Here is the celebratory second chapter. Hope you all like this one, it centers more on Tony and Ziva's relationship. Hope you all like it. And the talk and events at the end is ripped from my own personal life story. Write what you know and all. Didn't turn out so well for me but let's hope it turns out better for Tony.
On the drive to the navy yard Tony's anger had subsided and taken up residence in the back of his mind ready to be unleashed upon Kort when they were face to face. The first few miles he drove he could not banish the anger, but then he thought about the only thing that seemed to calm him down lately, Ziva. He had let given her time and space like she asked for and he knew she was weighing her feelings. He just hoped that he had tipped the scales in his favor but although he could read her better than anyone else she was still a mystery to him when it came to her true feelings. But with Kort so close he knew that he could not talk to her until this whole thing was over, hopefully it would find it's end by the end of the night.
He pulled into the NCIS parking lot and quickly shut down the engine, getting out and pressing the remote on his keys to lock the car and engage his anti-theft device. He walked up the front steps and stepped through the metal detectors showing his ID to the guards as he made his way to the elevators. He took a deep breath as he pressed the button to summon the elevator, the wait was not long before the doors slid open and his journey up to the bullpen began.
The doors opened and Tony quickly entered the bullpen putting his weapon in its place in the drawer and his backpack under the small table behind his desk. He surveyed the room before him and only McGee was there. "Morning McGee, where's the Boss and Ziva?" He asked the younger agent with a hint of impatience in his voice, he wanted them all together before he revealed the information he received from his morning meeting.
McGee shrugged his shoulders not taking his eyes off of the computer screen in front of him. He replied to Tony, "Don't know where Ziva is but Gibbs is getting coffee. Should be back any minute." Tony nodded his head taking in the information. "Get Ziva on the phone McGee, get her in here." McGee just gave Tony a severe look that said 'I'm not your personal assistant' but still grabbed his phone and dialed the familiar numbers.
Tony took a few moments to collect himself as he pieced out exactly how he would tell everyone the information he had gathered. McGee placed the phone back on its cradle and said, "She just pulled in the lot. Be up in a second. Sounded pretty rough, maybe she had a late night." Tony winced at his words knowing he was probably the reason for her rough night as he put it.
A few moments later Tony looked up as the elevator dinged and saw Ziva and Gibbs walking out of it, Ziva looking like hell and Gibbs with his ever-present coffee. Tony turned to McGee and said, "McGee with me." Tony stood and walked towards the elevator until he had Gibbs and Ziva's attention. He nodded his head towards the conference room and started walking in that direction. Gibbs had the look of annoyance on his face but followed him along with the others.
Tony led them to the conference room and waited for them all to be seated. He stood there for a moment trying to gather his thoughts until he heard Gibbs let out a loud sigh and said, "Any time DiNozzo." Tony nodded his head and told the three of them all the information that he had on the Bulldog and Kort and the Islamic Dawn. He pulled the picture and the scrap of paper that had the address to the meeting out and placed them on the table in front of Gibbs. He finished his small lecture with, "And Kort and the Islamic Dawn are doing the deal tonight. Nine O'clock."
He looked around at the faces in front of him. Shock and slight anger was present on McGee's face. Ziva showed less emotion but he knew that behind her eyes her mind was flying with thoughts. Gibb's seemed to be stoic taking in the information with an imperceptible scowl. Tony was silent waiting for someone else to break the tension in the room. It was finally Ziva who simply said, "I should have let you two snail it out after you punched him." Tony let out a small chuckle at her words and answered, "Slug it out Ziva, and yes you should have." She gave him a small smile. They all turned their heads towards Gibbs waiting for the instructions to be doled out.
Gibbs took a sip of his coffee and stood picking up the picture Tony had set down in front of him. He said, "McGee, get a hold of our surveillance teams and give them a heads up, and get a few of them over to the meeting point. It's prolly gonna be under Kort's surveillance as well so let them know to be cautious." McGee nodded with a, "Yes Boss." And he left the room. Gibbs then turned his attention towards his two other agents. He nodded at Ziva and Tony and said, "Tony, you okay?" Tony was a little stunned by the question but answered, "Yeah Boss, I'm fine." Gibbs nodded and said, "Well it looks like your partner isn't. I need you both on your best tonight. Take the rest of the morning off. The both of you. Get some sleep. I don't need either of you until six." With that he left the room leaving no room for comment.
Tony looked at Ziva. She really did look like death warmed over. It did not take a great investigator to know what she had been doing all night. The large dark circles under eyes showed she had little sleep. The eyes themselves were bloodshot and red rimmed and puffy. She had cried herself to sleep apparently and not gotten much of the latter. He felt guilty because he knew he was probably to blame for her current state. He smiled warmly at her and said, "Come on. I'll drive you home." She looked up at him and said, "I do not need to be driven home Tony. I will be fine on my own."
He shook his head at her and said, "Ziva, you look like your gonna pass out right where you stand. Come on, I'll drive you home, you get some sleep. I'll pick you up later and you can get your car when we're done with Kort." He smiled one of his best smiles at her and said, "I promise I won't bite, well, at least anywhere that will show." She rolled her eyes at him knowing she wouldn't win this particular argument. She nodded her ascent and they walked back to the bullpen to retrieve Tony's gear before they left.
The ride in the elevator to the parking lot was filled with an uneasy tension, as was the ride to her apartment. She asked Tony if he wanted to come up for a cup of coffee and he agreed, just wanting to be around her more but also wondering if she had that oh so serious talk in mind.
