Title: Faith Returned
Pairing: slight McGee/Ziva
Rating: FR7
Genre: Het
Cat: Angst, Fluff.
Spoilers: Spoilers for Truth or Consequences in particular.
Warnings: None.
Summary: During the holiday season, McGee has a special gift for Ziva. Written for the Loving Ziva Challenge on NFA.
Author's Note: I wrote this back in December, and am just now getting around to posting it here. Heh.

"Hey, Ziva," McGee said as his partner walked into the squad room, shrugging off her backpack and allowing it to flop to the floor behind her desk. "Merry Christmas!" She looked up with a surprised, yet amused expression, and he closed his eyes in embarrassment. "Sorry, sorry. Automatic reaction." He cracked an eye open and found her grinning and couldn't keep the grin off his own face and stood up. "Ah, you have plans for the weekend?" He sat down again on the edge of his desk.

Ziva's grin turned sneaky. "Are you asking me out, McGee?"

Rather than get embarrassed by the question, McGee shrugged a shoulder. "Well, I wouldn't call it a date or anything . . ."

She stepped closer to him. "Why not?" she asked softly, stopping in front of him and resting her hands lightly on his thighs.

Now his face did begin to redden as he grew nervous by her close proximity. "Well, because . . . because you wouldn't . . ."

"I would not what, McGee?" Ziva shifted a hand up McGee's leg a bit, causing him to squirm. "Do you think I would turn you down?"

McGee narrowed his eyes at her. "Well . . . yeah. Uh, not that I was asking you out in the first place." He raised a hand and scratched at his head. "I shouldn't have said anything. Sorry. This is . . . awkward."

Ziva smiled and turned back for her desk as McGee closed his eyes and shook his head, not believing that any of that had just happened. When she sat down, she turned on her computer and pulled out a planner, saying as she did so, "And no, I do not have plans." She looked up and saw that McGee wasn't really paying attention. "At least, I didn't a few minutes ago."

His head popped up. "Oh."

Ziva laughed. "Oh? That's all you have to say?"

"I guess I didn't really . . ." He trailed off at the look Ziva gave him. "I was having dinner with my parents. I just thought you maybe . . ." He sighed. "I hate the thought of someone not being with their family during the holidays. I know you don't celebrate Christmas, but . . . I didn't want you to be alone." He smiled briefly at her, but then looked away, diving into his work.

Ziva didn't react at first, she was so touched by the sentiment. After a moment, she stood again and walked to McGee's desk, pausing briefly in front of it before walking around to where McGee sat in back of it, causing him to look up from his work, suddenly nervous. "McGee, that . . ." She shook her head, then simply leaned over and gave him a soft, chaste kiss that was over before it started. She pulled away then, smiling as McGee kept his eyes closed for another moment, then opened them on realizing the kiss was over.

"Ziva . . ." he started, and she shook her head again and he quieted.

"Thank you." She nodded and McGee's face lit up.

"It's no problem, Ziva," he said, his voice warm. "You're always more than welcome and, really . . . you're already like family. It felt like the right thing to do."

"Well, I must say I am looking forward to it," Ziva said, returning more to her normal self. "Can I bring something? Dessert, perhaps?" She winked at him and was off to her desk, a bit of a spring in her step.

McGee stared after her with an open mouth, before responding. "Uh, sure. Though it's not necessary. Just . . ." He stopped himself from finishing, gaining Ziva's attention once more.

"You seem rather hesitant this morning, McGee. Is something wrong?" She smoothed her hands on her thighs, unsure if she should ask the next question. "Is there something . . . you wish to tell me?"

"What? No, no." He paused to think about the question and shook his head, continuing his denial. "No, definitely not."

Ziva rolled her eyes. "Then what are you so anxious about? I am just me, Ziva, the same person you work side by side with every day. And if you are not . . . in love with me or such, I do not know what would cause you such agony!"

McGee didn't appear to have really heard her, however, and Ziva was about to ask him if he was listening when he opened his mouth and told her just what he was thinking. "You could have died. We all thought you were dead. I didn't want to believe it." His voice dropped. "I never even got to say goodbye." He looked up and found Ziva watching him with a sad expression. "And then you were alive and . . ." His eyes shone with pure happiness and he met Ziva's eyes across the room. "Just you being here, being okay . . . That's all I need, Ziva. I'm just happy you're alive."

Ziva continued to sit in shock, silently allowing the warmth of McGee's words to wash over her, and she barely registered his presence suddenly before her until she looked up and saw him looking down at her.

"I got you something," he said, holding out a small wrapped box to her.

Ziva took it, but still looked like she was in shock. "McGee . . . That is unnecessary . . ."

He shook his head and squatted in front of her so they were at the same level. "I want you to have it, Ziva. I already have what I want." His eyes sparkled as she continued to stare in awe at him, but then she grinned as she ripped into the wrapping paper and opened the white box. When she saw what was inside, she nearly dropped the box.

"McGee," she breathed.

"It didn't cost me anything," he said softly. "I cleaned it up as best as I could. I didn't want to damage it anymore than it already was-" He was cut off from saying anything further by Ziva's arms wrapped around him, her face pressed into his shoulder. He raised a hand and gently rubbed her back, knowing that this moment wasn't easy for her, because it wasn't easy for him to witness this himself. But he knew if he could do anything for Ziva, this was the most important.

When he felt her loosening her grip on him, albeit a bit reluctantly, he pulled away to look her in the face and said, "Let me help you put it on."

Ziva nodded as he stood and walked around behind her, brushing her hair to the side as he took the slightly tarnished and bent necklace and clasped it around her neck. Once it was on, he rested his hands on her shoulders. "You okay?"

She shook her head and he immediately squatted down again, worried. She saw his concern and waved it away, smiling as best as she could. "Yes, I will be . . . Thank you. Thank you so much, Tim." Her emotions overtook her again and she fell into his open arms once more, clinging to him like he was all she had left in the world.

McGee smiled to himself and closed his eyes, running a hand over her hair. "You're welcome, Ziva. Merry Christmas."

And as he held Ziva, comforting away her trembles, McGee thought about how he'd seen the shining gold in Saleem's hand, how he had known then it was Ziva's pendant and knew he had to retrieve it no matter the cost. He did and now, he hoped she could rest easier knowing she had her faith returned -- not just in the form of the Star of David around her neck, but also in knowing that there was at least one person who would do everything, anything for her, and that knowledge was better than anything money could ever buy.

THE END!