Despite his reservations Zippy actually behaved beautifully during the first fifteen minutes of the show. She may not have exactly paid attention to the acts but at least she was lolling quietly on his knee, occasionally quietly asking when Leo was coming on. Just before Leo was due to come out Tony moved Zippy back onto her own seat, pulled out the video camera and started to set it up. He double checked it was working properly, he didn't fancy his chances against Ziva of he went home without the video. Zippy was squirming excitedly next to him as she waited for her sister to come onto the stage. A piano was pushed onto the stage from the wings before Leo finally emerged clutching her music and began to walk towards her stool, scanning the audience for a familiar face.
"Leo, Leo Hiiiii!" before Tony could stop her Zippy had leapt onto her feet on was standing on her chair waving wildly at her big sister. Leo smiled in return while the audience around her chuckled. Leo's eyes moved along to Tony and when she saw him there she grinned widely at him until she noticed that Ziva wasn't there. She frowned slightly and searched through the rest of the audience as she sat down, she swallowed nervously and then turned to face the piano. She glanced one last time at Tony, he smiled encouragingly and held up the camera higher to get a better view. Leo sighed and closed her eyes briefly before she began to play. Tony had no idea what piece it was but it sounded beautiful, the dainty notes rang cheerfully through the room fitting in perfectly with the Spring theme. He watched her proudly as she played to the end of her piece. She finished with a flourish and stood up while the audience broke into a applause. Zippy jumped back onto her feet and clapped vigorously and shouted happily to Leo on the stage, Leo grinned and waved at them before turning and walking off the stage. Zippy kept clapping until Tony put down the camera and gently took her hands in his.
"Alright that's enough clapping." Zippy nodded disappointedly and started to sit back down onto her chair. She accidentally bumped against her neighbour who turned round,
"Ooooops sorry!" Zippy said as she thumped onto the seat. "Thas my sister, she very good 'ano playing!" she announced causing the other woman to laugh and agree heartily.
Once the curtain closed for the interval Tony and Zippy weaved their way through the audience and outside to meet Leo who was already waiting for them with a look of concern etched across her face.
"Hey! You were great! I got it all on . . ."
"Where is Ziva?" Leo interrupted him impatiently.
"Well, at work today she had a little accident and she had to go to the hospital. . ."
"What? Is she hurt? What happened?"
"It's ok she's fine, she just got a little scratched up and had to go and get a few stitches. She should be home by now, she said she'd have dinner there for us when we got back." He placed a hand on her shoulder and began to gently guide her towards the car while Zippy ran round to Leo's other side and grabbed her hand.
"Hello?" Leo called as she opened the door of Ziva's flat.
"Leo! How did it go?" Ziva jumped up off of the sofa bed and hurried across to greet them. She had changed out of her bloody clothes and was already wearing her pyjama shorts and a baggy t-shirt.
"It went well, what happened to your arm? Are you ok? Let me see." Leo demanded but Ziva just tutted and dismissed her concerns with a wave of her hand.
"I am fine it is just a scratch," she briefly lifted up her arm to show the small bandage protecting her stitches. "Did you get it filmed? Put it on let me see!" she turned her attention to Tony and grabbed the video camera from his hand. "There's pizza on the sofa bed, I pulled it out so that there's room for us all to sit down." she called over her shoulder as she headed towards her laptop. She picked it up and joined them on the bed as she set it up to watch the video.
"Leo best 'ano player." Zippy announced and crawled to sit next to Ziva just as Leo appeared on the screen.
"I am sure that she is." Ziva smiled back just as the first notes flowed from the speakers. She watched intently, a proud grin stretched across her face, "Oh wow, that was the really hard bit and you played it perfectly." she exclaimed and reached out to squeeze Leo's arm and the girl shrugged and laughed,
"Well you made me practice it a lot!" Ziva didn't respond but kept her eyes glued to the screen until after Leo had bowed and disappeared from the stage.
