***
"Abby?" Gibbs yells rushing into her lab.
"Hey, what's up?" she says.
"Bethany's gone…" he stammers, out of breath.
"where?" she asks.
"I don't know…we just got a call from the Israeli Director…" Gibbs starts but Abby interrupts him.
"Ziva's coming home?" she assumes. Gibbs shakes his head.
"Apparently she was killed yesterday during a Mossad undercover operation" Gibbs tells her.
"No! Not her too!" Abby sobs.
"Bethany went absolutely mental and ran off, she's not at her place or Ziva's place or my place… I've got people searching the building high and low for her…she's gone! DiNozzo is going to kill me!" Gibbs says.
"What do you want me to do?" Abby asks, calming her tears and turning into professional mode.
"McGee is trying to get everything he can on Mossad and their operations, to see if we can work out what Ziva was working on. You do the same." he said. Kissing her lightly on the side of the head as she gets to work.
***
In all the panic and hurry, Gibbs and McGee work into and through the night. Having Ziva assumed dead and Bethany missing was enough to make him forget to call Tony and explain to him what happened.
12 hours later they were still no closer to finding anything out about Ziva. Gibbs had put out a BOLO for Bethany but no one had responded as of yet.
***
When the plane came into land, I was suddenly feeling very sick. What the hell was I going to do? Tel Aviv was a big place just to find one person who was supposedly dead, probably in hiding. I knew some Hebrew and Arabic that Ziva taught me but it was mostly useless stuff like swearwords and insults…that wasn't going to help me. I listened out at the airport for anyone who spoke English.
I ran up to what I assumed was a tourist desk tried to make them understand.
"Do you speak English?" I say, the man looked at me strangely as if I were, well, speaking a foreign language. I wondered away from the desk feeling that I was the biggest idiot in the universe. This is by far the most stupidest thing I have ever done. Here I am, lost in Israel with no money, unable to communicate with anyone…hell I didn't even bring my cell phone… Oh, I need Gibbs.
***
"She's not picking up her cell phone, boss" McGee tells a thoroughly stressed out Gibbs.
"I know McGee, that's because she didn't take it with her!" he said. He was going to kill her when he found her…that's if she was alive when they found her. Gibbs gulped. He had decided it may not be a good idea to tell Tony of the situation, just yet.
The elevator pinged but it was ignored by both McGee and Gibbs.
"Surprise!" Gibbs heard an all too familiar voice.
Oh shit. Gibbs thought.
Tony appeared in the squad room-a sight for sore eyes to say the least. His bright face dimmed a little as he drew an envelope from his jacket pocket.
"Would someone like to tell me where my daughter is so I can ask her why there was $750 spent on a plane ticket?" he asks. The dubious faces of McGee and Gibbs were not a comforting sight to him.
"Erm, do you know where the ticket was to?" McGee asked. Tony frowned.
"Where is Bethany? McGee?" Tony said, in a much more serious tone of voice.
"Nice to have you back DiNozzo, what the hell are you doing here?" Gibbs asked, stunned.
"Petty Officer was killed on the ship, we docked here for investigation and I thought I'd surprise you, now tell me where my daughter is" he says, irritated.
"Surprise!" McGee says shakily.
"Erm, Tony- I need to talk to you in private" Gibbs said pulling him back towards the elevator.
"McGee track Tony's credit card" Gibbs said.
"What the hell? You lost her? You don't know where she is do you?" Tony says paling. As soon as they enter the elevator, Gibbs shuts it down.
"What the hell is going on here?" Tony said.
"Ziva's dead…DiNozzo" Gibbs said bluntly. Tony's face fell.
"No! It can't be true!" He said slumping down to the ground. Gibbs knelt beside him.
"That's what your daughter said…we only heard yesterday, she ran off after we got the news" Gibbs said. Tony was eerily silent.
"How?" he asked in a whisper. The look in his eyes told Gibbs that Tony's soul that had taken so long to rebuilt was once again a heap of dust.
"The director told us it happened from an explosion in Tel Aviv. She was working an undercover operation. They won't tell us what the operation was" Gibbs said, placing a hand on Tony's shoulders.
"I want to see her body, I won't believe it until I see it, Gibbs…oh, god, she can't be gone too, oh god!" he said, breaking down into hysterical sobs.
***
I had been wandering around the city for several hours now trying to find the house in the picture I'd found. Tiered and hungry, I sat down in the city centre by a fountain.
Maybe I should just face it. Once again, someone I love has been taken away from me. Maybe I should have just accepted it and grieved like normal people would. I wonder what Gibbs is doing, probably going out of his mind with worry and as for my father! Stuck on some boat, god knows where-I bet Gibbs hasn't plucked up the courage to tell him that I legged it to Israel.
