"What is this group?" Gibbs asked again, feeling as though all of the air had been sucked out of the room at the scale of things.
"I cannot tell you." Ray shook his head. "And it's not important who they are. What is important, is that they exist and you're aware that there are many more players on the board then you realize. This is a Global network. Israel has but a small part. I'm trying to keep Ziva alive. You need to let me go to do that."
"And if we don't?" Gibbs asked folding his arms over his chest not liking the options laid before him, "Send you back to prison instead?" He thought, where the man belonged.
"Then they will simply release me again, and you'll have wasted both of our time, Agent Gibbs." Ray answered coolly looking Gibbs straight in the eye, "Right now, I am the only that can provide you with information to keep you informed of what their plans are. If you take me out of the game… you are risking Ziva's life as well as Liat's now." His eyes flashed to Ziva's appealing to her emotions in regards to her sister's welfare and then back to Gibbs. "You need to realize now, that this is a case you will never solve, Agent Gibbs. The best you can do is hope to keep them alive until a compromise can be made. I'm working on that."
"There is no way, I'm going to let you negotiate with whomever these people are about my life!" Ziva fired back feeling panic at the thought of Ray trying to negotiate such things, especially given the facts that he had tried to compromise with them before and her father, by volunteering that she would donate her 'genetic material' in the form of her own eggs to the program. "And there is no way they are taking any of my eggs!"
"Then they will want Liat's." Ray countered in a flat tone almost immediately, giving her the facts and stunning her. "Either you or her or both, Ziva. But they will not accept not having either. They worked for too long to create your perfect genetic strain to simply let it go. Generations of work have gone into it."
"Why Liat and I? Why not Kevin…Kahlil?" Ziva asked immediately realizing he hadn't mentioned her one known brother who was also David.
"Because it is not just your father's line that had been perfected, Ziva. It was also your mother's unbeknownst to her, and combined with your father's line is what they want. Kahlil has a different line entirely geared more for mental genius and I'm sure they'll use his for other reasons as well. But you, and Liat, are the best of both mental and physical. That is why they will still want genetic material from either of you." Ray answered her question.
"They're not taking Liat's!" Malachi immediately jumped to her defense with waves of anger rolling off of him.
"And they're not taking mine." Ziva added standing beside Malachi with the same determined look.
Ray shook his head slowly looking down with dismay and sighed, "You do not realize that it matters little what you both want. You are merely Pawns on a chess board, the same as I. They will take from you what they want. You either do it voluntarily or they take it the hard way." He turned his eyes back to Ziva, "Think about it. If you voluntarily give them the genetic material they want, they won't see you as a threat anymore and will leave you be, Ziva."
Ziva shook her head unable to even consider the idea, "I don't need to think about anything. The answer will still be no."
"They won't accept that." Ray countered.
"Then it will be over my dead body," She shot back rapidly with pounding heart, "I will not give them my children." She was adamant.
Tony's heart was pounding to hear her say she'd rather die then to do so and while he understood her reasoning, to hear her say such a thing was terrifying having stood over her dead body once before.
"I will do what I can." Ray shook his head, "I need to go." He looked at Gibbs, "If you hold me any longer they will come here for me and that is the last thing you want right now."
Gibbs didn't respond, not wanting to verbally give confirmation that he was letting him go and instead gave a slight head nod.
Ray moved towards the door and paused while Tony and Malachi both stood menacingly before him, temporarily blocking his exit with crossed arms and broad shoulders, glaring at him at before letting him by. Ray turned at the doorway back to Ziva, "I love you, Ziva."
"I do not love you, Ray." She answered holding his gaze intently, wanting to make that absolutely clear to him.
"That doesn't change how I feel for you, Ziva." Ray countered with a smile, "I will do what I can to help you." He added, "There is one more thing… stop by the Holocaust Museum downtown. Find Greg, he is one of the curators. Ask him about the, Dachau Ziva…your namesake," He nodded softly speaking quietly, "He will show you a photo of your grandparents, Ziva…and you will realize how long they have been working on your lineage." He swallowed hard, "And why they will not simply let you go. Start there...with your grandfather." He paused, "And I will explain more when I see you again." He gave her a small smile and then was gone.
