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badass-women-league · 2 years

Text

It had been a pretty quiet evening in the bullpen. Tony and McGee were engaged in a lively conversation:

“I’m telling you, I’m the one she was smiling at”

“She looked me in the eyes when she handed me those letters Probie and her hand brushed mine in the process. She was totally smiling at me”

McGee sighed:

“Why do you care, you’re out of the game anyway”

Tony scoffed

“What do you mean ‘I’m out of the game’ ?”

McGee cleared his throat and said with his most serious face:

“I mean that nobody would be crazy enough to take the risk to flirt with Ziva’s man”. McGee continued with a victorious grin “you had your time. Now your place is on the sideline… bench warmer boy”

Tony jumped from his seat, obviously offended:

“I’m not on the sideline, I am still very much on the field” he scoffed “Tony DiNozzo ? Out of the game ? Ah! You wish ! I can still flirt if I want to and actually, if you wanna know… a lot of women are flirting with me probie !”

McGee smiled and chanted:

“Oh hey Ziva”

Tony’s eyes widened, he jumped and turn around:

“Hey sweetch…”

Nobody was there. Tony turned around upset but relieved that his physical integrity was still safe. He bitterly let out:

“Very funny McHilarious… I’m laughing my ass off…”

McGee walked back to his desk chuckling with pride.

He asked as he sat on his chair:

“By the way, where’s Ziva ? We haven’t seen her all morning”

Tony, still not over the prank that McGee had just played on him, answered:

“Her presence has been requested by Director Vance.”

McGee’s eyebrow raised, Tony continued:

“Her father is visiting for official purposes. She’s been anxious all night yesterday, she hasn’t slept much and this morning she was already gone when I woke up. I really hope he’s not gonna mess her up again”

“Well.. we’re to find out”

With that he nodded in the direction of the elevator from which Ziva had just stepped out. She was not wearing her usual cargo pants, today she was wearing more strict clothes and a pair of heels. Tony’s body stiffened as she rushed inside the bullpen.

“Hey Sweetcheeks”

For only answer, Ziva barked:

“I’M FINE !”

Tony walked closer to her desk while she threw her heels inside one of her desk drawers and took her usual boots out.

“I didn’t ask but I’m glad to know that you’re fine. Who do we have to be upset at ?”

Ziva slammed the drawer and jumped from her chair:

“Don’t want to talk about it!”

And with that she disappeared as quickly as she had appeared.

Tony let a long sigh out and said to McGee:

“It’s going to be a great day…”

End of the day

Tony was slowly driving his car through the jammed traffic of D.C.

On the passenger seat, Ziva was quietly looking at the city passing by through the car window.

On the back seat, Tali was squealing as she watched the street lights dancing outside of the car.

Tony could not stop himself from glancing at Ziva, worried about what might be troubling her so deeply.

He tried:

“Still don’t wanna talk about it ?”

Ziva let a long breath out and answered, her eyes still lost in the void:

“Not really…”

It was only when she felt Tony’s hand grabbing hers that she finally glanced at him. He looked at her with a light smile and whispered:

“Come on.. I thought we were past this..”

She kept looking at him, knowing deep down that he was right. They had agreed to tell eachother things. Things that mattered.

To encourage her, he let his thumb brush the skin of her knuckles. She took a deep breath and finally said:

“My father is retiring…”

She left her words hanging, as if she was actually still processing them.

Tony frowned, surprised:

“Wow… that’s… big but.. isn’t that good news ? I thought you would be happy about that”

“It is… it’s just… he came with that woman…” she had insisted on the word ‘that’ “… and I know why she’s here…”

Her mind slowly shifted back to her memory from the evening

“I was in this room surrounded by all those important personalities. SECNAV, CIA director, Secretary of State, Vance… I just felt trapped when I saw him walking in with her. I could not run, I could not show my anger, I could not say anything.”

Tony gave her time to set up her mind before he dared to ask:

“Who?”

“Orli Elbaz. She’s the reason why my parents got divorced… among other things. My father he..”

She paused and quickly brushed her cheek. Tony didn’t flinch and stayed focus on the road in case she was discreetly wiping a tear from her face:

“…he had an affair with her.. of course he was too blinded to see how ambitious she actually was”

She paused again to organize her thoughts:

“You know I always thought that she was the one..”

She paused, swallowing hard before continuing:

“My mom, I always thought that no matter what happened, she would remain the love of his life, the last person he would think about when his time comes”

She stopped herself as she felt things becoming too hard.

Tony tightened his grasp on her hand which took Ziva out from her thoughts. She looked around and realized that the car was now parked in front of their place.

Tony kept his eyes locked on hers for a moment, knowing that she was silently suppressing her own fear that someday he would find someone else to be the love of his life.

He was not talking but his eyes meant more than words ever could. He was there for her, no matter what.

He was about to speak when a shriek raised from the back of the car. Tony glanced at Tali on her car seat., she threw him her most charming smile. He couldn’t help but chuckle. He turned back to Ziva, kissed the back of her hand and said:

“Come on, let’s go home. Someone is getting a little bit impatient”

——————————————————————————

The next day - bullpen

The team had been busy all morning with their current investigation. Tony, Ziva and McGee were standing in front of the plasma screen in the middle of the squad room, debating on their potential suspects, when movements on top of the stairs caught Ziva’s attention.

Her father was standing on top of the stairs, discussing with Vance. Ziva looked at the scene with concerns. The squad room soon became quiet as both Tony and McGee were glancing at Ziva. Her eyes soon turned darker when Orli joined her father. Her jaw clenched as she noticed her father’s arm brushing Orli’s back. She hated to see them together but more than that, she hated to see any kind of affection gesture between them.

As Ziva saw them walk down the stairs, she tried her best to get her attention back on the plasma screen. McGee’s voice called:

“Ziva ? Are you okay ?”

She gasped:

“Yes.. yes McGee I’m fine, sorry… continue”

She wished she could have just disappeared when she heard her father clearing his throat a few seconds later.

She glanced at him:

“Aba…”

Eli opened his arms.

Ziva’s embarrassment was obvious. She reluctantly walked to her father and hugged him before she said:

“Aba.. I’m sorry we are in the middle of something here. Can we…”

“I won’t disturb you long. I just wanted to invite you and Tony for dinner tonight..”

Ziva glanced at Orli. She felt the anger rising in her chest.

She knew why her father wanted to set up a dinner.

She knew that he was planning on announcing to her that Orli was not here only as his deputy director, she was here because she would soon become the new head of Mossad.

Things had not been made official yet but she was not stupid.

Ziva sighed:

“Aba, we have a lot of work to do… I don’t think…”

But Eli cut her off:

“Come on Ziva.. It’s Shabbat. I want to celebrate it with my daughter and my granddaughter. Please. Let this be the first stone that will pave my retirement path”

Ziva looked at him for a long moment before she finally took a deep breath and said:

“Fine..”

Eli smiled and landed a kiss on his daughter’s forehead. He nodded at Tony before turning on his heels.

——————————————————————————

The car stopped in front of the big house. It was a pretty house with a porch, but nothing fancy. It was looking exactly like the other houses in the neighborhood and it was actually the point. Tony looked at the house and scoffed:

“Vance knows how to accommodate his guests. That house must cost more than the entire NAVY Yard annual salary”

On the passenger seat, Ziva was quiet, lost in a void. Tony glanced at her. She had been strangely quiet all day. One could have thought that this was a good thing but Tony knew that her quietness was hiding something deeper.

He knew her enough to know that Ziva had two ways to deal with her anxiety. Most of the time, he had seen her upset or angry, behaving like a lion in a cage, ready to jump at the throat of anyone who would dare to make a sudden move. And the one he had seen the least, the one when she was withdrawing into silence. It was the one he was dreading the most because what she could say out loud could never be as bad as what was happening in her mind.

He grabbed her hand on her thigh and said:

“You have one word to say and I’m driving us back home”

And to his great surprise, she smiled. It was faint but it was there. Her right hand covered his and she said:

“I’m fine. I have to do it… For Tali”

He admired her. Her capacity to put her own feelings aside for the people she loved was unconditional. Her love for their daughter was unconditional.

