Tony rolled over again and moved his hand over the cold sheets again, just make sure that she wasn't there.
She wasn't.
He let out a sigh and rolled onto his back. Assuming that there was something more productive he could be doing, he threw his legs off the bed and ran his hand over his face. He looked around the dark room, thinking of the tasks that he needed to get done; and something that would help, or he hoped, get his mind off of Ziva. His eyes wandered over to his closet, where the laundry hamper sat on the floor, the clothes to the brim, even though he did laundry last week sometime. He let out a sigh.
No.
Laundry was the last thing he wanted to do. That would only remind him of Ziva, since the "laundry fight". He continued to look around the dark room. The closet, that now was almost empty, made him think of Ziva because her clothes used to be there. The dresser, that was now bare on the top, reminded him that her hairbrush and various items used to be there. He needed to get out of the bedroom. It wasn't helping.
He walked into the living room and to his large collection of DVD's. He looked at just about everyone of them, and not one, not even James Bond, sounded appealing. He ran a hand through his hair and sat down on the couch. He flicked on the TV and surfed through the channels, but nothing was on at four in the morning except infomercials. He turned off the TV and tossed the remote somewhere. That wasn't helping either. The dark room was suddenly lit up by a flash of lightning, and thunder quickly rumbled after it. He shuddered.
Right now, he'd be pulling Ziva close to him, telling her that everything will be okay.
That really didn't help.
The apartment seemed smaller and smaller, and it was driving him nuts. He wanted someone to talk to. He looked at the analog clock; 0408h. "There's only one person I know that's up at this hour." He said to himself. He grabbed his keys and walked into the pouring rain.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Tony opened the door and walked right in, for Gibbs never locked his front door. He walked through the living room and kitchen, down the stairs. Gibbs, as expected, was sanding his boat, the Bourbon bottle not far from his reach. Tony was surprised when Gibbs turned quickly, his SIG pointed directly at his face.
"Ah, hell, DiNozzo. It's just you." Gibbs said. Tony chuckled.
"If you're so worried about intruders, boss, you should really lock your door."
"Nope. That's why I have this." He held up his SIG for emphasis.
"Right." Tony watched as Gibbs continued to sand his boat, as if he wasn't even there. "When you gonna finish this?"
"When I stop getting interrupted." Gibbs said. He put down his sandpaper and walked over to the tool rack, pouring some nails onto the counter. "You want something to drink?"
"Yeah." He cringed, "You ever think about putting some glasses down here?"
"There a reason your here?" Tony only looked down at his glass of freshly poured Bourbon, swirling it around in his glass. "...besides the obvious."
"Which is what, boss?"
"Ziva?"
Tony laughed, "Yeah. I guess it is obvious." Gibbs sat down beside his senior field agent. "I'm worried."
"Ziva can take care of herself, Tony."
"Boss it's not the same over there."
"Ziva can take care of herself." Gibbs reiterated.
"I hope so." He spoke softly. "She's different now, boss. She's not the same rock hard ninja person she was when she came here 3 years ago."
"Yeah, she's changed." Gibbs agreed, "Mostly in the last month." He added. Tony snapped his head up at his boss, narrowing his eyes.
"What do you mean?"
"Tony...do you love her?" Tony chuckled sarcastically and took a sip of the Bourbon, swallowing it slowly.
"Yeah boss, I do."
"Did you tell her?" Tony took another sip.
"No." He said quietly. Gibbs opened his mouth to speak again when his cell phone rang. He looked at his watch. 0436h.
"Yeah, Gibbs." He turned, phone to his ear and looked at Tony, letting out a sigh. "On my way." He said and flipped it shut. He walked past Tony and wiggled his finger, "Lets go." Tony raised an eyebrow and put the glass on the counter.
"What's up?" Gibbs started to climb the stairs. He let out a sigh.
"Your girlfriend just gave NCIS an emergency call, DiNozzo." Tony felt his mouth fall open.
Oh damn.
Tony slammed the door shut to MTAC, Gibbs already inside, standing in front of the large screen, rainbow bars in place of what should be Ziva's beautiful, Israeli face.
"Well hurry up." Tony said as he took his place next to Gibbs, "We don't have all night."
