Hello out there! This is a Tiva oneshot based on the most recent episode, "Jet Lag" (aired January 26). This is my first NCIS story, so please be nice! And enjoy :)

Tony DiNozzo let the door slam behind him as he entered his apartment. He threw his briefcase to the living room floor and punched the wall in anger. He had screwed up again, and this time probably for good.

Tony tangled his fingers in his hair and began pulling at it in frustration as he growled a low, painful growl. How could he be so stupid? His partner, Ziva David, had opened her heart to him, and he got scared and said something stupid. He was so pissed at himself that he didn't know what to do. He clenched his teeth as he recalled the conversation.

"Paris changed you," he told her as they drove back to Quantico after a long day of investigating.

"No, Tony, it didn't change me. It just allowed me to bring out what was inside me all along," Ziva insisted. "I promise you, Tony, what happened was genuine."

"How do I know that, Ziva?" he questioned her. "Every time I try to get close to you and gauge your feelings, you pony up some lame excuse about 'oh, I just wasn't myself that day,' and blah, blah, blah. Or else you just shut down completely. I still don't think you've gotten over me 'bruising your ego' after saving you from the Middle East and bringing you back here."

As they sat at a stoplight, Tony turned to look at his partner, expecting to see the usual angry look on her face which was typical of their arguments. Indeed the look in her eyes had hardened with anger. Her jaw was tight, as if biting back her tongue.

Suddenly she broke his gaze and turned away from him, but not before he saw her eyes soften as tears began to form. Her defenses had fallen, and she couldn't hide her sadness.

Not knowing what to say, Tony continued driving. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Ziva's shoulders shuddering as she tried to fend off the tears. As they arrived in the parking garage, she quickly gathered her things and hurried out of the car, slamming the door and not so much as acknowledging her partner. She quickly got to her car, threw her things in, turned on the engine, and backed out of the tight space, nearly burning rubber in her haste to get home--and away from Tony.

Tony cursed himself under his breath as he parked the company vehicle before leaving in his own car. He would have a good half-hour of traffic to sit through on his trip home, and he knew he'd probably spend every moment kicking himself and thinking about what he could've done differently.

Tony snapped out of the recollection and gradually peeled off his clothes on his way to the bathroom to take a hot shower. He imagined that Ziva was probably at home, cleaning her weapon and thinking about using it on him after what he said. He sighed as he stepped into the shower, letting the hot water stream down his body.

"We'll always have Paris," he heard her whisper as she looked at the pictures he had taken. He shook his head, surprised at her tone. She almost seemed…

No, she doesn't mean it that way, he told himself. It's not possible for Ziva to think that way of me, especially after I killed her boyfriend. It's the jet lag. She's most definitely not herself right now.

Ziva sighed as she looked through the pictures, thinking about their hotel room. She and Tony had actually agreed to share a bed, and--surprise, surprise--she didn't completely hate sleeping next to him. She'd actually felt oddly comfortable around him. Not that that should have shocked her. After all, she'd only loved him since the moment she'd met him.

Tony sighed as he thought about waking up early on the last day of the trip and seeing Ziva bathed in the soft light of the rising sun creeping in through the curtains. Her hair was spread all over the pillow, and her lips were pursed into a half-smile, as if she were enjoying a particularly good dream. He somehow resisted the urge to touch her, to kiss her, to…

Tony let his thoughts trail off as Ziva continued to leaf through the pictures until she arrived at the only one with a person in it. It was her at a corner newsstand, looking sidelong in Tony's direction as if watching someone behind him. She was biting her lip slightly, just like she always did when she was deep in thought or when she sensed possible danger. But then again, Ziva seemed to sense danger wherever she went.

Tony stood under the hot water, continuing to zone out as he washed his face and hair. He could feel his muscles relaxing for the first time in hours, and he sighed with content as he felt the pent-up anger finally start to leave his body.

He just sat there, watching her breast rise and fall as she slept soundly. Her silken red nightgown fit her like a glove. How he longed to touch it and to run his fingers through her long, black hair. And how he longed even more to cut off all communication from NCIS so they could just be regular people for a day, and they could just enjoy each other.

He could feel his excitement peak as he thought of the things he wished to do to her. If only they didn't have their assignment, if only he could just say, "forget all of it" and take her to the edge, making her his forever. If only…

As if sensing Tony looking at her, Ziva awoke and met his gaze. Tony squeezed his eyes closed in anticipation of her punching him for staring at her as she slept. Much to his surprise, she smiled at him. He returned her grin, and they said good morning before she arose and began to prepare for a hot shower. Tony also arose, allowing her to have the bathroom while he ordered room service.

