AN: When that line came up last night I immediately thought of Apollo 13 and I was slightly disappointed Tony didn't get a reference in. So here I've expanded on that line in my own way. This is also for a friend who loves Apollo 13 to death, all the trivia is stuff I know thanks to her. I do reccomend the movie, it's awesome. If you see any errors I do apologize, I had to write this entire story on a laptop with a spacebar that doesn't work at all. One last note; although Tony and Ziva are the main characters this is a team friendship story and includes no romance.
Failure Is Not An Option
"You will call me back if you do find anything, yes? Thank you Agent Hagen." Ziva David had been fileding the same phone calls all day; sister agencies calling to apologize for not having any fresh leads. Could they not just wait to contact NCIS until they actually had something? But that was not entirely fair, she supposed, after what had happened to Lorraine's team everyone was more concerned than ever with assuring that everybody else was still alive.
Ziva glanced with annoyance at a golden brown lock that was slowly working its way free. Since the explosion she had felt the unexplained urge to appear perfectly put-together—perhaps to compensate for the building's haphazard new look. She leaned forward, causing her hair to spill over her face as she released it from the black elastic band. Ziva was still in that position when he arrived, she would have seen him. Not that she needed to. Over the last seven years Ziva had memorized the whoosh of the office chair holding a sudden weight followed by the exhausted sigh that anounced the presence of Anthony Dinozzo.
Ziva flipped her hair back into a perfect ponytail.
"You spoke to Gibbs?" Both partners were intensely curious as to what the official orders had been in the case of Harper Dearing. Scuttlebutt had been passed around since the explosion but Gibbs' team was unwilling to trust any information that didn't come directly from their leader
Tony nodded gravely.
"Extreme predjudice, he said softly. In the words of the President, "Failure is not an option." Tony paused thoughtfully. "I wonder if he was trying to quote Gene Kranz?"
Ziva's brow furrowed.
"Who—"
"Apollo 13? God, that movie was incredible. 1995. Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon."
"Apollo? You mean your space program from the sixties?" For the first time since arriving in what remained of the squadroom, Tony smiled.
"Very good, Ziva. I see all those citizenship test lessons paid off. The objective of the Apollo program was, of course, to 'put a man on the moon before the decade is out." Tony coughed and made a face. "Guess my John Kennedy could use some work. But, as I said, Apollo was all about walking on the moon. Wasn't a kid in America that dream about it. And on July 16th, 1969 Neil Armstrong, may he rest in peace, made that dream a reality."
"Tony, I know who Neil Armstrong is," Ziva complained. Her partner ignored her.
"Commander of Apollo 11. First lunar landing, of course. There were six total, 11, 12, and 14 17. And all from the good old US of A.
` Ziva frowned.
"What about 13?"
Tony grinned.
"Well, Officer David…"
"Agent," she snapped.
"Agent David, my apologies. Here in America thirteen is an unlucky number."
Ziva rolled her eyes.
"Yes, Tony, believe it or not, I have picked up on a few of your cultural phenomena. But I do not believe that NASA scientists would believe in such a silly superstition."
"They didn't," Tony said, with a hint of glee, "People asked the astronauts how they felt about being unlucky number 13 and they laughed it off. Made all kinds of jokes about black cats and ladders… but then they were, well, unlucky."
Ziva considered this.
"But what does any of this have to do with 'Failure is not an option?'" she asked, confused.
Tony just sighed.
"When Mission Control presented their Flight Director, Gene Kranz, with a supposedly impossible dilema he told them that faillure was not an option."
"You know, Tony," McGee piped up, "Gene Kranz never actually said that. That line was made up for the movie." Tony and Ziva looked at each other in surprise. Both of them had nearly forgotten that their teammate was still at his desk, monitoring something to do with Harper Dearing on his computer. McGee had been so focused since he got back from the hospital.
"If that's true, Probie, how come his book is called 'Failure is Not an Option?" Tony challenged.
"Because," McGee said wearily, "He loved the line so much he wished he'd said it."
"Huh," Tony remarked.
Ziva shook her head.
"Well, in any case, I agree with McGee. It may be an interesting movie, Tony, but I doubt any of it is close to reality."
"And that's where you'd be wrong, Zee vah," Tony answered, accenting her name in the way that he knew drove her crazy. "It's based on a true story, and it's a Ron Howard film. If there's one thing you can say about the man it's that he does his research."
"Actually, Tony, a lot of the changes he made toned down the drama, because he was afraid parts of the real story would be unbelievable."
Tony turned back to Ziva.
"When this is over we are definitely having a movie night."
"Movie night? When? Can I come?"
The three teammates looked up at their friend who had just entered the badly damaged bullpen.
