Another short chapter but I hope to have this story finished soon.
Chapter Seventeen
There stay in the hospital lasted three days. When Caprice was ready to leave, Tony signed himself out AMA then they were escorted home with a Gibbs and Ziva doing protection duty per Vance's orders. Ziva drove Caprice in her car and Gibbs drove Tony.
"Okay, Boss, tell me what you're learned," he said.
"Shooter was mafia, Macaluso Family," Gibbs said.
"You're heard from Fornell?" he said.
"He's pushing for witness protection. They believe they found the leak," said Gibbs.
"Bullshit," growled Tony.
"I agree. What do you plan to do about it?"
"Will you take care of Caprice for me?" he asked.
Gibbs exhaled then his jaw became tense to the point Tony was afraid he was going to crack his jaw.
"Tell me your idea," Gibbs commanded.
"Not an idea. I go in and take a leave of absence from NCIS. Vance will give it to me. Shit, I'd like to give me a permanent one."
"He's not that bad anymore with you," said Gibbs.
"Yeah, right," Tony said. "I'm going to Milan to deal with Johnny and Enrico Giacomo if I have to. They are either calling the hit off of Caprice or they are dead."
"You are prepared to really do that, Tony, to kill someone without the law behind you?" asked Gibbs.
"Do I have a choice?" he asked.
"Witness protection."
"Caprice loves Abby, she's even fond of Ziva and I tell she thinks of you as a grand dad. I don't want her to live without family like I did. It sucks," Tony snarled.
"You aren't he type to kill a man in cold blood, or out of a vendetta. You're a good man," Gibbs said.
"Gibbs, you killed to revenge Kelly. What would you do to protect her?" he asked.
"Anything I had to do," Gibbs quietly admitted.
"Well, now you have to do anything you have to do to protect Caprice because a good man protects his children at all costs," he said. "I'm going to Milan."
"Let me go with you," said Gibbs.
"I trust you to protect her," he said.
"Tale Ziva with you," Gibbs said.
"She has Ray. She doesn't need to be involved in my shit," Tony replied.
For a moment Gibbs regretted Rule 12. He'd kept them apart long enough that Tony was willing to sacrifice his love for her so that she could be happy with someone else.
"You do this you this is as not a suicide mission. You do this to return to your daughter and the rest of your family," said Gibbs.
Tony smiled: "I knew you loved me, Boss."
"You're lucky I'm driving or I'd head slap you into next week."
NCIS
When they arrived Tony called Caprice upstairs into the study. With her left arm still in a sling, she grumpily followed him leaving Ziva and Gibbs downstairs.
"What is Tony up to?" asked Ziva.
"Why are you under the impression he is up to something?" Gibbs asked.
"I have seen that look on his face before. This first was Michael ended up dead and the next time was when Saleem was interrogating him and Tony told him that he had three seconds to live," said Ziva. "That looks means Tony was ready and willing to kill."
"He's getting ready to do what he has to in order to save his daughter's life, Ziva," said Gibbs.
"How can we help him?" she asked.
"We can't. I offered my help and refused it. He wants up to take care of and protect Caprice, while he does what he needs to do alone," Gibbs told her.
"He is not an assassin or a sniper. He is not a killer. If he goes to…," Ziva paused.
"Milan," Gibbs filled in the blank.
"If he goes to Milan seeking to end by blood, they will kill him, Gibbs. We can't allow that," she said.
"We aren't stopping it, either, Ziva. He goes to protect his daughter."
"Still, I should go with him," she said.
"He won't allow that, Ziva," said Gibbs.
"Why?" she asked confused why Tony wouldn't allow her to go with him.
"Because he refuses to get in between your relationship with Ray. I think Tony still carries guilt over Michael even though he was sent to manipulate you," said Gibbs.
"That is silly. I…," she stopped herself. She wanted to go with Tony to protect him because she loved him. This wasn't about Ray; this was about Tony and how the walls around the way she felt about him were crumbling.
"Caprice, I'm going away from a time. I don't know how long, but during that time Gibbs will take care of you," he told her.
"Dad, take me with you, please. I won't be any bother. Please, Dad, take me with you."
"I can't, baby cakes. I have to do this alone," he said.
"Dad, I won't be a bother."
"No, Caprice, this is something that I need to do and I need to do alone."
"Fine, then, I don't care. I don't care if you ever come back," she said with tears filling her eyes. She ran out of the room and into her room and slammed the door.
