Tony heard Ziva scream Gibbs' name, it echoed across the night louder even it seemed than the explosion that rocked the darkness. Before he could stop her she was racing across the field a speeding streak of satin and gold. The team followed racing to catch up with her even as they wondered how she could move so fast in her condition. Abruptly she stopped just shy of the building her hand wrapped around the gun she had never let go of.
Ziva froze seeing movement along the ground, just the outline of a man against the flames. A sudden flare of fire and silver glinted in the night. For the first time in her life she dropped the weapon she was holding. He stepped toward her, covered in soot, slightly burned and smelling of smoke. But he was there and moving under his own speed. She trembled hardly believing he was really alive that they had both survived. His eyes found hers blue as fiery bright as the flames behind him shiny with unshed tears. Two more steps and she was no farther than a breath from him. All thoughts of being strong left her and she stumbled into his arms mutual exhaustion driving them to the ground.
Gibbs barely cleared the building as it exploded, actually stumbled his way out of the building driven by the need to get back to Ziva. As he stepped from the fire feeling it singe all his rough edges he saw her, a beacon in the darkness. Fear was etched into every move she made toward him until she was certain it was him. Only then did she stop, dropping the gun in her hand and stumbling toward him. She practically fell into his arms. Together they sank to the ground and damned if he cared who saw as he wrapped his arms around her. He held her tucked under his chin focusing on the feel of her heartbeat against his and the thump of his child against his hand. "Eshet Chayil"
Ziva sobbed softly against him, the words piercing through the hurt and sorrow that had become such a part of her days and nights. Reminding her of all they were to each other. "Neshama."
Tony glanced at Vance and McGee who had followed at the same dead run as the rest of the team. Only steps behind Ziva but it seemed like it played out in slow motion. The stumbling relief as they saw each other, the prayers that slipped from their lips and finally the way they held each other was unlike anything he'd ever seen before. It could have been described as beautiful but it would have been an understatement that couldn't touch on the true depth of what they were seeing.
Gibbs finally felt some semblance of control; felt perhaps he could breathe again when Ziva stiffened in his arms. "Chayil?" the word that had come to mean her in every nuance slipped from his lips far easier than her name that for days had meant nothing but pain.
Ziva breathed roughly. "Just your child protesting the running I did."
Gibbs swore softly, and picked her up in his arms. Sirens were piercing the night as if finally fate had decided to be kind. In the distance he could see the lights of an ambulance and fire trucks. Holding her he strode toward the makeshift command center and the emergency vehicles.
"Jethro, I can walk." He only glanced at her and shook his head.
"And I can carry you." Gibbs ignored the fire trucks racing past them to the burning building and took her straight to the ambulance that had just come to a stop. He knew how he must look spattered with blood holding a battered Ziva crowned and wrapped in satin still the EMT never hesitated just looked at them and opened the back of the ambulance. Gibbs lifted her in laying her on the gurney and then levering himself in. The EMT didn't question or argue his presence, Gibbs watched as Tony, McGee and Vance approached. His hand wrapped tightly in Ziva's, he glanced down seeing the blood on his knuckles, the torn flesh and wondered how she could want to touch him.
"Locke?" the firm set of Gibbs mouth told him all he needed to know. Vance glanced at Ziva "We'll follow you as soon as we can. Glad to have you back." She smiled at him but even Vance could see it was merely a gesture. Before anyone could say anything more the EMT nodded and shut the doors. Seconds later the ambulance was moving out sirens still wailing.
Tony turned to look at the fire that raged, already the fire crews were working to put out the flames. Parts of the building remained and as much as the investigator in him knew that was a good thing. The man in him that cared for Ziva knew he wouldn't want to see anything that remained. He felt Vance approach and tried to put on his best game face. The hand on his shoulder told him he hadn't done a very good job.
"I'm letting the FBI take the lead. We're all too close to this one." Vance saw the relief on Tony's face it was mirrored in McGee's who had just stepped up. "Fornell just returned from the Middle East. He was less than happy that we hadn't called him and is more than willing to lead the investigation." Vance watched a car pull up and as though conjured by his very words Fornell stepped out.
