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Ziva David had decided, she was going to show agent Gibbs she was worthy of his trust. Even if that meant killing her own half-brother.
She had tried not notice, to turn a blind eye, but there was no denying it. Ari was out of control, maybe he wasn't crazy, but killing Gibbs would mean crossing a line and a big one at that. The senior agent was an important asset to NCIS, although most colleagues would consider his methods unconventional and sometimes unlawful. Especially the FBI.
Either way, God only knew what the assassination of Leroy Jethro Gibbs at the hands of the Mossad director's son could bring about. Surely nothing good.
Still, Ziva knew it was too late to try and talk Ari out of it. When her brother got something into his mind, it was impossible to get it out. Nonetheless, there was still a tiny flicker of hope in her. Hope that Ari would come back to his senses and make the best choice.
Ari Haswari knew something had shifted. The Ziva David he was about to meet wasn't the same Ziva that had just arrived from Israel a few days ago. This one had different intentions and he didn't like it.
It was clear now, Ziva, his own little sister, had turned against him. Knowing the training she underwent since she was only six years old, she was very likely to kill him. Even thought she probably would beat herself up over it for months, years maybe. Unless of course, Ari would abandon his idea of killing Gibbs.
But that was not going to happen. Gibbs had to die. Tonight.
But first, Ari had to take care of Ziva.
"Shalom, my sister" Ari greeted as he stepped out of the shadows.
Ziva stopped in her tracks. She had been heading to Gibbs' house, tonight was the night and as she walked, the Israeli agent tried hard to mentally prepare herself for what she was about to do. Hence her surprise when the brother she was supposed to kill in just a handful of minutes appeared in front of her, blocking her path.
"Shalom, Ari" Her voice, unsure and clearly surprised, echoed in the silence of the city, losing itself in the fog the enveloped the streets at that time of the night.
It was dark, the alleyway Ziva had chosen as a shortcut suddenly felt much tighter as she looked at her brother slowly walking towards her.
The sound of his shoes hitting the cobblestone filled the silence as he closed in on her. Ziva didn't step back, she let him get closer and closer until he did something she never would've expected.
Ari's arms went around Ziva, a tight hug that almost knocked the air out of her lungs. She was so taken aback Ziva felt paralyzed, her limbs slightly shaky but at the same time unmovable, her arms frozen mid air as she had tried to reciprocate the hug.
However, this one didn't feel like the protective embrace of a brother. It wasn't like hugs they used to share as children. Nothing like that one time in which Ari had taken Ziva into his arms as she sobbed after Tali's death. No warmth, no comfort. No safety.
"I fear things have changed, sister" Ari's voice was low but firm beside her ear.
A shudder ran through her. Maybe because of the chilly American weather. Or maybe because of the tone of her brother's voice: just as cold as the temperature in the alley.
Anyway, the sound of those words were like a wake-up call. Ziva regained control over her body and she lifted her arms, gripping Ari's shoulders. Almost as if she wanted to push him away.
"Ari..." She sounded quieter now, almost shaky. This behaviour wasn't normal, something was definitely up.
"It seems like we do not share the same ideas anymore"
Ziva was getting nervous now. "Ari, I do not understand—"
A chuckle interrupted her. Another shudder.
"Yes, you do, little sister. I know you do"
"Ari—"
Suddenly, her breath hitched as she felt a warmth spread on her left side. She had been cold until now and a warm feeling was slowly taking over, along with a stinging pain.
Everything shifted. Her vision was getting blurry and it all felt almost amplified. The thudding of her heart, quickly slamming against her ribcage, the sound of her breathing, coming out in shallow and shaky gasps. Ziva's hands together around her brother's arms, fingers digging in the fabric of his jacket when she felt her knees buckle.
The pain, sharp and stinging, heightened as Ari shifted his arm, slowly pulling away. Looking down, Ziva saw it.
The knife being pulled out of her side, blood quickly spreading and staining her clothes. She couldn't help the small, almost imperceptible pained moan she let out. It was too much now. Her legs gave out completely, but she didn't hit the cold, hard ground as she thought she would. Ari, with one arm still around her, kept get from falling as he lowered her shuddering form onto the cobblestone-covered pavement.
Moving with every ounce of strength she still had, Ziva sat against the alley wall, pressing her back against the brick surface in an attempt to put some distance between her and her half-brother. Her hands were pressed against her side, desperately trying to stem the blood flow.
