Well, I guess we don't have any 'Grimm' fans reading (the characters are part of the Portland Police Department). Oh well ...
Anyway, I am going to be extremely busy tomorrow and will not be able to post, so I am giving you the next chapter tonight. I will be back on Sunday.
Time marched on ... and another month passed. During which, Ziva would get something from the Priestess, either an envelope or a package, every couple of days. It both encouraged and frustrated her. She didn't know how much more she needed. The only indication she got was a note saying she would be contacted once the final piece was ready.
In the meantime, two more cold cases were solved and Vance had agreed to allow Team Gibbs to start acting as back-up to other teams. Right now, each one of them was helping a different team and Ziva had a funny feeling that Vance was thinking of reassigning them.
Her and Tony were just barely tolerating each other. Gibbs tried to keep the peace, but he was no where near as good as Tim used to be. Maybe it will be for the best to be reassigned ... at least until I can get McGee back.
Then the correspondence from the Priestess just stopped. Days, then a week went by. Ziva had a sinking feeling something had gone terribly wrong. She had no way of knowing if she was anywhere near being complete ... so she just waited.
Two weeks... then three ...
Ziva grew increasingly despondent as the calendar went by without any word from the Priestess. It was starting to affect her work. Even Tony noticed and tried to talk to her about it, however, she would just glare and storm away from him.
Ducky tried to help, even Vance called her into his office to explain herself. She didn't do a very good job. When she left, he thought it might be time to force Ziva to take some off.
Then, at the start of the fifth month from Tim's collapse, Ziva was sitting at home listening to some music and trying to center herself, when her land line rang. She slowly opened her eyes. She stared at it for a moment before scrambling to answer it.
"Hello?" She noticed her voice shook, with both trepidation and excitement.
~ "Ah, Ziva my dear. How are you doing?" ~
The Israeli smiled. "I am well, Priestess. And you?"
The wind-chime laughter came through the phone line. ~ "That is not what you really wish to ask of me." ~
"I do not want to be rude to someone who is helping so much for so little."
There was a pause which made Ziva worried she had offended the Priestess anyway.
~ "You need not humble yourself to me. I am glad that I could be of use to you. And I apologize for the long gap. The last incantation has been difficult to not only obtain, but also to translate." ~
Ziva's heart leapt at her words. "The last?"
~ "Yes, my dear. You're preparation is about to end and your journey being. However, ..." ~
"However, ..."
The Priestess sighed. ~ "However, ... the incantation ...it requires a blood sacrifice." ~
"Sacrifice?"
~ "Yes, I am afraid so. It requires the blood of an innocent." ~
"A child? I have to kill a child to make this work?" Ziva sat down on her floor, tears coming to her eyes. All this preparation for nothing! McGee would never forgive me if I ...
The Priestess' voice interrupted her thoughts. ~ "No Ziva, not necessarily kill ... you just need the blood." ~
"Are you sure?" She didn't want to get her hopes up again, she was barley holding herself together in light of this newest set back.
~ "I am sure. I reached out to many of my ... peers. We are all in agreement. Just the blood itself needed, not the death of the carrier." ~
Ziva sagged in relief. "That is good."
~ "It will still not be easy. Today, even children can be corrupt." ~
"I understand, Priestess." She could feel the smile on the other end of the phone.
~ "I am glad you hesitated at the thought of taking another's life. It makes me even more glad that I am able to assist you. You should receive the incantation in about two weeks." ~
"That will give me time to figure out how I will get my hands on the blood."
~ "I wish you luck, my dear Ziva." ~ The phone clicked as the Priestess hung up.
Now emotionally spent, Ziva brought her knees to her chest, rested her head on them, and just let her mind wonder. She didn't move for a long time. When she did, she was stiff and hurt all over.
She eased herself to a standing position. She decided to bath to ease her muscles. She used her Eucalyptus Spearmint Stress Relief bath salts. She settled into her bath water, slid down and submerged her self. She titled her head back so that her nose would still be above the water, but every other part of her was underwater.
Ziva purposely didn't think about anything, letting her mind empty. She stayed like that until the water cooled to an uncomfortable temperature. She then showered as she let the bathwater drain. Once her bathroom rituals were done, she crawled into bed and fell into a dreamless sleep.
XXXX
Ziva was back to her old self the next day. So much so, that those that had worried about her backed off of their concern. Although, Vance had decided to keep a closer eye on her.
The team was still acting as back-up, but now were all working with the same team, Agent Brooks'.
