This will be a Tiva story with lots of angst, so if you don't like don't read. Jeanne will be mentioned and it won't follow the events of season 4/5 mainly because I don't know what happens fully for Channel 5 in the UK takes ages to get the rights….

Rule number 12 was there for a reason, every agent knew about it. It was the only rule they could all remember fully and was the rule that got broken the most. But it was definitely there for a reason…

Tony and Ziva had been going out for about three months when Tony got summoned to the Directors office. An undercover mission to become the girlfriend of La Granouille, the only problem was he already had a girlfriend but he couldn't tell Jenny that. So he accepted the mission with a heavy heart, he couldn't say no, Jenny was telling him to do the mission not asking him.

"Tell no one…"

Tell no one? If Tony told Ziva he would be fired for certain and NCIS was his whole life. If Ziva knew, that information would its way back to Jenny somehow. For a secret agency secrets didn't remain private for long…

Ziva observed Tony from her desk, a week ago he had been asked to see the director alone. Ever since he was acting differently around her avoiding her eye, when she asked what was wrong her brushed it of telling her he was just tired. But she didn't believe that. Next time she spoke to Jenny socially she casually brought it up. The Director said she asked if he wanted his own team. His own team would mean he would leave Washington.

"And her…"

Ziva didn't confront Tony about it, if he didn't want to tell her, so be it. Though now she looked at him differently. He noticed this, why was Ziva ignoring him? He hadn't been on a mission yet, all it is is a mission not a life time commitment. This isn't personal and it will help the agency.

"So far so good..."

Three months of errands for Jenny, Gibbs is back and everything is back to normal. Jeanne is nice, kind, everything a partner should be. However he still likes Ziva, they connected and she is coming out of her shell. She was the opposite of Jeanne but he still loved her, didn't he?

"You got married and didn't tell me…"

Gibbs knew he was doing jobs for the director, but when he started calling her Jenny he wondered if something was up. Though this was the least of his worries, Ziva and Tony had always got on well, their constant bickering and their ability to know what the other was thinking. They made great partners, however Gibbs thought there was something more their. Now they didn't bicker as much, Ziva was getting highly inquisitive, maybe too much. She was concerned for him and Gibbs knew that could mean one of two things…

"You never call…"

Ziva was sitting in her apartment staring at the phone. Tony had changed, he never called her and always had his phoned turned off. He never had his phone turned off. Now he didn't look at any woman in the street. She had a look but don't touch policy, now it was almost as if he had grown up…

"There is no one…"

She wondered if there was someone, was he cheating on her. He can't be, can he? The mission was the reason why he didn't call wasn't it?

"Hospital…"

It was late; Tony was waiting for Jeanne to go on break. His phone buzzed and he looked at the number – Ziva. He felt torn, he cared for Ziva, he honestly did but the more time he spent round Jeanne the more he felt for her…

"Who is she…?"

Ziva was looking over Tony's shoulder, having finished her paperwork and with nothing better to do. She was enjoying making him uncomfortable about his appalling grammar. Resulting in him deleting half a page of work, then an email came in. Tony cringed, waiting for the inevitable. He sensed Ziva stiffen behind him as she read the name, Jeanne Benoit. She didn't say anything that was what made it worse. She walked out of the bullpen and got into the elevator...

"Tears…"

Ziva let the tears run down her cheeks, her father always said crying is a weakness but at the moment she didn't care. How could Tony do that to her? She couldn't trust him anymore. She picked her phone up…

"I can explain everything…"

Tony picked the call up on the first ring, he tried to apologise but Ziva wouldn't listen she wanted the truth. The truth, thought Tony as he bit his lip wondering what to do. The truth was he loved Jeanne; he couldn't do that anymore to Ziva...

Ziva put the phone down, she felt surprisingly calm. Tony had just told her that he was in love with somebody else and had been seeing Little Miss Perfect for 6 months. The exact time Tony began ignoring her, now she had heard the truth from his lips she knew what she would have to do…

Tony came in to work the next day, relieved that Ziva had taken it so well. He looked at Ziva's desk before he entered and saw it was empty – to empty. Gone, everything from her desk was gone. Tony shut his eyes, this had to be a dream.

Tony walked to his desk but was barred by Gibbs screaming at him why Ziva left. A note in his hand with Ziva's writing, the only explanation of her disappearance-

Ask Tony…

What was he to say, what you say in times like this? Tony decided to tell the truth, he told Gibbs everything about how he went out with Ziva after Gibbs had left for Mexico. How he was on a mission for Jenny and had to become the "girlfriend" of Jeanne and then how he fell in love with her, then how Ziva found out. Surprisingly, Gibbs listened to the whole explanation and when he finished he didn't feel Gibbs hand making contact with the back of his head.

"Madame Director…"

Gibbs marched up to the director's office barged through the door and thrusted the note to her. She read over and over again before she looked at Gibbs. Jenny knew he blamed her, she blamed herself. She raised a hand to stop the abuse and passed Gibbs a letter he read it in silence.

Dear Jenny,

I' know this is the coward's way to handle a situation but this is the only way. I'm going back Israel. You sent Tony on a mission and he obviously didn't tell you about us. I know how people change on missions; I have seen it sometimes it's for better, sometimes for worse. He fell in love with her, and neglected to tell me this. It would be stupid for me to stay, I couldn't trust him and we would endanger lives this way. Tell everyone I'm sorry, I didn't want it to end this way but it is. Tell Gibbs that I'm grateful for what he has told me and what he has done for me. He didn't have to do it. Now I fully understand why rule 12 is there. You think it doesn't matter but it does matter, ever so much. It is a rule that you can't appreciate until it is broken and you end up broken. I might come back, I have some things I have to deal with, at least Tony has showed me you have to face the truth and tell it those who need here. Though Agent Gibbs, if I need help and I most likely will I expect you to come running.

Forever Grateful

Ziva David

He looked at the Director and they silently understood each other, Gibbs folded up the letter and walked out of her office.

Well, what do ya think? Shall I carry on or shall I write a series of one shots on each of Gibbs rules? Please let me know what you think.