So...i can't remember which ep this was, but Gibbs said the name of my city and I became giddy about it. "Roanoke" from Gibbs' mouth sounds sweet...like candeeeh. Hahahaa ;)
WARNING!!! Part of this chapter includes EXPLICIT sexual content. If you don't like that sorta thing, when you get to hit, click over to the next chapter where the story picks back up :)
"When you said 'tomorrow', I didn't think you meant five in the morning," Tony said as he placed muffs over his ears and picked up his gun. Gibbs smirked. "I woulda went to sleep before three." He fired at the target eight times then set the gun back down and casually removed the muffs before hitting the return button.
The target made its way toward them. "Looks like you do your best shooting when you're tired," Gibbs said when he glanced at the target. Tony looked at it as well, pleased that he'd hit all the places he'd aimed for, dead-on.
Gibbs picked up Tony's gun and handed it to him. "Let's get to work," he said as he turned.
"That's it?" Tony asked, disbelieving.
"Duck said loud noise and flashing light can provoke seizures," he said as the agent caught up to him.
"That's why you had me shoot?" Gibbs turned in front of Tony, stopping him where he stood, and flashed his flashlight on and off in his eyes.
"Gah! What the hell are you doing?" he squinted and tried to dodge the offensive light.
"Trying to save you a trip to the neurologist," he said and discontinued the torture.
"Thanks...I think," he said, uncomfortably pulling his suit coat back down in place. "So did I pass, then?"
"You're still standing," Gibbs answered as he turned to continue out.
Vance stood in MTAC, relieved when Gibbs walked in. "You're just in time," he told him. "Captain of the USS Essex is on the line," he motioned for the AV officer to put it on screen.
"Director Vance," the captain said as his image appeared in front of them. "I was just briefed on the situation there. Owen Lansworth was a friend. I was surprised to hear what happened."
"Lansworth ever mention Roger Hastings?" Gibbs asked.
"Not that I recall. That's the guy that raided your office there not long ago, right?"
"He wasn't alone," Gibbs said. "He had several employees...some of which, we believe, might be on board your ship, Captain."
"The officers you're implicating are good men, recommended my Lansworth, himself."
"From what we've heard, they may have been protecting him," Vance told him.
"Corporal Lansworth ever mention anything about his family?" Gibbs asked.
"I know he's been going through a divorce this past year. Hasn't really been the same guy since his wife left him."
"He ever mention what happened in Vegas right before they split up?"
"From what I've always heard, what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas, Agent Gibbs," he snickered. "Listen, you know we just deployed yesterday. If my men were protecting Lansworth, why do you need them transported back there?"
"Because one of them might know something about the Corporal's death," Vance said. "And they may have been involved in the raid here at NCIS."
"As I said, Director, these are good men. They're trustworthy and reliable..."
"A friend of mine once said, 'You can't trust a man whose loyalties have a price'," Gibbs told him and turned to walk out of MTAC...
Tony stood in Ziva's living room aiming his gun at her. The coffee table had been pushed out of the way so that she could demonstrate how to successfully disarm an assailant, unarmed, in less than three seconds.
"Are you ready?" she asked with a grin.
"Not really," he replied, hesitantly. She reached out, quickly grabbing his forearm with one hand and his elbow with the other, twisting him around violently then jabbing him in the back, causing him to drop the gun. He grunted and she laughed through her nose and let him go. She wasn't expecting him to drop to his knees.
She hadn't hit him hard, "I barely hit you," she said and walked around to the front of him, kneeling when she saw the look on his face. "I hit your back..." she realized. "I am sorry, Tony..." His breathing seemed shaky and his eyes were distant. "Tony?" she reached to his shoulder and his eyes focused on her then, a little confused. "You were having a flashback," she realized. His brow furrowed and he quickly stood. "Perhaps we should continue a different day," she stood and handed him his gun.
"Don't tell Gibbs," he said with pleading eyes.
"Tell him what?" she brushed past him and walked over to the television. "Did you remember to bring the movie?" she asked. He turned around, smirking.
"In my bag," he said as he went to retrieve it.
"I'll make popcorn," she disappeared into the kitchen. Tony popped in the DVD and turned on the TV, then went to the couch with the remote.
"C'mon, Zee, you're missing the previews," he said after a few minutes.
"I don't need to see the previews," she said as she returned with a big bowl of the notorious movie snack-food.
"If you don't watch the previews, you won't know what movie to see next," he said as she sat down and put the bowl between them.
