Title: Once upon a Summertime

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters on NCIS, I'm just borrowing them for the story.

CHAPTER 15

NOT YOUR DAY TO DIE

Tim's POV:

"Guys, this is stupid. Please, can't we go back now?" I begged them but Ziva just continued walking with determined steps. The four of us were headed into the woods next to the playground. The woods were thin and didn't look very scary but something told me we weren't supposed to go in there. "We should stay on the playground."

"Why do we have to bring them?" Ziva asked, glancing at Abby and I.

I was holding Abby's hand and we were trying to keep up with Tony who in turn was trying to keep up with an angry Ziva.

"We couldn't just leave them alone on the playground, now could we, Ziva?" he answered her.

"Why are we going in here?" Abby asked and squeezed my hand a little tighter. "It doesn't look very nice. Philip doesn't think so either."

Tony turned around and walked backwards, "It's okay, Abby. Ziva is just going to show us something and then we'll go back again."

Ziva halted and pointed ahead, "There it is! The stream." She started running toward it. She was really fast. Tony took off after her. He was also really, really fast. I wish I could run as fast as them, I thought.

I exchanged a look with Abby and we both shrugged and started following them at a more human pace. I wondered what had those two so worked up.

When we got to the stream Tony had waded across to the other side where Ziva was already standing with her arms crossed, eyeing him.

"See, I did it. What do you have to say about that?"

Tony shrugged. "Well, I guess it's pretty impressive…for a girl."

Abby and I approached just to see Ziva's eyes turn even darker than their natural brown color.

"Guys, what's going on?" I asked, trying to get Ziva's attention away from Tony. She looked like she might actually punch him.

Tony turned to us with a sigh. "I bet Ziva that she wouldn't ever go into these woods and all the way to this stream by herself." He fell into thoughts.

"Why would you do that, Tony?" I asked.

Ignoring my question Tony gave a little laugh before turning back to Ziva. "And actually, now that I think about it. You didn't make it!"

Ziva narrowed her eyes at him. "What do you mean by that?"

"The bet was that you would dare go here by yourself…and you didn't." he gestured to himself and Abby and I. "We're here with you. So it doesn't count. It's not scary if you're not alone."

Ziva's mouth dropped open. She just stared at Tony in disbelief at first. And then it came. The furious yell that rustled the leaves on the trees.

"Tony DiNozzo, you are a cheater! You know quite well that I never asked you to come with me!"

Abby and I actually took a step back at hearing her angry voice. I don't think I've ever heard anyone sound so mad. I thought Tony would be scared too but he just offered her a smug smile. That only made Ziva even madder.

"You came even though I told you all to stay!" she yelled at all of us.

"It doesn't matter, Ziva," Tony grinned. "You still lost the bet." He turned and started wading back across the stream again. When he reached our side he put his shoes, socks and sneakers that he had taken off before back on and started tying the laces. "Don't be such a sore loser, Ziva. It's not my fault you're afraid of the woods and all the scary animals in America, "he teased her mercilessly, making me wonder what she had said to him before to make him want to piss her off like this.

"I want to go back now," said Abby. She seemed a little anxious and wore a worried frown.

"Yup, it's time to go back." Tony announced and stepped over to us. He reached for Abby's other hand.

He froze as Ziva yelled at the top of her voice, "Tony stop!"

He turned with a slight frown. "Give it a rest, Ziva. We don't have time to give you another shot to win this bet. We have to go back."

"Gibbs and Jenny will be waiting for us by now," I filled in. Going back sounded like a good plan to me. And I was glad I didn't even have to suggest it myself this time. Especially since Tony and Ziva probably already thought I was a scaredy-cat as it was.

"Do not move, Tim!" Ziva yelled again and suddenly jumped into the water, letting it splash everywhere and soak her pants and t-shirt.

"Why not?" I asked in a perplexed voice.

"Either one of you three move and it will be your own fault!" She yelled as she practically flew across the stream over to our side.

Suddenly I heard Tony gasp and Abby cry out. I felt her let go of my hand and I heard her back away. I felt something move across my left shoe with a slithering movement. Shakily I looked at Tony and followed his gaze to the ground. There it was, one of my worst nightmares. A snake! It made a hissing sound with its tongue as it slid forward. I wanted to cry out too. I wanted to scream for help but my voice was caught in my suddenly very dry throat. What if I suddenly moved? Or shook my foot to get rid of it? Or what if I fell. I did feel dizzy. What if I fainted? The snake would bite me then.

It felt like time was moving in slow motion as all sorts of thoughts went through my head. I must have been standing there several minutes, I thought. But that didn't add up either because Ziva moved very fast and all of a sudden she was standing in front of me with her hands held out in front of her. She was talking to me but I couldn't hear what she was saying.

"What?" I said in a shaking voice and looked up at her.

"I said, look at me Tim. Don't look down. Look at me instead. Tony do not move!" Tony froze again. He looked scared too. I couldn't see Abby so I figured she must be behind me somewhere.

"Ziva…" I whimpered. Right now I didn't care if I sounded scared because that's what I was. I was terrified. I really wanted someone to go get Gibbs but I knew he wouldn't make it in time before I fell or moved.

"You will be okay as long as you do not move, Tim," she said in a hushed voice. I decided to trust Ziva. She seemed to know a lot about snakes for some reason I didn't even want to know about right now. I gulped as she cautiously moved one step closer to me. Suddenly she dove to the ground and grabbed the snake, just below its head. I couldn't believe it. She was holding the snake, as if it were nothing more than some twig she's found on the ground. She turned its head towards her face and looked into its beady yellow eyes. The snake hissed at her and I dropped to my butt on the ground with a thud.

"Ziva, let go of that thing! It could kill you!" Tony yelled out in an angry, worried voice. "Are you crazy?"

She calmly looked at him, with the snake still in her grip. "No, I just have this phobia of all the scary animals in America." She retorted. She then walked over to the stream and dropped the snake in the water. "Go, now. It is not your day to die. You cannot help some people almost stepped on you."

We watched as it swam away down the stream.

When I realized I was still sitting on the ground hyperventilating I made an effort to take a couple of deep breaths and then got to my feet.

"Ziva."

She stopped staring after the snake and turned.

"Thank you. I…I…" I shook my leg to make sure it was still there. "I don't know what to say."

"Forget it. It was nothing." she shrugged indifferently.

Tony just stared at her. He was obviously impressed. "How did you do that? And how did you know how to do that?"

She rolled her eyes at his questions. "Tony, I am from Israel. We have lots of dangerous, poisonous snakes. I have to know how to deal with them…and situations like that."

"Oh," he nodded. "I guess I can see why that would be important. I have after all seen the movie Anaconda."

"Anaconda?" I asked.

"Yeah, it's a type of snake that's reeeaally big. In the movie the snake sort of…"

"We have a much bigger problem than a little snake, right now." Ziva interrupted. "Abby seems to be gone."

Tony spun around and his eyes darted around. "Abby!" he called out. "Abby, come out! The snake is gone now!"

But Abby didn't come out. A thought entered my mind. "She probably went back to get help."

Tony put a hand to his forehead. "That means she's gone to Gibbs and Jenny. And that she's probably told them everything."

To be continued

A/N: Please review.