Wooh! My very first story on the web! I'm feeling a little nervous...ok...very nervous... Oh man, somebody get me a bucket... *sigh* Okay. I'm good. I can do this. Anyway, I appreciate any CONSTRUCTIVE criticism. Everyone know what that means? Okay. Just making sure.

Muse: GET ON WITH THE *#&$^ STORY!

OKAY! Okay, geez. All right. On with the story. =D

Tap tap tap tap tap tap went Tony's pen as he repeatedly tapped his desk with it. He had done this for nearly ten minutes, staring at the clock. Tap tap tap tap- "Tony!"

Tony stopped the tapping and grinned. "Problem, Zee-vah?"

Ziva took a deep breath, and gave an obviously strained smile. "Yes, as a matter of fact." she said. "Your incessant tapping is driving me up a building."

"Uh, wall, Ziva," McGee input from his desk. "Drives you up a wall."

Ziva waved her hand as to swat away the comment. "Whatever, McGee. The top line is that the noise Tony is making is irritating, yes?"

Tony snorted at her mistake, but McGee ignored both the mistake and him. "Yes, Ziva. It IS very annoying," he said, glaring at Tony.

DiNozzo sighed and stretched his arms out in front of him. "Can't help it, Probie. Just can't wait until quittin' time."

Ziva gave a sly, mischievous smile. "You have another hot date, yes?" she said, pulling her hair up into a pony tail.

"It disturbs me that you don't know the appropriate phrase for being annoyed, but you know 'hot date,'" Tony replied. "And no, I don't, believe it or not."

A brief pause of silence. "Then...what has you so anxious to out of here, Tony?" Tim said, his curiosity getting the best of him.

"I'm going to pick up a friend at the airport-"

"Which is where we should be headed right now, Anthony," Ducky said, having appeared out of nowhere wearing his coat and hat. "That is, if we are to pick up our friend on time," he said, smiling.

Tony looked up at the clock and grinned. "Yes!" He snatched his coat off the back of his chair and grabbed his bag. He took off for the elevator. "C'mon, Ducky! We're gonna be late!"

Ducky laughed. "I'm coming, my dear boy. Patience." He smiled at Ziva and McGee. "Have a good weekend, Ziva, Timothy." With that, Ducky left for the elevator, leaving the other two agents at their desks, confused.

"That was weird," Tim said. "I didn't know Tony and Ducky had any mutual friends-besides us. Did you?"

Ziva shook her head. "It seems unlikely, but it is a possibility. Perhaps someone they know from before either of us came to work here?"

Tim shrugged. "Maybe. I just thought it was weird how excited Tony was. I mean, that's his normal reaction to a date, not just an old friend."

"Hmmm, true," Ziva said. "I am just thankful that Gibbs was not here to listen to Tony beating his pen against his desk."

McGee gave a small laugh. "I know, right? Gibbs probably would have stabbed Tony in the leg with his pen."

Right at that moment, Gibbs walked in, heading straight to his desk. Tim gulped. Gibbs said nothing, putting on his jacket and turning off his lamp. Still nothing. Tim and Ziva shared a worried look. Gibbs headed towards the elevators, but stopped and turned around. "What are you still doing here?" he said. "Go home!"

"Yes, Boss!" "Right away, Gibbs."

Tony and Ducky arrived at the airport relatively quickly. There was no traffic, but parking was a pain. After a literal twenty minutes of wandering the parking garage, they finally grabbed a spot. They walked into the bustling airport. Tony grinned as he and Ducky walked over to security. "I've been waiting for this for ages, Ducky," he said. "It seems like it's been thirteen years instead of three."

Ducky pat his friend on the shoulder. "Anthony, it will be well worth it, I'm sure."

They showed security their NCIS identification so they could go to the gate instead of waiting at baggage claim. When they arrived at the gate, they stood in silence for a few moments. "Ducky," Tony said, briefly hesitating. "What...What if things are different? What do I do then?

The ME looked up at the younger man. "What do you mean, Anthony?"

Tony sighed. "Casey and I. It... It's been so long...and I'm sure a bunch of things have happened to her...things that I won't understand because I wasn't there with her...or things that have hurt her... We used to tell each other everything. We shared everything with each other. What if... What if we don't connect the way we used to?"

Ducky smiled reassuringly and pat Tony on the arm. "I wouldn't worry about that, my boy. She is obviously not concerned. She did, after all, ask that you pick her up. Not Gibbs. Not Abby."

Tony gave a small laugh. "But she asked that you be here to pick her up too, Ducky. What does that mean?"

"Perhaps..." Ducky replied. "Perhaps she was hoping I'd bring Mother with me. You know how much Mother adored her... I believe that to this day Mother still thinks you are Caseila's driver." Tony laughed at this. "Anthony, it will be fine. Do not worry. If she were anxious, I doubt she would have sent you as many letters as she did this week alone."

Tony considered this... Maybe I shouldn't have shared those with Ducky... but his thoughts returned to what Ducky had said, and he smiled, a warm feeling coming over him. A few seconds later, a woman announced over a PA system: "Flight 760 from Carson City has arrived. Flight 760 from Carson city has arrived."

Tony exhaled. "This is it."

Ducky chuckled. "I don't believe I have ever seen you so anxious about seeing a woman, Anthony."

Tony whispered to himself. "This isn't just any woman..."

A few moments later, the door opened, and passengers of multiple ethnicities with varying amounts of luggage began to file out. Tony looked...and looked, but he didn't see her. Then... she was there.