AN: For those that like to know, this bit of the story was written to four different songs if you want to listen while you read. The first is "Breathe Me" by Sia; the second is "Deliver Me" by Sarah Brightman; and the third is "The End" from The Dark Knight Rises Soundtrack; and the fourth is "I Love You" by Sarah McLachlan. I will let you know when to start them :) I'd also like to thank you for the many wonderful, insightful, heartfelt reviews from yesterday's chapter. That one was especially personal and touching to me as the scene Julia describes to Tony about saying 'Goodbye' to her mother as a child, is my own. So thank you for the love, encouragement and support! ROE fandom is the best! - Wild
"Damn it!" Katherine cursed through held back emotion, "When she heals people she takes on their injuries but if she doesn't have enough energy left to heal those injuries in herself, she will die!" She paused to seemingly gain control over her emotions. "Tell me exactly what you are seeing? Does she have external wounds? Is she bleeding out externally? Blood loss is the biggest concern."
"No ma'am," Gibbs shook his head looking over Julia's form, "It seems to be all internal. She has blood seepage from her mouth and nose mostly." He swallowed hard watching Julia.
Julia crawled her hand over her own chest choking back the blood in her mouth and found the locket around her neck, she wrapped her fingers around it and let out a gasp before her eyes closed.
*Breathe Me (repeat)
Ziva was shrieking with cries and sobs of "Julia! No!" over and over holding the woman's head in her lap. "You can't die!"
"I am assuming the helicopter has dropped the gear?" Katherine's voice was now completely like stone, all emotion locked away as she heard Ziva's cries and what she was saying.
"Yes, ma'am." Gibbs answered looking over at the large black bag.
"Open it. Put the harnesses on, link up to each other and deploy the balloon. Your ride out is coming in less then five minutes." Katherine instructed and Gibbs snapped his fingers at McGee to open the bag.
McGee moved quickly and started pulling the harnesses out. Each was already labeled for the person in the correct size and started tossing them in each person's direction. He paused and swallowed hard when he reached in and found the last labeled, 'Julia' and beneath it, a large canvas black back that was folded. When he pulled it out, they all sobbed again to reveal what it actually was…a body bag.
"Boss?" McGee choked back tears holding up the bag while everyone stopped putting on their harnesses to see what this meant.
"There's a body bag in with the gear." Gibbs relayed Katherine with a sinking feeling, Julia had hoped for the best, putting her own harness in there, but prepared for the worst with the body bag.
"There is a homing beacon in her Mother's Locket around her neck. Press the center stone." Katherine instructed, "Put Julia in the bag...and leave her under cover nearby." She paused pulling in her emotions once more as her voice cracked, "Get your team ready to go, Agent Gibbs."
"You want us to leave her body here?" Gibbs asked in disbelief and the other's eyes widened in horror.
"Yes, Agent Gibbs. These are Julia's instructions. I will send someone in immediately for her." Katherine's voice was like ice as she turned whatever she was feeling into anger, "I will take care of Julia…you take care of your team, or this is all for nothing!"
"With all do respect, ma'am," Gibbs countered looking at Julia's body in Ziva's arms, "I am not in the habit of leaving my people behind!"
Katherine was quiet a long moment, "Does she have a pulse?"
Gibbs reached forward and pressed his fingers to Julia's neck through the ooze of blood and soot. His heart sank, "I can't feel one." He answered quietly. "I'm bringing her home."
"She wants us to leave her body behind?" McGee asked walking slowly forward with the harness and bag for Julia in his hands seeing Gibbs end the call.
"Julia wants us out of here, safely. Her instructions." He sighed looking down at the beautiful blonde's face and snatched the harness out of McGee's hands, "We're a team. We don't leave anyone behind." He answered resolutely, "Ziver, get your harness on. Our ride will be here shortly." He instructed Ziva as he quickly and carefully took Julia's body from Ziva's lap. Trying to untangle the harness and slide her body into it.
Tony watched with wide-eyes the scene before him trying to understand what happened.
"DiNozzo, get your gear on." Gibbs ordered him seeing him just sitting still beside Julia's body as he secured her into the harness, "Tony!" He snapped his head quickly to the side tinged with anger when Tony hadn't moved, "Get your damn gear on!" He yelled maybe a little more then he should, he realized in trying to control his own emotions staring down the glittering necklace with colorful jewels on Julia's chest. Her Mother's Locket according to her own mother, Katherine. The stones were birthstones of her babies and the last thing she clutched with consciousness. His heart was pounding thinking about the now six orphans waiting for her back at home.
Tony snapped out of his state and looked at the black harness McGee had thrown by his feet. Everyone else was rapidly snapping theirs' on. He looked from them, to Gibbs snapping one onto Julia's body and then back at the body bag beside them.
"I don't understand what happened." Ziva was crying looking down at Julia and seeing the blood trails now from her nose, mouth and eyes that had once been seen in Tony.
