It had been a little over a week since Eli had come and gone. Things were just starting to return to normal, well as normal as things ever actually were at NCIS. Tony had tried countless times to get Ziva to talk to him about what was actually bothering her. She obviously was upset about what her father had done but she refused to talk to anybody about it, but Tony knew there was something more to it. She acted normal though, the only ones that could tell she was acting strange were Gibbs and Tony.
About three times in the past week Ziva had gone to Gibbs house and just sat on the stairs watching him work, not saying a time she had planned to talk to him,simply because he would just listen and not worry like Tony would if she talked to him about things with her father. Each and every time she got to Gibbs house though she couldn't bring herself to say anything. She would watch him for about an hour and then go back to Tony's apartment for the night.
She had practically moved in with Tony. She told him it was because she didn't see him at work anymore and it was strange not seeing him for that many hours a day. Tony and Ziva both knew it was actually because she couldn't stand to be alone at night. If she was alone and couldn't sleep all she would do was think, and she really didn't want to think,it always made her more upset then necessary . If she couldn't sleep at Tony's she would happily let him distract her until she was tired enough to fall asleep in his arms. Tony enjoyed her company at his home.
"Get your stuff ladies, were going on a little trip." Tony said as he walked off the elevator.
"Where to?" Agent Rizzo asked, already having all of her stuff in her hands.
"Raleigh, North Carolina."
"Why?" Agent Patel asked after she gathered all of her things.
"Seven bodies were found in some campgrounds, all ex-marines. Vance is sending us and Gibbs' team out to take over the case."
"Why?" She asked again.
"Because we're the best." Tony said smiling proudly.
"Who woulda thought a team with you on it would be the best."Agent Jones said as she led them all over to the elevator.
"We have to be there by 4." Tony said as the piled into the elevator.
"When are we leaving?" Agent Rizzo asked from behind him.
"Now. You and Patel will go in one car to your houses and get your things, Jones and I will do the same, and we'll meet back here in about a half an hour, that's all it should take if you have emergency suitcases packed like I told you to."
"It's only 8:30, if we leave by nine we'll be there two hours early, it's only like a five hour drive." Patel said after she glanced at her watch.
"McGee told me that there were only three rooms left in the hotel for everyone. I'm not getting a small crappy room. McGee hasn't always been the best at booking rooms." Tony said as he remembered the time that McGee had booked him and Ziva one room in Paris with only one bed. Not that Tony really minded sharing a bed with her...
Tony and Jones made it back to NCIS in twenty seven minutes and Rizzo and Patel were already back, both of them lived much closer. Rizzo and Patel got put their things in the trunk of the car and got in the backseat. As Tony pulled out of the parking spot McGee and Ziva were walking out of their building, both laughing about something.
4 hours and 56 minutes later they were pulling into the parking lot of the hotel.
"You've got to be kidding me!" Tony said
"What?" Rizzo asked from the back seat
"They're already here." Tony whined.
"We left way before them." Patel complained.
Tony got out of the car and walked over to where a smirking McGee was standing with key cards.
"How did you get here so fast, Probie?"
"Ziva drove."
"And you're all alive? wow, she's gotten better." Tony said.
"Not really, but me and Gibbs are sharing the room on the first floor. Your three agents have the biggest room which is over there, it has 2 beds and a pull out couch." He said pointing across the parking lot. "And you and Ziva are sharing the room on the third floor, it only had one bed so I thought it would be most appropriate for you two." McGee said.
"I thought you said we were staying in a hotel, not a motel." Tony said when he realized everyday he was going to have to go up and down three flights of stairs.
"There's a difference?"McGee asked
Tony rolled his eyes and took the key cards from McGee's hands.
"Of course there's a difference!" Tony said as he walked away after giving McGee a head slap.
Tony walked over to the car where his team was taking everything out of the car. He handed each of them a key card to their room.
"One of you is going to have to sleep on the couch, you're room is somewhere over there. I'm somewhere on the third floor, McGee and Gibbs are right there." Tony told them.
They all headed off towards the direction of their room and Tony grabbed his suitcase and headed off towards his and Zivas. After he climbed up what felt like a million stares Tony finally reached his room. He walked into a not so nice room and Ziva was laying on her stomach reading on an incredibly small bed.
"Why do we always let McGee book the rooms?" Tony asked
"Because he always promises to do better than he did last time." She said not taking her eyes off of her book.
Tony walked over and opened drawer to put his clothes away. After he put away all his clothes he opened a second drawer to put his boxers and socks in, he pulled the drawer open and it came flying out and landed on his toe.
"Arghh, dammit, Probie!" He yelled. "He is never booking the rooms again.'
"Stop whining Tony." Ziva said, walking over to him.
"No! I think I'm going to need to get this toe amputated!" Tony told her.
