Okay, this is definitely the weirdest story I have ever written.

Just a warning, I'm not a native english speaker (I speak Danish...), I didn't have this beta'd, and I haven't even read through it once after I typed it... It just sort of appeared on my computer all of a sudden.
(It's not that I don't want to proof read it, I just never seem to be able to catch any mistakes until weeks, or maybe even months after I actually post it)...
I'll explain where I got this weird idea after the story, don't want to give anything away despite how weird it is...

On another note, I would absolutely LOVE IT if you were to leave a review on your way out... good, bad, descriptive, incredible short... I don't care, I just really enjoy getting any kind of feedback! :D

Gallop

He couldn't help it. He really couldn't. It wasn't that he was trying to be nosy or anything, he was just... curious. He was an investigator after all, so trying to solve mysteries was part of who he was.

At least that was what he was telling himself, hoping not only to subdue that nagging feeling somewhere in his chest that felt an awful lot like guilt, but also that that excuse would be good enough in case he ever got caught.

And he knew the chances of that happening were unfortunately pretty big.

Cursing under his breath, Tony pressed the speeder down all the way to make it across the intersection without getting rammed by a big semi-truck, trying to keep up with the small car quite a way ahead of him. Ziva had been an American citizen for over a year now, she'd been in the country for six years, so why couldn't she just drive like a normal, regular person?

Of course, though, Tony knew that part of the reason was so that she couldn't be tailed or followed – something that he was currently guilty of doing – and the fact that he was able to keep up with her at all was proof that she had gotten considerable better.

He couldn't even pinpoint when exactly he'd started getting suspicious. At first he hadn't paid much attention to it, having just assumed that it all had to do with Ray, but when she still showed up to work every Thursday morning all smiley and happy – cause yes, Tony had started noticing that it was the same day almost every week – even though Ziva and Ray were fighting, or Ray was out of the country, or whatever went on in that top secret private life of Ziva David, that's when he knew something was up. Especially since no one were ever able to get her to share her plans for Wednesday evening and she'd always decline whatever offers Tony or McGee might give her, and Tony was certain that she wasn't seeing anyone, cause Ziva wasn't the type of woman to cheat on her boyfriend - despite how much Tony disliked said CIA agent.

So after weeks of trying to decide what to do about it, here he was, trying to follow his ninja partner because he simply couldn't stand not knowing anymore. He just really, really wished she wouldn't kill him with her cellphone if she caught him.

They'd been driving for 1.5 hours when Ziva's car finally came to a stop, and by then Tony was sure she must have noticed him. If not because of the amount of time he'd been tailing her, then because they'd ended up somewhere in the middle of nowhere in Virginia's countryside, and there had been practically no other cars on the highway and dirt roads but theirs.

But Ziva didn't even look his way as she jumped out of her car – parked in front of a nice looking, pretty big house – and grabbed a bag out of the backseat before entering a gate on the side of house that took her to back where Tony could no longer see her for the building and all the trees that surrounded it. It was a nice place, there was no doubt about it, with the cozy, stone building with the big staircase in front, the obviously very well kept flowers and trees and plants spread out perfectly along the exterior of the house and down the drive way, and the big barn next to the house making it reminding Tony just how far away from civilization they were.

He didn't know how long he'd been sitting there, lost in confusion and his own thoughts, when the door opened to reveal an elderly woman coming out of the house. When it became obvious that she was headed towards his car, Tony started to silently panic. Not because she looked scary or anything, in fact she looked like that doting grandmotherly type, but how was he going to explain his presence there?

Rolling down his window to greet the woman and hopefully be able to explain his way out of the messy situation, he was met with an extremely nice smelling mug, covered with all sorts of animals, held towards him.

"Coffee?"

"Thanks." He offered her his biggest, most charming smile as he gratefully but apprehensive accepted the offered coffee cup.

