A/N: Another chapter, just because I love you guys, and a rather unexpected "morning after". :P But I'm sorry to say this will be the last update until Monday night. I'm out of town for a conference all weekend and have no access to my computer :( But hopefully once I'm back updates will continue to be regular through to the end of the month. Then my schedule at work changes and I don't know what my free time is going to look like.

Thanks so much for all your reviews and comments, I enjoy every one and you guys make me so happy. Have a great weekend all! :) ~ Aliyah

Tony kept an ear out for Ziva the rest of the night and heard the lock click at 0500. Knowing that he wasn't going to sleep any more now that his partner was up, Tony wandered out to the livingroom and stared around in surprise. Ziva had cleaned up thoroughly, literally removing any trace of her presence. If he hadn't heard her leave, Tony might've thought he'd been dreaming last night.

Frowning, he decided to shower, taking that time to figure out if she should say anything to Ziva today or not. Tony was into work by 0700, more to check on Ziva and to make sure she was okay than from any real desire to finish up yesterday's case report. She glanced up and smiled when he sat down, but the bullpen remained silent except for the clicking of keys and the scratching of pen on paper. From time to time Tony let his eyes flicker over to Ziva, but she never acted as if today was different than any other day.

Gibbs strode into the bullpen at 0730 with a rather harried McGee following on his heels. "Got a case, gear up!" he barked, annoyed that he'd had to forgo coffee because of the call.

For a moment Ziva's face fell and she didn't move. Tim and Tony froze as Gibbs went to her desk. Out of one pocket came her badge, from the other, her brand new NCIS ID. Last he pulled an agency issued holster and Sig from the small of his back, dropping everything in front of her.

"You too, Probationary Agent David," Gibbs said softer.

A smile lit up Ziva's face and she hurried to put everything in its place. Sliding the gun onto her hip, she turned around automatically and found, to her surprise, a backpack behind her chair, ready to go. Tim and Tony exchanged glances as she hefted it onto her shoulders and frowned at the weight. Ziva started to slide it off but Gibbs was already halfway to the elevator and they had no time to wait.

As they rode down four flights to the parking garage, Ziva shifted her feet, finally glancing at the guys standing behind her, catching Tony in the middle of elbowing McGee conspiratorially as they grinned. Her eyes narrowed. "What did you put in my backpack?" she demanded.

Tony stared straight ahead, refusing to meet her gaze. "Huh. Wouldn't've thought a few little rocks would bother you, Wonder Woman."

She crossed her arms and glared at both of them as the men tried very hard to ignore her presence. Gibbs rolled his eyes, on the verge of headslapping all of them except that he'd never been so happy to see Tim and Tony acting juvenile or watch Ziva make silent threats or...have his team back together for good. Today they could have their fun.

NCIS

And they did. Once at the crime scene Ziva was reduced to a probie and made to do all the grunt work Tony usually saved for McGee. They made her carry all the supplies, do bagging and tagging, and when retrieving some evidence meant wading calf deep in a murky, marshy, swamp area, the guys watched with great glee as Ziva was given that task as well.

When they were back in the truck, Ziva slouched in her seat and eyed them carefully. "This is called fazing, yes?"

"Hazing Zi," Tony corrected. "And maybe, but it's only for today."

She nodded once. "Well, that is good. I remember the first time, and it was much longer."

Tony grinned. "Yeah, but we didn't know you then. Now you're part of the team, Probette." At her questioning look, he shrugged. "What? I can't call you both 'Probie', that would just be weird." Then Tony checked to see if anyone was watching before leaning close and whispering, "You're much more special than that."

The rest of the next several hours were taken up by the case. Dead Naval officer dumped in a stream in some back woods. No one even would've noticed if a couple hikers hadn't gotten off the trail and stumbled upon the body. As it was, he'd been dead for awhile.

McGee ran financials, Tony waxed on and on about how it was the wife or the man's mistress or maybe even the wife's mother who did it. Ziva was just glad to be useful again and not given jobs just to keep her busy. Once they had a theory and a main suspect, Gibbs jerked his head at her and Tony.

"David, DiNozzo, bring her in."

Tony grinned with glee - first because Gibbs was taking his mistress idea seriously, and second because finally it was him and his partner, going out and doing what they did best. Out of a strong instinct for self-preservation, Tony drove and they walked to the front porch together. He knocked on the door and announced them, but then the sound of things being shoved out of the way as someone tripped alerted them to an escape in progress.

Guns drawn and sighted, Tony and Ziva hurried around back and nearly ran right into the woman. A startled look overtook her face and Ziva grabbed her arms while Tony handcuffed her. Glancing at his partner, he stared at their suspect. "Why do they always run?"

She shrugged. "It makes our job easier." Ziva got in the woman's face and hissed, "The faster they run, the guiltier they are." Cringing, the woman hung her head and was lead to their car with no further troubles.

To Ziva's delight, Gibbs let her to the interrogation, with her partner beside her playing good cop. It didn't take long to get a confession and Tony left the room with a smile on his face. "Just like old times." He nudged her. "I told you it was the mistress."

Ziva rolled her eyes and walked on ahead. Turning around, she smirked. "Someday Tony, you will be wrong and I am glad I will be around to see it."

He scoffed that DiNozzos were never wrong, but deep down, Tony was glad too.

