A/N: So, after a long thought about this next chapter, I've finally figured out where exactly to take this. It has been kind of hard for me to write that chapter for reasons even unknown to me... I still hope you like it and leave a review on your way out.

Thanks to all that have reviewed that last chapter, as always they made my day :)

I might want to add, that this chapter should probably be rated M, but there is nothing too graphic, I guess ;-)

Have fun!

Chapter Eleven: Rebounds

"Would it be really that bad, if we did?"

The words hung in the air for a few moments before Tony even realized what he had just said. He suddenly jerked back so hard that the chair he was sitting on made a nasty cracking noise. As he was sure that he was not falling off of it, he looked back at Ziva, who had still said nothing. Tony could see her blush slightly again and it seemed like she was thinking fast. He still didn't know why he had asked her about that. But her hesitation to answer his question made the feeling of disappointment in his gut even worse now. It took a few more moments for the silent message that Ziva was sending him, to sink in.

"So, I guess, it really would be that bad," Tony finally stated, standing up and beginning to pace around in his bedroom.

He couldn't bring himself to look at her. He was on the edge of running away from her but thought better of it, as he was in his apartment. She had got to go, not him. This time it hadn't been him to create the mess. This time it was both of their faults and Tony knew that Ziva knew that, too.

He was still deeply buried in thoughts about how to sort out this mess as Ziva suddenly had stood up and walked over to him, making him stop dead in his tracks.

"No," she started, "that is not what I meant. I… I just do not know whether or not it is bad, Tony. I just do not know, okay?"

"Okay," Tony slowly answered and sat down again.

He didn't quite know what to make out of that answer. It could mean nothing and it could mean anything to him. But knowing Ziva that was all he was going to get. At least for the time being.

He watched her sitting down on the other chair, absent-mindedly playing with a loose strand of her curly hair. She looked around in his bedroom again, obviously trying to retrieve any hidden information from the room. As her look fell upon his nightstand, she smiled, before she walked over and picked up a framed picture.

"Is there any particular reason why you have a picture of McGee, Gibbs, Abby and me on your nightstand?"

Tony stared at her, just realizing something. His goggling caused Ziva to slightly smile at him again and she eyed him suspiciously.

"What?" She asked curiously.

"You have asked me that before."

-x-

"Is there any particular reason why you have a picture of McGee, Gibbs, Abby and me on your nightstand?"

Ziva was bending down in order to pick up the picture that stood on his nightstand facing his bed. Tony couldn't help but blush slightly. No one of the team should have ever seen that that picture was standing there, that it was the last thing he usually saw before closing his eyes at night. It was the one from last Christmas that Abby had insisted they should take. The whole team had to pose for it and even though Tony had found it slightly ridiculous at the time, he knew that he and the rest of team were never able to resist Abby in anything, so they had let her take one. As Abby had given it to him a few weeks later, he couldn't help but to admit that he loved the picture. They were all smiling, even Gibbs, and the picture was just so… so cozy, so full of love that Tony had it immediately framed.

"'Cause it might look suspicious if there was only a picture of you there." Tony thought but was determined not to let that fact slip.

"Well," he finally started, "I just like having people that I… that I care about around me. Even when I can't actually be with them, you know."

He could feel his cheeks burning up again, for what seemed to be the hundredth time that night. He quickly looked away from her and sat down on the chair again. He busied himself opening the other wine bottle, although he could see that they hadn't emptied the first one.

He slightly jumped as he could feel Ziva's hand on his shoulder again. He hadn't heard her coming over to him.

Damn ninja skills.

"I think that is awfully sweet of you," Ziva said unexpectedly, causing his cheeks to redden even more.

Tony looked up at her again and saw her smiling so broadly that his heart stuttered and his pulse quickened again. He grabbed her hand and pulled her towards him, making her sit on his lap. He ran his fingers through her hair again, still savoring in the warmth that she was giving him. Right at that moment, she bent down and kissed him again.

This time the passion, the need to feel her all over him, was replaced by something different that Tony couldn't really place. He thought it might be affection after all.
As soon as he had realized that fact, he quickly ended the kiss. This was so not the time to think about stuff like that.

He could feel Ziva's eyes on him but didn't react to it. Instead, he picked up the bottle again and poured the wine into their glasses. It wasn't until Ziva let out a laugh that he really paid attention to what he was doing. He had poured white wine into the glasses that still held the red one.

"You know," Ziva started, still laughing. "This reminds me of a movie."

"What?" Tony looked at her slightly taken aback.

This was his line after all.

"Yes," Ziva replied, winking at him. "You know the one with Jennifer Aniston and that cute little ferret?"

"Along came Polly, yeah," Tony answered, finally being able to recall the movie scene, "I'm really proud of you, Ziva David, for outsmarting the movie buff that I am."

