Circumstances-8

A/N: Argh. Sorry guys. I think I have been watching too much of NCIS season one and two. I missed Kate too much, so I added a bit here for people who like Tate, cos they were my first ship in NCIS, and I owe them something3 I know that having a ghost in the story is SUPER cliche and I apologise for that:((

Disclaimer: consider this one disclaimed, but I will be back to get my vengeance! *dramatic effect as curtain falls* Now, can you imagine handing over a high ratings show to someone like me? Lol:)

Chapter 8 Half-Truths

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"You had something to show me, Abs?" Gibbs asked as he walked into his daughter's room where Abby, Tim, and Tony were waiting.

"Okay Gibbs. Tim managed to remotely activate your little device, and it's been tracking her every move since." Abby said, and pointed to Tim's laptop that was set up next to hers.

"After setting it up, I took the liberty of cross checking the places she visited very frequently, for example, the school." Tim clicked a few keys on his keyboard, and a log book showing all the places Ziva visited in the last five days came up. "I found that she's also been a regular visitor to our very own NCIS. I have camera proof that show her and an unknown individual entering and exiting the building at different days and times in the same week."

"Facial recognition?" Gibbs asked, he wanted to make sure it was her, before he made any conclusions.

"There was no need for that. She didn't wear any disguise, but her partner did." Abby answered for Tim, while Tony remained silent at the other side of the room. He did not want to out Ziva as a traitor, but the evidence against her seemed pretty convincing.

"Alright. Tony, go and pick her up, and make sure her partner doesn't follow you." Gibbs turned to Tony and instructed. "And...take Tim with you. You'll need to use the device locator to find her."

"Yes, sir." Tony replied, and walked off with Tim trailing behind him.

"Meanwhile, Abby-" Gibbs said and looked at Abby before he was cut off by her.

"Try and figure out who her partner is? Got it, Gibbs." She said, grinning obediently, to which Gibbs handed her a cup of Caf-pow. She grinned at him as he waved and left her to do her work.

###

"Tony. Hey, uh, I know this may be hard for you, and I just wanted to let you know that I've got your back whenever you need it." Tim said as he jogged to keep up with the older boy, who had longer strides that him.

"I'll be fine, McWorry. You worry too much, and you shouldn't, because it shows too much of your girly side." Tony said, and slapped the younger boy on the back playfully. Tim winced, but agreed that he should really stop using his mother's skin cream when she was not around.

"Okay. This looks like the place. The scanner says that Ziva should be right through those doors." Tim said proudly, at the success of his work.

Tony cocked his head at the building. "Uh, Probie, are you kidding me?" He asked. The building was an abandoned warehouse, and the only place still in business was the shady bar on the first floor. However, this small building was not in a good part of town, and the boys were almost certain that the abandoned floors served as drughouses.

Tony texted his father their location, just in case something went wrong. The two boys walked into the bar feeling quite walls were peeling, and most of the place was cleared out, making the place have a desolate feel. The doors were made of hard wood, and they were hard to get open. If it were another occasion, Tony would not have hesitated to make a funny remark, but this time, he pushed the door open himself and let Tim go in.

"You boys look lost. Do you need me to give you a ride back to school?"A deeply voiced man spoke up from the corner of the room. The rest of the people around him laughed.

Tim jumped slightly at his sudden voice, and Tony poked him in the back to get him to calm down. The man had a thick accent and seemed to be the one who ran things around there, because the way he spoke had a certain authority about it.

"Have you seen this girl lately?" Tony asked, signalling Tim to raise the photo he was holding. A seemingly younger man sitting at the end of the bar narrowed his eyes slightly. His face was hidden from them. "Who wants to know?"

"NCIS." Tim answered too fast. Tony immediately knew that was a bad decision, but he was too late to stop him.

The men suddenly got up and approached them as a group. "So, NCIS is now getting kids to do the grunt work eh? You must be quite valuable." He made a hand signal to the men standing behind him that Tony didn't like. "We need to ask you some questions before we let you go home."

The next thing they knew, Tony was glad he texted his father before they went in. The one thing he realised was that, he never got to see the ringleader's face before the lights went out.

###

Gibbs received the text from Tony with much surprise. It was unlike Tony to text him his location, so he got Abby to keep an eye on them just in case. When no more messages came, and no word from them was heard after over an hour, he got worried.

"Abby, I need you to trace Tony's cell." He said.

"That's a no-go Gibbs. His phone is turned off. Tracing the last phone call he made would not be any use, would it?" Abby said, her eyes were wide with worry, and her voice was filled with panic. She typed at the keyboard anxiously, but kept running into walls.

"Not that I know of." Gibbs said with a short sigh. "I've got to get down there."

"Be careful, Gibbs. I don't want to lose my brother too." The young girl said as she bit her lip nervously.

"Goes without saying, Abs." He said and drew her in for a hug before telling her to make sure her mother doesn't worry too much.

