Sharon entered intensive care and mentally prepared herself for her day-to-day routine. As she pushed the door, her shoulders slumped… she had had tiny hopes of being greeted by an awaken Eyal. How she missed his expressive deep brown eyes, smart-aleck smirk, wonderful smile and even that very volatile temper! Today, for no specific reasons, she yearned to hear his voice. It was a profound and carnal need that gripped deep at her guts.
It was day nine of the medically induced coma. The coma was to minimize the inflammation of the brain. It also permitted the numerous slashes and cuts to heal and make the pain at least manageable for Eyal when he came to. On day 5, doctors had started weaning him off the medications administered to keep him under. Sharon had been told that Eyal could awaken at any time, but would experience a high amount of pain once conscious. He could not be given medication because of the possibility of hemorrhages (internal bleeding).
An eerie aura floated in the room, but at the same time the lights and humming of the numerous machines had a calming effect on Sharon. She felt like in a cocoon where nothing bad could happen.
Pushing his hair in place and kissing his forehead, she proceeded in preparing the necessary for his bed bathing. Eyal had once confided that, in hospital stays, bed bathing was the worst part for him. Typical of the man, privacy and dignity were a must anytime and anywhere! Bathing while bed riding is a personal and intrusive procedure. It is often seen as a 'mundane' nursing task, so the fact that Sharon insisted on taking the task was rapidly accepted by the staff.
She pulled the curtain around his bed, took off the hospital gown, draped a sheet over his body and gently/lovingly washed him.
"I'm getting pretty good at giving you a full bath without exposing any body parts! Think some of the nurses are regretting putting me in charge of this task. Rumor is that you are something to see. (She leaned towards his face and whispered) Well, you are, but for my eyes only."
Sharon assessed his skin and checked for pressure ulcer developments. She also observed any non-verbal cues; grimacing, twitching or frowning. Signs that might suggest he was experiencing pain or discomfort. Then, she arranged the many intravenous needles/tubes and checked his intubation. All seemed fine. Looking as expecting him to say 'Thank-you, Love', she started her routine chatting.
"For a guy that is known to be a loner, you sure have a lot of people rooting for you. Mossad had your uncle En flown in from Israel and made sure he was your only treating physician. He had some difficulty with the hospital authorities, but Director Vance manage to get it all settle. Many of your Washington based Mossad colleagues came for news and some are texting me for daily updates. I'm getting to know Eyal Lavin, the a Mossad Officer and/or friend. Must admit, it's impressive. You are a very special and caring person, Mr. Lavin. I like what I'm learning about you!"
She observed his body from top to bottom, sadly no reactions. She continued
"Gibbs told me that you might not want to wake up because you're dreading my reaction at you putting your life on the line to save Annie's. Well, I want to assure you that I'm not mad or bitter. Be it myself, Annie, Joan, Victor and the list could go on and on…. you would have taken that bullet. In your mind it was meant for you. I accept this fact plus your special relationship with Annie. Please don't keep yourself in this coma because you have issues concerning your choices. Your actions were what I expected from the man I love, admire and married and I would do it all over again."
She was startle by a hand on her shoulder. It was Ziva and Tony.
"We came for a quick update before going in to work. How is he doing?" said Ziva as she hugged Sharon.
"The same, I'm babbling and he's silent. If he can hear, he must be screaming 'Please change the record, I've heard it a million times already!' It's been 9 days, must admit, I'm worried."
Tony spoke as he hugged Sharon "He's in good hand. If there's one thing Mossad does well is take care of their own. Think his Uncle is being approached to prolonged his stay, meaning he's one hell of a Doctor! Eyal will pull through, it's the Mossad way; they always come back!"
Ziva elbowed Tony
Sharon smiled "Thanks Tony."
Sharon was wondering what was going through Ziva's mind, she seemed preoccupied. Tony gently pulled Ziva to him but as they were to exit, she turned and faced Sharon.
"This is all my fault. As soon as I allow, in any way, a man in my life something bad happens to him."
Sharon was fast to respond "Ziva that is not true! I can see self-flagellation is still a strong suit of yours. Girl, it's time you get over yourself! Those men you are talking about, I was also close to: Your father was my father away from home for three years, Ari was once my boyfriend, Michael dotted on me like a sister making you soooo jealous and we both hated Ilan Bodler."
Tony dared "Sharon, you were Ari's girl? Really?"
Sharon answered "A very different Ari, not the guy you met up with. The Ari I knew was, in fact, a lot like Eyal. Can't explain what happened to him. Our fathers', Eli and Robert, never approved. It was unworkable, so we split and stayed friend till…..
Ziva added "Till I killed him like the others!"
Sharon spat out "Damn you, Ziva! Those men died because of their lifestyle and decisions. Eyal is where he's at because of decisions he and he alone made in the line of fire. You, I or anyone else are not to blame. Yes, we can grieve, feel sorry and wish for the best outcome for them but WE are not the ones who pulled the triggers. Ziva, you need to accept that fact if you ever want a life!"
Ziva grabbed Sharon's arm, twisted it and said "Don't you think I know all that. Just like you to close the door and accept the facts without expressing any emotions. I can't erase the bad… you might but I just can't."
"You didn't do anything bad! Your karma is not the reason Eyal is fighting for his life. If something, you, as part of his extraction team, should be applauded for coming up with an unorthodox plan. We saved him Ziva, you or I are not to blame for his situation."
Ziva rolled her eyes and at seeing Sharon reaction, Tony stepped back. He was not going to get involved in this chick fight. Watching from far was the 'safest' move in his case.
Sharon spoke while pushing (well more shoving) Ziva and she landed in a chair next to Eyal's bed.