She grabbed the handle of the car and opened the door to exit when she was dragged back inside. Her gasp was soon muted but Tony’s lips sealed on hers. She made the kiss last for a moment until they both needed some air. She opened her eyes and Tony whispered:

“I love you”

He could not assure her that she would feel better after tonight. He could not promise her that things would be alright. But at that moment, the only thing he wanted her to know was that his love for her was undeniable.

Her previous faint smile grew wider.

Tony grabbed an impatient Tali on the car seat and they walked to the safe house porch. They stopped in front of the door.

Tony asked:

“Do you have a secret knock or a secret password to make them open the door ? Something only ninja like you are passing from generations to generations ?”

Ziva chuckled:

“Yes, but if I tell you, I’ll have to kill you”

With that, Ziva simply knocked on the front door and waited for someone to open.

Tony’s disappointment was written on his face. He grumbled:

“You could have at least pretended”

The door opened on a man in a suit. Tony stepped inside but was soon stopped by the man’s arm on his chest. He said with a strong middle east accent:

“I have to search you”

Ziva let out:

“Are you kidding me ?”

The man remained impassive.

Tony mouthed: “don’t” as if he knew what was coming next, but the man ignored him.

As Ziva tried to walk past him, his hand grabbed her arm.

Tony gasped and shook his head, knowing how upset this would make Ziva.

Tony hid Tali’s eyes to prevent her from seeing her mother’s wrath.

Ziva looked at her arm, still in the bodyguard’s hand and leveled her gaze to his. She said in hebrew:

“If you want to use that hand again, I suggest you take it off and let us in. Now!”

Ziva kept her death glare on him until a man’s voice barked in hebrew.

“Avi! Let them come in ! It’s too cold outside for a child”

The man jumped and released Ziva’s arm.

Ziva and Tony walked in.

As he past in front of the bodyguard, Tony placed Tali’s diaper bag on his hand and gave him a tap on the shoulder:

“appreciate it”

The bodyguard stayed dumbstruck in the middle of the hallway with the diaper bag in his hands.

——————————————————————————

Ziva came back from the kitchen with Tali’s bottle in hand. She froze when she saw the scene happening in the living room. She stepped behind the wall to keep looking without being seen. In the living room, Eli was playing with his granddaughter, chasing her around and making her squeal with excitement. Her walk was still unsteady but she was getting more confident with every step. She still needed to grab furniture to keep her balance sometimes.

Her little body swayed and she grabbed the nearest table leg, still giggling with excitement. Her eyes stopped on the chessboard that was displayed on the table.

Eli knelt next to her:

“It’s beautiful, uh?”

Eli grabbed one of the knights and showed it to her.

He asked:

“Do you play, Tony ?”

Tony, who was looking at them from the sofa, adjusted his position and said:

“Hm.. haven’t played in a while to be honest..”

Eli grabbed the chessboard and Tali’s hand and walked back to the sofa:

“Oh come on.. how do you Americans say that… it is like a bike, right ?”

Tony chuckled at Ziva’s similarity with her father:

“Like riding a bike, yes”

Behind the wall Ziva smiled. She looked at her father, placing Tali on his lap and carefully explaining to her how to play. Tali was surely not understanding what he was telling her, but she was not missing one bit of her grandfather’s words. She was mesmerized by it as if he was telling her the most beautiful story she had ever heard.

Eli moved one of his pawn and said:

“my youngest daughter, your aunt, she was very good at this. Your mother, not so much” He laughed “She did not have the patience for that. She needed action. Some things never change, right ?”

Tony chuckled. Patience was surely not one of Ziva’s biggest qualities.

Eli continued:

“Oh yeah, my Tali was great at this game. She was very clever, you know. Always reading books and learning new things. I’m sure you will be as clever as she was. You have that same look on your face. One day, I will teach you how to play chess and you will be even better than me and your dad”

On the other side of the wall, Ziva smiled as she saw her daughter being so captivated. She had to admit that he was right. Tali had that same amazed look on her face that her younger sister had. She was curious just like her sister was and already very clever.

Ziva sniffed and wiped a tear from her cheek.

Tony who was still not seeing Ziva coming back, called:

“Ziva ? Are you okay ? Do you need a hand ?”

That’s when Ziva reappeared with a baby bottle in hand.

Tali’s eyes enlightened as she saw her mother walking in. She raised her arms in her direction when she noticed the bottle.

Eli chuckled:

“uh.. greedy are we ? That’s your DiNozzo side, am I right ?”

Tony smiled. Ziva sat on the sofa next to him and sighed:

“You have no idea”

Ziva held the bottle to Tali, still on her grandfather’s lap.

As Eli was focused on Tali, Tony placed a hand on Ziva’s thigh and whispered:

“You okay ?”

He was not a fool and he could still see Ziva’s watery eyes.

She kept her eyes on her daughter and nodded with a smile:

“yes.. yes I’m fine”

That scene was something she never thought she would be able to see and at the same time, something she had been craving to see, her entire life.

——————————————————————————

The evening unfolded. Tali had been covered with gifts from her grandpa, but not only. Old friends, distant family members or old coworkers, everyone wanted to offer a little something to Ziva David’s daughter. The announcement of Tali’s birth had been like a little event for everyone knowing her.

Eli checked his watch. The sun would soon be setting. He invited Tony and Ziva to go to the dining room.

There, a beautiful table was set, with a white tablecloth, gold under plate and silver cutlery.

At the end of the table were sitting 2 challahs and 3 candles on beautiful candlesticks.

Ziva noticed that one was significantly shorter than the other ones.

Eli walked to his chair at the end of the table and stood behind it. He looked at Tali on Ziva’s arms and said:

“One day, you’ll be old enough to light the candles and say the prayers. But for now, your ima will take care of that task. Ziva…” He pointed at the candles “Would you give me the honor to light the shabbat candles?”

She swallowed hard. It has been a while since the last time she lit the shabbat candles up or did anything related to religion. The last time she did, her little sister was actually sitting in front of her at the dinner table. She grabbed the box of matches and took one out. She looked at it, still not sure if she could do it. She looked at the candles for a moment and she understood. All three candles had a different size. One for Ziva, one for her sister and one for her daughter. The past, the present and the future. Three different candles, soon linked by the warm light of a flame. Ziva struck the match and lit all three candles. She moved her hands over the candles and then covered her eyes to recite the blessing. Eli looked at his daughter with great pride and closed his eyes to pray.

——————————————————————————

As the blessings were done, the dinner started.

Tony and Eli talked about various subjects. Only Ziva remained silent and Tony had noticed it.

On her high chair Tali soon yawned and rubbed her eyes.

Ziva checked her watch:

“I should go put her in her bed. Is there a room I could use to set up her bed ?”

Eli said:

“Yes sure, Avi will show you the way”

As Ziva stood up, Tony jumped from his seat:

“No, stay… I’m gonna take care of her”

She knew what Tony had in mind. She sat back as Tony picked Tali up from her chair.

“Say bye grandpa”

The little girl waved her hand and chanted:

“bah! bah!”

“Good night Tali”

Tony leaned forward to let Ziva kiss her daughter and he disappeared.

As Tony exited, Eli started:

“That smile…”

Ziva smile:

“She has her father’s smile..” she sighed “... and she already knows how to use it”

Eli laughed:

“I could never resist yours or your sister’s smile and I often got in trouble with your mother for that”

As Ziva remained silent, Eli grabbed her hand on the table:

“Thank you Ziva”

As he saw her astonished expression Eli continued:

“Having my family gathered around a table for shabbat, this is everything I always wanted to see.” He paused “This is for those moments that I am retiring Ziva”

Ziva swallowed hard, her body tensed. Eli let a long pause set as he saw it:

“I guess that you know why Orli is here”

Ziva did not say a word, she was avoiding his look.

