This chapter has the last bits of the case, and I finally got to the Tiva bits! Please review, I want to know what should come after this!

Chapter 4: Reopening Old Wounds

She'd held it together for seven years; she could keep going for a few more minutes right?

"Lev walked out on us as soon as I told him I was expecting. He said all he wanted was a few good fucks… right there, in my own home." Ziva whispered into open air; looking anywhere but at the older agent in front of her. She let out a breathy chuckle and a weak smile crossed her cheeks. "I do not know why I expected anything more from him. He was such as ass in the first place." Knowing she was having a hard time, Gibbs tried moving her attention to someone else involved.

"How was Eli with this?" Gibbs shifted when Ziva looked at him.

"Eli…he…I told him about eight weeks into it. He was so angry with me!" Those tears where coming back again and they were going to hit like a storm. "He went on and on and on about honouring the family and being fateful. I just sat there, listening to him rant." That was when the first drops fell. From the corners of her dark eyes to her jean clad thighs, tears rushed from the young Israeli. Gibbs reached for a white handkerchief from inside his jacket and gave it to Ziva quickly. She dapped her eyes and scrunched it into a tiny ball. "After the yelling stopped, my father made me promise that I keep the baby. Not to carry on the name, not because he was happy to have a grandchild, to make me feel terrible about my own decisions, 'to show me how I ruined my life' as he had put it. I was in the wrong, as usual."

"You weren't in the wrong, Ziva. You were the only one who was right." Gibbs whispered close to the shaking Ziva. The light crying turned into a full out hurricane of tears, howling and one long, tight hug.

"I—left her…" Stiff. "With the neighbour…" Handkerchief wipe. "And someone set off—a bomb…" Sniff. "In the streets. The floors—above ours…" Stiff. "Collapsed!" Another hug, tears staining Gibbs's suit slowly. "It was just another day when I left her, Gibbs! She was just a baby!"

"Shh, Ziva… It's okay." Gibbs tried to calm Ziva as she broke down. He had asked enough questions and she had answered way more then he had thought she would. Now it was time to just sit and wait out the passing storm…

Tony was typing away at his computer, already having caught two members of the Dragon Trio. He had checked the desk across from him several times, not knowing where the ex-Mossad agent had gone.

"Hey, McGeek. Where'd Zi go?"

"I saw her follow Gibbs up the stairs as we were leaving earlier. Haven't seen either of them sin—" Just then, both NCIS agents appeared from behind the door to Vance's office. Ziva's eyes were red and puffy, and she was still holding the semi-soaked handkerchief in her hand.

Gibbs stared straight ahead as he followed Ziva back to the bullpen. Gibbs continued walking past both Tony and McGee even after Ziva had taken her seat behind her desk.

"Gonna get some answers I see, right boss?" Tony called after Gibbs. When he didn't get a response, he turned to Ziva. "So… how you holding up?" He asked, trying to make light of the situation. Without removing her gaze from the computer screen, Ziva answered,

"Just fine, Tony. You?"

"Good, I guess.

"McGee? Have anything to say?" Ziva asked sarcastically, hoping Tony would get the hint. McGee shook his head; realised Ziva wasn't looking and then said,

"Uh, nope. Nothing from this end."

Almost twenty minutes had passed when Gibbs finally came from around the corner. Ziva's head shot up and the look on Gibbs's face told her they had something.

"Grab your bags. We've got her."

Ziva had been right. The Dragon Trio had kidnapped Charlotte and killed Claire, all as part of an initiation. Brendan Hu, the member of the gang who had given up the others, had said that their leader, Jacob Wong had taken the young girl to a warehouse down 56th.

Ziva was first to have her bag and be on the elevator. Tony, McGee and Gibbs piled in afterwards, all readjusting coats and bags in the process.

"NCIS!" Ziva yelled as she entered the warehouse from a side door. A tall figure came around a pile of crates holding up a gun. Ziva pulled the trigger twice, killing one of the men right there.

Gibbs and Tony shuffled in, crouching, from the opposite side of the warehouse and all three slowly made their way to the back end. McGee was sitting in the car, infrared cameras telling him everything happening on the inside.

"Boss, I'm getting two more people on here." McGee said into a mic.

"Where, McGee?"

"About… 20 yards north-west of your position."

