Author's note:
Thank you all for the warm welcome and your amazing reviews! I'm so happy you liked the last chapter and I hope I will keep deliver stuff you like. I'm updating today, because the end of Season 13 is here tomorrow and I guess we need some good mood before it, right? I hope this chapter is able to bring this.
To the Guest reviewer who wants Tony to break up with Zoe… We are heading to it, you can be sure about it. But the break up will come face to face, so until Tony is away, thus not in DC, you will have to wait for it. For how long – there's a little hint in this chapter, actually. I have certain vision for what is about to happen in Tony's head in the following chapters and I want to thoroughly explore it. Don't worry – happy ending will happen. Thank you for your contribution.
Thank you, Sue Dooley! So glad you enjoyed the chapter. :) And yes – TIVA forever.
Dear FB, thank you very much for the love. This story is way far from its end, so you can bet that I will continue.
Oh, my dear Celine Krause – I've missed you! Thank you very much for reading and I hope you will like what I have in store.
Another Guest reviewer – you're welcome. :)
Thank you very much Hailey! You can be certain that I will continue so enjoy this chapter.
And my dear Debbie, the open up about how they feel is nearing. Just wait for a little bit longer, but we're almost there. I hope you will enjoy the tour around Prague in this chapter. :)
I know that many people see the Season 13 finale as the ending of TIVA. And really, it is ending of some sorts. But only from the point of the view of canon. TIVA is and will live in our hearts forever. This fandom isn't just about shipping these two characters. It's also about sharing the thoughts, theories and gaining friends. There are still so many unanswered questions, loopholes in plots and canon to fix. Many things we all can use for inspiration. Thus, to keep shipping and honor this amazing will they/won't they couple.
Sure, many of us will move on. Some of us have already moved on. But it doesn't mean that TIVA or its fandom is dead. TIVA is still the important part of my shipper heart and it will always be. Being a multi-fandom person, I never forget about my ships and I keep returning to them and cherish the good (as seen with my excitement over X-Files revival recently). The same goes for TIVA. So, as long as my muse and inspiration are working, you will see my stories being published here.
This chapter is dedicated to every single TIVA shipper out there. We need to be united, no matter what happens.
Disclaimer:
I do not own NCIS or the characters. Neither do I own Franz Kafka's words. All places, historical events and figures, as well as the customs, are real.
Warning: This chapter is not edited, neither checked for errors by Beta. All mistakes are mine. So, please take this into account, thank you. As you know, English is not my first language, so I apologize beforehand for all errors and mistakes.
Christmas Meeting – Chapter 6
"Well, this was absolutely delicious. I have to visit this country more often to get enough of the food." Tony said as he buttoned up his coat and caressed his stomach as a sign that it was satisfied with his master's choices.
Ziva smiled at him, adjusting the scarf around her neck and pulling out her gloves. "I'm firmly certain that there are Czech restaurants in DC, you just have to know where to look." She pointed out that there were plentiful Czech communities in the US. Czechs had emigrated from Europe to America long before both World Wars and also during them, with their descendants paying the tribute to their Czech heritage as they kept the family business going.
He rewarded her with an appreciative look, silently thanking her for the witty idea. He would certainly save a lot of money spending for the food in a Czech restaurant in the US, instead of flying over here. "But I'm not sure why we got these." He remarked, looking at the fish scales in his hand, still pondering why the waiter had given them to him.
She smiled at his confusion, taking one of the fish scales from his hand, opening her wallet and putting it inside. "They are from the carp we ate." She explained. "It's believed that if you keep a fish scale in your wallet, it will ensure that you won't run out of money for the whole year."
"Can't hurt to try it." He pulled out his wallet and put the scale inside just as she had done. "And thanks for the dinner." He lightly touched her arm in a grateful gesture.
She looked at him, baffled a little. "I should thank you. You paid for it." She protested, though she knew very well that his thankfulness had nothing to do with who had paid for the dinner.
"But it was your brilliant idea that came out of your beautiful head." He wasn't giving up. "And thanks to it, I now know so many things I had no idea about before." He appreciated all her storytelling about history and her travelling.
"It's just a history, Tony." She objected calmly, feeling flattered that he so much liked everything she had told him. She had enjoyed it, as well. She loved speaking with someone about things that interested her, and knowing that the person across the table paid genuine attention.
"But you're a very good storyteller." He explained as they set off in the direction of the Spanish Synagogue. "Better than any history teacher I've ever had. Something in your voice, that thick accent of yours... It just makes it look so interesting, so unique, so magical..." He was oblivious to the fact that he had just admitted that listening to her voice was something he'd missed terribly.
She stared at him dumbfounded, wondering whether she should question it or not. She didn't expect such compliments and wasn't sure how to deal with them. Not being able to hide the fact that it pleased her, though, she blushed despite the freezing cold. He didn't seem to perceive her, caught up in his own monologue during which he didn't dare to look at her, afraid that he might give away even more than his words had already done.
