Wednesday April 20

When Ziva came out of the bathroom Tony was frantically digging through the sofa, pulling cushions off and batting throw pillows to the ground. "No, no, no, no!"

Frowning, she approached him. "Tony, what is the matter?"

His head jerked up. "Ziva, tell me you've seen my phone."

Her mouth fell open slightly, brow furrowing. "Did you not have it last night?" They always left their phones on their nightstands for middle of the night case calls.

"If I had it last night I wouldn't be looking for it now!" he spit out, frustrated by his inability to locate the important little piece of technology.

She wrinkled her nose. "There's no need to snap. I will help."

Together the couple searched their bedroom, the bathroom, the office, and every piece of clothing that had been worn the previous day. At last, running dangerously late on time, Tony sank down on the arm of the couch. "This is a disaster."

Ziva had to agree, but saying that out loud would not make him feel better. "Maybe you left it at work."

His eyes lit up and hope was rekindled. He gave her a quick kiss and dashed out the door with his backpack in tow, jumping in the car and backing out of the drive. Ziva took a moment to survey their home, which appeared to have been hit by a miniature tornado, gave Meira a gentle pat, and headed out. Even with the hurry he was in, she was confident she would still arrive at the office ahead of her husband.

She was right. But less than a minute after Ziva sat down at her desk, Tony strode quickly into the bullpen. "Hey guys, anybody see my phone laying around somewhere?"

Though his wife was aware of the situation, as his partner she had a role to play. "Good morning to you too Tony."

He dropped his things on the floor. "Actually it's the worst morning in the history of mornings." Not entirely true. The worst morning of his life was the one he woke to after being told his wife had drowned off the coast of Africa. An apology flickered in his gaze when he glanced at Ziva before walking towards McGee's space. "My phone. Please tell me you saw it."

McGee winced. "You lost your cell? Ouch."

"You are a capable investigator," Ziva pointed out. "Why don't you just...investigate?"

His eyes narrowed briefly, then he nodded in agreement, "Yes," and proceeded to dump out each drawer in his desk, leaving a pile of miscellaneous collected items strewn across the floor. Ziva and McGee stared, it was hard not to, but even Tony didn't have an answer ready when Gibbs came around the corner.

Trying to help, Ziva began, "Tony lo-"

But Gibbs cut her off. "I don't wanna know."

Tony's expression said that was a wise choice and he went back to his search.

Gibbs sat down and got to work, but after several minutes passed he finally had enough of his senior field agent crawling around on the floor. "DiNozzo, what the heck are you doing?" he demanded.

"I can't find my phone." He got up on his knees. "You haven't seen it by any chance?"

Gibbs unclipped the relic he wore and tossed it over. "Use mine."

Tony weighed it in his hand. "Wow, that's heavy. Uh, I need something with a computer on it so I can program ringtones, otherwise I-" He stopped when he caught Ziva's 'knock it off' gesture and cleared his throat, about to say 'thank you'. Then it rang and he held it out to Gibbs.

The man rolled his eyes. "This isn't rocket science. Answer it."

Whatever the person on the other end said was relayed in Tony's short sentences, "Dead guy. Navy lodge." He pitched it carefully in Gibbs' direction and as he walked by the boss held it out again. Tony looked at a phone model from at least seven years ago and passed. "That's very nice of you, but I'm good."

Gibbs eyed the mess surrounding Tony's desk with a disbelieving look, then continued to the elevator.

NCIS

From the look of their plastic wrapped body laying on the lawn, the P2P killer was not back burnered anymore. Tony circled the victim taking pictures while Ducky handed McGee a knife to cut away the plastic, giving observations the whole way from feet to face. As the wrapping was pulled away Tony lowered the camera and slowly crouched down. Ziva could see in every part of him - eyes, face, posture, stillness - that there was a serious problem no one else had discovered yet. "Is there something wrong Tony?"

"Yeah," Tony answered slowly, never moving his gaze from the man's face. "I know him."

That was news. Gibbs looked closer while McGee asked the obvious question. "Who is he?"

Tony sighed. "Danny Price, my old partner."

The announcement floored Ziva and as they continued to work the crime scene she became increasingly anxious to get him alone so she could hold him against the hurt the way he so often did for her.

Tony was not his usual self during Ducky's report of initial findings, doing his best to keep his gaze off Danny's body, and it didn't make him feel better at all when the ME and Gibbs determined that a coincidence of him knowing the victim wasn't even worth considering. When asked about his former partner, the senior field agent was succinct for once. "We worked homicide in Baltimore together. He was asked to retire a few years after I left for NCIS." That was not a time of his life he liked to remember in too much detail. "Came from money, not that he ever saw much of it. His dad wasn't around much and his mom died when he was a kid." Tony wasn't the only one who thought he could've been talking about himself.

"So you and he had quite a lot in common," the ME observed. "I'm surprised I never heard you mention him."

Tony remembered back to when he and Danny were just getting to know each other. They used to joke about being brothers separated in childhood, so similar were their upbringings. "We lost touch, time went by. Too much time."

"And when it's gone, you can never get it back," Ducky intoned.

Tony's tone fell flat. "Thanks for that."

The next stop was Abby's lab after Gibbs sent his senior field agent upstairs, though unfortunately she had nothing new. Everything was the same as the other P2P victims. She worried they'd never catch him but Gibbs remained confident the killer would eventually make a mistake as all criminals did at some point or another. She didn't find much comfort in his statement and was descending into self-pity, but related that the killer might have already made a mistake. The fortune in the cookie their dead guy had been holding was 'Keep your friends close but your enemies closer'. They could trace who made the cookie because of the initials in the dough, which likely came from an embossed cookie sheet. Therefore, it had to be someone with access to the kitchen who put the quote in before the cookie was folded, if it wasn't random. Gibbs was adamant that the saying wasn't incidental.

