Tony exited the elevator on Ziva's floor to find Lucy waiting for him. Not surprised, he gave her a genuine grin.

"Hey, Lucy! How are you?"

"I'm a little under the weather. I refuse to be one of those old ladies who only talks about their ailments, though. I have a cold and that's all I'm going to say about it. Now, I have some other things I'd like to say to you. Come inside for just a minute," Lucy directed.

"Uh, I told Ziva I would be here at seven. I don't want to be late," Tony explained hesitantly. Defying Lucy seemed only slightly less terrifying than defying Gibbs.

"Well, you'll tell her you were with me and that will explain everything, now won't it?" Lucy teased. "After my conversation with her this morning, I'm sure she'd be shocked if I didn't talk to you."

It was with some trepidation that Tony entered Lucy's apartment. He wasn't sure what Ziva had told the woman and Lucy was obviously still very protective of Ziva.

"I'd tell you to take your coat off and sit down but I know you don't want to stay that long. I'm not going to waste your time so I'll just say what I want to say. I'm very proud of you, young man. And it's not just because you are willing to do the right thing for Ziva. She has told me a lot about you. Probably more than you realize. I don't believe in keeping secrets so I'm just going to say this straight out. I know what your childhood was like or at least what you've told Ziva about it. I want you to know that I would be proud to have you as a son. You are a wonderful young man and you deserve better than you've had up to this point. I hope that is about to change. Now, you may go enjoy your lasagna."

"Yes, ma'am," Tony teased but his smile told Lucy he had taken her words to heart.

Tony found Ziva's door cracked open and started to reach for his gun before he heard her call, "Come in, Tony."

He found her in the kitchen putting the finishing touches on a salad. "I was talking to Lucy," he said before handing her a bottle of wine. Placing his hand on the small of her back, he leaned over to kiss her on the cheek. "I guess you've talked to her today?"

"I heard her stop you. And yes, she and I talked earlier. How was she? She has not been feeling well."

"She said she had a cold but she seemed okay to me. Still well enough to be intimidating," Tony answered and then responded to Ziva's look. "What? You don't think she could give Gibbs a run for his money? Her stare is almost as good as his and I'd pay money to see either of them try to interrogate the other."

"I guess I have never received such a stare from her and she does not need to interrogate me. I enjoy talking with her," Ziva teased.

"Okay, she wasn't interrogating me exactly. She just tricked me into telling her something she wanted to know that I might not have otherwise shared."

"I believe that qualifies as interrogation," Ziva asserted. "What exactly did she want to know?"

"Oh, tonight she didn't want to know anything," Tony said to avoid answering the real question. "She just wanted to adopt me, I think. She said you told her about my childhood."

"Yes, I told about our talk after the movie last week. I am sorry, Tony. I probably should not have shared something so private with her."

"It's alright, Ziva. It's just Lucy. I know you tell her a lot. If there's ever something I don't want her to know, I'll warn you," he told her as he sat down at the table.

He was pleasantly surprised to see how much effort Ziva had put into preparing the meal. Salad and garlic bread complemented the lasagna she had made. The lasagna was every bit as delicious as he remembered. This is better than what we would have had at most restaurants, he thought. He hoped all of her effort indicated that this change in their relationship meant as much to her as it did to him.

"This is really good, Ziva. If you ever get tired of being an agent, you could easily get a job as a chef or open your own restaurant. Or you could have your own cooking show. Your own version of the American dream on reality TV," he told her.

"It is a hobby that I enjoy but I doubt I will ever want to be anything other than an agent. I have always wanted to do something that makes a difference. I cannot know the evil that exists in this world and not do something to fight it. That was true of me long before I was Mossad. I often got in trouble in school for fighting with bullies. I could not stand by and watch them hurt other children. It upset my mother but Eli found it amusing. When did you decide to become a cop?"

"After I realized a pro basketball career wasn't going to happen," Tony told her.

"Why a cop? Why not a basketball reality show?" Ziva teased.

"One of the guys in my fraternity was robbed. They beat him up pretty good. Left him in a coma for a few days. He survived it but he was never quite the same. The cop that investigated it never gave up. I was impressed, I guess. That he would care so much about someone he never met before. Oh, I almost forgot. I got great seats for Wednesday. Front row, second level, right over the Capitals goal."

"And far away from Pete, yes?" Ziva teased.