"I said I would watch Superman...not be set up to plan what to do every other night until your lease runs out," she smirked. He made a face at her and pressed the menu button to start the movie. He watched her drop a few pieces of the corn into her mouth.
"Thanks," he said quietly. She turned to him, seeing him give her an appreciative smile, and realized why he was thanking her. She returned his smile and turned back to the movie...
As Gibbs descended the staircase from MTAC down to the bullpen, he listened to the conversation taking place between his agents.
"It was based on a comic book, Ziva," Tony said.
"I am not talking about the super powers," she said. "I am simply stating that they made a scientific error. When he flew around the earth to turn back time then go save Lois Lane, he also took back the events in which he saved the people on the bus and the train, not to mention the dam which would have ruptured and flooded the city."
"He's Superman, Ziva...I'm sure there's an explanation."
"Yes, well...in any case, you were wrong. No where in the movie did Clark Kent say, 'no pain, no gain'."
"I said Clark Kent said it...not which Superman movie he said it in."
"There are more Superman movies?"
"There are five, actually," McGee chimed in, not looking up from his screen.
"Superman Returns, doesn't count, Probie," he said briefly glancing at McGee then back at Ziva. "The fourth is where he says it."
"So I have to sit through three more of them..."
"I thought you liked the movie?"
"I suppose that it was okay," she caught sight of Gibbs coming down the last set of steps and turned back to her work.
"Okay? The movie is a classic..."
"You got x-ray vision that can tell if our Navy Marines are on their way up here?" Gibbs said as he entered the bullpen.
Tony quickly straightened in front of his computer, "No, Boss...sorry, Boss."
"Well, they are. When they get here, bring them in to interrogation," he picked up a few files and headed back out of the bullpen.
"If you had x-ray vision," McGee said, "I'm sure you wouldn't be using it for the betterment of mankind."
"Au contraire, McWise-guy," he said leaning back in his chair, "I would most definitely be using it for the betterment of mankind..." he pretended to look through Ziva's desk. She made a face at him, but his gaze turned up toward the elevator when the Navy Marine officers walked out; nervousness splashed over each of their faces when they saw him...
"They were here," Tony said as he, Ziva and McGee stood in observation looking through the mirror at the three suspects. "The moment they walked in, I saw it written all over their faces."
"I saw it, too," Ziva concurred.
"I think that's the guy who shot me," McGee said, and they looked over at him. "The guy on the left...see the tattoo on his neck?" They focused on what he was showing them. "It was mostly covered up at the time, but I noticed it in the surveillance tape when Abby and I were going through them yesterday."
"You should tell Gibbs before he goes in there," Tony said.
"Right..." Tim turned and walked out. A few moments later, they watched Gibbs enter the interrogation room and McGee returned to stand with Tony and Ziva.
*~.~*
Gibbs threw down three files onto the table in front of them. "I know you were with Hastings and his men in this very building during the raid," he said calmly, but didn't sit. "I've got you on tape," They looked up at him, nervously. He pointed at the tattoo. "I know you were protecting your Corporal."
"Sir, then you know we had no choice," the tattooed officer spoke.
"You had a choice not to shoot my agent," he raised his voice. The Private looked away.
"I...didn't mean to shoot him. I panicked."
"And you coulda killed him," he said as he sat down and opened each file, placing one in front of each man. "Your phone records all show calls to and from Corporal Lansworth two days ago. My question is, did you go to pick up your paycheck from him?"
"We didn't go to his house," the man in the middle said. "He met us in D.C. We had a few drinks with him. He paid us there."
"Then you wouldn't mind giving us a DNA sample to verify you were never in his apartment?"
"Look," the third man said, "We didn't even know he was dead until Captain Andrews told us yesterday. We were awaiting deployment the morning he was killed."
"Before you were deployed...there would have been plenty of time to get back to your ship before it left dock." There was a long silence. Then Gibbs spoke again. "Smile," he said. The men glanced at one another in confusion. Gibbs rolled his eyes. "We found a tooth at the crime scene," he explained, "Show me your teeth, Private Smith," Hesitantly, he bore his teeth to the man, all of them in place. "Garrett," the officer took his turn, "Betz." None of them were missing teeth. "Do any of you know any of the other men who were working with Hastings?"
"Private Aaron Ricks," the tattooed Private Garrett answered, his eyes becoming glassy. "He had him killed...over a few cell phones he forgot to leave behind."
