He was glad he had his apartment to himself tonight. Zoe had work to do, and he needed the space. Despite her care, her love, her compassionate ways, this was a night for solitude. The glare of the TV bounced off a face deep in concentration, or perhaps it was contemplation.
"Special Agent DiNozzo."
"You of all people should know that it is Very Special Agent, Miss David."
After so many years in the job, Tony was convinced it would take next to a miracle to surprise him. A miracle, perhaps then. One Ziva David had waltzed into the bullpen that very morning behind Director Vance, and it seemed he was the last to know in a long line. No announcement, no real reasons. After walking out of their lives so quickly, here she was, sauntering back barely flinched when she appeared, and it seemed he and 'Ziver' had already chatted. A midnight basement conversation, no doubt. Even Tim did not seem phased by her appearance, delighted if anything. Abby had placed herself in the USA Athletics squad with her leap over the bullpen to smother Ziva in a hug. He had the distinct feeling he had been not been handed the memo that said to act normal, smile and be happy.
"I am here liaising with NCIS for your current case. Nothing too formal, just because I have prior knowledge and know how things are done around here, and our target is Israeli. Gibbs mentioned he did not want Mossad involved, so here I am. I thought it would be a nice visit, at the least. I have missed the DC skyline."
Bullshit, he knew it. In all honesty, he'd been a little too stunned to ask the questions that ran around his mind. He had missed her, that was without question. But he was angry too, frustrated, annoyed. Perplexed. What was this? Why was she here? Why had she ignored him for the past 2 years, and even now, continued to keep that wall cemented in place. Ziva did not seem to be offering any particular clues to a hidden agenda, and she deflected any subtle questions. In fact, she outrightly ignored him for the majority of the time. Add hurt to that was almost relieved when an excuse to leave her presence, choosing to hot foot it to a witness' home for an interview. She had barely even said goodbye.
It was Ducky that had received the brunt of his foul mood, later that evening, down in the depths of autopsy. He had deduced after roughly five minutes of conversation that Ziva had shared her plans with almost everybody bar himself, Jimmy and Ellie. Considering she had never met Bishop, and that Jimmy was immersed in everyday fatherhood, he felt the odd one out. After everything that had happened nearly 2 years ago, everything he had offered and given to her, this was her thanks. For crying out loud, they both knew what had happened on that trip.
The good doctor had urged him to be patient, to be cautious, that he did not know what Ziva's frame of mind was, that surely she would want to speak in private. Clearly, it was healed enough for her to have plans to meet and drink and dine, but not so much as to converse with her partner of 8 years. Not to mention the man that had risked it all for her. It wasn't that Tony felt she owed something to him, it wasn't even that he wanted the gratitude, wanted her to thank him - he could just not understand why he was suddenly persona non grata, and how things had soured. It had taken him so many years to begin to understand that woman, and now? Now he had not a clue where to start. There was barely even a hint, a trace of the woman he had left in Israel. Sure, he had hoped it would be a different Ziva that greeted him next time. He just wasn't sure this was what he had been hoping for. He wasn't even sure what he had been hoping for anymore.
With a heavy sigh, and a long sip of what he expected was to be the first of many beers that night, he focused back in to the movie, letting his thoughts continue to spin.