One of Ari's hands made its way to her leg, pulling out her phone before he stood back up. "I case you are tempted to call agent Gibbs"
"It is a shame" He continued. "You were my favourite sister"
And with that, he was gone, disappeared in the darkness.
Tony DiNozzo wasn't exactly known for following orders. However, this time he hadn't broke any rule, yet.
The previous night he had been tasked to keep an eye on Mossad agent Ziva David, in case she was associated with Ari Haswari. Tony hadn't exactly been successful, since she knew all along he was following her. Despite that, she acted friendly enough in his regards, offering him a coffee and all that.
What Tony couldn't get out of his mind was the way she opened up. Full-time ninja Ziva David talked about one of the saddest days of her life. The day her sister died. Clearly, Tony suspected she might've been lying about that, he knew it might've been a way to trick him into thinking she wasn't a threat. But the way she spoke, the look in her eyes as she stared at the rain, told him she was being sincere.
Not to mention how beautiful she was. Deadly beautiful. Probably.
Tony had been relieved from that assignment, he didn't have to follow her anymore, Gibbs said so.
So, there was no reason for him to be walking down a crowded street just a few steps behind her. But there he was.
This time he was being extra careful, he couldn't risk being caught again. That's why when he saw her duck into an alley, he decided not to follow. Instead, Tony quickened his pace and took the long way round, knowing he would reach her just in time to see her exiting the alley.
But he didn't. Nobody came out. Tony searched the crowd, every curly-haired woman he could see, but Ziva was nowhere to be found. In a desperate attempt, he got closer to the alleyway. He knew he was heightening his chances of being caught like this, but there was no other way.
A long second passed before Tony saw it. Her, sitting on the ground with her knees to her chest and her head tilted back against the brick wall. The closer Tony got, the more he could hear her shallow breaths.
"Ziva?"
She was running out of time. And blood. Ziva knew that much.
Her grip onto the wound was weakening by the minute and her vision was becoming foggy and her head spun. Her whole body was taut, tense like a bowstring as Ziva tried, and failed, to stop her limbs from trembling. The fact that the alley lacked any kind of artificial light didn't help either, it was getting difficult to keep her eyes open.
Ziva felt cold all over, the only warm spot was around the wound. However she would rather be freezing but able to walk instead of being confined in a narrow and lonely alley, bleeding out because of her brother.
It was fair she supposed. Ari had taken revenge, although Ziva hadn't had the chance to hurt him. Fair or not, her strength kept fading.
She didn't hear him call her name. Didn't hear his footsteps as he reached her and knelt beside her shivering form. Nonetheless, Ziva did feel his hand, warm and steady, as it covered her blood-soaked one.
The Israeli flinched instinctively, abruptly turning her head to look at the foreign hand pressing against her injury. Had Ari come back? But when Ziva heard his voice, it was as if a weight lifted off her shoulders.
"Easy, try not to move" His free hand went to her shoulder, gently pushing her back against the wall in an attempt to keep her as still as possible.
As Ziva repositioned herself, she lifted her head attempting to look at him but her eyelids felt too heavy. "DiNozzo..."
"In the flesh. Bet you didn't see me following you this time" The joke earned him something between a scoff and a huff, but its only purpose was distracting her from what Tony was about to do.
With a swift movement, Tony's hand slipped beneath hers, so that he could apply more pressure. She was getting weaker and her grip had slackened significantly since Ari had left. The pained sound Ziva let out made his heart clench, but he couldn't do anything apart from repeating himself that what he did was necessary if she wanted to survive. "Sorry. Care to tell me what happened here?"
At that, Ziva refocused a bit. Her breathing became more laboured as she strived to move. One of her hands hurriedly grasped Tony's shoulder, using it as leverage to stand up, but her legs were still unsteady. "I have to... Gibbs..."
Tony's eyes widened at the mention of his boss, however, he didn't have time to think about it too much. Ziva's legs gave out almost as soon as she tried to stand and his free arm went around her waist, lowering her back onto the ground without letting go of her wound. "Hey, slow down ninja. You're in no condition to go anywhere right now"
Her body was almost completely limp now, the effort of trying to stand had drained her. Her hand remained on Tony's shoulder whose eyes quickly ran over Ziva in a panic, his mind scrambling to find a solution. It felt so weird. Never in a million years had he thought about seeing her like this, trembling and vulnerable. Sure, he hadn't known her for a long time, but the tough and seemingly unbreakable Mossad officer didn't look like the Ziva sitting in front of him.
