Note: Between An Eye for an Eye (2x17) and Bikini Wax (2x18), Ari gets called back to Israel and we meet Ziva.
WASHINGTON NAVY YARD, NCIS, BULLPEN; FABURARY 14, 2005, 09:00
Kate arrived late but had Abby with her so all Gibbs did was stare. "Come on, here's your chance…go for it."
"No, I can't…" Kate placed her bag on her desk and Abby shrugged.
"Your loss, he is hot." Abby smirked, "fine, if you won't I will."
Kate let her mouth drop, "fine I'll take the chance but if it gets screwed up, I'm blaming you."
"And I'll take the blame," Abby smiled and turned to Gibbs. "Happy Valentine's Day Gibbs."
She handed Gibbs a black rose before handing one to McGee and Tony, who looked at it strangely. "I think it's dead Abs."
"It's a black rose, artificially made," Ari eyed them before walking over.
"Thank you, at least someone knows their flowers," Abby smiled and turned back to Tony, "so, who is your Valentine Tony?"
"Probably Susan or is it Nancy?" Kate smirked and Tony laughed.
"Very funny Kate, no I'm flying solo this year."
McGee, Kate and Abby laughed, "Tony I find that hard to believe considering it's a new girl every week."
"Shut it McProbie." Tony sat down and started looking at his computer, "come on, give me something."
Ari returned to his desk, which now was out in the open, the wall no longer between them. Kate had turned the desk so it faced the team, you could all see each other. Kate sat down, allowing the day to progress, knowing that when she got home, Ari would make the day special.
WASHINGTON NAVY YARD, NCIS, BULLPEN; FABURARY 14, 2005, 13:00
The team sat eating lunch, Chinese, as they did paperwork. The day had been silent and uneventful, with no cases they were expected to finish the backload of paperwork.
"Alright, your turn Kate." They were reading their fortune cookies, Tony and McGee had gone and it was Kate's turn.
Kate cracked her cookie and eyed the contents, "Let's see here, 'your life shall change instantly, another life step is coming soon,' that's interesting."
"Alright Mossad, what does yours say?" Tony looked at Ari and he looked at the piece of paper in his hand. "Come on, it's just a piece of paper."
Kate watched as he went back to his work, ignoring the game. Getting up, she walked over and picked up the paper. "That has to be one I never expected, 'someone close has your heart and love,' I see why you didn't want to read it."
Tony laughed and eyed Ari, "someone close? Who exactly is close enough to love you?"
"Excuse me, I'm looking for Officer Ari Haswari?"
They looked up to see a woman in cargo pants, a white shirt and green vest with her hair up in a ponytail. Ari rose and walked over, hugging her. "Ziva, what are you doing here?"
"I have come to spare you from this…this place." She looked around and noticed Kate eyeing her. Ignoring the woman, she looked back at her brother.
"So he's leaving?" Gibbs came in and looked at Ziva, "Gibbs and you are…"
"Ziva David, Mossad."
Tony laughed and stood, walking over to her. "How did a gorgeous thing like you end up in Mossad? You've probably never killed."
Ziva chuckled, "I'll never tell." Tony touched her hair and she turned him around, pinning him to his desk, arm between his shoulder blades. "First rule at Mossad, never touch another officer."
She let him go and he eyed her in shock, "damn…what do they teach you at Mossad."
Ziva chuckled, "to kill and torture…Ari we are leaving, the director has made an order."
Ari turned and saw Kate's expression, he turned back to Ziva. "I'm staying Ziva, you can tell Father that."
"Officer Haswari," Ziva eyed him, "you are to come with me to Israel. I am higher in rank and my orders come from the director not the deputy director. He wants his best officer within arm's reach not cleaning crime scenes…get your bags now."
Ari walked to his desk to collect his bag but found Kate holding it out. She looked at him and her eyes were full of sadness as well as compassion. "I am sorry Caitlin."
She smiled and nodded, "I know, when will I see you again?"
The team, including Ziva, watched the two. "I don't know, goodbye Caitlin."
She grabbed the phone he had purchased for his time in Washington and smiled. "Ari," he turned and she threw the phone, "don't be a stranger."
He left with Ziva and Kate sat down at the desk that had been Ari's and stayed silent. Their night would not be, he was leaving for Israel and she was alone again. They had worked together for three months and been together four…being without him would be tougher than before, she dreaded it.
TEL AVIV, MOSSAD, DEPUTY DIRECTOR'S OFFICE; FEBURARY 15, 2005, 21:00 IT
Ziva and Ari entered the office of their father, he always worked around the clock and it was no surprise he was working close to midnight. "Papa, I have brought him."
Eli David looked up and nodded, "go home Ziva, your mother is expecting you."
"Yes Papa."
"Oh and Ziva," Ziva turned, "happy birthday." He pulled a small box from his drawer and placed it on the desk. Ziva walked over and took the box, she opened it to find a knife.
"Thank you Papa."
"Happy birthday Zivyah, tell your mother I will not be home tonight."
Ziva nodded and left, shutting the door behind her. Ari stood at attention, as he always would till given the choice to sit or stand. "You had Ziva bring me back to Israel, why not call me yourself?"
"Would you have come?" Eli eyed his son but Ari remained silent, "I thought you wouldn't so I sent your sister." He stood and walked around the desk, "sit Ari, please."
Ari sat down and Eli sat beside him, "why was I pulled from my career?"