He chuckled to himself as the realization how much he had actually missed her sank in. "Just like your teasing threats of killing me with a paperclip. The good old times." He murmured wistfully, wishing for umpteenth time in the last two years, that things would have gone differently and she would have never leave the team.
Seizing his step in front of the synagogue, realizing that he'd gotten carried away with his memories, he looked at her innocently as if the last few sentences had never been spoken aloud. "Anyway, what if we took a little walk to the Christmas tree on the Old Town Square, and you'd tell me more about Christmas customs in this country?" He offered, trying to find a way out in a safe topic that wouldn't concern him at all.
She nodded in response, pretending just like him that he hadn't said anything. Rather, she turned right, knowing that she would lead the way. "I'm not sure if I remember everything, but I'll do my best to get it right." She promised to him, walking down the street as he caught up with her and linked his arms through hers.
And so, she started to tell what she'd remembered from her studies and exhibitions she'd visited. She mentioned again, that all these customs that used to be held in households, were supposed to help keep abundance, happiness, welfare and protection of the house. Today, the customs weren't held with such ferocity, because mankind wasn't that superstitious anymore. It was more about the respect to the folk traditions.
First, she focused on the customs connected to the dinner since they had just finished one. He attentively listened to her lecture about the Christmas Dinner's table that should be set for an even number of guests, because an odd number brought bad luck or death. If the family had the odd number of members, an extra plate should be used to even out the number of the guests at the table. Also, an extra plate should be prepared anyway just in case some unexpected guest or a person in need came by the house at the dinner time.
The legs of the table should then be tied together with a rope to protect the house from thieves and burglars in the upcoming year. Another reason was to ensure the family cohesion. The chairs at the table should be placed in a way that no one was sitting with their back to the door. And as the custom dictated, no one should ever get up from the Christmas table before the dinner was finished. Doing so, the person would be the first to die in the following year. That was why everyone should get up from the table at the same time.
The dinner was served after the first star came out on the sky. Until then, no lights should be lit in the house. Also, it was expected that everyone should finish their dinner and leave nothing on the plate. That seemed a bit impossible with the amount of served food, but it was ensured by another superstition. People should fast all day until dinner, so they could see the 'golden piglet' on the wall as their reward for having the patience of not eating. The gold signified the beginning of the winter solstice and piglet was a promise of abundance and welfare.
Christmas dinner and its courses varied household from household, region from region. Generally, it consisted of soup (either fish or mushroom), fried carp, potato salad, fruit (dried, fresh or canned) and dessert (either apple strudel or vánočka). Christmas cookies that were baked weeks prior the Christmas were also on the table. According to custom, no alcohol should be served on Christmas Eve, although this custom wasn't widely observed.
The food was made out of particular ingredients, such as garlic that provided strength and protection, honey that was believed to guard against evil or mushrooms that gave health and strength. Many other ingredients like poppy seeds, peas, wheat, barley or apples were also given to the domesticated animals (hens, cows, goats) to ensure a lot of milk and eggs in the upcoming year.
By that time, they arrived in front of a Gothic-like tower that seemed to separate the city from the outer world. "I guess you'll tell me something interesting about this tower, right?" He challenged her, looking up and down the 65-meter high tower, examining the Gothic features on the building.
She couldn't help but chuckle, knowing the reasons of his question. He wanted to avoid any conversation about him because he was well aware that she had a lot of questions. Questions that had more to do with his life than his father or his relationship with Gibbs. And that sooner or later he would have to uncover them. But she was patient enough to lull him into a false sense of security and attacking him with her interrogation afterwards, the moment he would least expect.
She couldn't deny him the answer, then. "It's a Powder Gate. It separates the Old Town from the New Town and it served for some time as a gunpowder storehouse, hence the name." She rattled off as an experienced tour guide, feeling more confident than for the first time. A few days ago when she'd arrived here, she'd stood with her nose buried in a guide book, trying to make sense out of it. "Also, the Royal Route starts here, leading to the Prague Castle. Future kings had to go through it to arrive at the coronation at Saint Vitus Cathedral."
He snapped out of his smitten look the moment she turned her gaze to him. "Thank you for the lecture, Miss Teacher." He teased with a playful wink, blocking her attempt to smack his arm.
"So, where were we with the Christmas customs?" He returned back to their initial topic, taking her hand and setting off their way through the Powder gate, ready to enter the New Town.
With a mischievous smile, she began to tell him about other superstitious customs that were practiced more than the previous ones she had mentioned – foretelling the future and foretelling the marriage. The first one's example was that a pregnant woman would know whether she was carrying a boy or a girl, depending on what gender the first visitor on a Christmas Eve was. If the visitor was a female, she was destined to have a daughter. In the opposite case, a son.