"Katherine said whenever she heals someone she takes on their injuries. If she doesn't have enough energy left…she can't heal them inside her." Gibbs answered now standing and trying to secure his own harness, pausing mid-buckle to adjust a twisted strap on Ziva's. She was too upset to notice. "She knew what she was doing, Ziver." He added softly holding her eyes and palming her cheek. "She made this choice to save Tony."
Ziva let out another sob and Gibbs quickly kissed her forehead, "Come on. We need to get Liat out of here and back to safety." He tried to focus her attention back on what they could do. "Liat needs you, Ziver." He held her eyes once more and tore her attention away from Julia's body lying on the ground to Liat who had passed out and was in Malachi's arms as Asa adjusted her harness.
Tony suddenly realized what had happened. He remembered running through the corridor and the sounds and then nothing. He'd been hurt and Julia had healed him, taking on his injuries instead. She had saved him at her own expense.
"Come on, Tony. I'll help you." McGee had finished his own harness and stepped forward seeing Tony still standing there in shock.
Tear tracks were evident on McGee's face as Tony looked at him, "She saved me." He finally spoke.
McGee nodded helping to put Tony's harness on and Tony grabbed his hand, stilling it as it were on his shoulder in a moment of anger and emotion with tears welling his eyes as he looked from Ziva kneeling in the dirt, still quietly sobbing now dressed in her harness and stroking the hair back on Julia's forehead.
They could hear the distant sound of a plane coming and Gibbs yelled, "Hook up!" He pulled Ziva up to stand and latched his harness to hers with the length of nylon cable and snap, securing it quickly as everyone else began to do the same.
"I've got her." Asa stepped forward quickly, picking up Julia's body and holding her upright with chest against his own while Gibbs and E.J. worked to secure them together and then to the rest of the group. Malachi was doing the same for the unconscious Liat and finally Gibbs pulled Tony in to hook up as well.
"Everyone hold on." He commanded and snapped his goggles down over his eyes and the others did the same; then deployed the balloon once they were all standing in a row with tethers secure.
In an instant the giant balloon inflated with a beacon light soaring high into the sky with their connecting cable and they held tightly to the handles of nylon on their shoulder harnesses. The plane flew in low right over them and hooked the balloon and rapidly, one by one they were lifted into the night sky, flying away from the fiery ashes and explosions of what was left of the compound.
Tony looked up through blurry eyes of tears at Ziva above him on the tether, looking down at him and then to Asa below Tony and at the very bottom of their tethered chain flying over the night sky, the limp body of Julia, hanging only by the harness around her chest and torso; the pale blue moonlight illuminating her face with her head fallen back staring up at all of them, if only her eyes were open.
They felt themselves moving towards the plane with a winch and slowly, one by one, they were pulled inside by the crew. The man they knew as Benji extending a hand to each and helping them unbuckle as they came in the door and then froze, with falling facial features to see Julia's limp form as the last to come up. He didn't say anything as he pulled her inside and then unhooked her. The crew closed the door to the smaller aircraft and Benji slid Julia's body onto the floor space between the rows of seats facing each other. He bent over and kissed her forehead and then stood, helping Malachi and Asa slide Liat in next to Julia on the floor and start an IV in her arm.
Everyone had stopped crying as they listened to the loud roar of the planes engines that drown out all the sound, and simply stare with fixed gaze at Julia's still body lying between them on the floor.
Benji moved to the front of the aircraft and spoke with the pilots, picking up a phone and was speaking with someone though they couldn't hear what was being said. He looked back at Julia's body between them on the floor once and then turned away again. When he hung up the phone, he walked back towards them.
"We're flying straight back to Kabul." He yelled over the engine roar, "I'm to put you all immediately on the plane and turn you back around towards London. Secretary Thorne is already waiting there."
"She's already there?" Gibbs asked yelling back in surprise to hear this information.
Benji nodded, "She said Julia told her yesterday to meet you on the return flight in London. She just landed right before you called her, Agent Gibbs."
Gibbs sighed and leaned back against the planes bulkhead, staring down at Julia's body and shaking his head softly. "She knew." He said out loud and then eyes flashed from Tony and back to Benji. "She knew this was going to happen. Damn it!" He cursed sighing deeply and scrubbing his hands over his face.
They flew the entire distance in silence. Ziva had found Tony's hand beside her and held it as they both remained staring at Julia's face, processing all that had happened. Malachi was leaning over, holding Liat's hand from where she lay on the floor the entire flight, not saying anything either as he look from her face to Julia's and back again repeatedly. E.J. was leaning on Asa's shoulder as they both look at the two women before them on the floor. The shock and emotional exhaustion didn't wear off even as they landed and were immediately boarded back onto Julia's jet.
"You should arrive in London in about seven hours. Secretary Thorne will have a vehicle waiting to pick you up. She wants Liat to be seen immediately at a secure hospital." Benji informed them, helping to secure Liat into one of the comfy leather chairs. She was still unconscious and her condition given all that had happened was a concern even if she were not in grave danger. Exhaustion, dehydration, malnutrition and shock were her biggest concerns.
Gibbs nodded, "What about Julia?" He asked wondering what was to become of her body.
