothic and edgy.

"Thank you Ziva!" Abby replied. "Vance had it arranged. I think he did an awesome job."

Ziva and Abby talked away about the wedding, the honeymoon plans, and how exciting it was to be married. Abby beamed throughout the whole conversation.

All of a sudden, Abby heard Tony call her name across the room. She walked over to where he was, followed by Ziva. Tim made his way over to see what was happening.

Tony pointed to a place card on a table. "Why was my father invited?" he asked incredulously.

Abby was ready to defend herself, "He's part of the family. I thought it would be nice to have him here, he is so nice and funny, not to mention what a great gift he'd bring, but that's not really the point. I wanted to invite him, okay?" Abby finished.

Tony sighed. "So, did he decline or something?"

"What?"

"He's not here. Did he say he couldn't come?"

Abby looked around, searching for Anthony DiNozzo, Sr. A hope Abby held in her heart broke. "He didn't come," she said sadly.

"Abby, he didn't show up for a lot of stuff when I was a kid. Even now. I'm not surprised." Tony said, attempting to comfort her.

Abby shook off his sympathy. "No, you don't get it. He called, he was so excited! He said he would love to come, and that he'd be here. Why isn't he here?" Abby asked, staring at Tony for a good response.

"I—I don't know. Are you sure he said he'd be here?"

"Yes."

Tony tried calling Senior a couple times, with no answer. "I'm starting to get worried," he said after he had given up.

Ziva stepped up to Tony and put her hand on his shoulder. "Tony, I am sure you were right. He probably forgot or something. Let's not worry, and just enjoy ourselves right now. We will get ahold of him later, I promise." He turned to look at Ziva, worry filling his eyes, but he decided she was probably right, and he pocketed his phone.

Tony sat down, his father still on his mind, and had some champagne. Ziva came over to sit with him, and leaned her head on his shoulder. After a while of that, Ziva decided she'd had enough of pouty Tony, and she asked him to dance, dragging him to the dance floor by the hand. He smiled and gave up his worried demeanor as he and Ziva danced to the "Abby" music playing.

Abby and Tim stood at the entrance to the garage, welcoming people and thanking them for coming. Many congratulations were in order, and Tim clung tightly to Abby the entire time, so happy to officially be able to call her Abigail McGee.

"Can you believe we're married?" Tim asked.

Abby exclaimed, "No! This is crazy! I'm a wife!"

Tim pressed a kiss to her lips. "I can't wait to start the life we'll have together."

-.-.-.-

Gibbs and Kelly walked around saying hi to people. Kelly did most of the socializing, she had gotten that from her mother. "Hi!" She said to a grey-haired man.

"Hello," he replied, unable to figure out who she was. A red haired woman joined the man as did a young girl.

"Jethro," she said, "who is this?" She smiled and held a champagne as she waited for an answer, which she expected to be along the lines of 'new recruit' or something.

"Look." He replied simply.

She was confused, "excuse me?"

"I said, look at her Diane." She stepped closer, squinting her eyes.

"Oh my gosh. Kelly?" She asked quietly, pushing back a strand of hair.

Kelly grinned and nodded. "Hi."

"But, how?" Diane asked, turning to Gibbs with a look of wonderment on her face.

"Don't know, don't care. She's here, and that's all that matters."

Diane's mouth stood agape until she finally regained her ability to speak. "This is wonderful! Jethro, you must be so happy!" As her eyes again wandered to Kelly, she noticed a polite and patient look on her face. "I'm sorry, you probably have no idea who it is that is gushing over you. I'm Diane, Gibbs'—"

"Second wife, yeah, he showed me pictures," Kelly finished. "Nice to meet you. If I might ask, how did you recognize me?"

Diane laughed and pulled Kelly aside to tell her a secret. "When I was married to Jethro, he told me very little about you, so at night I would sneak into his basement and look through photo albums and mementos he had hidden. He had lots of photos of you." Kelly chuckled.

"So, you're kind of like my step-mom then."

"One of 3 I suppose." The woman smiled. "Oh, I'm so sorry, I forgot to introduce you to my daughter, Emily."

"Hi Emily," Kelly said as she shook the girl's hand.

Emily smiled awkwardly, "Hey."

"So, if your mom is my step-mom, then, you're sort of like a half step-sister, I guess. Sort of. Not really, but close enough."

Emily laughed a little, "Man, families can get confusing."

"I agree." Kelly said. "Do you want to hang out? My dad won't go dance, maybe we can go."

She nodded, "Sure," and they left for the dance floor.

Fornell observed the looks that Diane and Gibbs were sharing, and announced, "I'm gonna go… dance. Yeah, dance." He left awkwardly so his wife and his friend could talk.

"So…" Diane began.

"So."

"So, where's Shannon?" Gibbs grimaced at the name. Diane saw his reaction and her heart sunk as her former husband shook his head.

"Jethro, I'm so sorry. I just assumed—"

Gibbs interrupted her apology, "Diane, its fine. I've got Kelly at least."

It was silent for a while until the DJ announced that it was time for the maid of honor and best man to make their toasts to the bride and groom.

"Jethro, if you need any help with Kelly, any time, I would love to help. After all, she is my step-daughter."

Gibbs rolled his eyes, "Okay." Diane pushed him playfully.

"I'm serious! Call me." She smiled, and left to join the crowd that had gathered for the speeches.

-.-.-.-

Ziva started clinking her glass with a spoon to get everyone's attention. Soon the garage became silent and Ziva cleared her throat.

"Hello everyone. Hi. Um, for those of you who do not know me, I am Ziva David. I am a coworker of Abby's and Tim's. Many of you do not know how important this event is. I would never have thought that this day would ever happen. I do, however, remember hearing rumors of a previous relationship between the McGee's." Ziva narrowed her eyes and pointed at the couple who were sitting together and smiling. "That's right, I'm looking at you." Laughter filled the room. "Anyway, I—I want to make sure everyone knows what a blessing it is to have this finally happen. We are all here because we know and love Tim, Abby, or both of them, and we are so happy to have been here to witness your union. Mazel tov!" Ziva raised her glass and the crowd did the same. "To Abby and McGee!" They repeated the toast, and drank to the couple, who smiled at each other warmly.

Ziva stepped aside and handed the microphone to Tony. "Thanks," he said with a smile. Soon he was standing in front of everyone ready to begin.

"Hi. I'm very special agent Anthony DiNozzo. These guys call me Tony," he said, gesturing to his coworkers. "I'm excited to be here today. Tim, you look great." He flashed a goofy smile and McGee rolled his eyes. "And that's coming from me. Besides looks, I'm not really sure what else to say. I was McGee's girlfriend for a while, for those of you that don't know. Yep. I tricked him into falling in love with an imaginary girl that I made up online. Now that I look back on that, I wish I hadn't done it, because I know that love is not something to be played with. It—" Tony stopped and let out a laugh as he decided to let the truth escape, "It was immature and I—I'm sorry." McGee smiled with his eyebrows raised.

"Tim, Abby; I'm so proud of you guys. I wish you happiness, unless I decide to pick on you, which I hope you know is out of love. Cheers!"

Suddenly everyone was tapping silverware on wine glasses, making a clinking sound. "That means you have to kiss," Tony said over the sound. Tim and Abby smiled and kissed for the crowd, who clapped and cheered.

Tony drew the attention back to him with a gigantic smile, "Now, who's ready for some cake? I know I am." People responded with shouts of "YEAH!" and they followed the bride and groom to the cake table.

Tony and Ziva walked together, laughing at both of their speeches. Ziva inspected the cakes. "This cake is beautiful Abby!" She said, pointing to the black and white layered cake with a miniature version of the couple on top.

"It had better be," Abby replied, "It costs a lot of money." Ziva went on to look at the groom's cake. "OH! Tony, look! There are little versions of all of us on the cake!" Tony walked over, confused, and saw a bunch of little hobbits on top of the cake.

He squinted as he looked at his smiling hobbit self, "Really McGee?"

"Yep."

"Ugh. I look awful."

Ziva bent down to look also. "I think you look handsome Tony."

"I don't see it." He replied. "Hey, McBaggins. Which one is Gibbs?"

"Oh," McGee pointed to a wizard clad in grey, "There."

Tony cracked up, "Ha! Gibbs is Gandalf!"

"Uh-huh. Leroy Jethro Gandalf." Tony suddenly stopped laughing. Tim immediately knew that Gibbs was standing behind him. "Hi boss. Like the cake?" He asked nervously.

Gibbs inspected it for a while. "Good. It'd be better if I could taste it."

Abby giggled. "Then we'd better have some!" She called the rest of the guests to the table. Everyone gathered around as McGee cut a piece of cake. He and Abby grabbed a piece and fed each other a bite, making sure to smear a little all over their faces.

After wiping their faces off and enjoying some cake, The McGee's were ushered to the dance floor for their first dance.

The DJ played the song _Friends in Love_ by Dionne Warwick and Johnny Mathis, and Abby and Tim swayed back and forth to the beat. As they danced, Tim pressed himself close to Abby, and he whispered into her ear, "I didn't know you liked this kind of music."

She smiled and rested her head on his shoulder, "I don't usually, but I made an exception so I could dance with you." They continued dancing, Tim's hand on Abby's hip, and her hand on his shoulder. With the song playing, everyone else was invisible to the couple, each one only seeing the other. Their synchronized steps fell into the beat with the music in an emotional scene. The song came to an end, and Tim dipped Abby slightly, to Tony's amusement.

After the first dance, other couples were invited to the dance floor. Ziva cut in and danced for a while with Tim, congratulating him on his marriage and telling him what a great dancer he is. Tony danced with Abby, mostly staying quiet but occasionally comparing something to a movie.

After most of the guests that wanted to took a turn dancing with the couple, Gibbs made his way across the dance floor. People stepped aside with looks of shock and watched as the serious man walked by. He stopped in front of Abby.

"May I have this dance?" Abby nearly cried, and she nodded and placed her hand on his shoulder. A song, _My Wish_ by Rascal Flatts, began to play and tears slid down Abby's face. Gibbs had picked the song and told the DJ to play it. He knew Abby deserved a father-daughter dance, and he was going to give it to her. Though Gibbs didn't speak, Abby knew every word was meant for her coming from him. The lyrics were what Gibbs was hoping for her and McGee in the future. She heard his promise to always be there for her no matter what, and it was almost as if he were telling her this himself. Gibbs started to whisper the words in the song to Abby, who no longer could hold back her tears. Once the song ended, Gibbs pressed a kiss to Abby's cheek and told her he loved her.

"Thank you Dad," Abby breathed, hugging Gibbs tightly. A lump formed in his throat and he suddenly wondered if he would cry. His little girl had grown up.

Tony and Ziva danced as well, laughing and talking the whole time. They were held close, Tony gazing deeply into her chocolate brown eyes. She looked at him as if she were trying to understand, to comprehend what he was thinking. "I haven't danced with anyone since Berlin," she said.

"Me neither," Tony replied. "Ah, Berlin. We were close that time."

Ziva looked puzzled, "Close? To what?"

Tony smiled, "To giving in, screwing rule 12, and getting together. That's when I knew it wasn't just my imagination, that you loved me too."

"I remember. It was strange. After we returned from Germany, it was almost like everything, the dancing, the crash, had not happened. Why did we let it be that way?"

"I don't know." Tony answered, "It hurt so bad to have to pretend it never happened. I love you Zee. I have ever since, and even before then."

Ziva placed her hand on Tony's face, stroking his cheek gently with her thumb. "I love you too Tony." She closed her eyes and once again flashed back to that time in Israel, dancing with her father.

"Tony," Ziva began.

Tony pulled back far enough to see Ziva's face. "Yes?"

"There was a time, when I was young, that I danced with my father back in Israel." Tony tried to imagine a young Ziva held close to her father as they swayed back and forth. The thought brought him feelings of hate and disgust.

"What happened?" He asked.

"He told me something…interesting. Almost caring."

Tony's brow furrowed, "What did he say?"

Ziva stared lovingly at Tony, features softened as she realized it had come true. "He said that 'One day I will dance with a man who deserves my love'. I now know what he meant. You are the one that I give all of my love to Tony. You are the one he was talking about, whether he knew it or not."

Tony pulled Ziva closer to him, and breathed in the sweet scent of her brown curls. "Thank you for sharing that with me, Ziva. I hope that you know also that you deserve to be loved."

Ziva smiled and kissed Tony. "I do, when I'm with you."

-.-.-.-

After all of the dancing, the reception was coming to an end. A garage door opened and a giant electric platform lift rolled in. Abby stepped on confidently and raised the platform high above the garage floor. Guests everywhere stopped what they were doing and watched in suspense as the bride was taken high into the air by the machine. "Time to toss the bouquet, Ladies!" Abby shouted down. Single women scrambled to the floor beneath the lift. Abby turned around and threw her bouquet over her head to the awaiting crowd. Ziva sat idly next to Tony. "Why don't you go up there?" he asked.

"I do not believe in such superstitious things."