He followed her to her apartment door and walked in behind her taking off his shoes, as was the custom at her place. He followed her into the kitchen as she filled up the coffeepot with water and waited for the caffeine rich brew to begin to pour. Tony waited with her not knowing how or if he should break the silence. She looked up at him from her place against the counter as he leaned up against the stove. Neither said a word; they just looked at each other. The only sound that could be heard was the traffic on the street outside and the steady dripping of the coffee into the pot. When the dripping stopped Ziva quickly spun around and poured two cups, filling Tony's up with almost as much sugar as coffee just the way he liked it.
He took the cup from her outstretched hand and followed her into the living room where they both sat on the couch in silence. The quietness of the room began to get to Tony and he finally broke the tension with saying, "That new Bond movie is going to be out on DVD soon." His voice sounded awkward as he announced that little tidbit of information into the silence. She exhaled deeply and said, "Tony, we need to talk." He turned his attention back to her and said, "I know we do. I was just giving you time like you asked for. Didn't know if you had enough of it or not so I didn't wanna bring it up." She gave him a warm smile and said, "I know Tony. And thank you for that, but I think now is as good a time as any." He nodded at her and braced himself for whatever revelation she would bestow on him.
"Tony. I…I think that you know that I am dating Michael." She began. Tony nodded his head in acknowledgement of what she had said but not liking this beginning. She cleared her throat and started again, "I have been with Michael for a while now and things are actually going well between us. For the first time in a long time I am in a relationship that I do not want out of." Tony exhaled and closed his eyes. He knew what was coming. She didn't have feelings for him like he had for her. She was trying to let him down gently. "Tony? Did you hear me?" She asked, knowing that his mind was already skipping ahead of what she was saying. "What?" He asked, not having heard her last few statements. "Are you okay? You umm…what is the word? Zoned out for a moment their, yes?" A sad smile crossed his features. "Yes Ziva you got that one right. And I'm sorry I zoned out. What were you saying?" He asked with not much enthusiasm in his voice.
"I said you springed this on me at the completely wrong time." She said. He could not help it but he let out a sad chuckle and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Sprang, Ziva. Sprang it on you." He said. Her eyes closed and she let a small imperceptible shudder pass through her as his fingertips brushed her skin. Michael's touch although feeling good had never had this effect on her. She shook the cobwebs out of her mind at his touch and continued on, "Tony. I have to let you know that I realized last night that I do have feelings of a romantic level towards you. And I do not know what to do about them."
Tony perked up at those words. His small flame of hope that had been having cold water thrown on it at her words were now burning brighter than a furnace. He audibly swallowed and asked, "Ziva, what exactly are you trying to say?" She looked like a small child who was torn between her two favorite toys as she looked down at the floor, finding some remarkable pattern there that she could not tear her gaze away from. She answered in a small voice, "I am saying that I love you too."
His heart almost jumped out of his chest because of the joy he felt. He wanted to grab her and pull her to him and crash his lips against hers. But he sensed the but that was coming. "But?" He asked.
"But I am in a relationship with Michael and I…I think that I love him too." She said so quietly but it might have been an anvil falling to Tony. The joy he had felt only seconds before was still there but it was now more tempered, subdued by her confession of loving two men at once. He knew he had placed her in an extremely precarious position and he felt bad for her. He had never before had the gut wrenching feeling she must be going through. In all honesty it was hard enough for Tony to admit that he was in love with one girl let alone any others. He smiled warmly at her, letting her know he understood her plight. He placed his left hand on her knee and asked, "So…what you wanna do about this?" She shook her head in defeat and said, "I do not know Tony. I have never had to make a decision like this. Usually my decisions are between what the heart wants and orders. Never has it been between what the heart wants and the other thing that the heart wants."
He slid closer to her on the couch and place and arm around her shoulders. He was surprised that she did not pull away and when she didn't he placed a small kiss on her temple. They sat like that for awhile until she let out a small yawn. He smiled down at her and stood up pulling her with him. She looked at him curiously but followed him as he led her to her bedroom. She hesitated at the door but followed him in when he said, "Time to get a few hours sleep." She nodded and walked to the bed with him. He sat down with his back leaning against the headboard and spread his legs. She looked down at him wondering what he was up to but he pulled her down so she was half-laying and half sitting with her back to his chest. He wrapped his arms around her as she cuddled into his chest finding a comfortable position. They sat in silence for a few moments before Tony said, "Tell me about Michael." She craned her head to look up at him. His heart was aching but he had to know about him. Tony's one fault was sacrifice, and although he loved the woman in his arms fiercely, he needed to know about the other man who made her happy.
She asked him in a sleepy voice if he was sure he wanted to hear this and he only nodded. She began telling him things about Michael. Tony flinched at some of them knowing that he could never be as strong willed as his mossad competition was. She had finished telling Tony Michael and he was slightly jealous. His sense of pride demanded that he say something to try to make himself at least equal in his eyes to her. He said the first thing that came into his mind, "You know Ziva. I might not be as strong and you or Michael, but if I have to fight for you, I'll be the strongest man alive." She stiffened slightly at his words but quickly relaxed as him arms tightened around her. She felt safe and protected in his arms. He probably meant figuratively when he said fight, right? Yeah.
They lay like that in each other's arms drifting off to sleep together. No nightmares invaded either of their dreams. They were finally peaceful. The worries of what was to come, not only in their relative relationship but also of the operation later on that night, were lost to the depths of peaceful dreams and the small snores that escaped their lips.