“Wait, back up a second!” Maya gasped. “Ziva was shot! Please tell me you did the right thing and went to save her?”
“It was one of the most difficult decisions I ever had to make, do my job and catch the suspect or save my partner…
* * *
Tony stared in the direction Matt Henderson had run, took a deep sigh and turned to where his partner had dropped. Once he had reached her side he ripped his shirt and held it to her wound to stop the bleeding.
“Zee,” He exclaimed as he gently shook her. “Zee!”
She coughed up blood as she opened her eyes to stare at him. “Tony? Tony, what’s going on?” She asked as she tried to sit up.
He gently pushed her back down and tied the torn piece of shirt around her waist, over the hole in her stomach. “Relax, you’ve just been shot.”
The Mossad Officer glanced down at her wound and sighed as she pushed her partner off her. “It is nothing Tony, I have had worst.”
As she heaved herself to her feet and Tony quickly put an arm around her as she struggled to find her balance. “Are you crazy? When do you ever give yourself a break?” He asked her as they made their way back towards the car.
They reached the car and Tony gently helped his partner lean on the passenger seat. She took a moment to catch her breath and then glanced at the door where they had heard the loud banging and barking.
“That sounds like a loyal dog.”
“Or an animal that could rip you to pieces just for sport.” Tony pointed out.
“What if that dog led us right to its owner?”
“Or ripped us to shreds?” He repeated.
“I have a gut feeling about this Tony,” Ziva promised him, “if you open that door the dog will completely ignore us and chase after his owner.”
Tony sighed, she was his partner and he had to trust her. “Okay we’ll give it a shot but you’re paying my insurance if it turns on me.”
She smiled slyly at him as she pushed past him to lean on the house, just next to the door, ready to open it. In return he leant against the car ready to run after the dog or away from it.
His partner glanced at him with a look that wished him luck as she carefully opened the door. As soon as the door was open a large white pit-bull with light brown patches charged out and across the field in the direction his owner had gone. With one last glance at his partner Tony took off after the dog as fast as he could.
He followed it across the field and down the back streets until he saw it sitting, patiently waiting at the door of an abandoned shed. Tony reached for his gun as he opened the door. The dog rushed in and to Tony’s amazement ran straight into the arms of its owner, their suspect, Matt Henderson.
Maya laughed. “So the evil guy’s dog led you straight to him, bet that made him mad.”
“Yeah, he didn’t look too happy with his dog. Or us when we arrested him, interrogated him, matched his fingerprints to the ones we found on the murder weapon, and charged him with murder.”
“Good I hope he suffered for what he did to that lady. Did you ever find out why he did it?”
“He said it was for ‘the emotional pain that she caused him over the past year.’ We also discovered that she wanted to continue her career in the Navy and had dumped him. Turns out he didn’t take the news well.”
“You don’t say,” Maya replied sarcastically. “Anyway what happened after you and your team put another bad guy away? Was Ziva okay?”
“Don’t worry kiddo.” Tony reassured his daughter. “Ziva was fine; it all turned out okay as it always does. I called Probie to come and escort Mr Henderson back to HQ and I even managed to convince one very reluctant Mossad assassin to take an ambulance to the hospital…
* * *
Tony waited patiently in the emergency waiting room, hoping that he doesn’t loose another partner, losing Sasha was bad enough, watching Gibbs leave was worse, he couldn’t even imagine losing Ziva.
His thoughts were interrupted by two voices coming towards him,
“I’ve never met a patient like that before; she was practically jumping out of bed.”
“Normally they’re begging to stay. But you get used to it, these federal agents, marines, they're all the same. You find the women can be worse than the men, like they have something to prove to their colleagues.”
Tony sighed as the two nurses passed him; he knew exactly who they were talking about, surely if Ziva was well enough to protest being in hospital she would definitely be back to her normal self soon.
“Agent DiNozzo?” A familiar voice asked bringing him out of his thoughts. He looked up to see Dr Brad Pitt. “You’re Officer David’s partner?”
Tony nodded as he took a deep breath, preparing himself for the bad news.
“Would you like to see her now?”
Tony let out a sigh of relief, and stood up immediately. The doctor smiled slyly as he led him down the emergency corridor, as they entered Tony began to hear yelling and a whole lot of Hebrew swearing.
