Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS.

In 12x01, Tony briefly mentions about jetlag from a trip to Spain. What if he met someone there?

End of August 2014

Tony scanned the hotel bar, looking for a space to sit down and have some food. It had been a long day, flying from DC to Barcelona, and Tony had briefly contemplated ordering room service, but after a shower and a thirty-minute nap, Tony felt awake and human enough to eat the hotel bar/ restaurant.

A couple finished at a table, leaving it empty. Tony grabbed it quickly before anyone else sat down. He ordered some food and waited patiently for it to come. Checking his messages, Tony noticed an email from his father, a message from Abby and a message from Harry, a friend from the mental health group Tony had been going.

It was almost a year since Tony had left Ziva in Israel. A year with no word, no communication, no birthday card. He had sent a couple of messages to Ziva over the year; her birthday, the anniversary of Eli's death, letting her know about Delilah's paralysis. Not talking to Ziva or seeing her every day had taken some getting used. Tony had found it difficult, and struggled to talk about it to any member of Team Gibbs. They knew too much or speculated too much.

However, talking to someone like Harry, who never met Ziva, had an impact on Tony that he didn't expect. When they had parted ways, Ziva had told Tony that this was not goodbye, that they would see each other again. After Tony explained what he thought Ziva was doing, Harry suggested that Tony do something similar.

So, following Harry's advice, Tony had begun to change things, just like he had told Ziva he would. He began to participate in the mental health group activities more and more, started ticking things off his bucket list. He and Senior emailed each other more and more, though their relationship was still touchy from time to time. Tony also started traveling more. It was the reason for this trip to Barcelona, Spain. He had never been and thought, why not. Tim had spent two weeks in Dubai with Delilah and Ellie and Jake had visited family. What Gibbs did on his vacation was anyone's guess.

Tony's food came and he ate it. He was getting to leave when Tony spotted her, sitting at the bar, reading. Olive skin and dark curls.

Ziva David.

Without thinking, Tony walked over to her.

'In all the bars in all the world, and she's reading in mine' he said. Ziva turned to look at him.

'Tony?'

'Ziva.' She got up and they hugged.

'What are you doing here?' she asked.

'On vacation' said Tony, as they sat back down. 'You?'

'Same' replied Ziva. 'Are you staying in this hotel?' Tony nodded.

'Yeah, room 218. You?'

'Yes, I am. Room 426.' They laughed awkwardly. 'How is everyone?'

'They're good, everyone's good.'

'I am glad.'

With that, the conversation dried up. They sat the nosy bar, staring at each other, with small smiles on their faces.

'What you reading?' asked Tony, eventually. Ziva flipped it closed.

'The Great Gatsby' she said.

'Love the film.' Ziva laughed quietly. 'You enjoying it?'

'Yes, I am. I have read it before.'

'How are you?' Tony asked.

'I am good, Tony. This past year has been good. Not always, but mainly good.'

'I'm glad. I'm really glad.' Tony reached over and squeezed Ziva's hand she had resting on the bar. They stayed for a few seconds before Ziva pulled away.

'I, um, need to go.' She got up, picked up her book and bag. 'It was, um, really great seeing you Tony.' With that, Ziva practically ran out of the bar, leaving Tony, bewildered.

Tony laid on his bed in his hotel room. He was still trying to process what had happened in the bar. Bumping into Ziva, in Barcelona, on his vacation? It was madness.

Tony got up and paced back and forth a bit. They were unfinished. Whatever happened between them, it was always unfinished and for once they needed to finish it. For peace of mind if not for anything else.

Tony put on his shoes, grabbed his phone and hotel key. Room 426 she had said. He walked down the hall to the elevator and pushed the button for the fourth floor. The elevator dinged and the doors opened onto the fourth floor.

Ziva was standing on the other side.

They looked at each other, smiled before Tony got off and kissed Ziva.

They laid naked in Ziva's bed, wrapped up in limbs and sheets, relishing being physically close again.

'You OK?' asked Tony. Ziva smiled.

'Yes. You?'

'Not bad.' Ziva chuckled quietly. 'Can I asked you a question?'

'Go on.'

'Why did you run away earlier, down in the bar?'

Ziva took a deep breath.

'I was scared, Tony.' He turned to look at her.

'Of what?' Ziva paused to think what to say.

'I am in a really good place, Tony. Like I said earlier, this past year has been really good for me. I was – I am afraid of being pulled back to where I was a year ago.'

'I have an idea' said Tony. They sat up, still with their arms around each other. 'Let's be honest, brutally honest with each other. For once in this relationship, whatever it is. Let's stop avoiding or hiding from everything we should have said.'

