a/n: Sorry it took me a while to update. Real life sucks sometimes.

Chapter 21: So they fill sausages to pass the time

Portuguese idiom: Encher linguiça
Literal Meaning: to fill sausages
Meaning: to do mindless activities just to pass the time. To give pointless explanations to reach into a conclusion, that usually doesn't mean anything of value. So, basically, just do nothing.

After a filling meal with fillets marinated with rich dark sauce, rice risotto with onions, peppers, coriander and a fresh leaves salad - recipes that Anna wrote down for Lou to try again later. Tim, Tony and Anna leave the small dinner and go to the Comfort Suits Miami, a nice cozy hotel just a couple of blocks from Lou's dinner, where they book an Executive suite to rest and wait until Gibbs arrive in Miami.

As soon as they enter the double room suite, Tony calls Gibbs again who informs them that he was able to book only the 6:50 pm United flight to Miami, arriving late at night. They would all rest in Miami that evening, flying towards DC the following morning.

They separate a room for Anna while the NCIS agent would share the other one. As soon as Anna is alone in the privacy of the room, she runs to the bathroom and takes a long hot shower, scrubbing her skin vigorously as the images of the last twenty four hours flash before her eyes.

The day they spent in Rio, the night she spent with Tim, his gentleness and loving care with her. The return to the hill. Her last conversation with her father it was so heartbreaking and so true.

Her father was sick, and he was aware that his days on Earth had been numbered. But he didn't deserve to be shot down like a rabid dog, by heartless killers sent by a devious man from another country. Sometimes, life was just unfair.

The time with king of the hill when she was sure that at least one of them - or all three - would end up dead. The surprise of discovering her father's involvement with Marcos' business ventures. All that rushes before her eyes like a speeding bullet, she feels overwhelmed with everything that has happened. She slowly sits on the floor of the shower, her back to the white wall, hugs her folded legs and starts sobbing, the sound of running water covering her pure despair.

As the water looses pressure and becomes cold, she leaves her position on the floor and closes the water. She gets two of the fluffy hotel towels, one she folds around her wet body and other around her wet hair, like a turban, and goes to her room.

She moves the duvet out of the way, throws the wet towels on a chair by the closed windows, and dives in the soft bed. Covering her head with the duvet she silently wishes that, when she finally wakes up, she would find out that the day before hadn't really happened. That her parents are still alive; her mother would be in the kitchen pouring fresh coffee into mismatched china cups, baking homemade bread; and her father's walking cane making its usual noise as he crosses with difficulty the distance between the door of his bedroom to the sofa in the living room.

She feels a wave of anguish burning on her chest, and a sob escapes. After the sob comes silent tears, that soon become anguished moans which she squashes on the pillow unwilling to show her despair to the two Americans who risked so much to keep her alive.

And that's how she falls asleep; wetting her pillow with the last tears she will cry for her old life, before facing the reality of a new one that she will start on the next day.

NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS

Tony and Tim are in the living room of the suite, trying to watch TV while they wait for the time to collect Gibbs at the airport. Well, Tony is trying to watch TV, flipping channels like crazy, while Tim is staring at the door leading to Anna's bedroom, completely oblivious to whatever is showing on the tube.

Tony glances at McGee and continue flipping the channels. Old movie. New movie. Crap movie. Cartoon. Animal Planet. Discovery. Crap movie. Old movie. Uhm, Ferris Bueller's day off. That's a classic.

He gazes at Tim again, and notices that even Ferris enthusiastic singing during the St Patrick's Day parade doesn't make him waver his gaze from her door.

He looks again at the TV. "Why don't you check on her?"

"Uhm?"

Tim moves his eyes from door and frowns as he sees Ferris singing and dancing in New York. Weren't they watching the news channel?

"It's been hours since she went in there. No peep from her side. Go check on her."

Tim folds his arms and sinks deeper on the comfortable sofa. "Nah, she's tired. Probably asleep. Let her rest."

Tony leans his head to the side, staring at the gorgeous women dancing with Ferris, and smiles a little as Ferris' father starts dancing with the music too.

