Special Agent Tony DiNozzo let out a hard sigh. He looked between the two women, unsure of what to say. Ziva only crossed her arms and waited, not saying a word. Christina put her hands on her hips.
"Well aren't you going to introduce us, Tony?" She asked.
"No. I'm not. Because you're leaving." He then walked over to Ziva and looked directly into her eyes. "She's leaving." He reiterated. Christina walked over and stood beside him.
"So this is who you're in love with?" She scoffed, "She looks like one of those people that you see on the news." Ziva narrowed her eyes and lunged towards the woman. Christina backed up in fear. Tony turned towards her and gritted his teeth, pointing towards the door.
"Get. Out." He said. Christina smiled.
"But you invited me over here!" She replied.
"You what?!" Ziva yelled. She scoffed and walked into the bedroom, slamming the door behind her.
"I did not invite you over here." He said through his teeth.
"Yes you did!" She said, and then stepped closer to him, putting her hands on his shoulders and ran them down to his forearm.
"Get off of me." He said.
"You used to like it." She said seductively. She ran her hands over his chest and looked up at him, "You're much stronger now."
"Get. Off. Of Me." He said through his teeth. "I've never hit a woman before. But if you do not get your hands off of me and out of my apartment...as they say...there's a first time for everything." She only smiled, her hands still rested on his chest.
"Tony, I haven't forgotten about you. And how amazing you are in the bed." Tony now stepped away from her, her arms falling down.
"I will have you arrested if you don't get out." He pointed to the door again.
"You remember me, don't you?" Tony only glared at her. "We were in love." She walked closer to him again, "I can still remember people in school, 'you two are such a cute couple!'. Don't you think we're still a cute couple?" She laughed, "Can't you see them at our reunion? 'The Big D and Christie' together again?"
"Get out!" He yelled. He walked over to the door and opened it. She let out a sigh and walked over to him.
"If your girlfriend wasn't here, would you let me stay?" She asked.
"No." Tony said simply. "Get out. Don't come back. Don't call me again."
"Tony, you can't seriously tell me that you don't love me anymore." She said. He pointed out the door again. "We had so much..."
"Had. There is no 'us'. You had your chance."
"But we're soulmates!" Tony shook his head.
"I found my soulmate. She's in that room. Get out." He said.
"I'm sorry about sleeping with Bradley Cox, but..."
"Christina I don't care. Get out of my life. I'm not going to tell you again." He said. Tears flooded her eyes and she stepped one more step before stopping.
"I'm still in love with you." She said, her voice broken.
"I don't give a damn." He said and slammed the door. He let out a deep sigh and walked over to the bedroom door, slowly opening it. Ziva was under the covers, the lights off. "Ziva." He said simply.
"I do not care, Tony." She said softly. Tony sighed and opened his mouth to speak again when he heard a knock on the door. Tony groaned and walked back to the door.
"If you don't get the hell off my property I'm going to have you arrested!" Tony yelled as he opened the door.
"Look, sorry dude, but I was just trying to deliver the pizza." Tony sighed.
"Ok, how much do I owe you?" He said and pulled out his wallet. "Sorry man, I've just got this psycho ex that..." He stopped and laughed, "I don't know why I'm telling you this."
"Yeah. It's $24.87." He said. Tony nodded and handed him cash.
"Dig it." He said and walked down the sidewalk. Tony rolled his eyes and walked into the apartment, promptly tossing the box onto the coffee table. He walked into the dark room and sat down on the side of the bed.
"Ziva...I did not invite her over here."
"I do not care." She said again. Tony sighed and ran a hand through his hair.
"What do you want me to do, Ziva?" Tony said loudly. Ziva sat up quickly and looked him directly in the eyes.
"I want you to figure out what you want." She said and laid back down.
"I already know what I want." He put his hand on her shoulder, but she yanked it away and silently winced from the pain, for she was still sore from the bomb.
"Leave me alone." She snapped. Tony sighed and looked up at the ceiling before standing up and getting under the covers. Ziva turned over so she wasn't facing him and moved over to the edge. Tony did the same. He sighed and closed his eyes but then quickly opened them.
"I'm sorry, Ziva." He said softly.
"No you are not." She replied.
Ziva sighed and shifted her position in bed, groaning as well. Her eyes remaining closed, she nuzzled her face into the soft skin that was now her new pillow. She smiled, breathing in his sweet scent. She smiled, "Mmm.....Tony...." She mumbled out as she realized that she was still incredibly mad at him.
Christina.
And with that, she shoved him with all her power so that he landed onto the hardwood beneath the bed, and, now, him as well.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" He exclaimed as he jumped up, "What the hell just happened?"
Ziva just shot him a look that could probably kill him as she glared at him, "Stop. Touching. Me."
"Ziva!" Tony shouted, exasperated, "Come on! You're still upset about this Christina thing?" She just stared at him and he sighed, "I didn't invite her over, Ziva. Trust me." He leaned forward, she leaned back, and he looked her dead in the eyes, "You gotta believe me."
He narrowed her eyes at him, "And you have got to believe me when I say that I am going to kill you if you try anything with me." And with that, she turned over in bed and laid back down on her side, so that her back was facing him. She pulled the covers closer to her neck, snuggling into the covers. Secretly, she missed the warmth of Tony's chest on her back, or Tony's chest underneath her head as she fell asleep. She knew that she had been tossing and turning all night, not only because of the Israel bombings, but also the fact that he wasn't holding her tightly in his arms. But there was Christina. And now she was at a breaking point. She just hoped that whenever the final breaking point came, it wasn't going to happen in front of him.
