Because I realize now I spoil you with so many updates and chapters all at once! ;) Here's another. Thank you all for the continued support! Can't wait to hear the reviews on this one!
Tony and Gibbs were both stunned at first to hear Ray mention Ziva's sister and then how quickly she appeared in the room with them. They could only stare at her now as she stood beside Tony facing Ray with her eyes clouding over with rage as she looked at him.
"Ziva, I want to speak with you alone." Ray's voice softened as she tried to manipulate her with his innocent tone that used to work on her.
"Tell me what you said I need to know about my sister!" She fired back with fist slamming down against the table and making it jump, not in the mood to be manipulated by him. "Did my father have her killed to?" She asked unable to wait for him to answer anymore and asked the question she feared the most knowing her father had killed both she and Ari's mothers to get better access to them for the program. She had feared the same fate for her sister.
"No, Ziva," Ray shook his head quietly with a sad expression to see the look in her eyes, "He did not have your sister killed." He answered and went quiet.
"Then what?" She demanded with her heart pounding.
Ray made a move towards his briefcase on the floor beside him and all three in the room with him tensed and moved quickly forward so he stopped, putting his hands up in surrender, "I just need to get something out of my briefcase. A file."
"Move slowly." Tony commanded not trusting the man for a moment, "Put the whole thing on the table." He demanded motioning towards Ray's bag so they could see what he was doing at all times.
"I'm not going to harm anyone." Ray shook his head moving slowly and doing what he was told, "I would never hurt Ziva. I love Ziva." He stated and looked directly into her eyes.
Ziva ignored the comment completely and shifted her eyes away, "What is this about, Ray?" She asked with tone softening. "What do you think I need to know about my sister?"
Ray pulled out a plain yellow folder and kept it closed on the table before him. His eyes shifting up to look at Ziva, "The truth."
"What truth?" Ziva's heart was pounding at what that could mean given what she'd already learned about her family.
"The truth about her life." Ray answered quietly and Tony grew tired of his cryptic answers.
"Enough with the cryptic fucking answers!" Tony yelled at him, sick of the man toying with Ziva's emotions as it was.
"Is she alive?" Ziva asked barely above a whisper with heart still pounding at the prospect and realizing that could be possible now given what they'd learned about her father and his project, and how Kia Kazmi's death had been faked to his family to better suit the program's needs.
"Yes and no." Ray answered with a sway of his head and tone.
Tony was about to come unglued, "What the hell does that mean?"
"It means that there is a great deal of information about her life that you do not know." Ray fired back, "And I'm trying to explain it if you will let me speak without interrupting us, Agent DiNozzo!"
"Then speak." Tony pulled back with heaving chest and icy tone. "Explain and quickly as I'm tired of these games you're playing with Ziva."
"I'm not playing games with her. I'm trying to tell her the truth. I'm here to help her and protect her!" Ray fired back with his own hand balling into a fist. "My own life will be in danger once I tell her this."
"What do you mean?" Ziva asked immediately with knit brows only finding her heart starting to pound faster with that knowledge and the fact he still hadn't given her a clear answer as to whether or not Tali was still alive.
"It means I am here against better judgment. About to reveal Highly Classified information without authorization because I love you, Ziva and I want to keep you safe." Ray looked at her with pleading eyes to believe his motives. "Bodnar is going to set a trap. I don't want you to walk into it blindly!"
"What kind of trap? How?" She asked feeling her mouth going dry.
"With someone he knows you love and will come for. He knows your heart is your greatest vulnerability." Ray's eyes went straight to the visible scar on her chest peaking up though the neckline of her shirt, "Not just physically now…but emotionally. Your love for others is your greatest weakness." He paused, "He will use that against you."
"What do you mean? What does this have to do with my sister?" Ziva asked in rapid-fire question having never thought of this before as a way for Bodnar to harm her, "Are you saying he is going to use Tali against me? Is she alive?" She waited only a beat for him to answer and then grabbed him by the front of his shirt with both hands in fisting the material, "Is she alive?" She nearly shouted at him.
"No." Ray answered shaking his head, "No." He repeated and felt Ziva's hands relaxing against his clothing and letting him go, "Tali is not alive."
"Then what does this have to do with her? How can he use her against me?" Ziva asked not understanding and her heart pounding so loudly it was near deafening in her ears.
"Tali was a twin, Ziva." Ray answered and watched her eyes widen considerably and pull back as if shocked, "You have another sister."
