Disclaimer: Not mine.
At the sound of the knock at the door, Tony stood and walked to his front door, greeting Ziva's brother before letting him in.
"I'm glad this guy has common sense," he told Ziva as he tipped her head forward.
"And I don't?" she asked.
"If you wanted to come home tonight; then no. He is at home and isn't happy. You should stay here until he's settled down a little," he said, "has he hurt you anywhere else?"
"Just here," she said lifting her shirt a little to reveal the bandage pad covering the stitches. He shook his head.
"I'm allowed to take care of this guy right? And you're not going into that house without someone else with you," he said, "no one from our family and not Abby," he added as she opened her mouth.
"That leaves..." she said looking past Ari's shoulder at Tony who shook his head.
"There's Gibbs too. He said he'd help," Tony said before she finished. Gratefulness filling her face.
"He wouldn't hold himself?" Ari asked.
Ziva smiled, "No. When we were sparring the other day, I won. I actually don't want them to know about him."
"That doesn't surprise me – the fact that you won," he replied, "I'll message you when at least one of them has left. Probably won't be until late tomorrow, after he has stopped yelling at Eli about you," he said handing a bag to Ziva, "I don't know what's in there, but there is at least something in there to last a day or two."
"Thank you," Ziva said, "I don't have a phone though."
"Okay, I'll take Tony's number and message him. Okay," he said, "I'll see you soon," he added kissing her forehead before leaving.
Ziva threw her bag to the corner of the room and sat back in Tony's small lounge. It wasn't long before he joined her, "Everything okay?" he asked as he wrapped and arm around her shoulders and brought her close to his side.
"Fine," she replied hollowly.
"You don't sound fine," he said, "you sound distracted. Do you want me to call Abby over or something?" he asked.
"No, I just want to forget the past few weeks, forget all about Riley."
"Forgetting the last few weeks would mean forgetting me," he pointed out.
"No, not you, just everything else," she stated, resting her head on his shoulder, "I know I told Abby that getting married was a bad idea; but were you considering it?" she asked.
"Maybe a little, if it meant keeping you safe and out of the way, I would have done anything."
"You mean that?" she questioned softly. She felt him nod, "What if I said that I wouldn't be so opposed if it was the last option or if it were later, like when we're were older and ready."
"But if it was the last resort, would you be ready?" he asked.
"I would have to be," she stated, moving against him until she straddled his lap, "I am not going to let what happened the other night happen again, and if that means I have to marry you, than that is what I will do. Only if you want to of course," she added, before meeting his lips in a fiery kiss. Her hands going straight to the bottom of his top.
"No, Ziva," he said as he pulled away and grabbed her wrists, "no."
"Why?" she asked, "I want to, and I'm sure you wouldn't be opposed."
"I don't want to hurt you," he replied.
"You won't," she said kissing him more softly.
"If you're on your back, your stitches will rub against the pillow, friction will equal the pain, and if you move too much you'll tear the stitches in your abdomen."
"Well, that just means I'm on the top," she smiled.
"How about I make you a deal?" he asked, she watched him expectantly, "You wait until your stitches are out and then you can have control for the next week, how's that?" he asked.
"No," she replied.
"Well," he said, placing his hands on her thighs, "That's the only option."
"Really?" she asked, "There is nothing I can do to make you change your mind?" she asked.
"Not a thing, your wellbeing comes before anything, including sex."
"What can we do then?" she asked.
"You making it sound like all we do is have sex," he stated
"You don't seem like the kind of man that would mind all that much, Tony," she smiled before kissing the crook of his neck.
"I probably wouldn't. But unlike last time, he didn't insinuate what he wanted to do, he went for it. And you have to be okay with that before we do anything," he said.
"But he didn't do anything aside from kiss me," Ziva replied.
"You know what you can do?" he asked.
"What?" she said.
"Call Agent Gibbs and tell him that you're going to your house tomorrow or the day after and you want him to go with you," Tony ordered, "I'll order dinner," he added.
She scrawled at him before standing and taking his mobile.
"You're just not happy because you're not getting your way," he said, causing her to throw him another dirty look, "That, Ziva tells me all I need to know."
"Agent Gibbs?" Ziva asked into the phone, ignoring Tony's statement, "it's Ziva."
"What can I do for you?" he asked.
"I need a favour," she stated.
"Shoot," he said, prompting her to continue.
"Some times within the next few days, my brother is going to message us when he thinks it is reasonably safe, but he does not want me to go alone. I was wondering if you would want to accompany me so I can get some of my things and begin to move out?"
"I can do that, tell me when," he said.
"I don't know yet; but you can meet me at Tony's place. Thank you Gibbs," he said sincerely.
"'Welcome," he said before hanging up leaving Ziva staring at Tony's phone.
"What did he say?" Tony asked.
"That he would help, but then he hung up," she replied, confused, "What are we having for dinner?" she asked.
"Nothing too spectacular," he said, "Pizza will be here in about half an hour."
"What are we going to do?"
"Movie," Tony stated in reply with a smile.
"Of course," Ziva rolled her eyes as she sat on the lounge again.
"Are you going in alone?" Gibbs asked as he pulled out front of her house.