One of the most popular customs that helped to foretell the future was cutting of the apple. The apple was cut by the person crosswise, from the stem down and then the halves were taken apart. If the core was shaped as a star it meant luck, happiness and health in the upcoming year. A four-pointed cross, though, was a bad omen and usually brought bad luck, illness and death.
People also made use of the walnut shells that served as little boats with a small candle inside. Everyone from the family made their own boat and then put it inside a bowl of water to let it float. If the shell made it across the bowl without any problems, its owner should live a long and healthy life. If the shell sank or got stuck, it meant death, diseases or, generally, a bad luck.
Typical custom was also pouring of the lead, that was melted over the fire, into a container of water. The pourer's future was foretold from the shape that resulted from the pouring. Tony wasn't unfamiliar with this custom, he had already heard about it. It was more connected to the New Year's Eve, though, not Christmas. But he didn't mind it at all, as long as she kept talking and filled his ears with her beautiful voice.
When she started to explain foretelling the marriage, he began to feel a bit uncomfortable, knowing that they were getting into dangerous waters. But he relaxed after a while when he found out that those customs were observed by women only, and eager to marry ones especially. Not that he blamed them since in the old times, it was their only duty – to get marry to have a family and household to take care of.
Anyway, one of those customs was connected to pre-Christmas period, with December 4th, known as Saint Barbara's Day. An unmarried girl cut a twig of a cherry tree on that day and put it in water. If the twig bloomed by Christmas Eve, the girl knew she would marry within a year. Also, the same was supposed to happen when an unmarried girl threw her shoe over her shoulder and towards the door on Christmas Eve. If the shoe landed with the toe pointing towards the door, the wedding was certain.
Animals had their roles in foretelling the marriage, as well. One custom dictated to the unmarried girl to shake an elder tree and listen from which direction the dog would start barking, because the man she was supposed to marry lived there. Also, if the girl knocked on the henhouse and rooster was the first one to respond, she would marry within a year. If the hen cackled, she was destined to stay single.
He listened to her but couldn't but stop in his tracks when they left the street they were walking through, getting to another square with another tower in front of him. He started to feel like if he was in Italy or Greece. Because every step he took, there was some significant building that was apparently very old. Only those were Medieval one while those at the Mediterranean were Ancient and thus older. He didn't mind it, those buildings were magnificent and beautiful but it was a little bit overwhelming for his taste.
"Wow, this city is full of towers and churches, right?" He remarked, examining the tower's impressive neo-Gothic roof. He guessed the architectural style since the roof didn't seem to be as old as the rest of the building.
She responded with a giggle as she tried to suppress the bubbly laugh inside her. "If I may add, Tony, you didn't use Prague's nickname 'The City of a Hundred Spires', for nothing." She replied with amused expression, finding it hilarious that he had used it without even knowing what he had been getting himself into.
"Though, if I recall correctly, the official count nowadays is over five hundred spires." She added to his utter astonishment. "All thanks to those buildings we're slowly passing by." This city wasn't as big as many other significant metropolises. but one would have to spend at least a year in here to discover everything that was worth the time.
She took a pity on him, grabbed his arm and continued in their way while explaining to him what the tower was. Jindřišská věž (Jindrisska Tower) used to be a bell tower of a church across the street. Built in 15th century, some of the bells were still part of the tower, notably Maria, Henry and Dominic. The name of the tower honored Henry II., Holy Roman Emperor* who definitively incorporated the Duchy of Bohemia (or Czech Duchy) into the Holy Roman Empire through his aid to Jaromír, Duke of Bohemia, against the Poles.
Then, they settled in comfortable conversation about the differences between American and Central European Christmas. It was fun and enriching for Tony to discuss the cultural differences and find out more. He especially loved her telling about gift bringers. As he was told, Ježíšek (the Baby Jesus) or Christ Child, as he was known in other countries, was adorable presentation of a gift bringer as opposed to Santa Claus. There wasn't any accurate description of him, just that he was a toddler who brought the gifts to children. The depiction was a subject of a child's fantasy.
Ziva later explained to him that some sort of version of Santa Claus actually exists in the Central European culture. Mikuláš (Saint Nicholas) brings candies, fruits and other treats for children the night before his name day on December 6th. Usually, he is accompanied by a good Angel, who gives gifts to the good children, and Krampus, the depiction of a Devil, who punishes bad children. Although the punishment is always symbolic like a coal among the gifts, or the terrifying appearance of the Krampus himself, children used to believe that if they disobeyed their parents often, the Krampus would kidnap them and take them with him back to Hell.
Interesting topic was also the time when Christmas gifts were opened. Several countries in Europe and Latin America open gifts on the evening of 24th December, thus on Christmas Eve and not in the morning of Christmas Day, December 25th, as in the most of English-speaking countries and the others. In the Czech Republic it is given by the fact that Christmas Eve is called 'Štědrý den' which means 'Generous Day'. People show the generosity in the form of exchanging gifts among them, by the festive dinner and generally by being kind and nice towards the others.