"You were the one who wanted Chameleon back, well you got your wish now deal with her! Girl, think it's time we both faced, accepted and dealt with whom we really are. I buried it for many years while you baited (still do) in self-flagellation. Yes, we can both kill on command and are very good at the task but Ziva WE have a head on our shoulders. 'On command' does not mean 'blindly go where the suits tells us to go'! Stop ruminating on what you, at first hand, accepted to do and for the right reasons. Nobody ever twisted my arm or yours for that kind of mission! Sadly, they need, at times, people like us in the field. Don't get me wrong, I not condemning you. I'm no better, I was hiding it and you're continually moping about it. This mission helped me accept myself for what I can be but made me realize it's not who I really am. Eyal can be as ruthless as both of us combine and more. I don't even want to imagine how far he can go if/when needed. I love/accept Eyal for what he is, the whole package. Ziva, stop focusing on one facet of yourself. You're not a killer for hire, you are a generous and caring person."
Sharon though she heard a soft 'Tell her girl!' but since Tony was standing in front of her it couldn't be him. She rapidly turned around and saw that Eyal had pulled out his intubation and was now struggling to speak. She rushed to him but a nurse who was coming in to check what was causing the alarms, roughly pushed Sharon in a corner. Sharon, from where she'd been pushed, couldn't stop Eyal from 'handling' that poor nurse.
Luckily for the nurse, Uncle Ed came in and put his hand on Eyal's shoulder
"Don't even think about it, son!"
That firm hand calmed Eyal but Uncle Ed was in a very foul mood! Ziva took one look at him and guided Tony out of the room as she lipped to Sharon
'Thank-you for the reality check partner!'
Uncle En spoke as he squeezed Eyal shoulder making him wince
"I'm going to examine you and if you need to be intubated again, I'll gladly shove it back down your throat. A lot of people were worried sick about you and your first move is to put the little life that is still in you at risk. Abby, Ducky, Dr Hank Lawson and your wife pulled their imaginations together to save your hide, had it not been for them, you'd be dead! Son, you have a pregnant wife, a son, a new family to care for and a company with employees that need to look up to their Boss! Your days of 'I'm the center on my Universe' are over. You need to get your priorities straight, grow-up!"
Uncle Ed examined Eyal and not another word was said. Eyal was hurting, Uncle En knew where he was at but decided to leave him hurt!
Turning toward Sharon "Sharon, I will leave this masochist nephew of mine in your care. Know you two want to rekindle. (Looking sternly at both of them) He's in no shape to handle any kind of strenuous activity. Am I making myself clear?"
"Don't worry Uncle Ed, I'll see that he behaves!"
The doctor smiled, winked at Sharon and left them alone.
Sharon came in close and said "Why did you do that?"
He decided to hand sign, she rolled her eyes at him, "Should have thought of using sign before pulling out that tube. Now, you're just hurting a bit more…"
At the word 'hurt' Sharon couldn't hold back her tears, he pulled her towards him and hungrily showered her with kisses.
To put his hands through her hair, smell her perfume and feel that now very apparent baby bump made the pain bearable. He could hear her rapid heartbeat and his hand were wet from tears. Moving his face close to hers and with effort, he whispered,
"I can and will manage the pain, not a first for me. Love, if it means I can say 'I love you' on my own, I'd do it again in a heartbeat!"
She wiped her cheeks, returned his numerous kisses, lightly hugged him and said
"You're insufferable!"
"Most of the time, but now I only want to feel and squeeze you, come closer."
The moment he smiled all her butterflies disappeared.
"E, how I missed that wonderful smile…"
He signed "You're the reason behind that smile."
He took her in his arms and kissed her softly. She melted and cuddle into him. To feel his muscles tightened around her was the best of feelings. Her soul mate was back and she so badly needed his touches.
After what seemed an eternity, he whispered in her ear "I wish I could hold you forever and never let go…. sorry for the journey I made you live through."
She placed both hands on his face and said
"Our love is a wonderful journey, it started at Forever and will end at Never.
Holding his hand, steeling a couple of kissed and snuggling into his warm hug, she added "Please, don't stop kissing me, it feels like time stops when you do!"
"Sharon, I will hold you in my heart until I can hold you freely in my arms again."
Those words made her realize that he must be hurting.
"E, how's the pain?"
"On a scale of one to ten, ….20. Do not worry, thanks to experience and training, I can still channel it. Promise, you'll be the first to know when I get to my breaking point. Need you more than I hurt at this time."
"They can't give you pain killers…."
He nodded "I know… The meds that saved my life are now cashing in. I need to be monitored for possible clots and my blood is way to clear/tin. Any kind of medication could cause internal bleeding. Sharon, I'm grateful to be alive and accept the consequences. It's up to me to see that the efforts and imagination conjured up by my extraction team are not wasted."
They both went silent, huddle together and for our rekindling couple time stopped.
For her not to drift off, she started a conversation,
"While you were under, did you hear everything I said?"
In a barely audible voice, he answered "Most of the time. It was just as Annie described: I could not work out what you were doing but could hear you. It was a strange world and I was forced to inhabit it – Alice in Wonderland style!"
He winked at her and she smiled at him for borrowing from her quote stash!
Taking her hand, he squeezed it hard to made her look at him as he signed,
"Love, your presence was enormously reassuring. Usually when injured, I'd wake up alone or with; an enemy's not so soft touch; a very short term acquaintance; a Mossad colleague or if lucky, Uncle En and/or Ima. Having you by my side was the best 'wake-up' possible! Once, I latched on to the idea that I could say 'Thank-you' before you left. I tried hard but just couldn't!"
Shooting him a teasing smile, she added while caressing his face and chest,
"I liked giving you a bed bath or, as you say, a blanket bath. It was my way of connecting with you. E…did you know …?"
He closed his eyes and pinched his lips together to stop the smile that was gaining them. Pulling her in a gentle hug, he said
"Naughty girl! If you'd have stayed longer in med school, you would have learned that the vagus nerve complex runs from the back of the brain, through the torso, and out into the limbs. Part of this nerve passes near the genitals. Stimulating it (you washing me) can lead to an erection. I was in a medically induce coma to prevent brain tissues from swelling, my bodily functions were working perfectly. Just as they are now…!"