Gibbs just smirked as he nodded to the technician, the screen changing to Ziva's face, her eyes filled with pain, sorrow, and love for the two men that were now before her on the screen. Tony spoke first, before Gibbs probably even had the chance to think about what he wanted to say next, "Are you okay? Did they hurt you? Did-"
"DiNozzo." Gibbs scolded, softly, but loud enough for Ziva to hear. She smiled slightly, though it was sad.
"No, Tony, they did not hurt me. But..." She sighed, and Gibbs even felt his senior field agent tense up next to him, "I am not okay."
"What happened?" Gibbs calmly asked, keeping an eye at Tony, his frown turning into a scowl by the second.
"I just found out why I was sent here."
"Why?" Gibbs questioned, wanting to keep Tony out of it.
She sighed, "The Director of Mossad received intel that the bombing of Tel Aviv was not from Al Qaeda terrorist forces, but from Hamas bombers instead. They have located a base on the coast of Saudi Arabia. Myself and two other Mossad agents are going to infiltrate the terrorist cell and send the plans back to Mossad. Then we are to-" She paused as she looked up at them and took a shaky breath, reaching up and twisting her two necklaces in her hand. Tony gulped. That was when she got nervous. Every time. Whenever the hand went up to the necklaces, she got nervous. Big time, "We are then instructed to destroy the camp. No one must know anything about it." Even Tony and Gibbs could see the tears that were brimming in her eyes and Tony stepped closer to the screen.
"Hold on a minute, Zi. Did he say anything about you coming out? Alive?"
She shook her head, "No, Tony." She quietly said.
Tony paused for a moment. Ziva was called by to Israel, by her father and Mossad, to do a mission on a Hamas terrorist who dropped bombs on Israel and probably the FBI as well as Ziva's own car. And now she was being sent to send the plans back and destroy the terrorist cell. A suicide mission. That she was given by her own father, "WHAT?!" Tony shouted, starting towards the screen, and Gibbs grabbed his wrist, pulling him back. He sucked through his teeth, seething as he ran a hand through his hair, pacing behind Gibbs.
"Your father sent you on this mission?" Gibbs questioned as he heard Tony fume behind him.
She looked down at the table she was seated at and nodded, "Yes, Gibbs." There was another long pause and Gibbs took in a deep breath, "I think that I need to speak to Tony alone, if that would be okay, Gibbs." She softly said and he nodded, awkwardly moving his hands as if he was trying to hug her but realizing that he couldn't and then looked at her sad face for one more moment before leaving the room.
Tony watched the door close and he stopped pacing and turned towards her, "Your Dad's a freaking bastard, Ziva."
"I did not expect this. Not from him."
"You didn't expect this?" Tony demanded, pointing towards the MTAC door, "First Tali. Then Ari. Now you. Ziva!" He ran a hand through his hair and spun around in a circle, "This is my nightmare coming true."
"I wish you were here." She softly said, "So much. Oh, that is so weak." She sighed, closing her eyes as she turned her head to the side, burying her head in her hands, "I am so weak, Tony." She mumbled, "So, so, weak."
"Ziva..." He sighed. He couldn't do anything. She was a thousand miles away, and all he had was a video feed. "And you expect anyone else here to be any more stronger than you? We're all weak, Ziva. I think that even Gibbs said he was sorry the other day. When he bumped into someone. Gotta give you credit, sweetheart, you make a lot of people weak."
She sighed, "Gibbs said he was sorry?" She asked, almost in shock, her tired, droopy eyes suddenly getting wider as she stared incredulously at him.
Tony nodded, "Yeah. I swear, you have such an affect on moods that it's incredible."
She groaned, "I am so tired." She rubbed her eyes with both hands, letting in a deep breath before exhaling it slowly. She looked at him with tired, droopy eyes, and then rested her head on her elbow so that she was looking down at the wood table she was seated at.
"I thought I told you to get some rest!" Tony complained.
"My father called me in early." She said, "To explain my mission."
Tony scoffed, "I think you mean suicide mission, Ziva. And what, has he already written your eulogy? How's it go? 'My daughter Ziva was one that was beautiful and smart, yet I felt that she got in the way and so I sent her on a damn suicide mission involving infiltrating a Hamas terrorist cell in order for her to get out of the way, just like I did for my other two children. I didn't want them to grow up because I'm a bastard'?" Tony demanded, seething. He was going to literally kill this man the next time he saw him. Just take him by the neck and choke him to death, or maybe a round in his chest. Or his thigh. Yeah, that'd work. But right now, Tony didn't care.