"She's being sent on another flight." Benji answered quietly and extended his hand, "Take care, Agent Gibbs." He nodded softly and stepped back, motioning the pilots to go and then disappeared out the door.
This time when they found their old seats again, all eyes were fixated at the now empty seat in the front of the plane where Julia had been.
No one spoke or said anything. There wasn't anything to say. Liat was safe and with them now, on her way to medical care and then home. Bodnar and his threat, was gone and it was surreal that it was really over but this was no occasion to celebrate, only reflect on all that had happened to bring them to this point. The exhaustion as their adrenaline wore off finally kicked in and everyone fell asleep or passed out when they couldn't fight it any longer.
Ziva was the first to wake and slipped out of the seat beside Tony carefully as not to wake him. Her eyes welled with tears as she looked down at him and then dropped a light kiss to his cheek. She was so grateful he was alive and unharmed; Ziva inhaled a sob at how close she'd come to really losing him and then thought of Julia. She covered her cries with her hand and moved towards the bathroom in the back of the plane to clean up.
They were still in their black battle gear with ash and soot covering them. When she looked at her face for the first time in the bathroom mirror she stare for only a moment, seeing the tear tracks through the black smudges and the smears of dried blood from both Tony and Julia and finally, she let go and cried.
Her mind flashed through all the moments of finding Liat, the relief and confusion in her eyes and the disbelief it was real; her fragile looking state and then to her goodbye with Tony in the circular room. The fear in his eyes even then at their parting; everything that Illan had said and the adrenaline surge as Julia lit up the compound into mass inferno exploding and falling around them and then Tony. His lifeless body being brought out of the rubble and then Julia's last words of, 'Damn you, Tony' before laying her hands on him and taking on his injuries before collapsing beside him. She sobbed even harder stripping her dirty clothes off and thinking of Julia's beautiful children, their sweet inquisitive faces and to the two tiny newborns who weren't even a month old yet. Ziva turned on the water in the planes small shower and let the hot water cascade over her face, washing away the grime and blood and tears as she cried for what was found and what was lost.
Tony had woken when he felt Ziva's lips against his skin and listened closely with eyes closed as he heard the water in the back bathroom turn on, muffling her cries but not drowning them out. He waited for as long as he could and then moved, tears building in his own eyes and not knowing what to say or do, he slipped into the bathroom with her. He could see her form behind the frosted glass shower door and began stripping his clothes, tears slipping quietly down his own cheeks as he heard her crying softly and opened the shower door, sliding in behind her.
Ziva turned to face him and looked up into his beautiful green eyes, filled with the same sadness, relief and anguish that she was feeling. Neither spoke as Ziva lifted her hands to Tony's chest and a small sob escaped as she ran her fingers over the lone lingering scar on Tony's body. All others had been healed and gone, as if they never happened. Julia's power had first destroyed and then healed him completely, his body returned to perfect form. No scars, no lung damage at all… perfect, save the one scar he had asked her to spare before: the small bullet hole over his heart. The one that reminded him of miracles and the love he shared with Ziva.
Ziva's palm once again closed over the scar and Tony laid his hand over hers and they both cried. Even in her final act for them, Julia remembered this scar and it's significance and now, it seemed as though she had left it as a message to them, 'to never take anything for granted.'
No one said anything to each other as they took turns cleaning up and changing clothes. Solemnly they took their seats once more and buckled in for landing.
As promised, Katherine had vehicles waiting for them and someone else they recognized though now dressed entirely different in a black suit, Cowboy Cody. He gave them all a small smile everyone filed into the vehichles quietly. Malachi was carrying Liat and Ziva held her IV in the seat beside them. Gibbs took the front passenger seat and the rest following in another SUV. It was in the middle of the day local time when they pulled into an underground parking garage beneath the hospital. A hospital gurney and assistants were already waiting for them and Malachi gently lay Liat down, releasing his hold on her and dropping a kiss to her battered cheek.
They followed the gurney inside and then stepped together into a large elevator, squishing in around Liat in the bed and feeling the elevator drop as they descended even deeper into the earth. One of the attendants slid a key car into the slot beneath the elevator buttons and leaned over for a retinal scanner to read his signature before the doors opened.
"These are the private and secure sub-levels of the hospital." Cody informed them, "Usually reserved for high level officials, dignitaries, and the royal family when their health condition is needed to be kept private or in an state of emergency." He paused looking down at Liat, "She will be thoroughly examined, the baby monitored and proper medical attention given making sure she is healthy and stable before you continue on your journey."
They followed Liat's gurney down the hallway of glass walls with several ICU type looking rooms on either side, all were empty as they passed. Soon they stopped and Liat was moved into one of the rooms close to what looked like a nurses station.
"You will all have to wait out here as she's examined. You cannot be with her for those tests." Cody informed them and they nodded in understanding, "They should not take long and then you can join her again in her room."
"Is Katherine here?" Gibbs asked looking down the hallway and seeing two guards he thought he recognized from standing outside Tony's apartment the night they first met her.
