Chapter 11: Chasing…

The report had nothing good, Eli thought, as he dropped another useless report to the other side of his desk. His eyes desperate for reprieve, he removed his glasses and rested them on his desk. The aftermath of the terrorist stronghold on the outskirts of their border had brought nothing but strife for the Israelis. Now he and the prime minister had to meet once more to discuss alternate paths to remove them without violating the boundaries of their jurisdiction.

"What of Ziva?" He asked the agent before him. The agent nodded his head in response, "She is well; she has started to go out more." The director smiled; a flicker of warmth seeped in somewhere his heart rested. Finally, some good news.

"Were you able to get her medical records?" Eli asked.

"She has an elevated blood pressure but other than that her body has finally started to recover, both her and the child are safe for now."

"I want to see." Eli said as he reached for and tapped his pen on the wooden surface in finality.

The agent nodded once more before making his leave.

With a slight swirl of his chair as he braced his back, Eli allowed himself a moment of contentment.

Ziva's situation would turn around and quite possibly theirs could as well. For just a few more moments he allowed such naïve thoughts to dance through his mind before he straightened in his chair and returned to his reports once more.

….

As she closed the door behind her Ziva made quick work of hanging her coat up before entering her living space. She had just returned from her doctor's visit. Though she had felt a little more prepared this time around she had been a little nervous. Specifically when she had been asked to lay on the bed and wait as the doctor searched for the first sounds of her child's heartbeat. The silence that filled the room had almost been deafening and just as the thought that maybe something was wrong tried to worm its way to the fore of her mind, she heard it.

The weight that had been sitting on her chest lifted and the room filled with the music of a tiny little heartbeat. It was at that moment she was transported outside of time and space as she was drawn in by the melodies.

Now as she retrieved the photo the doctor had given her, a small smile played at her lips. Perhaps when she went to lunch with Abby and Kate tomorrow, she would show them.

For now, she had to get ready, they were taking her out of state to go to some carnival and she didn't want to be unprepared.

She made her way to rest the photo on the counter, later she would find somewhere more permanent.

Her mind now mentally taking inventory of what she would need for the travel pack, her thought process was cut short, as she felt the vibrations emanating from her pocket as her phone rang. Checking the caller ID Ziva let a huff of breath pass her lips as she shook her head. It was her father-again.

She let it ring out. She would deal with him later. Since her arrival he had only allowed her a week of no communication before now asking for a report from her constantly. Of which she had not been as forthcoming.

Pulled away by the still incessantly ringing device, a knock at the door. After a few brisk strides and she was already opening the door for her friends, she was honestly surprised Tony had even let them knock.

…

"Amir?" Even after all this time, there was still that little tug at his heart whenever he saw her.

"Hello, Ziva." His greeting seemed to snap her out of her surprise at seeing him. Before she could ask, he answered her unasked question. "Your father finally told me where you were."

The look of comprehension replaced her questions. As he took her in, she seemed to almost be glowing, and the way she was dressed… just as the thoughts started forming in the back of his mind he erased them, there was no point in entertaining such a fantasy.

"Come in." She stepped back just enough to let him in. He had barely had time to survey the room before she asked, "Why are you here?" Her question refocused his mind on her.

A wry smile made its way across his lips. He should have known she hadn't been checking the dates. As long as he had known her, she never had. "Of all days, I wonder why," he said the ambivalence of the situation not escaping him

"I forgot."

"You forgot."

An impish smile graced her lips, and there was that glow again. This place suited her. "Amir, I..." He was taken aback as she began. He had never seen her so unsure. She seemed to want to tell him something, but she paused. He wondered what it could be, giving her a moment to gather her thoughts.

"I wanted to make sure you were alright and to tell you, you were right," he said. As much as he was here to celebrate with her today, he also wanted to thank her. It was only because she was so hell-bent on staying with Mossad that he realized. "Mossad is home."

She seemed speechless at this. Honestly, he was still trying to process it himself. "I don't know what's changed, but your father has allowed me back in."

Her glow seemed to fade, and a look of nausea washed over her. Her fingers tried to soothe the nerves in her temples. He didn't understand why she would be so disturbed by the very words she had spoken to him not long ago.

Before she could say something, there was a single knock on the door. Neither of them had time to react, as not a second later, the door swung open, and one of the NCIS agents, Dinozzo if he remembered correctly, entered. His stride as he entered the living room was easy and unhindered, as though he had done so many times before. He was followed shortly by the other agents and a strange woman he hadn't seen before.

"Now boarding all passengers for the NCIS Carnival Express. Please keep all hands..." Dinozzo's voice was interrupted.

"Dinozzo, I told you to stop," Agent Todd said as she tried to rein him in.

"She doesn't mind..." Dinozzo started again before realizing that Ziva was not alone in the room.

"This is why we wait," Kate said as she smacked Tony on the arm. "Hi, Amir. It's nice to see you again."

Amir took in the scene. So, it seemed he had heard right. "It appears you have plans," he said, turning his attention once more to Ziva. His brow furrowed as she seemed to have gotten stuck in her head. A weight tugged at his stomach in that moment.

"You're free to join us," Tony offered, surprising his teammates and the two Israelis.

Amir spared only a glance in the agents' direction before politely declining. He had business to take care of before he left.

Amir turned to Ziva. "I'll return later before I go. We'll talk then," he said, not forgetting that she had wanted to tell him something. Leaning forward, he whispered something in Hebrew before kissing her cheek and making his exit.

….

"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom."

2 Corinthians 3:17

A/N: Hello again everyone! This is a two parter as well, the full title should be 'Chasing Red Letters' a shoutout to a A whole new world one of the songs that inspired me to write this story more than 10 years ago, this is actually one of the first chapter ideas I had for the story, although the story has gone through a lot of changes over the years this chapter was never a doubt in my mind, (hence the Ferris wheel on the story cover ^_^) I'm hoping to have the second part up either sometime today or tomorrow.

Also, while I've been away, I've been working on other Tiva fics but they won't be released until I've finished this story. You can let me know which you would be most interested in and I'll adjust the order of release:

…..

Story 1 Inspired by the song travelling soldier by Dixie chicks, Tony has run away from home to join the war but before he deploys, he meets Ziva a waitress at a small diner. The two begin a long-distance relationship over letters.

Story 2- Tony and Ziva are both from prominent families, however Ziva's father's company has taken a downturn bringing with it her father's health. Behind her father's back she agrees to a proposition in which she has to agree to marry the son of Anthony Dinozzo Sr in exchange for saving her father's company.

Story 3- inspired by Blake Shelton's 'Farmers Daughter'-Tony is fresh out of high school and has been kicked out of his father's home. Without a roof above his head, he finds a Job working on Eli David's farm, and there he meets Ziva, Eli's daughter who has just finished boarding school and is being prepared to be married of to one of Elis colleague.

Story 4-Tony a film professor and Ziva a personal trainer both decide to become foster parents and end up taking in a "troubled" 6-year-old and his quiet 2-year-old sister.