"But if the quote isn't random," Abby argued, "then what does that mean?"

Gibbs shook his head. "Nothing good."

"What if the killer's trying to tell us he's gonna come after our friends? I mean, Tony knew the victim."

It was that possibility which chilled Gibbs' blood. The killer had no qualms about delivering more bodies. He didn't want to take the chance that one of his people could be next.

NCIS

McGee and Ziva walked together down a colourful block of Baltimore on their way to the fortune cookie company. "I think Tony's more upset than he's letting on."

Ziva agreed with her teammate's assessment, but she had to be careful of what she said and how it would sound. "He and his former partner had not spoken in several years."

McGee turned the tables. "Let's say you and I hadn't seen each other in years and I get my throat slit by a serial killer."

She saw his point. "I would hunt him down and make him regret the day he was born."

Tim smiled. "That's why I always want you in my corner Ziva. We're not just partners, we're friends. Same with Tony."

Yes, but what were they to do about it when he was keeping them all at arm's length? That was a question to be pondered later because they arrived at their destination.

They learned from the owner that the colour of the cookie was wrong and the saying wasn't one of his. However, there had been a break in at the bakery five weeks ago where some trays were taken. The police made out a report, collected some evidence, and ate half a case of cookies but had no suspects, so Dao Huang wasn't expecting much progress to be made. McGee offered NCIS to look into the case for him and they soon found themselves back in the bullpen explaining to Gibbs that there was no physical evidence of any kind left at the scene.

Tony mentioned that sounded like P2P's MO and when asked about witnesses shrugged one shoulder. "Sort of. The police report lists a cracked out junkie. Says he saw a car leaving the scene." Gibbs took the folder and went for his glasses, but they seemed to be MIA so Tony continued. "No plates, just a make and model. Police never put out a BOLO, didn't think it was credible."

McGee was tasked to do what the police didn't while Ziva tried to find more information to track down the junkie and Gibbs spared a rare compassionate moment for his senior field agent. "Talk to me."

Tony didn't make eye contact. "About what?"

"Are you okay?"

He answered very quickly in a neutral tone. "I'm fine." Gibbs gave him a look that Tony interpreted correctly. "This has nothing to do with that. Ancient history."

"Yeah, I know, but that doesn't make it any easier."

"I'm fine," Tony repeated, then sighed and did his best not to glance his wife's direction. "I'm more worried about Abby's theory that the Port-to-Port killer is targeting our friends. We can't protect all of them."

"We protect them by catching the killer, same as you did before."

Easier said that done, the younger man thought. They hadn't had a lot of luck so far.

At his desk, now put back together from this morning's wild search that no longer seemed important, he picked up his prized Mighty Mouse stapler, recalling how it had been the prize for winning the 2001 station house pool championship, his second in a row. At the time it seemed like a lame choice, but there were a lot of memories packed into the little piece of office equipment. He wished again that he could find his stupid phone so that he had something to distract himself with while waiting for somebody to stumble on a lead. An idea suddenly hit him and when no one else was looking he borrowed his partner's cell from her purse while she was on her desk phone and not paying attention to him, then headed outside for some space from all the pitying glances and the choking layer of memories. He doubted anyone would miss him for a few minutes and he desperately needed to clear his head.

With her partner nowhere to be found once their witness was brought in, Ziva attempted to interrogate the junkie alone but was frustrated with the results, something she vented to Gibbs when she escaped into the hall. "That was just a waste of time. He had nothing to add to his statement about the robbery at the bakery and all he did was stink up the room." She made a face. "It needs to be fumigated before I will go back in."

Gibbs took a whiff and stepped back. "Yeah, twice." He grabbed hold of a memory - him watching from the other side of the glass while Tony and Danny tried to get information from a different junkie, Joey Peanuts. Tony's interrogation style had evolved and improved with time, but even then they had a flow that worked and what he'd seen was two men who were very good at their jobs.

Ducky found them to tell about Abby's email, which alerted to minor error in one of his internal reports five weeks ago. "As you know, the Port-to-Port killer secures his victims' feet with rope. The specific knot is called a double constrictor."

Ziva's brow furrowed. "I thought it was just plain constrictor knot."

The ME sighed in frustration. "Well that is the error. Mr. Palmer managed to leave out the word 'double' when he transcribed my notes."

Gibbs shrugged and started walking away. "No big deal Duck, just a typo."

"Jethro!" Ducky implored, trailing after them. "The knot on our latest victim's feet is a single constrictor. It's almost as if someone is using my notes, typo and all, to duplicate the murders. I know details can change for several reasons, but given the Port-to-Port killer's almost pathological need for consistency, I can only think of one in this case."

"It's not the Port-to-Port killer," Gibbs finished, giving an answer to the riddle.

"We have a copycat Jethro," Ducky concluded. "One who has access to our internal records."

That statement sent McGee to try and figure out how someone got access, a difficult task when they had so little to go on now that the killer wasn't who they thought. "I'll have to rerun everything and see if maybe the copycat didn't cover his tracks as well as the original P2P."

Another twenty minutes passed while they worked with the new information and then Tony returned, interrupting an update. "I've got something else." They all looked at him expectantly and no one demanded where he'd been, a fact for which he was grateful. "Found my cell. Left it at..." he hesitated slightly "...well, where I was last night."

His gaze flickered to Ziva and she closed her eyes briefly. The barn. She should've thought of that. It could've fallen out anywhere on the grounds. But he hadn't been gone the two hours it would take to drive to Maryland and back, so they must've couriered it over for him.

Gibbs immediately assumed things, incorrect things, about where he'd been the night before but Tony ignored the glare in favour of continuing. "I had a few missed calls but only one message worth mentioning." He sighed. "It was left near midnight." Putting the phone on speaker, he held it out so they could all hear.

