Chapter 30 – The Confrontation
NCIS Headquarters – Autopsy Room
The sound of footsteps echoed through the cold basement corridors of NCIS. Jason Gibbs walked with a firm posture, his eyes sharp and focused.
He already knew what he would find in the autopsy room.
He had seen too many deaths to be surprised.
But this case was personal.
When the door opened, he saw what he expected.
His father, Gibbs, stood with his arms crossed, observing the body on the autopsy table.
Ari Haswari. Dead.
Around the room were Tony DiNozzo, Timothy McGee, Abigail "Abby" Sciuto, and Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard.
And, beside the body, was Ziva David.
The atmosphere was dense, almost suffocating.
Jason took a step inside, and everyone felt the change in the room's energy. Ziva's Gaze
Ziva turned slowly.
Her eyes weren't filled with hatred, but with contained pain and a silent fury.
She held the white sheet covering part of Ari's body and stared at Jason.
"You shouldn't have done this."
Jason showed no emotion.
He took two more steps, coming face to face with her.
"Your brother shouldn't have killed Kate."
Ziva clenched her fists.
"I could have stopped him."
Jason raised an eyebrow.
"But you didn't."
Silence.
Ziva didn't look away, but neither did Jason.
"He was my brother," she said, her voice low but intense.
Jason maintained a cold expression.
"And Kate was one of us."
Ziva took a deep breath, her jaw tense.
"This wasn't your decision."
Jason smirked.
"Ari made his choice. I just finished the job."
Ziva opened her mouth to reply, but the autopsy door slammed shut.
The Director Enters
The woman who entered had presence.
Red hair, a sharp gaze, wearing an elegant black blazer.
Jennifer Shepard.
The new director of NCIS.
She stormed in, her gaze fixed directly on Jason.
"Are you Jason Gibbs?"
Jason turned his head slowly toward her.
"Depends. Who wants to know?"
Tony shifted uncomfortably.
McGee looked at Gibbs.
Gibbs didn't move.
Jennifer didn't flinch.
"I'm Director Shepard. And you just caused a diplomatic incident."
Jason showed no reaction.
He crossed his arms.
"The only diplomatic incident was a Mossad terrorist killing an NCIS agent. I just resolved the problem."
The tension in the room rose even further.
Jennifer narrowed her eyes.
"Do you think you can act above the law?"
Jason smiled slightly.
"I answer to my commander."
He took a step forward, now face to face with the director.
"To JSOC."
Another step.
"And to the President of the United States."
Jennifer didn't move, but clearly didn't like being challenged.
"That still doesn't give you the right to execute targets without official authorization."
Jason tilted his head.
"It seems strange to me that an NCIS director is more concerned about the death of a terrorist than the fact that an American agent died."
Jennifer clenched her jaw.
"That's not the point, Gibbs."
Jason smiled coldly.
— Oh, but yes, it is.
He glanced quickly at Ziva.
— And it's even stranger that Mossad managed to get a spot in NCIS so quickly after that.
Now, the tension in the room was unbearable.
Tony held his breath.
McGee looked at Gibbs again.
Abby clenched her arms.
Jennifer stepped forward, facing Jason.
— Ziva David now works for NCIS.
Jason didn't back down an inch.
— How convenient.
Gibbs' Response
For a moment, no one moved.
It was Gibbs who broke the silence.
— This has gone far enough.
Jennifer turned to him quickly.
— Gibbs, control your son.
Gibbs took a sip of coffee, impassive.
— He doesn't work for me.
Jennifer narrowed her eyes.
— Then maybe he should. Jason laughed.
"No, thank you. I prefer places where I can do my job without having to ask permission from bureaucrats."
Jennifer stiffened.
"You may be a Delta Force operator, Gibbs, but don't forget… Washington isn't a battlefield."
Jason leaned slightly toward her.
"Believe me… to me, it is."
The Triumphant Exit
Jason looked once more at Ari's body.
"Now that this is settled, my work here is done."
He turned to Gibbs.
"See you later, Dad."
Gibbs simply nodded.
Jason cast one last glance at Ziva.
"I know it hurts. But he chose this path."
Ziva didn't respond.
Jason then left the room, leaving a heavy silence behind.
Conclusion
Tony whistled softly.
"That was intense." McGee shook his head.
"So this is Gibbs' son. Now it all makes sense."
Jennifer looked at Gibbs, seriously.
"This isn't over yet."
Gibbs took another sip of coffee.
"Nothing ever ends, Director."
And then he left, leaving Jennifer Shepard and Ziva alone beside Ari's body.
Chapter 31 – Between Two Worlds
Tel Aviv, Israel – March 2013
The setting sun tinged the Tel Aviv sky with golden and orange hues. The warm Mediterranean breeze blew gently across the apartment balcony, carrying the salty scent of the sea and the distant murmur of the city.
Jason Gibbs stood there, leaning against the balcony railing, observing the horizon.
In the streets below, the city teemed with its unique rhythm a blend of the old and the modern, of chaos and discipline.
Israel.
For many, it was a place of tension and conflict. For him, it was where she was.
Ziva David.
Inside the apartment, Ziva was in the kitchen, chopping vegetables with the precision of someone who had wielded weapons far more deadly than a kitchen knife.
Jason entered, observing her for a moment before speaking.
—I'm still amazed at how you can go from trained assassin to chef in seconds.
Ziva smiled slightly, without looking at him.
"Skills are skills, Jason. The secret is knowing when to use them."
He approached and grabbed a slice of carrot before she could stop him.
"And in my case, knowing when to steal food from your cutting board."
She rolled her eyes, but a small smile played on her lips.
"If you were an enemy, you'd already be dead."
Jason bit into the carrot and leaned against the counter.
"Good thing I'm on the friend team."
She finally stopped cutting and looked at him.
"Yes… you are."
Jason wasn't a man of long breaks. Delta Force wasn't known for giving generous vacations.
But whenever he could, he came to Israel.
Ziva was no longer officially in Mossad, but she still did sporadic work for them, unofficial missions, without records or direct government involvement.
She didn't want to go back to her old life. But he also didn't know how to live without her.
Jason understood that better than anyone.
He didn't know how to stop either.
Ziva handed him a glass of wine and took another for herself.
They walked to the balcony and sat down, watching the sun disappear on the horizon.
"And how's your father?" Ziva asked, taking a sip.
Jason smiled slightly.
"Gibbs is Gibbs. The same as always. But now with less gray hair."
She laughed.
"That's a lie."
Jason raised his glass in a toast.
"Maybe."
Jason's phone vibrated on the table.
He picked it up and looked at the screen.
Unidentified number.
But he already knew who it was.
Ziva noticed too.
"Already?"
Jason sighed.
"Always."
He answered.
"Gibbs."
The voice on the other end was short and to the point.
"Base of operations. 48 hours."
The call ended before he could answer.
Ziva didn't ask anything.
She already knew the answer.
Jason put the phone in his pocket and looked at her.
"I'll be back."
She held his gaze.
"I know."
He pulled her close and kissed her, deep and firm.
Because this was their world.
Because they never knew when it would be the last time.
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