“Azov oti be-sheket! Tov, toda! “Ziva was exclaiming, “I told you, I am fine!”
Tony rushed over and pushed the struggling Israeli back onto the hospital bed. “Zee, relax. Remember you’re in the hospital.”
“I know, Tony!” She snapped back at him, “As I told them I am fine!”
“Do you realise you were shot?”
“Yes, you are right! I was shot, I am fine! I want to go home!” Ziva insisted.
Before Tony could say something he may regret later Doctor Pitt stepped in and stopped him.
“Excuse me, Officer David, as your doctor I am required to tell you about the Against Medical Advice form. Basically you can discharge yourself but you have a serious gunshot wound and your recovery would be slower and the chances of infection are increased.”
“Thank you Doctor. Where do I sign?”
“You realise that you're leaving against medical advice and I strongly urge you to stay.”
Ziva nodded eagerly.
“I will get the nurse to go through it with you. I do suggest however that someone stay with you while you recover.”
Before Ziva could complain Tony put his hand up. “I’ll stay with her.”
“You what?” Maya exclaimed, “oh, my, god! Did you really offer to stay with Ziva?”
Tony nodded. “She was my partner, what else was I supposed to do? Anyway, Ziva wasn’t exactly the easiest person to live with. From the first moment we left the hospital we were having constant disagreements…
* * *
“So Ziva, what do you want to do first paint each other’s toenails, watch chick flicks, eat popcorn in our pyjamas?” Tony suggested trying to lighten the foul mood his partner had been in since he had told her he was staying with her.
She glared at him. “As I told you we will not need to do anything, as I do not require an infant sitter.”
“Baby sitter,” Tony corrected. “And I’m not. I’m just gonna keep you company until you’ve recovered.”
She sighed. “Fine, as long as we do not eat pizza every night.”
* * *
Tony smiled as he watched Ziva lean over the oven. She had insisted on cooking rather than eating Tony’s normal take-out pizza.
“Instead of staring at me you could give me a hand.” She said without even glancing over her shoulder.
He grinned, “What can I help with?”
“You could cut up the vegetables.”
Tony nodded and quickly went to work chopping onions, tomatoes, and mushrooms.
“I’m looking forward to dinner, as I recall you a quite the chef.”
“Was dinner good? Did she cook every night or did you actually cook because you cook now, so I know you know how.” Maya asked.
“Ziva was a great cook so it was delicious and don’t worry in the three weeks I was there I did my share of the cooking.”
“Good boy,” Maya replied, “wait you were there for three weeks? What happened after that? Did you tell her how you felt?”
“How I felt! No because I didn’t know how I felt, anyway it went well for three weeks we got along well and really bonded but then she started to get bored…
* * *
“Tony,” Ziva asked as she watched him get ready for work, she had that eager look in her eye that she had every morning when she watched him leave for work, it was a look of hope that maybe today he would take her with him. “I’m bored of sitting at home, twittering my fingers-”
“Twiddling.” He corrected.
“Whatever, I am bored and I feel I am ready to come back to work.”
“No,”
“Why not Tony?”
“You need to rest; I’ve seen you wincing whenever you touch your scar.” He said. “Give it another week, and you’ll be back to keeping crime off our streets. Anyway, I’ll see you later we’ll watch another movie.”
He felt her eyes shooting daggers at him as he walked out the door.
* * *
When he arrived home that night he found that his partner had kindly packed his stuff and left out on the stairs for him.
“She kicked you out! No way! Just because you told her she couldn’t work, wow. Please tell me you went and sorted it out instead of just leaving?”
Tony nodded. “Well I tried but after standing out in the rain for half an hour I told her to call me and left. I had wanted to tell her I would be at work that night and I would bring dinner back home but no matter what I said she wouldn’t answer me so I took my stuff back to my house. She didn’t answer my calls or ring me until…
* * *
Tony yawned as he looked as his watch, 0630, wow it had been a long night, spent at his desk, and a long month spent in and out of court trying to convict Matt Henderson of murder and assaulting a federal officer, it had been worth it in the end the bastard was ordered to serve at least 20 years for both charges.
