Leon Vance's gaze swept across the room, his eyes locking onto each member of the Major Case Response Team (MCRT) as Agent McGee finished explaining the steps he had taken to rescue Ziva David. The director's expression was a mask of calm contemplation, but beneath the surface, he was aware that McGee's actions had inadvertently become the final nail in Saleem Ulman's coffin. Such was the unpredictable nature of life, and Leon had learned to adapt to the ever-changing landscape of counter-intelligence.
As he scanned the room, Leon's attention was drawn to the unspoken tension that hung in the air like a challenge. It was a subject that needed to be addressed, and he was determined to bring it to the forefront. The MCRT was the enforcement arm of his Counter-Intelligence Operation Against Mossad, and he needed them to be at the top of their game. Any unresolved issues or misunderstandings could compromise their effectiveness, and Leon couldn't afford to have that happen. His eyes met those of his immediate superior, Phillip Davenport, the Secretary of the Navy. So far, there had been no indication that Davenport was opposed to the MCRT's involvement in the operation, and Leon took this as a good omen. He nodded to himself, a subtle acknowledgement of the potential for a successful outcome.
"Great job, Agent McGee," Leon said, his voice firm and authoritative. "I need you to print out your report and every bit of intelligence that you have gathered from Mossad before you leave here. But before we proceed with the meeting, I need the MCRT to talk and clear the air with any misunderstandings."
Tony DiNozzo, ever the confident one, spoke up first. "Nothing to say on my end, Director," he said, his tone light and casual.
But Ziva David was not so quick to let things slide. "Really?" she asked, her voice laced with a hint of skepticism. "You have nothing to say, Tony?"
Tony's expression turned defensive, and he shifted in his seat. "What's that supposed to mean? I did nothing wrong."
Before the situation could escalate, McGee quickly grabbed Ziva's hand, his touch a gentle reminder to keep her emotions in check. Ziva was still healing from her captivity, and McGee had been instructed by the doctors at Camp Lemonnier to limit her exposure to triggers until she had started seeing a psychologist or crisis specialist. He understood the importance of acknowledging and processing her trauma, but he also knew that now was not the time. As he held Ziva's hand, McGee shot Tony a warning glance. He would deal with Tony for now, and make him see reason. The last thing they needed was for the tension between Tony and Ziva to boil over, worsening Ziva's mental and physical recovery.
McGee's expression was stern as he spoke to Tony. "You're right, Tony. You did nothing wrong, per se. But you dealt with Rivkin horribly." His voice was laced with a mix of disappointment and frustration.
Tony shifted forward in his seat, his eyes narrowed as he clenched his jaw, set on proving McGee that he was right and approached the entire situation the right way. "I wasn't looking for Rivkin, probie. I went to Ziva's to confront her about Abin Tabal's laptop being in her apartment." He sounded confrontational, asking McGee to prove him wrong, something Tim would gladly challenge him on.
McGee raised an eyebrow. "And yet, when you saw Rivkin there, you didn't leave? You didn't call Boss?" His tone was incredulous.
Tony cocked his head sideways, not understanding McGee could miss something so obvious. "Boss told me to take care of Rivkin if I saw him. Said he didn't listen, and Rivkin was getting on his nerves. So I did. I confronted him and read his rights. He's the one that started fighting me and resisted arrest." He spoke slowly and steadily, knowing his actions were correct.
McGee sighed, his expression unimpressed. "Yes, Tony. And you didn't call me because?" He asked, his voice dripping with skepticism.
Tony rolled his eyes at having to spell everything out. "It was too dangerous, probie. I'm sorry I was trying to protect you." His tone was heavy with sarcasm, getting on Tim's nerves.
McGee rolled his eyes, clearly exasperated. He could feel the tension in the room, pulsing from Ziva's body. She was growing annoyed and impatient, and McGee knew he needed to try a different approach.
"Fine. I would have been a liability. I accept that," McGee said, accepting Tony's argument. "So what would have happened if you did arrest Rivkin, Tony? Walk me through it, because I just can't see it." He asked, his tone curious, but also slightly sarcastic.
Tony scoffed at McGee's naivety. "That's easy, Probie. I would have taken him to a holding cell in NCIS and called Homeland. I would make sure they get his biometrics and let them know he's a Mossad agent who's in the US illegally. They would deport him back to Israel, and he would not be able to come back here again. Case closed." He spoke confidently.
McGee raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure the case would be closed, Tony?" He asked, his voice laced with doubt.
Tony nodded, reciting one of Gibbs' rules. "Rule #11, McGoo. 'When the job is done, walk away'." He was confident, but McGee knew where his thinking came short.
