Chapter 37

Fornell arrived with Tony and Tim just behind. Fornell looked apoplectic.

"You…you tell me…I want to know… I should just…" He threw his hands up in the air and walked in a circle. Étienne stood in the dining room and watched warily. He wasn't too sure where Fornell was going to go with his behaviors.

"Nice one Étienne." Tony said. "Real smooth and totally right up there in the top ten all-time list of 'Wow'. Gotta give it to you."

Étienne came back into the living room and handed the mug of coffee to Mike. Leaning back he sat down on the couch and crossed his feet at the ankles.

"It appears you have questions for me?" he directed the question to the room in general with a small smile as he brought the cup to his lips. Étienne blew air gently over his coffee.

It was obvious to Ziva that he was completely unperturbed by everyone's disquiet. This served to increase her state of aggravation. Tobias turned dark red and with his hands fisted walked to the bathroom under the stairs.

"You have a nasty habit, Étienne, of making major decisions and taking actions without the input of anyone or anything else. Many, if not all, of your decisions effect all of us! You are our family, our friend. We all care about you. You are not of no small account. You matter! To us! You have a wife and a child now. We, all of us, at the very least deserve consideration in your decisions!"

Étienne's eyes were half closed while he looked at Ziva pace back and forth in her anger. He very deliberately took a sip of his coffee. Abby had come back in with her laptop. She laid her hand on his arm and gave a little shove. The corner of Étienne's mouth lifted in a small smile. He straightened and sat up leaning his elbows on his knees. His glacial blue eyes gazed up into Ziva's brown ones.

"What are you asking of me Ziva?" He lifted a hand when she opened her mouth. "You want me to open an assembly for council before taking an action that I know I must take?" Étienne shook his head slowly and leaned back.

"Sacré mère! Allez-vous faire de même? Je crois me rappeler certains cas où vous avez non seulement agi sans conseils, mais nous a même laissés sans préavis et aucune idée de vos allées et venues." (Sacred Mother! Are you going to do the same? I seem to remember certain instances where you have not only acted without advice, but even left us without notification and no clue to your whereabouts."

Abby moaned and Mike hissed, then stood up and left the room. Ziva turned red then pale with anger.

"You would dare? You would throw that in my face?" She almost whispered her voice was so hoarse.

Mike came back in with a fresh cup of coffee and an expressionless face. He sat down just as Étienne stood up. Étienne moved over to stand in front of Ziva. He held his empty hands out toward her.

"I throw nothing! I am pointing out that you do not seek permission or council for your activities that you feel are morally right and are taking care for those you love. No one knows fully the terrible cost these decisions take on you, Gibbs, Mike and all those others you work with.

There are heroes every day Ziva. People we never hear anything about. Military people, the police, firefighters and such, they feel driven to protect their country, their communities, their families. They must however follow guidelines and orders. Sometimes they must react spontaneously and without orders. That is when they reach beyond what they are. I include you and our extended family in this group. That you are a heroine I have no doubt.

I have no such conflict when I act. When I make a decision there is no remorse. I do not second guess myself. I simply discern what I must do and do it. I do not consider myself a hero or a criminal. I have been called cold and ruthless, a sociopathic personality. I am. All of these things and many more.

There has been no real warmth or love in my short existence until I met Abby. No real purpose. Solitary existence without purpose is to live in a vacuum. The question becomes what would I do to protect love when I have found it. The answer is anything and everything! Anything I have to do I will. Anyone threatening my family that I have to harm I will. I warn you all, I have no intention of asking any of you for permission or input into my actions. None of you is responsible for what I do. I accept responsibility good or bad for what I do."

"Your death would affect all of us though Étienne. It would not be a small thing." Ziva told him in a quiet voice. "For all of us, every single person in our little family. Surely you cannot deny this. You must know this is true." She held her hands out to him palms up also.

Étienne walked slowly over to Fornell who had returned. He made direct eye contact with him and then each person in the room. He then returned to Ziva. He slowly stroked his hands up her upper arms and then drew her into his body. Ziva stood stiffly momentarily then relaxed into him slipping her arms around his waist.

"Thank you Ziva. I thank you for everything you have done and will do. I acknowledge I have feelings for all of you. To me this means I am driven to protect, as you are. But I cannot tell you I will stop being who I am. I do not ask it of any of you either. But I promised Abby I would no longer simply disappear. I will promise you the same."

He drew back and looked down at her. Ziva's brown eyes were moist as she nodded.

"I will do the same Étienne." she said. Étienne smiled at her then.

"Well ain't that just the most touching scene I ever saw. Let's give you an award and call it square you terrorist!" Fornell was beside himself in anger.

"Terroriste? Vraiment? Doit-on pas à combattre feu par le feu à des moments mon ami? (Terrorist ? Really ?) (Terrorist ? Really ? Does one not have to fight fire with fire at times my friend ?) Étienne frowned at Tobias, truly not understanding Fornell's anger.

Abby spoke up then. "We have the thumb drive Toby." She lifted her computer up and wiggled it. "I verified it. It's all there. I took the liberty of notifying the FBI and NSA that you're coming in with the thumb drive. It's up to you to explain how you got hold of it though. I couldn't come up with anything. My brain's been on the fritz lately." Smiling she took the thumb drive out and stretched her hand out to Fornell. He looked at her hand as if she held a poisonous snake or insect. His eyes were glazed over. He looked up at Étienne and turned very pale.

"You got it. You son-of-a bitch… you got it."

Étienne smiled at him and shrugged. "Oui"