Over the next several days Ziva's moment of weakness became a nightly routine. She would go to sleep at her apartment, but at the first disturbance (she gave up on the watch set for two hours idea when the dreams got sneakier), she would get up and stall as long as she could before finally caving and going over to her partner's place. But every time she went, things changed a little bit more.

On the third night Ziva walked in to find the couch made up as a bed again, with sheets and a pillow, and a blanket that smelled like Tony. She laid awake for a long time, trying to work out how exactly being in his apartment and surrounded by his scent made her feel safe, but Ziva never came to a satisfactory conclusion.

The day after was Thursday, marking almost a week since she'd moved into her new place. After work Ziva headed downtown to sign up for a gym membership at a small club that specialized in specific kinds of training. She'd done her research and found out it was run by an ex-special forces man and the classes were exactly what she needed. There was kickboxing, hand to hand combat, martial arts - tai kwon do, kung fu, krav maga, judo, jujitsu -, self-defense, take down techniques and more. Ziva resolved to spend as much time there as she could, needing to build her strength and skills back up now that she had a team to protect again.

The owner himself, a man in his mid to late forties, was at the front desk when Ziva walked into the gym called Ops. He looked up, gave her a once over, and smiled like they shared a secret. Holding out his hand, he introduced himself. "Duke Manning, special forces."

Ziva was surprised but shook his hand, impressed by the firm grip. That four second first impression told her a lot about him. "Ziva."

Duke smiled. "Cagey. I'm gonna guess federal because it's DC, but the accent tells me you probably didn't start there."

Weighing whether she was ready to trust others with slightly more personal information, she nodded once and relaxed her stance. "I am NCIS, but my background is Mossad."

He whistled. "Wow. You guys go through some crazy intense training for that. So tell me Ziva," Duke leaned back against the desk, "what can I do for you?"

Tensing a little, Ziva took a breath and sketched out the details, she would probably need his help at first. "Before the summer I was on a mission in Africa. I was captured and held for three months. I have been back just over a month and am now able to focus on training again."

Duke eyed the woman carefully. He could read a lot between the lines of what she didn't say. On a mission probably mean for Mossad. Captured didn't mean a stark cell in a dark prison, it likely meant months of torture to try to get information out of her. But she'd been rescued, so her team at NCIS obviously cared about her a great deal. She was alive, so she hadn't been broken. And she was here, her will and determination to get back into top shape saying a lot about her character. But she'd seen hell and that did strange things to a person. A month was nothing compared to the road she still had to walk to get close to being okay again.

"Alright," he said finally, "why don't you come with me. I'd like a demonstration of your skills and you can tell me where you want to go and what needs to be improved. I'll work with you one on one and we'll see if we can't put that fighting spirit to good use."

A genuine smile lit Ziva's eyes briefly and she followed Duke to an empty studio. The admiration she'd seen on his face made her feel for the first time like she had not failed and Ziva wondered if maybe she had just made a friend.

Duke saw Ziva for training every day after that. Some nights he would watch her push her limits and fight to be able to do more. Usually he had to kick her stubborn butt out before closing time, but he never tried to stop her. He knew the kind of demons she was struggling with and they would not be subdued or beaten back easily.

Slowly, her endurance began to improve and she bested every guy who was training at Ops, none of them could even touch her. But she never did more than she needed to do to take someone down. Even when she sparred with him, Duke had a feeling she was holding back. And he wondered what would be left at him if she really gave it her best shot. But one thing was for sure no matter how much mystery remained, Ziva David was one incredible woman.

NCIS

The night after she joined Ops, a lesser but still chilling nightmare sent her fleeing to Tony's and Ziva noticed something new. On the pillow lay the long sleeved OSU shirt and the small, drawstring sweatpants she'd slept in during her stay with him. It was then Ziva knew Tony must be watching her, or he'd never know how often she fell asleep in her clothes.

She sat with the shirt and pants on her lap for a long time before moving down the hall and undressing in the bathroom so she could change into them. From that night on the clothes were always on the pillow when she arrived, and Ziva fell asleep surrounded by the memories of sharing the apartment and the bed with her partner.