'OK' said Ziva.

'I love you, Ziva' said Tony, tucking Ziva's hair behind her ear. 'I have done for a while.' Ziva smiled and kissed Tony.

'I love you too, Tony.'

They stayed in silence for some time. The weight of carrying around unsaid feelings finally lifted off their shoulders and hearts. The walls between them had come down a little.

'Do you have anything you want to say?' asked Tony, a tad awkwardly. Ziva looked at him.

'Were you jealous?' asked Ziva. Tony chuckled.

'Yes… and no.' Ziva raised an eyebrow. Tony paused. 'With Rivkin, it wasn't that you were dating someone else. I was more concerned about you wanting to go back to Israel. I get why you did date him. Rivkin was Israeli and Mossad, and your father approved of him.' Ziva let out a snort, making Tony smile. 'But I was worried that it would make you want to leave us and go back to Israel. I didn't want to lose another partner or a friend.' Ziva smiled.

'With Ray?'

'I didn't think he was good enough for you. I mean, come on, what was with that empty box?' Ziva laughed. 'I know he made you happy for some time, but I didn't want you to be with him.'

'Because you had feelings for me?'

'Maybe. I don't know. Even if I did have feelings then, I wouldn't have admitted it to anyone, including myself.' Tony kissed Ziva. 'Were you ever jealous?'

'Jealous might not be the right word. When you were dating Jeanne, you were in a real relationship or at least one that looked real. After it ended, you see to go back to dating ditzy women younger than you. I did not understand it. I thought you wanted a real relationship, with a real woman.'

'What about EJ?' Ziva laughed.

'She simply annoyed me. The thing with the skylight and the desk. She was cocky and I have worked with other women like that. I did not enjoy working with those women. I think I could have only tolerated EJ for small periods of time.' Tony chuckled. 'Anything else?' asked Ziva.

'Paris. We never did discuss what happened.'

'No, we did not.'

'I remember you seemed nervous' said Tony. 'It wasn't something I expected from you.' Ziva smiled and played with Tony's hand.

'That night, Tony, was the first time I had been with someone since returning from…'

'Oh.' Ziva nodded.

'It was not just that. I was worried that it would ruin our friendship and partnership, that things would change permanently between us.'

'Things did change, Zi.'

'I know, but now, I think it might have been one of the best decisions I have made. I was treated like a thing, for so long. Not even as a human, let alone as a woman. That night, Tony, you saw me and treated me like a woman, and if there is one thing that Tony DiNozzo knows how to do, it is how to treat a woman right.' Tony laughed. 'I knew that if I said stop, you would have stopped and that meant a lot at the time. After Paris, I felt more like a woman, more like me, than I had done in a long time.'

Tony kissed the top of Ziva's head. Paris had been a memory he held dear in his mind. Yet, he had always unanswered thoughts and questions.

'What about Berlin?' asked Ziva.

'What about it?'

'Do you think…' Ziva trailed off.

'I don't know Zi. I knew I had feelings for you then. Strong feelings that were almost impossible to deny. Dancing with you, in that nightclub. Had we not been undercover, or on the job, things might have been different.'

'Why did you take my hand in the car?' asked Ziva. She was referring to when they returned from Berlin.

'I don't know Zi' said Tony. It was the truth. 'You were being very honest about things and I wanted to support you, I guess. Like I said, I knew I had feelings for you. Maybe even fallen for you.'

'Those months were not easy for me, Tony' said Ziva. 'You were always there for me and I never thanked you.'

'Zi, you don't have. It's what happens when you love someone.'

'I know' replied Ziva, quietly, smiling as she did. 'But thank you all the same.' Tony smiled at Ziva and kissed her. Ziva rested her head on Tony's shoulder.

Ziva had one more thing she wanted to talk about.

'Somalia' she said.

'What about it?' asked Tony. Ziva looked at him.

'Tony, you went to Somalia, got captured on purpose, and you did not know if I was alive.' Tony brushed some hair out of Ziva's face.

'I was either going to rescue you, avenge you, or die trying. One of them. I didn't really know which one until we were on the flight back to DC.' Ziva grasped tightly onto Tony's hand. She needed him to know how much it meant to her. 'I told the truth Zi, in that cell. I can't live without you.' Ziva sniffed and cupped Tony's face.

'I cannot live without you either, Tony' whispered Ziva.

They kissed passionately and after making love again, talked more about things they had avoided in the past; the week they spent together after handing in their badges, their parents, rule 12, why Ziva stayed in Israel, what happened when they were trapped in the elevator after Dearing's bombing, that conversation outside of Gibbs' cabin during Parsons' investigation. Ziva talked about what she was doing in Israel, working with the homeless population in Tel Aviv and Tony told her about his men's mental health support group he attended. Things that were once foggy became clear and both Tony and Ziva felt a sense of peace within.

