Disclaimer: I don't owe anything.
A/N I never asked for reviews but it is slightly disappointing to find only one after longest chapter so far, isn't it???
We are back in reality...
Jenny took one last sip of the alcohol. It was six in the morning and she was exhausted. Midnights conversations with Ziva had always that effect on her. She gave up every hope on sleep and went upstairs to get a shower. When she came back down, she found Ziva eating some breakfast
.
"Did you get any sleep??" she asked her red-head friend.
Jenny considered lying for a while, but then just shook her head "Nope"
"I'm sorry" Ziva hated the was she was interfering with her friend's life.
"It's OK, it wasn't your fault, I shouldn't have started with the whiskey" she smiled and Ziva smiled back at her.
"I'm telling you that for ten years now"
.oOo.
They got to work even before Gibbs that day and were surprised to find Ducky there. Jenny turned to Ziva and whispered "Maybe it is some kind of sign" she suggested but didn't pressure her. When they parted Ziva went straight to autopsy.
"Ziva, my dear, what are you doing so early today" the ME welcomed her as warmly as ever.
"We were too tired to go to sleep anyway..."
"We??" Ducky asked.
"Jenny and me." she explained "we talked through night..."
"And what were you talking about??" he didn't really expected Ziva to answer. But he honestly cared. Ziva considered Jenny's advice and Ducky's concern. Finally she decided to give it a try.
"I'll tell you over the dinner if you are free tonight" It wasn't completely selfless act. Dr. Jared told her, she could finish the therapy the moment she will be able to admit to others what happened to her. It was time to give it a shot.
"I will be honored" and for the first time Ziva wasn't completely freaked out about the idea of talking about her being captured.
"Honored to do what, Duck??" as usual Gibbs walked in when no one expected him.
"To join our Israeli at dinner" the ME answered.
"Glad to see you feel better, David" the reprimand didn't sound so severe as it used to. Ziva managed to answer with smile.
"Almost on my best, Boss, but I'm getting there" It wasn't common for Gibbs to be render speechless, but he studied Ziva quietly for a while and finally approved with a nod.
"Ducky, what did you found out??"
"Our guest here was treated very badly, Jethro. She didn't die till 6 am. She was cut, drugged, burned, beaten and raped. But final cause of death is exsanguination."
"What do you make out of this, Duck?"
"That we are dealing with very disturbed person here..." but Ziva interrupted him
"I'd say we are dealing with skilled interrogator here." It was her first initiative movement since she came back and both men turned to her interested. She was still holding autopsy report in front of her, opened.
The way the injuries were made. They were supposed to inflict pain but not kill. Not immediately, at least." Ziva has been on both side of the interrogation and her insight was more valuable then any in the room guessed.
"Did she had any important intel, was she handling any secret documents??" Ducky asked.
"Nothing that we found out" Gibbs answered.
Silence filled the room for a while, until Ziva finished reading report.
"On the other hand, the severity of the injuries during first interrogation session is bit off for someone so experienced. The person would know better then to show all his tricks from the beginning. She would be very quickly in and out of consciousness. Also the rape and the fact she was left alive would suggest someone did it for..." Ziva paused like she needed to consider the right word for a while "...for pure pleasure."
"Good work, Ducky" Gibbs said after checking the report "And interesting deduction, David" Ziva blushed after such a compliment.
"Let's check what Abby got" and with that he left. Ziva stayed behind for a little while, turned back to Ducky "Seven o'clock, Doctor??"
Ducky nodded in agreement and Ziva run after Gibbs.
"Gibbs" Abby welcomed in her usual very cheerful manner "you are late" most of her machines were calling for attention with loud beeping.
"Sorry, Abs, I was hold back with Ducky and Ziva"
"Morning Ziva" Abby welcomed the Israeli just entering her lab. The welcome was little colder than towards Gibbs, but Abby could never stay too long angry at anyone. She also remembered Director's words when she reprimanded her for misbehaving towards Ziva
"Believe me" she said then "she spared you lots of worries by not contacting you earlier. And between us, with your perceptive nature I'm more then sure you know it wasn't you she avoided" it was almost all assurance Abby needed.
"So, what do you got, Abs" surprisingly the words came from Ziva as well as the Caf-Pow.
"Smooth move, David" and she grabbed the not-at-all-first Caf-Pow that morning with friendly wink towards Ziva.
"I've got found partial fingerprint on the scene" she explained between sips "I'm running it through databases right now, but I've got already seven matches so far....make it eight" the computer just beeped
"The duct tape found on the scene was very common one, you can get it in any supermarket, so no luck there. In PFC Holland's blood I've found traces of rohypnol, probably used to overpower her and some coffeine-like drug I haven't matched yet....someone wanted her to be awake and alert whole time"
"So you got nothing" Gibbs interrupted Abby's coffeine-induced babling.
"You are hurting me, Gibbs" she gave him her best I-would-never-expected-that-from-you look "I've got this" she waved with seemingly empty evidence bag.
"Hair??" Ziva was first to notice.
"Short, blond, definitely not Lisa's, stuck in her belt" she stopped and pointed at Gibbs "You find me anything to match it with and I'll will give you yours beyond-reasonable-doubts evidence"
"Keep digging, Abs" And once again Gibbs left room without even goodbye.
As they arrived back to the squad room Tony and McGee were already in there. Tim smiled at Ziva friendly, Tony only welcomed Gibbs. To his excuse, he spent half the night digging through PFC Holland life and found she was as dangerous as newborn. This with their recently gained intel proved theory of Lisa being killed only for pure pleasure of some sick existence. The bad news was they had nothing to go on. Anyone could stalked Lisa or even worse she could be chosen by chance.
The team spent boring day tracing all Lisa's movements on her last day, arguing, watching and rewatching security tapes from different places, arguing, interviewing witnesses and once more arguing. They argued about everything, even the way Lisa wore her uniform, but the arguments were the creative type which usually brought new ideas. All except the one between Ziva and Tony in the evening.
"There has to be some guy, boyfriend, refused lover...anyone. C'mon, it was definitive crime of passion" Tony repeated for hundredth time this day and was driving mad not only Ziva.
"Tony, not every woman needs man to be happy" Ziva repeated again.
"But look at her, she was young, good looking, had job...There would be dozens of men knocking on her door."
"Maybe she liked being alone, there are millions of reasons for her not hooking up" 'Like not trusting man anymore or there was something she didn't want anyone to see' she thought to herself.
"Everyone needs little making up every now and then, David" Tony was convinced of his truth and, well, he liked arguing with Ziva. But before he could take another breath Gibbs ended his reasoning with head-slap.
"Take your brain out of your pants, DiNozzo"
Before Tony could answer with his now perfected "Will do, Boss" Ducky entered the scene.
"I'm with Ziva on this one, further examination explored that our late PFC was a virgin before attack"
He caught everyone attention. The ME like nothing happened placed completed report on Gibbs'es desk and turned to Ziva.
"I guess we will have to postpone our dinner, my dear"
Next: The dinner and something more:) but I promise it is getting warmer....
