Tony pulled into the parking lot of the tattoo place Gibbs' directions had led him to. He sat in his vehicle for a moment just staring at the dash; his mind hadn't slowed down until now. The events of the past hours, the look in Ziva's eyes and more the change in Gibbs since the day she had been taken hit him all at once. His chest felt tight and breathing took great effort. The moment passed as quickly as it had hit but the enormity of it all remained.
The stark marks on Gibbs arm had spoken volumes about exactly how Gibbs had felt the past months. It had been there for all of them to see but it had been etched into Gibbs more than they had all known. He didn't need to wonder why Gibbs had sent him here. Gibbs had likely come here every day and he suspected whoever was in there knew the why of it all. If Gibbs hadn't shared the newspapers certainly had. Pulling himself from the vehicle he took in the bright blue of the day. As cold as it was and as much as things had changed it should have been a dark dreary day and yet the sky was awash in brilliant blue. Why he noticed he wasn't sure perhaps because it was something Ziva would have noticed.
Max recognized the man walking into her shop, she hadn't met him but the newspaper articles were firmly stuck in her mind. She pushed aside the instant attraction she had no business feeling. Instead she focused on the heavy stamp of fatigue on his face. She steadied herself for whatever he had to say. She'd felt a foreboding the night before and chosen not to listen to the news. When Gibbs hadn't shown at his usual time she'd tried to hold back the surge of hope terrified it would be shattered. When he approached the desk she stood up and managed a smile.
"I'm Max." she watched him startle a bit at her name. Then a crooked smile appeared briefly.
"Tony, Gibbs asked me to come by." He saw worry, fear and concern cross the woman's face. He almost kicked himself when he also recognized her beauty. She was to say the least stunning. Hair the color of bourbon, eyes brilliantly green and a smile to match. The ink decorating her arms enhanced the edginess of her clothes and her hair pulled into two crooked ponytails.
Max stuck her fingers in the pockets of her overalls trying not to fidget. A surge of sadness threatened to overwhelm her. "You found her….is she?" she had to work hard to picture what Gibbs must be feeling.
Tony sank into one of the many empty tattoo chairs and settled his head back. "She's alive, thank God"
Max whumped into a chair across from him unable to hide her surprise. She was more than grateful but still surprised it had been so long. "Is she well?"
Tony thumped his head twice against the chair before meeting her gaze. "Physically she's well enough, the rest I honestly don't know. Gibbs asked me to stop by, he wasn't specific but I'm guessing to let you know that he won't be back. I'm assuming he came here every day? We all sort of wondered where he went every morning but he wouldn't tell us."
Max didn't hear the animosity she might have expected from Gibbs teammate "He did. We'd talk have coffee, I'd force him to eat something. Then, the ink. When he didn't show this morning…I was worried. Was he injured?"
Tony cocked his head a bit surprised Gibbs had talked to this woman. "A bit but he'll heal." He sighed and looked at her for a moment. "They'll just need time. Don't take this the wrong way but I'm a bit shocked that he would talk to you."
Max smiled, then frowned. "I've been told I'm easy to talk to. Plus I wasn't connected to anything in any way. I had no expectations of him and he had nothing to prove to me, no standard to meet. A man like him feels the need to prove he can handle anything with me that expectation was never there. When he came here the first time, I think he was …nearly lost." She felt slightly foolish sharing those words until she watched Tony nod thoughtfully.
"I'm not sure we didn't lose at least a part of them both." Then he was grinning, "Apparently you are easy to talk to. The tattoo the work is good, so don't take this wrong but I wish he'd never gotten it."
Max swallowed hard trying to bite back the memory of the grief she'd seen on his face each time he'd walked through her door. "I mentioned to him more than once he might change his mind…."
"He won't, it's his penance and no one will convince him otherwise." Tony heard his voice attempt to crack. "You should meet her. In a few days perhaps once they're home, then you'll understand." Tony stood up and pulled out one of his business cards. "If you need anything, anything at all, call me anytime day or night. And in a few days if I haven't called you, Gibbs will want to thank you himself. Also what does he owe you for the work?"
Max shook her head vehemently. "Nothing, I told him he could pay me when she was found but I don't want anything. Knowing she's safe is all I need." She saw him frown almost protest and then nod. "Are you sure I should call, I don't want to intrude or make her uncomfortable."
Tony stopped as he moved toward the door and managed another smile he hadn't thought possible. "If you offered him even a moment of comfort she'll want to meet you. She'll either seek you out or ask me to come get you, it's just who she is. Make it easy for them both."
