So sorry about the wait. I promise, you will never have to wait that long again. Just to let you know, if you don't have an account with , it takes three days before I get your reviews.
Anyways, after this chapter, I'm thinking about changing the story title to Diamonds, or My Diamond, or something like that. You'll see why. Please tell me how you feel about that.
Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS, its characters, or its past and present story lines.
Tony's thoughts were interrupted when he heard the song that was currently playing about to end. He turned to Ari.
"Whose permission do I ask for this lovely lady to dance with me?" he wondered.
"She can dance, as long as she remembers the rules." Ari said. Tony turned to Ziva.
"Well, then, Miss Ziva, may I have this dance?" Ziva immediately took the hand Tony had offered, and Tony led her out to the dance floor, where it seemed time stood still. Tony had his hand on the small of her back, his other intertwined with hers. Ziva was holding onto his bicep. Nothing else mattered. The dance took the worry away. They stared into each other's eyes and swayed to the music, Tony occasionally pulling her even closer to him, to try and protect her from everything.
"So, am I dancing with just you, or the whole team?" Ziva asked quietly.
"Just me. Just you and me. A Mossad officer is watching from the car." He whispered in her ear.
"Have you come to rescue me?"
"Not yet. We need a location on Bodnar. McGee has a theory on where the book is."
"Where?" Ziva asked desperately. Tony leaned down to whisper in her ear.
"Tali's grave."
"Oh."
"So, that's all I get? Aren't you happy to see me?" he asked her.
"I thought you were in trouble. I guess I am still in shock that you're alright."
"Well, now that I've found you, I'm alright."
"And the team? Everyone's okay?"
"Bodnar hasn't threatened any of us, Ziva." Ziva bent her head onto Tony's muscular chest.
"Oh, thank God." She whispered.
"You know, if your "brother" wasn't watching, I'd kiss you right now." Tony told her.
"Forget about him, Tony. Just kiss me." She commanded. Tony looked for Ari, who was currently preoccupied with his beer. Seeing this, he closed the gap between their lips. Tony's hand let go of hers and went up to cup her face. Ziva tightened the hand on his bicep and moved her other one to the back of his neck, the tips of her fingers going through the ends of his hair.
"I love you, Ziva." Tony whispered against her lips as they reluctantly parted.
Never in that moment had Tony been surer of anything. He used to run at the thought of the three magic words, but he wanted to say them to Ziva again and again. He didn't even care if she said it back. It just felt amazing to say it. Of course, he would love for her to say them back.
Ziva was a little shocked at first to hear Tony's declaration, but the second she looked into his sea green eyes, she knew there wasn't any alcohol in him. No trauma. No painkillers. No lies.
Just love.
And she knew her eyes were saying the same thing.
"I love you, too, Tony."
And after that, he kissed her again.
"So, do you know anything about what's going on with Bodnar?" Tony asked.
"He's paying these guys to escort me from country to country, but they don't know who I am or why Bodnar wants this. They don't even know Bodnar's real name."
"Money tends to shut people up."
"Exactly. If they know, how important I am to Ilan, I'll become a hostage because of all his money." She explained.
"How is Bodnar getting this money? Every agency is checking all these account. They're looking for the one account that he's pulling money from." Tony whispered in her ear.
"He's converting all his money to diamonds."
"Diamonds? That's convenient."
"Uncut. Hard to trace."
"Kind of like you." He said. "And right now, a lot of people are willing to pay a lot of money for you."
"Like a diamond?" Ziva asked.
"Yup."
"And what do you have to say about that, Tony?"
"No one is putting a price on my diamond." He said very firmly, and quite frankly, it was turning Ziva on.
"Your diamond?" she teased.
"Well, you don't have to be mine, if you don't want to. I mean, I'm yours, Miss David."
"Then I am your diamond." She said into his ear, and then nibbled on his earlobe a little bit, which made Tony hold his breath for a minute. "So, did you just come here to see me?" she asked.
"I need to find some way to wire you."
"Am I going to lead you to Bodnar?" she asked.
"Yes. We need a way to know where Bodnar is. We need you hooked up with a microphone, video camera, GPS tracker."
"So you'll know where I am at all times?"
"Yup."
"And how do you intend to get these objects on me when my "brother" is standing right over there?"
"Oh, I've got that covered. Compliments of Timothy McGeek, who by the way, says hi."
"Tell him I miss him. Tell everyone I miss them."
"Don't worry. I will."
"So, what are these objects disguised as?" Ziva asked as a new song began to play. Thankfully, it was another slow song.
"McGee got you a Star of David with a microphone and a video camera already in it, so all we need to do is switch out the one you're wearing right now."
"Tell him thank you from me."
"It is pretty smart, isn't it? I mean, I can take some of the credit. I came up with it."
"But McGee built it?"
"Yup." Ziva laughed.
"What about the GPS tracker?" she asked.
"Well, I mean we thought of a lot of things for that, but we can't be too obvious. We can't just give you a bracelet or a ring. We thought about giving you a scrunchie, but we just put this analyzing chip in the Star of David. It will take us a little longer to find you, but it will vibrate a little against your skin, as a sign that we are in the area."
"So, it's very complex."
"Once again, like you." He gave her his classic DiNozzo grin.
"Will you stop that?"
"Does it bother you?"
"Yes."
"Then, no, I won't stop." He said, before kissing her temple.
"Well, don't stop that." She whispered. Tony reached into his suit pocket, and pulled out the necklace for her. He took his hand in hers and discreetly gave her the necklace. Ziva smiled. Once the song had ended, Tony took her hand and kissed her knuckles.
"I love you." He said.
"I love you, too."
"I'll see you soon." He reminded her before escorting her back to her "brother" and leaving for the car, where Admon had been intently waiting for his return.
Please review. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go watch Double Blind.