He tried to laugh but ended up in a coughing fit. She gave him some water and said
"Eyal, use sign."
Sharon could see he was fighting to stay with her but his body was shutting down. She knew he was in heavy pain, but he'd never admit how intense it was. Putting his bed down, she gently laid next to him then started to massage his neck, back and chest. She signed and asked him if he'd like for her to use hypnotism to help him deal with the pain. Looking at his smile, she knew his answer.
Sharon had learned hypnotism from her biological father. He'd use it on some of his patients from time to time. Sharon was a natural and had rapidly surpassed her teacher. While paired with Ziva at Kidon, she had seeked the teaching of a known master hypnotist; proving Eyal's favorite idiom that everything is better in Israel! That skill had been very useful in many extreme extractions. She used it to silence agents or put them in a trance to facilitate their extraction. But spies were harder to put under due to the lack of trust in each other. With Eyal, she hoped he'd be capable of letting down his numerous walls long enough for hypnosis to work its miracle!
He squeezed her hands and signed 'I'm a bit annoyed you never told me about this skill. It can remember a couple of occasions where it could have been useful!"
She answered "Not from my point of view! Remember our agreement; we tell our secrets when WE feel it necessary! Have you ever been hypnotized?"
"Ah our agreement, I remember! Hypnotised, yes, a couple of time, it didn't work for me. Good luck little Miss!"
Turning him towards her she said
"Eyal, you need to fully trust me and want for it to work. Hypnosis is, in the end, self-hypnosis. Contrary to popular misconceptions, hypnotism is not mind-control or mystical powers. I'm mostly a guide that will try to help you relax and fall into a trance-state, or waking sleep. Please E, do not worry: You will only accept suggestions which you are willing to accept."
He kissed her hands "I know of the theories and promise; I'll do my best. I do trust you and if it can help me deal with this throbbing pain, yes I want it to work. You already succeeded in putting me in the right frame of mind. Mrs. Welby, do your thing but don't ever tell Rivka or anyone at Mossad if it works! Can you image the hell they'll put me through thinking that I could have revealed some secrets while under!"
Sharon smiled and acknowledge his concerns. She took his hands and looked straight in his eyes… well… at that point, she needed to stop herself from wanting to kiss him to death.
Speaking to him in a low, slow and soothing voice while drawing out her sentences a little longer than usual,
"Your eyes feel heavy and want to close. Let your body sink naturally down as your muscles relax. Listen to your body and my voice as you begin to feel calm. You are in complete control at all time. You will only accept those suggestions which are for your benefit and that you are willing to accept."
She took a quick breather and then toucher his forehead with her index finger
"Focus on the space right between your eyebrows and the heat my finger is generating. Feel yourself relaxing as a heavy, relaxed feeling comes over you. As I continue to talk, that heavy relaxed feeling will get stronger and stronger, until it carries you into a deep, peaceful state of relaxation. The deeper you let yourself slip into a calm, peaceful trance, the less you will feel the pain."
Looking at Eyal's breathing and body language, she knew she had him in the desired mental state.
"I'm going to count from one to five, and at the count of five you will fall in a deep, pain free sleep."
She was quite proud of herself, it had worked.
Before leaving him, she whispered "I have some errands to run, might not be here when you wake up. I will be going to NCIS. They are all worried about you, Abby especially. Think you've been officially adopted! They tell me it's a first for a Mossad guy!"
He squeezed her hand to signal that he had heard her. Sharon knew hypnotic induced sleep was not a real deep sleep but at least she had managed to trick the brain to shut out the pain so natural sleep could take over.
As she was out of the room, Uncle En was waiting.
Sharon explained what she had done with Eyal. Uncle En approved and asked,
"You have many tricks in that spy bag of yours! To succeed with Eyal is, in itself, quite an accomplishment. Never thought I'd see the day where Eyal would trust enough to put his mind and soul in a person's hands. You, my little one are truly his real Beshert (the one person whom an individual is divinely destined to marry)."
"As he is mine. Uncle En, I've missed him so much…"
She choked up, Uncle En hug her in a fatherly manner and said,
"Hey, he's alive and will pull through. Look, I just got the result of his blood work and x-rays and they are not as bad as expected. He has one hell of a natural resilience! No surprises and as expected, he has anemia. Want you to realize that he's in for a long rehab. The word 'long' usually doesn't go down well with him. I will need you to help me make him understand he needs to take it slow."
"Uncle En, the first thing he did before letting us know he was conscious was to assess his body. He knows where he's at, believe me."
"Darling, in Eyal's mind knowing and accepting are miles apart. You want him up and about for this child (Uncle En touched her belly) you are going to have to watch him closely. His injuries are serious and were inflicted to do the most damage/hurt possible. They still are and will for some time. Got to give an A+ to the imagination of the rescue team. You guys did an amazing job. The personnel are still talking about your extraction! Abby and Dr Hank Lawson have been asked to write an essay on the meds used to save Eyal. Still, if he doesn't want permanent damage, he will have to take it easy and leave his body time to heal. To this day, I never once seen him take the proper/needed time off!"
Sharon added "Maybe putting down roots changed him?"
Uncle En smiled, took her shoulders and made so she was staring directly at him: "One word – NEVER!"
Sharon rolled her eyes but knew he was right. Eyal was a fighter and would surely want to prove Belenko wrong when in his final moments with Eyal, he had defiantly said: 'I will die tonight and you'll live, that's my written fate. But, you'll soon realize you won't be able to live life as a cripple and will voluntary join me in hell! Mr. Lavin, seeing you and your love ones witnessing your demise will be my heaven. See you soon!'
