Author's note:

Hello, dearies! Yes, I am back and with a new chapter as I promised, :) I hope you had a wonderful September, I certainly had, and I wish you all the best for October!

Thanks to all of you who reviewed the last chapter. It really warmed my heart you enjoyed it that much. :) Let's hope you will enjoy just as much the following chapters – we are back on history lessons intertwined with TIVA goodness. ;)

Always love your reviews, Celine. The return to the US will be interesting, I will guarantee that but it will take some time. As for fanfictions about another couple – I am not saying no, and I do have ideas for some of my other favorite couples. However, the time only allows me to write only TIVA at the moment and just one story at a time. Maybe in the future when I finish this story but not now, I am afraid.

Dear Debbie, thank you so much for your great insight. I'm thrilled to see that you pulled out the book and looked at Prague. :) Thank you

And thanks also to you, J09tiva, for your review. I hope you will keep enjoying what I have in store.

So, let's start shall we?

Disclaimer:

I do not own NCIS or its characters. Neither do I own Franz Kafka's works. All the places and history bits are real

Christmas Meeting – Chapter 10

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.

RIP GARY GLASBERG

Despite my disagreement with many of your decisions, thank you for everything. You left this world too soon. May you rest in peace.

Ziva couldn't sleep. Dozing off for a few hours was all she needed since she wasn't tired at all. The tension inside her and the march of tonight's events with Tony were to blame for it. Her brain just refused to turn off, so she stayed lying on her side, just watching him in his sleep. He, contrarily from her, slept like a little baby, adorably smacking his lips while dreaming. It always made her smile.

She was thinking about her life and most of all, her blooming relationship with Tony. She couldn't push back those nagging questions in her head that had been discussed earlier, but she still felt uncertain about them. What will happen after they come back to DC together? How the Team Gibbs will react on her return? Will they accept her back as their friend? Will they trust her enough with Tony's heart and accept her as his girlfriend?

The questions in her head concerned also his current girlfriend. She didn't want to cause any more pain to anyone. Will Zoe be able to deal with the unavoidable break-up? Will she take it calmly? Or will she decide to make their lives living Hell? She just hoped that Zoe would understand that he loved someone else and let him go. After all, she truly didn't deserve such treatment, but someone who would really love her unconditionally. Tony apparently wasn't that man for her.

She took him by his hand when he started to whimper from his dream, his troubled face immediately turning into the one of a blissful expression. She smiled widely, remembering all those times they had shared a bed and she'd been doing the same as she was doing now, without him knowing. He was the cutest creature on this planet when he was sleeping. Not even a puppy could beat him to it.

Minutes went by quite quickly and before she knew it, the first rays of sunlight started to illuminate the room. It seemed that in some point of the night, it had stopped snowing and all that remained was a fresh snow on the streets with the sun in the sky. Simply, a fairytale-like Christmas setting. She couldn't wait to set off their journey around Prague's monuments she had planned during yesterday's evening.

She realized immediately that he was waking up from his slumber once he firmly squeezed her hand as he wanted to assure himself that he was truly holding her hand in his. She watched as he slowly blinked, carefully opening his eyes to savor the first look on her. She couldn't stop grinning, her cheeks reddening at the amorous expression on his face, knowing his love belonged only to her.

"Morning, sleepy head." She greeted him, dazed by the look he was sending her. The warmth that overwhelmed her was so unfamiliar. "How did you sleep?"

He stretched his body, still holding her hand. "Like a baby." He murmured, kissing her gently on her lips, dying to do so for so many years. "What about you?" He asked and kissed the skin of her shoulder, tanned from the Israeli sun.

She sighed the moment she felt his soft lips on her bare skin. If she let him keep doing it, things would lead them to other forms of engagement than sightseeing and conversation about the matters that stood before them and they had to deal with. Wanting to distract herself from what Tony was doing to her, she chose to play with his tousled hair, trying to straighten it. It helped her to keep her mind sane and focus on the words she was saying.

"I didn't sleep much. I had a lot of thinking to do." She admitted her momentarily sleeplessness.

Tony blinked a few times, repeating her words inside his head to comprehend what it meant for him, for their current status. He refused let the fear to seize him but the seed was planted, nevertheless. Too much thinking had never meant anything good in her case, especially when it came to their relationship. Her stay in Israel was a proof. And he really didn't want her to revise her opinions based on her deep contemplations about her life as she had always tended to. Any kind of change of their agreement from yesterday would be too much for his heart to bear.

"Why didn't you wake me up? We could've done the thinking together." He objected, unable to hide the uneasiness in his voice.

She smiled at him calmly, knowing that she had to stand those moments of mistrust towards her. She couldn't blame him for it, so she decided to do everything that was in her powers to show him that her love for him was sincere and she had no intention to disappoint him. He was the centerpiece of her life at the moment. And she wanted to achieve the fulfillment of their love. No matter what kind of hardship could come their way.

"It was really nothing, Tony. Just too many things on my mind." She assured him, comfortingly caressing his cheek. "I don't have any second thoughts."

