I Will
Tony turned on the computer, but stopped as soon as the internet was opened. He picked up his phone and dialed the number that Gibbs had given him. He pressed the send button and waited. He heard it pick up on the other line but it was silent for a full minute before either of them spoke.
Tony had no idea what to say to her and he was sure that she had no idea what to say to him either.
"Tony?" she asked.
"I'm here," he said quietly.
"Can you take… a month… off work?" she asked. "I'm not ready to be without you and I want to get this done away from the things that tempt me."
"I can do whatever you need me to do," he said quietly into the phone. "Where are you sending me?"
"Tel Aviv," she said quietly. "Please."
"Are you sure, Ziva?"
"I can't… I can't live without you," she said, her voice breaking and cracking, sounding as though she were crying her eyes out.
"Count to a million, I'm on my way," he said into the phone and clicked the computer.
"Thank you," she said into the phone quietly.
"No, Ziva. Thank you," Tony said, just as quietly.
They hung up. Tony booked the flight. Only a few hours and he would be on another plane, going back to Israel to find Ziva, again. This felt too familiar. He was always traveling halfway around the world for her. Somalia. Paris. Berlin. Tel Aviv. Tel Aviv again. He was always traveling for her and he was too willing to do it. He would do it no matter what. But this time she was asking him to do it and that was what was different about it.
He went downstairs. "Boss?" he asked.
"Yes, Tony?" Gibbs asked, as he started working with some wood.
"What are you making?"
"I was thinking about a boat," he said quietly. "What's your question?"
"I need a month," he said. "Or more. I'm not sure."
"I can give you a month, or more," Gibbs said with a smirk on his face. "You need a ride to the airport tomorrow?"
"Yes. But… um… could I get a ride to Abby's now. I promised Ziva to explain to Abby," Tony said.
"I'll explain to her," Gibbs promised. "But, Tony…."
"Yea, Gibbs?"
"Don't lose touch with us, okay?"
"Okay," he nodded.
"Get some sleep. Couch is free."
Tony nodded and went back into the living room of his boss's house, where he was staying at the moment. He was happy. He was leaving for Tel Aviv in the morning. This was everything he ever wanted. He pulled out his paper one more time and added one more thing to his list.
8. I will give her a family!
He smiled and fell asleep where he was on the couch, nearly sitting up and knowing that his back was definitely going to hurt and that he wasn't going to get nearly enough sleep. But, this wasn't for work this time, this was for himself. He was doing it for him.
He woke too early, but Gibbs was up and looking at him. His hand was clutching a small necklace with a Star of David pendant on the end of it.
"I want to make a stop, boss," Tony said.
"I know," Gibbs said, noticing the way Tony clung to the necklace. "I know, Tony."
It was Tony's turn to raise his eyebrows. His boss never used his first name; never. He never called him Tony. He always called him DiNozzo. He wondered if a head-slap was coming or if he was just going to sit there smiling at him while he held onto Ziva's necklace, his piece of Ziva, he told himself.
"You got a long flight. Go shower and shave. Got to look good for the girl," Gibbs said smirking and chuckling. "I called Abby and McGee and told them I would be late."
"And?"
"They have no idea that you're home," Gibbs said. "I decided to leave that out."
"But, boss?"
"They'll get it DiNozzo," Gibbs said. "They'll understand."