A lot of angry readers...grr...dang. I mean I know you guys know I have a purpose behind this, I promise I do. But I just don't this stories to be all gushy. I wanted some real drama for once.
Put it's gonna pay off I promise.
Trust me.
But anyway, I can tell you right now this chapter is not mushy or TIVA-ess.
Don't hate me though!
Disclaimer: I own nothing but myself.
Running Away, May Solve Your Problems:
"What do you mean she escaped?" Tony asked as they ran through the hospital doors.
"Well…when Carly went to go check on her she was upset…but there. Then when some person, Gibbs, I think came in to talk to her, he said she was gone. Her IV was dripping on the floor."
They both raced to the front desk to see if she had returned, figuring maybe she had decided to take a walk in the garden.
No such luck.
Still, the nurse directed them to where she had been staying and they quickly rushed to the room.
It wasn't supposed to be a crime scene. But it sure as hell looked like one.
The IV left a watery mess on the floor, the sheets were distraught. Some blood covered the floor, and not one paper was intact.
"Well, it's not like she just floated out of here." Tony commented.
"The window's open Tony. She probably used something to climb down on, with two bruised ribs…Damn, either she can't feel pain or she's crazy."
Tony lightly touched her shoulder, "Hey, don't…don't talk about her like that."
Jeanne furrowed her eyebrows at him before he felt a hand on his shoulder, the grip tightening.
Hot breath slowly was felt on his neck and three slimy words dripped into his ear, "Let's Go Talk."
He held up one finger to Jeanne before turning and watching his steely-eyed boss walk out of the room assuming he should follow.
Once he did, Gibbs led him into a much deserted waiting room.
He watched as Gibbs slowly looked over the coffee table of items, before he finally picked up a phone book. A hardcover phonebook.
He looked at Tony and then back at the phonebook before he rammed it into Tony's head. He threw the phone next, and then any other hard object he could find.
Until blood oozed from the side of Tony's face.
He looked at Gibbs, horrified, almost demanding an answer.
Gibbs stepped up, eye-to-eye to him, barely murmuring, "That's what Ziva would have wanted."
"What are you talking about?"
"She would have wanted me to kill you dead, for acting like such a damn asshole."
"I'm not acting like asshole." Tony countered.
"Huh? Really? Then where were you when they told her she lost both babies?"
Tony's eyebrows furrowed, "Wait, what?"
Gibbs nodded, "That's right DiNozzo. She was carrying twins. Your twins," Gibbs jabbed a finger in his chest, "And you made her lose 'em."
"I-I…"
"Yeah, that's right speechless now, huh? Feeling the weight of it? Yeah. While you busy screwing that whore in there-"
"She's not a whore, she's my-"
"Screw the story DiNozzo. I know everything. We all know everything. So stop acting like a shithead, and man the hell up. You're the only man in her life right now."
"What about Scott?" Tony sneered. "He seems to like feeling-"
"Scott's engaged, dumbass. To one of Ziva's friends. Kimberly. "
"Well…she's got you."
"Yeah, but I didn't knock her up and then nearly kill her. You know what; I think you hit that deer on purpose. That way she's lose the baby and then you wouldn't have to deal with all that drama. Just keep your life as Tony, DiNardo."
"Did she tell all the crap she's called me, like a bitch, an asshole-"
"It's because you're acting like one!"
"But boss-"
"Don't but boss me nothin', listen to me DiNozzo are you listenin'?" he slapped the back of Tony's head with the phonebook. "Are you listening'?"
Tony nodded silently, stern-faced, "Yes." He mumbled.
"Right now," he whispered. "She is out there, somewhere, crying and hurt. Not just because she just lost her children, but because the man who fathered them is treating her like she doesn't exist. Now, you got two options. One, you go out there, look for her, and make right for being a bitch, or… I just end it right here, and let her shoot you down to hell."
Tony didn't say a word.
Gibbs clicked his tongue, "Even better, I'll even pick." He shoved Tony towards the door. "Go. Find her." He commanded.
Tony quickly jogged over to the exit but stopped and turned to look at Gibbs, he opened his mouth when Gibbs called, "Don't worry I'll tell you precious…person."
Tony quickly turned and ran back to his car.
Gibbs shook his head as he picked up and tossed an apple in the air before biting into it.