Tony closed his and sighed. That went well. She hates me now and the chances are that I'm not coming back alive from this. He pulled out his smartphone and called Air Italy and booked a flight to Malpensa Airport in Milan. Next, he called the Hotel Brunelleschi on via Baracchini and booked a double standard room open ended.
He walked past Caprice room and heard crying. He then grabbed his garment bag and back four suits, one Armani, three Brioni, shirts, ties, a few casual clothes and two pair of shoes along with his toiletry kit. After grabbing his Isle of Man checkbook he was ready to leave.
Wearing black jeans, a back Hugo Boss dress shirt, and a suede jacket carrying his garment bag, passport, credit cards, and checkbook, he was ready to go. He walked downstairs.
"How's Caprice?" Gibbs asked.
"She hates me at the moment," he gave his boss a wan smile. "Where are you taking her/"
"I'm taking her this Stillwater until this over. I'll talk to Jackson and Vance and take as much leave as I need," said Gibbs.
"And if I don't come back, boss?" asked Tony.
"Then I'll proudly raise her as my own," he said.
"I'll call my lawyer and have him draw up papers. Within a day or two you'll be her next of kin legally," said Tony.
Gibbs offered Tony his right hand. Tony took it then Gibbs pulled him in for a manly hug. When they each stepped back, Gibbs said: "Let me go talk to her. Get her ready to leave."
Gibbs headed up the stairs. Tony looked over at Ziva.
"Tony, someone should go with you," she said.
"My mess and I have to fix it," he said.
"But…," she was going to speak, but he reached up and gently touched her cheek with his right hand. With his thumb he gently traced her lips.
"Make sure you protect Gibbs six," he said. "And do me a favor, if I don't come back then make sure Caprice has a little ninja in her to go with her love of a Goth."
"Tony, please let me go with you," she said.
"I've got my ticket, hotel and bag. I'm already gone, my little ninja," he leaned and gently kissed her. "I'm glad you finally found something permanent."
He turned and strode out of his his place leaving her alone. This is not how it is going to end.
NCIS
Jackson Gibbs got the room ready for Caprice. When Gibbs explained the situation to him, he answer was simple: bring her up here and let me get to know my great granddaughter. And that's what Gibbs intended to do after explained to Caprice in simple language what was happening.
"Tony explained to you about the Macaluso Family?" he asked.
"Yes," she said sitting in his living not looking at him.
Ziva sat in the dining room with a cup of tea and Abby with a Caf-Pow, while McGee sat on the laptop tracking Tony through his credit cards.
"Your Uncle Giovanni Macaluso ordered your mother's death. It wasn't an accident, but a hit ordered by her brother," said Gibbs.
He knew she needed a dose of reality to understand ehat her father was upto and how much he loved her.
"That hit goes for you and your father. You were almost killed because of your Uncle," he said
"Where is he? Philly" she asked. They were n hiding the pain in her voice.
"He the don of Macaluso Family, but he doesn't live in Philly now. He lives in Milan. That's where your father has gone. He's gone to end this," said Gibbs.
"No, I told him I didn't care if he came back, Gibbs," she said then wrapped her arms around Gibbs neck and cried.
"Yeah, I know. We say thing sometimes we regret, but remember those who love us will always understand why. You father understands why you said what you said. He loves you. And he's doing this to protect you," said Gibbs.
"I want my dad, bossman," she cried.
Abby and Ziva got up and entered the living room and saw Gibbs consoling Caprice. Immediately, Abby rushed over and sat beside her and sandwich her in a hug between Gibbs and her. Slowly, she stopped crying then she looked at Ziva.
"You love him, you're his ninja, can't you help him?" asked Caprice.
"I do love him, Yekarah," Ziva admitted in front of everyone.
Her engagement ring on her left hand somehow felt out of place. She slipped it and put it in her pocket then she looked at Gibbs.
"He needs me and you need to lift Rul 12," she said.
"If you can bring him home in one piece, I'll lift," he said.
"McGee, give me Tony's itenary," she barked.
Caprice got off the sofa and ran over to Ziva and put her arms tightly around her waist. She held on to her as if she was holding on to dear life.
"I want my family together," she said. "Come home with dad."
"I promise that I will," she said.
NCIS
Jet lagged Tony got to the hotel and checked into a room with a large bed, sort of cushioned bench seating against the wall, a small table, a chest of drawers, closet, TV, and bathroom and that's all. For almost $200 a day in Milan, it was a bad deal. The hotel also had room service and conceirge service, both of which he needed.
