Long way Gone
Tick tock tick tock
Tony listened to his clock run, second by second. Minute by minute. It seemed as if the clock was tormenting him, counting the time since ziva was left on the runway in Israel. He just can't believe Gibbs would just leave her there, although it was her choice he said, something about the story just felt off to him. His 'Gibbs gut' was saying that it wasn't her choice. She wouldn't choice that, she loves it here. Or so he thought she did.
He stared at the empty desk in front of him, he found himself doing that a lot lately. Picturing the ninja he wished he could call his own. Man, he missed her, everything from her cocoa colored curls, to the way she messed up her English. He was almost tempted to ask McGee to get an idiom wrong but the probie would never let him live it down.
"DiNozzo!" snapped him back to reality. He looked up to see a slightly irritated Gibbs standing there. "Yeah boss." Tony muttered
"Did you finish the reports?"
"Yeah I put them on your desk"
"Good so what are you still doing here"
Hoping she will come back. Tony thought
He thought that Gibbs didn't know how tony really felt about ziva. Gibbs wasn't sure how his two best investigators miss all those clear signs to each other. He knew they didn't break rule 12 at least not yet and I guess now they never will. Gibbs knew that tony missed ziva more than he led on, he just didn't know what to do.
Tony packed up his stuff and walked over to the elevator. He pushed the button and entered it alone. When the memory of ziva and his conversation came back
"We were given a direct order not to engage I recall you were the first on to throw a punch"
"It was a reflex"
"Then what happened after last thing I remember before the lights went out was you kimbo slicing through a room full of guards was that a reflex"
"YES, it was. Gunshot went off, I saw you…"
"I'm tired of pretending"
"So am I"
"Its dinner theater for an audience of one when does the curtain come down"
I should have told her then instead of covering up my feelings with the case. Maybe she would have felt the same way. Oh stop it dinozzo you know you wouldn't break rule twelve. I might for her though. He Gibbs-slapped himself
DING. The elevator doors opened and tony walked to his car. On the way he saw the permanence of ziva's stay in Tel Aviv. There was someone repainting the name on z. David's spot. She's really not coming back.
He drove home in silence except for the background music of the radio and the rain hitting his car. Traffic is a nightmare is time of day so tony had a lot of time to think in his car the place where he does his best thinking. Tonight and every night since that day one on thing is still on his mind, his crazy ninja chick. Ziva I miss you.
-Tel Aviv, Israel-
Ziva entered her father's office. It was only 2 hours since the team left and he already wanted to ship her off. She knew the mission he wanted her on. Michael's mission. She didn't want to take it but the director's daughter doesn't have a choice its do or die. Literally.
"You finish what Michael started ziva. You will go and get the Intel and report back, yes."
"When do I start" she stated. She just wanted to get this over with and knew it was of no use to her to argue, her father always won.
The seriousness in her voice surprised her father. He couldn't believe he ever doubted ziva loyalty.
"Tomorrow is when you ship out"
"Yes papa" she turned to leave.
"And ziva"
"Yes?"
"Welcome back home"
She nodded and walked out of her father's office, headed home to prepare for her mission.
Home ha this is not my home. My home is in America not that I would ever admit it to him. I wish I could just call tony and Gibbs to tell them the truth. Although, I would not be surprised if my father has my phone tapped. I hope Gibbs understood why I had to stay.
She sighed as she pulled out her bag she brought with her. It held the little she own since the rest was destroyed.
"I guess I'm packed" she says out loud to herself.
She sat down and pulled out her favorite book. Deep Six and turned to page 103 secretly her favorite part. She read it until she fell asleep wishing she was back in America.
-Washington D.C.-
Tony couldn't sleep so he headed back to the office to get some work done. The desk. Every time he looks at her desk he just misses her even more.
The next day Gibbs walked in to see his senior field agent asleep on his desk, and for once let the urge to slap him on the back of the head go.
Well he does do his best work at night.
Gibbs left tony to sleep until McGee got in around 8:30. They didn't have a case so they just caught up on paper work and cold cases that day. The team was quiet, especially tony, and just worked. Gibbs went down to see Abby to get the results of a blood test from a cold case, her lab was silent, no music.
"Hey abs a little quiet dontcha think?"
"Agent Gibbs." He puts a caf pow down she ignores it.
"The blood work came back positive. Same as the victim." She walked back to her desk.
"what's wrong Abby" she said nothing and just pointed to a mop with a picture of ziva taped to it with a sign that said days without ziva 10 " Abby I told you it was her choice to stay in tel Aviv"
"Get her back Gibbs" and with that he left there was nothing he could do. It was her choice to leave.
-Somalia, horn of Africa-
"Tell me everything you know about ncis"
"NEVER!" he slaps her hard "you will oblige woman" he slaps her again.
Her eyes turned dark and fierce. He slapped her hard one last time before leaving.
Save me someone please. Ziva thought and fought the tear creeping up in her eyes.
-Washington D.C.-
Tony walked down to the lab; he needed to get out of the squad room for a while.
"Hi Abby"
"Tony! How are you doing?"
"Can I stay down here for a while; I can't stand the squad room anymore."
"Of course! Do you want to lay down you can use Bert." She ran off to get her farting hippo
"Thanks Abby oh and Abby can you do me a favor?"
"Anything tony, well anything legal not that you would ask for something illegal I mean some people would and I would have to be like no wa….."Tony held up his hand. "Sorry continue."
"I need you to trace a cell number for me"
"Oh why didn't you just say so what's the number?"
"You know it. Its ziva"
"Tony I don't know…"
"Please abs I have to know"
She wasn't too sure but she nodded anyway.
"Thank you Abby"
"You're welcome"
Tony grabbed the hippo and went to lie down.
-Up in the squad room-
"McGee have you seen dinozzo?"
"I think that he went to see Abby"
"Ok just finish those reports and you can go home."
"Ok boss thanks"
-Abby's lab-
Gibbs walks in to the lab to see tony asleep on the floor on her hippo and Abby in her center chamber on the computer.
"Tony go home"
"Ok boss."
Gibbs walks out of the lab. Just as tony was about to leave Abby's computer started beeping.
"Oh my baby's calling!"
"Is it the trace on ziva?"
"Oh not good. She's in Africa."
"What part abs?"
"I don't know I can't get a good fix"
He storms out after Gibbs
-The squad room-
McGee still hadn't finished so he was still there.
"McGee run the recent calls on ziva's phone. Gibbs follow me." Gibbs looked stunned but followed.
"You mind telling me what this is all about, tony."
"She is in Africa and I just have this gut feeling that something is wrong. You of all people know that when your gut is telling you something you have to listen."
"Yeah. yeah, I know dinozzo. I know. So what do you want me to do?"
"get us on the next flight to Africa. Im going for her boss with or without ncis' help, I already lost one partner I'm not losing her too."