And the plot thickens…
After dessert was finished, the plates cleared and washed, the inevitable conversation couldn't be put off any longer.
Gibbs started. "Abby, tell us what you found."
"Aww, Gibbs. Can't we just have a little longer? This has been so much fun." Abby whined. "We don't do this enough. And I hate that it takes something horrible to bring us together."
"Abby." Gibbs scolded.
"I found a print on the box with the severed head. When I ran it last week it didn't come up in any database. But when I ran it again this week I got a hit. It belongs to Adam Eshel."
Tony and Ziva both stiffened. The team knew that Adam had been Ziva's contact in Berlin, but they did not know about Ziva's night with him in Israel when she went to bury her father.
Their reaction did not go unnoticed and all eyes turned in their direction. "Who is this guy?" Gibbs demanded.
"Adam is in the Shin Bet, the Israeli Security Agency. It is Israel's Internal Security Service. Adam is 'Yamas', part of their special operations unit. It is basically the secret border police. Think of The Mossad as Israel's CIA, and Shin Bet as their version of the FBI. I can assure you that the print is not his." Ziva said confidently.
"Umm." Abby interrupted. "My results would beg to differ."
"We can't trust anything we find in any digital databases." Gibbs said as he turned to Abby. "You need to get a live print from him to compare to what you found on that box. The CIA is involved in this, and we know they're not beyond fixing results."
"It is strange that the hit didn't show up in my search last week. When I ran it again I got a hit almost immediately. It's hinky." Abby added.
"Well, we're all about to enter the twilight zone. I need you all to know that none of you need to be involved in this. In fact, I'd prefer you all stayed out of this." He turned to Jimmy. "Palmer, you're out."
"What!" Jimmy said in offense. "Why? You don't trust me."
"No. This has nothing to do with that. I am very proud of you, and this could blow your chances with Brina and your upcoming plans. Would you like to share the good news with the group? I think we could all use some good news."
Jimmy smiled. "Brina and I want to adopt a child. We just filed the application. It will probably be awhile until we get a child."
Abby and Ziva squealed and well wishes were exchanged by all.
Gibbs spoke directly to Jimmy. "What you're doing is more important that this. Family is everything. Any investigation, any red flags, will blow your chances at getting a child. You have one chance to make a first impression, and if you're declined they won't ever consider you two again. I won't have that on my conscience. You're going to be a great father, which means that you're out. Do you understand?" Gibbs asked him.
"Yes sir, and I appreciate you protecting Brina and I. If it were just me I'd be headfirst into this with you. But it's about Brina too. And if I'm needed you all know where to find me. I think I'll head up to bed now. I don't want to overhear anything." Palmer said with his best attempt at tact.
"You've got a huge TV in your room. And a DVD player." Tony told him. "I left you a few DVDs."
Palmer made his way up the stairs to probably call Brina and tell her how much her loved her.
As soon as he was safely out of earshot, Gibbs began. "Now it gets real. I don't think the print Abby found belongs to Adam Eshel. I think he's being set up to take the fall."
"Well," Tony said casually, "that's too bad for him. We all take a hit for the team once in awhile."
"Tony!" Ziva scolded. "That is beneath you."
Abby and Ducky exchanged quick glances. They'd definitely be discussing their theories of Adam's involvement later.
Gibbs continued. "Unfortunately, we might not have any control over this. The US government has fucked up big time, and some people will pay for it. We'll do what we can, but who knows what's already in play."
"So what do you know, Jethro?" Ducky asked. "What can we do to help?"
"Right now, what you and Abby can do is go to work and do your jobs. Abby, I need you to hold off on reporting the match print match. Don't disclose what you've found unless directly asked by someone who you have to tell. Also, don't look any further into the case unless you're ordered to. Act normal, and don't draw unnecessary attention to yourselves. I hate this, but I'm going to need you both later to help cover this up."
"Come on Gibbs." Abby asked bluntly. "Tell us what you know."
"I'm being used by the CIA, and the Attorney General to clean up their mess. Parsons' investigation was not by chance."
"Duh." Abby added.
Gibbs gave her a glare, then continued. "He was sent to take me down. At least that's what he was told. In actuality, he was sent to dig up dirt on us all that the government could hold over my head as leverage. I'd happily go down for this myself, but they won't just take me. They'll take us all. That's what they're holding over my head. They'll end all of our careers, even lock us up, or give us all a clean slate. All I need to do is take care of someone for them."
"Okay. Then just shoot the target and let us all get on with out lives." Ziva said simply.
"That's what I'd like to do. But they didn't go through so much trouble for an easy hit. They expect the full treatment. Evidence will need to be fixed, and autopsy reports fudged. And I have no idea how to find the target."
"Who's the target?" Tony asked.
"A royal fuck up by our own government. I know it's a man, and he's currently on US soil. I know he's Iranian. I do not have a name. I'm still piecing this together and I need your help. I know our government made a deal with him. The Attorney General gave him full immunity. That's why taking him out is such a big deal. The government will deny any involvement. They've been smart and they have full deniability of any connection with me. The severed head of Chad McBride is key. I'm working with his Commanding Officer, Captain Wayne. Basically, we're on our own. If I fix this problem for the government we're all off free. If not, we all go down."
"So," Abby stood up with a jolt. "Do we start now?"
