Chapter 16

Until We Meet Again

~~the day after the post episode of Judgement Day, in 2008~~

After they had gotten off work, Tony and Ziva walked out to the parking garage level, and noticed McGee still standing outside the elevator, a short distance away, scratching his head. Tony let out a sigh and walked over to McGee. "Hey, probie. What was that all about back there?"

McGee snapped his head around and looked at Tony. "This really blows. Us three going different ways? Didn't see that coming." McGee shook his head. "What's Vance up to, anyway? Just became Director, just like that." He snapped his finger.

Tony shook his head and looked back at McGee. "McGee, I wish I could answer you about Vance. But I do agree with you, this is a blow to the team as we know it. I've got a funny feeling that there's something going on here, but I can't put a finger on it." Tony reached around the back of his head and gave himself a head-slap, out of pure frustration. This whole chain of events had totally knocked him for a loop. Tony let out a sigh again as he tried to think about the possibilities, but came up with no real answers as to why the sudden change in the team.

Ziva stepped in between McGee and Tony and looked at them. She shook her head slightly and said, "I am not sure what is going on here either. Only time will tell, but my instincts tell me that there may be something big happening in the near future."

McGee looked at Ziva and nodded slightly, then turned to Tony. "You'll be alright on that aircraft carrier?"

"Yeah, I'll be alright. As alright as I can be, floating around in the middle of nowhere for weeks on end," Tony said as he reached out to pat McGee on his shoulder.

"Sounds good. Be careful out there, bro." McGee waved at Tony as he took a couple of steps towards his car.

"Hey, McGee?" Ziva's voice brought McGee's attention back. "Look at this as a mission. Wherever we go, it matters not. If we get back together when it's over, then it's all good. Hopefully, your stay in the cyber unit will be illuminating." Ziva smiled at McGee, then gave him a farewell hug.

Tony stepped up to McGee and clapped him on his shoulder. "You know, Ziva's right. This isn't a goodbye, merely a 'we'll meet again later'. Sounds better that way." Tony smiled and winked at McGee. "Hopefully we'll be back together as a team again. Time'll tell." Tony reached out his arms around Ziva and McGee and then pulled them together in a bear-hug. "I'll keep in touch with you two, when I can."

Ziva chuckled. "If you can find me in Israel," Ziva said as she winked to Tony and smiled.

The trio separated from each other. McGee looked at Tony and Ziva for a few moments, then said, "Alright, hurry back. Don't be too long, or I'll put a BOLO out on you guys." McGee chuckled at them.

"Alright, probie. You do your magic over in the Cyber Unit and we'll be in touch, somehow." Tony patted McGee on his back once, then turned and walked with Ziva to her car, and held the door open for her.

"You betcha." McGee flashed a quick smile as he called out after them.

~~Near the Empire State Building, in NYC~~

Next morning, at the hotel room, Ziva's stomach woke her up, with an uneasy, sick-like feeling. She groaned as she felt nauseous all of a sudden. She flicked her eyes to the clock next to the bed. It read just after seven in the morning. A fresh wave of nausea swept over her, and she threw the covers back and quickly, yet quietly made her way to the bathroom, rubbing her belly gently, trying to soothe the dull pain within. She swung the door to the bathroom closed as she went in and quickly knelt in front of the toilet bowl, retching and vomiting. After a few moments, she started feeling slightly better, but she didn't dare move, not just yet. She waited until her stomach settled down some, then slowly got up, and looked at herself in the mirror. Just a bit pale, she thought to herself as she reached down to turn the faucet on cold. She bent her head down and splashed cold water on her, waking herself up more and helping herself feel more like a human being, then wiped the wetness off, then grabbed Tony's shirt and some leggings and put them on. I usually don't get this sick in the mornings, she thought to herself. She padded her way over to the balcony doors and pulled the curtain aside and looked out at the crisp morning sun and took in the sharp, angular light that filtered through the cityscape.

