From Russia with Love – Chapter 2- Revelation
Gibbs banged his hand hard on the table causing McGee to visibly jump and he yelled at Ziva "What do you know about Andre Kotko?"
Ziva didn't take Gibbs anger personally, she knew he wasn't angry at her, it was the frustration with the case and she answered calmly "Gibbs, I really cannot talk about this, if I do I risk sanction -and it could cause a rift between NCIS and Mossad. Director Vance also signed off on my separation agreement that he would not question me on Mossad business and would not require the revealing of Mossad secrets as a condition of my employment with NCIS. Believe me; this agreement protects you as much as it protects me. Some things are better off unknown"
Gibbs angrily turned to Vance, "Leon, are you really going to tie my hands on this? This is the only lead we have to find these children and you are throwing politics at me?"
Vance was quick on the defense, "Jethro, I am sorry; there is nothing that I can do. I can't force Agent David to reveal what she knows and she is bound by Israeli law not to reveal anything -even if it can help us find those children."
Vance was stressed; the toothpick was rolling around his mouth faster than Tony thought possible, he was afraid Vance was going to swallow it.
Gibbs turned to Booth and growled "What can you tell me about him?"
"Not much" answered Booth, "I only met him once while I was with Kotko and even then it was only in passing. He didn't seem to be a part of the organization, but I can tell you this -if he is anything like his brother, he is a particularly brutal man."
Tony looked at Ziva who seemed deep in thought; she had a determined but frightened look on her face. Anyone else would not have seen the fright, only the determination, but Tony knew her intimately and she could not hide anything from him. "Ziva?" he questioned softly.
She looked at him and smiled sadly slowly shaking her head – signaling not now- then she turned to Vance "Director Vance, I would like to request a MTAC videoconference with Director David of Mossad. I will request permission to share what I know about the Kotko organization and those involved with it."
Tony knew the courage it took for Ziva to make the request. Even though, she had made inroads into repairing her relationship with her father, he knew that she was still emotionally raw where her father was concerned, she had not forgotten what the man had done and what he was capable of still doing. Tony had never felt more proud of his wife; she truly was the strongest person that he knew. He smiled and winked at her showing his support and his approval. She returned his smile with a wink of her own and he saw a relaxing of her features.
"Are you sure Ziver? I know how hard this will be for you; maybe Vance can make the call." offered Gibbs
"No, this is something I must do. My father will not even consider the request if it does not come from me"
Fornell and Booth were silently following the conversation. Booth leaned in and whispered to Fornell "The Director of Mossad is her father?" Fornell widened his eyes and nodded his head in the affirmative; Booth just rolled his eyes and snorted "figures".
Vance rose -effectively ending the meeting, and addressed Ziva, "I will set up the videoconference with Director David for later this evening. I will let you know when I have it arranged." Turning to Gibbs, "Jethro, keep me informed." with a nod to Fornell and Booth, he left the room.
Gibbs stood up quickly and started barking his orders "McGee, see if Abby has anything new and find out what you can on Andre Kotko while we are waiting on the videoconference with Tel Aviv. Tony, follow up with Petty Officer Armand; see if she knows anything about the brothers. Booth, you write down everything you can remember about your time In Russia. Ziva you help him remember – without compromising your agreement with Mossad." with that Gibbs left the room. Tony rose and quickly followed him.
"Uh Boss, wouldn't it be better if I had Ziva with me when I questioned the mother?" asked Tony.
Gibbs knew exactly what Tony was doing. He had noticed the looks passing between Ziva and Agent Booth. He had also noticed Tony noticing. "DiNozzo, you assured me that allowing you and Ziva to remain partners after your marriage was not going to affect your work. Are you now showing me that is not the case?"
"No Boss, it's just that…"
"Do your job Tony and let Ziva do hers" interrupted Gibbs and he turned and walked into Vance's office without knocking.
Tony ground his teeth so hard that his jaw started to ache, but he went downstairs, grabbed his gear and headed to the home of Petty Officer Armand.
It was a long day without much progress on the case. The videoconference with Mossad was rescheduled for 0600 the following morning as Director David was out of Tel Aviv on undisclosed business. Abby and McGee had no new leads from the small amount of forensic evidence they were able to recover from the Armand home. Tony was able to determine that the mother did not know nor had ever heard of the Kotko brothers. Melania Cherov Armand was originally born in Russia, but immigrated to the United States with her parents while she was still a baby. She had no memories of Russia, of Russian family or friends; she didn't speak the language and knew next to nothing about her Russian heritage. The team would dig further into the Russian connection after Ziva talked to her father, but they were at a stand still for the time being.
"Go home" barked Gibbs "be back by 0530 ready to find me something on this case."
After a quick dinner and a long shower for two, Tony and Ziva settled into bed for the night. Ziva snuggled into Tony's body with her head on his chest, he intertwined their legs together. Tony was stroking her dark curls while she twirled his chest hair gently between her fingers. It was their favorite way of winding down to sleep and their nightly habit. Just as Ziva was about drift into sleep, she heard Tony ask "Zi, tell me about you and Agent Booth in Russia. I don't want to know about the mission, I want to know about the two of you"
"What do you want to know my beloved?"answered Ziva sleepily snuggling tighter into Tony's side.
"I want to know why I saw desire in his eyes when he first saw you. Did you sleep with Agent Booth in Russia?"
"What about now Tony, do you still see desire when he looks at me?" questioned Ziva
"No, but now that he knows we're married, he probley hides it" snorts Tony.
"Tony, the reason that you saw desire when he first saw me is that he thought he was looking at Sonja. The desire is not there any longer because now when he looks at me he sees Ziva, not Sonja"
"Is there a difference?"
"Yes, my beloved, you know that there is. I am not Sonja. Sonja was a cover that I wore to do my job. Anything that I did while I was Sonja has nothing to do with who I really am. The moment I shed my cover, I shed everything about Sonja"
"So you did sleep with Booth in Russia"
"No my beloved, I did not sleep with Agent Booth in Russia"
Tony released a breath he did not know he was holding. He was so relieved.
"But Sonja did sleep with Dmitri' replied Ziva in a voice so soft that he barely heard her. But he did hear her – loud and clear.
Tony felt gut punched. He knew what Ziva was saying was true. That she and Sonja were not the same person just as Booth and Dmitri were not the same person and that anything that happened between them in Russia was not real and only a part of their cover . Still, it hurt and it made him angry that he would be forced to work with a man who had slept with his wife –before she was his wife and -albeit as an alias, but he had slept with her nonetheless. There was no changing that fact, but he knew that Ziva was a crazy ninja spy when he married her, he knew that sex was just another tool to be used in the gathering of intelligence, hell he had done it himself. Sex was different than making love and he knew what he had with Ziva, she had never shared with anyone else. He didn't like it, but he could live it -because he couldn't live without her.
"I know there is a difference Ziva. I am glad that you told me"
"Tony, we promised when we married, no more secrets, I plan on keeping that promise"
Tony tenderly kissed the top of her head, "I love you Ziva"
"I love you. Good night my beloved" Ziva kissed Tony sweetly on the lips and snuggled in, anxious for the comfort that could only be found next to her husband's body.