Rule 39: There Is No Such Thing As Coincidence (Tony DiNozzo Love Story)

A Gift For Ziva

Ziva's POV

    While sitting at my desk I lean back and look around at the others. All is silent between us, not a murmur has echoed between us since we've arrived and Gibbs dropped off the ring box and other box with its contents to Abby and Ducky. Unable to take another moment, I stand and head for the break room to get some coffee.

    When I return there is a small jewelry looking box sitting on the corner of my desk, closest to my chair. I look around at the others and they don't seem to acknowledge the item. Placing my coffee down, I reach for the box and open it. The contents inside cause my stomach to recoil and I drop it back down on my desk.

    "Gibbs," I say.

    "What is it?" He asks. I hear his chair move and his hurried steps.

    "I just found this on my desk," I say. He looks down at it and carefully picks it up with a piece of paper.

    "What is it?" Tim asks and I glance over to him and see his face in distraught and Tony is looking at me with a similar stare.

    "It is a tongue," Gibbs says as he quickly leaves and heads for the elevator. "McGee I need you looking at surveillance in this building again!" He shouts.

    Tim turns and begins to type at his computer quickly.

Gibbs POV

    "Duck, we got another package. This time it was Ziva," I say while walking in. He looks up from the table, Palmer standing next to him.

    "Please tell me it's not another body part," he says.

    "It's a tongue," I admit and his eyes close as he takes a deep breath.

    "Bring it here," he says and I place the box with the tongue on the table near the finger.

    "My dear," he says.

    "Mr Palmer, it looks like we'll need some more samples to test the identity of who's tongue this is," Ducky responds and Palmer walks away.

    "Is the finger hers Duck?" I ask. He looks up at me and sighs.

    "I can't tell. The fingertips have been burned off, and there is no blood in the finger," he admits. "We'll have to check with skin cells."

    "Has Abby said anything about the blood from the first package?" I ask.

    He nods. "Yes, she said that it does indeed belong to Erin. She said it wasn't conclusive enough to say if she was still alive. Although there was a lot of blood, it could just be from superficial cuts."

    "Alright," I say.

    "She's a fighter Jethro, she'll make it out alive," he says after my silence.

    "I know, but how much of her does she have to lose until then?"

    He doesn't answer as I leave and head for Jenny's office to tell her there's been another package.