Now unfortunately Tony had the tough job of writing up a case report including Ziva being injured, and not to mention the court case. He was beginning to envy Gibbs for being able to quit, Tony had those moments when he felt like doing the exact same thing. But of course he wouldn’t, couldn’t do that to his team, so there was only one thing left to do, suck it up and get used to it.
Someone calling his name interrupted his thoughts. He looked up to see Director Shepard looking down at him from her doorway. “Agent DiNozzo, could you join me in my office for a moment.”
Tony rose from his desk, leaving the almost empty bullpen and went straight up to her office not even bothering to question her.
Director Sheppard met him in there. She closed the door behind him, took her seat behind her desk, and motioned for him to have the seat across from her.
“Aren’t you going to ask why I called you up here?” She asked him as she looked at him curiously.
“I figure you had a good reason.”
“Good answer. As it happens I have a case that seems to have everyone at odds.” She paused as she slid a case file towards him. “A lieutenant who went to New York for therapy after she was raped and impregnated by a fellow soldier was murdered and her baby cut out of her. The local cops are handling it but since her rape occurred in-theatre by a superior officer JAG has asks us to investigate and I want our best team on it.”
“And you’re sure that’s my team Director? We are down two agents at the moment.” Tony pointed out.
“Actually you can make that one.” She smiled slyly as she nodded to her assistant who was waiting patiently by the door, the woman hurried out and returned a moment later with-
“Uncle Gibbs!” Maya exclaimed.
Tony shook his head.
“Sasha?” She guessed again.
“Nope,”
“Megan,”
“Definitely not,”
Maya’s face lit up, “Ziva!”
Jenny grinned as she watched Agent DiNozzo reaction as his partner walked into her office, her smile fell though, as she sensed the tension between them. This could be a problem.
"You wished to see me Director?" Ziva asked, her eyes flicking momentarily over Tony.
The Director nodded. “Yes I have a mission for you, for both of you.”
Tony cleared his throat avoiding his partners gaze. “If I may speak freely, Director,”
“You don’t normally require my permission Agent DiNozzo.”
Tony took a deep breath, “I don’t think Officer David is well enough to come back to work.” As he said it he felt Ziva’s eyes staring daggers at him.
“You’re opinion is noted, Agent DiNozzo,” Director Sheppard said to him, “but if Officer David feels she is ready to come back to work then I see no reason why she couldn’t.”
“And I do.” Ziva added.
While Tony stood there concerned for his partner but not knowing what to say, the Director went to her desk and sat down looking pleased with herself. “Then its settled, you will both go to New York to oversee the investigation. Your flight leaves tomorrow morning so I suggest you both get ready to leave.”
* * *
Tony sighed as he saw his partner waiting in the baggage line, looking as tired and frustrated as he did. Unless they were somehow booked on different flights, this was sure to be a long flight.
After getting a much needed coffee and some reading material he met his partner at the boarding gate. “So is the Ninja ready to take to the sky?” He asked he trying to lighten the mood. She simply ignored him.
He sighed; well at least he wouldn’t have to sit next to her on the flight. His hopes were soon dashed however when he found he was sitting right next to her for the entire 50 minute flight.
Tony sighed at the memory. “Wow that was the longest flight I ever had.”
“Why?”
“We sat in silence the entire time; she wouldn’t even look at me. And then just when I thought things couldn’t get worse they did…
* * *
“So you are certain you booked us into separate rooms?” Tony asked Director Sheppard as he and Ziva stood at the reception desk of the hotel they were supposed to be staying in. They had arrived to find they were both booked into one room with one double bed, and the hotel saying they had booked it that way and had no free single rooms.
“Yes, Agent DiNozzo. I am looking at the booking now and it states two rooms. If there is nothing they can do than I suggest both you and Officer David make the most of it. Good Luck DiNozzo.” She replied before ending the short phone conversation.
Tony clenched his fists as he put his cell phone in his pocket and turned round to face Ziva and the hotel manager. “Well looks like there was a mix up somewhere, we’ll accept the room, thanks.” He told the Manger before turning to his partner who looked ready to kill someone. “She said there is nothing we could do, we stay here until we solve this case.”
Ziva glared at him, snatched the keys off the scared Manager and stalked away to find their room.
* * *
Tony sighed as he stared at the ceiling, as soon as they reached the room Ziva had claimed the bed and he wasn’t about to argue with her, he was tired of arguing with her. She was his partner, his friend, he had only been looking after her, and what did he get for it in return, silence. He hoped this wouldn’t go on for much longer.