In front of Tony.
And, of course, he had to open his mouth again, his arms spread wide, scoffing slightly at what she had said before.
"Well I'm trying to apologize, and I don't see you-" And suddenly she sat up in bed, turning towards him, and pointed her gun into his face.
"Shut up." She growled.
He put his hands up in surrender and nodded, backing up slightly, "Shutting up." She cocked her gun but both of them knew that she had no intention on firing it. Well, there was still a part of Tony that believed that she actually would. And, to be honest, he was rather scared. So with that, he left the bedroom and entered the bathroom, hoping that a nice shower would clear his mind.
Once he exited the bathroom, he noticed that Ziva was no longer in the room. Instead, it was empty. Not worrying about it, or, pretending not to look worried, he got dressed for work and then entered the kitchen, preparing to make breakfast. He didn't bother to ask her what she wanted, for she was already sitting at the table, drinking a cup of tea. Sighing, he pulled out a bowl and a box of cereal, not wanting to be bothered by anything that had to do with Ziva.
Actually, he wanted everything to do with Ziva.
It was her who wanted nothing to do with him. He sat down in front of her at the table, picking up the newspaper and reading the front page. He flipped it open before Ziva spoke, "I will start packing tonight."
He nodded, "Good idea. Need to get a head start."
She just narrowed her eyes at him before shaking her head and staring back down at her cup of tea. Tony turned the page of the newspaper and continued to read, shoving a couple more spoonfuls of cereal into his mouth. She let out an inaudible sigh as she closed her eyes slightly. That just proves that he chose, Ziva. He told you to get a head start. Meaning that he's chosen her and he wants her to be with him as soon as possible.Little did Ziva know that Tony wasn't talking about Christina at all. He was talking about packing yes, but not about packing to leave him. Packing to leave.....for Israel.
Christina.
Twenty-two steps.
That's how far behind Tony she walked.
And everytime that he slowed down, so did she, and everytime he sped up, so did she, making sure that there were exactly twenty-two steps between them. He, of course, entered the bullpen first and threw down his backpack behind his desk. Ziva gently set hers down and then took her seat, turning on her computer.
The car ride over to NCIS had been completely silent and a little unnerving, considering that Ziva sat as close as she possibly could to the window. She even wanted to sit in the backseat after half of the way; she had had enough of his alluring scent that only made her want him more.
But she couldn't have him.
Now that Christina was back in his life.
Tony even noticed that abscense of her locket, and his heart pained. She's really that upset with me. But you didn't do anything, DiNozzo! It's all Christina's fault! Not that Ziva will believe you or anything...
McGee noticed the awkward silence in the bullpen as he looked between the two, neither one of them looking at each other, Ziva never even glancing up at Tony. He furrowed his eyebrows together, "What's up with you two?"
"Can it, McEyes." Tony snapped and McGee just rolled his eyes.
"Just wanted to know."
"Well keep your hands outta other people's business." He nearly shouted and McGee didn't say aynthing as he turned back to his computer.
Ziva just sighed as she typed in her password to her computer, "So you're not going to tell me why you two are angry at each other?" He questioned and Tony just glared at him.
"Nope."
"Why not?"
"Can't you just shut up, probie? Jeez. This is personal business here."
"Right." he said, under his breath before turning back to his computer. Obviously Tony was upset about something, probably Ziva. Most likely Ziva. But he chose not to say anything about it. Well, anymore about it, "Morning, boss." he chirped up as he watched the silver haired man walk into the bullpen, his normal cup of coffee in his right hand.
As he walked, he spoke to the team, "You feelin' any better today, Ziva?"
She looked up at him as he turned to look at her, "No." she firmly said, short and simple as she looked back at her computer screen.
Gibbs raised an eyebrow as Tony spoke up, "Ziva-"
"I do not care." She responded, not looking up from the paper she was writing on. No tone was clearly evident in her voice.
"Ziva-"
She looked up at him, "What part do you not understand about 'I. Do. Not. Care.'?"
"Zi-"
"What the hell happened to you two?" Gibbs suddenly spoke up, cutting off Tony.
Ziva just looked at Gibbs and then at Tony before she stood up, ignoring the question completely, "I will go and see if Abby has any information on the case." And with that, she left, leaving Tony alone with Gibbs and McGee, who both just turned to look at him. Gibbs crossed his arms and stared him down. McGee just looked at him, waiting for a response.
"What. Happened?" Gibbs said, his voice quiet.
Tony gulped.
Damn you, Christina.
Ziva got off of the elevator at Abby's lab and let out a sigh as she walked in. The music was so loud that it hurt her ears, so she put her hands over them in response. "Abby!" She yelled as loud as she could. Abby quickly turned around and smiled, grabbing the remote and quickly turning down the music.
"Hey Ziva!" She said. Ziva removed her hands from her ears and laughed.
"The music was a little loud, yes?" Abby just giggled.
"Not loud enough." She said and then turned to Ziva, narrowing her eyes. "What's wrong?"
Ziva looked around confused, "What makes you think something is wrong?" She asked.
"I got the vibe."
"The vibe?"
"Yes. The vibe. What is wrong?" Ziva only let out a sigh and Abby continued, "What did Tony do?" She then frantically pointed at Ziva's neck line, "Where is your locket?" She exclaimed.
"It is...at home." She finally said.
"Why aren't you wearing it?" Ziva let out a sigh.
"I do not think Tony knows what he wants, Abby."
"Ziva, that is crazy." She grabbed her and hugged her tight, "Tony is so in love with you."