"Who?" She asked near breathless with heart so loud now it was nearly screaming in her ears.
"Your father had her taken away at birth, your mother was told the other baby had died." Ray continued to explain, ignoring her question.
"Who, Ray?" Ziva demanded the name shouting at him with her eyes turning coal black to hear of yet something else her father had done.
"Liat." Ray answered quietly.
Ziva inhaled sharply feeling the air sucked out of her lungs and unable to breathe.
Tony and Gibbs eyes widening considerably and mouths dropping open as well.
Malachi didn't wait for the invite before he stormed through the door wanting answers himself with pounding heart.
"What do you mean, Liat is Ziva's sister?" He grabbed Ray's already rumpled shirt and hauled him up from the chair. "How is that possible?"
"Get your hands off of me and I will explain." Ray demanded in an icy tone and Malachi slowly let go. "He knew your mother was having twins. They were both aware. It was around the time your father began developing the training program for his own Elite Assassins project which I know you are aware of. He'd already begun to train Ari and knew that you would also be put into the program Ziva. In studying the test subjects, they began to realize that the earlier the candidate began their training the more successful they were. With your mother having twins, it presented your father with the opportunity to use one of those children as a test subject for this theory. To have her placed with another family and raised separately so that he would have complete control over her life and training."
"But she has a family. A mother and father…" Ziva countered through ragged breath trying to process what she was hearing. "She doesn't look like Tali." She reasoned trying to believe this was just another lie and manipulation as the reality of it hurt too badly at the severity of another manipulation.
"They were Fraternal Twins, Ziva. Tali favored your father's side, like you and Liat more of your mother's. The family that volunteered to take her in and raise her as their own were both former Mossad Assassins who believed in the program as well, at least at first." Ray tried to explain.
"What do you mean?" Ziva asked unwilling to wait for answers.
"They fell in love with her and after hearing of your father's plans to begin her training at such a young age, they didn't want to lose her." Ray answered quietly. "They refused to cooperate after so many years."
"My father had them killed." Ziva answered realizing what must have been the repercussions for their changing their minds. "That's why only Liat survived."
"Yes." Ray nodded, "He made sure she was playing at a friends house the day of the rocket attack. In a safer portion of the building where she wouldn't be harmed."
Ziva exhaled a long shaking breath with tears welling in her eyes and heart pounding.
Ray flipped open his folder and spread the photos out in front of him. "He documented every aspect of her life, Ziva. Making secret arrangements with Liat's family, that every six months since their birth, to have Tali and Liat meet and with you too. He wanted you to be raised as friends and then eventually when you were older, told the truth after your training, that you were really sisters."
The photos were of two newborn babies lying side by side, and then sitting side by side at around six months old with a toddler Ziva smiling proudly behind them with an arm holding onto each, and another of all three of them at a year old, on the twins first birthday it appeared. The photos continued on this way taken every six months until their 8th birthday and then just stopped."
Ziva was wracking her brain looking at the last photo, she had been twelve years old standing next to both girls. Both clearly looking exactly like Tali and the other very much like Liat. She tried to remember this day. It was a picnic of some kind at the beach and she vaguely remembered her father's introductions to another little girl that day. Vaguely remembered them playing in the ocean. The images that came forth in her mind only induced more tears as her hand trembled to reach out and pick up the photo.
"This just can't be." She shook her head with raining tears, "How could he do this?" She thought of her poor mother, to be told her baby had died. Something that must have been so tragic she'd never spoken of it again, at least not to Ziva as a child. And to Liat, if this were true… to be taken as a baby by your own father for the purposes of raising a project. Her heart skipped a beat with the thought of what he'd already done to her, to Ziva and how he had called Liat up, to replace her on the Kidon Unit. Of his reaction that day in the Synagogue to see she and Liat fighting. "I don't believe it," She shook her head hard that this must just be another manipulation. One she couldn't afford to believe right now.
"I assure you it is. A blood test will confirm what I have said, Ziva. Liat is your sister. Your full sister." Ray argued trying to reach out and touch her arm in comfort.
"Liat's not here yet." Ziva answered immediately with eyes flashing to Tony, and heart still pounding with adrenaline, "But Abby has her blood on file down stairs from the pregnan-" She stopped short suddenly realizing what she was about to say and who was in the room standing right behind her.
