Legend Part One and a Half

All of them were standing in the bullpen. Gibbs was in front with Tony and McGee slightly behind him on either side. Ducky and Abby were behind them. Ziva was facing them from across the bullpen. She took in the faces of her coworkers, her friends, her family. Gibbs was glaring at her and looking as though he was trying to keep from yelling at her. Abby too looked angry, but there was something thing else in her eyes, devastation. McGee looked at Ziva disbelieving and upset. Ducky's expression was calculating her. She was almost afraid to look at Tony and was a little surprised to see that for once she could not read it.

"When were you planning on telling us this?" Gibbs asked Ziva his voice angry.

"When the operation was over." Ziva's voice was calm but only because she was too confused to sort out all she was feeling.

"How long have you been using us?" Gibbs spat across the bullpen.

"I was not using you…" but she could not finish that sentence because that was not true. She had not meant to use NCIS but Mossad had told her what to do and she had.

"You could have asked." Gibbs replied his anger a little better controlled.

"And what would you have said." Ziva said angrily, "No. That is what you would have said. I had a job to do for Mossad."

"Are you their agent or mine?" The anger was resurfacing.

"Can't I be both?"

"No!"

"Fine." She walked over to her desk and took out her badge and her gun and handed them to Gibbs. "Here you go. That is what you wanted right?" Then she turned on her heal and walked to the elevator and out of the office. A few seconds of stunned silence followed her departure. Gibbs took in the objects in his hand and realized what had just happened.

"Why can't she belong to both agency's?" Tony asked Gibbs as the boss set Ziva's badge and gun down on his desk.

"Because, she was passing information to them from our secure office." Gibbs replied now that Ziva was gone his anger was draining.

"What would you have done in her position?" Tony shot back.

Gibbs opened his mouth to speak then closed it because he would have done the exact same thing that Ziva had just done. The anger was now being replaced by guilt. Ziva had wanted to escape Mossad but you can't exactly quit Mossad so she had come to the States and to NCIS. She was still a Mossad agent but she was also part of NCIS. She was part of his team and he did not turn his back on his people no matter what happened. He signed.

"She was just doing her job boss."

"Point taken, Dinozzo"

"You would have done the same thing."

"I already agreed with you."

"Right boss." There was silence then Tony spoke, "So how do we get her back?"

"Why do we need her back?" Abby asked. They all turned to look at her and Gibbs, for the first time ever, head slapped her. "What was that for? She betrayed NCIS."

"No she didn't," Tony said annoyed he needed Ziva there and if she did not come back he would never see her again. "She was following orders. I am not sure if you are familiar with the concept." Abby glared at him but McGee added quickly.

"I thought you liked Ziva." Suddenly Abby was reminded of all the time she and Ziva had helped each other, all the fun that they had had together, and all the laughs. She was mad at herself now. Ziva was like a sister and they had to get her back.

She walked over to Gibbs desk and picked up Ziva's badge and gun. "No one quits team Gibbs. We are a family. Now bring her home." She said as shoved the objects into Tony's hands.

"Why me?" He said stunned. He had thought it would be Gibbs' job.

"Because you love her." It was not the statement surprised him, because he did love Ziva. It was the fact that Gibbs had said it. "You can figure she is and have a better chance than anyone else of making her come back."

"I think you have a better chance of making her come back," Tony protested because he did not know where to find Ziva or how to make her come back to NCIS.

"Yea Dinozzo." Gibbs said sarcastically, "She would be really happy to see me right now." He was right Tony realized. Ziva would not want to talk to Gibbs after the shouting match they had just had. She was running again, just as she had been three years ago when she was wanted for murder. Then it hit him.

"See you guys later." He said as he walked toward the elevator.

"Where are you going?" McGee asked confused.

"To get Ziva." He replied. He was not entirely sure he was right but he had an idea where Ziva might go.

When he reached Gibbs house he found the door unlocked as usual. He pushed it open and walked inside. On his left was the staircase to the basement. Ziva had hidden there three years ago and if there was a place that she would hide that would be it. He walked down the stairs slowly looking around in the dim light. "Ziva," he whispered. He watched her figure move in the dark and turn to face him.

"What are you doing here?" She asked trying to keep her voice level but he could tell that she had been crying.

"Looking for you." He said then trying to make her laugh added, "You didn't really think you could get away that easy did you?"

She looked at him questioningly. "Tony I betrayed NCIS. I betrayed Gibbs. I screwed up and hurt everyone I care about."

"No you didn't."

"You didn't see your faces when Gibbs and I were arguing." She looked down still fighting tears.

He walked closer to her and lifted her head so their eyes met. "And you didn't hear the conversation we had after you left. Ziva we are a family. Nothing you do is going to change that." Her silence told him that she was not completely convinced. "This team already lost two members. Please don't go. Abby needs you. McGee needs you. I need you. Please don't leave." He begged her.

"I was really trying to do my job," she said needing him to understand.

"I know, Ziva, and so does Gibbs. No one blames you."

"Really?"

"Really" He wrapped his arms around her holding her close and she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Thank you, Tony."

"For what."

"Bring me home."

Gibbs smiled as he closed the door to the basement. He had known that Tony could find her. The two of them had worked together for so long that they had come to understand each other. Most of the time anyway. Of course now he would have to give them a lecture on rule twelve. Or maybe he wouldn't he had lost Jen without telling her how much she meant to him. Maybe scraping rule twelve wasn't such a bad plan after all.