"Dachau Ziva?" Tony's eyes flickered towards Ziva's not understanding what that meant and finding his mouth dry at even having to go to the Holocaust Museum to look up Ziva's grandparents.
"My grandmother Ziva…who I am named for, Tony," Ziva felt the tears welling in her eyes, "Was born in a Nazi concentration camp in 1945, just before the end of the war."
"She was born in Dachau?" Tony gasped softly with widening eyes of disbelief. The images from the film Band of Brothers began flashing through his mind when the Allied Troops first came upon the Dachau Concentration Camp in Germany. He felt his own eyes begin to well with tears at these things he never knew about the woman he loved. She held so many secrets close to her heart. He'd learned more about her family in the last six months then in all the year's he'd know her before, first with Tali and the Opera, then the truth about how Ari died, her mother's death, her father's involvement in her torture and now this, her grandmother's birth in a concentration camp, most of which she'd kept to herself for all these years.
Ziva nodded softly in response to his question, "They had just moved the Women's Camps to Dachau when she was born. Fearing the Allies were going to liberate too many of them…they began to move them all into one place further away from the front lines."
Even Malachi was stunned never knowing this information about Ziva. "I cannot believe that any Israeli of any kind, could possible contribute to such a Genetics Program to create a superior race." He shook his head with disbelief given the history of the Jewish people. The idea was so disheartening and he swallowed hard with eyes flashing to Ziva, realizing she apparently was part of that program in several ways. First, by having been bred into it, and second, by their' wanting to continue with her genetic line for the future. And now they wanted his future children… and Liat's. She was already pregnant, he remembered and his heart clenched with fear at what would become of that child. He shook his head as it was all too much to process and he couldn't handle it at the moment.
"It doesn't sound like they have a choice, Mal." Tony shook his head with the same astonishment and overwhelmed, "It doesn't sound like anyone really has a choice. He said this was much bigger then just Israel." He sighed realizing that even Eli David had been stronged armed in some way to make choices for sacrificing his children to this program. He thought of the twisted and sad irony that at one point in his life, he was trying to give away his own genetic material with the sperm bank and had no takers; and now people were demanding that Ziva give up hers.
"So now what do we do?" Ziva asked looking at Gibbs, his being the only voice of reason at this moment of madness where she felt everything spinning out of control. "I want to go to Israel. We need to start looking for her." She spoke with heart pounding as the clock ticked by, thinking of it being that much more time that Bodnar was alone with Liat.
"I know." Gibbs nodded speaking softly, "We'll make arrangements to fly out tonight. But before we go, there is someone I need to speak with and something you need to do." He looked at Ziva intently, "Go look at whatever Cruz wanted you to see at the museum. He wouldn't have told you if he hadn't thought it was important. Take DiNozzo. McGee and Barrett start working on our arrangements," He nodded towards Malachi, "figure it out with him. This is going to be his jurisdiction we're entering."
"Everyone stays at my house." Ziva looked directly at McGee and saw all of their eyes widen, "The way it was built will afford us some protection." Her eyes flashed to Malachi, "Unless it has been compromised since my last visit to Israel?" It is where she had stayed with Schmeil when they'd gone to bury her father and never went back again after she was shot.
"I still have Mossad loyal to us, guarding it night and day, Ziva. It will be safe. It has not been compromised." Malachi answered quickly and with confidence.
"Is it going to be big enough for all of us?" Tony asked only ever remembering Ziva speaking of her small apartment near Mossad and wondering how they could all cram into it for a potentially lengthy stay.
"Not my apartment, Tony." Ziva shook her head slowly, realizing what he was thinking, "I am speaking of my father's house…the home I grew up in and now…just inherited." She swallowed hard, still not used to that concept that everything was hers' now having inherited it all when her father had died. "It will be sufficient for our needs."
"I was to have a meeting with the CIA in an hour. I need to call and cancel." Malachi realized looking at his watch and shaking his head.
"I wouldn't." Gibbs spoke up and caught Malachi's immediate pinched look, "They may know something that could help." He tilted his head with a knowing look. "Press them to see what they know about where Bodnar may have taken Liat."
Malachi thought for a moment and nodded, seeing Gibbs point, "Then I will meet you all back here and we shall fly together on my plane back to Tel-Aviv." He looked back at Gibbs seeking confirmation.