"Then why would he invite..." Ziva stopped. "It does not matter." She said. Abby frowned.
"It does matter." She said softly.
"Well I did come down here for a reason. I would like to invite you for dinner tonight." Abby grinned.
"Sure! 7:00? Unless you get a case, right?" Ziva chuckled.
"I do not think that will happen. Things are slow."
Ziva returned to her desk and groaned when she saw the stack of paperwork that needed to be done. She expected it, but that didn't mean she wanted to do it. McGee was typing hard on his computer, and Tony's stack was taller than Ziva's. That made her smile.
He deserved it.
Gibbs' desk was empty, and Ziva assumed he was up with the director. A couple of silent hours went by, the only sounds were McGee's keyboard and phones ringing in the office. McGee would look up and study Tony and Ziva. They weren't throwing things at each other, arguing about a movie, flirting, or picking on him.
They were working.
And it was strange.
But he kind of liked it. He smiled at the thought as Gibbs strolled into the squad room. "Got something on your mind, McGee?" Gibbs asked. He collected his gun out of the drawer and walked around his desk, causing the other 3 agents to stand. He stopped and looked at them with a smirk. "You going somewhere?" He asked.
Tony raised an eyebrow, "Well didn't you get a call, boss?" He asked.
"No, DiNozzo. If had got a call, I would've told you. Paperwork." Tony looked at Ziva and then McGee, both were equally confused.
"Then where are you going, boss?" McGee bravely asked. Gibbs narrowed his eyes. "I'll get back on the paperwork."
"That's what I thought, McGee." Gibbs said and promptly left the squad room. Ziva glanced at Tony quickly before returning her gun to her drawer. She started on the paperwork, and things were dead still until McGee stood up. Ziva watched him as he walked into the mens room. She smirked and stood up, walking past Tony. He watched her and started to say something, but she didn't stop. She pulled open the door, causing the two men to look at her.
"Nice to see you again." She said, as the guy left the bathroom. "He didn't wash his hands again. Ugh." She shivered at the thought.
"Ziva, when are you going to learn that girls are not allowed in here?" McGee asked as he zipped up his pants and walked to the sink.
"Do you think we have tooties?" McGee furrowed his brow.
"I think you mean cooties."
"Whatever."
"Is there a reason you came in here?" He asked, throwing the paper towel in the trash.
"Yes. I wanted to invite you to dinner tonight." She said with a smile. McGee narrowed his eyes.
"Why didn't you just ask me in the squad room?" He asked.
"No reason." She handed him a post it. "Here is my address, I moved." She said with a smile. She walked around him and opened the door, but stopped when she heard his voice again.
"This is Tony's place." McGee said simply.
"I know." She said and let the door close behind her. McGee sighed and stuck the post it in his pocket. "This should be interesting. " He mumbled to himself.
Ziva finally finished her paperwork, around 1600h, and she had to wait on Tony to finish his paperwork. McGee's desk was empty, for he was done with his paperwork, and Gibbs hadn't returned, so they were alone. She let out another harsh sigh, and Tony knew exactly who it was pointed to.
"I'm trying, Ziva." He finally said. Ziva only rolled her eyes and continued to pick her nails with her knife. Tony looked up at her again. "Are we ever going to talk?" He asked. Ziva raised and dropped one shoulder. Tony only sighed and returned to his work. About an hour later, he turned off his desk light and collected his gun. Ziva stood quickly and put her backpack over her shoulder. Tony walked behind her as she pressed the elevator button.
As he expected, being close to her in the elevator drove him up the wall. Her scent was absolutely intoxicating, and he wished he could grab her and give her a kiss, but that might've resulted in a bullet in his head.
And he already had a headache.
The torturous elevator ride finally ended, and she walked ahead of him to his car. He unlocked it and she opened the back door and sat down, crossing her legs. Tony glanced at her for a couple of seconds before starting the engine. Being silent all day was hard, and he just wanted to get home and figure out this thing out with Ziva, so that he could relax. As soon as he parked the car, Ziva got out and went inside, immediately starting on dinner.
He would've been good with just a pizza, and the one from last night still sat on the coffee table. He shrugged and tossed the box in the trash. He walked to the refrigerator and pulled out two beers, popping the cap off of one. "Beer?" He asked.
"No, thank you." She said. He put the unopened one on the counter, he took a sip and leaned on the it, crossing his legs. He cleared his throat and spoke softly, "What are you cooking?"
"Food." Tony scoffed and rolled his eyes, taking another sip of his beer before speaking again.
"Ziva I did not invite her over here." He said again. When she didn't answer he spoke again, "I looked in my recent calls, and the last time she called me is when we were...on the couch...and you were...on top of me. That must of been when I wasn't...paying much attention." He took another sip, "She I think I said something like, 'yeah, okay bye' when she asked if she could come over." Ziva turned at him, her mouth open from shock.
"Are you blaming this on me?" She said. Tony sighed and put down his beer.
"No, Ziva. I'm trying to explain...."
"Whatever." She said and turned back to the stove, turning the knob so that it wasn't so hot. He watched her as she walked past him into the living room.
"Ziva..." He stopped and watched her. She was straightening the couch pillows, and then proceeded to put DVD's back in the cases. "What are you doing?" He asked quietly.
"Cleaning." She replied. When she was satisfied with the living room, she walked into the bedroom, and picked up clothes that were all over the floor.