"Hey Tony, it's Danny. Long time no speak." The voice paused. "Uh, I've been thinking about things lately - old friends, TV dinners, things I messed up, things right in front of my face I shoulda seen. But I'm not the only one who saw what he wanted to. We need to talk. Better late than never, huh? Call me."

McGee's brow furrowed. "Any idea what that was about?"

Tony shook his head, deeply regretting missing his last chance to talk to his friend. "No. But it's definitely connected to the murder."

"It might mean Price knew his killer," Gibbs put in.

"Which means I might too," Tony added gravely.

That did not make Ziva feel any better. He could not be put in danger, she refused to allow it.

NCIS

Early evening found Abby and McGee in her lab as they continued to re-run all the evidence. She sighed. "It's really sad how Tony and his old partner drifted so far apart."

McGee shrugged. "That kind of stuff happens." He couldn't begin the list the number of people he'd lost touch with over the years, people he'd once thought would always be around and part of his life.

Abby didn't like the answer. "Does that mean it could happen to my Three Musketeers? Because if you say yes McGee I'm going to start crying right now."

It had only been three days since they had their first make-up dinner and set some ground rules for what and how things would happen next. Tim felt like they were right back to square one, taking things very, very slow. Only hanging out once a week for dinner or a movie instead of twice a week for both like before was the main difference, but even with normal interactions they didn't quite have their comfort level back. Getting there, but not yet.

Because of all that McGee didn't think he'd earned the right to hold her yet, and if she cried he wasn't sure he could resist the need to comfort her. He did make the small concession of resting his hands on her arms. "That's not gonna happen to us Abbs. We'll probably still be here chasing bad guys when everyone else is retired. Besides," Tim gave her a small smile, "if you'd seen the way Tony looked at Ziva today, you'd know there's no reason to be concerned about any of us breaking up."

The observation piqued her interest. "Looked at her how?"

But McGee couldn't answer because Gibbs chose that moment to spill forth from the elevator and ask for an update. They had lots of possible suspects, but one he recognized from a crime scene. "Rule 35."

"Always watch the watchers," Abby and McGee recited together, so maybe they were more back in sync than he'd thought. Answers were needed about this case and at least now they had someone to start with.

NCIS

The shadows in the corridor made the building seem safer at night, less exposed, which may have given Ziva the courage to push her husband into a corner on their way back from Autopsy and cover his mouth with hers. Tony's startled exclamation of, "Ziva, what-" was cut off by the soft pressure of her lips and the warmth of her hands that came up to cradle his face. It wasn't a long kiss but he felt it to the depth of his being. When she pulled back his brow furrowed. "Honey, this isn't enough cover. How're you going to explain it if someone catches you inappropriately accosting your partner?"

His protest was stopped by a single finger laid across his lips. "I don't care. You are more important."

"Wow." Tony's eyebrows rose and he gave the area a quick scan before claiming her mouth very sweetly again. He sighed against her skin. "Thank you. I needed that."

She nodded, so close he almost felt the movement. But he'd barely touched her for fear of being discovered in a really compromising position. "I know."

The floor seemed quiet for the time being, enough that he risked continuing the moment. "What changed Zi? I thought we decided being partners..."

Ziva edged back from him, though they remained standing toe to toe. "I still feel the same way, that we are keeping the secret to protect our partnership and places on the team, but ahava..." One hand rose to rest against his chest before she thought better of it and her shoulders sagged. "You are my husband. I have sensed all day how badly this situation is affecting you and we have no hope of going home anytime soon." She sighed, glancing surreptitiously towards the bullpen. "Sometimes I am tired of hiding, as I know you are, when we need to be ourselves together for even a few minutes. I just wanted you to know that I will never let the rules get in the way of my responsibility as your wife and my desire to be here for you, whatever you need."

Tony swallowed, having a hard time stopping himself from spinning her around and pressing her against the wall so he could kiss her breathless. Those words, that commitment, meant more than he might ever be able to tell her. Instead he lifted two fingers and brushed them over her cheek. "I love you so much."

Blinking back the sheen of tears along with her longing to fall into his arms, she gave him the glimmer of a smile. "I love you too." The elevator ding broke through their safety net and she reluctantly backed away. "Wait a moment before you follow."

And just like that the game was back in play. But despite the grief he still carried, Tony's heart felt lighter than it had all day. Her love gave him the strength to keep going, just as it did every time things got rough. He'd really have to tell her that someday. For now he'd just be thankful to call her his.

NCIS

Shortly thereafter Tony and Ziva were in the backseat for an extremely fast ride to the suspected copycat's apartment. Holding on for dear life to the handle, he muttered, "Ever notice Gibbs never gets pulled over for his crazy driving?"

Just as quietly she replied, "If you were still a police officer, would you want to give Gibbs a ticket?"

The stare alone would do any normal human in. "Good point."

Once they arrived Tony kicked in the door and they found a guy on the floor, plastic wrapping another body. He swore he didn't do anything when faced with four gun barrels pointing at him, then had the stupidity to exclaim, "This is so exciting!"

Tony's gaze narrowed and he pushed the man against a wall. "You have the right to remain silent or I can shut you up myself."

Gibbs put his hand on Tony's shoulder, knowing how riled up he was in this moment. "Take it easy DiNozzo or Miranda won't appreciate the creativity."

"You also have the right to an attorney so he can tell you how you weren't hugged enough as a child," Tony growled.

McGee interrupted with a phrase they never liked to hear, "Guys, we have a problem."

The guy was practicing on a dummy, not an actual dead body. He had clippings about the killings covering a wall in his apartment. He'd been at their crime scene. But something didn't fit.

After they dragged him back to NCIS and into Interrogation 1, Tony presented Peter Sears with all the evidence. "You put together a real cute little Port-to-Port killer magic kit. And then you killed my partner with it."