"Ari... Is going to Gibbs' to kill him" She uttered between shaky gasps.
Great. Tony deftly took his phone out of his jeans pocket, dialling his boss' number.
"Did Ari do this?" He asked as he waited for Gibbs to pick up.
Ziva hesitated. She didn't nod or shake her head, but for the NCIS agent was enough. A look passed through his eyes. A look of anger, no, fury. A look that told Ziva that if Tony ever saw Ari again, he might not be able to stop himself.
That wasn't so far away from the truth. First Kate and now Ziva. Not to mention that he was targeting Gibbs. This guy had be stopped at all costs.
However, before Tony could comment on it, he heard a gruff and familiar voice on the other end.
"Gibbs"
"Boss, Ari's after you"
"Yeah? And where's the news in that, DiNozzo?"
"No, I mean right now. You need to go boss"
"Who told you that?"
"Ziva. She's... Ari tried to kill her" The anger was evident in his voice, even though he tried to suppress it.
If Ziva was hurt it meant she couldn't stop Ari from killing him, so Gibbs had no choice but to leave as Tony had said. "Hold on, I'll be there soon. I'll bring an ambulance along"
Tony didn't bother putting the phone back into his pocket. As soon as Gibbs hung up he put it on the ground beside him, his focus shifting back to Ziva.
Her eyelids fluttered in a futile attempt to keep her eyes opened and her body was starting to sway, meaning that she would soon go unconscious.
He didn't think too much about what to do. What mattered was keeping her warm and conscious and ensuring that she wouldn't lose too much blood. That last task wasn't going so well since Tony could feel the blood flowing between his fingers slowly but still too steadily.
Acting quickly, he repositioned. His back went against the wall, gently pulling her body against him so that she was almost sitting in his lap, heavily leaning against his chest. The movement jostled her injury, making her hiss painfully.
"I know, I'm sorry" Tony's voice was but a whisper now and although he felt bad for causing her pain, he knew he had to keep going. His right hand kept a firm pressure on her side, her hands were basically useless now: blood-stained and weakly wrapped around Tony's arm.
Ziva was almost unaware of what was going on around her. The only things that kept her from slipping into unconsciousness were the throbbing pain in her side and Tony's whispers. As the time passed it was getting harder for her to make out his words, but the simple sound of his voice was enough. Her body wasn't cold anymore, Tony's arms around her were a source of warmth. Welcoming. Safe.
Ari's arms should've felt like that.
Instead, being in his arms had only been a distraction for him, a diversion.
Ziva had already been stabbed, both physically and emotionally. More than once. She had had to deal with her own share of backstabbers too. But never like this. Never a close friend, or, in this case, a relative. Maybe she had been naive but the thought of Ari betraying her never crossed her mind, although she was about to do that exact same thing to him.
She could still feel the blade coming out of her, slowly, and it brought about another shudder. Tony felt it too and tightened his hold on her, causing Ziva to press a little closer to him. His free hand, still clean and not blood-soaked like the other one, went to the back of her head, guiding it to lay against his shoulder. He didn't move then, his fingers gently threaded through her hair hoping he could offer any amount of comfort.
"Okay, I need you to listen carefully now. You think you can do that?" Tony's voice was quiet than ever, calming, echoing in the empty and dark alley.
"I can" The answer was weak but as firm as Ziva could manage. Even now, she was determined not to let him see her crumble. Tony was still pretty much a stranger to her. The way he was caring for her with steady hands and gentle words was foreign to her and if someone, a passerby, saw them from afar would probably think they had known each other since forever. Because what he was doing was exactly what she needed. It didn't matter that Ziva would never admit that to herself, deep down she knew.
"Good, great" The relief was evident in his tone. "Because I need you to tell me what happened. I can't have a ninja like you falling asleep on me"
Sadly, Tony couldn't see the tiny smile that formed onto her lips. Either way, it didn't last long because a new wave of pain erased it from her face.