"Why are you cleaning?" He asked. She didn't answer as she shoved clothes into the hamper, and went back to the bed, fixing the pillows and pulling the comforter. "Ziva..." He tried again but stopped when he heard a knock on the door. Ziva walked past him again and to the door, opening it to reveal one perky Abby. Ziva grinned and returned her hug.
"Thank you for coming, Abby." She said with a smile.
"Thank you for having me!" She said and walked further into the apartment. "Hey Tony." She said. Tony half smiled. He glanced at Ziva and then looked at Abby.
"Beer, Abs?" He asked.
"Yes, I'd love one." She replied. Tony nodded and walked into the kitchen, grabbing the one he pulled out for Ziva. He returned to her and handed it to her.
"Make yourself comfortable, I am just finishing dinner up." Ziva said. Abby nodded and sat down on the couch. Tony followed her into the kitchen.
"Why didn't you tell me we were going to have company, Ziva?" Tony asked. Ziva pulled down a bowl and put the prepared food into the dish, setting it down on the counter.
"What? I did not think that I needed your permission to invite people over. You apparently do not think you should tell me when you invite your new girlfriend over." She put on a oven mitt and pulled the rolls out, putting them into a basket.
"That's low, Ziva." Tony said.
"Yes, you are." She said and walked past him again, to the table when there was another knock at the door. Ziva walked over to it and opened the door. Tony rolled his eyes when McGee presented a dessert dish and a bottle of wine. He walked over next to Ziva and snatched it from him, studying the bottle.
"Thank you, Tim!" Ziva said happily and stood on her tip toes to give him a kiss on the cheek. He smiled. Tony gritted his teeth together and held up the bottle.
"You trying to get my girlfriend drunk?" He asked. He walked into the apartment and McGee followed, closing the door behind him. Ziva was now serving dinner at the table.
"Well since you two aren't talking..." Tony promptly smacked him on the back of the head. McGee groaned, "I was just kidding, Tony." He said. Tony sat down.
"No you weren't, McFlirt." He growled. McGee sat across from Abby while Ziva sat across from Tony, the food between them, as if it was the barrier that kept the two from jumping over the table and killing each other. Well, keeping Ziva from killing Tony.
Abby hungrily ate one of the rolls, mounting it with butter as she stuffed it into her mouth, "Dis is weawwygood, Zeevah." She mumbled, her mouth full of the food. She smiled slightly as she picked at her green beans on her plate. Somehow, she wasn't hungry. She didn't look up at Tony, for she didn't want to see his face. She actually felt a little guilty for doing this. Though, she would never admit that to Tony. Or anyone, for that matter.
"Hey, could you pass the potatoes?" McGee kindly asked, pointing slightly to the bowl on the other side of Tony. Tony, who had his mouth full of food already just looked at him, stopping mid-chew.
"Excuse me?" He demanded and McGee gaped a little, unsure of what to say. Tony just went back to his food.
"Please?" He questioned, looking around as if he was a little boy who just got yelled at and was unsure of what he did. Ziva looked up at Tony and narrowed her eyes at him.
"Tony." She firmly said, "Stop being an ass and give McGee the potatoes."
He gave an angry smirk as he looked up at Ziva, putting his fork down, "Look, Ziva, maybe I wouldn't be 'such an ass' if I knew that I would have to share my food with others."
She scoffed, "I made it!"
"Yeah, I know. And I ordered pizza last night, and paid for it, but you were acting too much like a little bitch to even want to come an eat."
"Excuse me?!" Ziva demanded, standing up abruptly, the chair flying back and skidding across the ground, making a crude sound.
"Uh oh." Abby mumbled quietly to herself as Tony stood up as well.
"You were acting like a bitch, Ziva! Sorry, but that's what you were acting like!"
"I was acting like a bitch? What about you? You were the one that invited Christina over in the first place! You know, if you still had feelings for her Tony, you could have let me know this sooner before I decided to move in with you!"
Tony groaned and used his arms as emphasis, throwing them up in the air and then back down by his sides, "I don't even like her in the slightest bit, Ziva!" He nearly whined.
"You used to like her. And I know that you still do."
"Were you even listening to us last night, Ziva?"
"I tried not to. I was afraid that I would hear...sex noises." She finally decided. McGee and Abby just dropped their forks and pushed their plates slightly away. It was as if the two had become invisible to them.
Tony groaned, "So you didn't listen?" She shook her head, "See! Another bitchy thing you did-" And that was when Ziva reached down and grabbed the first object she could find on the table, the salt shaker, and promptly threw it at him. He barely ducked just in time as it hit the wall and broke, the salt flying everywhere as well as the pieces to the salt shaker. Also, once the salt shaker left Ziva's hands, Abby thought briefly about leaving. She shared a look with McGee, "Ziva!" Tony shouted, "Stop it! I don't love Christina, Ziva!" He groaned, "Come on!"
"Liar!" She shouted.
"I would never lie to you, Ziva!"
"Yes you would!" She shouted, "You lied to me about Christina, basically all of Christina and you and just Christina herself. What I do not understand is why she all of a sudden wants to see you again. Unless of course, you were the one that wanted to see her."
"So you really think that I'm using you as Christina thinks? As a prostitute?" This time, Ziva threw a fork at him, Tony barely getting the chance to move his head to the side as the prongs embedded themselves into the wall behind him. And with that, McGee and Abby took off.
Ziva relaxed and nodded, angrily, looking around a bit, "So you finally admitted it then, yes?"
"Finally admitted what?"
"That I am nothing but one of those...playmen bunnies?"
"Ziva." He firmly said, "First of all, it's playboy. Second of all, you're never anything like that to me."