Max nodded. "Ok I just didn't want her to think I was…." She kicked one skull stamped shoe against the chair.
Tony shook his head. "Ziva wouldn't worry about that, what they have…untouchable." He slipped on his sunglasses and faked a smile. "Thank you Max see ya soon."
Ziva had convinced Gibbs to take a shower, but only because there was one in the bathroom in her room. He hadn't left her side other than to step just outside the door since he'd stepped out of the burning building. Frankly she didn't want him any further. Still convincing him to leave her with Abby had taken some silent communication working only because Abby had brought them both some clothing, she heard Gibbs shut the door behind him and looked up at Abby.
Abby watched Ziva carefully and for the first time in a long time didn't know what to say or do. "I missed you."
Ziva bit back the tears that always seemed near and nodded as she sorted through the clothing Abby had purchased for her. "I missed you as well. It was very thoughtful of you to bring me these things. I do not imagine anything I had in my closet would fit by now." She couldn't meet Abby's eyes for some reason seeing the way she'd changed in her friends gaze would be too much. The clothing was truly welcome she hadn't thought about needing it to go home and she doubted Gibbs had either. The only thing she had was the gown provided by Locke and she'd be damned if she every touched it again. Likely it was in evidence by now. She heard Abby speaking again and tried to focus.
"I hope they're okay, I guessed a bit." She watched Ziva pull out a pair of soft panel jeans and pale blue shirt.
"They are beautiful and much appreciated, especially now that I can wear whatever I like." Ziva stopped short trying not to flinch knowing this time there would be no sharp blow for the sarcastic remark. She hadn't been entirely truthful with Tony. Locke had liked to deal out punishment. He'd always been careful not to strike her any way that would harm the baby but he'd made his anger and frustration clear.
Abby hid her reaction to Ziva's obvious distress. "I'm guessing the bastard wasn't exactly a fashion maven?" she giggled even though she didn't feel it. Ziva didn't smile simply shook her head. "Do you want some help getting dressed?"
Ziva almost said no, but she was feeling less steady than she had yesterday. The adrenaline was gone, and the bruises, scrapes and fatigue were making themselves known. "Thank you that would be nice." It would also mean that Gibbs would be spared seeing the bruises yet again. He hadn't said anything or asked when he'd helped her into a gown the first time. But she'd felt his reaction all the same and later she knew he would need to know what she hadn't shared even with the doctors.
In moments Abby had helped Ziva out of the hospital gown and into her new clothes. Those moments had passed in silence and cost them both. Abby wouldn't soon forget the bruises, contained to areas that would not affect the baby, it was clear that Ziva had suffered more than Gibbs had let on to them.
Abby shuffled from one foot to the other. "Vance, McGee and Ducky want to come in but we weren't sure."
Ziva looked up "In a few moments after Gibbs is out of the shower. I think I would like to see them as well." Truth was she was afraid to see almost anyone but she wasn't planning on sharing that. The fear had no place in her mind any longer. And certainly the fear made no sense when it came to people she trusted. Shaking her head she worked at pushing away the sudden pounding of her heart.
"Sounds like a plan, I'm going to give you a few minutes." As she walked out Abby felt awkward, unsure and terrified that Ziva like Gibbs would never be the same.
Gibbs walked out as Ziva was undoing her hair. He watched her fingers worked the series of braids free letting her hair fall loose and well past her waist. When they'd first come together it had already been long and since his request that she not cut her hair it had grown considerably. He couldn't say why exactly he had such a fascination with her hair yet there it was. Even now just the act of watching her take it down had his heart squeezing painfully. He heard her sigh and he reached out to help her, as his hand made contact with her head she jumped turning around the fear in her eyes like an acid bath.
As quickly as the fear had come he watched it slip away when she saw him. The relief in her eyes was the only thing that saved him from raging at the world that was now their reality. "Chayil I'm sorry I startled you." In truth he was sorry he hadn't taken longer to kill Locke.
Ziva shook her head. "No I am sorry, I just….. I suppose it will take to time to remember I am no longer there." She offered him the hairbrush in her hand. "Would you mind?"
Gibbs nodded waiting until she turned before beginning long slow strokes with the brush. "Your hair is beautiful Ziva; you are beautiful as you always were I think even more so now."
"You did not fail me Neshama, not even a little. I knew that whatever else might happen you were looking for me. And I knew no matter what you would find me, I never had a doubt." She swallowed hard. "The choice I made last night or almost made was not about giving up it was about not allowing him to decide the fate of our child…"
"Don't apologize again Ziva, I've never been prouder of you. People lie, there isn't always a way out to safety, sometimes we are faced with a choice no one else wants to make. You have nothing to be ashamed of." His hand gripped the brush so tightly he feared the handle might break but his strokes were gentle and methodical offering any comfort he could.
