A/n: SOOOOO My mother went to Disney and I'm house sitting...again. Anyone remember the last time?? Yea... THAT time? I'm stuck with a 15 year old computer so bear with me...
Two other things- 1.) Check out the one shot "There are Other Ways" if you haven't already!and 2.) I know this chapter is short. I apologize. I'm going to try updating it as often as I can to make up for it..but the house sitting is taking up most of my time... my mom has 3 dogs, 1 cat and a tank full of fish. I have a dog and cat myself... So...I have to split my time between both houses.
OO Also..for those that play the SIMS 3 game... I was FEATURED! Well, one of my creations. It's called Gilligans Isle... and heres the link (minus spaces) www. thesims3. com/ asset Detail. html? assetId =2194488 check it out and tell me how much you love it! ;)
Song: Have you ever (loved and lost?) - S Club 7
The phone landed on the couch with a dull thud. She was giving up. Obviously Tony did not want to talk to her. Fine. She could live with that, until he came back. She should find somewhere else to live since he'd be back in a week anyway.
Of course, if he would answer one of her calls, she could ask him what she was supposed to do with his place...she knew the rent came out of his account automatically every month, though she wasn't sure how he arranged that. But she could also tell him she was looking for her own place and find out when he'd be back...
Sometimes it's wrong to walk away though you think it's over
Knowing there's so much more to say
But no. Instead, he ignored her calls, didn't return any of her messages. Even an email would have sufficed! Apparently he wanted nothing to do with her. It irritated and grated on her nerves to no end. Everything in here reminded her of him! How was she supposed to think anything less?
Ziva sighed and felt a headache starting. She went into the kitchen and pulled out the asprin. Before she could take any or even fill a glass, a knock on the door stopped her.
"Who on earth would that be?" She hadn't had any visitors since Tony had left. Anyone she thought it could be would surely be at work at the moment. She opened the door to find Abby standing on the other side.
"Abby! What are you doing here?"
"OH Ziva!!" Abby engulfed her in a hug. "I'm so sorry I haven't been able to come sooner! I've been reallly busy working the case,"
"It is ok, Abby. I know how work can be," Ziva shut the dooor behind her friend.
"Yea... but I won't give up, you know. Not until I find him."' Abby told her earnestly.
Ziva had a feeling she was missing something. The way Abby was looking at her, with that touch of sympathy, told her she was missing something. Something huge.
"Abby, is there something I should be aware of? Is Gibbs and McGee ok?"
Abby's eyes widened. "You.... you don't know?"
"Know WHAT, Abby?" Ziva said.
"I can't believe no one told you!" Abby said a surprised yet sad look on her face.
"Told me what?!" Ziva asked, though it seemed to not even reach the other woman's ears.
"I mean, Gibbs and McGee... we've all known for weeks! I really thought one of them would have said something you know? Considering that you two are like, the best romantic comedy not turned into a movie I can think of..."
"ABBY!!!" Ziva said finally catching her attention. She took in a deep breath. "What don't I know?"
At the look Abby gave her, Ziva felt the bottom drop out of her stomache and a dead weight replace it. Somehow, she knew....
"Tony. He's missing."
Thank God for quick reflexes, Ziva thought vaguely as Abby caught her before she landed face first on the floor. Her legs had given out. Though she'd been expecting something bad to come out of the Goth's mouth, hearing it was an entirely different matter. Abby helped her to a chair.
Suddenly the moment's gone and all your dreams are upside down
And you just wanna change the way the world goes round
Tell me
"Are you alright, Ziva?"
"How...how long?" When Abby didn't answer right away, Ziva met her eyes and repeated, "How long, Abby?"
"Three weeks,"
She couldn't breath..her heart stopped...no. Tony could not be missing....! And Yet Abby was standing there telling her he was. They'd not left things on a good note..what if.. he wasn't coming back at all? She couldn't stand that thought. Tony HAD to come back.. she needed to apologize....There were so many other things.. Tony had to come back....
Have you ever loved and lost somebody
Wish there was a chance to say I'm sorry
Can't you see that's the way I feel about you and me baby
Have you ever felt your heart was breaking
Looking down the road you should be taking
I should know 'cause I loved and lost the day I let you go
"I'm ok," she muttered to Abby after finally hearing her frantically call her name from her dazed state.
McGee entered the bullpen, ready for another long day. He'd been going on almost no sleep for weeks. Gibbs had mandated that nothing was more important than finding Tony and all other cases were rerouted (technically ignored until Vance had gotten the hint) to another team. McGee had exhausted all his efforts and tracked as many things as he could, logged so many photos...re read the Dominic Vail case file that had been faxed from L.A. There was nothing to go on, no leads....dead end. The only connection was Dominic Vail and the M.O.
