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"Copy, Jethro," Fornell affirmed, and gestured to the agents at his sides. He tucked his cell back into his jacket and loaded his gun. He followed in the path of his team and charged onto the runway. The door of the plane slammed shut and he heard frantic yelling in Hebrew and Arabic, but could not make out any specific words. The man remaining alive on the runway turned to him, opening his arms.
"What's this, Tobias? Escort service back to Washington?" he sneered.
"You're under arrest, Hadar," Fornell grumbled, cocking his weapon.
"For what?"
"For aiding and abetting Bodnar," another FBI agent said firmly.
"We were only going to take a flight. Strictly personal. No business involved."
"It's always business with you, Hadar," Fornell jeered.
"One could say the same for you, Tobias."
"One could. But see, I'm one of the good guys."
"Stop playing, Hadar. On your knees, hands behind your head, now."
"Why would I do that?" Hadar smirked, his hand travelling to his waist.
"You're surrounded, Hadar."
"You're a bastard, Tobias."
"You say that like it's a bad thing."
Hadar sprinted off, and a chase ensued. Gunshots and flashes of light in the dark of the German evening filled the air, and with Hadar aiming straight for him, bullets grazed Tobias' arms. One came closer than the rest, and he cringed at the tear in the shoulder of his jacket and the bloodied shirt beneath.
Hadar paused to reload his gun and Fornell closed in.
Tony wrapped his fingers around the knob and opened the basement door, heading carefully down the stairs. When he was able to see the room Gibbs was leaning against the counter, two mason jars sitting next to an open bottle of whiskey.
"Got a visitor, boss?" he asked. Gibbs just stared at him with raised eyebrows.
"Right," Tony concluded, and stepped off the stairs.
"Boss, I don't know how to say this, but…"
"I know."
"You know? Wait, what do you know?" Tony inquired anxiously.
"You love her," Gibbs said calmly.
"But if you- if you already knew that then are you saying that- boss, are you giving me permission to break a rule?"
Gibbs took another sip of whiskey and waited a moment before responding.
"Some rules…weren't meant to be followed. Rule number twelve, is one of those. Rule number five, is not."
"Rule number five…" Tony tried to place the rule.
"You don't waste good," Gibbs said authoritatively. After a few more moments of silence, he spoke again, more softly.
"Sit with her, talk to her, hold her hand, steal kisses and glances, even at crime scenes. Lift each other up, fall even harder. Make love to her, protect her, let her protect you. Drink expensive wine, laugh until it hurts. You've already gone the distance, she already knows why, and she feels the same way."
He let out a powerful breath.
"Whether you agree or not, DiNozzo, you're not an idiot - and only an idiot would let Ziva David get away."
"Didn't know you cared so much, boss," Tony said teasingly, still struggling to process what he'd been told. He'd lived eight years under the impression that Gibbs would never permit him to be with Ziva. Yet, here they were. It was certainly true that, as much of a creature of habit as he was, Leroy Jethro Gibbs was the type of man that a person could know by heart, work alongside for a decade, and continue to be surprised by.
Tony's makeshift glass was drained. He set it back down on the wood surface, his eyes scanning the boat to his left, and pursed his lips.
"Thanks, boss," he muttered in disbelief, and retraced his steps up the stairs. He reached into his jacket as he exited the front door and pulled out his phone, pressing the first number on speed-dial. The call was answered immediately.
"Tony?" she asked gently.
"Still up for dinner, sweet cheeks?"
She sighed.
"Not giving up on that one, are you?"
"Not anytime soon."
"See you soon, Tony."
"Ditto, Agent David."
Leon groaned as his door was slammed shut.
"I warned you, Leon!"
"I don't know what you're talking about, Secretary."
"Oh, don't play dumb with me!"
"This isn't a game, and even if it is, I'm not playing."
"Then explain why Ilan Bodnar was killed while boarding a private plane earlier this week!"
"Only if you can explain why no one else was there to stop him from getting on the goddamn plane."
"So you do know about this?"
"Sure as hell it's still no game."
"I don't have time for your sarcasm, Director."