Ziva chuckled softly before she caught his lips with hers and Tony totally forgot about everything they had just been talking about. Ziva attempted to deepen the kiss now and Tony let her, once again throwing all caution to the winds.

He lifted her up now and to his delight, he could feel Ziva's legs entangle around his waist. He was about to carry her to his bed as a sound of breaking glass caught his attention. He looked around and realized that he had just broken one of the glasses on the table with his elbow brushing it off of the table. He debated to pick up the pieces but decided to just let them be. He could still clean up afterwards…

He kissed Ziva again, before laying her down on his bed. He tilted his head to look closely at her to see whether she had any objections but she just smiled alluringly at him. She grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him on top of her, once again kissing him. She attempted to unbutton his shirt but seemed to fail miserably. Just as Tony decided to help her out, she just ripped off the shirt, causing the buttons to fly in every direction.

"Easy tigress," Tony chuckled but Ziva didn't seem to pay his words any attention.

Tony took the hint and busied himself to take her shirt off in return. As he could see Ziva's black bra, he could almost feel his brain shutting down. His lips lost hers and he kissed his way down from her neck to her breasts, while he unclasped her bra.

For the last time, his drunken and foggy mind seemed to give him a shout and he stopped for a short moment, before he looked up at Ziva again.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"No, not at all," Ziva replied, "but we cannot help it, yes?"

"No, we can't," Tony replied before he picked up his action again…

-x-

Tony stopped talking now, seeing that Ziva seemed to remember now, too. What he couldn't stop though, were his thoughts. Memories kept on showing up in his minds like film clips.

Her hands on his back. She nipping at his earlobes. His hands on her breast, his lips sucking at her nipples. The butterflies in his stomach, when she touched him the first time. The scent of her lingering on his tongue, on his lips. She moaning his name as he took her over the edge. The relief that he was feeling when he released himself into her. His arms around her waist as he was about to fall asleep.

Ziva had become pale once again. Tony was sure now that she remembered everything now, just like he did. Ziva sat down on his bed now, obviously unsure whether she would be able to stand anymore.

Tony had known that they had probably been sleeping together before, but now that he knew for sure, he was feeling slightly dumbfounded. He didn't know what to do or what to say to her. His mind didn't help him either, as he could still see flashes of a naked Ziva in his bed before his inner eye.

He cleared his throat now, trying to buy him some more time to think. But as he was still searching for the right words, Ziva suddenly stood up, clearly attempting to leave him behind. But he had anticipated that. He quickly sprang up and tucked at her elbow, making her turn around to look at him.

"Don't you run out of me now," he said a little too strongly.

But it worked. Ziva stopped dead in her tracks and faced him again. Their faces were merely inches apart now and Tony once again was able to feel the warmth that was radiating from her. He stared into her brown eyes now, not wanting to let go off her.

He knew that they would need to talk. And soon. If Ziva left now, they would just prolong this whole situation and Tony couldn't see how that was supposed to help. But still, he couldn't think of a way to start the conversation again. So he just remained staring at her, holding on to her elbow, waiting.

Finally, Ziva blinked again and then looked away from his face. She walked over to his bed once again and sat down.

"What do we do now?" She asked only above a whisper.

Tony sat down beside her, still pondering about what to say to her.

"I honestly don't know, Ziva. I mean, what's done is done. Obviously. The question now is how to continue. You know, with us. Shall we pretend that it never happened or face the situation and make the best out of it?"

"The best?" Ziva asked, "And what do you think is the best?"

"I don't know, Ziva, can't we figure that out together?"

Ziva remained silent for a few moments. She seemed to be very interested in her hands that were fidgeting with her pants.

"Is it really the worst thing that ever happened to you, Ziva?" Tony finally started, having made up his mind.

"No, it is not. It is just… this is so not the way…," Ziva trailed off, still staring at her hands.

"This is so not the way, what, Zi? So not the way it was supposed to happen? Yeah, I totally agree. I mean, I have waited a long time for this to happen. Kind of. You know, I've been thinking about you, about us for a while now without even realizing it. And now that it has happened, I'm not so sure what to do with it. I really wish it would have happened when we both were sober. Hell, I even wish that I could remember all of it. But we can't change that anymore. It has happened. And so, here we are. We have to figure this out. Figure us out, before anyone gets hurt or …"

Tony trailed off, not sure if he said too much or not. He realized that he had basically just let his guard down. Let his guard down about his feeling towards her. But as he looked at Ziva now, she still didn't give anything away. She just stared at him, her mouth slightly hanging open.

But then, she suddenly stood up again and without another look at him, she left his bedroom and only a few moments later, Tony could hear the front door close behind her.

Leaving him behind with a feeling of utter disappointment, a feeling of hurt inside his heart that threatened to rip him apart.

So, he had been the rebound after all, hadn't he?

A/N: Thoughts? Reviews? :-D