Rule 39: There Is No Such Thing As Coincidence (Tony DiNozzo Love Story)

Trust

Next Morning, Seven AM

The elevator dings and Ziva walks out of it with a cup of coffee in her hands.

"When did you get in?" Ziva asks as she moves towards her desk. McGee is already sitting at his own and typing.

"I got in a few minutes ago," McGee says. I continue to type and work out the plan that would ensue with our dead Admiral's murder and with anything that had to do with the missing chair and ransacked desk.

"What is with her?"

"I don't know. She nodded to me when I said hello, but she hasn't said anything. Just been typing like a mad woman, faster than I or Abby have ever done when we're on time constraint."

"Carter?" Ziva asks and I raise an eyebrow, listening to them talk.

"Are you okay?" I nod again as I type something else and read over the page.

"Where's Gibbs?"

"Autopsy with Ducky."

"When did they get here?"

"Gibbs got here at five, Ducky at five o' two," I say as I click on a picture and search it. From the corner of my eye I see them both look at me strangely.

"Looking at me like that way won't bring any of us closer to a better place," I say with a smile.

"You've been listening?"

"I'm not catatonic, so yes I've been listening."

"When did you get here? And calm down with the typing, you'll break the keyboard," McGee says.

"Impossible since I got six of them out of the supply office and they're under my desk. If one breaks then I just hook up another, I haven't broken one yet. To answer your first question, I never went home."

"You've been working the case since last night?" Tim asks.

"No McGee, I've been trying to break the world record of typing words per second. Yes, I've been working the case. Something is still bothering me about the crime scene."

"Well, have you got any leads?"

"Does a monkey like bananas?" I ask as I find the mother of all that I've been searching.

"Jackpot," I say and reach for the remote to turn on the screen. Everything that I've worked on comes up and I proceed to work it out with them.

"What've you got?" Gibbs asks as he jumps out of no where. I turn to look at him briefly before continuing.

"Good timing."

"Where's DiNozzo?"

"In the elevator, he'll be coming in three, two, one—," the elevator dings and they look to see Tony walking out, a coffee in his hand and he looks exhausted. As I look at all of them, I can see that they all look exhausted. Except for Gibbs of course, and well I never went to sleep. To me this is a normal day, with living days without sleep you'd never know if I was exhausted or not.

"What?" He asks as he stops in front of his desk and picks a hand up to touch his face.

"Did I come to work naked?" He says before looking down to see himself fully clothed.

"How'd you know he was in the elevator?" Tim asks.

"It's 7:48, seven out of ten times Tony always shows up at 7:48 if he's had less than six hours of sleep. He gets in at 7:30 when he's had a normal night, 7:56 when he's had a bad one, and 7:00 sharp when he wants to brag about something or when there's a big worry with a case."

"You keep a time count on when he gets in?" Ziva questions.

"I keep a time count on all of you, I have a drive for attention to detail. Plus, I never used to go home the same time as you guys, nor did I get in at the same time."

"When'd you leave?"

"Midnight and I'd come back in at four," I say with a smile and turn back to the screen.

"I think you need a vacation," Tony says.
"I don't get things done that way," I say with a smirk and continue.

"Well, it looks like the case has been solved," Tony says after the thirty minute briefing I've made about the case.

"Ziva, McGee, dig even further if it's possible into the personal and financial history of Admiral Baxter's daughter and her boyfriend. DiNozzo, Carter, I want you two going to the Admiral's lawyer."

I nod and move toward my desk to grab my bag and I see Tony move towards his.

"Keys?" We both say and we look at each other before Gibbs tosses them in the air between us.

"Whoever gets them first drives, I just hope you live," he says with a smile. I dive for them and so does Tony, but making a swoop I turn around and dangle the keys in my hand. I smile at Tony and his eyes widen.

"Looks like I'm driving," I say.

"Bye Tony," McGee says and Ziva laughs, Gibbs smiles and I walk towards the elevator.

"Hey Carter."

I turn to look at Gibbs.

"You were right about the killer moving him, blood splatter and angle were different from what it would have been if he was standing."

I nod and continue to the elevator and to the car.

"Don't worry Tony, I've gotten better."

"At nearly killing anyone else who is in the car with you while you're driving?"

"No," I say softly. It's silent between us for a moment before I see him look over to me.

"I trust you," he says. I turn to him quickly just as the doors to the elevator open and he walks out into the garage. I stare at him for a second before following.

"What?" I ask shakily.

"I trust you," he says turning to me.

"I thought that was what you said." I smile and walk next to him towards the car.