"I'll tell her to leave you the hell alone, that's for sure."
He checked all the local gyms and shooting ranges before finally pulling into NCIS headquarters.
He could feel the eyes burning through the back of his skin as he walked into the building and up into the bullpen where McGee and the director where sitting talking about something, in low hushed tones, until Tony appeared.
Jenny looked at him, "You took it too far Tony."
"I suppose she's not here then is she?"
"Nope." McGee replied. "And she won't be coming back anytime soon."
"Why?"
"Because, Tony, I just got her resignation."
With that, the whole world seemed to stop and crash down onto his shoulders.
Ziva loved NCIS, no matter what, she was always here.
And to quit…
"Where's Abby?" he asked suddenly.
"Downstairs. In her lab. As usual." Jenny said slowly.
"Are you sure?"
Jenny nodded, "Yeah, why?"
"I gotta talk to her." Tony said as he rushed off.
"Doesn't Abby have chemicals?" McGee asked. "Like, some, to melt his face off?"
Jenny sighed and nodded, "I'll call the hazmat team."
"Abs, look I need your help." Tony said as he ran into Abby's lab
She had her back to him, focusing intently on whatever was on her computer screen.
He tapped her shoulder, "Abs, come on. I need your help. Abs!"
"I'm not talking to you…"
"You just did Abby."
Abby turned around in her chair, "Right…Well…I shouldn't be talking to you. I come on Tony, really?"
"Why does everybody seem to think I'm the bad guy?"
"Because when she told you kept denying it was yours with lame jokes, and then when you finally got it through you thick skull she was about to have a mental breakdown. And then, oh yeah, let's not forget who was driving the damn car!"
"When you put it like that…"
Abby glared at him, "Get out of my lab Tony."
"Abby, I need your help."
"You want some help, do it yourself." Abby hissed before turning back to the screen and working on a report.
Tony stared at the back of her for quite some time before she said, "If you keep standing there I gonna call security have them throw you in a sewer."
Tony shook his head and sighed before running back up to the bullpen.
Jenny and McGee had gone somewhere, for when he returned they both were gone.
He collapsed into his desk chair and tried to think…think of anything really.
Where would she be? Where would she go? How the hell was he going to find her?
Suddenly something hot was poured onto his head.
He was prepared to yell and shout at the person when he looked up to see Gibbs, he leaned forward and wacked the back of Tony's head, "I thought I told you to findher and not sit on your ass."
Tony wiped the coffee from his face, "I was thinking about where she would be, since nobody will help me."
"Who would?"
Tony groaned and wiped off most of the coffee from his hair and clothes, but it still leaked into his cut from Gibbs, and there was nothing he could do about that.
He sighed before standing up and walking over to Ziva's desk.
He looked over nearly every inch, trying to find something, anything, but found no such luck.
Then suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he caught something sticking out of her bottom drawer.
He tugged at it lightly before pulling it into his hands.
It was a shiny, black, address book.
He immediately opened it and then stopped; did Eden ever tell him her last name?
He shrugged and flipped through it anyway, he soon found a problem.
It seemed as if Ziva new a few Edens, more like twenty-two. It must be a popular name in Israel, or somewhere, he supposed.
He decided to narrow it down by people who were actually in the Virginia/Maryland area.
He got seventeen.
How many were married?
Nine.
How many had kids?
Four.
How many had kids named Jake who likes to draw his name over the whole page?
One.
Eden McKenzie.
He quickly picked up a phone and dialed the number.
When the phone kept ringing and ringing he became afraid that this was the wrong number, maybe Eden had gotten a new number and Ziva just forgot to put it in.
"Hewhoa?"
He smiled, "Hi Jake. Buddy. It Aunt Ziva there?"
"Maybe, I don't know…"
"Is your mom there?"
"Maybe, I don't know.
"Is your daddy there?"
"Maybe-"
"You don't know, I got that part." Tony grumbled, becoming frustrated.
"Jacob, who's on the phone?" he heard Eden call in the background. He also heard as Jake transferred the phone to his mom.
"Hello?" Eden asked.
"Eden, hi, this is Tony. I-"
"You this here, and you this good, ya little bastard. I don't know who the hell you think you are. But I strongly, strongly, suggest you stay the hell away from my sister. Or the cops won't be the only thing you'll have to worry about."