He would do anything, literally anything to keep Ziva alive and healthy.
Even if that meant giving up his life in order to save hers, like they did in those romantic movies that he watched on rainy nights.
"I should have known." She finally spat, looking up at him through the feed, her eyes suddenly growing angry, "I should have known that he was going to try to eliminate me in someway. He believed that I was getting too close to you...too close to NCIS...too close to Americans. You have no idea how much he despises Americans, Tony. Especially you." She paused for a moment or two, "Tony I..." She ran a hand over her face, "My father uses people to make his way to the top of the 'food chain', so to speak. He will use, manipulate, and eliminate anyone that even remotely stands in his way."
"Even his own damn daughter?" Tony demanded, and then let out a short, yet very angry laugh, "If we ever have children, Ziva, make sure that I never ever treat my daughter the way that Eli treats you."
She shrugged her shoulders, "If I live that long."
"I'm coming to get you. Now. What's the fastest jet plane there? You know what? Doesn't matter. All that matters is that you're coming home. No exceptions." Tony growled, "I refuse to let you go on this mission!" And he put his foot down on that one, literally.
"Tony, I must." She sighed, "I called to...say goodbye." Tony could have sworn that a tear rolled down her cheek, but she wiped it away too quickly for him to make sure that it actually fell.
"Well I'm not ready to say goodbye to you, Ziva!" he shouted, "Not permanently! I'm coming to get you." He repeated again, angrier, his hands balling into fists, growling slightly, "I'll call you when I get there." She opened her mouth to protest, but Tony cut her off, "Damn it Ziva, even if you do go on this mission, I want to properly say goodbye to you." He sighed and then looked down at his shoes. He had to tell her. He had to tell her now. Before it was too late. Paula Cassidy's words came running back to him, the same ones he heard right before she died, oh so long ago, 'Life is too short not to tell someone you love them if you do.' Ziva just told him that her life was ending, in a couple of days. In a couple of weeks. He had to tell her.
And he had to tell her now. He looked up at her, and she was playing with her locket, her Star of David sitting motionless on her neckline. He sighed and looked into her sad, glimmering brown pools, taking in a deep breath. He had to tell her. And he had to do it now, before it was too late. What if he made it to Tel Aviv and she was already...gone? But that wouldn't happen. But he still had to tell her. Before it was too late, "I love you, Ziva." he quietly said and she smiled, sadly, lovingly at him.
"I know." She whispered, silent tears running freely from her eyes now as she smiled again, "I know." Tony heard a door open from Ziva's end of the feed, and she looked away for a second or two before looking back, "I must go, Tony." She said, quickly and in a hushed voice, "Shalom, my love." And with that, the video feed cut off and Tony sighed, running a hand through his feed before taking the steps out of MTAC two at a time, sometimes three.
Gibbs was pacing outside, on the catwalk, his hands shoved into his pockets. He looked up as Tony walked out, "She gone?"
"Yeah." Tony spat, "And her Dad's a bastard."
"Know that." Gibbs nodded.
"I mean, what kind of father sends their own daughter on a suicide mission?"
"I wouldn't do that with my daughter."
"Kelly?" Tony heard himself asking, and Gibbs nodded.
"Or Ziva." Gibbs sighed, "She's more of a daughter to me now that...she's gone." Tony didn't even bother asking who 'she' was. He knew.
"I would be ashamed to call myself her father." Tony growled, "I would never do that. To anyone! Much less my own daughter!" Tony shouted, running another hand through his hair. He was fuming. His nostrils were flaring. He couldn't believe that this was actually happening. He paced angrily again, running his hand through his hair a couple more times, "Damn it." He cursed, "Ziva doesn't deserve this!" Tony shouted, his voice rising several decibels in merely seconds.
"No." Gibbs agreed, his voice calm, "She doesn't."
"If there was a 'Worst Father Award', Eli David would win it. Hands down. He'd win three, one for Tali, one for Ari, but the biggest definitely for Ziva. I mean what..." He groaned in anger again, grabbing his hair tightly with both hands, on each side of his head, bending down slowly as he squeezed his eyes shut tightly. All he saw was Ziva's dead, motionless body in his mind, and a terrorist cell being blown up as Ziva ran in. And then he saw her bones and skin, her body parts flying everywhere. He wasn't going to let it happen. He let out an exasperated breath as he suddenly stood up straight.
