Quinn drove to Tony's apartment to pick him up for the airport. He invited her inside and showed her the fish-feeding routine. She admired the view of the river from his dining room. It was definitely a bachelor pad, decorated in dark blues and grays, stainless steel, very minimalistic. The goldfish provided a much-needed pop of color.
"Their names are Caitlin and Ziva…they usually get along," he told her.
He loaded his "go bag" into her car and gave her a key to the apartment from his keyring.
"No wild parties," he said with a wink. Quinn knew she'd never live the drunk night down.
She drove them to Dulles International Airport for his flight. He told her to drop him off at Door 4. Instead, she found a parking spot.
"I'll see you off from inside…watch you from the windows," she said, stroking his hand.
"I'll miss you," he said, leaning in to kiss her. "Only a few days."
She nodded and sighed.
She walked him inside to the west security checkpoint and then waited at the bank of windows to watch the planes loading and unloading. She glanced at the others who were waiting and locked eyes with a familiar pair of beautiful blue ones.
"Quinn? Quinn Fabray?" Sam Evans spoke first, looking at her quizzically. "Is that you?"
"Sam!" she replied, rushing into his arms. "What're you doing here?"
Sam hugged her tightly. "I'm here to pick up…" He paused, bit on his lip. "...my fiancée."
Quinn was surprised but then broke into a big smile. "I'm so happy for you!"
She noticed Tony's plane taking off. She asked Sam to give her a minute while she watched him go. They sat down by the windows.
"She should be off the plane any time now," Sam said. "I haven't seen her in a few months. I shipped back home and then sent for her." He shook his head, wringing his hands in anticipation. "So you…what're you doing here?"
"My…friend…is going to visit his family for a few days…just seeing him off. You'd like him," she said. She noticed his USMC ball cap. "You're military?"
He smiled proudly. "I am…Lance Corporal Evans, reporting for duty, ma'am."
"Congratulations, Sam! Thank you for your service," she said, laying her hand on his forearm.
"It's my honor. Without the Marines, I'd be nothing. I'd have nothing. I would've never met Miri."
Quinn thought to herself how happy and healthy he appeared. He was well tanned and even more muscular than when she had last seen him in Ohio. She noticed a couple new scars on the side of his face, though. His blue eyes still shined intensely. Disembarking passengers were beginning to file into the lobby area; he searched the crowd for his fiancée.
"I see her! Miriam!" he called out, waving. He moved toward the crowd of passengers, and Quinn followed.
A woman ran into Sam's arms. They hugged for what seemed like hours. Then, they were kissing and whispering and there were tears and Quinn felt completely uncomfortable.
Finally, Sam turned to introduce her to Quinn. The woman was a bit shorter than Quinn with short, glossy black hair and deep brown eyes. She smiled warmly at Quinn.
"We met overseas…it was love at first sight," Sam shared with Quinn.
"Congratulations to you both," Quinn said to the woman, shaking her hand. "Sam and I were friends in high school. I had no idea he was in D.C."
Miri smiled at Quinn, then back at Sam. "It's so nice to meet a friend of Sam's." Quinn noticed an accent but couldn't place it.
"Maybe when Anthony returns we can all get together for dinner?" Quinn suggested.
"Your husband, Anthony?" Miri asked.
"Oh no," Quinn laughed. "My boyfriend." It was the first time she had referred to Tony as her boyfriend out loud, and it made her smile.
Quinn scribbled her cell phone number on her business card and handed it to Sam.
Tony's plane landed in Tel Aviv, and he checked in at an airport hotel. He texted Quinn to let her know he landed safely. He had to prepare for the next day when he visited the gravesites of Ziva and Talia. Tomorrow would have been Talia's second birthday. He had been riding the fence about coming to Tel Aviv, still working through the grief of their loss and his growing feelings for Quinn.
In the morning, he dressed and retrieved a small silk drawstring pouch from his bag. He took out the stones contained within and held them tightly in his hands. He had found them along the banks of the Anacostia River, smooth gray river stones with random striations, beautiful in their simplicity. He also retrieved his favorite photo of Ziva and Talia, the one taken just before their death. Ziva was sitting in the olive tree grove on her farm with Talia on her lap, Ziva was kissing Talia on the cheek and Talia appeared to be giggling. He sighed and ran his fingers over the picture. He placed the stones back into the pouch and tucked the photo in his jacket pocket.
He first stopped at the Great Synagogue of Tel Aviv to light two candles for Ziva and Talia. He wasn't really into religion, but he sat and contemplated his life with Ziva in honor of her. When he first met her at NCIS…her assimilation to living in the U.S….her confusion about idioms. He recalled how proud she was to become a U.S. citizen and hated himself for missing her ceremony. He remembered her long, dark waves of hair, loved when she wore an NCIS ball cap, her gold Star of David necklace. He smiled at their time undercover as a couple and then of their time together, alone and away from the prying eyes of their teammates, when Talia had been conceived. He understood why Ziva wanted to keep Talia away from danger, but it angered him too…that he never got a chance to meet his daughter. And the danger still found them anyway. I could've saved them, he thought, or died trying. He sat bent forward, elbows on his knees, rubbing his hands together. He sighed. He needed to visit them.
At the Trumpeldor Cemetery, he moved by instinct to the David burial site. Ziva's and Talia's remains were entombed alongside her parents, sister, and brother. The monuments were crammed in the cemetery, and he moved reverently over stone paths. The David family was in a newer section of the cemetery. He sat down on the ground at the monument and placed his hand on the newest marble tomb. It was warmed by the sun; somehow, this helped him feel more at ease.
"Ziva, I never imagined this would be how it ended, you know that, right? I missed you every day, every minute, every second, from the day I walked away from you." He paused to breathe. Tears spilled down his cheeks. "You're never alone…I promised you that. You will never be alone. I should've never walked away from you." He pushed the tears away. "I loved you then, and I love you now, I love you both. I can't believe Tali would be two today." He pulled the pouch from his pocket and withdrew the stones. He gripped them tightly and brought them to his lips. Then, with his left hand, he placed them on the tomb. "From the river in D.C. You always thought it was calming. I live there now and look at it every day." He paused again, thinking. "Ziva, I'm going to share our story with someone new. I think you'd like her…she bashed some guy's head with an Oscar statue…he was pointing a gun at me. She's helping me…get through this…she just doesn't know it yet. She's got my back, just like you." He stayed a while longer, reflecting on their time together, and then stood up. "This is probably the hardest thing I've ever had to do, Ziva, not just the cramps in my legs…" he smiled and laughed a little, "...but leaving you again. It will never be easy, I hope you know. I will never forget you."
It was difficult to turn and walk away. He felt like he was leaving part of himself in the cemetery. As he walked back to the entrance, he concentrated on taking deep breaths. He focused on the lines of the stone pathway, the sun's heat on the back of his neck, the promise of bourbon at the hotel. He turned and looked one last time at where Ziva and Talia lay. His heart ached with their loss, and, for the first time, he wished he had Quinn's company to help him through this.