"You bought me that lingerie."
He laughed, "Well...technically...I didn't buy it. I forced it outta the guy."
"Same difference." She scoffed, "It was still bought to make me look easy."
"No it wasn't! Damn it, Ziva! Can't you just listen to me?"
"No." She narrowed her eyes at him and crossed her arms, "Because you lie to me, DiNozzo!"
Just at the sound of his last name escaping her lips made his face turn white as he gulped, watching her turn promptly on her heel and storm out of the kitchen, "Ziva!" He shouted, "Ziva, babe, come on!" All that came as his response was an angry groan. He then chased after her as she entered the bedroom, pulling out her suitcases and opening them up on the bed. He gulped, 'Ziva..." He said in a warning tone.
"I am packing!" She snapped, "Just like you wanted!" And with that, she threw open a drawer and haphazardly grabbed some sweaters and t-shirts out of one and put them into the suitcase, not even bothering to fold them or make them fit at all.
"If you're talking about this morning, I meant pack for Israel!"
"That is what I am doing!"
"Ziva!" Tony growled, grabbing some of the clothes out of the suitcase and throwing them down onto the ground. She picked them back up, angrily, and put them back in the suitcase.
"Tony..." She warned.
"No, Ziva. I'm tired of fighting. We're gonna talk. Quietly."
"We don't need to talk." She growled, "You already showed me throw your actions, your immature actions, might I add, that you do not want me in your life!"
Gibbs sighed as he locked the car door, jogging lightly up the steps to Tony's apartment. He didn't bother calling. Besides, if he had called, the two would have put on a facade that clearly stated that they were 'getting along'. He wanted to know the truth. And this was his way of doing it.
As he reached Tony's apartment, or, should he say, Tony and Ziva's apartment, he picked the lock and then slowly entered, looking around. He could see from the doorway that dinner was on the kitchen table, and it looked to have been barely touched. And set for four...
"You wanted me gone, Tony!" He heard Ziva shouting and he slowly moved towards the bedroom, careful not to make much noise, "So I am leaving. And if you try to stop me, I will kill you. You can have her all to yourself!" Gibbs sighed. Another woman. Of course."Ziva!" He heard Tony shout as he continued his slow walk towards the bedroom, his feet barely moving, "Come on! Be rational! Think about this!"
"When I leave for Israel." She hissed, "Do next expect me to come back!"
"What?!" Tony shouted, "No way, Ziva. No way. You're coming back."
"No. I am not! My father wants me there, I am staying there."
"Your father's an emotionless man, Ziva! He doesn't care!"
She sighed, so loudly that even Gibbs could hear it, "In general, yes, that is true, Tony. But maybe he is right. Maybe Americans are scum."
"I knew it." Tony scoffed, "I knew it. Dontcha see what's happening, Ziva?" He demanded, "You're doing exactly what your father wants you to do, therefore thinking exactly what your father wants you to think. He's using you, Ziva. And you're turning into a predjudice bastard like him."
And that was when Gibbs saw a black heel fly across the room, nearly taking his own nose off as it hit the lamp, knocking it over and onto the ground, where it broke.
He had had enough.
Nearly running, he entered the bedroom, "HEY!" He barked, "Enough!" The two turned in shock as they looked at Gibbs, their mad expressions on their faces softening slightly.
Tony scoffed, pointing to Gibbs, "Gibbs was invited as well? Just showing up late, huh boss?" he turned to Ziva, "Any other guests I should know about?" She opened her mouth to fire something back at him when Gibbs literally stepped between them, reaching over and smacking Tony upside the head.
"What was that for?! She started it!" He pointed towards her, and Gibbs turned around, giving Ziva a slap as well. She closed her eyes, huffed, and then opened them up again. He then lowered his voice as he spoke to Ziva.
"What is this about going to Israel? Are you insane, David?" he pointed towards the living room, where the television sat, "I know you've seen the news. What the hell are you thinking? All cause DiNozzo's being an idiot?"
"Look, it's not my fault!" Tony backed up and Gibbs slowly turned to look at him.
"Tony. Ziva. Problem. Explain. Now."
Tony opened his mouth to speak as Gibbs backed up and looked between the two when Ziva cut him off, speaking quickly, "Tony's ex-girlfriend, or should I say, new girlfriend." Tony opened his mouth to protest, but Gibbs put his hand up to stop him. He clamped his mouth shut, "Kept calling him, as you know." She said, pointing to Gibbs, referring back to the conversation that they had in the beach house when Tony had mysteriously disappeared, "Well the other day, Christina decided to come over."
"That's not Tony's fault." Gibbs put in.
"Exactly!" Tony supported, but Gibbs just glared at him.
"And apparently Tony invited her over."
Gibbs just stared at her, "So you're telling me that you're screaming at each other cause one of Tony's psycho ex-girfriends came over and wanted him back?" Gibbs laughed a little, "I don't know why she's wanting him back, but okay..."
"That hurts, boss."
"He invited her over!" Ziva protested, shoving her hand towards Tony.
Gibbs turned towards him, "This true, DiNozzo?"
"Well..." Gibbs groaned.
"Why? Are you really that stupid?"
"You never let me finish!" Tony said, exasperated, "Christina called me so many times. And one time, when Ziva and I were..." He paused as he saw Gibbs look, "Well let's just say that Christina called me and I picked up the phone. I was too..." He fumbled for his words, "Distracted...to realize who the hell was talking to me. I must have accidentally invited her over."
"Ziva...you believed that he would actually cheat on you?"
