Title: A Genre of Love, Angst and other Confusion
Author: TrueVindication
Characters: Gibbs, McGee, Tony, Ziva, misc.
Pairing: tiva
Rating: K
Spoilers: None
Authors Note: This is my first NCIS fic, so any thoughts would be greatly appreciated! I'm actually planning to make this a series. I was listening to my iPod and had Lonestar's "Already There" come on. I genius'd the song and got a list of 12 country songs that I absolutely adore, so I plan on using each one as inspiration for each chapter. (So they'll be stand alones.)
I had no beta reader for this, but would of course love to have one for all future chapters. J I just didn't know how to chose a beta a this point so.. There ya have it!
All chapters will be tiva-centric, but of course will have misc friendship themes as well. And of course I own nothing. Except for Trey.
Summary: Four months is long enough to make a man go insane, but Tony just needs to hear her voice to keep his mind in one piece.

It wasn't an op he wanted to take. No, in fact he had fought Vance tooth and nail to get any other assignment than the one he was dealt.
"It's you, DiNozzo," the director stated as he walked around the desk, "I hand picked you."
"Sir I would have to respectfully decline if it's all the same." Tony stood straight as a board, eyes forward and hands held tight behind his back. "Current circumstances wouldn't allow me to leave my family for such a long period of time." He didn't trust himself not to lash out at his director for asking so much of him.
"I understand that, trust me I do. I have talked it over with Gibbs-"
"You what?" Tony broke his stance, surprise in his eyes.
"-and he said he would be more than willing to help out as much as he can if you decided to take this assignment." The directors voice was monotone, obviously unsympathetic, from Tony's point of view at least. "And as I said, I hand picked you, Agent DiNozzo."

He knew it was good for his career. He knew it was good for his team. He knew it would kill him to be away for so long. That's how he ended up here, in a lonely, cold hotel room, wanting to call to hear her say 'I love you' one more time. He stared at the picture he kept in his wallet, and to see her smiling back at him warmed his heart. To see the little boy in her arms with a big toothy grin broke it a second after. He missed his wife. He missed his son. He had to hear her voice.

"Zi, we need to talk." His voice was lower than normal as he walked by her desk, right past and through the hallway. She exchanged a quizzical glance with Tim and followed him.
"Tony, where are we going." She said it more as a statement than a question. She furrowed her brow when he lead her to the men's restroom. Throughout the years this was used for the conference room of many disagreements and apologies. This couldn't be good news.
Tony turned and watched her lock the door behind them. "Ziva-"
"This is bad?" He took a deep breath, held it and nodded. "How bad?"
"Vance wants me undercover for six months." He spit the sentence out in one breath, not sure if he would will it out if he took his time. Ziva stood and stared at him for what seemed like 5 minutes, and once he opened his mouth to say something she held up a finger to silence him.
She turned on her heel and walked out the door.

He had ended up in Washington state, far away from the start of his mission in Norfolk. During a bar brawl he unwillingly became a part of he ran into an old partner from Baltimore, they had only worked together three months before Tony had moved to homicide, but Tony felt it was his luckiest day in a long time.
He was escorted out of the bar by an officer he didn't know, but asked to speak to his old partner before going anywhere.
"Anthony?" Lt. Richards raised his hand to his eyebrows in mock search, "Tony! Man, good to see you!" He redirected his smile towards the officer escorting Tony out, "get those off him, man, he's alright, I got him."
"Thanks, Frank," he said as he wiped the last trickle of blood from his mouth. "How ya been?"
And so began a night of catching up and swapping stories. In the back of Tony's mind he needed the best report he could get with this man.