Their discussion was occasionally interrupted by Ziva's observations about certain buildings. Certainly interesting was Jubilee Synagogue, the youngest of all of the synagogues in Prague, built in Moorish Revival style with Art Nouveau decorations. Its appearance was impossible to miss since the Mudéjar red-and-white coursing of the stone facade was very striking. The name of the synagogue referred to the anniversary of the rule of Franz Joseph I., the emperor of Austria and the King of Hungary, Croatia and Bohemia. Since Czechoslovakia became independent on Austria-Hungary after World War I., the synagogue was also renamed to Jerusalem Synagogue since the location of the building was on Jerusalem Street.
Or the Prague State Opera house from 19th century that was established as New German Theatre for Prague German community, since the National Theatre served mostly for Czechs. Today, the neoclassicist building served as an opera house with wide repertoire of ballet, balls and beneficial concerts. It was in the close proximity of the Federal Assembly Building where the headquarters of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty**, a state-run US broadcasting organization, used to be until it was moved into another location in Prague.
Very interesting history was also behind the Petschek Palace, a government building that served nowadays as a seat of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic. After Nazi Germany seized Czechoslovakia in 1939 and established the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, the building served as the main headquarters of Gestapo during World War II. Infamous court-martials established by one of the Reich-Protectors, Reinhard Heydrich, took place there, including interrogations and torturing of Czech resistance. Many of the prisoners were either sentenced to death, sometimes executed right on the spot, or sent to Nazi concentration camps where they were eliminated in most of the cases.
Then, they finally reached the centerpiece of the modern Prague and New Town in general – the Wenceslas Square. The place where many historical events have occurred, from various demonstrations to celebrations and other public gatherings, notably Velvet Revolution in 1989. Tony had seen the square many times since it was one of the most known places from Prague. He'd seen pictures from Prague Uprising in 1945 and Soviet Occupation in 1968.
Ziva explained to him that even though the square was founded by Charles IV., it bore the name of Saint Wenceslas, the patron saint of the Czech state. His monument was placed on the upper half of the square in a form of a majestic equestrian statue in a sculptural group with other smaller statues of significant Saints. The square itself was dominated by the neo-renaissance majestic building from 19th century, known as National Museum, closing the upper half of the square.
They walked down, weaving their way through the people slowly, reaching the end of the bottom part of the square. To no surprise, there was another place full of Christmas markets with a Christmas tree in the middle. Despite having a dinner a while ago, Tony couldn't resist and bought another trdelník for both, third one for him today. The pastry was just too delicious and the amazing smell... The temptation was too great.
As they turned right, they found themselves on another avenue. She led him through but she turned left soon, dragging him on the end of the street, so he could hear more about the building there. The classicist Estates Theatre built in the late 18th century during Enlightenment era, has been a host of famous performers such as Austrian composer Gustav Mahler or Italian violin virtuoso Niccolò Paganini.
Also, the Academy Award-movie 'Amadeus', directed by Czech director Miloš Forman was shot there for the authenticity. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart himself conducted Le nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro) in the Estates Theatre in 1787. The warm reception he'd gotten from the Prague audience was overwhelming for Mozart so much that he decided to write an opera for the Prague audience. And so, Don Giovanni premiered later in the year 1787, receiving only praise.
Mozart, being delighted with the success, had supposedly uttered the words 'My Praguers understand me', and that was because he'd received more appreciation of his works by the people from this particular city than his compatriots in Austria. He didn't hesitate to write another opera specifically for Prague, La clemenza di Tito (The Clemency of Titus), that premiered in the same theatre in 1791. It accompanied the festivities of Leopold II.'s coronation as King of Bohemia.
Right next to the theatre was one of the oldest dormitories in the Central Europe, Karolinum. The seat of the Charles University in Prague that was established by no one else but Charles IV. in 1348, used to serve as a college that provided the accommodation for the teachers and students. Today, the building was used for the administrative purposes, matriculation and graduation ceremonies.
To Tony's open joy, they finally reached the place he wanted to see so much. The Old Town Square with the huge, more than 20-metre high Christmas tree. The square was less crowded than earlier when they had passed by, but since the Christmas markets were still open, people were still there. But it gave them enough space to get near the tree and soak up the Christmas atmosphere once again.
They went near the tree, finding a perfect spot that gave them enough personal space and amazing view on the tree. The atmosphere became denser and they both lifted their heads up to look up at the sky as the snowflakes started to float through the air. It seemed that the snowfall had waited for their arrival here, welcoming them and becoming heavier and heavier with each passing second they stood there. As if the weather wanted to intensify the Christmas feeling with the typical winter image of snowy streets.
