I'm having a really not good evening-but I now have alcohol, chocolate, and mashed potatoes so it should be turning around soon-and I figured there might be someone else out there who needs cheering up so I'm posting this early. I know, try not to die of shock.
I also just realized this website took out all my lovely dividers! Now there aren't any spaces between the different parts...it's that kind of night.
Hope someone enjoys this :)
"DiNozzo residence," Tony's voice melted her heart as he picked up the phone. Ziva rested her head against the wall of the apartment Mossad had given her for the week.
"Tony," she breathed, smiling.
"Ziva," she could almost hear the smile in his voice. "Wait a minute," he said before a shuffling sound on the phone made her forehead crease in confusion.
"Mom?" Leroy's voice echoed through the speaker. Ziva pulled her knees to her chest, wondering how she had left her family in DC. She must have been crazy. There was no other explanation: how else could she have left the two most perfect people?
"Honey, how did you like going to work with Dad?" she asked. Tony had taken Leroy to NCIS for the day, trying to distract them both from the fact Ziva had left earlier that morning.
"Aunt Abby let me help her in the lab!" he said excitedly. Ziva smiled, resting her head on her knees.
"What did she let you do?" she asked closing her eyes, trying to picture how Leroy would be sitting at the kitchen table as Tony moved around preparing dinner. He was surprisingly good in the kitchen; almost as good as she was. If it were a normal evening she would either be at the table helping Leroy with his homework or joining Tony in the kitchen but this wasn't a normal evening; she was half a world away and only able to pretend. Her heart sank again as she was pulled violently back to her situation.
"She let me work on her computer and help with samples," he answered before going into a detailed description of what tests he ran and their results. Ziva listened, absorbing every word as Leroy talked for 10 more minutes about his day, just listening as his voice washed over her, and comforted her.
"Honey, that sounds terrific," Ziva interjected a while later while Leroy took a breath.
"It was fun," she could hear the smile in his voice. "So when are you coming home?" he asked. The question was so innocent but the answer was far more complicated.
"Soon, very soon," she answered. "Can I talk with Dad for a minute?"
"Sure," Leroy answered. A shuffling on the phone was heard before Tony's voice rang through.
"Hey babe," Tony said. "You are going to miss out on some really good spaghetti tonight."
"Do not tempt me Tony," Ziva said in a low voice. "I am already debating if I should jump a plane."
"It's 'hop a plane' and you should. We miss you," he said, mimicking her low voice. "How bad is it?" he asked. Ziva took a deep breath.
"It is one assignment," she started. "It starts in a month and after that I am discharged from Mossad with fast-tracked paperwork for becoming an American citizen," she told him. She heard his sigh and she leaned her head against the wall.
"But?" he asked, knowing something else was coming.
"But this mission—Tony I do not think…I am afraid this is a suicide mission," she whispered as a lump grew in her throat. "We infiltrate Sudan, a place that is almost impossible to carry out a mission, and my father hands me the folder as if I am taking a walk down the street." The silence on the phone was deafening as Tony processed the information and Ziva tried to contain the tears threatening to spill.
"I'm going to think of something," he finally said. "I'm going to talk with Gibbs and Jenny, see what I can do; what we can do. Don't give up hope Baby, maybe everything will turn out right," he said hopefully. She didn't know whether he was saying the words in false hope or to cheer her up but she smiled and nodded.
"I love you Tony, never forget," she said, the tears of the day starting to leak from her eyes.
"I love you too, more than you can possibly know," he said softly. "Have you eaten?" he asked suddenly and she chuckled.
"Yes, a while ago. It is almost 2:00 in the morning," she told him and Tony whistled.
"If you want, take the phone with you to bed and I'll carry the phone with me as I put Leroy to bed. How does that sound?" Tony offered and Ziva couldn't turn down the offer. She stood and locked the doors before grabbing her SIG and almost running to the bedroom in the apartment.
Tony put the phone on the table as he sat next to Leroy and started to eat his dinner. His mind reeled from the information Ziva gave him but went blank as he tried to think of whom he could contact to make sure Ziva came home sooner rather than later, alive rather than dead. The thought shook him to his core and he closed his eyes to block out the idea.