"You're married?! No shit! Wow.. I don't know what to say! Congratulations! How long?"
"Almost 3 and a half years now," Tony responded nodding slightly, smiling himself, "I have a little boy, too." He pulled out the worn picture from his wallet.
"Another Anthony I assume?" Tony shrugged and laughed.
"Yeah, another one. Third in line… he's my little Trey… haven't seen either of them since this all started."
"That's rough, man, it's hard enough for me to be away from my girls for my 12 hour shifts.. I wish there was something I could do to help." That was all Tony needed to hear.
"Maybe there is…"

"How can you support this?!"
"Ziver, take a deep breath." Gibbs put his hand on her shoulder softly. "I understand your confusion, anger, hesitation-"
"Anger. I want to stick with that one." Ziva tried pacing around Gibbs' small 'conference room' unable to keep still.
"I understand, but Tony is probably the best agent we have for this op. I trust him. I know he'll make the right calls."
"To get this guy?"
"To make sure he brings himself home to you."

The phone rang and startled her awake. She immediately picked up the receiver to silence the noise, afraid of waking up her sleeping 3 year old.
"Hello?" She got no answer. Confused she sat up in bed. "Hello? Who is this." When no answer came she threatened, "I am going to hang out."
"Up."
"What?"
"When you're tired your idioms get mixed up. Hang up, come on, sweet cheeks you know that one."
"Tony?" She was wide awake. "What are you- how did- what?"
"I had to hear your voice. I love you." he was short and concise with his words.
Trying to find words to say to her husband she almost started to cry. "Oh, Tony, I've missed you. It's been a long four months."
"It feels longer for me, trust me. It's so good to hear your voice. How's Trey doing?"
"Definitely his father's son." She laughed, "we've had James Bond in the DVD player for two weeks now. I don't know if he understands it all but he will not let me change the disc." She could feel herself trying to keep things light, in case this was a 'last call' granted to them both. The nervousness was in her hesitation, but she smiled at his voice nonetheless.
"That's my boy…" he drifted off, content to hear her breathing. Even that simple sound was beautiful.
"Tony, you shouldn't be calling me." Her tone turned serious, weighing the circumstances in which he could be calling her under such a deep mission.
"It's ok, Zi, I'm in lockup."
"What?!"
"Well, not really lockup," he was amused with her reaction, and grinned a little as he explained. "Long story short: I ran into an old Baltimore PD buddy. We caught up for a bit, I pretended to get drunk and deck him so people around us thought something went sour. He brought me in and put me in lockup. When everyone was gone he brought me a burn phone."
"Oh, Tony," Ziva laughed softly. "That is the dumbest idea I have ever heard."

He grinned to himself as he cocked his head to the side, "but it worked didn't it?" Her laugh was like a drug to him, and even to hear the softest chuckle sent him to heaven. "Can you wake Trey? I want him to hear my voice before my minutes run out on this phone." The muffled noises let him know she was getting out of bed and going to his little boy's room.
His son. His pride and joy. He heard him softly wake him. Before he was fully conscious she put the phone to his ear.

Being the third Anthony DiNozzo, Tony had decided to dub him Trey ("like the card game, lucky right? Trey?") which Ziva disliked very much until she overheard him talking to Abby in the lab, before he knew she was at the doorway.
"It's perfect, y'know? What is the most memorable Trey you know? Trey of hearts, right? He is my Trey of hearts. He's got more of my heart I could ever give to anyone."
Abby smiled and squealed in response, throwing her arms around him. He slowly rubbed her back and spoke slowly, almost to himself. "I'm a father… I'm a father to a beautiful, healthy baby boy… And a husband to a beautiful, amazing woman… What do I need more than those who hold my heart?"

"Hey, Trey, time to wake up a little bit for daddy."
"Daddy?" The softest of voices melted his heart. "Daddy?" he asked again.
"Hey, kiddo. How ya doin? You protectin' mommy while I'm gone?" Tony tired to keep his voice light, away from the crackling of tears he felt in his throat.
"Daddy, when you coming home?"
The tears in his throat caught up to him and every fiber of his being shattered into a thousand pieces. How do you respond to your child asking you such a question? He thought for a second, sighing deep, knowing his son was waiting for an answer. He said the first thing that came to his mind:
"I'm already there. Take a look around… I'm always with you. I'm the sunshine waking you up in the morning through the window.. I'm the shadow next to you outside when you're on the swings. I'm your imaginary friend, always beside you to make you laugh.. And I know I'm in your prayers, just like you're in every single thought in my day. That's why I smile so much, because I think of you." He took a deep breath and heard his little boy giggle and cry at the same time. Wishing he could take him into his arms he said, instead, "stay strong, little man, daddy will be home soon."
"Kay.." the little boy breathed out the single syllable, a feather soft reassurance in Tony's ear.

