Chapter 4
Destiny Calling
~~September 2005~~
Ziva stepped out onto the porch of Gibbs' house, looking at the dark, starless sky, watching the clouds roll overhead. More monsoons coming, she thought to herself. She startled as she heard the click of the door opening behind her, and turned around to the sound of someone walking out of the house. "Oh, it's you, Gibbs."
"Of course it's me," Gibbs said, letting out a small chuckle. He sighed as he shook his head. "Ziva, you got here just in time." Gibbs realized that he had not heard Ziva enter the house at all. He looked more intently at Ziva. "How'd you do that?" he whispered to her.
Ziva's smile was tight as she nodded to Gibbs. "I followed Ari all the way out to here, and watched to see what he was doing. When he got in, I realized that you were the real target." She turned to look out at the sky and sighed. "Since you asked me back you up, and on top of that, I did what I was ordered to." Ziva turned back to Gibbs. Suddenly, her ears picked up the sounds of sirens, and she looked sharply down the road, then back at Gibbs.
Gibbs nodded. "Made some phone calls. They're coming." He took a step closer to Ziva and tilted his head to her slightly, and said in a lower voice, "Remember the deal we made?" Gibbs put a finger in the air.
Ziva looked up at Gibbs and nodded softly, gulping. She took a step back toward the porch steps, putting a gloved hand on the railing, then walked down the pathway.
"Ziva!?" Gibbs shouted at her.
"Yes?" Ziva stopped in her tracks and turned to look at Gibbs.
"You alright?" Gibbs had a concerned look on his face.
Ziva nodded. "Yes." She sighed, then said, "I'll honor it." She turned to the sound of the sirens approaching, then took off walking down the street in the opposite direction.
Gibbs turned to the sounds of the sirens also, then said as he started turning back to Ziva's direction, "Alright, will you -?" He had noticed that Ziva had disappeared into the stormy night, nowhere to be seen. He shook his head and chuckled to himself. "Damn, she's good," he muttered to himself.
Several minutes after the skies had opened up, Ziva found herself walking down a lonely street, mulling over so many thoughts she had on her mind. She went back to the moments after she put a shot through her half-brother's head, the deal that she and Gibbs had forged together, that he was willing to take the blame for what had just happened, and the picture of Tony in her dossier kept flashing through her mind. She suddenly flashed back to the day she met a much younger Tony, defending her from her half-brother's tormenting her. She gasped to herself, realizing that this was the same Tony that she had met years ago in Israel, now working for the NCIS, sitting in the bullpen she walked into earlier. She smiled to herself as she walked through the pelting rain, clearing her thoughts, coming up with a mantra: How I wish I was with my best friend right now. Her feet took her down streets, alleys, boulevards, through parks as she walked through the rain, thinking things through. She realized that every time she needed him, Tony was always there at the most appropriate time for her. As Ziva walked on, it seemed as time became nonexistent to her, her steps beating out a steady rhythm on the concrete surface. As she thought of Tony, and the memories of her good times with him in New York City and Rome, she smiled and stopped in front of a large building, exhausted, wet, but strangely revitalized, as if she suddenly was in the center of happiness. She turned to look at the building through the rain, and noticed a solitary figure standing in front of the hotel. Her first two thoughts were: Wow, I walked all the way out to the hotel? Then, Is that Tony?
"Figured you'd make it all the way out here," the lone figure called out to her.
Ziva gasped as she realized that it was indeed Tony. She took a couple of steps toward him and called out to him, "Tony!?" Ziva walked up slowly onto the steps, rain dripping off her hair, washing down her face.
Tony pushed himself off the door frame he was leaning against and nodded to Ziva. "Yeah, it's me. Gibbs called me. Asked me to find you, make sure you're alright. I thought, where would I go, if I was Ziva? So, I thought about the Embesario, where you were earlier, and so here I am." Tony held out his arms and smiled. "Let's get you inside before you get any more soaked than what you already are."
Ziva reached Tony and sighed, then nodded. More rain flicked from the ends of her hair. "I see," she said, her voice tight. She turned and smiled tautly at Tony as she took a couple of steps up the stairs to get out of the worst of the rain.
Tony shrugged. "Yeah." He looked closer at Ziva. "Something happen?"
Ziva sighed and held up a hand, stopping Tony. "Not here, not now."