He knew Ziva’s low esteem for Orli, but he continued:

“She will be perfect for the job. She will continue the work I have started. I know you have your reason to dislike her but.. ”

Ziva cut him off:

“This has nothing to do with what I think about her. You know how ambitious she is, you knew she could never say no to you, and you know that by choosing her, you will be able to keep taking decisions through her.”

Eli tried:

“Ziva…”

But Ziva did not let him finish. Even though she was keeping her composure, she needed to get things out of her system:

“You are lying to yourself if you think that you’ll be done with Mossad after you retire, you are lying to me. You’ve said it to me when I was young ‘you can never step away from a job like this'’”

As he heard Tony coming back, Eli rubbed his daughter’s hand and let out:

“Well, I am only asking you to give me a chance to prove you wrong”

Tony entered the room and collapsed on his chair:

“Well, she was exhausted, she was already asleep by the time I turned the third page of ‘goodnight moon’. What did I miss ?”

Eli grabbed the bottle of wine to pour some in Tony’s glass and said:

“Nothing, Ziva and I were just.. discussing future and how Tali got your smile”

Tony took a sip:

“The DiNozzo's smile, uh.. And did Ziva tell you how much she can’t resist it ?”

Ziva scoffed:

“That is very rich coming from you, who can’t resist anything she does”

“What can I say, I’m weak when it comes to my daughter”

“We all are” said Eli “When that one was only 5” he pointed at Ziva ”she asked me for a pony. I said, ‘no Ziva, you can’t have a pony’, she looked at me with her eyes full of tears for the entire day..” he sighed “2 days later, I was coming home with a pony. You should have seen the death glare her mother threw me”

Tony laughed:

“Oh I think I can picture it, just fine”

Ziva’s phone suddenly cut short to the conversation. She looked at the name on the screen and said:

“It’s Gibbs..”

“uh-oh.. That’s not good”

Ziva answered:

“Yes Gibbs… uh-uh… okay, fine”

She hung up the phone:

“We have to go”

“The Navy butcher ?” asked Tony

“Yes, they found a new body”

Tony sighed as he stood up:

“damn, I just put Tali to bed ! Serial killers really don’t have respect for anything!”

Eli said:

“It’s okay, let her sleep, you can come and pick her up tomorrow”

Ziva gasped:

“I don’t think this is a good idea..”

Eli argued:

“Come on, Ziva, I can take care of her, I already took care of David girls, I’m sure I’ll be fine”

Ziva was about to argue when Tony whispered:

“Come on Ziva, she’ll be fine, she won’t even realize we left”

Ziva took a moment to think. She was definitely not fond of the idea of leaving her daughter here but they did not have many possibilities anyway. She finally agreed:

“Fine, but you call me if anything happens okay”

Eli could not hide his smile:

“She’ll be fine, now go”

Ziva and Tony grabbed their jackets and rushed to the car. Ziva could not resist shouting her father:

“You call me!”

Eli waved from the threshold and walked back inside.

——————————————————————————

11.30pm

A flash of light broke the darkness of the night. Tony looked at the picture he had just taken and took another picture of the dead body that was just taken out of the water. The cold breeze made him shiver. He grumbled and took another picture. His attention was soon dragged to Ziva, standing a few feet away from him. She had been pretty distracted since they arrived at the crime scene or actually since they left her father’s safe house. She was checking her phone, her body betraying her current state of nervousness.

Tony glaced at Gibbs to make sure that he was busy and he walked to Ziva. He started with a soft voice:

“Gibbs’ not gonna like this, you know”

Ziva barely took her eyes from her phone:

“Like what ?”

He could feel in her voice that she did not care about Gibbs at the moment. He continued:

“What’s wrong ?”

Ziva’s tongue clicked:

“It’s my father… he’s not answering”

Ziva always had that anxiety when it came to leaving their daughter with someone she was not used to being with.

He walked closer to her, his shoulder pressed against her and said:

“And he’s not answering because contrary to us, he’s probably asleep by now” he paused, seeing that his words were not making her feel less anxious . “Come one, Tali is okay. She’s asleep in her comfortable bed with her favorite warm blanket, having the sweetest dreams and the faster we are done with this crime scene, the faster we’ll get back to her and go sleep in our comfortable bed”

Ziva stayed quiet. She hoped that Tony was right, but she could not get that weird feeling out of her chest.

She followed him back to the dead body when her phone rang.

She took it out of her pocket in a swift movement and opened the newest message.

Tony instantly recognized that faint smile that grew wider on her face. He walked back to her and looked over her shoulder:

“See… what did I say ? Comfortably sleeping in her bed”

On Ziva’s phone, a picture of Tali was displayed. She was asleep, holding tight on her blanket with her thumb in her mouth.

Ziva glanced one last time at the picture and got back to work.

But that heavyweight never fully left her chest.

——————————————————————————

4am.

The body had just been removed from the crime scene but a big crowd of investigators and forensic analysts were still milling around to find any kind of clue that could lead them to their serial killer.

The NCIS van gave way to a black SUV that was coming in and it finally pulled away, his flashing lights lighting up the night.

McGee looked at the black SUV and the man who just walked out of it:

“What is Vance doing here ?”

Tony and Ziva turned to look in the SUV direction.

Vance was now engaged in a conversation with Gibbs.

Tony said:

“Well.. it’s the third body that we’re taking out of the Potomac in one month.. I don’t think SecNav is gonna let him sleep soundly until we catch the guy.. and that means neither will we”

Ziva looked more closely at Vance's attitude and that’s when he quickly locked eyes with her. He instantly made sure to avoid her look. It was only until Gibbs did exactly the same that she felt her heart stop. She took a step forward:

“He’s not here for the case”

She rushed to them, leaving McGee and Tony behind, not sure of what she meant.

She planted herself in front of the director and did not give him a chance to talk. She almost barked:

“What happened?”

Gibbs tried:

“Ziva..”

But she was not inclined to listen to him.

She repeated:

“What happened?”

Tony and McGee who were now behind her were listening.

Vance tried to keep his voice as neutral as possible in those circumstances:

“There was an attack”

A rush of adrenaline overwhelmed Ziva. She didn’t know what exactly happened but she knew that her entire world had just collapsed.

Tony, who was trying to process Leon’s words, asked:

“What ? What happened ? Where’s Tali ?”

The look that he then saw on Vance’s face turned his blood to ice.

Vance could not bring himself to say those words. He simply said:

“We’ll do everything to get her back, I promise”

The only word that came out of Tony’s mouth as he realized that his child had been abducted was a desperate:

“No”

Tony’s mind rushed in every direction. Ziva was standing stoically. She had not said a word and as everyone knew, it was never a good sign. The calm before the storm.

And the storm finally hit right away. Without a word, Ziva rushed to her car. Gibbs tried to call “ZIVA!” but in vain. There was nothing that could stop her now. Tony followed her and jumped on the passenger seat before the tires started screeching.

Vance looked at Gibbs. They did not need to talk to know each other’s thoughts. Vance only nodded and Gibbs and McGee rushed to their car to follow Tony and Ziva.

#ncis #tony dinozzo #ziva david #tiva #cotedepablo #michaelweatherly #tali david dinozzo #tivali #fanfiction #ncis fanfiction #cote de pablo

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badass-women-league · 2 years

Text

TIVA shenanigans:

A case led them to foster the dog of a victim in the bullpen.

Ziva was petting the dog in the bullpen. Tony cleared his throat:

“Hm..hm.. Ziva.. you should not get attached”

Ziva turned to Tony with her pleading eyes. Tony’s body stiffened:

“No… not happening”

Ziva looked at him with her puppy eyes and pressed her head against the dog’s head.

Tony shook his head:

“Don’t try the puppy eyes on me, we are NOT taking this dog home”

Ziva took her softest voice:

“Come one Tony, look at him. He’s sad and scared. And imagine Tali’s reaction when she’s going to see that cutie face”

Tony cursed her in his mind and gasped:

“This is very underhand to use our daughter”

But Tony had to be honest, the idea of seeing Tali’s reaction was really pleasing him.

Ziva kept petting the dog and looked at Tony with pleading eyes, the same eyes he used to see on his daughter’s face when she wanted to stay up late to watch a movie with them.

