𝐍𝐎 𝐑𝐔𝐋𝐄𝐒 ━━ 𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐲 𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐨𝐳𝐳𝐨

TWENTY | only way

"Oh, thank God you're okay."

My arms circle Tony's neck tightly, all the while being cautious around his arm in the sling. I look over his shoulder to see Ziva awaiting the news on Michael.

"Evaline."

Gibbs calls upon me similar to a disappointed father. My gaze shifts up to meet his.

"We received new intel. I was still parking the car when Tony went upstairs to talk. . .to question Ziva."

"DiNozzo."

"When I got there, Rivkin attacked me. And I had no choice. It was justified."

"Go, you two. Write it up." Gibbs' vision narrows to the figure behind the glass. "There's gonna be a lot of people wanting answers."

On our way out, Gibbs breaks through the double doors, allowing us to overhear Ziva's first words.

"Rivkin is dead. Tony killed him."

With three out of the four N.C.I.S. team members involved with the case, Gibbs and McGee are the only ones allowed on the crime scene.

Except, for the fact, that it explodes mere moments before entry.

Tony and I sit in the upstairs conference room with our written reports in the hands of the director. All we can do is await Vance's arrival to discuss.

"I shouldn't have involved you in this." I place the glass of water in front of Tony.

"Don't you think I would've forced myself into the case the second I knew you were putting yourself into it?" He watches me with a careful eye. "I'm just as involved in this as you are."

"Eva, Tony."

Vance enters the room with both of our reports tucked under his arm.

"These are thorough reports." He tosses them onto the table. "But you only left out a few little things."

"Like what, sir —"

"Like why you broke protocol, why you two went alone, and why the hell you didn't inform me."

I'm the first to speak.

"If Ziva knew at least something, I wanted to give her a chance to explain it. At least to me. But Tony asked me to park the car and headed upstairs himself."

Tony takes over with a firm tone.

"My gut told me that it was Rivkin, not Ziva. And sometimes my gut. . .just sucks. I didn't want to put Eva in harm's way like that."

"You two wanted to protect her."

"I thought it was obvious, sir."

Vance seems to be targeting Tony more since he's the one to have killed Michael. Gibbs even arrives to show us Ducky's autopsy report on the Mossad agent.

Michael had a blood alcohol level 0.16.

To all of our surprise, the entire N.C.I.S. case team, Vance, and Michael's body are invited to Tel Aviv to meet with the Director of Mossad and Ziva's father, Eli David.

"My daughter speaks quite highly of you. And fondly."

The man himself greets me across from the concrete-walled interrogation room where Tony is being held.

"You may sit in the backroom with your director and your boss while I. . .talk with your fellow agent."

"Husband."

I correct him confidently.

"Agent DiNozzo's my husband."

From within the room, the three of us watch as Tony fails to control his sarcastic personality and walks the powerful man through Michael's unfortunate death.

The moment Tony brings up Ari Haswari, Ziva's half-brother, he finds himself in a compromised position with Eli's hand curling around his neck.

Out of nowhere, Eli slips and admits to controlling Michael's words and actions from halfway across the world.

Tony looks into the camera, almost as though he were looking at me.

Outside in the dry air of Tel Aviv, I follow Ziva until she stops in front of a building, noticing a second reflection in the glass.

She turns around with a disdained look on her face.

"It was the only way, Ziva."

"That's a lie."

"Have I ever given you a reason to think I'd lie to you?" The tips of my toes scrunch up within the confines of my shoes. "Do you think I was trying to save myself?"

A scoff rumbles deep within her. "You and Tony jeopardized your entire careers, and for what?"

"For one of our own. For you. Rivkin's been playing this entire time, alongside your father." I remind her of Eli David's involvement.

"For some reason, you felt it was your job to protect me?"

"Like I said. . .it was the only way."

"Tony killed him."

"And I would have done the same if I was in his position. Or better yet, maybe we both could have been killed by your precious Michael." I utter in a disgusted voice. "If he hadn't, you'd be having this conversation with Rivkin. Perhaps the way you'd prefer it."

"Perhaps I would!" Her voice refuses to lower.

So I step back, arms extended in surrender. "My husband killed your Mossad boyfriend. Maybe you want revenge."

Her gun slips from its holster and aims in my direction, reenacting where Tony had shot Michael with forceful touches to the areas.

But I merely let her exude the negative energy, let her get it out of her system.

Soon enough, it's for the team to leave the. . .interesting quarters of Mossad and return to the N.C.I.S. headquarters.

But one of our members doesn't return with the rest.

The entire plane ride, while clutching Tony's hand for dear life, I revisit the past to a fond memory: the first time I met Ziva.

- - - - - - - - - -

"Espresso?" Ziva extends her hand to me, the coffee cup sort of symbolizing a peace offering. "I promise you, it is not a bribe."

I take it hesitantly. "I take it you knew we've been following you?"

"Since I left the Navy Yard."

"Told Tony the blue sedan's a dead giveaway." Chuckling to myself, I sip the piping hot liquid.

We are left in a comfortable silence, the only sound of cars passing by on the street and the thunder rumbling in the distance.

"I lost my little sister Tali in a Hamas suicide bombing." Ziva abruptly reveals to me. "She was sixteen and one of the best in Mossad."

My lips tighten. "I'm sorry for your loss."

But death has been an all too familiar term in my life.

"I lost my mother to 9/11."

"I'm very sorry."

"Your half-brother took us hostage in our own building a year ago." Her head snaps towards me at my words. "You're not the only one who's done their homework."

Reaching for the last slice of pizza, Ziva takes her leave back into the hotel.

"It was nice meeting you."

"Likewise, Ziva."

- - - - - - - - - -

"Sweetheart, talk to me."

Tony stands in the doorway, suitcases lingering near him. Upon entrance, I had sunken myself to cleaning the entirety of the apartment.

"There's nothing to talk about, Tony."

Although everything's alright for now. . .a part of me knows something bigger is just bubbling under the surface.

Waiting to make an entrance.