"What was the case?" her voice drifted through the speaker on the phone. He snorted as he described the Petty Officer who had been kidnapped because he was the son of a General who was in control of information someone wanted. Thankfully, the son was found alive and the perpetrator caught, a Staff Sergeant who already had a few misdemeanors and charges on his record.
"We missed you today, all of us," he said in a forlorn way, looking at the phone as if he could somehow reach in and touch her.
"Trust me, I would have taken cold cases over my day," she grumbled, it made Tony smile.
"Where are you, Mom?" Leroy asked, speaking a little louder than he had to.
"Tel Aviv," she answered. "It is the red pin on your map, remember?" she asked. Tony had to smile as Leroy had an 'A-ha!' moment.
"I remember," he said, digging back into his pasta. Quiet conversation filled the small area, talking neither about location nor jobs. Leroy chatted about school and friends while Tony talked about what the plans were for the rest of the summer. He carried the phone to the sink as he did the dishes while Leroy took a shower, talking and joking lightly as he tried to figure out a plan. He made sure Ziva was able to speak with Leroy alone for a while, while he took a shower and got ready for bed.
He knew, logically, Gibbs and Jenny would do all they could be in the end, it probably wouldn't matter. Ziva was still Mossad and unless he could think of something that would jeopardize the mission, Eli wouldn't give her up; she was too precious a resource for him. Tony slammed his fist against the shower wall; to him Ziva wasn't a resource, she was one of the few things he cherished above his own life. It angered and confused him beyond belief that Eli could use his own flesh and blood like that.
He closed his eyes and shook his head; concentrating on getting out of the shower and back to Leroy. Quickly he finished and threw on an old pair of sweatpants and an OSU shirt that always made Ziva smile before going into his son's room.
"I love you too Mom," Leroy was saying as he climbed into bed. Tony smiled and sat on the edge of the bed, pulling down the new book he and Ziva had bought for Leroy before she left.
"You want to read?" Tony offered, handing Leroy the book. His eyes lit up as he took the book carefully.
"The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe?" Leroy asked, turning the book over in his hands. "Really?"
"We thought you would like it," Ziva told him. Leroy launched himself at Tony, giving him a huge hug and kiss before settling back into bed. Leroy read, Tony only helping with some of the harder words as Ziva listened. After half an hour, Leroy started drifting off and Tony tucked him in, kissing him on the head before Ziva said one last goodnight. She whispered a sleeping blessing before Tony took the phone, turned off the light, and made his way to the bedroom.
"I think he liked it," he smiled as he climbed into his bed, grabbing Ziva's pillow as a poor substitute for the real thing as he set the phone next to him on the bed.
"I think he did too," she replied softly. Tony heard her stifle another yawn and sighed.
"You're exhausted," he told her. "Go to sleep. You can't, and shouldn't, sabotage yourself because of this."
"Stay on the phone with me?" she asked in a small voice, to which Tony readily agreed. He listened as her soft breathing turned into a steady rhythm with steady snores telling him she was fast asleep. Quietly, he slipped out of bed and grabbed his cell phone, dialing the familiar number.
"DiNozzo, I'm going to start charging you for advice," Gibbs' voice greeted him. Tony snorted as he moved closer to the living room but close enough that if Ziva woke, he would hear.
"I'm not looking for advice this time," he said slowly. "I want to know what my options are. I can't let her stay there, I want to go get her," he told Gibbs.
"You can't," Gibbs replied. "Even if Mossad didn't have you blacklisted from entering Israel, you can't go in like one of your damned western movies."
"This mission is suicide," Tony growled. "They're sending her into Sudan, a veritable black hole that no one, not even Mossad, can escape from. We have to do something Gibbs; we can't let them kill her." Gibbs sighed and Tony heard movement in the background before soft voices, one clearly female, started talking indistinguishably.
"DiNozzo, go back to bed. We will see what we can do in the morning," Jenny's voice took over the conversation. "I'll talk with Eli in the morning and see if a deal can be reached."
"Right Ma'am," he said confused. "I—I thought you were at a conference," he quickly added. Gibbs low chuckle was heard in the background.