"Eden, wait-"
He stopped as the sound of dial tone filled his ear.
"Great," he muttered. "Now I her on my ass too."
"She should be, that's her baby sister you screwed up."
"So then you know Ziva's at her house."
Gibbs shrugged, "Could be. I don't know. Why don't you go and find out?"
Tony looked at the page, "There's no address."
"So find one." Gibbs said.
"But boss, you didn't hear what she just said, she's have Mossad. She'll kill me."
Gibbs stood and took a sip of his coffee, "And? Who the hell messed it up?"
"1919 Pedalwheel Drive." Tony murmured as he drove down a very quiet street, lined with huge homes with lots of trees and flowers.
It was nearly four in the morning, yet, still he was out, looking. After trying to find an address for two hours, instead of having McGee do it for him.
Finally, he arrived at 1919 Pedalwheel Drive.
There was just one problem, it was gated.
"Damn you Eden." He cursed as he got out of his car.
The fence had to be at least nine feet tall, and it looked like it had some sort wire on top.
He groaned as he slipped on his running shoes, stuck one foot in between both bars and grabbed onto a higher one and proceeded to climb up.
He made it to the top when he saw headlights coming, freaked out, and tumbled to the hard driveway.
He managed to stay still and let the car pass, while not making a sound before standing up.
He punched himself mentally, for ditching the sling at Jeanne's house, but there was no time for that now, he quickly ran up the driveway and onto the front steps before stopping.
As he saw Hunter sitting on the front steps, a shot gun in hand.
"I really don't think you wanna do that, son."
"What are you talking about? I just wanna talk to Ziva." Tony explained as he proceeded to take a step closer to the front door, Hunter pointed the barrel of the shotgun at him and the ushered him back.
He shook his head, "You see, my wife. She's pretty mad. And David's aren't nice when they're mad. Especially when they're family is threatened. And since I married her, it makes me and my son part David. So yeah, the whole family's kinda pissed."
"Look, Hunter, this is just between me and Ziva."
Hunter stood up, "No, I believe it was between, you, Ziva, and the bitch you're sleeping with. Now when she called my wife in the middle of the night in tears, it makes it between everybody."
"Look, I didn't come to disrespect anybody."
"Then what did you come for?"
Just then the front door opened and Eden appeared wearing a pair of maternity basketball shorts and a Princeton hoodie, her dark brown hair, which cascaded down her shoulders, was turning a shade lighter under the porch light.
Jake only clad in 'Cars' boxer underpants and a red and blue train shirt.
"I thought I told you to stay away from here?" Eden growled.
"Yeah!" Jake piped up.
Eden set her hand on top of Jake's head, which shushed him.
Tony turned and looked at Eden, "I just want to talk to Ziva."
"Well, she doesn't want to talk to you."
Tony chuckled and kicked his feet at the ground, "You know, everybody keeps telling me all this crap, yet I haven't heard a word from Ziva."
"That's because she hates you." Jake commented.
Eden looked down at him and then back at Tony, almost as if agreeing with the little tyke.
Tony bent down and looked Jake dead in the eye, "Did Ziva say this?"
Jake nodded, "She called you a lot of words that I'm not allowed to say yet."
"Like?"
"I said I'm not allowed to say them."
"Go ahead."
"She called you a bitch, an ass, and a pothead, an ungrateful piece of trash, worthless, and a bastard. Well…the bastard part I just added in."
"Why?"
"Because if you make Aunt Ziva mad then I'm mad. So now, I hate you."
"It's not good to hate somebody Jake." Tony told him.
"Screw you, and your mother." Jake growled.
Tony raised his eyebrows and stood, he looked at Eden with a half-hearted smile. "Kid knows some language."
"At least he tells the truth."
Tony sighed, "I just want to tell her I'm sorry. For a lot of stuff."
"What makes you think she's gonna accept it?" Hunter asked.
Tony looked at him, "Because she's that kind of person."
"Just because you slept with her doesn't mean you know her. She doesn't know you anyway. What kind of man, goes and screws another woman while the other is, sorry, was carrying his child, or children, for that matter?" Eden asked.
"A coward." Jake replied.
