A/N: Hello people! So sorry for the unexpected absence (yikes! 10 days since I posted, really? Haha...oops?), it's been a busy couple of weeks and I'm still trying to catch up with myself. Hope you guys like this one, originally hadn't written this as a Glimpse, but now I think it fits. Also, until I get some free time (so far have worked 14 days straight with only a few hours off here and there) and am able to type up the notebooks full of postable material I've been working on, updates will likely only be once a week. Also, this is where things start getting a little out of order, but hey, I write 'em as the inspiration hits :) At this time there are 7 Glimpses left, tho a few of them are really short. I'm also planning to put up a Snapshot before the end of October, one in November (that one was a surprise), and the last one in the first couple weeks of December. Thanks for everything guys, it's nice to have readers who stick around :)

Being trapped made Ziva more deadly than usual. For the first twenty minutes she frantically sought a way out, kicking and throwing herself at walls until Tony feared she'd seriously harm herself in the escape attempt. After that she paced - up and down, back and forth, occasionally muttering to herself in a language he didn't always recognize. The closer they got to an hour, the more agitated she got and finally Tony put himself in her path, risking potential injury to put his hands on her arms.

She jerked away with a panicked cry and Tony wondered if she'd forgotten he was there. "Easy Ziva, it's just me," he murmured, following her rapid breathing to find her again in the thick darkness. "You know my voice, it's okay." His words kept up a soothing cadence as one might use on a child or an injured animal. "Easy." Finally he reached her and Ziva froze at his touch. He swallowed, wondering where her mind she was lost to. "Can you hear me? Come on ninja, snap out of it."

Her breath hitched and her hand reached out to land on his chest. "Tony?"

Tony sighed in relief. "Hey partner, I thought I lost you for a minute there."

Ziva's words trembled. "I was all alone and it was so dark."

"Hey," he cupped her cheek, wishing he could see her eyes. "I'm here, okay? We're in this together. Now how about we sit down, huh?"

She nodded and Tony guided her to the nearest wall and brought her down to sit between his knees. The intimate position was less of concern than keeping Ziva in the present with him. She didn't seem to care either, leaning into his chest and relaxing slightly when he wrapped his arms around her. He spoke, his breath tickling her neck, and Ziva squirmed. "Favourite colour?"

Her brow furrowed. "Excuse me?"

Tony shrugged. "We're stuck in here, gotta do something. Twenty questions, favourites style. So, favourite colour?"

Ziva sighed. "Green."

"Favourite perfume?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Inside info DiNozzo?"

Tony chuckled. "It never hurts. Tell me."

Ziva didn't have to think very long. "One my brother brought home from Canada when I was a girl - Butterfly. I have never seen it since."

"Huh." He tucked that away for a rainy day. "Favourite ninja turtle?"

Ziva twisted to face him. "What?"

His expression, if she had been able to see it, was filled with disbelief. "You don't know who the ninja turtles are?"

She elbowed him. "Israeli, remember?"

Tony rolled his eyes. "Fine. But we'll have to remedy that next time we have a free Saturday afternoon. Okay, next - favourite flower?"

Ziva smiled faintly. "There is a small blue flower that blooms at the end of summer called Widow's Tears. But Spanish Flag is also nice, and Flowering Rush." She shrugged. "I have a hard time picking just one."

Tony rubbed his thumb over her arm. "I'll keep that in mind. What about favourite book?"

They continued the game until he couldn't think of anything else to ask and then Ziva turned each question back on him before they lapsed into silence. It was ages before Tony squeezed her elbow gently. "Remember our first undercover assignment? I keep coming back to something you said. Ziva, is ten minutes all the time a guy ever spent on you?"

She replayed the conversation from five years ago and tensed. "You remember some unexpected things."

He sighed into her hair. "You don't have to tell me."

Ziva shrugged. "It is more realistic than an hour, yes?"

Tony's eyebrows rose. "For the whole experience? No way. It's not just about the sex Ziva, it's how you get there. Personally, I like to take my time." He rubbed his fingers over her jacket. "You're worth a lot more than ten minutes."

She snorted. "How would you know? I have never slept with you."

Tony stared at her with an intensity she could feel. "I know."

Ziva shifted uneasily. "Sex has always been more of a weapon in my line of work, a cleverly used tool to get what I needed to accomplish missions. Sex with partners was pure stress relief but had to happen without losing awareness of our surroundings. We could just as easily be killed as enjoy a brief moment of release."

His brow furrowed. "What about for fun? For comfort?" He paused. "For love?"

She waved her hand dismissively. "There has never been time for love. I was not allowed to need comfort. For fun...after awhile one night stands became unsatisfying, empty. Just once I would like to know what it is like to stay the night."

Her admission caught Tony by surprise. The darkness had to be affecting her walls, they were never this honest. He changed positions a little to ease the strain on his knee and slid his legs straight out. Ziva copied him and Tony started rubbing her shoulders. Her first reaction was to get even more tense, but there was nothing inappropriate in the way he touched her and Ziva had to acknowledge that it felt pretty good.

"I know what you mean," Tony told her quietly. "I still keep up the bragging and boasting, just for show. But it's been a long time since I took someone home. You're right, it gets old. After awhile I wanted it to mean more than just a warm body for the night. That's never really a cure for loneliness."

Ziva traced a pattern on her jeans and was quiet for several moments. "Are you lonely Tony?"

He nodded slowly and sighed. "Yeah. Work and the team are great, and I love my movies, but sometimes I think it would be nice to look over and see someone else in my apartment, even if she wasn't doing the same thing. Someone to eat a meal with, fall asleep with, take out on the town, go for a walk with, and share my life with, I guess."

"That paints a very sweet picture," Ziva said wistfully, "but it is hard to hope and always be disappointed."

Tony nodded. "We'll figure it out, one of these days."

Ziva's fingers wandered over his resting on her hips. "I am glad you are here Tony."

He grinned and brushed a kiss over her hair. "Me too."

Another half hour passed before the firemen got them out and what Tony and Ziva remembered most about those three hours was not being trapped, but for once in their lives finally not being alone.

Replies:

Cheryl (G12) - I knew Z was 1982, I just Googled to find Tony's - those dates didn't always match so I'm not positive about his birthday. haha...yeah, right? I love imagining what happens past what the writers let us see. I appreciated Z not letting T cheat. EJ clearly wasn't that important to him. Thanks for reviewing! :)

Sarah (G13) - I never liked Ray, so I didn't really care how they got rid of them but it sucks that Z got hurt/betrayed again. It annoyed me that Z couldn't make up her mind about the proposal. First it was no for sure, then I'll think about it, then maybe I'll say yes...the Z I know is more decisive than that. Thanks :) Glad you liked it. That's a good point, EJ and Tony played it really casual, there was no real emotional attachment. I liked T&Z scenes alone as well. I'm not sure if T&Z are going to keep it a secret or just wait until things calm down or someone notices. Definitely think Z being missing was a huge flashback for Tony, poor guy is a lot more vulnerable than he looks. Thanks for reviewing Sarah! :)