McGee smiled wryly. "And does Rivkin know that? He didn't walk away after we stopped him in LA." He pointed out, his tone dry.
Tony snorted. "That's why we have The Department of Homeland Security, McNaive. So that he doesn't come back." He sounded dismissive, but McGee pressed on.
McGee leaned forward, his eyes locked on Tony's. "I'm not talking about him coming back to the US, Tony. I'm talking about Rivkin interfering with NCIS. Would he know to walk away from that?" He asked, his tone serious.
Tony opened his mouth to answer, but his brain stopped him. Michael Rivkin had been stubborn, and proud, and difficult to deal with. He might have been barred from the US, but it wouldn't have stopped him from sending another Mossad agent, another Kidon to the country. McGee's words had struck a chord, and Tony's expression changed from confident to uncertain. McGee capitalized on Tony's realization, his eyes gleaming with a newfound understanding. He could see the gears turning in Tony's head, and he knew he had finally gotten through to him.
McGee's expression remained neutral as he explored the situation. "I didn't have any direct dealings with Rivkin personally," he began, "but from what I've seen, it's clear that he's the kind of person who would stop at nothing to get what he wants. He's petty, vindictive, and always looking for ways to get ahead, even if it means stepping on others. I have no doubt that he would be more than happy to complain to Eli David, the Director of Mossad, about NCIS interfering with a Mossad mission. And I'm willing to bet that Eli David is enough of a ruthless and cunning operator to punish us for our actions."
McGee paused, presenting a likely hypothesis based on what the MCRT knew of Michael Rivkin and ELi David. "I think it's likely that Eli David would take Ziva off of our team as a way of retaliating against us. He would see it as a way to assert his authority and remind us who's in charge. And to make matters worse, he would probably appoint Rivkin as the new Mossad liaison officer to NCIS, just to rub it in our faces. That's what you missed, Tony. You were right about everything - Rivkin was a bad guy, and he needed to be stopped. But you didn't think about the potential consequences of your actions. You dealt with Rivkin like any other case, without considering the larger implications."
McGee's voice took on a serious tone as he drove home his point. "If you had arrested Rivkin, we would have lost Ziva. It's not just a possibility - it's the most likely scenario. Eli David would have seen it as a personal attack, and he would have taken Ziva away from us as punishment. We would have lost a valuable member of our team, and we would have been left to deal with the fallout. We would have lost Ziva, and that would have been a disaster for all of us."
Tony's eyes widened in shock as he struggled to catch his breath. He felt like he had been punched in the gut, and he couldn't believe what McGee was implying. He wanted to deny it, to tell McGee that he was wrong, that McGee hadn't the experience in dealing with Eli David and Michael Rivkin in the way that Tony had. But as he thought back on his actions, he couldn't shake the feeling that McGee was right. He had treated Rivkin like a normal case, using his usual investigative techniques to gather evidence and build a case against him. He hadn't considered the implications of Rivkin's actions impacting Ziva, or the fact that he was a Mossad operative. As McGee's words sank in, Tony felt a wave of guilt wash over him. He realized that he had messed up, badly. He had not considered Rivkin and Eli David, and he had put the entire team at risk. He thought about how he would have reacted if he were in Ziva's shoes, and he knew that he would have been angry and hurt too. A guilty look settled on his face as he took in McGee's words, and he felt a sense of regret for his actions.
Gibbs, meanwhile, was having a similar reaction. He had blinked sharply at McGee's analysis, and he was clearly taken aback by the younger agent's words. He had considered Ziva to be one of his own agents, despite her official membership in Mossad, and he had thought that he was doing the right thing by choosing Tony over her in response to her ultimatum. But now, he realized that he had misunderstood her questions, and that his actions had been misguided. He rubbed his brow, annoyed with himself for missing the intel and not seeing the full picture. Gibbs was a man who prided himself on his ability to read people and situations, but in this case, he had failed. He had been so focused on showing Ziva that NCIS was the trustworthy party that he had failed to see the larger implications of her questions. He had failed to prove his point, and he had failed to regain her trust. But as he looked at McGee, he felt a sense of gratitude towards the younger agent. McGee had done what he had failed to do, and he had looked out for Ziva when she needed it most.
