A/N Thank you to everyone who continues to read and hugs to everyone who has reviewed. The last chapter was extreme fluffiness. This one isn't. The story decided to take a serious turn and Ziva is a little OOC in this chapter. I do apologize for that. But, Eli is an evil piece of scum. His actions had to have more of an effect on her than we saw on the show. That's enough rambling from me. On with the chapter.
Disclaimer I don't own them and I'm still not making any money from them. I do this for free as a labor of love.
Gibbs received the phone call just after 1800 hours. He was in his basement measuring boards for the picnic table. A baseball game playing on the small black and white television provided background noise. When the cell phone rang, Jethro was tempted to ignore it. That his team was on call was the only reason he dug the annoying gadget from under the junk on his workbench.
"Gibbs," he barked into the phone.
There were several seconds of silence followed by Ziva's paniced voice, "Gibbs can you please come over?"
Nothing could have gotten Jethro out of the house and across the lawns any quicker. He vaulted the fence and took her front steps two at a time. He ignored the pain in his knee. Jethro tried the knob and then pounded on the locked door.
"Ziva, it's me. Open up," he yelled.
Ziva threw open the door and then slammed and locked it as soon as Jethro was inside. The first thing he saw was the Sig in her hand. Next he saw that she was shaking and looked to be about to cry. Jethro took the gun from her and led her into the living room.
He sat beside her on the sofa and put an arm around her shoulders, "Ziva, tell me what's happened."
She clutched at the front of his shirt. "Eli."
Jethro felt his blood pressure immediately rise. "What has that bastard done?" His voice held that dangerously quiet, lethal tone Ziva had only heard a handful of times.
Ziva was still shaking, "He called me."
Jethro pulled her closer to his side. His first instinct was to find Eli David and put a bullet through his head. Considering the aftermath from Mexico, he figured that might not be the best course of action.
"Did he threaten you?" he asked.
"No," she whispered.
"What did he say?" Jethro felt Ziva's hold on his shirt tighten.
"He said he is in Washington for a meeting. He would like me to meet him for dinner tomorrow night." She looked at him with those huge brown eyes. "I cannot, Gibbs. I do not want to see him. He is most dangerous when he pretends to be concerned and caring. He is up to something or he would not have called me."
"Come on. Get some stuff together. You're staying at my place." Jethro helped her off the couch and steered her to the stairs. "I'll wait right here."
He watched as Ziva climbed the stairs before he stuck the pistol into the waist band of his jeans. It was Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs who pulled his cell phone from his pocket and dialed. He listened to the sounds of Ziva hastily packing as he waited for an answer.
"DiNozzo, my house now. Get a hold of McGee. Tell him to bring his laptop," Gibbs issued the terse command.
He could hear sounds of Tony grabbing his keys as he asked, "What's up, Boss?"
"Eli's in town," Gibbs continued to monitor the noise from the second floor.
"Rule 44, Boss?" Tony asked as he shut his front door.
"Yeah," Gibbs shut the phone as Ziva started down the stairs. She was obviously still upset. He vowed he would not allow Eli David within five miles of her.
Jethro took her bag and slung it over his left shoulder as he steered Ziva to the door. He waited while she locked up and then escorted her around to his drive. They were silent as he followed her up his front steps and into his living room.
It was only after he put her bag on the sofa that Jethro finally spoke. He opened his arms and said, "Come here." She plastered herself to him and hung on for dear life. Jethro could feel the tremors that still shook her petite frame. He held her and hoped she drew strength from knowing she wasn't alone.
"Ziva, you trust me?" Jethro asked.
"Of course, Gibbs," she answered into his shirt.
"Then believe me when I tell you, he won't get anywhere near you," Jethro kissed the top of her head. "Even if I have to find some place to stash you until he leaves, you won't have to see him if you don't want to."
Ziva loosened her hold enough to lean back and look at him. "He wants something or he would not have contacted me. He is very powerful. He will find a way to get to me."
"Like hell he will. I had to play nice when we were in Israel. He's on my turf now. And, there are a lot of very powerful people in this town who owe me and our team." His grin was just short of feral. "You leave Eli to me."
