Hey everyone – I'll keep this short! I'm SO sorry about the late update! Much thanks to all the lovely comments! I've made you wait long enough so with out further a due, here is:
Chapter 11: Fatal slip upTony pulled his car up outside Ziva's house, sighing heavily. Throughout the day the situation with Ziva had progressively gotten worse and he was beginning to question whether they should keep trying or just leave each other alone.
He shook off the thought and rang her doorbell, putting on his best DiNozzo smile.
Ziva opened the door dressed in the same clothes she'd been wearing all day at work. Tony's face dropped.
"Are you serious?" he asked, exasperated. "Ziva, did you completely forget? For someone with a photographic memory you really do forget the important things."
Ziva stood up straight, narrowing her eyes slightly. "I did not forget, Tony." She said, dragging the syllables in his name "I thought that since you liked my cooking we could eat here instead."
She opened the door wider and revealed a nicely set table with candles. Tony sighed and moved inside, feeling like a total idiot.
"Ziva. I'm so sorry; I sounded like a total jerk" he smiled weakly; full aware that he had just made an already tedious situation worse.
"I know." She smiled flirtatiously, turning toward him to lean up and kiss him on the lips. "I've been thinking." She started
"Always a dangerous pastime." Tony smiled, putting his arm around her and leading her to the couch,
Ziva rolled her eyes and continued, "Happy two months."
"Ha! What ever happened to not getting the two month thing?"
Ziva just rolled her eyes and leaned toward Tony, kissing him lightly on the lips. He responded eagerly and deepened the kiss, already feeling better about the relationship.
The kiss continued for a few seconds until the buzzer from Ziva's oven went off. The two sat up and Ziva pushed Tony away, walking to her kitchen with a little more 'butt' than usual.
Tony fell back on the couch grumbling. His heart was pounding against his chest with his stomach doing little flips. Mentally he compared his relationship with Ziva to his relationship to Jeanne.
He remembered being in love with her and the feeling he felt then was the same as he was feeling now. Although with her it was more romantic and felt like a movie; Ziva had a certain flair to her that Jeanne never had. She was so sassy and sexy, so hard to handle.
Ziva walked back in and broke Tony's reverie.
"Dinner's ready" she smiled, grabbing his hands to pull him up. He instead pulled her onto the couch with him and kissed her forehead, smiling.
"I missed you." He whispered, kissing below her ear.
She smiled teasingly again and got up, this time successfully pulling Tony up with her and leading him back to her dining room.
"My dear." He began in a posh accent "do take a seat, the butler will be out with your food any second. Until then, you may enjoy the comical entertainment provided by one Anthony DiNozzo."
Ziva laughed and shook her head, pulling him by his collar and pressing her lips against his.
"Wanna skip dinner?" she asked, smiling.
Tony stood for a second in mock thought. He leaned down and kissed her on the neck picking her up and slinging her over his shoulder.
XXX
Tony woke in the middle of the night to Ziva's loud snoring. He laughed to himself and rolled over onto his back, the same heart pounding feeling he'd had the previous day.
He was almost convinced he was falling in love with Ziva. It had been two months. It was normal to feel this way, wasn't it? He tossed and turned in his mind. After the abomination that was his and Ziva's two-month anniversary he doubted immensely that Ziva felt the same way he did. He didn't even know how Ziva felt. Whether she loved him back, whether she even could love again. All he knew was that he had never felt this way about anyone – not even Jeanne.
Finally, Tony slipped back to sleep, all the while his mind not leaving Ziva.
XXX
The pair returned to work on Monday, refreshed and ready for another week. Tony had left on Saturday morning to give Ziva her weekend – they had been spending too much time together and the last thing either of them wanted was to get sick of the other.
They arrived together that day by coincidence and caught the elevator together, already acting out the role of "just friends."
"Hey Guys." McGee greeted the pair, standing with a tall, attractive man. "This is Special Agent Andrews. He'll be working with us on our next case."
Ziva's face lit up and she smiled, walking over to greet the new agent. "I'm Ziva David."
Tony's eyes narrowed and he followed suit with his partner, though not willing to outstretch for a handshake.
"Please." Smiled Agent Andrews, "call me James."
"James." Ziva agreed. Turning to face Tony.
"Anthony DiNozzo." Tony introduced himself, nodding his head in acknowledgment "Why exactly are you working with us… James?"
McGee laughed lightly to Ziva. Tony always got jealous whenever male agents were sent in to help the team.