Tony sighed and shook his head. McGee next to him chuckled:

“You’re totally screwed..”

Tony cursed:

“That’s very helpful McSupportive”

Ziva pointed at Tony:

“Go.. go see Tony… go on…”

The dog walked to Tony, his ears low but his tail wagging.

Tony argued:

“No.. don’t come.. no”

He rubbed his head on Tony’s legs and Tony sighed again as he saw the dog’s hair now covering his expensive pants.

Ziva had the widest smile on her face.

The dog sat on Tony’s shoes and looked at him with pleading eyes.

Tony looked at the ceiling and let a long sigh of despair out:

“Fiiiine… let’s get him home…”

Ziva jumped from the floor and ran to Tony.

“YES!”

She wrapped her arms around his neck and landed a kiss on his cheek:

“Thank you”

She rubbed the dog’s head and scratched him behind his ears. Tony grumbled as he looked at the dog:

”if you get all the affection and caresses, I’m getting rid of you, understood ?”

The dog moaned as he enjoyed his new owners caresses.

#ziva david #tony dinozzo #ncis #tiva #cotedepablo #michaelweatherly #tali david dinozzo #tivali #fanfiction #ncis fanfiction #cote de pablo

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badass-women-league · 3 years

Text

When Tali decides to show up earlier than expected 🙈🙈

Complete story readable on my Instagram @badass_women_league

Here’s a short extract of one of the latest chapter I’ve published:

Tony stopped the car in the driveway and took a few seconds to gather his thoughts. He rubbed his face and blinked. He never had a more difficult car ride in his entire life. He could barely keep his eyes open.

He walked to the front porch and opened the door.

He looked around, the room was empty.

Only the sound of an old radio rose from downstairs.

Tony walked down the stairs, knowing what scene he would find.

“hey boss”

Gibbs, his glasses on his nose, was focused on a piece of wood. He stopped his work and grabbed a towel to clean his hands. He answered with a simple nod as if he was already aware of his arrival.

Tony started, a little bit embarrassed:

“I was wondering if I could crash on your couch for a few hours… I haven’t had a good night of sleep for the last 4 days and…”

“Take my bed. There’s food in the fridge and clean towels under the bathroom sink”

Tony stood mouth agape. The long speech he had prepared on his way here was obviously useless. He knew his boss was always a step ahead of everyone (except for technology of course) but how on earth could he know that Tony would have come to his place, instead of his own apartment ? He smiled and turned on his heels, letting a simple “Thank you boss” out on his way upstairs. Questioning the laws of the universe was too much of a job and he was too exhausted for that.

7 hours later.

Tony stretched his arms as he walked down the stairs. Gibbs was busy fixing something on the porch. As he saw his agent coming down, he greeted him with a simple:

“there’s coffee in the kitchen”

Tony rubbed his hair and nodded, still half asleep.

He asked:

“Need some ?”

His eyes still focused on the task at hand, Gibbs rose his cup already full of coffee.

Tony snorted. He should have known.

He came back a few minutes later with a cup of coffee.

A smirk appeared on Gibbs’ face as he noticed Tony’s messed hair.

Tony took a sip of coffee and repeated:

“Thank you boss”

“Ah, don’t mention it” He paused before asking “How are they ?”

“They are doing great. Ziva is still exhausted but Tali is doing better everyday. The doctor says that if she keeps gaining weight like this, she’ll be out in less than a week. Her immune system is mature enough, I can’t wait for you guys to meet her. Look..”

Tony took his phone out and opened a picture of his newborn. Gibbs adjusted his glasses and looked at the picture.

Tony was beaming with pride:

“She has my eyes, but for the rest, she’s all Ziva”

Gibbs looked at the picture with attention. Tony continued:

“You should see her when she frowns, that’s Ziva all the way”

Gibbs put his hand on Tony’s shoulder and said:

“You did a great job Kid, embrace it”

Tony checked his watch:

“Oh crap! I didn’t know it was that late!”

As he saw Gibbs’ questioning look, Tony continued:

“I’ve said I will bring Tali something back, a teddy bear or something and now, I will never get back in town quickly enough to find an open shop.. I know, she’s just a baby but.. Great fatherhood start DiNozzo!”

Gibbs knew that there was something deeper behind this than just a teddy bear. He knew Tony did not want to make the same mistakes his father did. He did not want to be the father that makes fake promises. He did not want his child to be disappointed like he had been.

Gibbs smiled and walked inside, without talking.

He walked to the basement, followed by a wondering DiNozzo.

Gibbs grabbed an old dusty box on the top shelf and blew some dust out of it. He opened the box and peeked inside. A nostalgic smile appeared on his face. He stood still for a few seconds, just looking at the content of the box and finally grabbed something inside. He took out an old but still pretty good looking teddy bear and handed it to Tony.

Tony stayed dumbstruck with the teddy bear in hand. He stammered:

“Boss... I can’t...”

Gibbs immediately cut him off:

“It’s ok... It was her favorite. It was the only thing capable of soothing her fears, beside Shannon… She would be happy to know that it’s soothing someone else’s fears”

Tony looked at the teddy bear and swallowed hard.

The only words that he could articulate next were “thank you, Boss”, knowing that nothing he could say would be powerful enough to match the symbolism of his gesture.

#ncis #tony dinozzo #ziva david #tiva #cotedepablo #michaelweatherly #fanfiction #ncis fanfiction #tali david dinozzo #tivali

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badass-women-league · 3 years

Text

When Tali decides to show up earlier than expected 🙈🙈

Complete story readable on my Instagram @badass_women_league

Here’s a short extract of one of the latest chapter I’ve published:

He walked to the front porch and opened the door.

He looked around, the room was empty.

Only the sound of an old radio rose from downstairs.

Tony walked down the stairs, knowing what scene he would find.

“hey boss”

Gibbs, his glasses on his nose, was focused on a piece of wood. He stopped his work and grabbed a towel to clean his hands. He answered with a simple nod as if he was already aware of his arrival.

Tony started, a little bit embarrassed:

“I was wondering if I could crash on your couch for a few hours… I haven’t had a good night of sleep for the last 4 days and…”

“Take my bed. There’s food in the fridge and clean towels under the bathroom sink”

7 hours later.

Tony stretched his arms as he walked down the stairs. Gibbs was busy fixing something on the porch. As he saw his agent coming down, he greeted him with a simple:

“there’s coffee in the kitchen”

Tony rubbed his hair and nodded, still half asleep.

He asked:

“Need some ?”

His eyes still focused on the task at hand, Gibbs rose his cup already full of coffee.

Tony snorted. He should have known.

He came back a few minutes later with a cup of coffee.

A smirk appeared on Gibbs’ face as he noticed Tony’s messed hair.

Tony took a sip of coffee and repeated:

“Thank you boss”

“Ah, don’t mention it” He paused before asking “How are they ?”

Tony took his phone out and opened a picture of his newborn. Gibbs adjusted his glasses and looked at the picture.

Tony was beaming with pride:

“She has my eyes, but for the rest, she’s all Ziva”

Gibbs looked at the picture with attention. Tony continued:

“You should see her when she frowns, that’s Ziva all the way”

Gibbs put his hand on Tony’s shoulder and said:

“You did a great job Kid, embrace it”

Tony checked his watch:

“Oh crap! I didn’t know it was that late!”

As he saw Gibbs’ questioning look, Tony continued:

Gibbs smiled and walked inside, without talking.

He walked to the basement, followed by a wondering DiNozzo.

Tony stayed dumbstruck with the teddy bear in hand. He stammered:

“Boss... I can’t...”

Gibbs immediately cut him off:

“It’s ok... It was her favorite. It was the only thing capable of soothing her fears, beside Shannon… She would be happy to know that it’s soothing someone else’s fears”

Tony looked at the teddy bear and swallowed hard.

The only words that he could articulate next were “thank you, Boss”, knowing that nothing he could say would be powerful enough to match the symbolism of his gesture.

