Never Alone
Chapter 2
Coming Home
"Ziva, put the gun down." The cavalier voice of Asaf Agassi sounded from down the hall. Lowering her weapon, Ziva wiped at her face hurriedly to rid it of any traces of tears even as she felt her lip curl in annoyance. This man was primed to take over as Director of Mossad now that Bodnar had been declared a traitor and it seemed that he felt that entitled him to enter the former director's home without knocking.
Opening the door to the office she spied Asaf at the top of stairs. "Make yourself at home," She said curtly. Asaf was a few years older than her and she had only worked with him in the field a couple times, but she knew him well. He was good at politics and had wormed his way in close to her father just like all the other power hungry leeches.
Ziva swallowed her anger back and waited for Asaf's explanation. His sharp blue suit and expensive tie let her know that he was here in an official capacity. It was too formal dress for Asaf in most cases, but maybe he was preparing to take on a more an important role. It was a bitter thought that he father's death was this man's opportunity to reach new heights in his career.
"Ah Ziva, I think we both know that I have entered this home before your arrival. And now that you are planning to return to the U.S. I have returned to conduct a more thorough search," he said with some attempt at an apology in his tone.
"The house may have belonged to the director of Mossad Asaf, but it does not belong to Mossad," Ziva bit back trying to calm the anger beginning to seethe under her skin. She could not afford to attack a member of Mossad at this point, even though it would be mildly satisfying to shove this ladder climber down the tiled stairs of her father's home it would not be worth cost.
"I am aware, however your father left specific instructions with the agency in the event of his death. Those instructions included details of sensitive materials and several personal back-up files that have been stowed within the house," Asaf elaborated while leaning against the gleaming tiled wall. " We were not able to retrieve all of them, and did not want to leave the house in shambles when you were due to arrive," He sighed suddenly seeming older than his 37 years. "I understand that your father left the house to you, and be assured we will take care in our search."
Ziva swallowed her anger and pride. She knew that she could not argue with orders her father had left for his operatives and she had little doubt of the truthfulness of Asaf's story. Her father was a paranoid man. He most likely had left them several locations in which they would have to retrieve sensitive materials or back-up files. At times he had not trusted his own people, fearing traitors and spies. If only he had allowed that paranoia be cast to the man at his right hand. If only…
"Yes, he left it to me, but I am signing it over to my aunt. So it is her house you must refrain from destroying."
Asaf gave a curt nod, most likely this information was not new to him, but he was going to pretend he was hearing it for the first time.
"Well then we will take great care with your aunt's house."
It was at this point Ziva noticed his eyes straying to the office behind her and the box she had open on the desk.
"I am surprised you are not keeping a home here Ziva." His eyes continued to look on suspiciously at the box.
Before Ziva could respond her had shifted his weight foreword like he wished to enter the room and said, "Now what have you found…"
Ziva stepped more fully into the path of the door and spoke clearly, "This is not my home anymore and I have found nothing that would interest you. Unless you are interested in old pictures."
Asaf stepped closer reminding her of his height advantage over her and said in a lowered voice, "I am sorry Ziva, but trust is now in short supply at Mossad. Forgive me for seeing for myself."
He stepped around her, crowding greatly into her space as she did not budge. Ziva did not even turn to look as he moved into the room and examined her father's keepsakes. Hearing him begin to turn after inspecting the box she let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. Turning she leveled him with a stare that had cause Tony to cringe a few occasions. "Satisfied?"
A grin pulled at the edges of his mouth. Ziva could only guess the lewd ideas flitting through his brain. She could practically see him replaying the tryst they had when they were young and stupid and thankful to have just made it back home alive. Asaf did apparently have enough good sense not to bring this up however for he merely nodded.
"Yes, now are you packed? I have a car downstairs waiting to take you to the airport."
He was already heading for the stairs and for the first time Ziva noticed a small contingent of men waiting outside, presumably to go through the house and serve as body guards most likely. Ziva moved to the office to retrieve the box. This was the only thing she whished to take.
"Yes, I'm ready." Ready to go home.
TT
Tony sucked nosily on his soda. Just what the doctor ordered. Deli sandwich, a soda, and some chips. Basic and delicious. Tim stood next to him the elevator, eyeing him in annoyance.
