Timing in Everything: Chapter 37
Bahrain, 0600 local (0300 Zulu), Tuesday
It was a strange feeling of déjà vu as Special Agent Tony DiNozzo headed toward the departure gate at Bahrain International Airport with Ziva at his side, getting ready to say goodbye to their friends. The air-conditioned airport was a definite improvement over the scorching hot runway on base, and it was a slightly different group of friends, but in all, the situation was similar enough to the one less than three months ago to make him wonder if that was his life now that he was stationed in the Middle East, always saying good-bye to the people he had grown to think of as family before they got an airplane.
And then Ziva gave his hand a quick squeeze, and he remembered that he had a new family now. One that was growing, as strange and unbelievable as that thought was.
They found their friends near the security gate, and of the three NCIS employees about to board the flight to Amsterdam, it was, not surprisingly, Abby who spotted them first. "Tony! Ziva!" she exclaimed, rushing forward in shoes that will soon to be a pain to remove for security. She gave them both tight hugs. "I'm so glad I got to see you again!" she gushed. "It was so good to see your house, and it's an amazing house. You're going to have to send me pictures when you get everything unpacked and decorated and everything, and I mean, a lot of pictures. A lot a lot. And you're married now! I still can't believe it! We've seen it coming for years, but—"
"I am glad we got to see you as well, Abby," Ziva interrupted.
"You guys are gonna have to come visit DC. And soon," the forensic scientist admonished them.
"Well, if we keep having these big international cases, we'll get to see each other for work," Tony joked. "Next time, bring the McGoo and Ducky and Jimmy. It'll be like The Brady Bunch Reunion."
"That so wasn't as good as the real show," Abby commented.
"Not even close," DiNozzo agreed. To his surprise, Abby again launched herself at him.
"Oh, Tony, I miss your movie references so much!"
"You should try being around them 24/7. Then you would not miss then while they are gone," Ziva commented.
"And Ziva, I miss hearing you make fun of Tony!" Abby crooned, now launching herself at the Mossad officer. "Everything's just not the same with you guys gone. Nobody's making fun of Timmy or supergluing his keyboard, and Dwayne is nice but doesn't go out because he has a wife and a kid, and I don't even know the new probie's name, and—"
"They're not dead, Abby," Gibbs finally interrupted. His eyes went from his former senior field agent to his former Mossad liaison and back before he offered his hand to DiNozzo to shake. "DiNozzo," he said. He glanced over at Ziva briefly and gave a slight nod. "Good luck." And DiNozzo couldn't help but wonder if the man somehow knew something they weren't telling anyone just yet. Well, with the exception of Tomblin, just because he had to have someone to blame, and the doc who prescribed the antibiotics was a convenient target. While DiNozzo was contemplating that, the MCRT's leader had moved on and gave Ziva a hug. "Try not to kill him."
"I will try, Gibbs, but it is a daily challenge," Ziva replied, an amused sparkle in her eye.
And that left Tomblin, in the unfortunate place of never being part of that team but still having to be there. DiNozzo didn't miss the fact that she would never have a reunion with her old team like this, not with Stan Burley dead, Freiler now part of a new team, and her in a role without a team at all. "Sorry again, Tomblin," DiNozzo offered.
She nodded, a tiny smile on her lips. "I know," she replied. He just didn't know if she was talking about calling her in on a case that didn't involve her or the death of her grandfather, and he didn't know if he knew, either. "I just wanted to echo Gibbs' wishes for good luck. I have a feeling you're going to need it." She looked over at Ziva, her expression becoming serious again. "I'll keep my eyes open, and I'll let you know anything I see or hear that may be even vaguely related."
"And I will do the same," Ziva replied with a nod. "I did not get the chance to ask, but how is Dr. Cunningham?"
The smile was back on Tomblin's face. "He's doing well," she said with a nod. "He's technically been back at work for almost two months now, but he just started seeing patients again a couple of weeks ago. Still on crutches, but he's managing to get around. That is, assuming my brothers don't damage him further before I return home."
"I am glad to hear it," Ziva said. Then they heard the announcement on the other side of security that the flight would begin boarding in five minutes and said their final good-byes.
Tony and Ziva waited until the three figures of their friends and coworkers disappeared from view, and then Ziva turned to her husband. "Now what?"
"Now we go home," he replied, taking her hand and pulling her in to kiss her temple. "And then we get you a doctor's appointment."
Kim Tomblin bid Gibbs and Abby good-bye at the gate in Amsterdam and headed in the direction of her next flight, her BlackBerry already out and ready. "Director Vance's office," the secretary greeted after picking up the line.
"Is Director Vance available to talk? It's Agent Tomblin."
"Please hold." Tomblin decided she didn't like NCIS's new hold music, and decided she liked it even less after listening to it for five minutes.
"Agent Tomblin," Vance finally greeted. "How's Bahrain?"
"As hot as ever," she replied. "Unfortunately, I didn't get to enjoy it long, on account of the fact that the case unrelated to terrorism was solved before my final flight landed." The director remained silent. "I couldn't begin to know how to do your job, sir, but when I'm the only agent in my job, sending me off to the Middle East every time there's a suspicion of terrorist activity doesn't seem to be it. Especially when I'm on emergency leave."
"I agree," Vance said, surprising her speechless, which didn't happen very often. He didn't elaborate, forcing Tomblin to try to guess what he was saying.
"You're giving me another agent?" she finally asked.
"I'm doing you one better. How would you like a task force?"
"Task force? That sounds like something involving the FBI."
"And Homeland Security, SDPD, LAPD, and maybe ICE."
"I don't think I'm following, sir."
"We need more cooperation between sister agencies and local police, especially when it comes to fighting terrorism. 9/11 happened because we're too damn fractured and the left hand doesn't know what the right hand's up to. Some of the other directors heard about your position and want to get in on it." She still didn't know what to think of what he was saying; she wasn't sure if she even understood it. "You're still in charge. That was the only thing I insisted on. As for the rest, that's for you to figure out. I'm sending you the contact information of the rest of your team. The first meeting's scheduled for two weeks from today in our San Diego office."
"You're giving me an entire task force without running anything by me?"
"I do it to Gibbs all the time. Get used to it. And Tomblin?"
"Yes, sir?"
"Good luck. You're going to need it. Some of these agents and officers have been in anti-terrorism since you were in junior high, and they're not going to appreciate having to listen to you tell them how to do it."
She gave a slight chuckle. "Sir, you obviously didn't know me when I was with the Corps."
A/N: That last bit may or may not be foreshadowing for a spin-off series. I say 'may or may not', because I'm still trying to figure out how to make it work. I started on a story that would be a spin-off and sequel to Falling on Unyielded Ground and posted on Fictionpress, but I don't know if I like how it's going, and the opener might be better for an actual NCIS story. I don't know. I'll play with it, and some of my other plot bunnies, for a while and see what happens. There's one more chapter on this story, and then keep your eyes open on FFN and Fictionpress for more of...something.