NCIS

Friday was Abby and McGee's second date. This was one was a shade more casual than their first date - dinner at a little café and then a chilly walk out at the edge of the city where the sky was dark and they could watch the stars. It was beautiful and peaceful, a time that did not need words, even for the girl who loved to talk more than almost anything else.

All night Tim had been looking at Abby adoringly and she was beginning to feel self-conscious. Finally he came to a stop on the path and turned to look at her. "Abby?" he said breathlessly, and by his tone she knew it was something serious so gave him her full attention without trying to interrupt or lighten the mood.

Tim closed his eyes briefly and took a breath before meeting her eyes. "I love you. I've loved you for days and weeks, probably years if I was completely honest. That day you welcomed me home and gave me a hug but didn't let go, I knew I never wanted to leave you again. Then you asked me to stay and I said yes because it was one step closer to being with you." He swallowed as his words trickled off, repeating the declaration. "I love you. I just wanted you to know."

Abby couldn't stop the grin that spread across her face. She never thought she'd be so happy to hear those words. "Timmy," she brought her palm to his cheek, "I love you too. You've always been it for me, even when I tried to get away and date other people. I've never been more happy or content than over this last month and a half. Thank you," she whispered.

The love in Tim's eyes grew to take over his entire expression, and slowly he lowered his mouth to hers. The kiss was long and sweet, not rushed or urgent, just an expression of their hearts. But Abby felt in it everything he'd said and more and realized how much he'd been holding back when they were together.

When McGee pulled away, Abby wrapped her arms around his neck, wanting the security of his hug, the reassurance of what they'd finally said and admitted to each other. Tim gladly obliged and held her close and tight. His heart leapt when Abby's lips brushed his ear, her voice gentle and full of anticipation.

"Wow Timmy. First date I get a rose, second date a 'I love you' and a kiss. I wonder what I get on the third date?"

He lowered his head to her shoulder and thought the words in his head because he wasn't brave enough yet to say them out loud. A ring, Tim admitted, hoping beyond hope that when he asked she'd finally be ready to say yes. Then McGee captured his girlfriend's lips again and kissed her until Abby was seeing stars. But they had nothing to do with the ones in the sky and everything to do with the love filling her boyfriend's gentle green eyes. Tonight was perfect.

NCIS

On Ziva's fifth night as his place, Tony left a key sitting on the coffee table beside How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days. She'd put the movie on before she noticed the key and then she just stared at it, knowing something was about to change. Finally, after many long minutes where she argued with her thoughts and talked herself into and out of accepting such a gesture a dozen times, Ziva picked up the small piece of metal and attached it to her keyring with a shaking hand. It was a step in a new direction, having a key to Tony's apartment, and that instead of the dreams kept Ziva awake this time.

Saturday morning found Ziva leaving Tony's apartment early to go swimming and spending the next several hours reading over the study materials for her citizenship test. Though months away, there was much she needed to learn and Ziva threw herself into the information with the same determination that she tackled every other problem with.

But weekends were slowly becoming time to hang out with her partner, so when Tony showed up just after lunch with his laptop and one of the Lara Croft movies, Ziva wasn't a bit surprised. Again he stayed for supper, challenged her to chess games he never won and said good night while his eyes always begged to be allowed to stay. Ziva felt his request in her heart but couldn't allow herself to give in, not to his face. Nights at his place were a serious enough concession, even if they never spoke of it and both pretended the other didn't know they knew about it.

Sunday morning Tony was waiting for her outside again and they did an easy, two mile run in silence. Easy for Ziva anyhow, when on mornings alone she was pushing five miles, though if Ducky asked she'd likely downplay it to just over three and a half. Breakfast was almost a given, though it was too cold to sit outside anymore. So Joe's, the diner down the street, quickly became their favourite place to stop. Some afternoons he would stay and others he wouldn't, but the supply of movies never ran out and occasionally Ziva would notice a new case on the shelf with the rest of her slowly growing film collection.

NCIS

On Tuesday night, a week after her official reinstatement at NCIS, Gibbs motioned for her to come with him when they left work early for a change. Curious, Ziva followed her boss to his car and got in, receiving no explanation whatsoever about where they were going. Several minutes later Gibbs pulled into a used car lot and drove around back. He parked and waited for her to get out, then pointed to the '92 Pontiac that sat in front of them.

