Author's Note: Not sure I can post again before Monday but I managed to get this chapter done so here you go!
Thank you all SO much for the wonderful reviews! I have really enjoyed reading them! Celestrial Moon - loved how you went through every chapter! That was cool! I hope you enjoy this chapter :) Jde! Greeny! Kobert! Sunny! RubyDragon! Lana! Clesta! Tiva! Lori! MrsD! Mew! Juli! Beaj! Amore! Aquasm! Kaia! Stargate! Aliyah! Everybody! I just really wanted to say Thank you!
Ziva pulled her gun from its pocket as Gibbs and McGee raced back into the theatre. She looked to Tony and indicated her gun, "Go, I'm fine!"
Tony gave her a quick nod as he ran to the side of the building. Ziva turned to Abby and Ducky, "Keep everyone away from the body," and she wheeled closer to the side of the building Tony rushed down. She wanted to go, have his back but in this damn chair she was limited in movement and could get caught on almost any impediment on the ground. But she still pushed ahead and wheeled down with gun in lap, to make sure she didn't hear Tony in distress.
"Ziva," Abby called nervously, "You should stay with us."
"I am not far, Abby," Ziva whispered loudly back, "I just want to make sure Tony is OK."
Ziva pushed forward as she heard Tony's footfalls running behind the building. She heard movement above and looked up to see a figure jump to a neighboring rooftop. "Tony!" she yelled. "He's on the next roof!" The theatre was only three stories high as was the neighboring building.
Tony obviously heard her as he ran back to her location.
Ziva pointed up and Tony grabbed his cell and called Gibbs to tell him the suspect had just jumped to the west facing roof. They both looked up and saw Gibbs and McGee jump over in pursuit.
"You should have stayed with Ducky and Abby," Tony scolded as he grabbed her chair and turned her around.
"I am armed, Tony. I had to make sure that you were-"
Tony touched her shoulder and whispered, "I know, baby."
They returned to Ducky and Abby, who had pushed the spectators back and had already called 911. Tony grabbed his cell again and called Dorneget and told him to come down with Bishop and the MCRT truck. Ducky for his part called Palmer and told him to get the coroner's van down here too.
"Is NCIS going to take charge of this case?" Abby asked, "I mean, EJ wasn't an agent with us any longer," Abby lowered her voice and whispered, "she was CIA do we have jurisdiction?"
"Former NCIS agent will trump Metro's claim on the case and this was directed at us," Tony stated as he looked over at Ziva, "of that I have no doubt."
Ziva quickly turned her chair and pointed her gun at the bordering hedges when Gibbs forced his way past the foliage. McGee was right behind.
"Easy, Ironside," Tony said as he lowered his own gun. "No luck? He asked of Gibbs.
"Whoever it was vanished down the side of a building three west," Gibbs walked over to the body then looked back at Ziva.
"This was too specific," Tony said. Ziva could feel his anger and concern radiate off him. "But what the hell kind of message is this?"
Ziva reached up and took Tony's hand, she wanted to reassure him, "EJ angered the wrong people. But maybe it is over now?" Ziva said that on purpose wanting to calm Tony and the others but knowing it was probably the beginning of something.
"It is never that easy, Ziva," Tony muttered. "I need to get you out of here."
"Tony," McGee stepped up to them, "I'll get your car." Gibbs turned and handed him the keys Tony had given him earlier and McGee rushed off.
Gibbs crouched down by Ziva, "She was working on Cortez's leftovers?"
"Yes," Ziva nodded. "But I can't see how any of them would risk coming to the states or would care about...her."
"Somebody cared enough to toss her over that roof," Gibbs stated. "Maybe we should get you two to a safe house."
"A safe house would be hard on Ziva right now," Tony shook his head at Gibbs. "We'll be fine at home."
"Tony," Ziva looked up at him, "I'll be fine."
"You'll be uncomfortable at best," Tony said. "We'll figure something out tomorrow, OK?"
"I'll call Trent and find out what CIA knows," Ziva stated.
"Must we involve him?" Tony groaned.
"He was my handler, Tony. If this has to do with the Cortez case he should know," Ziva explained.