Under other circumstances McGee might have laughed at the heavy beard and tan colored shirt and pants Fornell was wearing. Tonight he couldn't manage even a smile, the grim set of Fornell's mouth told everyone that he had no humor either. The lightweight flack vest only partially covered by the FBI windbreaker told McGee Vance hadn't been exaggerating when he'd said Fornell had just gotten back.
Tony nodded at Fornell, saw him glance at the fire and then look again at the three of them. "They made it out."
Fornell drew in a deep breath, "They? What the hell happened? Not one of you could call me?"
Vance stuck his hands in his pockets fixing Fornell with a hard stare. "Most of us didn't know anything until somewhat recently. Once things started to get hairy you were out of communication. Gibbs damn near lost his shit when we called his dad. We broached the subject again but Gibbs…." Vance gave Tony a brief glance trying to decide what to say.
Fornell saw the careful way the three men looked at each other. "What aren't you telling me? All I know is an op went bad for Gibbs and Ziva. I just go off a cargo plane and would love some more information."
Clearing his throat Vance managed more of an explanation. "Gibbs and Ziva got close on the op. Things changed between them." He saw Fornell start to smile but stop abruptly when Vance shook his head. "The killer took Ziva had her for 63 days, Gibbs didn't handle it well."
Fornell almost made a comment about rule twelve, stopping only when another harder look at Tony and McGee showed grief, the naked kind of grief that the strongest of men couldn't hide. "Ziva's tough, and so is Gibbs so what the hell else aren't you saying." He was trying to make sense of the information pouring at him, trying to imagine how or why Ziva could have been held for so long.
"She's pregnant with Gibbs' child, we were all mostly certain she was dead. We had nothing, no leads, and no information until today. Gibbs…" Tony let his words trail off, regardless of how he described it words couldn't establish what living it had been like or what it had done to Gibbs and Ziva.
"How is Ziva and the…baby" Fornell couldn't even begin to imagine how Gibbs had reacted to the loss or near loss of another child.
McGee watched Tony clench his jaw. "Alive, baby appears to be fine at least from what we can tell. Gibbs left with her on the ambulance."
"And that?" Fornell gestured to the smoldering building. Again he watched three men look at each other some silent communication passing between them.
"Bad guy had it wired, if Ziva tried to go through a door or window it was set to blow." Tony looked at Vance knowing what Fornell's next question would be.
"And the bad guy?" For a long moment no one said anything.
"Dead, Gibbs barely made it out of the building alive." He didn't' wait for Fornell to comment just handed him a file. "This is a brief overview of what we have. We're going to head to the hospital and once you're done here you can meet us there to debrief."
Fornell had many more questions too many to ask now when everyone seemed so on edge. The various members of SWAT milling around were watching the trio of men in front of him carefully. They appeared to be listening while trying to be subtle. It was obvious there was a lot more the men weren't saying and he doubted that even if he pressed that they would share. Whatever had happened, that real truth might never come out. Glancing at the smoldering remains of the building, and the hard-set of the faces around him and he couldn't find the will to push the issue. "I got this you guys head to the hospital, if there's a problem let me know?"
Tony nodded trying to ease out his relief in something other than a rush of breath. But even as McGee and Vance followed along with him to the car he felt that relief mix with dread. Ziva might be physically healthy and Gibbs as well but the changes wrought by all that had happened might be far worse than any physical damage that could have been done.
Gibbs had watched in the ambulance as they had given Ziva a quick evaluation. His hand clasped tightly in hers felt every tense of her fingers, every uncertainty she didn't voice as the EMT moved around her hooking up cords and devices. She didn't speak, only her eyes moved from him to the EMT. He saw the fear not so carefully hidden in her eyes, the hesitation every time the EMT moved close to her. Locke had done his damage and Gibbs had to force down the anger that seemed to bubble inside of him. Only the stroke of her fingers in his quieted the storm of anger that threatened.