Tony moved to the front of the line and steadied himself in front of a closed door. Signalling with his fingers, Tony counted down from three. He pulled open the door, Gibbs rushed in, Ziva tailing close behind. Two more shots rang out; Gibbs had shot the second member. As he went to check his pulse, Ziva turned to her right and noticed a small child tied to a water pipe. The girl started to cry as Ziva undid the ties.

"It is okay, sweetheart. Everything going to be just fine…" Ziva comforted, trying not to cry herself. The six year old wrapped her arms around Ziva and she picked the little girl up in one swift motion. When Ziva turned to leave, she made eye contact with Tony. She stood there for a second, mentally asking Tony 'what?' before she left the warehouse completely.

Robert rushed into the bullpen only a few minutes after the team had arrived.

"Where's my Charlotte?" He asked, out of breath. Gibbs escorted Kilman up the stairs to the same room he had interview him before.
As they walked up the stairs, Tony and Ziva were already inside, talking and playing with the young girl. Tony watched intently; Ziva and Charlotte where giggling as they coloured in a picture of Pooh Bear and Piglet and he couldn't help but smile.

That was when the door opened and Kilman came in.

"Charlie! Oh, I missed you, baby girl!"

"Daddy!" Charlotte jumped off the chair and ran towards her father before giving him a big hug. Ziva stood and moved closer to the others. "They saved me, daddy!" the six year old said happily.

"Yes they did, buddy. They saved all of us..." Robert looked over at Ziva and they both smiled.

"Oh, Ziva?" Charlotte called.

"Yes?"

"I made a picture for you..." Charlotte said as her father placed her back on the ground. The young girl ran back over to her spot at the table and unfolded a drawing she had made before Ziva had come up to the room. Che handed the paper to the Israeli and before Ziva could say thank you, she had a hand over her mouth, trying not to cry. The picture consisted of Ziva and Charlotte holding hands outside the NCIS building. "Thank you for comoing to get me."

"Oh, anything for you sweetheart." Ziva said before pulling the young girl into a hug.

The case was over. Everyone put it behind them. That is if they could. Ziva stayed late that night, mulling over a copy of the same photo from the fridge. She turned in her chair and pinned the photo to the wall behind her... right beside the drawing Charlotte did.

"Coffee?" The simple word made Ziva jump slightly. It was just Tony, holding a cup from the machine around the corner.

"Yes, thank you." She took it and sipped gingerly. After a long silence, Tony began again.

"What was her name?" Ziva's grip on the coffee cup tightened, but it didn't show.

"Tali. After my sister." Tony nodded.

"That's a beautiful name, Zi. I bet she was a beautiful girl, too." This made Ziva smile.

"She was. I don't think I'll ever love something as much as I loved her, Tony." He understood this and didn't press any further.

"Gibbs. He told me a few of the things you told him…" Ziva looked up, the smile and happiness in her eyes were both gone. How could he have told something so private to someone else? She thought. "He…he only told me the major stuff because he thought I could help you, I guess." Tony tried to cover for both Gibbs and himself. It seemed to work well enough. "I know he lost his kid too, but he has a way of letting out all his sadness. By working on his boats, talking, stuff like that. If you ever need someone…ya know, to talk to…" Tony shrugged, not breaking the look they shared. Ziva placed her coffee on her desk, stood, and made her way over to Tony. Ziva pulled him into a tight hug before pulling away slightly and kissing him softly on the cheek.

Ziva meant to thank him, using words, but when they looked at each other, being so close together, they both went in for another kiss; this time on the lips.

Tony stuck his tongue out slowly, asking for entrance. Ziva obliged, opening her mouth and slipping her tongue into his mouth, all in one swift movement. Her hands, which had been linked around Tony's neck, came around to cup his jaw. Tony's hands pulled the Isreali closer, deepening the kiss.

"Wait. Wait, Zi." Tony wanted this as much as Ziva did, but with everything that had been happening the past couple of days, he didn't know if what Ziva felt was true, or if he was just about to take advantage of her. He didn't want to chance it.

"For what, Tony?" Ziva asked, slightly out of breath. She looked his in the eyes and continued. "I want this…"

"Are you sure? I mean, with everyth—" Tony was cut off by another kiss.

"I am very sure." And with that, the two agents nearly ran to the elevator, hands held. Tonight was going to be long; but for good reason.

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