"No." She admitted, "But getting a new girlfriend? Yes, I would believe that."
Gibbs stepped back and crossed his arms, sighing. He knew there was only one solution to this problem, "Kiss."
"What?" Ziva gasped in shock as she turned to look at him, glancing at Tony for a little bit before looking back at Gibbs.
"You heard me." He said, "Kiss and make the hell up. I think I liked you two better when you were playing grab ass."
Tony hesitated, "Boss...I don't wanna die."
"I will not kill you, Tony." She quietly said.
"Damn it, DiNozzo, when have you ever hesitated in kissing any woman? Especially Ziva?"
"Right..." He took in a deep breath, turning to Ziva, "You promise me you won't kill me?"
"Yes, Tony." She rolled her eyes, "I will not kill you."
Slowly, he moved towards her, making sure to keep his distance as well as an escape route, in case she tried something....like...killing him? That might become a slight problem. Carefully, he put his hands on her hips, lightly, once again, in case she tried to kill him. But she promised she wouldn't. And, as far as Tony was concerned, she kept the promises she made. He felt her hands on his shoulders, carassing them lightly with her thumb. She stared up into his eyes and he started back as she took in a deep breath, for Tony's face was moving closer to hers. She wanted him to kiss her. That wasn't the problem. The problem was that she was going to fall for him all over again when his lips pressed up against hers. She knew it. She didn't want that to happen, for she was incredibly angry at him, but she knew that it would probably be for the best.
For one, she knew that Tony hated fighting with her. And she hated it too.
Secondly, she really didn't want to go back to Tel Aviv angry at Tony.
And thirdly? She would never admit it, but she felt like a void was missing around her neck. And she wanted it back. It was like the heart of the locket was actually Tony's heart, and taking it off was equivalent to giving it away. It pained her to even take it off, and she wanted it back so much.
But then there was Christina.
And the fact that she was basically ruining her relationship with Tony.
His face became closer to hers and he paused right as she closed her eyes. He sighed and then pulled back, leaving Ziva empty. She sighed inaudibly, "Boss, this is really awkward." Tony admitted.
"I don't care. Kiss. I can't deal with you two upset at each other. Or else I will personally place you or Ziva on another team." Tony sighed and looked back at her.
"Well..." he took in a deep breath, "Here goes nothing." And he leant down again, quicker this time. However, he paused right as she closed her eyes again and his nose brushed up against hers. He pulled back, hesitated, and then started in again, carefully, gently, lovingly capturing her lips with his. Subconsciously, she moved towards him as his hands moved to her back, so that his arms were wrapped around her waist. He heard a low moan from Ziva and he smiled against her lips as he pulled on them before guiding her face up. She was just about to deepen the kiss and melt into his arms when she realized he was doing it again.
He was using his DiNozzo charm again.
She quickly broke the kiss and pushed him away, "No." She said, "No, no, no." She turned towards her suitcases, her heart beating like crazy and her stomach doing flips. Gibbs and Tony shared a look, "I am sorry. I cannot..."
"Ducky." Gibbs suddenly said, and Tony and Ziva both looked at each other, "He's gonna help you with your relationship problems. I'm not dealing with this immature, childish behavior in my squadroom, understand?"
"But boss, it's like almost midnight." Tony whined, looking at his watch to check the time.
Gibbs nodded, "I know. But you two need it. I'll make sure that you two get to Ducky's house while I call him."
"But what if he's asleep?"
"He's not."
"How do you know?" Ziva questioned.
"Trust me." Gibbs smirked, "I know. Just dropped his off at his place before coming over here. We had dinner." He said as he pulled out his cell phone, dialing the number. Tony looked at Ziva, who just stared down at her suitcase as Gibbs turned to them, "Go. Get your car, DiNozzo. Hurry up. Get the engine running."
Tony nodded, "Come on, Zi." He sighed and she rolled her eyes before starting after him as they disappeared from the bedroom.
"Yeah, Duck?" Gibbs asked into the cell phone, "You up? Good...got something for you to fix, Duck.....a relationship."
One on the couch.
One on the chair.
One in the kitchen, fixing up two different drinks. One coffee, one tea. Extra sugar in the coffee, and a strong cup of tea. Balanced in each hand, Ducky entered the living room, looking at the two who both had their bodies turned completely away from each other, sitting as far as possible from the other.
He handed each of them their cups of the hot liquids and then stood so that he was looking at them. He sat down on the couch opposite from the one that Tony was sitting on, "Ziva." Ducky called and she looked up at him. He just pointed his finger from her to the couch.
She looked at Tony and then groaned, rolling her eyes as she stood up, plopping down dramatically onto the opposite end of the couch, once again, turning away from him. Ducky sighed, "Ziva..." He wiggled his finger and she just stared at him as if he couldn't possibly be serious, "Tony..." He did the same motion, and Tony gladly scooted over towards her, giving her a pained look. He didn't want her to act this way. No...he didn't. At all. Sighing, she scooted over, thanks to Tony's puppy dog look.
Their thighs touched each others and electricity was felt between the two as they glanced at each other nervously and then back at Ducky, "What now?" Ziva demanded and Tony quickly buried his face into the coffee cup. He didn't possibly know how much of Ziva's alluring scent he could possibly take anymore. The smell of freshly baked coffee beans filled his nostrils and he smiled slightly.
He was safe.
For now.
"You know, I would have thought that you two would be the only ones that would not need my help...decoding....the glitches in your relationship."
"It is not a glitch, Ducky." Ziva responded, crossing her arms as she looked at Tony, "It is a new woman."
