" Happy birthday! "
Ziva laughed as McGee and Bishop popped up from behind her desk, a desk covered in balloons, presents and even a boxed cake.
" Ah, you did not have to go to such effort! Thank you!"
" Of course we did!" Ellie grinned, sliding out from behind her desk, and hugging her tightly. Ziva returned it, slipping her bag from her shoulder, beaming as she did.
" This is very beautiful, thank you! And all these gifts, you should not have… They are lovely!" She admired them, peeking into each bag, Tim grinning.
" Well, it isn't every day that it's your birthday, is it!"
They were interrupted by the arrival of one of the receptionists from the bottom floor, holding a large bouquet of flowers in her arms, already in a vase, and practically filling the woman's arms.
" Special Agent David?" The woman squeaked, peaking around the side of the bouquet, "These came for you." Ziva chuckled, taking them with a thank you, inhaling them with a sigh, glancing at the card on them, before looking back at the woman.
" Thank you, Michelle. They are very beautiful. " She gently placed them on her desk, taking care to gently separate them, smiling to herself. Bishop and McGee shared a look, before Tim cleared his throat.
" Wow…who're they from?"
" Oh, no name. Just a simple card." Ziva did not look away from the bouquet, gently admiring the flowers again, McGee casting an unknowing shrug at Bishop's stare.
" It's a shame Tony couldn't have been here for it, he'd have loved to come out with us tonight," Ellis quipped, Ziva rolling her eyes with a chuckle as she finally looked up from the bouquet.
" Ellie, Tony is in Europe, Spain actually at the moment, most likely busy peasocking around beautiful Spanish women, drinking Martinis and sunning himself. I doubt very much that he'd trade that for a night in a bar here."
" It's peacocking, Ziva." McGee piped up, Ellie raising an eyebrow, before she spoke again.
" I'm sure he'd like to have spent your birthday with us.
" Tony always did love a night in the bar, " Tim chimed in, Bishop nodding, looking at Ziva curiously as she did not reply, instead peering through her presents again.
" Do you still talk to him?"
" Occasionally. He gives me updates about the cases that may have links to Washington, so that we can be aware." Ziva smiled innocently, admiring the large box of chocolates from Bishop as she fell silent. Ellie pulled a face, looking to Tim, who paused to think, before he spoke again.
" Oh, you have to go and see Jimmy, Ziva. He's caught up in something, and very upset he couldn't be up here, so you have orders to go down to autopsy to get your present." Ziva chuckled, nodding gently, straightening up.
" That sounds like Jimmy. I shall go and visit him now, before work finds me first." She slid out from behind her desk, humming to herself as she passed by them both, and she had barely disappeared into the lift before McGee and Bishop pounced. Ellie got there first, spinning the card attached between her fingers.
" 'The world is not enough'. Huh." She gave McGee a puzzled look, who replied with a look much the same.
" I mean, it sounds fairly romantic, right? The world is not enough…"
" You been watching old movies, McGee?" Both agents' heads snapped up as Gibbs strolled into the bullpen, placing a large coffee on Ziva's desk, glancing at the empty seat. " Where's David?"
" Down visiting Jimmy, he had presents to give her…"
Gibbs nodded, glancing over the bouquet, using a finger to lift one of the white flowers, before chuckling. " Paperwhite Zivas."
McGee blinked, looking confused. " The flowers, Boss?" Gibbs rolled his eyes, looking back at him, Tim nodding, stammering a reply. " Of course, the flowers. I… didn't know you liked flowers, Boss."
" I don't, McGee."
" What do you mean old movies, Gibbs?" Ellie cut in, curious, as Gibbs raised an eyebrow, shrugging as he sat down at his desk, taking a sip of his coffee.
" The World Is Not Enough. 'S a Bond film."
Both agents' eyes lit up at his words, turning to smugly grin at each other.
" It's a Bond film!"
It was late, Ziva already tucked up under her covers, make up removed and in her pyjamas, when the soft tone of the video calling programme rang throughout the room. She blinked sleepily, the long night in the bar taking it's toll, before groaning as she pulled herself from the bed and tiptoed softly across the room, gathering up the laptop, before climbing back into bed. She hit answer as she pulled the covers back around her. Tony's face appeared, looking more awake than she did, and that famous grin plastered all over his face at the sight of her.
" Am I interrupting something, Ziva?"
" My sleep is all."
" Oh, well, I can go…"
" No… Don't." Tony chuckled, shuffling in his own bed, Ziva sighing with a smile. " Are you working this morning?"
" Will be. Start at 9. Got a perp to hunt down, should be a good day. Hoping to get finished in time for a little Thursday martini hour..." He paused, tongue flicking over his lips almost nervously, before speaking again. " Did you get your present at work?"
" I did. The World Is Not Enough. Very cryptic, Mr Bond."
" Well thanksh, shweetheart," Tony quipped, his best Sean Connery accent coming to surface.
" I thought that one was Piers Brosnan…"
" Pierce Brosnan. But very good, Miss David. Someone's been doing their homework." Ziva chuckled, shooting his a smug smile as she pulled the laptop closer, watching him. There was silence for a moment before Tony spoke again, grinning good naturedly. " What're you thinking about? Looks serious."
" You, mostly."
" Thinking of me in bed? Tut tut, Zee-vah." She snorted, rolling her eyes with a waggle of her finger.
" That is not what I meant and you know it." She faltered slightly, before shrugging, glancing away. " We went out to the bar for my birthday, even Gibbs came. It was not the same without you, though."
" Hey, you've had a few birthdays without me-"
" Not in DC, I have not," she cut in, looking back at him. Tony watched her for a few moments, before shrugging, pulling his best innocent look.
" Well, I guess I'll have to make up for that, won't I. Did you open your birthday card yet?"
" No, your instructions on the back said I could only open it on our video call at 1am, which it is now."
" So open it then."
Ziva chuckled, reaching across to her bedside cabinet and pulling the envelope towards her, sliding a finger up the flap to open it. " I swear Tony, if there are naked pictures in here, I will shoot….you…" She faltered as she opened the card, a piece of paper falling from it, inhaling sharply as she read it. " Rome… Tony." He grinned through the screen at her, raising an eyebrow.
" Don't fancy a little Italian holiday, Ziva?" She stared at the ticket, then back at him, chuckling softly.
" You want me to come to Rome."
" Yes, please. Very much so."
" Tony, how am I going to-"
" I've already asked Gibbs for the time off for you," he cut in, eyes almost pleading. " The others think I'm in Spain, right? Tell 'em I'm busy, Gibbs'll help you out. They don't need to know. Please, Zi…"
She stared at him as he spoke, before glancing back down at the ticket, a small grin coming to her face, as she looked back at the screen. " Well, I suppose I am not in a position to refuse then, am I? Besides, as you would say, I will travel for good pasta…"
And she swore she had never seen him smile wider.