Warnings: Cranky author's note below. Read at your own risk hehe.
A/N: I confess...for about thirty seconds I thought about bringing Ziva back into this story and decided that it would just bog down the story with too many plot twists and subplots. Maybe she'll come back at a later date. I'm just really not missing her on the show. And I just can no longer feel sorry for the Tiva shippers that didn't get what they wanted out of Past, Present, and Future. This show wasn't about a romance between two agents, it was about a team solving crimes. If you want romance read fanfiction. An on-screen romance between Tony and Ziva would have just turned NCIS into a soap IMO. I love how they have handled Delilah and McGee. Or Jimmy and Breena, kept most of their personal relationship off screen just giving us crumbs here and there. If you were only watching for Tiva you missed the whole point of the show. Sorry I am just very cranky.
Oh, but on a happier note! HAPPY EASTER to anyone who celebrates :)
Tony managed to catch a few winks at his desk that night while they waited for word from the FBI. But his dreams were infested with images of Tim being tortured and by five the next morning he gave up altogether on getting any sleep.
Pulling open his file cabinet, he found a clean pair of underwear and socks, and a fresh button down burgundy shirt. Grabbing his shaving kit from his desk, he trudged towards the men's locker room to take a shower. Thirty minutes later he felt cleaner but not refreshed. It might have something to do with the fact that he'd spent half the night arranging transport for Leah, Anita and Sarah McGee, and Delilah to a hotel for safe-keeping for the night-the other half he'd spent it sleeping in his desk chair.
On his way back to his desk, Tony glanced at his watch. The FBI was bringing the women back to NCIS at seven. That gave him plenty of time to slip out and have coffee and pastries waiting for them in the conference room.
"DiNozzo," Gibbs growled, eyes closed from his own desk chair, "thought I told you to go home."
"You didn't go home, boss," Tony snapped, grabbing his wallet, gun and badge.
"I'm waiting for Fornell to call me back to tell me where that bastard is," Gibbs said, opening his eyes and glaring at Tony.
Tony matched the team leader's intense glare. "Maybe I am too. You know...Crowley isn't just going after you. He's going after me as well. And I want to get him just as badly as you do."
Gibbs glared even harder at Tony, but the senior field agent could see this look was different. There was definitive fear in the lead agent's eyes. "Crowley already hurt one of my agents, Tony, I'm not about to let you waltz out there and walk into his waiting arms. You let me and Tobias deal with this. Your job right now is to make sure Mrs. McGee and Sarah are kept up to date."
"So I'm regulated to baby-sitting duty, huh?" the SFA snarked. "Fantastic. Is that so you can keep an eye on me too?"
"Crowley can't get to you here."
"Bull. He got to McGee here."
Tony didn't give Gibbs time to respond. He briskly and angrily walked to the elevator. Again the horrid thoughts began to run through his head. If only they had pursued Howard's death further maybe, just maybe it would have led them to Daryl Crowley before he ever got his dirty hands on McGee.
Slapping the call button for the elevator, Tony rocked back on his heels, really wishing he could punch something. When the door opened to reveal John Dawson standing there, he almost laughed at the irony of it all. "Mister Dawson, what are you doing here, sir?"
"I'm looking for my daughter that you people and the FBI have kept hidden away for nearly twenty-four hours now," John stated, firmly. "My wife hasn't been able to rest since we lost contact with her."
"Leah is fine," Tony assured him. "She's at a hotel in the city with an FBI protection detail."
John glowered at him. "Why do I get a sneaky feeling that protection detail has something to do with you, Agent DiNozzo? You know, my daughter was living a perfectly safe, normal life until you came along. She's only been with you for five months and she's already been assaulted, shot at, and placed into protective custody-twice!"
Tony clenched his fists at his sides in an effort to stop himself from getting physically violent. "The worst injury she sustained in all of that was a sprained wrist. I took the bullet for her. And right now the FBI thinks it's best that she's put into protective custody until this whole mess is cleaned up."
