Rifiuto: Non Miriena
A/N: Sorry, I had this done, I just haven't had time to post it.
A/N: This story is almost coming to a close...
Thanks to Reader for reviewing 49 and 50.
Keavy looked up. It felt good to be back in Ireland, if even only for a little while. She was supposed to be meeting Agents McGee and David at the Dublin Airport- because of the nature of the flight, SecNav had given use of her plane, explaining to the air controllers in Dublin the significance of why her plane and the agents aboard needed to be allowed entrance into the country- and as she glanced around, she suddenly realized that she wasn't sure who she was looking for. She had only ever seen Tim and Ziva over Skype, and the images, while good, had been grainy. Looking around again, her gaze landed on a young woman with long dark hair pulled back in a French braid, and acting on instinct, she made her way towards the woman. "Um, excuse me? Are ye-"
The woman's head snapped up, and Keavy recognized the dark eyes. "You must be Agent O'Reilly. Seattle office, ken?" The woman asked, holding out a hand. Keavy nodded, taking her hand. "Ziva."
"Aye, Agent David-"
"Ziva, please. My husband and I are no longer agents at NCIS, so it's not necessary." Then, she turned, tugging on the man's arm; he finished his phone call and turned to his wife, and Keavy recognized the bright green eyes that had belonged to Gibbs' Agent McGee. "Tim, Agent O'Reilly is here." He gave her a warm smile, quickly shaking her hand as he slid his phone back into his pocket.
"Sorry about that. Asher was having a meltdown because Jethro is eager to go out for a walk, but with the shootings being so close-" He sighed. "Welcome to our lives, Agent O'Reilly." She chuckled softly.
"I know wha' ye're goin' through. I spent majority of me childhood in the North- I am familiar wi' this type o' violence. I though' I left it behind, bu'-"
"It never really leaves you." Tim finished; Keavy nodded. He took a deep breath. "Come on, let's get home."
The drive was taken in silence, the occasional questions being asked and answered, but for the most part, absolute silence. So Keavy was unable to keep her tears away at the sight of the simple cottage- two story, as typical in these small, coastal towns- that was eerily reminiscent of the one she'd spent her childhood in. Her parents had a cottage in Northern Ireland, that she'd been born in, spent her childhood in, at least, until her mother had been killed, when her father decided that living in the house was too painful and moved them both back to America, where he was from. Though, as she'd gotten older, she'd spent summers in Ireland, eventually going to college at Dublin University.
She turned as Ziva took her hand and squeezed. "Thinking?" She nodded at the former Israeli, seeing herself in the other woman's dark eyes. So Ziva had suffered as she had, the loss of loved ones. Tim unlocked the front door, slipping inside and quickly checking before whistling to get their attention and allowing them to enter first. Once the door was shut, Tim called out,
"Asher? Zipporah? We're home." Keavy looked up as two heads peeked around the wall, bright green eyes drinking in the newcomer; a German Shepard's head soon followed, tongue lolling out as it watched and growled softly at the agent. Eventually, the kids came down the stairs, and Keavy realized they weren't kids, but teenagers, who rushed towards their parents, throwing their arms around their mother. Tim turned back to the dog, beckoning him forward. "Come here, Jet." Slowly, the dog made his way over to Tim, nuzzling against his leg. Tim chuckled, kneeling down to scratch behind the dog's ear.
"Ye 'ave a beautiful family, Agent McGee." Keavy whispered, memories of her own parents- her father, in the States, and her mother, long dead- flooding her mind.
"We're missing one." The girl replied, burrowing further into her mother's side.
"Our youngest son, Liron." Tim clarified. "He's Zipporah's older brother, and he... he ran off... several months ago to be with a girl. Joined the ARBI." Keavy nodded, noticing the pain in Ziva's eyes- a pain that was clearly there whenever anyone mentioned the boy. After a moment, Ziva took Keavy's things.
"I'll put your things in the guest room, Agent O'Reilly. Do you know where the others agents are staying?" She nodded; the rest of the team that Vance had sent over were staying at a small inn just outside Clontarf, to set up the various things they needed to take down the ARBI- Keavy was staying with Tim and Ziva, partially as a guard, and partially so she could get better acquainted with the kids- since Zipporah was one of the informants- so Vance had put her with his two former agents.
"Agent D- Ziva." The woman turned back. "Thank ye." She nodded, disappearing upstairs.
Asher didn't think twice when he slipped out to get the mail; Jethro followed behind, keeping close to his master and mistress's oldest, to protect him, as he'd always done. It was custom, for Jethro to follow when the oldest of Tim and Ziva's young pups went out front; of all the kids, Jethro was most attached to Asher, though no one knew why. Maybe it was because the oldest boy had been the one that struggled to adjust to America, to having a father after eight years without, the most. Either way, Jethro always made sure the boy went out and returned without incident.
As the canine ambled after his companion, no one had any idea of the chaos about to ensue. All anyone knew for certain was a growl, the ringing of a shot, a yelp of pain, and a scream, that sent the others running from the house.