Peter argued the point. "I told you I didn't kill anybody." He was starting to freak out. "Man, this is intense."

Gibbs and Tony elaborated on not needing a confession, just an answer for how he hacked into the servers. The big mistake was the knot, which wasn't mentioned in the press. So the only way he could've learned about it was from them.

He admitted to buying that stuff and tying practice knots. "But that's all I've done is practice. Maybe I was going to do something. Maybe I was going to get my name on TV too. But you know what? I haven't done it yet. You've got the wrong guy."

Not what they were looking for. Upon their exit from the room Gibbs faced Tony. "You need a break. Go home DiNozzo."

"But Boss, I-"

"No. Go home. We're done for tonight. Start fresh in the morning."

Back in the squadroom Ziva reported that Sears' alibi checked out and McGee said they had a lead on the bakery robbery, but would have to wait for the Ohio police to get back to them with information from a suspect arrested on grand larceny who wanted to cut a deal. Gibbs' eyes rested on all of them, Tony last, and he repeated his words. "Go home. We're back on this first thing."

Instead of arguing this time Tony grabbed his backpack and stalked out. Ziva followed a bit slower and McGee last. He paused beside Gibbs. "We're gonna get him, right Boss?"

"Oh yeah," the team leader affirmed. "We're gonna get him Tim. Get some rest."

"On it," he murmured, wishing he could go downstairs and spend some time with Abby before hitting the hay. But that was another privilege he was doing his best to earn back. Everything worth having took time, Tim didn't want to rush something this important.

NCIS

In their four and a half years of marriage they had not faced a personnel casualty like this from Tony's side and Ziva was at a loss for how to help her husband through the grief and turmoil. It was unfair because he always seemed to know what she needed, but when the tables were flipped she struggled to be the same for him. She thought perhaps physical closeness would bring some measure of comfort, but he turned down her offer of a shared shower. "Thanks babe but I think I'll just...hang around out here. Need to decompress."

She nodded and touched his cheek gently, but couldn't help the feeling that she was failing him when he needed her most. Tony wandered through the house, not able to focus on much, but he grasped his guitar like a lifeline and sat sideways on his desk chair as he played, allowing himself to get lost in the sounds and the familiar movement of his fingers as he tried to drown out the stuff that was in his head.

Finished with her shower in record time, Ziva stepped out of the bathroom and heard the instrument. Thinking to give him space for a bit longer, she set to work tidying up the mess they'd made early in the morning while looking for his phone. Then she watched from the office doorway as he strummed, harder and louder than the ballad style of playing he usually did. When the last notes finally died off he glanced up, a haunted, broken look in his eyes. "I need you to be my safe place tonight Ziva. I need-"

His voice broke and she rushed forward to kneel in front of him, moving the guitar aside so she could hold his face in both hands. "I will be whatever you need tesoro, ani mavti'kha." I promise. It was a Wednesday night but she hadn't even considered going to Ops for her normal routine. Her husband was far more important.

Tony nodded and took her hand, letting Ziva lead him to their room. She sat on the bed with pillows cushioning her back, and in the reverse of so many other times Tony lay against her chest, his legs stretching out between hers. She wrapped one arm around his chest and let the fingers of her other hand sift gently through his hair, humming softly as she waited for him to collect his thoughts. She would not push him to share, but she would listen to anything he wanted to say.

After a long time he swallowed and intertwined his fingers with hers. "A decade before he was a happily married man, Detective Anthony DiNozzo was just a beat cop dating his high school music teacher Wendy, still flattered that she'd thought enough of him to ask him out once it was no longer an ethics violation." Tony's mind was drawn easily back to those days, recounting for his wife the man he used to be.

"He chewed gum a lot, a habit his partner complained about incessantly, and carried a lot less of the world's woes on his shoulders where his faithful gun holster lived. I used to be a jeans and t-shirt or turtleneck kind of guy, pairing those with zip up hoodies and converse shoes." Ziva wondered if that was more the real him. "Danny, however, dressed in full suits and ties, just like Senior." He gave a mirthless chuckle. "Who was the last person I wanted to emulate. Plus, casual attire made it easier to chase down suspects. Danny told me my looks wouldn't last forever, but in the right clothes I would be unstoppable. At the time I just scoffed at him."

She kissed his temple. "Why did you change?"

Tony shrugged one shoulder. "I had a lot to leave behind when I started at NCIS. Thought maybe I could reinvent myself, be a new me. Because the old one sure as heck didn't make it from Baltimore to DC."

"Why have I never heard about Danny before?"

He cleared his throat. "We parted on really bad terms Zi. Because he was my partner, I didn't do something I should've done. Because I was his partner, he expected me to give him a break. Left a really bad taste in my mouth. I was too disappointed, too...hurt," he admitted, "to ever speak with him again. Now I wish I had. Danny was the first one to know I proposed to Wendy. I had values back then, you know? I wanted to be married despite the example my dad set, because somewhere inside I just knew it could be better than what I grew up seeing."

"So you were not a one-night stand kind of man until Wendy ruined everything you hoped for." Ziva sounded so indignant on his behalf and ready to give his ex-fiancee a piece of her mind. He loved that she wanted to fight for him.

Tony kissed her fingers. "But you brought me back honey, remember that."

She rested her cheek on his head and felt his heart beat under her hand as he lapsed into silence for several moments.

"Danny...Danny and I were good together. We made great partners. We clicked, and I trusted him." Tears started to well in his eyes and he didn't have the strength to force them back. "We were like brothers and...and..." He swiped at his cheeks and leaned his head back on her shoulder. "I am getting so sick of losing people Zi." He tried to take a deep breath but it sounded more like a sob. "Mom, Pacci, Kate, Jenny." Tony held her hand tighter, pulling her arms around him and she gripped his body with all the strength she possessed. "I don't want you to be next. I can't...I can't do that again."