Tony's jaw clenched as he nodded to Ziva.
Gibbs rose and turned as the cops arrived and started to cordon off the area. He flashed his badge and made it clear that he was in charge of the scene.
"Mr. Palmer is on his way," Ducky said as he approached Gibbs after Gibbs had given the cops instructions.
"Dorney and Bishop are en route too," Tony added.
"Good," Gibbs nodded. "I don't want you two alone tonight. I'm coming home with you."
"What about the scene?" Ziva asked.
Gibbs looked over to EJ's body with a scowl on his face, "McGee can take lead on the scene."
"This is very disturbing, Ziva," Ducky said as he lay his hand on her shoulder. "I want you to rest and I will stop by tomorrow to examine you. I'd go home with you tonight if it wasn't for the body."
"I am fine, Ducky," Ziva patted the hand he rested on her shoulder. "Thank you."
They turned as McGee jogged up with the keys and extended them to Tony, "Are you two heading home?"
"Yup," Tony replied as he took the keys.
"I'm going with them," Gibbs said. "You have the scene McGee."
McGee nodded, "Good idea. Want me to pick up your go bag, boss?"
"Yeah," Gibbs nodded. "Thanks."
"Floor, front closet, right?" McGee asked.
Gibbs nodded as he pointed to Abby. "We'll take you home."
"Don't you want me working on forensics tonight?" Abby asked.
"No," Gibbs answered. "Get some rest start fresh in the morning."
"I feel like I should help," Ziva looked at EJ's corpse. She never liked the woman but she did not want this for her; she tried to warn her that getting involved in these type of missions was over her head. She craned her head up and looked at Tony, worried that he would take EJ's death hard. He was looking back at her - asking with his eyes if she was all right. Ziva squeezed his hand and smiled; he never gave EJ's body a second look.
"That's enough excitement for one night, Ninja," Tony kissed her temple, "Let's go home."
"No," Ziva said. "I think we should wait for Dorneget and Bishop to arrive, no?"
McGee grabbed her wheelchair arms and bent down over her, "Ducky and I will be fine. You go home and rest. But you guys owe me Napoleon's Guest House one of these days."
"Deal," Ziva said as she reached up and kissed him on the cheek. "Be careful out here."
"Will do," McGee smiled before shooing them away.
Gibbs drove Tony's car while Tony and Ziva sat in the back with Abby up front. They dropped Abby off first and Tony made a Gibbs chauffer joke that fell flat. The tension in the air could be cut with a chainsaw. Gibbs dropped them off right in front of the building and Tony didn't even bother unloading Ziva's wheelchair. He simply scooped her up into his arms and asked Gibbs to bring up the chair after he parked the car.
When they got to their door Ziva shook her head at Tony with a smirk, "Didn't think this out completely did you, DiNozzo?"
With Ziva in his arms, reaching the house keys was tricky. Ziva told him to hold really still and she reached into his pocket for the keys and tried to tease him. But the tension in Tony was hard to break. She unlocked the door and opened it and they went in. Tony kicked the door closed then started for the bedroom when Ziva asked him to place her on one of the dining room chairs.
"Why?" Tony peered quizzically at her. "It's late, Ziva."
"I want to call Kort; see if I can find out what is going on," Ziva stated.
Tony was reluctant but finally agreed and put her on the chair. A few moments later came the knock on the door. Tony let Gibbs in and Gibbs went about securing the place.
Ziva grabbed the phone they usually left by their computers and dialed Kort's direct number. Gibbs entered the dining room with them and she put the cell on speaker.
A few rings later Kort groggily answered the phone, "Ziva? Hello beautiful. You finally decide to leave that bum of a husband for me?
"Kort," Ziva started as she noticed Tony's glaring at the phone, "EJ Barrett is dead. I want to know what you know about it?"
"Barrett's dead?" Kort sincerely sounded surprised. "I talked to her this morning."
"Find out what you can and get back to me," Ziva demanded. "She was after Mendoza, find out his current location and let me know if there has been any international chatter coming from his camp."
"I'm heading to Langley now," Kort said. "Do you want to come in?"
