Chapter 7: Complex
The weather is fair in Tel Aviv. The winter season seldom falls below fifty degrees.
Ziva David stands in front of her father's desk waiting for him to speak. She hates being there--in front of a man who has used her in the past. A man who will continue to use her now and in the future.
"Ziva, find a seat." He orders her gruffly more than speaking kindly to her. Once she finds one, he motions for her bring it closer to his desk. After doing so, he puts his pen down. "What do I owe the pleasure?"
"Returning for duty."
"Why?" It is a simple question, but he already knows she does not have a simple answer. "Have you not adjusted to life in America?"
"It isn't that." She grows tense, but does not continue.
Eli David stares at his last living child and tries to find why her physical state is contrived.
"I haven't a place for you, Ziva." He chooses to find his personal vengeance on a few Americans deep within him before continuing. "You were sent to help your brother and instead you let an American take his life."
"Special Agents Gibbs was unarmed."
"So I've been told…so I've been told…" He believes it to be a lie, but has not developed enough information to prove it. "He is was your brother."
"Half-brother!" She barks.
"IT DOES NOT MATTER!" He slams his hand down on the stack of papers that riddle his desk. "Family is family!"
"I know that!" She raises her voice again. "But the past is the past, no?" She inhales sharply. "There is no way to get him back."
"I am convinced that even with a way of doing so you would fail me…again." His eyes grow darker and bitter. There is not even a single spec of emotion in his eyes. "You've been damaged, Ziva."
"How so?" She finds this to be an error in judgment, but she lacks the power to tell him differently.
"The rules and regulations of an investigator have clouded your ability as a Mossad Agent."
"I am very much the person I was." She finds that to be a lie, but she is without any other choice now that she no longer serves any purposes for NCIS.
"…But you've meddled with the Americans." He catches a quick flash of surprise at what he said, but does not think anything of it. "You've worked with them, cared for them--"
Her mind quickly responds when she feels her father becoming dangerously close to an area she never wants to address to him, or anyone.
"I thought we were friends of the Americans."
"What they've done to me has nothing to do with our agreement and respectful interactions."
"So are you telling me I am not allowed to come back?" She is tired of her father saying things that hold no water now that she is here, seating completely in front of him, wanting back in.
"I'd have to test you, Ziva. Make sure you're suitable for a few operations." He explains. "Perhaps you should lay low for a while--visit old friends."
"Are you guaranteeing me?"
"I am." He says as she stands, "But my word isn't as honest as it once was. You know this."
She nods. Inside she understands though she refuses to honestly accept it. Her father is a dirty man and no matter how wicked he can and will be, she refuses to detach herself from him entirely.
Tony enters the Director's office and fixes his tie. His throat is dry and suddenly the air around him feels stuffy.
"Take a seat, Agent DiNozzo." She is in front of him before he can fully settle himself. "I've called you in my office today in hopes you understand how I feel about you as an Agent."
"Uh…" He clears his throat. "With all due respect Director, I can't recall a moment where we have gotten to know one another."
"Judging from the stories I've heard, I rather like the fact we haven't." She offers him a small grin. "Even so, are you willing to assist me?"
"Do I have a choice?" His eyes twinkle with fear and curiosity.
"No." She whips around and heads to her desk. Once there she grabs a single paper off her desk and takes a look at it. "Branson case, sound familiar?"
"Certainly." He feels the heat from under his collar rising. "We're working on that…as well as several others." He waits for her to continue speaking, but she chooses not to. "Haven't gotten much of a lead on the case--drug lords…you know how they are--they just up and leave whenever they've made a drop."
She grins at his nervousness; a character trait he seldom shows.
"If you let me get back to work, maybe I'll be able to--"
"I know about the fingerprints, Agent DiNozzo." She puts the sheet of paper down. "I know they belong to Gibbs." She sees his Adam's apple bob. "Did you really think Abby's findings would drift completely over my head?"
