Conversations

This chapter follows Iceman. A recap in case you don't remember: a "dead" marine wakes up in autopsy, turns out to be Franks' son and dies--but his death is avenged and his wife and child rescued by Franks.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Gibbs stopped at the coffee shop before heading into NCIS, thinking fondly of the Nicaraguan blends he'd been able to get in Mexico and wishing Mike had thought to bring him some.

As he stepped inside and headed to the counter to order, he sensed someone to his right growing alert at his presence and whirled, relaxing quickly when he saw Ziva at the creamer station, adding some sort of spice to her tea. She nodded a greeting to him as he noticed her, and he turned his attention to the barista.

Fortunately 'coffee, black,' was a quick order to prepare, and as he headed for the doors, Ziva silently joined him. Both were glad of their hot drinks as the frosty air enveloped them.

"Were you able to catch up to Franks?" she asked, falsely casual, as they headed down the street toward the navy yard.

Gibbs hesitated a moment and knew from her glance that his pause had been his answer. "He's gone," he answered shortly.

"You let him go."

He didn't bother responding.

"Did you tell him where to find those men?" she asked, leaning to the side so she could see his face.

"No!" Gibbs defended himself.

Ziva shrugged. "It would not bother me."

He sighed, stopping so he look at her. "He's a good investigator. I didn't have to."

She accepted his explanation with a nod and they began to walk again.

"Are you alright?" Ziva asked stiffly a block later.

"What?" He was surprised.

She glanced at him pointedly. "I would expect this to bring back memories of losing your own child."

Gibbs sighed.

"Well?"

"Of more than that, Ziva," he confessed.

She waited for him to continue.

"The first time I met Mike—he was investigating Shannon and Kelly's deaths."

Startlement flashed across Ziva's face.

"He let me see the files," Gibbs went on. "He gave me what I needed to track down and kill the bastard who did it."

"He was not even your friend," Ziva added.

"No. He just believed in justice."

Her eyes narrowed in disagreement.

"What?"

Ziva shrugged. "There is a fine line between justice and vengeance."

Now Gibbs raised his eyebrows in question.

"If he had done it, it would have been justice. Doing it yourself..."

"I suppose." He could tell she was getting cold, and turned, walking even as he waited for her to reply.

"I understand the desire for vengeance," Ziva said quietly.

"Thinking of suicide?" he quipped. But his face grew serious when she paused.

"No. Perhaps in those first few days after I accompanied Ari's body back home—I had to tell everyone what had happened. Not the truth of course, but that he'd died." Her step slowed. "Except his old partner, who had once also been his lover." She looked Gibbs straight in the face. "I told her the truth, and perhaps I wanted her to kill me for it."

"She didn't."

"No." Ziva shook her head. "She believed me. She took their daughters and fled Mossad before my father could take over their lives as he had Ari's and mine."

"He had children?" Gibbs was shocked.

Ziva smiled sadly. "I have not seen them since that day. It is for the best—they have escaped Mossad."

"You really lost your whole family," he said solemnly.

Ziva looked away. "But no, by vengeance I meant--I was fortunate to be able to kill the men whose bomb took my sister's life."

Gibbs nodded. "You're right about the difference," he said quietly, holding the door for her as they entered the NCIS building. "But Mike didn't need my help to get his. And he was luckier than either of us."

Ziva glanced at him in surprise.

"He got to say good-bye," he said softly as they grew warm in the vestibule. "And he got to save his daughter-in-law and his grandchild."

She smiled at the news, and Gibbs found himself happy, too.

"They evaded me," he added as McGee and DiNozzo walked across the lobby toward them.

"Who?" Ziva asked lightly, returning his grin as they headed back to work.

__________________________________________________________________________________

(A/N Isn't it lovely what you can create when the writers completely fail to give characters an adequate backstory? There was a little shoutout in there to characters from a story I've thought out but not written. Not sure if I will...I find I'm not drawn into reading stories that stray too far from canon, so maybe it's not fair to write one.)