"Okay," Gibbs nodded realizing how much trust and faith he was putting into the man in front of him. To be flying on his aircraft into his territory. "We'll all meet back here ready to go. Swing by home and get whatever you're going to need." He looked at all four of his agents standing before him and they all nodded. "DiNozzo," He addressed Tony specifically moving closer to him and holding his eyes intently, "Don't you let her leave your sight for a second, understood?" He nodded towards Ziva realizing Bodnar really wanted her. Given the new threat he didn't want to take any chances, "She goes into the restroom, you go in too." He raised his eyebrows seriously.
"Got it, Boss. The Ninja never leaves my sight." Tony nodded sharply taking that very seriously as well with heart constantly pounding now to think of the heightened danger level. "Who are you going to see, Boss?" He asked quietly remembering what Gibbs had said about needing to speak with someone before they left.
"Vance." Gibbs answered softly and had all of their attention, "I think he knows more about this bigger picture and group then he told me when I confronted him about the Hashshashini Project. He told me that this was not a road we wanted to go down. To leave it alone. Said we wouldn't like what we found." He omitted the part where Vance had said it would be best to let them, whoever that was, clean up their loose strings and step aside to let them kill Ziva. Remembering very clearly now, how he'd mentioned she wouldn't want to live given what they'd find. Given this new information, Gibbs no longer believed he was speaking solely of Ziva learning the truth about who was responsible for her torture. He was hinting at something much more.
"Well, I can not leave it alone now, Gibbs. They have my sister!" Ziva answered back immediately with anger and fear to do nothing.
"We're not going to leave it alone, Ziver." Gibbs grabbed her shoulders softly trying to calm her, "But if we can get some more insight into what exactly it is we're up against… I think we'll have better odds." He gave her a knowing look and she nodded with a sigh. He pulled her forward and kissed her forward offering silent support, knowing how overwhelmed she felt. "One thing at a time. You go to the museum. I will speak with Vance. McGee and Barrett will clear the way and make arrangements and Gidon is going to see what the CIA has to say. Okay?"
Ziva nodded with a sight, frustrated wanting to do more and now! With the feeling of urgency and knowing they could do little until they had more information. Bodnar would likely contact them in some way soon, if he wanted Ziva to follow.
"What do you know about your grandfather?" Tony asked quietly as he and Ziva were walking towards the entrance to the Holocaust Museum downtown after parking the car. C.I. ex-Ray had been sure to mention they were to start with Ziva's grandfather in learning more about this much greater genetic project.
"Nothing." Ziva answered him feeling a sense of forboding as she walked through the doors of the museum, bracing herself for what she was about to see. "It's not something we ever speak of, Tony. What happened to my grandparents in that camp. My mother never spoke of it and we knew not to ask." She answered quietly.
Tony swallowed hard. Ziva could have been describing herself, rather then her namesake after what happened in Somalia. It was something they knew never to ask Ziva about and she never volunteered. Some things were just too painful. He took a deep breath as they approached the front desk. This is the one museum in D.C. he had never been to. After the death of his own mother, and not able to fully face it, he could never bring himself to actually visit this place. He wasn't emotionally ready enough for that. And now here he was, with Ziva, ready to give whatever support he could as she needed him now.
"I have never been here." Ziva suddenly spoke as if reading Tony's mind. She'd never been able to bring herself to this place before Somalia and after… given her own torture, it was out of the question. She swallowed hard looking around the front lobby as if preparing to see something horrific and was surprised to see nothing at all. A front desk and a wall of rememberance greeted them and on the other side of the room, one of the first exhibits. A small house that had been built indoors. It looked idyllic and serence with potted plants in the window and a white porch with a rocking chair.
Tony reached over and grabbed her hand, holding it tightly, "I haven't either. We'll do this together." He gave her a soft nod of encouragement. "Let's just find this Greg person and ask about the photo. We don't need to look at anything else. I don't think I'm ready for that." He swallowed hard again, knowing that after recently just learning of Ziva's torture at the hands of Saleem, her father and Bodnar and knowing Liat may be facing the same, he couldn't afford to allow this into his soul right now. It would be too much to handle and send his mind to terrible places.