"Go anyway."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

Ziva stared daggers at Tony. "I said _no_." As she said this, a pile of black and white flowers landed in her lap, and other women turned to see where it had landed. Tony laughed uncontrollably and Ziva sat there in shock of what happened. Abby turned around to see who had caught her bouquet, and grinned widely when she saw it was none other than her best friend, the one who was already part of a plan to be engaged. Maybe it was fate, maybe it was intentional good aim, whatever the reason, Ziva had caught the bouquet, and she couldn't help but hope it was a sign of something good to come.

-.-.-.-

"So, where are you guys going?" Tony asked.

"It's a surprise." Tim replied slyly.

Tony tried to guess the honeymoon destination and squeeze some clue out of McGee, who kept it secret.

"You've got to tell me." Tony finished. His frustration was not persuading McGee, only amusing him.

"You'll see when we video chat tomorrow, I promise." Tim said finally.

Tony rolled his eyes and stepped back as Tim got in the car to drive away. They piled into Abby's car, and drove off smiling and waving to their crowd, saying goodbye as they headed off to their honeymoon together.

**Well? Was it emotional? I hope so. Don't forget to review! Yes, I mean you. Everyone! I would love it if some new reviewers joined in the fun! If you listened to any songs, tell me what you thought. Another reminder: Poll. Thanks for reading! **

**~NCIS Obsession**


	24. Chapter 24: We Can't All be Happy

**Another update so soon? Yep. Here you go! It's short, but I hope you like it.**

Tim and Abby drove straight to the airport. It was nearly nine o' clock at night, but their flight to Ireland was in an hour. They decided to get a head start on their travel to their honeymoon, so that they could sleep on the plane and wake up refreshed and ready for a big day of sightseeing and spending time together once they reached their destination.

Their plan was to explore the Irish countryside, the birthplace of the original McGee family, so that Abby could learn about her new last name and the place it came from. After Ireland, the newlyweds would fly to New Orleans, near where Abby grew up. There, they planned on taking in all of the sights and visiting family if they could, so that everyone could meet McGee. Overall, they had an amazing honeymoon planned, and they couldn't wait to get started.

They hurried through security and finally arrived at their gate where they waited for their plane to be ready to be boarded. One good thing about living in D.C. was that you could go just about anywhere from their airport, since many country representatives flew in and out.

The plane was finally cleaned and ready for boarding, and Tim and Abby walked on holding hands, and Abby took a seat next to the window, and Tim sat next to the aisle. The couple fastened their seatbelts and snuggled together for the long flight across the ocean. Once the plane was in the air, a stewardess walked by handing out pillows and blankets to the passengers. Abby and McGee had tried to stay awake and talk for a while, but soon enough Abby had fallen asleep on Tim's shoulder, and he rested his head against hers, their hands still clasped together in between them.

They were awoken around midnight by the flight attendants, who strolled the aisles making sure everyone was comfortable and gave out water bottles if they desired. All of a sudden, the lights in the cabin went out and the plane became dark.

A stewardess walked out of their quarters and announced to the passengers, "Attention, If you could please turn on your reading lights…"

Everyone, confusedly, did as they were told, and the cabin was flooded with a light that resembled candle light. Panic coursed through Tim's body, and he tightened his hold on Abby. _What was happening?_ He thought. Several possible emergencies crossed his mind before the stewardess again spoke. "We have two very special passengers on our plane today."

Relief flooded McGee. This was not some emergency announcement after all. It was a poorly timed and badly thought through celebration for someone. You could almost hear a sigh of relaxation come from every passenger.

"Would Timothy and Abigail McGee please stand up?" The two in question shared a look of surprise before rising from their seats awkwardly. "These two are on their honeymoon! They were married yesterday! Let's give them a round of applause!" The travelers sleepily clapped their hands, with an occasional 'welcome to married life' or 'good luck' resounding from a more experienced husband or wife. Tim's whole face turned red, and Abby wore an embarrassed smile.

A few kids that had woken from the announcement started chanting, "KISS, KISS, KISS, KISS…" and soon the rest of the plane had joined in. Tim could have sworn he heard the pilots joining in the fun as well. _Oh well_, he thought, and he and Abby gave the crowd what they wanted, a nice, modest kiss. A few children could be heard saying "ewww…" in the back of the plane, to their parents' disapproval. The passengers clapped and cheered, and the flight attendants brought out a bottle of wine for the McGee's, with a note thanking them for choosing their airline, blah blah blah, and also congratulations.

The couple sat back in their seats, still a little embarrassed by the public acknowledgement of them. They talked for a little while about what a funny story this would become someday, until they fell asleep again. Tim opened one eye and beheld his beautiful bride asleep on his shoulder. Yep, he could definitely get used to this.

-.-.-.-

Tony was driving Ziva home from the reception when his cell phone suddenly lit up and began to buzz. "Hello?" Tony said as he answered the call.

"Hello, Mr. DiNozzo?" came a voice.

"Yes?" Tony confirmed.

Ziva stared in confusion, "Who is it Tony?"

Tony covered the speaker, "I don't know." He put the phone up to his ear again. "Who is this?"

"Sir, this is the Adam's House. We were worried about you."

"Worried about me? Why?"

The lady on the other end let out a breath. "We haven't seen you come back since this morning, and we wanted to make sure you were okay."

Tony looked at Ziva with his brow furrowed as he spoke to the woman. "I wasn't at the Adam's House."

There was a pause. "I'm sorry sir, we have an Anthony DiNozzo checked into our hotel. That is you, correct?"

Tony's breath caught, and for a while the woman thought he had hung up. "Sir, are you still there?"

Tony found his voice. "Yes I'm still here. I'm afraid you have me confused with my father, Anthony DiNozzo, Sr." At the sound of his name, Ziva turned to look at Tony with a worried look on her face.

"What is it Tony? Is it your father?" Tony mouthed the words I don't know to Ziva as he listened to the hotel employee explain what had happened.

"Your father arrived this morning and checked in. He asked for a bottle of wine to be brought to his room at a specific time this evening, and when our food service came to deliver it, he wasn't there. We kept an eye out for him, but he hasn't shown up, and hasn't been here since he left around eleven o' clock this morning, according to our security footage. He didn't leave a phone number, so I had to use a phone book. That's how I got your number Mr. DiNozzo. We value our customers here at the Adam's House, and your father is valued here. Do you know where he is?"

Tony rolled up to a stop sign and put the car in park, staring at the road in front of him with an emotionless expression. "No, I didn't even know he was in town." Something in the pit of Tony's stomach told him that something definitely wasn't right in this situation. Ziva sat silently listening to the one sided conversation that was taking place. She didn't dare interrupt Tony. Whatever was happening couldn't be good. After what had happened at the McGee wedding reception earlier that evening, plus a spontaneous call concerning Senior, this night wouldn't end on a happy note.

"If you find him, let us know, Mr. DiNozzo."

"I will. Thank you." Tony ended the call, and didn't bother to put the car into drive. He leaned forward, hopelessly placing his forehead on the steering wheel. Ziva placed a hand on Tony's back, gently rubbing it in an effort to bring him some sort of relief.

"Is your father okay?" asked Ziva after the silence had worn out its welcome.

"No…I don't know… He's missing." Tony squeezed his eyes tightly shut, as if closing them would make his problem disappear.

"I'll call Gibbs." Ziva volunteered, pulling out her phone.

"No, it's fine. I'll check the places he might be." Tony drove forward, taking a right.

"Tony, your father never goes this way in D.C." Ziva said in confusion.

Tony shook his head. "I know. I'm dropping you off."

Ziva raised her voice, "No. I'm coming with you." Her tone told Tony not to even try arguing. He bit back his argument and took a U-turn.

"Alright," Tony said finally.

First they drove to Senior's favorite restaurant, and asked the owner if he had seen his father. The owner apologetically said no, and stated his concern upon hearing that one of his customers was missing.

Afterward, Tony and Ziva checked several other locations, each to no avail. They even checked Tony's apartment, which had not been touched.

As a last thought, Tony drove to Senior's favorite bar in the area. When they entered, the owner walked up.

"Something I can help you with?" he asked in a gruff voice.

"Yes, have you seen this man?" Tony asked, holding up a picture of his father on his phone.

The man looked at the picture and replied, "Yeah. He was in here around noon today. Something wrong?"

Tony and Ziva shared a look of worry. "Did you see where he went, or did he say anything while he was here?"

"Mm-hmm. He said something about a wedding. Looked happy as could be. Turned that corner right there." He said pointing to the right. "Looked like he was walking home, no car."

Tony thanked the man, and walked to the exit, turning right like the owner had described his father doing. He looked for any clue as to where his father might have gone, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw a pair of sunglasses laying on the ground next to a wall. He pulled a pair of rubber gloves out of his pocket and slid them on, picking up the glasses. "These are my father's," Tony explained to Ziva.

They looked down in the direction they had gone to retrieve the glasses, and saw nothing but an alleyway. Tony started walking slowly toward the brick passageway, feeling dread overcome him. Ziva followed closely behind, not liking where this was heading.

As they crept down the dark side street, a rat scurried out of their way. Tony pulled his gun out of the holster on his side, and had it ready to shoot if he needed it. He neared a dumpster from the bar they had been to, and readied to throw the lid open. When he did, he saw the face of none other than Anthony DiNozzo, Sr. staring back him from among the trash and debris.

**Gotta stop here. Yep, I'm evil. New update will be pretty soon. Hopefully.**

**Just a side note; that first part, the part where they turn off the lights in the plane; yeah, that happened to me once, only it was a girl's sixth birthday, and we had to sing happy birthday. I think I almost had a heart attack. I thought the plane was going down for sure. **

**Anyway. Sorry this chapter was pretty short and didn't have much in it. More honeymoon and Tony trouble soon enough.**

**Review and Favorite and tell your friends! Follow too so you can get notifications.**

**Thanks to all the new reviewers I got! I almost forgot about the huge English project looming over me when I got those messages! I was no longer dreading school, just smiling away. (I'm sure people were wondering why that weird girl over there was smiling like a goofball) **

**Bye!**

**~NCIS Obsession**


	25. Chapter 25: Green Meadows

**These chapters seem to progressively get longer and longer. Here's another longer one.**

**Just a reminder, this story is rated K. Only K, and no more. Now that we've taken care of that…**

**Hey! I got a fun idea! Here's the deal… If there are 100 total reviews before chapter 30, then chapter 31 will be extra special. Think we can do it? I think we can. Starting now, go!**

**Oh, and by the way. I just looked at all of my notes, and that totals up to 3 pages of Tiva ideas. Plus whatever is on my phone. Get excited! Hopefully those will come up soon! Thanks to my friend Ceili for assisting me on Irish facts and stuff. Her mom was born there.**

The flight from D.C. to Dublin was nearly seven and a half hours, which put them in Ireland at around 9:30 am, Irish time. It was only 4:30 back in D.C., so the McGee's were still thoroughly exhausted, but very excited to begin their day.

They arrived at their home for the week, a group of small cottages in the countryside, and checked in in the main cottage that was serving as a lobby.

"Welcome to the Catríona Cottages," a man with a thick Irish accent greeted.

"Timothy McGee," Tim introduced himself, holding out a hand for the man to shake. The man went behind a counter and pulled out a sheet of paper, scanning it for McGee's name.

"Ah, here we are," he began, opening a drawer in his desk, "Timothy and Abigail McGee. Cottage 6, our honeymoon suite. Comhghairdeas on your marriage!" The employee threw in a few Irish Gaelic words, like congratulations, to add to the tourists' experience in his native country.

Abby and McGee followed the signs pointing to cottage six, riding bikes that they had been lent for the duration of their stay. They had been told to leave their luggage in the lobby, and a bellhop would bring it to their room as soon as possible. Tim pulled the keychain he had been given out of his pocket, and placed the key in the lock, twisting it until he heard a click. He placed his hand on the knob, about to turn it to reveal their room, but he noticed that Abby was not standing excitedly next to him.

He turned around and saw Abby waiting a little further back, not saying a word. McGee let his hand fall away from the door and he stepped over to his wife. "Abs, what's wrong?"

Abby sighed, as if deciding whether or not she really cared all that much. "I just—it's not really that important."

"Please Abby, just tell me. It's okay." Tim took Abby's hands in his own.

She bit her lip, "Well, I just always imagined being carried across the threshold, you know? In the arms of my husband."

"I can do that," Tim answered.

Abby shook her head. "No. Your shoulder. It's still healing."

Tim cracked a smile, "Nope. All of my restrictions were lifted a week and a half ago. I am clear for whatever weight-lifting I want to do." Abby's eyes lit up.

Tim scooped her up into his arms, catching her off guard. Abby giggled and rested her head on Tim's as he pushed open the door to their cottage. "Your room, Gothic Princess," he said as he rested her on a chair.

"Thank you Elf Lord," Abby replied with a curtsy. "You know, you're a lot stronger than you look." They finally got to see where they would be staying. It was a humble dwelling, with inviting furnishings, and a stone hearth at the center of the round cottage. A card on the breakfast table said 'Comhghairdeas Tadhg agus Abigeal' meaning congratulations Timothy and Abigail. Abby looked out the window, staring at the beautiful day awaiting them.