The first thing he wanted to do was to rescue the boys, and then he was going to head slap them into the next week.

###

Tony could barely even open his eyes. His body was aching and every breath he took, took more effort that the last, and soon, he didn't want to be burdened with the task anymore.

"You idiot. Were you that eager to see me?" Suddenly, he found the he could open his eyes and he saw a very irritated Kate sitting in front of him.

"Where am I?" He asked. He blinked, and saw the white washed brick walls that were surrounding him. He noticed that he wasn't alone. Ziva was lying on the floor next to his bed, asleep.

"She looks really pretty when she's sleeping doesn't she?" Kate said, when Tony's eyes drifted to her motionless form. "You know, she put up a hell of a fight to be allowed to stay with you. She finally fell asleep after everyone left the room for the night."

"I was just surprised to see her here, of all places! Don't insinuate anything." Tony argued. "And why are you playing matchmaker? Didn't you say you love me?"

"Tony, I'm dead. You need to accept that and move on." She said kindly. "I'm gonna wake her. You two need to talk." She moved over to Ziva's side by shuffling her body, which made Tony stiffle a laugh because it was so like Kate, to do that.

"I'm not gonna see you again, am I?" Tony asked, his expression turning serious.

"Hopefully not. Though seriously, you should learn to keep your mouth shut when people are threatening to kill you." Kate said, as she leaned over to Ziva and whispered something in her ear. Ziva began to stir almost immediately.

Tony looked at the vision of his best friend and wanted to say something, but she already knew what he was thinking. She leaned over to him and pecked him on the lips quickly, before explaining herself. "That's only because I know you will feel guilty when you kiss her for the first time, when you shouldn't. Oh, and Tony? Please tell Abby to tie her hair into pigtails for me!" With that, she disappeared from his sight, and his life, forever.

###

"Hey, Tony. Are you feeling okay?" Ziva asked as she sat up and rubbed her eyes sleepily. She hadn't fully woken up yet, but her mind was concious enough to recognize the shift in weight of the bed.

"I'm alright. Did Gibbs allow you to stay here?" He asked, quite dismissively. After all, he was still upset with her about the massive secrecy and her not telling them about her boyfriend. He could tell that her mood dropped considerably after his inquiry.

"Of course, Tony. Why would you think otherwise?" She said defensively. He saw her quickening change in demeanour from concern to anger, and changed the subject.

"Okay, forget about that. So, when did you get a new a boyfriend?" Tony asked. She look gave him a strange look that hid her true feelings so deep that he wasn't sure that he saw anything at all. "I met Michael last month." She said slowly, as if she was trying out his name for the first time on her tongue. She was telling the truth. They had only met in the last month, when her father sent him.

"I see." He didn't really have anything else to say on the topic, except whether she was happy with him, but he felt that she would think it was too personal a question for her to answer. Therefore, an awkward silence descended on the pair.

The situation dissipated when a knock came on the door, and Jenny came in, asking them if they needed anything. Tony shook his head, but Ziva took the opportunity to leave his room while they hadn't broken out into a fight.

As she descended the stairs, she was greeted by Abby, who seemed to be in a great rush to get away from somewhere. When she saw Gibbs waiting for her below, she knew what was coming. "Ziva, I need to speak to you." He said.

She sat down calmly next to him, as he looked at her with a mass of thoughts circling his mind.

###

"Tony! I'm so glad you're okay!" Abby launched herself into her older brother's arms and hugged him tightly. Jenny graciously stepped out of the room to give them their space.

At first, Tony couldn't breathe, but he managed to slide his arms around her after a bit. She pulled back and took his hand. "Come on, I need to show you something. I just told Gibbs what I've found, and he's NOT HAPPY."

They entered Abby's room and he saw an array of papers all over the place. "Wow, Abs. Been spring cleaning while I was gone?" He teased her as he picked up a random paper from a pile on her floor.

"No, silly!" She smirked, as she took the paper back from him, and stuck out her tongue at his offended expression. "Don't touch these! These are stacked nearly according to places, and those are listed in alphabetical order, and those over there, are listed according to people of importance?" Abby pointed to all parts of her room that was evidently divided into sections.

"I take it, President George Bush isn't in there?" He joked, as he glanced around the messy room that somehow had a form of strange order in it. "No, Tony. These are all facts pertaining to ZIVA'S case." His sister replied. When she turned around to retrieve a folder, he noticed the lack of hair bands present on her hair, and spoke up.

"Hey, Abby. I know it's been hard on you ever since Kate died." The moment he mentioned Kate, he could see the muscles in her back stiffen, but he pressed on. "You've been under a lot of pressure, and haven't been able to grieve properly. So, you're bottling up everything. It's not good Abs."

"Okay, first of all, I am at peace with her death,Tony. I may be bottling up everything, but it's because I can't handle any distractions right now. I promise, I will grieve when we have her funeral, alright? Because I need to focus on solving the case, and and-" She broke off with a sob, and hugged her brother. "I really miss her, Tony."