"I am not either." Ziva shook her head looking at the floor and taking a deep breath, wanting to get in and out as quickly as possible. She'd heard wonderful things about this museum and how moving and touching it was. How thought provoking and respectful to the memory of those lost and what happened but in this moment, she was not prepared to deal with any of that given her own history and what Liat may be enduring as well. "Let's just ask." She moved towards the front desk and held up her badge, "Special Agents David and DiNozzo." She waved her head towards Tony, "We would like to speak with someone named Greg. We were told he was a curator here and could perhaps help us with a case we are currently working on."
"Of course, Special Agent David," The woman smiled at Ziva, "I will ask him to meet you here. If you wouldn't mind waiting?" She waved to the small leather chairs near the windows of the lobby. "Or take a look around if you'd like."
"We are fine here. Thank you." Ziva quickly answered giving the woman a small smile, having no desire to look around. They were here for a purpose. To find out whatever it was that Ray knew and said as a point to begin and then return to the office as quickly as possible to head back to Israel and find Liat.
They took a seat side by side and Ziva found herself sitting even closer to Tony then normal. Their hands intwined and yet she still ran the top of her thumb under her finger to glide over her engagement ring band, trying to focus on the good in life in a sea of chaos and utter madness.
"Are you okay?" Tony asked watching her fidgit with her ring and knee start bouncing nervously as they sat and waited. "Sorry, dumb question." He responsed when she flashed her eyes back to his. There was nothing about this day to be okay about. "Ani ohev otach, Ziva." He pulled their entwined hands up to kiss her fingers and holding her gaze, "At lo levad." He gave her a small smile of encouragement.
"You speak Hebrew." A tall dark haired man with short hair and glasses approached them with a smile, looking pleased at Tony. "Are you Jewish?" He asked eyeing Tony warily, "I never want to assume as we get all kinds in this place given the nature of the city." He smiled. "Hello, I'm Greg Snyder." He extended his hand with a smile to shake Tony's.
"Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo." Tony extended his hand to receive the man's hand with a small smile, "And no, I'm not Jewish. Just madly in love with someone who is." He smiled over to Ziva finally getting a small smile out of her to be introduced in such a way for the first time. "My partner investigating crime and soon to be wife, Special Agent Ziva David."
Greg smiled more widely looking between the two and then extended his hand to Ziva, "Pleasure, Agent David." He looked back at Tony still holding Ziva's hand, "I'm sorry, but did you say you're investigating a crime?" He asked catching what else Tony had said, "Forgive me but I was only told that two Federal Agents were here to speak with me about a current case."
"My apologies, we are not investigating a crime." Tony offered apologetically. "We're NCIS Criminal Investigators but we're here of a more personal nature today." He nodded over at Ziva for her to continue and say whatever she would like, letting her take the reigns in this as it concerned her.
"I was told to ask for you specifically, Mr. Snyder." Ziva began and felt her heart already begin to pound, "I was told that you could help me locate something. A photograph." She stumbled slightly with nerves, "One you would know as Dachau Ziva."
Greg looked at them slightly surprised as if thinking, "You said your name was Ziva?" His eyebrows narrowed slightly looking at her and making Ziva shift uncomfortably.
"Yes." Ziva nodded softly. "It is a photo of my grandmother. I am her namesake." She added quietly.
"Ah," Greg's eyes widened slightly and gasp softly at the connection before smiling softly, "And you have never seen this photo before?" He asked more curious then ever.
"No," She shook her head softly, "I have never been here." Ziva looked around quickly and then back to the man.
Greg only nodded and said, "Follow me please. I will take you. It is on the second floor." He gave her a small nervous smile and extended his hand in the direction they would need to go. "We'll take the elevator."
Families with kids were everywhere the further they went inside the museum and Tony swore he heard at least ten different languages spoken in less then a minute as they made their way towards the elevator. When he and Ziva followed Greg inside another group of people were about to step inside with them when Greg held his hand up with a smile.
"I'm sorry folks but you'll have to wait for the next one."
When the doors closed, he spoke quickly, "The name of this photograph is not public knowledge. You must have a very special friend to have such knowledge, Agent David." Greg's eyes flashed to Ziva with a silent understanding. "We try to protect the identities of those on exhibit without expressed consent from their families stating otherwise. Especially given the true nature of this photograph."
