IMPORTANT:

Hey guys, this is my newest story, Our Actions Have Consequences, and I just wanted to let everyone know a few things. 1) I will be updating every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. 2) All mistakes our mine. This applies for all thirteen chapters of this story. 3) I originally have thirteen chapters planned for this story that might change. Finally, 4) I love hearing your thoughts so please leave a review. Thanks and I hope you enjoy!

Ziva groaned when Tony decided to stomp on the brakes for the hundredth time that night. Did it really have to take nearly eight hours to get out of North Carolina? And they still hadn't reached Virginia yet. With Tony's driving it would, Ziva grumbled under her breath.

"What's that, my little Israeli?" Tony's chirpy voice made Ziva only want to groan again.

"My little Israeli? That's a new one." She turned her head and gave him a sweet, but sarcastic smile. "My little lazy NCIS agent. You think you can drive faster?"

"Why would I want to do that?"

Ziva rolled her eyes. "I thought you valued your life."

"I do, Zee-vah, really. But it's storming, there's traffic, and we're going down a mountain. We should be home in two hours!"

"Next time Gibbs makes me go with you out of town to follow a lead, that might I add, was useless, than I will refuse. This trip has been miserable," Ziva had to turn back to the window to hide her smile. It really hadn't been miserable, it was just stressful. But in a way, this trip was a time for them to repair their relationship, though neither one of them really realized it was broken until they started talking. She told him about more about why Franks' death freaked her out, which was a big step for the two. But then Tony had admitted to her that his relationship with EJ was nothing. That he only needed to feel needed. That was a bigger step.

"Well, I am going to sleep, wake me when we get there." Tony gave a nod, but otherwise kept his eyes on the road. That was probably the only reason why he caught sight of the two black sedans that pulled out from nowhere.

"Zi," he whispered. "I think someone's fallowing us."

Her eyes fluttered open at his words and she quickly turned around to check. "Take the next turn!"

"I can't take the next turn! We're in the middle of nowhere heading down a mountain." Ziva just stared at him, panicked.

"Drive fast and I'll call Gibbs." He nodded and gave her a smile, but Ziva knew it was just a façade.

"Damnit!" she said a second later.

"What's wrong?"

"There is no signal," she glanced over her shoulder but then caught sight of one of the three cars coming up on the driver's side. "And we've got company."

They partners shared a worried look before Ziva gave a short nod to Tony, letting him know exactly what he had to do.

/

"Gibbs! You never come down here just to see me anymore!" Abby squealed with delight.

"Well, I just came to see if you have any more answers."

His reply was met by an eye roll and sarcastic laugh. "You're a bad liar. Just admit it; you're worried about Tony and Ziva. They were supposed to be back here three hours ago. It's now midnight and they haven't arrived. Just say it, Gibbs."

"I'm not worried. Tony and Ziva are big kids. They can take care of themselves."

"So then what? Why did you come down here?"

Gibbs smirked and looked down at the ground. "I might want you and McGee to trace their cells."

"Gibbs! Why should I? You said you weren't worried." Abby placed a hand on her hip, and this time it was her turn to smirk.

"Because, Abs, you wanna keep being my favorite, right?"

"You wouldn't! Everyone knows I'm your favorite!"

Gibbs just shrugged and made his way out the door.

"Here, boss I got the Caf-Pow! for Abby." McGee just about bumped into Gibbs as he walked in the lab.

Gibbs turned on his heel. "Once you find my two agents then you may give it to her."

/

"Ziva?" Tony mumbled into the darkness. But trying to make the aching go away in his arm was making concentration very hard, "Ziva? C'mon we got to get a move on if we want any time at all to get away from those psycho people."

"I cannot get my seatbelt undone." Tony saw the shadow move slightly just as her words clicked in his head.

He fumbled with his seatbelt for a second before reaching over and helping her with her own.

"Why are they after us?" she asked.

Tony gently put a hand on her lower back to steady her as she made her way out of their car. "I have no idea, Zi. Maybe they want the file."

"Well then you are right. We should get a run on."

"It's move on, there is no run on. It's get a move on."

Ziva rolled her eyes and walked a head of Tony with the file in her hands. "If you don't shut up then you won't just be worrying over those people who tried to kill us five seconds ago!"