"Oh look! Timmy! There's a sheep right outside our window!" Sure enough, a fluffy sheep was grazing just outside the cottage. Tim smiled as he watched his wife enjoying her time already.

"Shall we?" McGee asked, and Abby walked over, took his hand, and they walked out of their cottage. They hopped on their bikes and headed for the exit.

"Where are we going?" Abby asked.

Tim smiled. "Hopefully the nearest cafe. I'm exhausted and I want to try some Irish tea.

A cool breeze blew across the plains, and McGee breathed in the fresh country air. He felt so free being there with Abby. It almost seemed like it was just them and the earth there. No ringing telephones, beeping elevators, or gunshots. Just pure bliss and love for him and his wife.

They stopped at the lobby cottage to get a map. The manager directed the pair to a street leading to a town, telling them to follow it until they found civilization. The blue sky gave them energy, and the ride was a very peaceful one. Abby loved to point out simple things that brought her happiness; clouds shaped as hippos, a small pond full of lily pads, or even something as meek as a scent in the air.

A small village crept into view atop one of the hills on the horizon. "We're almost there," Abby said happily. They rode into the town, where everyone—it seemed—was walking around. The streets were paved with grey stone, and the homes were clad in a similar substance, moss and vines creeping up the sides.

They entered a tavern, after parking their bikes outside, and sat down at a table. A man played away at a fiddle, his fingers moving about the fingerboard with precision and flow. An old Irish jig filled the air. Another man kept the beat with a handheld drum, much like a tambourine. People at the bar laughed joyfully, having conversations with their fellow townspeople and friends.

Tim walked up to the bar and asked the bartender for two glasses of Irish whiskey. He carried them back to his and Abby's table, setting hers down in front of her.

"What happened to getting tea?" She asked.

"I've heard a lot about their whiskey," Tim explained, "I thought I'd try some."

They drank their drinks in silence, listening to the band play on the small stage in the front. "Should we get another?" Abby asked once she had finished hers.

"Nah." Tim shook his head. "I'm taking you somewhere special."

Abby's excitement and curiosity was sparked. "Where?" she asked, eager to know.

"It's a surprise. Follow me." Tim pulled Abby by the hand, leading her to their bikes. They took off down the road they had come on, but turned when they came to a fork in the road. They took the path, Abby following McGee the whole time.

"STOP!" Abby yelled suddenly.

Tim froze, "What?" he asked in a panic.

"LOOK! A windmill!"

Tim clutched at his heart. "Seriously! I thought you were hurt or something."

"Sorry," Abby said apologetically.

"It's okay Abs. I was just worried. Do you want me to take a picture of you by the windmill?" Tim offered. Abby nodded vigorously, skipping over to the structure that sat isolated on the hillside. Tim pulled his camera from his backpack and snapped a picture, capturing Abby and the landscape in all of their beauty. "Come on, we've gotta keep going," Tim beckoned, sitting back on the bike. She followed closely behind.

"This place reminds me of the Shire from Lord of the Rings," Tim observed.

Abby laughed, "I was wondering when you would say that. It was only a matter of time." She looked at her reflection in a creek as they rode over an old stone bridge. Her ring caught a glint of sunlight and sparkled for a moment. Abby smiled and picked up her speed, catching up with her husband. A grand rock castle made its way into her view, tall and magnificent. As they neared, Abby realized that it was their destination.

"A castle," she said in awe.

Tim took her hand, "Surprise," he said with a cheesy grin. He led Abby to a patio covered by a wood and vine roof. A picnic was laid out for them, complete with a blanket, and plenty of food for the both of them.

Abby stood staring at the scene in front of her and she couldn't believe her eyes, "Timmy!" she said, wrapping him in a sudden and tight hug. "It's perfect! But, how?"

"It's a secret." Abby sat down on the brick floor, reaching in the basket and examining its contents.

"There are even clowny cakes in here!" She grabbed Tim's face, pressing a kiss to his lips. "I love you."

Tim grinned, "I love you Abs. Now let's dig in." They ate in silence for a while, listening to the sounds of the peaceful nature around them. After their lunch, Tim pulled their picnic blanket out to the grass where they laid on their backs staring up at the shape-shifting clouds. They explored the castle ruins for a while, taking plenty of pictures and discovering the rich history of Ireland.

"What else do you have planned?" Abby asked, turning her head to look at her husband.

Tim gave her a secretive look, "Another surprise." McGee helped Abby to her feet, and the two once again rode their bikes along the road, this time stopping at a high bluff overlooking the ocean. A storm was coming in from above the water, bringing heavy clouds and fog with it. The couple sat on the edge of the bluff, looking across the vast sea. Abby's head was resting in the crook of Tim's neck, his arm draped over her shoulders. Everything was perfect, down to every minute detail.

A crash of thunder sounded in the distance. Tim rose up carefully, stepping back from the precipice. Abby joined him and started toward her bike.

"No, wait." Abby stopped. "We're going home a different way." Out of nowhere a carriage pulled by two brown horses came to stop in front of the cliff edge.

"Mr. and Mrs. McGee," the carriage driver summoned.

Abby looked excitedly at McGee, "We get to ride in a carriage!" Tim took charge of loading the bikes onto the back of the carriage, and hopped in. Abby had stopped next to the horses, and was stroking them gently, cooing at them. After she'd had her fill of petting horses, she took a seat next to McGee. The driver ordered the horses to move forward, which they willingly did. Soon, the couple was travelling across the beautiful landscape, on trails of grass that had been worn down by rolling wheels.

Trees lined each side of the road, almost close enough to touch. Raindrops began to fall from the sky, dripping wetness onto the carriage and its passengers. The driver offered an umbrella, but the McGee's didn't care about getting soaked. Their hands were clasped in between them the whole ride home, Abby's expression telling Tim that he had done a good job planning their first day. Tim kissed Abby lovingly, pushing a strand of wet hair that had escaped her pigtail out of her face.

After the carriage ride, Tim and Abby were dropped off in front of their cottage. The pair stepped off, landing in a puddle of mud. They removed their shoes and stepped into their warm suite. Abby plopped down on the bed, exhausted from her day of romance and surprises, and Tim followed close behind. They took a quick nap, waking up in time for dinner at a fancy restaurant close by. As the sun was setting in the horizon, Abby and Tim sat in rocking chairs in front of the cottage, watching the sun go down. Colorful reds, oranges, and yellows filled the sky, soon replaced by dark blue and purple.

Twinkling stars appeared, dotting the sky with all of their magnificence. Abby fell asleep leaning against Tim while they were looking at the beautiful starry sky. He lifted her into his arms and carried her into their home, setting her down on their bed. He pulled the covers up over her and lit the fireplace to keep them warm over the night.

Abby felt the bed dip slightly as her husband took his place by her side. She rolled over to look at him, love filling her eyes.

Tim smiled. Seeing the love of his life there beside him was a dream come true, and he was treasuring every minute of it. He placed his arm beneath Abby, wrapping her in a gentle hug as they lay there. Tim dozed off and snored lightly. Abby's head was laying against Tim's chest, and she fell asleep to the sound of his heart beating. It was almost as if she could hear the love he had for her, even though he was asleep. It was affirmation of everything they meant to each other. It was love in its purest form. It was, Abby decided, what it meant to be alive.

**Sorry, you'll have to wait for more on the DiNozzo story. This honeymoon is taking longer than I expected, but I don't want to let anyone down if they were expecting a whole bunch on it. I think it's turning out pretty well.**

**Don't forget to review! 5 chapters till 30!**

**Also, if you live in or have been to New Orleans often, I could use your help making sure I get the details and the essence of the city right when the McGee's go there. Any information, popular activities, etc that help make NOLA what it is would be great. Just PM me or put it in a review. I will use google to get it right, but it's always more special when you have a first hand experience.**

**Thank you guys so much!**

**~NCIS Obsession**


	26. Chapter 26: Night Terrors

**Hello. So sorry for my hiatus… It was unplanned, and I hated having that long between chapters. I am really trying, but school has caught up with me. Not long until summer, so that is great news! Here is the chapter you've been waiting for, I hope you like it!**

_**Previously in Life Won't Last Forever: **__As they crept down the dark side street, a rat scurried out of their way. Tony pulled his gun out of the holster on his side, and had it ready to shoot if he needed it. He neared a dumpster from the bar they had been to, and readied to throw the lid open. When he did, he saw the face of none other than Anthony DiNozzo, Sr. staring back him from among the trash and debris._

**-Fade to Black-**

Tony's face paled. He turned away, pinching the bridge of his nose as he paced the brick alleyway. Ziva couldn't stop staring at the motionless body laying before her. A man who always had seemed so spunky and lively was now cold and pale. Ziva's eyes travelled down to Senior's hands, which were stained with his own blood, covering a wound on his side.

Tony had fallen to the ground and was sobbing into his hands. Ziva's eyes started to tear up. Tony, her long-time partner, the one she could count on to find joy in life and smile when everything seemed wrong, had just lost his only living relative. He had just started to patch up his relationship with his dad, and now that chance had seemingly been ripped from him.

Ziva turned away, unable to see Tony like this. She knew she had to stay strong for him. She once again eyed the body. A very slight, almost microscopic rise and fall of his chest caused her to do a double take. Her fingers rushed to find a pulse, which she picked up almost instantly.

"Tony," she said in shock, her voice almost a whisper. "Tony," she said louder this time. Tony pulled himself from his sulking and looked at Ziva with tear stains on his cheeks. "Come here, quick!"

Tony stood and walked as fast as his mood allowed him to. Ziva impatiently pulled Tony faster, forcing him to look at his father. She gave a slight smile, "Tony, he's alive! Feel," she maneuvered Tony's hand to Senior's neck where a slight pounding could be felt.

A weight appeared to be lifted off of Tony's back. "Dad…" Tony said while fighting back more tears. "DAD!" he screamed. Ziva had her phone out and was calling an ambulance, telling the operator that it was an extreme emergency. Sirens could already be heard in the distance.

Tony started to try to lift his father out of the dumpster when Ziva stopped him, "No, Tony. Leave him. He has lost a lot of blood. The paramedics will know how to get him out without causing him any more harm. Please."

Tony stepped away and pulled Ziva into a tight and desperate hug, catching her off guard. She eased into his embrace, and comforted him by holding him close to her. Flashing lights and a loud siren pulled the couple out of their compassionate and emotional moment together. They rushed to meet the emergency personnel, who quickly gathered their equipment to help save Senior. With as much speed as possible, they placed him onto a stretcher and loaded him onto an ambulance.

As they worked on stabilizing the older DiNozzo, giving him shots of pain reducer and placing a breathing mask on his face, Tony's phone rang. Gibbs' face showed up on his screen and Tony hurriedly answered the call, about to climb into the ambulance.

"DiNozzo, we gotta lead on Marty. Get to base as fast as you can." Gibbs' tone did not leave room for argument. He was torn, he looked again at his father's detrimental state, and then at Ziva. He knew he couldn't send her, it was his secret. "Boss. We found my father."

Gibbs was confused. He could not see what Senior had to do with finding Marty. "Where was he?" he asked, figuring Tony had a reason to bring it up.

"In a dumpster." For once, Gibbs was silent not because he was listening, but because he was speechless.

"Do I need to call Ducky?" Gibbs asked quietly.

Tony shook his head, even though he knew Gibbs could not see him. "No. He's still alive, barely."

Ziva looked confusedly at Tony as the paramedics waited impatiently to take their patient to the emergency room.

"Well dang, DiNozzo. I need you here now. We can't miss this window of opportunity." Gibbs said finally. Tony looked to Ziva.

Tony sighed in frustration and worry. His mind went back and forth between the options. Finally he spoke, "I'll be there boss. Give me ten minutes." He hung up the phone and walked quickly to Ziva. "That was Gibbs. I have to go in to work."

Ziva looked like she was about to argue, but Tony stopped her. "He needs me, just me." Ziva's eyes flickered to Senior laying there unconscious. "Tony, your father."

"You go with him. Please Zee." Ziva studied her partner's green glimmering eyes, and swallowed the lump in her throat.

"I'll go," she said. Tony pressed a strong and quick kiss to her lips, and ran off to the car they had come in. Ziva jumped quickly into the truck, and they pulled away with a screech, sirens blaring their way through the streets of DC.

-.-.-.-

The doors opened to Abby's lab, where Gibbs had told Tony to meet him. Gibbs, Ducky, and Jimmy were all gathered in the lab, lights dimmed as if this were a conspiracy meeting.

"What is it?" Tony asked, not even leaving time to properly greet his coworkers. His tone was distressed and rushed. Ducky noticed the paleness of DiNozzo's face, and his uncombed hair. His appearance was unruly, but who could blame him. This would be one heck of a night for the very special agent. Ducky only hoped he could handle it.

Ducky directed Tony to the TV screen that hung on the wall. Jimmy, who had been trained on how to handle Abby's lab while she was gone, pulled up the information, his fingers typing quickly on the keyboard.

"A man resembling Marty's description was checked into a hospital in Alexandria with symptoms of a heart attack." Gibbs paused, "It is most likely Marty."