Ziva swallowed harder and gripped Tony's hand more tightly. The elevator began to move and the voice of an American G.I. suddenly began speaking to them as was normally apart of the tour.
"We've found something here and we're not sure what it is, exactly. Some kind of prison. There are people wandering around, starving, dying."
Tony felt Ziva's hold body shiver once violently as she leaned against him. They both knew the man was describing the first time the soldiers of the US 7th Army, Infantry Division had come across Dachau. The first concentration camp the Allies had come upon. Those men had no idea what they were walking into and this was where Ziva's grandmother and namesake had been born.
When the doors opened, the first thing they both saw was a large sign that read, The Final Solution and froze, both finding their mouths dry and hearts pounding.
The history of the Holocaust had always moved Tony and he'd grown up watching all the classic war films dedicated just to this time period. It was emotional to hear about, but distant. Holding onto Ziva's hand tightly beside him, it was no longer just emotional and distant. This was personal. This was his future wife and mother of his children, her life and history and never could he have invisioned feeling this way reading those words on the wall, and realizing that if they were thrown back in time just a few decades, their love would have been forbidden and Ziva would have likely been subjected to this Final Solution. He knew it was irrational, but given their current situation and Ziva still being hunted by a large and unknown force who were intent on killing her or using her for their own needs, he couldn't help but feel even more protective of Ziva as they stepped off of the elevator onto this floor wanting to shield her from whatever they were about to face.
"It is this way." Greg motioned with his head to once again follow him as he led them through the crowds of people who were mostly standing in silence looking at each item on display. Tony and Ziva both doing their best to not look and keep their eyes straight forward, watching the back of Greg's head weaving in an doubt of the crowds rather then look at the horror on the walls around them.
Tony pulled Ziva's arm behind him so that he could walk in front of her and she only had to stare at his back; walking as closely as possible together and moving quickly. When they entered the room with the train car Tony felt another shudder run through Ziva and couldn't stop one of his own not wanting to think about the lives of the people who had been crammed into that car and never seen again.
When Greg led them yet into another room, both Tony and Ziva came to an immediate stop. Hearts pounding and unable to ignore the display around them. They were in a room filled with shoes, mountains of them. The tiny path on which they walked had shoes on either side. Men's leather shoes, women's heels, child sized shoes and baby shoes. Millions of shoes. Shoes that had once belonged to the people who had gotten on those train cars.
Tony's eyes were fixated on three shoes lying in a heap side by side. A man's shoe, a woman's shoe and a tiny baby shoe. A family he could imagine. A family like the one he wanted with Ziva and felt his eyes starting to well with tears. He'd always loved his shoes. Took pride in having expensive, well made leather shoes. Shoes were a personal item. Everyone wears shoes. Shoes help define a person in the kind and type they like to wear. And here were mountains of them. They all belonged to someone. Someone who was no longer here.
Ziva could barely breathe staring at the same mixing of shoes that Tony had been. Fear coursing through her to be in this room, surrounded by these shoes and to feel as their owners once had, hunted. That death was imminent and right now, in staring at a woman's high heel next to the tiny baby shoe, she could only think of Liat and her baby in such grave danger. A sister and a niece or nephew she had only learned about this morning and already had begun to feel a deep connection with.
"I'm sorry, I should have warned you. The shoe room is quite emotional for most people." Greg realized they had stopped following and back tracked to find them standing as still as stone simply staring at the shoes with tears in their eyes. "I work here every day and I still, get emotional…especially with the baby shoes." He swallowed hard. "It is the only way to the photo you wish to see or I would have taken you another way. I'm sorry."
"It's fine." Ziva spoke in a whisper and nudged Tony in the back to start moving. She needed to get out of this room. Away from those high heels and baby shoes that only reminded her now of Liat and the baby and the danger they were in.
"We're nearly there." Greg spoke softly and then led them into a darkened room with items from the Concentration Camps on display. He stopped in front of a large wall sized photograph that reached floor to ceiling. In the photo, a woman who was clearly a prisoner in the camp given the background of barracks and barbedwire, stood on muddy ground holding a newborn baby swaddled in her arms. To her immediate right, a Nazi guard with hands tucked behind his back stood beside her with penetrating eyes staring at whomever was taking the photo.