Tony's face softened as he gulped. He stepped back and opened the door. "Alright, let's go inside and get you dried off, shall we?" Tony held out his other arm to the door.
Ziva paused to watch Tony open the door for her, then stepped through. She paused long enough to turn to Tony and say, "Thank you." She turned and walked down the hallway toward the elevators, rain still dripping off of her.
"Oi!" The hotel front desk assistant called out to Ziva. "You're dripping all over the place!"
Ziva continued walking past, tuning out the front desk assistant and pressed the elevator call button.
"Sorry 'bout that," Tony said to the front desk assistant, chuckling, as he flashed a wave to him as he quickly followed Ziva to the elevator.
Moments after Tony and Ziva had entered Ziva's hotel room, Ziva walked toward to her bathroom. She stopped at the door to the bathroom and turned to Tony and leaned on the door frame, sighing. "Tony...what a day."
Tony walked to the living room and looked at Ziva leaning herself on the door frame. "Tell me about it."
Ziva held up an exhausted hand and let out a sigh. "Yeah, well. I'm cold. I'm wet. Let me get warmed up." She pushed herself off the door frame and turned and walked into the bathroom. She walked in front of the sink and leaned onto it, looking down toward the sink, holding herself up, her legs rubbery from exhaustion and the cold seeping through to her bones. She looked up through the doorway to Tony, who was still standing in the living room, watching her every move. Memories started flashing through her mind as she looked at his face. Suddenly, she felt woozy, overcome with emotion, with the realization that every time she was in dire time of need, Tony had always been there for her.
Tony noticed the look on her face and took a couple of steps toward Ziva. "Ziva? You alright?" he called out to her, a concerned look suddenly on his face.
"Yes, I'll be fine." Ziva said, her voice half whispered. She stood up and put her hand on the door, then looked at her rain-soaked self, then back at Tony, then let out a long sigh. "Will you stay here with me tonight?"
Tony smiled softly. "Sure, I can do that." He walked up toward Ziva and stroked her waterlogged hair away from her eyes.
Ziva chuckled to herself, a sudden thought forming in her head. "You didn't bring backup clothes with you? I didn't see you with a bag."
"You get cleaned up, and I'll run down and get it from my car." Tony flashed a smile. "Wasn't sure if you were gonna show up here. Figured that there was no harm in coming out here and waiting to see if you showed up, though."
"Alright, sounds good." Ziva nodded, then turned around and walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind her.
A few moments later, Tony came back with his go-bag. As he walked into the living room and sat down in the chair nearby, he could hear the onrush of the shower water, and Ziva talking and singing to herself in Hebrew, sometimes with an angry voice. Suddenly, Tony's mind was flooded with memories of Ziva making snide remarks to her bodyguards in Hebrew at the Empire State Building, and before she took her very first helicopter ride in the Big Apple. He chuckled to himself, thinking, that's the same Ziva I know. Tony turned toward the closed door of the bathroom and called out as he heard the water stop, "Ziva, just wanted to let you know I'm back."
"Awesome." Ziva opened the door at the same time she said it, holding her towel around her. She looked bemusedly at the priceless look on Tony's face as she walked out of the bathroom with nothing but a towel wrapped around her midsection.
Tony raised an eyebrow at Ziva and smiled as he looked her up and down. "Feeling better now?"
Ziva smiled. "Much. Thanks for asking." Her shoulders drooped from exhaustion.
Tony tilted his head to Ziva. "Heard you in there, talking and singing in a different language. Hebrew, right?"
Ziva nodded. "Yeah." She bit her lips.
"A little cursing thrown in here and there, too, I bet." Tony chuckled as he got up and walked over to the bathroom, carrying his go-bag with his clothes in it."
"Just... trying to put my mind together," Ziva said, smiling at Tony. "A lot to think about."
"Ah. We can talk about it, but first, I get cleaned up?" Tony raised an eyebrow and pointed into the bathroom.
Ziva let out a tired chuckle. "Go. Get cleaned up." She shooed him into the bathroom as she turned and walked to the bedroom to get dressed for the night.
"Alright, be out in a few." Tony chuckled and closed the bathroom door behind him.