#ncis #tony dinozzo #ziva david #tiva #cotedepablo #michaelweatherly #fanfiction #ncis fanfiction #tali david dinozzo #tivali

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badass-women-league · 3 years

Text

[PART IV]

A month later.

Another day came to an end. As Tony walked in, he was welcomed by the sound of sandpaper being rubbed on wood. He knew he would find his boss downstairs at such a late time of the day. He walked down the stairs and stopped.

Gibbs did not bother to stop his work. On the corner of the room, an old dusty radio was wailing sports comments. Tony walked closer and said:

“It’s better with image you know”

No answer came from the old marine. Instead he grabbed another piece of sandpaper and threw it at his agent. Tony scoffed at first, not believing that his boss was actually serious. He then realized that the man in front of him was dead serious.

He reluctantly took his jacket off and set his hands to work.

As he was rubbing the wood, he started:

“You know I’ve been thinking a lot lately. What happened to me, made me realize something you know. When I was lying on the ground, bleeding out.. I realized that the only things I had in my mind were regrets. Nothing to be really proud of, nothing to miss, nothing to cry for. I mean don’t get me wrong, I am proud of that badge boss.. I really am but.. I’m not sure this is what I want anymore. Not like that”

Those last words emphasized every word he had said before. He loved his work at NCIS, he had always loved being a federal agent. But not like this. Not without her.

Gibbs stayed quiet. Tony continued:

“I think I have to try it, boss. If I don’t do it now, I’ll always have those regrets and I can’t keep hating myself for the decisions I’ve made in the past”

For the first time since Tony had started his one-way conversation, Gibbs straightened up and locked his eyes on his:

“What if she’s not ready ?”

Ziva’s name had never been pronounced once in the conversation but yet Gibbs knew it was all about her.

“I’ve given her the choice. I’ve sent her a boarding pass for a flight to Paris, leaving tomorrow. She loves Paris and I needed a neutral space. She can choose to take this flight and join me in Paris or she can stay in Israel and live her life. Either way, by tomorrow, I’ll know”

A faint smile appeared on the corner of Gibbs’ mouth and Tony would have sworn that he had noticed some proudness in his smile.

Gibbs adjusted his sandpaper and as he started to sand the wood again he let out:

“You took your time DiNozzo…”

Tony shoved the content of one of his desk drawers into a cardboard box. Random items fell onto the box.

Emptying his desk was the last task he had to do before leaving and it was the task he had been dreading about all day. He sighed and opened the upper drawer. He grabbed his mighty mouse stapler and chuckled. His eyes then stopped on the golden chain that was resting on the bottom of the drawer. A mix of feelings overwhelmed him. He grabbed it and wrapped it around his fingers, the small pendant representing the star of David dangling from the golden chain. He took a deep breath to give himself courage.

They haven’t talked since he sent her the boarding pass. He did not want to influence her decision and this had been killing him slowly. He kept looking at the little star, remembering the first time they met, the first time they fought, the first time he realized she was different from other women.

He gathered the little chain and shoved it into his inside pocket. There’s no way he would have thrown it into a box filled with junk.

He took a deep breath again, grabbed his box and shut his desk light off before walking to the elevator.

As he stood in front of it, desperately trying to sort his feelings out, the dinging sound of the elevator took him out of his wandering thoughts and the doors opened on Tim and Ellie.

McGee stared at him with surprise and said as he walked out:

“Were you planning on leaving without saying goodbye ?”

Tony took a step back and scoffed:

“Of course not. I was just getting this down to my car”

They walked back to the bullpen in a heavy silence. Tony placed his box back on his former desk and said with a heavy heart:

“So I think this is it.. You are the senior field agent now McGeek. I know, that’s a lot of responsibility but you’ve got it”. Tony turned to Ellie and said “Don’t let him boss you around okay, he needs someone to help him keep his feet on the ground” Tony raised his hand and ruffled McGee’s hair saying “You’ll still be my probie, senior field agent or not”

McGee groaned and fixed his hair.

Tony chuckled, opened his arms and said:

“Come, bring it in”

McGee stepped forward and hugged his former teammate and, even though he hated to admit it, his mentor for so many years. As they were hugging McGee whispered:

“I’m sure she’ll come”

A faint smile appeared on Tony’s mouth. He hoped that McGee was right.

As the hug came to an end, McGee added:

“Give her a hug for me and tell her to call more often”

“I will”

Tony then turned to Ellie. He gave her a hug and said:

“It hasn’t been a long ride, but it was a good one, Bishop”

“Thank you Tony. I really hope that someday, I’ll get to meet the legendary Ziva David”

“I’ll let her know”

Tony looked around and said with a smirk:

“looks like you're gonna have to say goodbye to the old man for me.. He’s probably hiding somewhere crying about losing the best agent he had ever met”

McGee and Ellie looked at Tony with large grins. Tony’s smartass smirk instantly disappeared:

“He's right behind me, isn’t he ?”

Tony winced and hunched his shoulders, waiting for the wrath of his former boss to fall on him.

As nothing happened, Tony turned around and faced it:

“Boss… you’re there.. I thought..”

“It was not easy, but I’ve dried my tears, DiNozzo”

An embarrassed smile appeared on Tony’s face. He stammered:

“I did not really mean it you know.. I know you would never cry about it boss… I mean not that crying is a bad thing just… not… you… I should just stop talking right?”

Gibbs walked closer to him. Tony winced as he saw Gibbs raising his arms:

“Are you gonna hit me?”

Gibbs froze, an amused smile on his face. He grabbed Tony’s arm and pulled him into an embrace. Tony, astounded said:

“Oh.. feels good… should have done this more often boss… I mean.. in a very professional way”

For only answer Gibbs whispered to his ear:

“You take care of her DiNozzo… and you take care of yourself”

A large grin spread on Tony’s face. He tightened his embrace around his former boss and said:

“On it boss”

The sun was starting to beat down on the orchard. Running through the alignment of trees, Ziva was lost in her thoughts. Her ponytail was swaying in rhythm with every pace she made and her olive skin was soaked with sweat. She was heading back to her house when a silhouette standing in front of it caught her attention. She frowned and took her earphones off.

Only a few people knew she was there and nobody was ever visiting, which was the point of her retreat here.

Panting, she walked closer to the man, whom she recognized as the postman.

{in Hebrew}

“Hi, can I help you ?”

“I have a letter for Ziva David”

She tried to hide her surprise:

“It’s me. Are you sure ? There must be a mistake..”

The man handed her a letter with her name and address on it.

There was no mistake.

She stayed mouth agape, looking at the words written on the cream-coloured envelope while the postman walked back to his car.

She walked inside the house and took a sip of water. She kept looking at the envelope on the countertop, wondering what sort of news it might be containing.

She immediately noticed the American stamps and the Washington D.C postmark across it.

A wave of adrenaline mixed with panic overwhelmed her.

Wedding ? Funeral ? Simple greetings ?

All those options were not making any sense in her mind.

For a moment, she considered not opening it. Leaving the truth untold. After all, what she did not know could not harm her.

That idea quickly faded away and she rolled her eyes. Being scared of an envelope was not her, it did not make any sense.

She grabbed the envelope and tore it apart.

A single piece of paper was in it. A piece of paper she immediately recognized.

A boarding pass.

Her eyes browsed through the words on it and stopped on her name:

“Ziva David”

Her eyes slowly went down to the destination:

“Paris Charles De Gaulle”

And her heart definitely stopped when she saw the date.

Friday, 5th. The end of this week.

She did not have to probe her mind to figure out who was behind this.

She left the letter on the countertop and looked at it for a long moment.

She knew the message behind this boarding pass. She knew he would be waiting for her in Paris. She knew how it would break his heart if she was not taking that flight.

What she did not know was if she was ready to take that flight.

For a moment she cursed him.

How could he expect her to leave everything behind out of the blue to get on a plane. How could he expect her to risk everything and maybe reopen the wounds she had worked hard on healing for months.

After a long moment, facing the envelope she put her earphones back and walked out of the house. She needed to run again, to be alone, away from that envelope and think.