The rest of the evening was spent in light hearted banter and flirting. The game didn't start until ten so it was close to one by the time Tony finally kissed Ziva good night and left. Tony had spent most of the day thinking about the best way to approach the physical side of their relationship. Although he did not want Ziva to feel pressured, he also thought it was important that she understand the sexual attraction was definitely there. It was a rare moment of insight for Tony but he realized that Ziva's view of that part of their relationship was pretty distorted. I don't want her to misunderstand and think that I'm okay with waiting because I don't want her, he thought. He could see her misunderstanding and thinking that what happened to her somehow made her undesirable. That could not be further from the truth.

Tony finally decided he was going to do what came naturally unless Ziva became uncomfortable and then he'd stop immediately. Tonight, he felt Ziva tense up as soon as his hands began to drift from her shoulders. She started to apologize but Tony immediately stopped her.

"Don't. No apologies. I think it's good that we are taking things slow. We are building our relationship. I just need you to tell me if I over step, okay?" and seeing her nod, he'd given her another gentle kiss and said good night.

Ziva had been putting the finishing touches on her make up Sunday morning when Tony called.

"Breakfast is off. We've got a case. Marine's car is on fire," Tony told her and then gave her the address.

"Why is that an NCIS case? Why not just let the fire department handle it?" Ziva asked.

"My guess would be because there's a dead marine inside the car," Tony replied.

"What is that smell?" Ziva asked as she approached Tony and McGee twenty minutes later. The two agents stood a safe distance from the scorched vehicle and waited for the fire department to clear it for investigation.

"Didn't they have marijuana in Israel, Ziva?" Tony teased.

"Yes but it was not generally mixed with motor oil and burning rubber," she responded making a face.

"What was it mixed with, Ziva? More importantly, what did you mix it with?" Tony asked.

"I have never used drugs, Tony. I have too much respect for my body."

"A body like yours should be respected, Probette," Tony told her with a leering grin.

"Get to work. Fire department cleared the vehicle," Gibbs interrupted.

After talking with several of the spectators, Tony filled in the rest of the team, "Boss, apparently Cheech over there," he said pointing to the burned out corpse in the driver's seat, "Decided to stash this week's inventory under the hood of his car. Witnesses noticed smoke coming out from under the hood right before he hit that tree. Looks like his fiberweed engine couldn't withstand the heat."

"Cheech?" Ziva asked. "His identification said his name was Private Steve Mahoney."

"It's a movie, Ziva. Up in Smoke. Made in 1978. Starred a comedy duo, Cheech and Chong. They drove a van made of hardened marijuana across the country. Superficial drug humor. Not your kind of flick," Tony explained.

"Boss, the fire investigator estimates Private Mahoney must have had more than five pounds under there to produce this much fire and smoke," Tim reported.

"That's not just for his personal use. Get what's left of the mess to Abby," Gibbs said.

"Gibbs wants us to find the name of his supplier, yes?" Ziva asked Tony.

"Yea. There goes the rest of the weekend," Tony lamented.

"Abby," Ziva called as she entered the lab with what few samples of marijuana remained from the burned out engine. "I have ashes for you to analyze. The vehicle should be towed here in an hour or so."

"Let me guess. Gibbs expects me to miraculously trace these back to the supplier. Don't you love getting called in on Sunday?" Abby complained.

Surprised that Abby was not her normal sunshiny self, Ziva asked, "Is everything okay, Abby? You do not seem happy to be here. Did you have big plans for today?"

"No, just sleeping off last night. I went to see a friend's band and it was…well, let's just say I gave that mini-skirted blonde from Friday night a run for her money," Abby said with smile. "What about you? Did it mess up your plans?"

"Just breakfast with Tony."

"Breakfast, huh? So does that mean he spent the night?" Abby asked with a smirk. She was dying to know what happened after the two left the club Friday night.

"What? Oh no. I mean, we did have dinner last night and we watched the hockey game but he went home afterwards. No, he did not stay," Ziva rushed to explain.

Abby tried not to laugh. She had never really seen Ziva quite so flustered. "So, what happened Friday night after you guys left?"

"We talked."

"And? That's it? You just talked? Cause you sure seemed like you were in a hurry to get out of there. I thought maybe there'd be more than talking. Especially the way Tony rushed out the door when we told him you'd left. Come on, Ziva. I want details. Spill," Abby commanded.

"We kissed," Ziva admitted.

"That's it? You kissed. I know there's more you're not telling me, Ziva David. What else happened?" Abby said giving her friend a shrewd look.

"We talked and Tony says we are dating. That is all," Ziva explained reluctantly.

"That's all? Ziva, that's huge! You guys are like…together! Oh my God, this is so cool!" Abby shrieked as she gave Ziva one of her trademark enthusiastic hugs.

"Abby, please. Someone might hear you," Ziva admonished.

