Disclaimer: Not mine...I owe nothing
Tony's POV
She was here....
It was all that matters....
for now...
Tony stood in the shadow on the side of the airstrip on the naval base. He watched Gibbs (he would kill him, if he knew he was here) get out of the plane. And then there was the coffin: huge metallic box, no flag to cover it, no soldiers to give honors to fallen hero. It was how everyone should think about her: A HERO. Only then he notice single tear on his cheek. It was first tear he shed for her. Anyway, he still remember that day, THE DAY.
It was more than five months since they left her in Tel Aviv. There was no word from her (or so he thought) no other source of the news. He still hoped she would call when she was ready, but he reached the stage he didn't think of her daily. And then Gibbs got phone call from someone who owed him a favor or two (maybe more, but who cares). There was a female body found in the terrorist training camp eradicated by marines. The body wasn't identifiable by visual checkout so as a standard procedure there was a DNA test issued. And they got a beep. ZIVA. So Gibbs got a call. He didn't have to tell anything, just by the look Tony could tell. Someone was dead and in case when Probie sit at the desk next to him, he just spoke with Abby and even Ducky and Palmer was accounted for it left only one person...
Gibbs said only one word to him: stay!! He obeyed this order, he obeyed when Gibbs told him not to kill Ziva's father, he obeyed when he was told no to identify the body from photo, he obeyed when he was told to go home and not to drink.
He didn't obeyed an order not to come to airport. There was no way to know what triggers must Gibbs pressured to get her home or how many people he owed bigtime. He just got that feeling that getting devil to go on holiday to Heaven would be easier that getting Ziva's body to US. He didn't know why Gibbs did it anyway. He never heard about the letter she wrote him before she left for the mission. Just simple white envelope with short letter saying goodbye, saying I'm sorry and asking for bringing her body to US, back HOME, in case anything should happen. And of course she asked not to tell Tony.
The funeral will be tomorrow, simple ceremony for friends to say goodbye, it was something Tony was allowed to take care of. No tributes were planned, neither were they desired, because nothing could eased the pain Tony was feeling. He hoped funeral would make his feelings more real, having grave to put flower on, to shed tears next to would allow him to move on with his life...he knew that someday he will be able to smile again, to tease someone the way he used to tease Ziva,to enjoy his morning cup of coffee and Friday movie nights.
But not now....
It didn't matter now...
Nothing did
Only she...and her last journey home.
Sorry about that, I just didn't feel like happyend....