jaina47 | [NCIS Fic] Taking Chances (6/8)

Title: Taking Chances
Fandom: NCIS
Characters: Ziva David, Abby Sciuto, L.J. Gibbs, Jenny Sheppard, Tony DiNozzo, Timothy McGee, Eli David
Category: Drama, Action, Romance
Genre: Slash
Prompt: #1 Beginnings
Word Count: (Total) 15,148
Spoilers: Very mild ones for 3.17 "Ravenous" but it veers off from the episode very quickly.
Summary: Ziva invites Abby over for dinner. Romance and complications ensue.
Rating: R
Disclaimer: These characters belong to DPB, CBS, Paramount, et al. No copyright infringement is intended.
Author's Note: Heh. What to say? This author's note might get to be longer than the entire fic. :p First up, a big thanks to

ncruuk. Her comments not only pointed out some stylistic choices I hadn't thought about before, but also kept me laughing through the whole thing. I actually enjoyed the whole editing process. I don't think that's every happened to me before.

Second of all, if you think you've read this fic before, you would be right. I started this fic in March of '06 and wrote the first three parts before I got stuck and stopped writing it. I always meant to come back to it, but it just never quite worked out. When I realized it was the last fic I had to complete to finish fanfic100 I decided it was really time to buckle down. Plus I rather like the symmetry of this being the first fic I started for fanfic100 and the last I finished.

In case you were just waiting to tune in until the old stuff had all been re-posted, this is the second new part! Enjoy!

My Little Damn Table

Part One || Part Two || Part Three || Part Four || Part Five

Part Six

"It is not what you think."

Abby had not locked the door to her lab this time. That or she had forgotten in her rush to return to her sanctuary. Ziva wasn't sure. Either way, it didn't really matter as it meant that she now had access to Abby's lab.

Abby whirled around to face her, a finger jabbing into Ziva's shoulder as she tried to keep from running into her. "Is that all you can say now?"

"No, of course not." Ziva snapped back just as quickly. "If you would simply let me explain, you would see that there are many more things that I can say."

"I bet," Abby agreed sarcastically. "I'm sure there are lots of stories that you could tell me."

"I do not wish to tell you stories. If I was simply going to lie to you, I would not be here," Ziva exclaimed in frustration. Truly the one time in her life that she was determined to be honest with someone, actually wanted to be honest with her, and Abby would not even hear her out. She wondered what perversely stubborn streak in her had drawn her to Abby from the first moment that she had complimented the NCIS forensic scientist only to get thoroughly shot down and routinely glared at.

"Jenny is my friend; nothing more, and hardly that right now. She is the Director of the agency that I am on loan to. Before we were partners, I saved her life; she valued mine. It is a decent basis for a friendship, but were it even a possibility, I am not interested in Jenny." She touched Abby's arm gently. "I am only interested in you. You have nothing to be jealous about."

Abby jerked her arm away. "I'm not jealous."

"Of course," Ziva agreed with a sigh. "Because you get this upset whenever you see the Director hug anyone. How foolish of me."

Abby took a step nearer to Ziva for the first time. "I'm not jealous, because I would have to be interested to be jealous."

"You seemed very interested last night," Ziva noted calmly.

"That was before-" Abby bit off her words mid-sentence, and turned away. She didn't want to be provoked into talking about that. She still remembered with crystal clarity what it had felt like to see that picture on Ziva's dresser. The horror of knowing that this woman she had actually believed she was developing feelings before placed some value on the life of the man who had killed Kate. It was unfathomable and she had no idea how she had so completely misjudged Ziva. Or for that matter, how Gibbs had.

"Ah, yes," Ziva agreed. "Ari."

Abby's hand clenched around the edge of the counter, and angry tears burned against her eyelids as she squeezed them tightly shut.

"He was my brother, Abigail. My half-brother. You know his original mission was to infiltrate a terrorist cell and to do that he had to prove his loyalty to them. That is why he held your friend Caitlin hostage and later kidnapped her."

"Well, he did a good job," Abby snapped. "He proved it so well he killed her."

"And that is why I was sent with him," Ziva said quietly. "Because there were indications that he was double-crossing Mossad. I was sent to stop him if it were true and I did."

"No, Gibbs had to do that," Abby corrected, her tone venomous. "You waited too long to stop him."

"You are correct that I waited too long. I misjudged him; he was my brother. I did not think he would betray what we had been fighting for our whole lives. I am sorry your friend died because of that mistake." It was on the tip of her tongue to tell Abby what had really happened, but it felt futile. Abby had made up her mind the moment she saw Ari's picture in her bedroom and there was nothing she could say now that would change that. Even telling her that she had been the one to stop Ari, instead of Gibbs wouldn't be enough. What would it change, after all? Kate would still be dead, and she wasn't sure Abby would believe her even if she did tell her.

"Is that all?" Abby asked when it was clear that Ziva was done. "I have to finish this before Gibbs needs answers."

"It seems it is," Ziva said coldly, turning to leave the room. If Abby wasn't willing to listen it wouldn't matter what she said.

*** *** ***

"Got something, Boss!" McGee's voice rang out sharply across the bullpen, catching everyone's attention.

Gibbs was out of his chair and standing behind McGee almost before he had finished speaking. "What is it?"

"I was able to trace the weapons that they used. They were sold by a small time weapons dealer who has been known to have a connection to a much better established arms dealer."

"Who is the arms dealer, McGee?" Ziva asked, her voice low and barely carrying across the distance between them.

In answer, McGee flashed the name and accompanying biography and details of known associates up on the large screen.

Ziva frowned, her lips pursing together tightly, but didn't say a word until Gibbs had moved to stand beside her. She tilted her head to speak directly to him.

"You know that when operatives are on foreign soil, it is sometimes necessary to acquire guns and munitions through less than savory means."

Gibbs simply met her gaze, saying nothing as he waited for Ziva to continue.

"This is the same man that I contacted to buy weapons from when I came here with Ari."

Gibbs didn't seem surprised, but he did look suspicious. "Your father is smarter than that. Why would he use a resource that could be traced so easily back to Mossad."

"I do not think he expects me to be a part of this investigation," Ziva admitted. "And it was not an official resource. I was only aware of it through Ari. My farther knows of it because of reports that were not official. If I had not seen it, there would be no connection."

"You sure about this?"

Ziva nodded. Gibbs studied her expression, looking deep into her eyes, searching for what she might be thinking or feeling. There was nothing there, however, no hint of emotion and her expression remained blank. Whatever he saw, Gibbs didn't choose pursue it.

"Is there anyway, besides your word, that we can connect these two?" He asked, finally.

"We can bring them in and interrogate them. They may admit to past associations if we agree to not involve them in this current case. They will not want to be a part of an attack that threatened someone who worked for NCIS and is a member of Mossad."

"Okay," Gibbs agreed simply. He turned back to the rest of the team. "Find them and bring them in."