Ziva rubbed her nose on her sleeve and tried to smile. "I will do what you tell me to do, Gibbs."
She jumped when she heard a knock on the front door Gibbs had locked behind them. "It's just DiNozzo. I called him while you were upstairs," Jethro told her.
Still, he was holding Ziva's Sig as he unlocked and opened the door for Tony. The younger agent didn't stop until he was standing in front of Ziva.
"Are you all right?" Tony asked her.
"Yes…no," Ziva replied.
Taking her hand, Tony pulled her close and wrapped her in a hug. He was amazed by how small she felt when he held her like this. Gibbs gave them a minute before he interrupted.
"Where's McGee?" Jethro asked.
Tony turned to face Gibb but still kept one arm around Ziva. "He's on his way, Boss. He said he had to stop by the office and pick up something."
"Good. I'm making coffee," Jethro moved past the couple and into the kitchen. He was surprised when Tony and Ziva followed him. They stayed out of his way; but, they hovered close by while he brewed his usual noxious blend. When he poured them each a cup, Ziva wisely retrieved the milk from the refrigerator.
They were sitting at the dining table when McGee knocked on the front door. Jethro let him in and noticed that McGee was carrying only one bag. He placed the bag on the table. Then he surprised all of them when he squatted next to Ziva's chair.
"We aren't going to let anything happen to you, Ziva," he said.
She reached out and put a hand on his shoulder. "Thank you, Tim."
When Gibbs and McGee took seats at the table, Gibbs started the conversation. "Ziva, tell us exactly what Eli said."
Ziva took a deep breath, "He said he is in Washington for a few days. He will return to Israel the day after tomorrow. He said he wants to meet me for dinner tomorrow night. I told him it might not be possible. I said we might have to work. He asked me to call him back."
"That's it?" McGee asked.
"Yes, that was all that was said. It was not what he said but how he said it. He is not accustomed to anyone standing up to him. I did that when I chose to remain here. He is angry about my decision," Ziva replied. She admitted, "I do not trust him. He is very manipulative and very vindictive."
"Ziva, I told you that you don't have to see him if you don't want to," Gibbs told her. "But, this ends here. I won't have you living the rest of your life worrying about what he's going to do next. We will put a stop to his intimidation and his meddling in your life."
"How?" she asked.
"We treat this like any case. McGee, computer. Find out everything you can about Eli David. DiNozzo, use your contacts. Get us anything you can. Ziva, help McGee. We need something we can use to stop him."
Tony and McGee shared a look. Gibbs saw when Tony nodded to McGee.
"Um, Boss, we already have something," McGee said.
"What, McGee?" Gibbs was puzzled. Apparently, Tony and McGee knew something he didn't.
"After…" McGee looked to Ziva and then back to Gibbs, "after Somalia, I started doing some digging. I thought we might need information on Eli. We made him look bad. I didn't trust him to leave Ziva or the rest of us alone."
Tony picked up the story. "McGee came to me and showed me what he had. I started helping him. We've been building a file on Eli ever since."
Jethro was silent for a moment as he stared at his two agents. These two never ceased to amaze him. But, he was also pissed.
"You've been hacking the director of a foreign agency. You didn't think this was something you should tell me about?" he growled.
"Boss.." McGee stammered.
Tony interrupted him, "Boss, we should have told you. But, you were dealing with your own problems. We decided it was best if we kept our mouths shut. We haven't been able to connect all the pieces until the past few weeks."
Gibbs took a deep breath. "Fine. We'll discuss the ass kicking you too deserve for not keeping me informed later. Show me what you've got."
McGee booted up his laptop and inserted a flash drive. He turned the computer so everyone could see the screen. A few taps and files started to open.
"I started by digging into Eli's finances. I found some hinkey transactions." McGee brought up the first document. "They were transfers from a Swiss account into a bank account in Eli's name here in Washington."
McGee closed the first document and brought up the next. "Then I traced the Swiss account. It's registered to a corporation that's based in Grand Cayman. Eli is the principle, and only, shareholder." The next document showed Eli's name on corporate documents. "It's a shell company."
"I managed to track the deposits into the Swiss account. All of the money went from Grand Cayman to the Swiss account." McGee paused. "This was where it got scary, Boss. This is when I showed everything to Tony."