The next morning, Tony woke up to find Ziva sitting up, writing in a brown leather journal. She had explained that previous night how she wrote her feelings and thoughts down about the cases they had, and that journaling had become an integral part of her life.

'Morning' said Ziva. Tony smiled.

'Morning sweet cheeks.' Ziva laughed. It was a hearty laugh that wasn't trying to cover up any negative feelings or emotions. It made Tony happy to hear. 'What you doing?'

'Just writing' said Ziva. She put the lid on her pen and put it and the journal away.

'What time is it?'

'About 8.'

'When did you wake up?'

'About 6.15.' Tony laughed.

'Still waking up early?' Ziva nodded.

'I went back to running in the mornings.'

'You've gone for a run already? On vacation?' Ziva shook her head.

'No, I have not, though I have read some of my book and did some writing, and.' There was a knock at the door. 'Ordered breakfast.'

Ziva got up and answered the door.

'Seriously, Zi. You do more before 8 am than anyone else, even when you're on vacation.' Ziva came back, wheeling the breakfast into the room.

'I like to be productive' she said, taking the lids off their meals. She handed Tony his.

'Scrambled eggs on wheat?' he asked. Ziva nodded. 'You know me so well.' Ziva laughed again and sat back on the bed with her own breakfast; French toast. 'Do you have any plans today?' asked Tony, his mouth full of egg.

'I was planning on going on this Gaudi walking tour' said Ziva. 'Shows you all the buildings he designed. You want to come along?'

'Um…' said Tony, slowly. Ziva raised an eyebrow. 'Sure' he eventually said. As they went back to their breakfast, Tony had an idea. 'Why don't we spend the rest of the week together?'

'What do you mean?'

'Like a normal couple on vacation.'

'Only that we have two rooms instead of one?'

'We'll alternate each night if need be. What do you say? Let's spend the week together.' Ziva hesitated. 'What is it?' asked Tony.

'Is that a good idea, Tony? At the end of this week, you are going back to DC and I am going back to Tel Aviv. I spent two weeks crying after you left a year ago. I do not think I can through that again.'

'What is our alternative, Zi? We're in the same hotel, in the same city. I cannot ignore you for the next six days. Can you? Let's try. You never know what could happen.'

'OK' said Ziva quietly. Tony leaned forward and kissed Ziva. 'I love you, Tony.'

'I love you too, Ziva.'

Six days later

Ziva woke up and rolled over, expecting to find Tony. He wasn't there. It was very unlike Tony. Ziva had been the one to wake up first for the past week. She sat up and found Tony standing by the window.

'Have you been watching me sleep?' she asked.

'Um… no?' replied Tony and Ziva chuckled. She studied Tony for a bit.

'Tony are you alright?' He smiled, nodded and stared back out of the window.

'We have spent the most incredible week together, again, and today one of us is going t get on a plane and we'll be separated. Again.'

Ziva got up and went to stand with Tony.

'Tony, this is not goodbye forever. It is simply see you soon.'

'When Zi? When am I going to see you again? I'm going to DC. You are going to Israel.' Tony's eyes were classy with tears. Ziva thought for a moment.

'Thanksgiving.'

'What?'

'Thanksgiving, Tony. We will spend Thanksgiving together. I will come to DC for Thanksgiving. This is not the end of our relationship.

'How do you know that Zi?' Ziva looked at the man she loved so much, and saw the worry and concern about their relationship in his face.

'I have never believed that the universe sends signs and the idea of going back, especially to the person I was eighteen months ago, terrifies me. But seeing you in the bar, a week ago. The fact that we are staying in the same hotel in the same city… it has to mean something, Tony. You are too important to me.' Tony sniffed back tears, smiled and passionately kissed Ziva. 'We do not have to leave for the airport until 7 pm tonight. We have about twelve hours until we have to say goodbye.' Ziva took his hand and led Tony back to the bed. 'So make love to me one more time, Tony, before we say goodbye to the city.'

'When did you become so wise?' asked Tony.

'I will tell you at Thanksgiving.' Tony laughed and kissed Ziva again.

Ziva watched Tony walk down the tunnel towards the plane. Tears began to fall. Their goodbye, as with all their goodbyes, had been an incredibly emotional one. A little old woman came over to her.

'Are you alright my dear?' she asked in Spanish. Ziva nodded.

'Just saying goodbye to my boyfriend' she replied, also in Spanish.