"Private First Class Ryan Sheck," Smith said. "Hastings...uh..." the man began to shake, "Hastings made me inject something into Sheck's arm. Told me if I didn't do it, he'd kill my parents," he began to break down. "Ryan started screaming in pain...begged me to shoot him, but I couldn't...I knocked him out with the butt of my gun..."
"Hastings threatened all of us like that," Betz told him. "Craig Dawson didn't show up for deployment...I think he might've gotten knocked off too."
"Dawson's alive," Gibbs said. "Anyone else you can name before someone else ends up with their blood on your hands?" They sat in thought for a moment. "There were eleven of you in Vegas..."
"Oh," Garrett remembered, "There was a group of Marines from town who met up with us at the casino. They didn't stay at the hotel."
"One of them did," Betz spoke up.
"Oh yeah...Tony," Garrett recalled. "Tony LaFaso. The Staff Sergeant...he's the one who told Corporal Lansworth about Hastings. I haven't seen him in a year."
"Was he part of the raid on NCIS?"
"I have no idea," Garrett said. "How you saw us that day, is how we show up to work for Hastings. He said it made it easier not to play favorites..."
"To him, we were a bunch of lemmings," Smith said. "Didn't matter what our faces looked like."
"Hastings was a coward," Gibbs said. "He paid you to do what he couldn't do himself."
"He could've done it himself," Garrett looked up at him. "He just wanted to make sure he had plenty of insurance..." Gibbs cringed inwardly at the word, "...plenty to hold against us if we didn't do what he asked."
"Could the Marines who didn't stay at the hotel have been involved with Hastings?" Gibbs asked the obviously troubled Marine.
"They could have..."
"Can you write down their names for me?" Gibbs slid a paper over to him. Gibbs turned and motioned for someone to come in to book them.
*~.~*
"Stay here, Probie," Tony said as he and Ziva walked out of interrogation to book the Marines.
*~.~*
"Could you do me a favor, Agent Gibbs?" Garrett said as he slid the pen and paper back to him.
"What's that?"
"Could you tell the agent I shot...tell him I'm sorry," his eyes became glassy again and his sniffed. "I deserve whatever punishment they give me. So I'm not just sayin' it to push off the blame," he reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. "I was holding onto this in case something were to happen to me...ya know...in case Hastings had me killed too," he slid the paper to him. "I wanted to make sure my parents had something to bury me with. But I never wanted the damn money in the first place. I just wanted to help the Corporal..."
Gibbs opened the paper and looked at the check written out to him by Hastings as Tony as Ziva walked in and cuffed them. "You'll tell him I'm sorry?" Garrett asked again as he was walked to the door. Gibbs looked at him, then nodded. When the room was clear, he stood and turned briefly toward the glass, knowing McGee was on the other side, then walked out...
*~.~*
McGee had already heard the apology, but Gibbs came into the observation room as the audio officer left. "I'm not a chump for feeling sorry for the guy, am I?" McGee said, then turned around to face his boss. Gibbs smirked and cocked his head.
"Guy had the guts to seek forgiveness for his sins in front of his fellow Marines," he said. "I think your pity is a brave gesture." McGee smirked and looked down. "Too bad Private Betz didn't have the balls to apologize for giving me my latest scar," he turned to walk out. McGee furrowed his brow and followed him out.
"How'd you figure it was Betz?" McGee asked as Gibbs checked his phone and saw missed calls from both Ducky and Abby.
"Kept avoiding eye contact and glancing down at my chest," he explained as they got on the elevator.
"Got something for me, Duck?" Gibbs asked as he and McGee walked into the morgue.
"Yes, Jethro," he said. "I take it you were in interrogation when I called...Mr. Lansworth's death was as I'd suspected earlier; blunt force trauma to the head. But my initial guess as to what was used as a murder weapon was slightly off. It wasn't a baseball bat, but rather a golf club."
"There were no golf clubs at the scene," McGee said. Gibbs looked at him. "Uhh...of course, I suppose the killer might've taken them..."
"Or they weren't his clubs," Gibbs said and looked back at Ducky, "Any idea what kind of club we're looking for?"
"A wood club...a Photon Titanium Pro, to be exact." Gibbs raised his brows.
"I didn't know you were an expert on golf clubs, Duck," he said.