McGee, for his part, was watching the scene unfold with a sense of satisfaction. He had taken a risk by speaking out, but it had paid off. He could see that his words had reached Tony, and that the older agent was finally starting to understand. He glanced at Ziva, who was watching him with a mixture of anger and gratitude. He gently rubbed her hand, trying to comfort her as she struggled to process her emotions. He knew that she was hurting, and he wanted to be there for her. As the tension in the room began to dissipate, McGee nodded at Ziva, letting her know that it was okay to speak her mind. He wouldn't let her work herself up, but he wouldn't stop her from venting to Tony either. He knew that she needed to get things off her chest, and he was willing to listen. Tony, meanwhile, was bracing himself for the worst, knowing that he had messed up and that Ziva was going to let him have it. But as he looked at her, he saw the pain and anger in her eyes, and he knew that he deserved it. He was ready to take his lumps, and to do whatever it took to regain her trust.
Ziva's voice was laced with a mix of emotions as she began to speak, her words pouring out like a cathartic release. "I've worked with you for four years, Tony. You, Gibbs, Timothy... you are the longest coworkers I've ever had, the only coworkers I could call my friends. You have trusted me with your life, every day, at every case. We've been through so much together, and I've always felt like I could count on you, like we were a team, a family. We've been undercover, we've lost Gibbs to amnesia, we've mourned Jenny, we've run the MCRT a man down, we've disarmed bombs, we've been split up and reunited. We went through all of it, and you couldn't find it in you to trust me. You couldn't trust that I carried your best interest in my heart."
She paused, taking a deep breath as she struggled to contain her emotions. "I had everything planned out that night. I had a force extraction team ready to pull Michael out of America. I had a report ready for my father to explain that Michael had compromised Mossad interests. Do you know what it felt like? Watching you stand over him, gun drawn? Do you know how much of a nightmare it was for me? To realize that I would lose my friends, the best people in my life, because of your actions? It felt like my whole world was crashing down around me."
Tony's face contorted in a mixture of guilt and regret as he listened to Ziva's words. He knew he had hurt her, and he didn't know how to make it right. "Ziva, I... I didn't realize... I was trying to protect you. I was trying to stop Rivkin from manipulating you. I didn't mean to kill him, honest. I didn't mean for things to go sideways. Please, you have to believe me. Can... Can you forgive me, please?" His voice cracked as he spoke, his eyes pleading with Ziva to understand.
Ziva sighed, knowing that Tony was speaking the truth. She could see the sincerity in his eyes, the remorse that filled his face. He was obviously distraught that he was the reason for her leaving the team, temporary as it was. And yet, Tony's action had repercussions, and Ziva had paid for Tony's mistakes. She looked at her coworker with pain-filled eyes, feeling the weight of her emotions bearing down on her. Ziva was not one to forgive easily. She had held a grudge against her father for years, and she knew that forgiving Tony wouldn't be easy either. As she stood there, she felt a gentle squeeze on her hand. She looked down to see that she had twisted her hand and intertwined her fingers with Tim's. It was a small gesture, but it gave her the strength she needed to keep going. She might have more healing to do than she realized, but with her friends by her side, she knew she could face whatever came next.
Ziva's voice was barely above a whisper as she spoke, her words laced with a mix of sadness and hope. "I need to heal, Tony. We both do. I... You were right. About Michael. About everything. You tried to protect me. And I shouldn't have attacked you the way I did, but...I... I can't forgive you yet, but one day. Hopefully soon." She paused, taking a deep breath as she looked at Tony, her eyes searching for a glimmer of understanding. "I need time, Tony. Time to process everything that's happened. Time to heal. But I want you to know that I'm willing to try to move past this."
Tony's eyes dropped, and he seemed to sink into himself as he felt the weight of the hurt he had inadvertently caused Ziva. The pain and anguish he saw in her eyes was worse than he had thought, and it cut him deeply. He was determined to earn Ziva's forgiveness and repair their relationship, no matter how difficult it might be. He knew it wouldn't be easy, but he was willing to do whatever it took to make things right between them. Gibbs, on the other hand, felt a pang of hurt and concern that his agents were not able to move past their hurt. He had always been a leader who put the well-being of his team first, and it pained him to see them struggling. His voice grew uncharacteristically soft as he gazed at the former Mossad agent, his eyes filled with a deep empathy.
"Ziver..." Gibbs said, his voice barely above a whisper.
But Ziva shook her head, not willing or able to continue on the subject anymore. Venting her hurt to Tony had only deepened the pain in her heart, and she couldn't bear to speak to Gibbs about his betrayal. Not now, at least. The memory of her father, Eli David, flashed in her mind, and she felt a surge of anger and hurt. She had truly believed that, for all of their similarities, Gibbs was a better man, a better father than Eli. Maybe he was, but Ziva couldn't see it. Not today. As she turned her head, she rested her forehead on Timothy's shoulder, keeping a tight grip on his hand through their interlocked fingers. Tim gently squeezed her hand in support, offering her a comforting presence. He turned to Gibbs, his eyes filled with a deep understanding of the situation.