Gibbs looked deep into his eyes, his blue ones filled with sadness and desperation for both Ziva and Tony, "She still going?" He asked, his voice still calm, still soft, but Tony could hear the pain. He knew it was there.
He looked at him for a second or two before turning to look down into the dark, empty bullpen, the only lights on the security lights. His eyes went immediately to Ziva's desk, staying fixated on it, "Apparently." He sighed, resting his hands on the balcony, gripping the pole as he moved his body forwards and back, stretching slightly. He then turned to Gibbs, "I gotta go see her."
"No." He softly said, yet it was a firm response.
"Boss, I gotta go."
"Tel Aviv isn't in the right condition."
"Yeah?" Tony demanded, "Well neither is Ziva. And I need to be there for her. I mean boss, you didn't see her face after you left. She...she...cried." Gibbs just stared at him, "I gotta go, boss." He softly said as he brushed past him, starting towards the stairs. He needed to pack and then drive to Dulles to catch the next plane to Tel Aviv.
"DiNozzo."
He spun quickly on his heel, "Don't you dare try to stop me, Gibbs!" He shouted, fuming, as he stopped with one foot on the first step of the staircase.
"I was gonna say good luck." He said, "And..." he took in a deep breath, "Take care of Ziva."
Tony nodded, "I will." He started back down a couple of more steps before Gibbs stopped him again.
"Tony."
He turned towards him, not as angry this time, for he had used his first name, "Yeah?"
"You tell her?" He questioned and Tony paused for a moment before nodding, slowly.
"Yeah. She knows."
And with that, he started back down the steps, jumping a couple at a time before he disappeared from sight. Gibbs sighed and ran a hand through his hair as he watched him.
He had to give him some credit though.
The man surely had courage and drive, especially when it came to the people closest to him.
That, and a heart made of pure gold.
Officer Jarib walked into the one of the conference rooms, where he knew Ziva had ran off to. The video feed was cut off as soon as he walked in the door. "Who were you talking to, Ziva?" He asked. Ziva quickly ran her hand over her face to clear it of tears.
"No one." She walked past him and to one of the tables.
"Obviously it was someone." He followed her and stuck his hands in his pockets, standing in front of her. "Ziva, what has happened to you?"
"Nothing. I am tired." She replied. Jarib chuckled sarcastically.
"It seems to be something else. Perhaps a man?" Tears swelled Ziva's eyes again. "You are emotional, no?"
"I will never see them again, Jarib." He sat down next to her.
"Them?"
"Yes. Gibbs. Abby. McGee. Ducky..." She let out a sigh, "Tony."
"You feel differently about this Tony, yes?" She only looked at him as tears swelled her eyes again. He put his hand on her arm and slowly brought it up to her locket, opening it carefully. "Do you love him?"
She looked him dead in the eyes, "That is none of your business."
"He is what the Americans call a fielder." Ziva raised an eyebrow.
"I think you mean player. And no he is not. He has changed."
"No. I have read his file and..."
"You have what?!"
"He will drop you the moment he can. He is probably with another woman at this moment."
"That is not true." She said through her teeth.
"Once a player, always a player, my dear."
"No!"
"I will ask you again, do you love him?" Ziva only scoffed and promptly left the room, slamming the silver door behind her. Jarib sat there a few minutes longer before standing and exciting the room.
He had news to deliver.
Ziva walked into her room and slammed the door behind her, going immediately to the bed, diving on it face first.
She hated Mossad.
She hated Jarib.
She hated Joshua.
She hated Abner.
She hated her father.
She hated Tel Aviv.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The car wasn't fast enough.
The pedal was all the way on the floor, and Tony had no intention of stopping until he reached Dulles.
"I need a ticket to Tel Aviv." He said, pulling out his wallet.
"Ok, sir, I can help you with that. The next flight for Tel Aviv, Israel is at 8:00 this morning." Tony looked at his watch, it was only after five.
"No. I can't wait that long."
"I'm sorry sir, but that is..."
"It's an emergency. My girlfriend is about to die." He looked down at the lady, who was looking at him as if he was crazy. Maybe he was, "She needs a kidney. We have the same blood type."
"I wish there was something I could do sir, but, 8:00 is the next flight out."
"Is that the first flight of the day?"
