Family Ties - Part 2
The funeral was slow and depressing. Every speech was in Hebrew and the guests were mostly elderly women in black. Tony stood by the door with all the other body guards and Mossad agents; he didn't let his eyes leave the back of Ziva's head. Once the ceremony was over he nodded at all the elderly people and distant relatives of Ziva and then approached her.
"Ready to go?" He asked trying to ignore the makeup smudged around her eyes which meant she had been crying.
"Yes, I have said goodbye to everyone now." She said taking his arm gratefully as they left the church "What time does the plane leave again?"
Tony checked his watch
"About 4 hours from now." Tony sighed it was clear that they were both keen to get home to their normal time tables.
"Ziva, Tony wait!"
They both turned to see who was calling them, it was Taylah.
"Weren't you going to say goodbye?" She asked stopping right in front of them with her lower lip curled.
"We wanted to go quietly." Ziva sighed. She was a little disappointed that they had been caught sneeking away from the family.
"You papa is looking for you, if he heard you had left without saying goodbye he would be really upset." Taylah whined looking up at them desperately.
"You said you had done your goodbyes." Muttered Tony
She sighed and hissed back
"I was hoping no one would notice."
As much as he didn't want to he pulled her back towards the church where all the black clad old people were slowly drizziling out of the doors.
"Ziva! Aren't you going to say goodbye to your father?" Eli called approaching them.
Tony's common sense won the better of him and he quickly released Ziva's arm to prevent awkwardness when she embraced her father.
"I am sorry father I have a plane to catch." She explained hurriedly
He nodded and shrugged and then hugged her and kissed o her cheeks on by one. He gave Tony a look and then allowed them to leave. Taylah however wasn't as willing to let them go.
"Don't go! It's boring here without you!" She sniffed, tears were quickly welling in her eyes.
They disengaged her grasp on their sleeves and got in to the sleek black car that would take them to the airport. She looked at them for outside the window and waved at them as they pulled away from the church, now actually crying.
The plane trip had been long and tiering. It was harder for them to both sleep on this flight because of all the thoughts that were buzzing relentlessly in their minds. They were both happy to return to their homes and to their separate beds. They both slept well until Tony was woken by his mobile phone buzzing by his bed. He checked the screen and saw Gibbs name. He sat up quickly and answered it.
"Yes boss?"
"Tony you home?"
"Yes boss!"
"How was Israel?"
"Alright boss. I hardly remember it." He joked
Silence
"Well I do remember it. Nothing much happened. No danger against Ziva what so ever. I think we can safely say this guy is in D.C and they didn't know Ziva was going to Israel"
"Where is Ziva now?"
"At home. She refused protective custody but I got an agent outside watching the security cameras."
"Alright. I want you here in 15. We got a dead marine. Go process his apartment 163 G Street"
"Yes boss."
They hung up and Tony pulled himself out of bed and to his wardrobe to pick out a snappy suit to wear.
20 minutes later he arrived at the crime scene. He was late. He spotted McGee and hurried over to him. Tim turned and smile at him.
"Hey Tony welcome back, how was Tel-Aviv?"
"Yeah it was alright, Gibbs here yet?" He said looking around
SMACK
"You're late DiNozzo."
Tony rubbed the back of his head.
"Yeah I'm sorry boss. It's the Jet lag. Won't let in happen again."
"You always say that DiNozzo." Sighed Gibbs "McGee sketch the scene, DiNozzo bag and tag."
Gibbs headed off to ducky to get the run down on the dead guy. Tony used his tweezers to pick up a small white hair off the rug and put it in to a specimen jar. He held it up to the light and laughed.
"Hey Timmy you know what this is?" He called
"Yeah Tony, it's a hair." McGee sighed
"It's a cat hair! Go find out furry friend."
"Why can't you do it?"
"Because I am senior field agent and I am bagging and tagging."
McGee sighed and turned to the door to see Ziva holding a fluffy black kitten.
"Ziva! Hey you're here!" He ginned at her "And you got the cat!"
Tony also spun around grinning at Ziva who was now crossing the thresh hold stoking the small fluffy kitten.
"Ah you got the fearful best. Probie go get the cage for the little monster."
McGee walked off mumbling to him self and Ziva approached Tony with the kitten extended towards him.
"Here take her." She said a sweet smile on her face.
"I'm not an animal person Zee." He mumbled gingerly taking the ball of fluff and holding her at arms length. "It's growling at me!"
She laughed and shook her head.
"She is purring! Hold her properly."
He did and as the small kitten sat in his arms he began to grin.
"Don't tell probie, but she is kinda cute."
"I wonder what her name is." Ziva wandered off around the apartment to look for any evidence while Tony stood in the middle of the aparment with the kitten in his arms.
