Long live the Probie
Sequel to 'Her World'
Season 7 – after Ziva returns and awaits her future with NCIS. Tiva moments spread throughout with a big, fat Tiva ending.
A/N Originally, I planned on doing this as a series. However, it took on a life of its own so I decided to post it as one big story.
National Naval Medical Center
Bethesda, MD
Three days later
Mossad Director Eli David burst into Ziva's hospital room with his aide, Amit Hadar, and two bodyguards close behind. When NCIS Director Leon Vance had informed him that his daughter was still alive, he had cried for the first time since his younger daughter, Tali, had died. He had many questions for the NCIS Director but for now he only wanted to see his darling Ziva.
For one of the few times in his life, he felt heartbroken. Ziva lay virtually unrecognizable under her bandages. Her left eye was covered with a large bandage and several smaller ones covered other parts of her face. Both of her forearms were covered in casts. He had read the medical report on her condition but the reality of it hit him much harder than he'd anticipated. "Oh, Ziva, my dear," he said in an anguished voice.
"What are you doing here?" Ziva replied.
"Ziva!" Eli said in a shocked tone. "I thought you were dead. When Leon told me you were still alive and on your way back to America, I flew here as quickly as I could."
"I do not wish to see you, poppa," Ziva cried. "Not after what you did."
"After what I did?" Eli said. "What did I do that was so wrong?"
"You abandoned me. You abandoned all of us. I was not the only survivor of the attack on the Damocles," Ziva explained. "There were two others but they died. They died waiting for a rescue you never sent."
"I did not know this, Ziva," Eli nearly begged. "We received word that the Damocles went down with all hands. We searched for days and found several bodies. But not all of them. Not yours. We could only assume..."
"So, you stopped searching for us," Ziva snarled. "You left us to be tortured and abused for months."
"Ziva!" Eli said, stunned at the rage in her voice.
Abruptly, the door flew open, nearly knocking down one of the guards. A nurse stepped in, scowling furiously. "What is going on in here?"
"My apologies. My name is Eli David and this,"he said, pointing to Ziva," is my daughter, Ziva. I have just flown in from Israel to see her."
"And, who are these guys?"
"My aide and bodyguards," Eli said, flashing a dazzling smile.
The nurse was clearly not the easily dazzled type. She looked at the clipboard containing a list of names of people allowed to visit this particular patient. "Uh-huh. Only the people on this list are allowed to see Miss David. Snap, Crackle and Pop here, "she said, gesturing to Hadar and the two body guards, "will have to wait outside."
At a nod from Eli, Hadar grinned lightly at the nurse and led the other two outside.
"Now, keep it down in here, okay? Or, I will have security escort you out."
"I am her father. I have a right to know my daughter is alive and well."
"And, I have fifteen other patients on this floor who don't need to be bothered with your family business," the nurse replied, testily. She waited until Eli nodded in agreement before leaving.
"Ziva," Eli said, "As soon as the doctors clear you for travel, I will arrange for you to be transported back to Israel. Mossad doctors will come up with a regime that will get you ready for duty as quickly as possible."
"No," she said flatly.
"What?" Eli said incredulously.
"I am not returning to Israel or Mossad."
"Impossible. I forbid it."
"What you can or cannot do has no meaning to me anymore."
"Ziva, don't be foolish. These Americans..."
"Are the only ones worthy of my loyalty," Ziva finished for him. The hurt in his face saddened a part of her.
"And, if they refuse you?"
"They will not. They told me what happened after I stayed in Israel. They never gave up on me, even when they thought I was dead. They never stopped looking, poppa. You gave up after a few days."
"Ziva, my darling," Eli's anguish clearly showed. He was at a loss. He was losing his only remaining child. "How will you survive?"
"I will make my own way." With NCIS, she thought.
Eli nodded and stood up. "No matter what you think of me, Ziva. I will always be your father and I will aways love you. You know how to contact me if you ever need anything."
"Goodbye, poppa," Ziva said, watching him leave.
NCIS
same day
Gibbs walked into autopsy behind NCIS Director Leon Vance. Ducky had called Gibbs and rather firmly suggested that he and Director Vance come to autopsy immediately. "What do you have, Ducky?"
