Warnings: None for this chapter.
A/N: Day later than I wanted to post, but better late than never. I'm still not sure how I feel about the ending of last night's episode. Maybe I just have to write a 'fix it' in the next story ;).
I also know that not everyone is going to agree with my interpretation of Tony and Ziva's relationship, but I do not believe he was in love with her until the last couple of years. So, that's how I wrote this. And since "Bulletproof" aired it is of my belief that "holy fish sticks" is going to be Bishop's 'catch phrase' haha. Enjoy!
There was one more thing to do before the team could enjoy their weekends and that was handing their suspect over to the military police. Gibbs sat down, quietly facing Patrick Webber for the last time. "We found your clothes, Patrick. Your finger prints are all over the plastic bag they were discarded in. The blood on them matches Kristine's. You're going away for a long time."
Webber glared at the former marine. "So what? I can just argue that my dad killed her."
"Your father told us everything," Tony said from the corner. "He said you beat her with the rock when she wouldn't come with you."
"My father would not flip on me!" Webber shouted. "He's family!"
Tony kept his cool, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly. "Guess what? He did."
Gibbs saw it happening before it actually happened. Webber threw his chair out from underneath him and lunged across the table towards Tony. Both federal agents were ready for the physical attack and easily subdued him, pinning him on the table and slapping cuffs on him. "MP's are here to take you, Webber," Gibbs snarled. "You're lucky I don't add another charge to the list-assaulting a federal agent!"
Webber spit at both Tony and Gibbs as he was pulled from the table by the military police. His string of expletives could be heard all the way down the hall, cursing NCIS, Gibbs, Tony to hell. Both agents knew it wouldn't the last time a suspect cursed them and it certainly wasn't the first time.
"Holy fish sticks," Bishop said appearing in the door with McGee. "Things like this definitely do not happen at the NSA."
Gibbs laughed and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Nope. They don't. Another case down, Probie. Now-all of you get the hell out of here and enjoy your weekend. I don't want to see you until Monday."
Leah was prepared to spend her evening with a bottle of wine, some ice cream, and watching a movie. She came back from fixing Delilah's hair pretty much sick to her stomach to see how happy she was when Tim had come to pick her up.
Her own relationship was in shambles and Leah wasn't sure how to fix it. Delilah had sensed something was wrong and tried to coax her into talking about it, but Leah wrote it off as jet-lag and working a full class schedule upon returning. Delilah was too excited and anxious about the date to notice that she was lying.
Uncorking her bottle of wine she found a glass and poured herself a healthy serving. "What a lame Friday night, Leah," she mumbled to herself as she made her way into living room.
She had just put the movie in the DVD player when there was a knock on her door. She rolled her eyes because she had a pretty good idea that it was Meghan stopping by to drag her out for a girl's night. She was known for doing that, for hitting the buzzer of her neighbor and sweet-talking her way into the building. But when she opened the door it was Tony standing here.
"Hi," he greeted her softly, "can I...can I come in?"
"Yes," she whispered, stepping aside to let him in.
Tony made his way into her living room, taking in the scene. Glass of wine, pint of ice cream-God I really messed up. He looked at her, sincerely. "I'm sorry, Leah."
Leah adverted her eyes and bit down on her lip to stop herself from bursting into tears. "It's fine," she said, in barely a whisper, "you shouldn't have to apologize. You can't help the way you feel."
"None of this is your fault, Leah. You were right-if I want this relationship to last I've got to finally put you before Ziva."
"Tony, that was unfair of me to ask you to just forget about her."
"Leah, you were right. Our relationship will never last if I don't at least put her behind me," Tony said, taking a tentative step towards her. "I dreamt about you a lot after you left. Some of them were pleasant dreams, others not so much. I would dream about you being taken away from me, how powerless I was to protect you, and I'd dream about making love to you-sometimes right here in your living room. Every dream just made me miss you more, want you with me more. You walking away from me last night made me realize that I want you in my life-forever and I'm going to fight like hell to keep you there."
She blinked back her tears and crossed her arms over her chest, hugging herself tightly. "Why? Why would you want to fight for me?"
He couldn't believe she was even asking that question. But then it hit him. She was so confident and sure of herself most of the time but it turned out she was just as insecure as he was when it came to a committed relationship. "Because you're worth it, Leah. Listen, I came back…I came back from Israel a confused…maybe slightly lost soul. I didn't know where to go, who to turn too. I began to fall apart. And then that day…that day that I met you…I realized something-that life moves on. People come and go. And to be honest with you, if she were to come back today, at this very moment and knock on that door asking me to be with her-I wouldn't do it."
Leah wiped her nose on the back of her hand. "Yeah, right. You'd walk away from someone that you were in love with for the last two years."
Tony smiled sadly and moved towards her, wiping her tears away. "Yes, I would. Truth is, we might have loved one another but we would have destroyed each other. We were fire and ice. But maybe the easiest answer to that is- I love you now."
"What?"
"Not quite the reaction I was looking for. I. Love. You."
Leah tossed him a watery smile through her tears. She grabbed a hold of his blazer and pulled him down for another lingering, passionate kiss. When she pulled back, she sighed, "I love you too."
Tony felt a sense of relief wash through him. There had always been a small chance that she didn't love him back and he knew for a fact he couldn't take his heart being broken anymore. He took her face between his hands and wiped at the tears on her cheeks. "So, what movie are you watching?"
"Roman Holiday."
"Ah, Audrey Hepburn, Gregory Peck."
"Do you want to stay and watch with me?" she asked coyly.
Tony smiled and pressed is lips to hers one more time. "I'd thought you'd never ask."
Tim was going to have to give Tony credit where credit was due. His senior field agent certainly knew how to put together a romantic date and it was probably the easiest one that Tim had been on in weeks.
After a wonderful dinner Tim had taken Delilah back to her apartment. She had invited him inside and now they were sitting on her sofa, curled up together watching a movie. He knew that there were not ready to be intimate again, that was going to take more time, but he felt that they were moving in the right direction.
Delilah smiled at him and pressed her lips to his. "Thanks for a wonderful date," she whispered, "Tell Tony he knows how to plan a date."
"Was it that obvious?" Tim asked, frowning slightly.
"Yes, it was," Delilah said with a chuckle. "But don't worry. I appreciate the effort. And besides, it was you that made the night. Tony could only do so much."
Tim smiled at her sadly. He brushed the curls that had fallen in her face back and kissed her. "I'm sorry, Delilah," he said, pulling back,"I have been the biggest jerk when it comes to our relationship. And believe me...I'm going to get...help with dealing with my problems and guilt."
Delilah grinned and wrapped her arms around his neck, she embraced him, reminding him that she was still the same woman after all and as she kissed him, he realized that perhaps it wasn't going to take them as along to get back to their intimate relationship again because he was still, and always would be, very much attracted to her.
