"DiNozzo, finish that report and leave a copy on my desk, you too Ziva. McGee, you're free to leave," said Gibbs as he grabbed his gun and coat. It was around 1 in the morning. They had been living in the bullpen, working a high priority case. It was the home stretch for Tony and Ziva. They were almost home free, almost allowed to haul their carcasses to their real homes. "Boss, that's not fair. Why do you let McGee-" he said before his bosses hand met the back of his head, for the…millionth time? "Because McGee finished his while you were breaking up on the phone an hour ago" he said before marching to the elevator where he and McGee rode the parking lot. Free. "Why does he do this?" asked Ziva from the desk here she was cupping her head in her hands. "Do what?" Tony said as he continued pecking at the keyboard with his fingers. Ziva confronted him with a look of unknowingness, out of the loop of how things worked. Still. "The constant mental torture of paper work, denying us our desperately needed sleep. In Mossad, we at least were given one measly hour of sleep a week!" she said short temperedly. "You'll get used to it. Comes with the trade. Only the strong survive this test of strength," he said varying the tone of his voice, emphasising the jargon he just made up. "You're an ass, Tony," she said before yawning and continuing to type. Tony offered a small grin, then got back to his work. The longer he wasted, the later it would become.

It was 2:30 when they both finished their paperwork, to the best of their abilities. "Well, that's it for me. See you on Monday" said Tony as he grappled the straps of his backpack and swung it over his shoulders. "Yeah, well, I doubt that there is a bus running at this hour. You need me, you know where to find me," she said as she started to make her cramped chair into an unhealthy bed. Something twigged in Tony's mind. Do the right thing… "Ziva," said Tony quickly, before he could take it back. "Yes?" she said. Tony sighed. "Can I offer you a ride home?" he asked. "Ahh…Sure" said Ziva, surprised. Man, she really must think I'm a slob. She grabbed her gear. They both walked to the elevator, almost breaking down as the elevator doors closed.

In the parking lot, they walked out through the row of cars towards Tony's sedan. "What are you doing this weekend?" asked Tony making light conversation. Despite all doubt, this was actually the first time Tony had ever really spoken to Ziva outside of work, besides the 'Be there in 30 minutes' Gibbs pass-on phone call. "I have to send some electronic mail back to my superiors in Tela vive, other than that, sleeping and eating. What about you?" she said, approaching the passenger door. Tony remotely opened the car and got in. "Well," he said starting his car and gently reversing out of the parking space. "Pretty much the same, except send some more work related messages to Paula, get some Chinese food and rest up for anything ahead. Would" said Tony, realising where he was heading. "Would what?" she asked with a sense of intrigue in her voice. "Would you like to stay at my place for the weekend?" he asked, mildly blushing around the cheeks. "Is that how you pick up women?" she asked with a playful sense of humour. "No, this is" he said before going in full throttle and making contact with her lips. One second went by. Oh, how good this feels…And another second. So long…Oh god! Realising after two seconds what he impulsively did, he broke away, fast. For seconds, what seemed like minutes, they gazed into each other's eyes, not knowing what to expect on either sides. Tony looked away, ashamed, knowing he should have known better. He changed the gear into drive and started driving, out of the parking lot. He sensed Ziva's cold stare down his spine, not looking across to see her. "Umm…Where..Where should I drop you off?" he asked nervously. The silence remained for seconds to come. She finally relaxed back into the seats. "Your place"