He wakes up, and the sun is streaming through the shut blinds. He looks at the clock, only seven, on a Saturday. He was sure that his partner had been up for at least an hour. He rolls away from the window. He finds the dog lying next to him, asleep. He looks around the room.
"Where are you?" he calls out.
"I'm using the bathroom," she answers him.
"Oh."
He hears the toilet flush. Seconds later the faucet turns on. It turns off, and she comes into the bedroom. He finds it odd that she is still in her pajamas.
"You're not dressed yet?"
"Dressed for what? It's Saturday, also known as our day off."
"I just figured that you would be dressed."
"And why would you figure that?"
"Haven't you been up for a while?"
"If you consider ten minutes a while."
"You're getting lazy. When was the last time that you woke up at five?"
"Yesterday."
"Without rolling over, and going back to sleep for another half an hour?"
"I do not know," she shrugs.
"And when was the last time you went for a run?"
"Last night."
"Why are you running on a treadmill? The weather is so nice. Wouldn't you rather be outside?"
"Since when is change a bad thing?"
"It's not, but you aren't very good at it."
"I am trying."
"So what are we doing today?"
"I didn't really have any plans."
"You did promise me sex on the beach," he reminds her.
"When did I do that?"
"Not actual sex..."
"Oh you mean the recipe for dessert that the neighbor gave me?"
"Yes."
"I'd much rather do the other thing."
"We can go to the beach, but I think they frown upon you having sex on it, in front of other people," he adds.
"Can you just pretend that we are a normal couple, just once?"
"We are not a normal couple," she insists.
"How do you figure?"
"Nothing about this is normal. You are my partner, and... this is our job."
"A job that we have gotten no where with."
"How do you suggest that we smoke this guy out?"
"Your theory is that his rage is triggered by the perfect couple. We will just have to prove to everyone that we are the perfect couple."
Ziva's phone rings.
"Hello?" she answers.
"You two are both still alive?"
"Yes, Abby."
"Good, because you have a murder to solve. I just got some info from the police down there. I sent it to your email."
"Ok, thanks."
"One more thing."
"What's that Abby?"
"I really liked the last picture I got."
"What picture?"
"Of the puppy."
"You know about her?"
"Yeah, Tony told me that you thought she would be a good way to maintain your cover."
"Yes, we were just getting ready to take her for a walk, so I've got to go."
"Bye," Abby hangs up.
He ties his shoes, and follows her out the door. She waits for him, on the sidewalk, with the dog leash in her hand.
"We are going for a nice, relaxing walk. We are not running," he reminds her.
"Yes, my hairy-butt, I know," she answers as she pulls her shades over her eyes. They walk for a hundred yards, next to each other. Without any warning his hand slips into hers. He expects her to nonchalantly, pull away. She doesn't. She intertwines her fingers in his. She doesn't look at him, but she feels him looking at her. He takes a deep breath.
"This is nice," he admits.
"Yes, it is."
"Do you wonder, what happens, if we don't catch him?"
"As far as I know, that isn't an option."
He stops dead, he turns and looks at her.
"What do you mean?"
"You don't know?"
"Know what?"
"If we can't catch him... this is it."
"This is it? What do you mean?"
"If we are unsuccessful, we never go home. If we fail to catch this guy, this is our life. This will be it, we will have to be Grayson, and Sarina Archwood, for the rest of our lives."
"You aren't serious."
"Does that bother you?"
"If you knew that, why were you willing to sign up for this? You didn't have to do this."
"Yes I did."
"No one was after your badge, why did you do this?"
"Because you are my partner, I have, and always will have your back, no matter what."
"You're telling me that..."
"Vance does not expect us to be able to catch him. He does not think that it is a case that anyone can solve."
"So why did he send us here?"
"With us gone who is going to be able to stop him? He has effectively torn Gibbs team apart, the next move will be to, get rid of Gibbs."
"Gibbs knows this?"
"Yes."
"So why did he let us go?"
"Because he believes in the impossible. I guess he believes in us."
