Song fic.. Need You Now by Lady Antebellum...
Picture perfect memories
Scattered all around the floor.
Reaching for the phone cause I can't fight it any more.
And I wonder if I ever cross your mind.
For me it happens all the time.
Ziva is sitting in the middle of her floor. She has three scrapbooks scattered on her floor. She is still upset after being sent back to Israel. About 10 hours ago she was in Vance's office listening to him tell her to leave. Her position had been terminated. It broke her heart.
Before leaving, she had seen Abby. Abby had given her a bunch of scrapbooks so Ziva wouldn't forget about them. Ziva had tried to tell Abby she would never forget her but she still insisted Ziva take the scrapbooks.
Ziva had opened the first one, it was of her first couple of days at NCIS. Most of them were pictures taken at crime scenes. Probably taken by Tony. Tony. The name had haunted her for the past 5 hours. He was being sent away to. Sent to a boat somewhere out in the sea. She was upset because she didn't even get to say a proper goodbye. They had to say goodbye in front of the team. Not the way she wanted it to happen.
Everything that has happened to her in the past five hours reminded her of him. First it was the movie they put on when she got on the plane. The Bourne Identity. Next it was the pizza they had on the plane. She didn't even know they sold pizza on airplane. After that it was the air attendant. He looked a lot like Tony. Finally when she had arrived in Israel, she thought that was all behind her. Then when she got into the car, her escort started to complain about her driving. He even threw up after the ride to her father's house. Finally she got a call from Abby explain how unfair it was that McGee was stuck in the basement and how she had said her final goodbye to tony because he was leaving in the morning.
It had been about ten minutes since Abby called. She sat in the middle of her new apartment with tears in her eyes as she looked at the numerous pictures Abby had put together.
Finally she reached for her phone and scrolled down her contacts list till she got to his number. Her fingers hovered over the call button for a few minutes. She was suddenly filled with rage and she threw the phone across the room. It hit the wall and broke in to pieces.
She finished looking through the first book. Grabbing the second one a slip of paper fell out. It read:
Dear Ziva,
I know we didn't get to say our goodbyes like we wanted to. I just wanted to let you know that…. That…. Well…. I'm gonna miss you! Hopefully you won't forget me when you're out there kicking ass!
Tony
Ziva read the letter over and over. She looked at it for another minute. Tears streamed down her face. She opened the scrapbook and looked at the first page. It said:
Letter # 2
Dear Ziva, I know you. You are probably sitting on you floor reading this letter hoping I'm thinking of you… or your reading the letter think I'm a suicidal maniac who has a weird obsession, either way… your reading it!
Tony
Ziva flipped through many of the pages till she reach a letter with three words on it.
Letter # 12
Dear Ziva,
I love you.
Tony
She curled into ball and cried till she fell asleep.
It's a quarter after one I'm all alone and I need you now.
Said I wouldn't come but I lost all control and I need you now.
And I don't know how I can do without
I just need you now.
Ziva woke up about one o'clock. She looked at the Letter # 12 again. She thought about how ironic it was that letter # 12 went against Rule # 12.
She grabbed her key and ran out the door. Next thing she knew she was on a plane to Washington D.C.
Another shot of whiskey can't stop looking at the door.
Wishing you'd come sweeping in the way you did before.
And I wonder if I ever cross your mind.
For me it happens all the time.
Tony sat in his kitchen staring at all the boxes piled up in the corners of his house. He looked at the door hoping he would fine Ziva running through. Tony knew this was impossible but, he could dream couldn't he.
It was 3 hours ago when he had said goodbye to Ziva. It wasn't a long goodbye, just a small hug while they mumbled goodbye.
He filled his glass with his whiskey and took another sip. This was his third glass of the night and defiantly not the last. He was wondering if Ziva would ever look at the scrapbook e had made for her. He had told Abby to throw it in with the pictures. He wondered if she was even thinking about him.
He was defiantly thinking of her. Every moment of every day. A lone tear slipped out of his eyes as he thought of everything he had lost.
It's a quarter after one I'm a little drunk
And I need you now.
Said I wouldn't call but I lost all control and I need you now.
And I don't know how I can do without
I just need you now.
Tony looked at the clock again. 1:23. He sighed. He tried to get up from the table but fell onto the ground. He lay on the ground for several minutes. He starred at the picture that was smashed on the ground next to him. He had thrown it across the room after getting home from NCIS.
The picture was of Ziva. He had taken it at a crime scene. Her hair was down and wavy. She had on her NCIS cap and had the funniest smile on her face. She looked beautiful.
Giving in to temptation, he took his phone out of his pocket and went through his contacts list. He scrolled down to her number. His fingers hovered over the keys until be pressed the call button. Not caring what time it was in Israel he called Ziva. He just needed to hear her voice. Instead he got an automated message saying that the phone was disabled at the moment and to try again later.
He got angry and got his keys and ran to the airport.
Yes I'd rather hurt than feel nothing at all.
It's a quarter after one I'm all alone and I need you now.