His mouth was on hers in an instant, swallowing any other words of assurance. He didn't need to hear more to overcome the initial confusion. He sorely loved her for being her, for wanting to come back with him, to finally be with him, for giving in to her feelings. She giggled into his mouth, wrapping her arms around his neck to bring him closer, to feel his body skin on skin, setting them both on fire.

But then again, her tour guide duty set off the alarm in her head. As much as she wanted to spend the whole day with him in bed, demonstrating her love for him and be consumed by the same feeling from him, she couldn't forget the main reasons as to why they were in this city. And she didn't want to help him to find just the Christmas spirit. She also wanted to help him to work up the courage and face Gibbs with his problems.

She released his lips and he didn't protest to her surprise. He was just looking at her with his puppy-like expression, gently kneading her flesh behind the covers. "Still, you should've waked me up." He told her, although he knew that his body would have fallen for the exhaustion, anyway. He'd been jet-legged, worn out and stressed. He'd needed that sleep.

She sent him a mischievous smile, touching the tip of his nose. "You know, when you're asleep you're finally quiet. So, one is actually allowed to think." She teased him, laughing playfully as she blocked his attempt to smack her arm.

"Hey!" He objected, stifling laugh on his own. He opened his palm and intertwined their fingers, lusciously licking his lips. Her kiss was the only thing he desired in this world.

She let out a bubbly laugh, sensually massaging the back of his neck. "And you're also so adorable." She said, fulfilling his wish by kissing him deeply, tasting him as she caught him by his chin and controlled the moves of their mouths.

His hands hungered for touching her, soon trailing their new favorite trail down her body. He wanted to make her shiver for him, to make her go crazy for him. He'd already done that, if not ever before, then certainly last night. But he'd fallen in love with the feeling and wanted to spend the rest of his life by doing so. She was his soon-to-be everything. Girlfriend, fiancée, bride, wife, the mother of his children...

She moaned, both in pleasure and disapproval. She was still in the full control of herself and even though it was tempting to lose it, she'd promised herself something. And that promise was sacred to her. After all, if she was supposed to live with him, it was her duty to take care of his well-being. And he was troubled, so she wanted to help him to make him feel better and find out how to work on improvement.

She threw her thigh over his, drawing herself closer to him. He wrongly thought that their mutual desire would come to fruition to the pleasure of both. So, he played along when she straddled his hips, getting on top of him without breaking the kiss that would be too sinful to give up. He hungrily embraced her, groaning into her mouth as she settled in his lap, hardening his manhood.

"Sightseeing?" She asked him in a husky whisper after she released his lips, testing his and her own willpower. "Or lazing around?"

Groaning loudly as she wriggled her hips, purposely doing everything to make him go crazy, he didn't have any doubts what the 'lazing around' activities would be. "Okay, let me choose." He teased her back, nevertheless. "Strolling through this beautiful city or spending the whole day with you in the bed... I think I've already made up my mind."

His skillful hands found her ticklish spots he'd already known about from the past, although he only hazily remembered how he'd found about them back then. Important thing was that her body immediately reacted to the light touch of his fingers, filling the room with her unmistakable laughter. He certainly made up his mind, because he wanted to do this for the rest of his life.

His intentions to tickle her to death, though, were interrupted by the annoying sound of his ringing phone. "Saved by the bell." She breathed out after she got her laughter under control, while he sighed frustratingly.

She took his face into her hands, soothingly caressing it. "Sightseeing it is." She informed him sweetly. "I'll now take a shower, alone. And you'll answer the call."

With resignation he leaned over to the nightstand where his phone was, while she got up from the bed, stretching her naked body unabashedly. She was aware of his eyes roaming over her skin and couldn't hide her self-satisfied smirk. Although she'd just thwarted his plans for a lazy day in the bed, she felt fully appreciated from her lover. And more than satisfied.

Giving him the privacy for the call, she headed for the bathroom, blowing him a kiss before she closed the door behind her. He sighed happily and this time looked at the screen to find out who was calling him. And then, he actually smiled. "Hey, Tim." He greeted his closest friend. "How come that you're up? It should be like after 3 AM in DC."

"Yes, it is. But I wanted to be sure that I'd reach you." Tim's worried voice filled his ears. Tony had just left him a message about his trip and his whereabouts, but without any explanation. "Is everything okay, Tony? Because I'm kinda worried."

Tony sighed, finding it really nice that his surrogate brother never failed to care so deeply for him. He'd do anything for him, as well, after all. "Yes, everything's fine. I just needed some time to be alone. To think and relax, nothing more." He answered as he sat up and raked his hair.

"And you had to flee to Europe for that?" Tim asked. He wasn't annoyed, but this unusual behavior of his friend had scared the hell out of him.

"I won't lie." Tony confessed sincerely. "I wanted to be as far away as possible. Somewhere no one would ever search for me. You're the only one I told where am I." For a second, he thought about sharing the happiness he'd been experiencing at the moment. Secrets were like a forbidden fruit, though. And he wanted Ziva to be surprise for the whole team once they returned to DC.

