Chapter 51
A/N: Flashbacks are in Italics. (There are a few curse words in this chapter, just so ya know!)
A/N 2: This is a LONG chapter, almost 1800 words. It contains descriptions of eating disorders and what the effects could lead to.
Gibbs awoke when he heard a soft knock on his bedroom door. He found himself alone in bed, his arm creased from Ziva's nightshirt pressed against it.
"Papa?" Ziva made sure he was decent before she entered.
Carrying a tray of food, she presented him with a bowl of oatmeal with blueberries on top, two pieces of toast with butter, a banana, a glass of orange juice and a cup of coffee.
Gibbs sat up so she could place the tray in front of him. "Ziver, you made breakfast? You didn't have to do that."
Sitting on the bed, she smiled as she watched him eat his oatmeal. "I had to show you how grateful I was for last night. I was so scared."
Taking a bite of toast, he grinned. "You're too much, Ziva." He kissed her head.
"Go get dressed, I got a surprise for you."
Ziva put on a knee length lavender sundress that she'd bought when she was with Jenny and Emma at the mall a few weeks ago.
She wanted something light for summer, but something that was feminine and would cover the scars on her thighs.
Gibbs threw on a pair of cargo shorts and an old Marines tee. He watched as Ziva sat on the couch, struggling with the buckle on her right sandal. "Here, let me." He sat on the edge of the wooden table in front of the couch as she extended her leg to put it on his lap.
Quickly he took the shiny gold buckle in his callused fingers and fastened it. He held on to her calf and thought of his first daughter, Kelly.
Kelly had been riding her bike and she fell. Scraping her shin, Gibbs cleaned the wound and put a Band-Aid on it. Smoothing it with his thumbs, he looked at his daughter's teary eyes. "Sorry daddy." She pouted.
"Hey." He kissed her on the head and whispered in her ear. "Sometimes you gotta fall. As long as you get up."
He helped her up off the front steps. "Ready to go again?"
Kelly wiped a tear from her eye and nodded.
"That's my girl." He smiled as he helped her up.
"Gibbs? You can let go of my leg now…" He snapped out of his flashback and blushed a bit. "Heh, sorry Ziver. Come on, let's go." He said, grabbing her hand, helping her off the couch.
They arrived at a carnival. There were people everywhere. You could hear screaming from the rollercoaster, laughter from children being entertained by a clown, and someone shouting "Cotton Candy! Get your cotton candy here!"
Ziva lifted her sunglasses and looked around with wide eyes. Her curly hair was wild and free, flowing in the wind.
"Come on, there's a surprise waiting for you at the bumper cars." She looked at him, confused, but walked with him anyway.
As they approached the bumper car area, Ziva felt someone tap her on the shoulder. "Excuse me, Miss? I think you dropped this."
She turned around to see Tony, holding a rose. "Tony!" She hugged him tight, inhaling his scent. His polo shirt felt so soft, she never wanted to let him go.
She pulled away, "Did you plan this, Papa?" Gibbs smirked and nodded.
She flung herself at him, almost knocking him over. He chuckled, "You're welcome, Ziva."
She stood on the tips of her toes and kissed Gibbs on the cheek. She handed him the rose. "Oh and I get to hold this…okay." He smiled internally as he watched his daughter plant a chaste kiss on her boyfriend's lips. "Have her home by 8, DiNozzo. I'm making steak tonight."
Tony grinned as his girlfriend wrapped her arms around his waist. "Sure thing Bos—uh, Sir."
Gibbs walked away smiling; shaking his head.
Tony took Ziva through the entire carnival. They went on the bumper cars, the carousel; they shared cotton candy and funnel cake. They sat on a bench by the food trucks. "Wanna go on the rollercoaster?"
Ziva laughed, "After all that food? I am pretty sure I will vomit." They both laughed.
They looked into each other's eyes until Ziva leaned in and kissed him. He held the back of her head in his hand their tongues dueled for dominance.
He broke off the kiss to breathe. "You taste sweet."
He watched her face go from one of love and lust to horror. She clasped her hand over her mouth as her eyes searched the surrounding area for a trashcan.
Tony ran after her, holding her hair back as she vomited. Once she ceased being sick, he could finally ask her, "You okay? Maybe that second cotton candy was a bad—"
She shoved him away from her. She had tears in her eyes, not just from the throwing up, but also from how his words affected her. He looked at her with a pained and confused expression.