Tony finished showering and began to towel off, tying the towel around his waist and going to his bedroom. He pulled out a clean pair of pajama pants, putting them on before going into the kitchen to get something to eat. Just as he opened the fridge, his phone rang. Seeing that it was one of his frat buddies, he decided he wasn't in the mood for friendly chit-chat and let the call go to voicemail.

As Tony cooked his dinner, his thoughts yet again returned to Ziva. He wondered what she was up to and prayed that his comments hadn't hurt her forever. He wished he could find the courage to apologize to her, but he fretted it wouldn't be enough. If only there was some way to make it up to her, to show her how he really felt…

Tony finished cooking and settled down to watch a movie marathon, but he couldn't enjoy it as he remained racked with guilt. He tried to shake it off, but to no avail. He knew what he had to do, and he knew it meant things could get ugly, but he had to fix the situation. He owed an apology to his partner--not to mention the one woman he truly loved…

Typically Tony would call Ziva to see if she was home, but that night he decided to just drop by and surprise her, and hope for the best. He combed his wet hair and changed out of his pajamas into jeans and a dress shirt, then put on his coat and went down to his car. On the way to her place he made a quick stop to buy her a bottle of her favorite champagne, hoping to use it as a peace offering.

Meanwhile…

Ziva sighed with exhaustion and frustration as she settled into a hot bath, trying not to think about her argument with Tony. She knew he was right to react the way he did--after all, she was known for her apathy and for pushing away anyone who got too close. All the same, though, what he said had really hurt her. The problem was, she wasn't sure if she was more hurt by hearing the truth or by the fact that he had been the one to tell her.

Regardless, she didn't intend to stay mad at him forever. She just couldn't; it wasn't in her. They had been partners for a few years, and during that time had developed a strong friendship. Saying she would die for him would be an understatement, and she had no doubt that he'd do the same for her.

Ziva stopped halfway through getting dressed, admiring herself in the mirror. She found herself consumed with thoughts of what Tony thought of her. Did he think she was pretty? He was certainly looking at her funny when she woke up that morning. Was she snoring again?

Ziva finished buttoning up her blouse, then decided to leave a couple buttons undone, nearly exposing her décolletage. She wondered if Tony would notice. She then scolded herself gently--of course he would notice. The question was, would he say anything?

She combed out her long hair, pulling it up into a ponytail. Just as she secured the elastic around her hair, she changed her mind. Something about sharing a bed with Tony had made her unusually self-conscious, but in a way that made her want to look…sexy. She let her hair down and finally settled on having just the top layer pulled back from her face, leaving the rest down.

Ziva drew a deep breath, preparing for awkward silence with Tony and wondering if they had crossed a line by sharing a bed. It had only happened once before, when they went undercover as married assassins. Oh, if only…

Ziva stepped out of the bathroom and sat down to breakfast with Tony. She could see by his expression that her plan to grab his attention was working. She smiled slyly at him and decided to turn it up a notch.

"Tony," she whispered seductively, leaning in close his face and trying not to laugh as his eyes went wide.

"Yes, Ziva?" he answered her nervously.

"You have crumbs stuck to your lips," she said in her normal tone as she returned to her seat.

Tony sighed and wiped his mouth with his napkin, and the two finished their meal in silence. As Tony arose from the table, he offered his hand to Ziva with a mocking smile. Knowing he was up to something, she accepted his offer by taking his hand--then pulled on it until he was at her level.

"How charming of you," she murmured, planting a kiss on his lips. Surprised, Tony stood up, pulling Ziva to him and kissing her firmly. His arms wrapped tightly around her, refusing to let her go.

After several seconds, she finally managed to pull away. "We shouldn't do this," she said, too sad to meet his piercing gaze. "Rule 12."

Tony sighed, just as sad as she was. "I'm sorry," was all he said, before excusing himself to the bathroom to take a cold shower.

Ziva snapped out of her thoughts as she heard her doorbell ring. "Just a moment," she called as loud as she could, annoyed that her chance to relax had been interrupted. She stepped out of the tub and toweled off, then quickly threw on a robe. She looked through the peephole and had a mixed reaction when she observed Tony standing in the hallway.

Not sure what to do, Ziva stood there for a moment before finally deciding to open the door. She let her partner inside, resisting the urge to simply slam the door in his face.