"Of course not, Director." He clears his throat. "What are you asking me to do?"
"Keep tabs on Gibbs. You're the only Agent with enough skill to go without being noticed."
"Gibbs is a sniper. He's the one with enough skills." He reminds her.
"Right, but Gibbs is the man of the hour." She growing with fatigue. "If he is withholding information about the Branson case we will never get it out of him."
"Maybe there's a reason for that." Tony feels his defense for Gibbs kicking in though the day before he was set to work against him.
"And there's a damn reason Officer David quit!" She yells at him. "It wasn't a question, Agent DiNozzo. You will follow Gibbs and whatever you find, you will report back to me." She feels his need to protest. "Do I make myself clear?"
"Crystal, Director." He finds it hard to swallow. As he gets up, he hears her call his name. "Yeah, Director?"
"Agent McGee isn't to know about this." She catches his nod though the back of his head is facing her. "Neither is the rest of the Team. This is strictly between you and I."
He nods a final time before he forces himself out of her office. As he leans against the closed door, he catches her secretary offering him an apologetic smile. He smiles quickly back at her before closing his eyes and resting the back of his head against the door.
After her email has been opened, she reads Tony's witty reply.
Hiya Zee-vah,
Me--Nice to Probie? I'm not sure I'll ever have a reason to do that. Naturally I haven't gotten married, but if you are offering…
-Tony
Gibbs sits at the foot of his basement steps. Without the large wooden structure smack dab in the middle of his basement, he is able to take in how large it feels. Yet it does not matter because its absence makes his life more empty than it usually is.
A bottle of bourbon is clutched between his tight grip. With every swig of the dark liquor he hears Ducky's voice in his dead. It haunts him as if no matter where Ducky is, he knows exactly what he is doing--and why.
The elevator makes its usual sound and McGee floats past a few Agents and ends up landing directly in his chair--as it has been pushed in behind him.
"Get to it, Probie." Tony instructs.
"I'll need to be at your desk for me to do that, Tony."
"Easy Probie, I've already switched our computers." He gives him a sly look.
"You came to work earlier?" He finds that extremely hard to believe.
"I stopped by after midnight--I do my best work at night." He polishes his nails.
"I'm sure you'll be eating your words once Gibbs finds out what we are doing and then eventually snags the security cameras."
"A buddy of mine owed me a favor--I had them rigged for a few minutes. Just enough time for me to construct the switch-off."
"I'm impressed. You have tech-y friends."
"Everyone makes mistakes, McGeek. Everyone." He pushes Mcgee further under his desk. "But enough already--come on!!"
"Okay, okay!" McGee hardly can stand the pressure. "What exactly am I supposed to clean?"
"Email--she sent me another one, but don't delete it! I haven't gotten a chance to read what it says." He drops his address on his keyboard. "My original outgoing email and her reply are on my computer at my apartment."
"I'm going to have to go to your apartment?" McGee asks as he continues to work.
"What's wrong with my apartment?" Tony is slightly offended by that. "Oh right--don't come by there after nine. I tend to morph into an entertainer if you know what--"
"I know what you mean!" McGee saves himself from any blunt detail Tony planned to give him. "I'll be there at eight. It shouldn't take me long."
"Right on McFingers." He left his partners side and took a seat at his own desk. "I'd hurry up if I were you."
"Quit pushing me, Tony!" McGee is slowly breaking into a sweat. Something he never does first thing after he gets to work.
"I'm trying to save your ass incase our ever-so-NOT-cheerful boss, flies through those metal doors!" Tony finds the hitch in his voice to be alarming. "How much more time?"
"Just a few minutes--maybe our networks slow."
"Ah!!!!" Tony grabs his head. "Enough with the tech talk McGee, you're killing me. Just hurry and finish!"
McGee bites his lip though he wants to blast Tony to pieces. Clicking around with his mouse, he uses his other hand to open his desk drawer. Opening it he finds an external drive and hooks it to the computer via USB.