"No," Ziva glanced at Tony, "I do not see the need. Just get me the information." Ziva shut the phone off.
Tony and Gibbs stared at her for a long moment. "Chummy with Kort huh?" Tony said.
"I am still CIA, Tony," Ziva gazed up at him, "I have established relationships at the Agency and Kort is one of them. He was my handler, I told you that. I was gone a long time, Tony, I had to work with others."
"I know," Tony said before leaving the dining room.
Ziva sighed and brushed her hands over the laptop keys.
"He just doesn't like to be reminded, Ziva," Gibbs took a seat next to her. "He doesn't want to think about the last year without you or what you were really doing."
"I understand," Ziva nodded. "But it is important I get the information on EJ quickly. I do not want Tony caught in any crossfire."
Tony returned with three glasses of water and set them on the table, "You aren't leaving my side again, Ziva."
"Tony," Ziva stared up at him, "if CIA confirms that Mendoza or someone from his gang was sending me a message-"
"I don't care if Cortez rose from the dead and brought Bin Laden with him," Tony's tone left no room for argument. "You are not leaving my side again, understand?"
Ziva nodded quickly, "Yes, Tony."
Tony picked her up and looked at Gibbs, "The sofa is a pull out. I'll get-"
"I don't need anything, DiNozzo," Gibbs smiled. "You two get some rest. I'll take care of things out here. Night."
Tony carried Ziva into the bedroom and set her on the bed before going back and getting her chair. Once he returned he closed the door and wheeled the chair to her side of the bed before heading into the walk-in closet to change.
"Are you mad at me?" Ziva asked as she put a pillow behind her back.
"Yes," Tony said from the closet as she heard him tearing off his clothes.
"I am sorry, Tony but I am just worried," Ziva took a deep breath, "I am worried something I did would hurt you," she couldn't help the crack in her voice as she thought about Tony being hurt or worse if EJ's antics brought what happened in South America to their doorstep.
Tony emerged from the closet shirtless and in bare feet and came to sit next to her, "After everything, Ziva, I never want to hear the words I did it to protect you. I hate those words. All I want is for us to stick together."
Ziva nodded and touched his face. "I love you...so very much, Tony. And something happening to you is the only thing I am truly afraid of.
Tony took her hand in his, "Guess what, Ziva? I am completely in love with you and losing you is a nightmare I can't live through again."
Ziva's eyes widened as she looked over at Tony, realization, true realization about what he went through hit her like a freight train. She pulled him into an embrace, "I am sorry, Tony. I promise I will not exclude you."
He held her tighter, kissed her neck and then they kissed; a sweet, slow kiss that had them breathless when they parted.
"The CIA," Tony said.
Ziva caught her breath and looked at Tony, "What about them?"
"I want you to quit," Tony stated flatly.
"I will, Tony," Ziva nodded. "But for right now it is best I keep my credentials."
"Why? Insurance? You are covered under me," Tony stated. "I don't see any other reason for you to stay credentialed with them."
"Access, Tony," Ziva started. "I can walk into Langley whenever I want. The call to Kort just now might not have gone so well if I didn't have my credentials."
Tony stared at her for a long moment, "Tell me about those ten months. How close did you get to Kort?"
Ziva looked at him and tilted her head as she smoothed her fingers over his cheek, "I was never unfaithful to you, Tony. Kort was always flirting but I only belong to one man."
Ziva saw and felt Tony relax but he still searched her eyes, "Thank you for telling me that but I still want to know what you went through; I want to share in everything with you."
"Tony, I do not dwell on these things," Ziva explained. "You know that about me."
Tony's anger rose like a geyser, he grabbed the headboard at either side of Ziva's head and leaned into her. He took a deep breath, "You've been hit too many times. You've been used too many times. And you've never opened up – you keep everything bottled inside. Who has been there just for you? Who has given you what you need?"
Tears welled in Ziva's eyes as she felt his anger, his love and his frustration. She touched her forehead to his and as her hands rested on his arms, "You," she said simply.
"No, I haven't," Tony pulled back, "I should have done more."
