Disclaimer: We don't own the characters they are owned by Belisarius Productions and CBS.
A/N: Thanks for all the reviews everybody glad you are enjoying it. Please keep them coming as we continue to write this for you.
"DiNozzo, David!" Gibbs barked as he walked into the bullpen, "You two are heading to Portland, Maine. You'll be talking with a retire history professor named Hillary Spencer. He's an expert on the sword we're tracing."
Ziva looked slightly annoyed, "Couldn't we just call him Gibbs?"
"Not like we couldn't," Tony also suggested, "We could even video call him via MTAC."
"Since when were you that technically savvy DiNozzo," Gibbs looked at him in frustration.
"Ah…I'm not boss," Tony lied, before he looked for inspiration and spied McGee as he walked back into the bullpen from the direction of Abby's lab. "I got the idea from McGee," Tony grinned at his friend as he sat down, giving Tony a suspicious look.
"You still here," Gibbs looked at Ziva and Tony a statement rather then a question.
"Why Gibbs?" Ziva looked at him defiantly at him.
"Cause I said Ziva," Gibbs looked at them both with a piercing gaze that made them both wither and finally submit. "You got something planned that Commander Francis didn't know about before he died?" Gibbs voice cut like ice.
"They're just chatting up people that's all," McGee muttered under his breath as both Tony and Ziva eyed him as if they knew what he was saying.
"What McGee," Gibbs looked up at his last agent.
"Oh I was just saying that Tony and Ziva have both been addicted to their laptops of late," McGee replied embarrassed, as Tony and Ziva glared at him.
"That so," Gibbs eyed both his agents, "Well since that's the case. You two can find out who is selling the swords on ebay."
"Ah…boss, isn't that what you want me to do," McGee asked with surprise.
Gibbs looked at him, "I want you to help trace those emails on Commander Francis' computer with Abby. So I suggest that you start doing it McGee." Gibbs turned to Tony and Ziva, "You still here!"
"On it Boss!"
"Leaving Gibbs!"
Tony picked up his back and gear as did Ziva and both made their way toward the elevator. "Hey!" Gibbs called after them, "You forgetting something…you need laptops. Grab some from supply, maybe you can track down the buyer on the way to Portland."
A few minutes later Tony and Ziva were in the carpark laptop bags along with the rest of their gear. "I'm driving," Tony said holding the keys as Ziva stood by the driver's door, "I want to be able to talk to this girl again."
"You will even if I drive," Ziva stood toe to toe, her nose almost touching his for a moment, "Give me the keys."
"Not gonna happen Ziva," Tony grinned back, "Unless you tell the name of this mystery man you're talking to on the net with."
"And have you make him run away, like a scared rat." Ziva snorted before she tried to grab the keys, "I don't think so Tony. Now give me the keys before I break your fingers."
"The saying is like a scared rabbit…and if I make him runaway then it will be because I'll tell him the truth about you…ah" Tony grinned before his face changed into a twisted mask of pain. Ziva twisted his wrist but he wasn't letting go of the keys.
"Just give them to me Tony," Ziva muttered into his ear.
Tony shook his head and gritted his teeth, "Nope, I want to live at the end of this drive."
Ziva let go of him, "Fine you stubborn ox. Don't blame me if we have to spend the night at a hotel."
"What's wrong with that," Tony grinned as he opened the driver's door and climbed in behind the wheel. "You've seen me naked."
"It is something I don't care to repeat anytime soon," Ziva grinned ruefully as she climbed in and closed the door, "Let's just go okay."
XXXXXXXX
"What!" Tony exclaimed as he kicked open the door to the last available Executive suite of the Hilton Garden Inn, which was situated on the waterfront. "You said you wanted to sleep comfortably," Tony continue to argue as he dumped the bags and the laptops on the large king size bed. "It was the last room in the whole hotel. How was I to know that the regatta was on, nobody told me."
"I said its fine Tony," Ziva let out a long huff as she slumped on to the lounge suite. "I just don't understand why…they winked at us when they said it was the honeymoon suite. You did say that we were Federal Agents didn't you?"
"Let me think…no I just decided to say that we were just married," Tony started sarcastically before he turned serious, "I asked them for the Government rate and they asked me for ID. I actually thought the Gun and badge would do the trick. So yeah, I think that was the front desk's idea for being funny."