This time, Tony was prepared for it, and received and returned her hug properly. He stroked her head gently and she quitened almost instantly. He remembered doing this before when she was younger, and it had the same effect. It had been ages since he had actually felt like a big brother to Abby, even though she looked up to him.

"It's going to be alright, Abs." He whispered to her. She nodded weakly in understanding. He suddenly knew what to say to make her believe him.

"You know, Kate told me that she misses you a lot too." He said quietly, and watched as Abby's eyes grew wide. Abby stared at him in awe for a few moments. "Really?" She asked in disbelief.

"Yes. I met her twice! She even told me to tell you that she would like you tie your hair into pigtails again for her." Tony said, and noticed that Abby brightened up after what he said. He knew that she would be a believer in the supernatural after this, but frankly, she would probably have use for it in the future.

His sister scurried to a corner in her room and uncovered a bunch of black hair bands that were previously hidden under a pile of clothing. She held them out to him proudly, and he gladly tied her hair for her.

###

"Ziva, are you in contact with your father?" He asked.

"As expected of any daughter." She replied.

"Are yo- Do you know who Ari Haswari is?" He rephrased to question deliberately, because he had to tread carefully. She was as reactive as a bomb, if not asked the correct questions.

"Yes." She said.

"He is part of the gang who murdered Kate." He continued, waiting for her reaction to the way he asked his question.

She kept silent for a minute, before replying his statement after she realised he had asked a question. "Family always comes first."

"And those people considered family are just people tied to you by blood? You mean to say, Tony isn't a part of your family? Abby?" Gibbs pushed. He knew that family was her weak spot. Always had been. Out of the time they knew each other, Ziva had only mentioned her family once, and that was during a meet the parent session with the principal.

"..." She didn't offer a reply.

###

"So, what else did Kate tell you?" Abby asked as she sat on the bed, her previous intention to tell him something, forgotten. Tony hesitated, and he ran his fingers through his hair nervously. "Um, nothing much."

"Aww c'mon Tony. I haven't seen or heard from her in ages! Anything she said would be welcome, even if it has nothing to do with me." She encouraged gently. She expected that this was a touchy topic but she had the advantage because they were close.

"Well...she sort of told me she loved me." He said. Abby let out a short scream before she covered her mouth quickly, after remembering the situation downstairs.

"No way! I thought she'd never tell you. I mean, you two are perfect for each other!" She whispered as loudly as she could without shouting.

"Were, Abby. She's gone now." He replied softly, and started stroking her pony tails absent-mindedly. She sensed a shift in his mood, and suddenly remembered what she brought him here for.

"Okay, here's what I have." Abby picked up a folder from her table and pushed it towards him.

###

"Ziva, I want to trust you. You've been a family friend to us for a long time now, but you're not making this easy."

"Is there any other way to make it? He's family." She answered.

"I want you, to trust me to have your back, and I hope you will have mine too." Gibbs said, knowing that this way, she would understand his meaning.

"Of course, Gibbs. I trust you and Tony with my life." Ziva said, genuinely.

"But not with your heart." Was his come back that rendered her silent once more. She seemed to weaken slightly at that, but Gibbs didn't want to press the subject. Instead, he just got his coat, and walked off. He didn't even take his gun.

Ziva stared at the gun on the table. Before long, she picked up the gun and followed him. SOMEONE had to watch his back for whatever it was, that he was going to do.

###

Tony looked up from the folder with a horrified look on his face, to see Abby with her back facing him. She was facing the window, and had obviously seen something worrying. He climbed up next to her and followed her finger past the trees to the sidewalk below them.

Gibbs was heading off somewhere without his sidearm, and Ziva seemed to be with him, even though she was trailing behind.

"Abby, is this who they're after?" Tony asked as he held up the photo in the folder.

"Yes. He's the reason I'm doing my usual work like this, without computers. He has been tracking my work ever since the murder! His name is-" Abby said angrily. She had so much of her work stolen or copied by that guy, and was effectively encouraged to find his location and get him caught.

"Ari Haswari." Tony mumbled. He HAD seen him before. He was the angry Israeli that turned up one might at Ziva's. Abby turned to him, surprised at first, but then she figured that he probably already read on.

"Ding ding ding! You're absolutely right, Tony! Okay, now I managed to trace his location, even though it was tough tracing burnt cellphones, and guess where he is RIGHT now."

"NCIS?"

"You're getting cocky today." Abby smirked. "But yes, you're right, and I have a really bad feeling about where those two were headed."

Without much thought, Tony told Abby to activate the tracking device on Ziva.

###

Okay, so what did you guys think of this one? It was a bit far fetched at the beginning to me... But I don't mind the last few parts. I was partially satisfied, I guess:) haha but that's just me.

Do you guys consider this a cliffie? Wouldn't blame you for it, but more reviews would make me update faster all the same:) Any suggestions would be very welcome:D

Until next time,

~Lianna