A LIFE WORTH WAITING FOR
Chapter One- "Possibilities"
NCIS Headquarters, Tuesday Morning
Tony DiNozzo fidgeted endlessly at his desk. Every once in a while he would check his watch.
Ziva looked curiously at her partner, amused and concerned with his antics. "Really, Tony, you are as nervous as a cat on a hot car."
"That's 'hot tin roof', Ziva. And I'm not nervous. Just have lots of pent up energy that I need to… release." Tony smiled and said the last word slowly, trying to sound sexy and provocative.
Ziva snorted through her laugh.
"Oh, you think that's funny?" Tony got up and wandered over to Ziva's desk, finally finding a reason to enter her personal space. He sat on her desk, slightly facing her.
Ziva pretended to ignore him. "No, I think you are funny. Really, Tony, pent up energy? You just had a very relaxing weekend, did you not?" Ziva looked up and smiled at him.
Tony smiled back. "Yes, we did, didn't we? At least, most of Saturday." Tony looked at his watch again. Ziva reached out so quickly and grabbed his wrist; Tony almost fell off his perch.
"Why do you keep looking at your watch? Are you expecting something? Or someone?" Ziva's smile lost some of its radiance.
"Just a boring phone call, nothing important."
"Well, it must be important, Tony. Otherwise, you wouldn't be monopolizing our attention when we should be working." McGee looked significantly at Tony.
"Who asked you to pay attention, McEavesdropper? Ziva and I were having a private conversation." Tony pretended to be offended.
Tim shook his head. Suddenly, he realized he did overhear a significant remark. "Wait, did you just say you two spent Saturday together?"
McGee frowned. He always suspected that there could be something going on between Tony and Ziva, if they didn't work for Gibbs. He knew Ziva was a risk taker, and in the past, would have dismissed such an idea as "Rule # 12."
But Ziva was now a true member of NCIS, not the Mossad Liaison. She was subject to the same rules that he, Tony and Abby were.
Although, in retrospect, it was not Gibbs' rule that had kept him and Abby apart; it had been Abby herself.
Tim allowed himself a slight pang of regret. He never lost any of his feelings for Abby. He still occasionally held out hope, however small, that she might eventually change her mind.
Tim shook his head to clear his thoughts, and returned his focus back to Tony and Ziva.
Tony and Ziva both had their mouths open, looking at McGee.
Tony cleared his throat. "If you must know, McGee; Ziva and I went to Continental Hall to see if we could figure out where they filmed the scenes that were in 'Salt'." Tony looked at McGee with an expression that he classified as "I'm going to kill you McGee, for bringing that up."
"Ah, huh." McGee nodded, looking skeptical. He turned back to his work, pretending to ignore Tony, but continued watching out of the corner of his eye. Tony turned back to Ziva.
"So anyway, yes, I am waiting for this stupid phone call. And ..."
Just then, Tony's cell rang. He looked quickly at the readout. "Finally!" he said with forced exasperation. He hit the answer button.
"Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo. Yes! So…really! Well, that is…" Tony looked up to see both Ziva and Tim leaning forward from their desks, straining to hear the person on the other line.
"Hang on a minute." Tony held his phone to his chest.
"Do you mind?" He looked at them with narrowed eyes and walked over to the other side of the stairs to MTAC.
"Sorry about that." Tony whispered back into the phone. "There was some…interference." Tony listened closely, his eyes getting bigger. A wide smile spread across his face.
"That's great! I, I can't believe it. No really, I really can't believe it." Reality set in, as Tony absorbed the news that his offer on the house had been accepted. "Yes, yes…ok, I will see you then." He ended the call and spun around.
Ziva and McGee were standing right behind him.
"Yahhh…" Tony yelped in surprise. "What is wrong with you?" He snapped at them. "You could have given me a heart attack!"
"So, Tony. What's the good news?" McGee had a mischievous look on his face.
Tony looked carefully at McGee. "I just got verbal confirmation that you aren't being fired, McGee."
McGee gulped. He remembered his earlier fears about whether or not he was being fired. Did Tony know about that? He was sure Abby wouldn't have said anything.
Ziva raised one eyebrow and looked Tony in the eye.
Tony felt guilty. "Oh, alright." He waved his arms in the air. "I just found out I won the lottery!"
"You know, Tony." McGee murmured quietly. "Sometimes you can be a real jerk." McGee walked away.
"Just…sometimes?" Tony turned around as he followed McGee's retreating back. He turned back to Ziva.
She was not smiling. "Ah, come on Ziva! I was just yanking his chain."
Ziva looked confused. "I do not know about any chain that McGee has, or why it needed to be yanked. But I agree, sometimes you can be a jerk." She headed back to her desk. Tony grabbed her arm as she passed by him.
"Are you mad at me?" Tony seemed concerned.
Ziva looked him in the eyes, her own eyes trailing down to his lips.
She looked back up. "Friends do not keep secrets."
Tony smiled. "But they do have the option of deciding when to reveal them. Cut me some slack, Ziva. All will be told in good time."
She patted him on the cheek. ""I just want you to be nice to McGee."
Tony looked confused. "I am always nice to McGee!"
Ziva shook her head.
Tony shrugged in frustration. Then he remembered his phone call. "Oh-my-God! I, Anthony DiNozzo, Jr. am a homeowner!" Tony hurried back to his desk.
Thursday evening.
Tony arrived at the Real Estate office ten minutes early. Fortunately, the day had been quiet. He had fretted most of the day that some case would come up, and cause him to reschedule the closing.
After signing what seemed to be about seventy-five documents and handing over a cashier's check for a very large sum of money, Tony was rewarded by being handed a set of keys.
"Congratulations, Mr. DiNozzo. You are now a homeowner." Catherine Cummings smiled as she handed Tony a large envelope.
Tony shook her hand and headed out to his car. Once he was inside, he opened the envelope and upended it, letting the keys fall into his open hand.
He looked at them closely. "Who would have thought that such a small thing would open up a world of possibilities?" Tony said to himself. Not that buying a home was a small thing.
He found the key to be symbolic. It was not just a key to a door that led into a house; it was the key that opened the door to the possibilities he hoped were ahead, just waiting to unfold.
Hope you liked it. Reviews are always welcomed.