"A new woman?" Ducky asked, incredulously, "Tony...a new woman? That isn't you? While he is dating you?"
"See?" Tony exclaimed, turning to Ziva, "How come you're the only one who doesn't believe that I wouldn't get another woman when I'm dating...no...living with you?"
"He invited her over." She said through gritted teeth.
"And if you stayed, you would have known that I kicked her ass out of there. Might have been...probably was...the only time that I ever even thought about hitting a woman."
"Ziva..." Ducky started, and she looked up at him. He clasped his hands together and leaned forward, "Every relationship has their bumps and their downs. But you have to believe that Tony truly does care for you. And he wouldn't just pick up his ex-girlfriend."
"Yeah." He grinned, "I don't go back for seconds."
She just looked at him. So that means that when we're over...we're over. She looked back at Ducky. Somehow, his face was more comforting than Tony's. Ducky just looked at Tony in a look that clearly told him to shut up because he wasn't helping, "And Ziva?" Ducky questioned, placing a tentative hand on her knee, shaking it, "I know that you're upset about Israel. Just because Tony...no, not even Tony...this ex-girlfriend of his made a mistake does not mean that you are entitled to take out your anger from Israel on Tony."
Ziva just looked down. She'd never thought of it that way, "Look, Ducky, I just do not think that Tony...." She thought for a moment, "Thinks about me in the same way that I think about him. Or feel, for that matter."
Ducky sighed, "All right, my dear, may I try an exercise with you two?"
"I do not have my running shoes. Or proper attire."
"No, my dear." Ducky laughed, "I mean a mind exercise."
"Ah." She said, feeling a little embarassed, "I knew that."
Tony just grinned at her. He loved it when she was 'vulnerable', and in a spot like this. He wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around her and pull her close to him, but he knew that he really didn't want to be killed. The kiss that Gibbs nearly forced them to have was more like a gift...he'd have to thank him for that next time he saw him, "Now, Ziva." Ducky said, "I want you to close your eyes and imagine that Tony is not next to you."
"But he is." She pointed towards him.
"No, no, my dear, close your eyes." She sighed and closed them.
"I do not understand the point of this."
"He is not there beside you, Ziva." Ducky said in a sort of 'hypnotic' tone of voice.
She furrowed her eyebrows together and then moved her hands to the right, grabbing fistfuls of his shirt, running her hands over his chest. His breath caught in his throat and he held it, trying not to breathe in her scent. "He is still here."Ducky chuckled slightly.
"This is not a disappearing act, Ziva, this is just a mind exercise. Imagine that he is not there." She nodded.
"Tony is not there." She said, as if she was trying to convince herself of the fact.
"Now, I want you to keep your eyes closed and just spill out your feelings for Tony."
She cracked one eyelid open, "I do not like this exercise."
"Ziva!" Ducky sighed, exasperated. He was starting to understand just why Tony was having problems expressing his feelings to her. She just didn't see it, and it was right in front of her! "Now speak....about Tony." He shared a look with the Senior Field Agent.
"Tony is..." She took in a deep breath, "A very good investigator." She nodded, her eyes remaining closed, "He used to work for Baltimore PD...."
"No, no, Ziva, You are missing the point of the entire exercise."
"I am not." She protested, "You told me to talk about Tony. I am talking about Tony."
"No, my dear." He quietly said, "Talk about how you see Tony. In your eyes. Not what he's done. Your feelings for him."
"Oh." She softly said, suddenly incredibly scared. But she wasn't going to show that to anyone, especially Tony and Ducky. She was just going to do the exercise and then...go home. And sleep. She was incredibly tired, "Tony." She said, "Tony....is..." She smiled slightly, "Very handsome. With that brown hair that looks so much better when he first rolls out of bed. He can be a self-centered, egotistical jerk at points in his life, but when you get through all of the layers and get to the true man underneath...." She sighed. She was spilling. Everything. She suddenly became incredibly tired, and she slowly stretched out onto the couch, resting her head on his lap, nuzzling her nose into his torso. She breathed in his scent, "He is truly a good person. Who has real feelings...and is vulnerable. Very vulnerable. Not the class clown act he puts on for everyone else." Tony absentmindedly started to run his fingers through her hair, "Deep down inside, I know that he does not have feelings for Christina. But..." She sighed, "There is part of me that believes it. And I should not be thinking such thoughts. But I just lov..." She stopped and opened her eyes wide, sitting up, "I am done with this exercise." She exclaimed, scooting out of Tony's arms and to the other side of the couch, her heart thumping in her chest. She couldn't believe that she had just been so open with her feelings. It was like she was reading a diary. You want to stop, but you can't. And the words just kept coming out. And it was her diary. She knew it was there, she just locked it away and hid it, making her believe that it wasn't even there in the first place.
Ducky nodded, breaking the awkward silence. He gestured towards Tony, "Your turn."
He grinned, "I like games."
"I know." Ziva muttered under her breath as he closed his eyes. She hugged the end of the couch.
"Okay. So...think about Zee-vah." He laughed a little and then paused for a moment, his mouth hanging slightly open. Ziva looked over at him, her eyebrows furrowed together before her mouth dropped and her look became one of disbelief.
"Tony!" She nearly shouted, "Do not tell me that you are thinking about those bikini photos!"
He laughed, "Maybe..." He licked his lips and she scoffed, rolling her eyes before returning to her original position.
"Tony..." Ducky sighed, "Please think about your feelings for Ziva, not her body. And voice them. Out loud."
