A/N: First of all, I'd like to apologize for the *Present Day* reference that confused some people. I should've specified *Present Day - Remnants of Somalia time*.
Second, I'll answer some questions that were asked in reviews. Updates will be Tues/Fri or Mon night/Thurs night depending on my schedule. Right now I'm just starting to write Ch 17, and it's looking like SMH will be at least 40 chapters, maybe more.
Third - I'm going to be sprinkling some Hebrew into the upcoming chapters but I am not Israeli nor do I speak Hebrew, I get all my information from Google. Hopefully I don't offend anyone if I screw it up but if anyone does speak Hebrew and wants to correct me, feel free!
Fourth - thank you so much for the overwhelming response to the first chapter! Wow! I am so amazed and thankful to all those who took the time to share their thoughts with me. Thank you and please continue to do so!
And now, without further ado - Chapter 2 :)
A/N2: Spoilers for the movie Paycheck with Ben Affleck and Uma Therman, if you haven't seen it yet.
Ziva, I love you.
The words echoed in Tony's head very early Friday morning, waking him up. He growled in frustration because it was the middle of the night and all he wanted to do was sleep until his alarm went off. Tony jammed the heels of his hands against his eyes and exhaled loudly.
She was right there. Ziva had been in his arms. It was the perfect moment he'd waited six months for - why hadn't he said it? Over and over Tony berated himself and the questions circled back for a second try, but he still had no answer.
It was bugging him so much that he almost picked up the phone to call her, but it was no fair to wake her up because he was an idiot. Besides, when Tony finally did utter those words, he wanted to be looking into Ziva's eyes. He wanted to see her heart, to hope she felt the same way about him.
Rolling over, Tony pounded the pillow beside him but stifled the urge to chuck it against the wall. He'd missed his moment to tell Ziva the truth and he had no idea when the next 'right time' would be. That alone was enough to make him want his gun and twenty minutes at the shooting range. He hated waiting, but this time it wasn't Ziva's fault.
NCIS
The phone rang in the last five minutes of Paycheck, just before they discovered the lottery ticket. It was one of Tony's favourite movies and he hadn't wanted to wait and finish it at his place, so Ziva left him to lock up when he was finished and went to the gym.
He snagged the phone off the coffee table, never taking his eyes off the screen. "You've reached Ziva's secretary, can I take a message?"
Tony heard background noise and then his partner's voice. "Tony, it is me."
He sat straight up and swung his feet onto the floor. "Zi? What's wrong?" She'd never called him from the gym before.
Ziva glared at her trainer and friend, standing nearby with his arms crossed and a 'not changing my mind' look on his face. She exhaled loudly into the phone, "I fell during my session today and Duke says no more training until after the baby is born." Ziva rolled her eyes at Duke's raised eyebrow, 'did you tell him?' expression. "He will not let me leave alone. Do you mind coming to get me?"
Tony did not like how it sounded and grabbed his keys. "I'll be right there." Having dropped her off numerous times after work now that she was seven and a half months and didn't enjoy driving quite so much, he knew exactly where to go. Ten minutes later he pulled up out front and a glowering Ziva was waiting in the entryway with the owner. As soon as she saw Tony, Ziva picked up her bag and marched out, clearly ticked.
"I will wait in the car."
"Take care of yourself Ziva," Duke called after her, "I'll see you in about three and a half months."
What Ziva muttered under her breath neither of them heard, but both men knew she was severely unimpressed. When the door closed behind her, Tony turned to face Duke, wanting the rest of the story. "She fell?"
The other man nodded. "Lost her balance during a kick. Landed hard on her butt. She's okay but I don't want to risk anything else happening. Exercise gets more dangerous later in pregnancy because of the hormones making joints loose. I would've cut her off in a couple weeks anyways."
Tony's eyes hardened. "You were fighting her?"
Duke held his hands up. "She was fighting me, but I never let her do anything dangerous, trust me."
Tony took a deep breath and nodded. "Sorry, I just...worry about her sometimes."
"Ziva's still going to need an outlet for when she gets overwhelmed," Duke cautioned. "Swimming is safest, but I'll be she won't listen no matter who tells her that."
Tony shrugged. "She's stubborn like nobody's business, but she wants to keep that baby safe." He slid his hands in his pocket and sighed. "I'll be glad when May gets here, she's too freaking independent for her own good sometimes."
Duke leaned against the wall and flickered his gaze out the door. "You claimed her yet?"
Tony clenched his jaw, thinking about the ring box in his room. "Planning on it." He met the man's eyes. "You gonna mess with that?"
Duke laughed and slapped Tony on the back. "Chill out man, I'm not trying to be competition." His gaze grew serious. "But she's my friend and I care enough to make sure you're going to do something about it sooner vs. later."
Tony nodded unsteadily. "Yeah, real soon. I'm just...waiting for the right moment."
Duke stared at him hard. "Don't wait too long."