Moments later, Tony stirred awake and felt around on the bed for Ziva, noticing that she was absent. He shook his head, clearing the sleep from his head. He sat up in the bed for a few moments, then got up and grabbed his pants at the foot of the bed and slipped them on. "Ziva?" he called out, and heard nothing in response at first. He noticed that the balcony curtain had been pulled aside, and he walked out to the balcony and saw Ziva sitting there. "There you are, Ziva," he said as he walked out toward her.

Ziva turned and looked at Tony, and smiled at him. "Sleep well?" She turned more in her chair to look at him more squarely.

Tony smiled at Ziva and gave her a kiss on her lips before he sat down at the chair by her. "Yeah, I slept decently enough. You?"

Ziva nodded. "For the most part. I had this weird dream – I can't explain it easily." She shook her head slightly, then continued on. "I got up before you, and I was so sick to my stomach. But when I went to the bathroom it all came up, then I felt better afterwards. Must be the food I ate last night?" Ziva shrugged, then reached out for Tony's hand to hold.

"I thought I heard something in the bathroom. Wasn't sure what that was. Didn't really register in my head because I was still somewhat asleep." Tony snapped his finger as he said the last line: "But when I started waking up, that's when it clicked."

Ziva nodded. "Like I said, I don't know if it was the food we ate, or if it was the stress we were through, or what. All I know is that I usually do not get sick like this at this time of morning."

Tony cocked his head toward Ziva. "What did we do yesterday? Eat yesterday?"

"You don't remember?" Ziva chuckled at Tony. "We had our fun yesterday. A little swim and a skinny-dip in that hot tub. Then this delicious hearty dinner. Then our fun moments in bed." Ziva ticked off the list on her fingers. "Need I say more?"

Tony chuckled and shrugged. "Well, if it was the food we ate, I would have been sick, too, right?"

Ziva's eyebrows flicked upwards on her forehead. "Valid point. I did not think about that."

Tony held his hands out in the air. "You know what, I'd probably chalk this one up to the stress from that LA trip. Mission, whatever." Tony sat back in his chair, shrugging a bit, as he looked at Ziva. "Could be any number of things, really."

Ziva nodded her head slightly. "That could be the case, then. I'll just have to see. But for now, I'm feeling fine." She shrugged and smiled at Tony. "But, no regrets on what we did back in LA, right?"

Tony let out a short chuckle. "Nope. The director -" He stopped himself, his face pulling itself taut. He took a deep breath, and continued on, his voice slightly shaky. "She ordered us to enjoy our trip. How would we have known what was to happen?"

Ziva sighed. "Nor did I."

"Right," Tony said. "And we missed all the signs," he muttered to himself.

"No." Ziva shook her head, then turned around to face Tony and looked him square in his eyes. "She withheld information, preventing us from finding her until too late. It is not our fault."

"Doesn't help us any," Tony said. He changed the subject. "I'm hungry. You in the mood for something for breakfast?"

Ziva smiled. "Yes, but go easy on the breakfast for now."

After having a light but filling breakfast, Ziva felt much better. After she and Tony had gotten ready for the day, they decided to visit the Empire State building, for old time's sakes. When Tony and Ziva had finally arrived at the observation deck of the Empire State building, they made their way to the railing surrounding the observation deck, holding their hands. As they stood at the railing, admiring the city below them, Ziva leaned her head on Tony's shoulder, holding onto him. She looked up at Tony after a couple of moments and said, "Tony, I really hope this is not the last time we see each other again." Worry lines etched her forehead.

Tony reached out his arm around Ziva and pulled her closer to him. "I wouldn't think about it too much. One day at a time, just like every mission we go on." Tony held up a finger in the air. "Even with all the unknowns that the Mossad might throw your way."

"I'll do my best to take it one day at a time," Ziva suddenly felt tired, as if she needed to sit down for a moment to rest. She caught sight of a bench nearby and pointed toward it as she looked up at Tony. "Is that same bench we sat on, all those years ago?"

Tony glanced at the bench, then chuckled at the memory. "I can't believe it's still there. Looks like it hasn't aged a day since we were here the last time. Let's go over there and sit down," he said.