"If I had a hot girl like that interested in me, sleeping just a couple of feet away from me, I wouldn't ever let her sleep alone. Especially after all she's been through during the last few days."

He turns his head and looks at Tim, who turns to look at him frowning. Both men have a staring match, and Tim sighs, turning to look again at the TV.

"I don't think she would appreciate me bugging her right now. She's been through a lot."

Tony stares at Tim for another minute, nods and stands up, walking towards Anna's door.

"What are you doing?"

Tony turns to look at McGee, at the same time that Ferris turns to his best friend and starts talking excitedly.

"If you are not checking on her, I will. Because I like the girl - not the same way you do, I'd like to add - and I would really hate if she is in pain or suffering or God knows what and I don't know it just because I was just too coward to simply ask her if she is okay."

"Tony!" moans Tim, as Tony walks to the door and tries to open the door.

Tim jumps from the sofa as he sees Tony turning the handle, and shuts up as he opens the door. Both men silently peek inside her room, and they find Anna sleeping deeply between the sheets, hugging the pillows, her long curly hair a stark contrast against the pillows. She is naked, sleeping belly down, her bronze back showing the marks of the bikini she had used during their day on the beach. There were tracks of tears on her face, and even in sleep, she was frowning, as if her dreams were haunted by nightmares.

"Oh man," Tony says softly.

Tim just stares at her. He looks at her tanned skin, her long hair and he gulps, as he feels himself reacting to the sleeping woman. He then feels shame washing over him as he realizes that he is one of the people responsible for literally turning her life upside down.

She sighs, and starts to turn in her sleep. Tony smiles; wanting to watch the show but McGee covers his eyes and silently forces him out of the room, giving her some privacy.

"Ah, McGee, you're a party popper."

"And you're a pervert. She's been through hell. Let her sleep."

The room phone starts to ring and Tony rushes to it. It's Gibbs. Tim hears only half heartedly as Tony starts talking with the Boss. Tim opens a gap on the door again, and watches Anna sleeping, staring at her hypnotized as she sighs again and lifts a hand over her head, her firm breasts going up and down with each breath she takes.

Oh, man, I'm in trouble.

He closes the door at the same time Tony disconnects with Gibbs.

"Gibbs will be landing in thirty minutes; I'm going to pick him up. Will you be okay on your own with her?"

"Sure."

"Don't open the door to anyone, Probie."

"Yes, mom."

Tony grabs his spare gun, checks if it is loaded and gives it to Tim, who looks at the gun then at Tony.

"You never know."

Tim takes the gun and checks the safety, putting it then on his belt. Tony stares at Tim for a moment, shakes his head as if he's just given up to speak what's on his mind, open the door and leaves the suite. Tim locks the door as soon as Tony leaves, and leans his forehead against the door, taking deep breaths, trying to control his instinct to run back into her room and ravish her.

Damnit!

He slowly walks back to her room, closes the door and approaches her bed. He watches her sleeping, her breasts moving each time she inhaled and exhaled. He gulps as he feels himself reacting at her, even asleep. She feels his stare on her skin and slowly wakes up. She opens her eyes, finding him looking at her hungrily. His eyes go up to her face and find the same need he is feeling twisting in her eyes. He slowly sits down on the bed, as she sits down too. They stare silently at each other for a whole minute, which seems to last for a small eternity.

Finally, he lifts one of his hands, and softly molds one of her breasts in his palm. She moans at his touch, but doesn't take her eyes from his face. He leans towards her and, without closing his eyes, he touches her lips with his, at the same time, his hand massages the firm flesh in his palm. He leans back, and studies her face again.

His left hand moves up and grabs her by the back of her neck, his right hand goes around her waist and brings her forcefully against him, and he can feel her heartbeat hammering against his chest. He attacks her mouth, and she responds with the same hunger he attacks her. Her hands fight with the buttons of his shirt, and once the shirt is finally, forgotten on the floor of the room, her nails dig on his back as he leans her down to the bed.

Words weren't necessary after that.