I kick at the dust beneath my feet.
"I'm so stupid!" I repeat over and over, taking my anger out on the ground beneath my feet.
"Are you ok, Honey?" I hear someone say. I've never been so pleased to hear my native tongue! I look up to see an elderly woman looking down at me. She spoke with a thick Israeli accent but his soft smile and sparkling eyes reassured me.
"You're never going to believe what I've just done" I tell her. She sits herself beside me.
"Maybe I can help…my name is Judith" she tells me holding out her tanned hand.
"Bethany" I say, shaking her hand back.
"American?" she says. A statement more than a question. I nod wiping a loose tear that has fallen from my eyes.
"My friend, works for Mossad. I found out yesterday that she had been killed in action…with out thinking I just jumped on a plane and came here to see for my self. I don't believe she is dead. She manages to escape things like that" I say, hoping Judith will understand.
"Those Mossad people never cease to amaze me" she tells me.
"What is your friends name? My husband works for the Israeli Embassy here in the city…I think I might just be able to help you" she says.
"Ziva David…her father is the Director for Mossad. I think they still live at this house" I say drawing the picture from my pocket. She takes and studies it.
"I'm afraid I don't recognise them myself but I'm sure my husband can help. Come with me. I'll get you something to eat on the way" she says, leading me through the crowds.
"Oh…I haven't got any money!" I tell her. She looks at me piteously.
"Don't worry about that! A pretty little thing like you must eat…I imagine you spent all your money getting here, did you not?" she says with a twinkle in her eye. I don't reply, but my stomach does.
***
After several minutes, Tony resolves from his stupor and rises off the ground. He sets the elevator moving again. Gibbs gets up after him.
"Are you ok?" Gibb asks him. Tony sighs, deeply troubled.
"No, but I have to find Bethany, I can't do this without her" He said wiping tears away from his wide eyes.
"I should have told her sooner…married her, lived my life with her for longer…there is so much I regret not having said and done. She did so much for me Gibbs and I never even so much as thanked her for it" he said staring ahead of him.
"Ziva knew you appreciated it. She was so in love with you, it didn't matter to her if you noticed-it made her feel better" Gibbs said.
"What about rule 12?" Tony asked. Gibbs was starting to get sick of rule 12.
"Rules are meant to be broken" he said with a smile. Tony didn't smile. It was all a little too late.
***
When Judith and I arrived at the embassy building just a little north of the city centre, Judith sat me down in the entrance and promised to come back for me. She went over to the reception desk and started twittering in Hebrew to the woman behind the counter. Several minutes later, she returned.
"He'll be right out…he's just finishing a meeting" she said warmly.
"Thank you so much… I don't know how I can ever repay you!" I say.
Suddenly, a largely built man emerged from a nearby conference room. Judith got up and went to him. He seemed friendly enough. He came over to me and I started to get scared.
"My wife tells me you are looking for Officer David?" he asks. He puts out a huge hand for me to shake. My petite hand is a bare match to his.
"My name is Jacob, and you're in luck…I do know who you speak of, she's quite the well known trouble maker-in the nicest way. Come with me" he says. I get up and follow him.
"You'll be alright, I'll wait just here" Judith says ushering me after her husband.
He leads me into the room he just came out of.
"Officer David was in an undercover operation which all went…how do you Americans say…bottoms up?" he says. This man isn't actually half as scary as he looks.
"Is she alive?" I ask. Jacob's face falls.
"I'm afraid there is no possibility that she could be alive, unless a miracle occurred.
A miracle? I think I can put my faith in her.
"Look I know this is a lot to ask and I'm sorry to be taking up your time but might it be possible for me to speak with Director David?" I ask. Jacob sighs.
"Director David is a very busy man, and a grieving one at the moment too, might I add" he says.
"I just want to talk to him" I beg. Jacob pauses for awhile before reaching for the phone.
"I'll see if he can come down" he tells me. My eyes light up.
"He's here?" I say trying to stay calm.
"A few floors up, yes…where else did you think he'd be?" he asks.
"Erm, I don't know…thank you, thank you so much" I say, he smiles at me. He speaks in muffled Hebrew down the phone for several minutes before he hangs up. I wait anxiously.
"He said he'll be down in the minute but he doesn't have much time" he tells me.
"Thank you, thank you so much!" I say, I can't say much more than that.
"You're welcome, Shalom" he says going to leave.
"Shalom" I say, beaming. He leaves me alone in the large room and I wait patiently for Director David. The ticking of the large clock was the only sound in the room until I hear the heavy oak door creek open.
I turn around and see him in the flesh for the first time.
"Ah, you!" he says irritated.
"I'm sorry for my behaviour earlier…I was upset" I begin but he raises his finger to silence me. It works with immediate effect.