Ziva chuckled. "Thought so." She smiled at the memory of the day she was a teenager sitting by Tony, smiling up at him. She looked up at the sky, and suddenly noticed a small, heart-shaped cloud in the sky, and she let out a small gasp as her eyes fell upon it.

Tony looked at her, then followed uper glance up in the sky, and saw the same heart-shaped cloud. He smiled gently at her and said softly, "Ziva, is that a fluffy white heart up there?"

"Yep, shows up in the same spot even after all these years. Must be a sign?" Ziva thought to herself. Then she looked up at Tony and a slight smile formed on her lips. "It could be the Destiny looking after us. I have a feeling that everything will be alright in the end."

"Anything is possible, who knows?" Tony smiled at the thought, then he looked at Ziva.

Just then, Ziva's phone rang. She blinked, then reached down to her pocket and pulled her phone out, flipping it open and seeing who it was. She sighed and held the phone up briefly, flashing the display to Tony, and said, "It's my father." She hit the Answer button and said, "Hello Abba?"

Eli's gravelly voice reached her ear. "Hi darling. Just wanted to call you to let you know that everything's set up your flight tonight."

Ziva's eyes went a bit wider with surprise. "Tonight!? I thought the flight was tomorrow?" Ziva looked over at Tony and shrugged.

Eli sighed over the phone. "Something came up. You're needed here as soon as you possibly can make it. Earliest flight I could get you was at 10:45. Be there, don't be late." Eli's voice was gruff at the end.

"I'll see you when I get there." Ziva flipped her phone shut with one hand and looked at Tony and shook her head. "I fly out tonight at 10:45." She tossed her phone on the table next to her and sighed. "That's my Abba for you."

"Wow, don't ask questions, just do your job, is that right?" Tony shook his head and sighed. "I can drop you off tonight at the airport."

"Deal." Ziva smiled. "Let's go get something to eat before then, though. I'm hungry all of a sudden."

Tony chuckled. "Thought you'd never ask."

~~right beginning of the "last man standing" in Morocco~~

(A box of tissue might be required)

Pain.

"Ow," Ziva groaned, and stirred slightly, and pain rushed up from her whole body. She drifted in and out of consciousness. It seemed as all time had dissolved completely, leaving her in suspended animation. It felt like she lay there for an eternity, waves of pain washing over her. After what seemed an eternity, she managed to open her eyes somewhat. She saw a figure standing next to her bed. "Tony?" she whispered out hoarsely.

"It is I, Ziva," the figure said, his voice heavily accented.

"Abba?" Ziva opened her eyes more, rubbing her eyes to clear her vision. She recognized ther voice. She tried to sit up further, but a fresh wave of pain rocked her, making her woozy.

"Yes, Ziva, it is I, your Abba. You sure gave us a scare there when that bomb went off." Eli smiled at her. But his smile was... different, she noticed.

"What happened? The last thing I remember was that I was dancing, music playing in the background." Ziva reached up to rub her forehead, and felt a tug on her arm. She looked down at it, and noticed the IV tube leading from it.

Eli carefully sat on the hospital bed. "A bomb went off. As of now, you're off the mission."

"But -" Ziva started to argue.

Eli held up a hand, forestalling Ziva. "No buts. Doctor's orders." He looked Ziva more squarely in her eyes and said, "Ziva, we need to talk."

"About what?" Ziva tried her best to sit upright a bit more, wincing at the pain in her abdomen.

"Whoa, easy now," Eli said, gently helping her lay back in her bed. "The doctor said you need to rest. You lost a lot of blood from the explosion."

Ziva groaned. "Oh. Did something hit me in my stomach from the bomb?" she asked Eli.

Before Eli could answer, the doctor walked into the room, carrying Ziva's medical charts. He took one look at the charts, then snapped the folder shut and looked at Ziva and smiled. "I see you're awake now. How are you feeling?" he asked.

Ziva see-sawed a hand in the air. "Sore. Hurts in my stomach."

The doctor nodded. "Well, that's expected from the blast. You lost a lot of blood. And there's something else."

An eyebrow raised on Ziva's forehead. "What is it?" she asked.

"Did you know you were pregnant?" the doctor asked.