"But I'll be back in work on Monday, don't worry." He added, trying to fill the void after the pause he'd made. As much as he wanted to, he really couldn't tell Tim right now who he had met.

"Zoe called me." Tim changed the subject abruptly. He sensed that Tony was hiding something from him. The pregnant pause had been filled with something more than just an assurance about his arrival. But he decided not to push. He knew his friend long enough to know that he would break eventually.

"She was worried because she couldn't reach you." He went on, smiling at Delilah who brought him a cup of coffee. She stayed awake with him, sharing his concern about Tony. "I didn't tell her where you are, but I think you should talk to her."

Tony closed his eyes and sighed wearily. It was perfect to live this dream, being with Ziva and forget about his problems. However, the reality tended to return with a crushing force. The more he was determined to enjoy this trip with her as much as he could. Because she was right – after their arrival to the US, their time would be consumed only by talks and explanations. And he wasn't looking forward to those under any circumstance.

"I've already spoken to her, thanks McGee." He appreciated a lot that his location hadn't been revealed. Not that he was afraid that Zoe might follow him, but one never knew.

Tim took a deep breath, gathering the courage to ask a question that had already been on his mind for several weeks. "You two are going to break up, aren't you?"

"It'll be the first thing I do after I get back." Tony confirmed without hesitation. His openness was shocking even to him. But it was the way he felt it. He loved Ziva and wanted to be with her. And for starting his new relationship with a clean shield, the breakup with his current girlfriend was necessary.

"I'm sorry, Tony." Tim said in a sad tone. He didn't know all the details of their relationship (and the ones he knew were those he'd rather forget about), but he'd seen how they were destroying each other lately. It was in the air. The times when she'd made him smile and helped him to see the world in brighter light were irretrievably gone.

Bittersweet smile appeared on Tony's face. "No need. It was about to happen sooner or later anyway and you know that, Tim." He appreciated the sympathy in the voice of his surrogate brother. "Better to end it before anyone gets really hurt."

"I guess you're right." Tim agreed with him. It had no point for them staying together if it wasn't working. He just wished that Tony would finally find someone with whom he would be happy. He deserved it. "Well, enjoy the rest of your vacation. Merry Christmas, Tony."

"Merry Christmas to you too, Tim. And say hi to Delilah for me." He ended the call, watching as Ziva reappeared back in the room, wearing a bathrobe. She sent him a sweet smile, her face flushed from the hot water that was cascading on her skin. She didn't question him about the call, fully respecting his privacy.

She took everything into her hands, hauling him out of the bed, ordering him to go to his room and take new fresh clothes. She didn't forget to mention that it was freezing outside, so he should be dressed up warmly. He obeyed without any objection, knowing that she would have it her own way, anyway. And he was looking forward to the stroll through the city. Listening to her voice whole day, supplementing him with information while he would stare at her in amazement, completely in love.

Before they left the hotel, they arranged a change in their accommodation. Tony's stuff was moved to Ziva's room, which proved to be favorable for a young couple that was searching for some vacant room in the area. Afterwards, they ordered a taxi, because Ziva wanted to star their trip at the Powder Gate and walking there would mean that they would have to take the same way back. Which would spoil her role as a tour guide.

And she took that role very seriously. Once they found themselves at the crossroads in front of the Powder Gate, which they had passed by yesterday, she explained to him what she'd prepared for them. Many of significant Prague monuments lined the Royal Route and so, they were about to take this route and learn, observe and explore all the things that were interesting for them to see.

"Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty never grows old."

Before they could start, though, he had to listen to her explanation as to why the Royal Route had such significance. The coronation of the new king was very important event for the whole kingdom. People connected the new ruler with high hopes and better future life. That was why it had been so important for the future king to introduce himself to the public and demonstrate the power of his majesty. Royal Route was a convenient opportunity to do so.

The whole Royal Route ceremony continued the legacy of the legendary Přemysl the Ploughman, husband of princess Libuše, with whom they had founded the Přemyslid dynasty and the city of Prague. According to the legend, Libuše saw in her vision a farmer with one broken sandal, ploughing a field*, who was supposed to become her husband and the founder of the dynasty. Her councilmen found this man in a village called Stadice and Přemysl travelled to Prague to marry her.

The first coronation took place in 1086 after the first King of Bohemia, Vratislaus II., was granted a lifetime royal title from the Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV. The last coronation was held in 1836 when Ferdinand V., nicknamed 'The Good' due to his sympathy with Bohemia unlike his ancestors, was crowned as last King of Bohemia. His successors, Francis Joseph I. and Charles III., held the title, but were never crowned officially.

The Royal Route started at Royal Court, former residence of Czech kings in 14th and 15th century. The complex had included the main palace, houses for courtiers, spa and garden where lions had been bred. It no longer existed as it had been torn down in the beginning of 20th century. Instead, a Municipal House in Art Nouveau architecture style had been built with Smetana concert hall inside.**

After this introduction that was often interrupted by sweet kisses, because Tony just couldn't resist not flooding her with some, they walked through the Powder Gate and entered the street on the right. Their hands linked together as the natural need to feel the connection between them prevailed above anything else. They didn't need to hide their love anymore.