And I said I wouldn't call but I'm a little drunk and I need you now.
And I don't know how I can do without
I just need you now.
I just need you now.
Oh baby I need you now.
Ziva got off the plane and ran toward the exit. She didn't bring any baggage so she went straight for the parking lot.
Tony parked his car in the parking lot and ran toward the airport.
Ziva got to the front doors and called a cab from the pay phone.
Tony got to the front doors and stared at them. For some reason he just couldn't go inside. He looked around the mob of people.
Ziva got off the phone and walked toward the crowd of people.
Tony walked into the airport.
Ziva walked out of the airport. She was so concentrated on getting out of the mob that she didn't notice she had run into someone.
Tony wasn't aware he had run into someone because he was trying to make the flight to Israel.
"Sorry." Ziva muttered as she continued to walk toward the door.
At the sound of Ziva's voice Tony turned around. He saw a familiar head of hair walk out the door and get into a cab. He ran after her but was too late. He sprinted to his car and followed the cab.
Ziva got into the cab and directed it to go back to her home. The only home she could think of.
Tony followed the cab back to a familiar place. His place. He parked in the spot in front of his house and watched the Israeli go up the stairs.
Ziva ran up the stairs hoping she wasn't too late and he had left early. She picked the lock on his door. She opened the door and looked around to find nothing but boxes, a bottle of whiskey and a broken picture frame. She picked up the picture frame. She looked at the picture and smiled. It was the same one in the scrapbooks back in Israel. She put it down on the table and walked out of the apartment.
Tony parked the car and sat on the hood waiting for her to come out of the building. It had started to rain a little.
A tear slipped out of her eyes as she walked down the steps of his apartment.
"Were you looking for me?" A voice said from behind Ziva.
She turned around and came face to face with Tony.
"Tony!" Ziva said. "You here."
"Well, where else would I be?" Tony smiled. Ziva loved his smile.
"I thought you left." She said.
"So did I. Aren't you supposed to be in Israel?" Tony asked.
"Ya, I just forgot something. I came back to get it." Ziva said. She had planned out how she wanted this to go but she couldn't say it.
"What did you forget?" Tony asked her. He could hardly see her from the rain.
Ziva looked at his face. He had a giant smile on it. She wondered what it was like to kiss him. His lips looked really soft.
"I uh…. Well…" Ziva started.
"Ziva, are you at a loss for words. I never thought I would see the day!" Tony joked. "Let's go inside. It is raining, if you haven't noticed and I would like to dry off."
Tony led her upstairs to his apartment. He gave her a pair of sweat pants and a tee shirt then went to change.
Ziva went in to his bathroom to go change.
She came out and saw Tony sitting on the couch.
"I would offer you something to eat but I have no food." Tony said to her.
"It's okay." Ziva said sitting on the other side of the couch.
"So, what brings you back to the sunny town of D.C?" Tony joked again.
"You." Ziva said facing the wall where the TV used to be. Tony's head turned and looked at her.
"I thought you said you forgot something." Tony said.
"I did." Ziva said looking at him. She moved closer to him. "I forgot to say goodbye."
"What? We said goodbye at the office. Don't you remember or do you still have Jet Lag?" Tony asked.
"Tony that was hardly a goodbye." Ziva said moving closer so she was kneeling between his legs.
"Then what would be the proper goodbye?" Tony asked moving closer to her.
"I read your letter." Ziva announced.
"Really, I have written many, does this one stick out to you at all?" Tony asked.
"Yes it does. And that is why I'm here. To close this deal I have made." Ziva said.
"What is this deal?" Tony asked. "I would like –" Ziva placed her finger on his lips.
"I love you too." She whispered.
Tony was surprised when she had said it. That was the last thing he thought she would say. He thought she was going to kick his ass but no not today.
"Say something." Ziva whispered.
Tony looked at her eyes. He didn't know what to say.
Ziva got off of him and walked toward the door.
"This was a mistake. Please forgive me. I must go." She said opening the door. Tears streamed down her face.
"No." Tony said walking up to her. "Please don't go. I need you."
"So you are saying I must stay because you need me!" Ziva yelled getting angry.
"Yes, and No. If you don't stay, I will fall apart. I realized a long time ago that I needed to be with you every day or I would go insane. Just hearing your voice made me forget all the bad things that could have been happening. I realized a long time ago that… I love you Ziva." Tony said.
Tears ran down her cheeks. He smiled as he wiped them away with his thumb.
"Why are you crying?" Tony asked her grabbing her hands.
"I never thought I'd hear you say that." Ziva smiled.
Tony pulled her in for a hug. "Well get used to it cause now that I said it, I'll never ever stop!"
"Good." Ziva said into his chest. "I love you, Tony."
"Not as much as I love you!" Tony said as he kissed her forehead. She held on to him tighter, hoping the moment would never end because once it did, she would go back to Israel and he would leave for the boat and this could be the end. They could never see each other again.
"What are we going to do?" Ziva said.
"Call Gibbs." Tony smiled. He had a gut feeling that everything was going to be alright.
A/N: What you think?