Almost to the end of the story now. Sorry for continuing to upload chapters as separate documents. Thanks to all who have followed it despite the problems I've had uploading and for all the reviews!!

Summer of '46

Chapter 12

Gibbs pulled into a parking place at the Westminster assisted living facility. Before he could get out of his car DiNozzo pulled up on his right. Tony opened the back door and helped McGee get out. Then he went around and opened the door for Ziva. Gibbs raised his eyebrows.

"Hey boss," McGee said as he limped toward the main door.

"What the hell is going on, McGee?"

"Long story, boss."

"Well then give me the short version."

Tim stopped his hobbling and faced his boss.

"Don't hit me boss, please. Ziva apparently is possessed by the spirit of Anna Stein. She was killed by this guy Randolph's mother and an accomplice. The ghost, Anna, Ziva, seems to think things might sort themselves out if she sees Randolph. Oh, and I fell and sprained my ankle."

Gibbs just stared at his junior agent. What a pile of horse puckey, he thought.

Ziva came to stand beside him and looked at him with soft brown eyes. Gibbs stared her down. Surprising him, she smiled and touched her hand to the side of his face gently.

"You're the one she calls Aba in her heart."

For one second, for one long second, Gibbs felt the sudden heat of tears in his eyes. He knew what Aba meant and he also knew his whole team regarded him as a sort of father figure on some level or other but to hear the fierce girl he'd grown to know, respect and even love thought of him as her father in her secret heart touched him as he hadn't been touched in a long, long time.

He cleared his throat and said, "Find Randolph."

###

It was easy enough to find him. The receptionist told them Mr. Randolph was in the sun room. It turned out to be a room with wall-to-wall windows looking out over a pond where ducks were settling in for the evening as it grew darker. An elderly man with a fringe of white hair sat in a rocking chair reading by the light of the single lamp in the room. A walker stood near him.

Without hesitation Ziva walked to stand in front of him then knelt and put her hands on the book and closed it. She smiled and it wasn't Ziva's smile but it was. There was a freedom of expression in the smile Ziva never had; a total abandonment of everything but joy in the moment. All three of Ziva's teammates reacted. Gibbs sadly because he knew why Ziva never smiled so freely, Tim with awe – Ziva positively glowed with happiness and Tony? Tony developed a sudden and intense determination to make her smile like that someday when she looked at him.

"Hello Ray."

The old man looked up.

"Hello, miss."

He seemed confused.

"Do I know you?"

Gibbs stepped up and flashed his badge.

"Mr. Randolph, Agent Gibbs. We'd like to ask you a few questions about the death of Anna Stein."

"Death? Does this mean she's finally been found?"

"Yeah, we believe we found her body last night in an abandoned house near Silver Spring."

Randolph closed his eyes and a tear ran down his cheek.

"Thank God you found her. I was afraid I'd die and she wouldn't be found."

Ziva pulled on his hands.

"Ray, look at me. Please."

Randolph opened his eyes and stared down at the young woman kneeling before him. Gibbs and his team said nothing. Suddenly the old man gasped and brought his hands around hers and pulled them up to his face and kissed them.

"Anna? Is that really you?"

Ziva smiled that wondrous smile again and nodded.

"How, why, where did you…?

He seemed about to hyperventilate. Gibbs became concerned and moved toward him but Randolph looked at him, grinned and shook his head.

"I'm fine, Agent Gibbs. Just fine now."

###

After regaining come composure Randolph demanded that they come back to his living quarters which turned out to be a surprisingly roomy 3-room apartment.

"I've got something that'll answer all your questions, Agent Gibbs," he said.

He gestured for them to take seats around the living area. Gibbs and McGee sat on a lumpy loveseat covered with a tattered brown and yellow afghan. Tony leaned against the wall, his eyes never leaving Ziva who followed along behind Randolph as he shuffled with his walker. The old man went into a separate room, looked like the bedroom, and Ziva followed him. She came out a couple of minutes later carrying an old shoebox, Randolph in her wake. She carried the shoebox to Gibbs. Randolph came and sat in a straight backed chair next to the couch and Ziva stood beside him.

"It's mostly a collection of newspaper articles and pictures from over the years, Agent Gibbs. Anything I thought might relate to Anna. The main thing I want you to have is a letter I received from my mother in 1959 just a few days before she died. It's her confession."

"Confession?" Gibbs said.

