Chapter Seven

The mention of that name had left him uncomfortable but it was common enough and he couldn't allow himself to fall apart at its mere sound. "Ziva?" No way was he seeing this correctly, the woman in front of him couldn't possibly be Ziva, not his Ziva.

"Spencer" She didn't know what else to say, he was looking as if he'd seen a ghost which she guessed for the most part he had.

"You two know each other?" Tony wasn't sure if he should be more amused or suspicious of the way these two were staring at each other. One looked to be a measuring look while the other was obviously absolute disbelief, if it was possible he'd say the mans jaw had surpassed hitting the floor.

"Spencer I can explain." Ziva moved closer but Spencer moved back.

"You're...," He shook his head as he tried comprehending but try as he might the only thing he had succeeded in doing was making his head feel as if it would explode. "There's no...," He hadn't seen her in over five weeks, it had been 26 days, 4 hours, and 32 minutes since he had heard of her death yet here she stood. Here she was, a moment he had foolishly wished for dozens of times and he couldn't find it in himself to believe it true.

"I'm assuming that's a yes?" Tony moved to the side to gain a better vantage point, there was clearly something between these two.

"Fill it!" She had lost any beginnings that might have been a plan and Tonys budding in wasn't helping, Spencer was looking ready to bolt and she knew her time was almost up.

"It's stuff it Ziva."

"You two do that." Spencer whispered as he turned at a near dizzying pace and ran from the room. This was too much and calling it shock would be a huge understatement.

"And they're off!" Tony laughed as Ziva dropped the bag taking off just as fast, this was going to be good and he didn't plan on missing it.

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"Spencer Wait!" She couldn't get him to run with her the whole time they were in Israel yet here she was finding out he could very possibly earn himself a position on the Olympic track team. "Spencer!"

"Ziva, Tony!" Gibbs calling her name had her losing her focus for a sole second but it was long enough for Spencer to disappear into the elevator. "Ziva lets go!" She had continued straight past the elevator and toward the stair case in hopes of catching up but Gibbs' second call was near angry and as she heard the return of the elevator she knew she was to late.

She followed her other team members into the lift and as expected Tony had a few words to say which she ignored but to her surprise she did not receive the expected wack from Gibbs, he instead filled her in on where they were going though it didn't stay on her mind as Spencer had currently staked his claim on it. This had been her exact prediction when she thought about things going wrong and now she was lost as to what her next actions should be, she had the opportunity in the conference room to clarify everything but had found herself nearly speechless when it came to actually beginning an explanation.

What would she say, I believe my father faked my own death for his own selfish reasons, though I don't yet know what he's benefiting from it so I decided to allow you to continue believing his lie until I figure out what he's up too? Yeah she was sure it would sound ten times worse aloud.
Spencer was a man of riddles, he had a passion for them and no matter what twist she placed on her reasoning he would simplify it down to the basics, She had put no stop to his believing her dead.

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"You forget your bag again?" Morgan watched the man climb into the back of the suburban sans his satchel.

"Turns out I didn't bring it." Reid ignored his team mates raised eyebrow as he distracted himself with the seatbelt.

"You okay?" Morgan knew for a fact the man had brought it because he had teased him about being as bad as a woman with it but he wasn't about to call the kid a liar.

"Bumped my elbow on the way back." He shrugged as he noticed that he had gained Gideons attention in the rearview mirror, it was a poor excuse but perhaps they'd take it as reasoning for the discomfort he was showing.

As he watched Morgan turn back around with a laugh he held in the sigh he wanted so badly to escape, he couldn't afford to rid himself of that extra air as it would probably cause him to pass out. If he would have been told he'd be seeing Ziva when he awoke this morning he would have claimed the person as a liar and if there hadn't been a third person with them in that room he would surely be going to have his head checked at the moment but there was and he had.

Shock had been the initial cause of his running away but it was more likely fear that kept him going. He didn't think he'd be able to face it if everything turned out to be some weird and twisted joke and he lost her again, not if his mind was indeed playing tricks on him and it hadn't been real. If it had though it would still be a near impossibility to face, that would mean he had been betrayed in one of the worst ways possible by the love of his life, that she hadn't cared enough to save him from suffering.

This is where his logical side of course enters and bursts any hope that he might have held onto. Ziva was alive, after nearly a month of mourning her loss and what could've been, she's alive and doing well without him while he's just barely starting to get through more than an hour at a time without being reminded of her in some way. She's alive and had just reopened all of those wounds, he had indeed just lost her again because that woman in there certainly wasn't the same one he knew and loved. No, she was a liar, a betrayer, a ghost of what he remembered her to be. His mourning had renewed but now he needed to decide if he'd let things lie or if he'd muster the courage to look for an explanation that was more than deserved.

E/N: So I'm trying to decide which parts of their history should get thrown in there and which would be better left out. Hankel? Date with JJ? Somalia? Undercovers? What do you guys think, obviously the timeline is being redone so any suggestions no matter what season are welcomed.