AN/ Hi there. Yes, yet another one-shot. This one was inspired by the very intriguing episode Silent Night, but no real spoilers. Just the usual: some Tony. And some Ziva. And some emotions.
Enjoy!
/Belker

True love

Ziva doesn't get bored easily, but sitting in a freezing car on a seemingly endless stake out with nothing to do but stare at a building, can put a strain on any woman. She runs through a mental inventory of fun things to do to her partner that ought to bring her entertainment but not sick leave. She has ticked off many things from her list already, but the last days' activities and realizations have put a bunch of new items on it.

"So tell me this: Do you not believe in true love, Tony?" She is smirking and she knows that he knows that this is a continuation from their conversation down at The Vietnam Veterans Memorial. She isn't satisfied. Not by a long shot.

Her partner doesn't lower the binoculars he is spying through. "There's no such thing, Zee-vah. Hence – nothing to believe in." He gives her an important look. "Like fairy dust or Santa Clause. Or that Gibbs can give up coffee."

Happy to have gotten some reaction out of him, she continues, "You are very sardinic, are you not, Tony?"

"It's sardonic, and no - just realistic."

She ignores her own mistake and snorts, a harsh sound in the still air and presses on – this is fun. "You have not had many good role models, have you?" and it isn't until she's already spoken the words that she realizes what she's said and immediately regrets it. She is however as stubborn as Gibbs when it comes to apologizing so she only winces when she sees him stiffen, lower the binoculars, and settle that awful, sinister 'oh reeeeaally'-smile on his lips. When he looks at her there is a dangerous glint in his eyes. Game on.

"Well, Zee-vah, I'll tell you a little story, a Christmas tale if you wish, about a man and a woman in another city, another precinct," he says with a flourish and turns to squint with more intensity than is really necessary at the door they are guarding. "And by that I mean Philly."

"Ah, another 'when I was a cop' story," she says, but for some reason she finds she isn't mocking. When he falls silent she urges; "I am listening."

He lifts the binoculars to his eyes and Ziva can't see what expression he wears, but she has a creeping suspicion it is naked and sincere and the reason for his hiding. The atmosphere in the car is suddenly not so jovial anymore.

"Bobby was a nice guy, he really was. He was my first partner in Philly, did you know that?"

Ziva shakes her head, is about to tell him that she hardly knows anything about his time as a cop, but he is lost in his memories again. She decides to listen to his ramblings and not interrupt.

"Well, this girl – woman, sorry - of his…she was something else. She had that glow to her, y'know? The kind of woman that turns heads walking down the street and not just because of good looks, but… presence. Everybody at the precinct loved her. She used to come by, bring us pastries and she would banter with all of us, real spicy. She considered us Bobby's family, I guess. I don't know."

Tony falls quiet and Ziva is thinking how uncharacteristically childish he sounds. He usually acts childish, but often speaks very eloquently. She notices he is far away by the way the binoculars drift from his eyes, but he still looks straight ahead. She doesn't push him and after a minute or so he starts up again.

"They'd been dating for a year when I started working there, so they already had the apartment together, and were hinting at getting married with kids and all that."

He turns in his seat to look at her and Ziva can see his eyes are an almost illuminate green.

"He really loved her. He told me, told me over and over how much he loved her. Drove me crazy on stake-outs like these with his ranting. And I thought she loved him too. That they were meant to be."

Ziva, sensing this won't be one of those stories with a happy ending, softly asks "They broke it off?"

It's like he's catching himself right then; blinking and turning away. He huffs and looks down at his hands. Big, warm hands that are now trembling. He notices that she notices and quickly balls them into fists instead. Ziva stays perfectly still. She recognizes the importance of letting him get this off his chest. And she knows how skittish he is when it comes to serious talks. She stays oh so still. A car is honking in the distance. Two cats fighting. Finally, finally, he starts talking again, voice deceptively light.

"Well, turns out she wasn't the good girl everybody had her for." He snorts and the sound is so unexpected it makes Ziva flinch. The look on his face makes her want to grab him and shake him - hard. For not telling her what is wrong. "It broke Bobby's heart, I think. He just left his job. The force. Left town." He snivels lightly and purses his lips and Ziva thinks those lips should never look like that.

"That is terrible Tony," she says sincerely, then battles with herself for a second before: "What happened?"

His eyes harden and his gaze drifts.

"She left him to be with me."

I know, this is wildly AU (or is it?) and I don't think Tony would deliberatedly steal someone elses girlfriend, but IF he did (when he was so much younger) he would at least feel terrible about it.