"You know Tony, you never did tell me why you got a new mattress," He began before taken a quiet sip of his own soda.
Tony eyed McGee from the corner of his eye and pooped the straw out of his mouth. They had somehow avoided this conversation and Tony had thought that it wasn't going to be brought up.
"What do you mean McGee?" He gave Tim a look like he was trying to hold a runner at first with a squinty eye. "People buy new mattresses everyday. Their mattress gets old they buy a new one. Life goes on." With his point made Tony popped the straw back in his mouth and continued to suck noisily.
Tim gave Tony a speculative look, one eyebrow slightly raised as he weighed the likelihood that Tony was telling him the truth. It was Tony, so that made it not very likely. Not in this situation anyway. Tony was not a simple man, but he lived like one. Simple apartment. Nice TV. Simple and stylish furniture, little in the way of frills and a twin bed. And why a twin bed? That too was simple, to keep people away. So why the change?
"You sure that's all Tony?" Well he was one foot in here already; he might as well call Tony's bluff.
The slurping abruptly stopped.
"Uh yah…" Tony answered in his typical sardonic way. He shot Tim a look as if daring him to continue with this line of questioning.
"So it has nothing to do with Ziva staying with you last week…"
Tony whirled on McGee, done playing the cool cucumber he approached the younger man in an annoyed, assertive manner.
"Look I don't know what you are getting at here but I can assure it has absolutely nothing …"
The elevator doors opened as they arrived at the right floor.
"…to do with Ziva."
"What has nothing to do with Ziva?"
Both agents turned to look at non other then Leroy Jethro Gibbs leveling a deadpan stare at them.
"Coffee boss?" Tony was the first to recover and he proffered the cup of joe like a peace offering. Tony held it extended for a long moment before Gibbs eventually reached up to snag the cup with the casual air of someone who knew they weren't getting the whole story but would take the blessed caffeine anyway.
"So are you done with your personal errand DiNozzo?" Gibb's emphasis on the N was a sure sign that he was annoyed, mildly annoyed perhaps because he now had coffee, but annoyed non-the-less.
"Uh yeah boss, just a little mix up with a delivery. Got us lunch though, " he said as he extended the brown deli bag as a final token to buy his way off Gibb's shit list.
Gibb's eyed it for a moment before snagging it the same way he had the coffee and said, "Grab your gear, we got a Navy dependent claiming someone has been entering her apartment at night while she's sleeping."
Tony and Tim nodded and swiftly stepped out of the elevator so that they could retrieve their respective bags. They returned just as quickly as Gibb's impatiently held the elevator.
The trip down was decidedly awkward and strangely it was Gibb's who broke the silence.
"So what was so important that you had to take care of DiNozzo?"
Tony's jaw dropped opened he almost answered automatically but some part of his brain was screaming to tread lightly. Tim however had no such filter.
"They delivered his new mattress early, so they were going to leave it on the corner if we didn't show up to move it in." Now it might of sounded like Tim was backing his partner up, but Tony was suspicious.
"A new mattress?" Gibbs said before taking a long sip of his coffee. No doubt the concept of buying new furniture before the old furniture fell apart was a foreign idea.
"Yeah, he got a bigger bed." Tim supplied, seemingly nonchalantly.
Now all this seemed innocuous and innocent enough, but Gibbs looked speculative and his pointer finger was now tapping his coffee cup slowly. If only DiNozzo senior had not shared his incredulity that his adult son was sleeping in a twin bed and his belief that Tony was keeping women at arms length this way, maybe then the information that he was changing his sleeping arrangements would not be such a big deal.
Tim apparently was not done however, as he just had to add, "So who's picking Ziva up from the airport tomorrow?"
Tony wanted to slap his own forehead, or the back of little Timmy's head. Oh this had to be payback for years of probie hazing. It had seemed like fun at the time…
"I am McGee. I told you that this morning," he grit out while glaring at McGee, while they stood slightly behind Gibb's. Gibb's shifted causing both agents to look at him wandering if he was going to comment.
"Right, sorry must have forgot," Tim replied with just enough cheek that Tony was sure that this was no mistake and Tim was just messing with him because he could. Well just wait little McGeekster. You mess with the bull you get the horns and Tim, well Tim was messing with the wrong bull!