"No." Gibbs said. "We don't. What we do is enjoy our weekend. We start on Monday. This weekend is for us." Confused faces stared back at him. Nothing ever stopped Gibbs when there was work to do: not weekends, hours, obligations, holidays, or even weddings. Gibbs smiled at the looks of shock. He continued to speak in a softer tone. "This is different. I can't promise we'll all get out of this. Maybe I'm growing soft as I get old, but my priorities are all if you. We can wait until Monday to start our investigation. What I can't promise is that we'll have this again, all of us together. It's Friday night, and we're in a beautiful house on the beach. You all deserve this. Let's make the most of it."
They'd all known how serious this was. Hell, Tony, Ziva, and Tim had resigned. They'd taken responsibility for actions by Gibbs that could bring them to trial. But to have Gibbs speak like this, and not to have let Palmer help, brought it to a new level. They all remained staring at Gibbs, looking for instruction.
Gibbs smiled again and relaxed his body. "Now everyone get to bed right away. I hear there's this thing people do where they relax on the beach." He smirked slyly. "I'm hoping one of you can teach me how to do that tomorrow. I hope it's not hard to learn, you know that saying about teaching an old dog new tricks. But I sure as hell am going to try. And now that I know Tony can cook I expect him to grill for us tomorrow evening." He winked at Tony. The faces around the table started to soften into smiles. "What the hell are you all waiting for? I said get to bed." He spoke in a playfully demanding voice. Then he pushed back from the table and headed upstairs. "I expect eggs tomorrow for breakfast." He called back to Tony and Ziva. They all smiled and got up to follow Gibbs' orders and head to bed.
After everyone was safely in their rooms for the night, Tony closed their bedroom door behind Ziva. She spoke without waiting for him to ask. "I have not spoken to Adam. I would tell you." Ziva walked up to Tony and wrapped her arms around him. She nuzzled into his neck and pressed herself against him.
"I believe you. I trust you, Ziva." He was sincere. She would have told him if Adam had contacted her. But the reintroduction of him into this mess was going to bring up certain things he'd rather forget.
"Are you going to dwell on this?" Ziva was concerned that he'd fixate on past events, playing out certain imagined scenarios in his head.
"I'm going to do my best not to." Tony promised.
"Maybe I can help." Ziva leaned back to smile up at him.
"How?" he asked, now intrigued and curious. Ziva let go of Tony and made her way slowly towards the closet.
"I would get your mind focused on something else." She teased.
"And what would that be?" Tony's mouth curved up into a smile.
Ziva stopped in front of the closet doors and turned her head around to look Tony in the eye. "Me." She stated bluntly. She smiled dangerously before turning back towards the closet, pulling open the doors, and disappearing inside.
"And how would you do that?" Tony called to her.
Ziva emerged from the closet with a handful of the ties they'd been planning on using before Bee, and her friends, popped in unannounced. "I was actually thinking you might want to do something to me. Something that I have never let anyone else do before."
"I could be interested in that." Tony's knees grew weak.
Ziva stalked up to Tony until she stood chest to chest with him, looking up at him with a coy smile.
"You've never let anyone do that to you before?" He asked, looking down at her beautiful smile.
"I have never even considered allowing anyone else to do this." She promised.
Tony groaned at the perfection of what she was offering to him.
"This is our night, Tony. I am so happy that our friends know." She paused before continuing to speak in a different, playful tone. "I do fear that I may be a bit loud. I do not want to wake our guests." She stepped back from Tony and flipped the ties into her other hand exposing the blindfold she'd concealed beneath them.
Tony's eyes changed when he saw what he held, but not how she'd expected them to. She expected lust to take over and gloss his eyes. But that's not what she saw. The kindest, most caring eyes looked down at her. They almost broke her heart right then and there. Ziva never thought any man would look at her like Tony was now: like she was the only woman in the world, like she was precious, like she wasn't damaged goods, and like he'd do anything for her. Ziva didn't think she deserved this happiness. But as he looked at her she started to believe.
Tony brought a hand up to Ziva's chin. He pulled her in and placed a soft kiss on her lips. He kissed her as gently as one would touch a Faberge egg. Then he pulled back and just smiled at her as warmth choked her insides. She held his stare until she thought her heart would burst. Then she launched herself at Tony. He lifted her up as she wrapped her legs around his waist. He carried her to the bed and placed her down, lying on top of her. He pressed his body into hers and she smiled as she felt how solid his cock had become. And he kissed her again. He kissed her like he could never get enough of her. Ziva pushed him back.
"I want you to do it." She told him boldly. She glanced at the ties that had fallen out of her hand onto the bed. "I am so hot in all these clothes." She teased him. "Could you help me with that?" Tony laughed at his little minx, and her cheesy words, and went to work.
Hi. Gibbs may have been out of character in some of his actions, but not in my story. This is fan fiction, and Gibbs loves his team. If they didn't know how serious this was before (which they all did) this shows that Gibbs can't promise they'll get out of this. (And we all know he's a softy underneath that hard shell).
I realized that I should have been much clearer about my new Damon story. It is not a Damon/Ziva story. I would never do that to Tony. What Ziva and Damon had in 'Jack Knife' was a growing experience for them both. There was never any question that Tony was the one for Ziva. In my new story, however, a significant section will have to do with Ziva telling Tony the truth about what happened between her and Damon. There shouldn't be any secrets between them. And maybe we'll see how much Tony's grown up (hint hint, wink wink).
The Damon story is his happy ending. I think of Damon as being similar to Ziva. So, if Ziva's match is Tony, then Damon's match could be Tony's female equivalent. And that's why I love my new Damon story.