"Is it a secret? Are you trying to keep it under the radar?"

"No but it does not need to be broadcast all over the building either. It is…"

"It's your own private thing. I get that. I'll be cool about it, Ziva. I promise. So, are you okay with everything? You seem a little freaked out," Abby said with concern.

"I am…excited but it is a big change," Ziva admitted.

"Yea but it is a good change. I mean, you and Tony, it's just…right, you know?" Abby enthused but then looked closely at Ziva. "Something else is bothering you."

"This is difficult, Abby. I am not used to sharing such personal things but I would like your opinion. You know Tony very well. Everything happened so fast. I am not really ready and Tony says he is okay with waiting but…"

"Oh," Abby said as she realized what Ziva was trying to say. "You know what I said before about Tony, about how he's all goofy on the outside but solid rock on the inside? Tony's like the most honest person there is, well, except maybe for Gibbs. And McGee's pretty honest too. You know what I mean. If Tony says he's okay with waiting, then he's okay. You can trust him, Ziva."

Tim spent over an hour interviewing Private Mahoney's C.O. and got nowhere.

"As far as I know, he was clean. Never touched the stuff. We were on a training exercise for the last week. Someone could've hidden the drugs in his car while we were gone. We came back a couple of days early because half the guys came down with the flu," the sergeant explained.

The team spent all of Monday back tracking through the marine's personal life trying to connect him to the source of his marijuana supply. They made little progress. Abby was able to analyze the make up of the drugs. There were some unexpected chemical components but it was hard to tell if had been part of the original make up of the drugs or a result of the exposure to the car engine and ensuing fire.

Tuesday morning Ziva sat quietly fuming in her car. She attempted to turn the key in the ignition for a fourth time and received the same result she had previously. The only response was an odd clicking noise. It was as if the car were dead. Knowing she was going to have to call a cab and would likely be late to work as a result, she texted Tony. He, of course, insisted on picking her up and inspecting her car. He quickly determined that it had a dead battery and started making plans to install a new one after work. Ziva protested but it fell on deaf ears.

They continued to argue off and on all day over whether Tony was going to repair Ziva's car. As it approached time to leave, Ziva told him, "I just think it is ridiculous for you to waste your time doing it when I can call a service."

"And waste your money instead? It's just changing a battery, Ziva. It will take two tools and fifteen minutes, tops."

"Oh, for the love of God, Ziva, just let the man fix your car," Tim complained. "I swear working with the two of you today is starting to make me feel like I have moved back home with my parents."

"It could be worse, McGee," Ziva told him with a wink at Tony. "We could remind you of your parents and be talking about sex."

"Oh, yea, baby, cuz that thing you did last night…" Tony added.

"Oh, God," Tim groaned. "Now I need mind bleach. You guys are horrible."

Wednesday morning, Ziva arrived at work to find a gift bag on her desk. The tag said it was from Tony. Checking the bullpen to make sure no one else was around, she asked him, "What is this?"

"It's a holiday present. You pick the holiday. For tonight. Open it," he told her.

"We have a no gift agreement," Ziva reminded him.

"No, the team has a no gift agreement. We are not just teammates anymore. I wanted to get you something. Just open it."

"I do not think you should change our agreement just because we are dating. You should not have done this," Ziva said remaining emphatic.

"Come on, Ziva. Would you just open it?" Tony asked in frustration.

Sighing, Ziva removed the tissue paper and pulled the red Capitals jersey out of the bag. Unfolding it, she smiled. She said only thank you and went to work. Meanwhile, Tony tried not to let his anger show. First the car and now this, he thought. Would it kill her to act like we're dating?

By the end of the day Wednesday, they were no closer to finding Private Mahoney's supplier. In a very un-Gibbs like gesture, the supervisory field agent decided they could resume the investigation the following Monday and sent the team home for the holiday. A winter storm was expected to arrive the afternoon of Christmas Eve. Gibbs didn't see the point of them battling the weather or giving up their holiday when no lives were in immediate danger and they were unlikely to make any significant progress.

"Ready to leave for the game?" Tony asked a Ziva few minutes later.

"Not yet," Ziva replied as she disappeared toward the women's restroom. She returned a few minutes later wearing her new jersey.

"I can't believe Gibbs put the investigation on hold for the holiday," Ziva commented as Tony pulled into a parking space at her apartment building later that night. As he turned off the car, Ziva told him, "It is late. You do not need to walk me up."

As Ziva leaned in for a kiss, Tony sighed and rolled his eyes. She recoiled immediately.

"You are angry with me," she said softly.

"No, Ziva, I am just frustrated."

