I have a lot on at the moment, with not much time spare to write. However, I am trying to do as much as I can when I am not busy. There are going to be longer periods of time between updates now though. And this story, well, I do not know what I am going to do with it now...

Can't Help Falling In Love

"Maybe…Maybe I was wrong and you were right."

"But what do you mean?" He frowned. She couldn't mean what he wanted her to mean, because he wanted her to mean that she was wrong about what they had, that she was wrong in suggesting that what they could have wouldn't be as good as what they already had. He wanted her to mean that she was wrong about being mad at him. That he was right for kissing her. But she had made her position quite clear the night before. She had made it perfectly obvious that she didn't feel that way for him.

"I think…I think maybe…"

Wise men say
Only fools rush in
But I can't help falling in love with you
Shall I stay?
Would it be a sin
If I can't help falling in love with you?

The first words of the verse hit her. What she was doing was not clever. Nothing good could come of it. Nothing good ever came from romance between coworkers. There was even a rule to prevent it. She had spent such a long time hiding her feelings, such a long time trying not to care, trying to stifle and smother the overwhelming emotions that coursed through her every time he was near. All that work to build up all the walls that protected her, kept her emotions in and kept Tony out, was going to go to waste. But she would pull them down herself in a heartbeat if it meant that she could be with the man she loved. Maybe the song was right, maybe only fools rush in. But then, maybe she was a fool. Maybe that's what love did to you. And that was hardly something she could control. The heart wants what the heart wants.

Like a river flows
Surely to the sea
Darling, so it goes
Some things are meant to be
Take my hand,
Take my whole life, too
For I can't help falling in love with you

Nothing is inevitable. That's what she had said. But maybe she was wrong. Again. Maybe some things were. Like the snow melting and the rain falling and the sun rising. And loving Tony. An inevitability. It was unavoidable. She couldn't help it. If she could choose whom she loved, she was certain Tony wouldn't be her first option. Or even her second or third. He might have made it into the top ten, at a push. But she did love him. She had no idea why, he was juvenile and inappropriate and most of the time a pain in the ass. But then, he was also brave and kind and loyal and trustworthy and she knew that she would never be able to truly deserve him.

Like a river flows
Surely to the sea
Darling, so it goes
Some things are meant to be
Take my hand,
Take my whole life, too
For I can't help falling in love with you
For I can't help falling in love with you

"After last night, our friendship is, er, it will never be the same. But then, it has not been the same for a long time, has it?"

"No. I guess you're right." He said hesitantly.

"You…you were my best friend, and I…I feel that there has been something different, certainly since Jenny died, maybe even before."

"I'm not your best friend anymore?" It was obvious she had hurt him.

"I feel like I do not have my best friend anymore. You are not the you who was my best friend when I remember us being best friends. And I am not the me I was."

"Okay, look, can we just have one conversation without the riddles?"

"What riddles?"

"All you ever do is talk in riddles. I'm a simple guy, Ziva. I'm not a hobbit, and I'm definitely not Gollum, so talk in a way that I understand." He said slowly, making sure to get his message through.

"I do not talk in riddles!"

"You do! You always expect me to see some hidden meaning behind what you're saying and I never do!" He yelled. "God, I hate women."

"The way you flirt and sleep with every human with ovaries I would suggest that your feelings for women are completely the opposite!" She bit back.

"Maybe it's just you, then!"

"Oh, charming, DiNozzo! I try and tell you how I feel and you tell me that you hate me!"

"You're not telling me anything apart from the fact that you don't think I'm your best friend any more!"

"I was trying to get to that point!" The screaming match had apparently disturbed the neighbors, and there was a knock on the door. Ziva stormed over. "Yes?!"

"Er, we just wanted to check that everything was alright. There's a lot of shouting."

"No, no everything is not okay! Do you think we would be shouting if it were?!" She slammed the door in their face and Tony glared at her.

"Thanks for that. I'm now gonna have to apologize to my neighbors, not only for shouting but for how rude you just were to them!"

"I cannot believe you!" She ran through to the bedroom and grabbed her heels, heading towards the door.

"Where do you think you're going?!"

"Home, to shower and change, and then to work!"

"We're not done talking!" He walked over and slammed his palm against his door before she could pull it open, holding it firmly shut.

"We are not talking at all, we are yelling!" Their faces were inches apart. Time froze. Eyes locked. Breathing slowed. Silence descended. He kissed her softly, not wanting to set her off again.

"What are we doing, Ziva? Why are we arguing?" He sighed.

"Because we are us." She smiled sadly. "We are complicated."

"I thought you said that was code for things that the other person wouldn't understand or agree with?"

"We are complicated." She repeated, looking up into his eyes.

"I'll make it simple, then." He pressed his lips to hers, firmer this time. "Let's give it a go."

"What is 'it'?"

"You. Me. Us." He pleaded with her and her eyes faltered.

"What if it does not work?"

"If it doesn't work, we'll fight, then cry a little, then I think we'll, somehow, manage to patch it up. We might even be able to go back to friends. But I don't think it will come to that. I think we'll be perfect."

"Tony I…so many times…" She closed her eyes and placed her head on his chest. "So many times, you have done something, or said something, or not done something, and left me heart broken, and you do not even realize. I cannot…I do not know how many more times I can…when I was in Israel, I tried to move on, I tried to block the feelings that I had for you. And when I came back, so did those feelings. It was like a flood and I tried, again, I tried to tell you and you did not notice. My heart does not have many more breaks left in it."

"What if I promise never to break it again?"

"You cannot promise that, Tony. Sooner or later you will fall in love and I will shatter all over again." She inhaled and looked up at him. "I am sorry, Tony, I cannot…it is for the best…for both of us."

"No."

"No?"

"No. I don't accept that. Why do you think I'll fall in love with anyone? I already love you."

"You are mistaken, Tony."

"No." He shook his head.

"Tony, please do not make this harder than it has to be."

"If you're leaving, I'm gonna make it as hard as possible. Over the past four years, I've gotten to know the woman I love. And I think you love me too, don't you?" She nodded and he smiled. "What do we have to lose?"

"Everything, Tony. Our friendship, our partnership, our jobs."

"I'm happy to lose them all for love. I'm prepared to lose them all for you."

"I cannot afford to do that."

"Yes, you can. Look, if it goes wrong, then I will transfer to a new team. I will leave DC because I won't be able to live in this city without you anymore anyway. You can continue to be here with Abby and McGee and Gibbs and Ducky. Please, give it a shot?"

"Tony, I…"

The song is 'Can't Help Falling In Love' by Elvis Presley. I had not meant for that fight. It just happened. This is the last chapter. For now. I am going to leave it up to your imaginations as to whether she said yes or not, at least until I can come up with another song. I will not mark it as complete for now, but I cannot guarantee that means that there will be another chapter. I will try and find some inspiration somewhere, but that may not happen for quite a while.