"No, but with security you will never be able to make the first flight." Tony flashed his wallet.
"I'm a federal agent. I don't need damn security. Give me a ticket." She nodded, her eyes big and quickly printed out a ticket. Tony snatched it from her and ran. He was getting on that plane. 12 hours was long enough to wait.
His cell phone vibrated in his pocket and he groaned as he ran, flipping it open.
"Yeah?"
"Hey sweetie." Tony stopped running and looked at the caller ID.
Christina.
"Damn it! Stop calling me!" He yelled and slammed his phone shut. He slipped onto the plane just in time, breathing hard as he sat down. Flipping his phone open, he dialed the number that was all too familiar.
"Hey, sweetheart. I'm on my way."
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
One thing ran through Ziva's mind.
Tony.
Right now, he was in the air on a 12 hour plane for her.
She smiled for the first time in several days.
Parking at the airport car park, she got out and went straight to the waiting area. She looked at her watch. 11 more hours to go.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
"Thank you for seeing me so urgently, sir."
"Not a problem, Jarib. Have a seat." Jarib nodded and sat down on the leather couch, crossing his legs as he did so. "What seems to be the problem?"
"Ziva..." Eli chuckled nervously, "...is different." Jarib said.
"She is. America seems to have changed her."
"Different is not necessarily better in this case, Director."
"Why do you say that, my boy?" Jarib stood and walked over to his desk, picking the brown folder and handing it to Eli. Eli put his glasses on and opened the folder, picking up and examining the pictures.
"That is only the beginning. She is way to wrapped up with that man. Those...people." Without saying a word, Eli stood and walked over to his phone.
"I need Officer Ziva David in my office immediately." He slammed it down and walked over to Jarib. He leaned on the couch, one arm on each side of him. "He must be taken care of." Eli said softly. There was a knock on the door and Eli stood to his full form. "Enter."
"Sir, Officer David is not in the building."
"Find her!" He yelled. He looked at Jarib who quickly stood, leaving the room. Eli walked over to the table where the pictures sat. He picked the one where she and Tony were walking down the street, Ziva smiling as she held Tony's hand. After turning the picture into confetti, he threw the pieces into the trash can.
Several Hours Later...
"Director. We have found her."
"Where is she?" Eli said, standing from his desk.
"We have also contacted NCIS. Agent DiNozzo is not there. And Ziva is at the airport. Waiting for him. Shall I send Officers there to collect them?"
"No." He buttoned his jacket and pulled down on it, "I will take care of it."
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Ziva had never been this impatient her entire life. She got up and paced some more, looking at the black screen again. Tony's plane was on time.
But he wasn't there in her arms.
She muttered something in angry Hebrew, continuing to pace around the airport.
She hadn't slept in 24 hours now. But that didn't matter. Her thoughts were interrupted, "Passengers from flight 231, Dulles will now be debarking at gate 43C."
Another smile erupted on her face as she walked frantically towards gate 43C, the airport was suddenly crowded and very hard to maneuver through. "Tony!" She yelled. But she still didn't see him.
Hear his voice.
Feel his arms.
"Tony!" She yelled again.
Director Eli David spotted his daughter. When he heard the announcement, and the muffled yelling of Ziva, he also began towards the gate, making sure to stay out of Ziva's eyesight.
Ziva continued to walk towards the gate when she suddenly stopped, people having to quickly dodge her to prevent a crash. She narrowed her eyes and turned around completely, looking for anyone she might've known.
"You looking for someone, sweetcheeks?" Ziva turned around on her heel and came face to face with one Tony DiNozzo.
"You." She said softly and jumped into his arms, kissing him violently. He broke the kiss and put his hands on each side of her face, looking directly into her tear swelled eyes.
"Nothing is going to happen to you." He pulled her into a tight hug, the people in the crowded airport dodging them as the stood there, holding each other. Tears rolled down Ziva's face.
Little did they both know, Eli David witnessed every minute of it.
Tony didn't let go of her every step of the way, back to Ziva's apartment. She hung on to him as if someone was going to come by and snatch him out of her arms, forever. Her arm was wrapped around his waist, and his was wrapped tighter around hers. She leaned into his embrace as they walked, Tony's hand rubbing up and down her side as they started up the stairs to the apartment complex, stopping in front of her door.