"This is it. This is Dachau Ziva." Greg spoke quietly indicating the larger then life photo that had the people depicted in it, nearly the same size as they would be in real life. "The infant in the photo is Ziva. Your namesake." He looked at Ziva who had instant tears in her eyes to see her grandmother as a newborn in the arms of her own mother, a prisoner in the camp. "Your grandmother," Greg nodded in the general direction of the baby and speaking in a near whisper to avoid the others in the room overhearing, "Your great grandmother," He nodded towards the incredibly beautiful dark haired woman holding the baby. "And your great grandfather." He swallowed hard with eyes flashing to Ziva and nodding towards the man in the photo.
Ziva gasped immediately with tears surging in her eyes staring at the man's face and remembering what Ray had said about this being a photo of her 'grandparents' and to ask specifically about her 'grandfather.'
This man, was her grandfather. A man who held many of the same features as Liat and some of her mother. A man with blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. The uniform and the sharp 'SS' on his lapel left little doubt as to who he was. "He was a Nazi." Ziva gasped in disbelief and horror staring at him and then to her great-grandmother as a prisoner and her grandmother as the infant in her arms.
Tony's eyes were impossibly wide staring at the photo as well, "You had no idea he was a Nazi?" He asked breathlessly to Ziva seeing the tears rolling down her cheeks and she shook her head slowly, no. It was no wonder her grandmother never wanted to speak of this ever again.
"I'm assuming you know about your great-grandmother? Her name?" Greg asked feeling terrible looking at Ziva's face who could do nothing but stare with silent endless tears looking at her family photo before her.
"Elise Rothschild. She was born in Paris." Ziva answered quietly with voice full of held back emotion, knowing that her great-grandmother had been of French descent before she was shipped to the German Concentration Camp. "She was only seventeen when she arrived at Dachau." She added quietly and watched Tony's head whip to her's with widening eyes to learn yet something else she'd never spoken of. Her love of France had come from her mothers' and grandmother's influences as a child, passing down traditions that were of both Jewish and French.
"Yes," Greg nodded softly, "She had been shipped to Dachau from one of the women's camps near the end of the war. By that time she as already pregnant with your grandmother Ziva. The guard whom had impregnated her, also came with her as part of the new staff. Your great-grandfather, Karl Johan Anders Hendrix. His mother was German and his father was Norwegian and Swedish. He was 27 years old in this photograph. He was an Olympian, winning the Gold Medal in the Modern Pentathlon during the 1936 Summer Games in Berlin. Both of his parents were also Olympians. He joined the SS right after the Games were over." He nodded towards the man in the photograph. I'm afraid I can't tell you much more then that. Only that he was part of a secret SS project dealing with genetics and that he intentionally impregnated Elise for this project." He turned towards Ziva with a soft smile, "I have often wondered what became of our Dachau Ziva. If she had survived the war and what her life was like. If she had any decendants. I am happy to have met you, Ziva. To know, that she survived such a terrible start in life…and lives on in you." He gave her a small smile, "I will leave the two of you alone unless you have any further questions?"
"No, thank you." Ziva spoke with a small smile of appreciation, still processing the image before her and information. "Actually yes…I do have a question. Is there a way to get a copy of this image?" She wanted to have a copy for further investigation.
"I will leave a small copy at the desk for you to pick up on your way out." Greg gave her a small head nod and smile, "There is something else…maybe you are already aware. It's about your great-grandmother, Elise. Her family history in France." Seeing Ziva shake her head and looking at him to continue he went on. "Well, I've been curious about this woman in the photo for years and did a little research, going quite a ways back into her family tree. Her great-great-great grandmother was born in the Palace of Versailles." He smiled softly at her, "I'm not sure if you're aware but…only the children of the King were given such priviledge at that time. Even illigetimate children, Agent David."
Greg smiled at her blank expression, "It seems that you are likely a distant grandchild of King Louis himself." His eyes flashed back to the large photo on the wall with an intrigued smile, "Dachau Ziva, the child of a Jewish descendant of King Louis of France, and German and Scandivian Olympians. Fascinating genetics." He looked back at Ziva with a knowing looking in his eyes, "Intriguing, wouldn't you agree?" He paused while they absorbed what he'd said before quickly moving away, "I'll trust that you can show yourselves out." He nodded at them softly with a smile and then walked away.