Gibbs walked in and spotted Tony with the kitten.
"Exploring your feminin side DiNozzo?" He asked, a small grin on his face.
"No boss!" McGee walked in
"Probie, the cage." McGee opened the cage door and Tony hastily put the kitten in the cage.
Ziva came back in with the victims laptop in a bag and nodded at Gibbs.
"I didn't think you were coming in today." Gibbs remarked taking the laptop off her
"I wasn't, but I got bored at home." Ziva said "I thought I would be more use here."
Gibbs nodded his approval. He didn't mind her there, she would probably help more than hindrence, he left for coffe leaving the team to supervise the serch of the apartment.
Later when they were all reterned to the squad room Gibbs saw the cage with the kitten on it was on Tony's desk.
"Haven't you found a home for that thing yet?" He asked
Tony sprung up from behind the cage with the small black kitten on his head.
"No boss! Apparently people are very superstitious and they think black cats will bring them bad luck."
"Why would anyone say know to such an adorable animal?" Abby asked also apperaing from behind the cage.
"Why don't you take it home?" McGee asked Abby
"My landlord didn't allow pets before and he is only just letting me keep Mortimer." (The Guide puppy)
"I can't take it either, Jethro would eat her up in one mouthful." McGee sighed and then he caught Gibbs looking at him. "Boss, my dog, my dog is called Jethro remember?" (See Dog Tags)
"Tony why don't you take her?" Asked Ziva
Tony narrowed his eyes at her
"Ziva why don't YOU take her," He sneered "You are the one who named her."
Gibbs sat down and watched his team argue childishly while he got down to some actual work.
"Ooh Ziva, what did you name her." Abby asked
"Fluffily waffly." Said Tony sarcastically.
"No, we called her Alea, It means new home in Hebrew."
"Aw that is so cute! She is like your and Tony's love child."
Tony jumped up in surprise with the kitten clinging to his shirt.
Ziva laughed and nodded.
"Maybe we should share her."
Tony patted the kitten and gave Ziva the evils.
"I am not that attached to her yet." He mumbled
"Really?" Ziva asked and approached him and reached for the kitten "Give her here then."
"No I am still hugging her…" He narrowed his eyes at McGee who was stifling a laugh.
"Ziva what does your name mean?" Abby asked, obviously in her own world
"Um nothing…"
"C'mon tell us!"
"It means Radiant in Hebrew."
Abby grinned and sat in Tony's chair.
"It totally suits you!" She said "Tony how about your name?"
"It means masculine and amazing." Tony grinned
"Hey, I don't really care what your names mean. Maybe discuss this in your private time?" Gibbs announced standing up.
"Right boss, sorry boss," Tony said pushing Abby off his chair, the kitten on his head again. "Ziva, do you want to take our child off my head?"
She pondered for a moment
"Nope" She said and continued typing.
He sighed and started typing with the kitten now snoozing on his head.
"I better get downstairs and see how AFIS is going on those fingerprint matches." Abby walked off, ruffling Alea's fur as she passed "Have fun solving the case."
After 6 hours of gruelling work and 3 trips outside for the kitten, Ducky and Abby had united and proved the case as a suicide. Tony was packing up his paper work for the day still grumpy at the waste of time.
Ziva was already packed up and she sat on his desk with Alea on her lap looking out the window at the sunset.
"So who is taking her tonight?" Tony asked, trying to sound casual "Are we seriously wanting to share her or was that just a joke?"
Ziva turned to him looking surprised.
"Of course I was serious. Does it freak you out to have a commitment?" She raised an eyebrow
"Not with you." He muttered clearly embarrassed.
"I guess we aren't breaking any rules with this." Ziva smile to herself, turning around again and stroking the purring kitten.
"Yeah," Tony laughed "Unless Gibbs makes rule 52, never share pets with a co-worker."
Ziva laughed as well and stood up.
"I will take her tonight. You can come over and visit her over the weekend if you like."
"I would like that. 2 weeks each?" He grinned at his excuse to go to her place outside of work.
Ziva went back to her desk and picked up her bag. Alea meowed at Tony over Ziva's shoulder.
"Night Zee."
"Goodnight Tony."
"Meowww!"
"Night Alea."
He watch as Ziva walked in to the elevator and sighed and picked up his bag as well. Now he had another connection to Ziva. Was this going to change anything? He shook his head. Nothing had happened like this in almost 7 years, why should anything change now?
Yaay Kittens!
I hope you liked these chapters. I am afraid I have to admit I based the Kitten on my cat Zorba, who is a boy. Here is a link to what she supposedly looks like. .com/albums/m607/Yiotsie/?action=view¤t=