A/N – Hello, firstly, thank you to all that have reviewed and loved I am so grateful to you all. I do hope you will stick with me for the last few chapters now. Here we go with another, tense talk, and someone is heading home :(
Disclaimer – Not mine.
Even after all this time?
Chapter 8
The small white room had now fallen silent, neither knew what to say or even how to say it, they both just stared at each other like they did when they were partners. Their own personal form of communication, either could tell what the other was trying to say with just the look in their eyes. But now, after two years apart it seemed that communication had been broken. Tony removed his hand away from Ziva's and sat back in the chair.
"I just wanted to come and see how you are" Tony finally spoke up, he watched as Ziva studied him just like he was studying her. Nodding a little she pulled herself up a little more on the bed into a sitting position and faced Tony. He still looked the same, a little older but still the same piercing green eyes that she loved getting lost in.
"I am, getting there" Ziva whispered, she coughed a little which caused a shoot pain through her head. Tony noticed, all he wanted to do was reach out and comfort her, but this was no longer his job.
"Well, we have spoken to Orli and made her aware you are safe, she will be assisting you home once you are safe to travel" Tony stated, the atmosphere arose in the room as soon as 'home' was mentioned. Ziva nodded and looked away from Tony.
"Thank you"
"Just doing our job Miss David" Tony replied, Ziva froze at him calling her 'Miss David' were they really past the point of return, looking back to her ex-partner he was now staring out the window himself.
"Why is it always you?" the question was simple and Tony understood it clear as day, this was now the 3rd time he had followed her around the world, the 3rd time he put himself in danger to find her. Tony shrugged a little and sat forward.
"To be fair, we were handed a missing Navy Reservist you just happened to be there" He stated, Ziva sighed and rubbed her head again where the pain was.
"You could have declined and passed it onto another team" Tony got up out of his chair and walked around the small room.
"It was meant to, Agent Scott down in san Diego" He looked out the small window into the night and sighed "Orli asked us to help, as soon as we knew you were in trouble we had to" Tony turned around and faced her once again, he eyes had travelled and watched as he walked around the room.
"I am sorry, you should have not been given this burden" Ziva whispered, it was low but Tony heard it as clear as day. "It is not your responsibility to protect me and I am sorry you felt that it was, I will be flying back home in a few days, I will make sure this burden is not placed on you again"
"Don't think you quite understand, I refused any other team taking this case" Tony shouted a little, somehow frustration and anger was building up from nowhere.
"Why? I am no longer NCIS" A little laugh escaped out of Tonys mouth
"You kidding right? Please tell me you are freaking kidding me Zi! Even after all this time, after all those years, you still don't get it do you? Heck I cancelled my own goddam wedding for this" Tony's voice was high, he raked his hand through his hair in frustration and cursed himself as those words came out. Ziva felt the tears now pooling at the corner of her eyes, she swallowed to try and stop the flow and calm her breathing down.
"Even now I am causing up pain and hurt" Again Tony gave out a small laugh and stormed back to the chair and sat back down.
"Well guess what sweetcheeks that ship is still sailing after two years" Tony snapped, Ziva gulped as she felt the anger come off him.
"I do not mean to cause you upset" Ziva whispered
"Little too late for that now isn't hey?" The tension in the air was rising at an alarming rate, Ziva felt the tears fall down her cheeks.
"Tony please" Ziva sniffed
"Please what Ziva?"
"I am sorry, you can go now, you are angry with me and this is not fair on you" Ziva finally looked back up and saw the rage in his eyes, she closed her eyes for a few seconds and cursed herself.
"Angry? I am fucking annoyed Ziva, after all this time, you still pull me back like a yo-yo" Tony snapped
"I –"
"I what? Sorry? You know what I am sorry for? Allowing you to push me away two years ago, because guess what? I was due to get married to a lovely girl, but the moment your name appeared and I was told you were in danger there was no option but to call it off, I had to find you I had to make sure you were safe, goddammit Ziva, I thought you were dead" The room went silent as Tony took a few deep breaths, all the emotions from the last few days now finding its way out of his system, the door to the room opened and a disgruntled nurse walked in.
"Agent Dinozzo" The nurse warned, Tony slumped back in the chair and sighed, the nurse brushed passed him to check on a now emotional Ziva.
"Agent Dinozzo, you will have to leave now, visiting time is over and we need to check on Ziva" Tony stood up looked at Ziva and headed out the door. No sooner was he in a taxi heading back to his place.
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Walking through his front door, Tony threw his keys on the side and headed straight for his sofa where he collapsed on face first. He stayed still for a few moments as he tried to calm himself down, he hated that he just shouted at Ziva, he didn't mean it, he was angry and scared that yet again he nearly lost this women.