Tony had been nervously pacing through the hotel room for the last 2 hours, checking his watch every minute.

He hated this. He had always hated to have his own fate in someone else's hands. His mind was rushing everywhere. What if she had decided not to come? What if she had not taken that plane? What is he going to do if she comes ? What if she had decided to come but something came up and she could not call him ?

He lifted his arm and sniffed his armpit. He had taken a shower this morning and put on fresh clothes but with all this anxiety and pacing, his shirt had nothing left of freshness.

He checked his watch. No time to take another shower. She should be here by now? If she got on that plane.

He poured himself another glass of wine and took a sip. Pull it together DiNozzo ! You really want to be drunk when she arrives ?

He took his phone for the hundredth time. No texts. No phone calls. No sign of her. He opened his flight tracking app. Her plane had landed 2 hours ago. He knew Paris traffic could be a nightmare during rush hours but she should be here by now. He was slowly starting to realize that maybe he should accept that she did not get on that plane in the first place. He collapsed on the bed and untightened his tie.

He rolled his eyes and sighed.

How could he have been so stupid to think that she would came anyway.

Like sending her a plane ticket would suddenly change her mind.

A knock on the door startled him.

He looked around, incapable of thinking straight.

It knocked again.

He jumped from the bed and rushed to the door. He swung the door open.

His heart stopped. The air had been sucked out of his lungs. His hands were wet. The words were missing.

She was there. Standing in front of him.

Her eyes. Her hair. Her smile.

He had missed every part of her and she was finally there.

The only word his brain was capable of forming was:

“Hey”

An amused smile spread on her face and it melted his heart.

She answered:

“Hey”

They kept their eyes locked on each others before Tony was able to say:

“You came”

He could still not believe that she was standing in front of him.

“I did”

He was paralyzed.

She raised an eyebrow as he was still not letting her in.

Tony shook his head and moved aside to let her in:

“Sorry.. please.. come in”

She walked further inside the room and looked around.

He had obviously spared no expense.

The suite was amazingly decorated in a very Parisien way. Not the kind of suite they had shared the last time they were in Paris. As she was turning her back on him, Tony checked his reflection in the mirror and adjusted his hair. He nervously asked:

“Do you want anything to drink ? Something to eat ?”

Ziva turned on her heels to face him and said:

“A shower would be great”

“A shower ! Yes ! Of course!”

Tony led her to the bathroom. She closed the door and he shouted:

“If you need anything just ask..”

And he immediately cursed himself for adding this. He walked to the sofa and grabbed his glass of wine:

“‘If you need anything’! Good job DiNozzo ! I’m sure this did not make her uncomfortable at all”

He swallowed hard as she walked out of the bathroom a few moments later. He nervously stood up, scared of doing something that could make her uncomfortable.

He had prepared for this to be awkward but he had not prepared himself to be the one acting so awkwardly.

He was scared.

Scared that she might not have the same expectations, scared to make the wrong move, scared to make her run away, scared that she might regret getting on that plane.

They needed to talk. An open heart talk. They both knew it was the purpose of this trip. They knew it was inevitable. But when was the best time to start this ? Was there a right time ?

She walked closer to him and as she reached the couch he was sitting on a few minutes ago, she grabbed the glass of wine he was still holding and took a sip of it.

How on earth could she be the one trying to make him feel at ease ! She sat on the couch and he imitated her.

He could not take his eyes off of her.

After a long silence, they both started:

“So..”

They stopped and let a nervous chuckle out. He started:

“Sorry. Go on.”

“No, it’s okay. You go first”

He took a moment to gather his thoughts:

“So.. You came”

Ziva smiled:

“I came”

“Why ?”

She seemed surprise by his question:

“Because you invited me”

“I did”

They were challenging each other, none of them willing to open up first. She took a sip of wine and asked:

“Why did you invite me ?”

“Because I wanted to see you. And I think that now I understand why you did what you did”

She could not believe it. He was the first one to crack. He continued:

“I did not understand it at first, but now I do. You needed to change. To take the leap of faith. That’s what I’m doing here. I’m making the jump”

Ziva stayed quiet for a moment. Her eyes stopped a couple of times on his lips. Those lips she had been missing so much.

Tony took a sip with a confident grin. He had thrown the first blow without opening too much, he had the upper hand. He asked with his husky voice:

“What about you miss David ? What made you accept my invitation ?”

Her heart almost exploded in her chest as she heard him call her this way. It brought up so many memories. She knew she had to let go, to open up, to let him win for once:

“I came because I’ve realized something” She made sure to leave a long pause between her sentences “I wanted to change. I needed to change. But there’s no point at changing and becoming who you’ve always wanted to be if you can’t share it with the person you love”

His heart missed a beat and he could not help the grin that spreaded on his face. There was nothing more to be said. Nothing to add. They were both here for the same reason, for the same need. The need for each other. The need to be reunited.

The distant sound of the awakening city took him out of his slumber.

His senses still asleep, he struggled for a moment to sort his memories out from last night. But were they really memories or desires of his mind ? Sometimes, dreams can feel so real. Did she really come or did her presence in this room last night was only a creation of his troubled and desperate mind ?

His eyes still closed, his mind wandered between wakefulness and sleepiness. Tony pictured her face when he had opened the door, her voice when she said ‘hey’, her scent when he hugged her, her smile when she saw him acting so awkwardly.

He did not want to open his eyes, his fear to realize that this was only an illusion of his mind was still paralyzing him.

He kept his eyes closed and replayed in his mind the memories of the long open heart talk they had last night. He remembered the moment he asked her with a lump in his throat if she had left someone behind to come to meet him and the relief that followed when she answered that she had not seen anyone in a long time.

He remembered the silent tears that ran down her cheeks as she apologized over and over again for hurting him.

He remembered begging her to stop speaking, cupping her cheeks to force her to lock her eyes on his. What he saw next in her eyes froze his blood. He saw how much her ‘monastic retreat’ had turned into self-chastisement and captivity, making herself her own jailer.

For a moment, frozen in time, he hesitated.

That woman always had this power to intimidate him. As he cupped her cheeks, his desire to kiss her grew wild, so wild that it started to burn in his chest. But at the same time he felt like a teenager about to kiss a girl for the first time. He was paralyzed by fear.

He kept his eyes on her, unsure of what to do next, until she gave him the signal he was craving for. She glanced at his lips.

He did not need more to answer her pleading for closeness and intimacy.

Within a split second, his lips crashed on hers, the salty taste of her tears on the tip of his lips.

As much as it displeased him, Tony broke the kiss to get some air.

The very moment, the air filled his lungs again felt as if he had stayed underwater for too long, as if he was seeing light for the first time, after years in darkness.

Incapable of breaking physical contact with her, he kept his forehead on hers, slowly swaying their bodies from side to side in a slow soothing dance.

With a lump in his throat, Tony whispered:

“I’ve missed you”

How could those memories be only creations of his brain ? They were feeling so real that he could still feel the taste of her tears on his lips, still smell her perfume in the air, still feel her arms around him.

Tony blinked a couple of times. The sudden brightness of the room blinded him for a second. He stretched his arms and let a long groan out that broke the quietness of the room.

A quick moan rose. Tony felt the bed sheets move beside him and turned his head.

His eyes landed on the woman asleep next to him and he could not refrain from smiling.

A smile of relief, contentment and a little bit of pride.

She was there, next to him, asleep and she was looking so peaceful, more peaceful than he had ever seen her.

He remembered how she used to always look ready to fight, ready to strike first, even when she was asleep.

But today was different.

Today, her fight was over. Today, she was no longer that ruthless ninja she had worked so hard on leaving behind. Today, she was free, free to become the person she had always wished to be. A partner, a wife, a mother and Tony was determined to help her in her journey.

He kept his eyes on her for a long moment, still not fully realizing that she was really here. He enjoyed that moment as much as he could. A moment of quietness, no question, no worries and no doubts to break this moment.

The room was filled with her scent and the morning sun beams were highlighting the beauty of her olive skin. His eyes wandered a little longer than he had expected on the small of her back. God he loved her back. He loved everything about her but her body was always mesmerising him.