*Deliver Me (repeat)
"Yes, sir. She is." The man nodded in acknowledgement. "She is with Lady Julia now." He swallowed hard and they could see the man was holding back his emotions. They all knew how fond he was of her from their time on the ranch together.
"Julia is here?" Ziva asked immediately with hope in her voice, staring down the hallway as did everyone else, "She's still alive?"
"For right now…" Cody answered quietly with a sadness in his tone. "They are bringing the children in to see her."
"Why?" E.J. gasped with instant tears in her eyes watching as Katherine's husband emerged from another cross hallway holding Kristoff's hand. The two walked towards the room where Julia currently was and Kristoff looked back over his shoulder at them, his big blue eyes staring right in theirs' with unshed tears in his eyes.
"To say goodbye." Tony added quietly in barely above a whisper, feeling the breath stolen from his lungs and a skip in the beat of his heart, watching as Kristoff never took his eyes off them until he disappeared behind the door. Tony's mind was rocketed back in time to just 24 hours ago when he'd had a conversation with Julia about their mothers and her son. About Julia's unforgettable moment of saying goodbye to her mother Kristin and Tony's missed chance at saying goodbye to his own and never forgiving her for it.
"Not all the children are here." Cody spoke quietly, "Just Kristoff and the baby, Jillian." He paused and caught all of their surprised and widened eyes, "Lady Julia had asked Katherine bring them here to meet you on the return flight before all of this happened. We arrived not long ago ourselves."
"Why just those two?" Tony asked quietly through choking tears, his eyebrow narrowed to hear that only one twin was brought along and not the both.
"To see their father, I would imagine." Ziva answered sniffling back tears and remembering what Julia had confessed to her on the flight to Kabul after seeing Henry on the tarmac and their argument.
"Jillian is his too?" E.J. asked quietly with astonished wide-eyes and Ziva nodded softly. "My God…" She breathed in disbelief shaking her head all that was still so unknown about Julia's life.
"Is Jack here as well?" Ziva asked quietly blinking back tears.
"No ma'am." Cody shook his head softly. "He stayed behind with the other little ones at the ranch." He raised his hand gently and pointed to the rows of comfy looking sofas and chairs that lined the hallway around the nurses station, "If you would like to take a seat and wait, the nurses will let you know when you can see Ms. Liat again." He motioned again towards another door across the hall, "If you would like anything to drink or eat, please help yourself."
"Thank you, Cody." Gibbs acknowledged him for the group and slowly everyone took their seats. The curtains to Liat's room had been pulled to close off their view of what was happening inside.
Gibbs and Ziva took a seat on either side of Tony. Both knowing exactly what he was going through in this moment to see the devastation in his eyes as he continued to look down the hallway.
"I grew up without a mother," Tony finally spoke after twenty minutes of silence, "And I never forgave her for dying and leaving me. I was nearly the same age as Kristoff is now." His voice cracked and Ziva took hold of his hand while Gibbs laid a steady hand on his back, "Julia didn't have to die…she died to save my worthless ass…and now I've ruined the lives of her six…six children." He repeated shaking his head in anger at himself.
"She made the call Tony." Gibbs added softly. "She knew what she was doing…and the consequences." He looked down the hallway sadly.
"I never thought…never anticipated that she would do something like this to save me. I mean why? Why would she save me and risk her own life?" He waved his hand angrily in front of his face and then stood quickly, "What was she thinking?" He shook his head.
"What were you?" Malachi asked quietly, lifting his head from his hands to stare at Tony with pained features. "She told you to stay, Tony. She warned you how many times to listen to her."
Tony's expression fell and his jaw clenched with pounding heart and new tears building in his heart as everyone's eyes were now on him. "She didn't have to save me." Tony bit back and swallowed hard. "I never asked her to save me!"
"Actually, you did. Remember? You asked her to hurt you intentionally to heal you?" Malachi cocked his head to the side, clearly finding his own anger and upset over the situation now, "Well, I guess you got what you wanted, Tony. Ziva's safe, you're healed and your baby will be fine and to hell with everyone else!" He paused shaking his head, "You don't think, I wanted to stay with Liat instead of you? You don't think I was scared to death as the building was coming down around us about what was happening with Liat and my baby? I was! But I listened to Julia! I followed her orders!"
"Oh yes, we know how well you follow orders, Malachi." Tony scoffed with tears in his eyes thinking about Malachi following Eli David's orders on more then one occasion that put Ziva into harms way.
"Okay," Gibbs stood and quietly stepped between them seeing things rapidly getting out of control with so many emotions, "Everybody calm down. This is not the time…or the place to be talking about this." He wrapped his hand around Tony's upper arm, "Come on, DiNozzo. Let's take a walk." He prompted Tony to turn away and walk with him and motioned to Ziva with his eyes that he wanted a moment alone with him.
They walked down the hallway, following its turns and curves in silence for several long minutes.
"I don't understand why she did it. Why save me?" Tony shook his head finally speaking again quietly. "Why would she do that for me? Give her life for mine?"
