So, here's the next chapter. Bodnar showed up at Tony's apartment and interrupted Tony and Ziva's talk. How will they deal with him?


Previously on "Post-crash" Us:

...

It turned out it was neither. When she opened the door, she almost got a heart attack.

"Ilan?!" she gasped

"Ziva, I need to talk to you." He sounded desperate and he looked like hell.

...

"Who is it, Zee? If it's the Jehova's Witnesses, just tell them that - WHOA!" Tony stared at Bodnar, incapable of moving. A few seconds later, however, he reached for his gun, and pointed it at Ilan.

"What the hell are you doing here? Ziva, get back."

She made a step back.

"I need to talk to Ziva," Bodnar repeated.

"How did you know where to find her?"

"I tracked her phone." He looked at the T-shirt Ziva was wearing. "But I had a pretty good idea where to find her."

"Come in," Ziva said with a firm voice and opened the door a bit more.

"Are you serious? You're gonna invite a Mossad psychotic killer in my apartment?" Tony's voice was almost unnecessarily loud.

"He owes me answers. Your gun, Ilan. And the knife."

He handed her over his gun and knife and then crossed the threshold.

"I am so gonna regret this," Tony mumbled as he was closing the door.

"I am sorry about the crash," Bodnar said. "It should've scared you off."

"Yeah, about that," Tony glowered at him. "You owe me three ribs and a nose job."

"I think that wouldn't help you much," Bodnar said bitterly.

"Sit down," Ziva pointed his own gun at him. He sat on the couch.

"Why did you kill my father?"

"It wasn't my finger on the trigger."

"It was your order."

"It was in Mossad's best interest."

"How could you?" she shouted at him. Tony noticed her hand started shaking. "My father loved you like son, he trusted you!"

She thought she should just shoot him right there. No further questions. She wanted to watch him die; see the fear in his eyes, see the life leaving his body.

"That thing he was planning with Kazmi... It would ruin our country."

"My father wanted to help our country. He always did everything to protect it, even if it was against the law."

"Eli David was a powerful man. But the deal he was about to made with Arash Kazmi would destroy both nations. You have no idea what is going on in Israel. After you betrayed your people, Eli became very unpopular. Everybody knew about his friendship with Leon Vance. Then he secretly left his country to meet Kazmi in America. They would kill him anyway."

"Then why did you hire somebody to it here?"

"If Eli died here, he would be a martyr for his people, not a traitor. Israel is grieving over the loss of a man who fought for them. It is better if they remember him like that. That was the least I could do for him."

"Who do you think you are to make these kinds of decisions?"

"The Deputy Director of Mossad. At least I was at that time. Ziva, I know you are holding grudge against me, and I would understand if you killed me to revenge your father's death, but don't forget we used to be friends. You used to trust me and my judgement, just like Eli did."

"How dare you," she hissed. "You will rot in hell, Ilan."

Tony was standing behind her, not making a sound. He had his gun in one hand, the other hand in the pocket of his sweatpants.

"I will rot in hell, Ziva?" Bodnar smiled. It was not a pretty smile. "You are a disgrace to your country. The people mourning for your father blame you for his death. And, actually, they are quite right. You betrayed us for the Americans. Your father just wanted to bring you back."

"So that's the story they've been told?" Ziva tried to ignore his words, but they hurt her deeply.

Tony heard her voice tremble and he caught a glimpse of tears in her eyes.

"Okay, that's it," he said, made three steps forward and punched Ilan in the face with as much strength as his recovering body could muster.

"Tony!"

"What? He deserved it." He pressed his gun against Bodnar's head. "I think I have never been so eager to kill somebody. I guess it is true what they say about forbidden fruit."

"What do you know about Orli Elbaz?" Ziva asked.

"Just that she was one of your father's favourites."

"Is she behind any of this?"

"No. She has nothing to do with your father's death or your car accident."

"Then I know everything I needed. Stand aside, Tony."

He didn't move at first, but she looked so determined he obeyed.