"It's not pretty," he said, stating the obvious, "but it'll get you where you need to go." Then Gibbs reached out his arm and dropped the keys in her open hand.

Ziva was shocked, surprised, and completely touched that Gibbs had found her a car. It wasn't another Mini and it wasn't even close to being new, but it was a car and to Ziva it was freedom and independence. She ran her hand reverently over the chipped white paint and unlocked the door to touch the soft, worn, blueish-grey upholstery. Finally convinced it was real, she turned around and thanked Gibbs with a hug. He held her close for a moment and let her go.

"How much?" Ziva asked, thinking about her bank balance.

A brief look of annoyance flashed in Gibbs' eyes before he relaxed on the hood of his car and crossed his arms. "Been taken care of. Car's bought and paid for. It's yours Ziva and it'll work well for you. I know you don't like taking the bus, hard to keep an eye on everyone."

She loved that he understood her uneasiness with public transit without her even having to say a word, but she still wasn't sure about accepting such a gift. "I do not want to be your charity case Gibbs," Ziva said stubbornly.

Gibbs stared at her with a knowing look before moving to her side and kissing the top of her head, trying a different tactic. He was nothing if not persistent. "I would've done the same thing for Kelly," he whispered. "And I'll take care of you now because I love you like my own Ziver."

Completely deflated, Ziva had no way to argue with that. So she just hugged him again and whispered, "Toda," in his ear. Then he gave her the temporary permit she'd been issued to drive NCIS vehicles until her license could be re-issued, and watched as she started the car and pulled out of the lot.

Later that night Gibbs' doorbell rang and he opened it to find that a tray of shepherd's pie and a pan of brownies, still warm, had appeared. He stepped closer to the road with a smile and saw a white car with DC plates fading into the shadows down the street. Gibbs knew it was a tangible way she could say thank you and it meant a lot to him. Ziva had been through more in twenty plus years than most people saw in a lifetime. But she was coming out on top and he was so incredibly proud of her.

NCIS

Ziva loved the freedom of having her own car again and took care of the license and insurance issue the next day. Even having one more bill to pay could not dampen her enthusiasm, she was finally getting her life back. Then, on night eight of sleeping at Tony's apartment, there was a note with the DVD he'd selected, Save the Last Dance.

She held the paper in her hand for awhile before unfolding it. She'd read his thoughts and feelings once, when she'd found his computer journal, Ziva wasn't sure if she was strong enough to read them again and still keep her walls in place. But she did open it up at last and on the creamy white page was a single sentence. It shook her, what he'd written, and she knew then that Tony had been paying more than just casual attention to almost everything she'd said for a long time. The reference went back nearly three years.

Setting the note down as if his words had burned her, Ziva sighed. Even after the last month and everything Tony had done for her, she was still afraid to let him in too much. When she couldn't look at the paper any more, Ziva shoved it under the pillow and took it to work with her in the morning.

The note haunted her all day as she let her gaze rest on Tony longer and longer. She knew he was pretending not to notice, even though he could probably feel her eyes watching him, trying to figure it out. How did he do it? How did Tony know how to touch something so deep inside her, a dream broken and buried when she was fourteen?

With words scribbled on a piece of paper, Tony had made her remember, and a long forgotten desire now stirred in her heart. If only she had the courage... A passion forbidden long ago had been unlocked again by eight little words. I'd really like to see you dance sometime Zi. T.

NCIS

Abby and McGee's third date wasn't formal at all. On a Saturday afternoon they went for a walk and Tim took her out for ice cream. The sun was out and it was a beautiful, mild day, unexpected near the end of October, so they headed down to the river and followed the paved path that ran along the Anacostia. They held hands the whole time and smiled at the other every time their eyes met. Eventually they both finished their cones and Tim gestured to a bench. Abby nodded, so they sat, their fingers fitting in between each other like puzzle pieces.

Tim took a minute to just look at her. A slight curl in her high pigtails, a blouse and black skirt with her black skull zip up sweater overtop. He loved it because she was just Abby, the way she was every day. He drew in his breath and met her eyes, loving the smile she gave him.

