I know many of you are missing Tim's presence ... try to hang in there ...
I hope this chapter was worth the wait. Enjoy
Ziva sat in the car, drumming her fingers on the steering wheel. She was sitting outside of the Family Center, waiting for Gibbs to leave.
While the months had passed by during her preparations, she had covertly figured out everyone's visiting schedule. She knew Gibbs was always the first and last visitor of the day. Tony usually came either at noon or one, depending on their lunch hour ... and he kept to the same schedule during the weekend.
Since it was Saturday, she knew that Gibbs would stay until 1000 ... and sure enough, right on the nose, he walked out of the Center.
Ziva wanted to bolt in right away. Instead, she gripped the steering wheel and waited, just incase the Center decided to call him about the strange new visitor to McGee, she wanted him to be the maximum distance away.
She watched the minutes tick by, getting closer to 1100.
That will give me at least one hour before Tony arrives, maybe even two, if he decides not to come until 1300 today. Plenty of time to get done what I need.
When the car clock finally reached 1100, Ziva calmly got out. Her steps were not rushed, she didn't want to give anyone the impression of something more going on than just a visit. She carried the purse Tim had given her, the supplies she needed concealed underneath the usual items found in a women's purse.
At the reception desk, she signed in and asked for directions to McGee's room. She had explanations and excuses ready if any of the staff were to question her. None did as they checked her name against those allowed to visit then sent her on her way. Within five minutes, she was in Tim's room.
Once inside, the door closed behind her and she let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. Ziva paused to look at her friend. At first he appeared to be just sleeping, until you noticed the unnatural stillness and all of the IV's, wires, and bags connected to him.
Knowing she didn't have much time, she shook herself from her thoughts and moved quickly. She grabbed a visitor's seat and sat down near the bed. She grabbed McGee's hand and paused when its coolness registered with her.
She gripped it tighter and looked at Tim's face. His hair had grown, a lot, but he was clean shaven. "I bet that is thanks to Gibbs, no?" She smiled and in spite of her time restriction, took a moment to spend with her lost friend. "Although, I am glad he has not decided to try and cut your hair. I did not like the military hair style on you." She reached up and ran her fingers through his hair, surprised at how soft it was. She brushed it off to the side, than ran her hand down his face, cupping his cheek in her hand.
She surprised herself when she bent in and lightly brushed his lips for a soft kiss. She rested her forehead against his and her emotions almost overwhelmed her. Fighting back against the loss, regret, frustration, and guilt - she sat back down in her seat and released his hand..
Wiping away the tears that had formed but not fallen, she started pulling out her supplies. "It is amazing what you can find on the Internet. I am ..." her voice cracked and she fought hard to get herself under control again "... glad you showed me how to search in many different places and ways. I never did thank you for that, did I?"
In her hand, she now held a tube, the kind used for drawing blood samples. "I will not take much. Just enough to complete the spell."
"Oh, what spell would that be?"
Ziva spun and dropped the tube. She had been so focused on McGee, that she never realized the door to his room had opened.
Gibbs and Tony stood staring at her. Gibbs had his arms crossed waiting for an answer, while Tony looked like he was ready to tackle her.
She swallowed hard and looked down at her hands. She knew what she was doing was right, so when she lifted her head and looked them in the eyes, it was with determination. "You would not understand or believe."
Gibbs studied her. He saw her determination and had seen the look before and it usually led her down a wrong path. "Try me."
This was the worst possible scenario she had envisioned. Ziva weighed her options and decided full disclosure was best. So explained everything, from the first time she had studied under the Priestess as a child, to her harsh departure as a non-believer, to contacting her right after Tim collapsed, to now.
As she spoke, Gibbs' uncrossed his arms, grabbed a chair and sat down in front of her, on the opposite side of McGee. Tony however, stayed in his guarded position at the door. When she finished, Gibbs reached his arm out over Tim, palm up. In a gesture so unlike him, he moved his fingers in such a way as to ask for Ziva's hand, without needing to say a word. After a moment's hesitation, she honored the request.
When he had her hand in his, Gibbs finally spoke. "Why didn't you say anything to us? We could have helped?"
"I did not believe you would think it possible."
"Ziver, I was there too. The three of us saw Death pull Tim's soul out of him. How could you think we wouldn't believe?"
"You did not hear Death's final words."
Still holding hands over Tim, Gibb's raised an eyebrow at her.
She understood the silent question. "Right before he left, I heard Death's voice in my mind. He told me only the brave of heart and strong of will can take the next step."
"And you don't think we fit that description?" Tony finally made his voice heard.
Ziva shook her head. "No, no. It was not that." She looked at both of them, then to Tim. "You two believe that you were making penance ... doing what you thought Death wanted. To hear that I was going to be challenging that ..." she trailed off.
Gibbs understood. He squeezed her hand, making her look back at him. "I get it"
"So, you will not stop me?"
"Nope."
Ziva smiled and breathed a sigh of relief. However, that relief was short lived.
"In fact, I'm going to go with you."
As Gibbs' watched, Ziva's eyes grew to the largest he had ever seen and would have laughed at the expression on her face, if the situation wasn't so serious.
"Y-you cannot!"
"Why?"
"Because!" She pulled her hand out of Gibbs' and stood. "It took me months to get everything needed for just one person! But to add a second ..."
"Third." Tony added, still glaring at her.
"Even worse!"
"It's not like he's going anywhere, Da'vid." The coldness in Tony's voice took Gibbs by surprise. He started to say something, but Ziva beat him to it.