"That was completely perfect Leo." she shut the computer and moved it off the bed before impulsively giving Leo a quick hug. "You did so well!" Leo just smiled while Ziva reached over and pulled out a slice of pizza for herself, wincing slightly as she leant back against the cushions.
"How's your arm?" Tony asked, noticing her pain.
"My wound is fine, where they injected me is much more painful." she complained, "Look, it is all red and swollen!" she held up arm to show him the angry scarlet lump. Tony screwed up his face,
"Ouch, still better than lock jaw!" he said and took a bite of his slice while Zippy scrambled across the bed and up onto his knee, settling against his chest. They spent the next half an hour finishing the pizza and chatting contentedly, it was almost as though the past few weeks of tension had never happened. Zippy's eyes were slowly drifting shirt as she lay sprawled across Tony's chest.
"Zippy, I think it is time for bed." Ziva said softly and reached out to stroke her arm gently.
"No, No not sleepy!" the little girl jerked her head up and opened her eyes wide, trying to prove that she was not at all tired. Ziva shook her head slowly and slid off the of the bed.
"Come on honey, it's already very late let's go." she tried to coax the little girl off of Tony's lap but she just shook her head again and sank further against his chest.
"No, not going!" she set her chin in determination and folded her arms tightly. Ziva stood and waited until Zippy's eyes began to droop again before she leant forwards wrapped her hands around the girl's waist.
"Say night night to Pickle." she whispered as she slowly pulled her to her feet.
"Night night." Zippy whimpered, her voice dulled with tiredness.
"Night Zippy." Tony lent in and kissed her forehead softly before Ziva finally picked her up and began carrying her to her room leaving Tony and Leo alone. They sat in silence for a few seconds until Leo pulled her legs up under her chin and suddenly asked,
"So, are you talking to Ziva again?" Tony frowned at her and cleared his throat nervously.
"I was never not talking to Ziva, exactly."
"You were just disappearing without saying anything to us?" her intense stare was fixed on him as she waited for a reply.
"Ok," he paused and licked hiss lips and dropped his eyes to his knees, "I'll admit that vanishing off on holiday wasn't the best idea but I'm back now." he said firmly and then looked back up at her, she had turned her head to the side as she considered his words. After a brief pause she smiled at him.
"Good." she shuffled across the bed and sat next to him so that she was facing the TV which she then turned on with the remote. "My programme is on." she said simply and settled down to watch her favourite show. Shortly afterwards Ziva returned, closing the bedroom door quietly behind her and smiling when she saw the two of them lying comfortably on the sofa. She glanced at the TV and sighed.
"This again?"
"Come on Zi, I know you love it really." Leo grinned at her, "It is a good episode, everyone has found out about the affair."
"Really? How?" Ziva gasped and quickly joined them on the sofa while Leo laughed.
"See I knew deep down you liked this programme!" Ziva slapped her playfully,
"Sshhhh!"
"Too late Zee-vah, I heard that. Never had you down as a teen-angst fan!" Tony chuckled and glanced across at her, catching a glimpse of a faint blush across her cheeks.
"Well if it is on I cannot really help but watch it." She retorted before settling down in the cushions. "So, how did they find out about them?"
Forty minutes later the programme had ended and the credits were scrolling across the screen. Leo let out a slow whistle.
"WOW, I did not think she would really kill him over that."
"I know! And now that he is dead she will never be able to find out where he is keeping the stash of money his dad left him before he ran from the IRS!"
"Oh yeah, I forgot about that. What do you think she'll do with the baby now that she cannot trick him into marrying her?
"I am not sure, I think she might try and target the brother because she does not know that he has lost all his money gambling." Ziva said solemnly while Tony watched them both incredulously.
"That was the most ridiculous programme I have ever watched, and I have seen one Tree Hill AND the O.C!"