Ziva nodded even as he brushed her hair. "And neither do you. You did all you could and because of that you found me." For a long moment they were quiet only the sound of the hairbrush breaking the silence.
"I never wore it down in his presence, not even once." She felt Gibbs rest his mouth against the top of her head, heard the hairbrush hit the ground felt his hands grip her arms gently. The rise and fall of his chest against her back told her just how hard he was fighting his emotions.
"I didn't know a woman could love me like this Ziva." Her hands covered his and he knew she could feel them shaking.
"I did not know I could love so much or that someone could look past what others see to who I really am. You are a gift Neshama never forget that." A knock on the door and the nurse from earlier stepped in interrupting them.
Ella watched both the man and woman go on alert as she stepped into the room. She'd expected it so she'd paused waiting for them to adjust to her being in the room and then continued in. "The doctor will be in shortly just to give you one last looking over and then you get to go home. Since we already pulled the IV and you're dressed it's mainly waiting at this point. I've got some numbers here in case you have any issues, plus the name of some good midwives since you said you didn't have one yet." She handed over a bag instinct leading her to hand it to Gibbs first. "There are some vitamins and other things I wasn't sure if you'd have at home."
Gibbs stared into the bag hands gripping the plastic. A bottle of pink vitamins lay inside, much like the ones that had sat untouched on the shelf at home waiting for her return. He hated that there had been even a moment he'd believed he might have to throw them out.
" I also brought you a blanket. We have a group of ladies that makes them for people that come in under extenuating circumstances; I saw this one and thought you might like it." Ella offered it slowly.
Ziva accepted the soft brown blanket. It was knit in a tight weave, slightly heavy and soft she smiled. "It is beautiful, Thank you."
Ella nodded. "Most everyone left outside, just a few are still hanging around. I can ask them to leave if you like."
Ziva shook her head even as Gibbs massaged her shoulders. "No we were about to invite them in. They won't stay long."
Ella nodded. "Make sure you both get some rest." Looking at Gibbs she managed to meet his gaze despite the urge to look away. "Make sure you take all the antibiotics and have those stitches looked at soon."
Gibbs nodded tried for a smile and when he failed turned his attention back to Ziva. "Will do."
Gibbs waited until the nurse had left before turning Ziva to face him. Her eyes met his but the strength that had once so ensnared him was bruised and tattered. "We can wait to talk to them till later."
"No, it is okay once we go home I would rather have some time. Here is better." Ziva gathered the few things around her and placed them in the bag Abby had provided.
"Do you want to go back? I didn't think that maybe you wouldn't want….."
"It is your home Jethro, what happened could have happened anywhere the place didn't matter." Ziva didn't have to lie, for weeks all she had thought about was going back to Jethro's home.
"Our home Ziva, from now on it is our home." He saw her smile slightly and stroked her hair. Letting his hands slide lower he palmed her belly feeling his child kick strongly beneath his hand. "All of us will call it home."
Ziva nodded, "You should let them in, give me a minute and I'll put up my hair."
Gibbs shook his head. "Leave it." He hadn't meant the words to come out so sharp and crisp. Part of it was the lingering shock that she would have maintained such discipline even without him. Another part had recognized the tenderness of her scalp as he'd brushed her hair.
Ziva almost asked him if he was certain but his voice made it clear he was and he was already walking to the door. The fact he always knew what she needed never failed to make her feel special. Even with something so simple it meant more than she could ever put into words.
Gibbs stepped into the waiting area trying to resist the urge to tell them all to leave. They deserved, needed to see her but the urge to keep her all to himself was becoming hard to ignore.
Vance stood along with Ducky and McGee. It wasn't hard to notice the caution in Gibbs' approach. He very clearly cased the room looking for threats that were no longer there. "Ziva wants to see you, however let me make it clear this isn't about debriefing her. No asking her about what happened, no questions about what he did or said. That can come later when she's ready."
Gibbs mainly aimed his words at Vance but then scuffing at the floor with his shoe realized how he'd come across. "I just need to make sure she doesn't get any further stressed."
Ducky patted Gibbs on the shoulder ignoring the way he tensed against him. "You're just protecting her Jethro we understand."
Gibbs preceded the men into the room, wishing he could have protected her before all this had happened. Perhaps if he'd been just a little more forceful, a little more careful …shaking his head he pushed away the thoughts. Nothing could be done now they would all just have to live with the consequences.