Ziva was surprised by the anger she felt he was directing at himself. "You did enough for me. You made me smile. You challenged me. You asked me to marry you, Tony," her voice cracked completely, "I wanted to come back because of you."
"You were ready to die when we found you in Somalia," Tony held her head, stared into her eyes. "I should have taken whatever anger you had for me and still forced you onto that plane! I should have-"
"Stop, Tony!" Ziva moved her hands to his shoulders, "All of that is over now. It is no longer of importance. We have each other."
"Are you mine, really?" Tony challenged.
"Yes," Ziva stared at him almost not understanding the question.
"Then tell me," Tony insisted.
Ziva leaned her head on his chest, "What do you want to know?"
"Everything," Tony answered.
Ziva was quiet for long moments. She listened to the rise and fall of his breathing then she nodded to herself.
"I killed Ari…not Gibbs," Ziva said as she pulled back and looked at Tony. She waited for a look of disgust or betrayal but none came. "I loved, Ari, but Gibbs had asked me to back him up. So I followed Gibbs to his basement and Ari was there. I heard all that was said from upstairs. I listened as Ari confirmed he killed Kate. I listened as Ari told Gibbs he hated our father and as he said he wanted to fight against Israel because of that hate. My father had ordered Ari's death. I took the mission not to kill Ari but because I believed he was innocent. But listening to him tell Gibbs everything I knew he was not. I chose to save Gibbs life at that moment. I killed my brother, a man I loved, to save a stranger."
"I know, Tony said to Ziva's surprise. "Gibbs told me a long time ago."
"Then you know the most significant hurt I have every experienced," Ziva said quietly. "Anything else does not compare or matter. The only other time I felt I could not breathe was the night before I left you to hunt Cortez."
"There is so much more," Tony said, "I want you to feel you can tell me anything."
"I do not want to relive those things again," Ziva played with Tony's fingers, "They were bruises that faded."
Tony nodded and kissed her before rising from the bed and returning to finish changing in the walk-in.
Ziva pulled her chair closer and moved over to it; she headed to the bathroom and washed up and managed to change into a nightie she'd left on the hook. When she returned to the bedroom, Tony was already in bed and she saw that he took the extra blanket off the bed; likely to Gibbs. She wheeled over to her side and smiled at Tony when he offered to help her back into bed but shook her head. She grabbed onto the overhead bar they'd installed and shifted to the mattress from the chair. She often felt like a mermaid must feel out of the water.
Tony had turned on his sports program but it didn't seem as if he watched or listened to what they were saying about this game. Ziva pulled the covers over her legs; she was exhausted but knew what Tony needed to hear. What would happen if she told him? Would he look at her differently?
"Saleem raped me," she said it low and fast.
It took Tony a moment to register what she'd said and he quickly turned off the TV. He looked over at Ziva, sat up straighter and pulled her into his arms.
"It was not often and he was the only one. For Muslim men it is a sin to be with a non-Muslim woman. Saleem would hate himself afterwards and talk incessantly about his goals," Ziva told him. "It was nothing, Tony. Simply something I had to endure. In Mossad, women of the Kidon are encouraged to have sex with a man who is not gentle. It is part of the training so that we can lessen the importance of those instances. I was an assassin, Tony, for my state. I only killed men who were killers. Which is what I did in South America as well. But in Saleem's camp I had so much time to think, so much time alone that I came to believe I deserved this punishment. That is why I was ready to die."
Tony let out a long breath, "You are the bravest woman I have ever known. I do not understand how a father can allow much less expose such things to his daughter. But I know you loved him."
"He was the only father I had, Tony," Ziva swallowed against the emotion.
"I know," Tony nodded. "I love you, Ziva, more than I can tell you. Nothing you tell me will ever diminish that; it will only deepen it. I want to protect you, I want to keep you away from all these monsters."
"You saved me from them and have given me more than I ever thought I could have," Ziva kissed him, felt him return the kiss with fervor, felt him hold her close and felt his love surround her.
Note: For purposes of this story I am saying Ziva killing Ari is not common knowledge among the group. I am not clear on how the show has approached this.