Finally the elevator hit the ground level. As the exited the elevator each was occupied by the their own thoughts, and someone passing by would be struck by the silent communication going on. One was stoic, looking slightly like a father with some squabbling son's on a family trip. The youngest looked oddly smug and very aware of the man to his right's ire, and the man on the right appeared highly annoyed and possibly vengeful if the devious look in his eyes were any indication.
NCIS II
Later that day Tony walked to his car deep in thought. The case had been simple enough and they had a suspect in custody within three hours. A record really. The problem wasn't the case so much, but what he would have to do to Timothy McGee in retribution for the those insinuations he was making.
If he was being reasonable he could say that Tim was just poking a little fun at his expense. It wasn't as though there was something going on between Ziva and himself, and the bed purchase had absolutely nothing to do with her. She was a person he cared about a lot, and he was happy that he was there for her when she needed it.
And it just so happened that seeing her in his bed made him rethink its size. I mean come on. If Ziva looked so small and child like, innocent really, in the bed, how did he look every night? Not to mention that thing was so small he couldn't even of climbed in with her if she had wanted…oh what kind of thought was tha..
"Hey Tony!"
Tony stopped his inner discord to look around for the owner of the voice. He was not disappointed to see a petite blonde waving at him from across the parking lot.
"Hey Kimmie. Looking lovely as usual."
The blonde made her way to him, a pretty smile decorating her heart shaped face. She really was a lovely woman, small curves and short curling blond hair down to her chin. It didn't hurt that she had a sweet personality.
"Tony you are a shameless flirt as usual." In a way she reminded him of his ex-fiancé.
"So what brings you to Navy yard today?" Tony asked looking around for her usual companions.
"Today's the final test for the bomb sniffing dogs. So I came to see who's not passing." Kimmie shifted and pulled the oversized purse up higher on her sun kissed shoulder. The sun glinted off her platinum wedding band as she did so.
"Oh yeah, you finally convinced the hubs to get a dog. Nice, do the boys know yet?"
Kimmie smiled, "Not yet, the oldest turns five on Tuesday so it's going to be a surprise."
Tony shook his head, "Wow it's been five years already?" It had been five years of shameless flirting with this married woman as she visited her military husband on base. The first time he had met here she had been pregnant and carrying an armful of treats that she baked for the navy wives meeting. He had helped her carry them after he noticed her struggling to get across the base.
"Yeah, five years, and Toby will be so excited to get a dog. I can't wait to see his reaction."
"Hey that's great, and you know what you could name him?" He smiled cheekily.
"Let me guess…Tony?"
Tony pretended to look shocked. "What? Well I mean if you want to name the dog Tony I guess I would be okay with that…"
He trailed off as he noticed her good natured glare. "Yeah not exactly what I was thinking, plus my husband already isn't your biggest fan."
"He's not? Huh…" Tony was well aware that Ethan Hendrik was not a huge fan and it would be odd if he was, since Tony shamelessly flirted with his wife on several occasions.
"Well I'm gonna head in. It was good to see you Tony."
"Good to see you Kimmie." He replied as she turned to walk away, and Tony stood there a minute watching her walk away. She had a nice little sway in her walk. He wondered if she knew she was being watched. Probably.
Their flirting seemed mutually beneficial. She got confirmation that she was a beautiful and desirable woman, and not just a mommy.
He got…well beside the obvious fun of flirting with a pretty woman. He got a fantasy…Kimmie Hendrik represented the life that he almost had. The road he almost traveled. The pretty, loving wife, couple of kids, and now a dog. Sometimes he wondered if that was a route he was ever going to take. If he ever wanted that. Maybe flirting with another man's wife was as close as he was ever going to get, but even as he thought it didn't sit right with him.
Giving himself a shake Tony resumed walking to his car. He glanced across the lot at Ziva's car. It had sat at NCIS since the night he drove her to his apartment. Tomorrow he would pick her up in her car and then she would drop him back off at work before heading back to her apartment. It would be good to have her back.
Now back to Tim. He needed to make him pay and super gluing his keyboard had already been done…
NCIS II
AN: Alright please read and review! Also, I need ideas for Tony's revenge on McGee! Please send me any ideas for pranks or ways that Tony could get back at his dear partner. Tiva moments to come in the next chapter!