Ray's statements about how long this group of people had been working on Ziva's genetic line were running rampant through her brain as she looked at the photograph of her great-grandparents: the combining of a royal bloodline with athletic skill right before her eyes. She couldn't believe it. The look of horrendous sadness in her great-grandmother's eyes was nearly unbearable and yet she held the baby in her arms with the most protective and loving embrace. The courage it must have taken for her grandmother to stand beside the man who had undoubtedly raped her several times over, in an attempt to create the child in her arms, was staggering.
She felt Tony let her hand go and the move snapped her out of her thoughts for a moment, feeling his arms closing around her from behind as he moved to stand behind her. Pulling her back against him and wrapping her up in his protective embrace. They both stood their silently taking in the photo and what it all meant then and now.
Tony couldn't think of anything to say that would make any of this better for Ziva. Words seemed so hollow in the magnitude of the situation before them and so he said the only thing he could think of, "Ani ohev otach, Ziva." He leaned in and kissed the side of her head, whispering in her ear, "Always."
"What does it mean?" Tony asked as they quietly made their way back to the car, "Your name. Her name?" He felt somewhat ashamed now for never knowing this before.
"Brilliance or brightness." Ziva answered quietly feeling the chill in the air and snuggling deeper into her jacket. She pondered why her great-grandmother would have given such a name to her daughter created under such horrible conditions.
"It's beautiful. And fitting for you," Tony gave her a small smile, slightly swinging their arms between them where they held hands, "And fitting for her. She must have been the one bright spot your great-grandmother focused on. The good…to come from all the bad." He paused blinking back new tears as he looked at the beautiful woman beside him, "Her Ziva."
Ziva couldn't stop the small smile that tugged at the corners of her mouth at Tony, even if new tears welled in her eyes and then sobered with a small gasp, "She must have been terrified. Afraid constantly of what they would do to her baby and powerless to stop them." She inhaled a soft sob as Tony pulled her in closer to his side, "Liat must feel the same way, Tony…" She couldn't finish the thought.
"We're going to find her, Zi." He stopped them and pulled her into a full hug, "We're going to find her." He repeated with more confidence then he felt. He was feeling the same terror and foreboding that Ziva had been feeling. Seeing similarities in the past and present. "She is tough and stubborn… just like you." He smiled softly holding her tightly, "She'll make it, Ziva. Most of the time, she's become too much like you for her own good," He teased, "But right now, that is exactly what she needs. To be just like her big sister." He heard her inhale soft cry, burying her face into his shoulder and coat, "You made it through, Ziva and Liat will too."
"I was not pregnant, Tony. The only life I had to care about was my own." Ziva pulled back shaking her head with a tear-stained face and trying to hold back her emotions and fear.
"What was in the photo?" Gibbs asked the moment they were all back in the Bull Pen with bags packed and ready to go, just waiting for Malachi to arrive at any moment.
Ziva pulled out the smaller photograph and passed it over to him. "My great-grandparents with my grandmother. Apparently, the first planned 'breeding' for the genetics program in my family line." She swallowed hard and Gibbs eyes flashed up to meet hers, "The curator explained that my great-grandmother Elise, is of Jewish descent as we know but also of some French Royal descent as well, while my great-grandfather, Karl Johan, was second generation Olympian of German and Scandinavian descent. My grandmother Ziva's conception was intentional as part of a special genetics program. That was all he told us."
"He was a Nazi SS Guard…" Gibbs repeated softly seeing the man in uniform in the photo and making the connection. His heart clenching painfully to see that Ziva's grandmother had been a prisoner and forced into this. Much like Ziva was being forced into a similar set of circumstances now, in being expected to supply her 'genetic material' to whatever this group and cause was. Ray's words also ringing true through Gibbs mind, that they wouldn't simply let Ziva go as they'd spent generations perfecting her bloodline. He held the proof of that endeavor in his hands. At least three generations back. "You never knew who her father was?" He asked softly wondering what Ziva had known all these years given how protective she was of her private life with everyone.