Their gazes turned to the tree, both enchanted by the beauty and falling into comfortable silence. Even the buzz around them became unimportant and they only heard the Christmas carols coming from the loudspeakers from the podium on the square. There were no performances on the podium but the carols continued playing, creating the magical atmosphere.
The combination of gold and blue decorations was stunning. The golden lights, giant golden baubles and gold flower-like decorations, accompanied by blue chains, blue snowflake-like decorations and blue stick-like baubles that indicated snowfall, with the golden comet on the top of the tree, completely enchanted him. And for a long while he stood there, hypnotized by the indescribable beauty. The enchanting scenery was stressed by the heavy snowfall.
It was just the right amount of sentiment for Tony to feel the Christmas spirit talking to him again. He felt the urge to sing the carols together with the music (despite not knowing the words), go buy gifts, have a hearty dinner with people he loved and just be merry. Like the old times. For a second there, though, he felt like Kevin McCallister in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, standing in front of the giant Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center, feeling all lost. But the certainty soon came back to him.
Unwittingly and subconsciously, his hand found Ziva's and she reacted by intertwining their fingers, firmly holding his hand. It wasn't just a casual hand holding. It was expression of joy that they were here together, sharing a breathtaking experience. That their meeting wasn't a dream, but fantastic reality. And that there were moments that just shouldn't see their end and this one was one of them.
Despite his reverie, Tony realized that they were holding hands and forced his eyes to tear off the gorgeous tree and look at her. She had a content, wide smile on her face, her eyes sparkling with happiness. Her eyelashes collected the snowflakes as she tilted her head to let the snow descend on her face. She looked smitten, head over heels with the magic splendor, and completely lost in her own world.
His intense gaze she had been subjected to so many times before, though, started to distract her. She tried her best to ignore it because she knew that once she would look into his eyes, she would lose it. "What?" She asked nervously, fixing her gaze at the tree.
He kept studying her, observing her nervousness for another while. "I forgot how beautiful you are." He confessed sincerely. He'd always appreciated her beauty, but after not seeing her for such a long time, she appeared to him as the most beautiful being in the world.
She felt her cheeks reddening as the heat washed over her, despite the freezing cold in the air. He had an unbelievable power to say things in a way she couldn't fathom. The deep sincerity, the great respect and the undeniable honesty were dripping from his voice and she couldn't ever tell that he was lying. Because he meant his words. He carefully chose them to prove his point.
She risked looking over at him and gasped upon seeing his eyes. The powerful weapon that couldn't kill, but certainly harm a lot. Especially if she allowed herself to see all the pain he tried to hide there. It hurt her, as well, because she knew that she had a great deal on his broken heart. But in spite of it, his gaze emitted only the warmth and the love for her, just as it had before their almost-kiss earlier this evening.
No, no... Not this burning gaze of his, again. Not those gorgeous green eyes studying her intently, watching her every move. Not the lovesick expression that screamed 'kiss me'. She lowered her head, not having enough strength to fight against his silent desire that mirrored her own. The kiss would be wrong. She couldn't give him what he wanted and he wasn't a single man.
However, he didn't seem to care. His heart screamed for her, silencing the reasonable thinking. He turned to her, releasing her hand and took his gloves off, shoving them into his pockets. Then, he took her by her chin and lifted her head up, putting his hands on her frozen cheeks. Their eyes met and she couldn't but stand helplessly there, being too weak to stop anything that was about to come.
He lovingly wiped away the wetness on her face, caused by the snow, warming it up by his hands. She could only stare, gratefully batting her eyelashes on him, no longer fighting against the erratic beating of her heart. It was pointless, anyway. He just had such a power over her. Without breaking the eye contact, Tony took her gloves off, too, putting them into her pockets.
Then, he took her by her hands, their fingers finally touching skin on skin. It was warm and electrifying, sending them both into the whirlwind of emotions. She didn't know what to say, so she stayed silent, not wanting to break the magic of the moment. The inevitable was about to happen and she couldn't do anything to prevent it, even if she wanted to.
From the moment on the bridge when she'd realized that her feelings for him were very much alive, it was clear to her that something would happen. No matter how much she tried to fight it and deny it, knowing it was wrong. Their love for each other was just too strong than anything else. All that had happened tonight was just stalling to get to the perfect moment, so they could let their feelings speak.
He leaned down to her, closing his eyes and lightly touching her nose with his own. She breathed out, the hot breath creating a steam in the chilly air. She squeezed his hands to hold onto something, never being so grateful for such a support. It seemed that her legs would betray her, if she didn't hold his hands. Being so close to him, she could feel that his body shivered and she could tell that the cold weather had nothing to do with it.
Parting her lips apart, she welcomed his hot lips on hers in a gentle kiss. This time, nothing torn them apart. They stayed glued together for a few seconds, savoring the pleasant feeling that pervaded their bodies from head to toe. Their heartbeats took up the same rhythm, their heads started to spin and everything around them disappeared. No thoughts, no doubts, no tears, no pain. Only pleasure.