It was nice December morning. The sun was shining through the dense clouds, creating spectacular scenery with the snow sparkling from all sides. The streets were ploughed so it was easy to walk through them and focus on the buildings they were passing by. Like the House of the Black Madonna, the first example of cubist architecture in Prague and one of the most known example of Czech cubism.

"Okay, stop holding it back." Tony suddenly said, not being blind and deaf to Ziva's attempt to start a conversation. She kept opening and shutting up her mouth, always adorably tilting her head towards him. But in the last second, she'd always chickened out. "I know you want to say something, so talk."

She sighed and raked her hair a bit nervously. She wanted to repair him, repair his relationship with Gibbs, because she knew how much it meant to him. Not to mention that it would influence their future. As much as he didn't want to work on it at the moment, she wanted to choose this sightseeing tour for discussing it. They might be on the beginning of their vacation, but the outside world still had existed and kept haunting them.

"I think that you should also start working on the main problem that lead you here." She suggested carefully, squeezing his hand. He'd tried to escape from reality by hiding in Europe, but it didn't mean that his problems had gotten solved. "Your relationship with Gibbs."

"I know I should." He chuckled in bittersweet amusement. "I just don't know how, where to start..." The desperation was evident in his voice. He meant to approach this subject and work it out so he would return to DC with some plan how to fix his current life. It was hard as hell, though.

"Well, for starters I think you should determine what you really want. And stick with it." She offered expertly. It seemed that he needed some push because even though he wanted to solve his problem, he kept avoiding it. And since there was no one but her to give him the push, she did so gladly. "Then talk with him about it. And find a compromise between what you want and what he wants."

He rubbed his forehead with a deep sigh to relief the knot of tension inside his chest. Whenever he was thinking about Gibbs recently, he was getting upset. "The problem is that I don't think he will listen." He objected wearily. "I've tried talking to him many times over the past few months, Ziva. He didn't give me a chance."

Gibbs was complicated person and as much as he was a wonderful boss, sometimes his behavior was getting on Tony's nerves. He would welcome some display of emotions, passion, anything from his boss just to find out what was happening inside the silver-haired head. Their personal talks were characterized by silence lately. And Gibbs was able to pull out a wide range of kinds of silence. The most usual one he applied towards Tony was refusing silence. Which meant that Tony might be talking, but Gibbs was oblivious to his words.

She stopped and with a firm squeeze of his hands, she halted his steps, too. Turning to him and lovingly adjusting his coat, she looked up at him with a soothing smile. "He will listen to you now." She assured him calmly. "I will make him."

He couldn't help the enamored smile that crept into his face. He loved that she wanted to fight for him and stand up to her former boss. It proved him that she was really ready to fight for their love. "It's not necessary, Ziv." He assured her, though. This was his battle to fight.

She bit her bottom lip, trying to fight the urge to kiss him because his smitten look was making her feel weak in her knees. "I know." She admitted. "And I don't want put the words into your mouth, Tony. But the situation between you two is unbearable."

She took his hand and they started walking, again. "If it got to the point that you had to flee to Europe to clear you head, then you have to admit that it's really serious." She said as he nodded his head in agreement. "I could see how troubled you are from the first moment."

It surprised him that it had been apparently so visible that he wasn't fine. He though he'd hid it well. But she'd seen through the façade he had put on to convince people about his supposed well-being. She truly knew him and cared for him genuinely. She also understood him in this matter more than anyone, since she'd been through a couple of heartfelt conversation with Gibbs.

"You just can't go on like this." She noted. He was her boyfriend now and she cared about his future. "When we get back, you have to be ready to resolve it."

He smiled at her slightly bossy tone. But he also knew that all she wanted was their happiness. And she was right. Things couldn't continue the way they had been in the past few months. He was tired of that situation. He needed change. "What do you suggest?" He asked. The conversation with Gibbs could go two ways. Either a successful one, or it could become a total disaster.

They entered the Old Town Square and stopped at the corner just a few meters from the Christmas tree they had admired on yesterday's evening. "Even if he pretends that he isn't listening, talk. Put your foot down." She advised him. He had a lot to say to his surrogate father and for once, Gibbs had to stop giving him the cold shoulder. "Tell him how you feel. Tell him how much he is hurting you with his ill-treatment towards you. Tell him about what you want. Offer him to find a compromise. But don't give up."

He cupped her cheek, rubbing his thumb over the red-tinged skin due to the cold. He loved how they were able to pour the fresh blood into the veins of each other, adding more confidence, more hopes and more visions of bright future. When he was with her, nothing could burst the bubble of certitude he was enveloped in. She was the one who was giving him to energy to deal with all of his problems.

"I promise I will." He vowed sincerely. "But now, I need to buy something for breakfast."

