Ziva and McGee went to lunch together that day since Gibbs and Dinozzo seemed to be dealing well with their latest case, Former Navy Lieutenant Ray Thorn, Gibbs had wanted him but could find nothing to link him to the Navy anymore, he'd been dishonourably discharged. Not until now anyway, turned out he was doing a drug deal to a petty officer Davis that night, thanks to a gem of information from one of Tony's sources.

"I have to go to the ladies, McGee, excuse me." Said Ziva getting up.

"But...Ziva the cheque!" He called but she just carried on walking.

"She's one fine woman, you're a lucky man, Sir, if I may say so" Said a waiter now that Ziva was out of earshot

"Oh" Laughed Tim uncomfortably "Ziva's not my wife"

"So she's single?" Asked the waiter hopefully

"Don't even think of hitting on me" Said Ziva now returning .

"Sorry, I was just saying how beautiful you are" Said the waiter, feeling like he'd dug his own grave.

"My husband thinks so too" She said and he noticed a rather striking white gold wedding ring on her finger.

Only Ziva knew what the engraving was on the inside though.

'My love forever. Tony X'

They'd been married eight months.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tony stood with Abby in her lab waiting for a test result like a child waiting for Santa

"Tony, I got to say, I never thought I'd see it" Observed Abby as they stood in her lab out of the blue.

"What's that Abs?" He asked.

"Just never saw you getting married"

"People change, Abby" He said.

"Just never imagined change ever happening to people like you two, you were so set in your ways."

"What ways?" He asked

"Well you had a wandering eye, like all the time, and she had such a hard shell around her, you've both just...changed!" She said.

He didn't quite know what to make of Abby's analysis, and it bothered him that no one could quite comprehend that they were husband and wife, but he did know that he loved Ziva and that was all that mattered in the end.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ziva and McGee wandered back into the bull pen, and she stole a quick kiss with Tony while Gibbs wasn't there. At first Gibbs figured it would never work, but when he realised they'd kept their relationship secret and strictly out of work he warmed to the idea, in his own unique 'Gibbs' way anyway.

"I have a surprise for you tonight" She said as she sat on his desk.

"Oh really?" He said, intrigued.

"You'll find out over dinner tonight" And she left it at that, she got up from his desk and sat at her own.

Gibbs walked into the room.

"When are we bringing Thorn in?" Said Ziva.

"With that leg you're not going anywhere, I'm relieving you early"

A suspect had given her a sharp kick in the shin yesterday and severly bruised her leg.

"I'll be fine, you need me"

"This isn't a debate, Officer David" He barked.

"Fine!"

"Dinozzo and I will bring him in, go home Ziva, rest. McGee Abby needs your help"

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"What are we going to do about Davis, boss? Are we bringing him in too?" Asked Tony in the car on the way to West Street.

"The priority is Thorn, but yeah we bring both in"

"Thorn's dangerous, can we manage without Ziva and McGee?"

"Ziva's injured and Abby need's McGee. So it's just you and me" Replied Gibbs.

"Wow, you say that so warmly!" Grinned Tony, but Gibbs put his foot down and acclerated.

The evening was a cold one and even colder in the parking lot, it felt even colder when the breeze rushed through it. Both men, for the moment were warm inside their car and Gibbs had his ever trustful coffee in his hands, but not for much longer as Thorn had just turned up.

They spotted a young, weak looking man hand him a large wad of cash and that was their cue.

"Seaman Davis? Ray Thorn?" Said Gibbs "NCIS"

Thorn ran in a direction that Gibbs didn't see, he went in the direction he thought his eyes told him he went. It brought him onto the lower parking level, down a slope. He slowly walked up to the end looking between every parked car as he went. No Thorn yet, but Gibbs knew tonight would be the night he had to catch Raymond Thorn.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The lesser streetwise Carl Davis was already in handcuffs, he believed his life was over, well at least his life in the Navy anyway. As Tony put handcuffs on him, regrets filled his head, he wanted with all his heart to plead his innocence but he knew it was pointless and ultimately a lie. Tony walked him over to the car.

Ray Thorn watched them approach the car from his vantage point behind a concrete pillar. He had only known Carl Davis for a few days but something about him caught Ray's eye. He silently caught up with them and before Tony knew it Thorn was standing directly behind him. One hand was on his shoulder and the other had a knife.

"Thorn" Said Tony, it was more a statement than a question.

"The one and only!" Replied a smug Thorn.

Tony remained calm even though Thorn's knife was dangerously close to his back.

"What exactly is it you want?"

Thorn was willing to reply to the question until he felt Tony's left hand reach for his weapon.

"Not the right move" Said Thorn.

He stabbed Tony in the back using the entire length of a six inch kitchen knife.

Thorn released Davis from his cuffs. Tony looked at Carl Davis and even through the emense, white hot pain he could see, as their eyes connected for a split second that there was a certain amount of guilt in Davis' eyes.

"You stabbed him...?" He said in absolute amazement.

"Yeah, now lets go shoot the other one and get out of here"