Tony held out his hand. "I won't. It's been long enough already. Thanks for making her call."
Duke shook his hand firmly and jerked his head. "Get outta here, she's probably stewing out there."
Tony grinned and headed out to the car. Ziva was facing the window, arms crossed when he got in. "Did you have a nice chat?" she asked through gritted teeth.
He tried not to chuckle. "Duke only wants to keep you from getting hurt."
Her glare was only a few degrees shy of deadly. "I can take care of myself!"
He looked back at her for a long moment. "You've never been pregnant before Zi, I think you're still learning your limits." Ziva's expression fell and Tony's eyes narrowed, though his voice was feather soft. "You haven't...been pregnant before, right?"
Ziva scrambled to get some distance from the care he was showing and shook her head once, forcing her gaze back out the window. "No." Beside her Tony sucked in a breath and Ziva suddenly realized she might've answered the wrong question. "No, I mean yes, I have not been pregnant before this. There was a...scare once, when I first joined Mossad. But it was wrong."
Tony sighed, in relief she hoped, and Ziva got back to the subject at hand. "Please take me to NCIS. I want to use the gym."
Her partner stared at her. "Didn't Duke just say you've had enough?"
Anger flared in her face again. "Tony, I will go with or without you. Now, will you take me or not?"
Tony wrapped his fingers around the steering wheel, silently cursing her stubbornness and his inability to say no to her. "I'll take you." Better to keep an eye on her than to let her loose by herself when she was already upset.
She fell back against the seat. "Thank you."
They slipped into silence for the drive and the process of getting in the building. Once they stood in the training gym, Ziva looked away. "I do not want you to watch. You can wait outside."
He snorted. "Fat chance." Ignoring her displeasure, Tony walked over and started stretching on the mats. He could do the basics of a workout while she did what she had to do to get rid of her frustration.
Ziva glared daggers at him for several seconds before wrapping her hands and moving to the punching bag in the corner. Tony watched her in his peripheral vision as she started with gentle hits and small kicks but continually increased the strength of her movements until the bag was swinging wildly and Ziva was putting everything into her kicks and punches.
Without asking permission, Tony walked over and grabbed the bag, holding it steady so she could put more focus on her form. Ziva didn't say anything one way or the other, just kept doing what she was doing. When she swung around for a kick and jab, Tony saw her wobble and grabbed her arm to steady her, but just managed to take them both to the floor instead. They lay there for a minute all tangled up before Tony laughed.
"Are you sure you don't want to stick to swimming Zi?"
Drained, the Israeli pulled off one of her gloves and dropped it on him. "You better not be calling me heavy."
Tony coughed. "No, but you are sitting on my stomach. Can you get up?"
She rolled her eyes and stood slowly. "You are such a gec."
He screwed up his face. "A what?"
Ziva sighed. "A gec. A nerd."
Tony shook his head. "I think you mistake me for McGee. How do you say 'super awesome cool' in Hebrew?"
Ziva made a noise in her throat. "Ha'ita met."
Tony ran to catch up with her. "I didn't quite catch that."
Ziva turned and patted his cheek lightly. "It means, 'you wish'." Then she winked and he followed her out, repeating the saying and butchering the pronunciation.
"Yeah, whatever David. You only wish you were as cool as me."
She shook her head. "Lo."
Tony frowned. "Since I only speak English, this game is kind of unfair."
Ziva chuckled. "Whoever said it had to be fair?"
Tony caught her hand and opened his car door for her. "If life was fair Zi, I never would've had a chance to be with you."
Her eyes shone. "Toda ha-chever sheli."
Tony smiled a little. "Bevakasha einayim sheli."
Ziva could not hide her shock. "Tony, where did you learn that?"
He touched her cheek. "I have my sources. Just so you know, I mean it Zi."
Tony went around to the other side, got in and drove her home. Ziva spent the whole time trying to figure out if he knew how significant it was in her culture to call someone precious. And if so, now what? Maybe Devon was right.
NCIS
Gibbs knew the moment he walked into his house Friday night after a trip to the hardware store that he wasn't alone. He headed straight for the basement, following the scent of a particular perfume that hadn't touched these rooms in several years. He clumped down the stairs and saw a familiar redhead running her hands gently over the frame of his new boat.
"Celeste."
His first ex-wife smiled and moved into his arms to kiss his cheek. "Hello Jethro."
Gibbs looked her up and down. She'd hardly changed at all since the last time he saw her. "It's been awhile."
"Four years," she said lightly, "but who's counting?"
"What are you doing here?"
Celeste laughed. "Always straight to the point." She dropped onto the small couch beside his workbench. "I'm back in DC."
He raised an eyebrow. "I can see that."
She shook her head. "I mean I'm living here again. Just moved in this weekend." She played with her watch. "You know that house around the corner that I always wanted? Turns out they were looking to rent it."