He was famished, despite all the food he was able to eat up yesterday. His hearty appetite was back and not only for food. Her tour-guiding therapy was working and he planned to repay the favor the moment he had the chance. She scowled at him since before they'd gotten in the taxi, he'd managed to stuff a pack of peanuts from the mini-bar into his mouth. But then she heard his stomach grumble, she slackened off her strictness.

They both bought a kielbasa with bread and mustard in the nearby booth sale. Tony sunk his teeth into the smoked meat with pleasure, humming in delight in unison with his stomach. He'd missed junk food so much. He hadn't been eating much for the last few months, although Abby had always made sure that he'd eaten at least some sandwich. If it hadn't been for her, he would have starved to death, probably.

With a smile, Ziva wiped off the mustard on his cheek since he wasn't careful enough and smeared a bit on his face. He thanked her between the chews and looked around himself. It was interesting to see the square in the daylight. He had to admit that both daylight and dark had its magic. The impressive Christmas tree dominated the place with the picturesque sales booths around. The square was already crowded but incomparably less than on yesterday's evening.

A memorial plaque on the house in front of them caught his eye. With interest, he approached it and found out a Czech inscription that was translated into English. "Look at that." He pointed his finger on the plaque, drawing Ziva's attention. "Here, in the salon of Mrs. Berta Fanta, Albert Einstein, professor at Prague University in 1911 to 1912, founder of the theory of relativity, Nobel Prize winner, played the violin and met his friends, famous writers Max Brod*** and Franz Kafka." He read as he kept eating his kielbasa.

"Interesting." He commented. "Didn't know that Einstein knew Kafka personally."

"Apparently, they did know each other. They were both Jewish, so..." She shrugged and then smiled as she remembered something. "Actually, do you see the building out there that stands out?" She turned him around and pointed at a building nearby.

He nodded and set off their way there to examine the building closer, passing by a pen with donkey, pony and goats, surrounded by enthused children who wanted to pet the animals. "It used to be a German academic secondary school that Kafka attended." Ziva told him, adding more to their Kafka-filled experience.

"Although it was a German gymnasium, Kafka studied Czech language there, actually achieving very good grades." She noted as she handed him her tray with kielbasa, so she could look into her wise tour-guide book. "However, Kafka never considered himself good in Czech, though his German was heavily influenced by Czech accent."

"What a paradox." Tony chuckled, feeding her as she snapped her fingers, pulling out her brown leather notebook he'd given her a few years back.

"Kafka actually spoke highly about Czech language, though. In his Letters to Milena he wrote this," she enthusiastically found the page in the obviously overused notebook, "German is my mother tongue and as such more natural to me, but I consider Czech much more affectionate, which is why your letter removes several uncertainties; I see you more clearly, the movements of your body, your hands, so quick, so resolute, it's almost like a meeting." She recited her notes.

He could only stare at her in awe. He couldn't believe that she still had the notebook and was using it. And that she was reading this beautiful quote out of it. Quote of a man who was obviously crazy in love with that Milena-woman. Whose love was evidently as deep as his love for Ziva. Just as Kafka had appreciated Czech-written letters from the object of his love, he appreciated that his love used a gift he'd bought to her.

He threw away both trays since their kielbasas had been eaten. Not hesitating another second, he took her head into his hands, capturing her lips before she could say anything. She accepted his hot, moist mouth on hers without objections, enjoying the smoked meat flavor she could taste. Once again, they were kissing next to the Christmas tree, but this time without any interruptions.

Sensually, he ran his tongue across her bottom lip, seeking the entrance. He wasn't in hurry, so he kept playing with her when she refused to open her mouth fully. When he grabbed her by her head, though, burying his fingers in her hair, she parted her lips and let his tongue slip inside. The explosion of pleasure inside her chest was overwhelming that it made her head spin.

"He really had to love that woman." He commented breathlessly, once he released her lips, slipping his arms on her sides to make her steady.

She understood that he was using some parallel, although she had no idea of what kind. That kiss had been much more than she'd first anticipated. He'd poured all his heart into it, making her tremble, embedding something much more than love inside her. "I guess he did." She stuttered out, still in haze due to the aftermath of the kiss.

He gently rubbed the skin on the wrist of her right hand in which she held the notebook. And it suddenly struck her why he was so overwhelmed with his emotions. The brown leather notebook that, at first, had meant nothing to her. She hadn't been specially excited when he'd given it to her. She'd taken it as an ordinary gift. That was until she'd found that that her name in Hebrew was embossed in the leather.

She remembered as she'd been sitting in her home, tracing her fingers across the letters of her name. The ordinary gift had turned into a personal one. The notebook had been meant only for her. She'd leafed through the pages, trying to figure out how she should use it, when she'd noticed a dedication at the back of the notebook. From T. with Love. At first, she'd stared at it with shock, but then she'd slowly smiled.

Their dance around each other had become much more over the years. She'd tried to deny it many times, but to no avail. Her heart had belonged to him for quite a while, although she had done things that spoke about the opposite. This gift, the notebook, had told her that Tony felt the same. She could be sure about his feelings. Firmly, she'd embraced the notebook and held it close to her heart.