"The what?" Malachi asked stepping forward speaking slowly with eyes widening, wondering if he heard that correctly, "Abby has her blood on file for what purpose?"
"Nothing." Ziva shook her head turning to face him and mentally kicking herself for letting her emotions get the better of her in that moment and reveal Liat's secret.
"You were about to say pregnancy test, Ziva. Weren't you?" Malachi asked with a hard tone knowing she was purposefully holding back now seeing the look in her eyes. "Liat is pregnant?" He asked with thought suddenly snapping together rapidly with this information, "This is why she wasn't drinking at the parties? And why she wants to resign from Mossad, yes?" His heart was pounding to think about it.
Ziva refused to answer and just stare at him, causing Malachi's eyes to shift to Tony who had the same non-reaction and then Gibbs, who only looked at him as well.
"I will take that as a yes, as none of you are denying it." Malachi answered feeling his gut start to knot inside with the information. "Does Asa know?" He asked suddenly wondering if the man knew she was expecting, "Why is the engagement off if she is pregnant with his child? Does he know?" He asked again more forcefully and angry with Asa in that moment for not stepping up to take care of Liat and his child.
"You need to speak with Liat. I will not comment on this." Ziva finally answered swallowing hard and not knowing what to say, she stalked passed him. "I'm going to have Abby run our blood to see if there is a match." She announced to Gibbs on the way by and received his permission with a head nod.
"I'm going too." Tony suddenly stood to follow her out not wanting Ziva to be alone. His mind was trying to wrap around this new information and felt his own heart pounding with fear and anxiety and something else he didn't know…perhaps a little excitement over the idea that Ziva wasn't alone anymore. That she still had a sister. One she'd already begun to form a bond with and get close to.
"Well, I'm coming too." Malachi turned swiftly not about to be left out of this situation any more, still trying to process it all as well, feeling completely blindsided.
Gibbs nodded at them all, "I'll stay with him." He nodded towards Ray, keeping his eyes on the man he didn't trust at all. Hoping to that this wasn't another sick manipulation as Ziva had already been through enough.
"This is why you were all so cold to me and so protective of her when I was last here. You all knew she was pregnant!" Malachi huffed in realization as he, Ziva and Tony rode the elevator down to Abby's lab together.
"Mal," Tony began and immediately felt Ziva's hand grab his and squeeze sending a silent message. He turned his head slowly to look into her eyes and saw the silent message. She needed to get to Abby first and warn her not to say anything and Tony needed to stall Malachi for a moment. He squeezed her hand back once that he understood. The elevator doors opened just after and Ziva stalked out quickly first.
Tony put his hand against Malachi's chest to keep him there a moment, "Mal, calm down." He began slowly trying to stall him. "Take a few breaths. I know this is shocking. Okay."
"Why didn't you tell me?" Malachi fired back feeling overwhelmed to not know this information and an intense amount of pain he never expected to think of Liat having another man's child. "You should have told me, Tony! I thought we were friends."
"I am your friend!" Tony fired back and then knit his eyebrows, "At least I think…" He pondered that realization a moment having never actually declared themselves as such, "The point is…this was not our something to tell, Mal! This is her personal life. Who she tells what is her business! If she didn't want to tell you, that's her right! We weren't going to go behind her back and tell you."
"This is why she said it was too late." Malachi fisted his hands into his hair, feeling like he was going to have a panic attack with all the emotions running through him and memories. His mind going over every detail of his last visit just two weeks ago.
"What are you talking about?" Tony asked seeing the man losing it in front of him with the news.
"I told Liat that I loved her. The night you proposed to Ziva. I told her that night I loved her." Malachi answered speaking quickly and feeling tears welling in his eyes and trying to blink them back, "She told me it was too late, Tony. She told me to leave her alone and then walked away." He shook his head, "She was pregnant with Asa's baby…that's why she said it was too late. I was too late… God! Why didn't I tell her sooner!" He fumed and spun in a circle, "Argh!" He held back a scream and balled his hands into fists of anger at himself.
Tony felt like he was being punched in the gut to hear Malachi, first confess that he'd finally told Liat he loved her with actual words only to hear that she told him it was too late. And then to hear the man losing it before him now, believing she'd said that because she was pregnant with another's mans child. And he was now blaming himself for not telling her sooner that he loved her.
