very sweet it is to know he is still warm while i am cold
"Kate," Tony says, slowly, looking into her eyes. "I don't understand."
She shakes her head. "Me neither. I remember dying – I remember it now." She laughs suddenly. "Gibbs was giving me a compliment. I should've known I was on death's door."
Gibbs. The name springs out of her before she even notices. Fornell told her, of course, but even so –
Tony is smiling too, pained but fond. "Then what happened?"
"I woke up in the cell. How long has it been? Two, three weeks?"
He's not smiling any more. "Kate, it's been over a year."
No. "That can't be right. You're wrong, I don't-"
Tony steps forward, careful, draws her to sit down. "I saw your body, Kate. We buried you."
She swallows heavily. Won't let him see her feel. "I… have a grave."
"Yeah."
"Been there lately?"
"I, uh – it's in Indiana," he says, wincing.
Kate narrows her eyes at him. "I died and you've never visited?"
"Kate," he lets out, and she smiles at him apologetically.
"All I'm saying," she tries again, "is someone must have exhumed my body. It's something to go on."
He nods slowly. "I'll check it out."
"We'll check it out," she presses. This is her own death, her own whatever-hell-this-is. She is not giving the whole thing over to DiNozzo.
"And suppose those people are trying to find you, huh?" he snaps back at her. She recoils, just a little, before catching herself. Tony deflates. "Sorry."
"You're right," she sighs.
Tony raises his voice a touch. "Fornell?"
Fornell steps back into the living room. "Hey, don't look at me, DiNozzo, I just live here."
"I'm gonna need some backup. Off the books."
Kate feels like she's a step behind. "Aren't you going to call Gibbs?"
In the way they turn to look at her, she doesn't feel encouraged.
It is early.
Very early, but he knows Ziva; she likes to start her day with the blood pumping.
He watches as she runs over the Arlington Memorial Bridge, past a man in a bright orange hat who turns to look back at her. She doesn't notice.
She sees him, though. Freezes in her tracks.
He smiles; she almost backs away.
"Little sister," he calls out in Hebrew, "aren't you happy to see me?"
Finally, she pulls herself together and approaches. She seems cautious of him. He wonders why.
"Ari," she breathes, drawing nearer. "You are dead."
"I was dead." He remembers the bullet, though Gibbs, empty-handed, couldn't have fired it. "Perhaps I still am."
She touches the place in his forehead, carefully plugged with putty to avoid making himself noticeable.
"I sat shiva for you," she says.
For all his faults, and he certainly has many, Ari has always loved his sisters. "Won't you kiss me, Ziva?"
She doesn't, but she wraps her arms around him in a close embrace. "I – I have missed you."
He glances around. The Lincoln memorial looms over them – this city is full of memories. "You have made America your home."
"Yes." She is smiling. "But you cannot."
"Can't I come with you?"
"My place is with NCIS now, Ari. They would never trust me again."
"Do you need their trust?"
Ziva smiles at him. "You need them to trust me. Come. I know a place where nobody will ask questions."
He wonders whether he can still trust her.
"Morning," Kate sighs, emerging from the guest room in his old Baltimore PD sweater and a pair of boxers. She looks more human than she did last night, but there's still a hole in her head, and she's vividly determined not to freak Tony out any further.
"Good morning," Tony responds, grunting, and rolls off the couch.
"Did you sleep out here?"
"Barely."
She glances behind her. "I didn't mean to kick you out of your own bed…"
"It's protective custody, Kate, we don't know what the hell's going on and I'm not letting anyone snatch you in the night."
She smiles. "Never knew you cared."
"I care."
Tony looks almost hurt. He really must be tired.
"You have anything edible in this kitchen?"
Tony jumps up, suddenly alert. "You hungry?"
"Famished." She leans back against the countertop and watches as he rummages through the fridge. "Wow. I didn't know you ate so healthy, Tony."
"It's just for show. Impresses the ladies."
This feels just like old times. Kate's kind of amazed how quickly she's slipped back into her rapport with Tony. Even before she remembered who he was, she realises, she missed him.
"Bacon? Or is that too fatty for a health nut like you?"
"Hell, I'm already dead, what else can it do to me?"
"Ouch."
She smiles. "It's weird."
"You're right about that." He puts a pot of coffee on. "Listen, Kate, you're going to have to stay here today."
She knows that.
Kate doesn't love the thought of staying here alone, but Tony has Gibbs's job now – and she needs to get her head around that, too. He has responsibilities.
"I'd like to have a weapon," she says.
"There's a pistol in the safe in the bedroom," Tony allows, "but I don't like it."
"Me neither," she admits.
Tony starts to dish out breakfast, piling her plate high. "So. I figure we need to decide what our next steps are."
Kate takes a bite, reveling in the flavour. She hasn't eaten anything but stale bread since she - came to.
"Whatever this is, we're going to need all the help we can get," she says.