“Get up,” A familiar voice ordered him. Ziva was standing at the bedroom door. “The couch looks uncomfortable.”
Tony shrugged. “I don’t care how the couch feels, it’s a couch people smother it with their butts all day.”
“Must you act like a child all the time?”
“What else do you expect?
“Just come to bed.” She ordered him one last time before stalking off into the bedroom.
He sighed. It wasn’t the first time they had shared a bed. After all it was business and would be more comfortable. He grabbed his pillow and followed her.
“So that was the second time you shared a bed, except it was a bit more awkward that time and you didn't wake up in each others arms.” Maya observed.
“Well actually...
* * *
Tony woke up to find his arms wrapped comfortably around his partner. He froze not knowing what to do, sure she had let him hold her in his arms overnight but if he didn't move soon, without waking her up, she would kill him.
He took a deep breath and began to pull his arms out from under the sleeping Mossad Officer. He almost had it when she grabbed his wrist in a vice like grip.
“Tony, what are you doing?”
“Nothing.” He lied. There was a moment of silence as Ziva considered this.
“We should have something to eat before we meet with the NYPD.” She said simply.
* * *
“How long has her infant been missing?” Tony asked Detective's Benson, Munch, and Fin who were investigating Lieutenant Jessica Cruz's murder along with the removal of her infant from her womb.
“About 12 hours.” Detective Olivia Benson replied.
“Any hits on the ember alert?” Ziva asked referring to the alert that had been put on the missing infant.
“Hundreds,” Fin told her. “None that have panned out.”
“Do you know whereabouts this marine was killed?” Tony asked.
“A large pool of blood was found at Battery Park, we sent a sample to your lab.”
Tony turned to his partner. “Call Abby see if she's identified it yet.”
Ziva nodded and left to make the call.
Tony turned back to face the detectives. “She was stationed at North Carolina, what was she doing in New York?”
“She went AWOL to join a therapy group that specialises in military rape victims with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.” Olivia replied sounding as if she knew about the therapy all too well.
“That is a long way to travel for therapy.” Ziva said.
“It's a long list,” Fin pointed out. “Returning Vets need help now. Tony couldn't help but agree with him. Maybe if there was more help for the returning soldiers he wouldn't have as many crimes to deal with.
“Did you track Cruz's recent movements?” Tony asked.
“She Sub-Let an apartment, used only cash.” Munch told him. “Didn't go out much, drug store, corner market, that's about it.”
Ziva read over the case file. “It says here she was seen arguing with an unidentified male two days ago.”
Munch went over to his computer and brought up some surveillance of their victim. “That's why I pulled surveillance photos from a local ATM, hoping we'd find a stalker's shadow.”
“Can you send those photos through to our forensics lab?” Tony asked. “Maybe Abby can find something.”
“Someone was hunting her.” Ziva said. “Did you check her phone records?”
Fin nodded. “Several incoming from a disposable cellphone and two from a mid town hotel payphone.”
“Did you run them down?” Tony asked.
“The hotel was full, payphones are in the lobby. Anyone could have come in off the street to make those calls.” Fin replied.
It was Benson's turn to ask the questions. “What do you know about the sexual assault?”
“Only that she was raped while on duty but she wouldn't ID her attacker, and by the time she reported it there was no DNA evidence.” Tony told them. “We narrowed it down to about 75 suspects.”
His partner nodded. “How do we find out who it was without ID?”
“She was part of a support group here,” Olivia said. “She may have said something about who attacked her to someone in the group or even her therapist.”
“Do you happen to know who her therapist was?” Tony asked.
“Wow,” His daughter said in shock. “So you helped Olivia solve the case right? What was she like?”
“She seemed to be really affected by this case. Which is partly why our team was put on this case. Anyway we were had spent all afternoon going over the case so we decided to call it a night and talk to her therapist the next day, but before we even left the hotel I got a call from Ducky who we had sent the autopsy report to for his opinion....
* * *
“Ah, Anthony. How are you and dear Ziva doing?” Ducky's voice greeted him as soon as he picked up the loud ringing cellphone that had woken him and Ziva up.
“You do realise what the time is, don't you?”
