Chapter 1 - Sloane
Anyone could tell that Anthony DiNozzo was a ladies man with many a stories about one night stands and flirty interactions with any woman that breathes, but for Jack Sloane she could see underneath the clown persona that Tony adorns for his colleague and himself.
She could see the pain in his eyes when trying to come across as a Casanova who can bed any woman he wants, Jack just wasn't sure what the story behind the tortured look was. She thought of talking to Gibbs about it but then remembered he is their boss and although would 1000% know what was happening he wouldn't divulge anyones business, not even to her.
Jack settled for just observing Tony and being there when he ultimately fell apart with the weight of the burden of whatever he was carrying. Until she overheard a conversation.
"McGoo, do you believe in soulmates?" Jack's eyes widened from the corner desk, where she had taken occupancy to complete some last minuet tweaks on her paperwork.
"Tony, what does this have to do with anything?" McGee replied with a genuine curiosity in his voice.
"Just thinking about something Z- someone said once" Tony said, stopping himself before he mentioned a name.
"You can say her name Tony. Ziva. When did you two talk about soulmates?" McGee probed gently.
"Years ago. Remember when she was on the phone with her aunt Nettie and asked 'how do you break up with someone' and I misunderstood and started down the phone about being her husband..." Tony winced at the memory.
"Yeah, I remember that vividly. She threatened you with a paperclip didn't she?" McGee retorted trying to conceal a smirk so Tony wouldn't clam up. But from what jack could see Tony was blissfully remembering something and wasn't even paying attention to McGee.
"Yeah fun times. After..." Tony took a deep breath. "After Ziva finished talking to the dead guys wife, she asked me if I believed in soulmates."
"What did you say?" McGee asked intrigued.
"Well, we weren't post elevator us yet, I wasn't comfortable talking about feelings and things that actually matter so i went into talking about a song, telling her to sing me a bit and id get it. She looked at me like I'd broken her favourite knife and said 'you'll never get it' and walked away."
"God Tony. What's brought this up though?"
"Just thinking outloud that's all." Tony replied going back to looking at his computer screen.
"Tony," McGee started "Just message her. I'm sure she'd reply. She only said she wasn't coming back to DC, that she needed to change, not that she didn't want to keep talking."
"Can't do that probie."
"Why not?"
"Because Tim." Tony said in an exasperated tone. "What if she's moved on?"
"You won't know til you reach out" With that Tony stood up turning his computer off, sullen look on his face.
"Goodnight Elflord." As Tony stepped into the elevator, Jack was going to make her presence known but a feeling in her stomach stopped her when McGee started typing on his computer and a ring tone was heard.
"Ziva, hi were your ears burning?" McGee said jokingly.
"Why would my ears burn McGee?" Came a foreign woman voice.
"Never mind. What's up Ziva?" McGee chuckled.
"Just catching up with old friends, yes? How is everybody?"
"Well, it's just me in the bullpen, everybody else has gone home." A sigh could be heard from McGee's screen. "You know you could call him."
"I cannot do that McGee!" The woman, Ziva, sounded on the brink of tears.
"Why not Ziva?" Another sigh was heard.
"What if he has given up on me? I have pushed him away to many times, he will not wait for me. He is Tony DiNozzo, Casanova extraordinaire, he can have anyone why would he want someone as broken as me?" Her voice was filled with emotion. "He has risked his life for me numerous times I cannot ask him to put his life on hold again for me."
"Ziva, I have no doubt that he would welcome a call off of you. Do you believe in soulmates?" McGee thoughtfully said back to her.
"Of course, I do McGee. But what if I am too broken now?"
"Ziva, he wouldn't stop looking for you when you were presumed dead in Somalia. He went to Somalia thinking it was a suicide mission just to see justice for those who 'killed' you."
"Exactly McGee he does not know what happened in Somalia! He does not know what I went through in captivity! I cannot tell him what happened, he would not look at me the same." Jack could feel the tears filling her eyes about to fall.
"Tony is more tuned in then you think Ziva. Want to know what he said after you passed out on the way home?" Ziva must've nodded because McGee continued, "He said 'she's still our Ziva. This doesn't change anything' and I'm sure it would kill him to know what you went through but he doesn't need to know until you're fully ready to tell him, he won't push this."
Just as Ziva was about to reply Jack heard a mobile ringing in the distance. "One moment McGee. It is Tony! What do I say?"
"Just say hi."
"Hi Tony." you could hear the relief in her voice knowing that he reached out to her. McGee waved at his computer screen, hearing the hang up tone McGee let out a breath. McGee turned off his computer and walked towards the elevator. Jack couldn't help but think about Ziva and Tony in the hopes that Ziva could talk to Tony about her trauma and that Tony would help Ziva heal wounds that were obviously old but still cutting deep.