Far Away

Homecoming

Ziva's heart pounded as she approached her father's office. She was fairly certain she knew what he wanted to talk about, and she wasn't sure how it would go.

"My Ziva," he said the moment she stepped into the office.

"Abba? You wanted to speak with me?" She went to one of the chairs in front of his desk and sat down.

His hands reached over the desk to hold hers. "How are you?"

She frowned. This wasn't what she'd been expecting. "I am fine, why do you ask?"

He sighed, breaking their gaze for a moment. "The NCIS director called yesterday. They have asked me to return to you to your liaison position."

She was on the edge of her seat. "And what did you say?" she asked, fighting to remain calm.

He didn't answer right away. "I told him I would consider it." Her heart sunk, but then he continued, "What would you like?"

Her eyebrows went up. He never asked for her input. "I would love to."

"I thought so," he said sadly.

"Abba-"

"If that will make you happy, I will let you go. I want you to be happy, my Ziva."

"It will make me very happy," she whispered.

"Then it is settled. I will call him back and arrange for your transfer."

"Thank you..." She went around his desk to hug him.

He seemed startled by her affection, but he didn't say anything about it. "This will make you happy?" he asked again.

She nodded.

"Very well. You should go pack up your things. I am sure we can have you on a flight by this afternoon."

"Thank you, Abba." She gave him a huge smile before ducking out of his office.

She hadn't felt this happy since Greece.

***

"You are going?" Michael asked from the doorway.

"Yes." She rolled up another shirt and stuffed it into her duffel bag.

"You are leaving Mossad again?"

"NCIS is my home."

"How can it be your home if your family is here?"

"I have family there, too," she said with a smile.

"If you say so."

Neither of them spoke for a while.

Eventually Michael said, "You remember how the target left before the bomb went off?"

She looked up, startled by the topic, by the memories that flooded her mind. Screaming, hot, pain.

She shook her head. "Sure, what about it?"

"I just thought maybe you would like to know that I took care of it."

Now that was news to her. "What?" Her father made it sound like it had been one of his people.

"I went after him. I shot him in the alleyway and was going to leave him there, but then the bomb went off and I needed to find you, and then your partner found me first. He gave me the idea to dump the body in the ocean."

"Tony. He was there?" The phone call flashed through her mind. "He was there..."

And he didn't know whether or not she was okay.

And there they were, weeks later, and he still didn't know.

She hoped that he would stop in another port sometime soon and try calling her. She would drop everything to answer.

She remembered where she was and blinked. "Michael. Thank you for doing that. I was... wrong... to give up on you. You are a good officer."

"I learned from the best," he said, smiling.

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Officer Rivkin." She couldn't keep a straight face while saying it, though.

"Right. Sorry."

"Never say you are sorry. It is a sign of weakness. That is what Agent Gibbs would say."

Michael nodded. "I will try to remember that." He shifted. "I should probably go, let you pack."

She abandonned her duffel bag and went to him. She held out a hand to shake.

He took it.

"You will do good things. Do not doubt yourself," she said.

He held her gaze. "I will do my best."

She gave him another smile and then let him go. He waved and then retreated down the hallway.

He'd be okay.

***

She was so excited to be back that she went to NCIS straight from the airport.

She thought her heart was going to pop out of her chest as the elevator slowly ascended to the squad room. The anticipation was absolutely killing her, and Ziva wasn't one to succumb to anxiety.

Finally the doors slid open, and she hurried out.

Immediately she was pounced on, pulled into a tight hug by who could only be Abby.

"I missed you so much! We all missed you!" Abby squealed in her ear. "I'm so happy you're back!"

"I am happy to be back, too." She gave her friend a big smile.

Abby eventually stepped back, letting Gibbs approach for his hug.

"Good to have you back, Ziver."

She couldn't find any words that would do her feelings justice. So she just nodded.

It was good to be home again.

*****

Aw. I love the Gibbs/Ziva relationship. And by that I mean the father/daughter relationship, not anything creepy.

Next up, bringing Tony back!

Vote and comment! Extra votes and comments will bring Tony home sooner! (You'd better believe I can stall it for another few chapters)