Chapter 2
Gibbs had been gone for about two minutes when a tall blonde stepped into the bullpen, holding the leash of a menacing looking black lab.
"Uh, miss, we don't allow pets in here," Tony said uncomfortably. He figured someone should say something, but Ziva was pointedly ignoring the woman and McGee was too busy with his palm pilot.
"He's a seeing-eye dog," the woman answered curtly. "You're Tony DiNozzo, aren't you?"
"Oh, you're bli-" Tony started, embarrassed.
"You haven't changed a bit, still tactless," the woman said. Both Ziva and McGee were watching her now.
"Yes," Ziva answered, laughing, "Always."
"You are Tony, right?"
"Uh, yeah, sorry," Tony answered, even more embarrassed than before, "and you are?"
"Maria Schultz," she offered her hand out to him, "and this is Doug." she gestured to the dog, who was now sitting at her feet. "You don't remember me?"
"Uh, should I?" Tony had lost his cool; he was no longer the smooth talking wonder, thrown off by her disability.
"We went to high school together, remember?" She looked disappointed that he didn't remember her.
"Oh, right! Maria, from high school. Yeah, how are you, you and Doug?" Tony bluffed. Great, he thought, mention the dog, a
constant reminder that she's blind.
"We're doing great. You seem like you're doing well, too. Who's your friend?" Maria asked politely.
"That's Ziva, and behind the palm pilot over there is McGee, I mean, Tim," he said, pointing. He lowered is hand quickly. Crap, he thought, she can't see, stupid!
"Right, I heard him when I came in," she said, politely ignoring his stupidity. There was an awkward silence before she bid him farewell. "I better be going. It was nice to talk to you again, Tony. Nice meeting you Ziva, Tim." Just like that, she left, stopping by Ziva's desk and taking the proffered ten dollar bill before disappearing.
"Wait, what was that for?" Tony asked confused at the exchange of money.
"For coming here and pretending she went to high school with you," Ziva answered, standing and walking over to McGee's desk, holding out her hand expectantly.
"What?!?" Tony sputtered as McGee handed over a twenty.
"Thank you!" Ziva said before turning to Tony and explaining.
"I bet him you would pretend you knew her."
"You're telling me you paid some random chick to-" Tony began.
"She's not random," Ziva interrupted him. "She's blind and I knew you'd get awkward and lie to her. She works as an explosives expert. We, uh, met a few years back." Tony tried to wrap his mind around this bit of info as Ziva returned to her desk.
"Wait, she's blind and she does..."
"Explosives, yes. She's quite good at it, too," Ziva finished for him.
"Right. So, where's my cut of the cash?" he asked, referring to Ziva's winnings.
"You don't get any," Ziva told him.
"Why not?" he asked indignantly.
"'Cause it's mine," she said, echoing what he had told her every time she had asked him for anything.
"Oh. Fair enough."
Author's Chapter Notes:
Tony gets a visit from a very interesting character.
Chapter End Notes:
I didn't completely make up the blind/explosives thing. That credit goes to James Patterson, in his book Maximum Ride, which if you haven't read you need to go buy it. So yeah, I kinda borrowed the idea of a female Iggy.