"Tony," Ziva breathed before she pulled back from the embrace. She brought both hands up to touch his face, "are you all right? I have been trying to get to you since you were shot, oh God," she touched her cheek to his and whispered, "I was so scared I would not see you again."
Tony cupped her head and brought her back so he could see her face, stared at her for long moments before pulling her close again, embracing her like a lifeline, kissing her neck and feeling her pressed into him.
Ziva rested her head on his shoulder as they just held each other then Tony remembered they weren't alone and glanced up at McGee.
"Don't mind me," McGee grinned wide as he stood in the doorway, "I've had a front row seat to the mating rituals between you two for eight years. Nice to see it came to something."
Ziva pulled back from Tony, pecked him on the lips then turned and went to hug McGee, "Tim, it is so good to see you," the sincerity in her voice was unmistakable.
McGee and Ziva hugged and Tony caught the mist in Tim's eyes. "I missed you, Ziva," McGee said quietly.
"Has Tony explained?" She asked as she wiped a tear from her check.
"Some," McGee answered, "but I'm missing some big details."
"But first," Tony slipped his hand around her waist, "why the gaslight? Why did you erase yourself from the apartment? I thought I was losing my mind."
"Tony," Ziva shook her head, "I did not know what would happen. When I heard you had been shot I made my way to the hospital. I had to stay far back so that no one would see me but eventually I found out the details of your condition. I did not know if someone would come to your apartment looking for clothes or what," she brushed her hand in his hair, over his right ear, "I see that bullet took some hair," she reached up and kissed the spot.
"I'm fine, my ninja," Tony kissed her, caressed her cheek.
"I decided to leave your place but I wanted to stay nearby," Ziva continued, "when I found the store room key I came down to check it out and found your old bed just in the hall outside. The guys you gave it to had not taken it away yet so I bought it from them. They helped me put it back and move the new one down here," she indicated the queen bed she had obviously been sleeping on all this time.
"Why didn't they report you to building management?" McGee asked.
"I told them I was a new maid from Ecuador and that I did not have a place to stay," Ziva looked to McGee, "Apparently, others have stayed in these storage units in the past...workers. So they helped me out."
"Nice to know a million languages," McGee grinned then heard something in the hall. He stepped into the unit and closed the door behind him.
"How long have you been down here?" Tony looked into her eyes, the only illumination in the unit was his old, battered crank lantern.
"I managed this a couple of days after you were shot," Ziva sighed. "I was going crazy. I did not know you were back in the building until a full day after you left the hospital. Tony, you were never alone as far as I could tell. I could not get to you directly."
"Yeah," McGee interjected, "we were all worried. He told us...well me at first about you being here."
Ziva snapped her head back to Tony, "Is it known? That I am alive?"
"No, no," Tony assured. "They all thought I had actually lost my mind. They told me you were a dream I had in coma," he held her just a little tighter.
Ziva blinked.
"And we couldn't find any evidence you were ever in the apartment," McGee added, "so, it made sense Tony had a dream he thought was real."
"I am not a dream," Ziva looked up at Tony, "but what do people think? If-"
"Don't worry," Tony kissed her temple, "everyone thinks you died. In fact, McGee uncovered a report that you were killed in the West Bank."
"Good," Ziva nodded, "that was a CIA planted story. I am glad it made the rounds."
"I need to get you out of here," Tony glanced around the unit barely large enough for the bed to lie flat and the three of them to stand inside. He turned to McGee, "We have to get them out of my place. I think we can for tonight but we have to stop the pop ins."
"Tony," Ziva touched his arm, "I do not think it is safe for me to stay in the apartment with you any longer. I stayed here so that I could get to you at some point, hoped you would find the clue I left but now...I need to leave, Tony."
"No!" Tony snapped, "I am not going to be apart from you for another minute."
"We're going to need a few days at least," McGee said as he looked between them, "I can find a safe house for you two. But we need a cover story for Tony's absence."
"Trip to Israel?" Tony suggested, "I was going to go," he said as he held onto Ziva.
"Tony," Ziva bit her lip, "if you come with me, you are going to fall off the griddle no grid," she corrected herself, "you will worry too many people."
Tony stood in front of her, held her arms and stared into her eyes, "I can't be apart again. I can't do it. We go together."
Ziva gave him a nod then looked at McGee. She explained all the details of Eli's journal and the situation with the Kazmi information.
"At the moment, I do not know what else I can do except play dead as Tony says," Ziva concluded.
"Thing is," McGee stepped up next to them "we can find a safe house and you and Tony can go off grid but for how long? We don't know what kind of progress CIA is making."
"I do not believe they are making much progress, McGee," Ziva stated. "I spent all these months hunting down anyone and everyone affiliated with Kazmi's plan and have acquired only the barest of information. And I had a better vantage point than the CIA has; that is why we kept our distance unless absolutely necessary."
"That means," Tony interjected, "that the only way to get our lives back is to piece everything together ourselves. Otherwise, we have to go to ground for the rest of our lives."
