Ari had a daughter? Why had he not told her? Who was her mother? Why was she alone? Was she born before or after Ari's death? How old was she? Did their father know? How had she come to the states? How did she come to the attention of NCIS? Where was she now? Ziva's head spun with endless questions on the thought of Ari having a child. Her and Gibbs had returned to Abby's lab and Ziva was stuck in her own mind, everything else around her was a blur. How could she not of known that Ari had a daughter? Had he known that he had a child? Ziva could see the concerned looks that everyone had been giving her, heard the rapid speaking of Abby and McGee who were most likely talking about things that she would not fully understand anyways. Gibbs had told her of Hannah and after Ziva fully absorbed what he had said she began asking him questions. Ones that he replied to with a flick of the emergency brake to set the elevator in motion. Tony said that he had dropped Hannah off, right? So Tony had had Hannah with him? Where had he taken her? Why had no one told her before now? In an email or a note or a smoke signal or Morse code for all Ziva cared! Could Ari of really had a daughter? It did not seem possible...
"Could you, Ziva?" Abby asked from her position in front of the plasma. She turns around to look at the Israeli to be met with a blank stare. "Ziva?" Abby says a little louder.
"Hey!" Gibbs yells loudly making Ziva jump from her train of thoughts back to reality. "Abby's gotta question," he tells her and quirks his head in Abby's direction which causes Ziva's eye to follow over there as well.
"The bomb, could you disable it?" Abby questions. The Mossad officer stares at her for a minute, her mind still not fully focused.
"No, my father told me that he has something to alert him if I were to do such a thing."
"Is that even possible?" McGee asks, sounding surprised at this fact.
"Well why don't we go try and see if we can get ourselves shot if you don't want to believe it," Tony retorts. His irritation level was at an all time high and his patience was at an all time low. It was the beginning of a really long day and he was already exhausted. All that had been going on in the past few weeks was really taking its toll on him. He just wanted this whole damn thing over.
"That's not what I...I-I didn't mean..."
"Give it up, Timmy," Abby says to him placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"Where's the signal thingy coming from?" Gibbs asks and receives a questionable look from the two tech experts. "Ya know the thing that tells you where he's at."
"Right," Abby says with a hint of a smile and her fingers fly over the keyboard for a minute before she turns back to him. "Baltimore."
Both Tony and Ziva's heads turn in shock at Abby's statement, "He is in America?" Ziva asks with a surprised expression. "Check again."
"Ziva trust me I'm absolutely sure that he is-"
"Check it again," she says, louder with more demand and less suggestion.
"I'm not wrong he is, no doubt, in-"
"Run it again, Abs," Gibbs says. She gives him a weary look but turns back to her computer anyways pressing the keys a little slower but still quickly enough.
"As I said before he's in downtown Baltimore Maryland."
"He is not in Israel?" she asks more to herself than anyone else.
"Keep that up," Gibbs tells her pointing to the location marker on the computer screen and starts walking out the door. "And tell me if he moves anywhere! C'mon we've got work to do," Gibbs says and the three agents begin following behind.
"Hey," Abby says grabbing Tony's arm and turning him to face her. "It'll be okay," she says changing from being the one who needs reassurance to the one who does the reassuring. Tony says nothing to the gothic scientist just shakes his head. He was tired of this, the uncertainty, the unappealing possibilities, the unending worries and constant concern. It had all been going on for too long now, just continuing on from days to weeks to what was beginning to feel like months and even years. One day seemed like so much longer, even a minute could seem like an hour.
"Yeah," he says and follows the same pathway his team members had taken moments before. He storms into the elevator and then back out a minute later when he reaches the squad room.
"-Access the files and then replace them with the fragmented parts of the other hard drive," Tony hears when he walks in, catching the tail-end of what he was sure was a confusing McGeek ramble.
"Here's an idea!" he yells and walks over to his desk and opens the drawer. "We can use these handy things and put a bullet through the everyone's favorite Mossad deputy director's head!" Tony exclaims waving his gun around in the air like a maniac. "Why are we all sitting around here talking about plans and secret ops when all we need to do is put a nine millimeter slug through his head! Done and over with!"
"You done, Tony?" Gibbs asks approaching his senior field agent.
"No. I'm done when he's dead."
"Or when you are," Gibbs says and then a bit of reality seems to cross Tony's face.
"It has to be one of us," he replies, holding onto the feeling of momentum and continuing to thrive off of the power of impulse. He was tired of sulking and thinking. He wanted to put something into action, stop messing with computers and sending secret messages and just do something. Tony felt that the advancement had been minimal and he was ready for some progress to be made.
"And at the rate your going it won't be him." Gibbs was a man of few words but those few that he did speak had a serious impact on others.
DiNozzo may be a jokester and know way too much about movies but Gibbs had really seen him grow, as a person and as a agent. Every now and then though he still needed a firm slap on the back of the head from him or a slap in the face from reality. He was passionate about his job and way more so for this particular case. He still wasn't able to know how to channel it all in the right way causing more of a melt down than for him to be driven to accomplish what it was that needed to be done.
