Chapter Text
“What in all Hell is it DiNozzo?!”
Gibbs’ voice boomed across the bullpen. He had been watching him for almost 20 minutes now, staring at his screen and locked into his own world. It had been a quiet day and Tony had been pretending to read the long post-mortem for the navy officer that had found dead in the Potomac two days ago but his mind was elsewhere; on a different continent in fact. Furious and frustrated that he did not get an answer, Gibbs put his pen down and sighed. He'd been like this since his return from Israel and even asking Abs had not elicited the reason for his melancholy. Not that Gibbs needed this in the middle of the day.
“McGee!”
Tim’s head shot up at the sound of his name. He’d been watching Tony out of the corner of his eye too; except he knew what was up. “Boss?” he replied; hoping he was not going to get much of a grilling. He had been sworn to temporary secrecy under the threat of imminent death last night and he did not need a vengeful DiNozzo on his back.
“Well at least one of you hasn’t totally clocked off for the day!” Gibbs barked. “What’s up with him?” he asked nodding towards Tony.
“Think it’s a woman boss” Tim replied. He knew it was a woman – there was no ‘think’ about it – but this was not his news to tell. It was as close to the truth that McGee could get without blabbing and getting himself knee deep into shit. Gibbs tutted. “That’s all he told me” Tim concluded. He heard his boss huff now.
“I’m gonna get some lunch” Gibbs replied, getting up. “Tell DiDopey there that by the time I get back that I want him to tell me – verbatim – what’s in that post mortem or tell me what’s distracting him. One or the other because we have work to do. Get me the woman's name and number too and I'll finish it for him if he hasn't got the balls to do it himself! Got it?” With that he grabbed his cell and was thoroughly done; not giving either of them a single glance back.
Tim pressed his lips together and got up; standing in front of Tony’s desk. “I heard him McGoo” Tony began flatly and not letting the other man speak. Tim looked at him. He looked rung out; not hungover, but just exhausted with the world.
“Did you sleep last night?” he asked. Tony shook his head and slumped back into his chair. He had barely slept since his plane landed back in DC weeks ago, beating himself up inside for not staying as he lay in the darkness each night, wondering what she was doing. “You have to speak to him Tony” Tim continued. “Because if you are right…”
“I am right” he responded, recalling their conversation from last night over whiskey and wine. “I know something is wrong with her, Tim. I know it in my gut”. Gibbs' gut was one thing but Tony was rapidly developing one of his own and he didn't mean the one that was threatening to overwhelm his four-pack.
“Then you must do it. You have to go” Tim responded. He was still in innocence of what had actually happened between the two at the farmhouse, but he knew enough to know that the Very Special Agent was beyond troubled. No amount of wine or whiskey would result in Anthony DiNozzo Jnr. confessing he had lied outright to his boss and had already found her. No amount of wine or whiskey would result in him telling anyone they had spent four days in various positions of compromise either before he slipped back to DC heartbroken, but wine and whiskey last night had caused him to vent his worries. He gave Tim a very convincing case that he should go back to Israel; even for a few days. "Do it yourself, not through Orli or Mossad. Who knows what they'll try and keep from you whether Ziva likes it or not. If you are right..." McGee missed her too.
Tony nodded. This wasn’t a whim. Something inside him was screaming that something was up with Ziva David. It wasn't something that could be done over IM's or text, or even email. It had to be done in person as whatever this was, it was gnawing at him so intensely that it was the only thing he could concentrate on.
He had no idea what he was going to find, but he was going to find it. Sooner rather than later.