“But we miss you guys and wanted to see how you were doing.” Abby's familiar voice chimed in. “Timmy says hi too.”
“I also read that report you sent me.” Ducky said. “I agree with the M.E's findings. Miss Cruz was stabbed once, looking at her x-rays I'd say the knife was thrust under her rip cage, through the heart and into the lung. The right ventricle was shredded with a sharp twist of the blade. I believe its a military move known as the 'silent kill'.”
Tony woke himself up. This was one of the most horrendous cases he'd ever worked. He had to listen to what Ducky had to say, it may be crucial to solving the case. “So her baby was removed Post-mortem?”
“Yes,”
“I tested the blood the from the umbilical cord and placenta.” Abby told him. “The Ember alert has been updated, the rapist is Caucasian.”
“Can you give us hair and eye colour too?” Tony asked her sarcastically.
“The Ancestry Test uses genetic markers that tend to be similar in racial groups. I will try and run it against the NCIS database, but it will take some time.”
“Cool thanks, Abs. Let me know when you find something.” Tony said a quick goodbye then turned to wake his partner up.
* * *
“Okay thanks Zee, you and Fin head back to the station Detective Benson and I will meet you there.” Tony told his partner over the phone as hie and Olivia came out of the therapists office with nothing more then what they already had. They had gone to ask her questions while his partner and Detective's Fin and Munch asked McGee and Abby to help locate the Duty rosters from the night the rape occurred.
“So what's our next move?” He asked the Detective.
“Talk to the patients from Jessica's support group.”
“If the shrink won't tell us about the rape what makes you think she's gonna give us her patint list?” Tony asked.
“I don't need it I already know who to tslk to.” O,ivia replied without meeting his eyes.
Tony realised what this meant immediately. “Does anyone else know you're in therapy?'
She shock her head.
“Then they won't here it from me.” Tony promised.
* * *
Tony stood anxiously hoping that the woman on the other side of the door could give them some desperately needed answers.
A woman in her mid thirties with dark brown eyes and hair answered the door and began to close it as soon as she recognised Detective Benson.
Olivia put her foot out to jam the door. “Please, Michelle we just need to talk.”
Michelle rolled her eyes. “I can't do that. We all did time in the dessert, talking to you would be like breaking ranks.”
“Army?” Tony asked.
“Who are you?”
“Special Agent Tony DiNozzo, NCIS.” He replied showing her his badge. “You know your silence is protecting the killer.”
Olivia nodded. “If you don't talk to us it's like her rape didn't happen.”
The woman looked at them anxiously before inviting them inside. She grabbed the cup of tea she'd been drinking and nervously took a sip before she began. Tony could see her hands shaking. “Jess had night rotation, she said he came in the hanger, locked the door and raped her. Took her a month to report it.”
“Why so long?” Olivia asked.
Michelle sighed. “She was caught having sex with someone in her unit a month before.”
“Was it consensual?' Olivia asked
Tony answered the question before Michelle could. “No sex in combat, you get caught it goes on your record.” He figured that was Gibb's reasoning for rule 12
Michelle nodded. “She thought the men wouldn't believed she'd been raped. Then she got pregnant and said she had all the evidence she needed.”
“Did she tell you who attacked her?” Olivia asked.
The woman shock her head. “only that he was ranked above her and she was afraid of retribution.”
“What kind of retribution?”
Again Tony explained. “If he was an officer his men could jam her up, even her own unit could give her the cold shoulder.”
Michelle looked like she was about to cry. “You have no idea what it's like being raped by some bastard who's supposed to be watching your back.” Tony saw the look in Olivia's eyes, he didn't know what happened to her but that look said she knew what the woman was talking about.
The Detective merely took a deep breath and acted like it didn't effect her. “What else do you know about our rapist?”
“Jessie went AWOL because she knew he was coming home, she was afraid of what he would do.”
* * *
By the time Tony and Olivia reached the station Ziva,Munch and Fin were on the phone with McGee and Abby going over the Duty rosters from the night the lieutenant was raped, and finding the whereabouts of everyone in her unit.
“Any leads on Jessaia Cruz's killar?” Tony asked.
“Most of the unit is still deployed from tour extentions.” Ziva replied.
“But there were five marines on duty the night she was raped, that matched those who shipped home.” McGee reported.