"I think you are being a little over dramatic.". She chuckled and wrapped her arms around his waist and he turned around in her embrace to face her.
"Am not" he argued like a child
"I am going to get some food, I told McGee and Gibbs I was going to once you settled in."she informed him as she slipped her hand swiftly into his pocket, taking the car keys that were there. "You are welcome to join me."
"As long as you drive according to the speed limit." He said, following her out the door.
"Do you really think that is going to happen?" She asked
"No, but I'm a dreamer, just like Dorothy." He said and she looked at him with a confused face. "You've never seen the Wizard of Oz?" he asked completely shocked.
"Nope." She answered
"1939, starring Judy Garland." He informed her and she shrugged as the reached the end of the last stair case. He began singing a song from the movie as they walked through the parking lot.
"Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue, and the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true. Someday I'll wish upon a star and wake up where the clouds are far behind me." he sang and she laughed when a couple who was sitting outside of their room stared strangely at him.
They both got in the car and Ziva sped off to find a place for them too get food, chatting lightly along the way. McGee had managed to find them a crappy motel in the middle of the quietest area in North Carolina. After about ten minutes they came across a small deli and they got out to get food. Ziva got sandwiches for her, Gibbs and McGee. She watched with interest as Tony ordered for his team. Each one of his agents ate extremely unique sandwiches and she found it almost strange Tony knew all their favorites after only being with them for such a short time. Tony had known all of team Gibbs' favorite foods as well. They left the delli and headed back to the motel, and Ziva was unusually quiet along the way.
"You ok ?" He asked, noticing her silence
"Yeah." She said and sighed. "It is just not always going to be like this. Our team's are not going to be able work together. I miss the way things were, like we were a family."
"Yeah, me too."
"Why do you not ask Vance to be put back on the team? Gibbs has not replaced you yet, as you well know." She said, really hoping he would do exactly that.
"He told me when I transferred there was no changing my mind. The only other person that could take the job is in Hawaii." he regretfully admitted.
Their conversation ended there as they pulled into the parking lot of the Motel. Ziva brought food to McGee and Gibbs while Tony brought the rest to his agents across the parking lot. When Tony got to the other side of the parking lot he realized he didn't even know what room he was going pulled out his phone, calling Agent Jones to find they were in room 108. He headed to that room and brought in their food. Tony decided to eat his food with them, honestly not in the mood to see Ziva for the first time since he had met her. The way she seemed so hurt that Tony was permanently off team Gibbs had surprised him. Then he realized she probably felt guilty because she technically was the reason that he had asked to be transferred to another team.
Jones and Patel finished eating quickly. They thanked Tony and said they were going for a walk and would be back before they all left for the campgrounds. Tony and Rizzo stayed at their room, finishing their food, it was a while before either of them spoke.
"Hows Ziva?" She asked
"She's been better, it's not really the first time her fathers done something horrible to her, she'll be okay. She's tough." He answered, feeling a little awkward discussing Ziva with Kristy.
"Have her and her father always been so.." She began and her voice drifted off since she really was at a loss for words.
"When she first came to NCIS things between them seemed fine. They would talk every so often. She was back with him in Isreal for a while when Vance split the team up, things were still fine. Then I did something stupid that led to her doing something stupid , then I did something even more stupid with McGee to save her from the stupid decision she had made, but it was actually her fathers fault she was in such trouble. She then became an American citizen and a full NCIS agent. Ever since she and her father's relationship has been strained." He explained and she looked completely confused.
"You lost me, sort of. Does some of the stupidity have to do with that rescue mission with Gibbs' team?" She said
He nodded, ending it there. He didn't want to go into any major detail about Somalia. Rumors had spread around NCIS, only Ziva knew the whole truth. Then Team Gibbs and Vance knew a little more than others. Feeling slightly uncomfortable, Tony got up to leave.
"We're leaving in twenty." He said as he exited the room.
Kristy Rizzo couldn't help but wonder why Tony was with Ziva. To her, Ziva sounded nuts. She had heard the same rumors everyone had about her when she first came to NCIS. Everyone said she was a crazy assassin that had very little control over her temper. She had even heard that Ziva killed someone in the elevator or something like that in the building next door. Kristy looked in the mirror at her reflection. In her own opinion she was just as attractive as Ziva. Hew skin was clear and smooth, her hair was beautiful and long. She was much more normal than Ziva. She was younger as well. She could keep her temper under control and she definitely did not have a power crazy father. She couldn't stop wondering why Tony didn't date her. Why didn't Tony want her the way she wanted him?
"He will." She said reassuringly to herself before walking over to pull a pair of sneakers out of her suitcase.
So I'm watching the wizard of oz and just felt like somehow putting it into the story. this chapter's kind of uneventful but whatever. only ten more reviews until 200, so i'm really kind of hoping it will hit 200 reviews with this chapter!
-xoxo 4gentDiNozzo