Two years later. January 2017
Part 2: coming together or staying apart
It had been two long years sense Anthony Dinozzo had seen his ex-partner and friend Ziva David. So much had happened in these two years. He had been promoted to team leader and was no longer on team Gibbs, he had his own team now. It was a hard transition at first, but it was nice to have his own team. He still saw Gibbs and Tim often, as his office was only on the other side of the half wall that divided their cubicles.
He was told by McGee that Ziva and Tristan had become engaged six months ago. He knew that they were planning to have the wedding in DC in October of this year. He made the mistake of telling Mairin of his newfound information. She was very angry, accusing him of lying to her and even of cheating on her. Tony had thought that maybe the news would make Mairin re-think this whole no contact thing… it hadn't.
The last six months had been ruff, granted the previous year and a half hadn't been a walk in the park either. Mairin and Tony's relationship had been strained for a long time now. They had seen councilors and tried to talk things through. The truth was that Mairin had become more and more controlling as time went on. She wanted to know where Tony was every second of the day, and when he didn't comply with her ridiculous demands, she would freeze him out. The councilor said that she felt that she could not control her own life and body, so she was trying to control Tony's.
Mairin was not the only one at fault though, and Tony knew it. He was so angry after what happened in New York, and rightly so. He let it go to far though. He had also made a decision in that hall. He made the right decision, he knew. He was married, and that meant that she had to come before everyone else; but still, he made that decision. He made the decision to marry her even though he still had feelings for Ziva. He had long begun to feel that that was a mistake. The ever-growing chasm of mistrust and cool affects took its toll on their marriage; but still Tony had made a promise. Till death do us part.
How was it then that he was standing outside this door? He thought of the events of the last 72 hours and shuttered. He lifted his had and knocked tentatively. After a moment the door swung open. "Tony?" Ziva said, concern and surprise coloring her voice.
"Hey," Tony said with a half smile, full of bitterness.
Ziva's eyes scanned over Tony, drinking in his disheveled look. His face was scruffy, his eyes red with exhaustion, his suit wrinkled. "Tony, why are you here?" she asked, still standing in the doorway.
Tony smiled dryly, "couldn't live with out you, I guess," he said, referring to a conversation from years ago.
Ziva stepped back and let Tony in to the apartment. She turned and looked at him as she shut the door. "Where is Mairin?"
Tony sat down heavily on the coach and let out a sigh that seemed to come from the very bottom of his soul. "Gone," was his one word reply.
"What do you mean gone? Did she leave you?" Ziva asked as she sat down in the chair diagonal from him.
Tony let out a mirthless laugh and smirked, his head nodding, his eyes downcast. "Leave me, oh yeah, she left me." His eyes narrowed at something Ziva couldn't see.
"What happened Tony?"
Tony looked up and met Ziva's eyes. He could see the concern there. He took a moment to really look at her. She looked good, a little older due to the thin lines that were spreading their way from the corner of her eyes, but very good.
"Things were never right between us after that day. I know that I should have let it go, but she just became more and more abstinent as time went on. It takes two to let it get to where we ended up though," he said, turning his gaze out of her living room window. "She cheated on me," he whispered to the window.
Tony then described the last few days to Ziva. He described how he had been suspecting that something wasn't right for a couple of month now but could never put his finger on it. He described how he figured out that she had lied to him about an out of town conference with the Jeffersonian. How he had known the second he knew she had lied. Tony told her of how he had called all of the hotels that he thought she might go to till he found her. He described knocking on the door to that hotel room. He described what it felt like for another man to answer the door in only a robe. Then he told her what it felt like for Mairin to tell him that she didn't love him any more and that she was leaving him.
In truth, Tony felt relived. He was sad, angry, and betrayed, but at least it was over. That night he had gone home and gotten stupid drunk. He slept it off on the coach and then got in his car with no regard for where he was headed. It was then that he found himself in front of Ziva's door.
Ziva gently placed her had on Tony's arm. "I am so sorry Tony. You did not deserve that."
Tony slowly nodded his head, "yap… and yet it happened," his bitter tone biting at the words. Tony felt the overwhelming urge to throw something or break something. He was angry for so many reasons, angry with Mairin for not trying when he had, angry with her for not being faithful when he had, and finally, he was angry for the time she had stolen away from his friendship with Ziva. He was also angry with himself because he had let her do all of those things. He had been cold, distant, and secretive. He was also angry at himself for marrying her.
Tony looked up and smiled at her, "its nice to see you. I have missed you my friend."
"I am glad to see you too, I wish it was under better circumstances," she replied, her thumb gently rubbing his arm reassuringly.
"So, where's Tristan?"
"Working, ever sinsce he made partner it seems like he is never home, but he is doing some good," she said with a smile, obviously proud of him.
Tony gave Ziva his best attempt at a smile, "so how have you been… you know… over the last two years?"
"I am doing very well. I am in my last semester of school. I am graduating a year early because of all the summer courses I took," she looked up at Tony with a proud look on her face.
"I am very proud of you Ziva."
"Thank you. And… Tristan and I are engaged," she said tentatively, not wishing to rub her happiness in for his obvious misery.
"I know, McGoo told me. Congratulations," he said, his voice laced with his usual joking tone but he still managed to sound genuine in a way that only he could.
They let the silence roll between them, comforting and relaxed. They were finally together again after such a long separation. There had been hardly a day that went by that he hadn't thought of Ziva. They let the rest of the evening pass in easy conversation about their lives and family. Tony told Ziva about his promotion, which she said she knew about from talking to Abby. She told him about her classes and several job offers she already had, several of which were in DC but she couldn't take because of Tristan. They then had a long discussion, and a rather humorous one at that, about Abby and McGee and their long awaited romance. At 10:30 Tony felt the emotion and exhaustion of the last few days crash around him. He went to leave when Ziva offered him the spare bedroom. He complied and she brought him an old t-shirt and some shorts of Tristan's.
He heard the door of the apartment open a few minutes later and Tristan's voice filled the apartment. He heard Ziva inform him of his presence and explained the situation with Mairin. Tristan sounded sympathetic and said that he was glad he had come. Ziva said she was too.
Hours later, Tony was lying in the spare room of his soon to be married ex-partner and ex-best friend. He was glad he had come here. He had missed her so much. He was genuinely happy for Ziva and Tristan. Tristan was a good man and anything that made Ziva happy made Tony happy too. That was the problem with his relationship with Mairin. They were not and had never been best friends. The re-establishment of his friendship with Ziva meant a lot to him. Through this whole mess with Mairin, he needed the one thing that she was unable to give him, support. She never had his back. He needed his best friend and now that they had each other again there would be nothing that could separate them. Tony knew that Tristan wouldn't because Tristan was sure about his relationship with Ziva, which was something that Mairin never was with him. That, he supposed, was at least partially his fault. He drifted in to sleep with the soothing knowledge that he would have Ziva in his life again, always.
Well there we are. I hated having Mairin cheat and leave Tony, it just made the most sense for how I wanted this story to go.
Feedback is appreciated.