"Do you think that McGee is enjoying his time among the dead? What do you think a soul that has angered Death is going to be going through. It will not be all sunshine and posies!"
Neither man corrected her that it should be roses because each was in shock. Gibbs because she was being so blunt and DiNozzo because he never thought his friend would be suffering.
He look from Ziva to Gibbs to McGee, then back to Gibbs. "You knew?"
Gibbs sighed. "I had an idea. Thought by how mad Death was with Tim that ..."
"And you didn't say anything!" Tony was beyond angry ... but he was also scared.
"Keep your voice down." Ziva hissed at him.
Tony glared at them both, but didn't say anything else.
Gibbs turned his head to look at Tim. Using the hand that had been holding Ziva's, he now grabbed Tim's closest one. With his other, he brushed Tim's hair aside ... an exact mimic of Ziva's earlier actions. When he spoke, his back to was Tony, but he could be clearly heard.
"I didn't say anything because we were all so hurt and carrying around a lot of guilt. I knew McGee, Tim, would want us to go on ... just like we had after Kate, and Jenny, and Paula, and, and, and. Tim loved NCIS, he wanted to do good, make the world a better place. I thought by letting us continue to do the job that he wanted to do, that was our best way to honor him."
Ziva and Tony were silent, struck by the emotion in Gibbs' voice.
"If I had know there was away ..." Gibbs shook his head. He stood and turned from Tim. He came over and pulled Ziva into a hug. "The more of us that go, the better the chance of all of us making it back. Just like when we came and pulled you out of Somalia."
Ziva closed her eyes and let herself be enveloped by Gibbs. Not just his physical presence, but also his strength. She sunk into the hug, and remembered when the hood had been taken off of her. She saw Tony sitting in front of her, first she had been happy, then angry he would endanger himself like that. She didn't realize Tim was on the floor behind her until Tony had asked how he was doing. She had felt relieved that Tony wasn't there alone ... that he had back-up, even if that back-up was laying on the floor.
She understood what Gibbs was saying. She nodded into his chest and then pulled back. "Alright. I will make it so that the three of us can go get McGee ... together."
She turned to face Tony. "But only us, since we were the ones there when his soul was taken."
Tony nodded his agreement.
Ziva walked away, bent down and picked up the tube she had dropped when Gibbs startled her. "Also, be aware that Death might require a life for a life ... a soul for a soul."
She looked back to Gibbs. "I know you wish to have us all back, but that may not be possible." She turned to address them both. "Are you willing to accept that?"
"Yes." The two men said at the same time.
She nodded and sat back down in the chair. She rummaged through her purse to get a needle and a pressure band.
"What do you need all that for?" Curiosity coloring Tony's voice, replacing the coldness of before.
"The final spell requires a blood sacrifice from an innocent."
"Um, Ziva, I'm pretty sure Probie has had sex before."
Ziva smiled. "Not virginal, innocent." She pulled the incantation from her purse and read. "The blood must come from an innocent. One who has not purposefully committed unjust harm ... who values others above thy self ... who can still see good in all first, regardless of the world's harshness ... one whose life has brought light to all." She stopped and looked at her teammates. "I think that describes McGee perfectly, no?"
"Yeah, Ziver, yeah it does." Gibbs also sat back down and once again took Tim's hand. "How much do you need?"
"I do not know. The spell does not give quantity. From talking with the Priestess, such pure blood is very powerful, much should not be needed."
Tony had finally walked further into the room, now completely enthralled by the process. "How will you keep it ... pourable?"
While Tony had been asking his question, Ziva had attached the tube to the syringe, put on the pressure band and was bringing one of Tim's veins to the surface. "In the bottom of each tube is an anti-coagulant."
"Won't that ... I don't know ... taint the blood?"
As Ziva pulled back on the syringe and the tube filled with blood, her smile grew at Tony's question. "This is not what is used by professionals. This is made from hemlock root, which has been specially prepared." She capped the first tube and prepared another.
"Specially prepared?"
"Yes, Tony, with other ingredients and spoken words to infuse those ingredients with power." She filled the second tube and grabbed her last one.
"A spell? You've already cast a spell?"
"Yes, several." The third and final one filled and capped off, she put her supplies way and applied a pressure bandage to McGee's arm.
Tony smiled for the first time since he watched Tim's soul taken. "I always knew you were a witch."
Ziva looked up at him, returning his smile. "Why, thank you Tony." She finished her ministrations, applied a salve to Tim's arm and within minutes, no one would be able to tell anything out of the ordinary happened.
She stood and address them. "I will reach out to the Priestess tonight. It may take a couple of days to hear back from her."
"Really? How come?" Tony asked.
Ziva cocked her head to the side. "Let us just say, she is not where modern conveniences are readily accessible ... and leave it at that."
Tony opened his mouth to ask further questions, but Gibbs stopped him. "Leave it at that DiNozzo." He turned to Ziva. "Let us know IMMEDIATELY what you find out. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT go this alone. Understand?"
"Yes, Gibbs." She bent down and once again press a slight kiss to McGee's lips and ran her hand through his hair. "Hang in there my friend, we are coming to get you back." She straighten up, grabbed her purse, and then left.
"I don't know what shocks me more, Boss? Ziva being able to do hocus pocus, or the fact that she just kissed McGee ... on the lips!"
"Twice."
"Twice ... when ..." Tony became silent, then turned very serious. "What have we gotten ourselves into Boss?"
"It's just another rescue mission Tony." He sat down on the side of the bed with Tim and pressed his hand against the cold cheek. "Just another rescue mission."