"Your career is at Mossad not cleaning crime scenes. Ziva told me she suspected it was due to someone that you stayed not building alliances." Ari watched his father as he spoke, "tell me who this woman is, I wish to know her."
Ari remained silent, "I will not let you harm her."
Eli chuckled and pulled a file from his desk, he opened it. "Caitlin Todd, NCIS agent and formerly part of the United States Secret Service." He pulled a picture from the file and eyed it, "I do not see what you do…she is beautiful but would not be strong enough to have Mossad children.
"She is Catholic…"
"Does it truly matter?"
"Marriage cannot happen, if children are born, by law they would be Catholic. You must leave her."
Ari stood and eyed Eli, "I will never do that."
"Even if it means your life?" Eli eyed him, "or her's."
He watched his son's eyes fill with fire, Ari stood up to his father and did what he had never dared do before…get in his face. "Don't threaten her life, she is my future wife and the mother of my child…never threaten her life."
"She is pregnant?"
Ari stepped back and was silent, he had found out the previous day before they left for work. He worried for her, being with Tony in the field…he could protect her and knew how she would act compared to Tony
ALEXANDRIA, TODD-HASWARI APARTMENT; FEBURARY 14, 2005, 05:00
Kate stood in the bathroom staring at a piece of plastic when Ari came into the bathroom. He could sense her but she was still learning to sense him. He saw the pregnancy test and waited for her to notice him, when she didn't, he spoke.
"What do you want, a son or daughter?" She looked at him, test still in hand. "I want a daughter with her mother's intelligence and beauty." He walked over and placed a hand on her cheek, "one that has the endless compassion you have."
He took the test from her hand and found it positive, he smiled and Kate watched him. "It doesn't matter to me."
"You'll be a wonderful mother Caitlin," he eyed her and she smiled. "and our child will never know the death it would in Israel."
"I love you." She smiled and leaned up, kissing him. "Promise me something."
"Anything my Caitlin." He pushed her hair back and smiled.
"Never let your father touch our child, I don't want it to know the life you had…one of killing and kidnap and hostage taking."
Ari nodded and threw away the test before taking her in his arms. "I promise Caitlin, I suspect you'll want to wait to tell Gibbs and stay in the field a while longer."
"You'll be there with me."
"Then we'll keep it quiet for now."
TEL AVIV, MOSSAD, DEPUTY DIRECTOR'S OFFICE; FEBURARY 15, 2005, 21:15 IT
"Yes, I swore to her that our child would be raised American and I intended to keep that promise if it means never seeing her again. I want our child to be raised away from death, I don't want it to become like Tali." Ari eyed his father, "if you have any compassion, you will allow me to return to Caitlin and our child.
"If I return, I will consider bringing Caitlin and our child for a visit after the birth." He eyed Eli, "you'd get to meet your grandchild."
Eli nodded and turned back to his desk, he picked up the only picture he had of his children…his daughter, his youngest daughter was long dead. He knew he never wanted his son to feel the pain of loosing a child. "Return but I will be checking on you."
WASHINGTON NAVY YARD, NCIS, BULLPEN; FEBURARY 18, 2005, 11:00
The team sat working; Kate had changed desks and now sat in the desk Ari once occupied. Gibbs found that a budding friendship had formed between the two partners, trust present and also faith in ability to protect each other.
Kate's mood had soured when she was once again paired with Tony, apparently she preferred Ari to Tony despite the short time frame they worked together. Gibbs suspected that they had built a rapport far before he came to NCIS…when he had held her hostage and kidnapped her.
"Agent Gibbs," they all looked up to see Ari, "I've returned as a permentant liaison officer."
He wore cargo pants and a black turtleneck, placing his bag down, he removed his weapons and placed them on Gibbs' desk. It was a sign of surrender and something he always did in the mornings…something that allowed Gibbs to trust him little by little.
"Get to your desk and finish the paperwork Kate is currently doing." He handed the weapons back to Ari.
Ari walked to his desk as Kate rose, he smiled at her. I promised I return and I have…I'm sorry Caitlin."
"I blame Mossad not you, I've kept everything the way it was…everything." Her look made him away that their apartment was the same as well. "I'm just glad to have you home."
She went to her desk and sat down, smiling for the first time in five days.
ALEXANDRIA, TODD-HASWARI APARTMENT; FEBURARY 18, 2005, 18:30
Kate found Ari on his laptop as she entered the apartment, she had given McGee a ride home since his car broke down. Placing her bags down, Kate walked to the couch and leaned over, placing her arms around Ari.
"I missed you...the baby missed you." She kissed his head and eyed the computer, "houses?"
"I am trying to find us a house Caitlin, this apartment is too small for a family of three and two dogs."
She walked around and sat on the couch, curling up beside him. Ari placed his arm around her and continued to searching. "I love you, I haven't been able to say that for a few days."
Ari kissed her head and smiled, "I love you too my Caitlin."
"So a house," she eyed him, "has to have a good school district and a park and within distance of the base incase something important happens."
They looked through the homes and finally found one they liked. later, while cleaning up from dinner, Ari found Kate had fallen asleep on the couch, his jacket under her head. He picked her up and carried her to the bedroom, laying her in bed. "Goodnight my Caitlin." He covered her up and placed a kiss on her head before letting a hand rest on her stomach...knowing their child was growing safely in its mother.
He was just happy to be home and with his Caitlin.
