“Hello?”
“Agent DiNozzo?” A female voice asked.
“Speaking. Who is this?” Tony asked cautiously.
“Director Jennifer Sheppard.”
Tony felt like he was unable to speak. Why was the new director of NCIS ringing him? Maybe he was being fired? He gulped before asking: “If you don’t mind me asking, why are you calling me Madam Director?”
“Director Sheppard.” She corrected him. “I hate to do this but you are needed here urgently.”
“Why?”
“You will find out when you arrive.”
“Okay I’ll catch the first flight out of here and see you tomorrow.”
“Thank you Agent DiNozzo.” She said before she hung up leaving Tony to stare blankly at his phone for a moment before he remembered he desperately needed to pack and he hurriedly grabbed his stuff, and after leaving a quick note for Alex he called a cab and left for the airport.
Tony walked out of the Director’s office feeling more confused than when he was on flying back to Washington DC after getting a mysterious call from the new Director of NCIS.
Director Sheppard hadn’t told him anything only but she did welcome him back and told him to report immediately to Gibbs who wouldn’t be at work at 7am on a Monday morning so now he was just relaxing at his desk trying to catch up on his lost sleep.
He suddenly heard the elevator ding and hurried footsteps. He lazily opened one eye to see a beautiful olive skinned woman with her long black hair tied in a tight ponytail placing bags at Sasha’s desk before sitting down and turning on the computer.
“Wait. Who’s that?” Maya interrupted him.
He sighed. “That’s Ziva.”
“You mind telling me who you are and what you’re doing here?” Tony asked her even though he had a pretty good idea of who she was.
“Officer Ziva David. And I am sitting at my desk.” Ziva told him sighing.
“For what?” He asked her.
“To start work. Does everyone always come in this late?”
“It’s zero-seven hundred.”
“At Mossad we start at zero-five hundred.” She told him proudly.
“Okay, let me rephrase the original question. What the hell are you doing here, Officer David?” He asked walking over to her.
Before she could answer him McGee walked into the bullpen whistling a new tune. “Tony what are you doing back at work you’re not due back until next week?” He asked before he noticed Ziva. “Ah Ziva what are you here for? Weren’t you supposed to be back in Israel?”
“I see. Gibbs didn’t tell you?” She asked standing up behind the desk.
“Tell us what?” They both asked.
“Mossad’s assigned me to NCIS as a liaison officer. We’re going to be working together.”
“Does Gibbs know about this?” Tony asked shocked. As far as he knew there could only be for members in a team and there Ziva sat smugly at Sasha’s desk. He had a horrible feeling about this. He had to talk to Sasha soon.
“Do you think I’d be here if he didn’t?” She pointed out before turning to McGee. “Special Agent McGee. Hold that.” She said to the younger agent handing him a stack of files.
“Sure.” McGee said taking the files.
“Hmm.” Ziva said as she unsuccessfully tried to open the desk draws “Anyone have a key for this?”
“That’s Sasha’s desk.” McGee pointed out.
“Okay, but if I’m going to be a part of your team I would love to-’’
“What!” Maya exclaimed. “But what about Sasha? She’s part of you’re team.”
“I’ll get to that. I promise.” He said kissing her forehead.
“Did Gibbs tell you about this?” McGee asked Tony.
“Nope.”
“Here are my orders. Signed by Director Sheppard.” Ziva said showing them the paperwork.
“You think Gibbs knows?” McGee asked the others nervously.
“I hope so. All my personal possessions are currently being shipped from Tel Aviv to Washington.” Ziva replied.
“I’d hold off on unpacking the waffle iron until you talk to him, Ziva.” Tony told her hoping Gibbs could put things back to the way they were.
“When does he come in?” She asked him.
“Now.” Tony replied as the elevator doors opened and Gibbs walked out and towards his desk but stopped when he noticed Ziva sitting at Sasha’s desk.
“Special Agent Gibbs.” Ziva greeted him
“Ziva.” He replied. “What are you doing here?”
“Looking forward to being a member of your team.” She told him. He glared at her before turning and storming upstairs to the director’s office.