"You say you love my daughter-if you love her so much, you should let her go. Let her go back to her life not worrying about which whack job is going to take a shot at her next," John hissed. "I'll be back later today to pick her up. She's coming back to Boston with my wife and I."
"Sir, the FBI-"
"Screw the FBI! Make sure they know to have her ready to travel!"
Tony watched as the doors to the elevator shut in front of him and stood there, silent, frozen. This was certainly not the morning he wanted to have. And it was probably only going to get worse when John Dawson came back later that day and tried to take Leah out of their custody. Tony could see that going over well with Gibbs. He let out an angry sigh and rubbed his hands over his face. If you love her so much, you should let her go.
But he didn't want to let her go. He wanted the exact opposite. He wanted to hold onto her forever, and right now there was no way he was going to be able to convince her father of this. John would laugh in his face when he asked for permission to propose to her. His heart ached just at the mere thought of being rejected like that.
He was so close to happiness and this man, this father stood in his way.
"DiNozzo," Gibbs' voice said, close to him. "Don't listen to him. You've done everything right to keep Leah safe. What's important is that Leah knows this."
"John's never going to accept me boss," Tony whispered, turning to face him. "What if...what if I lose her because of it?"
Gibbs shook his head. "I don't think you're going to. Tony-this relationship, it's not a one way street like some of your other ones. This relationship goes both ways. She loves you. And I think she's going to fight to keep you around like you've fought to keep her around. No one ever said that love was easy. Love is messy. Love is work. But if you're willing to deal with all that then...well...who's he to say you should give her up?"
Tony sighed and looked down at the floor. "I was hoping...I was hoping before she left...I'd be able to ask her...to marry me. Now...I'm thinking it's going to take a lot of work to get her father to even accept me let alone like me."
"Keep fighting," Gibbs said, sternly. "I didn't hire you because you were a quitter. I hired you because you were a fighter."
"Thought it was because I smiled?" Tony joked, chuckling as the elevator signaled another arrival.
"What the hell? Do you boys have telepathic powers now?" Tobias Fornell snapped. "You knew I was coming so you waited here?"
Gibbs glared at his friend. "Cut the crap, Tobias. Do you have something for us?"
Tobias nodded, gravely. "Yeah. A location for where Crowley is holding McGee."
Leah and Delilah arrived at NCIS in the midst of a frenzy. There were about a dozen or so agents, FBI and NCIS, standing in the bullpen. The Senior FBI agent that had been handling the case was standing in the middle, in front of a plasma screen, giving instructions. Both women noticed that all the agents were wearing vests and this made Leah's heart rate sky rocket. This had to mean they knew where Tim was and they were going to get him.
Tony caught her eye then. He was standing at his desk, finishing putting his vest on when he saw her. His eyes flickered towards Gibbs for a moment and the lead agent gave a slight nod of his head. Tony moved from around his desk and gently went to take her by the arm, leading her into the alcove.
"what's going on?" she stammered, her blue eyes filled with fear that griped his heart and tore it out. "Did they...did they find Tim?"
"Yes. FBI has an idea where Tim is being held," Tony replied, softly, pushing her hair back away from her face. "I'm going to be fine. That's why I have this," he said patting his bullet-proof vest.
Leah shook her head fiercely. "And what's going to protect your head? Because he could still shoot at that!"
Tony took her face into his hands and wiped at the tears threatening to fall. "Leah. Trust me."
"O-okay."
"Coffee's in the conference room. Why don't you go up there?"
Leah diverted her eyes and watched through the railings as the teams got ready to move out. She couldn't let go of the idea that this could be the last time she saw Tony. And it hurt. He suddenly pulled her into his arms and latched onto her tightly. She soaked in his scent, the feel of him, his warmth-before he let go and went to grab his weapon. With one last look at her as she moved to stand besides Delilah, he smiled, weakly.
And then he was gone. Hopefully to bring Tim home.