So again I will thank you all for reviewing. It makes my day! Well I decided that this chapter should be posted with the previous chapter because of the timing and I really don't mind writing at 2 AM. It clears my head.
Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS. If I did Tony and Ziva would be together and so would McGee and Abby and Gibbs and Jenny. Oh and I want to see Vance tortured and then killed. So, since that is so obviously not the case NCIS belongs to the wonderful people at CBS and Don Bellisario.
Note: This is taking place at the same time as chapter three. And in chapters beyond this I will try to work Jenny and Abby and Ducky into the story more. I just needed to set up the locations and people. Oh and I've started naming characters after teachers from previous schools and my family members.
Chapter 4: The Mundane Millers
"Tony. We have been driving for almost an hour; Gibbs said it was only 20 miles and we have already turned around 3 times. Admit it you keep missing the exit!" Ziva exclaimed exasperatedly. She knew they kept missing it because they were both distracted. She had no idea why he was distracted but she was supposed to be helping him and she just couldn't focus. 'A few years?! Who has been there as long as me that I know and he is close to? Oh my God… Jenny. She has to be who he is talking about. Crap. I need to focus on the exits and not on Tony!' She thought she knew what was going on now and why he had been doing favors and missions for her when Gibbs was gone.
"Ok maybe we missed the exit. But this time we won't." Tony replied. The truth was that he was really distracted and had a very poor sense of direction to begin with, not a good combination. They were determined and distracted. The radio only augmented this.
Closed
off from love But something happened
I didn't need the pain
Once or twice was
enough
And it was all in vain
Time starts to pass
Before you
know it you're frozen
For the very
first time with you
My heart melts into the ground
Found
something true
And everyone's looking round
Thinking I'm going
crazy
'Crap! Not again. I'm not usually one for fate and destiny but right now they seem pretty likely. Coincidences like this just DON'T happen! Need to focus on the road!' Ziva thought as she heard the song come on the radio and began humming along.
But
I don't care what they say Keep
bleeding
I'm in love with you
They try to
pull me away
But they don't know the truth
My heart's crippled
by the vein
That I keep on closing
You cut me open and I
Keep, keep bleeding love
I keep bleeding
I keep,
keep bleeding love
Keep bleeding
Keep, keep bleeding love
You
cut me open
'Hmmm, this whole radio thing is getting really interesting, really fast. Actually that kinda fits us.' Tony thought as he silently chuckled at the idea.
Trying
hard not to hear
But they talk so loud
Their piercing sounds
fill my ears
Try to fill me with doubt
Yet I know that the
goal
Is to keep me from falling
'Ahaha, Gibbs' Rule, uh whatever number it is. Ah well. We all know he doesn't even follow it!' Ziva was worrying that she hadn't been paying attention to the exits and was not about to come out of her music-induced zone.
But
nothing's greater than the risk that comes with your embrace
And
in this world of loneliness
I see your face
Yet everyone around
me
Thinks that I'm going crazy, maybe, maybe
'Oh, yeah, the risk of being yelled at and Gibbs slapped for breaking Rule #12.' Tony was definitely not paying attention to the exits now and he didn't seem to mind that they might have to turn around again.
And
it's draining all of me
Oh they find it hard to believe
I'll be
wearing these scars
For everyone to see
Ziva began to realize how hard it was to keep everything in and remain professional and how un-Ziva like she would seem if her friends could see inside her head. But she was quickly snapped back to reality when she saw the exit flash by the window.
"Tony! You missed it again!"
"Shit. Alright I'll get off at the next exit and then we'll turn around. And no more music, it's distracting us." He switched off the radio as Ziva nodded in agreement.
They got off the freeway and turned onto the on ramp going in the opposite direction. They drove for one exit and got off. They finally made their way to the Lewis River Inn. It was worse than some of the places they had stayed, but it was better than others. They checked in and went up to their room.
"Hmm," Tony said as he lied down on the bed, "not bad. Could be better; could be worse." Ziva nodded absently trying to focus on hanging up some of her clothes instead of her partner. It was a temporary solution but it was a solution nonetheless. Tony just lied there on the bed and watched his partner hang up his clothes, particularly enjoying the view of her backside.
'This isn't bad at all. Oh, crap, we have to get going. Gibbs'll kill us if we don't get at least something done today.' Tony thought as Ziva finished and turned around, noticing his stare. She felt her face warm a little and she tried to cover it.
"We should get going. Gibbs will want a report." Ziva reminded Tony, deciding in a split second not to comment on his staring. He nodded and followed her out of the room and down to the rental car. He hopped into the driver's seat and followed the directions to Mr. and Mrs. Miller's house on the other side of town.
Ellen and Thomas Miller greeted them at the front door and welcomed them in. They could simply not wait to tell Tony and Ziva what a good person their son was. Ellen had tea made and it sat on the coffee table of their living room in a beautiful china tea set.