“I stand corrected. It appears he didn’t know. . I feel very much like a donkey’s butt.” Ziva said as they watched him go.
“A donkey’s butt?” McGee asked confused.
“I think she meant horse’s ass, McGee.” Tony told him.
“Yes; that too.” Ziva said.
* * *
“Miss David will be with us for a while.” Gibbs told Tony and McGee, who was on his phone, as he and Ziva walked out of the elevator where they had been talking for the past five minutes after Gibbs stormed out of the director’s office. “That’s Sasha’s desk. Yours is down at the end.” He turned to Ziva who was walking towards the desk she’d been sitting at and pointed at another empty desk.
“He’s a tough one to read.” She muttered to Tony as she walked past him.
“You’ll find most NCIS agents are like that. It’s our training.” He told her.
“Is that a fact?” She asked him.
“Mm-hmm. We never let the other people know what we’re thinking.” Tony replied.
“Gas the truck, McGee. DiNozzo!” Gibbs ordered as he grabbed his gear.
“Yeah, boss!” Tony replied eagerly.
“I’ve got a murder in your area of expertise.” Gibbs told him.
“This happens a lot, me being a Senior Field Agent and all.” Tony said proudly to Ziva.
“I’m sure it does.” She replied sarcastically.
“What do we got, Boss? Multiple homicides?” Tony asked Gibbs.
“No.”
“Gang related?” Tony guessed.
“No.” Gibbs repeated.
“Defenestration?”
“The Civil War.” Gibbs said simply.
“I can hardly wait. That’s my favourite subject.” Tony said eagerly as he grabbed his gear.
“What about me?” Ziva asked Gibbs having not been given any orders.
“You’re coming along strictly as an observer. Hand over all your weapons.” Gibbs ordered her.
“Is that really necessary?” She complained making Gibbs glare at her. “Right.” She finally giving in and handing over her guns and knives which were hidden in places that Tony didn’t know could hide stuff.
“And your backup.” Gibbs ordered her.
“What backup?” She asked innocently.
“Left leg.” Gibbs told her.
“Oh. That one.” She said pulling a long sharp knife that had been concealed by her trousers from her leg.
“And the knife concealed at your waist.” He took it from her then handed it back, “You can keep this. I just want you to know that I know.” Gibbs told her.
“Wow Ziva sounds scary.” Maya said.
“Oh she was.” Tony laughed.
* * *
“Hey, not so fast!” Tony told Ziva as she sped round another corner in the truck. She hadn’t been given anything to do that day so Gibbs had let her drive back to headquarters while he escorted the body back with Ducky.
“I always drive fast! It’s the best way to avoid possible IEDs and ambushes.” She told him.
“You’re in America now. I wouldn’t worry about it. How about this? Slow down or I’ll puke on you.” He warned her.
“Tony, why don’t you like the American Civil War?” She asked him.
“I don’t want to talk about it.” He replied. He did kind of like Ziva but didn’t know her well enough to share that kind of stuff with her.
“It’s because of his father.” McGee told her.
“Was she talking to you, Probie?” Tony warned McGee.
“Oh. You didn’t get along with your father. Hm… explains a lot.” Ziva said.
“My father and I got along fine.” He said to her defensively.
“If you say so.” She said in a tone that showed she clearly didn’t believe him. “I think it’s best to talk about things instead of burying them inside.”
“What about you? Your father? Deputy Director David, what’s he like?” McGee asked her curiously but she ignored him and sped up.
“Slow down, we’re taking the next left.” Tony told her as she sped round the corner making the tires screech and the oncoming traffic honk their horns at her.
“Ziva, car! Car! Car!” McGee warned her.
“Sorry.” She apologised. “First time behind the wheel after a six month mission in the U.K.”
Tony vomited into his lap.
“I said I was sorry.” Ziva repeated.
* * *
“Ziva?” Tony asked her nervously as she was standing over his shoulder watching him.
“Yes?”
“First of all, don’t ever do that again. And second, what are you doing?”
“I’m observing you, Tony.” She replied simply.
“Any way you can do that in a less creepy manner?”