"A potential problem," Ducky said as he walked over to a body on one of the steel tables. The body of Salim lay naked there. The autopsy was finished and Gibbs and Vance both looked over the body of the man who had tortured Ziva David for months. "This is the body of Saleem Ulman, Ziva's captor." Gibbs swore and looked away.
"I take it this is the first time you've seen Mr. Ulman's body, Jethro," Ducky asked rhetorically. "So, you see the problem."
"I don't," Leon stated. "Would somebody explain?"
Gibbs spun back around and looked at the body again. "According to Tony's after action report, he killed two guards outside Ziva's cell. Then, he took out a guard inside the room with a head shot. Saleem... Saleem, he shot three times."
Vance looked at the body again. "Ok, he's got three bullet holes in him. Two in the chest and one in the head." Leon closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "That's not a standard pattern we use."
"No, it's not," Gibbs said angrily. "He lied to us."
"Tell me about the gunshots, Dr. Mallard," Leon ordered.
"Well," Ducky said, drawing in a breath before continuing. "The two shots to the torso came in at a thirty-five degree angle, which suggests Saleem was turning away from Tony when he was shot. The two rounds were fatal shots. There is extensive damage to both lungs and the heart."
"The headshot?" asked Gibbs. He already knew the answer.
"Hmm, yes, well, that shot was fired from some standing directly over Saleem," Ducky replied.
"It was an execution," Leon said plainly.
Gibbs considered all the reasons Tony would act as he did.
"On his own, Anthony would never consider such a thing," Ducky stated. "His sense of justice and fair play is far too strong for him to give in to such raw emotion."
"He did it for her," Gibbs realized. "He finished her assignment."
"What do you mean?" Leon inquired.
"In spite of all the torture she'd endured, Ziva managed to stay on mission. She was too badly injured to do it herself," Gibbs explained. "So, she got him to do it for her. It wouldn't have taken much prompting on her part, considering how beat up she was."
"That's an explanation that could land DiNozzo in prison," Leon surmised.
"Are you certain of that?" Gibbs asked, "Tony's report clearly states he shot Saleem three times. We have his corpse here with three holes in it. Case closed."
Vance and Ducky both nodded in silent agreement.
National Naval Medical Center
Bethesda, MD
Two days later
"Hey, honey," said Nurse Ada Jackson, from just inside the doorway to Ziva's private room. Ziva believed the other woman was the best nurse in the world. Ada was a stocky woman in her late thirties. Her family background was so mixed she could only be called an American. Ziva loved her open and friendly manner. "He's back."
Ziva flinched, again, as she always did when he stopped by. "Please, Ada, tell him I can't see him."
"Sure, honey, what ever you want," Ada replied. She didn't understand why Ziva didn't want to see him. He was certainly worth it. Tall, good-looking, built like a pro athlete and with the most amazing green eyes she'd ever seen. "If you don't mind me asking, sugar, what did he do that was so wrong?"
Ziva hesitated. "It wasn't him. It was me. I betrayed him. I betrayed his trust and his loyalty. And, because of this, many people died needlessly." A tear trickled down from her healthy eye. "I do not deserve his compassion."
Ada pursed her lips. "That covers a lot of territory." The nurses had a pool going on about who the young woman was and why she rated such preferential treatment. Rumor had it that Ziva had a loud argument with someone they assumed to be her father. Rumor also had it that he was some high muckety muck from another country. "Sugar, I think whatever you did, he's long since forgiven you for it."
"Ada"
"Seriously, girl. He's got that 'ain't too proud to beg'-look running full time. And, as you know, he's been here every morning and evening since you got here."
"Ada, please. I am not ready to face him," Ziva pleaded.
"Okay, okay. I'll let him know," Ada conceded. "But, if you're going to let such a fine specimen of manhood get away, I'm taking him home. Husband number four got nothing on him," she laughed, waving a finger in the air. "Oh, I almost forgot," Ada declared. "He wanted me to give this to you." She pulled a paperback novel from her coat pocket and handed it to Ziva. The book was old and had clearly been read many times over the years.
"Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain," Ziva said, reading the title and authors name aloud. She opened the book, as carefully as she could, and flipped through the first few pages. She stopped on one page and read it carefully. Ada took that as her cue to leave. She stopped as Ziva read something aloud. "'Tony. Why do we fall down? So we can get back up again. Love, Dad.'"
Ada smiled at the words sunk in. The book was a childhood favorite of the man waiting outside and he was giving it to the person he loved. She watched for a moment as Ziva began reading the book, then opened the door to leave.
"Ada?"
"Yes, sugar?"
Ziva licked her lips before continuing. "The print type is very small. I can barely read it right now. Would you ask Tony if he would come and read to me for a while?"
"Sure thing, honey," Ada agreed happily. She sighed and thought about Ziva and Tony's future. If they could get past whatever had happened between them, the hospital would be overflowing with cute babies in no time.
Director Vance's Office
NCIS
Three weeks later
"Very well, gentlemen. I'd like to thank you for your reports on Miss David's physical and psychological progress," Leon said. As always, his face was blank. No emotion showing as he reflected on how taxing the last few weeks had been for them. He was prepared to sign off on Ziva becoming a full NCIS employee. He knew her father, Eli, was unhappy with her resigning from Mossad to join NCIS. Ziva's desire to stay in the United States promised to further heighten tensions between the two organizations. Privately, he hoped that father and daughter would resolve their differences soon. He had a special project in the works that would require extensive cooperation with the Israelis.
"Hmm, yes, well, I'm grateful for the chance to talk with Ziva," said Ducky, "but I'm not entirely certain I'm best qualified to judge her. She is dear to me, as she is to Jethro and Anthony, and I'm afraid that may have influenced my final report somewhat."
"Perhaps, I should explain," Ducky clarified, as the others frowned at him, "What I meant was that, for various, obvious, reasons, Ziva HAS to have your forgiveness and approval," he said, looking sternly at the two men. "From both of you. It's what she needs if she's going to get past this awful experience."
"She's alive and she's here. That's all I need," Tony said flatly. "Besides, she and I have already had a long talk about this. We've moved past it. Mostly. Ok, some days are better than others. But still, I don't see a problem."
Director Vance raised an eyebrow at his statement but Gibbs said nothing. "Do you stand by your report, Dr. Mallard," Leon asked.
Ducky thought for a moment, then nodded. "Yes. Ziva David is fit for desk duty and investigative work but she will need more time and therapy before she's ready for any of the more confrontational aspects the job requires."
"Meaning?" asked Leon.
"Get in her face sometime," said Tony, "and watch her response. Saleem did a pretty good job of breaking her spirit. That's not something you recover from overnight."
"There's also the question of trusting her," Gibbs said flatly. The young Israeli meant a great deal to him. When Vance had informed him that Ziva had been sent to eliminate Ari, it had badly shaken his faith in her.
Leon frowned. "DiNozzo? Do you trust Ziva?"
"Yes. I do," Tony stated. "I trust her with my life. And so do you, Gibbs."
Gibbs said nothing and looked away.
"I get it, you know. I get why you're angry with her. She's like a daughter to you. A really kickass version of what Kelly could have become, if she'd lived to follow in your footsteps," Tony said, risking Gibbs' ire. When Gibbs angrily turned to face him, Tony stood his ground. He didn't budge or blink. "If Kelly had lied to you like that, would you have forgiven her?"
Squad room
Ten minutes later
Special Agent Tim McGee looked up from the cold case file he was reviewing as a veritable parade of people strolled down the stairs and into the squad room. He waited anxiously while Gibbs walked to Ziva, who stood nervously in between the four desks, and Tony stood behind him.
"Ms. David will be returning to NCIS as a full-time Special Agent," Gibbs declared to all the NCIS personnel, many of whom started clapping. Gibbs nodded approvingly as Ziva stood a little taller at her acceptance back into NCIS. "Because of your prior experience with this agency, the Director has agreed to assign you to my team as a probationary officer. You will also not be required to attend FLETC. You will, however, be assigned a training officer who will evaluate your performance after three months. If you pass, you will be made a permanent member of my team."
"Thank you, Gibbs," Ziva said, fervently. "I won't let you down."