At that time Eyal was unconscious and fighting for his life, but Annie had said that by Eyal's body language, she was sure he had heard Belenko's bravado.
Sharon thanked Uncle En for his care, patience, admitted that he was probably right and that she would do her best to convince Eyal to take it slow. She excused herself and added,
"I'll try my best to make him understand but there is something different this time around: Before, he was a loner with nothing to loose, now he's a husband, father and people's job depend on him. He has a lot more to lose and Eyal takes all of his duties very seriously!"
Uncle En sighted "Still, I wish you luck!"
Sharon looked at her phone and showed it to Uncle En. "It's Victor and I'm guessing Rivka must be by his side, they are asking for an update on Eyal. Can you fill them in? I'd really like to get to NCIS. Here, take this phone and just answer their text. I have a backup."
Uncle En whispered "Speaking of back-ups…. Aren't you supposed to leave guns and knives at the front desk? This is a Navy hospital but… At Mossad, we are not allowed to carry in hospitals or headquarters."
"MI-6 has the same rules….. and it's common knowledge. I don't like being a sitting duck so never abided by that specific rule. Plus, after the hell I lived through these past two weeks, it's nothing to make me become an obedient lamb!"
"Never was comfortable seeing my love ones carry weapons of any kind. I don't even want to imagine what you or Eyal can do or did with the weapons you carry."
"What you don't know can't hurt you… don't even try to go there Uncle En, please!"
Uncle En kissed her softly and said his farewells.
At leaving the hospital, she went straight to the Navy Yard to give NCIS an update on Eyal and get some debriefing on some events.
As she passed through security, she was met by Director Vance.
"Sharon, how is Eyal?"
"He just came out of the coma and is acting as himself: He pulled out his tracheal intubation."
The Director chuckled "It must be a man's thing. Gibbs and I did the same. Won't attempt it again, it hurts like hell during and after! From what I hear of his injuries, he has a long way to go. That Russian guy did quite a number on him. Come to my office, I'd like to talk with you. Want to assure you that your father OK this conversation."
Vance guided Sharon to his office and offered her some coffee, which she refused.
"Thanks, but I'm not a coffee person!"
Smiling, he lifted his cup to her
"Then, you're not a Marine! Tell me about Belenko. Sadly, he's part of the next generation of Russian's extreme rogue agents/spies. They lost control of their spy agencies and many went/will go rogue. I'd like to hear your views of what we might be up against."
Sharon closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"Sadly the best of the worst; Belenko, and many can/will replace him, was well-known for his training of Afghan's secret police and a prize pupil of the 'meat-rack', 'swallow' and 'electric shock' torture techniques. Director Vance, Russian's laws don't list torture as a crime so people like Belenko can only be accused of the minor crime of 'abuse of office' and that's only if their crimes ever comes to court. When face with that kind of ba_tard there is only one way to deal with them: Shoot to kill. I'm glad Gibbs knew of this spy rule! Joan's suggestion to try and save the guy to gain him as an asset was the craziest idea I've ever heard. The US/CIA really had a long way to go before catching up to England's (with the IRA) and Israel's (with ISIS and others) experiences/ways in dealing with terrorism and hard core ba_tards of that kind. It's not a place for bleeding hearts!"
Vance acknowledge and asked.
"Sharon, how did you get mixed up with this? The techniques you mentioned, I honestly thought were urban legends and I've been around. And to think that the world condemned the US for 'allegedly' using waterboarding."
Sharon sighted "Director Vance, at MI6 (or SIS) I specialized in extreme extractions…. In that line of work, you need to be on top of things! I've witness/heard/dealt/studied more shit than I can or dare to remember. Waterboarding is nothing compared to the 'meat-rack' Eyal was put through: With chains attached to his legs, they cranked a pulley to stretch his body and while they stretched, they hit him with rubber truncheons, bottles full of water and made sure to target the kidneys. Plus, Belenko added his specialty 'the Domino Effect': Specific slicing (cuts) so that every move or even an involuntary muscle twitch sent the body in a cascade of muscle contraction causing debilitating pain and in the end organ failure from lack of blood."
Director Vance looked at a picture of his deceased wife and swore silently to himself. "Well, it's over and Eyal will pull through."
"It over but far from finished…. The Domino Effect does not stop when the patient is out of 'death row', so to speak. Eyal is suffering from anemia because all his internal organs are fighting for the 'fresh oxygenated blood' they need to heal. His body, in its fragile state, can't produce enough. Transfusion are out of the questions because it might cause internal bleeding due to accrued pressure an increase in his blood flow would produce. Plus, all cuts will leave scar tissues as they enter the healing process. In Eyal's specific case, Belenko knew that cutting deep and at a certain angle, the nerves would be affected by that scar tissue. Do you know what shingles or Herpes Zoster is?
"Yes and the first thing that comes to mind is pain…. very acute pain."
"That the kind of pain Eyal is/will be experiencing. Shingles usually affect only one part of the body (or a nerve) at one time. Those scars will cause pain along many 'nerve lines' as they rub against the exposed nerves. It's like many bouts of shingles at the same time. Eyal is in for quite a painful roller-coaster type recovery."
"Does he know?"
"He knows. We didn't speak about it but he's as up to date as I am on torture techniques. Mossad is way ahead of any spy agencies on that subject. Would even say, he himself might be as skillful as Belenko to apply them!"
Vance looked up at her with a surprised expression "They tell me, you and Abby came up with one hell of an extraction plan!"
Sharon shyly responded "If Gibbs had not been by my side when we found Eyal, my life partner would not be alive today. Not proud to admit it: this girl lost it. Knew at seeing Eyal just what was at stake and couldn't see a way out so I shut down..."
Vance put his hands on her shoulder and said,
"Sharon, from what Gibbs told me you came through with flying colours, be it MI-6/SIS or Kidon style, it did the trick."