Ziva lay in her bed, looking at the doctor blankly. "Pregnant?"

"Then I take it you didn't know." The expression had told the doctor all that he needed to know. "You were about two months along, from our estimate."

Ziva's hand flew up to her mouth, a tear leaking from her eye. "I was pregnant?" she asked again, her voice shaky.

The doctor nodded and sighed. "You lost your baby from the bomb blast. That's why I want to keep you overnight at least, for observation." He patted Ziva on her arm, comforting her, then said quietly, "I'm very sorry for your loss."

Ziva shook her head. "How?" she breathed quietly to herself.

"It was that clown that you were spending all your time with!" Eli growled at her, his voice barely above a hoarse whisper.

Ziva looked sharply up at him. "Oh, you sent people to spy on every move that I make in my life?" She tried to sit up further, ignoring the blast of pain that shot from her stomach up into her brain.

"I do what I want!" Eli fired back at Ziva. "Since you work for the Mossad, I expect loyalty to me, always!"

Ziva gasped at Eli, shaking her head. She sat there as a ghostly image of a baby child floated through her head. She blinked the vision away and looked up at Eli and started to say, "Abba -"

"No!" Eli cut Ziva off. He got up and started pacing around the room, trying to cool himself off. He turned to face Ziva and held a finger up in the air. "You don't need to be pregnant with some clown boy's baby! If I had heard that you had this baby, I would have made sure it is gone!"

Ziva gasped at Eli and exclaimed, "Abba, no!" She pushed herself up into a fully sitting-up position. "You don't tell me what to do -"

"Yes, I will!" Eli roared back. "You are highly valued to the Mossad, which means I get to tell you what to do! You are not to have a child with Anthony DiNozzo! If he ever knocks you up again, I'll hunt him down and break him!"

Ziva shouted back at Eli. "I did not know I was pregnant! What difference does it make to you?"

Eli slammed his hand on the hospital tray. "It matters not if you knew or not. You're supposed to be married to the right man and have babies with him, not with that clown boy!"

Ziva scoffed at Eli and retorted to him, "Look who's talking. You had me with Ima before you two got married -"

Eli leaned in very closely to Ziva's face and growled at her. "Don't you dare go there. You do what I say, no questions asked!" Eli held a finger in her face. "No more fooling around with that clown. I mean it." He slowly stood back up, then turned and left the room.

Ziva's face was white with fear as she gulped hard. She was left speechless from the look of raw fury on her father's face. She had never seen him this angry to her up until now. She turned over in her bed, looking out the window as her thoughts started flowing through her mind. Tears started flowing from her eyes the loss of her unborn baby finally starting to sink in. She started singing quietly in Hebrew. Flashes of memories of the last couple of months percolated through her mind, as she tried to piece together how she had become pregnant. She fell asleep, still crying to herself over the loss of her baby. It felt as if she never fell asleep, but found herself on a different plane somehow. She was no longer in the hospital bed, but rather, walking around, free, in some undefined plane. Suddenly, an apparition appeared in front of her from thin air. She blinked at the vision, and as the image cleared, she realized it was Tony, smiling at her. She noticed that he was holding a baby. She heard the baby cooing gently, and then suddenly, as if from without, and surrounding her totally, a voice quietly saying "It'll be alright, Ziva. There will be another chance." She awoke with a gasp and a start, and saw that she was back in the hospital bed. Just a dream, she thought as she laid herself back down to sleep more. She sighed to herself as she thought about the most recent vision, and came to the realization that if this was to come to fruition, she would have to protect Tony from her father. She shook her head at the thought, not happy with it, but realizing the seriousness of her father's threats. Being the head of the Mossad meant you could possibly get away with murder, and Ziva realized that and made herself a promise that nothing would stand in the way of her protecting Tony. Not even her father. She took some comfort in the recent vision of Tony holding a baby, smiling at it, feeling more confident that she would somehow find her way back to Tony, some day.

A/N: Dear Readers, Thank you for enjoying this chapter, more to come, thank you in advance for Reviews, Tweets, Messages and Kudos.