"Don't worry, dear, I didn't poison it. Ziva told me you were out here." He raised an eyebrow when she shrugged her shoulders, making it seem like it was the most obvious and common occurrence. "Come on inside, Agent DiNozzo, we have lots to talk about." He waited until she turned around and started moving back towards the house before letting his head fall back letting out a dreadful whimper at the though of getting interrogated by this nice, older woman. Those were the worst, cause you couldn't say no to them, and judging by her words and the fact that she knew his name – seemed to know exactly who he was - Tony was positive that he wasn't getting out of this anytime soon.

"So what was your name again, ma'am?" He was leaning up against the doorway leading to the kitchen, watching as the nice lady transferred cookies from a cooling tray to a plate.

"Oh, don't call me ma'am, it makes me feel so old." She sent him a smile over her shoulder, tilting her head towards the table in the middle of the room, indicating for him to take a seat, which he did without hesitation. She didn't seem like she would accept a decline. "My name is Margaret, but you can just call me Mary." She placed the plate of absolutely delicious looking cookies on the table in front of him, and Tony could barely peel his eyes away from the huge chunks of both white and dark chocolate that seemed to seep from them.

"That smells delicious, Mary!" Sitting down across from him she pushed the plate towards him, silently offering him to take one.

"The best cookies in the world." Knowing it would be rude to not accept one of the offered cookies, fresh out of the oven, Tony gratefully grabbed one off the plate, his facial expression turning into one of wonder when the cookie practically melted in his mouth.

"Mmm. No kidding, these are amazing." A knowing smile spread across Mary's face as she too grabbed one of the cookies.

"I am amazed you haven't tasted these before. It is Ziva's recipe." At the mention of his partner's name coming from this stranger, Tony was instantly reminded of the reason he was even there in the first place. Somehow the delicious smell of baked goods had made him lose track of his thoughts.

"So Mary, how exactly do you know Ziva?" Putting down her half eaten cookie she looked at him with a much more serious expression, and Tony couldn't help the queasy feeling that appeared in his stomach.

"That, my dear boy, is something you'll have to let her tell you." When she noticed the almost frightened look on his face her expression softened considerably. "There's absolutely no reason to fret, it just isn't my place to share that information." Tony let a confused frown appear on his face.

"Then what were you referring to when you said we had a lot to talk about?" A somewhat wicked smile formed on Mary's lips and it was impossible to miss the very bright spark that was now present in her blue eyes.

"Oh, everything." When Tony just scrunched up his eyebrows even more, the older lady bit her lip in obvious excitement. "Tell me all about Paris!" Swallowing the big lump that appeared in his throat all of a sudden, Tony closed his eyes. Ziva had definitely set him up for this on purpose, and it was so much worse than death by cell phone.

Ziva had no idea how long it had been. For someone who was normally so good when it came to keeping track of time, it was incredibly easy for her to completely disregard it when her mind was focused on something else.

Or rather, when it wasn't focused at all.

Feeling the cool fall evening wind blow through her hair, making the ends tickle her neck and shoulder blades under her loose shirt as it softly threw the loose locks of her long hair out of her face was one of the most calming feelings she knew.

It wasn't until she felt Tony's eyes on her that she was brought slightly back to reality, and she was pretty sure that he'd been watching for quite a while before her senses had kicked in and decided to let her know. But at that moment she honestly couldn't care less. She'd always known that he'd discover her secret sooner or later, and now that he had she wasn't going to let him knowing about it stop her from continuing.

Nothing made her feel as free as the smooth movements of the muscles working beneath her, making her feel as if she was one with the horse, and it was as though there was nothing in the world but the two of them with everything else just turning into a blur somewhere in the back of her mind.

She closed her eyes, gently patting the neck of the soft, golden brown stallion before gripping the mane tightly, trusting the horse completely as she tightened her legs slightly to move it from a canter to a gallop, making it go as fast as possible.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Tony pulled his eyes from the scene in front of him briefly, letting his gaze land on the woman who'd come to join him on the deck in the back of the house. But seeing as she too was leaning against the railing, looking straight ahead of her, he turned back to watch the single person occupying the many big fields behind what Tony now knew was a big farm, not just a very nice looking house.