"He... Found out" Ziva began reluctantly. "I had decided to prevent Ari from killing Gibbs but he found out. I should have been more careful" The last part was quieter, more directed to herself. She spared him the details of how she had fallen into his trap. After all, Ziva still needed Tony to see her as a ruthless assassin, that was her reputation around here.
However, as that thought passed through her mind, something made her breath catch. Ziva needed Tony. Sure there was a context behind that, she didn't need him.
Or maybe she did.
Not always. In any other situation, Ziva would be able to deal with things on her own, like she had always done. She had always prided herself on her indepence.
But not right now.
Tony muttered a curse under his breath as he listened to Ziva. The thought of that... Merciless killer hurting her made his blood boil. "You did the right thing and trust me when I tell you Gibbs will catch him"
"Ari's not an idiot. He won't be caught so easily" Ziva countered, feeling a slight irritation at Tony's confidence.
"Gibbs will never stop. And neither will I, or McGee"
"...I'm sorry about your friend"
"Thanks. Let's just focus on keeping you alive, yeah?"
Ziva just nodded against his chest, suddenly feeling cold again after his words. She knew her time was going to come sooner than later given her job, but this was not how she had imagined to go. At the hands of her half-brother.
A sudden and impulsive thought crossed her mind. One that she had had to deal with many times but had never dared to voice. Until now. "Sometimes I think it should have been me"
Maybe it was because Ziva felt tired, weak and probably unable to think properly, but she had just spilled one of her best-kept secrets. To Tony nonetheless. It seemed to have become a common occurrence since only the previous night she had randomly told him about her sister.
"Tali?"
Another nod.
"I don't know you, Ziva, but you wouldn't have deserved it. And Tali didn't either. And hey, think of it this way: if you had died, Gibbs would probably be dead too"
"What makes you think he is alive right now?" There it was, the usual Ziva. Pessimistic but overall realistic even with a deep cut in her side.
"Geez, ninja, you really are the life of the party aren't you?"
This time, she laughed, it was brief and quickly interrupted by another wave of seemingly unbearable pain. But she laughed.
Tony was quiet for a few seconds, simply holding her to his chest as his fingers continued their soothing motions through her hair. "You'll be okay, I'll make sure of it"
She needed him.
This time, Ziva didn't answer, didn't nod. Tony just felt her bury her face into his neck. Her nose and cheeks felt cold against his warm skin, definitely not a good sign. His free hand moved away for a moment and pressed to fingers against her neck, feeling a quick but steady pulse. Tony couldn't do anything except for tightening his hold and provide as much comfort as he could. In a surge of worry, he pressed a soft kiss to Ziva's forehead. "I promise you'll be okay"
Gibbs arrived just a few minutes later.
Tony was so focused on Ziva he didn't hear him approach.
He cradled the Mossad officer in his arms with a care and reverence his boss had never seen in him. His face was fixated on the wall opposite to him, almost empty, so much Gibbs had to squeeze his shoulder to bring the agent back to his senses.
"Boss"
Gibbs didn't answer but motioned for the paramedics to approach with a stretcher. When the EMTs took over, Tony almost didn't let go of her, but eventually he relented although it was only when he was sure 100% sure they were holding her properly.
He watched as she was wheeled away, leaning against the wall. His legs tingled from being sat in the same position for too long and his right hand felt stiff. Both because of the tight grip he had on the wound and the dried blood between his fingers.
"Good job" Gibbs complimented as they walked away from the alleyway, leaning a hand on the agent's shoulder.
Tony didn't waste time in pleasantries. "Ari?"
"McGee is tracking him. As soon as he knows something I'll go get him"
Tony stopped in his tracks. "You mean we"
"DiNozzo, you can barely stand" Gibbs argued, his voice still collected.
"I don't care. He killed Kate, almost killed Ziva. I refuse to stand on the sidelines!" In spite of the tiredness that had started to sleep into his bones, Tony felt a twinge frustration rise in his chest.
Here, the boss' tone took on a firmer note. "You will stand where I tell you to, DiNozzo. You did a good job taking care of Ziva—"
"That's not enough—"
"It has to be! You can't do everything yourself"
Tony's shoulders tightened at that, but he didn't dare reply. He knew damn well Gibbs was right, but he still felt like he could do more.
"Look at you. You're dead on your feet, covered in blood. You're in no condition to go after Ari" Gibbs continued, his voice softer.