"McGee worked his magic," Tony took over the story. "He has documents to prove that the money was transferred into the Grand Cayman account from some very unsavory people. McGee made a list of the depositors and what the money was for."
"Well?" Gibbs questioned at their pause.
McGee tapped a few keys and a final document appeared on the screen. Gibbs put on his glasses and studied the list of names, items, and amounts. He scrolled through several pages and then sat back. Gibbs removed his glasses and stared at the computer. When he glanced at McGee, Jethro could see that the younger man's hands were shaking as he raised his coffee cup to his lips.
"Why would Eli sell weapons to terrorists?" Gibbs asked no one in particular. He was honestly stunned by what his agents had uncovered.
"The money," was Tony's answer.
Ziva finally spoke. "It is not just the money. The politicians try to maintain the illusion that they pursue peace through diplomacy. Eli feels that peace can only be achieved through military action. If any of those groups were to attack Israel, Eli would have justification for swift, decisive action."
"He would do that?" McGee asked. "Think of all of the innocent people who would die on both sides."
"He would do that and more, McGee," Ziva answered. "Eli was willing to have his own children killed to further his agenda. He would not worry about the deaths of other people's children."
The agents were silent as they pondered the ramifications of the information they possessed. The documents on McGee's computer could bring down one of the most powerful men on the planet. They could start an international incident that could destroy diplomatic relations between numerous countries. The documents could also get the four agents sitting around the table killed.
Gibbs rose from the table. "McGee, do you have copies of all this?"
"Yes, Boss. I made copies and stashed them in safe places." He indicated the flash drive in his laptop. "This one was in your desk drawer at work."
At Jethro's shocked looked, Tony explained, "No one would think to look for anything important on a flash drive in your desk, Boss."
Tony yelped when the hand connected with the back of his head. "McGee, can any of this be traced back to you?"
"No, Boss. I covered my tracks," McGee replied.
"Are you certain?" Jethro questioned. He didn't want this to come back to bite them in the ass.
McGee tried not to look smug. "I'm sure, Boss. I found a backdoor to the CIA's server years ago. I have a ghost account on their network. I've been using that for the research. Once I found out how serious this stuff was, I got this laptop. The user account is registered to a Confederate soldier who died at Gettysburg. I've use wi-fi connections at cyber cafes."
"Let me get this straight. Anyone looking at this stuff will think it came from the CIA?" Gibbs' ignorance of computers was legendary. But, he understood enough to know the stakes had just gotten higher. Their information would implicate the CIA of spying on an ally of the United States.
Gibbs shook his head in amazement. His cyber-geek could possibly be the most dangerous employee of the federal government. He was certainly in the top five and he was barely in his thirties.
"McGee, when this is over, we're going to have a long talk," Jethro told the younger man.
"Got it, Boss," McGee replied.
Jethro stood from the table. "McGee, make sure there's no forensic evidence on that doo-dad. Ziva I need to see you in the basement."
Ziva followed Gibbs down the stairs. At the bottom, she took up a position against the workbench. Standing with her arms folded across her middle, Ziva waited on whatever Gibbs had to say. Jethro took in her defensive posture and knew this would be difficult.
"Ziva, you know I can't just ignore what they showed us. This has gone way beyond trying to protect you from Eli," Jethro said quietly.
"I know, Gibbs. He must be stopped," Ziva replied.
"Ziver, he will be tried for treason. He's still your father. I don't want you to hate me for being the one to turn him in." Jethro was afraid this would destroy the bond between them. Scaring Eli off was one thing. Branding the man a traitor was entirely different.
Ziva's response was swift and vehement. "He is not my father. He is a monster who brings only death and destruction. He must pay for what he has done." She swiped at the tear running down her cheeks. "I promised to trust you. Do what you must with the information."
Jethro drew her away from the workbench and into a hug. "I'm sorry, Ziva. I wish I didn't have to be the one to do this."
Ziva returned the hug. "I know, Gibbs. Just promise me that you will be careful."
"I will be." Jethro drew back and looked at her. "Now, go wait upstairs. I have to make a few phone calls."