Tony sighs. "I'd better explain about-"
And there's a hammering at the door.
"Bedroom," Tony hisses, no room for argument in his tone. Not that Kate wants to argue. She retreats as far as the living room, and presses herself against the wall, listening.
"What are you doing here?" Tony demands, muffled but unmistakably angry.
"I need your help, Tony." The accent strikes a chord. Whoever this is, she isn't NCIS.
"I kind of have some things on my plate right now," Tony says. There's a long silence. "Come on," Tony sighs, and Kate hears the woman enter.
"Do you have a guest?"
"Something like that. Ziva, Ari's not the only one back from the dead."
The floor drops out from under Kate.
She can't help herself. She slams the door open. "What?"
A momentary silence. "Damn it," Tony says, "I told you to-"
"Can it, DiNozzo." She turns to the strange woman. "Ari's here?"
"He is in a motel," the woman answers, curious but calm. "I followed him to be sure. He never could spot a tail," she adds, a sheepish smile gracing her features.
"Kate," Tony says, tension running through his voice, "this is Ziva. Ziva, Kate."
Now the woman looks surprised. "Agent Todd?" she clarifies. Takes a step or two closed.
Kate nods, numb.
"Sit down," Tony says. Kate does it, eyes fixed on Ziva, mirroring her.
"My brother was supposed to be dead – but I suppose, so were you."
"Your brother." This is too much. Kate averts her gaze from this strange and unnatural friend of Tony's, looking to him instead. "Ari. He's the one who killed me." She knows it, suddenly, for certain.
Tony nods. "But Gibbs got him."
Kate hears Ziva draw a breath. "No. He did not."
"You killed him," she realises, transfixed.
"Is that true?" Tony demands beside her, deadly serious. "Ziva. Is that-"
"Yes," she says, looking away from him. He stares at her. What the hell kind of relationship does DiNozzo have with this woman?
"Is there any risk he could know?" Kate presses on, determined to break the weird tension in the room. "I remember dying. Every second of it. Did he see you?"
"No," Ziva answers, as eager as Kate to grasp at this straw. "I am certain. However, I am sure he knows it was not Gibbs. He was unarmed, and Ari had a rifle on him."
"Then if he asks," Tony says, "I killed him." Ziva looks like she wants to argue, but she doesn't. Kate's almost impressed. Tony's a different man.
It's nearly ten in the morning, and Tim's the only one in the office.
Probie's called in sick, DiNozzo texted him something vague about being late, there's no answer from Ziva, and he's got a terrible feeling that a body's about to drop. There's definitely something hinky in the air.
"Fornell says it looks like they cleared out of there fast. They didn't find anything but some scraps of food and some ratty mattresses," Tony's voice drifts from somewhere above him.
"And how is she doing?" the Director asks. Tim swings round and watches, but they don't see him, wrapped up in whatever world they're in. Tony looks like crap.
"Ziva's with her now," he says. "I just want to keep this contained, you know, she's been through enough. And this has to be off the record."
"I think your team can help," the Director answers, her voice softer. Tim has to strain to hear. "If you need to contact Gibbs-"
"Ziva's going to call him. I'll keep you posted, Director."
Tony makes to go, and Tim twists back, looking busy.
"Tony," Shepard calls after him, "if you need anything-"
"Yeah." Tony's voice is bitter. "Thanks, Jenny."
He strolls into the bullpen a minute later, looking almost carefree. Tim knows better.
"Who's Ziva with?"
The mask drops from Tony's face. "Not now, McGee."
Another day, Tim might have left it, but something about today is messed up, and he's not going to sit aside while his team are wading through whatever shit's gone down. "DiNozzo," he says, "bring me in."
Tony turns and marches towards the elevator.
Tim follows.
"Thank you, Abby," Ziva says, her voice soft in the stillness of the apartment as she hangs up the phone.
Kate observes her and wonders just how much Ari's sister has replaced her. Ziva meets her eyes, and smiles.
"When Abby finds out that you are here," she says, "we will have no quiet for a week."
"I can't wait to see her," Kate admits. With the names, more memories are coming back, and at the mention of Abby she feels a rush of affection that warms her whole body.
Ziva joins her on the couch. "They have all missed you very much," she says. "You left very large socks to fill."
Kate blinks at her. "Um… do you mean shoes?"
"Shoes, yes, shoes."
"Well… thanks." She wriggles, uncomfortable. "How long have you been with them?"
"Almost a year. They are good people." Ziva smiles suddenly. "Even DiNozzo."
"Is he as insufferable as ever?"
"Now that he is in charge, it is much, much worse."
Kate shudders, but finds herself laughing.
"Ah," Ziva says, as her phone buzzes on the desk, "perhaps we can resolve the problem." She answers on speaker, "I have someone here who needs to speak to you."
Gibbs' voice drifts through the line, cracked and fuzzy. "This better be damn good, David-"
"Hey, Gibbs," Kate says.