Their tears mingled as they flowed down the cheeks of two people more intimately acquainted with loss than anyone should have to be. Their grief and hurt poured out and the couple fell asleep in that position, wrapped around each other and holding on so that nothing and no one could get between them. Whoever this killer was, they were not going to let him ruin the joy and home they'd finally found.

NCIS

Thursday April 21

Bright and early the next morning McGee found out that Sears didn't get his information about the knot from an NCIS file, but rather the update EJ issued on the Port-to-Port killer to all law enforcement agencies in the area before she left for Hawaii. The update included Palmer's typo and their not-quite copycat stole a copy of the report while he was doing IT work at a police station.

"Which means," Ziva said slowly, "that our real copycat is someone who had access to that report."

Tony was on the phone but listening to them talk and when he heard Ziva's words something clicked. He'd just figured out the mystery and Danny was right, it had been in front of their faces the whole time, they just hadn't wanted to look. While the team's backs were turned he headed out and a short time later found himself in Danny's house. It was too quiet, too empty, too dark, which he fixed by turning on a light. The lamp illuminated a framed photo of Tony and Danny with their boss and he couldn't believe his partner had kept it so long, especially considering the unresolved issues between them. "Maybe our partnership meant more to you than I thought," he murmured, startled when his phone rang.

McGee was on the other end wanting to know his location and updating him on what the Ohio police had. Unfortunately the guy they arrested had a speeding ticket elsewhere the day Danny was killed, so he wasn't their copycat either. When McGee asked what Tony was doing he said, "Following a hunch," and then hung up. He listened to the voicemail again and thought back to the night he showed up to confront his partner over something he prayed he was wrong about.

He walked in without bothering to close the door just as Danny was sitting down with his TV dinner. "You born in a barn? It's freezing out, close the door." Tony's mom had used that saying all the time whenever he or his father neglected to shut a door. It was just another thing they had in common, but now he felt like they weren't even a little bit alike.

Tony shared that the DA thought they had enough to get a murder conviction against Lieutenant Floyd, the Navy guy running a laundering operation.

Danny looked up. "You came all this way to tell me that?"

"Actually, I came all the way here because of what I saw in Floyd's eyes when you got the drop on him, something that I've spent the last two days trying to pretend I didn't see."

"And what's that?"

"Betrayal," Tony shared, feeling exactly the same way. "Because he knew you." Danny's eyes dropped and right then he knew he was right. "And I'm wondering to myself, how can that be? It didn't make any sense, so I pulled your phone records." Investigating his own partner felt wrong, but not nearly as wrong as realizing he was just as guilty as the guy they arrested. "The two of you...fifteen calls over the last two months. And I know there's plenty of ways to explain that, right? But there's only one reason you never mentioned it."

"What's that?"

"Because you're a dirty cop Danny."

"Tony, come on. You know me."

"I thought I did." He drew a shaky breath and stopped Danny's lame attempts to protest the accusation. "Careful. Be very careful. I'm not feeling the love right now."

Danny seemed to accept that he had no choice but to tell the truth and admitted to sending potential clients Floyd's direction. If they laundered money through him he got a kickback.

Tony was so upset he knew he wasn't thinking straight anymore. "So how much did you get to keep your mouth shut on a homicide?"

"No, no." Danny stood up. "Tony, I-I had no idea Floyd was our guy. I mean, did he seem like a killer to you? He didn't seem like one to me."

His response seemed genuine but Tony was out of favours. "You saw what you wanted to see."

Danny let out a breath. "So what are you gonna do?" Tony didn't answer, he just stared at his partner. The other man looked down, then back up. "I lost my appetite." He went into the kitchen and dumped his food in the trash. "So I'm gonna take a walk. I guess if you're still here when I get back, I'll have my answer."

Tony didn't know what to do. He hadn't known when the truth came to light, when he opened the front door, or when his partner copped to it all. What was he supposed to do now?

Gibbs showed up right as Tony got what Danny was trying to tell him, just as he had a decade ago when a young cop didn't know what the right answer was once he found out his partner had crossed a line. "Danny was dirty. I always wondered why the money launderer didn't rat him out, try to cut a deal. I bet Danny wondered the same thing."

"There's only one reason to be afraid of sending a dirty cop to jail."

Tony picked up on the thought. "There's another one you can't. And in our department, that was a pretty short list." He turned back to the picture. "There was a silent partner Danny didn't know about. But he found out after all these years. Better late than never is right. I think he was looking for redemption."

Gibbs smiled. "Let's go give it to him."

Tony picked up the frame and glanced at his boss with a question in his eyes. The older man nodded. "I think he would've wanted you to have that."

Tony took the photo home and was sitting on the couch holding it when Ziva came back from walking Meira. She sank down beside him and he pointed to his friend. "This is Danny. He's the one who taught me the kind of cop I wanted to be...and the kind I didn't. Lotta contradictions in one man, but he was finally going to do the right thing and someone killed him before he could. I've got to get this guy Zi. I've got to do it for Danny."

She leaned into his side. "I will do whatever I can to help ahava. You have my word."

He kissed her head. "Thank you." It wasn't enough, but right now that was all he had to give.

NCIS

Friday April 22

Tony and Gibbs strode into the police station just as everything was getting started on the morning shift. One of the guys who often came to pool night announced, "Ladies and gentleman, the legend is back. Anthony DiNozzo Jr." It was kind of nice to know that stuff lived on, even ten years later. Tony felt like he left a legacy in that place and wondered what they remembered most about him, what stories they still told - though he knew some of that already because of what the guys insisted on sharing with Ziva the last time they showed up for drinks and a game. He hoped what they came to do was enough of a shock that no one thought to ask about his gorgeous wife. There was no way he could talk his way out of that one with Gibbs standing right beside him.