"Of you can come, Abs," Tony replied warmly. "We'll do it at my place, we can order pizza. As for when… after we catch Dearing." Tony and Ziva exchanged a look on the word catch. Neither one was sure if Abby was allowed to know about the extreme prejudice order yet.
"Guys, I may not have top secret clearance like you but I'm not stupid. I know what Gibbs is going to do to him." She didn't even consider the possibility of anyone but their leader taking out Harper Dearing. She knew Gibbs too well.
Tony cleared his throat.
"Right. So. After Dearing's dead we're having a movie night at my place. All four of us."
Abby squealed. That made Ziva smile. Her friend was finding the good after all.
"What are we watching?"
Tony flashed Ziva a smirk.
"Apollo 13."
Abby grinned.
"I love that movie!"
May 26th, 2012
"Guys?" Pizza's here!" Tony DiNozzo shouted to his friends. He tipped the delivery guy and carried the two hot boxes into the living room. Ziva met him on her way out of the kitchen carrying a huge bowl.
"The popcorn is ready."
"And I've got plenty of candy. Junior Mints, Sour Patch Kids, all the classics."
Tony peeked into kitchen, trying to catch a glimpse of his other friend. Abby appeared at the doorway grinning.
"So, guys, I know it's weird but it just seemed… right somehow," she said, displaying a tray laden with four tall, ice creamy glasses. "I made rootbeer floats."
"What, nothing stronger?" Tony complained jokingly.
"You can drink if you want Tony, but the rest of us still have to drive home tonight," McGee said.
"I do not feel like alcohol, I could be your designated driver," Ziva offered with a grin.
"Uh… no thanks," McGee muttered, but he was smiling.
"Rootbeer sounds great," Ziva added.
"And you know, Abs, you're right, it goes great with pizza."
Abby beamed. "Shall we get started, then?"
"You know," Abby paused to chew a handful of cookie dough bites, "I had the biggest childhood crush on some of these guys." She used her free hand—the one that wasn't reaching into a box of candy—to point at the mission control cast who had just congregated on the screen.
"I know I shouldn't be surprised, but you've got to be kidding me! A movie about astronauts and your big crush is on the science nerds?" Tony asked incredulously.
"Steely-eyed missile men," Abby corrected firmly, flinging a popcorn kernel at Tony.
After that little exchange the four friends returned to watching the movie in silence, which, Tony hoped, was due to their sheer awe at the quality of the film. Never mind that two of his guests had seen it before. A little while later McGee spoke up.
"You know, the first time I saw this I was convinced this scene was made up." Marilyn Lovell, the hero's devoted wife, had just watched helplessly as her wedding ring slipped down the drain. "I mean, it's totally implausible. Her ring just happens to fall off while her husband is stuck in a damaged spacecraft that may or may not be able bring him home safely? Give me a break. But, it turns out that actually happened. She got it back though."
"Timmy!" Abby shrieked in alarm. "How could you? That's so unromantic!"
"It is so heart-wrenching, look at how much they love each other," Ziva added.
"Wow, Probie, even our ice-hearted assassin agrees!" Tony said.
Ziva shot him a look.
"And by ice-hearted I meant incredibly skilled field agent. Oh, look, this scene is great!" Tony quickly directed attention back to the movie.
They continued uninterrupted until Tony suddenly got excited.
"See, this is what I'm talking about!"
Everyone got quiet as Ed Harris delivered the famous 'Failure is not an option" line.
Tony smiled.
"Can you see the President saying that?"
"Actually, I totally can. He's a very eloquent man." Abby giggled. "How about the SecNav?"
Their laughter was quickly dissolved by the severity of the situation on screen, and the movied continued with minimal interjections until the Odyssey capsule began re-entry. Ziva held her breath along with characters and looked nearly hysterical when over a minute beyond the longest recorded re-entry had passed with no contact from the astronauts.
"Tony! You did not tell me this was a sad story! How could you "
"Ziva, watch the movie!" he responded impatiently. Moments later Ziva threw her hair into her face in a vain attempt to hide her tears of joy.
Minutes later the four friends talked excitedly as the credits rolled.
"The successful failure. Rather poetic, yes?"
Abby nodded vigorously.
"It's just so sad they never got to walk on the moon though!" she wailed.
"I know," Tony agreed. "Gets me every time."
"We should do this more often,"—McGee said seriosly. "Hang out."
"With people like Harper Dearing in the world anything can happen," Ziva said softly.
Abby smiled at her.
"And that means we need to focus on the good. Like our friendship."
"Well in that case," Tony said grinning, "as long as no one has other plans, same bat time, same bat channel. And guys? Failure is not an option."