"Maybe she didn't do it for you." Gibbs offered quietly and stunned Tony, causing him to stop walking and look at Gibbs for explanation. "Maybe she did it for her."
"What do you mean?" Tony asked quietly as they began walking again more slowly.
"Maybe, she couldn't live with being responsible for your death? Being the one that killed you." Gibbs thought about all that Julia had revealed to them about who she was, "She never wanted to be a weapon, Tony. She helped us on this mission to right the wrongs in Ziva's life and make her future better. Killing the love of her life in you…with her powers instead…well Ziva would never get over that. And likely Julia would never either."
"So I didn't ask her to save me, I just forced her hand." Tony sighed deeply and Julia's words to him before they left the roof yesterday raced through his mind, 'please listen to me for both our sakes.'
"We all make choices in life, Tony. You made yours…and she made hers." Gibbs spoke softly thinking about his own choices in life that had dire consequences. Having Shannon testify was one of them he never saw the consequence of until it was too late.
They rounded the corner and both stopped when they looked through the wall of glass and saw Julia lying in the hospital bed. The tiny newborn baby Jillian was asleep and lying in just her diaper with her bare chest pressed to her mother's bare chest, having skin-to-skin contact. Kristoff was lying in the bed with Julia right beside her. His little head was tucked in over her shoulder as he lay on his side and had his arm wrapped over her waist, his hand on the baby's back. Katherine was sitting in a chair beside the bed and William was standing behind her, holding her hand over her shoulder and both looking at Julia. A heart monitor was showing signs of life beside Julia's bed with the occasional heartbeat. The bright green numbers at the top right corner read 33 beats per minute.
Kristoff's eyes flashed to theirs and Katherine's vision suddenly followed, turning around and seeing them standing of the far side of the hallway. She nodded at them slightly and then stood, moving towards Kristoff she leaned over, whispering something in his ear and then kissed his temple, then Julia's forehead, the baby's tiny head and finally made her way towards the door, closely it quietly behind her.
"We didn't mean to eavesdrop, Ma'am." Tony immediately apologized with tears in his eyes, looking at her own red eyes showing obvious signs of crying. "I'm so very sorry." He apologized for so much more.
"She will be all right." Katherine spoke with hands folded before her and nodded as if convincing herself, "This has happened before…As long as she still has a heart beat," She swallowed visibly hard choking back her own emotion, "She will need to rest but she will recover." She smiled softly with welling tears in her eyes she was trying to hold back, "She is The Phoenix…after all."
"She will make it?" Tony asked breathlessly with tears already streaming silently from his eyes as he looked at Julia and then to the little boy in the bed beside her.
* The End (repeat)
"I have faith she will heal." Katherine smiled softly at him, "And every time she rises again, she is that much stronger." Her smiled faded, "Though not without a great deal more pain." She turned her attention towards Gibbs, "How is Liat?"
"They're looking her over now. She's still unconscious." Gibbs answered her quietly, "I imagine she will be very confused when she awakens. She thought she was in a dream or hallucinating last night when we found her."
"She thought Julia was an angel," Tony smiled softly through tears and sniffled with a soft chuckle, "And marveled that one had appeared in black leather."
This remark earned him a smile from Katherine as well as a soft snort of laughter as well, "She is an angel. My angel," She turned back to look through the glass, "My angel in black leather." She shook her head still smiling.
Ziva had seen them speaking with Katherine down the hallway and moved quietly to join them, smiling softly at Katherine with tears already in her eyes. When she saw Julia still alive in the hospital bed and her babies beside her, the tears flowed more freely with a soft gasp.
"She's going to make it, Ziva." Tony smiled through his own glittering eyes with hope in his heart. "Katherine said she will heal as long as she still has a heart beat."
"Really?" Ziva asked daring not to breathe and turning rapidly to Katherine for confirmation.
Katherine nodded with a soft smile, "Human touch, especially that of her children…seems to speed the recovery process."
"Love." Tony whispered with a soft smile looking at the baby on her chest pressed heart to heart, "She is the Fifth Element." He smiled over to Ziva remembering their light-hearted conversation before going into battle.
"Can you please tell me how this happened?" Katherine turned her attention back to the three before her, "Julia must have seen this coming to pre-plan the Op the way she did."
"It's my fault." Tony took a deep breath, "She warned me several times to listen. My emotions compromised our mission. I reacted out of fear for Ziva's life when the building started coming down around us and I disobeyed Julia's order to stay put. I didn't think about the consequences, I just reacted." He shook his head softly, "She was destroying the building in her wake and I got in the way."
Katherine was quiet a long moment and Tony gulped several times expecting her wrath. He was surprised instead when she remained calm.
"Why was Julia destroying the building in such a manner?" Katherine asked instead with brows knit slightly as if contemplating, "When we went over her plans, she had no intention of destroying the place until you were all in the air and moving away to safety. What changed?"
"I don't know." Tony shrugged with apologetic eyes not knowing either.
"Well when did her powers surge?" Katherine asked tracing a finger over her lips with arms crossed over her chest.
