A/N: Nothing much to say here... The next chapter is just fluff, I guess. But it was time for a little bit of that, right? ;) Thanks for the reviews... keep them coming. Cheers!

Chapter Ten: And though my edge is may be rough

As Tony is lying in his bed hours later with Ziva softly snoring beside him, he still hasn't grasped all the news. He's still happy that Ziva is lying there now, back in his arms, back in his heart. But it still doesn't feel right. He doesn't quite know what exactly is so wrong. He's glad that she has confided in him, telling him about Somalia and her fears but he still can't shake of the oppressive thought that she hasn't told him everything. There is still something that she's hiding from him, from the world, but Tony just doesn't know what it is. He's not even sure whether he wants to know but then again, if he wants to truly understand Ziva, he has to know.

But as he looks at her now, sleeping peacefully, he can't help but smile. He has thought about getting together with her for months now, maybe even years. He knows that he has almost been too late, losing her to Rivkin. And he regrets it deeply. He just couldn't see a way to get into her heart then and afterwards, it was even more messed up. He would never forget the look on her face in Tel Aviv as she told him that she might have loved him. He had been sure then that he has lost her forever. And though he has known back then that he had done the right thing, he couldn't help but regret it as he had seen the look on her face as she was watching Rivkin die in her arms. He had been sure that she would never forgive him. But still, there she was lying now, cuddled in his arms like nothing ever happened.

Right at that moment he can see her twitching lightly, her eyelids flutter. Apparently, she's dreaming, hopefully not about Somalia or Saleem. Maybe she's even dreaming of him. Tony still stares intently at her, but she doesn't give more away for now. He muses about the last couple of days and how quickly everything changed. From their first innocent movie nights to their first kiss in the ladies' room at work to that fateful drunken night and now to her sleeping besides him in his bed. They've come a long way in only a few days. He knows that they can't keep up the pace but doesn't really know how to keep things slow. They have to tell Abby and McGee soon enough. They already know that they are up to something but they don't know anything specific. And of course there is still Gibbs and Tony has no clue how he will react. Though he sees Gibbs as a kind of father figure, he knows that he will be pissed if he finds out. He knows that Gibbs has his rules for a reason but sometimes those rules can be wrong, can't they? All he knows is that they have to tell him in person. He doesn't want him to find out by accident. Abby and McGee were bad enough the night before. No, he would tell him, regardless what the consequences would be. He would just have to face them.
With one last look at Ziva, Tony finally falls into a profound sleep.

Tony awakes the next morning due to a soft kiss on his lips. As he opens his eyes, he sees Ziva carrying breakfast on a tray.
"How do I deserve that?" He asks, smiling at her.
"Just for being here and for listening."
"Ah that," he just says, placing another kiss on her lips.

"So what's on the agenda today?" She asks him, sitting down beside him.
"It's gotta be work, right?"
"No. Gibbs just called. The murderer has handed himself in. So we got a free Sunday after all," she pauses for a second, clearly thinking about something. "You know what was weird though? He just added that I should tell you not to show up at work today. Like he knew that I was with you."
"Did he sound angry?"
"Not really, I think."
"Hmm," Tony just mumbles, helping himself to a toast. "We should tell him soon though, right? I mean, he obviously already knows that something is up. I know we talked about keeping it a secret for a while but you saw what happened with Abby and McGeek. If Gibbs finds out like that, he will kill us for sure. No ninja skills could save us then."
"You are right, probably," she answers, smiling uneasily. "I know, Tony, things didn't go exactly as planned those last couple of days and I also know that it was all my fault but I really would like get this thing between us working. Because it is what keeps me believing that I've chosen right this time."
Tony remains silent for a few moments, having not expected that little speech. Pondering how to react to it, he just decides to let it pass. Maybe it is time for something light after all the heavy talks they had in the last couple of days.

"Okay," he finally replies. "So, what would you do then, if it wasn't for me on a free Sunday?"
"I would go practice Tae Bo."
"So you want to do that? Are you up against a fight against the one and only Anthony DiNozzo?"
"Oh, you think you can beat me? No way," she laughs at him.
"We'll see," he just replies, getting out of bed.

A little while later he stands in a gym, facing Ziva. He can't help but feel slightly nervous about her Tae Bo skills. But he knows that he has at least advantages regarding height and weight. So maybe he actually has a slim chance of winning.
They start circling each other with Ziva already smirking playfully at him. He decides to just dive in. What has he to lose anyway? But his first attempts get defended seemingly easily.

"Is that all you are able to offer, Yakiri?" She asks, smiling playfully devilish.
Then she launches forward, jabbing him so that he staggers backwards, desperately trying to remain standing. As he is about to fall backwards, he suddenly feels two hands on his shoulders, holding him up.
"You know, you're not really someone I can practice on," Ziva grins, placing a soft kiss on his cheek, "You suck at this."
"Yeah, well. This is only Tae Bo. We should do some real fighting, you know. Like in Fight Club. You wouldn't stand a chance."
"Oh you think you look like Brad Pitt, yes?"
"You actually know Fight Club?" Tony replies, seriously surprised.
"Didn't you say that Brad Pitt's eye-candy before? I just like him. He cleans up nicely."
"So do I," Tony says, playfully latched.
"Yes, you kind of do."