Her eyes were filled with such anger, her chest heaved as she took deep breaths to try to calm herself. "HE used to say that when he…" She swallowed a choked sob.
Tony didn't know what to do. He was terrified and angry with himself for having said that. He honestly didn't know what he'd done wrong. He approached her slowly, "Ziva, I—"
She turned her back to him, swiftly, her eyes and fists squeezed tight in anger. "Call Gibbs. I want to go home."
"Go inside, Ziver, I'll be there in a minute." Ziva ran inside and slammed the door.
He picked up his phone and pressed a button on speed dial. "She's inside DiNozzo. Get over here."
Tony had parked his car around the block until he got the okay to come to Gibbs' house. He got out of the car; looking ashamed and a little afraid that Gibbs would kill him.
Gibbs motioned to him, "C'mere." Tony stepped closer and winced as his boss slapped him upside the head. "What the hell happened, DiNozzo?!"
Tony sighed as he rubbed the back of his head, "We finished eating some funnel cake and then we were…y'know, makin' out and I pulled away and told her she tasted…sweet."
Gibbs looked at him, in shock and anger. Tony held his hands up, defensively. "I—I had no idea that Eli had said that, honestly, Boss, I didn't I'm so sorry I—I fucked up. God damn it I really fucked up."
Rubbing his hands on his face, Tony held back tears. "What if—what if she never forgives me? What if I say something or do something that triggers her? What—" his voice broke, "What if I lose her?" He felt a lone tear roll down his cheek.
Gibbs put his hand on the younger mans shoulder. "Tony…You made a stupid mistake. That's what life is full of. Stupid mistakes. If you think the worst will happen when something like this occurs, you're not gonna make it."
Wiping the tears from his face, he took a shaky breath. "I love her, Gibbs. I love her more than anything in the world. I would DIE for her. Last year when she was sick…I thought I was gonna lose her to that stupid eating disorder. I hated it. I hated what it did to her. I couldn't hold her, I couldn't kiss her, I thought she was going to break in my arms."
Flashback to August 18th, 2001
Tony knocked on Ziva's bedroom door. "Zi? You almost ready? Film starts in 20 minutes." He knocked again, looking at his watch. "Ziva?" Putting his ear to the door, he heard silence. He muttered to himself, "If she fell asleep I swear…"
Taking the spare key out of his wallet, he unlocked the door. Opening it slowly as to not wake her, if she was napping. His eyes went wide as he saw her lying on the floor. Her lips were tinted blue. "Oh God. No. No, no, no, no."
He put his ear to her mouth to feel if she was breathing, she wasn't. Pressing his fingers against her neck he could make out a very faint pulse. Tilting her head back, he breathed into her mouth. Her lips were still warm.
He started chest compressions. After another breath, he practically screamed for Gibbs, who was in the basement. "Gibbs!"
He found Tony kneeling over his daughter, his palms pressing on her chest.
Gibbs couldn't speak. Taking his phone out he dialed 911 and put it on speaker. "9-1-1, what is your emergency?"
"My—my daughter she's not breathing. She—her boyfriend is doing CPR. She's cyanotic. Please, send someone, the front door is open." Gibbs was shaking. He gave his address and waited for the EMTs to come in. "Up here! Please hurry!"
The EMTs rushed up the stairs, "Sir, you need to let us work on her."
End Flashback
Tears were flowing freely from Tony's eyes now as he relived that terrible day in his mind. His voice almost a whisper, "When she went into that coma…I thought we'd lost her, I thought, 'this is it, it's over. She's gone.' I had nightmares for weeks after that but I—I couldn't tell her I felt so selfish. I—I need her."
Gibbs pulled his agent in for an embrace. He'd never admit it, but he often saw Tony as a son, he hated to see him in pain. Sniffling, Tony whispered, "Please, help me get her back."
"Gimmie a few days. I'll keep watch of her and keep you updated." He released the young man and put his hands on his shoulders once more, "Go home, go to sleep. There's nothin' you can do right now."
Tony wiped his nose on his sleeve, "Copy, Boss." He walked towards his car as Gibbs opened the front door. "Hey, Boss?" The silver haired man turned around, "Thanks."
Gibbs pursed his lips and nodded before going inside.
A/N: Again a little fluff but some drama and I can't lie, I cried a bit while writing this chapter. PLEASE review. Thanks in advance. Next chap should be written by Tuesday.
