A shooting freezing ache engulfed her whole body. Her whole being was a mass of unbearable pain. Pain unlike anything she had ever experienced, she'd been tortured numerous times - the pain from that had been nothing compared to this. She couldn't focus on anything, she was cold, so cold. Her wrists were sore and bleeding, bound to a rickety wooden chair placed in the middle of a dank room full of leaking pipes. She couldn't remember the events that had led her to this, it was too cold for Israel, she'd been heading to the airport hadn't she? Her brain couldn't determine where exactly she was , the only thing registering was that she was hurting, her body was injured so badly that her brain couldn't process all of her injurys. She repeatedly kept trying to open her eyes more, all she could manage was a few seconds before they unwillingly closed due to the overwhelming tiredness that resided in her bones. She tried to unlock the handcuffs binding her wrists. It was a bad move on her part as a piercing pain shot up her arm, she bit down hard on her lip to prevent from crying out. However due to the cold she was numb, numb enough that she didn't realise she'd bit into her lip, leaving a crimson streak against ashen skin. The movements of her hands had jarred her broken fingers,this had reignited the fiery pain that now circulated around her hands. She couldn't think straight she was in so much pain, her body was traumatized, the mix of the cold and her injurys too much for her slender form to handle. The thoughts in her mind were not helping, they were jumbled and confused, all but one. Jethro. She loved him, he'd apparently not returned that love, she'd left and now she was were she deserved to be - alone and in pain with death quickly approaching. She knew she deserved this, despite the pain it caused her because she was not worthy of love, and the world and it's people just kept proving this point. As she wavered between consciousness and blessed darkness she thought she heard a door creaking open but then the darkness engulfed her, which at that point was a blessing.
Ari entered his sister's prison, pleased to see the state that she was in. He knew by just looking at her that death would surely be taking her, hypothermia had taken hold, her skin was ashen and ice cold. Her wrists were open and bleeding as a result of her thrashing around, bruises were formed were he had manhandled her and her hands were swollen, with finger bones at odd angles. The bone on her ring finger on her right hand had come up out of her skin. Excellent, considering the pain he would place upon her had only just began. The pain that both men who loved her would be able to view in a matter of mere hours. He had a camera in his hands, raising it up to his face he began cataloging her injuries. Snap snap snap. The sound of the camera rang out obscenely loud in the otherwise silent room, the pictures portrayed his sister in the dire light that was her slowly dyeing. Each picture perfectly captured the life leaving her broken pale form, ebbing away from reality as second after second she ddrifted further and further from life. With his pictures complete for now her stalked upon her still form. He gently stroked her cheeck, a sick thrill running through him as he felt the temperature of her skin. The brotherly way he was stroking her cheeck was at odds with the feral look in his eyes, shedding light on the deranged mind contained within. All of a sudden the gentle manner in which he had been touching her dramatically changed as he swung his fist into her face, the satisfying crunch of her nose pleasing him. Steady streams of blood ran down her face and over her already bleeding lips. He took a final picture before leaving the room, he had some emails that he needed to send...
Gibbs was in the bullpen, ziva hadn't turned up so he'd been forced to return upstairs. He looked up to see Vance descending the stairs, an almost urgent look in his eyes. He stopped in front of Gibbs desk. "We have a situation Agent Gibbs." The look on Vances face let Gibbs know that whatever this situation was, it was serious, his gut was furiously vying for his attention, something was wrong, seriously wrong and whatever his gut was detecting was something Vance already knew. Upon the directors directive Gibbs stood and followed what was essentially his boss into a secure conference room. "Eli yesterday informed me that his daughter was returning to mossad, ziva asked to be returned and as it was her decision I granted that request". Gibbs world tumbled down around him, ziva had left, left everything she'd worked for because of him. He shakily pulled up a chair as his legs could no longer support him, he'd not realised there was more until Vance continued " however ziva didn't make it to Israel, she wasn't on her flight and Eli hasn't heard from her, we need to know where she is Gibbs and why she's leaving us. She's a damn good agent and an asset that I'm not willing to let go so easily. Find her and get her back Gibbs". He didn't know how to proceed, why wasn't she on her flight if she was leaving, maybe she'd changed her mind, he could only hope this was the case because he didn't like the ominous way his gut was churning. "Right we'll head over to her apartment and work from there". "I don't like this Gibbs, not a bit, you find your girl Gibbs, whatever it takes bring her back". "Yes sir". With that Gibbs left the room intent on finding the women he loves, leaving Vance wondering not for the first tome if there was something more going on with his best agent and the resident ninja.
The boys were both exiting the elevator when a stern gear up ordered them right back the way they came. No words were spoken as Gibbs drove like a mad man in a direction that they all knew as the way to zivas - "boss" the unasked question hung around that one word spoken by tony. What's going on? Where's ziva? The unasked questions filled the air around th but Gibbs didnt fills them in, too intent on getting to hos lovers house and fiending answers. When they pulled up outside her apartment Gibbs was out the door and sprinting up the steps before Tony and Tim could even undo their seatbelts. As he ran up her steps the sickening feeling in his gut got stronger as he noticed a syringe on the steps. He ignored it for the tome being as he began knocking on her door,, when there was no answer he unlocked the door with the key he had being given by Ziva. Her apartment showed no signs of a struggle, the only thing out of place was an envelope on her kitchen island with his name written I'm a familiar scrawl. With shaking hands he slowly reached out and grasped the whire envelope, keenly aware that both agents were behind Jim watching in confusion. He opened the envelope to find a picture of the two of them together, they both looked happy, so obviously on love. He sensed both agents shock as they caught a glance of the picture. The boss and Ziva? When? But this weekend? The questions were going through both of their minds but they refrained from voicing them for a moment, intent on the photo that when turned over revealed a message. Tears sprung to Gibbs eyes as he read the note that Ziva had written him, tear splotches were evident, betraying the fact that she'd been crying as she'd written it. ' Jethro, I love you and know that I forever will. I understand that I wasn't what you wanted and needed but God knows I wish I was. I know you deserve better than me and after recent events I guess you've come to the conclusion that I always knew you would, I hope you find the woman you deserve and that you can love. Make the most of it when you find her, you deserve to be loved by a woman who deserves you. Forever and always z xxx. After reading the message he was in shock, why did she think she wasn't worthy of his love? He'd more or less confirmed it this weekend. Hos heart shattered as his agents looked on in shock, then the unthinkable happened. The great Leroy Jethro Gibbs cried.