Thanks Betherzz, who was thinking the same thing as me! (How much more torture can Tony handle?!) We'll See!!!!
Disclaimer: NCIS is not owned by me… blah blah blah
Chapter 11: Just Tell Me The Truth
Tony walked over to the van and opened the door to find McGee already asleep with his head in his hands. He shut the door quietly and snuck behind him. Tony pulled his phone out of his pocket and started to go through his menu until he found the ringtone he wanted.
"RUFF RUFF RUFF RUFF RUFF RUFF!" Tony covered his mouth trying not to burst out into laughter.
Both McGee and Ziva jumped from their slumber. Tony's eye shot to the screen and was surprised to see Werth sleeping on the floor next to the bed.
"Tony what the-"
"Switching places McGoo, go get some rest" Tony said, his eyes never leaving the computer screen.
McGee's eyes went back and forth from Tony and the monitor until he realized that Ziva was no longer asleep. He rolled his eyes and left the van.
"That was very immature Tony." Ziva whispered, putting on her robe and going to the balcony of her hotel.
Tony smiled.
"Why do you have your ear piece in?"
"Because I thought it would be wise, in case something came up; it is a means of communication."
"I didn't mean to wake you up." Tony said softly.
"It is alright, I was about to get up anyway."
"So…. Terminator's sleeping on the floor huh?"
"Yes…"
"Why" Tony probed.
"He is a gentleman and he offered the bed to me."
"I thought you were an adult and you didn't have a problem sharing a bed as long as all you were doing was sleeping."
"Would you like me to share a bed with Damon?" Ziva asked frustrated.
Tony drummed his fingers along the desk.
"You hungry?" He asked, trying to change the subject.
Ziva shook her head. He was always evading her questions. Anytime it got her closer to getting any kind of information about how he felt, he was running away, normally into another woman's arms.
"I would like coffee." She answered, ignoring her desire to curse at Tony.
"You wanna go get some?" Tony asked.
Ziva paused for a moment before she answered.
"I cannot leave the hotel alone."
"Why not?" Tony asked confused.
"Damon-" Ziva started.
"Werth'll be fine; he's a big boy. Besides it's 6:30. Nothing is going to happen to him. We can go get coffee and you can come back before he even knows that you left. You said so yourself, you could go for coffee…" Tony baited.
Ziva stood frozen weighing the options. Tony had a point; they were just going to the local coffee shop which was within walking distance. If he woke up and found her gone, she would just tell him that she went to get coffee. She would have to bring it back with her just in case anyone was watching.
"Alright, give me 10 minutes to get ready."
Ziva's heart raced while she brushed her teeth. Her stomach sank while she put on her pants and a tank top.
"It is just coffee…" She said to herself.
She quickly wrote Damon a note and grabbed the room key and left. The ride down the elevator was slow and when the doors finally opened, she came face to face with Amanda.
"Good morning, how was your sleep?"
"It was fine." Ziva said impatiently.
"Oh wait, miss, here is the schedule for today's events."
"Thank you." Ziva said before walking away.
She finally reached the van and before she could open the door, it flew open.
"Bout time Zee-vah" Tony said hopping out of the van.
"Why are you getting out, it would be quicker if we took the van, yes?"
"It's a beautiful morning, I think we should walk." Tony answered, getting a hold of her elbow and dragging her forward. Ziva caught up to Tony and stuck her hands in her pockets.
"What've I missed so far?" Tony asked.
"Damon and I went to several events and a couple seminars and we could not spot anyone that could be involved with the case. I think this may be a waste of time. We have nothing to go on here. For all we know, this could lead to a dead end."
Tony walked silently beside Ziva and listened.
"What, specifically, did you guys do?" He interjected.
Ziva spun her head and stared at Tony in disbelief.
"Did you just hear what I said?"
Tony nodded.
"Yea"
Ziva scratched her head and ran her fingers through her hair.
"We… whatever was on the little schedule that your girlfriend gave me; that is what we did." Ziva answered quickly.
Tony gave Ziva a crooked smile before opening the door to the coffee house. He leaned his face close to Ziva's. She held her breath as she could feel his on her.
"Evading the question, as usual." Tony quietly whispered.
"What is it that you want to know, Tony? Did anything happen between Damon and me?"
Tony remained quiet as Ziva's face began to turn red. Ziva caught her breath and began to breathe normally.
"Nothing happened, Tony, but even if something had, what difference would it make? Is that why you asked me out for coffee? So that you could interrogate me about Werth when we are on a MISSION?!" Ziva quietly yelled.
Tony's face crept closer and closer to Ziva's until they heard someone clear their throat. Both, Tony and Ziva, slowly turned their heads to see the person at the counter, eyeing them curiously. Ziva tucked her hair behind her ear and walked up to the counter, not waiting to see if Tony had taken the hint. Seconds later she heard him order his coffee. He looked over to her and ordered her a cappuccino.
"Make that 2 cappuccinos." Ziva said, not looking at Tony.
Tony turned and looked at Ziva, questioningly.
"Werth" Ziva said as she shrugged.
Without looking at the man behind the counter, Tony corrected his order.
