On such a full sea are we now afloat
by Liss Webster
Tony's no philosopher. He doesn't waste his time mulling over the mysteries of life. He prefers things to be a little more concrete; a little more real. The world is what it is.
And yet, right now, he sees two paths for himself. They've taken Gibbs away, and Vance is already on his way up to MTAC, and McGee's standing around looking like a guppy fish and Ziva… Ziva's looking at him. And Tony sees two paths for himself.
The first is simple. It is the path of least resistance. It is – high school English comes back to him – the path more travelled. He and Ziva have done this dance before, over and over. One step forward and two back, round and round, a waltz of distrust and indecision. All it takes is for him to turn away. It's not even an action itself. It's just… not being there. Not listening. Not understanding. It is an absence of action. It is an omission.
But the second. Oh, the second. The second is sleepless nights and secret longing. It's is feelings unspoken and thoughts unshared. It is undercover missions and all-night stake-outs, it is arguing over cases and car keys, it is broken elevators. It is Rome. It is Berlin. It is everything.
It is terrifying.
They've taken Gibbs away, and McGuppy-fish is hugging Abby, and Ziva is looking at Tony.
Tony reaches out and takes the second path.
There is a tide in the affairs of men
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
Is bound in shallows and in miseries.
On such a full sea are we now afloat;
And we must take the current when it serves,
Or lose our ventures.