“Two sergeants a gunnery, and a master sargeant, and lietenant ranked above Cruz.” Munch added.
“Do you have any idea where they are?”Olivia asked.
“Well,” Munch said bringing the profile's up on his computer. “ Sergeant's Kelly and Munrow are at Jared Point. The Gunnery Sergeant Ditka and Master Sergeant Dominic Pruitt are on approved leave and Lieutenant Gary Rosten's whereabouts are classified.”
Before anyone else could say anything an elderly woman interupted theem by asking for Detective Benson, she introduced herself as Jessica Cruz's mother and froze went she glanced at the photo of her dead daughter.
“I'm not surprised.” Maya said. “Then what happened? Did you find the baby? Was it okay?”
“Yeah the poor woman nearly had an aneurysm. We apologized profusely, and interviewed Mrs. Cruz.” Tony replied. “It turned out that a Sergeant was demoted for hanging around Jessica. Mrs Cruz said that the Sergeant’s name was Dominic Pruitt and whaddaya know? He just happened to be back in the US. In fact he was even staying in a hotel in New York. So of course, we decided it would be worth paying Mr Pruitt a visit...
* * *
They were almost at the door of Pruitt's hotel room when they heard thumping coming from the room. All for of them instantly reached for their guns as they burst through the door. To their suprise they came face to face with Sergeant Pruitt wresting with another man, there was a knife lying nearby.
“NCIS, FREEZE!” Both Tony and Ziva yelled.
“NYPD, FREEZE!” Olivia and Fin yelled.
The men ignored them so Tony and Olivia stepped in to try and break it up. As soon as she stepped in Olivia was knocked backwards into the wall, her head breaking the picture. Fin rushed over to help her while Tony and Ziva yelled at the two men trying to break them up.
Suddenly Olivia was standing with her gun pressed hard against the back of Pruitt's head, with her finger on the trigger. Tony froze, the look in her eyes told him she was serious, if someone didn't do something soon she was gonna blow his brains out. He noticed thar his partner already had her gun pointed at the group and if given the order she could shoot all three before Olivia pulled the trigger. Thankfully the men stopping fighting and everyone's movements became slow and controlled.
“Put the gun down Detective.” Tony ordered her.
Her partner made slow causious steps towards her. “Liv, can you hear me?” Fin asked. “Put it down!”
It felt like an eterinty before Olivia blinked and seemed to come to her senses. Fin grabbed her gun and handed it to Tony while Ziva keep her own on the two men, who seemed frozen in place.
“I'm sorry.” She whispered to her partner, who held her gently in her arms and kept her calm.
Tony turned to his partner. “Arrest them.” He ordered her before turning back to the two cops. “We'll meet you back at the PD.
* * *
Back at the office. Tony and Ziva had more on their plate then they baganed for. The wife of Gary Rosten, the man whom Pruitt beat down in the hotel room, was demanding that she be allowed to see her husband.
“You need to relax Mrs Rosten.” Tony said as calmly as he could even though this woman wasn't making it easy.
“We will arrest you if we have to..” Ziva threatened. Tony looked at his partner wide eyed, could they really arrest this woman? While the theat seemed to shock him it didn't seem to calm Mrs Rosten down at all.
“Why? We haven't done anything wrong and your treating him like a criminal! It was Pruitt's knife my husband was just defending himself!” She yelled at them.
Tony took a deep breath before replying. “That's what it looks like Mrs Rosten. We just want his statement.”
“Where is Gary?” She demanded again.
Tony sighed, there was only one thing that was going to shut this woman up. “Come with me. I'll take you to your husband.”
Ziva followed them towards the room where they were holding Gary Rosten. “Do you know why Pruitt attacked your husband?”
“No,”
“What happens to enlisted men who attack their superior officers?” Ziva asked.
“General Court Marsall.” Tony replied.
“That sounds like a pretty big risk for a man like Pruitt to take.” Ziva pointed out.
Mrs Rosten shrugged. “It happens, can we go now?”
“You seem stired.” Ziva said to the woman.
“Shaken not stirred.” Tony corrected. It was one of his favourite James Bond quotes.
His partner raised her eyebrows and turned back to the woman who was watching her husband from the observation room. “My husband was attacked and you cops pulled guns on him, how am I supposed to feel?”