She hadn't written anything inside the notebook, though. As if she had wanted to wait for a special occasion to start filling it with memories and notes. However, two and half years ago, when she'd left NCIS and started tracing her roots in Israel, she'd finally decided that it'd been good time to start writing. And so, it had become some sort of a traveler diary of hers, recording her experiences and memories. And it still had been up to this day.

Since they'd never mentioned the notebook, he probably thought that she'd forgotten about it. And now, when she'd pulled it out, completely forgetting about the non-verbal love confession this notebook held, she'd given him the much desired proof. Proof that she'd been in love with him much sooner than they had admitted to each other. No wonder he'd been overwhelmed.

They were looking at one another, forever caught up in their silent mutual understanding. Tony cleared his throat after a while, though, because staring into her eyes was making havoc in his head. "So, who is this guy?" He asked her hoarsely, clearing his throat once more. His head turned to the monumental sculpture right in front of them.

It took her a while to realize what he'd been asking about, but then she chuckled mildly and put her brown leather notebook back into her bag. "Do you remember the Bethlehem Chapel we went pass yesterday?" She asked him and after his enthusiastic nod, she continued. "It's a memorial of Jan Hus, the priest who used to preach in the Chapel and who was burnt at the stake by the Roman Catholic Church later."

He couldn't but admire the sculpture, because even though it had been pushed back among all those sales booths and Christmas decorations, it stood out proudly. She noticed the spark of interest in his eyes and decided to add more information to feed him. "Jan Hus became a symbol of strength against oppression for Czechs." She said, squeezing his hand. "His significance became stronger during the Habsburg rule and the Communist regime. It gave people strength to fight for their rights and hope for better future."

He smiled at her, silently thanking for the information as they went around the memorial. He stopped for a while to look at the impressive view of the Christmas tree, sucking in the atmosphere. He was thankful for that she had been trying to get him back into the festive mood, which proved right away as she handed him over another of the amazing sweet pastries.

"Anything particularly interesting about the Church of Our Lady before Týn?" He asked her, nodding his at the majestic building behind the tree. He put an emphasis on the name of the church, wanting to show that he had really read something about this beautiful city.

"Hm, let me see..." She replied and buried her nose into her tour-guide book. "Well, the only interesting fact you might want to know that Tycho Brahe is buried there. He was a Danish nobleman, and mainly an astronomer, astrologer and alchemist. He was known for his accurate astronomical and planetary observations that are valuable for the reason that he wasn't using telescopes for his observations, but his naked eye."

He hummed in appreciation, wondering how could astronomers be so accurate when they didn't use telescopes. He chuckled silently as he realized that she'd remembered one thing he'd confessed to her about his mother. It wasn't a coincidence she'd chosen to tell him about this Tycho Brahe. She'd done it deliberately, because she'd remembered what he'd revealed to her about his childhood.

His desire to see The Little Prince movie had been intensified due to his enthusiastic interest in astronomy. His mother had used to take him to planetariums so he could observe moon, stars and planets visible from the Earth. He'd dreamt about becoming an astronaut and visiting other planets. So, The Little Prince was actually a parallel of his dreams coming true.

He turned to her and awarded her with a gentle kiss on her cheek, lingering his lips pleasantly for a long while. She blushed because she understood that he'd noticed why she'd chosen this particular man to tell him about. And she didn't have any problems to admit it, because yes – she wanted to make him happy and let him see that she'd listened to him genuinely before.

Clearing her throat to stop losing in his intense eyes, she looked into her book and turned around. "The Old Town Hall, though," she said, looking up and down at the Gothic tower that dominated the second side of the Old Town Square, "has quite a history."

They weaved their way through the sales booths to stand in front of the majestic piece of architecture. "It was founded in 14th century by the citizens of the Old Town of Prague who got the privilege from their king, John of Bohemia****, the father of Charles IV." She narrated, alternating between reading from the book and looking at him.

"It's very unusual and unique town hall because it consists of many different small houses." She continued and he accompanied her lecture with appreciative humming. "It's been rebuilt many times in many architectonic styles, but certain parts are still preserved in the original Gothic one. The walls inside are covered with paintings from famous Czech painters and artists, depicting legends, mythologies and historical events."

She looked over at him since he didn't react in any way on the information she'd given him. And she saw him studying thoughtfully the cobblestones under their feet. "Twenty-one... Roman six... L.P. Sixteen twenty-one." He read the writing made out of white cobblestones that were inserted between the dark grey ones. "I guess it means a date? Like June 21st, 1621?" He lifted his head up to her expectantly, wanting to find out more.

"Yes, it does." She answered with a proud smile, really happy that he didn't feign his interest and asked the questions because he genuinely wanted to enrich himself of history. "It refers to the Old Town Square execution that happened that day. Those crosses above," she pointed her finger at the white crosses made out of cobblestones above the date, "are tribute to the victims. 27 crosses for 27 executed noblemen."

"Why did that happen?" He asked her curiously, wondering what those 27 men did that they had been dispatched in such a way.

