A Father's Hate Chapter 10, a ncis fanfic

Work had seemed longer than usual today for Tony. For two reasons, one because the team currently didn't have a case so you were stuck doing paper work, if you were McGee, or playing tetris all day, if you were Tony, or going on five hundred coffee runs to keep you awake from the boringness of doing nothing, if you were Gibbs. The second was because today there was a desk empty. Tony realized just how much he enjoyed their constant going back and forth and how much he missed it when it was gone. He missed her sneaking up behind him and scaring him half to death, he missed the way she would seemingly challenge him, the way she would just make the day so much more fun, make his day so much better.

Tony was so far past ready to go home it wasn't even funny. He sighed as he walked to the elevator, all day he had been debating about what to do. Should he tell Gibbs or should he talk to Ziva first? Should he put her in protective custody? Did he need to be in protective custody? He still didn't have the complete picture to everything. He still wanted, and needed, more answers.

Tony felt terrible about their stupid argument. Of everything she needs right now him accusing her of betraying everyone sure as hell isn't one of them. I'll talk to her as soon as I get home Tony tells himself. His mind wanders as he makes his way to his car, not paying much attention to what's going on around him. His head had been in the clouds all day and it drove Gibbs crazy but at least they weren't really doing anything. Tomorrow was Saturday and they had the weekend off; something Tony had been anticipating since he woke up this morning.

Tony hears a twig snap and is pulled from his thoughts. He glances around but dismisses it as an animal. Stop being so paranoid he tells himself. Ever since Ziva said that her father was also going to try and kill him he was a little freaked out. Plus if this were a movie ten men all in black would jump out and capture him and then take him to torture him for information. But life, as was commonly pointed out by his partner, is not a movie and in real life snapping twigs signify squirrels, not men in black. Tony's mind then wanders to the film Men in Black, made in 1997 and it included UFOs and Tommy Lee Jones. He'd have to add that to the list of movies for Ziva and him to watch. Ziva didn't know this but he had a little list in his wallet of all the movies they should watch together. And everyday the list just seemed to grow longer until it no longer was a short list.

Tony laughs to himself when he realizes that he has gone past his car. His laughing comes to an abrupt stop when a gun shot is heard. Tony instinctively ducks and grabs his SIG. He takes cover behind a car and searches for the shooter. It's too dark for him to see, but he keeps his eyes peeled for any sign of activity. More rounds are fired and one grazes right past Tony's right shoulder. Pain intercepts it's way through his arm but he blocks it out trying to find a better place to take cover. There is clearly more than one shooter meaning he needs to be protected from all angles. He squeezes in between two cars and stays low as several more shots are fired. When it pauses for a moment Tony cautiously pokes up. His gun ready and in position, but he realizes that it is pointless. Unless you were equipped with a night scope there was no way you could see.

After who knows how long, Tony gets up and very carefully, with his gun still drawn, makes his way over to his car. Climbing in he places his gun on the seat next to him in easy reach. He pulls back his shirt to determine the damage that was caused by the bullet. It isn't too bad but he knew that it would be in his best interest to go to the hospital anyways. Of the many things Anthony DiNozzo hated hospitals were high on the list. Tony sighs; he knows exactly who it was that shot at him and he knew who their other target was and he knew why. It's one thing to find out your father is a terrorist it's another when he is trying to kill you because you know.

Tony remembered how much he hated his father, how much he resented him. But it didn't even barely compare to this. His father may have been a drunk and a real bastard but at least he never tried to murder one of his own children. What kind of psycho did something like that? It pissed him off that someone was trying to kill her. It pissed him off even more that it was her own father. How could someone do that? Take their own child's life for their personal gain? It was sick, unforgivable.

He turns the key and the engine roars to life the heat blowing cold air onto him since it had still not warmed up. He puts the car in drive and pulls out the parking spot taking the direction to the hospital instead of home. Would she even still be there when he got back? Would she have left? Would it be willingly if she did? Would she still be alive? Tony knew that Ziva could take care of herself, but he also knew exactly what this man was capable of.

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Ziva eventually had managed to sleep off her hangover and was then wide awake. The thing about Ziva is that her mind always seemed to go to the exact place she did not want it to. It was late enough so Tony should be home from work, nearly 2100 hours. Her mind flashes back to the dream she had had early that day. His lifeless body laying there, his features bloody. Could he be in trouble? Could her father's threats be put into action? Had Tony informed Gibbs? She knew Gibbs would be angry with her if he found out just how long she had been keeping this all to herself. Tony had made many good points of how she was putting hundreds, possibly thousands, of lives in danger for her own selfish protection. Protection of not her, but her partner, her friend. She had lost many partners and even friends in Mossad but sadly her time in America had seemed to soften her greatly. It was no longer 'at least they died for their country' but instead 'how could they be gone? It is not fair' It would not be right if Tony were to die because of her.