Ziva smiled as he closed the door, then walked around the bed and bent over to pick her duffel bag off the floor and put it on the bed. As she unpacked her bag to find her night clothes, she half-listened to the shower running, smiling at herself. She pulled out her panties and long shirt, the same shirt that Tony had gotten for her in Rome, then put them on. Reaching into her bag one more time, she found her hairbrush, and walked back out of the living room, brushing her long hair out and then putting it up in a bun, then sat down on the couch and looked out the window at the storm. As things started to sink in for her, her emotions came up to the surface at times as memories floated through her mind. Her emotions came out in a confused jumble, mixed with happiness, sadness, anger, a touch of betrayal. As she tried to put things together, figuring out where things fit in the big picture, a tear rolled down her cheek. Thunder boomed across the town as the rain fell outside, and she shook her head at the rain. Never seen anything like this before, she thought to herself. As she looked out the window, she heard the bathroom door open, and she looked away from the window to Tony, quickly wiping away the tear. "Ah Tony, feel better?" Ziva smiled to Tony.
Tony looked up at Ziva and stopped in his tracks, noticing that she was half naked, and also that the shirt she was wearing looked very familiar to him. He slowly walked to Ziva and said, "Yeah, much better. I see you wearing that shirt from Rome."
"Yeah, this is the shirt you got me back in Rome." Ziva looked down at her shirt, holding it up at the same time. She looked back up at Tony and smiled. "It still fits me. I still wear it always wear it, as you can see." She pointed to Tony's shirt. "See you do the same thing as well."
Tony sat down next to Ziva and looked down at his I LOVE NY shirt, which was just now starting to show its age. "Yup. So many memories going in my mind right now." Tony smiled as he reached out and put his hand on Ziva's shoulder.
"Oh Tony, tell me about it." Ziva grasped Tony's hand on top of her shoulder. His touch felt calming to her, reassuring, and she felt the pent-up stress starting to melt under his touch. She turned to Tony. "There's so much to tell you, and you need to understand why I had done things this way." She turned to look at her reflection in the window.
Tony moved a bit closer to Ziva. "Try me, talk to me."
Ziva took a deep breath and let out a long sigh. "Well." She kneaded her hands together for a couple of seconds, then looked up at Tony. "I've been here for a few months," she said.
Tony looked at Ziva with a surprised look on his face. "Oh, I didn't know that. So you weren't here on a pleasure trip, then?" Tony's voice was slightly flippant. "You didn't have a chance to stop by and see me?"
Ziva sighed and shook her head. She looked around at Tony, taking a few moments to compose herself. She hadn't invited Tony in here just to start an argument with him, so she held up a hand to Tony. "It was not for pleasure. I was told by my Abba to handle my half-brother. That meant I had to follow him, and maintain contact with him." She took a breath and let out a sigh, holding her hands up in the air, then dropping them back down on her lap. "My Abba had suspicions that he had gone rogue. "I had no idea where you were until I..." Ziva stopped herself, realizing what she was about to say.
Tony turned himself around on the couch to face Ziva more fully. "Until what?"
"Until I did what Ari asked me to do: profile everyone that he might come into contact with. That included Gibbs, McGee, Kate, even you." Ziva sighed and shook her head. "I had no idea what he was up to until Kate was shot, he would not tell me what he was up to."
"Alright, so profiling all of us, and then he chooses to pop Kate. He tried again with -"
Ziva cut him off. "Yes, but it didn't happen. And I stopped Ari from killing Gibbs." Ziva struggled with her emotions, willing herslf to not break down in tears.
"So, now what? You go back and tell your director – your Abba that Ari is now dead?" Tony held his hands out, cocking his face to the side, his eyes full of questions.
Ziva slumped in the couch. "My Abba told me to handle him. Using any means possible. To handle your own half-brother in the way he wants me to do?" She shook her head slowly.
Tony clicked his tongue and grimaced. "Wow, sounds like he played you two against each other." Tony shook his head and muttered to himself, "What a manipulative..."
Ziva gave Tony a sharp look. "Manipulative? Ari was like that since he was very young. But my Abba?" She scoffed as she shrugged. "I don't know."
"Then why didn't you stop him from killing Kate?" Tony raised his eyebrows, reaching up to scratch the back of his head.
Ziva scoffed at the question and put a finger up in the air and shook it, a tear starting to form. Her voice quavered as she said, "Ari played me, and played everyone. That's how he was able to get out of my sight long enough to take the shot." Ziva paused to take a deep breath, "When I heard that Kate was shot, I told my Abba about it. He told me to go prove that Ari did it. He told me he suspected that Ari went rogue." She suddenly punched Tony on his arm with a hammer fist, her emotions finally spilling over. "Tony, I killed my own brother! The same one that you saved me from!" Tears flowed from Ziva's eyes as she leaned over on Tony, beating on Tony's chest every so often, as she sobbed and cursed in Hebrew.
