A/N – Another chapter for my readers. I guess this is going to be a story filled with consequences for all kinds of people. With that said, read on!

Disclaimer – I don't own NCIS or the characters

Chapter 12

Friday, October 25, 2013

The team had found nothing so far. The prints were still running through all databases and they still didn't have permission from Mossad to enter their database. They were unconcerned for NCIS, even the three of them who were former Mossad Officers. They suspected that NCIS was involved with the killing of Orli Elbaz, though they were already sick of her. Ziva's head was aching today, but her stomach had been better so far, thanks to Gibbs' advice for her. Apparently what had worked for Shannon had also worked for her. She was happy about that and so was Tony.

Gibbs was going to let them go at lunchtime. He told them all to have a long weekend, already knowing that their weekend was going to be spent in a safe-house while the crazy person was on the loose. Before Tony and Ziva left though, they wanted to go down to see Ducky. Gibbs decided to stay behind too, to not overcrowd the other car with people. Ducky, Gibbs, Tony, and Ziva would take the car back to the safe-house together.

The elevator opened and Ziva crutched out. Tony had a hand on her back and led her toward the Autopsy room where Ducky was. He was reading a book at the time. Honestly, they were all a little surprised that there were just no cases so far, considering the timing of it all. They would never have thought twice about it, except that they were in the middle of a huge case right now, involving all of them. There just seemed to be no criminal activity involving Marines of Naval Officers at that moment. It was too much to hope for a coincidence.

Ducky saw them coming and put the book down, smiling at the sight of the happy young agents in front of him, though it pained him to know that they were all still in danger. Ziva's crutches were the most recent reminder of that.

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. DiNozzo," he said with a smile. "I could tell so many stories about the two of you alone."

"Thank you, Ducky," Ziva said quietly. "I am here for that file that I had you save. It is time for the truth to come out at last. I must have Gibbs sign it and I must have it get to Director Vance and Parsons, as well as my lawyers, who know the circumstance. Tony and I paid them a visit this morning to talk with them about my idea of getting the file going."

"That is a great idea, Ziva, dear," Ducky said as he rushed around to go get the file he had on her. He came back a moment later with the manila folder. "Our Ziva put up one hell of a fight, despite the amount of drugs that were in her system. They were still present when she returned home after the thirteen hour flight and she had been given them the night before her flight. It is miraculous that she did not overdose."

Tony glanced sideways at Ziva. She shrugged. "I did not know that," Ziva said quietly. "How come you did not tell me that."

"Because you told me to tell you nothing of it until you asked for the file, my dear," Ducky said. "The drugs which Adam Eschel used on you, Ziva, are the kind that make you completely honest and forget what you said. I think you knew that you had to come to terms with it on your own."

"I remember coming here and having you do the tests. I just don't remember ever saying that to you," Ziva said.

"There were still enough drugs in your system to affect your memory of that time period. I know that much by reading the file," Ducky said. "But, sadly, I knew that night, too, when you called me that something was wrong. You, my Ziva, are like a niece or a granddaughter, so therefore, I feel it is my need to protect you and you were so distraught that I had to come to your aid when you called," Ducky explained.

"Thank you, Ducky," Ziva said again, taking the manila envelope from him and crutching back toward the elevator with Ducky in toe to see how this went.

They were silent in the elevator and Ducky watched the two as Ziva yawned, which was something that was far from normal for Ziva. He shook his head and said nothing, though he was starting to get suspicious that something was up with her lately. Yesterday she was sick, today she was tired in the middle of the day. It was weird.

The elevator opened and they all exited slowly together to find Gibbs sitting at his desk. Ziva stopped and handed him the manila folder. He looked up at her and nodded.

"Everything is dated appropriately and the DNA was already taken and run," Ziva said quietly. "It was something I asked Ducky to do for me, even though I was not pressing charges. If that is what I have to do now, I will. I know that the statute of limitations is not up on it yet."

"It is something you have to do if you're handing me this file, Ziva," Gibbs said quietly. "I'll read through it quickly and sign it now. Then, I'll leave it on Vance's desk. I'll meet you in the car. And, Ziva, don't forget, take it a little easy. I know you were quite active this morning."

"I'm sorry, Gibbs. I'm so used to being active," Ziva said quietly.

Tony nodded to Gibbs and so did Ziva. They both remembered the conversation in the car after her appointment that morning. Her doctor was concerned that losing the baby was a possibility and she wanted Ziva to take it easy until the second trimester. Ziva was all for doing that when there was an innocent child involved that had no say in the matter. Tony and Gibbs could both see that she was turning into a great mother, already. But, she was having a hard time taking it easy with where she worked and how much was involved with that, which was another reason that Gibbs had let them go early that morning.

"I'll meet you three downstairs. Don't go toward the car without me, since there is only one of you able to defend yourselves out there," Gibbs said with another nod.

He walked up the stairs as the others made their way to the elevator. Ducky was still watching them, wondering what was so different from a few weeks ago. Ziva put her head on Tony's shoulder and Ducky made a mental note to keep his eyes on them. But, he wasn't going to ask yet what was going on. Apparently whatever it was, Gibbs was in on it.

When the elevator opened, Ziva picked up her head and they continued out of the elevator. A few moments later, Gibbs came down, shaking his head.

"Vance is not happy that you kept this from him," he said. "He'll want to talk to you on Monday."

"Wonderful," Ziva said with another yawn and they all went to the car.

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Ziva, Tony, Jen, and Gibbs were standing in the elevator on their way down to Abby's lab. Abby had called them down. She was disappointed in Gibbs' radar. Vance had approved the hacking into Mossad's database. Ziva was bouncing on her toe that was on the ground and Jen was wringing her hands nervously at her side, since her atm was still in a sling. Tony was clutching Ziva's back and Gibbs was leaning against the wall of the elevator. Abby had news for the four of them and it could be good or bad.