'Where does he live?'

'The US. I will not see him again until November.' The woman patted Ziva's shoulder and handed her a hankie before leaving.

October 2014

Tony was sitting at his desk, putting on his cuff links. His computer dinged with an email. From Ziva. It was her flight details for Thanksgiving. Or the weekend before Thanksgiving. Tony was looking forward to her coming, but also dreading it. At some point, Ziva was going to get on a plane and fly away from him. Again. But he so wanted to see her.

'Hey James Bond.' ATF agent Zoe Keates was standing near his desk. Team Gibbs had bumped into his old Philly PD partner during a case that had a potential terrorism connection. It didn't, but it had been nice for Tony to catch up with Keates. They had had fun when in their beat cop days an seeing her again reminded Tony of how far he had come, how much he had changed.

'I'm Bruce Wayne actually.' Zoe laughed.

'So, um, I was wondering if you're free…' began Zoe. Tony looked sympathetically at his old partner.

'Listen Zoe, it was great bumping into you again, but…'

'There's someone else?' Tony nodded.

'I'm sorry.'

'Don't be Spider. She must be special.' Tony smiled and nodded.

'Most important person in my life.' Zoe studied Tony's face.

'You must love her very much' she said quietly.

'So much that it hurts. Doesn't help the fact that she doesn't live in the US.'

'Oh? Where does she live?'

'Tel Aviv.'

'Israel?'

'Yeah, I know. If only it wasn't a fifteen hour flight to see her.' Zoe laughed.

'You must miss her very much' she said.

'So much that it hurts.'

Tony stood at the arrivals gate, waiting for Ziva. The doors opened and passengers poured through them. Tony spotted Ziva and waved her over to him. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.

'Oh, I've missed you, Zi' said Tony, hugging her tightly. Ziva laughed.

'I missed you too, Tony.' The hug broke and they kissed. Interlocking their fingers together and made their way to Tony's car. On the drive, Tony kept looking at Ziva.

'There's something about you, Zi. You seem different.' Ziva laughed.

'I will tell you everything, Tony, just not when you are driving.' Tony laughed, but was seriously intrigued.

When they got to Tony's apartment, Tony asked Ziva what she had been up to.

'In September last year, I found some of Ima's old journals and notebooks. One of the contained notes and ideas for a homeless shelter in Tel Aviv.'

'You started a homeless shelter?' Ziva nodded and smiled. 'The Rivka David Centre?'

'The Rivka Jacobs Foundation' corrected Ziva. Tony raised an eyebrow. 'David was Eli's name. Jacobs was Ima's maiden name. I named it after her.'

'That's… beautiful, Zi.'

'At the moment it helps provide essentials to help living on the streets; food, water, hygiene products, things like that. I am also starting a scholarship in honour of Tali.'

'A scholarship?' Ziva nodded.

'Tali wanted to study at the Tel Aviv Conservatory for Music, so the scholarship will be for anyone who wants to study there. I will use some of Eli's money. I think he would approve of using this way.' Tony smiled.

'That's amazing Zi.'

'I spoke to Schmeil. He is going to help me set it up.' Tony chuckled slightly. He was happy that Schmeil and Ziva were able to see each other regularly.

'I'm so proud of you' said Tony, as he pulled Ziva towards him. They sat against the back of the sofa.

'There's something else' said Ziva.

'What now?' Tony couldn't think of anything else that Ziva could do.

'My old apartment has become available.' Tony looked at Ziva. 'The current tenant is not renewing. I emailed the landlord and he said if I wanted to, I could move in after Thanksgiving'

'You're moving back to DC?' Ziva nodded.

'I want to open the Rivka Jacobs Foundation here in DC as well.' Ziva paused before continuing. 'I missed you Tony. So much. The last three months have been horrible, well not horrible. They've been good. Really good. The best three months I have had in a long time. But I missed you so much that it hurt. I had wanted to come and see everyone, but I was terrified I would revert back to who I was and I do not like that person. Being with you in Barcelona showed me that I can be this new person that I am, and still have the bits of my old life that I love and miss.'

Tony laughed and smiled and sniffed away the tears that were forming. He took a deep breath in.

'If you're moving back, what does that mean for you and me?' Ziva smiled and lent forward and kissed Tony.

'Does that answer your question?' she asked, smiling.

'Um, maybe. You might need to explain it a bit more' said Tony. Ziva laughed as they both leaned forward and kissed.

It's a long one, so thank you for reading it.

Like I said at the top, I got the idea for this story when I watched 12x01. I also wanted Tony and Ziva to be able to talk about everything between them.

Hope you liked and again thank you for reading and reviewing.