Just a warning: this is going to be a rather long authors note, so if you're not interested, please skip it.
First, some of you might have noticed I have skipped one of my usual updates. Sorry for that, school has been crazy. And I really can't write when I'm not inspired. And in addition to that, I left my notebook in my locker just when I finished this chapter. All really bad excuses, though sadly enough they are all true.
Secondly, I want to explain why I call Tony by his first name and McGee by his second. That's because this should be from Tony's point of view - it isn't always, but I try. And Gibbs, well, he's just Gibbs, and Ziva is just a person you call by her first name very easily for some reason.
At last I want to ask you to please, if you find an inconsistency in grammar or my language otherwise, tell me, because it always annoyes me when other people mix 'their', 'they're' and 'there' for example. If someone feels like being my beta, it would make me very happy :)
That is the end of my massive A/N, and the beginning of the story. Reviews are, as always, appreciated, good or bad. Have fun!
It was just a couple hours after they had come in the office, when Gibbs got a call. Tony looked up, resentment in his eyes. He could see it in Gibbs uncounsious change of attitude, an ability gained by working for him for ten years, almost straight, as he spent more hours at NCIS then anywhere else. A real field-job was on. Oh, he wished he could go. Though deskwork had its pro's, it couldn't be compared to fieldwork. But after five days of nothing but paperwork without any complaints from his side, Gibbs still didn't want to put him back in the field. Not that there was much 'field' anyway until now. The only case in the last couple days had been a Marine, killed by his wife for the insurance money. She had confessed as soon as they had brought her in. It was probably the easiest case they had had in NCIS history. How ironic.
'McGee, DiNozzo, grab your gear.' Gibbs yelled. Tony looked up, confused. Fanning was sitting next to him, equally as astonished.
'But boss…' Fanning said.
'Thanks, boss' Tony grinned widely, and winced when he threw his backpack over his shoulder.
Gibbs gave them both his death glare, which made Tony's grin disappear and Fanning's complain drift off into space.
'She's awake' Gibbs said as an explanation. And nothing else needed to be said.
Though in a hurry, DiNozzo, McGee and Gibbs took the elevator.
'How is she, Gibbs?' Tony asked demandingly while waiting for the doors to open. Gibbs stared his famous stare at him, that told him that he would hear when time the time was right, but today Tony was neither impressed nor patient enough to take that as an answer. He needed to know more than the three syllables Gibbs had granted him.
'Talk to me, Gibbs!' Tony didn't yell yet, but he was dangerously close. 'How – is – she?'
Gibbs didn't look surprised at the fury in his voice. Tony suspected that the famous Leroy Jethro Gibbs was known to the way he felt right now. Jenny suddenly popped into his mind and Tony winced. He had lost her, and that was his fault. He had lost Paula, and Kate. Now he was finally able to make some of it right. And that was exactly what he was going to do.
'She is awake, relatively healthy, aware of where she is, and scared, of course.' Gibbs answered when the doors of the elevator opened. They hurried to the car, and McGee and Tony both jumped in the back, neither wanting to lose time with their usual bickering about who's turn it was to drive shotgun. Before the doors were even closed, Gibbs' foot crashed down on the gas pedal. Tony and McGee slammed into their seats and held on to the sides, not daring to loosen their hands to fasten the seatbelts.
They passed one, two, three red lights and many more blaring horns. Gibbs only sped up; every red light made him push the pedal even further down until they reached a speed that would probably have scared Ziva.
They rounded the last corner – Tony would have sworn he saw smoke coming from the tires – and braked so suddenly that McGee and Tony now crashed into the front seats. While they collected themselves, Gibbs slammed the door shut behind him and ran through the revolving door. Tony didn't remember Gibbs running ever before if it wasn't to catch a suspect or avoid being blown up.
As fast as he could – that damn stamina of his – he ran after him, almost tackling an old lady as he rushed through the same revolving door Gibbs had just left. McGee pulled out the car keys, locked the car, caught the lady, apologized for Tony and hurried after his boss and partner.
They were already running through the peaceful corridors. Visiting hours had just ended and only an occasional nurse watched them go. Those nurses had seen it all before: the hope in their eyes, the determination in the set of their mouths, the worry in the lines in their foreheads. They had seen the tears, heard the cries in joy or in grief and the love, always the love. So when the three men ran to their beloved one, whoever that might be, no one told them to be quiet, or to slow down. They just smiled knowingly, and hoped for this story to have a happy end.
When Gibbs rushed into Ziva's room, not bothering to knock, a nurse did call after him. Patients were the most important in the hospital, even – or especially - in emergencies like this.
'Only one person in there!' she called after him. McGee was the only one who listened. He grabbed Tony's shoulders just before he entered the room, so the special agent staggered back and stopped in the doorway. There he stood, breathing heavily, biting his lip. That was bad habit had been something to fall back on, and had gotten the best of him again.
Gibbs kneeled next to the bed in which Ziva was lying, eyes wide. He took her fragil-looking face in his hand and looked into her scared, dark eyes.
'Ziva.' He said. 'Stop worrying. You're safe now.'
Ziva took his words in, then closed her eyes. She breathed in and out very slowly, and some of the tension in her jaw line and neck disappeared.
'Better.' Gibbs said smiling. And after a few seconds he added 'I- We missed you.' He placed a ginger kiss on her forehead, and reminded Tony of the father-figure again. Ziva's eyes grew moist and she rubbed into them, even now trying to hide every sign of vulnerability.
'Anything I can do for ya?' he asked. Ziva shook her head. Gibbs nodded in acknowledgement and got up from his knees. He brushed his hand over her tangled hair just once, before making room for Tony.
Quickly, Tony walked to her side and sat on the edge of the bed. He wanted to say something, something important, but couldn't think of anything.
'You're awake.' he finally said.
'So it seems.' Ziva answered. A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth, but missed the strength to pull through.
Tony tried very, very hard to come up with a good subject to talk about, but could find none. Just when he wanted to start on Fanning, his everlasting source of annoyance, she yawned widely. It looked so cute that it made Tony smile.
'What?' she asked, a tiny bit annoyed.
'Nothing.' Tony said, still smiling. Oh, he had missed that. The tone of her voice when she was angry. Her threatening to kill him with a paperclip. Heck, he had even missed her sneaking up on him.
'Just glad to have you back.' he muttered under his breath, when he saw her eyes slipping closed. Later, she would say that she smiled because she had been happy to see they were all fine. But Tony knew that she had heard him, and smiled too.