"It is because I did not invite you up to my apartment. You are tired of waiting. I understand. It is not fair to you."

"Whoa, how did you make that leap? No, Ziva, I'm not tired of waiting. I meant what I said. You are worth it. This is not about sex. I'm tired of not being allowed to treat you like my girlfriend."

"What does that mean?" Ziva asked.

"It means you tell me not to walk you to your door. You tell me not to come pick you up when your car breaks down. You don't want me to get doors for you. You complain when I pay or when I buy you something," he said with a pointed look at the jersey she was wearing. "I had to argue with you all day yesterday before you let me fix your car."

"I am not a spoiled princess, Tony. I can take care of myself. You do not need to do all of those things," Ziva replied defensively.

"I know that. You're a strong independent woman. I'm not trying to change that."

"Then what are you trying to do? Why is it so necessary for you to do those things?" Ziva asked.

"Because it's what a guy does when he's with someone who's important to him, okay? The point is not that you need it. The point is that you deserve it. Maybe it doesn't always feel that way to you but it's true."

"You are right. It does not feel that way. It does not feel right that you should put so much into this and not get anything in return."

Tony sighed again. "You're talking about sex again, aren't you? Look, just because we're waiting…can we just settle this once and for all, please?...I told you I think waiting is a good thing. We are building our relationship. I think…we have a chance to make this last, you know? That's not nothing. Not to me. It's something I've never had before, not really. And I want to have it. With you."

"Oh." Ziva paused a few moments and Tony waited nervously.

He hadn't intended to reveal so much about the depth of his feelings for her. He had let his anger and frustration take over. Now all he could do is hope that she didn't ask what he meant by making it last.

Finally, Ziva spoke. "Only off the job," she stated.

"What?" Tony asked completely confused.

"If you insist on treating me like a princess then you may do so but not when we are at work," Ziva explained.

"A compromise. I like it," Tony said with a smile.

When Tony continued to sit there smiling, Ziva asked with a smirk, "Are you going to walk me to my door now?"

"Yea, but don't move, okay? Just sit right there."

"Okay," Ziva agreed with a puzzled expression as she watched him get out of the car. Her expression quickly changed to a smile when he reached her side of the car and opened her door for her.

Christmas Eve morning dawned with very cold temperatures and steady snow fall. The newscasters all warned of more to come and blizzard conditions were expected by late afternoon or early evening. Lucy arrived at Ziva's apartment around ten that morning fretting about their Christmas plans. Ziva did her best to console her.

"They will get the roads cleared as soon as the blizzard stops. It will be safe to drive again once the snow stops blowing and we can see. I am sure your family will be able to reschedule for Saturday or Sunday if we are not able to celebrate with them tomorrow," Ziva told her.

Ziva's attempt to comfort Lucy was interrupted by the phone ringing. It was Tony checking to see if they needed anything before the storm hit.

"Lucy needs one of her prescriptions refilled. I was going to leave shortly to go get it. I may also get a few things in case we need to prepare a Christmas dinner to eat here. If this storm is as bad as they are predicting, I doubt we will make it to Lucy's daughter's house tomorrow," Ziva told him.

"I could get everything for you and then come over for lunch," Tony suggested hopefully.

"You are worrying about us being alone in this storm, yes?" Ziva teased.

"Hey, you're not at work. It's allowed, right?" Tony replied defensively.

"Yes, Tony, it is completely unnecessary but it is allowed. I believe you are also hoping you will get stranded over here when the storm hits," Ziva told him.

"Okay, maybe, but…come on, Ziva. It's not like I've got cool neighbors. Being stuck in this apartment by myself for Christmas is not my idea…"

"Tony," Ziva interrupted. "Lucy and I would be glad to be stuck with you. And even happier to share Christmas with you. Lucy had hoped to invite you to her daughter's house but you had already accepted Ducky's invitation. Perhaps she will not be as disappointed about not seeing her family if you are here with us."

Ziva watched Lucy and Tony from the kitchen as she unwrapped the sandwiches Tony had purchased on his way to her apartment. She had been right about the effect his presence would have on Lucy. He'd only arrived five minutes ago and already he had her laughing hysterically. She is so strong sometimes I forget she is still grieving her husband, Ziva thought. The second year is always harder than the first. You expect it to be easier and it makes it worse when it is not. It is no wonder having her family all together for Christmas means so much to her.

"Lunch is ready," Ziva called to her laughing guests as she grew suspicious about what they found so amusing. "What is so funny?"

"Tony was just telling me about some of your cases, dear," Lucy told her but Ziva could tell she was lying.