Ziva felt the ambulance speeding them through the night, taking her far from the prison that had been her home for the past sixty three days and the relief was like a weight removed from around her. Yet the fear remained, she couldn't force her voice to release the words of reassurance she was sure Gibbs needed. It was all she could do to keep from crying, an indulgence she was afraid if she gave into she would be unable to stop. She looked up from their intertwined fingers to find his blues eyes holding back barely banked anger. She managed most of a smile and she watched him try for one in return. She was forced to tighten those fingers tighter around his when they both recognized the damage the time apart had forced upon them. She was grateful then when the ambulance began to slow and the lights of the city gave way to the entrance to a hospital.
Gibbs sat next to her as the doctor hooked up the monitoring device across her belly. He saw the changes in her easily. She was more watchful even than before, and as a nurse moved to adjust her pillows she flinched abruptly. Gibbs was standing that fast nearly grabbing the older woman and forcibly removing her from the room. Ziva had moved to do the same until they caught sight of each other and managed somehow to stop. The room had gone quiet and he was left to rasp out an explanation. "You should probably allow her to do as much as possible on her own and then explain anything else before you attempt to do it."
Under other circumstances Ziva might have spoken first but Gibbs was barely holding on to his control and she wasn't much better. Nodding she managed a smile to the nurse and doctor. "Thank you I am just a bit edgy." Her hand held tight to Gibbs' stroking his palm needing the connection with every fiber of her being.
Calder had been given only the briefest of details before the couple in front of him had been presented to him. He needed more answers and would ask them as soon as they had a moment to breathe. "We're going to observe you overnight, keep an eye on you and the baby." With a glance he excused the nurse from the room.
Gibbs felt Ziva's hand tighten forcibly around his, knew without having to be told why. But he stayed quiet letting her take the lead. "She needs to eat."
"We can give her an I.V. for now but if she ends up needing to deliver I don't recommend eating."
Gibbs stood and stepped forward. "I said she needs to eat either bring her food or we leave."
"Jethro…." Ziva saw something simmering in Gibbs she wasn't familiar with.
Calder reminded himself this wasn't personal and nodded. "Of course, I didn't mean to upset you."
Ziva tugged Gibbs back down beside her and looked up at the doctor. "Would you please send someone in to dress his wounds?"
"Ziva, we're not here for me." But as he glanced at her he saw there would be no arguing.
Again the doctor nodded and stepped out of the room. As he shut the door behind him he saw the hallways and private waiting room filled with people. Men in uniforms, people in suits, a woman in goth, an older man all waiting for him. One tall man with white hair watched him even closer than the rest. He'd expected this Gibbs had given him permission to speak with them. He gave the nurse some orders and then approached the group.
Vance didn't protest when Eli stepped up with him to speak to the doctor. "Director Vance NCIS. That's two of my agents you have in there. How are they?"
Calder glanced down at his clip board. "For now they are all stable. Mrs. Gibbs and the baby are for now doing fine." He watched them look startled and wondered what he said. "You are the family and friends of Mr. and Mrs. Jethro Gibbs correct?"
Eli managed somehow to smile at the doctor. "Yes we are it is just the first time this group is hearing her referred to as Mrs. Gibbs. Before she was taken it was not common knowledge."
The doctor cocked an eyebrow. "Oh..well Ziva and the baby are doing well. Labor has not progressed as of right now. A doctor will be in to assess Agent Gibbs's wounds." He stopped "Mr….Agent Gibbs that is. Mrs. Agent Gibbs has some bruising, but otherwise has no visible wounds." Calder felt slightly uncomfortable discussing his patient's injuries so openly but they had both insisted to share it all with the group outside the room. The mention of the wife's injuries had the tall white haired man running a hand through his hair.
"I would like to see my daughter, did she say.." Eli hated that there was a good chance Ziva would be unwilling to see him.
The doctor looked at the man and resisted the urge to step back. "I'm asking that everyone wait for at least a short while. We have a few more things to attend to and she needs to eat. Once those things are taken care of I'll discuss visitors with them. You should understand though that Mrs. Gibbs will need a lot of rest. And from what I've been able to assess just briefly of Mr. Gibbs he'll be needing some attention as well. They've asked that I keep you posted and I'll make sure to do so."
