Sorry about the delay. I have had this chapter done but wanted to re-work it. I should have another chapter up soon. As always, I do not own these characters, I write for entertainment and not for profit.
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When Gibbs returned from the store he found Tony fast asleep. He hadn't the heart to wake him up. Tony was in dire need of sleep, exhaustion was a detriment to his recovery. Gibbs watched as Tony slept. He looked even younger when he slept and had a sense of peace. Gibbs smiled, he wanted to see that relaxed look when Tony was awake as well.
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The weeks passed with no word from Gibbs. McGee had hoped he would have called to let them know how Tony was doing. As his conscience had returned so to had his concern for his friend. What he had done and how he had behaved plagued him daily while awake and in his sleep.
Abby had barely acknowledged he was alive the first couple of weeks. Then she was cold but refused to forgive him. Now, five weeks after the accident Tim couldn't take it anymore. He needed to find out how Tony was doing. He assumed Abby would have kept in touch with Gibbs. He was preparing to set off for the next two weeks for the next phase of his re-training.
The director had called him to her office.
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"Tim, have a seat." The director had not spoken to him for the past month except to give him his orders.
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Tim made his way to the lab. He hoped to talk to Abby before he left. He wanted, no needed, to know about Tony. Not knowing was eating at him. He had asked Gibbs to talk to Tony, he hadn't heard anything yet.
The music was loud but Tim wasn't about to say anything. "Abby." He yelled out from the doorway. "Abby…can we talk…please."
"Tim…I'm busy." Her anger had not abated in the weeks since Gibbs and Tony had left town. Not have them around had put her on edge. She spoke with Gibbs every other day. She knew Tony was healing, she knew he needed time but she hadn't had her Tony fix in weeks. Her brother was missing from her life. She wanted him back.
"Please Abby… I need to talk to you. Please."
"You have five minutes. But I don't want to hear one word out of you about Gibbs or Tony." She couldn't stand the thought of hearing Tim whine about his 'unfair treatment' in light of what he had done.
"But Abby…I just want to know how Tony is doing? Have you talked to him?" He looked sincere but Abby didn't want to trust him. He had done too much to allow him off the hook yet. She hadn't even talked to Tony to see how he felt.
"I don't know. I haven't talked to Tony since he left. And why did he and Gibbs have to leave? Oh, that's right it was because of you and Ziva, that's why they left. Now leave…your five minutes are up." Abby turned her back and turned the music up louder to tune out Tim. This whole thing hurt her as well. She too had been a jerk to Tony but that was in the past. She and Tony had made amends long before all of this started.
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Ziva had shown up for work early and worked late every day. She was trying to make up for what she had done. After reading about Tony she had thought back to everything they had been through together as a team. She thought about the times she had teased Tony…and more importantly how he had reacted. The glimpses of hurt and pain on his face weren't figments of her imagination. DiNozzo had feelings. She hadn't wanted to believe that before now. She wanted to think of him as the callous, self-centered ass he portrayed himself to be.
Her childhood had been difficult but she had never experienced the torment Tony had, she had always known her parents loved her. They were strict and unemotional but they had shown love the only way their culture allowed. Tony deserved to feel that kind of love. She wished for a way to make it up to him but…but…but How many times had she thought about what she had done, what she should do and not thought about but…
But… There was no way to fix his childhood. There was no way to take back the hurt she had caused him. There was not way to make this right.
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"Tim," she sounded tentative. Tim was shocked, never had he thought Ziva could sound so unsure of herself.
"Ziva…I don't want to hear any more Gibbs or Tony bashing. I've thought a lot over the last few weeks. I don't want to be the person I was…I want to be the person I have always known my self to be…the person my parents raised me to be."
"I too have done a great deal of thinking. I now realize I was wrong. I do not know if I will be allowed to be back on the team. I will do by best to tell this to Tony when he returns. Until then I would like to apologize to you. I have done you a great disservice in my behavior. I should not have tried to make you dislike Tony. I should not have... I am sorry, I did not see what was in front of me."
"That's real nice Ziva. I don't know if I can believe you but I guess that's why we are being reassigned for the next few weeks." She had sounded sincere but could she really have done such a complete turn-around in just a few weeks.
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