"Well I blastgun the bed," Ziva climbing onto the bed quickly and lounging all over it.
"What! No way I carried those bags up the stairs," Tony groaned, dropping the overnight bag and laptop bags on the couch, "Why should I be the one to sleep on the couch. Besides its 'shotgun' not blast gun get it right Zee-vah."
"Whatever…I'm having the bed you have the couch unless you want your fingers to continue being straight," Ziva eyed Tony as his hand moved over the quilt cover, "And not broken."
"Alright, fine if I'm gonna chat to this girl tonight I guess I'm gonna need to be here rather then the hospital anyway," Tony sighed as he turned, walking towards the couch tossing the overnight bags onto the floor and dropping onto the soft sofa. "Actually you know this might not be a bad place to sleep."
"Well while your contemplating the couch as a place to sleep," Ziva rolled her eyes at him, "Pass me the laptop, I want to see this Professor's profile."
Tony got to your feet his feet groaning irritatedly as he picked up the laptop, "Anything else My master!" the words more sarcastic then anything as he dumped the laptop on the bed next to Ziva.
"I don't want your sarcasm," Ziva smiled sweetly, as the laptop became alive in front of her, "It doesn't become you."
"Haha, your so funny," Tony shook his head as he slumped down onto the couch and picked up the laptop and booted it up. Before he signed into the chat site. His eyes scanned grinning as he found the name he was looking for.
---
BuckeyeMovieBuff: hey
---
Ziva looked at the flashing sign in the lower right hand corner of the screen. Looking up she noted that Tony was immersed in the laptop on the couch next to him. She smiled glad that he wouldn't be bothering her as she talked to her mystery man.
---
NinjaGurl: Hi, I'm glad your on
BuckeyeMovieBuff: Yeah, I can at least to one sane person in this world
---
Ziva smiled at the comment that he made, before she was typing.
NinjaGurl: I agree with you there, I'm spending the night with my work colleague. He is quiet insane.
BuckeyeMovieBuff: Kidding, well your life is a strange as mine…
NinjaGurl: How do you mean?
BuckeyeMovieBuff: I'm stuck too…with my partner as well.
---
Ziva looked up at Tony for a moment suspicion taking a hold. He seemed to be completely oblivious to her. It was only for a moment but she thought that it could have been Tony who was talking to her. She laughed it off, he wasn't, he couldn't, they wouldn't be so dumb or stupid. "Are you chatting?" Ziva turned back to screen as Tony looked up.
"Nope," Tony's reply was almost instanteous, "I'm checking the articles on ."
"Aren't you suppose to be working," Ziva challenged him.
"Are you?" Tony replied. Causing Ziva to keep her mouth closed and allowing Tony to smirk for a bit.
---
BuckeyeMovieBuff: I just got busted…
NinjaGurl: Really, so did I…
BuckeyeMovieBuff: I think we agreed to talk work…am I wrong?
NinjaGurl: No you're right…sorry
BuckeyeMovieBuff: No its all cool…just thought we should talk about the ground rules again
---
Ziva rolled her eyes at her friend he liked his ground rules. It was almost like he was too scared to go to deep, and yet he was interested in meeting her.
---
NinjaGurl: What…you are such fraud
BuckeyeMovieBuff: Wha?
NinjaGurl: You don't want to talk about work and yet you want to meet
BuckeyeMovieBuff: Oh…you mean a hypocrite
NinjaGurl: Yeah…that's what you are
---
Ziva sat there her response earing her no response. Tony looked up at his watch before he rose, "You want me to go get some chinese or something or do you want to go out?"
"I think I'll stay here," Ziva said looking at the screen as it continued to stare blankly back with no response.
"Okay," Tony nodded as he picked up his jacket and headed for the door. He paused and turned back towards the computer.
---
BuckeyeMovieBuff: Be back soon…ttyl
---
Tony closed down the laptop and walked back toward the door leaving Ziva staring at the response that had just appeared, the sign that BuckeyeMovieBuff had just signed out making her look twice. The door closed as Tony left, leaving Ziva sitting there with a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. She sat there for a few more minutes before she opened her email account and found Buckeye's email address and she began to type.