Ziva stopped at the bottom of the stairs and looked back at Jethro. "I love you, Dad," she said quietly.
He gave her a ghost of a smile. "I love you, too, Ziver."
Twenty minutes later, Gibbs returned to his kitchen. His three agents were sitting silently around the table. Ziva was staring into space. McGee was doodling on a piece of paper. Tony was picking at a granola bar.
"McGee, where's that memory doo-dad?" When McGee pointed to the item that was now wrapped in a paper napkin, Gibbs slid it into his pocket.
"I want the three of you to stay here. Don't leave the house until I get back," Jethro instructed.
"Boss, we don't have any reason to think Eli will come after us," Tony protested.
"DiNozzo, Eli's already contacted Ziva once. We aren't taking any chances. I have a buddy who's a retired Seal. He runs his own security company now. I gave him a call. Nobody's going to get in here tonight," Jethro explained.
"Boss, shouldn't one of us come with you?" McGee asked.
"I appreciate the offer, McGee. But, I'm just going to pay a visit to an old friend. If anyone ever asks, you three came over to play poker. I got a call and had to go out for a while. Understand?" When he received nods from each of them, Jethro placed a hand on Ziva's shoulder.
"You three watch each others' backs tonight. McGee, you make sure nothing can be retrieved from that hard drive." They watched as Gibbs left through the front door without a backwards glance.
It was McGee who broke the uneasy silence. "What do we do now?"
"You destroy that computer, McGee. Then we play poker." Tony responded.
"Tony…" Ziva started to protest when DiNozzo cut her off.
"Ziva, there's nothing we can do now but wait. Gibbs gave us our cover story. We better make it look convincing in case we have unexpected guests," Tony told her.
McGee picked up the laptop. "Who do you think might come for us?"
"Oh, gee, Probie. I don't know. How about the CIA, FBI, Homeland Security, SecNav? Take your pick. We're spying without a license, McGee. The government tends to take a dim view of such activities." Tony's tone was sarcastic but Ziva could see that he was worried.
"McGee, you should take the computer to the basement. You will have more privacy there," Ziva suggested.
She waited until McGee disappeared through the basement door. Then Ziva looked at Tony. He was staring into his empty coffee cup.
"Why did you not tell me about what you had discovered?" Ziva asked him.
"Because, Zi, I've been scared to death ever since McGee showed me those first files. I had hoped you would never find about any of this." Tony continued to focus on the ceramic mug.
"Why, Tony?" She continued to push.
He finally looked at her. "Because, Ziva, I didn't want you in the prison cell next to me and McGee."
"Why did you not tell Gibbs?" Tony had known she wouldn't leave this alone.
"Same reason." Tony took a deep breath and sat the cup down. "McGee and I talked over the weekend. We had finally connected all of the documents. We were trying to figure out how to use the information without implicating any of us. We wanted to keep you and Gibbs out of this."
"We are partners. I thought you trusted me, Tony. And, I certainly did not think you would ever keep something like this from Gibbs." Ziva couldn't keep the hurt out of her voice.
Tony took her hand. "I do trust you. I love you, Zi. That's why I couldn't tell you. I knew this information would hurt you. And, you've been through enough." He paused and squeezed her hand. "Ziva, we both know what's going to happen to Eli. I didn't want you or Gibbs to have to make that decision."
Ziva held on to Tony's hand. "I still do not understand why you felt it was necessary to protect Gibbs."
"Because I owe him everything." Tony weighed his next words and decided to tell her the truth. "If it wasn't for Gibbs, I would probably be coaching high school football in some hick town. When I met Leroy Jethro Gibbs, I was ready to give up on a career in law enforcement. He's the first person who ever believed in me, Ziva. He was the first person who ever cared about me.
"I told you once that you weren't the only person who needed a dad, Zi. That's how I think of him. That's why I didn't want Gibbs to be the person responsible for taking Eli down. I didn't want that to come between you and Gibbs."
When Ziva was silent for several minutes, Tony asked, "Are you mad at me?"
She shook her head. "No, Tony. I am not mad. I should be, but I am not. I understand why you felt you had to protect us. But, it was not necessary. Nothing will ever change how I feel about Gibbs."