Tony swallowed hard wanting so badly to tell Malachi that wasn't the case. That the baby was his with Liat but he couldn't do that. He couldn't betray her trust when this was her decision to make. "Just talk to her, okay?" He offered the only thing he could and hoped that some how they'd find a way to work this out. "She'll be back soon with McGee and E.J. You can talk to her then. But you've got to be calm, Mal. You can't be all crazy and out of control around her or there's no way we're going to let you anywhere near her." He warned feeling especially protective of her right now given everything that was happening.
"I would never hurt her, Tony!" Malachi seemed extremely offended.
"I don't think you'd physically hurt her, Mal. But if you lose your temper and hurt her emotionally right now that's just as bad. She's already got a lot of her plate with everything else happening! The last thing she needs is you coming down on her too!" Tony defended his own stance, willing to take a punch from the man if it meant Liat would be spared the fallout.
"I will be in control of myself." Malachi answered trying to calm down realizing what Tony had said was true. Liat did have a lot of information coming her way if this thing with Ziva turned out to be true. Her life had been one enormous contrivance since birth and that was going to be enough of a shock to deal with from that fallout.
"Abby!" Ziva nearly ran into the lab, screaming over the music. "Abby!" She called out again and then grabbed the woman scaring her.
"Ziva! My God! You scared the hell out of me! What are you doing?" Abby asked turning down the music and feeling her heart pound, slightly pissed off to be startled so suddenly and then took note of the look on Ziva's face, "What's wrong? What's wrong? Did something happen to Tony? Did something happen to Gibbs? Oh my God!" She gulped grabbing Ziva by the shoulders and shaking her, "Did something happen to Timmy and you're not telling me?"
"Abby, no!" Ziva answered grabbing her shoulders in turn, "Calm down! I have to speak quickly. Malachi knows that Liat is pregnant but he has no idea the baby is his! We have to keep it that way! You cannot tell him! Understood?"
"Okay, yes but why? How did he find out?" Abby answered startled and confused.
"I have no time to explain fully, just don't give him any indication that the baby could be his! Don't tell him how far along she is either or he may figure it out! This is her secret to tell, not ours." Ziva's heart was pounding as she spoke quickly.
"Then how did he find out she was pregnant?" Abby asked with eyebrows narrowing.
"I spilled the greens." Ziva confessed and waved her hand angry at herself and stepping away. "I did it! Okay!"
"It's spilled the beans, Ziva." Tony corrected her coming in from behind the door with Malachi just behind him and everyone tensed.
"What is this about?" Abby asked looking at the three before her and feeling more tense then ever at keeping this secret standing before the man now who looked completely frazzled.
"C.I. ex-Ray," Tony began deciding that was the man's new nickname, "Is upstairs. Just happened to be here to drop a little bomb that Ziva's sister Tali…was in fact, a twin."
"Oh my God, really?" Abby couldn't believe it and looked rapidly from Tony to Ziva.
"Yes, really. And not only that she was a twin, but that the surviving twin is in fact our own Little Ninja…Liat." Tony further explained and watched Abby's mouth drop open in shock, refusing to even blink. For the first time he could remember, having stunned her speechless. "Abs…" He tried prompting her. "We need you to run Ziva's DNA against Liat's in the system. You still have it, correct?"
"Yes." Abby finally answered with a slow head nod, still in shock. "And your father's." Her eyes flashed to Ziva's.
"Go ahead, then, Abby." Ziva spoke slowly feeling like her world had been shifted off its axis to hear Tony repeat the story they'd just been told.
"Okay," Abby nodded and turned back to her computer. For once, completely quiet as she pondered this information and thought it through. "Does Liat know any of this?" She finally asked.
"I don't know." "No." Came simultaneous answers from both Ziva and Malachi.
"She would have told me something like this if she'd known, Ziva." Malachi stated with certainty. "Especially when we were working for your father…she would have told me."
Ziva nodded softly, believing that was true and taking his word for it.
"So how did this happen then?" Abby asked as the machine began to process the three separate strands of Genetic Material. "I mean, how does your sister just become your sister? Is this like in the movies where these twins are separated at birth or how did this happen?"
"My father." Ziva answered as if that were sufficient for any explanation.
"What did he do?" Abby asked turning to face Ziva with fear in her eyes at the answer.
"He told my mother that the other twin died at birth. Sent her instead to live with a Mossad family that volunteered to raise her as their own." Ziva answered quietly swallowing hard and feeling disgusted.
"But why?" Abby couldn't fathom why anyone would do this to their own child.