Tony sat there in in stunned disbelief, holding Ziva into his arms, stroking her hair away from her face. After a moment, he rested his chin on Ziva's head and muttered softly to Ziva, "Ziva, it's alright. It's alright, let it all out." Tony's face contorted in emotion as he held back his tears, holding her, comforting her.
"Just hold me," Ziva spoke in tears after a couple of moments, as she snuggled up deeper in Tony's arms.
"I'm here," Tony whispered as held her close to him.
It took a few moments for Ziva to calm down enough where she could talk again. She sat up, breaking free of Tony's hug. She let out a sigh, then said, "You know, years ago when you stopped Ari from bullying me, he was not that bad. But something happened shortly after I saw you in Rome."
"Oh." Tony fell silent, then said, "What happened?"
"He was never the same since he found out about his Ima's death. He always thought that my Abba had something to do with it, so he went off grid." Ziva shook her head.
Tony reached out to hug Ziva. "I got it now. My bad for assuming you were here on a pleasure trip at first."
Ziva put a hand on Tony's. "It's alright, I was just doing what I was ordered to. For not seeing you during this time, I am sorry. But know that I had been thinking of you from time to time." Ziva smiled wanly at Tony.
"Ziva, every chance I had, I thought about you. Wondering and wishing you were here." Tony held up a hand, then said, "Yes, Kate was my coworker and friend, but she had her particular ways. Very reserved." Tony embellished with his hand in the air as he said, "Trying to be refined, even."
Ziva let out a sarcastic chuckle. "So that's why you dreamed of phone sex with her earlier?"
Tony laughed. "The way your mind works after you lose a good colleague is weird. She played hard to get, and I had just gone through, well, let's put it this way, being stood up at the altar."
Ziva raised an eyebrow. "So you could never seem to find a spark with any of the women out there?"
Tony didn't answer, but raised both his eyebrows and shrugged, holding his hands up in the air instead.
Ziva tilted her head to Tony. "Their loss." She held up her hands in the air, then put them back down. She sat back and looked at Tony for a few long moments, before she spoke again. "Over the years, I've had friends also, but none stood out as you have. You have been – and always will be – my best friend, forever."
Tony smiled. "Always happy to be your best friend. I've always thought of you as my little friend. Well, not-so-little, now," he said, chuckling at the end.
"Ha." Ziva let out a tired chuckle. She stretched herself out on the couch, trying to stretch the tiredness out of her muscle. "Tired. I think it's time we got some sleep." She got up off the couch and looked at Tony.
Tony looked over at the couch and got a throw pillow and and put it on the end. "Yeah. It's been a long day. Sleep sounds good."
Ziva smiled at Tony. "Want to come with me to bed?"
Tony sat straighter in the couch and a small smile formed on his lips. "Y' sure?"
Ziva chuckled and held out a hand and beckoned him to her. "Yes, come with me," she said, her voice soft.
Tony smiled and got up off the couch and followed Ziva to the bedroom.
Ziva walked up to the bed, climbed in, then looked up at Tony looking at her. She smiled at the look on his face. "Tony? Are you imagining me being naked, like what you did with imagining that you had phone sex with Kate?"
"Ziva, It was a spur of the moment thing. Those two years with her as my partner was... decent. But we never did anything because she always played hard-to-get. But she was a very nice person to work with."
"I see." Ziva smiled, then pulled her top off and tossed them to the floor and snuggled deeper into the bed.
Tony's eyes followed the path the shirt took, til it landed on the floor. He then looked up at Ziva and chuckled. "Ah I see that you still like go bed naked," Tony said to Ziva.
"Only with you I do," Ziva said, smiling, patting the bed next to her.
"Alrighty" Tony nodded with a smile as he looked down strip down to his boxers. He pulled the covers back and climbed into the bed next to Ziva.
Ziva adjusted herself to look at Tony. She smiled at him and said, "Thank you for coming to stay with me. Good night, and see you in the morning." She turned over in bed, then snuggled up closer to Tony.
