Ziva had forgotten the last time she had visited Italy; of course, there was the missed trip with Tony, which had resulted instead in several days in Berlin, something she had not forgotten. This, she supposed, was very different. This had nothing to do with work at all, despite Tony's job calling for the location; this was about them, and she would have been lying if she had said she did not have butterflies, albeit nervous ones, at that thought.

Them. What exactly was 'them'? Things had changed since his departure over 6 months ago; the spoke more than ever, they were more honest with each other than she figured they had ever been, and yet the years of her absence still hung heavily over them both. Caught in the middle of being friends, and being…something more? She could not even use Rule 12 as an excuse for her confusion anymore, either.

The flight had been quick, with a short stop over in London, before carrying onwards to Rome. It was night when she landed, and the warm summer air felt good against her skin. Collecting her small suitcase, she ducked through the crowd towards the exit, the butterflies reappearing once again. It had been so many months since they had seen each other; in some ways, she felt as though it had been forever, yet in others, he had just left yesterday. She searched through the crowd, scanning quickly, frowning as she laid eyes on everyone but him. The crowd was busy, loved ones reuniting with joyous cries, businessmen weaving between them in their hurry to escape.

" Lost, Miss David?" She spun around, and there he stood. He was tanned, he'd lost weight, but the grin remained unchanged, and she chuckled softly, cocking her head to one side, as she approached him.

" Not at all. Simply looking for the handsome man with the American accent that I am supposed to meet at the car hire…"

Tony smirked, pointing up at the sign for the auto hire, before shrugging. " Two outta three ain't bad. Guess I'll have to do." She reached up with a laugh, abandoning her suitcase, and pulled him into a tight hug, his arms wrapping around her to pull her against him in return. She breathed him in, the familiar smell of simply him tickling at her nose, and she realised she had never really forgotten it. They stayed that way for a moment, Ziva nuzzling against him before sighing contently, Tony speaking once again, giving her a gentle squeeze." You shrinking, Zi?"

She pulled away with a mock scowl as he patted her head, swatting his hand away. " No, it is simply your head getting bigger, Tony, that is making you tallera."

" Ah…can't argue with that one, I suppose. Come on, your chariot awaits, signorina."

" Molto bene, Signor DiNozzo."

" Hey, this is my ancestral home land, after all. We DiNozzos are exceptional speakers of Italian…"

Ziva rolled her eyes as he took her case, and he followed him through the doors, sighing contently as she gazed around. " It has been many years since I have been in Rome."

" Yeah? Well, I got plenty to show you, if you want to. Make up for that trip we never did get to take."

" Are you still bitter about that, Tony?"

" What, are you kidding me?" He gestured with his hand in frustration, pulling a face. " I had it all planned out too. The slow motion gun shot, the car chase, the end scene with the beautiful woman at the beach- hey!"

She elbowed him, earning her a chuckle, as they stopped at a car, Ziva raising an eyebrow as Tony opened it. He raised an eyebrow, gesturing for her to take a seat. " I never said we were staying in Rome, Miss David."

" Oh really?"

" Mhm. I remembered your little comment about being overworked and needing a vacation." He slipped into the driver's seat, Ziva buckling her seatbelt before looking at him as he continued. " Made some friends in a lovely little town a few miles south, who suggested a very peaceful villa, complete with pool and an olive tree for fresh martinis. Good restaurants nearby, peaceful setting, not too far from Rome to do a little sightseeing..."

Ziva chuckled softly, sinking back into her seat as they pulled away from the airport, Tony's eyes on the road ahead. " That sounds lovely, an excellent choice…" She hesitated slightly, before patting his hand that rested on the gearstick, a smile gracing her face. "DC has not been the same, especially without our movie nights. I have missed you. " His eyes did not leave the road, but he smirked, curling his fingers around hers.

" Missed you too, Zi."


" So he's doing okay then?"

Gibbs glanced up from his sanding, Ziva crosslegged on the stool opposite him, nodding softly.

" Still the same. Perhaps a little more mature, if you can believe that." Gibbs chuckled, before shrugging with a sigh.

" Had to grow up at some time."

" I suppose he did. Still, he raced around the Italian countryside, acted like an excitable child with someone dressed as a Roman at the Colosseum, and bought a lilo for the pool…perhaps not so mature after all." Gibbs raised an eyebrow, Ziva giggling slightly at his face. " The lilo was funny. It was a crocodile."

" S'long as you had a good time, Ziver."

" I did. It was good to see him." She paused, chewing the corner of her lip as she looked at him. " I had not realised I had missed him as much, Gibbs. It is not the same." She smiled almost sadly, before shrugging. " It is different, in person, seeing him." Gibbs nodded, picking up his bourbon and taking a sip, eyes on her.

" You two get a chance to talk?"

Ziva faltered, Gibbs sensing her hesitation, before putting his glass down, picking up the sandpaper again and smoothly returning to his pattern. " Take it that's a no then."

" We talked plenty…" Gibbs' stare made her sigh, a guilty look appearing on her face. " Just perhaps not about things we should have." It was an admission, and she glanced away from him, fiddling with her fingers, before she carried on. " It was hard, seeing him again like that. Not as co-workers but…as friends. We have a friendship to repair, Gibbs, we have a lot of catching up to do."

" Ain't gonna happen if you don't speak." Ziva smiled almost coyly, tapping a finger against the stool.

" That is very hypocritical advice, ah?" Gibbs glanced up, raising an eyebrow in response, Ziva sighing once again. " Okay, perhaps you have a point. We will speak, when the time is right I suppose."

" You still speak to him every week?" She nodded, smiling gently.

" 5pm, every Sunday, he calls. He also texts me sometimes, pictures mostly…" Ziva laughed, a memory floating through her head as she spoke. " Usually something hilarious he has found, another naked statue in Greeze…or a landscape I would like… He met up with Stan Burley in Naples too…" She fell silent, waiting for a moment, before speaking once more. " He…he has asked me to meet him in London, in 6 weeks time. Says he will buy me a ticket if I promise to save him from the lonely task of drinking in a pub by himself." Gibbs straightened up, cleaning his hands on a rag, before picking up his glass once more.

" So you need the time off?"

Ziva shook her head, shrugging lightly.

" I had not decided I was going yet…I told him I would think about it." Gibbs stared at her wordlessly, Ziva huffing indignantly in response, a slight blush finding her cheeks. " I will at least make him think I am considering it. At least a week before I say yes." The older man laughed gently, moving around the table to stand next to her, Ziva giving him an almost shy smile. " He cannot think that I will jump when he asks me to, not all the time…"

" So long as you are happy, Ziver."

" Now you truly sound like a father, Gibbs." He shrugged, offering her a smirk, before tapping her head wordlessly, Ziva laughing once again.