"Abby," McGee began, his hand resting on the box in his coat pocket, "are you happy with us? With how things are? You don't want me to go back to my place or anything, right?"

She frowned, hearing in his words the old, unsure Timmy she'd met for the first time all those years ago. He'd grown so much since then and regression always made her nervous, it meant he was thinking too much. "Of course I don't want you to go McGee," Abby stressed. "Why would you ask that?"

Tim sighed. "Just making sure." He hesitated, then pushed forward, his heart beating fast and fingers trembling as he pulled out the box. "Will you marry me Abby? I love you and I don't ever want to be with anyone else. I've loved sharing these last two months with you, but I want it to be our life together, not just something we're borrowing and playing with." McGee's voice lowered. "I want you in my bed for real and not just to sleep. I want us to be one in every way. Please say yes." He stopped short of begging and held his breath.

Abby was in shock. In a million years she would never have seen this coming. She'd always said she was never getting married, but Gibbs' mistakes, his regrets, didn't have to be hers, and she knew she'd regret it forever if she let this amazing man in front of her go.

Leaning forward, Abby kissed him softly once, then again, smiling against his lips as she whispered, "Yes Timmy, I would love to marry you."

His face lit up and he covered her mouth with his, pouring a well of love into the kiss. They held each other and kissed and touched gently and murmured words of love and joy on lips and against skin. Finally they broke apart far enough for Abby to see the ring he'd gotten for her. It was a thin silver band with a square cut diamond inset and small emeralds on each side.

"To match your eyes," Tim explained, sliding it into place on her left ring finger.

Abby stared down at his promise, his claim on her, and hugged her fiancé tightly. "When?" she asked.

Tim started looking a little worried. "Tomorrow?" he offered and she could see something in his eyes that said he wasn't even close to joking.

"Okay..." she said slowly, not wanting him to think she didn't like the idea. "Kinda short notice though, don't you think?" She was thinking about plans and guests and trying to figure out how it would all work. Not to mention Gibbs did not like to be surprised.

McGee looked down and studied her ring. "I was thinking of going to City Hall, doing something really small." Before Abby could comment, he continued. "I don't want to tell anyone Abbs. With everything going on with Ziva finally just settling down and Somalia still feeling close, I don't want to rock the boat and you know this would. I thought we could just keep it to ourselves for awhile. If you want we can do a big wedding later, I promise," Tim hurried on, "just..." He stopped speaking and fell silent.

"Just what?" Abby asked when he didn't say more.

Tim shrugged. "I guess I just ran out of words."

She brushed her fingers down his cheek. "I love you Tim and I want to be married to you, so if you want to do it small and keep it quiet, that's fine with me." Abby leaned close and rested her face against his. "I just want to be yours."

Because words failed him and all Tim could see was how much he loved her, how he'd always loved her, he cradled Abby's face in his hands and pressed his lips to hers. "Thank you Abby, for saying yes."

She shook her head slightly. "Silly boy. What else could I say? We've lived a lifetime in the last two months. I'm ready for something that is ours."

For awhile they sat close together, basking in the glow of their engagement. Tim ran his fingers across her palm, around to the back of her hand, over her wrist, and back down to her fingernails over and over again, needing to touch her even if it was something small. Finally Abby broke the silence.

"I think I want a white dress McGee," she said.

Tim was surprised, Abby had never struck him as traditional. But they were getting married and that was all he cared about. "Whatever Abbs, I'll take you shopping right now if you want."

"And roses, red ones and black ones," she continued, "because they're a combination of both of us."

He chuckled, liking her logic. "Anything else?"

"Yes," Abby smiled, "you have to promise me something."

Tim sat up to look at her. "Anything."

She shook her head. "I knew you'd say that. When you decide it's the right time to tell everyone else, you have to take me on a honeymoon. Somewhere far away where we can just be two people in love and the rest of the world doesn't get to intrude. Deal?"

McGee lifted Abby's hand and kissed her ring. "Deal. I promise Abbs, we'll go somewhere, just the two of us."

"Good." She nodded, feeling the matter settled. "But now we have a problem."

Tim's eyebrows drew together, not liking how that sounded. "What?"

Abby grinned. "I don't know how I'm going to wait until tomorrow."