Revelations

How far does the DiNozzo go? (Taking place after our favorite season clincher, Aliyah.) SPOILERS!!!

Ch.1

Tony banged his head on the desk, still frustrated with himself. It was Rivkin's fault! She hadn't been there. She wasn't there. She was gone. Man, why did she have to be gone? It was his fault. All Tony's fault. Of course it was his fault. He always screwed things up.

Now the love of his life was gone who-knows-where with no Tony beside her. Why wasn't he there? He could be there! Why was there no Tony beside his lovely Mossad officer? He should be there.

"Tony!" The name and a headslap awakened Tony to the world around him. He looked up, glaring at Gibbs and McGee, and the world in general.

"Yes, boss."

"Dead Marine. Gas the truck. The better we do, the longer it'll be before…" Gibbs trailed off, but Tony knew. Vance wanted a replacement. No one could replace her. Gibbs knew it, Tony knew it; even Abby and McGee knew it.

Tony stood up, feeling the blood rush from his head as he walked to the elevator, slinging his bag as he went. McGee followed, his brow scrunched in worry. He began to open his mouth, but Tony stopped him. "Don't even say it, probie."

"I was just going to say-"

"Don't."

"She'll be back. There's no way… She's not Kate. Ziva will be back."

Tony glared until McGee shut up again. Didn't he know it! If Ziva wasn't back… he would go get her and drag her. Tony stared at the blank wall of the elevator door, not even noticing when Gibbs flicked the switch. "DiNozzo! Snap out of it!"

"What, boss." Tony stared straight ahead, not wanting to give in.

"DiNozzo, I think you're letting the past be your judge too much. What's done is done, and now we have a job to do." Gibbs looked at DiNozzo, feeling genuinely sorry for Tony. It was clear he loved Ziva… so clear… Gibbs thought that was the real reason Ziva had stayed in Tel Aviv. She had seen it too, in his actions- with her father, with Michael.

"I am doing it." Tony quickly flipped the switch again, letting the elevator continue its descent.

****

"What you got?" Gibbs said, sipping his coffee.

McGee looked up. "Sergeant Ryan Baxter. On leave from Quantico."

"Last time he was seen, was with his girlfriend. She said he left her house at three a.m., after a- late night," Tony continued. "She said he left in a huff, because they got in a fight."

"About what?" Gibbs threw out his coffee, waiting for Tony's response before he went for another one.

"Kinda stupid, really." Tony grimaced. "She told me that it was because he hadn't remembered to buy milk at the store."

"Why was milk so important at three a.m.?" Gibbs leaned in closer to Tony, curious.

"She liked to make cookies after they had- a personal few hours," McGee finished, seeing Tony's uncomfortable expression. Tony shot a glare at McGee. "Apparently the couple had run out of milk a few days ago, and he was supposed to have picked some up after work at the base yesterday."

Gibbs nodded shortly, glancing worriedly at DiNozzo. "So he left, then he turns up dead in the parking lot at the local convenience store. No obvious signs of struggle or wounds, just slight bruising around his neck. Time for me to visit our Duck."

****

"What you got, Duck?" Gibbs stepped into the morgue, dropping his coffee into the garbage can by the door.

"Ahh, our poor mister Baxter. Official cause of death is strangulation, but it was very curious to me. There were no signs of a struggle, yet the act itself- done with the killer's hands, judging by the bruising- had taken quite some time to fully kill him." Ducky looked up from the autopsy table, where he was finishing stitches on the deceased Marine's corpse.

Gibbs's brow furrowed for a moment, the comprehended. "He was asleep."

"Very good, Gibbs. I must say, you deduced that little fact a sight sooner than Mr. Palmer did. You know, this case reminds me of one that came through the morgue back in Edinburg-"

"Ducky!" Gibbs held up his hand. Ducky stopped, looking at him. "Sorry, but I need to go."

****Next Day

Gibbs was visiting Abby. Tony banged his head on the desk, having delegated his work temporarily to McProbie. Last night, Tony had bombed, lapsing back into the drunken state he hadn't been in since Jeanne and the first night he'd found out he'd be on that damned ship. Both times he had been with Ziva, to assuage the pain. He had sworn not to mope so hard over Ziva- but he couldn't. Yesterday had been too much; barely a week after Ziva remained in Tel Aviv… Tony had hoped to make it at least a month before he cried.

Yes, cried.

"I love her," he murmured, glancing at McGee through the hangover slur to see if the other agent, his current partner and unsaid best friend, had heard. "So much!" Tony yelled, banging his fist on the desk and startling the hardworking McGee.

McGee jumped and looked at Tony, his eyes sad. "I know." McGee then threw a water bottle at Tony, filled with the classic DiNozzo Defibrillator. Lemon, Tobasco sauce… How did he drink this stuff? At least it wasn't as gross as jasmine tea with lime. Though… maybe with a little Tobasco with it it might be all right.

"MaGoo! New plan!" McGee looked up. "Jasmine tea. Lime. Hot sauce. Please."

"Expanding your horizons, Tony?" McGee retrieved the bottle from Tony, heading off to the break room to brew the new concoction.

Gaaaah… What the heck had Rivkin gotten Tony into? For that matter, what had Rivkin gotten himself into? The NCIS Special Agent still was not quite sure.

****Africa

The exotic woman spat blood out of her mouth, glaring at the Arab who wanted her information. "I tell you nothing," she growled.

The other man spat in her face, then brought her already broken arm up to his face. "What do I need to do to get you to talk… Ziva David," he murmured. The man carefully twisted, eliciting a scream from Ziva. "Now, tell me about your special DiNozzo. Start with him."

Ziva looked up, confused. Tony? Why Tony? She had a closer relationship with Gibbs, or McGee, or even Abby, right now. True, Tony was her partner… Former partner. But, she could not help but remember his green eyes, muscular body, foolish demeanor, and serious inner heart. "I tell you nothing," Ziva repeated.

"So sad. Perhaps I should show you something I think you will like?" The man smiled grimly, twisting the Star of David necklace he kept with him during interrogations between his fingers.

"That? It is no longer needed. You have made it clear I will not be requiring such ornaments again." Ziva did not fear her death. It would come at its own time, whenever that would be.

"No, this." The man stepped out of the room for a moment, coming back in wheeling a cart full of electronic surveillance equipment. Behind it, a board was pasted over with pictures. Images and video filled the screens.

With Tony.

Ziva gasped; she couldn't help it. Tony at lunch at their favorite restaurant, Tony stumbling out of a bar, Tony flirting with a woman, Tony talking to McGee. They were watching Tony! One screen stood out. Tony, sitting at his desk in the NCIS squadroom. Video feed. The image zoomed out, and a sniper rifle appeared. Farther out, and a sniper smiled at the camera. The video zoomed back in, now in front of the scope, with the target on Tony. The camera shifted so that the sniper could see through his scope. The camera stayed on Tony.

"Live." The Arab bared his teeth. "Tell me what I want to know or his brains get scattered."

Ziva drew in her breath, scanning the photographs. Tony… crying? Was it over her? Surely not… But it had been dated just a day ago, in Washington time.

"All right." Her dark brown eyes glared up at the other man. "I will tell you."

A tear trickled down her face, and her eyes rested on the image of her partner.