"Harsh." A crack coming from behind them caused both their feet to move faster, but when they saw flashlights shine into the rainy darkness, they took off running.

"We have nowhere to run!" Tony barely heard Ziva say, or more like mumble. "There are too many on them and they are gaining on us too fast."

"I never thought I would hear you, Miss I-Can-Do-Anything, admit defeat." He pushed himself harder, bringing him ahead of her, but before he had a moment to boast or she had a moment to retort, he stopped dead in his tracks and on impulse reached for Ziva's hand. "I saw something back here."

They ran for another moment before Tony halted to a stop and jumped down. "Get in there."

"There in only room for one, if we keep on running, we can make it."

"No," he shook his head. "I would slow you up. I'm not feeling that great, anyway. I'll find another spot to hide and come back and get you."

Ziva just stared at him before finally noticing the small blood ring that had formed around his shoulder. "You are hurt."

"Shot. But it's not big deal. Stay quiet and keep yourself safe. I'll be back in a few."

As much as he wanted to stay, to just wrap her in his arms and make sure none of these, whatever they are dealing with, got her, he knew he couldn't risk it. Two people wouldn't fit in that hollowed out tree. So he made his way to any other hiding spot he could find that was within view of that tree, just in case anyone got close enough to it, and hid.

One by one, the men ran past him and then the tree, not once stopping. But one man, whom stopped in the middle of this wooded area to observe his surroundings, sent chills down his back. It was the same man that had haunted their case files for months. The same man that plagued Washington DC with murders and drugs.

Franklin Bernin, he was also the only man who single-handedly took down all the other major cocaine dealers in there district, but instead of shutting it down completely, he made a sex ring out of it.

Tony stood there in horror, ever step Bernin took towards the tree that kept Ziva safe was like a punch in his stomach. He knew he had one bullet left in his gun. Stupid on his part. He should have listened to Ziva and grabbed the extra magazine when he had a chance, but there 'trip' wasn't exactly planned.

"Boss!" A heavy German accent came into the night, "there is no further trail of them!"

"They're here somewhere and we will find them. But for right now, we go back. Part of the job has been done already. We can wait to finish the rest. Their car is not going anywhere, which means they aren't going anywhere." Tony watched as more man came to stand around their boss, and then just as quickly as they were there they were gone.

He ran over to Ziva. "We have to move fast."

"No. I am not going to hide from them like a baby. We can take care of this!"

Tony stared incredulously. Was this woman serious? "There are twelve of them, if not more, and two of us."

This didn't seem to work, so Tony tried the next best thing. "My arm is really hurting. Don't you think we could find a place, just so you could take a look?"

He gave her puppy do eyes, and in return she just glared. "That is not fair and you know it!"

"But I win, don't I?"

"I never really had a choice now, did I?"

"No, but seriously, Ziva. What has gotten into you?"

"Nothing has 'gotten into me'. I just do not wish to travel through the wood listening to you whine. But we have no car and you are hurt." Tony gave her a bright smile that just caused her to smile back in return, all mock anger gone. "You did not have to do that, Tony. I would have been fine to hide somewhere else."

"Well, Zee-vah, that's what partners do for each other."

Soon they came across a river, leaving them their only option. To cross though the water.

Well here is something for you...anytime and ideas!

As they got closer to the river, they both realized they would have to cross through the icy cold water. Ziva just mumbled unintelligibly before going in after Tony, who was surprisingly not saying a word.

The cold air blowing on them caused both their skins to break out into chill bumps and soon

Tony noticed Ziva shivering. "Take my jacket."

"You will freeze and then we are back to root one."

"Square one. Not root one, man did you step four feet back?"

"What?" Ziva furrowed her eye brows. "I have been standing next to you this while time."

"Ugh! Never mind. Look!"

Ziva stared in the direction Tony was pointing in for a few seconds before a silhouette of a house became clear. It looked small and as they approached it, they could see more. It was white with blue shutters that were on the verge of falling off. The porch had many planks missing and the wood on the house looked like it could fall apart, but it was far enough back in the woods, that if someone was looking for them they couldn't spot it right away.

"Well, looks like this is our safe house 'till Gibbs can find us."