Double Dog Dare

Tony, Ziva, Abby and Tim go ice skating

The outdoor skating rink at the park just up the street from the NCIS building had been opened the weekend before. Since it was in the Navy Yard, only properly ID'd military, Navy Yard employees and their families could use the rink. Abby had been excited about the opening and had persuaded Tim, Tony and Ziva to go with her on the second Saturday it was open. Neither Abby nor Ziva had been ice skating before, and Tim and Tony were already commiserating about having to monitor the girls. Both Tim and Tony had grown up where it was cold enough to skate, and they did.

Saturday from 0900 to 1100 was for Navy Yard personnel only this particular weekend. No children were allowed until after 1200, for which Tim said a silent thank you to the Man Upstairs. He had envisioned an overly enthusiastic Abby mowing down kids by the dozens as she slipped and slid on inexperienced feet.

When the group arrived, only three others were on the ice, none of whom any of them recognized. Tony felt relieved at that. They went to the skate rental hut, each one getting a nearly new set of skates in the correct size. Tony helped Ziva, who was bundled in an oversized sweater, her NCIS parka, scarf, hat and mittens, lace up her skates. He knew she was not very enamored of the cold, but he was glad she had agreed to come along. He laced up his own skates and stood up, offering Ziva a hand to her feet.

Tim had already gotten his skates on and was on the ice, gliding smoothly to the music that played. Abby was still lacing her skates, but she brushed off Tony's offer of help. "How much different can it be from roller skates?" She asked of no one in particular. Tony smirked to himself; Abby would soon regret her comment.

Ziva and Tony walked to the rink on their skates. Ziva made note to herself that keeping her ankles from flopping to either side would be key in staying on the skate blades. Tony stepped on to the ice and Ziva used his hand to get on the ice herself. She smiled at Tony and he started moving, holding her hand and showing her how to glide feet on ice to move forward. He got her going and let go, moving ahead of her and skating backwards to guide her along.

This is actually fun, she thought as she glided effortlessly with Tony's instruction. They skated around the oval a few times so that Ziva could get acclimated and then Tony showed her how to use her skates and a cross-over technique to make the turn smoothly and effortlessly. He also showed her how to use her own momentum and lower legs and ankles to glide forward without a lot of effort. She picked it all up fairly quickly and they skated round the oval together.

Abby had been trying to stay on her blades, and was using the rink wall to keep on her feet as she tried to move around the oval. Tim was trying to get her to let go of the wall and keep looking forward. Tony heard him as he and Ziva passed by, "Abby, if you look down, you will go down. You have to look ahead to where you want to go." Tim was getting frustrated, and Abby wasn't listening to him. Ziva skated over to them on the next go round and asked Tim if she could try. Tim shrugged and gave Ziva a look as if to say have at it and good luck, and skated off.

Ziva took Abby's hand in hers, and told her to let go of the wall. "Abby, it is all in the ankles. You have to use your ankles to balance on the blade." Ziva got Abby to stop long enough to try balancing. Ziva got in front of Abby and used the figure-eight motion of her feet as she had seen Tony do to skate backwards in front of Abby. She had Abby move towards her, slowly at first and then a bit faster. Abby seemed to be doing better, so Ziva broke off with Tony the next time he came around.

More people were on the ice now, and the announcer had everyone stop and go to the side wall. He announced, "Couples only" for the next song. Abby looked expectantly at her friends, "I double dog dare you to the couples only skating." Tim took Abby's hand and Ziva took Tony's hand. Ziva and Tony coordinated almost immediately, and glided around the oval as if they had been skating together for a long time. They would cross over to the other side of each other, take turns skating backwards with the other forwards, and even tried a spin together after Tony explained the mechanics of the spin to Ziva. She's a natural he thought, and wondered if her ninja skills and training played a part. Whatever, he was enjoying being with her. Ziva wondered how Tony could be so graceful on the ice and an absolute klutz on the dance floor. Never mind, she was having fun with him and enjoyed being with him.

Tim and Abby had a much harder time. They couldn't coordinate their movements and twice had gone down on the ice. Abby would get back up and forget about looking down and bam, on the ice again.

The song ended, and the announcer called another couples only song. Tim led Abby to the benches on the side and went to get them some hot cocoa. When he came back, Abby was sitting open-mouthed watching the rink. Tony and Ziva were by far the most graceful and coordinated couple on the ice. Others were watching them from the sides as well. Tim was amazed at Ziva's dexterity and Tony's graceful moves. He would have never guessed they would be so good at skating.

The announcer called another couples only song, but the next one had a faster pace. Ziva and Tony adapted to the new pace quickly and smoothly. Other pairs gave up and sat on the sides, watching the remaining pairs with envy. The announcer decided it was now a competition to the last couple skating. He picked up the pace yet again with the next song, and Tony and Ziva transitioned smoothly once again. Tim remarked to Abby that it was like they were one on the ice.

Several more pairs gave up, and by the fifth song, at a faster pace yet, they had narrowed the skating pairs to two: Tony and Ziva and a pair of college aged girls. Song six was the fastest pace yet and again Tony and Ziva were as one, making the smooth transition to the new music. Tony felt as if Ziva read his every move before he made it and she did as well. It was like they were in the field, where they truly did operate as one. The two girls fell on a turn and gave up, but Tony and Ziva kept skating as the song finished. He skated towards the center of the oval as the final chords played. He and Ziva went into an arm-locked spin and when the final chord played they stopped facing each other with arms raised.

The other skaters cheered and clapped and the announcer could only say, "WOW!" over and over. Ziva looked at Tony, his face pink with the energy they had put into the final song and locked eyes with him. He looked at her, face flushed, and lost himself in her chocolate orbs. He lowered their joined hands and pulled her to him, oblivious to the surroundings. She moved closer as she felt herself sinking into the two emerald green pools in front of her. Their lips touched and an electricity shot through them both.

The voice of the announcer, who was now on the ice with the mic, broke their kiss and they realized where they were. The announcer was asking their names and was congratulating them on the performance. "Tony and Ziva" they said together. Tony squeezed Ziva's hand and she squeezed back.

"Let's have another round of applause for Tony and Ziva," the announcer had the audience clapping and cheering. Someone snapped a picture of the two, hand in hand, looking in each other's eyes. The crowd began chanting, "Kiss her, kiss him" and Ziva pulled Tony to her and locked her lips on his. The flash of the camera let them know that at least one other picture had been taken.

Abby was squealing on the sidelines and Tim tried to get her to tone it down. "No, Tim, they are finally admitting it and they are kissing each other. GO TIVA!" He groaned and wondered how long he would have to hear about 'TIVA' now.

The announcer had someone else come out on the ice and presented Tony and Ziva with a gift certificate for a weekend for two at a resort in the Virginia mountains. Accommodations, food and resort facilities use were included in the deal. They accepted the envelope with their prize and had one more round of applause and chanting, "Kiss her, kiss him."

As they skated off the ice hand in hand, Tony leaned over and whispered in Ziva's ear, "I know what we're doing the next weekend we have off." She smiled at him and he grinned back at her.