He released her lips for a mere second, only to claim her mouth again. But this time releasing all the passion inside him. Kissing her felt heavenly. Now, when the kisses were stripped out of tears and pain, filled only with love. He immersed himself into her deeper and deeper, losing himself in the kiss completely. She was everything his heart wanted. Everything he desired.
Her beautiful, full lips moved against his, fervently trying to sate the hunger that came to life after such a long time. The emotions that raged through him made his mind go completely blank, not paying attention to anything. He loved her and only her, in spite of everything she had done to him. His heart knew no shame, it was chained to her and he couldn't do anything about it.
But the fiery kiss ended as soon as it had started. She suddenly yelped, released his hands and pushed him away from her. She breathed heavily, staring at him unbelievingly as if she didn't know what had possessed her that she had given in to her feelings so easily. However, her look was expectant in the same time as if she wanted from him to do something.
He was confused, not knowing what was going on with her. As he came back to his senses, though, he detected the reason why she had jumped back so quickly from him. His cell phone was buzzing in his pocket and since they had stood in a close proximity, she had had to feel it. If he had been on her place, he would have done the same thing, probably.
Cursing under his breath, hating that some things apparently didn't change, he pulled the phone out of his pocket. "DiNozzo!" He barked at the person on the other side of the line. He was too pissed off to look at the ID of the caller or consider not answering it. He needed to let out his anger for that someone interrupted the moment with the woman he loved, again.
"So, are you finally picking up your phone, Spider?" The woman's voice asked him mockingly.
Tony closed his eyes, silently screaming other curses inside his head. This was a phone call he certainly didn't want to answer. "Zoe." He uttered, swallowing the rest of the swear words he would love to yell at her.
He looked over at Ziva who returned him the look, still trying to calm her breathing. She didn't look shocked or regretful. It seemed that she suspected who the caller was and that was why she had ended the kiss. He noticed the tremble of her bottom lip, though. He realized that by confirming that it was truly his girlfriend calling him, it brought a pang into her heart, nevertheless.
"What do you want?" He returned to his phone call, praying to end this conversation as soon as possible. His tone wasn't very welcoming.
That seemed to piss off the ATF agent, not liking the way he was talking to her. She'd had enough of it for the last few months. "I don't know – maybe to know where in the hell you are?" She snapped, but kept her voice low enough. "I've called you, texted you and all I've gotten is silence."
He sighed wearily, rubbing his temple, wishing that he wouldn't have answered the call. "I told you I'm in Europe. You don't need to worry." He stayed reserved, not wanting to make a scene. He watched as Ziva sat down on the bench, touching her lips thoughtfully.
"And where exactly are you?" Zoe continued in her inquiry. This whole trip of his was really suspicious to her. She had tried to find out where he'd gone but none of his colleagues seemed to know.
He lifted his eyes towards the sky, thanking McGee on the other side of the planet for not revealing his location. "It doesn't matter. I just need some time to be alone." He replied, his eyes fixed on Ziva, once more. It was obvious that she was thinking about something and he didn't like it. When she went too deep with her thoughts, it was dangerous. It usually meant absolute end of his hopes.
He ignored as much as he could the sarcastic huff on the other side of the line, because he truly didn't want to start an argument over the phone. "That's the reason for all this secrecy? You need to be alone?" Zoe returned to her mocking tone. He could have been all alone in D.C. There was no need for him to flee overseas. His selfishness knew no boundaries lately. All he did was to think about himself.
Tony couldn't but roll his eyes in annoyance. He'd tried to explain the situation to her at least thousand times, yet she couldn't comprehend it. He knew he was selfish but it was his right to be selfish from time to time. He wondered why she hadn't broken up with him yet. Their relationship wasn't working. But neither of them seemed to have the courage to do the first step to end it.
"Yes, I do. I need to think about things." He informed her, his eyes still watching Ziva. The aftermath of the kiss was very intense because his body still trembled. He so much wanted to end this call, go over to her and kiss her so passionately that the Earth would move.
"About us, for example?" Zoe asked him calmly this time, at peace with any kind of answer. She was staying with him because she knew that he needed someone who would help him not to drown. But her strength was leaving her. She didn't know for how long she could stand the current situation.
He stiffened, turning around away from Ziva. He didn't want her to see his face, nor to hear what he wanted to say. "Let's talk about this when I get back to D.C., OK?" He almost whispered, trying to be as quiet as he could. He didn't want to discuss their relationship over the phone, but he wanted to let her know that something was off.
"And when will that be?" She asked him since he hadn't informed her for how long he intended to be on his holidays. She couldn't avoid the sarcasm in her voice, because deep down she suspected that if he didn't have to return, he wouldn't.