With that Ziva took the phone from his ear. "He is tired. He cries for you, you know."
"I know," Tony nodded to himself. Still staring at the picture in his hands, it was hard to imagine either of his warriors being anything less than supernatural. "I know."
"I really miss you, Tony… don't worry about Trey, he'll be alright." She heard him take in a deep breath, no doubt trying to compose himself and be strong for her. "I wish I was in your arms lying right there beside you…" She let her thoughts trail off, which he gladly finished for her.
"But you know that you'll be in my dreams tonight, and every night."
"I wish I could kiss your lips… touch you with my fingertips…"
"So turn out the lights," he whispered, "and close your eyes tonight.. I'm already there. Can you still feel the love that we share? It gets me through each and everyday, Zi. I want nothing more than to be home with you. I hope you never doubt that for a second."
"I know," she closed her eyes tight, her hand holding the phone with all her might, as if it might disappear if she let up if ever for a second. "I know you'll come home safe to us. I just wish I could have you with me tonight… I miss your arms around me. Trey needs his father… Gibbs and Tim have been great helping out, but he knows you aren't around."
"Shh… I know, sweet cheeks, I know… We may be a thousand miles apart, but I'll be with you both, wherever you are… and you know as soon as this mission is over I would run a thousand miles to get back to you." When he heard nothing his heart skipped a beat in a panic. And then all was okay again when he heard her speak softly:
"I love you."
He smiled the most genuine smile he had in the past four months. "I just wanted to hear it one more time, to get me through the night."

"Are you sure you want to do this?"
"Are you sure you want to let me?"
They stood in the bathroom, faces mere inches apart. Much like it was years ago, this scenario differed a little. They held each others hands softly and spoke in almost whispers. When neither answered their foreheads fell to rest on each other slightly.
"Just say the word I'll turn it down, I swear I will." Tony's voice almost pleaded for a way out, wanting to be near his wife and child more than anything the director could grant him.
Ziva shook her head. "This is for the good of your career, the team, and NCIS." She put a hand behind his head, the other on his waist. "Besides," her hand fell to his neck, running her fingernails across the sensitive skin, "you know better than not to come back to be in one piece."
The smile on his face reached from ear to ear. "Of course, sweet cheeks, who am I to cross the crazy ninja chick I've grown to know, love, adore and fear?"
Her hand left his neck and smacked his cheek playfully, paired with a coy smile.
"That's right, my little hairy butt."

In the few minutes remaining on the phone they whispered words of comfort and reassurance to each other. Those three little words weren't said again, and wouldn't be said for another two months until Tony was home, holding his wife and child where he belonged. But that one phone call, from the lonely cold hotel room gave them both all they needed to stay strong. Sometimes all you need is that reassurance. Sometimes all you need to know is that someone is always there.

A/N: Soooo, I know SO MUCH more could have been done with this plot, and trust me I was tempted! But the plot bunnies are driving me insane with a story for each of these songs, so they're all goign to be relatively short and sweet like this one. Trey will probably be coming back in other stories where I see Tony and Ziva with a child, because all the other stories I read give him a little girl, and as cute as that is, I can see a miniTony easier in my mind. The name for Trey actually came from a guy I worked with who was a Junior but called Deuce, so I thought it was cute, Tony keeping the name alive but not wanting to call him Tony or Anthony like his father. Sorry, I'm rambling! Any feedback would be greatly appreciated, I don't even know if I should keep writing/posting, or just writing and letting it fade away somewhere on my hard drive. :)