NCIS

Tony waited all day for Ziva to say something about last night, but she acted the whole time as if nothing had happened. He pondered this towards quitting time as he sat at his desk and finally it hit him - she didn't think he knew! The revelation threw Tony for a loop but it made sense in light of Ziva's inability to ask for help. A frown claimed his features as he thought about it. Now that he'd figured out the mystery, Tony didn't feel right just bringing it up, perhaps it was just something Ziva needed to do. And he certainly didn't mind.

That night before he went to bed, Tony left out tea fixings and a movie - Seven Brides for Seven Brothers - an old musical that would make her smile if she woke up during the night. That is, if she even came back. But the way things were going, Tony wasn't sure if going to her and trying to give comfort would mess up whatever this was. He liked to think his apartment had become her sanctuary, even if, for now, it mean he had to keep his distance.

NCIS

Ziva went to bed early that night but after her watch alarm woke her for the first time, she forgot to reset the timer and three hours later was suddenly dragged back to Somalia, to a cold night when broken bones ached, when every breath pushed her bruised ribs out and made her fight to keep silent, to not let them know how much pain she was in even if it was obvious.

The deep burns on her calves and thighs throbbed and her back was still in tatters from Saleem's enthusiasm with the whip days ago. Today's "session" had nearly done her in, she hadn't even been conscious when they left her curled up on the floor, defenseless and broken in so many ways, except the one they wanted.

It had been hours since they had gone and Ziva had not moved. She could not even shift slightly to alleviate the pressure on her broken arm, because if she did, it would only hurt somewhere else. Shivering in the cold of a dessert night, with only the thin covering of a long sleeved, button up shirt, Ziva wished for death.

Tomorrow it would only begin all over again and though she did not want to die and leave those who loved her without a chance to beg their forgiveness, she had lost the will to live, to suffer any more for a truth she could not give up because it might endanger the people who kept her memories alive.

Then the door to her cell creaked open and Ziva's body shuddered involuntarily, bringing with it a wave of pain that rippled through her. Heavy steps came towards her and the deep breathing told her the torture wasn't over yet. Closing her eyes, Ziva tried to remember herself to a different time, a different place, because even as one of them ravaged her again and she couldn't keep from crying out because he was not mindful of her injuries, she could not bring herself to fight any more. She had nothing left. Giving up, she just let it happen.

Ziva fought in her sleep, even if not in the memory, and the world "no" ripped from her throat as her eyes snapped open and she sat up, breathing hard. Saying no had never stopped them, struggling had never discouraged them, fighting had only made them ore determined to have her and to make her pay for her defiance as they took their pleasure from her pain.

Shivering, she pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. With eyes squeezed tightly shut, Ziva tried to will the images, the emotions, the phantom pain that still lingered away. But none of it could be budged and so she knew she wouldn't close her eyes here again.

Feeling the insatiable need to do something, anything to take her mind off the dream that was more real now than the reality around her, Ziva jumped up and went into her kitchen, flicking on all the lights as she walked. Dishes from a quick supper still soaked in the sink because she couldn't be bothered to wash them earlier. But now she attacked the dirty pot and bowls and utensils with a vengeance, scrubbing everything clean and using her new dishtowels to dry each item so they could all be put away.

Once her kitchen was in order, Ziva checked her watch. Almost 0300. Though she'd fought against it since the moment she woke, Ziva knew that somehow she would end up at Tony's apartment again tonight. Giving in because she was too tired to fight the desire for safety and sleep, Ziva slid on her shoes and grabbed a jacket and keys.

She jogged the short distance to Tony's building, jumping at shadows and flinching at every noise. She picked the locks swiftly but as soon as she stepped into the livingroom, it was obvious Tony knew she'd come last night. A blanket and pillow lay on one end of the couch when she knew she'd put them away that morning. A DVD case was set out on the coffee table and in the kitchen, everything had been left ready if she wanted tea. Only two weeks of sharing a space, it was scary how well Tony had learned her habits.

With the realization that her partner knew her secret, Ziva froze, unsure if she should stay, and there was a moment of panic when she wanted to run. Her protection instincts screamed at her to get away, to leave before she lost her heart to his man who was trying so hard just to care. But after a couple deep breaths, Ziva came to the conclusion that staying couldn't do any harm. After all, Tony was asleep. So she made herself a cup of tea and put on the movie at a very low volume.

When her mug was empty, Ziva curled up under the blanket and tried not to think. Still, it was hard to lay there on Tony's couch, in his apartment, and not remember what it was like when he was beside her, laughing in all the right spots and telling her trivia she didn't care to know and occasionally becoming a human pillow if she nodded off. Just Tony's presence had put Ziva more at ease.

It was nice, being back in his house, the last place she'd truly felt safe, and have a little of the peace and security she'd missed seep back in. But Ziva was loathe to admit, even to herself, that a part of her missed what had been. And though Tony would probably gladly take her back, Ziva refused to ask, needing to do this on her own, even if it was just baby steps and technically sleeping on Tony's couch was cheating. So for now, if this was all she could have, Ziva would take it.

Finally the movie finished playing and everyone got their happily ever after except her, because after Somalia it wasn't allowed. So she closed her eyes and willed the dreams away for just two more hours. If only they would stay away, she could relax and rest. All she wanted to do was sleep.