"Good night, my friend," Tony said as he turned over and looked at Ziva from the back, reminiscing about the past, when they had spent time together. After a moment, he laid on his back, looking at the ceiling, pondering things, the smell of Ziva bringing back memories. He lay there, deep in thought, eyes open, for a long time. It seemed as if hours had passed, but in reality, only minutes slipped by.
Ziva had laid there, trying to fall asleep, but sleep wouldn't come, despite the fact she was so exhausted. Her eyes were open, her mind full of thought. She stirred slightly, and moved her head toward Tony slightly, and whispered, "Tony? You asleep?"
Tony's eyes clicked toward Ziva. "Hmm, no." Tony rocked his head side to side on the pillow.
Ziva turned over to face Tony. She looked up in his face for a moment, then said, "Tony, I can hear you thinking. Are you thinking about the same things I am?" She reached over and started twirling the hair on Tony's chest, a small smile forming on her lips.
"Something nice?" Tony asked the question playfully, wagging his eyebrows.
"Well, I still remember our time together years ago. I still don't regret one moment of it. No matter what changes we go through, it does not change my feelings toward you." She continued twirling Tony's chest hair, looking up in his face. Her eyes sparkled with happiness and relief that she was finally with Tony again.
"Oh yeah. I wouldn't regret it, either." Tony reached over and held Ziva in a hug. "What do you say, we get some rest for the night? Or at least try to?"
Ziva chuckled. "Sure, a rest sounds good. But this is better," she said, before planting a kiss full-on on Tony's lips.
Tony's eyebrows raised to full mast as he pulled Ziva closer and kissed her passionately.
As Ziva pulled her head back up for air, she reached out to Tony's face and stroked his cheek. She said in a husky voice, "How about picking up what we left off last time?"
Tony chuckled and said, "Only if you want to, we can do that."
Suddenly, Ziva was on top of him, looking down at Tony. She smiled gently to him as she leaned forward to Tony to where she was laying fully on Tony and kissed him more gently on the lips, and they explored each other for the rest of the night until they fell asleep.
The next morning, Ziva stirred awake. She looked at the clock next to her. It said 11:09. "Oh!" she said in a small voice, then looked over to Tony, noticing that he was still sound asleep. She reached over and ran her fingers through Tony's hair and said softly in his ear, "Tony? Good morning."
Tony stirred awake after a moment and turned over to look at Ziva. He sat up and a smile formed on his lips as he said, "Good morning Ziva." Tony rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.
Ziva chuckled to Tony. "I think we kind of overslept. It's a good thing it's Saturday today." Ziva smiled at Tony, feeling more at ease than yesterday.
"Yeah." Tony pulled the covers off and stood up, his muscles creaking in protest. He stretched, grunting with the effort. "I think a shower will help wake me up. What do you think?" Tony asked Ziva, reaching out for her hand.
Ziva quickly threw the covers off and ran around to the bathroom. "Well, you better hurry up and get your chance before I do!"
"Oh, wait for me, I'm coming!" Tony quickly ran to catch up with Ziva at the bathroom door.
"Come with me if you wish," Ziva laughed, leading Tony on.
Eventually after getting cleaned up for the day and having a hearty breakfast that had been brought up by room service to the hotel room, Tony pulled out his phone and started making a phone call to McGee. Ziva had gone out to the balcony and was sitting on the patio chair out there, half listening to Tony on the phone, half in thought, as she gazed out over the city scenery. Her thoughts roamed, flicking through snippets of what had happened the night prior and this morning. After a moment, she pulled out her own phone and dialed the Mossad number. After a moment, the line picked up. "I'm leaving later tonight," she spoke into the phone in Hebrew. She listened for a moment, then hung up and sat back.
Moments later, Tony walked out onto the balcony, closing the sliding door behind him. He looked at Ziva and could see that she was deep in thought. He quietly walked up beside her, and sat in the empty patio chair next to her, and reached out for her hand. "Ziva?" Tony whispered to Ziva.
Ziva blinked and looked at Tony. "Oh, I was spaced out for a moment." She waved her hands away from her temples, as if her thoughts were floating away into space. "So much things to do, so much things to think about." She stopped and sighed, then put a hand on her forehead as she looked at Tony. "Preparing myself for what to say to my Abba when I get back. Other than that, I was thinking of us. How many times we've ended up together again, now." Ziva chuckled at the sudden realization.