"Everything. How she hated Anna and I being together, hated Anna for being a Jew. She, her whole family, were very anti-Semitic. She blamed the Jews for the war. The letter tells how she arranged for Anna's death to stop our marriage. How one of her cousins back in North Carolina helped her hire someone to help her. How she tried to stop it when she found out Anna was carrying my child but it was too late, he'd already hit Anna. How they hid her body in the basement. She never told me how to find the house. Never. "

Randolph spoke in a low voice, looking at the ground. He took a deep breath and rubbed his eyes. Then he took a deep breath and Ziva laid her hand on his shoulder and squeezed. He reached up and patted her hand.

"I tried to find you and the baby, Anna. I tried."

Tears streamed down his face unheeded now.

"I got the letter two days before she passed. I didn't visit her on her deathbed. I didn't even go to the funeral. I couldn't. I don't think I ever forgave her. Until today."

Almost as an afterthought he said, "I don't know if my dad knew or not. I hope to God he didn't."

Ziva moved closer and rested her forehead on his bald pate and he turned his face into her chest. She held him close for a few minutes. None of the others said anything. Finally, Randolph pulled back and looked at Ziva and smiled and his smile was suddenly the smile of the young man in the picture Tim and Tony had seen; the smile of a man looking at the love of his life. Ziva smiled back and kissed him again. He looked in her eyes as he continued talking.

"I never married, never had any kids. I traveled. I wrote a few books about the Civil War. I lectured in community colleges. I never stopped missing you, Anna. Never. I think a big part of me went missing with you."

Ziva, Anna, wiped her eyes. McGee sniffed audibly. Gibbs blinked rapidly, his eyes watering. Tony didn't know what to feel. The whole story could break a man's heart but Randolph's commitment to his love, his Anna, made Tony realize how shallow his own life had been. Made him realize something big was missing. His eyes strayed to Ziva.

She still stood by Randolph, his head cradled to her chest, a look of contentment on her face he had never seen on Ziva's face.

"I'm here now, Ray."

"I love you, Anna," he said.

"I love you, Ray."

They kissed again and then Ray gave a shuddering breath and his head drooped. He slumped in his chair. Ziva caught him as he started to topple over. Tony jumped to help her. Together they lowered him to the floor. Gibbs threw the shoebox at Tim and rushed over too, yelling at McGee to call 911. Ziva cradled Randolph's head in her lap.

"Oh, Ray, please. We just found each other again. Don't go so soon."

He opened his eyes and smiled that young man's smile again.

"I should have gone before now. I think I was waiting for this. Don't worry, we'll be together, my lovely Anna."

He ran his finger shakily over her lower lip and then his hand fell back on his chest and he stilled.

Ziva clutched his head to her chest and sobbed. Tony looked at Gibbs but Gibbs had nothing to say.

###

Tony stood with his arm around Ziva as the EMTs took Rayburn Randolph's body out, covered by a sheet. She was no longer crying but stood quietly. Gibbs sat reading the letter from Mrs. Randolph and Tim was on the phone with Abby.

"Tony," she said.

He looked down at her.

"I think it's time now."

"Time for what?"

"I just wanted to say thank you to you and McGee and Gibbs. Ziva cares for you all very much. But you Tony, you she loves. All I can say is don't waste a minute of your life or her love. Trust an old woman on this."

She smiled and reached up and kissed his cheek then slid down his body as he tightened his hold on her trying to stop her fall.

"Gibbs!"

His boss came running and helped him, again, with Ziva. This was becoming all too familiar and all too unwelcome. He sat on the floor holding Ziva half in his lap while Gibbs whipped out his phone trying to get the paramedics back. Tony felt like crying or screaming or both. It had been a long damned day and his constant worry about Ziva had worn him down and now he sat on the floor again with his lovely partner unconscious in his arms. He just wasn't sure how much more of this he could take. He tightened his arms, hugging her to him. He didn't care if Gibbs saw or not.

He felt her move her hand where it lay on his arm.

"Ziva? Is that you? Ziva?

Her eyelids fluttered and she looked up at him. He searched her eyes looking to see who he was holding. She looked back at him and smiled wanly.

"It's me, Tony. Anna is gone."

Her voice broke and she turned her head to his chest. He felt his shirt getting damp as she cried silently, shielded from the others by his arms. Tony looked up and saw Gibbs looking down at them, his blue eyes gone soft and sad.

"Take her home, Tony. I'll cancel the call to the paramedics. Take her home and don't leave her alone tonight."

The two men exchanged looks of understanding and shared concern for Ziva then Tony nodded.