James smiled to Ziva and turned to the giant plasma in the middle of the bullpen. He clicked the remote and a picture of Mikael appeared. Ziva and Tony stiffened at the same time.
"What the hell is he doing up there?" asked Gibbs, joining them in the bullpen.
"Uh. Boss. This is Special agent Andrews." McGee explained, standing up on his boss' entrance. Gibbs shot him a look, "But you already knew that" he added, realising Gibbs wouldn't just let anybody be in the team without first having an argument with Jenny about it.
"Three weeks ago this man was arrested-" James started up again, only to be interrupted a second time.
"Yeah, by us."
"Yes. By you. However, 18 hours ago he escaped prison and is thought to be possibly leaving the country." He finished, turning to Gibbs.
"He won't leave." Ziva said quietly to Tony. She hadn't spoken about Mikael since that night; she was the only one who knew exactly what went on.
"How do you know?" Tony asked, his voice just as low as hers.
"He wouldn't. Not until he knows where his daughter is." She explained
"Well how would he find out where she is?"
"Only one person knows where she is."
"Who's that?" He asked, not realising how close he was to Ziva. Gibbs watched on with narrow eyes, confused as to their closeness.
Ziva turned her head to meet Tony's gaze. "Me." She answered.
XXX
It was 22 hundred hours in the bullpen and Ziva had filled Gibbs in on the situation he had ordered an eye to be kept on her at all times. She was getting sick of the same man coming after her all the time however, on this occasion she didn't object to having to be babysitted as much. The stretched her arms up and looked around the bullpen. Gibbs and McGee were with Abby and it was just her, Tony and James now. She smiled to herself and got up, walking over to Tony's desk. It had been a while since they did some teasing.
She leaned over his desk and stared at him. Tony's eyes narrowed but he didn't look up or break his façade.
"Can I help you, Officer David?" he asked, staring at his computer screen.
"I was just wondering what you think of Special Agent Andrews over there?" she asked, tilting her head to gesture toward their guest.
"Pfft special agent…" Tony began, his voice evident with jealousy, "He's a probie."
"Still…" Ziva teased, "He seems very capable."
He scowled at her and turned to James, "Agent Andrews." He began "How many weapons is each NCIS agent issued?"
"Well the standard NCIS agent would have one sidearm, concealed at the waist, a backup strapped to the leg and most likely they would be carrying a knife too." He answered without hesitation.
"Very good." Tony responded with what only Ziva could define as fake enthusiasm. "Now tell me, James; do you value your life at all?"
"Yes sir, I do. Why do you ask?" asked James, confused.
"Because chances are you will loose it if you do not stop staring at my butt." Ziva said, snapping her head around.
James shot his head down and continued writing, his face turning red.
"Sorry, Ma'am."
Tony's eyes widened and he jumped at Ziva, grabbing onto her arms "No. Ziva." He said, sighing. Newbies always found a way to just keep digging.
"He called me Ma'am," She whispered, trying to pull her arm free.
Tony rolled his eyes and walked her back to her desk, making sure she sat before walking back to his desk. As soon as he sat down his desk phone rang.
"DiNozzo." He answered, his eyes not leaving Ziva's. "We'll be right down." He said, hanging up.
"Abby?" Ziva asked, standing up.
"Yep, they've got something."
The two stepped into the elevator and turned, waiting for the doors to close. James walked up to the elevator and took one look at Ziva's face – a look enough to make any man cower in the corner.
"I'll take the stairs." He said, turning on his heels.
The elevator doors closed and Ziva laughed to herself, leaning forward to flick the emergency switch.
"Haven't done this one in a while." Tony smiled.
Ziva rolled her eyes and pushed him against the control panel, flicking the emergency switch off in doing so. Both not realising, both continuing the kiss.
Ziva hitched her leg over Tony's hip and deepened the kiss.
At that moment everything stopped.
The elevator doors opened to reveal their boss, Leyroy Jethro Gibbs standing, staring and knowing full well what was now going on.
XXX
Predictable… Yes… But still PRICELESS!! Hahahaha! Anywho I hope you all enjoyed that! I promise the next chapter will be REALLY soon… like, sooner than this one was… I'm SO sorry about the late update… My only excuse is we open (West side) in like 7 days and the rehearsals are going until about 9!! I have to tape NCIS next week!! (I was REALLY not happy about that)
They can take my time, they can take my energy, they can make me sing until I get laryngitis, and they can make me dance until I collapse… But they CANNOT take my NCIS!!
Hope you enjoyed!
Xox Mel
XXX