"Oof, that's gonna be a tough one." Tony clicked his tongue and cocked his head sideways. He shrugged his shoulders. "Hopefully you'll come out of it okay. Me, I'm not so sure. Something work related, I gotta deal with it on Monday."
"Oh?" Ziva raised an eyebrow.
Tony shrugged. "McGee left a message on the phone. Something I gotta take care after we get back from the funeral. But all's good." Tony's face brightened in a smile. "Anywho, what about you?"
Ziva nodded. "I'll be leaving tonight, and I'll be very busy for at least the next few days. Like you?" Ziva smiled to Tony.
"Yeah, we leave tonight as well, so we can be at the funeral tomorrow morning first thing. Then we fly back tomorrow night for work on Monday. No rest for the wicked." Tony pointed his finger in the air as he chuckled.
Ziva nodded. She had almost forgotten about Kate's upcoming funeral. She looked up at Tony. "Yeah. But for the last few hours I am here, I would like some time to relax with you, if you don't mind?"
Tony smiled gently at Ziva and pulled her closer to him. "I would be honored to do that. Pizza for dinner, like old times?"
Ziva smiled. "That sounds wonderful. No rain on the pizza like the other night, okay?"
Tony laughed. "Not a chance."
Eventually, in the early evening, as Tony and Ziva sat in the booth of a pizzeria that happened to be close to the airport, Ziva looked up into Tony's face. "So, what have you been doing sine the last time we saw each other in Rome?" Ziva tilted her head toward Tony, facing him with smile.
"Ah, a lot of things. After that protection detail, I was on the beat for a while. I think I told you that before." Tony's face was puzzled for a moment, then he reset himself. He continued on. "Anyway, I was in homicide for a year and a half or so, when I got put on this one case with my old partner in the Baltimore PD."
"Where does Gibbs come into the picture?" Ziva tilted her head to Tony, picking up a slice of pizza and taking a bite.
Tony chuckled slightly. "Come to find out, this investigation was hush-hush. I ran across this person, who I thought was a different guy, so I gave chase to him and ran him down. I arrested the dude, and that's how I found out who he was." Tony scoffed. "He was doing this undercover thing, and he told me he was working for NCIS and apparently we were after the same guy after all. He ended up helping me solve the case, and then he just offered me the job with NCIS, and so here I am, four yeas later." Tony raised his eyebrow, holding up four fingers and smiling at Ziva.
Ziva smiled back. "So that's where you come into the picture. Makes sense why you work for him, now."
"Yeah. Gibbs can be a pain, but he's alright." Tony smiled. "He means well, I think. You do know he's a Marine?"
"Yeah I read that in his profile." Ziva said. "It said, 'former Marine', though? Do you mean he's never left the service?"
Tony shook his head. "No, once a Marine, always a Marine. Their belief is that you never stop being a Marine even if you've left active service."
Ziva's eyebrows flicked upwards. "Ah. So their mentality is drilled into them."
"Yeah." Tony nodded. "You said you profiled everyone, including me?" Tony raised his eyebrow, biting his lips, wondering exactly what was in his dossier.
"Yeah, like I said last night, I had to do that." Ziva stopped for a moment, thinking of what went through her mind at the time. She looked up at Tony and said, "Yes, it was my job to do the profiling, because Ari had asked me to. But when I saw your name in your profile, I couldn't believe it. Only when I saw you at the bullpen could I start to believe it was you after all."
Tony smiled. "Yeah, it's me, in the flesh. The work over at NCIS is, let's put it this way, much more fascinating than working with Baltimore PD. So, you find anything else interesting in my profile?" Tony waggled his eyebrows.
Ziva smiled softly. "No steady relationships, I noticed."
Tony shrugged. He said dryly, "Yeah, well, speaking of relationships. Not too long ago, I met this fine woman while working over at Baltimore PD, and I thought everything was going just fine. Until the day she just stood me up at the altar." Tony shook his head. "After that happened I just kind of gave up it and got busy with work, and ended up at NCIS."
"Wow." Ziva shook her head. "I don't get why women just do not work out with you. You have all the fine qualities a woman could ever want. There's nothing wrong with you at all." Ziva paused for a moment to look at at Tony.
"So how'd you end up with the Mossad?" Tony asked Ziva.
"I got into the Mossad last year when my Abba became the deputy director. It happened right after I got out of the IDF. The same day I left the IDF and came home, my Abba sent me straight to Mossad training."
