Chapter 1 - Burn
It was mid June and the Navy supply and service office in D.C was mostly quiet. The fountain in the nearby square played a tuneless harmony and the pigeons around it were slow witted and dozy.
The two federal agents leaving the office were both strolling away from the demure structure, they were not walking to fast or to slow. At a perfect speed at perfect ease. However this relaxed was they were walking reflected nothing in the way they were passionately bickering.
"You always have to be completely correct about everything don't you?" Ziva hissed her hand twisting around the small knife she kept at her wrist.
The other agent a man in a white shirt with braces and a coat over his arm was walking close beside her so their elbows brushed every so often.
Tony rolled his eyes and stopped mid step forcing her to also halt.
"I never said I was always right I am just making it clear that my gut was telling me that guy is not as clean as his office. Did you see it? It's almost O.C.D!"
"Maybe it wasn't your gut but that burrito you ate at lunch. It didn't look the best quality to me."
This put an end to their banter for the most part. The cool atmosphere was melted by her joke and the ice of the previous moments melted in to a almost warm wave crashing around them. Laziness was restored.
They soon reached the car talking together about not much of anything. The drivers side was facing the road and since Tony was driving he walked round to that side as Ziva waited for him to unlock the door.
"Agh good call DiNozzo. Parking under a tree. Now I am somehow going to be the one cleaning this up." Ziva sighed narrowing her eyes over the bird droppings splattered roof at Tony who had stopped searching his pockets for the keys. No doubt he was planning a witty remark.
Before the idea of a sufficient comeback had properly formed in his mind a detonation in the near by building that they had just left caused a spark to be hit near some transporting gas containers. The building lit up like a bit of paper in a colossal explosion.
The two agents who were only about 70 meters from the building sure felt it. Tonys usual agent instinct would have been to duck but all his mind was on was his partner on the other side of the car. The shock waves caused the drivers side window to smash making bits of glass hit Tonys face.
"Zivaa!" he yelled. The force pushed him back on to the tarmac road. His hands and face were cut and grazed but he crawled around the car. She had to be okay. She had to. He felt the heat from the burning building nearing him as he passed the bonnet and then he spotted Ziva.
She had ducked to avoid the blast but her once brown leather coat was now blackened her hair was singed. He pulled her off the car which was red hot. Trying not to look at the blood trickling from her head he pulled her around to the other side of the car.
He pressed his forefinger and index to her neck. Her pulse was slow but it was there. She groaned.
"Ziva! Ziva it's me!" He held her head up and had his arm around her shoulders as they sheltered on the other side of the car.
"W...Tony?" she murmured a frown creasing on her face. She evinced as she tried to move.
"Shhhh my ninja. I am calling 911." he whispered pulling her closer. Thank god she was even coherent. He pressed the phone to his cheek and listened to the dial tone. "Hey at least you won't have to clean the car." he looked up. The roof of the cars metal was bent with the heat and discoloured. Not a sign of bird skat. Ziva laughed softly in to his shoulder.
Not long after there they were in an ambulance on the way to Bethesda. Tony sat by Ziva. They were both supposed to lie in their stretchers but Tony ignored this rule he was sitting my the now out cold Ziva. She had many moderate burns and a slight concussion from the force on her head. She also had some broken ribs but that was all the paramedics has Sussed out from her. He just had minor burns and shrapnel inflicted scratches.
Once at the medical base him and Ziva were separated. He was patched up and given a mild pain killer as the tweezed the fine remnants of class from his face.
"I want to see Ziva." he demanded. He had to see she was okay.
"Okay I'll take you to her." The nurse replied and guided him down the hall.
Normally he would have noticed her good looks and girlish charms and hit on her but this was not normally.
They finally reached the room she was in and Tony burst through the door before anyone could try and contradict him.
She was sitting up miraculously. She had a bandage over one part of her head and over her chest and stomach and over her hand. But she was smiling relived at him.
"Here is your precious Tony, now please try at relax mrs David." the doctor smiled at her. "Your boss is on his way."
Soon the two of them were left alone and at the same time they both started talking.
"I am sorry it's my fault!" they both said at the same time. Then they both smiled a little embarrassed.
"It is in no way your fault Ziva." Tony said a smile blossoming over his face. He sat down by her side and took her hand as if by impulse. They both looked down at their clenched hands and the realized it wasn't at all too weird so they left them like that.
"Your face..." Ziva quietly exlaimed at his many cuts.
"oh yeah. My fault entirely I forgot to duck so the window smashed in my face." he smiled impishly
"What made you not duck?" she asked concern weighing her voice.
"You." he replied softly looking steadily in to her face.
She may have replied or acted on her feeling that had just surfaced but Gibbs walked in.
Tony whipped his hand from hers and his gaze from her face as quickly as he could. But it didn't matter Gibbs didn't notice he was too busy talking to the doctor over his shoulder. He turned to them and shut the door.
"DiNozzo. Ziva. You okay?" he looked concerned for once and he scanned their faces for looks of injury.
"Yes Gibbs we are both still alive." Ziva smiled reassuringly at him.
Gibbs nodded. He seemed stressed out "I gotta get back Abby has a lot of evidence to look at and I gotta work with metro." he put his hand on Ziva's and slapped Tony lightly on the back as he left. "Stay with her Tony. You can come back as soon as you feel up to it."
"Oh hey boss I am good now-" Tony began standing. But Gibbs held up his hand.
"Not today DiNozzo. I need ya to babysit Ziva."
"Gibbs I don't require a babysitter-" Ziva started but Gibbs just slammed the door and left.
Tony sat on a nearby chair and drew it right up beside her. She smiled at him silently and he smiled back awkwardly.
"You can go home if you want Tony I am fi-" Ziva said but Tony interrupted her by putting his finger to her lips.
"Shut up Ziva." he said then settled back in to the chair "Get some sleep. I will stay right here at your side."
And she did. She felt completely safe in that pokey little hospital bed with Tony by her side.
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woooooo chapter 1 is over! Did you like it? Too much Tiva? Too little? Gimmie a review if ya like and stick around for chapter 2 because it is a bit of a songfic!