Nuclear Family

15

Her mind was fuzzy and slow when she slipped back into consciousness.

She rolled over, the couch cushions creaking beneath her. She groaned; the painkillers were wearing off again, leaving her just as achy and out-of-sorts as before.

"Talk to me."

Ziva opened her eyes and saw Gibbs sitting back in his recliner, feet propped up and a beer in hand.

He gave her a little nod, encouraging her to spill everything.

If only it were that easy.

"Evidence is stacking up, Ziver. Best to let us help you."

"There is nothing to be helped." She shifted again, as if a change in position would ward off the building pain.

"Abby just called. Not only were your fingerprints on the gun that killed Kadish, there was blood on one of your knives. Blood belonging to two victims from last week."

She couldn't find the words to respond.

"Talk to me, Ziva. Let us help you."

"I held the gun to his head," she said finally.

Something passed over his face. Dismay. Sadness.

"But I did not pull the trigger."

"We recovered the gun. It had your fingerprints on it."

Ziva sat up with some effort and shook her head. "I kept the gun. I did not fire it."

Gibbs leaned forward to open a file sitting on the coffee table. The picture on top was of a pistol.

"Not mine."

"Fingerprints were."

"Then there was a mistake."

"Abby double-checked." He paged through the pictures until he came to the crime scene pictures. He laid photographs of the two victims side by side.

Again, she shook her head.

She'd never seen those two men before in her life, and yet she knew that Gibbs didn't believe her. How could he?

He changed the photographs.

The fresh cuts in their abdomens.

She inhaled sharply. Immediately her stomach turned.

"Tam ve'nishlam," Gibbs said deliberately.

"It is finished."

He nodded. "And is it?"

"I did not do it."

He surveyed her with his intense blue stare.

Though it greatly pained her to do so, she reached for the bottom hem of her stolen sweatshirt. She lifted it, exposing her abdomen to his gaze.

She heard his sudden intake of breath and knew what it solidified, but it didn't make her feel any better. "I did not do it," she repeated.

"Rechter?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

She hung her head. "I do not know. All I know is he went rogue, and there was nothing to hold him back after my father died. I did not do it."

***

Tony's heart leapt into his throat when he saw Gibbs and Ziva step out of the elevator.

Tali, seated on his lap, tensed.

Ziva's gaze met his for barely a second before she looked away.