The ding of the elevator told them it was time to move and they did, automatically. They went straight into her lab. Gibbs already had a Caf-Pow in hand as he walked through the doors. Ziva was looking straight at her.

"Okay, so I ran the fingerprints against those in Mossad's database. It wasn't even close to a match to Adam. It didn't match anyone else in Mossad's database," Abby said to them, frowning at herself.

"Well, I guess that's good and bad," Tony said. "That means that Eschel is not trying to take out our entire team. But it also means that we still have no idea who is trying to."

"I might," Gibbs said. "Did you run the print through Interpol?"

"No," Abby said. "I didn't. Not yet. You got me on this Mossad thing and I didn't use Interpol, why?"

"Run it, Abs. Just a hunch," Gibbs said quietly. "Any word on Isaac David? I know you've been searching for him."

"Nothing yet," Abby said and wrung her hands together a little with something more to say. "Ziva, you had a phone call down here. It was a number from Israel. It was in the middle of the night and there was no message. I only know it was for you, because the number was from Israel. Maybe it wasn't. But, I think it would be best if you were the one to call it. It's a cell phone, but I don't know who it belongs to."

Abby handed her the number and Ziva nodded, turning and handing it to Tony. "I will call from an observation room," Ziva said. "Something tells me that this call does not want to be monitored or recorded for quality assurance purposes."

Tony chuckled. They had switched their bank accounts and their credit cards so that everything was in both names over the weekend and they were sick of hearing "this call may be monitored or recorded for quality assurance purposes."

They re-entered the elevator and continued on up to the main floor. Tony and Ziva made their slow way toward the interrogation rooms while Jen and Gibbs went back to the main area. Ziva dialed the number from an observation room with the phone on speaker as she waited for it to finish ringing in hopes that someone would answer the call.

"Hello?" answered the person and Ziva jumped a little.

"Adam?" Ziva asked.

"You got my phone call! I did not know if you would," he said through the phone. "I did not know if that forensic scientist would be able to process the Israeli number at all. It is a burner phone. I have been waiting for you to return my call. I need your help and NCIS's too, if they can offer it."

Ziva looked at Tony and Tony nodded to her.

"I guess that depends on what you need help with, Adam," Ziva said in a tone that was neutral.

"Well, there is a couple things. First, I know that there is someone after your whole team, though I do not know who. Second, I knew that you were all after someone dangerous over the summer and there are consequences to be had now. Third, I know that someone is investigating you for international espionage and I want to help with that, even if that means I take the fall for what I did to you in January.

"On that note, I am sorry for what I did to you in January. I am truly sorry. Fourth, I know that Isaac David is missing and I have been searching for him myself, since he was a dear friend growing up. And, fifth, whoever is causing you trouble is also causing me trouble. Mossad has been monitoring all your searches, including the one on me. My own informant told me that my fingerprints were scanned through NCIS hacking into Mossad's intelligence. I know that whoever you are looking for has also tried to take me out as well and probably knows more than they are letting onto anyone at this point. I want to help, but I also need your help, even if that means that I have to spend many years in an American prison for doing so. Ziva, please! Can we meet at a safe location? Do you know a safe location?"

"Let me talk to Agent Gibbs, Adam," Ziva said into the phone automatically. "Is it okay to call you on this number?"

"Yes. But, let me call you in five hours. Can you get an answer in that time? It is better if I call you, so I know I am in a safe location where a conversation cannot be listened to," Adam said into the phone.

"Do you have information?"

"I have a hunch," Adam said.

"I will talk to you later then," Ziva said quietly and hung up the phone.

She pinched her nose with her fingers and lowered her head a little. Adam was the last person she wanted to deal with. When she looked up Tony's eyes were a little wild. Ziva moved herself closer to him, knowing that he was not happy about this.

"Tony?" Ziva questioned.

"I don't like this," he said quietly.

"You will have my back the whole time, yes?" Ziva asked. "I want you by my side the whole step of this thing. Especially if we are going to involve someone such as him. He has tricked me before and I need someone else there to make sure that my judgment is sound."

Tony's eyes widened. Ziva was asking for help. That was unheard of. He nodded eagerly, knowing that opportunities like this never came along. "Let's go talk to Gibbs."

They left the observation room and went into the squad room. They arrived in front of Gibbs' desk a few moments later and he looked up another moment after that.

"The number was that of Adam Eschel," Ziva said coldly. "He wants our help and thinks he has information for us to help with our cases. How he knows about our cases, well, I don't know who his contact is, but I need permission to do this, since this would also fall under international espionage. And he is willing to face whatever charges are filed against us, not only to gain our help but to give his help. He wants to meet at a safe location."

"The safe house," Gibbs said. "It'll just be you, me, DiNozzo, and Jen there. I'll keep the others at NCIS for that time. When he calls again, you tell him that and tell him to give you the time and date for it."

"I will do that, Gibbs," Ziva said and sighed. She sat down and rested her head on her desk, her eyes sliding closed.

"Is she sleeping at night?" Jen asked someone.

Ziva was still conscious. She opened her eyes and looked at Jen. Jen looked worried and was staring at her. "Yes," Ziva said quietly and then rested her head on her desk one more time.

"Why are you so tired, then?" Jen asked.

Ziva's shoulders shrugged as she yawned. Then, Gibbs spoke up. "Leave the girl alone. She obviously needs to rest."

And with that, everyone left Ziva alone to sleep on her desk.