Sighing, he turned around to face Ziva again. She kept sitting on the bench, now looking at him closely. It seemed that she had made some kind of inner decision and he started to fear that. "Not sure now." He replied reservedly, trying to finish this conversation and get back to Ziva. He needed to assure himself that everything was okay between them. "I have to be in work by Monday, though. I'll call you then."
Zoe could hear in his voice that he didn't want to speak with her anymore. "Fine." She angrily ended the call, trying to reconcile with the fact that she wouldn't get the answers she so much wanted to hear.
He stared at the phone for a little while, trying to sort out his thoughts. His only wish was that she would give him peace for the rest of his holiday, so he wouldn't have to deal with her, again. One thing was certain, though. This relationship was nearing its end. There was nothing to save anymore. The only step left was to terminate it personally back in D.C.
He went over to Ziva, not knowing what to say. It was obvious that she knew whom he had been talking to. He wanted to erase those last few minutes from the history, return to the kiss and continue to devour her lips in the most delightful way. His heart was hers. No matter how wrong and painful it was. He couldn't help it, and he couldn't find any treatment for it at the moment.
He opened his mouth, not really ready to say any words, so he was grateful when she stood up and raised her hand to stop him. "Look, Tony... It was really nice to see you and all, but it's getting late." She told him simply. "I think we should call it a night."
His eyebrows furrowed in puzzlement and after a while, the cold that enveloped him got under his skin. He just felt as if someone poured a bucket of ice cold water on him. He looked directly into her eyes, trying to confront her with his usual searching gaze. But she held out, not taking any step back. Her eyes were cool and determined, her posture firm. She showed that she was going to persist on whatever decision she had made.
"Ziva, don't." He said, his voice dangerously low. He wasn't begging her right now. It'd been more like an order. "Don't act as if nothing happened."
She had changed. Her journey to find herself had been successful. He didn't want her to return to her old ways of denying things between them. Maybe it had been a wrong moment to show their feelings, he couldn't argue with that. But it didn't change anything on the fact that the kiss had happened. She just couldn't keep running away from it and pretend that things just didn't happen.
To his utter surprise, she didn't lower her gaze, but kept staring directly into his eyes. "I'm not acting as if nothing happened, Tony." She replied stoically. "Maybe you just read some signals wrong." She didn't like to do this, but she had her reasons. And none of them were that she tried to pretend that the kiss hadn't happened.
"I read some signals wrong?!" He chuckled unbelievingly, throwing his hands into the air in frustration. He closed the gap between them, taking her by the arms so she wouldn't have the chance to turn away from him. "I just know that if she didn't call, we would be still kissing." He hissed under his breath, daring her to deny it and do what she always did – sweep things under the carpet.
"Yes, we would." She took his breath away by confirming his claim. She knew he was right and she had no reason to deny it. She still wanted to kiss him, but he needed to understand the situation. He wasn't single and she couldn't give him what he wanted.
He eyed her, completely confused. "But that's it, Tony. She called. You have a girlfriend." She reminded to him gently, slightly touching his face as he loosened the grip on her arms.
She didn't want the kiss to be the reason for a possible separation between him and Zoe. She knew that he wasn't happy in this relationship, but he was trying to make it work. And if he was trying, then it meant something to him. She wanted only the best for him and he couldn't have it with her. She would return to Israel soon, only with her memories and continue in her life. And he had to, as well. There was no reason for them to cross certain lines, if they didn't have any future.
He closed his eyes and gulped, letting go of her. The truthfulness of her words hit him like a ton of bricks. Until now, he had been living a wonderful dream. Reality of his life was forgotten and he didn't care about it. He only lived the present, enjoying spending time with her, listening to her voice. The kiss was an outcome of his delightful pleasure to be with her and an expression of his feelings.
"One just not cheat anyone, not even the world of its victory."
But he kept in mind what she had just reminded him. He had a life back in DC. A life that included his girlfriend. As much as he loved Ziva, and even though he knew that his relationship with Zoe was coming to its end, he couldn't cheat on her. If he was supposed to start something new, he wanted to do so with a clean shield. Not with a ghost of adultery behind him.
Not to mention that he also had to consider both Ziva's and his own heart. His feelings for her hadn't convinced her to come back with him to DC two years ago, so it probably wasn't enough even know. And he wasn't sure whether he was ready to reveal his feelings without seeking for more, and just leave with his memories when this holiday came to an end. And the same went for her, because he could feel that she was aware that their romance would be short-lived.
"I know, you're right." He sighed, stepping away from her as he rubbed his face. "I just wish things would have been different."
"Me too." She smiled at him sadly, not knowing what else to say. She really wished that things had turned out differently in the past. But happy endings weren't destined for her.
He looked at her, his heart aching at her genuine regret. He wondered whether they would ever be together. Maybe in some different timeline, alternate universe, before an asteroid shatters the Earth... It seemed that they were made for each other, but there were so many obstacles standing in their way. Overcome each of them took so much strength. No wonder she didn't have it to fight anymore.