"Give her time, boss," McGee said, his voice soft and gentle. "She went through a lot since Rivkin's death. She needs more time to heal."
Gibbs frowned at McGee's words, a sinking feeling filling the pit of his stomach. He sensed that there was more to the story, something that McGee wasn't telling him.
"What are you not telling me, McGee?" Gibbs asked, his eyes narrowing slightly.
McGee took a deep breath before speaking, his voice barely above a whisper. "Ziva... Ziva was captured by Saleem for two days. He tortured her."
The room fell silent, the only sound the soft breathing of the agents. Tony barely caught the whimper that escaped his throat, his mind racing with horrific visions of what Ziva might have endured. Gibbs cursed under his breath, his face set in a grim expression. Torture was one of the worst things that could happen to a soldier behind enemy lines, and for a female soldier in the hands of Al-Shabaab, a Jewish female soldier at that... The thought sent a chill down his spine. Leon Vance and Phillip Davenport, who had been watching the scene unfold, were caught off-guard by the admission. Their hearts went out to the Israeli agent, and they felt a deep sense of regret and anger. They had not been made aware of those details, since McGee's report wasn't printed yet.
"Agent McGee, was Agent David...?" Leon asked, his voice trailing off, unable to complete the sentence.
McGee shook his head, his eyes filled with a deep relief. "No. The medics at Camp Lemonnier checked. Saleem had planned on it, he said so to Ziva, but the SEALS... ahem... permanently cockblocked him, so to speak."
As the weight of the situation lifted, a collective sigh of relief swept through the room, its magnitude so great that it could have propelled a three-masted sailing ship from the shores of England to the distant coast of New England. In this moment of respite, every individual present couldn't help but express their deepest gratitude to a higher power for the small mercies that had been bestowed upon them. They thanked God for Timothy McGee, whose ingenuity and dedication had played a pivotal role in turning the tide of events in their favor, and for the elite Navy SEALS, whose timely intervention had averted a catastrophe.
Even Ziva, whose usual demeanor rarely betrayed her emotions, allowed a hint of a smirk to flicker across her face as she reflected on Tim McGee's choice of words. The plan devised by Saleem, which had been so callously designed to subject her to unimaginable horror, had been thwarted largely due to the actions of Tim McGee. The mere fact that they were having this conversation, with Tim McGee advocating on her behalf, had begun to assuage the deep-seated feelings of anger, pain, and betrayal that she had harbored towards Tony and Gibbs. As she navigated this tumultuous emotional landscape, Ziva was cognizant of the fact that it would require time for her to regain the comfort and sense of security she once felt among her teammates. However, she was resolute in her belief that, with time, the Major Case Response Team (MCRT) would rediscover its former cohesion and excellence. The hurt and regret that she saw etched in the eyes of her team members served as a poignant reminder that she had indeed chosen the right family for herself. Unlike her father, whose eyes had never reflected such emotions during her tenure at Mossad, Tony and Gibbs wore their remorse openly, a testament to the depth of their feelings.
In this moment of vulnerability, Ziva felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude towards Timothy McGee, her rock, her guardian angel. A line from a poem she had read long ago, during her time learning Arabic, resonated deeply with her: "How beautiful to find a heart that loves you, without asking you for anything, but to be okay." The words of Kahlil Gibran seemed to encapsulate the essence of her relationship with Tim McGee perfectly. It was a beautiful thing, indeed, to have found someone who loved and accepted her without condition. As she squeezed Tim's hand, their fingers still intertwined, she felt a sense of calm wash over her. The gesture was met with a gentle squeeze in return, a silent affirmation of the bond they shared. Tony, latching on to the one piece of good news, felt a wave of relief wash over him, clinging to this glimmer of good news as a lifeline. The weight of his guilt had been crushing, intensified by the realization that his actions had not only failed to consider Ziva's position but had also indirectly contributed to her capture and torture at the hands of Saleem.
The thought of what could have been, had the Navy SEALS not intervened, was too horrific to contemplate. Tony was resolute in his determination to make amends, to find a way to redeem himself in Ziva's eyes. With three weeks of recuperation ahead of him before he had to embark on physical therapy, he vowed to dedicate this time to finding a solution, a way to heal the rift that had formed between them.
Meanwhile, Gibbs was deep in thought, his mind replaying the events of the day. Things had spiraled out of control, yet somehow, they had managed to avoid the worst-case scenario. Ziva was back, and despite the evident scars of her ordeal, she seemed determined to heal, to find her way back to a sense of normalcy. She was back where she belonged, within the NCIS family, and would soon be reinstated to her role in the MCRT, surrounded by people she could trust.