Tony stepped into the room, half-expecting an angry Ziva to punch him or at least scream at him in her native tongue. To his surprise, she calmly closed and locked the door behind him. "Hello, Tony," she greeted him coolly.

Tony didn't know what to say as he stood there, nearly gawking at her in her short, lavender satin robe, with her hair pinned up. He simply handed her the bottle of champagne and began removing his coat.

"What is it exactly you wanted?" she asked, setting the champagne on an end table.

Tony struggled to find the words to describe what was on his mind. At last he opened his mouth to speak. "Ziva, I…I…I'm sorry" he murmured feebly, looking down at the floor as he felt the impact of her intense gaze staring right through him. "I'm sorry for not believing you earlier. I know now that Paris didn't change you. I should've seen the signs all along. There's always been chemistry between us, but I just never knew what to make of it. I always thought it was just harmless flirting, but-"

Tony cut himself off as Ziva stepped closer to him. "I accept, Tony," she said, stepping even closer until she was mere inches from his face. His instincts taking over, he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her to him, engulfing her lips in a deep, passionate kiss.

The kiss became more forceful as Ziva seemed to melt into him, all her feelings finally being able to express themselves fully. They broke apart for just a few seconds before Tony scooped her up and carried her to her bedroom. He laid her gently on the bed, and she took his hand and pulled him down next to her, rolling so that she was on top of him and attacking his lips with hers.

Their tongues danced inside each other's mouths as he reached up and removed the clip from her hair, allowing it to tumble down around him. He shifted both of them so that they were on their sides facing each other, and her hands reached for his shirt, working furiously to unbutton it.

Tony assisted her, pulling off his shirt and tossing it aside. His undershirt came next, and once that was cast off her hands went to his belt. She made quick work of it, and Tony barely had time to kick off his socks and shoes before his pants came off as well.

Ziva allowed Tony to take control long enough for him to untie her robe. He gasped with delight as he opened it, exposing her lean, toned body to him. He peeled off the robe and threw it onto the growing pile of clothes, then leaned over her for a moment, looking her up and down with a gleam in his eyes.

Their lips met again as he shed his last piece of clothing, then crawled on top of her and pulled the covers over them. She gasped as he entered her, and he carefully adjusted himself until they were both comfortable. They then lay still, enjoying the moment as they gazed in each other's eyes.

"I love you, Ziva David," he said softly.

"And I love you, Anthony DiNozzo," she answered, kissing him once more.

He began to move gently inside of her, trying his hardest not to go too fast. The lovers found their rhythm as they united as one at long last. They moaned and gasped lustily as they neared the peak of their pleasure. Ziva bit her lip, trying not to scream as Tony released inside of her, taking her over the edge right along with him.

As they lay in each other's arms, basking in the afterglow of their intense lovemaking, he kissed her neck and whispered in her ear, causing her to blush. They finally fell asleep, only to wake a couple hours later and enjoy each other once again.

Ziva managed to escape from her lover's arms long enough to grab the champagne and two flutes. She brought them back and handed the flutes to Tony, then began to uncork the bottle.

"Here's to breaking rule 12," she said with a sly smile as the cork popped and the champagne began to bubble over.

"And here's to finally getting to be with my soul mate," Tony answered, taking the bottle from Ziva and spraying her with the champagne.

Ziva laughed and snatched the bottle from him, spraying him right back. He then snatched it back from her, and she closed her eyes, expecting to get blasted again. Tony instead poured the champagne, then handed her one of the flutes. They raised their glasses in a mock toast, then sipped slowly at the champagne, trying to savor every last drop of it.

Tony was first to finish and placed his flute on the nightstand. Seeing the look in his eyes, Ziva knew what was coming and quickly put down her flute. She then dove at him and moved so that he was on his back, with her on top of him, grabbing his wrists and holding his arms above his head.

"Now that's not fair," he pouted. "You knew what was coming."

Ziva simply grinned at him, lowering to kiss him while simultaneously lowering her pelvis against his.

"Ah, playing dirty, I see," he grinned as she took all of him inside of her once again.

As they made love, Tony felt the void in his heart had finally been filled. He knew that no man could ever possibly love her anymore than he did. He knew she was the woman he would one day marry. He realized a long journey lay ahead to get to that point, but knew that they could make it as long as they had each other. She was his saving grace.

And no matter how many stupid arguments they had, he knew they'd always have Paris.