Chapter 2
The casual chattering voices of Tony and McGee came to a sudden silence as they stepped into the lab.
The two men glanced at the scene before them, then looked to each other, in total disbelief.
"Ziva…? Abs?" Tony said, concerned. His green eyes had creased with worry and apprehension. He knew - or at least, he thought he knew - how Abby felt about Ziva. He glanced at McGee, whose own olive green eyes were filled with confusion and concern.
"What's wrong?" McGee finally asked, finding his voice. The two women on the floor before them looked up suddenly, as if just noticing their presence. McGee walked over and crouched down, placing a hand on Abby's back.
"I have something to tell you," Ziva said, her voice still thick with tears. Abby glanced at her, alarmed. "No, Ziva, you've already said too much. They can hear it from me, now."
McGee stood up straight, and offered a hand to Abby, pulling her to her feet. Tony moved over to Ziva, doing the same.
"It's about Ari," Abby said. "Gibbs didn't kill him. Ziva did."
Tony and McGee both blinked. "Okay," Tony finally said, his voice encouraging her to continue. Something about the tone in Abby's voice told him that she'd only just begun telling them what was going on.
"Ziva wasn't just his control officer. It was more than that." Tony shook his head, trying to understand. "You were his lover?" he asked, looking at the Mossad officer.
Ziva closed her eyes, and shook her head. "No, nothing like that, Tony." Tony's face suddenly changed, and he sighed. He understood now.
McGee's eyes closed suddenly and he cringed ever so slightly as he understood as well. "Oh, my God. Ziva… he was your brother?"
Abby nodded, wanting to be on record as being the one who told them. "Guys, she killed her own brother to save us. He was a murdering, psycho son of a bitch, but he was her family. And she stopped him anyway. For good."
Tony looked at McGee, and the two made a silent, wordless,impulsive decision. Tony turned to Ziva, holding out his arms, palms turned upwards. "We're your family now. Consider McGee and me to be your brothers."
"Tony, that's twisted," Ziva said, still sniffing. "Our undercover assignment, remember, my Little Hairy Butt?" Abby smiled slightly. "Yeah, that is pretty hinky."
Tony shrugged, a tiny smile playing across his mouth. "Well, then, I'll just be your friend, and McGee can be your brother. Trust me, he's more than qualified. I highly recommend him." McGee smiled slightly at this, shaking his head.
"They're taking this pretty well, don't you think?" Abby asked, turning to Ziva. "They are truly amazing," Ziva observed, her voice breaking slightly. Tony sensed her composure becoming shaky again, so he reached over and pulled her into a tight embrace. McGee looked to Abby, who seemed completely spent herself. He held out his hands to her, enveloping her in his strong arms as she stepped towards him.
"Who's gonna tell Gibbs and Shepard that the cat's outta the bag, now?" Abby asked, her cheek resting on McGee's shoulder. She moved her eyes and glanced over at Ziva, who was finally beginning to take on a more peaceful expression.
"We'll all do it," Tony said. "We're a team, after all. We're in this together."