Pulling himself back up he noticed a few boxes around the room piled up, he looked on the table next to the sofa and saw a hand written note, picking it up he noticed the handwriting straight away,
Tony,
I am off back to London, my company have offered me a job, please can you ship my stuff back to this address. I hope you find her and tell her, be happy Tony
A x
He threw the note down and sighed, 3 days ago he was planning his wedding to a wonderful girl and now here he was sat alone in his apartment back to the same place he was just after Israel. Picking himself up he headed over to the drinks cabinet and poured himself a very generous Whiskey and without thinking chucked the lot back in one go, stilling for a moment as the amber liquid burned his throat but at the same time calmed his senses down. He poured himself another and headed back to the sofa. Downing the next glass he felt this one go straight to his head, a little light woozy feeling was very welcomed from the very heavy head he had been carrying. He shifted back and within minutes found himself in a deep sleep.
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The morning soon followed and the sun creeping through the living room window caused Tony to stir, he blinked a few times and sighed as a sharp pain ran through his head. He glanced at the side of him and read the clock "545" he mumbled and picked himself off the sofa and headed straight to the kitchen where he downed a glass and half of water. He cursed even more when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Without even looking at the ID he answered.
"Yeh"
"Explain" Tony froze as he heard the booming voice of his boss
"What?"
"Why did the hospital ring me and tell me one of my agents were shouting at the patient" Tony sighed and remembered the conversation from the night before.
"Was just over tired Boss" Tony mumbled
"Fix it, Orli will be flying back today, tomorrow with Ziver depending on her health, say goodbye" Tony heard the line go dead and sighed, placing the phone back down he slid down on the cupboards and sat on the floor. He messed up. Big time.
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Arriving at the hospital later that morning now hangover free, he strolled through and headed upto her room. Arriving he noticed the nurses were in with her and decided to wait outside. Looking around the ward a familiar memory rose, Jeanne Benoit, by now he thought he had lay that past to bed but always being in a hospital awoke those memories. He watched as nurses were running around after their patients, answering calls, talking to Drs, he really did hate hospitals.
"Ah Tony" He looked to his right and saw Orli walking up "They are just examining her, hopefully we shall be able to fly her home tonight" Orli finished, Tony gulped and nodded "Thank you Tony" Orli placed a hand on his arm and offered him genuine smile of thanks.
"My job" he mumbled
"Ah, Orli, Agent Dinozzo glad you are here" Dr Smith appeard beside them, he closed to the door to Ziva's room and smiled.
"I have good news" the Dr smiled "we have deemed her fit to fly" he finished
"Oh that it brilliant" Orli responded
"I will send notes with you and I have faxed them over to her Dr out in Israel, when she lands she will need to do a few follow up visits but apart from that we are all good, any questions?" Both shook their heads "Well let me get her release forms ready and you can take her" Dr Smith finished and headed back off down the corridor.
"Go and see her" Orli smiled, Tony nodded and made his way back into the room.
Ziva was now sat on the bed, dressed and looking like she was ready to leave, Tony weakly smiled and moved further into the room. He was waiting for the go away which he knew he deserved but it never came.
"Good news" Tony started he stood at the end of her bed and watched her for a minute, Ziva nodded and looked away. "Gonna stop by and say bye" he finished
"I asked Orli if I could yes, I would like to see everyone before my plane" Ziva mumbled
"Listen last night, I was out of order to come in and here and shout at you, just a lot of emotion needed to be vented and well yeh" Tony trailed off
"Tony you do not need to apologise"
"I do, I am sorry Zi" Ziva looked at him and smiled weakly, she shuffled along the bed and patted for him to come and sit next to her, he hesitated for a second but finally found his feet and moved.
"Orli says you found happiness now?" Tony asked
"Being back in Israel at first was hard but after time I managed to finally come to peace with most of my past" Ziva looked at him "I still need to work on a few things but with time" Ziva trailed off and watched as Tony messed with his hands
"Good Zi you deserve to be happy" he whispered
"And so do you"
"And one day I will, just not my time at the moment" Tony laughed a little, for the first time a comfy silence fell between them.
"You say you still need to work on a few things, can I ask what?"
"My biggest mistake, well I cannot reverse that now" Ziva sighed
"You could try you never know" Tony smiled "Missed you" he paused, Ziva frowned a little and leant her head again his shoulder
"Same Tony" Ziva whispered, they remained like that for while, with neither talking. Orli came into the room minutes later announcing it was time to leave.
"So you gonna come and say bye" Tony asked hopefully, Ziva nodded " I will see you there" Tony waved a little and headed out the room once again.
A/N – All I am going to say is Ziva will go home. I hope you liked, I love a little tense Tiva. Anyway please love/review and I shall post another chapter soon – not many more to go now.
Happy Wednesday
Nat x