“Who is the woman with Gibbs?” She asked looking over at where their boss stood talking to a red haired woman.
“Yeah. Once you’re here long enough, you’ll figure it out.” He told her.
“Is that his girlfriend?” She asked him.
“I have no idea.” He replied honestly.
“You just told me that-” She pointed out.
“Well, you’ll figure out there’s some things around here you don’t ask about.” He replied cutting her off.
“Where’s Gibbs, Tony?” Ducky asked him as he walked through the elevator.
“Your two o’clock.” Tony replied indicating where Gibbs stood with a tilt of his head.
Gibbs seemed to sense he was needed and said goodbye to the woman before joining them. “What’s wrong, Duck?”
“I know how our Staff Sergeant died.” Ducky replied.
“From your look I’m guessing it wasn’t a musket ball.” Gibbs said.
* * *
“A Marine dressed as a Civil War soldier is shot by a musket and then buried alive in a one hundred and forty year old antique iron casket. And you’re telling me this isn’t your strangest case?” Ziva asked him as she looked at the photograph’s of the body on the plasma.
“Yep.” Tony replied as he ate his roll.
“Pretty much.” McGee agreed.
“I don’t know what I find more disturbing; your eating habits or the fact that I believe you.”
“I’m sorry; do our strange American foods frighten you?” He asked her sarcastically.
“Not at all. I was referring to your manners. You should have bought me one.” She replied as she reached over to Tony’s and stole a bite. He stared at her in surprise, how dare she steel his food!
Maya laughed. “She’s brave. You won’t even share your food with me.”
McGee laughed at them until Tony turned to glare at him. “I’m going to go help Abby.”
As soon as he left Ziva tried to steel another bite but Tony grabbed it out of her grasp just in time. But she managed to snatch it and when she offered it back to him he refused. “You sure you don’t want it back Tony?” He just glared at her.
“Most men usually don’t have a problem with my germs.”
He ignored her and went to get the information he just printed from the machine.
“I’ve got a lead on how our Staff Sergeant ended up in a Union Soldier’s uniform. He was a member of a local CW….” He turned around not realising she was standing right behind him. “CWR out of Fairfax.”
“CWR?” She asked snatching the piece of paper he was holding out of his hand.
“Yeah. Civil War Re-enactors. Guys, who get together, dress up in period costumes, re-enacting famous battles.” He explained.
“Why?” She asked reading the piece of paper.
“I’ve been asking my father that since I was ten years old.” He replied.
“According to this, they’re preparing for one of those battles this week in Manassas. Quite the coincidence.” She read out loud ignoring his attempts to snatch the paper back.
“In the immortal words of Leroy Jethro Gibbs, I don’t believe in coincidences.” He told her putting on his best Gibb’s accent.
“Is that a fact, DiNozzo?” Gibbs asked as he walked towards them.
“Hey boss. I was just telling Ziva about this lead that I-” Tony was cut off by Gibbs head slapping him.
“Yeah, I heard. Come on. Abby’s found something. Let’s roll.” Gibbs told them as he headed for the elevator.
“That’s an American custom. A form of affection.” Tony told Ziva trying to convince her by even slapping himself on the back of the head.
“It seems like “Shloshet haStooges” to me.” She replied.
“LIKE WHAT?” He exclaimed.
“Larry, Moe, Curly, yes?” She said doing an expression of some form of what looked to be some kind of monkey.
* * *
“Abs?” Gibbs asked with concern when they entered the lab and the Goth didn’t run up to them and hug them.
“I look like a freak.” She said to them as she came out of hiding and they saw why. She was wearing a polyester cotton pink suit, with her hair down and her glasses on. “Well?” She asked them.
“Oh wow. I can’t imagine Auntie Abby wearing that. It would just be weird.” Maya said.
“Yeah it was.” He replied.
“Whoa.” Tony said in surprise.
“See, I don’t think she really looks that bad.” McGee lied.
“Is she making a reference to that strange tattoo on her neck?” Ziva asked clearly not used to Abby’s normal dress code.
“Why?” Gibbs asked the Goth.
