Disclaimer: no, I don't own anything worthy of a copyright.

Summary: Tony and Ziva are dispatched to florida whilst Abby struggles to focus on the case. Meanwhile, something bad happens to Gibbs (very articulate miss G...) and Tony reveals a hidden skill to Ziva in a kind of cute way.

A/note: Time for a little Tiva I think. Gotta love Tiva. I'm pedantic about not having tony and Ziva dive into a relationship within the space of three paragraphs. Sorry, but it kind of cheapens the relationship in my mind. I guess I'm a sentimental romantic. Enjoy! * note: times are DC, keep that in mind for the trip to florida.

Black and white shot of Abby leaning over an unconscious Gibbs on the floor of lab.

8:14am

"The USS Gettysburg is a Ticonderoga-class cruiser normal ported at Mayport, Florida. Commander Hans Denisoff-" McGee changed the image on the plasma to show the dead commander's naval profile. "Only picked up the captaincy 8 months ago."

He paused only momentarily as Gibbs entered the bullring. Tony and Ziva leant against her desk whilst listening to McGee.

"He was born in Russia on March 27th, 1966. The entire family immigrated in 1972 to Dade County, Miami. He started out as an electronics analyst on the USS Ronald Reagan in 1988. One sister currently living in North Carolina. Parents still live in Dade." McGee read. . Tony couldn't help notice Gibbs' look of frustration, like he couldn't talk fast enough. Ziva, by only momentarily glancing at Tony, checked out Gibbs, and he too fell under her gaze. McGee continued.

"He has a Bachelor of engineering, fluent in Russian and German, and been married for 18 years. He has a daughter and two sons. Also in North Carolina. He stopped over in DC for a meeting and was supposed to go back home this afternoon."

"So what was up with the cluedo layout of the hotel room?" Tony interjected.

"Don't know yet, might need to consult with ducky or Abby and see what they have."

"Then I will go and see what Abby has." Ziva announced before making good on her statement and swiftly made her way towards the elevator.

"McGee: find out why he was in Washington and head back to the hotel, see what you can get out of anyone he came in contact whilst he was down there. Tony: you and Ziva are going to Florida to start interviewing the Gettysburg." Gibbs ordered as he hauled his body out of his chair and left the bull ring, heading towards Vance's office.

"Sure thing boss." McGee went straight for the phone.

"Yep, on it. I'll grab Ziva."

Tony pushed off the desk, grabbed his and his partner's backpacks and made a beeline to the elevator. As the doors closed he watched Gibbs reach the top of the stairs. He palmed both packs in one hand and rubbed his eyes. The elevator doors were open by the time he finished rubbing them. Sigh.

He took a few quiet steps into the lab, before stopping short. Ziva and Abby were engaged in what appeared to be a non-work conversation. And not the cheery kind either. Abby sat on her wheeled stool, radiating physical exhaustion in a way he had never seen from her before; hunched over like a question mark with her forehead in her palm. Ziva leant elbows down on the side of the bench, listening intently to whatever Abby was telling her. Her eyes flicked up to him for a second, before returning to Abby.

Abby threw a quick glance over her shoulder and then looked away.

"It's okay Tony. You can come in." She sniffed quietly and left her stool, moving swiftly through into the other room. That was when Ziva came to him.

"She is fine. Or so she tells me. I don't think so though, but if it helps, I will go along with it." Tony analysed the tell-tale signs of concern Ziva displayed. She expressed a controlled calmness to hide any unease. Tony could read her well enough to know that she was still genuinely sympathetic towards her friend.

"Boss wants us to head on out to Florida and talking to Denisoff's crew; see if we can find anything." He held up her pack. He looked over her shoulder to see Abby pacing around in an attempt to occupy her mind. "I'll warm up the car." His eyes flicked back to Abby, hinting to Ziva to go finish their conversation. He took her pack from her again.

"I won't be long."

"Take your time." And with that he left.

12:46pm

Gibbs rolled his head from left to right, grimacing at the faint cracks that sounded in his ears. Oh well, it made his neck feel less stiff. He sighed in the mild relief it brought to him. Lisa, the young lady who worked behind the counter returned with the oversized caf-pow! cup.

"Anything else Mr. Gibbs?" She knew him and his order by heart. Sometimes he suspected they kept a full one behind the counter just for hm.