"And I didn't have time to let him get away. My best people and the FBI's best people were on his tail. Off the books. And with the damage that bastard's done to Ziva, Eli wouldn't have wanted us to settle for him rotting away in prison. He got better than he deserved."
"Leon-"
"He killed my wife, for god's sake! He had no place taking her, even less than he did to hurt Eli."
"And Kazmi?"
"Killed by one of Bodnar's associates. We've got another of them down in interrogation; he's given us almost everything we need to convict the rest."
Secretary Jarvis sighed.
"Very well, Leon," he grumbled, and walked out of the room, knowing that Leon was too stubborn for the conversation to continue. Leon straightened his lapels and adjusted his position in his chair. He cleared his throat and smiled at the photographs on his desk.
The dress hugged her sides tightly, its dark blue lighting up her eyes and making her hair look somewhat shiny. She ran her fingers on the star of David sitting at the top of her bust.
"Lucky man, he is," a voice came from behind her. She turned back to her open bedroom door to see Schmeil looking upon her proudly.
"A damn good one, too, if I must say so myself. And don't get me started on his sense of humour-"
Ziva laughed brightly. Schmeil reached around her neck, setting the clasp of her necklace on the nape of her neck. He kissed her forehead, and the doorbell rang. She took a deep breath before briskly walking over, peering through the eyehole and opening the door. Greeted by the grinning Tony, she smiled even more widely.
"Oh…wow," he said breathlessly. "You…you look wonderful."
"Thank you, Tony. Worth mentioning you don't look so bad yourself." She patted his shoulder jokingly. He gripped her hand, pressing it to his shoulder, and kissed her gently. Ziva heard the footsteps from behind and teased her head back.
"Tony, you remember Schmeil."
"Schmeil, the man of steel! Of course!"
"Tony!" Schmeil acknowledged him excitedly, coming over to them and paternally gripping the younger man's arm. He practically shooed them off, pretending to demand that Ziva be returned by midnight but simultaneously winking at Tony. Ziva and Tony bounded hand in hand out of her apartment building and into Tony's car, kissing deeply but momentarily before Tony drove off.
In a caffeine- and wine-induced gentle haze, Abby nervously grabbed at McGee's hand in anticipation of the jury's decision. She relaxed when the death sentence was announced for each of Bodnar's associates, and scooted close enough to McGee as they left the courtroom that he took the cue to sling his arm around her waist.
She exhaled informally and shook out her court jitters on the building's steps, catching Tony and Ziva out of the corner of her eye as they too exited. She bounded over to them, McGee taking her bag when she rushed away forgetting that its handle was around her forearm. He chuckled, following her as the team inevitably began to assemble in that spot. Even Breena, Kayla, Jared, and Fornell were there, fully completing the growing circle with Schmeil and Senior bonding on the outskirts, seemingly sharing jokes.
Senior turned to flirt momentarily with a stewardess and Tony groaned teasingly. His father swung back around with a white smile.
"Finally came to your senses, Junior! Congratulations!"
"Congratulations on what? There's nothing official yet!"
"Yet," Senior iterated. "Besides, getting a woman like her deserves praise no matter what."
"She's not a prize, Dad!"
Senior leaned forward as Ziva approached them on her return from the airport lavatory.
"Precisely," he whispered to his son, and opened his arms enthusiastically to say his goodbyes with Ziva.
"My, my, Ziva, you really are something," Abby said cheerfully, fastening the clips to Ziva's hair and hugging her tightly. They took a very deep breath in unison and after a glance at the clock Abby sped out of the room. She returned with Gibbs obediently in tow, and Ziva carefully turned around to face them.
"Are they ready?"
"Any longer, DiNozzo'll jump out of his skin, Ziver. McGee's about ready to slap him silly," Gibbs assured. Abby excitedly brought her hands to her mouth, smiling like a fool but not unlike every other person around. Gibbs embraced Ziva, whispering softly in her ear, then kissed her cheek. He ushered the two women out of the room and extended his arm to Ziva.
Abby caught McGee's eye and he motioned for everyone to stand. Ziva turned back to Abby with a nervous smile and Abby draped the veil over the back of the gown. With the cue from McGee, Kayla began playing the piano; Abby, Gibbs and Ziva stepped forward in unison through the aisle.