“One of the Director’s new admin weenies brought me this last night. It’s the NCIS dress code. He said I was in violation.” Abby explained looking like she was just about in tears.
“He did, did he?” Gibbs said clearly not happy that someone had made Abby do something she didn’t want to do.
“It’s bad enough that I have to wear a monkey suit for court appearances, but everyday?” The Goth complained.
“I think you look nice, Abby.” Ziva complimented her.
“Nice?! You think I look nice?! I look like… like…” Abby snapped at her.
“Career Girl Barbie.” Tony finished helpfully.
“Oh my god! I do! I can’t work like this, Gibbs.” Abby exclaimed hysterically.
“I’ll take care of it, Abs.” Gibbs told her honestly.
“I’m allergic to polyester. It makes me itch. It’s a medical condition. I could get a note from the doctor.” Abby told them as she grabbed Bert the hippo and hugged him close.
“Abby, I said I’ll take care of it.” Gibbs repeated as Bert farted.
“Don’t ask.” Tony told Ziva when she looked around puzzled by the noise.
“Can we get back to work now?” Gibbs asked.
“Do I have to wear the shoes?” Abby asked him refering to the black high heels she was wearing. She ran and embraced Gibbs when he shook his head before taking off the shoes and leading them over to the evidence.
“There were traces of Staff Sergeant Sorrow’s blood inside of the cover.” Abby told them.
“Most likely from when he tried to claw his way out.” Ziva pointed out.
“Since his fingers were shredded, that must have been really hard to figure out Agent David.” Abby snapped at Ziva, deliberately pronouncing her name wrong.
“It’s pronounced Dah-veed. Or you can just call me Ziva.” Ziva replied.
“I also found two very distinct types of dirt on the outside. One is red clay which is very common in Virginia. And the other had a high concentration of fertilizer.” Abby told the others.
“Tony, meet with the construction company that found this.” Gibbs ordered him.
“Zero nine hundred.” Tony replied.
“Take Ziva with you. See if there’s anything left of that crime scene.” Gibbs added as he walked out of the lab.
“On it.” Tony told him.
“Come on, McGee.” Abby called to the younger agent but Tony grabbed her arm. “I need to talk to you.”
She looked at him clearly confused before nodding and leading him over to a quiet corner away from McGee and Ziva. “What Tony?”
“Abs you’re Sasha’s best friend. Why’d she resign? I know you know.” He whispered to her knowing that Sasha would have told the Goth about their secret relationship and shared her reasons for leaving.
“I don’t know what you think I know.” Abby replied.
“Abby! Please I need to know.” He pleaded with her.
The Goth considered this for a moment before she gave in and whispered back. “Sasha resigned because she was offered a better job with the secret service. That’s all I can tell you, sorry Tony.”
He could tell she was telling him what she could. “It’s okay Abs I understand.” He told her pulling her into a hug. “Now let’s get back to work.”
She nodded and went over to help McGee.
* * *
Tony walked into the bullpen and over to his desk when he noticed Ziva had moved her things over to Sasha’s old desk and was handing something to Gibbs which looked kind of like a sketch book before walking towards the elevator.
Tony quickly packed up his stuff and said goodnight to Gibbs before running to join her. He got there just as the doors were closing but she stopped them just in time.
“Thanks.” He said to her.
“You are welcome.” She replied.
“So what are your plans for tonight?” He asked her cautiously.
“Well since I have only just moved into my apartment I was planning to unpack.” She answered. “Why do you ask?”
He gulped. “I was wondering if you’d like to have a drink with me.”
She looked at him like she was trying to guess what his intensions were. “Like a date?”
“No, no, I have a girlfriend. I mean you’re new here and you don’t know a lot about America and maybe you needed a tour guide?”
“Oh, yes. That would be nice.”
“There’s a bar not far from here.” He said as he wrote down the address. “I’ll meet you there in an hour.”
She nodded. “I’ll see you then.”
“So then what happened? Did you meet up and drink?” Maya asked him accusingly.
“Yeah we did.”