"I have a funeral to plan for my daughter please make it quick" he says.
"How do you know she is definitely dead? She might have escaped" I tell him. He puts his head in his hand.
"I wish I had as much faith in my daughter as you do, my child" he said. "Ever since she came back she's been sloppy, slow…nowhere nearly as sharp as she used to be. Your country has softened one of my toughest agents" he says.
"She has a lot of friends in America that would like to attend her funeral" I begin, thinking of my father.
"Like who? Special Agent Gibbs?" he says. I nod.
"Oh, not that DiNozzo boy…I knew you looked familiar…you're his daughter!" he says.
"Yes, and he very much loves your daughter" I tell him.
"I'm sorry, young DiNozzo but there is nothing I can do to help you with your much needed closer. Please leave, sorry you have wasted a journey" he said showing me to the door.
When I leave, Judith is still there waiting for me.
"What did he say?" she asks me.
"That I had wasted my time" I said feeling utterly embarrassed and ashamed.
"I'm truly sorry for your loss" she says putting her arm around me.
"What are you going to do?" she asks me.
"We're not invited to her funeral" I tell her, "I guess I have to go home and face the music" I tell her. However she does not seem familiar with this idiom.
"It means, I have to face up to what I've done back home" I explain,
"Oh" she says. "Would you like me to call you a taxi to the airport?" she asks kindly. I shake my head.
"No, you've done so much for me already, thank you!" I say.
"You're very welcome" she says. She waves goodbye as I head out of the door into the heat.
In my distance I see the beautiful, green, flowing hills. I decide to take a walk up there to clear my head before heading back to America.
It takes me a good couple of hours to walk up there but it gives me a lot of time to think. To think about my future, my father, Ziva, the whole NCIS team. The people who I have lost, my mother, Kate, Jenny…and I force myself to admit it…Ziva too. I wonder what my life would be like if they were still here, well for starters Ziva would most definitely not be in my life and that is something that has become unfamiliar to me…not having Ziva in my life.
I think about my father and Gibbs…and what they're going to do to me when I get back. I try to stop thinking about that. When I reach the top I realise how therapeutic the whole experience has been…I'd like to think that this experience has at least made me a better person.
The view is breathtakingly beautiful and it overwhelms me. A country that has so much conflict, disagreement, fighting and war can still have such beautiful surroundings.
I can feel someone approach me, I daren't turn around-in case this is where I am finally to meet my end.
She says something in Hebrew which I cannot understand. I guess it's probably along the lines of…get off my land, or I'm about to set my ravenous pack of dogs on you if you don't leave. Amidst my panic I fail to notice how beautiful the voice is…and how somewhat familiar it is…no, it cannot be…I think this is probably a dream. I turn around quickly and there she is. What on earth were the odds of that!
"Ziva?" I say in disbelief…I knew all along! She looks at me in pure shock.
"Bethany?" she says. Her face is a sorrowful sight, she has cuts and bruises all over her face and arms, she has a large gash on her forehead and her clothes are torn.
"Is it really you?" I stammer, not wanting to get my hopes up in case it is a dream.
"Is it really you?" she mimics. I approach her slowly.
"I…we thought you were dad…your father…" I say
"I guessed as much…my father doesn't know me as well as he thinks he does" she says with a slight smile.
"I knew it, I knew you weren't dead!" I say.
"What on earth are you doing here in Tel Aviv?" she asks me.
"I came to find you…I refused to believe you were dead so I came to see for myself…and you're not, you're bleeding!" I say. She raises her hand to her head.
"It's dry blood" she says dismissing it.
"What are you doing up here?" I say.
"I used to come here when I was a little girl, with my sister. I haven't been here since she died" she says looking out at the view.
"Are you on the run?" I ask.
"To be honest, I do not know" she says, her voice wavering.
"I'm sure you're father will want to know you are alive" I suggest.
"I came up here trying to figure out if I was brave enough to resign from Mossad. Coming back here made me realise how much I actually hated it in Mossad. I love my country, Israel is so beautiful but I can't stay any anymore, it isn't my home" she says.
"So, come home…with me. It might lighten my punishment if I bring you back with me!" I say.
"I was sitting up here waiting for a miracle…" she says looking at me. The warm wind whipping around her long dark hair.
"And here you are!" she says.
"We should go and see your father…if he really loves you, he'll let you go" I say trying to convince myself .
"Do you think Gibbs would let me back? My liaison position was terminated- there won't be a need for me" she said.
"Why don't you retrain as a field agent? I'm sure Gibbs can work it out?" I ask. She looks at me smiling.
"Come on, lets go…lets go home!" I say-sounding so cliché. I get up and wipe the sand from my jeans. She followed suit and we began the long walk down the hill.
***