Okay, so this was going to be uploaded yesterday, but I was lying in bed rather ill. It was not pretty. But, even though I am barely feeling 50%, let alone 100% better, I am just about well enough to just about check my emails and upload this now. And, it means that I get to spend a few days watching old NCIS episodes. Ah, season 3 and 4. What else could make me feel better?

The song is 'She' by Elvis Costello. I just thought it fit perfectly.

She

"Wait. One more." She hesitated. His eyes were boring into hers, trying to get her to open up, but she had long since stopped openly displaying her emotions to him. It got her nowhere but hurt. She'd already pulled away from him, suddenly feeling cold without his body pressed against hers. The band started playing and she froze. He took that as his opportunity to pull her close again, this time keeping both his hands on her hips. Her hands moved up to his shoulders without her wanting them to. He sang along with the words when they started, swaying from side to side with the music.

She
May be the face I can't forget
The trace of pleasure or regret
May be my treasure or the price I have to pay
She
May be the song that summer sings
May be the chill that autumn brings
May be a hundred different things
Within the measure of a day

His voice was soft, gentle. It was good, really good. She was surprised that she never knew he could sing. She moved closer to him subconsciously, her eyes locked onto his. She couldn't look away, he was mesmerizing.

She
May be the beauty or the beast
May be the famine or the feast
May turn each day into a heaven or a hell
She may be the mirror of my dreams
The smile reflected in a stream
She may not be what she may seem
Inside her shell

He pressed his lips softly to the top of her head during the instrumental, continuing with their gentle swaying. She turned her face away from him when he pulled away slightly and he wanted nothing more than to be able to see her eyes again. His grip tightened on her waist, slipping one hand behind her back, pulling her ever so slightly closer to him.

She
Who always seems so happy in a crowd
Whose eyes can be so private and so proud
No one's allowed to see them when they cry
She
May be the love that cannot hope to last
May come to me from shadows of the past
That I'll remember till the day I die

She had placed her forehead on his chest and her hands had wound their way to clasp his back, not wanting to have to let go. Not wanting the song to end. His voice was strong yet quiet as the words brushed against her ears. He had his head bowed down so his cheek grazed hers on occasion.

She
May be the reason I survive
The why and wherefore I'm alive
The one I'll care for through the rough in ready years
Me
I'll take her laughter and her tears
And make them all my souvenirs
For where she goes I've got to be
The meaning of my life is

He tilted her chin up with the hand that wasn't caressing the bare skin of her back. Ducky had said not to have regrets. This was something he would regret if he didn't do. He leant down, slowly, not singing the last words as he caught her lips in his. The kiss was slow and soft and gentle and tender.

She
She, oh she

He felt the pressure on his back from where her arms had wrapped around him lift as he pulled away. She reached up and, with a feather-light touch, grazed her fingers along his cheekbone before backing away through the crowd. He stood, stunned, in the swarm of dancing people, all of a sudden feeling claustrophobic as someone bumped into him. He started pushing through the people, wondering when it had gotten so busy on the dance floor and realizing it was probably when he had been so absorbed in her. He ran up to the bar where he had left his Guinness and her mojito. "The woman I was here with. Do you know where she went?"

"Short black dress, pretty brown eyes?" The bartender asked as he poured a glass of red wine.

"Yeah?"

"Just ran out crying." He nodded to the glass doors that lead out into the street.

"Thanks." Tony called back, already running through the doors.

"Good luck." The bartender muttered and went back to serving drinks.

Tony looked in both directions, searching for Ziva along the dark street. He spotted her as she passed under a streetlamp, her stilettos in one hand and her other hand furiously wiping her face. He ran to catch up with her, uncertain of what it was he was going to say. She turned around and he could see the tearstains running down her cheek. Even waterproof mascara runs sometimes.

"You're gonna hurt your feet." That was his genius thing to say? He pointed to the shoes in her hand then down to her bare feet when she frowned at him, backhanding a few more tears that fell. She looked down and wiggled her toes.

"Why did you have to do that, Tony?" Her voice was quiet and shaky.

"Because I wanted to dance."

"Not the dancing! I liked the dancing! Why did you have to kiss me?!"

"Because I would regret not doing it." He stepped closer and she took a step back.

"But it was good before you did it! I was good before you did it! We were good before you did it!" The tears were flowing freely now and she had no power to stop them.

"God. Why do you do this? Why? Whenever something good happens, whenever I try, you just shut me down. You pretend nothing happened. Why do you do it?!"

"Because there are rules! Because it is what is best for the both of us!"

"According to who? According to you?! Why must you be right? Why is what you think what is correct?!"

"Because in this instance it is! Because you are always the one making the mistakes and I am always the one who has to stop it before it gets out of control!"

"But what if it doesn't get out of control?! What if it's just right? Perfect? You've just ruined it!"

"What we had before was good. It is you who has ruined it." She grew quiet all of a sudden.

"What we had before was good, but it wasn't great, Ziva. This could be great. We could be great."

"Now you just sound like a delusional egotistic dictator." She shook her head and turned away, continuing her long walk home.

"It was the best kiss, if that's any consolation. Best kiss ever." He said to the empty air where she had been standing. All he got in reply was silence. Gibbs was going to kill him. Or worse.

That was a different ending to what I had planned. It just sort of happened. Hm. I did not want this to be a sad story. Oh, well…I guess I will just have to write another chapter.