Time Gone By ✡ NCIS TIVA Fanfiction

Chapter 18

"This can't be the safest place for her. There are way too many people."
"Yes. Good people. They can protect her better than just the two of us."
"They'll be out of their minds."

"They deserve to know I am back." Ziva interrupted the discussion.
Gibbs and Tony looked at her; then Gibbs nodded. "My car's outside. Let's go."

Tony held the door open for Ziva, and she walked out with her head up.
These few hours of sleep really had helped her to grow stronger again.

She sat down in the back of Gibbs' car, Tony right next to her. Gibbs was driving almost as fast and chaotic as she always had done, but at the same time, he took care that nobody got hurt.
Tony wanted to take Ziva's hand again, but her fingers lied on her belly that was slowly getting rounder and rounder.
If he didn't know she was pregnant, he would just think that she had eaten a bit more recently, but she still looked good.

"Do you know if it's going to be a girl or a boy?" He asked to drown the silence.
What a stupid question.

"It's too soon to know it. I'm hoping for a girl, to be honest" She smiled at him and his entire world was alright again.
If she wanted to have a baby girl, he was fine with that.
If she had wanted to give her some ridiculous name and braid pink flowers into her hair, he'd have been fine with that, too.

As long as they were together, he was pretty much fine with everything, he noticed.
Did she want to stay with him?
Well, she kissed me, he thought. She kissed you once before and then she left. A kiss doesn't mean she'll raise a child with you and stay with you forever.
This thought hurt, and he told his mind to shut up.
She promised not to leave me again and Ziva David doesn't break her promises.

The car stopped. They had arrived at the NCIS headquarters.

"I didn't know how much I missed this place." Ziva said and even showed some teeth while smiling.
"Good to be back? Then hurry to get inside, we don't want to catch anyone's attention." Gibbs assigned and opened the car door for her.
She thanked him, got out and quickly entered the building, Tony on her left, Gibbs on her right.

All this was so familiar.
They took the elevator and she remembered all the times, they had had crisis council in here or the one time she and DiNozzo had gotten stuck in it after the attack on the headquarters.
She could have stayed in it for hours, maybe days, just remembering all the good times.

But the past was in the past and right now, someone was still trying to kill her.
The elevator doors opened. She saw Tony's desk, McGee's desk, Gibbs' desk and her desk.

Only that it wasn't her desk any more. A blonde woman sat on her chair, typing steadily into the computer.
Was she her replacement?

Tim saw them standing there and stood up, his face completely blank.
"Ziva?" He asked his voice barely more than a whisper.

The blonde turned her head around.
"My god; is this who I think it is?" She asked. McGee ran towards her and hugged her softly.
She smelled his suit and closed her eyes.
Him, she had missed him too.
He had become a lot thinner since she left, and his eyes had grown darker.

He'll always stay the puppy-like probie to me, she thought and he let her out of the hug.

"You're back." The woman from her desk stood up and walked towards them.

No one could deny that this was awkward.

"I... am sitting at your desk. I'm sorry."
She tried to smile, but that made the situation no less embarrassing.

"It's okay. I'm Ziva."
She bravely held her hand out and the blonde shook it.
"I'm Ellie Bishop. Good to meet you."
What have they told her about me? She wondered.
"I guess Abby would want to see you urgently" Gibbs interjected.

"Yes. I want to see her, too." Ziva replied and all of them got into the elevator. They were only five, but the elevator was fuller than before anyways and she used it as an opportunity to stand closer to Tony.

As it went down, she slipped her hand into his and squeezed it lightly.
He smiled at her and she knew that she was finally home again.