"I was called back because another agency started rearranging one of my teams," she answered. "We'll see what we can do Tony; there is always a price and we'll see what it is," she assured before bidding goodnight. Tony ended the call and turned off his cell phone before throwing it in his bag. He slid between the sheets of his bed once again, smiling at the phone as Ziva's snores were heard, telling him she was more exhausted than she led him to believe. He fell into an uneasy sleep, knowing in his heart of hearts there truly was nothing that could be done.
XXX
Tony stared at the phone in his hands, debating on whether to call or not. He had been sitting for two hours, looking between his bag and his phone: the responsible part of him knew he needed to call and allow McGee to stop him but the irrational part wanted to drop Leroy off at Gibbs and catch the next flight to Israel. The battle raged inside, tearing him in two. In a moment of clarity, he pressed 'send' and held the phone to his ear, listening as the other end rang.
"If he doesn't answer, I'll go," Tony reasoned with himself. It sounded like a good plan to both his responsible and irrational side. The line rang four more times.
"Tony? It's 2:00 in the morning," McGee muttered. Tony sighed and re-reasoned with himself.
"If you're not here in 10 minutes, I'm leaving for Israel," he quickly replied before hanging up the phone and throwing it on his bag. Tony wanted to go, needed to go, but he also knew he needed to be responsible and stay here. It wasn't a bad bet with himself, McGee lived five miles away and at this time of night he knew the drive would take a matter of minutes.
Tony walked into Leroy's room and watched his son sleep. How many times had he caught Ziva watching Leroy sleep, or vice versa? He was a salvation to both of them, a reason to get up in the morning and a reason to be that much more careful out in the field. He thought about what Ziva would say if she knew he was leaving Leroy to try to find her. He smiled as her face swam in his mind, her eyes rolling and her hands on her hips. He knew she would chastise him but he also knew that Leroy needed his mother. It wasn't for a totally selfish reason he was trying to bring her back, he was bringing her back because Leroy needed both of them. They were a team, a unit and he wasn't sure how to function for Leroy without her. A soft knock on the door brought him out of his stupor and he quietly went to the door and opened it, revealing McGee still in his pajamas. McGee breathed a sigh of relief as he barged through the door.
"You're still here. Were you serious on the phone?" he asked as he locked the door and moved to the living room. Tony pointed to his packed bag and sat on the couch. McGee stared at the bag as he slowly sat down. "You weren't joking," McGee stated and Tony shook his head.
"I need to go after her," Tony started, "but I also know the odds of getting into the country and finding her before she leaves. Leroy needs her and—"
"Leroy needs his father," McGee softly reprimanded. "His world has shifted and he needs to know his father isn't going to leave him."
"He needs both of his parents," Tony corrected but McGee shook his head.
"Tony, what Leroy needs right now is you. He's a smart kid, he's figured out something bad has happened but he doesn't know what that is."
"How do you know?" Tony shot back and McGee looked at him incredulously.
"My father was in the army, we constantly moved. He would be gone for days, weeks, months at a time, come back for a little while and leave again. My mom worried but she stayed with us, helped us through hard days. I don't know what would have happened if she had decided to leave us with our grandparents to go off and be with him. Leroy may need his mother but he needs you more." Tony put his head in his hands and rubbed his eyes.
"I still want to go after her, she's my wife," he confessed. McGee stood and sat next to Tony on the couch.
"You're a father first, Tony, and a husband second. You know this, you prove this every day." McGee whispered. Tony sat up, his hands in his lap but his expression stormy.
"If something happens to her—" Tony started but McGee held up his hand.
"If something happens to her we'll cross that bridge when we get there. You're not in this alone. You have me, Abby, Gibbs, the Director, even Lee and Langer. We all care about Ziva and want her back alive." Tony looked at McGee and nodded but McGee could tell he was still at war with himself. "Look, I'll stay here for the night. I'll sleep on the couch. Go to bed, it's 2:30 in the morning." Tony nodded and stood.
"Thanks Tim. You're…you're a good friend. Good night," he said before slowly walking to his room. McGee stretched out on the couch, punching a few of the pillows into submission before closing his eyes. He couldn't imagine what Tony was going through; he only hoped Ziva would make it back soon.
So I made a mistake and y'all get two chapters tonight. The next chapter will be up momentarily but reviews are still appreciated!