Tony tapped his foot impatiently on the floor. Finally, he mumbled, "I can't leave my dad…" He rubbed his face and tried to come to a decision.

"Go DiNozzo, we'll figure something out."

Tony shook his head. "No, we have to get to Marty. He might be the best shot we've got to catch Eli." Gibbs nodded in understanding.

"Your case, your lead DiNozzo. What do you need us to do?" Gibbs asked.

Tony stared at the people who were standing all around him. Once again he was overwhelmed by the outpouring of love he felt from his coworkers—his family. A sense of duty and order came over him, and he started to give out orders. "Jimmy, see if you can get footage of whoever dropped Marty off at the hospital. Maybe we can trace them. Gibbs, go to the hospital, get any information you can, and be there to comfort Marty. Make sure they are taking good care of him. I'll probably stop by sometime later after I check on my father." Tony took a breath and thought over his plan. "Ducky, you can go with Gibbs in case he needs someone to help translate medical terminology, or to help Marty cope with whatever his is going through. Got it?" Everyone nodded, and Jimmy was already dialing the hospital's phone number. Tony hurried out to his car and started his drive to Bethesda, in hopes that his father was going to be okay.

-.-.-.-

Ziva held on to the handles in the ambulance as they swerved through the DC traffic. For a while, she wondered if that was what it was like for whoever was in the back of the MCRT vehicle when she drove, but those innocent thoughts were interrupted by more important matters, like worrying about Tony and his father. He looked so helpless laying there.

A tear rolled down Ziva's cheek, landing on Senior's blood stained hand. She looked at her own hands, almost as covered in blood as his. As soon as she had noticed the pulse in the old man's body, she had tried to stop whatever blood was still trying to escape. Her eyes wandered to her left ring finger. Sometimes, after spending time with Tony or making progress in their relationship, she ended up like this: Feeling the nakedness of having no ring adorning her finger, and wondering what it would be like if there were something there.

Ziva turned back to the bleeding man. She felt so selfish for thinking about her and Tony at a time like this, but this feeling didn't exactly have good timing. For the first time, Ziva looked at Anthony DiNozzo, Sr. and saw a man that could be her father in law someday. More tears escaped and Ziva reached for his hand, holding it in her own. Her worry and hope was making her an emotional wreck.

The ride carried on in silence, with the occasional sounds of the paramedics talking to fill the air. Ziva was still holding Senior's hand, and she murmured a prayer in Hebrew for him to be okay, to get better, and to go back to being the spunky man she remembered him as.

Finally, the ambulance stopped and the back doors were flung open. More hurried emergency workers rolled the stretcher into the building, allowing Ziva to tag along at the end of the crowd of nurses and doctors. Ziva was about to go into the surgery room when a nurse stepped in front of her and stopped her. The giant metal door slid closed. Sounds of shouted orders and machines beeping could be heard from the inside.

"Please, he is my partner's father. I have to make sure he is okay." Ziva begged.

The nurse shook her head. "I'm sorry, but you cannot go in. He is in good hands, I promise."

Ziva sighed in frustration. She hated being told what she couldn't do. "Will he be okay?" she asked finally, hoping for a positive prognosis.

The nurse looked uncertain and afraid. She peeked through the small window in the door and saw all of the chaos that was going on inside the room. "I'm afraid it is too early to say. He was in pretty bad shape from what I can tell. Our surgeons will do everything in their power to help."

Ziva nodded, only slightly satisfied with the answer. None of this new information was helping to settle her nerves. She quietly walked to the waiting room which was completely empty, and sat down in an uncomfortable chair in the corner. Ziva hardly moved while she waited, hoping an update on Senior's condition would come soon.

Nearly a half an hour later, Tony came in in a hurry, immediately seeking out Ziva. When he barged in, Ziva stood and ran to him. Through teary eyes, Ziva whispered, "I tried to go in. I wanted to stay with him. They would not let me. I am sorry, Tony. I am so sorry." Tony's lips crashed into hers. His hand rested on Ziva's hip, and the other wiped tears from her face. The sadness of the situation was expressed through their kiss, and Tony's heart nearly broke. In her presence, Tony felt the slightest bit of comfort and peace.

"Don't worry Zee, you did what you could. I just need you here, with me." Tony again kissed Ziva, who cupped her hands against his face. Tears streamed freely, and the couple just stood there, finding comfort with each other, as the rain began to fall outside, making a soft _pitter patter_ sound on the windows.

**There you have it. I can't promise a speedy update. I have finals coming up. On the bright side, my school ends on May 21****st****, so be excited. I am so looking forward to being able to write more. The 3 final projects and even more tests are getting me. Anyway, thank you so much for sticking with me. I promise there is much more to come!**

**~NCIS Obsession**

**((UPDATE: I posted this earlier, then realized that I included Abby and McGee, who are still on their honeymoon at this point. Oops. I fixed it, but I hope it still makes sense. Sorry for the confusion! New readers-Ignore me. Everything is under control))**


	27. Chapter 27: Doctor Who?

**Hello, it's me. The author of this fanfiction that I hope you haven't forgotten about. **** I would like to sincerely apologize for how long I made you wait for me to update. My mom surprised me with a project to make a video for my grandparent's 50****th**** anniversary, and unfortunately for you, that took priority over this story. I am back now, sort of. I am currently on vacation with my family (yes, I am writing this from Orlando, Florida! I love you Orlando!) I will write as much as possible on my trip, on airplanes and such, but sadly cruise ships do not have Wi-Fi. But I will be in Cozumel, Grand Cayman, and Jamaica, so I am super Jealous of anyone that lives in those awesome places full time. My little "flyover" state seems so insignificant compared to Sunny Florida! But I love my state. It's actually pretty nice and it is beautiful in the summer. Anyway, back to what you've been waiting for…**

"Family of Anthony DiNozzo?" came the small voice of a night shift nurse.

Tony stood from his seat, "Yes?" He didn't know why the lady had to ask, they were the only ones in the waiting room. The nurse walked over, clipboard in hand, and gave a smile. "How is he?" Tony asked.

"His first surgery was very successful," the nurse reported.

"Can we see him?" Tony asked eagerly.

She gave him a pitying smile. "I'm afraid he is still unconscious Mr. DiNozzo. He has another surgery coming up soon, then after that we'll do everything we can to get him up and running again." Tony nodded solemnly and ran a hand through his hair. He looked exhausted. "Can I get you anything sir? Maybe a room where you can get some rest?"

Tony was about to decline when Ziva stepped in, "Yes that would be great, thank you. It… It has been a long night." The nurse nodded knowingly and placed a hand on the door handle.

"If you'll follow me Mr. and Mrs. DiNozzo, I can take you to an empty room with a bed where you can get some rest. It's not the most comfortable—it being a hospital bed—but it's better than nothing."

Ziva blushed and looked up at Tony who was blushing as well. They didn't acknowledge what the woman had said out loud, but their eyes said everything they needed to. It had a nice ring to it. _Mr. and Mrs. DiNozzo_. Maybe one day, Ziva thought, that title would be hers. If even a complete stranger could see the chemistry they had, they couldn't be wrong.

They followed the nurse to a room down the hall. It was quiet and dark, the only light coming from a streetlight outside. The blinds made a striped pattern of the light beam. Tony tossed his black backpack onto the chair in the corner, and all but collapsed onto the bed. He lay on top of the sheets, too exhausted to do anything about them. He kicked his shoes off and onto the floor and closed his eyes.

"I will take the couch," Ziva said, starting to lay a blanket on the small sofa.

One of Tony's eyes opened to look at Ziva. "You can sleep over here if you want. Not like we haven't shared a bed before. Remember Paris? Gosh I hate hotels." Ziva cracked a smile and threw a pillow at Tony, hitting him in the face. He flashed a DiNozzo smile and plopped the pillow in the space next to him, patting it to offer the space to Ziva.

"Come on, you won't get any rest sleeping on a couch." Ziva rolled her eyes and stepped over to the queen sized bed.

"Okay, fine. But just because I am tired," she said pointing sternly at Tony. He laid back down and turned over onto his side, facing the window. Ziva lifted the thin sheet and slipped underneath it. "Goodnight, Tony," she whispered into the stale air.

"G'night Zee," he replied, his words slurring together. Ziva propped herself up on one elbow and watched as Tony fell asleep. "Ya gonna watch me all night?" he said, eyes still closed.

Ziva didn't looked surprised that he knew she was watching. "No," she replied simply. She laid her head down on the pillow and stared at the ceiling.

-.-.-.-.-

A clamoring sound woke Tony and Ziva from their sleep. Ziva sprung quickly from the bed and opened the door to see what was happening in the hallway. Several nurses and a man with a clipboard walked by the hall with quite a bit of speed. Ziva saw that the nurses were pushing a gurney with Senior laying on it, breathing through a tube in his nose.

Behind her, Tony had fallen back asleep. Ziva snuck into the hall and followed the parade of nurses down the hall. As she neared the door to surgery, she took one step that made a sound on the tile floor. A nurse turned around to see Ziva tip toeing behind her.

Ziva looked like a deer in headlights. _I must be losing my touch,_ Ziva thought, _if I can't sneak around without being found. _"Where are you taking him?" Ziva asked quickly.

"We think his pain reducer started to wear off. We aren't ready for him to wake up yet, since we still have a surgery scheduled for the morning."

Ziva looked confused, "Why do you not just give him more pain killers?"

The woman shook her head. "Doctor David decided it would be more beneficial to do his surgery now so he will be able to take visitors sooner." (she pronounced David Day-Vid)

There was a pause. "Doctor David? What happened to Doctor Sanchez?"

The nurse considered her answer. "He left pretty suddenly, said he had a family emergency to attend to. I don't know the details for sure, he seemed a bit off." Ziva suddenly pushed past the nurse into the surgery ward, jogging to find where the Doctor had gone. A coincidence? She didn't think so.

She flung the door open and marched up to the Doctor who was about to begin whatever procedure he had planned. He turned to see who had come up so rudely and saw a wild Israeli staring back at him.

"Hello my Ziva," said Director David through the mask covering his mouth. Ziva instantly drew her gun and backed up to a better firing angle.

"What are you doing here Eli?!" She shouted. Several nurses screamed and ran out of the room. The nurse from earlier ran up to Ziva.

"Ma'am, you cannot have a gun in the hospital!" She shouted.

Ziva reached for her badge and flashed it toward the nurse. "This is no doctor, he is an imposter, now leave before someone gets hurt." The nurse fumbled for the door as she ran out in terror.

Eli's hands were raised in surrender, "Ziva, please, put down your weapon, there is no need for that here."

Ziva didn't flinch. "Put down the scalpel," she ordered, "_slowly._" As he placed the tool on the floor, Ziva followed his movements with her gun, careful not to let him get away this time. He stood up and folded his hands in front of him. The way he didn't even feel the slightest bit of fear sickened Ziva. She hesitantly holstered her gun.

Eli took a step forward, "Ziva, listen to me please." At his small advance, Ziva instinctively reached for the weapon attached to her belt. Eli laughed. "You are always ready for a fight, aren't you Ziva? I have raised you well."

Ziva spat. "Raised me well? Is that what you believe you have done for me? What you have given me is the inability to trust people, even the people that I know would never hurt me. The years that I have lived here in America have been spent disabling the heartless assassin that you have made me into."

Eli sighed as if in disappointment, but his opinion of her more normal life didn't bother her. She didn't need his approval to be happy and be surrounded by people who care for her. Love to Eli was a sign of weakness, and he had always done his best to rid it of his household. Maybe the reason for his hardened heart had been Ziva's mother's death. Before she died, he had hidden his nasty responsibilities as Director of Mossad from Ziva and her siblings, and he had actually tried to be a good father some of the time.

Now Ziva wished she could make all of this disappear. Make it go back to the way it used to be. She often found herself in this position, but then reminded herself that if she had had the dream childhood that she always had hoped for, then she wouldn't be where she was now. She would not have met Jenny on a mission, and would never have been assigned as a liaison to Gibbs' team, and would not have made lasting relationships in America like she was blessed with today.

"Ziva." Eli interrupted, "I wish you had never moved to America. With you here, I find it extremely difficult to keep track of you. I cannot possibly keep you out of trouble and—"

Ziva stopped him. "You do not _need_ to keep track of me anymore, Abba! I am a grown woman, and I have tried my best to cut all ties I have with you. Why can you not let me be? Let me go! I can make my own choices and I know for a fact that they will be many times better than the ones you would make for me."

"You make poor decisions Ziva, which is why I must make them for you!" Eli shouted harshly.

"NO!" Ziva screamed. "What you want for me is not what is best for me! You want what is best for you, even if that means sacrificing your own children. Please leave, I am finished talking to you.

Eli returned to his calmed, poised self and tried to reason with Ziva. "If you will not talk to me as a daughter does to her father, then I will talk to you honestly as your boss."

"You are not my boss! I am a Special Agent of the United States Government, not your puppet."

"Ziva, do not raise your voice." Eli spoke softly, which only angered her further.