"Well," he snickered, "I do know a thing or two about them, Jethro, but I only knew this because, upon shaving the area of his head to get a better look at the area, I noticed the nice little impression it left behind," he pointed to the clearly marked indentations. "My guess is, the club you're looking for has an engraved label..." he looked further down the body. "Oh yes, also, before the Corporal was killed, he got a good swing at whoever his attacker was."
"With the club?" McGee queried.
"Don't be silly, Timothy. How would I know that?"
"I...uh..." he had no reply.
"A swing of his fist, McGee," he said. "Most likely how they lost a tooth..."
*~.~*
"Gibbs!" Abby exclaimed as he walked into the lab with McGee, "I've been calling you. Why weren't you answering your cell?"
"I was in interrogation, Abs. Sound was turned off."
"Oh...well I found something interesting."
"Hinky-interesting, or case-solving interesting?" Gibbs smirked.
"You know I like it when you say 'hinky'," she smiled. "But no, case-solving interesting, definitely." She walked them over to the table. "The tooth that Tony found in Lansworth's house is none other than a mandibular canine. The Internet Journal of Biological Anthropology recorded a study on how you can determine gender from a tooth...more specifically, the mandibular canine. I did some measurements...this tooth," she held up the evidence bag, "Belonged to a woman."
"The Internet Journal?" Gibbs cocked his head.
"Oh...well, I confirmed it when I ran the blood splatter that came from the wall," she went to her computer. "Ran it through CODIS and found a match," she pulled up the information and put it on the big screen. "Janis Lansworth. Corporal Lansworth's wife..."
"No answer at her house, Boss," McGee said from his desk. "No cell number available."
"Found an address for the daughter," Tony said, "No phone number, but she's local."
"McGee, you keep trying to reach Mrs. Lansworth," he opened his drawer to get his gun and badge. "Ziva...Dinozzo, let's go."
Gibbs knocked on the door of the apartment and it was almost immediately answered. "Caree Lansworth?" Gibbs asked as he held up his badge. She nodded and stepped out, closing the door behind her. "I'm Agent Gibbs. This is Agents Dinozzo and David. We're here to ask you a couple questions."
"Is this about my dad?" her voice cracked, and they noticed she looked as if she'd be crying.
"Sort of," he answered. She motioned to the patio chairs on the porch and Gibbs took a seat next to Caree's. Ziva and Tony stood, leaning slightly on the rail behind them. "Do you have any idea where your mother might be?"
"My mother is dead," she said. Ziva and Tony shared a glance. "But if you're talking about Janis, no."
"Janis isn't your biological mother," Gibbs deduced.
"Dad married her when I was thirteen. Just a year after my mother died of cancer. I always suspected it was because dad got a lot of money from my mom's life insurance policy. And last year, when she found out we were going broke, she planned a trip for us to go to Vegas...try and win big in the casinos..."
"Plans didn't go very well, I guess," Tony said.
"No...Janis and I got along pretty well after I started going to therapy. This was a couple years ago. My therapist told me a lot of my hatred was being misdirected at her...that I was angry that my mother had died, and I was fishing for excuses to be Janis' enemy. So we started going to sessions together. It was her idea. Then my dad was shipped out for a while. So we grew pretty close. She used to take me on these...really fun shopping sprees," she smiled through her tears, "And at sixteen, that was the best thing ever. But when we went to Vegas last year...dad was downstairs at the casino with some Marines and we were in our hotel room. She told me how broke we were...that all the money was gone. And she had this plan..." she started crying again.
"Janis talked you into faking your own kidnapping," Tony concluded. Caree nodded.
"I didn't understand at first. Daddy was broke...how would he get the money? But she knew he would find a way...he had to. I was his baby."
"So she got the money...then what happened?" Gibbs asked.
"I ended up telling him what happened. He didn't wanna put her in jail...so he just filed for a divorce. I was angry...at both of them. I left...moved in with some friends till I could afford my own place. Last thing I heard, she was living in Miami. But I got a strange phone call," she said as if she'd only just recalled, and she retreated into the house to get her cell phone.
Gibbs glanced up at Tony. He shrugged, "Wasn't listed, Boss. Must be new..."
"It's one of those prepaid phones," she sniffled. "I can't afford to keep minutes on it, but I've had it for years. Dad used to charge minutes for it every month so he could call." She handed the phone to Gibbs and he looked at the number and pulled out his cell to dial it. "When I picked up, no one answered. They were just...breathing into the phone."
