Godfather

Part 1.5

(Tony) "Who would disguise themselves as my father?" Ziva questioned. I wished I could answer her. I wished I could answer all of her questions, tell her everything she needed to know and more. "Someone who wanted in on Mossad, probably." McGee suggested. " She shook her head. "But what does Bodnar have to do with all this? Could it be just a coincidence?"

"No such thing as coincidences." Gibbs swept into the room. "Did you accomplish anything while I was gone?" He seemed annoyed, anxious. McGee rose hurriedly. "Bodnar had contact with Eli hours before he died."

"That's not possible, he's dead."

"We think someone is pretending to be Eli." Tony chimed in. "Or using his position as Director."

"Who?" Gibbs asked expectantly.

"Well boss, someone who wanted intel-"

"Find out."

"And away he goes." Tony muttered as Gibbs rushed up to MTAC. "What if it was a cop?" Ziva jumped. She was acting surprisingly light, considering the events of today. "That would explain the murder weapon." McGee said. I smiled deviously. "A vengeful officer, destroying the David empire person by person." It would make a nice movie. "You really think we're dealing with a serial killer?" McGee asked, almost laughing in the process. "I don't know, McGoo. Let us compare." I started. "Ilan Bodnar's brother is found shot to death by a police-issued gun in the same spot Talia David was ten years ago. There's a link." McGee started to stutter. "Not so fast, McStickyFingers. Both of them failed to show up on our radar, even though we have close ties with Mossad, except for Talia in the cold case-" "Why was she a cold case, anyways?" Ziva interrupted. I turned. "Cause we couldn't figure out who killed her. A cold case means the case was abandoned, never solved, therefore deemed-"

"I know what it means, Tony. But if they were killed in the same spot, wouldn't it be a repeat killer?"

"Or a copycat." McGee suggested. "But if the original killer was never convicted-"

"He's still out there." She finished my thought. Another realization came over Ziva. "Where was the parking lot? What was it for?" She asked slowly. McGee pulled up the coordinates. "A port, it looks like."

"Which port." I could tell she already knew the answer by her dry, yet choked tone. "Port 19." Port 19. The port where Ilan Bodnar was thrown off the tanker by our very own Ziva David.

(Ziva) I couldn't speak for a moment. Tony was right. Someone was killing off my family. Ilan had to have been part of the operation; he ordered the hit on my father. He could've killed my mother, no one was watching him ten years ago. "Ilan planned on killing me that night." I barely whispered. It didn't seem real. Everyone I had come to trust betrayed me; everyone I'd learned to love had left me. "He didn't succeed, so he put his brother up to the job." I felt a strong arm encircle me; smelt Tony's Axe. We were in the rain again, waiting outside the gate before I escorted my father's body to Israel. "At lo levad." He'd whispered then. I'd made the mistake of walking away. Now he just held me as close as he could while we were still in work. I could sense McGee's raised eyebrows. "Bodnar was trying to kill off my family so no one could interfere with him obtaining the Mossad director's position." I said awkwardly, pulling away. "He killed my mother and father, Tali was already gone, and then his plans were- deferred." That look of concentration came over Tony. "Are you implying that he had a wingman to pick up where he left off?" He asked. I nodded. "His next-in-line killer shot Ilan's brother, and he's coming for me now." Rage swept over Tony's face for a moment, but no longer than that. "But what's in it for the repeat killer?" McGee asked, bewildered. "Since Ilan isn't here to take it," I said gravely, "the position of Director of Mossad."

Gibbs rolled into the squad room, coffee in hand. "You all looked like you've seen a ghost." He said. "Close enough." Tony broke the silence between the three of us. "We're dealing with a serial killer, boss. Someone after the David family." He stopped. "You mean to tell me the same guy killed Eli, Bodnar, and Talia?"

"That's the idea." He shook his head. "Murder weapon was police issued, right?" I nodded. "Now who do we know who's part of a government agency that tried to take our team down just a few weeks ago?"

"Parsons." I whispered. Gibbs nodded. "But why would he-"

"He couldn't destroy us from the outside, so now he's attacking from inside Mossad." Bitter realization clouded my vision. "Find the bastard," Gibbs spat. "He's Government, it shouldn't be that hard." Again, he made to leave. "Where are you going?" I asked. "Abby. See if she's identified who the gun's registered to yet." I turned to McGee, but he was already tracing Parsons' cell. "He's downtown." I grabbed my bag, Tony and McGee already running to the elevator. "I'm driving." I demanded. Protests, of course. "He killed my family." I said with a straight tone. "Well- we think he did or at least had some part in it," McGee started. The doors dinged open before he could finish, and Gibbs bumbled out on top of us. He pulled me by the collar up to his chin and growled, "What the hell is your gun doing downstairs in an evidence bag?"

(Tony) We stormed into the lab. Abby was curled up meekly in the corner, hugging Bert. Ziva threw her elbows onto Abby's desk, staring at the 'Match Found' blinking above her NCIS ID. "There has to be a mistake-"

"Computers don't make mistakes, Tony." Abby whimpered. This was just like when Chip framed me. Parsons- or someone along those lines- was killing off Ziva's family and blaming her. McGee started on a gibberish of tech talk, double-checking every test Abby had done. Ziva was glassy again, a look she'd often taken to recently. "I ran the search every way possible, Ziva. That gun is yours." Abby embraced her in a hug. "I didn't kill Bodnar. I couldn't have, I was asleep." She was speaking for her own sanity now. Denial was the only thing keeping her from questioning herself. "And my gun's right-" She pulled the pistol from her holster. "This isn't mine." I exhaled in defeat. This wasn't going to end well. "Are you sure, it could be a spare-" She shunned McGee's excuses. "I sleep with this gun. Every night. I know every inch of it like the front of my hand." "It's actually the back of your hand.." I butted in as quietly as I could. She ignored me, stared at it like it had come from Mars. "Maybe someone took it in your sleep?" I suggested. It was juvenile and indecisive, but at the point we were at, acceptable. "I have been sleeping pretty deeply.." She trailed off. A snap and she was back in ninja mode. She threw the gun onto Abby's desk, who picked it up gingerly with a gloved hand. "Whose is that, and what is it doing in my holster." It wasn't a question. Abby started typing, mute and wide-eyed. "I know it wasn't you, Ziva." She said quietly. "I can prove it, I will prove it." Ziva managed a weak smile. "Thank you, Abby," she answered, "for believing in me." "We all believe in you, Ziver." Gibbs let his edge soften a bit. Abby was the first to throw herself around Ziva; I was next. We were wrapped together in a team hug when Palmer walked in. We stared at him expectantly; he slowly backed out. Just like Palmer, ruining a nice moment. I felt the pressure ease off of me and realized it was just the two of us, myself staring into her eyes. I flashed back to Berlin, a dance where we'd been looking for Ilan but stopped a minute and looked at each other. She looked at me like that now, a longingness to feel safe, to feel like her job was done and she could live without worry. It should be done; she'd worked far too hard for something I ignored and took for granted- family. In that tiny moment, I wanted more than anything to give that feeling to her.

I was the first to let go this time, for I knew she wouldn't. I watched Abby's computer flash through the database, trying to prove that something wasn't right and that my Ziva was caught up in an awful lie. Even if she did, it wouldn't end. There was always something else running after her, something denying her peace. I wasn't going to let anyone else chase her away again. Not after this.

Abby's computer started making all sorts of sounds. We all glued ourselves to the screen, saw the face now below the flashing 'Match Found'.