Tony sat in the limousine, how was he going to get out of this situation? La Grenouille sat barely three feet from him, and he knew, he bloody knew Tony wasn't Professor DiNardo, but Special Agent DiNozzo. Damn this! Tony looked passed Jeanne and out the back window, he could see Henri driving his car.
It exploded.
Rene grabbed Jeanne and told her to get down before yelling, Jeanne panicked.
"Papa! We have to stop! What about the driver? We have to stop!" Rene didn't like the idea,
"Jeanne no, we must go."
"Papa! Please, Papa, stop." Rene sighed and signaled the driver to stop, making Tony let out a breath.
They pulled over and got out, Jeanne clinging to Tony, "Tony, oh God! That could have been us! If I hadn't… Oh Tony!" She flung her arms around him and cried into his shoulder,
"Shh, it's ok Jeanne."
They walked slowly to the car, sirens blaring in the background. Soon enough the Police arrived and set up police tape and keeping the crowd at bay.
Tony watched on when he saw something that made his eyes widen in horror; a familiar black car and white truck driving towards them.
"Jeanne, we should sit down."
"No Tony, I can't, I just, I need to know why. We have to give statements or something, that's your car! We should be in that car!"
"Jea-"
"We're staying Tony. Go sit with my father if you want, but I'm staying here." Tony sighed, and avoided looking at the car he knew held the team.
Ziva, Jenny, Gibbs and McGee got out of the car and stared at the scene, not noticing Tony and Jeanne. Ducky and Palmer got out of the truck, a feeling of dread and foreboding washing over them.
They all stared at the body they believed to be Tony. Ziva felt her heart brake at the sight of the charred remains. She never told him. She always loved Tony, ever since she joined the team she felt a rush, an emotion she never felt before, it quickly developed to love.
"McGee." Said Gibbs but Tim didn't look up, "McGee!"
Tim walked to the car and started photos, Jenny and Ziva looking for clues.
"Hey!" Called Jenny, bending down at the back of the car. She indicated something on the ground, "That some sort of timer device?" she asked McGee, he snapped a few photos and spoke;
"Ten bucks at most electrical stores; probably activated when the ignition turned on," Ziva stood at the front of the car, taking more pictures.
"Counts down however long you need it to," Continued Tim, "And when it reaches zero…"
"Shockwave would have killed him before the fire." Said Ducky, "Death would have been instantaneous… Small mercies my dear boy."
"Identification?" Asked Jenny,
"General build, height, weight are about right." Said Ducky "Most of the epidermis and dermis, on the hands and fingers have been burnt off, so no fingerprints. We'll need to get his dental records, for positive identification, and is there any chance, that it's not Tony?"
Jenny took a guilty breath, "None that I can think of." She walked away,
Ducky turned to Gibbs, "She blames herself." He didn't say anything, "Should she?"
"Let me know when you're finished, Duck." Said Gibbs before walking away,
A few minutes later Ziva took some snaps of Tony's ID.
"You believe in miracles Ziva?" Asked McGee,
"Not part of my training." Sniffed Ziva, trying to keep her emotions in, as she picked up the burnt leather sleeve,
"It might not be Tony." Ziva didn't say anything. She just showed him what was in her hand. Tim sighed and walked away.
Ziva looked down at it and looked at his badge. She ran her thumb down it, wiping some of the dust and dirt off.
"…Ziva. Ziva. Ziva…"
Ziva snapped her head up. She heard Tony's voice. It echoed; she saw him leaning against the hood of the car.
"Tony?" She whispered,
"No actually. Ziva I'm your imagination, you remembering me. I'm not actually here. See?" And he walked through the car, and up to her. He looked into her face and whispered, "This is the part, where you say 'sometimes I used to imagine you naked'." A huge DiNozzo grin spread on his face.
"What?"
"The first words you heard me say, remember Zee-Vah? I was remembering Kate, just like you're remembering me now."
"Oh… So I am actually speaking aloud."
"Well, whispering, I doubt anyone can hear you though, you're so quiet. Don't let me get to you Ziva, you may love me but I'm not worth it."
"How did you know that?" Asked Ziva, her eyes wide,
"I told you Zee, I'm you imagination, just a memory. Though there is one big difference between this and when I remembered Kate."