Major Raimey held out his hand to Gibbs. "Agent Gibbs, right? The man who took my best detective from me."

Gibbs slapped a file in his hand instead - evidence locker logs, which was how he got the tray to make the cookies. The Major earned his stripes busting serial killers, he knew how to make it smell real. Without blinking Tony faced the man who killed his partner. "Danny was right. Lieutenant Floyd wasn't a killer, it was you."

"What are you talking about?"

"Danny figured it out." He got a step closer. "And he was gonna set the record straight, so you killed him."

"Major," Gibbs got his attention, "you knew DiNozzo wasn't gonna let it go."

"So you threw it in my face. Dropped another body on the Port-to-Port pile. Did you think I would just assume it was a serial killer?" Raimey didn't say a thing and Tony's voice lowered while Gibbs took the Major's gun. "Let me ask you something, what do you see when you look in the mirror?"

The man couldn't even make eye contact. "Am I done?"

"Oh yeah, you're done." And it was almost disappointing really. There were no justifications, no apologies, just...the end. The whole thing was so sad and felt unfinished. But that's because it was. A human being had his life cut short and there was nothing anyone could say or do to bring him back.

McGee and Ziva watched Tony bring his former boss in and McGee blew out a breath. "Can you imagine having to arrest Gibbs?"

She wore a pretty blue shirt for her husband today, knowing he liked her in that colour, even though he wasn't in the frame of mind to appreciate it. "I would rather arrest Eli. Which I still might have to do one day." She did, however, hope to never see him again, so it was unlikely she'd be the one slapping on cuffs if he crossed any more lines.

Ducky and Abby came up to congratulate them on catching the copycat killer. "However, we have another problem."

As it turned out, Abby didn't send Ducky the email about the typo in his report.

"Then who was it from?" Ziva inquired.

"Presumably someone who wanted us to know we were chasing a copycat."

"And there's only one person that could've been," Abby piped up.

"The real one," McGee surmised.

Gibbs wanted proof so they all headed to the back elevator while Tony stood in the hall and thought back to the first time he walked into NCIS two months after the case was over. He'd been in pretty bad shape until the older agent demanded he show up in DC. Starting down that path had given him a new purpose and, though he would never have thought it at the time, led to him finding his soulmate. Best decision ever. The orange walls had really stood out. He admitted to Gibbs that he wasn't going to turn Danny in, but neither could he go back to Baltimore. He'd been out of confidence then, not sure being a cop was for him. Which was when Gibbs delivered his first headslap and quoted the first of many rules that Anthony DiNozzo Jr. would learn in that building. Gibbs walked him right to Human Resources and what he'd told the others so long ago was true. He opened the door, saw the pretty girl sitting at her desk, and flashed the famous, thousand watt DiNozzo grin. The rest, as they say, was history.

NCIS

Recalling how her husband had come to her for comfort after other traumatic events, when Ziva sat down beside him on the couch after work her intention was to use intimacy to, not help him forget, but at least take his mind off current events for a little while. She started with a kiss that he returned, then slid her hand down his chest, teasing buttons out of their holes. But instead of wrapping his arms around her and taking the lead, Tony sighed and gently moved her away, laying his head back on the cushion. "Not right now honey." A bit deflated because that was her first thought for how to soothe some of his guilt and anger, Ziva settled against him and waited to hear if he would share what was on his mind.

His thumb rubbed over her hand as he stared at the ceiling. "I just wanted Raimey to be sorry for what he did, you know? But he didn't say anything, not one word. No excuse or justifications. He killed Danny for wanting to tell the truth, and it sucks. Because I never saw corruption in him and...he was my boss Zi. I looked up to the man. I trusted him. I just feel so...betrayed. And I'm angry. And I can't do anything about either of those because he's already going to prison and Danny'll still be dead. There's nothing to make this right."

Ziva wanted to commiserate, so remind him that she knew both of those emotions well since they related to her dealings with her father. But it was not about her tonight. Instead she lay her had on his shoulder and held onto her husband for a long time. His thoughts were clearly mired in the muck of the now solved case and that wouldn't do, so eventually she got up and put on a Bond film, then brought a freshly made bowl of popcorn from the kitchen. Ziva knew he wasn't hungry but he did pick at a piece here and there and when he finally left for a shower she felt slightly better about his state of mind.

By the time they were in bed she'd gathered her courage to try again and see if making love would ease some of the burden on his soul. Rolling closer, she pressed herself into his side and left a trail of tiny kisses up his back and neck. But far from reciprocating, Tony propped himself up on one elbow and glared. "Ziva - stop it. I already told you, I'm not in the mood."

Startled by his reaction, she tried to explain. "Tony, I-"

He cut her off and stared hard at her. "You're the one always deciding we need to take a break from sex. Now it's my turn." Ziva's stricken look almost made him want to take it back. Instead he got out of bed and grabbed his pillow. "I'm going to go sleep on the couch."

Without another word he stalked out, not looking back to see the few tears slipping from her eyes. For a moment she could barely breathe, then she closed her eyes and counted to ten, taking a deep breath at the end. He wasn't wrong and that truth encouraged her to at least try and be understanding of his position. It was a valid point, and something she needed to think about for awhile before they talked.

Half an hour passed and Ziva could hear Tony tossing and turning on the couch, punching his pillow and making frustrated sounds. Finally she pushed back the covers and went out, kneeling beside him. "You are right," she said softly. "It has always been my decision and I am sorry to have had to ask that of you so many times." Ziva smoothed back his hair. "I would like very much for you to come back and sleep beside me." Her eyes twinkled softly in the dim light. "I promise to keep my hands to myself."

Tony sighed and closed his eyes. "That was kind of a juvenile move, wasn't it?"