"He was using her as a project. Grooming her to be one of the Elite Assassins. He wanted complete control over her, I guess." Ziva shrugged deeply, crossing her arms over her chest and feeling bile rising in her throat.
"That's why her name was on that List." Abby answered quietly making her own connections. "After you," She looked at Ziva, "You were her big sister…if it worked on you…" She couldn't finish. The thought of what Ziva had endured in that torture camp at the hands of her father was too much. And now to think, he was personally grooming Liat, another daughter, for the same kind of conditioning was just too horrendous.
Tony and Malachi both swallowed hard, making that connection along with Abby and finding themselves sick to the stomach.
Abby's computer began beeping, signaling the results. She turned around quickly and exhaled sharply before turning back to face Ziva, "It's a 100% Genetic Match…all the way around, Ziva. You and Liat share not only a father with 100% certainty, but also your mother." She gulped seeing the immediate tears welling in Ziva's eyes. "I'm not sure whether to say…I'm sorry," Abby felt her own tears welling at not knowing what to say or do, "Or to wish you a congratulations that you have a sister…and that it's Liat."
Ziva inhaled a sob with Abby's words and was immediately engulfed into a tight hug as Abby held on tightly. Ziva returned the embrace, staring over shoulder once again to see the flashing green light saying 100%. Again, she felt as though her life had been spun off it's axis and her knees felt shaky. She wasn't sure how many more revelations from her father's treachery and lies she could take. First the camp and his control of her life, and then to Kevin …a half brother conceived for this same project and now…a stolen sister; one that she'd already come to care about a great deal and now to learn they were actually family was mind blowing.
"We need to tell Gibbs." Tony spoke quietly looking at Ziva with sympathetic eyes, realizing they needed to move quickly on this while they still had access to Ray for questioning. The man seemed to have all the answers they needed.
Ziva nodded and pulled back from Abby, "Thank you." She gave her a small smile.
Malachi, Tony and Ziva found the elevator again and rode back up in complete silence, each processing this new information.
Gibbs hadn't said a single thing to Ray, just remained standing in the corner with his arms crossed over his chest and glaring at the man. With head tilting back and forth occasionally studying him. Ray hadn't said anything to him either as both waited for news.
The door opened suddenly and Tony filed through first, then Malachi and finally Ziva, the one Gibbs looked to for confirmation.
"He was telling the truth. Our DNA is a 100% match, Gibbs. Liat is my full sister." She spoke out loud for the first time and swallowed hard, finding her mouth going dry with the information.
Gibbs nodded and reached for her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze with a head nod and holding her eyes that it was going to be okay. "I've got this." He spoke softly and nodded towards Ray. He knew that she was in no condition to deal with Ray and so he would ask the questions.
"Tell us…everything you know." Gibbs took the seat Tony had formally occupied, speaking his quiet voice and studying Ray closely; fingers reaching out to spin the photos of Ziva with her sisters.
Tony's phone began to buzz signaling an incoming call and Gibbs shot him a death glare for having it on.
"Sorry Boss," Tony quickly apologized scrambling to shut it off knowing the rules about interrupting Gibbs during interrogation. He'd forgotten to shut it off in their surprise at Ray's arrival. He hung up on who was calling trying to quiet the noise and saw that it was from McGee. They were going to call once they'd picked up Liat and were on their way back. He figured he didn't really want to answer it given what they'd just learned and let someone tell Liat in person, rather then him bumbling trying to hide the truth and only making it worse. He'd done a rather bang up job of that trying to mask the surprise of the engagement and had already ruined McGee's party. He didn't want to make the same mistake again with something as important as Liat's life.
Nearly the moment his phone was put away, another phone began to buzz and this time it was Malachi earning a death glare from Gibbs for the interruption.
"I'm sorry." Malachi apologized looking at his phone and then brows narrowing, "Isn't this one of your numbers?" He asked showing the number to Tony standing beside him, not recognizing the full number but enough of the area code to know it was local.
"It's McGee." Tony answered recognizing the number and realizing it must be important if he were calling Malachi. "Let me answer it." He motioned the phone over and everyone stopped to listen. "Hello?"
"Tony?" McGee's voice came through with clear surprise, "Why are you answering Malachi's phone? I just tried to call you."
"Yeah, we know, Probie, we're still having a friendly chat with C. -Ray and your calls are a bit disturbing. You know the rules-" Tony rambled on feeling all eyes on him.