"just watch another couple of episodes and you will be hooked." Leo said confidently before a large yawn escaped her mouth. She stretched and sighed, I think that I will go to bed now. I could not sleep last night, I was too nervous."
"Well from where I was sitting you didn't have anything to be nervous of." Tony slapped her shoulder playfully and she smiled at him gratefully.
"Thanks." she climbed over Ziva and out of the bed.
"Night then."
"Night." Ziva said before suddenly reaching out and grabbing her hand. "You played beautifully today, you should be very proud of yourself. I am." she squeezed Leo's fingers gently before dropping her hand back onto her knee. Leo smiled and nodded wordlessly before turning and quickly disappearing into her bedroom.
"That was a bit . . . strange." Tony observed once she had shut the door.
"Hannah taught her to play the piano." Ziva explained simply, "I suppose playing again brought back a lot of memories.
"Yeah, that's why I stopped playing after my mom . . ." Tony's voice petered out and he sighed deeply, embarrassed that he had just blurted that out but he recovered by making a joke. "But at least I managed to get rid of the sailor suits!"
"I don't know, I think you would have looked very sweet in a sailor's suit." Ziva smiled at him and pulled herself up into a more upright position. They lapsed into silence for a few moments until Tony enquired about her time in the hospital.
"You must have been really bored, you were there for hours." he said sympathetically, "I didn't think it would take that long."
"It was alright I had plenty to do. My real estate agent called to say the flat I put an offer on has been taken off the market, they have changed their mind about moving. I spent most of the time organising other viewings so it was actually quite stressful."
"Wow, rusty nail and no flat- bad day for you!" Tony chuckled and Ziva smiled weakly.
"Well it was certainly not one of my best."
"Look on the bright side, maybe you'll find something better now."
"Well I did not really like that flat anyway it does not set a high benchmark." They sat and discussed the details of the various viewings Ziva had lined up and their other plans for the weekend. Zippy had a birthday party for Zach, one of her little friends from nursery, and Ziva was unsure of the etiquette for children's parties. "They are having a barbeque outside so does that mean I have to bring something, like a salad or something to drink or can I just drop Zippy off with the present?" Tony looked at her,
"I could be wrong but I doubt little Zach will be impressed if Zippy turns up at his birthday with a salad."
" I didn't mean just a salad, thee present too." she laughed and gently smacked Tony with a cushion she was holding on her lap. They fell quiet for a few moments until Ziva dropped her cushion in-between them and rolled off the bed. "I am going to the bathroom." He watched as she strolled towards the toilet and then stood up himself and collected up the pizza boxes and carried them into the kitchen. He stood and began folding them up to shove into the bin and then pulled himself a beer out of the fridge. He sipped on it slowly and stared out the window. After another couple of minutes he began to wonder what was taking Ziva so long so he turned round to see what was keeping her only to find her hovering by the fridge.
"Hey, you ok?" he asked, taking in the strange expression on her face.
"Yes, I am fine. I went in and checked on the girls, they are both sleeping." the words sped off her tongue before her lips clamped shut again and she shifted from foot to foot.
"Are you sure you're ok?" she nodded sharply but began to rub her palms together nervously.
"Tony, there is something I would like to say to you."
"Okaaaay." he said hesitantly and put his beer down on the counter. "What is it?"
"Well, I . . . I know that the past couple of weeks have not been easy and I know that I played a big part in that."
"But I . . ." Tony tried to interject but she raised her hand to silence him and continued.
