Author's Note: Hey guys, hope everyone's doing well. Hope ya'll enjoy the new chapter and I hope that I didn't make too many spelling errors. As for the dashes issue, must be causing that because I always put double dashes for pausing when I am typing it in my document file. It's started to piss me off here and there, but oh well...I can get over it. Also whoaaaa...did we or did we not see what happened between Gibbs and Ziva last Tuesday? That episode had Zibbs written all over it-oh...I am still squealing over it.

Also, I need to make a mention that Carry On is getting close to its end. I just want to mention it so nobody gets a slap in the face when I post a chapter and say, "Well this is the last of it guys!" lmao. Anyway, talk to ya soon-I'm off to get myself some Cherry Vanilla ice cream mmm...and I know I'm gonna crush some Lady Fingers on top of it, too because I feel like it...damn it. Ahaha...later days guys!-GEEK.

Chapter 35: Revisiting Terror

The warehouse is as it was; minus the bodies. The stench of blood and gore mixes in with the tiredness in the atmosphere.

Gibbs allows himself a moment to take a deep breath as Ziva and Tony walk shoulder to shoulder; steadily, into the ruins.

Blood stains appear soaked into the dusty floor; the attempt to clean up the crime scene is poor. There is one spot that catches her attention; the one where Lior took his last breath. Then another; Michael, the man she trusted and she possibly loved one way or another…and the third; her father…the man that created her monster-like strengths.

Tony swallows the sickness at the back of his throat. He wants to turn around and make a run for the open warehouse door, but his new-found strength keeps him grounded and focused.

"Spread out. Find something." Gibbs barks his orders with such coldness.

Tony instantly turns his neck and gives Ziva a look of mild resentment. He knows of his superior's need to help, but his delivery while doing so is something Tony finds hard to fully accept.

"He is right." Ziva almost whispers. "We need to find something, Tony."

He keeps her gaze; this act being something that makes something inside of her bounce around wildly.

Outside thick air clings to their skin; their clothes serving as a protection from the sun, but an irritation to their body temperature.

Tony works at ground level; his fingers digging through the dirty and creating dust all around. His clothes filthy; his face smeared with dust and sweat.

Gibbs works at plane level; his frame towering and intimdating as he nearly backs Ziva into the a wall of the warehouse with his voice alone.

"I do not know, Gibbs!" She shouts at him at him with the same force.

"That's not gonna help your teammate, David!" He barks; his head nodding in the direction of Tony. "It's your people who want to put him away!"

She grits her teeth and holds her tongue at his prejudice declaration; but inside her head she wants to extend her fist and swipe it across his reddish face.

"We are all in this, Gibbs. I do not believe that this entirely Mossad's fault!" She stalks away from him, but her mouth will not rest. "Their Director has been killed!"

The Marine's eyes light with rage.

Tony slowly rises from the ground; his hands filthy and finding their way on his hips. His ears are alert; perky and obtaining the verbal lashings of two people; one he cares immensely for and the other he sometimes wants to reach out for and…love.

"Your father stuck his nose where it didn't belong!" He manages to get out, but through a raspy voice. "He wanted to finish what he started when all I wanted was to get DiNozzo's ass and your ass back home safely."

"So what was the point in lying?" Tony interrupts their tiff to voice his own needs and wants for answers.

Gibbs fixes his gaze on his team leader. "…what the hell are you talking about, DiNozzo?"

"Ziva lied. You lied." Tony is direct and unusually serious. "About Ari's Death. I want to know whose idea it had been to lie." Gibbs opens his mouth, but Tony cuts him off. "Don't tell me it isn't any of my business, damn it, I've been through enough bullshit. We all have. Too many questions; we want answers damn it. I want answers."

"Ari was out of control." Ziva blurts before Gibbs can even find a direct and correct answer. "He was ready to shoot Gibbs. Gibbs was unarmed." She sighs. "A member of your team had already been killed…I could not let Ari take another one down."

"…why'd you lie, Ziva?"

"Because I didn't want to answer to my father." She admits. "If I would have told him that instead of calming my brother, I had shot him…I had killed him…"

A disgusting taste rises in the back of her throat and spills over her tongue.

She looks at him; embarrassed. "He would have sent someone to kill me."

A slight breeze blows past them; it is warm, but it creates a soothing feel to all of their painful, and open wounds.

"Of course none of that matters now…or when I returned to Mossad after…after…" She closes her eyes; her shoulders falling uncharacteristically. "I was in a different place then, Tony…I did not want to believe that I could exist entirely without my father…that I could be a better person without his approval…" She takes a step in his direction. "Do not hate me for what you could never understand."

His eyes give her confirmation for her request, but he does not make a move towards her.

Behind her slightly trembling form, Gibbs watches the direct connection between the both of them; causing something inside of him to tighten and to vibrate.

"Who's this Lior guy that you both mentioned?" Gibbs breaks their connection as quickly as he can.

"A dear friend."

"Mossad."

Gibbs eyes them both, then turns his attention more to Ziva.

"This friend leave anything behind that could help us help DiNozzo get off?" He asks calmly. "If Mossad found something, they'll never tell."

"Director Shepard had our people investigate the scene as well." Tony notifies him. "Our people turned this place upside down, boss."

"Yeah, but we didn't." He makes his point; then begins walking around the warehouse. "Anything could have been easily overlooked, especially out here. Keep looking."

"There's nothing out here, boss!" Tony calls after the older man, but does not succeed in stopping him in his tracks. "I've had it up to hear with all this dirt." He mutters.

Ziva smirks at his dingy state and agrees with a slight nod of her head. "You wear it well, Tony."

"Oh yeah. I'm sure it brings out my smoky eyes."

"…perhaps…" She says simply.

His eyebrow raises with interest. "…so you do find my eyes smoky?"

"…perhaps…" She says smily; this time with a small smile.

He makes a low grunt while pondering what she really means. After several seconds, he lowers himself to the ground and begins digging again.

"Stay close…" He calls to her.

"We're not targets anymore, Tony." She says sincerely.

"…don't ever be so sure, David." He holds her gaze once again.

The hotel room is dark; the man inside of it is lonely and chilled from his memories. His hand trembles with the remembering feel of the metal gun pressing into his skin; his grip so tight and demanding. His finger burns with the memory of the trigger slick against his flesh. His eyes burn at the brim with tears unshed; anger boiling through the blood in his veins. He grunts; he groans.

Gibbs' Senior Agent huffs while sitting on top of the surprisingly comfortable mattress as sweat cascades down his face, neck, chest, and back.

These are not nightmares; they are reality.