"Why are we all just sitting here? Why are you letting this guy have control? Why aren't we out there doing something instead of sitting in the freakin' squad room!" Gibbs says nothing but just stares the heavily breathing field agent in the eye. "Shutting up, boss," Tony finishes and sits down at his desk now aware of the several pairs of eyes that were on him. One of them being, of course, Director Vance who decided to make his way down the steps and turn right into the bull pen. He stopped in front of Gibbs' desk. Gibbs didn't look up, his glasses bearing eyes stayed focused on the computer screen and he just seemed to ignore the director.
"Agent Gibbs," Vance said in a way to get his attention but could also be clearly heard was the sound of annoyance.
"Leon," Gibbs says back to him in a condescending tone. Drawing his name out much more than necessary.
"Last I heard your team wasn't working on a case but from the sound of it you have something to brief me on."
Gibbs looks at him for a moment and then removes his reading glasses and stands up to meet the director in the eyes. "Nope." And with that Gibbs began making his way to the elevator.
"Agent Gibbs!" Director Vance says with demand clearly laced through his tone. "Where do you think you're going exactly?"
"Coffee."
"Wrong answer. My office, now." Gibbs walks back and does a stare on the director, who stares right back, and then begins making his way up the stairs towards the door marked "Director Vance." Gibbs walks right past Cynthia and, after learning from past experience, lets him go right in. He stands in front of Director Vance's chair and waits until the door opens once again and reveals a rather angry, yet still calm, director. "I know that you may be used to being the one in charge Agent Gibbs but that's not how it works when I'm the head of the agency," Leon says and pulls out one of his infamous toothpicks, placing it in his mouth and leaving the plastic wrapping on his desk. Gibbs looks down on the director who is staring expectantly up at him, as though he thought he would have something to say to that. Gibbs though, being Gibbs, remains silent waiting for Vance to continue. "I know that this agency didn't follow the rules. You didn't even follow the guidelines of the rules. Director Shepard was easily manipulated, something you took advantage of. You called the shots."
"On my cases," Gibbs says simply. Seems like maybe Vance should know a few of the rules, thirty-eight in particular.
You're in charge of your team, Agent Gibbs. I'm in charge of you; something that you need to begin to respect. Now, is there something you need to read me in on?" Vance asks but with a suggestive tone that made it sound much less like a question.
"Yeah, you've got something stuck in your teeth," Gibbs says and starts walking towards the door.
"Unless you wish to be relieved of your duties I suggest that you come inform me on the current case you're running."
"Personal."
"Then it should be handed over to another team or the FBI," Vance says and watches as Gibbs' hand retracts from the doorknob but remains in the same position.
"Can't do that."
"You sure as hell can or you can fill me in and maybe I can determine just how personal it is and whether or not it's necessary to pull the case from your team." Gibbs can't help but smile from the words the director had just said. "What's so funny, Agent Gibbs?"
"Jen wasn't the only one who is easily manipulated." And with that Gibbs exited the door. He half expected the director to follow him out but wasn't surprise when he had made it back to the squad room without him doing so. The three agents stared at him with expectant looks but Gibbs said nothing and just replaced his glasses on his face and continued what he had begun on the computer before. The squad room stayed silent for a few minutes before Ziva finally spoke, asking the question many of them had wanted to know.
"Is Director Vance aware of-"
"Do you think he would still be in his office if he was, Officer David?" Gibbs says in an obvious tone. Ziva gets up walking over to his desk, she stares down at him for a moment and he gives her an expectant look. "You got something to say?"
"Yes Gibbs, I do," Ziva says and Gibbs' expression changes from expectation to impatience. "I agree with Tony. We are going about this the wrong way. The technical stuff is important but there is only so much we can do in that area."
"What do you think we should do, Ziva?"
"Take action," she tells him simply.
"Can you do that?" Gibbs asks her.
"Yes," she answers with the slightest hesitation. "Yes." This time Ziva says it with pure determination.
"Okay, what do you think we should do?"
"Me?" Ziva questions, surprised that he is not telling them to grab their gear. He was asking her opinion? Gibbs was having her call the shots?
"Yeah Ziva, you. You know him best, you know the best plan of action to take," Gibbs waits, taking in her reaction, how she registers what he's saying. "If you can."
"Yes," she repeats again. "I can."
"And what do you think should be done, Ziva?"
"An ambush."
Both Tony and McGee look at her with surprise, "Like an attack?" McGee asks not bothering to mask his shock.
"What do you think we should do? Arrest him? Take him into custody? The most effective way to bring him down is to take him down. Literally," Ziva tells Tim. Meeting the junior field agent straight in the eye. "He will stop at nothing, McGee. Even if we could disable the bomb or trick him the night of the attack it will, in no way, stop him from finding another way at another time. He is stubborn and his mind is set up."
"Made up," Tony says receiving a glare from Ziva. Her expression softens though as she meets his gaze. She gives him a soft, half smile, a look that scared Tony greatly.
"Thank you, Tony...And I am sorry for back in Abby's lab." He nods at her giving her a counter smile.