"Director Vance, Gibbs omitted to say that he needed to kick my butt to get me in gear!"
"At some point in our lives, we all need help from a friend. It's what we do with that help that make the difference."
Sharon smiled "You, quoting Eli David, Ziva's father!"
"He was a very complex and complicated man but one hell of a spy. Sharon, the little he taught me follows me still."
"Same here. Surprisingly Gibbs is a lot like Eli; the best of the best in the field but the worst of the worst emotion wise."
Vince shot Sharon a surprised but approving glance.
"Come, we need to read in the others. They were all anxious to hear some news. Abby especially, she's been driving Gibbs crazy with her daily questions."
As they entered the bullpen, Tim said
"Ziva and Tony told me Eyal's out of the coma, glad to hear that he's back with us!"
Abby and Gibbs joined them.
Abby spoke "Sharon, Sharon, Sharon when can I visit Eyal?"
"Soon Abby. Leave him time to get some of his strength back. He suffered a class IV hemorrhage (lost more than 40% of his blood volume). If it hadn't been for Gibbs's kicking my butt, he would have died. Will never be able to thank you enough Mr. Gibbs and don't say I don't owe you – I do big time; f_ck the rules!"
Gibbs eyed Sharon and said "You don't but if you feel the need to give back, here's a proposition: Me and you LUNCH date now: Subject matter - From where/whom do you know my rules."
Sharon said "It's a date! Are food options in the Navy Yard still limited? I feel like a taste of home that I've not had in a long time. Red Hook Lobster Pound on 17th St."
Gibbs tended his hand and said "Lobster it is, I've learned long ago not to get between a pregnant woman and her cravings."
Tony added "We could join you, Boss?"
Gibbs retorted "Tony, what words don't you understand in 'It's a date?'"
Tony added through his teeth "She's married…"
Vince startled all by adding "Yes and with one of Mossad's best. Gibbs, you do like to live dangerously – Red head and Mossad property!"
Sharon was fast to reply "I'm nobody's property."
Gibb's looked sideways at Vance, ignored his Boss's stare and said to Sharon
"Coming?"
As they entered the restaurant Gibbs asked "What will it be Mrs. Canadian?"
"Don't know, hesitating between the lobster roll or a salad. What are you having?"
"The roll and coffee."
Sharon answered "Make that two rolls, one coffee and one bottle of Perrier."
He pulled a chair for her to sit.
"OK, Mrs. Welby, where did you learn of my rules?"
"We are zeroing in quick and fast!"
"It's the only way, plus have other things I'd like to discuss."
"I guessed that much, so here goes Mr. Gibbs: the person from whom I learned those rules from is you!"
"Sharon…."
"Leave me finish! A couple of years ago, my father stuck me on protective detail for two FBI agents that had crossed path with one rogue MI-6 agent. For an unknown reason I ended up at your place, it was the designated safe house."
Gibbs smiled "Would one of those agents be Tobias Fornell?"
"Yes, the other one was Vincent Rossabi (he's now my brother in law). Fornell told me the safe house was the property of a friend who was spending some vacation time in Mexico."
"So it was Fornell, not me, who told you of the rules"
"You don't listen: It was you."
"You're not making this easy! OK, from the start - How did you come across my rules?"
"Well, I was stuck with two soccer fans while the Soccer World Cup was on TV and you are the only person I know that has one TV… and an old one at that! I tried to get myself off that detail but daddy wouldn't hear of it. So since I hated soccer, I did what I was trained to do and what my feminine nature made me do: I snooped."
"You went through my things. That illegal Missy!"
The waitress brought them their lunch as Sharon was preparing to answer Gibbs.
"Remember Mr. Gibbs, I'm a spy, I know how to snoop. I was very discreet! It's not like I went through your Dope book (a notebook kept with a sniper rifle for the purposes of recording the atmospheric conditions, range, lighting, and resulting hit or miss of every shot fired.) or your Black book!"
"Again and for the last time, how did you come across my rules?"
"Shoe box under the bed. Didn't know they were rules; thought they were quotes of some sort. Put them in order, read them, and found them interesting so I took a mental picture of it all."
"Let me guess, as Ziva, you have a photographic memory. That's an other matter I'd like to discuss – You and Ziva"
"I do have a photographic memory, for me it's acquire, for Ziva it's natural. As for our partnership not much I can discuss, it's still all classified. Even Eyal is clueless about most of those 3 years."
"Don't want mission details, just why you and Ziva were paired together? Have a hunch and since you think you owe me for saving Eyal… I'm cashing in!"
Sharon looked at him with a 'See I don't have a choice look' and said
"Is was a very specific reason: Our fathers needed specific talents for a still highly classified dark op. I love my father but that period is not one where he shined!"
Gibbs closed his eyes as a teasing smile formed on his face,
"Let me guess Sharon + Ziva + The strong forces of one mix with the strong forces of the other = A director's dream spy team. Now for the kill: You two were put together to rid Mossad/Kidon and MI-6 of the White Widow by putting in place the 7/7 false flag operation. Took you three years but you succeeded."
Sharon eyes grew round and wide. "Mr. Gibbs only Ziva, Robert and Rivka know of that mission, the rest are dead. Eyal and Victor are not read in. I can't believe Ziva spilled the bean!"
"She didn't."
"Nice, my turn to be in the hot chair. OK I'll play. How did you find out?"
"I was on a parallel mission and met up Robert and Eli. They made sure I was called off my assignment. I got curious and like you did in my house… I snooped. Didn't ID you two but got some valuable intel on what your mission was."
"Then you know that we failed our assignment: The White Widow disappeared from Britain in 2005 meaning Ziva and I did not complete our mission. In September 2008, the White Widow was spotted among the so-called al-Shabaab terrorists who had sieged Israeli owned and operated Nairobi Shopping Mall. To this day it's my/our biggest failure. We put our mistrust in our fathers ahead of a mission and we, in a way, are responsible for that siege and death of many people."
