Kaleidoscope

A/N: So, this is my early birthday present to me! Tomorrow is my birthday! Yay! And I was going to wait until tomorrow to post this but I couldn't! And sorry for shortness. =/ 'Cause it's, like, really short compared with Revelations chapters. Except for chapter nine.

Ch4. Spit It Out

Tim looked over the information Tony had pulled on Ziva. Something did not seem right.

McGee pulled up the Embassy records, sifting through the limited information.

There it was- the log date. Both the visa and the work papers had been entered into the system just after Tony's visit to Ziva.

What are you hiding, Ziva?

He beckoned Abby over just as the Goth stepped out of the elevator. "Abby, look at something for me."

Abby rushed over, pulling Tony's chair to Tim's desk and pushing McGee out of the way.

"What's wrong, Timmy?"

"Does that look right to you?"

Her face scrunched as she glanced over the information. Visa, Embassy papers… "No, not at all, Tim."

She sighed, punching a few codes on the keyboard. "I mean, look at this! It's very rare I see documents faked so sloppily!"

Now it was McGee's turn to look confused.

"Abby, what are you saying?"

"Oh come on Timmy, don't say you don't know. The clandestine visit, the electronics! I mean, barely a month ago Tony and Ziva were… well… sort of professing their love for the other! Now she shows up with shabbily and hastily faked papers, and tells no one she's here? It's been two days, and there's been nothing. Plus, she's right across the street from Tony's apartment!"

Abby paused, drawing in her breath.

McGee's face cleared and immediately fell into shadow.

"It's a hit," he whispered.

The forensic scientist nodded shortly, fingers drumming nervously on McGee's desk.

"Oh, no," she hissed.

Their heads whipped around to face each other, noses touching.

"I gotta call Gibbs!" Tim snapped his phone up, punching buttons furiously.

Abby tapped at the computer, trying to draw out more information on Ziva's "job".

"Gibbs?" McGee whispered.

"Why are you whispering, McGee?"

"Uh… I'm not sure, Boss," he replied, raising his voice to normal.

"Why'd you call?"

"Uh, Boss…"

"SPIT IT OUT, MCGEE!"

"Ziva's here on a hit. Tony," Tim gushed.

Click.

****

Gibbs stormed into the hospital, completely bypassing the protesting nurses.

The convalescing assassin sat up straight when her patriarch of four years thundered into her hospital room.

Gibbs took in her bandages and burn cream, and his face softened for a moment.

"You look like hell, David."

"Thank you, Gibbs," the Israeli replied drily.

His face steeled again. Ziva sensed his anger, and her own body tensed in response.

"Killing a federal agent is a crime, David."

"I am aware."

"Then why are you planning to?"

Ziva froze, her mouth gaping.

The Director's papers had not held up, after all.

Her almond eyes narrowed after a moment.

"That is not my mission here, Agent Gibbs."

"Don't lie to me, Ziva," Gibbs said softly. "Tony taught you to feel… I can read your lies."

Ziva sighed. "Do not think, do not believe! Do not believe I could ever pull a trigger on Tony."

She kept her voice low, trying to make herself believe.

Maybe then, she would not do it.

"I don't know what to believe anymore!" Gibbs snarled, voice rising.

Ziva flinched.

"I trusted you, Ziva! I put my life into your hands!"

She turned her face away, wanting to escape the tirade from this, her better father.

Gibbs leaned in over her. "We gave our trust. We gave our lives. To you. Do you know how hard it is to build that kind of trust with us? That kind of commitment, of- of love?!

"And it was all a lie. You may have done good by Jenny, but on my team," here he pointed to himself angrily, "the lies don't jive."

His face showed his anger. But his eyes betrayed his hurt.

"Gibbs, I-"

"Was it real? Or was it all fake?"

"not all of it was a lie," she whispered, before the angered agent continued.

"I'm glad I kept you from DiNozzo. You'd'a stabbed him in bed, wouldn't you have?"

"Never," Ziva gasped, feeling the tears building hot and unbidden in her eyes. "Gibbs, Tony…"

"You were sent to kill him. Why didn't you kill him in Tel Aviv?" Gibbs asked, voice harsh. "Then you could have had it written off as rage. Then he was ready to die."

Ziva felt the tears escape, but did not sob.

"He's moved on finally. So should you."

Silence.

"Go home, David."

Knowing he was right was the worst part of all.

****

Tony hammered on the gas, zooming down the familiar D.C. roads to the hospital.

Ziva, Ziva, Ziva!

He knew her visit could not bode well.

Somewhere deep within him, he knew.

Idly, Tony felt the Mustang purr beneath him, admiring the sports car's sleek power.

Then his cell phone rang, flashing a picture of a confused McGee on his caller ID.

"Agent DiNozzo."

"Tony, thank God!" Abby rushed. "Look, be careful! Ziva's here to kill you!"

Tony laughed. "I thought Samuel Rivkin was."

He could hear McGee shifting.

"Tony, it's true. About Ziva. And the Boss is probably on his way to pick up Samuel now."

Tony drew in his breath.

"So did you tell Gibbs?"

"Yeah, he hung up, so he probably went to go talk to Ziva, but it's been a while."

"You only called me now?"

"Well… yeah. But your phone was off earlier!"

"Oh. Right.

"Well, I'm on my way to see Ziva now."

He zoomed towards the hospital, noting a truck pulled over at the side of the road with some long metal poles in the bed.

"No, Tony! Do NOT-"

"Hanging up!"

Just as Tony was about to flip closed his cell phone, red fire clouded his vision and he felt the car lifted.

Shit, not another car, was the first thing to pass through his mind.

He screamed as something impaled him through the chest.

Tony passed out, warm blood trickling down from multiple lesions and wounds.

On the other end of the still open line, Abby and Tim stared at each other in unconcealed horror.