"No thanks Lisa." He grinned. He fished his wallet from his back pocket and opened it, searching to a ten. It was pay day yesterday and the pocket was full of various notes. He soon spotted the ten and licked his thumb to make a grab for it with his somewhat stubby fingers.

As soon as his thumb left his mouth he tasted a strong bitter taste.

"Ugh!" he frowned. He ran his tongue across the cuff of his jacket, the taste was that bad. The bitterness remained but was not as strong. Lisa looked at him, confusion and unease written across her features.

"Touch something with a bad flavour in your travels?" she inquired.

"Must have..." he threw the ten to her, grabbed the beverage and departed quickly.

12:56 pm

Mayport, Florida

Agent DiNozzo and David ducked and dodged their way through the sea of bodies at the airport on their way to baggage claim. It was mid afternoon and all incoming flights from earlier in the morning seemed to be landing all at once, filling the complex to near breaking point.

Finally, after much walking and darting in between too many people, they made it out the main doors of the airport. Needless to say it was beautiful outside. The lightest of breezes cooled the slightly warm sun and aside from the extensive car park and roads, the scenery beyond held much potential to be remarkable. Tony's revere was unfortunately broken by the shrill of Ziva's cell phone. As she talked, he began to walk towards the car rental. Hopefully the agency picked out a jag for them. Probably not, but one could always hope, can't they?

"Ducky was right. Denisoff was euthanized. Abby is quite frustrated she cannot find any unaccounted fingerprints"

"Defiantly sounds like Abby. She'll get something soon."

"I'll call McGee and see if he's found anything new at the hotel." She punched in the number and waited for him to answer.

"Hey Ziva?"

"Yes?" she still waited for McGee to answer.

"volete cenare con me?" would you like to have dinner with me?

She cancelled the call and raised an eyebrow to her partner.

"You speak Italian Tony? I'm impressed." Before he could reply they were approached by a naval petty officer in good rig. The young man must have only been in his early twenties. Tony slipped his sunglasses on.

"Special agents David and DiNozzo?"

"It's pronounced David." She educated.

"My apologies ma'am. Your vehicle has already been collected; I will be driving you to the Gettysburg. Please come this way." The young petty officer flushed with mild embarrassment and began walking towards the more business class end of the car park.

As soon as their driver's back was turned, Ziva caught tony by the wrist.

"Mi piacerebbe."

He granted her a brief, but affectionate smile.

12:58pm

Abby frowned at her computer screen. A bird's eye view image of the crime scene stared at her and she simply could not decipher it. She had made some headway with parts of the immense puzzle though. She had established that the cube could be solved in 64 manipulations, 68 if you started on the red face.

Apart from that, she knew little more. She felt frustrated by the lack of occupation this case gave her. The mass spec was grinding away at a sample taken from the cube, Ducky was probably close to finishing his autopsy and the toxicology was back already with nothing to tell them that they didn't already know. She wanted to be distracted. She needed to immerse herself in this case.

A disturbance behind her caused her to avert eyes from the screen. Only then did they hurt. Gibbs entered the lab, caf-pow! in hand. He sidled up to her, planting her favourite drink on the bench top and then placing his wallet next to it. Odd.

"Making any headway?" he asked, his voice sounding slightly tired (or weak?). She sighed as he rested a hand on her shoulder.

"Not really. I mean, sort of, but I keep thinking we don't have all the information here to wo-" she was cut short by the tightening of his grip on her shoulder.

She looked up at him. His brow was covered in sweat and his cheeks were glowing red. His breathing was laboured.

"Gibbs?"

His eyes twitched in a frown and he fell to the floor.

"Gibbs!" she came down to the floor and held his face. He was unconscious.

She scrambled off the floor and dove to the phone on the wall.

"Medical team down to lab 4, agent Gibbs is down." She left the phone unhooked and rushed back to Gibbs.

Panic surged through her body. She put an ear over his open mouth. Still breathing, but it was very shallow.

"Gibbs? Wake up. Gibbs!" she yelled at him, hoping to wake him.

"GIBBS!"

Did I mention I tend to do cliff-hangers? Sorry NCIS readers. The XF readers know I do this sometimes... *cough* often *cough*