Gibbs stared at her. "We're neighbours." It was a statement, not a question.
Celeste smiled easily. "You will come over for dinner soon, won't you Jethro? For old time's sake?"
"Still have your car?"
"I always knew you liked that convertible more than me."
"Nice car," he commented, reaching for a jar to hold his bourbon. "But the company wasn't bad either."
Celeste finally looked away, staring up the stairs as if expecting company. "Are you still single Jethro? I'd hate to be stepping on any toes."
He snorted. "Only people who use those stairs are family, and they'd be awfully curious about you."
"Family?" She tilted her head. "Did you adopt the lot of them then? Even DiNozzo?"
Gibbs took a long swallow of bourbon, wondering if he needed liquid courage for this visit. "Had to. He's planning to marry one of my daughters."
"Ziva," Celeste spoke without hesitation.
"You've been taking lessons."
She walked over and took a sip of his drink, grimacing. "Tobias is right, it does taste like paint thinner. And I remember how you talked about her, there was something special between the two of you from the beginning. Besides, it couldn't be Abby, not the way Tim looked at her." Celeste shrugged. "Besides, she and Tony were always more like siblings anyways."
"Good memory," Gibbs commented.
"I can read between the lines." Celeste turned her attention to the boat. "I know you burnt a couple of them, so I hope your naming scheme is different now. What number is this?"
Gibbs reached for his sanding block, needing to focus somewhere else. "Seven," he answered finally.
"What are you going to call it?"
He grunted. "Won't know 'til it's done."
She watched him for a few more minutes, then rested her hand on his arm. "Well, I better go. Wouldn't want to get in the way."
Glancing past her, Gibbs nodded. "Couch is still free."
"I don't read the newspaper so much anymore," Celeste confessed, "too depressing. Historical fiction is my newest obsession."
"Got that house filled with books yet?" He'd never seen another person who owned so many books, except maybe Ducky.
She smiled. "Still unpacking. And I better get back to it." Celeste climbed a few stairs. "Thanks for the drink."
"Next time get your own jar," he said gruffly. Then he let his eyes follow her to the door. "Celeste." She turned back. "Good to see you."
"Supper invitation is always open, don't forget."
He waited until he heard the front door close and set down the sandpaper to finish his bourbon. Celeste had been his first date, his first kiss, his first everything after Shannon. The red curly hair was similar but different, her sparkling blue eyes a shade lighter, her smile quick and easy. But it had been too soon and not many months passed before she realized he was using her to try and replace a ghost.
Celeste had accepted Shannon's memory, never asked about the picture of the little girl that was tacked above his workbench, and tried to love him into healing. But Gibbs hadn't wanted to move on, he only wanted a warm body in his bed to make him forget, another person around so he could pretend he still had a family.
Then the Boone case came and Gibbs poured himself into chasing a monster, seeing his girls in all the women Kyle murdered. He hardly slept, didn't eat, couldn't focus on anything else except his pursuit of the one man determined to play games with him, mess with his head and make everything ten times worse. He spent a year chasing Boone and failed to notice that Celeste was slowly giving up.
When she left he didn't get angry, didn't let himself feel anything. He wasn't surprised and he couldn't even feel one more layer of hurt on top of everything else. So he let her go, didn't fight the decision, and signed the papers that were delivered three months later. She'd given him a chance to make up his mind, but he couldn't let go of the case.
It was Ducky who finally woke him up, but by then it was too late and he didn't see his ex-wife again until after his marriage with Diane had ended with her trying to take his head off with one of her golf clubs. She was still beautiful, still smiled easily, and amazingly enough, they still had things to talk about. So they started spending time together just because they could, and discovered that despite their failed marriage, they could still be friends.
Celeste dropped out of the picture again when he found Stephanie and moved to Moscow for an assignment. Four years later, when he was still bitter about the situation with Jenny in Paris and trying to rebuild his team, she appeared again, slipping right back into the role of companion and friend, someone to spend time with and a shoulder to lean on, if he needed it, just like she'd been before.
They enjoyed the speculation her appearances caused within the team, and he knew the curiosity level had tripled the day she dropped his glasses off. They'd spent the previous evening reading books together on her couch while they shared a bottle of wine, since she refused to develop a taste for his drink of choice.
She'd moved again shortly after Ziva was assigned as their Mossad Liaison Officer, taking a job in California. There had been no goodbyes, no promises to write, no 'see you later' because neither of them could promise that, and saying it out loud would've turned the relationship into something it hadn't been in over a decade. They parted ways as always, with a warm smile and a kiss on the cheek.
Gibbs wasn't sure he'd ever see her again until she turned up at his house tonight, carrying the surprising news that she was back and in the same neighbourhood even. He wasn't sure what to think. But it had been a long time since Jenny's death, a long time since he'd had more than a fling, a long time since he'd had a friend. And if that's what Celeste was offering again he'd take it, because a friend was something everyone needed, even him.