Gibbs rolls his eyes at the exchange between the two. He decided to intervine before both them would be getting head slaps and an abrupt reminder of rule twelve. "Hey!" he says for the second time that day and they turn, their focus now fully on him. "You got a plan or what?"
"I do," she says peaking the interest of the team. "It could be risky though..."
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Discussions were a constant, plans were written down, ideas had been voiced from the whole team, and decisions had been made. Surprisingly as the day had gone on and the more progress had been completed the more alert and awake they were. Everybody's spirits brightened that there could actually be a solution to the problem, a healing to the suffering. The negativity lessened and there seemed to be a bit of a light at the end of the tunnel. they had planned there ambush for Saturday, the night of the dinner. Ziva thought it was only Michael and her father but she was unsure. If there was someone else working with her father on this sick project and they failed to take him out the consequences could be deadly. Ziva was sure that her father would have absolutely there while he prepared her for the dinner. Therefore they could take them down, all of them, and the end could be found. Of course there would be the messy aftermath on how to explain this whole affair but Gibbs had assured them he'd deal with the director. Ziva would rather deal with Director Vance than the angered group at Mossad. If Tony thought it was bad when she got angry...He wouldn't last five minutes with a group of pissed off Mossad officers.
"Go home," Gibbs suddenly says. It was 1900h hours and even though the day's cheerfulness had looked up his agents were exhausted; as was Abby but she had already fallen asleep on her lab floor. "Get some rest."
"Gibbs, are you sure?" Ziva asks not quite ready to leave yet. "There is still more that we could-"
"No," he says cutting her off. "We're done, Ziver. Go home, relax and be back here at 0700h hours tomorrow."
McGee's the first to stand up, well past ready to go home. He had been attacked with story ideas all day long and he was running low on post-its. A little jazz and some time with his typewriter sounded good. "Where you going in a rush, McTim?" Tony asks but McGee ignores him walking to the elevator and pressing the descend button.
Tony and Ziva both exchange a look before they also get up and make their way to the elevator. "Wanna meet your niece?" Tony asks and Ziva turns and smiles at him as they both walk into the elevator. Tony knew her response before she answered, he'd known before he had even asked. She was curious, still not quite over the shock.
"How old is she?" Did she meet her father before Ziva had... She had felt guilt before but now was much worse. She had taken a child's father away from her.
"Five, really cute too. She likes movies."
"Around you no one has any other choice than to like movies, Tony," Ziva comments. "In your story it is, like movies or be shunned."
"It's in my book, Ziva," he could almost swear she did it on purpose sometimes.
"I just need to be back before five this morning," Ziva tells him as he puts the car in reverse. "That is when Abby will switch my wires back to the actual feed." The twenty minute car ride is filled with the playful banter between the two and Ziva constantly telling him to go around the cars. The very slow cars. Tony pulls into Ducky's driveway and gets out, along with Ziva, and they climbed the steps up to the front door. Tony rings the bell grateful that Jeopardy! was on and Mrs. Mallard would either be watching that or already snoring on the couch.
"Ziva!" Ducky happily says as he opens the door. "It's good to see you my dear."
"You as well, Ducky," she replies.
"Hannah has been waiting for you since twenty minutes after you dropped her off, Anthony," Ducky informs him and Tony smiles at the comment. In one night that little girl sure had grown on him, definitely not the after effect he had expected. "Her and mother are in the living room if you would like to come in."
Tony takes no hesitation in walking past Ducky and into the living room where Hannah and Mrs. Mallard sat watching Jeopardy!...What appeared to be the same episode from the night before. He didn't have to dwell on the thought though as a small voice pulled him from his thoughts. "Tony!" Hannah exclaimed and jumped off the couch, running over to hug him
"Miss me?" he asks and lifts her up into his arms.
She smiles at him and nods. "Can we watch a movie tonight?"
"Of course!" he exclaims over-enthusiastically and receives a small giggle because of it. Ziva smiled at the exchange between the two. She could not believe how much the girl resembled Ari. She even had his smile, a smile which Ziva had not seen in much longer than the date of her brother's death. The small girl continued to talk to Tony, filling him in on her day, and Ziva was surprised at how comfortable she seemed with Tony. "This is your Aunt Ziva," Tony says and begins walking over to her, Hannah still in his arms. "The one who I was telling you about."
"I was your Aba's Achoti."
"You are Ziva?" Hannah questions her eyes filled with confusion.
"Yes, I am," Ziva tells her. What significance did her name have?
"The man who came me here said I should not meet you. That you are rah me'od," Hannah says and Tony recognizes the word before to mean 'very bad.' It reminded Tony that they still did not know why she was here. As far as they could tell she was just a kid who was related to Ziva that somehow ended up with them...Sent by Ziva's father...Who just so happened to be trying to kill her. A bit too coincidental and, as Gibbs says, there is no such thing as coincidences. "He said that you killed my aba."
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Wow it has been way too long since I last posted! I'm really sorry! Feel free to head slap me. I deserve it for taking so long. The past couple weeks have been crazy and alot of stuff has been going on not leaving me a lot of time to write. Things are slowing down now though so I should have more time. Anyways I hope the chapter was okay and the next one will be up sooner. I promise! Have a great day :)