Tony had just leaned forward to kiss her when he heard McGee's footsteps on the stairs. "He has lousy timing," Tony joked as he sat back in his chair and released her hand.
Gibbs returned home just before 0500. He relocked the front door and stopped in the living room. Tony and Ziva were together on the sofa. Ziva was asleep with her head in Tony's lap. McGee was snoring softly in Gibbs' chair. DiNozzo was watching over both of them. The remains of their poker game were still on the dining table.
As soon as he saw Gibbs, Tony carefully maneuvered out from under Ziva. He stood and slid his Sig into its holster. "Boss, are you okay?"
Jethro rubbed a hand over his face. "Yeah, DiNozzo. I'm fine." He moved into the kitchen and started a pot of coffee. When he returned to the living room, McGee and Ziva were awake.
Tony asked what they all wanted to know. "What happened?"
Jethro hugged Ziva before he answered. "Eli was found dead in his hotel room early this morning. Apparently he had a heart attack."
"Mossad?" McGee asked quietly.
"Probably. Your information was delivered to the Prime Minister around midnight. There was no way this could be allowed to come out in the open in a trial." Gibbs pulled out a dining room chair and sat.
Tony sat opposite Gibbs. "How much trouble are we in?"
Jethro shook his head. "We're not. Only one person knows we were involved. And, he's not going to talk. The FBI is taking the credit. Since the investigation started with a bank account here in Washington, they have jurisdiction. The CIA is too embarrassed they got hacked to raise a stink. The Israelis' are just grateful they had a chance to cover up the whole mess. Everyone just wants it to go away quietly."
"How many favors did you have to use to keep us out of it?" Tony asked.
Jethro shrugged. "A few. And, now I owe a few more. Vance already knows we're taking the day off. Go home and get some sleep. And, McGee, I suggest you stay out of that back door. The CIA will be monitoring their networks."
"Got it, Boss," McGee replied. He stopped in front of Ziva. "I am sorry."
She nodded. "You do not have to apologize, Tim. It was not your fault. He brought this on himself."
Once McGee left, Jethro went to the kitchen for coffee. That left Tony and Ziva alone in the living room. Tony walked to where Ziva stood and took her hand.
"Ziva.." Before Tony could speak, Ziva put a hand over his mouth.
"Tony, I meant what I said to McGee. You and Tim are not to blame. Eli did this to himself." Ziva moved her hand and kissed him. "I still think you should tell Gibbs what you told me. He deserves to know."
Tony kissed her back before he answered. "He already knows, Ziva. But, maybe I will talk to him. Whatever he did last night, he saved our lives and kept us out of prison. I owe him for that. I also owe him for letting me get away with this." Tony pulled Ziva closer and kissed her again.
The quietly growled, "DiNozzo, go home," was what finally ended the embrace.
"On it, Boss." Tony replied with a smile for Ziva. "I'll be back later. If you need me, call."
When Tony left, Jethro placed his coffee cup on the table and faced Ziva. "Talk," was all he said.
Ziva paced the length of the living room and returned to stand in front of him. "There is nothing left to say. My home and my family are here now. I did not wish him dead. But, does it make me a horrible person if I admit I am relieved?"
Jethro studied her before he answered. "No, you aren't a horrible person. I would say it's understandable that you feel that way. Just don't forget, I'm here if you need to talk. You want to stay here and get some sleep?"
Ziva nodded and then hugged him. "Thank you."
"For what?" Jethro asked.
"For just being you. I could not have survived everything that has happened without you," Ziva told him.
Despite his exhaustion, Jethro managed a small smile. "You're stronger than you think, Ziver."
"Maybe." She paused. "But, I am still glad I have you to teach me how to be part of a normal family."
Jethro snorted as he guided her towards the stairs. "You think we're normal?"
"Maybe not," Ziva admitted. "Normal is overrated anyway."
Jethro waited until the door to the spare bedroom closed before he allowed himself to slump in exhaustion. The events of the night had taken their toll on him. His younger agents would never know the price he had paid to keep them out of trouble. As he collapsed, still dressed, on his bed, he admitted he would do it all again. His last thought before sleep claimed him was that his little girl was finally safe.