My friend Em picked the prompt, "sky," so this is for her. I don't own NCIS...
He had been told to watch her; he had been told to keep a close eye on her to make sure that she was not double-crossing NCIS. So that's what Tony was doing. He was befriending Mossad Officer Ziva David, all while following orders.
He went over to her apartment frequently, showing her American movies and just having a good time. He wanted to immerse her in the American culture, to help her adjust to this strange new world.
It was the end of September, and the temperatures were starting to cool ever so slightly. The weekend was finally in front of the NCIS team, and Tony couldn't wait to get out of the headquarters. He needed a break from the never-ending cases that they had to solve. It seemed like all of the cases just blurred into one after awhile.
When they were finally finished with all the paperwork that needed to be completed, Tony was the first one to the elevator. He glanced behind his shoulder at Ziva, bouncing on his heels. Tony was acting like a giddy school child; he couldn't wait to get out.
Since Ziva was new to NCIS and America, Tony had planned a little tour of the city for her. The sun was still shining, and Tony could barely contain his excitement. After what seemed like an eternity, Ziva joined the senior field agent at the elevator. When the bell dinged, the partners got in and headed down to the parking garages.
"Are you ready for your tour of the city, Ziva?" he said, making the syllables of her name longer than what they should have been.
The Mossad agent smiled to herself and chuckled when Tony said her name. "Yes, Tony. I am ready for this...tour of Washington that you have planned," she said, looking up at him with a curious look on her face. She wanted to know what exactly they were doing, but Tony had made sure that he kept his lips sealed the entire week.
"Oh, don't you worry, Ziva. You will love what I have planned."
She did love what he had planned.
After leaving NCIS in Tony's car, they arrived in the center of Washington D.C. The partners walked down the busy streets as Tony pointed out countless memorials and monuments to Ziva. "There's the Lincoln Memorial...there's the Jefferson Memorial...here's the Washington Monument..." the senior field agent said as he pointed out each individual monument.
Tony then lead Ziva through the Vietnam War memorial, taking her to an Italian restaurant for dinner. He told her the history of a couple of the monuments, and kept her interested.
By the time they finished dinner, the sun was still high in the sky, and there were little clouds blocking the rays. Tony led Ziva through the busy streets of D.C. until they got to a park. The senior field agent led her into a wide open space, and stopped.
"Lay down, Ziva."
"What?"
Tony looked down at her and gazed into her eyes. "Lay down on the grass. Look up at the sky," he said simply.
"Why would I do that, Tony?" she asked curiously.
"Just lay down. Don't worry; I'm not gonna leave you here. I will lie down next to you and tell you what to do. Okay?" DiNozzo said, searching her eyes for some kind of sign that she trusted him and what he was doing.
Ziva studied her partner for a moment before complying with what he said. She lay down on the grass and glanced over at him, waiting.
Tony smiled slightly to himself and then lay down next to her. "You didn't think I would lie next to you, did you, Ziva?"
"No. No, I believed you," she said, smiling at him. "Now, what are we supposed to be doing, Tony?"
"We watch the sky. We watch the clouds roll by. It's sort of like meditating. Little kids do it all the time. They lay down on the grass and then find clouds that are shaped like animals," Tony explained, glancing at Ziva once before looking up at the blue sky.
Then DiNozzo pointed to a cloud passing by. "See that cloud there? It looks like a lion," he said with a chuckle.
"Ari..." Ziva murmured under her breath.
"Hm?" Tony asked, looking over at his partner.
She shook her head and then pointed to another cloud that was passing through their visage. "Look at that one. Do you think it looks like a...dog?" she asked, glancing over at Tony.
Senior Field Agent DiNozzo looked at where his partner was pointing and he laughed. "Good job, Ziva," he jokingly praised. "That does look like a dog."
As the partners continued to point out various animals, they inched closer together. Tony's left hand was inches away from Ziva's hand and he gently grabbed it. She did not acknowledge the fact that he grabbed her hand, but pointed to another cloud, laughing.
Tony laughed along with her, searching the sky for any more cloud animals. Finally, he spotted one. "Look there, Ziva. There's a lamb."
Officer David unconsciously squeezed Tony's hand and gasped gently. "Tali..." she murmured.
Tony glanced over at Ziva, hearing her that time. "Tali? Isn't that...wasn't that...your sister?" he gently said, stuttering. Tony did not want to hurt her feelings by bringing up the subject, but he had to know.
Ziva looked over at him and sadly nodded. "Yes. She was killed by suicide bombers. She was only sixteen."
Tony nodded, and then remembered her murmuring earlier. "And..what did you say earlier?"
"Ari. The lion was Ari and the lamb was Tali."
"So, what does that make you?"
Ziva looked into Tony's eyes, a sad smile playing on her lips. "Radiant," she said gently.
Tony could see the pain in the smile. He knew that she had lost her siblings, but he could never relate to her pain. So, he just smiled back and gently squeezed her hand. He thought about the meaning for her name and it started to make sense. The way the sunlight was hitting her face now made her seem like the most radiant woman.
"You are absolutely radiant now, Ziva. You are gorgeous."