"Tony, just stop! Put Gibbs on!" McGee ordered and surprised Tony.
"Why? What's going on?" Tony straightened hearing something in McGee's voice and the way he'd been so harsh with him.
"Just put him on, Tony! I don't have time to explain!" McGee ordered again with agitation.
"Okay, okay," Tony relented and quickly handed the phone over to Gibbs, "Said he needs to speak with you."
"Did you tell him we're kind of busy?" Gibbs asked already feeling agitated himself over all the disruptions this morning.
"Yeah, it sounds urgent." Tony answered calmly and saw Ziva's eyes flash wider with the statement.
"Yeah, McGee," Gibbs answered the phone, "What's going on?" He asked with all eyes on him.
"She's not here, Boss." McGee sighed looking around the airport with E.J. beside him and both feeling the same nerves and high anxiety, "Her bags arrived…we pulled them from the luggage carousal but Liat's not here. We've been looking since we got here."
"Did you page her?" Gibbs asked feeling his own heart starting to pound and a foreboding feeling taking over.
"Yeah, Boss. We're having her continuously paged with no answer. She's not here or if she is, she's not answering." McGee kept looking around hoping to see her in the crowds.
"Maybe she just missed the flight." Gibbs offered feeling sick to his stomach and wanting there to be an easy answer. "Ziver, check your phone. Did Liat call you?" He looked at her speaking in a calm voice not wanting to alarm them.
Ziva scrambled to get her phone out and looked at the call history. "No, nothing. What's going on, Gibbs?" She asked with pounding heart.
"McGee," Gibbs ignored the question and turned his attention back to the phone, "You stay there. Keep looking. We'll work on this end and call you back. Let me know if you find her." He added softly and saw Ziva's eyes widen beside him.
"What you do mean, find her?" Ziva asked the moment he clicked the phone off and handed it back to Malachi who was looking as upset as Ziva.
"She's not there. Her bags arrived but they can't find her." Gibbs answered quietly, trying to be the calm in the storm he felt rising.
"Liat is missing?" Malachi asked choking on his words and feeling panic in his heart.
"I tried to warn you." Ray spoke up catching their attention and shaking his head softly.
"Warn us of what?" Ziva lunged for him, grabbing him by the shirt and slamming him out of the chair and back against the wall, "Where is she, Ray?" The man's timing was always impeccable with chaos.
"That he would use your heart against you, Ziva. He's setting his trap. Don't fall for it, please. I'm begging you." Ray pleaded softly with her, seeing the fire and tears in her eyes.
"Are you saying that Illan has taken Liat?" Ziva asked with voice shaking in horror at what that could mean and why.
"Yes," Ray nodded speaking quietly, "Please, Ziva. Do not fall for this. He is using her for bait and knows you'll come for her. It's what he wants!" He tried begging and Ziva let him go quickly, stalking out of the room and gone in a flash with Tony following quickly behind her.
"Ziva, wait!" Tony called out to her as she picked up her pace racing down the hall. "Ziva!" He finally caught up with her and grabbed her arm, whirling her around. "Just wait!" His own heart was pounding with fear and terror for Liat and for Ziva and for what this all meant now that Bodnar was making his move.
"She's my sister, Tony!" Ziva finally cried out sobbing with fallen shoulders on emotional overload, "And he took her because of me." She cried knowing what the man was capable of having been responsible for directing her torture in breaking her. Having just recently shot her in the back and sent flowers to poison her. Her heart was surging with overwhelming anxiety and terror to think of Liat alone with him. "My God, Tony! The things he could do to her." She cried and Tony pulled her into his chest tightly.
"Shh, Zi. We're not going to think like that, okay?" His own heart was pumping with fear and trying to blink back tears.
"I have to find her, Tony. I have to." Ziva held him more tightly, clinging to him as her body shook trying to hold back sobs.
"Not alone you don't!" Tony answered quickly feeling a new surge of terror in his heart that she would do exactly as Bodnar wanted in her desperation to protect Liat and go after him alone. "We're going to find her. Okay? We're going to find her together?" He kissed her head and held her more tightly, "Promise me, Ziva…promise me you won't go after him alone no matter what happens. Promise me." He added more sternly trying not to panic with the fear of losing her again.
"I promise." Ziva answered in a soft whisper and held back cry, "We have to find her, Tony." She couldn't stop the tears, "We have to find her."