"Yeah, where are you located?" Gibbs said after the other line picked up. "Thanks," he ended the call. "It's a motel up the street from here," he told Tony and Ziva. "I need you to come with us," he told Caree.
"Why?" she asked.
"You could be in danger, here."
"Do you think Janis killed my father?" she asked as she followed them to the car.
"We found her DNA at the crime scene," Ziva said.
"Does Janis play golf, by any chance?" Gibbs asked.
"Yeah, my dad taught her...why?"
Gibbs parked behind a car with a Florida license plate and told Tony to go into the office to find out what room Janis was in. "What if she has a gun?" Caree asked Ziva who was sitting in the back seat with her.
"If she had a gun, it would have been much easier to have shot your father..." she answered, hoping that wasn't too blunt.
"You stay in here, Caree," Gibbs said as Tony made his way out of the office, motioning to the motel door the car was parked in front of. "Lock the doors and get down." He and Ziva met Tony at the door and Tony knocked.
"NCIS!" he yelled. "Open up." He waited a moment, then motioned for his partners to back away so he could kick the door in.
It all happened rather fast...Tony kicked down the door and entered before his partners. And at once, they heard a voice yell to them. "Drop your weapons or he dies!" She was standing there with a gun pointed at Dinozzo's head, her body shielded by the metal door. They had no choice but to comply. "I didn't mean to kill him," she said to Tony, who could see her clearly from inside the room. "But he hit me...and I just...reacted."
"No offense, Ma'am, but...with the gun pointed at my face, I find it difficult to believe that," Tony said calmly.
"What you believe doesn't matter," she said angrily. "I loved him..." she cried, "Everything I did was for him...and I killed him! Nothing I do now matters..." Tony saw her finger move on the trigger, and he was suddenly hit with a recollection of the night before. He reached out with both of hands; one on her wrist, the other on her elbow, and twisted her violently around, then jabbed her in the back, and the gun fell to the floor.
He pulled out his cuffs as Gibbs and Ziva came in. "That was a nice move, Dinozzo," Gibbs said, picking up Janis' weapon after tucking his own away.
"Little somethin' I picked up from the Mossad," he quipped, glancing at Ziva with a smile.
"You are a very fast learner," Ziva grinned at him as she assisted Gibbs in his search of the room.
"Call Caree a cab," Gibbs told her. "I'm sure she doesn't wanna ride back with her."
"Caree's here?" Janis' eyes widened. "I wanna talk to her..."
"That's not gonna happen," Tony said.
"I just want to explain...it was an accident..."
"It wasn't an accident," Gibbs said as he picked up her car keys, "It might not have been premeditated, but it wasn't an accident." He went outside to Janis' car, noticing Ziva had taken Caree to the office to wait for the cab, and opened the trunk. Tony put Janis in the back of the car as Gibbs' gloved hand picked up a bloody golf club from inside the trunk.
As the cab pulled up to the office and Caree was escorted by Ziva to the car, Caree looked at Janis who was looking at her from Gibbs' car. Ziva looked between them both, tears streaming silently down the young girl's face before she turned and sat in the back seat of the cab.
Ziva closed the door after giving the girl a business card, in the case she wanted to talk to them in the future. She walked back toward Gibbs as he leaned against the car. "McGee is on his way with the van," she said as she reached him. He nodded.
"You're teaching Dinozzo Mossad fighting techniques?" Gibbs asked her with a bit of a smirk on his face. She shrugged and leaned back on the car, next to him.
"Nothing dangerous," she admitted. "Certainly nothing much dissimilar to Marine self-defense."
"You saved his life, teaching him that move," he looked at her. She shook her head in modesty. "I'm serious, Ziver," he said. "I think he does a lot better at your place then he does at mine. You should keep him again today...teach him something else."
"You...are trying to ditch him off on me, so that you do not have to listen to anymore Jet Li talk," she raised a brow at her boss. Gibbs smirked and shook his head.
"Nah," he said, standing up off of the car when he noticed the NCIS van pull into the driveway.
"Yes, you are!" she stood as well. "Do you realize how many Superman movies I will be forced to watch?" Gibbs laughed.
"You know I can hear you, right?" Tony yelled from the car as he pulled the keys from the ignition, got out and locked the doors. "What took you so long, Probie?" he diverted the attention to the agent grabbing gear from the back of the van.
"Seven minutes, Tony," he yelled. "It's a five mile drive. I'd say I made pretty good time."
"But you just missed out on the big custody battle."
