NCIS

Title: Goodbye

Author: TnJAGAz aka txncistn

Rating: G/PG [some language, violence, etc.]

Classification: An NCIS story – Ziva's final words to Gibbs

Spoilers: Anything from Seasons 1-10.

Summary and Author Notes: Kudos to my wife for the review on this - all mistakes in the story are mine and mine alone.

Disclaimer: The characters in this story are the property of Donald Bellisario/Charles Johnson/Shane Brennan/Gary Glasberg, Belisaurius Productions, Paramount Pictures and Columbia Broadcasting Service Entertainment – this story is for non-profit entertainment of NCIS fans only. No copyright infringement is intended or implied.

A/N: I thought since Ziva was responsible for saving Gibbs from Ari that they should have one last moment together. This picks up from the original ending of Past, Present, & Future when Gibbs received a phone call from Israel.

I Will Stop This For Him…

The gray haired Head of the DC MCRT looked at the LED readout on his cell phone. He rarely received international phone calls so it was not hard to guess who was calling him.

He smiled as he punched the receive button on his flip phone. "Hey Ziver."

Former Mossad and NCIS agent Ziva David smiled at the mangling of her name. When he first did it, it irritated her. Now she couldn't believe how good it felt to hear him say her name that way.

"Gibbs…" was all she could get out for a moment as memories of their eight years of working together came crashing into her.

Gibbs smiled despite the pain it caused his battered face. Parsa's hired thug had done a real number on him but right now he wanted to concentrate on what his team member had to say to him. When words failed her, he understood.

"You remember what I told you?" he asked.

Ziva found herself trying to fight tears. "Follow your heart," she said to him.

"Yes," he replied.

"I – I was with Tony…" she blurted out suddenly, and then lapsed into an embarrassed silence.

Gibbs smiled again. "I know," he said simply.

"He tried to convince me to come back…." she continued, finding strength in his simple acknowledgment.

Gibbs sat down on his sofa. "I know that. But you can't come back, can you?"

She closed her eyes. He always seems to know. "Have you found Parsa yet?" she asked.

Gibbs stood up. "No, but we'll find him," The silver haired NCIS agent said determinedly.

Ziva knew that if her boss said this it would only be a matter of time before Parsa and his group were found and dismantled. But with Parsa still out there….

"Do you understand why I can't come back, Gibbs?"

The former Marine Gunnery Sergeant had been preparing himself for this since she resigned from NCIS back in May of last year. "Yes Ziva, I do," he said quietly to her.

Ziva closed her eyes again as a single tear trailed down her face. She felt remorse for having to do this to him. He was closest thing she had to a father now that Eli was dead. But she had to do this, not only for herself, but for all of them.

"I will miss you…boss." The words were almost lost in a sea of unshed tears and wrenching emotions.

Gibbs understood the emotions clashing within the lithe former special agent. He knew those emotions well. "Drop by anytime, Ziver, you're always welcome here."

Ziva let out a surprised chuckle and sniffle. "I will do that…sometime."

Gibbs smiled again. "I know you will."

"Take care, Gibbs."

"You too, Ziva."

And with that the phone call ended. The gray haired MCRT leader sat down on his sofa and thought about the first time he met Ziva…and later when she saved his life by killing her half-brother, Ari.

"Shalom, Ziva," He said to the silent phone.

- FINIS