Warnings: Spoilers for "Truth or Consequences".
A/N: Here we go, time to get the ball rolling on the next important arc. "Truth or Consequences" to this day is still one of my favorite episodes. I just think the cast shined.
Thank you all for taking the time to review and encourage me to keep going. Everyone's support on my story has been wonderful and I'm going to go forward with the way I see things happening. Because, like someone pointed out the haters are going to hate no matter.
On the fourth of July Tony dressed Kaitlin in a red, white and blue sundress with matching headband and drove to Gibbs' house for a cook-out. It was hot and humid, but it was good to be out of the office for a day.
Kaitlin slept most of the way to Gibbs' house but woke up quickly when she was passed around between Abby and Ducky.
Tony was content that his daughter was entertained for the moment and snuck into the house to find Gibbs in the kitchen. He watched as the boss prepared the meat for grilling. "I know that you spoke to Vance about Ziva."
"Doesn't surprise me," Gibbs said, calmly. "It's hard to hide things from you, DiNozzo."
"What was that conversation about?" the senior field inquired, jumping right into the fire.
Gibbs threw him a cautious look over his shoulder. "Just following up to make sure that Director David is sticking to his end of the deal- that as along as Ziva completed this mission for him he would leave you alone."
Tony clenched his fists at his side. "What happens if she dies out there?"
"It's out of our hands right now, DiNozzo."
"I know and it sucks. Eli David is using his own child to spread his hate and violence."
Gibbs sighed and turned towards Tony. "He has his reasons. Saleem Ulman is a dangerous man that does need to be taken care of before more people die. He's protecting his country. Much like you and I do every day."
Tony glared at him. "Abby hasn't heard from Ziva in two months. Surely she has to be back from the mission by now."
"Again, it's out of our hands."
He turned away, beginning to pace the kitchen. He wanted to do something, anything. But Gibbs was right. They had no reasons to go after Saleem themselves. They had done their part over here and handed the information off to Director David. Tony was about to counter when the back door opened and Abby stepped in, Kaitlin on her hip. "Can I give her some strawberries? I promise I'll mash them up."
Tony nodded and Abby handed the baby off to him, who was more than happy to gurgle for her daddy. He felt that same tightness in his chest that he'd been feeling for the last couple of months, whenever he thought about what Ziva had done just to protect the two of them. He smoothed Kaitlin's hair back. It was a honey color now, gone were the dark locks of hair she had been born with. Tony wondered if she was going to inherit her mother's fair colorings.
Kaitlin busily took in the room, grinning when people passed her even if they didn't grin back. Gibbs had also invited his neighbors over and most of them knew her from the Bradley's.
"Here, Katie," Abby cooed, holding out a spoonful of mashed up strawberries to her, "try this."
She grasped the spoon in her hand as Abby guided it into her mouth. Tony chuckled at the face she made for a moment but then she swallowed the strawberries. Abby gave her another spoonful and soon she was reaching for the spoon wanting more. "I guess you like them," Tony observed, handing her back to Abby.
He was slightly angry to see that Gibbs had left the kitchen, ending their conversation. Stepping back outside onto the porch there was a sense that this wasn't right. They all were happy, laughing and having a good time, when Tony knew that Ziva could very well be fighting for her life at that moment. All to keep him and Kaitlin safe. Should he join in? Should he really be this happy to have a day off from work to celebrate with his friends-his family.
Ducky must have seen the despondent look on his face. "Anthony, everything all right?"
From across the deck Gibbs shot him a look. The pair had decided months ago in Stillwater that Ziva's choice was not something to be discussed with the team. Tony knew the rest of them wouldn't leave it alone though and they had already expressed their concerns. "No," he finally said, taking a seat, "Kaitlin's been getting up early. Guess I'm tired."
"Here," Palmer said handing him a beer, "Have this. It will help you relax a bit."
"Thanks, Jimmy."
"Sure thing, Tony."
It was at this point that the rest of the afternoon went by like any lazy summer day should. At the end of it, McGee, Abby and Jimmy got into Tony's car and headed out to watch the fireworks. Ducky and Gibbs stayed behind with a napping Kaitlin.
Tony was pretty sure that Gibbs was content to let the subject of Ziva drop once again, until he returned to pick up the baby. The boss was waiting for him in the kitchen, gazing at him intently. Kaitlin was awake and seated in her car seat, now wearing red, white, and blue pajamas. "I'm just as angry as you are, Tony," he said, "about what Eli David has done to his only living child. But there isn't much I can do. Vance has tried to get more information out of Eli, he won't talk."
"It isn't good enough, boss," Tony hissed. "What if she's in trouble?"
"Then it's Mossad's job to help her. Not ours."
"Mossad isn't going to save her and you know that."
"She made her bed, DiNozzo."
Tony snatched up the carrier and thanked him for watching Kaitlin while he went to the fireworks. He stormed out, back to his car but slowed his pace when he saw that McGee and Ducky were waiting for him.
McGee glanced tentatively at Ducky. "Tony. We're worried about Ziva, too."
He opened the back door of the car and began to situate Kaitlin into the base. She babbled and chewed on her toes, which she had just discovered the other day. "Ziva went back to Israel and rejoined Mossad. It was the only option besides sending her to jail," he replied, locking the carrier into place. He got out of the back seat and slammed the door shut. "Not much we can do."
"Anthony," Ducky started, "We know she took that mission to protect you and Kaitlin from Mossad."
"How...how do you know that?"
"While you were gone I pried it out of Jethro."
"And Abby and I might have been hacking into Vance."
Tony shook his head. "None of you are supposed to know about that."
McGee glared at him. "Well, we do. The question is-what are we going to do about it? We know that Ziva left for that mission months ago and Abby hasn't heard from her since. None of us have. And Eli David isn't talking."
Ducky looked at him softly. "Anthony, despite how everything ended in May, you have to know that this isn't right. Her silence has to mean something."
"Her silence...her silence probably means she's undercover," Tony finally choked out, even if he didn't believe it.
"Tony...come on," McGee whispered, "that's BS."
"I know, McGee!" Tony snapped moving around his car and opening the driver's door. "But it's the best I got right now!"
McGee and Ducky watched as he slammed the door shut and drove away. "Oh Timothy," Ducky lamented, "we have a much bigger problem on our hands than we all originally feared."
Kaitlin seemed to know that something was bothering her father. She made little noises, smiled, kicked her feet and yet he barely reacted to her. It wasn't until she cried slightly that Tony turned to glance at her, sitting propped up in her boppy pillow. Her crying immediately ceased and she smiled.
Tony reached out and ran his thumb along her cheek. "Sorry. I was thinking...about what Uncle Tim and Grandpa Ducky said." She cooed and kicked her legs. Tony lifted her out of the pillow and sat her in his lap, kissing the top of her head. "I feel like we need to do something to help Ziva. I just don't know what, peanut. And everything I think about, every scenario, it ends up with me leaving you behind for a long time. And I don't want to do that."
Her little green eyes sparkled. It didn't matter what Tony said to her, she just loved it when he talked to her. Tony found she was an excellent sound board-for the time being anyway. There was going to come a time when she began to understand what he was saying to her and these little conversations would become all but non-existent.
"Grandpa Gibbs knows that something's up too. Always trust his gut, Katie, got it?"
Kaitlin grinned and promptly put her foot in her mouth to begin chewing on her toes again. Tony chuckled and watched her. For now, he was happy to play with her and spend time with her, because tomorrow it was back to the grind and he could deal with all his problems then.