Gibbs took a sip of coffee and said "You are leaving out the best part…..."
Sharon rolled her eyes! "You want the nitty details of our failure and attempt to make a wrong right, here it is: On September 28, 2008, UK daily Mirror reported that the White Widow was training ISIS female suicide bombers in Syria. We (Ziva and I) set out to correct our rookie mistake. Going off books, we conjointly gunned her down as we should have in 2005. Our fathers' were right: we were the perfect team to succeed in tracking and killing that bitch. In 2005, we put our personal feelings (being pissed at our fathers) before our mission and purposely failed. In 2008, we did what was expected of us, used our skills and killed the target. Rule 51 - Sometimes daughters can be wrong."
Gibbs closed his eyes for a second and said "I studied that mission: You and Ziva were put in a situation which was wrongly evaluated by your respective fathers'. From what I read, the White Widow was a Jewish mother of four whose husband was killed by MI-6 as one of the so-called "7/7 suicide bombers" involved in the July 6, 2002 bombing in London. That woman was Jewish (that played on Ziva conscience). She had four children and your agency had killed her husband because he was suspected of wrongdoing (that played on your conscience.). Want it or not young lady, you and Ziva do have a conscience and empathy even if you both work hard to conceal it. You are not and will never be natural born killers."
"It sometimes feels like I am! Was sure I had buried that part of me but this mission made it….."
Gibbs interrupted "It's part of you as it is part of Ziva. Why can't you girls simply accept yourself as you are? Your husband deals every day with his dark side and from what I can see, he juggling it pretty well."
Sharon put on a sheepish look and said "And you, Mr. Gibbs?"
Gibbs chuckled "Of us four, I'm doing the worst job with it all. We all have our crosses to bear. Don't do as I'm doing, learn from it! Did you ever talk to Eyal about that side of himself?"
"Yes and his answer was: You do what you have to do with the situation on hands. You can never doubt your decision because it's your life that is at stake. If it turns out you were wrong, acknowledge it, give back if you can and file it! You can't handle that side of the job… quit while you're still alive. If you don't, it's just a matter of time till death catches up to you."
"Drastic, but to the point and I agree. I admire his way of handling his career."
"Oh he struggles with some parts of our life, just not that one. Mr. Gibbs, you have something in common with Eyal's struggles: Lack of trust that life still has nice things in store for you. You're a wonderful person and I'm certain there is a woman (maybe not a red head) that is out there waiting for you. You should give life a second chance. Eyal would say; leave the current guide you, the current might know something you don't. Give yourself a living chance!"
Gibbs smiled "Again well said but fighting the current is the only way one can forget the pains life sometimes brings. Regarding how I live my life, I'm not doing that bad."
Sharon lightly slapped her napkin on the table "Are you living a life or just existing. I'm not finished getting through the armour wall Eyal put up and I don't expect to get through yours in only a lunch date!"
"He may have put them up for good reasons, maybe it would be best to leave us be."
Sharon continued "Mr. Gibbs, Eyal when we met thought he didn't deserve to be happy and like you, hid behind the image he built, of being a loner. In that way, he would not risk hurting anyone or be hurt… sounds familiar (Gibbs put on a very subtle smile). Eyal is still a work in progress but I can see he loves me and every times his eyes express happiness, we're won a battle. It's possible to have some happiness without forgetting what we once had."
"There is a special matter I still want to discuss with you but I promise to think about what you said. Deal?"
"Well coming from you it's the best I'm going to get…. so Rule #11: When the job is done, walk away. My job is done; I'm walking away…. For now!"
Shaking his head, he said under his breath "Typical of a red head; you never give up."
Sharon brought his chin up with her index and said "Heard that, me being a red head has nothing to do with what I said! Let's change the subject. I might sound a tad bit pushy but you'd make a great MI-6 asset, ever think of double duty? A bit like Director Vance with Eli David. "
Shaking his head and smiling, Gibbs said
"Can't believe you are trying to recruit me! NO, I am not interested. Have my share of work and life related problems don't want to add to the already full bath, I'll drown! And for your information Eli David never recruited Director Vance."
Another sheepish smile from Sharon "Wrong! Your director never worked against his country but he helped the Mossad in many ways - voluntary and when asked. He had a debt toward Eli and a spy can never leave a debt unpaid. He worked for the Mossad, Mr. Gibbs."
To that Sharon showed him a picture of Vance that said it all.
Gibbs looked at it and whispered "I'll be damn. He wanted you to tell me of this didn't he? You would never risk putting his career in jeopardy in that way."
"Yes and that gives you the extent of his trust in you. We are now three that know of him indirectly 'helping' the Mossad. Do with that information what you want but you now have a button you can push on Vance!"
"As he does on me, we are even!"
"Yes, you each can ruin the other's career! Mr. Gibbs, is it a definitive no for helping me at some point?"
"Sharon… don't push it!"
Putting on 'a girl can try!' smile, she said
"Mr. Gibbs, I've seen you in action. Never saw someone so calm and cool under pressure. That, in my book, spells: Assets A++++. What can I say… I gave it a shot!"
"Sharon, my turn to change subjects… I have some information that could rattle your world but I need you to be honest with me: Do you think you can handle news that is not life threatening but could change your life in some ways?"
Gibbs had Sharon attention "Mr. Gibbs, does it concern Eyal?"
"No, only you."
"That I can handle it or not, is irrelevant. I want to know!"
"Remember me telling me that when I interacted with you that I had a feeling of déjà vu…. Well I did and I now know why. Here, read this."
Gibbs waited, he knew it wouldn't be long before Sharon read the DNA results Abby had done that proved at 99% that Ducky was her biological father.
Sharon's hands shook as she looked at Gibbs and said "What is this bullshit? What are you up to? Why?"