She stuck the key in and turned it before opening it up. She was incredibly tired, but she wouldn't sleep. Not with Tony here. She leaned deeper into his embrace as they stepped in, Tony kicking the door shut behind them. He moved immediately towards the couch, sitting down and pulling her closer to him, wrapping both arms around her waist. She sighed and nuzzled the top of her head into the base of his neck, closing her eyes, "I missed you." She whispered, as if she was afraid to show a weakness. Though, she was going on a suicide mission soon, meaning that, if, at any point in her life, she wanted to be weak, now was definitely the time and place to do it.
"I did too." Tony chuckled lightly, "We were barely away from each other for a day, Ziva, and we couldn't stay away from each other." She laughed with him, "What does that tell you about the DiNozzo charm, huh?" She groaned and punched him lightly in the chest.
"Now is not the time for jokes."
He nodded, "Yeah. I know. Now where's this 'big bad Dad' of yours? On the plane ride over here, I thought of twenty-two different ways I would enjoy killing him. And one of them was with a paperclip." He boasted and Ziva laughed, sitting up and looking at him, "You still have no found out all eighteen ways then, yes?"
He leaned towards her, "Getting close to it."
She smiled, "No you are not."
"Caught me." He grinned back, pressing his lips up against hers, both of their eyes automatically closing at the same time. She moaned and pulled on his lips a couple more times before they both broke it, when Tony heard a grumbling sound. He looked down at her stomach and she sighed.
"You're hungry." He stated and she groaned.
"The only thing I want right now is you."
"You're hungry. You want something to eat...that isn't a tall, handsome, Italian. Though, I can't blame you on your choice. Nice one there, Zee-vah." She just rolled her eyes as he reluctantly got off of the couch and started towards the kitchen, opening up a couple of empty cabinets, "You got anything to eat here?"
"Eli said that he would deliver meals to me." She scoffed and looked around as she relaxed on the couch, "That has not happened yet."
Tony spun around, "Eli?" He questioned, and she just stared at him. He grinned, "Not on good terms with him, huh?"
"The worst."
"I understand. Never even met the man and yet, I want to pummel him." Tony replied, turning back around and looking through more cabinets, "Hey...you know any good pizza places around here? I could go for a slice or two."
She laughed, "Eight, yes?"
"I ate nine the other day." He grinned and she just rolled her eyes.
"No, Tony, there is not a pizza place around here. This is Tel Aviv, not Washington DC. American cuisine is not very common. The few that were around were all destroyed or have major fire damage thanks to the bomb blast." He looked at her for a second or two, lying on her back on the couch, looking up at the ceiling. She definitely looked more serene than she did on the video feed many hours ago. He looked away and then looked back at her, grinning like a kid in the candy store.
"Nice outfit." He winked and she turned and looked at him before looking back down at her outfit and then up at him.
"Oh." She said, and then sighed, "I ran around Tel Aviv all day dressed in this." She gestured to the Ohio State Buckeyes t-shirt and the black, very short, pajama shorts she wore. She groaned. Tony grinned as he walked back over to her and sat down at her feet.
"I like it."
She sat up on her elbows and looked at him, "Tony, what am I going to do?"
"Do you even want to go on the mission? I mean, stupid question, but-"
"No." Her answer was short and simple, her eyes definite with her response. He nodded, slowly, taking another bite of the rice cake he had found in one of the cabinets, "This is reawwy good." He grinned, and then shoved it towards her, "Wanna bite?" She sighed and realized that even if she said no, Tony was still going to force her to eat it. So she leaned forward and took a small bite of it.
"Tony!" She shouted, exasperated, "Please!"
"Right." he nodded, setting the rice cake down on the coffee table. He shook her knee gently, "Ziva." He said, "Don't do it. Have you told your father that you don't wanna do it?"
"Yes!" she said, "And he said that I was the only one that he trusts!"
"Well then prove to him that he can't trust you."
"I will still be here, Tony. I will still be with Mossad then. That means that I have to re-do my training, for he honestly, truly believes that America has made me forget. He does not understand that I am no longer a cold-blooded killer anymore! He does not understand feelings...he does not understand America! You do not understand just how much he despises Americans. And we are supposed to be your allies, yes?"
Tony shrugged, "He likes Vance."
"No one likes Vance!"
"Well..." Tony looked off into space a little bit, "That's true, but-"
"No." Ziva firmly said, "I am not going on this mission."