Vance wondered if there was more the doctor wasn't telling them, but despite his initial discomfort it was clear he man wasn't revealing anything more. "Thank you Doctor, we're just all worried she was gone a very long time."
Calder glanced at the chart. "I see from the initial report it was a few weeks." He saw he glance between the two men before him.
"It was sixty-three days today." Vance was reassured by he quickly covered shock on the doctors face. It showed a true caring for patients that hadn't been beaten out of him by a brutal job.
Calder nodded. "I'll update her chart and again I promise to keep you posted." He left the group with a nod and the best smile he could manage.
The doctor had again come and gone giving Gibbs a brief exam, before informing him that a nurse would be in to finish up. Ziva had been brought a meal and had just finished. Through it all Ziva had been silent she would glance at him now and then and it was almost as though each time she was startled to see him. Her silence was painful he feared it harbored a well-earned resentment that he hadn't found her sooner. The door opened slowly and as Gibbs watched the nurse approach him and had to force himself to remain seated. He felt as edgy as he imagined Ziva did. He wanted to be in the bed next to her holding her to him feeling every breath. Needed the reminder that he wasn't dreaming. Instead he remained as still as possible. A quick glance at Ziva and he knew she understood. "Jethro, the nurse asked you to remove your shirt."
Gibbs took a deep breath clenching his fists tightly. He hadn't talked to Ziva about what he'd done while she was gone, there hadn't been time neither had there been time to warn her of his injuries. He glanced up at the young woman standing before surprised at her patience. At closer glance he realized she might not have been as young as he thought.
"Sir perhaps if you sat on the bed near your wife you would be more comfortable?" She didn't have all the details of what had happened to the two before her but the looks in their eyes reminded her of the soldiers she'd seen coming in from the sandpit. Without a smile but with far less tension in his shoulders she watched the one called Gibbs move carefully toward his Wife. He moved carefully whether for Ziva's sake or his own she wasn't sure. When he finally removed his shirt she realized it had been for both of them.
Ziva pulled in a quiet breath, the bruises already beginning to form were shocking, the slices left by a blade across his skin deep but not deep enough to do permanent damage. His long sleeve shirt somehow hadn't revealed those wounds, but even those cuts weren't what was making it hard to breathe. It was the marks etched into his skin. They were dark and vibrant against his skin, she knew why they were there, the significance of them would not be lost to anyone who knew what they had endured. For her though they were more painful than anything she had endured the entire time she'd been gone. Her eyes met his and there was only darkness in the blue that had once been smiling.
"How many are there Jethro?"
Gibbs ignored the nurse that was there, ignored the way she was steadily treating his wounds. She was tuning them out just a shadow on the edges of their moment. Instead he focused on Ziva, saw the bruises on her cheek, the wounds on her neck, and the hollowness in her eyes and had to swallow hard before he could answer. "62, one for every day I failed." He watched her bite hard on her lip, her throat worked convulsively and the softest sob escaped her. The monitor next to her beeped erratically and the monitor for the baby's heart rate made a sharp sound for the briefest moment. "They didn't hurt."
Ziva shook her head violently, "You did not fail me Neshama, you found me. "
Gibbs bit back a bitter laugh. "Not soon enough, and almost not in time."
Ziva knew then he'd seen her decision to take her life and that of their child. It had been desperation driven only by the early labor and Locke's insanity. Yet still she felt the shame of it wash over her. "I am sorry…"
Gibbs had to push down his rage, the fierce shaft of pain as he reached out to her. "It is my failure Ziva never yours. The choice you made…even if it had cost your life and our child's…I would have expected nothing less from you. Dying would have been far more merciful than the alternative. This is not your shame. It is mine and mine alone." He stood up heedless of the fact that the nurse was hurriedly cutting the end of a line of sutures. He paced the room needing air but unable to leave her for even a moment. Instead he walked to the window and stared out at the fingers of dawn breaking across the sky.