"You do not understand Abba! You ruin my life and leave me to pick it all up and put it back together on my own. My decisions have led me to where I am and I love it here! They were the best decisions I have ever—"

Eli slapped Ziva across the face, not hard enough to break skin, but just enough to bring a tear to Ziva's eye. She fought back the urge to kill him, and swallowed back the pain that was coursing through her veins, both emotional and physical. "What?" she asked quietly, hardly looking him in the eye.

"I am going to be honest with you, Ziva. You are my most valuable weapon, an asset you might say. I cannot afford to waste all of the training I have put into creating who you are today on some twisted delusion that you think of as life. This is not real life Ziva. I know you believe that you have found love, a perfect job, and have escaped the past, but the past cannot be escaped. This is not reality, this is a fantasy, and it is breaking the jewel which I invested so much into. You must understand this."

Tears now streamed down Ziva's face. "CHILDREN ARE NOT AN INVESTMENT! They are someone to love, to cherish, to bring a smile to your face." Ziva paused and smiled at this, but her solemn demeanor quickly returned. "When I have—If I have children, I will do my best to treat them better than you ever did to me. I will make them feel like a valued person, someone that is free to live, free to love, free to be anything they want to be. I will give them the life that I never had."

Eli chuckled. He had caught Ziva's slip of the tongue. _When—If she had children._

"He still hasn't asked you, has he Ziva?" Ziva looked up incredulously. She was still panting from her long winded rant.

She was now quiet again. "Who? Asked me what, Abba?"

"I assumed you knew already," he pursed his lips. "About Tony—" He was cut off by a loud smash and he fell to the floor unconscious.

Ziva looked up and saw Tony standing over her father's limp body with a metal bed pan in hand. He still looked exhausted, but she could tell that banging her father in the head made him feel a bit better.

"I've wanted to do that since the day I met him. Or heard of him for that matter."

Ziva ran to Tony and leaped into his arms. "Tony…" She sobbed loudly into Tony's strong shoulder, not even caring about showing her emotions. She felt that she had reached a new point in her relationship with Tony, one where she could show how she felt freely, and without judgement. Tony stared blankly and thought about how closely Eli had come to exposing his best kept secret, the little box that had somewhat become a security item to Tony. He never went anywhere without it.

The thought did cross his mind to propose now, but just like every other opportunity, the time wasn't quite right, especially with her father's unconscious body laying right beside them.

Tony closed his eyes and hugged her tighter. "Everything will be okay, Zee. I promise."

**Woo hoo! This chapter just wrote itself! And to think… Just a few hours ago I had no clue what to write. I hope it turned out okay. (I hope I'm not a little rusty). The Senior situation will be covered on in the next chapter, so you'll just have to wait for that.**

**Please review! Remember the challenge! 100 reviews by chapter 30! And don't forget to favorite or follow if you like and want to get updates.**

**Ah, there's nothing better or more inspiring than sitting on a balcony in Florida at night looking at all the beautiful lights of the city. You sub-tropical/tropical people have it lucky. I almost cried at the first sight of a palm tree.**

**Soooo… I hope you haven't given up on this story, I sure haven't! I get home June 8****th****, so after then (and I figure out how my babysitting schedule is going to work) I should get to work on more regular updates (that would be the life). Thanks so much for reading! Bye for now!**

**(And HAPPY SUMMER!)**

**~NCIS Obsession**


	28. Chapter 28: Interrogation

**Ouch. It has almost been a month since I've updated. I am so so sorry for the delay. Unfortunately, the only excuses I have are writer's block and un-motivation. Stupid excuses.**

**I hope you have not lost interest in this story. I haven't, and I definitely intend to finish it.**

Nurses swept past Tony as they pushed Senior back to his room to await his actual surgery in the morning. The exhausted Senior Field Agent sunk down to the floor and leaned his head against the wall staring up at the boring ceiling. He had sent Ziva to interrogate her father back at NCIS with the hope that he wouldn't tell Ziva anything about the ring. Something told him he wouldn't after the warning he had just given him.

There was too much on Tony's mind to have to worry about Eli. Now that the situation with his father was taken care of, he had time to go help with the search for Marty. He dialed Gibbs' number and his impatient voice quickly filled Tony's ears.

"I'm here DiNozzo. Marty is okay. Someone dropped him off here with minor heart attack symptoms."

Tony let out a breath, "I guess he was more of a warning than an example. That's good. Do you need me there or should I go check on the Autopsy Gremlin?"

"Your case, your lead," Gibbs reminded. There was a silence while Tony tried to think of what to do. "We've got it under control here," Gibbs put in, "Ducky is helping Marty, bringing him water and explaining what will happen from here on out."

So much relief filled Tony, "Then I guess I'll be in the lab for a while. Tell Marty we're gonna find whoever did this to him. He needs to know." He swallowed a lump that was forming in his throat. He didn't have time for emotions right now.

"Okay," Gibbs agreed. Tony was about to hang up when Gibbs broke in, "Hey."

Tony put the phone back to his ear as Gibbs spoke, "I get why you hang out with Ziva's neighbor."

"You do?" Tony asked.

"Yeah. He's a great guy. Even after what he's been through, he is still in good spirits. Ya need someone like that in your life." Tony was silent. Usually Gibbs steered clear of mushy subjects like personality and life, but when he talked about it everyone knew to listen. His advice was always good.

The line went dead and Tony pocketed his phone. He walked out to his car, feet splashing in puddles as he went by.

-.-.-.-

Ziva stood in the observation room watching as her father sat waiting. While he couldn't see her, he still knew she was there. She was lucky to have gotten out of the mandatory Sexual Harassment Meeting of this year for this mission, but she still wasn't sure if it was worth this.

Ziva barely blinked as she stared into the eyes of the man that had ruined everything for her. His cold emotionless eyes glared up at the security camera in the corner. She had almost had enough of this already and she hadn't even begun the interrogation yet. She looked at her watch and decided she'd better start asking questions. She shut the security camera in the interrogation room off just in case she needed to break some rules to get the information out of her father. She walked out into the hall, and the door flew open, crashing into the wall. She marched in angrily.

Ziva smirked when she saw her father flinch slightly at her sudden appearance. He'd never admit it, but she had startled him. Eli held Ziva's gaze as she circled the hard table that he was chained to. She pulled out her chair which made a painful screeching sound on the floor, and sat down slowly. Like any other interrogation, Ziva began by opening a thick folder full of everything NCIS had on Eli David.

"Do not waste your time on me, Ziva," Eli broke in through the heavy silence.

Ziva chuckled and continued to sift through the stack of papers. "Oh please, I have all the time in the world." She pulled out a single sheet of paper, with dates and money transactions filed on it. "It seems that _you_ do not have all the time in the world. According to this page, you have a flight to a remote location in Siberia set up for the day after tomorrow. You would not want to miss that would you?"

Eli held her stare with an equal amount of severity. "I am meeting a friend, Ziva. I have not seen him in quite some time, and that happens to be the place he lives."

Ziva let this hang in the air before she announced, "I do not believe you. I will not believe you. You have not given me a reason to trust you all of my life. Why should I now?" She could see the gears turning in Eli's mind as he came up with some answer to her question.

"I am your father. It is your duty to trust me." He says finally.

Ziva shook her head. "In this room, you are not my father, and I am not your daughter. Here, you are a criminal, and I am the one that will put you in prison for the rest of your miserable life. How does that sound?"

Eli smiled. "You will not do that Ziva. I know you will not."

"Maybe I will not. It depends on how you answer this next question," Ziva pushed the data sheet back to Eli's side of the table. "Tell me where you are really going. One lie and I'll have you locked up."

"You know where I am going Ziva."

Ziva glared. "Yes. I do. You are running, going dark. I just do not know why." She slapped her father across the cheek, imprinting a red mark on his face. He reached up to feel where she had hit him, and his eyes were filled with a murderous look. "TELL ME WHY YOU ARE RUNNING! WHAT ARE YOU RUNNING FROM? TELL ME NOW!"

"I must run so I do not get caught. It is why everyone goes into hiding. The better question would be why I attacked Mr. DiNozzo."

Ziva sat back down slowly. "Alright. Why did you attack him?" In the back of her mind she was wondering why her father was giving her the questions to ask. It felt like a trap, but no one can resist the possibility of good information.

"I did it for you."

Ziva rolled her eyes. "There you go again with the horribly unspecific responses. If I am to grant you any pardon, you must actually give me some answers."

Eli began to stand. "That won't be necessary, Ziva."

"And why is that?"

Eli looked at Ziva as if she were clueless. "You are coming with me back to Israel. We must leave now while the rest of your team is gone. We will grab your things on our way to the airport. If you'll look at your data page, you will see that the ticket to Siberia is for two passengers." He held up his cuffed hands. "Now take off these handcuffs and we will be on our way."

Ziva was standing in the corner staring incredulously at her father. Tears were filling her eyes as she thought of what to do next. "You do not honestly believe that I will leave with you?"

Eli sighed and readied himself for a sick kind of negotiation. "I figured it would not be this easy. I did not want to threaten you, but if that is what it takes to get you to come, then I will gladly do it."

"You can torture me all you want, I am not going with you."

Eli smirked. "Who said anything about torture? I was planning on killing your friends."

Ziva looked like she had been stabbed by a knife. Tears spilled from her eyes and she sunk to the ground, heart breaking into tiny pieces. She sobbed into her hands, completely losing control of her emotions.

"Yes, now will you hurry up Ziva, we have a plane to catch." Eli again stood from his seat.

Ziva got up and walked to Eli, standing inches from his face.

"I will _never_ go with you!" She whispered harshly, spitting in his face.

As she spoke Eli pulled the key to his handcuffs out of Ziva's pocket and started to free himself. Once his hands were completely free, he said, "Fortunately for your friends, you will come with me." Before Ziva had time to process this statement, she was knocked unconscious and handcuffed. Eli picked up his daughter and carried her out the door and through the abandoned NCIS offices.

He took no special care to gently place Ziva into the getaway car, rather, he tossed her in blindfolded and still handcuffed. They drove off quickly before anyone could notice, and once at the airport, they boarded the private jet waiting for them. By the time Ziva came to, they were halfway to Israel. She felt defeated and helpless. She had no choice but to do what her father said. Her friends' lives relied on her actions, and she was going to keep them safe if it was the last thing she did.

**Don't forget the 100 reviews challenge. 2 chapters left!**

**Again, sorry for making you wait. Really. I'm gonna try really hard to do better.**

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter, and we'll see how this goes.**

**Bye for now!**


	29. Chapter 29: Abby's Lab for Dummies

_Hey, I am so so sorry for not writing in a while. I lost inspiration for a bit, but I'm back to writing now. School starts in 4 days for me, but I am going to try to schedule times for me to write almost every day. More information after the chapter, but until then, enjoy._

_**[Update] – Hey, so I was working on finishing chapter thirty when I noticed something wasn't right about the order of chapter 29. Somehow I deleted an entire section, so this didn't make much sense. Sorry about the confusion. I can't believe I only just noticed this. I hope this turned out okay, I had to completely rewrite the beginning. I'm not sure if I like the old version or the one I just wrote better, but whatever. Hope this clears up some of the earlier confusion.**_

Tony walked into Abby's lab to see Palmer underneath the metal table. He stood there a while before he finally said something. "Autopsy Gremlin!" The sudden loud noise made Palmer jump and he hit his head on the table.

"Ow! Tony, I—I didn't see you come in."

Tony looked around for some sign that work had been done in Abby's absence. It didn't look like much had happened, but he noticed several things were not in the right places. "What are you doin' Palmer?" Tony asked hoping he'd found something.

"Oh no…" Palmer exclaimed as he put his face in his hands and shook his head, "she's gonna be mad isn't she?"

Tony's heart started beating faster. "Palmer, what's wrong? Who's going to be mad?" _Had something happened that he had missed?_

Palmer squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. "It's Burt. I lost Burt."

Tony let out a sigh of relief. "Burt… okay I can deal with Burt." He ran a hand through his hair and took in the rest of his surroundings. Twelve Caf-Pow cups lay strewn about the room, and—Tony noticed—they were all empty. All of a sudden Jimmy's knees began to buckle, and Tony caught him just before he tumbled to the ground. He sat him down carefully in a chair, taking him by the shoulders and trying to get his attention.

"Palmer! Did you drink all those Caf-Pows?" Tony asked. When the Autopsy Gremlin nodded weakly, Tony's eyes widened. "Jeez, Palmer, Abby can't even handle that many! Why'd you drink so many?"

Jimmy let out a burp and answered, "I was following Abby's Lab for Dummies. I wanted to—wanted to make sure I didn't mess anything up, and it said Caf-Pow sometimes helps find the answers. Tony, I don't feel so good."

Tony shook his head, and helped Palmer up. He led him down to autopsy and helped him onto an examination table.

"Am I dead?" Palmer asked, his words starting to slur.

"No, but you will be if you drink much more caffeine." Tony threw a blanket at Palmer and started to leave. "Now get some rest."

As the glass doors slid closed, Tony heard a faint, _"Wait mommy, can you give me a kiss goodnight?"_

He rolled his eyes and decided that a drunk person may be better than someone who had consumed 12 Caf-Pows.

