Moving On and Letting Go

CHAPTER 1 - Everything Flew Away with the Plane

A/N – Picks up exactly when Tony leaves on the airplane and Ziva is on the tarmac

Ziva's POV:

In order to make any progress I knew I had to do that but that didn't make it any easier. Leaving people you'd give your life for, who over 8 years became your family through it all wouldn't be a decision anyone would make but I guess I'm not just anyone. I'm a crazy Israeli Chick as Tony would say... Tony the hardest one to leave, I know the tarmac romance scene right before going our separate ways will cause both of us pain – why did I do this? He's been there for me when no one else would, he was the first one I met when I came to NCIS all those years ago, he's my partner, the man that makes me laugh in the worst of times and I had to let him go. For what? My penance that could last forever? To change what has been burned into my bones? To go from violence to calm in the place where all the violence started? I mean where else, but I made my decision and who would I be to go back on that.

As I walk through the airport to the car all that's running through my head is how I left it with everyone at NCIS, a message to Abby from Tony, and absolutely nothing for anyone else. If I call to tell them there'd be too much to explain that would lead to too many questions that I probably don't have the answer to. And I would hate to let them down or add anything to their life, I have always dealt with things on my own and that is what I intend to do.

I get into my car and drive at my normal speed that apparently is fast but has felt normal since I learned to drive in Mossad, oh Mossad another topic to think about during this whole recovering from my past, but that will have to wait for later. I take a turn a little too wide, it's been a while since I've left someone at this airport, which caused me to have to take the car back into control which thankfully used all my focus and momentarily got my mind off the recent events. After narrowly avoid a couple cars, I don't know why Tony and McGee don't trust me driving, I arrive to the road near my family's farmhouse which I guess is now entirely mine and feel another wave of emotion that I quickly hid with my mastered "everything is okay face" even though no one is there to see it and I don't have to pretend anymore, it has become second nature. I walk inside and all I see is Tony, him on the couch, on the balcony, in the window, in the places where I should be seeing my family that lived here. I'm probably going to regret leaving Tony like that but he's a DiNozzzo, he'll be fine and I have dealt with worse.

This is going to be a stony ride- wait rocky ride, yes I caught that one! But stony or rocky this is going to take a lot of figuring out.

A/N – Thanks for reading the first chapter that was kind of boring but I had to start somewhere and I hope the next ones will be more enjoyable for you. Thank you so much!