"When I was confronting Illan." Ziva answered remembering that moment well, "She was holding the others back but then…" She remembered Julia's sudden reaction and change.
"Then what, Ziva?" Katherine asked softly, prompting her to continue as new tears rolled down Ziva's cheeks.
"Illan was saying things to me, taunting me and she just lost it then. Lifted him into the air and crushed him," She whispered quietly still in disbelief as Gibbs and Tony's eyes both went wide, still having not heard this portion of the story with no one talking, "He was screaming and then she incinerated him…the moment, what was left of him, fell to the floor she unleashed this massive pulse of energy and fire and just…burned them all. She was so hot we couldn't stand to be near her. It was like rage had taken over and she was bringing it all down with her."
"What did he say to you, Ziva?" Katherine asked quietly, not seeming so surprised as Tony and Gibbs were to hear about what Julia had done to Bodnar or the others in that room. She was only interested in what had set her off.
"He said I didn't deserve to be a mother and that he hoped," Ziva swallowed hard pausing with new tears in her eyes that wouldn't quit, "He hoped that my baby burned in hell."
Katherine immediately tensed and let go of a long exaggerated breath, visibly shaken as she turned back to look at Julia and the children. "That explains it." Finally a tear slid down Katherine's cheek.
"Why did that set her off?" Tony dared asking feeling a knot in the pit of his stomach and wrapping his arms around Ziva to hear the man had said such a thing to Ziva about their child.
"It is because of that very thing, that Julia became The Phoenix. The moment she evolved." Katherine explained quietly, "When her relationship and marriage to Henry were exposed, Julia was taken into Council Custody. She gave birth to her son Julian while imprisoned, delivering him all on her own in her cell. They allowed her to keep him with her for just a few hours and then…" She paused as another tear slid down her cheek, still unable to look at them, only looking at Julia and the baby on her chest behind the glass, "And then they took him away from her and dragged her along to watch."
"To watch what?" Tony asked already feeling the sense of dread.
Ziva felt a violent shiver run through her remembering what Julia had told her on the plane about how she became The Phoenix… watching them kill her child before her eyes.
"To watch while they threw the baby into the building's incinerator." Katherine answered quietly as more tears slid down her cheeks and her voice finally cracked, "Saying they hoped he burned in hell."
"My God…" Gibbs gasped in a whisper looking from Katherine back to Julia and the baby on her chest as well. The horror of such a thing was unbearable.
"Why?" Tony gasped with rage and despair in his voice, trying to hold back his tears and failing; unable to comprehend such an atrocity.
"Julian was a child she was having unauthorized with Henry. It was to punish her and to break her at the same time. To put her back into her place and remind her of what happened by not following the rules." Katherine answered giving them the reasons the old Council and Julia's handlers had used at the time. "She could withstand the torture and the beating and the rape…but when they hurt those she loved, her own child…she hit her breaking point and instead of dying, she evolved." Katherine inhaled a deep breath and let it go trying to control her emotions, "The sheer overwhelming feelings of rage and despair in watching the fire consume her child before her eye was too much…and The Phoenix was born…literally from the fire and ashes of her own body in her child." She took another deep breath.
"What happened?" Tony asked with silent tears now running down his cheeks.
"She somehow, mentally pulled out the flames from the incinerator and consumed those in the room with her." Katherine shook her head softly, "Their weapon was born. Ulric, her handler, renamed her The Phoenix and put her protocols into place so they could control her. He was quite proud to have torn her down to near death and then cause her evolution. She was his crown jewel in the Elite Human Weapons Program."
"What happened to him?" Gibbs asked quietly wondering what became of such an evil man.
"He met the end that he deserved." Katherine answered in a flat tone, "The Phoenix incinerated him." She turned her head back softly to look at Ziva, "Which is likely why Bodnar's comments to you found him with a similar fate."
*I Love You (repeat)
"Where is she?" A decidedly male British accented voice suddenly startled them coming from down the hall. All eyes turned to see a frazzled looking Henry stalking forth looking directly at Katherine as his guards followed quickly behind.
"Henry, calm down." Katherine moved towards him, meeting him down the hallway with hand up and put it on his chest to stop him. "She will be fine. She just needs to rest and recover. Give her time."
Ziva, Tony, Gibbs and their group all watching with extremely wide eyes to ever be this close to Prince Henry for the first time and see his upset over Julia's condition. Their only interaction thus far was watching out the plane windows on the tarmac before their mission.
"Why wasn't I notified before now?" Henry asked with fire in his own eyes and voice.
"She only just arrived a few hours ago. Her condition needed to be assessed. You know very well there are those out there waiting to make their move should word get out that she is in a vulnerable state. Which is why we are here." Katherine spoke firmly and yet calmly. "Keep her safe and give her time to recover."
"I want to see her." Henry shifted on his feet with hands on hips. "Where is she?"
"She is down the hall with the children." Katherine answered quietly and saw the surprise in his eyes.
"My children are here?" He asked with a hopeful tone and sadness in his voice, clearly choked up when Katherine nodded.