"What are you doing?" Tony asks urgently as he rips his eyes away from the elevator. "HELLO, PROBIE!!!"
"I thought you said for me to stop talking."
"AH!" He throws a pencil at McGee, but he dodges it. "Answer my question!"
"I'm creating the backup on an external drive."
Tony nods as he looks back towards the elevator doors. From upstairs, Director Shepard can see the two Agents behaving frantically. An eyebrow lifts when she sees McGee toss Tony the small external drive. She will discover what it is about.
Eli David greets his daughter for the second time since her return. She has not been back home for more than five days.
"You have decided." She says matter-of-factly once she sees the look in her father's eyes.
"You will first go through a week's evaluation."
"If you are again placing me as an Liaison Officer--"
"You will return as Metsada." He sees a slight doubt flash across her face. "Your evaluation is mandatory." He finds his seat at his desk.
She stands there trying to take the news she was just given--but realizes she has to stop trying and she must take it. This is what she is told to do and she will do it…
Even if it means completely forgetting her could-be family at NCIS for the rest of her life.
Car keys are thrown on the coffee table. Tony takes his gun from his hostler and settles it on top of his television. He knows it is not a safe place, but it is the only large object that is near him.
Quickly turning his computer on, he stuffs the external drive into the USB port on his computer tower he never knew he had. Once he searches the web quickly for instructions on how to open an external file, he begins to read Ziva's email.
Shalom Tony,
I wouldn't marry you if you were the last man on earth…unless of course I was the only woman left on earth. That way we would be forced to be with one another. I think that is the only proper way we could ever be together.
I would cherish McGee's presence. Your acceptance would mean so much to him.
-Ziva
The smile that covers his face vanishes in seconds. There is a certain sadness to his short-term partner that he can not seem to place. And as if on cue, another email reaches his inbox--from Ziva.
Goodbye Tony,
I have been requested for duty. Not sure when…or if I will be back. I am afraid our emails can no longer continue from this point on. Give McGee my best.
-Ziva
The lump that forms in his throat does not want to disappear. When he hears a knock on his door, he refuses to answer it. When he hears McGee calling his name and banging loudly on his door, he forces himself out of the care.
"Could it have taken you any longer?" McGee says to him without a proper hello.
"I was preoccupied…" Tony's voice is low.
"Well let me in, will ya?" McGee pushes inside of Tony's apartment. "The hallway smells terrible."
"Not my fault." His voice inaudible.
McGee looks strangely at him once he sees his face. "What's with your, Tony? You want me here to clear your computer, don't you?"
"Ziva's in trouble."
McGee's expressions changes instantly. "What's happened?"
"Thought you didn't care, McGee." Tony says sarcastically before he slams his apartment door. "Thought Ziva wasn't like Kate."
"Damn it Tony, what's happened to her?" McGee is beginning to feel a slight pain inside.
"Read the email." Tony points directly to his computer screen.
McGee takes a deep breath before obeying.
Tony stands in his place; a million things begin to crowd his mind at once. He shakes his head slightly and wonders how on earth he managed to connect himself to so many problems that were happening all at once.
"We've got to tell Gibbs!" McGee breaks his train of thought.
"Easy there, McGee." Tony's voice is gentle. "I'm not sure that's such a good idea."
"Why?" McGee feels his patience slipping away. "Come on, Gibbs ought to know."
Tony becomes angry at the second mention of their boss's name. "Don't you think he already knows?!" He yells at McGee. "Ziva heading back into the lion's den could never amount to anything good. Gibbs knew this."
"…And he let her go anyway…" McGee is starting to see the big picture. "Why'd he just let her leave?"
"I don't know." Tony scrubs at his face with his hands. "Clear the computer--don't bother rushing. I'll order us a pizza."
McGee can not find the words to say anything else, so he gets to work.