Her hand moved to his stomach and she crawled up to rest her head on his chest.

She stayed like this for a moment, listening to the soothing sound of his breathing. Tony knew she was experiencing the same fear. She needed to be sure that he was real.

She took a deep breath and leveled her gaze to his. She locked her sleepy eyes on him and a faint smile appeared on her face.

He smirked back:

“Morning sleepyhead”

“Mornin’..”

They stayed in bed for an hour, enjoying each other’s presence. They bickered like teenagers, cuddled like lovers and lost themselves in each other’s eyes.

They laughed, kissed and fought each other on the bed until Ziva took the upper hand and pinned him down on the bed. They laughed again like kids until Tony’s eyes locked on hers. Despite the joy of the moment, the air suddenly felt heavy.

Panting, Tony said:

“What’s gonna happen now ?”

Ziva released the pressure on Tony’s shoulders and straightened. Her smile disappeared on her face.

Tony sat on the bed with Ziva still on his lap:

“Tell me we are done running after each other… Tell me you’re staying…” Tony grabbed something on the back pocket of his pajama pants and let it dangle from his fingers “tell me this is the last time I’m giving you this”

The golden chain entwined around his fingers sparkled in the morning sunshine. She swallowed hard. This item belonged to her troubled past, her troubled self. She was not sure getting it back was a clever idea.

Tony looked at her, his eyes begging her to soothe his fears.

She kept her eyes on the star of David for a long moment until her trembling voice finally broke the silence:

“Are you sure this is what you want ? It won’t be easy every day”

Tony cupped her cheeks with his hands:

“I want you, no matter what it means” Tony paused and remembered the last time they have been in this situation. He remembered the tarmac of the airport, the heavy heart and the tears. But most of all he remembered these words that she had pronounced and he did not say in return. He had always cursed himself for not saying them back, and he had always wondered if those words could have changed something. She deserved to hear those words. Tony locked his eyes on hers and said:

“I love you Ziva”

For a split second, Ziva seemed shocked by the words that just came out of Tony’s mouth. She knew that pronouncing these words was challenging for him. A small smile appeared on the corner of her mouth and her eyes filled with tears.

She cupped his cheeks and locked her lips on his for a passionate kiss filled with all the frustrations and pain of years spent away from her soulmate.

THE END

#ncis #tony dinozzo #ziva david #tiva #cotedepablo #michaelweatherly #fanfiction #ncis fanfiction

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badass-women-league · 3 years

Text

[PART III]

She had this strange feeling all night. A feeling that something was going on. That something was not right. She could not put her finger on what exactly but she could not get rid of that feeling. That feeling was still there as she awoke. She immediately checked her phone. No messages. They have been texting every day for the last months and suddenly he was not answering anymore. Maybe he had met someone, maybe after all this time, she was not a priority anymore. And how could she blame him? She’s the one who made that decision for them. If she was the one who pushed him out of her life, she had to be the one to let him go.

However, this strange feeling was not leaving her. She kept checking her phone every now and then to see if he had answered her.

Nothing.

She had to be sure, but at the same time, facing the truth was terrifying her.

Hearing his voice again, hearing him say that he had met someone, hearing him say that he needed to step away from her was an unbearable thought.

She took a deep breath and dialed his number.

She could not breathe, a rush of adrenaline ran down her spine when she heard someone picking up the phone. She let out:

“Tony ?”

A moment passed before a voice answered:

“No, it’s McGee”

“McGee ? Why do you have Tony’s phone ? Is he okay ?”

Another moment passed:

“Yes.. he’s fine”

Ziva was not stupid. She could feel McGee’s nervousness through the phone:

“Are you lying to me McGee?”

“Yes… I mean no…“ She could have sworn she had heard him swallow hard over the phone. He stammered “Tony’s fine, something happened but now he’s okay”

“What happened ?”

No answer. Her middle east temperament was slowly taking over her patience. She bursted out:

“McGee what happened ?!”

“He doesn't want me to tell you… He doesn’t want you to be worried”

“Well that’s perfect because now I’m worried McGee”

Tim took a moment before saying:

“He got shot. He has lost a lot of blood but now he’s okay”

She stayed mouth agape for a long moment, processing the words that just came out of her friend’s mouth. She could feel an array of emotions overwhelming her, tears gathering on the corner of her eyes, questions rushing through her mind. After a moment that seemed to last forever, McGee asked:

“Do you want me to put him on the phone ?”

A wave of panic overwhelmed her again. She mumbled almost to herself:

“I don’t know… I’m not sure… I…It’s complicated”

Until McGee cut her off:

“It could do him good, you know… To talk to you”

She was stunned by his words. It sounded almost like a pleading. Once she had settled her mind she asked:

“How is he ?”

McGee knew her question was not related to his physical condition and he knew that she already had the answer to that question because she was probably experiencing the same affliction:

“You want me to be honest ?” He asked.

On the other side of the phone, Ziva closed her eyes as she heard his words. She took a deep breath before saying:

“Yes, please”

“He’s not Tony anymore”

Those words acted like a bomb inside her heart. McGee continued:

‘He’s still childish, he’s still annoying.. But a part of him never came back from Israel. And I know he’s trying to hide it from us, I know he’s acting like nothing has changed and I know he wants to protect us.. but I know him.”

She stayed quiet, silently letting tears run down her cheeks. She pulled herself together and mumbled with a smile:

“Thank you McGee”

He did not know what she was really thanking him for but he hoped that he had helped in any kind of way.

As McGee quietly entered the room, Tony turned his attention toward the door that had just opened. A tv remote in hand and a large bandage wrapped around his topless chest, he checked his teammate’s attitude and wondered:

“What’s wrong with you McProbie ?”

As an answer, McGee raised his hand and waved the phone:

“She wants to talk to you”

Tony’s eyes widened, a wave of panic struck him:

“What did you do McGee ?”

With a pleading face and sorry eyes, McGee whispered:

“You know I can’t lie to her! I never could!”

McGee handed the phone to Tony.

Tony frowned at him and grabbed the phone. He covered the microphone with is hand and said:

“So much for the help McUseless! How does she sound ? Upset ? Angry ?”

McGee pouted:

“Worried I would say”

Tony sighed and took a deep breath. Getting Ziva worried was the last thing that could have helped him right now and Tony had expressly asked McGee to keep his mouth shut about his little “accident” as he called it.

They haven’t talked for almost a year, there was a lot he had to tell her and the first time he got to talk to her was under such circumstances. As Tony brought the phone to his ear, he waved at McGee to get out. He forced his voice to be the most joyful and full of energy he could:

“Hey”

She did not answer right away, to give herself some time to control her emotions as she heard his voice for the first time in more than a year. She let out an almost imperceptible “hey”

Tony’s heart jumped inside his chest as he heard her voice:

“So… How’s life going in Israel ?”

“Better than for you, obviously”

“Oh, you must be talking about my little accident right ? It’s nothing honestly, just a scratch” Tony moaned as he tried to straighten on the bed.

Ziva let a little chuckle escape.

After a small moment of quietness, Tony continued:

“So… McGee told me that you were worried about me ?”

Ziva could hear his smirk through the phone. She rolled her eyes:

“Of course I was..”

A silent raise. She knew his heart felt lighter by hearing this and he knew she was cursing herself for admitting it so easily.

After a long pause, Tony let out:

“I’m fine Ziva. That was close. But I’m fine”

Ziva hesitated before saying:

“Do you want me to come ?”

Oh yes, he wanted her to come. Oh yes, he wanted to see her, to wrap his arms around her waist and to hear her say that everything would be fine.

He wanted that more than anything else in this world. But he also knew that he did not want her to feel forced to come. He wanted her to feel desired but not obliged to anything. He wanted her to come because she wanted to. And for that, he had a plan.

After a long pause during which he fought himself with all his will, he finally let out a simple:

“No.. It’s ok.. I’ll be fine”

“Okay..”

Her answer broke his heart a little more as he knew it was filled with surprise and deception.

