July 23, 2012.

Ziva called Tony to tell him something that would possibly crush him.

"Tony, we need to talk."

"About what?"

"Us."

"What about us?"

"I think we need to slow it down a little. We've gone from a serious relationship to-"

"Sex every time we see each other outside work?"

"Yes."

"So how long's the cut off?"

"A month should be long enough."

"Okay. So, for a month, I won't call and I won't care."

"I will not call or care, either. Goodnight." Click.

Tony sat in his room, holding his phone in his hands and banging his head against a wall, while muttering unpleasantries in Italian.

Meanwhile, Ziva was wondering if this was the right thing to do. She loved Tony, and Tony loved her. She played the new Kenny Chesney song on her iPod and started weeping.

Two Weeks Later.

Tony called Ziva, needing to get something off his chest. He immediately told her that he couldn't live without her.

Ziva was stunned. As soon as she could talk again, she said, "Tony, I know how you are feeling. I feel the same way. But how do I know that this can work?"

"Well-" Tony put his phone up to the speakers on his stereo. The next thing Ziva heard was, "Every long-lost dream led me to where you are. Others who broke my heart. They were like northern stars pointing me on my way into your loving arms. This much I know is true, that God blessed the broken road that led me straight to you."

"Tony, is that the best you can do?"

"No. Yesterday, McGee tried to tell me you're not worth it."

"What did you tell him?"

"This-" Tony put his phone back up to his speaker again, and Ziva heard, "You don't know her like I do. You'll never understand. You don't know what we've been through. That girl's my best friend. There's no way you're gonna help me, she's the only one who can. No, you don't know how much I've got to lose. You don't know her like I do."

Ziva grabbed her keys and headed for Tony's new place, wanting to tell him to screw off, but that didn't work. When Ziva got to Tony's place, she threw herself at him the second he opened his door.

(Yeah, that went well.)