"No," she refuted. "It was justified. You have always accommodated when I needed space and time, I will do the same for you." She risked lightly kissing his cheek. "I love you Tony. That means all the time just as you do me, even when things are a mess. I was only trying to help in some way, but I should've respected what you said the first time." Ziva could see how it looked to him, that she was coming onto him because it was something she wanted, not knowing she was doing it for him.

He swallowed. "I wasn't thinking that way. And I appreciate the effort Zi, really. But I feel like you did at the hotel in Philadelphia - I'm just too depressed to even think about sex right now."

She pressed a gentle kiss to his temple. "When you are ready ahava." Then Ziva stood and offered her hand. "Please?"

Tony got up and followed her back to their room. She'd thought he might prefer some extra space tonight and got in on her side, but moments later his arms came around her waist and he curled his body around hers, sighing into her hair. "Much better than a teddy bear."

Ziva chuckled. "That is why we have a deal." She glanced over her shoulder and barely brushed her lips against his. "Someone who loves you is always better."

He mumbled a return of the sentiment onto her shoulder and she laced her fingers with his. Whatever she could do to support him through this, she would. He had been her strength so many times, now it was her turn.

NCIS

Saturday April 23

For the longest time the next morning Ziva lay beside her husband, touching him ever so gently and studying his expression and the lines of his body. At least when resting he looked peaceful, but she knew from experience that as soon as he opened his eyes she would see again the weight he carried from losing Danny. It was likely he would continue to bear that burden for some time. At last she got up and took the house phone from its base on the kitchen counter, dialing her aunt's number and waiting for her to pick up.

"Shalom motek," Nettie's cheerful voice greeted. "Is it a beautiful morning on your side of the world?"

Ziva glanced out the window. "The sun is shining outside Doda, but it is very dark in our room today."

Nettie's brow furrowed as she deciphered the layers of her niece's statement. "Is there trouble between you and Anthony Zivaleh?"

She shook her head. "Not really between us." A sigh pushed out of her lungs. "Tony's partner from his last posting as a police officer was killed this week. We thought he was another victim of the serial killer we have been hunting, but the murderer turned out to be their old boss from the precinct. He was a dirty cop. My husband is...not handling it very well."

"Oy vey," Nettie muttered. "What makes people do such things to each other? Why must hatred always be acted out in taking the life of another? I did not understand it as a child and I can make no sense of it now."

"The loss of a life to violence is always senseless," Ziva agreed in monotone, thinking of her sister and so many others.

"Was Anthony still close to his partner? Did they keep in touch after he came to NCIS?"

"No. The events of their final case together put them at odds. They had not spoken in ten years and he lost his phone for a day, missing the last chance he had to speak with Danny. All that is left now is a voicemail. And a picture of them from when they were partners."

Nettie found a place to sit. "I remember when a voicemail and pictures were all he had left of you," she said quietly. "Perhaps it is more than one loss that is weighing him down."

"Tony is such a good man Doda." Tears cloaked her voice and she swallowed them back. "I wish he did not have another sorrow to bear. And I do not know how to be of use to him during this time."

"Love him little bird. Love him as fiercely as you always have. That will be his solace when there is nothing else."

Ziva hoped her aunt was right. She did not want the shadow to endure so long that her husband would lose all sight of the joys in his life. It was her responsibility to make sure he eventually found the sunlight again.

NCIS

The group dinner took place a week earlier this month and Ziva had never been so grateful for the timing. There was nothing like being around his frat brothers, the girls, and the children to get Tony out of the dark place in his head that he'd been dwelling in too often lately. She'd taken the initiative to contact Mark and ask him to pass on to the others what had taken place with Tony's old partner. Mark remembered the fallout with Danny and Wendy leaving and how Tony wallowed in misery and was drinking pretty heavily until Gibbs pulled him out and brought him to NCIS. Jordan and Darien had also been living in DC at that time and they'd tried their best to help, but he pretty much rebuffed all their attempts and after awhile they let him. He still regretted that they'd let go so easily. They'd learned a lot as a group in the intervening decade as more of the frat brothers ended up in the city. None of them would allow something like that to happen now. For that Mark was very grateful.

And though get-togethers had always been held at Mark and Cassie's before this one, today was Adrian and Emma's first turn to host. The kids, of course, were thrilled and immediately dragged their parents and all other aunts and uncles downstairs to show off the basement created just for them. The dogs took off around the room, sniffing and checking out everything since this was their first visit as well. At first sight Mark's eyebrows rose and he whistled. "Wow. It's no wonder the amigos haven't stopped raving about this place in the last month and a half. This is a kid's paradise." He squeezed Adrian's shoulder. "Guess that childlike personality served you well for the endeavor, huh Zip?"

Adrian grinned. "You're just jealous because we are now the kids' favourite people."

Mark started to refute that but then shrugged and gave up. "Point to the Platz's. The novelty's not going to wear off for awhile."

Those adults with kids had already advised them that Uncle Tony needed some cheering up today, so the first thing Alec did was challenge him to an air hockey game, with Adrian claiming the next turn. Cody kept jumping up and putting his paws on the table so he could see what was going on until Brent called him off. Then McKenna showed off the reading nook that Meira had also claimed and asked him to push her on the swing. Ryan wanted to see if Tony could do the monkey bars faster than him and once they'd showed off their space to the whole group, they asked for Uncle Tony's input on a movie and all three of them snuggled with him on the floor and bean bag chairs to at least start one before dinner. Cody and Meira finally approved of the entire place and plopped down beside their favourite small humans so as not to be left out of anything.

Ziva was smiling softly watching the scene when Cassie came up to him. "No better medicine than those three, huh?"

"They are exactly what he needed today." Her expression was wistful and Cassie picked up on it.

"You can tell me if this is not my place Ziva and I won't mention it again, but you seem much more at peace with the kids now than you were last year. Has something changed?"