"Oh, right." Tony chuckled, "Ziva..." He sighed, suddenly becoming serious, "So she's the craziest, most psycho, insane, most stubborn ninja Mossad assassin chick that I've ever met in my entire life. Well..." he took in a breath, "Haven't met any assassins besides Ziva so..." He grinned but instantly let it go, "But underneath it all..." he sighed, "She's the sweetest, most caring human being I've ever met in my life. And she doesn't hear that often. I know. But she needs to know. And she does it cause she cares...and she wants to. Not that she's forced to. Like those long nights when I'm completely beat and she volunteers to finish my paperwork for me? Yeah, she does it out of the kindness of her heart not-" He paused, cracked a eye open and raised an eyebrow as he looked at Ducky, "How long am I supposed to talk for?"
Ducky let a small smile cross his lips, "For as long as you want, my boy."
"Oh." Tony said, looking over at Ziva out of the corner of his eye, "I'm done." And with that, he opened both eyes.
"Are we done?" Ziva questioned, feeling suddenly uncomfortable. She went to stand up and Ducky sighed.
"Have you two made up yet?" Ziva groaned. She didn't want to. She hadn't. She was still angry at him. Maybe not as much as before, especially after hearing his thoughts on her and him hearing her personal thoughts on him, but she was still angry at him.
"Yes." Ziva decided, and Tony's face lit up. She really was angry at him, she just said yes so that she could go home. She was tired. Tony stood up and grinned at her.
"Thanks, Zi! I knew you'd come through!" And suddenly, she felt bad for lying. But part of her wasn't guilty at all. She wrapped her arm around his waist and he did the same to her, pressing his lips up against the side of her head.
"Thanks, Ducky." Tony smiled.
"Yes, thank you." Ziva agreed, "Now can we go home, Tony? I am tired, and we still need to clean up dinner."
He nodded, "Yeah, yeah, sure." And with that, after Ducky said his goodbyes and wished them luck in their relationship, they left the house, Tony looking back every several seconds. He squeezed her waist, "Thank you so-"
"Stop." She slipped away from him, narrowing her eyes as well, "I only said that we made up to get out of there, Tony."
"Oh...so you're still..." he sighed, "Angry at me?"
"I am driving." She growled as she snatched the keys from out of his hands, starting towards the drivers side. She didn't notice the hurt and look of betrayal that crossed his face as he got into the passenger seat. She buckled her seatbelt and started the engine to Tony's car, growling.
I hate feelings. She angrily thought as she sped away, Tony gripping onto anything he possibly could to keep him from falling out of the car as it was thrust backwards on the force.
"I think that's the first time anyone has made it 20 miles in 5 minutes!" Tony said. Ziva only glared at him as she entered their apartment. She immediately went to the table and picked up one of the plates. Tony followed, grabbing one of the plates. "Are you ever going to talk to me?" He asked. She didn't reply as she returned to the table, this time grabbing a plate in each hand. "Ziva..."
"What, DiNozzo?" She snapped. "What do you want me to say?"
"I want you to say that you believe that I did not want that woman over here." She only scoffed and returned to the table, clearing it except for the salt and pepper shaker. She piled all of the dishes in the sink and decided that she'd take care of them later, for she was to tired. She walked into the bedroom and quickly changed. Tony let out a sigh and wanted to try again, "Ziva..."
"What?!" She yelled loudly.
"I want to work this out! I'm sick of fighting!"
"If you want to work this out then you should have not invited that girl over here!" He took a step closer to her.
"How many times do I have to say that I didn't invite her over here?"
"Not anymore, Tony. I am leaving for Israel in two days. That will solve your problem. You can have her all to yourself."
"Ziva..." He stopped. It was pointless. She didn't want to listen to anything he had to say. He pulled off his shirt and jeans, leaving him in his boxers as he climbed into the bed, laying on the edge as close as his body would let him without falling to the floor. Ziva watched him and scoffed, briefly thinking about sleeping on the floor.
Any other day, she would have, but sharing her feelings and yelling at Tony made her extremely tired. And the last thing she wanted to do was sleep on the hard floor or that lumpy couch. With no other options, she sighed deeply and got into the bed, mocking Tony as she balanced on the edge.
An hour went by. Tony knew Ziva was awake, and Ziva knew Tony was awake. Tony opened his mouth a couple of times to speak, but closed it again. Like he thought before, it was pointless.
Another hour.
And another. Tony let out a hard sigh, and then so did Ziva. He opened his mouth to speak again, but closed it. Do it, DiNozzo, he told himself. "Damn it, Ziva. I need you in my arms." He finally said. He looked with his eyes over at her. She remained motionless. He knew she wasn't asleep.
She's loading her gun. She's going to kill me.
No, her gun is already loaded.
She's thinking of the best way to strangle me.
No, she would not have to think about that.
She's plotting...
His mind stopped when her hand grabbed his shoulder, pulling him to the middle of the bed. Suddenly, she was on top of him, her lips on top of his. Tony broke the kiss and grinned, "I just..."
"I could not take it anymore either, Tony." She said. He smiled as he pulled her down onto him, kissing her lips again. He slipped his hands up her tank top and quickly removed it as he flipped them, so that he was on top. He trailed kisses down her neck, and Ziva's body burned with desire.
Tony collapsed next to Ziva, both of them breathing hard from the...event. As soon as he regained strength, he pulled Ziva's naked body next to his and kissed her forehead. She leaned up and kissed him again, whispering quietly, "I do not want to leave." Tony sighed and, if it was possible, he pulled her closer.
"I'm sorry, Zi."