So, this is yet another two parter, brought on by watching some Season 6. God, when Tony gets angry, he really does get angry (even I was cowering in my seat at their argument on screen...) And I have to say, Eli vs Tony in Israel makes me so happy. Tony is far too often portrayed as just a joker, when he's actually extremely competent, something that I really think shines through in that scene. I mean, he turned the Director of Mossad on himself. That takes some skiiiill.
Green
" You were wrong."
" You're going to bring this up again? I thought we'd closed the topic."
" We'd closed the topic because half of the office was watching, and I don't know about you, but I don't tend to flaunt my failings."
" Failings! Ha! Listen to the saint and his holy sermon!"
" Ha ha, make a joke. Bottom line, you were wrong. Out of line. Whatever you call it."
" In Israel, we'd call it-"
" I don't give a damn. Here, in America, where you happen to be a citizen, we call it out of line. Selfish. Ignorant."
" Oh, you have such a cheek to talk to me about selfish and ignorant! So what, you'd rather I'd just left it?"
" I'd rather you'd listened to me, for once, and just done what you're meant to do, rather than...act the fool."
" Act the fool. This fool just saved an office-"
" And nearly killed herself in the process! You know, you might think you're some kind of untouchable, invincible superwoman. Heads up, you're not. You nearly got blown to-"
" Don't be so dramatic!"
For the first time since they'd started arguing, Tony paused, tongue between his teeth, staring at his wife. It had been a what you'd call 'challenging day'. It was rare that Tony let himself get this worked up, or that Ziva retaliated, but either way, the fuse was lit. He gave a low laugh.
" So you're just going to play it off? It was nothing, just a slight slip up, something that happens everyday, perfectly normal?"
" It was a hiccup, of which there were no major repercussions."
" You know, I'd call a trip to the ER, and a building now rubble repercussions."
" Bruises and a small concussion-"
" You were damn lucky, that's all. Next time, that luck might not be there."
" So you're blaming me for this?"
" You should have waited for EOD. They were 5 minutes away!"
" I had no idea how long we had! So what was I meant to do, just leave it?"
" And waited, like everyone else."
" I am not everyone else-"
" But surprisingly enough, you die like everyone else. No, you had to...show off, had to try and prove something! God knows what it was, but you were on a fucking mission, weren't you?"
Ziva gave a laugh; a dangerous, slow laugh, eyes locked on her husband's furious blue ones.
" Show off? I went in there to defuse that bomb!"
" And managed to almost get yourself killed-"
" HOW was I to know there was a second one?"
" You weren't! That's the damn point! If you'd just waited..."
" Then what? Then both of them would have gone off, and who knows what would have happened?"
" You would have been safe."
" I'm plenty safe now."
" Only just. And a hero, at that. How wonderful."
Ziva laughed again, clapping her hands together, the noise reverberating off of the walls of the living room.
" That's what this is about? That you didn't get to play savior?"
" I never said anything!"
" No, but it shows plenty well! You're jealous, because all you did was stand on the sidelines!"
" I did as I was told."
" You might as well paint your face green. You stubborn, pig-headed idiot! I've said it before, I'll say it again; jealousy does not wear well on you. You lose your head, and we all know what happens when that occurs!"
Tony's eyes flashed dangerously, taking a step closer to her, attempting to keep the now boiling temper at bay.
" You're going to bring up Rivkin? Now, really? You think this is the time to drag up that little boyfriend of yours that, oh yeah, I just so happened to be that jealous of that I killed him? Because, you know, it had nothing to do with the fact that the bastard attacked me! I simply just lost my head at the sheer idea that someone else might have one upped me, and I ruined your chances to be happy, so instead, you had to settle with this chump, rather than your Israeli pretty boy- what the fuck was that for?"
His rant was effectively silenced with a sharp slap to the face, before Ziva had him pinned to the wall, voice shaking, eyes wild.
" You dare to try that with me, Anthony DiNozzo! Listen to yourself! You're acting like a child, with no reason-"
" You want a reason? Here, try this!"
Tony leant forward, inches from Ziva's face; it was quite possibly the angriest she'd ever seen him. She could tell he was trying to hold his tongue, and watch his temper, but three words in and he was yelling again.
" I love you, we have 3 children and 10 years of marriage together, and, oh yeah, I nearly lost you today. How's that work for you? Because I tell you, personally, I never want to have to contemplate that I've just watched you die again. Standing outside, watching a building collapsing, and listening to everyone wonder how in hell anything inside could possibly have made it, with that anything being the woman you love, is something I never want to repeat, particularly when she didn't have to be there. And trying to get your head around how exactly you'll tell your children Mummy isn't coming home isn't all too pleasant either. So if that makes me childish, stubborn, pig-headed, jealous, whatever, then so be it!"
Ziva, for once, was lost for words; any anger she had seemed somewhat unjustified. The look in his eyes told her that this was not jealousy, or anything she'd suggested. He'd been worried. Of course she knew that. But this worried? And to carry it over even though she was safe...
Tony released himself from her grip, breathing heavily, a little unsure himself of what exactly to say. There was a moment of silence, before he turned from her, stalking away before he said anything else in anger, or anything that he might regret. Ziva watched him go, gnawing a little on her bottom lip.
" Where are you going?"
She got a gruff grunt for a reply as the front door slammed shut, the house eerily quiet now he had gone. She aimed a kick of frustration for the sofa, letting herself fall onto it, head in hands. Of course he'd been worried, that's where that anger had come from. She felt nausea threaten, running a hand through her hair; perhaps he did have a point. She could've waited, it was risky.
" Momma?"
Ziva's head snapped up, meeting two pairs of blue eyes, peeking around the door timidly. She smiled softly, opening her arms and waving them over. Both children ran to her; Abby had clearly been crying, and Tony looked as though he wasn't far from it. She held them close, rocking both soothingly, unsure whether it was more for them or for her. Abby began to sniffle again.
" Come on, yakiri. There's no need to cry."
" D-Daddy...D-Daddy was sh-sh-shouting..."
Tony was quick to jump to his father's support, giving his sister a nudge.
" And Mama! It wasn't just Daddy, Abby!"
" But he was sh-shouting loudest..."
Ziva sighed, kissing the little girl.
" It doesn't matter who was shouting what or how loud, it makes no difference. I'm sorry we were shouting. Sometimes, people argue, Mama and Daddy fall out, but that's just the way it is. You and Tony argue, don't you?"
Abby nodded, snuffling.
" But Daddy's never angry. Not like that. Daddy never shouts."
" 'cept at the football."
" But that's different Tony! He was properly angry! Angrier than...than when you hid in the attic all day and they called the police..."
Ziva rolled her eyes, recalling the day perfectly, unconsciously holding her son that bit tighter. It had been a day she'd rather forget; she'd never seen Tony panic like that, or felt so sick, with her first thought being that somehow, Mossad, her father, had a hand in it. Pushing those thoughts to the back of her head, she gave both children a soft squeeze.
" Hey. He was just a little..upset."
" Why?"
" It doesn't matter, he was just worried. Everything will be fine, okay? Do not worry."
She wasn't sure whether she was saying it for them, or for herself.