Disclaimer: I have and will never own this.

Author's Note: On time! I know, I'm shocked too. Just read and enjoy... Oh! I uploaded the wrong chapter last time so you might want to go back and reread it. It's just a scene added to the chapter wasn't in the one I posted and it's referenced later in this chapter. Thanks =D

Chapter Nine

'Where is she? McGee! Where is Ziva?' Tony's voice rose in tension as he worked past his concussion to work on the latest major complication.

'I don't know. I don't know! I came to and she wasn't here. Neither were our suspects… I haven't seen anyone, any more than you have.' Tony had noted the fact that he and Tim were alone in the room. Clearly the bad guys thought that with their hands handcuffed behind them, they weren't going anywhere.

And with any other team, they would probably be right. But not Gibbs' team, Tony thought grimly as he tested his handcuffs. He was feeling around his back pockets for something to use as a lock pick and wondering if he could possibly pull his wrists out without breaking his thumbs when the door slowly opened, and a gun poked around it. Before they had time to think, only to freeze, Ziva's head followed the gun.

'Ziva!' Two voices cried in relief. She smiled and moved towards Tony, stowing her gun away as she walked. Once there she began to pick the lock of the handcuffs, while Tim look at her in wonder.

'How'd you do it?'

'Do what, McGee?' Ziva said casually.

'Get away! You're good Ziva, but not that good. There had to be odds of three to one, at least."

'Hardly. 'Dougie' sent his men away so we could 'be alone'.' Ziva's voice was mocking but both men could detect the slight clipped undertone that showed them how close the fight had been.

'You okay, Ziva?'

'I am fine. 'Dougie', however is not. He decided that he wished to take a swim. The jump over the side may have killed him…but I do believe he was alive when he hit the water.' Ziva's smile was dangerous and neither man decided to comment on it, lest they join 'Dougie' in his swim.

By now Ziva had freed Tony and was working on opening Tim's handcuffs. 'So how much time did we lose?'

Tim checked his watch, his hands newly freed. 'Damn. Three hours. It's 11pm.'

They all realised what that meant.

Tony narrowed his eyes, clearly willing to pick up his argument where he left off, but the sound of voices carrying down the hallway halted the argument before it could even begin. Quickly realising where they actually were, they slipped out of the cabin through another door into the hall. Quietly they fled along the hall, picking up speed when yelling emerged from the cabin they had just left.

'McGee! Where could we hide?' Tony called back, faster than Tim and Ziva.

'I don't know! I'm not a Titanic expert Tony!" He hissed, catching up to his partners. I don't know anything hardly about it really, or much else about how it sinks…

'Which, as we all know, doesn't have to happen…' Tony had stopped now, standing outside a locked cabin door.

'No Tony. We shall not have this argument again.' Ziva stated firmly as she picked the lock to left them in.

'Why not? I still can't believe you two are willing to let people die because of 'maybes' and 'could be'!' Tony said coldly, entering the cabin and shutting the door behind Tim.

'I don't want this to happen anymore than you do, Tony. But I know it has to and that I can't stop it happening, if not here than somewhere else.' Tim spoke quietly, but his voice held as much anger as Tony's did. 'The ship will hit the iceberg in forty minutes. Forty minutes! We have no idea how to get off the ship and we've lost most of our weapons! Can we focus on those things please?'

'Well, I can help with part of that.' Two heads turned to see Ziva holding Tim's gun and Tony's knife. The gun been stowed away somewhere in her dress and the knife in an ankle holder.

'How did you get those, Ziva?' Tony asked as he took back his knife.

''Dougie' was taunting me with them. I… relieved him of them before he took his swim.'

Tim and Tony exchanged silent glances unsure of what to say in reply. Then Tony shivered, having not managed to change his clothes before being captured. Though not sodden and dripping any longer, the heavy material was still more than damp with icy water. The movement caught Ziva's eye.

'Tony, you are shaking! Did you not change your clothes?'

He shook his head. 'I'm fine. I didn't get a chance earlier. Between the bad guys and our…disagreement…' Another shiver interrupted what he was saying. His teeth were on the verge of chattering.

Ziva was at the wardrobe in an instance, pulling out another set of male clothes, remarkably similar to the ones he was already wearing. 'Change. Now. We do not need you to get sick.'

"I get this feeling that that's going to be the least of our problems pretty soon." Ziva pushed Tony forcibly a step back, as she shoved the dry clothes into his gut. He grunted.

"Do it." She said dangerously.

'For gods sake…" he muttered. " Thanks Mom. Didn't realise you cared!' Tony called after her as she strode towards the door, pulling McGee with her so Tony could change in privacy. Ziva paused at the door.

'You are my partner.' She said simply.

'What are we doing now?' Fifteen minutes later Tony was changed and following a determined Ziva and slightly confused Tim out into the Titanic's halls.

'We are playing 'hide and peek' with the suspects.'

'Hide and seek, Ziva. And we are doing that…why?'

'We are out numbered and they all seem to have their weapons. It is only logical to avoid confronting them.'

'By running around in circles?' Tony asked.

'No. By going up on deck.' At the guys' blank looks she elaborated. 'We have only ever been caught in cabins. They may not think to look on deck.'

She kept walking leaving Tim and Tony to follow, unable to point out the holes in her logic.

After a few wrong turns, the three agents emerged on deck, flinching a little at the cold of the outside air. Looking around, they silently agreed to keep to the shadows, walking towards the bow of the ship.

They had just reached the wide, open space at the very front of the ship when three loud bells broke the silence of the night. Tim's head jerked up and his eyes widened in horror. His teammates followed his gaze and saw the ominous shape directly ahead of the ship, barely visible in the night.

They all shared a fearful look, before Tony led the sprint to the starboard side. Even as they ran the short distance they could feel the ship slowly manoeuvre left, in a desperate attempt to avoid the collision. Reaching the ship's side they leaned their heads over, pulling them back in quickly when they saw how close the iceberg was. Holding their breaths, they waited.

Then there was a metallic scraping noise and a jerk, barely felt. Chunks of ice began to fall on the decks, causing the team to duck. Tony pulled them back, narrowly missing being hit with a chunk about the size of a football. The ship kept turning port, and continued moving though it was obviously slowing down. There was no other sign to that the disaster had begun.

Even so, three people aboard the doomed ship now realised, as they exchanged desperate looks, that they were out of time.

Author's Note: And the fun begins... Reviews are welcome. New chapter should be up soon, it's mostly written already.