Gibbs recognized the need for him to make amends, to communicate to Ziva that he had misunderstood the gravity of her ultimatum, that she was valued and important. This realization also prompted him to reflect on the dynamics within his team, particularly the need to revisit and perhaps expand upon Rule #15: "Always work as a team", aimed at fostering and maintaining trust among the team members. The experience had taught him that unity and open communication were paramount, and that no member should feel compelled to act alone, as McGee had done.
Phillip Davenport, the Secretary of the Navy, observed the unfolding scene with a sense of satisfaction, noting the beginnings of reconciliation within the MCRT. The tumultuous events surrounding Michael Rivkin and Mossad had tested the team's resolve, but they were on the path to strengthening their bonds, a crucial step as they prepared to undertake secret assignments alongside Leon. A shared glance with Leon seemed to convey a mutual understanding, a silent agreement to swear in the MCRT as soon as they were field-ready. As the meeting drew to a close, Leon dismissed the team, extending his wishes for a speedy recovery to both Agent DiNozzo and Agent David. He advised them to be vigilant for upcoming memos from his office, a hint at the new challenges and assignments that lay on the horizon for the MCRT. In the face of adversity, the team had found a way to heal and move forward, a testament to their resilience and the unbreakable bonds they shared.
Eli David sat in his private study, his head in his hands, as a maelstrom of disturbing thoughts swirled in his mind. He was seated in his chair, his elbows resting on his desk, trying to process the events of the past few hours. It had been over an hour since he had left Mossad Headquarters, and he had driven home in a distracted state, his mind preoccupied with the verbal report from Mossad Agent Malachi Ben-Godon. The words echoed in his ears, refusing to be silenced: Recon Team Alef, Bet, and Gimel had covered 10 square miles from El Ayum, and none of them had found any traces of Ziva beyond her camp in the saddle two miles from Al-Shabaab's former terrorist training camp. Eli's Metsada and Tzomet had searched every square inch of Ceelaayo for any trace of his daughter, but to no avail. Malachi Ben-Gidon, Liat Tuvia, and her Kidon team had combed through the ruins of El Ayum for any clues as to Ziva's whereabouts, but it took them two days to find a single sign: Ziva's Magen David, half-buried on the shore by the ruins. Such an ominous indicator had filled Eli's mind with the worst-case scenario - that his daughter, his remaining daughter, had perished performing her Aliyah.
The thought sent a wave of anguish through him, and he refused to believe that he had lost his last link to Rivka, his late wife. He couldn't bear the thought that Or, the son that Orli had borne him, was his last remaining child. Ziva was strong and had taken to Kidon like a fish to water, even better than her half-brother Ari. Malachi had been prudent not to voice any assumptions concerning Ziva's condition, but had instead asked for orders. Eli had ordered another day of search before returning to Israel for other assignments. But for the last hour, Eli had been fighting and denying any intrusive thoughts suggesting that his daughter, his best Kidon agent, was dead. He kept telling himself that she was simply Missing In Action, unaccounted for. It wasn't the first time a Kidon agent had disappeared for days or weeks, usually following an arduous operation. They always came back, so would Ziva. Given the interruption she had endured during her mission, she was probably injured and had found a way to escape after completing her mission. Eli knew, from the bottom of his heart, that his daughter was alive, somewhere in East Africa.
He knew that she would return, and soon. He was already thinking of putting Ziva in administrative leave, to give her time to explore the structure of Mossad. Ziva would succeed him in running Mossad, and Eli would make sure she was ready by the time he retired. He had envisioned a future where Ziva would take the reins, and he would be proud to see her lead the organization. The thought gave him a sense of comfort, and he began to feel a sense of calm wash over him. As he sat there, trying to shake off the negative thoughts, Eli nodded to himself, as if to reassure himself that everything would be okay. He took out his phone to order his dinner, per usual, before going to sleep. The routine action gave him a sense of normalcy, and he began to feel more grounded. He would get through this, and Ziva would return, stronger and more resilient than ever. Eli was convinced of it, and he would hold onto that conviction until she walked back through the door.
Eli also knew, from the bottom of his heart, that his daughter would return in a month, six weeks at most. He had seen it before, agents who had been through traumatic experiences, only to emerge stronger and more determined. Ziva would do the same, and when she did, Eli would be there to support her, to guide her, and to help her take the next step in her career. The thought filled him with a sense of purpose, and he felt a sense of determination wash over him. He would get through this, and he would make sure that Ziva did too.