Disclaimer: As with all my stuff, the standard disclaimer applies
Authors Note: When I wrote 'It Is What It Is' (In "Observing"), I outlined this story. It morphed into something a little different because of the job down in Colombia to find the Chaplain. It's Seamus and Ziva, so fans of this pairing are gonna say 'YAH', everybody else? Probably not so much. Anyway I hope you enjoy it.
!BAD words ahead. Cover your delicate shell like ears!
"Never eat at a place called "Mom's". Never play cards with a man named 'Doc'. And never sleep with a woman whose troubles are worse than your own."- Nelson Algren, "A Walk On The Wild Side".
Gypsy Sally's Vietnamese Restaurant, Fredericksburg VA, Present Day, Saturday 1730hrs.
"What's up with you GI?"
The voice startled Seamus Dolan back to the here and now. He looked across the table into the concerned eyes of Sally Tranh, the owner of the eatery.
"Sorry Sal. What did you say?"
"I ask what's up with you? You come in, no smile, no joking, no talk. You sit, eat, and have this look on your face like your best friend and dog die on the same day."
Seamus had to laugh.
"Ah, I've got some things on my mind. No worries."
Sally gave a lady-like snort.
"You number ten liar GI."
"Really Sal, I'm okay."
Sally rolled her eyes and slid out of the booth.
"Okay, you're fine. I believe."
"Thanks kiddo. Send Anh back with the check willya?"
"Sure GI."
As he waited for the waitress, Dolan gave himself a reality check. He did have some things on his mind. Well, one thing, well, one person really, Ziva David. Just when he'd get his mind right about their relationship, she'd throw him a curveball. Her alleged fiancé Ray went away leaving her with an empty ring box and a promise. She'd gotten a little drunk, been unable to drive home, so Seamus offered to take her. She came onto him in his apartment and they'd wound up in bed. Ray returned, screwed up and they broke up. She came to him again. Prior to going to Afghanistan on a job she'd left him a 'just in case' letter. And laid a kiss on him that was probably the most intense he'd ever experienced. Then when she got back, she came to him again when she started to have flashbacks to Somalia. But, ten days ago she'd gone to Colombia with her partner, Special Agent Anthony 'Tony' DiNozzo to search for a missing Navy Chaplin and never said a word. He found out about it accidentally when he heard Abby and McGee talking about it in Charlie's.
Go to A-stan and leave me a letter, go to Colombia which could be just as dangerous and say nothing. And, no word since then.
The logical side of his brain says 'hey man, she doesn't owe you a heads up when she goes places.' The not logical side was like 'why would she leave like that and not tell me.'
Seamus sighed.
You're such a girl Dolan.
Seamus picked up the check and slid out of the booth.
The hell with it. All this thinkin' is makin' my head hurt.
Dolan decided to take up the invitation of some of the volunteers he worked with at the VA hospital. They got together on Saturday nights at a bar called "the Loop" on U Street near the Howard University campus. The place was owned by a former resident of Chicago and had great deep dish pizza and Guinness on tap. Seamus paid his check, gave Sally a kiss on the cheek and walked out onto Caroline St. He stopped for a second and contemplated. If he turned right, he would be headed to the small municipal parking lot where his '68 red Pontiac GTO was parked. If he turned left, three cars down, parked at the curb was the blue Cadillac CTS that followed him from his apartment. Since his run-in with 'Benny' Acardo (See "Observing") Dolan was followed sporadically by members of Acardo's crew. Seamus figured Acardo was just checking, making sure he wasn't talking to people he shouldn't be.
Seamus turned left. The mood he was in, he had to do something. Even if that something wasn't the smartest thing in the world. He strolled down the sidewalk until he drew even with the Caddy. There were two guys in it and they studiously ignored him. Dolan moved over to the car and leaned on the door, smiling thru the open window.
"Evenin' fellas. What's goin' on?"
The guy in the passenger seat looked at Dolan.
"Do I know you?"
Dolan smiled.
"Nah, I don't think so. But your buddy over there, he does. He was in Charlie's Bar last week with Benny Acardo and another guy looked sorta like you."
The driver turned his head looking at Seamus, sneering a little.
"You got a pretty good memory for faces."
"I used to be a cop. Goes with the job."
The passenger spoke up.
"I don't like cops."
Seamus nodded agreeably.
"Well, you bein' in the line of work you're in, I can understand that."
The driver spoke up again.
"There a point to all this?"
Dolan nodded.
"Uh huh. Just figured I'd let you boys know I'm headed back to the District. Try and keep up."
Now it was the passenger's turn to sneer.
"I don't think we'll have any problem keeping up with that antique piece of shit you're drivin'."
Dolan smiled.
"See you on the Interstate."
With that Seamus pushed off the Caddy and walked down the street to his car. He got in, buckled the lap and shoulder belts and fired up the Pontiac. The 400 CID engine growled to life and Dolan wheeled out onto Caroline St. He drove up to Pitt St. hung a left and then another left onto Princess Anne St. The Cadillac hung in his rear view mirror about fifty yards back. As Dolan approached the traffic light at Lafayette Blvd. the light turned yellow. Seamus downshifted, anticipating the light turning red. That's when he saw the Fredericksburg PD radio car stopped at the light. He flicked a look into his rearview and saw the Caddy still fifty yards or so back. He grinned, stabbed the clutch pedal and the accelerator causing the Pontiac to gather itself and lunge thru the intersection on the yellow. The engine noise caused the two cops in the radio car to check out the intersection just in time to see the Caddy blow the light.
Seamus looked in his rear view pleased with the sight of the cops pulling over the Cadillac. By the time the gunthugs got untangled, he'd be up on the Interstate and long gone. Seamus sighed happily and turned on the radio. It was tuned to his favorite local Country station. Justin Townes Earle was starting in on "Someday I'll Be Forgiven For This". Seamus sang along as he headed back to DC.
A/N: After some soul searching, I've decided that instead of turning this into one looong chapter I'm going to break it up into two. The second half will have Ziva in it obviously. It's going to be a little angsty too.