-.-.-.-

Tony made his way back down to the lab to resume work on their case alone. He didn't really know where Palmer had left off, so he started with what he thought could be a promising lead. It was coded, so for all he knew it could be a pizza order, but he had a feeling it wasn't. It read:

_Nffu bu njeojhiu. Uif usvdl xjmm cf xbjujoh. Mfbwf op fbsmjfs uibo ibmg qbtu uxfmwf. Nblf tvsf up tubz ijeefo, boe hppe mvdl._

_Bmlbfw._

After hours of poring over these seemingly meaningless words, Tony went back to another test he had been running. He found the step he was on in Abby's book, and read the next instruction.

_Throw away all burt substances and wipe down all surfaces._

All "burt" substances? Tony figured it must be a typo, but on a whim, he went to check the biohazard bin. He was correct. Inside the red trash can was none other than Burt the Farting Hippo. Tony imagined a woozy Palmer reading this sentence and taking it literally.

He set the hippo on the counter and resumed his work. The substance he had tested turned out to be no help to their case, so he was back again to the gibberish message.

"Nonsense, it's complete nonsense," Tony repeated, banging his head on the table. This was going to be a long day.

-.-.-.-

Hours later the metal doors to Abby's lab slid open. "Palmer? What are you doing here? You should be resting." Tony said, placing his hand on Jimmy's shoulder. Palmer's appearance was slightly unprofessional due to his excessive consumption of caffeine. His eyes were red and puffy, and his face was paler than usual.

"I'm fine Tony, I threw up a couple times, and now I'm all good," Palmer assured. Upon hearing this, Tony quickly pulled his hand away from Jim's shoulder.

Tony stood silently for a moment. "No. No Palmer. You need rest. I can handle this stuff, you just need to get better." His face was determined, and anyone could tell he would never sway from his decision.

Anyone, except for Palmer. "Please Tony, I can help! I'm fine, really, just let me look." He walked on over to Abby's computer, with Tony trying to pull him to the door.

Tony was shocked at how hard it was trying to pull Palmer away. "You been working out Palmer?" he said as he struggled to counter Jim's strength. Jim wouldn't budge.

"Yeah thanks for noticing! I think Breena has started to notice too, she—Hey! Don't change the subject! I'm going to help."

Tony had never seen Palmer act this way before. He was so opinionated and resolute, and he wouldn't take no for an answer. After seeing how much Palmer cared about this case, Tony decided to let him help with deciphering the email.

"Fine!" Tony shouted as he sunk to the floor, still tugging on Palmer's wrist. Palmer grinned, proud of himself for standing up to Tony finally, and coming out on top. As a good sport, he helped Tony up and together, they walked over to the coded message on the screen.

Palmer took once glance at the display before recognizing the code.

"Oh! I know what that is!" He fumbled for a piece of paper and a pen, and immediately began to jot down a strand of letters, leaving a flabbergasted Tony watching in wonder. "I used to send messages to my best friend Calvin in elementary school, using this code!"

Tony mentally kicked himself for not noticing the code they had used. It was the simplest one in the book, and for that reason he had overlooked it. Each letter was simply replaced with the next letter in the alphabet. For example, an A became a B, a Q became an R, and so on.

Pretty soon, they had the entire message decoded, and Palmer beamed like he had just won the Nobel Prize.

"Pretty good huh! Do I get a gold star?" he asked, half joking.

Tony smiled, with a new respect for the Autopsy Gremlin. "Nope, but you can have Burt!" He tossed the animal to Palmer, who scrambled to catch it.

"You found him!" Palmer said as he walked out the door. As he went down the hall, Tony could hear the muffled sounds of Jimmy talking to Burt, just like Abby did, "_Don't you ever run away like that again!" _along with the occasional farting sound.

Once Palmer had left, Tony quickly went back to the paper with the decoded message written on it, and read it over, this time more in depth.

_Meet at midnight. The truck will be waiting. Leave no earlier than half past twelve. Make sure to stay hidden, and good luck._

_Alkaev._

Once he had realized what it meant, he rushed to the elevator, pressing the button several times until the elevator finally arrived. He raced toward the interrogation room to give this new bit of information to Ziva as quickly as possible.

The work day had officially ended, and Tony was going into overtime. People were on their way out of the office, walking hurriedly to the exit, since it was a Friday. Tony had to "swim upstream" in order to reach his destination, pushing past people with only a quiet murmur of "excuse me" as he passed.

Finally, he reached the interrogation room, and he leaned against the door as he caught his breath. Once his breathing and heart beat had slowed down, he gently knocked on the door.

He waited for a bit, expecting an emotionally hardened Ziva to throw open the door, but nothing happened. He knocked again, this time harder. Still no answer. He soon found himself banging against the door, shouting for Ziva.

"Ziva! Ziva open up! Come on!" He gave up and worriedly rushed into the observation room. From there, he couldn't see a thing. Someone had turned out the lights in the interrogation room, and everything was silent. The worst possible scenarios popped into Tony's mind, as he tested each key on his key ring on the door. Finally, he found the right one and he burst into the room, only to find it empty.

_There's no way she could have finished already. _He thought. Six phone calls to Ziva didn't go through, and even trying to locate her using McGee's tracking software proved unhelpful. In exasperation, and complete worry for his girlfriend, Tony dialed Gibbs' number.

"Yeah, Gibbs," came the quiet voice.

"Gibbs, I can't find Ziva, she's gone. The security cameras didn't catch anything, and the one in interrogation is turned off. We have to do something. Something is really wrong."

Gibbs interrupted, "Tony, Tony slow down. We'll find her, okay? I'm sure it's nothing." Tony tried to breathe normally, and tried to calm himself down. "I'll be right over."

Tony heard a muted "Duck, I'm gonna go help DiNozzo. You be okay by yourself?" on the other end of the line, along with Ducky pleasantly agreeing, then going back to sharing stories with Marty. "DiNozzo," Gibbs broke in, "I'll be over in a bit, where do you want me to meet you?"

"Garage," Tony answered as he began to jog to the bullpen. The phone call ended and Tony stuffed his phone back in his pocket. He reached his desk and pulled out his backpack and his gun, which he prepped for a big fight. He was furious. He knew something horrible had happened, he could feel it. He needed to be prepared, so he put on his game face, and set off to meet Gibbs. He had to avenge whatever Eli had done, and hopefully save the greatest thing that had ever happened to him, Ziva, from her father's evil workings.

-.-.-.-

_Anyway, I hope this was okay, I'm trying to get back into the swing of things. Unfortunately, I do not trust myself to keep updating regularly, and I feel horrible for making you guys wait, so pretty soon I will finish up this part of the story, but leave some stuff hanging and immediately start writing the sequel. There will be a wait, and I am so sorry about that, but I think that is what is best for this right now. I want to make this better for you guys._

_In addition, once this section of Life Won't Last Forever is deemed complete, I will PM people to tell them where I am in writing the sequel, so you can get a feel for how much longer it will be till I can post them. If you would like to receive these updates in the future, PM me and I will put you on a list to get these messages, and you can stay up to date. I am really excited to get into some more stuff in this story, and I hope you will stick with me through this transition. Thanks so much!_

_Don't forget to leave a review! I love those so much._

_~NCIS Obsession_


	30. Chapter 30: The Beginning of Forever

**You guys. I feel…so, so, so bad about this. I've left you for a loooong time. I do have an excuse, which I'm sure you'd love to hear (*sarcasm*). I joined the girl's golf team at school. Do not—I repeat—do not join the golf team if you want any hope of having free time or good grades. Anyway, the season is finally over, and I worked on this chapter for an entire quarter of school, so, great. At least it's finally here. I spent the beginning of second quarter getting my grades back up and, working on this. This chapter was originally 4,000 some words and counting, but I decided to break it up. Chapter 31 should be ready to post soon. I'm trying to find a good place to stop, which is proving difficult.**

**So that's what I've been doing. In other news, I realized sometime last week that chapter 29 was… bad. Somehow the entire first half got deleted and I had to COMPLETELY REWRITE ALL OF WHAT WAS LOST. So I was just rereading what I'd posted and thought "wait a minute, this doesn't make sense!" For those of you that read and were super confused, I suggest you go back and reread now that it is complete. I'm not sure if it turned out better than my first attempt or worse, but I was extremely frustrated at the time so…**

**Almost done with announcements. I just want to reiterate my sincerest apologies, and I hope you aren't too mad. This chapter has some fluff, and some more Tiva issues. Enjoy.**

Bright light filled Abby and Tim's spacious hotel room as the sun crept over the horizon. The newlywed couple sat out on their balcony overlooking the beautiful French Quarter, taking in the last sunrise of their honeymoon. Tim looked down at his hand which clasped his wife's smaller hand, and smiled.

"Can you believe we have to go back home today?" Tim asked.

Abby frowned. "I know. I wish this could last forever." She leaned her head into the crook of Tim's neck, and took a breath of the Louisiana air. During their time in Louisiana, the McGee's had immersed themselves in the culture, tasting the Cajun foods and going to see the famous landmarks that were there. Some of Abby's family lived nearby, and Tim was very happy to have gone and met them. He could see where Abby got her enthusiasm; when the pair showed up, her whole family had been so excited and began to chatter away about their little cousin, sister, whatever relation, who had finally tied the knot.

They spent a good hour and a half packing up their stuff which lay strewn about their hotel suite. After that they went and had breakfast at a small café across the street, where they, interestingly enough, ran into one of Abby's favorite musicians from a band she listens to. Abby gladly sparked a conversation with him at a table there, and Tim sat idly by as he watched his beautiful wife acting like a kid on Christmas. The band member signed Abby's t-shirt she was wearing, which was awkwardly from a different band's concert, but she didn't care.

Once Tim had downed his morning coffee, the couple left the building and went on a walk down Magazine Street, and back to their hotel for a swim in the pool. Abby had Tim help her put on sunscreen, so she wouldn't get burned in the hot southern heat. She loved the feeling of Tim's gentle hands on her shoulders. She felt so loved and protected whenever she was in his presence.

They spent the rest of the day buying souvenirs for all of their friends, at various shops. While they were out exploring, they ran into Special Agent Pride, from the NCIS office stationed right in New Orleans, and he gave Tim a t-shirt with NCIS NOLA's logo on it, sort of as an impromptu wedding gift. When Tim tried the shirt on, it was incredibly tight, and the sight made Abby laugh. She suggested they give it to Tony instead, and Tim agreed. Tony had worked with the NOLA branch more anyway, so he would be happy to receive such a gift. They also happened upon a wedding planning magazine when they were checking out an item for Gibbs (Cajun Coffee, with nothing added to it, just like their boss liked). Abby picked up the magazine and decided they would give it to Tony, because heaven knows planning a wedding is difficult business, and Tony could use all the help he could get when he and Ziva start to plan theirs. Abby got so excited whenever she thought of Tony and Ziva. _It can't be long now_ she thought. She knew how eager Tony was to finally propose to the love of his life.

Once they had circled back to their hotel, Abby sat on their bed looking through a room-service menu.

"Abs," Tim broke through the silence that had set in, "I have one last surprise for you before we go home."

Abby's face lit up. "You do?" she said excitedly.

"Yeah. Go look in the closet." Abby instantly stood up from the bed and hopped over to the closet in their bedroom. The way to her heart was through mysteries and surprises, and Tim knew it.

She smiled eagerly with her hands on the doorknobs, ready to discover what was inside. After a "go ahead" look from her husband, she turned back to the door and threw it open.

Inside were tall, strappy, black boots and a beautiful dress to go with it. Abby quickly grabbed it off the hanger and started to inspect it more closely. It was a classily short black dress, with a lace pattern all over it. The sleeves were full length, and had a swirly flower pattern that was see through on just the arms. Some of the lace extended to create a sort of fringe on the bottom of the skirt. Abby completely adored this gift.

"Do you like it?" he asked Abby, since she hadn't talked in over a minute. Suddenly, Tim found her in his arms, still clutching the hanger in her hand as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"It's perfect," he heard her say into his ear. Over the duration of their honeymoon, Tim had adapted to Abby's especially tight hugs, and now hugged her back just as tight. Who would have thought that he was a hugger?

"Why don't you go put it on, Beautiful? We don't want to be late." Tim suggested.

Abby frowned. "Late for what?"

McGee grinned adoringly. "For the real surprise."

-.-.-.-

Tony tapped his foot impatiently. He stood staring at the garage door, waiting for Gibbs to come to a screeching halt in front of him, but he just kept standing, because Gibbs hadn't arrived yet. Each second that ticked by felt like an eternity to Tony. He was so focused on waiting for Gibbs, that he hardly noticed his fellow NCIS workers standing by the evidence locker and watching him. They were likely gossiping about him, and he knew that any minute his situation would become public to the entire office building. Not that he cared. Gossip wasn't nearly as important as what he was about to undertake.

Finally, Gibbs pulled up—seemingly in no hurry—and stopped in front of his senior field agent. Tony threw his backpack into the car and jumped in as fast as he could, slightly concerning Gibbs.

"Where to?" Gibbs asked, not even starting with a greeting. He saw the tear filled eyes of his senior field agent, and knew immediately that something horrible _had_ happened.