"2 cappuccinos" Tony said, keeping his eyes fixated on Ziva's.
Their walk back was silent. Neither knew what to say without offending the other.
"Amanda is cute." Ziva announced.
"She's ok" Tony corrected, shrugging his shoulders.
"Well then I see you have lowered your standards." Ziva said sipping her cappuccino.
Tony stopped and held his arm out to stop Ziva as well.
"Wha- what are you talking about?" Tony chuckled.
"If you are shacking up with her and she is just ok, then you are apparently sleeping with anyone that is female, yes?" Ziva asked nonchalantly.
Tony shook his head. He couldn't believe how wrong she was. Then again, he had been pushing her away for a long time and, he thought, for good reasons. First of all, she was Ziva. She was amazing and beautiful and he was just Tony. Big screwball that couldn't keep his self invested in a committed relationship. If he allowed things to take off between Ziva and him, then it would just screw up their friendship and work. And not to mention how Gibbs would react, they'd be breaking one of his most sacred rules. The infamous rule #12: NEVER DATE A COWORKER. He couldn't do that, but there was always this voice inside him that kept bringing him back to her. No matter how hard he tried to fling his self at other women, no one measured up.
"I didn't SHACK UP with her Zi." Tony quietly said, his piercing eyes informing Ziva that he was now serious.
"You were at her place-" Ziva started.
"For like 2 minutes."
"And the rest of the night, before McGee called you?" Ziva asked.
Tony began stepping closer and closer to Ziva, his piercing gaze, forcing her knees to involuntarily buckle.
"At your place" He said, his nose now touching hers.
"Tony-" Ziva started.
"What Zi?... what?" Tony began as he felt Ziva's hot breath on his face. He breathed in her intoxicating scent.
BBBRRRTTTTT
Ziva sighed as Tony shook his head with a disbelief look in his eyes. Ziva took out her cell phone.
"Shalom"
"Ziva, where are you?" A panicked Damon asked.
"Damon-" Ziva started
Tony looked up, put his arm over his head, turned on his heal and began to pace. He kept his body upright trying to disguise his disappointment and resentment.
"-everything is fine, I just stepped out to get us some coffee. I'm right downstairs; I'll be up in a minute." Ziva told him.
Ziva placed her phone back in her pocket. She looked up to see Tony with his arms on his hips.
"Aw… well would you look at that? Terminator's worried about you… how sweet" ice sharp in Tony's tone.
"Tony, please, do not star-"
"No, you know, I think he has this whole image thing down. I mean from afar, he's the terminator, big tough guy who can kickass on command, but deep down, he's this sweeeeet guy who opens your door and helps you out of the car-"
"Tony-"
"Calls to check up on you-"
"TONY!" Ziva yelled blood rushed back to her face.
"This is not about Damon, we are undercover. You k now that; why are you making it seem like I have done something wrong?" Ziva asked desperate for an answer.
"Because-" Tony stammered.
"Because…. I should be the one in there. If it were me, you would have no problem playing the role."
Ziva stared, trying to understand the point Tony was trying to make.
"You are jealous?" Ziva asked simply.
"How can I not be? He's rubbing it in my face, the smug bastard! You're sharing a room with him and getting him coffee and thinking about him; we can't even finish a conversation because he's calling you." Tony yelled in frustration.
Ziva looked, sympathetically, at Tony, as all the pieces slowly came together. All his frustration, his dislike for Damon, for no apparent reason.
"Tony, you said yourself, that what happened between us was a mistake…" Ziva softly spoke.
"And now you are saying that it is not? So you were lying? Why?" Ziva asked.
Tony kept his eyes on the ground, trying to figure out what he was trying to say.
"I don't…. I don't know"
Ziva slowly walked over to Tony and put her hands on his arms to keep him still. He raised his eyes and found her comforting brown eyes staring back at him. No anger, no resentment for the way he'd handled things.
"Just tell me the truth, Tony, do you think that it was a mistake that we slept toge-"
Ziva's phone vibrated. Both she and Tony sighed. Tony bit his lip, containing his desire to rip her phone from her hand and toss it to the street. Without looking at the caller ID, keeping her eyes glued on Tony's, Ziva flipped open the phone and put it to her ear.
"Damon I-"
Tony saw Ziva pause as shock spread through her face.
"Gibbs." She corrected.
Tony stood upright.
"Yes, Damon and I are up. OK, I will let him know." Ziva said as she closed her phone and placed it back into her pocket.
Tony eyed her curiously.
"Gibbs and Vance want us together, they have new intel." Ziva said quietly.
Tony nodded and bit his lip.
"Well you better go get him" Tony told her.
Ziva took one last look at Tony and headed for the hotel.
I thought it'd be nice to cut Tony some slack and give him and Ziva some quality time. (Hopefully tensions building and somewhere somebody's about to explode, not literately of course) This scene with tony and Ziva at the coffee shop was, originally, not supposed to be this long, but after reading some reviews, I decided to dedicate the whole chapter to Tiva, because we were kinda of straying from it. (Does anyone want to slap Tony and say: Just tell her you Idiot!!! …. Yes? GOOD! ) Anyway, REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW Pwease!
