Here is the next chapter. Thank you all for reading and reviewing. Enjoy

They hadn't talked to each other more than necessary ever since they left her father's house. He had received a couple of phone call from his team about the fire incident; they were heading the investigation but still had no leads. They had however, identified the body in the car as Saul McClain. McGee had provided him with the family's address, so not even for that did he bother Ziva. They arrived at the McClain residence, she was about to step out of the car but he took her hand, making her turn to look at him.

"I can do it Ziva. I can tell her as a police officer."

"No, I'll do it. Thank you." He nodded and they both got out of the car.

Ziva was dreading what was coming next, but she knew she had to do it. She had known Saul and Alice since she was a little girl. Her father had always made sure his daughters were present at company events and she always shared with all the employees. Saul, however always treated her special, she liked him a lot, probably because he never treated as a silly child and this led to her knowing his family pretty well. She was almost to the door when she realized Tony was not on her heels like he had been the whole day, she turned around and saw him standing by his car. His eyes were worried but he still offered her a smile and she returned it with a small one of her own. Somehow that smile gave her the strength she needed. She knocked on the door, after a couple of seconds a smiling Alice opened it.

"Ziva, darling so nice to see you."

"Alice, I need to speak to you."

"Sure, come on in." she went in and Alice closed the door behind her, she knew the hard part was coming.

The door finally opened and a red eye Ziva walked towards him. Her face showed no emotion. She walked straight to him. "I would like to go home now."

"Home it is" they both got on the car and no other sound was uttered. Tony didn't know what to think, one moment she was crying and the next she was so detached. They arrived at her building; Kate was sitting in the lobby. He knew she would be of course, but Ziva seemed surprised to see her.

"Ziva, you remember detective Todd."

"Of course, detective." She smiled at Kate, but tony knew it wasn't a real smile.

"Ms. David" Kate told her returning the smile.

"Ziva, Kate we'll be taking over now. You okay with that?"

"Of course detective" Tony knew she wasn't, for one her eyes looked hurt and second she had called him detective.

"Kate, call me if anything happens."

"Of course Tony."

Tony left and both women went up to Ziva's apartment.

"Detective make yourself at home. I am just going to turn in. it has been an exciting day." Ziva didn't even give Kate a chance to answer; she just went into her bedroom and closed the door.

"Sure thing" Kate said more to herself than anyone else. She was worried about Tony, more than she had been in the morning. When he looked at Ziva she saw something in his eyes she hadn't seen in a long time, love. After she looked around she settled in the living room and made a call. A smile came to her face when she heard the voice on the other end of the line.

"Gibbs"

"Hey it's me"

His voice softened and he changed his demeanor. Kate was the only one who could get him to loosen up. "You know calling me while you're working is not proper."

"Oh, please. Does that mean I shouldn't answer your calls when I'm working?"

"Of course you should, because during working hours I only call you to deal with work."

"Oh and how do you know I am not calling about work?"

"Because you said 'it's me' and not 'Todd'"

"Okay you got me. I just wanted to let you know I am already working."

"I guess you won't be invading my house tonight?"

"Sorry, I won't. But I promise to do it tomorrow." She could hear his laugh and it made her smile. She had been in love with Gibbs for some time now, and he made her the happiest woman in the world when he declared he loved her too. Suddenly she heard a crash. "Gotta go." She hanged up her phone and took out her firearm. The sound had come from Ziva David's bedroom. She slowly approached her door and was about to open it when she heard voices

"Was that your big plan, killing me" she recognized the voice as Ziva's.

"You don't understand, dear. I wanted to kill your escort." That voice was of a man with a European accent. She was torn between calling for back up, going in, or keep listening. She chose the later, hoping to obtain more information, because Ziva obviously knew this man and for some reason had been hiding it.

"You killed an innocent man"

"Collateral"

"You are cold Damian"

"Well the way I remember, so are you. Or have you changed?"

"You should know the answer to that better than anyone else."

"You are right my dear. I know you, very, very, much. Perhaps in ways that no other man has even known you before."

"Just tell me when and where Damian before I lose my patience."

"I wouldn't recommend that Ziva. I could get mad and accidently kill her."

"You wouldn't dare!"

"Oh but I would."

"I won't let you do it."

"Yeah, you and who else? Your boyfriend the cop?"

There was a silence and Kate heard an intake of breath, Ziva's she assumed. "You leave him out of this."

"Oh, yeah I saw you two outside your office. Very romantic."

"This is between you and me Damian."

"You are right. Let's forget about him for the moment. This is business"

"When and where. I will be there and so will the money"

"I am going to trust you Ziva. But if you betray me you know what will happen. You know no one is safe from me." There was another silence and then he continued. "Two days from tonight. Pier 23. See you then amore mio."

Kate had heard enough. She couldn't let him go. She pushed the door open and yelled. "Police, don't move." The man raised his arms while Kate pointed her gun at him.

"This is not the smartest thing Ziva." He looked at Ziva and sneered.

"Detective please, he's just a friend"

"Ms. David I heard everything. What I can't understand is why you are covering for him."

"You don't understand detective. You need to let him go."

"I am sorry Ms. David but I can't do that." Kate went to dial her phone while still aiming her gun at Damian. In a sudden movement he pulled a gun from his back. Kate saw the gun aimed at her and fired, for a second it seemed like time had frozen. Then she felt the pain, her gun seemed too heavy and let it drop. Her vision was becoming clouded and suddenly her legs didn't seem able to support her any longer, so she fell to the floor. She was having difficulty breathing, she felt something in her mouth, water?, no it was something else and it was hot, she looked at her hands and she saw the blood. She had been shot.

"What have you done?" Ziva was still in shock, one minute she was talking to Damian, getting close to ending this whole nightmare and a second later all hell break loose and detective Todd is in the floor bleeding from two gunshot wounds.

"Remember Ziva, Pier 23. This is your last chance. And make sure there are no cops or everyone dies." And with those words he left the room as suddenly as he arrived.

Ziva kneeled down by detective Todd, hoping to be of help to the wounded woman. She took the detective's phone and dialed 911, she asked for an ambulance and gave them her address then threw the phone on the floor, placing her hands in the detective's wounds trying to slow the bleeding. "You're going to be okay detective, the ambulance is coming."

The pale detective looked at Ziva straight into her eyes. Took her hands and said in a bare whisper, "tell Jethro I love him." She then closed her eyes and let go of Ziva's hands.

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