Gibbs gave her one of his charming smiles. "I'm not the one you have to worry about, Agent David."
"Sir?"
"DiNozzo's going to be your training officer," Gibbs leaned forward conspiratorially. He grinned again as she blinked several times rapidly. Her face paled slightly as the importance sunk in.
"This is going to be great," chortled Tim. "You have no idea what you're in for, Ziva."
"I'm glad to see you're enjoying yourself, McGee," Tony said, with a touch of malice in his tone. "After all, this is a big day for you, too."
"Why?" McGee asked suspiciously. He wouldn't put it past Tony to pull a prank on him under serious circumstances.
Tony walked over to McGee, clapping him soundly on both shoulders. "Today, you become a man."
Tim looked at him, both confused and curiously. "Ah, what?"
"Today, you are 'probie' no longer." Tony said, approvingly, brushing some dust off McGee's jacket. "Now, you are Special Agent McGee."
"I've been a Special Agent for years now, Tony," Tim reminded him. "What's changed?"
"Now, you are no longer the junior member of the team," Tony explained to him. He smiled slightly as the implications sunk in to Tim.
"So, no more 'probie' jokes?" Tim asked hopefully.
"Yep."
"What about 'McGoo', 'McGadget' and all the other nicknames? No more supergluing me to my desk?"
"Nope."
Tim sighed.
"Relax, McGee. The Probie is dead," Tony said, picking up the stack of folders on McGee's desk, before turning to face Ziva, who sighed and held out her arms just as he dumped the folders into them. "Long live the probie."
Three months later
Ziva woke from another nightmare. This time, however, there was no screaming or lashing out. Just an abrupt awakening. This marked the first time in nearly a month when she hadn't woken violently. She was covered in sweat, the cool moisture raising goosebumps all over her naked body. The air conditioner started up at that moment. Ziva shivered as the cold air caressed her. She curled up into a ball and took a deep, cleansing breath. She took a moment to assess her surroundings. She was in bed, sitting next to Tony, who slept peacefully after a long night of lovemaking.
Ziva took a moment to reflect on all the changes that had occurred since her return to NCIS. She had spent the last few months honing her skills as sharply as possible. Too much had happened to her in Somalia to ever regain her former skill level but she was still a very formidable opponent. Tony had lived up to his promise and been a very demanding training officer. He had pushed her harder than he had pushed McGee. When she fell (figuratively speaking), he was there to help her up and showed her how to fix her mistake. He never chastised her publicly but he always increased her workload on the few occasions when she did make a mistake. Only last week had she been promoted from probationary officer to full field agent status. She and Tony had 'celebrated' that event almost as vigorously as they had celebrated their three month anniversary earlier that evening. It had never occurred to her that Tony could be so sentimental about such things.
It was during her second week as a probie that they finally consummated their feelings. She'd been leaving work at nearly 2300 hours when she noticed her Mini Cooper had a flat tire. She had been struggling with getting the lug nuts off when he had appeared abruptly behind her, frightening her for a moment as she had a flashback to Somalia. It started as an innocuous moment. One moment, Tony was helping her as she knew he always would. The next, they were embracing passionately in the parking lot. From there, it was a race to his apartment where four years of unresolved tensions were undressed addressed in spectacular fashion. Six weeks later, she moved in with him and, for better or worse (this was Tony, after all), she'd never been happier. Except, like now, when one of his more annoying habits reared its ugly head. She reached over and slapped him, hard, on a muscular thigh.
"What?" Tony demanded, startled at the rude interruption of a dream involving him, her and a clothing optional tropical beach. He looked around the room, wondering what the threat was. He turned to look at Ziva, looking beautiful in her natural glory. "What?"
"Quit hogging the sheets!" Ziva hissed. Tony chuckled and lifted the covers. His grin grew broader as she snuggled up close to him. He gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. He whispered soft, reassuring words to ease her mind. The same words he whispered every night. The same words which expressed his love to her and eased her troubled mind. Within moments, he was asleep again.
Ziva lay there, comfortable in his embrace, running her fingers through his chest hair. Soon enough, she fell asleep, too. A slight smile on her face.