"This is why I did not want you involved," Ziva's voice was full of regret, "why I lied to you."
"Hey," McGee looked at Ziva, "that's what we do. We're the good guys, remember?"
Ziva smiled at Tim, "I remember. But you two have been here long enough. You should return to the others upstairs. I saw Gibbs arrive with you McGee and Dr. Cranston is still upstairs, yes? There is a surveillance hub behind the storage rooms with an extra monitor. I paired my cell to the feed," she indicated the phone atop the bed, "you taught me well, McGee."
McGee smiled proudly, "She's right we should-"
"No," Tony was not budging, "I am not leaving her in this box one more night. Not one more night."
"Tony," Ziva rested her hand on his chest, "I cannot go upstairs with you. It is simply too dangerous right now. I will be fine here...I have been. This is just until we can figure something else out."
"No," Tony was firm.
"If we don't go back upstairs," McGee started, "Gibbs will hunt us down and that means Bishop and likely Cranston will follow."
"Gibbs," Tony clenched his jaw then glanced at Ziva. He didn't want to tell Ziva that Gibbs had changed that he had forgotten about her and moved on. He didn't want to hurt her. But he also didn't want Gibbs interfering. "I'll talk to him. I'll tell him I'm taking leave from NCIS and heading out on my own spiritual trip. He'll buy that. Then once they are gone," he turned to Ziva, "you can come upstairs."
"I do not know, Tony," Ziva shook her head, "I think that may be too risky."
"I think she's right," McGee agreed, "how about I take her home with me?"
"Guys," Ziva touched them both on the arms, "I am fine here, really. We've stayed in worse places than this."
"I don't want to be away from you," Tony drew her back into his embrace.
"I am in the same building, Tony," Ziva kissed the underside of his jaw, "we will figure something out soon."
"We should get back up," McGee said, "they are going to start a search party soon."
"Give us a few, Tim?" Tony asked.
McGee grinned and stepped just outside the storage unit.
"I thought I had completely gone bonkers, Ziva," Tony confessed to her. "Between the shooting, and the apartment being devoid of you and everyone telling me I was crazy-"
"You are not," Ziva kissed him softly, ran her hand along his neck, "You saved me, remember?"
"I don't want you staying here any longer," Tony shook his head, "I need you with me."
"Soon, mon petit pois, soon," she pecked his lips, "go. I will be here."
Tony kissed her again then stepped out and her insistence and the door closed between them. He turned to McGee, "She is in there, right?"
"Yes," he heard both Ziva through the door and McGee intone.
"Just checking," Tony half-laughed before he and McGee took the elevator ride back upstairs.
When they arrived at the apartment, Gibbs, Cranston and now Ducky cluttered his living room.
"Anthony, my boy," Ducky started as he rose and came to greet him in the foyer, "I am so sorry."
"Thank you, Ducky," Tony nodded.
"I think we should have a memorial service," Ducky suggested, "so that we may all say a proper goodbye to Ziva."
"I can't think of that now," Tony moved further into the living room, McGee behind him. "Gibbs, I'm going to file papers in the morning and take an extended leave. I have plenty of time if my last compt time report was any indication."
"DiNozzo," Gibbs stepped closer, "work is what is going to get you through this. You need to move on."
A flash of anger swept through Tony like wildfire through dry brush, "I am not interested in moving on right now. I don't forget people existed in my life! I don't just move on without regard to what happened to them! So why don't you take your new protégé and get back to work, Gibbs. I have more important things to deal with!"
"Tony," Rachel touched his arm and he yanked it away, "I know this is difficult but-"
"No offense, doc," Tony snapped his head in her direction, "but get the hell out of my house!"
Surveying the room, Tony stepped aside to give everyone a clear path out the door, "Thank you for your concern but I need to handle things my own way. I'll be leaving for awhile. I'll be in touch when I am ready to be in touch. Good night."
Everyone started to file out seemingly understanding Tony needed his space. McGee stayed close to Tony leaned in and whispered, "Pick up a few things from my desk?"
"Will do," McGee agreed, "I'll even file your paperwork."
Tony smiled at McGee then turned back to Gibbs who was the last to head for the door.
"Sometimes moving on," Gibbs said, "is the only way to survive, Tony," he offered a quick nod and left the apartment.
You guys are AWESOME! The feedback has been great! I am actually pretty happy I had you all going with the 'dream' bit for awhile. I really was going to keep that going for a couple of chapters but I saw how everyone was suffering and decided to end the suffering quick. There was a moment when I was really considering making it all a dream and then having McGee find Ziva and bring her home for Tony - which would have been more of a character piece. But the Kazmi plot made so much sense to me that I have decided to make that a real thing. Sometimes things just happen as you are writing and it takes you in that direction. I'm writing these chapters fairly fast so please forgive any boo boos. And I'm sorry I'm not fleshing them out beyond the dialogue that much but I think the dialogue is telling a good portion of the tale on it's own.
The next update won't be as fast as these last couple have been but I promise not to keep you guys waiting too long.
Thanks for reading!