"Ouch, no rest," Tony whistled to himself. He clicked his tongue and said, "Sounds like your old man's a hard person to please at times."
Ziva chuckled to Tony as she took another bite of pizza. "Yeah, but he's now pretty much in charge of the Mossad, now."
Tony smiled and nodded, then looked at Ziva as she took yet another bite of pizza. He picked up his own pizza and ate another bite as he thought for a few moments, wondering about her family. After a moment, he asked, "I was just wondering, how is your Ima doing?"
Ziva grew still, then slowly put her pizza down on the plate. She slowly looked up at Tony, sadness in her eyes. She said, "Oh Tony, my Ima died after I got back from Rome. My Ima and Abba had a big disagreement with each other, because my Ima did not want me to go to the IDF, but wanted me to be a singer. But my Abba insisted, and sent me to the IDF. My little sister Tali had a hard time about it. So, my Ima took Tali and went to Jordan. She, my Ima, got killed while she was there, and Tali escaped the blast." Ziva shook her head slowly. "She was just there at the wrong place and wrong time. But that's when Tali became a rebel."
"Oh, wow," Tony said, surprise in his voice. "Where did Tali run off to, then?"
Ziva swallowed hard. "She had a falling-out with Abba and she took off, and went to music school. Not too long after, she was killed by the suicide bomber."
"Oh man, I am so sorry to hear that you lost your Ima and sister, may they rest in peace." Tony circled his arm around Ziva to hug her at his side, then gave her a smooch on top her head.
Ziva looked up from her pizza, a final thought sinking in. "You noticed every time we've come together in my time of need. Destiny calling to us?"
Tony held up his pizza slice after he took a bite, nodding as he did so, breaking off the long cheese strip that had drawn off of the slice. He gulped the bite, then said, "Yeah, I noticed that also. Something about us that keeps us going even if we spend years apart, huh?" Tony pointed to him and Ziva several times in rapid succesion as he set the slice down on his plate.
Ziva smiled. "If we keep meeting each other like this, maybe we should figure out something?" She raised her glass for a drink.
Tony chuckled. He said, "Well, maybe we should figure out a way to keep in touch. Maybe we'll just leave it to destiny to call each other together from time to time?"
Ziva laughed. "Maybe so. Look at how well it's worked for us."
~~~ Days after Ari's death and burial, in Israel~~~
Ziva walked into the Mossad building, and upon her doing so, the front desk staff member jumped to his feet and stood behind his desk, looking at Ziva. "Your business here, please?"
Ziva stopped mid-stride and looked at the staff member and said, "I'm here to see the deputy director, please."
"Who may I say is here to speak with him?" the staff member asked.
Ziva sighed and rolled her eyes slightly. "Ziva David."
The staff member nodded once and said, "One moment." He stepped away from his desk and was gone only moments before he quickly returned. "Right this way, ma'am," he said as he ushered her toward Eli's office.
Ziva nodded once at the staff member, then walked past him and opened the door to Eli's office, and stepped in, to see Eli talking on phone. He quickly glanced up at Ziva, and waved her toward a chair as he quietly spoke in Hebrew to an unknown voice on the phone. She shook her head gently, then started pacing slowly around the room, looking around at the walls, fuming inside about how Eli had wanted her to handle things with Ari. "Why did Ari put me in this spot? Why did Abba have to order me to do this?"
Eli muttered something into the phone, then suddenly was aware that Ziva was pacing around the room, growing impatient. He looked up at her and mouthed, "One moment," then shifted his attention back to the phone. "Shalom. I've got to go now," he said to the person on the phone in Hebrew, then quickly hung up and walked around his desk to Ziva. He smiled broadly at Ziva as he said in Hebrew, "So sorry, Ziva, Important phone call, you see. But I'll call them back later because you're more important." He walked up to Ziva and hugged her and planted a kiss on each cheek.
Ziva broke the hug and took a step back, giving Eli a sharp look. "Abba, why did you put me in this spot?"
"Oh Ziva, what did I do?" Eli held out his hands, puzzlement on his face. "The only thing I expected from you was to follow my orders." He looked her more intently in her face. "You did do the job, right?"
Ziva scoffed. "That's not the point! Family members are not supposed to - "
"You knew what was expected of you when you entered the Mossad!" Eli cut her off. "If the state determines he may be rogue, then so be it. I have to use my most efficient tool to do the job."