"Woodland is just such a nice town, you know? No one thought anything like this could happen here. He knew almost everyone, and everyone was always so proud of him. There was supposed to be a welcome back ceremony to honor him the day after he…sniffle …you know." Ellen began as Tony and Ziva nodded and offered their condolences. "This is just a small town where bad things don't happen. People don't lock their doors at night. There is one stop light and a Safeway. There is one freeway exit and the nearest shopping mall is in Vancouver. It's the perfect place to raise a family and grow old. And we are just so proud…"
She continued on in the same fashion for nearly three hours, not really letting Tony or Ziva ask questions. She seemed to answer all of them though. He was loved by everyone and never had any problems. Once about halfway through the talk Ziva had to surreptitiously elbow Tony in the ribs to keep him from falling asleep.
"…and he just chose to join the Marines out of a desire to do his patriotic duty. Such a good boy." Ellen finally finished. "Oh dear. I've kept you so long. Well I hope I could be helpful. Thank you for coming." She said as she led them to the door. Tony and Ziva kindly thanked them and offered their sympathies once again. Then they left and proceeded to the fiancée's house.
Katie Johnson answered her front door near tears. They made their introductions and she let them in.
"I'm sorry I can't be more helpful. I just can't talk much about him. I miss him. I just feel so bad." She said. Then she hurried them out the door with an excuse about needing to be alone.
"Someone has a lot of guilt." Tony remarked in the car on the way back to the hotel.
"Mmm, yes. But what is she feeling guilty about?" Ziva replied. Tony shrugged and drove back to the hotel. They took the elevator up to their room in a comfortable silence. Ziva took the room key out of her pocket and tried several times to open the door with it. It remained resolutely locked. Ziva groaned loudly in frustration.
"Here let me try." Tony said leaning over and around Ziva's right shoulder to place the key card in the lock and slowly remove it. The light turned green and he wrapped his left arm around her to open the door. His breath tickled her ear and she felt a warm shiver travel down her neck. He held it open while gently leading her in with a hand on the small of her back. To Tony's surprise she looked up at him and smiled slightly. He grinned back with his most charming grin.
'Or I could be wrong. Maybe it is not Jenny. Maybe it is me… what am I thinking?! It is not me!' Ziva fought with the little voice in her head.
Ziva walked into the room and lied down on the right side of the bed. Tony saw the opportunity and took it. He closed the door and ran towards the bed jumping over Ziva and landing hard on the other side. She bounced a few inches off the bed. She smiled and chuckled a little before regaining herself.
'Where is your mind, David?! We are here on a case. Gibbs will have our heads. We need to check in with him.' She rationed with herself. She sat up against the headboard.
"We need to check in with Gibbs, Tony. He will want to hear from us and we need to see if anything has come up." Tony nodded with a small sigh and pulled out his phone and pressed speed dial for Gibbs and put it on speaker phone. Gibbs picked up the other end and informed him that he was on speaker with him and McGee.
"Hey Boss! Hi McGeek! We had a very boring day. Mr. and Mrs. Miller are possibly the most mundane people on the planet. His fiancée was nice enough but she was too shaken up to give us much. We're gonna talk to her again tomorrow." Tony began, looking over at Ziva who nodded in agreement.
"You do that Dinozzo. The Director sent over a record of Miller's stateside contact during his tour. He wrote his fiancée once a week and she only returned the first two letters. Question her. Don't let her leave anything out." Gibbs barked into the phone. Tony looked a little surprised. He could tell she felt guilty but he still thought she seemed to love and miss him very much. That didn't sound much like a person who was avoiding his letters while he was at war.
"Yes Gibbs. The Millers made us tea today and talked for almost three hours about how proud they were of their son. It was possibly the least helpful interview ever. And their younger son is M-I-A. He disappeared the day the Petty Officer died. They said it was normal though. He went off on 'business ventures' a lot of the time. We are also going to ask some of his friends around here tomorrow." Ziva finished for Tony who was still thinking about the odd behavior of the fiancée.
"Alright good work you two. Get some sleep and try not to break rule twelve before the end of this case." Gibbs instructed.
"Yes Boss." Tony replied quickly before Gibbs hung up. Tony just smiled and shook his head.
"Tony?" Ziva began tentatively, "What is rule number twelve?" Tony laughed quietly.
"Never date a co-worker." He replied with a Dinozzo grin.
Note: Well I was in such a good mood that I wrote both of these chapters and I'm really sorry that they will have to hold you over for a little while. I'll try to post at the end of each week from now on. But don't worry I'll keep posting.
The song in this chapter is Bleeding Love by Leona Lewis.
Up next: some stuff back in DC
What happens with Tony and Ziva?
A surprise in the case.
Please review and lemme know what you think. Suggestions are wonderful too.