Tony looked down, glancing at his hands, now sticky and smeared with blood, and his pants that were stained too. Biting his lip, he tried to think of a good reason that would convince his boss to let him help. He couldn't find any.
"Go home and clean up. Rest and come back tomorrow morning. If you really want to help, you should pray that I don't catch Ari tonight, but I doubt you'd ever wish for something like that"
There was a dull ache in her side.
It was... Okay.
Ziva felt exhausted as her eyelids fluttered open, even the simple task of adjusting her eyes to the bright light of the room felt like a challenge. Eventually, she managed and looked at her surroundings.
It was clearly a hospital room, with beeping machines around her bed and white, sterile walls. Finally, her eyes landed on a figure slumped uncomfortably in one of those plastic chairs, legs stretched out and head tilted backwards.
Tony.
One of his hands was limp on the bed, just beside hers. He looked a bit more peaceful, a far cry from the concerned expression she had seen the night before when... When he had found her bleeding out in a deserted alleyway. The sun bathed the room in a warm light the mixed with the artificial one coming from the cieling and made Tony's brown hair look almost blond.
"Staring, are we?"
Tony's voice came suddenly, interrupting her thoughts.
Ziva glances at him but noticed his eyes where still closed, a small smirk creeping up his face. She felt her cheeks warm up at his words, embarrassed that she had been caught. Ziva opened her mouth to speak, almost incredulous, but he interrupted her again, anticipating her question.
"The heart monitor picked up for a second when you woke up"
Of course.
"How long have I been out for?"
Tony opened his eyes, turning his head to look at her. She looked tired still, but at least she wasn't in danger anymore. Her voice sounded rough from sleeping for hours. He offered a small smile before straightening and sitting up the chair.
"Twelve hours give of take. Feeling any better?"
"Ari?" Ziva had deliberately ignored his question, focusing on what she was actually interested in. The question was quick, as if she already knew.
"He... Can't run away anymore" That was it. No need to say anything else. Tony could see it in her tires eyes, she already knew. "I wasn't there but I read the report" He continued. "Do you—?"
"Yes"
Taking a deep breath, Tony started to explain. "I guess he didn't expect to find Gibbs' house empty and he... Kind of stalled, I think. Undecided between waiting for him or hiding somewhere else and he waited too much. Gibbs and the others found him at the airport where Ari started taking hostages and so they had to... Take him out"
Ziva was silent, her eyes had shifted from his face to her hands in her lap. Tony, wanting to help, moved to cover her hands with his but their fingers barely touched when she recoiled. "Taking hostages is not Ari's way to escape a dangerous situation. He must have been desperate. He knew it was over upon reaching Gibbs' empty house"
Her voice was sharper now, much like it was before this whole ordeal.
"I'm sorry" Tony muttered, retreating his hand.
"Thank you. And thank you for... Helping me yesterday"
Tony's smile reappeared. "Anytime. I'm gonna... I'm gonna go find the doctor. Let her know you're awake" With that, Tony stood up and headed towards the door.
But before he could step away from the bed, Tony felt something wrap around his wrist. Her fingers.
Without a word, Tony sat back down, bringing the chair closer to the bed and shifted his arms until her hand slipped into his. He intertwined their fingers and squeezed her hand, watching as she closed her eyes again.
Tony's thumb slowly traced her knuckles, moving back and forth on her skin in a soothing rhythm. The skin of his hand was rough because of all the field work but despite that, Ziva felt nothing if not gentleness and care. Two things she would've never expected, not from Tony. But that didn't matter anymore. She was asleep in a matter of minutes.
Tony waited for Ziva's breath to even out before pressing a gentle kiss to her knuckles and leaning his head on the bed.
Gibbs had finished dealing with the aftermath of Ari's death.
It was finally over, the only thing left to do was shipping the body back to Israel, but that didn't concern him.
So, he decided to see how Ziva was doing. Over the last few days, Gibbs had grown to trust her, with his life even. That's why he was heading to the hospital, so that he could thank her for choosing to be on his side, turning her back to her own brother.
However, upon entering her room, he took a step back.
Tony was already with her, fast asleep by her side and their hands clasped tightly together.
That's when he knew. Maybe Ziva could stay a bit more. He and Tony already trusted her and she could've been a good asset to the team.
Both for solving cases and keeping Tony in line.