AN: I've had this story written on my computer for ages, literally. I've finally got around to uploading it so I hope you guys like it. Updates will be regular, intervals depend on reader interest. Also, the layout of Tony's apartment is different as it was written before it was featured in episodes. Enjoy x
Chapter 1
The lock clicked and the door swung open. Ziva stood up, slipping her tools back in to her pocket. She smiled as she closed the door behind her, satisfied with her skills. She stepped forward, her eyes scanning around the room. To her left was the open plan kitchen, all the furnishings and appliances were silver and shiny. She smiled. There were no dirty dishes in the sink like she had expected. She strode forward. The living room was decorated how she had expected. Stylish and modern. A leather sofa. A wide screen TV. And the monstrous shelves of movies lining the wall with the window, opposite her. An old pizza box sat open on the coffee table, the one spare slice left behind had gone cold. It was not the 'frat' house she had pictured. There was no shoes left lying around, no dirty laundry on the furniture and no empty beer cans on the floor. He wasn't the slob she often teased him about.
"Tony?" Ziva called loudly, looking around.
She heard footsteps. Hurried footsteps, coming from the corridor to her right, leading off the living room. In any other situation she would have pulled her gun and took cover, but this was Tony's apartment, no one here would hurt her. A young woman emerged from the room on the right of the corridor, quickly rebuttoning her blouse. Her skirt was creased, her hair ruffled and her face red.
"I am so sorry!" she said, hurrying down the corridor. "I have no idea he had a girlfriend!" She stopped in front of Ziva looking apologetic.
"Girlfriend?" Ziva asked, confused by her assumption. The young woman's mouth fell open.
"You're his wife?!" she yelled in shock. She glanced back at the bedroom she had just come from and dared to look at Ziva. "Oh my God! I'm so sorry, he didn't say anything, I swear!" she said, hurrying towards the front door. She apologised one last time before pulling it open and disappearing behind it, letting it swing shut after her.
Ziva stared after her, confused by the woman's mistake. She mentally shrugged, not fussed by the misunderstanding. She headed down the corridor. There were two doors along the left side, spaced apart. Opposite the second door was another door, on the right side of the wall, the one the young woman had just come from. She stepped closer to it, seeing the door slightly ajar. She glanced around the room, sunlight pouring in through the window. She saw Tony, lying in bed, asleep. She pushed the door open and strode in disbelieving.
"How can he have slept this long?" she muttered to herself.
She strode in, looking around. A king size bed? 'Typical', she thought. A computer. A stereo. She shook her head. 'Why does he need so many appliances?' she shook her head again. Tony stirred, rolling over on to his front, a heavy sigh followed. She chuckled, walking over to the side of the bed, seeing his clothes on the floor, crumpled. 'Last night's clothes' she reasoned.
"Tony! Wake up!" she said loudly and then waited for a response. Tony grunted, stirred a little to get more comfortable, but stayed asleep as before. "Tony, get up!" she shouted louder, then 'Gibbs' slapped him in frustration. Tony jumped awake in an instant, his eyes snapping open/ He looked up seeing her.
"Ziva?" he asked, drowsy and confused. "What are you doing here? How did you get in? Why are you standing over me?" he asked, trying to make sense of what was happening.
"I have a better question for you." She said, ignoring his questions. "Is your alarm clock broken?"
"My alarm..." he started, then realising and jumping out of bed. "How late am I?" he asked, hurrying to his closet.
"Only an hour and a half." She replied, still looking around his room, surprised by how much of his personality was shown. She was surprised he did not have movie posters on his walls. She suppressed a giggle as he replied to her.
"Yeah, but to Gibbs that's like 3 hours. I'm doomed." He said, pulling clothes from his closet.
"Most likely, especially as you should be at a crime scene now."
Tony's head appeared around the side of his closet door. "Oh no. He's going to kill me." He said, closing his closet door behind him, now in clean boxer shorts. He pulled a shirt over his head, sliding it over his broad shoulders. Ziva awkwardly looked away, though she secretly wanted to admire him.
"Flustered by my nakedness, Ziva David?" he teased, his sparkly eyes watching hers. Ziva shot him an 'as if' look, though she couldn't stop the slight smile spearing at the corners of her mouth.
"Believe it or not, Tony, I am not here for your body. I am here because Gibbs got, as you say, the 'bat signal'. I never really understood that saying." She said, as he picked up his jeans.
"What?" he asked, frowning at her. He jumped and pulled his pants up in an instant. "It's Batman, Ziva. Gotham City shines a light in to the sky when they need him, same for Gibbs." He explained, buckling his belt. "Though, Gibbs just seems to know when he's needed, rather than needing a light signal." He pulled on his socks, as Ziva considered what he had said.
"Huh. Ready to go?" she asked as he slipped on his shoes.
