Heartbreak at the hands of a fictional character? I has it. I'm super sad about the departure of Ziva, and not exactly thrilled with the resolution, if you'd even call it that. I've got no less than 3 different stories started, but this is just a short one set somewhere between burying the new list and the airport.
Ziva was seated by a window, staring out at the darkening skyline. It wasn't an unusual position to find her in, at least not in the few days since he'd finally found her. Something in the way her fingers rhythmically tapped against her lip on this occasion made him wonder what was on her mind, so he decided to ask. A slight tilt of her head was the only initial reaction to his question, but after a few moments, her fingers stopped their movement and her eyes drifted to him.
"My father owns a number of houses. I inherited all of them. I am thinking about what I should do with them."
"Oh," was the only response he could come up with, suddenly afraid she'd decided to move back into one of Eli's homes. As if she'd read his mind, Ziva smiled softly.
"I am not staying in Israel forever, Tony. I could not, even if I wanted to; I am an American citizen now."
"Somehow, I think Orli would find a way to keep you around if you wanted." Ziva snorted.
"Yes, and at what price? Become Mossad's puppet again? That is exactly the life I need to get away from." Tony didn't need to express his relief; he knew she could read it in his eyes. He released a breath and moved the conversation back to an easier topic.
"So what are your options? As far the houses, at least."
"The one in Tel Aviv, I will probably sell. I have no real connection to that one, and frankly, I don't believe he did either. I think it was only ever a place to sleep that happened to be close to the office."
"Close, huh? Maybe Orli will want it." At this, Ziva allowed a smile.
"It would not surprise me if she bought it in secret. If only so she could literally pull up every floorboard to make sure there are no secrets hidden there." Tony laughed outright.
"Yeah, she does seem somewhat... thorough."
"To put it mildly," Ziva agreed.
"What do you have outside of Tel Aviv?"
"There is this one. Obviously, it does have an emotional connection for me, but I think once you and I leave here I would like to shut the door on it. I don't think I will need to come back."
"So sell this one too?"
"Most likely, yes."
"All right, so that's two sales so far. Good start. What else?"
"There is a small place in Eilat that an old family friend has been renting for years..." she trailed off, deep in thought.
"Keep renting it?" Tony suggested.
"Or perhaps just give it to them. I am certain they have paid well worth the cost in rent over the years." Tony smiled, thinking that maybe he'd just fallen for her a little bit more. He cleared his throat before he could accidentally voice the feeling.
"Three houses accounted for. Any others?"
"Yes. One more, in Haifa. My mother loved it; we used to go there every summer before she died. It has a beautiful view of the bay. My father even seemed more relaxed whenever he was there. Tali, Ari, and I exhausted ourselves, between the beach and the trees and the city itself. Perhaps that's why my parents loved it so much – all 3 of us would actually be asleep at a decent hour." Tony smiled.
"It sounds peaceful."
"It is. It is also one of the few places that holds almost entirely good memories. I don't think I want to get rid of that."
"So not selling, but also not moving in..."
"I think I will keep it as what it has always been: a retreat. A sanctuary."
"Maybe it should be your next stop after you leave here," Tony suggested quietly.
"I considered it. But I am so conflicted right now, I don't want that place to feel tainted. I would rather wait." Ziva gave a decisive nod, and Tony took it as a sign that the conversation was over. He gave her a tight smile and headed towards the kitchen for a glass of water. He'd only managed a few steps when her quiet voice stopped him.
"Tony?" He turned back, and the decisiveness he'd seen just moments ago had been replaced by uncertainty. She opened her mouth, then closed it quickly and looked back towards the window. He waited as she took a breath and turned to face him again.
"I am not ready to go back to Haifa yet, and it may be a while before I am. But I think, someday, I would like it very much if you would go there with me." She spoke quietly, as if afraid he would reject her. Her eyes lit up when he smiled broadly and stepped closer to her. He lifted one hand to touch her cheek, making sure he had her attention before he replied.
"Ziva, I would love that."
"Yes?" she questioned, smiling but still uncertain.
"Yes," he confirmed, leaning in and sealing the promise with a gentle kiss. "You just say the word, and I'll be on the next plane."
"You are going to get tired of dropping everything to catch the next flight out," Ziva said quietly.
There were a lot of things Tony would have loved to reply to that. He could have told her he would always be happy to do whatever it took to be with her, or that in reality, he couldn't drop the proverbial 'everything,' because in his world, she was everything. He opted for a simpler response. He brushed his thumb across her lips, relishing the smile it produced, and leaned in again to whisper in her ear.
"Tired of this, Ziva? Never."