"Airport," Tony answered solemnly. Gibbs, however, did not put the car into drive.

"You sure?"

Tony turned to face Gibbs, tears stinging his eyes, and face hot with anger that Gibbs would ask such a question. "Ziva's gone, again. I wasn't kidding when I said I couldn't live without her. She _is_ my life, boss. When she's gone I can't sleep, I can't eat, I can't think. We have to get her back."

Gibbs waited for Tony to finish his little speech and finally said, "What's your plan?" He was met with Tony staring silently at him. "You need a plan. You realize that once you're gone I'm gonna have zero agents to work with here, at least until Abby and McGee come home tonight. Do you really want to spoil their first day back home as a married couple with making them work late?" Tony didn't say a word. "Well?" When an answer didn't come, Gibbs reached over and whacked his senior field agent upside the head.

Tony winced, but as he turned, Gibbs saw the tear streaks on his senior field agent's ashen face and tears pooling in his eyes. For the first time ever, he felt a little guilty for Gibbs smacking him.

Finally, Tony spoke. "I was thinking, you could come with me. I'm gonna need help to find her. I can't confront Eli on my own." He paused. "Besides, Eli is a suspect in our case, and now we have to go hunt him down. Won't this be considered as part of our case, as far as Vance is concerned?"

"There it is." Gibbs said in his quiet, gruff voice as he started the car.

Tony looked puzzled. "What?"

"The loophole. I knew you'd find it. Just because Ziva is missing doesn't mean we can forget to be careful. This way Vance won't keep me here and assign me a temporary team." Tony nodded pensively. "It's a good plan," Gibbs reassured as they stepped out of the car together.

-.-.-.-

Abby stared down at her and her husband's feet as they walked down the bustling boulevard toward the highly anticipated surprise McGee had in store. She marveled at how comfortable married life felt to her already. Being with him felt like the most natural thing in the world. For no reason at all, she turned her head to look at his handsome face, and planted a kiss on his cheek. His face lit up, and they carried on in silence, her head resting on his shoulder, and the sun just beginning to set in the distance.

At last, their destination came into view. Abby could tell because there was a long line of well-dressed people leading out the door and around the corner. Tim looked down at his wife, grinning ear to ear as he watched her expression change to utter excitement. _A romantic dinner for two,_ Abby thought. _What could be a more perfect ending to their honeymoon?_

She was even more surprised and impressed when McGee walked straight up to the greeter at the door and he let them in right away. Abby looked at Tim with a questioning look, and he answered her, "We went to college together. I had him pull a few strings."

A waiter in a tuxedo walked the couple to the very back of the restaurant and held the door to the patio open to them. The chatter from inside instantly died out, and Abby and Timothy were left with near complete silence, a few stars beginning to pop into the night sky. Tim saw his wife shiver slightly at the brisk night air, so he wrapped his coat around her, earning a thankful half-grin. Their table sat within 50 feet of the beautiful Lake Pontchartrain, the soft sound of the waves lapping against the rocks drowning out the sound of nearby traffic.

The waiter came back, offering them menus and poring a glass of complementary champagne. Abby and Tim looked over their menus for a while, then placed their orders after Tim assured her money was no object today. As they handed in their menus, Abby noticed Tim slip something to the waiter, who smiled and then walked off. Abby gave Tim a suspicious glance and sipped from her glass of champagne.

After about a minute, a song began to fade in, and Abby immediately recognized it as her and Tim's first dance song at their wedding: _Friends in Love._ Tim pulled back his chair and stood, walking slowly to Abby's side of the table and offering her his hand. She happily accepted and stood also, placing her arms around his neck and pressing a light kiss to his lips. They danced, remembering the night they were married, and everything this song meant to them. As they twirled and stepped and swayed, Abby couldn't believe how lucky she was that someone loved her this much. Her heart panged in her chest—she could hardly fathom how much love she held for this man in her embrace.

They danced to several songs, each one from their wedding, until their waiter returned, politely clearing his throat to alert them of his presence. They sat back down at their candlelit table as the waiter placed their delicious Cajun food in front of them.

They ate for a while in silence before someone spoke. "What do you think Team Gibbs is doing without us? Ya think they miss us?" Abby asked.

Tim swallowed, "Probably not much. I can't see Vance giving them any big cases while missing a forensic scientist and special agent." Abby nodded. "I bet they miss us a little, although Tony would never admit it. I wonder if Tony has proposed to Ziva yet."

This remark sparked extreme excitement in Abby. "OOH I hope so! He's waited so long. But wait, I wanted to be there when he did it! I hope he still hasn't. He can't propose when we're gone!"

Tim chuckled, flashing his smile, "Abs, it's really between him and Ziva. We don't have to be there. It really isn't our business." He stared back down at his plate, stabbing another bit of food onto his fork and taking a bite.

Abby raised her eyebrows, "You wanted to be there too, didn't you?"

"What? No, it's none of my business, I mean, I don't—it's not—"

"Aww, Timmy! You've got a case of Tiva deprivation!" McGee blushed, though he hoped Abby wouldn't be able to tell in the pale moonlight.

"Alright, you caught me. He's my best friend, what can I do?" The night went back to silence.

"I miss them too," Abby said quietly, reaching for Tim's hand on the table. He gave a small smile. Two weeks without their surrogate family really was a long time.

"And my Lab. I miss my Lab," Abby said, sarcastically exasperated. Thinking of her lab, another thought popped into Abby's head. "Promise me you'll visit me every day during work. _Promise it Timothy McGee!_ I don't know if I can handle a day without my husband. I'll miss you too much." Tim scooted his chair closer to Abby's seeing through her threatening façade, and realizing that she was scared. He wrapped her in his arms, and she wiped her glistening green eyes.

"I promise, Abs. Even if I have to sneak out, bribe Gibbs with coffee, or… or…" He was interrupted by Abby's lips firmly pressed against his. He responded in surprise, but then kissed her back, letting her know everything was going to be okay. He knew how much she hated change, and she had adapted well to being married and with McGee at all times. "Hey, we can have lunch together every day. You pick the place, we'll go. And in case you need an assist in solving a random 'technology problem', I can stay extra long. Gibbs will never know the difference." Abby smiled gratefully.

They ate the rest of their meal, talking about all those funny moments they sort of missed witnessing back home. Despite all the fun they'd had over the last 2 weeks, they were ready to go back to DC.

After they paid the hefty bill, they left the restaurant hand-in-hand. When Tim started walking in the opposite direction as their hotel, Abby narrowed her eyes, smelling a surprise in the making. She let him lead her to a park, and they stopped on top of a bridge, old fashioned street lights adorning the white stone railing. They stood looking over the water, leaning over the edge and watching as the bubbling brook flowed below. The air was so fresh, and the area so peaceful. Abby closed her eyes and took a deep breath, savoring the moment. She felt a cold light touch and a small weight around her neck. She opened her eyes and reached up to see what was touching her. It was a gorgeous heart pendant with a key hole in the middle. She looked up at Tim with a smile to see him holding up his key ring, which now held a new key, diamond encrusted, and it fit perfectly into her necklace. It opened up the heart, which turned out to be a locket, and inside was their favorite engagement photo. Abby gazed at it in awe. She couldn't put it down, it was so perfect. Tim hugged her to his side as she continued to marvel at its beauty, and they walked off to their hotel in the light of the full moon.

**Well, there's that. I hope you liked it. There's really no way of telling unless people review, so it'd be great to get ****some**_**a bunch**_** of reviews from you guys. I'll be at school, and tomorrow's Monday, so let's just say I'll need some excitement and fun to keep me going. Even if you're reading this months, or years after I posted it, I would love a review, don't be shy. **

**I've got one more review-related thing to say, and I hope I don't sound like I'm begging for them, because I'm not. I just can't decide which one-shot I should do first after this story finishes up. I want to give you guys that follow me something to read while you wait for the sequel. Anyway, I thought that I would have something special for the 100****th**** reviewer. I've decided that the 100****th**** reviewer gets to pick from my list of one-shot ideas to decide which one I write first. Fun, right? Now, I don't want the same person to review 8 times until they get 100****th**** reviewer, that not how this works, but we'll see, this could be fun.**

**Again, I'm almost finished with chapter 31, which will probably be the last chapter of this edition, so if you want to stay updated, PM me that you're interested in receiving updates on my progress on the story, some sneak peeks into part 2, and a special say in the naming of the sequel. Also follow me so you'll see any new one-shots I post in the meantime.**

**Thanks so much for reading this. You guys are awesome, and boy have I missed writing fanfiction!**

**~NCIS Obsession**


	31. Chapter 31: Prince Ali, Fabulous He

**Oh boy… this is the last one. I had to get this just right, so it took a bit longer than I had planned, but here it is. Chapter 31 (admittedly, an odd number of chapters to end on, but that's how it works).**

**Random side note before we begin: I was just imagining if every Ziva fan on the planet pitched in $5, how much money CBS would have to get Cote/Ziva back. Now that would never happen, but I was just thinking I would **_**pay**_** to bring her back, and I'm sure many others would as well. It's so sad that she left and the more the show continues the less hope I have of her returning. But I digress.**

**I hope you love, love, LOVE this chapter. Thank you all so much for reading. I couldn't do this without you. Enjoy…**

Tony and Gibbs walked into the solemn squad room. The only light came from the windows overlooking the skyline of DC. They sat down at their desks, exhausted, and Tony leaned back in his chair.

"You need a plan, DiNozzo," Gibbs murmured.

Tony knew he was right. He couldn't go all the way across the world with no idea of how he's going to bring Ziva back. "I don't even know when to start, boss."

"Why don't you start with a plane ticket, seems like the obvious choice to me." Gibbs said impatiently. When Tony got this worried about something, he usually forgot to use his common sense, so as his leader, Gibbs was not going to let that happen this time. For Tony to be able to pull off another rescue, he'd need every bit of logic and reasoning.

"Right." Tony opened up the internet and searched for plane tickets to Israel. He was devastated to realize that the earliest flight he could catch would be the next morning at 0730. After Gibbs finally talked Tony down from his panic that he couldn't get there fast enough, they began to lay out a more solid plan.

"You sure he's going to be in Israel?" Gibbs asked, writing out their plan from the beginning on a sheet of lined paper.

Tony nodded. "If I know Eli, and I feel pretty sure that I do, he won't stay away from his work for too long. Even if he's somewhere else hiding, he'll eventually return to Mossad, bringing Ziva with him. If he's running, that will give me time to establish some sort of convincing cover."

"Okay. Book the flight." With a few clicks, Tony did as he was told.

"Now what?" Tony asked. He felt his heart hammering in his chest, and his adrenaline coursing through his veins as he got closer and closer to actually being able to help Ziva in some way.

Gibbs shrugged. "How do you plan on getting close to Eli? You can't just march in, you and I both know that wouldn't work."

"I'll have to take him out from the inside," Tony nodded, understanding where Gibbs was heading.

"And for that you'll need a cover. Abby should be coming back some time tonight. I'll have her make a good cover for you first thing in the morning—"

"No," Tony interrupted. "I don't want to bother her with our problems, at least right away. She's getting back from her honeymoon, boss. I don't want to ruin her return with some depressing stuff about Ziva and me."

"Tony, this is important stuff, and they'll find out eventually. We're going to need their help."

DiNozzo wanted to delay having to tell Abby for as long as possible. "Let's just write up a good cover now, and… and tomorrow we can have Abby work on the documents." After Gibbs nodded, Tony figured he'd better start figuring out his plan. "I want to get as close as possible to Eli before he notices something is wrong. I don't need to kill him, no matter how much I want to, all I really need is to bring Ziva back home." He choked back his tears he felt at thinking this, and continued on. "Eli will most likely be looking for a husband for Ziva, in order to make her stay in Israel."

"An arranged marriage," Gibbs stated, "You need to make sure that you're the one she ends up engaged to DiNozzo." Tony smiled a little at hearing his boss order him to get engaged to Ziva. Suddenly his face fell when he realized it wouldn't _really_ be him getting engaged to her.

"Yes. I'm going to figure out a way to gain Eli's trust, then hopefully he'll chose me to be with Ziva, maybe with a little hinting from me." Tony let this hang in the air. It pained him to think of being so close to Ziva, without her knowing it's him. In fact the only way to keep his cover intact and keep her safe would be for her to despise him. He had to act like as much of a jerk as Eli to keep his cover believable and realistic. Whoever Eli chose as his daughter's betrothed would have to be someone he trusted deeply. He had to agree with every value and moral that the Director himself did.

"You get in there, suck up to Eli, and after a couple months I have no doubt that you could be his right hand man."

The bullpen crept back into silence. Tony looked at the clock and saw that it was already eleven o' clock. He stifled a yawn and continued to do some research on his computer. He had been up longer than he can remember with this case, and desperately needed sleep.

"Go home DiNozzo. You need rest," Gibbs ordered. Part of Tony wanted to keep working so he could at least help with his mission, but the other part wanted to go home, especially because he wouldn't be seeing his apartment for what he presumed would be a really long time.