They talked for a few hours on the phone but always making sure to avoid the subject of their feelings.

As Tony felt more and more exhausted he said:

“Ziva…”

“Yes..”

“Will I ever see you again ?”

A long pause rose. He knew she was struggling on the other side of the phone, he knew his question had caught her off guard, he knew she did not had an answer. But he had to try it.

With a trembling voice she let out:

“When the time is right, I’m sure our path will cross again”

She let a long pause set again before saying with a heavy heart:

“Goodnight Tony”

Tony swallowed hard:

“Goodnight Sweetcheeks”

The last thing Tony heard before hanging up was her laugh.

Tony smiled and let his head fall back on the pillow. He was tired but a strange feeling of wholeness had suddenly invaded him. He could not recall when was the last time he had felt like this.

He grabbed his phone, opened Ziva’s conversation feed and typed with a smile:

📩 From Tony D.

“I think I'm gonna have to thank that guy for shooting me..”

✉️From Ziva D.

"Why ?!🤨”

📩 From Tony D.

“I've heard your voice thanks to him.. 🙃”

✉️From Ziva D.

“Cheeky 🙄”

📩 From Tony D.

“CHEESY !”

✉️From Ziva D.

😒

📩 From Tony D.

😂

#ncis #tony dinozzo #ziva david #tiva #cotedepablo #michaelweatherly #fanfiction #ncis fanfiction

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badass-women-league · 3 years

Text

Don’t mind me I’m just fangirling

While everyone is busy with Sylvie… I’m here obsessed with miss “superhero landing 2021”…. She’ll be a poser like her sister… you’ll see 🙄🙄🙄

And don’t even get me started on her russian accent !

#new crush #yelena boleva #black widow #florence pugh #appreciation

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badass-women-league · 3 years

Text

[Part II]

That night as he was sitting on his couch, his mind could not stop rushing in every direction. It was as if those texts had reignited a fire in him. She had always been in a corner of his mind, somewhere, in everything he was doing. Sometimes he could have sworn that he had heard her voice, smelled her perfume, or saw her silhouette. But everytime it was leaving him with an unfillable void in his heart.

He had tried to get her out, to forget about her, to stop texting her but everything around him was always bringing him back to her, to what his life could be.

He was often trying to imagine what she was doing, if she was also thinking about him. If she was missing him sometimes as he missed her every day.

Of course he had dated other women but the amount of alcohol he needed to find the courage for that was definitely going to kill him before his 60’s.

They were never funny enough, never attractive enough, never intimidating enough.

They were never her.

And everytime he could not stop himself from feeling guilty.

Guilty of betraying them, betraying her, betraying himself.

Tonight he had a date with a gorgeous woman he had met at a coffee shop. She was perfect. Beautiful, clever and she loved cinema. What else could he ask for? But yet he was still slouching on his couch, his eyes in a void. His phone rang. He jumped on it but the name he saw on screen left him with a bitter taste of deception. He answered:

“Hey… Yeah sure I’m still up for it.. I was uh.. I was about to head out actually... okay.. meet you there…”

As he hung up, he let a long sigh out. ‘What are you doing DiNozzo ?’ was the question he had been asking himself for the last few months. He rubbed his face and checked his phone. No messages. He stood up and as he walked to the mirror to check his reflection he thought: ‘come on DiNozzo, it’s been a year.. She has turned the page.. It’s time for you to do the same’

The night went on. He took her to a fancy bar in downtown D.C. He tried as much as he could to not scare her with the amount of alcohol he needed to relax. They talked, they ate, they laughed.

She was clearly under his spell and had to admit that he was attracted to her. But something was not right.

He drove her home and the crucial moment happened.

She proposed to him to come up for one last drink and he said yes.

The most hypocritical and insincere ‘yes’ he had ever said in his life.

They took that last drink and she leaned forward to kiss him. His entire body tensed when her lips touched his. He tried as much as he could to live the moment. He tried to focus on her. She led him to her room. His hands found their way on her hips. He sat on the bed and she sat on his lap. She started to unbutton his shirt and he swallowed hard. He was missing air.

As she started to kiss his chest, he mumbled:

“It’s not gonna work”

She straightened up:

“Excuse me?”

He pushed her out of his lap and started to button his shirt:

“I’m sorry but I think I should go”

He stood up, still struggling to button his shirt as fast as he could. He needed to get out now, to run away as far as he could.

She cleared her throat:

“Did I do something wrong ?”

“No.. no, of course not.. it’s not you… you are perfect.. it’s me.. I’m sorry.. I just can’t do this”

And with that he grabbed his jacket and ran out.

Another day, another case, another suspect.

He had to admit that his heart was not on the job anymore. He did not care if they caught the bad guy. All he wanted was to be done with work to get home and get his mind busy with some stupid movies he had already seen a thousand times.

That day was no different, except for one thing.

Today, he was exhausted.

Of course he bragged all morning about his night spent with a beautiful latina that kept him awake all night but the truth was very different.

A woman kept him up all night, yes, but that woman was Ziva.

They have been texting all night (and all day for her), none of them willing to be the one who ended the conversation. Over the course of the last few weeks, they have been talking more, sharing pictures, discussing futile subjects. Anything other than their feelings. They tried as much as they could to reconnect. He had tried to call her a couple of times, but she was never answering. All he wanted to do was to hear her voice but he knew that hearing his would be too hard for her.

McGee had found him suspiciously quiet on the car ride. Tony’s mind had been absorbed by his phone all morning with this stupid smile on his face.

Things were not different on their car ride to the suspect’s house. He had his eyes locked on his phone, letting chuckles out from time to time.

The car finally reached the house and came to a stop:

📩 From Tony D.

“Gotta go catch a bad guy. TTYS”

✉️From Ziva D.

“Be careful out there”

📩 From Tony D.

“I will 😘”

✉️From Ziva D.

“Don’t do anything stupid”

📩 From Tony D.

“Can’t promise that 😇”

The case led them to a suspect they needed to interrogate.

They knocked on the door. No answer.

Tony walked around the house, his Sig in hand, prepared for every eventualities. He heard some noise and a man rushed out of the house. A rush of adrenaline ran down his spine and he started to chase him, grunting:

“I hate when they run!”

After a few yards, Tony saw the suspect disappear around a corner. He rushed around it and froze as he realized that the man he was running after was standing there, gun raised, aiming at him. Tony's gaze crossed his and he knew. He knew it was the moment, he knew this was the mistake too many.

Time stopped. Everything around him froze.

A flash of light blinded him for a second and the deafening noise that accompanied it resonated in his brain.

As the strong punch of the bullet hit him in the chest, Tony collapsed on the floor but surprisingly he felt no pain… At first.

He grunted.

Some distant voices reached his ears and he recognized his name being shouted.

The only thing he could feel right now was coldness and dizziness.

Everyone was bustling around him.

Gibbs knelt next to him and grabbed his hand. The sudden pressure on his chest awoke the pain.

He groaned.

Breathing was becoming so difficult now. And that cold was now making his body shake like a leaf.

He tried to articulate:

“Boss… I think I messed up..big time”

“Shhh… You’re not leaving us Tony.. Ambulance is on the way”

A moment after everything became slower. The voices, more distant and the pain less present. But one thing was not changing. The only thing that was not growing distant was her.

Ziva.

She was still in his mind.

Crystal clear.

And this reassured him.

An hour later.

His phone vibrated inside the pocket of his jacket.

McGee took the jacket out of the evidence plastic bag and took Tony’s phone out.

2 messages appeared onscreen.

First: low battery.

Second: 2 unread messages from Ziva D.

He swallowed hard. He hasn’t thought about calling her.

He unlocked the screen and read the texts:

✉️From Ziva D.

“Are you ok ?”

“Tony ????”

She had texted him a few hours ago and she was probably asleep by now. What was he supposed to do ? Does Tony want her to know ? Should he wait for her to wake up ?

All those questions were now torturing his mind.

#ncis #tony dinozzo #ziva david #tiva #cotedepablo #michaelweatherly #fanfiction #ncis fanfiction

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