Ziva came closer to Ilan, who was sitting still on the couch, with an unpleasant grin on his face. As she was getting closer and closer to him, she started pulling the trigger.

He didn't stop her. It was her choice, her revenge. He could help her cope with the consequences, but he couldn't interfere in a personal affair such as this one.

"Tony, call Gibbs. Tell him we get Bodnar." She didn't do it. She didn't kill him.

"They've made you weak, Ziva."

"No, Ilan. If I were weak, I would just shoot you. But you do not deserve to die. You need to face your actions and their consequences. I would do you a favour by killing you."

"Boss, any time!" Tony shouted all of sudden.

In the next second, someone broke the apartment door down and a bunch of people burst in the room, shouting. One of them was Gibbs. He looked at Ziva, still pointing gun at Bodnar.

Tony took his phone out of his pocket and hung up. "I called them the minute I saw him," he explained to Ziva.

She put the gun on the table and let the guys in black vests take Bodnar away. One of them took the gun and put it in an evidence bag.

"Are you okay?" Gibbs asked, looking at Ziva.

Ziva nodded and ruffled her hair. "Just a bit shaken."

"My arm hurts," Tony said. "But I regret nothing."

"I'm sorry for the door, DiNozzo," Gibbs said. "I can make you a new one."

"Don't worry about it, boss. I'm just glad there's no blood over my couch."

Gibbs smiled, took Ziva's hand and leaned towards her. "I'm proud of you," he whispered into her ear.

"You heard it all?"

"Yes, and he was wrong in everything he said about you. He deserved that punch," he looked at Tony. "You should get some rest now it's over," he smiled again and left the apartment.

"That was a hell of a punch," she said, looking at the couch.

"Thanks."

She remembered their previous conversation. "Before Ilan came, you wanted to say something."

"I still do, but I'd rather say it at some place that has door. I mean, that kind of door that can be completely closed," he said, trying to arrange the broken door so as it looked like it wasn't broken.

"We can always call Gibbs. He is good with wood."

Tony laughed. "Nice rhyme there, Ziva. So, I think that'll do before they come fix it, as long as no one comes in or out. I'm afraid you're trapped here for the night."

"I was not going anywhere," she smiled.

"You can have my bed."

"I think I will take the couch. You should get some rest, I will watch the door."

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes, Tony, I am sure. Go get some sleep."

"Fine. Good night, Ziva."

"Good night, Tony."

She wasn't tired much, so she decided to watch a movie, then she did the washing-up, made a tea, and just laid on the couch, organizing her thoughts, trying to convince herself that her father was deep inside a good man. He may have made many mistakes that she found hard to forgive, but she felt it was her duty to remember him as a good person.

The thinking sent her to sleep eventually. She had a dream about her father, and then about the crash. She woke up, gasping for breath, with her heart beating fast. This dream has come back to her almost every night. She went to pour herself a glass of water and as she was walking by Tony's bedroom, she opened the door a bit and came in. He was in a deep sleep, and she noticed a slight smile on his face. Suddenly, she felt stupid for worrying about him.

When he got up in the morning, the repairmen were already there. It was actually Ziva's phone, not them, what woke him up. Ziva made him a coffee and picked up the call. It was Gibbs.

"I need to go. Vance wants to talk to me."

That could mean two things. He could either want her to explain what happened last night and thank her for not killing Bodnar, or there was the Secretary of Navy sitting in his office, who wanted to

punish her and the team for not obeying the orders.

"Good luck."

"Thank you."

"Will you come back?"

"Do you want me to come back?"

"Well, there's not much food here," he smirked. "I'm just kidding. I would be glad if you came back."

She didn't say anything, just smiled at him, grabbed her phone and her gun from the table and left the apartment.


Will Ziva come back?

Will they be finally able to find the time to discuss their "post-crash" them, share their secrets and decide what to do next?

Your reviews make me write faster, so go ahead and tell me what you think (and if I should continue this). :)

Thank you!