XXXXXXXX
Carrying a large paper bag of Chinese food Tony knocked on the door waiting for Ziva to open up. There was the click and the door swung open Ziva stood there. Tony smiled at her, "I got everything except sweat and sour pork," Tony walked through the door dumping the bag on the table, "Let me tell you I got looks from the reception staff when I walked through with Chinese in their foyer."
"Why because we didn't eat at their restaurant," Ziva snorted at the comment looking in the imaginary direction of the foyer, "Well they'll just have to drain it up."
Tony grinned at her as she realised that the sentence didn't make sense, "The saying is 'They'll have to suck it up', I so don't understand how you get it wrong still."
"I speak five languages…if you spoke that many then you would find it just as hard," Ziva pointed out as Tony handed her a box of Chicken chow-mien, "Thank you.
"You're welcome," Tony smiled at her before he took a box of Nasi Goreng rice from the bag and walked over to his computer. Even as the computer booted up, Ziva walked out of the room onto the small balcony into the cool night air. The mail sign flashed in the corner of his screen and Tony double clicked on it, it opened and he began to read.
---
Buckeye,
I realise that I over stepped the boundary, I was critical of you and I was nasty. I am sorry, sometimes your feelings conflict with the rules we agreed on. But I will also be honest, I have a hard time of relating because of where I have come from and who I am. I am not apologising for who I am, but rather the way I spoke earlier I am sorry.
I hope we talk again soon
NinjaGurl
---
As Tony finished his dinner, Ziva stood out on the balcony. "Hey!" Tony called, Ziva turned her attention to him, "Have you got anything on the professor yet?"
Ziva shook her head, "No, I'll have another look in a moment."
XXXXXXXX
Ziva sat on the bad again her laptop in front of her. She had given up on Buckeye when he appeared again.
---
BuckeyeMovieBuff: hi
NinjaGurl: I'm so glad your back
BuckeyeMovieBuff: your right you know
NinjaGurl: I am
---
Ziva looked at the screen with surprise, he was different it was like that conversation earlier had removed some of the playfulness. She felt uncomfortable, and yet they had to get to know each other. So this was a step toward something now.
---
NinjaGurl: Okay…
BuckeyeMovieBuff: New rules
NinjaGurl: Okay…what?
BuckeyeMovieBuff: We can talk work, but so you know I'm not gonna be deeper then talking about my partner.
NinjaGurl: Okay, then my turn
BuckeyeMovieBuff: Huh?
NinjaGurl: To change the rules
BuckeyeMovieBuff: Oh okay, what?
---
Ziva smiled as she took a step of faith towards the next sentence. She began to type again.
---
NinjaGurl: We talk about meeting…and we actually meet
BuckeyeMovieBuff: You sure?
NinjaGurl: Yeah, you sound interesting…and I'd like to
BuckeyeMovieBuff: Wow okay…you're a lot more courageous then me
Ninjagurl: No, I just thought I'd like to meet a nice guy and hold it over my partner
---
Tony sat back looking at the last response, it might well have been a date and if it was then it was the first real date since Jeanne had walked out on him. He took a deep breathe
---
BuckeyeMovieBuff: Deal
NinjaGurl: Okay…well I'll talk to you about it later…but right now I need to sleep
BuckeyeMovieBuff: Me too…talk to you later
NinjaGurl: Okay…bye
---
Simitaneously both Tony and Ziva shut down the laptops. Tony looked over at Ziva with surprise, could she be the NinjaGurl. Tony shook his head and grinned there was no way. "You get that information on the Professor we're seeing tomorrow Zee-vah?"
"Tony!" Ziva gasped with frustration, "Couldn't you have got it!"
"You said you were going to," Tony shook his head at her as he seized the overnight bag and walked to the bathroom. The door closed, a few moments later the door opened again. "Can I please have my bag?" Tony voice was pleading as he dropped the overnight bag with Ziva's clothes back outside the bathroom, causing her to laugh at him.
A/N: Okay so, we thought we might try and grow the online relationship. Yes I know it's a bit out of character, but sometimes people can be a lot more out of character in front of computer screen then in real life…especially when their interested in someone, the boundaries are less structured.
Everyone, lets hear a round of applause for Kandon! *Claps* He did this chapter by himself because I am flaky and totally forgot about it. I will remember it this time, Jems, I promise! Sorry!