Her smile got bigger, despite the bloody history she was going to tell him about. His interest really warmed her heart. "It was a direct consequence of the Battle of White Mountain***** from November 1620. Those 27 noblemen belonged to the leaders of Bohemian revolt, a Protestant rebellion against the Roman Catholic Holy Roman Empire, which Czech lands were part of."

For the rest, she looked into her book to study all the necessary information and retell him the history. "Their rebel forces were no match against the Holy Roman Empire army. So, even though they were passionate about their goal, which was to maintain the religious freedom, granted by Emperor Rudolf II., they suffered a crushing defeat."

She paused and watched as he approached the memorial plaque with the names of the executed men. "The execution was a typical menacing demonstration of power that was supposed to prove that Habsburgs wouldn't be intimated by any kind of protestant rebellion and it couldn't imperil their authority. It strengthened their rule in Czech lands and discouraged anyone from potential displays of resistance."

She put her hand on his shoulder, sensing his sudden disquiet. She understood that he realized one thing – history had the tendency to repeat itself. It didn't matter what year it was. It didn't matter who was the enemy he was standing against. It didn't matter what were the means the enemy used. It was all about the same – demonstration of power and effort to strengthen the authority. To quash the resistance and be victorious.

It was a frustrating realization for someone who became a cop to help people, to arrest criminals, to bring justice to the victims and their families. It brought questions into his head whether his job had really some meaning. Because there would be always someone who tried to demonstrate that he/she was something more than anyone else. Once again, he questioned whether sacrificing his personal life for his job was the right thing.

Her hand on his shoulder was calming him down, though. He didn't know where these thoughts had come from and why they had plagued his mind. He just knew that he instantly felt better thanks to her presence. "Go on." He requested, sensing that she wanted to wrap it up.

"The aftermath is considered as the Dark Age for Bohemian Kingdom." She continued, taking his hand and squeezing it comfortingly. "It brought strict recatholization of the Czech lands. And generally decline of the Czech-speaking aristocracy and elite, as well as the Czech language, as opposed to German-speaking elites. It was eventually slowed down by the Czech National Revival since the late 18th century, but more or less, it influenced the fate of the Czech lands for the next 300 years."

He turned to her and gently caressed her face. "Thank you." He said seriously and bent down to kiss her. Somehow, she had the feeling that he wasn't thanking her just for the history lesson she'd just given him. But also for the joy she brought to his life, making him to forget about all those bad things happening all around him. She didn't wonder anymore, that he'd missed her so much.

"Do you plan to kiss me on each square meter of this square?" She asked him breathlessly after he released her lips. After all, it had been a third kiss he'd given her at this medieval place.

His enamored smile, accompanied by a chuckle, would be able to light up the Christmas tree standing nearby. "I might just do that." He answered, claiming her lips once again to kiss her thoroughly.

She moaned into his mouth appreciatively, feeling his restlessness waving. Putting her hands on his chest, she gave in to the love pulsating in her veins. It reached to the every fiber of her being, embedding inside and determined not to leave ever again. She might not depend on happy endings but if this was a segment of it, she was willing to accept it with open arms.

With dopey grins, they moved to the last monument on the Old Town Square she wanted him to get acquainted with in detail. Prague astronomical clock, the oldest still working astronomical clock in the world. It was first installed in 1410, as he was told by his beautiful tour guide that happened to be the love of his life at the same time, which had made them to be the third oldest one in the world back then.

The Orloj, as it was known in the Czech language, composes of three main components – the astronomical dial that displays various astronomical details such as the position of the Sun and the Moon, the Walk of the Apostles, and a calendar dial with medallions. It's a very important part of the city that is surrounded by various legends. One of them tells that Prague would suffer if the clock was neglected and its good operation would be placed in jeopardy. The ghost, mounted on the clock, was supposed to nod his head in confirmation if that ever happened. The only hope was represented by a boy born in the New Year's night. The moment the clock would start working again, the boy should run from the Church of Our Lady before Týn across the square towards the Old Town Hall. If he managed to do so by the last strike of the clock, the Evil was defeated.

Ziva closely described the mechanical astrolabe that displayed the current state of the universe to Tony, who was staring at it with shining eyes. The astronomical dial is practically a primitive planetarium. The stationary background, that represents the standing of the Earth and the sky, is lined on the outer edge with a timescale of normal 24-hour day. While the curved golden lines, dividing the blue part of the dial into twelve parts, mark for unequal hours.****** To stress the journey of the Earth around the Sun, the words in Latin are written on the dial – aurora (dawn) and ortus (rising) on eastern part, and occasus (sunset) and crepusculum (twilight) on the western part.

The outer edge of the clock is a ring with black background and golden Schwabacher numerals that indicates Old Czech Time.******* The symbol of the Sun shows the day, dawn, twilight and the night, the height of the Sun above the horizon, the position of the Sun in zodiac, approximate calendar date and the time in local Prague time, in unequal hours and the Old Czech Time. The symbol of the Moon was constructed in a unique way to show the Lunar phase and its functionality is similar to the Sun symbol, only the speed is much faster.

