"Ziva?" he asked unbelievingly. "Is that you?" Now he could see her face clearly. His heart fell. It wasn't his Ziva; there was no way she was for the woman before him was a ghost. She was not much more than a shadow. Her hair was limp and scraggly. Her face was covered in a mixture of sweat and grime and her clothes were loose on her body.

"I should be asking that...not you. It's been so long." A twinkle momentarily appeared in the woman's eyes; Ziva's eyes. A smile curled up the corners of her mouth.

"What happened?" Tony yearned to take her into his arms. "Are you alright?" Ziva snorted softly as she sat on the edge of the bench.

"If by alright you mean trying to survive without resorting to begging or prostitution, then yes. I'm alright." Behind the playful tone aura there was a tone of bleak realism. Tony wept inside for Ziva.

"How did it come to this? You must be working for Mossad." Ziva nodded as she looked back at Tony's quarters.

"Yes. I was investigating a supposed Anti-Israeli terrorist ring. Then they kidnapped me and I escaped. That's when I remembered you. Do you have any water?" He led her inside and she continued as he filled a cup.

"I made my way to Rota...and that's where you come in." She snatched the cup from Tony and finished its contents in 3 seconds flat. She wiped some droplets from her mouth.

"More," she said breathlessly. "Oh and those people looking for the elixir of life can stop. This is it." As Tony was refilling the cup Ziva spoke again.

"You never called. You didn't even send an email. Why?" Tony turned the tap further than he needed to. Cursing under his breath he tried to think of an excuse.

"It's ok," she said. "I understand if you don't want to tell me why." She took the cup and drank slower this time. Tony turned to her.

"I'm going to have a siesta. Do you want a shower?" Ziva nodded eagerly and headed down the hallway. Tony watched her go.

A little while later

He heard a noise as he woke up from his slumber. Lazily glancing at the clock he saw that he had slept for half an hour. Time to get up.

"Hello Tony." A tanned foot entered the threshold of his bedroom. Ziva looked like an angel, swathed in a towel of rich Egyptian cotton. He had forgotten how slender her figure was.

"I can't believe it's been two years," he said flatly after a pause. Ziva nodded.

"Yes...Gibbs got married to Hollis Mann." Tony didn't know how to reply. Ziva apologised quickly.

"Oh wait, you don't know her...do you? McGee wrote a second book and Abby won a bowling championship with her nun friends." Tony looked at Ziva.

"What about you?" She walked over and sat next to him. Tony could smell her natural scent; it was enticing. Their proximity to each other was tantalisingly close. Tony had to restrict himself.

"My heart was broken ." Tony swore that there were tears in her eyes. She came closer.

"By you."