He wasn't sure what Mary was referring to. He knew what he himself got out of that comment, but with so many different choices, he couldn't know whether she was referring to the view or the horse or the way Ziva's hair was flowing due to the speed. Okay, he was pretty sure it wasn't the last one.

"She makes it look so graceful and effortless." Tony didn't know nearly enough about horses or horseback riding to know what it was supposed to look like, but he had to admit that she was right. Ziva didmake it look flawless, and watching her ride like that almost managed to make him question his dislike for horses. It just looked so easy. "I still don't understand how she can do that bareback."

"I've never seen her like that." Taken aback by the sound of awe that filled his voice, Tony sent a quick glance sideways to see if Mary had noticed it, surprised when he was rewarded with a knowing smile from the older woman, who never once took her eyes off his partner.

"She does seem to disappear into her own little world when she's with the horses. But I'm not complaining." When Tony raised an eyebrow curiously, letting his gaze linger on the woman next to him this time in stead of instantly turning back towards his partner, Mary sighed.

"The horse she's riding on, it's a rescue horse." When he gave her a confused look it was caused just as much from the fact that he had no idea what a rescue horse was as it was by the suddenly very mellow tone coming from the usually very cheery woman. "We took it in when the previous owners got busted by the SPCA for abusing their animals. We were going to have it put down, but..." She trailed off, shrugging her shoulders as she bit her lower lip, and Tony sensed that she wasn't going to continue without a small push.

"How come?"

"Those other owners were horrible people, I'm telling you." The sadness was now giving way to anger, and that had Tony's attention completely focused on her. "They used to beat the poor guy so bad. No one could get close enough to touch him without him trying to kick you, and if by some miracle you managed to get on him he would buck you off instantly." Surprised by her words he turned back to the field where Ziva was still riding said horse at full speed, and he had trouble imaging it being that wild. "He couldn't be around any of the other horses or animals, and definitely not people. One time he kicked my husband just because he was feeding him, managed to break two ribs." Tony visibly winced while keeping his eyes on Ziva. Sensing his worries, Mary let a small smile appear on her lips and let her tone of voice become much calmer and softer.

"When Ziva first came here we let her wander around on her own. She said she just wanted to look around a bit, see all the different animals, so we left her." Her smile grew much bigger as she recalled the obviously very fond memory. "Imagine our surprise when my husband Hans and I came out soon after to load up the horse so we could take him to the vet, just to find him all calm while Ziva was rubbing his head and speaking to him in Hebrew." Smiling at the thought, Tony looked back and forth between the two women, the youngest of which still seemed completely oblivious to having an audience.

"Somehow I can actually picture that."

"It was fate, I'm sure of it. It was like they were destined for each other." Mary got this dreamy look on her face, and Tony found that it almost made him believe in fate and destiny too. " I don't know who was drawn to whom at first, it was probably some mutual attraction, but that was definitely one of the most beautiful sights I've ever seen. They must have sensed something in each other that only the two of them can understand, like this tight bond shared by those who've been through something so horrible that no one else will ever be able to comprehend." She spoke about it as if it was some kind of miracle, and Tony supposed that it was. He just wished he could have been there to witness it.

"So you know about... what happened to her?" He couldn't keep the slight disbelieve out of his voice. From how she's compared Ziva and the horse it was obvious that she knew something, he just wasn't sure how much.

"Oh, no. Nothing specific." The sadness was once again radiating off of her as she shook her head. "But it was obvious that something horrendous had happened to her." She sighed, and Tony was certain that she hadn't missed his obvious flinch at her words this time around. "I never ask. It's up to them whether they want to talk about it or not." Nodding, Tony returned his gaze to his partner once more. He'd given up trying to understand Mary encrypted messages, and he'd quickly realized that there was no way he could make her tell him. He would just have to ask Ziva.

When Tony finally managed to escape from Mary, he quickly tracked down Ziva, having seen her head towards one of the multiple barns not too much earlier. Leaning against the wooden railing he tilted his head sideways, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

"I worked him hard, the water helps him cool down and rinses off all the sweat." She didn't even look towards him, just kept her entire focus on the horse in front of her as she gently massaged the water from the hose into his golden fur.