"Tony," Ziva laughed. "Don't be such a baby in front of the murderer." He made a face at her.
Tony sat perfectly still on the floor with his eyes closed. His legs were crossed, Indian-style under him and his arms rested on either knee. He peeked open one of his eyes at Ziva who was mimicking his position across from him. They were both in sweatpants and tee shirts in preparation for the training.
"I did not say you could open your eyes," she said and he quickly shut it.
"How did you—never mind. How is this a fighting technique, again?"
"It is a focusing exercise," she explained. "And the point is for you to shut your mouth and concentrate on clearing your mind." He was quiet for a moment.
"How can I clear my mind when I'm concentrating so hard?" he asked. She sighed.
"Just be quiet, Tony...just don't think! I'm sure that will be easy for you." He chose to ignore the comment and closed his eyes again, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly.
After a few minutes, Ziva spoke, "Why did you apologize about what happened in the elevator?"
"Why did you say there was nothing to apologize for?" he retorted, keeping his eyes closed. She sighed again and closed her eyes.
"Because you did nothing wrong," she said finally. "In fact...if I remember correctly, I was the one who started it." He smirked without opening his eyes, but simply picturing her face.
"Why did you kiss me?" he asked, out of pure curiosity.
"Why did you kiss me back?" she retorted, keeping her eyes closed as well.
"Because I'm in love with you..." he said, opening his eyes. Her eyes shot open at his words, and she met his gaze. She searched his eyes for a few moments, seeing fear of uncertainty at her reaction, but pure sincerity.
"You are in love with me?" she almost whispered. He, too, saw the fear of uncertainty matched in her own eyes; Skepticism bestowed upon her from her past...he wanted to take all of that hurt away from her. But he wasn't sure she wanted that from him.
His head nodded, hoping that her response wouldn't be too violent. But she looked down slightly, and just for a moment. Her worried features softened just a bit.
"Then kiss me again," she said, as if to dare him. He watched her for a moment, his gaze darting from her eyes to her lips, then back to her eyes again. Then he moved forward towards her, his legs shifting to a kneeling position. Her eyes followed his lips until they were too close to focus on any longer, and when his mouth reached hers, his hand lightly held the side of her face and her eyes closed.
The kiss was gentle and sweet...but it overwhelmed her senses. She felt a warmth deep in her chest...something that rarely happened in her lifetime. And tears escaped her eyes and ran down her cheeks.
Tony pulled away when he realized what was happening. He looked into her eyes with genuine concern. "Zee? Why are you crying?" he wiped one away with his thumb and she laughed as her hands came up to rid of the streaks.
"Because...I am happy," she smiled. "Because I am in love with you."
Tony swallowed...Of all the things he would've expected her to say, that was not one of them. He was simply amazed, and part of him didn't believe her. "Please tell me you're not saying that out of pity...I don't think I could handle that..."
"Are you calling me a liar?" she raised a brow and pushed him down on his back, and held up her thumb in front of his face. "Because I can kill you right now, with my thumb."
"I wouldn't call you a liar...I was just checking." He grinned right before grasping her thumb and using his elbow to flip her off of him onto her back and pinning her under himself. She gasped at the contact.
"You are a fast learner, Dinozzo," she said, not looking away from his eyes.
"I have a pretty good teacher," he replied.
"Pretty good?" she smirked. Then his mouth crushed down upon hers. She freed her wrists from his hands and dig them into his hair as she opened her mouth, hungrily devouring his heated kisses.
His arm traveled her side until he reached her knee and slipped under it, pulling it back up with him as he pressed himself fully against her She gasped when she felt his need for her. "Do you see what you do to me?" he whispered through clenched teeth at her ear. Her stomach fluttered and her breath became labored at its intensity. His mouth trailed kisses on her jawline and down her neck. Her hips arched against him and he groaned.
She grabbed the hand that held her knee and lead it down past her stomach, and he pulled his head up to look at her face as she lead his fingers to the evidence of her arousal. "And do you see what you do to me?" she said as she arched her hips again.
Letting out a labored breath, his face went to her shoulder, his teeth biting the skin gently as his fingers dipped into her folds. Her head dipped back at the sensation. "Please, Tony..." she breathed, and his head came up to look a her again. "We are so past foreplay..." He agreed...lowering his mouth to hers again, hungrily. His hand left her folds and snaked around under her hips, pulling her, hard, against him as he pressed down against her once more before grabbing the hem and pulling them down off of her hips.
