A/N: I was so happily, amazingly overwhelmed by the amount of emails I got from fanfiction. I started and finished this chapter and then got tired and closed my laptop. Stupid me didn't save the doc and Microsoft Tuesday decided to restart my computer. So I lost it and had to rewrite it, just now. I actually like this better, though, so I guess that's good.
So now this is Abby's part. Because the visions from Kill Ari Parts 1 & 2 are my inspiration, I tried to model most of these after their counterparts, at least somewhat. So I think they are more reflective of the mental state of the character having the vision and their view of Ziva, rather than an objective character study of Ziva. It's like a character study of her through the eyes of her friends, but it's a study of them, too. At least that's how I viewed the original so that's how I wanted this to be.
Well, that's enough of me rambling on. Here's the latest chapter. I'm super sorry about the lateness of my posting. I have McGee's chapter already written so I'll post that soon, once I've written Ducky's. =]
Sighing and turning up her music even louder, Abby tried to turn back to her work. It wasn't as easy as it used to be, though. She missed having her little family complete and Ziva not being there, despite the things surrounding the blowup at the end, made it that much harder to keep going. And then, as suddenly as the bouts of depressing reflection came on, Ziva's image appeared to the left of the computer station wearing a loose, v-neck, white peasant top and well-fitting jeans just like usual when she hung out with Abby down in the lab. She leaned casually against the brick wall, twirling one loose curl around her index finger as Abby dropped her chin to her hands and rested her elbows on the desk, letting the low ponytail she had left her hair in droop sadly on her shoulder.
"Abby, where are your cow tails? I miss them," the apparition of sorts asked, pushing herself away from the wall slowly to walk toward her friend.
The goth chuckled just slightly and pulled the hair tie from her hair. "They're pigtails Ziva." The Mossad Officer just shrugged and continued toward the desk. She stopped on the opposite side from where Abby was standing and faced her between the monitors. "I miss you," Abby said, once both pigtails were tied in place.
Ziva smiled sadly at her friend. "I miss you, too, Abby. But you have to promise me something. Make sure Tony behaves himself for me."
"You know I will," she replied. After a heavy pause, during which time Abby fiddled with her hair, trying to regain her composure despite the fact that the Ziva she was talking to didn't really exist, she continued. "Sometimes you were the only one I could talk to and now you're gone and I call Timmy down here because if I have to spend another whole day alone in this lab I'm going to start shooting things," she said in frustration.
"Do not start shooting things Abby. That is my job." Daydream Ziva laughed again and stepped around to the other side of the desk. "You know, when I first came to work here I wanted so badly for you to like me, but it seemed like whatever I did you were determined to hate me. And then, somehow, we started hanging out and being friends and I would not trade that for anything in the world." A soft smile spread across her face as she waited for her friend's response.
"Me too. I just, I wish you were here. I hate going up there and seeing your desk empty and listening to Gibbs growl at Tony and then—," Abby started to say, quickly and without taking a breath.
"Abby," Ziva tried to butt in.
"Then he looks at your desk and he stops and just waves Tony off and goes back to work and then when Tony and McGee come down here and try to pretend that everything is okay but I know it's not and—," she kept going, still not really breathing.
"Abby!" Ziva tried again.
"And we all just really miss you—,"Abby seemed to almost finish as she took a huge breath and prepared to keep going.
"Abby!!" Ziva finally got through. "I am always right here." She softly placed her hand over her friend's heart, making the goth realize once more that the woman before her was only a figment of her imagination. "And if you give up and stop searching, I will cease to be anywhere else ever again. You must never give up hope, Abby."
Squaring her shoulders in determination, Abby replied, "We'll find you. I promise."
Ziva smiled. "I know you will. And until then I will always be right here." Then she turned and slowly walked toward the ballistics lab on the other side of the glass doors as Abby swiveled in her chair to face McGee as he entered her lair with evidence on the meth dealer case. By the time she had turned around again, the Israeli had already disappeared but the slightest hint of her presence lingered and Abby knew it would never really go away, just like Kate's.
So there is my little slice of Abby and Ziva. Please leave a review if you feel so inclined and I will update again soon-ish. =]