"She told me of your conversation the other morning about why it was that you could not make Kristoff's birthday party or come to meet your daughter at her birth." Katherine's tone and posture was less then pleased or understanding.
"I cannot leave the country with Lizzie so close to having the baby. The press would have a field day with it." Henry tried to defend himself.
"Yes, she told me." Katherine answered still not happy, "But given how upset Kristoff has been of late at not seeing you, she asked me to bring him here along with Jillian so that you could finally meet her as per your request. Because as we all know, Julia will do anything for her children. Bringing them to their father when he hasn't the time to come to them."
They had a silent stare off for more then a moment with her comments.
"I want to speak with her, alone, Katherine." Henry demanded softly after a moment.
"Julia is not conscious, Henry. She likely won't be for several days if not a week." Katherine sighed shaking her head. "I won't keep you from seeing her which is why I called to let you know we were here. And I think you should comfort your son and reassure him of his place in your life," Her tone was fierce and protective, "as well as meet your daughter." She paused, "I won't leave you alone with her though as that is breaking the rule. And I don't want my daughter or my grandchildren to suffer because you are not thinking of the consequences of your actions. I did not make these ridiculous rules about contact, your family did. Keep that in mind before you take an attitude with me over following them."
"Katherine, I want to see her, please." Henry sighed with posture defeated.
Before she could answer, their gaze shifted again and watched as Henry's father, the Crown Prince Edward walked through the doors followed by his own security detail.
"Oh boy…" E.J. sighed with wide-eyes as he passed them stalking slowly towards his frazzled son speaking with Katherine.
"Henry," Edward addressed him carefully coming up behind them.
"I am seeing her, father! I don't care what grandfather says! She is the mother of my children and the love of my life! His rules about our contact will never change that!" Henry immediately turned with fiery eyes and confident tone. "I am going to comfort my son and hold my daughter for the first time without feeling as though we are committing some grave sins by loving each other! They are my children! I love them, father!"
Edward sighed deeply looking at Henry and then to Katherine and back again, "I know you do, son." He raised a comforting hand to his shoulder, "Go ahead. I will handle your grandfather." He moved his hand from Henry's shoulder to cup the side of his face and smiled softly, "I too, am looking forward to seeing them again and meeting my first granddaughter. Go ahead." He nodded that it was okay with him to see Julia and the children.
Henry looked back at Katherine who nodded softly that if it were okay with Edward, it was okay with her. She led them back towards Julia's room and they all paused staring through the glass looking in on her.
Kristoff's face lit into an immediate grin and he sat up carefully as to not harm his mother or baby sister, trying to climb over the railing of the bed and William helped him down before he ran full speed out the door and into Henry's arms as he scooped him up, crying "Dad!"
"Oh, my Toffee-Cake! It's so good to see you!" Henry held him tightly, standing and burying his face into his neck.
"I'm nine now, Dad. You can stop calling me Toffee-Cake!" Toffee laughed softly still holding onto his father with a raging smile.
"You will always be our Toffee." Henry smiled with tears in his eyes, staring at Julia through the glass, "No matter how old you get." He squeezed him again and set him down cupping the side of his head, "I love you, Happy Belated Birthday, son. I am so sorry to have missed it. I really, really am, Kristoff."
Kristoff gave him a small sad smile and nodded in acknowledgement of his father's apology. "You want to meet, Jilly-Bean?" His smile grew wider, "I gave her that nickname." He said proudly, "She's just so cute and sweet like a jellybean." He smiled, "Mama said she looks like me when I was a baby."
"I would love to." Henry smiled as Kristoff took him by the hand into the room.
Ziva watched with baited breath as Henry lay eyes first upon Julia's still form in the bed and then to the baby asleep on her chest. Carefully, with a tear filled smile he leaned down and kissed the baby's tiny head and hovered a moment just looking at her. The tears finally falling as he leaned over Julia, looking only at her closely for a moment and closed his eyes, kissing her lips. It was clear in this moment, he didn't care about the 'no contact in his kingdom' rule. He was meeting his child for the first time and kissing her mother in thanks. It didn't take an expert mouth reader to understand exactly what he was saying when he kissed her again with more tears falling and said, 'I love you, Jules. I always will.'
William stepped out of the room as Henry laid his hand gently on the baby's back and studied her carefully from her perch on Julia's chest.
"We should give them some privacy." Edward was the one to speak and suggest such a thing, surprising them all and then smiled softly at Katherine and William, leading everyone to walk away, "So how is the retired life going?" He asked quietly and earned smiles from them both.
Ziva, Tony and Gibbs followed behind them and Tony wrapped his arm around Ziva's waist, dropping a kiss to her head with a soft smile. "Ani ohev otach, Ziva David." He spoke quietly, so thankful that he was able to love her freely and raise their child together. No hidden meetings in secret floors of a hospital. He stopped her from walking so that they lagged behind a few steps and then kissed her properly, "And I will never take for granted that I can kiss you when I want to and hold you in my arms."
"I love you too, Tony." Ziva sighed in relief with a smile, feeling much the same way after what they witnessed.