"What?" Ziva turned sharply to Eli. "Even if it means turning family members against each other?"
"Ziva, sit down, and we'll debrief and discuss what happens next." Eli's voice was gruff. He had totally ignored her questions because he expected nothing less than loyalty from Ziva, and she had not failed him, yet.
Ziva scoffed, then walked to the chair, and said, "Fine." She pulled it up next to the table and sat in the chair. "Why me, handling Ari? Not because I'm your 'most efficient tool'." She put air quotes around the phrase.
Eli held up a hand. "Because you were the only one who had a chance of getting close to him and stopping him from going rogue."
Ziva shook her head. "Abba, look at what happened to our family. His Ima, dead from an explosion. Then my Ima dying. And look what happened to Tali afterwards." She shook her head at Eli and said, "You pushed her too far, and she ran away. All she's ever tried so hard to do was love you."
"Stop, Ziva." Eli's voice was wooden as he held up his hand
" - and Tali got blown up by that suicide bomber when she was walking to the music school!" Ziva stopped herself and looked Eli square in his eyes.
Eli nodded his head heavily, walking up to Ziva. "I understand how you feel, and I'm sorry you're angry." Eli paused to collect his thoughts as he walked to the couch and sat on it next to Ziva. He let out a sigh, then said, "Ziva, now I want you to understand something. Please look at me." Eli craned his head around to look into Ziva's eyes more fully.
Ziva turned her face around to look at Eli. "Alright, continue, please." She let out an exasperated sigh.
"Ziva, listen to me. I do miss your Ima, and Tali. I also miss Ari for what it's worth, but there's nothing I can do about his decisions. However, the time to grieve is not here, not now. Our work continues." He walked back behind his desk and pulled out a folder, placed it on the desk, and tapped his fingers on it. "I've read the reports you had sent me, as well as the reports that NCIS Director Shepherd had sent over to me. The case is now closed and over with." His face broke out in a smile. "I think you should go back to NCIS, work for Director Shepherd for a while." He sat back in his chair and looked across the desk at Ziva.
Ziva blinked at Eli, surprise on her face. Her eyebrows raised as she said, "Oh? What title should I call myself at NCIS?"
Eli looked at Ziva, the gears in his head turning. After a moment, he said, "Liaison between Mossad and NCIS. They're wanting someone with your skills as part of a counter-terror investigation team."
Ziva's face showed interest, and she said. "Sounds interesting. When do I leave?"
Eli's eyebrows raised almost full mast. He had expected an argument from Ziva, but instead got none. "You okay with going back to America? Thought you'd -"
"I'm fine." Ziva cut him off and smiled at him. "I'll head out on the next flight if possible." Ziva gently nodded as she smiled to herself. Internally, she felt her heart sing at the thought of being away from being under her Abba's thumb and doing everything at his beck and call.
Eli's face widened in a smile. "Alright, very good. Let's make plans to get you sent back soon as possible." Eli picked up the phone and continued speaking as he dialed a long-distance overseas number. "I'm sure they'll be happy to have you there again."
"Alright, sounds good. I'm sorry for earlier." Ziva smiled gently at her own private thoughts, of going back to see the one person she wanted to see. She looked forward to seeing Tony again when she touched down in the States again.
Eventually that night, at Eli's house, Ziva put the last of her things in her backpack, and gave carry-on bag a quick once-over. She then looked at the clock, which said 10:30pm. She pulled out her phone and scrolled through the contacts list, finding Tony's number. She stared at the screen for a few moments, hesitant about calling him, then shook her head slightly, her mind made up. She smiled as she dialed his phone number. She heard his phone ring a few times before his oicemail picked up. She listened for the outgoing message to finish, then said into the phone, "Hi, it's me, Ziva calling, or should I say, destiny calling?" I was thinking of you, and wanted to say hi." She hung up, then held the phone to her chest as she looked out the window, thinking about Tony. Just then, she saw a shooting star flash through the night sky. She smiled as she looked out the window and took a deep breath and said under her breath to herself, "I do believe that Destiny is calling."
A/N: Hello Readers, from here for at least for the forseeable time being, this will be based on what happens outside of canon. For this Chapter, this happens post Kill Ari [Season 3 Episodes 1 and 2]. Thank you for your time to read this, also thank you for the Reviews, Tweets, Messages and Kudos/Likes.