Hanging up his suits and dress shirts, he then put away the rest of his clothes in the chest of drawers. Next, he put away his toiletries, hung up his suede coat, took off his shoes then collapsed on the bed and fell deep asleep. He fell into a restless.
When he got up he checked the local time. DC was six hours ahead, so it was now five in the evening in Milan. He grabbed the room telephone and called for room service.
"Yes, room 509. I'd like Tortelli di zucca and Zuppa pavese with a bottle of chianti, thank you," he ordered in Italian.
He was told the meal would be twenty minutes. Turning on the TV, he found ZNN International then he sat down on the bench and watch until there was a knock on the door. It was his meal. The waiter placed it on his small table while Tony signed for it and gave him some money as a tip even though his bill already had a fifteen percent gratuity in it. But Tony wanted the waiters and othe staff to like him, just in case he needed things.
Sitting down he was about to eat when there was a knock on the door.
"Shit, what could the waiter have forgotten?" he asked himself.
He got up, opened the door, and saw Ziva standing there. His heart actually missed a beat as he started at his ninja. She was dressed in black pants, a blue dress shirt, and black raincoat with her hair pulled back in a ponytail and carrying a bag.
"Aren't you going to invite me in," she said.
"What are you doing here, Ziva?" he asked.
"Caprice wanted me to make sure you got home in one piece," she smirked. "Your room rate is being changed from a single to two."
"Come in," he said.
"Ahh, you ordered food. What is it?" she asked.
"Pumpkin ravioli and broth, bread and egg soup," said he told.
"Are you going to share?" she asked, as she dropped her bag and took off her raincoat.
"Ziva," he growled her name in anger.
"I am hungry and tired, Tony, so I don't want to argue. But you need me. Do you know where to purchase guns here without drawing attention to yourself? Do you have contacts that can get you out of Italy quietly and easier? No, you don't," she lectured him. "I can help you and you know it."
"Ziva," he said then paused and sighed. "Sit down and share my meal and wine with me."
"Thank you, Ahuvi," she said.
"You're welcome, Bella."
They sat down side by side and shared his meal and Chianta. Ziva sampled the ravioli as Tony tasted the soup.
"This is delicious," she said.
"How is Caprice?" he asked.
"Upset that her idiot father would go off without backup," Ziva answered.
"Ziva, stop trying to push my buttons," he said.
Without a doubt he loved her, but no one could get him angry or annoyed like she could.
"Her, Abby and Gibbs are staying in Stillwater with McGee at NCIS acting as our tracker," she said.
They switched meals and Ziva tried the soup and Tony the ravioli. Ziva smiled, as she was how annoyed he was getting. He will be eating out of my hand soon.
Tony emptied his glass of Chianti then filled it up and offered it to Ziva. She took a sip.
"I should have ordered desert," he said.
"Yes, you should have," she said then finished her meal.
She stood up, slipped out of her high heals, now making her much shorter than Tony instead of just shorter than Tony and looked at the bed.
"You have slept already," she said.
"Yes."
"Good. You can watch me sleep," she smiled with her back to him, knowing he was now almost ready to lose his temper.
"I'm going to let you sleep and I'll go out into the city and…"
"And clumsily make your presence known," she said turning and staring at him.
She saw that he was about to blow his lid.
"Listen, if you came her just to boss and insult me then…" he started his tirade, but before he could finish she had her arms wrapped around his neck and mouth attached to his.
It may have started an awkward kiss quickly turned into a release of pentup passion, desire, and even love on both their parts. They mawled each other for what seemed a short eternity then broke apart as they both needed oxygen.
"What was that all about?" he asked, as he could hear his blood pounding in his ears.
"I thought we could add Milan to our cities like Paris," she said.
"You said Paris was a mistake," he said. "Is this going to be a mistake?"
"No, this is going to be a beginning," she said then kissed him again by first sucking on his lower lip then allowing her tongue to seek out his.
He pulled away once again: "What about Ray?"
"Before I left I mailed him his engagement ring back. When we return to DC, I will see him nose to nose and break it off," she said.
"That's face to face," he said.
"Does it make a difference, Tony? Now take me to bed and make love to me before I change my mind and decide to kick you butt instead," she growled.
"Yes, ma'am," he said as he scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the bed.
It didn't take long before they both were naked and re-discovering each other's bodies and testing their limits of exquisite sensuous passion and sex.