"So this is where you go every week?" This time she did spare him a glance over her shoulder, but she'd turned back around again before he even had a chance to meet her eyes.

"Unless a case gets in the way, yes, and if not I stay longer during the weekend if we are not on call."

"I didn't know you were that much into horseback riding." He was glad to see her shrug her shoulders as he knew that meant she didn't think he was mocking her. And he wasn't, he was just curious.

"It is not just about riding a horse, Tony. And during the weekend I do more work here than ride anyways."

"What, NCIS doesn't pay as well as Mossad?" He had just meant it as a joke, but the fire in her eyes when she spun around to face him told him just how wrong that comment had been. And with the horse now staring at him with that same intensity, Tony couldn't help but gulp.

"Money has nothing to do with me being here, DiNozzo!" Turning back around to continue where she left off, it was as if the horse had an instantly calming effect on her. Or maybe it was a combination of the horse and the slow repetitive motions of her hands on his back. "I do it because I enjoy it and I want to, and helping out is the least I can do after everything they've done for me." Her voice was incredibly soft, but there was a firmness and determination to her words as well that managed to put a small smile on Tony's lips.

"And just what is it they've done for you, Ziva?" His quietly spoken question caused the movements of her hands to still, and she took her time before answering in hushed tone.

"They helped me heal." When she turned around this time he'd expected her to look troubled or sad or something, definitely not all relaxed and smiling. And the spark in her eyes told him she wasn't faking it. "Wait here." She hung the hose back on its hook before disappearing down the barn hall. She returned almost immediately, an apple and two carrots in her hands.

"I would let you give him a treat, but Coco here really does not like people."

"Coco?" For some reason he'd have expected something wilder. Like Thunder or something. Ziva just shrugged her shoulders as she walked up to the seemingly very calm horse.

"His old name was Phantom, but I didn't want him to go by a name that was given to him by the same people that treated him so badly. So I named him Coconut." She gave him a brilliant smile before turning back away from him, holding out her open palm from which the horse instantly grabbed the carrot as she rubbed him behind the ears with her other hand.

"And you went with Coconut?" Once again she just shrugged, tilting her head to the side as she looked intensely at the horse.

"It was the first day I'd managed to drink one of those protein drinks the doctor gave me without getting sick." Tony was barely able to prevent himself from flinching at her words, remembering how she hadn't even been able to keep down the few sips of stale water they'd given her right after they left that nightmarish camp. But seeing how easily Ziva herself was talking about it now, as though it was their most natural subject, he wasn't going to be the one to make it all painful again. "Besides, he's really just one big softie. Aren't you, Coco?" Tony didn't want to stop the huge grin from spreading on his face as Ziva hugged the still soaking wet horse around the neck, pulling away so she could kiss its forehead. The rumbling of his stomach when she held out the apple for Coco caused a giggle to escape her throat, however.

"Are you hungry, Tony?"

"What do you think? I haven't had dinner yet, and even if we left right now it would be midnight before we reached D.C." She opened her mouth to respond, but a groan from Tony interrupted her. "Oh gosh. We have to be at work in eight hours."

"Welcome to my Wednesdays, DiNozzo." Quickly feeding Coco the last carrot she gave his face another kiss, softly whispering something in what Tony assumed was Hebrew before joining her partner on the other side of the railing.

"There's a small diner not too far from here that should still be open. Want to stop there for something to eat before heading back?"

"Sounds great!" Shaking her head at his obvious enthusiasm for food. Ziva started walking away, knowing that Tony would follow.

By the time Tony finally pulled in to the diner, Ziva had already ordered for the both of them and was sitting at a small, cozy table by one of the windows. Not that they could see anything on the other side due to the lateness of the hour.

"I got you a cheeseburger. They're the best in all of Virginia."

"And you know cause you've tasted all of them?" She sent him a glare as he sat down across from her, but didn't bother replying. "So how did you find this place?"

