Ari chuckled as he smiled into the jet-black midnight darkness. Oh, yes. He was going to get vengeance on Agent Gibbs. He was just like his father. Oh, poor Caitlin, she didn't know what was coming.

'Sorry Caitlin,' he thought.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"God, I hate this city," muttered Ziva David as she made her way to the Israeli Embassy.

"All these idioms and everything. It is a wonder I am not lost here." She continued to speak to herself.

Ziva, however had the luck (good or bad – she hadn't decided) of crashing (literally) into one Anthony D. DiNozzo.

Her eyes almost fluttered closed as Tony steadied her.

"Hello," she spoke after a moment.

Tony smiled a charming "DiNozzo Smile"

"Hi," he answered, and stuck out his hand, "Tony DiNozzo,"

She shook his hand and answered, "Ziva David,"

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you Zee-Vah. Are you going to be staying here for long?" Noting that she was probably not from around here.

Ziva was not fazed that Tony noticed she wasn't from here. She answered with a smile of her own, "No, in fact today I will be leaving, to go back home."

She saw a spark of disappointment in his eyes. "If you're ever in Tel Aviv, look me up," she said, before walking away, not turning around again.

"I will, Zee-Vah," he whispered, his eyes never leaving her departing figure.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Later that night . . .

Ziva struggled against her assailant. She didn't know who he was. He was a man, that much she knew. But what she did not know was the identity of her aggressor. She had been walking towards her hotel, when out of nowhere someone seized her into an alleyway.

When she finally got a hold of her weapon she haphazardly tried to aim the gun to some vulnerable part of his body, to perhaps get off a deadly shot.

And while a gun was shot, it wasn't hers . . .

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Tony had gone home after hanging out with a few of his friends, formerly from Ohio State. They had all thought a reunion would be fitting, and met a Taddy's. One of his frat brothers had gotten married and had a three year old daughter, but the rest of the brothers were trying anything they could to pick up on of the woman currently at the bar. They hadn't grown up much since college. But, being the designated driver, he couldn't have much to drink.

After dropping of his buddies (and a few women, which his friends had taken home, some of them had gotten lucky), he was now currently driving to one of his friends house, with a girl he had met, who claimed her name was 'Crystal Glitter'.

He entered into his apartment building's parking lot after dropping of Martin and 'Crystal'.

After parking his Mustang and exiting the crimson car, he heard a yell of pain. He unlatched his SIG and made his way to the alley near his apartment building. He saw a young woman being overpowered by a much stronger man.

"NCIS, release the woman!" He shouted and aimed his gun. He repeated what he had previously said, to no avail. He took off two shots, and, like the good shot he was, both hit the aggressor.

The man crumpled in pain and fell over the woman. It was obvious he was dead. Tony went over to help the injured. He quickly removed the body off her, and began to pull the woman up to her feet and out of the dark alley.

Once he got her into a somewhat decent light, he began to brush the dirt off of her face, and checked for any injuries that would need any immediate attention.

"Tony?" murmured the woman, in a foreign accent that Tony instantly recognized. He brushed her hair out of her face.

"Ziva?" he whispered, as not to scare her in, what he assumed, was a fragile state. "We need to get you medical attention,"

"No. No hospitals. They will know, and they will –" Ziva began, but Tony cut her off.

"We can go to one of my friends, he's a doctor. I'll make sure he'll take care of you," assured Tony.

"Oh, OK," Ziva replied as she left Tony for a state of unconsciousness.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~