"And you also did not make the best decisions but the point is that you were upset about being split up from the girls." she paused and took a long breathe. "And that shows just how much you care for them so I would just like to say thank you for everything that you have done for them and for me. You are a very important part of our lives and I am sorry if I made you feel otherwise." her voice wavered as she waved her hands around ass she spoke, nervously gesturing around the room. Her eyes had been focused on the floor throughout her speech but now she finally met his gaze, "And I would like to tell you that I . . . you should know that . . ." she stuttered and breathed in deeply, " I . . ." she started again but instead of trying to formulate a sentence she just lunged forwards, flung her arms around his neck and pressed her lips against his. For a brief terrifying moment she hung their in suspended animation while he processed what was happening but then he snapped into action and wrapped his own arms around her waist, pulling her tightly against him as he began to return her kiss. She moved her lips desperately against his, her fingers were buried deep inside his hair as she kept his head in place. After denying herself for so long she threw herself into him, passionately devouring his lips with her kiss. She did not let up or slow down, fearing that if he had a chance to think he would push her away the way she had done to him. However hard she tried though, they had to pause eventually so she gently pulled her lips away to gulp in some much needed air but kept her forehead pressed against his. He kept a tight hold on her, ensuring that her body did not slip even an inch away from his for he was just as worried that she may suddenly reject him again. She ran a hand down from his hair and onto his cheek, using her thumb to gently stroke his skin, their faces stood millimetres apart as they tried to gasp in air but they were too impatient to wait for a normal breathing so after a fleeting break they returned to their kiss. Their lips moved just as desperately as before but now their hands began to join them. Tony slid his fingers across her back, dragging along the fabric of her t-shirt until they reached the hem. He slid them under and felt her shiver in his arms as they made contact with her bare skin. Ziva's hands were cupped around his cheeks, holding him close initially, but soon she began to use them to guide him through the flat. She took a few steps backwards towards the living room and led him with her. Their tongues slid roughly over each other as they fought for dominance, each seeking to lead the kiss. Ziva moaned softly as he dug his fingers into the firm flesh of her back causing pleasant vibrations to travel through his mouth. He suddenly removed his finger tips and instead wrapped his whole arms around her again so that her full body was pulled flush against him. They remained in this position as they staggered back a few more steps until Ziva suddenly spun around and pushed him away. A cold panic rushed through him as he fell away from her arms but when he lands on the bed and looked up to see the look in Ziva's eyes all fear that she was about to reject him disappeared. She stood in front of him panting heavily, her face hungry and excited as she eyed him up carefully. She took a couple of steps towards him until she was straddling one of his knees. He looked up at her and reached out to run his hands up each of her thighs,
"Ziva." he gasped but instead of replying she shoved him onto his back and climbed on top of him. He felt her knees on each side of his hips as she leant forward to kiss him once more. Tony gripped her thighs again, squeezing them tightly as her tongue danced with his. She began to move away from his mouth, kissing his chin and then moving onto his neck to leave a blazing trail down to his shirt collar. She sat up slightly and began tugging at his tie. He looked up at her as she did so, her eyes were dark and passionate, just watching her lie this was enough to set his heart rate racing. She finally managed to pull his tie off so she started unbuttoning his shirt, covering each piece of new skin with hot, wet kisses. Her hair followed after her lips, tickling his skin as she moved down towards hiss trousers. He moved his fingers up to run them through her hair and stroke her head as she moved down his body. He felt her start to undo his belt but before she had a chance to go an further he suddenly sat up, pulling her with him. She squealed in surprise and ended up straddling his lap. He ran his hands up and down her sides, grinning appreciatively at her as he did so.
"Ziva." he groaned again and suddenly lunged forward, burying his face in her chest. He nuzzled one of her breasts with his cheek before turning to take it in his mouth. He sucked it roughly through the fabric causing her moan and squirm in his arms. Ziva's hands gripped his shoulders tightly, digging into his muscles.
"Tony," she sighed as her head fell back while she enjoyed the feeling of his tongue teasing her through her t-shirt. Tony was just about to reach down and pull her top right off when she suddenly pulled away from him and slithered off his lap and landed in-between his knees. She flashed him a sultry smile and went back to undoing his belt. Tony's mouth went fry as she began to undo his fly, imagining what she would do next. She reached up and grabbed hold of his trousers, ready to pull them off.
