Finally a new chapter :-) Hope you enjoy!
The weekend passed by quickly, without Tony and Kate getting back in touch. This was, in fact, better since there was not a lot to do for them and that way the two could relax themselves a little. After all, they would now spend some time together in Israel. They both didn't mind, yet there was something that was in their way - their past and the reason it came to an end.
It was Monday, four in the afternoon, when Tony arrived at the Secret Service airport. He hadn't gotten much sleep the previous night, due to him being nervous. It wasn't, however, because of him needing to bring a terrorist back into his homeland, but because he would be seeing Kate again. They were having a difficult time at the moment and he wanted nothing more but for everything to be alright again. At the same time, Tony knew that it wasn't just something they could talk over. They needed time, especially for the part of why Kate pretended to be dead. It was obvious to him that whatever caused her faking her death was not quite over yet, else, he knew, she would have told him already. He also knew that she didn't told him for reasons, but he wanted to help her.
"Good Morning, Special Agent DiNozzo", welcomed Secret Service Director Foster the NCIS Agent as he arrived at the airport.
Tony shook his hand, "Good morning, Sir."
"Special Agent Todd and the other Secret Service agents are already in the plane alongside Tamir Yadin", the middle-aged man informed Tony.
"When will the plane go off?"
"In about thirty minutes. The flight will a little more than elven hours, thus you will land in Tel Aviv at eleven in the morning, their time."
Tony nodded in agreement, "Good."
"When you're there you and Special Agent Todd will hand over Yadin immediately. Our hopes were, that we would have collected evidence against the Mossad by now, unfortunately that is not the case as of now."
"Does that mean we'll hand him over and return back home immediately?"
"No, you will all stay there for a couple of days, try to find every evidence you can", commanded the Director.
"On it", Tony agreed.
With a short nod, the Director left, shortly before Tony's cell phone rang.
"DiNozzo", he answered the call.
"It's me, Tony. I just wanted to say good luck on wherever you are going", said the Israeli.
Tony got a little nervous talking to her now, "Thanks, Ziva."
"And Abby wants me to tell you to take care."
A little smile crossed Tony's face, "I will, thank you", he said gracefully.
"Well then, I guess you'll have to leave now. I see you next week?"
"That's the plan. Enjoy the case", Tony ironically replied.
"Yeah, sure. You too. Bye", she answered, ending the phone call.
Tony sighed. This 'trip' was supposed to change things, and it hopefully would, but the Special Agent was quite unsure about the entire case. He knew, a lot of things would change. Once he would enter the plane, there was no going back and he could not possibly hide his discoveries from the others since they were more than just important. Though he knew with that things would change to the way they should, to the better, it was still hard for him. Especially since he was the only one to know and he couldn't tell anyone just yet. He would have to wait for the right moment, even if he didn't knew when that moment would arrive.
After a few more minutes of thinking, Director Foster came, interrupting Tony's thoughts.
"The plane will soon start, so you should enter it now. Your package is already in it. You are allowed to walk around during the flight, the three agents following you and Special Agent Todd are keeping an eye on Yadin, so maybe you two could prepare yourselves for the upcoming research", the Director commanded.
Tony nodded, "Okay."
"Well then, good luck. Maybe you will get to some results and come back for not just nothing", the Director smiled before shaking Tony's hand and leaving.
Tony looked at the plane. Now it was on, the real action was to begin right now.
As soon as Tony entered the plane, he met the three agents, alongside the terrorist.
"I'm Special Agent DiNozzo", he shortly introduced himself.
The others nodded before one of the men in his forties answered, "I'm Special Agent Blakely. These are Special Agents Carl and Fisher."
"Make sure to keep an eye on him."
Special Agent Blakely nodded in agreement, "We will. Special Agent Todd is down the hall."
"Thanks", said Tony before leaving in the direction Blakely pointed to.
"Nice plan you got there", was the first thing that came out of his mouth when he saw her.
The brunette looked up, putting a smile on his face. It was, as if he had forgotten her beauty for a moment and now that he was again reminded of it, he felt all jubilant. And, of course, she was alive as well, which kept making him feel happy and at ease.
"Definitely nicer than the planes at NCIS", she replied with her typical small smile on her face.
The two looked into each others eyes for a few seconds, before Tony sat down across from her, only a table between them.
"Don't act as if you're not missing those planes."
She shook her head, "Only Gibbs would miss those things. I'm more than glad to fly in this one, where I don't get shaken throughout the entire flight."
Tony giggled, "But that gave you an opportunity to cuddle with me."
"How incredible", she said in a sarcastic voice, followed by a small giggle in response to Tony's disappointed reaction.
Tony started relaxing, leaning back into his seat and watching out of the window.
Kate watched him, as the plane took off.
"I think, with regard to the situation, it would be best for us to act professional," Tony proposed.
As Kate looked at him with a bit of confusion, he added, "Like you said."
She nodded silently, "We are on an important case right now. If something was to change for the worse in this world because of us, I'd shoot you."
"You really haven't changed, and I'm not sure if I should be too glad about that", he said with a grin on his face.
"I guess neither have you. I've been worried all those years if it wasn't too wrong to leave you all. I hope Gibbs and the others somehow managed to have you around even without me", Kate joked.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"That you're like a little kid that needs someone to watch over them twenty-four-seven."
Tony looked at her with raised eyebrows, "Well, it's not like Gibbs isn't doing so."
"I'm glad," her little giggle warmed Tony's heart, "And I'm glad that you're doing okay," she added, looking at him.
Returning her look, he saw seriousness in her eyes, "Why wouldn't I be okay?"
"Well you did still recover from the plague last time we saw each other."
"That's right," Tony remembered, "I'm alright now though, don't worry."
"Good."
A big grin suddenly made its way on Tony's face.
"What?" Kate asked confused.
"You were quite worried about me back then... You did pretend to have the plague as well in order to stay with me. That was quite dangerous. And yet you did that. You worried a hell lot about me," he grinned.
Kate rolled her eyes, "I thought you were gonna die. Of course I was worried about you."
"Did you already knew back then?" He suddenly asked, more serious than usually.
Kate was, yet again, confused, "Knew what?"
He swallowed before answering, "That you were going to die. Or, at least, pretend to?"
She softly shook her head while looking down, "No... it was a rather... spontaneous thing."
"You don't plan on telling me about it, do you?"
"After this," she cleared her throat, looking back at Tony, "After we come back home... you won't need to know."
"How do you mean that?"
"It's going to be like before, Tony."
He understood, "So you're saying that we will part ways again after this and I'll have to pretend that you're still dead and that I don't know that you are, in fact, alive?"
"Yes," was her reply.
He looked away for a moment, trying to take over his emotions, before looking back at her, "Is there no way to change that?"
"I'm being realistic, Tony," she said in a soft voice, "And as of now my main goal is, to keep this country safe."
Tony nodded in comprehension, "Well... just keep in mind that I won't let you go so easily. I've lost you once. Don't think I'll let that happen again."
Kate nodded with relief, then starting to giggle lightly.
"What?"
"Now who is the one to be worried so much?"
The two laughed in union, something they both had missed dearly.
And that was just the beginning of a long flight.
No cliffhanger this time, can you believe it? But that doesn't mean that the story is over just yet :-) Hopefully you'll get the next chapter soon.