All of these reasons were why he did not immediately register the typing of keys or the hum of a computer besides his own. When he finally did, he had to take a double take. And then a thrid take.
"Ziva? What are you doing here?"
"Did you expect me to just sit at home, McGee? One of our own is missing, and I am not going to be kept at home."
Can't help but think that this is wrong
We should be together
Back in your arms where I belong
McGee had a feeling something other than loyalty was fueling her fire, but he didn't comment on it. "You aren't due back for another week. Agent Hoffstettler-"
"I placed her stuff on the desk at the end." Ziva commented, going back to stare at the computer.
"Ziva..." He clamped his mouth shut as Gibbs came around the corner and stood in front of her desk, coffee in hand.
Ziva looked up to meet his gaze and they silently stared at each other for a few minutes before she raised an eyebrow and Gibbs nodded before setting the coffee on her desk and turning to run up the stairs to MTAC.
Now I finally realize
It was forever that I'd found
I'd give it all to change the way the world goes round
Tell me
"What did I just miss?" McGee said loudly.
"McGee, Fill her in on everything, I got to talk to the director."
"That....." Normally he didn't act stupid, but he blamed the slowness on his lack of sleep. "Got it boss,"
Tony banged his head againt the wall and winced. "Ow.." he rubbed the back of his head and heard Dom mutter something like idiot. "When are they going to show us some actual sunlight? It's been DAYS since I've seen natural light." OR eaten or drank anything. One thing was for sure, their captors knew how to keep their prisoners alive without giving them too many opportunities to escape.
"They let us eat when they want. In case you haven't realized it yet, they don't really care about anything except the fact that we don't die,"
"Yea, thanks," Tony grunted as he shifted postions on his very heavy limbs. Dehyration was apparently settling in. "Guess I missed the memo." He needed to get out...get back. He had a life to get back to...and a woman who was stubborn as all hell to make up with.
Have you ever loved and lost somebody
Wish there was a chance to say I'm sorry
Can't you see that's the way I feel about you and me baby
Have you ever felt your heart was breaking
Looking down the road you should be taking
I should know 'cause I loved and lost the day I let you go
(I should know)
The only flaw in his current plan was that neither he nor Dom had the strength to actually pull it off. The people that had them knew how to weaken the human body and still keep it alive. As much as he hated it, Tony also had to give them props for it. Because if they weren't dead yet, that meant that they were being held for a reason. Only neither he nor Dom knew that reason. All he knew was that he'd gotten kidnapped investigating Dominic's case and Dom had gotten tackled and beaten while investing some case that Tony hadn't had the time to really look into. Obviously the two were related... and he wished he had a way to send a message to the the outside world.
He wished he had Ziva. He wanted to hold her, see her face.... Just one more time, tell her everything he had yet to say. Like the fact that he was in love with her, wanted to spend the rest of his life making up for not having her back when she got shot, wanted to spend the rest of his life WITH her.....So many unsaid things. He had to get out. He WOULD get out...and make sure Dominic got out with him. First he just needed the strength.
I really wanna hear you say that you know just how it feels
To have it all and let it slip away
Can't you see
Even though the moment's gone I'm still holding on somehow
Wishing I could change the way the world goes round
Tell me
Two weeks. She'd been back at work, exhausting herself, her body and mind trying to help find Tony. Still no leads. And it was offical. Vance was forcing them to do other cases....Apparently SecNav had gotten wind of what had happened and didn't like that they had shoved all their cases onto the other teams.
And they still had no leads on Tony. He'd been missing for five weeks. And the guy before him, over six months. She and McGee had many conferance calls with the team in L.A. trying to find sometihng, anything to go on. But it was hopeless, according to one of them....Erics? no.. the doctor...Nate?... to hope that either Dominic Vail or Tony was still alive.
And it broke her heart to think that Tony really was gone. She'd actually stressed out over it so much she'd thrown up many many times, every time she thought of the words the guy had said.
Abby knew what was going on with her. In her opinion, Ziva was suffering from a broken heart. And if Ziva actually believed such a thing exsisted, she would have to say it was true. The thought of Tony never coming back was just something she couldn't accept or take.
Have you ever loved and lost somebody
Wish there was a chance to say I'm sorry
(I'm sorry)
Can't you see that's the way I feel about you and me baby
Have you ever felt your heart was breaking
Looking down the road you should be taking
I should know 'cause
I loved and lost the day I let you go
But when another two weeks went by, she started believeing Abby. There was such a condition as Broken Heart Syndrom, and she had it. So many unsaid things, regrets, lost oppotunities to tell Tony things....
"Pack your bags," Gibbs said coming around the corner to his desk. She and McGee looked up.
"Gibbs?" Dare she hope?
"We're going to L.A.