"Depends if you want to see a scene or not."
"Who is home?" he asked.
"My mother, brother, sister and father. But who knows what he will be like," Ziva replied as she stepped out of the car. She stopped when she heard the driver's side door shut, "you have spoken with Tony, yes?"
"Yes, but that doesn't change anything," he said.
He stood behind Ziva as she knocked on the door and waited patiently while a girl that was slightly shorter than Ziva opened it.
"Ziva!" she exclaimed running into her Ziva's arm, who immediately embraced her, "your fiancé has been here, and he has been yelling and calling you names, he said that you unexpectedly left and... And..." she tried to continue but began sobbing, "I've missed you."
"I have only been gone a few days Tali," Ziva said into her sister's ear.
"I know, but I've been worried, so has Ima. Ari said that he hurt you, is that true?"
"Yes-"
"Ziva," a stern voice said causing Ziva to look up.
"Tali, is Ari here?" she asked, Tali nodded, "go stay with him," she ordered. Tali obeyed, noting the authority in her voice which she used only when she thought something might happen.
"Abba," Ziva greeted her father.
"We need to talk," he stated.
"Yes," she said, knowing exactly where it was going. She walked in, holding the door open for Gibbs to walk in and stand beside her, "but first I have a question for you. What does Riley have that you are so interested in."
"You continue to answer that question; he wants to marry you. And you will be doing it," he said.
"You do know what he has tried to do to me right?" Ziva asked, "if it is not something he has, then why are you forcing me to do this?" Ziva begged an answer.
"That is not for you to worry about," he said calmly, "the wedding is next weekend, I expect you to be there."
"You've moved it forward again?" she stated.
"Yes," he replied.
"I am sorry to spoil your fun Eli, but I am eighteen, I am an adult. I can make my own decisions and getting married is one that I want to do myself."
"So long as you are living under my roof you will do as I say!" he exclaimed.
"That is fine by me. I am moving out anyway," Ziva replied studying he father's face as she said it. He had all the cards out in front of him, picking them up one by one, in this moment she possessed the wild card. She played a hand he wasn't expecting. He expected his always loyal daughter to come running back home and continuing to do as he pleased - saying 'how high' when he told her to jump. Not this time, she was doing the opposite.
"No you aren't, you have no where to go," he smirked.
"Where do you think I her.
"What of it cannot?" she qhave been the past two nights?" she questioned.
They were yet to move from their places at the door.
"It will still happen, he warned uestioned, an idea forming in her head.
"You won't be able to stop it," he sneered.
"Yes I can," she replied, as she walked past him, "I am taking my clothes and a few personal things, you can choose what you want to do with the rest of my things."
Gibbs followed her as she climbed the stairs. Not saying a word as she thought her plan through.
Her mother met her at the top of the stairs, fussing over her as she would have when she was a baby before she finally got to her room. She pulled a few bags from her wardrobe shoving as many clothes as possible into the bags before getting a plastic bag from the desk draw and gathering photos, books, her very small collection of DVDs and her CDs. She placed them on the middle of her room and looked around, her eyes resting on her sister who appeared at the door.
"Are you really leaving Ziva?" she asked.
"Yes. I need to," Ziva said, instantly feeling guilty for leaving her sister here.
"Can I come?" she asked.
"Tali, not right now, I need to get settled where I am staying and get a few things sorted out; then I will try and get you to come and live with me and my friend. But you can come and visit anytime," she smiled. It surprised her at how much she still spoke to her younger sister as of she was a child.
She kissed her cheek and hugged her, saying 'bye to her brother and the same with her mother before leaving the house she once called home. She had a few of her bags and Gibbs has the others, putting them in the back seat before they both walked to the front again.
"Everything okay?" Gibbs asked as they travelled the distance back to Tony's house. He saw her wipe her eyes out the corner of his eye.
"Fine," she remained closed.
"The offer stands, of there is anything, even of you just need to talk give us a call. Goes for Tony too," he said.
"Thank you Gibbs," she said, "I feel guilty," she said after a moment.
"Why?"
"I should not be leaving my sister there," she said.
"You need to get your life settled and in a place before you can take a dependent child into your care."
"Ima, would be annoyed if I did that. I do not want to take her away; I just was to make sure she is safe. I highly doubt Ari will leave her alone until it blows over, but..."
"I understand," he said, "you don't need to explain."
She nodded looking straight ahead.
"What's your plan?" he asked, reading her like a book.
"Plan?" Ziva pleaded ignorance.
"You can't tell your father who is a very powerful man that you're going to defy him without a good reason forming for why," he said.
She threw him a sideways look from where she sat deciding that telling him and having someone else on their side would play to her drums better than not.
"Did you get it all?" Tony asked as Ziva walked back in with Gibbs following closely behind her.
"Yes," she replied.
"Are you okay?" he asked as he took the bags she held off her and put them on the floor.
"I am fine, but we need to talk," she said.
"About what?" he inquired.
"I have been thinking..."
I'm back :) and I have a new story that will be posted in just a moment if you'd like to read that.
All my stories should be getting an update in the next few days.
This is leading to the next part so not a lot happened.. Once again.
Anyway, please review :)