A/N: Sorry for not updating, I've been a little busy :S (oh and it took me like 5 minutes to figure out what the American term for 'eski' was. That's what I get for being an Aussie, I guess. PS, it's 'cooler'.)
The clouds in the sky and the growing chill of the wind did nothing to stop Ray from enjoying himself in the surf. The turn of the weather had brought big, strong waves, and he found his surfing skills had not faltered over time. It had been a few months, what with work, and seeing Ziva, but being back in the water felt good. He hadn't had so much fun in a while.
When he was just about exhausted from being tumbled and twisted around in the waves, he jogged back to the spot that he and EJ had secured that morning.
"Well, well, Agent Cruz," she said, looking at him over the top of her sunglasses. "You're quite the surfer dude."
"What can I say, I'm a man of many hidden talents," he replied as he pulled two beers from his cooler and handed one to EJ. "So what exactly are you trying to do here?" he said, referring to her thin, pale, bikini-clad body stretched out on a towel. "Tanning?"
"Very funny," she said, pulling one of Tony's old T-shirts over her head, that she had brought with her.
"You didn't have to do that," he protested, pulling his sun shirt over his head. "See, I'm not."
She laughed, tossing her hair to remove the sand. "I don't know what Ziva would say about that.
"Any sign of her?" he asked, a concerned expression forming from his calm one.
"No. I haven't seen Tony either, and I didn't bring my cell phone."
Thoughtfully, Ray brought one hand to the back of his head and scratched his hair. Then, spotting something in the distance, he squinted, and EJ turned around to see what it was that he was looking at. On cue, with picnic basket in hand, they trudged onto the nearly deserted beach.
"Where have you guys been?" EJ called.
"Just…had to sort some stuff out. It's OK now," Tony answered, and EJ seemed to get the hint that it was not something that needed to be talked about, at least not right now.
"You brought lunch," Ray said to Ziva, who was carrying a basket.
"Well…" she looked down, pulled out a large packet of Doritos.
Ray let out a chuckle, and kissed Ziva on the cheek, then sat on his towel.
"It is a shame about the weather," Ziva said, setting down her own towel on the sand, between Ray and EJ, Tony opposite her and doing the same.
"Obviously didn't stop Ray from swimming," Tony commented.
"Surfing, actually," he said, taking a bite of the cheesy snack.
"You surf?" Ziva asked, surprised she hadn't heard about this.
"He's pretty good, actually," EJ said, her mouth full.
Pretty soon, the four of them had finished off the Doritos, and Tony was the first to jump up onto his feet and brush off the sand. "Come on, let's go for a dip."
EJ gazed sceptically at the waves, which were growing a little violent for her liking. "Doesn't look like it would be much of a 'dip', Tony," she argued.
"Where's your sense of adventure?" Ray laughed, getting up. "What about you, Ziva?"
"I think I'll just stay put," she said.
"Well, come on, Tony, before the weather really gets bad," Ray said, and together they jogged into the surf, though came rushing back five minutes later.
"Man, that's cold!" Tony shouted.
The two women smirked contentedly.
"Well, weatherman says tomorrow's going to be better, but there's gonna be a storm tonight," EJ informed them.
Ray wiped his face with his towel. "Movie night sound good?"
They all nodded.
"I'll grill us up a couple steaks, too. Is there any salad left over from last night?"
"No," Ziva said.
"I'll go pick us up some more," EJ offered.
"Don't worry EJ," Ziva said. "You came with me last night. I'm sure Tony won't mind picking up a bit of slack."
Admittedly, Tony hadn't really done any work since they had arrived, so it was fair that he had been called upon but he still groaned.
…
"Do you think we should get beetroot?" Ziva asked, deliberately stretching out the 'shopping experience' for Tony and having fun doing it.
"I don't care! Just buy some freaking vegetables and let's get outta here!" he said, frustrated.
She smirked and picked up a can, but accidentally knocking another onto the floor. She bent down to pick it up, and through the bottom of the shelves she saw a pair of large black combat boots. She frowned a little, but shrugged it off. Though her curiosity got the better of her, and she walked around shelf into the next aisle just in time to see two bunches of black hair fly around the corner.
"Ziva? What are you doing?"
"I know those pigtails."
A/N: I had to do it. I hope you enjoyed this chapter :)