Tony got to the bar early and decided to wait outside for Ziva in case she couldn’t find it. He had called Sasha at home and arranged to meet up with her next week when she was in Washington, and he wanted something to get her off his mind. He glanced at his watch Ziva was ten minutes late, he began to look around anxiously. A tap on the shoulder made him jump around and reached for his gun before realising it was just Ziva.
“Please don’t do that again.” He asked her.
“Why not?” She asked him innocently.
“It gives me the creeps.” He replied.
“I cannot help that.” She told him as she walked over to the bar door and opened it for him.
He sighed deciding it wasn’t worth arguing over and followed her inside. “So this is what an American bar looks like.” She said in amazement.
“Yeah, don’t you have bars in Israel?” He asked.
“Yes but they are…different.” She replied.
He asked her to get a table while he brought them drinks. She was still looking around the bar in amazement when he returned.
They sat in a quiet corner for a bit and Tony told her about previous cases he’d worked. He sighed at the memory of Sasha.
She stared at him for a moment before asking, “So you and Sasha had a relationship?”
He felt himself pale. He hadn’t told her that. How’d she know? “Well…It’s complicated.”
“How?”
“Gibbs has these rules about dating your co-worker.” He explained.
“Oh…So you had to keep it a secret?”
“Yes. But then she was all weird after I saved her life…But I have a way to fix it.”
“Oh, are you going to propose?” She guessed.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black velvet box. “Yes.”
“He opened it to reveal a stunning white gold ring with a small but noticeable diamond in the centre.
“Wow.” Maya exclaimed.
“Wow.” Ziva exclaimed as he handed the box carefully to her and she examined the ring.
“She gets it next week. I made a reservation at the Italian restaurant where we went for our first date.” He told her proudly.
“You are doing it in front of a room full of strangers?”
“Yeah, I am. What’s wrong with that?”
“Nothing. I think it shows confidence. What are you going to say?”
“I’m still working on it. I don’t know.”
“Oh, you should work on it with me. We can go to a secluded place outside and you can practice with me. I am really good at that. I will be Sasha.” She said standing up. He nodded realising he didn’t have much choice and followed her outside and down the road where there wasn’t anyone around.
She walked away from him a bit before turning to face him. “I am Sasha, your girlfriend. Is there something you wanted to ask me?”
“Sasha…” He started nervously. Not exactly sure why he was doing this with Ziva who he barely knew.
“Wait! Is not it custom to get down on one knee?”
“No, I’m not getting down on my knee.”
“She will like it. She will like seeing you down on your knee.” She insisted.
“I’m not getting down on my knee.” He repeated stubbornly.
“Such a mistake.” She muttered. “Okay.”
“Sasha.”
“Yes, Anthony.” She said in a put on girly voice.
“Don’t make me laugh.” He warned her. “Sasha, will you, um, marry me?”
“No.”
“Oh, my god.” He sighed.
“What do you mean, ‘Will you, umm, marry me?’ I have not seen you in weeks! You do not look happy or excited about the prospect of our marriage! You are asking me to give up my freedom, my joie de vivre for an institution that fails as often as it succeeds? And why should I marry you anyway? I mean, why do you want to marry me? Besides some bourgeois desire to fulfil an ideal that society embeds in us from an early age to promote a consumer capitalist agenda?”
“Oh!” He chuckled. “Oh, my god!”
“You should have got onto your knee!”
“Just shut up!” He snapped at her and she bit her lip. “Here. I wanna marry you because you’re the first person that I wanna wake up in the morning and the only one I wanna kiss goodnight.” He gently held her hand, “Because the first time I saw these hands, I couldn’t imagine not being able to hold them. But mainly when you love someone as much as I love you getting married is the only thing left to do. So will you…Um…Marry me?”
“Definitely.” Ziva nodded. “Maybe. I have to think about it. I better go it’s getting late.” She said as she walked off into the darkness.
Author's Chapter Notes:
When a non-commissioned officer is shot to death on the freeway, the NCIS team takes upon the investigation. The first lead, a fact that the victim was leading a double life, takes them to a possible solution of the crime, but the tables are turned when the victim's dying message is discovered and it leads them to a totally different clue.