"No," Ziva shook her head sadly, "It was never discussed. My grandmother would only ever say that her father…my great-grandfather," She nodded towards the photograph, "Died in Dachau." She had always assumed, as was intended, to believe that her grandfather was also Jewish and had died a prisoner in the camp. She knew now, it likely meant her Nazi grandfather had been killed with the arrival of the Allies, or perhaps, just wishful thinking on her great-grandmothers part. She's dreamed enough of several ways in which to kill Saleem each time he had raped her and could only imagine her grandmother doing the same with this man.
When the elevator dinged, they all turned expecting Malachi. The man frazzled looking man who stepped off instead, greatly surprised them.
"Asa," Ziva gasped softly looking directly at him as he stalked over to them looking slightly disheveled in his otherwise normally flawless looking suit. "What are you doing here?"
"Where is Liat?" He asked with searching eyes looking around their office space, "I have tried to call her and she won't answer. I need to speak with her. She won't return my calls! I must speak with her. Change her mind!" He was waving his hands around with voice rising in near panic.
"Whoa, whoa…wait a minute," Tony spoke up trying to calm him, "What are you talking about? What do you need to speak with her about, Asa?" He asked wanting to know exactly what Asa knew about the situation with Liat and perhaps, hoping that he could offer some further insight.
"She called off our engagement! I need to speak with her and convince her not to." Asa looked at Tony with pleading eyes. The man was clearly distraught. "I came here to convince her that this will work between us! That we can work! We will find a way!"
"So she called off the engagment?" Tony asked quietly realizing that Liat had been the one to put the brakes on, not Asa.
"Yes," Asa answered quietly in a deflated tone and posture, "She told me everything and I was upset at first. I couldn't help but be… but I love her more then life itself and I will love this baby. It's a part of her and I need her in my life. She doesn't have to do this alone. I will help her!" The look in his eyes was that of sincerety, love and fear of loss.
"Did you tell her all of this?" Ziva asked finding her mouth going dry and new tears welling to see how upset the man before her was and knowing it was only going to get worse once he knew the truth about Liat's disappearance, which from his reaction in looking for her now, knew nothing about.
"Yes, I tried! She said I was just reacting to losing her and not really thinking through what kind of commitment I was saying that I would make with her and this child. That she couldn't do this to me. That I deserved more in life and better then her… but I love her, Ziva. That is all that matters. I want to be there for her and be whatever she needs." Asa was directing the focus on Ziva knowing that she and Liat were so close now from all of the phone conversations he'd had with Liat in the past several weeks and months. "Please you have to help me. I need to speak with her! I have to make this right!"
"Make this right?" Malachi had come off the elevator and no one had noticed watching Asa fall apart. He'd only heard the last part of the conversation and his anger had returned in waves, focusing them on the easiest target. Asa. "I thought you would take care of her! I trusted you with her! How could you do that? Ask her to marry you and then call off the engagement! What kind of an asshole does that?" He fired at Asa stalking closer. "I thought you wanted to marry her and make a life with her? Now you leave her when she needs you the most! When she's pregnant! I thought you loved her!" He yelled at Asa and everyone's eyes went wide, unable to stop as though they were watching a car wreck in slow motion.
"Are you kidding me? You dare yell at me?" Asa yelled back at him with wide and angry eyes, "I love her! Of course I want to marry her and have a life with her! I still wanted to marry her even after she told me she was pregnant with your child!" He pushed Malachi backwards with rage in his eyes.
"What?" Malachi asked instantly with face draining in color and not even bothering to stop Asa from continuously shoving him backwards in the chest. "My child?" He asked searching the angry man's eyes before him for the truth.
"Yes! Your child!" Asa screamed at him incredulously, "You couldn't just leave her alone, could you! You're the asshole, not me! You just to had to sleep with her one more time before you left! You couldn't just let her go! And now you've ruined her life! She won't marry me now because she feels too guilty that I'd be forced to raise your child, Malachi! She's ashamed and said she doesn't deserve my love! So she's going to do it alone!"
"The baby is mine?" Malachi asked again with no anger towards Asa's physical and verbal attack on him and instead, stood still in disbelief. His mind trying to wrap around what Asa was saying. "Did you know about this?" He turned his head immediately to look at Ziva and then Tony and everyone else standing around with wide-eyes. "Did you know this was my child she was carrying?"