"See?" Tony grinned, "Now wasn't that easy?"
"No." She said, "For I have not told my father my decision."
"I'm sure he'll understand your decision."
She sighed, "Tony..." She leaned forward and fell back into his embrace, "I do not know what to do!" She sobbed into his chest. He sighed and wrapped his arms tighter around her, rubbing her back gently.
"Shh...Ziva." He cooed, moving her back and forth, "We could always go on the run together. For Mossad, from your father."
"I cannot go back to NCIS. My father would know if I am there."
"We could always go somewhere else. I still have relatives in Italy. Granted, they're as old as dirt, but hey, they make a mean meatball." He winked and Ziva chuckled softly, a sad laugh escaping her lips, "Or Paris. According to Gibbs and Jen, it's rather nice." She took in a deep breath.
"I cannot do that either, Tony. My father will find me. Track me down and deal with me then. And I do not wish to spend the rest of my life on the run."
"Well what do you want me to say, Ziva?" He demanded, exasperated.
"I want you..." She sighed, "I want you to tell me that everything is going to be alright." She leaned back and looked into his eyes, "Please."
Tony stared her deep in her chocolate brown eyes, "Everything's gonna be alright, sweetheart. Nothing's gonna happen to you." She stared at him, "Promise." She smiled slightly as Tony continued, "Hell, you're the strongest person I know, Ziva. Even if you go on this mission, I know that nothing's gonna happen. Though I would feel a whole lot better if you didn't go at all. Saves me from a whole lotta unnecessary worrying." He lifted a finger and flicked the end of her nose, causing her to wrinkle it up before they both grinned.
"Thank you, Tony." She said, burying herself in his embrace. They slowly laid down on the couch, Tony shifting so that she was lying partially next to him and partially on him. She rested her head on his chest and listened to his rhythmic breathing as he rubbed his hand up and down her hip, moving her shirt up so that he was feeling bare skin.
"You think Gibbs'd be pissed?" Tony suddenly questioned, and Ziva opened her eyes, looking forward, but not at Tony, for that involved turning around.
She shook her head, "No. I do not."
"Yeah, you're right. He did seem very troubled. And you'd be amazed how fatherly he acted towards you, Ziva." Tony squeezed her hip with his fingers, grinning slightly as he looked down at the top of her head, "It was....nice. I like that side of Gibbs." He admitted, "That's when he doesn't smack heads."
She chuckled slightly, "Me too." She whispered.
"I hate your father." Tony spat out, abruptly.
"It is funny." She started, turning around in his grip so that she was looking at him, her dark brown curls moving over to one shoulder, "I feel the exact opposite about you."
He gave her his a thousand watt DiNozzo grin as he reached up and slowly moved part of her hair behind her ear, letting his fingertips trace her jaw. She closed her eyes and subconsciously moved into his touch as he let his hand drop to the small in her back. He kneaded the skin with his fingers, causing her to arch her back just slightly, a faint moan escaping her lips, "I missed this." She said, "Wanting to kill you for making me feel this way." She reiterated, and he grinned as he kneaded her back more.
"Let me prove to you just how much I missed you." He smiled as he stopped kneading her back and pressed his lips up against hers. They both opened their mouths for each other as she wrapped her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss. He moved his hands up her shirt, quickly removing it from her head. They broke the kiss, heavily breathing as Tony looked up at her, using his large hand to keep the hair out of her face.
"Bed." They both said, and then Tony and Ziva both jumped off of the couch, and each other, and started towards the bedroom, both of them running towards the bed.
They didn't want to miss a second.
He grabbed her wrist and pinned her to the bed as the clothes went flying in all directions, nearly getting ripped off as their lips connected again for another passionate kiss, neither one of them wanting to let go. Both now completely naked, Ziva looked up at Tony through the darkness and wrapped her arms around his neck, playing with the hair at the base of his neck, twirling her fingers in it.
"Tony," Ziva breathed out, "I have not slept." She admitted and he stared down into her bloodshot eyes.
"Maybe we shouldn't..."
"No, Tony, please." She said, "Please." She begged, "I am so weak." She moaned, letting her head droop to one side before looking back at him, "Please, Tony. You do not understand how much I need you." And with that, their lips met again in another fiery kiss, Ziva's screams becoming louder then ever as their bodies melted together as one, the night fading away.
As if it was their last.
Because it just might be.