She appreciated Cassie's tact, the gentle way she approached the subject, and debated about how much to share. "I spoke with my doctor a few months after the last time you and I talked about children. There may be...options for Tony and I." Cassie's eyes filled with hope and Ziva shook her head. "That was his reaction as well. But Cassie please keep this to yourself and please do not get excited yet. I am much more practical than my husband, I am aware how likely any attempts are to fail. He cannot see any of that, only what could be. We are saving right now and it will be a long time yet before we have enough, but though my heart is not in it and I am afraid to hope, I will do this for Tony, because I love him more than what I fear."

"You have come so far," Cassie said quietly. "I'm really proud of you Ziva."

"Thank you."

Emma tore herself away from a conversation with CJ and announced, "I'm going up to put dinner on the table. Volunteers get first dibs at dessert."

There was a mad rush for the stairs as they all clamoured to be on the volunteer list. Darien had baked tonight's treats and they all wanted first dibs. Ziva took charge of the pets, leading them into the livingroom where a special mat held their bowls of a different food than what the people were eating, and gave them both a generous rub before softly commanding them to stay. McKenna grabbed Ziva's arm when she came back and begged her aunt to sit next to her at the table. Similarly Ryan and Alec claimed the chair between them for Tony. It was one of the only times the couple hadn't been placed next to each other at a dinner, but for the delight on their niece and nephews' faces it was worth the sacrifice.

Cassie was unused to having the night off from the responsibility of the meal and had compensated by providing mouth watering gravy and enough mashed potatoes for an army - done in her signature silky smooth and delicious style. The group had banned her from making a casserole since she was supposed to be taking a break and it was harder than she thought not to be the one taking charge. Mark, her ever attentive husband, was aware of her struggle to let Adrian and Emma do their thing without her assistance and did his best to keep her distracted.

The theme of the evening was to take Tony's mind off the past few days and each member of the group worked hard to make that happen. Adrian told a story about the three young brothers he'd attempted a photoshoot with earlier, who had done everything from throwing props at each other to wrestling and almost falling off the three foot high platform where they were sitting. "The only thing they wouldn't do was sit still and smile!" he concluded in exasperation. "As soon as I got one or two of them settled the other one would pull hair or poke them and it would start all over again. I got about fifteen shots but I don't think their parents are going to find one good enough to frame."

Tony chuckled. "I though you were the child whisperer Zip."

"Next time I'm hiring you for backup," Adrian declared.

"What about me?" Darien demanded. "I thought we were a team."

He shrugged nonchalantly. "Wasn't sure your laid back, schedule free, retired lifestlye would've kept you in good enough shape to muscle munchkins into line."

Darien's gaze narrowed and he pretended to shove the other man off his chair. "Keep it up Zippy and see if I share any of my desserts with you." Since both raspberry strudel squares and recess treats (mostly for the kids but Adrian always did consider himself one of them) were on the menu, he reluctantly conceded the point.

Mark looked up from his plate. "Do I have to separate you two?" He was finding it a little odd not to be at the head of the table and realized that maybe he and Cassie had gotten too used to their roles as group leaders. Being taken down a peg and doing something different now and again wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

Adrian tipped his head to the side. "I'm not sure if you have jurisdiction here Papa Smurf. This is my turf."

"Rhyming Adrian, really?" Jordan groaned. "Okay, who let him watch The Princess Bride?" He stared suspiciously at Cassie. "Smurfette, we warned you about that."

She went for innocent. "Why do you always assume it was me? Tony owns the movie too."

Tony held up his hands in protest. "Zi, tell them I didn't do it!"

Ziva smirked. "I have no knowledge of what you do when I am at the gym. Anything could have taken place in my absence."

He shot her a dirty look. "Thanks a lot. What happened to having my back?"

She waved her hand at the group. "You need to be defended from them?"

"Yes!" he insisted, turning to Adrian. "You owe me Zip. Confess this instant."

Adrian shrugged. "I found it on YouTube. It was even better than a Rubix cube."

"Someone please make him stop," Brent begged. "He can go on like this for days."

"You'll all be amazed!" Adrian continued.

"Enough!" Tony balled up his napkin and threw it at his friend, missing him by a foot.

"Tony," Emma said in a tone usually reserved for parents. "We're trying to be a good example to the children. Please don't throw things."

She said it with a straight face but they all burst out laughing and Mark grinned. "D, you just got told."

He had the grace to look a bit sheepish. "Sorry Flicka. Won't happen again."

"This is exactly why I vetoed my husband's idea of a ball pit. You guys would find way too many uses for the balls."

Jordan snorted. "Do you guys remember that time-"

"The one where we-" Brent picked up.

"And then the guard-" Darien continued.

"Oh man, that was so epic!" Adrian finished, though they hadn't really said anything useful to the rest of the group.

"Sounds like quite the story," CJ commented. "Anybody care to share?"

With multiple interruptions from each other the guys attempted to relay the memory that had been brought back and by the end they were laughing so hard they could barely get the words out. McKenna stared at them with a confused expression. "Grownups are so silly sometimes."

That comment set them off again and the guys barely calmed down enough to finish their food and start on dessert. Ziva sat quietly and soaked it all in, so incredibly thankful for how much they all cared for each other and what they were doing to make Tony's day a little bit brighter. It seemed she'd also done that without even being aware, because later when they were walking out to their car at the end of the night he laced his fingers with hers and whispered in her ear, "Reason #929 - I love you for the way you are with Meira and the kids. It's my beautiful glimpse of what will be when our child is the one you hold in your arms and smile at with pride. Thank you so much for hoping with me Ziva. You have no idea what that means."

She stopped and cupped his face in her hands. "I think I do," she responded gently, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. She might not have his optimism about their chance for children, but she so loved his determination. It was just one more reason Ziva was so glad she'd married this wonderful man.