"I'm not a coward." Tony told them.
"Then what are you?" Hunter asked.
"I'm somebody who's just doing their job."
"Find a new job." Eden stated.
Having enough of this game, he pushed past Eden and Jake and rushed inside the house.
"Ziva!" he shouted to no end just as Hunter came and grabbed his bad shoulder and twisted it behind his back.
"That hurt?" Hunter hissed in his ear.
"Yeah." Tony strained.
"Well then imagine how she must feel. Now if you ever barge into my house like that again, I'll make sure you won't move a week? You got that? It's not a threat, it's a promise."
"Promises can be broken."
Hunter twisted it harder, "Stop being a smart ass." He shouted.
"Stop."
Everybody stopped, and looked up toward the large staircase.
There, at the very top, was Ziva.
He didn't have to guess she had been crying, her cheeks were puffy like marshmallows and her eyes were red.
She had changed into a short sleeve shirt and yoga pants, and her hair was naturally curled, as if she had just woken up, or lying down for a long time.
"Ziva, listen, I-"
Ziva held up a hand, "I do not want to hear your excuses. You have made plenty of them." She slowly walked down the stairs until she stood in front of him.
She eyed Hunter and he released Tony's arm.
"I know, about your mission. To get information from that Benoit girl. I know, Jenny told me. But I did not want to hear it from her; I wanted to hear it from you. A mission I understand, I have been on plenty, but this wasn't a mission, this was just another way to restart your life, with someone new."
"No, that's not true-"
"Yes it is. That is why you do not always answer calls, or when you lie. Or when act like a complete asshole. That is why I was so hesitant to tell you I was pregnant. I just felt like something would go wrong, but you know, seeing as how happy Eden was, I figure. Sure, he might fall down a few times but eventually he'll get there."
Ziva shook her head, "No. You won't get there. We won't get there."
Tears were now forming in the corners of her eyes, "And yes, I know that right after they released you and Jeanne went to make another baby. I heard you call me and your child drama." Ziva wiped away the few tears that spilled over.
"It didn't hurt me that you called me, drama. It hurt that you called our baby drama. Like it was unwanted, and then to know that you just tossed him or her up in the air to go make another one…that's when I had enough, Tony. You can call me names, but not our baby."
"Ziva, listen, that's not what I meant. I was just jo-"
"Yes it is…and that's why I hate you for it. Now go, leave me alone. Leave my whole family alone! Don't call me or them! I want nothing to do with you. Go; go be with your girlfriend and your other baby. Go! I knew you couldn't handle it after all."
Tony just stood there, his mouth open slightly, staring at her, until she shoved him.
And shoved him, tears spilling over, as she shoved him closer and closer to the door.
Soon the shoves became punches and kicks until finally he was outside standing on the front steps, like an idiot.
She looked at him with the saddest face, and the biggest frown, "I never thought I'd have to say this but, you've turned into my father."
She slammed the door, before collapsing behind it.
Eden watched as Hunter gently picked her sister's body up, into his arms and let her cry into his shirt.
Jake, who had climbed into his mother's arms, too, began to cry.
Eden soothingly rubbed his back before Hunter allowed Ziva to wrap her arms around his neck, and her legs around his waist before he and Eden climbed up the stairs into their bedroom, where he set Ziva on the bed and Jake crawled in next to her.
The two American parents could watch helplessly as the two they loved sobbed and sobbed.
Meanwhile, outside, still Tony stood.
Replaying what just happened.
He hadn't even met her father but from what she had described, he was not a nice man.
She had said he wasn't around all the time, he was always out with other women, planning more children to come into this world. Not coming home all the time. Not returning phone calls…
'Damn,' he thought. 'I really am turning out like him.'
Almost in agreement the porch light flickered, and then shut off leaving him in a sea of darkness and betrayal.
Alright, I know this seems bad...okay it is bad. But...hope is near, like really close. Like the next chapter, I actually wrote it last night after this one and stayed up til 3 AM writing it. It's super long, like twenty-four pages, but it has a reason to be so long! It envolves TIVA, good TIVA, not bad TIVA. Well...not totally Tony sleeping with Jeanne again (No that will never happen again) but anyway.
It envolves somewhat happy TIVA, and making-up TIVA.
It'll be good, I promise!
