What if things went differently in season six? What if Tony didn't take Gibbs the longest to get? And what if Gibbs would have gotten Ziva back sooner? What if Gibbs had sent Tony to come give her the good news? What would Tony have thought when he found her?
A/N: Is there really need for a disclaimer on this one. I mean if I owned NCIS why would I be writing this? IT WOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE FRICKEN EPISODE IF I OWNED NCIS. But let's go through this again anyway. I do not own NCIS.
Ziva took a deep breath as she steeled herself for what she was about to do. She hid behind the hair she had draped over her shoulder as she arranged her face into a mask suitable for the occasion. The music started and she stuck her foot in time with the music and started swaying slightly. The cue came faster then she would have liked and she began singing, her exposed back to the crowd, her head angled over her shoulder surveying the room.
"Rusted brandy in a diamond glass" Her voice came out strong and clear, thank goodness. Her voice was smooth and didn't falter. She wasn't comfortable at all in this dress with everything exposed. It didn't help there were about a dozen elderly men in the crowd leering from their seats either.
"Everything is made from dreams," she suddenly realized she couldn't just stand glued to the spot unmoving. She was suppose to entertain and entertain she would. She made her way off the small stage.
"Time is made from honey slow and sweet, only the fools know what it means." She cut a path through the restaurant taking time to look at each person trying to find her target. He frequented this pub and the only way in (without flashing her badge and causing everyone to scatter immediately) was either to be vouched for by a criminal already allowed in or, as she had chosen, be hired as the entertainment.
As she looked around the room she realized she had to make it good or she wouldn't be hired to put on a show for the rest of the week. It looked like her target hadn't showed tonight so she had to spice things up and fast.
"Temptation" She sauntered up to one of the men sitting at the bar, his eyes glued to her, and stroked his face. He stared back at her and raised an eyebrow daring her.
"Temptation" She stared right back before spinning slightly and placing her hand on his thigh as she dipped right in between his legs smirking as she felt him shiver, thrown off guard. "Temptation"
She turned her head to the side smirking at him. "I can't resist." She took a step away and turned to face the rest of the room but stopped dead. The song faltered and came to an abrupt end on her lips and she stood in the middle of the room staring at the man before her.
The band played on as her former partner stood gaping at her, his jaw just about reaching the floor. And she stared back at him not quite believing. After a moment though she regained her composer and seeing how he didn't look like he was about to any time soon she cleared her throat.
He seemed to snap back into reality as his eyes snapped back to her face (and stayed there this time.) Blood rushed to his cheeks and he started blushing. He glanced around at the rest of the people in the pub, most of who were watching them not understanding what was going on, he noticed more than a few men still staring at Ziva. He shrugged off the suit jacked he was wearing and draped it over her before taking her by the shoulders and steering her out.
More than one man gave a sound of protest and got to their feet, but Tony just looked back at them with an icy glare and they seemed to think better of their previous ideas.
By the time they got out of the place Ziva wasn't happy. "What the hell did you do that for?" She demanded turning on him.
"You're a special agent not a prostitute." He told her through gritted teeth grabbing her arm and dragging her to the nearest corner.
She dug her heeled feet into the ground and yanked her arm away from his grasp. "Don't you ever dare-"
He seemed to realize what he just said because he rushed back waving his hands in surrender. "I don't mean it that way! Of course I don't think you're a slut."
She glared at him but stopped talking.
"I just mean Mossaid has no right to make you do something like this when with a little more surveillance they could find out another place he goes often. I mean you were alone down there without back up. What if something happened? I know you don't have a gun on you." He told her eyes surveying her body again and she crossed her arms in front of her chest to provide some modestly.
"If I saw him I could have handled myself Tony. I have been trained for this kind of thing."
"I know you have but you were in a basement full of criminals without backup! It might have been impossible for even you to get out of once you started a fight." He noticed a cab nearing and threw out his hand. The cab slowed and came to a stop in front of them. Tony held open the door Ziva got in her mouth set in a hard line. He got in after her and gave the driver the name of the hotel to the driver he settled back into the seat. They spent the next couple minutes in an awkward silence. Tony sighed and ran his hand through his hair before breaking the silence.
"Listen. I don't doubt your abilities, but I guess I was just kind of worried about you. I'm still used to keeping an eye on you and watching your back whenever you go into a dangerous situation." He pretended to find the view outside the window very interesting as an excuse not to look her in the eyes.
She was taken aback for a moment and didn't know quite what to say. She hadn't seen him in months and decided to forgive him. She had been missing him terribly in the time they had been apart (although she would never admit that to him.) She just smiled and laid her head on his shoulder as it was after midnight and she was getting pretty sleepy.
He wasn't expecting her to forgive him that easily and he smiled down at her.
"So is there a reason to your unexpected and mission ruining visit?" She asked him but there was no anger in her voice.
"Oh yeah about that," Tony said rubbing his head imagining what his boss would have done to him had he known he almost forgot what he was here for "Gibbs is putting the team back together. I was supposed to come and bring you back to Washington."
She sat up straight and looked him. "You're serious? He finally got the directors consent?" She asked searching his eyes for any sign of a lie.
"Yup. It looks like we're gonna be stuck together for a long time Zee-vah." He told her smiling.
She hugged him happily but as she had moved, his jacket slipped from her shoulders. He smiled as once again he could see practically everything. She hurriedly let go of him and yanked the jacket back over herself glaring at him in the process. He just continued smiling at her as she huffed for the rest of the ride.
When they got to the hotel they made their way to the fourth floor together and Tony walked Ziva to the door next to his room explaining that it was hers. He handed her the key to the room and she unlocked it easily. "Goodnight." she called to him from over her shoulder about to enter the room but he held her back.
"What is it?" She asked curiously.
"You look really beautiful tonight." He told her sincerely meeting her gaze before giving her a kiss on the cheek and walking into his own room.
Ziva stood in the hall looking at the door through which he'd disappeared, her hand resting on her cheek where his lips had been moments before. Yes she had missed NCIS and her co-workers dearly, but she decided it had been Tony she had missed most of all.
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(A/N ) I've had a writer's block forever! This is the first story I've posted in a long time! Please R&R and tell me if I'm any good anymore!
