AN: This one's a little fluffy too. I promise I have a humorous one or two up my sleeve. And my apologies for the many months in between updates!

10:

It had started like any other Saturday should, together, tangled up in sheets and limbs and with no plans that required them to be otherwise.

Tony had woken unusually early; the sun hadn't even crept in through the blinds. Ziva was still asleep, her arm stretched across his chest, her nose snuggled into his shoulder. Even in sleep she seemed to like reminding both of them that he belonged to her. Tony didn't mind.

Before he had even gotten the chance to ponder whether he should go back to sleep or kiss her awake, his phone began to ring. A second later, Ziva's did too. It shouldn't have happened. Not on a Saturday. Not together.

They had gotten called in on an emergency call. It was less of an "all hands on deck" call and more of an "only the most capable hands on deck" type of call. Still, they shouldn't have gone together.

Tony knew it now more than ever as he watched the gunman train his weapon on Ziva. The blood pounded in his ears and he felt as though someone had pulled the breath from his lungs. He knew perfectly well that Ziva could take care of herself, that she had been in worse situations more time than he cared to think about. But Tony watched the man's vengeful gaze focus on the woman he planned on spending the rest of his life with and,

BAM

Ziva hardly flinched when the gun was fired. She had known all along he was going to do it. In fact, she was a little surprised he didn't do it sooner. He had the shot, all the desire in the world to take it, and she had practically been an unprotected target.

Well, obviously not so unprotected. Tony looked as though he was slightly surprised by his sudden action. Ziva smiled almost unnoticeably at him, waiting for him to return her glance. His eyes were flitting between the man on the ground and his own gun in his hand. Ziva noticed his eyes lingered on the other man's discarded weapon for a heavy moment before he finally locked eyes with her. She immediately felt the mutual strain of denying the impulse to run to each other. The tactical, trained part of her brain told her to keep herself composed. They were at work after all; she couldn't go running into Tony's arms every time someone pulled a gun. The rest of her brain, and body for that matter, was begging to touch him. The part of her that she had suppressed for so many years now just desperately wanted to feel his arms around her, to smell his after shave, and to hear his heart beat. She took a deep breath and noticed Tony do the same. It would have to wait.

It wouldn't be a long scene to process, thankfully. The accomplices had already been taken into custody, and Ducky and Palmer were already on their way. Still, it would feel like an impossibly long wait.

Tony had been idly watching the police tape flicker in the wind when another motion caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. Ziva was leaning against one of the squad cars, and had just pulled off her NCIS cap. She released her hair from its familiar knot and let her curls fall down around her shoulders. Tony could practically hear the sigh usually associated with that gesture. It certainly had felt like a long day, even though considering the marathon cases he had been thorough before, this was nothing.

The day had finally calmed down enough for him o get a moment of almost privacy with her. As he approached the car he saw her smile before he was even in her eye line. She turned to look t him, pulling her close with her eyes.

"Crazy day, huh?" he asked her.

"Well we certainly have had better Saturdays, yes." She said dryly. Her small smile was focused on one half of her mouth.

"So, I've been thinking all day and—"

"Tony, we both know that can be dangerous." Ziva interrupted. Tony shot her a condemning look but took a step closer to her. She reluctantly swallowed the defensive humor and let the moment set it.

"I am sorry Tony. What is it you have been thinking about?" as she spoke she twisted the chain around her neck between her fingers. Tony reached for it and pulled the necklace out from beneath her shirt. He smiled at the sight of the pendants now in his hand. Beside her Star of David was a gold ring, her wedding ring. It often lived there for safe keeping. Beneath his fingers he could just feel the thrum of her heart.

"I was thinking that, had he taken the shot a moment before I did, had I missed, had-"

"Tony," she interrupted again, "we cannot live in what-ifs. We will go crazy if we do."

"I know Z, but I just keep thinking that all of those things could have happened, and I never even told you that I love you today." Tony finished his brief speech in a rather gruff voice. He felt his pulse quicken as he gauged her reaction. How she did that to him every time he got close to her, he would never fully understand.

A smile was sneaking its way back onto her face. She felt the familiar shower of warmth pour over her as she always did when he said those words. Words that she had grown up believing came with a price or a motive, now instead gave her a soaring sense of freedom.

"So I want a new rule." Tony continued.

"Never forget to say I love you." She finished. Tony's still open mouth twisted into a smirk.

"How did you know-?"

"Because I know you Tony." She said wryly. Tony dropped the necklace and pulled her close, wrapping his arms tightly behind her back. He enjoyed the subtle chill that ran down his spine as Ziva slid her arms around his neck. Despite the people still milling around the crime scene, Tony leaned down and kissed her. He had been fighting the urge to for hours now. He had intended to make it a quick and chaste kiss, given their surroundings, but she tightened her grip and held him against her lips for a few moments longer. He could feel them both relax into the safe and familiar action, their bodies leaning into one another from habit. Although he would take the new rule seriously, Tony enjoyed the fact that sometimes, the words didn't need to be said aloud.