The days flew by and true to her word, the final spell arrived exactly two weeks from when the Priestess last spoke with Ziva.
As she read it over, Ziva knew precisely whose blood she would need to use. She also knew that she had to wait until her current case was finished before she could put in for time off.
She canceled all of her training, thanking each instructor for their time. At work, she became nearly obsessed with the case. So much so that all of her co-workers concerns came flooding back.
When, a week later, the suspect was caught, interrogated and confessed, Ziva nearly sprinted to the Director's office. She had to wait until he came back from a briefing in MTAC.
Vance walked in and eyed Ziva, she was practically vibrating with ... excitement? His curiosity peaked, he gestured her into his office. "Agent David, what can I do for you?"
She opened her mouth to respond, but stopped to get herself under control. She took a deep breath and started again. "I need to take some time off."
Vance raised an eyebrow at her. "Oh, really? What has brought this on all of the sudden?" Not that he didn't agree with her, but he wanted to hear her reasons.
Ziva, always a quick thinker, came up with an explanation. "I have felt ... oh, what is the phrase ... um, all over the place lately. After the Ford case, I found it hard to stay objective, which affected my work."
The Director nodded. "Yes, I noticed, but you seemed to pull yourself together."
"I did. I didn't wish to hinder my teammates efforts ... it was difficult ... I think I may have over compensated on this last case ... I still feel ... strung up."
"Do you mean, strung out. I'm not sure that describes you."
She shook her head. "No. I mean, oh what is the word ..." She couldn't think of it, so she just went with how she was really feeling. "As if, I had drank too much of Gibbs' coffee along with Abby's Caf-Pows."
Leon thought for a moment. "Wired. You mean you feel wired."
"Yes! That is it!"
He smiled. "I completely agree with you." Pausing to look at her, he let her stew before answering her. "I have to say, that no matter what you were going through personally, you didn't let it severely affect your work ... and I am proud of that ... thank you."
Blushing, she nodded her acceptance of his words.
"How much time do you need?"
Ziva cocked her head to the side, not really thinking about that part of it. "How much time may I have?"
"You are entitled to a month's sabbatical."
"Then that is how much I would like to take."
"Very well. I will have the paperwork started. Today is Wednesday, everything will be ready by Friday ... so that is how long you have to finish your paperwork and have everything ready for your TAD."
"Yes, sir. Thank you Director."
He nodded his dismissal. She nodded back and let herself out. She calmly walked back to her desk, ignoring the looks from Gibbs and DiNozzo.
"Everything alright, Ziva?"
"Yes, Gibbs."
"Ziva ..."
She sighed. I might as well tell them now. "I have asked the Director for some time off ... and he has granted it."
It was Gibbs turn to raise an eyebrow.
"I believe that I came back to work too soon, and feel that is starting to affect my work."
Gibbs started to say something, but his senior agent beat him to it. "So, you finally going to go see Tim?"
Ziva sat down, a soft smile coming to her face. "Yes, the time has come." She said very quietly.
Tony narrowed his eyes at her. He knew something more was going on, he wanted to grill her about it, but then he got an idea and shifted his plan.
The day ended quiet. Ziva, completed as much as she could, although knowing that she wouldn't get all of it done in one night. As she left, she nodded to the two men of her team.
The elevator door had barely closed before Tony jumped up to stand in front of Gibbs' desk.
Gibbs just looked up at him.
"Boss ... we need to talk ..."
XXXX
By Friday, Ziva became a clock watcher for the first time in her life - 1800 couldn't come fast enough. She thrust her work onto the new, fresh out of FLETC, Probationary Agent Ned Dorneget, and left the building as fast as her legs could carry her.
At her apartment, she finished the last of her preparations. She loaded everything into her car and completed brewing the last of the spells. She wanted to start immediately, but knew she had to wait until morning because the Loving Heart Family Care Center would think it strange that someone new was visiting so late. They would call Gibbs, then he would come, things would get complicated and he might try to stop her ... that was the one thing she couldn't let happen.
She tried to meditate to pass the time, but her thoughts were too all over the place. She gave up, deciding to take a long, hot shower instead. She went to bed early but found that she was staring at her ceiling. For the first time since her first mission as a Mossad agent, she was nervous.
I can't fail! No matter what! Tim deserves ... he deserves his life back ... the life I took for granted.
Her thoughts kept her awake for a long time. When she did sleep, she tossed and turned. By four in the morning, she gave up the pretense of sleep. She got up and dressed for what she believed would be her last day as part of the living world.