"Hans brought me here, once." Noticing the serious look on Tony's face, she looked away under the pretense of trying to see something through the window. "That is not what you meant."

"No." He kept his voice neutral, not wanting to push her but at the same time willing her to answer. "Who are those people, Ziva?" She seemed to contemplate how to answer for a short while before turning back to look at him.

"Have you ever heard about horse therapy?" Tony just shook his head slightly, knowing she could see the confusion in his eyes. "Didn't think so." A small smirk appeared on his lips, and he wasn't sure if that meant he was supposed to have known or not. "When I first go back..." She bit her lip and hesitated briefly, the only indicators that that summer two years ago was still a sore subject. "I'd once told Ducky about my uncle breeding Arabian horses when I was a child. I would go there and help him out if I needed to escape my life for a bit." She didn't go into any details, and she didn't have to. In fact, Tony was somewhat sure that he didn't want to know exactly what her supposed childhood had been like. "Either Gibbs or Ducky would bring me here twice a week until I was able to go on my own."

"Because it reminded you of when you were a kid?" It was a valid question, and Ziva had to silently admit that the memories of her and Tali galloping across the big desert plains together as young teenagers did have at least a small part to do with it.

"Partly, I suppose, but it is horse therapy." She shrugged her shoulders as if he should know what she was referring to, so he questionably raised his eyebrows. "Being surrounded by animals can be very calming and relaxing." He snorted, but Ziva knew he didn't mean it as an offense to her. He simply just wasn't good with animals, especially horses.

"It is a certified method of therapy, Tony. There's just something about being surrounded by the animals, whether it's feeding them or petting them, it just takes your mind off other things."
"And you choose to ride them."

"Yes." She bit her lip as she looked down, but just when Tony thought she was done she continued. "It makes me feel free. The adrenaline takes over and everything else just disappears." She looked up and smiled gratefully as their burgers were placed in front of them, but neither one of them was in any hurry to eat.

"So... there are others than you who go there?" Ziva just nodded as she picked up her burger, taking a small bite. "And are they all there because of..." A shake of her head cut him off.

"Some are... like me. Others have lost family members or are sick or are depressed. It is for anyone really." She shrugged her shoulders, and for a while they ate their burgers in silence.

"And it works?" Surprised by his sudden question, Ziva put the rest of her cheeseburger back on her plate and leaned back in her chair, studying the man in front of her. She was somewhat surprised that there wasn't the smallest hint of mockery in his eyes, so she slowly nodded.

"You should come with me on Saturday. I know you usually don't like horses, but they have some I know you can use, and you'll do fine if we just go for a short trail ride in the forest. Who knows, you might find that you actually enjoy it." She raised an eyebrow in the end as a challenge, and Tony couldn't help but but copy her smirk. It was contagious.

"As long as you don't make me clean out their pigsty for crap." Ziva just rolled her eyes exasperated, her glare daring him to protest as she threw a $20 on the table.

"If you do not watch it, DiNozzo, I will make sure that you will never be able to take a crap again!" Tony responded with his most charming smile. He loved it when his ninja threatened him with bodily harm, he chose to look at it as a sign of affection.

A/N:
So as I said, this was a very weird idea that just sort of popped into my head the other day...
No, I am NOT a horse person and I don't know a thing about horses (being from the middle of a city with 1.5 million people, people don't tend to have horses in their back yards...).
I just so happen to currently live with a family with horses, and the other day I took one of them out for a ride around the block, but we never got very far since a black bear decided to cross the road right in front of us... Drifter (the horse) really didn't want to walk across the spot the bear had been, so I had to turn him back around...
The idea for this story just came to me on the way back home when I thought it could be fun to somehow tie Ziva's comment about her uncle breeding arabians into a reason for how she could be riding horses now.

And no, I don't think such a thing as horse therapy exists... it is just something I made up for this story! :)

Anyways, please, feel free to leave me a review! :)
(not sure, but some kind of sequel for this might be possible... or is it?)