Ziva quickly grew tired of her many thoughts and worries so instead decided to replace them with a book. She gets up from the bed for the first time since that morning and makes her way into the other room to find her bag. She opens it and finds her book placed on top. She pulls it out and gets comfortable on the couch. Opening the book she sees nothing but a blur of words that all seem to group together. Frustrated she sets down the book and lays down on the couch. Perhaps I am still tired she thinks to herself. There had been very few nights of which she was actually getting a decent amount of sleep. Perhaps she was still recovering from the extreme lack of rest she had been getting.

Ziva is tempted to get the whiskey bottle again but thinks better of it and in turn just closes her eyes. She is immediately jolted to life when she hears the door open and sees Tony standing there, right arm in a sling. "Tony," she says and gets up walking over to him. "What happened?"

"Listen, Zi, I'm sorry about today I didn't mean what I-"

"You were right," she confesses to him quietly. Her head hung low, a sad, yet not overly so, expression coming across her face.

"No I wasn't. I had no right to say what I did. I know that you aren't betraying us, you were just..." Tony fades out regretting the sentence he had begun saying. "You knew what you were doing."

"I am sorry, Tony," she tells him and stares at him square in the eye.

Tony considers fighting it. Telling her that she was not at fault but he knows her stubbornness and he knows her. "Don't apologize. It's a sign of weakness."

"I am sorry."

"Me too," she smiles at him and he returns it. The moment is short lived when her eyes are once again drawn to his injury.

He sees where her eyes are lingering and figures he should tell her. "I was shot at while in the parking lot. It's not that bad just needed to be cleaned and have a few stitches. I'll be perfectly fine in a week."

"It was him, yes?" Ziva asks and the empty eyes she had seen in her dream flash back in her mind.

"I couldn't see. So I don't really know who it was exactly," Tony tells her trying to minimize the reality of it all.

"It was him," she says again except this time in an answer than a question.

"I have pissed off an awful lot of people," he jokes and she stares at him, her eyes sad and weak, tired even. "Yeah, not necessarily him though. Whoever it was that shot at me missed so it obviously wasn't him."

"Yes, but whoever it was was sent by him. It makes little difference."

"I thought of some more movies for us to watch," Tony says and Ziva rolls her eyes but sits down on the couch and stares at him expectantly. "You could help me. I am injured after all."

He earns himself another eye roll but she does get off of the couch to help him. "It is not that difficult to get a DVD, Tony."

"Yeah, but I am injured."

"Barely."

"Okay there was a bullet and there was my arm. The bullet and my arm were in extremely close proximity to one another," Tony says and begins demonstrating what happened, using his left hand as the bullet. Ziva laughs and ignores him. She selects a random movie and places it in the DVD and then presses play.

"Do you ever shut up?" Tony shoots her a look and she gives him a slug smile but then turns her attention to the TV as the Fox 20th Century fanfare begins to play.

"Was Tali your full sister or half?" Tony asks randomly as he and Ziva sat, half way through the movie.

"My full sister why?" she questions, rather surprised from the random question on a rarely mentioned topic.

"I was just wondering," Tony says and turns back to the television.

"She was so full of life, had so much ahead of her. It is not right that she died."

"She was only sixteen right?"

"Yes," Ziva says and smiles. "But you would not know it from the looks of her. She seemed so adult and yet so naive and innocent. Tali was caring, loving. Mossad was not a place for her, our family was not a place for her. I wish that I could have taken her place that day. Tali did not deserve to die. There are very few who do deserve to die, but there are also so few who really deserve to live. Tali was one of them."

"I bet she was a lot like you," Tony says and Ziva shakes her head laughing.

"In some ways she was just like me, yet in others the complete opposite. Tali was very motherly; she was the type who would take care of you whether you deserved it or not. She was forgiving and trusting, but very strong and stubborn. Tali could stand her own, that is for sure."

"You think she was more suited to have a family?"

"No doubt that is where she belonged. I could see her as a mother even though she was young," Ziva says and laughs as if there is a secret just for her and Tali.

"You ever think you could be a mom?" Tony asks not really thinking of the words he was saying until he saw Ziva's face.

"I never used to think I would be the type to be able to handle a child, to even want a child..." she fades out and takes a breath blinking back tears. "A little over five years ago I discovered that I was in fact going to have a child. I hated the thought at first but slowly I, I grew to love the idea; love the one I was protecting." She stops again and Tony just sits not saying anything. He wants to hear more but doesn't want to push her to discuss it. "I took a blow to the stomach and lost her."

"Her? You knew it was-"

"Officially? No, I just knew," Ziva bites her lip but a few stray tears find there way down her face. "I could not protect her, Tony." Ziva's tears and pain all seemingly catch up to her at the same time as she begins to sob no longer trying to stop herself from releasing it all. "How could I miss something so much that I never even had the chance to have?" she questions and Tony wishes he could give her an answer but can think of nothing but to let her cry. No matter how strong someone is they still hurt and it was time for Ziva to release the hurt she had been storing for years.

Okay there is chapter ten. I'm not too sure how much I like it but hopefully it is okay. Thanks to everyone for all of your support and encouragement. Please review and let me know what you thought. Who knows I may even update tomorrow if I have enough inspiration hint hint. Have a good weekend everyone :)