On the way to his apartment, Tony stopped by a corner store and picked up some black hair dye and brown colored contacts. He was going to have to make some major appearance changes if he wanted even Ziva, the love of his life, to be fooled. After the corner store, he went to a pretty sketchy tanning place, but considering it was nearly midnight and everywhere else was closed, Tony didn't care. He got a fairly dark tan and drove home.

After Tony finished applying the hair dye, he looked in the mirror. He barely recognized the man he saw. He had been too busy to shave in the last few days, so a thin layer of hair covered the lower half of his face, perfect to complete his cover. By the time Ziva and Eli arrived, he would have a thick beard grown in, which he'd also have to dye black.

As his head hit the pillow, Tony felt his eyes drooping shut. Thoughts of the next day filled his head as his consciousness slipped away, and he fell into a deep, much needed sleep.

-.-.-.-

There she was. His betrothed. Eli had fallen for every bit of it, but now things started to get complicated. Eli had told him all about his problems with Ziva, and had done his best to rid her life of anything that may keep her from Israel.

In the last few days, however, something had been off. He was worried that Eli had caught onto his act, and was now doubting his loyalty.

His worst fears came true when Ziva was shoved into the room by 2 of Eli's guards. Confusion filled his mind until Ziva's best childhood friend also was ushered into the room and a gun was thrust into his hand.

"If you truly are who you say you are, and you and I do, in fact, share the same ideals and principles, you will shoot and kill this woman right now. If not, you will be arrested and executed for what you have done." Eli's stony glare bore into his eyes, and he was pushed closer to the woman, who stood bound in ropes, trembling.

He raised his gun, aiming at the space between her eyebrows. His hands shook violently, and he turned his head slightly to the right to see Ziva screaming and crying, but he heard no sound. Tears streamed down her face, and his mind blocked out all noise except for a faint ringing. His vision faltered as he moved his finger to the trigger. A bit of bile rose into his throat, but he swallowed it back and squeezed his eyes shut.

"I'm sorry Ziva, I'm sorry…" he whispered.

Bang.

-.-.-.-

Tony woke with a start, panting and sweating. He could taste the salt on his face that indicated he had been crying—sobbing more accurately. His entire body shook as he relived his nightmare. No, there would be no sleeping tonight.

He swung his feet off the edge of his bed and rubbed his face, as if attempting to rub away the nightmare that still lingered. 2:37 am. Without much thought, he put on some jeans and a sweatshirt and drove himself to NCIS.

-.-.-.-

Abby stepped into the familiar lab and took a deep breath. "Ah, lab sweet lab," she said with a smile.

Tim stepped up behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "See, I told you Jimmy would take good care of it. Now come on, let's go home.

"Hold on, I have to go grab Burt. I'm sure he's missed me." Abby skipped off to her desk in the moonlit basement workroom and grabbed the stuffed hippo off the chair, giving him a tight squeeze.

Tim watched from the doorway, holding his and Abby's carry ons from their flight. "Now can we go? I'm exhausted, Abs, and the jetlag hasn't even gotten to me yet."

Abby stopped and held Burt out toward McGee. "You haven't even said hello to Burt yet!" She smiled as she watched her husband roll his eyes and greet the farting hippo.

They hopped back on the elevator, leaning against each other in their tired state. The elevator doors opened to the bullpen. "I just have to grab something from my desk really quick, then we can go home, I promise." Abby nodded and stepped out of the elevator following Tim. As they rounded the corner they noticed they were not alone.

A single light was turned on in the office directly above team Gibbs' area.

"Tony?" Tim asked incredulously.

Tony looked up startled. He put on a smile and stood from his desk. "Ah, if it isn't the newly McMarried couple!"

"Oh no, now I can get McNicknames too," Abby laughed.

Tim was still confused. "What are you doing here? I didn't think Gibbs would have you pulling all-nighters while he's an agent and forensic scientist short." He went to turn on more lights in the office so he could see better when he noticed Tony's altered appearance. "Whoa, what's going on with all…this?" he said gesturing to his face.

Tony debated on telling them the truth, but as the words were about to leave his mouth he saw the way Abby grinned and lovingly wrapped her arms around Tim's waist. "I, uh—I'm just trying out a new look. The—the tanning place messed up and gave me too dark a tan, so I just…ran with it." Tony tried to change the direct the focus off himself to avoid further questioning, "So, how was the honeymoon?"

Abby quickly piped in, "It was awesome! Timmy is so romantic. We had a picnic, a carriage ride, a fancy dinner…"

"Wow—sounds…sounds amazing," Tony shook his head. "I'm happy for you guys."

Tim got a sly look on his face as he slowly approached Tony's desk. "I've been meaning to say something to you…" he teased, "Isn't it funny that Tony DiNozzo—chick magnet, ladies-man, romantic dream boy, Tony DiNozzo—got beaten to the altar by a computer nerd?" Abby giggled. It was ironic that after so many years of taunting about his love life, the Probie was the first to be married.

Tony swallowed hard and tried to laugh along.

Tim clapped his hand to Tony's back. "So when are you going to pop the question anyway?" Tim asked noticing the small box still sitting in front of Tony. Before Abby and McGee had walked in, he had been contemplating what Ziva meant to him. Sometimes staring at the ring made him feel closer to her, wherever she was.

Abby grinned and dug through her purse until she found what she was looking for. "We got you this in New Orleans, thought it might help with the planning." She presented the wedding planning magazine to Tony who just let it sit on his desk. He soon realized he hadn't spoken in half a minute and Tim and Abby were still waiting for some sort of response.

"Thanks," he said, giving a half smile. He stood up and gave Abby a hug and shook Tim's hand.

Tim raised an eyebrow. "Okay… Well, we'd better get going… See ya soon, Tony." He started to leave but stopped when he noticed Abby wasn't following him. She stood staring intently at Tony who had sat back down at his desk. Her eyebrows were furrowed in confusion.

"Tony, is something wrong?" she said quietly.

Tony's head snapped up, "What? No. I'm fine, don't worry about me, it's nothing." He swallowed and gave Abby a smile.

She walked closer and brushed her finger against the skin beneath Tony's eyes. "You have dark circles under your eyes. How long has it been since you slept?"

Tony hesitated to answer, but she got it out of him. "Three days," he said ashamedly.

"You missed us that much?" Tim joked, but Abby knew better. She saw Tony's eyes flash to Ziva's desk and her heart sunk.

"Tony," Abby breathed weakly, "Where's Ziva?"

Tim was mortified when tears started to appear in Tony's eyes. Tony wiped them away roughly, muttering "not again" under his breath. He strode past Abby and Tim on the way to the bathroom. Tim and Abby both walked in to find Tony splashing his face with cold water. Abby was crying now too, though she didn't quite know what for. She hugged Burt tightly to her chest.

Tony looked at the couple, water dripping from his face. "I'm sorry, I didn't want you guys to find out this way. You just got back from your honeymoon."

Tim tried to console his crying friend, "Its fine Tony, reality had to set in sometime. You can tell us whatever's bothering you."

Abby drew in a shaky breath. "Ziva?" she said with a hiccup from crying so much. "What is going on, Tony?" she demanded more sternly.

Tony shook his head, willing the impending tears to go away. "It's a long story," he said finally.

-.-.-.-

An hour and about a gallon of tears from everyone later, Tony was finishing up his recounting of the last week. His father's disappearance, Eli's impersonation of a doctor, Marty, and the coded letter. The same question, however, remained. _What about Ziva?_

Finally, Tony got to that part of the story, and he barely stammered it out. Abby cried and cried, Tim gently rocking her and stroking the back of her head. He was trying hard to stay strong for her, but the idea of he and Abby having such a great time while Tony endured the worst the world could throw at him was sickening.

"I'm leaving for Israel again in the morning," Tony said solemnly.

Tim pulled his chair up to Tony's desk, "Do you need me to come with you?"

Tony shook his head. "No, I'm going undercover. Probably for a while."

"So you need documents made up and stuff right?" Abby perked up at the thought of getting to use her lab again.

The perkiness was not hugely accepted by the still slightly depressed agents. "I guess," Tony answered with a sigh.

"Come on guys, try not to be so blue, I know this situation sucks—it does," Abby said to Tony, "but think of it this way: now you get to show up like a knight in shining armor and save your lady from the evil grasp of the enemy _again_."

Tony started to feel a little better about his trip, but there was nothing to be ecstatic about. "It's not really gonna be like that Abs. I have to infiltrate Mossad and stay put for a while. Not exactly gonna be a quick rescue to save the princess."

Abby smiled and raised her eyebrows as she stepped closer to Tony, grabbing him by the shoulders to get his full attention. "Yes, but you are Tony DiNozzo, and whatever Tony DiNozzo does, he does with flair." Tony smiled at Abby's ability to look on the bright side of things in any situation, and the jazz hands she used to finish off her pep talk. She quickly changed topics and grabbed Tony by the wrist, catching everyone off guard. "Let's go make a new identity."

-.-.-.-

"Ta da!" Abby exclaimed suddenly. Tony and McGee had fallen asleep in Abby's lab and were now jolted awake by the loud noise. "Presenting… Mikael Kershen!" She gestured to the screen and both agents walked over to look. The sun was already starting to rise outside.

"Hmm, Mikael. I think the name suits me," Tony said. Abby flipped through Tony's new fake passport, driver's license, birth certificate, everything he might need while undercover.

"Looks great Abs," a voice said from behind the team.

"GIBBS!" Abby shouted as she wrapped him in a hug. His ever-present cup of coffee was in his hand and he tried not to spill it. Kelly walked in behind him, wearing an NCIS visitor's badge.

"I was going to help you make Tony's identity, but it looks like you've got it covered," she said.

Abby looked confused, so Gibbs explained, "When she was with Puppetmaster, they sometimes had her make fake passports for jobs they needed done." Gibbs gave Abby a kiss on the forehead, "Welcome home. We've missed you guys." He turned to Tony. "What are you still doing here? Go get your bags!" Abby shoved his forged documentation into Tony's hands and shoved him out of her lab.

Tim smirked. "Don't forget to pack sunscreen, I hear it gets pretty hot where you're going!"

Tony looked down at his new passport, barely even recognizing himself in the picture. _This is gonna be a lot like Aladdin_ Tony thought, and Abby was the genie.

-.-.-.-

All of Tony's new clothes and personal items had been packed up, and Tony was about to zip up the suitcases when he remembered the velvet box he had sitting on his end table. He walked over to it and opened it once again, gazing longingly at the ring inside. At this point, the box had become somewhat of a security item for Tony, and going anywhere, especially overseas, seemed impossible. He took the risk and placed it neatly between stacks of clothing in his suitcase. Maybe—just maybe—the opportunity would arise after this whole mess was over.

Impatient honking sounded from the parking lot below, and Tony peeked out the window to confirm who was outside. Just as he thought it was his team waiting to take him to the airport. They had all come to see him off.

Tony made his way to the door. "Wish me luck, Kate," Tony said to his goldfish, "I can't let Ziva end up like you too."

A little while later, the whole team—Gibbs, McGee, Abby, Ducky, Palmer, Kelly, and even Marty—stood on the tarmac offering wishes of luck, hugs, and handshakes.

"Go bring our girl back," Gibbs shouted to Tony who was climbing the stairs to the plane. Our girl. Tony nodded slowly, filled with emotion as he took in his last view of his team—his family—before boarding. They smiled nervously and waved. Tony saluted and stepped on, saying goodbye to DC, goodbye to America, and goodbye to life as he knew it.

He had the love, he had the ring. Now he just needed the girl.

**Aaaaaand that's where I leave you. This has been so much fun to write, I am so excited to begin the sequel, and also post some other one-shots and such while you wait. Don't forget to PM me about getting updates on my story, previews, etc…**

**I hope you loved reading this story. I would love some more reviews, especially since this is the last chapter. Kind of like your final thoughts on this part.**

**Here's a fun way to do reviews, though you don't have to stick with just this. If you want, you can write a thousand word review about whatever you like, but these examples are just get the ball rolling ****.**

_**What is the most memorable moment in the story that you liked?**_

_**What has been your favorite chapter and why did you like it so much?**_

_**Do you have a favorite line / quote?**_

_**What may I need to work on to improve for the sequel?**_

_**What would you like to see in the sequel?**_

_**What character(s) were your favorite in this fanfic?**_

_**Would you recommend this fanfic to a friend and fellow NCIS lover?**_

_**How close were the characters to canon? (OOC?)**_

_**Did you like the twist with Kelly?**_

**That should be enough sample questions for reviews. The 100****th**** reviewer offer is still on the table. Whoever is reviewer number 100 gets to pick what one-shot I do first, and their pen name written as the one who requested it in the beginning author's note. I'll be PMing whoever is the 100****th**** reviewer with the options, so you'll have to have PM enabled. (I know one reader/reviewer uses their daughter's PM if needed, so if that is the case then that will work fine)**

**Once again, thank you, thank you, thank you so much for reading. This has been a great experience for me, and I hope you as well. I miss the show the way it used to be. I find myself thinking about it daily, but writing this fanfiction has helped me to remember the good ol' days when their team was closer and more real.**

**Till next time,**

**~NCIS Obsession**


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NCIS, Family, Romance