Ziva forced down the tears and grief, tried not to notice the unmistakable changes in Gibbs' body. He'd been fit before but now every bit of him was lean, primed with muscle. She knew what that meant, the work that went into those kind of changes. A movement in the corner of her eye startled her and she flinched when the nurse began picking up the debris from the bed. She still couldn't speak but offered an apologetic glance.
Emily offered a smile not expecting one in return. She moved to step away but paused when Ziva cleared her throat.
"He should probably have antibiotics. The man he fought with dealt with the dead. He usually wore gloves but, sometimes he preferred not to." Ziva heard Gibbs swear and had to clench her hands into the sheets to keep from getting up to stand near him.
Emily managed to hide any reaction to Ziva's words. "Of course, it will take about ten minutes to get the order called in. Will I find you here sir?"
Gibbs turned and with a roll of his shoulders nodded. "I'm not leaving."
Emily nodded and then stepped outside. For just a moment she had to stand there, catch her breath and try not react to what she'd seen and heard. The crowd outside the room was mostly occupied except for one man who was watching her closely. He was tall and could easily be called handsome. The concern on his face was easy to see as was the fatigue.
"You ok?" Tony had watched the petite nurse step out of the room looking slightly shaken. It worried him for what it meant about the couple inside.
Emily managed a smile. "Yes sorry just…" she was going to lie and say she was just tired but his eyes watched her and she knew he understood the real cause.
"They are pretty tough, she's alive and for now that's what matters most." Something flickered over the nurse's pretty features, something that hinted she knew something he didn't but it was gone quickly.
"That much is obvious." Quieter because people were looking their way now she smiled again. "She's doing great, baby looks good and his injuries were minor from the looks of it."
Tony smiled back and nodded "Thanks." He watched her walk away for a moment and stared at the door for a minute before finding the courage to knock. He'd wanted to wait for the doctor's approval and Eli should really have the first opportunity, but he needed to see again for himself that they were okay. Ziva's voice drifted through the door allowing him entrance.
Gibbs was just stepping out of the restroom as Tony walked in. He felt a rush of air and remembered he hadn't put his shirt back on. He watched Tony take a quick inventory, and then focus on the tattoo. A quick glance and then Tony was looking away but he knew the look he saw there. In Tony's eyes he'd seen pain, the same kind he'd felt every moment of the past nearly 63 days.
Tony managed to look away from Gibbs and the marks on his arms without reacting as least as much as he could. Turning towards Ziva he gave her a genuine smile, "You're so round now. Like you stuck a beach ball under that blanket. "
Ziva laughed and the sound was so unfamiliar it startled her. The sound was rusty but welcome, she looked to see if Gibbs had managed a smile but other than the softening of his eyes his face was neutral. Tears pricked her eyes but she managed to turn her attention back to Tony. "Hah, I am a fine weight for how far along I am." She didn't have to look to know Gibbs was watching her closely. He'd been in the room when the doctor had said she was slightly underweight. Thankfully the baby seemed to be growing perfectly. Still the plan was to have her increase her calorie intake.
Tony felt the tension in the room, wasn't sure exactly what he said but the moment passed soon enough. He gestured to a chair on one side of her bed "Mind if I sit?"
Ziva automatically looked to Gibbs; he was edgy, restless just a moment away from pacing. As much as she wanted to talk to Tony she wanted even less to do something to upset the fine bit of control that Gibbs seemed to be holding onto.
Gibbs nodded still pacing the room in carefully measured steps. She turned back to Tony; "Of course." she adjusted her position fighting against wincing as every part of her body protested. She saw the flinch Tony tried to hide, watched as Gibbs moved to the window. She wanted him to hold her hand, to sit beside her again so she could feel his warmth next to her. Somehow she couldn't make the words come to ask. She turned her gaze away from Gibbs to Tony and in those dark brown eyes she saw far more questions than she would ever be able to answer.
I apologize for the long delay. My daughter had a major surgery and required a lot of care. I will do my best to make updates more frequent but as she recovers she will be relearning to walk so we'll be busy. I hope you enjoy this one and promise I have good plans for the rest of this story. :)