A Girl Worth Fighting For
How 'bout a girl who's got a brain
Who always speaks her mind?
The army's drills were tough, tougher than was realistic by normal standards or Ziva wouldn't have had much trouble. Running through a field of arrows was little different than dodging gunfire, and the volley was so thick that she only managed to escape the barbed projectiles because Tony managed to incinerate the ones that would have struck her. By noon, she was ready to admit that she was glad he'd stuck around.
But it was then that the captain rode in astride his white horse.
Tony recognized him first, because Ziva felt his claws dig into her shoulder where he was hiding beneath her clothes—a fact that she had tried not to think about much during the course of their training. "Ziva," he said. "It's…him."
Ziva had expected to see Gibbs appear on the scene, but as strong of a man as Gibbs was, he was getting older, and this shirtless captain was clearly in the prime of his life with thick, dark hair and rippling muscles. He wasn't a China man either, no…he was Israeli. Michael. It was all she could do to stay on her feet when he marched up to her, but for all the emotions racing through her at that moment, he didn't recognize her at all.
"You've got impressive skill, young man. We've never seen someone pick up the drills so quickly…but I suppose I shouldn't be surprised knowing that you're from the David family. You must be…Ari, is it?" Michael asked.
Tony jabbed Ziva in the ribs, and she nodded slowly. It didn't feel right to impersonate her brother, and felt worse to lie to the man she might have loved, but she knew that the danger of revealing herself here was too real to ignore. Even if Michael wouldn't have done anything to harm her, the troops would, and then he would have no choice.
"I had thought you left," Michael continued. "On a mission for Emperor Gibbs himself. What are you doing here in our lowly camp?"
"We were told to send a man to fight in the army. Apparently your messenger thought my service directly to the emperor insufficient," Ziva said without hesitation. "My father is no longer fit to serve in combat, so I came here in his place."
"No, no. That's not what I have heard, actually," Michael said. "I was told that you had betrayed the empire. You kidnapped the Emperor and used him to win leadership over the entire Hun army."
The soldiers scrambled for their weapons behind her, but Ziva didn't move. Tony had slithered up to her shoulder and she could sense that he was ready to throw a fireball into Michael's face if he had to…and it certainly looked like he might have to do it. They would either kill her because they thought she was a traitor, or they'd kill her because she was a woman impersonating a soldier.
"Those are strong accusations, Captain," Ziva said. "I am only well trained because my father dedicated his life to making his country and his children strong, and…for better or worse, that's what I am. I would never stoop to treason!"
"Perhaps not," he said. "Especially since you are not Ari. Did you really think that burn would be enough to hide your identity from me, Ziva?"
Tony leapt from under her collar and unleashed a jet of flame that spooked Michael's horse. Turning to run, Ziva saw that her escape was cut off by the rest of the soldiers. It was then that a black stallion barreled through their ranks, with a brain-dead looking puppy clinging to his back.
The horse whinnied urgently, and Ziva vaulted onto his back behind the puppy. He reared with an equine roar; the puppy howled around a dagger held firmly in its mouth. Before the stallion touched down again, Tony scurried up its neck and blew another stream of fire, this time to further frighten the soldiers who were already shrieking about Ziva being some sort of conjurer of dark spirits.
Ziva dug her heals into the stallion's sides and he charged past the line of soldiers again, this time to flee with his passengers into the forest. The stallion galloped on and on, until the sounds of the furious, imperial soldiers were far behind them.
They set up camp at the far end of the forest, with the animals proving surprisingly helpful in that regard. The black horse gathered the firewood, the puppy tracked down some food—berries, a sack of rice patties, and dead rabbits, most of which looked eatable—and Tony provided the fire while Ziva cooked whatever needed cooking.
By nightfall, they were sitting—or standing in the stallion's case—comfortably around the fire, well fed and ready for sleep.
"We'll need to get to the palace," Tony said.
"Yes, such were my thoughts," Ziva said. "I told you the dog was Abby."
"Hey, I had to put up a good show, all right?" The puppy growled. "Besides, it's actually kind of difficult to get over being a dog long enough to think like a human. I mean, dogs are always really, really, really happy about everything and since there wasn't immediate danger I kept forgetting what I was supposed to be doing, which was getting you back to Gibbs."
"I was at the palace," the stallion said. "And Gibbs sent me to find all of you."
"Why is McGee always the horse?" Tony asked.
"He just has that sort of 'horse' vibe, doesn't he?" Abby suggested.
McGee flattened his ears. "I do not."
"But you are a noble stud, McGee," Ziva said.
"Noble steed," Tony corrected. "I'm the stud."
"It would not be difficult for me to wring your neck right now," Ziva said, glaring.
"Anyway…" Abby cleared her throat. "So, we have to get through the pass, and then we'll be…well, there. I think. The pass though is—"
"Where the Huns are?" Tony said.
"Yeah, just our luck, huh?" Abby sighed.
"It may be," Ziva said. "Michael said that Ari had kidnapped the Emperor."
"So to meet up with Gibbs…" McGee said.
"We actually need to meet up with Ari," Tony said with a slow shake of his head. "Ziva, I think that curse of yours may be kicking in."
"This is not my fault," Ziva protested.
"We've gotta find your brother, who happens to be in charge of one of the biggest, badest armies in history," Tony said. "Call it bad luck if you want, but most of the unfortunate stuff happening seems to revolve around you."
"The real bummer is she doesn't even get to make out with the hunky Captain, because he wants to kill her too for some reason," Abby said. "These movies are starting to get kind of dark on us."
"What movie?" McGee asked.
"Mulan. Isn't it obvious?" Abby said.
"Oh...I see it now," McGee said. "But…you're right. It's odd that Rivkin wants her dead. Didn't the general fall in love with Mulan?"
"Rivkin always wanted her dead," Tony said. "He was lying to her the entire time."
"You don't know that," Ziva said.
"Well, his ghost wasn't exactly happy to see you, was it?" Tony said.
"I don't suppose if Tony kissed her now it would count would it?" McGee whispered to Abby. "I'd rather not run into certain death."
"Nobody is kissing anyone because nobody is cursed!" Ziva said. "And even if I were, I do not love Tony, so no: it would not count!"
Tony pouted. "Oh Gosh, I'm hurt, Sweet Cheeks."
"And stop calling me that," she said as she laid down to rest. "It's time to move on."
Tony looked over at McGee and muttered, "I don't know how you can move on from something that never was."
