"I am not sure about this Tony." Ziva stated for the third time that hour as she lay side by side with Anthony DiNozzo clinging precariously onto her side. It was three o clock on a Saturday morning and the pair had just spent a relaxing night watching the Bourne Ultimatum series curled up in the middle of her partner's king size bed.
Tony sighed as he closed his eyes, leaning his head back against the headboard. "I've already told you three times Ziva-" He reminded her impatiently before she cut him off.
"That dose not mean it is best." She stated sternly as she loosened herself from his hold. He let her go, watching her stare aimlessly out of the bedroom window, perched at the opposite end of the bed.
An unwelcoming silence presented itself between them as the space on the bed between them seemed to grow wider. Tony finally mustered up the courage to regain ground. He tilted his head to the right to gain a better view of her flowing curly hair that ran down to the middle of her back before he spoke.
"Do you remember that one time in the elevator a few weeks ago?" Tony asked curiously. He waited a few moments but in return got no response. "Ziva." He called sharply as he poked her side to regain her attention.
She immediately snapped out of her thoughts to look over at him. "Yes?" She asked softly, her eyes still searching out the window as if an answer were to fly by and be handed to her on a silver platter.
"Do you remember?" He repeated as she nodded her head and lay back down beside him, but not close enough for any physical contact.
"Yes," Ziva said shortly as her heart suddenly started pounding harder in her chest. "I told you not to say it again." She snarled angrily.
"I didn't-"
"But you were thinking it, yes?" She demanded, now glaring upon him with her icy gaze.
"Well aren't you?" He asked back firmly keeping his eyes locked with the brown ones above him. "Because I recall, you said it too." He reminded as a slight expression of panic flashed through her eyes before she tore away from his gaze.
"You are not supporting your cause here." She warned him as he too was now straightened up from sleeping position.
"Our cause, Ziva." He corrected through clenched teeth.
"I already know what you want." Ziva said slowly, disregarding his last comment. "But twelve months is a long time, and being given forty-eight hours to decide is not." She slung her legs over the side of the bed and tied her hair back into a ponytail. "I will make this particular decision after I have had time to think. Goodbye Tony."
Before he could say another word she had slipped our of the bedroom, closing the front door quietly behind her leavening behind a whole pool of emotions and thoughts.
"Ziva…"
The voice seemed far away and unfamiliar to her current dream.
"Hey, Ziva."
She jolted upright from her sleeping position as a hand lightly clasped around her lower arm. By instinct, she grabbed it before looking into the familiar blue eyes of her boss.
"Gibbs," She breathed, quickly releasing her grip and pushing herself from the worn our dirty cot. "What time is it?" She asked as she glanced around at the darkened room.
She heard the violent pattern of wind whistle through the steel siding of the U.S Army overflow unit as she walked over to the slightly cracked mirror that hung over the facilities single running faucet.
"05:00," He responded calmly as he watched her through the reflection as the Israeli splashed the cold running water over her face before patting it dry with a towel. "Commander Tanner and his men are loading up the Convoys to head to home base. Vance had a teleconference set up for us when we get there."
Ziva's eyes immediately brightened with interest. "A teleconference?" She repeated again for clarification. Gibbs nodded as he slipped his remaining items off of a neighboring cot and into his suitcase before slinging it over his shoulder. "What's the meeting about?" She quizzed as she followed at his heals as they made there way to a garage where convoys were being busily loaded with bags to transport the corpsmen to a new location.
"Don't know." The Marine replied honestly.
"David, Gibbs, over here!" A familiar, uniformed sergeant called directing them to the farthest vehicle.
The pair made there way over to the hum-v, allowing a younger platoon member to load up there belongings.
"Good morning Agent David," The well built man greeted politely to Ziva as he carefully stacked her duffle bag before sliding into a seat next to her. "Sleep well?" He asked as his eyes began the familiar path of wandering over her body.
Ziva rolled her eyes as the last of the platoon was loaded into the back of the vehicle. "It was fine Sergeant Stanley." She said flatly as Gibbs and Commander Tanner slid into the front seat.
The small fleet of armored vehicles followed closely in formation as the made there way out across the desert sand of the early rising Afghan sun. "I'm glad to be getting out of here." Stanley started as he shifted closer to her. Ziva twitched uncomfortably and glanced around at the other expressionless uniformed men. Out of everyone she had to be seated next to the most arrogant of soldiers she'd ever met. "Bought time we moved, those terrorist will be long gone by the time we get to base if we hadn't left a day later…"
Ziva sighed as she blocked out the droning sound of Stanley's voice before the arrived several hours later at base. She tried not to look too desperate as she practically sprinting out of the vehicle and after her boss.
The group of men (and Ziva) made themselves as comfortable as possible in the new building. Truth be told it was almost as worse as the last, for they were forced to share the lined rows of cots all under one roof with only four showers for at least thirty men.
Being the only woman Ziva placed herself safely between Gibbs, and Sergeant Pourley. Not that she should be worried about safety seeing she could take out about half of the men by herself, but more for privacy.
She had found sleep to come much easier while not being watched by groups of sex deprived men, and seeing that Sergeant Pourley was gay and Gibbs was well… Gibbs, she could dream peacefully to herself.
It was a rare occasion that the platoon had almost a whole day without work to themselves to settle down, but tonight was there lucky night. Communications had lost connection with D.C which was to provide Intel on the group's next operation. Many of the men sat around with contraband cigars playing poker and sharing fantasies about life back home.
"Aren't they the ones suppose to be supplying the Intel?" A dark tanned Private asked, jabbing a finger in the direction of two federal agents who sat in a nearby corner in quiet conversation.
"Yea," Another man agreed as he gave a slight jerk of the chin in their direction. "What had NCIS got to do with us anyways? Aren't you guys with the Navy?"
"And Marines." Ziva cut in sharply, adding an extra hint in annoyance as a developing group of soldiers all had turned there heads in interest towards them.
A skinny red-headed kid appeared in the back of the crowd. "Well we isn't Navy or Marines, so what do we gots to do with you?" He challenged.
Ziva was losing patience, but Gibbs began to speak before she could voice her annoyance. "This band was working closely with a special group of Marines that were killed last year in a training camp." He announced loudly enough so all the men could hear. "We were sent here to assist you in finding the group who killed them with our Intel from D.C." He explained calmly, which seemed to satisfy most of the men in the room.
One bold Private voiced his opinion loudly, which made Ziva's blood boil with rage. "Well the only thing you've done these past weeks has been providing us with a view." He snickered as he motioned to Ziva who stared coldly as he as he swept a daring hand across her cheek.
Ziva caught a glimpse of Gibbs opening his mouth for a warning but it was too late, she had already thrown the solider to the ground as the rest of the men crowded around the pair to see what happened next.
"Break it up!" Commander Tanner's voice boomed over the crowd before Ziva could continue with her punishment. The once bold private jumped of the floor, face red with anger and embarrassment as he pushed his way back to his cot.
The Commander turned towards Ziva and was about to open his mouth before she cut him off.
"I was merely defending myself Commander." She stated as Gibbs held back the urge to shake his head and smile. The Commander looked between the both of them in silence for a moment in search of words.
"Alright," He began slowly as the life in the room was regained to normal. "The team was able to regain contact with D.C. You're director will be over teleconference in a few minuets."
Gibbs gave a short thankful nod before turning to Ziva who backed away slowly. "Gibbs-"
"I know Ziva." He sighed as he motioned her to follow him to the Tec station. "I know."