   Mari83 1/10/12 . chapter 1"For the first time in a couple dozen years, maybe more, Senior had made plans with Junior to spend the actual holiday with him, in the same town and same place, and for the first time in nearly as long, Junior had believed him."
And everybody but Tony probably was waiting for that call and Tony being hurt again... Makes me want to send Gibbs after senior. And who would be better to understand than Ziva. (Though I guess unlike her father, Tony's is at least only psychologically damaging and not playing with his kid's life)
"As it was, he looked particularly vulnerable: clearly he had been up for a while; he had showered, but unlike his usual appearance, his hair had only the benefit of shampoo, and without his usual styling gunk making it spiky or tamed, he looked even more like the abandoned ten year old he once must have been."
On screen, please?
"He was dressed in a red and grey sweatshirt (his beloved alma mater) and well-worn sweat pants; what she could see of his living room behind him had newspapers tossed on the floor and empty beer bottles on the table, but only two, and no evidence that he'd eaten recently."
This is pretty much how I would imagine a depressed Tony apartment to look like. For some reason I could never imagine Tony as being overtly sloppy (in the eternal bachelor sort of way) nor as drinking himself into a delirium, more just flopping around and staring holes into the air...
"noting with a bit of sadness that he had a small pile of presents wrapped with Christmas paper at the far end of the room, on top of which had been dumped a few decorative things. "
And probably presents for his father? If so, that just makes it even sadder... (Though I'd be curious what he would buy)
"pulling out an old-fashioned rolling pin."
Old-fashioned compared to? Is there some American gadget I'm missing?
"Tony," she replied calmly, reaching into the box herself. "If I had finally 'had it' with you, I would have chosen a more public place and a more common weapon, to make the list of possible assailants a much longer one."
Ah, that's Ziva. Scary to think what she could do with a rolling pin. (Also now imagining a plot including Gibbs, an ex-wife and a rolling pin...)
"Yes. And icing." She handed him another container and popped it open to show him the creamy frosting inside. "With bottles of food coloring in there to make as many colors as you like." As he looked back at the rolling pin, then to her, she opened the large tub in which she'd packed the double batch of sugar cookie dough that she'd made from scratch that afternoon. "
I really like the idea of Ziva and baking. It's maybe not the most obvious thing, but I imagine her being very self-reliant and efficient, with refined essential skills. (Makes me wonder when the cookie baking mixes became available in big style in Israel, considering it started earlier in the US than elsewhere) And having non-essential kitchen tools like a rolling pin seems like a sign that she's settling down in her new American life.
"When I came back ... from Somalia..." she began, "there was a place I went for a while that offered counseling."
One of the projects they have in December is a weekend of baking. They always need volunteers to help, both with the baking there and to bring extras, so that baskets could be made up and distributed to families..."
This seems very Ziva to me, turning her hurt into some kind of activity once she sees others that seem more helpless and more in need than her...
"Ziva! I can't believe..." Tony's eyes lit up like a child's as he saw the movie she'd found for him. "
Of course:-)
. "He is out of the photo."
Tony grinned an impossibly wide grin. "Out of the picture," he confirmed.
Ziva's smile was a private one at his reaction, her certainty that he could not resist correcting her confirmed. "Yes. Out of the picture,"
So predictable in his teasing triumphing:-)
"Santa is in Stillwater with his father," she laughed
For some reason, this made me laugh. Just because in a way it is oddly fitting and appropriate.
"I did say that, Junior..." The older man's voice took on the sound of a sincere apology. "And ... I did go. But once I got there, I ... cancelled the meeting. Or tried to. I told the Prince that I had made a grave mistake by cancelling Christmas with you, and that I needed to get back to the States, and would catch him next time."
To have rich friends with private jets... Glad Ziva was around to make him see sense. They needed an outsider to overcome their routines of obliviousness to his son's feelings and Tony's keeping up the facade of not being hurt.
"It's okay." He reached her and grabbed her shoulders, his eyes animated as he searched her face, as if to decide what to say. Whatever he saw, with a rush of emotion he said nothing, but simply shifted to cup her face in his hands and kiss her, holding the kiss for several moments before breaking it to look back at her. "Look, I..." he began, then tried again. "Dad told me you'd called him on his way there, just as his flight got in to Paris."
Ah:-) I'd love to see this on screen, with the darkness around them and Tony in socks... And the perfect moment for it, both with their emotional wall down, softened by Christmas and with no witnesses around (except probably Dinozzo Senior)... which I guess gives them the opportunity to blame it on Christmas and emotions later. (Proof I spent too much time in airports, I was imagining Dinozzo senior walking around Charle de Gaulle) |
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