Ziva shivered and blew into her cupped hands. You know what was not pleasant? Being outside, in the middle of the night, on what was basically a stake out. Gibbs had instructed them to watch where their suspect was going over the course of the night and to report back to him.

When they were in the car, this was fine. Okay, it wasnt necessarily pleasant but it was still okay. The car was warm even if they couldn't have it turned on and the two of them be in close quarters ensured their body heat kept them from being freezing. That and wearing their coats. It was when their suspect disappeared from view and they had to get out of the car so they could accurately tell Gibbs what was going on. Yeah, Ziva didn't like that part.

The ground was damp and it was cold and the air somehow managed to feel sharp as she breathed it in. Urgh. These American seasons. She really could do without them. What she could not do wothout was her gloves but she is somehow managed to forget them. You would think she would have kept a pair everywhere after the frozen fingers incident from last year. Which Tony still told her was dramatic. It was not. Her fingers had got so cold that the tips went numb. That was not being dramatic. If anything that was the opposite of being dramatic. She had actually contemplated going to the hospital. Her. The hospital.

Their guy ended up simply taking the long way around the street just to end up back at the building across the road where they were parked. Making no other stops. Which was incredibly annoying but at least they could get back inside the car. They had to hang outside for a bit first to make sure their suspect was out of sight before they did, so he didn't get spooked. Which did nothing to improve her mood. It was cold, in case no one had realised.

Why did cold weather even have to exist? There was nothing good about it. Nothing at all.

But they did eventually get back in the car and although it was not going to be warm she would make do. Between her and Tony's body heat she thankfully stopped shivering. Probably more due to Tony. He gave off so much heat.

They sat there together in companiable silence. Or they did until Tony started squinting at something outside. Outside and... up?

"Tony?"

He didn't say anything to her and instead pressed his face up against the window. What on earth was he doing?

"Tony?"

"Wait a sec," he muttered at her as he fumbled with his seatbelt.

Ziva narrowed her eyes at him. He better not be about to do what she thought he was about to do. He reached for the door handle.

"Tony, do not open that door," she threatened.

It might be cold inside but it was definitely far colder out. A temperature she was not prepared to deal with again right now. Did she not just think to herself how she was starting to thaw out? Didn't Tony understand that? No. No, he did not.

"Come on," he urged. "I want to show you something."

She stubbornly stayed put as he pushed his seatbelt to the side and pressed down on the door handle hopefully. None of which did anything to persuade her. She even crossed her arms to prove a point but Tony wasn't going to be deterred.

"Come on. It will bw worth it. I promise."

It was not going to be worth it. Nothing was worth going back outside into that horrid cold.

"I swear if you open that door," she threatened.

But, of course, he took no notice of her and flung his door open. She would vehemently deny it later but this sort of whining noise came from the back of her throat. It wasn't her fault! It was just so cold outside and it turned out that there actually was a fair bit of heat in the car because the cold came rushing in and immediately chilled her.

"Tony!"

He looked far too amused at her reaction. He had definitely heard that whine.

"Come on," he said, swinginh his legs around and getting out of the car.

Ziva stubbornly stayed put.

"We are meant to be sureveilling," she said.
Partly as an excuse to stay put and also because it was true.

"No one's going to see us. We're round a corner and under a broken street light. Just for a second," he tried to coax. "I want to show you something."

She still wasn't going to move. No way. She crossed her arms to prove this to her partner. He sighed and disappeared. Good. Maybe he would do whatever he wanted to do and then come back inside.

"You're cold now," he said, reappearing and speaking through the glass of her window, this smile on his face (with chattering teeth). "You may as well come out."

There was no need for him to look like he had won. Because he had not. Because she still wasn't going to move.

"Please," he pleaded. "Just one minute. That's all I need."

She was never going to tell him this but she never could resist that look. Grumbling, she did so. He was not going to leave her alone otherwise. The quicker she did this the quicker they could all get heated up again. And the quicker she could plot her revenge against her partner.

"What do you want, Tony?" She asked, thoroughly annoyed and cold.

Not a good combination, by the way.

He reached over to pull her along but she leaned back so he couldn't. He already got her out of the car, he was not going to drag her around as well.

With a sigh, be shook his head but did not try to get her to move any further. Instead, he pointed up.

Ziva followed his finger, absentmindedly noting that the clouds from earlier had cleared. And then she gasped. Tony looked very pleased with himself.

"Stars," Ziva breathed in wonder.