“I would think you'd be used to it, since your husband's worth is measured by his kills.” Ziva pointed out.
“I'm not a marine.” She told them.
They were interupted by Detective Munch.
“Umm, Tony we need you. Olivia wants to interview Pruitt.”
“Can you keep an eye on her?” Tony asked his partner.
She nodded and he knew that she would watch both the woman and her husband like a hawk.
“What the hell do you think your doing?” He asked Olivia as he caught sight of both her and Fin in a heated argument.
“I told you I'm fine.” She told them. He had heard that before.
“You held your gun to the back of a man's head.” Tony remided her.
“Do you have any idea how much trouble your in?” Fin added.
“You are not intergating him.” Tony told her firmly.
She sighed. “Can I at least sit in?”
Tony nodded.
“Wow, talk about intense. What happened when you interrogated Mr Pruitt? Did you give him the old 'Gibbs Stare'? Did that make him confess?” Maya asked.
“Slow down, when I interrogated him he claimed not to have seen the Miss Cruz since Iraq but admitted he called her. He insisted that he didn't rape her, or have have sex with her at all for that matter " he just hung out with her as a friend, and watched her back. You know, personally, I didn’t think Pruitt was our guy. Olivia, however, was dead-set on taking him down...
* * *
Tony ran into Ziva as he and Olivia left the interrogation room.
“Detective Fin and I interviewed Gary Rosten, it turns out he also served in Iraq and was the one who told his superiors about Cruz and Pruitt hanging out. He also told us that Cruz had a reputation.” She reported.
“Where is Fin?” Olivia asked.
“He is sending the DNA sample we got from Pruitt to Abby.”
“Good, I'll check in with her tomorrow. It's been a long day, we could all do with a good night's sleep.”
* * *
The next morning Tony woke up a little later then he meant to, and immediately called Abby.
“Tony! The Goth answered excitedly. “i miss you and Ziva, so do McGee and Ducky! The other day McGee was saying that-”
“Abby! Did you match the DNA I sent you?”
“Yes, and you're not gonna like the results,. the baby’s blood doesn’t match Pruitt’s. He’s not the rapist.”
* * *
“We have a problem,” Tony annouced to the Detectives as he and Zive arrived at the PD. “Forenics came back on the cord blood, Pruitt's DNA didn't match.”
Olivia looked like he had just slapped her in the face. “Test it again.”
“Abby already did, twice.” Ziva told her.”
The detective's eys widdened “I was wrong, if Pruitt's not our guy who is?”
“We still have four suspect's who still worked in close courters with our victim.” Fin reminded her.
“It had to be somebody she worked with everyday, who watched her, thought about her, enjoyed her.” Olivia mused as she looked over the unit files.
It hit Tony suddenly, it was all so clear now. “Lieutenant Gary Rosten!”
“I knew it!” Maya exclaimed. “I knew there was a reason that guy attacked him. Did his wife know?”
Tony nodded. “Yup we interrogated her at the same time as her husband and she admitted that her husband told her that he had slept with Jessica. Then when she went to confront her and her husband followed her. She said she didn't know what he was gonna do.”
“What about the baby?”
Tony wrapped his arms around his daughter, “Not all cases have the best ending.”
“But this story will right. Because you and Ziva fell in love.”
“Anyway, since the case was solved we were officially allowed to head back home to DC...
* * *
As soon as they landed Tony headed straight back to headquarters, so he could write up the case notes while it was still fresh in his mind. It was late so he was surprised to find McGee sitting at his desk.
“Welcome back, Tony.” He greeted him.
“Thanks Probie. Heard you missed me?”
“Whatever Tony. Heard you and Ziva had to share a hotel room, who got stuck with the couch?”
“Me. We flipped a coin.” Tony told him it wasn't exactly a lie.
“Tough break. Ah well maybe next time you'll get the bed.”
Author's Chapter Notes:
Tony struggles to make a difficult decision. The team is split up briefly when Tony and Ziva are sent to New York to help the local police solve the brutal murder of a marine, along with the removal of her baby from her womb. Since even though her body was found in New York her baby was conceived when she was raped while on duty Tony fights with the cops handling the case for jurisdiction, until Director Shepard announces they are to share jurisdiction.
Chapter End Notes:
Crossover with the SVU episode of the same name