"Zizi!" a little voice called out from the bedroom. Ziva sighed and dropped her head onto Tony's knee. They waited silently for a few seconds, "ZIZI!" a more desperate cry reached their ears this time so Ziva lifted her head . "I will be back in a minute" she said and smiled at him almost shyly. She began to stand up but before she did she clamped her hands tightly around his trousers and firmly tugged them. The force sent him flying onto his back which allowed her to drag them down to his ankles. "Wait here." she jumped her feet and scurried of into the bedroom leaving a dazed Tony staring at the roof.
He lay there for a few seconds, trying to work out how they had finally made it to this point. Eventually he sat up and kicked off his shoes and socks before standing up and stepping out of his trousers. He picked them up and slung them across the back of the sofa. He stared down at the bed, what should he do? Should he get in under the covers or was that to cosy? Would lying on top of the covers be a bit too . . . "I've been expecting you,"? he decided to slip inside the duvet to wait for her to get back. Tony lay there for a few minutes, thinking of all the dirty things he had ever imagined doing with Ziva. There was a lot of them and tonight just may be his chance to try some! He heard the door creak open and saw Ziva emerge . . . Carrying Zippy. His heart sank, maybe tonight wasn't the night after all.
"I hope that you are wearing boxers under there." Ziva smiled as she approached and he nodded dumbly. Zippy turned her head to see who Ziva was talking to.
"Pickle!" she squealed and tried to spin round but Ziva held her tightly until they reached the bed when she let the little girl down on top of Tony's chest. Zippy slipped her legs under the blanket and sighed happily as she lay sprawled across him.
"Bad dream?" Tony asked her as he wrapped his arms around her. Zippy nodded gently and he turned to Ziva who was still standing, she had her arms crossed and a serious expression on her face.
"Did you let her watch Peter Pan?" she asked sternly.
"Well . . . Kind of it was on in the background earlier, I didn't think she was really watching it!"
"Well she was and now she is convinced that the crocodile is hiding under her bed, waiting to eat her."
"What?" He snorted and Zippy propped herself up a bit.
"Can hear him, tick tock tick tock" she said seriously, "He hungry for me!" Ziva smiled and slid into bed next to them.
"He doesn't want to eat you, if he were going to eat anyone it would be Tony. There's so much more of him!" She reached out and pinched an inch on Tony's arm and Zippy giggled.
"Owww!" what was that for?"
"Nothing!" she replied innocently he narrowed his eyes suspiciously at her.
"I can't believe this, it was a Disney film, how could it be giving her nightmares?"
"There are many parts of Disney films which are scary for very young children."
"What?"
"The queens in sleeping beauty and snow white or the big octopus thing in the Little Mermaid. You must have been a little bit scared of them some time."
"Well, the pink elephants in Dumbo are a bit creepy." He shivered while Ziva laughed.
"Of all the films the cuddly pink elephants are the scariest thing you can think of?"
"Hey! It's a lot more scary than the crocodile!"
"Well not for Zippy."
"It is not my fault that she's a bit woosy."
"Tony! She is not." Ziva leaned forward and stroked Zippy's back. "She is just a little bit scared." she added kissing the little girl's head before she stretched up and whispered in his ear. "You are just frustrated because you are thinking about what you could be doing right now if you hadn't watched that film this afternoon." she finished by closing her teeth around his earlobe and dragged them gently down it.
"Oh god! That's just cruel." Tony groaned causing her to giggle slightly. She lay down at his side and he took his right arm off of Zippy and wrapped it around Ziva's shoulders and held her tight. Ziva lifted her hand up and began to stroke Zippy's hair as the little girls eyes slowly drifted shut. Tony squeezed them both gently and sighed, "Still there are worse ways to spend the night."
"You are happy then?" She asked, almost nervously as she looked up at him. He turned around to meet her gaze and grinned.
"Oh I'm happy!" She leant forwards and kissed him softly before slipping back down and snuggling her head against his shoulder.