"Wait..." he said as he pushed himself up to his knees, looking around the room.
"What?" she panicked as she propped herself up. He scrambled over to his bag and the end of the couch and began to dig through it. Then she knew what he was looking for and she stood, removing her sweatpants and underwear, then pulling her tee shirt over her head and unclasping her bra, allowing the straps to fall from her shoulders before adding it to the pile on the floor.
"Ah ha!" he shouted and stood, holding a wrapped condom in his hand like a trophy as he turned to her. His features fell blank when he saw her standing there near him...and she suddenly became self-conscious. Her body was stricken with scars...
'How could he ever want this?' she thought.
"You are so beautiful, Ziva," he said moving closer to her, his hand shaking as he reached toward her face. Her eyes were glassy with unshed tears. "Do you even know...how beautiful you are?" She laughed, her tears blinked back, and his hand went into her hair, gently pulling it from its ponytail.
Her hands went to his face and pulled his mouth to hers again, deepening quickly. His arms wrapped around her small form and his hands traveled down to her hips, pulling her against him again. She sighed with need as her hands went to the bottom of Tony's shirt, pulling it up, and they separated for the short moment it took to get it over his head, coming back together again.
When he felt her skin against his, he couldn't help but moan in response. As he walked her backward, his hands grazed up and down her sides and she took the condom from his hand, opening it with her teeth. "Bedroom?" she suggested. But her back hit the cool wall behind her.
"Too far," he said as he kissed her jawline. She laughed through her nose, as the bedroom was merely a few feet away. He laughed with her for a moment. Then he felt her hands tug his pants down a bit, freeing him from their restriction. His face stayed gently at her cheek, awaiting her reaction. Then he felt the palm of her hand glide over the tip then her fingers curled around him, grasping him firmly as she stroked down then up...just once. His breath was shaky in her ear as he tried to maintain his self-control. Then he felt her put the condom on him and his face moved to look at her again.
She was deeply moved by the passion she saw in his eyes and she returned it, wrapping her arms around his neck, giving him the lead. He reached down and picked her up and she instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist. He looked into her eyes as if to receive confirmation once more. She reached down between them and guided him to her...and he pressed forward, fully entering her, both pairs of eyes closing at the sensation. A guttural sound escaped his throat as he felt he contract her muscles around him.
"God...Ziva..." his mouth returned to hers. He pulled out slowly and reentered her and she moaned against his mouth.
"Tony...please..." she breathed as her legs urged him to go faster. He complied, though difficult. She was squeezing him so...and they could no longer keep their mouths together, for fear of not being able to breathe. His forehead pressed fiercely against the wall next to her, trying to maintain control.
When noises began to build from her throat and spill into his ear, he sped up instinctively. "Oh god, Tony..." she breathed.
"Zee...Ziva...I can't," his face tucked next to her ear, "I'm so close...I gotta stop..."
"No! Oh god!" her head threw back and her toes curled behind him, her walls clenched around him and her screams pushed him over the edge with her...
The intensity was so great, he actually saw stars. And when he regained his sense of reality, he realized that standing was becoming a great bit difficult. He tried to gently lower them both to the floor, but he plopped back; Ziva falling on top of him. They both laughed as their foreheads rested against each other.
"We should definitely do this again," Tony said, catching his breath.
"I agree," she said, kissing his nose. "But do you know what time it is?"
"Is it late?" She shook her head.
"It is time for Superman two," the corner of her mouth turned up.
"You don't have to pretend to love my movies, Ziva," he said, brushing her hair behind her ear.
"I happen to like Superman," she said, slowly sitting up. "Besides, what will Gibbs say if we are not discussing it at work when he walks in?" she stood and threw on Tony's tee shirt and walked into the bedroom to grab a fresh pair of panties.
"You're probably right...he'll figure us out for sure," he sat up, slightly worried. "He probably already knows," he squinted. "Ziva!" he yelled, and she hurried back into the room.
"What?"
"Gibbs is behind me, isn't he?" She laughed at him.
"I hope not," she said, walking over to the television. "You're a bit naked." Tony stood, suddenly aware of his condition, and made his way to the bathroom to clean up. Ziva grinned as she thought about what had just transpired between them.
She put the next Superman DVD in the player and went to the kitchen to pour them each a glass of wine.
hoo boy that was fun. Scenes that probably won't take the screen on CBS: check! And the next chapter will get back to the story hehehehe