Another interesting part of the dial was a movable zodiacal ring, showing the Sun's location on the ecliptic. A connecting rod on the dial moves the symbol of the Sun, so it would show the current sign. The angular size of the signs is the same, although it doesn't look like that due to the eccentric placing on the ring. Each sign is divided onto six parts by the rays on the ring's perimeter which helps to roughly determine the actual date. Also, there is a small golden star that shows the position of the vernal equinox.

The walk of the Apostles is then another main attraction that Prague astronomical clock is famous for. Every hour, two small windows above the astronomical dial open, and twelve apostles show together with their attributes********. It's not known since when this attraction has been installed, because the archives were burnt during the great fire in 1945. But it's been there since 19th century for certain.

Ziva pointed out that there were also other nine statues that were part of the orloj. Tony took up on the offer and since he'd been familiar with the figures, they found them together. Right above the apostles, there is a golden rooster that terminates their walk with a crow. On the upper left side there are two statues: a figure representing Vanity that admires himself in the mirror, and Miser holding a bag of gold and a cane, representing greed and usury. The upper right side is notable for Death that strikes the time upon the hour, and Turk as a symbol of lust and other earthly pleasures. On the bottom left side a philosopher statue scrutinize the world, and archangel Michael used to point the date on the calendar dial. The bottom right side includes an astronomer who observes the sky, and a chronicler recording the events and history.

The last part of the astronomical clock was the calendar dial. The allegory of the months with rural and agricultural theme was a work of Czech Romanticism painter Josef Mánes*********. There are also smaller circles representing the zodiac signs with a central circle showing the medieval sign of Prague. The outer ring is a church calendarium with names of 365 Saints and dates of immovable feasts.

For a while the couple just stood there and admired the monument. After everything they had learnt about it, they needed a moment to sink all the information in. Fortunately, the full hour had approached and they had the privilege to see the Walk of the Apostles from a very good position. Other tourists gathered around them to watch the show, too. The momentary sense of belonging made both Tony and Ziva to smile. And when the last strike of the clock was heard, their lips joined in a passionate kiss.

The End of Chapter 10

* Or rating from an iron table. The legend varies in this case.

** Named after Bedřich Smetana (1824 – 1884), Czech composer most known for his symphonic cycle Má vlast (My Homeland). The building is decorated by artworks from famous Czech Art Noveau painters such as Alpohnse Mucha or Max Švabinský.

*** Max Brod (1884 – 1968) – German-speaking Czech Jewish author, composer and journalist. One of the best friends of Franz Kafka. He refused to follow his friend's instructions and instead of burning all his works, he published them instead, making Kafka popular after his death. After Nazi German took over Prague, he fled to Tel Aviv, where he worked as a script editor for Israeli National Theatre.

**** John of Bohemia (1296 – 1346) – the Count of Luxembourg, King of Bohemia and King of Poland. He is well-known for his death in the Battle of Crécy since he was already blind for 10 years. One of the most known quotes supposedly uttered by him is "Far it be that the King of Bohemia should run away. Instead, take me to the place where the noise of the battle is the loudest. The Lord will be with us. Nothing to fear. Just take good care of my son." – that signs that even though his interest in foreign politics made him constantly absent in Bohemian kingdom and he wasn't beloved amongst the Czech people, he felt honoured to be the Bohemian king.

***** Battle of White Mountain (8th November 1620) – one of many battles of Thirty Years' War (1618 – 1648), one of the longest and most destructive war conflicts in European history. It's also classified as the last of the European wars of religion. Bohemian Revolt (that ended with Battle of White Mountain) was the first phase of this war conflict that eventually ended with Peace of Westphalia.

****** Unequal hours – hours that are defined as 1/12 of the time between sunrise and sunset, varying with the season.

******* Old Czech Time or Italian hours – the number 24 indicates the time of the sunset which varies during the year. The Old Czech day used to begin with the sunset, so the clock shows the number of hours since the last one happened.

******** 1. Saint James, the Less with a fuller's club and a book. 2. Saint Peter with a key. 3. Saint Andrew with a saltire. 4. Saint Matthew with an axe. 5. Saint Jude Thaddeus with a club. 6. Saint Philip with a Tau cross. 7. Saint Thomas with a spear. 8. Saint Paul with a sword and a book. 9. Saint John the Evangelist with a chalice. 10. Saint Simon with a saw. 11. Saint Bartholomew with a scroll. 12. Saint Barnabas with a knife and his flayed skin.

********* Josef Mánes (1820 – 1871) – Czech painter. Mánes Union of Fine Arts was created in his honour. The organization unified other notable Czech painters such as Mikoláš Aleš, Josef Čapek, Emil Filla, Josef Gočár, Max Švabinský or Jan Švankmajer.

Hope you enjoyed this history lesson with some of TIVA goodness. :) They are an adorable couple, aren't they?

In the next chapter, we will continue our way through Royal Route and we will touch some significant stuff that will have to be solved before their return to the US.

I hope you will have a nice October. Love you all, you rock for all the support. Thank you so much!