"That is very interesting. Our cases usually involved someone being murdered so I cannot imagine what could be so funny about them," Ziva replied with a pointed look at Tony.

"Okay, I might have mentioned a few times when you've mixed up idioms here or there," Tony admitted.

"And, really dear, the English language can be quite difficult. For example, bra and bar is practically the same word. I can see how you might confuse them," Lucy added trying not to laugh.

Ziva gave Tony a look that said "I will deal with you later" and merely asked her two friends what they wanted to drink. After lunch, they spent the rest of the afternoon playing games. Lucy and her husband had often hosted church social gatherings and she had quite a collection of board and card games. She had refused to give them up when she moved and they made good use of them now. All three of them were quite competitive. They became so absorbed that it was six o'clock before any of them realized they had not been paying attention to the weather. One glance out the window confirmed that Washington was indeed being hit by a blizzard.

"Looks like you are stranded here," Ziva teased Tony.

"Good thing I have a bag packed in my car for just such an emergency," Tony joked in return.

Lucy insisted on making them dinner and Tony found a showing of It's A Wonderful Life on the television. After the movie was over, Tony offered to walk Lucy home.

"Well, what a gentleman you are," Lucy told him.

"It's nice to find someone who appreciates it," Tony replied while directing a smug look at Ziva.

"Do not be fooled, Lucy. He needs to retrieve his bag from his car. He was going out anyway," Ziva pointed out.

While Tony was gone, Ziva went to get a spare pillow and extra sheets and a blanket for the couch. Rather than putting them on the couch, though, she stood there lost in thought. Remembering the night they spent together in the hospital, she wondered if she might not prefer to have Tony in her bed. That was before we were dating, she thought. It would make things too confusing now. I cannot tell him I want him to sleep in my bed but not touch me. It would not be fair to him. She was still contemplating what to do when Tony returned.

"Hey," he said softly before pointing at the linens she still held. "That stuff for me?"

"Oh. Uh, yes it is. I was just going to make up the couch for you," she said as she placed the bedding on the chair next to her.

"You know, I kinda wish I thought of getting my bag earlier. I hate putting on cold clothes. Course, you could always sit with me for awhile and warm them up," he said hopefully.

"Or…I was thinking about that night in the hospital. Sleeping together…that is not what I meant to say."

"I know what you meant. Do you want me in your room instead of out here?"

"I do not know. I mean, I do know. The answer is yes but it might make things confusing."

"I won't be confused if that's what you are worried about. I get the boundaries, Ziva, and I won't cross them until you say. You're in control of that," Tony told her. When that didn't appear to settle her, Tony gently asked, "Do you think maybe you're the one that's confused?"

"What do you mean?"

"I can tell you're really into it when I start kissing you. But then the fear takes over. That has to be confusing, right?"

When she didn't answer for a long time Tony realized she was fighting to keep from crying.

"Hey, come here," he said pulling her into his arms. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you."

When he could sense that she was settling down, Tony guided her to the couch. He sat next to her and reached over to gently move a piece of hair from her eyes.

"Tell me what you're thinking," Tony requested.

"No. It is self-pity and it is ridiculous. It will not change anything."

Tony realized that Ziva was on the verge of putting up her walls and moving on without actually dealing with what was bothering her. She needs to let this out, he thought. "Ziva, you know, if anyone has a right to feel a little bit sorry for themselves, it's you. It's okay to have a little self-pity sometimes as long as you don't live in it. You wanted me to be honest when I was angry. I think you should be honest about this."

Ziva closed her eyes briefly, trying to maintain control, and then told him, "It is not fair. This is not fair. And I am tired of trying to accept it. I hate it. I want to just be with you and I cannot. I cannot stop feeling afraid. I stood up to Eli. I kicked him out of my life and he is still ruining things. I hate him."

This was the closest Tony had ever seen Ziva come to breaking down. She had let a few tears escape and was hastily trying to wipe them away before he noticed. For her sake, he ignored the fact that she was crying. He chose his words carefully.

"Yea, I hate him, too. And I hate it that this has to be hard for you. It seems like after everything else you've been through, something should get to be easy. But it's not and I can't fix that. You're right. It sucks and it's not fair. But I want you to know that Eli is not going to ruin this for you. It will get better. It's going to take awhile but you'll get through it, Ziva. We'll get through it, okay?"

"Okay," she agreed as she attempted a small smile.

"So…bed or couch?" Tony asked.

"Bed. Definitely bed," Ziva replied.

"So what pajamas are you wearing tonight? Scooby Doo? Spongebob? Hello Kitty?"

"Santa Clause, of course. It's Christmas Eve."