Katherine, Edward and William disappeared behind the closed doors.
"Julia is going to make it." Ziva smiled with happy tears in her eyes this time informing the rest of their anxious group as they sat down again, waiting to be let in and see Liat. "Katherine said that as long as her heart keeps beating, she will recover slowly with rest."
"A true miracle." Malachi shook his head bewildered, "She is The Phoenix…rising again from the ashes." He added and everyone nodded softly in agreement with smiles and happy tears in their eyes for once.
"How long will it take?" E.J. asked wiping at the tear on her cheek with a smile.
"Katherine told Henry it could take several days to a week for her to regain consciousness." Ziva answered quietly with a deep sigh and a soft smile.
A quiet reflection fell over the group as they waited for word on Liat.
Malachi rolled his shoulders and sat back as another twenty minutes passed, "What is taking so long? They said this would be quick." He shifted with annoyance wanting to get back to being by her side.
"I think by most hospital standards, this is quick." Gibbs smiled softly at him understanding his frustrations. It hadn't even been an hour yet but seemed like an eternity given their emotional and physical exhaustion.
Another five minutes passed and a doctor emerged from Liat's room with a soft smile.
"Hello." He greeted them and shook their hands. "She's doing well, as is the baby." The man said quickly knowing that was their primary concern, "I just wanted to let you know that we're giving her fluids and nutrients to help bring her strength back up. She required a few sutures in several places as well as treatment for the abrasions around her wrists and ankles from the restraints but she is doing very, very well given what she has been through."
He sighed softly, "The complete details of her medical file I shall discuss with her privately when she's had time to adjust." He spoke quietly and they were all quite certain they knew what that meant and why he wanted to speak in privacy with Liat about it. Ziva, understood what he wasn't saying, all too well. "She is awake now but very confused and scared. I do not want to overwhelm her with too many faces. Just one or two at a time for now, please." He looked at them and they nodded in understanding, all hopeful to hear she was awake.
"She is asking repeatedly for a Ziva…" He saw Ziva's face as she reacted to the news and smiled softly at her, "Are you Ziva?"
"Yes," Ziva nodded softly in turn, taking a deep breath trying to calm herself.
"She would like to see just you for now. I think she needs you to tell her she is not dreaming and this is real. She seems adamant it has to be you." The doctor smiled at her softly, "Go ahead." He ushered her towards the closed door.
Ziva looked nervously at Tony and then Gibbs with pounding heart, seeking their comfort and support that she could do this. They both nodded softly with smiles and she turned her gaze to Malachi and Asa who gave their blessings and support as well with soft nods and smiles. They were all just thrilled she was awake again and speaking and to hear that she and the baby were okay.
Slowly Ziva turned the handle on the stepped inside the room; her eyes landed immediately on Liat lying in the bed. She was now clean of all the dirt and grime from her captive prison and her face was just as beautiful, even if marred now by old and some new bruises. The split in her cheek had been closed and slowly her eyes fluttered open again when she realized she had a visitor.
"Ziva…" She spoke with voice cracking as Ziva stepped inside the door and closed it quietly behind her. Her hands reaching out tentatively to touch Ziva as she approached. "This is real… you found me?"
"This is real, Liat." Ziva smiled taking hold of her hand, "I am here. We are all here. You weren't dreaming last night. You are free." Carefully, Ziva sat on the edge of Liat's bed, reaching up to palm her sister's face and cried, "I am so sorry."
"Tony is not dead?" Liat asked searching for the truth in all the lies and confusion.
"No, Tony is not dead. He was badly wounded but he is fine now." Ziva smiled stroking her hand down the side of Liat's head. "Illan lied about many things." She added quietly thinking about all the man had known over the years and lied about.
"You…are my sister?" Liat asked cautiously wondering what was real and what was lies now knowing that Illan had lied about Tony being dead. "Is this true?"
"It is true." Ziva answered with a small tear-filled smile cupping Liat's face with both hands, "We are full sisters, Liat."
"You are my sister." Liat repeated again in disbelief and then again as if processing this information. "You…are my sister." She said again more soundly and then pulled Ziva to her quickly and held on tightly around her neck, "My sister." She repeated more possessively, crying and the two held each other, sharing tears of relief and joy in all the sadness to have found one another.
"My sister." Ziva echoed the sentiment through her tears, holding tightly and smiling over Liat's shoulder as they both cried.
More then a few minutes went by in silence with them simply holding onto each other before letting go, but still maintaining contact by holding onto each other's forearms and touching faces in relief they were each okay and together again.
"Ziva..." Liat began hesitantly and then stopped looking away and then up again into her deep dark eyes, "If I wasn't dreaming last night...it is true then? That both Asa and Malachi came for me?"
"Yes." Ziva answered with a soft smile, cupping the side of Liat's face again. "They are both sitting outside anxious to see you." She paused a moment, "Do you want to see them?" She asked quietly gauging Liat's reaction as the thought over this information.
"Yes." Liat nodded softly and then swallowed hard. "I would like to see each of them."
"Okay," Ziva spoke softly, "Which one first?"