"Sharon stop, I don't know the how and why of this but you are definitely Ducky's daughter. Abby is on standby to give you more details but she is sure of her finding. I know… it's a powerful knockdown punch but just promise, you'll think of it. I have a couple of palpable facts: You are both B- (only 7% of the population); you both struggled between medicine and art careers; you once told Ziva you never quite connected to your father – he was a kind and wonderful man but you just couldn't see any of yourself in him and girl… you are so much like Ducky in your everyday ways, it's fascinating!"
"Mr. Gibbs, I really can't deal with this, can't even phantom it!"
At the word 'phantom' Sharon face went blank and she said
"He knew…. he knew, f_ck! I was sent to Israel to meet my test tube mate."
Gibbs asked "What in the hell are you rambling about?"
"Mr. Gibbs, you know as I do, that Ari Haswari was born in 1977 to Dr. Benjamin Weinstein (the undercover alias of Mossad agent and future Mossad director Eli David), and Dr. Hasmia Haswari, an Arab woman, while they were both doctors working together at a hospital in Jerusalem. Eli later had Hasmia killed giving him complete control over Ari. He planted Ari as a Mossad mole inside the Hamas. I just deduced by what you just told me, I was conceived to be Ari's MI-6 mole wife inside the Hamas. My mother, Elisabeth and Eli David teamed up at one point and coughed up this diabolical plan! We would be the perfect spy (mole) doctor couple Eli and Hasmia couldn't be. Ari, when we broke up, told me that I needed to see the evil in the persons closest to me. That I was, like Ziva, living in a little girls' wonderland and that it would one day tumble down on me. He broke up with me to spite our parents and ruined their perfect spy test tube mole couple! He knew… damn… Ari knew. I need to speak to Robert, NOW!"
Gibbs's mind was racing. 'Could she be right? It was possible and that in itself was mindboggling. He knew the Eli/Ari side of things was true, was there more to that diabolical plan?'
"Mr. Gibbs, who knows of this?"
"Only me and Abby."
"OK and it must stay that way, nobody else needs to know. I must shed light on this before confronting some people. First, not that I don't trust Abby, but my biological father's blood type was also B-. I don't know if it's enough but I have some hair of his in a locket I always have on me. Could Abby run his DNA? That will bring us one step closer to the truth.
"Only Abby can answer that, why don't we get it to her? Sharon, I'm sorry; never thought my news could have such disastrous consequences. My only motive was for you to know the truth. Family is important and to a man like Ducky.. well.."
Sharon squeeze Gibbs's arm and said "I prefer the truth Mr. Gibbs… and I can handle the news. Don't you have a rule that says 'never say you're sorry'!"
Gibbs smiled nervously and said "I also have one that says 'sometimes you're wrong'."
"Mr. Gibbs, we.. no…I need to get to the bottom of this. I just texted Robert and he's still bed riding so we need to go to him. Can you get me on that Naval Ship?"
"That won't be a problem if MI-6 clears you. I'll take care of the Naval Security. Sharon, do you have any idea what's Ducky's role in all of this?"
"It's just a theory but my mother was a very ambitious spy and a good one at that. My father, well the man I thought was my father, was a wonderful human being but he wasn't spy material. He didn't have a malicious bone in his body. If Eli David and Elisabeth (Sharon's mother) met and conjured up such a plan, she needed to find a more suitable 'match'. I was conceived for the main reason of integrating the Hamas as a doctor and Ari Haswari's wife. She had to find a man that was the same blood type as my father's (so he would never doubt I wasn't his daughter), preferably of English upbringing, Army or Navy, and a doctor… Maybe Ducky just happen to cross her path and fitted the bill. She used him as Eli used Hasmia. She didn't need to kill Ducky to cover her tracks because she arranged for Ducky to never know he had a daughter. It all fits, Mr. Gibbs. You can't imagine how many pieces of my life are fitting into place. Please, we need to give Abby the hair sample and I need to talk to Robert."
Gibbs paid for the lunch, and whispered ever so lightly "If you are worried of Ducky not accepting you, don't. I know the man, first he's going to want to prove it without the of doubt… just like you are and then he is going to embrace the fact that he has a daughter and grand-children. When that's going to hit him, you are going to see a very different Ducky."
Sharon took Gibbs arm and folded into him, he gave her a fatherly hug and whispered "The next time you get that kind of hug, it's going to be from your real father!"
Gibbs and Sharon entered Abby's labs and she signed to Gibbs "Does she know?"
Sharon smiled and answered (in sign) "I know, Abby."
Abby ran to Sharon and hugged her while saying,
"I'm sorry, so sorry. You have Eyal to deal with and this piling on top of it is way too much! Is there any way I can help?"
"Abby it's OK, I'm OK. I can handle it. Look, I have a locket with some hair from my father. (She showed the locket to Abby) If there is enough, can you test it to prove without a doubt that Howard Welby isn't my biological father. Mr. Gibbs, I know this is not NCIS official business but..."
"Don't worry about it, this is MY official business… I put it in motion and Ducky is family, NCIS is taking this mission!"
Abby took the locket and checked the hair. "There is more than enough. It will take at least 48 hours…"
Gibbs interrupted "You have 24!"
Abby smiled and said "Well, I better get to work then!"
Sharon took Abby's hand "I know this will be hard because NCIS is a close nit family but I need this to stay between us. Do not worry, as soon as I gather enough proof of what Gibbs stumbled upon, I will tell all. Well… Ducky should be the first, then Eyal but the rest will follow, I promise. I, as Gibbs, prefer the truth to be known not hidden."
Abby pinched her lips and said "Sharon, you should know, I'm not very good at lying."
"Just do you best, that's all I ask."
Gibbs told Sharon that it was a go for her to visit her father. They left Abby to her work.