But he still didn't want to rob himself of the pleasure to spend the time with her in Prague. "The offer for the tour-guiding tomorrow still holds, right?" He asked, wanting to explore the rest she had promised him to show. He was scared that she might cut off their meeting right here and now, just because they had gotten carried away by their feelings.
She knew that she should decline and put an end to this before it could venture to the more dangerous waters. It was clear to her that the more time they would spend with each other, the more it would be harder to control their feelings. They were risking much more than a kiss. The attraction between them had increased over the last few hours, burning with a newborn flame. It was so hard to resist.
On the other hand, their friendship had revived, as well. And she'd been the one offering him to show him Prague around. She didn't want to disappoint his hopes and enthusiasm she had awakened in him. And she really enjoyed her tour-guiding role, loving to share her passions, interests and knowledge with him. It was nonsense to stop with the fun they'd been having because of a kiss.
"Sure, it does." She confirmed, dispersing his fears. She couldn't leave him alone wandering about a foreign city.
His body relaxed as the relief took over. "Thank you." He smiled at warmly, fighting the urge to take her in his arms again. He had to start learning how to control himself and behave reasonably.
She returned him the smile, feeling a bit uneasy, but still very pleased that she could make him happy. There were definitely many monuments to keep them occupied, without getting themselves into any romantic situation. She was already creating a list for tomorrow inside her head. It wasn't that different from the one she had prepared for herself earlier, before she had met him.
"Let me walk you to your hotel." He offered courteously. "I want to be sure you're safe."
She chuckled, pulling her gloves back on. "I can take care of myself, Tony." She protested. "Actually, I should walk you to your hotel, so you wouldn't get lost."
He shifted his weight from one leg on the other, shrugging wearily. "Don't worry about me. My hotel isn't far away from here. Where are you staying?" He insisted. She should already know that he wasn't going to let her go without knowing where to find her. He had done that twice in the past. Some mistakes didn't have to be repeated.
"Where's your hotel?" She fired back. She mostly wanted to assure herself that he knew which way to go, in case she gave in and let him to walk her to her hotel.
He couldn't help but chuckle and shake his head at her. It was adorable that she cared for him like that, but he was a big boy with GPS in his phone. "On Kampa Island, just by the stairs up the Charles Bridge. It's a narrow green building." He informed her to calm her down.
Her eyes widened, though, which was a reaction he didn't expect. She stared at him for a while, falling into awkward and strange silence. "U Jezulatka?" She breathed out the name of the hotel, her heart pounding wildly.
"Yeah." He nodded in agreement, but then furrowing his eyebrows as it hit him that she knew the name of the hotel. "Wait... You don't want to tell me that-"
"That I have a room there? Yeah, I do." She finished for him, wondering how the hell this was possible.
She could deal with one coincidence of meeting him in Prague. But the fact that they both were accommodated in the same hotel that had only six rooms available was too much for her. This city was full of hotels, it offered thousands of vacant rooms. How come that he'd chosen the one she was staying in? She had to agree with him that if Fate wasn't behind this, she should start believe in something between Earth and Hell.
He was amused with the coincidence, as well, laughing and lifting his eyes towards the sky to find the answer on his questions there. Fate was really messing with him. "See? You're not going to get rid of me so easily, sweet cheeks." He winked at her teasingly. Then, he took her by the hand and started their way to the hotel.
The End of Chapter 6
* Henry II., Holy Roman Emperor (973 – 1024), also known as King of Italy, King of Germany and Duke of Bavaria, the last member of Ottonian dynasty. Czech translation of the name Henry is Jindřich, hence the name of the tower.
** The radio provides news, information and analysis to countries in Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East where the free flow of information is either banned by government authorities or not fully developed.
I hope this chapter had everything I promised – culture bits, history and the promised kiss. And don't worry, they are a bit struggling but all will be settled soon. After all, they are accommodated in the same hotel. ;) And the night is still young...
As for the mentioned culture stuff – if you want to share how similar customs are celebrated in your country or city, let me know in the review or send me a PM. I love to learn about different cultures and compare it with mine. Most of the mentioned above have modified versions all over Europe and the world.
Once again, I'm adding the route our couple goes through: from Spanish Synagogue they go through the Vězeňská Street, crossing the little square and continuing through Haštalská Street till they reach Haštalské náměstí. Turning right, they enter Rybná Street and at the end, they choose to go through Králodvorská Street that gets them on Celetná Street in front of the mentioned Powder Gate. Afterwards, they head to Senovážná Street, reaching Jindřišská věž and continued their way up though Jeruzalemská Street (Jerusalem Street). Then, they turn right again and walk through Opletalova Street to get on Wenceslas Square. They walked down the square and turn right to avenue Na Příkopě, the turning left to Havířská Street. They go around Estates Theater and Karolinum through Železná Street and that gets them on the Old Town Square.
Love you all, guys, and have a nice week! :)