"You're not naked?" Asked Ziva, and just like that Tony stood in front of her naked,
"Ha ha Ziva, but I thank you for taking the time to admire and remember what I look like naked, or is it just your photographic memory coming to haunt you?"
"No."
Tony looked down at him self, "Miss David you've shaved me with your eyes!" And it was true; his butt wasn't hairy at all,
"My perfect five." Whispered Ziva,
Tony grinned, "What a minx you are, but no, the big difference isn't that."
"What is it then?" Asked Ziva, cocking her head to the side,
"I'm not actually dead Ziva. I'm alive and well, and I'm standing right over there…" He pointed across the road passed the tape where a crowd had gathered, he disappeared and Ziva saw the real (dressed) Tony standing awkwardly with a woman, avoiding looking at the scene.
"Tony?" She said shocked, He briefly turned and looked at the car and she knew it was him, "TONY!" She ran full speed to him, not caring he was undercover, not caring he was with his girlfriend, not caring he was probably also in the company of La Grenouille.
"TONY!" McGee, Jenny, Ducky, Palmer, and Gibbs stared as she ran to the tape, ducked under it and jumped on Tony in a huge Abby like hug.
"Tony." She whispered in his ear, "We thought…" Tony accepted the hug,
"Shhh, Zee it's ok, calm down." Ziva pressed a kiss to his cheek and slowly loosened her grip on him, putting him less then arms length away but far enough for her to study his face, and for him to see the tears spilling out of her eyes.
"Are you crying, oh great Ziva David?" Ziva sniffed and wiped her tears,
"I am aloud to cry Tony; admittedly I do not do it often."
"Tony?" Asked Jeanne from next to him,
Tony turned, "Oh sorry, this is Officer Ziva David, one of my closest friends, Zee, this is my girlfriend Jeanne Benoit and her father Rene, is over there." He pointed to the limousine parked up the street.
"Officer David." Came a voice, Ziva turned to see Jenny standing looking firm; she was keeping the cover, "Have you finished for the day or are you going to do your job like ordered?"
"I'll get back to it, sorry." She turned to Tony and hugged him again, though a bit softer then before, she kissed his cheek again, "Shalom Tony, I will see you soon." She bit back a smile as he ducked under the tape and walked back to the scene.
She walked straight to McGee, "It's a miracle Tim."
* * *
Ziva walked slowly to Tony's apartment. After the events of the day she wasn't sure if he'd be so happy to see her. She took a deep breath and knocked on the door, it swung open and she saw Tony, his shirt unbuttoned and untucked, his tie and jacket gone.
"Can I come in?"
"OK." He stepped aside and walked into the room, she followed, closing the door on her way.
"I've been thinking about what you said… At Jeanne's."
"And?" He asked as they sat down,
"I think I should stop lying to those I love, let them find out."
"It could back fire."
"I know, but it is a chance I am willing to take." She shifted closer to Tony and looked him in the eye, "It is something I have wanted to do for so long, something I have to do." She lent closer and kissed him softly on the lips, letting her love flow into the kiss.
She pulled back, "I just hope they forgive me."
Tony didn't move, he was frozen, his face showing confusion. Ziva internally cried and stood, "Very well. I'll see you tomorrow Tony." She started to walk away,
"Wait."
Ziva turned and immediately Tony kissed her, his lips claiming hers, exploring her whole mouth. Ziva moaned and wrapped her arms around his neck holding him closer. His hands wondered down from her neck to her back then down her sides to her waist and hips before settling on her butt.
They stepped back and fell on the couch Ziva on top of Tony, he sat up and she straddled his hips, kissing him deeper. His hands squeezed her butt before wondering up and under her shirt. Ziva moved her hands from Tony's neck and hair and grabbed the front of her shirt pulling it open, buttons popping. She shrugged it off and kissed Tony with passion, lust, and love.
Tony groaned as he saw a topless Ziva, he had seen her naked before but he wasn't aloud to enjoy it, but with Ziva it was hard not to. It didn't matter; he was aloud to enjoy it now. He felt her hands slip under his shirt and push it off his shoulders and smiled into her mouth, he picked her up and carried her to his room dropping her on the bed before climbing on top of her. The looked deeply and lustfully into the others eyes for a second.
"I love you." They both whispered at the exactly the same time, before kissing once more.
Hours later they lay naked in a tangle of sheets.
"I changed my mind." Said Tony; Ziva turned to look at him questioningly. "You are definitely, worth dying over."