Arriving on the Naval ship, Sharon and Gibbs went directly to Robert Jackson's room. Gibbs left Robert and Sharon to rekindle a bit. She had not seen him since the attack on his life. She had asked Gibbs some time alone with Robert before descending on him with the news about his sister's possible diabolical plan.
Robert was eying his adoptive daughter; he knew her well and doubted something was up.
"Sharon, I know you, what's wrong?"
She let Gibbs in and started talking and only stopped when she noticed tears streaming down Robert's face.
He took her hands and said
"If all of this is truth, darling I assure you I wasn't part of it. I have many secrets and dark stories but that is not one I was involved with. I could never do such a thing to you or any member of my family! Please, I need to know that you believe I was not a part of my sister's possible, more impossible plan!"
"Dad, I believe you. Can't see you standing by me all this time, dealing with my many ups and downs while knowing about that dark secret! You can be ruthful, vengeful and even kill without losing any sleep about it but to hurt me in that way…. never. You are the head of MI-6 and know from experience that the truth will, at one point, come out. Some secrets can stay secrets but that kind… never. I trust you didn't know, don't worry."
Robert blew her a kiss and spoke
"OK that's settle, now what's the plan. I presume you want to get to the bottom of it all?"
"I do. Abby is testing Harold's hair as we speak. Robert, do you know if my mother ever had an affair?"
"No, and if she did, she surely didn't confide in her little brother! I did know that it was touch and go for some time with Harold. A spy's life isn't an easy one, I just concluded it was the reason they had marital problems. But then you came along and all seemed well between them… damn so many pieces of the puzzle are falling into place…"
Sharon smiled and said "Yes I know… my mind is still spinning… so much time passed, so many questions now answered, so many events explained, but still so many why and how! Dad, I now believe you when you tried to tell me that all the evidence pointed towards her committing suicide while in her mission… I'm guessing, at one point, she had a reality check of some king and could no longer live with herself for what she'd done. If this turns out to be truth… I personally don't know how in the hell could she live knowing she had conceived me only to be a mole in the Hamas! Imagine looking at your child and knowing her future was to be a mole in a terrorist group. I could not live with myself!"
Robert stopped her "Look, let's not get ahead of ourselves. We are both trained to find the underlying cause of a situation. The DNA test will give us proof that Harold is not your biological father. Sharon, what's your next step, your case, your lead (he winked at Gibbs)?"
Sharon was in her element "We need to connect Ducky with Elisabeth. I may have a plan. Mr. Gibbs, you said that Ducky is quite good at conducting profiles. I have many photos of my mother. I could give him a bit of my bio, the photos and ask him if he could do his magic with my mother. I could explain that since my mother died so young, that I'd like to have some clues of what she could have been as a mom. If he slept with her, he's bound to recognise the woman. I'll work it from there, have enough training in deceptive techniques to pull it off."
Gibbs nodded in approval.
Robert added "Good thinking. Damn, I wish I could be of more help. Maybe the doctors could give me a 24 hours leave."
"Dad, I'm OK. Funny, the horror of what may have happened is passed and now I just want to take the time to process it all. I can't even hate Elisabeth for what she may have done. It might come later but for now I just want the truth to come out without hurting Ducky. Just don't know how he's going to take it. Whatever the story behind my birth, that man is my biological father. Science doesn't lie as Abby just told me…. 100 times!"
Gibbs put his hand on her shoulder "Ducky is going to react in the same way you just did: Horrified then accepting/realising the end result –the fact that he has a daughter. A child he once dearly wanted but abandoned his dream for a career and I'm guessing, a lost love!
Sharon stood up and looked at Gibbs "You ready to face Ducky?"
"If you are?"
Sharon nodded and said "Ducky is old school; I need to print many of my mother's photos. I'm pretty sure he prefers working with concrete tool… meaning paper."
Gibbs smiled "I can assure you he does!"
As she was leaving, Robert pulled her close and said "Sharon, I'll always be there for you, no matter what happens."
"Dad, I know. You took me in as a rebellious 16 years old teenager and on occasions (many occasions) I made your life a living hell…. you are and always will be my father. But Ducky deserves to know that he has a daughter. Let me place my cards and we'll deal with the hand that comes down."
"That's the only plausible plan, darling! Please keep me posted."
Entering Ducky's lab with a freshly created photo album of her life as a child with her mother, she timidly approached Ducky and asked
"Doctor Mallard, Abby told me that you are the best at psychological profiles."
"Well, if our forensic scientist said it, it must be truth. How can help you? Are you already on another mission?"
No, it's a personal favor. I lost my mother when I was 8. She was, as I, an MI-6 spy and, one day, she didn't return from a mission. I'd like you, but only if you have the time, to profile her as what she could have been as a mother. With what happened to Eyal, I seem to need a comforting thought or just something to use as a crutch to lean on. I thought that having you paint a picture of her could give me a bit of chicken soup for my soul, so to speak."
Ducky timidly took her photo album and signaled for her to sit by him as he opened the album.
To that point Sharon was in control, but as Ducky looked at the photos, his reaction suddenly filled her with fear. On cue, Gibbs was entering and saw she was about to loose it. He discreetly placed himself behind her and physically supported her. He knew all too well what was going to happened next.
Ducky tried to speak but just could get a sound out and at the same time Sharon went down. Gibbs just had time to catch her.
"Ducky, help me lie her down. DUCKY!"
Ducky shook himself out of the trance he was in and helped Gibbs. Sharon rapidly regained consciousness.
Ducky gently took her hands and asked "Dear… this is a set up. I don't know what you are up to but that woman, I know and she isn't your mother. Her name is Camille L'Oiseau….
"Ducky, Camille L'Oiseau was my mother's code name. Read the last and most recent page of my album… please."
As Ducky put his eyes down on Abby's DNA results, his lips began to tremble and… again… Gibbs had to pick up another fainting body.
To be continued!