"And face Darth Vader? Not in the least." He joked, grabbing his jacket, wallet and car keys.
"Well, maybe if you hadn't stayed up all night you might have woken up on time." She teased.
"I'll have you know..." he started, stepping towards her, but stopping short and looking around.
"Where's Sarah? Ziva, what did you do?" he added, when she didn't respond.
"I did not do anything." She replied innocently.
"Did you shoot her?" he teased, only half-serious.
"Hardly. She literally ran out when she saw me." Ziva explained.
Tony pulled on his jacket. "And why would she do that?" he asked, confused.
"She assumed I was your wife." She said, shrugging at him.
"Yeah." Tony laughed. "The last time we were married I got beat up and nearly slashed up." He picked up his shades and slides them on. "Besides, there was only one good thing about being undercover with you." He said, his voice a seductively low tone.
"And what is that?" Ziva asked, her tone equally as teasing as she stepped even closer to him.
"We got to share a bed." He said, surprising her for a minute.
"Really? I had no idea I left such an impression on you." She teased. "But if you don't hurry up, I'm sure Gibbs'll leave an impression on you. More specifically, on the back of your head." She added, laughing and then striding out of the room. She heard him reluctantly follow behind her.
xXx
Tony and Ziva strode across the front porch at the scene. They stopped outside the front door. "Here goes my career." Tony said dramatically, as Ziva rolled her eyes and opened the door.
She strode inside and Tony followed. They stepped in to a spacious living room. The window to the right was broken, glass shards scattering the carpet.
"Any particular reason you're late, DiNozzo?"
Tony froze as Gibbs stepped from behind him, closing the front door.
"A very good reason, Boss." Tony fumbled, struggling to think of something to say.
"Which is?" Gibbs asked, knowing Tony had no excuse prepared.
"5'4, blonde, Sarah..." Ziva interrupted.
"Yeah, my aunt Sarah," Tony lied. "She's very sick, I was at the hospital all night..." He noticed Gibbs staring at him. "That was a lie, Boss, I lied. It's bad I know, I just overslept."
"With Sarah." Ziva muttered, smirking as Tony glared at her.
"Won't happen again, Boss." Tony promised.
"I know." Gibbs said, his silent threat all too familiar among the team.
"Hey, Boss, where..." McGee said, striding down the stairs, stopping short when he saw Tony and Ziva. "Tony, I didn't know you were coming in today."
"Ha ha, probie." Tony responded sarcastically. He turned to Gibbs as McGee strode over to join them. "What exactly have we got here, boss?"
"A missing Marine dependant, Carla Meyer. Her husband, a Lieutenant, died 3 years ago, honourable discharge. Meyer's daughter, Jessica is also missing." Gibbs said, not needing his notes.
"Suspects?" Ziva asked, her eyes already scanning the room.
"Nope. Nobody saw anything but Metro got a call about a disturbance early this morning. They did a background check and called us. " Gibbs replied.
"Who was the call from?" Tony asked.
"Who else, a nosey neighbour." Gibbs said. Before they could ask anything else he immediately directed them. "Tony and Ziva, upstairs. McGee downstairs with me"
xXx
Tony and Ziva were in a bedroom. Ziva's eyes scanned the room, posters of bands and actors were plastered around the room. A laundry bin was full to the brim, a small selection of makeup was sitting on a dressing table and the bed was unmade. All signs of a teenager, Ziva thought, but why would a teenager need a pacifier? She thought, frowning as she returned it to the bedside table.
"And I remember this other time..." Tony continued, though Ziva had been ignoring his continuing movie references.
"Tony, we are supposed to be finding them, so start looking for something that will tell us where they are."
"Kill joy." Tony muttered.
"Tony, you..." Ziva to a stop, she straightened up, frowning.
"What?" Tony asked, confused by her sudden silence.
"Can you hear that?" she asked quietly, glancing around, looking for the source.
"Sorry, but we don't all have your ninja skills." Tony joked, but she waved her hand to silence him.
She tilted her head to the side, as Tony frowned in further confusion. Then, as the silence settled, they heard the smallest of scuffles. They instantly drew their weapons, backing against the wall for cover, eyes intent on the closet. Tony grabbed the first thing he saw and threw it out the door and over the banister and down the stairs to notify Gibbs. He heard McGee and then heard him silenced by Gibbs. They careful footsteps started up the stairs and soon enough Gibbs' eagle-like eyes came in to sight. Tony nodded his head towards the closet, and Gibbs nodded to him.
Tony then nodded to Ziva, indicating that he had her back. Ziva yanked open the closet doors and they both pointed their guns in to the darkness. Cowering in the corner, clutching a baby in her arms, was a young girl, her cheeks wet with tears.
AN: Hey kinda short but it's just getting in to it. Let me know what you think, drop a review and/or subscribe to read more.